The Brilliant Reflection - A Review of 1-12-2013 Sailing with Photos (Very Long)

[ANIA27]

what time are the nightly shows? I wanna see them all so Im not sure what time to book our dinner to make it on time , when last time on cruise sometimes it was so full , we were not able to see the show :(

[alenushka]

Sorry to keep everyone hanging....work calls.

 

 

There was an unpublished show underway, featuring a multitude of Lady Gagas and Tron-like male dancers.

 

It was very cool...however, and this was a problem at other performances too, there was just not enough room for everyone to see the show. Unless you camped out early in some of the prime seating locations (on Decks 3 and 4) it was difficult to see much of anything or you had an odd view from above. Another example of form over function.

 

Do you think they "unpublished" this show because they were trying to avoid a big crowd? Do you remember around what time this show was?

[Freq Traveler]

Sandi, thanks so much for your review. Heading out on the Reflection next month. One question about the bedside cubbies. I read in another review that they are not very wide. In fact, they are too narrow to place an ipad horizontally. How wide would you imagine them to be. For me, this would be the best place for one of those cloth cubes you mentioned for above the bed. Thanks again so very much for all your thoughtfulness and attention to details in your review. REALLY ENJOYING IT!

[librarylady19]

what time are the nightly shows? I wanna see them all so Im not sure what time to book our dinner to make it on time , when last time on cruise sometimes it was so full , we were not able to see the show :(

 

Show times varied - you can check the Celebrity Today's I have posted so far. There are always 2 performances of the main Theatre shows; we have never encountered a problem getting a seat for these. There have been SRO crowds in the smaller theatre, Celebrity Central, on other cruises (I didn't attend any shows here on the Reflection).

The issue is with any popular performances held in the Atrium area as the stage area and dance floor are very small and seating around the circumference of this area is limited.

[librarylady19]

Sandi, thanks so much for your review. Heading out on the Reflection next month. One question about the bedside cubbies. I read in another review that they are not very wide. In fact, they are too narrow to place an ipad horizontally. How wide would you imagine them to be. For me, this would be the best place for one of those cloth cubes you mentioned for above the bed. Thanks again so very much for all your thoughtfulness and attention to details in your review. REALLY ENJOYING IT!

 

You wouldn't be able to fit the storage cubes in the nightstand cubbies. They are approximately 7-8' wide; big enough for a Kindle or iPad mini, but not a full-size iPad definitely.

[librarylady19]

Do you think they "unpublished" this show because they were trying to avoid a big crowd? Do you remember around what time this show was?

Well, it was exactly secret, as CD Paul Baya mentioned it during the opening night show; not sure of the time - might have been around 10:00 p.m.I don't wear a watch and there are very few clocks on the ship.

[librarylady19]

Our first sea day continued with our first visit of the cruise to the fabulous Blu for breakfast. To tell you what a treat the breakfast here is, let me just say that DH Scott loves to sleep in on vacation but even he is happy to get up in time to enjoy breakfast in Blu!

 

Blu was as elegant as ever. It was evident that the room was larger than on Equinox and Eclipse (we also ate at Blu on Summit, but that has a completely different configuration).

 

 

 

This was our favorite section for dinner:

 

 

Our first experience of Blu on Reflection did not disappoint. We enjoyed a lovely, relaxing meal served by friendly, solicitous staff. I was so happy to see the pastry basket offered, the pretty butter roses and the delicious variety of breakfast offerings.

Edited January 23, 2013 by librarylady19

[islandgirlejfan]

Sandi....just loving your review! We are booked for the first week in December and really looking forward to it....your pictures and review are fabulous.

 

I loved the collapsible fabric cube idea so much that I went and got two tonight at the local Target. I'm not sure if it's just our store, but I found them on the clearance rack, so if any of you are thinking that you would like them, it might be a good time to check on them. I thought these would really come in handy since the space over the bed while ample, was hard for me to use. My hubby liked the idea so much, we both got one. There is a smaller mini size (7" X 5.75" X 7" 2-per package) that I might go back after for use in the bathroom. That way, I can keep all of our stuff together neatly. I like to keep my items organized and be as little trouble as I can to the hard working housekeeping staff. Thanks for the great idea!

[MrsBrown]

Thanks for taking the time to post your experience. I'm wishing I was there already. 2 more months. Sigh.

[librarylady19]

Scott and I then went our separate ways. He to enjoy some "free time" and me to Michaels to attend the Cruise Critic gathering. We had a pretty good showing (I would estimate around 50 in attendance). Celebrity provided pastries and coffee; CD Paul Baya, Hotel Director Sue Richardson and Guest Relations Manager Alex were there. Roll call member Terry Tallent was kind enough to raffle off a number of Celebrity items that his wife had won at trivia and we all had an opportunity to introduce ourselves. Nice to put faces to names!!

 

 

 

Following the party, we held a cabin crawl that I had organized for the Roll Call. It was very interesting to see a variety of cabin types and configurations, and good exercise too! We visited balcony, concierge and aqua class cabins as well as an aqua suite.

 

We decided to spend a little time on our lovely balcony and ordered a late lunch from room service as were not so hungry to need a full meal. We ordered some appetizers; the food arrived earlier than scheduled and was very tasty. We also had a salad from the Aqua Spa cafe, which was conveniently only a short trip from our cabin.

Edited January 23, 2013 by librarylady19

[librarylady19]

We headed back up to the Sunset Bar later in the afternoon to try our luck at trivia. We came in second but were given a couple of Celebrity lanyards anyway which were very handy for the rest of the cruise.

 

We enjoyed our time, even though it was a bit chilly!

 

 

The Sunset was beautiful.

 

I like how the bar stools light up as it gets dark.

 

 

This is living!!

 

 

Edited January 23, 2013 by librarylady19

[librarylady19]

We were feeling a bit peckish after that rough game of trivia, and popped down to the Oceanview Cafe for some sushi (available at 5:30 p.m.) - always a tasty treat. There is a convenient staircase from the Sunset Bar to the OV Cafe, one deck below.

 

 

As many people were now getting ready for the first Formal Night, it seemed like a good time to visit Persian Gardens. This is another of our favorite S Class amenities. I actually met someone in line at the Mast Grill who was in Aquaclass who didn't know what the Persian Gardens were!! (Guess she didn't do her research :D)

 

The Reflection PG features a much larger room with double the number of heated loungers. I loved the soothing green tones in this room. It was always nice and quiet in here, with new-agey music playing softly to lull you to sleep.

 

 

In this picture, you can see the other half of the PG.

 

Edited January 23, 2013 by librarylady19

[lilghallinsf]

Your review is amazing and exciting. I keep checking throughout the day for updated

[librarylady19]

Thanks! You can always subscribe to the thread and get email notifications.

Edited January 23, 2013 by librarylady19

[dln929]

Sandi, what cabins did you see on the crawl? Anything interesting? (and tell Scott the "P" for Purdue is fantastic!)

[lilghallinsf]

Good idea. I have been using my iPhone tappatalk application to read them. It's an easy sneak at work and handy when laying in bed.

[portofrome]

I'm really enjoying your review. Thanks for posting.

Edited January 23, 2013 by portofrome

[u2cruiser]

Wow! I like the lighted Sunset Bar stools. I wondered why they didn't have built in cushions on previous pics, now I know.

Have you known trivia to be at the Sunset Bar before? That would be great as we love trivia but hate being inside on sea days.

 

I think sales on Reflection cruises will be up due to your review. ;)

[dodger1964]

Do you know if they still have "free" on demand movies in the staterooms?

[librarylady19]

Do you know if they still have "free" on demand movies in the staterooms?

 

Don't know about that, but they do have adult movies - for a fee of course:) DH discovered this while flipping through the channels, before I told him to turn off the TV!!!

Edited January 23, 2013 by librarylady19

[librarylady19]

Wow! I like the lighted Sunset Bar stools. I wondered why they didn't have built in cushions on previous pics, now I know.

Have you known trivia to be at the Sunset Bar before? That would be great as we love trivia but hate being inside on sea days.

 

I think sales on Reflection cruises will be up due to your review. ;)

 

Well lets hope someone from Celebrity is reading this review then:o

 

Disclaimer - I am not a RCCL stockholder or a travel agent and have no vested economic interest in promoting Celebrity.

 

I do recall trivia being held at the Sunset Bar in other cruises, usually in the late afternoon. Nicer spot than the dark lounges IMO.

Edited January 23, 2013 by librarylady19

[dln929]

Do you know if they still have "free" on demand movies in the staterooms?

 

Not to horn in, Sandi, but to answer the question, yes, there are free movies. Sometimes we're so tired after port days that we turn in early and watch the movies in bed (nothing we pay for ;)). We saw The Hunger Games and Dark Shadows on the Equinox last month. The latter lulled us into a very good night's sleep. :cool:

Edited January 23, 2013 by dln929

[billyboy41]

Sandi...We can hardly wait to set sail Feb. 2, especially now after reading your enjoyable and informative review...THANK YOU!!! :D:D

[librarylady19]

To continue with Day 2....we were relaxing in the Persian Gardens on the divine heated loungers.

 

 

There are also a variety of saunas and steam rooms in this area for use by PG guests (AQ guests and those purchasing a PG pass).

 

Sauna, with ocean view:

 

Steam room:

 

Cold Room:

 

There was an aromatherapy steam room but I did not really notice too much aroma in there, as well as a hammam (which was just a very steamy room) and 2 sets of rain showers that were very chilly. We primarily used the loungers.

Edited January 23, 2013 by librarylady19

[librarylady19]

There is also a sauna available to all guests in the Aqua Spa changing room. Here are some photos from the men's area; the women's was similar.

 

 

 

Edited January 23, 2013 by librarylady19