Tom and Ingrid

And I sort of feel like, for the MDR across the ships I've sailed - Millennium and Solstice class - the menu are all pretty similar regardless of specific ship you're one. There did seem to be "wiggle" room to make them unique to a region (I remember some interesting options for Aus-NZ), but in general there will be steak, there will be lobster, there will be crab cake appetizers, etc.. So the app is certainly incorrect a year in advance, but Celebrity also doesn't go too wildly out of the "norm" in the MDR. We are majority MDR diners, and while there have been some misses in various cruises, most of the time I have no issue picking at least one entree - and usually have to debate or barter with my wife to go halfsies.

I have not tried sailed on the Ascent, but I did just notice the "See posts about: ____" filter at the top of the Celebrity page. I did a search on Ascent and came upi with a bunch of results that likely can give you a good start.

See them now or see them daily while on the cruise? On the cruise, they are posted on the APP and also at the entrance to the main dining room. The app is sometimes slightly different from the posted MDR menu with, I think, the posted menu being more up-to-date. For general curiosity before the cruise, past menus are a good guide to how things MIGHT look, and there is a section of the menu that is set for months and repeats every day. I know the CEO mentioned on-going tweaks to the menu after feedback about changes over the past few years, so nothing is truly set in stone until you're on board and they have all the food in storage (and maybe not even then!).

@Pantheral is spot on with the REF! When I was a new cruiser (and now as a "seasoned" cruiser), I found a ton of joy in boarding a new ship and exploring all the public spaces. Not all in the first day, but over the course of the cruise. This means taking new routes between different points - and even at different times of the day/night. What's great about a cruise, too, is that you then get to explore a new port regularly, so the exploration is on the ship and then on the land. A few posters have noted the unique bits about the Reflection, but keep in mind, it is a sister ship to the other Solstice class ships (Solstice, Silhouette, Eclipse, and Equinox), so there is a great deal of "overlap" in configuration and amenities. If you see threads on the other ships, there is likely nuggets of info in those threads that might also pertain to the Reflection. I suggest spending a little time familiarizing yourself with the deck plans - particularly decks 3-5 and 14-15 where most of the food and activities will occur. What I find "generically" true for Celebrity is that "base fare" is already pretty darn good, and adding the layering of things like drink plans, or specialty dining, or Aqua class, or other upgrades are very specific to individual tastes. The food is already very good for all passengers. The service is already very good for all passengers. The shows are already entertaining for all passengers. Etc.. IOW, the temptation on a first cruise might be to go all in or risk FOMO, but I'd guess almost all experienced cruisers here have their own list of must haves and don't want/needs. Enjoy the experience and use it as a nice stepping stone to your next cruise 🙂.

Every Celebrity cruise is indeed different, and it has been trending more casual since we've been cruising. BUT - there are ALWAYS a core group of folks really dressing up well (ie the tux/gown crowd) for the formal nights and also putting effort in for the other evenings as well. You will stand out when formally dressed, but not in a bad way. And you will have others dressed similarly, so you will not be seen as strange or out of place. You MAY, though, if regularly sharing a table in the main dining room with other guests not in your party, encounter a disconnect with them (dressing-wise) on the formal nights. Maybe awkward or maybe a fun topic to chat about.

I'd worry the real answer is "it depends". It depends on how you bring them (ie hand carry or stow in luggage) and it depends on who is manning security as you board - maybe even the "pre-check in" security at the terminal. What I wouldn't sweat too much, other than the headache of toting something that gets confiscated, is that the cost of a case of SB Fraps is relatively small in the grand scheme of things. If you get denied, you lost $30 or so in the gamble (or can drink them quickly before boarding 🙂 or at least one or two). The Celebrity website is clear in their FAQ of what to bring and what is prohibited, but I see both "wiggle room" and "risk of confiscation" especially due to the two bulleted points from the FAQ: What Not to Pack (Prohibited Items) Weapons, illegal drugs & Substances (including marijuana, cannabis, extracts of THC and/or CBD), and other items that could interfere with the safe operation of the ship or the safe and secure environment of our guests and crew are prohibited. The United States Transportation Security Administration also recommends that you do not pack fragile or expensive items (such as jewelry) in checked luggage. The following are examples of items that guests are not allowed to bring onboard. These and other similar items will be confiscated upon being found. Alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, flammable liquids, explosives, and dangerous chemicals will not be returned. Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Beverages**** Potentially hazardous food and/or food that requires refrigeration. ****Alcoholic beverages that are purchased in ports-of-call or from shops onboard will be stored by the ship and delivered to you on the last day of the sailing. Alcoholic beverages seized on embarkation day will not be returned. Good luck, and hope it is just me being a "stickler" and you get an easy going security team.

Neat. We sailed the Infinity years ago for a South America - Buenos Aires to Valparaiso cruise, and then again last October for a Barcelona to Lisbon cruise. We like the M-class ships 🙂 and nice to see some love coming to them still. If you skip the "short" url and go with the full url, I think you get the video displayed rather than just the link.

What's a rabbit hole this presents! Our first cruise was on the Celebrity Century in 2004. Century was a sister ship to the Galaxy, and we loved that "little" ship, seemingly like you loved the Galaxy. In any case, Wikipedia has the history of the Galaxy - now the Marella Explorer - and she STILL sails the seas. TUI is half(?) owned by RCL, so they basically passed it down from Celebrity to TUI. There is some direct linkage among RCL, TUI, and Marella, but it's isn't exactly obvious to me how the three are connected, other than RCL mentions them on their website along with Silversea and Celebrity. So, while the Galaxy has changed over the decades, it is STILL an option 🙂 and you can check out the TUI UK site to see the Marella Explorer (nee MV Galaxy) and maybe book a cruise on a classic. Part of the rabbit hole was the Wiki references leading to a book on early Celebrity. It is out of print and I didn't see any easy way to buy a copy, but from the reviews of the book on Amazon and elsewhere, it looks like the author really knows his stuff. Maybe an email to him or a publisher will net a result?

Thanks for the update! It will be our first time on the Silhouette (been on Solstice and Equinox), so it is good to hear that the sailing is going well. I guess we'll have Capt Smyth too for our July Norway cruise, unless he is on a break. Also, great to hear folks enjoying TA trips. We've looked at them over the years, and are just waiting for my retirement to enjoy one (or more) of them. I find sea days to be quite "calming" with zero pressure to do anything but relax. With port days, there's more of a get at it early mentality (rewarding in its own way), but from purely a slow down and decompress perspective, a TA cruise seems like a great way to just be pampered and enjoy.

We've sailed Solstice three times (and a fourth this coming Dec) making it our most frequent ship. Back in 2010 we did a Western Caribbean cruise and loved the glass making show. In later sailings - Aus-NZ in 2018 and Mexico Riviera in 2023 - the glass show had seemed to have been "dumbed down" a bit to more of an "excursion" and less of a nightly gathering spot for a cool (and fun) alternative show. Still worth the visit, but I do miss the old way. For us, hands down, the rear of the ship Oceanview Bar is where we spent a good chunk of every day visiting - always for breakfast, and usually pre-dinner for either ice cream or pizza (or both). We also spend a lot of time - mostly sea days - in the Solarium by the inside pool. Less busy than the main pool deck, and interesting food options pop up from time to time. I've now seen this mentioned over and over in various threads, and I am sort of shocked we rarely stopped by that bar, and would usually be at the Ensemble (evening), Sky Observatory (Happy Hour & night), or Oceannview Bar (afternoon) instead. I will make an effort to branch out. Check out the Solstice Deck Plan ahead of time if you haven't already as it gives you a perspective on the ship and the comments in this thread. My wife and I only take the stairs, so that's really a fun way to randomly find yourself in a non-typical location. It's also an excuse to eat more desserts. We ALWAYS review the ice cream in Oceanview and ALWAYS pop past Al Bacio dessert counter. While we don't usually bother with a drink package, we definitely still like Al Bacio just for the desserts. The Sky Observatory is often a quiet place to relax when there isn't an event going on, and a nice place to relax inside but watch the scenery pass by. Before most folks are awake, the walking track on 14 is a nice place to get some movement in while the crowds are down. I don't know what the direct comparison would be, but up in Oceanview (all day) and in the Solarium (most of the day), there is coffee and hot water for tea in various stations (along with water and "juices". Those are up on 12 and 14 (no 13). The coffee is good (Lavazza, still I think), and there are usually a few tea options. Bacio has the "fancier" coffees that aren't free, but those are tasty if you do get a drink package.

I think I (or my wife) have been long time CC members, but I'm definitely in the "lurk" and not post category. But also, in the non-active category when between cruises. I also tend to browse more when it is a cruise with a "trickier" itinerary and ports we are unfamiliar with. We have two cruises scheduled this year - a Norway Fjords out of Rotterdam, and an Asian Vietnam & Thailand one - and both are relatively unexplored parts of the map for us. So, I'm here more now just checking folks threads for ideas, but then also getting sucked into the "general" cruise threads that are also both entertaining and informative (and probably a bit of envy tossed in). And, regarding the OP and the redundancy, yeah, that's something that happened because I'm not normally doing a search before each original or reply posting. Maybe that's the way we all should act, but I sort of think - looking through just the first 5 pages here - that topics do resurface over and over again. I do hope mods can and will sort things in the manner they see fit. It's a bear to keep tabs on many posters making many posts daily.

I'd say that the European Celebrity cruises we have done have been slightly more dressy than the Caribbean Celebrity ones. BUT, in general, ALL cruises we have done have become more and more "casual" as the years go on. It used to be that a "formal" night really felt like a formal night across the ship and not just in the dining areas/restaurants. Then it was mostly formal almost solely in the restaurants. Now, it seems it is hit or miss for formal vs casual even in the restaurants. So, dressy has become really relative. Relative to 5, 10, 20 yrs ago, no Celebrity cruise is as dressy as in the past. For formal nights, I used to feel "under dressed" in a suit, but now would feel "over dressed". Outside of the formal nights, folks seem to be fine "dressing up" with their nice jeans, and shorts don't seem rare & same with t-shirts. And wandering the ship at any time of the day, it's totally normal for "resort casual" to be he main attire,

This for sure. I'm sort of liking the idea of a "checklist" to work through. Maybe with a 1-10 rating after having each one. Nice start for sure.

Where were you last year when I needed this knowledge 🫣 😄 I had to stumble on it somehow instead.

...that I stumbled upon this year is the "Shareholder Benefit" program through Royal Caribbean. At the start of the COVID pandemic, stock in cruise lines plummeted, and I saw an opportunity to invest a small amount in something I knew would recover. In any case, if you own 100 shares of RCL, anytime you sail on their ships, you get additional onboard credits. For me, that's 2 x $100 for the sailings I take this year. Sadly, I was unaware of the credit LAST year and didn't get it for the two sailings we did in 2023. 1. Who is eligible for this benefit? · This exclusive benefit offer is reserved solely for shareholders owning a minimum of 100 shares of Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) at time of sailing. 2. What is the benefit? · $1,000 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on a World Cruise · $250 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on Sailings of 14 or more nights. · $100 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on Sailings of 6-13 nights. · $50 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on Sailings of 5 nights or less. · Applicable on any eligible Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises or Silversea Cruises sailing. · Excludes any charter or Galapagos sailings.