Reflection Review - 1/18/14 Eastern Caribbean

[Alsmez]

We just got home from a fantastic trip on the Reflection, so I thought I’d take a moment to share some of my thoughts and impressions with the Cruise Critic community. We sailed on Equinox in 2011, so this review will definitely include some comparisons of Reflections to her sister ship. I’m very into food, so I reviewed all of our dining experiences separately – you can find those threads here:

 

Blu: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1981587

Specialty: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1981590

Buffet/Other: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1981591

 

Embarkation: Smooth. We flew in the morning of the cruise and arrived in Miami at 9:30; we were at the cruise terminal by 10:15 and on the ship by 11am. The terminal in Miami is not as nice as the one in FLL, but it was still perfectly pleasant for a short wait.

 

Ship: Immediately upon boarding, we roamed the ship to explore all of the similarities and differences between Reflection and Equinox. One thing that struck me immediately was the artwork – it is MUCH nicer on Equinox. The artwork on Reflection seems like an afterthought, whereas on Equinox it seemed totally organic. Reflection is still a beautiful ship, though – the décor is as stunning as it is on all Solstice-class ships. There were a few minor signs of wear and tear, but for the most part Reflection is in great condition and impeccably clean. Despite the increased passenger load, we didn’t notice any more crowding than we had on Equinox, or any other traffic flow issues.

 

Passengers: We were a little concerned to learn a few weeks before sailing that we would be on board with Paula Deen and a group traveling with her. From what we had heard, special interest groups can really take over a cruise, and since Paula Deen is famous (infamous!), I was concerned that the whole cruise would revolve around her and her entourage. Luckily, the group with her was very small so it was really a non-event. They utilized the Lawn Club Grill a few times during the day (when it was closed anyway) and none of their events seemed to affect the other passengers. Otherwise, it was a nice mix of ages, with just a few children on board. We are mid-late 30s and we met a handful of other cruisers our age, along with the usual 50+ crowd that Celebrity seems to attract.

 

Venues: We absolutely loved the new Michael’s Club – we are scotch drinkers, and DH is very into beer as well, so this was the perfect spot for us. It was never crowded, and the staff there (Ramona and Andrei) were both terrific. Andrei is very knowledgeable about both beer and spirits and guided us to some great things we hadn’t thought to try. We also loved the Sunset Bar (much nicer layout than on Equinox) and the new layout of the Sky Lounge (and the fact that it was used as the late night dance club – Quasar on Equinox was in a terrible location and incredibly lame). Persian Gardens was a real treat for us – we never tried it on Equinox, but we were in Aqua Class this time and used it a couple of times. It is VERY busy during the day, but it clears out in the evening and is a great way to relax before a late dinner. We missed Silk Harvest (no interest in Qsine) but we felt that Lawn Club and The Porch were a much better use of space than the hot glass show. Al Secondo Bacio is a great addition to the buffet area.

 

Aqua Class: Loved it. We were in Concierge on Equinox and Aqua Class was a much better bang for the buck, especially since it was only about $50 more per person than a concierge room this time around. We enjoyed Blu, our cabin location (starboard forward, on deck 11), the Persian Gardens and all of the other little perks that come with AQ. We’ll definitely try to sail AQ in the future, though we would also consider a regular balcony with some type of dining package as well.

 

Food: I wrote extensively about our experiences in my other reviews, so I’ll just say here that Blu was great for dinner, most definitely an upgrade to the MDR in my opinion. We enjoyed the food at Lawn Club but I think it’s overpriced and redundant (everything you can get there is available elsewhere on the ship) – I’d like to see a different cuisine represented on board in that space. The Porch is also somewhat unnecessary, although we did enjoy our meal there. The buffet was better on Reflection than on Equinox and I hope that the improvements have been applied fleet-wide.

 

Service: Service was fabulous overall with one major exception. We had an excellent room steward, terrific wait staff in Blu and fantastic bartenders throughout the ship. The one exception was in Cellarmasters, which was a major disappointment on Reflection. They have expanded their selection of wines in the enomatic machines, which is great. However, the bartenders there are apparently ONLY interested in selling enomatic cards. We had the premium drink package, so we wanted to try things from their wine list before moving on to explore the machines. However, each time we went in, we were accosted with a sales pitch on the cards (at least three times in the first two days). One evening, we sat down to peruse the menu and a bartender (whose name I didn’t catch) came by to take our orders. I asked a question about a wine on the list and he immediately told me I should try a similar wine from the machine, and that I was really missing out by not having a card. When I insisted that I wanted to try the wine on the list first, he claimed that he wasn’t sure they had it in stock. Just then another customer (who he had obviously been helping earlier) came in and interrupted us – irritating, but not his fault. However, instead of asking her to wait until he had taken our orders, he walked away to deal with her issue, and then pointedly ignored us and moved on to another group of passengers after he was done with her, leaving us sitting there with no intention of ever coming back to serve us. I was so p*ssed that I just left – DH was boiling as well. We did stop back later to see if we could find him and find out his name, but I never saw him again – and the only waiter I did see started in with the sales pitch before I could even tell him why we were there. We avoided Cellarmasters for the rest of the trip, which was too bad, since it was one of our favorite spots on Equinox.

 

The Cellarmasters episode was extremely annoying, but I think it’s partially Celebrity’s fault due to the popularity and ubiquity of the drink packages and the price point of the wines in the enomatic machines. I really enjoy wine, and I would certainly have been interested in trying some things from the machines, in addition to the wines included in the package, if there were any that stood out to me as being particularly special. However, most of the wines in the machines cost less than $13 a glass (the premium package limit), which to me signaled that they were no better than what I had already paid for. Also, there was no way to find out anything about the wines in the machines, other than to ask a bartender, and they were far too busy (and inexpert) to answer any but the most basic of questions. I mentioned in my Equinox review that it would be nice to have iPads mounted in Cellarmasters with information about the wines in the machines – that would be a great, low-cost way to encourage people to buy samples, and they need it more than ever now that they’ve expanded the selections. Also, if they want to persuade people with the premium package to buy enomatic cards as well, they need to offer a SUBSTANTIAL discount (or other incentive) to “credit” package holders for the money they’ve already spent, AND offer a higher-end selection of wines in the machines.

 

Drink Package: We didn’t have one on Equinox and after looking at our bar bill from that trip, I didn’t think we’d come anywhere near needing one for this trip either. However, we received a free package through 123Go and decided to upgrade to premium. We LOVED it. I definitely drank more than I otherwise would have, but it was so nice to just have that more expensive glass of wine or scotch without thinking about it, or order that mixed drink without having to wonder if the bartender was pouring short. The unlimited Perrier and espresso didn’t hurt either, and not having to sign slips was great. I don’t know if we’d buy the packages again outright (especially on a port intensive cruise, which this was not), but I will make every effort to book during a 123Go promotion for our next cruise.

 

Itinerary: We had never been to the three ports on this cruise (San Juan, St. Thomas and St. Maarten) and we enjoyed all three. We happened to be in San Juan on MLK Day, so the forts were open free-of-charge due to the national holiday, which was a nice bonus. St. Maarten was our favorite island by far, though – I would love to do a land based vacation and just spend a week there. We did a sailing excursion on the Random Wind, which was an absolute blast – can’t recommend it highly enough.

 

Entertainment: We are professional opera singers, so we have different tastes and standards than the average cruiser. We didn’t actually attend many shows on this trip, but we heard a good bit of live music while passing through different venues in the evenings. Celebrity does seem to be courting a somewhat younger passenger with their musical selections – there was a lot more rock music to be heard on Reflection than we heard on Equinox in 2011, including a high proportion of top 40 stuff. We weren’t terribly impressed with most of the singing, but it could have been worse (and as I mentioned, we have vastly different standards than most people). Reflection the Show was enjoyable, although it seems that they’ve reduced the variety and length of the acrobatic numbers (which were excellent) and subbed in more singing/dancing (making the show a bit less impressive overall, IMO).

 

Disembarkation: Something of a clusterf*ck, but this was entirely due to the port of Miami, not Celebrity. We had a relatively early number, and our estimated time of departure was between 8-8:30am. They didn’t call our number until well after 9am, at which point travelers with early flights were FREAKING out. Getting our luggage was no problem, but the customs line was RIDICULOUS – Miami had only two lines open. Lesson learned – try not to sail from Miami, and if you must, SELF-DISEMBARK!

 

Overall: We really enjoyed Reflection and would happily sail her again any time. However, we’re also curious to try out the other S-Class ships – I’ve got my eye on Eclipse for a Southern Caribbean itinerary, although we might wait until she goes in for drydock to see if they refit her with a Lawn Club or other alternative dining venue. Any negatives we noticed (other than the Cellarmasters episode) were truly minor and didn’t detract from our enjoyment of the cruise at all. A beautiful ship and a great vacation!

[drarill]

Excellent review!! Thanks for sharing your cruise with us!!:):)

[Tommy3putts]

Excellent review and information. Can't wait to read your other posts. My wife and I are sailing on the Reflection in June. Sounds like our tastes are very similar to yours so this is great stuff! Thanks! Cheers

[wpgcycler]

Just when a great review shows up, WORK gets in the way!!!:mad:

 

"I'll be back!"

[DebbieMacG]

Great reviews thank you :)

[TexSea]

Great review. I like your idea about the iPads in Cellarmasters. Reflection already uses them for art tours and Qsine so it wouldn't be too much of a leap to use them elsewhere.

 

Thanks!

[beltane]

Great review. Hubs and I are on the Reflection in 2 weeks... first Celebrity cruise, and I am very excited for it now! Off to read your specialty food reviews now... Thanks!

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[4cats4me]

I enjoyed your comprehensive reviews!:)

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[gundlach]

We are flying out from London two weeks today. Can't wait to go on the Reflection, been on other celebrity ships so can't wait. Anyone got ideas for last day in Miami flight not until the afternoon.

[letsgoaway]

Great review

[wallie5446]

An excellent reflection on our sailing on the Reflection last Nov. We read with a great amount of interest since our sailing this yr will be on the Equinox! We too wish the hot glass would be gone by then, the Lawn Club Grill was a very good meal.

[dodger1964]

An excellent reflection on our sailing on the Reflection last Nov. We read with a great amount of interest since our sailing this yr will be on the Equinox! We too wish the hot glass would be gone by then, the Lawn Club Grill was a very good meal.

 

We are just the opposite...I wish all the ships had the hot glass shows!!

 

We just did a Mediterranean trip on Equinox in November and had great trip..Did Reflection about year ago, and again this March...both ships we had fun.

 

I think if you are able, self disembarkation is probably the way to go at every port. Our upcoming march trip we don't fly out until noon...We will still self-disembark. I just hate waiting in the LONG customs lines!

 

Great review to OP.

[wpgcycler]

Well, I must say, these are by far the most useful Celebrity dining reviews I have encountered since joining CruiseCritic immediately after I booked our first ever cruise (Reflection, March 1, 2014 - only 4 weeks now!!!) last October. These reviews should be required reading for anyone who even thinks about posting their opinion of dining options on Celebrity. They provide a perfect example of how to effectively critique the dining experience rather than just rant or rave without any meaningful explanation as to why.

 

Before you posted your reviews yesterday I was actually mentally composing a rant about the utter uselessness of many if not most posts expressing opinions on Celebrity's dining offerings. For every opinion praising Murano, Tuscan or Qsine as the best dining experience ever, there is one which claims it's not worth the time even if there was no upcharge. For every report of a great selection of fresh offerings in the Oceanview served at the right temperature, there is another which suggests it's no better if not worse than the your typical Vegas $5.99 buffet. For every claim that Blu is wonderful there is another that suggests it's pure cr@p. People, no one cares less IF you think something is great or lousy, we would be more than interested however to know WHY you think it's great or lousy!!! It's impossible to get any sense of the dining experience from simple expressions of like, dislike or indifference.

 

Then along comes this balanced, thorough, fair, very well written suite of reviews supported by clearly described successes and failures. Truly a breath of fresh air! I enjoyed this review for the passion with which you praised the hits and the candor and detail you used to pan the misses. I can't in my wildest dreams imagine how, especially given todays value pricing, Celebrity could possibly deliver a completely gourmet quality experience. At the same time however, I can't imagine how everything could be the total (but usually unsubstantiated) disaster some "reviewers" make it out to be. Your reviews will prove invaluable as we put together a dining strategy which will allow us to fully exploit the ship's strengths while carefully avoiding those items and venues that need some work. As you pointed out, the ship offers many options - so, if what you try doesn't make the cut, then simply move on to the next option.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to do this as well as you have. After reading these reviews I'm now looking forward to this cruise more than ever!

[Alsmez]

wpgcycler, thank you so much for your kind post. I'm glad you enjoyed my reviews and found them helpful! I too get VERY frustrated at restaurant reviews that just say "it was good" - I need detail! I hope you have a wonderful trip on Reflection and I look forward to reading your reviews when you return!

[wpgcycler]

Thank you. I hope you're around on the board the next time I take a group of customers to NYC (usually a couple times a year) - I'd like to hit you up for dining recommendations!

[wallie5446]

Well, I must say, these are by far the most useful Celebrity dining reviews I have encountered since joining

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to do this as well as you have. After reading these reviews I'm now looking forward to this cruise more than ever!

 

A breath of fresh posting on both accounts!

[packercruising]

Very detailed, thank you! We are sailing in 3 weeks, so CD and staff should still be the same? Who was the CD and did you like him/her? Who were your favorite bartenders/bar staff?

[Alsmez]

The CD was Alexander Yepremian - we didn't particularly care for him, but then again, we had NO personal interaction with him and our exposure to him was limited to a couple of viewings of the "daily questions" that they show on the TV.

 

We loved the bar staff in Michael's Club, as I mentioned. There were also a couple of good bartenders at Sunset (Deiko and Sergio, I believe?) and the Pool Bar - they really seemed to know the menu and were quick to suggest alternatives if they were out of something. The bartender at Mast, though, was rather rude. Passport had the slowest bartenders on the ship - I have a feeling they use that for a training area. The staff at both Martini and Molecular were excellent.

[packercruising]

Thanks for the info. We will be halfway between the elevators on 6 so will have easy access to Michael's Club. Being a beer drinker, I was hoping they have good bartenders.

[Yvie]

We were on the same sailing and I agree that Cellar Masters aggressively pushed the cards. However for my husband, a wine lover, it was like being a kid in a candy store, and he really loved being able to sample the wines 24/7 anytime he wanted. The machines also dispense in 3 "pour" options: taste, half glass, full glass. Since we are not large consumers of cocktails, and didn't purchase an alcoholic drink package, we liked the Cellar Masters option, and the ability to bring a glass of wine into any dining venue from there.

 

We were a little concerned about disembarkation as we had an 11:20 a.m. flight out of Miami and I know that is on the early side of what Celebrity recommends. We went to guest services early in the cruise and requested an early disembarkation number, right after the self-disembark. They started calling luggage tag numbers at 7:30 a.m. Ours was called shortly after 7:45 a.m. We had our luggage by 8 a.m. and used a porter. The customs line was about 30 minutes long. The porter got us a taxi right away and we were checked in by skycap by 9 a.m., through TSA precheck and in the departure lounge by 9:15 a.m.

[Alsmez]

We were on the same sailing and I agree that Cellar Masters aggressively pushed the cards. However for my husband, a wine lover, it was like being a kid in a candy store, and he really loved being able to sample the wines 24/7 anytime he wanted. The machines also dispense in 3 "pour" options: taste, half glass, full glass. Since we are not large consumers of cocktails, and didn't purchase an alcoholic drink package, we liked the Cellar Masters option, and the ability to bring a glass of wine into any dining venue from there.

 

Yes, we loved Cellarmasters on Equinox for the same reason. We didn't have a package that time around and we were on Select Dining, so it was the perfect place to have a drink while we were waiting to be seated for dinner. However, now that 123Go means than many people have the packages, X needs to find a way to make sure that those patrons who may not wish to pay more for a card can still enjoy the menu offerings at Cellarmasters. It would also behoove them to give package holders an incentive to buy a card, IMO.

[AlexDouglass]

Marvelous review - as we were on your sailing, I can attest that you are spot on throughout. We had a terrific time, including in Blu - I only wish I'd known you, as I used to work in opera myself (on the production/admin side), so we could have traded war stories!

 

I was puzzled by Cellar Masters, which seemed such an under-use of prime real estate. We put our heads in once or twice, and it's a lovely room, but it was always empty and not very welcoming. As my partner isn't wine-drinker, we didn't feel it a loss, but there are so many things that space could be.

 

We too dreaded the prospect of the Deenites, but they were nearly invisible, although the lady herself propped up the Martini Bar a couple nights.

 

I was relieved as the week went on that few to none of the worst things I'd read in previous reviews seemed to be the case for us. The music, for example, wasn't rap and metal (lots of current and recent pop, of the Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga sort), and although a little loud in some places, not impossibly so. No smoky smell in or near the casino and shops. And while we noted understaffing here and there (especially in the Sunset Bar at prime times), we rarely waited long for a drink.

 

We loved our AQ suite and feel quite spoiled - it's a shame they don't exist (at least yet) on the other S-class ships. And the AQ perks made it worthwhile, especially the open access to the Persian Garden, where we went daily and never had trouble spacewise.

 

In short - thanks for helping reinforce our pleasant memories of a great trip!

[20pluscruises]

Excellent review!!!

 

Happy to hear they have done something about the loud techno rave music!