Reflection July 31st 2017 - musings of an introvert

Reflection July 31st 2017 - musings of an introvert

After many years of posting the odd comment and reading far too much on cruise critic about the joys of some and the angst of others I thought I'd have a go at baring my own cruising soul in a most public of ways.

We are a couple (Mr & Mrs C) from the UK at the latter half of our professional careers (we work in education). Work is tough - juggling a lack of investment from government with the ideological whims of egotistical ministers - so the down time we can afford is spent on doing the things we enjoy most. In no particular order these are:

• Spending meaningful time with each other (Mrs C will like this)
  
• Spending time with wider family (family will like this)
  
• Walking (my body will like this)
  
• Visiting the Isle of Man (we belong there)
  
• Being at sea in some shape or form (good for the state of mind)
  
• Beer, wine & cocktails (hoping Doctor will accept this as its placed at the bottom of the list)
  

We have previously cruised a total of five times, four with celebrity. We can only cruise during school holidays and as such whatever we pay is a premium. Our first Celebrity cruise was in a Celebrity Suite and we cannot believe the how affordable that was at the time. More recently the prices are so high that this is becoming a much loved but very distant memory. Nowadays we select Aqua Class and are happy with our choice. We love Blu and always take advantage of the Persian Gardens. We have enjoyed nearly everything Celebrity Solstice class ships have to offer and, I am sure, this is the reason we keep going back.

This summer we will sail Reflection for the first time. The only Solstice class ship we won't have sailed will be the Solstice. Our journey will begin on July 31st when we will travel from Manchester to Rome with Jet2. My plan is to let you all know how it all works out, from the online check in to getting back home at the end and I'm happy to answer questions along the way. And so......

Preamble over - here we go

Our itinerary is:

July 22nd - 29th - Isle of Man walking Break

July 30th - Washing & packing

July 31st Jet2 7:15am flight Manchester to Rome with a Celebrity departure of 5pm

August 1st - La Spezia (7am-7pm)

August 2nd - Nice (7am-5pm)

August 3rd - Barcelona (arrive 10am)

August 4th- Barcelona (depart 5pm)

August 5th - Sea Day

August 6th - Malaga (7am-7pm)

August 7th - Gibraltar (7am-5pm)

August 8th - Cartagena (9am-6pm)

August 9th - Ibiza (8am-7pm)

August 10th - Sea Day

August 11th - Rome (5am) flight to Manchester 12:10pm flight Rome to Manchester

Booking specifics:

We've managed to bag $500 obc, drinks (classic but upgraded to premium) and unlimited wifi.

Excursions:

Building on recent cruises where we have limited the number of any Celebrity cruising excursions we take, on this venture we won't take any. I'll give a break down on what we are planning at each port on the next post but suffice to say we have previously visited Rome, Pisa and Florence and Barcelona so are looking for something different to do wherever possible.

Challenges on-board:

• Have a hotdog from the Mast Grill (always go for the burgers)
  
• Try at least 5 new Martinis
  
• Try every drink at the World Class Bar (cleared 3 so far)
  
• Get to Blu for more than 1 breakfast
  
• Test out my home Synology VPN with the unlimited wifi (together with PLEX, Netflix & ITV player) - other back-up plans in place should this fail
  

Next-up:

• A list of planned activities at each port
  
• Paying the cruise balance - ouch!
  
• Check in on-line on May 2nd
  

That's all for now as in 10 minutes the final episode of Broadchurch is on ITV :)

Si

Love your musings ☺ Got me thinking of our upcoming transatlantic that is now less than 200 days out ☺

Si,

If you do a review of your cruise, I promise to follow along.

Sue

Can't wait to hear more

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Love the preview. Looking forward to your next post:hearteyes:

Being married to an introvert, I look forward to your perspective. So far so good!

Being married to an introvert, I look forward to your perspective. So far so good!

Me too, although sometimes my DH surprises me! Unique perspective and enjoyable!:D

Si,

This will be our teens 24th cruise and the only S class they haven't sailed on is Eclipse, strange as that's the ship that usually sails from the UK.

I do hope we are docking in Villefranche and not Nice as your itinerary states - they want to go to Monaco AGAIN :D! Looking forward to your posts as it's always good to hear views from another perspective ;).

Look forward to reading your preparations! We will board on 11th August as you get off so hoping you will leave enough martinis for us......

Hope you enjoyed the end of Broadchurch [emoji38]

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@simoncha, any extra room in your cabin? :'):') This sounds like EXACTLY what I would be planning for myself. I hope you and the Mrs. have a great time!

Can't wait for updates on your plans for excursions. Love the itinerary...wish I could convince my DH to take a cruise in this area but he always wants to go to the Caribbean. Looking forward to your continued report.

Debbie

Looking forward to your updates

I'm going on this exact itinerary on Reflection on May 8th, cant wait. I have been on Reflection in 2014. Beautiful ship.

Booked some day trip biking tours in Barcelona and Malaga.

As promised - our current plans. No doubt they'll change a bit and will certainly need to be updated :)

July 31st - Reflection! - Hamburger (& perhaps hotdog) – roll on beer o’clock!

August 1st - La Spezia - Cinque Terre – walking in to town and picking up a local train - trying a couple of the coastal walks.

August 2nd - Nice (Villefranche) - Picking up the local train to Nice and meeting up with brother & sister in-law and our nieces (6&9). They live next-door at home in the UK but holiday with her french family each summer – nice to meet up after a week or so apart. Drinks in the sun – my best French is always after a couple of drinks.

August 3rd - Barcelona – Daytime - to be decided, Evening – we might try El Bosc de Les Fades just to stretch our legs. My best Spanish is always after a couple of drinks.

August 4th - Barcelona - Daytime – to be decided.

August 5th - Sea Day - Breakfast at Blu as Mrs C will more than likely take advantage of a well deserved lie in. Port side cabin so banking on a bit of balcony sun as we sail s/w. Plan to leave a book on my chair so Mrs C can’t pinch it!

August 6th - Malaga - To be decided – will involve walking ;)

August 7th - Gibraltar - We’ve arrived home (but in the sun!) Planning to pre purchase cable car tickets and get there for opening – then walk down via sites. Pint of bitter in town if Mrs C will indulge me  - will bring my sterling shrapnel.

August 8th - Cartagena - To be decided – will involve walking ;)

August 9th - Ibiza - Time to relive a holiday from long ago – visit the old town. This was our first full holiday abroad without children :)

August 10th - Sea Day - Packing, hotdogs and a concerted effort to spend our OBC

August 11th - Home - Maybe this is the day we get to go to Blu for the 2nd time for breakfast?

I've written most of this listening to Rick Astley's single, 'This Old House'. Thought it was rather good - a bit different to the Prodigy's 'Firestarter' which I'd just finished dancing to with the young nieces next door.

That's all for now - I need to watch some escapism TV as the news of a general election has put me in a terribly positive mood....

In Barcelona, I would suggest a visit to Sagrada Familia. There is no place on earth quite like it.

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Well it's online check-in day for our cruise and everything has gone fine.

Just updated some emergency contact information and double checked the passport details.

The link below is for a OneDrive share (hope it works!) with some carefully edited screenshots of the check-in.

https://1drv.ms/f/s!AspkbXqqnDYIgf5CI2wsgWqkdv7Aqw

Packages are all showing - we upgraded to the premium drink package and have unlimited internet each (we didn't realise at booking that we were getting this). Not shown (as it's above the cropping of the relevant screen shot) is the OBC from Celebrity with this cruise. It's $500 ($250 each) which is equating to about £403 with current exchange rate through celebrity.

Next big step is to pay - our travel agent is charging our card this coming Sunday so my temporarily inflated bank balance will soon be depleted :(

In the meantime we've continued to research lots of DIY walks at each of the destinations. I'm also trying (to slowly) pull together a list of the updated menus in Blu - I've come across a few so far.

That's all for now...

Simon :)

I am so impressed that you already have so many plans. When I am cruising I usually decide where I am going on the spur of the moment.

As you are fortunate enough to be overnighting in Barcelona recommend an excellent Cocktail Bar, Dry Martini. Think you and Mrs C would enjoy it.

I am so impressed that you already have so many plans. When I am cruising I usually decide where I am going on the spur of the moment.

 

As you are fortunate enough to be overnighting in Barcelona recommend an excellent Cocktail Bar, Dry Martini. Think you and Mrs C would enjoy it.

Thanks so much for the recommendation :) - will definitely look in to it.

This does (tentatively) connect with our biggest non issue with cruising. In all honesty (for us) the destinations when cruising in Europe are mostly accessible in much more cost efffective ways - but hey who will know what will happen when our ties with our European cousins are severed - we do have a vested interest here as we have in-laws who are French and our nieces (living next door to us) are half French! The big thing for us is being on a great ship, service and putting our feet up late at night in a lovely cabin, so ports are now a DIY venture to get a feel for things and perhaps see something different.

Having visited the big B several times (usually staying somewhere down the coast and once [our honeymoon] as a cruise departure port) this will be our first overnight in the city so going out for a drink is a real option to do something different. We are thinking that a nice evening walk, a drink in a funky bar then back to 5* ship when we visit Barcelona will be just the ticket, the problem is being torn away from the Martini and World Class bars ;)

We so appreciate that everyone's cruise expectations differ - heck when you are paying this much for a holiday it has to about you!!! Hope that our personal insites / expectations / expectations are useful - they are certainly therapy for us ;)

Can't wait for updates on your plans for excursions. Love the itinerary...wish I could convince my DH to take a cruise in this area but he always wants to go to the Caribbean. Looking forward to your continued report.

 

Debbie

There is a very simple solution to that problem. Get together w a girl friend or w one of your family and go w/o him. If he can not be flexible, why should he stop you from doing what you want to do. I have done several trip w/o my wife when she made it clear that there was no way that she was going to a place that she would not go to.

DON

Can't wait for updates on your plans for excursions. Love the itinerary...wish I could convince my DH to take a cruise in this area but he always wants to go to the Caribbean. Looking forward to your continued report.

 

Debbie

You mean you ask him ;p? Book it and tell him they've put you on the wrong itinerary - after all, this is X - totally believable with the new website :D.

My wife and I are on the same cruise. She's a retired teacher, I'm a retired federal government employee. I have some mobility problems, so won't be doing as much walking as you, but have still booked a couple of shorter walking tours (of the Jewish ghetto in Rome, on 30 July, and the Jewish section of Barcelona, on 4 August). My wife was in Rome once, before I was married, but all the ports are new to me. I'm interested in your "take" on the cruise, and will be following this thread.

Have you joined the Roll Call?

My wife and I are on the same cruise. She's a retired teacher, I'm a retired federal government employee. I have some mobility problems, so won't be doing as much walking as you, but have still booked a couple of shorter walking tours (of the Jewish ghetto in Rome, on 30 July, and the Jewish section of Barcelona, on 4 August). My wife was in Rome once, before I was married, but all the ports are new to me. I'm interested in your "take" on the cruise, and will be following this thread.

Have you joined the Roll Call?

Hi, yes we've joined the Roll Call :)

Picked up some really useful port information on the dailies published on the current Reflection TA thread - great for planning. The OP published info on Malaga, Cartagena and Barcelona so many thanks to them :)

Hi, yes we've joined the Roll Call :)

 

Picked up some really useful port information on the dailies published on the current Reflection TA thread - great for planning. The OP published info on Malaga, Cartagena and Barcelona so many thanks to them :)

I've glanced at that thread, but obviously it's time for me to go back to it. Thanks.

I have really enjoyed reading your posts as my husband and I prepare for our first cruise together. We have traveled quite a bit in Italy and France so will also be very DIY when it comes to excursions (walking and swimming in the Mediterranean are my main goals; might see if we can squeeze in a little sightseeing and of course visit a nice bar or two in town). I will check out the Reflection TA reviews to which you refer, thanks :) As a former teacher, I can relate to only having holidays during peak season (seems vastly unfair that those doing this very important work for not lofty pay end up paying a premium for their holidays). I'm now flight crew--won't retire rich with this wage, but at least have time off whenever I wish.

Latest Update

Planning: We now have our ticket booklet (and printable luggage tags) from Celebrity - woo woo!!!! Check-in for our flights from Manchester opens in a week so that's the next big job.

During the last month I had the job of arranging our parking at Manchester airport. As it happens we've manage to get a deal on a room at the Crowne Plaza the night before we fly with parking include for less than the onsite airport parking price - result :)

Excursions Update

August 1st - La Spezia - We've finally pinpointed where we are walking as part of Cinque Terre (partly driven by the closure of some of the footpaths). The plan is to buy a Cinque Terre pass (including train) and travel from La Spezia to Monterosso. We'll then take walk no 2 to Vernazza and then again to Corniglia (I think this is between 4 and 5 miles). Will probably then take the train back to La Spezia and be back on board for an afternoon Mudslide ;)

August 4th - Barcelona - Tickets bought for 11am entry to the Sagrada Familia including the Nativity Facade tower. Will more than likely follow this up with a walk around the free areas of the Park Güell and then back on board for sail-away.

That's all for now - have prep the tea and then it's time to watch yesterday's episode of Dr Who!

Si