After my late night at The Club and the outdoor area of Eden, I stayed in bed fairly late. Late for me, normal for Billy. When I got up, I wanted to check out Eden Cafe for lunch again. Hoping they opened at 11:30am, I got there at 11:45am to find the cafe opens at noon. The staff members were making their final preparations for the day’s lunch service... read more
When Celebrity Cruises announced the specialty dining venues for Celebrity Edge, they debuted the Le Petit Chef dining experience produced in conjunction with Skullmapping and TableMotion. When the Celebrity Revolution fleet revitalization project was announced, Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo shared plans to bring the chef to a new home in Qsine on the Millennium and Solstice-class ships. When I was on Celebrity Infinity, I had the opportunity to meet Le Petit Chef and try his menu.
In this version, the tiny French chef is joined by a Spanish chef, an Italian chef, and a Japanese chef — all of the same diminutive proportions... read more
Today we arrived in Nassau, Bahamas. This is what some may call a “technical stop”, as the point of this particular sailing is to give guests a taste of Edge - and we’d bet that few guests went ashore for this reason. Still, we have to stop in a foreign port because of various US laws that prohibit a “cruise to nowhere.” This morning I awoke to my alarm clock (on my phone) and a dark stateroom, as I closed the blackout curtains on our infinite verandah last night. Because I am not a morning person, this is when I usually appreciate having light switches next to the bed to aid in my waking up. Today was different however... read more
Note to readers: This live blog was written mostly from Billy's perspective. He and Ric are both traveling on this Celebrity Edge preview cruise, and where noted below, Ric chimes in. For more information on how this sailing came to be, you can get context here.
We woke up bright and early hoping to board Edge earlier than normal since she didn’t sail the day before (she was in port for her naming ceremony). Our goal was to get there around 9:30, which turned in to 10:00, and that ended up being fine. There were four of us plus bags, so the usual plan of taking an Uber or Lyft didn’t work out as easily, as we’d have needed a larger car, which is an option with both services, but costs more than the ride for two normal rides -- so we got two cars and split up. read more
Although I’m born and raised in Tampa, Florida, I’ve never taken a cruise out of the port in my hometown. On Saturday November 10, 2018, I got a baby step closer by taking a tour of Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Paradise while she was in port. When I showed up at the Terminal... read more
Early in November, Carnival Cruise Line invited Ric to tour the Carnival Paradise while she was docked in her home port of Tampa, Florida. On this bonus episode, Billy interviews Ric about what he saw (and ate) on that ship tour. We close out the episode with a listener question.
I’m not sure I’ve ever been more excited for a cruise as I am to go on Celebrity Edge. While there’s a fair amount of hype surrounding Celebrity’s newest ship class in over a decade, early reviews suggest she lives up to the hype. That’s about all I can say about early reviews. While Billy dove into the Periscopes and YouTube videos, I haven’t. My Celebrity Edge sailing was so close and certain that there’s no reason to spoil the surprise, so when I see how an Infinite Veranda stateroom controls work through my phone, I’ll be seeing it for the first time. read more
This week in Miami Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Voyages President and CEO Tom McAlpin joined Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, Chairwoman of the Miami-Dade County Economic Development and Tourism Committee Rebeca Sosa and other government officials to announce plans to build a new cruise terminal for Virgin Voyages. Branson also announced that bookings would open... read more
Cruising can be habit forming, but among those who've not yet taken their first cruise, there are some common concerns, ranging from sea-sickness and boredom, to safety and weather. On this episode we take a look at some of these concerns and provide information to clear up fact from fiction, and offer tips along the way.
On my Celebrity Reflection cruise back in December 2016, I ate at Qsine at the invitation of Hotel Director Niyazi Korkmaz. On Celebrity Infinity, Qsine retains the same decor, but the menu of whimsical Sushi Pops, M’s Favorites, and my first Moscow Mule has been ushered out in favor of Le Petit Chef... read more