Lunastella

On 7/20/2022 at 5:16 AM, MJSailors said:

   Thank you for the lovely review. I am thinking about a British Isles Cruise in 2023 to celebrate our 40 wedding anniversary. 

Although you cruised the Med,you have given me inspiration to undertake a port intensive cruise in another part of Europe. Your mother has also inspired me to travel with a youthful spirit. Please thank her for me.

     On another note, wishing you good luck on the cottage redo. After many house projects  over the past thirty nine years,including a kitchen renovation and renovating a Florida condo, I do have some advice for you.

Make sure you carry with you patience,a sense of humor and a lot of your favorite beverage !

Cheers!

MJ🙋🏻

Thanks MJ, I should have ordered a crate of that spainsh wine to sustain me through the redo!

On 7/20/2022 at 4:48 AM, TeaBag said:

I have loved your review Lunastella.  You are a very good photographer.

What am I doing on Cruise Critic?  We leave tomorrow for Dublin.  BTW long ago we lived in Clontarf.  Can't wait to sail out past the Bull Wall again 65 years later!

Hi Teabag, Hope you are enjoying your time in Dublin!

On 7/19/2022 at 9:43 PM, Wallys_World said:

Thank you for posting this wonderful review - looks like you had an amazing time.

 

If you have a chance, would you mind answering a quick question? When you were on your veranda did you notice any noise from the oceanview cafe and/or the sunset bar? Thank you!

Hi Wallys_World, I didn't hear any noise at all from either Oceanview cafe or sunset. No problems there!

Thanks for all your lovely comments everyone! So glad you enjoyed the ride...or should I say sail....

Last day & Parting words

 

Our alarm was set for 5.45am, but DS was already up at 5.15, hence so was I! Our flight from Barcelona to Dublin was at 10.45am. We choose to disembark ourselves so we didn’t need to leave our luggage out the night before (just as well as I am still trying to close this case!!!). With self-embarkation we could leave between 6.00-7.00 I believe (or something like that, foggy on the details, it’s too early in the morning).

 

I had a quick shower, I tried to close my case (again), and I went up to Oceanview with DM to grab a coffee, banana and pastry to go. Its busy up here for 6am! DS went and took some final photos of the sun coming up over Barcelona. A beautiful end to a beautiful cruise.

 

Sunrise over Barcelona

 

 

 

 

 

We were off the ship by 6.30 and straight into one of the many waiting taxis for our trip to the airport (fixed fare of €39). We got there by 7am – 3.5hrs early for our flight! So early in fact that we couldn’t even check-in our luggage for another hour. So take note, no point arriving too early at the airport.  A long wait ensued. Barcelona is a huge airport, once though security and passport control, we walked and walked and walked to the gate….must have done 10,000 steps before 10am!

 

Surprisingly, our flight was not cancelled (Ryanair staff were on strike in Spain so this was a real possibility), our flight was not delayed (amazing!), and we even got our baggage when we arrived (albeit after an hour’s wait). All in all, a pretty seamless experience compared to most of my recent travels. We were back in Dublin and home by about 3.30. Not bad. Washing machine on….why did I bring so many clothes again….oh yeah…for all those obligatory pre-dinner photo shots…fair enough.

 

Goodbye Beyond

 

 

I spy with my little eye

 

 

I know lots of people don’t seem to like the Edge class ships (at least that’s the vibe I get from CC), but now I can safely say that I do. That said….dum, dum, dum…the big reveal….it’s not my most favourite ship ever…that accolade goes to HAL Nieuw Statendam.

 

But the food and service on Beyond (mainly in the speciality restaurants) was exceptional…the best food yet. I also loved the amount of art onboard, the size of our cabin and balcony, the décor in the restaurants, and destination gangway (cool idea). Also, we had no problem with the drinks on the classic package. I know lots of people on CC ask about whether to upgrade to the premium package – at least for us, there was no need. Whenever we wanted something else, we just paid the difference and that worked out more cost effective than paying to upgrade (I’m an economist, it’s all about cost effectiveness!). Also, I know people have been talking about certain wines/drinks not being available – we never encountered this, but maybe we are just not fussy enough!  

 

Luckily, we did not get sick, most probably because we had C19 so recently. I don’t know how comfortable I would have been had I not had it in advance. But each to his/her own. I really liked being on a cruise with so few people on-board – but that won’t last for long, and neither should it, the industry needs to re-coup their losses. However, for us, it really made the cruise – no waiting around, superb staff-to-guest ratio, lots of special attention, window seats left right and centre. Reservations easy to come by (except in Eden). Maybe this is what its like being a suite guest without paying suite prices!!! I shall never know….unless we start a crowd fund (hint, hint!).

 

And with that, let me bring and end to this (very long) review. Thank you all for following along. I genuinely appreciate all the lovely comments and encouragement along the way (so different from journal reviewers!). Writing this does take time and effort, but it helps to prolong the holiday for another week or so. I hope you found it useful and that it gave you some insight into sailing on Beyond and what’s it like to cruise at the moment.

 

Finally, thanks for DS and DM for being my constant cruise companions and allowing me to document their holiday in granular detail…especially DM who puts up with all our photos!

 

The reality of taking balcony shots!

 

 

From the 3 of us….until next time.

 

Obviously back in Dublin!

 

 

 

3 hours ago, asnaleah said:

Love your writing style and your fashions! I will miss reading about your adventures. Perhaps you can blog about the renovation of your summer place. I’d love to follow along! Cheers.

Ha Asnaleah, the idea did occur to me, but I quickly killed it. Blogging for a week is manageable, but the house will take >6 months to renovate! I dont have the energy!

5 hours ago, momofmab said:

Loved your review & pictures!

 

You and your DS absolutely NAILED the fashions - both on the cruise ship and portside!  Can you share with us where you shop? I'm planning a land trip to Italy next year and was very inspired by your outfits!

 

Also, the views from your summer house look fantastic!  Enjoy!

Thanks Momo. I have accumulated all these clothes over many years...I might add a couple of new things to the cruise collection, but most are quite old! But the main places in shop are Dune (for sandals), Lulelemon or Sweaty Betty (workout clothes), Reiss (for skirts), The Kooples (for dresses),  H&M (for bikinis), Monsoon (for tops), Urban Outfitters, Mango, Banana republic (when in the US), Sandro (french brand), Sessum (french brand), Gap (for shorts),...this is quite an interesting exercise actually. 

14 hours ago, theopup said:

Going to miss your daily updates, and fashion show

Thanks Eheopup. The only recent I cruise it to wear this stuff! Ultra casual normally!

15 hours ago, Lastdance said:

Lunastella, thank you for sharing your time with so many of us, sharing exciting moments about your cruise.  I love the excellent view from your summer cottage, along with all your commentary and photos.  You really made your review personal with so many photos and sharing information about your lovely mother and sister.

Exercise is also a daily part of my schedule, so having a good gym is a necessity for me too.  I bet if you even gained a pound that it was gone before it turned into 2.  Again, thanks for a wonderful time onboard Beyond.  

Thanks Lastdance. Ahem...exercise can only do so much it seems..... 

19 hours ago, RTR 21-0 said:

Once again, I am loving your review and pictures.  Your sundresses and wedge sandals are adorable, especially the ones worn while you were lounging in the last set of pics   Naples will be our last stop on our May 2023 Beyond cruise and I believe we'll stay in Civi one night post cruise before flying back home.  Made some much-needed notes on those ports thanks to you.  Your dedication to exercise has me wanting to leave my sofa and do the same.  Okay, I just slapped myself out of such silliness today but there's always tomorrow, right???  Will miss reading your posts after your cruise is done.  

Thanks RTR. Those sandals are a recent purchase from Dune (a UK brand) so they are probably still in stock: https://www.dunelondon.com/eu/en-ie 

21 hours ago, dacrow said:

What a great report!

 

I’m curious, having tried a bunch of specialty restaurants, how do you think they compare and which were your favorites? How would you compare the food in the specialty restaurants to the main dining rooms?

Good question! I only tried 3 of the speciality restaurants but my rank order would be 1. Eden, 2. Le Voyage, 3 Fine Cut. The food in the main dining rooms was fine but the food in the specality restaurants was memorable. For example, I can still taste that amazing crab cake in Eden and prawns in Le Voyage, but I would be hard pushed to remember any of the dishes in the main restaurants if it wasn't for the photos! 

23 hours ago, vickykay said:

Thanks for the information on Naples.  By the way, love the skirt you’re wearing the last night..

 

Thanks Vicky. That 'skirt' is very deceptive - its actually a dress. Its one of the few I bought recently, not expensive, I got it online here: https://getthattrend.com/

23 hours ago, JeriGail said:

Thanks so much for one of the best cruise reviews I've ever read!  My first Celebrity Cruise will be next year on the Beyond, and we'll even be stopping in some of the same ports, so I've gleaned tons of information on the Beyond's restaurants and snack areas and quiet places to relax.  Do you have any Daily Programs from a sea day that you could post?  Our cruise begins in Rome and ends in Fort Lauderdale, so we'll have lots of sea days.  Just wondering what type of activities they have on those days.

Thanks Jeri. I didn't take any photos of the Daily Program unfortunetly as all the activities were listed on the App. Closer to your cruise you should be able to see the daily planner.  

Day 9 – At sea (somewhere between Corsica and Sardinia)

 

OUR LAST DAY!!!! I have to say that the cruise duration was perfect for me...it was long enough….not too short….not too long. Before we left, DS and I were wishing we had made it a 2-week holiday as 10 days seemed too short given all the effort that goes into travelling these days, but actually I am happy enough to head home tomorrow. Multiple lockdowns have made me appreciate spending more time at home in a weird way.

 

As it’s the last day, I had a (slight) lie-in, and was only in the gym by 7.15 (I did say slight!). It was very very empty, unsurprising I guess for a sea morning/last day. I had no 4G as we were somewhere out at sea between Corsica and Sardinia, but I had saved one of Alice’s Instagram Live sessions, so after a warmup on the treadmill I did a upper body strength session. There would be no gym or running tomorrow as we will be leaving super early. As usual, I took a detour to the Spa Café to get an americano to go and I was back in the cabin to get ready for breakfast by 8.15. It occurred to me that there is a lot of getting ready to eat on the cruise!

 

DS and DM were operating as a slower pace today, so it was close to 9 before we were down in Cosmopolitan for breakfast. Obviously, it had to be Cosmo on our last day, I won’t be served breakfast again for ages…unless DH missed me so much that he is willing to oblige (unlikely).

 

It being the last day and all, we decided to eat all the food! I had, in no particular order, half a grapefruit, cereal, pain au chocolate, and French toast and bacon, and coffee, always coffee. It was my second time having French toast on this cruise, it is so so good, one of the best I’ve ever had, would definitely recommend. I will be back to one course breakfasts next week, how will I survive???

 

Grapefruit

 

 

Pain au chocolate (there may have even been 2….)

 

 

DM planning activities for the day

 

 

French toast and bacon

 

 

 

As this is a sea-day there is not too much to report so here is some more on-board art.

 

Art

 

 

But we did go up to the report deck to do a non-obligatory post breakfast outfit shot. DS hates this t-shirt – says it makes me look like a ball boy. Nothing wrong with being a ball-boy I say.

 

I did get some funny looks from the Ukrainian waitress at lunchtime though.

 

Ball-boy

 

 

Captain Kate was giving a talk in the theatre at 10.15 on her career to date and the building of Celebrity Beyond. So that was  definitely in the schedule for this morning. We learned about how she got into the industry, her career to date, life on-board during C19, and taking control of Beyond. She is an excellent speaker and we really enjoyed the talk.

 

Captain Kate

 

 

Next up, I decided to look in some of the shops onboard (for the first time, I generally never buy anything onboard. Does anyone???)

 

The shop (I know I know I already showed this photo, but it’s the last day and I am running out!)

 

 

I (half) wanted to get a model of the ship (I have one for the Queen Mary II, so maybe I can start a collection…), but there was only a big gaudy one or an expensive glass one. So I passed. 

 

DS and DM headed back to the cabin to get started on the packing, so I gave them some space. I wanted to walk around the deck. That’s the one disappointing thing about Beyond, and most Celebrity ships that I have been on, you cannot walk the entire way around the deck. Apart from deck 15 and 16, deck 5 is the only open deck, and even then, you would be pushed to do any type of walking on it. I loved doing this Sapphire Princess and QMII – there was lots of power walking!

 

On my last cruise somwhere near Bali (I told you…I need some fillers)

 

 

But both Sapphire and QMII are much older ships so it’s a compromise I suppose. I love the modern clean lines of Celebrity Edge class, but I also like the more traditional style. I am now thinking – which has been my favourite all-rounder to date….remember I have only been on 7 cruises (all on different skips)….maybe I will reveal at the end….

 

As my walking plans were curtailed, I just sat on a lounger outside Eden and perused the future cruise brochures…tempting. I noticed that some ships are docking in Dunmore East in Waterford next year, which is really close to our new summer house….must go and have a look.

 

Celebrity coming to Co. Waterford….very exciting

 

 

Lounging

 

 

I am on a ship...just a reminder

 

 

Time for another filler. We bought a summer house during lockdown. It’s a 1920’s coastguard cottage with an amazing seaviews. We spend years looking for something like this. It needs major renovation work though (which began just before this cruise), so that might curtail any cruises in the near future….

 

Cottage view….hopefully we will spot some cruise ships on the horizon

 

 

Next, it was my time to pack, so back to the cabin. It was actually quite painless. I was done in 10 minutes, and I haven’t tried to actually close the case yet….

 

Next up, solarium time of course. I sat in the sun and melted, went into the pool to cool down, and repeated. It was so hot that we were offered poolside sorbets to cool-down. Much appreciated!

 

Melting

 

 

Ah, that’s better

 

 

Lunch calls! We had a late lunch in Oceanview at 2pm as we had such a massive breakfast and were having a late dinner in Le Voyage tonight. There was actually a very good selection today (great seafood station), but I stuck to my usual salad, albeit with roasted vegetables just for a change.

 

Salad

 

 

I was saving myself for the doughnut table – first of the cruise. Tasty strawberry.

 

Doughnuts!

 

 

 

Back to the solarium, but I moved to the shady side (temperature wise, not people wise).  Ah that’s better, so much cooler over here.

 

I read/looked at the pictures in an architectural magazine I picked up in the airport and still hadn’t managed to read. I really should have been working on plans for the renovation, or at least thinking more about it, during the cruise, but I have been too busy cruising.

 

DS and DM went to Captain Kate’s Cat Trivia with Bug Naked in the afternoon, I did not…there are some things I will do on a cruise, but even I have my limits!

 

But DS got a picture!

 

 

It being a sea day, my step count was super low, so I managed to upheave myself from the lounger to do a 5km run in the gym at about 5pm. They really need to turn up the air con in here, its so hot in the afternoon with the sun shining on the windows all day. According to DS, I was a beetroot when I returned, and that was after taking a cold shower in the spa!

 

It was incredibly windy this afternoon with 2m high waves, you could really feel it. It made running on the treadmill even harder than usual due to the instability, but I guess it made for a better work out…gotta look at the Brightside….

 

One of the advantages of the wind was that it cooled down the air temperature enough so that DS and I could finally use the outdoor champagne hot hubs – it was way to hot to sit in the hot tubs on any other day. So at 6pm, with a chilled glass of prosecco in hand, we took to the hot tubs.

 

Champagne hot tub

 

 

Then it was back to the cabin to get ready for our last night on Beyond (queue sob). We still have some of the Spanish rose left…may as well finish it on the balcony. Waste not want not. [As well as eating all the food today, we were obviously going to drink all the drinks today as well!].

 

Rose on the balcony

 

 

We had another meal in Le Voyage planned for tonight, but that was not till 8.30, so we went to the Martini bar to play cards. But first the last obligatory pre-dinner photo shots…indoor this time as it was still so windy outside.

 

DS and I matching for once (we were asked tonight if we were twins….nope….4 year age gap…but who is older???)

 

 

I won one hand of cards, but lost two, boo. The lemon drop cocktail made up for it – kinda - it was only ok, I expected better from the Martini bar and had to pay extra for it (I didn’t up at the resort deck for some reason…).

 

Cards

 

 

Cocktail

 

 

Feeling very hungry by 8.30, we were more than ready for dinner.

 

It was worth the wait. Exceptional. The service was super friendly, the food was delicious, and the ambience just right.

 

Reflecting on the cruise – deep in thought

 

 

DS and DM feeling fully refreshed after a great holiday

 

 

Again, we were offered champagne to start, and this was followed by an amuse bouche (better than last time), following by prawns to start, and loup de mer with extra veg for mains. We were all too full to have dessert, but we did somehow manage to eat all the fresh hot madeleines! We also spoke to the chef about where he sources different ingredients in different places (e.g. all the fish comes from Greece and the beef from Spain etc).

 

Amuse bouche

 

 

The best bread

 

 

Prawns

 

 

Loup de mer

 

 

All the veg

 

 

We had so many chats with the servers tonight (who were giving us tips on where to go in Mauritius…tempting….), so it was quite late when we got back to the cabin to pack up the few last bits, then straight to bed as we have a very early start in the morning.

46 minutes ago, vickykay said:

Quick question.  How did you get from the port to the old town in Naples?  We will be there in Oct. and still deciding how to spend the day as we have been to the major sites before.  Enjoying your review.  Thanks!

Hi Vicky, We just walked, the old town is right beside the port.

3 hours ago, Wirral Girlie said:

Thoroughly enjoying your review..... Especially as we will be in the exact same cabin doing the exact same itinerary in September!!! 

I have even had a rethink about some of our planned tours thanks to your review!

Many thanks....

Wirral Girl (not that far from Ireland🥰)

No way...that's mad. Enjoy it!

4 hours ago, Tee & Chilli said:

The best review of the year. Excellent!!

Wow!!! Thanks

6 hours ago, upwarduk said:

Thank you for a detailed review

I was especially interested in  Civitavecchia , as we too have decided not to go into Rome, which we have visited a number of times.

I would say that there is not too much to do in Civi itself....maybe you could take the bus to Taraquin if you can. 

12 hours ago, JohnGinPBG said:

 

We stayed in Monterosso for 3 nights in 2019 at Il Guardino Incantanto with hosts Fausto and Mariapira. It was magical! By any chance was that the place you stayed? Daily breakfast in a wonderful garden

Adding it to my list now!

13 hours ago, Lastdance said:

Just so you know, Monterosso is a wonderful place to stay.  My DH and I have stayed at a hotel where we befriended the owners who are absolutely lovely...so is the view, along with a wonderful breakfast.  We returned a few years ago for four nights, in the same small hotel. We are meeting them again next May, but just for a short visit.  You can start the hike from there, or begin it at an easier place/town.  Another great way to travel to the other towns is by ferry; do not miss Portovenere if you ever return for an extended stay!

I would love to do a land-based trip to the Cinque Terre so thanks for the tip.

14 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

I'm thoroughly riveted with your review, enjoying your dry wit, your outfits and your pics, not to mention your writing style, which is not "academic" at all ☹️.

 

Thank you for taking the time, I know it is a LOT of work.

 

YES. We found Arte and, in general, the shows quite loud.

 

And Munir was also our CA, and he was marvelous. From the first day he got the "hint" that we don't like the sheets tucked in, and also removed all the ornamental pillows [which he found crammed unceremoniously in the closet 😉] 

Hi Dani, you are right, it does take time and effort, especially choosing among the hundreds, if not thousands of photos! 

Munir was great, we felt bad that he had extra work as there was 3 of us in the cabin, so we tried to be tidy (not easy with 3 women!!!). 

16 hours ago, nikel said:

I know you will be sad when your cruise is over.  I for one will be even sadder.  Have loved living this cruise vicariously, especially since we just had to cancel our October one........your style of writing and pictures make my day !

Thanks Nikel. So sorry to hear you had to cancel your cruise, hopefully its a postponement rather than a full cancel. You will be back out there someday.

18 hours ago, hcat said:

 

 

Can't  get rid of above  post..pls ignore it being here????

 

 

 

Agree 100 % with this comment...review only got better and better..

Totally delightful. Great writing style, .comments, photos,  outfits...will miss it when cruise is over

Thanks Hcat. I have really appreciated your comments and encouragement all the way. 

18 hours ago, Beamafar said:

Roll it there Róisín - lol. 🤣🤣🤣

 

I remember when it was “Roll it there, Collette”.  😂😂

Ah I was wondering if someone would get it....fellow late late show watcher...

19 hours ago, Barwick Cruiser said:

I am going to be very sorry when you’re finished this report, your writing style along with the pics has been absolutely wonderful! Your sense of humour is also coming through and I’ve been chuckling along. Definitely one of the best reviews I’ve read on these boards and trust me I read them all! Thank you for keeping me and I’m sure many others so well entertained 🙏

Thank you Barwick Cruiser. I'm really not funny in real life (just ask DS)!