Jazzbo

Captain Matt just announced zero cases of COVID among the crew (they are all tested weekly), so masks are optional for the crew. 👍🏻

I don’t remember the seating area from last time we were on Reflection, but we just happen to be sitting at Sunset Bar! And yes, they still have the grass either side.

Thank you. I am feeling much better. And you are very welcome. I’ve learned so much from other live reviews, I decided to do one myself this cruise.

@chisoxjmp I just took some photos of the cabanas. You are correct; they don’t have the loungers that are around the pool.

Yesterday was a beautiful day. We enjoyed hanging out by the pool, as did many of our fellow passengers. Cruise Director Giuseppe and Activities Director Nacho had passengers dancing poolside. Last night was the final evening chic night. We were seated in Blu at a 2-top next to two other couples, when I realized I knew one of the men. We both had served on the Executive Council of the City, County and Local Government Section of the Florida Bar and we are both Past Chairs of the Section. Small world! We returned to our stateroom to find our disembarkation luggage tags. 😕 I was up early this morning. Gaining an hour most nights has finally caught up with me.

The non-drowsy Dramamine took a few hours, but I finally felt well enough to have some melon in the early afternoon. While waiting in Cafe Al Bacio for our 8:00 reservation in Tuscan, a lovely woman asked me if we were Jazzbo and Larry. She recognized us from this review. We had a pleasant conversation with her and her husband. They are from Switzerland. They had planned to spend 9 days in Florida (I believe she said they have friends in Naples), but the damage from Hurricanes Ian and Nicole changed their plans and they will be flying back to Zurich from Miami. They had just finished dinner at Tuscan, and she said it was so-so. We were more fortunate. Larry had the crispy calamari, which was okay. I had the arugula and goat cheese salad, which was delicious. We both had the filet mignon, cooked as requested with a deliciously decadent gorgonzola sauce. The broccolini aglio e olio side was delicious, the eggplant parm side was so-so, and the cacio e pepe side was bland and dry.

We got to the Martini Bar just as the “show” was ending. We weren’t very hungry last night so we decided to try Oceanview for dinner. All I can say is that it was a good thing we weren’t hungry! I woke up this morning feeling dizzy and nauseous — seasick. 🥴 I hope the Dramamine kicks in soon.

Thank you!

We stopped by Cafe Al Bacio after lunch for coffee. A dúo named Neptune was playing classical music. They are two young women from Poland; one plays the violin, the other plays the cello. We really enjoyed them.

I love the Ensemble Vestibule that you pass through to on the way to the Ensemble Bar and specialty restaurants.

IMG_0713.MOV Last night a flash mob paraded by the Martini Bar. I did not get a good photo. They were wearing Mardi Gras beads, masks, hats, etc., and they paraded and danced to “When the Saints Go Marching In.” Fun! We have enjoyed meeting people at the Martini Bar. Dinner at Blu was disappointing last night. I had the duck breast, which was overcooked and dry. The farratto that accompanied the duck was good. Larry had the lamb shank. It was tasty, but dry.

One of the benefits of being Elite is the Captains Club breakfast in Tuscan. I love sitting by the window and watching the wake.

I’ve fallen down in the job. The sea days kind of blend into each other. We dressed up for evening chic the night before last, and ate at Murano. I can recommend the Dover Sole Veronique and the Grand Marnier Soufflé.

The wake from our breakfast table. Always mesmerizing. IMG_0686.MOV

Last night was evening chic, and Larry and really dressed up. We had dinner in Murano. I can highly recommend the Dover Sole Veronique.

Yesterday afternoon we attended an event at the theater with CD Giuseppe (he’s great!) and Captain Matt (very personable). First, Giuseppe interviewed the Captain, and then the Captain interviewed Giuseppe. Then they played a funny game where one had earphones so he couldn’t hear, and had to guess the word the other was saying by reading his lips. Funny words like bamboozled. Since both have accents (Italian and Greek), the guesses were funny.

I’ll try to get a better photo. Sorry it’s upside down. I think it’s because I had the phone sideways. This selection wasn’t as interesting as it has been on other days. One day they had a French Roblechone (sp?) that was delicious.

If you have been following this review, you know I haven’t been happy with some of the food. But we have also had excellent food. Last night we had prime rib in Blu. It was delicious, but mine was barely lukewarm. Our server whisked away my plate, and brought me another in a few minutes. It was hot, perfectly cooked, and delicious. I remember one cruise when we had second seating in main dining. One of our table mates told the server every night that he wanted his food hot, please. And most nights, all of our meals were hot. Perhaps I should do that.

I remember someone being disappointed in the cheese selection available, maybe @Jim_Iain? There is a nice selection of cheese in Oceanview every day. I’ll try to remember to take a photo.

I’m not sure. We’ve had pretty decent internet. I’ll try to remember to ask.

Here’s something I just noticed outside and of Cafe Al Bacio. The lower half includes Bistro on Five, which the S-class ships haven’t had in ages. It used to be our favorite lunch spot on embarkation day. Now it’s Sushi on Five (and has been for several years).

Here are a few of the Dailys. As you can see, there are plenty of things to keep you busy. Your stateroom attendant will leave one in your stateroom every evening. It includes hours of operation. They include flyers every day advertising various things. There is a gym, which I had planned to use, but the sneakers I packed were for 2 left feet! 😂 There is also a spa, indoor and outdoor pools, a casino, and so much more. I suggest you look at Reflection deck plans to see the various venues. Enjoy your cruise!

We went back to the ship for lunch, and then I headed back out to explore Ponta Delgada on my own. It was Sunday, so most places were closed, but there were cafes and bars open. There is a swimming area at the port with steps down to the water. There were quite a few people swimming laps and others enjoying the sun. It was a beautiful day, but the high was only 66-67 degrees, and you know that water must have been cold! The town itself is charming. I had hoped to find an open bakery or coffee shop because I wanted to try the famous pasteis de nata. No such luck, but I enjoyed the walk.

What a beautiful place! We did the morning Crater Lakes excursion yesterday. There were at least three buses, and all seemed to be 100% full, so we wore our masks in the bus. The views on the way up and back were stunning, and the view of the two lakes was extraordinary! This excursion was as advertised: approximately 400 meters walking on flat surface and 2-3 steps. The steps had to the ones on the bus.

It is a beautiful day in Ponta Delgada. I saw dolphins from our balcony this morning. Apparently, the ship was rocking and rolling last night and creaking sounds kept waking quite a few people. I slept like a baby. Church bells are ringing. Beautiful.