Georgia_Peaches

I would definitely go! Where is the Beyond porting? Is it feasible for you to get there with relative ease? I’m not familiar with a “Mystery”cruise. How does it work?

Thank you for posting. Following with great interest. Safe travels!

One thing I have found to be very consistent is that you can’t base a travel decision (in this case a booking on Reflection) on the experiences of others on cruises either before or after yours occurs. I look at each sailing as independent of the previous voyage. Each will have its own unique nuisances. Your stateroom attendant may be a go getting perfectionist who loves to go the extra mile while the attendant a few doors down, not so much. Your server in the MDR could be top of the line while someone else may get a newly arrived and jet lagged novice. Each experience will be unique. It’s why the reviews are so varied from ship to ship and voyage to voyage. While I respect OP’s experience on Equinox, I sailed her in July in a Standard veranda and had a fabulous cruise…even though they were testing vaping in the casino at the time. My point is, keep looking forward to your upcoming cruise with no booking regrets. Your experience will be largely what you make it and will undoubtedly be different from the next person and the next and the next. Reflection is a great ship!

While I'm sure it makes for good people watching, I've never personally seen that happen. OP said he wasn't aware that the WCB only served from a set menu and if one isn't familiar with the craft cocktail concept of the WCB, they wouldn't know. The customer service oriented bar tender would politely explain and advise of a different bar. JMO

It wouldn't be appropriate for me to repeat what DH said it reminded him of...to clean it up, it was the French word for dairy air...oops!

There seems to be a certain type of arrogance associated with the bar tenders at the World Class Bar. They only make what’s on the menu. Like you, I found them to be unfriendly. The WCB on E class (at least on Ascent) however, is a full service bar. They make the craft cocktails plus whatever else one may desire. We also find the Ensemble lounge to be dark with a heavy atmosphere. It’s funny because several years ago, like in 2015, I thought it was very posh, with almost a speak-easy type of vibe. My taste has changed but Equinox is stuck in a design time-warp and is in need of a refresh. Your dining experience is disappointing. While style and decor are out of the hands of the chefs and servers, presenting quality, hot food can be controlled and can also go a long way to make up for shortcomings in other areas. Im glad you made your thoughts known to Celebrity. I doubt you will hear from them. Thanks for sharing!

@Stem to Stern there is another thread indicating that the Retreat Lounge is now up charging passengers for wine/drinks that exceed the premium package limit. The post was made on a different site by a passenger currently there with you on Summit. This could be a misunderstanding, nasty rumor, or just complete misinformation. Can you confirm? If I missed where you already addressed this, please forgive me 😊.

I'm impressed with how the Summit looks in the pics you've posted. Her décor seems pretty and fresh. How's your butler/Retreat Host service been thus far?

I’ve found smoke in that area while passing by at a brisk pace to be ambient. Not something that hindered my exercise routine.

Actually, I think the E class solo rooms are pretty spacious and even have an IV. I haven’t been in One personally but have seen some video tours on YouTube. And I agree with your “just like taxes..” sentiment but just wanted to throw out options.

Have you considered a solo cabin on an E class ship? NCL also offers solo cabins.

I read what you’re saying but cannot presume to know better than the captain of the ship who undoubtedly has more information than any of us here…maybe @chengkp75 will chime in with some insight.

Great first impression pics! That Luminae burger is still mooing IMO but glad you enjoyed it! 😊

I think I understand what you're saying but I just have to say that we found the clientele to be very classy on our Ascent Caribbean cruise...and it was a 4 nighter followed by a 3 nighter..which typically lean toward booze cruises. Having said that...maybe I'm the different clientele to which you're questioning 😁😂.. PS..I'm really just kidding!

This would be a concern for me as well. Glad you aren't feeling much of the movement. I'm following a live review on another thread, which is also impacted by the weather in the Caribbean. Since you mentioned Beyond and are now on Granduer I wonder if you could comment on anything you might miss in terms of ship amenities that are on Celebrity that are not on Granduer..due to size of ship. I ask because we were so Impressed with Ascent after being dissatisfied with the Celebrity product, that we briefly considered cancelling our Granduer cruise for Ascent for nearly the same itinerary next year. We decided to keep the booking but I'm just curious if there are things you miss. For example, I enjoy the casino. I know the casino is vastly smaller on RSS but are you enjoying the entertainment over all?

Yes, we enjoyed the prime rib as well! It was fork tender.

Not sure about USDA grading but DH graded it a C+. Fine Cut steakhouse was a solid B. Perhaps on the up charged beef, you may get Choice. I don't recall seeing Prime but I could be mistaken.

@Stem to Stern I am so disappointed to read that you didn't get to experience the private island. It is my absolute favorite of all the private islands. It's just so beautiful with so many spaces to spread out, it never feels crowded. And the YC outdoor dining restaurant is just lovely. We were on Seaside in August and had an overnight at Ocean Cay. There was a bonfire on the beach overlooking the lighthouse and the laser show is quite nice as well. If nothing else, you MUST book again just to experience the PI. DH and I walked the entire island for exercise and then rewarded ourselves with a cocktail at the lighthouse bar. The YC beach area is surprisingly the least favorable beach IMO but the sand and water on the other side of the island near the outdoor spa is pristine. Best part of all, while the ship is docked at OC all the on board ship facilities remain open...shops, casino, everything! Anyway, I hope you enjoy your last day on board...safe travels back to Miami...I look forward to chapter two of this live review! GP

As I am in my hot stage of life, that would be just fine with me. I dare say, DH sleeps with a stocking cap to avoid the cold of our room. No exaggeration. I can't help it 💁‍♀️!

We did as well. As a matter of fact, we spent a great deal of time at the World Class bar overlooking the Martini Bar and enjoying the music. The craft cocktails are great but even some of those are now priced over the $17 limit. One thing I noticed was that this bar was full service with the bartenders serving wine as well as other cocktails that weren't on the bar menu. I told DH that I thought that the WCB on S class ships only served what was on their cocktail menu. I could very well be misremembering but I was impressed with the full bar set up on Ascent.

But it does give others some perspective on individual experiences as well as allow for seasoned travelers to chime in with what can be very valuable suggestions....like giving specific names of personnel on board with whom to speak about issues. This is a great story and I'm impressed that they made right by you! Lots of people will say that once you leave the ship, writing to exec office about a past experience doesn't really amount to much because the cruise is over. Glad this wasn't the case for you. Thanks for sharing!

Oh boy! I literally gasped when I read your post. I'm so sorry! Thank you for the warning. I'm sure lots of people have great luck and smooth sailing with FBC but you've hi-lighted once again why I think I will steer clear...Planning travel is stressful enough and if it means one more thing to remember, I think I'll pass. I'm surprised you didn't get any reminders about payment but if your rate was much lower than the going rate now, I guess they figured they could rebook the room at current rates and make more money. I hope you find an alternative cruise!

We were expecting some as well...particularly because we looked at the pre-maiden voyage as a "practice cruise". One of the big stand outs from OP's initial impression of Granduer is the boarding process. Boarding lines just aren't a thing with Celebrity...we arrived early and were curb to ship in 15 minutes. It's good to read that others are not having some of the same issues as OP and I am glad to know that personnel on board are approachable and hopefully eager to rectify any problems.

Oh no! I couldn’t wait to open this post and read a report…wasn’t expecting this! We are scheduled for a Granduer sailing in 2025 and are mostly Celebrity cruisers as well. We just finished the first voyage on the new Celebrity Ascent and when I say it was nothing short of perfect, it’s no exaggeration. I would expect the same for you! I’m following with great interest and hope things improve!

When is the maiden voyage and are there any life reviews?