Reflection ABC’s Dec 9

[CaptFantastic]

Hi all,

 

Just returned from the 8 night ABC cruise on the Reflection. This isn’t a full day by day review but I wanted to share a few points.

 

The condition of the ship is very good. I’m sure if you were looking for things to complain about you would find something, but I didn’t see anything obviously out of place or in disrepair. A very small exception might be the carpet outside the Oceanview Cafe that had spots that looked wet, but wasn’t. I’m not sure if that’s normal for the carpet there, but it was the only place I saw it. I didn’t spend too much time memorizing the carpet though.

 

Cabin was in the aft port section on deck 10 ( Concierge) and was also in very good shape. A little bit of paint peeling on the balcony overhang, but not a big deal. The cabin design seems a bit dated when compared to our last cruise on the Apex, but it’s still functional. Pillows are a little soft and the 8 pounds of blankets on the bed a bit heavy and hot sometimes, but this is manageable.

 

Staff was very friendly and helpful. No issues here, as is our experience with Celebrity. Other passengers were friendly as well, especially trying to engage our daughter in conversation, who played shy most of the trip.

 

Our cruise experience has changed drastically post pandemic now that our daughter is with us, so I didn’t get out to most of the venues, or have much nightlife. She tried the Camp at Sea the first morning and despite saying she had fun, didn’t want to go back. There were a few kids her age on the ship, so she would have enjoyed it, but I didn’t force her to go back. We spent an inordinate amount of time in the pool instead. The shallow one was nice as she could touch the bottom and mostly figured out how to swim a few float on her own.

I didn’t see a lot of the shows in the theatre. The production shows sounded familiar and are pretty much the same anyway. I saw both of the comedian’s shows. Jeff Stevenson had some good lines, and don’t show up late and sit within eyesight and expect him to not notice. There was a comedian/magician who did a couple of shows, a singer I think and a pianist, none of which I saw. I meant to see the Capt Kirk rock show but wasn’t feeling well that night and forgot all about it. Apparently is quite good and isn’t to be missed.

 

We had dinner at the Lawn Club Grill one night, no charge for her. We’ve done it before on another ship so knew what to expect, and it was very good.

Other than that, dinners were in the MDR, or Oceanview. I thought the MDR was also very good, although portion sizes may have been a bit on the small side. I’m a big eater, but I didn’t leave hungry. Service was reasonably quick, with the exception being the Evening Chic nights, especially the 2nd one, where the experience was painfully slow….bordering on the ridiculous.

Oceanview was good as well. Lots of selection and all stations open. I found lunch was better for options that appealed to me but again, was never left hungry.

It also appears, at least from my memory, the burgers at the Mast Grill have returned to normal. If not normal, then leaps and bounds better than the hockey pucks they were serving on the Apex back in January.

 

Ports. It’s been a number of years since we’ve been to the ABC’s and they didn’t disappoint. Taxi to Eagle Beach in Aruba. $15 each way, but the $50 for chairs and an umbrella seemed steep. Just walked around Willemstad a bit and did Bonaire Cruiser golf carts in Bonaire. The small bridge crossing the inlet was closed on the South route, and a local driver said it was supposed to re-open the next day, but it might be prudent to ask when you pick up your vehicle if you plan to be there in the next few days. We had to backtrack most of the route, but swung by the donkey sanctuary which our daughter really enjoyed. I also found Bonaire was grown significantly since our last visit and was much busier. I think one of those donkeys breathed on me or something because I got sick the evening, so spent the last 2 sea days just getting fresh air and just getting through the day.

 

One other note is this is the 2nd cruise in a row where I’ve felt the motion has bothered me, especially inside the ship. My other cruises were pre pandemic and I was never bothered. It wasn’t full blown motion sickness but a feeling that something isn’t right.

 

Finally, a special shout out to FLL and Terminal 2. They’ve finally put some money into it and did some renovations over this year. It’s gone from a rinky dink gong show on cruise days, to an actual normal, functional space. However, being there early ish on a Sunday may have helped. I’m sure the only reason why Fort Lauderdale exists is to get people to/from the airport/cruise port as efficiently as possible. We got off the ship just before 8 and sat down at our gate at 8:53, so it could not have been easier.

 

Thanks for reading, I can attempt to answer any questions if you have them.

[RedneckBob]

6 hours ago, CaptFantastic said:

Hi all,

 

Just returned from the 8 night ABC cruise on the Reflection. This isn’t a full day by day review but I wanted to share a few points.

 

The condition of the ship is very good. I’m sure if you were looking for things to complain about you would find something, but I didn’t see anything obviously out of place or in disrepair. A very small exception might be the carpet outside the Oceanview Cafe that had spots that looked wet, but wasn’t. I’m not sure if that’s normal for the carpet there, but it was the only place I saw it. I didn’t spend too much time memorizing the carpet though.

 

Cabin was in the aft port section on deck 10 ( Concierge) and was also in very good shape. A little bit of paint peeling on the balcony overhang, but not a big deal. The cabin design seems a bit dated when compared to our last cruise on the Apex, but it’s still functional. Pillows are a little soft and the 8 pounds of blankets on the bed a bit heavy and hot sometimes, but this is manageable.

 

Staff was very friendly and helpful. No issues here, as is our experience with Celebrity. Other passengers were friendly as well, especially trying to engage our daughter in conversation, who played shy most of the trip.

 

Our cruise experience has changed drastically post pandemic now that our daughter is with us, so I didn’t get out to most of the venues, or have much nightlife. She tried the Camp at Sea the first morning and despite saying she had fun, didn’t want to go back. There were a few kids her age on the ship, so she would have enjoyed it, but I didn’t force her to go back. We spent an inordinate amount of time in the pool instead. The shallow one was nice as she could touch the bottom and mostly figured out how to swim a few float on her own.

I didn’t see a lot of the shows in the theatre. The production shows sounded familiar and are pretty much the same anyway. I saw both of the comedian’s shows. Jeff Stevenson had some good lines, and don’t show up late and sit within eyesight and expect him to not notice. There was a comedian/magician who did a couple of shows, a singer I think and a pianist, none of which I saw. I meant to see the Capt Kirk rock show but wasn’t feeling well that night and forgot all about it. Apparently is quite good and isn’t to be missed.

 

We had dinner at the Lawn Club Grill one night, no charge for her. We’ve done it before on another ship so knew what to expect, and it was very good.

Other than that, dinners were in the MDR, or Oceanview. I thought the MDR was also very good, although portion sizes may have been a bit on the small side. I’m a big eater, but I didn’t leave hungry. Service was reasonably quick, with the exception being the Evening Chic nights, especially the 2nd one, where the experience was painfully slow….bordering on the ridiculous.

Oceanview was good as well. Lots of selection and all stations open. I found lunch was better for options that appealed to me but again, was never left hungry.

It also appears, at least from my memory, the burgers at the Mast Grill have returned to normal. If not normal, then leaps and bounds better than the hockey pucks they were serving on the Apex back in January.

 

Ports. It’s been a number of years since we’ve been to the ABC’s and they didn’t disappoint. Taxi to Eagle Beach in Aruba. $15 each way, but the $50 for chairs and an umbrella seemed steep. Just walked around Willemstad a bit and did Bonaire Cruiser golf carts in Bonaire. The small bridge crossing the inlet was closed on the South route, and a local driver said it was supposed to re-open the next day, but it might be prudent to ask when you pick up your vehicle if you plan to be there in the next few days. We had to backtrack most of the route, but swung by the donkey sanctuary which our daughter really enjoyed. I also found Bonaire was grown significantly since our last visit and was much busier. I think one of those donkeys breathed on me or something because I got sick the evening, so spent the last 2 sea days just getting fresh air and just getting through the day.

 

One other note is this is the 2nd cruise in a row where I’ve felt the motion has bothered me, especially inside the ship. My other cruises were pre pandemic and I was never bothered. It wasn’t full blown motion sickness but a feeling that something isn’t right.

 

Finally, a special shout out to FLL and Terminal 2. They’ve finally put some money into it and did some renovations over this year. It’s gone from a rinky dink gong show on cruise days, to an actual normal, functional space. However, being there early ish on a Sunday may have helped. I’m sure the only reason why Fort Lauderdale exists is to get people to/from the airport/cruise port as efficiently as possible. We got off the ship just before 8 and sat down at our gate at 8:53, so it could not have been easier.

 

Thanks for reading, I can attempt to answer any questions if you have them.

Thanks for the review. I was also on this cruise. You pretty much summed it up except:

 

Our portions in the MDR were large and could finish servings on the plate.

When we disembarked in Terminal 29 at 9:15 AM, Terminal 29 was a mess. Approximately 500 passengers awaiting to go through customs. No face recognition devices. Took 20-25 minutes to get out.

Shows were just ok with Captain Kirks Rock Show the best!

[CaptFantastic]

Thanks RedneckBob. I wondered if things would get worse at the terminal later in the morning. We thought it was better to sit at the gate at the airport rather than get tied up leaving the ship.

[wildcats40]

We'll be on the same cruise in January.  It looks like the cruise is about at capacity.  How was it on your cruise and did it seem crowded?  Were you able to go to the shows and activities you wanted to see?

Thanks!

[CaptFantastic]

Hi wildcats40,

 

I didn't think to ask anyone how full the ship was. Although it seemed busy, I never noticed anything full and any line moved quickly. There were chairs/loungers to be found close to the pool, seating at Oceanview, and space in the theatre.

I think Celebrity does a good job of sizing the venues and seating to the capacity of the ship to avoid that busy or crowded feeling.

The exception may have been the area around the grand foyer (deck 3) and the open area above it on 4 and 5. I thought I remembered more seating around the railing so you could see down on whatever was going on, but perhaps I'm mixing up the various ship classes in my head.

Of course, around dinner time the venues fill up near the MDR, but that's to be expected.

[smithmlmx]

First cruise on Celebrity after over 25 cruises on HAL and Princess. Yes, ship is in great shape. Staff great. MDR entrees better than Princess. Did not like Ocean View Cafe. No flow and people bumping into each other. Comedian magician great and OK for family. Expected a quieter crowd - I believe the "all in"  contributed to the noise level. Unfortunately all ABC ports have changed entry into the towns since we last visited, making for long walks - in the rain and wind. Shuttles, as in many other ports, would have been appreciated. Princess and HAL have more venues for entertainment. The singer from the Celebrity band sang "At last" - one of the best I have ever heard. So, for the most part, positive, but our next cruise will be back to Princess.

[oatbagg1]

we were also on this cruise. Booked a cabin on 3. we had the same one on Soltice in January and it was blissfully quiet. Not this cruise. Loud DJ in foyer and dance nights .  I love having a window in the cabin which on one particular morning, the waves were hitting our deck. Scary but fascinating. 

We got stuck with anytime dining which was laughable, Vincent (a matire de) would not give us the same table for 2 at 5:15 for more then 2 days. After that we were still seated in the same section with Kristofer as our waiter. Food was good, beef being the way to go, Prime rib the 1st night was terrific. One night we ate at Sushi on 5 (very affordable) and the Lawn Grill. Cafeteria was jammed the last two seadays making me want to avoid people at all costs after that. Captain Kirk was very visable on this cruise.  The $18 per day gratuities and the addition 20% added on each drink was enough for us not to tip on top. Disembarkation was a mess at the pier 29.  Horrible. But Ft Lauderdale airport was even worse.......it was a refuge camp especially at Delta.  All in all a good cruise but probably our last on Celebrity,  This made #20 and things have definaltely changed for the worse.

[mayleeman]

On 12/19/2023 at 10:19 PM, smithmlmx said:

Unfortunately all ABC ports have changed entry into the towns since we last visited, making for long walks - in the rain and wind.

 

How have the port entries changed? How long are those walks? We haven't been there so we have no context for your comment....will we need taxis if we are used to walking 3 to 4 miles daily? Thx!

[Itchy&Scratchy]

On 12/18/2023 at 11:08 PM, CaptFantastic said:

She tried the Camp at Sea the first morning and despite saying she had fun, didn’t want to go back. There were a few kids her age on the ship, so she would have enjoyed it, but I didn’t force her to go back.

how old is your DD?

Our DS started cruising at 3, tried out kid's club for 20 minutes and has adamantly refused to go to kid's club ever again. He'll be 13 when we cruise on Reflection in a couple of months. 🙂

He has just tagged along to everything with us on all of the cruises, so we never actually missed a show or a fun activity. He did use a tablet with games/movies/cartoons onboard until he was about 10, which provided us with very peaceful dinners in MDR over the years.

On 12/18/2023 at 11:08 PM, CaptFantastic said:

but swung by the donkey sanctuary which our daughter really enjoyed.

my DH is obsessed with donkeys, so we may actually make it there some day. It's on the way to and from our favorite Sorobon beach in Bonaire, so - some day for sure.

 

I am glad you enjoyed your cruise. We are looking forward to trying out Celebrity next year. Our cruise is already sold out, since it's during Spring break.

Edited December 22, 2023 by Itchy&Scratchy

[Itchy&Scratchy]

13 hours ago, mayleeman said:

 

How have the port entries changed? How long are those walks? We haven't been there so we have no context for your comment....will we need taxis if we are used to walking 3 to 4 miles daily? Thx!

we were there in 2022 and I don't remember any long walks in port. And believe me, I would since I definitely don't walk 3-4 miles a day. We do need a taxi to get to the beaches because our favorite ones are definitely not within a 1 mile radius.

You can click on my signature for my 2022 reviews which also cover ports of call. ABC islands is our favorite itinerary by far.

[RedneckBob]

17 hours ago, mayleeman said:

 

How have the port entries changed? How long are those walks? We haven't been there so we have no context for your comment....will we need taxis if we are used to walking 3 to 4 miles daily? Thx!

I have been going to these islands for 30 years multiple times.

 

The docking location at Bonaire has never changed so walk is the same.

Curacao added a dock 10 years ago which makes it a longer walk to town. We docked there and it was an extra 1200 ft walk. There are now two main docks for large ships and one dock next to town for only small ships.

Aruba has two main docks next to terminal. We got the worst location which meant an extra 750 ft walk

 

[smithmlmx]

23 hours ago, mayleeman said:

No taxis required if you are 3-4 mile walkers. All our days in port were wet and windy and not much shelter. 

How have the port entries changed? How long are those walks? We haven't been there so we have no context for your comment....will we need taxis if we are used to walking 3 to 4 miles daily? Thx!

 

[CaptFantastic]

12 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

how old is your DD?

Our DS started cruising at 3, tried out kid's club for 20 minutes and has adamantly refused to go to kid's club ever again. He'll be 13 when we cruise on Reflection in a couple of months. 🙂

He has just tagged along to everything with us on all of the cruises, so we never actually missed a show or a fun activity. He did use a tablet with games/movies/cartoons onboard until he was about 10, which provided us with very peaceful dinners in MDR over the years.

my DH is obsessed with donkeys, so we may actually make it there some day. It's on the way to and from our favorite Sorobon beach in Bonaire, so - some day for sure.

 

I am glad you enjoyed your cruise. We are looking forward to trying out Celebrity next year. Our cruise is already sold out, since it's during Spring break.

She’s 3 but will be 4 in a few weeks. Her first cruise was back in January and we did some stuff in the club together. This time we tried her by herself. We’ll try again the next cruise and see how it goes.

I ran back to the cabin one night and grabbed the iPad because she was being such a PITA, but in hindsight that should have been a cafeteria night….haha.

 

The donkey sanctuary is all right, but if you love donkeys it’s definitely worth a stop. You can drive yourself through a loop of the premises and they’ll give you a bucket of food if you want it. There are a couple of places you can stop and there’s a lookout tower where you to see the whole property. There’s a pen and some educational stuff at the end, but we didn’t stop as DD was getting tired, and rain was on the way.