chemmo

If you are only going to use your room to sleep and shower in then much better to save your $$$ and spend them in the plethora of specialty restaurants! We are back on Reflection next September, can’t wait!

Just to make sure the ship you have booked and the itinerary you have chosen match what you want out of your vacation. Some lines are more focused on a party atmosphere and others on Rest and Relaxation. Likewise with itineraries, if you are a ‘beach person’ the Western Mediterranean probably wouldn’t be an ideal choice for you. Yes, you could find beaches to visit but you could find better (and much cheaper) elsewhere. If you like the history of an area be aware you will have limited time at each port. For example, if you are desperate to see Rome, Florence and Venice then you may actually be better giving the cruise a miss and doing a land tour. A cruise can only give you a flavour of each port of call. If the weather is important to you check the weather at your ports of call at the time of year you are visiting. For example, the Mediterranean can be really hot July and August making sightseeing challenging. Then in October and November you will get some dull, wet and windy days… Find out about different room categories on board and reflect on what you want/need. If you plan to be out and about all cruise and just use your cabin to change in then an inside is perfectly fine. If, however, you like your own private space to relax and unwind then you may prefer a room with a balcony. Check exactly what is included/not included in the price. This may involve some calculations on whether or not to include WiFi and a drinks package. Whilst these can be added later it is often useful to know from the outset what you need/want. People with any disabilities/mobility issues do need to check itinerary and room layouts especially carefully. There are some ports difficult for wheelchair/scooter users because of tendering. Some ports also have uneven pavements or cobbles which can be hard to negotiate. Some rooms have shower over bath set ups that don’t suit guests with mobility or balance issues. Your question is a really good one…if people come back disappointed from a cruise it is often because they haven’t chosen the best cruise line or itinerary to meet their expectations/wishes.

Wake views can be wonderful too early morning and late at night. Some lovely wake staterooms on Celebrity and you can watch sat on a chair on your own balcony…Also we love the sunset bar (also wake views) on Celebrity S class for early morning/evenings…Just a thought…

Is it an area you generally like to visit or is it a specific port you would like access to it for sail in/sail out? As others have said on most Celebrity cruises there are a couple of Helipad events. Whilst usually for specific groups (suite, Elite…) this is at the Captain Club hosts discretion. If you boarded and spoke to her/him on boarding and expressed your interest then you probably could secure an invite.

Agree…I think all of us need to be mindful of the butler’s workload. In our experience if you can give them warning if you want anything special they really appreciate it. Things we have asked for over the years are… Snacks for a sail away party in our suite (and to put the champagne we had brought on board on ice). A fruit bowl rather than the sad couple of pieces. A tea tray set up. A special meal. I agree with jelayne that dining in suite can sound more glamorous than it is unless you have a table in your suite or balcony. While I would order a quick meal if tired in a suite I would only arrange something like an anniversary meal in a RS or above.

Thank you for your review.

This is what we have always done. On the one occasion we sent a suit in we sent it on a hanger with the slip attached rather than shove it in a bag.

Easy travelling does make a difference! We loved the extra seating around the sunset bar area on Silhouette, very nice. Much as the retreat deck doesn’t have a pool the jacuzzi and area generally is nice, much better than the Equinox…Nice to have the additional restaurants too. Like you we also like M class but just wish they hadn’t got rid of the Murano equivalents…

Remember Silhouette did get a makeover pre covid unlike most S class ships. She really is our favourite ship although we have chosen Reflection again next year, a mix of itinerary and trying an alternative room.

This is also what we do. However, simply for the butler. We usually cruise RS or PH. What we have found over the years… If we simply have a phone conversation with the concierge then the drinks information and the pillow requests go through but often not the smaller requests like a real fruit bowl. I assume during the conversation the concierge is filling in a form on line and perhaps the miscellaneous doesn’t always go through. Most of the time when we email our requests they all go through (missing about 1/10?) and we board to a completely set up room and speciality dining organised. However, it tends to be an all or nothing, everything goes through or nothing does, hence the value of the back up printed email…We always ask the butler to confirm our dining requests. Butlers and room attendants do appreciate having information ahead of time and if they don’t get it then a hard copy of drink and dining requests saves them having to scribble down the information as you board. This is especially useful if you are planning on using the speciality restaurants most nights.

Sincere thanks for such a heartwarming review! So pleased you had such a lovely time. The nice thing about family holidays like this is you will enjoy them for years with regular reminiscing of “Do you remember that woman in the casino?”… So looking forward to my next year’s Reflection cruise now…You have given me a real flavour!

I can see Santorini in the years to come limiting the number of cruise ships they allow in. Quite simply too many cruise passengers swarm the island but spend very little. They arrive with their bottles of water in their bags, reluctantly may purchase a bottle of beer to keep them going but relatively few will buy a meal…In contrast, people who have booked a two week stay are paying for their accommodation, food and drinks but may be put off visiting an island ‘crawling’ with cruisers! On our last visit we sat down in a bar in a picturesque spot enjoying a beer and a shared cold selection and were amazed by the rude tourists who entered the bar, took some pictures of the views and left…Must be very frustrating for the locals… I don’t know if you have visited the archaeological museum there (about a 10 minute walk from the top of the cable car) but it is well worth a visit…

I do think the itinerary is a good one as so many of the ports have more than one ‘obvious’ sight to see. We spent two weeks on Crete and still didn’t see all the archeological sites, also great hiking there too. Much as we love Valletta, Malta is so much more…Then almost all the ports will have boat trips…For a ‘put together’ itinerary I think they have put some thought into it… I thought about you when I saw the post heading…I think many (like you) booked this cruise ‘in hope’ rather than expectation. I think it will sell well with a 12 night duration and the option of a few days pre cruise in Athens or post cruise in Italy. I seem to remember you got a good deal? I am so pleased that you are happy with the new itinerary and that the change has happened so far out giving you the option to consider what to do in each port.

With any luck she has filled it up ready for you and Sweet Mama to have another successful play later or tomorrow! I remember once going into the Diamond Lounge on RC, sitting comfortably with a drink only to be approached by a ‘lady’ saying I was sitting in ‘her’ seat. As I was on crutches at the time movement wasn’t exactly easy and the lounge was pretty full. My polite son moved from chair to a stool leaving two seats for the ‘lady’ and her husband only to have the ‘lady’ complain that ‘There is still no place for our friends and you shouldn’t be in her because you are English and can’t possibly be Diamond’!?!?!? We reassured her we were Diamond and I confess to drinking my drink uncharacteristically slowly…In nearly thirty years of cruising it was the nearest I came to loosing my English calm and charm… So pleased you found your dream machine!

To me the biggest difference is the general ambiance. On RC the focus is action and activity and on Celebrity the focus is more on rest and relaxation… In my opinion shows are better on RC and the food is better on Celebrity. One is not better or worse than the other just a different focus… Just as with RC there are different classes of vessels.

Thanks…Fulfilling a dream next September, we have booked the Reflection Suite which we have never done before. I was a bit put off with the location but then I realised it was so near the Solarium which is where I tend to go for a swim…It will be a long walk to Tuscan for breakfast (my usual spot) I may have to use the Aqua Spa cafe or the butler…As I am travelling with my son and fiancée the two bedrooms gave it the edge over the PH. Let me know how you find butler service and Michael’s Club…

Are you in a signature suite? If so how do you find the location?

Occasionally you meet members of staff on cruises that you gel with, just as you gel with fellow cruisers…You choose to stay in contact with them post cruise and at key occasions share family updates and best wishes.

I can uncross my fingers now…Have a fantastic cruise!

Is it just me or with others also have 🤞 until we get the ‘on board’ post?

Gosh! I never expected a discussion about POSH…I obviously know nothing of its origins… To me, it was simply something I had heard on travel programmes that in the old days of ocean liners if you were rich you could afford to travel from the old world to the new in the rooms facing the sun…Port out Starboard home, you were Posh. Cruisestitch, thank you for my morning puzzle, finding out what a backronym is!

Sincere best wishes for a wonderful cruise!

If you are on Eclipse, Reflection or Solstice then there is the Solstice deck. Fairly sure it is deck 16. This became the Suite deck on Equinox and part of the Suite deck on Silhouette. You need to be mobile to access as I am fairly sure it is stair access only. It is quite a large area at the front and part way down the side so not so much ‘nooks and crannies’ but definitely an area that can be missed by many. One side or other usually has shade… A favourite place of ours to relax indoors has always been the Observation Lounge. Almost empty during the day, a lovely place with comfortable furniture to look out from with air conditioning over a sea or port view… We are on Reflection next year and I am contemplating a Cabana for the first time on sea days as I am certainly past being first up to secure a good seat! Perhaps this could be an alternative option for you?

POSH port out starboard home from Europe to the Americas…

Thank you so much, you have been my early morning coffee read for several days now…So much nicer than listening to the daily news!