Live from The Beyond, March 5th to 12th

[miched]

Were you charged extra for 2nd lobster? 
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[Moochi]

16 hours ago, miched said:

I enjoy this machine everyday and still able to take a cruise.   If it was between buying  another one or taking a cruise both of us would choose the coffee machine.  As you can see we already had 10000 cups of Americano from it.   Just put in the beans.   It grinds,  tamps, and dumps  and makes the espresso  with the touch of one button.   It also has a cleaning mode, and descaling. All you have to do is put in the cleaning tablets and press a button.  O   Figure out the math.  Right now the cost  is down to $.50 per cup plus the cost of the beans and the coffee tastes great.   It also has the ability to make cappuccinos, lattes and etc.   just hook up the milk container and push a button.  The more we use it the the lower the price per cup becomes.   I  bought it in 2015.   They have other models that don’t cost as much.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅
 

 

I made a mistake by buying a semi automatic machine without finding a way to testing the ease of use before paying. I thought it would be a huge step up from Nespresso.

 

I forgot one thing, espresso making is an art, or maybe metaphysics. I thought I would have so much fun by controlling different grind size, dosage, how I tamp, water temperature, pulling time, so I can get the optimal results. Nah it’s not that easy. Even if I got a great cup of espresso one time, it’s hard to replicate every step in the process. Just like bread making. I can use the exact recipe and brand of flour, but it’s hard to control the indoor temperature and humidity, and the active level of yeast as a home baker, so it’s hard to bake the exact same loaf of break I did three months ago.

 

Took the topic too far. Anyways, I know my next coffee maker will be an automatic one that makes an excellent americano with one push button. Maybe when I get the next promotion. 😉

 

 

[Moochi]

1 hour ago, miched said:

Were you charged extra for 2nd lobster? 
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Nope. The lovely server insisted that we both needed double lobsters. Maybe my husband did but not me. That’s why I only had room for gelato instead of the entire dessert.

[Moochi]

4 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 I found this very surprising. Every time we have sailed Celebrity up to now, the lobster roll has only been available during lunch on embarkation day.  I am hopeful this menu change is fleetwide as I really like the lobster roll, minus the roll, served as a salad and completely agree about making it a simpler dish.  I guess that's why I like that they add lettuce when they serve it as a salad. 

 

 

Brilliant! Next time (probably next year since I missed the Pappy lottery and the chance of selling the bottle for another cruise), I will ask for the lobster salad as a side dish to another entree.

 

During our December Millie sailing, the lobster roll was offered on the last sea day so that might be part of the Luminae menu change.

[DaKahuna]

1 hour ago, Moochi said:

 

Brilliant! Next time (probably next year since I missed the Pappy lottery and the chance of selling the bottle for another cruise), I will ask for the lobster salad as a side dish to another entree.

 

During our December Millie sailing, the lobster roll was offered on the last sea day so that might be part of the Luminae menu change.

 

I signed up for the Pappy lottery but have not heard anything.  

 

I pair the lobster salad with the branzino (which is show as bronzino in the menu) for my 'default' embarkation lunch.  

 

I am seeing the lobster roll on the 7-day menu as you said, but ours is a 15-day cruise and the menu only goes up to day 7 so far.  We have over a month until our sailing and I do not trust the accuracy of menu until we get onboard.  I have taken a SWAG at picking a night to dine in Tuscan Grill, and historically day 5 has been our least favorite menu night in Luminae.  If it turns out that is not correct, I am hopeful that the Retreat Concierge can get it change or we'll just cancel. 

 

[Moochi]

6 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

  I have taken a SWAG at picking a night to dine in Tuscan Grill, and historically day 5 has been our least favorite menu night in Luminae.  If it turns out that is not correct, I am hopeful that the Retreat Concierge can get it change or we'll just cancel. 

 

I don’t think Tuscan Grille is very hard to book so it shouldn’t be a problem to move the reservation.

[Ripheus]

Onto the last reports from Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

 

After our mission to visit all the bars, DW and I returned to Luminae for what we thought was our penultimate meal on the Beyond. DW had what she says was a very tasty bit of fish...some sort of salmon. For my app, I had the buccatini and sausage from the entree menu.

 

For actual entrees, DW had the Daniel Boulud Duck 'Char Sui.' DW has already revied that dish above. I had the filet mignon. Very tasty with a perfect crust and melt in your mouth goodness. 

 

 

For dessert, DW had the almond cake. I had wine poached pear. Both were extremely tasty. 

 

After dinner, we wandered the ship a bit more. We found ourselves at Craft Social to close down the night. The head bartender there was outstanding and attentive. He received a decent tip and we headed to bed so we could get up early. 

 

Unfortunately, we did not get up quite early enough to make breakfast in Luminae. We had a pastry in the Retreat Lounge, got our bags, and headed off the ship. We had a bit of a hectic run to the airport, got through security, and to our gate just in time to make our flight back to the DC area. DW got an upgraded seat. I had to sit in the back. We got back and it started to snow. I picked up a pizza because we were both hungry but tired. And promptly, after eating (of course), fell asleep for 6 hours or so. 

 

One miscellaneous post and then the next one will be the last major post: my overall review of our tour on the Beyond. 

[Ripheus]

On Honeymoon #1, I took a nice phot of DW in the hallway of the pre-cruise hotel. I found a suitable location on Beyond to replicate that shot, and I think I'm going to make these photos a tradition on our trips together. DW is very beautiful. 

[Ripheus]

Last post to wrap things up...

 

We've been home for a week now, and I think we both are missing our time on the Beyond. The time away from the ship has allowed me to clarify in my own mind what I think about the various aspects of the Beyond. Below are my thoughts, and ratings, of the various things we experienced on the ship. 

 

Room: Aqua Sky Suite 10112

We booked a suite guarantee and ended up with well sited Aqua Sky Suite. For the money, the room was phenomenal. The bed was extremely comfortable. I'm not sure it it's an actual king size bed; it seems slightly smaller than the king at home. I particularly enjoyed how the bed faces the door, and that the door/outside wall was entirely glass. It was very serene. 

 

The bathroom was also a welcome surprise. It was huge! I'm a big guy (6'3" and 350lbs), yet DW and I were able to share the space easily when needed. I especially appreciated that the toilet was in its own water closet and that the bathtub/shower was large enough for me. I never felt cramped or claustrophobic. 

 

We did not take advantage of the special Aqua amenities. There was a yoga mat in the room, but we didn't use it. If there were other amenities, they weren't well communicated. I don't think I'd book an Aqua Sky Suite intentionally, unless it were the only well sited room and the price was right. 

 

The storage was great: many closets and the divided drawers were well thought out and useful. 

 

The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the lack out outlets near the bed. DW had one on her side of the bed, but there was none on my side of the bed. The charger box is located above the mini-fridge, which is fine. But I would have liked to have had an outlet on the left side of the bed too, especially because walking the few feet to the other side of the room was very painful in the mornings. The only reason I noticed this was because of my injury to my foot. Otherwise, I'm not sure I would have had this (minor) gripe. 

 

Rating: 9/10

[Ripheus]

Retreat Experience

This was the third Celebrity cruise we've been on and our third time in the Retreat. Our experience in Beyond's Retreat was overall very good but also very different than the experience we had in the Retreat on Millennium. I really liked how the Retreat amenities were all designed to be seamless and free-flowing. Having the Retreat Lounge connect to the Retreat Sundeck made a lot of sense and made it easy to take advantage of these areas. Both spaces are very beautiful and well designed. I really appreciated the staff too. As always, the Retreat staff did not hesitate to go above and beyond, even proactively, to make our stay wonderful. We did not use the Retreat sundeck as much as we had planned, which was mostly due to my unwillingness to walk up there with my hurting foot. Had I not been in pain, I'm sure we would have taken advantage of this area more fully. That said, we did use the Retreat lounge quite a bit. Within a day of being on the ship, the waiters and waitresses there knew exactly what I was going to drink and usually brought me a Rusty Nail before I could even ask for one. Luminae was as good as ever. There were a few service hiccups here and there but nothing major. We were also charged for something in Luminae a few times, but I don't know what the charges were for. It was only about $30 total over the course of the week, so I'm not too worried about it. Still, I wish they had clarified what we were charged for. 

 

The downside to the Retreat on Beyond versus the Millennium is that the total experience feels less intimate and exclusive. On the Millennium, there are many fewer suites in total, so it seems like the staff really goes out of its way to make each suite guest feel special and pampered. That's not to say that the Beyond staff don't do the same. They certainly do; just not to the same degree and in a less connected way. Perhaps it's just that the smaller ship with a smaller proportion of suites makes it seem more intimate and connected. 

 

I would not hesitate to sail on Beyond again in a suite. It was a wonderful experience, albeit a bit different than what we had on Millennium. 

 

Rating: 8.5/10

[Ripheus]

Non-Retreat Dining & Drinks:

On this cruise, we experienced Celebrity Specialty Dining for the first time. We also took full advantage of the various bars on the ship, as DW has noted earlier in this thread. I'll rate all the restaurants we visited individually and collectively. I'll do the same for the bars. I'm not going to go into the detail @Moochi did, as I generally agree with her assessments. I'll finish out this section with my general thoughts on the dining program and drink program. 

 

Le Grand Bistro:

We visited LGB on the first sea day for lunch. The drinks were delicious. The appetizers were tasty. The entree gave me a mild case of food poisoning. Also, the steak frites was not seasoned at all prior to cooking (this is something I noticed at other venues as well). The service here was atrocious. 

Rating 5/10

 

Eden Restaurant:

The food and drinks were both fantastic and fantastical. It was a wonderful evening full of way too much, perhaps way too much drink, and lots of chocolate. Service here was top notch. 

Rating 9/10

 

Le Voyage:

Like Eden, Le Voyage was terrific. The food quality was great. The service was on point and anticipatory. It may be a really, really small thing, but I truly appreciated that their butter was salted. Oh, and the desserts were out of this world good. 

Rating: 9.5/10 

 

Cafe al Bacio:

The coffee is great. The alcoholic drinks are not. 

Rating: 2/10 (alcohol rating only)

 

Sunset Bar: 

The space is incredibly well designed. There's lots of seating and shaded areas. The view is unbeatable. The drinks were decent. The olive oil fat washed G&T was tasty, but it was not a fat washed drink; it was gin mixed with olive oil. That's not the same. The pina colada was good, especially with the giant rum floater. 

Rating: 6/10

 

Martini Bar:

This is the centerpiece of the ship. It's quite beautiful and comfortable. Unfortunately, the drinks are not up to snuff. I order a drink with 3 ingredients at every bar on the ship because it's a hard to drink to mess up. The Rusty Nail requires a glass with ice, scotch, and Drambuie. Fill a glass with ice, add 1.5oz scotch, 3/4oz of Drambuie, and stir. Well, the Martini Bar folks made the most awful Rusty nail I think anyone could possibly make. Plus the bartender was rude to DW, which neither she nor I appreciated. 

Rating 1/10

 

Craft Social: 

This the sleeper bar on the ship. The main bartender here, Nemaja, was just fantastic. Both DW and I appreciated that he measured his drinks. When an ingredient for a drink on the menu needed to be substituted, he made thoughtful substitutions. He took the time to shake or stir drinks properly. He has a little advantage over every other bar insofar that he has draft beer too. He was equally happy to make good but time consuming drinks for DW and me during slow times as he was to make sure everyone got served during the busy times; and he did both with great care. 

Rating: 10/10

 

World Class Bar:

The drinks here are very, very good. Ilyas is the main bartender here. He has lots of fun and takes his time making his concoctions. The Above the Clouds was my favorite. It's simply smoked rum, but the smoke really elevates the drink. The only problem with this bar is that it's too small. As Celebrity shoots to be more and more upscale, venues like this will need to get a bit bigger to accommodate its more discerning alcoholics. 

Rating: 9/10

 

Overall Dining Program: 

 There's a good range of restaurants and types of food. The quality is good overall, the service is also good with a couple of misses. 

Rating: 8/10

 

Overall Drink Program:

I was very happy to see well stocked bars on Beyond. Our previous cruises on Millennium had barebones stocks of liquor. The drink program is, rightfully, geared to what the masses drink. DW and I have a bit more appreciation for great cocktails and drinks than what most people appreciate. And while we don't expect Celebrity to cater to us (or the few people like us), we are very thankful that Celebrity is starting to develop products that suit our palates. I'm excited to see how the drink program develops over the next couple of years to cater a little more to those of us who appreciate - and will pay for - an elevated cocktail experience. 

9/10

 

 

[Moochi]

6 minutes ago, Ripheus said:

 

 

Cafe al Bacio:

The coffee is great. The alcoholic drinks are not. 

Rating: 2/10 (alcohol rating only)

 

 

 

I'm curious about what went wrong with that drink because I wasn't there when you had it. 

We tried every single alcoholic drink at Cafe Al Bacio on Millennium. Although I liked some more than others, none was bad.

[DaKahuna]

10 hours ago, Ripheus said:

 

Cafe al Bacio:

The coffee is great. The alcoholic drinks are not. 

Rating: 2/10 (alcohol rating only)

 

 

 I am also curious as to what alcoholic drinks you ordered and were displeased with? 

 I have had the Aspen many times but mainly only get Bailey's and Coffee at Cafe Al Bacio and have never been disappointed. 

 

[Ripheus]

28 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 I am also curious as to what alcoholic drinks you ordered and were displeased with? 

 I have had the Aspen many times but mainly only get Bailey's and Coffee at Cafe Al Bacio and have never been disappointed. 

 

 

It was the Irish coffee. They put Irish in hot water. Wasn't even coffee. I chalk it up to a simple mistake that happened to happen twice. But it was enough to turn me off from ordering drinks at Beyond's Cafe al Bacio. 

[Moochi]

2 hours ago, Ripheus said:

 

It was the Irish coffee. They put Irish in hot water. Wasn't even coffee. I chalk it up to a simple mistake that happened to happen twice. But it was enough to turn me off from ordering drinks at Beyond's Cafe al Bacio. 

That doesn’t sound tasty at all.

 

I think the only time I was not satisfied with their drink was when they served an iced spiked coffee in a paper cup. Had no issue with the drink but the paper cup. The texture and taste of room temperature paper, milky foam, and ice in my mouth at the same time was off putting. 

[DaKahuna]

5 hours ago, Ripheus said:

 

It was the Irish coffee. They put Irish in hot water. Wasn't even coffee. I chalk it up to a simple mistake that happened to happen twice. But it was enough to turn me off from ordering drinks at Beyond's Cafe al Bacio. 

I can definitely see where that would have been unpleasant.  
 

I would have taken it back immediately and pointed out their mistake.  
 

[Silkroad]

Many thanks to you and @Moochifor posting your reviews. Your combined F&B assessments will be especially helpful when DH and I board Beyond in April.

 

Wishing you two many happy years together!