Live-ish from the Reflection (11-6-21)

[Jim_Iain]

5 minutes ago, aidanht said:

Good morning from sunny Roatan!  
 

We have still heard nothing about any positive cases on board.  If I do hear anything  I will post an update.  Everything is proceeding as normal.  I will say that it is very, very easy to socially distance if you want to.  Other than dance parties and occasionally a bar, there are no crowds anywhere.  I totally understand covid anxiety and have experienced a lot of it myself in various settings, but this cruise environment feels very safe.  Nothing is 100% safe these days, obviously, so it is really up to everyone to decide what feels right to them.
 

I will check the spa prices this afternoon.

 

From my experience on Millennium and Equinox when there is an announcement from the Captain it is made over the PA system including inside the stateroom so it is difficult not to hear.   Also when their was a new case the crew and especially the stateroom attendants were very aware of it and shared their information.  

 

I saw a couple with suit cases walking down the hall and asked him about it and he said they were crew that had been contact traced and were being moved to an isolation room until they pass 2 negative test 24 hours apart

[jelayne]

We have never had the Captains Daily announcement in the stateroom unless we had the TV on and the volume turned up.  Our recent cruise on the Edge the announcement did come into the cabin.  Call GR and said they would check it out but the morning announce didn't go into cabin if the TV was off or with the TV muted.  The next morning at around 10 they were doing a crew drill, DH & I were sleeping and jolted awake by the horn blasting the abandon ship signal into the cabin.   We jumped out of bed, putting on clothes, grabbing meds when I remembered there was a crew drill.  Looked in the hallway and everything was quiet.  

Long story short, there was a wiring problem and every announcement be it for guests or crew only was coming into our cabin, it took about 3 days for them to find and fix the problem.

[tampadee]

Thanks so much for your review.  Hubby and I are sailing 11/27.  

[aidanht]

Day 6 Daily Planner with opening times

 

 

[aidanht]

Day 5:

[aidanht]

Day 4

 

[Payd]

Thanks for the information you've shared! I've enjoyed reading your posts and appreciate the time you've taken to post photos of the daily planners!

 

After our March 2020 30 day covid cruise, we've had 6 or 7 cancellations - but are excited to plan to sail in August 2022 on Reflection.

 

What is your Suite Host/Concierge helpful with? Unpacking, restaurant reservations, room service? 

Do they offer a different menu for suites for breakfast service ( we have 5 early morning tours)?

 

Is the Passport bar busy? Micheals Club?  With no "Retreat Sundeck" is there some area reserved at the pool?

 

Thanks again!

  

[bandp407]

Aidanht ~ thanks so very much for this wonderful review & all of the dailies! 
 

Any word on the reason the Reflection has a CDC code Yellow? 
 

Enjoy your last day onboard & safe travels home!

[larry_s_taco]

Does the Reflection have the hot glass class? I did this on the Equinox and really enjoyed it.

[aidanht]

Good morning!  It is hard to believe it is our last day of this cruise.  It is a bright, sunny morning as we make our way north.  This has been a different cruise for us—the first time we haven’t done anything on shore—and definitely the most relaxing.  
 

To answer some questions:

 

No word on the CDC designation or covid cases on board.  We have not asked anyone, because we are not really concerned.  Everyone on board except a handful of children is vaccinated, and with the lack of crowds we really feel we are safer here than at any public place at home.  
 

There are no reserved areas for suite guests at the pool that I’m aware of.  It would be unnecessary on this cruise, because the pool area has never been close to crowded.  However, I believe they plan to be at full capacity by August.  I have seen the pool area pretty full on past Reflection cruises.  We’ve also gotten seats, but the seats by the pool have been full.  This is our first suite on an S-class ship, so I don’t know if there are usually reserved seats.

 

Our retreat host has been fabulous and available to help with anything at all.  There is an expanded room service menu.  You should be able to access it on the app.  We have not eaten in our room this cruise; Luminae has been very efficient.

 
I snapped a photo of the pedicure prices with my phone, so I need to transfer that photo in order to post it, but I believe a basic pedicure was $49.

 

 

 

[aidanht]

6 minutes ago, larry_s_taco said:

Does the Reflection have the hot glass class? I did this on the Equinox and really enjoyed it.

Sadly, no.  I really love those shows as well.  

[CruisnDeb]

22 minutes ago, aidanht said:

It is hard to believe it is our last day of this cruise.

Always sad and I'm sure you will make the most of it.  I really do appreciate you doing this "live-ish" review, answering everyone's questions, and especially posting of the dailies (even though we can view them in the app, I like seeing all the activities listed on one page 🙂.)  Now go have a mojito (or 2 or 3.)

[jamon]

 AIDANHT....Thanks for the info and the daily planners...Question..I see that under the heading Fortunes Casino, it says drinks for players...are they free when you play and do you go to the bar to get them or does a bar waiter come around to the tables and slots to take orders while you are playing...thanks

[Payd]

5 hours ago, aidanht said:

Good morning!  It is hard to believe it is our last day of this cruise.  It is a bright, sunny morning as we make our way north.  This has been a different cruise for us—the first time we haven’t done anything on shore—and definitely the most relaxing.  
 

To answer some questions:

 

No word on the CDC designation or covid cases on board.  We have not asked anyone, because we are not really concerned.  Everyone on board except a handful of children is vaccinated, and with the lack of crowds we really feel we are safer here than at any public place at home.  
 

There are no reserved areas for suite guests at the pool that I’m aware of.  It would be unnecessary on this cruise, because the pool area has never been close to crowded.  However, I believe they plan to be at full capacity by August.  I have seen the pool area pretty full on past Reflection cruises.  We’ve also gotten seats, but the seats by the pool have been full.  This is our first suite on an S-class ship, so I don’t know if there are usually reserved seats.

 

Our retreat host has been fabulous and available to help with anything at all.  There is an expanded room service menu.  You should be able to access it on the app.  We have not eaten in our room this cruise; Luminae has been very efficient.

 
I snapped a photo of the pedicure prices with my phone, so I need to transfer that photo in order to post it, but I believe a basic pedicure was $49.

 

 

 

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions!

 

[aidanht]

2 hours ago, jamon said:

 AIDANHT....Thanks for the info and the daily planners...Question..I see that under the heading Fortunes Casino, it says drinks for players...are they free when you play and do you go to the bar to get them or does a bar waiter come around to the tables and slots to take orders while you are playing...thanks

A server comes around and asks if you would like anything from the bar.  They definitely don’t want you to have to stop gambling to get a drink!

[aidanht]

Here are the prices for pedicures, etc.

 

[hlddad]

On 11/11/2021 at 10:20 AM, Team Stag said:

First & foremost - you have to make the decision that works for you & your family.  Second - I have no real data; I'm only offering an educated assumption as someone who has closely followed the CDC & return to cruising.  I am also sailing on the Reflection in November so I noticed the color change as well.  

No one truly understand the color system and what effects it. My guess for the Reflection is this:  Based on roll calls & crackbook post that mentioned people have been reassigned cabins on the 6th floor, the assumption is that is for quarantining new crew members.  If they have new crew members who have not be quarantined for 2 weeks that would bring the Reflection "out of compliance" with the conditional sailing order - because they will no longer have 98% crew fully vaxed even though technically they are quarantine and not coming in contact with any crew or guest.  

 

If you remember, the Reflection, previous to November, was being used as a crew only quarantine ship; then the crew members were moved to other vessels.  The conditional sailing order was set to expire around the end of Oct which then the Reflection could return to service.  But then the CDC extended the Conditional Sail Order (on Oct 25, 2021) until January 2022.  So now Celebrity is having to do 2 week quarantines on active ships. 

Finally, when I was on the Edge in July, I was overly impressed with the transparency from the Captain on every positive case (guest, crew or contractor) that happened.  Then it quickly made it Cruise Critic to share.  I would be shocked if they are not continuing that level of transparency.   It was this level of transparency along with safety measures on the ship that gave us confidence to book again for a cruise this year. I am also HIGHLY confident that if there was positive cases on the Reflection, with all the free intranet people have on the boat; someone would have posted about here even if they weren't doing live review.

Again - I am not an expert in this field nor have any CDC direct knowledge.  Just trying to share my mindset as we make the same decision you do to cruise or not.  Sorry about the thread highjack.

Thank you for your thoughts. Appreciate it.  

[hlddad]

On 11/11/2021 at 10:20 AM, Team Stag said:

First & foremost - you have to make the decision that works for you & your family.  Second - I have no real data; I'm only offering an educated assumption as someone who has closely followed the CDC & return to cruising.  I am also sailing on the Reflection in November so I noticed the color change as well.  

No one truly understand the color system and what effects it. My guess for the Reflection is this:  Based on roll calls & crackbook post that mentioned people have been reassigned cabins on the 6th floor, the assumption is that is for quarantining new crew members.  If they have new crew members who have not be quarantined for 2 weeks that would bring the Reflection "out of compliance" with the conditional sailing order - because they will no longer have 98% crew fully vaxed even though technically they are quarantine and not coming in contact with any crew or guest.  

 

If you remember, the Reflection, previous to November, was being used as a crew only quarantine ship; then the crew members were moved to other vessels.  The conditional sailing order was set to expire around the end of Oct which then the Reflection could return to service.  But then the CDC extended the Conditional Sail Order (on Oct 25, 2021) until January 2022.  So now Celebrity is having to do 2 week quarantines on active ships. 

Finally, when I was on the Edge in July, I was overly impressed with the transparency from the Captain on every positive case (guest, crew or contractor) that happened.  Then it quickly made it Cruise Critic to share.  I would be shocked if they are not continuing that level of transparency.   It was this level of transparency along with safety measures on the ship that gave us confidence to book again for a cruise this year. I am also HIGHLY confident that if there was positive cases on the Reflection, with all the free intranet people have on the boat; someone would have posted about here even if they weren't doing live review.

Again - I am not an expert in this field nor have any CDC direct knowledge.  Just trying to share my mindset as we make the same decision you do to cruise or not.  Sorry about the thread highjack.

You’d think Celebrity would be able to tell you why it suddenly showed up on the CDC website as yellow.  It was green at the beginning of the week.  I do understand and appreciate your thought process - would just be nice if Celebrity could clarify to a guest.   We’ve decided to push off our cruise.  Still have 3 booked - one of these days I’m confident we will sail!!  Enjoy and stay safe!  

[trickbabe]

Thank you so much for sharing. We board Reflection for the first time on December 11th and cannot wait!

 

[DaKahuna]

Thank you very much for the wonderful trip report.  

We are looking forward to boarding on December 4th.  

 

[tampadee]

Is it chilly (or freezing cold) around the ship?

[39august]

Thanks for the nail services post.