CHICAGOPAUL - LIVE!!!!!! CRUISE BLOG - The EDGE February 24th!

[hcat]

EDEN cafe is a great spot.  We liked the concept.. Area could use more  indoor seating.. on our cruise, card players were using the  reg tables  and other furniture is low to ground. Outside is nice too!

[RICCruisers]

2 hours ago, chicagopaul said:

 

Yes this is right! Haven’t heard the bell ring yet. Do they even have one? We haven’t seen many tip at the bar either.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Paul - Yes, they do have it. It is behind the bar on the back wall. Actually hard to hear. Very few tips on our cruise also. I fear that the setup is not conducive to building the rapport that encourages this along with the lack of seating at the bar. 

[sdnich]

1 hour ago, chicagopaul said:

Yes we are! On the Equinox correct?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 Yes on the equinox !  We cruised on her once in Spain for 14 days in 2015 and are hoping that maybe some of the crew are still working ?  We booked the cruise before (Oct 25) for my friends 50th birthday and are all staying in sky suites next-door to each other ! We did a Caribbean cruise with them also for my husband‘s birthday years ago in a sky suite but it was before Luminae and allowing us to enter Michael’s !  So I think my friend Tawnya is going to really love the extra perks add it onto the sky suite !! Look forward to meeting you and having a martini on our second half of our journey !!

 Stefanie   

[Lastdance]

Hi Paul!

 

Do you hear your neighbors on either side more than normal for a cruise...

 

Have you noticed any particular changes made by Celebrity to accomodate clients...

 

Is is possible to order a caramel macchiatto in The Retreat...do they have the machine available in the back...

 

Many thanks,

suzy...

 

(sorry, but my question mark is not working)

Edited February 28, 2019 by Lastdance

[cgolf1]

4 hours ago, florisdekort said:

Same in our room... The air conditioning gets down to 66F / 19C but not lower.  I also like it as cold as possible when I sleep... 🙂

 

 

The room felt cold to me at 66, I tried to convince my wife to turn it up to 70. I think being in an inside room helped too, because we never had the outside air warming up the room. 

[h20cruzer]

Could you get a couple photos of Cafe AlBacio,pretty please.

Norma

[chicagopaul]

Good Morning from the Retreat per the usual. Let’s start with the Daily.












Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Shlee2TheSea]

Hey Paul, was wondering how much the Top-To-Toe Spa Treatment was from the Celeb Daily. Looks like its cut off in your photo.

 

Hope you are having a great time,

Ashley

[chicagopaul]

Hey Paul, was wondering how much the Top-To-Toe Spa Treatment was from the Celeb Daily. Looks like its cut off in your photo.
 
Hope you are having a great time,
Ashley

Ah you’re right. I’ll take a new photo when I get back to the room.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[chicagopaul]

Alright so as I work off my hangover let’s take a look at Raw on 5 dinner last night which was excellent.










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[chicagopaul]

Green Roof Tuna



Assorted sashimi of yellowtail and tuna.



Truffled albacore tuna



Beef carpaccio



Sea Bass Ceviche



Crab Cake


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cruise47]

Can someone please explain the storyline of the acts in Eden by the performances ?

Edited February 28, 2019 by cruise47

[spammie]

Paul - if you get a chance could you take a picture of the outside dining area at Blu?  Thanks!  

[upwarduk]

19 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Just noticed that you used Tapatalk (the old CC App).    I didn't realize it was back up and running.   Just tried mine and sure enough it's back.

 

Hmm, I’ve forgotten how to access Tap Talk.

[Jim_Iain]

Paul - a quick question. 

 

I saw you had lunch at the Retreat and looked nice.   Is Lunch at Retreat available daily or only on Sea Days like Luminae?

[chicagopaul]

Paul - a quick question. 
 
I saw you had lunch at the Retreat and looked nice.   Is Lunch at Retreat available daily or only on Sea Days like Luminae?

It is available daily, even on sea days which is really nice. Starts at 11:30.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jim_Iain]

1 minute ago, chicagopaul said:

It is available daily, even on sea days which is really nice. Starts at 11:30.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Fantastic.   Lot nicer than having to fight for seating at OceanView.

[chicagopaul]

Paul - if you get a chance could you take a picture of the outside dining area at Blu?  Thanks!  

Here you go!






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[chicagopaul]

Quick review of Raw on 5 yesterday. Food was very good. Very fresh. I felt like it was definitely a step up from Sushi on 5. The build out of the restaurant was nice and it was definitely crowded. When we arrived about 8:45 there was not an empty seat at all.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[hcat]

1 hour ago, chicagopaul said:

 

Here you go!






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 Great shots.. ..also shows the terrible view when you look out.. the lifeboat/ davit and at one spot the window washing assemblage .  There are 2 seats where you can get a nice sea view but after day 2 on our  1/27 cruise the shades were kept closed

 

We were disappointed with the ugly view and ,  we did not eat outside as we thought we might for breakfast..Window washer crew had the whole area wet down and washed BLU windows  early on..

 

Seating area is also a walk by from EDEN

 

[hcat]

4 hours ago, chicagopaul said:

Alright so as I work off my hangover let’s take a look at Raw on 5 dinner last night which was excellent.










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks so much  for posting these menus....my husb does not do raw but there aee many other choices..We'll definitely  try it in Nov..

[chicagopaul]

Ok let’s chat bars shall we. There is much discussion about there not being enough bars on the ship so let me detail out all the options for you.

1) Martini Bar and Lounge - I added the lounge aspect since most of the area is filled with tables. This bar is taking the place of Passport in the sense that it is opening up early on sea days (11am).

2) Eden - Eden bar is opened early. We popped in there for the cafe around Noon yesterday and found two bartenders and only a couple people at the bar. On a hot day I think it’s an odd place to grab a drink inside but on a cooler day or a rainy day it’s a great look for day drinking. The space though is definitely meant for nighttime use.

3) The Prism Bar aka the Pool Bar - it’s a nice wide open space. Even today on a port day 3 bartenders were working, even up to 4 at times. The wide layout is conducive to making lots of drinks at once. Definitely an improved design from S Class (even though the S Class pool bar holds a special place in my heart).

4) Sunset Bar - I’ll check this out more tomorrow. The bar is a good size. The barstools are very tall and tough to get on. I’m sure these will be modified in the future. There is lots of space to sit however on both sides of the bar in regular chairs and tables similar to
The S Class.

5) Magic Carpet - Yes the magic carpet is another bar too. Just check hours as they can change. Bar and tables are very pretty. I like the layout and design.

6) Casino Bar - I love the new casino bar. It’s a very beautiful setup. I love that it has video poker in the bar. I’ll snap a few photos of this bar too.

7) The Club - When this is open it’s a beautiful bar. I don’t feel like I’m in a club on ship, more like a nightclub on land. There are comfortable chairs at the bar and it has a beautiful display of bottles behind the bar. Great setup, but it’s dark because well it’s a club.

8) Cafe Al Bacio - Yes this is technically a bar too. I’ll post some pictures since Norma so kindly requested. It’s a much more open feeling than on the S Class.

9) The Retreat - You can get cocktails in the lounge or up at the bar outside on deck 16. There is no idiot bar. The outside bar is the perfect outdoor bar set up. Nicely tucked away in the shade.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[chicagopaul]

Thanks so much  for posting these menus....my husb does not do raw but there aee many other choices..We'll definitely  try it in Nov..

The crab cake was amazing. We spoke to a couple who also got the filet and said it was incredible too. I do wish they had the spicy ramen on the menu though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[hcat]

27 minutes ago, chicagopaul said:

 

The crab cake was amazing. We spoke to a couple who also got the filet and said it was incredible too. I do wish they had the spicy ramen on the menu though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Hah..those are two favs plus Negimaki..

 

The Bistro and Raw will do nicely for our  lunches in Nov.

.The Buffet is okay and mdr had a nice menu but got crowded the week we were there.

 

Maybe you can suggest the spicy Ramen...they seem flexible!

[pd7277]

2 hours ago, chicagopaul said:

Ok let’s chat bars shall we. There is much discussion about there not being enough bars on the ship so let me detail out all the options for you.

1) Martini Bar and Lounge - I added the lounge aspect since most of the area is filled with tables. This bar is taking the place of Passport in the sense that it is opening up early on sea days (11am).

 

I'm assuming the below picture on the cover of the Today is the "Martini Bar and Lounge."  Are there bar servers that wait all those tables or do you need to go to the bar to be served?