cruisebeachgirl703 Posted July 21 #26 Share Posted July 21 Looking forward to your review! Happy Birthday. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare hcat Posted July 21 #27 Share Posted July 21 off to a great start! still processing how grown up she is! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcmagnum Posted July 21 #28 Share Posted July 21 22 hours ago, GenerationX said: Well hey there CC! It seems like it was just yesterday (actually like 21 days ago) that I stepped off Reflection after 10 days of back to back short cruising. BTW, I’m sorry, I know I still need to finish that review, it’s on my list of things to do today. Doing 2 cruises 3 weeks apart makes for a VERY hectic 3 weeks at the office. Which brings me to this new review, in which tomorrow my daughter and I will board Beyond to spend 6 nights sailing to Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Bimini to celebrate my birthday! I think this also sets a record for my lateness in starting my review, as I’m just getting time to write this intro as we sat in the Admirals Club in STL waiting out a 3 hour flight delay to Miami (apparently yesterday’s software issues are still making ripples, this is why I never risk flying in the day of the cruise). I'm so excited to be spending my birthday on my favorite E-class Celebrity ship with my favorite person! A little about us for anyone who hasn't come along before: I’m Charla, happily married to my frequent cruising companion Jeremy (who is left home to run our hobby farm for this “just us girls” vacay), 6 short days out from my 42nd birthday and an attorney from the St. Louis, MO area. My kiddo who we’ll call Gen Z or Mini Me is 11, is neurodiverse, and has a love of the arts, food and travel that is surpassed only by her love of all things ocean and animal-related. In the past year, it seems she’s also started to adopt my taste in handbags and shoes (and I was terrified as a parent to discover on our last shopping outing that she actually wears a half size LARGER shoe than I do now 🤯). When she’s not at sea, she plays center for her school’s basketball team (see note above re: shoe size and that my 11 year old now stands nearly eye to eye with me) and is an aspiring 3-day eventing equestrian. We’re very much hoping that the ship will be showing the Paris Olympics opening ceremonies on the big screen in the rooftop garden on my birthday and have packed Team USA basketball and equestrian supporter outfits and accessories for the occasion. Also joining us on this trip will be Claudie (Mini Me’s favorite American Girl doll) and Timothy Turtle, both of whom are also traveling with extensive wardrobes (I swear I don’t know where my child gets her overpacking tendencies from…) I’m a well seasoned Celebrity cruiser and Gen Z is well on her way. She’s sailed on both S and M class ships, but this will be her first time on an E class vessel. Our last cruise together was on MSC Seascape last summer. For this trip, price and dates were pretty much evenly matched between a return to Seascape and sailing on Beyond, so I let Gen Z decide which one she wanted to do more. I won’t lie, I was SHOCKED when she picked Beyond. I thought for sure that after that week of waterslides, arcade, thrill ride, etc. she’d be throwing up duces at sailing Celebrity again until her early 20’s. But Gen Z said while the ship was “so much fun” it was also “really loud most of the time and always crowded with a lot of people brushing against you” (her sensory condition manifests primarily in sound and tactile sensitivities). My little aspiring James Beard judge also proclaimed the food on Celebrity “a step or 2 above” MSC. She also liked that the Celebrity port itinerary included the Cayman Islands because she really wants to visit their turtle sanctuary that I’ve told her about. For this cruise, we’ll be sailing in a sky suite and I’ve been mentally preparing myself for the square footage step down after spending a quarter of last month in a signature suite and a celebrity suite (bougie cruise addict problems, sigh). As always when sailing with Gen Z, I’ll be sure to report on the kid experience onboard. We spent our afternoon yesterday in our pre-cruise ritual way getting our anxiety relief pedicures at the spa at the Four Seasons in STL. We just started boarding for our delayed departure and I just saw our pilot head down to do his pre-flight check, so hopefully very soon it’ll be wheels up for Miami! In the words of Mini Me: “If I don’t see a palm tree soon, I’m gonna have mental problems!” Looking forward to taking everyone along on another cruise! Happy Birthday!!! I’m sure the Beyond will treat you very well this week!!! GenX sure is growing up. She is so dang cute!!! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare hcat Posted July 21 #29 Share Posted July 21 (edited) From BEYOND Gatsby Party.. short but fun cruise! Edited July 21 by hcat 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weacat Posted July 21 #30 Share Posted July 21 Following along. Have a wonderful trip. Hoping to do something like this with my almost 11 yr old DD someday soon. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare DaKahuna Posted July 21 #31 Share Posted July 21 @GenerationX F Y OI - Your adoring fans are waiting for the Mother - Daughter photo shoot in your matching world print dresses. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LouChamp Posted July 21 #32 Share Posted July 21 Aloha. The happiest of birthdays. I always enjoy your posts and pictures and wish you a wonderful and successful year with great health and the family as well. As you know I have been blessed to sail Celebrity throughout the world since its inception. We are taking a pause from cruising and enjoying our home in Hawaii as we await the arrival of our grandson next month. Hopefully he will enjoy cruising as much as your family and us. In the interim we will travel with you lol. All the best!!! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare KKB Posted July 21 #33 Share Posted July 21 (edited) @GenerationX Knowing your kiddos limitations is key to a happy trip! Glad you were staying at the Conrad--it reminded me I had been eyeing it to use my AMEX Platinum $200 hotel credit (that I could have used earlier in the year but FORGOT), I was trying to get a friend to sail Reflection in August but it fell thru. Welp an MSC casino comp came up out of Orlando...JW Marriott it is. (I'm on the Seashore...figure I can relax on my balcony if nothing else. But who knows, maybe THIS MSC cruise will be better...Eyeing a YC booking in the future...) Edited July 21 by KKB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare GenerationX Posted July 21 Author #34 Share Posted July 21 3 hours ago, DaKahuna said: @GenerationX F Y OI - Your adoring fans are waiting for the Mother - Daughter photo shoot in your matching world print dresses. @DaKahuna Ask and you shall receive! Live from the Retreat Lounge! Full embarkation report coming soon. 47 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swigso Posted July 21 #35 Share Posted July 21 So looking forward to another great review that makes it seem we are sailing with you 😎🛳 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruisetonowhere10 Posted July 21 #36 Share Posted July 21 17 minutes ago, GenerationX said: @DaKahuna Ask and you shall receive! Live from the Retreat Lounge! Full embarkation report coming soon. Too cute… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare abbydancer2003 Posted July 21 #37 Share Posted July 21 Happy birthday and enjoy. We were on the Beyond from June 23-July 7 and thought the retreat experience was very good. Enjoy! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judyrem Posted July 21 #38 Share Posted July 21 On 7/20/2024 at 10:18 AM, mac_tlc said: Back? So soon? 😂😂😂. Happy Birthday and hope the two of you have a wonderful time! As always, I’m following along. Beyond is our favorite X ship also. mac_tlc I am going on Beyond with the same itinerary in October, this will be a wonderful trip report for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ninjacat123 Posted July 21 #39 Share Posted July 21 2 hours ago, GenerationX said: @DaKahuna Ask and you shall receive! Live from the Retreat Lounge! Full embarkation report coming soon. Love this❣️Looking forward to more review 😁👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzbo Posted July 21 #40 Share Posted July 21 Great photo of the two of you, Charla! Happy birthday!!!🎉🍾🥂🍸🍷🧉🎂🎉🎁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Norwaylady Posted July 21 #41 Share Posted July 21 🥰🥂🥰⚓️🥂 You two look smashing🤩 Bon Voyage💙 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare hcat Posted July 21 #42 Share Posted July 21 2 hours ago, GenerationX said: @DaKahuna Ask and you shall receive! Live from the Retreat Lounge! Full embarkation report coming soon. Cherish this Day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Altamar Posted July 21 #43 Share Posted July 21 The 3 of you look beautiful! Enjoy and happy birthday 🎂👍🏻🎉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare DaKahuna Posted July 21 #44 Share Posted July 21 3 hours ago, GenerationX said: @DaKahuna Ask and you shall receive! You never fail your admirers. What a wonderful mother-daughter pair. Enjoy your cruise. We look forward to reading all about it and seeing those wonderful pictures. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Stem to Stern Posted July 21 #45 Share Posted July 21 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dock Posted July 21 #46 Share Posted July 21 Enjoy your cruise. Will be following along, even though we’re headed to Athens tomorrow to embark on an Oceania cruise.( just praying no problems at LHR). Feel like I’m cheating on X lol. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Georgia_Peaches Posted July 21 #47 Share Posted July 21 (edited) Happy birthday and a super bon voyage. Can't believe how fast mini-me is maturing into such the young lady. You're doing it right, mama! Edited July 21 by Georgia_Peaches Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare bjahil47 Posted July 22 #48 Share Posted July 22 Happy Birthday! Wishing you and Gen Z a wonderful cruise together! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DingoMom Posted July 22 #49 Share Posted July 22 So I also boarded the Beyond today and am so looking forward to my first Gen X sighting! I didn’t see her (them!) in the Retreat lounge or at the Martini Bar. I left my Gen X-inspired map dress at home because, you, know, it is really her (and Gen Z’s) thing, and don’t they look fantastic!! Tomorrow is a sea day, and I am looking forward to being a ship explorer until I hopefully meet the one…the only…Charla!! 😀 4 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare hcat Posted July 22 #50 Share Posted July 22 Hope you find them..snap a selfie! We had fun when we sailed with Charla and a great roll call bunch... but it was a short cruise and we were in diff accomodations (our one time only suite!). Sometimes you see the same people over and over but others you never run into! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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