Bimmer 09 sails APEX to Iceland June 2023

[MisterMet]

16 hours ago, Deck Chair Queen said:

Not only the best meal at sea, but also on a par with any fine meal we have consumed on land. Then you throw in the sea view, the gentle rocking, maybe a hint of a sunset, and by Jove you are at the apex of dining! Please don’t bring back The Dancers. 
 

Carol

Thank Carol.  Always love your perspective too.

[Bimmer09]

I couldn't resist the reflection on the table

 

 

 

 

 

Craft Social bar

 

 

 

Breakfast then  I'll check out the Magic Carpet...

[Bimmer09]

Eden Cafe for breakfast. Danilo from Eden is the host. I had me another parfait and a cup of Joe. Plus some OJ (not Simpson)

 

Carol enjoyed her Bacon egg and cheese Panini, parfait, cinnamon bun and a fruit bowl. She will get her coffee-a latte with an extra shot at Bacio for $7.80.

She will repair to her Eden ramp for peace and quiet but that ends when the Captain's reception gets underway after half an hour of Zen.

He gave the pax count as 2200 with 1300 captain's Club members. 900 new to X!!

 

I'm going up on deck. I mean , how windy can it be?

 

 

 

[Norwaylady]

Norris, I really start to look forward to my next adventure on Edge😅

Last time I was on E/class, Edge was a b2b when she was new in April 2019.....

 

So it's been a while since we sailed Edge class. 

I feel it in my fingers
I feel it in my toes

 

I feel my enthusiasm growing for my future cruise!

[Jim_Iain]

On 6/23/2023 at 4:40 PM, Bimmer09 said:

There are 6 of them on the bed, plus 4 pillows that belong on the bed. Multiply by the number of beds- say 1500. That's 9,000 pillows without a purpose and each one flammable if the ship catches fire. I'd say a controlled burn now (s'mores opportunity!) would kill two birds with one stone.

Norris

The only one that benefited from the overabundance of pillows and Kitch it Kelly Ann's Bank account.   We usually just pile them up in the closet.

[Bimmer09]

 

Tough getting a longer this morning...

 

A great innovation 

 

 

 

It's not going to be a money spinner in this cold weather alas.

 

 

hardy swimmers

 

I grabbed a coffee from the buffet on this deck and visited the pool deck smoking section which is up a flight of steps which is where the pool photo was taken from

 

 While relaxing I was startled by a death-throws cough that lasted for 3 minutes at a terrific volume. There was a hidden woman about 50 feet away hidden by the shrubbery. 

I caught Covid after disembarking from my last cruise and am familiar with that cough.

As I left I went over to her to see if she was ok (keeping my distance) and mentioned the possibilty of Covid and my experience and suggesting a test. "I don't have Covid" she spat back-but how do you know was the thought bubble above my head as I walked away? We carry some self-tests with us just in case.

[39august]

I can hum it, "feel it in my fingers, etc.", but darn, I can't name the group!!

[Texed]

11 minutes ago, 39august said:

I can hum it, "feel it in my fingers, etc.", but darn, I can't name the group!!

 

The Troggs, I believe.

[dlh015]

12 minutes ago, Texed said:

 

The Troggs, I believe.

...and we have a winner!!

[dlh015]

All I can say Norris, is that it was a happy day when I came upon your thread...wow, just wow!

[Bimmer09]

I am a "Glass half full" kind of guy, always optimistic but if it's my beer glass that is half full it's time to spring into action. So I work my way up to deck 15 where the deer and the antelope would play if it wasn't so windy. 

This lonely guy is waiting for me (or anybody)

 

 I've made do with Heineken which at $7.50 (plus 20% armed robbery) adds $9 to my tab.

A Stella Artois is $11 (plus 20%) =$13.20. I can get 6 of them in my wine shop across the street for $9.99. 

People have stopped asking if we'd like to buy the Beverage packet which was tiresome on day one/two. Even at their best price of $54 each we declined. 54x2x12= $1296

We tracked our spending on drinks and the total for  both of us was $851 so we saved $445 over the package. In a warm climate I would drink more cold beers and Carol more sodas.

 

 

 

 

 

They call the wind Maria and she howls her way down this deck

 

 

I take refuge in the Rooftop Garden but the wind follows me

 

 

Alas, the Rooftop Garden Grill will remain closed while in cold waters. Bummer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Spidey sense was tingling and it wasn't the Heineken. I sensed land....

[dlh015]

2 minutes ago, Bimmer09 said:

They call the wind Maria

One of Pernell Roberts many hits...lol...but you prolly mean the Kingston Trio...

[Bimmer09]

7 minutes ago, dlh015 said:

One of Pernell Roberts many hits...lol...but you prolly mean the Kingston Trio...

Actually, although you are correct, I recall my dad singing it with gusto . He'd fill up a bathtub then turn on the shower using the shower curtain like a windswept sail . The shower spray was used to replicate a storm at sea and he used a small canoe oar to steer his tub safely to land.

He taught me a lot about seafaring' and liked to give practical demonstrations.

Norris

 

[MikeMary4449]

14 minutes ago, Bimmer09 said:

 "where the deer and the antelope would play"

 

A reference to "Home on the Range" ?

[Poconolady]

So glad I found this thread! We are on the Aug 9 sailing, so I am following  along for all-of your tips, esp the Iceland weather and recommendations for packing. We were on Infinity in Jan. for the Antartica cruise, so I-assume some of those clothes are going to make the trip. Can’t wait to see what's next!

[Bimmer09]

The Faroe islands, founded by the Faroes of ancient Egypt who built the pyramids  back in...wait a minute, um, that's a different Pharaoh . I was misled  by a Boston mailman I was talking to in a pub  there some years ago.  He had a head full of  random facts he liked to amaze with. This is a different Faroe entirely and they are aligned with Denmark and a magnet for serious landscape photographers.

 

 

 

 One of the friends I will be meeting in Belfast is a fine woman from these lonely islands.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faroe_Islands

Torshavn the capital city (Google images)

[39august]

"They Call the Wind Mariah" from the B-way musical "Paint Your Wagon" and the movie with a sadly mis-cast Lee Marvin. The Troggs! I can't believe some of you even remember the name!

[Texed]

22 minutes ago, 39august said:

"They Call the Wind Mariah" from the B-way musical "Paint Your Wagon" and the movie with a sadly mis-cast Lee Marvin. The Troggs! I can't believe some of you even remember the name!

 

The Troggs also sang "Wild Thing".  😆

[Bimmer09]

We lunched in the very busy buffet.Carol's notes (no photos) say there was a Greek theme so I had skewers of kebabs, moussaka etc ( I am sure it was a pile of delights) Carol had a stir fry and we both had baklava. 

 

We had a wee bit of business to attend to. We wanted to change our Whale Watching trip tomorrow in Akureyri for a waterfall visit so we had to amble down to the Shore Excursions desk to see if it was possible. That meant a visit to deck 3.

 

 

 There was one young lady there and she took our request although she didn't seem to know the excursions listed as much as we expected. We would have to "wait and see".

 

Future Cruises is busy

 

 

Guest relations just off the Martini Bar

 

 

So chic/upscale

 

 

Internet desk. Apple products

 

 

Very striking design on deck 3

 

 

Probably time for a relaxing nap...

[Bimmer09]

The Faroes will soon be a smudge on the horizon and we won't see them on our return journey

 

 

 

 

Our next Major event is dinner in Tuscan, followed by a show

[dlh015]

I was so sad when we had to change our plans for a cruise we had booked on the Apex for next year (big family wedding...). Even had gotten Eden bookings...

 

Fortunately I can fix that! I am enthralled with this ship!! Great pics...the ship is a work of art...

[Bimmer09]

                                   Dinner in Tuscan Grill

We had a reservation and the joint was jumping but luckily we got a table off to the side near the front which was quiet.

 

 

 

 

Described as a creamy Tuscan shrimp soup there was no cream but rather a thin tomato broth. 

 

Carol had a salad

 We've been to Rome several times and I always order Spaghetti  alla Carbonara -a dish I have been ordering since I lived in Nuremberg for a while back in 1972. Guancale, an egg whisked and dropped into the pasta once cooked, some Pecorino Romana cheese and black pepper.

No spaghetti (but I knew that) but a big poached egg on top which I removed immediately and placed on my empty bread plate. There can be no Italians in the kitchen.

The pasta was big and heavy so I left half the plate uneaten. No one asked why but that saved me a lecture. Fail.

 

Carol's pork chop with a sweet sauce she says. Possibly the cause of an upset stomach that evening?

 

 

 

No dessert for me- I had a Sambuca in an inappropriate glass and an espresso, while Carol had a cannoli 

 

 

As we were starting our first course (soup) a Head Waiter plus a head chef came to the two couples next to us to enquire about their meal. Please don't come here I thought.

They came here. How is your meal she asked as my second spoonful had just been consumed

"It's a bit early to say as I've just tasted two spoonsful of soup" She didn't introduce the chef but told us she was in charge of the 4 dining rooms. The thought bubble above my head said "Oh,I don't think so". An awkward pause and she slithered away. Odd.

 

The room was very nice, I'll give it that.

 

[Silkroad]

2 hours ago, Texed said:

 

The Troggs also sang "Wild Thing".  😆

Why😝  Why did you remind me of the existence of that song? I had successfully buried it in the deepest recesses of my mind😂

[Lastdance]

52 minutes ago, Silkroad said:

Why😝  Why did you remind me of the existence of that song? I had successfully buried it in the deepest recesses of my mind😂

Oh no, you must be mistaken, as I remember a few girls who got a wee bit loud and noisy in a restaurant...wild and crazy they were!  However, that would be a little “out there” for this review, so am terminating the dribble.  

 

I would like to know how many queens are on Celebrity cruises; anyone venture to guess?

Edited June 25, 2023 by Lastdance

[maggieq]

The only thing I would want to change on the edge class would be he martini bar. I prefer the Martini bar on the s class   Great experience and better positioned.