stickey_mouse Posted August 20, 2020 #1 Share Posted August 20, 2020 Unfortunately, my group's Norwegian Fjord itinerary, set to sail next summer, was cancelled (Holland America). I am considering, as a replacement, an 8-night itinerary on the Celebrity Reflection. The itinerary is as follows: Amsterdam Flam Alesund Skjolden Olden Bergen Amsterdam Any thoughts on this itinerary? I really wanted to go to Geiranger but figure we can do a day trip from Alesund. We previously sailed on the Silhouette and enjoyed it very much. Does the extra deck on the Reflection make it noticeably more crowded? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikerunner Posted August 20, 2020 #2 Share Posted August 20, 2020 30 minutes ago, stickey_mouse said: Unfortunately, my group's Norwegian Fjord itinerary, set to sail next summer, was cancelled (Holland America). I am considering, as a replacement, an 8-night itinerary on the Celebrity Reflection. The itinerary is as follows: Amsterdam Flam Alesund Skjolden Olden Bergen Amsterdam Any thoughts on this itinerary? I really wanted to go to Geiranger but figure we can do a day trip from Alesund. We previously sailed on the Silhouette and enjoyed it very much. Does the extra deck on the Reflection make it noticeably more crowded? Thanks! Not going to comment on the itinerary but the ship, many say it does seem more crowded. I was on the Reflection 2x last year and never noticed the extra people at all. No waits for anything, yes the Martini bar is crowded at 6 but all of the ships are. The reflection is personally my favorite overall. It is kept immaculate clean. Others will moan and groan that it has not been updated, but to me I dont have an issue. Was supposed to be on her for a B2B in in November but with how things are lift and shifted to the Constellation for next year. I think you will enjoy the ship and the cruise itself is in my bucket list to get to the Fjords overall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fouremco Posted August 20, 2020 #3 Share Posted August 20, 2020 (edited) We took the Voyage of the Midnight Sun (Nieuw Statendam) last summer and loved it. We too would have liked to have visited Geiranger, but it wasn't on our itinerary either. I don't know how you are planning to do a day trip there, as the driving time is about 2 hours 15 minutes one way. Not a lot of time to visit. As for ports, Flam, Alesund and Olden weren't on our itinerary. In Bergen, we did a DIY walking tour and could have easily spent another day or two. If you are going to take the funicular, get there early! In Skjolden, we took the Tour to Sognefjell and Urnes Stave Church (item F. here http://skjolden.com/en/visit-skjolden-bussturar/) We were six in a small van with a delightful young lady guide. I highly recommend the tour, but communication with them over the winter can be spotty. I spent a lot of time going through the VMS roll calls from the year before and found a wealth of information, better than the ports of call threads. Edited August 20, 2020 by Fouremco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dani negreanu Posted August 20, 2020 #4 Share Posted August 20, 2020 57 minutes ago, stickey_mouse said: I really wanted to go to Geiranger I think that Geiranger is the highlight of a cruise to the Fjords. OTH, Reflection is an excellent ship - done Iceland + Ireland on it -- didn't feel very crowded (we were at full capacity), and the food and service were one of the best we had (along with Equinox). Should u decide, the train journey in Flam is the one thing to do there (Flam wasn't in our itinerary, but many friends have done it). The ship's (train) excursion is expensive, but, due to the limited time, I wouldn't do it any other way. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickT Posted August 20, 2020 #5 Share Posted August 20, 2020 We did a Princess cruise that included a stop in Geiranger. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. That said, the other ports are fantastic and I wouldn’t hesitate doing the Fjords again even with a stop in Geiranger. As far as the Reflection it’s one of my favourite S-Class ships and did not feel anymore crowded than the others. In fact the improvements to the Sunset bar are worth it alone especially on a cruise with great scenery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39august Posted August 20, 2020 #6 Share Posted August 20, 2020 We have also done RF and did not notice any more crowding than the other S class ships. You very well might notice it if in a suite as there are many more suites and therefore, Luminae and The Retreat Lounge might be more impacted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare hcat Posted August 20, 2020 #7 Share Posted August 20, 2020 Ref felt more crowded in many areas but you are using it for the ports..and it may be capacity limited.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerelmx Posted August 20, 2020 #8 Share Posted August 20, 2020 3 hours ago, stickey_mouse said: Unfortunately, my group's Norwegian Fjord itinerary, set to sail next summer, was cancelled (Holland America). I am considering, as a replacement, an 8-night itinerary on the Celebrity Reflection. The itinerary is as follows: Amsterdam Flam Alesund Skjolden Olden Bergen Amsterdam Any thoughts on this itinerary? I really wanted to go to Geiranger but figure we can do a day trip from Alesund. We previously sailed on the Silhouette and enjoyed it very much. Does the extra deck on the Reflection make it noticeably more crowded? Thanks! July 11 onboard the Reflection includes Geiranger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stickey_mouse Posted August 20, 2020 Author #9 Share Posted August 20, 2020 July 11 onboard the Reflection includes GeirangerI think I’d still prefer the 8 night. We can take a day trip to Geiranger from Alesund. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulcan1971 Posted August 21, 2020 #10 Share Posted August 21, 2020 I did a 15-day westbound Transatlantic on Reflection. The only other S-Class ship I have tried happens to be the Silhouette. I did not notice a difference in increased passengers or crowding of venues. If you loved Silhouette, you will really enjoy the Reflection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare chemmo Posted August 21, 2020 #11 Share Posted August 21, 2020 It was on sea days in the Caribbean we noticed a difference poolside compared to other S class ships and also breakfast and lunchtime in the buffet. In the evenings we didn’t notice a difference. The additional dining venues on Reflection probably take some pressure from the dining rooms. We would still happily cruise on her again! However, I don’t think poolside in the Fjords would be an issue! Also Reflection does have the pay for options of the Porch or Sushi which are great for lunch on sea days. We cruised the Fjords on Eclipse from Southampton and loved it! To make the most of the sightseeing we were up early most days breakfasting on the balcony watching the scenery go by! Our itinerary had some overlap with yours. We were mored some distance from Bergen and you had to be bused from the ship to the exit of the shipyard to pick up private trips etc. This did add queuing time to your arrangements. As I had a mobility issue at the time we decided not to bother (too messy). Several people had headed for the funicular and either spent lots of time queuing or gave up and just had a walk, so definitely a port to look at prebooking something. Flam, we prebooked privately the first trip of the day. Very easy to do, no need to book through the cruise line. However, big queues to book on the day with very limited time slot availability. I wouldn’t risk pre booking a late in the day slot. Hope you have a great cruise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GateGuardian Posted August 21, 2020 #12 Share Posted August 21, 2020 The only place that I found a bit crowded is the Oceanview Cafe (buffet), it's a tad harder to find seats during peak time when compared to Solstice. The Lawn Club Grill is probably the main draw for me out of all the solstice class ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wine-O Posted August 21, 2020 #13 Share Posted August 21, 2020 On 8/20/2020 at 2:09 PM, stickey_mouse said: Any thoughts on this itinerary? I really wanted to go to Geiranger but figure we can do a day trip from Alesund. We previously sailed on the Silhouette and enjoyed it very much. Does the extra deck on the Reflection make it noticeably more crowded? Thanks! The itinerary looks fine. The only thing I don't like about Reflection compared to all the other S-Class ships is the Oceanview Cafe is on the same deck as the Pool, where the smoking section is located, usually on the Port side. While you are underway the wind can draft the smoke into the Oceanview Cafe when the sliding doors open. It was really bad on one TA when we had a steady head wind. 🍷 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulcan1971 Posted August 22, 2020 #14 Share Posted August 22, 2020 I think that most people with extensive cruise experience know that going to food venues at peak times will always find them crowded, whether the ship is 2000 or 6000 passengers. I figured that out after 2 or 3 cruises. Hence, we tend to dine later for lunch and later for dinner. Never a problem and not crowded when we dine. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikerunner Posted August 22, 2020 #15 Share Posted August 22, 2020 10 hours ago, vulcan1971 said: I think that most people with extensive cruise experience know that going to food venues at peak times will always find them crowded, whether the ship is 2000 or 6000 passengers. I figured that out after 2 or 3 cruises. Hence, we tend to dine later for lunch and later for dinner. Never a problem and not crowded when we dine. Shhh. Why tell other people what is total common sense It’s important to keep the illusion up that the food will disappear and it’s first come first serve only. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Cruiser 6143 Posted August 22, 2020 #16 Share Posted August 22, 2020 Alesund is a very interesting port, don't skip it. And book the train excursion in Flom privately directly with the train company. Yes, Geiranger is a wonderful port, but they all are. Look at the itinerary somebody mentioned which includes it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nekzaadvakil Posted August 23, 2020 #17 Share Posted August 23, 2020 Been on the Silhouette thrice, and once on the Reflection. Didn’t feel there was any difference. Love the Norway Itineraries. Was looking at MSC Meraviglia to Norway in June 2020 but now looking at Celebrity for Norway in 2021Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torfamm Posted August 23, 2020 #18 Share Posted August 23, 2020 I think that the sail in to Geiranger is a big reason for choosing to cruise the fjords for most people. My choice would be an itinerary that includes it. I'm not sure that I'd make the trip from Alesund to go to Geiranger though. It's not terribly close and there is a lot to see in the Alesund area. In Flam, almost everyone does the train tour but we thought that that kayaking in the Naeroyfjord there was the highlight of our cruise. It was spectacular. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Turtles06 Posted August 23, 2020 #19 Share Posted August 23, 2020 On 8/22/2020 at 3:13 PM, Happy Cruiser 6143 said: Alesund is a very interesting port, don't skip it. Agreed, it's charming. Plus, we had the best fish and chips in our lives there, and the view from Mount Aksla is stunning. (photo by turtles06) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Cruiser 6143 Posted August 24, 2020 #20 Share Posted August 24, 2020 5 hours ago, Torfamm said: I think that the sail in to Geiranger is a big reason for choosing to cruise the fjords for most people. My choice would be an itinerary that includes it. I'm not sure that I'd make the trip from Alesund to go to Geiranger though. It's not terribly close and there is a lot to see in the Alesund area. In Flam, almost everyone does the train tour but we thought that that kayaking in the Naeroyfjord there was the highlight of our cruise. It was spectacular. We both cruised the Naeroyfjord and did the train trip in Flom. Both were spectacular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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