Review: Reflection 2/23 (includes Ultimate package review)

[SusieV]

There have been so many reviews of Reflection recently posted, that I'll try to stick to our onboard experience rather than a full review of the ship. If I missed anything you wanted to know about, ask!

 

To summarize us- we're in our early thirties and this is our sixth Celebrity cruise since 2005. We're laid back people and we enjoy good food, good service, dressing up, and relaxation.

 

We had 1132, a C2 cabin on the hump right by the elevators. It was a great cabin and I highly recommend it. We are light sleepers so I was concerned about noise issues given the location, but we had no trouble sleeping in to obscene hours. The veranda is absolutely enormous. We had two loungers and footstools plus the small table, and there was plenty of space to walk around as well. I would definitely book this cabin again if it was available.

 

Our stateroom attendant stopped by and introduced himself on the first day, but we never saw him again after that. We left him a note with a few small requests (foam pillows, empty minibar, and extra hangers) but the items were not taken care of and we had to call housekeeping. We also never received our mail, which was just plain odd. We never received confirmation of dinner reservations or spa treatments. I did call Guest Relations about this as I was concerned we would get our times confused and she checked with the attendant and he told her everything he got was delivered. So I'm not really sure what happened as I spoke with the maitre d' and he told us invitations were being sent. Either way, it was annoying but not really worth worrying about- I just entered reservations in ShipMate on my iPhone. Hopefully we didn't miss anything interesting as a result of not having the mail!

 

However, our stateroom was always clean and well taken care of. We just found it unusual not to interact with the attendant since on previous cruises they have always seemed to be around to chat.

 

As soon as we were onboard, our group of four went straight to Murano to book the Ultimate Specialty dining package and make reservations for the cruise. For those who have been asking, it is only available on the first day; they will not prorate it. Eight packages were sold on our cruise. I'm not surprised that they limit them because the specialty restaurants were packed all cruise. Twice we wanted to change restaurants because we were particularly enjoying something, and they were only able to accommodate us once. We have never seen the restaurants this busy and I doubt that any discounts were being offered.

 

We certainly made good use of Bistro on Five and The Porch since they were included in the package. Unless lunch at a specialty was offered, we always had lunch at Bistro or the Porch. Service was very good and the meals were always at the correct temperature and tasty.

 

The Champagne tea was really enjoyable as well. They have several varieties of looseleaf tea that are not available anywhere else on the ship. I loved the Orchid Vanilla tea so much that I purchased a container to bring home (50 servings for $33.95), and I'm not really a tea person. There was a live guitarist providing music and the service was top notch. It reminded me of the way the Murano style restaurants used to be back in the early 2000s. We were really pleased that this was included in the Ultimate Specialty package.

 

We had lunch at the Lawn Club Grille and at Tuscan Grill. Unfortunately the lunch at Murano was held the same day as at Tuscan, so we had to choose. The menus are different and lighter from the dinner menu and so we didn't feel completely overstuffed (although the Elite tea was also that day and we definitely didn't have room to go to that!). The lunch menu at the Lawn Club was the same as it is at dinner.

 

We have always had a tradition of going to Murano on the first and last night of a cruise. It's been our favourite restaurant since our first cruise on Summit when we went to Normandie. This time, I can honestly say it was probably our least favourite of the four. Part of it was that the service seemed rushed, and we had little staff interaction the first night. My husband commented to me that he wouldn't be surprised if they didn't recognize us when we came for our second reservation two days later, and he was right. We also were told that the menu items were not as prepared from scratch as they used to be so there was less opportunity for creativity. On a previous cruise, we've had the chefs come out and meet us once they saw how much we enjoyed the restaurant and how frequently we patronized it (we had three reservations for a seven night cruise this time). We've had special dishes made for us and they were always fabulous. This time, I asked if they could make me an offmenu item and was told that they didn't have the capability to do that. It was a little disappointing, although the meal was still excellent.

 

The cheese course was minimized. They take dessert orders and after taking them then they ask if you'd like some cheese. Perhaps too much cheese was being wasted? Either way, you can still get it if you ask which is good since we enjoy the opportunity to sample interesting cheeses.

 

Our group really enjoyed Qsine, and although we had only planned one visit, the maitre d' Andrea was able to shift things around for us so that we could return. She was really funny and joked around with us. Our waiter was hilarious as well and provided great service. The food was very good and we enjoyed the experience.

 

The food and service at Tuscan Grill was much better than on our last cruise and we had a great time there. We had planned only one night there but tried to book a second and were unable to do so. Oh well- more for next cruise! My husband ordered the ribeye since I'd seen negative feedback here and he wanted to try it for himself. He said that it was fine, but not outstanding like the filets were. It was a very thin steak and didn't have the same appeal. He did eat it and said it was fine, but he wouldn't recommend it and said he'd try the NY Strip if he was tired of filet next time. Ilya was our waiter and he was funny and took great care of our group.

 

We always enjoy the Lawn Club Grille. While the food is simpler than at the other restaurants, it's very high quality and completely delicious. We had met Jordan on our previous Silhouette sailing and he was personable and helpful when we wanted to move a reservation around.

 

Would we book the Ultimate Specialty package again? Absolutely. We felt it was a good value and we liked having all our meals in specialty restaurants. Between this and the Premium Alcohol package, it was a very enjoyable cruise. I only wish we could prebook the Ultimate package online so that we have less to worry about doing onboard.

 

As usual, we enjoyed Cafe al Bacio and got great service. The sandwiches have changed- instead of lots of tiny ones that change every day, it seemed they had the same four but they were larger. The mozzarella, tomato, and fresh basil sandwiches were absolutely delicious- even better than the Caprese sandwich at the Porch, I thought. And of course the food is free at Al Bacio.

 

My husband doesn't understand why the Michaels Club hours are so restrictive. Lots of people enjoy a beer during the day, so why does the bar not open until 5:30? Our solution was to have our minibar emptied and then to get unopened beers and store them there. It isn't ideal since the bartender wasn't thrilled about giving us unopened beers on our package (I assume he was worried we were sharing them) but he did do it.

 

After dinner we'd always go to the Molecular Bar with our friends and enjoy a few after dinner drinks. We really enjoyed the new drinks on the menu, especially the Black Mamba.

 

Later in the evening we would generally go to the casino. My husband and I were very happy to see that the poker table was live, not a PokerPro. They were spreading $2-$5 no limit, which is the largest game we've seen on a cruise ship. Of course, the rake was also very high at 10% capped at $15.

 

We had one incident early in the cruise with a poker dealer who was rude to us, and we had to pursue the matter with the casino manager. He did agree that she needed further training and rectified the situation for us. She did not deal poker for the rest of the cruise. I don't really want to go into further detail since they did take care of us, but it was unpleasant and unnecessary.

 

Drink service was more erratic than it had been on previous cruises. We had no trouble if we actually went to a bar, but in the casino it was remarkably difficult to find a waiter if you didn't want to get up. We had the Premium package but even though we tipped additionally we still had trouble finding waitstaff.

 

We had a couples massage at the spa and it was very relaxing. We didn't get a hard sell at the end or any product suggestions. I can only suggest not to schedule a time when the ship will be leaving port, because the vibrations are quite intense at the front of the ship!

 

The new electronic games tables on deck 9 were interesting. We liked the moving puzzles, although all the games offered on the tables got boring quickly. We also played Pictionary with some other guests, inter-linking the machines, and this was easily the most fun game offered in our opinion.

 

Overall, we enjoyed our cruise and wished it had been longer. We would definitely cruise Reflection again, if only for the live poker table. We are hoping this will spread to the rest of the fleet.

[sabookkeeper]

Thank you for your review. We will be on the Reflection next February.

[jimp1266]

Thank you for the review, can't wait to sail on her! What was the cost of the food package and did you need to make all of your reservations on day one?

Thanks again.

[SusieV]

Thank you for the review, can't wait to sail on her! What was the cost of the food package and did you need to make all of your reservations on day one?

Thanks again.

 

The Ultimate Package is $29/pp/day. We did make all our reservations on day one just to make sure we'd get what we wanted but we weren't told that we had to.

[Journey11]

Thanks for taking the time to prepare your very informative review. I am happy that overall you enjoyed your cruise on the reflection.

[gambee]

Thanks for your input, we are sailing later on this month and the information is very welcomed.

 

I was wondering if after you bought the package in murano, were they able to book all your reservations for all the restaurants in that venue or did you have to go from restaurant to restaurant making the reservations?

[SusieV]

Thanks for your input, we are sailing later on this month and the information is very welcomed.

 

I was wondering if after you bought the package in murano, were they able to book all your reservations for all the restaurants in that venue or did you have to go from restaurant to restaurant making the reservations?

 

We booked them all in Murano, it was no problem.

[gambee]

We booked them all in Murano, it was no problem.

 

cool, thank you.

[Alsmez]

We certainly made good use of Bistro on Five and The Porch since they were included in the package. Unless lunch at a specialty was offered, we always had lunch at Bistro or the Porch. Service was very good and the meals were always at the correct temperature and tasty.

 

As usual, we enjoyed Cafe al Bacio and got great service. The sandwiches have changed- instead of lots of tiny ones that change every day, it seemed they had the same four but they were larger. The mozzarella, tomato, and fresh basil sandwiches were absolutely delicious- even better than the Caprese sandwich at the Porch, I thought. And of course the food is free at Al Bacio.

 

Great review. We're particularly interested in feedback on the Ultimate Dining package, since we're considering it for our cruise in January (depending on whether or not they raise the price). Did you feel like the food at Cafe al Bacio was good enough (and varied enough) that you would have been happy having breakfast and/or lunch there rather than at the Porch/Bistro on Five? Also, was the gelato near Bacio included in the package?

 

Regarding the lunches in the specialty restaurants - do you happen to have photos or copies of the menus? It's sort of irritating that the Murano and Tuscan lunches are held on the same day, since those are the two that have different menus from what they offer at night (making it more likely that we'd want to do both of them). Do you remember if they were held on port or sea days?

 

We're sort of weighing the cost of the package ($420 total for two for a 7-day cruise) as opposed to the cost of an upgrade to AQ (from CC - only $150 more in our case at current prices). We enjoyed all three specialty restaurants on our Equinox cruise, but we are definitely curious about Blu, and we could just use the $280 in savings to book a couple of nights/lunches at a specialty place. However, if the lunches and other extras are super enticing, perhaps the package is the way to go. Decisions, decisions...

[cruiseguys2009]

We too are going to purchase the Ultimate Specialty Package, now, do you go to Guest Services or as your did, do we go directly to Murano to book it?

 

Then, as we usually eat a 8:30 pm each night, is that a premium time? We eat late as Jerome tries so hard each night to pull me away from a slot machine in the casino.

 

Will they give us credit if we are forced to eat at the buffet because of no reservations in the specialty restaurants?

[Texed]

V,

Thanks for posting. We sail on Reflection starting Saturday. :)

[SusieV]

I'm afraid I didn't take pictures of the menus, sorry. But you can go there the day of and look at both menus and choose from there. We never encountered difficulty going for lunch- we were told they held space for the Ultimate package holders.

 

Cafe al Bacio doesn't really seem to be a place where I'd go for an actual meal- more for a snacky type thing. In the morning they had breakfast pastries and the like, and sandwiches for a couple of hours and then small sweet treats in the afternoon and evening. I suppose you could eat a few small sandwiches for lunch but I'd much prefer Bistro on Five or the Porch since it's only five dollars anyway.

 

Even with things being booked up, there were late reservations. We told them the absolute latest we would go was 7:30 so there was less wiggle room. We like to be in the casino for poker at 10:30 and wanted to have time for a few drinks after dinner so we prefer to eat early. I doubt there would ever be an issue of not being able to get a reservation at all in any of the restaurants!

 

We booked the package at Murano. The gelato, unfortunately, is not included. Try the mint and hazelnut flavours with hazelnut sauce on top. Fabulous! (and on a previous cruise I'd said it wasn't worth the money- I changed my mind!)

 

Texed- have a great trip! We never went to the buffet so I can't comment on the waffles- you'll have to review them :)

[Texed]

Texed- have a great trip! We never went to the buffet so I can't comment on the waffles- you'll have to review them :)

 

Thanks for the nice wishes. I will TRY to find time to have a few waffles, and I will bring back a review. ;)

[Oville]

Susie, so happy to hear this cruise worked out for you. Enjoyed reading your review and glad you had a good cruise and will consider a future Reflection cruise.

 

Just one question, when we were on the Reflection in December we were not the least bit impressed with the Porch, loved Bistro on 5 though. Perhaps the menu has changed at the Porch. What would you recommend if dining there.

 

Thanks for your review.

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[C 2 C]

We have always had a tradition of going to Murano on the first and last night of a cruise. It's been our favourite restaurant since our first cruise on Summit when we went to Normandie. This time, I can honestly say it was probably our least favourite of the four. Part of it was that the service seemed rushed, and we had little staff interaction the first night.

 

When we sailed on Reflection from Oct~Nov, Murano was our favourite. We were shocked how the whole experience had deteriorated while dining there last week. Another couple expressed their disappointment during the social hour. While on board the Eclipse the previous week, our experience in Murano was also less enjoyable than Tuscan and Qsine.

[excruiser]

It was stated that 8 dining packages were sold on the cruise. Is this the number imposed by Celebrity or that is how many that were actually sold. Usually book AQ but want to try dining package but will be disappointed if we get onboard and no ultimate dining package is available.

 

Thanks

excruiser

[gelo7]

Nice review.

[librarylady19]

You certainly sound more positive in your review than during your cruise. Seems that the positives outweighed the negatives after all. We would go on the ship again in a heart beat. Are you still planning to cancel your next cruise?

[SusieV]

It was stated that 8 dining packages were sold on the cruise. Is this the number imposed by Celebrity or that is how many that were actually sold. Usually book AQ but want to try dining package but will be disappointed if we get onboard and no ultimate dining package is available.

 

Thanks

excruiser

 

No, that's how many were sold. I was not told of a specific numeric limit, perhaps it varies per sailing?

 

You certainly sound more positive in your review than during your cruise. Seems that the positives outweighed the negatives after all. We would go on the ship again in a heart beat. Are you still planning to cancel your next cruise?

 

Honestly, we still weren't thrilled about the service we received early in the cruise. It was just unnecessary for staff who work with the public to be rude and abrupt, and we've never experienced that on a Celebrity ship before. When we talked to management, it seemed that the situation had improved- I am not sure if that had anything to do with us though. It was much nicer to see smiling faces and staff who seemed happy to assist you rather than people who were grumpy and seemed like they didn't want to be there.

 

My husband isn't going on the fall cruise- I'd be taking my four year old son and travelling with family. We're currently undecided between Reflection and Independence of the Seas, which is significantly cheaper. I had been prepared to pay the difference for Celebrity but I'm on the fence now.

[B1G]

Overall, we enjoyed our cruise and wished it had been longer. We would definitely cruise Reflection again, if only for the live poker table. We are hoping this will spread to the rest of the fleet.

 

What is the minimum/maximum buy in? What was your best evening (profit)?

 

Thanks!

[SusieV]

What is the minimum/maximum buy in? What was your best evening (profit)?

 

Thanks!

 

On that particular sailing, it was $2-$5 no limit, 10% max rake capped at $15 (sick) with buyins between $200 and $500. However, I've seen different games and limits spread on different ships.

 

I finished up nearly $2000 on the final night, but I would say I'm a pretty good poker player :)

[pumpkin 11]

Thanks for your review!

[youwash]

Did Reflection, when out of Florida, offer luggage valet? If I remember right I thought I had read somewhere that they offered it. Since we were "a day late and a dollar short" on booking our flight out of Florida, we have a very late flight out and would like to get rid of our luggage so we can do something for the day. Or could someone tell me about booking a ship's excursion for the day-what happens to your luggage-does it go with you?

[jody75]

The Ultimate Package is $29/pp/day. We did make all our reservations on day one just to make sure we'd get what we wanted but we weren't told that we had to.

 

Thanks for the info. What did you do about the Automatic Gratuities which probably default to the MDR staff ?