gilkpa

We recently toured Athens with Hellenic Private Tours:

https://hellenicprivatetours.com/

Of the 11 private tours I arranged during our recent cruise, our tour of Athens was one of the most outstanding. Frank was a great communicator throughout the process and allowed us to competely customize our day. From the pick up at the port to the various attractions, our day went seamlessly!. Frank was our driver and our guide was Effie (sp?). She is an archeologist and her comprehensive knowledge and depth of her historical anecdotes provided a deep appreciation of what we were seeing (and what we might have missed if we had DIY). We chose the Acropolis Museum in addition to the major sites and they even facilitated a marvelous lunch of local cuisine.

They certainly earn all of their 5 star

 

 

reviews:https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g189400-d3138366-Reviews-H_P_Tours_Hellenic_Private_Tours-Athens_Attica.html

Although I have not had time to post my review yet, I give them 5 plus stars!

They have a half day tour, as well. Would it be worth doing the half day tour with them?

Absolutely do a private tour of the Amalfi Coast. Those big buses can't get in everywhere. Gorgeous scenery!

Do you have a favorite tour group? Romeinlimo or sicilywithmario?

HI! What was your room number?

Yay! On the ship. Finally. The lines were terrible. Not sure why, but everyone said they waited longer than they were used to. Of course, we arrived at 12:30 PM. A busy time in general.

 

We are in AquaClass (A1) this trip so cabin pictures are below. Muster drill starting in 15 minutes, so be back later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Right now we have 2150 on Reflection for a 10 night cruise. I have been watching for something on 11 because of noise maybe 1620, which is same location. Would you stay with 2150 or keep watching for something to open up on 11?

If the AQ cabin you are offered is on deck 11 on Reflection' date=' you will be fine as there is another deck of cabin (decks 12) between you and the pool deck. We stayed in 1559 on Reflection and it was very quiet. I was originally in a cabin on deck 12 and switched to deck 11 when a cabin became available because of the warnings about noise from above.

 

I enjoyed AQ so much that I was more than a little worried about sailing in a 1A csbin on our last cruise. My fears were unfounded. I do like the shower in AQ but managed just fine with the standard shower. I enjoyed the Persian Garden but managed without it.

 

The biggest concern I had was moving back to the MDR from Blu. Blu is more cozy (some people dislike the closeness of the tables for 2) and we did find the noise level in the MDR to be way too loud. However, we had select dining so we asked to be seated in different sections in the MDR the first few nights, hoping to find a good spot. By night 4, we were pretty frustrated. We did specifically request seating in a quieter section of the MDR - and thankfully were seated in the "private" area in the back of the MDR. It is much more like Blu and met our needs. It is quieter and less hectic than the sections in the front of the MDR and around the cut out which overlooks the lower level of the MDR. We stayed in that section for the remaining nights of our cruise. As an aside, the food in the MDR was very good for both dinner and breakfast. We did not feel the need to go to any of the specialty restaurants throughout our cruise.

 

 

We are bouncing between a 1A veranda cabin, AQ and CC on our next few cruises. For me, it comes down to getting the best value on each cruise and I do set an upper limit on what the cost of the cruise will be each time I make a reservation. When I booked an upcoming cruise for next summer while onboard our last cruise (so that I got extra OBC) the cost of an A2 cabin was the most I wanted to spend for that cruise. My reservation was made in May as a 2A cabin with two perks. By July, I was able to,upgrade to a 1A, then a C2 and finally an A2 csbin - and add "Go Best" perks - for less than the cost at the time of the original booking. I watch for price drops on a regular basis and jump on them whenever I find them.

 

 

Unfortunately, that is always the case. But it is well worth the time spent checking on pricing at least once or twice a week, in my experience.

 

 

As a previous poster stated, you can politely ask Celebrity if it is possible to keep your beverage package if you take the AQ cabin. The worst thing that happens is they say no. Personally, I would hate to give up the beverage package and would stay in a regular veranda cabin if that was the bottom line. Try to get Select dining if you are in a veranda cabin so you have more flexibility with respect to dining time and location within the MDR.

 

 

Enjoy your cruise![/quote']

What cabins have you liked in Aqua class on Reflection?

We have mostly sailed in regular balconies on other lines before sailing on celebrity. It was a S Class (Solstice, Silhouette, Eclipse, Equinox, Reflection). We paid extra for the Aqua because it supposed to be a step better, many extra perks, and a promise of healthier dining.

 

First off we were hooked as soon as we walked on the ship. They handed us a glass of “Champagne” and then walking into the atrium we went WOW!

 

When we went into our cabin there was a bottle of “Champagne” sitting in a bucket on ice ( they no longer do that but is still provided when you request it). All of the veranda type cabins on the S Class are the same size but some have larger balconies. My wife fell in love with the heated stone loungers in Persian Gardens. The shower panel in the shower really tickled her fancy 😜 and the fog free mirror was a novelty. The foot stool on the balcony was a bonus. We loved everything about the cabin.

 

 

Then when dinner came and we went to Blu and we were hooked on AQ. We sailed in a regular veranda on our last cruise because of the price difference and it was a “add on” to a crusie where we were in AQ. We wanted to try regular veranda and the MDR. Chances are we will only book one again if there is a drastic price difference between a regular veranda and AQ. We have now sailed on over 20 cruises on Celebrity and all except for the last one was in AQ.

 

Blu is a little more intimate but we also had a table for two in the MDR. Can’t say that they service was any better in Blu or that it was healthier food. We enjoyed the MDR and also found that dining there for breakfast was actually better. We got the same sweet rolls, juices and the menu had more choices.

 

We never felt the need to dine in a specialty restaurant or pay extra for a suite but we did take advantage of 50% off the first night in Murano because of our B2B Cruise. It was a nice experience but not worth the full price of $50 pp. In Aqua you are usually always given a discount for the first night to dine in a specialty restaurant instead of Blu but in the past we have never took advantage of it.

 

For your honeymoon I would highly recommend the AQ for the price difference. It may not have some of the space or perks of a suite but I am sure that you will feel like royalty compared to the other cruises you have been on. The other is the bed is probably the same size and that is really all you need. 😍

 

Hope this helps you decide. In the end no matter what you decide it will be a great start to a lifetime together.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🛳🇺🇸🌅

Thank you for your quick response! Does the deck below in same cabin have the same overhang?

I don't find it makes the cabin dark at all. I always sail in 1A cabins on S class ships. Love those balconies!

Hi!

Would you do Reflection 2150? Is the balcony super dark and tunnel like? What's your favorite Aqua class cabin on reflection?

2150 or 2151? Which has more sun?

Hi! Are you able to bring a few blue loungers over to your bungalow?