librarylady19

The menu at Bistro on Five had been changed a bit - different savory crepes and salads.

We started with the seafood gumbo soup which was very tasty and a tad spicy.

I ordered the BBQ Piggy and Scott had the Hot and Spicy crepe. The crepes arrived rather cold but were still tasty.

We were rather full after soup and crepes so opted to share an Italian dessert crepe (dinner at Qsine at 6:00 p.m. was looming!). Service was a bit slow and distant at Bistro and we didn’t feel the food was quite as good as it had been at other Bistro on Five locations we still enjoyed our lunch (The Porch was also open for lunch, may have to try that on embarkation day next cruise).

It is always so exciting to board the ship; anticipation and excitement had been building for months since seeing the photos and reading reviews of Reflection.

Welcome champagne in hand, we were off for our “traditional” embarkation lunch at Bistro on Five.

There were already at least a dozen people seated in Bistro on Five, even though it was only 11:45 a.m. We ordered drinks and were told that the food orders would not be prepared until noon. We relaxed and enjoyed the feeling of finally being on the ship!

We never could figure out all the features of the sound system and the lighting!! We were a bit intimidated as we are most used to hotels such as the Westin or that type (and never pay full price!!) but enjoyed it nonetheless. We looked at the hotel pool on the 19th floor but it was too windy and chilly by 5:00 p.m. to tempt us.

We spent some time imagining how the rich and famous live and then had a pre-dinner complimentary cocktail and snacks at the Lounge at the hotel before dinner. We walked over to Trulucks for our 8:00 p.m. dinner reservation, a pleasant 15 minute walk from our hotel. We had appetizers and drinks during happy hour there last year and wanted to return for dinner. (Can't go to Florida and not have fresh seafood - a treat for Midwesterners for sure.) It was an excellent meal. We opted for the date night menu for $39 pp - we started with the salt and pepper calamari (additional charge) then each had delicious crab bisque. Entrees - trout for me and shrimp and grits for Scott. We couldn't eat their famous carrot cake as we were full so took it back to room (and never ate it).

Saturday, January 12

Our cruise is finally here! Unfortunately, we could not see the Reflection from our hotel window as a high-rise building blocked our view of the Port. We opted not to eat breakfast as we were still full from our delicious dinner at Trulucks and took a taxi to the Port at 10.20 am. 15 minutes later, we were at the cruise terminal. There were still quite a few people leaving but it was well organized. We handed our bags over to a porter and were directed inside to check in.

There was no waiting to check in.

We completed our paperwork, had our photos taken at the check in counter and received our Sea Passes (new design!).

Unfortunately, we were identified as Select members when we were actually Elite, bit of a let down - at least they got the Premium Beverage Package on the Sea passes! We tried to have the passes changed then and there but were told we had to go to the Captains Club Desk once onboard.

It will take me a few days to finish uploading all my photos and write a thorough review. Hope you enjoy it! I will be scanning the Celebrity Today sheets and a few other helpful documents as well. I will add links to the review, documents and photo albums as they are completed.

OUR BRILLIANT REFLECTION CRUISE

CELEBRITY REFLECTION

Eastern Caribbean (San Juan, St. Martin, St. Thomas)

January 12 - January 19, 2013

Background: We are both Library Directors from SW suburbs of Chicago. We are Celebrity loyalists - this was our 6th Celebrity cruise since 2009. We have not sailed any other lines so cannot compare Celebrity to their products - we know what we like and have stayed with it.

Pre-Cruise: Friday, January 11

It was 50 degrees when we left Chicago this morning! Our flight from Midway to Fort Lauderdale was uneventful thankfully and we arrived in Florida 15 minutes early.

The prearranged SAS shuttle was as efficient as I remembered from two past experiences. The driver called right after we landed and we met the van outside within five minutes. The shuttle van was spacious and nicely air conditioned. After 3 couples had loaded up, we were off to Miami. It took approximately 45 minutes to reach our destination, the Hotel Beaux Arts, a boutique hotel on the top floors of the JW Marriott in the Bayside area.

WOW - what a place! Let me just say, we would never be able to afford a 5 star hotel such as this but used Marriott points to do so. The view of the Bay was spectacular, the accommodations very upscale and modern.

I agree it's not very convenient to find the spreadsheet link.

I had asked Host Andy if the sticky could be modified to put the links o the spreadsheet and the format for posting cabin reports on the first page, but it hasn't happened yet :confused: Maybe if other people ask too.

Ship: Reflection

Cabin #: 2146

Deck # - 12

Class - A1

Area - starboard, mid-ship (near Future Cruise Sales)

Bed near - bath

Quiet - mostly. Definitely heard chairs moving early morning and people jogging occasionally. Dancing and music from pool party was loud but expected. Well worth it for convenient location.

Balcony view - view forward only; large overhang. On hump so no view to the aft.

Balcony size - oversized, deep, hump balcony. Shaded due to large overhang for pool deck above.

Wind a problem - no

Soot a problem - N/A

Comments - This was our first hump cabin and we loved it! Great location - so convenient to stairs and elevator. Service from steward Desmond and assistant Reynaldo was exemplary. Room was always cleaned and well maintained; never had to ask for anything. We found the storage to be ample for our needs. We have the same location booked on Silhouette for next year.

More photos here: http://s1080.beta.photobucket.com/user/librarylady19/library/Celebrity%20Reflection%201-12-2013/Aquaclass%20Cabin%202146

Sorry to hear about your noise issue and the way it was handled. We were under the treadmills on Eclipse and it was not so good.

Could you please post to the S class sticky so others can be advised.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=36567266&postcount=1779

For the convenience of posters, I am repeating the format to be used for cabin reports:

Ship:

Cabin #:

Deck #:

Class:

Area:

Bed near:

Quiet?:

Balcony view:

Balcony size:

Wind a problem?:

Soot a problem?:

Problems/comments:

thanks for the food porn!!

Chocolate Tombstone is DHs favorite dessert ever - we were talking last night about how we can't wait to have it at Qsine next Saturday!!!

We have LCG prebooked for our last night on Reflection - sounds awesome too.

If you do go to Tuscan grille again, try the pistachio creme brûlée - it's my favorite dessert:

I am facing the same dilemma. Reflection is docking at crown Bay and there will just be 2 of us. Friends who were on Equinox recently did the ships excursion to Sr John; said the ride was a bit choppy but they had several hours of independent exploration on St John.

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Still seems like a good deal if you would normally take the drinks package.

I really like the fact that you can upgrade to the premium oackage for an additional $11.50 per day (less than the price of one Molecular Bar cocktail) ..what a deal!!! Will be booking something for next winter for sure.

Conversely, there is nothing more frustrating than a thumbnail size photo, especially of menus or dailies!!

Thanks for the tips OP. I just switched to Photobucket as Webshots morphed into Smile and all my albums (and photo links in my reviews) disappeared:(

Larry is absolutely correct. I would also say its a good deal if you like more expensive drinks - such as craft beers, cocktails from the Molecular Bar and martinis. Doesn't take too many of those drinks to meet your daily quota! You don't need to drink nonstop to "get your money's worth". A few of these drinks plus wine with dinner and a coffee drink or 2 and its well worth it for me. I also like the idea of the freedom to try new drinks. Again, it's not for everyone.

I'd go on another cruise that stops in Dominica in a heartbeat. Levi is the best!

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There are unisex dry saunas in the locker room areas, but no steam room. Clothing is not required in the unisex dry saunas.

Sorry to disagree, but us prudish Americans would complain if you followed that "rule". There is definitely the expectation of some covering. I am sure I'm not the only one who would be shocked to see otherwise.

I have worn the bathrobe from my AQ cabin to go to the PG....is this considered déclassé by other Americans (I realize that other cultural perceptions and opinions may vary) ???

yes, thanks again Artemis. Really helpful in planning specialty reservations, etc. I am pleased to see that many nights there are shows at 10:45 or even after 11!

You mentioned an Elite discount for salon services - was that in the sheet of coupons you received?

did you go to any of the lunches in the specialty restaurants?

Awesome!!! Can't wait to "Study" these!! Can I get any more excited!!

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Yes, sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, but it is also important to check the S Class spreadsheet for "eyewitness reports" from actual cruisers.

Appreciate the photos too.

Tanushka is on SIL. Sue Richardson will be leaving shortly for Reflection.

Hope she will be on there by Jan. 12 sailing. I've heard nothing but good things about her!

i want to check back periodically, and cannot ever seem to find the spreadsheet without hunting thru posts til i find a link....can anyone help?

I will ask Host Andy if he can get it posted in the first page of the thread. I have the link in my signature but that's not the most obvious way for people to locate it.

once you save the Google doc link on your computer you will always have the most up to date version.

Because of my job and the need to drive sober when at home I seldom drink much. On a cruise I can walk to my cabin and no one ever asks me to steer the ship. So you might say I go overboard...almost literally.

A typical day starts with a cappuccino or two. By 11 it's a bloody Mary. With lunch a Margarita or a beer. Around 4:30 ,it's 2 or 3 martinis. With dinner at six,three glasses of wine and a specialty coffee with dessert as well as a sparkling water throughout.

Then it's on to the casino for a cognac or jack and coke. At the show maybe a vodka and tonic or a cordial. Following that it's to the disco or karaoke and some specialty rum drinks.

Finally an espresso at cafe baccio and a water for the room at night. On beach days we also take liter bottles of water to the beach. I kept track for a while and see that it would have cost me130 to 150 per day before tip.

At the discount rate of $49/day I figure I'm way ahead until I have to pay for the liver transplant.

That sounds like a lot but I know from my experience that its all washed down with a lot of food...I only got buzzed once, when I had the equivalent of a bottle of sparkling wine in Qsine. Good times!!!

Please post using the following format and I will add your report to the S Class Google Doc.

Ship:

Cabin #:

Deck #:

Class:

Area:

Bed near:

Quiet?:

Balcony view:

Balcony size:

Wind a problem?:

Soot a problem?:

Problems/comments:

Thanks! looking forward to Reflection reports.

Thank you Honeymoon Queen (cool name:))

we are in AQ 2146 ....DH will definitely like the overhang as he burns easily:)

We will also like being close by to pop up to the pool bar and solarium.

Was there a lot of noise from above???

I purchased my premium package right after we boarded the Summit (at Cellarmasters) as I wanted to use OBC. The price was the same as online - no sales tax was charged even though we were still docked in NJ.

Do not personally have experience of purchasing on 2nd day or later but read that if you opt to do this it has to be for the rest of the cruise.