Just Off Celebrity Reflection Review- if under 30 MUST READ

[dkjretired]

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.

 

This is a public board, you don't set the rules, one post says 40 cruises and another says 20 to 30 with no cruises apparently in between. Goes to credibility and I will continue posting. If you notice I mentioned nothing about your comments on food or other items but only on the point that you were surprised you couldn't find a lounger after coming out late. I find that unusual after 20, 30 or 40 cruises whatever it is.

 

I see you didn't mention the post where I stuck up for you.

Edited February 8, 2016 by dkjretired

[PensFan1028]

I'm 30 and been on 5+ cruises!!

 

No but really... I learned by the first sea day on my first cruise ever that if you don't get to the pool early you will not get a lounger in a decent spot or one at all... I go to the pool at 7am and sleep on my lounger until I'm ready for a beer around 9:30 - 10ish :) get with it.

 

Been on Royal, Princess and Carnival... Carnival had the best club/party scene... but then again there were underage kids throwing up on the dance floor so take that with a grain of salt I guess. Princess is our favorite and always wanted to try X because of how it seems to WANT to cater to our age group.

 

It's unfortunate that you did not enjoy your first cruise ever but I wouldn't give up... it really is a good time if you try I promise.

[Pavovsky]

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. :)

 

 

Except a lot of people seemed to think it did not happen and were fairly vocal to that effect.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wpgcycler]

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.

 

Reasons others are questioning the credibility of this post include but are not limited to:

 

- Some of your initial posts (as well as your report) seem to suggest surprise at the possibility of rough seas - it seems remarkable that even in "only" 20 cruises you have not experienced this.

 

- all you could find in the buffet was chicken fajitas - not only is this preposterous but you fail to tell us what you would have LIKED them to provide

 

- your boyfriend had room service "every day" because "everything else was gross" - neither informative nor credible

 

- 2 nights in a row you unable to find ANTYHING on the menu that appealed to you??? So, that's about a dozen or more mains and well over a dozen appetizers and NONE of it was to your liking??? Maybe it's FOOD you don't like - in which cae, why bother writing about it? Later you go on to claim pickiness due to "health reasons" - 1. the ship will cater to special dietary needs 2. anyone who's been on a combined 40 cruises would know this - unless of course the health reasons have recently developed due to old age

 

- the portions were too small - after 20 cruises, it could not have escaped even the dimmest bulb that a simple request for MORE would be happily granted

 

- "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." - simply NOT factual

 

- others have already commented on your shock and utter disbelief at the popularity of the pool and its limited number of deck chairs.

 

- music/clubs - sorry, there are still too many people complaining on the boards about too much ADM and hip-hop to believe that all they played was Paul, Ringo and Madonna. As for "no clubs" - maybe they've changed it but Sky Lounge on Reflection has a late night DJ playing EDM and hip hop.

 

- the ship - "it's rather small" - look, we all know there are indeed some bigger ships in the world but, to suggest a 1000ft 3000 passenger ship is "rather small" is just plain ridiculous

 

- after a combined 40 cruises, it was a surprise to you you couldn't just board a ship you had bought no passage on - and were actually "depressed" at the refusal - ok, sure

 

- "this entire ship was a 55 and over (or even 70+)" - while I personally have no way of refuting this, it seems HIGHLY unusual that you were the only 2 under 30's out of 3000 guests

 

Sorry, none of this adds up to a credible review - the math doesn't work.

Edited February 8, 2016 by wpgcycler

[wwcruisers]

This is a public board, you don't set the rules, one post says 40 cruises and another says 20 to 30 with no cruises apparently in between. Goes to credibility and I will continue posting. If you notice I mentioned nothing about your comments on food or other items but only on the point that you were surprised you couldn't find a lounger after coming out late. I find that unusual after 20, 30 or 40 cruises whatever it is.

 

Yes, and after 40 cruises (on most of the main-stream cruise lines), why should the OP have been shocked to find that the majority of passengers were 55+? Unless you're talking about a Carnival "booze cruise" during spring break, would anyone really expect to find themselves on a ship populated by 20 and 30-somethings? I was sorry to hear the OP report that the presence of folks in my age group "was just depressing for us".

[ghstudio]

Yes, and after 40 cruises (on most of the main-stream cruise lines), why should the OP have been shocked to find that the majority of passengers were 55+? Unless you're talking about a Carnival "booze cruise" during spring break, would anyone really expect to find themselves on a ship populated by 20 and 30-somethings? I was sorry to hear the OP report that the presence of folks in my age group "was just depressing for us".

 

In fairness to the OP, I sometimes find it depressing to look around and I'm on the old side of the average age.

 

Part of the OP's disappointment in this area may be caused by Celebrity's advertising which implies that there is a younger crowd and younger vibe. Unfortunately for the OP and other "youngins", the demographics haven't changed yet....and the product doesn't meet the expectations set by the advertising. That one is on Celebrity and their ad agency.

Edited February 8, 2016 by ghstudio

[drarill]

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.

 

First, I never thought you were a troll. But I read your previous posts on different threads and felt that you were apprehensive about this cruise. I also never doubted your cruising history. My children are 16 & 18 years old and both have 21 cruises (each) under their belts, with RCCCL, Disney, NCL and Celebrity.

We have been on the Reflection and planning to book it again for this summer. Can you believe my children prefer Celebrity in the summer than RCCL? Last year I made them choose between the Allure and the Equinox and they chose Celebrity.

 

My problem with your review is the food. I know food is subjective but I also cruise in RCCL and NCL and IMHO Celebrity's food is much better. Keep in mind that I'm also a picky eater and allergic to seafood; and Celebrity is the cruise line where I find more choices. Too bad you didn't try Qsine, my daughter doesn't eat meat and she loves it! BTW, the chocolate cake (with a scoop of vanilla ice cream) is my favorite desert in Celebrity.

 

If you ever decide to give Celebrity a try again, my best advice is to cruise during school vacations, more expensive but also more families and more diversity on board. Maybe you should also try Aqua Class. Blu is fantastic.

Happy cruising dgreenie :):)

[drarill]

In fairness to the OP, I sometimes find it depressing to look around and I'm on the old side of the average age.

 

Part of the OP's disappointment in this area may be caused by Celebrity's advertising which implies that there is a younger crowd and younger vibe. Unfortunately for the OP and other "youngins", the demographics haven't changed yet....and the product doesn't meet the expectations set by the advertising. That one is on Celebrity and their ad agency.

 

I agree. We have only cruised with Celebrity in Europe and the demographics are really different in the beginning of June and July. On our Reflection cruise in the middle of July there were hundreds of teens, many extended families, many nationalities and every party was a blast. :)

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

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...

 

It almost seems from her comments about "not paying attention to the food before because it wasn't chicken fingers and burgers and such" that perhaps she has the IDEA that she should eat "grown up" food, but her stomach wants "kid" food. I don't know about chicken fingers as I've not been on X yet, but I'm pretty sure I read that there's a place where you can get burgers every day at no charge.

 

Then again, perhaps she only ate her caterer father's food so she truly had no idea what "real" cruise food is. (I'm curious as to this bringing "caterers" aboard for holidays anyway - I know for a fact Disney doesn't do that because my sister is a CM on DCL and it's the same kitchen staff at holidays as any other time. What lines do that?)

[ghstudio]

I don't know about chicken fingers as I've not been on X yet, but I'm pretty sure I read that there's a place where you can get burgers every day at no charge.

 

Yes, the mast grill has freshly cooked hamburgers/cheeseburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers and they actually are pretty good if you get them right from the grill and they are open on embarkation day as well as the rest of the cruise.

 

I'm not sure I've seen chicken fingers or fish sticks, but my eyes would probably miss them if reading a menu. Celebrity also has a vegetarian menu every night in the MDR and Blu available if you ask....and of course they will prepare meals to meet a medically required diet.

 

I'm confounded by the OP's statements about food...which is why I asked "what do you like"

[Karynanne]

In fairness to the OP, I sometimes find it depressing to look around and I'm on the old side of the average age.

 

Part of the OP's disappointment in this area may be caused by Celebrity's advertising which implies that there is a younger crowd and younger vibe. Unfortunately for the OP and other "youngins", the demographics haven't changed yet....and the product doesn't meet the expectations set by the advertising. That one is on Celebrity and their ad agency.

 

 

I agree with your point, regarding the advertised vibe.

 

Maybe Celebrity isn't achieving their targeted demographic.

 

Those passengers in the 20-30 yr. old age group, may not find Celebrity caters to their cruising taste.

 

BTW, I don't want Celebrity to drastically change. I like the tasteful and sophisticated atmosphere.[emoji4]

[parallax]

I applaud her from coming back. Sometimes things go wrong in one's mind it is important to take a step back and get a sense of perspective. I think it may have been helpful in this situation. I think with a little more time the OP could have articulated her position better.

 

I think what she came away with was that in this stage of her life, cruising might not be the best option for her or her boyfriend. Whatever vacation the OP takes next, I hope she does sufficient research (especially around food) so their will be no surprises.

[KKB]

OK...

We have sailed DCL, RCCL, Princess & Celebrity. No cruise was perfect, but cruises were more alike than different.

 

Pool--EVERY ship we have sailed has virtually no poolside chairs available by 11AM

 

Music--I know you are 24, but most of the world does not like EDM. The tunes you heard are more universally appealing (from my teens, to 40s & 50s like me to 70s like my parents). Cruise ships are trying to appeal to the masses, so will play tunes that most people would like ("wedding band" music as I like to call it)

 

Rocky ship--no one likes this, but it has happened on all ships & all lines

 

The cold you got--we all get colds. Can happen anywhere, anytime.

 

Regarding food--so other lines are vastly better regarding your narrow food choices? Again, we have found food across all lines to be relatively similar. We have found things we like a lot, things not as much and occasionally things we didn't like at all. If we didn't like it or were still hungry we asked our server for something else! (or got more at the buffet)

 

Regarding dining time, we, too, have had some confusion, but it was always worked out.

 

It does sound as though the dining manager could work on her customer service skills. Hopefully you noted this in your review. In all our travels we have occasionally encountered a surly employee, but I never judge an entire location or brand based on one employee.

 

I am not sure why you targeted your title to those under 30; we find that it isn't about a ship or line so much as the time of year you travel...and entertainment choices will reflect that.

 

You are very much entitled to your opinion, and you were unhappy with a number of things on this cruise, which is unfortunate. But as I noted above, most of them you would find on all other lines/ships.

 

Additionally, attitude is everything. Your review came across very attacking & negative. Perhaps that wasn't your intention. But my family has joked that even if we were on that Carnival ship that was floating at sea for a few days with no power, we would STILL have had a good time...

 

You have sailed Celebrity before, so it seems that this ship wasn't for you.

 

40 sailings over 24 years is about 2/year--I'm jealous!

 

Hoping you have better experiences in your future sailings.

[Bootstrap77]

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.

 

Mommy and daddy trips with the kids I'm guessing

[ORV]

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.

 

For future reference:

 

There's not enough seats in the theater for everyone on board at once. There's not enough room in the restaurants for everyone on board to eat at once either. On any ship, not just Celebrity.

 

 

Then again, perhaps she only ate her caterer father's food so she truly had no idea what "real" cruise food is. (I'm curious as to this bringing "caterers" aboard for holidays anyway - I know for a fact Disney doesn't do that because my sister is a CM on DCL and it's the same kitchen staff at holidays as any other time. What lines do that?)

 

Interesting point.

[mcos864]

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.

 

Would just like to say a big thank you to those of you that have posted your opinions/experiences on the celebrity X cruises.... This has been of a great help in trying to decide what package to book.

Please please keep them coming & I will let you all know what I finally decide & will also post up my experience upon my return. A great forum & so glad I signed up.

Very best regards

Mark.

[JobbesL]

Yes, the mast grill has freshly cooked hamburgers/cheeseburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers and they actually are pretty good if you get them right from the grill and they are open on embarkation day as well as the rest of the cruise.

 

I cruised on the Reflection from Jan30 till Feb6. I read your post and just had to post the double burger I brought to my stateroom from the Mast grill. I got some blue cheese and other toppings from the buffet. The desserts were from the buffet and Cafe Al Bacio. Hope I made you hungry :):):)

Edited February 8, 2016 by JobbesL

[wpgcycler]

I cruised on the Reflection from Jan30 till Feb6. I read your post and just had to post the double burger I brought to my stateroom from the Mast grill. I got some blue cheese and other toppings from the buffet. The desserts were from the buffet and Cafe Al Bacio. Hope I made you hungry :):):)

 

 

Ewwwww, GROSS! :D

[copi2boys]

We went to an all-inclusive... the food was horrible and you could barely drink the wine. At least the local beer was good!

[keesar]

Yes, the mast grill has freshly cooked hamburgers/cheeseburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers and they actually are pretty good if you get them right from the grill and they are open on embarkation day as well as the rest of the cruise.

 

 

You are correct. I am grossed out by the burgers soaking in that liquid while they wait for hungry customers. They are only freshly cooked if you get them before they get submerged. And they are not bad, especially if you have the bun grilled, add lettuce, tomato, onions, ketchup, mustard, relish and mayo.

 

There are so many great choices on the ship. From the grilled salmon, fruit and veggie salads, Indian food, Chinese, Mexican, kielbasa bar, ice cream bar, etc. I am getting really hungry! The food is REAL good on this ship.

[BunnyLebowski]

Hi OP,

 

Thank you for posting your review. It takes time and effort to write about your cruise.

 

I never questioned any of the facts stated in your review. I had kids when I was your age and as tweens they have now been on a number of vacations, some half dozen or so on a cruise ship.

 

Probably, on your previous cruises, your parents took care of making sure you had a seat at the pool and that you had enough food to eat that was to your satisfaction. It's a lot different when you need to fend for yourself. More effort (and expense), but more possibilities, yes?

 

I disagree with other posters, and agree with you that you probably would not have enjoyed Qsine or any of the other specialty restaurants.

 

You do sound like a picky eater. May I suggest in the future (on a cruise, AI resort, hotel etc.) when you don't see anything on a restaurant menu that looks appealing, you should ASK TO ORDER FROM THE KIDS MENU. Celebrity would have provided you with huge quantities of chicken fingers and burgers and fries in the MDR if you requested them from the kids menu. Our Nanny did this a few years ago on a Celebrity cruise when at age 23 she didn't see anything on the adult menu that appealed to her. The servers don't care; it all comes from the same place- they just want you to be happy.

 

Hope your next trip is more to your liking!

[mitttocs]

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?

 

Sorry, not buying much of her "review". For someone like her with so much cruising experience, it doesn't add up. Only a first-time cruiser would not realize that if you want more potatoes, just ask for them. There is no doubt, based on her review, that she is very fussy in terms of food. Every lunchtime is filled with many different items, including lots of salad choices. The MDR menu always has a chicken, a steak, and a salmon on it -- every single night. There are also 6 additional entrees that change every night. There are at least 6-8 appetizers offered every night. There are at least 7 desserts on the menu every night. As other posters have mentioned, on a sea day, finding a comfortable spot near the pool is pretty tricky, but an experienced cruiser would know that. Do NOT let this one review sway you from booking with Celebrity.

[ORV]

Hi OP,

 

Thank you for posting your review. It takes time and effort to write about your cruise.

 

I never questioned any of the facts stated in your review. I had kids when I was your age and as tweens they have now been on a number of vacations, some half dozen or so on a cruise ship.

 

Probably, on your previous cruises, your parents took care of making sure you had a seat at the pool and that you had enough food to eat that was to your satisfaction. It's a lot different when you need to fend for yourself. More effort (and expense), but more possibilities, yes?

 

I disagree with other posters, and agree with you that you probably would not have enjoyed Qsine or any of the other specialty restaurants.

 

You do sound like a picky eater. May I suggest in the future (on a cruise, AI resort, hotel etc.) when you don't see anything on a restaurant menu that looks appealing, you should ASK TO ORDER FROM THE KIDS MENU. Celebrity would have provided you with huge quantities of chicken fingers and burgers and fries in the MDR if you requested them from the kids menu. Our Nanny did this a few years ago on a Celebrity cruise when at age 23 she didn't see anything on the adult menu that appealed to her. The servers don't care; it all comes from the same place- they just want you to be happy.

 

Hope your next trip is more to your liking!

 

I could be wrong but I believe the OP was saying that when she was younger she was only interested in the chicken fingers and burgers and that's all she paid attention to. I'm not sure she wanted to order them now.

[minidonuts85]

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]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Couldnt agree more. We're off from about a month ago and spent many late nights dancing and at the martini bar. We're in our early 40's. I thought the ship had a great balance of relaxation and energy. We really needed to relax and Celebrity fit the bill for us.

[andymattmom]

Think we were on same Equinox cruise in early January as another poster on this thread. We had a fantastic time. It was our first celebrity cruise and our 20 and 19 year old sons were with us. We had a great time. My one son is picky, he always found something to eat. They would always being extra entrees or appetizers if ordered. Not to realize you have to get up early to get a chair is silly.

 

We didn't want the party atmosphere. Met great people young and old. Sat by same college frat boys every night at shows.

 

Someone on one of our shore excursions said the carnival was the Walmart of cruise ships. After seeing one in Port I'd never cruise oh one and agree.

My sons had a great time

OP you chose to be the picky eater, eating same stuff every day. Ship can't control weather and rocking. After 40 cruises if you really have done them you should know that.

Edited February 9, 2016 by andymattmom