Beyond LIVE Semi-Solo AQ Class 11/8/22

[Luckynana]

On 11/8/2022 at 11:14 AM, GenerationX said:

 

In happier news, it’s almost time for Red and I to board the Beyond!  

 

I’m in my map dress and my new cruise tote is packed (Below Deck fans, don’t you just love it???)

 

 

 

I always wear my Tommy Hilfiger dress with anchors on it on my first day of each cruise!!😉

[GenerationX]

Day 4 in Cozumel:

 

After walking my mile on the jogging path, and breakfast in Blu, I went to do some work in Al Bacio then attended the ship’s Veterans Day observance ceremony.  The service was short but very tasteful and well attended.  Afterwards I spent some time reading in Eden then met Red for lunch in the Bistro.  The service was a bit slower than the day before, but that could be in part because Red was 20 minutes late for our reservation and I (also not being one to sit and wait for tardy meal company while my stomach growls) went ahead and ordered a starter before she arrived, which seemed to kind of fluster and throw off our service team.

 

While we were sitting at lunch we saw a group of about 30 crew members in different uniforms (looked like everything from culinary to maintenance/engineering) being led by two officers on what looked like a tour of the ship.  I imagine they are new crew starting their contract. I heard buzz at the sunset bar that over 200 new crew started contracts on Beyond when she arrived in FLL and about 100 more are starting on the cruise after ours.

 

I suspect many of the service issues others have experienced on the ship have been at least in part due to the number of new crew members.

 

Unlike some of my fellow passengers, I’ve tried not to let the  few instances where I’ve experienced less than perfect service get to me very much.  

 

After all, I think of sailing on a brand new ship, especially on its very first revenue sailing ever on an itinerary, kind of like being someone who buys the latest version of the iPhone the minute it comes out.  If you’re going to be an early adopter, you have to go into it knowing and expecting that you’re buying something that probably doesn’t have all the kinks worked out yet.

 

As far as food, the only thing we had that was a letdown was the French onion soup.  While the cheese on top was good and warm, the soup inside was room temp and under seasoned.  Lesson learned: stick to the lobster bisque!

 

I think the escargot in the bistro is even better than the MDR escargot. Even more garlic and cheese flavor.  Red ordered the crepe which I’d never tried before.  I think for future sailings I may skip an entree and just have that crepe, mussels, escargot and lobster bisque.  You know, just a light lunch.

 

After the spa and afternoon rain cleared, I went up to the sunset bar for sail away and had one of their new signature cocktails, the Mediterranean T&C which is included in the premium beverage package.  Definitely worth a try for my fellow gin drinkers. The rosemary, olives and olive oil infused gin are a great flavor combination.

 

Did anyone know that they offer Mediterranean food at the sunset bar for additional charge? Has anyone tried it?  I never saw any coming out on this cruise.

 

The options look really good. I thought about trying to order something but every time I was up there the bar staff and servers were so mobbed, I felt bad about trying to throw a food order at them.  On a future sailing I would love to skip a dining room dinner one night to spend the evening in a comfy sun dress eating 2 or 3 of these “Sunset Bites” in the sea air instead.

 

After we sailed I went down to the buffet to get a snack of the (highly addictive) pizza and bumped into @julia and her husband Chuck who are just the coolest and got to watch sunset with them.  Once I’m home and settled, Jeremy and I are going to start looking at options to cruise with them in the near future!

 

Next up: Report on Dinner #2 in Eden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Luckynana]

Great review!  Thank you for taking us along.  I'll be on Beyond for our Panama Canal Cruise..

[LouChamp]

Blessings and prayers on the loss of your friend.  Your compassion sets you apart from most.  Please continue to enjoy your  voyage and love reading about your adventures and food pictures. 

[taylortime05]

Thank you so much.  I’ve loved reading about your adventures on the Beyond.   Do you know what’s the difference between the Le Voyage and Le Voyage Tasting? 

[hcat]

We are back in Venice Fl,  fairly smooth disemark and travel time 3 grs,.easy in a Sunday.  My devices are all working fine now so I was able to catch up on this amazing review.  As usual..great photos and commentary from a upbeat and balanced point of view. (i will post my review next week.. our suite experience on BEYOND)

 

It was a great pleasure meeting you and having a few brief chats.  You are an amazing all around person...great mom and wife, and a rising star in a very demanding profession. Excellent photographer and   engaging writing/ blogging skills!   Sorry for the "worship" but you deserve it!

 

I love the map dress and patriotic fabulous flag dress..I still have my fringy flag bag from the 60's...folks would bid on it now!

 

Sorry about your friend passing.,hope it was peaceful.  My dtr is a young breast cancer survivor...with an amazing husband,  and 2  children (post cancer).  Our mantra  live each day to the fullest.

 

Keep sailing on!

 

 

[hcat]

On 11/12/2022 at 7:20 AM, vickykay said:

We had the same thoughts and experience when we sailed in an IV this past Feb.  We did think they would be great for cool weather cruises when the balcony is not used that much and it does make the room seem bigger.

We had an IV on EDGE not our fav  layout ( preferred the SV) and of course our BEYOND Suite ..lots of space!  I think  we could manage ok with the IV.keeping bi folds open..

 

  We miss the Thermal suites and  BLU...it was amazing on BEYOND. Much better than  Luminae and more suited to our tastes..  Had our last night dinner there..filet mignon . It was perfect, we had a bread tray and fancy butters/ veg spreads on our table,,.

 

. We are Having the great debate..suite with perks at higher cost or AQ with Blu and smaller room...fewer perks but acces to Thermal suite and BLU guaranteed!

[MACruisers]

48 minutes ago, hcat said:

We had an IV on EDGE not our fav  layout ( preferred the SV) and of course our BEYOND Suite ..lots of space!  I think  we could manage ok with the IV.keeping bi folds open..

 

  We miss the Thermal suites and  BLU...it was amazing on BEYOND. Much better than  Luminae and more suited to our tastes..  Had our last night dinner there..filet mignon . It was perfect, we had a bread tray and fancy butters/ veg spreads on our table,,.

 

. We are Having the great debate..suite with perks at higher cost or AQ with Blu and smaller room...fewer perks but acces to Thermal suite and BLU guaranteed!

Something else to consider to make the choice more difficult.  Beyond and Ascent have Aqua Sky Suites that give you all the aqua class perks AND all the suite perks.  

[Buckeye94]

To @GenerationX @julia @hcat and all the other Cruise Critic regulars I met (but don't remember your screen names), THANK YOU!  I usually interact on the roll call before sailing, but this time it was so nice to meet the people I've followed and relied upon for advice for so long onboard, IRL! 

 

I hope our travels intersect again! 

 

Charla, you have inspired me to write a live (or post-cruise, depending on the wifi) review of my "only a veranda" Patagonia cruise in January.

 

Until then, happy travels and travel planning! 

 

Julie

 

[cinderellen]

I love your reviews! Looking forward to your next one. 

[chamima]

21 hours ago, MACruisers said:

Something else to consider to make the choice more difficult.  Beyond and Ascent have Aqua Sky Suites that give you all the aqua class perks AND all the suite perks.  

 

 

Are those more or less expensive than regular suites?

And, considering suite guests can eat in Blu, what other perks are there?

[kwokpot]

1 hour ago, chamima said:

And, considering suite guests can eat in Blu, what other perks are there?

Complimentary access to the Thermal Suite.

[MACruisers]

2 hours ago, chamima said:

 

 

Are those more or less expensive than regular suites?

And, considering suite guests can eat in Blu, what other perks are there?

It is difficult to say price wise.  You basically have to review the upcharge vs what a spa pass would cost for the week.  These suites are new so I’m not sure if they also have the aqua class shower amenities etc. I considered one but I’m happy with my S1. 

[MACruisers]

2 hours ago, chamima said:

 

 

Are those more or less expensive than regular suites?

And, considering suite guests can eat in Blu, what other perks are there?

All Aqua Sky Suite Amenities

 

Spa Benefits

_{*Additional charges may apply}

• Unlimited access to the Sea Thermal Suite
• Dedicated Spa Concierge: Personal Consultation
• Priority Spa Reservations
• Complimentary fitness classes
• Exclusive spa treatment package discounts*
• Exclusive welcome reception

Amenities

• 2 Bottled waters in room - daily
• 2 Yoga mats
• In-room fitness amenities
• Eco-friendly natural ingredients shower amenities
• Expanded wellness on demand TV
• Plush Frette bathrobes, slippers, towels
• Welcome bottle of sparkling wine
• Daily delivery of afternoon savories
• In-Suite Specialty Coffees
• Afternoon tea event hosted in The Retreat Lounge
• Complimentary use of umbrella and binoculars
• Complimentary shoe shine service

Aqua Sky Suite Features

• Located close to The Spa
• Veranda with lounge seating
• Floor-to-ceiling sliding-glass doors
• King-sized Cashmere Mattress
• Exclusive eXhale® bedding
• Plentiful storage space
• Spacious sitting area with sofa
• Stateroom Automation
• Enhanced air filtration system

 

Aqua Sky Suite All Included^†

• Premium Drinks
• Premium Wi-Fi
• Tips
• Onboard Credit
• Spa Credit*

 _{*Aqua Sky Suite guests receive Spa Credit
   in place of Shore Excursion Credit.}

Dining

• Dedicated Exclusive Restaurant: Luminae at The Retreat
• Option to dine in Blu based on availability
• Full In-Suite Menu (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner) featuring clean cuisine from Blu
• Option to dine Main Dining Room
• Complimentary 24-hour room service

Intuitive Service

• Butler
• Dedicated pre-cruise Retreat Concierge
• Onboard Retreat Concierge
• Priority check-in, departur

[Barwick Cruiser]

Last we heard from @GenerationX was 10 days ago…I’m sure you’re back home again by now, Charla, hope that all is well with you and your family and that you’ve just been busy with life before being able to come back to finish this review!  

[GenerationX]

Hello everyone! I’ve finally found time to come back after a busy couple of weeks at home to finish my Beyond cruise review!

 

If my notes were correct, I think what I had left to report on were second dinner in Eden and the spa.

 

Since my Thanksgiving holiday workload has me dreaming of being onboard having a nice massage right now, let’s start with spa.

 

I booked my treatments prior to the cruise on the cruise planner during a 20% off promo.  In the old world of cruising and even my first few post shut down cruises on half full ships, it was pretty common for me to see spa staff all over the ship (including in Retreat areas) trying to sell treatments and occasionally offering even better discounts than booking pre-cruise.  

 

My last few cruises though, not only has their been no onboard pushing or dramatic extra discounts offered, I heard people say on Beyond that they had trouble getting their desired treatment type/time booed onboard because the spa was full.

 

This cruise I had my usual Elemis superfood facial, sea salt body scrub and hot stone massage.  

 

The spa on Beyond was very similar to Edge.  The only difference I noticed was that whereas for my treatments on Edge I was not offered pre or post treatment use of thermal areas, this time on both occasions my therapist did offer. 
 

 I’m not sure though if this was because I was aqua class this cruise (so access to thermal areas were included as a perk generally even without booking a spa treatment).  I’ve always thought that with what Celebrity charges for spa treatments, pre/post treatment thermal access should be included with the service, like every other “luxury” day spa I’ve ever been to.

 

Based on my experience on Beyond, I wonder if the reason they don’t do that is because of just how crowded the thermal areas get already just with aqua class and pass purchasers.  I popped in for a few minutes after my facial and it was unfortunately kind of loud (people taking in normal voice, but it echoes) and busy and didn’t seem like a very relaxing atmosphere.   The space looked beautiful though and I think would be very relaxing when not so many people were there.

 

As for my treatments, my scrub and massage were wonderful.  My masseuse was friendly and attentive to my pressure change requests and didn’t try to sell me any products at the end of my services.  

 

My facial though…the woman who did it was very polite and friendly, but the service itself turned out to be a bit of a disaster.  I’ve had the same facial several times before on other ships and it’s always worked very well for my combination skin.  This time though, within 3 hours after the facial I was having the worst breakout I’ve had in YEARS. I’m not exaggerating when I say my face looked like I was a 14 year old girl in the midst of puberty.  Fortunately, it settled down quite a bit after another day of my usual face routine, but I kind of wished I had a veil to wear to dinner that night.

 

When I was back at the spa the next day, I asked if there had been any change in the products used for that facial and was told there hadn’t been.  But out of an abundance of caution, I’m going to save my facials for my monthly spa trip on land going forward (a shame because the Elemis one on the ship is $75 cheaper than the facial I like at my spa at home).

 

Moving on to happier reports, Red and I’s second night of dinner at Eden was just as good as the first both in food and service.  

 

A Heads Up:  when we got our menus, we noticed that a few dishes that were on the menu night 1 were no longer there and there were a couple of new things that weren’t on the menu the first night.  

 

Our server told us that this is because many ingredients used in Eden’s dishes are fresh rather than frozen, so over the course of a cruise, less hardy fish/meat/produce may not hold up as well and once it is no longer up to the chef’s quality standards, it’s pulled from the menu.

 

This was the case with Red’s sea bass from night 1, which she was sad to learn she wouldn’t be able to get again.  Fortunately though, in addition to having repeats of a couple of our favorite dishes from night 1 (including the sleeper hit, the Bazaar Bowl) we still found other good new food.  

 

My lamb was outstanding and Red said her filet was very good.  We also split a roasted veggie couscous that wasn’t on the menu night one and was very flavorful and refreshing.  For me though, the real star of the meal was the mushroom risotto. OMG, I would cheerfully pay twice the cover charge for Eden just to be able to stand in the open kitchen with a glass of wine in one hand and a wood spoon in the other and just go to town eating that risotto right out of the pot.  

 

Speaking of wine, it was my turn to treat Red to a bottle, and Ernesto came through once again with a perfect red for our meal plus give us a lesson in how to use that fancy decanter.

 

When I think back on my cruise on Beyond, our 2 dinners in Eden are some of the biggest highlights that jump out to me. While I enjoyed Eden on Edge, I really hope they at some point change that menu to match the one on Beyond because this one was next level.

 

Please excuse me as I drool over my Eden dinner pics as I sit here planning to reheat leftover turkey and green bean casserole for lunch.  

 

Up next: one last post on overall thoughts on Beyond and future cruise plans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[chamima]

Glad to hear it was only your busy schedule that kept you from posting!

 

[GenerationX]

Final Thoughts on Beyond

And Future Cruise Plans:

 

Overall, I loved Beyond as a ship and will definitely sail on her again.  In fact, I think she may be my new second favorite ship in the Celebrity fleet.

 

I remember sailing on Edge and thinking I didn’t like the specialty restaurants on E class as much as the ones on S and M class.  

 

On Beyond, the specialties, especially Eden and Le Voyage, are a big part of what is drawing me back.  I think those two restaurants were some of the best food I’ve had on any Celebrity cruise ever and the dining experiences there are so special.

 

I will probably wait another year though before I sail Beyond again to give the ship more time to work out kinks and get staffing numbers and training better up to speed.

 

Were there  occasions when service was slower or less attentive than what I’m used to on Celebrity?  Absolutely. At the same time, I never once saw a crew member standing around doing nothing or not trying their best to hustle and help passengers.  That makes me think that most of the service issues are due to staffing levels and/or inexperience, both of which (hopefully) will be worked out with more time.

 

While as mentioned before I wasn’t in love with the infinite veranda, otherwise I really liked my room (especially the more spacious bathroom and shower) and the upgraded app functionality allowing me to control lights/temperature from my phone and to open my stateroom door using my phone (which is usually much easier for me to get my hands on than fishing around the bottom of my tote for my tiny sea pass card).

 

I think my plan for the next Beyond cruise will be (since I’ll be waiting a while) to try and save and deal hunt for an opportunity to sail in the Retreat next time.

 

Which reminds me, my upcoming cruise plans are all about Retreat time…

 

In January, Red and I will reunite to sail semi-solo in the Caribbean on my favorite Celebrity ship, the Silhouette!  This cruise itinerary will have a couple of “firsts” in it for me that I’m very excited about:

 

-First, thanks to a very good booking deal, I’ll be sailing in a royal suite for the first time.    Red will be in a lowly Celebrity Suite but I’ve promised her that I won’t forget my friends amongst the common folk in my stately accommodations. 😂

 

-Second, this Silhouette itinerary is only a 4 day cruise and I’ve come to a point in my cruising addiction where that is no longer a sufficient fix.  As a result, I went in search of another 4 or 5 night cruise on Celebrity out of Miami or FLL that I could combine with this one, but alas, came up empty.  But I wasn’t going to let that make me get back on a plane to winter after only 4 nights at sea.  Instead, when Silhouette returns to Port of Miami, I will be taking a very short Uber ride a couple of terminals over to sail for another 4 nights in a Yacht Club Grand Suite on MSC Divina!  I’ve never sailed on MSC before and it will be interesting writing a live back to back (or I guess technically this would be a side by side) comparison review of the Retreat suite experience on Celebrity and the Yacht Club suite experience on MSC.  Although I’m not sure if technically I’m supposed to move the review over to the MSC discussion board once I swap ships.

 

Once I return from Silhouette and Divina, I’ll be on land until mid-March when Gen Z and I will fly to LA to spend her spring break on a mother-daughter cruise to Cabo on Solstice! When I announced said cruise to her, she was very quick to confirm with me that: (a) we’d fly first class; (b) we’ll be in a Celebrity Suite; and (c) our cruise will be at least 7 nights this time.  Tread carefully in introducing your children to the cruising addiction, my friends. Between the suite  cruises and her love of horses, I am watching my dreams of spending our retirement on a yacht in the Maldives slip ever further away from my grasp.

 

Anyway, after that, the plan right now is to be on land through summer while we invest in some home improvements, then take a TBD fall cruise to celebrate Jeremy’s big 40th birthday in October. 

 

Thank you so much to everyone who followed along. I hope my review was as at least half as entertaining and informative as the ones I so enjoy reading between cruises.  To everyone sailing soon, I hope you have amazing cruises!  
 

I’ll be going back through to try and answer any questions I may have missed and if there’s anything else that anyone has questions on, I’m always happy to help!

 

Bon voyage!

 

 

 

(BTW This was one of the coolest moments of the cruise for me:  Sitting on the newest ship in the fleet and watching her older sister, Infinity, sail through her wake at sunset.)

 

 

 

 

 

[RedneckBob]

Thanks so much for your excellent review and pictures. We just completed a seven day cruise on the Beyond on 11/20/22. Were a little disappointed with service and food, very inconsistent. And the elevators were terrible. I mentioned in another thread that Celebrity should give me frequent flyer miles for the miles traveled in the elevators due to not operating correctly.

 

Ship was beautiful but please I need a real balcony. Entertainment excellent! But please fix the emergency system. On Day 3 at 12:53 AM all our light in the cabin turned on, tv turned on and the blinds raised automatically. What was this? I checked under the bed to see if I cabin steward was sleeping and mistakenly turned on the lights 😀. Overall I guess I liked the cruise since I gained a few pounds!

[sdnich]

Thank you again for your review and pictures .I always enjoy reading about your travels and I often read portions to my husband he doesn’t follow cruise critic  but enjoys when I read interesting information and reviews.

[Sheltielover73]

Love all your reviews and this one did not disappoint! 🙂 

 

I board Beyond Dec 4 for a B2B in a Sunset Verandah and your review got me so excited! One week to go!! 

Cheers and I hope to see and meet you sometime on board one of Celebrity's ships!

 

Aimee 

[Quik2flip]

On 11/26/2022 at 2:10 PM, GenerationX said:

Final Thoughts on Beyond

And Future Cruise Plans:

 

Overall, I loved Beyond as a ship and will definitely sail on her again.  In fact, I think she may be my new second favorite ship in the Celebrity fleet.

 

I remember sailing on Edge and thinking I didn’t like the specialty restaurants on E class as much as the ones on S and M class.  

 

On Beyond, the specialties, especially Eden and Le Voyage, are a big part of what is drawing me back.  I think those two restaurants were some of the best food I’ve had on any Celebrity cruise ever and the dining experiences there are so special.

 

I will probably wait another year though before I sail Beyond again to give the ship more time to work out kinks and get staffing numbers and training better up to speed.

 

Were there  occasions when service was slower or less attentive than what I’m used to on Celebrity?  Absolutely. At the same time, I never once saw a crew member standing around doing nothing or not trying their best to hustle and help passengers.  That makes me think that most of the service issues are due to staffing levels and/or inexperience, both of which (hopefully) will be worked out with more time.

 

While as mentioned before I wasn’t in love with the infinite veranda, otherwise I really liked my room (especially the more spacious bathroom and shower) and the upgraded app functionality allowing me to control lights/temperature from my phone and to open my stateroom door using my phone (which is usually much easier for me to get my hands on than fishing around the bottom of my tote for my tiny sea pass card).

 

I think my plan for the next Beyond cruise will be (since I’ll be waiting a while) to try and save and deal hunt for an opportunity to sail in the Retreat next time.

 

Which reminds me, my upcoming cruise plans are all about Retreat time…

 

In January, Red and I will reunite to sail semi-solo in the Caribbean on my favorite Celebrity ship, the Silhouette!  This cruise itinerary will have a couple of “firsts” in it for me that I’m very excited about:

 

-First, thanks to a very good booking deal, I’ll be sailing in a royal suite for the first time.    Red will be in a lowly Celebrity Suite but I’ve promised her that I won’t forget my friends amongst the common folk in my stately accommodations. 😂

 

-Second, this Silhouette itinerary is only a 4 day cruise and I’ve come to a point in my cruising addiction where that is no longer a sufficient fix.  As a result, I went in search of another 4 or 5 night cruise on Celebrity out of Miami or FLL that I could combine with this one, but alas, came up empty.  But I wasn’t going to let that make me get back on a plane to winter after only 4 nights at sea.  Instead, when Silhouette returns to Port of Miami, I will be taking a very short Uber ride a couple of terminals over to sail for another 4 nights in a Yacht Club Grand Suite on MSC Divina!  I’ve never sailed on MSC before and it will be interesting writing a live back to back (or I guess technically this would be a side by side) comparison review of the Retreat suite experience on Celebrity and the Yacht Club suite experience on MSC.  Although I’m not sure if technically I’m supposed to move the review over to the MSC discussion board once I swap ships.

 

Once I return from Silhouette and Divina, I’ll be on land until mid-March when Gen Z and I will fly to LA to spend her spring break on a mother-daughter cruise to Cabo on Solstice! When I announced said cruise to her, she was very quick to confirm with me that: (a) we’d fly first class; (b) we’ll be in a Celebrity Suite; and (c) our cruise will be at least 7 nights this time.  Tread carefully in introducing your children to the cruising addiction, my friends. Between the suite  cruises and her love of horses, I am watching my dreams of spending our retirement on a yacht in the Maldives slip ever further away from my grasp.

 

Anyway, after that, the plan right now is to be on land through summer while we invest in some home improvements, then take a TBD fall cruise to celebrate Jeremy’s big 40th birthday in October. 

 

Thank you so much to everyone who followed along. I hope my review was as at least half as entertaining and informative as the ones I so enjoy reading between cruises.  To everyone sailing soon, I hope you have amazing cruises!  
 

I’ll be going back through to try and answer any questions I may have missed and if there’s anything else that anyone has questions on, I’m always happy to help!

 

Bon voyage!

 

 

 

(BTW This was one of the coolest moments of the cruise for me:  Sitting on the newest ship in the fleet and watching her older sister, Infinity, sail through her wake at sunset.)

 

 

 

 

 

@GenerationX As usual I am late to the party having just discovered you and your fabulous reviews of your cruise vacations. It’s like discovering a good book everyone has read, and you instantly know why. Girl, up top for sailing solo! I told my husband about you and he didn’t even look away from the tv to acknowledge anything I said🤭. Looking forward to reading your adventures on the Silhouette, which is also my favorite ship. A suggestion for that TBD fall cruise for hubby’s birthday…the Apex out of Athens (October 6) hitting Israel, Egypt, and Turkey!  Can I tempt you?!? This would be our first time on an E class ship. 

[dateacher]

The only thing better than a Generation X review would be actually sailing with you.  Thanks again. Sorry you won't be on my Beyond B2B in January.  I would love to hang out with you.