Beyond LIVE Solo Retreat Review (4/9/23): A One-Woman Suite Show

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

9 minutes ago, GenerationX said:

And when I say “from the ship” I mean literally.  This necklace is beautiful anyway, but the extra cool memory and conversation value about it is that it’s also made from the first cut of steel for Beyond’s hull!

 

So cool!

 

I have a cuff bracelet made from the first cut of the Edge's steel! It's such a unique souvenir and piece of jewelry.

[GenerationX]

5 hours ago, Just Jo said:

 

Hi @GenerationX.  First time reading one of your reviews and won't be the last - this is terrific.  Question:  what camera (or phone?) did you use for this picture?  It's stunning.  Thanks for sharing your adventure.

 

(And thanks to @mkcurran for sharing this thread.)

Thank you! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the review. This was taken with an iPhone 13 in portrait mode in the studio setting.

[go.without.you]

Hi Charla! Please try the Eggs in Purgatory and take a photo since it's new item. You are my crash dummy for all things cruise, just FYI.

[GenerationX]

I’ve just finished a poolside cabana lunch of shrimp cocktail and a Luminae burger (which I think I earned after surviving cruise director Luigi’s poolside dance fitness class) and am washing it down with a bottle of Veuve.  

 

I think it’s safe to say that my life doesn’t suck today.

 

While I’m sipping and savoring, taking y’all way back to last night…

 

Before the start of the production show, Captain Dimitrios came on stage and introduced himself and his executive staff.  I’m not sure who’s more entertaining, him or his brother Captain Tasos.

 

Actually, since the man currently holds my safety and liberty in his capable hands, I feel like the only smart answer to that is Captain Dimitrios all day.

 

The show last night was called Arte and I think it may be the most entertaining show I’ve ever seen on Celebrity. The premise is that the singers, dancers and acrobats are taking the audience into famous artworks if they came to life. It really shows off the capabilities of the screen technology in the theatre and the cast have incredible voices.

 

If it’s still on the ship when Jeremy and I sail in October, I’m 100% seeing it again.

 

For those with vertigo, epilepsy or vision issues please note that the show includes liberal use of strobe lights and the screen animations, while incredible, often move in ways that could easily trigger a dizziness episode.  Fortunately with the weather getting rocky and the memory of my rough sail back to LA on Solstice fresh in my memory, I’d already preemptively taken some motion meds and was fine.

 

Also if you’re attending with kids, I think some of the animations during the Dali portion of the performance could be kinda creepy for them…unless your kid is like mine and somehow gets and relates to Dali’s art a whole lot more than I do. Gen Z would’ve loved this whole show.

 

Pics don’t even do it justice. You’ve gotta experience the whole thing live.

 

After dinner I headed to dinner in Luminae. 

 

To report on the saga of the duck, when I mentioned to my server that I was thinking of ordering it, I read his nonverbal and took a hard pass. He didn’t say anything negative about it but my lawyer’s ability to read a body position change and poker face told me that I may as well have said that I was thinking of eating the aloe plant in the corner for dinner.

 

Instead, I started with a very good Caesar salad from the classics menu, then had his recommended poached lobster starter and lamb loin entree.  I’m not sure whether the it was the poached lobster or the lamb that was the star of the meal (I think maybe the lobster had a slight edge but the sauce on that lamb!), but I cleaned my plate on both courses.

 

For dessert I had the marcapone cheesecake balls that were served with an even better apricot sorbet.  

 

The app foretold of a silent disco party and 11pm show in Eden, but by that time, the rocking ship + full stomach + motion meds lethargy + tawny port with dessert effect was hitting me hard, so I tucked myself into bed with my retreat chic night fancy pillow chocolates.

 

My dinner at Fine Cut tonight isn’t until 9pm but I’m thinking I may take the rest of my bottle of bubbly and move up to the retreat deck and then stop in the lounge and see if the concierge can get me an any earlier.
 

Especually since the main pool has just been since shut down because some delightful fellow passenger got sick in it. 🤦🏾‍♀️
 

 If I can’t get in earlier, oh well, I’m sure tea time in the lounge and Elaine’s canapé plate will ensure that I don’t starve to death by then and I’ll just have to stay up late dancing to let my steak digest so I don’t get heart burn.  These are my first world problems today.

 

Cheers from off the coast of Cuba!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TPCRUISER2]

Charla, You always look amazing. But, you are Stunning in your beautiful Red dress! 

[GenerationX]

Wow, this service on the Retreat deck this afternoon has been something else….

 

I took maybe 10 steps out of the sliding glass doors onto the retreat pool deck holding my bottle of veuve from my cabana in my hand before Ashok appeared from nowhere, took it from me, and escorted  me to a shady chair that had just opened up.  He wouldn’t even let me put a towel on said chair myself.

 

It took him like all of 5 minutes to disappear and come back with fresh flute and a bucket of ice for my champagne and in that short time, Herbert had already swooped in and handed me a half flute of rose’ from the tray he was passing out on deck because “you’ll need something to sip while your champagne chills”.

 

In that same time Roen, Faith and Fortune all also stopped by to ask if I needed anything and to make sure that someone was on top of bringing me an ice bucket and a flute for my champagne.

 

Hey Celebrity, can you please start pricing the Retreat on Beyond competitive with Yacht Club on MSC on a more regular basis? Pretty pretty please????

 

I soooo want this for the rest of my life but I also still have a kid to put through college and a retirement to save for and I can’t afford to ignore the numbers! 😭

 

 

[Wrunkles]

Thanks for doing the live review!  I missed the start but finally caught up!  Thanks for the advice about booking ahead for specialty dining.  I will make sure I look at that sooner than later for my next trip.  

[GenerationX]

Please pardon the interruption for a critical update from Beyond.

 

It has just come to my attention during happy hour snack time in the Retreat lounge that some brilliant soul has managed to improve upon the potato chip by making a snacking chip out of perfectly cured prosciutto.

 

I hereby officially christen this the Spanx and A-line dresses cruise.

 

 

 

[Mcgeneseo]

3 hours ago, GenerationX said:

Wow, this service on the Retreat deck this afternoon has been something else….

 

I took maybe 10 steps out of the sliding glass doors onto the retreat pool deck holding my bottle of veuve from my cabana in my hand before Ashok appeared from nowhere, took it from me, and escorted  me to a shady chair that had just opened up.  He wouldn’t even let me put a towel on said chair myself.

 

It took him like all of 5 minutes to disappear and come back with fresh flute and a bucket of ice for my champagne and in that short time, Herbert had already swooped in and handed me a half flute of rose’ from the tray he was passing out on deck because “you’ll need something to sip while your champagne chills”.

 

In that same time Roen, Faith and Fortune all also stopped by to ask if I needed anything and to make sure that someone was on top of bringing me an ice bucket and a flute for my champagne.

 

Hey Celebrity, can you please start pricing the Retreat on Beyond competitive with Yacht Club on MSC on a more regular basis? Pretty pretty please????

 

I soooo want this for the rest of my life but I also still have a kid to put through college and a retirement to save for and I can’t afford to ignore the numbers! 😭

 

 

The staff on the Beyond retreat deck are fabulous! We loved sailing with them in February. It's hard to come back home and have to get your own drinks.....

[Mcgeneseo]

1 hour ago, GenerationX said:

Please pardon the interruption for a critical update from Beyond.

 

It has just come to my attention during happy hour snack time in the Retreat lounge that some brilliant soul has managed to improve upon the potato chip by making a snacking chip out of perfectly cured prosciutto.

 

I hereby officially christen this the Spanx and A-line dresses cruise.

 

 

 

Isn't that the best??? Oh I loved it.

[RichYak]

2 hours ago, GenerationX said:

Please pardon the interruption for a critical update from Beyond.

 

It has just come to my attention during happy hour snack time in the Retreat lounge that some brilliant soul has managed to improve upon the potato chip by making a snacking chip out of perfectly cured prosciutto.

I may book a future sailing in the Retreat on Beyond JUST to have this snack.

[MarKay525]

5 hours ago, GenerationX said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like with Elite Plus a rose is added. Very pretty.

 

Really enjoying following along and LOVE that red dress! You looked smashing.

[cheeseheads4ever]

Hey Charla,

sounds like you are having a fabulous time. Did you receive my email about the Martini Bar?

I know you are busy- Just checking. Keep up the great review.

[dlh015]

8 hours ago, GenerationX said:

It’s a beautiful morning on the open ocean!

 

I am pleased to report that I followed through with my promise to myself to get up for a pre-breakfast workout and did about 3 miles on the jogging track.  

 

We sailed through some serious weather late last night and into early morning and it made the decks and running track extremely slippery.  

 

As I was stretching out post workout I saw a man slip and go down while playing ping pong on the starboard side of deck 14.

 

There were pool crew members left and right trying to mop but it seemed to be just moving water around more than drying it up.

 

I originally planned to run a couple of the miles but didn’t want to risk a trip to medical 2 days into the cruise, so I just power walked instead.

 

Also about that weather last night, it really got Beyond rocking. I could here the wind blowing from bed and when I got up to investigate I could see the spray from the ocean flying almost as high as my veranda on deck 10.  With the ship moving that much, I finally experienced the infamous sounds of the Beyond.

 

From somewhere inside the wall between my bed and the bathroom and the one between my room and the stateroom just forward of mine, there arose loud groans and bangs each time the ship rolled from port to starboard.  Fortunately I have my noise cancelling airpods with me, so I put them in and played my sleep sounds in the Calm app and it drowned it out pretty well.  Once I convinced myself that Captain Dimitrios is way too good at his job (and has far too much Greek pride) to ever let the ship go full Poseidon Adventure on me, I managed to get back to sleep.

 

I woke a few hours later to sunshine, calm seas, and a once again quiet cabin.  I’m so excited for sun and warmth today. I finally get to wear my new pool cover up that I bought when Jeremy and I were in Tortola on Apex! I love wearing outfits/jewelry/bags on a cruise that I got on a previous cruise. It brings back the memories of a happy time DURING a happy time and it’s like hitting a double endorphins jackpot.

 

This morning I had my first breakfast in Luminae and I’m pretty sure between the almond croissants and the savory potato waffle on the new menu, I put back on every calorie I burned on the track this morning and probably a few more.  As much as I’ll miss my usual Luminae go to huevos rancheros this week, that potato waffle makes up for it pretty well.  Tomorrow if I stick to getting morning exercise, I’ll treat myself to trying the peach cobbler French toast!

 

After breakfast I killed a little time (not lucratively) in the casino till the shops opened then bought myself a little souvenir from what I’m pretty sure has become my new favorite Celebrity ship.  And when I say “from the ship” I mean literally.  This necklace is beautiful anyway, but the extra cool memory and conversation value about it is that it’s also made from the first cut of steel for Beyond’s hull!❤️

 

I’ve just settled in for my cabana reservation and my attendant Rona just brought me a good stiff pina colada to cool me off in the hot sun.  I’ll do a full post on the cabanas later, but one perk of them that I like is that, in addition to the champagne/vodka/wine bottle and beer included with the cabana booking, if you have the beverage package, the attendants will also give you in seat drink service of anything you like from the pool bar complimentary.  

 

Today that dedicated drink service is a big perk given that both the retreat and main pool decks are jammed packed with only so many drink servers to tackle it all (and right now there’s a line 8 people deep to order drinks at the main pool bar).  

 

While I’m relaxing poolside I’ll also fill you in on the rest of chic night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure...but this just might be the best post of yours that I have ever had the pleasure of reading! The energy almost literally wafts off my computer screen... 

[hcat]

Enjoying the review, photos, outfits, menus etc

I have  collected a few made from  the ship trinkets (EDGE 2x and BEYOND) but that Necklace is awesome and BEYOND!

[LisaLeone]

The necklace is absolutely fabulous and concerning the prosciutto, it's practically a diet food! Proof: "One serving of prosciutto is 1 ounce (about two slices). Calories : 60 Total fat : 3.5 g Saturated fat : 1.5 g Cholesterol : 19.9 mg Sodium : 520 mg Total carbs : 0 g Dietary fiber : 0 g Sugar : 0 g Protein : 7 g"

Enjoy that salty, healthy goodness with the knowledge that, calorically, it's practically a carrot stick.

[Texter2]

Charla,

 

I have been following along and vicariously enjoying your cruise. I have enjoyed many of your cruise reports and laugh every time I see “one-woman Suite show”! You have a wonderful sense of humor, style, and joie de vivre. Thank you for taking us along!

[mac_tlc]

3 hours ago, GenerationX said:

 

 

 

 

These little beauties have been our go to pre-dinner snack along with the warm roasted nut of the day ! And a beverage of course…..😜.

 

mac_tlc

[mauimary]

Charla. Love your fun blogs. You have a way with stories and words that keep us all wanting to read more.  
I may have missed it but who is the current Capt. I know Kate is on vacation.  Have a wonderful time. 

[Cap_D]

Hi Charla.  Have enjoyed your posts (thank you), and have WUSTL in common.  We're just off Apex, and sailed Edge last year. 

 

1.     We're considering Retreat in Apex, Ascent, and Beyond for Spring Break next year.  We would welcome your thoughts. 

 

We have heard no reports for the banging and noise issues for Apex, there are plenty for Beyond, and Ascent is a question mark.  Do you think the gamble for Ascent or Beyond is worth the ~20% premium for the different Retreat design, and other differences (as compared to Apex and Edge)? 

 

FWIW, we'd probably stop sailing if we had a room with the noise issues and paid a premium for essentially the same product (not even as different as Encore vs the Wynn tower experience in Las Vegas).  But, design and visual  differences would keep the vacation interesting, including the Luminae setup.  So, an opportunity for some changes in configuration, and new sundeck setup are compelling (although we think having to line-up at the side of the bar if a server is not nearby or for a simple bottle of water is not approps for a "Retreat"). 

 

2.     Also, are the regular waffles available in Luminae?  

 

3.     Are Retreat deck crew asking for room numbers for basic drink service?

 

Glad to hear the gelato charging has come to an end, but not sure why it is only for Beyond.  Charging for gelato was in full effect on Apex last week.  Scoops was closed on Day 1 until 6 pm (so said the sign, not sure if it reopened), which meant no sail away ice cream for DS.  Despite the number of striped crew walking around, we later learned the F&B manager had no idea and had no explanation for the closure.  

Edited April 12, 2023 by Cap_D

[GenerationX]

2 hours ago, RichYak said:

I may book a future sailing in the Retreat on Beyond JUST to have this snack.

No judgment here. I’m already running numbers in my head about how hardcore of a move up bid I’m willing to make to move up from aqua to suite for our October cruise just so I can have this snack.

[aml3679]

Enjoying and following 

[momofmab]

We were on Beyond in January and though all the production shows were the best we had seen at sea, particularly Arte!  The sets were amazing!

[Sarah1974]

Wow Charla - just found and caught up on your review; have a fabulous time 🙂

[GenerationX]

It’s another beautiful morning on the sail into Costa Maya (aka my bonus sea day).

 

I think Luminae’s design and location on this ship is another place where after 2 ships in the class Celebrity finally hit the nail right on the head.  Having this beautiful floor to ceiling view of the ocean out of the front of the ship makes the coffee and warm pistachio danish taste even better.

 

The seas last night were calm and the wall groaning and bangs from the night before were gone, so I slept like a baby.

 

Just when I thought making snack chips out of meat was the most delightfully extra thing that the Retreat culinary team could possibly do, my server Adash sits a plate of peach cobbler French toast in front of me this morning.  

 

I think I’m going to need to swim some laps or something to work an appetite back up for my lunch reservation at Le Grand Bistro today.

 

Tonight is also my much anticipated dinner reservation at Le Voyage.  I’m a little sad to be missing the Luminae dinner menu tonight because it’s one of my favorites, but Le Voyage is completely booked up for the entire cruise so there’s no moving my reservation and I’m definitely not missing that restaurant.

 

After breakfast I’m going to waddle down to Al Bacio for some green tea and to work for an hour or 2, then will hit the pool until lunch time.

 

While I’m chilling poolside I’ll fill everyone in on last night.

BTW, with regard to wifi, much as it was in November the premium wifi has worked great thus far.  I’ve had no problems using my vpn or remoting into my office computer and have been able to use Teams/Zoom and stream Netflix without any freezing.

 

I wonder what magic our accountant could work so that I could just establish Beyond as my home office and make cruising a tax write off? 🤔 😂