cft8

I enjoy sea days and looking at the ocean and I’d still rather do the North Star in port. We did Bermuda on the Anthem and went on the North Star in the morning before we got off the ship. Then on Ovation in Alaska we had a long stop in Juneau so we did it in the evening before dinner. It’s such a neat perspective on the ship and the port.

We will be on Jewel from Amsterdam this summer, so I’m appreciating your pics of the different spaces around the ship. I’d been wondering what the Pit Stop was after looking at the deck plans!

We had the Key on Freedom, so I can’t speak to the show part since shows don’t require reservations. For the boarding lunch, we had 5 people so we had our own table. I can’t remember if I saw 2-tops. But, only DH and I went to the breakfast (the rest of the fam wanted to get on the road). We were seated at a table for 2. If I remember right the menu had fewer selections than the regular MDR breakfast but some of them were unique to the event.

I did the 11-night New England / Canada on the Summit’s Sept 21 sailing and did a 7-night with Royal back in 2017. I love that itinerary, especially because in the majority of the ports you are docked right in the towns. If you are going to Sydney, Nova Scotia, I recommend the Fortress of Louisbourg - I found it fascinating, but I’d try to do it privately to have more time than the ship’s excursion allowed. (It’s about 20 minutes drive time from the port so you need transportation to get there.) We barely scratched the surface of what there was to explore in the complex. We were there late in the season and some buildings were already closed, so if it had been fully open I’d have needed even more time! Our overnight in Quebec City was great. We ate dinner off the ship and the place we went, while good, was a little quiet. I wish we had found somewhere more in the old town that was livelier. On the morning of our 2nd day, my friend went up to the Chateau Frontenac and ate breakfast in their restaurant. You don’t have to be a guest and she said it was a lovely experience. You can just go in to look around public areas and they have a nice gift shop.

I always enjoy your reviews and photos! Speaking of photos, a question - what app do you use for the tilt shift effect? I think I remember that you only took and iPhone. Tilt shift is my favorite effect on my camera, but with the quality of photos I can get with my iPhone I don’t usually bother taking it, but I do miss the effects that it has and am looking for a good app to use!

We also get on on the 21st. Does anyone know if they are skipping PEI because of damage or just because it’s the next port? I think the itineraries are the same but we only have PEI and Portland, ME after Quebec City.

We got it for our cruise on Freedom last December. Like others have mentioned, for us it was not that much more than internet. We enjoyed the dining room lunch and not having to fight the Windjammer crowds. We also had a late flight, so the disembarkation breakfast was a nice, leisurely way to end the cruise. I think for one show we took advantage of the reserved seating, but we didn’t make it to the ice show before they released the seats. We didn’t do any of the dedicated times for the Flowrider or the rock wall, but if I remember right, they weren’t that convenient. I’d do it again if it was close in price to internet for two devices.

Great review! And, Happy Birthday! We are on Summit in September for New England/Canada, so I’m enjoying reading about the ship. It’s my first time on Celebrity. I’m especially taking notes on the martinis! Sounds like I’ll be visiting the martini bar several times!

We were in Nassau in late December and booked the Pearl Island Beach Escape through Royal Caribbean. We booked in the Black Friday Sale, and paid $74.99 per person. Unfortunately, it wasn't a good choice. Our party was me, DH, and my sister (all in our 40's) and my niece (15). We got off the ship early, because I wanted to look around the shops, but having not been to Nassau before, we didn’t realize they were quite a walk from the ship, and the ferry for Pearl Island was picking up right by the ship, so we ended up just hanging around on the pier and the day wasn’t off to a great start. (Not Pearl Island or RC's fault, of course.) When we got to Pearl Island, we found out that they don’t supply towels and we were supposed to bring them from the ship. We haven't cruised in warm-weather ports before, so we weren't aware this was standard and the staff giving out towels wasn't in a super noticeable spot when disembarking. When I went back to look, the confirmation email from when I booked said to bring your own towel, but was not on the excursion information we got on board. Then, it turned out that not only did they only have one paddle board for everyone on the island that day (they’d had some storm damage) but also the “water sports” area was super small. The lounge chairs they have were not in good shape and had a cross bar right where your butt should be. At that point, everyone was pretty cranky. I went for a short walk by myself, and during that I did find a spot with more comfortable chairs (which might have been for people who booked cabanas, but weren’t actually in a cabana and there wasn’t anyone telling people not to sit there. So, we moved and were at least more comfortable. Lunch is included, but they give you a ticket for it. I swear I handed both our tickets to DH and then I went to the bathroom. By the time we got to the lunch area, my ticket was missing (I maintain that he gave the server both of them and she dropped them both in without noticing). I was already super on edge, and I said “well, I guess I won’t eat then” but the woman was like “no, this is the Bahamas, we feed you regardless” so that was very kind. Also my sis had my niece’s ticket and my niece didn’t want to eat, so we just turned in that one. The food was good, but unfortunately only includes water to drink (we thought it would at least include a non-alcoholic drink). After lunch, we got in the water for a bit (early enough that we had time to dry off). We also walked up the lighthouse right before we left, which does have great views. On the boat ride back, they tell you a little about the area and the famous people who own the houses you pass. Pearl Island was pretty, and it was mostly relaxing to hang out, but I can’t recommend it as an excursion - it definitely wasn’t worth $75.

We spent 3 nights (Dec. 16-18) in Miami ahead of a cruise on Royal Caribbean. We did 2 nights in Miami Beach, then moved to a hotel in Wynwood for the night before the cruise. My mom, sister, and niece were driving down from NC the day before and it didn’t make sense for them to spent the money for a beach hotel when they wouldn’t have time to enjoy it. Our first two nights, we stayed at the Royal Palm South Beach (https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/miatx-royal-palm-south-beach-miami-a-tribute-portfolio-resort/overview/). We used DH’s points from work travel to stay here. Right before we left, DH was trying to figure out if the Royal Palm had a spa, and came across some negative reviews, so we were nervous, but it was lovely! It’s a historic hotel, so it has a vintage vibe, but very beachy and we liked it. There was definitely a bit of wear in some places but we would stay again. We got a suite upgrade because of DH’s Marriott status, but the living room furniture was super uncomfortable and so I would probably not pay for it. It was nice to be on a high floor and we had two tiny balconies (just big enough to stand on, no furniture). They said it was a city view, but it was on the corner so we could also see the beach. We had the breakfast buffet included (I think that was also because of DH’s Marriott status) and it was good, but I would not have paid for it separately. I’m sure there are less expensive places for breakfast in the neighborhood. We got drinks and dessert one night at the pool bar. The drinks were delish but the key lime pie was terrible. One thing to know about Miami Beach is they have a rule that if your pool/hot tub doesn’t have a lifeguard, it has to close at sunset. Which is early in winter. We usually love a post-dinner soak in the hot tub and so we missed that. The first day, our flight arrived around 5pm. We took a Lyft to the hotel, relaxed a bit, and then headed out to find some dinner. Our driver had said that Espanola Way was a good spot for restaurants, so we decided to check it out. The atmosphere is great (it’s a little pedestrian street with lights and outdoor seating at the restaurants). But, the restaurants are pricey. We ate at Hosteria Romana, which was one of two Italian places. The food was good, but it was nothing special, and for the two of us it was over $200. I should have done more research to figure out a place to eat that night. After dinner we went and hung out at the pool bar for a bit as mentioned above. The next day, it was really overcast when we woke up. We went to breakfast and then walked down to look at the beach. It was still pretty cloudy, so we hung out in the room debating what to do. Finally we decided to give the beach a try. We headed down and they set us up with a couple of loungers (there is a resort fee but it includes beach access with loungers, umbrellas, and towels). It wasn’t warm enough for me to want to go in the water, but it was nice to just relax, read, and watch the water. When we got hungry, we headed up to the pool, because it was a little windy and we didn’t want to get sand in our food, but they do have waiters come to the beach. We got some drinks and appetizers from the pool bar. I highly recommend the frozen mojito! We got the wings and the quesadilla and they were both yummy. We stayed by the pool until it was time to go get ready for dinner. When we got up to the room, we realized we had an amazing view of the channel where the cruise ships go out, so that was fun to watch while we got ready. For dinner we went to the Setai hotel (way, way, out of our price range to stay). It started pouring right before we needed to leave, so we took a Lyft even though it was only a few blocks. We were eating at their Ocean Grill restaurant, which you do not get to from the main entrance of the hotel, which we didn’t know, but a very kind valet got us some umbrellas and walked us back there. We loved the restaurant. The atmosphere was lovely, the service was attentive but not overbearing and the food was amazing. I forget what starter we got, it might have been burrata. I had salmon and DH had steak. We got two sides to split but if we could have decided on just one, that would have been fine. One of them was potatoes au gratin that were to die for. For dessert we ordered creme brulee to split and the waiter also brought us a plate from their main restaurant, which is Asian fusion. One of them was an amazing chocolate mousse. I don’t remember the others, but they were delicious, too. Sunday was the World Cup final. I had wanted to go drop our stuff at our new hotel, and go to the art museum, but I got outvoted. We had late checkout, so watched some of the match in the room while we packed up, and the rest in the lobby with a bunch of French people who were staying (apparently the Argentinians were at the pool bar, because we saw a bunch of them come in after). Once the match was done, we headed over to our new hotel, The AC Miami Wynwood https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/miaaw-ac-hotel-miami-wynwood/overview/. At the AC, our room wasn’t ready, so we went up to the rooftop bar to wait for my family. We had some nice drinks and hung out for a while. We headed early to dinner, because I’d read here about the Cuban restaurant Versailles (https://www.versaillesrestaurant.com) and wanted to try it. They don’t take reservations, so we wanted to get there early. While we were waiting, we talked to a mother and son who are Cuban. The mother came over during the revolution. She was interesting to talk to, and we figured if they were eating there, it must be decent. It has a very old-school, diner vibe, which I enjoy. I forget what everyone had, but we enjoyed it all. We got some pastries to go from their bakery and took them back to the hotel to eat, then called it early since we had a big day the next day. Monday was cruise departure day! We had the breakfast buffet at the hotel. There was a resort fee for this hotel, too, but it was applicable as a credit for dining. There was an a la carte menu as well, but we didn’t realize that, and I think the buffet was expensive for what we got. We might have come out better if we had just ordered off the menu. My mom, sister, and niece drove to the cruise port. With all our luggage, there wasn’t room for us, so we took a Lyft. There are two routes into the cruise port, and our driver started to take the bridge route but it was backed up, so he turned around and went to the tunnel. Even though we left after my family, we beat them to the port. I’d told my mom that the information from the cruise line said there was traffic and to plan extra time, but she didn’t listen. They did make it eventually and were able to get a spot to park pretty easily.

Ah, thank you! The menu does have beef tenderloin for night 2.

In two weeks we’ll be on board Freedom for the 4-night Bahamas and Coco Cay! Our confirmation mentions formal night on night 2, but looking at the MDR menu, it doesn’t sound like a formal night menu (mind you, this is my first cruise since before the shut down, and also my first one this short). Is there a formal night on this itinerary? Did they stop serving lobster tail on formal night? (If so, my mom is going to be super disappointed!) I’m packing a nice dress regardless b/c DH and I are going out to a fancy dinner in Miami during our pre-cruise stay, but the rest of the family probably would rather not pack clothes they won’t wear. We enjoy dressing up, but do at least try to avoid packing things we don’t need.

I’m planning out the cash I need for our upcoming cruise. We’re doing Pearl Island in Nassau. What should I plan for tips? On board we usually do $1 per drink. Should we also tip for the lunch (we have the cruise line excursion so the food is included)? What about any attendants for chairs, water toys, etc?

Finally caught up! I enjoyed your report from earlier this summer, and will be eagerly following this one not only because I enjoyed your writing but also because we're doing the Canada & New England leg next year, which will be my first time on Celebrity. We've been to a few of the ports back in 2017 with Royal so we are excited to revisit those and see some new ones!

It's been a while for me, too, but I am not a fan of Royal's free coffee in any venue. I've done the coffee card a few times, but I prefer doing the refreshment package because I also don't like the free orange juice, so that lets me get the fresh-squeezed and also means I can grab bottled waters throughout the day.

I really enjoyed your review. We haven't done the Med yet but your review definitely ads to the desire. It's neat that you got to see that abandoned town. I love stuff like that. Sorry to hear about your fall. I had a similar experience with Royal's medical on a Bermuda cruise - I slipped off a curb and unfortunately bumped in to a moped that had just been parked and so scraped and slightly burned my calf on its muffler. I went to medical and while they weren't as dismissive with me, I was surprised that they didn't have large bandages available, just bandaids that weren't really helpful for my injury, like your experience. Now I include some large bandages in with the other first aid stuff I pack.

Both his reviews are wonderful. I enjoyed his writing style.