Memorable Iberian Peninsula Cruise

Item: Celebrity Reflection
Rating: 5
Author: hollyon

Celebrity Reflection Cruise Review to Europe

hollyon

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 15

Overall rating:

5 out of 5

8 Night Iberian Peninsula (Lisbon To Barcelona)

Sail date: October 28, 2019

Ship: Celebrity Reflection

Cabin type: Inside

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

This cruise produced a rich and varied experience for my daughter and me. The ship was beautiful, clean, and accommodating. The service was excellent. The activities were fun and there were plenty to choose from. There were far more than anyone could do, and fun was a key element here. I enjoyed the other passengers and the crew was excellent. Captain Nicolas was funny and we loved hearing his daily morning wake up call. We felt well cared for, entertained, and the whole cruise was great from start to finish.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

The boarding of the ship went smoothly. Many people are embarking yet the process was well executed. It takes time to get everyone processed because of the number of people but it didn’t seem too long, to me. Once we completed the process we went to our room and our bags were there waiting at the door for us.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

All of it was fabulous. There was a stunning array of different foods to choose from at the buffet. We had sit-down dinners each evening that lasted 2 hours. It was a very convivial time where we relaxed and experienced wonderful service as well as fantastic food.

Opus (Main) Dining Room

5 out of 5

This was a lovely dining area. The service was excellent and the dining relaxed and gracious.

Oceanview Cafe and Bar

5 out of 5

Delicious food ready to eat when you are. Even open for a midnight snack if you want one.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Loved the pools and hot tubs. We learned some line dancing moves one day and enjoyed watching the various activities that went on. There were several fun dances, a karaoke competition, and many other things going on daily.

Solarium

5 out of 5

Very nice place to be if you wanted an indoor experience.

Pool

5 out of 5

I loved this area. Plenty of places to relax and the pool and hot tub were very enjoyable.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

The stage shows were excellent. I really enjoyed them and made to every one of them. There were many other times when there was live music or other events. There was far more than I could participate in! Never a dull moment aboard that ship!

Reflection Theater

5 out of 5

The entertainment here was excellent. They had shows every night that were high quality and enjoyable.

Children's Programs

I was not traveling with children.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

All staff were polite and friendly and helpful. We had the same staff serving us throughout this trip, which we liked. We loved our server Ronny. Ida oversaw our area of the dining room and took care of drink orders. Elvis kept our stateroom clean and helped us with whatever we needed, and Valeria made sure we got our hand sanitizer on the way into the buffet for breakfast. They each treated us as valuable and we greatly appreciated and enjoyed them.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

The layout was remarkable. Easy to navigate and very clean and excellently maintained.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

It was roomier inside than we expected. It was very quiet in there. We slept very well on the comfortable beds. The layout was perfect. We had plenty of room for our clothes and were able to stash our bags under one of the beds. We brought magnetic hooks so we could hang up hats, scarves, our badge lanyards, etc, since the walls are metal.

Ship tip

Explore the ship as much as you can once you board and during your first day at sea. Be sure to read the daily briefing left each evening for the next day so you will know what is going on and maximize your enjoyment of the cruise.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Lisbon, Portugal

5 out of 5

This was where we embarked. We only had one day in this lovely city. I wish we had given it 3! We took a free walking tour in the morning (for those you tip the guide upon completion of the tour). After that my daughter and I were on our own to explore the rest of the day and evening. It was very safe there. We found a free Fado show at a restaurant where we had dinner. We greatly enjoyed the street performers and the sights and sounds of Lisbon. It was unforgettable.

Thumbs Up 0

Gibraltar (U.K.)

5 out of 5

We took a tour in the morning as soon as we disembarked. This one was planned ahead of time and we had a bus that took us to see the Barbary monkeys, St. Michael’s Cave, ans a tour of the inside of the Rock, as well as other areas of the city. This was a tour we arranged ahead of time and was not one associated with the ship. The great thing about Reflection was you could choose any of their excursions or find your own. Loved Gibraltar.

Thumbs Up 0

Malaga, Spain

5 out of 5

We had arranged and paid for this tour ahead of time. We saw many of the sights around the downtown area where we met, then were taken to see many other things. We were up high at one point to see the whole area. This was a very interesting port to visit.

Thumbs Up 1

Cartagena, Spain

5 out of 5

Beautiful port. We greatly enjoyed it. We took a walking tour during which, as with all the tours, we learned a lot about the history of the area.

Thumbs Up 0

Valencia, Spain

5 out of 5

Beautiful city. We opted to not take a tour this day but instead explored with friends.

Thumbs Up 0

Ibiza, Balearic Islands

5 out of 5

We took an excellent tour that we prepaid of this city. A truly fascinating place to visit. Very historic.

Thumbs Up 0

Barcelona, Spain

5 out of 5

Ah. Barcelona. This was such an excellent port for us. It is where we debarked and were on our own until we went home. We had a prearranged all day tour the day after we landed. It was amazing. We were immersed in the sights, sounds, and tastes of Barcelona. Our first day there was just exploring with friends. Our second day was that amazing tour. The third day we were on our own and saw a few other things we wanted to see, ending our night with first a flamenco show, then an opera show. It was a fabulous farewell. We had some hours the next morning for a final walk before heading to the airport. Unforgettable.

Thumbs Up 1

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

Very easy. We didn’t go down when they called our number because we were not ready. But their disembarking is orderly and well executed. When we finally did go down, our bags we’re sitting there waiting for us. It was sad to leave but what an amazing 8 days!