AbbyCruiser45

That’s the Avilla Beach Resort in Curaçao! Incredible option for a beach day. I’ll post more pictures and share more soon.

I have 2 $26.40 refunds also. Potentially because the water slides were out of order and that’s supposed be included? We thought about going to the shore excursion desk about it but decided it wasn’t worth the fuss. Maybe someone that went decided to and they refunded everyone? I’ve heard of it happening before.

Yep, it pretty rocky! I also always bring swim shoes. Today’s beach was fine and Sorobon beach tomorrow is too but I still wear them.

Hello from the beach in Curaçao! Before dinner last night, we hung out at the sunset bar. It was overcast and breezy which was perfect for sitting outside. Around 5:30, there was a live cellist playing pop songs which was really nice. It was the perfect spot to sit back, enjoy the music and a drink. We had dinner in Normandie. The baked Brie lives in my dreams and it was so, so good. Quite large and very rich. I had that and the yellow corn soup from Cosmopolitan. I only remembered last night that you can order from any of the 4 restaurants since they share a kitchen! For my entree, I had the truffle polenta short ribs and they were excellent. There was no pasta on the menu, so I got a half order of the spaghetti from Cosmopolitan and it was fine. I make a great spaghetti and if it tastes like something I can make, I’m not that impressed 😂 the carbonara from Tuscan on the other hand is an incredible pasta and I should have ordered that again last night. For now, we’re lounging on the beach, swimming, and reading. This is a great spot and I’ll write up a review about it later.

We had a great day in Aruba! After a lot of debate in the planning stages of the cruise, we ended up doing the De Palm Island excursion. We were in between trying to snag day passes to Renaissance Island and going to the RIU day pass near Eagle Beach. Renaissance Island would have been near impossible to get for 6 people and we had a lot of OBC, so we went with De Palm. We took a 15 minute coach ride to a short ferry where we finally got on the island. The island was not crowded at all. There was another Carnival ship in port but I don’t think it got in until the afternoon. If there were multiple ships in port, I might skip this. Every blue chair you see in the pictures was open for us to sit in. There were several cabanas that could be rented for an up charge. Included in the day was snorkeling, lunch, alcohol, and banana boat rides (if you’re so inclined). Something absolutely hilarious is that Carnival cruise guests are not allowed on the banana boat. We asked why and it is a policy of the cruise line. Does carnival not trust their guests with a thrill ride and unlimited alcohol? There were water slides and a kids splash pad included also but the slides were out of order. The weather was a little rough yesterday with lots of wind which made for a lot of waves. Regardless though, the water was perfect. I was astounded by the snorkeling. The dock to snorkel is right next to the swimming area so I didn’t expect much. But when I got in, there were hundreds of fish and coral/rocks. What was funny was that parrot fish apparently eat coral (and poop it out which produces the beautiful white sand, according to our bus driver) and if you listened closely you could actually hear them crunching under water! (Private cabana) Lunch was nothing to write home about but it hit the spot. There was a snack bar with burger and fries, which we got. There was also a buffet with hot items such as Caribbean rice and bbq chicken. We stayed on the island from 10:45 to 3:15, but apparently some people took earlier buses back to port. (Snorkeling area) (Beach area) Overall, it was a solid excursion. I’m not sure I would book it again if there are more ships in port. I also met Carol on the ferry over! It was nice to meet you! I’d love to hear what you thought of the day. I’ll leave this update here for now because I need to grab coffee before our day in Curaçao! I’ll write about dinner later on the beach today.

We’ll head up there today for some music as long as some rain stays away!

Good morning from Aruba!! The ship was really moving and rocking this morning. Yesterday was a great sea day. We read in Eden in the morning and then had lunch at the buffet. It was French themed and I had a beef borginioun and ratatouille. There was also a seafood dish with mussels and clams that was really popular. After lunch, we grabbed second lunch in Eden to sample the pork belly sliders. They were really great but not as good as I remember from my last E-class cruise. We snacked on those before playing the Time Play live trivia. That game is so fun. You play it on your phone and speed and accuracy earn you points. I scored high at second place! A lot is useless knowledge 🤣 We then wandered the ship and found this great spot on deck 5. We pulled some chairs into the shade and watched the water go by. We had pre-dinner drinks at the Martini bar where I FINALLY got my French Caribbean and wow was it good. Someone asked earlier about the live music. For 45 minutes starting at 5, the house band plays in the martini bar. There are also live acoustic shows afterwards at Sunset Bar and Eden but we haven’t made it to those. Dinner was in Cyprus and it was pretty good! I had the Wedge Salad and the Mezze Board to start with the Greek Short Ribs and a half order of a pasta (no picture). The dessert was a phyllo milk pie with frozen yogurt and it was delicious. For now, I’m relaxing in the room for a moment before meeting for the excursion. De Palm island today! I can’t wait to spend the day there. I’ll let you all know how it is!

All of this, plus if you book it on the first night in your Cruise Planner before the trip, you get about a $10-20 discount. Those spots go fast though, so book early. You can always cancel for free if you change your mind.

It was in the Club! I do recommend getting there at least 15-20 minutes early because it filled up and people were turned away. It is run by crew. About 10-12 people will play as a group and there were probably about 10 tables.

Just a quick update this morning as I’m enjoying a peaceful start to the day in Eden. I know it’s been mentioned here a few times, so I wanted to update about the creaking. I’ve heard absolutely nothing, but we’re on deck 8. At least one person in the Facebook group has noted excessive creaking noise in their suite. So it seems to be more localized than a ship wide issue. I’ve forgotten how much I love Eden as just a spot to hang out and watch the sea. I even got to see another ship out in the distance, the Carnival Celebration which is a fairly new and large ship. I also spent some time yesterday evening in my parents’ IV room. I know they’re controversial but I love them. I’m really sensitive to the heat and sun, I actually have a condition where I essentially get hives when exposed to high UV light (sunscreen doesn’t help). So I love the IV because I get this stunning view without dealing with the heat, sun, or humidity. My trick with them is to crack it just a hair so you can hear the ocean noise (the second picture below). It still cuts off the AC, so make sure you close it when you’re done. But that way you don’t let it in all the humidity, but you can still hear the waves. I’d love to book a cold weather cruise on an E-Class just to sail with it open all the way. One day!

It’ll also be right on the homepage of the app! It’ll say something like “we look forward to seeing you at terminal 25 today”. Also if you’re taking a shuttle, taxi, or Uber the driver typically knows where all the ships are that day regardless!

Thank you. It was also a difference in who was handling it. Kaleb talked to the steward as I was already in my pajamas which I don’t feel comfortable talking to someone I don’t know in. As a follow up to make sure I wasn’t uncomfortable on my vacation again (having someone enter our room when I’m in my pajamas), I called guest services. I also didn’t complain to guest services, that would involve me saying I was frustrated, upset, etc. I just said I go to bed around 9 and need earlier turn down. I appreciate you being understanding of that!

We’ve had a fantastic sea day! Started the morning with some reading on the Magic Carpet. This was a great spot in the early morning, since not too many people were around yet. We did a few activities today including the escape room table top game, a bocce tournament in Eden, and trivia at the Club! The escape game was so fun. The puzzles were a good challenge and our group won some sweet Celebrity t-shirts! The Oceanview Cafe was busy for lunch but manageable. The theme was American food and they had great burgers that were actually medium rare. Tomorrow is supposed to be a French theme so I’m looking forward to getting something more unique. Dinner tonight was at Tuscan. Somehow, I forgot to take any pictures! Everything we had was excellent though. I had the Pumpkin Salad which had roasted pumpkin and a big chunk of burrata on a bed of arugula. I also had the shrimp soup which was rich but good. The server warned me that it tasted like seafood (which I would expect) so I assume people complain about it. For the entree, I had the steak Diane and a half portion of the carbonara. The steak was cooked perfectly and was really tender. The pasta was excellent as always. I love the handmade pasta, it really makes a difference. Finally for dessert, I had the cannoli which is the signature for Tuscan. It was perfect and not too sweet. Our server was also super fast. We were done under an hour and a half which is pretty fast for a group of six. Our sommelier was Zintele and let me just say she is now my favorite staff on any Celebrity ship. She was so funny and also great with the wines. If you’re dining in Tuscan, be sure to request her section! We ended the night as we always do with a twirl around the upper decks. It was so peaceful and nice. As a little sour note, we don’t love our stateroom attendant. We’ve interacted with her twice out of necessity and she has never actually introduced herself or asked our names. We also got back to our room tonight around 8:50 and it was not turned down. I know that’s early but I am early to wake and early to sleep, which has never been an issue on Celebrity before. We found her working on a room and let her know I was turning in and we did not want any service. We hinted that we go to bed early (Kaleb was being kind, he’s playing poker now and I’m the lame one) hoping that she would pick up that we would like to have the turn down earlier. Regardless, I called Guest Services to communicate that also and they did not have much to say. It was just a first for me to enter the room in the evening and not have it turned down. It’s a small thing but it was off putting since it was such a departure from what were used to! Oh well, hopefully it’ll be different tomorrow. For now, I’m looking forward to another perfect sea day!

We also had 6:30 reservations and it was pretty crowded. By the time we got there, there were no window tables left. So if that’s important to you, you’ll need to get there earlier. You might be able to push it back if you go as soon as you board, but it’ll probably just depend! If you do want a window seat, also go when you board to make a note of it.

Yes! After the cruise, I’ll share the room number. It’s really nice, our little cave. I slept great in it last night.

Good morning everyone! Dinner last night was fantastic. It was my first time in Eden and it did not disappoint. Before dinner, we had great sail away. We just stood on deck 5 outside of Eden and it was a great spot. We had pre dinner drinks at the Martini bar and actually caught the show there! It was a lot of fun to see them tossing the bottles. Alright, onto dinner! The meal was incredible. Every thing I tried was really good and worth getting. To start, I got the sheep’s milk gnocchi. it was very good but the mushroom risotto that I tasted from someone else’s plate was better if you’re wanting something like a pasta to start. I also had the crab cake and WOW it was all pure crab meat with no fillers. It was fantastic but very large so I would have split it. For the entrees, I had the lobster casserole which I wish I could have every night of this trip. The lobster was so good and the sauce was perfect and almost a little sweet with the corn. I asked if I could just have the filet with the lobster instead of the full filet and petit Wellington entree and our server would not let that happen, with a wink. So by now I’m rolling in my chair but I persevered. The filet was incredible. Cooked perfectly (medium rare) and with that bit of flaky salt on it. I passed on the Wellington and gave it to my BIL but he said it was very good. The potatoes tasted like pure smooth fluffy butter. Aka I would like to eat it again and again. Finally, we ended with dessert. I got the lemon tart and it was everything I wanted. Perfectly tart with that lemon flavor with a hint of sweetness with the cream and crust. Someone at the table got the strawberry delight and the butterscotch crème brûlée. They were fine, but there are better options for dessert. When we got back to the room, Eden left us a box of chocolates to which Kaleb said “Are they trying to make us fat?”. All in all, a perfect night. We’re enjoying the sunrise over coffee and looking forward to this sea day!

Yeah I’m not sure! We’ll see if there’s any event. My parents, who were sailing with, have sailed the Beyond before and it was also just 1 of 4 that were smoking. It could just be how someone arranged the ash trays on the turnover day, or it’s the new set up. I’ll see if it changes through the sailing.

No, three out of four are smoking. Which is why I used the phrase “most of the terraced area” in my original post.

We’ll be on De Palm together! Hopefully you’ll get your luggage soon, that’s always nerve wracking!

It is actually 3 out of 4 sections, at least for this sailing.

We’re onboard and unpacked! Super smooth embarkation day. We were on the ship, mojito in hand by 11:30. I have to say, they took most of the issues with the Edge and improved them. I love the redesign of the Martini Bar and Sunset Bar. I’m a little disappointed that most of the terraced area of the Sunset Bar is smoking though. I would have thought it’d be in a smaller section on the other side of the bar. The inside room is perfect. A cozy little cave! I sleep so well in inside rooms. As usual with Edge class there is tons of storage. I have everything unpacked and hidden away in drawers! So far we’ve just done a tour of the updated areas and had lunch in Oceanview. Lunch was great. They had some southern fried chicken which was honestly some of the best fried chicken I’ve had (and I’m from the south!) We’re taking a breather now but head out soon for another drink, sailaway, and then we have dinner reservations in Eden! I’ve never been so I’m super excited to try it out.

I think it will be. Learned more this morning! They plan to do the whole lobby and breakfast/restaurant area. They’ll move the check in to a hall and the breakfast to a conference room. No timeline on that though.

There she is!

I’m up early because I can’t sleep anymore! Boarding day!!! The flight got in eventually, about 2 hours after the original time. It was largely uneventful otherwise. The funny thing is that I normally fly Southwest into FLL but I had some credit with Delta so I went with them. When we landed I had a moment of panic that I was in the wrong airport because I didn’t recognize a thing! I did not realize there were multiple, unconnected terminals at FLL and I’ve walked the one with Southwest dozens of loops before a flight. As for the Embassy Suites, we have a renovation in progress! So far they’re working on the top two floors. It smells a little bit like paint but otherwise I didn’t notice anything. I’m not sure how long it’ll take but for now it’s not impacting the guests. Eventually I assume they’ll renovate the lobby area which will have the biggest impact. Hopefully they’ll post on the website then. You can see some protective fencing on the top two floors in the picture here. We had a nice dinner at 15th Street Fisheries last night. It’s about a 20 minute walk from the hotel, but it’s right on the water and the food is always really good. The walk was hot on the way there but breezy on the way back!

A small update and I’m probably preaching to the choir but always fly in the day before at least! Flight is delayed because the flight attendants are coming from another gate. Delayed an hour so far and still waiting for them. It’s been a long day so far. Up at 4:45 for the rest of the family’s early flight that I changed to make a meeting. The meeting was supposed to be mandatory but it turns out they recorded it for people that needed to miss….annoyed with that but such is life. The good news is that I was able to hang out in a delta lounge for most of this time. I’ll update tonight or tomorrow with how the Embassy Suites is doing and what the status of the renovation is! I’m looking forward to that happy hour so much!