LIVE BLOG! From the EQUINOX - AUG 25th Sailing - CHICAGOPAUL

[chicagopaul]

I finally did find the advertisement in the Daily paper with regard to the premium package.

 

 

So I’ve written the remainder of my final review just talking about people we’ve met. I’ll have that posted in the morning!

 

 

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[chicagopaul]

Thank you for such a comprehensive review, I always settle in for a good read when I see a ChicagoPaul byline. One question. Does the cheese plate in Murano offer fig jam? I dearly love fig jam with a good strong cheese

 

 

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I don’t remember it, but we always had our waiter make the cheese plate and bring it out to us. We never had him bring the cheese cart by. Sorry wish I had a definitive answer for you!

 

 

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[awhfy]

That’s ok Paul. I’ll bring a tiny jar

 

 

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[dutchclogs]

Thanks for the review! Sorry if I missed it but who were the shopping guides? We had George and Mishi and loved them on our last trip in February. Hoping they are back for our equinox cruise in October. Also, is that a Perdomo Champagne Anniversary you’re smoking? If so, that’s my favorite!

 

 

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Jeff and Maxine from South Africa were the shopping guides. No idea how long they may be on board though.

[SPF 350Z]

I don’t remember it, but we always had our waiter make the cheese plate and bring it out to us. We never had him bring the cheese cart by. Sorry wish I had a definitive answer for you!

 

 

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Paul-

Loved your review - did I miss the video of the Gatsby party? Really interested in seeing it! :)

[chicagopaul]

Paul-

Loved your review - did I miss the video of the Gatsby party? Really interested in seeing it! :)

 

Let me go through and see what I have and I'll specifically let you know what video is from the Gatsby party. I know it didn't feel too much like a roaring 20s party to me so I think the video I took was limited. Though, there was a ton of people out dancing that night!

[chicagopaul]

People

 

The ship is beautiful, the ports are breathtaking, and the weather is serene, but it is the people that you encounter on a cruise that make a difference and I truly believe impact your life, if even in only the smallest way, an impact has been made. Various cultures, economic statuses, political affiliations, sexual orientations, religions, etc. all seem to come together in a certain harmony that just works.

 

So lets discuss some of the wonderful people we met on this cruise, starting with the staff, that made our nine days so special.

 

Taz - Taz is from Turkey and was our morning bartender at the Sunset Bar. He’s been working for Celebrity for 10 years. Besides being an excellent bartender, and he truly is an excellent bartender in every sense, he is a wonderful person. It was great getting to know him, learning about his passions (fishing being #1), his home town, and his aspirations for the future. He loves photography and gave me some pointers and even recommended some applications for me to use for photo editing. I’ve already started using them for some photos. He is someone who genuinely cares about you and wants to get to know you. From the first time I met him on day one I felt like he knew us forever. I actually had to think if we met him on a previous cruise by the way he was treating us and speaking to us. Lastly, Taz takes tremendous pride in his work. It shows from how he is constantly checking his bar set up, wiping down the bar, and making sure everyone is happy. So if you’re on the Equinox before October 15th be sure to say hello to him. Hang out with him and get to know. I promise you won’t be disappointed. After October 15th he is heading to set up the Edge and will be on the Edge until the end of January. That will make a total of 9 months at sea, away from his family and friends. That is a long time!

 

Boon - Boon is a bartender at the Martini Bar but hops around to the pool bar during the day sometimes or sometimes even at sunset to help out, depending on the schedule. We’ve cruised with Boon…3 times now? We consider him a friend because we’ve really spent a great deal of time with him on each cruise at the martini bar and at the pool bar in past cruises. We’ve gotten to know him well. Boon is from Malaysia. He can be quiet, but be warned, he hears everything. He seriously hears everything around you. He may make jokes and act like he didn’t hear you for fun, but trust me he knows and understands every single word (I mean this in the best way as he loves joking with guests). My favorite line he has is when someone orders a Pinot Grigo, he says “OK, one Pina Colada coming up” and then walks away. It’s always fun to watch the expression on peoples face as they think “oh crap” but then a moment later he comes back smiling / laughing with a glass of wine. As you may know we drink sparkling water on the side with our martinis. We’ve seen him run everywhere to Cafe Bacio to even the dining room to get us bottles of water. We didn’t even have to ask and if we knew he had to do that we would’ve told him not to worry about it. But he’d have none of that. He always wants to make things perfect for you. Take some time and talk with him. He can appear quiet, but start talking to him and he will become a good friend. Ask him how is gambling is going. He loves playing blackjack.

 

Nenad

 

Those of you who have read my blogs before know Nenad. He has worked as the Maitre D’ in Luminae on several of our cruises. On embarkation day we went into Murano to make reservations for our specialty dining package. They’re always open on embarkation day for people making reservations so we figured it would be a good place to book our 9 days of specialty dining. As we were waiting (there was a couple in front of us who apparently needed to discuss each evenings day and time before making a damn decision) we saw Nenad walk in. We were completely surprised as we never thought he would be on the Equinox. He was on the Eclipse for some time and then transferred to the Reflection to our knowledge, but now it turns out he is running all the specialty restaurants.

 

Nenad is a special person to us. He has an energy that is unparalleled to anyone we’ve ever met in the restaurant industry. One of my favorite things to do at dinner when he is working is to simply observe him observing his restaurant. When you see him look out over the sea of filled tables there a sense of pride you see illuminate from his eyes but at the same time you see a sense of responsibility. Then, you see his eyes dart to an area of the restaurant. A server needs help and he is off. A bus boy needs help clearing a table; he is there. He is not an arm chair manager. He rolls up his sleeves and gets dirty, but he does so with such enthusiasm that it makes me want to get up from my dinner table and start working the restaurant.

 

Nenad started with Celebrity years and years ago. The confidence and well dressed persona is not how he started. He barely spoke English when he was first hired as a dishwasher. Now, his English is impeccable and he is one of the best dressed (and best looking in my opinion) staff on the ship.

 

What I really enjoy about Nenad is his ability to excite you. Now, on vacation you should always be happy, you should always be excited. But complacency is unfortunately a human condition and after so many wonderful meals we start to get full, we start to get tired of going to dinner. We yearn for laying back on a couch, being left alone and falling asleep to a bad lifetime movie. But simply a few seconds with Nenad and you feel as though you could eat a 16 course meal. His zest for life, his passion for his job, his energy is addicting; it’s infectious. There are many wonderful people I’ve met on Celebrity but there is only one like Nenad.

 

Captain Kate

 

This was our first time sailing with Captain Kate. We’ve read about her when she became captain of he Summit and were very excited to see she was now the Master of the Equinox. We did not attend the cruise critic party so did not have an opportunity to meet her then, but we did meet her at the Senior Officers party. I made sure to get a picture with her and have a very brief chat. I didn’t want to take up much of her time as other people were waiting. However in that brief moment I found her extremely engaging, down to earth, and she definitely has extreme passion for her job; not just on the bridge, but also with the guests.

 

My favorite moment with her though was leaving the ship on the gangway. She stood there shaking everyone’s hand and thanking them. She did so very sincerely, each handshake was as strong and sincere as the one that came before it. After shaking her hand and thanking her I was walking away when I heard her yell out to me “I love your Instagram account!” I loved hearing that. I had tagged her in multiple photos throughout the cruise and saw that she liked them and commented as well.

 

I believe Captain Kate has a lot riding on her shoulders. I’m sure it was not easy climbing the ranks in an industry that has historically been a “boys club.” I think what is great about her she is helping to pave the way for other female captains and at least on the Celebrity front setting new standards and expectations for other Masters of the vessel.

 

Passengers

 

What is it about meeting people on a cruise ship, whether it is staff or passengers, that after a cruise you feel like you’ve known them for a lifetime? I wonder if it is due to the secluded nature of a cruise ship, the confinement to a floating vessel that someone triggers some sort of survival instinct in us that we must get along with everyone around us or else! I am constantly amazed at how after only a few conversations, a few days of hanging out, I feel as if I’ve known some of these people my entire life. Do any of you feel that way? Surely I cannot be the only one (don’t call me surely).

 

On every cruise we meet wonderful people. Out of the blue on this cruise we ran into a couple named Jim and Janice who we sailed with earlier in the year. We had no idea they were going to be on this cruise, but one of the first nights at the Martini Bar I look over and I see Jim…it takes a moment for my memory to kick in and I realize “Holy S***” we just cruised with you! I love moments like that don’t you?

 

We met many of you on this cruise as well. Many of you came up to us and mentioned how you’ve followed along or had friends that have followed my blog. We chatted about cruising and about life. Those random chats at the Martini Bar, at Sunset Bar, on the lawn smoking a cigar…they’re more important to me than you know. In a world filled with so much hate and division it is refreshing to simply talk, to relax, to enjoy company of someone you don’t know from miles and miles away.

 

Kathy, Bob, & Uncle Jim

 

We met Kathy, Bob, (Mr & Mrs Dewars) and Uncle Jim on the Equinox President’s Cruise last August. Last August we were in a routine of seeing each other each morning in at the Sunset Bar and then occasionally chatting in the evening. Kathy and Bob followed my blog on Cruise Critic and in some of our recent live blogs I’ve posted a few photos of Dewars bottles. Dewars is their drink of choice just like Ketel One is ours. For Edward and I it became a running joke that each time we would see a bottle of Dewars we’d make a passing comment about Kathy and Bob.

 

About a week before our sail date I happen to check our Roll Call and I see that Mr. and Mrs. Dewars were on our cruise! I was sitting in bed having coffee and “working” from home. Edward was at the office so I text him right away to let him know the good news. On the first day of the cruise at the Martini Bar we ran into them.

 

All of our cruises are wonderful. They always are because how can they not be? But each cruise is unique and special because of the people you meet. When someone asks me which cruise has been my favorite I feel as if I am a parent picking a favorite child. And not one of those parents who secretly has a favorite child because all the other children are complete losers that have wasted their lives, but a parent who has been lucky enough to have many wonderful children. The reason for this is the people. It is the people that we meet each cruise that make it so special, so unique.

 

Kathy, Bob, and Uncle Jim truly helped make this cruise special for us. Our morning conversations over bloody marys, ketel one grapefruit juices, and Dewars on the rocks, were something I looked forward to every day. The conversations were simple, but meaningful. Sincere, yet light hearted. Fun, but important. We hope we find ourselves on another cruise with them in the near future. As I mentioned at the start, it is amazing how after cruising with someone you feel like you’ve known them for oh so long.

 

 

 

In Closing

 

In a slight joking manner I want to add that as I sit here finishing up this blog I am watching the movie Titanic. I do have a somewhat morbid sense of humor.

 

I want to thank all of you so much for following along and being a part of our journey with us. Even if I did not respond to all of your comments please know that I read every single one more than once and they do mean a great deal.

 

In particular some of you shared some very personal stories of spouses who have passed and how you had wonderful memories sailing on Celebrity with them. I applaud your courage. I’m a very sentimental person and despite what may appear to be a very outgoing personality I am actually quite introverted and can me quite emotional. I don’t know if I would have the emotional strength to sail Celebrity if Edward passed. I’m sure I eventually would, but it would not be easy. So thank you for sharing your stories. Thank you for sharing your strength.

 

I have a couple fun things coming up that I am looking forward to sharing with you all. First off, our next cruise is right around the corner on November 5th and as usual I will be live blogging. This will be an 11 night on the Reflection sailing south to Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica. We’re very much looking forward to these ports and will spend as much time in these ports as possible. We are also spending 3 days in Florida so it will be fun to update all of you on this trip. In February we will be on the Edge (Feb 24th) and we look forward to bringing you a live blog from that cruise as well.

 

What I am most excited about however is something I’ve been slowly putting together over the past couple of months and I promise to have it complete before my November 5th cruise. During our Transatlantic cruise my friend Michael told me about a book written by a woman who lives on Crystal Cruises. When I returned home I ordered the book and read it in two days. It was a fascinating read. I loved all her stories. While I have only been on 15 cruises on Celebrity, I do feel like I’ve met some wonderful people and learned a great deal. I’ve collected stories in my head and seen some interesting characters as well. So I’ve decided to put together a small book…more so a small collection of stories from all of our cruises. Some detailing the wonderful people we’ve met, the strange situations we found ourselves in and even some negative passengers that I would loved to have thrown over board. In the next month when I am complete I will post a separate thread on here with a link to my website so you can download the PDF of what I’ve written. It is completely free of course. Why am I writing it? Because I like to. It’s a selfish reason; I enjoy it. It makes me feel good and I want to share these stories with you because I think they’re worth telling.

 

Again, thank you all so much for your fellowship these past couple of weeks. It has been a true pleasure sharing our vacation with you.

 

Until next time.

 

Cheers and Happy Sailing!

 

 

 

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[lola2013]

Thanks Paul for another wonderful review. I've marked my calendar for November 5 to follow along on your next adventure. Hope you and Edward have a great weekend.

And if you're ever in Schaumburg..........

Susan

[chicagopaul]

Also just wanted to post my social media information here in case any of you did not see it before. I have most of the videos already up on YouTube but will be posting some older ones here and there.

 

Instagram: PaulKBlackbjurn

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Paulkblackburn

[awhfy]

Boon & Taz our favorite bartenders. We came back on board after over a year & trotted right to the Martini Bar to upgrade our packages (as we spend time there). Boon looked up & said Tropitini & Black Forest right? Love that guy. My DH was astounded (he’s the Black Forest or espresso decadence). Service like that is an art

 

 

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[Texed]

In particular some of you shared some very personal stories of spouses who have passed and how you had wonderful memories sailing on Celebrity with them. I applaud your courage. I don’t know if I would have the emotional strength to sail Celebrity if Edward passed.

 

Paul,

Did you have a chance to meet Rick? I believe he was on your sailing, and he has recently lost his partner? He is a very nice guy.

[Smmessineo]

“ In a world filled with so much hate and division it is refreshing to simply talk, to relax, to enjoy company of someone you don’t know from miles and miles away. “

 

Paul, thank you for sharing your cruise experiences with us! Your attitude is inspirational. I will be on the Equinox in 4 weeks and I’ll remember your words of wisdom.

[Teufs]

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[cruisecatmama]

Bravo! Well done! Looking forward to your next adventure and the link to the collection of your stories... :D

[IrishLassie]

Hi Paul, Just wanted to thank you again for your wonderful review. Also, the notes you wrote about Taz are exactly like I remember him. I talked to him about his photography also as my Dad was a professional photographer & I grew up in front of a camera! He was just so nice to talk to & always had that wonderful smile.

Did he happen to say where he will be after Edge? We sail on Reflection next March, so was maybe hoping he'd be on her.

Again, thanks so much for spending so much of your time filling us all in on your travels. Take care & maybe one day we'll meet in person.

[kellienjim]

People

 

The ship is beautiful, the ports are breathtaking, and the weather is serene, but it is the people that you encounter on a cruise that make a difference and I truly believe impact your life, if even in only the smallest way, an impact has been made. Various cultures, economic statuses, political affiliations, sexual orientations, religions, etc. all seem to come together in a certain harmony that just works.

 

So lets discuss some of the wonderful people we met on this cruise, starting with the staff, that made our nine days so special.

 

Taz - Taz is from Turkey and was our morning bartender at the Sunset Bar. He’s been working for Celebrity for 10 years. Besides being an excellent bartender, and he truly is an excellent bartender in every sense, he is a wonderful person. It was great getting to know him, learning about his passions (fishing being #1), his home town, and his aspirations for the future. He loves photography and gave me some pointers and even recommended some applications for me to use for photo editing. I’ve already started using them for some photos. He is someone who genuinely cares about you and wants to get to know you. From the first time I met him on day one I felt like he knew us forever. I actually had to think if we met him on a previous cruise by the way he was treating us and speaking to us. Lastly, Taz takes tremendous pride in his work. It shows from how he is constantly checking his bar set up, wiping down the bar, and making sure everyone is happy. So if you’re on the Equinox before October 15th be sure to say hello to him. Hang out with him and get to know. I promise you won’t be disappointed. After October 15th he is heading to set up the Edge and will be on the Edge until the end of January. That will make a total of 9 months at sea, away from his family and friends. That is a long time!

 

Boon - Boon is a bartender at the Martini Bar but hops around to the pool bar during the day sometimes or sometimes even at sunset to help out, depending on the schedule. We’ve cruised with Boon…3 times now? We consider him a friend because we’ve really spent a great deal of time with him on each cruise at the martini bar and at the pool bar in past cruises. We’ve gotten to know him well. Boon is from Malaysia. He can be quiet, but be warned, he hears everything. He seriously hears everything around you. He may make jokes and act like he didn’t hear you for fun, but trust me he knows and understands every single word (I mean this in the best way as he loves joking with guests). My favorite line he has is when someone orders a Pinot Grigo, he says “OK, one Pina Colada coming up” and then walks away. It’s always fun to watch the expression on peoples face as they think “oh crap” but then a moment later he comes back smiling / laughing with a glass of wine. As you may know we drink sparkling water on the side with our martinis. We’ve seen him run everywhere to Cafe Bacio to even the dining room to get us bottles of water. We didn’t even have to ask and if we knew he had to do that we would’ve told him not to worry about it. But he’d have none of that. He always wants to make things perfect for you. Take some time and talk with him. He can appear quiet, but start talking to him and he will become a good friend. Ask him how is gambling is going. He loves playing blackjack.

 

Nenad

 

Those of you who have read my blogs before know Nenad. He has worked as the Maitre D’ in Luminae on several of our cruises. On embarkation day we went into Murano to make reservations for our specialty dining package. They’re always open on embarkation day for people making reservations so we figured it would be a good place to book our 9 days of specialty dining. As we were waiting (there was a couple in front of us who apparently needed to discuss each evenings day and time before making a damn decision) we saw Nenad walk in. We were completely surprised as we never thought he would be on the Equinox. He was on the Eclipse for some time and then transferred to the Reflection to our knowledge, but now it turns out he is running all the specialty restaurants.

 

Nenad is a special person to us. He has an energy that is unparalleled to anyone we’ve ever met in the restaurant industry. One of my favorite things to do at dinner when he is working is to simply observe him observing his restaurant. When you see him look out over the sea of filled tables there a sense of pride you see illuminate from his eyes but at the same time you see a sense of responsibility. Then, you see his eyes dart to an area of the restaurant. A server needs help and he is off. A bus boy needs help clearing a table; he is there. He is not an arm chair manager. He rolls up his sleeves and gets dirty, but he does so with such enthusiasm that it makes me want to get up from my dinner table and start working the restaurant.

 

Nenad started with Celebrity years and years ago. The confidence and well dressed persona is not how he started. He barely spoke English when he was first hired as a dishwasher. Now, his English is impeccable and he is one of the best dressed (and best looking in my opinion) staff on the ship.

 

What I really enjoy about Nenad is his ability to excite you. Now, on vacation you should always be happy, you should always be excited. But complacency is unfortunately a human condition and after so many wonderful meals we start to get full, we start to get tired of going to dinner. We yearn for laying back on a couch, being left alone and falling asleep to a bad lifetime movie. But simply a few seconds with Nenad and you feel as though you could eat a 16 course meal. His zest for life, his passion for his job, his energy is addicting; it’s infectious. There are many wonderful people I’ve met on Celebrity but there is only one like Nenad.

 

Captain Kate

 

This was our first time sailing with Captain Kate. We’ve read about her when she became captain of he Summit and were very excited to see she was now the Master of the Equinox. We did not attend the cruise critic party so did not have an opportunity to meet her then, but we did meet her at the Senior Officers party. I made sure to get a picture with her and have a very brief chat. I didn’t want to take up much of her time as other people were waiting. However in that brief moment I found her extremely engaging, down to earth, and she definitely has extreme passion for her job; not just on the bridge, but also with the guests.

 

My favorite moment with her though was leaving the ship on the gangway. She stood there shaking everyone’s hand and thanking them. She did so very sincerely, each handshake was as strong and sincere as the one that came before it. After shaking her hand and thanking her I was walking away when I heard her yell out to me “I love your Instagram account!” I loved hearing that. I had tagged her in multiple photos throughout the cruise and saw that she liked them and commented as well.

 

I believe Captain Kate has a lot riding on her shoulders. I’m sure it was not easy climbing the ranks in an industry that has historically been a “boys club.” I think what is great about her she is helping to pave the way for other female captains and at least on the Celebrity front setting new standards and expectations for other Masters of the vessel.

 

Passengers

 

What is it about meeting people on a cruise ship, whether it is staff or passengers, that after a cruise you feel like you’ve known them for a lifetime? I wonder if it is due to the secluded nature of a cruise ship, the confinement to a floating vessel that someone triggers some sort of survival instinct in us that we must get along with everyone around us or else! I am constantly amazed at how after only a few conversations, a few days of hanging out, I feel as if I’ve known some of these people my entire life. Do any of you feel that way? Surely I cannot be the only one (don’t call me surely).

 

On every cruise we meet wonderful people. Out of the blue on this cruise we ran into a couple named Jim and Janice who we sailed with earlier in the year. We had no idea they were going to be on this cruise, but one of the first nights at the Martini Bar I look over and I see Jim…it takes a moment for my memory to kick in and I realize “Holy S***” we just cruised with you! I love moments like that don’t you?

 

We met many of you on this cruise as well. Many of you came up to us and mentioned how you’ve followed along or had friends that have followed my blog. We chatted about cruising and about life. Those random chats at the Martini Bar, at Sunset Bar, on the lawn smoking a cigar…they’re more important to me than you know. In a world filled with so much hate and division it is refreshing to simply talk, to relax, to enjoy company of someone you don’t know from miles and miles away.

 

Kathy, Bob, & Uncle Jim

 

We met Kathy, Bob, (Mr & Mrs Dewars) and Uncle Jim on the Equinox President’s Cruise last August. Last August we were in a routine of seeing each other each morning in at the Sunset Bar and then occasionally chatting in the evening. Kathy and Bob followed my blog on Cruise Critic and in some of our recent live blogs I’ve posted a few photos of Dewars bottles. Dewars is their drink of choice just like Ketel One is ours. For Edward and I it became a running joke that each time we would see a bottle of Dewars we’d make a passing comment about Kathy and Bob.

 

About a week before our sail date I happen to check our Roll Call and I see that Mr. and Mrs. Dewars were on our cruise! I was sitting in bed having coffee and “working” from home. Edward was at the office so I text him right away to let him know the good news. On the first day of the cruise at the Martini Bar we ran into them.

 

All of our cruises are wonderful. They always are because how can they not be? But each cruise is unique and special because of the people you meet. When someone asks me which cruise has been my favorite I feel as if I am a parent picking a favorite child. And not one of those parents who secretly has a favorite child because all the other children are complete losers that have wasted their lives, but a parent who has been lucky enough to have many wonderful children. The reason for this is the people. It is the people that we meet each cruise that make it so special, so unique.

 

Kathy, Bob, and Uncle Jim truly helped make this cruise special for us. Our morning conversations over bloody marys, ketel one grapefruit juices, and Dewars on the rocks, were something I looked forward to every day. The conversations were simple, but meaningful. Sincere, yet light hearted. Fun, but important. We hope we find ourselves on another cruise with them in the near future. As I mentioned at the start, it is amazing how after cruising with someone you feel like you’ve known them for oh so long.

 

 

 

In Closing

 

In a slight joking manner I want to add that as I sit here finishing up this blog I am watching the movie Titanic. I do have a somewhat morbid sense of humor.

 

I want to thank all of you so much for following along and being a part of our journey with us. Even if I did not respond to all of your comments please know that I read every single one more than once and they do mean a great deal.

 

In particular some of you shared some very personal stories of spouses who have passed and how you had wonderful memories sailing on Celebrity with them. I applaud your courage. I’m a very sentimental person and despite what may appear to be a very outgoing personality I am actually quite introverted and can me quite emotional. I don’t know if I would have the emotional strength to sail Celebrity if Edward passed. I’m sure I eventually would, but it would not be easy. So thank you for sharing your stories. Thank you for sharing your strength.

 

I have a couple fun things coming up that I am looking forward to sharing with you all. First off, our next cruise is right around the corner on November 5th and as usual I will be live blogging. This will be an 11 night on the Reflection sailing south to Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica. We’re very much looking forward to these ports and will spend as much time in these ports as possible. We are also spending 3 days in Florida so it will be fun to update all of you on this trip. In February we will be on the Edge (Feb 24th) and we look forward to bringing you a live blog from that cruise as well.

 

What I am most excited about however is something I’ve been slowly putting together over the past couple of months and I promise to have it complete before my November 5th cruise. During our Transatlantic cruise my friend Michael told me about a book written by a woman who lives on Crystal Cruises. When I returned home I ordered the book and read it in two days. It was a fascinating read. I loved all her stories. While I have only been on 15 cruises on Celebrity, I do feel like I’ve met some wonderful people and learned a great deal. I’ve collected stories in my head and seen some interesting characters as well. So I’ve decided to put together a small book…more so a small collection of stories from all of our cruises. Some detailing the wonderful people we’ve met, the strange situations we found ourselves in and even some negative passengers that I would loved to have thrown over board. In the next month when I am complete I will post a separate thread on here with a link to my website so you can download the PDF of what I’ve written. It is completely free of course. Why am I writing it? Because I like to. It’s a selfish reason; I enjoy it. It makes me feel good and I want to share these stories with you because I think they’re worth telling.

 

Again, thank you all so much for your fellowship these past couple of weeks. It has been a true pleasure sharing our vacation with you.

 

Until next time.

 

Cheers and Happy Sailing!

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

 

Paul, thank you again for your in depth reviews and sharing your adventures with all of us. Your comment about meeting people on cruises and feeling like lifelong friends rings true.

We met two couples on our Panama Canal Cruise 2 years ago that we automatically knew would be forever friends (I think we all bonded because we were the only people on the ship under 70 🤣)

I hope we get to meet up on a future cruise!

Thanks again, Kellie

 

 

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[trouble92126]

Thank you for this wonderful cruise review. My DH and I will be trying our first celebrity next feb.

 

 

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[chicagopaul]

Hi Paul, Just wanted to thank you again for your wonderful review. Also, the notes you wrote about Taz are exactly like I remember him. I talked to him about his photography also as my Dad was a professional photographer & I grew up in front of a camera! He was just so nice to talk to & always had that wonderful smile.

 

 

 

Did he happen to say where he will be after Edge? We sail on Reflection next March, so was maybe hoping he'd be on her.

 

Again, thanks so much for spending so much of your time filling us all in on your travels. Take care & maybe one day we'll meet in person.

 

 

 

I know he gets off the Edge mid January but it seemed like he might be going back to the Edge but he didn’t have an assignment fir certain yet.

 

 

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[IrishLassie]

I know he gets off the Edge mid January but it seemed like he might be going back to the Edge but he didn’t have an assignment fir certain yet.

 

 

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Thanks so much for the info & Happy Cruising!

[nimiq]

Hey Paul,

Thanks again for this wonderful blog on the Equinox. It is always a pleasure to read you and make it so pleasant that we all want to cruise with you.

I guess we are not going to meet soon as our ne t 3 cruises are not with Celebrity:-(.

In November we are doing the Koningsdam and in December the Nieuw Statendam and Regal Princess.

If ever you are planning one near the end of March let us know we might look into it :-)

Again thanks for all the work

Eric & Martin

 

 

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[pixiedust777]

Thank you for sharing. I quietly followed along enjoying every page remembering our cruise on the Equinox last September. Looking forward to your blog on the Reflection. Will be sailing on her in February for the first time.

 

 

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[MrsB05]

Thanks again, Paul, for this blog. I really appreciate both your practical information about the ship, and your insights in general. You've a wonderful writing style; love the subtle humor (no, I won't call you "surely", LOL).

 

Maybe one of these days we'll see you on board!

 

Amy

[Citymom92]

Wow such a great review. Thank you so much for doing it! We have only cruise a couple times on RCCL, but thinking we want to try Celebrity next time. I'm sold on the Equinox, but let me ask you and other experienced cruisers: any better times to cruise to avoid hurricanes? Our anniversary is in mid-October, and it seems any time we try to pick a beach someplace we get either cancelled due to the weather (Mexico resort all inclusive attempted last year) or just stuck on a ship when it rains every day (January this year). I'd love to do a trip to the ABC's outside of the summers when we could go in a more relaxed, less crowded time of year. Is it just a toss up and hope for the best I guess? I'm so jealous of your good weather!