Is Reflection for us? Comparisons with RSSC?

[SuzCruise]

DH and I are considering a Caribbean cruise in November on the Reflection. We cruised Celebrity once 6 years ago and have cruised RSSC most often, and most recently Silversea. We enjoyed our Baltic on the Century very much. We thought the food was very good, the crowd just lively enough and much younger overall than on RSSC and the service was top notch. We've never cruised a huge ship like the Reflection and are excited to see what it is all about.

 

But I keep reading on these boards about everyone booking certain classes of rooms to get into specialty restaurants to avoid the MDR, paying for even casual alternative dining restaurants and buying bottled water. Just has we have seen a lot of changes to RSSC, I'm afraid we might not be happy with the changes on Celebrity. Has the food gone terribly down hill? That is a very subjective area, but we are foodies and food is a huge part of vacation for us so I'm seeking all the info I can get. Are the alternative restaurants booked way in advance so we won't get a chance to try them out? Has Celebrity gone the nickle and dime route? Do we have to pay for every single thing we consume or do? I'm fine buying a beverage package, though I have never done so before, but I just want to know going in how often there will be a slip to sign.

 

Does the ship feel crowded? I'm assuming it is so huge that the fact there are 10x the number of passengers as our last cruise won't really be that impactful. Our last cruise was a bit too mellow, so having a few more people in the bar with us at night would be welcome, as long as I can still find a seat. But will we have a problem finding a quiet place with an ocean view to sit and play a game while enjoying a cocktail during the day? Does she handle rough seas better than a small ship? My husband always has issues with seasickness if we hit rough seas, so I'm hoping this might be a plus.

 

Thanks in advance for any and all help!

[wallie5446]

Our first cruise was in 1987, 7 different lines, tho none on RSSC.

 

That said, the Reflection is our favorite ship to sail on in 25+ years.

 

Nickle n dime? Not even close.

Edited September 12, 2015 by wallie5446

[jelayne]

You didn't say which ship you were on previously on Celebrity but the Reflection holds about 175-190 passengers more than other S class ship and about 850 more than the M class ships.

 

We haven't sailed RSSC but goods friend has many times. They recently sailed on Celebrity in an AQ cabin and loved it an really enjoyed dining in Blu- like the smaller dining room & food. In fact they booked another Celebrity a couple of weeks ago.

 

We haven't been on the Reflection but have been on other S Class ships. We have not found them to feel crowded. We have been not had a problem finding a place to sit and play a game & look at the ocean.

 

As you said food is subjective, we enjoy dining in Blu so often book a Aqua class cabin. Our last cruise we ate in the MDR and the food was fine, but it is large, noisier and feels a bit more hectic than Blu or a speciality restaurant.

 

We have never had a problem getting a reservation in a speciality restaurant, but we don't go often. On our last cruise the restaurants were so under booked that they were offering discounts of 35%.

 

Hope this help.

Edited September 12, 2015 by jelayne

[vickykay]

We were on the Reflection this past May and just loved this ship! We have always been happy with the food in the MDR but had the good fortune to be able to upgrade to a suite on this cruise and eat in Luminae. If in your budget you may want to consider a suite for this reason. Small restaurant, wonderful service and food.

[fatbaldbloke]

We came off The Reflection yesterday & must admit we thoroughly enjoyed our time onboard. I would have no hesitation in recommending this ship.

[Lois R]

When you buy a beverage package you never have to sign a slip. You show the bartender/waiter/waitress your card and that is it.

 

Luminae is the restaurant specifically for suite passengers. From what I have

read, most people love it.

Aqua Class cabins restaurant is "BLU".....you might want to do a search

for both restaurants and you will find tons of threads about each place.

 

Many people still enjoy the main dining room but many people only

book regular cabins so the 2 restaurants I mentioned above are not

available to regular cabins.

 

Also, the Specialty Restaurants? You asked about them filling up? Normally

they have space available.....just depends on what time you want to dine.

 

And of course the major difference would be the size of the ship....are Radisson

ships less than a 1000 guests?........I have never sailed them but I would say

it is apples to oranges. But I would say the folks who book suites on Celebrity

could probably give a better idea if those are more like Radisson,,,,

RSSC is Radisson, right?

Edited September 12, 2015 by Lois R

[greydog]

Our favorite ship is Reflection. That said, I suggest you calibrate your expectations to the large ship Celebrity experience. Think Hyatt hotels vs RSSC as Fairmont/4 Seasons.

 

Another recent post detailing Celebrity vs Oceania found Celebrity the better value at its price point.

 

Choosing a Celebrity Suite class with its new highly praised Luminae dedicated restaurant may be the best of both worlds. HAPPY CRUISING

[themutis]

With the price you have been paying for a RSSC or Silversea cruise you can book a Celebrity Suite (or higher). Combine that with the current "Go Best" promotion that includes the Premium beverage package, 300.00 OBC, prepaid tips and unlimited internet, and you have an all-inclusive experience.

 

Celebrity Suites and higher have access to the private Michael's Club Lounge in addition to the private Suite dining room. I believe there is a dedicated concierge in the lounge which can arrange any special requests/excursion you may want. It is also a gathering place for fellow Celebrity Suite and above passengers pre and post dinner. Included in the fare is a complimentary dinner in a specialty restaurant. If you want to try more than one specialty restaurant, you do have the 300 OBC to use up :).

 

On Reflection they also have Alcoves (semi-private cabanas on the lawn), so if you are looking for a quieter place to hang out during sea days, you may also want to look into renting one of these.

[hvsteve1]

We cruised all RSS ships and really enjoyed them and the luxury of it. However, Regent kind of priced themselves out of our range. We tried HAL and were not too happy. Our TA suggested Celebrity for several reasons. One was we were able to get the total 1,2,3 package which meant included gratuities, a beverage card and OBC to cover other charges, such as specialty restaurants (sound familiar?). We were in Aqua Class and ate in BLU all week and used OBC for Murano and Lawn Club Grill. We also upgraded to the premium beverage card. Now, I have to admit the luxurious feel wasn't there in some cases. For example, when we ordered drinks, the waiter still took our card as compared to RSS where they walk around and hand you drinks because nobody on board pays. The ships are also considerably larger but don't really feel all that crowded. We booked on board for our next cruise with the 1,2,3 package again on this time in a suite so we could eat in Luminea. This will NOT be the equivilent of Regent or Crystal or Silverseas BUT you will get something almost comparable for probably half the price. Plus with all the suite perks, Luminea, Michaels Club, a butler, etc. (and this can be a sore subject on these boards) you will feel a little more special as "X" is one of the cruise lines having gone to two or three classes of traveler.:rolleyes: