HeddaGarbled

On Beyond for 10 days in the Med, it was locked shut twice when we got back from short port visits, for window cleaning. I’m guessing they picked times when most passengers were off the ship. Once we’d had lunch and come back to the cabin, they were unlocked again. We didn’t have any bad weather. 

It’s do to with consumer regulations: in the U.K, the price quoted on menus etc, must be the price you pay. Hidden extras aren’t allowed. That’s the gratuities/service charge.
 

So it’s the same drinks, same price, but with honest pricing. 

Booked GTY IV on Beyond, allocated almost immediately, think it was 9171 (can’t quite remember, something like that), very happy with it.

Albeit served in plastic glasses because of the wind.

No, it’s a normal bar with normal range of drinks. 

Yes, I’ve had glasses of red wine at the WCB on Beyond (October 2023). I can’t remember exactly what was on the menu but maybe 2 or 3 that came within the Classic Package and then another 2 or 3 over that limit.

No theatre - the performances are on the floor by the bar. They are high energy and very popular.
 

Early evening, they have gentler, short sets from solo guitarists and similar, which we really enjoyed listening to with a drink before dinner. 
 

There are lovely wake views from the chairs along the balcony. They turn them to face the window during the day, and the entertainment space at night. 

Oh my goodness, it’s not just Retreat guests. 
 

Two incidents from our recent cruise:

Re-boarding at a port, walking past the crew handing out iced flannels and cold drinks. Woman in front of us barks the single word “orange” at the crew member, no please, no thank you, no smile, can’t even stretch herself to a sentence.

In the theatre before an excursion, husband has just been given two bottles of water by the crew member supervising the table. Woman steps up - “I need water” and picks up the two bottles (my husband calmly took them back off her). 

Eden would have solo guitarists (and a cellist) every evening around 7.00pm, and there was a variety of bands and soloists in the atrium (by the martini bar) all through the evenings. I think the Sunset Bar had performers too but we didn’t get to any of those. 

Ha, there’d be riots! I think the last sentence is referring to the drinks listed in the first paragraph. Agree, could have been worded better, unless there is a subsequent paragraph making it clear which drinks are always freely available. 

I think I’d probably assume that I’m not going to get 9 loungers together by the pool, and go and choose a nice spot elsewhere. Less stressful, I think. 

37 minutes ago, the penguins said:

Just curious. The chairs have low backs and look extremely uncomfortable compared to the high back chairs that recline on the traditional balconies. Can't imagine  relaxing on those chairs for the 3 plus hours we spend on the balcony every sea day. Just how long did you sit for?

The chairs are comfortable. I’d put my feet up on the table. I never tried it out for 3 hours though.

Yes, I liked it (Beyond, Med, October). Walking into the cabin every time to that wonderful floor to ceiling view was a joy and I spent a good amount of time sitting in the “balcony area” with the window down listening to the sound of the sea and looking at the view, or hanging over the ledge doing the same. 

OV on Edge class is spacious. Yeah, gets busy at busy times but never failed to get a seat. The food is excellent, too. 

We can’t afford suites, Oceania, Regent etc. For us, the price comparison is Princess, HAL, P&O, Royal Caribbean.

If the itinerary was attractive enough, I’d definitely jump but it would be a jump towards rather than a jump away from, if you understand me.

I’m very tempted by Celebrity’s new Iceland itinerary for my next cruise.

I thought the cabin on Beyond was very nice 🤷‍♀️ 

Generally, I found the space between the two-top tables more generous on Beyond than on Constellation. There was one of the 4 MDRs on Beyond where we were very close to our neighbours (I think it might have been Cosmopolitan) but even then there was probably a slightly bigger gap than on Constellation where you might as well have been on the same table really.

The advantage of the 4 dining rooms on Beyond is that they don’t always fill up, so the tables next to you might be empty. Also they seem to have more two-tops that aren’t in pairs or rows so you can get lucky with placement. 

We had it on Beyond in October, on the last sea day. 

3 hours ago, TheHawk1 said:

No one wants to walk through a funhouse hall of mirrors, especially after a few drinks.

Ah, I really liked the one on Beyond. And it always smelled so lovely. 

It must have been an absolute nightmare for Celebrity and all the other cruise lines sailing to those ports. Just imagine the logistical challenge and financial loss of changing it all mid-cruise. 
 

Were you not even a tiny bit grateful for them keeping you safe and giving you a lovely cruise under the circumstances?

33 minutes ago, blueslily said:

Is this kind of "special lunch" a norm or is it just for these preview sailings? 

We had this on the last sea day on our recent Beyond sailing. Good carvery selection as well for those not keen on seafood. 

31 minutes ago, paulh84 said:

Cruises have ruined places like Santorini. 

Agreed

End of June definitely better than August. July and August are the busiest and hottest in the Med.

Early May v late October not quite so clear cut. Both will be less busy and both unpredictable for weather. I think I might plump for May because Spring in Europe can be lovely (but take a raincoat).

I think I liked Cyprus and Tuscan best. The decor appealed and we struck lucky with the table placements and staff. But they were all nice. One night we’d decided to go to one but there was a 20 minute wait and the one across the hall didn’t have a wait so we shifted over quite happily. 

I’ve seen it under “manage my reservation” on the website.