CHICAGOPAUL - LIVE!!!! - Finally heading back to sea!!! - Celebrity Reflection Nov 27th

[wrk2cruise]

@cinlo Have you checked your cruise planner to see if you have discounts with the current up to 30 % off promo running?   I know it's close to the cutoff for making cruise planner reservations for your sailing.

[chicagopaul]

Good Morning from San Juan! It looks like my login is correctly working on CC so we can catch up today. 
 

here is todays daily 

 

 

 

 

 

[chicagopaul]

The food has been excellent this cruise. I’m happy to say that there has been no decrease in quality. If anything it is the opposite it looks like quality has increased. Here are some random food photos from Luminae 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[chicagopaul]

On 11/29/2021 at 7:28 PM, JustinAllen said:

Welcome back to cruising!  Look very forward to reading your review as they are always very informative and highly entertaining!

 

Thanks to you, I booked dinner for my wife and I at Gianni's on New Year's Day.  Anything in particular you recommend us having?  Had no idea there was even a restaurant there!  My wife says we now have to watch the movie before we go 🙂. We will be in Ft. Lauderdale as we are embarking on the Edge on Jan 2nd but will drive down to Miami for the day.

 

Thanks again and have a great cruise!

The Sea Bass was very good. So I’d definitely recommend that. We also enjoyed the ravioli that was on the menu. If you get there a bit early there are two bars you can grab a drink at and that was quite fun to just experience another portion of the “mansion” 
 

On 11/29/2021 at 6:48 PM, DaKahuna said:

 

 Would you mind asking how many suite guest they are expecting for next week's cruise?  

 

No problem. I’ll ask! I know for total passenger count they’re expecting about the same or maybe a bit more at 800. 

[39august]

Thanks for the pics. Is the first one of the turkey gyro? We've never tried it, but that sandwich looks great! Also, the sea bass looks completely different from what I was served a month ago on Equinox, the only bad meal I had there. The fish was floating in liquid like a soup. Not tasty at all, and I usually love sea bass!  Will be on RF in just over a month, so looking forward to Luminae. 

[ev8876]

Is there only one show at night at 9:15pm?  Would make it hard for someone at late seating in the main dining room to ever see one of the production shows.

[Bretty]

Paul I’ve enjoyed your cooking posts on Instagram during last 18+ months.

But now, Paul & Edward back onboard a ship and posting a live blog… all is well in the world. Well, almost.

 

Lovely to see you guys back and taking a peek at the world through your eyes.

Enjoy your cruise. Now, more martinis and more foodporn please and thank you 😊 

[DaKahuna]

5 hours ago, chicagopaul said:

No problem. I’ll ask! I know for total passenger count they’re expecting about the same or maybe a bit more at 800. 

 

 Thank you.  Only one more hurdle for us -- COVID Antigen test at CVS tomorrow morning.  

Looking forward to walking aboard Saturday. 

 

[Purplsmurf]

Any mention of any Covid cases on board? I see that Reflection is Yellow on the CDC website. Haven’t heard much from ant ships lately so just curious 

[paulajj]

9 hours ago, Purplsmurf said:

Any mention of any Covid cases on board? I see that Reflection is Yellow on the CDC website. Haven’t heard much from ant ships lately so just curious 

I read that they are using deck 6 for new crew quarantining so that keeps it at yellow. I have no idea if this is true though. 

[BridgeMates]

1 hour ago, paulajj said:

I read that they are using deck 6 for new crew quarantining so that keeps it at yellow. I have no idea if this is true though. 

Probably true.  They moved us off deck 6 for our B2B (Nov 6-20) and I could see several crew members hanging out on  their aft balconies.

[Purplsmurf]

4 hours ago, paulajj said:

I read that they are using deck 6 for new crew quarantining so that keeps it at yellow. I have no idea if this is true though. 

Ahh! That would make sense. Thank you for the response!

[chicagopaul]

20 hours ago, Purplsmurf said:

Any mention of any Covid cases on board? I see that Reflection is Yellow on the CDC website. Haven’t heard much from ant ships lately so just curious 

Hey Everyone! Cheers from the martini bar. Sorry for the lack of posting. We’ve met so many great people my usual posts at the bar are interrupted by awesome conversation. 
 

To answer the above question. No Covid cases on board. Captain updated this morning to let everyone know all is good. 

[chicagopaul]

On 12/1/2021 at 3:38 PM, DaKahuna said:

 

 Thank you.  Only one more hurdle for us -- COVID Antigen test at CVS tomorrow morning.  

Looking forward to walking aboard Saturday. 

 

Next cruise. Looks like total passenger count is now around 1200 and total suites booked at 56. 

[Ipeeinthepools]

51 minutes ago, chicagopaul said:

Hey Everyone! Cheers from the martini bar. Sorry for the lack of posting. We’ve met so many great people my usual posts at the bar are interrupted by awesome conversation. 
 

To answer the above question. No Covid cases on board. Captain updated this morning to let everyone know all is good. 

 

I'm glad you're having too much fun to post on CC

[silkismom]

Playing catch-up, didn't see your cruise until today. We just got off the Azamara Quest crossing last Fri. and have been doing all the holiday stuff, cards, calendar, trip report etc still have to start decorating. So happy to have a fun cruise to read about in the morning. Thank you

[DaKahuna]

3 hours ago, chicagopaul said:

Next cruise. Looks like total passenger count is now around 1200 and total suites booked at 56. 

Thank you very much.  Noticed a lot of comments in the Connections for the 12/4 cruise from people who just booked recently. 

 

My wife and I had a conversation yesterday how packing, going aboard, unpacking, packing for travel again in 7 days, changing cities/ships, unpacking, and then packing again in 7 days was not her ideal vacation.   So being the dutiful husband that I am, I had our TA cancel the 12/11 Symphony of the Seas cruise out of Miami and book us in a Celebrity Suite on Reflection for the 12/11 - 12/18. We are now booked for a B2B on Reflection starting Saturday. 

 

COVID Test were negative, multiple copies of documents all printed and we are 80% done with packing.  

 

[Purplsmurf]

4 hours ago, chicagopaul said:

Next cruise. Looks like total passenger count is now around 1200 and total suites booked at 56. 

How did you find this out? We sail on the 11th and curious to know how many will be on our sailing. We have a cabana booked and thinking of canceling if we aren’t too full. I’m thinking maybe 40%, but not sure who I can ask

[DaKahuna]

1 hour ago, Purplsmurf said:

How did you find this out? We sail on the 11th and curious to know how many will be on our sailing. We have a cabana booked and thinking of canceling if we aren’t too full. I’m thinking maybe 40%, but not sure who I can ask

Not to answer for him but he's onboard Reflection and am pretty sure he asked the Retreat Host or one of the ships officers.

 

[Beba-Beba]

Paul

 

Thank you for taking us along with you.  I have to wait until Jan/Feb.

 

My question is about the Luggage Valet Program.  Could you please ask Guest Relation or maybe the CD when it will resume.  I read that it did indeed resume in Seattle. TYIA

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

4 hours ago, Beba-Beba said:

Paul

 

Thank you for taking us along with you.  I have to wait until Jan/Feb.

 

My question is about the Luggage Valet Program.  Could you please ask Guest Relation or maybe the CD when it will resume.  I read that it did indeed resume in Seattle. TYIA

 

In Seattle, Luggage Valet is a program of the Port of Seattle.  No charge to customers.  In Fort Lauderdale, I believe it's a program of Celebrity and the airlines and there is a charge to participate if its being offered.

[awhfy]

8 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

In Seattle, Luggage Valet is a program of the Port of Seattle.  No charge to customers.  In Fort Lauderdale, I believe it's a program of Celebrity and the airlines and there is a charge to participate if its being offered.

Last we heard (late October) luggage valet wasn’t being offered in Ft Lauderdale or Miami, no return to service date has been announced. We’re really hoping for it to be back for our April cruise!

[tompeter]

1 hour ago, awhfy said:

Last we heard (late October) luggage valet wasn’t being offered in Ft Lauderdale or Miami, no return to service date has been announced. We’re really hoping for it to be back for our April cruise!

FWIW, we just stepped off a HAL cruise Wednesday in FLL, and that ship was offering Luggage Valet.....

[Beba-Beba]

2 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

In Seattle, Luggage Valet is a program of the Port of Seattle.  No charge to customers.  In Fort Lauderdale, I believe it's a program of Celebrity and the airlines and there is a charge to participate if its being offered.

Thank you. 

 

Yes, Luggage Valet is the best $25 (I am solo) I spend on a cruise.  For me the best part is not having to worry about overweight bags or standing on a chair/ bed struggling with the hand held scale ( I'm 4' 11")  because they do not weigh the luggage.  You just pay the usual airline baggage fees with OBC and breeze through the cruise and airport terminals with your boarding pass and luggage tags in hand.  Like magic I see the bags on the carousel at LGA.  Love it.

 

Just wondering if Guest Relations has any news about this program resuming in FLL hopefully by February?

 

Mary

[awhfy]

16 hours ago, Beba-Beba said:

Thank you. 

 

Yes, Luggage Valet is the best $25 (I am solo) I spend on a cruise.  For me the best part is not having to worry about overweight bags or standing on a chair/ bed struggling with the hand held scale ( I'm 4' 11")  because they do not weigh the luggage.  You just pay the usual airline baggage fees with OBC and breeze through the cruise and airport terminals with your boarding pass and luggage tags in hand.  Like magic I see the bags on the carousel at LGA.  Love it.

 

Just wondering if Guest Relations has any news about this program resuming in FLL hopefully by February?

 

Mary

It’s our favorite thing too. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for Luggage Valet to resume!