Reflections on the Reflection - Nov 16th cruise

[san diego spartan]

Loving your review while waiting on JW's.

 

I do not know if you saw this, but I shot a video of the Reflection leaving the POM the day you got back.

 

Here is the link

 

http://youtu.be/-gCculrK12w

 

 

Great video!!!! Makes me wish we had stayed on to do back to back!!!!

 

I'm sure JW is busy with his Christmas tree house. Hopefully we'll hear something soon.

[DJSchib]

Loving the review. We are on the Reflection for our first ever cruise in February!

Debbie

[sylveve]

Will be on Jan 4th sailing. Do you have MDR menus?

[san diego spartan]

On this topic, I believe X failed to some degree. I had posted on a thread before we left about viewing for these games and got some responses, not all the encouraging. However, I was glad to see (and my husband was super happy) to see there were 2 ESPN channels available. He actually went to the customer service desk (Deck 3) and obtained a sports schedule for the week that would be showing on the ship - that was really nice!

 

Unfortunately the choice for the games was very limited, but, not unexpected from the pre-boarding research. What was a bit disappointing was the lack of options to view games (other than in your room). I do believe other cruise lines handle it better and might be something, during NFL season, that X might want to adjust.

 

We were told the casino bar would have the games on. This was true. However, there is very limited seating at the bar and it is very tight between the bar and the slot machines, so that you really don't have much standing room. It was packed everytime we were there.

 

I have to say this was a bar were I thought service was lacking. I do forget the bartendar's name (male) - but I ordered a blueberry mojito from the menu one time. He gave me a look and said that drink is complicated. Well, yes, I suppose it is a bit bartendar intensive, but still it was on the menu and sounded refreshing. He did make it, but had an attitude and I did not feel like tipping him.

 

Anyway, back to the point. Casino bar is not the best place to watch the game. So we wondered over to Michael's Club, which is a great venue. Loved the beer options and seeing them all in the coolers - very nice. They were open for the games and there is nice comfy seating options. 3 large TVs. Great. But wait - no bar service? :confused: There were probably 100 people there and many, if not all, complaining about not being able to get a drink. Michael's does not open until 7pm. Games started at 1pm. It was Sunday and a sea day. Seems like a great opportunity for X to be more customer friendly and sell some drinks.

 

Finally, John, a Giants fan we met (Not an Eli fan....most of San Diego isn't! ;)) - found a beverage manager, who then brought in a waitress to take drink orders! Hip hip horrah! :D

 

Now, unfortunately, we were kicked out later in the afternoon for a private function (would have been nice to have that posted outside earlier in the day).

 

Other than the 3 sunday night games, Monday and Thursday night games were on at Michael's.

[san diego spartan]

Sunday was the first sea day.

 

 

 

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[san diego spartan]

Here's the dinner menu from second formal night. Had lobster tail but the duck was fantastic! Tom had 2 lobster tails! Chef Thomas told us at the Celebrity Iron Chef battle that there were 2700 lobster tails sold on our cruise! WOW!

 

 

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Edited December 5, 2013 by san diego spartan

[san diego spartan]

 

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[san diego spartan]

Here are some photos from the 2nd formal night meal. the lobster tail, duck and the oyster app. All yummy.

 

 

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Edited December 5, 2013 by san diego spartan

[Gradelady]

I am enjoying your informative review! We are sailing on the Reflection on Jan. 18. We just booked and are trying to pull information together and your review is helping so much! Can you tell me what nights were formal nights? If you do not eat in the formal dining room on those nights, do you have to be formally dressed?

[Gradelady]

If you have a drink package, does that include gratuities or do you have to pay extra?

[20pluscruises]

I am enjoying your informative review! We are sailing on the Reflection on Jan. 18. We just booked and are trying to pull information together and your review is helping so much! Can you tell me what nights were formal nights? If you do not eat in the formal dining room on those nights, do you have to be formally dressed?

 

Blu is always smart casual as are the specialty restaurants. Formal nights are almost always on days at sea.

[san diego spartan]

If you have a drink package, does that include gratuities or do you have to pay extra?

 

Hi Gradelady - on the drink package the gratuities are included. It's great - you don't have to wait and sign for any bill. Just give them your card, they swipe it on the computer and away you go. :D

I'm jealous you are going to be on the Reflection so soon!!! Have a great time.

 

The formal nights for us were the first full sea day - Sunday and then the 2nd full sea day - Thursday. I actually enjoy dressing up a bit and I thought it was fun to see everyone looking super nice. However, I do know that the specialty restaurants are "smart casual" - so no formal wear required. So that is an option for you if you don't want the MDR on the formal nights. Of course, the buffet is casual all nights!

 

In terms of tipping - we may have a different philosophy than others. We did have prepaid gratuities from our TA which was nice. But we like to give a bit extra to those that we believe give you extra special service. Plus many of these bartendars and waitresses/waiters work so hard. You will see them during that day at one lounger or at the pool bar or in the buffet/dining room and then later that day/evening in another location. One wonders when they get sleep!

 

So what I did was go to the bank before we left and got a lot of small $1 and $5 bills. As we would go along during the cruise we would tip a few dollars for a couple of drinks or maybe a $5. Depending on the service. Now it wasn't with ever drink that we ordered, but just throughout the cruise to give a bit extra.

 

We also gave extra money to our room service steward, assistant steward and the waiter, assistant waiter and wine steward in the MDR the 2nd formal night. I think we gave each of them $20 additionally (though cabin steward more since we tipped him $10 on 1st day). We also tipped when room service was brought - usually $3.

Edited December 5, 2013 by san diego spartan

[baby]

interesting reading

[CruiserFTL]

We miss you San Diego Spartan!!!

[cruisingronnie]

 

:( I was bummed that we didn't get to see the Sin City Comedy show in the Reflection Theatre (which is a smaller more intimate venue). I understand that the type of show doesn't work well in the larger venue, and it was on 3 nights of the cruise, but we tried each time and never got in - it was always standing room only! We even left dinner early one night to make it and afraid we were shut out. I heard it was very good. I do think maybe Celebrity should have some sort of reservation system for this show, since it was so popular.

Do you still have the schedule as to the days and times of the show?

We are on select dining and would like to try to schedule dinner reservations on that we can catch the show. Thx!

[san diego spartan]

Hi. Sorry we are off on our next adventure. Show times varied from day to day. Usually at 7pm for the late seating and about 9 or 9:30 for the earlier diners.

However sometimes they would be a bit earlier or later.



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