Reflections from the Reflection....a RS experience.

[Project_gal]

chemmo

 

Glad that the Porch and Lawn Club were a success.

 

(Now, to break the magic of being on the cruise with you, I am going to put out the bins!)

[chemmo]

So glad ‘Special Delivery’ is going to be available for most cruising....it really was sooooo easy!

[TommyD3]

So glad ‘Special Delivery’ is going to be available for most cruising....it really was sooooo easy!

Would be nice if they were to expand it to all the silver folder guests !!!

[hopiko]

Chemmo, sounds like you are having fun. Please keep the “feed” coming as we will be boarding a RS on the Silhouette on Sunday. Got the email yesterday about Special Delivery Luggage so am so glad to hear that it went smoothly!

 

Smooth sailing....enjoy your vacation!

[sdnich]

I’m enjoying following your review we booked our very first RS on infinity in just a few weeks and look forward to hearing about your experience. I just heard from the onshore concierge the other day they would be getting a hold of me soon and look forward to the special delivery luggage!!!

 

 

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[vulcan1971]

chemmo - I didn't know you were doing a live-ish blog of your cruise. I did see/hear about your pre-cruise "adventure" and felt really bad for you. Glad all has worked out so you can get down to the business of relaxing and having fun. I did the Eastern Caribbean in December, and look forward to following your adventures in the Southern Caribbean. :)

 

 

Walter

[chemmo]

chemmo - I didn't know you were doing a live-ish blog of your cruise. I did see/hear about your pre-cruise "adventure" and felt really bad for you. Glad all has worked out so you can get down to the business of relaxing and having fun. I did the Eastern Caribbean in December, and look forward to following your adventures in the Southern Caribbean. :)

 

 

Walter

 

 

Walter, we have just enjoyed a lovely walk in Antigua, a swim and snack in Oceanview and then a relax with drink in hand on the balcony...It is now mid afternoon here and we have just seen five assorted pieces of luggage arrive and two guests with another load of luggage....after enjoying fully our first three nights on board my heart goes out to those guests who are, perhaps, only just boarding and those who have been managing luggage-less. We really were so blessed with how things turned out for us.

 

We are now really relaxing and unwinding.....the in room Courvoisier helps (drinking for purely medicinal purposes!).

[chemmo]

I’m enjoying following your review we booked our very first RS on infinity in just a few weeks and look forward to hearing about your experience. I just heard from the onshore concierge the other day they would be getting a hold of me soon and look forward to the special delivery luggage!!!

 

 

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Hopefully ‘Special Delivery’ will be available at all ports....we would be interested ourselves to know for definite as our next cruise is out of Barcelona.

 

As I mentioned in an earlier post we did draft an email of our requirements ready for the shoreside concierge....I think it helps them when they contact if you already have a list ready.

[chemmo]

Chemmo, sounds like you are having fun. Please keep the “feed” coming as we will be boarding a RS on the Silhouette on Sunday. Got the email yesterday about Special Delivery Luggage so am so glad to hear that it went smoothly!

 

Smooth sailing....enjoy your vacation!

 

Thanks, Hopiko! It is our duty to enjoy as much as possible and believe me we are trying! Please feel free to ask any questions....we are booked on the Silhouette in 2020 so we will be following any posts you make too!

[chemmo]

chemmo

 

Glad that the Porch and Lawn Club were a success.

 

(Now, to break the magic of being on the cruise with you, I am going to put out the bins!)

 

Sue, I suggest you and Richard break open a bottle of champagne to regain some of the magic!

 

As stated in a post a couple of minutes ago seeing that luggage on the quayside has really made us count our blessings again.

 

Like you, we are very familiar with the speciality restaurants so it has been nice to enjoy a bit of novelty. Speaking of novelty, tonight we are going to experience ‘Le petit chef’ at Q’sine! We don’t know much other than it is being trialed this cruise every night then after that it will be available on chic nights....we will report back! We have always seen Q’sine as fun rather than fine dining so it should be interesting!

[chemmo]

Would be nice if they were to expand it to all the silver folder guests !!!

 

Unsure what you mean by ‘silver folder’....If you mean all suite guests it would be great if it could be well managed...the problem is that often if you expand a programme to include more guests then the quality of that service can go down.

 

Certainly with the number of suites on Reflection if all suites had express delivery no ones luggage may arrive before muster!

[wendyam76]

Oh Chemmo, thank you for the info of trialing Le Petit Chef - I'll try to schedule Qsine for a Chic night - we have a 7 night speciality dining package on the cruise after yours but would love to do this in addition!

Lawn Club Grill is one of our favourites - one of my fondest memories is celebrating my 47th Birthday, leaving St Petersburg, wrapped up in blankets, being sang Happy Birthday by the waiters there!

[sdnich]

What is Le Petit chef ? We are looking forward to Qsine on our cruise but not sure what this is referring to??

 

 

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[TommyD3]

Unsure what you mean by ‘silver folder’....If you mean all suite guests it would be great if it could be well managed...the problem is that often if you expand a programme to include more guests then the quality of that service can go down.

 

Certainly with the number of suites on Reflection if all suites had express delivery no ones luggage may arrive before muster!

The folder one is given with their seapass cards during check in. Celebrity, Royal, Penthouse suites and Zeniths are given a silver colored folder. The Sky Suites are given a light blue folder and all others are given a much smaller dark blue folder. In Miami last week the port manager escorted all of the "silver folder holders" up the escalator first before embarkation began.

When Michaels Club was rolled out for Suites and Zeniths in 2014 it was limited to the silver folder guests.

[TommyD3]

What is Le Petit chef ? We are looking forward to Qsine on our cruise but not sure what this is referring to??

 

 

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Is that the program where they serve you whatever they want for a reduced charge?

[chemmo]

Is that the program where they serve you whatever they want for a reduced charge?

 

I’ll let you know after tonight!

[chemmo]

The folder one is given with their seapass cards during check in. Celebrity, Royal, Penthouse suites and Zeniths are given a silver colored folder. The Sky Suites are given a light blue folder and all others are given a much smaller dark blue folder. In Miami last week the port manager escorted all of the "silver folder holders" up the escalator first before embarkation began.

When Michaels Club was rolled out for Suites and Zeniths in 2014 it was limited to the silver folder guests.

 

Aaaah, now I understand. Yes, certainly on the smaller S class ships CS and Zeniths could probably be accommodated as no Reflection Suite or Signature Suites...

[Silkroad]

Chemmo, I didn’t realize they’d give Le Petit Chef trial runs. It will be featured one or two nights per cruise on the Edge (in the Bistro). I can’t wait for your opinion:). I’ve also seen a Le Petit Chef video featuring lobster. Here’s a link someone kindly posted on one of the Edge threads:

 

https://www.ilovebelgium.be/dinner-and-show-le-petit-chef

 

I’m happy your cruise is going so well after the rocky beginning. Cheers,

 

Michelle

Edited March 26, 2018 by Silkroad
Added link

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

The folder one is given with their seapass cards during check in. Celebrity, Royal, Penthouse suites and Zeniths are given a silver colored folder. The Sky Suites are given a light blue folder and all others are given a much smaller dark blue folder. In Miami last week the port manager escorted all of the "silver folder holders" up the escalator first before embarkation began.

When Michaels Club was rolled out for Suites and Zeniths in 2014 it was limited to the silver folder guests.

 

Interesting. I've never paid attention to the folder. If they had called for Silver Folder guests to board, I wouldn't have had a clue. On my last cruise (RS), they did send someone to escort us on board. I've been in the PH and not had an escort. So go figure. Not that I need one--perfectly capable of finding my way to Michael's.

[CruisersTimesThree]

Is that the program where they serve you whatever they want for a reduced charge?

 

 

 

I hope if this is in trial mode it's not something that sticks! We are big fans of Qsine, it's our 1st night of a cruise tradition and we love so many of the menu items! Will be so disappointed if this change happens before we board Silly next March! Hate the fact that Bistro on 5 was replaced by a sushi place, now another favorite might be on the way out? ☹️

 

 

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[cruiseerf]

I think all paying upper suite guests should have the fast track luggage services(Celebrity on up). As for the Zeniths, I think they get enough with Michaels club access, Free drinks and internet etc. Remember that as the Captains club program has grown you have many hundreds of Zeniths now. I have been on cruises with 20-30 Zenith couples and thats an additional 60-70 bags and would probably cripple the expedite benefit.....I think Zeniths should receive a black folder for Zeniths that matches their cards, sky suites blue, and upper suites silver. It's all about the order. Could care less about the escorting.....Michael's club is easy to find. Of course this is IMHO. Safe sails to all!

[chemmo]

Chemmo, I didn’t realize they’d give Le Petit Chef trial runs. It will be featured one or two nights per cruise on the Edge (in the Bistro). I can’t wait for your opinion:). I’ve also seen a Le Petit Chef video featuring lobster. Here’s a link someone kindly posted on one of the Edge threads:

 

https://www.ilovebelgium.be/dinner-and-show-le-petit-chef

 

I’m happy your cruise is going so well after the rocky beginning. Cheers,

 

Michelle

 

 

Le petit chef est magnifique!

 

Thoroughly enjoyed our experience last night. Often one can experience ‘fun dining’ but it is often at the expense of getting good food. Last night we had both.

 

I really don’t want to say too much about the presentation as it would spoil the surprise but it really did surpass our expectations!

 

The food is a set five course meal with an alternative menu if you have any food allergies/ dislikes....If you don’t go with the set menu then the presentation will not match the food.

[chemmo]

I hope if this is in trial mode it's not something that sticks! We are big fans of Qsine, it's our 1st night of a cruise tradition and we love so many of the menu items! Will be so disappointed if this change happens before we board Silly next March! Hate the fact that Bistro on 5 was replaced by a sushi place, now another favorite might be on the way out? ☹️

 

 

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Personally we thought Q’sine was becoming rather a ‘stale’ concept so we were pleased to hear it was having a bit of a reinvention.

 

However, at present (if I have remembered correctly from staff we spoke to last night) Le petit chef after this cruise will only be available on the Reflection on evening chic nights.

[chemmo]

I promised at the start of my postings to relate any differences we had experienced between other S class ships and Reflection, particularly regarding the suite experience.

 

Michael’s Club has always been our preferred venue for pre and post dinner drinks. We were concerned pre cruise that it may be really busy. On the positive side we have not struggled to find seats, suitable (not too loud!) music has been provided early evening and a very enjoyable helipad cruise away from Antigua had been arranged by the staff.

 

On the negative side the service just is not as personal as we have always experienced....We have been accustomed by day 3 of the cruise to be greeted something like “Good evening Mr....Mrs....is it Heineken and Cosmopolitan?”..... We are not only finding this more personal feeling missing general service level also is leaving a bit to be desired.....We also miss not being able to order a decent post dinner coffee.

 

Only small issues, certainly not enough to spoil our cruise but certainly we are not enjoying our visits to Michael’s as much as we have on other ships, we are starting to use other venues.

[wendyam76]

Chemmo, thank you so much! I love the sound of the concept. I wonder if it costs more than the usual speciality dining price of Qsine - I realise you get speciality dining free with the RS. Will be adding it my list for our cruise!