Our Cruise on Celebrity Reflection: Five Things We Love on this Solstice-Class Cruise Ship
Celebrity Reflection carries 3,000 passengers and makes stops at the private island in the Bahamas Perfect Day at CocoCay. (Photo by John Roberts)
I took off my shoes to let the sunshine touch my feet and my toes wiggle in the warm breeze. A few strides onto the lush green lawn, and I was already in full relaxation mode.
Being on Celebrity Reflection felt like coming home. The ship is the fifth and final one in Celebrity Cruises’ beloved Solstice Class. I had never sailed on Reflection, but my second cruise ever was on sister ship Celebrity Equinox way back in 2011.
Now, I’ve been on dozens cruises of all kinds, so you can see that my time on Celebrity Equinox helped me catch the cruise bug.
On Celebrity Reflection, I remembered how much I loved hanging out by the pool, the casual fun vibe and having a late-day cocktail at the Sunset Bar at the aft of Deck 15.
Colleen and I hung out for a while on the grass each day and watched NHL and NBA playoff games on the big screen up there.
We did all this and much more during our five-day cruise that included Celebrity Cruises’ first visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Celebrity Reflection offers three- and four-day cruises from Fort Lauderdale, with stops at CocoCay, a top-rated Caribbean destination that is a private island resort for Royal Caribbean. Celebrity had been receiving feedback in surveys that its cruisers were highly interested in visiting this port in the Bahamas.
And why not? Perfect Day at CocoCay has built up a reputation as a super-fun spot for friends and family to enjoy a day relaxing in the sun, enjoying the food and music, water slides and so much more.
Celebrity is a sister brand to Royal Caribbean, so it was able to add Perfect Day to the program, with Celebrity Reflection as the first ship in the Celebrity fleet to make stops.
We joined 3,000 other cruisers on this inaugural cruise to CocoCay, and we had a good time during the short trip, which had two sea days and a visit to Cozumel, as well.
I have been to Perfect Day several times, but I always find a new way to enjoy it. This time, we tried Coco Beach Club, which is a fairly new exclusive area of the island.
Check out my video tours of Perfect Day at CocoCay
While the visit to CocoCay was a particular draw for cruisers on Celebrity Reflection who had never been to the island (many were trying Celebrity for the first time specifically because the cruise went to Perfect Day), I was delighted to be back on a Solstice class ship.
Here are five things I loved about cruising on Celebrity Reflection.
1. Excellent Dining Options
The Lawn Club Grill offers delicious steaks, fish, pizza and more in a beautiful outdoor setting at the top of the ship. (Photo by John Roberts)
The ship offers a range of outstanding options for dining. I lean toward the specialty restaurants onboard. The service is a bit better, and you get an overall better meal experience, with higher quality food alongside a more intimate ambiance.
So, if you value your dining experience on a cruise, you’ll want to look at the good value that a Celebrity Cruises specialty dining package offers.
We tried Lawn Club Grille on a balmy night while cruising toward Cozumel. This was a nice experience, with the fresh air, large screen over the Lawn showing an NHL hockey playoff game and rock and roll music playing in the background. For us, it made for a delightful romantic dinner setting. The menu (cover charge) offers flatbread pizzas as starters, with main courses like steaks, a Lawn Club gourmet burger and fresh sea bass. You can add sides like a baked potato,
I got the warm baked chocolate chip cookie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
This was just one of several outstanding meals we enjoyed from the specialty dining options on Celebrity Reflection.
Additionally, Colleen and I dined at Murano, Sushi on 5, Tuscan Grille and The Front Porch.
Tuscan Grille is an Italian restaurant and steakhouse, so it offers all my favorite foods. I saved up a big appetite for this dinner. We dined with a friend, and the three of us filled the table with appetizers like the antipasti board with cured meats, cheeses and olives, meatballs, lasagna, chicken parmigiana, filet mignon and tasty breads.
I ordered the lamb chops at Murano on Celebrity Reflection. (Photo by John Roberts)
Murano serves French cuisine, with tableside prep in an intimate restaurant space. Sushi on 5 offers fantastic fresh sushi, sashimi and ramen noodle dishes.
The Front Porch is an al fresco casual eatery on Deck 15 serving up seafood specialties and a few other tasty items. We tried lunch there and had a lovely meal. Try the seafood tower and chicken wings for a nice variety.
Celebrity Reflection also offers Opus, the main dining room, Oceanview Cafe buffet and Mast Grill, a fast-casual eatery by the pool serving burgers, hot dogs and fries.
2. The Hideaway
The iconic tree in the atrium on Celebrity Reflection. (Photo by John Roberts)
Celebrity Reflection has an innovative design with a gorgeous open atrium space at the aft of the ship. This is where the aft elevators are located, and cruisers who ride the elevators can look toward the atrium though glass windows to see the signature art piece on the ship, a large live tree suspended in a planter.
The installation anchors the Upper Grand Foyer area of. The ship. It was created by artist Bert Rodriguez and is designed to represent a tree reflecting upon itself. The upper portion of the tree is alive, but the “reflecting” section hanging upside down is made of cast aluminum and electrical lighting.
The Hideaway is located on Decks 7 and 8 on Celebrity Reflection. (Photos by John Roberts)
In this aft area of the ship from Deck 6 to Deck 12, you’ll find semi-secluded spaces with views looking into the atrium. There is the Celebrity iLounge, the Game On room with board games and digital game tables, The Library and my favorite spot back here, The Hideaway.
The Hideaway, on Deck 7, is a two-level sanctuary space with a variety of seating areas (nests, swiveling capsule chairs and recessed banquettes that allow you to get away for quiet time reading and relaxing. There are two “treehouse” style pods that hover overhead and are accessible from Deck 8.
There is a coffee and tea station here, too, making it a popular spot for people to swing by in the morning.
3. The Aqua Spa and Fitness Center
I was happy to have a great gym to do my daily workouts on Celebrity Reflection. (Photo by John Roberts)
Daily workouts are always on my schedule during my cruise, so I am really happy when ships feature and adequate gym. Celebrity Reflection’s fitness center is huge, with plenty of equipment and space to accommodate a ship full of 3,000 cruisers.
It is busier in the morning, so I usually went in the late afternoon, which was quite a bit calmer. It offers studios for spin classes and yoga and other classes. Plus, the gym has all the cardio and resistance-training machines you would ever need. There was a rowing machine, Peloton bikes, dumbbells and a Smith machine that allows heavy lifters to load up plates for great workouts.
The Persian Garden on Celebrity Reflection features wonderful views from the heated ceramic loungers. (Photo by John Roberts)
The facility really shines because of the attached Aqua Spa. You can get a full range of massage and other treatments, including barber and salon services. There are separate men’s and women’ locker rooms with saunas that cruisers can use.
The spa also has the Persian Garden thermal suite. You can book a day pass or a cruise-long pass to go in and enjoy time relaxing. The wellness area features a sauna, cold room, aromatic suite, hammam, showers and ceramic loungers with marvelous views off the bow of Celebrity Reflection. Colleen and I got passes for the week and enjoyed capping off our workout time by unwinding in the Persian Garden.
4. The Sunset Bar
We tended to make our way to the Sunset Bar each evening for some fresh air and a cocktail before dinner. (Photo by John Roberts)
Located at the very top of the ship and overlooking the wake, The Sunset Bar is a cool place to hang out anytime. However, we really enjoyed going for a stroll around the top deck in the late afternoon before settling in at the sunset bar for a cocktail or two while watching the sun go down on the horizon as we were sailing through the Atlantic Ocean.
There are cozy seats all around the bar. You can gaze out over the wake, sit on the cushioned couches or cozy up at the edge of the natural-grass lawn. We grabbed seats by the lawn to sip or drinks and wandered into the gras barefoot, marveling at the little birds that would hitchhike a ride on our ship. They seemed to love the grass, too.
Pro tip: This is the best spot to get the most epic sunset pictures from your cruise.
5. Cafe al Bacio
Cafe al Bacio is a favorite spot for many cruisers on Celebrity Reflection. (Photo by John Roberts)
This mid-ship coffee shop is located on Deck 5, and cruisers flock here all day to get coffees – it's busy in the morning, as expected – and quick sweet treats and snacks.
You can get gourmet coffees and teas, as well as swing by to pick up water or sodas. (We come here for a Diet Coke because we’re not coffee drinkers.)
The case is always filled with a selection of desserts and sandwiches at Cafe al Bacio. (Photo by John Roberts)
It’s an attractive venue with a lot of seating in the heart of the ship with windows that let in natural light. Cruisers gather here to read a book or play card games while sipping coffee drinks and nibbling on the cookies, cakes or sandwiches available at the counter (there are gluten-free and sugar-free option). These snacks are included in your fare, too.
The Gelateria also is in this space, and you can find a selection of premium gelatos and sorbets here (for a fee).
These are just a handful of things that I especially enjoy about Celebrity Reflection. The ship features so many other wonderful spaces that cruisers can experience during their trips.
The ship offers a big theater with fun shows, a movie theater and cool bars and lounges to hang out with new friends to enjoy cocktails, play trivia or listen to live music.
We pulled into Perfect at CocoCay on Celebrity Reflection, the first time a Celebrity Cruises’ ship has been to this destination. (Photo by John Roberts)
This is the pool area on Celebrity Reflection. (Photo by John Roberts)
We love the distinctive Lawn Club areas on Celebrity Reflection. (Photos by John Roberts)