LIVE - Beyond 1/29/2023 - Live Blog, Cat Blog, Vlog!

[Rable1]

6 hours ago, David Kane said:

Day 5 - Quick Follow Ups

 

1) According to XZ is may be a case of Square is a Rectangle but a Rectangle is not a square - or rather, putting the Chicken before the 'Just Egg.' Magarine is Vegan, but Vegan Butter, such as Oleo, can be made from any amount of vegetable oils. XZ guesses the 'Vegan Butter' in Eden was likely a Olive Oil base.

 

2) In re: to taking wine (or other drinks) around the ship, I believe one is always in the clear, pending some TA or repositioning cruises where beverage packages are not included as part of the AI price, where certain complimentary drinks, such as those served in the Retreat Lounge, should generally be consumed there. However, I also feel this information is pre-COVID, pre-revolution on the older ships, and pre-Captain's Club happy hour being available at any bar for a select time nightly. So, for the definitive answer, I'd direct you towards someone far more knowledgable that I - if I see an officer with an unhelpful level of expertise, such as the ship Horticulturalist whom we met today, I will be sure to ask them.

 

2A) OH! As noted above, there indeed may be something to do with certain stem-ware. I know it is helpful to let the World Class Bartenders know if you plan on ordering take away - they like to hang on to their stemware and rocks glasses from what I remember.

 

2B) Alternatively, you could just bring onboard and cosume your 2 bottles of wine if you don't have to pack them in your checked bagged.*

 

*If you DO pack them, remember never to label anything as "Fragile." In fact, when shipping ANYTHING, via plane or post, that 'Fragile' label is the first item thrown off the conveyor when an emaployee is having a rotten day.

 

Thank you.

[David Kane]

Day 5 - Edenmania/Evening...non-Mania

 

Post Lunch, we rambled around the ship for a few hours before retiring to the Retreat Pool for sailaway. This incarnation of the Retreat has about 157% more shade than the M and S class Edgifications. While this is perfect for those working on their tan, for those of us who have a nose like Cyranno and went bald at about 15 it means full coverings and hats which don't play well in warm weather. Depending on how the ship is docked, and the height of the sun, varying areas of the Retreat have total cover. In addition, there are several complete cover areas and the bar itself is very shaded. The pool offers limited shade, but much MORE shade than the main pool, certainly. The only issue with doing sail away from the Retreat Pool is the fac...HOOOOONK...What was th....HOOOOOOOOOOOONK. Oh, the ship's horn is driectly over the Retreat Po....HOOOOOOOOOOONK. So, a good time to go back to the room slightly during sail away.

 

We then changed for dinner, the second night in a row for Eden because the menu and open kitchen concept  were so enticing we wanted to explore more of the offerings. With a lovely seat on the Aft Windows we were able to see the sunset and...yet again, take no pictures of the extravagant. After a sumptous meal we did something we rarely do...and went to bed on time! How Odd!

 

 

[David Kane]

Day 6 - Morning Answers

 

We were up an at 'em early on Day 6 for our Jog, visit to Rolly's and then preparing to get off the ship (!) at Grand Cayman for a little snorkling. Before we do:

 

1) In re: to  MANKIND, from speaking with the Pool Butler, the space was actually supposed to be MANX-KIND, a boutique store designed to represent the sledom-spoken language and wool gathering culture of the Isle of Man, mixed with an off-shore adoption program for short-tailed cats. Unfortunately, after an initial trial run, Celebrity could not locate a reliable supply of salespeople who actually speak Manx, so there was a last minute refit. It explains a few odd lingering item, like woolen scarves on a Carribean Cruise and the ability for Suite guests to challenge an officer of their choice to a duel*

 

2) Chair Accessibility: I couldn't agree more about the chair accessibility issue - unfortunately our ratings are purely for unhelpful humor

 

3) RCI: As cheerleader loyalists we have not sailed any other lines so we have no basis for comparison. I would expect the more recent RCI Ships, such as their "Quantum of Solace" and the "Moonraker of the Seas" would have gorgeous spaces and modern amenities, along with their Robotic Captains and Nuclear Power Plants.**

 

4) The Solarium: On the M and S class ships we have been on the Solarium HAS been rather humid - almost spa-like. On the Beyond I feel is it far more of an indoor pool-type area, with less humidity.

 

*Obviously this isn't exactly true - the Officers vs. Guests contest were put on hold when the former Assistant Beverage Manager accidently tossed a javelin through the retired head of the Eastman Kodak company.   

 

**Interestingly enough, all RCI ships are named after James Bond movies; whilst all Carnival Ships are named after fightig styles (i.e. the Carnival Kenpo Karate and the Carnival Bare Fisted Boxer to name just a few).

[shanebbb]

On 2/3/2023 at 10:16 AM, sbt518 said:

Maybe it was never an issue but @Rable1 only has 8 posts so they are probably new to Celebrity and Cruise Critic and just asked a question for information.

SBT - a nice reply!  You’re probably a nice person!

[mk-ultra]

On 2/3/2023 at 11:33 AM, David Kane said:

*If you DO pack them, remember never to label anything as "Fragile." In fact, when shipping ANYTHING, via plane or post, that 'Fragile' label is the first item thrown off the conveyor when an emaployee is having a rotten day.

 

 

Loader at the bottom of the belt: "Fra-gi-le, that's a town in France, right?" [boots box into the aircraft]

[David Kane]

Day 6 - Dailes

 

Let's do some paperwork, shall we?

 

 

 

 

 

[garyl62]

Besides the 2 loungers on your balcony, what other furniture was out there? Could you have comfortably had a meal out there? 

 

Thanks for continuing through the week, always enjoy following along on your journeys. 

[KKB]

Loved your chair ratings--was disappointed no flower chair rating! 

Perhaps there are none on the Beyond? They looked horrid but weren't TOO bad.

And there was a horrid leather strap looking loveseat on Edge/Apex--worst one of all.

2* for the internet chairs--meh, you ARE being more positive than I!

Enjoying your creative TR! (and your fabulous dinner attire!)

[micruiser2002]

On 2/2/2023 at 2:34 PM, David Kane said:

B) I went the Seafood Route, with Crab, Shrimp and Lobster. All were excellently prepared and served with impeccable timing, which is saying something as there were at least a dozen other tables of diners.

This was in Eden?  I do not see this on the app on the menu.

[mpdog42]

Will the Cat give it's imput on what it did when you were gone? Possibly Tips on how to deal with  it's Human Servants?...Asking for my cat!!

[DaKahuna]

On 2/3/2023 at 3:05 PM, cruzzzinma said:

 

The biggest risk in the retreat lounge with to-go is that will pour a double.

 

 

 I see that as more of a reward than a risk.  just saying 

 

[go.without.you]

On 2/4/2023 at 1:35 PM, David Kane said:

Carnival Kenpo Karate and the Carnival Bare Fisted Boxer

I caught a Simpsons episode yesterday that had a whale swim out to a cruise ship entitled "Carnevil". The passengers see the whale and say, "Finally....a way off this ship!" Then drop rope to climb onto whale. I laughed out loud.

[Elsammo46]

Loved the review! Y'all's outfits are fantastic!

[David Kane]

Day 6 - Fast Forward Faster Forward

 

Day 6 (and shortly Day 7) go RIPPING by. Today is the last full day before the last Full Measure and featured us actually getting off the ship for a Snorkeling Adventure in Grand Cayman which was only slightly, mildly derailed by the safe refusing to open? that...can't be right? I triple check the code before I put it in each time. How could that be? Apparently, the safes are somewhat touchy, from time to time, and throw an "ERROR" code when one attempts to open them! But fear not, this has happened quite often, and an officer of the watch can quickly arrive with electronic pass keys in about 10 minutes.

 

This brings us to another point...why even use the safe to begin with? Sure, one may carry passports, jewelry or cash, but the modern ships have 24 x 7 video in darn well every public space, body cameras on security staff, and electronically recorded entry and exit times on every door, everywhere. if someone actually was able to steal from a room I suspect they would be caught handily, and I don't think any of the staff would remotely jeopardize their careers in this fashion, aside from being genuinely honest, trustworthy and nice people to begin with.

 

Our off-ship adventure quickly concluded, we returned for an afternoon of pool bingo, where, once again (4 trips running!) I could not get a drink at the Pool Bar! It's become some type of weird custom with me - I think it's because I don't hang out here regularly and everyone else does, and knows the bartenders by name along with their favorite type of pop-tart (Blueberry Frosted), and it is rather busy, and I don't much mind if people jostle in front of me, I've never successfully gotten a drink from one of these places...across three ships! XZ gets my drinks for me here, but once had to bite an overly aggressive dutchman fer her place in line.

 

Dinner that night was Chic Night, so it was time to head to Luminae for the Lobster Dinner where the Hostess didn't quite recognize us!

 

 

 

[David Kane]

Day 6 - The Questions of Cats

 

NOTE: By this point we are, of course, off the Ship, so I am speed posting to finish this Blog up before it fades into irrelevance. First up, the Cat would like to note the following, and wants a response, right MEOW:

 

Ah yes, the extra Lobster Tail upcharge. I know, I know, I likely shouldn't even broach this topic as enough has been said about it, the reasons for it, the lack of official  communication around it, and the eye-rolling discourse that it doesn't apply to Luminae. But this picture was just too cute not to address it a little. So, as follows.

 

In Luminae they will bring you an extra warm water tail pretty much as a matter of course. Someone had noted that the tails are the size of one's thumb, but unless you have a ham fist (I know some likely do!) they are a litttle bigger than that, and they are cut in half and wonderfully plated and presented, as shown below:

 

 

 

 

[David Kane]

Day 6 - Night 6 - Answers

 

After going to Elements (it had some stunning visual aspects; the 'storyline,' if it could be called one, still felt like they were chasing the original 'Elysium' show and...still not quite catching whatever the vision was supposed to be, all those years ago - but darn did it look cool!) and staying up far too late watching Decadence at Eden (showtime was at 10:30, I think - got to Eden at 9:45 and got the LAST seats on the floor...so year, that venue is popular! My friends at the bar seem to haunt it around 8:30 for a best-in-house seats) followed by a late night trip around the ship we retired. Lingering questions as follows:

 

A) Seating on the Villa for food: Yes, they have a small table for plates and a wide enough area in front of the Hot Tub to put serving trays or drinks. One could not sit face-to-face across a table like a traditional large balcony, or even side-twixt-side like a Sky Suite. It would be a great place for a light breakfast or lunch - I would not suggest trying to eat a full steak dinner for two there, but a breakfast for two is entirely doable.

 

B) Flower Chairs: Our chair ratings got seriously unseated (LOL) by pool time - we DID finally sit in the Flower Chairs by Eden and they are REALLY much better than one would think! They are even easy to get into and out of while they appear to be the exact opposite. At least ****.

 

C) Eden Seafood: Apologies - there should have been a number of oxford commas. The Crab Cake, and the Shrimp are two apps. The Lobster is the Entree.

 

D) Cat Away Time: Luckily, we have our favorite bartender (they live locally...as in at least 1 minute away) who comes around daily to look in on the furry menace. Whilst being a touch board, we adopted an 'unadoptable' shelter cat who had been stuck there for several months, for a reason - guiltless travel! We think she understands as our "It has been X many days since I have bitten a human" counter has not been reset in the last 2 days...

 

[David Kane]

Day 7 - The Last Full Measure

 

Here we are, the end of times. Fear not, those who have followed along, there are still a few tips and tricks to be revealed - as follows:

 

A) Preparing for your final day on board: Our strategy, after countless prior mistakes, is to push hard on Day 6 and then take Day 7 as light recovery time. Pools, a few sips at a bar, and going to bed by 10pm all make disembarkation far more palatable than waking up rushed and hungover. The first task of the day is packing. Indeed, don't leave it for the hours before luggage is due to be collected, get it out of the way in the AM, laying out clothing for that night and the next morning to be packed separately in your carry on. Everything else, including liquids that cannot go into carry-ons, gets buttoned up before lunch, allowing one to enjoy a leisurely rest of the day.

 

B) The Hours of Gratitude: The post-cruise Survey is important (boy IS it) and the staff will remind you of this several times - they have the patter down rather well. But there was another, grander tradition, from when we first started cruising (all of *8* whole years ago!) that we feel is falling somewhat by the way-side - additional thank you notes and accompanying tips. This is likely caused by the AI packages with all Gratuities included, but we have always felt, from our first trip, that a thank you envelope and quick, personalized letter to each staff member (under officer level), along with additional gratuity, who made your trip special is a nice touch. In addition to preparing and handing out named envelopes, we also carry around a number of 'generic' ones to hand out to the cleaning staff, pool staff, buffet servers and others who likely attract little attention and don't usually get mentioned in the comment cards or the post cruise surveys. For those still following along, we tip around $20 at a starting rate, and climbing to $100 or more, for those truly special staff (Butlers, Housekeeping...but sometimes the bartenders who always seem to have your drink ready, or the Server who remembers your name on day 1). This go around we wrote somewhere around 30 personalized notes and distributed several more generic ones. I suspect there are some playing along at home who blanche at this number, but, as Omar Little says, "Money don't got owners, only spenders," and we each chose to dispose of our income in our own ways - and this is one of those that truly brings us joy. 

 

C) The Last Surprise: After meeting a very welcoming and *extremely* well-traveled couple in the Retreat the previous night it was recommended to us that, if possible, we should dine at Le Voyage the next night. Originally, the heavy menu didn't necessarily appeal to us, but, with additional information, we were notified that it was possible for the chefs to prepare a Vegan offering using the same cooking standards for the regular faire. One call to Hilario the Butler (note: likely the best Butler we have had in all our cruises, and that is saying something special) and we had a 5:30 reservation. i will admit, after seeing Danny Bold's (throwback joke to 4 pages ago) initial offerings in Luminae and then being gifted (and having to carry home on a flight) his 18 lbs. cookbook I was somewhat skeptical of the experience. But I'll tell you what, and I can't believe I am saying this, but Le Voyage is absolutely worth it. Aside from the dishes; the TIMING of the service is AAA Diamond, Four Star. Remember when they first launched Luminae and they were going after a unique, more boutique, small dining experience (Pepperidge Farm Remembers) - this is that concept, built upon to elegance.

 

 

 

 

[miched]

I have the same experience at the pool bar.   On our last cruise that was on the Equinox I was patiently sitting there waiting my turn.  I didn’t tap my card,  try to promote my status in the CC,  call out to them, or flash my silver cabin card.     I took notice of who is there when I sat  down.  
 

After most were served that were there before me without a drink a BT looked around and asked who is next.  I said those 2 over there and then me.  He served them and then continued to serve others that just walked up and he and the other BTs kept ignoring me by  serving more that walked up.  I sat there just waiting and a person next to me said I can’t believe it.   I agreed and said I can’t either.   I guess I will need to go to another bar and left.   I was going to write a complaint on an attention to detail card but decided against that and didn’t go to that bar again.   
 

2 days later I was at the Sunset Bar.   That BT was there.  He took my order and said he remembered me from somewhere, maybe a different cruise   I said I it could be. He was completely different person and very accommodating.   It must have been a bad hair day for him when at the pool bar.   
 

I found the bars that gave good service and kept going there.  I did spend a lot of time in the Retreat Lounge.   It was quieter, not as crowded and got fast service.

 

On the Apex and Edge besides the Retreat Lounge it was the Eden Bar.  Love the atmosphere and the choices of where to relax and spend time.   Sometimes we would luck out when the performers were rehearsing.   A little extra entertainment.  

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Edited February 7, 2023 by miched

[David Kane]

Day 8 - Alas and Adieu you Fair Spanish Ladies

Which brings us...to the end. I will likely check this thread one more time for any final questions, but each day leads to passing irrelevance as others post more updated content. A few final thoughts:

 

A) Walk around the ship AT NIGHT. The current photographs out there do not do it justice:

 

 

B) For those of you monitoring these posts from Celebrity or RCI's content team, please note the space below outside Eden. THIS is where you put the SHUFFLEBOARD COURT, darnit!

 

 

C) A Copy of 'House of Leaves' has been left in a Shadowy alcove in line with 'Streets of Amsterdam, Streets of Paris, Streets of London.' We shall see how long it lasts, if you find it, this one is for you (if the Ship Library is a quaint thing of the past, we shall slowly endeavor to create our own - odd side note - the Retreat Hosts have a small stash of books hidden behind their desk for the taking and returning, or not):

 

 

D) To all those who have followed along, thank you for your polity and tenderness in your replies. We had prepared the Alpaca of Surprise for those who could find neither their Humor or Decorum on this thread. Thankfully, it remained magnetized to the back of the cabin door, and did not need to be deployed!

 

 

E) Lastly, here the best piece of artwork on the ship. Apparently, it is also Celebrity's NFT? Don't feel like "investing." Right-Click, Save Image As. Congratulations, you now own an NFT. Safe travels all.

 

 

 

 

 

[kwokpot]

18 minutes ago, David Kane said:

E) Lastly, here the best piece of artwork on the ship. Apparently, it is also Celebrity's NFT? Don't feel like "investing." Right-Click, Save Image As. Congratulations, you now own an NFT. Safe travels all.

 

Don't you remember it's in one of the production shows? It's either Arte or Elements but they use the same black and white sculptural birds which are separated as prop pieces. 

[catgirl411]

Thanks so much for taking us along. We will miss your regular reports from Beyond. What is your next adventure?

[hcat]

Thanks for another great blog..they end too soon!

[mac_tlc]

It was a pleasure to meet you and your wife and follow along! 
 

mac_tlc

[Cap_D]

Thanks for the fun review!   

 

Concur about the shuffleboard.  Have never played, but it's ship appropriate and the space is otherwise unused.   And, costs almost nothing as they have paint.   

 

Enjoy the build up to WM.  We'll be on Apex, so will be a good test for StarLink.  

[JeanieC,Aston]

Don’t take this the wrong way but do both of you maybe belong to a theatre group or amateur (or professional) dramatic society?

 

I only ask because of all the different costumes you wear,,,,