Celebrity Reflection Review

5.0 / 5.0
1,979 reviews

REFLECTION ON THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN

Review for the Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Celebrity Reflection
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Gator75
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

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Additional details

Sail Date: Dec 2017
Cabin: Deluxe Ocean View with Verandah 1C

What an adventure! Our trip began in Tallahassee on December 7 as we drove to Ft. Lauderdale. We stayed at the Marriot Residency Inn in Dania Beach (a 10-minute drive to the port). The hotel is fairly new and we enjoyed our stay. We had an excellent fish dinner at the Rendezvous Restaurant at the marina about a mile from the hotel (one of our favorite spots). For the convenience, we parked at the port - $15/day. Since the Celebrity Reflection was docked at Pier 18, we chose to park in Lot 19 which was about a 100 yard walk to the baggage drop off. Check-in was an unpleasant process as the lines at security and at check-in were long – it took more than an hour to complete the check-in process. Celebrity just did not have enough staff working to handle the several large tour groups that arrived by motor coach at the same time. Also, separate priority lines are only provided for Suites and Aqua level guests; all others, regardless of your Captain’s Club level, go into two lines.

Eastern Caribbean Cruise

For whatever reason, the first few days of the cruise seemed to be a little unorganized and a little out of sync - for example, at check in we noticed that the Sea Pass cards did not have the dining table assignments, and no one could explain that, which necessitated us checking with dining room staff several hours before the dinner time for the location; this made it necessary for waiters to determine the assigned table, lead you to your table, and them not knowing where the table was located. Also, on the first day, waiters in the Ocean View Café were more focused on selling an upgrade to your beverage package than providing service. Additionally, staff had difficulty figuring out how to handle the large tour group from the Villages. Finally, there was a change of Captains on day three which seemed unusual; there wasn’t any Captain’s Talk which is traditional.

Cabin Review

Deluxe Ocean View with Verandah 1C

Cabin 1C

We stayed in cabin 6251, a veranda room with a partially obstructed view. This is the first time we stayed on the 6th floor (we usually select a higher deck) and would suggest staying on a higher floor to prevent any possibility of an obstructed view. The room was clean and well maintained and the only obstructed view was when you tried to look straight down as the top of the life boats were directly below the room. Service provided by our Cabin Attendant (Dhanveer) was outstanding and exceeded our expectations!

Port Reviews

Martinique

Since this is one of the islands that was added to this cruise (replacing St. Marten due to severe hurricane damage), we elected to just walk into town for some shopping. Town was a short walk from the ship and we visited the Cathedral de Fort de France (a beautiful building) and the open air market. We were surprised by the number of fabric shops that sell the plaid Madras fabric. Everyone speaks French (but could communicate in broken English) and most shops only take Euros. A few shops near the terminal took US dollars. We found the people to be very friendly and helpful.

St. Thomas

Upon arriving, we docked next to the Grand Celebration, a ship that FEMA had rented providing housing for the relief workers. Since we have been to St. Thomas many times, we decided to get a cab ($4 each way) into town. This island is on its way to recovery, but much work remains to be completed. It was interesting hearing the cab drivers share their hurricane experiences, and both were very proud of how the island has responded to the challenge. Both indicated that they have only had power for a few weeks. I estimate that more than half of the stores and restaurants in the downtown area are open and many more were being repaired/remodeled and very close to opening. We enjoyed our visit.

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