oldtownjns

I've done a suite on both and suggest you look at the suite product on Celebrity instead. Better than the Haven and much better than the suite product on Royal. Just my opinion....

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I've stayed at the Marriott Pinnacle which is very convenient to the port and also check out the St. Regis. It is a charming boutique hotel and has a free breakfast and wine hour in the evening. You can sometimes get a good rate.

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The hot tub on the balcony is big enough for 1 person and the butler has to fill it each time you use it. My daughter used it but not my husband or myself.

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A few of the new Uniworld super ships have a solo cabin

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Agree with russg. We have only used it once in a Royal suite. Was not what we expected.

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Viking is notorious for bad air policy. I'm in the "business". I know.

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You can do a group (less than 6 people) lesson for $69 each for an hour or $500+ for a private lesson. Otherwise, no cost.

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You can also rent a locker. $16 for a small one, but you don't have to worry about it.

We were there yesterday.

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Murano

I felt perfectly safe in Kusadasi/Ephesus in early August and I was traveling with a 13 year old daughter (and my husband). Yes, parts of Turkey are quite dangerous and we'd all be wise to avoid them, but avoiding Kusadasi because of conflict in southeastern Turkey is like saying do not travel to Texas because there's a hurricane hitting Florida.

Just my two cents.

I felt perfectly safe in Kusadasi/Ephesus in early August and I was traveling with a 13 year old daughter (and my husband). Yes, parts of Turkey are quite dangerous and we'd all be wise to avoid them, but avoiding Kusadasi because of conflict in southeastern Turkey is like saying do not travel to Texas because there's a hurricane hitting Florida.

Just my two cents.

We just got off the Reflection and you definitely needed to let them know when you were coming. There were 2 large parties (one 13 and one 12) and they had standing reservations each night, one at 8:00 and one at 9:00.

We have cruised four times with Luminae and each maitre' said it is best for them if you give them a general idea about what time you'll dine each night.

The excursion guide talked about this too. He said vendors were notorious about double charging, but he pointed out reputable stores at each stop, where he said it would be safe to use a credit card (there were not many[emoji15])

Yep, we have cruised in royal suites, celebrity suites, and sky suites and never have been treated differently.

There are military police stationed at the Virgin Mary house but that is nothing new. Both sites were very busy. There is a Thompson ship and a Celestyal ship here in port. Did see some of their guests as well as multiple Celebrity ships.

I don't think many people stayed on the ship. Our meeting time was 7:30 and there were groups at 7:45, 8:00, 8:15, etc.

Hello everyone,

I promised to post from Kusadasi when I returned to the ship so here I am.

My family did the Highlights of Ephesus tour through Celebrity which first went to the House of the Virgin Mary and then to the ruins in Ephesus. The tour was scheduled at 4.5 hours but was really more like 5.5 as we also went to a gladiator dance show (at a center where RCCL and Celebrity have a contracted show, and then had a carpet weaving exhibition. The tour was very well run and the guide, Ertan, was terrific.

I did not feel unsafe at anytime. Please do not be afraid to get off the ship in Turkey.

Any questions, please ask.

I am on the Reflection right now and we are definitely going to Kusadasi (unless something big happens in Turkey within the next few days). The sommelier in Luminae (who is from Turkey) said it was cancelled on the last cruise because Erdogan was staying in the area and there were many protesters nearby.

I will report back after the Kusadasi day.

We are currently in Civitavecchia and will be boarding the ship tomorrow. Full steam ahead for Kusadasi.

I guess things have changed. When we boarded the Reflection on the opening of Luminae with the new menu (April 4) there was an embarkation lunch and it wasn't "little sandwiches". It was a full beautiful menu. The service all week was spectacular, the food was terrific, and it didn't bother me that there was brunch and dinner on port days because we always eat breakfast on our balcony and the brunch was a full menu of breakfast and lunch choices served at an appropriate time. There are not a lot of choices but always a red meat, two seafood, a vegetarian and a pasta. The appetizers and main courses were imaginative. I guess if you are a very picky eater you might be turned off but even my 11yo was satisfied the few times she graced our presence at dinner. I find the food/service far superior to the MDR (which we stopped eating in years ago) and much better than any meal we've ever had in Blu.

Thank you Celebrity for a great product. Yes, there are kinks to work out, but all in all, a great product.

I am going to completely disagree with another poster's review of Luminae/Reflection. We (my husband, myself and 11yo daughter) found the service, food, and portion size to be terrific. There are a few kinks to work out but all in all a great experience, especially Randy the sommelier and Mirjana, the hostess. We only ate one breakfast there (usually eat on balcony with butler delivering), but several lunches, and 5 dinners.

A little background---our 6th cruise with Celebrity, always in a suite. Usually a celebrity or royal suite, this time a sky suite.

Any questions, please ask.

Judith

We only have cruised in suites and have never been turned away from Blu.