Our February Caribbean Getaway – 3 Lazy Days
Part 4
Doing a back-to-back cruise was wonderful, and while the switch was described to us as quick, easy, and seamless, it really could have used some improvement. The day before the end of the first cruise, we received a letter shown in the pictures, which describe the process.
However, here’s what really happened:
7:45 -arrive at restaurant for breakfast to huge lineup, and the dining room closes to entry at 8 -we persevered and got in, then were finished well before 9, and proceeded to Eden Restaurant, which was the meeting point for back-to-back guests. We sat and sat, and sat and so on, then a crew member came around to ask our current room numbers and gives us a sticker to wear, listed our attendance on a sheet, and then came around again with new key cards to distribute, then (by this time it’s 30 minutes later) we all walk like cattle to the gangway, turn in our old cards, walk into the terminal - pass the table where our confiscated power bars were to be (we found out later, we get them back at the end of the final cruise) – then we sat in the Terminal – waited – walked out to Immigration, our faces were scanned and they didn’t even look at our Passports, we got back on the ship by 10:15. Surely this process could be shortened somehow! I can’t imagine how long everything would have taken if we hadn’t booked the same Stateroom for both cruises.
Two at-sea days then followed -The first at sea day we read and relaxed and napped – we also went up to the Sunset Bar (space designed by Nate Berkus), and had a bite one day at Craft Social. The food there is not included in the price of the fare, but it was spectacular as was the service. One night we went to World Class Bar before dinner which overlooks the Martini Bar in the Grand Plaza – the view was spectacular as were the drinks and service.
On the 2nd at-sea day we did the “behind the scenes tour” on the ship. Here’s their description (accurate)
“Discover the answers to a question we get asked on every voyage, “How does a ship so big run so smoothly?” Find out on a behind-the-scenes tour that reveals the technology, teamwork, and tons of supplies that go into creating your Celebrity Cruise. Start in the Main Dining Room, and then, visit the Main Galley to see how our culinary team artfully prepares about 25,000 meals for our guests and crew each and every day. It's an impressive achievement, especially when you think about all the exotic flavors you get to enjoy aboard your Celebrity Cruise ship.
Next up, pop into provisioning for a jaw-dropping look at the sheer volume of ingredients it takes to make it all happen. Here's a little preview. We go through roughly 8,500 lbs of watermelon on every cruise. Not to mention, 10,000 bananas and 32,000 potatoes (give or take a few). Continue to the Engine Control Room, where expert engineers monitor the ship’s engines and onboard machinery - 24/7. You'll learn how the engines do more than turn the giant props. They power all our onboard systems, including air-conditioning, refrigeration, plumbing and many others. This is the heart and soul of the cruise ship and you'll enjoy a rare up-close look at how it operates.
Afterwards, go for stroll down I-95, the “main highway” for the crew. It runs down the center of the ship and is named after the longest highway on the U.S. East Coast. Your next stop is Laundry, where thousands of items are cleaned and crisply folded every day– napkins to linens to beach towels. Marvel at massive machines that can hold 264 lbs. of laundry in every load. To put that in perspective, it's like doing 14 loads of laundry in your machine at home all at once.
The tour concludes with a real treat – a visit to the Bridge, where all the ship's onboard systems are controlled. Step up and witness advanced navigation and communications equipment in action and scan the sea from the same vantage point your Captain uses to chart the way. If you've ever wondered what it takes to run a cruise ship, this inside access tour provides plenty of answers, great insight, and a whole lot of excitement. The onboard Environmental officer will give a brief lecture on what the provision area is and the detailed workings of our incinerator and our Save the Waves policy.”
I’m sorry there are virtually no pictures this week – taking photos is not allowed on the tour. But here are a few more – and when we got back to our Stateroom at the start of the 2nd cruise, there was a bottle of wine waiting with a thank-you note for being a Consecutive Cruiser, which was very nice. That meant we had a total of 3 bottles of wine to share in our room on both cruises, which, along with our daily snacks, made for great cocktail hours.
Next week, we’ll explore the 5 ports where we stopped on the 2nd cruise. We only got off the ship for 3 of them, but the view from the ship for the other two was pretty interesting.
Where do you plan to go in 2026 and 2027? (I’m looking at 2028 bookings too!)
May I help you?
Happy Travels!
#celebritycruises
https://www.celebritycruises.com/ca/