Live from the Beyond! May 18, ABC Sailing

[Espn]

3 hours ago, CarolCoupon said:

Got the last one, all unpacked! Heading to the Sunset Bar for sailaway. 

We contacted DePalm about shaded areas available, and booked the flamingo beach seating. DH is doing a helmet dive excursion there.

Looking forward to a great cruise!

If anyone has Beyond Retreat questions,  please ask away. 

Abbydancer, enjoy Eden!!!

We are considering the same cruise on Beyond for our 40th in October in the Retreat so I would love to hear your opinion of how it is, like Luminae, Blu, and the sun deck. Also if you have any of the noise in your suite and general impressions of the Retreat.

 

And thanks AbbyCruiser for the ES info! Have a blast and I look forward to your updates.

Edited May 18 by Espn
Edit

[mkcurran]

4 hours ago, AbbyCruiser45 said:

We’re onboard and unpacked! Super smooth embarkation day. We were on the ship, mojito in hand by 11:30. I have to say, they took most of the issues with the Edge and improved them. I love the redesign of the Martini Bar and Sunset Bar. I’m a little disappointed that most of the terraced area of the Sunset Bar is smoking though. I would have thought it’d be in a smaller section on the other side of the bar. 

 

The inside room is perfect. A cozy little cave! I sleep so well in inside rooms. As usual with Edge class there is tons of storage. I have everything unpacked and hidden away in drawers!

 

So far we’ve just done a tour of the updated areas and had lunch in Oceanview. Lunch was great. They had some southern fried chicken which was honestly some of the best fried chicken I’ve had (and I’m from the south!) We’re taking a breather now but head out soon for another drink, sailaway, and then we have dinner reservations in Eden! I’ve never been so I’m super excited to try it out. 

Is that a regular interior cabin? That's nice!

[abbydancer2003]

thanks for doing this.  We're on the same itinerary at the end of June, along with the preceding 6 day cruise.  I've done quite a few ABC cruises, but not on the Beyond.  It will be DH's first time on Beyond and my second.

 

Looking forward to reading about your experiences. 

[AbbyCruiser45]

Good morning everyone! Dinner last night was fantastic. It was my first time in Eden and it did not disappoint. Before dinner, we had great sail away. We just stood on deck 5 outside of Eden and it was a great spot. We had pre dinner drinks at the Martini bar and actually caught the show there! It was a lot of fun to see them tossing the bottles. 

Alright, onto dinner! The meal was incredible. Every thing I tried was really good and worth getting. To start, I got the sheep’s milk gnocchi. 

it was very good but the mushroom risotto that I tasted from someone else’s plate was better if you’re wanting something like a pasta to start. 

I also had the crab cake and WOW it was all pure crab meat with no fillers. It was fantastic but very large so I would have split it. 

For the entrees, I had the lobster casserole which I wish I could have every night of this trip. The lobster was so good and the sauce was perfect and almost a little sweet with the corn. 

I asked if I could just have the filet with the lobster instead of the full filet and petit Wellington entree and our server would not let that happen, with a wink. So by now I’m rolling in my chair but I persevered. The filet was incredible. Cooked perfectly (medium rare) and with that bit of flaky salt on it. I passed on the Wellington and gave it to my BIL but he said it was very good. The potatoes tasted like pure smooth fluffy butter. Aka I would like to eat it again and again. 

Finally, we ended with dessert. I got the lemon tart and it was everything I wanted. Perfectly tart with that lemon flavor with a hint of sweetness with the cream and crust. Someone at the table got the strawberry delight and the butterscotch crème brûlée. They were fine, but there are better options for dessert. 

When we got back to the room, Eden left us a box of chocolates to which Kaleb said “Are they trying to make us fat?”. All in all, a perfect night. 
 

We’re enjoying the sunrise over coffee and looking forward to this sea day! 
 

[AbbyCruiser45]

11 hours ago, mkcurran said:

Is that a regular interior cabin? That's nice!

Yes! After the cruise, I’ll share the room number. It’s really nice, our little cave. I slept great in it last night. 

[kabmab]

16 hours ago, AbbyCruiser45 said:

No, three out of four are smoking. Which is why I used the phrase “most of the terraced area” in my original post. 

On our Ascent sailing most of the starboard side covered, shaded terraces by the Sunset bar were smoking.  Did not count how many.  Also the covered smoking area forward (one flight up from pool bar) was sometimes both port and starboard.

Edited May 19 by kabmab

[hcat]

so far it looks like a great start..thanks for sharing!

When we went to EDEN we were too full for dessert, but they brought us a beautiful tiered tray of cookies.

[Georgia_Peaches]

We are also dining in Eden on our first night (Edge).  The lemon tart looks wonderful.  I will try to save enough room for it but it's hard to do in Eden as the food is so good.  Question:  How was Eden on night 1?  Crowded?  We have 6:30 reservations but I'm hoping to push it back a tad.

Edited May 19 by Georgia_Peaches

[AbbyCruiser45]

45 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

We are also dining in Eden on our first night (Edge).  The lemon tart looks wonderful.  I will try to save enough room for it but it's hard to do in Eden as the food is so good.  Question:  How was Eden on night 1?  Crowded?  We have 6:30 reservations but I'm hoping to push it back a tad.

We also had 6:30 reservations and it was pretty crowded. By the time we got there, there were no window tables left. So if that’s important to you, you’ll need to get there earlier. You might be able to push it back if you go as soon as you board, but it’ll probably just depend! If you do want a window seat, also go when you board to make a note of it. 

[hcat]

We liked 6 pm in EDEN on ASCENT.. a window table was not a priority..we enjoyed watching the chef's area

 

We had really nice acoustic   music  from above!

[Lastdance]

Thanks for your photography and commentary, as Beyond is a gorgeous ship with a wonderful crew, but was removed from European itineraries.  I hope that Ascent is just as fantastic for its fall TA from Barcelona to FLL.

[CarolCoupon]

16 hours ago, Espn said:

We are considering the same cruise on Beyond for our 40th in October in the Retreat so I would love to hear your opinion of how it is, like Luminae, Blu, and the sun deck. Also if you have any of the noise in your suite and general impressions of the Retreat.

 

And thanks AbbyCruiser for the ES info! Have a blast and I look forward to your updates.

We didn't notice noise in our sunset SS, but we pack a white noise machine. It's a loooong walk to the Retreat from these rooms, but the veranda makes up for it, for us.

The sun deck and pool are packed, as we expected on a sea day. But there are seats to be found. Luminae has been great so far. Some new staff. We met a brand new sommelier on her first shift.

We have Eden tonight at 6, thanks for your review AbbyCruiser! We were on the Beyond last March and had a nice kitchen view. 

[Arzeena]

On 5/13/2024 at 7:47 PM, CTCruiser76 said:

Following, hope you have a great trip, we are on the same itinerary 6/15-6/23!!

 

We are staying in an IV Concierge room.... a little concerned about the popping and noise everyone is mentioning and the lack of a real balcony......but we can't wait, as we need a vacation! 

 

We just got off the Beyond. Our cabin was on deck 7 around the aft elevators. There was no popping, or any noise and it was very quiet. Just reporting. Enjoy your cruise.

[Arzeena]

Abby,

We just got off the Beyond. Just have to say WOW, and want to go back again!
Your "live" will not make me miss it too much😁. Thanks for the review and pictures.
 

We loved the Eden dining experience and that lobster casserole.....umm umm umm. Shows were very good, so try to get there.

[Texed]

7 hours ago, Lastdance said:

 Beyond is a gorgeous ship with a wonderful crew, but I hope that Ascent is just as fantastic for its fall TA from Barcelona to FLL.

 

Not to worry.  Ascent might be a little better.  😊

[hcat]

Ascent is  a step up...  but louder activities!

[AbbyCruiser45]

We’ve had a fantastic sea day! Started the morning with some reading on the Magic Carpet. This was a great spot in the early morning, since not too many people were around yet.

We did a few activities today including the escape room table top game, a bocce tournament in Eden, and trivia at the Club! The escape game was so fun. The puzzles were a good challenge and our group won some sweet Celebrity t-shirts! The Oceanview Cafe was busy for lunch but manageable. The theme was American food and they had great burgers that were actually medium rare. Tomorrow is supposed to be a French theme so I’m looking forward to getting something more unique.

Dinner tonight was at Tuscan. Somehow, I forgot to take any pictures! Everything we had was excellent though. I had the Pumpkin Salad which had roasted pumpkin and a big chunk of burrata on a bed of arugula. I also had the shrimp soup which was rich but good. The server warned me that it tasted like seafood (which I would expect) so I assume people complain about it. For the entree, I had the steak Diane and a half portion of the carbonara. The steak was cooked perfectly and was really tender. The pasta was excellent as always. I love the handmade pasta, it really makes a difference. Finally for dessert, I had the cannoli which is the signature for Tuscan. It was perfect and not too sweet.
 

Our server was also super fast. We were done under an hour and a half which is pretty fast for a group of six. Our sommelier was Zintele and let me just say she is now my favorite staff on any Celebrity ship. She was so funny and also great with the wines. If you’re dining in Tuscan, be sure to request her section! 
 

We ended the night as we always do with a twirl around the upper decks. It was so peaceful and nice.

As a little sour note, we don’t love our stateroom attendant. We’ve interacted with her twice out of necessity and she has never actually introduced herself or asked our names. We also got back to our room tonight around 8:50 and it was not turned down. I know that’s early but I am early to wake and early to sleep, which has never been an issue on Celebrity before. We found her working on a room and let her know I was turning in and we did not want any service. We hinted that we go to bed early (Kaleb was being kind, he’s playing poker now and I’m the lame one) hoping that she would pick up that we would like to have the turn down earlier. Regardless, I called Guest Services to communicate that also and they did not have much to say. It was just a first for me to enter the room in the evening and not have it turned down. It’s a small thing but it was off putting since it was such a departure from what were used to! Oh well, hopefully it’ll be different tomorrow. For now, I’m looking forward to another perfect sea day! 

[ILgirl]

34 minutes ago, AbbyCruiser45 said:

We’ve had a fantastic sea day! Started the morning with some reading on the Magic Carpet. This was a great spot in the early morning, since not too many people were around yet.

We did a few activities today including the escape room table top game, a bocce tournament in Eden, and trivia at the Club! The escape game was so fun. The puzzles were a good challenge and our group won some sweet Celebrity t-shirts! The Oceanview Cafe was busy for lunch but manageable. The theme was American food and they had great burgers that were actually medium rare. Tomorrow is supposed to be a French theme so I’m looking forward to getting something more unique.

Dinner tonight was at Tuscan. Somehow, I forgot to take any pictures! Everything we had was excellent though. I had the Pumpkin Salad which had roasted pumpkin and a big chunk of burrata on a bed of arugula. I also had the shrimp soup which was rich but good. The server warned me that it tasted like seafood (which I would expect) so I assume people complain about it. For the entree, I had the steak Diane and a half portion of the carbonara. The steak was cooked perfectly and was really tender. The pasta was excellent as always. I love the handmade pasta, it really makes a difference. Finally for dessert, I had the cannoli which is the signature for Tuscan. It was perfect and not too sweet.
 

Our server was also super fast. We were done under an hour and a half which is pretty fast for a group of six. Our sommelier was Zintele and let me just say she is now my favorite staff on any Celebrity ship. She was so funny and also great with the wines. If you’re dining in Tuscan, be sure to request her section! 
 

We ended the night as we always do with a twirl around the upper decks. It was so peaceful and nice.

As a little sour note, we don’t love our stateroom attendant. We’ve interacted with her twice out of necessity and she has never actually introduced herself or asked our names. We also got back to our room tonight around 8:50 and it was not turned down. I know that’s early but I am early to wake and early to sleep, which has never been an issue on Celebrity before. We found her working on a room and let her know I was turning in and we did not want any service. We hinted that we go to bed early (Kaleb was being kind, he’s playing poker now and I’m the lame one) hoping that she would pick up that we would like to have the turn down earlier. Regardless, I called Guest Services to communicate that also and they did not have much to say. It was just a first for me to enter the room in the evening and not have it turned down. It’s a small thing but it was off putting since it was such a departure from what were used to! Oh well, hopefully it’ll be different tomorrow. For now, I’m looking forward to another perfect sea day! 

I don’t understand why you hinted to your cabin attendant that you would like your room turned down earlier, hoping she would pick up on your hint,  but then called Guest Services to complain which no doubt got her in trouble. Why didn’t you just make it clear to the attendant of your preference for early turn down service?  It doesn’t seem fair to me. She may not be a mind reader.

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 hour ago, ILgirl said:

I don’t understand why you hinted to your cabin attendant that you would like your room turned down earlier, hoping she would pick up on your hint,  but then called Guest Services to complain which no doubt got her in trouble. Why didn’t you just make it clear to the attendant of your preference for early turn down service?  It doesn’t seem fair to me. She may not be a mind reader.

She hinted to the cabin steward, likely to avoid confrontation on vacation, that they prefer an early turn down service and then followed up with that same info with guest services. This didn’t sound like a complaint to me but rather, a proactive covering of all bases measure. Not sure a person’s live review is the most appropriate place to call them out on what appears to be a difference of opinion on how something should be handled. But that’s just me. 

Edited May 20 by Georgia_Peaches

[chrismch]

On 5/16/2024 at 11:30 AM, AbbyCruiser45 said:

For a while we were slated to leave from terminal 18 which was strange since there is no other Celebrity ship in port that day. Just yesterday though, I saw it get changed to 25 (the new terminal)

Thanks for the reminder to check . where the ship will dock. Last cruise went to the wrong dock which had been changed. We'll be on the Beyond in August. 

[hcat]

6 hours ago, chrismch said:

Thanks for the reminder to check . where the ship will dock. Last cruise went to the wrong dock which had been changed. We'll be on the Beyond in August. 

in Port Ev they have a sign as you enter that lists the ships with corresp berths.

[AbbyCruiser45]

7 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

She hinted to the cabin steward, likely to avoid confrontation on vacation, that they prefer an early turn down service and then followed up with that same info with guest services. This didn’t sound like a complaint to me but rather, a proactive covering of all bases measure. Not sure a person’s live review is the most appropriate place to call them out on what appears to be a difference of opinion on how something should be handled. But that’s just me. 

Thank you. It was also a difference in who was handling it. Kaleb talked to the steward as I was already in my pajamas which I don’t feel comfortable talking to someone I don’t know in. As a follow up to make sure I wasn’t uncomfortable on my vacation again (having someone enter our room when I’m in my pajamas), I called guest services. I also didn’t complain to guest services, that would involve me saying I was frustrated, upset, etc. I just said I go to bed around 9 and need earlier turn down. I appreciate you being understanding of that!

[AbbyCruiser45]

6 hours ago, chrismch said:

Thanks for the reminder to check . where the ship will dock. Last cruise went to the wrong dock which had been changed. We'll be on the Beyond in August. 

It’ll also be right on the homepage of the app! It’ll say something like “we look forward to seeing you at terminal 25 today”. Also if you’re taking a shuttle, taxi, or Uber the driver typically knows where all the ships are that day regardless!

[chrismch]

Thanks for all the pictures and details. Will be interested in hearing about the music venue choices. We love listening to live bands.

[AbbyCruiser45]

Just a quick update this morning as I’m enjoying a peaceful start to the day in Eden. I know it’s been mentioned here a few times, so I wanted to update about the creaking. I’ve heard absolutely nothing, but we’re on deck 8. At least one person in the Facebook group has noted excessive creaking noise in their suite. So it seems to be more localized than a ship wide issue. 

I’ve forgotten how much I love Eden as just a spot to hang out and watch the sea. I even got to see another ship out in the distance, the Carnival Celebration which is a fairly new and large ship. 

I also spent some time yesterday evening in my parents’ IV room. I know they’re controversial but I love them. I’m really sensitive to the heat and sun, I actually have a condition where I essentially get hives when exposed to high UV light (sunscreen doesn’t help). So I love the IV because I get this stunning view without dealing with the heat, sun, or humidity. My trick with them is to crack it just a hair so you can hear the ocean noise (the second picture below). It still cuts off the AC, so make sure you close it when you’re done. But that way you don’t let it in all the humidity, but you can still hear the waves. I’d love to book a cold weather cruise on an E-Class just to sail with it open all the way. One day!