Live from reflection, 19 October 2023, transatlantic. Have questions? Ask away

[cruisestitch]

So we Begin leg two of my back to back in Barcelona.

[cruisestitch]

440 back-to-back guests and the procedure was a real cluster this morning. The system went down for about an hour so they couldn’t check anybody in for the second cruise during that time. They also gave incorrect instructions on the back to back information sheet which caused many of us further delay.
 

they did send corrected instructions to our staterooms, but by then most of us out of the staterooms and in the sky lounge.

 

it was, frankly, a bloody mess👎

[cruisestitch]

[cruisestitch]

[cruisestitch]

Four chic nights

 

[cruisestitch]

Transatlantic laundry packages

[MadManOfBethesda]

1 hour ago, cruisestitch said:

440 back-to-back guests and the procedure was a real cluster this morning. The system went down for about an hour so they couldn’t check anybody in for the second cruise during that time. They also gave incorrect instructions on the back to back information sheet which caused many of us further delay.
 

they did send corrected instructions to our staterooms, but by then most of us out of the staterooms and in the sky lounge.

 

it was, frankly, a bloody mess👎

Wow. We board this afternoon with a scheduled time of 1:00 - 1:30. I hope the problems have been corrected by then and that boarding goes a little more smoothly than it did this morning! I've enjoyed reading your previous live thread and am curious what our experience will be in the MDR & buffet. We usually order from a special menu in the MDR or have items specially prepared as my wife is gluten intolerant (Celiac) and my diet is plant-based.  We've been in Valencia for the past two weeks and moved to a hotel in Barcelona last night, where we are currently relaxing and awaiting our scheduled boarding time.

[cruisestitch]

They have a vegan station with four or five main dishes every day at lunch and dinner.  You might be happier in the buffet for your meals rather than the dining room.

[Yplr]

Cruisestitch Loved your last thread. Thanks for the reporting. We leave in a few weeks for a TA crossing on the Constellation. We are very worried about the food quality. This is our 4th cruise in the last year (second TA crossing). On each cruise we are noticing cutbacks. We always book another on board but this time, we will not. We are watching to see if Celebrity will reverse any of their decisions made post covid. We cruise in Aqua class and are also seeing the food quality problems plus other changes. On our last crossing, the entertainment and bands were poor. The only saving grace was a comedian from England, Jayne something. Please let us know how are the bands/entertainments are. Thanks again.

[bikerunner]

3 hours ago, cruisestitch said:

Transatlantic laundry packages

Definitely worth it to catch these on a pre cruise sale, I think I paid 37.99 for wash and fold for my TA next year.  Any little savings count.  

[WestLakeGirl]

11 minutes ago, Yplr said:

Cruisestitch Loved your last thread. Thanks for the reporting. We leave in a few weeks for a TA crossing on the Constellation. We are very worried about the food quality. This is our 4th cruise in the last year (second TA crossing). On each cruise we are noticing cutbacks. We always book another on board but this time, we will not. We are watching to see if Celebrity will reverse any of their decisions made post covid. We cruise in Aqua class and are also seeing the food quality problems plus other changes. On our last crossing, the entertainment and bands were poor. The only saving grace was a comedian from England, Jayne something. Please let us know how are the bands/entertainments are. Thanks again.

jane Curry?  Married to a golfer? Energetic?  She is terrific

[Texed]

Thanks again for your posts.  🙂

[Ciaranaman]

Flipping over to your new thread, here!   Safe travels!

~Bernadette

[bobnan]

Thank you for sharing your cruise. We will be starting our Southern Caribbean cruise when you arrive in Ft Lauderdale.

[D. B.]

3 hours ago, MadManOfBethesda said:

Wow. We board this afternoon with a scheduled time of 1:00 - 1:30. I hope the problems have been corrected by then and that boarding goes a little more smoothly than it did this morning! I've enjoyed reading your previous live thread and am curious what our experience will be in the MDR & buffet. We usually order from a special menu in the MDR or have items specially prepared as my wife is gluten intolerant (Celiac) and my diet is plant-based.  We've been in Valencia for the past two weeks and moved to a hotel in Barcelona last night, where we are currently relaxing and awaiting our scheduled boarding time.

I arrived at the terminal at 10:30 this morning and checked in.

I was Onboard at 11:25 and my official check in time was 12:00-12:30.

I am not a suite guest or Zenith. Just Elite+.

the whole process went as smoothly as it normally does with Celebrity.

😘

[cruisestitch]

2 hours ago, Yplr said:

Cruisestitch Loved your last thread. Thanks for the reporting. We leave in a few weeks for a TA crossing on the Constellation. We are very worried about the food quality. This is our 4th cruise in the last year (second TA crossing). On each cruise we are noticing cutbacks. We always book another on board but this time, we will not. We are watching to see if Celebrity will reverse any of their decisions made post covid. We cruise in Aqua class and are also seeing the food quality problems plus other changes. On our last crossing, the entertainment and bands were poor. The only saving grace was a comedian from England, Jayne something. Please let us know how are the bands/entertainments are. Thanks again.

I can’t tell you anything about Aqua, but I can tell you that the meals in the main dining room have not been wonderful. Strangely, the dinners in the Buffet on the nights we went there have been delicious.

 

I generally don’t go to the shows in the theater. I have very much enjoyed the entertainment around the ship, the string duo, and the solo guitarist especially but they have all been good.

 

 

[Stem to Stern]

Bon voyage!

[mrgabriel]

That looks like a terrific itinerary! Enjoy! 

[cruisestitch]

With 1800 elites on board, the breakfast buffet has returned for this cruise

[MadManOfBethesda]

20 hours ago, cruisestitch said:

They have a vegan station with four or five main dishes every day at lunch and dinner.  You might be happier in the buffet for your meals rather than the dining room.

Thanks; I'll give that a try today.  Last night I went to the MDR and ordered the cous cous main course; but there were no vegan options on the starters side of the menu. When I asked the waiter if they had any vegan options, he mentioned a salad and then brought me a plain wedge of iceberg lettuce, lol. In Celebrity's defense, however, I didn't have an opportunity to speak with the maître d' or anyone else before sitting down last night. I would expect they could and would do better with some advance notice of my dietary preference.

 

ETA: I should add that my wife fared much better with her gluten-free requests. She started with onion soup which she said was "just okay," but she raved about the sea bass which she stated was one of the freshest, and best servings of fish she'd had anywhere in quite a while. 

Edited October 20, 2023 by MadManOfBethesda

[cruisestitch]

[cruisestitch]

As of this morning, our first day of the cruise, there were three books in English left in the library.  
 

Yesterday (boarding day) I saw people with tote bags taking six and eight and 10 books at a time. We can only hope that they will read them quickly and return them

[bandp407]

Bon Voyage cruisestitch ! Very much enjoying your review! Thank you! 
 

We have quite a few Celebrity cruises booked , starting with 2 on the Reflection. Very disappointed that the food in the DR has not improved. Hope you can see some improvement these next two weeks! Enjoy! 

[cruisestitch]

It isn’t awful but it isn’t great either.  
 

One of us ordered the steak on the every night menu and it came with a little scoop of mashed potatoes and a few carrot and it was the first time ever that I thought, “this plate really could’ve used at least a sprig of parsley to fancy it up a little”

Edited October 20, 2023 by cruisestitch

[tschwa2]

44 days until my Reflection cruise and 185 until my Silhouette transatlantic crossing.  I usually like Celebrity MDR but after a bad experience in August on Millennium I booked 5 nights (out of 6) package for Reflections and 6 (out of 13) for Silhouette dining package.  Now just hoping these don't disappoint and that I can get reasonable reservations once onboard.