Celebrity Reflection Mediterrean June 2016

[rurn0321]

Hi Barry,

 

We have booked the Hotel Smeraldo. It's gotten good reviews and is in a great location, walkable to most of the sights. I also believe someone posted that Rick Steves uses it as their base for his tours. Also found a reasonable rate which includes breakfast. We were not looking for fancy, just reasonable and in a great location and this fit the bill. Good luck in your search.

[shainky84]

Ruth & Sam,

 

I'll put Hotel Smeraldo on our list. If Rick Steves uses it, then it must be good enough! I think that we are in the same sort of qualifications - nice but not too expensive, good and safe location, includes breakfast, etc. Thanks.

 

Barry & Matthew

[shainky84]

Hi Tom,

 

Thanks for your input, very valuable and useful for us as we we continue to plan.

 

I think that seasickness is less and less of a concert as we read more about people who thought it would be an issue for them and turned out not to be.

 

I'm just starting to look at the Ports of Call - a lot of information to sort through there.

 

I've added both Hotel Madrid and RomeCabs to our list of notes, and we will look into both a bit more.

 

You review from 2014 sounds great. Our itinerary is slightly different - 10 nights with Rhodes and no Istanbul, and 2 sea days - but otherwise is very similar. We know that there is no perfect cruise, but I hope that our experience is as good as yours was!

 

Any advice for a pair of first-time cruisers? What are they the details we should know going in that one only learns from experience?

 

Thanks again,

 

Barry & Matthew

[CathyCruises]

Just a few points to add.

 

1. Seasickness will not be an issue, ships are incredibly stable and the Med in general is not unduly wavy. I get seasickness pretty easily, but have done four transatlantics on sister ships and never felt the least bit seasick. Bring some Bonine just in case, much less drowsy than Dramamine.

 

2. Do NOT use celebrity packages unless you want to pay way more than you should!! They charge per person for hotels, transfers, etc so you are it getting any bargain, plus all these things are very easy to do on your own. Do check out Choice Air for your flights, but for round trip flights they may not be any better than what you can get on your own. Do your shopping and don't be in too much of a hurry, best prices are 60-75 days out, book on a Tuesday/Wednesday.

 

3. Pick a hotel in the Centro Storico in Rome, right in the heart of all the main sights. The Smeraldo is a decent option, small rooms but great location. Anything near the Pantheon/Piazza Navona/Campo di Fiore will be wonderful. Use venere dot com, you can select specific areas to search. If you want the best, check out Alberto del Senato, right at the Pantheon, but it'll be costly. A good option is Albergo Cesari, nearby but not as $$$$. If you stay in these areas, nighttime strolling is wonderful and the restaurants nearby are generally excellent. Come over to the Italy boards for more info.

 

4. The Friends of Dorothy gather nightly at the Martini Bar around 7PM. Although we are a straight couple in our 60's, we have made some wonderful lifelong friends that we met there. In fact, we just stayed with one couple in London and another in Edinburgh, both of whom we met aboard several years ago and have traveled with since. Guaranteed to be a fun nightly event, lots of laughs!

 

5. It doesn't sound like you need a drink package!! The free brewed coffee is Lavazza, and it's not half bad. The iced tea is free too. You really need to do the math and figure out if it's worthwhile for you.

 

6. Definitely join your roll call. Shared transport to/from the ship is easily arranged that way, and very cost effective. Yes, you CAN take the train to the port but worth the extra cost for a shared ride if you can sign up for one. You can take the bus from the airport to the central bus station in Rome, Termini, and then just grab a cab to your hotel. Will be about €10. (Do not fall into the trap of booking a hotel near the train station!! No matter how many people tell you how great it is, it's not!! See #3 above!)

 

Most of all, congrats on your engagement and happy planning!! It's a big part of the fun of traveling for me. Lots of great info on the boards, too.

[Tommy3putts]

Any advice for a pair of first-time cruisers? What are they the details we should know going in that one only learns from experience?

 

Thanks again,

 

Barry & Matthew

 

 

Barry and Matt

 

I think all previous posters are on point, Cathy's guidance above is especially good. The only advice I have is enjoy the cruise and meet new friends and get to know the crew. Reflection is a great ship. We got to know several of the bartenders and they enhanced our time on board. There are people from all walks of life with interesting stories to tell.

 

You'll be witness to some bad behavior or have a bad experience of some sort, but don't dwell on them or let them detract from your cruise.

 

One last tip, In ports try to make sure you plan to get back to the ship at least on hour before departure. No greater stress than worrying about getting left behind.

 

Cheers.

[shainky84]

Wow, Cathy. Thanks so much!!! You've offered some very good points.

 

1. We are less concerned about the seasickness based on the comments we've heard from people like yourself. Thanks.

 

2. I generally do try and wait to book airfare til the window you talk about, but I'm thinking that for this trip we may want to book earlier. My finace isn't the best flyer, and he usually sucks it up for a short flight, but I want to make sure we can secure the seats that will make him most comfortable.

 

3. I'll add your hotel suggestions to our notes and I will take a look at the Italy boards soon.

 

4. Don't tell my LGBT friends, but I had to think about what you meant by Friends of Dorothy for a minute; of course, the Martini Bar as a location was a big clue. I suppose I'm lucky to know a world where being out of the closet is no longer taboo. Still good to know there is a regular gathering for the LGBTQ community and that's its welcoming to allies such as yourself.

 

5. We actually got a classic drink package as part of our booking promotion. I think that should be fine, and we'll just pay for any additional drink costs.

 

6. I'm on the Roll Call. It's quiet now, but I am thinking it will pick up as we get closer. Seems like most people in there now are coming in to Rome a few days before embarkation, so there's lots of potential for a shared ride to the port!

 

Thanks again,

 

Barry

[shainky84]

Hi Tom,

 

Great advice, thanks. These are definitely things that one only learns from experience, so I appreciate it. Seems like it would really enhance the experience to get to know the staff ahead of time, and we want as little stress as possible - even it means cutting short our port time. We know that perfect trip does not exist, so we just have to let the positives be our focus!

 

Thanks,

 

Barry & Matt

[basil's mom]

My fiancee and I are first-time cruisers. After much consideration, we've mhave decided to take our honeymoon as a 10-night Eastern Mediterranean cruise on the Celebrity Reflection next June. We like this itinerary because it is very focused on Greece, which is where we wanted to be, and 2 sea days will give us more time to relax aboard the ship than the 7-night cruises were initially looking at...

 

So far, we have been very impressed with Celebrity and the Reflection from all the research we've been doing. It seems like it has the offerings of a mega-ship while not feeling too overwhelming or crowded. But, as we continue to plan, and before we book, what do we need to know?

 

A mid-ship balcony is a MUST, but what category? Is it worth the upgrade to Concierge Class? What deck(s) are best for the stateroom?

 

We plan to upgrade to the most comprehensive dining package we can to give ourselves options, but late seating or early seating? (Is flexible seating an option, and should we even consider it?)

 

I'm enjoy drinking, but my fiancee will have 1 or 2 and that's it. For this trip, I don't imagine any heavy drinking on port days (maybe 1 with breakfast and 1-2 with/after dinner), but I plan to have fun on sea days. I'm addicted to regular, brewed coffee (2-3 cups in the morning, easy), we both drink Diet Coke, and and my fiancee is an avid fan of unsweetened iced tea. What's the best beverage package?

 

The ship departs from Rome on a Friday, but we plan to leave NY on Tuesday night to arrive in Rome on Wednesday. The extra few days will let us sightsee there, and also gives us a chance to adjust to the time difference and board the ship relaxed and refreshed. Should we book airfare through Celebrity? What about hotel? Can they help us get from the airport to the hotel, and then the hotel to the port?....And how do we get back to the airport after we disembark?

 

What shore excursion should we do? Should we do them on our own or through the ship? We want to sightsee in each of the ports, but we don't want to break the bank or become so exhausted that we are burnt out and can't enjoy the trip as a whole. We don't want to regret not doing something, but we don't want to do everything to the point that our experience is more about getting from place to place instead of enjoying the places we do so. We are looking, I guess, at a mix of rest/relaxation and sightessing.

 

We are a male gay couple from NYC area in our early 30s. What sort of experience might we expect on the ship? I've heard that the cruise industry is very inclusive of gay couples, but is there anything that Celebrity does or does not do that we should take note of? (Yes, I've posted in gay and lesbian forum as well.)

 

What questions am I not considering?

 

Thanks!

 

Congratulations. This will be a wonderful honeymoon.

 

If your fiancé is worried about getting seasick, buy Bonine. It is an over-the-counter medication that won't make you sleepy. We take it on every cruise. When we started cruising, my husband was worried about getting sick and one of the crew told him to eat apples with the skin on. He used the medication and ate the applies and never felt sick.

 

Have you considered "select" dining? You decide every day what time you want to eat and make a reservation for that time.

 

Do try the specialty restaurants. Murano is my favorite. The fare is continental, has soft lighting, and is very romantic. If you intend to try all the specialty restaurants, a package is the way to go. You don't need to buy the package prior to the cruise if you don't want to. There will be a table set up on sailing day to purchase the package, and you can use any on-board credit to pay for it, if you like.

 

If you have never been to Rome, you must see the Vatican. Use a tour service, you will skip the lines to get in and it will be much more informative. We used Dark Rome. The tour guide was an art major, his English was perfect, and we learned a lot from him.

 

There is a wonderful restaurant outside of Rome, Hostaria Antica Roma. The food is amazing and you can sit outside for dinner. The building itself is about 2,000 years old. We did a pre-cruise dinner for 40 people and everyone loved it.

 

You can book your hotel and transportation to the port and back to the airport through the ship but we have always done it by ourselves. We have found others through the roll call who want to share a van, and that makes it very affordable. We have always used Rome in Limo and Romecabs. They are both very dependable.

 

A group of us stayed across from the Pantheon, another group near the Spanish steps, some near the Vatican.

 

We found a small grocery store near the hotel and bought some Coke Light (Europe's version of diet coke) and brought the cans on board. We asked our cabin steward to empty the refrigerator and put the cokes in there. That way, we could sit on our balcony and drink soda. We never took the cans outside of our cabin, though.

 

Bring more euros than you think you will need. You will be surprised at how quickly they disappear. You will even need a few euros for the bathroom attendant (you give them one or two euros, they give you a few squares of toilet paper).

 

If no one has started a roll call, why not be the first? Once others see it they might want to join the conversation. If you have a lively roll call you feel like you know each other by the time you get on the ship. You can make plans for private tours, transportation, hotels, etc.

 

We have had several same sex couples on our cruises. I don't think they were treated any differently than any other couples. Some couples wanted to join in our group activities and some didn't, but everyone was welcomed with open arms, as long as they were friendly.

 

Don't forget to mention to your waiter (if you pick early or late seating), or the person taking your dinner reservation if you pick select, that you are on your honeymoon. They will have a small cake brought to table for the two of you, and will even pack it up so you can take it back to your room.

 

If you need any more information, just ask. Also, go on the message boards for the different ports. You will get a lot of good information there.

[shainky84]

Thanks, Basil.

 

You offer really great advice here....

 

Seasickness is becoming less and less of a concern for us; we'll being the meds just in case but I do think we will be fine.

 

I will do some reserve on the select dining. I think that it makes sense, depending on when we get back to the ship form excursions - earlier dinner after only a morning of touring.

 

We will certainly do some of the specialty restaurants, so we are just trying to figure out the most cost effective way to do that.

 

Thanks for the advice about Rome. I'm starting to think that doing it on our own is a better option than Celebrity's package. The expertise of everyone here on CC has been great so far, and is helping me to do my research. The Vatican is a definite on our list. And thanks for the suggestions about hotels and tips (that would I never would have thought about).

 

We have a roll call already, it's just slow to get going. I hope it will pick up as we get closer. Great suggestion about bringing drinks aboard; is that allowed, or do we somehow have to sneak it in?

 

And how wonderful to hear that same sex couples are just like everyone on the ship. That's all we want, too.

 

I will certainly take advantage of the honeymoon cake, as long as we aren't too full from the meal!

 

Barry & Matthew

[4774Papa]

My fiancee and I are first-time cruisers. After much consideration, we've mhave decided to take our honeymoon as a 10-night Eastern Mediterranean cruise on the Celebrity Reflection next June. We like this itinerary because it is very focused on Greece, which is where we wanted to be, and 2 sea days will give us more time to relax aboard the ship than the 7-night cruises were initially looking at...

 

So far, we have been very impressed with Celebrity and the Reflection from all the research we've been doing. It seems like it has the offerings of a mega-ship while not feeling too overwhelming or crowded. But, as we continue to plan, and before we book, what do we need to know?

 

A mid-ship balcony is a MUST, but what category? Is it worth the upgrade to Concierge Class? What deck(s) are best for the stateroom?

 

We plan to upgrade to the most comprehensive dining package we can to give ourselves options, but late seating or early seating? (Is flexible seating an option, and should we even consider it?)

 

I'm enjoy drinking, but my fiancee will have 1 or 2 and that's it. For this trip, I don't imagine any heavy drinking on port days (maybe 1 with breakfast and 1-2 with/after dinner), but I plan to have fun on sea days. I'm addicted to regular, brewed coffee (2-3 cups in the morning, easy), we both drink Diet Coke, and and my fiancee is an avid fan of unsweetened iced tea. What's the best beverage package?

 

The ship departs from Rome on a Friday, but we plan to leave NY on Tuesday night to arrive in Rome on Wednesday. The extra few days will let us sightsee there, and also gives us a chance to adjust to the time difference and board the ship relaxed and refreshed. Should we book airfare through Celebrity? What about hotel? Can they help us get from the airport to the hotel, and then the hotel to the port?....And how do we get back to the airport after we disembark?

 

What shore excursion should we do? Should we do them on our own or through the ship? We want to sightsee in each of the ports, but we don't want to break the bank or become so exhausted that we are burnt out and can't enjoy the trip as a whole. We don't want to regret not doing something, but we don't want to do everything to the point that our experience is more about getting from place to place instead of enjoying the places we do so. We are looking, I guess, at a mix of rest/relaxation and sightessing.

 

We are a male gay couple from NYC area in our early 30s. What sort of experience might we expect on the ship? I've heard that the cruise industry is very inclusive of gay couples, but is there anything that Celebrity does or does not do that we should take note of? (Yes, I've posted in gay and lesbian forum as well.)

 

What questions am I not considering?

 

Thanks!

Welcome to Celebrity. I think you will enjoy your Celebrity cruise and find other cruises to be friendly. It is highly unlikely that you will encounter any negatives because you are gay.

 

Celebrity cruisers tend to be well traveled and highly educated. We have cruised Celebrity in Asia, Australia, South America, Europe and the Caribbean. You will find more Europeans on your Med cruise, with a lot of British, some German and a few Spanish, French and Italians. Europeans tend to eat late and may fill up the late seating (usually 8:30pm). We either eat at early seating or go select and eat when we wish.

 

If you want to dine with the same people every night, choose a specific seating. If you dine in Select and tend to eat at the same time every evening you will likely run into some of the same people, but not always.

 

If you are prone to sea sickness, the lower the deck the better. DW and I are not prone to get sick on a cruise, even after one in the North Sea and North Atlantic with a Cat 2 hurricane chasing us.

 

You can find ginger tablets and wrist bands that might help. Some people get a prescription for stronger stuff.

 

We have never found the Med to be as bad as the Atlantic for stormy seas.

 

Celebrity has excellent Main Dining Room and Buffet food. We do like Bistro on Five for lunch sometimes, but don't pay the steep up-charges for the specialty restaurants. Celebrity's dining up-charges are too high.

 

If your partner is a light drinker, you would be better off not buying the drinks packages.

 

The packages are expensive. Sure, they include specialty coffee, tea, juice and bottled water, but we never purchase the packages.

 

We tend to be wine drinkers with an occasional beer and a martini or scotch here and there. It takes a lot of drinks to make the drinks package worthwhile and you both would have to purchase the packages.

 

Check out the roll call on cc for your specific cruise. You may find private tours that are cheaper than Celebrity's excursions.

 

Ports like Istanbul, Mykonos, Athens etc. you can do it yourself.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[CathyCruises]

Re: the specialty restaurants. We have always had good luck in getting significant discounts, 40-50%. Especially on longer cruises, the later it gets in the cruise, the better the chances are. We just ask; they usually say 20-25%, then I counter with 50%, and I've never been turned down!!

 

Of course if you want to do a specific restaurant on a specific night, it's best to reserve ahead even without a discount.

 

As far as ship excursions are concerned, we stay as far away as possible. You have no control over where you are going, what you are seeing, or the pace at which you are moving. Unfortunately they move at the pace of the slowest person and there's a lot of waiting around for disrespectful passengers who are late in returning. There is a lot of information on the boards about every one of your ports of call and you can figure out the best way to get the most out of your day, have a better time, and save money too.

[basil's mom]

Barry,

 

We didn't sneak the soda, just brought it on board in a bag. You are allowed to bring wine on board (in limited quantities). If you drink it in your cabin, no charge. If you take it to the dining room there is a corkage charge, can't remember what it was.

 

Don't worry if the roll call is slow now. On our 2014 cruise, we only had 10 people on it in the beginning. By the time we sailed, there were 154 - 73 Americans, 17 Aussies, 16 Brits, 36 Canadians, 8 New Zealanders, and 2 Scotts. We became friends before the cruise even started. 13 of us met on a roll call for a Mediterranean cruise we took in 2011 and still keep in touch. By the time the cruise started, we had planned a group rate at a hotel, pre-cruise dinner, transportation from several hotels to the port, several tours in each port, and transportation from the port to the airport. We limited each tour to 8-10 people and if there were more than that who wanted to go, created a wait list or started another van for that tour. We spoke to someone from guest relations and arranged it so that our group could get off the ship at the same time, usually even before the ship tours got off!

 

I'm not sure what your itinerary is, but if you get the chance, do an Amalfi coast tour. The drivers are like NYC cab drivers, the road is very narrow - sometimes only wide enough for one vehicle at a time - but the scenery is breathtaking.

 

Italy and Greece are beautiful, and the food is so good. We walked a lot on our first Mediterranean cruise and didn't gain one pound. On the 2014 cruise, we rode around a lot and gained weight, but it definitely was worth it.

 

Europe is expensive, so expect to spend twice what you planned. If you like to shop, check out the prices of things at home before you go. Don't assume that just because something comes from Italy or Greece that it will cost less there, although you can get some good bargains. Tourists seem to be expected to haggle, so hone your skills. If you do it with a smile and are friendly, it is possible to get a bargain. I bought leather wallets and purses in Florence and silk ties in Rome, which made great Christmas presents.

 

Don't use your cell phone while you are on the ship. It could cost you as much as your cruise! No matter what carrier you have, or what plan you have, if your phone is on you are going through the ship's service. That means phone and data, and it is horribly expensive. Wait to use your phone until you hit land. Check to see what plans your cell phone carrier has or buy a sim card good in Europe.

 

There will be plenty of ATMs for you to use and the exchange rate will be better than on the ship. Your password cannot start with a zero in Europe. You might also want to think about opening a bank account in which you put limited funds and is not connected to your other accounts. That way, if something happens and you lose the ATM card or the account us hacked, you don't find your main bank account drained of all of your funds.

 

You are going to have a wonderful time and what a great honeymoon. Take lots of pictures. If you are going to get dressed up for formal night there will be several places to have your photo taken on the ship. You might even consider renting a tux. My husband did that on the last cruise even though he has two, since weight was an issue on the plane.

[doctrd]

I see nobody has mentioned the benefits of the aft facing cabins. We are a lover of the aft facing cabins, whether is a regular room or a suite. On Celebrity it's category SV, sunset view. Less expensive than C class, and much less than Aqua class. It's just a regular room, but the aft view is great with less wind and more private. Motion is generally less at the rear of the ship, but the Med is generally very stable anyway.

 

We are also a fan of apartment rentals rather than hotels. Have to do a little more research with apartments, but a great site is airbnb. Look for a good central location, check for AC and elevators.

 

Here is a short video I did of the last apartment we had in Rome a couple of years ago, and this was just for the 2 of us!

Don't miss the end, check out the Jacuzzi tub in the bedroom....

 

Edited July 16, 2015 by doctrd

[CathyCruises]

I see nobody has mentioned the benefits of the aft facing cabins. We are a lover of the aft facing cabins, whether is a regular room or a suite. On Celebrity it's category SV, sunset view. Less expensive than C class, and much less than Aqua class. It's just a regular room, but the aft view is great with less wind and more private. Motion is generally less at the rear of the ship, but the Med is generally very stable anyway.

 

We are also a fan of apartment rentals rather than hotels. Have to do a little more research with apartments, but a great site is airbnb. Look for a good central location, check for AC and elevators.

 

Here is a short video I did of the last apartment we had in Rome a couple of years ago, and this was just for the 2 of us!

Don't miss the end, check out the Jacuzzi tub in the bedroom....

 

 

Great video!! What a place!! How much was that per night and what site did you find it on?

[doctrd]

I use AirBnb now, but back then I found it on this site:not sure if it's listed at airbnb...

They also have their own video of the place, shows the tub filled, that takes a while!

 

 

This is just one example, just check the site and browse...

 

http://www.rentalinrome.com/spagnastepsapartments/cosmopolitanhitechluxuryapartment

Edited July 17, 2015 by doctrd

[shainky84]

Thanks 4774! Your suggestions are much appreciated!

 

It turns out that our TA signed us for Select Dining. I may waitlist for the late seating, but I think I like the freedom of Select for now; might give us some flexibility depending on what time we get back from excursions or what the evening show/entertainment is.

 

I think that we are less and less concerned about seasickness, but we'll bring the meds and pills just in case.

 

Our booking promo came with a classical dining package included, so we are thinking that will be enough. We have a nice OBC in the package too, so that should be able to cover anything above.

 

We are psyched for Celebrity. When we compared our considerations - cruise line, ship, ports, duration - this was the the best option!!! So far, we are very happy with our choice.

 

Thanks again.

[shainky84]

Thanks, Cathy. I'm thinking that a mix of ship excursions, third party excursions, and self-guided tours might be nice for us since we are first-timers. Since ship excursions leave first, I'm wondering if it makes sense to do these at the ports we are tendered (Mykonos and Santorini, I think). Still need to do a lot more research....

 

Still trying to figure out the dining - Do I want to book in advance and have one less thing to worry about onboard? Or is is better to try for the better discount?

 

Thanks!

[shainky84]

Basil,

 

Thanks. Great support and suggestions. I look forward to seeing the Roll Call pick up, and I hope that I can use it to make some arrangements ahead of time.

 

We have one port day, our last, in Naples. We both want to see Pompei, so I'll see if there is a way to do Amalfi Coast too.

 

Have to see about the formal attire. A good point - walking tours will work off all the food we eat!! Hadn't thought about the ATM idea, will have to investigate that further. Might also be a good way to limit spending on the trip, too.

 

I'm considering renting a SIM card for one of our phones. (I've done this before in Israel and it's been super easy and not too expensive.) Is it still expensive to use aboard the ship even with a European SIM card?

 

Thanks.

 

Barry

[shainky84]

doc,

 

We actually booked at C-class cabin at mid-ship already. Makes more sense to us a first-time cruises. If all goes well, though, we'll certainly consider aft for the next cruise!

 

I'll look into the apartment idea. I've never done airbnb before, so I will need to do some more research on that one. Thanks for the suggestion!

[basil's mom]

Barry,

 

Most of the Pompeii tours also go along the Amalfi Coast. Pompeii is fascinating. Wear very comfortable shoes, the streets are cobblestone and the sidewalks are very high - maybe 12 inches in some places.

 

I would wait to book the specialty restaurants until I am on-board. We never had a big problem getting into the restaurant we wanted. On one occasion the time we wanted was not available so we booked for the next night. Other than that, we would call in the morning and get a reservation for that night.

[shainky84]

Makes a lot of sense, Basil. Thanks! Thanks for the dining suggestion!