Celebrity Reflection Review
Celebrity has given us the cruising bug.
Rating by category
Additional details
We went as family of four with two girls 14 & 16 on our first cruise with two of us very wheat intolerant. Our travel agent booked our hotel for two days in Rome and transfers. Rome fabulous. Almost happy to go home after that as it blew us away. Embarkation was chaotic in the tent as hot, crowded and no instructions and conflicting advice. Once inside the hall it was quick in the suite queue. From then on found everything to be organised and immaculate, with helpful and attentive staff everywhere.
FOOD
Only used MDU on formal nights and found the food to be so so, tables packed in and noisy. It was a huge shame that people didn't make more of an effort for formal nights and were allowed to rock up in very casual wear. Next time we won't bother attending.
Cabin Review
Sky Suite 1
We chose a suite for the extra benefits. We found it to be more spacious than expected, especially as the sofa bed was put away while we were at breakfast. Enough room under the bed to stow 4 large suitcases and smaller cases inside them. Just enough space for four lots of clothes and lots of places in the bathroom. Cabin was spotless. Bed large and comfy. Sofa bed not as good but passable. Balcony good size and being aft on the corner was great for sailaways. Port or starboard made no difference to views on this cruise. For those of us prone to seasickness having a steady horizon and receding waters was better than side view. When sailing above 15 knots at night there was a fair bit of vibration as over propellers, even on 8th deck. I used earplugs, my family didn't. If we cruise again, we would have the same suite.
Port Reviews
Rome (Civitavecchia)
Had two nights there before the cruise. Amazing place. Hotel, Anglo Americano, in the middle booked by travel agent, so able to walk everywhere. Set out at 7am as so hot by 11am. View from Pallatine a must. If you go in by the side entrance to buy your ticket there you get a dual one covering the Colluseum too. Otherwise you will have to stand for an hour or more outside the C waiting to buy one. Over priced meal next to the Pantheon, but it had to be done. Better value in out of the way places. Glad this wasn't a day excursion from the ship as transfer took a good hour at non peak time. Heaving with tourists but still able to appreciate the way ancient is interwoven with modern.