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As an aside.....in Nov 2023... Shrimp cocktail in Luminae was served with small, mushy shrimp and awful tasting sauce. In BLU, the shrimp were huge, firm, fresh and sauce was perfect.. Definitely diff kitchens and diff provisions. Luminae was dark and dingy..BLU...oh so light and bright. We booked our 2024 Ascent in cruise n AQ Class.. we are BLU fans! 4 mdrs were fine too on EDGE

That's a nice location On both of our early EDGE sailings it was in TUSCAN,,our fav spot..love the decor, art and music there

is the lunch def on First day? sometimes they change that.... If it is still on boarding day, I would escalate your request to higher manager, Cap Club ? & go in time for the lunch anyhow... you are not getting that many perks in CC so why miss out on that one???

good to hear this.. last few cruise in AQ they called Concierge Clsss first so they could get to the lunch! Used to be quite simple from what we recall: I think it was by cabin class and loyalty levels Suites and Zenith, Elite + and AqClass, Elite and Concierge.. i may have the categories wrong but that was the concept. More recently there was a free for all for E Class, other than suite guests who have a sep waiting area...had that on our BEYOND cruise..Suite area was crowded ..not very posh as we expected Did offer free drinks but no snacks Short wait time to board was great!

Walk offs and Suite guests go off first.. Then others...not much of a perk anymore Just pack patience and hope you get all your luggage.. Parking garage can involve some wait time for elevators but getting out of the garage is not too bad

Modern Luxury.....the celebrity way!

we only paid diff between classic and premium for drinks not on our plan and half the time they never charged for it. gave it to waiter..cash tip.

But did they offer an Elite Tea..? Usually in Tuscan.

Hoping for a photo of you guys in the Cabo tee shirts! Great photos..sounds like a perfect day!

Looking good! Hope the stress is now behind you.! One yr we were booked to arrive in FL a few days ahead for a winter cruise flying from NY...Due to ice storm delays, we had to fly in the day of..very nerve Wracking but we also made it in time,, Other yrs we had to go way ahead .... All these changes were costly and lucky to find accomodations, . Another time we cruisedbto Carib from Bayonne, NJ, and returned to cars all snowed in.,they lent us shovels to dig out! Now we never cruise in winter if are flying in from the north...As snowbirds, we drive over to Pt Ev a day ahead, but snow is no longer an issue.

Hope it all worked out... Before the big glitch Jeremy looked like he was def getting into the South Beach vibe ! A good look for him! Sounds like a great ins policy..many end when the cruise ends. Have to check ours?? Looking forward to your next Blog!

So happy you made it to the ship..I would have folded early on! We use limo service at LAX..hope they can still come in to the luggage area with their litttle cards to greet their pax.??? Glad Cruisecritic friends could help you.. They usually come through... Hope you de-stress, win big and have a great cruise!

once they took away the regular balc tables, room service became a discouraging event..who wants to use their bed as a table or balance food on their lap?? Charging for the so called privilege plus adding on an inflated tip is even more ridiculous! folks can go down to the buffet in a robe and flip flops and grab some food to bring back.(pack a small tray.). At least it will be warm and what you want.. But pls be cautious with hot coffee in the elevators.!

love all the flowers..we have had all of the ones shown. by pre ordet.. going to look fir that tropical arrangement next! thanks jim to OP not sure u can order on board.. flower shop became a restsurant on some ships

looking forward to your sail away pics!

hate to see this blog end..thanks for taking us along on your special journey!

Love all the photos..review is off to a great start.. Lots to enjoy in Key West plus a good pharmacy where u can get eye drops! Great variety of choices for lunch or just a drink or ice cream.. we like some of the local art/ craft stores and KW Aloe Products. Very interesting houses, Hemingways home..gardens... -I def rec getting off the ship heard they want to ban cruise ships???,

very nice posts..Thanks. nice to see something diff on here now and then.

We enjoyed this itin (with a few other stops) awhile ago. Cabo: great lunch and jewelry shopping. Nice area to walk around, hilly. I fell in love with a puppy that was hanging out and spent time seeing if we could adopt him (my dh humors me!) ..which we did but JUST for the day! PV.. one of our fav ports. Beautiful location..water...modern areas/ condos but also lots of history/architecture...Plus the tour dropped some folks at a Walmart on the way back to the ship (water tee shirts, etc.) if I recall correctly. Popular with crew and cruisers. We took a day long tour including where the rich and famous used to play, and an extended Tequila tasting.( very smooth!) We just enjoyed taking in the city's outstanding vibe! hope u enjoy it. all

and often get a discount for pre booking

We used to have lunch there ( B on 5) most days, upcharge was reasonable, seldom crowded, great menu..loved the soups! Sushi place might be fun once but not every day., Do some of the S Class ships have a sports themed bar where u can get lite lunch..We had it once but the schedule was erratic,. Mostly have been in E Class recently...the Grand Bistro is excellent but pricey,, they have nice take out sammies,,upcharge!

Glad to hear that,..our BEYOND cruise in RETREAT was supposed to be our last.(been there done that!). We enjoyed it very much, weakened, and booked ASCENT. We will be grandfathered if we need to cancel or switch. If not, we will be slow to book another with X. We used to book only refundable deposits but the prices for that category skyrocketed, so we switched to NRD. The new policy seems complicated...not worth the added computations.. We'll just move on!

We walk almost every day..flat surfaces or gym. I thought the Acropolis tour was a work out,, strenuous,,.. walking up steps, etc. The outdoor rinky dink elev was not for me either.. Rhodes was no issues. Our Dtr found a mountain walk in St lucia (?) A bit of a challenge in the heat I thought Pools and Falls in Dominica ( ?)was also a big hike,, Up and down 2x..limited railings or rest benches in some spots Need sturdy shoes, hat, water for many walking tours, you have to judge your stamina, potential surfaces, and your own ability & balance! A walking pole might help depending Some of the on ship tours also invokve alot of walking and stairs.,but have some elev options.

thank you for the memory of the original EDGIES, Mr Edge and Vt Cruiser.. Marilyn was a wonderful online friend to so many of us...Her good deeds here and in the non cruise world live on i think of her often..glad you remembered...

I am catching up...great review and so fun with both of you in starring roles! You are so right about all the auto doors. Unpredicable and dangerous, esp when they turn on you,. On BEYOND, I was assaulted by the doors more than once., and was locked in for awhile in the Luminae bathroom.. I particularly avoided that one or brought along a buddy to wait outside! Loved the EFFY bauble..will drop the hint to Sal..Our.next cruise on Ascent is a big b day for me ..,last big b day on EDGE, I got the dancing diamond if my dreams! Love your look in this shot..Have fun!