Reflection 112022

Reflection 112022- (2) 7 night B2B cruises W/E Caribbean. FLL, NAS, SEA, JAM, CAY, COZ, SEA, FLL, NAS, SEA STT, STM, SEA, SEA, FLL cabin 1622 RS. Cruise 90,91,92,93 captains club DOUBLE points ending at 3486

Captain, Matt Karandreas; Staff Captain, Christos Galanis; Chief Engineer, Konstantions Zannikos; Hotel Director, Clint Kelu; F&B, Orlando Rosa; Cruise Director week 1, Giuseppe Moschella; Cruise Director week 2, Rich Clesen; Retreat Concierges, John and Patricia; Butler, Dominick; stateroom attendant; Clive; Captain club Concierge, Carolina; GRM Antoinette Pais; Matre’D, Moveto; Assistant Matre’D; Mariana; Waiter, Lloyd; Asst. Waiter, Carlo; Retreat bartender, Cranston

Day 0  On to Fort Lauderdale

We set an alarm to be picked up by Airbrook limo for a ride to EWR airport. At 82 mph, our driver got us there in under half an hour. A slight line at the TSA proved about 20 minutes long. We bought some muffins for our 7:10 AM JetBlue flight. The flight itself was a little longer than normal. At 10:15 we arrived at Fort Lauderdale airport. I changed into my shorts, picked up our luggage at the carousel and walked out to the taxi stand. We got a $35 cab to the Ritz Carlton, Fort Lauderdale Beach. It turned out to be a very nice hotel.

Even better, with multiple discounts, it cost us only $70 for $750 room thanks to an AMEX promotion.

We met our friends, Dan and Eilene, formerly from NJ, for a very nice lunch at Con Murphy’s Irish pub.

We chatted and caught up with them for about three hours.  When they left, we returned to the hotel, chilled out some and relaxed. Later we went down to the Burlock Coast Restaurant in the hotel. We had a couple of drinks and appetizers and called it an early night since we were up since 2 AM.

Day 1  Fort Lauderdale 

The next day was breakfast at the hotel's restaurant. Very enjoyable and better yet breakfast was on AMEX. The restaurant manager gave Randi a 'treasure chest' sugar packet holder, that she saw on the table. We grabbed our bags and headed for a taxi to Port Everglades to board Celebrity Reflection at 11am. She was looking good all in her new Edge-like 

exterior paint job. However, as of now she has not yet been revolutionized. Once in the terminal. We were able to join up with our good friends Rob and Michelle 

Butterworth who were already waiting in the terminal. They brought coffee creamers for us. Check-in was easier than ever! In a short time we boarded the ship. 

We met Patricia the Michael’s Club concierge. Her working partner is John. We were told the 

ship was the most filled, since the pandemic. At 90% there were many kids and crowded elevators. Afterwards had lunch In Luminae and saw a few old crew members there that we knew. 

Our departure, originally scheduled for 330 was rescheduled until 430 and then delayed after dinner til 1030 due to high winds. The port was actually closed down until about 10 PM due to 50 mph wind gusts. 

The big take-away on this cruise was the suite. It was the Royal Suite and was superior to the same category on the Millennium class ships including an additional bathroom, half size. Let me know what you think...

Day 2  Nassau, Bahamas

Today we arrived in cloudy Nassau, Bahamas. Prior to breakfast I arranged for a birthday cake for Michelle. We all walked around a bit in town a little.

It was a little crowded on Main Street but we continued stopping at the shops along the way and back. Michelle suggested lunch at sushi on five which was delish. We explored the ship, struck up some conversations and

enjoyed an “evening chic” dinner in Murano, as we celebrated Michelle‘s birthday.

Dinner was delicious.

 

We all chose the Murano lobster, cooked table side.

We sang happy birthday when the birthday cake came, passed out some presents and enjoyed good times together. They are great people.

Day 3  Sea

Today was a sea day, just passing time walking around, lounging by the pool and just having a good time. Randi bought a Celebrity sweatshirt. We also went to the

Captain's club repeaters party and were honored with a half dozen other Zenith couples. We enjoyed all three meals today in Luminae.  We were joined by Michelle and Rob for breakfast and dinner. Rob played in a Texas hold ‘em tournament and we just chilled out.

By evening we parked ourselves at the Martini Bar for a pre-dinner drink.

Day 4  Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Today was our total chill out day. We booked the

alcoves at the lawn club on deck 15 from 9 AM to 9 PM where all four of us took advantage of lounge chairs in the

shaded cabana. Food and drink service was just a phone call away. This was a first experience for us and a very nice one.

We also visited Future cruises and spoke with Alexandria in Michael’s club. We found out that the Summit was not repositioning on the east coast, but instead was going through the Panama Canal. We booked it and also booked a cabin for cousins Gary and Joan.

Cocktail hour this evening was at the Sunset bar, outside on deck 15 aft. It was very nice to enjoy a cocktail in the open air of the evening and it was right next to the Porch,

which was the seafood restaurant we reserved for the evening. Although the waiter was very nice and considerate, we felt that as a seafood restaurant, the menu was very limited, and even more limited for Randi with her onion allergy. 

Day 5  Georgetown, Grand Cayman

After a good full night sleep, we stopped at Luminae for breakfast before tendering to shore at Grand Cayman. Rob and I had an 11 AM snorkeling excursion and Michelle and Randi planned to walk around town. I found out that the new mask that I just bought was not for an adult but for a child so I had leaking problems with it although there were plenty of fish to see. Randi purchased sunglasses on shore.

We had a little cocktail party in the suite that Dominick our Butler set up. Rob and Michelle came over for wine, Prosecco and a chocolate martini for Michelle. Dominick had also set out shrimp cocktail and crab meat with crackers and cheese to munch on.

Tonight was Chic dress up night and also Thanksgiving! 🙏 Yes, I did have Turkey, 🦃 but I also had the poached lobster too.🦞 

Day 6  Cozumel, Mexico

Walked around shops near the pier and bought eye treatment for my eye bags. Seems to work great.

Also bought liter of amaretto for $26 US; that is about half price you would pay at home! Liquor prices here were better than average.

Came back and went to Ocean Grill for lunch. I got a pizza special today and Michelle and Rob got stuff at the salad bars. Randi had a special onion free pizza made for her courtesy Bogden, the MatreD. I was able to get an a nice nap until cocktails again at the Sunset bar since our dinner was at the Lawn Club Grill just down the deck a bit.

We were a little disappointed at the Lawn Club Grill as we sat down at 7 o’clock and probably didn’t have our first item until shortly before eight. It seems that they were shorthanded.

Later, we were told service suffered because of the Thanksgiving crowd. For example, when it came, salad and dinner arrived at the same time for Randi. We bought a bottle of Jordan Cab that pared well with the outrageous rib steaks. 

Rob did a great job cooking on the grill. After dinner I made a deposit, into the casino and called it a night.

Day 7  Sea

A beautiful sea day was in store for us on board Reflection. It was a special day which celebrated my October retirement after working in the same TV station for 42 years! 

The celebration plate of chocolate covered strawberries was courtesy of our great butler, Dominick! After meeting in Luminae for a light breakfast, we got our refundable money back from the front desk and picked up some envelopes for extra tipping purposes. After that we

strolled through the shops and the casino and Rob played cards there.

For lunch we, and a table full of Zenith members were invited to the Blu restaurant. The captain was there, as was Clint, the hotel Director and Antoinette, the guest relations manager and Orlando, the food and beverage manager. Lunch was delicious. I especially enjoyed the butterfly chicken; the Indian dish specially prepared for this meal. But there also was salmon, and fillet of beef.

After a delicious time we just relaxed, watched the waves go by on our deck and took a snooze.

Dinner tonight was in the beautiful Tuscan restaurant. After a few cocktails in the ensemble lounge, located just outside by the restaurant, we went in. Rob mentioned, why didn’t we come here first? We could have come back?

The after dinner show was Euphoria; a Cirque du Soleil type, acrobatic show. It was very good. 

Day 8  Fort Lauderdale, turnaround day

This was an early rise day at 6:30 to be at breakfast at 7:30. It was also a sad day because Rob and Michelle were

disembarking. After breakfast we waited in Michael’s club. We said our goodbyes around 930. Shortly thereafter we were escorted onto the pier where we waited in the terminal for 40 minutes until customs was ready for us. We met the Bradshaw’s from Houston, who are almost double Zenith and Maxine and George from Ocala. Once ready, passing customs was a breeze; basically walking up showing your photo and walking back. Overall this was a longer experience and we’ve had in the past. 

After returning, we sat on the chairs on deck five. It was a little noisy since some maintenance was going on the ship. However we stayed there until about noon time, looking at the clouds and went back to the state room to refresh and proceeded to Luminae for lunch.

We passed out our additional Tips for crew from the last cruise. That is Carlo on the left and our waiter, LLoyd on the right. After a nice lunch, we went back to the stateroom to enjoy; just lounging, napping, reading and thinking about all the memories of this cruise. Around

4pm, we saw celebrity beyond leave port Everglades. We were right behind her with 1000 passengers less on board then last cruise.

Randi stopped at Casino for a little bit of spinning the slots. I walked around and checked out some of the nightlife and then we both and went to dinner. After dinner we walked to the theater and saw the show Broadway, which featured some wonderful singing voices and

songs from many of the Broadway hits. After that it was lights out. 

Day 9  Nassau, Bahamas

We both got up fairly early this morning around six or 630 and asked Dominick the Butler to bring coffee ahead of schedule. It was nice to be able to sit on the deck and watch us pull in and along side Carnival Mardi Gras. We had no plans to go ashore since we already were to Nassau before,

instead, we rebooked the alcoves. After breakfast, a day of relaxation started on the lawn deck 15, in the alcoves. We were served sparkling water then fruit and cheese.

For lunch, we ordered Caesar salad, turkey club, hotdog, fries and a bottle of Villa Maria. Sail away was 230. As soon as we sailed, the wind cooled down the hot deck. 

After a nice day in the alcoves, we went back to the room to freshen up and shower for dinner. Before dinner we

took our Christmas picture in the Library area. It came out nice. We then went down to Michael’s club to see some of the officers who are there. We saw the chief housekeeper, the revenue promotion manager and Antoinette was there, the guest relations manager. We showed her a photo album from years ago when our waiter was Donuta. She is now hotel manager on the Edge. We had a lovely dinner table for two in Luminae and then went to see show who was Leanne Mitchell, winner of The Voice UK.

Day 10  Sea

Another beautiful sea day! I was up when Dominick rang the phone for coffee. Randi was awakened by the phone. When we went to breakfast we saw Maxine and George and invited them to see our suite this morning. When they came up they really liked it. They agreed with us that it’s very spacious, much more than on the Millennium Class. We took another trip to the casino, then went to the Zenith

and Captains Club cocktail party, held at noon in the sky lounge. A half dozen or so couples that were Zenith were upfront and had reserved

seating. About 125 Captains Club members turned out along with more than a dozen officers. It was a nice get together and the band played on. For lunch I finally got my Cobb salad in Luminae. I saw it on the app but it wasn’t on the menu. That was strange I came back to the state room to watch USA play Iran in the World Cup while Randi went back to the casino. Actually it turned out to be enough for me, L0L. I fell asleep for a two hour nap. Later, at Michaels club for cocktails, there were some live music playing. It was a fiddle and bass. At 6 o’clock the

photographer came for our Christmas photo shoot which we shot in the hotel lobby next to the Christmas tree. Then we went to dinner. We called it an early night because of the time change overnight, moving ahead an hour.

Day 11  Crown Bay, Saint Thomas

We next got up, new time around 7:30, had our coffee, and went to Lumme for breakfast and then walked around the track. Headed to the photography studio to look at our pictures and found one we liked. He had to talk with his manager about the price. After that, headed to the

heliport for sailing into St. Thomas Charlotte Ammale. Very pretty. Had lunch while pax left the ship. Randi got her lamb chops and I got tuna steak, medium rare delicious. Took a walk around the shops of Crown Bay and picked up a magnet for Trudi. Nothing much else doing there. Next, just chilling out on the deck off our state room. Got ready for dinner and stopped by Michael’s club where we saw Maxine and George. We joined them at the bar and had a few conversations then toward Murano,

restaurant where Randi had the lobster again, the easiest for her allergy and I had the Seabass. After dinner we stopped at the theater to see the comedian Kevin Jordan. The show was very good.

Day 12  Philipsburg, Saint Martin

Today was Saint Martin, which is Randi’s favorite island. We took the water taxi into town. If I remember correctly the price went up for a round-trip from 4 to 7 a person.

We found our way quickly to Ultimate Jewelry. We needed to get some items fixed and look for a ring for Randi. She decided on a yellow diamond with white diamond surround it. Next we headed to Gulmohars and  bought a bottle of Blanton's bourbon. We walked up and down the street

looking for perfumes and any buys that were reasonable. Randi finally found a perfume that she liked at the price she liked. Once back on the ship we visited sushi on five for lunch. Being tired of walking and/or eating, could’ve been both, we went back to the suite and rested and cat napped on the deck. The photographer got back to us but we declined since his price was too high. Cocktail hour was at Sunset bar on deck 15 left and dinner followed at the lawn club grill. Ryan the chef, took a special personal interest in Randi‘s allergy as he stepped away from the grill to our table to further consult with her.

Everything was great but I believe the ribeye which I had the first week was better than the filet mignon. Shortly there after it was time to sleep.

Day 13  Sea

Randi had a rough night with her cold and cough but I believe she’s turning a corner and on the way to a full recovery. Had some coffee in the state room while waiting for her to get up and then we went to Luminae for breakfast. Checked out the great sales that they were having but in fact they weren’t so great at all so we went

to the casino and took out some of our on board credit for the slot machines. I found a machine called The Great Immortals and held my own as I emptied the non-refundable on board credit. 

The Zenith lunch was next with Captain Matt, HD Clint, FB Orlando and CRM Antionette.  Lunch was delicious. They made a special salad for Randi and a special chicken dish too! Conversation flowed at the table. It was a spectacular event and Blu is a nice looking restaurant.

Next was the casino. We played more slot games with our on board spending.

Then back to the state room where we took a nice rest before dinner in Tuscan. Tonight we move the clocks back to the normal time.

Day14  Sea

Today was our last sea day. We picked up our refundable cash. We spent the bulk of the day packing a little,

strolling a little, casino-ing a little, eating a little- just another relaxing day overall. We met some people from Naples who are real estate agents. For dinner the chef made me a special dinner. I requested the butterfly chicken like we had in Ble. I got something different but

it was very good also. It was a fried piece of chicken over Indian curry and spices and rice. Pictured here is our Lunanae MatreD and Host. After using the last of the on-board credit in the casino, we put out our bags and called it a night for the early wake up tomorrow.

Day 15  Fort Lauderdale

Arrived in the Port everglades channel around 5 AM and smoothly backed into our berth. Randi was up at 6. We enjoyed our breakfast and headed to Michael’s Club for our private departure. The luggage was easy to find on the pier and the porter got us through customs and to a taxi in a hurry. However, when we went through customs, the customs agent asked if all four suitcases and two carry-ons were in fact, our luggage, or if we had other people's luggage. LOL

Got a taxi at 815 and by 830 we were at the airport. I would say by 9, we were sitting at the gate, after dropping our bags and passing TSA. Need to find out why our global entry is not working for us. By 1120 we boarded for a United noontime departure and we were home by 4. Nice vacation!