Celebrity Reflection Review

Excellent and very memorable cruise

Review for the Eastern Mediterranean Cruise on Celebrity Reflection
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LSG UK
2-5 Cruises • Age 50s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
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Dining
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Entertainment
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Additional details

Sail Date: Jul 2017
Cabin: Concierge Class 1
Traveled with children

We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise on Celebrity Reflection. The ship is of a very high standard and was spotless. Our cabin was of a high standard (we loved the balcony also) and it was kept beautifully by our cabin steward who was friendly (without being over-friendly) and was the first member of staff we met on the ship and he gave us a warm welcome which continued throughout our cruise. The food in the Opus restaurant was of a very high standard (best lobster i have ever had) but what made dinner extra special was the service we received from our 2 dedicated waiters. They were fantastic and couldn't do enough for us. They also would show my son a new trick each night which made his dining experience extra special and something to look forward for him. The friendliness and helpfulness of the staff on the ship was really great and it wasn't until you were off at a port and get someone a bit grumpy or unhelpful that it made you appreciate even more the staff on the ship. My one small complaint was that on sea days there was a shortage of sun bed and seating on the deck. I felt there were areas of the ship where more sunbeds and seats could have been placed on the sea days (such as up beside the basketball court on deck 15). It didn't spoil it though as after a couple of days of sussing out the ship you knew where you could go away from the main areas to find a quiet spot but these were less quiet on the sea days. Other highlights were the Sunset bar on deck 15. A nice bar to go to after dinner out in the open air. The Martini Bar on deck 5 was great for pre-dinner drinks and the barmen can do amazing tricks with cocktails. The pools got very busy at times so were best enjoyed when the ship was in port and people were off the ship. We were on a special family holiday ranging in age from 10 to 78 years old and this ship really catered for everyone.My children enjoyed the kids clubs and met lots of friends whilst also enjoying the family areas as well. We enjoyed having our breakfast and lunch on the outside deck of the Ocean cafe as the inside seating could get very busy at times, but the food options and quality were of a very high standard at all times. I tended to have a later lunch when it was officially afternoon tea time in the Ocean view but there were still lovely salads and breads, cheeses and plenty of lunch options available at this time.

Cabin Review

Concierge Class 1

large comfortable bed with high quality bedding which was changed frequently. The towels were also changed frequently and the cabin was cleaned morning and night. The accommodation was of a very high standard. The only request i would make is that i think complimentary water should be given ( a bottle per person per day) especially when its a summer cruise and temperatures are high, rather than a bottle with a "Thirsty? buy this for $5 dollars" on it, but that is a small point as water and ice was freely available to take back to your cabin from the Ocean view cafe.

Port Reviews

Mykonos

We loved Mykonos, despite the fact we had to wait an hour on a taxi (apparently there are only 13 on the island, so it can be a problem when the cruise ships are in). But we persevered and visited the bay where Shirley Valentine was set as I had wanted to go for years. It's now a lovely bar and restaurant called Hippie Fish so we spent a lovely afternoon there. However we couldn't get a cab back and had to ask the Hippie Fish to take us back which cost more than a taxi would have but all in all we had a great day and we will definitely go back to Mykonos. The sea front where the tender boats come in is lovely also, so we would have stayed there if we had not been able to get a taxi.

Rhodes

We had planned to go to Lindos on a boat trip there and get a taxi back (to be back in time for the ship sailing) but having asked the boat trip people if we could book one way they said they couldn't take us as all passengers must do the return journey on the boat. It was very hot the day we were there so we didn't fancy taxi-ing it both ways to Lindos so instead we went to the water park, 20 mins away in Faliriki. it was a good water park and ideal for our children.

Santorini

I have mixed feeling about Fira. The views from the top are stunning, but it was very very windy the day we were there so we couldn't sit and take in the views as planned. The village was packed with people from a few ships so i don't think we saw it at it's best. I think it would be best if the cruise ships could avoid all being there at the same time, as you have to get a cable car to the village at the top so queuing was unavoidable unless you walked up. I decided to walk back down. This is the donkey route and i was quite concerned that there didn't seem to be any water in reach for the donkey's to drink on such a hot day. I asked one of their keepers and he said there was water for them but it didn't seem to be in reach of where they were.

Athens (Piraeus)

We had pre-arranged for a taxi driver we had previously dealt with to take us on a city tour. It was fantastic and he then took us to a lovely restaurant by the water front in Pireaus. One of our best days/best ports of call.

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