Today at the STX Shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, the Celebrity Edge came one step closer to entering service as she was floated out of her mounting dock, getting her first taste of the sea. The careful maneuver required seven tugboats to safely position the 1,004 foot (306 meter) vessel to the Saint Nazaire Joubert Dock where her construction will continue ahead of schedule... read more
Recently, Celebrity Cruises recently announced that the much-anticipated Celebrity Edge is ahead of schedule and will begin sailing earlier than expected. While this is generally great news, there are some who may be less than thrilled, and this made us stop and wonder - what is a "maiden voyage?" read more
We’ve discussed before hotel park and cruise shuttles and how they’re not always the deal they seem. We’ve also written about how we recommend getting around before and after your cruise out of South Florida. Today however, at Fort Lauderdale International Airport we met a few travelers from New Jersey who just got off a Carnival cruise and were heading home. They opted to get to the airport using a transfer purchased from Carnival, so we thought we’d share their experience and our thoughts... read more
On the final day of the cruise, I got up pretty early thinking I might go over to Great Stirrup Cay. I made my way down to Taste for my last chance at some table service breakfast. Although breakfast is served at Taste on disembarkation day, I thought I would most likely just make a quick buffet trip. The huevos rancheros SP had enjoyed so much on our previous cruise on the Norwegian Escape were back on the menu. I ordered what became my standard breakfast... read more
For lunch, which was pretty much the start of my day after being out until 3am the night before, I went up to the Garden Cafe committed to find some vegetables. I was happy to see several vegetable dishes including some dumplings made of diced vegetables, peas, and corn held together by a batter, fried, then covered in barbecue sauce. I tried the no sugar added pumpkin pie... read more
I had intended to get off the ship and walk around Georgetown, Grand Cayman a little, but instead, I stayed on the ship. I have some onboard credit to spend, so I figured no matter how cheap the liquor is in Grand Cayman, I could get some on the ship for “free.” Tomorrow is a sea day, so I’ll get to walk around the shops and see what else I might like to buy... read more
I got a late start today, so lunch was my first meal of the day. I had the same lamb and barley soup I enjoyed on the Escape a couple of weeks ago, but augmented it with some sautéed mushrooms from the burger station. I also revisited the key lime bar that I enjoyed on the Escape... read more
I started my day around 9am at Taste for a sit-down breakfast rather than brave the crowds at the buffet. The menu was slightly different than on the Escape. One of the featured items was a dill and spinach pancake served with smoked salmon and sour cream. Overall, I enjoyed this dish though the smoked salmon was oddly dry and tough. I also ordered some sausage and hash browns just in case I wasn’t crazy about the pancakes and salmon. The decor in Taste is a little mixed read more
By the time I felt like having breakfast, most of the Garden Cafe had closed, but there were still a few items available, so I had raisin French toast, fried potatoes, sausage, and the salmon mousse I had become so fond of on the Escape. While I was dining, L, one of a group of Canadians I had met the night before walked by, so we chatted for a bit. This was a relatively slow start to a day full of activities... read more
After having gotten off a cruise ship just a week ago, it was a little surreal to be packing for another cruise. On the upside, I really knew what I wanted to pack, so it didn’t take long. I arrived at Port Canaveral around 11am and found several spots on the ground floor of the parking garage and easily walked to the terminal entrance. After checking in, I waited in the terminal for about a half-hour until my group number was called. Then I walked on board and directly to Shakers martini bar... read more