Celebrity Edge 2021 - Part V - Wine Tastings

 

I brought Mickey to the Select tasting

One of the perks of my loyalty tier with Celebrity is a complementary wine tasting.  You get small samples of 2 reds and 2 whites. They are tasted in order from lightest to fullest, and a lot of information about tasting wines is also passed on.

A couple of reds and a couple of whites

Free wine tastings are nice, but... At dinner at Eden, I had a chat about wine with the sommelier, and she offered me a chance to do the Superstars in the Glass tasting. $300US after the $50 gratuity. Worth every penny. 😍 I didn't see this advertised, and it's a very small event. But, it's 5 full glasses of the kind of champagne I had previously only dreamed about, each one paired with the perfect nibble.

The tasting pairings

The red rose was just a nice extra

The bottles

The order of tasting

The Perrier-Jouet was accompanied by the oyster topped with roe.

My absolute favourite was the Cristal with the ceviche

Everything was spectacular, right down to the finale of the salmon with caviar, accompanied by the Veuve Clicquot. To be honest, you will always have me at caviar, and this was a particularly delicious example.  I would do this experience again in a heartbeat. And I discovered that I aspire especially to taste Cristal again.

Tuna carpaccio was a lovely choice with the Dom Perignon

Celebrity Edge 2021 - Part IV - Ports of Call

 

Merry Go Round in San Juan

Our first port of call was San Juan Puerto Rico. It was an evening stop, and I had already been here several times, so a ship board friend and I just did a bit of wandering around, and found a nice patio for Mofongo. Sadly, the service was not good, but these things happen. I get the impression that they were still ramping up for cruise passengers. 

Celebrity is very nice at welcoming you back, greeting you with cold towels, and multiple flavours of water.

Refreshments when you return to the ship.

Philipsburg, St Maarten

St Maarten is one of my very favourite ports of call. I love the water, always so warm and inviting, and the old-world charm of the streets. The beach clubs are a wonderful way to experience a beach day with drinks, food, umbrellas, and lounge chairs available for variable fees.

The boardwalk is full of cafes, restaurants, and bars

The Guavaberry store is a must-visit

Your humble narrator on the ferry

We stopped at Tortola, and I had chosen to do a ship's shore excursion here to the Virgin Gorda Baths. From the pier, we were escorted to our ferry, which took us over to Virgin Gorda. From the Virgin Gorda pier, we were loaded into open air buses, and driven to Devil's Bay National Park. 

Looking back at Tortola

Love the colour of the water

There was a bit of a hike through the park

Very scenic

You trek through boulders and seawater

There are a couple of tight squeezes

It's a bit of an obstacle course

The tour stops at 2 beaches

Both beaches had a somewhat active current when I was there, but the water temperature was luxurious. The second beach has showers, a bar and grill, souvenirs, and bathrooms. And it's a short walk up the hill back to the buses. 

Water off the pier at Virgin Gorda

Wake from the ferry

Next: Celebrity Edge 2021 - Part V - Wine Tastings

Celebrity Edge 2021 - Part III Life on the Edge - Cruise Life

 

The Solarium

The solarium tends to be my daytime refuge on cruises. I love hot tubs, and quiet, and views of the ocean.

The Solarium Pool

Solarium Loungers

One of the many bars

Pool Deck

A quiet corner on the pool deck

Quick snacks on the pool deck

The main pool

The path to Eden

Eden is a wonderful space with, naturally, a garden theme. The cocktails are the fancy sort, like you would maybe find at the World Bar on other ships. Eden also has a breakfast area, a staggeringly good restaurant experience, and live entertainment.

The service was always excellent, whether I was having a 6(!) course meal in Eden, or getting a coffee. 

Cafe

Martini bar

Cocktail show

The Magic Carpet

Quite the chandelier

Caviar rich Caesar salad from the Steak House

Dining room vegetarian curry

I only made it to a couple of shows. I had missed being at sea so much, that mostly I wanted to be on deck, looking at that ocean. I also brought a ton of books. The Elton John impersonator was pretty good, and the live music was nice to see after being in lockdown for so long. I also enjoyed the "Front the Band" where they do karaoke with a live band. That was too short though. Overall, the onboard offerings were wonderful and luxurious (more about that in another post). 

Next Celebrity Edge 2021 - Part IV - Ports of Call