Once you go Reflection you will never go back *Review for Eastern Caribbean 3-8-14*

[barney6895]

Just returned from yet another AMAZING and LIFE CHANGING cruise aboard the Celebrity Reflection. First I will tell a bit about my group and I and then break into the fine details of our trip. We are a group in our early 20s and we cruise quite often only on Celebrity. We of course love to party, but we are from good stock and enjoy the finer things in life. From shore excursions to the service we expect the best of the best and Celebrity always delivers! This year we opted to do the Aqua Class Suite and try out the Spa aka Persian Garden. We usually get the Sky Suite so the only difference was just the added perk of the specialty restaurant BLU and access to Persian Garden. Now being the first week of March this one of the spring break cruises and i was pleasantly surprised at just how many spring breakers there were. Last year there were two major colleges aboard and that was even too much at times for us even being early 20s. This year it was a more intimate group of spring breakers who were a bit classier but still could break loose and have fun. We also had the classic alcoholic beverage package which was a part of the 123 go offer they had going and its a MUST for anyone who will drink over $50 dollars a day including tips. The Aqua Class suite was amazing. The space is so necessary and having the veranda just makes the trip so much better. Service was great and the room attendant was the best ive ever had! Room was very clean and always like i never touched it when id get back twice a day. The perks you get for concierge or above are worth the money as well. One other thing i must add is NEVER go with a travel agent. This isnt 1994 anymore. If you go through celebrity vacation planners believe it or not 9 times out of 10 you get better pricing, and perks. If not ill always pay a little extra to deal right with the company instead of a third party because when things go wrong you can talk to celebrity directly without the run around! I recommend my vacation planned with celebrity. She is the most amazing person out there and is on the phone with me daily for six months making sure my vacation is perfect. Call 888-307-8413 (extension 13360) I have booked two more cruises after I got back. One in Nov and another in March again like we always do.

 

Boarding Process-This was a breeze! We left my condo in Fort Myers at 7am and got through Customs around 10ish. We were the first in the Priority Boarding Line since we had a the Aqua Class suite you get moved right to the front and let me tell you its worth the money for that in itself! We got to the check in desk with our express boarding passes which also made life so much easier having them in hand and not having them look up our reservation. Then we proceeded to board right at 11am sharp! And of course blowing past the normal lines upon boarding the actually ship once again is so nice! And then of course the free champagne and mimosas is a great perk for everyone stepping aboard. When boarding on deck 5 we we noticed the specialty restaurants table where they had someone taking down reservations. For being in Aqua class we received 50% off the first night. All others received only 20% off which still was not bad. We decided to eat at Murano the first night and made reservations for 8pm. After we headed straight to our rooms. Now dont be afraid to break down some fire doors and head right to your room to drop off carry on luggage. They may ask what you are doing and say your room isnt ready but they still will let you go in and drop your carry one baggage off which makes life a lot easier. The rooms were ready at 1:00-1:15 and then we had the muster drill at 3:15 sharp which took a bit longer than normal in my opinion. We caught the theater show that night and was great like always. After we hit the casino and we made some good money that first night. Played roulette and slots a bit for a laugh and ended even making money on slots which i never play. Now I have heard issues with the volume of the music played throughout the ship. I think this has been taken care of through the may complaints. In no way shape or form was it too much for anyone. Everyone was dancing and interacting with the shows off the martini bar in the foyer. The sky lounge aka club or disco had lack luster crowds most of the cruise as no one knows what it is at night. We ended up meeting a lot of people our age and even older and started all meeting there at night and turned that low attendance around. They are for sure gearing towards a younger demographic these days overall but one thing i loved seeing is people of all ages interacting and hanging out together. I mean we had a guy who was 70 who we met that was dancing with us on the dance floor! I think that is one of the great things about celebrity, they can bring everyone together no matter what age.

 

Murano-First let me say that the service here is AMAZING! They go above and beyond and its an experience you will never forget! The intimate atmosphere and small number of tables makes it much easier to talk and relax than eating at the main dinning room. The food however was forgettable. I ordered the pork belly for an appetizer and was uneatable. They took it back and apologized and wanted to send something else out and it was much better. Then we had the lobster cooked stir fried next to the table and the presentation was really great but again the lobster was just okay. I must also mention I didnt have much of an appetite as I wasnt feeling well but still I wasnt blown away by the Lobster. Desert was good as usual no different than the main dinning room deserts. You really pay for the first class service and atmosphere which is well worth it. Especially since I got 50% off I can complain too much.

 

Day 2-We explored the ship some more and just took everything in. It is a very large ship and will take some time getting use to about a day or two. We decided to try the Porch for Lunch instead of the Buffet. I am in no way whatsoever a buffet person, nor is the rest of my group. The $5 dollar charge to eat at the porch is well worth it for the quality of the food and the amazing view. The buffet we tried for a laugh and was much better than the previous buffets on the other ships but still was buffet quality food. Service wasnt too great at the Porch language barrier is an issue but this obviously changes as workers come and go each cruise. They just didnt seem happy to be doing their job. However this didnt stop us from eating lunch there everyday.

 

Day 3-Some of our group was able to make it to the main dinning room breakfast which i heard was amazing but this only happened once on day 3 as we were up too late usually to get up too early. The view coming into Puerto Rico was amazing. We were on the lawn section just to the the left of the sunset bar if you were looking forward towards the bow. Be sure to get a lot of pictures of the city and old fort on the port side (left) as you come into dock. We planned to go to the Bacardi Factory as soon as we got off. We disembarked right away off the ship one of the first few off and headed to the ferry a block down the street. It was 50 cents USD each way and we bought two tickets. Knowing what I know now ill splurge and spend the money on a car service, not taxi, but car service like limousine style and get a ride directly there. As we got to the other side of the island on this ferry we had to walk another block to this van station where we proceeded to pay $3usd to ride in the worst van in the world with so many random people to the factory. Now apparently it was an unusually busy day there because the line was so long to get tickets and from what they said they were not ready for such a large crowd that day. They give you two free tickets for drinks after you get your FREE tickets for the tour. Then there is ample seating and space to drink, sit down, shop, and all that. After your two free small drinks are gone a full sized glass is $10 dollars. Yes that does seem like a lot but you get to keep the glasses which is cool. Might not be worth it to some people but its a nice perk. They also had a lot of great flavored Bacardi we dont have back in the USA so that was interesting to try. You can also buy very rare flavors in the gift shop. The prices were very good. Two fifths for $20 USD and of course no tax! Then after waiting a long time we finally boarded the trolly to start the tour. The tour is cool, nothing too amazing but I did learn a lot about Bacardi and they had a old factory set you walk through something like you would see at Disney World. Then also a room where you could smell all the Bacardi Flavors out of these barrels which was unique. Of course they had a short video to watch in a theater area but was such bad picture quality It was hard to watch sometimes haha. Then they give you a tour of the grounds on the trolly but never the actual factory. Once the tour was over we had a per-arranged Limo service to pick us up. We were originally suppose to get back to the ferry and get picked up there but after the van and ferry ride i just had the Limo get us at the Bacardi Factory. This was a good thing because it gave us a chance to see more of Puerto Rico. We then headed to La Conch Hotel and Resort. This is one of the most amazing resorts I have ever seen. It was very expensive but worth every dollar. We had dinner reservations at La Perla there main restaurant which is actually situated in an infinity pool and a few steps from the beach. Literally the surf comes up next to the table its amazing! After the amazing and life changing dinner we headed back to the ship at 9:30ish. When we got to port and customs literally no one else was around hahah. I guess everyone got back one early. We then got cleaned up and watched the ship leave port at the sunset deck. They had a miami pool party with DJ that night which was better than last years. Turn out for the events was much better in general than previous years. Of course we did the club and bars and it was awesome like every night!

 

Day 4-We got to St Thomas and woke up and got off as soon as possible. I have to add I do about 6 months of planning these trips and make sure every thing goes off without an issue. I never do celebritys excursions. The best thing to do is research things to do yourself or get off and find something. This is much more of an adventure. In this instance I had booked a private boat for us for the day with snorkel gear which only cost us $235 total not per person but total for the day. We just had to fuel it back up at the end of the day at the gas dock next to the marina. We jumped on a tour bus truck type thing with my group of 4 including me and two couples so that was nice it wasnt so big. He did a tour around the island and stopped at a couple spots they have mapped out for shopping, drinking, picture taking, and then some great photo op spots. The driver was actually very informative and funny at the same time which was nice. Then came the part where he was to drop us at the marina and proceeded to get lost for an hour but eventually made it to the marina. We jumped in our boat and went out to the Caribbean and hit two other small countries to maximize the trip and snorkeled in some remote spots where we saw a shark and got some great rocks and shells from the ocean floor. We did hit a bad storm on the way in and took us over an hour to get back but I am a skilled mariner and didnt worry me but no place for amateurs out there. The marina called us a tour truck and we headed back to the ship and hour early as it was so busy and dont want to miss our ship. We hit the Persian garden for the second time as we were cold and achy from the storm and relaxed. The spa is a must to try for anyone who enjoys that sort of thing. We ended up doing a mid day spa hour each day after each country and fell asleep in the tiled loungers every time to catch up on some sleep before dinner and going out.

 

Day 5-This day we got up early again and headed out right away! Now here were calling ahead for a car service. This port has 7 of more mega ships at anytime and a taxi for all 25ks plus people is IMPOSSIBLE. I did research and found a great guy named Noel and hes very popular there and comes highly recommended. His company is called Noel Tours and he has a youtube video. They were there right away and took us in a very nice suv to this private resort. We wanted to do the topless beach/nude beach thing for fun at Orient Bay. Where i wanted to go was so busy he said and he told us he had connections at this resort. They have a deal where his customers get in free since he brings them business. it was so private and just enough people to make it fun but no overwhelming. We had drinks at the beach and lunch right on the beach in the lounge chairs. We also rented a jet ski there but the prices were high so we just did 30 mins which was plenty. We also go pulled over by the French Police out there so watch where you go cause a lot is off limits to Jet Skis. Then Noel had this awesome customized Van with wifi come get us which he drove himself and he was jamming out with us to some great songs as he had a great audio system installed. As we pulled up to port security we were all dancing and you should have seen the cops faces haha. We got back on after waiting in line a bit as there are SOOOO many people trying to get back to their ships and the biggest ship in the world Oasis of the seas was next to us. After more Spa time and a quick nap in there we got ready for our 8pm dinner seating. Our first time at the main dinning room was horrible this trip. The host didnt even acknowledge us when we walked up the line for reserved seating for guests who had set times. And then the attitude from the whole staff was something out of carnival cruise line or worst. The manager came over the first night we ate and asked how things were and I politely explained I expected better and let me tell you the next few days we ate in OPUS (the main dinning room) they made sure we felt like the only ones there. We had the best table, best people, and best service. This more than made up for the one bad night. The food at Opus was amazing as usual. I dont think quality has been compromised at all. I saw a lot of complaints about this but I would strongly disagree. The portions are definitely smaller but thats okay cause we always order so much of everything it works out perfect! That night we caught the 10:45 theater show which was the acrobats and all that which was INCREDIBLE! Do not miss that! Right after we rushed into the Sin City show which you need tickets for. We were late and luckily made friends with the HBO comedian on board and he was in the back waiting to go on and let us in without being heckled. This was so funny and yea the stripper wasnt too great but she was sexy so no one should complain! We went to the casino after were i think it wasnt as great as the last ship. One of the dealers from my last cruise recognized me and encouraged me not to gamble quite often as he said we are going to rob you. It just how the odds are on that ship. Whenever I was up they would trade dealers in every 3 spins on the roulette wheel to throw me off. Overall had a good time gambling though just be smart they are smarter haha.

 

Day 6-The last two days consisted of the usual Porch Lunch, laying out with all our new friends poolside. FYI if you want a prime spot be prepared to be there at 6am. People would get up and go back to bed out there just to reserve seats. No one ever seemed to stay long though so many different people could use it through out the day. One thing id like to point is the lawn club. This was always closed as it is private. People tend to think anyone can just wander around the cabanas. Its suppose to be private for those who pay the $150usd per day. There were barely any lawn games. Apparently there was lawn bowling one day but I never saw it. My friend who is a PGA golfer did join in on the putting challenge on the lawn but its not like golf course green turf so you have to whack it in. Still is fun though! The ping pong tournament people really got into and they had prizes. I even saw a lot of older people in the game room the entire cruise playing air hockey.

 

Day 7-On the last day we just laid by the pool once again and even the solarium is a great place to relax. The seating is so much better and the unique options are way better than any other ship out there. Another great thing was only saw a group of small kids once being led by the celebrity employees back to their parents and were so well behaved. We decided to try Qsine for dinner as Tuscan was fully booked. I was nervous about what to expect after the first night at Murano. We went with a bunch of girls we met on the cruise and it was AMAZING! I love the style and how everything works there. The service was okay and our waiter tried to be funny but just was corny. However he was very nice and very refined. We had the most amazing food there and would recommend it to everyone! There is something for everyone there and passing and sharing is just a fun experience. Be prepared for a 2 hour dinner and they dont move very fast. We went to the club that night to end the final night and it was ridiculous how they pretty much kicked us out at 2am. If we want to party until 5am let us party. There was a large group of us still having fun. It wasnt the end of the world though as we just brought the party back to the suites. Next morning I threw my stuff in the suitcase within an hour and we headed out. We choose to carry out own luggage off as we live in FL and are just going to the Limo where our driver gets the bags. They even had a crew member grab our bags and take them down to security. Clearing security took a bit longer than usual but thats okay nothing too bad and away we went home! Overall we had the most incredible cruise and we cant wait to be back in 6 months. After the reflection you will never go back and I dont know how anyone sails on a different cruise line. We heard loyal elite RYCB members say they are never going back which is no big deal to them cause they own each other. If anyone has questions feel free to ask! There isnt much i dont know about the ships or details of the company. I hope this review helps give you an idea of what to expect and can get you excited for your cruise :) Im sure i missed some details but like i said feel free to ask away!

Edited March 20, 2014 by barney6895

[wpgcycler]

Thanks for this great review! Love your energy! (actually, I'd love a bit of it for me own self :D)

[Texed]

6895,

 

Thanks for posting. :)

[mg33626]

Jua quick nap in there we got ready for our 8pm dinner seating. Our first time at the main dinning room was horrible this trip. The host didnt even acknowledge us when we walked up the line for reserved seating for guests who had set times. And then the attitude from the whole staff was something out of carnival cruise line or worst. The manager came over the first night we ate and asked how things were and I politely explained I expected better and let me tell you the next few days we ate in OPUS (the main dinning room) they made sure we felt like the only ones there. We had the best table, best people, and best service. This more than made up for the one bad night. The food at Opus was amazing as usual. I dont think quality has been compromised at all. There was Im sure i missed some details but like i said feel free to ask away!

 

Thanks for the review, we sail on her in ten days! I wanted to be sure I'm reading you right. Both your good and bad experience was in OPUS, correct? Is OPUS the only main dining room? We plan on doing almost everything the same as you. I told my wife, I think I wrote this review! We are renting a boat in ST, Orient bay without a shed of clothing in SM, and we've actually stayed at La concha last year! Our dinner plans are the same as well, MDR all nights except doing. Mutant and QSINE. Funny coincidences. BTW - when we want a beach away from our own in St Pete, we always go to Ft Myers.

[foodgirl]

Thanks for the review. Will be on her on April 5th. Raised in Fort Myers. Small world. Can't wait to check out this ship. Pictures are amazing!!

[barney6895]

Thanks for the review, we sail on her in ten days! I wanted to be sure I'm reading you right. Both your good and bad experience was in OPUS, correct? Is OPUS the only main dining room? We plan on doing almost everything the same as you. I told my wife, I think I wrote this review! We are renting a boat in ST, Orient bay without a shed of clothing in SM, and we've actually stayed at La concha last year! Our dinner plans are the same as well, MDR all nights except doing. Mutant and QSINE. Funny coincidences. BTW - when we want a beach away from our own in St Pete, we always go to Ft Myers.

 

Well the first experience was at Murano. Like i said service and atmosphere were amazing and worth the money but food was only descent. Cooking lobster table side was really cool. However I did see another couple make a scene about how bad the food was and had the chef come out so i just let it go not to make his night any worse. And then the Opus is the only other main dinning area thats free but it is gorgeous and looks 5 star and has great food! Like i said the service the first night was awful but they were very busy and it was a mob in there so you could tell there was frustration for the employees but thats no excuse for poor manners. However one mention to the manager and we were treated like royalty once again. DO not go to the buffet for dinner haha just head to Opus and keep your regular wait staff if you dont plan to hit upgraded dinning. If you want upgraded dinning be sure to ask about discounts for first night seating or just in general. I know some capt club members will get it or aqua class or above get a bigger percent off. Yea Qsine is amazing and make sure to make reservations ahead of time when you first step on things fill up so fast! Tuscan has a great view though if you eat before sunset and can get a table near the window. La Concha was amazing im glad others have been there and tried it because its something out of the movies!! Have a great time you guys!

[mg33626]

Well the first experience was at Murano. Like i said service and atmosphere were amazing and worth the money but food was only descent. Cooking lobster table side was really cool. However I did see another couple make a scene about how bad the food was and had the chef come out so i just let it go not to make his night any worse. And then the Opus is the only other main dinning area thats free but it is gorgeous and looks 5 star and has great food! Like i said the service the first night was awful but they were very busy and it was a mob in there so you could tell there was frustration for the employees but thats no excuse for poor manners. However one mention to the manager and we were treated like royalty once again. DO not go to the buffet for dinner haha just head to Opus and keep your regular wait staff if you dont plan to hit upgraded dinning. If you want upgraded dinning be sure to ask about discounts for first night seating or just in general. I know some capt club members will get it or aqua class or above get a bigger percent off. Yea Qsine is amazing and make sure to make reservations ahead of time when you first step on things fill up so fast! Tuscan has a great view though if you eat before sunset and can get a table near the window. La Concha was amazing im glad others have been there and tried it because its something out of the movies!! Have a great time you guys!

 

Thank you, it all sounds great. We love to do a great dinner, and there's no chance we would do the buffet at that time. We always love the MDR on cruise ships, especially on formal nights.

[Bosjoe]

One word. AMAZING. :)

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[memory-minus]

Great review! Which Aqua Suite were you in? We're sailing in April and also booked an Aqua Suite.

[dorisis]

Seems you had an "AMAZING" cruise. Hope you keep on being amazed by X.

[Feelin' Nauti']

Thanks for sharing your review!

[petersonwith3]

Thanks for the review...I'm on the plane now, headed for the Summit in San Juan and I'm more excited after reading this.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[barney6895]

Great review! Which Aqua Suite were you in? We're sailing in April and also booked an Aqua Suite.

 

I forgot the number off hand but it was on deck 11 which is the penthouse deck which had great views! I do recall we were mid ship and I always get a room near the elevators. This is one deck below the highest you can go for rooms. This deck also had the spa area right down the hall which made it very nice to grab a quick massage :)

[bhughey]

Thanks for the review! Sounds like a great cruise!

 

Re: cabin location? I thought all Aqua Suites were on deck 12 - which is also where the spa is located?

[harz99]

Hi Barney, glad you enjoyed your cruise.

 

"Once you go Reflection you will never go back *Review for Eastern Caribbean 3-8-14*"

 

That is true for us but not in the same way! We didn't enjoy the ship, so won't book her again. Back to M class and occasionally Eclipse for some Perrification.;)

[Lilac]

For the Aqua suite, the dinning room is Blu not the MDR; didn't you even try it? The reason most of us who are booking Aqua is to eat in Blu.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise; we also did tremendously.

[drarill]

Excellent review!! Thanks for sharing your cruise with us. We are sailing on the Reflection in July!! Can't wait!:):)

[Lois R]

Thanks for sharing your experience with us and glad you had such

a good time:)

 

One thing you mentioned about them closing the disco at 2am? That

is late for Celebrity. I seriously doubt they are going to stay open

until 5am. The staff and crew who work in there? They have to get

up and work the next day. Sorry you thought it was ridiculous:eek:

[C&F]

Great review! Looking forward to my cruise in 3 weeks!

 

Sent from my KFAPWI using Forums mobile app

[ORV]

I forgot the number off hand but it was on deck 11 which is the penthouse deck which had great views! I do recall we were mid ship and I always get a room near the elevators. This is one deck below the highest you can go for rooms. This deck also had the spa area right down the hall which made it very nice to grab a quick massage :)

 

 

How was Blu?