Celebrity Reflection Cruise Ship: Overview and Things to Do

A relatively new ship, Celebrity Reflection offers lots for avid cruisers to love. The ship is modern, features many of the Celebrity amenities cruisers already know, and is the biggest of its class. 

If you’re considering taking a Celebrity Reflection cruise sometime in the near future, here’s what to expect on your voyage, from the ship’s size to its staterooms, restaurants, and entertainment.

Stats

Celebrity Reflection is the final and largest cruise ship of Celebrity’s five Solstice-class ships. This class includes sister ships Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Silhouette. Here’s how Celebrity Reflection measures in at:  

• Gross Tonnage: 126,000 GT
• Length: 1,047 feet
• Total Decks: 17
• Guest Decks: 13
• Passenger capacity: 3,030 (double occupancy)
• Passenger capacity: 3,600 (maximum occupancy)
• Crew: 1,293
• Cabins: 1,523

Construction 

Built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, Celebrity Reflection cost about $750 million for Celebrity to build. The ship was first floated out on Oct. 12, 2012, to be later christened by four godmothers, on Dec. 1, 2012. Godmothers include Jovanka Goronjic, Megan Mathie, Helen O’Connell and Rosey Rodriguez. 

Uniquely, the four godmothers, who represent a range of industries and career paths, were all chosen as part of Celebrity Cruises’ recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The cruise line celebrated all four for their experiences battling or being impacted by breast cancer.

Refurbishments

Originally, Celebrity Reflection was anticipated to undergo its first refurbishments in January 2023, to bring the ship up to Celebrity Revolution standards. (The Celebrity Revolution was an initiative that began in 2019 to bring all ships up to modern standards, adding new restaurants and venues to older ships as well.) However, a dry dock occurred earlier than this, in October 2022, around the ship’s 10^th birthday.

During the 2022 dry dock, which took place at Chantier Naval de Marseille, the ship received basic maintenance and cosmetic upgrades, including the addition of a new color scheme previously seen on Celebrity Edge. Larger, later refurbishments have not been announced.

Celebrity Reflection Itineraries

Celebrity Reflection has, in the past, served both Mediterranean and Caribbean itineraries. When Celebrity Reflection has sailed in the Caribbean, it has home-ported in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, offering short and week-long cruises around the region.

Staterooms

You can find 1,523 staterooms aboard Celebrity Reflection, with nearly 80% of those staterooms offering verandas, and more than 400 large enough to accommodate as many as three or four guests.

The staterooms are 15% larger, on average, than what you’ll find on other, older Celebrity ships, with modular closets, under-bed storage, large bathrooms and more. Staterooms are broken down as such:

• Inside staterooms (which account for 10% of all cabins)
• Ocean view staterooms (which account for 5% of all cabins)
• Veranda staterooms (which account for 78% of all cabins)

Inside staterooms measure 183 to 200 square feet. All inside staterooms come standard with amenities such as:

• Celebrity’s eXhale bedding
• Lots of storage space
• Interactive television system
• In-room safe
• Mini fridge
• Hair dryer
• Four pillows
• Cotton bathrobes and towels

Ocean view staterooms measure in at 176 square feet and offer small, square windows over each king-sized bed.

The most plenteous of the stateroom options aboard Celebrity Reflection, Veranda staterooms offer a spacious bathroom, bedroom and seating area, with a couch and desk inside the cabin and seating for two outside the cabin, on the veranda. Floor-to-ceiling windows leading out to the veranda provide ample views. Veranda staterooms come in accessible and family variants.

Veranda staterooms are also available in concierge class — which comes with additional amenities, such as concierge service and exclusive access to VIP events — as well as in AquaClass. AquaClass guests receive complimentary fitness classes, a spa concierge, complimentary dining at Blu and more. 

All of the above staterooms feature a very 2000s-ish décor scheme, with a light, warm color palette that includes a lot of warm woods, oranges and yellow. The look is not as stylish as what you’d find on one of Celebrity’s newer cruise ships, but it’s not woefully outdated either.   

Suites

There are many different types of suites on this cruise ship. Suite options (with the number of each type in parenthesis) include: 

• Sky Suites (84)
• Aqua Sky Suites (Unknown)
• Celebrity Suites (12)
• Signature Suites (5)
• Royal Suites (8)
• Penthouse Suites (1)
• Reflection Suites (1) 

The smallest option, with 300 square feet inside and a 79-square-foot veranda, the Sky Suite still offers plenty of floor space and an upgraded experience with lots of amenities, if not necessarily a traditional suite experience with more than one room.

Aqua Sky Suites are the suite version of the AquaClass staterooms. The suites are entirely focused on spa-related amenities, to help you relax in style.

Celebrity Suites are more of a traditional suite, with separate bedrooms set off in their own spaces, away from the suites’ main and expansive living areas.

Signature Suites measure in at just over 440 square feet, with verandas that measure 118 square feet. These suites feature high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows and fantastic views of the scenery beyond.

Royal Suites are nearly twice as big as the basic Sky Suites, at 590 square feet, and with 153-square-foot verandas. Royal Suites come with separate living, dining and bedrooms.

The Penthouse Suite is more than twice the size of the Royal Suites, though, at 1,291 square feet. There’s a huge living space, dining area, a baby grand piano in one corner, a big veranda and your own personal butler.

Read Also: Incredible Cruise Ships With Family Suites

Lastly, the sole Reflection Suite made waves as the very first two-bedroom suite available on a Celebrity cruise ship. This suite is the epitome of luxury, set high up on the ship and offering wall-to-wall panoramic views and exquisite décor choices at every turn. 

The Retreat

All suites on this cruise ship are located within The Retreat, a VIP area set apart for suite guests only.

When you stay within The Retreat, you get access to Michael’s Club, a 24-7 lounge that’s only open to suite guests. There, you’ll find quick bites and beverages, and it’s all complimentary. Concierge service is also available here.

Retreat guests also enjoy access to their own private restaurant, Luminae, which offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, and is a nice complimentary alternative to the other free dining options on the ship.

Do note, however, that if you’ve sailed on other Celebrity cruise ships in the past, particularly newer cruise ships, and stayed in The Retreat, you may not find that the experience is exactly the same aboard Celebrity Reflection. For example, newer ships with The Retreat feature The Retreat Sundeck, a private area with its own pool and hot tub; Celebrity Reflection does not have this feature.

Further amenities that Retreat guests enjoy as part of their cruise fare include complimentary premium drinks and complimentary premium WiFi. 

Free Dining

There are 13 total dining venues on Celebrity Reflection, with dining at seven of these venues included in your cruise fare. Six are specialty restaurants that come with a surcharge.

Restaurants where you can dine for free include:

• Opus, the ship’s main restaurant known for its two-story glass wine tower
• Blu, a complimentary healthful dining restaurant, but only open to AquaClass guests and suite guests
• Luminae, an all-day complimentary restaurant that is only open to suite guests
• Mast Grill & Bar, a poolside, fast-casual eatery
• AquaSpa Café, for light bites in the Solarium
• Café al Bacio & Gelateria, for sweet treats and coffee
• Oceanview Café, Celebrity’s take on an upgraded cruise ship buffet

So, as you can see, while technically there are seven restaurants that potentially could be included in your cruise fare, there are some exceptions. You’ll only get access to Luminae if you book a suite, for example, or Blu if you book an AquaClass stateroom. 

Specialty Restaurants

 Celebrity Reflection offers six specialty restaurants that come with a surcharge. These include:

• Le Petit Chef at Qsine, for a tech-savvy dining experience
• Murano, for Continental cuisine
• Tuscan Grille, for Italian cuisine
• Lawn Club Grill, an outdoors, grill-focused restaurant
• The Porch, a casual dining venue with Hamptons vibes
• Sushi on Five, for sushi and Japanese cuisine 

Bars and Lounges

You can find plenty of spots to grab a drink while aboard a Celebrity Reflection cruise. Options include:

• Ensemble Lounge, for drinks near the theater
• Martini Bar & Crush, for classic cocktails
• World Class Bar, for high-end mixology
• Cellar Masters, for favorite wines
• Passport Bar, a low-key, chill watering hole
• Sky Observation Lounge, for drinks with a view
• Pool & Mast Bar, the bar near the pool
• Sunset Bar, for outdoor drinks overlooking the water

Additionally, you can find drinks at Michael’s Club, the lounge situated within The Retreat and only open to suite guests.

Activities and Entertainment 

While Celebrity Reflection may not be outfitted with rock-climbing walls or surfing simulators, you’ll still find plenty to do and enjoy.

Pools

There are three different pools to choose from on this ship, two on the main pool deck and one that’s hidden under a glass roof.

The Lawn Club

The Lawn Club, with its restaurant, offers a huge lawn with real grass on the top deck. The space is pretty big for a cruise ship, a half-acre in size. The lawn is a great spot to read, play a lawn game (croquet and bocce are available) or enjoy a meal or just a drink.

Theater and Shows

Reflection Theatre is the place to be if you’re looking for live entertainment during the course of your Celebrity Reflection cruise. The large theater is still intimate enough to provide you with a uniquely Celebrity-style entertainment experience, but not too cozy that you feel crowded. Shows that you might be able to catch during your cruise include musical concerts, Broadway-style theatrical performances and even some comedy. 

You can also catch entertainment at Celebrity Central, where the productions are just as diverse, ranging from film showings to lectures from Smithsonian-approved speakers to late-night comedy. 

The Spa

For pampering, you’ll definitely enjoy everything offered at the Canyon Ranch Spa. Book a massage, facial or body wrap. You can even enjoy an acupuncture session, where experienced practitioners use this ancient Chinese holistic healing practice to relieve your pain, stress or whatever else ails you.

MedSpa offerings are available, too, and if you’re not sure that a facial treatment or BOTOX (or similar products) is right for you, you can always book a complimentary, no-obligation consultation to discuss your needs and what you’re looking to get out of a MedSpa treatment. Regardless of what you choose, though, you’re bound to leave the Canyon Ranch Spa better than you arrived.

You can also take advantage of the ship’s many beauty services. There’s a salon offering hair cutting, styling and coloring services; barbering services; manicures and pedicures; teeth whitening; and more. Products used at the salon are specially picked to give you a relaxing, efficient experience that leaves you rejuvenated and ready to enjoy your cruise to the fullest.

Kids Venues

While Celebrity isn’t really thought of as a family-focused cruise line in the same way that, say, Carnival or Royal Caribbean is, you can still bring the kiddos or grandkids on a Celebrity cruise and they’ll find something to do.

On Celebrity Reflection, there are multiple venues for kids of varying ages. Within the Camp at Sea program, children as young as 3 can enjoy a camp-like environment with lots of fun, staff-led activities. The Camp at Sea program is available to those as old as 12, with activities becoming more complex and sophisticated the older the kids (for example, the oldest kids will enjoy STEM activities, competitions, sports and the like).

For the oldest kids in the crew, a teens-only space is open to ages 13 to 17, with some planned activities but not as much guidance as what the younger kids get.

Celebrity Reflection Cruise Ship FAQ:

Final Thoughts

While Celebrity Reflection isn’t the newest, brightest or shiniest vessel in Celebrity Cruises’ fleet, it still offers a lot to love for travelers who want a ship that’s hardly old, but not so new that it’s overrun with eager cruisers.

It offers plenty of entertainment options, restaurants and bars, along with stellar suites, for a cruising experience that’s perfectly enjoyable, even if not exactly over-the-top.