Redking

On 5/11/2023 at 10:22 AM, groryjm said:

bags pack and ready to go........

 

Welcome back! I've missed you and that glorious bar. Happy cruising.

8 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

@Jim_Iain  Congratulations on the upgrade and getting the billing fiasco sorted. 

 

Looking forward to your review from the RS!  

 

Me too!

3 hours ago, Norwaylady said:

Have a great day touring🤩🕺🏻😎

I can report that we had great luck 🍀 on our fishing line😁 Cod, Halibut, Catfish and tusk🐟🐟🐟🐟 so around 50kg/110 pounds🎣

 

 

 

😮

8 hours ago, Lastdance said:

Photos of Kotor, Montenegro...we have been here previously, so took the small tender into Kotor for some early morning photos and walking.

Beautiful photos thank you. This region has hovered on and off our bucket list for many years. Firmly back on now!

10 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I think we are... oh.. my I'm getting old they are all starting to blend together. 

 

OK.. Yes.. just looked.  

We are on Edge Singapore to Sydney and  New Zealand  segments of the World Cruise then flying home only to fly back to Sydney for the April 9 and April 25 Solstice.  

I really want to meet you.   I feel like I've known you for years.  

 

Sorry Ken for going off topic.

Me too!

I wish I had your problem. With the number of cruises of course, we're all getting older.

Pity we're not on the same TP. Maybe catch you for a coffee when you call at Tauranga?

Again, sorry Ken.

4 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Which TP are you on?

The Edge. Are you on the Solstice Jim?

12 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We headed out a little past 11 am to catch the tender over, which by that time was pretty easy and took us a total of about 20 minutes. So with the extra time we decided to walk to town to past the time before our excursion. According to the Daily, it was about a 5-10 minute walk. So off we went strolling down this street like of other folks.

 

Believe it or not, this was the first cat we’ve seen this whole cruise. But I guess the gang of chickens with 2 roosters was just too much for him. 😂

 

 

  

 

 

Let me tell you, there are no shortage of free range chickens in the Polynesian Islands!

 

 
After walking for about 30 minutes, something just wasn’t adding up, so we asked some folks walking back towards the pier if there was much to see in the town. They said they never found the town. So we turned around and headed back towards the pier. On the way back, we walked down this side street, where there was a school and park, but no town. 
 

 

But to keep my streak going, I did get my picture on the elusive Mo’orea pigeon! 😂

 

 

We later found out the town was actually about 7 miles rather than 5-10 minutes. But as it worked out we got back to the pier in plenty of time to get on our 8 passenger 4-wheel drive open air truck, and off we went. The first stop was a beach with the ship in the background along with pretty surrounding views.

 

  
Then we headed down he road to a church with Mountain View’s behind it.

  

 

 
Of course, I had to take a picture of the local wildlife. Some yellow wasps eating on something under this dead leaf. 😁

  

 
Then it was time to take some pictures with some thatched roof cabanas with a view of Tahiti in the background!

  

 

 

 
 

 
And of course more chickens!

  

 
Then we were off again to a different bay with some pretty views before heading inland along this windy road for some awesome mountain and valley views!

 

 

  

  
The red truck in the right of the picture was our ride. Sorry I didn’t get a better shot of it. I was actually taking a picture of the mountain behind it. 😁

 

 

 

 
One thing I have to say about the chickens we’ve seen, they’re all different, especially when it comes to their colors!

  

 

  
That is a pineapple field in the foreground.

 

 

 
These were germinating coconuts!

 

 
Then it was time to head back to the pier to take the tender back to the ship.

 

 

 

 
All in all we had a great time and definitely would recommend this excursion! 😁
 

Stunning. Still 11 months until our TP but your report begins to make it feel real. Thank you.

4 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Here’s a fun fact that for some reason we overlooked. Do you remember this picture I posted yesterday from our excursion? 

 

 
That was Mo’orea! I know it would have been pretty obvious if I would have looked at the map a little closer! But I figured since we left at midnight last night from Papeete and arrived here in Mo’orea around 6 am, it couldn’t have been that close! 😂

  

There should be a thread on islands that are right next door. I'm thinking Aruba to Curacao. When we sailed our Southern Caribbean Cruise our sons commented that they thought they'd seen the same bridge on an island multiple times  during the night when sailing from Aruba to Curacao. Hey presto we had, must have sailed round Curacao several times.

We actually didn't call at Mo’orea on our last TP cruise. Considered taking the ferry across from Papeete but thought it too risky in case we didn't get back on time. Thankfully it's on our itinerary next year as I believe it's very beautiful. Sadly no Bora Bora but good to see other islands.

Wishing you continued happy cruising!

2 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

Of course I'm reading this.  Wouldn't miss one of Jim's trip reports.

 

Yes, I did have one booked--Iceland/Greenland.  Booked a long time ago.  As my knees got worse, I decided to cancel and get them fixed instead.  Beware, Explora has a $200 cancelation penalty.

I guessed you would be reading, who wouldn't and thanks @Jim_Iain

Really very sorry to hear you had to cancel your trip and hope you get to sail this itinerary soon. Best wishes for your surgery and a speedy recovery, knees can be tricky.

8 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

We haven't abandoned Celebrity and have 11 cruises booked through the end of 2024.

 

Ponant is a Explorer small ship cruise which is 100% a total experience.   Many of warn us they don't have the shows, entertainment, activities of Celebrity --- but we don't do any.   I think the thing we will notice is the Cabin Size and not having a Retreat Lounge.   That's why we are doing a teaser cruise -  to see if it's an option.  

 

Many guests we have been chatting with highly recommend Azamara and Seabourn -   possible options.    I'm sure Celebrity will be our number one cruise lines but I have spotted a Silver Seas cruise that has spiked my interest.   Johannesburg up the west coast of Africa and then a TA to Rio.   

 

Africa is on my bucket list and I hear the Lion's calling.

I like the look of the new Explora Journey ships and their itineraries. Looking forward to first reviews. @Happy Cruiser 6143 if you're reading this, did  I see you are cruising with them this year?

57 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Today is the first of 3 sea days before we get to Papeete, Tahiti. It’s a little chilly on the balcony, but at least there is blue sky and calm seas! 😁

  

 

Tahiti here we come!! Yay! Warmer weather!! 😂


Here’s our current location

 

 
And the internet out on the balcony with the sliding door closed is quite acceptable!

  

 
This morning we went to a couple of Beyond the Podium lectures. First, we received an in-depth briefing about French Polynesia, and then we learned all about Orcas. We also turned in our passports to accommodate a Tahiti Customs requirement which we should receive back after we finish visiting the 3 islands.

 
This afternoon we’ll probably go for our walk and to a few trivias up in the Sky Lounge if they’re not too crowded. But tonight is definitely going to be a fun one after dinner with the Rock City production show in the main theater

  

 
followed by a late night adults only comedy show with Simon Palomares! 😁

  

 

 

Sounds like a wonderful day. Enjoy. We're back in French Polynesia on the Edge this time next year, so looking forward to your reviews.

9 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Not a good sign.     Possible rough seas.   They are moving Deck furniture into our room tonight. 
 

Yikes!I'm curious as to how guests in the Iconic Suites handle rough seas in case by some miracle I ever get to cruise in one 🤣 Sounds like you're CS is in a similar location? Hoping of course that you don't have rough seas!

16 minutes ago, zestyzorra said:

Speaking of Zoom calls, did you have any trouble connecting during your cruise? I will be sailing next year around New Zealand and then the TP to Tahiti - Hawaii - Vancouver.  I'm trying to figure out if I can work during sea days. TIA!

 

Sorry to interrupt your thread, Ken!

I didn't have to work when out at sea so can't accurately comment on that. No problems when in NZ waters but we have premium wifi. I found we had better connection pre Starlink on a TP. Service was eratic on the Eclipse in the South Pacific back in January.  @Ken the cruiser might be able to give more up to date feedback. Are you on the Edge next year?

5 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We have arrived at our mooring spot to tender ashore! Here are some photos from our balcony of some of the islands on the way in.

 

 

 

 
And then from up on Deck 14 on the port side once we stopped.

 

 

 

So much serenity. Had to stay onboard due to work commitments on our last visit. I can think of worse places to take a zoom call and then have a cruise ship to yourself 🤣

6 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Our next adventure as we head towards New Zealand and the Bay of Islands will be to cross the Tasman Sea or more commonly known as The Ditch!

 

Climate

The south of the sea is passed over by depressions going from west to east. The northern limit of these westerly winds is near to 40°S. During the southern winter, from April to October, the northern branch of these winds from the west changes its direction toward the north and goes up against trade winds. Hence, the sea receives frequent winds from the southwest during this period. In the Australian summer (from November to March), the southern branch of the trade winds goes up against west winds and produces further wind activity in the area.^[3]

 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasman_Sea

 

We crossed it back in 2017 on the Diamond Princess and we still remember seeing a much smaller Regent Seven Seas ship heading the other way towards Australia with massive waves continually smashing over its bow!

 

Here is our current location and we’re heading right for it! 😁
 

 
with the weather and seas starting to get a little more active as well!
 

 

If I remember correctly, the Captain mentioned last night over the loud speaker that the swells as we cruise across the Tasman Sea may get to around 10-15+ feet! 😱

  

Rug up, winter is on its way to NZ. 

2 hours ago, kwokpot said:

I think that's a happy and ideal compromise in having a Retreat Lounge with a real bar that you can sit at AND it having an up-to-date decor that's brighter and less like a stuffy Men's Club. 

Agree. Although our first Edge class experience is not until next year, we've just been on the Eclipse and that stuffy men's club has certainly had its day.

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Yes.   Iain is the Scotch version of Ian.    

 

I can tell you, I always know when a telephone solicitor calls.   Three vowels in a row leave them tongue tied. 

 

Now, I'll have to go back and look to see what he had on.   LOL

How's this for vowels in a row Ruairidh. Our son's name.  I'm sure Iain can pronounce it! BTW and being cheeky 😜 Scotch comes out of a bottle, the people and language are Scots/Scottish.

So looking forward to following your wonderful trip. Thank you for taking us along, especially as I now know how much effort it takes. Kim.

Amazing photos of Norway. A New York to Bergen cruise is currently top of our list. Just need to find a ship and cruise line that appeals and fits the budget!

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

I never knew you could ask for a coffee maker on Celebrity.

I think they may be standard on some suite categories on Edge Class. We requested and received one in our Royal Suite on the Eclipse. Friends in a CS asked for one and were told they were only provided to upper suites. I think they have limited numbers of machines?

3 hours ago, GenerationX said:

Yesterday I received two emails from the shoreside Retreat Concierge team.

 

The first was regarding my (spoiler alert) recently booked bargain April solo sky suite cruise on Beyond, for which I’ve been emailing back and forth with the general customer service email address about similar booking issues (missing perks, random balance due email when the cruise was paid in full at booking, etc.).   

 

The email yesterday from the concierge apologized for all of the errors and had attached an updated, correct invoice showing no balance due and all perks included.

 

The second email was regarding this Apex cruise and the concierge included a link to a form that she requested I fill out regarding preferences for our sky suite on our (very soon!) upcoming cruise, including options for the type of wine we’d like in our suite for embarkation. 

 

She also invited me to call or email her if there was anything else that we need last-minute assistance with before we sail.

 

I thought about emailing her regarding my ongoing quest and to get perks resolved and properly documented for this cruise. But just out of curiosity, I checked and our beverage packages are now showing on our express passes and our paid gratuities and premium Internet seem to be reflected in the cruise planner!

 

I’ve had outreach and assistance from the Retreat shoreside concierge when sailing in a Celebrity Suite or higher, but never before in a sky suite.

 

Does anyone know if this is now officially a standard thing for sky suites?

 

If so, having dedicated shoreside assistance, even at the lowest suite level, to step in and get issues like this resolved when they pop up is a nice additional perk.

 

Sharing pics of the preference form below. 

 

I’ve seen that there’s sometimes a disconnect between the shoreside and onboard teams, so it will be very interesting to see if our preferences/requests actually come through.

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Charla, really good to know that you've received this level of contact from shoreside. We had really poor service for our last cruise in  Royal Suite which I have provided feedback on to the CEO's office.  Hopefully they are onto it and are lifting their game. 🤞 the connection is good between shoerside and the ship. Wishing you both a wonderful cruise and looking forward to following along.

23 hours ago, countess5 said:

For those that like the glass blowing! 
 

 

I would like it to be the Lawn Grill. 🤔

 

who doesn’t like the site of the tail! 
 

 

Cheers! 

Yep, Lawn Grill!

I'd be very interested in your thoughts.

Like many, the current X pricing on upper suites is prompting us to look at other options. I even set up a spreadsheet yesterday in an attempt to compare X with equivalent suites on the smaller luxury lines - still a work in progress, any suggestions gratefully accepted.

I find that everytime I start this exercise I conclude that the "look and feel" of these ships is not to our taste. We've yet to sail on Edge class but like the look of them but not the prices! 

Thank you for taking the time to do this.

1 hour ago, GenerationX said:

Oh thank you so much for your kind words!  
 

I’m so glad I was able to bring some entertainment while you haven’t been able to cruise.  I also get so much out of the reviews others post when I’m stuck home planning and saving for my next trip.  Confession: I actually start to get a bit antsy when Celebrity live reviews are wrapping up and no one has started new ones for cruises coming up!
 

A few of my friends who follow my reviews and social media posts have actually suggested that I start writing a true blog or book.  
 

I’ve always pushed back because honestly don’t think my life is really enough to be a very exciting read, beyond maybe those who share my very niche intense interest in cruising, cooking, designer accessories and small farm life.  Which also seems like a super eclectic plot line.

 

 I feel like “The Girl in the Map Dress:  A Woman of Color’s True Tales from the Sample Sales, Open Seas, America’s Boardrooms and the Missouri Countryside” might be tough book to segment and market for even the best publisher. 😂

 

 

Do it!

6 hours ago, countess5 said:

Evening from Day 5!

Before I start can I share that we woke up to the toilet not flushing! What a panic! 🙀 We called guest services and they said they would notify the correct people. It took a while but they got it fixed. That was the second time since boarding in our area. We didn’t notice it the first time. May not of hit us but the cabins around us. Guest services called us back when it was fixed and asked if everything was ok. Good follow up. 

Pics are not loading up to the IPad so fast tonight so may have to post some pics tomorrow, but a great day in Grenada! Last time we were here was 25 years ago for my BIL 40th birthday. We were tendered in. Today they have filled in an area on the other side of the hill from town and built a port. Our guide Clinton said about 15 years ago. 

 

Today was visiting a chocolate “factory” only three people work there, the lake in a middle of a volcano then a water fall. Our guide Clinton was great, his sister lives in Philadelphia, where we live north of and works at Children’s Hospital. He spent time in NY but came back to Grenada, sorry but I would have come back too! 

 

The island has changed a lot from 25 years ago. Clinton shared that China has been buying a lot of land and are expanding the airport. Ok, politics aside…. It’s a fact. There was an area that China had build a pavilion at the lake we went to and just recently they had it removed because it was too much influence on the island. 

In addition to that they just had elections and the government has changed from the current party to the other party. Promises of an improved quality of life.

Tuesday they celebrate their independence of 49 years! There are flags all over the island to celebrate. I’ll post pictures.

Anyway, I’ll post pics and more tomorrow. Need to get ready for dinner. martini bar at 6 (go figure) then Tuscan again ( our MDR)

 

Great night to all!

 

Cheers! 

 

 

Interesting read. We saw a lot of Chinese investment in Fiji and Tonga on our recent cruise. As you say politics aside, an interesting observation.

2 minutes ago, Teewells said:

We had the symptoms of a cold, the only thing hanging on is a bit of a cough, which I undertand can trail on for weeks.  I am asthmatic, so maybe a little longer for me. My partner was feeling well enough to workout on the balcony days 4 & 5, but then would relapse a bit, respiratory wise; it's a weird malady.

 

We both missed Fiji completely and I missed our excursion in Samoa by about 2 hours; I sent my better half solo.  Once cleared to move about I did disembark in Apia but just walked around a bit in town; kind of needed a planned event to make that port count, in my opinion.  We kept our plans for American Samoa & Tonga without issue and did enjoy them.

 

We were scheduled to fly out of Auckland on January 26th and departed as planned, managing to miss the atmospheric river disaster completely.  Thoughts to those who were not so lucky.

 

Hope you two are feeling not too badly, having also experienced the bug.

Thank goodness you made it out of Auckland. That would really have made it a holiday to remember. So good to hear that you were able to enjoy American Samoa and Tonga.

 We're feeling better today. I have respiratory issues though not asthmatic. Using my preventative inhaler has really helped. What I hadn't anticipated was a flare up of my Psoriasis, I look like the elephant man - promise, no photos of that!

Be well and happy future cruising!