Lovesealife

We did it in November on the Equinox. It was called studio portraits and they told us that eventually it would all move to that format. It was one session that lasted 1-2 hours. It began in the studio and he then followed us around the ship taking shots outside. We were lucky to have a rainbow during that time!  You then go back a few days later to review and select your pictures. The experience was really fun but the prices were high. We had a good amount of onboard credit to make it worth it. 

15 hours ago, chicagopaul said:

Good Morning everyone! Currently we are sitting at Cafe Bacio waiting on an americano to bring us back to life. Before we get into last night let me briefly explain our upgrade situation. 
 

As you know we originally booked a concierge class cabin. 
 

There is a butler on the reflection that we’ve known for years. We knew him from about 10 years ago when he was a bartender and have cruised with him many times and have remained friends on social media. He is an amazing guy. We told him we were coming on board and yesterday when we were headed back to our cabin around 2pm he was there waiting to greet us. We chatted and caught up. I made a passing joke about wishing we would have upgraded to a suite and he said he could get the pricing to do so. He made a call, gave us the $ number, and 10 minutes later we moved to cabin 9301. A beautiful corner sky suite. And the best part is he is our butler! His name is Chairul and he is absolutely amazing. Our state room attendant is Laliana and she is equally amazing. 
 

So that is how we quickly made the upgrade happen. And as far as the flowers go yes those were complementary in the concierge cabin! 

We love Chairul! We met him at the Sunset Bar on Reflection. When we learned he was at the Passport  bar in the afternoon we had our whole crew join him to keep him company. Ask him about his antics with the music speakers for the ballroom dancing!

3 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

This is a picture of Domnic.

 

Yes he was taking care of us as well the week of 11/22 on the Silhouette along with Agung. We loved them both! Make sure to get them to sing for you! 

So excited to follow this review! We just got off the Silhouette on 12/1. We loved Agung in Luminae! Ask for him if you can. He will sing for you and is  quite animated. Tell him you are looking forward to the squab (while doing your best bird impression) and Mike and Lori say hello. Claudia and Gilbert are also excellent assistant waiters. This group had the best synergy we've seen on any ship! I'm looking forward to hearing about your interactions with them!

I was so excited to come home and see this yesterday. After a long day I was like yes! We get to go on a journey with Paul and Edward! I am looking forward to following along! Thank you for sharing so we can live vicariously through you!

We did a Chef's Table on the Reflection and it was a great experience.  We started at the Wine Bar for champagne and then proceeded to a galley tour of both the main dining room and Murano.  From there our group of 10 (including 2 ship officers) were brought into a private room in Murano.  They took pictures and had them developed and presented to us along with the menu by the end of our dinner.  The wine was fantastic and definitely a step up from what we could get during a normal dinner at Luminae.  There was a 1985 porto with dessert and a 2008 St. Emilion Grand Cru that was fantastic!  We did enjoy the food and have no negative comments though there was not anything that absolutely stood out as a must have.  We did a Chef's Table years ago on the RCCL Allure that we still rate as one of the best meals we have ever had.  While the food was better there, the experience was better on Celebrity.  Hope that helps!

I got hurt on an S-class ship in November 2018 and the wheel chair provided did not fit through the doorway. There was also the struggle of limited room by the bed and the step up into the bathroom. I would recommend an accessible room as others have. 

14 hours ago, SoccerMom#3 said:

Last week on the transatlantic sailing the NFL football games were on the ESPN channels and the extra sports channel on the room TVs.  I was so happy to see my Broncos....until they lost the game

Thank you! We watched the Broncos win the super bowl from a cruise stateroom!

Paul, thank you so much for another fantastic review.  We enjoy traveling along and hope to meet you in our travels one day! You are getting us pumped to board the Reflection on Nov 16th. Quick question... do you know if they are playing the NFL football games anywhere on the ship?

Paul yes Nenad is the guy we know from about 4 yrs ago and Eclipse last year—the photo confirms it . He really is a nice guy.

It is wonderful when something special is done for you.

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise

Liz

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We sail in sky suites on Celebrity and sailed in an aft facing penthouse suite on the NCL Gem. As far as size the rooms are comparable. We did not like the configuration of the penthouse. There was a little hallway where the closets, drawers and dressing table were all located. If one person has a drawer or closet open the other cant get by. We were constantly tripping over each other. Also the furnishings and decor seemed almost gaudy to us. Someone else mentioned sky suites feeling more "light and airy". This is definitely true. I found the aft corner sky suite to have more of an open, accessible layout. Our aft balcony on the Gem was also far more narrow than the aft corner sky suite balconies. On a positive note for NCL the suite service was fantastic- they treat their suite guests like royalty.

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The Central Park Cafe is a great option for soups/sandwiches for lunch. Also a great snack after a port day to avoid the chaos of the windjammer. Make sure to try the roast beef sandwich! Aft on deck 5 is a nice spot to relax and the piano bar is a fun spot at night.

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Good Evening Everyone. We had a wonderful dinner in a Murano tonight. We enjoyed the production show and I even snapped some photos for you of the show. Tomorrow is Malaga but we don’t dock until 11:30 so I’ll update you all on tonight’s activities from the pool bar in the morning.

 

Before I go to bed I just want to make one comment. Tonight Edward and I were sitting in the theater for the 7pm show and there was a man sitting in the row in front of me. He was probably in his late 60s or just over 70. He kept looking behind him, behind us up at the entrance to the theater with an anxious look on his face. Eventually after 5 minutes the woman he was waiting for showed up and he looked like a kid in a candy store. I couldn’t help but notice they looked as if they were on their first date. I suppose that literally could be the case haha, but I’d assume they’ve been together for more than a week. Anyway, between seeing how happy they were and watching a show which I very much enjoyed, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with a simple sense of contentment. At this point, at the beginning of the show, I looked at Edward, I looked at the couple in front of us, I looked at the gorgeous cast (they’ve really been recruiting ridiculously good looking dancers and singers!), and I looked at the beautiful room around me and I simply thought ‘there is no where else I’d rather be right now.’ We all have these thoughts from time to time but this evening it hit me in a way I can’t explain. I keep thinking about the smile of the man in front of me when he saw his wife, girlfriend, mistress or whatever haha, and there was something about it that just cleared my mind and made me appreciate everything around me.

 

If you’re still reading this thank you for bearing with me. I just wanted to share that with you all because it is random moments like that which is why I love traveling and it is moments like that which make me fall in love with life all over again.

 

Ok so sappy talk is over. I’ll check in with you from the pool bar in the morning.

 

 

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I don't feel inundated at all! I excitedly await each post and picture! Keep them coming!

 

 

 

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Ok. No Problem. I was fortunate enough to book my suite (in March 2019) before they started charging the 18% on the beverage packages. Now everyone has to pay the 18%.

Yes we had the same luck as you. [emoji1] We loved the suite service on NCL, absolutely fantastic!

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What tax on the perks are you referring to?? Other than a slightly higher daily service charge I have not had any higher taxes on any perks.

My bad you are correct. The additional amount is 18% gratuity on the beverage package. This is what happens when I multi-task at work!

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Does your cruise line offer luggage valet? Your bags are sent from the ship to the airport. We love it so We can enjoy our last day without dragging luggage around.

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Absolutely, NCL treats their suite guests like royalty- priority embarkation (with private room), priority disembarkation, priority tender, butler (even give you a phone to carry around the ship if you need anything while out) and concierge, priority tender and suites only breakfast/lunch venue. You also get all of the perks included and a suite cocktail party with the captain. Only downside is you have to pay tax on the perks.

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I would say first and foremost that Celebrity is more low key than NCL. We like Celebrity to relax, unwind, enjoy champagne on the balcony at sunset, etc. On NCL we found we were running around more to see this show or that performance. Persian room is nice but NCL takes the cake with that hydrotherapy pool. They do not have this on S-class ships. There is Jacuzzi, thermal loungers, steam room and sauna. The dining may be well worth it though. Also look at sky suites- if you are foodies you will love to dine at Luminae. They are more expensive but they include all 4 perks. Otherwise a concierge class balcony will get you priority check in, 2 perks and a special lunch upon embarkation. Yes you can use your obc for specialty restaurants and order multiple items. The ships are comparable as they are sister ships, you will love either one! Entertainment usually includes one show for each dinner sitting nightly, game shows and various musical acts throughout the ship. They dobsome specialty parties like 80s and disco night for example. They also have the silent disco which I find odd haha. Hope this answers some of your questions. We have sailed both lines and find Celebrity far superior.

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Hi Jules it's Lori and Mike from the April cruise! Just curious where you do your daily check. We are booked in Equinox in the spring and have been eyeing the corner aft suites. Of course the website has not been the best source to see what is actually available.

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The S-class ships are much more mellow than the Oasis class ships. While there are a variety of shows to choose from on Oasis class, S-class has one show each night for early and late dinner seating. I knew going in this would be far more low-key so we really did enjoy the time to kick back and relax rather than be constantly entertained. Tip- bottle of champagne on the balcony watching the sunset was better than any show!

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Purchase the internet package on the ship and download an app called whatsapp to your phone's. This will enable you to message and call each other over Wi-Fi. Make sure to keep the phones on airplane mode so you are using Wi-Fi and not data. Happy sailing!

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Did you get to have drinks and sandwiches at the pier?

 

 

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Yes, in NY it was a pretty nice set up, we were pleasantly surprised.

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You cannot be on the Solstice since that ship is sailing the Alaska itineraries. You are probably on a Solstice class ship, but depending on which one, they differ in the restaurants on board. Although you need to be in an Aqua Class room to access the Persian Garden there are saunas and steam rooms in the locker rooms available to all for no charge. Since you will be Elite on Celebrity (do get your Captains Club set up before you go) you will get a one day pass to the Persian Garden on a port day.

 

 

The Martini Bar is on all Celebrity ships. There will be 2 Evening Chic (which means anything you want it to mean) nights vs formal nights.

 

 

Enjoy!

We were on Reflection recently and the sauna in the locker room was available free of charge but not the steam room. If you are interested in both you can pay for a pass for the week- there are a limited number of passes available on the first day so get there early! They also have the heated thermal loungers which are amazing.... instant nap!

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Wow this is so great.... you could do commercials! Thanks for sharing!

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