Celebrity Reflection Review

5.0 / 5.0
1,979 reviews

Different but amazing cruise-loved it!

Review for the Southern Caribbean Cruise on Celebrity Reflection
User Avatar
Kirsten T
10+ Cruises • Age 20s

Rating by category

Cabin
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation

Additional details

Sail Date: Jan 2022
CC "hump" cabin 1231 veranda
CC "hump" cabin  veranda
Opus dining room 7pm - loads of space
Main pool 4pm sea day - loads of space
CC cabin 1231 extra deep veranda
The Porch "Seafood Tower" for 1 person
Opus dining room, Select dining area 6:30pm - no issues with spacing
Fitness center, machines spaced well
Cafe al Bacio treats
Fitness Center cardio
Solarium pool
Fitness Center machines

We are long-time Celebrity cruisers in our 60s. This was a re-booked version of a 2021 cruise originally booked onboard in 2019, so we had all the perks plus a ton of onboard credit. In deciding whether to postpone again or go, we fully expected the experience to be different, the ports to possibly change and we understood what might happen if one of us tested positive. To reduce the risk we decided to stay onboard; as much as we loved the itinerary, it seemed safer to give the ports a miss this time. The safety factor mattered to us, and we did feel safe and comfortable throughout the cruise. This was the first cruise where masks were required while indoors in the public areas - we found out when we arrived at the port. Not a problem for us, but it was for others, and we felt Celebrity could have done a better job communicating the mask policy change in advance. The itinerary also changed twice; on embarkation we learned that St Croix was out, and Nassau on day 2 was a substitution. After departure on one of the sea days we learned St. Kitts and Grenada were also out, with Barbados subbing for Grenada and St. Maarten for St. Kitts. We expected port changes and weren't surprised, but it's something to keep in mind if you do care about ports.

Overall impression: we enjoyed this cruise possibly more than any other we've taken. It was a different, but 99% fantastic experience. The reduced capacity (reported as 1040 passengers) meant we never waited for anything, in any venue, ever. There was plenty of room in normally high-traffic areas like the buffet and the pools. The crew was happy, attentive and went out of their way to please. Food was of the same or better quality than on previous Celebrity cruises. The ship was immaculately clean, with crew members constantly wiping down surfaces and collecting dishes and trash. We felt pampered and safe the entire time, and would gladly have stayed onboard another month. COVID certainly had an impact – on check-in, itinerary, entertainment, shop inventory, mask policy, deck 6 being an off-limits quarantine deck – but even with all that, we absolutely loved this cruise.

Embarkation: it was a busy Sunday and we were stuck at terminal 29, but with set check-in times (we had 12-12:30) and fewer people it was far less of a problem than it would have been in normal times. We had everything done online in advance, which would have meant a speedy check-in - if everyone else had also done it, which many had not. There were probably 10 lines for non-suite passengers. Each party was checked in by a person with a tablet; if you did do everything in advance, they just take a photo of your docs, look at everything and pass you through to one final checkpoint at the gangway, where they take your photo if you haven't uploaded one, then it's on to the ship. The cabin keys are in a sealed envelope next to the cabin door - just go straight there and pick them up, drop your bags, visit your muster station to get checked in and you're ready to party.

Cabin Review

Cabin: Concierge Class cabin on the hump, port side facing forward, bed by the veranda. Extra-deep veranda which we love. Nice cabin location, just off the Library with a Royal suite on one side and another CC hump cabin on the other. Very quiet. Adequate storage space – I’m not a fan of the over-the-bed cabinet, but it works. Wish Celebrity would add more power outlets (there are only 2, both on the desk) and either power or USB ports by the beds (no way to charge a phone without leaving it on the desk.) We did ask for Isotonic memory foam pillows from the Concierge class pillow menu and they were good quality – the kind with a “hump”, not flat. But better than the squishy down-filled kind (IMHO.) Cabin came with 2 umbrellas, 2 bathrobes (did not use) and binoculars (did use) and footstools to go with the veranda chairs. Also came with 2 bottles of hand sanitizer and 2 masks, and the usual Celebrity beach bag. Cabin attendant Lalaine was the best we’ve ever had. She brought a cheese platter the 2nd day and when we said we loved it, we got one every day after that. One afternoon she surprised us with anniversary balloons and a sign outside the cabin, and chilled champagne, shrimp platter, anniversary cake, towel swans and a heart made of fresh rose petals. We’d not arranged this ourselves, and it was quite touching! She was amazing the entire week and deserves to be put in charge of housekeeping.

39 Helpful Votes
previous reviewnext review

Find a Celebrity Reflection Cruise from $251

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.