4 Nights Key West & Bahamas Cruise

Reflection Roundup

The Reflection proved itself to be the classic cruise experience we were looking for. The decor is elegant and muted, not like the newer mega ships that cater to families. No water park, no bumper cars, almost no kids. We're in our mid-seventies with 28 cruises under our belts. Celebrity and Princess are our go-to lines for the type of vacation we enjoy. Our fellow cruisers were well dressed and classy with no loud party animals to be found. The layout of the ship was well thought out with most of the popular venues located on decks 3-5. A few of the bars and the coffee shop were too dimly lit especially during their peak crowd hours. With a full ship capacity on board we had a very hard time ever finding seating anywhere. There seemed to be plenty of room for Celebrity to bring in more tables and chairs in most of the bar areas. And we found most all the chairs on the ship very uncomfortable. The seat backs were at such an angle that you had to try to sit upright without your back touching the seat back. Very tough to eat dinner in the MDR without dumping your meal in your lap at that wierd angle. And some of the bar furniture looked like giant thrones where the cushions were deeper than your legs are long. It's a major production just to shimmy forward so you can reach the cocktail table. Our balcony cabin on deck 9 was of good size and comfortable with a full sized sofa, two night stands, plenty of drawer space, and a closet with sliding doors. The bathroom was typical midget sized, but with a nice shower with glass doors. No complaints on our accomodations! We found the food in all venues to be maybe the best out of our 28 cruises. All meals in the MDR were excellent in our opinion and fairly large. Except for the microscopic lobster tail. That was a real joke. The service in the MDR we found to be world class. The buffet was laid out in separate islands with signage above to help you find what you are looking for. The food rotated daily according to different ethnic menus. Seating was along the windows and typical table hunting was the theme of the day. Bar service was available with roaming servers, but any other drinks were self-service. Princess does it much better. We found all our breakfast and lunch meals were great with much variety. Most everything was self serve except for carved meats and omelets. My favorite dining experience was to take my plate out on the stern deck away from the mad scramble amongst the food islands. There are tables for maybe 70 people out there under cover and out of the hot sun. That's part of the classic cruising we look for. The entertainment was good in our opinion for the most part. We saw two elaborate stage production shows, an unbelievable magician, and a corny comedian. I didn't even crack a smile during his 45 minute set. We skipped the two Motown shows as it's not our cup of tea. The house band was just O.K. as we've heard more enthusiastic groups on other lines. The pool area was usually jumping with different forms of pool games and steel drum music. Princess usually shows a violent animated movie during the afternoons on their big screen with lots of banging and crashing noise that prevents anyone from snoozing. The only complaints we have about the whole cruise were fairly minor. The drinks were very inconsistant in size from bar to bar. Some of my Old Fashioneds were to the top of the glass and some were an inch short. Martini prices varied from $10 to $17 at all bars depending who the bartender was. Bar service was quick, but they need to get it together as far as consistancy. And we're not the type to throw a fit with the guy and make a scene. My other complaint is the same as usual...no policy on deck chair hogs. No surprise here, but it's really irritating to make five laps around the Lido deck and end up up next to the basketball court. In summary, we really enjoyed this ship and will keep Celebrity on our short list of preferred cruise lines. We're savvy travelers and watch their pricing closely. If you're patient you can snag a good price if you watch for sales. We're always on the lookout!

1st Celebrity cruise

After being landlocked for the last 2 years with mobility issues, it was greatly appreciated not being on a megaship and able to get wheelchair assistance on and off the ship. Everyone I encountered, except for 1 morning at Opus breakfast (where we ordered cheese grits and was brought a fruit/cheese plate & plain grits, the manager intervened)was courteous, accommodating and informative. Robert - my cabin Steward, kept everything spotless and made sure I had whatever I needed. Zhang - Opus DR, after the 1st night made sure I had the right cocktail, which made that a very personal experience. Nyoman and Patrick - Opus DR, made my dining experience personal. Explanations /recommendations of menu items helped me explore a few new dishes. Spa cafe - juices were underwhelming. Preferred where your juice was made when requested. Overall, my experience was comfortable and relaxing for my 1st Celebrity cruise. Even though our group was large, the ship never seemed crowded and I look forward to the next time.

First Celebrity cruise

This was our 1st Celebrity. Boarding and departing in Port Everglades is pretty easy. FLL was crowded and chaotic on a Saturday. We had an inside. It was tucked into a private hallway and very quiet. Big bathroom and glass shower, good cabin overall. Excellent service throughout ship. Shops are more upscale than RCCL/Carnival. Drinks were all great. Martini bar experience is a standout. Lots of bars, pretty easy to get a drink. Entertainment at night is varied. There is something for everyone and we liked some better than others. Opus dining experience excellent, a few things were just ok, most food great. Service was fast and efficient. The buffet is outstanding, compared to others we’ve experienced. Food compares to Virgin. Lots of pool space and chairs outdoor. Quiet indoor pool experience. Lots of hot tubs with room. Minimum kids on this trip. We appreciated the lack of cheesy entertainment. We loved NOT having to sign out towels, little chocolates on our pillow. We felt pampered. We liked fitness area too, lots of equipment and fairly large.