love to sail - brian

25 minutes ago, Steelydad2021 said:

 

Ian441672’s recent Apex thread was most helpful leading up to this week and here is hoping Ian is enjoying a much deserved B2B second week somewhere on the ship.  Since this current sailing is just the Apex’s 7^th and earlier trips were at a fraction capacity, perhaps these jet lagged on-board impressions will be of some value.  Of course, YMMV and significant future changes would be expected in these times.

 

DW & I are closer to 60 than to 50, 8^th cruise (including 1 river Seine), last in 1/20 on Windstar Legend in the Caribbean.  Booked Apex last April when after a year + of gloom, we took out the map and asked “when it’s over, where to?”  Threw a dart and DW says “after your trip behind the fridge to get that dart, how about Greek islands?” (Retiring that joke now.) 

 

When X announced Greece & Israel it was like she served the smooth retsina, the danger on the rocks was surely past, call in my reservation, so long hey thanks my friend and we can sail till the bending end.  But then no Israel, sad, but happy about Dubrovnik which was on ye ole bucket list and mostly thrilled just to be traveling. 

 

Finally, after months of worry especially about passing the pre-boarding test though vaxed asymptomatic spread is a remote possibility, it was swab, wait 15 min, got hoped for results and welcome aboard.  Not so for a parent and child behind us apparently(?) the cause of the X staff hushed scurrying about in the tent on the dock.  Lots of urgent talk into cell phones and purposeful walking.  Cannot imagine the disappointment for any unlucky souls having made it that far only to be turn away.  Apparently, X handled the situation allowing 800 passengers and 900 crew set sail this week.  Perhaps this is how things will be – risks handled and life returns for all but the few unlucky but who knows? Not me.

 

Arrived at 11:15am for the scheduled 11:30, luggage efficiently checked in with directions to wait in the large tent.  The ice water was welcomed but AC’s barely cooled the 100 degree+ real feel temp.  Thanks to other CC threads, we were braced for the hot wait and had prepared all the paperwork unlike a lady in a wheelchair who got real loud when hers was not in order.    A failure to plan is a plan for failure and as the sign in the WC says, ‘no job is complete until the paperwork is done’ (retiring that too) so best to triple check the current requirements.  Saw that woman later by the pool so guess she eventually got on but she was still hollering about her bother hours later.

 

On board at 12:40 so figure 90 min to get on but that includes 15 min early arrival.  BTW one of the nasal swabbers told DW to throw out the little test # paper but others asked for it after getting the results.  Not sure if that would have been a big deal had we not kept it.

 

First thing on board was to check the ever-changing excursions status & as mentioned before in this forum, still X led excursions only on Mikonos but freedom everywhere else … for now.   Starting to notice … where are all the people? 

  

The Ship:

 

Much has been written about the Apex style but IMHO, the natural plantings, especially at the Rooftop Garden and Eden, and the eclectic art keep the vibe just shy of tacky glitz.   That massive stark chandelier comes close maybe. Clearly lots of thought, lessons learned and top $ went into everything.  Reckon they had some time for fine tuning recently too.

 

Touchless doors, little gathering seating all over usually w/ stunning views, a spacious state of the art gym, winding ramp jogging track, the Magic Carpet (engineering genius that) for speeding up tenders are all much welcome.  Fanciful chairs from wingbacks to hammock seats and pin shots of bygone starlet types from your favorite foreign movie make for an interesting mix of theming.  Still figuring it all out but that’s a good thing.  Apex big debut, a refuge to run to for skipped dimensions?  It’s definitely not an ordinary party boat.

 

Soot smell is noticeable at times at the pools but not on our room balcony.  Wifi is ship wifi.  You might use it when you feel better when you get home.   Smooth sailing on water like glass but it’s a heat wave w/o the usual Santa Anna type winds they say.

 

The staff seems genuinely happy to be working again, relieved even -- a much appreciated ethic these days … nuff said.  They set a polite example wearing masks but are not in your face so to speak about not wearing them especially outdoors and especially when its so hot out.  You can overhear it’s a topic but (hopefully) losing the maskhole ugliness on both sides … nuff said.  BTW the X branded masks provided in the room are like wearing an oven mitt, a fancy mitt but still … not a breath of air.

 

The Room:

 

A Sky Suite seemed a reasonable balance between ‘no-time-like-now’ Covid urgency and continuing offspring tuition obligations.  Balcony adds massive indoor/outdoor space for time out of mind but the sliding door seems to have a tricky airlock thingy going on.  I might have broken a piece, … well definitely.  Walls are thin though and we hear thems next door.  Better turn up the Eagles.  On whole tho, the room works.

 

This week the suites are 2/3’s booked which is much less than the last few weeks so maybe should have tried to bid something bigger but that would upset that reasonable balance.  But as a result, Luminae, for example, has been less than 1/3 full for meals.   I still ride the subway to work so no complaints about extra space but sometimes it feels like the ship wants more customers.  Not like “The Shining” earie but this boat was built for way more people and you can almost hear it long for more cruisers.  Or maybe that was just the wind howling from the sliding door which somebody failed to close last night. OK that was me but I got it figured now.

 

The crowd or lack of crowd seems overwhelmingly from the States w/ a sprinkling of UK, South Africa, Spain, Netherlands and very few under 18.   Also, maybe folks are feeling unleashed which is understandable but the inevitable few loudmouths and complainers are not always lost in a crowd and at times behave in cringing contrast to the understated crew professionalism.   “Hey, Party Boat was to the left you so-and-sos, this ain’t ____ (insert favorite party boat line).”  Mostly though folks are settling down to enjoying a proper good time and probably figured out their sliding doors straight away.

 

Food: Expectations were high and so far met, surpassed even for the Oceanview Café, which is effectively an world class cafeteria with million $ views.  They still serve the drinks there but it’s a nice not be constantly being served.  For many years now there are 2 places were folks w/ food issues could reliably feel safe; Disney (ships, parks, Adventures by D, etc.) and cruise ships … just makes vacation so much better.  All meals at Luminae so far, tre bien … no … better than tre bien.

 

Cannot really speak to entertainment but so far the random live music has been about on par with past cruises, namely, enjoyable enough for the setting but would not buy the album.

 

If you are torn about cruising, I would suggest - throw out the hardware, do it right and give it the college try.  Things may get a whole lot worse before suddenly falling apart. 

 

Just so happy X is doing this sail so far and cocktails do taste better on the water.

 

And to think, last Monday, guy on the 4 train next to me lights up a spliff.... in a closed car... at 7am. 🤪 What a difference a week can make.

We just booked the August 28 Apex greek isles.  We just need a vacation.  Thank you for this really cool review.  Needed to read something happy and positive.  "Tre bien....no...better than tre bien.  Enjoy your vacation.

Question for folks on or who will be boarding Edge tomorrow, for that matter, any Celebrity ship.  We board on the 23rd for a B2B and wondering if they are making people fill out an affidavit regarding Corona, like they did back during the SARS outbreak. It slowed down boarding and will determine if we decide to show up later after the "madness" Thanks in advance.

3 hours ago, zitsky said:

We were on Norwegian.  Walked into the restaurant for lunch.  Saw two other gay couples that we had talked to before.  Said/waved hello.  No one offered to sit with us or waved us to their table.

did you see them again during the course of the cruise...uggggg, rude people.  not acknowledging someone is simply uncalled for

14 minutes ago, zitsky said:

I find if you are friendly to others it's no problem.  Do you always sit with your partner?  Do you stay in one place or move around?

Really depends, we are not "attached at the hip."  if he finds an activity he is interested in and I'm not he will participate.  I almost always workout in the morning, especially on sea days...that is not his thing.  that said, we do try and spend a good deal of our time together while on vacation.

16 minutes ago, zitsky said:

Hate crowds?  What do you like about cruising?  The ports?  Hope you enjoy!

We both like "disconnecting".  Getting more and more difficult in the 24/7 connected world we live in.  We love sea days and long repositioning cruises.  We are both very busy with careers and it's our time together to reconnect, sleep in and go to bed early.  Going to endeavor to be more social on this coming trip.  

I know this is an older thread but I have appreciated it.  My husband is 51 and I'm 49.  We have been together 21 years and married for 7.  We love cruises and travel in general but I think, perhaps, we come off as "standoffish."  We always meet people on cruises and land trips....gay and straight, have made some lifelong friends while traveling...hell, met a young straight couple at a bus stop in Iceland last year and ended up going to dinner with them.  That said, neither of us are fans of crowds, add to that he rarely drinks and I don't drink at all.  (wow, we sound really boring, lol).

Well, we have a cruise coming up on Celebrity Edge in a little over a week and because of this thread I posted to the LGBTQ roll calls.   

Greetings, My husband and I booked these two cruises over the holidays.  Hard to believe it's almost here.  Has come around quick.  We live in Charlotte, NC, he is 51 and I am 49.  Anyone sailing with us on either or both of these cruises?

Thank you for this detailed review.  We will be on Edge for 2 weeks beginning on Feb 23.  I like how you cruise...we are very similar.  We had a friend on Edge in December and she really enjoyed her trip.  

IMPO, there is no better place to have a celebrations dinner on S class ships than at a window table in Tuscan Grill.  We've celebrated a few occasions doing just that.  I alway go by and confirm details with the Tuscan Grill restaurant manager early in the cruise.  Beautiful views overlooking the wake...just makes for a special evening on the high seas.

On 1/26/2020 at 12:30 PM, JSR said:

My husband and I were on the Edge last year b2b, we are 60, active, and seasoned cruisers. My DH husband did cruise when cruising was traditional with tuxedos every night on the SS United States, we have cruised Royal extensively when our DD was young and Celebrity extensively, and we have tried NCL and Princess. 

 

We enjoyed Edge B2B so much that I am having second thoughts about not being on an Edge class ship for our next two cruises in March and June. Week one we had an AQ infinite Veranda and week two we had a sky suite. 

 

What we liked:

- loved being able to control temp, lights etc with the app on my phone. Sounds hooky but it was wonderful

- enjoyed the IV though as others have said it is really a large picture ocean view whose window opens. We were surprised we liked it as we are balcony people

-the art and decor is interesting and fresh. 

-lots of hidden quiet gems of places that make you feel like your the only people on the ship

-the gym was fantastic

-food in Blu

-food in Lumanea which we usually do not care for

-The Retreat area and all the suite benefits week two (we did not have these week one and did not feel at all slighted by not having them)

-the service

-general experience of something new

 

What we did not care for: ( all minor and in no way diminished our experience)

-Not having a table to eat breakfast at on the balcony

-Entertainment was just not up to our likes (this is true of 90% of the cruises we are on) We try to be open minded but we are a bit selective that way

-Eden area we enjoyed, the entertainment and the meal was not up to par, the roving actors were not able to pull it off, they spent more time interacting with each other then we the guests and when they did they were clearly uncomfortable. We were on the Symphony of the Seas (first RCCL in years) and much preferred Wonderland and the amazing Mad Hatter. 

-The pool being raised up

-The martini bar being so big 

 

We have a B2B booked on the Apex and will do more Edge cruises.

 

Recently we went on a last minute cruise with our DD for Thanksgiving, we had few choices because of the last minute booking. We ended up on Symphony of the Seas, we had done one other mega ship, Oasis, maybe 10 years ago and really disliked it but figured being with our DD alone for a week was something we could not pass up. We ended up having a blast and loving it. Will I rush back to RCCL without our DD, probably not but we had lots of fun. 

 

The older I get the more I find it is what you bring to the cruise that influences your experience the most. 

 

Bon Voyage!

 

thanks for your insights...we booked sort of last minute over Christmas, and then added a second week on a couple of weeks later.  (7 days is just not long enough)  We leave in 3 weeks, doing the eastern in AQ and the western in a SS.  I am 49 and can relate to your husband.  Have been cruising since I was a child and remember the formal wear every night, especially when we joined my grandmother for the caribbean leg of her round the world on the QE2.  

I've never had a bad vacation, not once and can't wait to get on board Edge.  Will still sail on M and S class ships because I love each of them for what they offer.  We have a 2022 on Eclipse around New Zealand to Sydney and am about ready to pull the trigger on the May 2021 Apex eastbound TA.

Happy cruising!

Thanks to all of you for your kind responses.   I knew this community would be of help.   I appreciate all of you.  

Thank you. 

Thank you for the info.  

Hello all, booked a relatively last minute cruise to the western Caribbean on the Edge.  Am curious to know where “Friends of Bill W” meetings are held and at what time.  Are they posted in the daily or on a bulletin board near guest services.  This will be my first cruise since going to meetings and any help would be appreciated.  Thanks in advance. 

We loved it on embarkation day....SO much nicer that dealing with the crowds in the buffet area......the food was good....great way to start a cruise.

This is good to hear, we always enjoyed Bistro on 5 on embarkation day...was disappointed when it was converted to Sushi...that said, we both love sushi and are going to give it a shot on Equinox in a couple of weeks.

Thank you for the post, we board Equinox in a couple of weeks and will probably book an Edge cruise while on board. Was debating between a suite (to try the new suite amenities) or Aqua Class for the Infinite Veranda. Think we are leaning towards AQ after seeing this.

I lived in Key West for 4 years, just out of school from 1993-1997, have been back a couple of times for short weekends but not in more than 15 years...I agree, although it's become commercialized, the best day in Key West is just walking. Everything you would want to see is within 10 sq blocks.

 

Heading back for my first ever cruise port visit there in August. Looking forward to walking around, seeing the sites and eating Banana Heaven at The Blu Heaven Restaurant in Bahama Village. We are there on a Sunday, if not I'd start my day with a cuban cafe con leche and ham and egg sandwich from 3 Brothers Grocery in the 900 block of Southard Street.

Sorry, Meant 5 (Five Brothers Grocery)...couldn't find a way to edit. They are open Monday through Saturday, Closed Sundays.

If I remember correctly (and that doesn't happen all that often), The HOHO is really the Key West Trolley. It is orange with a green roof. We took it once and enjoyed the loop and the commentary. One can get off and on at any of their stops.

 

Our last trip to Key West we just walked and enjoyed visitiong the Heminway House and the Truman White House. We also enloyed the chocolate covered Key Lime Pie on a stick and several adult beverages at the Schooner Wharf Bar where we sat on the top deck, listened to the live music below and checked out the top end yachts. A fun day to be sure.

I lived in Key West for 4 years, just out of school from 1993-1997, have been back a couple of times for short weekends but not in more than 15 years...I agree, although it's become commercialized, the best day in Key West is just walking. Everything you would want to see is within 10 sq blocks.

Heading back for my first ever cruise port visit there in August. Looking forward to walking around, seeing the sites and eating Banana Heaven at The Blu Heaven Restaurant in Bahama Village. We are there on a Sunday, if not I'd start my day with a cuban cafe con leche and ham and egg sandwich from 3 Brothers Grocery in the 900 block of Southard Street.

Have a great time!

Thank you for the insight Brian. We’ll have to check out Blue Heaven. Enjoy your Aug 25th cruise.

My husband and I have been on many Celebrity Cruises, in fact, boarding on August 25. We have always found the gatherings well attended. Note, they will not be listed in the daily activities, you need to look at the board posted near guest relations desk. We feel at "home" on Celebrity and have made many friends, both gay and straight, over the years. Regarding Key West, I lived there for 4 years after college, '93-'97, so...a long time ago. No input about the guest house day pass, but a meal at Blue Heaven is not to be missed IMHO, if for no other reason, dessert..."banana heaven".

My partner and I will be taking our first Celebrity cruise with this sailing. We’ve previously sailed with Carnival (15 times) and Princess (1 time). Does Celebrity have a strong gay following? Is the LGBT gatherings actively attended?

 

On a side note we were thinking of getting a day pass at one of the Key West guest houses. Any thoughts?

 

John and Bruce

the doors are obviously meant to close together, however if you let them do that, they then leak from the bottom...every time. I found that if I closed the doors to the shower so that they didn't overlap correctly, the doors actually pushed slightly into the shower and the door leaked much less. Hope that makes some sense....put the door that is supposed to be on the inside on the outside so they don't mesh together :)

I will give it a try, our bathroom floor on Summit was a wet mess. I would use half of the provided towels to dry it after showering and made the mistake on more than one occasion of walking into the bathroom in socks, LOL.

That said, I appreciate the fact that they installed the doors, hated the shower curtains.

Thanks for the informative and well balanced review of the Millennium and your cruise. We sail on the April 25th, 16 night repositioning from China to Alaska. We too are in AQ, which we love on s-class ships. Did a 7 night last May to Bermuda on Summit in AQ and had some of the same experiences you did with Blu. Oh well...was hoping some of the logistical issues would have been worked out by now. Regardless, looking forward to the vacation and thanks again for the effort you put into the review.

Btw, I may have missed it, but, do you mind sharing your secret on how to keep the AQ shower door from leaking onto the bathroom floor...that was annoying!