CRUISE REVIEW: The Eastern Med on the beautiful Celebrity Reflection - August 2015

A great ship, beautiful destinations, outstanding service and incredibly nice people – in short, a perfect cruise at the end of which we had the sad feeling of having to leave friends and family behind.

Besides the class of ship, one decisive factor was the route with an overnight in Istanbul – a city both of us really wanted to see. But only a few days prior to departure we got the news which we had come to expect in light of recent developments: For security reasons, Istanbul was cancelled.

Of course, this was a disappointement at first – especially when we saw that they had replaced the overnight in Istanbul with an overnight in Piraeus/Athens. Athens had already been part of our Holy Land cruise. Interesting, for sure, but nothing we would have chosen for an overnight stop. A consolation was the fact that they had added two additional ports: Rhodes, which we already liked a lot the year before, and Chania/Crete, which at least I didn’t know.

The heading says it already – the disappointment was short-lived and we thoroughly enjoyed the journey to the fullest. But first things first ...

Sit back relax and travel to the Eastern Med with us. The first days are online on our website:

http://www.travelandcruise.net/travellove_en/Our-Trips/Reflection-Eastern-Med-01/reflection-eastern-med-01.html

Mr. Nice,

Thanks for posting. :)

Enjoying your review and beautiful photos. Thank you for sharing!

Some of the best photos I've seen. Loving your review. Looking forward to seeing and reading more. Please stay up late and continue!! :p

Just wonderful, thank you! We will be on the same itinerary next June. Really enjoying your beautiful pictures! :)

Thank you to all of you for your positive response!

I am currently working on the next part with Santorin and Mykonos - that's where the picture postcard images start...

It will be online soon !

Unfortunately work is keeping me away from the things I really want to do ;-)

However, we will continue with Santorin and Mykonos the latest after the weekend. Sorry for the delay!

Here´s a teaser...

Santorin

Mykonos

Darn work!

Looking forward to the next installment. Your pictures are amazing!

What a wonderful start, looking for more of your cruise review and photos.

I'm enjoying your review and photos. We are booked on a similar route on Conne in April, so I'm excited to read your port reviews, as well. One quick clarifying question if you don't mind. There has been lots of talk on the boards about the new shuttle route at Civitavecchia. From your review it looked like you were able to access the port at the fort area and catch a port shuttle to the main access point. Is that correct? That provides a much shorter walk from the train station if we arrive mid-day at a time when the city shuttle isn't running. Thanks!

.... One quick clarifying question if you don't mind. There has been lots of talk on the boards about the new shuttle route at Civitavecchia. From your review it looked like you were able to access the port at the fort area and catch a port shuttle to the main access point.

First of all: Thank you!

Yes, that is correct!

On foot you can enter the port through a gate at the old castle. Shortly after the gate there´s a roundabout. Right behind the roundabout there is a bus stop (see attached pics). This bus takes you to the new main bus stop where you enter a bus which takes you to the ship. Sounds complicated - but it is actually very easy.

We walked from our hotel - which was right next to the train station. It took us less than ten minutes.

Excellent! Thank you for the additional details!!

Dear fellow cruisers!

The next parts of our review are online - Santorin and Mykonos.

As to be expected with loads of photos...

Sit back relax and travel to the Eastern Med with us...

Start with the new parts:

http://www.travelandcruise.net/travellove_en/Our-Trips/Reflection-Eastern-Med-01/Reflection-Eastern-Med-03/reflection-eastern-med-03.html

Start at day 1:

http://www.travelandcruise.net/travellove_en/Our-Trips/Reflection-Eastern-Med-01/reflection-eastern-med-01.html

Please post when you like the review :)

Thank you for all the positive feedback on our website!

We are trying to continue with the review as soon as possible. I am working on the next days (Athens) already. So please stay tuned... and also post here if you like the review!

Oliver

Thank you so much for the spectacular pictures and review. So looking forward to our cruise on the Reflection next summer.

We visited Santorini & Mykonos on the Silhouette when we did the Med. Your pictures bring back pleasant memories. I truly hope to get back there one of these days. Again your pictures are spectacular. Will be on the Reflections this coming January and looking forward to it.

Thank you for all the positive feedback on our website!

 

We are trying to continue with the review as soon as possible. I am working on the next days (Athens) already. So please stay tuned... and also post here if you like the review!

 

Oliver

I simply cannot get enough! Looking forward to seeing more of your review. Thank you.

... your pictures are spectacular.

Thank you !!! The destinations made taking pictures easy :)

We're doing an almost opposite tour next year, and I'm really enjoying getting a peek at either places we'll do a stop on the cruise, or are visiting separately - keep it coming!

Loving your review! Looking forward to the rest....

Thanks for your kind words!

I am working on it and just finished the text for another day full of fabulous experiences. Thank you for your encouragement!

First class photos - well done. You should be commended!

Beautiful beautiful photographs and an exciting taster for our next cruise!

Thank you for taking the time. You have a great writing style and makes me feel like we are right there with you. Love your pictures. Santorini looks like a place I would love to explore.Looking forward to the rest. We are on Reflection this fall for transatlantic.

What beautiful pictures, I felt like I was there with you. I loved how you described the area, one of the best posts I've seen. My favorite picture was the flowering tree by the blue door, it was simplistic and beautiful.