LIVE Summit Aqua Class Review 3/2 - 3/6

[Lena11033]

5 hours ago, 310Loves2Cruise said:

My brother and sister-in-law cruised with Viking recently, and I am glad to hear about the quiet spots aboard. I am AQ on my next cruise, so will hopefully be able to use the balcony if the weather cooperates. Last cruise, not so much as there was lots of rain and water on the balcony rendering a cuppa or relaxation impossible!

I feel like if it weren’t for the charter portion finding a quiet spot wouldn’t be difficult. 
Shall we say the people I have talked to normally cruise on carnival so it’s partying hard you can tell who is here to relax who is not it’s a clear divide. Some people are going really hard, a lady I met yesterday found someone passed out in the floor of the ladies bathroom

[OnTheJourney]

On 3/4/2023 at 12:29 PM, Lena11033 said:

unfortunately as this is a partial charter

what sort of charter? 

[Lena11033]

28 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

what sort of charter? 

for Tampa bay buccaneers fans

Edited March 5, 2023 by Lena11033

[Lena11033]

Yesterday was a sea day. I ordered room service because I knew the buffet would be packed I ordered basically toast, cereal and fruit. The cereal I received I’m pretty certain was not what I ordered. I also asked for lactose free milk - I have no idea if that’s what I received as when I was on beyond they specifically wrote to confirm that’s what it was so it’s 50/50 on if I was sent something I am intolerant with.

I spent the next few hours at the spa for a salt scrub and a massage. Didn’t realize my back is that bad until I felt everything pop so think I need to start getting my regular massages again

 

For lunch I went to the buffet which was like a zoo, food was good just packed and lots of coughing all over the place. I think I was talking to someone in the buffet that was part of the charter based on what I heard after I passed him where people were hounding him for questions but no clue who they were (go sports lol)

 

For the afternoon I took a walk around the ship as there were no loungers free and I had 0 interest in any of the NFL stuff going on - the ‘volleyball’ looked to be a lot of Tampa bay stuff. Then headed to al bacio which was nice and quite with a handful of people there to enjoy my coffee and a scoop of gelato before buying myself some Clinique skin care I desperately needed. After I went back to my room to shower and do my hair which was a challenge with the hairdryer it’s not really meant for long and thick hair so note for next time to bring my Dyson dryer. Later headed to Blue for dinner which even though I got there early I was there for 2.5 hours because I was talking so much to the people one table over we then headed for the captains club welcome event. After the couple I was talking to went to a show and I stayed for the trivia. By which point I finally remembered to call my husband (oops) although by the time I called I think he’d drunk as much alcohol as me.

 

As for the lobster it’s the same size as what I’ve seen at Keg restaurants in Canada. So maybe small for some people but not everyone. Also the people on the table next to me were offered an extra lobster for free. I was not. I made up for it in wine though 🤪 

[OnTheJourney]

6 minutes ago, Lena11033 said:

Tampa bay buccaneers fans

Wow! Well that should be a lively group! Wonder if any of the team members or staff are along. Sounds like too much noise / partying for my taste. 

[Lena11033]

Just now, OnTheJourney said:

Wow! Well that should be a lively group! Wonder if any of the team members or staff are along. Sounds like too much noise / partying for my taste. 

Lively is one way to put it 🙃

there are some people but no idea who they are - I’ve never watched American football. I know two players and one is because my husband watches WWE and he was on there.

 

There’s a group from an airline who is doing a meet as well but you’d never know because they are a lot more calmer. Trying to find the right word I mean they are having fun just they aren’t in your face at every turn 
 

[OnTheJourney]

4 minutes ago, Lena11033 said:

lots of coughing all over the place

Yikes. Out of curiousity...are you seeing much (if any) masking?  The desserts, etc. look quite fancy. RCCL, on one of our last cruises with them, didn't trot out that chocolate fountain and the fruit skewers till the last day. They seemed to 'pull out all the stops' for the last lunch buffet. Looking forward to the Summit again in a few months. Glad you're enjoying...

[OnTheJourney]

Just now, Lena11033 said:

here are some people but no idea who they are

ah well, maybe they don't know who they are either! I admire your spirit to travel alone like this. Not every spouse would be inclined to do that. Hope you enjoy Blu. Friends of ours highly suggested it, so that's partly what got us interested in trying AQ class. We loved it since we typically eat dinner really early and so got in there around 5:00 (I think?  Maybe that changed by now) and always wound up at a window. Much quieter than the MDR. 

[OnTheJourney]

4 minutes ago, Lena11033 said:

There’s a group from an airline who is doing a meet as well but you’d never know because they are a lot more calmer.

LOL..they're probably all jet lagged....😆  Give 'em a few days to come around..

[Lena11033]

14 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

Yikes. Out of curiousity...are you seeing much (if any) masking?  The desserts, etc. look quite fancy. RCCL, on one of our last cruises with them, didn't trot out that chocolate fountain and the fruit skewers till the last day. They seemed to 'pull out all the stops' for the last lunch buffet. Looking forward to the Summit again in a few months. Glad you're enjoying...

there are very few people masking. I admit I haven’t but also if the elevator is busy I walk up the stairs. 
In the OVC people are not washing hands and there is an attendant trying to get everyone coming in with sanitizer but where I enter from my room in the ‘middle’ there is no one. There is a station but yesterday a group of four were in front of me and three used it and one didn’t. 
I almost went to sushi for lunch today because of this. I’m not a germ freak but please wash your hands. 

[Lena11033]

15 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

ah well, maybe they don't know who they are either! I admire your spirit to travel alone like this. Not every spouse would be inclined to do that. Hope you enjoy Blu. Friends of ours highly suggested it, so that's partly what got us interested in trying AQ class. We loved it since we typically eat dinner really early and so got in there around 5:00 (I think?  Maybe that changed by now) and always wound up at a window. Much quieter than the MDR. 

I admit I had intention of using the garden but with how packed it’s been I haven’t but MDR would be busy as it’s sold out sailing. It’s been nice in blu. I’m at the back in a corner alone people watching so I think it’s worth it for that. Even when it’s been busy it’s not MDR busy. Day one the line up went into the bar while I just walked into blu 

[calicakes]

48 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

The desserts, etc. look quite fancy. RCCL,

Its all for show.  They have no substance.  They are horrid. 

[OnTheJourney]

11 minutes ago, calicakes said:

Its all for show.  They have no substance.  They are horrid. 

LOL...I have to agree. Some of the stuff looks great, but the taste doesn't match the appearance. 

[OnTheJourney]

On 2/24/2023 at 8:59 AM, Lena11033 said:

Last year was 10 days Italy/Greek Isles.

Curious...where did you go? We just did one back in May that started in Rome, then went to Sicily, Sardinia, Malta, Majorca, and ended in Barcelona. A more recent one included Naples, Crete, Cyprus, Rhodes, Nafplio, and ended in Athens - but also included Jerusalem and Haifa (for the Holy Land). Unfortunately we lost a full day in the Holy Land due to a storm system that was moving in - had to leave port instead of staying overnight. I've found the Mediterranean lovely sailing - for the most part quite smooth. 

[OnTheJourney]

1 hour ago, Lena11033 said:

there are very few people masking.

Huh...I suspected as much. Our last cruise, with Viking, didn't have much masking either - maybe 5% or so? More during excursions and some ports required it on the busses and in certain buildings. Some of the crew still masked.

 

Did you do a live thread during your cruise on the Beyond? Never been on any of the newer X ships so would be interested to see that. 

Edited March 5, 2023 by OnTheJourney

[OnTheJourney]

Safe journey home....

[cbfb]

52 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

LOL...I have to agree. Some of the stuff looks great, but the taste doesn't match the appearance. 

I usually agree but Last week they had cupcakes for dessert during lunch on the first day. They were amazing, unfortunately, or fortunately 🤣 they didn’t have them again. 

[Laurab23]

14 hours ago, calicakes said:

Its all for show.  They have no substance.  They are horrid. 

I totally agree with that. Probably a good thing that they do taste awful as otherwise I would be eating a lot of them.

[Lena11033]

16 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

Curious...where did you go? We just did one back in May that started in Rome, then went to Sicily, Sardinia, Malta, Majorca, and ended in Barcelona. A more recent one included Naples, Crete, Cyprus, Rhodes, Nafplio, and ended in Athens - but also included Jerusalem and Haifa (for the Holy Land). Unfortunately we lost a full day in the Holy Land due to a storm system that was moving in - had to leave port instead of staying overnight. I've found the Mediterranean lovely sailing - for the most part quite smooth. 

 

15 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

Huh...I suspected as much. Our last cruise, with Viking, didn't have much masking either - maybe 5% or so? More during excursions and some ports required it on the busses and in certain buildings. Some of the crew still masked.

 

Did you do a live thread during your cruise on the Beyond? Never been on any of the newer X ships so would be interested to see that. 

i did one but I’ll admit I didn’t finish. The internet was terrible last summer that I’d try and connect and get frustrated and gave up. Only had that once on this trip so saved the post in my notes and came back. 
 

My Italy/Greek isles cruise left from Rome, Athens, santorini, Rhodes, Mykonos, nafplio, Naples and argostoli. 
I really enjoyed it and with beyond I always had something to do or go. I will say now I’ve been to these ports I know which ones I’d be comfortable now going off and doing my own thing next time. 

I think edge class are probably designed with a different type of cruiser in mind. I did enjoy having the four main dinning rooms I’m an introvert so the idea of just being thrown on a table with a bunch of people I don’t know may cause me some anxiety but there I had my own table, same waiter every day and enjoyed different themes. Yes they have more speciality restaurants but honestly with how people are at the buffet I’m thinking I may going forward so that for lunch. 
I know the rooms get a lot of heat about no balcony but again I am not sure they are designed with people who have been cruising for 10 or more years in mind. I see the design as newer and trying to appeal to people who are new to cruising. Also in Europe it’s so port intensive I was rarely in the room. I literally was there to shower and sleep. Also why I didn’t book a suite for my next Europe cruise as much as I wanted to cruise in a suite I can’t justify it when I’m going to be out and about all the time 

[OnTheJourney]

1 hour ago, Laurab23 said:

otherwise I would be eating a lot of them.

Tell me about it. As a pre-diabetic a cruise is a test of will for me. I try to lean more towards the "no sugar added" offerings, but those little cream cheese tarts, cakes and chocolate desserts call to me, along with the cookies (sometimes there are no sugar selections). Proud to say that I (almost) completely avoided the ice cream line at the lunch buffets. Amazing how quickly that line formed (referring to a recent Viking cruise). 

[OnTheJourney]

3 minutes ago, Lena11033 said:

Also in Europe it’s so port intensive

Exactly. That's how our Baltic cruise was. When DW and I first started cruising we didn't care for sea days in the itinerary. Now...as we're getting older I say, 'bring 'em on!' That go-go-go all the time in every port starts to catch up to you at some point. Next to last cruise (another one in the Meddy) we often had two excursions on the same day. Too much after awhile. But, figuring we're not likely to get back to most of these ports again, might as well see as much as we feel up to. We didn't see any of Naples (other than what was visible from the ship in dock) but rather took an excursion to Pompeii....in the rain, though not too much of it. Amazing place but doubt if I'd be inclined to want to see more of it. The Holy Land, however, I COULD go back to since we lost one of our two days there. Wouldn't do it by ship though. WAY too much time on the bus back and forth. The one day was over 6 hours on the bus in all. The excursion to Delphi (from Athens) was a long day too. 

[OnTheJourney]

8 minutes ago, Lena11033 said:

I think edge class

We've only been on the Summit and Infinity...nothing else with X. 

 

9 minutes ago, Lena11033 said:

thrown on a table with a bunch of people I don’t know

Nope...not really into that on the ship, although we had some enjoyable round-the-table conversation during lunches that were included in our post-cruise extension in Athens. I typically don't initiate conversation but then fall into it easily if asked something depending on the course of the discussion. River cruising is much that way - larger groups around the tables. We generally prefer 2-tops - another reason we liked Blu! 

[Lena11033]

16 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

We've only been on the Summit and Infinity...nothing else with X. 

 

Nope...not really into that on the ship, although we had some enjoyable round-the-table conversation during lunches that were included in our post-cruise extension in Athens. I typically don't initiate conversation but then fall into it easily if asked something depending on the course of the discussion. River cruising is much that way - larger groups around the tables. We generally prefer 2-tops - another reason we liked Blu! 

I’m not really an initiator for talking but will just I get stressed with social situations. I was raised as an only child and my parents had me when older so I was left a lot of do my own thing. Even when I was with other family members we’re talking old school Scottish people. I would be sent to stay with them every summer but it was a speak when spoken to. My aunt would take me to see her friends but kids had to sit quietly so even now that’s how I am (also the Glaswegian accents added to the ‘stay quiet’ 🙃)

[OnTheJourney]

5 minutes ago, Lena11033 said:

kids had to sit quietly so even now that’s how I am

but wait...didn't you say you were bar hopping on the ship??  🤔

Edited March 6, 2023 by OnTheJourney

[Lena11033]

Just now, OnTheJourney said:

but wait...didn't you say you were bar hopping on the ship??  Just kidding....

Alcohol helps with me talking to people 🤣