asnaleah

Last evening chic night. Happens to be our anniversary, so nice to dress up a bit. Another lovely meal in Luminae. Lobster for me, rack of lamb for DH. Both delicious.

Have a great cruise!

Thanks so much for your terrific review! Safe travels home.

Had a great tour from Pisco today - visited the Incan ruins at Tambo Colorado, very interesting. Almost sorry we didn’t take the flight to see the Nasco lines, but it was really pricey. Probably should have booked it during the Labor Day sale. If anyone is flying from Santiago in the next week, be aware, the American Airlines lounge is not open. We booked a hotel room at the Hilton Garden Inn very near the airport because our flight is at 11:55 pm. They have a shuttle included in the price.

@BOB999, our experience has been as you surmised. There are wines available at the World Class bar that are not on offer in Luminae.

Since there will be three cruise ships in port once again, we decided to cancel our tour for tomorrow. The Retreat concierge said we would only receive 50% refunded due to less than 24 hour cancellation. I plan to escalate because the port transportation conditions could not have been known by us 24 hours prior. Certainly not the fault of the tour operator, but not our fault either. Now we do not even have strawberries…

Thoughts about Callao. If more than one ship is in port, be prepared to wait getting in or out of the port. Huge wait time to return and others waiting to leave were massively delayed. Our excursion was fine, very enjoyable, but the 1 1/2 hour wait to get into the port was inexcusable. I don’t intend to ask the destination desk for compensation. However, I may ask to be refunded for our tour tomorrow. Checking to see how many ships are in port tomorrow and then will likely ask the Retreat concierge for help. FYI, sea lions are hugely smelly!

Perfect day for the Sounds! Lovely photos Jim.

I wonder if this is indeed an E class problem. We have had excellent food in Luminae on Eclipse. Hot food hot, cold food cold, plates to match. However, there are no berries to be had. And I’m allergic to melons, so no fruit for me.

“Which ship is the Double Cheeseburger listed???” Here is the menu description from Eclipse. ”Luminae Double Cheese Burger Smokey brisket, cheddar, pickles, horse radish BBQ sauce” French fries not listed. I have only seen them offered with the lobster roll. Not a complaint, just reporting. I miss the onion-bacon jam.

Well, I think this cruise has met my expectations. The service from the crew has been outstanding with the slight exception of the room attendant. Just a few little details not quite up to par, but remedied as soon as we asked. Even destination services came through with a little prompting. The ship is comfortable but needs updating. But we knew this before sailing, so again, what we expected. The food has been mostly excellent, especially in Luminae where our service has continued to be stellar. The Spa is overpriced of course, but we have had some very good services, and they are offering good discounts. Very nice fitness equipment and some good classes. Since our cruise is not at capacity, there is no crowding at the pool, plenty of loungers for everyone both in the sun and shade. The production show, Rock, was well done. The comedian was a little cringey. There are lots of live music options, plenty of seating at the World Class Bar and Martini Bar. We don’t eat often at the buffet, but there are plenty of options. A disappointment has been Michael’s Club. It is just dead. The concierge, Chris, has been terrific, very helpful and efficient, but it’s just not a place to hang out which we have enjoyed in the past. I think the updated, revolutionized Retreat Lounge on S class ships is an improvement, with light food offerings throughout the day and beverage coolers.

Or, someone else suggested I can use the spa showers.

Had lunch in the buffet. The greens were a little sketchy, but the pizza chef made me a veggie pizza with gluten free crust. Tasty! And much appreciated.

We had a very nice tour in Manta, Ecuador today. Our guide was knowledgeable and I learned a lot about the country. We visited Montecristi and DH got a beautiful Panama hat. We also learned why they are called “Panama” hats. The workers building the Panama Canal needed relief from the sun, so hats were brought from Montecristi to Panama. We saw how they are made and it was very interesting.

Is it listed on the menu that way or is that an off menu item that may be a one off? The double cheeseburger is now listed on the menu. i had the new appetizer Jim had with the asparagus and poached egg. Delicious!

The burger in Luminae on Eclipse is now a double cheese burger with a slice of brisket, bbq sauce and pickles. I miss the bacon, onion jam, but the double burger offers good choices for a smaller serving.

We are crossing the equator overnight so the ceremony was held today at noon. I think the entire passenger count was around the pool!

Gorgeous photos Jim! Maybe we should think about going back to NZ.

So, we are now experiencing the dreaded “supply chain” problems. One week to go, and no blueberries or bananas. Also, the made for Celebrity Elegance Pinot Noir is no longer available. Raspberries have been gone since day 4. Maybe we will get more provisions in Equador.

I have decided I will no longer book a cabin without a separate shower. I am too short and not as young as I used to be. Climbing into the tub during rough seas is just not for me. I will try to sit downwind from others tonight 😂

This is the first time in many years we do not have a Celebrity cruise booked. Onboard now, and no desire to book another. We are having a fine cruise, but we have looked elsewhere. I really don’t like being charged 2-3 dollars extra for a glass of wine that was previously covered on the premium package. I was sold “nearly” everything included, but that’s simply not the case any more. E class doesn’t interest us, seemingly we are not the sought-after demographic. We baby boomers aren’t used to that lol!

We had a medical evacuation at sea the day before yesterday. The Mexican Coast Guard came along side our ship. And it was dark. I don’t know about the condition of the person, but will try to find out. So scary! And yesterday at Huatulco, someone was taken off to an ambulance. Prayers for all involved!

Jim, your television looks pretty new compared to ours on Eclipse. Nice.

On Eclipse, this set up would appear to make it easy to attach the FireStick. Of course I left ours at home…

We are in a Celebrity Suite. I will ask if the 4 oz filet is available regularly. I did see someone in Luminae have it last night.