Travels with Terri

As first-time cruisers, Rick and I really didn’t know what to expect on a Celebrity cruise. Our ship, Reflection, holds just over 3,000 passengers, and offers numerous bars and restaurants, a casino, multiple shops, a three-story theater, pools, and more. As the four of us boarded the ship, I was blown away by its size. With 15 decks and a length of 1,047 feet (319 meters) it is massive. I had seen cruise ships leaving port in Seattle and Lisbon, but their size can’t be fully appreciated until you stand right next to one. I felt like an ant by comparison. Every passenger received a special greeting from the crew upon boarding and after completing our safety briefing, we were treated to champagne and a special lunch just for Concierge Class passengers.

Even though I had seen numerous photos and videos of the ship, they don’t do justice to how stunning the interior spaces of Reflection truly are. Paintings, sculptures, and fine art photography are displayed throughout the ship. Furnishings range from classic and elegant (Murano, Cellar Masters, Ensemble Lounge) to modern and casual (Sushi on Five, Oceanview Café, The Hideaway.) Opus, the main dining room, features a two-story glass wine tower and a spectacular chandelier. One of my favorite spaces on the ship was the two-story Grand Foyer, where entertainment is offered during the day and well into the night. With its curved wooden staircase, marble floors, and amazing artwork, it is one of the main gems on Reflection.

Celebrity consistently gets positive reviews for its food, but the quality, freshness, and presentation surpassed my expectations. We dined at three of the four complimentary venues and thoroughly enjoyed every meal. The buffet, Oceanview Café, offers everything from made-to-order omelets and sandwiches to full meals. International foods such as Italian, Mexican, Chinese, and American BBQ are featured daily. Opus the main dining room is gorgeous and offers a variety of meat, seafood, and vegetarian options. Starters vary daily but Caesar salad, shrimp cocktail, French onion soup, and baked escargot are always available. The daily entrees are broiled salmon, and grilled steak or chicken breast, and six other entrees are on the menu every evening. Our fabulous server Yvonne brought us extra entrees to try like lamb chops, spinach and cheese ravioli, and pork chops. For a quick bite, Mast Grill serves burgers, hot dogs, and fries poolside and our lunch there was very fresh and tasty.

In my next blog, I’ll cover the specialty dining venues we tried and offer my overall impressions of cruising on Reflection.