Review of Celebrity Reflection 11/8/14 Western Caribbean - long!

[Shana9136]

I've just returned for a week-long Western Caribbean cruise on the Celebrity Reflection and thought I'd share my review for other cruisers like me who enjoy obsessively reading reviews prior to every vacation as part of the pre-cruise anticipation fun!

 

This is my (approximately) 18th cruise - I'm so impressed by people who kept good records of that and know EXACTLY how many cruises and where and when! I did some as a child so that's my excuse for not recalling such details. I'm 32, my husband is 34. This is his second cruise. I've cruised mainly on RCI, 1 NCL, 1 Princess, 2 Carnival, 1 Celebrity before this one.

We spent a few days in South Beach prior to the cruise (if anyone wants info on that, I posted some reviews on TripAdvisor on our hotel the Redbury and a few restaurants, Juice and Java, Front Porch Cafe, and Ola at Sanctuary). We arrived at the port of Miami around 11:15am, dropped off our luggage, got our Seapasses, and were on board by 11:30. Very seamless, few lines, and we did get some priority boarding as Aquaclass and Select members, but even without that I don't think we would have waited long. We were greeted with glasses of champagne and headed up to the Oceanview Cafe on Deck 14 for lunch as the room wasn't ready yet. They don't use trays anymore in the Oceanview Cafe and I rather enjoyed this change. It felt less like a cafeteria without the trays and it seemed to get people to prioritize what they want versus sliding their tray along every single station just to browse. The food was pretty standard - not exceptional but good with a decent variety.

 

We killed some time after lunch wandering around the ship and familiarizing ourselves with the layout. We scampered across the grass up on the Lawn to enjoy this new cruise experience. It's kind of silly really... I mean, I have grass at home. I don't know why it's so exciting on a cruise ship. Mentally I know this. Yet there I was, asking another passenger to take a picture of me and my husband on the grass! The grass was roped off several times during the week to "recover" as Celebrity appears to be suffering the learning curve of how to maintain a lawn at sea. We did see a bocce game once during the week but otherwise didn't really bother with the Lawn much beyond the initial novelty of it.

 

Our room was ready around 12:45, 1pm. We had 1656 - a starboard/aft Aquaclass cabin with veranda. We were greeted with a bottle of champagne (not sure if that is standard for Aquaclass or a gift from our travel agent). The room size was pretty standard in terms of veranda and actual room, but the bathroom seemed more spacious and we appreciated the sliding glass shower doors. It had the Pharo shower system with multiple sprays/jets which was nice and a handy footrest for shaving (at least I assume that is what it's for!) The bathroom had ample storage with shelves, cabinets, and drawers. Open counter space was a little limited but with so much other storage we didn't have a problem. The shower itself has very limited space for products though, and people who like leaving a lot of different things in the shower may do well to bring a hanging caddy. As with all Aquaclass cabins, we had the aforementioned shower amenities, a welcome drawstring backpack with products (we got loofah slippers and a chapstick), Frette robes, upgraded linens, and a pillow menu.

 

Unfortunately the little booklet that describes the amenities was cleverly hidden away on top of and towards the back of the safe so we didn't actually see it until the LAST NIGHT!!! I knew of most of the amenities ahead of time but it would have been a great reference, especially the part about daily water delivery, because the sign on the desk said we would be charged $5/bottle but in the booklet it said it was complimentary. Oh well! We really could have just asked as well... but our loss. We did get daily delivery of iced tea and afternoon canapes (a bit of hummus, olives, some pitas usually) that was nice. The room also came with binoculars (didn't use them), compact and golf umbrellas (didn't use them), and a shoulder bag. I read in the amenities list (the LAST NIGHT, haha) that we also had an aromatherapy diffuser... but I don't know WHERE that thing was. Anyone find theirs?

 

Storage in the room was adequate - double closet, 3 drawers by the TV, and 2 over-the-bed shelves/cabinets as well as small night tables. I did find a lot of what appeared to be popcorn crumbs in my drawers which was a little gross, but otherwise things appeared tidy. We got a delivery of flowers which was lovely as well, but without any card. I found out via text they were from my parents as a honeymoon welcome gift, and the card didn't surface until 4 days into the cruise when my mom called to complain to Celebrity that it was missing.

 

For dinner that night we went to Qsine, as they were having 50% discounts for Aquaclass passengers on the first night. We booked it when we first got on the ship - there was a table set up to book specialty restaurants right where we boarded and got our champagne, by the Ensemble Lounge. The gentleman who made our reservation quoted a 20% discount for the first night, which we were fine with, but there was a message on our stateroom phone stating it would be 50% for Aquaclass, which was honored when we got the bill. It was our first time to Qsine and we found it fun. We got the sushi lollipops (excellent, who would have thought to roll sushi in Doritos???), spring rolls (delicious!), soup and souffle (I can't eat much cheese so this was wasted on me, but my husband liked it... the soups were just ok in my book), ceviches (just average but fresh tasting and light), Chi-tinis (martini glasses full of Chinese food - LOT of food on this one, some of the dishes were great, others just ok), meatball trilogy (I didn't want this after reading bad reviews but you try to talk your husband out of a meatball! They're huge and not very good in my opinion.), Painter's mignon (good steak, fun sides). I think without the meatballs, it would have been a perfect amount of food for us. Dessert was the chocolate tombstone (just ok in my book, but the hubby liked it) and the "surprise" which was like a chocolate mousse with cherries in it. And chocolate strawberries as well. We saw other tables get to pick their chocolate strawberries and little eggs of creme brulee out of some grass, but we didn't get to do that, not sure why. After that we relaxed in the martini bar area to people watch a while before we headed to bed.

[Shana9136]

We established what would become our routine the next day - early breakfast in the Oceanview Cafe, then the gym, then whatever the day had in store. The gym is well-equipped with several treadmills, exercise bikes, ellipticals, a free-weight area, exercise balls, and a variety of strength-training machines. On busier days/times I had to wait briefly for an elliptical to open up but usually we were able to get right in. As you enter the gym there are 2 rooms off to the right where they do spin and yoga classes. That's where they keep extra equipment so I would often snag a yoga mat or resistance band in there to take elsewhere. There is a deck right outside the gym as well which can be a nice space to stretch after a workout. They offer plenty of towels as well as chilled towels which is nice, and there are water fountains, but no cups. I brought a reusable water bottle with me on the trip that I filled, but my husband would have preferred cups to fill up and keep with him on the cardio machines. They offer classes for a fee but we didn't sign up for any.

 

One bit of excitement that day was spotting a raft with 12 Cubans on it hailing our ship for help. We rescued them and rendezvoused with the Coast Guard in Key West to turn them over. I had a good view of the entire rescue operation from the gym. It did delay our arrival into Cozumel the following day, but obviously a worthwhile delay! I'm glad they were rescued safely.

 

The rest of that day I lounged in the sun on the Solstice deck (deck 16, accessible via stairs from the outside of deck 15). There is a mix of loungers and more couch/chaise like things up there with a few upright padded chairs in the corners in the shade. It gets windy up there but I like it because it's quiet and usually not as crowded, though people did seem to catch on by the last sea day. We had a light lunch at the AquaSpa cafe in the Solarium - they do broiled chicken/salmon upon request, and have cold a la carte dishes set up that you can grab (think quinoa salads... fresh fruit... make your own salads). It was a nice healthy alternative. There is also a smoothie bar there and yogurt station that had a fee - we didn't partake of that, but the options sounded good. The Solarium is where my husband spent most of his free time - more shade available and cooler, with an adult-only pool and hot tubs, mix of padded loungers and hammocks, couches, chaises.

 

I ventured to the Persian Garden which came as unlimited access with the Aquaclass stateroom, but was also available for a fee on a daily or weekly rate. You just turn in your room key at the Spa desk and they give you another key that lets you into the Persian Garden. They have heated tile loungers (I found they can get HOT after a while, I needed a minimum of a towel layer on there) with a lovely view of the ocean or port, a Turkish Hamman (think a steam room with hoses so you can shower off in there too), an infrared sauna (felt similar to a regular sauna to me), a cold room (refreshing after the other rooms! It was amusing to read the messages people seemed to like leaving in the frost on the walls in there), and an aromatherapy suite (not as hot as the sauna but scented with what smelled like eucalyptus). I went here and did all of the treatments daily - very relaxing.

 

My only gripes about the area are that there are 2 showers behind the heated loungers - like a rainfall shower with optional scents etc, very fancy, but they're LOUD as heck when they are turned on, and when you're just dozing off on the heated loungers it is really jarring. Maybe that's good though or I may have been knocked out for hours! My other issue was the water. They have 2 fountains, ok, and a lovely dispenser of ice water with citrus slices. But every single time I went there, which was a lot, I was met with one of 2 scenarios - full water dispenser, nary a cup in sight, or tower of cups, empty water dispenser. If I asked a staff member to remedy the situation they were happy to oblige, but sometimes would disappear for 20+ minutes, and if you're looking to hydrate so you don't pass out after dozing off in the sauna... it's not ideal! But it became like a game - what would I find today... cup drought or water drought? It's a nitpicky issue, but notable where it happened every day, sometimes multiple times a day. Overall the Persian Gardens are great and I really enjoyed them. I dragged my husband in there once for about 10 minutes on the loungers, but that was it, not his cup of tea. To each their own! I read on many other reviews of issues with people hogging loungers with towels to save their spot while they were in a treatment room, but I didn't encounter this personally.

 

Dinner that night was in Blu, the "healthier fare" restaurant available to Aquaclass guests and suite guests based on availability. It's a lovely room and we enjoyed the open-seating so we could wander in whenever we were hungry. We never found there to be a wait, and we dined at times anywhere between 5:30 and 7:30. That first night we had appetizers of scallops (good) and crab bisque (thin but good) and entrees of pheasant (eh) and risotto (good). Dessert was coconut sorbet (yum) and apple crumble (too much crumble to apple ratio per my husband, haha). Portions are small but I liked that so I didn't feel like I had to roll myself out of there as I have after dining in the MDR on other ships. Sometimes they are laughably small though... like tortellini soup having literally 2 tortellini. Or your side of zucchini with your entree being 3 paper-thin slices. But goodness knows if you're hungry when you leave, there are plenty of places to go!

 

After dinner that night we relaxed in Cellar Masters, the wine bar area. They have self-serve Enomatic dispensers and offer specials if you purchase wine that way, but we decided to try a flight tasting from Australia/New Zealand. The sommelier there was wonderful and it's a dark, cozy area to just take it all in. I didn't love the wines in that particular flight, but overall the experience was enjoyable. They also offer a selection of craft beers there similar to what is available in Michael's Club.

[Shana9136]

The following day was Cozumel and we were signed up to do a shore excursion to XCaret, eco-park on the mainland. We got room service so we'd be ready to go early and met our tour guides on the pier. Normally I book shore excursions independently from the cruise line to save money, but this one was an all-day event and I liked the peace of mind that if you book through the cruise line, it is their responsibility to get you back in time and they won't leave without you!

 

We caught a ferry to the mainland (30 minutes or so) and then walked a few blocks to our buses - modern and nicely appointed - for another 30 minutes or so to the park. We dropped off a tour group going to Xplore along the way (more adrenaline-driven, ziplines, amphibious vehicles, etc). When we got to Xcaret our tour guide got our wristbands for entry and walked us in to show us the meeting point where we would gather upon return. Normally they search your bags before going into the park (they confiscate sunscreen that isn't reef-safe - it needs to be 100% biodegradable) but they didn't check ours... possibly because we were with a tour.

 

Our guide walked us to the underground river (along the way stopped by the tortilla factory there... sooooo good. Fresh, soft corn tortillas. Can't beat them! Free samples!) and suggested we take the Blue River as it is the only natural one and the best in his opinion, and then walked to the end of the river to meet us and do a walking tour with anyone that wanted further guidance, or we could just do our own thing. I've been to this park before but I can't remember which river I did so I'm not sure if the Blue is "better" but it suited us just fine! It probably took us 20 or 30 minutes to go through the whole thing, but we were actively swimming the entire time, not just floating on the current. There are several exit points along the river if you want to get out early, and the signs helpfully post how long of a walk it will be to the end if you do so. There are also photo opportunities along the way (you can scan your wristband and a camera will take your picture, and then at the end of your day you can scan your wristband again at kiosks near the entrance to see all your pics and purchase any if you want). It was a decent work out if you actively swim it, and I felt a little less guilty for eating 10lbs of tortillas!

 

After the river we wandered over to the restaurant recommended by the tour guide, the one on The Rocks (I forget the Spanish name... I think it ended in Las Rocas!) - it's right by the end of the river and overlooks the ocean and the dolphin lagoon. They have a special plate there that serves 2 people with a mix of all different authentic Mexican food and it was a good value (about $25 in US currency). They also have a 2L Corona that of COURSE my husband had to get! Haha. He must have been feeling virtuous after the river too! I haven't tried the other restaurants, but this one was great and I'd recommend it.

 

The rest of the day we wandered the park to look at various animals (monkeys, tapiers, leopards, mountain lions, flamingos, parrots, manatees to name a few!). The butterfly house was fun, though if you wear red like my husband they REALLY like you and tend to cling to you and freak you out a bit! We also wandered through a chapel, cemetery (really beautiful if you haven't seen a Mexican one), Mayan village, and all manner of shops. There is a mine you can explore as part of one of the shops near the entrance that actually freaked me out a bit. It has questions and you follow a path based on your answer, and if you're wrong you reach a dead end, and if you're right it takes you to the next question. I'm not claustrophobic at all and it was refreshingly cool in there, but at some spots we really felt isolated and lost and it was super-creepy. Beware!

 

The baby quails hatching in the shops are adorable beyond reason, yet no amount of pleading and begging and cajoling on my part could convince my husband we absolutely NEEDED a baby quail as a companion for our dog! Although I wore my biodegradable sunscreen there are enough shady spots in the park that it likely wouldn't have been an issue. I do wish I had thought to bring bug spray though. I didn't notice it at the time but when I got back to the ship I had a few good bites along my legs and arms.

We returned to the ship without incident (fell asleep most of the way!) and made it back on board with only 10 minutes to spare before the ship departed for our next port.

 

Per usual I headed to the Persian Garden until dinner. After our Mexican feast we weren't too hungry for dinner so we just did some sampling up at the Oceanview Café. After that we hit up the Molecular Bar which became our favorite spot for drinks. Hubby had the Kentucky Derby (showy with the liquid nitrogen smoke and very tasty) and I had the Black Mamba, also delicious. Our drinks were so good we stayed for more! Mr. B for the hubby (some sort of foam on top that was yummy) and Hawaiian Lava for me. I didn't do this personally but from observation I can tell you - do NOT ask for a straw at this bar! The bartenders get very upset and launch into a big lecture about how they make their drinks a certain way with intricate layers and techniques and they are meant to be enjoyed from the glass. A straw eliminates the mixing of the ingredients you get when you sip from the glass. Also do not ask them to change any ingredient - the drinks are what they are, in their entirety. If you don't like something in them, don't order it, because they will NOT customize! After a few drinks and our long day, we were just turned in early that night.

[Shana9136]

The next day was Grand Cayman. I admit it's been a few years since I've been there, but I remember the tender process going a little more smoothly than it did this time. Or perhaps I got a tender number assignment way early in the morning. I'm not sure. But I stopped by Cellar Masters to get a tender ticket number right around when they were scheduled to start the service (9 or 10) and I was already number 47. It depends how large groups are (everyone gets the same number) but on average it seemed like they were putting 3-5 numbers per tender. And there appeared to be only 1 tender running (I saw 2 once I was on the island but never actually saw it go anywhere....) So we didn't even get off the ship until 1pm and had to be back by 4 or 5, so it was too late to do much but walk around. I would suggest getting a tender number EARLY. VERY EARLY.

 

We walked along the shore on the main road for a ways and came across a small but pretty beach. The place was completely overrun with lizards - really cute! Then it was just a little shopping around the pier and back on the ship we went.

 

Can you guess what was next? Persian Gardens until dinner! Then it was off to Blu for dinner. Crab martini and beef carpaccio appetizers (both yummy), fennel salad and roasted pepper soup (also good), and pasta for the hubs and duck for me. The duck was good but they didn't render the fat enough in my opinion so some pieces were a little gummy. Dessert was tiramisu for him, crème brulee for me - both good.

 

After dinner we went to the Martini Bar and decided to each get a flight to sample (6 samples each). They did a VERY dramatic presentation of our flight with our glasses stacked on top of liquor bottles all in a row and then stacked all the shakers to pour all 12 drinks at the SAME TIME It was amazing! Unfortunately the presentation was the best part - I wasn't very impressed with the drinks themselves, but they were generous samples for sure. There was supposed to be some sort of pool party going on outside but we never really saw anything happen out there. We did watch some salsa dancing in the atrium which was entertaining, and wandered off eventually to sleep off our martinis.

[Shana9136]

Next up was Jamaica. We didn't get off the ship here - I've been to Jamaica a lot and since we weren't doing a shore excursion, we decided to just treat it like a sea day. Breakfast, gym, then off to do our separate things. For me it was relaxing on the Solstice deck until lunchtime which we had on The Porch where they do paninis. It has a $7/person fee. We had salads and steak and veggie paninis with cupcakes and lemon meringue pie for dessert. The paninis were good but they were served with chips which were literally crumbs. And it was SO HOT there. It has a glass roof so it's not truly shaded, and where we were at port there wasn't really any breeze. They do have a couple of fans but they were totally inadequate and I thought I would literally melt out there. I normally love the heat but I was truly uncomfortable and considered leaving in the middle of lunch. Go here on a sea day or a day that isn't boiling for sure.

 

I then went to the spa to take advantage of the port specials - happy hour at the spa! $99 for an aromatherapy massage (I think originally it was around $129 or so). The massage was just ok, but even an "ok" massage is great overall! Back to the Persian Garden after that and then off to dinner.

 

Summer rolls (really good), tuna salad and white bean soup (good), and veal and halibut for entrees. Both yummy. Dessert was an apple tart for me (excellent) and chocolate cake for the hubby. After that we relaxed in Cellar Masters for some beer and port and chatted with the guy who works there to learn more about his job and home country (Turkey). Really fascinating guy and so friendly.

[Shana9136]

Our last port was Labadee. Are you sensing a trend here? Breakfast, gym, then off we go! We headed to Columbus Cove right away to snag chairs in the shade and swam a little. The area is roped off in the water so the swimming area is a bit on the small side, but sufficient and refreshing. There are lots of other beaches, some near the zipline, others that are more for sunbathing and not swimming. Columbus is the furthest away from the ship but still maybe just a 10 min walk. There is a tram that will take you along all the beaches if you prefer. We ate lunch there (the cruise line sets up basic BBQ stuff, burgers, dogs, salads etc) that is complimentary. There is bar service (pay with your SeaPass just like on the ship). The loungers are complimentary but of course we tipped the gentleman who set them up for us. There are also all sorts of water things to rent for a fee (floating mats, jet skis, kayaks, etc). We walked through the Artisan's Market on the way back (locals selling their wares) but they were too aggressive for our taste so we kept walking. There were some entertaining local performers on the pier doing acrobatics etc.

 

When we got back on the ship we stretched out for a rest in the Solarium for a while and then got a coffee at Café Bacio. There's a nice outside deck there that had great views of the island as we left. Then of course it was Persian Gardens for me before dinner. Crabcake for me, baked goat cheese for the hubby - both good. Chicken and tortellini soup was ok - two tiny tortellini! Entrees were lobster for me (just ok) and stuffed shells for the hubby - he loved them. Dessert was baked Alaska for him, chocolate cake for me.

 

After dinner it was back to the Molecular Bar - our favorite place for sure. Another Kentucky Derby for my husband and a Ginger mojito for me (yum!). Then 3G martini for him (he said it was good and refined, haha) and Cazarita for me. That one was probably my least favorite out of all the drinks I had there, but just like an "ok" massage, it was still good! After winding down at the bar it was bed time.

[Shana9136]

Last sea day! We did our usual routine of breakfast, workout, then go our separate ways. This is what happens when a sun worshipper (me) marries a shade lover (him). I headed to the Solstice Deck and he went to the Solarium for some relaxation and we reconvened for lunch at Bisro on 5.

 

This place was great - crepes! $7/person fee like the Porch. We started with Thai chicken soup (spicy!) and got Mediterranean crepe for me, Cowboy for him, and split an Indian Summer. I was pretty full after that but it was nice to try different things. Always room for dessert! Spanish crepe for me (dulce de leche) and Italian for him (bananas, nutella). So tasty - worth every penny for sure.

 

Persian Garden of course before dinner for me, then our final night in Blu.

Prosciutto and empanadas for apps (both tasty), then cucumber soup for me (eh) and lentil soup for him (ok). Entrees were salmon - a little overcooked but good flavor. Dessert was chocolate cake for him, crème brulee again for me.

 

I was tempted to hit up the Molecular Bar again but we had a bit of a late dinner and it was going to be an early morning the next day, so we turned in early after packing up. Sad to leave!

[Shana9136]

We got breakfast first thing at 6am in the Oceanview Café and then waited by the Ensemble Lounge to be allowed off the ship. We did the self-debarkation in which you manage your own luggage and get off first, as we had a 10:15am flight to catch. We were off the ship by 7, through customs and in a cab by 7:15, and at our airport gate by 7:45 with plenty of time to spare. I've made flights as early as 9:40 after cruises, thought I admit that one stressed me out a bit! It's a gamble - if there was a hold up in customs or the airport was a zoo, who knows, but it worked out great for us.

 

Now, as if I haven't been detailed enough, few other comments on this cruise.

 

As others have noted, the atrium setup is awkward. It's not that spacious, had a very awkwardly placed rose sculpture, and they often do weird things there like set up ping pong tables, try to do dance classes, etc. It crowds an already small space and makes it so everyone on higher floors stares down at the people looking foolish trying to salsa dance. Entertaining for those watching, but if I were dancing I'd feel like I was in a fishbowl. I do wish they had more of a dedicated space for dancing like nightclubs on other ships and left the atrium as a larger space.

 

The ship in general was very very clean and well kept. The public bathrooms were some of the best I've ever seen - always spotless, smelled great, beautiful design, and often home to a menagerie of towel animals!

 

I only ate in QSine so I can't comment on the other specialty restaurants or the MDR. Blu was good - not great, but good, and the smaller portions although laughable at times were a bit of a relief and I didn't feel nearly as uncomfortable after dinner as I have on other cruises.

 

We didn't go to any of the shows in the theater so I can't comment on those. In the past I've enjoyed some, but they aren't really my husband's scene so we skipped them. I did want to catch one of the comedy shows, but they were usually at 11:30pm and some nights we were just a bit too tired by then (gosh, we sound old! I blame all those gym workouts haha). In general I felt like there wasn't a lot to do that I was interested in. I was happy just relaxing in bars, but on past RCI and Carnival cruises I've definitely found more after dinner activities that I enjoyed.

 

The shopping on the ship was ok. They do have some high end stores (Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Apple) but there really isn't much of a savings there except that it's duty free. The more generic shops didn't have a great selection in my opinion and only brought out more merchandise for the "events" when they pile stuff on tables outside the stores for certain hours.

 

I would say the demographic was mainly older than us, 40s-60s overall with a sprinkling of older and younger. We only saw a few kids.

 

My husband tried out the jogging track but didn't like that it went right through a smoking area outside the Mast Bar - kind of crazy layout! I do wish they had shuffleboard or a more permanent installation of ping pong somewhere. We've enjoyed that in the past. They do have a game room with Microsoft Surface tables loaded with games that we saw some people using. We'd rather be outside, but on a rainy day I bet that's nice.

 

I did use the library once to refresh my reading materials. There are signs everywhere that tell you to please check out books, but absolutely no where that tells you how to do it! I never saw an employee there and there was so sign out sheet or anything. I just figured I'd treat it like an honor system and returned what I took, along with donating some other stuff I didn't want to take back with me.

 

There was some talk of the "secret staircase" on other threads connecting floor 11 where the Aquaclass rooms are to the spa on 12, and how people had difficulty finding it. Well there are maps of the ship at each elevator bay and the staircase is marked on there as a spiral (it's a spiral staircase!) and at one entrance (there are 2) it actually says "Spa" right on the door, and the other door was propped open all week so you could clearly see it was there. So I'm not sure where the difficulty was... but there you have it!

 

The Hideaway has coffee available during the day and was a convenient stop on the way back to the room if we needed to caffeinate.

 

Overall it was a lovely trip - I thoroughly enjoyed the Persian Gardens and the ship was beautiful. I think perhaps our next trip will be on RCI again - we haven't tried Oasis or Allure yet. Please let me know if you have any questions!

[hcat]

Wow..lots of details! I am sure it will be helpful to many who have not sailed on Ref,

Glad you had a nice cruise. Glad you took the time to post such a complete eview.

 

.DH and I were on the same cruise and had a great time...esp meeting up with many from the roll call for various activities....on and off the ship...Enjoyed many of the points highlighted but also different experiences. BTW, Our aroma therapy diffuser was on the desk top...

 

I plan to post our impressions after Thanksgiving......interesting to compare notes, but expect mine will be shorter and not as well organized!

 

 

next up Constellation!

Edited November 24, 2014 by hcat

[cruisun]

Have been on silhouette and am considering reflection this winter, thanks!

[S&G1968]

Thanks for that review!

[Shana9136]

Man, I dunno where the heck our aromatherapy diffuser was! My husband is probably grateful we didn't find it! Maybe he hid it... haha!

[Shana9136]

This is so petty and ridiculous but it drove me crazy ALL week and after seeing countless other ladies struggling with the same thing, please Celebrity, fix it! The lockers in the ladies' locker room at the spa. A lot of people had great difficulty figuring out how to operate them at all, though I blame operator error there haha - there are printed instructions and I figured it out pretty quickly. But there is nothing to grab on the locker itself to actually open it. You have to try and pull on the lock but there is no lip or anything to pull on, and if you've been in the spa and have lotion on your hands, forget it. I broke one or more nails 6 different times because of this, because I was pinching the lock so tight trying to get any traction, and when I pulled if I slipped, my fingers smashed into the lock and chipped a nail. So frustrating! Maybe this is a ploy so we use the manicurist onboard... haha. But seriously, put SOMETHING on those things to grip, please!

[Artemis]

Lovely review! Thanks for sharing. So happy you had a great time.

 

Awkward question: What did you wear in the Persian Gardens?! I am used to going bare in Euro spas...I guess a swimsuit is the norm?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[RL1180]

Man, I dunno where the heck our aromatherapy diffuser was! My husband is probably grateful we didn't find it! Maybe he hid it... haha!

 

We had something like this on a small shelf beside the desk in our room (with only 2-3 sticks coming out the top, though):

http://www.aromapersona.com/assets/products/371/original/diffuser_8.jpg

 

Awkward question: What did you wear in the Persian Gardens?! I am used to going bare in Euro spas...I guess a swimsuit is the norm?

 

 

I don't think I've ever seen someone going bare in the Persian Gardens. Most people I saw were wearing some combination of swim attire or robes). There are, however, gender-segregated saunas in the spa area changing rooms that are available to anyone (no Persian Garden pass required) which I've seen people in with just a towel and not much else.

Edited November 24, 2014 by RL1180

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[Shana9136]

Lovely review! Thanks for sharing. So happy you had a great time.

 

Awkward question: What did you wear in the Persian Gardens?! I am used to going bare in Euro spas...I guess a swimsuit is the norm?

 

 

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I second what the other person said. The majority of people wore bathing suits or towels (not sure if there was a suit under the towel) in all the treatment rooms in the Gardens, and the same or a robe on the heated loungers. I didn't see anyone go au natural (it is a coed space), nor did I see that in the ladies' only sauna in the dressing room. Bring flip flops. There's a lot of standing water from the Hamman and it grosses me out to think of walking in that barefoot.

 

And there was definitely NO aromatherapy diffuser in our room! Bummer.

[hcat]

This is so petty and ridiculous but it drove me crazy ALL week and after seeing countless other ladies struggling with the same thing, please Celebrity, fix it! The lockers in the ladies' locker room at the spa. A lot of people had great difficulty figuring out how to operate them at all, though I blame operator error there haha - there are printed instructions and I figured it out pretty quickly. But there is nothing to grab on the locker itself to actually open it. You have to try and pull on the lock but there is no lip or anything to pull on, and if you've been in the spa and have lotion on your hands, forget it. I broke one or more nails 6 different times because of this, because I was pinching the lock so tight trying to get any traction, and when I pulled if I slipped, my fingers smashed into the lock and chipped a nail. So frustrating! Maybe this is a ploy so we use the manicurist onboard... haha. But seriously, put SOMETHING on those things to grip, please!

 

Wow.. you and I are in the same page with this issue. I refused to use the ladies locker room. It is not a very inviting space and had ridiculous outdated tumbler locks...even dh who is good at directions/locks had a tough time

 

. Lady at desk told me it saves in lost keys...well hello.!.. even where I have my mammogram done, they have push button key pads..you pick your code and they lock and open easily..

 

We thought PG was an Ok area..bigger than other S class, dry sauna included instead of in ladies room...Spa was amazing area and I was very satisfied with prices..liked the Steiner facials and products better. Did not like that spa was one floor down from Solarium.!

[hcat]

Have never seen anyone bare in saunas, steam etc...on Celebrity...towel is a "bare minimum"

Also most used towels on heated loungers as well....they can get hot.

 

Once on a Royal ship my husb and I almost walked in on some type of coed orgy in the Thermal Suites...kind of selfish towards other guests and not anything we expected. We backed out of there quickly!

 

We did see too many people in the solarium and outdoor pool area in stateroom robes and slippers......guess they forgot to pack their pool cover ups!

[Iamthesea]

 

And there was definitely NO aromatherapy diffuser in our room! Bummer.

 

We had one (in 3 AQ cruises) that had no aroma to it. Glad though, as we do not like a lot of fragrance...especially if it is an unpleasant fragrance. ;)

 

Thank you for the review. My daughters and I will take the same cruise in March.

 

Once on a Royal ship my husb and I almost walked in on some type of coed orgy in the Thermal Suites...kind of selfish towards other guests and not anything we expected. We backed out of there quickly!

!

 

In orgy, you mean more than one couple? :eek: RCCL and Disney have an option to book a private sauna/wet/mud room where a couple can try out different muds and scrubs on each other. Perhaps you accidently walked in on a private session. :D

Edited November 24, 2014 by Iamthesea

[jerseycandyman]

Great review leaving in a couple more weeks cant Your review has me getting more excited. was trying to figure out if we wanted to wait to book first night dinner on board cause on our last cruise we got 50 percent off also as we were in aq . Maybe im just cheap but hate to book at only 20 percent off when I can get 50 off

[hcat]

We had one (in 3 AQ cruises) that had no aroma to it. Glad though, as we do not like a lot of fragrance...especially if it is an unpleasant fragrance. ;)

 

Thank you for the review. My daughters and I will take the same cruise in March.

 

 

 

In orgy, you mean more than one couple? :eek: RCCL and Disney have an option to book a private sauna/wet/mud room where a couple can try out different muds and scrubs on each other. Perhaps you accidently walked in on a private session. :D

 

Not a private room, not a mud scrub treatment, and not two people....did not go in to investigate.,,as you said "EEK,"......kind of a wierd surprise!

[Shana9136]

Great review leaving in a couple more weeks cant Your review has me getting more excited. was trying to figure out if we wanted to wait to book first night dinner on board cause on our last cruise we got 50 percent off also as we were in aq . Maybe im just cheap but hate to book at only 20 percent off when I can get 50 off

 

As I understand it, they will honor whatever the best deal is. I booked and was quoted the 20% off, but they automatically gave me the 50% off at the restaurant itself based on our SeaPass card for the Aquaclass discount without any prompting. If they're still running that special you should be all set either way :D