Currently onboard the Reflection

[gold1953]

Do they still do a brunch in the Dining Room ? Thanks

 

 

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if you mean the big buffet brunch .. no ...

 

you can order lunch daily from a menu

[pgpthirty]

We haven't eaten in the MDR for breakfast on this cruise. We've only done Luminae or the Oceanview. Looking at the Celebrity Today's for the week, I see no brunch listed for this cruise.

[bouhunter]

Tonight is the second evening chic night. I can only assume this was a surprise given how many gentlemen seem to have read the Celebrity Today as tonight is wear a polo shirt night.

 

Sartorial elegance aside, I can say this is without question the worst evening meal I have had in the MDR in over fifteen years cruising.

 

The goats cheese soufflé arrived within seconds of ordering, and had the consistency of a 1970s semolina pudding.

 

For main, I ordered the lobster. Fortunately this arrived with rather less urgency. I can only assume this was because the crustacean had spent longer cooking than it had at the bottom of the sea. In comparison, the broccoli side had barely seen the inside of the pot.

 

Dessert was another 1970s favourite: jam rolly-polly, or according to the menu, citrus roulade. To be fair, given its consistency, it could have been made in the 70s.

 

I am obviously disappointed, clearly let down, somewhat confused, and still hungry.

 

Lisa- I thought the first couple of days were a blip, and things recovered. However Tonight's experience was a major disappointment. I would not return to any local restaurant after such a meal. I only hope your VIP guests Danny de Vito and Daisy Low had a more enjoyable experience, at my expense, in Tuscan yesterday lunchtime.

 

Sorry you had a bad meal, but thanks for the entertaining review:D

[HAM]

We saw one on our cruise last year. We actually got a chance to speak to the owner and the little dog was her service/therapy dog. She showed us all her paperwork giving permission for the dog to go wherever she does -- she has to carry it with her whenever the dog is with her on "official work". It was quite a lengthy process to get her dog certified and she said it took quite a long time to get all the medical approval. Apparently her dog calms her anxiety issues.

 

Can I bring my "therapy" Ketel One with me ? It calms my anxiety !!!

[offnoncruiser]

 

However, we wanted a cruise this Spring so we are thinking that maybe if we upgrade our experience to Aqua (and Blu), and a different ship, it'll be better.

 

Unfortunately, I think this is EXACTLY what Celebrity is looking for, especially for the veteran Celebrity cruisers who remember the "good old days" with all the little things that made Celebrity better. So now give everyone an "okay" cruise, but entice them to think "well if we just spend a few more hundred bucks to book AQ or a suite, it'll be much better". Starting to see alot of that thinking here on the boards.

 

We've tried a few of the specialty restaurants and don't think it's worth the extra fees, and only marginally worth it with a discount. But fortunately, we think the MDR is still pretty good, and rarely have had any complaints. Our first Celebrity cruise was Dec 96, so it's been 20 years, and I honestly can't remember the MDR being THAT much better back then (although I really don't have that good of memory to remember that kind of detail). We tried a suite once, and didn't think it was worth the extra money (granted this was before the separate dining concept).

 

I know all of the lines are probably doing the same thing, but there's probably plenty of people jumping ship to try other lines, only to maybe return to X a few years down the road. So still losing customers, if only for a few years.

 

We're trying Royal again next year (with a big group), and then eyeing a Princess cruise for the next one after that. I'll guess we'll see for ourselves how much they've changed as well.

 

Thx.

[MiamiSpartan]

Nice! We board on Jan 7 for our first aboard a Solstice class ship..! Can't wait!

 

 

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[CruisinNole]

Tonight is the second evening chic night. I can only assume this was a surprise given how many gentlemen seem to have read the Celebrity Today as tonight is wear a polo shirt night.

 

Sartorial elegance aside, I can say this is without question the worst evening meal I have had in the MDR in over fifteen years cruising.

 

The goats cheese soufflé arrived within seconds of ordering, and had the consistency of a 1970s semolina pudding.

 

For main, I ordered the lobster. Fortunately this arrived with rather less urgency. I can only assume this was because the crustacean had spent longer cooking than it had at the bottom of the sea. In comparison, the broccoli side had barely seen the inside of the pot.

 

Dessert was another 1970s favourite: jam rolly-polly, or according to the menu, citrus roulade. To be fair, given its consistency, it could have been made in the 70s.

 

I am obviously disappointed, clearly let down, somewhat confused, and still hungry.

 

Lisa- I thought the first couple of days were a blip, and things recovered. However Tonight's experience was a major disappointment. I would not return to any local restaurant after such a meal. I only hope your VIP guests Danny de Vito and Daisy Low had a more enjoyable experience, at my expense, in Tuscan yesterday lunchtime.

We are also on this cruise and our dining experience has been totally different. My lobster last night was the best I've ever had on a cruise and my husband was still raving about his about his Beef Wellington this morning. We are also Select Dining and have had excellent service. Tuscan was very good. We were disappointed with the menu changes but our filets and ribeyes were tasty and cooked perfectly. The filets at Lawn Club Grille were even better. This is cruise number 51 so we're not new cruisers and we honestly don't have a single complaint.

[tnfcruise]

Can I bring my "therapy" Ketel One with me ? It calms my anxiety !!!

 

 

Attach a little fur and a tail and give it a try. Your post really did make me laugh out loud.

 

 

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[Mr E Yan]

Can I bring my "therapy" Ketel One with me ? It calms my anxiety !!!

 

Should you bring a St Bernard on board, I'm sure you could get get your therapy inside the barrel around its neck without raising any eyebrows.

[tnfcruise]

Unfortunately, I think this is EXACTLY what Celebrity is looking for, especially for the veteran Celebrity cruisers who remember the "good old days" with all the little things that made Celebrity better. So now give everyone an "okay" cruise, but entice them to think "well if we just spend a few more hundred bucks to book AQ or a suite, it'll be much better". Starting to see alot of that thinking here on the boards.

 

 

 

Thx.

 

 

I started another thread about the poor by-the-glass wine selection even with Premium upgrade. Your comment really hits home with me regarding the beverage package. The enticement of up to a certain dollar limit for drinks/wine, the finding out that true "premium" pours can cost you a lot more or you can only get them by purchasing the bottle, at a paltry 20% discount.

So, I'd say it's not just cabin class that this is being done, but also this type of thing, too.

 

 

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[Mr E Yan]

We are also on this cruise and our dining experience has been totally different. My lobster last night was the best I've ever had on a cruise and my husband was still raving about his about his Beef Wellington this morning.

 

Mrs E Yan had the Wellington. Sadly the pastry was rather soggy from sitting in jus prior to serving. Less than appetising as you may imagine, and not what one would expect.

[Lastdance]

Well, even though some of you feel the quality in food has gone down, I am still looking forward to my TA in April- Miami to Rome on the Reflection. We have a great roll call and Blu and Luminae should be good!

 

Thanks so much for your review, as it is always good to read the opinions of those who sail on the same cruise ship...

 

 

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[MANURULES]

The wife and I are Royal cruisers and were on our first celebrity cruise Dec 10.

We love the freedom class and have been on all several times, with independence our favorite.

Our overall impression is mixed.

Getting on and off the ship celebrity wins hands down.

Cabin ( we were concierge on reflection deck 10 fwd,always veranda on royal)

Royal has a better layout, far better storage.

Ship layout about even ,there were areas where one was better than the other.

The lawn was underutilized ( by the passengers ), the alcoves are definitely not my cup of tea, I rather lay on the hammocks next to them as I found the seating in the alcoves sub par.

Food was a disappointment for me, hit and miss for my wife.

She had the best lobster she ever had on a cruise ship, and this from a lobsterholic that lived in Portsmouth NH for 20 years.

On the same night I had the worst steak dinner ever.

Dining room service and sommelier were lacking.

Entertainment; Royal's large venue shows are much better than celebrity and that includes all our trips.

A more mature/sophisticated crowd on reflection without a doubt.

Crew more visible and welcoming on celebrity including senior officers.

Will I travel Celebrity again?

Only if a great itinerary and a great price price is to be had .

[CRZR58]

We are also on this cruise and our dining experience has been totally different. My lobster last night was the best I've ever had on a cruise and my husband was still raving about his about his Beef Wellington this morning. We are also Select Dining and have had excellent service. Tuscan was very good. We were disappointed with the menu changes but our filets and ribeyes were tasty and cooked perfectly. The filets at Lawn Club Grille were even better. This is cruise number 51 so we're not new cruisers and we honestly don't have a single complaint.

This shows how inconsistent the MDR's food can be. On Equinox last month, my Wellington's pastry was sopping wet and uncooked on the inside, so I pulled it off and just ate the meat. My wife had a pork tenderloin dish that was the best meal of the week. Perfectly cooked and wonderfully seasoned. Sometimes it's great. Sometimes, not so much.

[beltane]

I may have sailed with the same woman... but having your dog walking all over furniture and yapping is not acceptable to most. Service dogs are supposed to be trained. The little white dog we saw often was a nuisance (and we love dogs). The have been other threads about these dogs and they say it I easy to buy papers on the internet. Maybe this dog is legit but many are just people who are obsessed with their dogs who are abusing the system

 

I agree on all points.

[Mr E Yan]

This shows how inconsistent the MDR's food can be.

 

There is no excuse for these inconsistencies though. Restaurant chains can deliver consistency across many branches. Meanwhile, Celebrity struggle to deliver consistency across one restaurant.

 

Someone in the kitchen thinks this is acceptable and is sending these below-par dishes out. Given the number of instances shown above, I can't see this being one employee who is having a bad day; it's more likely to be an overall lowering of standards.

[hcat]

Unfortunately, I think this is EXACTLY what Celebrity is looking for, especially for the veteran Celebrity cruisers who remember the "good old days" with all the little things that made Celebrity better. So now give everyone an "okay" cruise, but entice them to think "well if we just spend a few more hundred bucks to book AQ or a suite, it'll be much better". Starting to see alot of that thinking here on the boards.

 

We've tried a few of the specialty restaurants and don't think it's worth the extra fees, and only marginally worth it with a discount. But fortunately, we think the MDR is still pretty good, and rarely have had any complaints. Our first Celebrity cruise was Dec 96, so it's been 20 years, and I honestly can't remember the MDR being THAT much better back then (although I really don't have that good of memory to remember that kind of detail). We tried a suite once, and didn't think it was worth the extra money (granted this was before the separate dining concept).

 

I know all of the lines are probably doing the same thing, but there's probably plenty of people jumping ship to try other lines, only to maybe return to X a few years down the road. So still losing customers, if only for a few years.

 

We're trying Royal again next year (with a big group), and then eyeing a Princess cruise for the next one after that. I'll guess we'll see for ourselves how much they've changed as well.

 

Thx.

 

We have been browsing Jan 2019 Carib cruises . AQ is running abt $200 more pp than Concierge Class..up til now we felt it was worth it.and have 2 more cruises booked in AQ....but after our cruise on Inf in BLU we have to think about it...service was poor and slow, food not up to usual BLU standards..except for breakfadt. Hoping it was a one time lapse...

[hcat]

Mrs E Yan had the Wellington. Sadly the pastry was rather soggy from sitting in jus prior to serving. Less than appetising as you may imagine, and not what one would expect.

 

We escaped from BLU the last night of our cruise on Infinity and lucked out with a res in MDR...we had a great tbl for 2, excellent food & service. I had the veal in phyllo...it was perfect! Also enjoyed Q sine and esp Tuscan's new menu...

[weregoingcruising]

Hi All!

 

Currently onboard the Reflection for a cruise December 24-31/16.

 

It's been a great cruise so far! This is our sixth cruise in three years, all on Celebrity and our third time on the Reflection. The last time on her was in November 2015.

 

A few observations in no particular order:

 

- Embarkation was ridiculously fast! We arrrived at the Port of Miami at 1:45pm and were on the boat in 15 minutes. Other ships had line ups out to the luggage drop off area. The fastest boarding of all our cruises.

 

- DW and I booked this cruise at the last minute and we were lucky to get the last cabin on the ship, a Sky Suite, 2115 on deck 12. We've stayed in Royal and Celebrity suites in the past and this is our first time in a Sky Suite. Perfectly sized for two people with tons of storage! I was a bit concerned with the potential of noise coming from the deck above, but it's been amazingly quiet!

 

- The ship is in great shape, all decorated for Christmas with a gingerbread village set up on deck 5 between the elevator banks. As always, the staff has been excellent, and can't do enough to make sure that you're taken care of.

 

- We made our specialty dining reservations ahead of time, thinking that with a sold out cruise it would be difficult to get reservations. My mistake. We ate at the Lawn Club Grill on the first night. It was frustrating, as the only time available to book online was 8pm. We were starving, waiting for 8pm to roll around, and when we went to the LC, it was totally empty! They have been offering discounts on the specialty restos every night so far.

 

- The Oceanview Cafe has been good. A good selection of everything. A little nuts for breakfast! I can confirm they have eliminated the sushi in the evening. They have added the salad bar to the pizza and pasta in the "all day" dining option in the Oceanview.

 

- Sushi on 5 seems to be pretty empty each time I walked by, but the menu looked decent.

 

- We have the Unlimited Internet as part of our perks, and it's been very good. A few dropouts for a few seconds, every now and then, but fast and reliable compared to other Celebrity cruises we've been on.

 

- The in-room snacks and afternoon tea for suites has been eleminated, and replaced with a daily afternoon tea and snacks in Michael's Club. The Elite coupons are history, and the associated perks are now pre-loaded on your seapass card. Our butler Hilario, mentioned they aren't very happy with the change, as it reduces the interaction with the guests in the suites. They take turns serving in the snacks and tea in Michael's Club.

 

- They have new tables and chairs on the top deck, midship by the pool in the smoking area. I seem to recall couches and club chairs in the outdoor dining area of the OVC. Maybe I'm getting my ships mixed up! If not, they are gone, and they seem to added some small round tables in their place.

 

- We rented an Alcove for our port day in St Kitts. All of the Alcoves have been rented, but more than half are sitting empty. They are refuelling on the starboard side today, and the Royal Princess is moored our port side. It's quite windy here today, and the combination of the fuel fumes rising up the side and the fumes from the Royal's stacks are making for a stinky, headache inducing stay!

 

- From what I've read and seen onboard, they have eliminated the assistant room steward position, and the main room steward is responsible for everything in the room. We haven't noticed any drop in service to our room.

 

Keep in mind, we haven't been on Celebrity in a year, so some of these changes may be "old news"!

 

That's all I can think of for now. Let me know if anyone has questions, and I'll try to answer.

 

Paul

What are the current offers for booking an ov or bal on board?

[Mr E Yan]

A lot of pressure last night in the MDR to have us score a 10 on the CSI from for the dining experience. Then asked if we did have any complaints to add them in ghe comments section, rather than let this impact the scoring.

 

While staff did a good job in stressed circumstances, the food and the experience was disappointing. Therefore to be pressured in such a way to give a high score is poor form. Such actions will only lead to false self-congratulation, an ongoing reduction in standards, and guests looking elsewhere. I expect better from Celebrity.

 

Lisa - don't be blinded by the CSI scores - you need a wider range of measures, and have a job on your hands to get the brand back to where it was.

[Mr E Yan]

Finally, as I depart, I'm pleased I shall no longer be invited to learn more about ammolite, tanzanite, zoltanite or even meteorites.

 

Indeed, if I had been asked once more, I may have considered the use of the armalite, then reached for a Bud Lite.

Edited December 31, 2016 by Mr E Yan
Formatting

[Bob7]

Mr Yan, we're on the Refl in a week, just wanted to say thanks for all your observations, information, and humorous take on situations. We enjoyed your posts. Happy sailing.

[jg51]

Thanks to the OP for this thread -- and to others for replies.

 

Here is a question for anyone who has been aboard the Reflection in the last couple of months -- and has certainty about his/her memory on this subject:

 

We imagine that the Premium Alcoholic Beverage Package was being offered at a discounted rate ... BUT ... how about the Premium NON-Alcoholic Beverage Package? If so, what was the amount (or percentage) of the discount?

 

If a memory can be confirmed by quoting from an advertisement in a "Celebrity Today" issue, that would be the best of all.

 

Many thanks.

.

Edited January 1, 2017 by jg51

[Mr E Yan]

Having followed up my Reflection experience with a trip on Royal, it's interesting to see Royal now ask on their post-trip feedback for details of any crew, staff or officer who has solicited a good score in the ratings.

 

I'd guess it's not going to be too long before Celebrity do the same.

[uktog]

Having followed up my Reflection experience with a trip on Royal, it's interesting to see Royal now ask on their post-trip feedback for details of any crew, staff or officer who has solicited a good score in the ratings.

 

I'd guess it's not going to be too long before Celebrity do the same.

 

That's a great move by RC. They only need to ask the question for a few months and the crew will get the message and stop this awful pressure. I'm about to go on a cruise maybe I should keep a note of the pressureisers names just in case.