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it was sad really.. shows a lack of self control, disrespect for others ..at least she was not driving! thread will likely be closed soon..so moving on !

Errata. sorry for typos and for the EDEN mural..find the turtles not the frogs!

Photo of our amazing guide..well done!

Rooftop plants..

Pool deck.."Ginormous Octopus": Amazing! Pool deck..outside of buffet: "Space Around" looks simple but complex! Solarium...The Triathelete ( American) Tells a story.. Magic Carpet: a work of art and engineering excellence pool deck.. light.. pics ways forget its name. ( I have a necklace depIcting it from EDGE..) Pottery mural on way to EDEN..can you find the frogs? Bear and Ballerina..near rooftop garden...(On EDGE the horse the Orig Edgies named Mr Edge was in this spot!) As mentioned, we learned about many of the plants , how they were selected and how they thrive on a ship! ( photo next post!) HOPE ANYONE TAKING THIS TOUR ENJOYS !

Grand Plaza.. ..learned so much about the lights, engineering, etc! "Creepy hallway" (my name for it).... maybe not what you think its creators had in mind "Cascade".. between dining levels Mosaic.....entrance into Tuscan..The restaurant itsef is a gallery of art. Can you find the famous words that wrap around?

Lost connectivity last night..oops! Art and Architecture Tour..(on board) This was one of the best tours we took on our cruise . It was led by a Guest Relations staff member (with 2 assts) who is very well informed about the items we viewed and art in general, as well as the plants on board (which was a new addition to the tour) Very sorry that, I forgot his name but he was truly an amazing guide with first hand knowledge of many of the works. Our group was about 25 or so. We were given ear loop style headphones with indiv volume control. They did not give out the "Ascent Artbook" but we had one in our AQ Class cabin along with a portfolio of art cards. Hope you have one in your room.! The Artbook by Pete Millard and Partners Ltd reproduces the items in the ship's curated exhibit..giving the title, author, country, date and type of medium. Similar format to the books for EDGE and BEYOND. The tour covered many of the paintings, scuptuure and architectural details ..very detailed but moved quickly to maximize our time. Elev was used to go up levels ..just once. I will post a few photos..to give a flavor of the tour..but hopefully not ruin any surprises! Guests walk by many of these pieces but on the tour you actually learn about them! Well worth the time and money spent.

Great news....hope you can enjoy some peace and quiet!

When we cruised on QM 2, we received a list of events with expected attire for each..it was helpful. We think pax on Cunard at night were more "dressed up" than most on X.. We would bring a dark suit or sports jacket ( husb) and 1 long and 1 short cocktail style dress for me Non formal nights the quieter Tommy Bahama shirts or light sweater/ knit shirts worked fine...( our cruise went to Canada)

We are in.. Gatsby 2.0.. Some new dresses will be needed! We love the ABCs .. Let's start looking.. Right now we are in Fl til mid March... our husbs will get along great! 2024 started with my big b-day,...on ASCENT .. Lord willing, Sal and I will be married 50 yrs in Sept..and this yr marks my 50th year at the bar..you know which one! We have also had some deep losses in 2023.. 2024 is starting out with more .. sent out 3 sympathy/ mass cards today... ENJOY Your cruise.. will be following!

hope all goes well..and your cruise will be a great reward!

we did.. noticed "wearing or not wearing! " Like the couple in EDEN on Ascent last week, who pretty much undressed each other on the dance floor..Felt bad for the performers. The rest of us tried to look away. I later saw the female in the hallway to the ladies room falling into 2 people. Fortunately, this was the extreme but it was fairly low class!

Absolutely loved it. I have done it on EDGE and BEYOND and now ASCENT! It is usually given on the last day..sometimes one or 2 times offered. Our booked time was changed so we missed the Sr Ofcr's party but well worth it! I will post about that next ( after dinner here in Fla) and then go back to the dining. If you are considering it, I'd secure a spot now! It does not march you thru the hallway artwork.. did that on my own. to be continued!!!

random dining pics.: breakfast at BLU..frittata..excellent! Dinner at EDEN: Our first time there. Amazing aft view, outstanding menu, service and food.. Sal had crab cake app.. mostly crab, no fillers! My salad was a work of culinary magic! We both had the beef (can't recall which) with the short rib. They brought out a tiered sweets tray.. Def will book EDEN on our next E class cruise!

we managed a few breakfasts and first day lunch.. they had variety but lots of rice, noodles carbs .and spicy food. The 1st day beef carving was very chewey & tough! The made to.order Omlettes and poached eggs were good, and also the waffles if they were not sitting out in a pan. The bagel guy had an attitude as did some others! Like the Seinfeld Soup Meanie! The gluten free desserts were available close to where we sat and tasted great! I do not in general care for the disorganized layout..To get fruit and veggies I had to forage. There was no tableside coffee service...... Lavazza is not our favorite anyhow! .But we managed. Much prefer breakfast in BLU..but on excursion days buffet has the early hrs. Never made it to the Seafood Buffet so cannot comment. We rated it "POOR" We preferred lunch at Raw on 5. which was excellent, (15 % off for E +), something from Solarium (severly limited hours..), sandwiches at the Bistro, and eating in port. We tried Cosmopolitan for lunch one day..good service & food.. table for 2! The hamburger place was always packed... and was just not very appealing. But we certainly did not go hungry..Just wish the Buffet better suited us...

hand washing in the sink and drip dry in shower is an option..When you hit Elite you may get a discount?? E plus we each get free up to 30 items..but we only send out socks, white tees and undies.. Return was a bit slow! Looking forward to your next review!

Apparently BEYOND..( see links above ) We had no issues. Wondering about APEX...already booked. Will def not book XL!

They can move an entertainer, lecturer or someone on staff. We just got off ASCENT Cabin 10191 AQ..Deck 10.. a little creak (normal) while sailing but we had smooth seas and no issues.. Loved the bed by bath...One of our best cruises..since we started on Mercury. My " Ascent, Jan 28th not quite live" review is ongoing So sorry OP has this issue...and hope it gets solved! And with a big refund!

Charla.. I can only echo these beautiful thoughts! Healing will come..when you are ready! Jeremy is a wonderful husband..We compared notes on Beyond. We both are blessed...Sal & I will Celebrate 50 yrs in Sept.(.Looking for a short cruise or land trip to Aruba!)

El Gaucho is still there..res req. https://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&client=ms-android-att-us-rvc3&source=android-browser&q=El+gaucho+Aruba

There are many places within a short taxi ride from pier. Some req. res. .I would avoid a " dinner in the sand" place with possible mobility issues ??? altho one or two have good reviews. We used to enjoy El Gaucho..Argentinian . Huge steaks, guitar music.. short cab ride...BUT we have not been there in quite a few yrs..so cannot rec. No idea if it's even still open or how the neighborhood fares. There was .also a French rest .Matilde (??) But yrs ago.. ENJOY! Our last overnight there was the big Halloween Party on board so we did not go out to dinner! Guess we need to do ABCs again !

first photo....cookies at Baccio Le Grand Bistro.. We did not get a chance for a big meal there. We were going to a big dinner that night & prices have def gone up......so we did a take out lunch served to us at the small tables by front entrance.. . I had tuna salad..Sal had cold cuts, both on great baguette bread...I also ordered a nicely baked Apple Tart.. we got drinks next door from Craft Social .. perfect! Bonus : Excellent ocean views! A great treat for under $ 20.. with a live singer playing down in the Grand Plaza.. Nice alt for a lite lunch away from the sub par, crowded Buffet!

A few more dining/ drink pics: Cafe Baccio. .ginger pear tea (served cold icer ice) ..very refreshing... and sweet treats! Good service there..but busy. One smart addition was a "to go" coffee cart which took alot of pressure off the Counter staff. We always use table service.. It's great place to relax and chat, and a few officers like to go there for a quick cuppa!.. We did not see any table hogs!

Hello.. Thanks..it was a nice birthday cruise.! Glad u are moving up..You can still go back to BLU....space was often available. Are you bringing the portable washer? We just sent out 1 comped load of undies/socks for packing purposes. of course we re-washed all at home! Happy Sailing!

that was the view..bur not sears for BLU..as per BLU staff!