Back on Celebrity! We booked this trip on our cruise last March so that we could take advantage of the extra On Board Credit (OBC) and then transferred our reservation to CruCon the next week. CruCon always gives us loyalty benefits and whatever promotion they happen to be running - usually around a national holiday. We booked again with the Go Best package of amenities (wifi, $300 OBC, premium drink package, and pre-paid gratuities). Due to a series of inconveniences with embarkation and all the promos, we had $700 OBC to spend - yippy!!
We left out of Ft Lauderdale and again parked at Park-n-Go. Another positive experience there.
Room
Stateroom 6172 has an obstructed-view balcony and is virtually the same as our cabin last year. Perfect for us. Plenty of space, mid-ship, and close to many of the places we went most. Very quiet. Amenities include: bathrobes, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and bar soap.
Food (and Bars)
Main dining areas (Cuvee and Ocean View Cafe) are just fine. Food in main dining room is still the best on of all the lines we have cruised. Buffet has a solid selection of food items to fit any tastes. The only bad thing about the Cafe is that food can be hard to come by between certain hours when they are closed.
Tuscan Grille and Murano were both excellent. We bought the 3-night dining specialty package at $109pp (doesn't include gratuities). My favorite items in Murano where we ate twice are: Chateaubriand for two, table-side flambeed lobster, and the cheese cart. The filet mignon in Tuscan was one of the best I've ever had. In Tuscan, there is a LOT of food so go hungry!
Cellar Masters was our go-to spot before and after dinner. Fabrice, the Sommelier, was delightful! He knew our names after the first visit. Granted, I did warn him that he would see us every day! Good wine selection, great place to relax.
We did the Reidel Tasting experience again this year and learned even more. I love this little seminar! It will definitely make you appreciate fine glassware!
Crush Martini Bar was a hot spot all week. My favorite is the Lycheetini. My only complaint with this bar (and the whole ship, really) is that they do not have bleu cheese stuffed olives. Go figure...
Cafe al Bacio is the coffee shop, which is included in the drink package. Really good made-to-order specialty coffees and teas and a selection of pastries that is available for free throughout each day.
Entertainment
The Celebrity cast of theater entertainers are AMAZING! For the second time, I walked away completely wowed by the voices of the singers, the quality of the sets, special effects, and LIVE band. The entertainers could easily be compared to those travelling the Broadway Across America circuit.
We didn't really enjoy any of the other live music around the ship enough to stick around and listen.
Overall
Because of the pretty large amount of OBC, I decided to book a spa treatment - something I never do. I booked an 80-minute hot stone massage after the acupuncturist came down with the flu (more about that at the bottom) and had to cancel all appointments for the week. It was the best massage experience I've ever had! I had no idea that hot rocks could feel that fantastic. Definitely recommend if you have some fun money!
We had a wonderful week. The staff are so friendly and attentive, the officers and captain more visible than on other cruise lines, and such high quality food preparation!
Ports
Key West - The hubs had never been to KW so we walked from port to the Southernmost Point for photos. The statue/giant rock had been completely repainted following our horrible 2017 hurricane season. We could see that a lot of construction and repairs are still taking place along our walk - some homes and offices had to be fully gutted. I had key lime pie at both Blue Heaven (meringue topped) and Kermit's (frozen and chocolate-coated on a stick). That's all I really wanted there! YUM!!!
Grand Cayman - We were lucky enough to see my cousin who was staying with her friend in a condo that week. They picked us up at Rackam's (the menu looked great) and drove us to Cemetery Beach for a snorkel. The beach is beautiful but has no facilities. We snorkeled out about 150-200m from shore. Many fish but the coral wasn't completely healthy. We then went to the condo to change into fresh clothes and drove to lunch at Macabuca. I had the conch curry, and we shared the conch sampler - so GOOD!!!!
Cozumel - Back to The Money Bar we went for snorkeling (the coral is now almost all dead) and the best ceviche I have ever tasted! I love this little spot for a cheap day in Coz. The cab ride is now $12 each way.
What happens when a crew member gets the flu...
I was really curious about this after I was told the acupuncturist was sick so I asked my massage therapist. When a crew member comes down with anything, they are quarantined and the roommate must move out temporarily. When it's something very contagious and serious, they are not only quarantined in their cabin, but they also go through this:
- Medical staff comes to them, masks and gloves on
- The room is sanitized at least once a day
- Food is delivered and left at the door
- The roommate generally cannot go in to get their things - it's gathered for them
We left out of Ft Lauderdale and again parked at Park-n-Go. Another positive experience there.
Room
Stateroom 6172 has an obstructed-view balcony and is virtually the same as our cabin last year. Perfect for us. Plenty of space, mid-ship, and close to many of the places we went most. Very quiet. Amenities include: bathrobes, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and bar soap.
Main dining areas (Cuvee and Ocean View Cafe) are just fine. Food in main dining room is still the best on of all the lines we have cruised. Buffet has a solid selection of food items to fit any tastes. The only bad thing about the Cafe is that food can be hard to come by between certain hours when they are closed.
Tuscan Grille and Murano were both excellent. We bought the 3-night dining specialty package at $109pp (doesn't include gratuities). My favorite items in Murano where we ate twice are: Chateaubriand for two, table-side flambeed lobster, and the cheese cart. The filet mignon in Tuscan was one of the best I've ever had. In Tuscan, there is a LOT of food so go hungry!
Cellar Masters was our go-to spot before and after dinner. Fabrice, the Sommelier, was delightful! He knew our names after the first visit. Granted, I did warn him that he would see us every day! Good wine selection, great place to relax.
We did the Reidel Tasting experience again this year and learned even more. I love this little seminar! It will definitely make you appreciate fine glassware!
Crush Martini Bar was a hot spot all week. My favorite is the Lycheetini. My only complaint with this bar (and the whole ship, really) is that they do not have bleu cheese stuffed olives. Go figure...
 |
| Martini Bar - Flair Bartender |
Entertainment
The Celebrity cast of theater entertainers are AMAZING! For the second time, I walked away completely wowed by the voices of the singers, the quality of the sets, special effects, and LIVE band. The entertainers could easily be compared to those travelling the Broadway Across America circuit.
We didn't really enjoy any of the other live music around the ship enough to stick around and listen.
Overall
Because of the pretty large amount of OBC, I decided to book a spa treatment - something I never do. I booked an 80-minute hot stone massage after the acupuncturist came down with the flu (more about that at the bottom) and had to cancel all appointments for the week. It was the best massage experience I've ever had! I had no idea that hot rocks could feel that fantastic. Definitely recommend if you have some fun money!
We had a wonderful week. The staff are so friendly and attentive, the officers and captain more visible than on other cruise lines, and such high quality food preparation!
Ports
Key West - The hubs had never been to KW so we walked from port to the Southernmost Point for photos. The statue/giant rock had been completely repainted following our horrible 2017 hurricane season. We could see that a lot of construction and repairs are still taking place along our walk - some homes and offices had to be fully gutted. I had key lime pie at both Blue Heaven (meringue topped) and Kermit's (frozen and chocolate-coated on a stick). That's all I really wanted there! YUM!!!
Grand Cayman - We were lucky enough to see my cousin who was staying with her friend in a condo that week. They picked us up at Rackam's (the menu looked great) and drove us to Cemetery Beach for a snorkel. The beach is beautiful but has no facilities. We snorkeled out about 150-200m from shore. Many fish but the coral wasn't completely healthy. We then went to the condo to change into fresh clothes and drove to lunch at Macabuca. I had the conch curry, and we shared the conch sampler - so GOOD!!!!
Cozumel - Back to The Money Bar we went for snorkeling (the coral is now almost all dead) and the best ceviche I have ever tasted! I love this little spot for a cheap day in Coz. The cab ride is now $12 each way.
 |
| Mahi Mahi Ceviche - Small Size |
I was really curious about this after I was told the acupuncturist was sick so I asked my massage therapist. When a crew member comes down with anything, they are quarantined and the roommate must move out temporarily. When it's something very contagious and serious, they are not only quarantined in their cabin, but they also go through this:
- Medical staff comes to them, masks and gloves on
- The room is sanitized at least once a day
- Food is delivered and left at the door
- The roommate generally cannot go in to get their things - it's gathered for them
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete