1st-timers considering Reflection 11-night Medit. in July

[Binty77]

Greetings,

 

My partner and I, from California, have decided to take a Mediterranean cruise next summer for our honeymoon. The leading choice so far in our search seems to be an 11-night cruise on the Celebrity Reflection out of Civitavecchia. We need your help to be convinced, because I keep reading the negative reviews on this site and are on the verge of being scared off!

 

First of all, we're likely to choose a Concierge-class cabin for the perks, though we haven't done any research yet into how to pick a cabin.

 

1) We're foodies but we're not arrogant snobs. We have had our share of tasting menus at fine, Michelin-starred restaurants but we're just as often at Subway or Taco Bell on the way home from work. Will we find the food to be Hometown Buffet / Applebees quality or something nicer? Every meal doesn't have to drop jaws but we want to enjoy it, not tolerate it. It is our honeymoon, after all.

 

2) Service... we don't need personal butlers to pick our noses for us, but we'd like to be smiled at, possibly interacted with a teensy bit while dining and obtain willing assistance with excursions and activities.

 

3) Mediterranean in July: Will it be miserably hot? No fun if we can't enjoy the outdoor areas of the ship...

 

4) Are the rounded beds a problem? I'm 5'11", he's 5'8".

 

5) Wine beverage package... so I can pay up-front then order by the glass on-board.. Is there a limit to consumption? Only certain hours? Mealtimes only?

 

6) Gay-friendly? We're not in-your-face about it, we aren't the club-hopping twenty something set, and we don't need to be surrounded by a cadre of fabulosity. However, it'll be obvious enough to our dining table mates and activity partners and the staff, of course.

 

7) Activities: Of course we'll need plenty of relaxation time but I'll get restless eventually. Am I going to be bored every day until after dinner, or can I find trivia/lectures/bingo/random other things on a routine basis to keep things interesting?

 

8) Entertainment? Some of the reviews said the entertainment is drab and phoned-in, half-assery. We're theater-goers, lovers of live art and music (of all kinds), but we don't need a Tony-winning show to be entertained. Comedy? On-board cinema?

 

I'm sure I'll have more questions. Thanks in advance.

[KirkNC]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

[Royalpair]

We were just on her for the Venice to Barcelona trip, and loved her! Of course, we have done 2 other sailings on new S class ships (Solstice and Eclipse). I would suggest getting to Rome days earlier, as our one day stop was not enough! Our itenerary was so port intensive tht I realized at the end of the trip that we didn't get to enjoy the rest of the ship as we usually do. I hope to sail her again to do just that.

 

We were supposed to be in the rainy season, and thankfully the weather was decent. But, a couple of time I did hear the guides say you're lucky to be here now, as the crowds aren't as great and the heat wasn't there.

 

Don't pay any attention to the whiners about the trip. We had a great room steward, and great dining room service. The food was good. My husband had some sort of steak most nighs and said they were the best he's had. We loved the production shows, and the illusionist and comedian. We skipped the singers.

 

As people say, a cruise is what you make of it. Hope this helps some.

[cruiserziggy]

Greetings,

 

My partner and I, from California, have decided to take a Mediterranean cruise next summer for our honeymoon. The leading choice so far in our search seems to be an 11-night cruise on the Celebrity Reflection out of Civitavecchia. We need your help to be convinced, because I keep reading the negative reviews on this site and are on the verge of being scared off!

 

First of all, we're likely to choose a Concierge-class cabin for the perks, though we haven't done any research yet into how to pick a cabin.

 

1) We're foodies but we're not arrogant snobs. We have had our share of tasting menus at fine, Michelin-starred restaurants but we're just as often at Subway or Taco Bell on the way home from work. Will we find the food to be Hometown Buffet / Applebees quality or something nicer? Every meal doesn't have to drop jaws but we want to enjoy it, not tolerate it. It is our honeymoon, after all.

 

2) Service... we don't need personal butlers to pick our noses for us, but we'd like to be smiled at, possibly interacted with a teensy bit while dining and obtain willing assistance with excursions and activities.

 

3) Mediterranean in July: Will it be miserably hot? No fun if we can't enjoy the outdoor areas of the ship...

 

4) Are the rounded beds a problem? I'm 5'11", he's 5'8".

 

5) Wine beverage package... so I can pay up-front then order by the glass on-board.. Is there a limit to consumption? Only certain hours? Mealtimes only?

 

6) Gay-friendly? We're not in-your-face about it, we aren't the club-hopping twenty something set, and we don't need to be surrounded by a cadre of fabulosity. However, it'll be obvious enough to our dining table mates and activity partners and the staff, of course.

 

7) Activities: Of course we'll need plenty of relaxation time but I'll get restless eventually. Am I going to be bored every day until after dinner, or can I find trivia/lectures/bingo/random other things on a routine basis to keep things interesting?

 

8) Entertainment? Some of the reviews said the entertainment is drab and phoned-in, half-assery. We're theater-goers, lovers of live art and music (of all kinds), but we don't need a Tony-winning show to be entertained. Comedy? On-board cinema?

 

I'm sure I'll have more questions. Thanks in advance.

 

I haven't been on reflection yet (although I am booked for April) but I have been on 2 other Solstice Class ships in the Mediterranean in July, so I have some experience with your question.

 

Food: We find the food on Celebrity to be quite good. We enjoy the main dining room as well as all of the specialty restaurants. There is good variety and the food and service are very good to excellent in all venues. Everything is way above Applebee's. No comparison at all. The specialty restaurants are often as good as top shelf restaurants in major cities. The MDR is also very good, but not up to the same par as Murano or the other specialty restaurants. Still, based on your description of your "likes" you should have no worries about the food.

 

Service is always dependent on the person rendering it so stories might vary. In our experience, never any significant issues. The staff in all areas have always been very pleasant and helpful. In fact, it is sometimes amazing how friendly they are considering how hard they work.

 

Weather: Sure, it is warm in the Mediterranean in the summer, but we didn't find it too hot. It is certainly not too hot to enjoy the pool. Some tourist areas, like Pompeii, were hot when touring, but we still enjoyed ourselves enough to take a similar cruise 2 summers later.

 

I can't speak to the round beds and your height. My wife and I are both shorter than you. However, the beds look like normal sized beds to me.

 

There are a variety of beverage packages available. You can buy wine packages, or different level alcoholic beverage packages. We have purchased the premium beverage package in the past and it allows you to order anything up to $12 for no extra charge. That includes wine by the glass. It can be used anytime, ALMOST anywhere. I do NOT think it includes the self serve area in the wine bar, but that is the only exclusion that I am aware of. It is expensive, but we found it a reasonable value and would probably do it again. it depends how much you drink, though.

 

Gay-friendly: I can't address that. We are a heterosexual couple with 3 kids. However, I would think that is more a function of the individual people who you happen to be around, e.g. dining table mates, rather than the cruise line itself. A European itinerary in the summer will likely have a diverse group of travelers. If you don't feel like you fit in well at your table (for any reason) you can always request a change.

 

Activities: There are plenty of them, but the real attraction should be the ports. There are many great places to see on that cruise. For the days at sea, I have never found myself bored.

 

Entertainment: We have found some better than others. The headliners are always changing, so it's somewhat the luck of the draw. They have a "Cirque" type show that I think is pretty constant and is good.

 

We have done 3 Solstice Class European cruises as a family and everyone...all ages...in our family has loved them. We also met lots of people along they way who also have taken multiple similar cruises. There is a lot to like on Celebrity S-Class ships. You can read all of the posts and reviews here and see people get nit picky about many things. The truth is that different things are important to different people. We feel that Celebrity provides a quality product at a reasonable price. That is why we are repeat customers. In my opinion, A Mediteranean cruise on an S-class ship is hard to beat for any vacation, especially a honeymoon. Hope this helps. Enjoy!

[dln929]

Hello Binty. As Kirk says, welcome to Cruise Critic. When I was brand new to Celebrity, I learned it all from reading these forums. There's a wealth of information here like you would not believe, and people are so generous with their time and knowledge.

 

I've said it before in another post about the Reflection--99 things go right and who's howling the loudest? The person who found the 100th that didn't go quite so right. I suppose that's just human nature. By all accounts the Reflection is an extraordinarily beautiful ship and far more people have loved her than not. If she's the one you want to sail, go for it. And don't worry about it. :D

 

You're welcome to read my trip report on sailing the Mediterranean last June on Reflection's younger sister, the Solstice. I hope it answers some of your questions. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1676328

 

As to some of your other questions and comments. There's a sticky at the top of the forum that's all about cabins for the S class ships; read it and then choose your cabin!

 

Celebrity is known for its good food, and rightfully so.

 

Celebrity is known for its wonderful crews, and like the food, the reputation is well-deserved!

 

My husband is over 6' tall and he had no trouble sleeping well on any Celebrity ship. The bathroom showers, though not overly large, didn't present any problems either.

 

Wine beverage package? This you'll have to clarify. You can order bottles of wine or you can order a drinks package which includes wine; which one are you referring to?

 

Celebrity is known for being gay-friendly so put your mind at rest on that account. Not an issue.

 

Boredom? I think it would be the opposite problem to tell you the truth. There are plenty of options from trivia to lectures to lawn games like bocce ball. However, I have to tell you that European cruises are very port-intensive and you might find yourself more tired than you think and in need of R&R on sea days. The other thing is that the scenery is fantastic. I don't know your exact itinerary but when we sailed through the Straits of Messina on one sea day, I was up on the lawn watching the whole time. I couldn't bear to go inside and miss any of the incredible coastlines. It was gorgeous!

 

Entertainment is subjective but we've enjoyed the shows a lot and we too are theatre people and patrons of the arts. I can't say that everything Celebrity offers appeals to us but then again, I can say the same thing about what's on every weekend in my own city. ;) There are movies, yes,but it's hit or miss whether you'd be interested. The selection is usually pretty basic and/or movies you've probably seen before. One entertainmentwe've always enjoyed, however, is all the live music on board and wherever there's music, there's always a place nearby to sit and listen. Lovely.

[Binty77]

Thank you all for your replies, they are most helpful. I have some more questions:

 

I keep reading on these forums about the dreaded "deck chair dance" in reference to finding/keeping a place outside. What is this and is it a real problem? We're not sunbathers and pool-dwellers, by nature, so it might not matter to us.

 

That brings up a bigger question: We're cruising in late June/July no matter what; we can't really fit major travel in any other part of the year. Are crowds & people noise on the ship going to be a problem? We're avoiding Carnival, Disney, and RCCL because of their reputations for children, thrill-seeking, and other boisterous activities. Will our stateroom be the only real place for free R&R, peace and quiet?

 

Have you found cigar/cigarette smoke from other guests (particularly in non-smoking areas such as the verandas or inside the cabins) to be a problem? I see there are threads on this topic but little news from anyone that's been on the Reflection.

 

What is the "personalized concierge" perk of the Concierge-class stateroom?

[boogs]

Have you found cigar/cigarette smoke from other guests (particularly in non-smoking areas such as the verandas or inside the cabins) to be a problem? I see there are threads on this topic but little news from anyone that's been on the Reflection.

 

Are you in luck! We sailed on Reflection from Barcelona to Venice on her Oct 21 / Nov 4 cruise. She is a beautiful ship, and we are already trying to figure out when we can sail on her again. She is now our favorite ship.

 

Celebrity has the most restrictive smoking policy in the industry, and has been the leader in moving the cruise industry towards a more smoke free environment. There is NO smoking allowed in any stateroom, on any balcony, or in any inside area of the ship, which includes lounges and the casino, places some ships still allow it to happen. Smoking is permitted in only a few outside areas, and these are clearly identified in the information you will receive in your stateroom. On our cruise we never noticed any smoking issues in non-smoking areas. If we had, we would have reported it immediately. We choose Celebrity in great part due to it's strict non-smoking policies and I will not let someone who breaks the rules get away with it.

 

Regarding concierge class - while we always do this class on the M-class ships, where a major benefit to us is a larger room by about 20 sq ft, we don't on S-class ships. Concierge class rooms on S-class are the same size as standard rooms, and to us the small perks just aren't worth the extra money.

[cruiserziggy]

Thank you all for your replies, they are most helpful. I have some more questions:

 

I keep reading on these forums about the dreaded "deck chair dance" in reference to finding/keeping a place outside. What is this and is it a real problem? We're not sunbathers and pool-dwellers, by nature, so it might not matter to us.

 

That brings up a bigger question: We're cruising in late June/July no matter what; we can't really fit major travel in any other part of the year. Are crowds & people noise on the ship going to be a problem? We're avoiding Carnival, Disney, and RCCL because of their reputations for children, thrill-seeking, and other boisterous activities. Will our stateroom be the only real place for free R&R, peace and quiet?

 

Have you found cigar/cigarette smoke from other guests (particularly in non-smoking areas such as the verandas or inside the cabins) to be a problem? I see there are threads on this topic but little news from anyone that's been on the Reflection.

 

What is the "personalized concierge" perk of the Concierge-class stateroom?

 

Prime location deck chairs, immediately around the pools and in the sun tend to be a commodity on sea days, but it shouldn't be a big problem. You will be able to find chairs without a problem.

 

There will probably be a lot of families on your cruise. As I said, we have done similar cruises with our kids in the summer and there were always lots of families with kids on board. However, everyone has always seemed very well behaved in our experience. Even though they were family vacations for us, we also enjoy our adult time as well, so we are conscious of those issues. In the end, it is going to be a function of the specific people on board. Expect families with kids to be there, even on Celebrity.

 

We are nonsmokers and have never had a problem with smoke on board. The smoking areas are limited and don't seem to affect other areas, unless immediately adjacent.

 

There is a Solarium that is for adults only. It has a pool and Jacuzzis and it is peaceful. It is on the same deck as the other pools and there is a small cafe there. There are many other quiet areas on the ship as wee, both outside and inside. You won't have any problem finding peace and quiet if you want it. The general environment of the ship I would describe as "civilized."

 

We have sailed in Concierge Class at least 5 times. There is no "personal concierge." They are simply veranda staterooms with some upgrade amenities, such as sparkling wine on arrival, canapes in the afternoon, and few other little perks that you can read about on the Celebrity website. They tend to be in good locations. We enjoy it and think it's worth the additional cost when compared to a standard veranda. Others might not agree. We are trying Aqua Class on our upcoming reflection cruise, since we will be without kids on that one.

[dln929]

Thank you all for your replies, they are most helpful. I have some more questions:

 

I keep reading on these forums about the dreaded "deck chair dance" in reference to finding/keeping a place outside. What is this and is it a real problem? We're not sunbathers and pool-dwellers, by nature, so it might not matter to us.

That brings up a bigger question: We're cruising in late June/July no matter what; we can't really fit major travel in any other part of the year. Are crowds & people noise on the ship going to be a problem? We're avoiding Carnival, Disney, and RCCL because of their reputations for children, thrill-seeking, and other boisterous activities. Will our stateroom be the only real place for free R&R, peace and quiet?

 

Have you found cigar/cigarette smoke from other guests (particularly in non-smoking areas such as the verandas or inside the cabins) to be a problem? I see there are threads on this topic but little news from anyone that's been on the Reflection.

 

What is the "personalized concierge" perk of the Concierge-class stateroom?

 

OMG no! You don't have to contain yourself to your cabin to get some peace and quiet!! That would be ridiculous. The ships hold over 3,000 guests but (and this is a big but :)) they're designed to absorb that many gracefully. There are dozens of nooks and crannies all day long where you can find solitude. You'll find them soon enough after you board and go exploring. It's one of the best parts of being on a new ship, finding "your" space. Same thing goes for the pool area. There are certain times of day when the pools are crowded-- and you could say this of any pool on any place on this earth--but lots of times they aren't. Think outside the box and swim/relax poolside a little earlier than most people or a little later. If you see a lounger that looks like it's been hogged, there's nothing to stop you from talking to the pool attendant and he or she will take care of you.

 

As for the personalized concierge service touted on X's website, honestly I think those are just buzz words. Your cabin steward looks after you no matter what class cabin you're in, but you're not going to get anything like hotel type concierge service, ie, having dinner reservations made for you.

[FrankinPA]

Greetings,

 

The leading choice so far in our search seems to be an 11-night cruise on the Celebrity Reflection out of Civitavecchia. We need your help to be convinced, because I keep reading the negative reviews on this site and are on the verge of being scared off!

 

 

Not sure what negatives you are talking about but we were on the cruise from Barcelona to Miami and had a great experience. The only negatives I have heard or experienced are small nuisance issues, IMO, and you will have those on any ship. If you are talking about the propulsion problems, those were temporary. Was there a particular major negative you have heard or read that concerns you?

[Leesie6351]

I was on the same cruise as the above poster- Franklin PA. It was by far the best cruise we have been on. The food was excellent and the service was over the top!!!. The only possible concerns I might have is for younger people-- the night life is short-lived and while lively, is on the "mature sedate" side. There aren't loud parties, contests etc like on lines such as Carnival or even RCCL. The entertainment was pretty good. Daytime activities are varied but unininteresting-at least to DH and myself. We're in our late 60's. We had 9, yes 9, straight sea days and enjoyed everyone!!! I would happily repeat the cruise.

 

I'm not sure what negatives you are referring to. The Reflection is a brand new ship that launched in Oct. The Mediterranean is a marvelous itinerary and as suggested, you want to arrive a few days in advance to sightsee. The port is quite far from Rome and you need to research on these boards suggested ways to get there.

 

PS-- concierge class is kind of unnecessary on Solstice class ships. You get tasteless appetizers, a better robe, an extra cruise credit, fruit in the cabin, welcoming bottle of champagne, ( and a slightly bigger cabin on millenium class ships). You may be lured by the "priority boarding"? Don't be-- it's meaningless. Often, the priority boarding line is longer than the regular lines!!!! I suggest you look for cat 1 cabins-- close to an elevator. You always want to be under another passenger deck not an activites deck due to noise. I happen to prefer starboard. On the Reflection, we were in 9268 and loved it--very quiet an had the extended balcony.

 

I hope you go and welcome to cruise critic

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic

[lovestx]

Thank you all for your replies, they are most helpful. I have some more questions:

 

I keep reading on these forums about the dreaded "deck chair dance" in reference to finding/keeping a place outside. What is this and is it a real problem? We're not sunbathers and pool-dwellers, by nature, so it might not matter to us.

 

That brings up a bigger question: We're cruising in late June/July no matter what; we can't really fit major travel in any other part of the year. Are crowds & people noise on the ship going to be a problem? We're avoiding Carnival, Disney, and RCCL because of their reputations for children, thrill-seeking, and other boisterous activities. Will our stateroom be the only real place for free R&R, peace and quiet?

 

Have you found cigar/cigarette smoke from other guests (particularly in non-smoking areas such as the verandas or inside the cabins) to be a problem? I see there are threads on this topic but little news from anyone that's been on the Reflection.

 

What is the "personalized concierge" perk of the Concierge-class stateroom?

 

Welcome to CC....and I can't recommend the cruise you are looking at more highly! I joined CC last year as we planned for a similar itinerary but on Equinox last June and our trip was all the better for the help I received on here.

 

I have posted a long review of our trip (including pictures) that might be helpful. On page 1, I tried to cover some general planning questions that you might find useful.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1717283

 

Now to your more recent questions above:

 

I feared that we would have trouble getting loungers on sea days and that really wasn't the case. But we generally tried to go to a smaller area, up two decks from the pool toward the bow of the ship (Solstice Deck on Equinox). It tended to be quieter, had some shade, wasn't as well known, and it was easy to get to the pool and the pool grill from there. Many afternoons after coming back on board from port stops, we would hang out on the loungers near the pool in the shade and had no trouble finding spots then.

 

While there will definitely be families on your ship, the numbers of children are not overwhelming. And, by and large, the kids are well-behaved. A couple of times there were 'packs' of teens wandering the pool areas and talking loudly but it was a minor, infrequent nuisance (and I had my teens on board with me). Other than that, I didn't notice that many kids. And there are few young kids on a cruise like this one as it is so port and history intensive.

 

It will definitely be hot but I would still go. And you don't feel the heat when you are on the ship as there are shady areas and the breeze is nice. It was hot in places like Ephesus and Athens but we dressed for and found air conditioning when we could.

 

I would strongly encourage you to consider doing Aqua Class instead of Concierge. Same cabins but with the benefit of dining in Blu which is fantastic. We chose to do Aqua as we feared on our first cruise that we would hate the huge numbers of people in the MDR. The crowd issue didn't bother us much but we still loved the smaller venue and great food and service in Blu.

 

DEFINITELY use the cabin selection sticky to research your room to avoid overhead noise in Aqua suites. I also used a website that you can find when you Google cruise cabins reviews and has the word genius in it.

 

And congratulations on your marriage!!

[boogs]

DEFINITELY use the cabin selection sticky to research your room to avoid overhead noise in Aqua suites. I also used a website that you can find when you Google cruise cabins reviews and has the word genius in it.

 

Good advice! But be aware that the Reflection has more staterooms and many of the room numbers are different than her sister ships even though they may be in the same location. For example, the starboard corner stateroom at the aft end of the resort deck on Reflection is #2208, while on the Silhouette it is #2148 and on Solstice it is #2146. This is due to the addition of extra staterooms on Silhouette and Reflection. These room number differences are most likely further back towards the rear of the ships.

[librarylady19]

Good advice! But be aware that the Reflection has more staterooms and many of the room numbers are different than her sister ships even though they may be in the same location. For example, the starboard corner stateroom at the aft end of the resort deck on Reflection is #2208, while on the Silhouette it is #2148 and on Solstice it is #2146. This is due to the addition of extra staterooms on Silhouette and Reflection. These room number differences are most likely further back towards the rear of the ships.

 

Good point Boogs! best bet is to compare deck plans before booking.

[DennisAndJudy]

Good point Boogs! best bet is to compare deck plans before booking.

 

And Library Lady ought to know, as she is the originator and keeper of the great S-Class cabin reference sticky.

Do you have any plans to update for the new ships?

[MarieLill]

To answer your question...will it be miserably hot in July...yes! You have to be prepared for really really hot temperatures. We were on the same cruise as lovestx in early/mid June and on a Mediterranean cruise a few years ago in mid/late July. I think the temps in Ephesus and Pompeii were around 100 and the temp in Malta was 112! We loved both of our cruises, but the next time we cruise the Mediterranean will be in the spring or fall.

[lovestx]

To answer your question...will it be miserably hot in July...yes! You have to be prepared for really really hot temperatures. We were on the same cruise as lovestx in early/mid June and on a Mediterranean cruise a few years ago in mid/late July. I think the temps in Ephesus and Pompeii were around 100 and the temp in Malta was 112! We loved both of our cruises, but the next time we cruise the Mediterranean will be in the spring or fall.

 

Hey MarieLill....if memory serves me correctly, you and I met on the Santorini tender line. Hope your crew is well!

[FrankinPA]

Good point Boogs! best bet is to compare deck plans before booking.

 

We use cruisedeckplans.com for deck plan research. They have much higher resolution images and imbedded photos of many areas and cabins on the ship. Suggest you go there rather than to the Celebrity Site.

[MarieLill]

lovestx...yes we met in Santorini and also in Ephesus...what a great cruise we had! We are looking at a cruise out of Venice next September.