Reflection LIVE 6/21-7/1/24: A Perfect Day for a Suite Girlfriends Getaway

[DaKahuna]

5 minutes ago, GenerationX said:

My friends all loved the ambiance and were a little sad when I told them that I think Reflection is the last ship in the Celebrity fleet that still has this venue.

 

 Millennium still has a Cellar Masters we stopped in there a couple of times last month. 

 

[Lena11033]

9 minutes ago, GenerationX said:

Kati found out yesterday afternoon that she had a work emergency come up, so she had to change her flight and will be heading back home to Missouri tonight with Tesla and Liz

 

That sucks. These work emergencies are a downer to cruising lol

 

We had a major project that was due to happen today be pulled on Friday and the project manager told me they will make a decision on date a week before my cruise 😅
Thankfully half my trip the technical lead is away so here's hoping its after because unless my company pays back my trip I'm going. I mean I'll have my laptop I just don't really want to log on if I don't have to because I won't get the time or money back

[hcat]

Great photos to cap Cruise #1.. and nice that  you had very good luck at the  casino! Hope it continues!

 

Looks like everyone enjoyed a good time! Good  Friends are like Family!

 

Sorry about the work emergencies!

I am mostly retired now..no more last min surveillances on Christmas Eve

(early job) ....or emergency appellate motions & briefs.  My dtr says " it must be nice"..but I worked since I was 15 yrs old and have no guilt!  Husb also put in abt 40 yrs.. Time to fully enjoy!

 

 

[GenerationX]

Well friends, the back to back process is complete!  Start to finish it took about 40 minutes. 

 

It probably would have been 20 minutes shorter, but two guests realized after we already got back into the terminal that they’d left their passports in their safe and we had to wait for security to go retrieve them and bring them to the terminal.

 

On the way off the ship, I saw a guy in full scuba gear getting in the water to go do some inspections of Reflection’s hull.  What a way to make a living!  You could not pay me enough.

 

As we went through facial recognition, there was a line of crew members in street clothes with their luggage and passports waiting to be processed after us. They all had big exhausted smiles on their faces. The looks of finishing 9 long months of nonstop hard work and finally getting to go home and see family.

 

When I got back onboard, Luigi was on the PA system talking to the crew and thanking them for all their hard work and positive attitudes for the “absolutely wild” guests the past 3 nights.  It sounds like this next cruise starting is sold out, so it’ll be another crowded ship.

 

When I got back on it was only about 9:30, but I figured I’d go check and see if maybe my new suite would at least be in a state where I could go put my passport and valuables in the safe.

 

When I got there I was pleasantly surprised to find it completely ready with a bottle of welcome veuve chilling and all of my things from our previous suite already delivered.  My complimentary liquor bottle and mini fridge stocking requests submitted with the shoreside concierge a couple of weeks ago were also ready and waiting.

 

When poor Kati sees this suite she missed staying in, she is going to cry.  This place makes our sky suite look like staying in the cupboard under the stairs.  

 

The signatures are on a private hallway with the reflection suite that is only accessible via key card.  I think there’s enough closet and drawer space for like 6 people. I can’t wait to soak in my first bubble bath on my veranda with a glass of wine.

 

I’m hanging out with Ryan as his only customer at the sunset bar at 10:50 (wild!) enjoying a summer thyme sangria. I think once I finish I’ll figure out what I’ll be doing for lunch.  The Luminae lunch menu is the same as first day of last cruise and since I have free specialty dining, I may see if the porch or sushi on 5 are open instead.

 

Later today I’ll report back on the last night of cruise #1.

 

Looking forward to taking everyone on cruise #2!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[purpleally]

Work emergency, um, no, I wouldn’t go anywhere!

[cruisetonowhere10]

Sushi is our embarkation lunch plan…liked your picture yesterday…looks yummy!

Edited June 24 by cruisetonowhere10
Typo

[mchell810]

@GenerationX  In the end, did you have to put your hanging items in a suitcase?

[jcpc]

2 hours ago, GenerationX said:

My friends all loved the ambiance and were a little sad when I told them that I think Reflection is the last ship in the Celebrity fleet that still has this venue.

 

In addition to Millennium that @DaKahuna mentioned, the Constellation, Eclipse, Infinity, Solstice and Summit also still have Cellar Masters.  

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Sorry about your friends work emergency. I remember years ago on a QE2 Grills Class TA the ship to shore (at that time lol) cost more than the trip. I kid you not.  Anyway I’m retired now so I only use the phone for ship stuff.   Smooth sailing 

[hcat]

B O N   V O Y A G E   no 2!

let more fun begin

 

suite altho dated looks great!

[GenerationX]

21 hours ago, goldsmip115 said:

You are a true sport!  This towel issue and the pool madness is why I never want to take a cruise that is shorter than 7 days.  As I age, 10 days and above is more to my liking.  However, unless loungers are restored at least in the top suites I am moving on to Regent or Oceania after being loyal to Celebrity only cruising in their top suites.  Looking forward to following. I love your reviews and photos.  Thank,you so much!

I know the only thing consistent with Celebrity is inconsistency, but for what it’s worth, I’ve just checked into my upper level suite for cruise #2 and can report that my veranda has 2 loungers (albeit the newer kind from E class where the chair and footstool portion are separate).

 

Please come back to the board and share what you think of Regent as a regular top suite celebrity cruiser.  Some Retreat regular friends of ours are currently on day 1 or 2 I think of their first Regent cruise. I’m very interested to see if I’ll ever see them on Celebrity again afterwards.

 

[purpleally]

41 minutes ago, GenerationX said:

I know the only thing consistent with Celebrity is inconsistency, but for what it’s worth, I’ve just checked into my upper level suite for cruise #2 and can report that my veranda has 2 loungers (albeit the newer kind from E class where the chair and footstool portion are separate).

 

Please come back to the board and share what you think of Regent as a regular top suite celebrity cruiser.  Some Retreat regular friends of ours are currently on day 1 or 2 I think of their first Regent cruise. I’m very interested to see if I’ll ever see them on Celebrity again afterwards.

 

You won’t. Once one goes regent or Seabourn, no reason to go back to mainline

 

[GenerationX]

3 hours ago, mchell810 said:

@GenerationX  In the end, did you have to put your hanging items in a suitcase?

Well, long story short, in the end I didn’t, and they made it to my room hanging just fine.

 

I asked the retreat concierge about whether I needed to pack hanging clothes and he said “your butler will let you know how to handle everything”.

 

I hope it doesn’t make me elitist, but I made the executive decision that since I’d spent a not small amount purchasing 3 suite cruises in a row and was moving to an upper suite, it would be absurd for me to be expected to fold all those clothes and then hang them again myself.  The least Celebrity could do would be take 10 seconds to put them on a rack that’s already on the cart moving my suitcases.

 

So I just left a note on my suitcases in the stateroom (right behind the table with our thank you notes and extra cash tips for our butler and stateroom attendants) noting that there were hanging items in the closet to be moved as well.

 

Fortunately no one came on the ship PA and told me I needed to go back to my suite and finish packing. 😂

[peanut head]

I just caught up and I am so excited for you!  What a wonderful adventure(s) you are sharing with us--food, fashion, beverages. entertainment and more.  Thank you!

[LouChamp]

1 hour ago, purpleally said:

You won’t. Once one goes regent or Seabourn, no reason to go back to mainline

 

 

1 hour ago, purpleally said:

You won’t. Once one goes regent or Seabourn, no reason to go back to mainline

 

Aloha. Agreed. I have been blessed to cruise since 1971 all over the world and have experienced the growth of ships and cruising. We have some longer cruises planned and will not sail mainstream unless it’s with the kids. Even though we are too tier with many lines I don’t care if they remember my name, blah blah blah I want peace and quiet lol. Smooth sailing. 

[hcat]

Charla..

of course you are not elitist..that's a service that should be expected in upper suites.. esp when we had it in a reg hump cabin..

 

Looking forward to seeing some more wardrobe pics... great sense of style..!

[raudacruise]

Ah, the gorgeous high-ceilinged Signature Suite.  Loved my stay except for the huge Killer Tub with a shower curtain and jets that hurt my feet. The private hallway certainly provides peace and quiet away from the crowds.

[GenerationX]

A very good evening from the Ensemble Lounge!

 

Since this is now a solo cruise, I’m on my solo cruise routines. Starting with a nice tart cosmo and live music before dinner.

 

After a nice Sushi on 5 embarkation lunch this afternoon I celebrated sailaway with some time lounging on my mega veranda with a glass of veuve then unpacked my suitcases and took a little nap.

 

When I dozed off I was feeling a little sad about not having my BFF with me.  Then when I woke up I looked out the window and saw a beautiful double rainbow!  It was a great reminder to me to find the bright side and beautiful even when it’s not exactly smooth sailing like I planned.

 

The ship atmosphere for this 4 night cruise already seems more chill than the last one. The music on the ship is closer to normal Celebrity volume level and there’s more chill playlists vs. the floating night club I boarded last cruise.  At lunch there was a live piano and vocalist in the grand foyer doing Carole King, and Elton John instead of the DJ blasting a Pitbull and Daddy Yankee mega mix.

 

If this does turn out to be more of a typical Celebrity vibe, it’s going to be tough to go back to that 3 night atmosphere for my last leg.  I’m thinking it’s also going to be tough to take the step down to a celebrity suite. I have an aggressive move up bid in to move up to signature again for cruise 3, but I think the cruise is sold out so I’m not expecting it to go through.

 

Shortly after I came back to my stateroom after lunch, my butler Vishal arrived to introduce himself and ask about any initial requests I may have.  This room comes with complimentary laundry so I let him know I’ll be setting a bag out this evening. He said he’d make sure they get it back to me by end of day tomorrow.  He also took down my specialty lunch reservation request for the porch tomorrow after I finish shopping and sightseeing in Key West.

 

Just after Vishal left, my stateroom attendant arrived and I was so happy to see that it was Darwin, Gen Z and I’s wonderful stateroom attendant from our Solstice spring break pacific coast cruise last year!  I think he was a little disappointed when he found out Mini Me isn’t with me this cruise…I’m constantly upstaged. 😂

 

After I finish listening to Sam and Meg’s acoustic duo set (they’re great btw, if you’ll be onboard soon check them out), I’ll head to my traditional first night of S class cruise dinner at Murano (yes I’m aware this is night 4 at sea for me but I have a new seapass card so still counts).

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cbfb]

5 minutes ago, GenerationX said:

A very good evening from the Ensemble Lounge!

 

Since this is now a solo cruise, I’m on my solo cruise routines. Starting with a nice tart cosmo and live music before dinner.

 

After a nice Sushi on 5 embarkation lunch this afternoon I celebrated sailaway with some time lounging on my mega veranda with a glass of veuve then unpacked my suitcases and took a little nap.

 

When I dozed off I was feeling a little sad about not having my BFF with me.  Then when I woke up I looked out the window and saw a beautiful double rainbow!  It was a great reminder to me to find the bright side and beautiful even when it’s not exactly smooth sailing like I planned.

 

The ship atmosphere for this 4 night cruise already seems more chill than the last one. The music on the ship is closer to normal Celebrity volume level and there’s more chill playlists vs. the floating night club I boarded last cruise.  At lunch there was a live piano and vocalist in the grand foyer doing Carole King, and Elton John instead of the DJ blasting a Pitbull and Daddy Yankee mega mix.

 

If this does turn out to be more of a typical Celebrity vibe, it’s going to be tough to go back to that 3 night atmosphere for my last leg.  I’m thinking it’s also going to be tough to take the step down to a celebrity suite. I have an aggressive move up bid in to move up to signature again for cruise 3, but I think the cruise is sold out so I’m not expecting it to go through.

 

Shortly after I came back to my stateroom after lunch, my butler Vishal arrived to introduce himself and ask about any initial requests I may have.  This room comes with complimentary laundry so I let him know I’ll be setting a bag out this evening. He said he’d make sure they get it back to me by end of day tomorrow.  He also took down my specialty lunch reservation request for the porch tomorrow after I finish shopping and sightseeing in Key West.

 

Just after Vishal left, my stateroom attendant arrived and I was so happy to see that it was Darwin, Gen Z and I’s wonderful stateroom attendant from our Solstice spring break pacific coast cruise last year!  I think he was a little disappointed when he found out Mini Me isn’t with me this cruise…I’m constantly upstaged. 😂

 

After I finish listening to Sam and Meg’s acoustic duo set (they’re great btw, if you’ll be onboard soon check them out), I’ll head to my traditional first night of S class cruise dinner at Murano (yes I’m aware this is night 4 at sea for me but I have a new seapass card so still counts).

 

 

 

 

 

 

That Cosmo looks delish! I have to say I have never had a good one on any Celebrity cruise but I have only ordered from the martini bar. I may have to try the Ensemble Lounge! 

[Aunt P]

46 minutes ago, GenerationX said:

 

A very good evening from the Ensemble Lounge!

 

Sebastien in Ensemble took such good care of us! We appreciated him and the quieter, less crowded atmosphere in contrast to some of the other public spaces. 
 

We are back home now after disembarking this morning, but I had the pleasure of meeting Charla and Kati briefly and we had such a great cruise. I’ll post a separate review soon. Enjoy your solo time!

[GenerationX]

2 hours ago, cbfb said:

That Cosmo looks delish! I have to say I have never had a good one on any Celebrity cruise but I have only ordered from the martini bar. I may have to try the Ensemble Lounge! 

Yes, as much as I love the martini bar, for me it’s been a rare occurrence that they make a really good cosmo or even just a dry gin martini with a twist.  I think they train really hard on the martinis that are on the bar’s menu and while they’re certainly competent at others, it’s not where they shine.

 

Ensemble on the other hand, I usually find can deliver very well on most of the good staple lounge cocktails (cosmo, manhattan, old fashioned, gimlets, etc.). It seems like the strongest bartenders from the sunset and pool bar staff get assigned there for their evening shifts.

[mchell810]

7 hours ago, GenerationX said:

Well, long story short, in the end I didn’t, and they made it to my room hanging just fine.

 

I asked the retreat concierge about whether I needed to pack hanging clothes and he said “your butler will let you know how to handle everything”.

 

I hope it doesn’t make me elitist, but I made the executive decision that since I’d spent a not small amount purchasing 3 suite cruises in a row and was moving to an upper suite, it would be absurd for me to be expected to fold all those clothes and then hang them again myself.  The least Celebrity could do would be take 10 seconds to put them on a rack that’s already on the cart moving my suitcases.

 

So I just left a note on my suitcases in the stateroom (right behind the table with our thank you notes and extra cash tips for our butler and stateroom attendants) noting that there were hanging items in the closet to be moved as well.

 

Fortunately no one came on the ship PA and told me I needed to go back to my suite and finish packing. 😂

 

Not elitist at all ... you handled the situation perfectly!

 

 

[cbfb]

7 hours ago, GenerationX said:

Yes, as much as I love the martini bar, for me it’s been a rare occurrence that they make a really good cosmo or even just a dry gin martini with a twist.  I think they train really hard on the martinis that are on the bar’s menu and while they’re certainly competent at others, it’s not where they shine.

 

Ensemble on the other hand, I usually find can deliver very well on most of the good staple lounge cocktails (cosmo, manhattan, old fashioned, gimlets, etc.). It seems like the strongest bartenders from the sunset and pool bar staff get assigned there for their evening shifts.

All my celebrity cruises and I never thought to get a Cosmo there. I’m not happy with the new martini bar menu, tried every single one last cruise, so I will be giving Ensemble a try in December!! 

[Alcairns]

20 hours ago, GenerationX said:

The Luminae lunch menu is the same as first day of last cruise and since I have free specialty dining, I may see if the porch or sushi on 5 are open instead.

Great blog and sorry you are on your own. How did you manage to get free speciality

dining?

[billc23]

On 6/23/2024 at 6:10 PM, GenerationX said:

Quick question for those following who have ever done back to back cruises, especially in suites, where you changed cabins between cruises.

 

Did you have to pack your clothes that were hanging in the closet?

We have the butler take care of everything except I separately pack meds and electronics into my carry on bag. The only time we realized that the butler service of packing and unpacking is useful.