Posts

Celebrity Edge - our ship

Image
Launched in 2018, the Celebrity Edge has redefined luxury cruising with its sleek design and innovative features. This magnificent ship can accommodate 2,918 passengers and boasts a crew of 1,377. With 15 decks, the Celebrity Edge is like a floating city, offering endless ways to relax and explore. We can indulge in culinary delights at 10 different restaurants , a continuous buffet, and many coffee centres and bars. The ship features four swimming pools and a walking track that allows guests to enjoy stunning ocean views while staying active. The top-deck garden is a tranquil space, and the ship also boasts a range of shops, spas, and gyms to cater to every interest.   at this moment It’s a picture-perfect Monday afternoon out here. The seas are calm, the temperature is a crisp 18 degrees, and the sun is shining brightly. We’ve covered 406 nautical miles so far and are cruising along at a steady 18 knots. As we approach the Lady Barron Islands on our way to Hobart, w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Farewell Celebrity Edge

Image
  And so with heavy heart, cricked neck and in need of a decent cuppa tea, we bid farewell to Celebrity Edge and all who sail with her.  As the many seagulls farewelled as at Melbourne - believe us there were millions more than in this photo - so too from us - adieu, adieu, adieu.
Post a Comment
Read more

Fine dining - choices

Image
We have two categories of fine dining. This is where there is a menu to choose from, a waiter or two hovering and others hovering with the inevitable wine list (plus payment pathway). The first are the four complimentary restaurants. They seem to have the same menus, rotating around, although with several dishes identified as 'restaurant specials'. We were allocated to the Italian-flavoured Tuscan Restaurant between the sitting time of 5.30 to 6.00pm, a little early for Sue really. Meals enjoyed include:                                    snails in garlic butter lamb T-bone french onion soup with gruyere  creme brulee apple crumble The Cosmopolitan has easily the most eye catching entry sculpture - the magnificent headless winged woman. The chairs are enticing too, but we have yet to dine there. Perhaps tonight as we are determined to try a different ambience. Then there is Nor...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Sea of Food - the culinary adventures of cruise dining

Image
  A Sea of Food: The Culinary Adventures of Cruise Dining Bon voyage—and bon appétit! That’s how every day feels aboard this floating paradise where a sea of food awaits 24 hours a day. See the end of the post to see what was in this bowl Mornings with a View This morning started perfectly. At 6.30 a.m., we had fruit platters, muffins, and coffee delivered to our room. Sitting in our favourite chairs by the balcony, we watched the endless blue waves while savouring the soothing sound of waves. An afternoon snack, after a busy day on Seal Bay and Kangaroo Island. After all we broke the bus by leaving it 10 minutes running its Air Conditioning while we were lounging at the Visitor Centre. Although there was a mystery surprise for us while we doing this. Raisin scones - forget the 'clotted cream' option, definitely suss. The best part? If we’re still peckish later, we can always go for a second breakfast! Whether it’s fluffy pancakes in the main dining room or a quick grab f...
Post a Comment
Read more

Our Scottish Genealogy expert

Image
Clare was fortunate to consult our Scottish genealogy expert, Chris Paton, on the perplexing matter of finding Janet McCray/McRae. Find this dilemma further explored on the main Buchan blog . She explained that there was an absence of documents for Janet's marriage (to Robert Buchan) and birthing of her son (another Robert Buchan). Then she showed him the Monumental Inscription page of Buchan graves interspersed with Brown graves, one of whom was Jane McCree/McRae who had a sister Janet McCree/McRae just a few years younger than Robert (the husband of Janet). Untangle this development here . This is a graphic of the relationships between all the people in the grave if they were so related. Could the deceased wife of Robert Buchan (Janet McCray/McRae) be buried in these four adjacent grave plots, to 'entitle' her sister Jane McCree Brown, a granddaughter and another baby related by marriage, to join them? Chris thought it was possible... but just speculation.  He suggested C...
1 comment
Read more

Captain Matt comes to meet us

Image
  We were surprised when Captain Matt interrupted last night's lecture to meet us. He asked us to not study too hard, and in doing so miss out on other activities of the cruise.  We were happy that he wished to be photographed with us: Vice-captain Igor, Clare, Captain Matt and Sue on Level 4 We were very impressed by Captain Matt. As well as his 9.45am report to all over the loud speaker, always interrupting the first lecture, he ended with quite memorable quotes - not that I can remember them. He gave a 90 minute live presentation and Q&A on the last sea day. He was the captain/mariner consultant on the design and production of the Celebrity Edge. He was very proud of it's 200 innovative features. It could even be plugged into powerpoints at a Northern Hemisphere port, but no such facilities exist in the Southern Hemisphere. They had permission to discharge waste in Alaskan ports because all waste water was so well treated!  Finally he stood at the end of the gangwa...
1 comment
Read more

Art works on board Celebrity Edge

Image
There are many ways any ship owner tries to provide beautiful, evocative or meaningful visual delights for her guests. Here are  some of our favourites - you'll know which ones are for you! The Tuscan Restaurant Our allocated restaurant was the Tuscan. We hope this art work does not reflect the common experience of the diner leaving after the same meal over 9 nights. Perhaps it is the hapless waiters, of which there were hundreds, all responding to our culinary requests. 
1 comment
Read more

Bringing convicts back to life

Image
Part of the Hobart Penitentiary is a Memorial to the 75,000+ convicts who came to Van Diemen's Land. Three were Clare's direct ancestors. Via an ipad she could identify each of them, and 'queue' them into the display module - a four sided pillar suspended from the ceiling of an old court house. The first side of the pillar was a rolling display of hundreds of names in different sizes and colors.  Suddenly JOHN GILL appeared in white, and floated over the corner and onto the second side of the pillar. Here was displayed his age at conviction, 18, for stealing wheat from his employer. He was a miller. I think he got 7 years, but as the guide reminded us, people with needed skills, such as food providers, were sought after criminals for the new colony, and maybe the judge saw an opportunity to aid New South Wales.  The third side of the pillar was the best - an AI generated image based on the physical characteristics recorded about convicts in order to recapture them shoul...
Post a Comment
Read more