Liz and Eileen’s Excellent Spring Break

[themutis]

Day 3 - Cozumel

 

We are very excited for Cozumel. Liz and I are trying Scuba for the first time with Cozumel H20.

 

We order room service for breakfast (sorry I do not have the room service menu) and our butler sets it up on the balcony. He really did a great job putting a tablecloth on the table and arranging all the food. It was lovely to sit out here on this beautiful morning and enjoy our breakfast.

 

 

The Equinos is parked next to us

 

[I_r_a]

Thanx very much for sharing.

 

Looking forward to more.

 

Ira

[clarkg]

Enjoying your review.

[jules815]

We only asked our Butler to do two things, one was to make a dinner reservation a Tuscan and the other was to cancel it. We just enjoyed Luminae so much we didn't want to miss a meal there.

 

I know what you mean! We went to Tuscan on one night, and while the food and service were both good, we missed Luminae! We really loved it there.

[jules815]

Day 2 - Sea Day

 

Our goal is to save room for dessert so we skip the starters and order just an entree each.

 

I get the Braised Short Rib. They were very tender and tasty.

 

 

Liz opts for the Chicken Flatbread which she enjoyed.

 

 

And we split the chocolate lava cake - which was as good as it looks!

 

 

That looks delish!

 

We only had lunch in Luminae the day we boarded. :(

[themutis]

Day 3 - Cozumel

 

Sorry for the Delay, life has gotten in the way :)

 

We are very excited for today. Today Liz and I are going to try Scuba Diving for the first time.

 

Thanks to a friend who recommended Cozumel H2O, we made reservations to try their Discover Scuba excursion. The cost was 160.00 per person for a training session and two dives. We are to arrive at 9:00 and be returned around 1:30 - 2:00.

 

We leave the ship and get a taxi to Fonatur Marina - it cost 9.00. When we arrive we find Loes who gives us some paper work to fill out. There are two other families of four who will be on our boat. They will be snorkeling. On the boat are Miguel, our instructor and co-owner; Loes, snorkeling guide and co-owner, another snorkeling guide and the captain.

 

 

We head out to our first stop, it takes about 20 minutes and we are moving pretty fast. It’s a fun ride. We stop by a hotel and pick up another couple who are snorkeling.

 

Miguel starts to instruct Liz and I, while Loes instructs the snorkelers.

 

At our first stop, we will run through a series of scuba exercises in shallow water (about 12 feet). To be honest, I am not a big person and the equipment is very heavy while we are on the boat. On the boat it was difficult for me to stand up, but they help me sit up on the edge and as soon as I fall back and hit the water, the weight is gone and I’m good. Miguel has a float that we hang on to and the water is pretty choppy. But as soon as we go below, it’s calm and quiet, and pretty amazing.

 

 

We descend to the bottom and before you know it I’m kneeling on the ocean floor. We run through the exercises with no trouble and then head back up to the boat to head to our first dive site.

 

Miguel is VERY patient with us. It was a bit scary at first but I’m so glad we powered through because in the end it was an amazing experience. On the two dives we saw turtles, giant sting rays, huge lobster, and tons of fish and coral. At the second stop, the reef was right on an abyss which seemed to go to the center of the earth. It was an amazing day I will never forget!

 

On the way back we are treated to a huge tray of fresh fruit and waters. I would recommend Loes and Miguel and Cozumel H2O to anyone. They love what they do and it shows!

 

[themutis]

Day 3 - Cozumel

 

After Scuba we shared a taxi back to the ship with one of the snorkeling families ($17.00 total so we each gave 10.00). Liz had been talking with some of the Luminae staff the night before and they said they would be hanging out at El Sid (a hotel near the port) for the day so we walked over there for some lunch and a drink.

 

We saw some of our favorite crew members and then settled in for some lunch and a drink.

 

 

 

 

 

[themutis]

Day 3 - Cozumel

 

Last night when we got back to the room, there was an invitation for a Senior Officer's Meet & Greet in Micheal Club. I thought this was really a nice touch. We plan on attending later this evening.

 

 

Todays Daily

 

 

 

 

[spammie]

Loving your review and your pictures are amazing! Thank you so much for taking the time to share. Wanda

[themutis]

Day 3 - Cozumel

 

Back on board, we head to our new favorite spot, The Martini bar. Yesterday we met some lovely people there and since this is also their favorite spot, we all kind of start meeting here at 4 when it opens.

 

There's Rachel and Matt in the background :)

 

[themutis]

Day 3 - Cozumel

 

After the Martini bar we head back to the room to get ready for the evening.

 

We are heading to Micheals Club for a Senior Officer Meet and Greet.

 

 

When we arrive, it's pretty crowded. Nice to see that people are turning up. We had a great chat with the Hotel Director, who said they were rewarding the staff for their hard work with a party later tonight. He also said they were treating them to a dolphin/sting ray excursion and a beach day. I thought this was a great way to reward the staff for their hard work.

 

We also chatted with the Captain for a while. He is fairly new to the Constellation and said that he likes it much better than the S-Class ships. He said it seems less crowded and easier to get around on.

 

All in all, it was a great gathering.

[themutis]

Day 3 - Cozumel

 

We then head to Luminae for our dinner. Looking forward to another great meal with excellent service.

 

The Menu

 

 

We start with the Burrata, Chicken Liver Custard, and the Grilled Octopus. I guess we are hungry from the Scuba Diving!!!

 

I have a photo of the Burrata and the Grilled Octopus (in the center of the table), both were excellent. I think Liz got it every time it was on the menu. I also had the Chicken Liver Custard and enjoyed it very much.

 

 

For dinner I get the Braised Short Ribs. I just can't seem to pass up slow roasted meats. It's as good as it looks.

 

 

Liz get the Ricotta Cavatelli. Who knew she liked Duck!!!!

 

 

Again, no room for dessert.

 

After dinner we head back to the Martini bar for some fun with our new friends.

 

[themutis]

Day 4 - Sea Day - St Patrick's Day

 

We head to breakfast at Luminae (sorry no photos) and then Liz heads to the spa for her much awaited massage. While she is gone I head up to the pool deck to commandeer some chairs in the sun for the day.

 

It's St Patricks Day, so when she returns, we get the party started :)

 

 

[themutis]

Day 4 - Sea Day - St Patrick's Day

 

After a couple of hours in the sun, we head to Luminae for lunch. We really like this restaurant and the service so much.

 

The Lunch Menu

 

 

We split the Burrata to start.

 

 

I get the Grilled Filet Cobb. The filet was a decent size, cooked perfectly, and very tender.

 

 

Liz gets the Burger

 

 

And we split the Creamy Tuffle Risotto. It was amazing.

 

[themutis]

Day 3 - Sea Day

 

Todays Daily

 

 

 

 

[themutis]

Day 4 - St Patricks Day

 

After lunch we head back to our loungers and spend the afternoon in the sun. It's a great relaxing afternoon. We head down to the shops around 3:30 to see what we can purchase with our on board credit.

 

I purchase a necklace, Liz purchases a ring, and we decide to get this for DH back at home (thanks Celebrity)

 

 

After that, we hit the Martini bar for some pre-getting-ready-for-dinner drinks :) Creature of habit that I am, I order the Fresca Martini. Liz's asked Peter (the most amazing bartender of all time) if he could make a Strawberry Daiquiri, and of course he can :)

 

 

 

We meet a couple of woman travelers at the Martini Bar and they have these great Martini pins that light up. They offer some to Liz and I and we gratefully accept them - so cute.

 

[themutis]

Day 4 - St Patricks Day - Sea Day

 

We head back to the room and waiting are not one but two invitations to experience Sail Away from the Helipad. Now I've never been invited before and am pretty excited about this.

 

 

[themutis]

Day 4 - Sea Day - St Patrick's Day

 

As has become our ritual, we get ready for dinner and hit the Martini bar for a pre-dinner drink. The gang that we've met are there and general good times are had.

 

We head to Luminae for dinner.

 

 

I start with the Beef TarTar and Liz has the Jerusalem Artichoke Soup - we both like our selections.

 

 

 

For dinner I get the Cote De Coeuf which is basically a nice piece of Prime Rib and Liz get the Pappardelle with Vension. She discovers she doesn't like Vension very much, but was happy she gave it a try :) The sample dessert is a little cheese cake.

 

 

[themutis]

Day 4 - Sea Day - St Patrick's Day

 

After dinner we head back to the Martini bar and hang with the gang.

 

Around 11pm we head back to the cabin. The closer we get to our cabin the louder the noise becomes. Our cabin is a connecting room to the Penthouse Suite which can be used as a second bedroom. It hasn't been an issue until today. The occupant owns a company that has, and I'm just guessing numbers here, 50+ employees w/spouses on board for a conference. We've seen them around the ship, but had not seen them in the Penthouse until this evening. Well tonight they are all in the Penthouse and the music is blaring and it sounds like a great party.

 

We are patient people and because Liz is hungry she orders some food from room service and we decide we will wait till we go to bed before we take any actions about the rager next door. Around 11:45 we need to contact the front desk to complain about the noise. It’s impossible to sleep. I’m sure if the rooms were not connecting and if the party wasn’t right on the other side that it would have been fine, but we need out beauty sleep, so I call.

 

Security comes, apologizes for the disruption which he can hear for himself, and talks to the Penthouse people. It quiets down for about 10 minutes and then starts up again. We call again and security comes, this time they take care of the issue. They show the Penthouse people the connecting door and ask then to move the music and people away from it and out towards the back of the suite. They move the music and people, and everyone is happy. Celebrity handled it well and even followed up the next morning to apologize and make sure everything was ok.

 

We head to bed so we are ready for Key West tomorrow!

[themutis]

Day 5 - Key West

 

We had originally booked the Key West Pub Crawl through Celebrity, but our Martini Bar friends told us to bag it and do the Pub Crawl with them. We cancelled the day before and received our money back from Celebrity :)

 

We have breakfast in our favorite restaurant Luminae and then head off the ship to explore Key West a bit before meeting up with everyone noon at Hogs Breath. We just kind of wonder around a bit with no particular agenda.

 

Key west is a pretty interesting town, with great sculptures

 

 

Lots of historic references

 

 

Lots of Chickens and Roosters

 

 

And beautiful girls named Elizabeth :)

 

[themutis]

Day 5 - Key West

 

The stores are also pretty interesting.

 

If you like Rock and Roll, then make sure you stop by Rock Live ( http://millionairegallery.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15&Itemid=46). They have some amazing memorabilia.

 

 

 

 

We also stumble upon a "Hot Sauce" store called Peppers of Key West and purchase some political bottles of hot sauce for DH back home.

 

 

And of course there are tons of Key Lime Pie stores, but this guy is the best!!!!

 

[jules815]

Day 4 - Sea Day - St Patrick's Day

 

After dinner we head back to the Martini bar and hang with the gang.

 

Around 11pm we head back to the cabin. The closer we get to our cabin the louder the noise becomes. Our cabin is a connecting room to the Penthouse Suite which can be used as a second bedroom. It hasn't been an issue until today. The occupant owns a company that has, and I'm just guessing numbers here, 50+ employees w/spouses on board for a conference. We've seen them around the ship, but had not seen them in the Penthouse until this evening. Well tonight they are all in the Penthouse and the music is blaring and it sounds like a great party.

 

We are patient people and because Liz is hungry she orders some food from room service and we decide we will wait till we go to bed before we take any actions about the rager next door. Around 11:45 we need to contact the front desk to complain about the noise. It’s impossible to sleep. I’m sure if the rooms were not connecting and if the party wasn’t right on the other side that it would have been fine, but we need out beauty sleep, so I call.

 

Security comes, apologizes for the disruption which he can hear for himself, and talks to the Penthouse people. It quiets down for about 10 minutes and then starts up again. We call again and security comes, this time they take care of the issue. They show the Penthouse people the connecting door and ask then to move the music and people away from it and out towards the back of the suite. They move the music and people, and everyone is happy. Celebrity handled it well and even followed up the next morning to apologize and make sure everything was ok.

 

We head to bed so we are ready for Key West tomorrow!

 

I've gotten behind in reading due to a very crazy work week.

 

My daughter and I were in the other connecting Sky Suite on that cruise, and one morning we were getting back from breakfast, and the people in the PH next to ours (are there two back there?) were apologizing about noise the night before. We never heard anything, except for occasional clinking dining sounds.

[matondo]

Loving the review. Brings back a lot of great memories from my Mother Daughter cruise we took in December on the Eclipse. Great memories!

[themutis]

My daughter and I were in the other connecting Sky Suite on that cruise, and one morning we were getting back from breakfast, and the people in the PH next to ours (are there two back there?) were apologizing about noise the night before. We never heard anything, except for occasional clinking dining sounds.

 

Yes there are two Penthouses. There was a huge party in the one next to us, and the speakers were right next to our connecting door. We love a good party and hated to complain, but it really was unbearable. Celebrity handled it nicely.

Edited April 6, 2016 by themutis

[Iamthesea]

Day 4 - Sea Day - St Patrick's Day

 

After dinner we head back to the Martini bar and hang with the gang.

 

Around 11pm we head back to the cabin. The closer we get to our cabin the louder the noise becomes. Our cabin is a connecting room to the Penthouse Suite which can be used as a second bedroom. It hasn't been an issue until today. The occupant owns a company that has, and I'm just guessing numbers here, 50+ employees w/spouses on board for a conference. We've seen them around the ship, but had not seen them in the Penthouse until this evening. Well tonight they are all in the Penthouse and the music is blaring and it sounds like a great party.

 

We are patient people and because Liz is hungry she orders some food from room service and we decide we will wait till we go to bed before we take any actions about the rager next door. Around 11:45 we need to contact the front desk to complain about the noise. It’s impossible to sleep. I’m sure if the rooms were not connecting and if the party wasn’t right on the other side that it would have been fine, but we need out beauty sleep, so I call.

 

Security comes, apologizes for the disruption which he can hear for himself, and talks to the Penthouse people. It quiets down for about 10 minutes and then starts up again. We call again and security comes, this time they take care of the issue. They show the Penthouse people the connecting door and ask then to move the music and people away from it and out towards the back of the suite. They move the music and people, and everyone is happy. Celebrity handled it well and even followed up the next morning to apologize and make sure everything was ok.

 

We head to bed so we are ready for Key West tomorrow!

 

Great review!

 

I took my daughters on the Connie a couple of years ago and we stayed in 6145. :)

 

The next time you have this Suite, and there is a party going on next door, just get yourselves invited. We did just that! :D:) been invited to two parties there. Fabulous!

 

BTW - Have you seen the Penthouse Suite? The only way for the partiers and the music to move "out towards the back of the suite" is for it to go out on the balcony. The SS connecting door is besides the Penthouse dining area, that is right there at the piano and living area...all one room. The bedroom and bath of the Penthouse are on the opposite end of the suite. Perhaps all the partiers went to the bedroom. :D