Les43

Yes you do if you are in a ‘lower’ suite such as a Sky suite or Celebrity Suite. The ‘higher’ suites have complimentary access

We sailed from Civitavecchia in July and the private transfer took us all the way to the terminal. I did hear of a few folks being dropped at the gate. I think it depends on whether the company you use has a permit or not. They have to show it to security to get access. We used Rome Cabs

Thank you and I’m really glad you enjoyed. Glad you liked our beautiful country too. It is a fantastic place to live and perhaps we do take it for granted!

Yes they did. I think it was on the Monday night after Malta so day 8- to coincide with the full moon. It appeared on the app just before the start of the cruise.

Hey! Thanks for the questions. Celebrity usually do some special offers for speciality dining while on board and we found they often asked if we would be interested. I would be inclined to wait until you board to see what you fancy. Our cabin was deck 10 midship and we could feel the vibration at some points. It’s didn’t really bother us though. The only time the sea was not flat calm was on the last sea day as we made our way from Malta to Barcelona. It was quite windy and the sea was a bit rough although nothing too bad. You can get sea sickness meds in the shop on board if you feel it while you are on the ship. Our taxi from Rome to ship took approximately 1 hour 20 mins although that was just after 9 in the morning. The journey depends on traffic at that time. I always like to get there early and so had booked the earliest arrival slot. Your timing will be fine to get there before the final call but I personally prefer to get there and have lunch onboard. hope this helps and have a fantastic cruise!

Fraid not. We researched it and it’s one way only.

We have just returned from a cruise on Reflection that visited Santorini. We had visited before and experienced the cable car issues on a Celebrity excursion so we decided to stay on board this time. From what I can gather from others, this was the picture last week: there were 5 ships in port and Fira was very very busy. the queues for the cable car up and down were very long at peak times and it was very hot with little shade there are a very small number of Celebrity excursions that will pick up by coach from the main port and return you there. They book up very quickly though. All other excursions have at least a return by cable car or stairs. There are 560 steps and these are also used by the donkeys. The walk up / down can be done but is not recommended. The strong advice is NOT to use the donkeys. you can reach Oia by speedboat from the old port but the return is by shuttle bus back to Fira and the cable car. There is no return boat from Oia to the tender area. in terms of priority for the tenders, that only happens when you leave the ship. On return it’s every person for themselves. Hope this is helpful

I think last time to depart was around 9am. You can pay to stay onboard in public areas, I think until around 10.30. It will come up under ‘excursions’ close to your date to sail. Have a great time!

They had 2. The first was on the first sea day (the Tuesday) and the 2nd was on the second sea day which was the following Monday.

I think you were wise to walk everywhere in Rome (despite the heat). We heard of people on our cruise who had been pickpocketed on the Metro. It’s notorious apparently. Your photos (and gelato) are bringing back lovely memories!

Thank you - glad you enjoyed! I also work in education in Scotland but have slightly more flexibility now as I am no longer in a school. As a woman of a certain age I share your pain! Looking forward to the rest of your review!

Enjoying your latest review. We have just completed the Greece / Malta 10 night cruise on Reflection which visited a couple of the same ports as Beyond. Will be interested to get your thoughts on those and the heat 🥵. I have also completed a semi-live review of that cruise.

It’s a wrap! Our cruise ended yesterday morning and we walked off the ship with our bags just after 6.30am. After such a relaxing cruise, the alarm going off was a rude awakening! I had organised a private transfer with Viator and they turned up on time and whisked us off to T2 at Barcelona airport. The airport was busy but the line to check in our bags at Ryanair was moving and we were soon through security and in the departure lounge. We had a bite to eat and a coffee and then headed to the gate. The flight boarded and left on time so all went to plan. The flight was scheduled to take 3 hours but only took 2 hours 25 mins so that was great although Edinburgh airport was chaos. They held us in the plane for half an hour while they decided which gate the plane was to go to and then the lines for passport control were very, very long as several flights had arrived at the same time. Once through that our bags didn’t take long and we picked up the car and headed home. We got home just after 3pm so not too bad. A few final thoughts then about our cruise. We both had a fantastic time and really enjoyed the 5 nights in Rome and the 10 night cruise. Celebrity were great as usual and we enjoyed Reflection for the second time. This was our first ‘retreat’ experience and we really enjoyed it. We loved the extra space in our Celebrity suite and also the separate bedroom although we thought the room was tired and in need of updating. For example, the seal around the bath was discoloured as was the shower screen and there were marks on the surfaces of the furniture and on the balcony furniture. We thought our Butler (Kate) was good although we are not convinced we made full use of her services. Our stateroom attendant was disappointing and appeared to have a bit of an attitude, especially one day when we wanted to change for lunch to go to Luminae and he was less than pleased as he wanted to clean the room. We also weren’t hugely convinced about the cleaning. There was dust on the bedside lights and on embarkation day we got the sense the cleaning had been rushed and not quite finished. The public areas of the ship seemed in good condition and we didn’t spot any issues. We thought the food was excellent and we really enjoyed Luminae. We thought it was better than the MDR. We also thought the OVC was great too and no reduction in choice or quality. Service was excellent and staff were very cheerful and helpful. The bars were good and the drinks plentiful 🤪. We did not go to any of the shows so can’t comment but we thought the live music was disappointing and a bit bland this time. One tiny observation, we were surprised not to see more changes as a result of the pandemic. We were really surprised at the lack of hand sanitising stations around the ship and the fact that staff were not reminding folks to wash ‘ sanitise. It was like Covid has never happened. We were not aware of anyone who was ill on the ship during the cruise although I did hear yesterday of one person who contracted COVID on Sunday. So, in summary, would we cruise Celebrity again? Oh yes and we are already considering summer 2025 ( we don’t like to cruise every year). Our one observation would be that we will avoid July in the Mediterranean again as the high temperatures were just too much for us. We will look at June or September. Would we book the retreat / suite class again ? Absolutely, we are converts especially with the extra space in the stateroom and the additional amenities. Although having looked at cruises in a Sky suite on the new Edge class ships, I think they are priced very high and way out of our league! Thanks to all of you for following along and to those on the cruise who have contributed. I have enjoyed writing my first semi-live review and will certainly try one again. I hope it has been helpful and has allowed some of you to cruise vicariously with us! Until the next time……….🛳️⚓️🛳️❤️

Tuesday (Malta) (at last!) Sorry it’s taken me a few days to complete the last few days of our cruise. Time seemed to run away with us and before we know it, we’re back home! Anyway, back to Malta on Tuesday - we have cruised to Valletta twice before to we knew the lay of the land. We planned to wander around the city as we had done the last few times. The ship docked around 7.30am and the vibration of the bow thrusters woke me up. When I looked out, I could see that we were docked close to the main access to the city at the Grand Harbour. The forecast was for another glorious, hot day (more on that shortly). We had breakfast in the OVC. It wasn’t too busy and we managed to find a seat quite easily. Not sure if I have mentioned this before but I do have a thing about the number of people who fill their plates sky high at the buffet with all manner of strange concoctions and then eat very little and leave most of it. The ship must have a huge amount of food waste. Tuesday morning was no exception and we saw several tables left with huge amounts of uneaten food. What a waste! Anyway, after breakfast we headed out and the temperature was already high. It was like walking in to an oven. We walked along the road to where the Barraka lift is that takes you up to the gardens. There were the usual taxis lined up looking for people to take tours and also some horses and carts. We were surprised at how quiet it was and there was no line for the lift. We headed straight up after paying our €1 each. When we got to the top, it was already busy with lots of people taking photographs from the viewpoint. Having visited the upper Barraka gardens before, we were looking forward to seeing them again, only to be hugely disappointed. This time the flower beds were empty and there was no display of colour. Any plants that were left were dead. The fountain in the middle was also empty 😔. Not sure if the extended dry period and extreme heat has impacted but it was a real shame to see it like this. Anyway, we walked on and decided to wander round the main streets and have a drink. By now the temperature was circa 40 C and were were really flagging. It didn’t take too long for us to realise that Valletta has changed a lot since we were there last in 2019. The streets were quite dirty with lots of litter and several of the shops and restaurants were closed and for sale. It was quite sad to see and we wondered if this has been the impact of the pandemic. Such a shame as the architecture around the city is stunning. We stopped in the main square and had a beer to cool off but it was so hot that even the attempts of the fan beside our table only served to blow hot air at us. We decided to cut our losses and wander back down to the waterside and back to the cool of the ship. We later learned that the temperature had topped 45 / 46 C. There is nothing quite like getting back onboard and feeling the cool of the air conditioning on the ship! We headed back to the OVC for some lunch and a drink. We spent the afternoon relaxing in our stateroom, reading and snoozing. It was too hot and sticky to sit on the balcony. We had been invited to the Retreat helipad sailaway but decided to give it a miss and stay in the cool. Dinner in Luminae was very nice and we ended the day with a nightcap in Michael’s’ club with Cranston. Although we were disappointed in Valletta this time, it was still a nice day.

Worry not……..Malta incoming shortly! 😎

Thank you. Our journey home was fine too. Flight left Barcelona on time and the only hiccup was that we had to sit on the plane for half an hour in Edinburgh while they decided on which gate 🙄. The washing machine is working away and once I get some food in to the house, I plan to give a final review post later today. Until then, the washing beckons!

Yes you will. They are showing the games on the large screen on the grassed area on deck 15 in front of The Porch. Have a great time!

Today is a sea day as we make our way towards our final destination of Barcelona. As you will see from the posts above there has been a bit of drama with high winds and the ship is definitely rocking and rolling along. We also changed course slightly to avoid a sailing boat (or at least it appeared to be more of a pirouette according to the screen). The sun decks are very busy as is the solarium and everyone is looking to make the most of the last day. It’s really windy up there and folks are struggling to keep hold of their belongings. We had breakfast in the OVC and then went to find a couple of loungers in the solarium. It was nice in there and we lounged around and had a swim. Just out of interest, we noticed today that my DH’s swim shorts have changed in colour from deep red to orange. We rather suspect this was the chemicals in the hot tub a few days ago which smelled quite strong. Anyway, back to today - we decided to dry off and then head to Luminae for lunch. No photos as I left my phone in the safe 🙄. I had the shrimp tagliatelle and the wonderful Vishal added a piece of Branzino to it. It was really good. My DH had the Luminae burger which he said was very good. We both had the white chocolate macadamia cake 😋 and a glass of rose wine to go with our meal. All in all a very nice lunch It’s now time to start the dreaded packing. It’s always a horrible thought when the luggage tags arrive but I suppose all good things must come to an end at least for now and until we cruise again. We will have dinner for the last time later in Luminae and say a farewell to Vishal and Arvind our sommelier along with a token of our appreciation for their great service. As far as tomorrow is concerned, we are going to walk off with our bags around 6.45 as we have a private transfer arranged for 7am to the airport. Our flight to Edinburgh is not until late morning so we have time to navigate Barcelona airport! At some point after we leave the ship , I will do a final wrap up post and overall review of the cruise along with any bits I may have missed. Until then, we are off to enjoy the final few hours of food and the drinks package before normality (and a diet) beckons! Lesley

We haven’t dined in the OVC in the evening but we have taken a wander through. From what I could see it had not been minimised in any way and there was a huge range of food. My only observation was that it appeared quite similar to lunch. The food on this cruise has been fantastic.

The maitre d’ in Luminae at lunch said that the ship was moving course because there was a sailing boat some way ahead that was struggling with the wind. He said the conditions today are ‘normal’ and what they always experience here. He says sometimes the waves are very very high.

Just looked at the map on the TV and we definitely diverted off course around something. When it zooms in you can see the loop. Wonder if the captain will mention in his 10.45am address? The vibration is ok just getting a bit of rock and roll!

The ship has been rolling a bit overnight too !

Monday 24th - at sea So Monday was a sea day as we made our way from Santorini to Malta. We had a surprisingly busy day planned. We promised Vishal, our Luminae waiter that we would get up in time for one breakfast. Monday was the logical day as Luminae was one until 9.30am and the clocks had gone back one hour. We made it in plenty of time but I was clearly still asleep as I didn’t take any photos. I had the fruit plate and the Eggs Benedict with a raspberry and pistachio pastry to finish. My DH had the granola parfait and then the crepe with apple and cinnamon. All of the food was lovely although the coffee was a little scarce. From breakfast, we headed to the ‘exclusive’ visit to the navigational bridge for retreat guests ( sshhhh we were to keep it confidential). There were around 10 of us and we were escorted on the bridge and shown the key features. It was really interesting and we enjoyed hearing more about the watch and how the navigational controls work. We were also given a mimosa to enjoy whilst we listened to the talk and we got good views of the helipad and crew outside area. After our tour we had some spare time to relax and read and then it was back to Luminae for a light lunch. I had the turkey gyro and my DH had the ravioli. Only one course for lunch as today is lobster day! After lunch we had booked the Around the World wine tasting. It was held in Cellar Masters and we were given a glass and could taste two different wines from 6 different countries. We are not keen on white wine but it was a chance to try it along with some reds. They also provided some cheese and bread sticks during the event (more food)! We tried all of the 12 wines - we still are not keen on white and we liked the French and Spanish reds which we were quite surprised at! Overall, the event is an hour and it was ok not brilliant. Monday evening So Monday evening was our second chic night. We got ready - black sparkly number for me and DH wore a nice shirt (and trousers!) 🤪. We had pre-dinner drinks in Michael’s and chatted to Cranston. We then headed back Luminae for dinner……we both felt like we were living there! The food was excellent. - I had the smoked trout appetiser and then the lobster, my DH had the kale soup and a filet mignon. We both really enjoyed everything we had. Vishal brought me two generous lobster tails which were delicious. They brought a plate with the macaron and other sweet treats and we both tried the baked Alaska. It was ok but as others have said, it’s not really baked and very very sweet. We noticed lots of others tried it and left some ‘ most. We had a coffee and dessert wine - our meal took around 1 and a half to 2 hours so no rush from the staff. The captain and senior officers popped by and as usual the Maitre D’ (Nevron) was doing the rounds. After dinner, we wandered the shops, then watched some of the dancing in the grand foyer and finished off with a night cap in Michael’s. A few photos from our sea day yesterday . Later I will update on our last port of Malta today.

Catching up It’s now Tuesday afternoon in Malta and I need to update on our meal in Luminae on Sunday evening and our sea day yesterday. I will split these in to separate posts as there’s a lot to update on. We had a pre-dinner drink in Michael’s and they delivered the pre-dinner ‘snacks’ - if you start to nibble those then there is no chance for a large dinner! I am having to restrain myself! We enjoyed dinner in Luminae. I had the Pate de Campagne , followed by the Pork Belly and sea scallops. My DH had the smoked potato soup and the beef bourguignon from the MDR menu. We also had the beet ravioli to try but it was tasteless. I now can’t recall what we had for dessert and I haven’t taken any photos. Oops! We enjoyed the Cabernet Sauvignon and a little dessert wine too. Sunday had been Santorini and sail-away was not until 10pm so the vibe of the ship was a bit different with some people coming back onboard later. Some were reporting long lines at the cable car but others had managed to find a quieter slot. A few photos from Sunday’s Luminae meal:

Hi! We received the offer to Moveup on the 5th May and were notified that we were successful on the 2st June so approximately 3 and a half weeks before our cruise departing on the 17th July. We bid $500 each which was very low and ‘red’ on the scale. We were surprised to be successful. We have very much enjoyed the extra space of the CS and despite other reviews we have liked having a separate bedroom. Hope this helps. Have added a few photos.