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Changes on the Reflection in last two years


michaelbyrns
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An interesting situation. Was told here in this thread by one of the very helpful folks in the UK (Thanks for your comments), that the prices for the cruise do not seem to be the same in different countries, even taking into consideration the exchange rate. Seems that Celebrity feels that they can milk us poor sun starved Canadians for a much higher fare price for the same cruise. For example, my cruise is the December 7, 2018 Reflection cruise. I am paying $6344 CDN (including the Basic Drinks) and the UK folks are paying the equivalent of $5034 CDN with the same drinks package. So I am paying $1300 more for the exact same product. That seems rather unfair. I have not checked what it would cost from the US site, but I assume that it is also less based on some of the comments here. Anyone else looked into this, especially from Canada?

 

I have read on these board before that passengers from the UK cannot cancel without a charge before final payment like we can in the US. So it is not an apples for apples comparison. I do not know if there are any other differences that might account for the apparent price difference.

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That is what I thought, so I wonder why someone would say it is on the Reflection, when it has not been added there.

 

Maybe they are just anticipating the upcoming bad news. I hope they don't make the change on the Reflection, but Celebrity seems to try to keep the ships consistent.

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Here is the thing, people are from many different backgrounds and have many different expectations. Some people can go to McDonalds and have a fabulous meal. For others, not so much. That isn't saying either is wrong or right.

 

If you talk about decline over the years, that subject is interesting as well. When we started cruising, most ships offered lobster at the MDR ever night if you wanted that. And the midnight buffets, ice sculptures, multiple live bands, new Broadway show every night. Obviously all those things are gone now and they didn't disappear in one night. If I didn't ever take a cruise with them, I might not miss them, but you can't lie and say cruises today are like they always were. If you've never gone to a movie theater then a movie on your iPhone is a cinematic experience for you.

 

To many, its normal to pay $10 for a hamburger on a cruise. Its the new normal.

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No, they clearly said the Mast Grill: Mast Grill not free: Keep in mind that Ocean View is enforcing dress code. No pool attire. So if you are at the pool, you are now forced to pay for lunch unless you go back to your room and change. Celebrity has joined the NCL nickel and dime club.

 

One could also go to the Aqua Spa Cafe to have lunch. This food is quite good.

 

It also appears that the offerings at the new Mast Grill look like they are of better quality and they are trying to go upscale with the options there. My vision of the old Mast Grill is seeing those hamburgers sitting in the greasy pans.

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There's another thread going about the poor bar service on Reflection.

 

We were on her and what I didn't like was the smaller Sky Lounge. We like to sit up there sometimes after breakfast and not only was it smaller, most of the time if was full of Park West people, either setting up or taking away their "art."

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An interesting situation. Was told here in this thread by one of the very helpful folks in the UK (Thanks for your comments), that the prices for the cruise do not seem to be the same in different countries, even taking into consideration the exchange rate. Seems that Celebrity feels that they can milk us poor sun starved Canadians for a much higher fare price for the same cruise. For example, my cruise is the December 7, 2018 Reflection cruise. I am paying $6344 CDN (including the Basic Drinks) and the UK folks are paying the equivalent of $5034 CDN with the same drinks package. So I am paying $1300 more for the exact same product. That seems rather unfair. I have not checked what it would cost from the US site, but I assume that it is also less based on some of the comments here. Anyone else looked into this, especially from Canada?

 

Just be careful as booking in the U.K. is a totally different scenario than reserving in the US. The initial price you pay will not be subject to any price drops along the way. You may find that your price has dropped since you first booked or the US price is even lower - it's worth monitoring your cruise price on the 'fishy' site to see any fluctuations (just looking at your sailing and there appears to be price drops in every category according to that site for US pricing but not as low as the UK pricing YET).

Edited by villauk
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I am sailing on the Reflection in 2 weeks time, and am looking forward to it. The last Celebrity ship i sailed on was the Eclipse in 2013, so it will be interesting to see changes between the two. I did have reservations after reading some of the posts on this board, but after sailing on the P&O Britannia in May, i changed my mindset.

 

I found myself the whole cruise comparing it to Celebrity, as did my Mum who had sailed on the Reflection in April. The food choices were not great. 4 "main" dishes in the buffet on a lunch, some salad and some sandwiches. I loved the Caesar salad station on the Eclipse, and was hoping P&O would have something similar. I couldn't even find any iceberg lettuce or croutons! The burger bar round the pool was the worst i have encountered on a ship. They were pre-cooked and wrapped (not to order) and placed on a tray under a heat lamp. By the time you pick one up and sit down they are cold! My favourite money saving scheme was the "fruit juice machine" in the buffet. It was so obviously watered down, and after breakfast had finished, it only dispensed water for the rest of the day! The cheek! In the coffee shop, you could only have one cake per coffee purchased, and there were 5 options to choose from. I could go on and on, but i think in comparison to other lines, Celebrity still take the lead in terms of food quality and choice.

 

I really hope the Mast grill is still free by the time i sail as its a great alternative to the buffet!

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What I still find strange and very unfair is that you folks in the UK are paying substantially less money for this cruise than are us folks from Canada for the identical cabin. For example, for the cabin we have, it would cost you 3090 pounds. vs 3893 pounds for us.

 

But we are still looking forward to the cruise. Hopefully, by the time we cruise at the end of 2018, they will not be charging extra for the MDR dinners (grin), just leaving the buffet included in the cost. Or taking it further (as a joke) the meal will be included, but cutlery will be an extra surcharge.

 

 

I am sailing on the Reflection in 2 weeks time, and am looking forward to it. The last Celebrity ship i sailed on was the Eclipse in 2013, so it will be interesting to see changes between the two. I did have reservations after reading some of the posts on this board, but after sailing on the P&O Britannia in May, i changed my mindset.

 

I found myself the whole cruise comparing it to Celebrity, as did my Mum who had sailed on the Reflection in April. The food choices were not great. 4 "main" dishes in the buffet on a lunch, some salad and some sandwiches. I loved the Caesar salad station on the Eclipse, and was hoping P&O would have something similar. I couldn't even find any iceberg lettuce or croutons! The burger bar round the pool was the worst i have encountered on a ship. They were pre-cooked and wrapped (not to order) and placed on a tray under a heat lamp. By the time you pick one up and sit down they are cold! My favourite money saving scheme was the "fruit juice machine" in the buffet. It was so obviously watered down, and after breakfast had finished, it only dispensed water for the rest of the day! The cheek! In the coffee shop, you could only have one cake per coffee purchased, and there were 5 options to choose from. I could go on and on, but i think in comparison to other lines, Celebrity still take the lead in terms of food quality and choice.

 

I really hope the Mast grill is still free by the time i sail as its a great alternative to the buffet!

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What I still find strange and very unfair is that you folks in the UK are paying substantially less money for this cruise than are us folks from Canada for the identical cabin. For example, for the cabin we have, it would cost you 3090 pounds. vs 3893 pounds for us.

 

But we are still looking forward to the cruise. Hopefully, by the time we cruise at the end of 2018, they will not be charging extra for the MDR dinners (grin), just leaving the buffet included in the cost. Or taking it further (as a joke) the meal will be included, but cutlery will be an extra surcharge.

 

TBH the UK prices are not that different if you've always booked through the UK - for example my 1st cruise with X was 2 years ago @£3300 for 11 nights on Eclipse in a C3 inc classic drinks package (£300 per night) then last year a 14 nights on Eclipse in a C3 inc classic drinks package @ £4000 (£285 per night) and then this July a 10 night in a C3 on Refelection @£3300 inc drinks package and grats (£330 per night) and we have another booked for Oct, 10 nights on Eclipse inc drinks package and grats @ £330 (£330 per night)

 

We have looked at a 14 night on Sillouette next May to the Baltics in a C3 @ £4200 inc drinks package (£300 per night)

 

All prices based on per cabin for 2 people

 

In other words even though the UK currency exchange rate has collapsed since the Brexit vote last year U.K. pricing per night on X is very stable

 

2 years ago it was cheaper (because of exchange rate) if we had booked through a US travel agent, last year 6 and 2 threes and this year it is much more expensive to book through a US ta

 

My guess is that X needs to control "local" pricing otherwise no one in the U.K. could afford to book X if it was always tied to $/£ conversion rates

 

At the moment those from the US or Canada may find it cheaper booking through the U.K. but with "NO CHANGES ALLOWED" .... you pays your money and make your choice !

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TBH the UK prices are not that different if you've always booked through the UK - for example my 1st cruise with X was 2 years ago @£3300 for 11 nights on Eclipse in a C3 inc classic drinks package (£300 per night) then last year a 14 nights on Eclipse in a C3 inc classic drinks package @ £4000 (£285 per night) and then this July a 10 night in a C3 on Refelection @£3300 inc drinks package and grats (£330 per night) and we have another booked for Oct, 10 nights on Eclipse inc drinks package and grats @ £330 (£330 per night)

 

We have looked at a 14 night on Sillouette next May to the Baltics in a C3 @ £4200 inc drinks package (£300 per night)

 

All prices based on per cabin for 2 people

 

In other words even though the UK currency exchange rate has collapsed since the Brexit vote last year U.K. pricing per night on X is very stable

 

2 years ago it was cheaper (because of exchange rate) if we had booked through a US travel agent, last year 6 and 2 threes and this year it is much more expensive to book through a US ta

 

My guess is that X needs to control "local" pricing otherwise no one in the U.K. could afford to book X if it was always tied to $/£ conversion rates

 

At the moment those from the US or Canada may find it cheaper booking through the U.K. but with "NO CHANGES ALLOWED" .... you pays your money and make your choice !

 

 

 

So you guys have no change options? Here we are paying a very high deposit, which we can cancel and get fully refunded all the way up to the full payment date, which I think is 3 months before cruise date. In your case, you make your deposit, which is not refundable at all? That makes it harder to plan far in the future cruises like ours which is Dec 2018.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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So you guys have no change options? Here we are paying a very high deposit, which we can cancel and get fully refunded all the way up to the full payment date, which I think is 3 months before cruise date. In your case, you make your deposit, which is not refundable at all? That makes it harder to plan far in the future cruises like ours which is Dec 2018.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

As I stated above, you would not get the price drops booking over here and you have a very long time for your prices to drop. You would also lose your deposit if you cancelled. Your cruise could have more than a dozen price drops in the time you have left before FP - not saying it will, but if it's slow moving, anything is possible. You have to be happy with your initial price to book over here.

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Have not been back to Ref since our cruise more than 2 yrs ago, out of Miami

 

If they no longer feature the Miami DJs and bongo drum, and party style CD that we experienced, that would be a positive change,,

 

Our cruise had mostly loud DJ music, crowds at the aft bar, Martini Bar and pools. Hopefully it has settled into a more mellow vibe..

 

We dined in BLU and had a positive experience...

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