Life is full of wonderful coincidences. Regular readers might remember a previous post when I wrote about Izzy, the wonderful butler who looked after my husband and I on Celebrity Apex last summer. Well, here we are on Celebrity Cruises' new ship Celebrity Beyond and he is looking after us again. Can I say we are beyond excited?
Read next: Jane Archer: Suite dreams
We’re staying in a Sky Suite, a fabulous room with a large balcony, a spacious bathroom (I love the cheeky mirror that opens to give a view of the ocean while brushing your teeth just remember to close it when showering) and a bed that faces the sea so you wake to a view.
Sadly, we were only in the suite for Celebrity Beyond’s two-night inaugural voyage from Southampton but I can’t complain because, lucky us, we were staying on board for another short cruise, this time in an Infinite Balcony Stateroom. These are great cabins, beautifully turned out with a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling window that opens from the top down. The effect is an inside balcony where you can sit and enjoy sea views as if you were outside but on murky days when you want to keep the window shut, you haven’t lost space in the cabin.
I can’t think of a more apt name for this ship, which goes beyond her sisters Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Apex in more ways than one. For a start, she is 17 metres longer, which means more space for additional places to eat and drink. The new World Bar is the place for classy cocktails while Le Voyage is the first restaurant at sea by Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud.
Secondly, Celebrity Cruises has made neat tweaks here and there, improving what was already an award-winning design. Among changes, The Retreat, a gorgeous area exclusively for suite passengers that includes a sundeck, lounge and private restaurant now covers two decks at the front of the ship.
Among new features, you can watch the sun go down over Marrakesh Mule cocktails and hummus and lamb kebab snacks in the Moroccan-style Sunset Bar, hang out by the pool in cabanas and take a dip in infinity pools by the Rooftop Garden. In the Rooftop Garden itself, the grill has been enclosed in glass so you can admire the views while tucking into steaks and burgers whatever the weather.
Fine Cut, the steakhouse, is always one of our favourite restaurants but we were lucky enough to try Le Voyage and were well impressed. The design is great, the service exceptional and there’s an exciting menu of French dishes infused with flavours from other countries. I had duck with a sweet and sour sauce while the hubby opted for loup de Mer, aka seabass with Middle East spices.
There are so many spaces to discover on Celebrity Beyond including a stylish spa and the Magic Carpet that ‘flies’ up and down the side of the ship, changing from being a tender port to a bar and restaurant as it goes. There’s live music in the lively Martini Bar, sports in Craft Social and fun cabaret-style shows in Eden, a huge lounge with 270-degree views that is quiet by day and comes alive in the evening. Top tip: for the shows, get there early and grab a seat on the balcony for the best view.
And then there are all the places to eat. Sushi, Italian, French, Mediterranean, burgers and the aforementioned steaks. There’s animated fun in Le Petit Chef, healthy food in Blu, a restaurant reserved for those in AquaClass cabins and suites and casual dining in the Ocean View Café. Phew! I did a reckoning and you could be on board for two weeks and still not have tried them all. Which is a good reason - as if you needed one - for going Beyond on another cruise.
