JW and Jerome's Excellent Adventure on the Celebrity REFLECTION!

[librarylady19]

Cruising "JW style". .... Now that's MODERN Luxury ;). I think you are definitely the new Generation X that Celebrity is courting buddy. Hopefully some of us straight couples can enjoy the ride too. It definitely makes for a much more fun cruise.

Sure wish I knew why that Refelction November cruise is so bloody expensive.

 

JW - you, Jerome and all your followers simply must book the Jan. 12 Silhouette - prices are still reasonable and 123 Go isn't over yet...

[akwilson12]

I just reviewed my cruise pics and what did I find. A picture of the Hat Lady in the background of the Martini Bar. She was holding court.

 

BTW- I had my own meeting with the Hat Lady. She asked me where I was from, I said Philadelphia. She said, no are you Thai or Filipino? I said no. She said your parents have a secret you don't know about.

 

You must post the pic, we didn't get one of her. But I must say that the pic JW posted above is extremely similar in comparison. When I saw her literally pour the bucket of ice on herself (which she did on a regular basis), I asked her what the heck she was doing, her response was that she was a sun worshiper. I thought to myself, why don't you just get in the pool to cool off like normal people? But then again, there was nothing normal about Hat Lady aka Drunk Lady to my husband and me.

[BugsyCruiser]

Cruising "JW style". .... Now that's MODERN Luxury ;). I think you are definitely the new Generation X that Celebrity is courting buddy. Hopefully some of us straight couples can enjoy the ride too. It definitely makes for a much more fun cruise.

Sure wish I knew why that Refelction November cruise is so bloody expensive.

 

JW - you, Jerome and all your followers simply must book the Jan. 12 Silhouette - prices are still reasonable and 123 Go isn't over yet...

 

GULP! Sandi I just checked and saw what you meant about pricing! Wow that November 16th is a LOT more than the one I'm on December 7th!

[lightning bolt]

Cruising "JW style". .... Now that's MODERN Luxury ;). I think you are definitely the new Generation X that Celebrity is courting buddy. Hopefully some of us straight couples can enjoy the ride too. It definitely makes for a much more fun cruise.

Sure wish I knew why that Refelction November cruise is so bloody expensive.

 

JW - you, Jerome and all your followers simply must book the Jan. 12 Silhouette - prices are still reasonable and 123 Go isn't over yet...

 

Sandi you are really tempting me.:D We are booked on the Eclipse the end of November so the JW cruise is a no go for us. :( We also had a great cruise on the Reflection in March.

[librarylady19]

GULP! Sandi I just checked and saw what you meant about pricing! Wow that November 16th is a LOT more than the one I'm on December 7th!

 

Indeed!! Aquaclass is sold out, which is why I think there must be some kind of group booking going on....November is usually cheaper....it's still hurricane season after all.

[librarylady19]

Sandi you are really tempting me.:D We are booked on the Eclipse the end of November so the JW cruise is a no go for us. :( We also had a great cruise on the Reflection in March.

 

So now you. need to try the Silhouette. I'm sure you've read Bugsy and Gambees excellent reviews!!

This is a western Caribbean cruise (some new ports for us at least) and we go to The private area on Labadee which is supposed to be awesome!

We have planned a Sailaway party, cabin crawl, poker run, slot pull, beer tasting in Michaels and a beaches & brewery tour in Grand Cayman - so far!!

[cubswin2016]

Greensuz - I saw you were on the CB a few years ago. Great pizza on that ship. Which is better, Reflection or CB? Will be on my first Celebrity cruise Feb 2014

[Burlingtontownie]

Cruising "JW style". .... Now that's MODERN Luxury ;). I think you are definitely the new Generation X that Celebrity is courting buddy. Hopefully some of us straight couples can enjoy the ride too. It definitely makes for a much more fun cruise.

Sure wish I knew why that Refelction November cruise is so bloody expensive.

 

JW - you, Jerome and all your followers simply must book the Jan. 12 Silhouette - prices are still reasonable and 123 Go isn't over yet...

 

Hi Library Lady:

 

I write under burlingtontownie, and am a medical librarian and representative to the Mass. Medical Society for medical education for my institution in N. Central Mass. Thank you for the "friend" inclusion on Cruise Critic as it is not easy to identily my fellow library colleagues who enjoy cruises. Please feel free to write when you get a chance.

 

 

JW and Jerome will be with us on the Eclipse in April of next year. Our Meet and Greet has just been confirmed and I believe they are handling the Martini party and slot pull events. I, too, cannot wait to meet them. As a clinical librarian, I will probably the straightest of the straight people.

 

I just handle the "backup" list for the "Meet and Greet" event and we have 32 signed so far, so we are good to go for next year on the first open sail day.

[lightning bolt]

So now you. need to try the Silhouette. I'm sure you've read Bugsy and Gambees excellent reviews!!

This is a western Caribbean cruise (some new ports for us at least) and we go to The private area on Labadee which is supposed to be awesome!

We have planned a Sailaway party, cabin crawl, poker run, slot pull, beer tasting in Michaels and a beaches & brewery tour in Grand Cayman - so far!!

 

My first Solstice class ship was the Solstice in 2009. I guess I wasn't ready for this class at that time. Really loved the smaller ships but after they retired the Mercury I didn't feel at home on the other ships. This year I decided to try the Reflection in March. When I read your review it opened my eyes to a new experience. The 123go was a nice bonus. Did a kind of back to back. The Azamara Quest then the Reflection. The Quest was nice but very dull.:eek: Just not our cup of tea. Couldn't even find a sail away party. Reflection was a whole different story. Thank you for your great review. I'm really leaning on booking the Jan cruise on Silhouette. Sounds like a lot of fun.:D

[kroberst]

holiday - what do you think I am - Canadian. :D My birthday actually occurs that week so that might be a good excuse to go but DH isn't so excited about another cruise this year (he'd rather go to Belgium). Can't persuade Either DD to go as they don't like sun or water (crazy right!!)

 

Well, I'm not a librarian and didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night but... one of my best friends is a librarian :D I'd be happy to be a "pinch" traveler for you ;)

 

K

[kroberst]

 

JW - It's been almost a whole 10 hours since you posted! What kind of hopeless slacka*# are you anyway?;) Geez, you'd think you need to sleep or something. Come on, my martini is getting cold - oops - I mean warm!

 

As you might guess - absolutely LOVING your review!!!

 

K

[cruiseguys2009]

I just reviewed my cruise pics and what did I find. A picture of the Hat Lady in the background of the Martini Bar. She was holding court.

 

BTW- I had my own meeting with the Hat Lady. She asked me where I was from, I said Philadelphia. She said, no are you Thai or Filipino? I said no. She said your parents have a secret you don't know about.

 

 

Would you please post a pick of her here, or on our Roll Call, and I can pick it up there.

[hansolosmom]

So I'm on my way to the liquor store before I read anymore.

 

Smirnoff pomegranate sorbet for martinis latter!

 

 

I saw what you mean about the Nov 16- cant believe its more expensive than Thanksgiving week!

[cruiseguys2009]

After all the Weenies Jokes and our lunch was over, Jerome and I decided to mosey on down to the Deck 4 Shopping Plaza, It’s mind boggling to see this veritable Double Decker Shopping Mall in person. I had seen so many photos, but the experience of personally standing there and taking it all in is astounding. Adjacent to the Shopping Mall is the Casino, and here is was a perfectly good sea day, and I would have still been in there gambling, had they not insisted that my money was not good enough for them at 2 o’clock in the morning the night before. Tisk Tisk. I guess no one’s money was good enough, as the slot machines were devoid of people.

 

We wandered from shop to shop, talking with all the wonderful store clerks in each store. I loved the Celebrity Reflection Logo shop the best. I purchased a tee shirt from the Celebrity Reflection Inaugural Season Collection, something that I know will not be available any longer as we were the last sailing of the Inaugural Season. It was drastically discounted at 25% off. (Yes, I got something on sale!)

 

Jerome found a brand new (or new to us, at least) sea sickness remedy in a liquid form on the shelf in this same store. According to the directions, only two drops are needed on your ear lobe or behind your ear, and if you are suffering motion sickness symptoms, it is supposed to work immediately. We ran into a couple of ladies in St Martin at the drug store, and they simply swear by it. We were looking to see if it was available someplace off the ship, as in this shop on board, it was $18.00. Now you know that’s a rip. These gals told us that the liquid motion sickness remedy is available at Walmart for about five bucks. Sold! I don’t remember the name, but it’s supposed to be with all the other “motion of the ocean” pills and what not. Once I get it this week, I will post the name of it later on, or if someone knows, please post it here. We both want to come up with something better than Bonine, as it makes us sleepy and that’s not good when you are on the 1,2,3, Drunk Promo!

 

I also found it funny how they (The Celebrity Retail Powers That Be) build up these special “Sales” throughout the week…”5 Days until the $20.00 Watch Gift Set Sale!”, 2 Days for the Everything is $10.00 Sale”. More on these “Sales” later, where perfectly somber and laid back Celebrity Cruise vacationers suddenly become more like Carnivorous Vultures and Wild Beasts at feeding time when the sale is announced. What happened? Am I in the Twilight Zone and back on a Carnival Ship???? These BBB’s will tear you to pieces! I guess being cooped up on this ship for a week, they have to keep their Shopping Skills in tip top shape, sort of like the Zumba Class on deck. Oh, and that is great fun to watch too! (Don’t get me started on Zumba….I will have plenty to say about Zumba and Boobies and Hat Lady, Oh MY! ......Later)

 

Trust me, for a good time, get to the Casino Bar about 20 minutes before the start of one of these “Sales“. Grab a Martini just before the sale is to begin, and you will have fodder for years and years to come. Watch these Professional Biddy Bargain Hunters go to work! Just like on television the day after Thanksgiving. “Outta My Way Suckers!” Grabbing and Clawing for that special Deal. Oy Vay!

 

After shopping we went back up to the Oceanview Bar and got our Happy Hour Martini’s. Then went back to the bar and Jerome and I each got a bottle of Evian (The best part about the 1,2,3, Drunk Program is that whenever you pass a bar, get a bottle of water to take back to your room. The bottle that they leave in your room is $4.00 and is NOT included in the drink package, Oh! And neither is the Mini-Bar!). You can only get one drink at a time per card. They are very strict about this, which is okay by me, and you just have to complete one transaction at a time. We also stopped by the buffet and filled a plate of finger or "Tea" sandwiches from a huge selection, Yummy Little Numm Nums, that go perfect with a Martini on the balcony for our own little Private Happy Hour.

 

Since we had reservations at 8:30 PM in the Opus Dining Room and it was our favorite night, we were in no rush, as it was only about 5:30 at this point. It’s the First Formal Night! Jerome and I always bring two tuxedos to wear and we love to dress up on the ship. More and more cruise lines today have abandoned formal night, just like the Midnight Buffet, The Chocolate Buffet, and so much more. We settled in on the balcony for about an hour, watching the sea, enjoying our sandwiches and martini’s, and then we went inside to begin getting ready for dinner.

 

I laid out our Tuxedos and accoutrements that we were going to wear that evening, Jerome went up to the OV Bar and got us another round of cocktails while I took a shower. I think my favorite part of the cruise is getting dressed for the first formal night. To me it means that we are finally “On Vacation”. But to Jerome it means “Where Trouble Goes, Trouble Follows!” Did I tell you my nickname is “Trouble”?

 

Dressed, imbibed and at about number 1 and a half, of the 1,2,3, Drunk part of the evening, Jerome and I head out in our finery to the Martini Bar. It’s funny how the “Friends of Dorothy” Cocktail Party was set by Celebrity for the Molecular Bar each night, and no one went. All the Gaybies (as Hat Lady Called Us) went to the Martini Bar. Jerome and I stopped by the first night Friends of Dorothy Party, and there was a lone woman at the bar. I walked up to her, and asked her “Are You A Friend Of Dorothy’s?” She replied, “No, I am NOT a friend of Dorothy, I AM DOROTHY!, And I was thought that this was some sort of surprise party for me that my friends were putting on!” Jerome, with his raised eyebrow again, thinking she has GOT to be kidding. No, she was dead serious and the bartender could not find a proper way to let the poor gal know the real meaning of Friend’s of Dorothy. Not to worry, leave that to me! I said “Honey. Dear, Dorothy. The Friends of Dorothy are all those who love the Wizard of Oz”…she interrupted me…..”Oh I LOVE The Wizard of OZ!”, I continued “Yes, I am sure you do. However, That is an acronym for Loving the Movie AND being Gay or Lesbian.” “Oh My Gawd!” she exclaimed! I’ve got to get out of here quick!, what will my husband think?” “Oh My Gawd! Oh My Gawd, People saw me here at the bar, Oh My Gawd!” I did not have the heart to tell her that there are worse things in life than sitting at the bar thinking that your friends are having a party for you because your name is Dorothy. You could labeled be a Lesbian! Shocking! "Jerome, I need a Martini, this boat is full of Wack-a-doodles! Jerome said, “Where Trouble Goes, Trouble Follow’s” “Let’s Go Trouble!”

 

Off to the Martini Bar for a Grand Entrance.

 

There is Hat Lady right off, in a white chiffon flowing something or other, that looks like multi-layers of one of those bridal shower toilet paper wedding gowns (you know, they have that contest at a bridal shower where you divide up into teams, and using toilet paper to make a mock wedding gown and then give out a prizes for the best entry?). Hat Lady’s was the Best Entry. And yes, she was sporting a Silk and Rhinestone Studded Motor Biker Sombrero, which I know she picked out special for this cruise and I am solidly sure she could not Wait to take it out for a spin! Arms a flailing and each time she did, her chiffon extensions would cascade to and fro, like in Bewitched when Endora was going to cast a spell. Jerome says, “Go to the Left, over there, she has bad eye sight, she won’t see us.!

 

“YOUUUHOOOOOO! JAYDOUBLEYOUUUU-HOOOOO!!” Hat Lady Screams from Across the room and all eyes suddenly are on us. “Bad Eyesight Jerome?, Whatever gave you that idea?” “It’s because you’re Radiant, JW” He says, nice comeback Dumb Ass. “Dahling, How are you? You look Lovely? I said, thinking I need a Martini quick but there is no open space to get to the bar. Hat Lady coo’d “Do you like my hat? I thought of you when I was putting it on!” Now that did not make sense to me. What? Why? It was a biker brimmed white silk and sequin mess. Why would she think of ME? “JayDoubleYou do you think I should get my lips done?” She says, pointing to the last bastion of wrinkles on her nippy tucked face. “Why Yes, Yes You Should” I said and Jerome interrupted me, whispering “Careful Trouble” “Easy!”. Jerome knows me all to well. I was going to say “Why Yes, Yes You Should. Have Those Lips Sewn Right Up, Together!” A space suddenly opened up for us to get cocktails so Jerome, knowing me all to well that I was not going to let a good line get away, grabs my arm and whisks me away.

 

“That was rude” I said to Jerome, “Not as rude as I knew you were going to be, JW”. Well okay, Jerome is usually right. But I am really not That bad! Am I? I don’t know, ask these next two I am about to tell you about. We are at level 2 now of the 1,2,3 Drunk.

 

So we order cocktails and as we are standing at the bar sipping on them, I notice a very handsome gay couple sitting right next us. They are both about our age and look fabulous in their Classic Tuxedos. I turn to the older of the two and begin to compliment him on his dashing attire, to which the younger one quips “Watch it, that’s my husband!” Jerome knows that I finally met my match! Well our conversation from that point is fabulous. All four of us hit it off beautifully, and as such, and I felt as if I had known them FOREVA! Their names were Thomas and Patrick. What is with all these Gay Guys on board with Saint’s names. Every one of us had a Saint’s name!

 

So Jerome compliments Saint Patrick (That’s also another defrocked saint but they couldn’t get rid of him as he is the Patron Saint of 1,2,3, Drunk!) on his “Pocket Square” in the pocket of his gorgeous tuxedo, as it was a sophisticated “fold” and really set the tone of the outfit. To which Saint Patrick replied, “Why thank you, and by the way, do you like Thomas’ Pocket Square?” I said, trying to be complimentary, "Why yes, what a lovely color and satiny sheen it has.” To me, it was just a piece of shiny, silky fabric just kind of “poofed” in there. “Well”, Patrick says, (I feel a Story coming on here) It seems that when we were packing to come on the cruise, I told Thomas not to forget his pocket squares for his Tuxedos. So guess what, we unpack and are getting ready tonight, and Thomas forgot to pack his pocket squares.” Up until this point I was lost, and was like, really, so I am really glad I remembered to pack my brain, so what?

 

Now mind you, these are two guys we have just met not ten minutes or so, ago. Saint Thomas tried to interrupt Saint Patrick several times, but Patrick was hell bent on getting this story out, So as continuing the tradition of “Where Trouble Goes, Trouble Follows", as I am really only halfway listening at this point needing another martini, when out of Saint Patrick’s mouth comes “And That is No Pocket Square, It’s a Thong!” “????????” “What did you just say” I said as my mouth went from Patrick to Thomas’ Pocket, back to Patrick to Jerome to Thomas’ pocket. “You have got to be kidding!” “Is it used?” I said. Jerome goes “”JW!, that’s gross, but is it?” Oh geez, here we go! Something new on the Gay Market. Double Duty Pocket Squares. Thong Underwear by Day, Accessory By Night. All the while, anyone close to your pocket that night will say “What is THAT Cologne your wearing?” Oh My Gawd. A Ding Dong Thong in your Pocket? I am certainly NOT going to let THIS GO. No-sir-ee Bob! I don’t care if I only knew these guys for ten minutes! I could not believe it!

 

So what did Auntie JW do? Well with the flick of my wrist and a snap of my finger, I pulled that little sucker right out of his pocket and twirled it around and around for everyone to see! “Where Trouble Goes, Trouble Follows.” “Whoo Hoo, Lookie What I Got Everyone!” Gosh, I am on the floor laughing. A Thong. THONG! Of all things, a Pocket Square! Oh My! Where are all theses people from. One of the Ports of Call, certainly on our Itinerary now, must be the Island of Misfits. I know it is!

 

First of all, recounting this story here, truly makes me tinkle. All of us except for Saint Thomas, thought that it was hysterical. For his part, I have to give Thomas credit, he did not see That coming, and he was just as quick as I was, in snatching it back from me. I laughed so hard I had to Tinkle! Saint Thomas and Saint Patrick became our buddies throughout the cruise and we enjoyed their company immensely. However, I will never, ever let St Thomas live that one down! Thong Pocket Square. If Patrick had not have told me, I would have never known. But now ya know Blanche! Now YOU Know!

[ShawRuff]

Not the best pic. But you can see the hair and the hat.

[cruiseguys2009]

Not the best pic. But you can see the hair and the hat.

 

 

This must have been on Tuesday night, I remember the shirt I was wearing. Yes, she is right up front with another one of those biker sombreros, this one is in black. Isn't this when she got her drink stuck to the ice bar and she was throwing ice shavings at the bartender?

[cruiseguys2009]

Just like the advertised up coming "Sales" on the Celebrity Reflection, I am going to advertise Up Coming Chapters:

 

In Two Days, Coming Soon!

BALLOON NUTS AND LAP DANCES!

 

 

In Three Days, Coming Soon!

 

GOZDA, THE TUSCAN GODZILLA MONSTER!!!

(Our only less than positive experience on the Celebrity Reflection)

[jackdiamond]

Indeed!! Aquaclass is sold out, which is why I think there must be some kind of group booking going on....November is usually cheaper....it's still hurricane season after all.

Hurricane season officially terminates November 30; and, the peak thereof is September 10.

[cazzi]

Holy Hanna I'm laughing so hard thank god I'm at home and not at work.... I know what you mean with the $10 sale... It was a mad house. Loving the review. You need to write a book on your adventures of cruising, i would be the first to buy one :)

[Burlingtontownie]

I also found it funny how they (The Celebrity Retail Powers That Be) build up these special “Sales” throughout the week…”5 Days until the $20.00 Watch Gift Set Sale!”, 2 Days for the Everything is $10.00 Sale”. More on these “Sales” later, where perfectly somber and laid back Celebrity Cruise vacationers suddenly become more like Carnivorous Vultures and Wild Beasts at feeding time when the sale is announced. What happened? Am I in the Twilight Zone and back on a Carnival Ship???? These BBB’s will tear you to pieces! I guess being cooped up on this ship for a week, they have to keep their Shopping Skills in tip top shape, sort of like the Zumba Class on deck."

 

A couple of years ago, my wife and I were on the Celebrity Millenium out of Sydney, bound for New Zealand-a two week cruise. Within 24 hours of boarding, the store area had a HUGE closeout sale of Australian merchandise, shirts, kolala and kangaroo teddy bears. A massive feeding frenzy broke out with moms, grannies, and kids grabbing the stuffed annimals to take home. By the end of the night, the swarm of locusts had gone through the merchandise. Yeah, I bought a couple of teddy bears for home, but I did not want to prticipate in the melee, and got away from there as quickly as I could. Later, in the cruise, the watches came out, and the $10.00 gewgaws came out with almost the same effect.

 

With two days to go, another Marketplace mahem event took place with tee shirts, gym clothes, crappy watches, ball caps, jackets, mismatched items, and assorted kitch worthy of Filenes Basement in Boston. The crowd swelled, peeking under the covers, and jockeying for best positions.

 

I am sure we will see this again on our cruise to the Southern Caribbean on the Eclipse. I guess all cruise lines do this.

[merdmt33]

jw i just posted some pics on the cruise critic site...under photos of Reflection April 13th..hope you enjoy them

myrna

[librarylady19]

I think these sales are fairly recent on celebrity - at least the scope and frequency of them. :mad:

JW captured the frenzy perfectly - it was pretty hilarious to watch, as long as you weren't caught in the melee. On Summit, they had a sale of Pandora-style bracelets - women were grabbing 50 boxes and squirreling them away to corners to go through them. Surprised they didn't have a lot of theft. The staff were definitely outnumbered.

[AndrewM]

I hope eventually you spat a snappy remark Hat Lady's way. I get the sense it wouldn't even register. Bwahahaha! A thong!

[cruiseguys2009]

jw i just posted some pics on the cruise critic site...under photos of Reflection April 13th..hope you enjoy them

myrna

 

I could not find them, where are they? Can you post a link here for me to pick them up and post them on my review? Thanks so much.

[Bonnie Voyager]

I could not find them, where are they? Can you post a link here for me to pick them up and post them on my review? Thanks so much.

 

 

Here ya go...

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/member.php?uid=930941&protype=1

 

Count ME in as another fan of your review! ♥