Reflection 1/14/17 Sailing – Live Blog, Photo Blog, Cat Blog?

[floridaag]

Love it - we did the helipad sailaway from Vancouver on the Solstice - it was amazing albeit chilly.

[Lastdance]

Thanks for all the crazy fun...enjoyed all of it!

[David Kane]

Thanks again for the follows and comments. While we have not actually attended the Steampunk World Fair we know the owner and a good majority of the acts - it's just a bit of a drive for us on a work week(end).

 

Day 7 - To the Maxx

 

--Our last full day starts LATE. Due to last evening/morning's festivities at the Casino I manage to struggle out of bed around 9 and have a late breakfast at the Buffet. XZ and I fall into Michael's Club sometime around 11am for pre-lunch drinks and then it's off to Sushi on 5 for lunch. It's not that the Luminae Lunch lacks variety as much as it was we needed to have one more go at the off-menu Bluefin Tuna Roll.

 

--Sushi on 5 was as good as it was the first time, with a caliber of sophistication and service not generally seen outside of Luminae. Once again, they let us order the Blue Fin and even provide some ground fresh Wasabi on the house. XZ gets the Lobster Ramen which comes with, apparently, an *entire* Lobster tail! As we wrap up our meal one of those "this only happens to my wife/only my wife does this" occurrences, uh, occurs. In walks the entire Destination Concierge Team for lunch, apparently a team building meal of some kind. Seeing as Stefan had helped us pick out the aforementioned private Speedboat/Snorkel Tour XZ decides to buy a bottle of Sake for their team and have the wait-staff deliver it for her - nothing is better than being able to thank one of the staff, in public and in front of their team...with liquor.

 

--And just as we're feeling pretty good about things, the Fuzzy Menace has to make her final attempt to Troll our vacation. Let's see what her last shot is, shall we?

 

 

Of Course. Of course she has to bitch about the food. We ate almost everywhere we could on the ship, including multiple stops at the Oceanview where you could literally watch someone making fresh pizza as fast as they could. While there were some staples offered every night, we saw nary a left over and certainly nothing was ever "mashed up." Where on earth does she gets these from? The...cruise critic reviews of the Reflection? That...can't possibly be right...is it?

 

--Complaint dismissed and we are back on track to see the Matinee performance of Maxx, the second cast show. The premise here is about a guy who gets sucked into a virtual world and has to battle his way out. This. Show. This show has it ALL! From the opening scene, which literally looks like the beginning of Pulps "Common People" video to the amazing Tron-esque costumes, to the transition scenes which are performed by Zachary (the gymnast/strong man) to the Flash Gordon homage costuming of the female lead to seeing Darius and Isaac having a matrix-style fight to having Alex *jump* over the first row of seats and on to the stage for his entrance...as you can see, I could go on and on. Maxx was everything in story-telling that Elysium wasn't - and had modern music and costumes to boot. Tremendous show, amazing effort by the Cast.

 

--Staggering out of Maxx, we hit up Michael's Club for a round and then immediately marched back up front for the theatre tour, hosted by a number of the cast. If you at all enjoyed any of the shows the theatre tour is for you. They show you pretty much everything, from getting to touch the costumes, see Fefe's personal repair area, and examine all the make-up and directions on the stage itself. One other interesting note: every area of this ship is meticulously clean. Spotless.

 

--Finally free of scheduled activities we make a quick and relaxing spring through the Persian Garden and hen return to our room for the final Dressing for Dinner and the heretofore never discussed tip distribution...but that, my friends, shall have to wait until the next post. It being Groundhog Day, I am being called away to watch...Road House. No, kidding. It's Groundhog Day. :)

[rcssmom]

The dress that XZ is wearing here is amazing. She looks like an art deco masterpiece!

 

 

 

Do you guys ever go to Steampunk World's Fair?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Russterus]

I think we may have to do a crowd funding for you to go on another cruise just so we can get some more of your great reviews. Thanks for an almost complete, entertaining review!

[iheartbda]

Oh GEEZE, I feel like I wasted a whole cruise after reading everything that you did.:o You two certainly seemed to get the absolute most out of the cruise. Have enjoyed reading your review and relived my week on the Reflection.

 

I had not been on Celebrity for a number of years and found it to be everything I remember about X . I was in an Aqua Class cabin so really enjoyed Blu and the Persian Garden. I was on the cabin crawl but several others and I had to wait for an elevator so lost the head start group. You didn't wait for us...bwah, wah, wah. Missed seeing the Sky Suite and that was the only cabin I wanted to see.

 

XZ's gown were fab and don't know which was my favorite but always hoped I would see what she was wearing each night. You were quite the dapper, and sometimes, mysterious dresser.

 

Someone, earlier had asked if there was a night light in the bathroom. The first time there was a low light in the bathroom, I thought it went on automatically in the evening.:D A couple of days later, I realized all you had to do was press the light pad one way or the other for full light or dim. So, yes, there is a night light. Cabin steward must have turned it on the first night.

 

I ran into some of the Norwegians, an older couple that hung out in deck chairs on deck 4. They said they were with a group of 26 so wonder if the ones you hung out with were part of that group. The couple didn't speak a whole lot of English but what I gathered was, they didn't do much and may not even have gotten off the ship. We Americans are so spoiled in that many of us don't speak another language but so many Europeans speak English even if it's not fluent.

[David Kane]

--After returning from the backstage tour we began to dress for dinner, which, as noted, takes like a freaking hour. This was also our time to sit down and enjoy one of our favorite activities – preparing additional Thank You notes and gratuities for the staff. I know this will probably cause eye-rolls, what with the automatic gratuities on everything and non-tipping culture a lot of guests bring onboard, but XZ and I look forward to scampering around the ship on the last night like backwards-pirates, delivering envelopes to the staff we’ve enjoyed interacting with over the past week. Heretofore never revealed publicly was our list from the last cruise (true gentlemen never share dollar amounts):

 

--Michaels Club Concierge (2)

--Michaels Club Bartenders (2)

--World Class Bar Bartenders (2…I’m sensing a theme here!)

--Photographers (2)

--Luminae (Hostess, 2 Servers, Head Waitress, Sommelier, Head Chef)

--Performance Cast (3)

--Captains Club Host

 

--Carrying our bag of goodies we set out for Luminae and our last full service meal, full of fond farewells. From there, we stop by Michael’s club to wish Dubra, the head bartender, well on her way – her contract concluded at 9pm that night and she was off the ship with the rest of us the next morning. She was nice enough to take a few pictures of us. As well, of note, here is the Specialty Cocktail of Montenegro; you won’t find it on any menu, but certain bartenders “in the know” will make it for you upon request:

 

This is what happens without a photo package – I look both washed out *and* stunned!

 

Wait…is XZ wearing…

 

--Yes, that’s correct. On our last night XZ packs her gowns to be picked up at ~10pm but I refuse to not go formal and since I have to haul my Suit Bag off the ship the next morning anyway XZ wears one of my Tuxes.

 

--We swing by the World Class Bar and then spend some time chatting with the photographers who, as we noted before, had been on the Summit with us in January of 2016. We collect a massive package of more than 200 full color prints and a CD thereby guaranteeing we have gifts for my parents for the rest of the year.

 

--Finally, the last evening cycles begin. Our Norwegian/Viking friends have re-appeared and we introduce them to the World Class Bar, where we also take up the company of two lovely women from England, including noted author C.A. Kingsley (The Road Back to Tuscany). We make a final pass at the Casino, enjoying the casual play of $1 roulette. One interesting thing about this cruise (or ship?) that I had never seen before was the amount of guests who had a Blue Chip Club card – must have been a dozen or so of them(!).

 

--As the casino closes down (including the incredible sight of the Casino Host, who was a rather affable gentleman, sitting at a table, working on some type of receipt paperwork with a guest who must have had $15,000 in chips in front of him…) we head fore to the Sky Lounge and XZ heads off to bed. However, being that drinks are still being served and, as Eirik says, “I don’t like to say goodbyes” we resolve to stay up until the very end of any amount of appreciable drink service – sometime around 3am. It would have been the dawn, but XZ and I have a travel day in front of us and I’d like at least some sleep before being subjected to the vagaries of air travel.

 

--So there it is – after trying to squeeze every possible moment of wonder and amazement from this cruise, it is time, in the final accounting of the small hours, to bid ‘fare thee well’ to Eirik and Johnny and the rest of my midnight confidants. It’s been a week that has been full of an embarrassment of riches and fortune and friendship. I think the best part about cruising, aside from the opportunity to meet and learn from so many disparate people, are the lasting memories. On our trip home and still continuing 2 weeks later we share our stories, both that we experienced together and, in our late night or early morning wanderings, separately. There are so many of them that they are impossible to encapsulate here, like the time we met a well-known art collector/pornographer over lunch or the long list of specialty drinks from Montenegro Dubra kept serving us in Michaels Club. It is all so wonderfully absurd and amazing - an experience to last a lifetime.

[David Kane]

--There really isn't much to say about disembarkation day. We staggered out of our room at around 7:30am (well, someone staggered...someone else got to bed at a reasonable hour and was all bouncy this morning), had a quick breakfast in the Oceanview, and then waited in Michaels Club for our disembarkation number to be called.

 

--I feel I'll leave our experiences here. I could go further into the bizarre chaos that is the Port of Miami, the structured chaos that is Miami International Airport, or the mean-spirited extortion that has become American Air Travel - but this is a Cruise Blog full of fine and exciting times, not a travel blog full of $23 airport salads.

 

--Finally, thanks to everyone who had made it this far through all my self-indulgent ramblings. And, as always:

 

NOTE: Next Cruise - August 27 - Sept 3 aboard the Celebrity Summit! See you then.

[wallie5446]

Most excellent finale, to be continued :D

[Softball20]

Great review; loved all your detail and commentary. Can't wait to sail on the Reflection in May.

[hazelmaye]

thanks for the review. it was fun and clever. judy

[Cruisy McGee]

Have loved (and anxiously awaited) every post and picture! Thank you so much for sharing.

 

This year we will be taking my husband's first cruise. He, too, is a late night wanderer. I only hope he finds another of his ilk aboard. You've given me hope that he will.

[jryan110]

Well said my friend. Your experiences have left me excited for our own upcoming cruise in April and your free-spirited nature has served as a healthy reminder that it's okay to unclench and 'dance like no one is watching'.

 

Perhaps we'll cross paths on the Summit in August.

 

Cheers

[MinnesotaCruiser1974]

Fantastic review! I really enjoyed following along!!

 

 

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[Richard&JohnSTX]

Best. Review. Ever.

[willcruiseanythyme]

Just read your entire review in one sitting. Whew! I'm exhausted! 😂

Our first Reflection cruise is coming up next month but to the Eastern side. Can't wait! If I did a cruise like you guys did, I'd need a vacation after my vacation! But that's what's awesome about cruising! You can do as much or as little as you want! Cruising is the best vacation ever! Thanks for a great read!

 

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[easyboy]

Very entertaining review! No regrets following!

[conquesodor]

Thanks for sharing so much of your cruise with us. It was great fun reading and following along. I'm sure you're cat is glad you're back, but don't let that stop you from cruising again and doing another live blog / cat blog. :-)

 

Cheers!

 

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[pd7277]

Good Evening.

 

As I spend tonight packing for our upcoming cruise I look back on my two previous Cruise Critic recaps and realize…I never finished one and didn’t even start the other! Whoops. This time, I am resolved to be better and attempt to give back to this community that has provided me with a lot of joy and daydreams over the last several years.

 

I’d like to give a big thank you and shout out to GHStudio, ProjectGal, Arno, DRJKRetired, and all the other frequent posters who, unlike me, have kept everyone up to speed on their adventures.

 

Note: This Blog is rated H for hu-mor. Curmudgeons are hereby advised.

 

Background:

 

DW (who I will refer to by her initials XZ just to circumvent convention) and I are mid 30’s early 40’s with no kids and one cat who hates it when we go cruising (more on the cat later). We were big Disney fans until their scheduling demands made the spontaneous experience entirely unenjoyable and, for my 40th, we decided to give cruising a try.

 

 

Our first trip was in an RS on the Infinity for Halloween in 2015. We came right back for more, booking a RS on the Summit for 2016 and, after that go-around, we were hooked.

 

This Trip:

 

Sometime around September of 2016 the price dropped on a Suite Guarantee on the Reflection and we were in. A few weeks later we were assigned a SS (I believe it is a former AS they turned into a SS) and have been eagerly counting down the days. We’re looking forward to Michael’s Club and Luminae (a big deal for us), hanging out in the Casino, attending numerous shows, visiting ports we have never been to before, meeting the always-engaging and excellent staff, and treating every night as though it is a formal night – chic be damned!

 

The Cat:

Our cat, on the other hand, hates it when we cruise. However, she is a frequent reader of Cruise Critic and especially loves the bad reviews. Each day, we will review one “Cat Complaint” about the Reflection and see, in person, if it’s valid.

 

And Here We Go:

Packing time is now, flight out of Providence set for tomorrow with a room at the oft-recommended Hampton in the Brickell area. Next check-in tomorrow evening.

 

The luggage has been spotted…the cat suspects!

 

Well, what have we here! How are you Dave? and Mrs. Inkpen?

 

I had a feeling the cruise bug had bit you two when I saw you on the second to last morning of that first cruise back in 2014.

 

Here is a reminder of me (all the way right). Yes, we had a very small roll call that year, but sometimes those are the ones that you remember the people the most. The following year we sailed with Nick and Irene again! (Pictured first and next to me).

 

I'm not sure this photo is going to work, maybe it will be a link. Many bugs to work out with this new "format".

 

 

(Yup...just a link. Don't know why it doesn't work like it used to?)

[NanaChar]

I need to hear your cat's comments about being abandoned for a week.

 

 

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[Grandmaanne7]

Thank you so very much for a thoroughly entertaining review! I want to enjoy our next cruise as much as you enjoyed yours. I am inspired!

 

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[poffles]

Enjoyed your journey. Your pics are awesome. As a cat lover, the 'kitty corner' comments are spot on and capture the rolling of the eyes my cats will sometimes send my way.

 

Thanks for sharing.