Review of Celebrity Reflection Italy and Greek Isles 10 night cruise, 19th May 2017

We have just returned from a fantastic 10 night Italy and Greek Islands cruise on board Celebrity Reflection.

 

This review is of the ship, facilities, staff and services provided, not the ports although I will try and answer any questions you may have.

 

It may take a few days to put it all together with photos, so please bear with me (I've had to return to work to pay for the next one!).

 

I will break it down into the following sections:

 

• Cruise Summary
  
• Food and Drink
  
• Dining Venues
  
• Entertainment and other Venues
  
• Lounges
  
• Pool Deck
  
• Services
  
• Accommodations
  
• Captain's Club
  
• Internet Access (Xcelerate)
  
• Conclusions
  

For today here's the summary.

 

Cruise Summary

 

We travelled from Manchester, UK to Rome on 18th May and stayed in the Hotel De La Ville in Civitavecchia overnight before the cruise.

 

In summary, we thoroughly enjoyed our 2nd sailing with Celebrity. Reflection is just beautiful, with a great layout with plentyof space and is very impressive. The Lawn Club is a great unique space offering a great casual area to relax.

 

This was a 10-night sailing from Civitavecchia (Italy) toMessina (Sicily), Valetta (Malta), the Greek Islands of Mykonos, Rhodes andSantorini. Piraeus for Athens and Naples (Italy).

 

Embarkation

 

We arrived by private hotel shuttle at the check in area at 10:35 am on 19th May, our bags were taken by stewards, we completed the health questionnaire, cleared security, checked in and was on board by 10:45 amand offered a welcome beverage as we boarded.

 

Oceanview Café opened for lunch at 11:30 am and staterooms were available at 12:30 pm.

 

Disembarkation

 

We left the ship with no lines at 08:30 am, located our bags (no immigration checks), then found our private shared shuttle driver and were on our way to the airport by 9:00 at the latest.

 

Great experiences and far superior to many other ports and we have always had good service here in Civitavecchia.

 

I'm afraid that's all for tonight (it's 9:30 pm here in the UK :)).

Looking forward to reading your review, as I stated in on a different thread, we're on the same itinerary on Reflection on 9th June and some of my questions were answered there.

 

Glad to read that embarkation and disembarkation went smoothly.

 

 

 

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I have just been reminded of the new style muster drill which appears to be being introduced across the fleet. Not to everyone's taste.

 

Our muster station was on deck 4 in the Opus dining room and as usual you are 'checked in' upon arrival and asked to take a seat in view of a 'movie' screen.

 

We were then shown a 'feature' film that was very 'James Bond' in style with actors with British accents. It told a story which included all the points raised in a muster drill and for me, got my attention.

 

I know for others at muster (and in discussions on social media) it wasn't enjoyable, but they still watched it. Maybe too British, but it appeared to do the intended job which was to get people's attention.

Food and drink:

Always a subjective topic, but we enjoyed what we ate. The main dining room (Opus) was well staffed and enjoyable. There was plenty of choice and we had no issues getting a table for 2 with Select Dining at our preferred time (08:30 pm).

 

We only tried room service once for breakfast before an early start in Naples for a shore excursion and it was OK, with enough complimentary breakfast items. Nice touch for room service to contact you nearly immediately after placing the order on the interactive TV to confirm the order. It was also delivered righton time.

 

The complimentary coffee is quite good, as are the fruit juices.

 

There is such a wide choice of beverages, both alcoholic andnon-alcoholic, that there are no complaints from us.

 

We had received the classic beverage package as part of the reservation but we upgraded to Premium prior to sailing and thought it was still good value, although the choices for our preferred white wine variety was limited and varied from dining venue to venue.

 

Dining Venues:

 

The Oceanview Café buffet is very well laid out with a great variety of food stations and having the 2nd Café al Bacio bar for beverages, especially specialty coffees is a very nice option. It is so spacious compared to many other lines buffets and the food selections impressive.

 

Good opening hours, especially late evening/night. Never a problem finding a table, even when fairly busy. The outdoor area is absolutely fantastic.

 

We ate breakfast there nearly every day and the separate stations for fresh eggs and omelettes, English breakfast items, and poached eggs (Eggs Benedict etc.) are great with prompt service.

 

Although we never ate dinner there, we passed through many times to/from the outdoor area and the options looked really good and tempting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 2, 2017 by peteukmcr

Few more to whet your appetite [emoji3]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forgot to take a photo of the free ice cream station which had a lot of choice (never sampled it either for some strange reason which is unlike me!). It was very popular though.

 

Anyway, that's it for the moment, I need to get to work as I said, to pay for the next one on Eclipse! More later and over the weekend!

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks for sharing your review and those awesome photos.

Thanks for sharing your review and those awesome photos.

Your most welcome, there is more to come later! Meanwhile here's a few random photos from around Reflection.

 

Sky Lounge deck 14

 

 

 

Hideaway decks 7 & 8

 

 

 

Solarium

 

 

Edited June 2, 2017 by peteukmcr

Thank you for sharing! We're sailing this itinerary next year.

Gorgeous photos Pete.:)

Pete,

 

Thanks for posting a review of your cruise! We are sailing on the same itinerary next week! I look forward to reading more about your trip!

 

Gayl

Hi Pete

 

Thanks for the photos and all the very useful information you have shared with us. Great as I am going on the one departing next week 9th June.

Do you have any copies of the daily compass or any information on the shows and times.

 

Look forward to more of your blog. Only down the motorway from you in Liverpool.

 

Thanks

 

Kerry

Hi Pete

 

Thanks for the photos and all the very useful information you have shared with us. Great as I am going on the one departing next week 9th June.

Do you have any copies of the daily compass or any information on the shows and times.

 

Look forward to more of your blog. Only down the motorway from you in Liverpool.

 

Thanks

 

Kerry

 

Shows were at 7 & 9 each night.

Hi Pete

 

Thanks for the photos and all the very useful information you have shared with us. Great as I am going on the one departing next week 9th June.

Do you have any copies of the daily compass or any information on the shows and times.

 

Look forward to more of your blog. Only down the motorway from you in Liverpool.

 

Thanks

 

Kerry

Hi Kerry, sorry I don't have copies of the dailies. Due to the BA issues over last weekend the British comedian due to provide the show on the last night didn't make it to Naples so Maarten organised another show. Unfortunately shows aren't always our thing so we didn't see many.

Pete,

 

Thanks for posting a review of your cruise! We are sailing on the same itinerary next week! I look forward to reading more about your trip!

 

Gayl

You're welcome, more to come tonight and over the weekend (work gets in the way!)

Hi Pete

 

Okay thanks.

We're the same on shows pick and choose.

 

Look forward to more of your posts.

 

Thanks

 

Kerry

Ok, time for some more dining venue information.

 

Opus, the Main dining room is nicely decorated and staffed by friendly, professional and helpful staff. Select Dining is on deck 4. As usual tables for 2 are quite close together so it’s not very private. The menu though was excellent IMHO and the food well presented and enjoyable.

 

We thought the location of the Ensemble Bar on deck 5 which serves the speciality restaurants a great idea, complete with live music too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Murano – very upscale and intimate, great food but felt the service a little ‘over the top’ but many will enjoy that. Not sure we would spend the cover charge again.

 

Qsine – didn’t think we’d like this as appears a little gimmicky, but thought it was so fantastic we went twice! The staff are excellent in making the suggestions on the courses. We ordered 5 but only managed 4 and declined the final course and dessert! The next time we ordered better and got to dessert.

 

 

Tuscan Grille – great steakhouse so that we again visited twice. Loved the location with a view at the aft of the ship.

 

 

Blu – we were not Aqua class so can’t comment on this venue.

 

Lawn Club Grille – located on deck 15 at the heart of the Lawn Club as the name implies. We used this only for a sea day gourmet burger lunch at a $15 cover charge. This included a range of burgers, complimentary salad bar and dessert. We declined the dessert as we did enjoy the burgers, although mine wasn’t cooked as ordered, but was OK.

 

The Porch – again located on deck 15 but we didn’t use this as we’re not big seafood fans and this is appears to be a the staple of the menu.

 

Mast Grill – complimentary burgers, dogs. We enjoyed these on Constellation (which I now believe has been replaced by a gourmet burger bar for a fee), but the quality here was inconsistent. One day great juicy thick burger, another day inferior quality.

 

Aqua Spa Café – located deck 14 near the Solarium, we didn’t use this so I can’t rate it, but the healthy food looked good.

 

Luminae – as we were not suite guests we did not have access to here so cannot comment.

 

Sushi on 5 – informal venue and serves sushi as the name implies, although not a type of food we prefer, it was well utilised from our observations.

Edited June 2, 2017 by peteukmcr

Quick question, if you don't mind. Does the sky lounge have a dance floor?

Quick question, if you don't mind. Does the sky lounge have a dance floor?

Yes it does and used frequently, especially for the Silent Disco evening (more on that later).

As I'm limited to 6 images in a post, here's some more of the dining venues mentioned above.

 

Blu

 

 

 

Lawn Club Grill

 

 

 

The Porch

 

 

Mast Grill

 

 

 

 

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Entertainment and other Venues

 

Casino – well laid out so not feeling too cramped, smoking not allowed which is fantastic.

 

Theatre – well designed modern venue with ample seating and views of the stage, although the lack of bar is a little downside. Air conditioning units in the back of each seat - clever addition.

 

Entertainers provided a good variety of choice and music/dancing at several venues around the ship.

 

Celebrity Central on deck 4 screened films and provided avenue for live acts and lectures.

 

A ‘silent’ disco was held on 2 evenings, once in the Sky Lounge and once in the Solarium, great fun taking part and watching!

Lounges

 

So many great venues located primarily on deck 4 which made passing from one to the other very easy as the layout flowed well from one to another. All others located around or near the atrium provide a huge variety of venues for pre-or post-dinner drinks and relaxing throughout the day.

 

Martini Bar – everyone’s favourite, so much so, seating at the actual bar always at a premium, Crush used as an overflow and many more lounge type seating with sea views.

 

Cellar Masters – disappointing venue for us as it was poorly staffed as I believe Celebrity rely on guests using the automatic wine dispensers, but these are not available to those like us with a beverage package.

 

Entertainment Court – bar with limited opening hours on deck 4 near Celebrity Central.

 

World Class Bar – deck 5 replaces the Molecular Bar and serves very specific cocktails and is highly recommended.

 

 

 

Passport bar – deck 3 opposite Guest Relations, more relaxed venue.

 

 

Sunset Bar – again a favourite for many at the aft on deck 15. Large smoking area on the port side which restricts seating options and the DJ blasting out loud music at sail away meant we often got a drink and took it downstairs to the outdoor Oceanview Café seating area to enjoy the wake and sunset.

 

 

 

Sky Lounge – deck 14 forward, is a good venue for sea views and not too busy except when the silent disco and karaoke sessions held there which are good fun.

 

Café Al Bacio – deck 5, absolutely wonderful venue for beverages, especially coffees, teas etc, complete with the complimentary cookies, pastries and cakes. Take out or full table service. Extremely popular and one of our favourite locations.

 

 

Edited June 2, 2017 by peteukmcr

Pool Deck

 

With 3 pools, Reflection provided plenty of choice, with one covered for the chillier climate in the Solarium which is extremely busy on sea days.

 

Very comfortable sun beds, all with padded covers and many clam shell type seats and steamer chairs around the ship.

 

 

Lawn Club

 

Located on deck 15, this is unique space which has the name implies is covered in grass with hammocks, chairs, oversized deck chairs and the Alcoves. The Alcoves are private cabanas that can be rented for 12 hours (from 9am – 9pm) located on the main area and accommodate 4 easily on comfortable deck furniture and receive complimentary water and services of the Alcove attendants who will provide food from room service and beverages from nearby bars.

 

 

 

 

I had pre-booked one for 25th May when we were in Santorini as we didn’t have much planned for that day. The cost on port days is $99, but on sea days it’s $249 and they are very popular on sea days as we observed all in use on the last sea day of the cruise.

 

 

Edited June 2, 2017 by peteukmcr

Services

 

Large Guest Relations desk but we had no need to use it other to request a message was sent to the Captain and to ‘donate’ US$ to reduce the onboard account!

 

Cabin attendants provided a fantastic unobtrusive service and the wait staff in all dining and lounge venues were smiling, approachable, helpful and very professional.

 

Future Cruise – this is a dedicated office on deck 4 near Celebrity Central and open most days from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm.

Shore Excursions – well staffed area although we booked online prior to sailing but did receive offers for our next sailing in October 2017 and so we booked a couple more obtaining, a 10% discount.

 

As there were minimal announcements, there was little disturbance during your time relaxing on board.

 

The Captain would make a mid-morning announcement in the public areas, if you want to hear it in your cabin you just tune the TV into a specific channel.

 

He would also make an announcement before we set sail from ports about the next stage of the cruise.

 

On May 23rd, he sent condolences from himself and all the Reflection crew to the people affected by the Manchester, UK terrorist bomb attack that took place on the 22nd at the Ariana Grande concert at the Arena. 22 people lost their lives with many more injured, some of whom are still in hospital in a critical condition. This was very poignant and moving for us as we live in Manchester and it is my home city where I was born, raised and have lived all my life. (this is why I went to Guest Relations to send a message of thanks to the Captain)

 

Photo services – the photographers are not at all pushy and so are not ‘in your face’ all the time. Large 10 x 8 photos $20 and 5 x 7 $15, all plus 22% Italian VAT.

 

As the cruise departed from Italy and did not visit a non-EU port, all purchases from the shops on board, photo gallery (and Spa I believe) attracted an additional 22% VAT (Value Added Tax) which is the current Italian rate.

 

As a result the shop that would normally sell duty free liquor and cigarettes was not open throughout the cruise.

Thanks for the review.

Services

 

As the cruise departed from Italy and did not visit a non-EU port, all purchases from the shops on board, photo gallery (and Spa I believe) attracted an additional 22% VAT (Value Added Tax) which is the current Italian rate.

 

As a result the shop that would normally sell duty free liquor and cigarettes was not open throughout the cruise.

 

I never considered this. So that would mean no duty free shop for many of the Med cruises?