SHIP TRAVELER

I am a non-smoking gambler who has sailed RCCL enough to make D+. In the last 7 years we have changed mostly to Celebrity because of the non smoking casino. Inb that seven years we have 11 cruises on X including the all the longer ones and only 4 on RCL which were all shorter drive to cruises from Galveston and NOLA. I am not big into shore excursions, shopping or the Spa so I need some place to "launder" my non refundable on credit into at least some cash. On recent X cruises that has been an average of $800 OBC which means a little more casino time than the $8 free play we were discussing earlier. I don't win but I do come away with partial value on the OBC. I don't know what you do with the OBC when you can't stand the air in the casinos long enough to gamble. I don't even enter the casinos on RCL ships long enough to do CC slot pulls.

I wish they had showed how the general audience cards paid out on the video instead of just the selected player. It would haven been nice to have had a shot of the total number of people playing that session.

Thanks for the information. I am Elite and see one of the new perks is a bonus card when you buy three boards ON BOARD so I will have to factor that one into buying on line before the cruise.

I think it is good to bring a couple of bottles of good wine that I know I will enjoy on board. I like to have a glass while I am getting ready for dinner (a before happy hour glass) and I like to have a chilled bottle so that I can have a glass on the veranda when I get back on board after a long shore excursion. Others may enjoy having all their drinks at a bar, in a lounge, or other public venue. I think it is just a personal preference. I definitely don't like to carry around a glass of wine in elevators. With a drink package those days are long gone.

I have never done this game. I am hoping if someone can tell me how much each card usually costs when purchased on board. I am thinking about trying it because this game seems to have replaced Bingo. Is it fun? How long does the event take? Have you seen anyone win a cruise or any big bucks while playing or is it a total rip off? Hard to talk myself into buying before the cruise even at a discount having never seen the game played.

My problem with this system is the fact that X keeps booking these cabins.....and then disrupts plans when you arrive at the pier. The cruise line knows that these cabins will be crew quarantine (not guests) well in advance so why not let people know in advance. Then entire sixth floor was blocked off on our TA (April 2022) with fire doors shut. The guests with Covid were on deck three BTW. We have had a deck six balcony booked on since 2020 (L &S) for August of 2022 to Alaska on the Solstice. Deck six is still being sold for this cruise. Why not assign us a cabin so that we can see what we are dealing with instead of pushing it off on guest services the day we board. You have all seen those lines. I feel like we have a balcony guarantee to be assigned at the pier. That is not what we paid for when we booked. I don't buy "it might change" because they know weeks in advance what cabins will be closed. Just a little venting. I sympathize with the OP problems.

Great Video. I am sure it represents a lot of effort and editing. Thanks for sharing your delight.

Just some input, now is too soon. We booked the Marriott Courtyard Plantation for a Sunday (Easter stay) before a Reflection Trans Atlantic in 2022. Many people stay home for Easter and business people are not staying in hotels. It is not the greatest hotel in the world but it has an airport shuttle and is next to a mall area with a Total Wine and places to eat. You don't say what part of the country you are flying in from or what major airport access you have if things go wrong. Right now LOTS of flights are being cancelled because of lack of flight crews to staff them. We live in Texas and sometimes chance a flight to the West Coast same day because the time change works in our favor. We are close to DFW airport and would look at how many later flight options we would have to still make the ship if our flight is cancelled. We no longer fly in the same day heading to Florida because the time change squeezes our options so much. I think you will be able to find a hotel if you check the Cruise Critic East coast port guide. Good Luck

We used the Elite up grade V2 for the price of a V3 on Memorial Day. This moved us from the obstructed sixth deck to the eight deck so it was a good move for a straight Veranda cabin. We were still able to pick our cabin number. You have to ask when you book, not automatic.

In April 2022, we shared a Bob"s Limo with another couple, we met through our cruise critic roll call. They had a reservation for four at 9:30 and the other couple they booked for had to cancel the cruise. Since we were overnight at the Rome airport, we decided to share. Our part was 55 Euros, the vehicle was a very nice spacious Mercedes mini van. We all four walked off and ended up waiting about an hour for the ride because it was booked for such a late time. The van arrived about 15 minutes before the scheduled time. We were at the airport before 10:30 because that was the time the driver dropped us at the hotel after dropping the other couple at the terminal. I didn't write down the time we left the port after luggage was loaded etc. All the off loaded luggage was set up and waiting when we got off around 8:30. I think you could safely book at 8:00 to 8:30 because the drivers, and there are lots of them with signs will wait for you a reasonable time if you are delayed. At FCO, the gates for airlines to the USA (such as American) are at the far end of the international terminal behind a wall and the security line for flights to the US after you check in is at the other end of the terminal. Definitely take the test online so you are ready when you get to FCO.

We have some status on Princess but find their loyalty perks to be minimum unless you are in the top Elite Tier. We like some things about Princess and have taken some cruises with them post shut down with Princess Plus perks for the itinerary. My big problem with them is the cabins, you absolutely have to book a mini suite on most Princess ships to get a chair for the second person in the cabin. I HATE sitting on the bed. On Celebrity (and most Royal) even inside cabins have some sort of place to sit in addition to the desk chair. My husband does not like the MDR on Princess but that is at least easier to deal with than the cabins. We much prefer X for the cabin layout and the MDR service.

We have had a suite GTY and sailed in a sky suite in April 0f 2022. It was booked before the shut down and ended up with a lift and shift. We had Micheal's drinks and Luminae included. We are Elite which covered some additional drinks, Wifi and laundry benefits. We brought two bottles of wine on board. We paid the regular tips plus out of pocket and of course tipped in Micheal's because we didn't have a package. We had excellent service and did not suffer at all. As a bonus it probably helped us keep our drinking to a reasonable level.

One of our tests purchased on the Reflection and picked up in the luggage area also was invalid so DH had to test in Rome FCO but luckily we were there the day before our flight home. It took about two hours. We already know he was negative but the proctor on line said the rules were your card had to self seal. We didn't have a back up test with us. My advice is to take your own.

This is good news about your timing on the Harmony. I am concerned about the change of mixing MTD into TD because of our experience on the Majesty in Feb. of 2020 before the shut down. We were a traditional table of six on the early sitting. Our service was interrupted almost nightly when MT diners were seated at empty tables in our area. They would be on appetizers when we were waiting for the main course. We would be waiting for desserts when they were on the main course. It is just my opinion, but I think traditional dining was set up to serve the same courses to all tables in the waiters set area. This saves trips to the kitchen and full trays can be brought out to serve several tables at the same time. It used to annoy me when MTD waiters tried to do the same thing with tables that were not seated at the same time. The dynamics don't work smoothly when the two types of service are combined in one area. I am sure the idea is to turn more tables and make more tables available to MTD but it ruins the service for traditional diners and probably rushes and exhausts the wait staff involved in trying to make it work. It may be a bigger problem when ships are 100% again unless a lot of people opt for the Windjammer or Specialty Restaurants.

I am surprised at this. I would think a negative test would be all that was needed.

Thanks for this input. We are looking at the Marriott Courtyard Downtown Long Beach (points) and are wondering exactly what the boundaries are for the Convention Center area. We are looking at Long Beach instead of San Pedro even for a Celebrity cruise because of the bigger choice of hotels in this area.

SHIP NAME Reflection CABIN # 1669 DECK # (3-14) 11 CATEGORY: 7-12, 1A-1C, 2A-2D, A1-A2, C1-C3, CS, FV, PS, RF, RS, S1-S2, SG, SV SS 2 LOCATION ON SHIP: Port (left), Starboard (right), Bow (front), Stern (back) or Inside and Forward, Midship (between the forward and aft elevators), or Aft (For example: Port-Midship, Bow-Forward or Inside-Aft) AFT facing BED NEAR (Bath, Balcony, Window, N/A) Bath QUIET? (Yes/No/Usually) Usually BALCONY VIEW (Good, Great, Obstructed?) Great BALCONY SIZE (Standard, Oversized, Other) Standard for SS WIND A PROBLEM? (Yes/No/Sometimes) no SOOT A PROBLEM? (Yes/No/Sometimes) no PROBLEMS/COMMENTS (Explain all Noise (including crew door issues), Wind and Soot Problems here, plus all comments and information regarding things like connecting or accessible cabins) This was a great cabin. There was NO pole inside the cabin.The walk from elevators was not as bad as expected. No menus on TV. The main problem we had with this cabin was the noise at night the first 7/8 days during the Atlantic crossing. When the ship is at a high speed the creaks and bangs are very loud (like thunder) and it is nearly impossible to sleep. No noise from from hall, other cabins or above. When we got to the Med. Sea it was dead quiet at night so this would not be a problem on many cruises. No problem for us but balcony is open and in full sun except early in the morning and this made the room warm in afternoon unless curtains shut when you are out. Balcony view was very beautiful. PICTURES (Attach pictures in your review) DATE OF CRUISE AND "REVOLUTION" COMMENTS April 18 2022 not revolutionized

When we were last in a RS everything was included except Chef's Table and maybe that type of wine pairing special event. I think those same events would also be excluded from your dining package anyway. Sushi on Five was included with the RS on S class even though it is Ala carte. With the RS, you can make and change reservations either before sailing or after boarding and you will be given great tables. The RS also gets lunches in Specialty Restaurants.

Tests are available at airports and walk up sites across Europe. It was easier and cheaper to get a test in Rome than we thought it would be. I did telehealth in hotel room after purchasing it thorough X and picking it up in luggage area. My DHs test did not work due to defective gummed closure so he took the live test at the Rome airport for 20 Euros. You can bring your own telehealth test from home also. Definitely no test on board by Celebrity in May of 2022.

I tested positive after getting home from a cruise. The positive was on Sunday, I had mild symptoms and a low grade fever. On Friday, I tested negative. This was after temp. returned to normal after being slightly elevated three days. I am boosted but I got a negative right away. DH slept in the same bed and did not get Covid. Don't worry about testing positive for the long run. Many people test negative in a few days after symptoms improve.

I have added a thermometer to my first aid kit and I used it a few times on the last TA. I also took a couple of self tests along. I chose them by box size as the smaller ones are easier to pack. I used one of these to check myself mid cruise because I had cruise cough. Many say you don't always have a higher temperature with Covid but mine went up above 99 and then I had a positive test. This was after I had a negative test to fly home thank goodness. It was a mild case with fever for only three days and it came after I was safely home.

We were on the Reflection in a sky suite recently and it seemed to me that Micheal's was a more "happening place" than it had been in the past. There was almost daily trivia, tea with foods, before dinner appetizers and some days music, meet ups with show staff and officers, even silent disco. It may have been because this was at Trans Atlantic but the staff tried hard to make it into a more fun venue. One of the benefits of Micheal's is covering the gap if you do not have the drink package. The main thing is to have easy comfortable access to help from the concierge staff. Even if you don't need them for reservations, they can handle all the issues that come up just like guest services. You will not have to stand in that line for anything except currency exchange or lost and found. They save so much time and it is so much more private than other "help" venues. They also can make the NO you would have gotten at guest services into a YES. Luminae is better than the MDR by a mile. You are served at your own pace. You are not grouped with the tables around you where one slow eater or one triple appetizer person can make twelve other people wait. You will have an amazing experience.

Just a few comments: The OP probably doesn't care about double points because it sounds like they are Diamond by virtue of Elite on X. The points don't add up in that case. We are D+ on RCCL and changed over to mostly X years ago and surprisingly made real Elite on X but it took a while and a lot of cruises including some suites to get there. It is much harder to earn status on RCCL so probably someone with a taste for X will not be interested in the points. I sailed in a Grand suite on the Jewel a couple of years ago and was very disappointed. The furniture was broken and you had to put pillows in the chairs because the seats were sagging so bad. The TV did not work the entire 14 day cruise. Just Static. Yes, we told this to anyone who would listen, and it was still broken at the end of the cruise. The "suite lounge" was a also disappointing and boring. The best thing about the Grand Suite was two sinks in the bath room and breakfast in Chops. Breakfast in Chops doesn't compare to breakfast in Luminae. Just some feed back for the OP.

I just wanted to add a comment about dining in Le Petit Chef because so many people posting here say one and done about their experience there. We had unlimited specialty restaurants on a cruise earlier this year and I wanted to try everything available. LPC is only available in the evening and it is like a group dinner. Everyone has to be seated and start at the same time. There is a set menu that can be somewhat tailored to your tastes. An animated production is shown on your table top. Sounds sort of glitzy so far right, sort of a one time experience. The thing was the night we ate there the food (lobster menu night) was so much better than I expected that it was really a surprise. As to Sushi on Five, it is an ala carte casual place, it is open for lunch and dinner and you can order as much or as little as you like. It is never crowded and has great ocean views.4 Google can give you a lot of tips and information about dining on Celebrity. Look into some of the dining packages to save money on the fixed rate restaurants if you want to try several. The food is Luminae is often much better than it sounds in the menu descriptions. The desserts there are over the top.

I recently returned from the Reflection Ta to Rome. The last day we had a Celebrity Excursion to do Florence on your own (bus transfer). We booked it at a discount before we left home because we were nervous about using the trains and getting back to the ship on time on the May Day holiday. The Tuscan bus was not operating that day for example. We were told everyone would have to wear masks on the bus. Almost no one getting on the bus was wearing a mask. I called this to the guides attention and I could tell she had no intention of being an enforcer until I told her what we were told about masks. She then made an announcement and most people put on masks in some manner. The bus was full and we were squeezed in like sardines. The woman in front of me was sick, coughing and blowing. On the way home (1 and a half hour ride each way) I saw that she was keeping her mask off even between times that she was blowing her nose and hacking. It is so awful that people remove their masks to cough..duh. I heard her tell her husband that she couldn't breath. The guide told us to keep the same seats both ways and there was no place to move anyway. My DH and I wore tight fitting N95 masks the whole time we were on the bus. I caught COVID and I think it was on that bus ride. Luckily I tested negative for the flight home from Italy and then test positive at home. I think am going to be fine, just feels like a bad cold and my DH is still testing negative. The big nightmare would have been if we had plans after the TA other than returning home after an overnight at the Rome airport. I would not want to pay to quarantine in an Italian hotel and pay more to fly home. Just some thing to think about. Airplanes are much safer than buses and we will not be doing anymore Celebrity bus transfers or excursions.