hcat

We used to prefer 10 to 12 day itins but a week is about the max we would enjoy now...We are no longer interested in long airplane flights, so cruises from east coast US ports are ok for us. We have cut back on the number of cruises we sail per yr since we retired. Less need to get away and we can chill out every day! I think our longest cruise was 15 days RT to Hawaii.. There were many sea days but the time went by quickly with activities, spa and relaxation, easy time zone transitions. Have never tried b2b ...

May be worth a visit even if not extensive. We visited Altun Ha at Costa Mayo which were very interesting. I recall that the.roads getting there were very rough. How far was San Gervasio from the pier? glad you are home safe. an avoided the recent SW Airline meltdown. hoping to fly from TPA to Islip Sunday..fingers crossed flts not cancelled. Happy New Yr

we Only take ship excursions unless we can walk back to the pier.( have done that when no taxis available for return ( St Kitts,,) We have had many nice beach plus lunch trips or visits to beach clubs etc ..etc Nice clean places.. good food...usually considerate trip mates ship will wait if u are delayed ( various ports,)or will send a new van if yours breaks down..(Costa Rica,) or fails to come pick u up ( st Maarten,) not worth the stress over possiibly missing the sailawy!

I will search..it was in my EDGE AQ Review with pics on cc several yrs ago..but may also be on a disc or another computer file..retrieval is always the issue.. Trust me it was at best a peekaboo view ..and they kept the curtains closed almost all the time. Blu itsrlf is bright and light with sparkly decor...you can always step outside for a photo..

View was of window washers or other equip and life boats,( so curtains were kept closed) Not so on BEYOND. The outdoor area was counted for seating allocation.....Has anyone ever sat out there for a meal?

we are usual AQ class travelers on X We were in BLU for our first EDGE cruise..early on..It still had an open curtain to the hallway. we did not enjoy BLU on EDGE.. There was NO VIEW, had poor acoustics , and very slow kitchen service.. BUT the menu, .food quality and dining rm services were excellent, and of course, very good breakfasts. We did not find the IV cabin to be a problem and enjoyed using the thermal siites...included in AQ class ( would not pay extra) on a later EDGE cruise, we switched to a Sunset Veranda..larger cabin huge true outdoor aft balc and the 4 mdr plan which we truly enjoyed! it worked so well for us and was a nice change ... recently on BEYOND..we had a suite and were assigned to Luminae which we thought was not so great..The menu was generally not to.our liking, soggy shrimp and the bread was doled out and limited..We went to BLU one night and it was AMAZiNG!..Due to redesign it had great views. We loved the usual pre meal spreads, bread baskets on the table and fresh firm shrimp. top service, menu and food ..no noise issues. so for our next cruise on ASCENT, we will be back in AQ Class...and BLU overall I think OP will enjoy BLU. for the menu and service and smaller dining rm experience..Hopefully the kitchen is now up to speed!

Very good review..thank you for sharing.. We have never taken this itin but have been to a few of the stops. never been to Cozumel ruins..maybe next time! we are hoping to cruise from Tampa.. 2 hr drive from our winter place..which makes it tempting We live in Suffolk NY near Patchouge. .and would not defend NYC...We only go there if we need advanced med care.. Has seen a terrible decline... dirty and unsafe! sad about rude passenger.

Great bread, desserts, soups and salads... Ither items can be hit or miss,, Indoor and outdoor seating area

Not nice of them..expensive lesson. We mark the date in several places! Sorry

i also recall nice dry saunas on some ships in the locker room..no extra charge but they are probably long gine? Does anyone know? And on M class the PG area is interior...it's been awhile but I recall heated circular bench.,not loungers,,

We had this area included in AQ Class on EDGE.. It was okay but S Class space is much nicer in our opinion and we preferred some of the rooms.... Heated lounge area on EDGE was narrow and often very sunny. On our cruise on BEYOND we did not have AQ class but I used the Relaxation Room before my spa treatments,, It was nice and quiet and not too sunny. Guess it depends on ship position, time of day and who comes in to RELAX! Mostly a waiting room.. We found that on S class ships too many non AQ class/ spa guests sneak in and use it as a yaking lounge! These areas are a big miss for Celebrity as they lack a T pool of any kind, The had them on Mercury Century,..they were excellent. Still offered on Princess..QM 2 had a great area overall... We will be back in AQ Class on Ascent..hoping for a few tweaks???

I know... a bunch of folks booked the earlier week.. but we stuck with 1/28...we preferred that itin and it's my b day week...We thought BEYOND would be our last cruise ( been there done that) but ASCENT called to us! Cruising still a good value vacation for us,, ENJOY!

Nice review,, We liked EDGE but BEYOND is our new fav X ship.. Def looking forward to ASCENT.... Still think Equinox and Silho are good too, but E Class is amazing.

For the "new" terminal in port Ev and oribably others, the old rules are no longer in effect There was previously a clearly defined boarding order. Suites..Zenith..now have their own entry so they are out of the gen boarding mix... Used to be them first, then then E + and AQ Class, then Elite and Concierge... No longer followed. Wheel chairs get some preference...Concierge sometimes gets on early for the lunch... Everyone else lines up allegedly by time..it is a miserable waiting area with uncomfortable metal benches..like a bus terminal..Everyone wants to be first...rude chaos! GRIN AND BEAR IT. We recently sailed in a suite...much better experience with go right in rules. We thought the waiting area would be much nicer.. It had more comfy seats...not nearly enough. Open Bar but no snacks whatsoever...just a less crowded free for all . GRIN AND BEAR IT! ,

We were left waiting at a distant Beach Club on St Maarten for over an hour....abt 10 of us, It was a ship's excursion but some flim flam was going on between 2 drivers. We had the club call the Port Agent.. and they did what was needed to send out another van.. we were told the ship would have waited but we made it back in time.. That's why we prefer ships excursions unless we can walk back on our own..that's a lesson learned when NO taxis were available from our location.. long walk but we did it! And we take our passports with us..just in case!

We sailed on BEYOND..only 5 days..in Nov..rt Port Ev to W Carib..only git off in Cozumel. The ship was amazing overall and we had a great cruise. .. sorry I.never got around to posting a review. We had accumulated lots of credits and OBC so we sailed in a suite...first time ever. It was a nice size cabin ..odd bathroom layout with a large tub, and of course we had all the suite perks and amenities which were very nice and we felt very pampered all around. Some of the pvt areas were mostly empty, waste of space...but the pvt pool area was cowded unless it was a port day. Our least fav thing associated was Luminae... We did not like the menus, layout, etc. We ordered many of the fav "all the time" dishes. The shrimp cocktail had small mushy shrimp and tasteles sauce. Our fav meal was when we went to BLU..which was amazing. Menu, food and service were A +. We had the usual pre dinner spreads, a bread tray on the table ( in Luminae they doled out the bread piecemeal) we just booked ASCENT..but are taking an AQ Class IV room..had that before and liked it. We'll be happy to be back in BLU and access to the Thermal suite

Luminae may not be worth paying a daily upgrade; It was a disappointment on our recent BEYOND cruise, no bread baskets on the table, mushy shrimp cocktail..,We mostly ate from the always available menu. Food prep and service were very good.....just not our type of food.. BLU was much better and we enjoyed Raw on Five.

Loved the combined review..hope to post my review in a few days.

Great job of presenting the photos with names of the dishes. Tasting is the Ultimate test. We just had our fIrst experience in Luminae on BEYOND. Sorry to say, it was sub-par and disappointing...otherwise we truly loved BEYOND and the Retreat . In Luminae, a beautiful venue, the shrimp cocktail shrimp were small & mushy, the sauce was like ketchup.. We only ate there 3 out of 5 nights. Overall the menu was uninspiring... For 2 nights, I had the aways available salmon, onion soup or salad. ( all excellent) . The chic night menu was okay I had the scallops and two of the tiny lobster tails which were succulent and sweet. The vegetables sparse on the plate were mostly burned and not edible. Desserts look great but we don't eat them very often.? We decided not to return to Luminae. We also ate on Raw in Five which was outstanding..lots of non sushi chouces.. The last night we went to BLU (our old favorite) Had nice fresh shrimp cocktail, filet mignon to perfection.. very impressed! There was a full bread tray on the table..not doled out liked in Luminae..and the nice butter and veggie spreads...we prefer that over the amuse bouche... Tastes differ but we know many others who wish the BLU menu was served in Luminae. We will probably book Retreat/ Beyond again but would try to avoid Luminae as much as possible...unless we hear the menu and food improve. We had hoped to be impressed, but unfortunately were not!

On BEYOND we were in Luminae, but on EDGE all four had the same menu but a few items special to each..we were told that now you could get any of the choices anywhere..unconfirmed. The two smaller ones Tuscan and Cyprus were our favorites...based on size and decor and their special dishes (Tuscan had Fellini decor with great ital music...Elite bkfst was held there on EDGE.) Normandie was our next fav based in decor, collections and service. Cosmopoliton on EDGE was the breakfast and lunch restaurant.,it was fine. We had our first night dinner there..it was very crowded but 1st night always rough, we were seated at a libg table of twos..on top of each other..we did not enjoy that. For our BEYOND cruise last week, they no longer had any fixed early or late seating..even if you made res. So it is suggested you pre-reserve although walk-ins have also worked from what we heard. Enjoy!

On BEYOND 5 night cruise last week, I ate the classic Salmon twice ( it was excellent) and enjoyed the onion soup. . Only had 1 meal from the reg menu.. combined the scallops with the tiny but very tasty lobster tails . The shrimp cocktail there was awful and the sauce tasted like plain ketchup.. . On the last night we went to BLU.. as nothing was appealing in Luminae.. We lucked out with a very fresh shrimp cocktail ,and a super filet mignon Def . Agree that elim of the Classic choices would really make Luminae difficult for many.

We had an IV on EDGE not our fav layout ( preferred the SV) and of course our BEYOND Suite ..lots of space! I think we could manage ok with the IV.keeping bi folds open.. We miss the Thermal suites and BLU...it was amazing on BEYOND. Much better than Luminae and more suited to our tastes.. Had our last night dinner there..filet mignon . It was perfect, we had a bread tray and fancy butters/ veg spreads on our table,,. . We are Having the great debate..suite with perks at higher cost or AQ with Blu and smaller room...fewer perks but acces to Thermal suite and BLU guaranteed!

We are back in Venice Fl, fairly smooth disemark and travel time 3 grs,.easy in a Sunday. My devices are all working fine now so I was able to catch up on this amazing review. As usual..great photos and commentary from a upbeat and balanced point of view. (i will post my review next week.. our suite experience on BEYOND) It was a great pleasure meeting you and having a few brief chats. You are an amazing all around person...great mom and wife, and a rising star in a very demanding profession. Excellent photographer and engaging writing/ blogging skills! Sorry for the "worship" but you deserve it! I love the map dress and patriotic fabulous flag dress..I still have my fringy flag bag from the 60's...folks would bid on it now! Sorry about your friend passing.,hope it was peaceful. My dtr is a young breast cancer survivor...with an amazing husband, and 2 children (post cancer). Our mantra live each day to the fullest. Keep sailing on!

Charla,, I will try to post on the roll call. Time for tonight's Gatsby party in EDEN is same as the Cap Club get together. Some of our folks may not get in our experience other difficulites. If anyone has issues.we will see them at altetnate location...World Class Bar.. Has a nce curtain for photo ops! We Still plan to stop by EdEN with our Gatsby outsfits..look for my headpiece. Nice a.m. for us at the Solarium.. Hcat

Hi Charla.. Love all the pics. We are enjoying BEYOND.. and our 1st ever suite, Dinner at Luminae was awesome. I having internet issues with my tablet so I won't be posting much til after the cruise. I am sure you will do BEYOND proud! The Sunset Bar was a madhouse at Sailaway Most with beads were a facebook group...bar service was overwhelmed... We ended up at World Class Bar..what a great spot! Could not get anything going for goodies at EDEN tom night..but we will see you and everyone there in our Flapper Finery...hope it will be fun,