Review: Celebrity Reflection-Eastern Caribbean 1/7/17

I decided to start my review of our cruise before it ends because I have some down time on our last sea day and it started to rain so we are huddled in our alcove. I'm going to do a day by day review but keep it in this single thread and I figure that it will take me several days anyway and by the time I get to the last two days we will be home. I'm going to save the photos for when I get home and I'll put the menus and dailies in a separate thread for those who might be interested.

I like to post long detailed reviews as it helps me a lot when planning and I know some enjoy "coming along" for the trip. I like to be non confrontational but I'm always honest whether my comments are positive or negative. I hope you all take them in the manner in which they are intended: An attempt to be helpful and one person's opinion. So.. if you are looking for a posting with short synopsis of our week... this ain't it :)

Some background on us. We are a married couple in our 50's traveling with our two young adult daughters, one just under 21 and the other just over 21. This is our 5th cruise and our 4th with Celebrity so I think that gives us a different perspective from the longer time cruisers posting here who are Elite or higher and have a different historical perspective regarding cruising in general and Celebrity specifically. We are basic Classic Captain Club members. Our first cruise was in 2008 and we took a hiatus from 2011 until now due to kids college, scheduling and just life in general.

Pre cruise:

We are north easterners traveling from New York. Due to unknown winter weather we decided to arrive in the area 2 days pre cruise, just in case.

As it turns our that was very fortunate indeed as we arrived at The Fort Lauderdale Airport exactly 24 hours before the horrific shooting that occurred there the next day. My thoughts are with those affected and my prayers for those killed, injured and their families.

We decided to splurge on a limo from the airport and used Larry's Limos based on recommendations on the CC boards and were met promptly and in a short time we were at the Snooze hotel located across the street from the beach.

The hotel was great, clean, modern. Room was a 4 person efficiency with 2 king beds a small kitchenette, rooftop terrace. No frills (restaurant, 24hr desk, etc.) but we preferred the location to those other items. We spent two nice days shopping, eating and enjoying the beach.

Embarkation Day:

We were picked up by Larry's right on time once again and less then an hour later we were at the Port of Miami. Porters took our luggage immediately and directed us into the building where we got on a short line and were quickly through security and after 5 minutes at check in received our sea passes. We were directed to a line as there are very few seats in the terminal (we sat on the floor) and most are reserved for Elite, CC, Aquaclass or Suite people. We were at the terminal by 1015AM and were on the ship before 1130AM. My wife commented on the terminal being chilly but I am sure when it is full the temperature rises from all that body heat :)

We had a small carry on and after being offered a sparking wine or mimosa and passing a few people hawking drink package upgrades we had a short wait for the elevator and went up to Deck 14 to the Ocean View Cafe. We flagged down a person and upgraded the kids to a premium non/alcohol package. My wife and I had the premium alcohol package as one of the 4 perks when we booked which also included gratuities for 2, unlimited internet for 2 and (2) 40 minute packages and 300 OBC We grabbed a table by the window. The food was plentiful and enjoyable. By the time we were done the announcement came that the staterooms were ready. I believe it was around 1PM.

Andrew was our stateroom attendant and he introduced himself. He did a great job all week. We had our table assignment and invitations to our roll call cruise connection gathering and captains club gathering on our bed along with the current daily. We were on Deck 9, starboard in a 1A balcony cabin on the angle aft of the hump. We love the deeper balcony. This room was configured for 4 with the couch converting to a bed and another bed sliding out from under the couch. This room had the couch closest to the balcony. Everything was in good shape: carpet, bedding, couch, etc. Love the shower doors on the S -class ships vs. the shower curtain on the M-class. Our kids shared the room with us which in hindsight was a mistake that I won't repeat (more on this later).

We then went into cleaning mode (my wife's term) and wiped down the entire cabin with hospital strength wipes, unpacked and had plenty of time before the muster drill. There was sufficient storage even for 4 adults.

We attended the muster drill in the Opus main dining room. It was quickly over and we grabbed our Mardi Gras beads for our roll call sail away party at the Sunset Bar. Our daughters went off to do their own thing and we went up to Deck 15. It had rained earlier so the deck was wet and we had a small turnout despite over 50 people saying they would be there. We did get to meet a few families and it was nice to put faces to the names from Cruise Critic.

Service at the Sunset Bar was good today and all week with never more then a few minute wait. We then went to our stateroom and got changed for our first dinner where we had early seating. We were on the lower level at a table for 4 in the right hand corner as soon as you entered. It was a nice quiet spot if you are looking to avoid the hustle and bustle of the huge dining room. The downside was were were right next to a wall that hid the serving station for that area which depending on which waiter was using it could be quiet or a lot of banging and clanging.

Some general comments on the main dining room:

There have been many comments concerning the staffing level and service at the various venues on the ship. For us, and on this particular cruise, some of the complaints are justified in that we experienced the issues and some we didn't experience. I will say that the the main dining room, which has always been a hustling and bustling atmosphere, has taken that to a new level. Our waitstaff tried hard to please us and was always hustling. Some waiters and waitstaff (not ours) actually appeared to be running at times to get to the places they needed to be. It appears to me that the staffing level is not sufficient to support the level of service that their supervisors and managers expect of them. There was little time for casual conversation with them although we didn't really try because we felt it would just add to the frenzied pace.That all said, the staff was polite, friendly, courteous and accomodating.

My oldest and I are vegetarians. I mentioned it to our waiter and we were provided with an additional vegetarian menu (more on this later) every night which was quite welcome. The quality of the food was good to very good most nights (one or two misses). The presentation was well done. My main quibble was with the drink service. Our drink person and sommelier had by my count over 10 tables and over 60 people. My impression is that with all the drink packages they are simply overwhelmed. She was a lovely women (we chatted with her one afternoon in the ocean view cafe) but

we were always last in our section to get offered a drink. One night we waited 20 minutes after we were seated for a wine menu. Her assistant was hard to find to order a soft drink or drink from the bar. I don't fault them. I think they are doing the very best they can. I remember before the drink package popularity our sommelier was at out table 3 or 4 times during dinner. Never had to ask for a refill. Now that everything is prepaid I think Celebrity upper management cuts costs by understaffing. Just my impression.

I'm going to take a break here because my mudslide is melting lol.

To be continued.....

Love this review. My sister & brother in law will be heading back out on the Reflection tomorrow & we are taking our first cruise ever on the Silhouette in March. Any more suggestions for 1st time cruisers.? We will be leaving from Fort Lauderdale & have actually booked one night at the Snooze when we return.

Maris

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Love this review. My sister & brother in law will be heading back out on the Reflection tomorrow & we are taking our first cruise ever on the Silhouette in March. Any more suggestions for 1st time cruisers.? We will be leaving from Fort Lauderdale & have actually booked one night at the Snooze when we return.

 

Maris

 

 

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Hi Maris:

Glad you are enjoying the review so far.

I believe there is a section of the forum with all kinds of ideas for first time cruisers.

My biggest suggestion would be when you board, take a little time to explore the ship and learn where everything is. When you check in they will give you a map that will help.

Ron

You had good instinct in arriving at FLL 2 days pre-cruise.

We also observed that the strong demand for drinks brought about by the package was not balanced with adjustments on the staff for the service.

Will be following along.

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Enjoying the review so far, thanks!

So my mudslide and beer and lunch are all consumed and I somehow I have enough energy now to continue my review. :)

Later that night we went to see the main stage show at the theatre. I know these aren't everyone's cup of tea but we enjoy them. First night was a comedian, Ralph Harris. He make me chuckle. Not the best nor the worst I have seen but enjoyable. The theatre itself is pretty well laid out except for a few bad spots where the view is blocked by a support pole. The seats are comfortable and the aisles are wide enough to let most people get by without having to stand up.

Maarten the cruise director introduced most shows. He is a very high energy guy and did a good job. His assistant was Charlotte.

Bars/lounges: We spent a lot of time the first few days at the Martini Bar. Chatted with a lot of fellow passengers and in my opinion it was the most popular, upbeat and enjoyable bar on the ship. We had the premium drink package so almost everything was included except the martini flight and maybe a few others. I was concerned because I had read many reviews of prior cruises where people stated it was hard to order a drink, hard to get the bar tenders attention. I found that not to be the case. We never waited more then 5 minutes and most times there wasn't any wait at all. I'll have to Segway to something that bothered me while we were there. Not a Celebrity problem just a people problem. We were chatting with a lovely couple when a woman walks up and starts chastising the bartender that there "isn't enough bourbon in my drink" as she thrust the offending glass in his direction. He takes her glass, picks up a bottle of Jim Beam and fills the glass. Once he finishes and she takes the glass she then comments loudly "I wanted Maker's Mark I was drinking Maker's Mark" as she walks aways in a huff. We all felt horribly to watch the bartender treated that way. He actually felt badly that he hadn't given her the bourbon she wanted. Now I don't know if he made the original drink (I don't believe he did as we were at the bar for quite a while before) but regardless, her behavior was uncessary. It just makes one shake their head.

Anyway... despite a lot of people using the Martini Bar with the premium drink package service here did not suffer. It was quick, friendly, good pours and we had the most fun at this bar. If you like coffee and chocolate I can highly recommend the Decadence Martini.

We didn't notice any servers at the tables and seating near the bar but then we never really sat there so there may have been.

We spent a short time at the ensemble lounge bar one night. It wasn't packed but had a nice crowd and the table service was very quick. Had a very enjoyable Zacapa 23 old fashioned :)

We also spent an hour at the World Class Bar. We never visited it when it was the Molecular Bar so I cannot compare. I will agree with previous posters that it suffers from lack of customers. It was usually empty or sparsely populated. I also agree it is probably due to the fact it is located in a weird spot and the drink menu is extremely limited. The bartenders were pretty attentive so I don't think that was it.

The sunset bar. I kind of wish we spent more time there. The bartenders were very funny. There was a big crowd but it never seemed overcrowded and they were serving the tables as well those seated at the bar. Other then sail away we usually visited when we had an alcove rented as it was a short walk. Can't beat the view at the back of the ship

The bar in the Ocean View Cafe. Not a sit down place and limited selection but always a line and always moved quickly.

Oh! the bar service in the theatre. I remember last when I was on the Summit constantly being asked if I would like a drink. This time it was difficult to get one. One night I counted three servers for the lower theatre. I don't think I ever saw one in the balcony when we were seated up there. Again not the servers fault. I saw one with 5 or 6 drinks on his tray and watched him deliver them to 5 different spots. He acknowledged me when i tried to flag him down but then walked past me and I never had the chance to order.

I think a better strategy would have been to stop at another bar on the way to the theatre.

That pretty much covers Day 1. I'll be back with more :)

Great review so far! Looking forward to reading the rest.

I decided to start my review of our cruise before it ends because I have some down time on our last sea day and it started to rain so we are huddled in our alcove. I'm going to do a day by day review but keep it in this single thread and I figure that it will take me several days anyway and by the time I get to the last two days we will be home. I'm going to save the photos for when I get home and I'll put the menus and dailies in a separate thread for those who might be interested.

 

I like to post long detailed reviews as it helps me a lot when planning and I know some enjoy "coming along" for the trip. I like to be non confrontational but I'm always honest whether my comments are positive or negative. I hope you all take them in the manner in which they are intended: An attempt to be helpful and one person's opinion. So.. if you are looking for a posting with short synopsis of our week... this ain't it :)

 

Some background on us. We are a married couple in our 50's traveling with our two young adult daughters, one just under 21 and the other just over 21. This is our 5th cruise and our 4th with Celebrity so I think that gives us a different perspective from the longer time cruisers posting here who are Elite or higher and have a different historical perspective regarding cruising in general and Celebrity specifically. We are basic Classic Captain Club members. Our first cruise was in 2008 and we took a hiatus from 2011 until now due to kids college, scheduling and just life in general.

 

Pre cruise:

 

We are north easterners traveling from New York. Due to unknown winter weather we decided to arrive in the area 2 days pre cruise, just in case.

As it turns our that was very fortunate indeed as we arrived at The Fort Lauderdale Airport exactly 24 hours before the horrific shooting that occurred there the next day. My thoughts are with those affected and my prayers for those killed, injured and their families.

 

We decided to splurge on a limo from the airport and used Larry's Limos based on recommendations on the CC boards and were met promptly and in a short time we were at the Snooze hotel located across the street from the beach.

 

The hotel was great, clean, modern. Room was a 4 person efficiency with 2 king beds a small kitchenette, rooftop terrace. No frills (restaurant, 24hr desk, etc.) but we preferred the location to those other items. We spent two nice days shopping, eating and enjoying the beach.

 

Embarkation Day:

 

We were picked up by Larry's right on time once again and less then an hour later we were at the Port of Miami. Porters took our luggage immediately and directed us into the building where we got on a short line and were quickly through security and after 5 minutes at check in received our sea passes. We were directed to a line as there are very few seats in the terminal (we sat on the floor) and most are reserved for Elite, CC, Aquaclass or Suite people. We were at the terminal by 1015AM and were on the ship before 1130AM. My wife commented on the terminal being chilly but I am sure when it is full the temperature rises from all that body heat :)

 

We had a small carry on and after being offered a sparking wine or mimosa and passing a few people hawking drink package upgrades we had a short wait for the elevator and went up to Deck 14 to the Ocean View Cafe. We flagged down a person and upgraded the kids to a premium non/alcohol package. My wife and I had the premium alcohol package as one of the 4 perks when we booked which also included gratuities for 2, unlimited internet for 2 and (2) 40 minute packages and 300 OBC We grabbed a table by the window. The food was plentiful and enjoyable. By the time we were done the announcement came that the staterooms were ready. I believe it was around 1PM.

 

Andrew was our stateroom attendant and he introduced himself. He did a great job all week. We had our table assignment and invitations to our roll call cruise connection gathering and captains club gathering on our bed along with the current daily. We were on Deck 9, starboard in a 1A balcony cabin on the angle aft of the hump. We love the deeper balcony. This room was configured for 4 with the couch converting to a bed and another bed sliding out from under the couch. This room had the couch closest to the balcony. Everything was in good shape: carpet, bedding, couch, etc. Love the shower doors on the S -class ships vs. the shower curtain on the M-class. Our kids shared the room with us which in hindsight was a mistake that I won't repeat (more on this later).

We then went into cleaning mode (my wife's term) and wiped down the entire cabin with hospital strength wipes, unpacked and had plenty of time before the muster drill. There was sufficient storage even for 4 adults.

 

We attended the muster drill in the Opus main dining room. It was quickly over and we grabbed our Mardi Gras beads for our roll call sail away party at the Sunset Bar. Our daughters went off to do their own thing and we went up to Deck 15. It had rained earlier so the deck was wet and we had a small turnout despite over 50 people saying they would be there. We did get to meet a few families and it was nice to put faces to the names from Cruise Critic.

 

Service at the Sunset Bar was good today and all week with never more then a few minute wait. We then went to our stateroom and got changed for our first dinner where we had early seating. We were on the lower level at a table for 4 in the right hand corner as soon as you entered. It was a nice quiet spot if you are looking to avoid the hustle and bustle of the huge dining room. The downside was were were right next to a wall that hid the serving station for that area which depending on which waiter was using it could be quiet or a lot of banging and clanging.

 

Some general comments on the main dining room:

 

There have been many comments concerning the staffing level and service at the various venues on the ship. For us, and on this particular cruise, some of the complaints are justified in that we experienced the issues and some we didn't experience. I will say that the the main dining room, which has always been a hustling and bustling atmosphere, has taken that to a new level. Our waitstaff tried hard to please us and was always hustling. Some waiters and waitstaff (not ours) actually appeared to be running at times to get to the places they needed to be. It appears to me that the staffing level is not sufficient to support the level of service that their supervisors and managers expect of them. There was little time for casual conversation with them although we didn't really try because we felt it would just add to the frenzied pace.That all said, the staff was polite, friendly, courteous and accomodating.

My oldest and I are vegetarians. I mentioned it to our waiter and we were provided with an additional vegetarian menu (more on this later) every night which was quite welcome. The quality of the food was good to very good most nights (one or two misses). The presentation was well done. My main quibble was with the drink service. Our drink person and sommelier had by my count over 10 tables and over 60 people. My impression is that with all the drink packages they are simply overwhelmed. She was a lovely women (we chatted with her one afternoon in the ocean view cafe) but

we were always last in our section to get offered a drink. One night we waited 20 minutes after we were seated for a wine menu. Her assistant was hard to find to order a soft drink or drink from the bar. I don't fault them. I think they are doing the very best they can. I remember before the drink package popularity our sommelier was at out table 3 or 4 times during dinner. Never had to ask for a refill. Now that everything is prepaid I think Celebrity upper management cuts costs by understaffing. Just my impression.

 

I'm going to take a break here because my mudslide is melting lol.

 

To be continued.....

Thank you for taking your vacation time to do this! Very nice indeed!

Question: where the Mardi Gras beads given to all passengers on the ship for the sail away party or was that part of your Meetup Group? Also, did they make the sail away event itself a small party with music and all on the upper deck?

Thanks for the review.

Thank you for taking your vacation time to do this! Very nice indeed!

 

Question: where the Mardi Gras beads given to all passengers on the ship for the sail away party or was that part of your Meetup Group? Also, did they make the sail away event itself a small party with music and all on the upper deck?

The ship does not provide the beads. I have been told it is a Cruise Critic tradition to wear them at sail away so it is easy to identify fellow cruise critic members from your roll call. We have a collection from years ago when I was in New Orleans and several sets from when my daughters were little and they played dress up. You can purchase them in a dollar store or party city type store.

Our roll call met at the Sunset Bar on Deck 15 Aft. It is a common place for CC members to meet for sail away. Not sure what was going on by the pool. It had also rained right before sail away so that kept the crowds small.

I had planned to use the dailies to refresh my memories of what happened each day but unfortunately my wife didn't realize I was saving them and she thru out days 2-5. So the entertainment and other day specific items I will just try and summarize.

Day 2 was a Sea Day and from my recollection it rained on and off most of the day. When there is a sea day we usually try and sleep a little later and then head up to to the OceanView Cafe. As I mentioned, we usually travel with our daughters and the last time we cruised with them they were both 5 years younger. Storage in the cabin wasn't an issue although it was a bit tight.

I think the last time the kids had a pull out couch that slept two. This time the couch didn't fold out band one bed was a thin mattress/pad on top of the couch for one and a drawer pulled out underneath. Drawer is an accurate description. The "bed" on the bottom was very narrow, the mattress pad didn't fit snug into the frame and my daughter wound up banging her chin on the frame. Not something suited to sleeping on for a week. Lesson learned and next time they will need their own cabin.

The food in the OceanView Cafe was plentiful and it wasn't hard to find something that we liked. We ate there everyday for breakfast as well as some lunches on sea days. We never had trouble finding a table regardless of the the time we visited. There were usually servers roaming around from whom you could order a drink and a bar to order drinks as well.

Of course one has to realize this is mass produced food so quality can vary and everyone's tastes are different. There were salad bars, pizza, indian dishes, taco bar, carving station, fresh fruits, deserts, ice cream, hot dishes etc for lunch.

For breakfast there were made to order omelets , poached, hard boiled, scrambled eggs, pancakes, french toast, sausages, baked beans, blueberry blintzes, cheeses, rolls, pastries, juices, lemonade, ice tea, coffee, tea etc.

My favorite for breakfast are the waffles with orange butter and whipped cream. They also had a muesli station. If you cannot find something to eat there you aren't trying lol.

I will comment on the lunch meats because someone commented on the poor quality. I've been vegetarian for the past 8 years so I cannot comment on the taste but they did look pretty scary. On casual observation I had a hard time identifying what most of them were. In the late afternoon they did have some pre made sandwiches both meat based and vegetarian. Pickle and tomato sandwiches wouldn't normally be my first choice but they were actually pretty good.

We had our Cruise Critic Connections Party in Cellar Masters in the morning and had the pleasure to meet some of the people from our roll call. Celebrity had the usual spread of light refreshments and Maarten and some of those officers introduced themselves and then quickly left.

Cellar Master is a beautiful space but I didn't see a lot of guests frequenting it nor did I see any staff there on the few occasions we visited.

That night in the theatre was the production show Broken Strings. Contrary to there reviews I have read here cannot say that I loved it. The story and singing were ok and the dancing was just fair. Although it did improve later in the week.

Cafe Al Baccio: the coffee and pastry shop on Deck 5. We visited several times during the cruise although it was hard to find a time when we weren't full from breakfast, lunch, dinner or drinks. The pastries looked great and were pretty good. The coffees were very good. I think the people at the counter really preferred that you sit and order from the servers unless you were getting something "to go" Once or twice I and walked up to the counter and after he took my order asked me to find a seat. Then the coffee invariably arrived without the ordered pastry and the poor server had to make a separate trip. Not a big deal but maybe a "Please be seated to order" sign would have eliminated the problem. i have read other reviews which said the offerings were sparse which wasn't our experience. There were always at least a dozen choices as well as 3 or 4 different types of cookies. The selection changed throughout the day.

I had planned to use the dailies to refresh my memories of what happened each day but unfortunately my wife didn't realize I was saving them and she thru out days 2-5..

Newb,

A lot of times, the past days dailies will be available near guest services. You might ask there. :)

Newb,

 

A lot of times, the past days dailies will be available near guest services. You might ask there. :)

Thanks. I'll remember that for next time.

I'm enjoying your review and look forward to your photos. We'll be on the Reflection at the end of February. First time for an S class and we are really looking forward to it!! I was actually going to ask for copies of the Dailies. Sorry you don't have them. I'd like to hear how the music was at the various locations. We have always enjoyed the music at the Sunset Bar.

Thank again and I'm looking forward to reading more!!

Kelly

Its been a pleasure reading your review. My hubby and I will be taking our first cruise for our 33rd anniversary on Reflections in May. I'm super excited and am getting great tips from you!!!! :)

Newb;

Enjoying the review. My Girlfriend and I were on the same cruise and had a wonderful time.

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I'm enjoying your review and look forward to your photos. We'll be on the Reflection at the end of February. First time for an S class and we are really looking forward to it!! I was actually going to ask for copies of the Dailies. Sorry you don't have them. I'd like to hear how the music was at the various locations. We have always enjoyed the music at the Sunset Bar.

 

Thank again and I'm looking forward to reading more!!

 

Kelly

You are welcome Kelly. I'll post the few I have and menus from the MDR and QSine.

Blind Vinyl was awesome. We liked the classical quartet and never really got to hear the guitarist. The music at the pool was ok. Blind vinyl was our favorite, they played mostly in the grand foyer on level 3 and there was always crowd listening and dancing.

Newb;

 

Enjoying the review. My Girlfriend and I were on the same cruise and had a wonderful time.

 

 

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Glad to hear you had fun.

Its been a pleasure reading your review. My hubby and I will be taking our first cruise for our 33rd anniversary on Reflections in May. I'm super excited and am getting great tips from you!!!! :)

Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary. You'll have a great time. She is a beautiful ship.

Thanks for all the information, "CruisinNewb."

We have three questions:

1. During breakfast at the buffet, was congee (Chinese rice porridge) available?

2. On Reflection, is it still permissible (as on our cruises in past years) to use the phone to order a full dinner, using the MDR menu of the day -- and have all the courses delivered (on covered plates) at the same time? If so, was the meal delivered by the stateroom attendant (our past experience) or by a separate Room Service crew member?

[We are hoping that "X" has retained this option for folks who sometimes may not want to go to the MDR.]

3. On Reflection, is the above kind of phone-order/delivery even possible for lunch on days at sea (using the MDR lunch menu)?

Thanks for considering these questions.

.

Thanks for all the information, "CruisinNewb."

We have three questions:

 

1. During breakfast at the buffet, was congee (Chinese rice porridge) available?

 

2. On Reflection, is it still permissible (as on our cruises in past years) to use the phone to order a full dinner, using the MDR menu of the day -- and have all the courses delivered (on covered plates) at the same time? If so, was the meal delivered by the stateroom attendant (our past experience) or by a separate Room Service crew member?

[We are hoping that "X" has retained this option for folks who sometimes may not want to go to the MDR.]

 

3. On Reflection, is the above kind of phone-order/delivery even possible for lunch on days at sea (using the MDR lunch menu)?

 

Thanks for considering these questions.

.

1) Yes it was, every day. I kept meaning to try it and never did :(

2 & 3) I don't know the answer and I'm off the boat so I cannot ask. I know on our first Celebrity cruise you could have the MDR dinner delivered but I remember it taking a very long time (2 hours).

1) Yes it was, every day. I kept meaning to try it and never did :( 2 & 3) I don't know the answer and I'm off the boat so I cannot ask. I know on our first Celebrity cruise you could have the MDR dinner delivered but I remember it taking a very long time (2 hours).

Thanks, "CruisinNewb," for the good news about congee.

We recall that, if we ordered dinner (by phone) in the morning or early in the afternoon, we could specify the time of delivery -- even 5:30 or 6:00, we think -- and it would be delivered on time. That was on the Equinox. We are sorry to read that you had that two-hour wait, but maybe it was due to placing the order much later.

Day 3 was a visit to Puerto Rico. I was a little bummed that we weren't arriving until 330PM but oh well, that's life. We did get a combo sea day. port day out of it. We spent the time lounging on Deck 15. Hard to get a chair by the pool, not that I wanted one but my kids did. A note here about time.

Every cruise I have been on, not that many but still, the ship has always converted to the local time. This made things very easy. On this cruise we never did and I was constantly second guessing myself since my phone switched to the local time but my wife kept hers on ships time. Not a huge deal but my preference would have been to adjust. I think other people were confused by it as well.

So we arrived in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico a little early and it was a nice day. We got off quickly and started exploring the local streets and store and, picked up a few souvenirs and decided to take a look at Castillo San Cristobal which was a short walk from the ship. We weren't going to originally as we thought we wouldn't have enough time and our daughters weren't interested but we had a last second change. I thought it was worth seeing if for nothing else the great views from the top. The history was interesting as well.

It was relatively uncrowded, inexpensive ($5 per person which included admission to Castillo de San Felipe del Morro about 1 mile away). We didn't want to take the hike to Felipe del Moro so we left and wandered the streets some more and had some dinner at Toro Salao. We picked this place because it had several vegetarian options to choose from. We shared 3 or 4 tapas and a pitcher of sangria. The waiter was friendly and despite what I had read service was very quickly. Perhaps since we were only one of two tables that were occupied. The food was good but not great and we enjoyed eating outside on their patio. Afterwards, we headed back to the ship because we felt that we had seen what we could without venturing too far from the ship. The streets became very empty early and I don't think there were a lot of people from the ship walking about.

We spent the next several hours at the martini bar before heading to the show which we didn't stay at long due to one too many martinis (hiccup).

Thanks, "CruisinNewb," for the good news about congee.

We recall that, if we ordered dinner (by phone) in the morning or early in the afternoon, we could specify the time of delivery -- even 5:30 or 6:00, we think -- and it would be delivered on time. That was on the Equinox. We are sorry to read that you had that two-hour wait, but maybe it was due to placing the order much later.

The wait was back in 2008... long forgotten.

We arrived in St. Martaan and after negotiating the long walk to the cab stand with 5 other ships in port we had a harrowing cab ride to Marigot. Traffic was horrendous and our driver thought nothing of driving on the wrong side of the road, cutting though parking lots and making us thankful we got there in one piece. We weren't terribly impressed as it reminded us of a bad flea market. We walked around for a bit and then down the block and saw some higher end shops that we could have shopped at back home. After 30 minutes we went over to Serfina's Bakery for some delicious pastries. We made our way back to the taxi stand and grabbed a cab to Orient Beach. This ride was much more to our liking.

We paid about $7/pp for each ride as I recall.

Once we got there we took a left (a turn to the right takes you to the nude beach) and were greeted with a beautiful view and some comfortable lounge chairs and umbrellas (4 for $30). We had the usual offers for braiding, massages, etc.

Each section of the beach (different colored lounge chairs) had a small eatery behind it but we didn't have anything to eat. We spent a few relaxing hours there and decided to head back to the taxi area where it seems the taxi drivers fight over potential passengers.

An uneventful ride back to Philipsburg where my girls did some shopping (much nicer then Marigot IMO) and then a short walk back to the ship.

Since I don't have the dailies and I cannot remember which nights had which shows I will just summarize some of the entertainment here.

Horizon: My daughters told me they were good but I had too many martinis that night and headed back to our stateroom.

Steve Caouette: Extremely funny comedian. We saw him several times including a late night adult only show which didn't really need to be adult only IMO. My daughter said he was familiar and when I went back to look at a review I did of our Alaska cruise in 2008 on Infinity I discovered why. Same guy.

The last night of the cruise was a singer from Las Vegas who is also in a show there named Vegas. Her name was Savanna Smith. We really enjoyed her, great voice and powerful singer.

The stage show Elysium by the production cast was just strange. I cannot explain it other then that. Other people we talked to thought the same. The dancing and aerial artists in it were very good.

There was also a show one night where the production cast sang some broadway show tunes which was enjoyable.

Tomorrow is St. Kitts