“Live” from Celebrity Beyond March 11th

[NanaChar]

The last year has been hard, so I really needed and expected an excellent cruise.  So the Beyond had some difficult challenges to meet.  

We are on the Beyond from Monday March 11th to Friday March 22nd

Day 1 - Fort Lauderdale

Day 2 - Sea Day

Day 3 - Sea Day

Day 4 - Cartagena 

Day 5 - Panama Canal Partial Transit

Day 6 - Sea Day

Day 7 - Aruba

Day 8 - Curaçao 

Day 9 - Bonaire

Day 10 - Sea Day

Day 11 - Sea Day

Day 12 - Fort Lauderdale

 

Day 1

We were to board on Monday.  So many people from our cruise were having issues with air travel.  Until we were in Fort Lauderdale, I was sure the curse of the last 12 months was going to get us.  

It started on Sunday with our plane being pulled for a mechanical issue. Then after we successfully landed and got to our hotel, I sliced my finger open on a poorly designed bathroom door.  As we were leaving to the port, on Monday, one of the two working elevators got stuck between floors, with people stuck in it.  

Luckily, emergency workers were there quickly.  Since there was only one working elevator, it took some time to get downstairs and get an Uber.  Since my husband needed a wheelchair, it took time to get a terminal employee to take him from the check in point, through security, to the retreat waiting area.  Then we had to wait for a Celebrity crew member to take us onto the ship.  Obviously, this is going to take a long time.  To our surprise, within 30 minutes from leaving our hotel, we were checked in, visited our muster station and ready to head to the Retreat Lounge for the first drink of the cruise.  I had the Retreat cocktail.  My husband’s smile widened as he was handed Whispering Angel Rose, one of his favorite wines.  For a while it was not offered in the Retreat.  But there it was!  

If you ever cruised with Celebrity, you will know they are known for stellar service.  This crew is meeting expectations.  The Retreat hosts greet us like old friends.  How they remember everyone’s name is a mystery to me.

Our Sunset Suite met all of our expectations.  It is beautiful and the artwork, a girl in pink with her white poodle, is perfect for us, since we have two beautiful poodles at home.  

The Sunset Suite has that amazing aft view with the wake which really lulls you at the end of a long day of relaxing.  This offsets a couple of minor annoyances, fewer drawers and the closet being right next to the bed.  If someone is sitting on the bed, it is impossible to get into the closet.

We met our friends and headed off to lunch, which was the biggest disappointment so far of the cruise.  Luminae used to have this amazing Chicken and Waffle lunch entree on the first day for lunch.  It was nowhere to be found.  So I “settled” for a lobster roll, which was delicious, even though it wasn’t my chicken and waffles.

After lunch, it was off to meet our Cruise Critic family at the Sunset Bar, while hubby took a nap.  This is when he met the best surprise so far, Ryan, our butler!!  Beyond now has personal butlers again.  Those of you who have never had the pleasure, these genies anticipate your wishes, and unlike storybook genies, you get more than three wishes.

So after unpacking and a brief, well needed nap, it was off to see Michelle Dowdy.  She is a Do Not Miss entertainer.  Her voice and stage presence is truly mesmerizing.

And now off to dinner with our friends and our new best restaurant team, Aaron, our waiter and our sommelier Benny.  When we sat down they already had our preferred water (sparkling for us and flat for our friends) waiting for us.  Benny picked the perfect wine pairings for each of our dishes. 

After that, it was off to our cabin for a good night’s sleep. Waiting for my husband was a whiskey nightcap. 

 

[NanaChar]

Tuesday was a start to another great day.  

Someone from our Facebook group created a couple of events.  One of which was a gift exchange.  Everyone is given names and cabins to drop off a small present.  This is nice in a couple of ways.  Not only are you getting little presents, but since we are dropping off the presents you have a chance to tour the ship and see all the beautiful artwork you would not usually see.

Breakfast was great.  Then we toured the ship.  Right outside Cafe Bacio, there was Captain Kate, kneeling down to talk to a passenger in a wheelchair.  This exemplifies the crew.  It is not just servicing passengers, it is making sure that passengers feel special. 

Another amazing lunch.  The Luminae Burger and the truffle fries are a real treat.  

We then headed off again to the Sunset Bar, a perfect meeting place, to meet our Facebook cruise group.  One of the best things about cruising is meeting new people who share the love of travel.

Now time to get ready for Chic Night.

The vibe on Chic Night is elevated.  It is time to feel a little more luxurious.  While we head off to Eden, our first specialty restaurant.  You know how it is sometimes hard to decide between two options.  You don’t have to.  You can pick both.  But with Eden everything looks great.  There is only one solution.  We need to go again.

 

[NanaChar]

Day Three is another day at sea.  Unfortunately, it is going to be a rough day at sea.  But, Shawna and Marc have a full day planned with fun activities throughout the ship. 

Our morning on Day Three was full of relaxing.  No chair hogs were to be found.  We picked the perfect loungers in the shade and met some new friends in the pool.  Lunch was at the premium restaurant The Rooftop Garden Grill.  They serve the perfect burger and also the perfect fish sandwich.  My hubby and one of our friends could not stop talking about how wonderful this sandwich was.  It would have been perfect with a rose wine, but the ship had already started rocking and rolling, so instead of a wine we all took Dramamine.

I was really looking forward to Michelle Dowdy’s Matinee, but Dramamine had different ideas.  I heard it was magnificent.  

We did arrive for Rebel’s 7:30 show around 30 minutes early.  It was already pretty full.  The way it was advertised, it sounded like it would be more hard rock, but it was a nice mix of 60s to 90s rock.  They got everyone involved and singing along.  Can’t wait for their next show.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Thanks for this review.  Can't wait to see more. We were supposed to be on this cruise but our house had other ideas.  We have the same cruise booked for December.

Edited March 16 by CHEZMARYLOU

[NanaChar]

Day four was Cartagena.  Pulling into port and passing the beautiful modern city high rise so buildings are breathtaking.  As beautiful as the skyline is, her old town is just as beautiful with her colorful buildings.  Two things that are not wonderful are the traffic and the street vendors.  Our favorite tour guide, Dora the Explorer, has always been great at keeping the vendors away from the group.  But, if you don’t want to venture out into the city, there is a very nice EcoPark at the end of the pier.  They have all sorts of animals, including monkeys who have been known to be pickpockets and Macaws who nuzzle up to you only to try to steal your shiny objects, like buttons and earrings.

Hubby left two buttons for the Macaw as a memory of their time together.

Tonight was another standing room only show.  This time it was an Elton John tribute performer, Craig A Meyer.  He really did embody Sir Elton.  Another great show.  Shawna seems to have a gift finding great entertainers.  The next week is going to be awesome.

 

[NanaChar]

Day Five is the bucket list day, the Panama Canal.  It seems everyone was on deck as we sailed through the first lock.  The history of the canal and the engineering marvel is fascinating.

Watching the ship sailing through the canal makes me realize how much of an engineering marvel it is.  We watched it from various areas of the ship, giving us different views and perspectives.  

I decided to do some self care today.  My body was so stiff from travel, I booked myself a massage.  I walked in so stiff it took me a while to just stand up.  Seventy five minutes later, Krystal had worked her magic and I wondered if I was going to be able to stand because my legs felt like jelly.  

We didn’t take any excursions since we wanted to see Beyond sail through the locks again.  It really is mesmerizing.  

[NanaChar]

34 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

Thanks for this review.  Can't wait to see more. We were supposed to be on this cruise but our house had other ideas.  We have the same cruise booked for December.

I am sorry you didn’t make it.  I had enjoyed chatting with you.  I’m glad you are going to make the December cruise.  Hopefully the weather is a little cooler.  Some people were saying they couldn’t enjoy the Panama excursions because it was too hot and humid.  

[39august]

Do you know what time the OVC egg cooking station opens in the AM? I believe OVC opens for fruit and pastries at 7 AM. 

[NanaChar]

Day Six is going to be another rough sea day.  Bonine is starting to become my morning vitamin.  But, really, taking it is more preventive just in case, but, the Beyond does a good job of handling the seas.

Breakfast, as always great.  Since it is a sea day, and I haven’t passed out my little gift exchange items,  I got a nice tour of the ship.  It seems each deck has a different theme for their art work.  Whether or not there is a theme, there is an abundance of different subjects.

Once I was done,  Retreat Deck was extremely windy, so  Cafe Al Bacio was our spot until lunch.  There are a lot of fun events planned including an art scavenger hunt and Matt Johnson had another magic show.  I got there 30 minutes before time and it was already about half full.  It was another great show.  

Dinner tonight is at Fine Cut.  We had pulled one of our prize wines from our cellar to bring with and share with our friends.  It is always nice to share your finds with friends who understand wines. It is also nice to watch how impressed the sommelier is with your choice.  

To start out, our friends picked a bottle of Champagne.  What a nice start to the meal.

We have heard mixed reviews on Fine Cut.  But it hit all the marks for us.  The only downside is we missed Rebel’s show. 

When we booked the restaurants, we assumed the shows would be at 7 and 9, which is the traditional time.  Shawna has moved it to 7:30 and 9:30 to better accommodate early diners.

[NanaChar]

Day 7, Aruba.  We went to a retreat on the island.  The only issue was finding a cab.  The attendant at the cab stand explained that on Saturday and Sunday, since people are checking out of their timeshares and resorts, cabs are very busy.  Aruba needs to start using Uber and Lyft.

We spent the day just relaxing.  Laying out next to the pool is exhausting.  But we were determined to enjoy it.  It is hot, but there is a brisk breeze.  It was not unusual to be hit by water from the pool because of the wind.  

One word of warning.  When getting a cab to the ship, make sure they are licensed to go into the port if you don’t or can’t take a hike to the ship.  

[NanaChar]

Day 8 is Curaçao.  This is a beautiful island.  It is also another HOT day.  And another windy day.   We spent the morning walking around the town.  Queen Emma bridge is fun to watch.  Walking to it, we were hit by the high waves multiple times.  Walking across it and listening to the creaks was a little nerve wrecking.  It needs to be flexible.  I’m not use to seeing bridges ‘wave’ as we walk on them.  

Tonight it is Fine Cut.  We brought a wine from home.  It’s nice that the sommelier was impressed.  Our friends bought a bottle of bubbly.  This is the perfect way to start the meal.  We found it hard to decide high appetizer to pick.  So our waiter told us to let him handle it.  He did a great job.  

Another amazing day with the exception of finding our luggage tags waiting for us.

One complaint I do have is the fact that there was absolutely no information about Luggage Valet.  

[NanaChar]

Day 9 on Bonaire we did Bonaire Cruisers golf cart.  We took the south route.  The scenery is beautiful.  We saw flamingoes, donkeys and one baby donkey.  Seeing the slave huts is emotional.  We could not see any signs of the oil spill from last month.  Everything seemed  back to normal.  

We loved the golf carts and will probably use them again.   And we will be stopping  at Foodies for lunch.  They open at noon.  It is definitely worth it.  

We splurged and did Le Voyage.  This is a treat, a very upscale dining experience.  We were glad we did it even though it was an extra cost.

[NanaChar]

Day 10 is a sea day and chic night.  Everyone on the ship seems to want to squeeze every second they can.  Cafe Al Bacio is packed.  So we head up to the Retreat Lounge for a light breakfast.  The mini cinnamon rolls are to die for.   We spent most of the day on the Retreat Deck except for our afternoon nap before getting ready for the evening.  We started out at the  Martini Bar.  Then to World Class Bar before heading out to Eden  Bar.  Yes, I know what it sounds like maybe I’ve been visiting too many bars, but I only had a sip of the drinks I ordered.  I decided to try some drinks and found they were not for me.  Dinner at Eden was another 10 out of 10.  

Tomorrow is our last day, so it is shopping time.  

[NanaChar]

Day 11 is our last day.  Captain Kate’s talk was interesting and amusing.  

Hubby spent some time in the Casino.  He considers it entertainment.  But he actually came out a little bit ahead.  I spent my time shopping for gifts including La Maison du Chocolat.  These chocolates are perfect for any foodie although they are expensive.  I wish I could have justified getting the truffles for myself.  

[NanaChar]

Day 12.  This was such a perfect cruise.  I miss my dogs, otherwise I would be crying all the way home.  Again, Celebrity showed how they appreciate their passengers.  Both Captain Kate and Shawna greeted us as we left the ship.  

Disembarkment was relatively painless.  Facial recognition makes getting through customs a breeze.  Hubby needed wheelchair help.  They made sure he was in a nice dry place (it was raining) and let him use the wheelchair while we waited for Uber.  Even as we left, the crew is still going above and Beyond.  

[hcat]

Great review!  Thanks for  posting

 

What was the Aruba island Retreat?  Can you describe Foodies Bonair?

 

 

[Tyler414]

Just curious about your transit through the canal.   I have this cruise booked next year and I'm in a sunset cabin.  Did you stay in your cabin/balcony going through the canal?  If so, how was it?

If not, why? and where did you go on the ship to watch the transit.

IMO the two best places (without ever going through😂) would be a sunset aft cabin balcony or the magic carpet.  

Thanks for the review and appreciate the reply on my questions.  Thanks again.

 

[KellySaysFloss]

@Tyler414 I was on the same cruise and we stayed on our sunset verandas for the transit. We were in 7333 and 7328, had an amazing view, and the overhang provided plenty of shade. My husband and I did a full PC transit 2 years ago on a different cruise line and watched from the bow, so it was great to see it from the aft of the ship this time. 

 

[mauimary]

5 hours ago, Tyler414 said:

Just curious about your transit through the canal.   I have this cruise booked next year and I'm in a sunset cabin.  Did you stay in your cabin/balcony going through the canal?  If so, how was it?

If not, why? and where did you go on the ship to watch the transit.

IMO the two best places (without ever going through😂) would be a sunset aft cabin balcony or the magic carpet.  

Thanks for the review and appreciate the reply on my questions.  Thanks again.

 

We were on this cruise in a SV on deck 11 in Feb. We stayed on our veranda heading into the canal but on the way out we were up top and moved around to different locations including the Ocean view Cafe on the deck on the aft. 
They would not let us be on the Magic Carpet so that was not an option for us.