LIVE from the Edge - Alaska Dawes Glacier B2Bs May 24-June 7

[SerraG]

10 hours ago, Plaidlulu said:

I am worried with more rooms in that category the Retreat spaces on the Edge may be crowded - how would you describe the crowds?  We also loved the Sky Obeservation on the Solstice so we are torn about trying the Edge.

 

The Retreat Sundeck only really felt crowded during the glacier viewing.  It was slightly crowded during our second leg sail away, but we arrived early so we got some loungers we wanted before it started filling up.  I assume this would be different if we were on a warm-weather cruise, though. 

 

The Retreat Lounge only felt crowded a couple of times, and we used it quite a bit. It seemed to get busier right before dinner.   There were always at least some chairs available, but the ones right by the windows were often occupied.  

 

Frankly, Luminae is too crowded if you eat during the dinner rush.  I am deaf in one ear, and when we were seated in the middle of the large, busy restaurant one evening, it was near impossible to have a conversation.  We generally tried to show up around 8:40pm, and by then it was usually much emptier.    Luminae on the Edge was good.  However, we have eaten in Luminae on the Infinity and on the Equinox.  Both pre-covid, which might have some influence, but our previous experiences were better than this one - less busy, more dedicated wait staff, better food.  

 

We also missed the Sky Observation Lounge, although we loved Eden.  I don't think you would have a bad time on Edge,  I mean, it's hard to have a bad time on a cruise, but it is different from their previous ships.  

[SerraG]

1 hour ago, SunandShade said:

Thank you for all of your food reviews, Retreat info and activities.  We will be staying in a Magic Carpet Sky Suite in September and wondered if you were ever aware of the Magic Carpet moving up or down while you were in the cabin?  

 

 

No, never.  We actually heard a rumor that it was broken, but I think@Georgia_Peaches reported that she saw it move once.  

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

7 hours ago, SerraG said:

 

 

No, never.  We actually heard a rumor that it was broken, but I think@Georgia_Peaches reported that she saw it move once.  

 

We actually saw it move from the top deck down to deck 5(?) one time. Later it was back up on 14 (we missed it) so it moved at least twice. 

Edited June 16 by Georgia_Peaches

[catspaw1]

Thanks for the info! Do you think the food tour was worth it? I have never taken one 

[raudacruise]

Thank you for your wonderful review.  I especially enjoyed your detailed food descriptions.  And I’ll be packing masks for my fall TA.  Will always have one on hand for elevators or anywhere else crowded.  My balcony is looking better and better.

[SerraG]

7 hours ago, catspaw1 said:

Thanks for the info! Do you think the food tour was worth it? I have never taken one 

 

This question is really difficult to answer because  “worth it” can mean different things to different people.   I looked up what we paid for the tour, which was purchased for a slight discount ahead of time on the Celebrity website.  $373, which is about $186 per person (after discount, taxes and fees).   It looks like a similar tour can be booked on the operator’s website for $143 per person (again after taxes and fees).

 

However, If you buy the tour straight from Juneau Food Tours, they only offer this particular tour at 12pm.  The Edge didn’t dock until later in the afternoon, so we couldn’t have actually taken the cheaper option of a non-ship tour.  In addition, I’m sort of a nervous Nelly about excursions and I like to take ship tours where the cruise line says they have vetted the proprietors and guarantees they won’t leave us (or will pay to fly us to the next port).  Is paying extra for a ship tour “worth it” to me?  Yes, but I know it isn’t for many others.

 

So, did I get $186 worth of food?  No, not even if you take into account the extremely steep prices in Alaska.

 

I calculated what all the food on the tour would probably cost you if you bought it retail.  I used actual menu/list prices if I could find them and just estimated if I couldn’t.

 

Taku Total: $6

Salmon on Crackers:  Can of Salmon is $12.  1/6th of can plus crackers: $3 and $3 for a bottle of water.

 

Tracy’s Crab Shack Total: $9

Crab Bisque: $8.75 for 8oz, but we got 4 oz: $4.50.  Mini Crab Cake 5 for $11: $2 , Plus a biscuit and sauce

 

Food Tour Store Total: $9

Kelp Salsa: $9 per jar, plus chips: Divided by 6 = $2

Salmon Roe:  $26 per jar: $4

Spruce Tip Jelly: $7 per jar: $1

Jerry’s Smoked Salmon Dip (estimate) $12 per tub, plus crackers: $2

 

Harbor Tea and Spice Total: $2

Ice Cave Blue Tea: $15 per ~ 4oz: $1

Monrovian Thin Cookies: $15 per package:  $1

 

The Crystal Saloon Total: $24

Halibut Ceviche $25 (x2) = $50: $8

Crostini w/ Smoked Salmon (estimate): $4

2 Half-Sized Cocktails: $6 each: $12

 

Alaskan Fudge Company: $14

1 lb Fudge $28 (Really?!?  Wow!)  We each got an 8 oz box so: $14

 

Total Cost of Food: $64

 

(I did just see a note in our bag that said that the normal stop for fish tacos from Deckhand Dave’s Food Truck was going to be replaced by something else due to construction, but I don’t think we actually got a replacement for this location.)

 

We did have a very small  tour group of only 6 people, a small van ride, and a dedicated tour guide for about 2 1/2 hours, who led us all over Juneau and was very knowledgeable about the area.  (Each person in our tour tipped her an extra $5 at the end, so I guess the cost was actually $191 per person.)   We also got to skip a very long line at Tracy’s which is worth something.  

 

On our previous trips to Alaska, we have toured a dog sled camp, done a gold panning “adventure”, taken a crab fishing boat tour and eagle sighting, eaten at a salmon bake and taken a small boat trip to Mendenhall Glacier.  We didn’t really want to repeat any of those and since I despise flying, I didn’t want to take any excursion that involved a helicopter or a biplane.   Also, one of our favorite activities is trying new foods.

 

So, after all is said and done, I do think the tour was “worth it” for us.  But, I would not repeat it and I can easily see how someone else might find it outrageously expensive.   Hope that helps!

Edited June 16 by SerraG

[Ferry_Watcher]

11 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

We actually saw it move from the top deck down to deck 5(?) one time. Later it was back up on 14 (we missed it) so it moved at least twice. 

 

We also saw the Magic Carpet move on our May 11 Alaska cruise.  It was on Deck 5 and it then moved up to Deck 14.  It was cool to watch it slowly ascend.

[catspaw1]

Thanks for the info on the food tour. I don't think it's worth it. FYI we've been on about 10 cruises & have never done a ship excursion. We are going to do one in Bermuda but only because we have OBC to burn. Next year we are going on the Flora so all excursions are included in the price. Sometimes we get a local guide depending on where we are. But I always call tourist info & they give ideas where to go & safely get back to the ship in time. We have never had a problem. Since you like to cook, my very favorite cookbook is of TYDE & Time by the Annapolis MD Ladies rotary Club. Their crabcake recipe is the best. I've had the book for over 25 years. I have about 50 cookbooks! I do have cooks illustrated also. Thanks so much for the info. I loved your TR & description of the food as we are foodies also. We have a regular balcony on the Eclipse in 3 weeks so no Blu or Lumanie. We tend to go to OV so we can go on more trips. We just came back from 17 nights in CO, WY & SD. Loved the Black Hills! We were in Great Smokey park for 10 days late April. & have to plan a few more trips for this year left! So that's our trip thoughts. Thanks for all your help!

[catspaw1]

1 minute ago, catspaw1 said:

Thanks for the info on the food tour. I don't think it's worth it. FYI we've been on about 10 cruises & have never done a ship excursion. We are going to do one in Bermuda but only because we have OBC to burn. Next year we are going on the Flora so all excursions are included in the price. Sometimes we get a local guide depending on where we are. But I always call tourist info & they give ideas where to go & safely get back to the ship in time. We have never had a problem. Since you like to cook, my very favorite cookbook is of TYDE & Time by the Annapolis MD Ladies rotary Club. Their crabcake recipe is the best. I've had the book for over 25 years. I have about 50 cookbooks! I do have cooks illustrated also. Thanks so much for the info. I loved your TR & description of the food as we are foodies also. We have a regular balcony on the Eclipse in 3 weeks so no Blu or Lumanie. We tend to go to OV so we can go on more trips. We just came back from 17 nights in CO, WY & SD. Loved the Black Hills! We were in Great Smokey park for 10 days late April. & have to plan a few more trips for this year left! So that's our trip thoughts. Thanks for all your help!

Amazon has the cookbook  

[SerraG]

1 hour ago, catspaw1 said:

Amazon has the cookbook  

 

That cookbook had great reviews.  I found a used copy for $3.50 so I bought it.  I am looking forward to trying to make the crab cakes! 🙂

[catspaw1]

Great. I adore the cucumber soup - perfect for summer. I'll probably make it tomorrow but my own grown cucumbers arent ready yet.  I make that soup all dummer but heads up i dont add the potatoes.  Puree it well in blender & it MUST be refrigerated overnight before eating or you will hate it. Also I add  some frankas hot sauce. Also like the carrot soup, chicken Italiano to name a few.  Please promise me you will let me know how you like the book!!!! The marble brownies & sour cream banana cake are two of my favorite deserts. No celebrity desert can equal those two!!!

[SerraG]

31 minutes ago, catspaw1 said:

Please promise me you will let me know how you like the book!!!!

 

Will do! 🙂

[SunandShade]

3 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

We also saw the Magic Carpet move on our May 11 Alaska cruise.  It was on Deck 5 and it then moved up to Deck 14.  It was cool to watch it slowly ascend.

Was it moving during the day?  Did it make a lot of noise?

[SerraG]

Overall Review

 

Here are a few thoughts to wrap things up.  Overall, the cruise was great.  It goes without saying, the crew was stellar.  Everyone worked hard to make sure we had a fantastic time.  I really loved doing a a longer cruise, in this case a B2B, because it is just so much work (and expense) to pack up and fly across the country for just a 7-day cruise.  After 14 days, both Ross and I felt ready to head home.

 

 

The Ship

This was our first sailing on an Edge class ship and while we loved Eden and the aft view from there, we were not in love with the rest of the ship.  It felt less grand than S class ships, maybe because so many of the ocean views were reserved for paying customers of $pecialty Restaurants, or The Retreat, or those who bought the Iconic Suites.    The Grand Foyer on S class ships is really open and impressive, with a view all the way up, while on the Edge, the central area feels confining, and almost mall-like.

 

The pathway from bow to stern on the interior public decks felt choppy. Having to walk around Fine Cut, The Casino or The Art Auction required some zig-zagging.

 

In particular, we really missed The Skyview Observation Lounge that is at the top of the other Celebrity ships we’ve been on.  The Club replaced the Skyview Lounge for trivia and was not a good venue.  The tiered seating, giant posts and especially having two levels, made it difficult to see the stage and also to form groups.

 

The bigger space for Cafe al Baccio was nice, but it was still completely packed on sea days, with people wandering about searching for tables.  I assume the interior spaces would have felt less crowded on a warmer weather cruise when many people would have been on the pool deck.   Speaking of which, the Sunset Bar was unpleasant or flat-out closed for much of the cruise due to the cold weather and blustery winds.

 

We prefer the S-class ships, but wouldn't avoid an E-class, if it was sailing an itinerary we wanted to do.  

 

 

Luminae

I’ve touched on this before, but during peak dinner times, Luminae was very crowded and noisy.  There is a separate front area which is more private, but the back room was quite large and felt like a main dining room.  I am surprised they have not tried to divide it up a bit more to help dampen the noise.   If you want it quieter, you need to eat during less popular dining times.

 

Overall, most of the food was good with a few notable misses.  Someone suggested that Luminae seemed too “posh”, but I would argue that the original vision for Luminae has gone astray.   They have replaced or just eliminated many of the interesting components to dishes so while things may sound fancy the menu, what ended up being served was lacking in complexity and balance.  In addition, there are clearly just too many people dining here to serve everything à la minute.

 

Again, very few things were actually bad, but it was definitely a step down from our pre-covid S-class and M-class ship experiences.

 

 

Our Cabin

Our cabin was specious and we especially liked the large shower/tub combo, although someone with mobility issues might have trouble getting into it.  We rarely used our balcony because of the cold weather, but we did like how large it was and the view from the forward facing window.  The biggest problem with our cabin was the lack of closet space for a suite.  Because of the double stacked bars, the bottom of shirts and pants could not hang straight without becoming wrinkled.  There was very little space to the left of the shirt bar and what existed was mostly taken up by Celebrity robes.

 

 

 

In addition, the closet doors opened up right next to the bed which made it impossible for more than one person to use at a time.  In fact, the closet has to remain shut while one shimmies beside the bed, opens the door, retrieves an item of clothing, shimmies to the side, shuts the closet and then shimmies back out into the room.

 

 

 

 

Future

Over the last decade, we have sailed on Celebrity for our last 5-6 cruises, mostly because it worked well for a multigenerational trip with both our parents and our daughter.  If we take another trip with our whole family, in regular cabins, we are likely to cruise Celebrity again.  However, especially considering the prices for the Retreat, we will probably look at a luxury line, like Regent, when we cruise by ourselves again.   We do not have anything booked anywhere at this time, but usually end up on a cruise once every year or two.

 

Thanks for reading all my ramblings! 

 

 

[Ergates The Ant]

Thanks for your comprehensive review, which I really enjoyed. We recently did a cruise to Norway on the Apex, and you have summed up quite a few things about the Edge class ships which I was struggling to put into words. 
The Apex was missing a lot of the charm of the other Celebrity ships we have cruised on before, we also missed the forward facing lounge, and after looking into the main dining rooms, decided we’d be happier in the buffet with its big windows and less crammed in tables, than being in a low ceilinged room in the bowels of the ship. 
No wow factor, like the atrium on the S class ships, or the tiered dining room. I didn’t see anything to tempt me in the on board shops (my husband wondered if I was coming down with something!) although I had a good laugh at the prices of the ‘luxury’ goods, many of which seemed to be second hand. I’m assuming everyone who did buy stuff smuggled it home, as the import duty they should have paid would have wiped out any supposed savings.

The theatre was amazing, and capable of such incredible special effects, although we did have to abandon some of the musical numbers. As tends to be the case, the backing orchestra was trying to drown out the singers, who in turn had to shout rather than sing, and the sound engineer turned everything up to distortion level!

But we loved the Infinite Balcony cabin, perfect for cool weather cruises with scenic viewing.

Thanks again for taking us along.

[Ferry_Watcher]

9 hours ago, SunandShade said:

Was it moving during the day?  Did it make a lot of noise?

When we saw the Magic Carpet move from Deck 5 (just outside Raw on 5) it was about 1;30 pm on a cold windy sea day.  We were just finishing our lunch at Raw on 5 while sitting right next to the window when we saw crew begin to 'batter down' the furniture, wheel off the bar cart that held the alcohol, and saw officer level crew members securing the door that opened up to the Magic Carpet.  The Magic Carpet was empty of both passengers and crew when it moved.  We did not hear any noise.

[RK-NC]

I have enjoyed reading this so much Shannon. Thanks for sharing! 

 

8 hours ago, SerraG said:

Someone suggested that Luminae seemed too “posh”, but I would argue that the original vision for Luminae has gone astray.   They have replaced or just eliminated many of the interesting components to dishes so while things may sound fancy the menu, what ended up being served was lacking in complexity and balance. 

 

You have nailed it on Luminae. Only posh "on paper". 

 

I think the E-class ships are best suited for warmer weather cruising. Is this the first year Edge has been in Alaska? 

 

Thanks again - it was fun to relive Alaska with your report/review!

[kayehall]

Enjoyed your review.  Thanks for the thoughts on the meals.  Some of them, I would not be able to eat!!  We like clear cut basics that we can identify..LOL.  Feeling really good about choosing the Solstice for our first Alaskan adventure.  Plus I wanted to sail the inside passage from Vancouver.  Hope both of you have recovered!!  Did your daughter enjoy her trip?  Looking forward to your next adventure!!!

[RK-NC]

22 minutes ago, kayehall said:

Feeling really good about choosing the Solstice for our first Alaskan adventure.  Plus I wanted to sail the inside passage from Vancouver. 

 

Looks like Solstice goes to Icy Strait Point/Hoonah and Hubbard Glacier. Both were favorites for us in 2019 along with our 2 days in Vancouver pre-cruise. Enjoy!!

[kxnhra]

12 hours ago, SerraG said:

Overall Review

 

Here are a few thoughts to wrap things up.  Overall, the cruise was great.  It goes without saying, the crew was stellar.  Everyone worked hard to make sure we had a fantastic time.  I really loved doing a a longer cruise, in this case a B2B, because it is just so much work (and expense) to pack up and fly across the country for just a 7-day cruise.  After 14 days, both Ross and I felt ready to head home.

 

 

The Ship

This was our first sailing on an Edge class ship and while we loved Eden and the aft view from there, we were not in love with the rest of the ship.  It felt less grand than S class ships, maybe because so many of the ocean views were reserved for paying customers of $pecialty Restaurants, or The Retreat, or those who bought the Iconic Suites.    The Grand Foyer on S class ships is really open and impressive, with a view all the way up, while on the Edge, the central area feels confining, and almost mall-like.

 

The pathway from bow to stern on the interior public decks felt choppy. Having to walk around Fine Cut, The Casino or The Art Auction required some zig-zagging.

 

In particular, we really missed The Skyview Observation Lounge that is at the top of the other Celebrity ships we’ve been on.  The Club replaced the Skyview Lounge for trivia and was not a good venue.  The tiered seating, giant posts and especially having two levels, made it difficult to see the stage and also to form groups.

 

The bigger space for Cafe al Baccio was nice, but it was still completely packed on sea days, with people wandering about searching for tables.  I assume the interior spaces would have felt less crowded on a warmer weather cruise when many people would have been on the pool deck.   Speaking of which, the Sunset Bar was unpleasant or flat-out closed for much of the cruise due to the cold weather and blustery winds.

 

We prefer the S-class ships, but wouldn't avoid an E-class, if it was sailing an itinerary we wanted to do.  

 

 

Luminae

I’ve touched on this before, but during peak dinner times, Luminae was very crowded and noisy.  There is a separate front area which is more private, but the back room was quite large and felt like a main dining room.  I am surprised they have not tried to divide it up a bit more to help dampen the noise.   If you want it quieter, you need to eat during less popular dining times.

 

Overall, most of the food was good with a few notable misses.  Someone suggested that Luminae seemed too “posh”, but I would argue that the original vision for Luminae has gone astray.   They have replaced or just eliminated many of the interesting components to dishes so while things may sound fancy the menu, what ended up being served was lacking in complexity and balance.  In addition, there are clearly just too many people dining here to serve everything à la minute.

 

Again, very few things were actually bad, but it was definitely a step down from our pre-covid S-class and M-class ship experiences.

 

 

Our Cabin

Our cabin was specious and we especially liked the large shower/tub combo, although someone with mobility issues might have trouble getting into it.  We rarely used our balcony because of the cold weather, but we did like how large it was and the view from the forward facing window.  The biggest problem with our cabin was the lack of closet space for a suite.  Because of the double stacked bars, the bottom of shirts and pants could not hang straight without becoming wrinkled.  There was very little space to the left of the shirt bar and what existed was mostly taken up by Celebrity robes.

 

 

 

In addition, the closet doors opened up right next to the bed which made it impossible for more than one person to use at a time.  In fact, the closet has to remain shut while one shimmies beside the bed, opens the door, retrieves an item of clothing, shimmies to the side, shuts the closet and then shimmies back out into the room.

 

 

 

 

Future

Over the last decade, we have sailed on Celebrity for our last 5-6 cruises, mostly because it worked well for a multigenerational trip with both our parents and our daughter.  If we take another trip with our whole family, in regular cabins, we are likely to cruise Celebrity again.  However, especially considering the prices for the Retreat, we will probably look at a luxury line, like Regent, when we cruise by ourselves again.   We do not have anything booked anywhere at this time, but usually end up on a cruise once every year or two.

 

Thanks for reading all my ramblings! 

 

 

Thank you for your excellent review.  I have rarely seen a review that has been so complete and entertaining.  If you are considering Regent you should also look at Seabourn and Silversea.  We just got off the Grandeur (march).  Although the ship design was excellent, the service was spotty and the food left much to be desired.

[catspaw1]

Thanks so much for your very detailed TR. I especially liked the comments about Lumanie- not my cup of tea! As my Grandma used to say, I think they have airs! We are going to AK next year for around 3 weeks- 2 weeks land & 1 week cruise but think we will return to HAL. Celebrity doesnt do Glacier Bay which was a highlight on our last cruise. They also don't get preferred berths docking. So back to HAL.  Learned a lot from your trip. We are also doing the Flora next June. 

[SunandShade]

9 hours ago, kxnhra said:

Thank you for your excellent review.  I have rarely seen a review that has been so complete and entertaining.  If you are considering Regent you should also look at Seabourn and Silversea.  We just got off the Grandeur (march).  Although the ship design was excellent, the service was spotty and the food left much to be desired.

I agree with @kxnhra, maybe consider Silversea.  Since you are Elite on Celebrity, you’ll now get a matching status on Silversea as well.

[sonnycruises]

On 6/16/2024 at 5:56 PM, SerraG said:

Overall Review

 

Here are a few thoughts to wrap things up.  Overall, the cruise was great.  It goes without saying, the crew was stellar.  Everyone worked hard to make sure we had a fantastic time.  I really loved doing a a longer cruise, in this case a B2B, because it is just so much work (and expense) to pack up and fly across the country for just a 7-day cruise.  After 14 days, both Ross and I felt ready to head home.

 

 

The Ship

This was our first sailing on an Edge class ship and while we loved Eden and the aft view from there, we were not in love with the rest of the ship.  It felt less grand than S class ships, maybe because so many of the ocean views were reserved for paying customers of $pecialty Restaurants, or The Retreat, or those who bought the Iconic Suites.    The Grand Foyer on S class ships is really open and impressive, with a view all the way up, while on the Edge, the central area feels confining, and almost mall-like.

 

The pathway from bow to stern on the interior public decks felt choppy. Having to walk around Fine Cut, The Casino or The Art Auction required some zig-zagging.

 

In particular, we really missed The Skyview Observation Lounge that is at the top of the other Celebrity ships we’ve been on.  The Club replaced the Skyview Lounge for trivia and was not a good venue.  The tiered seating, giant posts and especially having two levels, made it difficult to see the stage and also to form groups.

 

The bigger space for Cafe al Baccio was nice, but it was still completely packed on sea days, with people wandering about searching for tables.  I assume the interior spaces would have felt less crowded on a warmer weather cruise when many people would have been on the pool deck.   Speaking of which, the Sunset Bar was unpleasant or flat-out closed for much of the cruise due to the cold weather and blustery winds.

 

We prefer the S-class ships, but wouldn't avoid an E-class, if it was sailing an itinerary we wanted to do.  

 

 

Luminae

I’ve touched on this before, but during peak dinner times, Luminae was very crowded and noisy.  There is a separate front area which is more private, but the back room was quite large and felt like a main dining room.  I am surprised they have not tried to divide it up a bit more to help dampen the noise.   If you want it quieter, you need to eat during less popular dining times.

 

Overall, most of the food was good with a few notable misses.  Someone suggested that Luminae seemed too “posh”, but I would argue that the original vision for Luminae has gone astray.   They have replaced or just eliminated many of the interesting components to dishes so while things may sound fancy the menu, what ended up being served was lacking in complexity and balance.  In addition, there are clearly just too many people dining here to serve everything à la minute.

 

Again, very few things were actually bad, but it was definitely a step down from our pre-covid S-class and M-class ship experiences.

 

 

Our Cabin

Our cabin was specious and we especially liked the large shower/tub combo, although someone with mobility issues might have trouble getting into it.  We rarely used our balcony because of the cold weather, but we did like how large it was and the view from the forward facing window.  The biggest problem with our cabin was the lack of closet space for a suite.  Because of the double stacked bars, the bottom of shirts and pants could not hang straight without becoming wrinkled.  There was very little space to the left of the shirt bar and what existed was mostly taken up by Celebrity robes.

 

 

 

In addition, the closet doors opened up right next to the bed which made it impossible for more than one person to use at a time.  In fact, the closet has to remain shut while one shimmies beside the bed, opens the door, retrieves an item of clothing, shimmies to the side, shuts the closet and then shimmies back out into the room.

 

 

 

 

Future

Over the last decade, we have sailed on Celebrity for our last 5-6 cruises, mostly because it worked well for a multigenerational trip with both our parents and our daughter.  If we take another trip with our whole family, in regular cabins, we are likely to cruise Celebrity again.  However, especially considering the prices for the Retreat, we will probably look at a luxury line, like Regent, when we cruise by ourselves again.   We do not have anything booked anywhere at this time, but usually end up on a cruise once every year or two.

 

Thanks for reading all my ramblings! 

 

 

You may want to try Viking Ocean. We really enjoy their ships after many Celebrity cruises.

[takemewithyou]

I really, really enjoyed your live postings.  I looked forward to each one!  So you made me very happy!  I loved your pics of the food and your descriptions.  I share your love of good food, recipes and cooking. 
 

May I suggest that you look in to Oceania?  We did a long TA from Lisbon to Miami last Nov and we really enjoyed the food.  I think you might just love it, too. 

Edited to add:  and Oceania has a great culinary center where you can cook in the kitchen with a chef and taste what you make. A special cocktail is made during each session which you get to enjoy!  You get to leave with a glossy copy of all the recipes!  I think you would enjoy that as well.  I took 3 classes on my TA and enjoyed every one!  The chef was Julia Childs assistant for years!  chef Steph….you can look her up.

 

Thanks again.

Edited June 18 by takemewithyou

[Stem to Stern]

On 6/14/2024 at 10:48 PM, SerraG said:

 

Do you mean the NYT Melissa Clark's Red Lentil Soup?  Because I love that recipe!  It is in my regular rotation.  I try to cook a bean or lentil recipe at least once per week.  If you mean a different one, let me know and I'll try to find it.  

 

I don't actually subscribe to NYT Cooking, but since I'm a NYT subscriber, I often get access to a couple of recipes each day and have found them to be very good. 

 

 

I sent my DH a screen shot of post #239 this morning.  Minutes later he was printing out the recipe.  He is the cook in our household.  He has been on a soup kick.  Last night was onion.  
Thank you for a wonderful review.🤗

 

 

Edited June 18 by Stem to Stern