I was fortunate to be able to join a familiarization cruise aboard the Celebrity Edge. If I can assist you with a cruise (or a trip anywhere!), please reach out to me.

By the way...a familiarization trip, or "fam", is an educational group trip often just for travel advisors. They are hosted by cruise lines, tour operators, hotel owners, local attractions and restaurants. The sightseeing pace or training can be intense, like a cram course, but it allows me to see and learn so much, meet key local people and leave feeling like I really got know a part of the world much better.

Arriving in Ft. Lauderdale
Flying out of Sacramento to save a few dollars on the evening of July 9, the airport was eerily empty.  Hardly a soul in sight.  We changed planes in Salt Lake City and arrived in Fort Lauderdale about 6:30 am on July 10th.  Red eyes are just like I remember them, horrible.  A couple notes about the flights, etc.  You had to wear a mask at all times on the plane, (even when asleep and in between bites or sips of your beverage) and in the airport, but there was no real social distancing at all.  We ended up getting a day room in Fort Lauderdale as our check-in time at the port with Celebrity wasn’t until 3:30 pm. The Rodeway Inn was a great stop to shower, nap and eat before we embarked on the ship.  Luckily, we didn’t fly in later as there was a bomb threat at the airport after we left and the airport was closed as flights were diverted.  I know of at least one person who didn’t make the cruise because of it.  Good reminder to get in the day before so you don’t miss your cruise.

Easy Embarkation
Embarkation on the Edge was a breeze! Most of it was done via the Celebrity app on my phone before we even got onto the ship. The app is pretty cool.  It turns your phone into a cabin key and also keeps track of anything you reserve, such as a fine dining night or a show on a daily calendar. Security was very tight at the port, everyone had masks and social distancing was in play. They took our temperature, checked our vaccination records and on we went. The final step of check-in was to go find our Muster Station and check-in there before 4:30 pm. We made our way to the casino and checked in with the personnel located there.

Safety Onboard
Ship capacity was about 50% capacity with 2908 passengers and almost 1,000 crew.  The customer service was unbelievable. They were so excited to be cruising again and we were taken care of like royals.  No Masks on ship.  It was 99% vaccinated and the 2 people that weren’t vaccinated had already had the virus and they had to wear masks and bracelets.  It was so nice to move about the ship without masks.

The Infinity Veranda
Our cabin was an infinity edge balcony.  Done is soft blues and creams, it had a balcony that could be part of the room, or partitioned off.  The window moved down from above and the glassed in veranda could be either part of the whole room or sectioned off by itself.  It was very spacious with the extra footage from the balcony included in the room.  There was also a blackout blind that we could lower so we could block out the light.  The closet was a nice size as well as the bathroom.  The shower was lovely and very roomy.  The sitting area in the room was very comfortable also.  The décor was very contemporary, sleek and very relaxing.  We were on the 7th floor, aft.  Dennis felt a bit of ship movement but I didn’t feel anything.  
​
Cosmopolitan Restaurant
We were assigned to the Cosmopolitan Restaurant on Deck 4 from 5:30 to 9:30 pm.  Our servers were Dewi, Suzannah and Queenie.  Dinner was excellent every night we ate at the Cosmopolitan!  There are four main restaurants, the Cyprus, Normandie and Tuscan.  We ate at the Normandie the morning we disembarked.  All the menus were very similar and the food was very good.

​Typically 3 to 4 courses starting with a bread basket, then soup or salad, a fish, chicken or some steak entrée and dessert.  The dress code was smart casual with one night of Evening Chic.  There were also the fine dining options:  Raw on Five, Eden Restaurant, Fine Cut Steakhouse, and Le Petit Chef & Friends at the Grand Bistro.  Luminae was for the Retreat guests and Blu was for the AquaClass exclusively.  
​
Le Petit Chef - WOW Dining!​
Dennis and I tried Le Petit Chef and friends at Le Grand Bistro.  It is a very clever 3D dining experience that projects an animated movie from the ceiling onto your plate.  Four animated chefs engage in a competition by each assembling a course on your plate in front of you at your table.  Then the actual waiter comes out with the finished product and puts it on your plate.  Very innovative and quite entertaining, we enjoyed the show between each course and it was quite delicious as well.  

How Do the Buffets Work Now?
The buffets were open and doing a hearty business.  There were dedicated handwashing stations at the entrance and an attendant that directed you to use them in case you weren’t aware.  Very well done dining options, fresh fruit, salad, cheese, bread, charcuterie all served to you as you stood in front of the food stations.  Entrees varied from chicken, seafood, beef and vegetarian options…  I noticed quite a bit of Indian options which were delicious and a Mexican option when we were in Cozumel.  A great favorite was the Pizza bar open until 1:00 am.  Dessert was different daily and offered cakes, puddings, and other fruity delicacies.  Waiters roamed the tables to take drink menus and I never really had to wait for anything – very well staffed.  There was a wonderful station for ice cream and cookies as well.

Spa & Fitness Center
The Sea Thermal Suite in the spa is unbelievable.  (Aqua class guests have unlimited access).  There are a quite a few different experiences.

• Hamman steam room – you cover your body with salt and enjoy a steam bath
• Rain room – experience different water pressures from rain showers
• Salt room – breathe in salt to detoxify
• Float room – literally float in chairs while you relax
• Infrared room – to release toxins
• Crystal room – to promote healing through crystals
• Heated lounge – chairs facing the ocean while you relax

The fitness center is quite extensive with Peloton indoor cycling, F45 fitness classes, bungee classes, hot yoga and more.  To top it off there is a Kerastase  salon, barbershop and Ideal Image treatment center for Botox, derma filler treatments, and cool sculpting as well.  

​I was fortunate to be able to join an Italy familiarization trip to Florence and Viareggio, which is on the coast about an hour from Florence. If I can assist you with an Italy vacation (or anywhere!), please reach out to me.

By the way...a familiarization trip, or "fam", is an educational group trip just for travel advisors. They are hosted by tour operators, hotel owners, local attractions and restaurants. The sightseeing pace is intense, like a cram course, but it allows me to see so much, meet key local people and leave feeling like I really got know a part of the world much better.

Arriving in Italy​
I chose to fly into Florence and spend three days exploring the many museums in the city. I love wandering the city admiring the architecture and of course people watching! When I arrived in Florence and claimed my luggage, there was that wonderful sight: a driver with a sign, with MY name on it. This transfer was arranged by TFL and the driver was also a guide which meant my transfer included a mini tour. 

The Brunelleschi, Florence
I checked into the Brunelleschi Hotel, The Heart of Florence. The hotel is a sister property to the Grand Hotel in Viareggio where we will stay with the TFL fam. I was shown to my beautifully appointed room by the concierge, Sergio. Great space complete with a bottle of chilled Prosecco. ​The Brunelleschi is in the center of the historic part of Florence. After a good night sleep I enjoyed an “anything you could ask for” buffet breakfast.

Exploring the Cinque Terre
​We met outside the hotel the next morning for our excursion to the Cinque Terre. we were divided into two brand new vans that TFL uses for their tours. It was a beautiful drive to and through La Spezia. When we arrived in Riomaggiore, the vans left us at the top of the long street for our stroll to the water. The vans would meet us later in Monterossa. The street that led to the water was extremely narrow and curved around the hillside, but very few people. I think we were the only tourists in the area. The views were amazing. From the beach you could look up the coast and see all the towns along the coastline. The weather was clear with blue skies that made the view just breathtaking. The coastal walkway that connects all the towns is closed in parts due to a landslide. We hiked back up to the train station and took the train to Manarolo. We navigated the narrow street to the coast and the colorful houses along it, right down to the water. There were many small restaurants, but most were closed.

​Then we took the train to Vernazza for a tour of that area. After a restful stop along the water, we all met up at the train station and boarded the train for Monterossa. We had plenty of time to explore the town and walk along the beach. Our guide, Titziani arranged for a restaurant that is usually closed on Mondays, to be open for our group. Lots of seafood and pasta with our two-hour lunch. After another stroll along the beach we met up with our vans and drove back to Viareggio. We had a wonderful dinner of seafood and pasta in one of the many restaurants along the boardwalk. ​

Truffle Hunting
The next morning, we headed out for truffle hunting. This is a tour that TFL can arrange for any of my clients. On our way, we drove by the Leaning Tower of Pisa, even though it was just a glimpse, the outline was clear. When we arrived at the Savini Tartufi store and restaurant, we met the truffle hunters, Luca and Andrea, with the dogs, Giotto Jr and Biroli. We took a jeep to the woods and the dogs were set free to find the truffles. They were successful and found three good size truffles. Just follow the dogs, they do all the work.​

When we went back to the restaurant, we dined on everything truffle: cheese, salami, peaches, tomatoes, mortadella and 4 toasts with assorted spreads made with truffles. And, of course another pasta dish with truffles and it was all topped off with truffle ice cream. I didn’t think I would like anything truffle, but I was wrong, everything was delicious. After lunch we boarded our bus and headed to Lucca. Our guide in Lucca was the one and only Stephania. She guided us through the walled city. She made it fun. ​

Back to Florence with the Group
​After breakfast, we boarded our bus to Florence. We met our guide Luca and walked to the Accademia. We skipped the lines and were treated to an abbreviated tour of the Accademia emphasizing Michelangelo’s David. It is truly beautiful. Luca gave a brief history of Michelangelo’s life. The we walked around Florence and stopped twice for snacks: coffee and sweets, then Prosecco and mini paninis. These stops were made on our way to have lunch at the Hotel Brunellschi.

​After a wonderful lunch of pasta and pasta, we had a hotel inspection. The hotel consists of three buildings, including the Pagliazza Tower. The Tower was originally a prison for women believed to be witches. Later it became part of a church. Today the tower is connected on each side by the rooms of Hotel Brunelleschi. The Liberty rooms are classic rooms with city or Duomo views. The rooms on the other side of the tower are mainly suites with many, many stairs. The hotel has 2 restaurants and a large breakfast room with beautiful hand painted windows. Private tours can be arranged to visit the remains of the prison and even older Roman ruins that were found during renovations.

After our hotel inspection we walked about a mile and a half to our bus for our farewell dinner and last night in Viareggio. Our dinner was on the enclosed terrace of the hotel. We enjoyed a wonderful meal which included a crusted sirloin steak with fried artichokes. It was sad to say goodbye to new friends and the wonderful region of Tuscany. TFL pulled out all the stops and we were treated like royalty. Federica and her staff are just outstanding.

The next morning we had a small breakfast and were transferred to the Florence airport. Arrivederci Firenze! ​