Stem to Stern

8 minutes ago, zanydoc said:

I really appreciate your thoughtful and entertaining review-thank you so much! We are sailing Beyond on October 5th and have decided to book the Bonaire excursion on Lady Bellais thanks to your great suggestion. Happy sailings! 

Thank you!

You will not regret it.

Please tell them Paul and Tim say hello!

Have a great cruise!

1 hour ago, mac_tlc said:

The issue on many excursions is the ability to store the wheelchair or use it at a particular location. 

 

We are doing the BC golf cart at Bonaire in May 2025, but would love to try this one in April 2026. She would stay on board and I would head into the water!!! Maybe we will give it a go. Are you planning on doing this one on our April 2026 Silo cruise??

There is plenty of space on board the vessel to store the wheelchair.  If you and the Mrs. decide to join Tim and I on Lady Bellaïs in 2026, I promise that neither one of you will be disappointed.  Tim said the snorkeling in Bonaire was far better than the shipwreck site we visited in Aruba two days earlier.  I plan on staying on board again in hopes of getting Captain Nino to share a few tales of his sailing adventures.

On 9/22/2024 at 1:45 PM, lola2013 said:

I see you “driving” the boat.  Does Captain Sandy have to worry that you will take over her job? 😉

Nah.  I’ve got a lot of patience, but not enough patience to captain all that yachtie drama.😁

Day 7 ~ At Sea ~ Ahhhhh….

 

We pulled open the curtains, stepped out onto the verandah, and saw the sun rising behind this cloud formation.  This vision was inspiration enough for me to make this another fun day at sea.  Oops.  Wrong cruise line.😂

 

 

I saw an X pattern.  A telling sign of what I was not exactly sure of, but I was intrigued just the same.  So, let’s go Beyond the busy and the bustle and have a relaxing day at sea.😴💤

 

 

Before most of the ship was awake, we made our way downstairs, bypassed the free sweets counter, and grabbed our prefered morning beverages at Cafe Al Bacio before heading up to The Solarium.

 

 

Cafe Al Bacio, Eden, and The Solarium are probably my favorite areas of this ship.  As you will witness as this day unfolds.  The Cafe is spacious and stocked with various seating options including a long dining-height conference table with charging stations and a long high-top table with barstools.  At one’s ankles along the banquette seating against the wall are electrical outlets in which one can use to plug in their devices.  The carpet dances whimsically around the room without screaming obnoxiously.

 

 

We had our choice of padded loungers at this early eight o’clock hour.  But sure enough others were starting to mill about.  We were determined to choose a pair of loungers near the doors into the forward elevators vestibule.  Earlier in the cruise we enjoyed a similar location because every time the automatic doors opened a gust of wonderful iced-cold air conditioning flowed into the steamy solarium.  The coordinating headrest pillows are attached to the lounge pads.  Subtle accents of wood complement the serene color scheme.  And the white noise puts us both to sleep.😴💤

 

 

We were fortunate enough to have one of the two hot tubs in the solarium all to ourselves for the time being.  I love the colors of the tile installation on the wall of The Solarium.
 

 

Later while relaxing on my lounger, I noshed on a bagel layered with peanut butter and sliced banana from The Spa Cafe & Juice Bar.  I had a lovely, made-to-order ginger smoothie to go along with it.  Meanwhile, DH had a snooze next to me.

 

 

The Spa Cafe on board Beyond is a vast improvement over the Solstice- and Millennium-class ships.  The cafe area has been segregated and privatized from the lounging/pool area with a half-wall and live plant material.  One odd aspect is the flatware.  I am used to grabbing a napkin-wrapped set of flatware to take back to my lounger to enjoy my nosh.  When I asked a crew member where the flatware was located I was told that it was on the tables.  Sure enough I had to rob mine from the pre-set tables.  There was also no place to dump one’s dirty dishes.  I hate leaving used dishes sitting around me.  So, I carried them back to the cafe and they were taken from me by a diligent crew member.  First-world dilemma, I know.

 

 

The Solarium is still one of our favorite spaces on board any class of Celebrity ships.  The roof design of Beyond’s is such an aesthetical improvement over the older vessels.  The fact that the design mimics Eden’s window elements adds to the overall design cohesiveness of the ship.

 

 

Shortly before noon I made a beeline for Eden thinking I might run into our friends.  My secondary motive was to continue avoiding crowds and stay a good distance from the buffet for the day.  Sure enough the friends were present and accounted for.  They had already grabbed a table in anticipation of Eden Cafe’s noon opening.  Since the tables are all two-tops, I grabbed the one next to theirs.  After plopping my backpack in one of the two chairs I strolled over to the bar for a Whispering Angel to bring back to the cafe table.

 

 

I enjoyed the chicken and pesto on focaccia with a side of potato salad.  Oh, and I added a spinach salad to my graze just to ensure that I did not find myself starving on a cruise ship.😂

 

Did I mention the desserts at Eden Cafe?  They disappeared before I could grab a snap.😋

 

 

Meanwhile DH grabbed a burger and a hot dog (He is not shy.) from The Mast Grill.  He enjoyed them both back at his lounger.  In the process he made a little, feathered friend who was trapped indoors.

 

 

Day 7 ~ At Sea ~ Evening Chic ~ paperwork

 

Look at all the ships we have to choose from for our next cruise.  “Three brands for a lifetime of vacations.”  Says the Future Cruise Vacations flyer.  So I ask, at what stage of my lifetime am I to begin booking Silversea instead of Celebrity?!?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@hcat

I do not recall the volume at Elements being any too uncomfortable.  
However, there were a couple of moments that included very bright flashes of light.

3 minutes ago, hcat said:

Agree

Great photos and commentary about the Bonaire adventure. Something new to consider!

 

Stem to Stern;    Did I miss the price?

How many were from Celebrity,  Can beginners enjoy?

Thanks!  Lady Bellaïs was really awesome in every way!  The price was $166.32 was the two of us and I prepaid for this via their website on a credit card.

 

When we embarked the vessel, I believe there was one couple that was already on board, but I am not positive.  

 

As far as beginning snorkelers, I am not sure how much special attention could be given to someone.  Senna’s goal while he was in the water was to be “lifeguard” so I would imagine he would want to remain available to all if needed.  You could email them or send them a message on Facebook or Instagram.

I made a point to ask about handicap accessibility because I will be cruising with someone in a wheelchair in the future.  Senna did not bat an eyelash saying they would work as a team to lift the chair on board.  Once most snorkelers were in the water, there was ample space for a wheelchair to maneuver from aft to forward if the person desired.  I stayed aft in the shade most of the time while I remained on board.

Day 6 ~ Bonaire ~ conclusion

 

Dinner and Elements show

 

 

We said goodbye to Bonaire and headed into the air conditioning.

 

 

For dinner we went to one of the four main dining rooms.  I believe it was Tuscan.  I started with the beef carpaccio and repeated the pumpkin salad because I enjoyed it so much the night before.

 

 

I was not inspired by anything in particular on the menu, so I decided on the salmon on the classics side of the menu.

 

 

DH and I shared this pasta.

 

 

A couple of other entree items at the table.

 

 

Next it was time to head to The Theater for the 9:30 seating for the Production Show:  Elements with the Theater Production Cast.

 

 

I was really impressed with this show especially all of the fancy lighting and the special stage effects.  And again I was very impressed with The Theater itself.  Earlier in the cruise I was watching the Celebrity Entertainment channel on the television in the stateroom.  The channel featured interviews with the creators of the show.  
 

 

 

 

 

 

It was really interesting to see how the elements of fabric and air are used to create the impromptu visual effects on the stage that can vary from one night to the next.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In combination with the dancing, the LED screen effects, and the lighting all the moving parts really came together to create a great feast for the eyes.

 

Next I found myself solo for the rest of the evening.  From The Theater at the bow of the ship, I plowed my way through the crowd in the Grand Plaza enjoying the 10:15 Celebrity Activity:  Silent Disco.

 

 

 

 

Once I reached a packed Eden at the aft, I found an unoccupied barstool off to the side and watched from an odd angle the 10:45 Wonder at Eden:  Dreams with the Eden Production Cast.

 

 

I was seated in the area near the Eden bar that has small round hightop tables and barstools.  This turned out to be adjacent to stage right, as I can best describe, and a place where a few of the performers would make their entrances from.

 

 

Or for one flexible soul, a place to do a bit of showing off?  I guess when there is no backstage, one is always on stage.  I really liked the carpet in Eden along with all of the seventies inspired design elements.

 

 

I watched an expose about this show on the Celebrity Entertainment channel in the stateroom and thought it would be something to do before turning in for the night.

 

 

As has been widely reported Eden is not an ideal venue for shows as the stage is snack-dab in the middle of the room with onlookers on all sides of the stage leaving performers’ backsides facing much of the audience much of the time.  People have been known to camp out in the best seats hours before the start times of the shows that take place here.  Lighting was dim and not great for pics.  People walking up to the bar and congregating did not help matters either.  But the show was fun and playful.  The costuming and stage decor were colorful.  And the performers seemed to have their act together.

  
 

 

 

 

38 minutes ago, minniemouse427 said:

This is the excursion that my husband and daughter have agreed on for our day in Bonaire. SO happy to see your positive review. 

We will be sailing on the Silhouette's repositioning next April/May (218 days!!) and we can't wait to experience the ABC's for the first time! 🙂

Thank you for sharing about how you stayed on board while others snorkeled. That is what my husband is planning on doing and he has been slightly worried about how common that was. Can you share how long your excursion was and about what time you all arrived back at the Beyond?

My pleasure.  I am glad you enjoyed my comments.😀 

 

There were at least three of us that stayed on board, but probably one or two more that I may have missed.  I was focused on where my husband and our friends were at all spread out in the water.  Senna was the only crew member that got in the water.  He was the lifeguard.  

 

Staying on board allowed me to get some great shots of everyone else snorkeling.  And I had most of the vessel to myself.  And the beer flowed freely.😉

 

 

We boarded the vessel at 8:45 which is a few minutes later than normal.  We experienced a slight delay waiting for the bus to show up at the canopies.  We were all tied up back at the marina and back on the bus by 12:15 or 12:20.  This pic was taken at 12:22 when we were almost back at the pier entrance.  So, they gave us our full 3.5 hours that they advertised.  It was such a bargain!

 
Inside the pier area there is a souvenir shop in case you want to grab something without walking back into town.  
 

But if you are up for it, I would suggest a quick freshening up on board and a walk back into town.  The waterfront is lovely and there are a few cute shops.

 

Enjoy all of those glorious sea days on your repo cruise.  It will be here before you can say Dushi.

 

With a few sea days to look forward to, we do not mind trying to pack plenty of activities into our three port days on these itineraries.

 

Day 6 ~ Bonaire ~

Lady Bellaïs excursion continued.

 

 

After the snorkeling phase of our adventure wound down, a variety of other activities took place.

 

 

 

 

Rope swinging 

 

 

 

Eating

 

 

 

Dancing

 

 

The Dancing Captain Nino

 

Still dancing on his stool

 

 

 

Driving the thing

 

 

 

 

Enjoying the breezy views from top deck

 

 

Silly selfies and ussies

 

 

 

Drive-by Klein Bonaire

 

 

Lady Bellaïs and her fantastic crew made this an unforgettable morning.

 

 

 

They all worked continuously and tirelessly to provide a beyond enjoyable experience.

 

 

When we arrived back at the dock and it was time to tie up and say goodbye, we let Flor know that they would be seeing us again in 2026.  She acknowledged our tour satisfaction with another one of her ear-to-ear smiles just like this one that Tim captured earlier in the morning.

 

We all disembarked Lady Bellaïs and boarded the open-air bus for the short ride back to the ship.  Back to Beyond.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, MNSails said:

recent recommendations for my two upcoming cruises on Reflection and Beyond in the next 6 weeks. 

 

I enjoy malbec and pinot noir, and usually do a pre-dinner prosecco or champagne.  I also liked the decoy cab on our last cruise, which occurred after conundrum-gate.  Let me know if you have suggestions!

Assuming you have the premium alcoholic drink package here.

Just off Beyond, but I did not uncover any new wine discoveries.  

Decoy and Whispering Angel were widely available around the ship.

Conundrum is still a $2.40 upcharge.

My first Martini Bar martini I had on board was horrible.

Also, had a horrible cosmo at another venue.

Decided to stick with my Chopin martinis which were readily available and covered on the premium package.

17 minutes ago, lola2013 said:

I just took a look at your 2025 itinerary.  We both end in Port Everglades on 8/1.  😎

Wild!

Are you flying out immediately?

On 9/20/2024 at 6:22 PM, lola2013 said:

Great pictures!

Thank you Susan!

Gosh, I think I finally have my land legs back after being back on dry land for four and a half days.

On 9/20/2024 at 6:22 PM, eyecantwait said:

We'll be doing this trip in February next year with our daughter and son in law and posts like yours are making the wait seem even longer 😂

Thank you for your very kind words.

They are very much appreciated.

Your cruise will be here before you know it.

Speaking of waiting….

Booking quite far in advance is becoming the new normal for us.😂

The waiting pain is easier to tolerate the more cruises you have booked….

 

And this one seems like a lifetime away, but returning to the ABC’s will make it all the more sweet.  
Lady Bellaïs…see you in 2026!😎

 

On 9/19/2024 at 5:20 AM, fruitmachine said:

Double check your spelling of "invoice", and it only works from the summary page of the individual booking.

Thank you so much for the excellent visual.  
I actually was able to do this in Microsoft Edge browser with successful results.  I am not sure why it was acting funny in Safari.

Our stop in Bonaire started out with an independently booked snorkel excursion and it turned out to be one of the better excursions we have ever experienced in the Caribbean.  A truly magical morning to be remembered.

 

Lady Bellaïs is a newly-constructed yet incredibly charming Brazilian wooden schooner.  She is dually-owned by the owner of Bonaire Cruisers (the go-to golf cart rental spot) and Captain Nino.  After the Captain approached BC’s owner about the prospect of buying a vessel, the two of them flew off to Brazil to hunt the Atlantic coast for the perfect one.  Captain Nino and his first mate made the 21-day sojourn safely back to Bonaire.  After adding two restrooms, a bar, and a fresh coat of paint the next chapters could be written.
 

 

Lady Bellaïs holds up to 114 people, but there were just 27 guests on our tour.😎

 

 

We disembarked Beyond quite early to meet at the Bonaire Cruisers canopy just off the pier.  Once all 27 of us were accounted for, an open-air bus was summoned to transport us the roughly two kilometer distance through town to the ship.  The ship was tied up adjacent to the lighthouse which is a building that houses a breakfast and lunch spot called Oscars.  Based on their website and most recent reviews online, I am not sure if they are currently open for business.

 

 

We boarded Lady Bellaïs at her aft which sports a Big Green Egg grill.  We were greeted by Captain Nino and then the rest of the four-person crew.  

 

We also met Senna, the BC owner’s son and lifeguard, and Flor, Senna’s girlfriend and Lady Bellaïs’ social media extraordinaire.  Last but not least was do-everything Pirena who is Captain Nino’s wife.  

 

 

They made a fantastic team and they all sported these very classy business-logoed shirts.  They were all friendly and welcoming.  Senna explained the origin of the name Lady Bellaïs and how the new arm of the business took shape.

 

 

Off we went, first by Beyond to check her out.

 

 

The steps on the right are where we boarded at the aft of the vessel.  However, Senna informed me that the ship can accommodate wheelchairs.  Three crew members can lift the wheelchair on to the vessel.

 

Then, to our anchoring and snorkeling destination.😎

 

 

Time to get geared up…

 

 

…and jump in….

 

 

Splash!

 

 

A few of us stayed on board while most everyone else snorkeled.

 

 

 

I even saw some fish from the edge of the ship.🤩

 

 

The day was just perfect in every way.  Tim was able to capture some fascinating photos with his underwater camera.  More coming in the next post about the rope-swinging adventure, the after-snorkeling party including an entire meal, and playing the game “Who gets to drive the ship on the way back?”  This was an action-packed morning all on board the enchanting Lady Bellaïs.❤️

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8 hours ago, notscb said:

Beyond really is a beautiful ship, IMO. The spaces seem refined and upscale. Love the sunset bar!

 

In your experience, is Beyond a smoother ship to sail on? I remember the hype for the new hull design and how it's supposed to offer a smoother sailing compared to traditional ship designs. Just wondering your experience 🙂 

I completely agree.  Beyond is beyond beautiful.  Gorgeous!!

 

We had a very smooth ride.  I have been on a much smaller topsy-turbo ship, so I know what it feels like to feel the pitching and rolling in less calm waters.  

The new bow design on the Edge-class vessels is credited with cutting through the sea much effortlessly.  

During  Captain Kate’s Oceans presentation she covered the ship’s design advances in great detail.  Along with many other improved technologies.  
Beyond is her baby.

Day 6 ~ Bonaire paperwork

 

 

 

 

 

 

18 minutes ago, challahmom said:

Thank you for all the great pics and info.  Hope you had an amazing sailing!  
 

Who are the Cruise Director and the Activity Manager?  We’ll be on the Beyond 9/29 and 10/5, back to back.  
 

Thank you!

Thanks.  We had a wonderful time.

Lewis was the CD.

The only activities team member that I became familiar with was Gui.

Have fun!

Off camera, I can totally see Andrea changing it up a bit….

 

 

1 hour ago, cruisegal40 said:

Food was good. Not great. That issue is very subjective I feel.  We weren't in love with the ocean cafe.  Looks like you both enjoyed your cruise.

Thanks.  We had fun and enjoyed the food in the four main dining rooms.  Oceanview Cafe is a large and overwhelming space, but it seemed to struggle to accommodate everyone in attendance during the lunch hour.  Not serving until noon did not help manners.

 

I found Eden Café an enjoyable alternative for breakfast and lunch when it was open.  The Eden Café chocolate chip cookies were amazing, but I couldn’t convince DH to have one because they were covered in nuts.

2 hours ago, dreams_of_travel said:

I do wonder if they are starting a purge of those who've not cruised recently. 🤷🏻‍♀️  Not being an alarmist (of course it could just be their "stellar" IT system 🙄🤪) but I have not cruised with Celebrity since Jan 2023, and currently have nothing booked with them. 

Neither of us received the email and we just disembarked Beyond on Sunday and have 5 more booked.  So, I think it is more likely an IT snafu.

We did not have an ocean view stateroom on Deck 3, but we heard reports from others on board that the music from the Grand Plaza could be heard in their ocean view stateroom.  Sorry, but I did not get a stateroom number.  
 

You are going to be under a public space no matter which you choose.  I would go further aft away from the Grand Plaza.  I would choose starboard only because I have no idea what the interior white space is across the hall from the port side ocean views.  Starboard aft is under The Celebrity Shops which I think are carpeted.  Port aft is under the casino which I know is carpeted, but I would think noisier than the shops.

 

I would avoid choosing a location under The Club.

 

Decadence

 

 

 

9 minutes ago, Diserella said:

3.) Just curious if I should bother purchasing 80s costume wear.

 

4.) I was curious about the check-in time because we have multiple excursions planned for this day and was trying to determine the order based on timing. 

No, I don’t think you should bother.  The 80s Dance Party is an hour of your entire cruise.  The activities team dresses up and sets the tone.  I didn’t notice anyone else dressed up for it last week.

 

Gosh, it sounds like you have a busy day in Bonaire planned.  I am guessing maybe 30 minutes lapsed from disembarkation to driving off from their office.  After completing the south loop and part of the north loop to 1,000 Steps and back, the heat had us pretty beat.  We all turned in the carts and most of us headed back to the ship for lunch.  But if you are go, go, go then I would suggest you do Bonaire Cruisers as early as you can get off the ship.  If it is not too busy yet, they may walk you from the canopy directly to their office like they did for us back in 2021.  But we had five carts reserved.  Once the crowds set in later in the morning, then they may have to just point you in the right direction and leave you to your own navigational devices to get over to their office.  Great people!  What else exciting are you planning there?  We love the ABCs.