A couple of weeks ago, JG and
I were invited by the awesome folks from Celebrity Cruises to board their brand
new ship, Celebrity Reflection (which is part of the Solstice Class) from the
Port of Miami for their inaugural 2-day sailing. Although we were a bit tired
from being on the road (having traveled to Europe the week before), who could
say no to a free cruise?! Having been on a couple of Carnival and Royal
Caribbean ships, we were eager to see what Celebrity had to offer. So we willingly
repacked our bags in a matter of hours and said goodbye to Lola and made our
way down to the port.
As we made our way onto the
ship, the stark differences between Celebrity and other cruise lines started to
become more apparent. Here was a beautiful, modern ship that felt luxurious and
upscale and nothing like the crazy and at times tacky, more boozy cruises we
had been on before. I think its safe to say Celebrity is on a whole other level
when it comes to cruising. We’re talking high-end shopping (Michael Kors and
Bulgari stores on the ship), fantastic specialty restaurants (a dozen dining
options) and lots of cool activities for those looking to indulge (everything
from the AquaSpa, Casino, Art Studio and more).
When we got to our room, we
literally felt like we hit the jackpot because it was spacious, neat and had a
beautiful balcony overlooking the water and downtown Miami. Of course the thing
that impressed me the most was that our bathroom was roomy and had plenty of
storage space for my toiletries. After spending 10 days in Europe, it was nice
to see that the ship had a better bathroom then some of the hotels we had
stayed in.
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| Our stateroom |
After settling in, we then
set out to discover the rest of the ship. As we made our way onto each deck, the
thing that impressed me the most was how much thought and detail was poured into
every inch of the ship. Everything from the plants that had been chosen for the
outdoor areas to the multi-million dollar art collections hanging on the walls,
you felt like you were on a private yacht rather than on a cruise ship.
Some of the must-see things we saw on the first day included:
*AquaSpa by Elemis: This
space spans more than 883-square-foot of spa bliss that includes curved, heated
tile beds for relaxation and rooms such as an infrared sauna, aromatic steam
room, a cold room (first time seeing this), a DIY scrub and salt bar and
sensory showers.
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| Cold Room
*Celebrity iLounge: An actual
Apple retailer where you can purchase everything from accessories to Apple products
and even sign up for classes where they’ll teach you how to use your Apple
products.
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| Celebrity iLounge |
*Suites, Suites and more
Suites: There are three new types of suites on the ship, AquaClass, Signature
and Reflection Suites, and each features amazing amenities such as floor-to-ceiling
glass windows, butler services, oh and how about a bottomless glass shower!? Yep,
that’s right.
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| JG wondering how he would shower in this? |
*Fitness Center: With
state-of-the-art machines and fitness classes including spinning, yoga and
Zumba.
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| Fitness Center |
*The Hideaway: a tranquil
spot in the middle of the ship where you can lounge in egg-shaped chairs and
watch the world float by…
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| The Hideaway |
Later on that evening, after
the naming ceremony concluded, we had dinner in the main dining area with some
of the other media guests. It was great to sit down and chat about our day,
backgrounds and cruising expectations. There were guests from all over the
world and I must admit, JG and I felt very proud to be representing Miami on
the ship!
On our second day, we tried
to take advantage of everything the ship had to offer which included dining at
several delicious restaurants, lounging by the pool and even doing a little bit
of early Christmas shopping in some of the stores. Of course we ended up playing
a couple of competitive games of corn toss but the ultimate treat was participating
in a foodie panel that included five top culinary minds who gathered to discuss
the latest in food trends and high-end cuisine.
The panel consisted of Chef
Jeff McInnis of YardBird, Chef John Suley of Celebrity Cruises, Scott Hocker of
Tasting Table and two other women from the James Beard Foundation and Food
Arts. JG in particular was in heaven, being a self-proclaimed foodologist, this
topic was right up his alley. On top of that, we were later treated to a
special dining experience in the Lawn Club where both Chef McInnis and Chef
Suley created a one-time-only feast for us that consisted of a Charcuterie
Board, Tomahawk Rib Eye, Shrimp-n-Grits and a Big Ol’ Waffle with buttermilk
ice cream for dessert. JG and I sat there like two little fat kids with huge
smiles on our faces as Chef McInnis poured more waffles onto our plates. Quite
a memorable experience…
All in all, we decided that
two days just isn’t enough time on such a magnificent ship. I could have easily
spent more time at the Sunset Bar at the back of the ship indulging in glasses
of champagne while looking out to the sea, meanwhile JG could have easily spent
a couple more hundred bucks at the casino trying his luck at the roulette
table. Oh and let’s not forget the Molecular Bar where we paid for an amazing
cocktail made with nitrogen gas, champagne and rose petals… it was out of this
world!
We learned that Celebrity
Cruises is the queen of all cruises and while they may cater to a more
affluent, older crowd, young couples who like to go all out on their vacations
and experience the good life every now and then will find that Celebrity
Reflection is the perfect fit. Like they say, once you go Celebrity, there’s no
looking back!
For more details on Celebrity
Reflection, please visit http://www.celebritycruises.com/explore/ships/detail.do?shipCode=RF
Check out some more of our photos
from the sailing:
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| Hot Foods Station |
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| Art Studio for classes |
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| Wine Tasting |
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| View from our room |
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