misterkevin

I read your meticulously written review with zeal as we embark on the same itinerary in 10 days. Thank you for your keen authorship and more for your gloriously detailed photographic compositions. That you took these with a handheld phone is astonishing— you have the eye of an artist. I greatly appreciate your contribution.👏👏👏

@groryjm Thanks for this detailed review of your experiences in the Retreat. We embark in 3 weeks for our virgin voyage on the Reflection. You join a chorus of reviews about slower service in Luminae due to the extra suites on the ship. I was wondering if you found that Luminae was slower at certain times of the evening? Was service better in the specialty restaurants? We might consider a dining package since we are not in an upper level suite this itinerary. Another nit you pointed out about the Boulud Moroccan chicken tagine was exactly my experience in March on the Summit, and far inferior to the same dish on the Equinox in 2019 when it was juicy and flavorful. That's a tragedy, and I'm sure he'd take his name off the dish if he tasted it nowadays. I found it funny that the bar manager suggested batching cocktails in Michael's. Is it that busy? Do you have to wait long for service there as well? Premade cocktails can work well for a large party, but make no sense in a private club.

You should find C. O. Bigelow products in your bath. They are in larger bottles in the shower to reduce the plastic waste. There's a body wash, shampoo, and conditioner as well as a small hard hand soap. At the vanity you should find hand soap, lotion, and lip balm. They are very good quality, mildly scented with lavender and peppermint.

We had Boulud's Moroccan chicken in Luminae on the Summit in March. It was definitely not prepared sous vide. It was unfortunately dry but not tasteless. This is not a Boulud signature dish, and I'm confident he would take his name off this dish if he tried it when I did. It was much better on the Equinox when we had it in 2019. That being said, the I can confirm that the Daniel Boulud carrot prawn veloute soup and raspberry pistachio vacerin are delicious. The first looks plain but is bursting with flavor, and the dessert is light and beautiful to behold.