Live from The Beyond, March 5th to 12th

[Reel Love]

Have a fabulous cruise!  Looking forward to following along 😊

[oceanbeau10]

5 hours ago, keesar said:

Beyond is a beautiful ship and the food is excellent.  Staff is a nice mix of experienced staff and new hires.    You should hope to get a quiet room without any creaking in the walls and ceilings.  Or bring along ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones. 

Where are the noisy rooms located?  Inside or balcony?  Any info is appreciated!

[Moochi]

We have been busy since getting onboard.

Muster station done

Specialty dining reservations sorted out

Checkled out Retreat area

Lunch done

Intruduced ourselves to the World Class Bar. We will spend a lot of time there

Met our butler 

Time to head out to Sunset bar for the sail away party
 

We had lunch at Luminae. The restaurant is much bigger on Beyond than Millennium, with wraparound floor to ceiling windows. The view is great, but also makes the venue a little bit warm. The drinks are taking a bit long because the restaurant is packed at 12:40pm, but we have already had three servers asking if we have gotten the drinks. The service is very attentive. 
 

I ordered an Aperol Spritz and hubby got a Vanilla Mojito from the menu. The drinks are well made and delicious. I didn’t want to bother a server to get a straw for my Aperol Spritz, because everyone looks so busy. Hubby game me his straw, says he can use his front teeth to strain the ice cubes from his drink. These are the moments that reminds me why I married this guy!

 

I ordered curry pan seared halibut for lunch. It looks new to me. Let’s say that I ordered a Luminae burger as the second entree and glad I did it.

Edited March 5, 2023 by Moochi

[DaKahuna]

13 hours ago, Moochi said:

We are staying at Renaissance Ft Lauderdale West for the night. It is a 15-20 minutes ride away from the pier or airport, but $150 cheaper than a hotel on Las Olas Blvd. The hotel was recently remodeled, and looks clean and stylish. I like the brass accents in the bedroom, and matte black hardware in the bathroom. 

 

 

 We've never stayed at that hotel.  We've stayed almost every time at the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port on 17th street, which is a straight shot into the cruise port.  I may have to look into this one although it is much further away from the port.  

 

[Stem to Stern]

I am looking forward to following along on your vacation.  

Really enjoying all of the pics and the updates from both of you.  

What a guy!  Giving up your straw for the lady.  

How was the halibut?  Sounds delish!  Bon Voyage!

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Have agreat time and please if you can post food pics!

[Moochi]

1 hour ago, Stem to Stern said:

I am looking forward to following along on your vacation.  

Really enjoying all of the pics and the updates from both of you.  

What a guy!  Giving up your straw for the lady.  

How was the halibut?  Sounds delish!  Bon Voyage!

He’s definitely a keeper!

 

The halibut was honestly meh. Each component in the dish was fine, but the textures and flavous don’t work that well together, and the entire dish could use more salt (first time ever I think a Luminae dish needs more salt). Good thing is I know I will never walk out of Luminae hungry. There is always the wonderful burger. 

Edited March 5, 2023 by Moochi

[Ripheus]

Well, we're under way now. DW has been doing a fantastic job keeping you all updated. Service in Luminae was, predictably, exceptional but slow. It will get better over the next couple of days. 

 

DW has been very patient with me. I normally walk pretty slowly, but my foot is not allowing me to go faster than a crawl... At least it keeps DW entertained. 

 

The ship was very warm when we boarded. Apparently, they were doing something to the IT to upgrade it. AC is cranked all over the ship now, so it's a lot more comfortable. 

 

Our butler, Simi, is going to be terrific. She's very sharp and unbelievably helpful. We're changing up our tipping strategy this go around, so we have her about half what we're planning on giving her upfront and will disburse the rest over the course of the week. 

 

Pic of DW for attention...

[DaKahuna]

26 minutes ago, Moochi said:

He’s definitely a keeper!

 

The halibut was honestly meh. Each component in the dish was fine, but the textures and flavous don’t work that well together, and the entire dish could use more salt (first time ever I think a Luminae dish needs more salt). Good thing is I know I will never walk out of Luminae hungry. There is always the wonderful burger. 

 

Don't forget that also on Day 2 onward there is also the children's menu you can order from.  

 

[Visitors4]

Hi, we were on the Beyond's 2/12-2/19 sailing (cabin 10108), and Simi was our Retreat Host. She is attentive, responsive, works hard, and ever present to make sure her guests are doing well. Btw, in AquaClass, you can request certain exercise equipment in your cabin in addition to the yoga mats (e.g, weights, stretch bands, etc.). Don't forget about the 3 fitness classes per guest that are no-charge for AquaClass. The Power Yoga class was very good. 

 

Also recommend Le Grand Bistro for lunch. It was the best meal from beginning to end for us. Enjoy!

[Ripheus]

5 minutes ago, Visitors4 said:

Also recommend Le Grand Bistro for lunch. It was the best meal from beginning to end for us. Enjoy!

We have Le Grande Bistro booked for tomorrow afternoon!

[Moochi]

3 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 We've never stayed at that hotel.  We've stayed almost every time at the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port on 17th street, which is a straight shot into the cruise port.  I may have to look into this one although it is much further away from the port.  

 

There might be something to do with the spring break, hotels near the pier last night were all very expensive, so we had to stay a bit further. Renaissance FLL was more than $400 a night! Geez! The one in Arlington is a lot more affordable. 

[Ripheus]

The bread is so good at Luminae, that it's already gone. 

 

The amuse bouche was a cracker stuffed with goat cheese. Very tasty. 

 

For wine tonight, DW is having Mer Soleil chardonnay. I'm having the St. Francis Pinot Noir. 

[Ripheus]

For Dinner , I'm having the duck cavatelli. DW is having the vegetable udon. 

[Ripheus]

For dessert, I'm having the chocolate tart. DW is having the cheesecake. 

[Moochi]

49 minutes ago, Ripheus said:

For Dinner , I'm having the duck cavatelli. DW is having the vegetable udon. 

The same dish , vegetable udon stir fry, that I had on Millennial two months ago. The broth/sauce was more complex, creamy, and flavorful with more colorful veggies. I personally prefer the version on Millie. 

The ricotta cheesecake was very tasty. I read about it in one of the post here on CC. Sorry I forgot who mentioned it.

 

now I’m ready to have some snacks that are a bit more savory to help with alcohol overload.

[Moochi]

I want to post something before I get too drunk tonight.

 

I took my summer purse for this trip, which I haven’t used since our honeymoon #1 in December. When we got the room card this afternoon, I naturally put it in the back pocket of the purse. But I felt there was something in that little back pocket. I reach inside and found the key card to the Millennium room of our honeymoon #1.I also wore the same dress I wore on day 1 of honeymoon #1. I feel incredibly connected to that trip, and I’m looking forward to our continued honeymoon!

 

Edited March 6, 2023 by Moochi

[cyntil8ing]

I am late finding this post, but I wish you a wonderful cruise! I know your next door neighbors can’t possibly be as great as those you had on honeymoon #1.😃

 

[Stem to Stern]

1 hour ago, Moochi said:

I want to post something before I get too drunk tonight.

Said no one ever!😉

[miched]

About the entree being better on the Millennium.   We had a special dinner as part of the Chefs Market.  During dinner the chef was open for questions.   I asked why the same entree was made and presented different between ships and also sometimes on doing a B2B on the same ship.    He said that is impossible as everything is dictated from corporate and has to be the same.    Others at the table agreed with him and I don’t know why they did as it happens and is the truth.  I didn’t want to continue the discussion and left it at that.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[Ripheus]

13 hours ago, cyntil8ing said:

I am late finding this post, but I wish you a wonderful cruise! I know your next door neighbors can’t possibly be as great as those you had on honeymoon #1.😃

I wholeheartedly agree! You and Bob were wonderful neighbors. We had a blast with both of you. Hopefully, we'll meet again in future travels. 

[Ripheus]

We finished out the night 1 with me doing a little gambling. I lost my budget. Maybe DW will allow me a little more later... It was great fun. DW enjoyed her drinks last night and somehow found the OVC for some late night pizza. I was very impressed, both with my beautiful (and drunk) wife and with the pizza. 

 

We woke up this morning a little after 8 and scrambled to make breakfast at Luminae. I had hashbrowns, bacon, and mushrooms. DW had the potato waffles. After breakfast, we tried to get some gelato, but went to the wrong place. When we got to the right place, we were informed that we were too early. Oh well. It will be a good (but still slow) walk this afternoon. 

 

We saw the OV Bar. It's nice, but we weren't quite ready for a drink at that point. It only took us a few more minutes until we were at the Sunset bar though. I promptly got myself a Pina colada with rum floater and a Mediterranean G&T for DW. The pina colada is always a solid choice. The G&T was not exactly as advertised. The description says it has olive oil fat washed gin, but it's really just gin mixed with olive oil. Not quite the same thing. Still, DW seemed to enjoy it. We then made our way to the Magic Carpet to enjoy the vast views of the sea before it got too sunny for DW. 

 

Then we were off to briefly check out the spa. We'll be back later to have a more thorough looksee. 

 

Now we're back in the room for a quick nap and rest before we go to le grand Bistro for lunch at 1. 

[Moochi]

Hubby is soaking his swollen foot in the bathtub. I will type up something quickly on my phone. 
 

We have been onboard for almost a full 24-hour. Here are some of my observations from the first day. We have some experience with Celebrity, but not as extensive as a lot of members here. We have sailed twice on Millennium, both in a sky suite, with under 1,000 passengers onboard. This is our first time on Beyond or E class and this sailing is at full capacity. My opinion might be a bit biased.

 

The ship is gorgeous. We were having a bit of (not 100% positive) opinions about the Kelly Hoppen touches on Millie. This ship, the public areas and our cabin, are beautiful and functional. 
 

We like the newer technology. The lighting and temperature are controlled by a wall panel as well as the X app.
 

The elevators have updated technology too. They are controlled by touch screens. The up call button is color coded red and down green.  The elevator doors are framed by LED light strips that are color coded the same way. When an elevator is about to arrive, the door frame will display the color to show the direction it’s going. We find that pretty neat. The not so great part about the elevators? There are only two elevator banks on the ship. Although there are more elevators at each back, it can get crowded when more passengers are moving at the same time such as at the end of a show. Also, I have noticed that when there are more than 4-5 people in an elevator, there are always two people standing at the front corners and completely blocking the control panels. And they don’t offer to push the buttons. It is one of the awkward moments for me as an introvert, that I have to trouble someone to move so I can push the buttons. Hope more passengers will realize this is inconvenient to others towards the end of the cruise. 
 

Although this ship is very full, it doesn’t feel crowded in most venues. Both pool deck and Retreat sun deck look almost full, but I don’t think we will have problems finding empty lounges, just may not be the exact areas we want to be.

 

 

Edited March 6, 2023 by Moochi

[BecciBoo]

Moochi, just sing out  "Deck 10 please"!

[Moochi]

On 3/5/2023 at 7:27 AM, keesar said:

Beyond is a beautiful ship and the food is excellent.  Staff is a nice mix of experienced staff and new hires.    You should hope to get a quiet room without any creaking in the walls and ceilings.  Or bring along ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones. 

We barely heard any creaking noise. Either we got a “good cabin” that doesn’t make the noise, or because the ocean has been very calm. 
 

I wouldn’t be too worried about the noise anyways, because I’m so used to the banging sound in the HVAC duct at work. It sounds like two elephants walking across the steel ceiling when the AC switches on and off. With help of alcohol, I will sleep through any sound!🤣🤣