Reflection Review - Nov. 30 - WARNING - LONG READ

[Woobstr112G]

Hi Bob ~ there was not any type of Chef's table on Reflection that would be similar to what you had on Princess. Murano is Celebrity's fine dining restaurant. Every meal I've had there has been outstanding. If comparing to Princess, I'd place it a step above the Crown Grill and a little more formal although it does not require formal attire. You can enjoy dinner in here dressed casually. It's a very nice evening. ENJOY!

 

Host Anne;

 

Thank you for the reply.....:):):)

 

Bob

[JENNIEB]

Hi All

 

Onboard Reflection now. Just want to help future cruisers by letting them know that while it is far from excellent the bar service experience is much better vs what is described here.

 

Will describe more when we return. Just wanted to get the info out that it seems like the last cruise was (hopefully) an anomaly.

 

Kevin

 

Hi!

 

We are all traveling on Dec 21, 2013 Celebrity Reflection and I am sure you know that Celebrity's website is not working correctly for Roll Call sign ups. Since you are onboard and if you have time can you PLEASE ask at guest relations the name of the person that is in charge of this? We really need their email so we can send them our info. Since you already had the party can you tell us who set it up and where it was?

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1888591

 

http://cruisecritic.com/rollcalls?cruise_line_id=9&ship_id=621

 

The list says we have 15-18 people signed up but in reality and on the cc boards we have over 41+ people trying to sign up.

 

Please help us as we leave very soon and want to get the correct info to Celebrity - several have called reservations and no one can help them.

 

Please advise. Thanks in advance. Enjoy your cruise!

 

JennieB

wetravel at gmail dot com

[cle-guy]

Giving =X= the benefit of the doubt, do you think the group of 900-1,000 on board, traditionally known as a group that enjoys their drinks and a party atmosphere could have stretched a "fully crewed" ship to their limits? Had this large group not been aboard, would the change in demographics on this sailing, in your opinion, have allowed a fully crewed ship to handle bar service without incident?

 

As a member of that group, I can say you can not make sweeping generalizations that we all party and drink till we stumble over. You can not also assume that all had the drink package. My table of 8, only 4 had a package for example. I had a package, but honestly would have been better off paying as I went as I am not a huge drinker, but since it was included, that was great. And a number of recovering alcoholics didn't drink either. If this were an Atlantis cruise with a far younger demo, perhaps more truth, but this crowd wasn't the huge party fiend crowd drinking their drinks while waiting in line just to be sure the glass never became empty.

 

In my example, my chosen liquor wasn't available at all bars even as we left port, other cruises, it's been at all bars, so it wasn't simply drank up - it wasn't there to start. I could get my orange goose at martini bar, and I had a bottle in my cabin, but point is why wasn't it everywhere, especial once I asked.

 

That's a staffing and management issue, not the party cruisers.

[dsh25]

I agree with your assessment on the November 30, 2013 Celebrity Reflection cruise. I found the same issues.

 

However, early on in the cruise (day 1 or 2) a questionnaire was sent out and I replied to that questionnaire listing my concerns regarding the bar service. I received a call from the head of the bar staff according to the voice message left on my phone. She asked that I call her back. I attempted to call her back 3 times before I gave up. Going back to the voice message, she stated that they were not short staffed as I had indicated on the questionnaire.

 

I never once witnessed anyone walk around offering to get drinks around the pool (deck 14), sun deck (deck 15) or Solstice deck (deck 16). Sitting at the Martini Bar, I waited at least 20 to 30 minutes to be recognized. The only way to get reasonably quick service was to be demanding or pushy. I also noticed that some individuals were passing the bartenders cash and thus getting much better service.

 

I would also like to mention that the Mast Grill did not have anyone picking up dirty dishes frequently. Customers were carrying dirty plates, glasses etc. to the kitchen door and waiting for someone to take those dishes from them. On Solstice and Eclipse there was a cart outside the kitchen door in which customers could drop off their used dishes. At least once every half hour someone would quickly walk around the sundeck (deck 15) and pick up used dishes. On Reflection, this individual did not seem too enthused to get all of the used dishes. I witnessed individuals having to call him over to pick up dishes.

 

I wonder how many customers Celebrity has lost especially first time cruisers or first time cruises with Celebrity. If it were my first cruise with Celebrity, I would not spend the money to book another cruise with them. I have received much better service on other cruise lines.

 

I think Celebrity owes all of us an apology. It would also be nice to have the issue explained as to why there was a shortage of bar staff. I would be more understanding if they had stated that they were short staffed because many of the wait staff were from the Philippine’s (typhoon) and had been granted leave to be with their family.

 

David (this was my 17th cruise and 5th with Celebrity)

[BEAV]

BEAV ~ I'm seeing lots of great screen names on this thread!

 

I have been on bunches of Celebrity (and other lines) cruises over the years. I've often sailed with groups that enjoy their drinks and party atmosphere. To be honest, I wouldn't classify this cruise, or either groups (there was another good size group onboard) to be over the top partying folks. Sure, everyone was having a good time but I don't think the groups and other passengers for that matter (keep in mind that the groups onboard made up only about 50% of the passengers on this sailing) had anything to do with stretching this "fully crewed" ship.

 

Here's why I say that. On my last several S-class ship sailings, the bars/lounges were definitely staffed with more people. Take Cafe al Bacio as a good example. There were always two - three people working the counter to make drinks while at least two servers worked the tables and chairs to take passengers' orders. On this cruise, there were only two crew behind the counter making drinks and one server for the majority of the time. On occasion there would be a third person to help out behind the counter but the poor server out front was alone the majority of the time. I've been on all S-class ships now, including Silhouette earlier this year and this was never the case in this area. There were long lines here all week. I can't recall see lines like this on any other S-class ship.

 

Do I think 1,800 people with the drink package stretches the limits of the bartenders and servers available? Absolutely. People are going to drink more (even non-alcoholic beverages) when they are included. But there was definitely fewer staff at bars than on previously Celebrity S-class cruises, regardless of the demographics.

 

Thanks, Host Anne, for your further elaborating. Your example of the staffing level changes in Cafe al Bacio puts it into perspective, IMO. I certainly hope =X= is following this thread and your candid observations and constructive suggestions.

 

Cle-guy, I, too, am a member of the same "club" ;). When I learned here how large the group was, I couldn't help but wonder if it played any type of role in the slow bar service.

 

Sounds like =X= management really needs to take a close look at bar staffing while they simultaneously offer complimentary drink packages to lure people aboard their ships.

[20pluscruises]

As for the pool service..it's kinda a catch 22, eh?

 

Remember the old days with pool staff "constanty" asking if you wanted a drink. Like every 10 minutes? I'm sure Celebrity took note of the many complaints of the shouting "pina colada? pina colada?". It was exhausting having to constantly say no thanks not to mention...being interrupted while reading or napping in the sun. :)

 

I find if you tip with the first drink they do quietly stroll by checking on you for a second cocktail without bothering you. I actually prefer this to the constant shouting "pina colada, pina colada? / drink special, drink special?".

 

Now, if Celebrity could just do something about the people selling trinkets on the beach....:)

[Host Anne]

dsh ~ I filled out the same "Attention to Detail" card that you did. Short staffing and level of music (and rap) were the items I noted. I probably got a call back because I had requested a meeting with the bar manager prior to getting the feedback card. I got the impression that the staff on board have their hands tied.

 

Since they are telling everyone that the ship was "fully staffed," I wouldn't expect an apology from anyone. I think it's a sign of things to come.

[20pluscruises]

dsh ~ I filled out the same "Attention to Detail" card that you did. Short staffing and level of music (and rap) were the items I noted. I probably got a call back because I had requested a meeting with the bar manager prior to getting the feedback card. I got the impression that the staff on board have their hands tied.

 

Since they are telling everyone that the ship was "fully staffed," I wouldn't expect an apology from anyone. I think it's a sign of things to come.

 

That's not a good sign:eek:

[Host Anne]

I've been meaning to post about the groups on board but haven't had a chance before now.

 

I would sail with the Pied Piper group again in a heartbeat. These cruisers were among the most kind and friendly people we've seen on ships. As Cle-guy mentioned earlier, this was a little older crowd and while they certainly were there to enjoy themselves, I never saw anyone out of control. We had many conversations with different cruisers sailing with Pied Piper throughout the week and loved chatting with everyone. Many of them expressed the same concerns we had about the under staffing and loud music.

 

I can guarantee you that if this was a standard Celebrity cruise without the Pied Piper group, passengers would not have been nearly as patient and pleasant towards the crew with the long bar lines. I never witnessed anyone getting upset or rude with crew. Kudos to all the Pied Piper cruisers who were pleasant and fun!

 

There was a second group on board who were French-speaking. While we didn't converse with them directly, we did encounter them several evenings in lounges before dinner. They, too, were kind and courteous to staff.

 

I think Celebrity was lucky with the situation on board last week. If it continues, I bet there will be passengers in the future that will be ugly to crew and I hate that.

 

Thanks to all the fun passengers and crew last week!

[KevP]

Sailing away from St Thomas as writing this from the Reflection sunset bar. It is packed. No one is waiting for drinks. There are 3/4 bartenders working very hard. There are servers taking orders but we got two seats at the bar. Can't comment on length before serving but seems all is fine. Inside the bar they are checking on people regularly.

 

Have not been poolside since day 1. I would say don't expected service on the upper pool areas from what we have experienced. Buffet drink service hit or miss. More misses for us so far but the trend is reversing the past couple of days.

 

I can certainly see how the experiences of last week could happen. It seems there is either more staff or less beverage package this week. Both?

[wpgcycler]

Sailing away from St Thomas as writing this from the Reflection sunset bar.

 

Wow, how cool!! Enjoy KevP! (is there a smiley for "jealous"? There's a wind chill of -28F here at the moment)

[Myrtle Ave. Mayhem]

Thank-You, Host Anne

 

I enjoyed every moment of reading your review and always appreciate that these reviews are nuanced by the writers individual perceptions & preferences.

 

I am in the supposed "younger, W Hotel" demographic that Celebrity is trying to impress. Sure, I like a good time, but not with obnoxious loud music ALL over the ship, ALL the time. A quick note to any cruise line management - NO RAP MUSIC, PERIOD ! When passengers say we don't want rap, do something about it ! The constant loud music on deck and in lounges was obnoxious. The entire cruise and ship suffered from over stimulation on an Eclipse sailing last year. Talking with social staff management did nothing to rectify the situation. The attitude was, "take it or leave it".

 

The type of music is highly subjective for each person. I'd like to hear some Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald played in the Sky Lounge on sea days. Poolside, how about Barry White, Tom Tom Club, Grace Jones ? Something just a little out of the box, but not offensive to anyone. A few years ago on a Zaandam cruise, the staff forgot to play the piped music at the aft Seaview Pool for a whole afternoon. All you heard was the water against the ship and other people talking. It was PERFECT shipboard serenity !

 

On a final note, I want Celebrity to return to a MDR luncheon on embarkation day and the white gloved steward escort to cabin upon boarding. Maybe the management thinks that the "younger" demographic won't notice/mind these changes, but we do.

[20pluscruises]

I'm confused...is the Rap music new and different from the 70's/80's French Disco (techno) music they use to play?

[Host Anne]

20plus ~ there is NO music to rap! While techno and old disco can be loud with a lot of thumping beats, there is music to it. Not so with rap. Don't want to get into a music discussion here but I will stand by my feeling that rap is not music. ;)

[20pluscruises]

20plus ~ there is NO music to rap! While techno and old disco can be loud with a lot of thumping beats, there is music to it. Not so with rap. Don't want to get into a music discussion here but I will stand by my feeling that rap is not music. ;)

 

OMG! Hahahahaha!!!

 

So, it is definately Rap :mad:

[Sarbear1681]

Anne, I COMPLETELY agree with you. I would sail with the PP guys again any day.

 

Truly, I thought that all of the passengers and crew were kind and courteous, and it made for a great trip. I NEVER saw a passenger unnecessarily take out their frustration on a crew member. I keep thinking of the two bartenders at the Molecular Bar. They NEVER stopped working, and, despite that, I felt that we were always waiting a very long time for (amazing!) drinks. I did not see a single person give the bartenders a hard time. Everyone was so very respectful. I wish I saw more behavior like that in my "real" life!

 

KevP - Tell Sergio the 11/30/13 sailing folks say hi. He was a joy.

 

Sara

[riclop]

Thanks for the great review.

Edited December 11, 2013 by Host Anne

[HEAD4U]

I agree with your assessment on the November 30, 2013 Celebrity Reflection cruise. I found the same issues.

 

However, early on in the cruise (day 1 or 2) a questionnaire was sent out and I replied to that questionnaire listing my concerns regarding the bar service. I received a call from the head of the bar staff according to the voice message left on my phone. She asked that I call her back. I attempted to call her back 3 times before I gave up. Going back to the voice message, she stated that they were not short staffed as I had indicated on the questionnaire.

 

I never once witnessed anyone walk around offering to get drinks around the pool (deck 14), sun deck (deck 15) or Solstice deck (deck 16). Sitting at the Martini Bar, I waited at least 20 to 30 minutes to be recognized. The only way to get reasonably quick service was to be demanding or pushy. I also noticed that some individuals were passing the bartenders cash and thus getting much better service.

 

I would also like to mention that the Mast Grill did not have anyone picking up dirty dishes frequently. Customers were carrying dirty plates, glasses etc. to the kitchen door and waiting for someone to take those dishes from them. On Solstice and Eclipse there was a cart outside the kitchen door in which customers could drop off their used dishes. At least once every half hour someone would quickly walk around the sundeck (deck 15) and pick up used dishes. On Reflection, this individual did not seem too enthused to get all of the used dishes. I witnessed individuals having to call him over to pick up dishes.

 

I wonder how many customers Celebrity has lost especially first time cruisers or first time cruises with Celebrity. If it were my first cruise with Celebrity, I would not spend the money to book another cruise with them. I have received much better service on other cruise lines.

 

I think Celebrity owes all of us an apology. It would also be nice to have the issue explained as to why there was a shortage of bar staff. I would be more understanding if they had stated that they were short staffed because many of the wait staff were from the Philippine’s (typhoon) and had been granted leave to be with their family.

 

David (this was my 17th cruise and 5th with Celebrity)

 

I was a "first time Cruiser on Celebrity (dec30th Reflection) and I was 100% impressed with the service and will book Celebrity again without hesitation. I think some of you are much much too critical of them.

 

I am one of those "recovering" non drinking persons Curt spoke about. I was very observant during the cruise. I noticed Officers or Mangers constantly watching the operations from a distance. At first I thought they were watching the "group" but they were actually watching the service staff taking care of the group.

 

e.g.

#1 -The start of the private costume party there were 4 wet bars, each with one bartender. AS the party started these bars became 5 deep with customers, and within a few minutes 2 additional bartenders arrived at EACH bar to help. So, 3 bartenders now at each at small wet bars now with 10 guys in line. These guys were hustling as fast as they possibly could and still were not decreasing the line. The area was maxed out.

 

#2 - When the Aqua Cafe opened on Wednesday at noon all the tables were taken up by guests playing cards/games. We were all standing around eating off of plates in our hands. I asked a wait staff about this and she agreed saying she would inform the manager. In LESS than 2 minutes the Manager arrived and politely asked these guests to relocate. No one was upset and the situation was handled wonderfully by him.

 

#3 - I got all comfortable on a chaise lounger and then thought about a "virgin" daiquiri. I caught the attention of a pool towel boy and asked if I was sitting in a section that was being served. He told me he would notify the waiter. He then said, "why don't I take your card and order with me, and I will give it to him when i find him". I never did see the waiter because this towel boy actually bought my drink back HIMSELF!! And faster than I could ever have imagined.

 

These occurrences made Celebrity go to the top of my list for customer service. There is nothing you could say that would make me feel differently, because I experienced this first hand.

[TomTN]

20plus ~ there is NO music to rap! While techno and old disco can be loud with a lot of thumping beats, there is music to it. Not so with rap. Don't want to get into a music discussion here but I will stand by my feeling that rap is not music. ;)

 

I always say "Rap is Crap" unless I'm around my 40 year old boss. He likes it. Maybe he is who X is trying to appeal to, and I am too old for the new X???

[lilghallinsf]

Thank you head4u when I cruised on the ship this past April, I found the same kind of service. I am sure they were swamped but I hate hearing all the complaining about the service.

 

People keep commenting that Celebrity seems to be going for a younger demographic. Well, I don't mean to be ugly, but the older demographic dies off. To get a new client you have to appeal to what the new younger people want now. LOL

[dsh25]

Anne, I hope you are wrong about this being a sign of things to come. I truely enjoy cruising with Celebrity. If it is a sign of things to come I guess that I will have to sell my stock in the company. I have no other cruise line that I would want to swap for Celebrity.

[2Fltravelers]

Tata ~ bummer...we are on Jan. 10. I'll let you know how it goes!

 

Hi Anne:

 

We will be joining you on the Equinox 1/10 and hope we will get to meet someplace other than on a line for a drink.:eek:

 

Regarding one of your earlier comments-about adding an extra gratuity to a check and then it does not go to the server- is bothersome to me. We always add an extra gratuity to our specialty restaurant check since the service is so personalized. The only thing I can think of is that Celebrity seemed to roll-out a new serving concept when we were on the Equinox TA last year involving having several of the wait staff serve each party as opposed to one assigned server. Perhaps that's where the "shared" gratuity comes in:confused: This concept did not go over well with us as we felt like we were being ignored, didn't know who our server was and just did not get the individualized service we expect in the specialty restaurant (for which we are paying a big premium). So we complained to the manager (this was in Murano) and had only one server for the rest of the evening and every time thereafter.

 

I am hoping that your Reflection experience was an aberration and that the Equinox cruise will be an improvement.

[Host Anne]

I was a "first time Cruiser on Celebrity (dec30th Reflection) and I was 100% impressed with the service and will book Celebrity again without hesitation. I think some of you are much much too critical of them.

 

These occurrences made Celebrity go to the top of my list for customer service. There is nothing you could say that would make me feel differently, because I experienced this first hand.

 

HEAD4U ~ I'm happy to hear that you felt you had an excellent experience last week. Certainly not trying to change your mind about your experience. I'm glad it was so positive. Unfortunately, for me as a long time Celebrity cruiser, it was far from the outstanding experience Celebrity has provided to us in the past. I provided both the pros and cons of our cruise. There were many of both. It's great if it was only positive for you.

 

Wishing you many more wonderful cruises.

[Host Anne]

Thank you head4u when I cruised on the ship this past April, I found the same kind of service. I am sure they were swamped but I hate hearing all the complaining about the service.

 

People keep commenting that Celebrity seems to be going for a younger demographic. Well, I don't mean to be ugly, but the older demographic dies off. To get a new client you have to appeal to what the new younger people want now. LOL

 

I (and others) have not complained about service. We have noted that the ship was FAR understaffed. The service, given the circumstances, was OUTSTANDING! The bar staff worked incredibly hard and no one is faulting them for the situation. There is a big difference in complaining about service and complaining about the lack of staff which is a management issue.

 

If Celebrity wants to change it's long time direction and go after a "younger demographic" they should go for it. I just want them to make up their mind about who they are and who they want to be so I can make an educated decision about the kind of vacation experience I'm paying for. Wanna play rap and over-the-top loud music all day and work your staff to death so they can barely serve customers, go for it. Just let us know up front. I think that's a fair request, don't you?

Edited December 12, 2013 by Host Anne

[Host Anne]

Hi Anne:

 

We will be joining you on the Equinox 1/10 and hope we will get to meet someplace other than on a line for a drink.:eek:

 

Regarding one of your earlier comments-about adding an extra gratuity to a check and then it does not go to the server- is bothersome to me. We always add an extra gratuity to our specialty restaurant check since the service is so personalized. The only thing I can think of is that Celebrity seemed to roll-out a new serving concept when we were on the Equinox TA last year involving having several of the wait staff serve each party as opposed to one assigned server. Perhaps that's where the "shared" gratuity comes in:confused: This concept did not go over well with us as we felt like we were being ignored, didn't know who our server was and just did not get the individualized service we expect in the specialty restaurant (for which we are paying a big premium). So we complained to the manager (this was in Murano) and had only one server for the rest of the evening and every time thereafter.

 

I am hoping that your Reflection experience was an aberration and that the Equinox cruise will be an improvement.

 

Would love to get together on Equinox. I do not know for certain about the gratuities that are "written in" as I read it on another thread on the Celebrity board. We do tip staff for exceptional service in cash (always have) so we'll continue to do that.

 

I'm really looking forward to our Equinox cruise. Drop me an email at the Cruise Critic address below and we can plan to meet.

Edited December 12, 2013 by Host Anne