Saturngrl

Cruise hack:  Bring a few clothespins with you to weigh down the shower curtain.  They will keep it from blowing away and will help keep the bathroom floor dry.   Enjoy your cruise! 

We live in Central Florida.  It's much less stressful for us to drive to a hotel in South Florida the day before, versus leaving the house before 6:00 a.m. on Embarkation Day.   Yes, it's more expensive, but then again, we get to start our vacation a day early!  

18 hours ago, sargemrs said:

As a newbie RCL cruiser, am I understanding that the Key is a little step-down from the suites perks? Please advise.

The Key does not grant you entry into the Suite Lounge, Coastal Kitchen or other suite-only areas.  Suites and Pinnacles still board first, then the Key before the assigned boarding time groups.  

On 5/27/2023 at 9:47 PM, packedandready said:

Did you have a designated area to meet for debarkation? Guest services told us to just walk to the head of the self assist line. Well.....you know how that would have turned out. 

There was a crew member with a Key sign waiting outside the MDR after we finished breakfast.  He escorted us from there off the ship.  The funny thing is the people who tried to join our group.  The crew member stopped them cold and told them this was exclusively for the Key, then sent them back to their assigned waiting areas.  Sweet!  

I just purchased the 4-night package, taking advantage of the current sale.  I saved $100+ dollars!  

Yes, you have to wait until you board the ship to book your reservations.  It's the first thing we do following the Concierge luncheon and have been able to reserve the times and restaurants we desire.   This next cruise, I will try to do it on the app instead of lining up in person.  

Enjoy your cruise! 

Yes, port day services are far less expensive and there are daily on-board spa specials.  However, I don't like all of the upsell attempts coupled with the high fees.   Thus, I schedule a massage the day after we are home following the cruise with my favorite therapist....for 30% less than the ship's spa. 

14 hours ago, Marie51 said:

Are there enough lounge chairs at the pool and beach or is it crowded? What times were the options for lunch reservations? Thanks

There are a few daybeds by the pool and loungers in the pool.  They fill quickly, so be among the first off your ship to snag one.  There are other sitting areas farther away and plenty of loungers on the beach.  

Lunch reservations started with an 11:00 time slot.  We arrived early enough to get an 11:30 slot.  I don't know how late they go. 

Hope this helps. 

I love reading these posts!  I have sailed Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity and am now in my early 60's.   Celebrity is the BIG winner for us!  We love the upscale experience with small touches like cloth towels in the public restrooms and better service in bars and restaurants.  We live in Central Florida, so lying out by the pool all day has no appeal to us.  The daily schedule feels like Summer Camp---so many different activities to do as much or as little as you desire. 

We never had a problem with the nightlife on board.  We love the Lawn Club Grill on Silly and Reflection.  We LOVE the Abba sing a long and Silent Disco nights!  Martini Bar is always a-hoppin and the World Class Bar makes fabulous craft cocktails!  

Boring?  Maybe, but then again, you should see us on board with friends in adjoining cabins with the particians between our balconies open.  Coffee on the balcony in the a.m. and pre-dinner cocktails at night!  (Then, there are also our friends knocking on our door at 6:30 a.m. calling, "Mimosas!".  

Enjoy your cruise! 

10 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

Do you happen to remember what they offered for breakfast? 

I had the filet with fried egg, asparagus, potato hash and mushrooms with a fruit cup.  My friends had the crab benedict and loved it!  Standard breakfast fare is also offered.   Really upscale debarkation breakfast! 

We were on Independence last week and had to make our lunch reservations when we entered the Beach Club.  The process went smoothly and we were able to secure 11:30 seating for 4 of us with no problem.  The lunch alone was worth the price of Beach Club admission!  Surf and Turf were AMAZING!

On Independence last week, they were firm about turning away anyone without The Key or B2B for embarkation luncheon in the MDR.   They were directed to go to Windjammer or Sorrento's.

We just did the Key on Independence this past week.  For us, it was well worth the price, especially regarding boarding order and embarkation lunch, as well as the FABULOUS disembarkation morning breakfast.  We were escorted off the ship ahead of everyone else and on the road by 8:00 a.m.  I will definitely do The Key again! 

The Key has been worth it to me for: 

• The Embarkation Lunch
• Voom Internet
• Reserved seating areas in shows where we have made advanced reservations
• The Disembarkation Day breakfast in the MDR PLUS being able to walk off the ship when WE want. 

You can check in for both of you on the app with your desired arrival time.  You can try to upload a photo of her, but I'm not sure how well that will work.  

You may want to get her Passport number in advance to manually load into the app when you check in.  

The Key gets priority entry into the port building during each arrival time.  Some ports are more strict than others in Florida, so I suggest you stick with your assigned arrival time. 

Best wishes!  

Following....let's see how well this is enforced and how well it works! 

I bring my own hand sanitizer in case the ones on the ship aren't working.  Gives me peace of mind.  Happy sailing! 

Yep, I tried to apply for a new account multiple times on my phone and computer to no luck.  Can't register through Google or the website.  All of the nicknames are "unavailable" and I agree it's a total waste of time.   

2 hours ago, sunonfire said:

Thanks for the info. Do you know if they a kids’ menu?

You may find the menu posted in one othe Concierge Lunch threads on this site.  I don't recall seeing a children's menu.  

The Embarkation lunch in the MDR is one of my favorite Concierge perks!  I also request our free bottle of bubbly and two champagne flutes to enjoy on our balcony on a sea day.  Add to that, you may be invited with suite passengers to a sail away from a port on the helipad (free bubbly!).  And yes, the extra points will get you to move faster in the Captain's Club towards better rewards!  

I hope you will love sailing with Celebrity! 

We love the LCG!  Yes, the cookie is great, but so is the apple crumble!  The flatbreads are good, but it's the lobster mac and cheese, as well as creamed corn I dream about!  Add it to the great filets....so glad we are sailing the Reflection again next year! 

No longer priority embarkation, but they still have Concierge debarkation waiting area in the MDR with pastries and caffeine drinks.  

We did the Go Green on Celebrity Reflection a few weeks ago.  Go Green is their once a day initiative for room cleaning.  It didn't stop our steward from performing turn down service.  I assume RC is the same way.  

We just disembarked the Celebrity Reflection a few weeks ago.  Several people reported on our Roll Call and FB pages they contracted COVID on the ship.  I caught a cold and tested negative for COVID.  Yes, bugs proliferate in public areas, such as cruise ships.  Norovirus, common cold, seasonal flu, RSV, COVID...it's a risk you take when going out and about.  Be sure to use all of the offered hand sanitizers, keep your hands away from your face and enjoy your cruise! 

We were on the Reflection earlier this month.  I did not see a decline in quality of food, just smaller portions in the MDR and a small bit fewer choices in the buffet.  No complaints about the food! 

I was on the Reflection last week and Select Dining times were a mess.  Many passengers without reservations complained about being seated after 9:00 p.m. They were given pagers so they could enjoy other onboard venues while waiting. 

We had standing 6:30 reservations for Select.  The last night in the MDR, we requested our reservation be changed to 5:30 which posed no problem for us.  Based on that, may I suggest you try to change your reservations to 5:30?  Dinner in the MDR typically took at least 90 minutes, so it shouldn't be too early for you.