Live on Reflection: 14 Nt Exotic Southern Caribbean (Jan 4)

[mahdnc]

We are still floating ever so slowly to the harbor. Grenada is an island rich with topography, but poor economically. 

[mahdnc]

MSC Preziosa is in Grenada today, too. 

[NemoCrownie]

3 hours ago, mahdnc said:

We used Iyanola Adventures, run by a charming Curtis John for this trip and the last two times we have cruised to St Lucia.  

 

I highly recommend him. It is a small operation that provides very personalized service. He provides boat pickup and drop off near the cruiseship

Thank you!

[mahdnc]

17 hours ago, SkystheLimit said:

This must vary by cruise. We docked at Pointe Seraphine Pier on our 12/7/18 Reflection cruise.

Yes, you are right. The previous two times we docked at St Lucia we were at Pointe Seraphine Pier. We visits St Lucia for the first time in Feb 2002, and we ended up docking at the La Place Carenega Pier

 

Edited January 10, 2019 by mahdnc

[mahdnc]

If Reflection had a port side webcam, this is what you would see right now:

[mahdnc]

The harbor pilot just left! We are on our own! Tomorrow is a sea day. 

[mahdnc]

[mahdnc]

Tonight we are dining at Murano. Guess this starter:

[mahdnc]

Chris is ready to dig into his duck!

[AnJ]

Thanks for this very enjoyable review.  I was wondering, we leave on January 28th aboard the Reflection and we completed our check in procedures using the Celebrity App.  My question is had you done the same, and if so, was it any easier and are you able to use the app during your cruise to text your family onboard with you?  Thanks in advance. 

[mahdnc]

Good morning. Satellite connection was down for most of the morning. It's a sea day today!

Edited January 11, 2019 by mahdnc

[mahdnc]

Slot pull underway

[mahdnc]

[mahdnc]

Thank you Grandmaanne7 (right, who organized it) and casino host, Silvia (left). We had 64 people play (65 signed up) and we all are getting $17.81 off our $15 buy in. Most importantly, we all had fun!!

Edited January 11, 2019 by mahdnc

[mahdnc]

Elegant tea today.

 

We had a large turnout

 

Coconut towers!

Edited January 11, 2019 by mahdnc

[mahdnc]

5 hours ago, AnJ said:

Thanks for this very enjoyable review.  I was wondering, we leave on January 28th aboard the Reflection and we completed our check in procedures using the Celebrity App.  My question is had you done the same, and if so, was it any easier and are you able to use the app during your cruise to text your family onboard with you?  Thanks in advance. 

We did the check in in thru the app, but there is no messaging capability on this sailing. It works fine for reviewing your specialty restaurant reservations and charges to your folio. 

Edited January 11, 2019 by mahdnc

[Dall]

Was check in any faster or different because you used the app?  

[mahdnc]

Check in was fastest I have experienced, but I don't know if it was because of the app.

 

No health questionnaire to fill out (the biggest time saver, but not app related), our room keys were pre made up (maybe this is because of the app?), there was no Xpess pass to have to show (app related?)

 

 

Edited January 11, 2019 by mahdnc

[cangelmd]

Is the Elegant Tea an Elite benefit? Looks like fun

[mahdnc]

1 hour ago, cangelmd said:

Is the Elegant Tea an Elite benefit? Looks like fun

Yes, Elite and above. 

[mahdnc]

It's the second Evening Chic Night. Here's  our sunset half an hour ago....

[mahdnc]

Today's sea day brought people out to the pool:

[mahdnc]

Lawn area....

[mahdnc]

On 1/6/2019 at 7:06 PM, cangelmd said:

Can you post a picture of the Sunset Bar? Is it on the deck with the OVC or on the deck above? We really liked the arrangement on Equinox with a small bar outside the OVC and the larger Sunset on a different deck.

I think your question was answered by others last week, but hers the photos you requested.

 

Here is the Sunset Bar on Deck 15 aft (which I posted earlier):

 

Here is the area below it on Deck 14, which is the outdoor seating for the OVC. 

Edited January 12, 2019 by mahdnc

[mahdnc]

I was surprised at the light turnout for the blackjack tournament. There were a total of 12 people. The buy in is $20 and you are given $500 in chips

 

My son and I both entered, but did not win although my son had a chance to win on his next to last hand but did not win his double down hand when he had $1000 on the table. The winner of the tournament had a of chip total $2200. 

 

Celebrity runs the blackjack tournament informally and they inadvertently give players a strategic edge over others based on the two tournaments I've played in. 

 

The biggest advantage is given to the players who sign up late and get to play the final table (or final first round table if  there is a later playoff round). Those players are told what the chip totals of the leaders are from the prior tables. In other words that know how much they have to get to win. Normally that advantage is removed by playing all the players at the same time at multiple tables. 

 

A smaller advantage is given to the player that sits immediately to the dealer's right (aka third base). That player plays his hand last after watching all the other players play out their hand. That advantage is traditionally eliminated by rotating who goes first (and hence last). But Celebrity does not do that.