cruisestitch

Thanks for posting. While there have been some other commentaries about Reflection, it is good to hear another voice independently corroborating the others' remarks.

No they would not be covered.

Packages do not include room service. Having the butler get it is room service.

"Oh, and one other thing about 6145, you will be on the dock side for every port, which gives a nice view of the city, or village."

I disagree -- there is no way of knowing which side of the ship will be facing the land at any given location -- even on B2B2B where the same pier is visited on all three cruises, there was variation from one itinerary to the next.

FWIW the sauna is free to all passengers.

Be sure to explore completely what comes with Aqua Class and that might help you decide.

On Summit, the connecting balconies don't open either.

If this is a deal-breaker for you, you'll need to book on an S class ship.

Wonderful photos!

No, there is no specific coffee package.

It is not possible to have "non package days" interspersed within the other days of your cruise. Once you purchase the package it is in force from that point forward to the end of the cruise. You don't have to purchase it on day one, but you can't just buy days 1, 3, 5 as an example.

Yes, I have made that transfer to FCO, and I know that 20 minutes' difference can be a big deal. The private drivers from RomeCabs and Rome In Limo are great, but delays on the road are common, and then that 45 minute-to-an-hour trip turns into a nail-biter.

But is it "ample time?" I would say, no. It will be possible if everything goes perfectly. Keep your fingers crossed.

You have set yourself into a very difficult situation. You might wish that you had asked before you booked that flight!

You have at least a 45 minute to an hour drive to get to the airport.

Flying internationally, you should be there two hours before the flight.

While the ship docks at 5 a.m., you probably won't be allowed off for at least an hour, possibly more.

You should prepare for self-disembarking, which means you must move your luggage without any assistance from Celebrity.

It's going to be cutting it very, very close. What is your Plan B if you miss that flight?

Yes, I was confused by that word as well.

There is no limit on the number of drinks you can buy per day, so in that sense there is no "allowance"

There is a limit on the price of the drinks -- depending on the package. So maybe they meant that you could easily find drinks that are higher than the allowed price (expensive wines by the glass, special cocktails) and thus would be above the "allowance" in price.

"To those who have experience with these packages, say I wanted to shout some mates a round of drinks!? I know the package isn't to be shared, and I'm not wanting to get free drinks for everyone but is it actually possible to buy people drinks if you have the package for yourself?? I'd hate to not be able to shout a few rounds just because I have the package. :/"

Sure -- just hand your card to your server and say "I'd like to buy my friends a round of drinks" and he/she will charge it to your SeaPass card.

But keep in mind that no one will need to buy YOU a drink if you have a package -- be sure to let your friends know that -- and while it isn't the usual procedure, since no one will be standing you for drinks, you might not feel the need to buy drinks for your friends in this case. But if you are feeling in a generous mood and you want to pay for their drinks, I'm sure they'll smile and say "thanks, mate!"

But don't just consider your alcohol consumption. Do you like to drink a lot of bottled waters? Do you drink special coffees or teas? Account for them as well

With the classic package you can order any drink up to $8 (US) in price -- as many as you want, all day long, soft drinks, bottled waters, coffee drinks, beer (up to $5 as noted), wine, mixed drinks, anything at that price point.

With the premium package you can order any drink up to $12 (US) in price.

With the premium package, if you want something over $12 you pay the difference on your SeaPass card.

The package price is per person. Packages are not to be shared.

You'll find all kinds of opinions from past cruisers. Some thought that they never got their money's worth. Others thought that they definitely got their money's worth. Even those who thought that they might not have ordered enough drinks to "break even" said that the convenience factor was significant to them.

YMMV

I'll go with the smoking policy -- no interior smoking (casino, bars, restaurants, staterooms) -- no balcony smoking.

Most new and inexperienced cruisers aren't aware, unless they read Cruise Critic and other similar sites, that the shopping guide is not employed by Celebrity. That person is hired by the shops which pay to be listed on the shopping map. They work for those shops, not for you! Thus all their advice is suspect. After a few cruises, people figure it out, but the first-timers are sitting ducks, so to speak.

As I already wrote the Global Entry website says:

Q: Where can Global Entry cards be used for border crossing?

A: Global Entry cards are Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative compliant documents for land and sea travel.

That being said, no one so far has seen it in use at any cruise port.

That's not quite consistent with the Global Entry FAQ, which only refers to airports, but not necessarily contradictory, either. My experience is that you may not see actual CBP personnel until nearly at the front of the line anyway at busy cruise ship ports. Prior to getting near the CBP booths, you see only port employees or cruise ship employees, and I would doubt that any of them would let you jump the queue. I remember a huge delay at Ft. Lauderdale last March, where it took nearly an hour to snake through after picking up luggage, as there was a shortage of CBP personnel to man the entry booths that day. Give it a try and let us know how it works. What port will you be entering?

Q: As a Global Entry program member, or NEXUS or SENTRI member with the Global Entry benefit, do I get head of the line privilege at U.S. airports where Global Entry kiosks are not available?

A: The head of the line privilege is only available at the 20 U.S. airports that have Global Entry kiosks. The head of the line privilege is reserved for program members if the kiosks are out of service, get referred to a CBP officer and at the egress/exit points.

interesting question --

from the Global Entry FAQ

Q: Where can Global Entry cards be used for border crossing?

A: Global Entry cards are Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative compliant documents for land and sea travel.

However only airports are listed as having kiosks.

Did the CBP officer give you any details or instructions?

There really is no good way to e-mail any staff or crew or officer unless they have previously decided to share their e-mail address with you. Some of them post on Facebook and you can search there on the off chance you might see them.

I also vote for having you and your travel companion sitting in seats that are "aisles across". Having that empty space between you as you turn and face each other to speak seems to be a decisive factor in feeling like you aren't hemmed in. While looking out the window is nice in that it gives you a sense of wide open space, having someone sitting so close next to you, even your beloved, might not be such a good thing. Being able to see all the way up and down the aisle can give you a feeling that you are in the middle of a wide, open vehicle and you can get up easily and walk around if you begin to feel "jumpy"

Sorry I didn't provide the CD .... Yes still Steve Gayda now. Jann Ramos is also correct i believe. I had forgotten her first name but once I saw it written it came back to me. I packed all the dailies so will double check when I get my suitcase open.

As of August 2012 Connie's Master is Captain Frantzis, HD is Julian Brackenberry , chef is Olivier Tridivic, Guest Relation is Jann, Graeme is CC Host.

They are not portholes -- they are usually large square windows, and with the recent refurbishment, some are oversized circular windows. When you look at photos of the exteriors of the ship and see portholes, those are not passenger cabins, that is all crew area.