Just Off Celebrity Reflection Review- if under 30 MUST READ

[dgreenie28]

1) notice how this post is about me and bf. We have been on 40+ combined.

 

2) you do not know my personal life, so calling me a kindergartener, liar, troll, etc. is not nice. Didn't YOU learn in Kindergarten "If you have nothing nice to say, do not say it at all".

 

3) I apologize for my vocab. I am on major medicine because of the cold I caught on board so please excuse my bad vocab that your 5 year old knows better than me.

 

4) MOST IMPORTANTLY. This is an OPINION!!!!!! Do you not have your own opinion? Well obviously since you're speaking your mind about my own opinion....

 

5) I'm not pregnant. Maybe I'm high maintenance and a picky eater, but there's no way that you are not. I'm a picky eater for health reasons, so please take your judgements somewhere else.

 

6) my dad is a caterer. Growing up he would cater 2-3 cruises a year for specific holidays. So let's do the math together:

Since my first cruise was when I was 6 months old and I'm 24.5...

For math purposes let's just say 2 a year.

2x24= 48

That's give or take 3 some years and 1 other years. So actually, by myself I have been on way more than some of you.

So I don't think "newbie" is the correct name to call me.

 

Also, please keep in mind our past cruising experiences were with family and not just boyfriend and myself. Previously, we did not care if there was good food nor did we care about night clubs, etc. Since we are now older and cruising for ourselves, we are looking to have an experience like we had when we were younger. We had many fun activities on all past cruises because of the kids club and whatever else we had planned.

 

We did not do enough research on the cruise of our choice. We will be trying an all inclusive resort next or sticking with NCL or RCCL.

 

*THIS IS AN OPINION THAT IM ENTITLED TO HAVE. *

[dgreenie28]

I guess Celebrity Cruises is responsible for the very bad cold that is not going away. OMG.

 

 

Never did I state this was because of Celebrity...

[dgreenie28]

Vulcan:

 

 

 

Actually, if you go back to previous posts she stated she had been on 20-30 previous cruises not 40.

 

 

Please read my previous response. This is about me and bf. If I am going to be critically watched about how many I say, then there's no point in you commenting on all my posts.

[dgreenie28]

You stroll out to the pool at 11:00am and expect to find a chair poolside in the sun - apparently you learned nothing in all of your previous cruises.

 

 

 

Love reviews like this...nothing was right, worst cruise ever, blah blah blah...but hey we have booked 10 more cruises!

 

 

Didn't say it was the worst cruise ever. Actually, staff had confirmed that they have more people on board than room at the pool deck. So my observation was confirmed.

[dgreenie28]

Exactly. For someone to have claimed that they've been on so many cruises and then discover (for the first time!) that this is an issue.... well, I find it rather dubious. :rolleyes:

 

 

Again, please read previous response. A crew member confirmed they have more people on board than area for guests at the one pool deck. Most cruises I have been on have had a lot of sunny areas so this isn't something I found (for the first time!)

[dgreenie28]

Something I don't think anyone else has picked up on in the OPs review.

 

 

 

She states "I have been on over 40 cruises and my boyfriend as well"

 

 

 

So that's 80 cruises between them. Unless she means 40 between them, but that is not what she is saying.

 

 

 

My wife, by her own admission, is a fussy eater yet loves Celebrity for their food and has no trouble finding plenty to eat at Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

 

 

 

It took my wife and I about 3-4 nights on our first cruise to get the swing of things - extra veg, less of this more of that on the plate please, 2 deserts if you want, different places to go for meals etc etc. I don't understand how a couple can have 80 cruises between them and have no clue on this. I've flown a LOT more than been on cruises but this feels to me a bit like me moaning at the surprise of finding the meal options on a flight were limited to Chicken or Beef

 

 

I apologize, I meant between the two of us. Also, please read my response on how I have been on so many cruises before you criticize. Thanks.

[vulcan1971]

Vulcan:

 

Actually, if you go back to previous posts she stated she had been on 20-30 previous cruises not 40.

 

dkjretired - Yes, I was aware of that.... Hence the reason for why I wrote my post the way that I did given that the number of cruises taken by the OP changed over the course of several threads. So, my post states that there is "plausibility" for the OP's initial post, but with doubts. Further, this was before any replies were made by the OP that came back to clarify.

Edited February 8, 2016 by vulcan1971

[Pavovsky]

hello all, i have just signed up to cruisecritic as im looking at booking a cruise on celebrity reflection in june for 11 nights around the western med.

This will be our first cruise experience after listening to various friends who do recommend it, but it has to be on a 5 star ship.

I am for 43 & my fiancee is 30 in july so thought we would celebrate in style.

We do like fine food & drink & do like nightclubs.... late nights etc..., but after reading a few reviews on here im getting mixed messages if this is actually the ship we want to be on. So im asking all you experienced Celebrity X Cruisers for an honest review on these cruise lines about how good the food really is, drinks selection at the various bars & the nightlife etc...

Also any personal tips you may have e.g. food packages/ drinks packages/room upgrades would be greatly appreciated.

I was going to book a balcony room & standard drinks package but is worth paying the extra for the concierge room & premium drinks package? im not a spirit drinker, but i do love my champagne, but i guess this would have a seperate charge on the ship or is this included with the premium package?

many many thanks

mark.

 

 

There is probably enough to do especially is good food is part of the draw. I suggest yes to the premium package, yes to a balcony, not to a concierge room and instead invest in a speciality dining package.

 

 

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[dgreenie28]

OP, thank you for coming back and answering questions. It's a shame that so few read them.

I'm afraid I don't agree with your opinion either. I like the food on Celebrity, but I know some young people don't.

My niece (24 yo) is a very picky eater. Until she was in her late teens, chicken nuggets was most of her diet. I blame my sister for her eating habits, she didn't insist that her daughter try new things and consequently, she doesn't like anything new. What she eats has to be plain, without sauces or fancy spices. She loves cruising but has no interest in Celebrity.

I introduced my co-worker in cruising and she's now done more cruises than I have. She has no interest in Celebrity. She tells me she doesn't like "frou-frou" food. She loved Carnival and NCL.

We all have our own preferences and just because we don't agree doesn't make either of us wrong, just different.

 

 

A lot of people come on here to criticize but if someone says something they don't like they immediately attack and gang up. They can't take what they dish and that's a shame as well.

I am a picky eater as well, more for health reasons, but of course, that's my choice! I did in fact bring stuff on board with me because I know how I am, but still felt extremely limited.

I also never paid much attention to food that wasn't chicken fingers, burgers, etc. because most of the time my cruises were when I was 18 and younger. This being said, I never paid attention to the food on board due to the fact I didn't care!

 

Thanks for your reply. It's nice to hear someone not jumping down my throat.

[dgreenie28]

dkjretired - Yes, I was aware of that.... Hence the reason for why I wrote my post the way that I did given that the number of cruises taken by the OP changed over the course of several threads. So, my post states that there is "plausibility" for the OP's initial post, but with doubts. Further, this was before any replies were made by the OP that came back to clarify.

 

 

I'm surprised that the biggest part of my review is about how many cruises I have been on... I apologize for not explaining my crisis past frequently

[Karynanne]

Didn't say it was the worst cruise ever. Actually, staff had confirmed that they have more people on board than room at the pool deck. So my observation was confirmed.

 

There are ALWAYS more passengers than space at the pool. Not everyone uses the pool or lays in the sun. There are other activities onboard that passengers utilize.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Maybe I'm high maintenance and a picky eater, but there's no way that you are not. I'm a picky eater for health reasons, so please take your judgements somewhere else.

 

So sorry to disappoint you, but nope. I'm the furthest thing from high maintenance - 2 week trip including cruise to Alaska done with carry-on only is not something someone who is high maintenance can do. No fussing with hair and make-up in the mornings - wash, ponytail, and go.

 

And as for being picky? Nope. My mother (who is not a caterer but her cooking puts most I've encountered to shame) didn't LET me be a picky eater. ONE meal was cooked at our house, and if you didn't like it, too bad. I was always taught to try things before rejecting them when eating at someone else's house. I do watch what I eat, but I've NEVER had problems finding food on a cruise - the exception being peanuts or fish where there are food sensitivity issues (which I politely make clear when I'm going to be eating at someone's house) - or anywhere else. (And for that matter neither have my DIABETIC, GLUTEN FREE and/or VEGAN friends - all of whom eat that way for health reasons.)

[vulcan1971]

I'm surprised that the biggest part of my review is about how many cruises I have been on... I apologize for not explaining my crisis past frequently

 

dgreenie28 - my comment that you quoted was defending myself and the way I wrote a post to somebody else, not to you.

 

With that said, thanks for coming back and clarifying aspects of your post that seemed quite outrageous given our knowledge of Celebrity. While this may have been your first cruise on Celebrity, it is not the first cruise on Celebrity for most of us that provided comments.

 

Also, I think what most people on here are really trying to say is that if you have been on 40 cruises (give or take)..... somehow, somewhere along the way you would have met people that have cruised on Celebrity or come across information on what the environment is like while cruising with Celebrity. Your sense of "shock" about your likes/dislikes/preferences seem out of sorts with someone with so much "cruising experience" under your belt.

 

As I ended my first post... hope that you find your way to a cruise line that meets your needs/wants/desires for a fun cruising experience.

Edited February 8, 2016 by vulcan1971

[SAC69]

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 agree, they both have "over" 40 cruises each at 24 years old? :rolleyes:

Edited February 8, 2016 by SAC69

[dgreenie28]

I agree, they both have "over" 40 cruises each at 24 years old? :rolleyes:

 

 

Please read previous responses before agreeing with comments. Thanks.

[dgreenie28]

dgreenie28 - my comment that you quoted was defending myself and the way I wrote a post to somebody else, not to you.

 

 

 

With that said, thanks for coming back and clarifying aspects of your post that seemed quite outrageous given our knowledge of Celebrity. While this may have been your first cruise on Celebrity, it is not the first cruise on Celebrity for most of us that provided comments.

 

 

 

Also, I think what most people on here are really trying to say is that if you have been on 40 cruises (give or take)..... somehow, somewhere along the way you would have met people that have cruised on Celebrity or come across information on what the environment is like while cruising with Celebrity. Your sense of "shock" about your likes/dislikes/preferences seem out of sorts with someone with so much "cruising experience" under your belt.

 

 

 

As I ended my first post... hope that you find your way to a cruise line that meets your needs/wants/desires for a fun cruising experience.

 

 

This was my second time on Celebrity, as I mentioned. I was surprised because this was not the experience I remembered. Thanks

[C-Dragons]

A lot of people come on here to criticize but if someone says something they don't like they immediately attack and gang up. They can't take what they dish and that's a shame as well.

I am a picky eater as well, more for health reasons, but of course, that's my choice! I did in fact bring stuff on board with me because I know how I am, but still felt extremely limited.

I also never paid much attention to food that wasn't chicken fingers, burgers, etc. because most of the time my cruises were when I was 18 and younger. This being said, I never paid attention to the food on board due to the fact I didn't care!

 

Thanks for your reply. It's nice to hear someone not jumping down my throat.

Yes, you are entitled to your opinion. Perhaps the responses to your first post have been so harsh because of the way your review was presented. To those of us who have sailed with X (and on the Reflection) many times your review seemed quite out of the ordinary and totally incongruous with our experiences. It was obvious that you had not done adequate research for this cruise. I hope you will find another cruise line that is more suited to your taste.

[Pavovsky]

This was my second time on Celebrity, as I mentioned. I was surprised because this was not the experience I remembered. Thanks

 

 

Seems like it was a horror holiday for you. You only have a definitive amount of money and important vacation leave and a bad experience is stressful and feels like a waste.

 

We had a terrible experience a few years back at an all inclusive resort where the reviews indicated it would be really great but the reality was a nightmare. We suffered for three days and literally got the next plane off the island after negotiating a refund for the remaining nights - had a great time in Miami as the alternative. I reviewed as you did and also got some very dismissive comments so it is not nice. I also responded to a criticism once of a place I liked but only because I was accused of giving a positive review due to the bribe of a post dinner digestif so it is not always straight forward.

 

We sailed Celebrity for the first time last August on Reflection. Some aspects were great, others were just ok with a few aspects downright crap which needed a few patient visits to guest relations. Some expectations were met and others were not.

 

We will go again but I don't buy it as a perfect holiday experience. You have reasonable expectations and if they are not met it can be difficult. It can also be the case that negative issues you experience on their own might not be too bad but then they snowball when combined with other problems.

 

 

 

 

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[cruiserone]

So sorry to hear that you did not like your cruise. If you read the cruise Critic boards you will see that Celebrity is really a quieter, more upscale line than some of the others. Especially this time of the year when most young people are working or going to school. Sometimes during Spring Break you see a few young people on board but mostly on Royal Caribbean and NCL.

 

Sorry you did not enjoy your cruise.

 

There is always a next time.

[JRJARS]

There are always more people on board than the pool deck can handle.

[bottomfeeder]

Trying to read between the lines of the various posts in this thread by the OP, it sounds like most (if not all) of her previous cruises were while she was a "kid" and this may have been her first cruise as a full-fledged adult after a break of a number of years when she didn't cruise.

 

So it isn't surprising that she may not have remembered that lounger space right around the pool is very limited on many ships--in fact, on every ship I have been on including Azamara which is a smaller, "near-luxury" ship. Maybe Crystal or Seabourne have plenty of space around the pool for all passengers to have a lounger?

 

Also not surprising that she may have been unhappy with the food selections though she described it in a rather melodramatic way. Same with the rough seas. It also sounds like she wasn't feeling well during a large part of the cruise--even if it's just a minor illness, that can really impact your enjoyment of a cruise.

 

Reading the reviews posted in the review section of this website, when I find a one-star "everything was horrible" review, almost every single time there was something that went badly wrong (that was out of the cruiseline's control) that impacted the enjoyment of the entire cruise for that reviewer--their elderly mother fell and broke her wrist, they got norovirus, they missed several ports due to bad weather, etc.--and I really think that's what's going on here. She just wasn't feeling especially good during the cruise. Well, that and an age-related tendency toward the dramatic. :)

 

OP, I do hope you find an alternative vacation style that you enjoy. If you want to give cruising another chance, I'd suggest you try one of the new NCL ships like the Getaway, Epic, Breakaway, etc. While they have even less room around the pool per passenger than Celebrity ships, they do have a lot of other entertainment options and alternative food venues. If I were in my mid-20s (and had a lot more disposable income than I actually did when I was that age!) those ships would be my first choice.

[Maverine]

I have been on three X cruises, one on the Reflection and had never a problem to find a lounger at any time. But I agree that it can be a problem to get one directly at the pool, this area can be crowded on a sea day in the Caribbean. I doubt that this will be different on an even bigger ship like most RCCL. Sometimes you have chair hoggers, too.

Regarding to food it's hard to believe that anybody could not find something to please. F.e. They serve really good fresh burgers at the Mast Grill for lunch if this is more your type of food. In my opinion the food on Celebrity ships is good - not Michelin star good - but good if you have to cater several thousand people 24/7.

We have booked AC, loved the Blu restaurant (more "healthy" choices, less heavy), but I can accept that some people are used to different food. And we eat almost every type of food (fish, seafood, meat, veggies) so it might be easier for us. That said chicken was not the only poultry on the menu, even had quail or pheasant!

Edited February 8, 2016 by Maverine

[ghstudio]

Perhaps it would help many of us if the OP would describe the foods they normally would enjoy at lunch and dinner. I think many of us are a bit baffled because there is such a wide variety of food....and even places to get salads. You could have eaten lunch in the MDR or had a salad prepared to your liking at the aqua spa cafe. When you say your boyfriend wasn't full after one piece of roast chicken at the buffet....why didn't he just go back for another....you can go back as many times as you want...or you can take as much as you want the first time? The OceanView Cafe also offers dinner including grill to order (in front of you), steak, chicken, shrimp, etc. and sushi.

 

It's very hard to understand your comments about the food without more than "nothing I liked" or equivalent.

 

If you've been on MSC, Costa and Holland American and found their food to your liking, I'm really really baffled about your comments about Celebrity's food...

Edited February 8, 2016 by ghstudio

[K.T.B.]

Again, please read previous response. A crew member confirmed they have more people on board than area for guests at the one pool deck. Most cruises I have been on have had a lot of sunny areas so this isn't something I found (for the first time!)

 

My Silhouette cruise was at maximum occupancy when I sailed her. I had NO trouble finding a chair anywhere by the pool, but I also preferred to be in the shade.

 

EVERY ship has more passengers on board than deck chairs available. This is very well known to avid cruisers. Again, if you have been on the 20 or 30 or 40 cruises as you claim, you'd be very aware of it and would know that by showing up at 11am on deck it would mean you would have some difficulty in finding an empty chair. And you can always move the chair into the sun once you find one.

 

I understand not everyone has a positive cruising experience, but there are numerous members on here who have sailed multiple times. Everyone's tastes are different. However, IMO, a well seasoned cruiser wouldn't be complaining about some of the things you are complaining about. (i.e. The rocking of the boat is something a seasoned cruiser is aware of, but not a newbie.)

 

It's a shame you didn't enjoy the cruise. But if you're going to post your opinion, others will too. :)

[ghstudio]

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.

 

We dined at qsine with a strict vegetarian and they had a very nice, enjoyable meal.....your statement is just flat wrong.