Our Tiny House

 For our brief time back in Tampa for doctor appointments and to switch out clothes, we rented a tiny house in Zephyrhills. It's 360 square feet. It was great! I think I could live in a tiny house if I was a bit more organized. I did with for a little more space as we were unpacking and repacking all our bags. Also - the queen bed was pushed all the way to the wall so it's impossible to get up without waking up the other person. 

I worked all day every day during out stay. I did get one dinner out to Zephyrhills Brewery. It was great. The beers were very good. I loved the community vibe. Wednesday night is bingo night and they had a smoked wings food truck. 

I felt like I was sprinting every day trying to finalize all the details for Japan, but we got it all done and off we go tomorrow. 

Sea Day

Yesterday we had a relaxing last day at sea. We had our Detox smoothies and then spent some time at the Sunset Bar while waiting for lunch to open. They had some delicious Butter Chicken, one of my favorite Indian dishes. At 1PM was the final Time Play trivia. Would we prevail? Some tough competition and questions. But Angie managed to get second place and collect two more tickets. We now had a total of 19 tickets!! I came in seventh. Would that frisbee be ours?  

We spent the afternoon in some shaded seats watching Guests vs. Officers volleyball. We got ready for dinner and headed to The Club for our prize redemption. What would we be able to get? They had lanyards, notebooks, phone sockets and pencils. No frisbee. We went with three notebooks and a phone socket.

Dinner was a rebound from the prior night. The lump crab salad was very good. It had more crabmeat than the two crab cakes we had last night. Angie tried the butternut squash soup which was a complete failure. It has no squash flavor. Instead it has a very strong onion flavor. For whatever reason, the soups have not been good on this ship. 

We also both had the ribeye.  Angie ordered medium and hers was mostly medium well although parts were medium rare. The butchery has caused different thicknesses so it was impossible to get a consistent temperature. Mine was mostly medium rare and some medium so it was okay. Angie asked for and received another steak that was closer to medium. The flavor was very good. We also had a side of basil spaghetti. Definitely the highlight of meal.  

After dinner we "made our rounds" at the bars we had frequented. We saw a final Martini flair showdown and took a picture with our favorite bartenders. 

Agus (the one in the black shirt) is currently a bar waiter and hoping to get promoted to flair bartender.  He was so kind to us the whole cruise always making sure we always had water. Both the bands played a set of music to finish off the night and we headed back to the cabin. 

Today we are getting kicked off the ship. Can you believe it? Just waiting for our luggage to be ready then we'll make the drive towards Tampa with a stop in For Myers to have lunch with some friends. 

We went to Blu for breakfast to say goodbye to our amazing dining team: Mantra and Diva 

 We're staying in a tiny house Airbnb for five nights until we start our next big adventure on Saturday. Hint:. It will start in a destination that is a 12 hour international flight from Chicago. More to come on that as we get closer.

Sea Day

Yesterday was a sea day. While Angie finished up some work, I went to the Spa Cafe to get two Detox smoothies. That's been a good start to the day. We then headed to the thermal suites for a couple of hours before it was time for lunch. We headed to the buffet where the theme was "American Favorites". Considering the chefs are not from the United States, they really nailed the "signature" items that are associated with Americans. The most iconic one was the giant burgers, cut into slices, each with a skewer. 

 They also had Mac and cheese, buffalo wings, pot roast and roast turkey. It's sad to me that these are what others feel are really "American". So many other great foods that we have in the United States. Not represented at this buffet.  

In the afternoon, we found a shady spot with some deck chairs on Deck 15 and listened to Bryan James who was playing at the pool deck below. He played some crowd favorites. It was after 4PM and we had to get ready for our Captains Club party. It was a very nice event where they had passed hors d'oeuvres of shrimp on cucumber, hummus tart with sweet corn and prosciutto with melon. The hummus tart was my favorite. The senior officers attend along with the Captain. We talked to a nice couple from Canada who were also considering selling their home. We shared some "travelling tips" for their upcoming transatlantic and trans pacific cruises.

After that it was time to head for dinner. This was another "evening chic" night. Dinner was a "tail" of two cities. Some terrible starters but saved by some very good "Maines". What does all this jibberish mean? Keep reading.  

We both had the crispy Crab cake. Probably the worst crab cake we've ever had. No distinguishable crab flavor and just mushy inside. The romesco sauce was the best part. It was crispy on the outside and a crab cake (or maybe Krab), so I have to give them a point for that.  

Angie had the goat cheese Napoleon with eggplant crisps. Again some crispy disks for a starter. Not much flavor. This dish could have been amazing with better execution.  

I had the Blu Caesar salad. It sounded very interesting. Romaine lettuce with tofu, bean sprouts, pecorino cheese and a smoky Caesar dressing. I expected much more than I got. Let's start with the tofu. It was unseasoned and soft. I thought this might be something they would pan fry and make into a "crouton" for some crunch. Not on this dish. Then the bean sprouts. These seemed like they were just right from a can. Unseasoned and mushy. A better idea would have been to have some crispy chow mein noodles for some crunch. The cheese was a nice addition, with some large slices. The dressing was decent and did have some smokiness. But the lettuce was limp. A very sad salad.  

So how would the mains be after having such great starters? Actually some of the best of the cruise. Beautifully cooked Maine lobster tails with a velvety tarragon sauce. Some well seasoned rice. Sadly only two small asparagus spears. And your waitstaff takes the tail from the shell. 

The stuffed shells were also excellent. Stuffed with beef - more like a Bolognese with ricotta. With additional ricotta available on the side. Along with a nicely seasoned sauce. Our sommelier Svitlanabhas also recommended a very good French Chardonnay.

Dessert was also very good. Baked Alaska used to be one of the signature dishes on cruises where it would come out of the kitchen on fire!! Of course with safety being a ship's first priority, they don't do that anymore. This was a great version with some delicate sponge cake, creamy ice cream and some great bruleed marshmallowy (it's a word!!) meringue.  

After dinner we went to the Martini Bar and then to The Club for a game show. They had their version of The Chase where two teams try to answer more questions than the other. One side was led by the officers and the other by guests. The officers won. The guests had two questions they missed which I thought they should have known. 

Where is the Sea of Tranquility?   

What are the first three words in the bible?  

Answers below. 

After the game show it was another session of electronic trivia, actually called Play Time Trivia. Angie was still the reigning champion. This session had some tougher rounds and 40 people playing. There was one round named "Lifestyle" where neither one of us got a question correct. After the third round we both were somehow still in the top five. Would be be able to make it to the top three? Angie came up big in the final round and made it to third place, only a few hundred points from first. I came in fourth. More importantly, we got another prize ticket. We have 17 now. Maybe enough for two frisbees? There is one more session today at 1PM with the ticket redemption at 5:30. After the game, the first place winner named Calley came up to us and said "Are you Angie?". She said she needed to see who was getting all these questions right in the final round. She seemed nervous that her win was in jeopardy. 

After the game we headed to the Sunset Bar to chat with Andrei, Fred and Serhil. We both had negronis. It started to rain so decided to head back to the cabin. 

Today is another sea day. I think we have checked everything off our list for this cruise. We'll be back at Port Everglades tomorrow morning.   

The Sea of Tranquility is on the Moon

"In the beginning" are the first three words in the bible.

Views of St Kitts

Yesterday we were in St Kitts. We didn't have an excursion so we had a relaxing day onboard.  

We had some Detox smoothies at the Spa Cafe along with some tea.  They have all kinds of smoothies available.  The Detox variety has kale, mint, coconut milk and mango.  Very refreshing and tasty.  

It was then time for more trivia!  We played general knowledge trivia and came in second place.   We would have won but couldn't come up with the names of the two countries in South America that have both Atlantic and Pacific coastlines.  Answer below. 

After that it was time for more electronic trivia.  Since it was a port day, there was only eight people playing. There was nowhere to hide!!  Angie rocked the Pop Culture category and won this trivia again!!  I came in third place.  So we won three more prize tickets!!!  Redemption will be at 7:30PM on the last night of the cruise.  They have another trivia today at 1PM.

We then headed to the Sunset Bar to enjoy the nice weather. It was a bit warm but there was a breeze.  We then headed to the buffet to get some lunch. There was a Mediterranean theme. They had some delicious skewers of beef, lamb and chicken as well as chicken gyros!   All very good. Dessert was some delicious cinnamon ice cream.  It really should be called churros ice cream. Probably the best flavor they make.  It was getting close to sailaway time so we headed to the Sunset Bar to enjoy that. We found the bartenders here have been the friendliest. We talked to Andrei from Romania for awhile.  As we were sailing away, he wanted to point out his favorite island which is called Saba. It has dormant volcano where most of the people live.  The island is only 13 square kilometers in size and is part of the Netherlands.  

We got ready for dinner and headed to Blu. Tonight's menu had some interesting sounding dishes. Unfortunately there was poor execution.  Angie had a short rib appetizer. It was tasty, but not like the amazing short ribs we had earlier in the cruise.  I had the escargot which were very good.  For a main, Angie had the flank steak salad.  I had the osso buco.  The flank steak was very fatty and tough. Really inedible. The osso buco was different then the traditional dish where you get the roasted bone.   This was more like pulled pork.  It was supposed to be wrapped in prosciutto.  Instead it was wrapped in a piece of bacon that hadn't been properly rendered.  The meat itself was okay but the almost raw bacon was not appealing to me so I didn't eat much of it.  We did have a very good shrimp dish with squid ink pasta.  

That had a pleasant briny seafood sauce along with some nicely grilled shrimp.  That dish saved the night.  No dessert tonight.  

We headed to the Martini Bar and listened to the guitar player Bryan James and the band Magnifica.   They had a very good Beatles set.

 We then wanted to do something different.  The main theater show was based on Shakespeare.  And there was a smaller show in The Club.  Neither sounded interesting.  When we talked to Andrei earlier, he had said that the Sunset Bar was open late.  Some fresh air sounded good so we headed up to Deck 15 aft.  We had a great conversation with Andrei and Fred.  Both of them are on their first contract. That is a trend we have seen over the last year or so.  I think a lot of crew didn't (or couldn't) return to cruising after the shutdown. So the cruise lines had to hire more new crew than usual.  Andrei was telling us when he arrived the ship had 1000 crew members who were new to cruise ships and on their first contract.  There are only 1400 total crew members.   So the task of trying to get everyone trained was monumental. You will hear many people talking about the ships being understaffed.  And that is a problem. But I think the larger issue is they have so  many "rookies"'.  

Towards the end of the night, Andrei told us more about his country of Romania.  He was especially proud about many of the home remedies that are used in Romania.  And he also wanted to share a special digestif from Romania that was similar to what his mother would give to him when we was sick.  It is made from green (unripe) walnuts and other medicinals and herbs.   It tasted a bit like Jaeger meister but with less Robitussin flavor.  :-)

Today is a sea day and we'll be staying onboard.   :-) Will probably check out the thermal suite since we didn't get there yesterday.   Then more trivia.  We have a special Captain's Club event at 5PM. And it's another formal night!!  Actually the term they use on Celebrity is "Evening Chic".  

The South American countries that have coastlines with both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans are Colombia and Chile.

Antigua

Yesterday we were in St John's, the capital of Antigua. We took a catamaran excursion with two beach stops plus a grilled lobster lunch onboard the catamaran. We sailed up and around the beautiful coastline of this island. We've been here a few times and the beaches are always impressive!

We got back about 5:30 and got ready for dinner. Tonight's Blu dinner menu was the least exciting of the cruise. We both tried the grilled calamari salad. While the arugula was nicely lemony and peppery, the calamari was tasteless and chewy. Very poor execution considering how delicious the grilled octopus had been earlier in the cruise. Angie also had the French Onion soup. This had a decent beefy broth but not a single onion was to be found. Very strange soup. I had a shrimp cocktail which was very good.

We both had the filet mignon. I was happy that they honored your request for temperature. I ordered it rare and Angie had it medium rare. Both came plated to our expectations. It came with a celery puree, some asparagus, red peppers and a pan sauce. It was tasty but not amazing. The best dish of the night was the pasta which had shitake mushrooms, peas, asparagus and pecorino cheese!! No dessert tonight.  

The main theater show was a magician but we decided to listen to some music at the Martini Bar and call it a (relatively) early night.  

Today we are in St Kitts and we'll be staying on the ship. We've been here a few times and have already taken the excursions that interested us.

Views of Barbados

Yesterday we were in Bridgetown Barbados. We didn't have an excursion planned so we stayed on the ship. I spent a little time in the thermal suites while Angie caught up on some work. Then it was time for my Elemis Men's Spa Facial!! First time having one. There were all kinds of lotions, potions, scrubs and masks! Plus a neck/shoulder and foot massage. Pretty good deal for $149 plus gratuity.  

I then met up with Angie and we had a late breakfast (more like a snack) and then a pot of tea at Cafe Al Bacio. Six nights into the cruise and it was our first time visiting. Each cruise can be so different. On the Solstice and Silhouette we visited here almost daily for some tea.  

We both wanted to take a look at the port so we went into the thermal suite which has a large forward facing open deck. From the relaxation room, you can stare right into the most expensive suite on the ship. The Iconic Suite can go for $20k/person for a seven night sailing. It has a huge open space including loungers and a hot tub. Not much shade. And I guess you don't pay for privacy. Our ship was parked a bit further away from Bridgetown than prior sailings. They were running shuttles from the pier to the downtown area. 

As we headed back out to exit the spa, two therapists were providing massage "teasers" - short neck and shoulder massages. Really wonderful!! Since this was a port day, they had some spa specials. Angie decided to get a massage and mini-facial. I went for some lunch in the buffet. It was a Caribbean themed lunch. I had a piece of jerk chicken, Festival, tamarind rice and a slice of jerk chicken pizza. All very good. Followed by a chocolate soft serve. 

One activity Angie wanted to do was to watch Top Gun Maverick on the outside screen at the Rooftop Garden. 

 While she was finishing her massage, I found a couple of shady spots where we could see the screen. I have never seen the original movie. Just like Pretty Woman. Just like Summer Magic. Haven't seen those either. It was a very good movie. Angie enjoyed many of the call backs to the prior movie, including many scenes where the director used the same shot and/or cinematography.  

We then had a cocktail at the nearby Sunset Bar as we watched sailaway. We then headed back to the cabin to get ready for dinner. And we were welcomed by a rainbow off in the distance.  

For dinner starters I had a shrimp cocktail, boursin cheese in filo. Angie had a green salad. Our waiter Mantra asked if we liked octopus and of course the answer was "yes". He then brought over a braised and grilled octopus dish. 

 It wasn't on our menu but was on one of the main dining room menus. The octopus was so tender and savory. And the lemon aioli was perfect!! For my main I had the roasted pork tenderloin and Angie had the crab risotto. 

 Both really excellent. I was nervous about the pork being dry but it was cooked medium. It came with the creamiest cheddar polenta I have ever had. So tasty. And the fried shallots have the dish some needed "crunch". The food at Blu has really exceeded my expectations.

After dinner we spent some time with our bartender friends Roy, I Made and Agus. We then headed to The Club for the Majority Rules game show. This is kind of like team Family Feud. They ask a question and each team tries to submit an answer that will be the most popular. It has nothing to do with being "correct" - or even politically correct. If your team submitted the most popular answer you get a point. Otherwise no points. It is really less about who wins and more about the funny answers people will submit since the Cruise Director reads the ones he thinks are interesting.  

We then headed to the theater show where a soloist named Chastity Lockhart was the main act supported by the Celebrity orchestra. She sang a lot of Aretha Franklin songs and was very talented. It was then time to head back to the cabin.  

Today we will dock in St John's Antigua. We have an excursion at 11AM. We'll be on a catamaran, have some time for swimming and then have a grilled lobster lunch.

St Lucia

Yesterday we docked in Castries St Lucia. We started the morning in the thermal suite watching the sail in. 

 We had an excursion booked but it wasn't going to be until Noon. There was another session of the electronic trivia at 10:45. There were only nine people playing so there was nowhere to hide! I managed to get first place and Angie was second!! More prize tickets!! That frisbee will be ours!!!

We had some burgers at the MastGrill and soon after that it was time to join our excursion on the pier. We would be going to make our own chocolate!! Our bus took us to Howelton Estate. There were stations for everyone where you had cocoa nibs, cocoa butter and powdered sugar.

 They showed us a cut open cacao fruit and we got to taste the seed. It had some "goo" on the outside which has a tart citrus flavor. It is these seeds which are then roasted which then become the nibs. You also had a warm mortar and pestle which you used to grind the nibs into a paste.

 That took about 15-20 minutes. Then you added the cocoa butter and combined. Then the sugar and more grinding until it was the consistency you wanted. It was then poured into a mold to cool. About 30 minutes later we had our own chocolate bar!! So tasty and very interesting to see it come together.   

We then visited Pink Plantation where we were shown all the different fruits and vegetation that exists on the island. And they also provided us some snacks. A delicious codfish fritter and fried dough!!

Dinnert was at Blu again. All the seafood has been so good. We had a delicious raw salmon served on a tomatilo salsa. Also more tuna with a nicois salad. And we both got roast turkey salad with cranberry vinaigrette. And the favorite dish of the night was the duck confit ravioli. Pockets of pasta filled with savory duck, topped with confit and then surrounded in a pool of savory sauce!! So good!! Tempted to order another one.  

After dinner we stopped by the Martini Bar and had a Cucumber Lime Martini!! Very refreshing. We weren't interested in the main theater show tonight. There was a show called Celebrity Rox that would be in The Club at 10:45. We wanted good seats so we attended the game show and a Pub Quiz before that which were also in The Club.

The game show was essentially team Jeopardy. The room was divided in half and each side has a captain. The captain would pick the categories and amounts, and have their team help answering the question. Our captain was initially reluctant to take our help. She didn't believe us on one question about the highest grossing movie when inflation is factored in. She said Avatar which is not correct. Do you know? Answer below. On another question about the origin country of ping pong, she did go with our answer which was correct. She admitted her mistake earlier about not at least considering our answer. But it is hard to be a team captain. Our team ended up losing the competition.   

Later there was a Pub Quiz. Some very challenging questions. Part one was General Knowledge. And part two was all about app logos. Our team did very well on the logos. And our team was the only one that knew what song Elvis Costello sang on Saturday Night Live that got home banned for 12 years. Answer below. The trivia host was shocked and said no one has ever gotten that one right. He asked how I knew and I said because I watched the show and saw it. He gave us a bonus point so we ended up with 15 points which beat the second place team who had 14 points. And we got more prize tickets!!

The Celebrity Rox show was so good!! The production cast of singers and dancers sang all rock and roll crowd favorites and really got everyone involved. I was hoping for some aerialists as we had seen at similar shows on the Apex. But no complaints. Still an wonderful show full of energy.  

It was then time to head back to the cabin. Today we are in Bridgetown Barbados. We are staying on the ship. I stated the day in the steam room. And then did something I haven't done before: I had a Elemisw Men's Spa Facial. I had all kinds of lotions, potions and masks applied to my skin. Feels great!! Lunch time will soon approach. Probably have something from the buffet. 

Jeopardy answers: Gone With The Wind

While many think Ping Pong originated in China, it actually originated in England.  

Pub Quiz answer:. Radio Radio

View of St Maarten

 

Yesterday we were in St Maarten. After mulling our options, we decided to stay on the ship and curate our own sea day. We started with breakfast in the Blu restaurant. I had eggs Benedict and Angie had a meat and cheese platter. The meats and cheeses were tasty. The Canadian bacon they used with the Benedict was extremely salty and the English muffins were not toasted very well so I just ate the poached eggs and spinach. That was a little disappointing. 

We grabbed smoothies at the spa and enjoyed some time in the Magic Carpet lounge that hangs over the side of the ship. 

Another Sea Day

Yesterday was another sea day.  We left the cabin earlier than the prior day.  We were at the Captain's Club breakfast by 8:15.  We each had some tea and a fruit plate.  A good assortment of melons, grapes, pineapple and berries.   Then it was off to the spa where we spent some time in the steam rooms and heated loungers until  it was time for lunch.  

Lunch was at the Ocean View Cafe (buffet). I was craving a salad so I made a delicious one with arugula, radicchio, cauliflower and zucchini. Tipped with blue cheese.  Also tried a few meatballs I'm Bolognese.   We both had some ice cream for dessert.  

Sea Day

Yesterday we slept in late.  Didn't leave our cabin until Noon.  We headed to the Eden Cafe for lunch and had arugula salads with chicken and farrow along with a roast turkey sandwich on cranberry ciabatta. Both very good!!

After that we headed to the beautiful thermal suite. We are staying in an AquaClass cabin for this cruise.  One of the perks is unlimited use of the thermal suites.  They have two different steam rooms plus a crystal room.  Also a spa shower area with four different types of mists and sprays. Very relaxing way to start the afternoon!!  

Celebrity Edge Embarkation

Yesterday was our embarkation day on the Celebrity Edge. We showed up at the terminal at Port Everglades at 11:30 and were onboard by 11:45. We stopped by our muster station to get checked in. Celebrity is still doing an "E-Muster" process where you only need to find your muster location, check in with one of the uniformed crew, they scan your sail and sign card and give you a quick recap of the safety protocols. For the first time ever, we had a quiz!!! The crew member asked us what the emergency signal was. Do you know? Answer down below. 

We then headed to our cabin on Deck 10 to drop off our luggage.

March update

 We disembarked from the Celebrity Solstice easily. The taxi line was about 15 minutes long, but we made it to the airport with plenty of time for our 11:10 am flight. 

We spent the night near the Tampa airport. In the morning, we got up and took a Lyft to our storage locker to pick up the car. Then, we headed to Laurel's for a game day. 

Back up to a hotel near USF for two nights for doctor appointments. I repacked my suitcase in our storage locker. Thank goodness we have a collapsible table. It makes it so much easier. 

San Diego

 Yesterday we were in San Diego. Because it was the first US port since our visit to Cabo San Lucas, all passengers had to disembark and have a face to face immigration with CBP agents. We got off the ship at 9:30 and there was a line of about 100 people. The line moved quickly and we cleared by 10. Angie had seen information about a place called Sunset Cliff Natural Park, so we arranged for a Lyft (rideshare) and took a 20 minute ride out to this area. It is well described. Huge cliffs!! And you really appreciate the power of the water when you see the erosion. They have tried to create some artificial breakwater which helps a little, but the water still does what water always does. Still a fascinating place. They have a walking path and you can be more adventurous and walk down parts of the cliffs to the beach area. I think getting down would be much easier than getting back up as there wasn't a proper trail of any kind.  

It is a popular area for surfers and we saw one area where a man was on top of a cliff and jumped off!! We heard a "local" tell us the water was about 55°F (12°C), but that apparently didn't deter him. 

After we got to the end of the path, it was time to think about some lunch. Angie found a brewery in Ocean Beach so we arranged a Lyft and headed to Ocean Beach Brewing. We tried one of their sour beers (one of my favorite styles) and it was delicious!! The bartender said if we liked sour beers, to check out California Wild which was a short walk down the street. They had a really good selection of sours. And perhaps the friendliest bartender I've ever met. Plus they had some table games to play while you enjoyed their beers.  

Now it was time for some lunch. We were going to meet Katie who works with Angie at her travel agency. We'd be going to Little Italy. Katie recommended a place called Buon Appetito and it was fabulous. We had some delicious homemade meatballs baked in a spicy marina. Also some baked goat cheese that was served on pesto and had sides of caramelized onions and roasted garlic along with some small toasts. Such a great start!! I always gravitate towards lasagna at an Italian restaurant and it was the same here. Delicate thin layers of lasagna surrounding beef, pork, veggies, ricotta and some of the same marina. I still had some sauce leftover from the meatballs which I used to further enhance the dish. Angie had Orecchiette which was combined with broccoli rabe, fresh tomatoes and spicy and savory Italian sausage. Both dishes we so good!!  

We chatted for awhile and then it was time to head back to the ship. It about a 15 minute walk to the port. No Lyft needed this time. And such a great sunny day!!

Once back on the ship, we headed to Cafe Al Bacio for some tea. We both had the African Solstice tea. It is a bit spicy like chai but also has a sweetness. Just what I needed!!  

After our tea, we headed to the cabin for a mandatory rest period. We got ready for our final dinner onboard by saying hello to everyone at the Martini Bar. Then it was showtime in the main theater. Tonight was "Rock City" which was described as a show celebrating the greatest anthems in rock history. They had many rock favorites including Queen's "Radio Ga Ga", "I Want to Break Free", Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" and Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer". Some great vocal performances. I could have done without U2's "One" and the decision to have the three men sing Last Gaga's "Born this Way" was a misstep. But overall a crowd pleasing show. interesting choreography. There were a few people in the front row and they practically received a private concert from one of the singers.  

It was then time for dinner at Sushi on Five. We were having dinner with Santos!! Some wonderful dishes including our favorite Shrimp and Lobster Wontons along with a Dragon Roll. I just love the combination of the eel and hoisin sauce. Plus we had a wonderful conversation with Santos. I just love to see someone so passionate about the work he does also be rewarded and respected by the company he works for. It doesn't always happen that way.  

After our great dinner, we headed back to the World Class Bar and had another Zacapa Old Fashioned. And Yuliana also made us a rose cocktail which has pureed raspberries. So refreshing!! It as then time to head back to the cabin.   

Today we disembarked at San Pedro at 7:15. We did self assist which is where you take all your own luggage off the ship. You don't leave anything outside your cabin the night before. We jumped in a taxi and made it to LAX by 7:45. Checked our bags by 8 and are now sitting in the Delta Sky Lounge. Had some snacks and tea. We'll board at 10:30 and will land at 6:30 Tampa time. We have some doctor appointments and other stuff to take care of before we head in our next adventure.  

Sea Day

 Yesterday was a sea day.  Started with some Chai tea at Cafe Al Baccio followed by some outside time on Deck 14 Aft since the weather was beautiful!!   We headed to our Elite wine tasting at 11 which was held in the main dining room.  Very well attended with about 80 people.  The head Sommelier was there and had a very good presentation on the four wines we tried, providing the best explanation I had heard about how bacteria converts malic acid into lactic acid during the fermentation process.  This is the "butteriness" you taste in some Chardonnays.   There was a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, a California Chardonnay, a Chilean Pinot Noir and finally a Cabernet Sauvignon. She didn't mention where it was from.   She only said that you couldn't buy it onboard which I thought was odd. Most wine tastings I've attended on a cruise ship are partly marketing to get you to experience, and hopefully order, different wines. The whites were okay. The Cabernet Sauvignon had a bit too much tart cherry for my taste.  I liked the Pinot the best of the four.   The sommelier didn't have out any of the bottles so I was not able to take pictures of them or find out the winery or vintage.  

After our wine tasting we had a complimentary slot tournament!!  Everyone who was staying in a Concierge cabin received a free entry. There was about 30 of us, split into three rounds.  The machines they used had reels that sometimes would produce a balloon or star that came on the interactive screen. You had to "pop" them within three seconds to earn up to an additional 5000 points.  Only the two top point scorers would earn a $20 casino credit. The casino host must have gotten complaints from past slot tournament entrants because he really made sure everyone knew about popping them. He would repeat these rules a few times before each round and then everyone would respond to his question: What do you do with the stars and balloons?    In unison "You pop the balloons and stars!!".  When it was our turn, the top scores were 60K and 56K.  We tried our best but didn't get the tip scores. Angie ended up with 48K and I had 42K.  Maybe we should have brought a slot glove?   :-)

After the tournament we headed to the buffet for lunch. They had some delicious roasted turkey with cranberry sauce, one of my favorites!  After lunch we spent some more time outside until we were getting a little chilly so we headed inside.  We then both got a scoop of gelato!!   I went with coffee and Angie had salted caramel.  

We headed back to the cabin and had a mandatory rest period. It was another evening chic night onboard and we'd be going to the dining room.  We went to the Martini Bar to say hello to Putra, Edi and Yogi. Then we  visited the World Class Bar where Max the solo guitarist was playing. We chatted with a couple who were on their first cruise in eighteen years and talked about how things were different.  They were fascinated by our adventurous choice of selling our house.  They were now starting to think about the places they wanted to visit so we talked about some of our favorites, including Alaska.   We've met quite a few people who were on their first cruise in many years.  

For dinner we had delicious buttery escargot, kale salads, herb crusted haddock, NY strip steak and lobster tails. All pretty tasty, even the lobster which was moist and flavorful.  After dinner we headed back to the World Class Bar where Yuliana and Shetty made us some of the cocktails from another mixology class they had earlier that day.  The Key Like Martini was my favorite. It was slightly sweet with that nice lime flavor still present. And the rim of the glass had gingery graham crackers!!  Really tasty!!  And as I had said before, Shetty is quite the artist. He is able to make some elaborate garnishes!!

Today we'll be docked in San Diego shortly.   We'll have to be processed through immigration about 9:30 and then go off for some adventures in San Diego. Well return to the ship later for our last evening onboard this ship. 

Cabo San Lucas

Yesterday we anchored in Cabo and stayed on the ship.  Angie finished up some filming and we met for breakfast at the Captain's Club coffee house breakfast.  This is one of the perks of certain tiers of these loyal program.  It used to be a small Continental breakfast buffet with items such as fruit, pastries and smoked salmon.  Now it has changed where you order those items off a menu.  The fruit and cheese were a good start to the day. 

After breakfast Angie returned to the cabin to check her work emails. I found a shady spot on Deck 14 Aft where I could look out and spot whales.  She met up with me and brought up the binoculars.  There were a few whales to see.  When you come to Cabo, there are whale watching tours you can take. But you can also see lots of whales as you sail into and out from the port. This is a good time of year to catch them, before they head to Alaska.  

After a quick snack of pizza from the buffet, we decided to spend some time in the Persian Gardens.  This is the thermal suite area on the Solstice.  They have a large steam room plus an aromatherapy room, heated loungers and tropical rainforest showers.  The steam room was so relaxing.  After that we headed to the Solarium where we had the pool to ourselves.  It was about 1PM and most guests were still ashore.  To me, this is one of the most glorious times to be on a ship. On a port day where most guests have gone ashore. You can curate your own "sea day".   

We both had a snack at the Spa Cafe. We both had soba noodles with a scoop of chicken salad. We had more time in the pool and hot tub. When noticed more people coming back onboard, we decided to head to the cabin and watch sailaway from the cabin.   As we started moving away from Cabo, we noticed so many more whales!!  Lots of spouts and tails!!  A little later, there was one whale putting on quite a show. He or she was slapping their tail in the water four of five times in a row. And then repeating that.  It was like a little wave goodbye from Cabo.  Probably did this ten times before we finally moved too far from port to see.  I've seen many whales during various trips around the world, but had never seen anything like that. These are truly amazing animals.  

We got ready for dinner which would be at Le Petite Chef.  You sit at a table where there is a projector above and the plates are positioned in a way so the animation uses your plate in creative ways. It was a four course meal of a tomato tart, poached shrimp, short ribs and a flaky strawberry dessert.    The animation is clever and cute. 

And each course the little chef tells you a story about how he learned a technique for the dish you are about to have.  All the courses were very good. I am glad I did it but probably don't need to experience it again, unless the menu was different.  

After dinner, we went to the Elite Captain's Club party and had a nice chat with Captain Theo and also with Tudor the Hotel Director.   We praised many members of Tudor's team.   We also talked about Santos, the bar trainer, and he told us a little "secret".  Back in 2001 when he was a bar waiter, he and Santos were roommates on the old Celebrity Horizon.  

After the party we went to see the show in the theater called Broadway Cabaret.  As the name would suggest, this was a cabaret style show with the eight singers from the cast singing songs from Broadway musicals. Before the show started, Angie and I decided to play a little game and guess which musicals would be featured.  Whoever guessed more would be the winner. 

My picks were Rent, Jersey Boys, Cabaret and Chicago

Angie went with Les Miserables, West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera and Hamilton.  

Almost right away, the second song was  "Maybe This Time"' from Caberet. The next song was a surprise and was one from "Dear Evan Hansen". As soon as Angie heard it, she said she almost picked that one. I was still up 1-0.  Then came "I Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" from Jersey Boys!!   I was up 2-0!   

To our surprise, none of the others were used in the show and I had a victory!! They ended the show with "You Can't Stop The Beat" from Hairspray.  That was the same song they used in the Carnival Panorama's Broadway show.  We both should have known to pick it.  

After the show we headed to the World Class Bar to check-in with Shetty and Yuliana and chat with some off our friends.   It was then time to head to the cabin. 

Today is a sea day.  We'll dock in San Diego on Friday for our last port of call.  Everyone onboard will have to exit the ship and clear immigration.  This is because San Diego will be our first US port since being in Mexico yesterday.  It's not clear if we'll also have the same process when we return to San Pedro on Saturday.    Tomorrow's process will take a few hours. They've assigned each cabin a group number with a departure time to keep it more orderly.  For us that time is about 9:30.  So we'll go through that process, get cleared and then tour around San Diego.  Likely going to a place called Sunset Cliffs Natural Park since we have never been.  

Tonight is another "evening chic" (aka dress up pretty) night onboard so we'll be in the main dining room again. We've had really great waiters all week.  This adventure is coming close to an end. When is another one starting?   Stay tuned.

2nd Sea Day

Yesterday was a sea day. We had a leisurely morning with some tea at Cafe Al Bacio. We decided no trivia today. About 12:30 we headed up to the buffet for lunch. I had a big salad! They also had some delicious butter chicken!!! And soft serve for dessert. We watched a little bit of the Officers vs. Guests Volleyball game and then went to the Solarium to relax. This is the adults only area that has a large heated pool and hot tubs.  

Soon it was time for our big afternoon event: Mixology Class!! We had signed up the prior night when we were at the World Class Bar. We had taken a class on the Silhouette so were curious how this one would be. We were able to make three different cocktails and learn the techniques. After all these years, I finally learned how to properly shake a cocktail. Especially the part about getting the mixing glass off of the shaker!! The Don Julio Old Fashioned was my favorite. And the Tea Thyme was very refreshing. They had infused Tanqueray Ten gin with Blueberry Merlot tea. 

After the class we headed back to the cabin to change into our bathing suits. We were headed to the Solarium pool and hot tubs! We met several people including Margie an.82 year old woman from Santa Barbara and another couple from Utah. One of the more interesting "problems" with selling you house is you don't live anywhere. So a natural question from someone you meet is "Where are you from?". We've usually been answering "We most recently lived in Florida". Which of course prompts questions as to why we used the past tense. Everyone has been fascinated with our choice. And of course most of them will follow-up with "Where are you moving to?". And the simple answer is we don't know yet. We'll travel for the next nine months and then see where we land. Which leads to some puzzled faces. If we needed any validation for our choice (and we don't), Margie said we were one of the most adventurous couples she has met.  

After a few hours in the pool, we headed back to the cabin for a mandatory rest period. Then we got ready for dinner. We stopped by the Martini Bar to see Anom and Putra. Back in December 2014 on the Celebrity Equinox we had first met one of the Celebrity bartenders named Santos Mercedes.

He was really info craft cocktails before there were even a big deal. He would make us all kinds of special cocktails. It was the first time we were introduced to a Zacapa Old Fashioned which remains one of our favorite cocktails. Let's just say he knows what he is doing when it comes to cocktails. And he likes to show others the proper methods and why it makes a difference to use the best ingredients such as homemade syrups and bitters. He had even opened a bartender/mixology class in Peru.. We had cruised with Santos two other times after that, most recently on the Apex in September 2021 when the ship sailed from Piraeus. We follow him on Instagram and Facebook. I guess we're fans. :-)

Through social media we had learned that he had gotten a promotion to a Bar Trainer. It was the absolute perfect position for him!! When we sailed on the Apex, Putra was also on that sailing. So Putra said he was going to call Santos and meet us at the bar. Soon he was there and it was so good to see him. We talked about his new role. In addition to supporting the other bartenders and bars, he also is the lead planner for cocktail events onboard. He has even gotten the attention of the Celebrity VP of Food and Beverage!! It is exciting to see someone so passionate about something be rewarded.  

After chatting with Santos, it was time for dinner. We had beet salad, carrot cumin salad, mushroom soup and veal Bolognese. All very tasty. No dessert tonight. We also had no interest in the main show which was a piano player. So we headed to the World Class Bar where Shetty made us a few cocktails with such creative garnishes. 

Today we are in Cabo San Lucas and staying onboard. We had a continental breakfast in the Captain's Club lounge. Now out on Deck 14 Aft, curating our own whale watch excursion. Always have seen several. We may go to the Persian Gardens today which is the thermal suite onboard. And we have dinner tonight at Le Petite Chef which is a specialty restaurant. The four course meal is "prepared" by a cartoon chef which is a high resolution video they show on your table. We've heard a lot about it. So we'll try it for ourselves and see what all the hype is about.