Georgia_Peaches

So a few hiccups on the b2b process that left me less than impressed. First, the easy peasy impression that we got from yesterday’s meeting didn’t materialize as expected. We met in Eden as directed but there was no record of us being on a B2B. That is to say, we got a letter to attend the meeting but then the ball was dropped on the prep of our new room keys, which were necessary to return to the ship. We were assured that keys were being printed and that we should follow the crowd off the ship and through customs. My earlier impression that we wouldn’t be doing this was incorrect. We went through a quick customs check and then we’re corralled into the embarkation holding area where nobody seemed to know what to do next. No organization. No lines for new pics. No mic to hear directions being given. Perhaps they were overwhelmed by the number of b2b passengers (at least 200 of us). People crowded around the personnel taking pictures. Was really surprised by the behavior of some, frankly. After a successful pic and quick scan of our passports we headed back up the gangway only to be stopped by security and pulled aside bc we didn’t have new cards to scan to return to the ship. At that point we were being told to return to the embarkation lobby bc the current boarding was only for b2b passengers. I explained that we were b2b and we were once again pulled aside for further processing. Meanwhile, everyone else filed on through. Once we were cleared, we had to head to Guest Relations for a new key card. Annoying but finally sorted. First impression of the Retreat did not disappoint.

Excellent tip! After our tour we decided to pass. It looks lovely but for us, the value isn’t there.

Ahhh, turn around day. I love that we are sitting in al Bacio at the moment….watching people hustle about…knowing we don’t have to…at least not yet. Reflections from last night… We dined in Tuscan, which was by far the busiest MDR of the three we experienced. The food was very good too…especially the chateaubriand. It was cooked perfectly and fork tender. DH surprised me when he ordered the steak tar tar for an app. Our server raised his eyes and reminded him it was raw. DH said he was being cosmopolitan 🙄, which is funny because he’s never so “cosmopolitan” at home. Anyway, kudos to him for trying it. Too bad it didn’t agree with him. The only thing being “cosmopolitan” got him was a rumbling tummy and a few urgent visits to the bathroom! Poor guy…he’s much better now. After dinner we ventured to the theater for the premier of the Celebrity Ascent production show. Hmmm, how to describe it??? Well, as a child of the 70’s and 80’s I recall that psychedelic drugs were popular among some groups. Not that I partook, mind you but if I had, I imagine the experience might have been very much like last night’s show. Which isn’t to imply that it was bad… it wasn’t. It was vastly different from any Celebrity production show I’ve ever seen. The music was loud, the lights were flashy with 3D effects and visuals on the giant screen that were truly phenomenal. The story line was confused… like being in a dream where you jump from one weird dimension to another. The dancing and acrobatics were truly amazing! At times we were submerged in a 4-d experience with bubbles and balls of light that seemed to appear from out of nowhere. The laser lighting mimicked lightning and I swear at one point I was in a trance… my eyes were heavy, like sleep would overwhelm me but the loud music and flashing light kept me from the brink of slumber. I thought it was just me but DH said he felt it too. I also think that some sort of scent was filtered into the theater… it smelled like laundry. The cast received a standing O for their performance and it was earned, no doubt, but I challenge anyone in that theater last night to explain what that show was about. I guarantee you’d get as many different interpretations as there were people in the audience. I promise I was mostly sober even though it sounds like I was anything but! Anyway, here’s a few pics:

If you mean in the cruise planner, I’ve only ever seen spa treatments being available for advance reservation, not the thermal suite pass.

Absolutely! We have Butcher's Cut tomorrow. And we also have some obc to use up so there’s options. At this point I feel like I need to fast anyway 😳.

Yes, next on deck is a sky suite. We placed a move up bid but it expired. I’m guessing that means it wasn’t accepted though we never got a notification indicating such. TBH, the Luminae menus for the upcoming leg are less than appealing to me…Blu looks good though! Will definitely keep everyone posted on the process tomorrow. As it looks right now, we are not going to have to leave the ship.

We were invited to attend a B2B meeting this morning where we received instructions on the process for tomorrow along with passes that indicate that we are authorized to remain on the ship. The process includes reporting to Eden by 9;30 where we will surrender our current sea pass cards and receive new ones. Additionally, we will show our passports and have a new pic taken. We also completed a paper health questionnaire. Seems easy enough. Our stateroom attendant will move our luggage and hanging clothes to our new room. Everything was very clearly laid out in written format. We were confused as to why people were staying for a power point presentation of the same information. I asked one of the officers if we were free to leave if we didn’t have questions. The answer was yes. So not wanting g to waste any time in a meeting, we left… me to the casino….DH to craft social to watch the game.

Glad we passed on the day pass.

People are funny. Does anyone go hungry on a cruise? I think not. But when the Captain announced that there would be a special lunch in the buffet today, you’d have thought they had been depriving us all week. The OVC was mobbed with hungry passengers. It was pandemonium at the shrimp station and don’t even get me started on the cold lobster station! In a word, it was simply the BEST lunch buffet we’ve ever seen. I didn’t get many pics due to the vast amount of people but it was special. on offer was peal and eat shrimp, crab claws, lobster, crawfish, fried calamari, lobster salad, crab salad, roasted prime rib, duck, rack of lamb, roasted turkey and a whole host of sweet treats! The best part was when the entire kitchen staff paraded through the dining room to receive a round of applause for a job well done on the first sailing of the beautiful Ascent!

I enjoy looking around in the shops. Rarely, if ever do we buy anything. I especially like to look in the boutique to discover what my clothing options might have been if my luggage somehow didn’t make it on board ship. The shops are lovely and super high end and super impractical for my day to day. But we still looked! And looking took us into the Effy store with spectacular pieces of jewelry. As DH and I strolled around the store we overheard a sales meeting occurring in the watch shop next door. The gist of the meeting was “up sell” and I should have known then… DH suggested we look for a piece we could give our daughter for her 30th birthday coming up in a few days. Ok, I think, that idea has merit. A sales associate showed us a few pieces before we settled on a very nice necklace made of small diamonds…let me try that again….very small diamonds, made to look bigger, in the shape of an open circle. A very pretty piece. Our sales associate sought her manager who was the only one authorized to give us “the very best Black Friday deal”. In the meantime she asked me if I wanted to look at anything else. I asked to see the earrings that matched the necklace….my mistake. I handed them back to the associate thanking her and she insisted that we get the manager to give us a “bundle deal”. “No, thank you. Just the necklace.” I say. But she brought them over to a table where we sat in eager anticipation of the manager’s super secret “best Black Friday price”. When the manager returned, he tapped on a calculator and presented us with a number. It was for the earrings and necklace. I told him we only wanted the necklace. “Why not both? Price too much?” he asks. Now I’m getting annoyed. I remained firm with the necklace only but he remained firm with a bundle. Citing: -it’s an investment -maybe a better price could be arranged (why can’t I just know your best price from the beginning?) -jewelry sets have higher value (what?) Anyway, I reached my limit on how much hard sell I was willing to endure. I told him he was too pushy, and turned to DH and said I was leaving. Got up, walked out, won’t return. I was fuming! Never have I experienced that kind of pressure to buy something. I realize that the shops only rent space from the cruise line so this isn’t a Celebrity issue. Just putting this out there..the pressure is real, at least in Effy, so buyer beware.

Woodys is located on the square at the downtown plaza. About an 8 minute cab ride from the pier. Highly recommend.

Sounds dangerous!! 😂. No glass door on Ascent.

Cozumel.

Love, love, love the port debarkation/embarkation platform on E class. It just feels nicer than trekking through the bowels of the ship to get on and off. on our way out we passed the Teen club. It was awesome! Will try to get back for a pic. Also, a little tip… one can easily get to the debarkation platform via a small spiral stair case right off the martini bar. A great little find! Got off the ship to visit our fav bar on the downtown plaza, Woody’s. It’s a local place with nice music and great food! Enjoyed a margarita and fresh guacamole before heading back to the ship. Seven ships in port today!

On Ascent now and enjoying the menus! Significantly different for us since we have sailed on S class, with this being our first e class experience. I guess it’s relative to what one is used to…our last sailing on Equinox was in the middle of the paring down of the menus and choices in the MDR were really sad. A recent video released by Celebrity of the president talking about food indicated changes being implemented at the end of November. Keep checking!

Thank you! Yes, to the scallop dish. No way I would have remembered the name, so thank you! Both were delicious and new for us!

And we arrived to our stateroom to find this…set up by our very kind and thoughtful cabin attendant, Mila.

The show lasted about 40 minutes and was pretty spectacular. While most people filed out through the main entrance, we circumvented the crowd by slipping out the side door onto deck 5 and then back inside leaving the stream of people behind us. The martini area was hopping with activity as a 3 piece brass trio played very lively Latin music. A Latin dance instructor was teaching the audience dance moves and people of all ages were participating. It looked like a lot of fun we we probably should have gotten out there to work of some of our meal…but that wasn’t happening. Off to bed we went…

After an amazing meal, we went to the Eden lounge to stake a claim on some front row seats for the show. We watched in fascination as the tech crew worked to transform the dance floor into a stage for the performers. The show started at 10:45, which we wished had been a tad earlier but it was worth the wait. We wondered why they would have such an elegant, and beautifully performed show in a relatively small venue. More and more we are realizing that the e class concept is more about providing many and varied experiences is smaller and more intimate areas than fewer options in larger spaces. It feels more private. We were up close and personal with the performers…anew concept for us to be sure.

Night 2 on beautiful Ascent did not disappoint. We dined in Eden for our anniversary dinner. The hostess remembered us from the previous day when we requested a window. There were no windows and the only 2 tops left were crammed btwn other people at 2 tops. Kinda like sitting in the middle seat on an airplane. The hostess kindly allowed us to pick whatever table we wanted and so we chose a table directly in front of the kitchen where the chef and his team put on a great show! It was far batter that any window table! Service and food in Eden were excellent. I’m so glad we didn’t eat much during the day bc we made up for it at dinner. At the end of the meal, our server and the restaurant manager presented us with a cake to celebrate our anniversary. Such a nice gesture but we were so full that we had it sent to the room instead. A few pics of what we ate…minus a pic of the crab cake, which was delicious. I had the filet mignon as my entree…can’t find that pic either 🤦‍♀️. DH has the Bronzino. We shared the lobster casserole. Also, enjoyed the wild mushroom risotto and several desserts.

New to us as well. I can only figure it’s a mistake that will iron itself out as more people call the price discrepancy to the attention of management.

Jim, your photos are amazing! Enjoying them very much!

Well we are finding that it depends on where you are on the ship. For example, a certain Cabernet in CS was $17, so included in The premium package. Same wine in Eden restaurant was $25…so an up charge of the difference. Same wine, different price. But I agree, those with the classic package are going to run into limitations or up charges.

Sorry, lost track of who asked but here are the current beer offerings at Craft Social. Also, a look at the sandwiches at Cafe AB

Max capacity of the room is 15 people. Not sure about pricing but will try to find out.