countess5

Love the Oasis our first Oasis Class we did. Actually have sailed Oasis a couple of times and have sailed Harmony and Symphony. Not sure I’m up for the World! Can’t beat Central Park, dinner at Jamies outside with a guitar player. Our favorite place once we board is the trellis Bar! Enjoy! Hope the snow stops soon! Cheers!

Pre-Cruise Ok, let's start with some great news! Well at least for me.....I was thinking of our arrival time when we fly back to Philadelphia landing at 2:30 PM. We actually arrive in Ft Lauderdale on Sunday at 1:28 PM! 🙄 Ok my mistake, but we will be able to make it to the hotel in plenty of time to watch the game!!! 🦅 😀 Pre-departure tip, well not really a tip just an endorsement since it has been talked about on CC a lot. I purchased the Airtags. For those with an Android phone I think they are called tiles. Anyway, after all the Southwest ( sorry for those that I am hitting a nerve with) I said, we need to get these Airtags. We fly American but still you never know. Airtags in each suitcases....check! I think we are getting out of town just in time. The snowless winter is ending. 😩 Today we have had snow showers and now turning into a cold rain. Just about 10 miles North of us it is accumulating. 🥶 Not one that wants to stick around and see how this movie ends! Do you just hate the dark cloudy days when you know the Caribbean will be bright blue skys? Well at least I am going with that! 🤞 Cheers!

Yes, the waiting until you get on board thing really gets me going. We commit to specialty dining for all nights but people buying one here and one there take the spots. I just don’t get it. Cheers!

Mary says to be at the Sunset Bar at 3-3:30. We are always up top for sail away. Looking forward to meeting you too. This is going to be fun! Cheers!

You’ll be experiencing it “Live” on the first 10 days! 😂 Looking forward to seeing you guys again. Safe travels today! Cheers!

Interesting……..We will be sailing Beyond in February and have the specialty dining package. Need to research this. Surprised it is not based on this thread so far.🤔 Would like to hear more. Cheers!

A standard conversation goes like this when we sail DW: What time is it? Me: Daytime followed by night time! 😂 Cheers!

Thank you! I m sure I'll find time along the way. I must say retirement is great however I want to be Jim when I grow up! 😂 😂 Cheers!

This was posted earlier this week from an individual on the Connie. The door hanger splits continental and premium breakfast. Cheers!

Wally! Who ever gets the score first don’t share! Glad you checked in. This live review thing is something new and I hope I do it justice. Enjoy your cruise and please post how you are doing and what you are experiencing. We have Walt and Bev joining us for the first 10 days. I think you sailed with them before. Cheers!

Pre Cruise Accommodations, Well let’s say with 47 days at sea we won’t be “seeing” any suites! 🤪 We have sailed in many different types of suites over the years and enjoy the suite life but when it comes to this many nights suites are not in the financial picture. 🤑 We are currently Elite and after the Equinox B2B we will be going onto the Beyond as Elite Plus. So whatever benefits are left, we will have that going for us. 🙄 Not that we really use the benefits of the different tiers except for some laundry and will need priority tendering in Grand Cayman. The cabins we will be staying in are the following, Equinox 1B Deluxe Ocean View Veranda Beyond E2 Edge Stateroom w/infinite Veranda. I know there has been a lot of discussion on liking or not liking this type of cabin, but last year on Apex we had the same type cabin and we actually liked the layout. Again, like food subjective. Reflection 1A Deluxe Ocean View Veranda. However this one is on the bump out and at the slant rear facing. Really like this spot. Last year we had a lounger brought up since we were going to be there for 14 days. The good news with all of this is that on each ship we don’t change cabins. We are able to keep the same cabin week to week. And we know who the Eagles will be playing next Sunday, the 49ers! 🦅 The negative is that the game is on at 3 PM, we land at 2:30. 😩 Airport is close so a quick ride over to the hotel and check in. I think I’ll record it on our DVR that I can access while away on my IPad and hopefully be able to hook into the HDMI on the room TV. Cheers!

You go Girl!

I just want to wish you both a great cruise and will follow along. Here is the start! Cheers!

Thanks for taking the time to share your adventure. 🍸 Cheers!

Welcome to Celebrity, we love Reflection. Actually we few to Europe when she came out sail on he and have sailed her 3 times since. Our last was last winter for a B2B and will sail again with her in March for another B2B. Reflection is a “S” class ship and there are others in her class. Enjoy the week. Keep us posted. Cheers!

Pre Cruise Well, one week away from the start of our winter cruise. Packing has been complete, or should I saw the gathering of clothes, flip flops, tennis shoes and a small case full of the bathroom and bodily needs! I have to give it to DW, she is the one who, all by her self, puts this all together. If it was me packing shorts and flip flops is as far as I would go, but I must say I never want for anything when away. Oh, I know one thing I will pack, my Eagles hat and shirt! We have a game next weekend. Ever since I retired and started these longer cruises I have put a binder together ( now that I have time on my hands) holding all documents. I like carrying my receipts of purchases, like Specialty Dining, excursions, itinerary, boarding passes, flight records and so on. Good place to put things while on the ship so it’s all together. Good reference piece also when someone on CC asked a question about a particular ship and I have sailed on it. This week will be one of pulling it all together. I have been able to sign in for all ships, even though on the second leg of each ship you really don’t need to but I like having the documents. I just need luggage tags for the first leg of the Reflection. We will be staying at the Embassy Suites on 17th street. I have read, just recently, that it is a bit tired but we arrive at 2:30 PM and with the cost of hotels to just put your head down it was acceptable. Our go to place use to be Pier 66 but it’s been going through renovations and opens again in 2024. For our stay after the 19 days on Equinox before boarding Beyond we will be staying at the Marriott Harbor Beach Club. This is also where we sill stay after disembarking Reflection at the end. Well Cowboys VS 49er’s at 6:30 to see who we play next weekend! Cheers!

Last year when on board I saw a lady put her shoes on, but I can’t say they were required. Cheers!

We did this last year and will do it again this year. We stayed on as late as we could and then departed only to grab a cab to take us to the other ship. It does depend which port dock you are leaving from. Some you can walk. There is a set cab fare for this, I can’t remember exactly but I believe $12-$15. I may of been taken because I had read on the window of a cab the set fee was $8 but that could have been old. Whatever it was it was worth not walking. Anyway we asked at guest services if anything could be arranged and they said no, however I did read in one thread where the people making this move were boarded onto the bus going to the airport. Before they left the port area they dropped them off at the other dock. What gets me is, as said above, you have to wait outside the terminal until they open up. So we stood around from 9:45 to 11 AM. I think they should have an area in doors, a lounge, for people that are doing this. Also, get on the X app and select the earliest boarding time you can on the second ship. Going to try again this year. Cheers!

Just stopping by for a quick………. E A G L E S !!!!!!! Winner Winner! 🦅 Will be in Ft. Lauderdale next Sunday watching whoever we play! More to come! Cheers!

We enjoyed a bottle of the 2018 last winter on Apex. Nice Choice. Cheers!

Pre-Cruise Before I go any further I need to explain the “Countess5” so you know who is reporting throughout this Live thread. I say explain because since joining CC I have shared in many roll calls. Back when there were meet and mingles we would show up with our name tags on displaying Countess5 and our actual names. People would come up to DW and say glad to meet you Countess5 ( something about the female thing “Countess”). DW would laugh and point to me and say there’s your Countess! All 6 foot mustache wearing guy, not exactly a Countess! 😂 🤔 The ( I think they call it an Avatar) came back in 2012 when we were going on a cruise and I learned about CC. I never thought I would of been this involved and stay this long so I just came up with Countess5. Sooooooo, For my 40th birthday DW rented a villa in St Barts for a week. We really got into renting throughout the islands over the years Our favorite vila was The Countess on St Thomas in the Peterborg section of the island. It is a peninsula out by Megan’s Bay. The owner was a gentleman who was a companion to an elderly lady who owned 5 houses around the world ( go figure). She passed away and left him the Countess and 4 other homes. So Countess5. Don’t judge now. One more thing I need to share, this may be where you change the channel, decide to bail on following or be like me very happy. DW and I always buy Specialty Dining for all our meals and we have done this for all our upcoming ships. We also have attended many Chef’s Tables in our cruising. We do enjoy our meals and wines. OK wait for it……..There will be no food porn shared during this live report! I believe food is very subjective, what I like you may not like. There are plenty of pictures and reviews of food, all be it a lot of the same, on these threads. Go forth and enjoy. So what this Live will be about are experiences, observations, thoughts, people, cruising tips ( mostly for the inexperienced cruiser) etc. Trying to share with you the feel of the adventure while you read along. Cheers!

Jim You are correct, it is more relaxing and it actually becomes a life style and not a vacation. I think with DW sleeping in I can get to my diary entries over coffee. Cheers!

This is exactly how we felt on NCL when we sailed in the Haven. The shame is that you don’t experience the total ship. Cheers!

Based on our past experience it is all based on location. S1 the best S3 not as good. Cheers!

We have premium Wi-Fi so should be good to go. This will be our third time on Equinox. We sailed on Connie during our Croatia cruise a couple years back. She was a great ship. Cheers!