NCHPcruiser

Only 8 Days!!!

We use Uber fairly often and generally don't tip. When we have the driver was generally surprised. We would always tip if the driver helped with luggage!

When I talked to the Shoreside Concierge yesterday regarding our cruise (Reflection) beginning next Saturday she indicated diet tonic would not be a problem at all. I had very few request and she kept making suggestions, some of which we took her up on. Now we will see what is actually in our suite when we arrive. If it everything is there, great but if not it's no big deal as I'm sure we can have our butler rectify the situation.

We tip most (if not all, depending on our experience during the cruise) of the people you mentioned. The Michaels Club concierge (Manuela on the Equinox 10/16) was wonderful. We didn't have any major problems really but whenever she heard us even mention something (last minute appt with future cruises, new room keys, smaller bills for tips, change in reservations, rectifying statement problems, etc.) she always insisted on doing this for us which made for a more relaxing cruise. We were in a Sky Suite on the Equinox and did not receive a call prior to embarkation (which we didn't expect).

When traveling with another couple we have booked Alcoves in but we would never consider paying $249 even with two couples. With just my husband and I on our next cruise in two weeks we haven't even considered getting one.

Thanks for the review! We will be aboard the Reflection in 11 days! Nice to know a little about the entertainment beforehand. I also enjoy the Persian Gardens!

Hi

Headed to the Caribbean on the Reflection next week. Any good book recommendations ?

Great thread! I am always looking for a good book and especially so before a cruise. I want to make sure I have one I'm looking forward to and one as a backup! Also, we might be on the same cruise. We are on the Reflection beginning 2/25.

A few good books I've read recently are:

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance (memoir)

Ordinary Grace by William Ken Krueger

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

I am Pilgrim: A Thriller by Terry Hayes (great book if you like thrillers! one of the best I've read recently)

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica really good-sort of a psychological thriller, if you like Gone Girl you might like this)

Love Warrier by Glennon Doyle Melton (memoir)

Any of Daniel Silva's novels!!

The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure

I just pulled up my library on my iPad and these are a few I could really recommend. They are all over the place as far as type! I've written down several others have mentioned as well. Thanks!

Martha

This is all very interesting. We are Elite (only after our last cruise) in a Sky Suite. Our next cruise is in a Royal Suite in two weeks (2/25) aboard the Reflection and have not been contacted at all!

Most definitely Celebrity! The S Class ships are beautiful and my favorite but with the right itinerary we are quite happy on an M-Class, (at least I think we are, have only been on the Summit, will be on the Millennium in June). S-class ships are in the 2800-3000 passenger range while M class is around 2000. Not all of the S class ships have the Lawn Club Grill (which we really like) or The Porch (looking forward to trying it in two weeks on the Reflection).

I have been on all of the S class ships except the Solstice. They are all very, very similar.

14 Days! I can hardly stand it!

If you're concerned with storage in the cabin, you could consider having one or two people pack in duffles which can be "smushed" down and folded to store in the rolling luggage under the bed.

I also second TravelPro for carry-on size. They can't be beat.

The two ships are way more alike than different. Obviously there is someone who doesn't like Equinox that does like the Reflection but unless you won't be happy unless you have the Lawn Club Grill or The Porch I just don't see much difference at all. We were on the Equinox for 14 days (Spain/Portugal) last September and enjoyed this cruise as much as or more than than our others. (We are relatively new to cruising. I have been on 6 and my husband, 3-all Celebrity. )

Thank you for your review!

I have been on the Equinox twice (my first Celebrity cruise) and the Reflection twice. You cannot go wrong with either!! Our last cruise was on the Equinox and our next cruise (in two weeks!) is on the Reflection. I am looking forward to Lawn Club Grill and The Porch but didn't really miss either while on the Equinox. Sushi on 5 was new and we loved it. Liked it much, much better than Bistro on 5. All of the S Class ships are wonderful!

Our experience has been that the bartenders in Michaels will try their best to accommodate whatever you want. My husband and a friend particularly liked the Zacapa rum in the World Class Bar and without asking, they had it the next day. We have never gone to Michaels for Afternoon Tea but whenever we would go prior to dinner we were always given a small plate with about three bite size appetizers. They tended to be the same over the course of the cruise and for the most part were just okay. We were informed by our butler on our last cruise in October that daily "appetizers" were no longer being delivered to SS's daily. He did on two separate occasions provide a plate of cheese, crackers and fruit when we had friends join us for sail away.

My husband and I believe the extra amenities included with a Sky Suite make it worth what we have had to pay (at least so far). We enjoy the extra space in the cabin, the slightly larger bathroom, Luminae and Michaels Club. Other than delivering our room service breakfast most mornings, we have not utilized our butler. The concierge in Michaels Club has been most helpful with anything we needed (new room cards, dinner reservations, appointment with Future Cruises so we didn't have to wait in line, changing larger bills to smaller ones when needed for end of cruise tips, etc. I think you will really like the Sky Suite, especially for an anniversary trip.

We have also been in Aqua class several times and would not hesitate to book these cabins again as we enjoy Blu.

We have booked both directly and with a TA (not online). We did not receive any extra onboard credit however when the price dropped twice prior to final payment it was very simple to shoot him an email and he was able to get us the lower price each time. Another time I noticed that similar cabins were being offered all four perks when we were only getting two and after a quick phone call he was able to get all four included. When we were unable to get through to Celebrity directly to book Alcoves prior to a cruise he was quickly able to have this done. So there are benefits other than onboard credit to booking with a good TA.

You may be younger than the median age, but there is plenty to do and the vibe is definitely not sedate like you might find on some other "higher end" cruise lines. Even on summer cruises there have been few children (not that it would have bothered us at all) but we have not done Caribbean cruises in the summer either. We would loved to have been on a Celebrity ship when we were a little younger!

Third vote for the chocolate soufflé in Murano!

I'm loving your review and your writing. It's too bad you're almost to the end! We will be aboard the Reflection later this month and can't wait for drinks in the World Class Bar. We, too, thinks it's fantastic! My husband and another friend did a Cocktail Class there and the bartenders are so knowledgable, professional and personable.

I am very much looking forward to reading your review over the next few days. We will be aboard the Reflection in four weeks and this review will just whet my appetite a little (or at least I hope it will!).

I am so glad I decided to look for reviews of this excursion on CC before booking it! I'm not sure what we will do that day, but will probably not go to Dunn's River! Prefer to stay away from long lines and crowds as much as possible. Thanks for the reviews!

Thanks for all of the suggestions and information! We have been on the Reflection before and dined in all of the specialty restaurants (including Sushi on 5 which we like) except The Porch so I am looking forward to a new dining venue. Our last cruise was on the Equinox and I missed the Lawn Club Grill so we are looking forward to that as well. Tuscan Grille has underwhelmed us the past two times so we might pass on it. My husband was very disappointed when they discontinued the table side Caesar salad.

The complimentary laundry, whether twice a week or unlimited will be nice but it's a shorter cruise so probably won't use it but once. It will be nice to have things pressed though.

We love having breakfast on the veranda and usually do each morning. Our first time in a sky suite we had the white tablecloth, etc. but the last time in a SS the setup was much simpler and no tablecloth.

Thanks again!

Martha

My husband and I (Elite) have rather unexpectedly sold our house (downsizing) and will be moving into an apartment (in one week!) until our next home is renovated. So we have rather impulsively booked a short Caribbean cruise in a Royal Suite on the Reflection in just a few weeks! To say that I am excited is an understatement. We usually plan our trips out well in advance.

Am I correct in assuming ( as the Celebrity website currently states) that we are entitled to unlimited Specialty Dining (does this include The Porch?), bar setup (2 bottles), included mini-bar and laundry twice? Anything else? We have been in a Sky Suite several times but never thought to have dinner in our cabin, however, with a proper dining table, perhaps we will.

We are a low key, undemanding couple (61 & 58) who like to have a good time. While we enjoy the extra space in a sky suite, our butlers have never stood out as special, in fact our last butler on the Equinox in September was not any better than our cabin attendants on my first Celebrity cruise (Aqua) 7 years ago despite giving him a very nice tip upon boarding. We rarely saw him.

Other than the extra space, is there anything else to look forward to or ask for?

Thanks!

Martha

Thank you, everyone, for your responses! Unfortunately it has not worked out business-wise for us to take this cruise. We would still like to take a shorter cruise on Oceania (10 days or so) to see if it's something we prefer. I have no doubt we would love cruising with Oceania, especially on one of the two large ships.

My husband and I (61 & 58, very active, easy going North Carolinians) are considering a last minute (at least for us) 10 day cruise in mid-March on the Marina (one of the two larger ships I believe). I have to decide in the next two days. We have recently sold our house, rather unexpectedly, and are living in an apartment until our new home is renovated. We wanted to downsize but not quite this much and I thought a cruise would be just the thing to look forward to!

We didn't start cruising until four years ago and love it. We are Elite on Celebrity and other than a StarClipper cruise many, many years ago Celebrity is the only cruise line we have been on. We usually get the Premium Beverage Package and enjoy going to the Specialty Restaurants. The past two cruises have been in a Sky Suite and we enjoyed their dedicated restaurant, Luminae very much. We might go to the nightly entertainment but big production shows do not interest us much.

While I feel quite certain we would be happy with the food and service what we are slightly concerned about on Oceania is the nightlife. After dinner we generally like another glass of wine or an after dinner cocktail and listen to music (preferably live), perhaps with someone we met earlier in the day/cruise, ending the evening around 10-11 pm, sometimes a little later if we have a sea day following. Will we be the only ones still up at that time?

What is the general nightlife like on Oceania? I keep reading "staid" (on other forums) but since I really do want to try Oceania I thought I would ask the experts.

Thank you for your input!

Martha

At least one person in our group of four always ordered something off of the MDR menu. We love Luminae but the menu is too limited and it didn't seem to be a problem for the waitstaff or other diners (who we became friends with and were also occasionally ordering off the MDR menu). It seemed we almost got too much attention instead of not enough! We would hate to see that option taken away.

We enjoy both Blu and Luminae. On a longer cruise we prefer a suite for the extra space and love that Luminae and Michaels come with that. (Having a butler is not a big deal for us.) But we are equally as happy on a shorter cruise in Aqua and dining in Blu. In fact, Blu is what sold me on cruising to begin with as I was a very reluctant cruiser. Our last cruise (in September on Equinox) we dined in Luminae with another couple traveling with us. At least one of us ordered one or more items off other menus each night.