fantasy51

One more remark about the two ships: I have discovered that the 'Celebrity cough' is just like the 'Cunard cough'! However, in my case it seems to have been asthma attacks on both ships. I don't know what it is about cruising in April that sets off my allergic asthma.

For some years I have been cruising with Cunard, mainly on Queen Victoria. On Friday I completed my first cruise with Celebrity on the Reflection. I thought people might be interested to read my impressions (and those of the friend who travelled with me) of the differences between QV (Cunard’s Queen Victoria) and CR (Celebrity Reflection). Remember that these are personal opinions based on my own preferences and personality. Others would react to the same ships in a different way.

Décor: I love QV’s Art Deco style, but CR really impressed me with its modernism and its white and chrome. It has lovely light and airy spaces.

Staterooms: On both my last QV cruise and on this CR cruise we were given an accessible stateroom. CR’s room seemed much more spacious and better set out, but the balcony was nowhere near as large as QV’s. I preferred QV’s bed linen and general feel to the room.

Toiletries: CR operates a strange two-tier system whereby you only get shower gel if you are concierge class (balcony room with a few extra services) or above. In a normal balcony cabin or below, you only get soap. That puts me off. CR’s toiletries were a good make supplied in plain white squeeze tubes. I would put them on a par with QV. I think I find the squeeze tubes easier than QV’s rigid plastic bottles, though they don’t look as nice.

Food: I struggle with food because I have so many food sensitivities and am just plain fussy (no seafood, nothing shiny or slimy, no garlic, etc.). I have generally found at least one thing to eat each night on QV. On CR I must have resorted to the everday items of plain salmon, chicken breast or steak at least half the time. My friend loves good food and does not suffer from fussiness, and his reaction was that QV was better than CR.

MDR: I loved the décor in the MDR on CR. The light and noise levels seemed appropriate. The waiters warned us that it would be busy at lunchtime on the first 2 days and suggested we wait for later in the cruise. I then discovered that it was not open for lunch on port days, so we did not ever experience lunch service. I think QV does things much better, being open every day.

Bars: CR is a larger ship and so there are many more bars. These are lovely spaces in which to sit. My real favourite was Café al Bacio, set up like a coffee shop. It had a wonderful array of cakes all day long, as well as serving coffees plus alcoholic drinks. The second favourite was the Martini Bar, all white with an ice-topped bar in which we could scribble our names. The only bar in which QV excels is the Commodore Club. CR’s equivalent is under-used and not as peaceful a place.

Drinks package: You can’t beat CR’s unlimited drinks package, especially when you are lucky enough to get it at a special promotion price or free.

Dancing: It is the ballroom and the dance hosts that will take me back to QV time and again. CR has tiny dance floors and the one mainly used is in the main foyer, with art sculptures and the staircase obstructing the flow, not to mention people walking across in front of the dancers to get to the other side. If you are lucky you get a 45-minute dance session to recorded music during the day (the only time you can dance ballroom) and some shuffling around to the band in other sessions. Occasionally the band played music to which we could have danced, but we would have looked like ‘social fruitcakes’ to attempt a proper cha cha or whatever while everyone else was bopping around.

Staff: QV has a wonderful blend of respect and friendliness from its staff. I did not feel this on CR. There was a surface friendliness (occasionally calling me ‘Miss Diane’ and sometimes ‘Diane’) but it lacked warmth. I also did not feel the respect and care that I find on QV.

Entertainment: We were not impressed by the shows, except for one comedian. The singing/dancing shows were not really geared for the right age group. One show was completely incomprehensible. (They had to explain the storyline before putting it on.) Another show was too modern, all about computer games – not really suitable for older people. By contrast, on our last QV cruise we enjoyed all but one show.

Dress code: CR no longer has formal evenings. Some people still choose to dress up but others definitely wear clothes that would upset many Cunard cruisers. There was a huge variety of clothes, and no sense of enforcement. Also, the dress code is only followed in the dining rooms; you can wear anything in the rest of the ship. I can happily ignore what others wear; the only thing is that I missed seeing fabulous clothes. I don’t think I once said to anyone ‘I love your dress’ or ‘You look fantastic’ – and I say that quite often on QV.

My time on the CR was lovely, and I will enjoy my next cruise on Equinox, but it won’t be long before I book again on QV. I think I am a Cunard person at heart.

(Please note: I have also posted this in the Cunard forum. I apologise to those of you who read both forums carefully.)

For some years I have been cruising with Cunard, mainly on Queen Victoria. On Friday I completed my first cruise with Celebrity on the Reflection. I thought people might be interested to read my impressions (and those of the friend who travelled with me) of the differences between QV (Cunard’s Queen Victoria) and CR (Celebrity Reflection). Remember that these are personal opinions based on my own preferences and personality. Others would react to the same ships in a different way.

Décor: I love QV’s Art Deco style, but CR really impressed me with its modernism and its white and chrome. It has lovely light and airy spaces.

Staterooms: On both my last QV cruise and on this CR cruise we were given an accessible stateroom. CR’s room seemed much more spacious and better set out, but the balcony was nowhere near as large as QV’s. I preferred QV’s bed linen and general feel to the room.

Toiletries: CR operates a strange two-tier system whereby you only get shower gel if you are concierge class (balcony room with a few extra services) or above. In a normal balcony cabin or below, you only get soap. That puts me off. CR’s toiletries were a good make supplied in plain white squeeze tubes. I would put them on a par with QV. I think I find the squeeze tubes easier than QV’s rigid plastic bottles, though they don’t look as nice.

Food: I struggle with food because I have so many food sensitivities and am just plain fussy (no seafood, nothing shiny or slimy, no garlic, etc.). I have generally found at least one thing to eat each night on QV. On CR I must have resorted to the everday items of plain salmon, chicken breast or steak at least half the time. My friend loves good food and does not suffer from fussiness, and his reaction was that QV was better than CR.

MDR: I loved the décor in the MDR on CR. The light and noise levels seemed appropriate. The waiters warned us that it would be busy at lunchtime on the first 2 days and suggested we wait for later in the cruise. I then discovered that it was not open for lunch on port days, so we did not ever experience lunch service. I think QV does things much better, being open every day.

Bars: CR is a larger ship and so there are many more bars. These are lovely spaces in which to sit. My real favourite was Café al Bacio, set up like a coffee shop. It had a wonderful array of cakes all day long, as well as serving coffees plus alcoholic drinks. The second favourite was the Martini Bar, all white with an ice-topped bar in which we could scribble our names. The only bar in which QV excels is the Commodore Club. CR’s equivalent is under-used and not as peaceful a place.

Drinks package: You can’t beat CR’s unlimited drinks package, especially when you are lucky enough to get it at a special promotion price or free.

Dancing: It is the ballroom and the dance hosts that will take me back to QV time and again. CR has tiny dance floors and the one mainly used is in the main foyer, with art sculptures and the staircase obstructing the flow, not to mention people walking across in front of the dancers to get to the other side. If you are lucky you get a 45-minute dance session to recorded music during the day (the only time you can dance ballroom) and some shuffling around to the band in other sessions. Occasionally the band played music to which we could have danced, but we would have looked like ‘social fruitcakes’ to attempt a proper cha cha or whatever while everyone else was bopping around.

Staff: QV has a wonderful blend of respect and friendliness from its staff. I did not feel this on CR. There was a surface friendliness (occasionally calling me ‘Miss Diane’ and sometimes ‘Diane’) but it lacked warmth. I also did not feel the respect and care that I find on QV.

Entertainment: We were not impressed by the shows, except for one comedian. The singing/dancing shows were not really geared for the right age group. One show was completely incomprehensible. (They had to explain the storyline before putting it on.) Another show was too modern, all about computer games – not really suitable for older people. By contrast, on our last QV cruise we enjoyed all but one show.

Dress code: CR no longer has formal evenings. Some people still choose to dress up but others definitely wear clothes that would upset many Cunard cruisers. There was a huge variety of clothes, and no sense of enforcement. Also, the dress code is only followed in the dining rooms; you can wear anything in the rest of the ship. I can happily ignore what others wear; the only thing is that I missed seeing fabulous clothes. I don’t think I once said to anyone ‘I love your dress’ or ‘You look fantastic’ – and I say that quite often on QV.

My time on the CR was lovely, and I will enjoy my next cruise on Equinox, but it won’t be long before I book again on QV. I think I am a Cunard person at heart.

I find table saving the same as lounger saving. Get your food and then find a table. Now that I've read this thread, I realize that perhaps I should be a joiner rather than fight the trend so my plan for our next cruise is to leave my shoes on the table, thus reserving it. I think that will work....

You might come back to find them polished for you!

It is a biological fact that some people are 'larks' (morning people) while others are 'owls' (evening people). It is to do with body chemistry. This means that no one set pattern will suit all people. Somehow our society has patterned itself around the 'larks' but that does not mean this is the only way to do things. There are some of us who really struggle to get up early, especially when medical conditions weight the balance even further (in my case ME/CFS).

There has to be a spectacular excursion (like Petra or the pyramids or Iceland or St Petersburg) to get me up early. I mainly do DIY and only stay out for 2-3 hours. I love the shipboard life and the chance to just relax and have someone else take care of housekeeping chores for a change.

(On a side note, I would like to add how much I am enjoying the Celebrity forum. This thread could have degenerated into a slanging match with people referring to others as lazy or wasting their time by sleeping in. It is lovely to see an internet forum where people can express their own preferences without fear of criticism.)

3) How easy is it to organise a little party / gathering? Can the butler bring mixers / snacks for free? Can they send out invitations? I'm aware alcohol served to the room is not included but i think we start with a fair bit in the room already as a perk.

If your guests have drink packages, you could always ask them to arrive with a drink of their choice. If other potential guests are like me, the main things are the good company and a chance to see the RS! ;) I would hate to deplete your drink stores if they are not going to be replenished.

I have done it. Civitavecchia to the airport was no problem. The biggest difficulty was getting to the Civitavecchia station. Back when I did it, you took a free shuttle bus from the ship to the port gates (Michelangelo Gates, I think they were called). From there you had to walk to the train station. It is much easier now, but still a bit of nuisance. You take the free shuttle to the new parking area, and then you can see a public bus that will take you to the train station. Haul your luggage aboard and all is set. Make sure you save a few euros to pay the fare.

I have chosen not to do this for the cruise I'm going on in a couple of weeks. I advertised on my roll call for people who wanted to share a taxi. With 6 of us going, it is only €25 per person. The taxi will pick us up outside the ship and drop us at the airport. This means we only have to worry about the luggage once. As for costs, the slow train would be about €11 and I think the local bus ticket is €2. If you are a small group, it might be better to pay the extra €24 for ease of travel.

Celebrity Email today with offer Veranda $150 obc plus classic drink package

Istanbul to Rome seven nights $855 AUD For our American friends this Converts to USD645 the OBC is in USD Cruise cost USD645,00

OBC USD150.00

Classic Drink Package seven days@$50 = USD350.00

Total cost pp USD145.00

That's a low price! What date is it? I have not seen anything like that in the UK. What a pity it is not the cruise after my August one, that is currently scheduled to debark in Istanbul. I would have happily stayed on for another cruise.

It's under the sticky section at the top, there were s many they put the dress code at the top

That was the first place I looked. Unfortunately they closed that dress code sticky when the new 'chic' rules came in. There was a promise that they would start another, but it has not become a sticky yet. This means that some advice there is out of date.

Thanks, Sunny AJ. I enjoyed looking at photos and menus.

It seemed to me that there was not much hanging cupboard space? I'm used to 2 separate wardrobes on Cunard (one double sized and one three-quarter). I could only see one double cupboard. Is that correct?

Diane

Oh by all means a man should button his shirt up at dinner, at least past the chest. Save that unbuttoned to the mid torso nonsense for the disco.

 

This has nothing to do with the dress code, just good taste and common sense.

That's where any dress code is going to fail. They can't stipulate every single eventuality. Where they try to stipulate something, there is always the possibility of it limiting something that can look good. Where they don't stipulate, then there's an opening for something that can look crass.

Oh, if only everyone had good taste! (By that, of course I mean my own taste. :D)

Once again, thank you.

Yes, Mikeysed, that is very close to what he would wear, except that the trousers would match the jacket.

The alternative could be an outfit that consists of matching trousers and shirt that is open at the neck (and the dress code does not say how far a shirt has to be buttoned up!). That would suit the dress code and look smart, and he has several outfits like that. However, he likes suits so I will encourage him to also try the suit and t-shirt option and hope he is not turned away at the door.

At least he can wear what he likes around the ship once dinner is over.

Last year on Cunard our big problem was that he had to throw a (non-matching) jacket over anything he wore on casual nights. I thought we'd have less trouble on Celebrity but it still comes down to interpretation, doesn't it?

Many thanks all.

I do find dress codes difficult. They are an attempt to find the lowest common denominator that they can explain. It is possible to follow the dress code completely and to look shabby and scruffy. It is also possible to completely disregard it and look fabulous. I realise it is impossible to say 'Make sure you look smart and as if you care what you are wearing', but really, that is what they want.

I'm afraid my friend is used to wearing a smart suit with a scarf and no shirt (and therefore never takes off his jacket). We had hoped a smart t-shirt would work under this. Oh well, he will just have to wear different outfits that are less smart but fulfil the letter of the law - shirts over matching trousers.

At least it looks as though he can wear his sleeveless Armani suit on chic nights, with a short-sleeved white shirt under it.

I've trawled through 4 pages of threads and can't find one on dress code, so it must be time to start another.

My friend and I were reading through the dress code last night. His choice of clothes does not fit the wording, but I'm sure it fits the intent. He enjoys wearing a suit but with a nice t-shirt underneath. Is this acceptable? I know the shirt itself is meant to have a collar, but is it acceptable if he wears a suit jacket with a collar and a shirt without one?

In the past, most of my cruises have been on Cunard. On the Cunard threads I have heard dedicated foodies raving about the food on Celebrity and saying how much better it is on Celebrity. Now I have 2 Celebrity cruises booked and I am reading how the food has gone downhill. :D That's life!

Back to the VAT issue.

Last year I was on a Cunard cruise for 14 days. It was sold in various ways on the website - as 7-day cruises or a 14-day cruise or part of a 21-day cruise. At times my cruise was treated as one (only one lot of shareholder credit and internet access) but when it came to the VAT issue it was treated as 2 separate cruises. The first week included a non-EU port so all was well. The second week was completely within the EU and we had to pay VAT. I was rather annoyed with myself for having a lovely photograph taken in the first week but not getting around to buying it until the second week, thus incurring an extra 20%.

It is a relatively new rule on the part of the EU. Unfortunately cruise itineraries were already set when the rule came in, and the cruise lines could not change them to include non-EU ports into every itinerary. They just had to put up with the fact that people perhaps spent less because prices were not as attractive once the 20% was added on.

Diane

Oops, I have been guilty of dancing with a professional on QV ;) I had a lesson with Dan and Olena a couple of years ago to learn the Viennese Waltz. On the last night of the cruise, none of the Dance Hosts asked me to dance it. (In fact, one of them teased me by walking towards me, looking at me the whole time, and then asked the woman next to me who had never danced it before.) I was disappointed. Next moment, Dan appeared out of the blue with his hand outstretched to lead me to the dance floor. A lovely action on his part. :)

On my last cruise, Dan and Olena walked into the ballroom halfway through a Viennese Waltz and saw me sitting down and once again Dan took me onto the floor to dance with him.

I have also been asked to dance once by Volodomyr, after rescuing him twice from an importunate, difficult passenger.

The dancers are regarded as ships' officers, and I believe they are allowed to dance in the QR. On most cruises, the show dancers have come in for an hour at least one evening and sometimes dance with passengers.

For the cruise after yours (i.e. the one leaving from Istanbul) many, if not most, of those travelling will probably arrive at least the day before and need to stop overnight in Istanbul.

That is a very real concern! I had not thought about that. I would be tempted to look at a flight to a nearby country and then make an early-morning flight to Istanbul, if possible.

A very bad place for lost luggage is Rome. A friend and I were on a Cunard cruise last August. Our flight back to London was a charter flight and unfortunately we were put on the last bus to arrive at the airport. Imagine standing in line for over an hour waiting to check in, as there were only 2-3 desks open trying to process everyone at once. The flight was slightly late leaving; the pilot said he was waiting for the last of the luggage to be loaded. When we arrived in London, we were among the first off the plane but had to wait until the carousel was clear before the authorities would admit that both of our suitcases were missing. There was quite a line from our flight waiting to register missing luggage, and all of us had been in that last lot to check in. We were told by someone that there are often luggage problems out of Rome. I think they are too slow to load the luggage and so the plane leaves without it. The cases were delivered to our house 2 days later.

Recently among the Cunard posts there was a very sad one about a woman whose case (containing her wedding dress and other memorabilia, taken on the ship when moving to a new country rather than sent through a carrier) went missing at the end of the voyage. There was a very similar case left and she took down all the details and tried to contact the owner with no luck. Possibly the owner was still on holiday and had disposed of the case rather than carry it around. Cunard tried contacting the person, but they only make 3 attempts and if there is no answer, then they give up. I think if you have sentimental contents then you should try self-disembarkation with that suitcase.

When I booked my August cruise, ending in Istanbul, I chose to book my air fare through Celebrity just in case of any problems like this. I spoke to the Celebrity agent and he confirmed that they have cancelled port days to Istanbul but considered embarkation and disembarkation to be safe because we will be in a secure port and then travelling to a secure airport. We don't actually go into the city.

I certainly feel happy knowing that if there are any problems, it is Celebrity's job to find me a new flight.

Safe - no - my American TA just encourages me to book more cruses, it's an addiction :p. Yes, I have previously reserved from the Xciting Deals flyer. I hate to tell you this, but if you have cruised with X before, they already have your details so they know exactly where you are from :D. No point putting on that American accent, they'll still know you're British :p. Joking aside, many US TAs advertise on CC, you can find their details by changing your setting to US (go to Deals link above, press the US flag on the bottom right and it will change from UK to US ;)). Many offers advertised by TAs on that page - just watch the exchange rate :). Teecee has also given some good advice, see above post #4. Btw, it's not the TAs that take the money from your account like they do over here, you will see X's name on your credit card statement ;).

Thank you for your advice. I have tried a few times to get the US deals on this site but even when I click on the US flag, it still sends me to UK travel agents. Frustrating. I only know the name of one US online site to check their 90-day ticker. I would love to know of any other US online sites. If anyone wants to contact me, I have an alternate email account: myzetazinovia@yahoo.co.uk. I would appreciate any help. I have left it a little too late and missed the best deals. I was waiting for a friend to check out possibilities.

I have been to Venice a couple of times on cruises and have found the arrangements to vary.

Some years ago I visited Venice mid-cruise and found a bus (not advertised) that would take people to Piazzale Roma. I was told by someone that officially it was the crew bus - but there were quite a few passengers on it. From there we caught a water bus along the Grand Canal.

On another cruise I had an early flight into Venice and had time to wander after checking in. I looked for the crew bus and was told my best option was to pay $20 and catch the boat that had been put on by the ship, to take passengers to St Mark's Square. That's a useful option if you want to spend your main time in San Marco rather than travelling along the Grand Canal. It takes a faster, but less scenic, route.

There is also a people mover to take you from Stazione Marittima (the cruise port) to Piazzale Roma, if you want the Grand Canal option. The one time I asked about it (paragraph above), I felt it was too long a walk for me to get there, then travel slowly by a water bus that stopped frequently. I needed the faster option of the boat to San Marco.

Here is some information about the people mover. (I suspect that this now replaces the crew bus that I mentioned earlier.) http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/people-mover-to-marittima-cruise-terminals.htm

As far as costs go, water buses are expensive. If you only want to visit San Marco, then you are possibly better off taking the ship's provided transit. If you want to see the Grand Canal, then choose the people mover and the waterbus. You could buy a ticket for the whole day if you wish. You might enjoy getting off at the Rialto Bridge and walking through the market stalls. You will possibly find the cheapest prices on items there, but they might be made in China rather than Venice. ;)

Many thanks, Villauk and Wiltonian. I have checked the 90 day ticker and sent off an email and had an almost-immediate phone call in reply. They must be desperate for business. I am now checking to see if a friend wants to come with me. My choice of cruise could depend on that.

At first I was quoted a ridiculous price for single occupancy. I queried that, comparing it with what was on the website, and was given one that was nearly $500 cheaper, so I don't know what was going on there.

I thought that transatlantic was an incredible price! However, air fare kept coming out at around £1,000, so the overall price was no longer cheap.

The internet site I am checking out says that on 'select oceanview and balcony' cabins there are all sorts of other sweeteners, like free drinks or internet or onboard credit or gratuities. I wonder what they mean by 'select' cabins. Are they the ones that can't be sold any other way? Are they cabins I would not want at any price?

As Jael001 said, it's not available in the UK. I am waiting for a call back from Celebrity to see if I can twist their arms or at least get it without single supplement, in order to match the USA price.

Have any English people had experiences booking from US online 'vacation' websites? How safe is it? Will the ship honour it if you have a UK booking but an English passport?

I would be happy to receive any advice at the email account I use for playing games: myzetazinovia@yahoo.co.uk.

Many thanks

Diane

Prices are currently at £2,600 pp for a balcony for the 4 days. It's still steep, but I guess it includes 2 air fares - London to Hong Kong, Singapore to London.