Live from the Reflection, Dec. 6

Some quick thoughts, observations and comments throughout the week; with a complete review when we get back.

DW and I, fiftysomethings, are aboard this week.

First time on Reflection. She is a beautiful ship!

Boarding was a snap. We returned our rental car at MIA (Alamo) at 10:30 Sunday, were at the port by 11:15, and on board before noon. Well organized and no snags.

Cabins were ready at precisely 1:00. We are in a CC, on the Stern #9305. Yes there are footstools with our chairs and table on the verandah.

Mariano is our attendant; a very helpful and thourough young man. Our minor requests have been met with a smile and prompt action. We are not needy, but we appreciate the little things, such as cheese plate rather than the normal fare, different pillows, ice. The cabin was immaculate, and Mariano greeted us within minutes of arriving. Luggage was delivered right after Muster drill (3:15 drill).

Cruise Critic gathering was well done. For this cruise, we gathered on Sunday in Cellar Masters. About 1/3 of those who registered weres in attendance. Josh, the cruise Director was present and kept things lively. Quite a few officers were also present, and the Captain stopped by for about 15 minutes. A delightful personality, he added to the function. Well done Celebrity.

Ken

We ate at Murano (small discount offered) on Saturday night at a two top. Staff was great and attentive, not missing a beat. Food was outstanding, although quite rich. I know, what a problem to have HAH. We will be back again this week.

Seas were rocking and rolling. From what we understand, they were much calmer than the last week, but we were lulled to sleep. We did notice patches were in short supply.

We spent the majority of Sunday poolside or on our Verandah. Poolside music was a bit loud (hey it is a festive occasion and the music was to be expected). Speaking of the music, it has been delightful all around the ship. The entertainers have been enjoyable, playing a nice mix of music and getting PAX up and dancing. CD Josh has been visible, yet not remotely overbearing.

Sunday we ate in the MDR and had a very good dinner. Food quality was good, service was quick and attentive. DW had a bit too much spice on her dish and waiter insisted on replacing it, which he did promptly.

We have eaten breakfast both mornings in the MDR and have been pleased with the food and the service. The fresh OJ is much better than I remember from past cruises.

I have the premium drink package, and DW has the classic. They are working well with no issues.

Staff has been as friendly as on any cruise I have been on (25+), with genuine smiles, good mornings, can I help yous. Well trained and managed!

The activities have been about the same as Arno posted last week. If I note any major differences, I'll post those.

Ken

We just returned from the Captain's Club event in the Sky Lounge. Well done with plenty of drink choices and hat and cold snacks. You would think that some of our fellow cruisers had not been fed or had anything to drink for days:confused:. Again, Celebrity did a very good job of putting on a nice spread. The Captain was again in attendance and spoke to the group. Very personable.

I had the pleasure of briefly meeting ARNO and his lovely wife at the event. They were honored as the highest point folks on board (by a lot!!!). There were also a couple of 5,000 point members. Then there was us lowly elite members. I thanked Arno on behalf of the CCers for his information.

Have to run for now. Glad to answer questions if I can.

Ken

Thanks Ken. Nice that you got to meet Arno as well. Is this weeks itinerary the same as last week when Arno reported?

Thanks for the reviews:) We'll be on Reflection in March!

Thanks for the info Ken .

Any improvement in the wine by glass selection with your Premium Beverage Package?

Ken, thanks for posting this thread and letting us know what's going on with the ship this week. We just got off the 11/29 Reflection sailing on Saturday morning and we are already missing it dearly. Such a beautiful ship! Josh was a boot, he is a great CD and of course Captain Peppas who we really enjoyed. Glad to hear the seas are a bit calmer this week, we were not feeling too great the first 36 hours before getting into SJU but after that it was smooth sailing and clear skies the whole rest of the voyage. There is a great crew aboard Reflection right now, they really made our cruise a GREAT one - hope they will continue to do so as well for you!

Also, we heard from the F&B Director there were some electrical issues on Friday night with some of the MDR ovens that prevented certain dishes from being cooked that night - hope those were all sorted out before you left Miami.

Have a great rest of your cruise!

Ken, thanks for posting this thread and letting us know what's going on with the ship this week. We just got off the 11/29 Reflection sailing on Saturday morning and we are already missing it dearly. Such a beautiful ship! Josh was a boot, he is a great CD and of course Captain Peppas who we really enjoyed. Glad to hear the seas are a bit calmer this week, we were not feeling too great the first 36 hours before getting into SJU but after that it was smooth sailing and clear skies the whole rest of the voyage. There is a great crew aboard Reflection right now, they really made our cruise a GREAT one - hope they will continue to do so as well for you!

 

Also, we heard from the F&B Director there were some electrical issues on Friday night with some of the MDR ovens that prevented certain dishes from being cooked that night - hope those were all sorted out before you left Miami.

 

Have a great rest of your cruise!

Seas are real calm right now. Of course, we are docked in St. Thomas:cool:

We have not heard of any problems with ovens; everything we ordered has been available

Thanks for the info Ken .

Any improvement in the wine by glass selection with your Premium Beverage Package?

I think it is pretty much the same. I really have no complaints, as I have been ordering wines over the $13, and have been charged the difference. Not saying I like the prices. :rolleyes:

Thanks Ken. Nice that you got to meet Arno as well. Is this weeks itinerary the same as last week when Arno reported?

Same Eastern route as last week.

Yesterday was our stop in San Juan. We arrived right on time, and were cleared to go ashore promptly. We were the only ship in at the Old San Juan docks. Many, many locals selling tours starting at $10.00. They were loud, but a friendly “no thank you” and we were left alone.

We did our own “tour”. DW’s Uncle was a headmaster at a private school in the late 50’s to the end of the 70’s. She contacted the school a few weeks ago, and they insisted on picking us up and giving us a tour of the school. Nice way to spend a few hours seeing this gem of a property and what they offer the children. The gym is named after DW’s Uncle, and there is a memorial garden for her Aunt who passed away while they were serving at this school.

We wandered Old San Juan for a while. Most stores were open; surprisingly, some were closed before 7:30. Managed to escape with no purchases.

We ate in the MDR again this evening, at a two top. This is one of several firsts for us. We are on Select Dining, and we have never eaten at a two top on a cruise. My Steak Diane was very good, cooked to proper temperature and quite tender. Dw had the Trout, and was very happy with it. Service was good, with our asst. waiter providing a constant huge smile and making sure we had everything we needed. Bar/wine server was a bit delayed; I think that quite a few tables were seated at the same time, and she was hustling to accommodate everyone. No worries, we just asked our waiter to slow down the delivery of our meal and all was good.

I have been looking for some critical items as this is cruise critic. Here goes:

Server this morning dropped a pastry on the table making a small pile of crumbs. Not sure about you, but this was a big no-no.:eek:

I asked for the full size Martini glass in one venue, and was refused. Imagine the nerve. I had to order a second.:D

There was no laundry bag in the cabin, and I had to ask for one.:eek:

I hope you can tell, there really have been no problems this cruise.

A couple of other observations:

People (pax) can really be annoying. One of the many reasons that we avoid the buffet as much as possible. We have observed many pick a plate, decide they want a different size, and return the original to the plate pile. My personal favorite, choose an item, lick fingers:eek::eek:, get some more. UGH. Pizza slices must be separated on the tray by using your hands. Another UGH.

Chair hogs. Of course there are some, but has not been as bad as some cruises. Staff, while not aggressively policing, have been removing what appear to be used abandoned towels. In fact, I went for a quick walk, and my towels were gone. Obviously, the best seats have been taken at an early hour.

I am planning on going to Murano again this evening. Unfortunately, DW suggested that we go to Tuscan, to which I replied that we are scheduled in Tuscan on Friday, and we should leave the arrangements as is. I’ll let you know tomorrow how we enjoyed Tuscan.

Time to get rolling. We pulled into St. Thomas on time and the ship has been cleared.

Sorry for typos, etc., no time for spell check.

Ken

There were also a couple of 5,000 point members.

Was it Chip and Jenny Chase?

Guy with LONG silver hair?

They sail two weeks EVERY month:)

I’ll let you know tomorrow how we enjoyed Tuscan.

 

 

 

Ken

Now my mouth is watering thinking about the

Bisteca Tartare

(Steak Tartare)

Dijon mustard, capers, parsley, onion, parmesan cheese, black pepper vinaigrette & crispy potato chips!

Was it Chip and Jenny Chase?

Guy with LONG silver hair?

 

They sail two weeks EVERY month:)

Sure was

Now my mouth is watering thinking about the

Bisteca Tartare

 

(Steak Tartare)

 

Dijon mustard, capers, parsley, onion, parmesan cheese, black pepper vinaigrette & crispy potato chips!

Can't wait for 8:30 :D

PAX in breakfast buffet were even worse today:eek:. Fingers licked, ready to dive in for more. Pastry dropped on floor, returned to tray full of pastries. DISGUSTING people.

This is not a ship problem, they have been very good about instructing passengers not to touch food, etc. We really are not looking for these problems; probably a case of wrong place wrong time.

I would say some of our fellow travelers were raised in a barn, but I do not want to insult the farmers or their animals.

More in the morning; time to get ready for cocktails and Tuscan.

Any questions, feel free to ask.

Ken

Ken,

We sailed the Reflection Nov 2013, loved it.

We are just off the Equinox 11 day, and were very surprised at the number of people dressed very dapper each evening, not expecting this for a longer sailing. Not to a formal level mind you, but many more men with jackets and ladies in heels thru out the evening. It was not this way last yr. How do you find things on this sailing?

EW

Arno has already mentioned he had the most wonderful dinner at the Lawn Club Grill in his dress shorts yesterday!

Thanks for your 'live' from report, looking forward to a complete report when you get home.

Sailing February 7 on Reflection. First time cruisers. :) Read Arno's Dailies. Thanks for these live reports. Love them. I do the research for my Sister and I when we travel. I like to be prepared and your reports are very helpful. Looking forward to more. Enjoy!!

Sailing February 7 on Reflection. First time cruisers. :) Read Arno's Dailies. Thanks for these live reports. Love them. I do the research for my Sister and I when we travel. I like to be prepared and your reports are very helpful. Looking forward to more. Enjoy!!

Welcome to the wonderful vacation of a cruise!

You have made a great choice for your introduction sailing with the Reflection.

Our 1st was in 1987 and the Reflection is our favorite. Look forward to reading your thoughts in Feb.

EW

Thanks for the updates! I'll be on the Reflection in April and cannot wait!

What room are you in?

-Steve

Sorry.. 9305... I see that now!

9305 is An Aft cabin... I would want your opinion... Would you try to get a same or similar Aft cabin again?

There is an opinion that Aft cabins are for some, preferable because they can sit on their deck and watch beautiful Saul aways and the the ship simply cruising... Just interested in your thoughts!

~Steve

Thank you for taking time out from your cruise to keep us informed. I'm sorry you are seeing disgusting people. I guess they are just not thinking about the consequences of their actions? Although I can't imagine someone picking up something off the floor and putting it back on the tray.:eek:

Steve:

We love aft cabins. Having said that, we have used it less than previous cruises. The last two days are sea days, so I imagine we will be out there much more