CELEBRITY CRUISES

Le Petit Chef

Celebrity Cruises is known for fun yet classy innovations, and for instance, the Le Petit Chef dining experience found on several Celebrity ships falls squarely in line with that reputation.

Le Petit Chef (costs around $55 pp) – animated characters appear beside your plate and prepare each course. The first menu goes with the story line, but you can order off of each. Animation aside, the food was delicious. I recommend it! If you have kids, I think they would find it entertaining. Will they eat the food? That depends on your child. You can watch a short 5 minutes video on my YouTube.

Which Celebrity Ships Have Le Petit Chef?

• Eclipse
• Edge (Le Petit Chef and Friends)
• Equinox (Le Petit Chef and Le Petit Chef and Friends)
• Infinity
• Reflection
• Silhouette

Murano

Murano was by far my favourite of the specialty restaurants. This French Continental restaurant had me at the scallop wellington and the baked goat cheese appetizers.

Hubby and I immensely enjoyed our Chateaubriand for two and their speciality dish lobster Murano, both prepared tableside. The Grand Marnier soufflé was one of the best I’ve ever had. Moreover, if you decide not to order dessert, don’t worry they bring out a small assortment of fine chocolate. I highly enjoyed the wine recommended by the sommelier.

The service here is impeccable.

Moveable Feast

Celebrity Cruises do a culinary partnership with Fine Cooking magazine and its Emmy Award-nominated public television series Moveable Feast. The cruise line and the food magazine introduced Moveable Feast with Celebrity Cruises.

In order to celebrate the partnership, Celebrity has launched Moveable Feast Signature Sailings from 2017. Although I’ve never done one, the reviews highly recommend these sailings, because the voyages have a culinary angle and onboard guests can interact with some of Moveable Feast’s most talented celebrity chefs.

In addition, those onboard get the opportunity to meet Top Chef All-Stars winner chef Richard Blais and Top Chef finalist chef Bryan Voltaggio, dine on their impressive dishes, and even join them on a Chef’s Market Discoveries excursion, where they’ll assist guests in shopping for ingredients and preparing a private dinner on the ship.

If that’s not immersive enough, there are also cooking demos and private classes offered to help passengers hone their cooking skills throughout the journey.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL

Wonderland Restaurant on Symphony of the Seas

Stepping into the Rabbit Hole to Explore the Whimsical Dining Experience at Wonderland. The experience at the two-storey topsy-turvy restaurant begins upstairs. From the entrance of a mystical tunnel with a door that does not appear to go anywhere, to a delightful seating arrangement of quirky decor with chairs that do not know them up from their down. For instance, everywhere you turn there is something curious such as chairs with rabbit ears or keys hanging from the ceiling. Unlock Wonderland for an intimate restaurant within an edgy and surreal dining experience.

Firstly, you will visit the bar with a menu that any mixologist would be proud of. Try the “Down the Rabbit Hole” or the “Cheshire Cat Cosmo” they are pretty spectacular.

Our “mad hatter” for the night in Wonderland was ‘”Marlon Brando”. In other words, a waiter dressed in an aubergine-coloured velveteen long-tailed coat. Juggling several busy tables, he relished his part in our dinner production show.

A five-course meal then followed (you certainly will not leave hungry!). Five core elements differentiate the dishes – sun, ice, fire, sea, and earth. Few pictures can be be found on my Instagram profile.

The restaurant is available on a few Royal Caribbean ships – The Symphony of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, and it is by far my favourite iconic food venue on the cruise line.

P&O CRUISES

The Epicurean Restaurant on Britannia

In the Epicurean restaurant you will be treated to a brand new multi-sensory cooking experience with touches of molecular gastronomy that complement the more classic British dishes, re-interpreted for today’s modern palates. In addition, the sophisticated setting features lots of gold and white decor and somewhat overly bright lighting.

The traditional English afternoon tea is served in the Epicurean restaurant on board and the whole experience is stunning from start to finish.  As you’re seated, you’re served a choice of tea and a sweet violet scent is sprayed across the table. From the classic afternoon sandwiches to the pistachio and strawberry tarts and lemon meringue trifle – the presentation is stunning. Above all, this one of the best iconic food venue on P&O’s Britannia.

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Staterooms are like tiny homes at sea, and choosing your “best” is kinda personal. Your choice also will depend on the company, vessel, room size, type/view, deck location, amenities. Not to forget the special offers with super low-priced promo deals that could change everything you know on the subject.

My personal choice will be mid ship or aft cabin.

Pros

1. The location can make getting around easier since you are located in a more central location to where you want to be.
2. Aft cabins tend to be very popular because they offer wonderful views of the wake of the ship and don’t usually have a lot of neighbours. You still need to be aware of what is around your stateroom though.
3. There are lots of “hidden gems” on a cruise ship and a good cruise/travel agent will know about them. For example, forward oceanview cabins on the upper decks of some Celebrity ships, such as the Celebrity Summit, are much larger than a normal oceanview and the large porthole window offers some fantastic views of the bow of the ship. You can read one of my reviews here.

Cons

1. Don’t chose a cabin under the Lido deck or pool deck. The trouble is that there usually is activity happening there all the time, especially under the buffet area. You may hear jumping, chair scraping, and running.
2. Over or under public areas (casinos, restaurants, bars). Sometimes these venues run till after midnight. And if you are trying to have some quiet time in your stateroom, you may instead be hearing noise from the area below or above your stateroom.
3. Forward staterooms that are up in the front of the ship on a lower deck may seem like they would be out of the way of all the bustle and noise of the ship, but they are subject to a different kind of sound. From here you can usually here the sound of the waves crashing into the side of the ship as it moves through the water. And it isn’t the romantic sound of waves crashing, it can instead be loud and shocking.

Of course there is a lot more that it can be added to the above, but my advice will be to study the deck plans and the cabin pictures, so you can determine what is good and what is not so good.

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As a British citizen (applicable for residents too), I have British Airways American Express Premium Plus Credit Card. It is one of the best travel rewards credit card which rewards me with a 2-for-1 travel with a British Airways Companion Voucher when I spend £10,000 each year. In other words, you can only receive a Companion Voucher if you are a member of the British Airways Executive Club and are the main account holder within a British Airways American Express Credit Card Account. The voucher is valid for 24 months and it allows the main account holder to make a flight booking using Avios and to book another seat on the journey for a Companion without having to pay the Avios for that Companion but only the airport fees and taxes.

How did I do it?

So, I booked a return flight in first class with British Airways to Miami for myself and my partner by paying 185,000 Avios and £1,364 airport fees and taxes.

The Hotel

We spent one night at Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa in a standard guest room, 1 king bed, with a balcony (partial ocean view). We booked it with 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.

The hotel is a great hidden gem! It seems to be a popular place. Because of that the amenities (pool, spa, beach etc) are not heavily populated, making using them much more comfortable. The con is that the bars and restaurants and be very packed at dinner but it gives it a buzz too.

The Cruise

The next day we boarded Celebrity Equinox for a 7 night Western Caribbean Cruise. We stayed in a Royal Suite. It was “won” through a bidding system called “Celebrity Move Up” for £415 per person on the top of the price we have already paid for our cruise. As guests staying in a Royal Suite, we had many perks. For instance a priority embarkation and disembarkation, premium beverage package, free wi-fi, unlimited speciality dining, butler service, gratuities included. In addition, we had access to “The Retreat” deck and lounge and many more extras, which could total up to £1,500 per person worth of perks.

Our ports of call were as follows: departed from Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Costa Maya, Cozumel and Grand Cayman. We had an amazing time and enjoyed to the fullest our first class holiday. We created so many unforgettable memories for the years to come and we looking forward to doing that again in the near future.

Summary

In conclusion and to sum up:

• London to Miami in first class
• 1 night at Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa
• 7 night Western Caribbean Cruise on Celebrity Equinox
• Miami to London in first class

Avios used: 185,000

Marriott Bonvoy points used: 60,000

Money paid: £4,694 (cruise + airport taxes and fees)

Cash cost of the holiday: £21,400

#travelinstyle

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