Reflection Alcove

Can anybody share their experience with booking an Alcove on the Reflection? We booked one for a sea day in March and are wondering what we can expect, thanks.

Can anybody share their experience with booking an Alcove on the Reflection? We booked one for a sea day in March and are wondering what we can expect, thanks.

Your name will be on a placard on the table in one of the alcoves; that's how you'll know which one is yours.

You have use of it all day (technically it is 9am-9pm); you can come and go as you please.

When you first arrive, an attendant should come by shortly and introduce himself. He'll bring you a couple of bottles of water, and also a fruit plate at your request.

You can order lunch (small charge) from the Porch and the attendant will deliver it.

There is a phone to call the attendant any time you need bar drinks. (However, we've found the attendants (who also work in the Lawn Club Grill) to be stretched thin, and usually find a server from the Sunset Bar and ask him to come around and check on us. We tip some each time to ensure that they'll remember to keep checking on us since it isn't really their normal area.)

You can request the canopy to be either up or down and the attendant will adjust it. If it's too windy it will have to stay down (retracted).

Furniture-wise, there's a sort of chaise lounger that you can sit or lie down on, a chair and ottoman, and a coffee table.

There is pretty good people watching from the alcoves, as you have a front row view to everyone who comes to have their pix taken in the giant adirondack chairs, or comes to walk around on the grass for the first time, etc. One day they had an officer v. guest bocce tourny on the lawn in front of us.

Your name will be on a placard on the table in one of the alcoves; that's how you'll know which one is yours.

You have use of it all day (technically it is 9am-9pm); you can come and go as you please.

When you first arrive, an attendant should come by shortly and introduce himself. He'll bring you a couple of bottles of water, and also a fruit plate at your request.

You can order lunch (small charge) from the Porch and the attendant will deliver it.

There is a phone to call the attendant any time you need bar drinks. (However, we've found the attendants (who also work in the Lawn Club Grill) to be stretched thin, and usually find a server from the Sunset Bar and ask him to come around and check on us. We tip some each time to ensure that they'll remember to keep checking on us since it isn't really their normal area.)

You can request the canopy to be either up or down and the attendant will adjust it. If it's too windy it will have to stay down (retracted).

Furniture-wise, there's a sort of chaise lounger that you can sit or lie down on, a chair and ottoman, and a coffee table.

There is pretty good people watching from the alcoves, as you have a front row view to everyone who comes to have their pix taken in the giant adirondack chairs, or comes to walk around on the grass for the first time, etc. One day they had an officer v. guest bocce tourny on the lawn in front of us.

Did you enjoy your experience? Did you reserve the alcove for a port or sea day?

Thank you!

My Dw LOVED our alcove. it was a sea day and we spent almost all day there.

We ordered a bucket of beer on the provided phone and sipped on that all afternoon.

They provided a nice platter too, and an ipad for music.

at some point we left for a swim and brought a couple of burgers back.

It was a great day, my only thing i would change is that we could not put the top up, and i had to keep moving around to follow the shade.

Did you enjoy your experience? Did you reserve the alcove for a port or sea day?

We've been on Reflection twice and rented alcoves both times and very much enjoyed them. We've rented them on both sea days, and on port days when we knew we either weren't going ashore, or were going for just short period of time. We like being outside in the fresh air, but our balcony feels too isolated to spend the entire day out there; we like to people watch, get up and walk around, etc. We often share an alcove with friends and it makes a nice meeting spot.

They provided a nice platter too, and an ipad for music.

Forgot to mention that earlier. There is also an outlet, so if you you have your own ipad or ipod or whatever, you use it while it charges in the alcove, so no worries of running out of battery power.

Have rented them twice in the past and on an upcoming cruise. Have done it both at sea and port days. Port days are cheaper. Mice alternative to sitting at the pool. Relaxing.

Many thanks for the thoughtful and thorough replies. I'm a real sun avoider, so I hope we can keep the shade up :)

Many thanks for the thoughtful and thorough replies. I'm a real sun avoider, so I hope we can keep the shade up :)

FYI... depending on the weather conditions for the day you have rented the alcove, if the winds are too high, the shade cannot be put up. Obviously this would defeat your need for shade, but thought you should be aware that this is a possibility.

Can anybody share their experience with booking an Alcove on the Reflection? We booked one for a sea day in March and are wondering what we can expect, thanks.

I see that you are somewhat new to posting on Cruise Critic, but not sure how familiar you are with using its many resources, such as performing a simple query to find information you are looking for on a given topic, like "alcoves".

Here is another thread for you to read that also has pictures.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2151453&highlight=alcove

Enjoy!

I see that you are somewhat new to posting on Cruise Critic, but not sure how familiar you are with using its many resources, such as performing a simple query to find information you are looking for on a given topic, like "alcoves".

 

Here is another thread for you to read that also has pictures.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2151453&highlight=alcove

 

Enjoy!

Yes, new to the board and new to cruises altogether -- thanks again for the link

I see that you are somewhat new to posting on Cruise Critic, but not sure how familiar you are with using its many resources, such as performing a simple query to find information you are looking for on a given topic, like "alcoves".

 

Here is another thread for you to read that also has pictures.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2151453&highlight=alcove

 

Enjoy!

vulcan1971, I just wanted to say that I see you all over these boards and I always ALWAYS appreciate your informative and courteous answers. Thank you :)

vulcan1971, I just wanted to say that I see you all over these boards and I always ALWAYS appreciate your informative and courteous answers. Thank you :)

You are quite welcome. :)

I see that you are somewhat new to posting on Cruise Critic, but not sure how familiar you are with using its many resources, such as performing a simple query to find information you are looking for on a given topic, like "alcoves".

 

Here is another thread for you to read that also has pictures.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2151453&highlight=alcove

 

Enjoy!

To Vulcan1971

Thanks for sharing this information and Wow!! No chair/lounge hogs for one peaceful day at sea.

I just wanted to mention that the alcoves can sometimes be warm with little breeze/air circulation even if they are in shade as they all face the lawn. We opted to turn the furniture around to face the back and opened the two retractable panels so we were overlooking the water, as we were uncomfortably warm. We had less privacy, but had a breeze that way.

The alcoves don't have lounges?

The alcoves don't have lounges?

If you mean the lounge chairs like you find on the pool or upper deck, no. They have cushioned, outdoor wicker type furniture that consists of a chair and ottoman (maybe 2 chairs, I can't remember, but I know only one ottoman) and a sort-of love seat/chaise lounge piece that can fit 2-3 people if they are sitting, or 1 person lying down. There is also a coffee table.

This is the exact setup we had:

Two chairs, on ottoman, a couch, a coffee table and an end table.

Alcove by themutis, on Flickr

We were on the 1/24 sailing of the Reflection and had an alcove on a sea day. It was nice to have space to get away from the crowds-- it was a very full ship. But, once you are in your alcove there is not really a view of the water or the lawn, and people will stop and gawk over the alcove (*really loud voice** "Look, honey, these are the alcoves we talked about renting! I wish we had done it. Look, you have your own area..." yada, yada yada) Nice, but we probably wouldn't do it again unless we had a group of people and wanted a place to hang out together or meet up.

We were on the 1/24 sailing of the Reflection and had an alcove on a sea day. It was nice to have space to get away from the crowds-- it was a very full ship. But, once you are in your alcove there is not really a view of the water or the lawn, and people will stop and gawk over the alcove (*really loud voice** "Look, honey, these are the alcoves we talked about renting! I wish we had done it. Look, you have your own area..." yada, yada yada) Nice, but we probably wouldn't do it again unless we had a group of people and wanted a place to hang out together or meet up.

Lack of direct water view, I agree with. But you can clearly see the lawn; it's right in front of you, and we never had anyone standing there blocking the view.

We've also had an alcove a combined total of (I think) 7 days on two cruises and never had anyone inconsiderate enough to stand over our alcove gawking and talking loudly about it. YMMV

I have a probably dumb question, but I have never had onboard credit before sailing. If you want to reserve something, like an alcove before your cruise, can you do it using some of your onboard credit or do you have to wait till you are actually sailing to be able to use any of it?

I have a probably dumb question, but I have never had onboard credit before sailing. If you want to reserve something, like an alcove before your cruise, can you do it using some of your onboard credit or do you have to wait till you are actually sailing to be able to use any of it?

I know on RC you could only use the OBC while on board. I imagine it's the same for X

To reserve an alcove in advance, you must pay for it up front. A real bummer, but that's how it goes.

We are cruising with the whole family over New Year, and plan to make the reservation for an alcove for the entire week the day they start taking reservations, 6 months from sail date. I know it only seats 4 at a time, and there will be 8 of us, but it will make a great place to meet up and I'm sure my DD will love it.