Exceptional cruise in all aspects - one of our best yet!
Celebrity Reflection Cruise Review to Europe - Northern Europe
Contributor Level:
Cruise Director
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 22
Helpful Votes: 842
8 Night Norwegian Fjords (Dublin Roundtrip)
Sail date: May 26, 2019
Ship: Celebrity Reflection
Cabin type: Suite
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 5 years ago
Review summary
Overall this was a vacation we won't soon forget - beautiful scenery, warm and attentive service, and outstanding food. We loved everything about this cruise and would book it again in a heartbeat. The Norwegian Fjords are very similar to Alaska as far as scenery but also very different and so glad that we have been lucky enough to experience and compare both destinations. Of all the cruise lines and ships that we have sailed on (over 100) I have to say this is one of my favoritesEmbarkation
Dublin is a bit of an odd port in that there really isn't a cruise terminal, so there is a hard sided tent that is used for check-in and luggage drop and then you are transported via bus to the ship. All in all is was very smooth and super easy, just a little different than other ports with dedicated cruise ship terminals.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
All of the dining venues were outstanding - lots of options, superior quality and spoiled for choices. The Oceanside Cafe buffet was excellent as well as the specialty restaurants and main dining room.
Onboard Activities
Wide variety of things to do or choose to do nothing at all. The app helps you keep track of what is coming up as well as save things to your calendar so you can see what you had planned for the day.
Entertainment
While we didn't see any of the shows in the main theatre (not our thing) the music in the venues around the ship was fantastic. Lots of variety as to the type of music throughout the ship and frankly we were spoiled for choices.
Service and Staff
At every turn, all of the staff greeted us with warm smiles and asked if we needed anything. Cranston in Michael's Club was exceptional as well as the hostesses. Our cabin steward and butler were outstanding, always checking on us and asking if there was anything we needed. All in all, we were very impressed with the service levels throughout the entire ship.
Ship Quality
The ship was very clean and beautifully done in all public rooms. The ship has not gone through the "Revloution" dry dock and isn't scheduled until 2023. Keeping that in mind the cabins are bit dated, compared to the ships with "Revolution" completed, but that wouldn't keep us from booking another cruise on the Reflection. All of the public areas are beautifully done and very comfortable and there were no signs of age on any of the furniture. The layout of the ship is very easy to get around as most everything is located on the two main decks running forward to after. There are also a few little hidden gems like the Sky Lounge and the Patio alternative restaurant.
Cabin / Stateroom
Our Sky Suite was nicely appointed and very spacious with a nice sitting area, king size bed and tons of storage. We sailed for 8 nights and I tend to over pack and still had tons of unused storage. The bathroom is a shower/tub combo which I am NOT a fan of, but it's full size and a jacuzzi tub if you like that sort of thing. The vanity area in the bathroom had lots of storage behind the mirror as well as drawers and a shelf so there was plenty of room for his and hers toiletries. There is a desk/vanity in the main part of the cabin that has nice lighting for doing hair and make-up. The hair dryer provided in the room is adequate for short and normal hair.
Ship tip
We loved this cruise in all aspects...food, service, cabin. I wouldn't hesitate to book another cruise on this ship!
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Ports of call
Lots of things to do in Dublin and highly recommend a few nights pre and /or post. At least one day is needed just to do the highlights of Dublin and would recommend another one or two for additional exploring time. The city center is very walkable and lots of great pubs and shopping.
Bergen was the largest of all ports that we visited and the city center is just a short walk away. The fjord cruise was outstanding with spectacular waterfalls and scenery. There are tons of seafood stands to get a bit to eat as you stroll around the marina which the city center is built around.
One of our favorite stops that has a very popular hop on/hop off bus to take you to the major highlights and a breathtaking view at the very top, which is the last stop on the bus. We discovered after we purchased the hop on/off tour tickets that they offer Twizy rentals which if you haven't done one, looks like a lot of fun...it's basically an enclosed golf cart that holds 2 people but you sit front/back of each other rather than side by side. They looked like great fun and wished we had seen this option instead.
Highly recommend purchasing a shore excursion at this port as there isn't much in the way of "city center" at this port. There are two or three small shops across the street from the ship, but they had all the same things as the stores in previously ports. We heard from a few people on board the glacier excursion was excellent, but did not experience it ourselves and regretted it after hearing about it.
The main draw in Belfast is the Titanic museum and it's very easy to take a cab from the port to the museum for about $7-10 Euros. Be sure to book your tickets ahead of time as they are time slotted and in the mornings all the time slots sell out, so if you wait to purchase tickets at the door you may not have enough time to see everything. Also, be sure to purchase the audio headset as that is a great way to learn about all the artifacts and displays in the museum.
Disembarkation
Very organized and was quick/easy to get off the ship, find our luggage and get a taxi
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