“LIVE” from the Infinity, MAY 15-24 Portugal & Spain from a first timer on the Celebrity board 🤗

[niksmom630]

16 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 

Happy to see you over here as I have followed your adventures on Royal Caribbean many times.  Loved your review and thank you for taking us along on your journey. 

 

Did you ever find time to confirm this?  My understanding is that they are not. 

 

 

Very interesting.  On Millennium full size martini's were available with the Premium package.  I have heard of passengers with the classic package being able to get a small one but I've never paid extra for a martini with the Premium package. 

 

@DaKahuna thanks! My next few sailings are on Celebrity so I’ll be over here until next June and Alaska on Royal again 🤗
 

I did not get that martini. But I’ve ordered a pretty basic French  Martini on Royal and was able to use my D+ voucher. Im

happy with Tito’s tho, so perhaps the alcohol choice matters? Also was able to order a Pina Colada with a Myers floater and never paid extra. A few of the girls paid a $2.00 surcharge for a better Sauvignon Blanc. 

 

[niksmom630]

I’m going to wrap this up with a deluge of photos. 😂 sitting on the flight now from BCN  to ORD. 
 

we had a great three days in Barcelona post cruise. My youngest daughter and her boyfriend were doing a land trip to the same areas, and we overlapped a few days in BCN together. She had  been at University of Barcelona as part of a study abroad program for a full semester when

Covid hit, and she was sent home early in March. It was a tough time for many kids in full language/classroom immersion programs who had to finish the semester online from home.

 

anyways, she’s always dreamed of coming back to do some of the things she didn’t do the first time around. 🤗

 

day one arrival was brunch, followed by  some exploring, Mont Juic, and the museum. 
 

 

 

 

this spot was very “no frills” , and those can sometimes be the best dining experiences 😉 

 

 

[niksmom630]

Cinnamon roll pancakes 

 

 

 

avocado toast with poached eggs…

 

 

salmon and cream cheese toast

 

 

 

Edited May 27, 2023 by niksmom630
T

[niksmom630]

You need to be in decent shape to tackle Mont Juic. 
 

there are escalators, but probably 1/2 the way up is steps. The views are stunning and worth the effort 🥵

 

 

 

 

 

 

[niksmom630]

The museum was huge and it will take some time to  get thru each section. We were able to buy tickets that day onsite (Wednesday) but I would  recommend trying to secure tickets for venues in advance. We didn’t have as much luck in other places….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[niksmom630]

As you’ve probably figured out by now, I love flowers. Growing, cut, or in any art form 💕

 

 

 

 

 

the organ 

 

 

This ceiling ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

 

[niksmom630]

Day 2 was a pre reserved tour 

 

https://runnerbeantours.com

 

Again, I booked based on the great reviews. We were not disappointed …..well, except for the weather, which was horrible. Cold, damp, and a steady rain all day 😒

 

we did a 6 hour tour (for 4) which included a lunch stop, Sagrada La Familia, Gothic Quarter and the Picasso Museum.
 

it was $150 EU per person. Our guide was Anna, and she was excellent…. 
 

the taxi situation in Barcelona, was not tho….😠

 

 

 

 

[niksmom630]

There were some extenuating circumstances this weekend (protests, weather, a Cold Play concert…etc….) but getting a taxi was hit or miss. 
 

And  miss in the times when you really needed it. Like when we had to meet our tour Thursday. 
 

Granted, it was raining. But we walked out of our AIRBNB 1/2 hour before our tour was to begin at la sagrada. No taxis anywhere in sight, the Free Now taxi app was also a bust. No drivers available. Same for Uber. Thankfully my daughter still remembered how to navigate the subway system, and we made it to our meeting place at Sagrada with a SINGLE  minute to spare. Our guide had purchased tickets  for 10 am, and you have one half hour window to arrive and claim them. 
 

they were otherwise sold out for the rest of the day  😔

what can I say about La sagrada????

She’s beautiful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[niksmom630]

 

 

 

 

 

[niksmom630]

 

 

 

 

 

reflection in from the stained glass windows… 

 

[niksmom630]

Gothic Quarter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DaKahuna]

4 hours ago, niksmom630 said:

@DaKahuna thanks! My next few sailings are on Celebrity so I’ll be over here until next June and Alaska on Royal again 🤗
 

 

 We do not currently have another cruise on Royal scheduled, only Millennium next May.

 

4 hours ago, niksmom630 said:

I did not get that martini. But I’ve ordered a pretty basic French  Martini on Royal and was able to use my D+ voucher. Im

happy with Tito’s tho, so perhaps the alcohol choice matters? Also was able to order a Pina Colada with a Myers floater and never paid extra. A few of the girls paid a $2.00 surcharge for a better Sauvignon Blanc. 

 

 

Did you mean Ellite Happy Hour vice Diamon + voucher? 

 

We've not sailed for a number of years without the Premium package so am not sure about up charges.  Last time we did not have the premium package was when Celebrity still had the Elite Happy Hour in the sky lounge when you ordered they gave you what was on the HH drink list, unless you requested otherwise. 

 

We requested a Sauvignon Blanc as our welcome gift on our last cruise and it was undrinkable.  My wife and I took one sip and poured it out.  Not asking for that again.  Will go back to the Sparkling Wine next time. 

 

[Provence55always]

17 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

We requested a Sauvignon Blanc as our welcome gift on our last cruise and it was undrinkable.  My wife and I took one sip and poured it out.  Not asking for that again.  Will go back to the Sparkling Wine next time. 

 

Sad to see Celebrity cannot source a decent drinkable white and red on their Classic Package. It’s not rocket science maybe it should be taken up with their Beverage Managers.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

7 hours ago, niksmom630 said:

You need to be in decent shape to tackle Mont Juic. 
 

there are escalators, but probably 1/2 the way up is steps. The views are stunning and worth the effort 🥵

 

 

Or you can take the HOHO bus up there.

[swigso]

The HOHO Buses are a great way to see the city. @niksmom630

your review is great the pictures bring the ship to life, felt we were on board with you. I notice that you have status with RCI you can have your CC status matched.

This means you would be most likely Elite or Elite + and have all those benefits.

safe trip home

[DaKahuna]

20 hours ago, Provence55always said:

Sad to see Celebrity cannot source a decent drinkable white and red on their Classic Package. It’s not rocket science maybe it should be taken up with their Beverage Managers.

 

 I am pretty sure the onboard Beverage Managers are at the mercy of the people at Celebrity HQ that are making the decisions on what distributor to use and what wines are available from the distributor.  I know that developing an acquaintance with the Master Sommelier onboard can be beneficial when it comes to wine selections. 

 

[Provence55always]

2 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 I am pretty sure the onboard Beverage Managers are at the mercy of the people at Celebrity HQ that are making the decisions on what distributor to use and what wines are available from the distributor.  I know that developing an acquaintance with the Master Sommelier onboard can be beneficial when it comes to wine selections. 

 

We have also heard that Celebrity HQ make all the decisions regarding wine and food source and it’s obvious to us they go for the cheapest…..plonk😂.  Like your wife I usually drink their Sparkling wine and pay an up charge for a decent G a T. 

[cruisegal415]

On 5/26/2023 at 4:17 PM, DaKahuna said:

 

 

Happy to see you over here as I have followed your adventures on Royal Caribbean many times.  Loved your review and thank you for taking us along on your journey. 

 

Did you ever find time to confirm this?  My understanding is that they are not. 

 

 

Very interesting.  On Millennium full size martini's were available with the Premium package.  I have heard of passengers with the classic package being able to get a small one but I've never paid extra for a martini with the Premium package. 

 

We were on the Infinity May 15-24. No martinis were under $10. But they were gooood!

[hcat]

BRAVO..loved the photos..esp flowers!

[niksmom630]

The last two weeks have been a blur, I keep forgetting to finish up with my final photos of our last day in Barcelona and Parc Guell …..these tickets sell out quickly so I’d advise booking at least a day or two ahead of time. You have to choose a time slot for arrival. 
 

also advise wearing good walking shoes…. The views are stunning here. As are the mosaics ♥️

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[niksmom630]

 

 

 

 

sagrada in the distance….

 

[niksmom630]

 

this ceiling 🤩

 

 

 

 

 

 

[niksmom630]

This was definitely one of my favorite sights in

Barcelona…We didn’t get a map, which turned out to be a bad idea, so we walked around rather aimlessly. Fairly certain there were things we missed….There was an app you could download as well, and there were also guided tour options. We just purchased the entry tickets, which were 10 Euro each. If I had to do it again, I would have gone with a guided tour…

 

We also had issues (again) with getting a taxi back to our Airbnb. It was almost 4 miles, and the FREENOW taxi app just stated all the drivers were busy, and to try later. Uber didn’t work

either, nor did waiting at a few of the “signed” taxi stops. We wound up walking almost 2 miles back in the direction of our Airbnb before we finally got a taxi. Again another reason to try and figure out the train system. Or at least have it as a back up plan. 
 

 

[niksmom630]

On 6/1/2023 at 1:16 PM, cruisegal415 said:

We were on the Infinity May 15-24. No martinis were under $10. But they were gooood!

@cruisegal415, curious did you just pay the difference? I didn’t  realize there was a $10 maximum on drinks covered under the basic package…

[cruisegal415]

1 hour ago, niksmom630 said:

@cruisegal415, curious did you just pay the difference? I didn’t  realize there was a $10 maximum on drinks covered under the basic package…

Yes! In fact the only things we bought on the ship were the add-on prices for our drinks, and our bill at check out amounted to a whopping $22.80. This included a $1.20 uncharge for something at Cafe Baccio twice and about 4 drinks at the martini bar.  Certainly way less than paying the extra charge per day to upgrade to the premium plan! But in the end, we came out ahead, because they cancelled one of our excursions (the ship arrived too late due to weather) and we had on board credit, so we left with them owing us $$.  LOL

Edited June 11, 2023 by cruisegal415
added the credit part