dsa181920

Looks like a very nice place to stay with a decent size patio.

Yes, we did this every night in the Cosmopolitan MDR in July. We had such great service we chose to stay with Cosmopolitan and ordered off the other menus instead of changing to different locations.

Jim, I just found this live report and have caught up to page 13. I always enjoy following your trips and am glad you are doing another one on Celebrity. Sallie

We were on the Celebrity Edge in July. We purchased the thermal spa pass in embarkation day. They were giving tours of the spa and offered a discount on the thermal suite. I had priced it prior to the cruise so the discount on day one was a pleasant surprise.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. It was a nice way to do something fun, relaxing, and without the large crowds at the tourist sites.

We really enjoyed this excursion too! It will be one that we remember.

Have a wonderful trip!

Disembarkation Day - Barcelona, Spain We arrived in Barcelona early in the morning. Guests were asked to be out of the rooms by 6:30. Earlier in the week, we had chosen our preferred departure time using the Celebrity App. Our private transfer was supposed to be at the port at 9:00 and would only wait 30 minutes. We weren’t sure how long it would take to find the luggage and exit the termina, so we chose 7:50 as our time to leave the ship. This gave us the opportunity to have one last sit-down breakfast in the Cypress Restaurant. Our time to disembark arrived so we made our way out to the terminal. The bags were on carousels in different areas based on the disembarkation numbers. We had number 10 so it was very close to the exit of the terminal. Our driver arrived right on time and took us to the Gallery Hotel. The reception desk let us check all of our luggage so we could spend the day exploring. We asked about the Hop On/Hop Off bus and were able to buy our tickets at the hotel. There were two routes – red and green. The tickets gave us access to both routes. There was a stop around the corner from the hotel, so it was very convenient for us. We rode around and enjoyed looking at the beautiful architecture in the city. We got off near the marina so we could take a harbor tour which was included with the ticket. We waited in a park area and watched a man leading a group of people in some dance exercises. This group was very enthusiastic, and the crowd continued to grow. Most of the people dancing were tourists. This would have been the perfect opportunity for pickpockets as the tourists were not paying attention to anything but the music and their dance moves. Some police came through the area. Shortly after that the music ended and everyone went on their way. By that time, it was time to board the boat for the harbor tour. There was a nice breeze when we got out into the harbor. We were able to have our last views of the Celebrity Edge. After the harbor tour, we decided to get on the other route for the Hop On/Hop Off bus to see La Sagrada Familia. It was a brief walk over a bridge to a shopping center. The bus stop was right next to the shopping center. La Sagrada Familia is a temple that was designed by the architect Antoni Guadi. When we arrived at this temple, it was very crowded. We got off the bus and walked through a nearby park which allowed us to get a good view of the temple. After walking around and taking a few pictures, we looked for a place to have lunch. We found a sidewalk café that served empanadas. The beef empanadas were tasty. I didn’t care for the bacon and cheese one. We got back on the bus and rode back to the stop near our hotel. Our rooms were ready, so we went and freshened up. Doug and Jeff both took naps. Vicki and I went up to the rooftop bar and enjoyed a drink. They also had a small pool up there. They closed this area around 6:00 for a private wedding party. Restaurants did not start serving until later in the evening, so we went down to the hotel bar on the main floor and had a drink. We went to dinner at a restaurant within a short walking distance of the hotel. We enjoyed a pizza and were able to sit outside. After dinner, we were able to go up to the rooftop area on the side that did not have the pool/bar. Doug was able to smoke a cigar and we enjoyed a bottle of wine that Vicki and Jeff were given on the cruise for their anniversary. This was a nice way to end our vacation. On Sunday, a buffet breakfast was included with our room. They had a good variety of selections. After breakfast, we checked out of our rooms and waited for our private transfer which arrived on time. We were dropped off at the airport. Checking the luggage was fairly easy but then we had to wait in a long line to show our passports before we could proceed to the gate. It was hot in the airport. The only place to buy some water by our gate was a place which served breakfast and lunch items. The line was very long. Finally, it was time to board the plane. It was a long flight back to Chicago. None of us were able to sleep as we were still on daytime hours. The lines for customs/immigration were long in O’Hare airport. We had several hours before our connecting flight to Orlando. After clearing customs, we took the tram to another section of the airport. We were able to eat dinner before boarding the plane. We arrived in Orlando around 10:45 p.m.

They wanted everyone out of the rooms by 6:30. I think they called the first groups around 7. The bags are grouped by numbers so easy to find. They also allowed people to walk off with luggage.

Cruise Day 7 – Palma de Mallorca, Spain We began the day with breakfast at the Eden Café. We had paninis (egg, cheese, and bacon), some pastries, and juice. The café was not crowded, and the food was good. It was a little more enjoyable than going up to the buffet. After breakfast, Doug and I headed to the theatre for our excursion. We chose the Chef’s Market Discover: Culinary Secrets of Palma and Private Dinner. Doug is in the restaurant business and was really looking forward to this excursion. There were 27 people on the excursion. One of the chefs from the ship traveled with us into the city. He was from Palma and shared some information about the city and the things that he would be showing us in the market. This market had a variety of items, fresh seafood, meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, wines, and flowers. The chef bought some garlic cloves, mushrooms, and some salami. We were able the salami and some cheese. After touring the market, the chef left us and returned to the ship. Our guide took us back outside and down one of the streets to a restaurant. We had three types of appetizers, a drink, and dessert. We were given a little time to explore some of the shops and were told to meet back at the market at the meeting time. Doug wanted to explore the market more, so we headed back and wandered through all of the aisles. We arrived back to the ship and were told to meet at Café Baccio at 6:00 for the next part of our excursion. As this was the last day, we used this time between the events to pack our suitcases. They had to be outside our door between 6:00 and 9:00. We still had not received the bottle of wine that we purchased from the winery in Nice. We usually don’t purchase wine so we thought we might get it late that evening or as we left the ship. A little before six, we went down to Café Baccio and met us with our tour group. The Chef who took us to the market met us there. We were served a glass of Champagne while the chef talked about the food he had purchased and some of the dishes he had made for tonight’s dinner. He then took us for a tour of the galley. We have had galley tours on previous cruises but never during the dinner hour. It was interesting to see the organization, efficiency, and cleanliness of the kitchen during this busy time. After the galley tour, we went to Tuscan where three large tables had been reserved for our private dinner. The chef came out and described each course. We started with tapas which included some of the items purchased in the market. There was also a charcuterie platter at each table. The next course included a soup made with peppers and beans. The main course was branzino and chateaubriand. The final course was dessert. Wine was served throughout the dinner. There were a total of seven courses and lots of different dishes. There was a lot of time to savor the food and enjoy some good conversation with the people at our table. It was a very enjoyable experience and something we would do again. After dinner, we met up with Vicki and Jeff in the casino and played a final round on the slot machines. We did not have much luck this time. When we returned to our cabin late that night, there was a message on the phone. It was from someone in another cabin who had mistakenly received our bottle of wine and wanted to get it to us. Since it was so late, I did not call their cabin. I think the easiest thing would have been for them to let their cabin steward know that it was delivered to the wrong cabin. Obviously, our cabin number was on the bottle since they knew which room to call. We decided not to contact guest relations about the issue since it wasn’t an expensive wine. I think in the future we will either not purchase a bottle, or we will buy enough to have it shipped home. It was time to get some rest as we had a disembarkation time of 7:50 a.m.

Cruise Day 6 – Sea Day This was a nice day to relax and enjoy being on the sea. After a leisurely breakfast, we spent some time in the Thermal Suite. It was a little busier than on port days; however, there were still some heated tile loungers available. My favorite things in the Thermal Suite were the sauna, the crystal room, and the hanging chairs. We met up with Vicki and Jeff for lunch at Le Grand Bistro. The cost for lunch was $30 which included an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. It was good and was a nice option to the buffet. After lunch, Doug and I went to the Premium Wine Tasting which was in the Normandie Restaurant. We tasted one white wine and four reds. There were two other couples at our table, and they were all from Florida. We enjoyed the wines and the conversation at our table. This evening was another Evening Chic night. We met up with Vicki and Jeff at Eden prior to dinner. We ate at the Cosmopolitan restaurant. Lobster was on the menu. You could get one lobster. If you wanted another order, it was an upcharge. You could order as many of the other entrees as you wanted. Once again, we had excellent service. After dinner, we headed down to the Martini Bar. We did not make it to the main show that night which was a vocalist and instrumentalist. We did enjoy going to The Club and seeing the show Undercover at the Club with the Production Cast Dancers and Aerialists.

I'm not sure what time they called for open boarding - maybe a little after 9:00. You can get a number for the tenders instead of waiting for open boarding. I think you could get them the night before or early in the morning.

Day 5 – Cannes, France Originally, we planned to walk around the port on our own. A couple of weeks before the cruise, the excursions went on sale. I had been keeping an eye on the prices and noticed some of the excursions were truly discounted. We chose to do the Small Group: Wintery Tour in Nice. This was a full day tour. Due to the early tour, we had breakfast in the Ocean View Café. There was a wide variety of selections of breakfast items. After breakfast, we headed to the theatre. When our group was called, we headed down to the Destination Gateway and boarded the tender. Upon arriving at Cannes, we met our guide and boarded a small bus. We drove through Cannes and headed to the Chateau de Cremat in Nice. The Chateau is at the top of a hill and overlooks Nice. We toured the grounds, vineyards, and the area where they age the wine barrels. Notice the double C logo on the door and window of the next group of pictues. This is the same logo used by Coco Channel. They claim that Coco Channel was a frequent visitor before she became famous. She loved the Chateau and was inspired to use the double C when she developed her logo. This is the original door. After exploring the winery, we sat out in a nice, shaded area and tasted five or six wines. We bought one bottle of wine here. The day before a man on our Tuscan Farmhouse tour bought some wine and was able to bring it back on the ship. Doug decided to buy a bottle so we could share it with Vicki and Jeff in the evening. We boarded the bus again and headed down the hill into the city of Nice. Our guide took us around a square with a fountain and then to a local open-air market. After exploring the market, we were taken to a restaurant for lunch. We had a three-course meal for lunch and could choose either a red or white wine. The main course was fish. If someone didn’t want fish, a meat option was provided. After lunch, we were given some time to explore before returning to the bus. We walked around a few shops and then headed to the waterfront. There were a lot of people on the beach. We went back to the meeting point and boarded the bus for the trip back to Cannes. Before boarding the tender, we had to go through security. Unlike the day before, they were not allowing bottles of wine to be brought on board. They confiscated the wine and told us it would be brought to our cabin on the final day. (We never saw the bottle of wine again. More about that on day seven). We met up with Vicki and Jeff for a pre-dinner drink at Eden. We enjoyed another dinner at Cosmopolitan. The evening activity was the Liar’s Club with Captain Tasos, Phil Tag (Comedian) and Tim (Cruse Director). Captain Tasos has a very dry sense of humor. We enjoyed his stories on his daily announcements and were really looking forward to this show. The three of them did a great job and kept us entertained.

Found some more cruise pictures from day four. Our excursion got back to the ship around 5:30 and our dinner time was 6:00. We were told they would hold the table for us for 30 minutes. Vicki and Jeff arrived first and bottles of wine were waiting for us. Escargot Baked Brie Beef Wellington from the Normandie menu. Gnocchi Chef's Special - Indian food The Martini Bar always draws a crowd. Sometimes from Deck 4, we would see one of the bar tenders practicing behind the bar.

We were very disappointed with the Sunset Bar on the Edge. There was no shade up there. No coverings. Not enjoyable in the hot sun. We really didn’t go up there much in the evening. Not sure if there was music at night.

Cruise Day 4 – La Spezia, Italy This was my favorite day on this cruise. We arrived in La Spezia early in the morning. My sister and brother-in-law really wanted to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. They took a Celebrity excursion and left early in the morning. Doug and I wanted to have a more relaxing day and did not want to be in a crowded tourist area. I had read some reviews from last year and decided to go on the Celebrity Excursion: Tuscan Farmhouse Experience. This excursion did not leave until 1:15. We had breakfast and spent some time in the Thermal Suite during the morning. In the afternoon, we boarded a bus that would take us to the Farmhouse. It was about an hour drive. This is a fourth-generation family farm. We rode on a carriage to the farmhouse. The granddaughter was our guide on the carriage ride. They grow a variety of crops (grapes, mushrooms, sunflowers, and have beehives for honey). When we arrived at the farmhouse, we were seated at large shaded tables outside. Our table had a couple from Jacksonville, Florida and a family from Norway. We were served bread with an olive oil dipping sauce and there were two kinds of wine, a red and white. We had a cheese plate and salami. Next there were two kinds of pasta. At the end of lunch, we were served a limoncello which was delicious. We were given time to go through the farmhouse shop and sample more wines. This was a very relaxing way to spend the day, especially after four days of 8-10 miles of walking. We met up with Vicki and Jeff at Eden for a pre-dinner drink and shared our experiences for the day. We had dinner in the Cosmopolitan and Jowel had wine waiting for us. We did not go to the evening show. Instead, we spent some time in the casino playing the slot machines. Our favorite was the Wizard of Ox and Heidi. The Heidi machine plays a song that gets the crowd excited. I played $20 and won $210 that evening. Doug and Jeff were tired and turned in early. Vicki and I enjoyed a drink and sat on the walkway area of Eden.

Our TA arranged the hotels and transfers for us. The transfer in Rome was Pegaso Limos. They were always on time. Nice size vehicles. We had paid in advance so didn’t need to worry about payment. It was the same company to hotel and then to the port.

After lunch at the Winterose Wine Bar, we went back to the ship. Doug and I spent some time in the Thermal Suite and solarium. We met Vicki and Jeff at Eden for a drink before dinner. This became our favorite place for a pre-dinner drink. There was usually some music during this time. We enjoyed sitting along the walkway behind the bar. This area was a little quieter and offered a view of the port or sea. We had dinner in the Cosmopolitan. Jowel, our sommelier, had several bottles of wine waiting for us. He did a great job of pairing the right wines with our food. We ordered food off the Normandie and Cosmopolitan menus. After dinner we went to the Casino and played the slot machines for a short time. The main show was a magician. We decided to pass on that and watched a game show in the Club and then went back to Eden for a little while.

Cruise Day 3 – Portofino, Italy We arrived in Portofino around 8:00 in the morning. This is a tender port I could hear the anchor being deployed. We were both up and the noise and vibration did not bother us. Doug likes to have an early morning cigar, so he was at the smoking area outside of Eden when we arrived. We did not have any excursions planned so we had breakfast in the Cypress restaurant. We waited until the tender called for open boarding. These tenders were a little nicer than some of the others we have seen. They had individual cushioned seats for everyone. When we arrived at the port, there were restrooms available as you got off the tender. For those who are interested, it costs 1 Euro to use them. We walked past some shops and headed to the left towards Castello Brown. We followed the path and stopped halfway at the Sint George church. The left side of the church has been restored. They were still working on the other half. There is also a cemetery behind the church that you can wander through. After resting at the church, we continued up the hill to Castello Brown which dates which is 16th century castle and now a museum. There was a reasonable fee to go into the castle. The views of Portofino from this area were well worth the climb. Now it was time to go back down to Portofino. There were a lot of people on tours on their way up the hill. We also passed some men who were carrying pieces of a fence up the hill. That would not be a pleasant job. When we were back in town, we strolled around some of the shops and stopped at Winterose which is a wine bar. This place had some good reviews so we were hoping it would be open. We were a little early, but they allowed us to sit outside while waiting. This wine bar is right by the water so we had a great view of the boars in the marina. The wine bar had a special which we all ordered. For 15 Euros, you got a glass of the wine of the day, a cheese and meat plate, onion jam, olives, and focaccia. The other tables quickly filled up. This was a very relaxing way to wind down our time in Portofino.

There is a downside to this room. Whenever the ship tenders instead of docking at the pier, you can gear the anchor being used. It didn’t bother us because we were always awake at that time. However, if you like to sleep in, you will be woken up by the noise and vibration.

Cruise – Day 2 Ajaccio, Corsica, France We arrived in Ajaccio around 8:00 in the morning. This town was the birthplace of Napoleon. Doug and I had researched the port and watched some videos, so we decided to walk around the port on our own. This gave us time to have a leisurely breakfast which was served in the Cypress restaurant. By the time breakfast was over, we were able to leave the ship without waiting in line. As we left the terminal area, we headed left along the sea wall. We walked to the Citadelle D’Ajaccio. Since it was Sunday there wasn’t much to see inside this area. It looked like there might be a few shops inside that would be open during the week. We traveled past a beach which was quickly filling up with people. The beach area was not very large. There was a section roped off for swimming. We walked to the statue of Napoleon which is located in a park area. Apparently, there was a music concert the day before. There were tents still set up from the event. There is a little train that travels around the port. It passed us several times on our walk. This might be an option for someone who doesn’t want to walk around the port. We walked through the narrow streets of the town. There are a lot of restaurants and bars with outdoor seating. It was still early, so most of these had not opened yet. We went to the Fesch Museum which is an art museum established by Napoleon’s uncle. The entry fee was reasonable, and it was air conditioned. It has three floors of Italian paintings. It was a nice way to cool off and enjoy some artwork. Before returning to the ship, we walked through the local market. There were a lot of cured meats and cheeses in this market. My husband is in the restaurant business, so he thoroughly enjoyed this. Doug and I returned to the ship while my sister and her husband explored the port a little more. Doug and I had purchased the week pass to the thermal suite, so we spent about an hour in there. We purchased the pass on the first day when they offered it for a discount. The thermal suite has heated loungers, a sauna, a crystal room, a salt room, rain showers, steam bath, and some floating chairs. After leaving the thermal suite, we checked out the solarium. The pool in the solarium is smaller than the ones on the S class ships. There is one hot tub in this area. There are two more at the outside pool deck. We met up with Vicki and Jeff again at dinner which was in the Cosmopolitan. Our server, Jennylyn told us about two chef’s specials which were not on the menu. Doug and Jeff tried those and said they were really good. Vicki and I ordered our appetizer off the Normandie menu. It was the baked brie and it became our favorite during the week. After dinner, we spent some time in the Casino playing the slot machines. We only spend a small amount each night. Not much luck this time. We wrapped up the evening with the evening show: Kaleidoscope with the Theatre Production Cast.

Embarkation Day The earliest boarding time I was able to get was 12:00. This worked out well with our transfer which was supposed to arrive at 10:00. We had time to have breakfast in the hotel and check out. Our driver stopped for a photo stop at the top of a hill overlooking Rome. Soon we were on our way to the port at Civitavecchia. We arrived at the port around 11:30. We were able to check our bags at the pier and proceeded into the terminal. This was the easiest and quickest boarding experience we have ever had for a cruise. We moved through security and were given a boarding number. In less than 5 minutes, our number was called. We were able to drop our carry-on bags in the room and then went to enjoy lunch in the buffet. It was crowded up there, but we were able to find a table. During lunch the announcement was made that the rooms were ready. We usually have a balcony room, but we haven’t used the balconies much on the last few cruises. We tend to get together with my sister and her husband in one of the bars or common areas. We decided to try a Deluxe Oceanview Room. We had room 9109 and really liked this room. It had a sitting area by the front window and the room was larger than a typical balcony room. We were able to enjoy the view as we came into ports without being outside in the heat. Our room was on the port side and my sister had an identical room on the starboard side. While we were unpacking, my sister put some door decorations on our doors. Later in the cruise, a lady told me she always looked for our door decoration to ensure she was in the right hallway to her room. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that there was a similar decoration on the door in the starboard hallway. We took some time to explore the ship and then had dinner in the Cosmopolitan. We were assigned table 354 and had the early seating. We had wonderful service in this restaurant. Our sommelier was great and used this first night to get to know what we liked in wines. My sister and I each ordered a cappuccino after dinner and Allan, the assistant waiter, brought one to us each night the rest of the week. Each of the main dining rooms has a specialty section on the menu which goes with the theme of the restaurant. When my sister asked our waiter what we needed to do if we wanted to try the other dining rooms during the week, she encouraged us to stay in the Cosmopolitan. She told us to pull up any of the menus and let her know what we wanted, and she would bring it to us. My favorite dessert in this restaurant was the carrot cake. It was a twist on the traditional version. After dinner we explored the ship some more and went to the show which was a comedian, Phil Tag. He was pretty good and kept the audience laughing.

We spent about 15-21 Euros each time we used Uber. There were four of us so we split the cost.

Rome Day 2 - Our second day in Rome was a walking marathon. My sister wanted to see the Colosseum, Pantheon, and the Vatican museums. We had originally tried to book an evening tour of the Colosseum but waited too long, and tours were sold out. We booked the Rome in a Day through Walks of Italy. All tickets are included in the tours through Walks of Italy. Some of the other companies charge you a price for the tour, and then you have to purchase the tickets for the sites on your own. Be sure to look at what is included in the price when researching tours. Our guide was very knowledgeable and shared a wealth of information about each site. The tour started at the Colosseum. We met at a park near the Colosseum and were given a headset to use, so we would not have any problems hearing our guide. We walked over to the Colosseum at our appointed time and did not have to wait in any lines. After leaving the Colosseum, we walked to Trevi fountain. The only negative during this part of the tour was the guide walked at a brisk pace and didn’t look back to see if everyone was keeping up with her. Since we had visited the Trevi fountain the day before, we used this time to buy some cold drinks. Our next stop was the Pantheon. As we went down a narrow side street, there were three young women who began to surround one of the men in our group. Our guide noticed and sent them on their way. She said they were pickpockets dressed as tourists. She reported the incident to the police as soon as we reached the Pantheon. We were able to spend some time in the Pantheon which was not as crowded as some of the other sites. We moved on to Piazza Navona where we had time to have lunch on our own. We chose a place which had a pasta or pizza special and were able sit inside and cool off a little. After lunch, we met our group again and boarded a bus which took us over to the Vatican. We did have to stand in line for a little while. There was a lot to see in the Vatican, but it was very crowded and hot. The Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Church were the places I wanted to see the most. You are allowed to take pictures in the Vatican museums but not the Sistine Chapel. We were given a map of the artwork in the Sistine Chapel. It is a beautiful place, and I am glad we were able to see it. We then moved on to St. Peter’s Church which is huge! There were at least three different services being held in the church while we were there. We took a taxi back to our hotel and rested a while. For dinner, we went to Broccoletti which was one of the restaurants in the Monti area recommended by our guide on the food and wine tour. By this time, the temperature had dropped to the high 70’s so we were able to enjoy dinner outside. The food and wine were excellent. We also had some entertainment. There were some apartments above the restaurants in this area. The one near Broccoletti had the windows open and two big dogs stood in the windows greeting people as they walked by. After dinner, we tried some gelato and then called for Uber to take us back to the hotel. Time to get some rest before boarding the Edge!

The hotel was really nice. Great locations, friendly and responsive staff, nice rooms with rain head showers, and a wonderful roof top bar.