Foodies and Artists will love the Celebrity Reflection

[sky61]

Our bags weren't going to be brought to our room for a couple of more hours most likely it was time to head back out and check some things off our "just on board" list. For one thing we had signed up for the Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle but there was no invite in our room so we knew to go to Guest Services. That was a quick fix (despite the long lines that first day!). They had our names on a list (we had singed up online initially) and we were told to go to Michael's club the next morning at 10am (where we were greeted with name tags, a pleasant welcome with some of the ship's officers, coffee and pastry and nice chat with fellow Cruise Critics members). The best part was me poking my husband saying. "Ooh I think that's so and so I've seen him online..." ha ha! You guys are now officially like movie stars to me :)! I am including a pic here but I could not change the size so apologies if it is GIANT. :confused:

[sky61]

Other things on that first day list (with many thanks to previous posters on this site!):

 

We wanted to sign up for an art class, both a paid one and a free one. My husband expressed interest in doing something like that together...I was so looking forward to it! Unfortunately this was kind of a disappointment. We went up to the Art Studio at 4pm, which was the time written on newsletter for Open House. All sorts of art projects on the table, but the lady there said we couldn't sign up until the morning! I thought that was really odd. DH was wanting to try the printmaking class which looked cool and I would be open to anything but the vibe was not good and I was left feeling a bit deflated if such a thing could be possible on that beautiful ship. Perhaps being an art teacher myself with Middle Schoolers I am just so used to needing to be super peppy and enthusiastic and so I was surprised at the lack of excitement but seriously it was not the end of the world.

 

We could have gone back or called later that night or morning and the truth was we just got involved with all the other goings on and didn't look back. I think the idea is such a good one and hope they take off with it! We made friends with a super nice couple from Utah and had dinner with them one night near the end of the cruise and the woman did end up taking a watercolor class and loved it and loved the teacher so I say go for it if you can! Perhaps our timing was just off...

 

I had plenty of time and space to do my own drawing if the spirit moved me and certainly felt so surrounded with the beauty of the natural world (sea and sky), the striking design of the ship and the thoughtful art collection that I was completely fed as an artist and art lover.

[Anita7]

Thank you so much for your review and photos! (BTW, I looked at them on my iPhone and had no issues whatsoever.) We got back from our first cruise, which was on the RCI's Independence of the Seas just a week ago, and I am already looking to book our next cruise :)

 

It sounds like my husband and I would really love Reflection, not sure if it's a good choice for our then 10 and 4-year old daughters. Need to find out more about that!

[sky61]

We both like going to the gym so wanted to see what classes were offered there as I heard all this kind of stuff gets filled quickly. The gym is stunning as you can see! I did end up going three times but didn't sign up for any classes. If you like classes they have a spin class, yoga and some others for a fee but I was happy with the eliptical and my iPod. Warning: there are not nearly enough machines for busy mornings so be prepared to wait. I went the first sea day around 7:15am and it was packed! There are signs saying 20minute max on machines but no sign up so you have to kind of hover and stalk :). I decided to use some of the circuit machines and eventually got my eliptical and then jumped on a bike for another twenty. Being Aqua Class we had bottles of water delivered every day but you could just bring a water bottle and fill it at the water bubbler (this is how you can tell I'm from MA) in the gym. My favorite thing in the gym was the fridge with the cold towels!!!

[sky61]

I also wanted to hit the library, which the top floor of was located conveniently close to our room! I brought one paperback and had books on my iPad but am a pretty voracious reader so I was really looking forward to what I heard was one of the finest libraries at sea! The space is beautiful and both of us found plenty of choices for reading. There is a box for returning books and a sign explaining sign-out procedures but no place to actually sign out so we just borrowed and returned as soon as we finished reading. On Thursday I popped by to return a book and happily found many other options available so that was a nice surprise. Also, unlike the other cruise we were on, this library is 'open' 24/7! Dreamy. There is a shelf of children's books on the lower port side and a shelf of books in languages other than English on starboard.

[gelo7]

Loving your review.

[Lois R]

Hi I am so sorry I am sure it is me and not you. I am new to this and I'm sure the first few posts I made the pics waaaay too big. Are the later pics better? If so then I am on the right track. I'll try to go back and change the pics but don't know if I can :(

 

Yea:)...the rest of them are good:D:):D..thanks!!!! Not sure if it is me

or you but it is much better now!

Thanks so much:D

[fredflint]

yes pics seem better seems more and Internet explorer issue as I switched to chrome and they look fine

[YVRCanuck]

Hello and thanks for the kind words. I used a Panasonic Lumix DMC 256 set on automatic and my iPhone.

 

I'm still new at all this but was much inspired by Library Lady's awesome review a couple of months back. I know it really got us excited for our trip so I just want to pay that forward.

 

 

Guess it's time for me to invest in a new camera. I have no doubt that your review is going to be awesome because you're already off to a great start. Keep it going. Photo reviews are the best.

[drychi]

My wife and I liked this cabin so much we have booked it again next January. Glad you enjoyed it as well! Great location and quiet. Thanks for the nice review and pictures of this wonderful ship.

[DEBnGAB]

Loving you review so far! Great pics and if you have anymore food pics, Id love to see them! :D

[sky61]

My wife and I liked this cabin so much we have booked it again next January. Glad you enjoyed it as well! Great location and quiet. Thanks for the nice review and pictures of this wonderful ship.

 

Wow that is really funny that we had the same cabin! I agree about the quiet and great location. initially I wanted to be on the floor above to be closer to the gym but being near the library was great and once I realized there was a set of curved stairs all the way forward leading directly into the spa everything came together.

 

How nice for you and your bride to be going back. Llove having something to look forward to!

[sky61]

Loving you review so far! Great pics and if you have anymore food pics, Id love to see them! :D

 

Thanks so much! I'm afraid I was a bit delinquent getting food pics. So unlike me (I seriously take a ridiculous amount of pics at restaurants and my DH's gigs if I'm there). Every night I would say to him, "I have to remember to bring my phone/camera" but I got so used to no purse and well you can guess that by the end of the week I had only the ones I took at the beginning. I am hoping I can paint a picture with words...

 

P.S. I am no expert in all things food but really enjoy reading restaurant reviews and books like Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise. Published: 2005. Author: Ruth Reichl. Have you read that? Very entertaining.

[sky61]

Part of the info waiting for us in our cabin that first day was a timed reservation for Blue. This is done automatically if you are AC (Aqua Class) just that first night to prevent a crush of people all arriving at the same time. We were given a 7:30-8:30 window and showed up around 7:45.

 

Let me start off by saying we already know we will book AC just to get to go to Blu again. As I mentioned above I was remiss with photos (but not remiss with eating) so instead I am putting in a link provided by Celebrity that has some menus and tells a bit more about Blu for anyone interested. You can also search around for other menus and reviews.

http://www.celebritycruises.com/onboard/level3Type1.do?pagename=onboard_celebrity_restaurants_cafes_blu&parentpage=onboard_celebrity_restaurants_cafes

 

On the way to Blu (Michael's club and other specialty restaurants) you pass through one of my favorite art installations. Galena Mosovich, writing for Miami.com said, "The work of another Miami superstar, Carlos Betancourt, is featured in the collection with The Celestial Garden, an all-encompassing (floor-to-ceiling) visual and sensory experience in the Ensemble vestibule. In collaboration with Alberto Latorre, the romantic composition invites viewers to reflect upon the mysterious relationship of memory, beauty and art." If you have a few extra minutes one day try to stay in the space and enjoy both the subtlety of the sound along with the expressions of those passing through.

 

Here's a detail for your viewing pleasure. I'll get to Blu after work!

[sky61]

Well clearly this "work thing" is getting in the way of my review :o. Let me continue where I left off...we were just checking in with the maitre d' at Blu. This first night we were asked for names and cabin #'s. After the first night it was cabin # only. Also, after this first night we just "showed up" at any time for dinner and usually were seated immediately.

 

The wait staff is top notch at Blu. Within two minutes of sitting you will have your napkin in your lap, menus in your hand, and telling someone what kind of water you'd like (we always go for Pellegrino...which is included at no extra cost). We both really appreciated the limited menu, which had plenty of variety,but doesn't require twenty minutes to look through. We each chose an appetizer, salad item and entree, hoping the portions wouldn't be too large as we love trying different foods and didn't want to get "stuffed."

 

The sommelier approached us right away, also. I'm afraid we are a bit of a disappointment in this department (ha ha) but I'm sure he has plenty to keep him busy!

 

I had a lovely quail appetizer that first night, delicate and crisp with just a hint of citrus. I also ordered the corn soup. They bring you a bowl with the 'main' ingredients of the soup at the bottom and then pour the stock (or whatever hot liquid) from a small mini ceramic milk bottle thingy (that I'm sure has a proper name but the hubby is working and I can't wait another day to get this post completed!). I love the theatrical effect of it all but mostly love the peppery smokiness of the light chowder against the sweetness of the corn. Yum!

 

I ordered a soup four of the five nights we ate at Blu and was never disappointed. Some evenings I added a salad and those were also quite good. All of the food came out of the kitchen at the perfect temperature and the waitstaff and 'Johnny' the manager were attentive without being overbearing. I don't like to be hovered over but it is nice to be checked in on every once in a while and Blu really has figured this out perfectly. I was actually super impressed with the support staff (water and bread at dinner, pastry and coffee in the morning) who were cheerful, professional and always on top of a half-filled glass.

 

Two of my four entrees were spectacular (filet and salmon) and two not so great (squab and some kind of a seafood stew). The squab I probably can't really fault as I was on a bird run for a few days (yup...I said bird run...quail, roasted chicken, chicken salad at lunch...I have no excuses. Sometimes it just goes like that.) and the word "squab" was out of my mouth before I could count to ten and stop myself. I kind of forgot the gaminess and liverniness (made that up completely) of squab and probably should have just accepted my mistake and asked for something else but I kept taking bites, almost punishing myself for my error in judgement. So sad. I believe the taste will not be soon forgotten and if I ever utter the word squab outside of a Scrabble game the DH has permission to beg for a huddle to run smelling salts under my nose and bring me to my senses.

 

The seafood stew (which had a much nicer name on the menu) was just lame. Thankfully I was not hungry that night because it seriously was more of an appetizer. Granted, being from New England I am completely spoiled in the seafood department but no one should be hoodwinked into thinking this dish is anything close to bouillabaisse. Again, I could have sent it back or ordered something else but being quite full from a late lunch I just let sleeping scallops lie.

 

All of the dishes were as pretty to look at as could be and the desserts especially. We both ordered this every night. The only weak spot was a flavored creme brulee which was missing the crispiness my spoon so lovingly enjoys tap tapping. The lava cake were delicious, rich but not overly so and with a satisfying chocolate tartness.

 

I am including here a link to someone's site who generously provides menus of all the dining venues on the Eclipse, including menus of Blu and load of photos. I'm sorry I can't give proper credit to the person who did this fabulous job. Thanks so much for your thorough site!

[sky61]

I got this photo of the solarium when we first boarded the ship but am happy to report that it was never difficult for us to find a spot to sit anywhere on the ship. Granted, we couldn't just walk up and get a spot next to the pool, but after sunning ourselves on one of the outside decks we easily popped in, found a spot for our towels, and floated around in this peaceful oasis. There is a funky water feature that has colored lights at night, a jacuzzi off to the starboard side, and being 'over 16 only' the sound of little cherubs was nil (ha ha...I am a total fan of little cherubs but really liked that this whole cruise was really more of an adult-oriented vacation). There were some nice families enjoying themselves but I never felt like I needed to 'escape.'

[sky61]

Here you can see the outside pools, which are not huge but plenty big for cooling off. One end has a stage area where musicians often played. Things I loved...no crazy jumbo screen and constant blasting of screeching movies or blaring annoying music. The music acts were mixed up and always it is written in the daily newsletter who is playing when so you can plan your day around that if you'd like. There were a couple of free Zumba classes each day and I managed to jump in on two of those (what the heck...I was encouraged by all those other carefree spirits on board).

 

There are those dreaded chair people around...you know who I'm talking about...but we were happy to see the pool stewards really trying to keep up with people who abandoned towels on chairs for more than an hour.

 

There are four jacuzzis outside here which almost always had people in them but were empty at night so we really enjoyed that at 9pm one evening!

 

 

[lilghallinsf]

Wonderful review!!! Thanks

[Negrilgirl]

Thanks for the review!

[emcee207]

Having just returned from "straying" on a NCL Gem cruise I am really enjoying this review and the pics. Our first Celebrity cruise was on the Constellation in 2004 and I was knocked out by all the artwork. Loved it!

 

We've been on 12 cruises since then, 10 Celebrity, 1 Azamara and 1 NCL. Every cruise is good but we won't stray from Celebrity again.

 

Thanks for doing this review, looking forward to more.

[dread_pirate]

Love the review, thanks! Seriously considering switching from RCI to the Reflection in December.

 

Question - is there anywhere to check your carry-on bags if your cabin isn't ready? On NCL, one of the bars was set aside as an attended check room, and you could pick up your bags when you went to your cabin.

 

Also, is there a charge for the Solarium, like there is for the Sanctuary on Princess?

[Karen@Steve]

No charge for the solarium but is adults only. They do have some areas of the spa that require an entry fee if you are not Aqua Class. We checked almost everything except one carryon each, I don't believe there was anywhere to check hand luggage.

[u2cruiser]

I'm really enjoying your review sky61.

Very funny about the squab and the (not) bouillabaise :D

 

@ Lois, if your screen is still too small and you have the scroll bar across the bottom like I did, then try the Ctrl and minus button to minimise the screen slightly. Saves having to scroll across to the end of the lines. :)

[Lois R]

I'm really enjoying your review sky61.

Very funny about the squab and the (not) bouillabaise :D

 

@ Lois, if your screen is still too small and you have the scroll bar across the bottom like I did, then try the Ctrl and minus button to minimise the screen slightly. Saves having to scroll across to the end of the lines. :)

 

Hi, thanks for thinking of me:) somehow the pictures are now working

AOK:D....it all fits like it is supposed to;)

[sky61]

I always think I am going to sleep late, but rarely do. Still, I prefer to "ease" into the day gently. Seeing as how we had the expanded room service menu we decided to take advantage of that and have something delivered to our room between 6:30-7:30 most mornings so we could relax, sit on the balcony, and get showered without rushing around. Usually we ordered coffee, a couple of muffins, and sometimes a smoothie. I am not generally a fan of bran muffins but when you order muffins we got one bran and one blueberry. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked them both! The bran muffin was moist and had a touch of sweetness (perhaps honey?) that has me re=thinking my muffin concepts.

 

After an hour or so we would go to Blu for a real breakfast. There was never a wait and we went a variety of times. One morning we even managed to get a table near a window. The service in the morning is just as stellar as the evening. Within two minutes we were being offered coffee and asked if we would like fresh squeezed orange or grapefruit (yes!) juice. Our waiter (we didn't have the same waitstaff every time we ate but by the end of the week we felt like we knew all the staff as they rotated around the tables and we also sat in different areas) took our order and immediately after that someone came with a very appealing tray of baked goods...muffins, croissants and other delectable breakfasty items.

 

I ordered the Blu Parfait, which was a layered yogurt, granola and fresh fruit concoction served in a wine glass. I looked forward to this every morning we ate at Blu. I also typically had the egg white omelette, which comes with a "made to order" list of ingredients to choose from. I am a fan of mixed veges so usually got spinach, cheese and tomato. The omelette came with asparagus and a few potatoes. Nothing heavy.

 

My DH tried several different items over the week and was never disappointed. What we really enjoyed was the attention to detail and the thoughtfulness given to the flavors. I love eating breakfast out but sometimes feel so disgusting after wolfing down a giant plate of eggs with home fries and a couple of slices of toast on the side (okay maybe wolfing is not giving you a good picture of how I eat but I know some of you can relate). At Blu I could tell I was eating smarter.

 

I was curious about the breakfast in the OceanView Cafe so dragged DH there one morning (he was not happy about missing out on the peace, tranquility and table side service at Blu). The made to order omelette station had a line and I didn't feel like waiting but I was plenty pleased with what was available at the stations. There were other egg dishes, all sorts of breakfast meats, fresh fruit, bagels, lox and other toppings, smoked salmon, yogurts, granola, cereal...you get the idea. I made us each a parfait using a coffee mugs by combining the granola, fruit and yogurt and felt quite clever. It's the little things, you know?