Celebrity Reflection | A Celebrity Cruise Line Ship Review

The Celebrity Reflection is the fifth and final ship in the Solstice class for Celebrity Cruises.  She can accommodate 3,046 passengers and its 1,000+ crew members.  Inaugurated on October 12, 2012, the Celebrity Reflection made her way across the Atlantic to Miami for her inaugural Caribbean cruise on December 5, 2012 and her inaugural 7-night cruise on December 8, 2012, the cruise I was lucky enough to be on and believe me, I was so excited to be there.  To truly understand the Celebrity Reflection, the easiest way to do this is to compare her against her sister ships.

Replacements:

• Gone is the Corning Glass Museum and the glass blowing demonstration and instead you will find two new restaurants, the Lawn Club Grill and the Porch, as well as the Art Studio.  A few extra dining venues can't hurt and the Lawn Club Grill is like no other restaurant at sea as you can actually cook your own meal (of course, with the assistance of the chefs in the kitchen).  The Porch is great for a quick lunch if you desire a panini, soup, salad, and/or dessert.  There's nothing like sitting outside near grass while at sea.

The Hideaway

• Also gone is Team Earth, which has been replaced with the Hideaway, kind of an adult getaway/tree house area situated on two decks, decks seven and eight.
• Quasar, the nightclub on other Solstice class ships has been converted into conference room space.  
• Sky Observation Lounge is smaller in size due to the new Reflection Suite and Signature Suites which occupy the space left to the lounge exclusively.  The lounge is huge and quite honestly, I am always happy to sit in one of the many seats available with the stunning views from the large floor to ceiling windows.  
• Gone are the cabin cards of different colors signifying the different levels within the Captain's Club (Classic, Select, or Elite).  

Additions:

• Unlike her sister ships in the Solstice class, she has one extra deck and has the first Aqua Class Suites and the most coveted Reflection Suite.  The 1,636-square-foot Reflection Suite with a 194-square-foot veranda, has the talked about shower that juts out over the water so you can shower surrounded by glass.  You can see out, but no one can see in.  Adjacent to the Reflection Suite are five Signature Suites, a new category of suites to Celebrity.  These suites are on deck 14, opposite the Sky Observation Lounge and hidden behind a large door.  Access to these suites is only available with your cabin card if you are in one of the suites.  
• Eight cabana-style alcoves.  Four people can spend a half-day or full-day day here with access to food (picnic baskets), beverages, and WiFi for a fee.  Unlike some other cabanas on other cruise ships, you can't lay out in your cabana and relax.  This is more like a seating area where you can sit, read, and chat.  

My friend, Anna, looks like she shrunk!

• Hammocks and two huge, oversized Adirondack chairs have also been added next to the Lawn Club Grill and cabanas. 
• Game On: Virtual game tables loaded with games that you can play alone, with a friend, or others in the room.  

Restaurants:

• Main Dining Room: Opus
• Oceanview Cafe: The ship's buffet
• Aqua Spa Cafe for lighter, healthier spa cuisine

Cooking dinner at the Lawn Club Grill

• Specialty restaurants: Murano, the Lawn Club Grill, Qsine, Tuscan Grille, Bistro on Five, the Porch
• Cafe al Bacio & Gelateria
• Blu: For Aqua Class guests

Bars/Lounges:

Martini Bar

• Martini Bar & Crush
• Passport Bar
• Ensemble Lounge: Enjoy a drink while on your way to your dinner at one of the specialty restaurants
• Cellar Masters

Molecular Bar

Molecular Bar

Sunset Bar

Sky Observation Lounge

Michael's Club serving 64 varieties of beer!

Pool & Mast Bar

What else is on the Celebrity Reflection?

• Pools (3) and lounge chairs 

Persian Garden

Aqua Spa by Elemis and the Persian Garden

Fitness Center complete with spin room and room to do TRX, pilates, etc.  There's even a "private gym" that you can rent out for you to use privately.  

XClub, Fun Factory, and ShipMates for all the kids onboard

Jogging track, basketball court, video arcade, shops, casino, a grass lawn, and so much more!

Does it have something for everyone?  Absolutely!  Is it a ship for everyone?  Probably not, but not every ship or cruise line is.  If you want to have an enjoyable cruise, pick a cruise line that matches you and your needs.  If you are looking for a fun, party ship with lots of activities like rock climbing, pub crawls, etc., this may not be the ship for you.  If you are looking for a cruise ship with modern decor and "modern luxury," that offers you fine dining, interesting cocktails, and if great service is important to you, then Celebrity and the Celebrity Reflection might be a great cruise for you.

I'll be putting up pictures from the ship on the Travel Shop Girl FaceBook page shortly, so be sure to go there to see more pics of the ship and you can read more about my experiences while on my cruise here on this blog.

Marian Krueger
Email: mkrueger@travelshopgirl.com