chaps612

It was just waiting for us. And there was surprisingly plenty of room for three of us!

DH, DW and DD (14) all went on our fourth Celebrity cruise, twice on Reflection and Silhouette. All cruises were Caribbean. Pre-cruise, we stayed at the Comfort Suites off of Federal hwy. The hotel was fine but too noisy for our tastes and we will try something different next year. The area is not the greatest IMO.

Embark: As usual, we arrived around 1030. This turned out to be a great decision as the family we were meeting got stuck in a 2 plus hour wait due to a ship inspection and the gangway being shut down due to high winds. We prefer the layout of terminal 28 as terminal 25 was built for the Edge. We were through security and on to the ship by 1130. 

The Reflection is still in great shape and well maintained. We were in a C2 cabin on the hump. We had two chairs with foot stools and one full length lounger. We upgraded for a C3 and as usual, calling Celebrity was a coin toss. We've been told by some they will not upgrade you on a christmas cruise. Well, I called one day as it doesn't hurt to ask and was upgraded. What an awesome location! Our room steward was good but not great. Quick tip; DO NOT drink the bottle of Evian that is in the room. That was a $7 mistake made a few cruises ago. Had the premium drink package and thought I was okay. 

Our primary reasons for cruising are relaxation, good food and service. It was relaxing with great service here and not so much there. The food was very good with little complaints. The service in the MDR was excellent! We were anytime dining and had little problem getting our dinner time of 630 with the exception of the first chic night. We were very fortunate to find the best MDR server ever the first night!! Sanyo was incredible with both service and personality. I dished it out (bad humor) and he threw it right back at me. But, more importantly, he took great care of my family. He served my daughter the best beef curry that wasn't on the menu. The menu is becoming a little ordinary. I found it strange that they served lobster, duck and a beef wellington on Christmas. I wish they would have spread these out to other nights. Also, the embark lunch was the weakest ever as they usually serve grilled salmon but subbed in Trout that wasn't all that good. We ate breakfast just about every morning with our friends. The food was okay and service good. The company was great! I usually eat lunch everyday at the mast grill but the burgers weren't as good as usual. Could this be the decline that everyone seems to be talking about?? I'll find out next November. We ate only once at the speciality restaurants. Lawn Club Grill was a port day as there were fewer diners. The food and service were great! However, the $60 per person price tag is starting to raise eyebrows. Our 14 year old is becoming an extremely expensive date. We went with another family and the dads got to make pizza with our daughters which made it more memorable. However, the MDR was just fine for us. The buffet was good but nothing out of the ordinary with the exception of the congee which our daughter ate everyday for breakfast.

We are a low maintenance family with very few needs. Although the service was hit and miss, it did not deter us from a great cruise. The MDR as previously mentioned was awesome but areas that need improvement were the casino. I enjoy people with personality and friendliness but both were non-existent throughout this cruise. Cafe Al Bacio was great and we spent lots of time there. If Celebrity ever makes the decision to replace this venue then we will probably look to other cruise lines. The sunset bar had a great environment but the bartenders were not attentive. The young lady serving gelato probably should be somewhere that doesn't involve customer service. Guest relations were professional. There seemed to be more pool butlers and servers in the solarium and pool area. I just wish parents observed rules as there were three 5 years olds in the solarium unattended. Unacceptable! Our fellow passengers were varied and nice. 

Public areas are a Celebrity strong suit. The public bathrooms are the best I've ever seen but the scorned red rose still exists!! Smoking is limited to a few outdoor areas of the ship which is great for us non-smokers. The gym which I used for the first time ever was stocked with good equipment and was very clean. 

Our family went to activities to include trivia and games. I only wish Celebrity would utilize their own people that range from 50+ countries. They could provide more cultural events to include more language, food and general information from all of these different countries as the crew in many ways are a big part of making a good cruise great. While not our best cruise (we prefer Silhouette) it was a great time with friends and family. 

We were also on this cruise and I was waiting to hear someone else's perspective. We always come to the port at 1030 and I'm glad we did!! I agree with the OP that the MDR was very good. I'll post my own review but am glad others enjoyed this cruise.

Our family of three DH, DW and DD(13) took our first Christmas cruise on Celebrity last year and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We already booked this year on the Reflection which is a great ship. Last year was on the Silhouette western Caribbean. We were in Key West on Christmas day and there were plenty of businesses open. The ship was decorated very nicely and it felt festive enough for us. There were plenty of families on the cruise but no kids were running wild and unsupervised! The weather was perfect and in usual Celebrity style, nice and laid back.

c - please do not encourage these types of posters to come back. Let it be one post here and done, for the most part.

 

I do prefer posters who have beefs with X and/or its' services to do a complete review of the sailing and not hit on one or two factors unless there was bodily harm or something similar that took place.

 

bon voyage

You are absolutely correct!! I really dislike when individuals come on here and offer zero feedback on why a cruise was good or bad.

Avoid celebrity. Not what it once was.

Besides many issues like entertainment one worse than the other.

Tender in Shetland islands 2 hours to get off ship. Get very little time in port because not enough tenders.

Using 2 80 passenger tenders to get almost 3000 off the ship.

Stupid dump awful.

Have tenderd many ports pri

 

Princess, Cunard and others never such a stupid ridiculous experience.

Any line is better than Celebrity!!!!!

 

.

I hope you come back and elaborate on why Celebrity is awful based on more than just the tendering process. How was the food and why was it so terrible? The service staff were great, good or terrible? I tend not to put too much on posts such as these when such blanket statements are made on very little information. I've been on three Celebrity cruises and enjoyed them all as the service, food, fellow passengers are all fantastic!!

hi,

 

How can I upgrade from Classic to Premium beverage package? Can I do on the site?

 

Thank you.

If you booked directly with Celebrity then you can go online and do it through the cruise planner.

I looked before and didn't find the upgrade option. We have several weeks before we pay for the cruise. Does that make a difference? However, when I go online it does show our OBC.

 

Thanks for all the replies.

Go to your cruise planner and pick the plan you want. We like to upgrade before so we get the upgraded package on our sea passes instead of a sticker.

It looks like the common thread for those posting here is that the bad experience was on the Reflection.

Our very first Celebrity cruise was on the Reflection and it was a great cruise! We've done three cruises all on S class ships and they were all great! Perhaps my expectations are low or maybe Celebrity is a great cruise line. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

I have previously cruised on Celebrity with a similar itinerary. However, I have a few questions with regard to MSC. Is their buffet/MDR of decent quality? How does the drink package work? How would you compare the two lines overall? Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the feedback. I think we will hold off for the family vaca but will try it for the adults only.

 

 

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We've taken our daughter on three Celebrity cruises and she very much enjoys it. However, she isn't into the water slides and such but enjoys the teen club, good food and the S class design. And contrary to popular belief, there are plenty of other kids on board if going during high season. Other excellent reasons is Celebrity is mostly smoke-free and is very laid back. The Solarium is a great place to relax! I would try it once for yourselves. You may be surprised.

It's not just that passengers are exposed to different cultures but many passenger are from different cultures. The beauty of cruising particularly the big global brands, is that the passenger mix is international. Add to that the crew that, you also have the dynamic of the ship reflecting a wide range of cultures from around the world. Comfort food in the USA may be meat and potatoes, but there are many cultures it will be something completely different.

I watched a recent programme on Netflix which looked at the galley operations of an RCI ship. One of the segments was on the crew restaurants and the fact that meals have to be prepared that reflect the crews needs. Watching it I felt it was a pity that some of these meals could not be made available in the OVC. On my first sailing on Celebrity, there was a crew party to celebrate the independence of a country of origin for a significant number of the crew. A feast was planned. Learning this, I begged and begged to have some of this food as it reflected by own background. Eventually I got this meal and it was authentic and really delicious. It was just such a shame that other passengers did not get to eat this because many would have enjoyed it.

You are absolutely correct with regard to different cultures and what they consider comfort food. I was responding to the OP who made reference to US comfort food. And yes, I love traveling in an international environment not only for my wife and I but so our teenage daughter can be exposed to other cultures.

I only see one relevant reason to post to a thread of this nature. It's to let other new cruisers know that it is only one opinion speaking. I'm fairly new to cruising and have three Celebrity cruises under my belt. The poor meals I've had on Celebrity have been breakfast which I thought was the one meal that was impossible to screw up. The MDR food is usually very good and the service fair to excellent. It's great that they have exotic food such as escargot and frog legs. However, if I want comfort food then I just glance to the other side of the menu and get steak and potatoes. The hamburgers at the Mast grill are very good with a cold beer! Need something sweet then Cafe Al Bacio is a must!! I'm a fairly simple eater but have been exposed to many different cultures to include their food (Asian, European, Middle Eastern) and find Celebrity has very good food. Some, but maybe not all negative posters will always look for something to complain about whether it be the food, the stains they found on some furniture or worn carpet in their bedroom. Thankfully, the Western culture offers us so many options to choose from.

Are your orders taken when you are seated, or do you have to wait for the entire table to fill before ordering? Are any small tables available? Is complimentary wine served as RCI does for the back to back cruisers lunch?

My family of three was seated by ourselves last time on the Silly and was served rather quickly. We had the drink package so wine was included. It is a relaxing way to start the cruise.

Back to Back, roundtrip Hong Kong and Hong Kong to Shanghai.

 

Ask me anything.

Would love to hear everything. Did you stay in Shanghai post cruise or leave same day? How was the ship? I am a S class guy so no very little about M class. What time did you embark in Hong Kong for your China cruise?

:D I am not that fast :D

 

We just returned last Monday. Writing the review will take a few weeks (at the moment more like months)...

So if you have any questions in the meantime, just shoot.

So that you cleared up my visa issues, which is much appreciated, do you have any experience with S class ships? I enjoy the Solarium but understand the pool is much smaller on M class. It's minor I know. This ship will be more of a hotel than anything else (except for the 6 sea days). What was it like on the colder days at sea? Were other areas of the ship congested? I'm used to Caribbean weather so this will be much different. Any suggestions on post cruise hotels? I can't wait to see your photo review much like your Japan cruise!!

Just came back from the Korea and China cruise last week.

 

Visa:

Carefull! The visa exemption (144 h transit) only applies if you are not visiting another Chinese port!

I think you are confusing ports! Tianjin is the port of Beijing (not Shanghai) and Baoshan is the port of Shanghai. They are 11 hours by car apart!

If you are visiting Tianjin/Beijing before debarkation in Baoshan/Shanghai (as we did) you will need a visa (multiple entry or long term) !!!

Yes, both ports have a visa exemption rule. However, it does not apply arriving from or leaving to one from the other. There is a "three country rule". Some guest on board did not believe it before and had to learn the hard way ;-)

 

Baoshan port to PVG airport is a one hour drive. Taxi cost is around 250 CNY (40 USD).

 

I would NOT recommend an early flight in Shanghai on the day of debarkation. Both times we sailed into Shanghai we did not get into port before 2 pm (fog, wind, suspended pilot operations). And it seems to be a frequent thing...

Clearance and debarkation took another 2 hours. We had a flight around midnight - so no worries.

 

We can highly recommend China Highlights for tours in Beijing!

 

Seoul (Keelung port): Yes, there are tours to the DMZ.

 

Just shoot if you have any other questions.

Thanks so much for the info! I'll now factor in obtaining Chinese visas. Can you send me your link to your trip report specifically for China/Korea? I saw your report for Japan but don't recall your China/Korea report. If I overlooked it then I apologize. I'm sure that will answer any other questions I may have.

Our family of three is planning a cruise on the Millennium next March. We've only sailed S class ships in the Caribbean so this is a totally new experience for us. I think I understand the 144 hour china visa rule as we sail into the port of Tianjin and fly out of Shanghai the day we port. Biggest question is how much time to allow from port to PVG airport? Celebrity is telling me 2 pm is the earliest flight we should take. Problem being that there are few flights direct to the states after that (we prefer Delta). Secondly, any tour guide recommendations? I'm looking at Tianjinporttours and they seem legit. Not so important is the the ship but what are the comparisons with S class (Silly and Reflection)? This is our daughter's heritage trip as she was born in China and want to this to give her life long memories. Almost forgot about Seoul. Is there any chance of going to the JSA? Thanks in advance for the replies.

We have cruised Celebrity three times (Reflection, Silly x2). We thoroughly enjoyed our experiences. We are foodies and have traveled extensively in Europe, Middle East and Asia and enjoy the Celebrity food offerings. Our teen daughter enjoys the vibe and wife and I enjoy the peace and quiet. We also enjoy the all inclusive package they offer with Go BEST. It's not that we are getting free drinks. Nothing is for free! It just makes our vacation that much more enjoyable and relaxing. It's not hard to see the difference in classes (suites vs everyone else). I could care less. They paid for it. I read a lot of reviews on CC and every cruise line has the same review which is the classic "I felt nickle and dimed." We have realistic expectations as we research before we go. Celebrity is non-smoking with few exceptions. This is appealing to us. As for the OP, I hope you enjoy your Viking cruise. When our daughter leaves the nest then we will probably try Azamara or Regent for a classier experience. But, there is probably a reason why that Celebrity is the highest rated line outside of Disney (way more money) or the exclusive lines (child haters). We are trying our first M class cruise to China next year. I'm hoping it will be as good as S class but the itinerary is the experience and not the ship.

Aside from video poker, does the casino have any tables for No Limit Hold'em?

There is one table for hold em. They have tournament games on sea days during the day and no limit at night starting at 9 pm. It is not electronic as there is an actual dealer!

We boarded out of Fort Lauderdale at 1045. Why wait to start your vacation?? And the lines were short as it took 5 minutes to get our cards and another 15 after that to actually get on board.

Hi new to Celebrity. We just booked our first Celebrity cruise and we booked room A1 9207 balcony room on the Reflection. Is this a bigger balcony than normal because of the angle? Also its seems to be on a hump. Pros cons?Anyone stay in one of these rooms? Info would be much appreciated, thanks.

We just did a hump on the Silhouette and loved it! The location near the elevators and extra space on the balcony was great! And didn't cost us any extra as we booked a C3 and upgraded for free.

Just came off of our Christmas cruise. Showed up at the port (FLL) at 1030 and was onboard by 1045. It wasn't crowded at all.

Is it possible to get a table for two at this lunch ?

If the seating is that guests are directed to fill up large tables, we will be going elsewhere for lunch.

We are accustomed to embarkation lunch on Princess where a request for a two top is always satisfied.

We were a party of three and were seated by ourselves so I imagine you could make such a request.

Has anyone done the new Concierge class welcome aboard lunch in the MDR? Is it worth losing your chairs at the pool? Is it a different menu or the same food as the buffet? We're sailing on Infinity in October. DH likes to stake a place at the pool. I kinda want to check it out, but don't know if it's worth it.

We’ve done it twice. The first back in March on the Silhouette was one of our best meals which had nice ambiance. We just returned on the 31st same ship and it was average as the food was ok and they seated us on the dock side which had lousy views. The lunch starts at 1130 so you might be able to have the best of both worlds.