Observations From The Poop Deck : BEYOND NOV 20-27 2022

[morpheusofthesea]

This is of interest to all those passengers contemplating getting off a ship that has to tender, like here in Grand Cayman. We got to GC and anchored around 10 am this morning. We have 2500 on board this sailing and the tenders handle about 100 guests 'comfortably'. The ships are hiring tenders from shore and I inquired how many each holds, which appears to be in line with this ships own tenders in photo.(132 if tendering/ 223 if we abandon ship... I have visions of DW sitting in my lap unless it's women and children first). But the point I am getting to is that tender tickets are given out to tours booked through the ship first and today the tendering began just after 10am and the call for those going ashore on their own had to wait on the ship until 11:39 am. About an hour and 1/2. On the MSC Seashore last month we had 5000 passengers and it took 3 hours before the independents were allowed to take a tender off the ship. So plan ahead when one plans a cruise like this.

[morpheusofthesea]

We had one of the best lunches this afternoon at the Retreat Sun Deck. It was the kind of perfect day with a cool breeze blowing, beautiful outdoor view of another ship anchored and tendering, in the shade at one of the six available tables. Not one waiter but 4 to attend us. It was like a commercial. Perfect in every way. Noticed immediately that being anchored so far from port and tendering that we did NOT have the problem we experienced in the past dining on our balcony while docked of having port flies 'crashing our picnic'. This was a perfect choice for lunch. The turkey BLT wheat wrap was crisp and delicious, not that slimey pressed garbage that made me ill that we had at Le Bistro. (DW was the smarter of us and did not eat the chicken, I was brought up to eat whatever was on my plate due to the starving masses in China). 

[morpheusofthesea]

We find the wifi better on the Beyond than we had on the MSC Seashore.On Seashore we had the included browse package for 2 devices each and could only post text onto CC. Could not view Youtube and get our nightly fix of cruise news, so we paid to upgrade to streaming on MSC and then were able view You tube but could not upload a picture. Here on Beyond I have been able to upload a 20 second video in less than a minute but only before everyone wakes up on board.

[morpheusofthesea]

uploaded this 11 second clip in less than 30 seconds. This was the stage leading up to the 7pm production of the highly rated "Elements". ("a situation in which people are afraid to criticize something or someone because the perceived wisdom of the masses is that the thing or person is good or important.") One will just have to see and make up their own minds. DW noticed during her daily walkabouts of the ship that should one wish to see and come in contact with officers or heads of departments take a walk through of the Oceanview Cafe 15 minutes before closing times. She stopped by our Cruise Director Luigi's table and and told him what a wonderful job he is doing as he hosts and gets personally involved rather than delegating. Then she brought up why the Beyond does not have great acts like "Up Town". He nodded and replied that "Up Town" is fully booked for next year on Apex and Equinox and maybe later they will come to Beyond. So I guess the draw on Beyond will remain these highly rated (not) theater productions.

[morpheusofthesea]

Must give credit to Celebrity for its fantastic complimentary Al Bacio pastries. MSC is a dismal failure with their meager choices in Brooklyn Cafe on Seashore.

[jelayne]

Is Captain Dimitrios still on board?  He and his officers went to Cafe al Bacio every sea day morning around 11 to talk to guests.   

[morpheusofthesea]

22 minutes ago, jelayne said:

Is Captain Dimitrios still on board?  He and his officers went to Cafe al Bacio every sea day morning around 11 to talk to guests.   

Yes. Perhaps they still do. He did tell us that in the event he and his officers were indisposed, the command of the Beyond would rest in the hands of CD Luigi.

[C-Dragons]

1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Yes. Perhaps they still do. He did tell us that in the event he and his officers were indisposed, the command of the Beyond would rest in the hands of CD Luigi.

Indisposed, hmm. Meaning they’re all eating lunch? 😉
I love Capt. Kafetzis, he has a great sense of humor.  

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, C-Dragons said:

Indisposed, hmm. Meaning they’re all eating lunch? 😉
I love Capt. Kafetzis, he has a great sense of humor.  

In other words no matter what the situation  our captain has got things under control, worse comes to worse even our cruise director will pull us through.

[George C]

Was the ship at 100 capacity?

[morpheusofthesea]

On 11/21/2022 at 2:43 PM, YensidCA said:

I have a request for those on board. Could you post the daily planners? 

 

Much apricated

 

[morpheusofthesea]

17 minutes ago, George C said:

Was the ship at 100 capacity?

Do you mean 100% ?

Author

#41  

Posted Monday at 02:21 PM

Went down to deck 3 to guest services. No line and only two open desks. Asked the purser how many on board this sailing 2500 out of a 3200 maximum. Then I made a faux pas and asked him how many in the Yacht Club. He said you mean the Retreat. Yes the Retreat, sorry. He said the Retreat is always full.  Neither the Retreat nor the entire ship seems really full.

 So 2500/3200 = .78 or 78%.

Edited November 26, 2022 by morpheusofthesea

[George C]

7 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Do you mean 100% ?

Author

#41  

Posted Monday at 02:21 PM

Went down to deck 3 to guest services. No line and only two open desks. Asked the purser how many on board this sailing 2500 out of a 3200 maximum. Then I made a faux pas and asked him how many in the Yacht Club. He said you mean the Retreat. Yes the Retreat, sorry. He said the Retreat is always full.  Neither the Retreat nor the entire ship seems really full.

 So 2500/3200 = .78 or 78%.

We did edge July last year on edge second cruise after Covid ship was about 50 percent occupancy, suites were sold out.  Thanks for the update.

[jelayne]

1 minute ago, George C said:

We did edge July last year on edge second cruise after Covid ship was about 50 percent occupancy, suites were sold out.  Thanks for the update.

We have done 6 since the restart and suites were full on all of them. 

[morpheusofthesea]

Tonight we had the Boy Bands Evolution. Found the best songs were from Frankie Valle and the Four Seasons. Left to go the short distance to  Le Club to catch the Jazz show put on by the theatre performers, but found Le Club venue already packed and no good viewing so we left. It might have been performed in a better venue like Eden, but then this type of  music would disturb those having dinner in Eden Restaurant below.

  Overall found the timing of entertainment not well organized for 'older' folks that tend to be in bed by 8pm. On MSC we would make the 7pm show, get to Le Cabaret Rouge for another show at 8:30 then get to the Brooklyn Cafe for a jazz ensemble or go to the Up Towne Lounge for another band playing dance music before bed at around 11pm. Now we get back to our cabin by 9:15 on Beyond.

[morpheusofthesea]

17 minutes ago, George C said:

We did edge July last year on edge second cruise after Covid ship was about 50 percent occupancy, suites were sold out.  Thanks for the update.

We were on the same sailing. Saw the success of the first sailing, went online 48 hours before the second sailing and a Mrs. Hoover cancelled a Celebrity Suite (Celebrity was offering 48 hour FCC) so we grabbed it. Paid full tariff with all 4 perks, got on board and had no perks. Tonight at the Boy Band Show we bump into our Butler Rhona from that cruise she recognized us but we didn't recognize her due to crew masking. She remembered she called us Mr. and Mrs. Hoover as her list of passengers was not updated. She is the butler that took us around the lines at guest relations to a purser who restored our perks when all the Retreat concierges could do was charge us $$ for the missing perks. The purser also cleared our account of the charges placed on our account by the Retreat Concierges.

[George C]

14 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

We were on the same sailing. Saw the success of the first sailing, went online 48 hours before the second sailing and a Mrs. Hoover cancelled a Celebrity Suite (Celebrity was offering 48 hour FCC) so we grabbed it. Paid full tariff with all 4 perks, got on board and had no perks. Tonight at the Boy Band Show we bump into our Butler Rhona from that cruise she recognized us but we didn't recognize her due to crew masking. She remembered she called us Mr. and Mrs. Hoover as her list of passengers was not updated. She is the butler that took us around the lines at guest relations to a purser who restored our perks when all the Retreat concierges could do was charge us $$ for the missing perks. The purser also cleared our account of the charges placed on our account by the Retreat Concierges.

On that cruise my wife had her 60th birthday and we had just celebrated our 30th anniversary so I went a little nuts and did move up from sky suite to penthouse which was amazing. We had invited anyone interested for drinks on her July 4th  birthday,  to top everything off my wife won a grand at video poker that night . We did a music charter on summit in February in a royal suite and we ran into the head concierge from edge who now had a management position over the concierge and other functions, he and his staff brought my wife champagne, birthday cake , wine and other goodies during our get together. I attempted move up to penthouse but with a little less money so we are in a corner aft sky suite for this Sunday cruise, glad to here retreat didn’t seem to crowded . Too bad we didn’t meet last year. 

[morpheusofthesea]

This 40 second video of the Magic Carpet took 40 seconds to upload at 5:50 am.

[morpheusofthesea]

Pool Deck

[morpheusofthesea]

Hand washing station at entrance to Oceanview Cafe. Great touchless soap dispenser and faucet and generous paper towel dispenser to dry. We would use it every time we entered, never ate there, but would wash our hands upon entering just on principle alone. Witnessed most would just walk on by.

[morpheusofthesea]

This 2 minute 22 second video took 10 minutes to upload of the Oceanview Cafe at 6:03 to 6:13 am. People must be setting their alarms to get up early. Don't blame them. a slow or fast walk is better than a hard run both on the knees and heart. I know it is the quality of ones life not the quantity and our heart muscle was programed with just so many beats at birth so we take it slow and easy, don't want to run out of heart beats too early.

  Notice that every station is open in the buffet. Also please notice that at the entrance to the OVC there is a theme posted and there is a station inside dedicated to that theme, like yesterday was taste of Spain. 

 

Edited November 26, 2022 by morpheusofthesea

[morpheusofthesea]

This is the gym. Noticed that the work out machines of preference for Celebrity and MSC are both Technogym Brand. Only noticed, never got on one, only the scale. If in kilos, just multiply by 2.2

[KY Deb]

Unfortunately, your download of the ocean view cafe will not open.  We get on the Beyond on 12/4, so your pictures have been tantalizing.   

[kwokpot]

9 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Tonight we had the Boy Bands Evolution. Found the best songs were from Frankie Valle and the Four Seasons. Left to go the short distance to  Le Club to catch the Jazz show put on by the theatre performers, but found Le Club venue already packed and no good viewing so we left. It might have been performed in a better venue like Eden, but then this type of  music would disturb those having dinner in Eden Restaurant below.

  Overall found the timing of entertainment not well organized for 'older' folks that tend to be in bed by 8pm. On MSC we would make the 7pm show, get to Le Cabaret Rouge for another show at 8:30 then get to the Brooklyn Cafe for a jazz ensemble or go to the Up Towne Lounge for another band playing dance music before bed at around 11pm. Now we get back to our cabin by 9:15 on Beyond.

The Jazz show was quite entertaining but a bit of a misnomer since the music performed was mostly not Jazz but pop music done in a jazz style. Entertaining nonetheless. I'm wondering if BBE is the same group of guys that did the Boyband Project whom we saw on both the Apex and Summit. I had a nice chat with them and they are all from NYC. 

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, kwokpot said:

I had a nice chat with them and they are all from NYC.

These guys are from New Jersey, Long Island ,Chicago and Nebraska (that's what they told the audience)