Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Yesterday we were at Puerto Plata DR, specifically Taino Bay. After our Detox smoothie from Spa Cafe and some time on the balcony, we headed down the gangway and explored the port area. This is a relatively new port, only about two years old. We had visited here while on a Virgin Voyages sailing when it was newly opened. It has some of your usual port shops. Can any Caribbean port actually exist without a Diamonds International? They have some more local stores as well. Plus three a la carte sit down restaurants and a few quick service places with items such as tacos. There is also a pool. Since we had last visited they opened up a large lazy river which we didn't try but would definitely do next time. And the lazy river is complimentary!!  

After a quick walk around and a gift store purchase, we headed back to the ship for another lunch at Sushi on Five. Tried two new items!! A delicious ramen beef slider and a Shrimp and Scallop Hot Pot. The beef slider was so tasty, sitting on a bed of crispy ramen.

 The shrimp and scallops were in a spicy sauce with onions and thinly sliced zucchini.  

After lunch we headed to the Enclave to enjoy the afternoon in our cabana. Top Gun Maverick was playing while we enjoyed some Villa Maria. After the movie we headed back to the cabin to enjoy sunset. Then we got ready for dinner. We stopped by to see Olympia at Michaels Club and ordered a smoked Negroni. They had a clever wooden smoking device that sat right on top of the glass. 

Dinner was at Luminae and it was my favorite overall meal of the cruise. Started with an amuse bouche of smoked trout on red beet risotto. We then had a spicy and savory creamy kale soup. Our other starters were a yellow beet risotto with crispy shallots and octopus "shell" salad. The "shell" being a pasta shell you'd use for stuffed shells. Both very tasty. The risotto was so flavorful and the crispy shallots provided a wonderful alternate texture. Mains were seared scallops and poached lobster tail. We have had so much lobster on this cruise!! And all very tasty. And I usually avoid getting getting lobster on a cruise since it has often been dry and rubbery. Not on this sailing. And we did have a dessert (finally). Angie had baked Alaska and I had a delicious tapioca with mango sorbet. The baked Alaska was lackluster and the ice cream had many ice crystals.  

After dinner we headed to Michael's Club and chatted with Pete and Alison, a very fun couple from the UK. We found out that they had been with us on our Celebrity Apex sailing in September 2021 from Piraeus. Cruising can be a "small world". That was the second sailing we had taken since the return of cruising post-pandemic. 

Today we will be enjoying the cabana and have lunch "cabana side" from Lawn Club Grill. They have a selection of special burgers and a salad bar. And the new Mission Impossible movie will be playing at 3PM. I have never watched so many movies before on a ship. It's been so relaxing in the cabana. Dinner will probably be in Luminae for our last night. We will arrive in Port Everglades in the morning and then start a new adventure!!

View of Tortola

Yesterday we were in Tortolla, part of BVI. We had no tour scheduled so we stayed onboard. We had our usual light breakfast of Greek yogurt, granola and Detox smoothie from the Spa Cafe. Angie had a fee hours of work to finish up before we had our lunch at The Porch!! I had to have the Mussel Fettuccine again and Angie had some delicious sauteed shrimp. They also had this delicious and creative Caesar salad with avocado. More Caesar salad should have avocado. When you think of the country where it was invented, it really makes sense.  

After lunch we went to the Enclave and relaxed in our cabana enjoying some Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc. 

 They were playing the Whitney Houston movie on the big screen. Pretty enjoyable movie. Especially the costuming as they replicated her iconic moments at the Super Bowl 25 and the 1994 AMAs. Of course you know the ending. The movie really didn't hammer you over the head with the drug addiction. And we both felt like Clive Davis got a really good edit for trying to be (literally) the white savior. Some good performances by Naomi Ackie and Stanley Tucci. And a very surprising performance from Tamara Tunie who played Whitney's mother. If you are a Law & Order SVU fan, you'll remember here as the medical examiner several seasons ago.  

We had an underwhelming and uneven dinner at Murano. As good as our other dinners have been, this one just missed the mark. First, they brought me the wrong soup. Easily corrected and they brought me the mushroom cappuccino. This has been one of my favorite soups on Celebrity. It does look just like a cappuccino. Unfortunately this soup had been over reduced or over salted (or both). Just not edible. Our waiter came over to ask why I hadn't finished it and I explained the issue. He said that the soup "wasn't for everyone's palate". I would have liked to see the chef come to the table, try the soup and then tell me it tasted as intended. Angie had the Turbot which was tasty. I had Dover sole my main. It was a well cooked piece of fish that they debone table side. They then had a sauce which I am glad I had on the side. Normally, Dover sole is served with a light buttery sauce. The sauce they served was better suited for a beef dish. I kept my fish as far away as possible.  

They did have a great selection of cheeses which ended the meal on a higher note.

After dinner we watched the deck party which had Rebel, one of the acts from the main theater, perform some rock favorites.  We then had drinks at the Sunset Bar, enjoying the beautiful evening. 

Today we are docked in Puerto Plata Dominican Republic. We ordered room service for the first time on this ship and enjoyed it on our very large dining table. Black truffle omelette, traditional eggs Benedict and blueberry pancakes. All very good. 

Puerto Plata is a relatively new port, only about two years old. We were here on Virgin Voyages Scarlett Lady about two years ago. We plan to get off the ship and walk around a bit. No organized tour.

Maho Beach, St Maarten

(by Angie)

We had a very rainy excursion to Maho Beach. I've always wanted to see those airplane land right by the beach. We lucked into a great table at the beach bar next to the runway. We were protected from the passing rain and enjoyed the BBQ ribs, chicken, and pizza. 

We had a great treat as our excursion left the beach. Our bus got dropped right at the end of the runway as a plane took off. We got to feel the incredible force. I have no idea how people stand on the fence!! 

 

For dinner, we headed snack to Tucson Grill and a had a nice meal. 

A View of St Thomas

Yesterday we were at Crown Bay in St Thomas. We had a wonderful sail in from our balcony. We supposedly passed the super yacht of Jeff Bezos. It was a perfectly sunny day. We had no plans to get off the ship. After we docked, we decided to try breakfast at Luminae which is the restaurant for suite (aka Retreat) guests. It has some dishes created by Chef Daniel Boulud. I ordered a Greek yogurt parfait and a potato waffle and Angie had a dish that was similar to a shashuka. It was quail eggs on top of a savory tomato ragu. 

 And we both had cheese grits. My dish was the least successful. It was just a normal waffle with a fried egg and cheese. I think they were trying for something like a McGriddle. Nothing special about it. Angie's dish had some good flavor. I had high hopes that the cheese grits would save the day. But it was not going to happen. The texture was fine. Unfortunately any attempt they made to add flavor failed. They had a pasty flavor and were devoid of any cheese, butter or salt. Even adding more butter and salt, it was a lost cause.  

After breakfast I went to the gym for elliptical and weights and Angie did her walkabout on the open deck. We met up in the cabin after that and just enjoyed the view from the cabin. Lots of good people watching. Our lunch would be back at Sushi on Five for more of that delicious lobster ramen, a Dragon Eel roll and a Tataki Trio Roll. All so good!!  

We then headed to Deck 14 Aft to the Sunset Bar to enjoy the great weather. 

There was a nice breeze and the bar area had a good amount of shade. It was then back to the cabin for some afternoon snacks. Jess our butler had brought some shrimp cocktail and a beautiful cheese plate. Made me glad I had gone to the gym. We watched sail away from our balcony and then got ready for dinner. Stopped at Michael's Club for a pre dinner cocktail. I had a Woodford Manhattan and Angie had a Cosmo made with Ketel One Botanical with Grapefruit. Both very good.  

Dinner was excellent at Luminae.. The chef had a great amuse bouche of spicy tuna. Then we both had soups. I had a turkey escarole consomme and Angie had Daniel Boulud's signature corn soup. Both had excellent flavor. The corn soup had been emulsified into a super creamy broth. Then we both had crispy kale salads with a well balanced balsamic vinaigrette. And also had butternut squash and Swiss chard lasagna. Thin slice of squash, alternated with Swiss shard between layers of homemade noodles. All surrounded by a velvety bechamel. A well done dish. No dessert tonight.  

After dinner we stopped by to see Raju at Cellar Masters and check in on his roommate situation. Since his roommate had adjusted his watch to the correct time, things had improved. Raju said his roommate was always extra quiet. After a glass of tawny port for me and a Domain Chanson for Angie, we headed back to the cabin.  

Today we are docking in Phillipsburg Sint Maarten. This is one of a few countries that is shared between nations. Sint Maarten is the southern region of the island and comprises about 45% of the land. It's a territory of The Netherlands. Saint Martin is the "neighbor" to the north comprising the remaining 55% and is part of France. You can travel freely between the countries. No passport checks are required when crossing over. The airport and cruise port are both located on the Dutch side.  

Speaking of the airport, we will disembark the today and head on a tour. We'll head over to Maho Beach which is situated directly at the beginning of the Princess Juliana airport runway. While you're on the beach, large planes are flying over head. You can find a lot of videos on YouTube if you're curious what it's like.

A View of San Juan

On Monday, the ship was headed to Old San Juan. Our arrival time was scheduled for 4PM. Overnight and into that morning there were some high seas. It was a bit bumpy so I decided I wasn't going to the gym. My equilibrium gets thrown off a bit when I'm stepping one way on the elliptical and the ship is going the other. So we just enjoyed watching the sea from our wonderful cabin. At 11:30 we attended the Captains Club reception where they had so many delicious small bites. Shrimp cocktail, goat cheese roasts, mushroom arancini and crab cakes.  

We had lunch at Sushi on Five. The highlights were a delicious lobster ramen, pork ramen, tuna tartare and a dragon eel roll along with some cold sake. 

 After a stop for a cocktail at Michael's Club (aka The Retreat Bar), we returned to the cabin to watch more of the sail-in. The ship had also sent out invitations to a select number of guests to watch the sail-in from the Helipad. That was an amazing sight to see the fort as we passed by.

 We headed back to the cabin to watch the remainder of the sail-in as the ship docked in Old San Juan. 

 It's such a cool little city and when you dock here, the ship is right in the heart. A lot of places within close walking distance, including the fort. The all aboard time was 10:30 and we had no plans to get off the ship. We have been here recently. The next time you visit, make a stop at La Taberna Lupulo. It's one of the best beer bars I've ever been to in the world. It's about a fifteen minute walk from Old San Juan.  

Our dinner was at the Lawn Club Grill which is an outdoor venue on Deck 15. It's sort of a steakhouse but they also had flatbreads. And some of the sides, such as dirty rice, made you think they were going for a New Orleans vibe. And the water glasses were Mason jars. So a confusing concept. But some delicious food. They have a small salad bar that has a good selection. We both realized we hadn't been having as many vegetables as last week so it was time to make amends. We then quickly recovered and had a sausage and pepper flatbread which was thin and tasty. Angie went with the signature burger which was tasty but she thought the one from Luminae lunch was better. I had a well seasoned and grilled veal chop. To add to the confusing concept of the restaurant, three sauces were served. One was their version of A1 steak sauce. The middle was a well made chimichurri. And the third one was a Texas-style BBQ sauce. All were tasty but none really went particularly well with my veal. Our sides were lobster Mac and cheese and dirty rice. Both very tasty. Angie's burger also came with lackluster and under seasoned potato chips. No dessert.  

After dinner we stopped by the World Class Bar and chatted with Olympia who is one of the bartenders in Michael's Club. Angie had the Applie Pie cocktail made with bourbon and I had a Zacapa 23 (rum) Old Fashioned. Both delicious. We headed back to the cabin and watched from our balcony until the ship pulled away from the pier just after 11 PM.  

This morning we've been watching the sail-in and the sunrise. Today we'll be docking at Crown Bay in St Thomas. We have no plans to get off the ship. The main downtown are of Charlotte Amalie requires a taxi ride if your ship ever stops here. I believe Crown Bay is where Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships usually dock. Whereas Carnival and other are at Charlotte Amalie where there is more shopping and the tram to Paradise Point.

Sea Day

Sunday was our first full day onboard the Reflection. I went to the gym for some elliptical and weights. Angie walked on the jogging track. Surprise !! There are fitness centers and jogging tracks on cruise ships. With all these cruises it's important to stay active. We then relaxed for the rest of the morning in our cabin, staring out at the sea. This cabin has many great features. One of them is that it is so peaceful. Our cabin is at the end of a long hallway so other guests aren't walking past the door. And there aren't other cabins directly adjoined on either side. Just us and the sea!!

We had a noon reservation at The Porch which is primarily a seafood restaurant. We had eaten here on the Silhouette when we were on a transatlantic in October 2022. The food was quite good then so we wanted a repeat. This time, the food was even better. We had starters of tuna tartare, hamachi crudo and Asian chicken wing lollipops. The fish was perfectly seasoned. I loved the brinoise knife work on the jalapenos. The chicken has a delicious (and sticky) sauce that had notes of molasses, honey and sesame oil.   

We also had a seafood tower with lobster tail, scallops, shrimp, mussels along with dipping sauces of red wine mignonette, a velvety, lemony tartar sauce and traditional cocktail sauce. The lobster was perfectly seasoned with lemon and dill. 

For our mains we had fettuccine and mussels in a creamy beer and saffron sauce. What an amazing sauce!! I would have never thought of using beer in such a sauce. 

We also had a lobster roll which had some nice chunks of lobster with a bit of mayo. No dessert. 

We spent the afternoon in a cabana on Deck 15 where we enjoyed one of our favorite Sauvignon Blancs: Villa Maria from New Zealand. We were able to watch the first half of the Tampa/Detroit playoff game. We then headed to our cabin to get ready for dinner. We went to Tuscan Grill which is the Italian restaurant onboard. We both started with a delicious arugula salad with fried goat cheese. It had a well balanced balsamic vinaigrette. Also tried the meatballs which had a good blend of beef and pork topped with a tasty marinara which wasn't too sweet. 

For mains, Angie had short rib pappardelle ragu and I had grilled Branzino. The ragu was so tasty with the combination of savory short ribs and delicate noodles. The Branzino was perfectly cooked and served on top of well seasoned sauteed spinach. We also had a side of perfectly seasoned broccolini which had just enough garlic. And of course we had to try the lasagna. It wasn't my favorite of all time. It needed more sauce and cheese but was flavorful. No dessert.  

After dinner we visited Raju our favorite sommelier from the last cruise. He got a new roommate on Saturday so he was updating us on that situation. Our ship time advanced by an hour yesterday and apparently his new roommate had forgotten to set his watch properly. So his supervisor was calling their cabin for his whereabouts. So not off to a great start for Raju. After that we went back to our cabin to watch the Kansas City/Buffalo game.  

Today we will be docking in the United States!! Old San Juan Puerto Rico to be specific. We have a late afternoon arrival of 4PM. We probably won't get off the ship.

Celebrity Reflection Week 2 Day One

Today, Angie made one of my bucket list dreams come true!!  For at least ten years, I have had this specific Celebrity Reflection cabin on my list. It's aptly named the Reflection Suite.   It is the only suite of its kind across the entire Celebrity fleet.  And there is only one on this ship!!  My jaw truly dropped when we opened the door!!  Two bedrooms!!  Huge dining space!!!  Couch with a large TV (game time this afternoon!!).  

And the coolest shower ever. It hangs off the side of the ship!!  Not to worry, there are settings to make the glass translucent so you don't have to provide "Showtime" to ships passing by or neighbors, unless you want to. :-)

We're here for eight nights!!  It will be hard to leave this amazing space. It's a good thing we were on this same ship for the previous sailing so we don't need to do too much exploring. 

We had lunch in the Luminae restaurant.  A tasty kale salad with a delicious white balsamic vinaigrette, their signature burger with savory onion jam and a butternut squash farfalle!!   Plus a creamy lobster roll in a toasted brioche roll.

This afternoon we plan to relax in our new space, order some sushi to the room and just enjoy game time. 

Angie has always made my dreams come true.   This time she really knocked it out of the park.  

Make sure you're following Angie's YouTube channel and FB page Trips with Angie   She'll have a full tour of this ship plus this awe-inspiring cabin.