Just Off Celebrity Reflection Review- if under 30 MUST READ

[pbrady]

So much for Celebrity changing to please the millennials - Celebrity please note the appreciation :)

[4cats4me]

OP, I agree with you, there is a severely lacking party vibe on X, which is one of the reasons we went back to Princess, and believe it or not Regal Princess entertainment was wayyyy better than that on any X cruise. We are in our 50s and love EDM, too, and I agree, that Madonna, Beatles stuff is so BORING

Might as well play Play 30s and 40s music while they're at it. Even though we weren't all that thrilled with RCCL in Oct, we did like the party vibe X just doesn't quite get it

 

 

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[hcat]

We were on the amazing EQUINOX early Jan....wide variety of ages on board, live bands and 2 great DJs.... updated shows, lots of action in the atrium and other locations, bars busy,.. everyone seemed to be having a great time...on board and in the ports.,

 

surprised Ref gets a bad review from young cruisers...we found it to be a Miami vibe party ship.more so than other class ships. Agree pool area is crowded

 

Maybe an off week???? ..food on EQ btw was excellent...even in the buffet...guess Celeb is not for OP if nothing was appealing to this couple...so many choices ...

[PSCruiser]

Amusing............... The OP claims 40+ cruises, while all her other posts scream NEWBIE!

OP, you were taking questions, care to respond?

A good start toward legit might be your cruise list.

[vulcan1971]

When I first started reading this thread, I thought for sure it was not the feedback of someone that has traveled on 40 cruises.... and at 24 years of age, you would have needed 1-3 cruises per year since you were born. Certainly plausible, but I seriously have my doubts. My doubts were confirmed after reading back through your past postings.

 

Regardless, if you have cruised extensively, much of your criticism for your experience should not come as a surprise. Young people do not cruise Celebrity for a "party vibe". Some of your concerns were confirmed for you before you even boarded the ship so you were destined to have a bad experience.

 

Celebrity is not everybody's cup of tea and now you know it is not yours. Hopefully your next cruise experience will be better suited to your preferences.

[grandgeezer]

I believe every word of it. We were on the Silhouette in December and a lot of the points made on this post would be accurate for our cruise.

[cwbabe48]

Firstly,

If the OP would have done the CC homework, it is well documented that it is a much more subdued atmosphere. Yeah I can't wait.

To sleep till late and wonder why there is no pool side lounger and not try other eating options is an immature picky point of view. Sorry but it is obvious they were clueless what to expect.

Like someone said, Vegas or All inclusive somewhere is there match.

 

Almost 70 and loving every second of my cruises.

[Jane2357]

OP, I agree with you, there is a severely lacking party vibe on X, which is one of the reasons we went back to Princess, and believe it or not Regal Princess entertainment was wayyyy better than that on any X cruise. We are in our 50s and love EDM, too, and I agree, that Madonna, Beatles stuff is so BORING

Might as well play Play 30s and 40s music while they're at it. Even though we weren't all that thrilled with RCCL in Oct, we did like the party vibe X just doesn't quite get it

 

 

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And that is exactly why some of us choose X. We don't want the party vibe. :D

 

To the OP - sorry but I just am suspect of your claim of 40 cruises - because IF you had cruised any number of times you would surely know that Celebrity is not known for a lively late night party atmosphere.

Edited February 7, 2016 by Jane2357

[Canadianguy]

"Boyfriend" is my hero! Sounds like you are a very lucky lady to have him. Treat him well. Like VERY well, from the way your review reads

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

And that is exactly why some of us choose X. We don't want the party vibe. :D

 

BINGO! Nailed it!! :D

[loubetti]

Can I be a little nosey? How can you have so many cruises under your belt at your tender age? I started my cruise career at age 40 and I have 20 cruises (and in my circle...that is a lot) I suppose living in Florida helps, if it wasn't for air fare, we would probably be able to sail more often as well. We are sailing Reflection March of 2017. Hope to find something to eat when we are on board.

 

Well, the "0" is not next to the "4" on the keyboard, so we can rule out a typo. Otherwise, I would figure very, very successful person(s) at a young age, lottery win, trust fund, or a rather bogus post to some degree.

[keesar]

How could anyone not like music from the Beatles and Madonna?

 

How could anyone not find any food on the Reflection that they enjoyed eating?

The possibilities seem endless.

[monicajay]

40 cruises by the age of 24. Nuff'said!

[robsmom]

A possible pregnancy also crossed my mind when reading how nothing seemed to appeal. Been there, so I can see that causing issues. I don't want to start any rumors, but it crossed my mind.

 

I think you can feel free to start rumors. I don't think your rumor would be any more fabricated than most if not all of this review. To paraphrase Judge Judy "it does not make sense, and if it does not make sense is probably is not true. This post has red flags all over it for me.

 

Edited to add that the 40 cruises is not even the main flag for me. I have a 16 year old who has been on about 10.

Edited February 8, 2016 by robsmom

[LabGuy64]

I really don't get her review.....She said she had been on more than 40 cruises....an amazing total for a 24 year old....her parents must have had a lot of disposable income and time...What I don't get is how surprised she seeps at everything.....small portions she complains about?....she does not know she can ask for more? different items?....and the entertainment? she says she has been on celebrity before but, the music and entertainment has never been geared to the early 20's demographic. And while I am not a big fan of the buffet on any line, there are plenty of options unless you are perhaps a Vegan which she is not...odd review, not the review (I have seen many more scything reviews than this) but the a VERY experienced cruiser is so surprised by things that should have been expected. Were they playing rap and hip hop on the Equinox in 2010?

 

 

 

 

A little background: I have been on over 40 cruises and my boyfriend as well. We've sailed RCCL, Princess, Disney, Celebrity, MSC, Costa, Holland America, and more. We met on the Celebrity Equinox in 2010 and have been together since. We are both 24 years old. We figured to celebrate 6 years and go on the Reflection, the newest of the Equinox ships.

 

My boyfriend and I just got off of the Celebrity Reflection. We sailed Jan 30- Feb 6. We traveled on the 7 night Western Caribbean: Cozumel, Georgetown, Jamaica, and Nassau (because there was a storm in CocoCay).

 

Let's start with the food-

Breakfast- the ONLY meal onboard I enjoyed. In the buffet they had an omelette station. They had salmon lox were great and I was satisfied. I had the same omelette every day: fresh eggs, onion, tomatoes, and spinach.

 

Lunch- The second we got on board we went to the buffet (OceanView Cafe). I had chicken fajitas and boyfriend had roasted chicken with white rice. The chicken fajitas were warm - not hot and the guac was ok. Chips were normal. Boyfriend said the roasted chicken was ok, but he was still hungry after eating it. The white rice was dry. I had the same thing for lunch for the first 4 days of the cruise - chicken fajitas with guac and chips- because there was nothing else that I liked so as you can imagine I got sick of it REAL fast. The next couple days I had lunch at the ports and on the last day at sea lunch I had 2 pieces of vegetable sushi and gave up. At this point I was pissed because my stomach was not enjoying anything I was eating and I just couldn't get myself to eat anything else because the thought made me nauseous. I love salad but every time I went to get some lettuce and spinach the lettuce had many brown spots and the spinach did not look appetizing. Boyfriend had room service for lunch every day because everything else was gross. The room service roasted chicken sandwich was the best food we had the whole cruise.

 

Dinner- dinner. oh dinner. So for months before the cruise we wanted to book the 6pm dining. We had it in the very beginning but decided to switch it to late (8:30pm) dining and regretted it. We were on the wait list for the 6pm dining for months. We got onboard and asked the assistant manager if we can switch. He said he will send us a note for tomorrow night but for the first night we had to keep 8:30pm. We saw the first show and then went to dinner. There wasn't anything to my liking on the menu for the first night so I ordered the regular chicken breast with mash potatoes and vegetables. This was an option for every night if you wanted. The chicken was maybe 2 oz and the mashed potatoes no kidding or exaggerating was a table spoon. 1 table spoon! Ok I'm sorry but who eats that and thinks "wow I'm stuffed" NOT ME. I then ordered dessert, I got chocolate cake and it was so dry I couldn't eat it. We got a phone call the next day saying we should have a postcard saying we're in the earlier dining... We called back and they said yes and we were at the same table we were at during 8:30pm. That confused us. We went to dinner at 6pm and they told us we were at 8:30pm and were never moved. They accommodated us anyway. Boyfriend didn't want anything on the menu, I didn't want anything either but I decided to just get the chicken breast once again. Same portion size but the chocolate cake was at least more moist. Boyfriend wanted pasta- which they accommodated the night before for him. The dining manager (not sure if this is her position but she was someone above all the wait staff). She came over to us asking us why we wanted pasta and how we got it. Then brought our precious waiter over and yelled at him in front of us for getting him pasta the night before. That was the last time we went to the dining room. Every time I saw this lady in the buffet she was yelling at the staff for not doing something correctly. Side note- I worked as a manager for a long time and customer service is ALWAYS number 1. Boyfriend went to get apple juice one morning at 11:30am, when they switched back to water, he had his cup filling up and the lady stopped him and made them switch to water. Boyfriend was NOT happy. This lady did not care about customers whatsoever. Every other night for dinner we either didn't eat or just went to the buffet to get warm, hard, food.

 

Pool- we slept until about 9am every morning. Ate breakfast and went to the pool on sea days. We were at the pool at 11am the latest I would say, there was not ONE lounge chair. Forget about being in the sun, there wasn't even one in the shade! No one wants to sit in the solarium with no sun, so everyone sits by the pool which is the size of my left toe. Even on the top deck you can't get sun because it's mostly all shaded.

 

Entertainment- Alexander was our cruise director who I found hilarious. He always had a smile and seemed like he really enjoys his job. Melissa was our activities manager and she was the best. She was so funny and so fun! She didn't have a voice for the first part of the cruise but she still made us all have a great time. Charlotte (I forgot her position) was great as well!

We have one complaint- THE MUSIC- this ship had horrible music. There are no clubs on board so they would have a night dance party but they played the SAME BORING MUSIC everywhere. Madonna, Beatles, 80s music. I'm 24 years old and love to party. I did not party once. I played in the casino because there was nothing better to do!!! Our last day of the cruise we were stopped in Nassau. The ship next to us was the Norwegian Escape we begged to get on board to that ship because they were blasting amazing music from the pool and from getting on the boat. We were so depressed we weren't allowed on board. It seemed like such an amazing ship from 10 feet away...TAKE US WITH YOU NCL ESCAPE!!!

When laying out by the pool they would play EDM which we love and then they would stop the good music to have the live band play the same 10 songs they play every day and night of the cruise. Amy Winehouse, Adele, Uncle Cracker, and The Beatles- yawn.

 

Casino- AMAZING casino staff. I have never met a more friendly casino staff. Richie taught me how to play craps and made sure I was comfortable enough to play. There were 3 dealers who I adored! They encourage you to win and helped me walk away when I should!! They knew me by name and really made he casino the most enjoyable part of the cruise.

 

Shows- the first comedy show was ok, we didn't find it that funny. The stars of reflection were great. They put on 3 fabulous shows. There was an illusionist who put on a great show as well. The one show which was Audiovox, musical group who played music with only the sounds of their mouths and they were the best show above all on the ship. We really enjoyed that on the third night.

 

The boat was extremely rocky the last 4 nights of the cruise. I have never gotten sea sick in my life and I had to wear sea bands all 4 nights so I didn't actually get sick. I was woken up all 4 nights from the rocking.

 

Unfortunately, we didn't have a great time. I would've much rather been on Royal Caribbean or now NCL! We are done cruising for a long time and we think we're going to look into an all inclusive resort where we can actually relax, have a good time and meet other couples in their 20's and 30's who we could have a fun time with. Just the fact that this entire ship was a 55 and over (or even 70+) cruise just made it depressing for us. Maybe if we had picked a better week that could have changed, but even the ship itself just does not offer an exciting range of activities. It's rather small and besides the bars doesn't offer a thrilling vacation. The pool being crowded and so noisy, and just constantly feeling unhappy with the service, we feel like we need a vacation after this vacation. An all inclusive resort with outstanding food, and a place to relax with exclusive service and a night life too, would be our next pick.

 

Side note: I got very sick the last night. I got a very bad cold and it's not going away!!

 

I'll answer any questions you may have!

[gowensricks]

Well, my husband and I have thought about trying Celebrity, but to be honest, this Review has me rethinking that. As for the number of cruises that OP has taken, that is plausible as my teenager has gone on 12 with two more scheduled for this year. However, my concern is with the lack of "things to do" and the "poor quality of food..." has anyone else been on this ship lately and enjoyed it?

[LabGuy64]

there are many inconsistencies in the review for someone that has done 40 cruises

 

 

What confuses me is that after 40 cruises, they are surprised that if you get up at 11:00 you're not going to get a seat in the sun at the pool.

 

Also, be advised there are many people who do not like to bathe in the sun. I am in the Solarium all the time since I am a melanoma patient and I know that no sunburn or suntan is good for you, melanoma or not.

Edited February 8, 2016 by LabGuy64

[monicajay]

Well, my husband and I have thought about trying Celebrity, but to be honest, this Review has me rethinking that. As for the number of cruises that OP has taken, that is plausible as my teenager has gone on 12 with two more scheduled for this year. However, my concern is with the lack of "things to do" and the "poor quality of food..." has anyone else been on this ship lately and enjoyed it?

 

Food on Celebrity is better than RCL so you have no worries there. I have yet to travel on the Refection but I'm not worried at all. So far Celebrity has been way above Royal.

 

I don't need 'things to do'. If you really need entertainment during the day, maybe best to stay on RCL.

 

Forty cruises and doesn't realize you might need to be up before 11 to get a lounger, seriously ?

Edited February 8, 2016 by monicajay

[MCKC]

Wow! I read this review to my husband and he asked if we were on the same ship?!? We are an early 30's couple and had a great time....we danced 3 different nights in the sky lounge till 2am[emoji51]....and it was a great DJ SUS played a great variety in my opinion. There was always fun to be had somewhere or maybe we just made our own fun. Oh well to each their own. [emoji4]

 

 

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[K.T.B.]

Well, my husband and I have thought about trying Celebrity, but to be honest, this Review has me rethinking that. As for the number of cruises that OP has taken, that is plausible as my teenager has gone on 12 with two more scheduled for this year. However, my concern is with the lack of "things to do" and the "poor quality of food..." has anyone else been on this ship lately and enjoyed it?

 

Don't let one review, one that is obviously not legitimate, make your decision for you.

[dgreenie28]

Not really sure what to say...sorry you had a bad time.

 

You met six years ago on Celebrity Equinox...has the food changed that much since then, did you like the food then and now you don't?

 

Did you try any of the specialty restaurants?

 

BILL

 

 

We were about to try QSine but decided against it because bf doesn't eat fish or red meat and that's all that is served in any of them.

[keesar]

Well, my husband and I have thought about trying Celebrity, but to be honest, this Review has me rethinking that. As for the number of cruises that OP has taken, that is plausible as my teenager has gone on 12 with two more scheduled for this year. However, my concern is with the lack of "things to do" and the "poor quality of food..." has anyone else been on this ship lately and enjoyed it?

 

The original review is suspect. In October, this OP had claimed 20-30 cruises. Now it is up to 40. Plus not finding any food to her liking???

 

I have been on the Reflection and other Celebrity ships. The food is very good. There are many choices. Last time on Reflection, if you did not like the MDR menu with about 10 entrees to choose from, you could eat at the buffet. They had theme nights for food there. Excellent food and service overall. Although there have been cut backs in activities, there is still plenty to do. The evening shows are real good.

Don't be turned off.

Edited February 8, 2016 by keesar

[dgreenie28]

Can I be a little nosey? How can you have so many cruises under your belt at your tender age? I started my cruise career at age 40 and I have 20 cruises (and in my circle...that is a lot) I suppose living in Florida helps, if it wasn't for air fare, we would probably be able to sail more often as well. We are sailing Reflection March of 2017. Hope to find something to eat when we are on board.

 

 

I went on 2 or 3 a year growing up. My dad is a caterer for cruise ships on certain holidays- so we would go as well!

[Karynanne]

Well, my husband and I have thought about trying Celebrity, but to be honest, this Review has me rethinking that. As for the number of cruises that OP has taken, that is plausible as my teenager has gone on 12 with two more scheduled for this year. However, my concern is with the lack of "things to do" and the "poor quality of food..." has anyone else been on this ship lately and enjoyed it?

 

 

I wouldn't let this negative review sway my opinion of Reflection.

 

The ship is lovely, as well as the dining.

[dgreenie28]

I always appreciate travelers who post their reviews. Everyone has a unique experience and it's really interesting to see how people react when something is not quite right. I have to admit, I'm a little puzzled by a few of your actions and comments. Your boyfriend got roasted chicken from the buffet but he was still hungry after finishing it. Am I the only one wondering why he didn't go get some more? Or something else? Or did he, and you were just posting an observation?

 

 

 

In the main dining room you ordered chicken, vegetables, mashed potatoes and chocolate cake. Entree portions were unsatisfactory and the chocolate cake wasn't edible because it was so dry. So you ordered the same thing the next night? Even the chocolate cake?

 

 

Yeah, I figured I would try it again. I'm sorry I actually got the salmon the next night, my mistake and it was ok. Still small