Celebrity Beyond, June 23 - July 2 Mediterranean Sailing LIVE Thread

[sergel02]

Hi all!

 

I’m currently on the Celebrity Beyond for a Mediterranean sailing leaving from Barcelona. I’ve done a live update thread before about how the cruise goes so I figured I’ll make one for this too and others can contribute too. 
 

Day 1: Barcelona

Barcelona was fantastic with great food and easily walkable. I was a little sad to leave to go on the ship. We’re just in our stateroom waiting for dinner and relaxing right now though.  First time on an Edge class ship so it’ll be fun to explore. 
 

Couple interesting points so far:

 

- Embarkation was super quick and easy. Staff in the Barcelona port was helpful. We took a taxi here and it was easy, around €20 for a 20 minute ride. 
 

- One odd thing though is that they never checked our COVID tests. We did them but the guy never asked and we thought maybe they will later but never did. Not sure if he just forgot, the requirements change, or eMed/bio max just sends positive results to Celebrity so they already knew we were negative.  
 

- Buffet was good overall for first day. They still serve you which is nice. 
 

- Drink packages were a bit different from the last time we went on Celebrity in 2019 and Royal back in March 2022. We used to be able to purchase a water package and get bottled water delivered to our room, usually a case. Now that’s not an option and you have to buy the basic drink package somewhere around $160 per person and get water bottles from the bar and store them in your fridge. Not sure if it’s a Celebrity change or supply chain issues. It’s one thing we were a bit disappointed about since we didn’t purchase a drink package and usually just want water or juice. 
 

 

Will update as time goes by!

Edited June 23, 2022 by sergel02

[AbbyCruiser45]

I'm excited to follow along! I'm thinking about taking a similar cruise next year, so hearing about the ports will be great. From the TikToks Capt. Kate has been posting, the ports look stunning.

 

You said that eMed sends the positive results to Celebrity, does this mean it was a test at port? 

[sergel02]

32 minutes ago, AbbyCruiser45 said:

I'm excited to follow along! I'm thinking about taking a similar cruise next year, so hearing about the ports will be great. From the TikToks Capt. Kate has been posting, the ports look stunning.

 

You said that eMed sends the positive results to Celebrity, does this mean it was a test at port? 

Oh no that’s not what I meant lol. 
 

We were just confused why they never checked our negative tests results. We are boosted so we had to do a test 2 days before (people vaccinated but not boosted have to do it one day before). Did it in our hotel room in Barcelona, paid the money to buy the tests back home and bring them over, etc. 

 

It’s just it was never checked. We aren’t sure if the rules changed (haven’t heard anything), or if maybe the company sends results to Celebrity since the test asks for your cruise line, the city you’re in, name, etc. I doubt that though. I think maybe our guy just forgot. 

Edited June 23, 2022 by sergel02

[jelayne]

Doubt that the results were sent to Celebrity as neither eMed  or NAVICA requested us to authorize the sending of our results to anyone but us, nor was there any question asking which cruise line we were sailing.   Sounds like the person at the pier forgot to check.

Have a great trip. 

[Reel Love]

Following, and thank you for doing this live thread  😊    We were supposed to sail from Barcelona as well for our Mediterranean cruise (cancelled due to Covid of course, lol) so very much looking forward to experiencing the ports through your posts.  Also interested to hear of your experience and thoughts of the Beyond.  Have a wonderful time!

[Silkroad]

Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. I’m really looking forward to your assessment of Beyond, as well as your experiences in the ports. 
 

BTW we had a similar experience to yours when boarding Edge last autumn. We kept our eMed test results in hand during the boarding process, but each person told us they’d be scrutinized “later”🤷‍♀️ We had a different boarding experience on Equinox this spring. Everyone wanted to see our test results😂

 

 

[sergel02]

8 hours ago, Silkroad said:

Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. I’m really looking forward to your assessment of Beyond, as well as your experiences in the ports. 
 

BTW we had a similar experience to yours when boarding Edge last autumn. We kept our eMed test results in hand during the boarding process, but each person told us they’d be scrutinized “later”🤷‍♀️ We had a different boarding experience on Equinox this spring. Everyone wanted to see our test results😂

 

 

Lol where did each cruise leave from? Wonder if that makes a difference.
 

Anyway, some small updates on Day 1 still:

 

- Dinner at Cyprus tonight. Got the cheese saganaki, koredelia pasta, and galaktoboureko for dessert with yogurt ice cream. I couldn’t  properly pronounce anything I ordered but it was really good! This one meal was probably better than anything we had in our last cruise and we still have 8 days. 
 

- Our waitress said last she heard there were around 1600 guests on board, though that’s not confirmed yet she said (I assume they hear during reports or something the next day). I’d believe it; the ship felt spacious and never overcrowded. 
 

- The staff looked super bored in the best possible way. It reminded me of our trip on the Koningsdam last year with around 1800 passengers. Not sure how long they can sustain that though. The price of this cruise was prohibitively expensive though; we only went since we used id90 or Vacations to go (I forget which). 
 

- Staterooms: the Infinite veranda takes some getting used to but the space is nice. We have adjoining cabins and the door is in the front by the bathroom which makes it awkward to keep open. We prob it with the trash bins though and it works. 

- Bathrooms are probably some of the most spacious at sea for us. Only odd thing is you see yourself in the mirror when you’re on the toilet. Oh well, time to practice your speeches I guess. 
 

- The laundry: it’s a bit different than previous cruises we took. We had a few days in Barcelona so we already needed a load done, and HAL and Royal offered a full bag for $25 and $49 respectively. Here on the Beyond we only have the option for individual items and they said later on they’ll have some special. Not sure if that’s a change or it’s always been only that option. 
 

Anyway, will be in Marseille tomorrow. Time for bed!

[Ken the cruiser]

It sounds like you’re having a great time and we’re looking forward to following along. If I might ask, are you using the Celebrity Basic or Premium internet package. On earlier cruises where there were over 1100-1200 passengers onboard, logging onto CC was a big pain unless you had purchased the Premium internet package.

[scrapcreator]

Have a great cruise! We were on the June 4th sailing out of Barcelona and had a fabulous cruise. 

[sergel02]

3 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

It sounds like you’re having a great time and we’re looking forward to following along. If I might ask, are you using the Celebrity Basic or Premium internet package. On earlier cruises where there were over 1100-1200 passengers onboard, logging onto CC was a big pain unless you had purchased the Premium internet package.

I’m using the premium internet package though my parents have the basic so I can compare as the sailing goes on. It works really well and fast but it was pricey. 

[sergel02]

Day 2 - Marseille, France

 

I won’t lie there won’t be much to talk about. We had plans every other day so Marseille was the sacrifice we made. We mostly napped all day, still tired from before.

 

- The ship docks in the industrial part of the city so you have to take a shuttle in.

- It was noticeably hot and humid.

- There were 2 other cruise ships, Costa and MSC, and a few ferries.

- We saw the stage show, Last Stage I believe it was called. It was an homage to many musicals.

- It was a good show overall, especially the latter half. They had me when they sang ‘Seasons of Love’ from Rent. That song will never get hold. Also loved the Moulin Rouge segment. Unaware me thought the movie came out decades ago when it was only 2001 haha.

- Sad there was no Wicked though.

- One gripe: the mixing was a bit weird. The singers sounded really quiet in lower segments and super loud in higher one. Maybe it was nerves since it got better, except one of the male singers sounded like he struggled supporting and kind of screamed is higher notes, which made it kind of hard to hear part of the show.

- Captain Kate introduced herself and people were able to take pics with her at one of the shops.

 

[bandp407]

Following- have a great cruise Serge102!

[moneeman]

Following closely, as we get on next Saturday when you get off.  Have a great cruise!

[WorkerBee74]

On 6/23/2022 at 4:46 PM, sergel02 said:

 - The laundry: it’s a bit different than previous cruises we took. We had a few days in Barcelona so we already needed a load done, and HAL and Royal offered a full bag for $25 and $49 respectively. Here on the Beyond we only have the option for individual items and they said later on they’ll have some special. Not sure if that’s a change or it’s always been only that option. 

 

I'd be interested to hear when/what the special is.  We've got our cruise on Edge in October after a week in Spain and are doing carry-on only, so will need to do a few things in the sink but may want to send dresses/pants to the laundry - let us know!

Edited June 26, 2022 by WorkerBee74

[sergel02]

2 hours ago, WorkerBee74 said:

 

I'd be interested to hear when/what the special is.  We've got our cruise on Edge in October after a week in Spain and are doing carry-on only, so will need to do a few things in the sink but may want to send dresses/pants to the laundry - let us know!

We just got it last night actually! All you can stuff into the laundry bag for $50, as long as it’s itemized so they know what’s in there. Doesn’t including dry cleaning or pressing though.

They didn’t give us much time though to get it read. got it the night of the 25th and we have to have it ready before noon on the 26th. 
 

 

[sergel02]

Day 3 - Nice - Villefranche - Monaco 

 

Wow we’re pooped 😫

- The ship docks in Villefranche which is between Nice and Monaco. We decided to do an excursion to Monaco and Monte Carlo. I always wanted to see Monaco since I watched Princess Diaries 2 in 2004 haha. 
 

- Important to note for anyone visiting soon: there is construction in the parking lot I guess so instead of picking you up where you tender at, you have around a 10 minute walk uphill to get to your busses.
 

- This was honestly part of what tired us out a ton. The tour involved a lot of walking but it wasn’t too bad through Monaco. We did need to wear our masks during the bus but could take them off outside of it. 

 

- Tour drove us by Nice which was gorgeous. It does go very high though. There was a lady on the bus who started feeling a bit queasy every time she looked over the edge.
 

- Then it dropped us by the Aquatic Museum which we didn’t get to go into but I wish we could. 
 

- Then saw some gardens which had a tribute to Grace Kelly. 
 

- We got to see the Royal Palace which offered a nice view of the harbor. We got about 45 minutes to explore so we got some food and souvenirs. 
 

- Went back tot he bus and then it took us to Monte Carlo. Odd thing though is we had to climb up to it, since they said buses can’t go there. Yet the hop on hop off busses could go up there fine. 

- The excursions description said you needed to be dressed up to go inside the casino and needed your passport but you didn’t need to be dressed up and any form of ID worked. 

- The your was supposed to take around 4 hours but it lasted more like 5.5 hours. Part of it was waiting for people and traffic but it still, plan for more time. 
 

- 10 minute tender back the ship and dinner at Normandie. Got the baked Brie for an appetizer and because it was International Seafarers Day AND the Infinity finally went back into service, they gave everyone free champagne. 
 

Overall I loved Monaco and I want to go back and see Nice one day. My feet probably don’t but they don’t have a choice 😂

Edited June 26, 2022 by sergel02

[sgmn]

On 6/23/2022 at 11:46 PM, sergel02 said:

 

- Our waitress said last she heard there were around 1600 guests on board, though that’s not confirmed yet she said (I assume they hear during reports or something the next day). I’d believe it; the ship felt spacious and never overcrowded. 
 

- The staff looked super bored in the best possible way. It reminded me of our trip on the Koningsdam last year with around 1800 passengers. Not sure how long they can sustain that though. The price of this cruise was prohibitively expensive though; we only went since we used id90 or Vacations to go (I forget which). 
 

 

I was on the previous cruise, Greek Islands and Malta. On the last day one of the competitions around the pool was guess the number on board the next cruise, and it was 1680 expected. Ours was over 2000. 

 

I can highly recommend Elements show, it was amazing 

Also Captain Kates talk was well worth going to

Edited June 26, 2022 by sgmn

[rubens]

Please can you try to know if Capt Kate will still be onboard for the July 30th sailing.

Thanks

[Jim_Iain]

Thanks for taking the time to LIve Post.   Really enjoying the post.

 

RE: Laundry -     If you are Elite (1 Bag PP)  or Elite Plus (2 Bags PP)  you will get one or two free bags per person.    If not usually around mid cruise they will have a special at about 49.95 for a bag of up to 30 items (most report they never count and as long as you get it in the bag they will do it. 

 

 

[bandp407]

20 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Thanks for taking the time to LIve Post.   Really enjoying the post.

 

RE: Laundry -     If you are Elite (1 Bag PP)  or Elite Plus (2 Bags PP)  you will get one or two free bags per person.    If not usually around mid cruise they will have a special at about 49.95 for a bag of up to 30 items (most report they never count and as long as you get it in the bag they will do it. 

 

 

Hi Jim- i thought the laundry for Elite was 1 Bag per cabin. Is it really 1bag PP ? I looked at the Captains Club benefits and it states the 1 bag - doesn’t clarify if it is pp or per cabin. We recently became Elite & only used the service 1 time. They only leave 1 bag in the cabin.

 

Many thanks! 

[sergel02]

19 hours ago, moneeman said:

Following closely, as we get on next Saturday when you get off.  Have a great cruise!

 

 

9 hours ago, sgmn said:

I was on the previous cruise, Greek Islands and Malta. On the last day one of the competitions around the pool was guess the number on board the next cruise, and it was 1680 expected. Ours was over 2000. 

 

I can highly recommend Elements show, it was amazing 

Also Captain Kates talk was well worth going to

Our waiter told us today at dinner that the next cruise should have 2000, and the one after 2900. And one in September has over 3000 booked already (curious which one). I guess we just got a bit lucky in ours for smaller crowds.

 

I’m excited for Elements, though they changed its day. It was supposed to be day 6 before Rome, but will now be tomorrow, Day 5. We have Le Petit tomorrow at 1845 so hopefully we can make the 2130 show.

1 hour ago, rubens said:

Please can you try to know if Capt Kate will still be onboard for the July 30th sailing.

Thanks

I have heard no reason she should be as she just started being captain of this ship. This is only the 7th sailing for this.

 

Day 4 - Santa Margherita and Portofino

 

Sorry to disappoint but we had a tour booked but we’re so exhausted from the last day we ended up not going. One of us had back issues, the other knee, the other foot, it was a wonder we travel at all sometimes. 
 

- We really wanted to see the town, but the 10-15 minute tender ride and heat and humidity keeps us on board. Did have a busy day still though but a bit sad we didn’t leave. However, Rome and Naples are our last days before 1 sea day and WE. MUST. SEE. THEM. We know our limits and want energy for those ports haha.

Spa stuff

 

- I Did go to the spa and they gave us a $50 off coupon for a treatment yesterday so I got one if the men’s facials for $100.

 

- Milena was my aesthetician and she as amazing. She did try to upgrade my treatment and sell me stuff but wasn’t very pushy. I did by some product but didn’t want to upgrade and she never pushed it, and she taught me a lot about my skin without making me seem like some ugly elephant likes others have haha.

 

- The spa is really amazing for a cruise ship. I heard Celebrity invested in it for their Edge class and they weren’t kidding. The area is massive and there are tons of private treatment rooms like some hotels on land. I feel like if you’re on the fence on trying spa treatments on ships the Edge class are a great one to try, if finances allow. Between the service, gratuity, extra tip, and the product I bought, I spent around $200 total at the spa.

 

- Keep in mind, the treatment states 50 minutes but mine ended up being closer to 65 minutes. 
 

- After the treatment I rushed on over to the Club Social. James/Jim Kennedy, a former director of the Kennedy Space center, was a presenter. We were fortunate to get someone so experienced and knowledgeable in space on our ship. 
 

- He mentioned how he usually only gets to speak on sea days, but Captain Kate was able to convince her bosses to allow him 4! He has some more and he talks about the ISS, Shuttle launches, SpaceX, etc. He also assumed I was a college student so I guess the spa treatment was working.

 

- Something that sets the premium lines out for me is they seem to have more Enrichment talks like this which I enjoy.

 

- Had dinner at Tuscan which was good. The pasta was some of the best I ever had. I have pics but they’re on my phone and I’m too lazy to switch devices at 1AM.

 

Tomorrow is La Spezia…which is like an hour drive from Santa Margherita haha. The ship is only going at 8 knots tonight.

 

 

Edited June 26, 2022 by sergel02

[Jim_Iain]

3 hours ago, bandp407 said:

Hi Jim- i thought the laundry for Elite was 1 Bag per cabin. Is it really 1bag PP ? I looked at the Captains Club benefits and it states the 1 bag - doesn’t clarify if it is pp or per cabin. We recently became Elite & only used the service 1 time. They only leave 1 bag in the cabin.

 

Many thanks! 

 

The bag is per CC member.   So if both you and your spouse are Elie you get 1 bag each.     Prior to hitting Zenith we were never able to use all 4 bags.    All you have to do is ask for another bag.   Now we are Zenith and get Free Laundry they bring us a bag daily.

[mauimary]

So fun to read your review.  We will be on this exact same cruise in a little over three weeks. Very excited to hear about everything.  We do have a few ports that are new to us and the first cruise we have nothing planned in the way of excursions.  Hoping Capt Kate is still on board. 

[sergel02]

A couple pics from yesterday. 

Edited June 27, 2022 by sergel02

[dani negreanu]

On 6/26/2022 at 6:16 AM, WorkerBee74 said:

are doing carry-on only, so will need to do a few things in the sink

 

I was on the previous cruise. We're also doing carry-on only, and I always "do" some light laundry in the sink. The Beyond sink is perfect for this, but, being in an IV, which is not a "regular" veranda, I'd trouble drying things on it. The good thing is the the hangers are real ones, so you can dry a shirt on one, and I'd suggest bringing a laundry line (?) also...

 

Captain Kate is supposed to be on the ship until mid September.