Reflection Review 23-30

[RhondaPerr]

I have been on 31 cruises, so have many to compare it to. My pre-cruise hotel was the Airport Mariott which was fine for one night! They have an airport shuttle and a shuttle to the ship.

 

Embarkation: arrived around 11:15am... There was confusion and we were sent from one side of the room to the other... I was on board about 20 minutes later. Rooms were not ready till 1:15pm... Headed outside Bistro on Five and waited for them to open at 1pm. I had the first of many meals there! The $5.00 cover charge was so worth it! Headed to the cabin 1632 11th deck, Concierge Class. It was a good location, dead midship! But you could hear the entertainment from The middle foyer... So if you go to sleep before 11 be warned :). For me was a non issue!

 

Mustering was painless, no life jacket required. After mustering many of us met at the bar from Cruise Critic. Luggage arrived and unpacking was so easy.... Loved the packing cubes! Dinner table for ten...only 2 couples showed up... More about dining Later..

 

The pool chair hog situation! I had no problem getting a chair...BUT as on every cruise, when I came to the pool at 8am, there were towels everywhere with no sight of the people! I will say the pool attendant did remove towels after an hour or so!

 

Shows: except for the one lady performer Katy whose last name evades me, I thought the shows were wonderful! Seating was never an issue, but as always you had people saving rows of seats! The production shows were better than I have ever seen in a long time!

 

Crew: the people who were friendly were really friendly, but the ones who were not were really rude! I found this with some of the bartenders, and a few people at Guest Relations. One thing I enjoyed was the Officers were much more involved with the passengers. Volleyball game, Dancing With The Stars, bocci competitions.

 

The Lawn: Incredible outdoor concerts on the lawn.. They served cheese plates, wine, had blankets and a sit up chair..

 

I saved the Dining for last.. I had the worst waiter I have ever had. He was apathetic, and incompetent! The food itself was very good.. We were never introduced to the maitre D, despite my having severe food allergies... Our waiter knowing these allergies gave me something that had I eaten it could have landed me in the hospital! It was the first time I did not feel safe with food, and instead ate in Bistro in Five!! Our whole table was so disgusted with the service that none of us went to the dining room the last night!

 

Room service was on time, and good! I ate on my balcony every morning. The buffet I ate in twice, once for lunch and once for dinner...but mostly lunch I had hamburger from the grill and ate by the pool.

 

The solarium pool was a perfect temperature.. But getting a seat in there was difficult at times!

 

The shops: I was not too impressed with the shops on this ship....

 

Casino: play the haunted house slot machine, it was good to me! The casino was non smoking, and was hardly ever packed!

 

Internet: had the free minutes and used every one of them! Never had any issues connecting.

 

Overall: the ship is beautiful! It is so new it gleams... I had no problem finding my way around, and loved the location of my cabin.. I do think they have some kinks to work out, and will given time!

 

Debarkation: did luggage valet and was supposed to be off the ship by 7:30... Opted to take a cab.. $25.00 flat fee to the airport! Immigration situation was better, more lines open than in previous weeks, and I was at the airport by 8:30am... Apparently one of my bags never made it to the plane...so I am minus one bag!

 

Last thoughts.... I did not let the dining situation ruin my cruise. I had an exceptional time...even booked on board for an open date on another cruise. I can say it was clear that they have made serious cuts in all areas.. I did not do any excursions... I thought there was a lot of activities, but not as any poolside! The Zumba was great.... Hardly heard about Bingo this cruise! Lastly, my husband dislikes the sun, and my best friend who I travel with had an unexpected life event, so I opted to go by myself! I have to say as much as I love traveling with my best friend I loved being by myself...I was never uncomfortable.. Met lots of people from Cruise Critic and beyond, and would do it again in a heart beat!

[Phxazzcruisers]

Thank you for the very open review. I am glad, for the most part, everything went well. I am very sorry you all had a bad waiter. A poor waiter can definitely spoil an entire meal. I do hope you noted his name and made some serious comments on your comment card. We are looking forward to our upcoming cruise on Reflection at the end of the year

[gelo7]

Thanks, for sharing your thoughts.

[El_aurens]

Thank you for your review!

[RhondaPerr]

My luggage has been seen doing Zumba and drinking Mudslides, but still has not decided to come home!!

[RhondaPerr]

WOHOO they found my luggage and will have it by Tuesday..Apparently luggage valet is a little bit of a risk during their slow down! It came through customs too late to make the plane!

[miataman19]

WOHOO they found my luggage and will have it by Tuesday..Apparently luggage valet is a little bit of a risk during their slow down! It came through customs too late to make the plane!

 

Glad you got your bag...All my luggage arrived at my stateroom at 3:00 p.m. except 1...all my formal wear, shirts, pants and sportcoats. That one arrived at 5:30 p.m. Just in time for diner. When we disembarked got all the luggage very quickly EXCEPT the same bag. Took another 45 min. to get that one ..lol..I guess that bag was having fun goofing off below decks..:D

[Cruise a holic]

I have been on 31 cruises, so have many to compare it to. My pre-cruise hotel was the Airport Mariott which was fine for one night! They have an airport shuttle and a shuttle to the ship.

 

Embarkation: arrived around 11:15am... There was confusion and we were sent from one side of the room to the other... I was on board about 20 minutes later. Rooms were not ready till 1:15pm... Headed outside Bistro on Five and waited for them to open at 1pm. I had the first of many meals there! The $5.00 cover charge was so worth it! Headed to the cabin 1632 11th deck, Concierge Class. It was a good location, dead midship! But you could hear the entertainment from The middle foyer... So if you go to sleep before 11 be warned :). For me was a non issue!

 

Mustering was painless, no life jacket required. After mustering many of us met at the bar from Cruise Critic. Luggage arrived and unpacking was so easy.... Loved the packing cubes! Dinner table for ten...only 2 couples showed up... More about dining Later..

 

The pool chair hog situation! I had no problem getting a chair...BUT as on every cruise, when I came to the pool at 8am, there were towels everywhere with no sight of the people! I will say the pool attendant did remove towels after an hour or so!

 

Shows: except for the one lady performer Katy whose last name evades me, I thought the shows were wonderful! Seating was never an issue, but as always you had people saving rows of seats! The production shows were better than I have ever seen in a long time!

 

Crew: the people who were friendly were really friendly, but the ones who were not were really rude! I found this with some of the bartenders, and a few people at Guest Relations. One thing I enjoyed was the Officers were much more involved with the passengers. Volleyball game, Dancing With The Stars, bocci competitions.

 

The Lawn: Incredible outdoor concerts on the lawn.. They served cheese plates, wine, had blankets and a sit up chair..

 

I saved the Dining for last.. I had the worst waiter I have ever had. He was apathetic, and incompetent! The food itself was very good.. We were never introduced to the maitre D, despite my having severe food allergies... Our waiter knowing these allergies gave me something that had I eaten it could have landed me in the hospital! It was the first time I did not feel safe with food, and instead ate in Bistro in Five!! Our whole table was so disgusted with the service that none of us went to the dining room the last night!

 

Room service was on time, and good! I ate on my balcony every morning. The buffet I ate in twice, once for lunch and once for dinner...but mostly lunch I had hamburger from the grill and ate by the pool.

 

The solarium pool was a perfect temperature.. But getting a seat in there was difficult at times!

 

The shops: I was not too impressed with the shops on this ship....

 

Casino: play the haunted house slot machine, it was good to me! The casino was non smoking, and was hardly ever packed!

 

Internet: had the free minutes and used every one of them! Never had any issues connecting.

 

Overall: the ship is beautiful! It is so new it gleams... I had no problem finding my way around, and loved the location of my cabin.. I do think they have some kinks to work out, and will given time!

 

Debarkation: did luggage valet and was supposed to be off the ship by 7:30... Opted to take a cab.. $25.00 flat fee to the airport! Immigration situation was better, more lines open than in previous weeks, and I was at the airport by 8:30am... Apparently one of my bags never made it to the plane...so I am minus one bag!

 

Last thoughts.... I did not let the dining situation ruin my cruise. I had an exceptional time...even booked on board for an open date on another cruise. I can say it was clear that they have made serious cuts in all areas.. I did not do any excursions... I thought there was a lot of activities, but not as any poolside! The Zumba was great.... Hardly heard about Bingo this cruise! Lastly, my husband dislikes the sun, and my best friend who I travel with had an unexpected life event, so I opted to go by myself! I have to say as much as I love traveling with my best friend I loved being by myself...I was never uncomfortable.. Met lots of people from Cruise Critic and beyond, and would do it again in a heart beat!

 

Hi Rhonda,

Glad you found your luggage! I posted my review under cruise reviews. Not posted yet- but we were lucky and had great staff experience! We loved the specialty restaurants, and while we sailed in Aqua Class and Blu a step above the MDR, still not nearly as good as the speciality restaurants! Next cruise will sail in lesser balcony cabin and dine only in speciality restaurants! We also loved the premium drink package! We got the free regular package, but upgraded to the premium and it was well worth it!! Loved the Martini Bar and the Molecular bar and the bartenders were superb! We also dislike the sun and spent our days at the adult pool- no problem finding a nice shady spot, but as you said, you must get their before 9:00 AM. With the exception of the entertainment and the horrible Miami airport, we found all to be great! Guess a few Martini's help!

[Lois R]

Hi Rhonda, glad your luggage was found and let us know when you

actually receive it!:)

[Orator]

Hopefully, you spoke to a Senior Officer about the dining room situation. What you describe is unacceptable! I'll be on the ship starting April 20th and Cemal should be returning. He's one of the very best Restaurant Managers and will quickly eliminate any problems. Juan was in Bistro on 5 so service must have been good.

[Negrilgirl]

Great review! Glad your bag arrived.

[RhondaPerr]

I had talked to the Hotel Manager about having no contact with the Maitre D but at that point we had no idea how bad the service was going to be! I talked to the manager at Bistro On Five and it was evident that he reported it, but by then it was too late! One of our table mates were newbies..and one night the waiter was "sick" and we had the best waiter... I told the newbies, this is what we should have had the whole time! The whole table wrote that the service was unacceptable on the evaluations, and we all skipped the last night in the dining room. I have a letter written to Celebrity which includes the potential danger I faced because this waiter was so incompetent and then the general statement about the service. We will see what type of response I receive.

 

 

 

Hopefully, you spoke to a Senior Officer about the dining room situation. What you describe is unacceptable! I'll be on the ship starting April 20th and Cemal should be returning. He's one of the very best Restaurant Managers and will quickly eliminate any problems. Juan was in Bistro on 5 so service must have been good.

[RhondaPerr]

It was so great meeting everyone and glad you had a better dining experience than me! I am glad my bag is on the way home! Not a great way to end my trip!

 

 

 

Hi Rhonda,

Glad you found your luggage! I posted my review under cruise reviews. Not posted yet- but we were lucky and had great staff experience! We loved the specialty restaurants, and while we sailed in Aqua Class and Blu a step above the MDR, still not nearly as good as the speciality restaurants! Next cruise will sail in lesser balcony cabin and dine only in speciality restaurants! We also loved the premium drink package! We got the free regular package, but upgraded to the premium and it was well worth it!! Loved the Martini Bar and the Molecular bar and the bartenders were superb! We also dislike the sun and spent our days at the adult pool- no problem finding a nice shady spot, but as you said, you must get their before 9:00 AM. With the exception of the entertainment and the horrible Miami airport, we found all to be great! Guess a few Martini's help!

[Orator]

I had talked to the Hotel Manager about having no contact with the Maitre D but at that point we had no idea how bad the service was going to be! I talked to the manager at Bistro On Five and it was evident that he reported it, but by then it was too late! One of our table mates were newbies..and one night the waiter was "sick" and we had the best waiter... I told the newbies, this is what we should have had the whole time! The whole table wrote that the service was unacceptable on the evaluations, and we all skipped the last night in the dining room. I have a letter written to Celebrity which includes the potential danger I faced because this waiter was so incompetent and then the general statement about the service. We will see what type of response I receive.

 

Was the Hotel Director Julian or Sue? Glad you mentioned your experience onyour comment card. You might have saved others from him!

[RhondaPerr]

Sue

 

 

QUOTE=Orator;37799095]Was the Hotel Director Julian or Sue? Glad you mentioned your experience onyour comment card. You might have saved others from him!

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[Bobby Dee]

Loved the Martini Bar and the Molecular bar and the bartenders were superb!

 

Do you know who the bartenders were at the Martini bar?

We followed a bar tender from the Equinox to the Eclipse and he said that he was going to the Reflection on his next contract.

I'll be on the Reflection in a couple of weeks, so I'm curious.

[golfrette]

We just got back from the same cruise. It was wonderful! Traveled with husband and 2 teenagers. We hardly saw them all cruise as they found plenty of friends.

 

We had absolutely terrific waiters! They were fun and professional. The first night our food took a while to come out, but once we mentioned that we had a show to get to, everything was speedy after that.

 

we LOVED the food. It was really outstanding. The kids even tried new things.

 

My DH and I did go to Bistro on 5 one lunch. it was very good as well.

 

my absolute favorite bar is the Molecular Bar! I think I tried about every one of the drinks. My favorites were the Dragonfly (it fogs from liquid nitrogen) and surprisingly, the Avocado ...something. Do NOT miss this one.

 

The Martini bar was fun also. loved the chilled bar area.

 

On a few of the sea days the Pool bar was a little slow,but then we're here to relax, right?

 

I also spent time at the Sunset Bar - wonderful! and on the Lawn - fun for bocce. Zumba on deck and going wherever the "These Guys" a cappella quartet sang!

 

I could go on and on. We had a wonderful cruise. So much to do I couldn't get to it all. Next time i won't miss the Hideaway - it looked really cozy.

 

Enjoy! I can't wait to cruise again!

[RhondaPerr]

Got my luggage today! Also received compensation for the food situation! Still feeling like I am on the ship.... Chair is still rocking a little!