wildcats40

We've always found that one of the main dining rooms (or a section of the main dining room) is open for lunch every day. We don't enjoy going to the buffet but it hasn't been a problem. You will have to check the hours on your daily agenda.

I know that we aren't able to check in for our cruise until 45 days before departure. Does the earlier you check in give you the earliest time slot for getting to the port? We like to get on board in the morning and be able to have lunch on the ship. Is it necessary to get online at midnight to get the "best" time? Thanks, Elaine

You'll probably want to look at the Ports of Call board under Caribbean and Curacao to get more information. We're going to the ABC islands in January and have gotten some good information on there.

I'm considering doing this instead of the cruise excursion I booked. Can you give me a general estimate of the price for an island tour and being dropped off at Eagle Beach at the end? Also, is stopping at the aloe factory possible? Thank you.

Another area you might want to look at is the Dania Point area. We stayed at the AC Hotel and there is another Marriott right beside it. They're close to the airport and had shuttles. They are a short walk to a bunch of chain restaurants and shops and a movie theater...maybe a bowling alley, too.

We were happy with the cabin location and size. The view from the balcony was good...don't recall any obstruction. There were a few times we would hear what I think was a cart being rolled down the hallway above us early in the morning. It was probably foods being down to the little breakfast/snack area on the deck above. It wasn't bad but we are light sleepers and noticed it. I don't recall what amenities came with this level stateroom but we did get afternoon snacks a few times. I think there were robes in the closet but we didn't use them.

I don't remember seeing any basketball/volleyball area on the Joy. That's probably because the higher decks have the race track, water park, and mini golf on them which takes up the space.

I'm curious what shows are currently on the Reflection. Our cruise isn't for a while and know they could change, but wondering what the big production shows are now. Also, are they showing any movies in the theater or are they all outdoors on the pool decks? Thank you!

I'd recommend going to the Caribbean heading under Ports of Call. You can look up recommendations under each port or ask questions there. In addition to the Celebrity excursions, you might want to look at Viator.com. We've been happy with them in the past.

No, unless you count the band performing at the Q Restaurant while you eat.

Definitely! I’ve tried to replicate it at home but still not as good.

Actually we had $250 in OBC and with repricing went down to $200. But, saved much more than that in the cruise price so well worth it.

Thank you for that information. I was able to reprice our January cruise and save some money!

We are on the Reflection in January and early dining was full when we made the reservation but we were on the waiting list for early dining and got changed after a month. You can also do select dining and make a reservation online for each night.

We've used the laundry sale before and everything comes back clean and folded. On other cruise lines it has been a paper bag which keeps you from stuffing it too full (probably the idea). Does Celebrity use a paper bag or cloth?

We'll be renting a golf cart in January. Is the donkey sanctuary close to the road that we'd be taking for the southern route of Bonaire? I love animals so were hoping to stop there. Also, has anyone had issues with mosquitoes or other insects in Bonaire? I wasn't sure if I need to pack insect repellant. Thanks!

We were thinking about taking a taxi to the Amsterdam Hotel as well to go to the beach for a few hours in the morning. So, are they fine with you using the bathrooms, etc. there if you aren't staying at their resort? The other option was getting dropped off by the CoCo Loco Beach Bar. Is one location better than the other? Is it easy to get a taxi back to the port from both areas?

We recently booked a cruise and called to find out about the one category upgrade worked. They advised us to continue to book our stateroom online and then to call them about upgrading. I think it only works if there is an available stateroom at the next level. Our cruise was far enough out that it wasn't a problem. We went from one concierge class level to another which really just meant a slightly better location but it worked well for us.

I read someone's post saying it can be difficult sharing the road with cars as the golf carts don't go very fast. Has anyone had good or bad experiences with this? I assume the roads are fairly busy when cruise ships are in port.

We are trying to decide on excursions for an upcoming Caribbean cruise. Some of the excursions are designated "small group." In general,, how much smaller are these excursions (tours) than the others? We'd prefer not to be on a bus of 40 people.

The golf carts sound like a great way to explore Bonaire on our own. If we think we want to snorkel at a beach along the way, where can we rent the mask/snorkel? Also, do they note on the map where bathrooms are located on the route?

I'm sorry that things don't seem to have improved since we sailed in January when I first posted this review. We were also in a long line standing in the arcade area for well over half an hour with who knows how many people in line behind us (we got in line early). It was not a comfortable place at all to wait...no seats, no bathrooms, noise of the arcade machines, children running around bored. On every other cruise I've been on we waited in a lounge or dining room area where we were comfortable until our group was called to get off.

That's true...could be a little different.

We are comparing options for a cruise on the Reflection and trying to decide if it is worth paying a few hundred dollars more for the Concierge level. I realize the cabin location might be slightly better, but honestly our main reason we've picked the Concierge level in the past was having lunch in the dining room. We do not like going to the buffet, especially on the first day when the crowds are bad. One meal doesn't seem worth the price of Concierge. Are there any specialty dining rooms open for lunch at embarkation that we could reserve ahead? Thanks for your input.

When we boarded, they gave us a paper with information on which places were open for lunch and times. I remember one of the smaller, complimentary dining rooms (Taste and Savor) was open as was the buffet. Have a great cruise!