LIVE (kinda live, maybe live?) REFLECTION 10-night Ultimate Caribbean

[aring75]

Botanical Bliss cocktail available in Blu (mojito in the background):

 

 

Vegetable Summer Rolls:

 

 

Halibut entree:

 

 

Olive oil cremeux:

 

 

 

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[Judie]

A little bit about us. Traveling together is my husband, Mark (62) and me, Angela (43).

 

 

 

We have sailed on 40+ cruises and 6 of those have been with Celebrity. This will be =X= number seven. We have also sailed previously with Princess, Royal Caribbean, Holland, Norwegian, and Disney. Just so you know, we have never had a bad cruise — Not one. There have been things we liked better about one line or one ship or a particular cruise, but every cruise has had redeeming value. Usually we are simply thrilled to be at sea again.

 

I intend to give as much straightforward information as I can along with any comparisons I might be able to provide. Obviously, however, this is all my opinion and is worth exactly what you paid for it. ;)

 

As we prepare our house to leave for Fort Lauderdale, somebody decided we should have the Christmas tree up for when we get back. Wait, who decided that was a good idea again? Oh yeah, that was me. We got a tree (has to be real cuz then it smells like Christmas). Apparently there is a Christmas tree shortage. I did not know this. That dam thing was expensive! Like, ten “okay” glasses of wine expensive or five “I’d rather drink this, but Celebrity charges $21 for the glass and I can buy the bottle from Total Wine for $19.99” glasses of wine expensive. Then it took two and a half hours to put the thing up and decorate it. Bah humbug!

 

But now that it’s finished, it’s so pretty and festive. I am happy that we will come home to a decorated tree.

 

 

 

Especially since we get home exactly one week before Christmas. Yikes! This seemed like a much better idea eight months ago.

 

 

Okay, suitcases are packed. I wrote a letter with “instructions” for our housesitter/catsitter (Basically saying we don’t care what you do as long as said house and cats are still here ten days from now. And the cats may actually be negotiable.).

 

 

 

 

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Loving your writing style! Carry on!

 

 

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[aring75]

What day is it again?

 

Celebrity Today - Day 6 (St. Lucia):

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[aring75]

This was also on one of the papers left with our information packet/Celebrity Today:

 

 

 

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[aring75]

We had drinks last night in the Ensemble Lounge. Great before/after dinner spot, but interesting story.

 

Every time I see/hear the word ensemble I am brought back to a visit to the Lancôme counter when I was sixteen years old. My friend and I had very little money, but wanted some “nice makeup.” The woman behind the counter told us we could buy a few pieces individually, or purchase the “ensemble.” Only she said it with this crazy pretend French accent. I’m not even sure if I can get this across but I’m gonna try.

 

First, wrinkle up your nose like you just smelled some kind of horrible, stinky cheese. No, worse. Okay, now stick out your bottom lip in a little pout. Just a little. Good. Now you don’t say:

 

On-sahm-bull

 

No. No you do not. You say:

 

Ohhn-saahhm

 

But you have to take, like, a good five seconds (at least) to stretch the word out. And if you can sound like a ridiculous version of what you think a French accent should sound like...you nailed it.

 

So Mark and I have an after dinner drink at the Ohhn-saahhm Lounge last night.

 

He asks me, “Where do you want to go?”

 

So of course I return with, “Let’s do the Ohhn-saahhm Lounge.”

 

He then looks at me like there’s something really wrong with me. But he does that a lot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[aring75]

Okay, let’s all take a moment to recognize that the Decoy Cabernet that was TWENTY-ONE dollars on my last Celebrity Cruise, is now $13 and included with the premium package. Small victories people.

 

 

 

And this is a rum mule. It was...different. We both got one, but Mark made a weird face and looked over at me after his first sip.

 

Mark: “What is that weird taste?”

 

Me: “I think it’s the allspice. Kinda tastes like Christmas threw up in your drink, doesn’t it?”

 

He ordered a mojito after that conversation.

 

 

 

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[chicagopaul]

We just got off the Eclipse and are going through withdrawals so your live review is definitely helping! I'm absolutely loving your writing style and the way you're describing your experiences. Hope you continue to have a wonderful time. I'll be following along.

[beachbunny6]

But now that it’s finished, it’s so pretty and festive. I am happy that we will come home to a decorated tree.

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, suitcases are packed. I wrote a letter with “instructions” for our housesitter/catsitter (Basically saying we don’t care what you do as long as said house and cats are still here ten days from now. And the cats may actually be negotiable.).

 

 

 

 

 

Angela, your tree is beautiful. (I forgot to mention this when I posted yesterday) And your 4-legged kid in a fur coat is VERY cute! My only problem is that perhaps in addition to the instructions you left for your house/cat sitter, you maybe should have included that you preferred the tree to still be standing, AND decorated, when you return! This is key to your home arrival feeling of happiness and good cheer, especially since you will by then be experiencing a full-blown case of "just got off the Reflection Blues" and will need all the cheering up you can get.

~Barbara~

[beachbunny6]

Okay, let’s all take a moment to recognize that the Decoy Cabernet that was TWENTY-ONE dollars on my last Celebrity Cruise, is now $13 and included with the premium package. Small victories people.

 

 

 

And this is a rum mule. It was...different. We both got one, but Mark made a weird face and looked over at me after his first sip.

 

Mark: “What is that weird taste?”

 

Me: “I think it’s the allspice. Kinda tastes like Christmas threw up in your drink, doesn’t it?”

 

He ordered a mojito after that conversation.

 

 

 

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Congrats on the Decoy Cab! I think that a change from $21 to $13 is more than a small victory, (maybe a medium or sub-substantial?) but am nonetheless happy for you. And, I am so glad you told us about that Rum Mule, too. It sounds horrendous! I am onboard with the Bacardi, but the Allspice and bitters, no way! And, what is dram? (I have always felt that if I don't know what something is, and I can't find out beforehand, I probably will not partake of it. Closed minded? Maybe, but that's just me.) Regarding the Rum Mule, now THAT is alcohol abuse!

[youwash]

Love reading your review and thank you for the time spent in doing so.

If you or anyone else would have a picture to share of the instructions for Luggage Valet-would like to see it. We are planning on using it Reflection 2\19\18 and we have late flight on Southwest. Maybe renting a car for the day- if we get luggage valet.

[aring75]

Congrats on the Decoy Cab! I think that a change from $21 to $13 is more than a small victory, (maybe a medium or sub-substantial?) but am nonetheless happy for you. And, I am so glad you told us about that Rum Mule, too. It sounds horrendous! I am onboard with the Bacardi, but the Allspice and bitters, no way! And, what is dram? (I have always felt that if I don't know what something is, and I can't find out beforehand, I probably will not partake of it. Closed minded? Maybe, but that's just me.) Regarding the Rum Mule, now THAT is alcohol abuse!

 

 

 

Agreed. Having this lovely wine now included with the drinks package is a pleasant surprise. This is one I like to buy at home in occasion. Lol, for $19.99 a bottle from Total Wine. [emoji23]

 

And I googled “dram.” It is either a unit of measure totaling 1/8th gram, 1/16th gram, or it is a Scottish word that is slang for alcohol - most commonly scotch whiskey.

 

So, yeah, I still have no idea.

 

 

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[aring75]

Love reading your review and thank you for the time spent in doing so.

 

If you or anyone else would have a picture to share of the instructions for Luggage Valet-would like to see it. We are planning on using it Reflection 2\19\18 and we have late flight on Southwest. Maybe renting a car for the day- if we get luggage valet.

 

 

 

I will definitely look. We are driving, so I don’t know that we will get any information delivered to the cabin. However, if I see anything I will post it here.

 

 

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[aring75]

Today we were docked in St. Lucia. I booked a private tour recommended by several people on the tour boards here. St. Lucia Taxi and Tours has good reviews on TripAdvisor and quite a few people on the ports of call boards have used them with good results.

 

I made a private tour request through the online form on their website. Then they communicated with me via email the rest of the way. They said they would be waiting for us at the cruise terminal exit and would have a sign with my name on it. Like I’m somebody important at the airport. Yay!!

 

This is where you exit the cruise terminal:

 

 

Our tour operator Sammie picked us up in a newer model four door sedan. Very clean and ice-cold AC.

 

We stopped for an obligatory ships-in-port photo op.

 

 

 

We then drove through the island interior stopping at several places along our route. This is an overlook at Anse le Raye.

 

 

 

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[Tiggertastic]

Thanks for the update watchdiva!

 

 

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Oh I was really looking forward to the other guy, he's so funny. Never mind.

 

 

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[aring75]

We continued on to view a working banana plantation. And then sampled many of the locally made products like banana ketchup, banana-honey BBQ sauce, banana hot sauce, and various rums and liqueurs.

 

 

 

 

They sent us on our way with a sampling of some of the fresh local fruits, coconut, and sugar cane.

 

 

 

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[aring75]

Stopped for some fresh coconut water. Yeah. If a palm tree could pee, pretty sure it would taste like coconut water.

 

 

 

 

 

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[aring75]

Then over toward The Pitons. Our first view:

 

 

And because we’re hilarious. Pretty sure we’re the only people to ever do this.

 

 

Stopped to view a waterfall:

 

 

 

 

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[aring75]

The path to the waterfall was lined with beautiful flowers:

 

 

 

After we left here, we drove to a second waterfall that actually came from the volcano. People soak in the pools created at the bottom of the falls.

 

On the way down the path, our guide showed us not-green coconut. Tasted better, but I’m still not placing any bulk orders.

 

 

Cacao pods. They make cocoa beans, and then chocolate from these. Just so you know, in this iteration, they taste nothing like chocolate.

 

 

 

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[aring75]

This is where the warm water comes out of the mountain side:

 

 

One of the three soaking pools at the base of the falls.

 

 

Another pool.

 

 

I wanted to get a picture of the overall view of the area, but there were two couples using the pools and I didn’t want to seem like a total creeper taking their picture.

 

But this guy? I took his picture anyway.

 

 

 

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[aring75]

Sammie then took us to the Hummingbird Cafe for lunch. It was outdoor buffet style. We were seated at a table right by the beach with a view of the pitons. They brought us two of the local beers and told us to help ourselves.

 

 

There was salad, seasoned rice, blackened chicken, papaya pie (which was a savory pie like a quiche or onion tart), lentil stew, curried noodles, green bananas (which I thought would be like plantains, but they are not), and roasted fish.

 

 

One of the locals stopped by to see how things were going. “So, how’s the fish?”

 

 

And then this guy cleaned up the crumbs. Very attentive service.

 

 

 

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[aring75]

After we were stuffed from lunch, Sammie drove us back to the cruise terminal. All-in-all a great tour. We did a lot of the same things as some of the ship’s tours, but since we booked a private tour, we left early and missed a lot of the crowds. And we skipped things we didn’t want to do, and (best part) we didn’t have to wait for the inevitable stragglers.

 

The tour cost $75 pp, and then we could choose to pay $15 pp for lunch if we decided we wanted to (we did).

 

I feel like St. Lucia is one of those ports where you are better served taking SOME kind of tour, or at least having a plan. The terminal/port area doesn’t have much to do other than the craft market (which IS worth seeing). Don’t get off the ship and write this island off without actually SEEING the island. It’s beautiful.

 

 

 

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[RoLoHa]

Thanks for the great info and pix!

 

 

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[vickykay]

HOw

We should the tour in St. Lucia? Thanks!

[cltnccruisers]

Your pics of St Lucia are better than anything we have seen on AWE or The Travel Channel. I was kind of ho-hum about those since all they really focused on were the Pitons. You were much more real.

[aring75]

HOw

 

We should the tour in St. Lucia? Thanks!

 

 

 

I’m not sure if you’re asking how to book, but I went directly to the website. Just google St. Lucia Taxi and Tours. They offer a couple of options depending on the size of your group and what you want to do. They allow a lot of customization.

 

Hope this helps!!

 

 

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