Live from the Med on board Reflection - Barcelona to Rome - Cunard vs Celebrity

[groryjm]

Just now, chemmo said:

Enjoy! If you get time visit the museum of fire engines and the archaeological museum in Barcelona. Not on the major hit list for the city but we really enjoyed them both…

We would love to but saddly tommorrow our taxi returns to take us to the ship at 11..... barely time for another fab coffee I fear

[mchell810]

Lovely pictures of the interior of Casa Mila.  I hope ot make it inside someday.

[groryjm]

7 hours ago, mchell810 said:

Lovely pictures of the interior of Casa Mila.  I hope ot make it inside someday.

The history and explanations give on the provided audio guide really add to the experience. 

[Jim_Iain]

Look forward to your Live post.   Really love all the Gaudi photos.   Loves his architectural elements.

[groryjm]

We headed out last night for Cerveseria Catalana a vibrant and VERY popular tapas bar 5 mins walk from our apartment. We got there at about 8.30 which by Spanish standards is very early. We just managed to get a table with only a 5min wait. When we left at about 9.30 the que for a table was 30 plus people and they expected to wait upto an hour!!

 

The food was really good being preceded by a good vermouth and accompanied by an excellent jug of white Sangria.

 

 

 

The stars of the meal where the suckling pig and the chocolate on toast with salt and olive oil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deciding pn the third toast was solved to my Gastrgnomes delight

 

 

All in all a very satisfactory last meal in Barcelona

 

 

Taxi to the ship tommorrow (today in fact)

 

 

 

[kelkel2]

Wow, your pictures are incredible! Barcelona is for sure on my bucket list one day. 

[Redking]

On 5/11/2023 at 10:22 AM, groryjm said:

bags pack and ready to go........

 

Welcome back! I've missed you and that glorious bar. Happy cruising.

[groryjm]

sorry not to have posted today but needless to say I'll catch up tommorrow. My window for posting is after my Gastrognome has retired and before my Hot milk kicks in (... long story i'll explain anon) but the new starlink whilst mostly wonderfull has not allowed me to log in for the last half an hour .... Im in now but bed calls.... 

[calicakes]

On 5/10/2023 at 3:41 PM, groryjm said:

Cunard food was quite above and beyond and I am hopping that  X will meet the mark

I think you're going to be sadly disappointed.  My friend is currently on your cruise.  He's traveling alone.  He's a baker like me, I told him to avoid the cakes at the buffet. 

[all2me]

I have cruised numerous cruise lines. Cakes are seldom good. I cannot figure it out. Even boxed cake mixes are much better. I am a baker too and picky with desserts. Often disappointing. So I order sorbet, ice cream or gelato if they have it. 

[groryjm]

Having checked out of our apartment at 10.45 our taxi arrived promptly and we set off to the port. A 15 min ride and within a few minutes of arriving at the cruise port we were seated with a coffee and a pastry in the suites area while they checked us in. A slight glitch in there it system meant that they had to take our passports to the desk to scan them. No matter we thought, but……..

 

John one of the retreat concierges escorted us up the walkway and onto the ship but that is where it stopped going to plan, The ports it had seemingly not gelled with the ships and we were stuck waiting with John to have our boarding passes scan while we were lucky and John got us to the front of the line no one could go further, Senior staff rushed around but the it just wasn’t letting anyone board. After about twenty mins the line was released and John escorted my DD and her GF to their aft sky suite but I still needed to go to Michaels club to re check-in before make our own way to our Royal suite. Technically having an escort is for upper suites only but John very kindly to the girls as we knew our way round the ship.

 

Having rechecked in we dropped our bags in the room grabbed our cards and retraced our steps to Michaels Club. We heartily greeted by a familiar face at the MC bar , Cranston, while we last saw Cranston on Reflection last year we had not cruised with my daughter since 2019 and not only greeted her by name but recounted a story of how he had made her virgin Piña colada’s on Constellation . Thinking back that would have been 2016 so hats off to his amazing memory. It is so nice to get on a ship and be remembered by the staff, almost like coming home.

 

Yet another it glitch came to light as I could not get the wifi to work. Apparently my card that had been waiting in our room had the wrong account number so a new one was duly printed. IT is not Celebrities strong point though to be fair on our last cruise on Cunard in October the IT was worse. The wifi with Starlink has so far been very good despite a small window last night when I couldn’t get my lap top to connect for about twenty minuets.

 

For those who it interests these are with and without VPN in the med. Not super fast but consistant and very usable the VPN only slightly slowing it down.

 

 

 

 

[groryjm]

Lunch was taken at our favourite boarding lunch venue Sushi on five and the food was very much up to par for me with a Spicy Ahi Tuna accompanied by a Nagasaki Batida followed by the Scallop and Shrimp dynamite with a Kanpai. The girls had selections of Gyoza and Wontons and ramen and my Gastognome the Ramen too. The girls loved thiers but my Gastognome felt the broth was not quite as good as usual. The cocktails were very much up to par and what I would expect from the World Class bar.

 

 

 

I also had the Omakasa Sushi which was also excelent but failed to photo before it was eaten😁

 

[groryjm]

For Sail away the Retreat had arranged a helipad event which is always great and the sort of special event we missed in Queens Grill on Cunard, thogh to be fair in October outside was a bit off limits

 

[groryjm]

For a pre-dinner drink we opted for my favourite we opted for the World Class and I was treated to an off book special from Isaballa with Woodford, lime and her own Bacon infused syrup.

 

The WCB is a dangerous place to sit being next to Effy. My gastrognome was temted by a beautiful set with rainbow saphires in 14kt yellow gold but passed up the sale siting the need for daughters approval. The flaw in the plan was the said daughter arrived and whole heartedly approved .

 

 

 

Off to Tuscan for dinner and to my delight the Carpacio was excellent again so much so the photo got missed, followed by the red snapper sunset and the tiramisu and a Fernet Branca. For all four of our choices were very good and to we were glad to see the portion sizes more manageable than pre pandemic. One can always ask for more but leaving food has never been my forte.

 

 

 

 

Our evening was completed with calvados at Michaels then an episode of Bluestone 42 and for me a hot unsweetened almond milk from Café al Bacio. The girls were also delighted to take Gelato back to their room.

[groryjm]

A lovely nights sleep being gently rocked,ly in and a late(ish)  breakfast on our deck.......the perfect start to a cruise

 

 

The breakfast broom service menue seems as good as ever in suites and while Luminae may not be quite as good as Cunards Queens grill the room service breakfast here is better.

 

 

[groryjm]

We walked down to the gangway at about 10.30 and grabbed the shuttle to the city. it costs about $15 pp but there is I gather a free shuttle about 15 mins walk from the ship. The bus dropped us at the 'Cathédrale de la Major' and we walked the half a mile into the fish market and old town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

While at the market we caught a local group called La Farigoule Fanfare from the Ecole Centrale de Marseille who were putting on a stellar set

 

https://youtu.be/s315hDoNezc

 

00058.MTS

 

 

 

Edited May 14, 2023 by groryjm

[groryjm]

When in Marseille what else can one eat but Bouillabaisse de Marseilles so we chose one of the many restaurants and stopped for a vermouth (Noilly Prat is produced shere so what else could we get) followed by an amazing lunch

 

 

 

 

[BazingAu]

2 hours ago, groryjm said:

When in Marseille what else can one eat but Bouillabaisse de Marseilles so we chose one of the many restaurants and stopped for a vermouth (Noilly Prat is produced shere so what else could we get) followed by an amazing lunch

 

 

 

 

Was this just near the port or did you catch a shuttle/cab to a downtown area? We are trying to decide what to do in Marseille. We originally booked a petit train tour, but some of our party guests were not interested due to the limited sights on the tour.

[voyager1964]

On 5/12/2023 at 9:37 AM, groryjm said:

After such a wonderful visit food callede and a table for five was secured within a stones throw of the Cathedral and along with some amazing Tapas , including an unbelievably good plate of "Surf and Turf" meatballs in a black squid ink sauce, we sampled probably the best Paella I have ever tasted.

Following up your report with great interest. Do you remember the name of that place?

Thanks,

 

[all2me]

Thanks so much for your posts groryjym! Love that it’s our July 8 itinerary! Wonder what are doing in Nice? We booked nothing there but hope to wander the old town. We have 5 grade school age grandkids who are seasoned travelers. I will be asking more because we booked no tours for Genoa either. Appreciate  weather reports also? Keep on enjoying each moment! 

[groryjm]

2 hours ago, voyager1964 said:

Following up your report with great interest. Do you remember the name of that place?

Thanks,

 

L'hippodrome I believe. I'll check the receipt this evening

[groryjm]

4 hours ago, all2me said:

Thanks so much for your posts groryjym! Love that it’s our July 8 itinerary! Wonder what are doing in Nice? We booked nothing there but hope to wander the old town. We have 5 grade school age grandkids who are seasoned travelers. I will be asking more because we booked no tours for Genoa either. Appreciate  weather reports also? Keep on enjoying each moment! 

Vilefrench we will let you know tomorrow. Genoa we've booked tickets for the aquarium, dome and sky lift

 

[larry_s_taco]

On 5/12/2023 at 4:40 PM, groryjm said:

Having watched the café below our window we decided on a coffee and pastry….

 

 

 

before heading to Casa Mila for our 5.15 slot. Unfortunately the roof was closed due to rain but the Casa was stunning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great pictures

 

[ChiosFan]

 

I am enjoying your “live” tremendously.    We are boarding the 22nd in Rome for 10 days and I am happy to hear the food and service is up to snuff.   I haven’t been on the Reflection so this will be my first sailing on this class ship.  What shape is she in?  I understand she has not yet gone through a refurbishment.   

 

Also, glad to hear the staff is experienced and veterans.    I love it when they remember returning guests.   Let us know what shows you enjoyed particularly.   I will try to go to them.  Do you know the cruise director?
 

Have a wonderful holiday.   And keep up the great postings.   

 

 

[hcat]

On 5/13/2023 at 1:17 AM, groryjm said:

The history and explanations give on the provided audio guide really add to the experience. 

we read several bios of Gaudi  before our visit...He was  a genius ahead of his time not only with architecture and  art .He was a city planner...beginings of municipal  zoning.  So glad we were able to  see these places first hand..