Celebrity Reflection Review
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SHIP
Reflection is the newest ship in this fleet. Beautifully-appointed. What strikes me as different is that the grand foyer on deck 3 is no longer this gigantic open space, which tend to gather crowds and obstruct traffic. Instead, smaller intimate pockets of seating or gathering spots are plentiful. I think they are more efficient for traffic flow. For a big ship like Reflection, it is common for groups of friends, family to cruise together. This layout facilitates meeting & waiting.
I also like the seating arrangements on deck 4 around the railings. The comfortable seats are conducive to enjoying nightly music entertainment set up on deck 3. Many nights before dinner, we will be there with a glass of wine, soaking up the music as well as the ambience.
Cabin Review
Deluxe Ocean View with Verandah 1A
Our stateroom is 8197, A1 category, the highest balcony category. It has a deeper balcony, that can fit 4 people very comfortably. The cabin is large for the 2 of us. This suite has a large sofa, that would turn into a bed for a 3rd person. The main bed seemed bigger than queen size. The mattress is comfortable. After a few nights of kinked neck, our cabin steward brought a special pillow which was very very helpful.
The bathroom is a good size. The walk in shower is more spacious than other cruise line. It is easy to turn around. Counter space is adequate. And lots of cubby storage for our stuff.
Couple complaints I have with this cabin is lack of drawer spaces for clothes, and lack of hooks and clothes line. There are only 3 big drawers, and a normal size closet. For 10 days, we got by. We wash a few items by hand. But there is no place to dry. There is no self-serve laundry facility. For longer cruise, I recommend one brings a light collapsible compact hanger with many clips. Like to have more hooks in the bathroom and around the suite. It is convenient to have places to hang hats, light jacket, scarves, bags, miscellaneous items you use everyday. especially when there is not enough drawer space or space in the hanging closet.
Port Reviews
Mykonos
Celebrity provided complimentary shuttle from the ship to town. That was very appreciated. The little town was very walkable, and very picturesque.
Naples
Not to be missed are Ravello, Positano, and Amalfi Coast. This is our second time, and we enjoyed them just as much as the first. In fact, we missed Ravello the first time a few years ago. Ravello is not as crowded as the other two. It is beautiful, tranquil, and worth a visit. We had a great guide with a reliable company, Mondo Guide. The driver, Enricho, from Naples, bought us incredibly refreshing lemon (real) gelato, and took us to popular restaurant district in Naples waterfront. The restaurant is frequented by locals. Normally we stay away from restaurants recommended by guides. This time, he was right. The food was fantastic and reasonable, not targeted for only tourists. This was one of our highlight of our cruise. This port is not to be missed.
Santorini
Having been to Santorini before, what made this port memorable this time is the hike down, by taking the steps, not by tram.
We took the tram up, walked around the narrow, crowded streets, full of boutique stores.
The view as we descend was spectacular. However, be prepared for continuous explosive assault on your olfactory organ. There are more donkeys tracking the steps than we expected. The descend down took only 23 minutes.
Kusadasi
We have been to Kusadasi & Ephesus before. My husband and I decided to join private tour, organized by fellow cc, to Ephesus again. Ephesus was packed with tourists. As with many life experiences, first time was unbeatable.
I suggest everyone uses the facility before entering Ephesus. You will save a lot of time and aggravation. The leather factory was interesting, but very similar to carpet factory. Making you buy is their main objective. Lunch at a local restaurant with a spacious courtyard was very enjoyable.
Taormina (Messina)
We walked around the port area. We decided not to venture out to Toamina. We were told the train does not run on Saturdays. We walked up to Santuario Madonna di Montalto, on a hill. The view from there was just gorgeous.
The clock tower was in repair. We were told to go there at a certain time. We did not make it.
It was a pleasant town.
Rhodes
We walked around the wall, and in the wall. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Some guests took public transit to nearby towns and had a wonderful time. We will do that next time we are there.
We found a clean hospitable cafe, and enjoyed some beer and internet service. It is a great place to walk around.