Just off Reflection 2/22-3/1

[waterbug123]

Just off Reflection. I have nothing earth-shattering to share, but thought I'd answer some of the most often repeated questions in case anyone is wondering.

 

Formal nights: As expected, these were on night #2 and night #6, both sea days. The first night I saw 5 or 6 tuxes (one guy actually in tails), the 2nd formal night I only recall seeing 1 tux. There were probably more both nights, but that's all I noticed. Lots of dark suits and coats and ties, plenty of men not going to MDR so wearing just normal smart casual. Truly, almost anything goes. Only saw 1 floor length gown among the ladies the entire time. And even the women who were with men wearing tuxes or dark suits rarely had on what I call a true cocktail dress; rather most were just wearing a really nice "church" dress or outfit.

 

Shows: We don't go to the shows so can't really comment, although some of our friends tried to get into the comedy show one night and complained about being turned away because it was in such a small venue and only 150 people could go in. I don't know what venue it was, but obviously you need to line up early if that's your thing.

 

Lounge chairs: Pool deck was crowded as always on sea days, or at least appeared to be so the one time we wandered through. Plenty of chairs on upper decks. Plenty of chairs on port days.

 

Lawn Club:

We spend most of our time in the Alcoves. We had one each sea day and the San Juan day. A bunch of our friends also had them one of the sea days and San Juan. I believe they were sold out every day; friends tried on day 1 to reserve some for the last 2 days (sea days) and were told they would be on a waiting list. Sometimes many were empty until well into the afternoon, but obviously empty is not the same as unbooked. We often had friends stop by our alcove, and sometimes as many as 7 or 8 were in it or hanging around it. No one ever said a word, so I still see no problem with more than 4 sharing one, except that you'll have limited seating. The first day the tops had to stay rolled down most of the day due to wind; the rest of the week we had them up so we enjoyed lovely shade most of the time.

Alcove service is hot and cold. Sometimes it's great, other times very very slow. Additional tips help a lot! We made friend$ with one particular Sunset Bar server and he became our best buddy in the alcoves the rest of the week. Money talks, and we're fine with that. We'd rather tip well and get great service, than spend the week whining, empty glasses in hand, that we shouldn't have to tip more than what's included automatically. It is what it is, deal with it. The official lawn club attendants just seem stretched too thin at times so make friends with someone at the Sunset Bar and enjoy yourself.

The actual lawn: Some of the corner areas were roped off the entire week because the grass was worn and trying to recover. Still plenty of places to enter the lawn though so I continue to not understand the gripes about people feeling like they are restricted from the lawn. Throughout the week people brought towels and enjoyed the lawn, hammocks, and adirondack chairs, and on day #2 they had a mid morning bocce ball tourney on the main lawn, pax vs. officers I think. That was kind of annoying, simply because the cruise director guy was so loud the whole time, but it didn't last long.

 

Restaurants:

Only ate in the MDR the first night and it was very good. Loved Murano a couple of years ago, felt it went down a bit on Reflection last year, but tried it again on the last night and thoroughly enjoyed it once again. Caviar add-on price is not listed on the menu, but it was $148 in case anyone is curious.

Lawn Club Grill was open for lunch on the San Juan day. Same menu as dinner but price is only $25 at lunch. I rarely order fish on a ship but tried the snapper at LCG and enjoyed it so much I ordered it again when we went back for dinner later in the week. Overate a couple of times at Qsine. Enjoyed the Porch a couple of times for breakfast/lunch. When the Porch is closed, it's a popular shady area for people to just sit and talk or play cards. Service at Il Bacio continues to seem slow and inefficient. Really wish they'd copy Starbucks assembly line style which is much faster, but whatever. We had dinner one night at the buffet, which was a first for me! 25 cruises and I'd never eaten dinner in the buffet on any ship, but our Lawn Club Grill lunch was so heavy that we just couldn't face a big dinner, so went to the buffet that night and just got some salad and a little pasta. Visited the pasta bar another time or two at lunch and service seemed much faster than in the past. Then again, I happened to catch it when there was only 1 person ahead of me. Love the salad bar too- so many different toppings available! That said, visiting the buffet at peak breakfast and lunch times continues to be a complete cluster*&$^%.

 

Didn't mean for this post to be anywhere near this long, so I'll stop now, but am happy to attempt to answer any questions.

[Texed]

bug123,

 

Thanks for posting. :)

[wallie5446]

Spot on with our experience last Nov, Thanks.

[dodger1964]

boarding and de-boarding experiences?

[clmom]

Hi Waterbug,

We were on the same sailing. If I may, I will add to your excellent post. This was our first Celebrity cruise so we were comparing to Princess all the time. We are not "mega cruisers" like so many on this forum but we have taken enough cruises to know what to expect, to know what we like (and don't like) and to still be amazed and delighted by this mode of vacation! All in all, this was a great cruise on a great ship. We feel we now have expanded our cruise line choice and would book Celebrity again without hesitation.

These were our observations/comparisons:

 

Embarkation/Debarkation:

Easy, easy. We arrived to check-in about 10:45 and were immediately processed. Because we had a Concierge class cabin, we were whisked away to a separate waiting area with seats. We noticed, however, that many other passengers were forced to stand. I think we were on board by 11:15, being among the first groups able to board. We were offered champagne/mimosas when we boarded...nice touch! It was nice to get on board early and enjoy lunch and wander around although it was a bit of a hassle to deal with our carryon luggage. Princess does not board passengers until the staterooms are ready. We chose to leave the ship in the 7:30-8:00am time slot and it was a breeze. the luggage coming off conveyor belts ala an airport baggage claim was different instead of the rows of luggage lined up. It helped to have a huge strip of bright yellow duct tape on our red luggage to make it immediately visible to us. At that early hour taxis were still readily available. We breezed through customs/immigration, at the airport, checked in, and through airport security and sitting at our departure gate by 8:45a.

 

Staterooms:

We always select a balcony cabin and have become pretty specific on location. We don't care about the "perks" of Aqua vs Concierge vs other balcony. When we booked, the Aqua class and Concierge class cabins were the same price. We did not like the location of any of the Aqua cabins. We chose Cabin #1628, 11th deck, right in the middle of the "hump". This was a Concierge class cabin. We loved the location, it was quiet, the balcony was the perfect size (we liked the regular height table). We would choose this cabin again in a heartbeat. The bathroom was GREAT...Celebrity wins this one, hands down. We loved the "roominess of it (and that says A LOT), the doors on the shower (vs those nasty curtains on Princess), the small added touches of the "foot bar" (made shaving legs so easy!) and concealed drawers and cubbyholes. I am always amazed that when a design is clearly superior, others don't just follow that blue print. Princess had a chance to redesign their bathrooms on the new Royal/Regal ships and didn't listen to their customers. A missed opportunity. On the other hand, Princess easily gets the edge on general cabin storage design. We love the way Princess has designed the closet/storage space with an open closet in a private alcove area and easy access shelving. We felt the above-the-bed storage on the Reflection was useless and awkward. My husband resorted to storing his folded clothes in a suitcase under the bed. The bed was comfortable, and while others on Princess have complained about the beds, we have never had an issue with them. Our cabin attendants, Annie and Iketot, took great care of us and our cabin was always spotless.

 

Common areas:

We love the soaring feel of the grand central atrium areas of Princess ships, especially the dazzling Royal atrium, so we had to readjust our thinking on the Reflection. The common areas seemed a little "closed in" and dark to us. We found the Library odd. The one room where you would expect a cozy, warm feel was the most "exposed"...and not in a good way. The loud music from the open central atrium 10 floors below made reading impossible. We found the elevators frustrating and slow. Nothing new here. Princess is the same. This is another reason we pay considerable attention to which cabin we select. We don't want to depend on the elevators.

 

Dining/Bars:

The Martini Bar was lively great fun and a nightly before-dinner stop for us. We were not at all impressed with the Molecular Bar. What is all the hype about? The drink offerings were "interesting" but too involved and took way, way too long to make. Once was enough for us.

We ate in 2 specialty restaurants: Murano on the 1st night (with a 25% 1st night discount) and Tuscan Grill on our last night. Both provided excellent food and service but I feel the cost is a little excessive ($45- 25%/$35) compared to Princess prices ($25). The other nights we had Select Dining and enjoyed the food in the Opus Dining Room. We never had to wait for a table for 2 and we thought we chose to dine at popular times (7pm). We did not reserve a nightly time. We loved that escargot was offered every night and enjoyed most of the menu offerings. I did order the salmon "chef's suggestion" one night and was less than thrilled. Salmon smothered in BBQ sauce was jarring to my taste buds.

We were given the Classic Alcohol package as a booking perk. We upgraded to the Premium package as soon as we got on board because we like the brands offered with that package. We were happy with that choice. I think we figured the cost of the package vs our consumption, was a toss-up. It was nice not having to sign slips and knowing we could order whatever we wanted, whenever but if we had to actually PAY for the package, we might have to do some soul searching and number crunching. Maybe this was just our observation but we had to wonder if, by offering a drink package (which was VERY popular..40% I believe I heard had it), the feel at times was bordering on what I imagine Carnival-at-Spring-Break feels like. Case in point, our dinner in Murano on the first night was not ruined as it might have been for others, but it WAS interesting with a large table of VERY "overserved" passengers getting rather rowdy. The staff was clearly embarrassed and did their best to contain these guests. Our thought that night was, "Oh my, what are we in for this week?!" Happily, those incidences were few and far between and didn't seem to bother us but still....hmmm....interesting food for thought. We consider ourselves "young" 62/61 year olds with a party past so we are not stodgy at all but we do wonder if the new "modern luxury", younger demographic group Celebrity is targeting now is going to eventually bite them back and degrade the "luxury" part of the brand. Again, just our observations on a Caribbean sailing full of people who were desperate to escape a horrible winter and have some fun.

We ate our breakfasts and lunches outside on the aft deck by the buffet. We had breakfast room service one morning and it arrived on time after a courtesy call telling us it was on its way. We were impressed the eggs were cooked perfectly and arrived hot (we were not as impressed with the eggs in the buffet, even the cooked to order ones). Speaking of the buffet, it served its purpose but we thought it could be vastly improved. Having just been on the new Royal Princess with a really, REALLY nice buffet set-up, we were disappointed at the offerings, the sometimes chaotic flow and slow service. We noticed that there was never any staff to assist older passengers with their plates and to find an open table. Bar service at the buffet and around the pool could be agonizingly slow. Princess wins this category. Hamburgers at the Mast Grill were very good.

 

Pools

We found there were enough shade/sun loungers, but then we tend to get out there early enough to have a nice choice. the Celebrity loungers are much better than on Princess and we LOVED the lounge "beds"...so luxurious! We would have liked one more outside pool in a quiet area. The central pool was too loud for us and quite crowded. Princess ships have

"Movies Under the Stars" which is a nice venue at night but we hate it during the day because it is always on, too loud and always competing with whatever live band might be playing in the same area.

 

Entertainment:

The theater show the first night was, to be honest, horrible. This is supposed to be a little sampling of what is to come and it was a totally underwhelming, except for the aerialist. It is only because we have not been thrilled with Princess entertainment and really wanted to compare that we went back. Happily, we were quite impressed with the theater offerings the rest of the week. This was a brand new cast on their first week together and we thought they did an excellent job. The shows were vibrant and the talent very good. Whew...a relief. Celebrity wins this one.

 

General:

We were thrilled that general announcements are kept to the bare minimum. We have found multiple announcements/selling is a deal breaker for us (NCL..sorry, no more). Even Princess is creeping into too many announcements for us.

We did, however, miss the more extensive information Princess provides in their daily Patters newsletter. We like to see a map of the ports, have a little history of the area, not just shopping opportunities/maps of shopping opportunities.

 

We have never seen so many ship officers out and about. All the time. Everywhere. Mingling with the passengers, playing games in the pool (in uniform!). We were blown away by this. We had so many high level officers at our Cruise Critic gathering patiently answering questions and they all stayed for so long. HUGE kudos to Celebrity!!

We felt that the staff weren't just polite and friendly because it was their job to act that way, rather, they were genuinely happy to see us and insure we were having a good cruise. Their smiles reached their eyes. You can just tell.

 

Whoa...this is much longer than I expected. So sorry. Hope the observations have helped!

[patty1955]

Hi Waterbug, We had so many high level officers at our Cruise Critic gathering patiently answering questions and they all stayed for so long.

They had to stay a long time after Alexander (CD) told us all to get used to the loud music. Reflection is the way Celebrity is going. The over 50 crowd is no longer their demographic. I don't think he actually said we could find another cruise line, but it was all but stated.

[waterbug123]

boarding and de-boarding experiences?

 

We got to the port around 12:15 or so, dropped our luggage with a porter and went to check in. Waited in line less than half a minute (elite/suite line, but others were short and moving quickly as well). Self-disembarked around 8:00 or so, maybe a little earlier but well after they started (our car service wasn't scheduled to come until 8:30) Only waited behind 1 or 2 people at customs.

[Hockeylovinmom]

Clmom, that's some of the best advice I've read. Thank you. ( I'm going TA for the first time in April)!

[clmom]

They had to stay a long time after Alexander (CD) told us all to get used to the loud music. Reflection is the way Celebrity is going. The over 50 crowd is no longer their demographic. I don't think he actually said we could find another cruise line, but it was all but stated.

LOL..yes, I think poor Alexander got in over his head and try as he might, he opened a can of worms that he couldn't contain! I got the same message you did. We are not the demographic of the "modern luxury" branding Celebrity is now undertaking. This is a business decision and makes perfect sense. The older crowd will move on to HAL, Oceania, etc. Just as we have forced changes to suit our more relaxed standards in comparison to our parent's generation, our children's generation is now exerting their influence. Change is hard but inevitable. Some we welcome (Select Dining, Specialty Dining options, drink packages) and some we don't (loud edgy music, a la carte pricing). The choice then becomes ours to stay put and accept the changes or move on to another cruise line catering to what we like/need.

We haven't been cruising long enough to grouch about "the good old days" but personally, I think the ultra formal dress thing is ridiculous. I understand that if you give an inch, someone will take a mile and before long everyone will be showing up in shorts and flip flops. I get it, but those that stubbornly try to hang on to the long formal gowns and tuxedos and expect the same of EVERYONE, need to relax a little. A Caribbean cruise does not have the same vibe as a European itinerary. OK, humbly stepping off my soapbox...just needed to get that off my chest ;-0

Oh...I can feel the flames already....sigh....

[dodger1964]

LOL..yes, I think poor Alexander got in over his head and try as he might, he opened a can of worms that he couldn't contain! I got the same message you did. We are not the demographic of the "modern luxury" branding Celebrity is now undertaking. This is a business decision and makes perfect sense. The older crowd will move on to HAL, Oceania, etc. Just as we have forced changes to suit our more relaxed standards in comparison to our parent's generation, our children's generation is now exerting their influence. Change is hard but inevitable. Some we welcome (Select Dining, Specialty Dining options, drink packages) and some we don't (loud edgy music, a la carte pricing). The choice then becomes ours to stay put and accept the changes or move on to another cruise line catering to what we like/need.

We haven't been cruising long enough to grouch about "the good old days" but personally, I think the ultra formal dress thing is ridiculous. I understand that if you give an inch, someone will take a mile and before long everyone will be showing up in shorts and flip flops. I get it, but those that stubbornly try to hang on to the long formal gowns and tuxedos and expect the same of EVERYONE, need to relax a little. A Caribbean cruise does not have the same vibe as a European itinerary. OK, humbly stepping off my soapbox...just needed to get that off my chest ;-0

Oh...I can feel the flames already....sigh....

 

 

I'm not sure if the "under 50 crowd" has the money or desire to cruise on X. I don't think loud techno music will really be a big draw.

 

It will be fun to watch.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[drarill]

Thank you Waterbug and cimon for your reviews!!:):)

[Seapoint]

I was at the same Cruise Critic gathering as Patty 1955. Her take is very accurate, unfortunately.

 

We loved Celebrity, and have done over 20 cruises on Celebrity. But the message from the CD was like it or lump it. He strongly implied, if you don't like the loud music, cruise with someone else!!!

 

We were told that the Reflection is the flagship, and the LOUD, LOUD music will be taken fleet-wide, as they dump their traditional and loyal customer base, and aim for a thirty-something demographic. Good luck! :eek:

 

My issue was not the choice of music, but the intolerable volume. Miami DJs and Vibe so loud you could not speak to someone standing right besides you!

 

My point is that its ok to play this sort of music in the right isolated venue, such as Qasar or the Sky Lounge. But to play it at the pool, or in the lobby, inflicts it on everybody. In the case of the lobby, that impacts the heart of the ship: the Library, Cellar Masters, Martini Bar, Bistro, Cafe Bacio, Passport Bar, Guest relations, Elevators, Game Room, future cruises etc.

 

Very sad, as everything else about the Reflection and Celebrity is first class!

[waterbug123]

I'm not sure if the "under 50 crowd" has the money or desire to cruise on X.

 

Wow, that's a pretty big generalization, and at least on the price part not accurate at all. We were on the ship with a group of about 50 friends, family, friends of friends, friends of family, colleagues etc. and among that group we had at least two couples in early 30's, and at least two couples in late 30's/40-ish. Most of the same group was also on Celebrity Solstice in Alaska this past summer, including the "youngsters."

People think of Celebrity as "upscale" but it is a mass market line like Royal, Princess and Norwegian, not upscale like Regent, Oceania or Crystal. It's a little quieter than others (no endless silly pool games, no flow riders or water slides or other "amusements" etc.), but as far as general amenities and price, it's not all that different from other mass market lines, and there are plenty of people in their 30's and 40's who can afford to cruise on those mass market lines, including Celebrity.

[C 2 C]

I was at the same Cruise Critic gathering as Patty 1955. Her take is very accurate, unfortunately.

 

We loved Celebrity, and have done over 20 cruises on Celebrity. But the message from the CD was like it or lump it. He strongly implied, if you don't like the loud music, cruise with someone else!!!

 

We were told that the Reflection is the flagship, and the LOUD, LOUD music will be taken fleet-wide, as they dump their traditional and loyal customer base, and aim for a thirty-something demographic. Good luck! :eek:

 

My issue was not the choice of music, but the intolerable volume. Miami DJs and Vibe so loud you could not speak to someone standing right besides you!

 

 

Very sad, as everything else about the Reflection and Celebrity is first class!

 

We moved from Century to Constellation this morning and so far our experience on Connie is the same LOUD.. and LOUDER.. :(

[wallie5446]

I guess I must have taken advantage of my beverage package too much last Nov, or the entire vibe on the Reflection was redone in the last 90 days. We did not encounter any music so loud we could not hear each other requiring us to go to a different location. I am 60, the wifester is 57, and we have sailed X since 1994. On our next cruise in Nov, there are 10 on the Roll Call celebrating hitting the big 60 this year, 25, 30, 35 year anniversary's. We have 5 couples from our last sailing, whom we did not know, together again. To say we are not the target market, IMHO, is a stretch. We have one of the Celebrity party's coming up next week here in Dallas, we got the invite and RSVP. I will bring up the comments Alexander has been quoted as making that we can go elsewhere.

 

Bottom line, Miami will react to how the comment cards are fill out, or NOT filled out. Fill out the surveys, encourage others to do the same that you meet on ship. We middle age have the spending power.

[4cats4me]

Thanks for all reviews and all comments. I am curious as to if the music will be louder on my next cruise with Celebrity than it was last year. Last year was a party vibe throughout the ship. That is a huge reason we loved the cruise so much and weccan't wait to go back.

Princess had become so boring compared to Celebrity. DH and I are 50 and 54. We love all the music, from harps to Techno

Edited March 4, 2014 by 4cats4me

[dodger1964]

Wow, that's a pretty big generalization, and at least on the price part not accurate at all. We were on the ship with a group of about 50 friends, family, friends of friends, friends of family, colleagues etc. and among that group we had at least two couples in early 30's, and at least two couples in late 30's/40-ish. Most of the same group was also on Celebrity Solstice in Alaska this past summer, including the "youngsters."

People think of Celebrity as "upscale" but it is a mass market line like Royal, Princess and Norwegian, not upscale like Regent, Oceania or Crystal. It's a little quieter than others (no endless silly pool games, no flow riders or water slides or other "amusements" etc.), but as far as general amenities and price, it's not all that different from other mass market lines, and there are plenty of people in their 30's and 40's who can afford to cruise on those mass market lines, including Celebrity.

 

that is what i'm saying...I just had a co-worker ask me about going on his first cruise...he is 30. I never even considered telling him he should go on X. Of course there are all ages on X ships, but let's not kid ourselves about the average age of an X cruiser.

 

A 30 year old that can choose X (with Loud music as it's "draw" to the younger crowd), or any number of lines that really have ships built and staffed to cater to that demographic. (X is trying to put lipstick on a pig).

 

I apologize for "generality"...It seems, these days you have to qualify everything you say...I thought (I have not actually pulled up a price, so to qualify what I'm going to write, I can't be sure its 100% accurate) that if I was going to book a similar itinerary that X would cost more than a Carnival cruise in similar cabins? That is the basis for my earlier statement. If that is wrong, it wouldn't be the first time today.

[waterbug123]

 

I apologize for "generality"...It seems, these days you have to qualify everything you say...I thought (I have not actually pulled up a price, so to qualify what I'm going to write, I can't be sure its 100% accurate) that if I was going to book a similar itinerary that X would cost more than a Carnival cruise in similar cabins? That is the basis for my earlier statement. If that is wrong, it wouldn't be the first time today.

 

For the Reflection cruise our group just went on, the original choice was narrowed down to Reflection or Allure, which of course is the pinnacle for "amusements" with the ice rink, rock wall, flow riders, zip line, merry go round and more. Reflection was cheaper, by about $1000 for comparable cabins. And Reflection offered the drink package as well, for even more savings.

Hypothetically, I just looked at last week of Feb next year. Reflection 7 night eastern balcony is $1099. The only 7 night eastern on Carnival in a balcony that I saw was on the Glory for $789. If Celebrity makes the drink package offer good for that week, the price difference will be negligible. Part of the price difference is likely also that Glory is a much older ship, but I couldn't find a newer Carnival ship sailing eastern the last week of Feb next year on a 7 nighter.

[Muushka]

I don't see why X couldn't find loud music to play that would appeal to everyone.

 

There is classic music that most people love. Beatles, Neil Young, Billy Joel etc.

 

What bothered me was loud music that was not appealing in the least.

Never heard it before. Never want to hear it again.

[cle-guy]

I'm not sure if the "under 50 crowd" has the money or desire to cruise on X. I don't think loud techno music will really be a big draw.

 

 

WRONG. We are spending our hard earned vacation money with Celebrity. I just started a year or so ago (I'm 43) and have met many 25-55 years olds I consider friends now, we coordinate cursing together versus land trips.

 

I like the pool music, pools should be fun and jumping. I like loud martini lounge music, makes the place busy and fun. If you don't like loud pool music move to the far end or to the upper deck chairs, as I have done when they start playing harp music and accapella. Really, at a pool?!

 

I never considered cruising and somehow their marketing found me last year and I decided to try a short cruise, and fell in love with X immediately. I'm happy to see the changes they are putting out.

 

The changes must be working, as RCII stock has been a continues upward climb over the last 5 years, from $35 to $51 in the last year alone since the changes have been slowly implemented.

[blueboro]

I don't see why X couldn't find loud music to play that would appeal to everyone.

 

There is classic music that most people love. Beatles, Neil Young, Billy Joel etc.

 

What bothered me was loud music that was not appealing in the least.

Never heard it before. Never want to hear it again.

 

I was on this cruise and much of what I heard was not music...simply a couple of guys playing precussion with no music behind them. Just a loud beat...beat...beat. I am a former DJ, love loud music, and performed professionally and this Miami DJ thing seemed to be a flop from everyone I talked to. I tried to find someplace they were not and at times that was hard to do.

[canudigit]

WRONG. We are spending our hard earned vacation money with Celebrity. I just started a year or so ago (I'm 43) and have met many 25-55 years olds I consider friends now, we coordinate cursing together versus land trips.

 

I like the pool music, pools should be fun and jumping. I like loud martini lounge music, makes the place busy and fun. If you don't like loud pool music move to the far end or to the upper deck chairs, as I have done when they start playing harp music and accapella. Really, at a pool?!

 

I never considered cruising and somehow their marketing found me last year and I decided to try a short cruise, and fell in love with X immediately. I'm happy to see the changes they are putting out.

 

The changes must be working, as RCII stock has been a continues upward climb over the last 5 years, from $35 to $51 in the last year alone since the changes have been slowly implemented.

 

I agree with cle-guy

 

I'm 36 and haven't cruised for 10 years. I've spent my travel money at land based resorts in Hawaii and Mexico, or trips to Europe.

 

Don't assume the under 50 crowd can't afford Celebrity. I regularly spend 3-4X than my 60+ year old parents and in-laws spend on travel combined. Celebrity is also less expensive than most Disney and RCCL Allure and Oasis options.

 

I'm not into belly flop contests or gold by the inch (RCCL) and I'm not into ballroom dancing and stringed quartets. (Cunard, etc). I do look for top service, great food and drink, schedule flexibility, and lively entertainment options.

 

Celebrity seems to be targeting the market that is driving growth in properties like W Hotels, and the Vegas properties The Aria, Wynn, Encore, and Cosmopolitan hotels.

 

Celebrity has my attention, and my family is booked into a suite on Reflection in April.

[dodger1964]

WRONG. We are spending our hard earned vacation money with Celebrity. I just started a year or so ago (I'm 43) and have met many 25-55 years olds I consider friends now, we coordinate cursing together versus land trips.

 

I like the pool music, pools should be fun and jumping. I like loud martini lounge music, makes the place busy and fun. If you don't like loud pool music move to the far end or to the upper deck chairs, as I have done when they start playing harp music and accapella. Really, at a pool?!

 

I never considered cruising and somehow their marketing found me last year and I decided to try a short cruise, and fell in love with X immediately. I'm happy to see the changes they are putting out.

 

The changes must be working, as RCII stock has been a continues upward climb over the last 5 years, from $35 to $51 in the last year alone since the changes have been slowly implemented.

 

I'm glad you like X, and welcome...I am in the "under 50 crowd", (barely!!:(:().

 

We sail on Reflection this saturday. I am looking forward to see for myself what has been posted here and we'll see if it is as bad as some say. (btw, I am one that normally enjoys "loud music"...but that is dependent on the circumstances..)