Review of Celebrity Reflection Italy and Greek Isles 10 night cruise, 19th May 2017

[peteukmcr]

I never considered this. So that would mean no duty free shop for many of the Med cruises?

Yes, that's the case on all Mediterranean cruises we've done that do not visit a non-EU port. The rate of tax (VAT) varies depending on the port of embarkation. So if the cruise starts in Barcelona then purchases attract the Spanish tax rate and if the cruise starts in Venice or Civitavecchia then it's the Italian rate.

[YoYothe cat1]

I have been hoping to read a post like yours, thank you so much. I have one question please. At the end of the cruise, can you leave the ship earlier than 8:30 ? I have an 11:00 am flight, so I would like to leave at 7:00 am. Thank you.

 

Cindy

[mickey89]

Last time we did this itinerary we had 10% to 21% Vat added on our onboard spend. Lesson is too ensure you have a non-EU port on the itinerary like Gibraltar or buy what ever you need online prior to the cruise to avoid the VAT.

[peteukmcr]

I have been hoping to read a post like yours, thank you so much. I have one question please. At the end of the cruise, can you leave the ship earlier than 8:30 ? I have an 11:00 am flight, so I would like to leave at 7:00 am. Thank you.

 

Cindy

Hi Cindy, I believe the earliest departure time was 7:15 am for those with independent travel plans. Celebrity did say all bags would be available for collection in the terminal by 7 am (if you were not planning on carrying your own bags off they must be outside your stateroom by 10 pm the evening before for collection).

[peteukmcr]

Last time we did this itinerary we had 10% to 21% Vat added on our onboard spend. Lesson is too ensure you have a non-EU port on the itinerary like Gibraltar or buy what ever you need online prior to the cruise to avoid the VAT.

Exactly if you prebook and pay in advance for things like beverage packages, internet etc you avoid the VAT charged onboard.

[peteukmcr]

Accommodations

 

We had stateroom 7282, a 2A category on deck 7 on the starboard side. This is a connecting cabin but the connecting door is unobtrusive opposite the bathroom. (We have a similar cabin for our upcoming TA on Eclipse but on the port side - 7235 so we now know what to expect).

 

A very nicely decorated stateroom with great twin beds, ample space in the bathroom and attractive looking furnishings with expensive feeling and looking drapes.

 

 

 

The glass shower enclosure was amazing as I think it’s the largest we’ve had in that size of cabin and gave plenty of room. However, toiletries are limited to soap bars and small samples of Gilchrist & Soames body lotion, shampoo and conditioner. So, if you prefer shower gel, then I suggest you take your own!

 

 

 

Although storage in the closet area was a little lacking there is additional storage over the beds and deep drawers in the desk area which also includes the mini bar and safe. The bedside storage is just shelving, no drawers.

 

 

The TV is powered by Apple and is far superior to other lines IMHO. Interactive services for room service, account review etc.

 

The balcony was a great size with high table and high backed adjustable chairs.

 

 

The cabin was extremely comfortable which resulted in agreat night’s sleep!

 

The cabin was located next to the main elevator bank but no noise was experienced and it is also next to the Hideaway which spans decks 7& 8 and is a nice area to relax and get a complementary coffee from the machine there, stocked and operational from around 8:00 am to 5pm.

Edited June 3, 2017 by peteukmcr

[peteukmcr]

With regard to the cabin location, it is on the 'hump' as shown in following 2 shots.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[peteukmcr]

Captains Club

 

Although we are Elite members (courtesy of being Diamond + on Royal Caribbean) as we had a beverage package we did not attend the evening cocktail hour that was held in the Sky Lounge. The hours of 5-7pm don’t really suit us, but we were not disappointed in this at all.

 

The rest of the Elite benefits are loaded onto the SeaPasscard.

 

 

There are various events for Elite members, which again we didn’t attend but could have if wanted and so it is good to see things like a complementary Backstage Tour, Captain’s Club Celebration, Senior Officer’s Party, Wine Tasting and Elegant Tea events.

 

[BettyPC]

Great review - I look forward to reading more!

Betty

[GordonJasmine]

After enjoying Eclipse and Equinox, we will be on Reflection next March for the first time. So enjoying your review and especially the wonderful pics!

[jimbri]

Great photos!

[peteukmcr]

Thanks for all your nice comments about the photos. The camera is nothing special, just a Canon Powershot SX610 point and shoot, or some maybe from iPhone 6S.

 

Anyway, we also got invited to attend a sail away meeting with crew on the bow of the ship (I won't call it the helipad because it just says 'winch only' which implies a helicopter can't land!).

 

 

This was for when we left Piraeus and it was well attended although at first the weather was a little inclement threatening rain, but it did improve.

 

Julie Sherrington made a speech to thank everyone for attending and some were really surprised that they received an invite as they thought it would only be for high level Captain Club loyalty members or suite guests as it was only their first sailing with Celebrity. Julie explained that they often invite first time cruisers to thank them for choosing Celebrity. And she also apologised again for not being good at public speaking, but she is that's why she gets asked, she's very amusing.

 

 

Not sure how we got invited as we've sailed Celebrity before and attended a similar sail away on Constellation (which was our first sailing with the line) nor are we high up in the Captain's Club nor in a suite. Not complaining in the slightest as it's a great treat.

 

We were to meet at the forward elevator bank on deck 6 and then directed to the bow area.

 

 

 

We got to wave to the Captain as we left the dock and Julie made sure we waved to the camera that everyone can see on the TV in their staterooms on the bridge cam channel!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Edited June 3, 2017 by peteukmcr

[peteukmcr]

Internet Access

 

Now if there was anything I was disappointed with it's the internet access. It wasn't great on our last Celebrity sailing and I was perhaps expecting too much now that they have ‘Xcelerate’ which is supposedly a high-speed internet service. They do advertise 'Xcelerate' heavily as a fast service.

Now I know a lot of people prefer to 'switch off' when on a cruise, but I prefer to be in touch.

 

My UK mobile phone operator lets me use my call and text allowances for no additional charge whilst in Europe which is useful (but not via 'celluar at sea' which your phone will connect to when you're not in port so beware, the costs for me on that service is £2 per minute to receive or make calls so I'd never answer or make a call whilst at sea unless in a grave emergency).

 

From 15th June 2017 my data allowance will also be available for no additional charge, so internet access on the ship may become irrelevant when I next sail in Europe.

As Elite members, we receive 90 minutes free access, but the service was no better than experienced prior to the implementation of ‘Xcelerate’ IMHO. Whether as having complimentary access meant we got a lower bandwidth I’m not sure, but some days even logging on burnt minutes and other days response was non-existent.

 

The iLounge is located on deck 6 and for any queries you are directed to the staff there who are only available for short periods during the day. I met several people who had purchased the unlimited package for the whole sailing at a cost of $299 plus 22% VAT ($364.78) and were very disappointed with the service.

The staff didn’t appear to be very IT experienced and blamed the poor service on the applications the guests were using on their devices, which to be honest with an IT background, I found this an amusing excuse. I did get some minutes credited back, but would you believe over the next day the service was so bad, I wasted them trying to get online!

 

As an Elite member, I could have obtained a 30% discount off the cost of the unlimited package at the start of the cruise, meaning a cost of $255.00 for the entire sailing.

 

However, if I had purchased prior to sailing I could have got the 30% discount and not had to pay the 22% VAT which worked out at $209 or approximately £154 (depending on exchange rate).

 

Several other options were offered such as a 250 minute package ($99 from memory) and a 24 hour continuous package ($49.95 if I remember correctly, that started counting down as soon as initiated). Mid cruise the unlimited package was offered for $199 (all options plus 22% VAT).

 

My advice if you’re on this sailing is wait until you goashore and get free Wi-Fi in most places.

 

We found it fairly easily in cafes in Messina, Mykonos, Rhodes, Santorini, Athens and Naples. All free (if you purchase at least a beverage!).

 

In Malta, it's free in most of the public areas of Valletta, especially in the Upper Barrakka Gardens.

[HoustonCruisers]

Hi Cindy, I believe the earliest departure time was 7:15 am for those with independent travel plans. Celebrity did say all bags would be available for collection in the terminal by 7 am (if you were not planning on carrying your own bags off they must be outside your stateroom by 10 pm the evening before for collection).

 

Hi Pete! Thanks for this review. We're sailing this itinerary on 29 September. Do you happen to remember what time the self-assist folks were able to disembark? Was that the 7:15 or was it earlier?

[peteukmcr]

Hi Pete! Thanks for this review. We're sailing this itinerary on 29 September. Do you happen to remember what time the self-assist folks were able to disembark? Was that the 7:15 or was it earlier?

I believe that 7:15 am was the earliest allowed, all depending on clearance by the port authorities.

[peteukmcr]

Disembarkation Process

 

I may have mentioned this earlier, so apologies if I'm repeating myself.

 

The day before departure you will receive a sheet detailing the process and numbered luggage tags.

 

If you want Celebrity to take your bags off, then they must be outside your stateroom no later than 10pm on the last evening. The notice advises that all bags will be available for collection in the terminal by 7:00 am on departure day.

 

If you are an 'independent' guest (in other words you haven't purchased a shuttle transfer from Celebrity) then it doesn't matter what numbered tag you get (we got 45) it's just used to locate your bags in the terminal and you can disembark anytime between 7:15 and 9:30 am. So if you get a high number like us, it doesn't mean you're going to be disembarking late, you can go anytime at your leisure from 7:15 am which I think is a great process. No need to rush to Guest Relations for a lower numbered tags!

 

There is a departure program on one of the TV channels. You are advised that for those wanting to disembark early not to congregate on deck 2 were the exits are, because the port authorities would not clear the ship if there were any guests waiting there. So the lowest deck to wait on was deck 3.

 

Celebrity marketed the shuttle transfers heavily for getting from Civitavecchia to Rome airport (please be aware that they only serve Fiumicino airport not Ciampino). Those who purchased these were given specific numbered bag tags that aligned with the departure times of the shuttles and were advised to wait in specific lounges/theatre until called.

 

To be fair to Celebrity, there are very few taxis that can be hailed at the port and so you would have to take a shuttle bus from the terminal to the exit (which is not exactly in the centre of town) and then try and hail 1 of the 21 taxis, yes apparently only 21 taxis in Civitavecchia! They won't take you to the railway station as it's too short a journey so pre booking is advisable as we did, and our driver was allowed into the port to park next to the terminal building.

 

As I mentioned at the start, disembarking in Civitavecchia is a breeze and it has always been the case in our experience. The terminal may only look like a big temporary tent, but it works!

[AidenL]

And now I'm going to have a good read of this thread !

[peteukmcr]

And now I'm going to have a good read of this thread !

Hope it helps, not quite finished yet though. Still a little more on the ship itself and the ports.

[wineandbeach]

Thank you for the review. We are traveling the same Itinerary in a few weeks. It doesn't look like there is a Champagne bar on this ship, Are there any bars that remind you of the old Champagne bars. We always enjoyed them. Did you notice if there was any Chianti available in the drink package? Do you remember what time you pulled into Malta. I heard it was beautiful and don't want to miss it. Thank you again.

[peteukmcr]

Thank you for the review. We are traveling the same Itinerary in a few weeks. It doesn't look like there is a Champagne bar on this ship, Are there any bars that remind you of the old Champagne bars. We always enjoyed them. Did you notice if there was any Chianti available in the drink package? Do you remember what time you pulled into Malta. I heard it was beautiful and don't want to miss it. Thank you again.

There aren't any specific bars that remind me of a champagne bar, but decor wise maybe the Ensemble Bar which has very subdued lighting and comfy seating.

 

Sorry don't drink red, so didn't look for chianti but I'd be surprised if there wasn't some available. Bear in mind what is available on the package can vary from dining venue to venue.

 

For example, we enjoy Mer Soleil which is available by the glass for $13 in Murano (so within the premium package), but not in the MDR or Tuscan Grill. In the MDR we were limited to Kendall Jackson and in others to Celebrity Elegance.

 

We docked in Valletta at 8 am and we started our tour at 9. We were back in plenty of time to walk to the elevator (€2 pp) which is close to the port entrance that takes you up to the Upper Barrakka Gardens which leads directly into the centre of Valletta.

[peteukmcr]

Conclusion

 

All things considered, would we recommend Celebrity? Oh, definitely yes!

 

The ship design is wonderful, the venues spectacular, the furnishings plush, and the little touches such as a welcome drink when first embarking, the cold drinks and towels offered when returning from a shore excursion and the bathroom attendants constantly cleaning and restocking the rolled-up hand towels make it more appealing.

You are requested at the entry of the Oceanview Café to use hand sanitizer by a member of staff and when you get back on board after a port stop.

 

As mentioned earlier the embarkation and disembarkation in Civitavecchia is so easy, I was thinking and I believe this is becoming one of my favourite ports for those reasons alone.

 

It's the little touches that all add up.

 

Thanks for reading, and I hope it is of use to you if you are trying to decide on Celebrity whether it be Reflection or one of the other ships in the fleet.

I'll try and provide a short review of each ports (hopefully hints and tips), and will add a few more random photos of the ship and ports.

[KerryT]

Hi Pete,

 

Just a question on dining packages as wondering whether to purchase before sailing or wait till onboard and see if they have any offers. There is a 3 dining speciality package but if you just wanted to book adhoc once on board one or two nights at a speciality restaurant were they offering any discounts. Any advice or recommendations on this and what would be best option ?

 

Thanks

 

Kerry

[peteukmcr]

Hi Pete,

 

Just a question on dining packages as wondering whether to purchase before sailing or wait till onboard and see if they have any offers. There is a 3 dining speciality package but if you just wanted to book adhoc once on board one or two nights at a speciality restaurant were they offering any discounts. Any advice or recommendations on this and what would be best option ?

 

Thanks

 

Kerry

Hi Kerry, taking into consideration that Murano is $60 pp and the rest for dinner $45 pp, we purchased the 4 dinner package before we sailed.

 

It cost £102.50 pp. As we intended to dine at Murano, Tuscan Grill, Qsine and the Lawn Club Grill we worked out that would be $195 pp at full charge (approx £150 depending on the exchange rate, so pre paying saved approximately 30%).

 

We didn't hear of any discounts on board (not saying there wasn't, unlike on Constellation where they were actively trying to encourage people to dine at a discount later in the sailing).

 

On day 1 before 5pm I went to Qsine and made reservations for all 4 dinners at all the different restaurants we wanted to try starting with Tuscan on day 2.

 

We couldn't get the first date we wanted in Qsine as on the night we wanted they were only doing a special menu 'Taj Mahal' for a cost of $49 pp and this is not covered by a package. This dinner is just Indian food and the menu looked really good.

 

After dining in Tuscan and Murano and observing the dinner in the Lawn Club Grill we decided to change that reservation. Don't get me wrong, the Lawn Club Grill looks really good and is extremely popular for dinner, it's just that we wanted to try Tuscan again!

 

I called the reservation line and cancelled Lawn Club Grill and booked Tuscan, so I thought! Despite assurances by the person I spoke to, although the Lawn Club Grill was cancelled, when we arrived at Tuscan, there was no reservation. However, that wasn't a problem and we got one of the best tables in Tuscan, right at the back with a wonderful aft sea view as we sailed through the Straits of Messina!

 

 

So I suppose the advice here is if you change reservations (which you are allowed to do) then check later that it has been done.

 

We enjoyed Qsine so much, we also went back there for another dinner, but weren't offered a discount, but then again I didn't think to ask!

 

A 'starter' at Qsine

 

 

Lot of a long winded reply, but hope it helps.

Edited June 4, 2017 by peteukmcr

[KerryT]

Hi Pete

 

Thanks for your reply. We have already booked for select dining times each night at around 8pm ahead of the cruise via my

celebrity online account so if we want to buy a 3 speciality dining package can you only book this online before the cruise or is this available once on board. If you book online before can you only book times and restaurants once on board.

 

Thanks

 

Kerry

[peteukmcr]

Hi Pete

 

Thanks for your reply. We have already booked for select dining times each night at around 8pm ahead of the cruise via my

celebrity online account so if we want to buy a 3 speciality dining package can you only book this online before the cruise or is this available once on board. If you book online before can you only book times and restaurants once on board.

 

Thanks

 

Kerry

Hi Kerry, you can still purchase this online in advance and then when you make the reservations on board you can also tell them to cancel your select dining reservations for those nights, no problem.