DisneyJen

4 hours ago, PKB said:

I am curious about this grand mimosa of which you speak.  google recipe says orange juice, but there were mentions of pineapple juice.  Also, is cointreau a good substitute for grand marnier?  

It's basically your traditional mimosa of OJ and champers with a splash or two of Grand Marnier. Cointreau does work but we much prefer Grand Marnier.

3 hours ago, PSU said:

@Disney Jen

Hope that you have a fabulous time. We loved Mar. She was so helpful. We are..Penn State,

My husband and I met at Penn State.

Mar is incredible!

@DJsDH and I met at Penn State in Psychology 101 🤣

14 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Is Lyle the "Suite Concierge in training" a Butler Trainee, Retreat Concierge or Suite Manager in training?   Just curious as the naming convention that Celebrity has shifted to gets confusing at times. 

Not quite sure ... regardless he has a LOT to learn about being in any of those positions!

We are a half-full glass kinda couple ... @DJsDH more than me. For DH to comment on how poorly we were treated takes a lot. Mind you, we weren't asking for anything special ... more to come.

14 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I had Prez for 18 nights in the spring.  He is indeed a rock star.  Would you ask Yuskel if he will still be on board for the October 15 cruise?  Lobo had indicated he might be back by then.

Will do!

We asked for the Blu menu last night. Our wonderful waiter Andy said he didn't have a copy but if there was something on it that we wanted he would try to get it for us.

16 hours ago, Kteacher said:

We spent a good deal of time enjoying our balcony every afternoon, much quieter than the pool deck and we had everything we needed close by (and no worries about chair hogs). Schedule your favorite snacks to be delivered in the afternoon and enjoy 🍾

That is our plan @Kteacher ... We had breakfast delivered this morning and dined at the the table. We have spend the whole of the morning on the balcony sipping Grand Mimosas, reading for work and pleasure and watching the sky and sea.

16 hours ago, RosieRoo said:

I’m assuming they were the same ones in Luminae for lunch today?  It got a bit loud in there. 
I saw two tall gentlemen in Luminae today at lunch, but I didn’t want to ask which one might be sailing with @DisneyJen😊

Indeed they were loud @RosieRoo!

@DJsDHwas wearing Penn State garb ... and definitely not tall. We were seated by the window, first table as you entered. Dinner last night was around 7 at the last table by the window.

We had a beautiful sail away … photos to follow once @DJsDH phone is charged.

We were on the helipad for sail away. As an American it is quite something to see  Lady Liberty from a ship … much different from when our grandparents arrived.

My post about the first day somehow got lost … but let’s just say that there are many demanding passengers on board and the staff is doing their best.

Our room steward is Prez and he is a rockstar. Butler/PHR is Roland. Penelope and Mar are our Suite Concierges. Lyle (whom we have not been impressed with … story to follow tomorrow) is a Suite Concierge in training. Cecilia is the Retreat Bartender and quite lovely.

Yuskel is the Luminae MD … he impressed us at lunch. Here’s hoping that we continue to enjoy that level of service.

Two HUGE groups in the Retreat. One multi-generational family of 10 and another couples group of 10 very LOUD folks. Here’s hoping we find our suite spot 🥂

So this morning, while whiling away the minutes, DH tried to log into his old CC account. He couldn’t remember or reset his account😆

So now @DJ’s DH is @DJsDH🤪🍾🤪

l

23 minutes ago, bnurick said:

Have a great cruise @DisneyJen will follow along and see how you navigate the experience. We just flew home from V&A 2nd reopening night. It was unreal and most of the cast members are all back!  Cheers! 🥂 

Thanks @bnurick!

So happy to hear that V&A is reopened and incredible as ever🥂

I have some DVC points to burn before the end of October so maybe a quick trip to WDW for dinner at V&A. I’ll have to wait for the right moment to float that idea 🤪

1 hour ago, chemmo said:

I had the most wonder cocktail in Sushi on 5 last cruise…Mango based. I am not usually a lover of mango but it was really refreshing and complemented my meal selection (lots of bits) perfectly!

 

There are usually two different LPC menus. When we last cruised it swapped mid cruise so worth finding out which menu is on which half of the cruise as you board…

Sounds like a lovely drink @chemmo!

Right now they are showing only one menu for two nights and nothing for the balance.  I suspect once we get on board we can check!

Safe travels home @GenerationX!

Thanks for taking us along 🥂

DH and I will head to the port around 10:45 to board 🍾

10 hours ago, Cruisegoer said:

Party of 6 also on this sailing, hoping for great weather, smooth sailing and delish food with enough staff.  This sailing has been “sold out” for awhile so I’m preparing for it to be crowded. This is my 3rd Summit sailing, my last cruise was the Apex in February in an Infinite Veranda in Concierge.  That ship sailed at about 60% capacity then! Summit is a great size ship, can’t wait for Tuscan Grille

Just a few more hours until we sail @Cruisegoer 🥂

10 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

FYI, I was on the Summit this spring.  Had always had meh experiences in Tuscan, but it was included with my suite and friends wanted to go, so I went.  Surprise!  Excellent meal and excellent service.  Had always been indifferent to Le Petit Chef as well, but again it was included and friends wanted to go.  We went to steak & lobster night.  Again a surprise.  The food was good and the visuals were fun.  I've always had good meals in Sushi on 5.

 

Thanks for the reviews @Happy Cruiser 6143!

Since Specialty Dining is included we may give LePetit a try.

We plan on Sushi on 5 for lunch.

After a somewhat easy three hour drive we crossed the border from PA to NY.

They last 30 minutes of the drive in Jersey reinforced why I don't miss living in the tri-state area🤣

We've checked into the Liberty International Newark Airport Marriott for the night. We used a certificate so it is a "free" night.

@DJ's DHand I have stayed here before but we can't remember when🙃

The room is clean and updated. Perfect for our needs this evening.

Game plan is to leave the Marriott at 10:45 a.m. for the twenty-minute drive to the port.

1 hour ago, PSU said:

We had Alex as a butler in the Royal suite on the Summit in March. He was the best butler we ever had. You will love the Summit.

We Are ... @PSU

Fingers crossed that we have Alex as our butler. Will report tomorrow👍

I love the Summit although I haven't sailed on her since the Revolution🤣

1 hour ago, vickykay said:

Love the photo of your boys.  We have an almost six month old cavachon. So sweet.  Cruising for a month in Oct.  I know he won’t be happy even though he’ll be staying with one of our daughters. Enjoy your cruise!

They are so sweet @vickykay. The hardest thing about cruising is leaving them on land!

2 minutes ago, George C said:

We love Le Petit Chef , I like looking at the menu for Luminae and if you don’t care for it get a reservation for one of the specialty, we had good luck doing that. I like the balcony on your royal suite more than balcony on penthouse on the edge , since that had no sunshine.

Great idea!

I'm not sure I will be able to get @DJ's DHon anything bigger than the S Class🤣

We used OnPoint yesterday for our sailing tomorrow. it was fast and easy!

DH and I did a joint appointment with no problem since we paid for two tests!

4 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

The butlers have those.

 

Good to know!

6 hours ago, Laurab23 said:

Interesting concept- a not empty champagne bottle. Never have I encountered one around me.

 

Laura

Stranger things have happened!

7 hours ago, Mrs_Tiki said:

Wishing you and DH a great cruise and will be interested to see how you think X compares to SD. Until COVID, our line of choice was SD, but now my DH would prefer to drive to the port rather than fly.

 

We have recently sailed on Apex in a Sky Suite and Edge in a Royal Suite and felt the service in The Retreat was similar to SD. And the extra room in both suites was wonderful, but the Royal Suite truly fabulous!

 

While we missed the feeling of being on our own yacht, the variety of activities and dining options was a plus for X.
 

Looking forward to following along. And love the tip about grand mimosas! 
 

Bon voyage!

Thanks @Mrs_Tiki!

We agree with your DH about being able to drive to the port instead of flying. DJ's DH has flown a bit this summer for work and none of his flights, all non-stops, have been delayed or cancelled.

I am hoping to find  as you did that the service in the Retreat is similar to SD. DH's only complaint about SD is the lay of balcony staterooms. While the outdoor public spaces are gorgeous sometimes you just want to be alone🤣

DH will miss the water toys like on SD but he survived a Trans Atlantic on SD without using water toys.

Enjoy the Grand Mimosa!

9 hours ago, jimbri said:

Have a great time.

Thanks so much!

12 hours ago, groryjm said:

@DisneyJen I love the idea of Grand Mimosas 😎 . We have often found that when the provided bottle of PJ runs out our butler replaces it. 

 

We always bring a secure champange saver so the not quite empty bottle can go back on it's side in the fridge.

 

 

have a wonerful time enjoying the suite life. 🍾🥂

Darn I forgot the champagne stopper! We did bring a bottle of our Veuve and three bottles of our favorite Cava as our four allowed bottles of wine.

Good to know they replace the PJ!

14 hours ago, chemmo said:

A RS on a cruise where ‘the ship is the destination’ sounds ideal after your recent stressful time. Remember to let your butler know your focus is on rest and relaxation. It is wonderful to have time for relaxing balcony breakfasts, leisurely balcony lunchtimes…Ask your butler for some lunchtime suggestions for port days…With prior discussion they can often offer you something not on any menu…

 

Love your idea of Grand Marnier with champers to make a  grand mimosa!!! On cruises where we intend to crash out more we will ask our butler to add items to the bar set up including sliced lemon and olives. Never a problem. We also tend to ask for a real fruit bowl rather than the usual lonely apples on a plate. Nicee to garnish drinks with.

 

Sincere best wishes for a wonderful cruise…

Thanks @chemmo! You're CC postings were greatly used while researching our move to the suite life🥂

When I spoke to the Shore Side Concierge I requested limes so we could garnish our Tanqueray and Diet Tonics.

I'll be sure to follow your suggestions about talking with our butler about lunch suggestions. I am hopping we will be able to do a few dinners in the suite or on the balcony. Of course we will discuss it way in advance so plans can be made accordingly.

Once you have a Grand Mimosa you'll never go back🥂