Celebrity Reflection: The Cruise Experience!

Picture it – the sun is shining, the weather is warm, and you’re watching the palm trees sway as you sit in the back of an Uber on your way to the cruise terminal in Fort Lauderdale. You start to see the shimmering water ahead, and then, before you know it, a big, beautiful cruise ship becomes visible in the distance!

Most recently, I had the chance to enjoy this moment with my teammate Maddie! We were on our way to sail with Celebrity Cruises for the first time and were absolutely buzzing with anticipation as we spotted our ship on the way to the terminal. Our countdown had officially ticked down to our port arrival time, and the Celebrity Reflection was about to be our home for four nights of fun!

As soon as we opened the car doors, we were greeted by a porter who quickly and efficiently affixed luggage tags to our suitcases. We were then ushered toward the entrance of the terminal building and began the boarding process. The friendly staff members checked our IDs and information, and less than 10 minutes later, we crossed the threshold onto the ship.

Now that we were officially onboard, our first mission was to find our Muster Station! Celebrity’s process for this mandatory measure is to have you watch their safety videos, listen to the sound of the emergency horn, and read all the necessary information right in their app the day before you sail. Once you’re on the ship, you just need to check in and confirm with a team member at your assigned location. They’re also more than happy to answer any questions about their safety procedures and give in-person demonstrations.

Once we had that business wrapped up, we headed straight for the spa!

We had the chance to try the heated ceramic loungers, steam room, cold room, and more, and I easily could have just parked myself in there for the full four nights. We also had the chance to see the salon facilities during our visit and it all looked perfect for some pampering!

An announcement was made over the ship’s speaker system that we would now be able to access our staterooms, so we made our way to deck 6. Maddie and I shared a balcony stateroom and were eager to check out our new home away from home! As soon as we plunked down our backpacks and opened our freshly delivered suitcases, there was a knock on the door, and we were met with the smiling face of our Stateroom Attendant, Apple. Apple came to check on us each day during the sailing and was super friendly and kind. The bed had been separated into the two twins configuration for us, and everything was very clean and bright. We quickly unpacked, and there was ample storage space to get things organized. After checking out the sunny view of Fort Lauderdale from our balcony, we headed back out to explore!

We visited the ship’s library and game room and then decided it was time to get some lunch! We made our way up to deck 14, passed through the serene Solarium and sunny pool area, and entered Oceanview Café. After checking out the wide array of options offered around the sprawling buffet, I decided that it would only be right to indulge in my favorite food – pizza! Let me tell you, this was the start of a love affair for me! From then on, I ate pizza at least once (usually 2-3 times) every single day of the cruise! 

After our appetites were satiated, we checked out the lawn club and headed towards the Sunset Bar for sail away celebrations. Our voyage had officially begun!

That night, we went to see the comedian who was headlining the Reflection Theater and then had dinner in the Main Dining Room. The soft lights made the whole room shimmer as we enjoyed our second delicious meal of the cruise. 

After dinner, we walked around the ship, taking in the different sights and sounds, and visited the Martini Bar to see some impressive flare bartending in action! To wrap up our first night, we checked out the nighttime views from the upper decks and then headed to bed as we knew we’d have an early morning the next day.

Key West was our first port of call, and we were able to disembark bright and early, around 7:30 a.m. I had never been to Key West before and absolutely fell in love with it! There are tons of shops and restaurants to check out, as well as guided tours and museums. You can even rent bikes or golf carts to get around the island for the day. I took the opportunity to have my first taste of Key Lime pie, and it was amazing!

Back onboard in the afternoon, we lounged on our balcony, enjoying the sun and pretty views as the ship slowly made its way back out to the sweeping deep blue of the ocean. 

It had already been an amazing day, but it wasn’t over yet! We got dressed for the evening and headed to the Reflection Theater to see the night’s show – Boyband Evolution! This group from New York sang the stylings of groups like the Beatles, Jackson 5, ‘NSYNC, and more and had the crowd dancing and clapping with delight!

After the show, we decided to hit the buffet as the create-your-own pasta station was calling my name! The chef prepared a delectable chicken alfredo for me, and Maddie enjoyed a variety of samplings from the other stations featuring cuisines from India, Asia, Mexico, and more.

Maddie was pretty tired from a day of biking around Key West, but I’m a night owl, so I set off to the Ensemble Lounge to relax and listen to some live music. The Ensemble Louge is tucked away near a couple of the specialty restaurants and was my personal favorite spot onboard. There was a guitarist playing ambient and relaxing soundscapes that perfectly filled the space and acted as a wonderful lullaby as I finished my drink in the comfy seat and headed up to bed.

Our third day of sailing was spent at Perfect Day at CocoCay! This was the first time that a Celebrity ship visited Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas (they’re both owned by Royal Caribbean Group), and we couldn’t wait to get our toes in the sand! 

Maddie and I had purchased passes to check out the new adults-only area, Hideaway Beach! For those who want a lively party atmosphere for their day of fun-in-the-sun, this is the place for you! There’s a huge pool with a swim-up bar, DJ, tons of loungers, and a lovely stretch of beach. We visited Slice of Paradise for a pizza lunch, and later dined on chicken sandwiches from Hideaway Hut after working up an appetite swimming in the warm turquoise waters.

After showering away the sand and salt from our beautiful beach day, we decided we needed to visit the buffet at Oceanview Café for another round of tasty pasta! There was a Canadian magician performing in the Reflection Theater and a Full Moon Deck Party on tap for the evening. I also stopped to watch some of the film playing on the outdoor screen at the Lawn Club on Deck 15. It was a warm, windy night full of relaxation and fun!

Our fourth and final day onboard was a day at sea. We got to explore more of the ship, enjoyed lunch at Café Al Bacio, and had the chance to tour the galley, where the talented chefs and crew prepared all of the mouthwatering food. It was really cool, and I loved seeing the cake decorating in action!

We enjoyed some time in the Solarium, checked out some of the games and activities that were happening around the ship, and sadly started packing up to prepare for our disembarkation the following morning. We then visited the casino before journeying to the theater for some evening entertainment. 

We were in for a treat as a new show called Broken Strings was making its debut on the ship that night. The show features talented performers and uses modern pop songs and dance numbers to tell the story of a young couple’s relationship. The singing and dancing were exceptional, and it was one of my favorite shows I’ve seen at sea!

After the show and a final dinner at our beloved buffet, we spent some time enjoying some more live music in the Ensemble Lounge before capping it off with a bang at the Silent Disco. The Silent Disco is always one of my favorite activities on any cruise, and Celebrity’s version was no exception. The DJs knew how to rev up the crowd and get the party going, and it was a fantastic way to end our final night onboard!

After one last night in our cozy twin beds, we were docked back in Fort Lauderdale, and it was time to roll our suitcases out of our stateroom and back onto dry land. We had a light breakfast at the buffet and then began the disembarkation process.

Returning back to the terminal at the end of the sailing was as smooth and simple as the original boarding process. We passed through customs quickly and easily, and before we knew it, we were on our way back to the airport. 

Celebrity definitely showed us a great time, and I can’t wait to see what excitement and amenities are found on their numerous other ships in the future! Thanks for following along on our adventure!

~Stacy