catspaw1

I just checked & it's available used on Etsy & thriftbooks used for less than $10. The cover has a red checkered tablecloth & there's water & boat slips. Please everyone let me know if you like it!

That's correct. My spelling was wrong. Amazon has it for $16.63. I know there was used copies also at one point because I bought it to give to a friend. Their gourmet pumpkin soup is to die for! Hope you will like it! Please advise how you do.

I believe I saw Caymus at Costco for $59. I always use the Vivivno app at Costco & have gotten some excellent wines. Last Christmas I got a case that was rated 4.1 at Vivino for $10 bottle on sale.

Glad you liked my NYTimes cooking recipe. I made the cucumber soup again last night & it really is great. I also suggested the cookbook of tyde & time from the Annapolis women's rotary Club. Sierra bought if for $3.50!

Thanks for your great TR. Really enjoyed reading it! We were really looking forward to the Xploration next year as we wanted a smaller ship. But our TA was able to move us to the Flora although in c a cabin 503 which is very far forward. We were in WY when it happened & when I checked Celebrity two days later to try to move to a better location, all cabins we were eligible to book it, when already booked. Sounds like you trip was outstanding & I learned a lot from reading it.

Two days after this announcement went out, all the lower priced cabins which we were entitled to book in, are gone for June 2025. I checked as I wanted to change cabins since we are assigned to 503- way forward on the ship. So we will just keep what we have. So glad I used a TA as she was able to quickly get through to Celebrity & change us. It was another good reason to use a TA!

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.

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!!!

Yeah we sailed our own boat under the VZ once & had to dodge big ships as well as weekend warrior boats. You have to be on your toes there watching the boat traffic. We have also previously been on a Celebrity cruise to Bermuda and that was a lot easier than being on our sailboat in NY Harbor.

Amazon has the cookbook

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!

I've driven over the VZ literally thousands of times & have been beneath it twice before. It truly is an awesome sight. You can also clearly see Coney Island amusement park. It's specular seeing SOL & Manhattan shoreline from the ship. It's a not to be missed event from this native NY NYer

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

Sorry to hear you got covid on board. We are sailing on the Eclipse in 3 weeks so hope we don't get it either. I loved your TR so thanks for posting. We are going to AK next year but won't sail with Celebrity since they don't go into Glacier Bay. That was the highlight on a HAL AK cruise We did 30 years ago so we are returning. Going to spend 3 nights at a bear/fishing lodge in Lake Clarke NP & do another independent car trip besides the cruise. I learned a lot from your port visits. Do you have the link on your Juneau food tour? Was Juneau or Sagway better for a fish dinner out? I think you mentioned it but I couldn't find it again. Hope you have a swift recovery!

Pelican, we stayed in Aguas Calientas & took the first bus up in them am each day. No problem. The sanctuary lodge was significantly higher price than all hotels in Aguas Caliente so we didn't want to spend all that extra money. There was no problem with Aguas Caliente. There was a lot of restaurants & shopping. It was also at a lower altitude which definitely helped a lot.

We did Peru on our own independent tour. Very easy to do on your own even if you don't speak Spanish although we do. We spent 2 days in MP staying overnight in Aguas Caliente. This was before they instituted the half day only & mandatory guide. We are so glad we went 2 days. The altitude kicked our buttons so we couldn't walk as fast & had to go at a slow pace. You will get more out of the trip, it will be cheaper also, than going with a group IMHO. We also went to Arequipa & Colca Canyon. Loved both & far less touristy. Do it yourself!

I had to look it up because I hand wrote the recipe. Yes it's Melissa Clarke recipe - the one without the barley & has 28000 likes. I puree it in a blender & double the recipe. Love it - fast, nutrious, great & cheap. NYT cooking would make a great Christmas gift. Maybe I'm prejudiced since I'm a native NY, NY & have been reading the NYT daily for over 45 years. I love their cooking recipes!

I guess it depends on your sailing as we had to rebook within a few weeks of our original date. June is a very popular month. We wanted the beginning of June to have less kids onboard since school is still in session. Flora for the outer loop guarantee only now for the first few June sailings so it booked quickly.

Sierra, have really enjoyed your TR so thanks for posting. I cook, mainly from scratch & saw you liked Cooks illustrated. I used to have that also but now do the NY Times cooking & find that much better. I have used a ton of recipes from them & most have been excellent. The lentil soup is to die for!

Thanks Mahdnc, for alerting me via email about the sale Wirhout your email, I'm sure we would not have been able to rebook on the Flora. So a big thank you!!!! Today only guarantee cabins are left & many sailings around next June booked at the lower levels. I'm also glad I used a TA instead of just booking through Celebrity directly. She was able to quickly rebook us without waiting on hold since they have a TA phone number. Lesson learned everyone- book through a TA. I have one so if anyone wants her info ( not the big box store) just PM me as I'm not allowed to post it here. & thanks again mandhc!!!!

Thanks Ken. I had previously read your outstanding TR when we were thinking of booking in January. Wr chose the Xploration as we wanted a smaller trip & we ate very mobile. Flora was so 8G more. So we wanted to use those funds for another trip. Which we did just returning from the Black Hills in SD, WY & CO & our whole trip was way less than 8G. We are off on the Eclipse in 3 weeks!

We were booked on the Xploration next June. Our TA did send an email regarding the cancelation but it went to my junk mail folder. We were on a 17 night independent car trip to CO, SD & WY with limited cell service in many areas. Fortunately Mahdic sent me an email about the cancelation. Thanh you Mahdc! I was able to contact our TA although our cell service was spotty since we were in the boondocks of WY. Celebrity originally wanted us to take a mid June trip but that would not work as we are going to AK next July so the turnaround between trips would have been short. We got them to move it to the June 1 sailing. We just returned from our trip last night & I checked to see if maybe we could move to another cabin. Nothing left but guarantees. We really wanted to sail on the Xploration & are not thrilled about going to a much larger ship so we are hoping it works out. Anyone have any comments on the Flora? The Flora would have been over $8G more expensive.

Yup, you are right - the cabins filled up fast! We loved Custer state park & did not pet the fluffy cows! Loved seeing the bison! We spent 3 full days in custer Park & loved it. Devils tower is something to see - the pictures don't do it justice. So grateful for your help as I don't look at my junk folder much & especially on vacation! We are going on the Eclipse in a few weeks! A big thank you to you!!!!!!!

MAHDC, thanks so much for the heads up about celebrity selling the ships. My TA did send an email yesterday but it went into my junk mail folder! We are currently in CO. Flying home tomorrow after spending 18 days in CO, WY & SD. Loved the black hills! Because of your heads up, we were able to book the last cabin on our preferred sailing on the Flora next June. So a big thank you as they went fast!

WILCO. Thanks so much for the heads up. Will call TA today. If we can go on the Flora for the same price, we will do it!