Beyond Live(ish) B2B, Barcelona-Rome and Rome to Barcelona September 24 and October 3, 2022

[Gitte]

16 hours ago, CruiserFromSC said:

Thanks, Tammy, I’ll try to find you at sail away.  

We too.😊

[cruiztime]

On 9/25/2022 at 4:11 PM, CruiserFromSC said:

The retreat staff also brought me a bottle of champagne to the Retreat Sundeck today and our butler, Reggie, and stateroom attendant, Frankie, decorated our room tonight with balloons

Happy Birthday. Can I ask you what you did (or will do) with the balloons to dispose of them? Have you noticed many other balloons around the ship? Thanks. 

[hcat]

3 hours ago, CruiserFromSC said:

Yesterday, was a beautiful day in Nice.  We were in Villefranche and tendered in.  It took about 20 minutes.  
 

So, I don’t usually make recommendations on tours, etc., but I am making an exception in this case.  We took a wonderful 8-hour excursion from Villefranche with Ingrid S with Tours by Locals.  The name of the tour was “3 Countries in a Day.”  This was an exceptional private tour.  We drove along the middle and upper coastal roads with photo stops of Nice and Villefranche and the took a guided tour through the village of Eze (only 29 residents).  The only way to see the village is on foot though and it is a very steep climb.  But, at the top (429 meters/1400 feet), you have spectacular views of the French Riveria.  Then we drove into Italy to the Italian Riveria village of Dolceacqua for a lunch stop and a guided walk through a medieval village.  Next, we drove to the Principality of Monaco and drove a short way on the Formula 1 race track and visited the port with luxury yachts and the palace in the distance and then an opportunity to visit the casino in Monte Carlo.  This was a fantastic tour if you wanted something a little different.  Highly recommend.  
 

It was a long day so we had a quick dinner in Ocean View and then called it a day.  We are in Santa Margherita today and with no planned tours, we plan to take the tender in and walk around for a bit.  
 

Dinner tonight is at Le Petite Chef so I’ll report back later tonight.  It’s always a wonderful meal so I’m not expecting anything different tonight.
 

 

Great photos..glad you enjoyed the tour

[newtocruiseinblue]

Eze and Nice are amazing!!!

[CruiserFromSC]

3 hours ago, H2OH! said:

Eze is spectacular. When we were up top, we saw a couple get engaged. It was one of those extra special and unexpected events when sitting atop the eagles nest :). The climb up is not for the faint of heart that is for sure! 

 

Following along. Thank you for taking the time to share  your trip. I tried once when we were in Alaska but was so busy vacationing the "live blog" when silent. LOL. 

Wow, that’s wonderful.  Beautiful memories for that couple…and you!!

 

I’m afraid that mine may go silent as well.  😂 I admire those people that do such a great “live” blog.  

[CruiserFromSC]

1 hour ago, cruiztime said:

Happy Birthday. Can I ask you what you did (or will do) with the balloons to dispose of them? Have you noticed many other balloons around the ship? Thanks. 

Thank you!  They are still inflated and attached to the ceiling.  One deflated and the cabin attendant took it away.  I’m not sure what he did with it.  I haven’t noticed any other balloons.  

[cruiztime]

9 minutes ago, CruiserFromSC said:

Thank you!  They are still inflated and attached to the ceiling.  One deflated and the cabin attendant took it away.  I’m not sure what he did with it.  I haven’t noticed any other balloons.  

Thanks so much for replying. I have a very severe Latex allergy so the balloons are a concern for me. 

[theopup]

What an amazing tour you were on the day sounded wonderful. And spectacular pictures 

[CruiserFromSC]

Just now, theopup said:

What an amazing tour you were on the day sounded wonderful. And spectacular pictures 

Thank you!!

[SailingHigher]

On 9/25/2022 at 5:35 PM, CruiserFromSC said:

Also, a couple of Beyond interesting facts:  the shower in the Sky Suites should come with a user’s manual.  It took a personal tutorial from our Butler to learn how to use it and, for all the ladies, the Beyond has a plug in the bathroom for hair dryers, etc.  Much more convenient in my opinion.  

We are on the same Beyond cruise. I’ll echo the comment about the shower complexity in some suites. Twice I’ve screamed very loudly as the overhead rain shower head drenched all of me with very cold water! I’m learning slowly how to master the two knobs that control the wand and the shower head, but it is so far a great challenge to reach the knobs, avoid the cold water lurking in the pipes, and avoid spraying the floor area past the tiled shower walls. I love a challenge, though. I’m going to conquer this before October 3! 

[CruiserFromSC]

3 hours ago, SailingHigher said:

We are on the same Beyond cruise. I’ll echo the comment about the shower complexity in some suites. Twice I’ve screamed very loudly as the overhead rain shower head drenched all of me with very cold water! I’m learning slowly how to master the two knobs that control the wand and the shower head, but it is so far a great challenge to reach the knobs, avoid the cold water lurking in the pipes, and avoid spraying the floor area past the tiled shower walls. I love a challenge, though. I’m going to conquer this before October 3! 

Exactly.  
 

Bummer that we didn’t get into Livorno today.  Hopefully, the rest of the cruise goes smoothly.  

[CruiserFromSC]

So, I promised a review on our dinner at Le Petite Chef.  I’ve experienced it on two prioir cruises and two different ships…Equinox and Edge.  And I loved it.  The story/animation was cute and the food (pea soup/crab pasta/filet) were both wonderful.  They have changed the menu and the story and, to be honest, I did not enjoy it as much as the two previous visits.  The food was good (tomato tart/poached shrimp/short rib) but the evening was not as enjoyable as my earlier visits.  Just my opinion.  
 

And now a big disappointment for a lot of people today.  We were scheduled to dock today and overnight in Livorno.  The winds had other ideas. ..40-50 knots caused us to not be able to dock and became a sea day.  The captain and crew reacted quickly and worked an opportunity for us to dock in Rome (Civitavecchia) tomorrow and then resume the rest of our cruise.  Unfortunately for many, Livorno was their only opportunity to visit Cinque Terre so very unfortunate for them.  For us, since we are on a B2B, we rescheduled our visit to Cinque Terra for our return to La Spezia on October 6th.  Our tour company ItalyTours called me this morning when they saw we weren’t going to be able to dock and worked with us to make the change for our return trip (original tour was to Florence) and will refund our money for today’s tour without any muss or fuss.  Again, I am usually reluctant to recommend tour companies because everyone’s opinions are subjective, but ItalyTours has been very user friendly and have wonderful customer service.  We have 3 more tours scheduled with them so I will keep you posted!!  🙂

[SailingHigher]

1 hour ago, CruiserFromSC said:

 

And now a big disappointment for a lot of people today.  We were scheduled to dock today and overnight in Livorno.  The winds had other ideas. ..40-50 knots caused us to not be able to dock and became a sea day. 

Winds became strong again this afternoon causing much mischief to the deck chairs. The extra sea day is a poor replacement for Florence, but so it goes. We booked a transfer through Viator and cannot recover our Livorno to Florence fee, but it wasn’t much money. We had more trouble reserving a new tour for Rome tomorrow. The Celebrity app booked up the shore excursions almost instantly when they became available late this morning. Then, the staff added an express train transfer excursion to Rome which had plenty of room. Shore excursions desk and the app were pretty overwhelmed. We booked a new private trip to Rome and back, but it took some effort because Viator was overwhelmed, too and canceled our first two bookings shortly after we made them. Refunds will be provided on those. 

 

One more thing about rough seas & the Beyond. The pocket doors in a two room suite do not have latches. Last night, they banged back and forth constantly. Stuffing towels into the tracks did not fix the problem. Dragging heavy furniture against those doors has worked so far. This is a “bug” not a “feature” in my book. There needs to be a way to secure the doors inside the cabin at least so they stay open without sliding back and forth in rough waters.  

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, CruiserFromSC said:

Exactly.  
 

Bummer that we didn’t get into Livorno today.  Hopefully, the rest of the cruise goes smoothly.  

As you said one real advantage of a B2B is that is something goes wrong in a port you have a second chance. 

 

Livonia is such a beautiful city.   I hope you get to see it next cruise.

[Nanatravel]

On 9/25/2022 at 4:50 PM, Jim_Iain said:

Good to hear.   I will be watching closely.    I saw a post of the Eden Dinner and the New England Lobster kicked me into gear and I booked for the first night.  

 

 

Hi Jim.  We plan on sailing on the Beyond in February.  I've booked Eden for Valentine's evening.  Thanks for the reference to the New England Lobster; can't wait.  I hope I am able to sail by then.

 

[Jim_Iain]

Here's the menu - Thank You Points Guy

 

You can see the full menu including Appetizers at

 

https://thepointsguy.com/reviews/first-look-celebrity-apex/

 

 

 

 

Edited September 28, 2022 by Jim_Iain

[Jim_Iain]

@WeBcruisingMN posted this picture of the Lobster Casserole   - I love Lobster claws

 

 

Their full review can be read here

 

 

[Redking]

On 9/26/2022 at 11:20 AM, hawkesbaynz said:

@CruiserFromSC Glad you are having a great cruise😀. We were supposed to be on the Beyond for this cruise but cancelled on Wednesday☹️. My 60th cruise too. You will be enjoying the sailing for us😄. 
 

Our travelling companions both contracted Covid and DW so disappointed she did not want to travel (I did!). They easily got a refund whilst I had to argue for FCC under ‘cruise with confidence’. Can plan another cruise anyway and booked a trip to Porto for a few days this weekend (just DW tho). 

😢

[SailingHigher]

If you are on the fence about paying extra for Le Voyage and if you like gourmet dining, do not hesitate. The three course dinner is the lowest price option. It comes with multiple surprises and a very large number of choices for appetizers, entrees, and desserts. It is more than enough food for anyone. I highly recommend it. I wish I could add some photos, but the wifi/Internet is not helping me at the moment. Plus, I’d hate to spoil any surprise. Each item is beautifully arranged and elegantly served. 

 

 

[Lastdance]

Duplicate...sorry!

Edited September 30, 2022 by Lastdance
time elapsed early; I am addressing two people with my comments!

[Lastdance]

7 minutes ago, Lastdance said:

OP:  I am so glad that you were able to tour with Ingrid; she is not only a beautiful lady, but so sweet and full of information.  We have toured with her twice and the second time more as friends.  Those darn winds, dockworkers strikes etc, always a disappointment for sure.  We do not cruise Beyond until our TA next April and the following cruise for a b2b.  We had very rough seas in the Adriatic before but the captain was able to get into port.  Unfortunately, the cruise behind us was not so lucky.  I am hoping to see Israel in the next two weeks for my b2b/TA.  It is always a 50/50 chance!  Maybe our first time will be the charm.

 

 I hope you are able to get those meds, SailingHigher!

 

[CruiserFromSC]

So an update since our missed port in Livorno. Our Livorno port day turned into a sea day and we spent it trying to stay out of the wind.  We were able to dock in Civitavecchia on Thursday  and the rainy day that was forecasted turned in to a partly sunny, warmish day with no rain.  We walked around the port town.  
 

We had a lovely dinner in Rooftop Grill and the food was very good.  My DH said the Branzino was exceptional.  The show last night, Elements, was not really our cup of tea nor was “karaoke” style Headline the Band so after a little casino time, we called it a night.  
 

We were back on track with our sea day yesterday and that was the first time ever in 20+ cruises that we’ve ever experienced lightning and thunder on ship.  Everything was rocking and rolling.  Pretty interesting when visibility is probably less than 1/4 mile.  
 

Yesterday, we also had our B2B meeting. There are approximately 45 people that are B2Bers.  Painless process described for our turnaround day on Monday. 
 

Today, we docked in Messina, Sicily.  For any of you that happen to be a Godfather movie fan, we took The Godfather tour today from Messina with ItalyTours.  As we debarked, we were stopped by the port official that asked for our tickets.  All we had was an email confirming our private tour for 6.  She asked if we had their phone number.  Luckily, I had the number from when they called me about our cancelled port in Livorno.  When we called, they had to confirm with ItalyTours that we did in fact have a tour.  About that time, our driver, Antonio, arrived and all was well.  Just a heads up to be sure and have your confirmation email with you just in case.  
 

After that bit of excitement, we made our way to the village of Savoca and visited the bar that Michael met Appolonia’s father and then the church and streets where they got married.  Everything is in honor of Francis Ford Coppola in the town.  Before the movie, they only had the bar.  On the way back down, we purchased fantastic olive oil and then stopped at Bar Vitelli for some lemon granita and a glass of wine (I know, it was only 9:30am but how many times would we have that opportunity 😉).  
 

From there, we visited Forza d’Argo.  This small village is where a lot of the scenes from Godfather Part III took place.  Very quaint village and beautiful views.  
 

Lastly, we visited Taormina for a lunch stop and visit to the main pedestrian area.  All in all a lovely day that we thoroughly enjoyed.  
 

 

[terrydtx]

12 minutes ago, CruiserFromSC said:

So an update since our missed port in Livorno. Our Livorno port day turned into a sea day and we spent it trying to stay out of the wind.  We were able to dock in Civitavecchia on Thursday  and the rainy day that was forecasted turned in to a partly sunny, warmish day with no rain.  We walked around the port town.  
 

We had a lovely dinner in Rooftop Grill and the food was very good.  My DH said the Branzino was exceptional.  The show last night, Elements, was not really our cup of tea nor was “karaoke” style Headline the Band so after a little casino time, we called it a night.  
 

We were back on track with our sea day yesterday and that was the first time ever in 20+ cruises that we’ve ever experienced lightning and thunder on ship.  Everything was rocking and rolling.  Pretty interesting when visibility is probably less than 1/4 mile.  
 

Yesterday, we also had our B2B meeting. There are approximately 45 people that are B2Bers.  Painless process described for our turnaround day on Monday. 
 

Today, we docked in Messina, Sicily.  For any of you that happen to be a Godfather movie fan, we took The Godfather tour today from Messina with ItalyTours.  As we debarked, we were stopped by the port official that asked for our tickets.  All we had was an email confirming our private tour for 6.  She asked if we had their phone number.  Luckily, I had the number from when they called me about our cancelled port in Livorno.  When we called, they had to confirm with ItalyTours that we did in fact have a tour.  About that time, our driver, Antonio, arrived and all was well.  Just a heads up to be sure and have your confirmation email with you just in case.  
 

After that bit of excitement, we made our way to the village of Savoca and visited the bar that Michael met Appolonia’s father and then the church and streets where they got married.  Everything is in honor of Francis Ford Coppola in the town.  Before the movie, they only had the bar.  On the way back down, we purchased fantastic olive oil and then stopped at Bar Vitelli for some lemon granita and a glass of wine (I know, it was only 9:30am but how many times would we have that opportunity 😉).  
 

From there, we visited Forza d’Argo.  This small village is where a lot of the scenes from Godfather Part III took place.  Very quaint village and beautiful views.  
 

Lastly, we visited Taormina for a lunch stop and visit to the main pedestrian area.  All in all a lovely day that we thoroughly enjoyed.  
 

 

In August on the Reflection we had a very strong thunderstorm between the mainland and Messina which delayed our docking and the cancelation of most shore excursions, including our Mt Etna winery and Taormina private tour. It was also the first time we had been in such an intense thunderstorm while cruising. The ship was like one big sail and the broadside winds were an issue.

[countess5]

Enjoy your next leg, we have friends joining you in the Retreat. They are in a sky suite. They will stay on after this next leg and do the transatlantic to NY.

We will join Beyond this winter for 14 days, part of our 47 day winter cruising.

 

Continuing to follow! 

 

Cheers! 

 

[countess5]

23 hours ago, CruiserFromSC said:

We were back on track with our sea day yesterday and that was the first time ever in 20+ cruises that we’ve ever experienced lightning and thunder on ship.  Everything was rocking and rolling.  Pretty interesting when visibility is probably less than 1/4 mile.  

We actually went through the edge of a hurricane in the South Pacific on Explorer! Talk about rocking and rolling! 😂😂 🌪