Live-ish from Celebrity Infinity (8/20-8/27)

[zaxanon6]

Day 6 – Puerto Plata
I was awakened at 5:45am by the arrival of the very loud pilot boat beside the ship. While I hadn't planned on being up that early, I was happy to see the view as we backed into Puerto Plata. Last November, my Summit cruise was supposed to have come here, but construction of the new Taino Bay port had been delayed by COVID so it wasn’t ready. This was a second chance at a place I was very interested in and had never been to before.

 

This was the only port where we booked an excursion, the half-day 'Explore Puerto Plata and Cable Car.’ It was a popular tour, with 4 departures throughout the morning. We were on the first one and had to meet the group at 8:15 inside the port. It's a bit of a hike down the pier, but they have free tuk-tuks from the gangway if you can’t or don't want to walk that far. In the picture below, we were about halfway there. You can see the mountain in the background that the cable car runs up/down.

 

The port is BEAUTIFUL. They did a great job with it and it's still only half done. You could spend a whole day at the pools, restaurants, and shops without even leaving the fence.

 

Just my opinion, but should know at least a tiny little bit of Spanish before visiting. Por favor (please), gracias (thank you), and buenos dias (good morning) at a minimum. The staff at the port and the tour guides know English, but it never hurts to be polite in the local language. I said "Buenos dias" to one of the port workers and from the surprise and joy on his face, you would have thought I'd just handed him $100.

 

Our tour was run by Tour Geeks SLC. We picked it because it hit a lot of the highlights in the area. Also because I was too scared of injuring myself to go to the Damajagua waterfalls (but they look amazing). Our guide was wonderful, very passionate and enthusiastic about showing off her home. She gave the 16 of us in the group a running commentary about the city and the country during the 45-minute drive to the top of Mount Isabel de Torres. The little bus (or large van) had to work hard to get up the incline at higher elevations; the A/C got turned off to have enough power. Once we reached the top, we walked into the park and our guide showed us what people outside the city grow for food/medicine and how they cook and store water. We then got free time at the Christ the Redeemer statue to take in the incredible view.

 

We met back up to take the cable car down the mountain. I should mention that I'm afraid of heights, but have been trying to get over it. The 16 of us, plus our guide and the operator squeezed into the car, and I found a railing to hold onto with an iron grip. I was facing back up the mountain, which was probably for the best. 😉 It was a pretty ride, with just a couple jolts of the car that made my pulse quicken. I was too chicken to take pictures during the ride, but got a few from the top and bottom.

 

We got back on the bus, which had driven down the mountain while we did the cable car. We then headed back into the city towards the San Felipe Fortress. We walked around the outside for a few minutes before heading along the coast through the park.

 

After getting back on the bus once more, our next stop was Parque Central Independencia. Here we had some free time again to browse a gift shop, go to the bathroom, or grab some food at a nearby café. It was nice that the tour didn't force everyone to always do everything together like kindergarteners; having the free time was appreciated. Everyone was always considerate to the rest of the group and met back up on time. After getting a little info about the statues in the square from our guide, we walked to Umbrella Street, which was really cute.

 

We had a bit of free time again to wander the shops and take pictures. It was getting very hot, so folks were becoming less inclined to do anything besides stand still in the shade. The shops didn't have A/C so going inside didn't help. Our next stop was at Pink Street. It was very pretty, but there were a lot of cigar smokers in the area.

 

By this point (just after noon), it was 90F and the humidity would have put the heat index at about 104F. We trudged back to the Parque to meet the bus… and it wasn't there. And the driver wasn't answering his phone. (no signal?) Ten or so minutes dragged by as we huddled in the meager shade of a couple palm trees. Vendors were persistently milling around, but we had no patience for them and declined every offer. A couple guests started planning to walk back to the pier, but our guide pointed out that although we could see the ship, we couldn’t see the water that was between us and the ship. We all checked every single bus that approached to see if it was ours…and finally it was! You've never seen 16 people scramble into a vehicle as fast as we did. If anyone previously had knee or hip issues, they were forgotten with the promise of A/C. 😁 The tour finished up with a drive past a beach frequented by the locals before returning to the port. 

 

Even with the hiccup with the bus, it was a great tour. We saw everything we hoped to and everyone made it back to the ship in one piece. You can't reasonably expect the Caribbean to not be hot in August. 😊 It was good that we saw both the ‘real’ city while driving to the top of the mountain and the ‘tourist designated areas’ downtown. I would love to return to the Dominican Republic someday; it was beautiful and interesting, and we only saw one little bit of the country.

 

Once back onboard in the ship, we grabbed lunch from the Mast Grille and took it inside Oceanview to continue appreciating the A/C. I had an afternoon pedicure appointment and was really impressed with the facility. The setup was nicer than previous cruises on Summit or Silhouette. I also noticed that people were streaming in to see the hairdresser before dinner. After multiple cruises last year where the spa was underutilized and the staff were extending their contracts because they hadn't been able to make enough money, it was great to see the area busy. If you're interested in the spa, you may want to book before you sail because the options may be more limited (than 2021 cruises) once onboard.

 

It was the second evening chic night at dinner. I traditionally get surf and turf by ordering the Beef Wellington with a side of lobster. And, of course, Baked Alaska for dessert.

[zaxanon6]

Day 7 – At Sea

I woke up to all kinds of notifications on my phone and the time was reading as 5:44pm. What??? Apparently my phone lost track of its eSIM card sometime during the night and reverted to thinking it was in Taiwan. The location service thought I was in Key West, FL, so it was one very confused little device. I’d never seen anything like that before. Thankfully I hadn't had an alarm set!

 

Breakfast involved a trip to the Spa Café for a yummy bagel with peanut butter and bananas and some time sitting in the soothing Solarium. Infinity’s Captain was a very busy man this morning; after making his announcements at 10 and hosting a ribbon cutting at the shops at 10:05, he came to the theater at 10:15 to give a talk about his background and how they plan voyages and navigate the ship. It was a VERY thorough talk – he ran out of time for more questions from the audience because the dancers had to come practice at 11:30. You could tell that he loves what he does and is very safety conscious. After finishing the talk, the Captain’s busy morning continued as he headed off to lead the officers’ volleyball team in a game against the guests.

 

My travel buddy decided today that she could no longer take the noise from her A/C unit and called guest services. Maintenance came and worked on it for several hours and finally got it both functional and quiet. They were very apologetic and she was kicking herself for not saying something earlier in the cruise. This again showed how the crew is trying hard to fix the issues that they know about. Don't count on the idea that your stateroom attendant will notice all the same things you do and report them for you.

 

Lunch was in Oceanview today. I was impressed by the spice level of one of the Indian dishes. It probably should have come with a warning for those with sensitive taste buds. The desserts and other entrees were Greek themed. There’s been a theme to every day; the other ones I've seen were Italian and British. There was also some interesting weather outside while eating:

 

Tuscan Grille hosted an elegant afternoon tea for Concierge Class passengers at 3pm. We asked our stateroom attendant not to bring the daily nibbles since there was no way we'd eat both. Some of the officers, the cruise director, and the concierges were lined up at the door to greet you on arrival at the restaurant. The string duo, Coda, provided live music. A small army of waiters walked around providing tea bags, pots of hot water, cream or milk, finger sandwiches, mini desserts, and scones. It was lovely and peaceful, a great last day activity.

 

During dinner, we were treated to an amazing sight behind the ship. I ran up to deck 10 to get this picture:

It was actually a full rainbow, going all the way to the water on both sides, but the left end faded before I could get outside. After a lovely meal and saying goodbye to our waiter, assistant waiter, sommelier, and bartender, we headed off to finish packing.

[emdmistycc]

Thank you so much for sharing your journey and pictures. Wonderful! Can’t wait to sail🛳

Elaine

[upwarduk]

Interested that they do breakfast in the Spa. If we don’t go to the MDR, we go to the Elite Breakfast in Tuscan.

Smoked Salmon and fruit.

[lexmiller]

2 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

Interested that they do breakfast in the Spa. If we don’t go to the MDR, we go to the Elite Breakfast in Tuscan.

Smoked Salmon and fruit.
 

Yes, the Spa Cafe has an amazing breakfast and lunch!  We prefer it greatly to the Captains Club breakfast.  I feel it's an underutilized eating venue on all of the ships, but that's ok with me, lol, never ever a wait.  

[lexmiller]

Thank you so much for your live report onboard!  We board the Infinity in October, and as someone posted, we also have not been on a non-revolutionized ship in since forever, way pre-covid, and with all of the negative reports that were circulating when Infinity returned to service this year, we were very concerned and thought about cancelling.  For us, we will be doing a pseudo side to side, as we will be on the Beyond in Retreat, the Bayonne to FLL cruise, then one night in FLL then boarding the Infinity, Aqua Class.  Will definitely be a bit of a shock, haha, after a suite on the Beyond!  But thanks to your honest report, we are feeling good!  Today is your disembarkation day - safe journey home!  

[zaxanon6]

Safely home now 😊. We did walk-off disembarkation and relearned not to use the mid-ship elevators. Several minutes and several elevators went by before there was one with available space. They were not using the facial recognition machines at customs for some reason; there were 3 agents checking passports manually. I'd imagine the line got much longer as more people got off the ship later on.

 

This was a great cruise, zero regrets about going on Infinity. Hopefully they'll continue to improve as time goes on and maybe even get Revolutionized. I love the M-class ships and hopefully they stick around for a long time.

[Arzeena]

Thank you for your great review and pictures.

[KatieDub]

Thanks so much for your review and pictures. Got me so excited for my Infinity cruise in 2 weeks!

[cruzfiend]

Great review , thank you. We get on in Sept. with this same itinerary.

[zaxanon6]

4 hours ago, upwarduk said:

Interested that they do breakfast in the Spa. If we don’t go to the MDR, we go to the Elite Breakfast in Tuscan.

Smoked Salmon and fruit.

 

4 hours ago, lexmiller said:

Yes, the Spa Cafe has an amazing breakfast and lunch!  We prefer it greatly to the Captains Club breakfast.  I feel it's an underutilized eating venue on all of the ships, but that's ok with me, lol, never ever a wait. 

There were several people in line for a smoothie yesterday morning at the Spa Cafe. They have both dairy options and non-dairy and they taste fresh - not overly sweet like mixes. There's cold cereal and milk if you want something simple, plus the bagel dish, avocado toast with eggs, and I think I saw gluten free muffins and breads.

I haven't been there for lunch before - something to try on a future cruise.

[zaxanon6]

4 hours ago, lexmiller said:

Thank you so much for your live report onboard!  We board the Infinity in October, and as someone posted, we also have not been on a non-revolutionized ship in since forever, way pre-covid, and with all of the negative reports that were circulating when Infinity returned to service this year, we were very concerned and thought about cancelling.  For us, we will be doing a pseudo side to side, as we will be on the Beyond in Retreat, the Bayonne to FLL cruise, then one night in FLL then boarding the Infinity, Aqua Class.  Will definitely be a bit of a shock, haha, after a suite on the Beyond!  But thanks to your honest report, we are feeling good!  Today is your disembarkation day - safe journey home!  

Going from Beyond to Infinity will be VERY different, lol. But as long as you're prepared for that, it should be fine. I hope you have a great time!

[cruzfiend]

Is the spa cafe “free”?

[zaxanon6]

45 minutes ago, cruzfiend said:

Is the spa cafe “free”?

Yes, the food is included with your fare.

The smoothies and pressed juices are included with the premium drink package. I'm not sure what happens if you have classic or no package, sorry.

Edited August 27, 2022 by zaxanon6

[Katieniesen]

3 hours ago, zaxanon6 said:

Safely home now 😊. We did walk-off disembarkation and relearned not to use the mid-ship elevators. Several minutes and several elevators went by before there was one with available space. They were not using the facial recognition machines at customs for some reason; there were 3 agents checking passports manually. I'd imagine the line got much longer as more people got off the ship later on.

 

This was a great cruise, zero regrets about going on Infinity. Hopefully they'll continue to improve as time goes on and maybe even get Revolutionized. I love the M-class ships and hopefully they stick around for a long time.

Thanks for this informative review!  How early were you able to walk off the ship?

[zaxanon6]

39 minutes ago, Katieniesen said:

Thanks for this informative review!  How early were you able to walk off the ship?

You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

 

I didn't look at my watch for the exact time, but it was about 7:30am. That was when disembarkation was supposed to start, so they were right on time.

Edited August 27, 2022 by zaxanon6

[CRLess]

We were on the same voyage as you.  Thanks for your review...it pretty much sums up our thoughts.  I may post a separate review from a die-hard Princess cruiser perspective.  One comment we have is how dark Cellar Masters was every evening...we called it the dungeon.  I've never seen a lounge on a ship with such horrible lighting.

 

Did you happen to meet the US Olympics Gold medalists on board? Simone Biles and Aly Raisman were on the voyage and very outgoing and friendly at the pool bar on deck 10.  7 Gold medals between the two of them.

[Tee & Chilli]

Thank you for sharing your vacation. Do you have pictures of the thalassotherapy pool?

[zaxanon6]

33 minutes ago, CRLess said:

We were on the same voyage as you.  Thanks for your review...it pretty much sums up our thoughts.  I may post a separate review from a die-hard Princess cruiser perspective.  One comment we have is how dark Cellar Masters was every evening...we called it the dungeon.  I've never seen a lounge on a ship with such horrible lighting.

 

Did you happen to meet the US Olympics Gold medalists on board? Simone Biles and Aly Raisman were on the voyage and very outgoing and friendly at the pool bar on deck 10.  7 Gold medals between the two of them.

I would be very interested in hearing your perspective. I'm always trying to convert my cruiser friends to Celebrity. 😊

 

I heard that Simone Biles was on the ship, but did not see her or Aly Raisman. I probably would have been a blubbering mess if I had. They are incredible, inspirational women for what they've done both in sports and in life.

[zaxanon6]

38 minutes ago, Tee & Chilli said:

Thank you for sharing your vacation. Do you have pictures of the thalassotherapy pool?

I didn't take many, because it's the same as Summit and Millennium (the M-class ships I've previously sailed on) but with different decor.

There are metal bars with air bubbles blowing through that you can lounge on (it's more comfortable than it sounds, lol) and 4 spigots with water pouring down that you can massage your shoulders or back with. The pool is heated and filled with salt water (both of those things surprised a couple guests we met there). There are also two hot tubs. The area is enclosed with glass but there are windows that open up to let a breeze through.

Edited August 27, 2022 by zaxanon6

[zaxanon6]

1 hour ago, CRLess said:

One comment we have is how dark Cellar Masters was every evening...we called it the dungeon.  I've never seen a lounge on a ship with such horrible lighting.

The Rendezvous Lounge was also incredibly dark. I assumed that was the atmosphere they were going for, even if I couldn't understand why. They shut all the blackout curtains on the windows at about 5:30pm and it felt like you were in a basement nightclub. There was some bright glare of the sun off the water, but I think they could have dealt with that without going so far.

[chrismch]

Where is the Thalassotherapy pool located? I was hoping this ship had one! We love them. On past cur cruises we used it daily. Great for the skin. The description of the Persian Garden didn't include this pool. Is it open to all guests? Where is it located? 

 

What were the menu special options on the first "chic" dinner night? What was the best entrée and appetizer you had on board? What are the food options like at Cafe Al Baccio?

 

Did they have live music nightly around the dinner times at the lounges? 

 

We're boarding in 2 weeks and it's been quite a while since we've been on Celebrity and appreciate all the details you've provided.

[upwarduk]

9 hours ago, zaxanon6 said:

haven't been there for lunch before - something to try on a future cruise.

We used to go for lunch until they stopped serving the salmon- or maybe they started charging for it.

[chemmo]

Thanks for the review, it is a few years now since we cruised on M class, your pictures are bringing back lots of memories!

 

I love your positive attitude to the cruise…I think you are so right with the hiccups you have had requesting a resolution. In our experience Celebrity much prefer you to raise issues on board and let them fix them than get of and complain on a survey or on CC.

[zaxanon6]

6 hours ago, chrismch said:

Where is the Thalassotherapy pool located? I was hoping this ship had one! We love them. On past cur cruises we used it daily. Great for the skin. The description of the Persian Garden didn't include this pool. Is it open to all guests? Where is it located? 

It's in the Solarium. It is open to all guests, unlike the Persian Garden.

 

6 hours ago, chrismch said:

What were the menu special options on the first "chic" dinner night? What was the best entrée and appetizer you had on board? What are the food options like at Cafe Al Baccio?

I don't remember all the options, but I had the rack of lamb on that night. It was day 2 of the cruise. I think my favorite MDR entree was the Beef Wellington (really tender) or the jerk chicken (ask for extra jus to make it spicier). My favorite appetizer was probably the Thai beef spring roll. And I love the Mast Grill burgers - even though they pre-cook them, they're super juicy and I love grilled onions.

 

Cafe Al Baccio has cakes, desserts, pastries, and cookies. They change during the day. I tried to stay away during this cruise because I was getting enough sweets with lunches and dinners, lol. The food is included in your cruise fare, though the drinks aren't.

 

6 hours ago, chrismch said:

Did they have live music nightly around the dinner times at the lounges?

Yes. There were performances starting at 5pm from the acoustic duo (piano and flute + singing), solo guitarist, and string duo. Sometimes they'd also have an afternoon performance in Cafe Al Baccio.