First time with Celebrity - on Beyond now - my thoughts

[skatie]

My husband and I are on our first cruise with Celebrity.  We are late 50s and have an Infinity Cabin 8252 (mid ship near elevators).  We have sailed NCL, Royal Caribbean, Princess and Disney in the past.  Most other cruises have been done with our kids and this is our second time with just the two of us.  So my personal thoughts as I lounge on a couch on deck 14 1/2 (small deck with couches and shaded half way between deck 14 and 15 -stairs beside pool bar) listening to music and the waves we sail back to FLL!

*The staff have all been so kind, polite and very helpful.  Shout out to our Room Attendant Krystina is very sweet and who has helped us with some special requests (like getting a softer pillow and more towels) and the staff at Al Bacio where I go to get my tea a few times a day.  They always call me by name and spend a moment asking us how things are going

*I was able to snag a reservation for Eden once I was in Board.  The food was outstanding and our waiter was very attentive and explained every course in great detail.  I also had the Forbidden drink which was the best I’ve ever tasted 

*we had a lot of OBC but have had a hard time spending it as we are not ones to buy very expensive jewellery.  It might be better to have another store with mid range purchasing options.  
*We have met a lot of nice fellow cruisers by being seated with them at a larger dinner table or being seated next to another table for two.  The first night we were asked if we wanted to sit at a table with other cruisers and had marvellous dinner conversations but other nights were not given that option but usually had another solo or couple beside us to chat with.  
*we enjoyed the gentle stretch classes led by the Activities crew. They were held in Eden at 9:30am on sea days.  Good way to wake up the body!

*the evening production shows were very good. The special guest who sang Whitney Houston was outstanding. Roy Tan was also excellent. The cast shows were well done and we enjoyed it all. 
*Silent disco was a lot of fun

*The Liars Club was “pee your pants” hilarious!  The illusionist that will perform tonight was part of that panel and he seems very funny

*we enjoyed the aqua fit dance classes in the pool and appreciated the size of the pool (and that there’s are relatively few children in board so no splashing!)

*the art / statues around the ship are very interesting -loved them. 
*Main dining room food and buffet are what I would expect of a higher class ship.  We had lots of choices all day long and hey, I’m not cooking or cleaning up so I have no complaints!  You could tell that some staff is new and there was some confusion in Dining rooms mostly over who we order wine or bar drinks from but in the end it all worked out!

*I was surprised that there was no sports activity on the upper decks like a pickleball court but guess it’s not something that fits their image.  
Overall we are very happy with the cruise and going home relaxed.  If you have any questions while I’m still on board ask away!

[Honolulu Blue]

47 minutes ago, skatie said:

*the evening production shows were very good. The special guest who sang Whitney Houston was outstanding. Roy Tan was also excellent. The cast shows were well done and we enjoyed it all. 

Was your special guest named Ashlie Amber by chance?  I have a date with her on one of my upcoming music charters.

 

Anyway, I'm glad you and your husband found a lot to enjoy about your cruise.  Two more addicts have been created!  😁

[Harry_D]

I’m also still waiting for a cruise ship with Pickleball courts!
 

[lggfly]

6 minutes ago, Harry_D said:

I’m also still waiting for a cruise ship with Pickleball courts!
 

Yeah...that would be one heck of a workout trying to chase that wiffle ball in the wind.....would allow for a lot more desserts!

[Beachlover1989]

Thank you for the review. It’s nice to hear from someone who has had experience with quite a few other brands. 

[Pinboy]

LOL ( Big time )--

But, -----This site is Cruise CRITICS --- You gotta criticize everything or you will never receive a Lifetime Critic Award.

You mean to say that nobody pushed in front of you in the OVC , or, getting on/off the elevator, or going out of the theater, or , bumped into you at the silent disco, or you had to wait an extra 3 minutes for your drinks/dinner or your waiter forgot to bring your 3 shrimp cocktails at the same time, or your Butler was 6 minutes late to " draw " your bath , or , or etc etc.

What a great review -- Really excellent !!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[davekathy]

5 minutes ago, Pinboy said:

You mean to say that nobody pushed in front of you in the OVC , or, getting on/off the elevator, or going out of the theater, or , bumped into you at the silent disco, or you had to wait an extra 3 minutes for your drinks/dinner or your waiter forgot to bring your 3 shrimp cocktails at the same time, or your Butler was 6 minutes late to " draw " your bath , or , or etc etc.

 

Man, your cruising experiences are a lot different than ours.  😂

[cw2go]

29 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Was your special guest named Ashlie Amber by chance?  I have a date with her on one of my upcoming music charters.

 

Anyway, I'm glad you and your husband found a lot to enjoy about your cruise.  Two more addicts have been created!  😁

We had Ashlie Amber on an Alaska sailing pre pandemic. She was great! 

[skatie]

31 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Was your special guest named Ashlie Amber by chance?  I have a date with her on one of my upcoming music charters.

 

Anyway, I'm glad you and your husband found a lot to enjoy about your cruise.  Two more addicts have been created!  😁

The singer was Cheaza. So don’t think this is same person.  Enjoy!

[Pinboy]

1 minute ago, davekathy said:

Man, your cruising experiences are a lot different than ours.  😂

LOL--- Only from what I've read on Cruise Critics.

You might have missed a few times when I posted my only" complaint ( as a bit of humor ) in all our years of cruising : 

" Our waiter, the bum, forgot to bring my 3 shrimp cocktails at the same time ".

LOL-- Other than that-- never had anything to complain about--- Go with the flow and have a great time.

 

 

[davekathy]

Just now, Pinboy said:

LOL--- Only from what I've read on Cruise Critics.

You might have missed a few times when I posted my only" complaint ( as a bit of humor ) in all our years of cruising : 

" Our waiter, the bum, forgot to bring my 3 shrimp cocktails at the same time ".

LOL-- Other than that-- never had anything to complain about--- Go with the flow and have a great time.

I know. That's why the smiling emoji. 😉

[Honolulu Blue]

20 minutes ago, cw2go said:

We had Ashlie Amber on an Alaska sailing pre pandemic. She was great! 

Sweet! Thanks for sharing. It sounds like I'm in for a good time.

17 minutes ago, skatie said:

The singer was Cheaza. So don’t think this is same person.  Enjoy!

Thanks. I'm pretty sure Ms. Amber is a different person than you saw. IMHO, It's tough to go wrong with Whitney Houston songs - assuming the singer is good.

[Dylan0474mac]

We are on the beyond in February and with celebrity for the first time. I appreciate you taking the time to review!

[wrk2cruise]

37 minutes ago, skatie said:

The singer was Cheaza. So don’t think this is same person.  Enjoy!

 

She has been on Edge class ships quite a bit since the restart.   Is her daughter still singing backup for her?   We were on the second sailing after the restart on Edge.  She did an "Unplugged" performance in Eden along with her stage show.   I think she was going to be onboard from July to Nov.

[SbbquilterUT]

Sounds like a lovely trip - thanks for sharing.  We have found Pickleball nets set up on the basketball courts on RCCL - had a bit of fun there.  

[skatie]

17 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

She has been on Edge class ships quite a bit since the restart.   Is her daughter still singing backup for her?   We were on the second sailing after the restart on Edge.  She did an "Unplugged" performance in Eden along with her stage show.   I think she was going to be onboard from July to Nov.

She mentioned she was in a group with her daughter but it was just her up on stage.  

[TravelingCircusof5]

Thanks! How have the seas been? How much motion do you feel?still a bit worried about motion sickness…

[skatie]

3 minutes ago, TravelingCircusof5 said:

Thanks! How have the seas been? How much motion do you feel?still a bit worried about motion sickness…

I am very prone to motion sickness (ie always have to sit in front seat of cars) but even though we’ve felt some side to side rolling it’s just been gentle and nothing that made me nauseous. I always bring herbal and regular gravol with me just in case.  There has only been one cruise where the seas were really bad where I was really sick for one day but overall cruising hasn’t been an issue for me

[horseymike]

Glad to hear you are enjoying your cruise. All the Best going forward.

Thanks for your review.

[davekathy]

1 hour ago, SbbquilterUT said:

Sounds like a lovely trip - thanks for sharing.  We have found Pickleball nets set up on the basketball courts on RCCL - had a bit of fun there.  

Pickleball nets were set up on the basketball court on our September Summit cruise. 

[leo72976]

6 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Was your special guest named Ashlie Amber by chance?  I have a date with her on one of my upcoming music charters.

 

Anyway, I'm glad you and your husband found a lot to enjoy about your cruise.  Two more addicts have been created!  😁

We sailed with Ashlie on Equinox at the end of July and absolutely loved her show.  I will admit that I was not excited about seeing the show but a minute in and I was on the edge of my seat.  I had the pleasure of seeing Whitney Houston perform live back in the 90’s and for a moment I was transported back in time while listening and watching Ashlie.  She has an amazing stage presence.  We saw her throughout the ship all week and was taking pictures and interacting with people all the time.  She was moving to Nashville to pursue her dreams.  I hope to turn on the radio one day soon and hear her powerful voice!

[dreamer321]

7 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Was your special guest named Ashlie Amber by chance?  I have a date with her on one of my upcoming music charters.

I believe her name is "Cheaza."

[dreamer321]

Did you save the Daily Planners? If so, could you post them when you have a chance. Thanks

[mahdnc]

8 hours ago, skatie said:

My husband and I are on our first cruise with Celebrity.  We are late 50s and have an Infinity Cabin 8252 (mid ship near elevators).  We have sailed NCL, Royal Caribbean, Princess and Disney in the past.  Most other cruises have been done with our kids and this is our second time with just the two of us.  So my personal thoughts as I lounge on a couch on deck 14 1/2 (small deck with couches and shaded half way between deck 14 and 15 -stairs beside pool bar) listening to music and the waves we sail back to FLL!

*The staff have all been so kind, polite and very helpful.  Shout out to our Room Attendant Krystina is very sweet and who has helped us with some special requests (like getting a softer pillow and more towels) and the staff at Al Bacio where I go to get my tea a few times a day.  They always call me by name and spend a moment asking us how things are going

*I was able to snag a reservation for Eden once I was in Board.  The food was outstanding and our waiter was very attentive and explained every course in great detail.  I also had the Forbidden drink which was the best I’ve ever tasted 

*we had a lot of OBC but have had a hard time spending it as we are not ones to buy very expensive jewellery.  It might be better to have another store with mid range purchasing options.  
*We have met a lot of nice fellow cruisers by being seated with them at a larger dinner table or being seated next to another table for two.  The first night we were asked if we wanted to sit at a table with other cruisers and had marvellous dinner conversations but other nights were not given that option but usually had another solo or couple beside us to chat with.  
*we enjoyed the gentle stretch classes led by the Activities crew. They were held in Eden at 9:30am on sea days.  Good way to wake up the body!

*the evening production shows were very good. The special guest who sang Whitney Houston was outstanding. Roy Tan was also excellent. The cast shows were well done and we enjoyed it all. 
*Silent disco was a lot of fun

*The Liars Club was “pee your pants” hilarious!  The illusionist that will perform tonight was part of that panel and he seems very funny

*we enjoyed the aqua fit dance classes in the pool and appreciated the size of the pool (and that there’s are relatively few children in board so no splashing!)

*the art / statues around the ship are very interesting -loved them. 
*Main dining room food and buffet are what I would expect of a higher class ship.  We had lots of choices all day long and hey, I’m not cooking or cleaning up so I have no complaints!  You could tell that some staff is new and there was some confusion in Dining rooms mostly over who we order wine or bar drinks from but in the end it all worked out!

*I was surprised that there was no sports activity on the upper decks like a pickleball court but guess it’s not something that fits their image.  
Overall we are very happy with the cruise and going home relaxed.  If you have any questions while I’m still on board ask away!

 

Thanks for posting your review.  I am glad that you are liking it so far.

[Honolulu Blue]

4 hours ago, leo72976 said:

We sailed with Ashlie on Equinox at the end of July and absolutely loved her show.  I will admit that I was not excited about seeing the show but a minute in and I was on the edge of my seat.  I had the pleasure of seeing Whitney Houston perform live back in the 90’s and for a moment I was transported back in time while listening and watching Ashlie.  She has an amazing stage presence.  We saw her throughout the ship all week and was taking pictures and interacting with people all the time.  She was moving to Nashville to pursue her dreams.  I hope to turn on the radio one day soon and hear her powerful voice!

Thank you for sharing.  It sounds like I'm in for a very good time.