Celebrity Cruisin' Europe

10 days Celebrity Cruise Vacation to Europe

My dream came true when I finally get to travel to Europe with my family. I missed the opportunity few years ago because one of my besties asked me to be her maid of honour for her wedding. After my grandmother passed away, my family and my extended family decided that we'd travel together and make it a tradition every year. And Europe was our first destination.

If you're wondering how we came up with the destination, here is what we did. We have 7 families in total and we put the name of the oldest member from each family into a hat. Whoever's name get drawn, decides the destination for the year. Each family will have a turn to decide where they'd like to go, it's just a matter of which year. That family then becomes the host or I should say, planner for the trip. And just so you know, my family is huge. They are all scattered out in Toronto, Hong Kong, Vancouver, China and New Zealand. Just this trip alone, we had 27 members signed up to it. That was a lot of people... we just had to make sure we don't step on each other's toes during the trip. And for this main reason, going on a cruise seemed a wise and rational choice. Cruising involved less hassle. We didn’t have to look for accommodations and transportation for everyone. All we needed to do is buy the plane tickets and get on the ship on time. *cough*

Our #HosGoGlobal 10-day journey started off from Rome, Civitavecchia, where we boarded the cruise ship, Celebrity Reflection. Unfortunately, we didn't get to explore the city before we got on the cruise ship. I guess I'll have to come back again on my own next time. In this journey, we would be out and about in Santorini, Athens, Mykonos, Kusadasi (Ephesus), Istanbul, and Naples. Woot!!!

{Heading off to Rome!}

{Voted Best Mediterranean Cruises (Large Ship) by Cruise Critic's Cruisers' Choice Awards}

When you go on a cruise, the ship is the utmost important factor you should consider. The size of the ship will determine whether there are enough amenities to enjoy while you're at sea or, if you will feel a little "roll" in rougher seas. We chose to cruise on Celebrity Reflection, it was voted Best Mediterranean Cruises (Large Ship) by Cruise Critic's Cruisers' Choice Awards. But, I was disappointed with this cruise line. Yes, the ship was huge, 1047 feet long and could hold more than 3 thousands passengers. Yet, the social space and amenities were both lacking. Staterooms, aka cabins occupied majority of the space, making the rest of the activity areas small. At one point, we were squished by the poolside for an aerobic dance lesson because nowhere else on the ship could accommodate that many passengers! Our family could not even take part in another rumba dance lesson because the lobby was just not big enough for everyone to all participate.

{Library inside the ship}

{Formal night at the main hall}

{Outfit details here}

The ship was definitely designed to cater the older crowds. It had a decent-sized casino, and bars and lounge areas on each floor. These are amenities that would make you spend more than your cruise fare. And for younger adults like my cousins and myself, we always found ourselves thinking what to do on the ship. There weren't any activities offered for this age group. So, I always ended up hitting the gym to burn off the calories I gained from all the eating. The gym, was surprisingly awesome. It was at the front of the ship, with wrap-around windows overlooking the ocean. I had a pleasant and peaceful time there running on the treadmill and working out to a splendid ocean view.

{I could lie here all day}

To be fair though, different shows and entertainments happened each night at the theater. They could be stand up comedies, musical performances, broadway kind of dance shows. cirque du soleil-esque performances or magic shows. The most memorable one for me personally was the violin performance by Britain's Got Talent, Analiza Ching. I was in awe by her musical talents. Her performance was dramatic, lively and audibly exciting.

10 days Celebrity Cruise Vacation to Europe - Virtuoso violinist, Analiza Ching

{Virtuoso violinist and Britain's Got Talent, Analiza Ching}

As for food, with a lack of better terms, I'd say decent quality. They were not yet fine dining quality with top-notch service. But, remember they were basically all you can eat! Besides the buffet which seemed repetitive after the first 2 days, the food you get at the main hall had a good mix and selection each time. Our group always ended up choosing more than 1 entree and dessert because we just couldn't make up our minds! The ship also offered a few specialty restaurants for an extra cost. They made for a better alternative to the buffets and standard menus. We tried the Italian restaurant and the food was amazingly great. From presentation to the taste to the service, it was fine dining standard. We had to carry our stomach at the end of the meal because we were too stuffed like teddy bears.

Ok, enough of the cruise ship itself. I hope my experience gave you a better idea of how it is like to cruise with Celebrity Reflection. Stay aboard with me as I share more #HosGoGlobal journey in each city!