Live from the reflection

[High on the Seas]

28 minutes ago, QuestionEverything said:

Thank you for alerting us to this situation.

Appalling.

We were on a Connie cruise many years ago that ended in San Diego. The last 2 days were totally disrupted by Celebrity as they removed all the soft services in the public areas because...............a nude cruise was the next voyage.

I created quite a scene, with other guests, and we all got a $500 refund on our bill, no not a FCC, a Refund. There was mutiny aboard. 

Hence why we only do premium and above cruise lines now, limited to no group bookings where these groups hijack the ship.

I am very sorry you have experienced this - and the loss/compromise of the Sky Lounge much is a major reason we cancelled Celebrity.

My wife and I are heading in the same direction. 

[QuestionEverything]

2 minutes ago, High on the Seas said:

My wife and I are heading in the same direction. 

Hi High on the Seas (love your handle 👋).

It is your $ and purchase accordingly.

Having loyalty to a cruise line, hotel chain, restaurant is not longer worth considering. Those days of benefits for loyalty are gone.

Purchase what makes best for you, each consumer should do this. 

The corporations are still acting like they can rely on their "obedient consumers", well not so sure about that, comments on CC indicate consumers are abandoning their long time suppliers for other options.

I am very skeptical of the cruise lines these days; cut backs, reduced port times, changes after booking a specific product offering. 

I have moved much of my travel $ to other vacation options.

Have a great time what every you choose to do - YOU are #1.

[High on the Seas]

1 minute ago, QuestionEverything said:

Hi High on the Seas (love your handle 👋).

It is your $ and purchase accordingly.

Having loyalty to a cruise line, hotel chain, restaurant is not longer worth considering. Those days of benefits for loyalty are gone.

Purchase what makes best for you, each consumer should do this. 

The corporations are still acting like they can rely on their "obedient consumers", well not so sure about that, comments on CC indicate consumers are abandoning their long time suppliers for other options.

I am very skeptical of the cruise lines these days; cut backs, reduced port times, changes after booking a specific product offering. 

I have moved much of my travel $ to other vacation options.

Have a great time what every you choose to do - YOU are #1.

We are off to Spain and Portugal (15 day land tour) in less than 3 weeks so this one goes in the lessons learned category. And I agree 100 percent with you on tour loyalty comments. Take care and happy vacationing wherever your travels take you. 

[Jessejo]

They’re offering an Inside Access Behind the Scenes tour on our short cruise in late September.  Has anyone been on it?  Is it worth it?  Any comments appreciated.  Thanks.

[mahdnc]

@Jessejo,

 

My wife and I took this tour when we were aboard Constellation back in Oct 2022, we thought it was worthwhile although it is not something you want to attend over and over again.  Here is a link with some details and photos taken from our tour.

 

Edited February 29 by mahdnc

[Jessejo]

THANK YOU mahdnc!

[QuestionEverything]

Interesting the behind the Scenes Tour.

I have done that on the QM2.

Most interesting is that on the QM2 there is a viewing window where you can see most of the bridge happenings - I got a glass of wine and stood there for hours watching the comings and goings - seeing maps pulled out etc.

That is what makes the QM2 so blessed important!

[thepoint]

On 2/27/2024 at 5:04 PM, High on the Seas said:

I just mailed Laura Hodges-Bethge. Catering to travel agents who can bring them future business is obviously much more important than individual customer concerns. 

Could you please post the email address for Laura, or tell me where I can find it.  Thank you 

[High on the Seas]

29 minutes ago, thepoint said:

Could you please post the email address for Laura, or tell me where I can find it.  Thank you 

Lhodgesbethge@celebrity.com

[mathed101]

Would you mind telling me about where we can have  breakfast and lunch on the ship both included in the cruise fare and specialty? 

 

Here's what I have gathered (which may or may not be correct):

 

The buffet is open everyday for B, L, and Dinner.

The MDR is open for lunch on sea days and dinner every night.

The Mast Grill is open for lunch everyday.

Room service has continental breakfast with no service charge.

The Spa Cafe has small plates for B and L.

 

Not sure about the Specialty places for breakfast or lunch like the Porch and Sushi on 5 etc...  and if the MDR is available for breakfast.

 

Thanks for your assistance!!

[High on the Seas]

25 minutes ago, mathed101 said:

Would you mind telling me about where we can have  breakfast and lunch on the ship both included in the cruise fare and specialty? 

 

Here's what I have gathered (which may or may not be correct):

 

The buffet is open everyday for B, L, and Dinner.

The MDR is open for lunch on sea days and dinner every night.

The Mast Grill is open for lunch everyday.

Room service has continental breakfast with no service charge.

The Spa Cafe has small plates for B and L.

 

Not sure about the Specialty places for breakfast or lunch like the Porch and Sushi on 5 etc...  and if the MDR is available for breakfast.

 

Thanks for your assistance!!

If you are in Aqua class Blu is open for breakfast and there is a continental breakfast in Tuscan if your loyalty level is Elite Plus. Cafe Al Bacio also has complimentary breakfast items like donuts and muffins. 

[39august]

MDR is open for breakfast.

[mathed101]

20 minutes ago, High on the Seas said:

If you are in Aqua class Blu is open for breakfast and there is a continental breakfast in Tuscan if your loyalty level is Elite Plus. Cafe Al Bacio also has complimentary breakfast items like donuts and muffins. 

 

Okay so I remember now about Blu which will be on the second portion of our B2B. No status for us :(. Good to know about Cafe Al Bacio that they have breakfast items and not just desserts.

 

9 minutes ago, 39august said:

MDR is open for breakfast.

 

So MDR is open for breakfast each and every day?

[KYTess]

Breakfast is available every morning in MDR. 

[amygutman]

Thank you so much for this post. In an aqua class suite on a girl's getaway in July - got an amazing deal and could not say no. Have not been on Celebrity since the summit about 8 years ago but the Reflection looks lovely. 

 

Regarding the thermal spa access - it seems like you had a difficult time finding loungers? Is there the say "chair hog / towel reserving" issue there is on decks? If so, did you find that the spa manager was receptive to relocating the offenders belongings?

 

Curious as to the "discounts" given to the aqua suites as well - considering the ridiculously high spa prices at sea, it would have to be a heck of a discount to book anything I could enjoy just as well at home (plus, no pressure to buy lotions, etc). 

 

Thank you again!

Warmest Amy

[High on the Seas]

4 hours ago, amygutman said:

Thank you so much for this post. In an aqua class suite on a girl's getaway in July - got an amazing deal and could not say no. Have not been on Celebrity since the summit about 8 years ago but the Reflection looks lovely. 

 

Regarding the thermal spa access - it seems like you had a difficult time finding loungers? Is there the say "chair hog / towel reserving" issue there is on decks? If so, did you find that the spa manager was receptive to relocating the offenders belongings?

 

Curious as to the "discounts" given to the aqua suites as well - considering the ridiculously high spa prices at sea, it would have to be a heck of a discount to book anything I could enjoy just as well at home (plus, no pressure to buy lotions, etc). 

 

Thank you again!

Warmest Amy

The chair hog issue I was referring to happens a majority of the time on the pool deck, however it also occurs during peak times in the spa on the hot ceramic loungers. In the spa it isn’t an issue of leaving their belongings and walking off, people go there and fall asleep or read or work on their laptops and don’t leave for long periods of time. The spa loungers are more available on port days than sea days. Remember the spa is accessible for both Aqua suites and regular Aqua rooms. It can also be purchased via a pass for any other room. The spa may offer some discounts on port days. One final note, the Reflection has not been revolutionized so although you have access to the spa and the Retreat lounge there is no Retreat deck for suite customers. 

[fliprcruiser]

Interesting comments as I was on the same cruise.

 

Found sky lounge closed on embarkation day for large group while doing our "tour of ship", but that was only time I found it closed. Did not go mornings to drink coffee, I drank room service coffee on my balcony.

 

I did not find any bar swamped except for the show-lounge martini bar.

 

Only place I found crowded was lowest minimum BJ tables. And after watching, that probably saved me a bunch of $$.

 

We enjoyed our trip, sorry yours was not to standards.

[retired dude]

20 hours ago, KYTess said:

Breakfast is available every morning in MDR. 

looking forward to the 3-30 sailing ....go big blue

[KYTess]

39 minutes ago, retired dude said:

looking forward to the 3-30 sailing ....go big blue

We are too and are counting down the days! Woo hoo and go Big Blue! 

[mathed101]

23 hours ago, KYTess said:

Breakfast is available every morning in MDR. 

 

Thanks so much!

[gold1953]

On 2/29/2024 at 1:58 PM, QuestionEverything said:

Thank you for alerting us to this situation.

Appalling.

We were on a Connie cruise many years ago that ended in San Diego. The last 2 days were totally disrupted by Celebrity as they removed all the soft services in the public areas because...............a nude cruise was the next voyage.

I created quite a scene, with other guests, and we all got a $500 refund on our bill, no not a FCC, a Refund. There was mutiny aboard. 

Hence why we only do premium and above cruise lines now, limited to no group bookings where these groups hijack the ship.

I am very sorry you have experienced this - and the loss/compromise of the Sky Lounge much is a major reason we cancelled Celebrity.

Same for us in 2010 on the Connie but we did not get money

[QuestionEverything]

4 minutes ago, gold1953 said:

Same for us in 2010 on the Connie but we did not get money

Well I am a bit of a renegade and I organized about 50 people to descend on the guest relations desk and we cordoned off the administration area.

That got their attention. We had plenty of photographs as evidence.

It worked very well.

The old saying "nice guys finish last" did not apply in this case.

The cruise lines are more arrogant today than in the past from my perspective, so we need to be vigilant to be taken advantage of!

[gold1953]

Just now, QuestionEverything said:

Well I am a bit of a renegade and I organized about 50 people to descend on the guest relations desk and we cordoned off the administration area.

That got their attention. We had plenty of photographs as evidence.

It worked very well.

The old saying "nice guys finish last" did not apply in this case.

The cruise lines are more arrogant today than in the past from my perspective, so we need to be vigilant to be taken advantage of!

good for you but it was our first cruise so we were a bit meek. 

[QuestionEverything]

8 minutes ago, gold1953 said:

good for you but it was our first cruise so we were a bit meek. 

Well I did have a number of big strong gentlemen who were rather adept at intimidation. Guests on the ship were livid.

Some pro cruising posters would get all in a tizzy over this and quote the cruise contract. I point out that the Air Passenger Protection Regulations are in place for air travel consumers but 0 for cruise passengers.

Tells one something indeed.

gold1953, always take video and photographs, send them to the cloud or elsewhere before you approach guest relations, advise them the evidence is already with the media who will await your order to release. It works every time.

Stand your ground and get what you pay for.

The arrogance of the cruise lines is increasing so you have to be very aware of your rights under the law, law outside the one sided cruise contract.

Think of it this way - if the cruise lines did a great job they would not be quoting the cruise contract so often!

Enjoy your travels!

[gold1953]

30 minutes ago, QuestionEverything said:

Well I did have a number of big strong gentlemen who were rather adept at intimidation. Guests on the ship were livid.

Some pro cruising posters would get all in a tizzy over this and quote the cruise contract. I point out that the Air Passenger Protection Regulations are in place for air travel consumers but 0 for cruise passengers.

Tells one something indeed.

gold1953, always take video and photographs, send them to the cloud or elsewhere before you approach guest relations, advise them the evidence is already with the media who will await your order to release. It works every time.

Stand your ground and get what you pay for.

The arrogance of the cruise lines is increasing so you have to be very aware of your rights under the law, law outside the one sided cruise contract.

Think of it this way - if the cruise lines did a great job they would not be quoting the cruise contract so often!

Enjoy your travels!

thanks, We have worked our way up to elite plus the slow way and will now stand up for myself. Good advise from you though!