Doupa22

I did everything thru the Butler, he was the nicest guy yet profession. I tipped him right from the very first day and I continued my tipping along the way so things worked out perfectly.

The food was set up free of charge, he asked me the size of the party and I told him 8 adults and 4 kids, that's why you see pizza on the plate, I had a few bottles sparkling set up, red wine which was not in the picture.

It just happened to be my friend's mother in law birthday so he was trying to arrange a birthday cake to bring to our party but failed. So I called my Butler at 3pm and he said "Done"

He brought two chocolate cake with Happy Birthday written all over them, it turned out to be a perfect evening for everyone. Our seating was at 8:30pm and our party was set up from 7-8:30pm

 

Here's another pic of the breakfast set up by our butler at St. Thomas

 

Thank you. That is a GREAT photo!:) Makes me want to be there right NOW :( I was planning on daily tipping but then I read some butlers are offended. :confused: This is the one thing that I am not sure what to do..Maybe I will just ask our butler on day one.

Let me try one more time to include a link to the pic

 

How much did that setup cost you?

It looks like you are going next month hope you have a great cruise. We were saying how great if the dividers open so thanks for that.Post when you get back if you get a chance.:)

Thank you :) I will post in detail...With many photos :D

Thanks for the input !! I love cruise critic for the great info you get when you just ask a question and the different prospectives !! I read alot of info on here from other cruisers and I have read most of librarylady's review on the Reflection I will go over it again since I did just booked the same itinerary . I did not know the partition between the decks opened that is an extra bonus my cruise agent did not say that.Now I just have to wait till March :(

I'm pretty sure you will have to ask your butler to have a mechanic unlock the dividers. :) Have fun!

after looking... we are on the port side which means we will have late sun :) and sunsets on the two sea days we have so we will look into having either dinner or sunset apps. on the deck thanks for that info. there are four of us so I am not sure if there is room for all on the deck for dinner.

Oh but you can have room!! Your rooms are side-by-side and I am pretty sure the deck dividers are REMOVABLE :) Which means you can make two decks connect. You may not be able to eat at the same table but you can enjoy each others company. How fun for you! :D

We were hoping for some sun on our deck but I am just happy to have one!!:)And I was leaning towards Murano for the bday dinner thanks for the info we will probably try the italian on another night.How is the lawn club grill??

You will love it! :) My advise is plan on being on your deck early in the morning for beautiful breakfast sunshine and late in the afternoon when the sun is low in the sky, then you will catch the BEST sun of the day.:D (Depending on if port side is facing the sun of course) ;)

If you want, you can even have your butler serve you a full course sunset dinner right on your veranda :) You just need to time it right. :)

Just booked sky suite on the Reflection for next year and are looking forward to the cruise and the perks that come with the suite.We have one free dinner and are not sure which on we should pick for my husbands bday? Maybe we will book one for another day also any ideas? How difficult is it to get into Blu since we can go on availability only ?? we booked rooms 2181 and 2183 and are wondering if we will get sun on our balcony or if it is covered??And is it loud with the oceanview cafe above? any pics of the room or view?? This is only our 2nd Celebrity cruise and are very exited and would love any input. It looks like a beautiful ship and the largest we have been on..:D

You are on deck 12 toward the back of the ship which is directly under the buffet/cafe. Word on the street is you can occasionally hear chair movement in the morning but nothing too bad. You are also under the "extended" level which means your deck is directly underneath an overhang reducing sun greatly. Some people like that, some people do not.:rolleyes:

AND IT'S A SUITE!! NICE :D FREE BUTLER! ;)

ohhh....so if it's windy, they keep the canopy DOWN? huh.

part of the reason to rent it is the shade....

Unless you're us.:) My wife and I love the sun! :D but we dislike pool chair saving games :) There is a lot more shade seating on these s-class ships than there is sun seating.:rolleyes:

However I can see where people will like these shady cabana retreats as well. :D I say canopy tops down. I get enough shade in my office ;)

We have rented the cabanas on the Eurodam for the cruise (a week). Can you rent for the whole week on Celeb? If so how much? Has anyone done both and how does it compare?

Sure,:) Take all of your port days at $99 per day plus your sea days at $149 per day, then total them and subtract 20% for renting them for the entire cruise. It can get a bit pricy :rolleyes: However I have heard of savvy friends/groups sharing the cost for the week :D

We are using these Alcoves on sea days in May (Med cruise). My wife is a bit of a sun worshiper. Does anybody know if they will let you put the top down? What's the dress code?:confused: Has anyone seen a bathing suit in one of these? If a one piece bathing suit is taboo maybe she could do a tankini top and shorts? Wouldn't want to be too riskay' for the folks in the Lawn Club Grille;)

On your balcony, none of the hoi polloi would be able to admire you in your alcove......

Can you elaborate on what this means?:confused:

In the description of the amenities it lists 'special beverage menu'. Do you recall what that is? Were you able to order any beverages you wanted (and use your pre-paid drinks package plan)? Would they obtain tea/coffee, etc. from Cafe Al Bacio also for you?

 

Were you able to bring food in from other areas of the ship, such as AquaSpa cafe or buffet? (I read that one cannot bring from the closest restaurants but I don't mean those.)

 

Did the attendant do anything else for you? (I read that there is a dedicated attendant but, other than obtaining beverages and food, I am not sure what they do.)

 

Thanks.

I'm pretty sure that you can get massages and pedicures etc..for a fee at your cabana (Seems a little to indulgent for me but I like to say (To each his own and live a little);)

I don't think they want you bringing food but I'll let someone else confirm that. Check out this link on Picnic baskets. Each basket comes with a bottle of wine (Not sure what size)Very romantic :)

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=celebrity%20alcoves%20picnic%20basket%20menu&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.creative.rccl.com%2Fe-lite%2FCEL%2FCE_Incentive_Meeting_Charters_eSales_Kit%2FNew_Resources%2FAlcoves_and_Picnic_Basket_Rates_Flyer.pdf&ei=NqwaUZ3qKOyQyQHj34AQ&usg=AFQjCNFGVqCyy8nuBvw39-R4zifOaG0PTg&bvm=bv.42261806,d.aWc

I think the Alcoves provide several things which a balcony does not. First, unless it is mid-morning or mid to late afternoon, balconies are shaded by the balcony above and even when the sun is at a lower angle, only one side of the ship is going to have direct sun. Second, on a balcony, you really are alone, in a private space. And whereas that is just fine for some all of the time , or for others some of the time, Alcoves provide a reserved area in a public open space. In other words the setting or atmospherics are completely different. Also, unless you have a large veranda in a suite, standard veranda's do not provide chaise lounges and large cushioned chairs with ottomans. Alcoves also allow you to be fully in the sun with its top in the down position or in filtered or shaded light with its roof raised. Finally Alcoves provide a level of service not available in your cabin--"cabana boys" to bring you drinks, fruit, towels, water and as in any area providing service, with tipping, an expanded list of items and you can, for a fee, have spa treatments (massages, facials, manicures) in your Alcove...spa services are not provided in ones cabin.

Word:)

I just called yesterday to upgrade to the premium package yesterday for our April cruise and the rep indicated that it was good timing since it had to be done by the 18th.

 

I know that Andy had mentioned this early in this thread and Celebrity seems to be repeating it now. Still can't believe that they would turn down extra money on the ship if you said you wanted to upgrade, but I would rather pay for it and not take any chances.

I am on another thread where someone just got off their cruise with the 123 Classic and they upgraded to premium on board with zero issues. But I agree. Why wait?:confused:

I am half of one of the 4 couples in Big Daddy's group, so would like to clarify. While it would be nice if the ongoing lawn maintenance did not require areas to be roped off, there were ALWAYS ways to access the lawn without jumping over the rope, either at the "corners" of the lawn area, or between the individual alcoves..... at least several were always rope-free. Plenty of people managed to realize this, as there always seemed to be someone strolling across the lawn, checking it out.

 

As for the view of the sea, I suppose if you intended to spend your entire day sitting in the middle of the lawn, staring at the ocean, then yes, you could say your view of the sea is now a bit more limited due to the alcoves/cabanas situated around the perimeter. But I was on the Solstice a couple of years ago, and even without the alcoves there, the lawn did not seem like a place where crowds of people hung out all day taking in the view of the ocean. A few spread towels on the grass to lie in the sun, and here and there we saw a game of bocce ball taking place. Well guess what? There are still areas for these things on the lawn on Reflection, too. Plenty of grassy area on the main lawn, plus two other alcove-free lawn areas further back (on either side of the ship as you walk toward the Sunset Bar.) No problem with the ocean views on the smaller lawn areas, or the walkway around the outside of the alcoves, or on the loungers around the Sunset Bar, or up on deck 16, or on your own personal stateroom balcony......

 

So sorry, I really don't understand the "they're ugly and block the view" complaint. To each his own, I suppose.

 

As for other questions I read earlier in the thread....

-barring unusually high winds you can opt to have the cabana top open or closed to allow either sun or shade.

 

-you can come and go throughout the day. You do not lose your alcove if you leave for a while.

 

-In addition to an ipad/ipod dock/speakers, there is a power outlet in each one so you can use your own speakers if you prefer, or charge another device. Each alcove has 2 chairs with ottomans, an 1 chaise lounge/daybed type thing, plus a coffee table. 3-4 people can lounge or recline comfortably with feet up, or you can use the ottomans for additional seating to accommodate more. They say they hold 4 people, but as Big Daddy mentioned, we never had an issued with 5-8. Then again, we had rented 2 for our group of 8, so perhaps it was because they knew they were not losing additional revenue by allowing 5+ in one alcove at times.

 

-we never ordered the picnic basket so I can't comment on that, but it was not an issue to bring back burgers from the Mast Grill or sandwiches from the buffet to enjoy in the cabana. The one day when the Lawn Club Grill was open for lunch, we were disappointed to find they wouldn't allow us to order the delicious flatbread (pizzas) to eat in the alcoves, but they did say we could place our order and stay in the alcoves until it was ready, at which point we went "inside" and sat down to eat. A shout out here to Jordan, Jason and Regulas from the LCG/Alcoves..... after 5 days in the alcoves, and 1 lunch and 2 dinners at the LCG, these guys are fantastic and very accommodating, and provided some of the best overall service anywhere on the ship!

Word :)

This week, we called Celebrity to purchase an alcove for the three sea days of our November 2013 cruise. We were told a multi-day discount will be applied as an onboard credit in the amount of 10% of the purchase price, but that this will not show until we are onboard.

 

The pictures we have seen look great and we are looking forward to enjoying this space as an added location to relax. :cool:

I booked 2 sea days and it was full price.(I never asked however) 3 must be the beginning number of days to get the discount :confused: Thank you:)

I think the term "ugly" is somewhat relative. I can understand why these cabanas make the majority of people feel restricted from the area and therefore cause people loath them and make disparaging comments.:rolleyes:

The best way to avoid that feeling for me is to join the "cabana club";) and pay to enjoy the added real estate. ;) they seem a bit pricey but it's a vacation. I say live a little :)

Celebrity marketing certainly must think that they are attractive because they use images of them in the majority of their advertisements:)

Strongly recommend them, especially for sea days.

Thank you for the great review, I am now more comfortable with my choice. By the way. How much did they discount them for an all week purchase?

so we're happy.

:) That is what's most important! Good for you. :D

We're sailing on the Reflection on March 9th. My travel agent stated, "there are no obstructed views on the Reflection." However, when I look at the pictures and some of the reviews here, it's obvious that this cabin has at least a partially obstructed view of the lifeboats. Should I call my TA and change our stateroom? I'm really annoyed that she told me that none of the cabins on the Reflection are obstructed.

Looking straight from that room out you would view the sea. Looking downward is a small boat (It's not a life boat) but more of some kind of airboat. (Still noticeably right in front of you) If you could switch, I would certainly try. GOOD LUCK!:)

Just got my new invoice from Celebrity (through my TA). I chose the prepaid gratuities and the beverage package and asked my TA to upgrade the beverage package. In addition to the cruise fare, insurance, etc. It shows:

 

Gratuities 144.00

SLC6-Savings -528.00

SLC7-Wave Bev Pkg 528.00

SLP1-Grat Savings -144.00

WAV8-PR Bev Grat 0.00

 

It appears they didn't charge me for the Premium upgrade? Or maybe it was billed separately? Will I get charged on my shipboard account?

I was told this by Celebrity. When you do the upgrade the additional cost will NOT show up on the initial invoice or the website. The upgrade goes to a separate department for processing and may take several days to show up. I was assured this would be done within 2 weeks. I did this a few days ago and it has yet to reflect the additional cost. Trust me, they WILL charge you;)

I was also told with certainty it will be billed beforehand, not onboard

We are booked on the Connie 2/14 and have the wave drink package. We have spoken to numerous Celebrity reps and have been told that since we have a t/a, only the t/a can book an upgrade for the premium package. Additionally, and more disturbing, we were told that it cannot be done on the ship, which is contrary to the "sticky" info. Our t/a said that only we could upgrade. The wave package does not show up online, but it does show up on our invoice. Does any one know how we can upgrade before time runs out?

How frustrating!:( If I were you I would (3 way) conference call your T/A and celebrity. My guess is it would get resolved then.

Latest review of the Reflection. The Alcove services took a pretty big hit. At least that's something that can be improved upon but it does throw up a red flag.:( I'm still getting mine. But it gave me serious second thoughts

Review: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=114862

The Celebrity Web site contains a number of errors and one of them revolves around booking Alcoves. The web site would lead you to believe that you have to wait to book but the truth is the web site never lets you booked them on line and you must call Celebrity to reserve, and this can be anytime, even on the day you first reserve your cabin, no matter how far in advance you book your cruise.

 

I am looking forward to use of an Alcove on our March 16th sailing on Reflection.

 

SLP

Thank you! That is sound advise. PLEASE come back and let us know of your general experience on the 16th. It would be GREATLY appreciated :) Have a blast Next month:D I wish my cruise was that close to sailing:)

Thanks. You made me really excited.

 

I will present this to the group. Am thinking it would be a fantatic idea to rent all of them for the whole cruise so our group would have its own private area every day.

 

If we can't get all of them can we share them on a rotating basis?

 

Do you have to stay in them or can you mingle and hangout in the area?

 

 

Thanks.

Go for it! You get a discount for renting them all week. (But you have to stay in them the entire day and get permission to leave:p:p:p;););)