LIVE from Reflection 8th to 19th June

[gcgold]

gcgold

 

 

 

Thanks for all this great info, we're on the 10th August 11 night cruise, can you remember which nights were the formal ones?

Cheers

 

Michael

 

 

 

Indeed I can - remarkable given that I had upgraded to a Premium Package before we left Blighty and got excellent value for money ;)

 

 

Day 2 (first Full Day at Sea ) was formal as was the penultimate night on the final Sea Day between Athena & Napoli

[emoji41][emoji636][emoji485][emoji484][emoji482]

Edited June 22, 2015 by gcgold

[Sue10england]

Hi I'm curious to know what deal you got on upgrading to the premium package. We have the classic and were wondering whether it was worth upgrading?

 

Indeed I can - remarkable given that I had upgraded to a Premium Package before we left Blighty and got excellent value for money ;)

 

 

Day 2 (first Full Day at Sea ) was formal as was the penultimate night on the final Sea Day between Athena & Napoli

[emoji41][emoji636][emoji485][emoji484][emoji482]

[hillsprint]

Jolly good, have already booked the Tuscan Grill both nights :)

 

Returning to the Shore Excursions, what did you do at Kusadesi ?

[gcgold]

Hi I'm curious to know what deal you got on upgrading to the premium package. We have the classic and were wondering whether it was worth upgrading?

 

 

Now that is an interesting simple question but the answer is a tad complex.

 

If you do it onboard it will cost $11.80 per day and you can use any OBC (including non-refundable. OBC). However i called Celebrity UK and they quoted a sterling price which saved quite a bit on the exchange rate at the time.

 

It is always worth it for me as I enjoy the Pellegrino ,cocktails wines & beers that are not covered by Classic.

 

We had a bit if a celebration and SWMBO fancied a glass of shampoo ( i think it was $22). we only had to pay the difference $9 (+18 %) whereas if we had Classic then it have been the full $22 (+18 %)

 

I heard a few peoples saying there isnt many wines on the Classic - and the choice isnt great on Premium either. I did find a nice Pouilly Fume that cost $0.50 (+18 %) per glass extra - which would be $13.5 extra plus 18%![emoji32]) on the Classic

 

Personally like to know that I can get Tanquerary 10 etc without a big bill at the end - but that is just my opinion.

 

Cheers

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Edited June 22, 2015 by gcgold

[gcgold]

Jolly good, have already booked the Tuscan Grill both nights :)

 

 

 

Returning to the Shore Excursions, what did you do at Kusadesi ?

 

 

As usual - not a lot ! [emoji32]

 

Third time there and ashamed to say we haven't been to Ephesus yet [emoji33]

 

I understand its only s 10 minute bus ride away- plenty of info on t'internet.

 

Did a bit of haggling in the Bazaar then returned to the Boat to hit the Premium package [emoji41]

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Edited June 22, 2015 by gcgold

[hillsprint]

Did a bit of haggling in the Bazaar then returned to the Boat to hit the Premium package [emoji41]

[emoji485][emoji485][emoji482][emoji482][emoji484][emoji484][emoji482][emoji482][emoji485][emoji485]

 

 

I would expect nothing less, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do :D

[gcgold]

I would expect nothing less, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do :D

 

 

I note that you are from N Ireland [emoji41]

 

there were quite a few on the boat with us. The last night we invited a honeymoon couple from Belfast ( Marcus plays @ Hollywood GC) to join us in Qsine as we find it lifts the downer of it being ' the end'. We also find QS more enjoyable in a group.

 

We had coffee with rachel & marcus in FCO airport the next day and they said how much they enjoyed QSine - but maybe it was just Ulster politeness ?[emoji33]

Edited June 22, 2015 by gcgold

[hillsprint]

Holywood GC......hope he didn't over do the Rory Mc stories ;)

 

All I'll say is I have Rory's two balls..............practice ones, but that's another story :p

 

We enjoy a bit of napkin waving, so it will be the MDR for us, but will conclude the cruise in the Martini Bar......in true Ulster fashion :D

[gcgold]

Holywood GC......hope he didn't over do the Rory Mc stories ;)

 

 

 

All I'll say is I have Rory's two balls..............practice ones, but that's another story :p

 

 

 

We enjoy a bit of napkin waving, so it will be the MDR for us, but will conclude the cruise in the Martini Bar......in true Ulster fashion :D

 

 

sorry to disappoint you but the 'parade ' has been discontinued. - at least thats what our waiter said [emoji12]

 

My recollection is that it used to be the last formal night ?

 

[emoji41][emoji485][emoji482][emoji636]

[themutis]

Molecular Bar is now a joke . only 5 items available and staff were reprimanded for making variations on the first night - apparently contractual issues with the Franchisee.

 

Has this bar now become the World Class Bar? I thought they had 10 drinks. Or is it still Molecular and they are just scaling it back before the conversion?

 

Thanks

[gcgold]

Has this bar now become the World Class Bar? I thought they had 10 drinks. Or is it still Molecular and they are just scaling it back before the conversion?

 

 

 

Thanks

 

 

No its still Molecular and apparently there ate Contractual wrangles with the franchisee ( junor mireno ?)

 

As usual the paying customer is the one who suffers [emoji33][emoji33]

 

[emoji485][emoji485][emoji484][emoji484][emoji482][emoji482]

[galliegirlie]

Sounds like you enjoyed your trip. Do you have dailies that you can scan and post? We are on the July 10th cruise, and would love to get a heads up look at the dailies.

[gcgold]

Sounds like you enjoyed your trip. Do you have dailies that you can scan and post? We are on the July 10th cruise, and would love to get a heads up look at the dailies.

 

 

We definitely enjoyed it despite a serious onboard injury to my FIL's leg and my iphone going walkies [emoji33]

 

Have all the dailies and intend to scan the first 2 pages of each one and it them on Google Drive with a link on here - is that OK ? [emoji41]

 

If there is any other questions I will do my best - although the premium package can make one's memory a tad hazy you lnow [emoji33][emoji32][emoji12]

Edited June 22, 2015 by gcgold

[galliegirlie]

Have all the dailies and intend to scan the first 2 pages of each one and it them on Google Drive with a link on here - is that OK ? [emoji41]

 

That would be great! Could you also include the Reflection Today page (timeline of activities) and the back page with the daily food/drink recommendations? It would be much appreciated.

[White Cloud]

Thanks so much for answering questions about your cruise.

 

Do you recall how long it took to get up to Fira in Santorini and if there were long lines to get back down to the tender area?

[wifeofbedo]

I am curious about the entertainment and shows aboard.

Any hits or misses?

 

thanks!

[romytravels]

We also were on the June 8th cruise.

Check in for us(Canadian Passports ) was very easy - 5 mins and we were on the boat and able to sit out on the back deck and enjoy lunch.The boat is beautiful - apparently we had a "full load ",but it was only on Sea Days that we noticed it - lineups for lunch etc,so you just acted accordingly.The Captain was awesome and in fact all Cruise staff were very amenable and visible - we only had concerns with some of the bar staff.

We had the Classic Beverage package which turned out to be perfect for us - Latte's and Cappucino's in the morning,a beer at lunch and wine at night - in fact for the last 3 nights of the cruise,we got to enjoy the wines we specially enjoyed ( that only appeared on the Premium Package ) for free - I think perhaps they had run out of the basic Sauvignons and Merlots..Was nice to grab bottles of water as we headed off the boat for Shore Excursions

If you wanted quiet area's on Sea Days - both the Sky Lounge and Nest were excellent.

We had dinner at the Tuscan Grill,which we would highly recommend - fabulous and also at the Lawn Club,which wasn't all that Special.

We intentionally did not want Internet - preferring instead to use WiFi at the Ports(Athens and Naples have Wifi at the Port ).Heard from fellow travellers that the ship internet was excrutiatingly slow - so prolly not worth the high cost - folks seemed to be able to receive email,but not send it..

Disappointed that the walking/jogging track wove it's way through the 2 key Smoking areas on board - Sunset Bar and Mast Bar..you had to get up and out early before the smokers got up.

Entertainment - we thoroughly enjoyed the Main Stage events - took in several of those and were all very classy and well done.The live music around the various bars was also excellent and we must give a great big shout out to the band that played each night in the Atrium - they were absolutely fantastic and managed to get a lot of folks up dancing who probably hadn't intended to..

Shore Excursions - what a wonderful trip this is - going to such marvellous areas and different cultures and religions.

Santorini - we did the Celebrity Oia/Winery/Fira trip - was worth it to get off the boat early,enjoy the beautiful town of Fira,the views from Santos Winery.

No lineups at the Cable Car to go back down to the boat and enjoy the Sunset from onboard .

Istanbul - go out on deck and enjoy travelling through the Dardanelles and it's history.We did the Celebrity day and a half tour of Istanbul - would recommend trying to do this with a smaller group - we could have done this in one day,if not having to wait around for the same dawdlers to get back to the meeting place each time.Would not reco this tour.Many folks did this by themselves as the HS,Topkapi and Blue Mosque and Cistern are literally all next to each other.Would recommend trying to find a smaller Tour company to do this with.Also try to get a cruise up the Bosphorous - very enjoyable.

Kusadasi - you must go out to Ephesus - we did a small private tour with Ephesus Deluxe and it was well worth it.We visited the Virgin Mary home and the Terrace Houses cannot be missed - our guide was lovely and gave us such an appreciation for the area - the obligatory visit to the carpet display was actually very enjoyable here - not like the Hard Sell experience on the Celebrity Istanbul Tour.

Mykonos - we got off the boat early as it was a very hot day and took the boat free shuttle bus into town.Very enjoyable and an easy place to negotiate yourself.Some fabulous jewellery and clothing stores here.Walked past the Old Venice area and over to the Windmills.We heard from some travellers that they did a private tour of the Island and they enjoyed that.

Athens - again we did a private tour with PK Tours with about 10 others from the boat - extremely well worth it.We were able to get up to the Acropolis early before the hordes and also had a couple of hours of free time in the Plaka neighbourhood before returning to the boat.Would highly recommend this.

Naples -we had been here before,so we headed off the boat early(in fact we were first off the boat) and walked for 5 mins over to the Hydrofoil Terminal and caught the boat to Capri.Took the funicular up to Capri,then the small bus up to Anacapri and walked the town.Visited the Axel Munthe home and garden which was beautiful - then jumped on the bus back down to Capri and wandered out to the Augusto Gardens ,and the Via krupp walkway.Back into Capri which is a very pretty town - had some Pizza here.

 

Back into Rome the next day - stipulate the time you want to get off the boat - they give you a form onboard - and they are so highly organized with this,that you will leave the boat exactly when you want and retrieve your luggage that you left out the evening before.

We travelled back into Rome by train and enjoyed a day of walking Trastavere as we have been in Rome before.

 

Would highly recommend this Cruise - but do get out and enjoy the places the boat visits.

[hillsprint]

Thank you for such an informative post, glad you enjoyed your cruise. :)

[Sue10england]

Thanks for such an informative review. We are going on the Eastern Med cruise on 20th July and this has been really helpful! Can I ask you a couple of questions please?

 

What time were you able to board the ship?

 

With regard to the classic drinks package were there any problems in getting cocktails?

 

Do you think it is possible to do Istanbul and Athens independently? We've booked excursions to Santorini and Ephesus but don't want to commit ourselves to lots of excursions.

 

Thanks again for your review!

 

We also were on the June 8th cruise.

Check in for us(Canadian Passports ) was very easy - 5 mins and we were on the boat and able to sit out on the back deck and enjoy lunch.The boat is beautiful - apparently we had a "full load ",but it was only on Sea Days that we noticed it - lineups for lunch etc,so you just acted accordingly.The Captain was awesome and in fact all Cruise staff were very amenable and visible - we only had concerns with some of the bar staff.

We had the Classic Beverage package which turned out to be perfect for us - Latte's and Cappucino's in the morning,a beer at lunch and wine at night - in fact for the last 3 nights of the cruise,we got to enjoy the wines we specially enjoyed ( that only appeared on the Premium Package ) for free - I think perhaps they had run out of the basic Sauvignons and Merlots..Was nice to grab bottles of water as we headed off the boat for Shore Excursions

If you wanted quiet area's on Sea Days - both the Sky Lounge and Nest were excellent.

We had dinner at the Tuscan Grill,which we would highly recommend - fabulous and also at the Lawn Club,which wasn't all that Special.

We intentionally did not want Internet - preferring instead to use WiFi at the Ports(Athens and Naples have Wifi at the Port ).Heard from fellow travellers that the ship internet was excrutiatingly slow - so prolly not worth the high cost - folks seemed to be able to receive email,but not send it..

Disappointed that the walking/jogging track wove it's way through the 2 key Smoking areas on board - Sunset Bar and Mast Bar..you had to get up and out early before the smokers got up.

Entertainment - we thoroughly enjoyed the Main Stage events - took in several of those and were all very classy and well done.The live music around the various bars was also excellent and we must give a great big shout out to the band that played each night in the Atrium - they were absolutely fantastic and managed to get a lot of folks up dancing who probably hadn't intended to..

Shore Excursions - what a wonderful trip this is - going to such marvellous areas and different cultures and religions.

Santorini - we did the Celebrity Oia/Winery/Fira trip - was worth it to get off the boat early,enjoy the beautiful town of Fira,the views from Santos Winery.

No lineups at the Cable Car to go back down to the boat and enjoy the Sunset from onboard .

Istanbul - go out on deck and enjoy travelling through the Dardanelles and it's history.We did the Celebrity day and a half tour of Istanbul - would recommend trying to do this with a smaller group - we could have done this in one day,if not having to wait around for the same dawdlers to get back to the meeting place each time.Would not reco this tour.Many folks did this by themselves as the HS,Topkapi and Blue Mosque and Cistern are literally all next to each other.Would recommend trying to find a smaller Tour company to do this with.Also try to get a cruise up the Bosphorous - very enjoyable.

Kusadasi - you must go out to Ephesus - we did a small private tour with Ephesus Deluxe and it was well worth it.We visited the Virgin Mary home and the Terrace Houses cannot be missed - our guide was lovely and gave us such an appreciation for the area - the obligatory visit to the carpet display was actually very enjoyable here - not like the Hard Sell experience on the Celebrity Istanbul Tour.

Mykonos - we got off the boat early as it was a very hot day and took the boat free shuttle bus into town.Very enjoyable and an easy place to negotiate yourself.Some fabulous jewellery and clothing stores here.Walked past the Old Venice area and over to the Windmills.We heard from some travellers that they did a private tour of the Island and they enjoyed that.

Athens - again we did a private tour with PK Tours with about 10 others from the boat - extremely well worth it.We were able to get up to the Acropolis early before the hordes and also had a couple of hours of free time in the Plaka neighbourhood before returning to the boat.Would highly recommend this.

Naples -we had been here before,so we headed off the boat early(in fact we were first off the boat) and walked for 5 mins over to the Hydrofoil Terminal and caught the boat to Capri.Took the funicular up to Capri,then the small bus up to Anacapri and walked the town.Visited the Axel Munthe home and garden which was beautiful - then jumped on the bus back down to Capri and wandered out to the Augusto Gardens ,and the Via krupp walkway.Back into Capri which is a very pretty town - had some Pizza here.

 

Back into Rome the next day - stipulate the time you want to get off the boat - they give you a form onboard - and they are so highly organized with this,that you will leave the boat exactly when you want and retrieve your luggage that you left out the evening before.

We travelled back into Rome by train and enjoyed a day of walking Trastavere as we have been in Rome before.

 

Would highly recommend this Cruise - but do get out and enjoy the places the boat visits.

[romytravels]

We had taken Rome cabs (great service ) directly from FCO to the boat - so were able to board the boat at about 11am.You can only access certain decks until about 1 pm,when they announce that you can go to your cabins.We had lunch and were able to explore a little,then lay out in the sun - if a hot day,make sure you have swimsuit with you(not in suitcase ) so you can swim.

 

Cocktails - we're wine drinkers,but were able to enjoy a Martini one night at the Tuscan Grille - I don't believe a lot of cocktails are included with the basic package.We took the advise of others on this board and waiting till we were onboard for a few days to see if we needed to upgrade this pkg - but found we didn't need to.

 

I think Athens and also Istanbul could be done by yourself - although with Istanbul you would possibly want to prebook tickets to Blue Mosque/Topkapi/Hagia.Try to get into these early in the morning as it is very hot to be waiting in long lineups.Perhaps have the 1st day wandering the Old town ,then the next morning take a cruise up the Bosphorous.We felt we would have enjoyed it more by taking a private /smaller group tour - We felt we learnt a lot more in Athens by taking the small tour with PK Travel - the half day tour would be sufficient and just have them leave you at the Plaka - you can then take a cab back to the Port.

[mermamasailsagain]

I agree with Romytravels (sorry we didn't meet!)...fantastic itinerary. We did small tours in both Istanbul which I think is doable by yourself as it was comfortable and interesting to walk about and see all the major sites from the ship, if you are a walker.

 

I took the classic package and drank pina coladas, white Russians, all the basic cocktails with no specialty alcohols and even asked the bartenders to cook me up some delightful surprises to fit my classic package..... hubby took the premium to enjoy the fancier beers like the tawny brews I couldn't... and if you want to have martinis and Molecular Bar drinks but you can still drink AT the Martini Bar with drinks from the classic package, just not fancy Martinis!

 

We must have boarded about the same time as Romy..no problems.

 

Enjoy...wish we were there again with everyone!

 

(and can't say enough about Bob's Limos who served us well at shared shuttle prices but sent a car for just us from the airport to hotel in Rome, from Rome to the ship and the ship to the airport, flawlessly and in style...and even a senior's discount! :) )

Edited July 3, 2015 by mermamasailsagain

[Pipo]

... and if you want to have martinis and Molecular Bar drinks but you can still drink AT the Martini Bar with drinks from the classic package, just not fancy Martinis!

 

One of the biggest concerns in this forum! Thank you for your update.