Celebrity Reflection Review

When Celebrity Reflection debuted in 2012, the ship was the most modern and most forward-thinking in the fleet. Since then, Celebrity Cruises has added another whole class of ships (the Edge Class) that take "bold" and "modern" to a whole new level.

Little has changed with Reflection since it first started sailing, which is both a positive and negative for a ship that fans now call "classic" or "traditional."

Celebrity Reflection shines when it comes to food and service. We were content with included meals offered in Opus, the ship’s main dining room, as well as those at Oceanview Cafe, but were especially excited to see Tuscan Grille was every bit as wonderful as we had remembered from our last Celebrity sailing, offering a perfect mix of Italian classics and prime cuts of beef.

Service no matter where we were was friendly, intuitive and helpful. It’s not unusual to see guests on Celebrity Reflection hugging their favorite crewmembers on disembarkation day.

The Sunset Bar on Celebrity Reflection. (Photo: Colleen McDaniel)

The pool deck, Lawn Club and perfectly located Sunset Bar still feel alluring and relaxing. One of the things we find unique and inviting about this ship (and its Solstice Class fleetmates) is the little niches you can find that help you feel like you’ve discovered a unique spot just for you.

New venues have been added to the 3,030-passenger ship over the years, but carpet, art and the like have remained much the same. The result is that Reflection feels somewhat dated. This is especially true with Celebrity Reflection’s cabins, which, while spacious, feel antiquated by cruise industry standards. It goes beyond simply the orange and dark red color palette, which was the height of sophistication when the ship first set sail. You won’t find bedside outlets or USB ports in staterooms. Nor will you find things like bathroom nightlights, which seem to be ubiquitous on newer cruise ships.

Celebrity Reflection docks at Perfect Day at CocoCay. (Photo: Colleen McDaniel)

Celebrity Reflection sails three- and four-night cruises from South Florida to the Bahamas and is one of the line’s ships that regularly stops at Perfect Day at CocoCay, parent company Royal Caribbean Group’s private beach destination. It’s the ideal ship for multigenerational families looking for a little something for everyone and friends or friend groups looking for a quick getaway that includes one of the hottest destinations in the Bahamas.

Celebrity Reflection Deck Plan Includes Fun Hidden Niches

The Lawn Club on Celebrity Reflection. (Photo: Colleen McDaniel)

The Celebrity Reflection deck plan is fairly easy to navigate. The top decks are devoted to outdoor activities; you’ll find the ship’s main pool, cabanas, sun decks and famous Lawn Club – real grass on a cruise ship where you can relax on a picnic blanket, watch movies under the stars or play a round of bocce.

As with most cruise ships, most of the restaurants onboard are located at the aft (back) of the ship, and entertainment venues, including the Reflection Theater, are forward (at the front). (Find out more about ship directions and nautical terms.) Entertainment isn’t restricted just to the theater; a lot of activities happen in the main atrium (Grand Foyer) as well as Celebrity Central and the Entertainment Court, on Deck 4.

Kids clubs are all located on Deck 15 forward, and while children and teens do use the clubs, you’ll find them throughout the ship, especially in the pool area – even more so during holiday and vacation sailings.

The Hideaway on Celebrity Reflection. (Photo: Colleen McDaniel)

Celebrity Reflection stands out for its many small niches – places you can find where you feel like you have the entire ship to yourself. Our favorite is The Hideaway on decks 7 and 8. Here, there are a variety of seating options ideal for just reading a book or quietly chatting. (It also has a self-serve coffee station that doesn’t have a line the way Cafe Al Bacio does in the morning.) A library is found on Deck 10, and a game area is right below, on Deck 9.

Be aware: The signage on the ship isn’t updated with the actual deck plan; the ship underwent a refurbishment in 2018 in which some public spaces were moved or added (like restaurant Luminae), and signs weren’t changed to reflect the refurb.

Celebrity Reflection Staterooms are Roomy but Dated

A balcony cabin on Celebrity Reflection. (Photo: Colleen McDaniel)

Celebrity Reflection staterooms are spacious, and those with verandas offer big balconies, which feels like a major luxury in an era where it seems that cabin space is shrinking. We enjoyed spending time on our balcony, which offers two chairs and a table high and big enough for dining, if you order in room service.

Cabins also come in a wide variety, with options for a large swathe of budgets and travel-style preferences. Suites at the top end collectively fall into The Retreat – Celebrity’s name for its suites, the sun deck and lounges that accompany them on some ships and perks that come with them. Reflection has 30 wheelchair accessible cabins but no solo cabins.

Celebrity Reflection cabins are dated and show signs of wear. The decor feels as if it hasn’t been touched since 2012. Overall, you’ll struggle to find enough storage space; the closet is adequately sized, but there isn’t enough drawer space. Keeping devices charged is a challenge because the only outlets you can use are located on the desk (nowhere near the bed), and there are no USB ports.

Blu on Celebrity Reflection. (Photo: Colleen McDaniel)

We’re particular fans of the Aqua Class cabins, which come with a number of excellent perks, including access to the ship’s Persian Garden thermal suite and exclusive Blu restaurant, included fitness classes, and in-room fitness amenities and yoga mats.

Cabins to avoid include those near the Grand Foyer – specifically those on Deck 3 midship – as noise can be an issue. Similarly, staterooms on Deck 12 below the pool deck can be loud. If you are prone to seasickness, avoid cabins high on the ship or at the very front or back.

Celebrity Reflection Dining is Diverse and Delightful

A salad from Murano restaurant on Celebrity Reflection. (Photo: Colleen McDaniel)

With 13 restaurants, Celebrity Reflection dining offers a strong variety of food that will appeal to most tastes and appetites. Restaurants and servers deliver exactly what you order, and the food is prepared correctly; our steaks came just at the doneness we ordered them, and eggs were served perfectly poached.

Opus Restaurant is the ship’s main dining room, and you could eat here for all meals most days. The quality is high, and we had great service at this busy venue, even when it was filled to nearly its 1,450-guest capacity.

You could easily enjoy eating all meals on Celebrity Reflection at its included venues – there are seven of them – but you’d miss out on some top-notch special restaurants, including Italian steakhouse Tuscan Grille and the casual Lawn Club Grill, which serves up serious meats hot off the grill.

Celebrity Reflection Pricing Structure

Celebrity Reflection, like all Celebrity ships, offers two basic pricing structures for most of its cabins: Cruise-Only Rates or All-Included. Cruise-Only Rates are the basement price; you’ll pay extra for inclusions. All-Included pricing includes a classic drink package and basic Wi-Fi.