Scuba_Tom

Sorry for the late post about last night!  

As I mentioned previously, dinner was in the MDR.  Our evening started in the WCB where the bar seating was completely full, but the tables and chairs around were empty so we had a seat.  Oleksi brought over some delicious cocktails and while we enjoyed them, I dreamed of one day owning the marvelous Breitling watch that was staring at me and taunting me through the window of the Breitling store.

After drinks it was off to the MDR.  We waited in line for about 5 minutes and we were seated at a nice window table by an employee wearing a Qsine chef coat.  She immediately tried selling us a dining package or a night at Qsine, and we told her we already had a package and were pretty much fully booked for the rest of the cruise.  She kept rambling on about lobster and how tomorrow would be the last night, and blah blah blah. I found this very unprofessional as we were literally just sitting down to eat.  She finally got the hint that we were not interested and moved on.  

Bread and sparkling water came quickly, as did our server.  The sommelier stopped by and asked for our drink orders. Elle chose the sauvignon blanc and I chose the reisling.  We ordered appetizers of a Thai crispy spring roll and chilled coconut soup and the chilled shrimp Louis. After we ordered, the sommelier came back and warned me that riesling may be a bit sweet for my dish.  He let me try, where I agreed with him, and he suggested the same sauvignon blanc that Elle was having. He even left to bring me a new glass so the reisling coating in the glass didn’t misflavor my sauvignon blanc.  Bravo to him! The appetizers were delicious, well made, and full of flavor. While chilled soups are not my thing at all, Elle enjoyed it.  

This is where I must pause the review.  You see, between the full day in the sun, the hiking, caving, and snorkeling, the pre-dinner cocktails, and the heavy wine pours that were happening in the MDR, Elle and I stopped doing a review and just enjoyed our night 🙂 (#sorrynotsorry).  I will say this, dinner was veal and beef spaghetti bolognese for Elle while I had the prime rib. The prime rib was the perfect temperature although I’d like just a touch more meat (notice I said “like”...not need 🙂 ). Wine was the Kendall Jackson Pinot Noir for Elle and the K.J. Cab for me.  No notes...just that we enjoyed the wine too much, went very well with our dishes, and had a lot of fun.  

Before Elle and I rate the MDR, let me provide some perspective.  We have dined in some of the best restaurants in the world and enjoyed the cooking of some amazing chefs to include Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, Joel Robuchon, and Eric Ripert.  Does the MDR stand up to the likes of the French Laundry or Le Bernardin? Absolutely not. Is the MDR better than McDonalds? Absolutely. Please keep this in mind when comparing apples to oranges. That said, the MDR gets 8 napkins out of 10 from us, because we realize its place in the dining universe and think it did very well for a mass-dining restaurant at sea.  We enjoyed our experience (maybe too much) and are ok going back.  

And with that it's off to Barbados we go.  Tonight is the Veuve Cliquot Dinner and I promise that I will get to your questions when we get back!

Greetings!!  
 

We’ve returned from our shore excursion on time and still in one piece.  You’ll be happy to known that I have an obvious patch on my face where I missed my sunscreen.  I call it my Sun Tattoo.  
 

Todays excursion was an eco tour with Adventure Antigua:

https://adventureantigua.com/the-eco-tour/

This was a boat tour with hiking, snorkeling, lunch, and a visit to Hell’s Gate, which is on the border of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.  The tour also consisted of mini talks about Antigua’s land development, its impact on the island and its conservation efforts.

 I’m not going to spend a lot of time reviewing private shore excursions here as I feel that is better suited to TripAdvisor.  But overall it was fun, educational, and we saw a bunch of turtles.  The tour was $90 each which I thought was slighty overpriced by about $15.  Overall, 9 out of 10 rum punches.

After returning, we had drinks at the  Sunset Bar for sail away.  The place was very busy and I think we grabbed a couple of the last few seats.  The Sunset Bar is utilizing paper straws.   As a SCUBA diver I’m very conscious of the ocean and her health.  I appreciate Celebrity being considerate of ocean conservation

Elle tells me this issue is causing some controversy here at CC and I may have opened a can of worms.  #scandal

I thought the straw was fine and held its integrity very well.  If you find yourself with a disintegrating straw, I’d recommend drinking faster and getting a new straw with round 2 😂🍹
 

Tonight is our first night in the MDR, so stay tuned for information about that!  For now...it’s off to the <fill in the blank> bar!!
 

-T

Dailies for 2/3/2020!

Good Morning!  Today is our first port day and were are about to head onto the shores of Antigua.  Before we do, I wanted to provide an update of last nights Cellar Master wines as promised.  Please find the wine lists attached as well.  

We showed up at 5:40p to a mostly empty room.  Part of the room was blocked off for some sort of wine tasting event.  Our server came by quickly and we had wine in hand in about 7 minutes. The wine tasting event broke up close to 6:00p.  

Elle started out with an Elk Grove Pinot Gris from Willamette Valley.  Elle said that this was her favorite wine on the ship so far. The nose had aromas of honey and melon.  Taste was pear with some green apple on the back end. The wine had some minerality and a smooth finish.  This is a great sitting around and drinking for fun sort of wine.  

I had the Condrum Red Blend from California.  This wine was another favorite between the two of us with chocolate and blueberry on the nose and a smoky afterthought.  The taste was fruity and velvety with hints of vanilla and chocolate. This wine would do very well up against the normal meats but I’d love to try this with a chicken mole.  

Round 2 consisted of a Navarro Gewuztraminer from California.  On the nose was grapefruit and honeysuckle. The taste had grapefruit with ginger on the back end.  Elle didn’t personally enjoy this wine on its own, but did say she thought it was made well. I think it would do better paired up to something spicy like Thai food.  

I ended with the Villa Nozzole Chianti Classico from Tuscany.  The nose had a funky, earthy aroma with hints of leather. Taste was cherry and oak with a bit of tobacco.  It was full-bodied, with medium to high tannins. This also wasn’t my favorite wine of the day but I’d like to try it again with some food pairing to see if it would settle down.  

We just got a knock on our door which is my cue for breakfast.  Enjoy your day and I’ll talk to y’all later!

Not a heck of lot going on today...except the SUPER BOWL!!

Our day started out with room service again where we both ordered an omelette and assorted pastries.  

This morning we also opted to try out the Concierge class champagne.  This bottle was actually decent for a budget bottle of bubbles (say that 10 times fast..).  This wine is French but not made in the Champagne region. Fermentation occurs inside of steel tanks instead of the bottle (charmat method vs traditional).  This allows a longer fermentation process with softer bubbles, and some say it also allows the wine to have more aroma. I didn’t really notice much. Enough about the production, how did it taste, Tom??

Nose: Ripe sweet apple, hint of a lime afterthought.

Taste: Lemon zest and toasted bread, with a subtle fruitiness.  

We ordered a small glass of orange juice with our breakfast and after our first sip of the bubbles, decided to make mimosas instead (just a splash of OJ).  This wine is typical of what you’d see at a “bottomless mimosa” type of brunch. While it is ok on its own, it is better suited for mixing (French 75, anyone?!)

We didn’t really progress past that :). Lunch was in the buffet where we got yummy junk food of tacos, nachos, fried fish, and chips.  We sat out back and enjoyed the view. As expected on a sold out cruise the buffet was busy, but not ridiculous when we arrived at 12:05pm.  

Later we noticed some billing and reservation errors on our onboard account (via the app) so we decided to take a trip to visit the Concierge, Ross.  He was personable, friendly, helpful, and vowed to follow up on the issues we presented to him. I’ll keep you posted on when we hear back about a resolution.  

We relaxed on our balcony all afternoon, reading and napping.  After yesterday’s canapés, we requested a cheese plate for today that arrived at 4:00ish.  The cheese was decent, but the crackers were a bit stale and soft.  

After that we headed to the Martini Bar for a martini (it was packed already with no seats when we arrived at 5pm), then to Cellar Masters for a few glasses of wine.  I’ll write up a review of those wines and post the menus tomorrow.  

After the wine, we headed into the theatre for the Super Bowl!  The ship provided a full spread of tailgate food to include a nacho bar, salad bar, sliders, pastry-wrapped hotdogs, wings, and various desserts.  The atmosphere, the food, and the host provided a great environment to watch the game. It was a memorable experience but unfortunately my team didn’t win.

Below is the review of my drink during the game:

Bud Light, Anheisuer-Busch, St. Louis, MO

Non-vintage

Nose: water

Flavor: water

Good night, all!

Today’s dailies!!

Greetings my friends.  This will be a quick review of tonight’s dinner.  

The evening started at the World Class Bar where we finally met Santos and Oleksii.  Wonderful bar staffed by two amazing gentlemen. We learned that Santos will be moving to Apex shortly to begin a brand new adventure!  The drinks were great and I’ll post the menus.  

Dinner was at the Lawn Club Grill, where the food and drink were tasty!  We started with the Waipahu River Sauvignon Blanc for Elle and I had the Louis Jadot Steel Chardonnay.  

We started with a flatbread that was half margherita and half BBQ chicken.  It was a lovely dish with bold flavors and the crust of the pie was light and crispy. 

Before I go into the wine notes, here’s a disclaimer - the Lawn Club Grill’s grill is right in the restaurant and the cooking smells were so enticing, but it did have a significant impact on our wine smelling magic.  This impacted the “wine notes” service I’m attempting to provide, but we did love the wine we had tonight.  

Sauvignon Blanc - lemon peel on the nose with hints of grapefruit.  Taste had slight hints of lime and light minerality. Overall, a decent S.B. that went well with Elle’s salad and stood up well to the margherita side of the flatbread.  It didn’t go well with the BBQ chicken side, but that was to be expected.  

Steel Chardonnay - wine is aged in stainless steel tanks as the name suggests.  This produces a different Chardonnay than most are used to. On the nose was melon (cantaloupe), and the flavor was rich but with a quick finish so it felt lighter.  Overall the wine was powerful enough to stand up to the BBQ flatbread, though it wouldn’t be the top choice pairing. But it was fun to try! 

Dinner was ribeye for me and filet mignon for Elle.  We split a tandoori chicken kabob and veggie kabob. Both cuts of beef were tender and cooked perfectly!  We enjoyed them without any sauce and I have no complaints. The chicken, though, was amazing and stole the show for me.  It was tender, moist, and full of flavor. I asked if it can be put on the room service menu and I was laughed at (I never got an answer though??).  The portion size was perfect to split between two as a bonus protein with your meal. We also got the shrimp and scallop kabob but it was a little disappointing.  Shrimp was underseasoned in my opinion and the scallop was chewy.  

Wine!  Elle got the Grenache Yangarra and I the Carmenere Arboleda. This is where my palate had left the restaurant, walked to the rail, and jumped overboard.  We both tried to get some smell and tasting notes for y’all but came up short. That being said, we enjoyed the wines very much and they paired well with our meals.  The carmenere did very well up against the tandoori chicken which was a bonus.  

Overall, Lawn Club Grill was 9 lawn darts out of 10.  We are going to revisit towards the end of our journey and are looking forward to it.  

Tonight is an early night for Elle, she’s already getting ready for sleep.  She didn’t sleep well last night and it has been a crazy long last few days for us.  I’m headed out to enter a poker tournament, hopefully Lady Luck is on my side! Tonight we set the clocks ahead one hour.  Tomorrow is the Super Bowl (or as they have to call it here on the ship, “The Big Game”)!

-T

On 1/28/2020 at 3:30 PM, DrKoob said:

Great start! 

 

Can you check something for me when you are onboard? Please?

 

We were on Reflection in Ireland/Iceland in June. Had an amazing time. Our FAVORITE bar/lounge is the World Class Bar. The bartender in charge was Olexi. What a super guy. Could you see if he is still there? We are sailing on Reflection two cruises after you (February 21 to New Orleans for Mardi Gras). Would love to know in advance if Olexi is still there. 

 

Jim

Olexi says hello!  He thinks he’ll be here to share in your Marci Gras happiness!  
 

On 1/29/2020 at 2:31 PM, h20cruzer said:

Following, I will be on the Reflection Trans Atlantic in April. Also working the World Class Bar is Santos from Peru, also a great guy. Met him many many years ago. I also went to WSU, and I live in Marin now. All the Martini Bar bartenders are great.

If you find wines that are not on the premium package you can pay the difference between the premium package and an the wine you want to drink.

Safe travels.

Norma

1 hour ago, MartinsCruise said:

I am really enjoying your review of the cruise and the wines!   I feel terrible about asking you to try another bar 😁 but if you make it to the World Class Bar,  would mind asking Santos whether he'll be there at the end of March?  A few years ago we did the Mixology Class with him and had a great time so we would love to see him again.  Other bartenders told us that he is the best.  Enjoy the rest of the cruise!

Santos just informed me that in March he will be moving over to Apex!  He says to all his fans to join him there!!!

A quick little review of a few wines from the Passport Bar.  

Montaudon Champagne:  I’ve run through the tasting notes before but wanted to provide a little more info.  Elle and I are diehard champagne/sparkling drinkers. A few of our wine clubs are bubbles-only clubs and we tend pop these bubbles for special occasions, you know, like Tuesday mornings.  

The Montaudon is the top bubbly that is available by the glass on the PBP.  It is drinkable, enjoyable, tasty, and a crowd pleaser. It is not WOW or a particularly sophisticated option, and it is a little sad that this is their top level PBP glass since I can get it for about $30 at my local Total Wine.  I would like to see a higher quality bottle offered within the package.  

Bottega Vinai Tentino Sauvignon Blanc

Nose: Elderflower and passion fruit.  Taste is light with a tiny bit of sweetness, melon and citrus.  

Cherry Tart Pinot Noir.  

Nose: Very jammy, with black cherry and slight earth tones.

Taste: Also very jammy/fruit forward with blackberry/black cherry.  Little bit of peppery spice on the back end.  

Elle told me after the fact that people tend to dislike this wine, saying it is too sweet.  I can see that a jammy wine such as this can seem sweet, but my palate tastes fruit forwardness rather than sweetness.  This pinot is a little simple and I’d give it a try with a fatty duck dish. 

Alta Vista Malbec

Nose: Rich, very plummy.  Very soft almost yeasty-like smell with a hint of spice.

Taste: I really like this wine, a lot.  One of the better ones that I’ve tried so far.  Very smooth tannins with a hint of vanilla that moves into a bit of black pepper on the back end.  Yum!

Take my notes with a grain of salt as wine is very subjetive.  I still enjoy Coors Light so what do I know 🙂
 

-T

Greetings from Day 2!

I awoke from food/drink coma around 7:00 this morning. We took advantage of room service and had coffee, apple juice, pastries, eggs, bacon, and fruit (fruit makes it healthy, if you didn’t know).  We got a phone call about 5 minutes before the food was delivered, alerting us to its imminent arrival. This was a nice touch and eliminated any awkwardness about still being asleep or not dressed appropriattely, since in our late-night filling out of the menu, we couldn’t remember which delivery window we asked for!  Breakfast was enjoyed on our balcony staring out into the ocean. I could get used to this.  

We headed out around 9am to start our day and head to the Meet and Mingle, and on the way there noticed that the pool was not very busy.  The wind was really cookin’ and towels were flying around like it was a Hogwarts swim party. We each grabbed a glass of prosecco from the pool bar - the prosecco is an ok go-to for early morning bubbles...I was whelmed by it.  We continued to walk into the Solarium which was packed, only a couple of empty chairs. Made sense since the wind outside was frightful.

Next up was the Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle.  The cruise director was there to host and introduce the heads of the major departments including the 1st Officer and the Captain.  The crew didn’t stick around for any mingling or Q&A, but I get it...someone has to drive the boat. The cruise director receive a phone call about 15 minutes in and then he ran out.  Ten minutes later we heard him on the loudspeaker with the announcements for the day. I found that hilarious, but I’m weird like that. We stayed for about 15-20 minutes, met some new friends and then faded into the Sunset…

...Bar.  The Sunset Bar, where we grabbed a drink and enjoyed the wake view.  When we arrived at 10am it wasn’t busy at all, but quickly got busy with most tables being occupied by 10:30am.  However, with the wind being so strong, the cigarette smoke from the nearby smoking area got the best of us and we grabbed a second drink to go and wandered around the ship.  

We found ourselves near the casino where they were having a digital scavenger hunt, and we decided to join in because why not.  We found ourselves running around the ship taking pictures of various things (including Elle proposing to a staff member!), and had a pretty ridiculous and fun 20 minutes.

By the time it was over I had sweat dripping down my face and needed to rehydrate, so we ended up at the Passport Bar.  I’ll post pictures of the menu and a review of some wines from there later. Lastly, we ended up at a bonus Beyond the Podium lecture about simplified football offense (it is Super Bowl weekend after all).  The lecture was given by a retired Cowboys broadcaster and gave a great lecture. The lecture was geared towards the casual or new fan with tips on how to watch the offense, and Elle enjoyed it (I’m a NCAA football official for funsies on the side, so I’m probably not the audience for this).  

After that it was back in the room for some relaxing.  We saw that our state attendant brought us flowers!  Is this a thing?  It was a nice touch.

 Our concierage class room comes with canapés and as we walked in the door there they were.  Elle tells me that the canapés have a reputation for being...underwhelming...and our plate didn’t deviate from that assessment.  The plate consisted of some unknown seafood ceviche thing that wasn’t bad actually, a mediocre deviled egg, a dried out mini eclair that lacked any flavor, and three stale tortilla chips. Oh well… (I know we could have requested a cheese plate instead, but for the purposes of this review and being a first-time Celebrity cruiser, I wanted to see for myself what these canapés were all about.)

For now...rest time, pre-dinner drinks somewhere, then dinner at Lawn Club Grill.  I’ll post a wine review and Passport Bar menu photos before dinner.  

2 hours ago, TorontoSailor said:

Glad to hear you’ll take one for the team, Tom, and try all the wines you can possibly find! 🤣

 

Thanks for posting the Murano list. About four or five there by the glass I’d certainly be happy with! (Caymus 👍👏👏).

We will ask about the 50% off night, sounds like a great deal.

After we upgraded to the PBP, we decided to conduct an experiment of only drinking the wines available within the package limits to review them and see if the PBP is adequate for anyone with a semblance of wine knowledge/education.  We have nearly unlimited access to top end wineries at home (Caymus, Stags Leap, Duckhorn, Cakebread, etc), so we really wanted to crush (pun intended) those available in the package to test its limits and give an honest review.  So far they are drinkable and enjoyable.  Nothing has been a standout or overwhelmingly amazing as of yet, but we’re still exploring all the menus. 😂🤪

When you consider what is offered in the CBP, I’m a little appalled. Had we not upgraded, the wine choices would have been paltry and not good. 
 

Re: Riedel glasses - As a pleasant surprise, all of our wines and wine cocktails have been served in Riedel glasses in every venue (with the exception of the outdoor venues, for obvious reasons) we’ve been to without us even requesting them. MDR, Ensemble Lounge, Murano, Passport Bar...last night one of my beers (London Pride) was even served in a Riedel beer glass! 
 

Elle just told me that she really enjoyed the Bordeaux blend last night and would order it again!

2 hours ago, Daneenm said:

Sounds like a great start to your cruise!  Thanks so much for all of the details. Would love it if you keep posting the daily programs (or at least one), since I can’t find any recent ones to get an idea of what is offered.  Thank you!  

 Done and I’m sorry for the delay.  If my live blogging mentors taught me nothing, it was to post the dailies.  I will punish myself with a tasty beverage.

2 hours ago, luvtravelms said:

We will be sailing March 23 on Reflection with three other couples. Your blog is great and very helpful. We have a different itinerary but the ship and food notes are great. Very interested in the best wines in the premium package. Enjoy your trip. 

 
Thank you and glad you are enjoying it.

I totally forgot to post this.  #noob

9 hours ago, scrapcreator said:

Please tell us about the hat clips. I need them!

Ninth Five Swivel Swing Magnetic Hooks, 30lb Strong Heavy Duty Neodymium Magnet Hooks - Use for Home Kitchen Office Garage Outdoor Hanging(4 Pack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N916JV8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_7WxnEbS9TTBEZ

14 hours ago, happicruzer said:

My preference for posting papers (and envelopes with shore excursion papers) is to tape to the mirror.  Always plenty of room left over.  Using the same tape dispenser from about ten years ago.  Magnets are heavier, and as mentioned may cause damage, the tape is easy to pull off the mirror.

 

A small paper cup actually holds small scissors, tape, pens, AA battery for the clock, and other miscellaneous stuff.  Gets wrapped in a plastic baggy and popped into the suitcase for next cruise.  Makes packing super easy as half my stuff never leaves the carryon between cruises.

 

Left home without a camera battery, now charge and make sure camera, battery and memory card are together before packing into a cube.  The packing cube sits on a desktop and keeps everything contained, including a small binocular- amazing how many times we’ve checked out wildlife, ships, and islands off to the distance.

excellent suggestions!  Forgetting items is the worst and it’s good to have a reminder mechanism

12 hours ago, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

I love reading this!  Very entertaining and fun to read!  Aside from seeing Celebrity through your eyes as a new cruiser, I am very interested in your take on the wines.  Our experience has been hit and miss, with wines we would prefer not available....more times than we would think normal.  Even something like 20 year port, which my husband enjoys.  I hope you have good luck finding the wines you like and want to have!

so far the wines have been acceptable.  We’ve mostly had them while dining and food can elevate mediocre wine.  But just to appease you I’ll go around and drink all the wine I can, for research sake 😂.  

10 hours ago, Want2Cruise 701 said:

 

Elle and I can’t remember the size exactly.  She recalls they were 10x11 or something similar.  Apparently the dollar store didn’t have a lot of options but these worked perfect.

Below are some diner pics and the menu for wines by the glass.  I have pictures of the full wine list but it is a lot.  Feel free to contact me if you’d like a look!

We are back in the room after a great day!  Our evening was spent at dinner, a show, and some music in the grand foyer.  Kitty update!!!  Our cat sitter (the MIL, aka “grandma”) reports that the cats are doing well and miss us, but Jasmine has been “acting out” by not wanting to go to bed at bedtime.  She is such a middle child!  

A pre-dinner drink was had at the Ensemble Lounge.  I had a rum old fashioned and Elle had a glass of rosé.  The Summer Somewhere rosé was actually pretty good!  We had a slight disagreement over the scent: I said blueberry, Elle said strawberry.  That’s wine for ya -  it is always fun, but definitely subjective and everyone experiences it differently .  The flavor was slight berry, with a buttery richness on the back end and slight mineralality and acidity.  

Dinner

Dining was at Murano tonight and a great experience it was!  Wine first-

Elle started with the Montaudon champagne.  On first sniff there was a hint of pastry, and we both thought it had a hidden shower soap (think Irish Spring) smell.  It wasn’t offensive or anything, but it was definitely there.  Flavor was blackberry for sure with maybe a hint of hazelnut?

She paired that with the goat cheese soufflé.  This was not the typical punch-you-in-the-face goat cheese, but rather subtle and light but still delicious.  The champagne paired well.  

I had the William Fever petit chablis.  This was an excellent wine to drink, but hard to pull flavors from.  On the nose was honey and maybe cantaloupe?  Flavor was also honey, but not a sweet honey.  So hard to describe.  There was definitely some minerality, yet it was also rich.  It was a fun wine to drink.  

My appetizer was the diver scallop, Wellington style, with a black truffle emulsion.  The pastry was to perfection and the flavors were great.  The scallop was a little chewy but still enjoyable.  Sadly, the truffle was not even remotely noticeable.  The chablis was great with it and the scallop opened up some  sweetness in the wine.  

Main Course

We shared the chateaubriand and Murano lobster.  The lobster is cooked table side and the beef sliced at the table as well.  The amount of lobster was crazy, so much that I think that if that lobster was served he would have commandeered the ship.  Beef was cooked to a perfect temperature (medium rare).  Both of us got some sauce on the side (béarnaise and a red wine reduction), but honestly it wasn’t needed.  The meat spoke for itself.  

Elle got a malbec (Chateau Lafleur De Haute-Serre) and I got the Bordeaux blend (Chateau Amour).  The most I can say is that they were both good and paired well with the dish.  But honestly, the day of drinking and food had frozen my palate and my thinking and I just enjoyed the meal.  Oh well 🤷🏻‍♂️ 

Cheese Course

The cart of cheese, oh yum.  We asked our server to plate us his favorite, and his response was to give us a taste of all 7-8 options!  The cheeses were delicious but what made it extra special was the interaction with our server.  It was fun and good back and forth like we were all old friends.  Thanks Oswaldo!

For dessert we had the dark chocolate soufflé and the Valhrona chocolate cake. The soufflé was lovely and the cake had great flavor with hints of coffee, but was a little dry.  

The main course stole the show for dinner.  Overall, I’d give it 9 forks out of 10.  

Evening show

Tonights entertainment was a comedy show by Ralph Harris, which was pretty enjoyable overall.  Some parts were a little slow, but I was entertained.  That is my go-to rating system...was I entertained?  And the answer was yes.  7 microphones out of 10.  

Post-show

After the show it was to the Passport Bar for a drink and listening to the music in the foyer. Soon, those couches got the better of use and our eyelids got heavy so back to the cabin we went.  

Now time lay down my sleepy head...it has been a big day, after all!

Thanks for following along,

-T

Quick update before dinner:

Concierge Class room, nothing out of the ordinary.  Our stateroom attendant stopped by to say hello and introduce herself.  We asked for our fridge to be emptied because otherwise I would drink everything.  The Concierge also left a VM with an introduction.  Bubbles are in the room, which we have not tried yet.  Looks like a French sparkling produced in the Charmat method (wine undergoes fermentation in steel tanks instead of the traditional method of in the bottle) so I’m curious to try it.  

Luggage is unpacked.  Elle is great at this organization thing.  She got a few foldable storage cubes from the dollar store before our trip and we put them on the shelf above the bed.  She also grabbed some magnet hooks and a shoe organizer.  These hang on the wall/ceiling for extra storage.  We also put up some magnet clips that can hold the Dailies and other propaganda from the ship.  

Word of caution about the magnets, use them gently on the wall as they may cause damage, especially if they slide around.  A piece of paper should be sufficient to protect the wall.  

Muster Drill

3:15p was the alarm for muster.  Our muster station was D2, which was Qsine, and we at 3:17ish.  Briefing started at 3:25 with a life jacket demo.  We then watched one of the cheesiest safety briefings I’ve ever seen.  And by cheesy, I mean awesome.  Elle tells me that I’m the last to know about this video, but I have to give it to Celebrity - it was so cheesy that I had to watch and pay attention.  

The briefing concluded around 3:42p, which led to the worst herding of cats I’ve ever seen.  A thousand passengers were trying to cram their way through a space built for 50. It took a while, and bordered on ridiculous.  Individuals stopping in the middle of the walkway to have conversations and inconsiderate of other people trying to get out of the area.

Sail away gathering

Elle told me that there was an unofficial sail away gathering at the Sunset Bar so off we went!  Cruise critic friends identified themselves by wearing Mardi Gras style beads, which I put on in earnest.  The Sunset Bar was packed when we arrived a it took awhile (a LONG while) to get a drink.  We didn’t see a ton of “beaded” friends, but met a nice couple from Niagara Falls, CN and Liverpool, UK (Hi, friends!).  After a drink or two we returned to the cabin to finish unpacking and get ready for dinner!  

Pictures to follow!

-T  

8 hours ago, maitlandmom said:

You may want to try the Cellar Master Dinner . Im not sure if they have it on the Reflection, but my daughter and I tried it on the Summit in July . 

 

Thank you for the recommendation, we will ask around and see!

4 hours ago, PKB said:

Hello, fellow diver!  Bon voyage!

Enjoy your celebrity experience.  We were hooked from the first day.  Looking forward to sailing Summit again in...let me check the countdown clock...43 days.  Planning dives in Aruba and Bonaire.

 

That's me diving in St. Maarten last year while sailing on Oasis of the Seas.  Would love to pick your brain about liveaboards. 

Absolutely, be happy to help you out.  Feel free to ask questions on here or DM me on Instagram for contact info (CF_Coach_Tom). 

Bonaire is on our short list of dive locations.  Enjoy the trip!

2 hours ago, TorontoSailor said:

 

You are a really great writer, with an engaging style and a really fun sense of humor. 

 

I'm a bit of a wine-o, too (WSET Level 3 Advanced Certification as a hobby), so I am really looking forward to hearing more about the wines currently on board. Especially interested in knowing what is available by the glass with the Premium Package.

 

If you have time, would you mind posting some of the wine lists, primarily by the glass, but also by the bottle?

 

 

Thank you for your kind words...and the recommendations.  Nice job on the WSET lvl 3, Going for that lvl 4 diploma? 🍷😂.  

Happy to post those wine lists for you.  Stay tuned!

We are on the ship!  I am enjoying a martini courtesy of the Martini Bar as I type.  Overall, the boarding process was simple, easy, and uneventful. Let me dazzle you with the specifics. 

Boarding

We requested an Uber at 9:57 from our friends place.  Uber driver picked us up at 10:06 and we were dropped off at the port (Terminal 25) at 10:19.  No lines for security and pretty standard screening for those that fly (x-ray and metal detector).  There were no lines for any class when we checked in and we were sitting in the waiting area by 10:29.  When we boarded, the general boarding and elite desks had short lines but that was about it. Announcements were a little spotty because of the PA system and came across like “Welcome...Lines.  Please...seat...area. We...process...and call...ready.” So...you know we understood perfectly that we had to sit and wait till our boarding group was called.  

At 10:53, concierge class was called first and we were onboard the ship at 10:54.  Being greeted with a glass of sparkling rose as we boarded was a nice surprise for me (Apparently Elle knew this was a thing). The wine was on the sweeter side, falling towards the realm of a demi-sec.  It was also a bit flat with very few bubbles bouncing around. Never one to waste alcohol, down the hatch it went.  

We made our way to Murano to book our specialty restaurant reservations.  We have 2 nights at Murano, 2 at Lawn Club, and 1 at Tuscan. We also reserved spots for the Veuve Clicquot dinner, which will be the night of our Barbados port day.  We then grabbed drinks at the Ensemble Bar (you know, because it was just RIGHT THERE so why not?): Kir Royal for Elle and an Elderflower Fizz for me. Both were tasty!

Lunch

As you all probably already know, concierge class has embarkation lunch in the MDR.  We were seated at a table for 2 right at 11:30am along with about 50 others. Elle had the caesar salad and short rib and I the soup and salmon.  The salad was refreshing and the soup was rich and tasty. The short rib got 7 forks out of 10. It was a tiny bit overdone, but teetered on the edge of not needing a knife to cut it up.  The flavor of the cous cous was amazing. The salmon was flavorful, flaky, and a perfect temp. The skin was thin and crispy. The mashed potatoes were a little lumpy for my preference, but the flavor was decent.  8 forks out of 10. For a mass production type environment, as the MDR is, I thought lunch was done well.  

They didn’t have the white wine that was listed on the menu (chardonnay), but they provided a reisling instead.  Honeysuckles and freshly cut garden hose on the nose (yes, that is a thing). Taste was slightly sweet, with notes of melon.  It was good and went well with the salmon. Elle had the Celebrity Vintages cabernet sauvignon with her short ribs, which was smoky and tobacco-y on the nose.  The wine was very light, almost pinot noir like with hints of tobacco and black cherry. Elle, who doesn’t prefer super strong or earthy cabs, enjoyed it.  

After lunch, we walked around the ship and stopped at the Martini Bar to enjoy a drink.  Looks like our rooms are ready and we are going to stop in and check it out! Pictures will follow in another post!

-T

It’s Cruise Day!

Just sitting down to enjoy some coffee.  Elle and I crashed for about 10 hours last night. We woke up feeling like a million bucks and we are excited to start our first day!

We’ve repacked our bags so that we can lighten up our carry-ons a bit but still keeping the essentials.  Our friend lives a short ride away from the port so we will grab an Uber and head over in a couple of hours.  

As I’ve said before, this is only my second cruise ever and I am beyond excited for thIs. I feel like that kid who is about to walk into Disneyland for the first time.  Part of my excitement is actually doing this live blog and I’m so happy so many of you are enjoying it.  I’ve got my notepad and pen all ready to take notes as we go along so I don’t forget anything!

I’ll probably post a little bit later about the check in process and lunch!

-T

17 hours ago, bluwes said:

Welcome aboard Tom. Looking forward to your Blog. We are sailing to the ABC Islands on the Reflection at Easter. So following along with interest. 

Have also signed up to your instagram page

how fun!  The ABC islands are on our short list for sure.  We have a lot of interest in diving in Bonaire.  I hope you enjoy your trip!

11 hours ago, parrothead33 said:

Enjoying your blog and love your writing style.  Have a great cruise.

Thank you so much for the kind words!

11 hours ago, lkj1301 said:

Really enjoying your blog.  I'm all caught up.  This will hopefully tide me over until we board the Summit on 2/8.

Lorie

So close...your trip is almost here.  Try to enjoy what will be the longest week ever leading up to your cruise 😂

6 hours ago, swigso said:

You will have a great time on Silvermoon, and don’t forget you are able to have lunch in the dining room because you are Concierge level.

Great to read along feel as though we are sailing with you

Elle told me something about that and I’m looking forward to it for sure.  I may even go light on breakfast to make sure I have room for a good lunch 😋

Community Friends!

Day 0 is in the books!  We slept minimally on the plane and are both exhausted, but  before I pass out cartoon style with my legs half on/half off the bed I wanted to give y’all an update on our day.  After meeting up with our friend and partaking in a mimosa (or twelve), we headed out for an Everglades tour

Everglades

We used Everglades Swamptours (www.evergladesswamptours.com) for our tour.  We did not pre-book, nor we did not reserve ahead of time.  We literally just showed up 15 minutes before a scheduled tour and booked it. Disclaimer:  I do not recommend this way of doing things, and it is not our normal style (remember those mimosas). We got lucky, they had 4 openings available so we snagged 3 of them.  It was $50 per person for about an hour trip on the airboat.  We actually spent about 1:15 on the boat.  

After our obligatory safety briefing, we were off with our guide Tyler.  These trips are always a gamble because you can’t predict nature, but this trip was amazing and worth the cost.  Tons of wildlife from fish, to alligators, to birds, to turtles.  Tyler was great and pointed out wildlife and fauna, taught us about the Everglades, talked about conservation, and told us the history of the area.  We cruised along pointing out the gators and skimming over the water at 30-40 mph.  Ear muffs are provided but if I had one piece of advice, it would be to double up on ear protection.  Bring along a pair of soft ear plugs to use along with the provided muffs -  that boat can get LOUD!  We added a $10 tip per person because Tyler was knowledgeable and fun and let us join on the tour last minute.  Overall, I’d give it 5 pythons out of 5.

After the tour it was off to Publix to pick up a couple of bottles of wine to take onboard the ship.  We do have the Premium beverage package, but we wanted some bottles for the room.  

Dinner

For dinner, our friend recommended Giorgio’s Bakery and Bistro in Hollywood, FL.  It’s an Italian and Greek place whose motto is “never cook again.”. I can get behind that!  We elected to sit outside and enjoy the action on the intercoastal waterway.  The drink menu is beer and wine only, and we had some Pinot Grigio and Yuengling.  Because we sat outside we made a lot of new friends in the form of bugs...so if tiny creatures in your beer/wine or food (or up your nose, as happened to Elle) bother you, maybe sit inside.  I don’t mind, I’m a weightlifter and can use the extra protein.  

We shared some appetizers of Spanakopita and Steamed Mussels.  Both were delicious but the sauce used for the mussels was to die for.  Take the bread they give you and mop that stuff up!  There may have been a conversation about whether grabbing the bowl of sauce and drinking it all was appropriate or not.  Don’t judge.

For dinner we had flatbread pizza, a souvlaki platter with chicken, and a chicken pita. The food was delicious, and of course we ate too much.  Overall the food was good, we will go with 4.00 Greek temples out of 5.  Service was a bit slow and we had to do a lot of the work ourselves (passing out plates to each other around the table), so in that category we’ll go with 3.5 temples out of 5.  There is a slight “Vacation Time” mentality around here, but it did not impact our evening much.  

Well, it is way past my bedtime and we want to be fully rested for day 1 tomorrow.  I’ll provide some updates throughout the day!  

Catch you tomorrow...

-T