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| On Board Reflection Miami |
I'm standing under a cloudless sky on the top deck
of Celebrity Cruises Reflection, as the towers on Miami Beach recede into a
balmy haze. Granddad, Granny, my teen and tween are in their cabins unpacking
their bags so they can make the most of every second on the ship and we've been
through the first world dilemma of whether to go for the drinks package or not.
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| Perfect seclusion on the balcony |
One of the great treats about cruising is travelling
to different destinations without having to pack or unpack to do it. It's my
father's first cruise and I'm confident we've the perfect balance for all three
generations on board. Celebrity ships offer a five-star-experience, best
described as modern refined luxury. The carpets have a deeper pile than normal
and features like extra large showers and curved corners on the beds show that
every little detail has been thought through with care.
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| Tiered balconies provide great privacy at stern of ship |
Being cruise veterans my kids know the importance of
the first day meet-up in the teen zone. Kitted out with table tennis, video
games and a mini stage the teens huge social area is open all day and
supervised until late at night and the best part is there are no tacky cartoon
characters reminding the teens that they are kids. They move between the grass lawn
on the upper deck and the hideaway on deck seven, yet seem to go practically
unnoticed by the majority of the guests. There's great comfort as a parent to
know there are only so many places they can be.
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| Beautiful St Thomas |
Our first day is at sea giving everyone time to get
their bearings and giving me time to try out the spa. The Persian Gardens are a
luxury with hot beds looking out to sea and an array of spa rooms. It's well
worth joining for the week and complimentary for Aqua Class passengers. I go
for a manicure at Canyon Ranch SpaClub and enjoy the unspoilt ocean view as my
feet are transformed with a French polish. As well as the usual entertainment
of theatre, comedy and casino, the art on celebrity is a big draw and Granny
and I decide to view the exhibition at a wine event. There's no pressure to
purchase but it is tempting, instead we decide to try our luck at the casino.
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| Volleyball match between guests and officers |
The fine dining option offers delicious options and
just the right size portion. I manage to enjoy my food without putting on too
many extra pounds. But it's Granddad's birthday and the waiters make a fuss of
him when they bring out a beautiful chocolate cake inscribed with his name. As
they sing happy birthday to him, I know we will all remember this moment with
joy for years to come.
Our first port of call is San Juan in Puerto Rico. Immediately
the relaxed rhythm of the Caribbean fills our souls as we step into the
colonial past and charm of this island paradise. The city has all the modern
trappings, including a CVS store and KFCs but my daughter heads straight for the
stalls selling traditional sweets made from plantains and nuts. Our guide takes
us through a brief history of the old town and past statues of the colonial
past and Spanish architecture. Next stop is the bar where the Pina Colado was
invented and they make Virgin cocktails for the kids. We have a salsa class
before leaving this beautiful island and I know that I'll be back.
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| St Maarten |
Our itinerary takes us to the neighbouring island of
St Thomas the following day. This beautiful island has all the ambience of 'Pirates
of the Caribbean' including the famous Blackbeard's castle. We take a taxi from
the ship and are left at the town centre among dozens of jewellery stores, even
Tiffany & Co have a branch on this island. Not to be distracted we walk the
99 steps up hill to Blackbeard's Castle and enjoy the spectacular view on the
way. The Caribbean is full of interesting characters and one young man in his
80s stands by a viewpoint and offers to take a photo for a dollar tip − we
couldn't resist an offer like that! The local market is great for the kids, as
they find trinkets and souvenirs for their friends at home.
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| Shopping St Thomas |
St Thomas is stunning, but the kids want to get back
to the ship early to meet their pals. It's not a bad call as I find myself enjoying
the half-empty ship, especially in such a beautiful setting. Granddad can't wait
to get his cabin with all day sunshine on his tiered balcony he gets to
sunbathe in peace. Our Tour America agent advised us when booking about the
large balcony and suitability for sunbathing which she got spot on. Granny and
I are invited up to the heli-pad deck to have a glass of champagne with the
senior officers and to our delight a giant sea turtle puts on a display in the
water below as we pull away from the shore.
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| Qsine restaurant |
That evening we eat at Qsine, in one of the
speciality restaurants which incur a small supplement. The kids have fun
showing Granddad how to use the iPad menu. Some of the dishes are accompanied by
a video cartoon, with 'Disco Shrimp' possibly the most entertaining as well as
delicious. Incredibly my son passes on dessert because he's too full but my
daughter orders the cupcakes which are prepared with tiny icing bags for her to
decorate herself, much to her delight.
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| Pool at night |
Later I go with Granny and Granddad to
the theatre to see the illusionists show. Entertainment on board is thrilling,
something that's missing from other luxury brand cruises with less guests on
board. The Beatles Show is on par with Let It Be, showing in the West End. Equally
enjoyable is sitting on my balcony, reading my book and sipping a glass of wine.
Carlos our room attendant refreshes the ice bucket daily and brings canapés
each afternoon. I've grown so fond of him and little niceties like a chocolate
on my pillow every evening!
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| ST Maarten |
Day four and we wake in St Maarten. The skies are
cloudy but in typical Caribbean fashion the sun breaks through after an hour. We
take a bus tour that passes famous Orient Beach, but are too early to see the
naturists. This unique island is divided in two and shared by the Dutch and the
French. Three currencies are accepted but the dollar is the best to use. We
loved the bustling French capital with yummy aromas from the patisseries and
cafes. But the highlight is our stop at Maho Beach, noisiest in the Caribbean,
where aircraft almost clip the holidaymakers as they come in to land at Queen
Julianne Airport. The YouTube clips I've seen don't exaggerate.
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| Maho Beach waiting for the airplanes |
We still have two more days at sea to enjoy and I
feel panicked at the thought of returning to real life. My kids have made new
best friends, and Granny and Granddad are talking about where they would like
to cruise to next. Teens adore Celebrity because unlike other cruise ships they
aren't reminded that they are children at every turn. In fact it was easy to
forget that the kids were with us.
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| Granny, Grandad and Mark and Nicole |
We disembarked reluctantly and returned to
the beautiful Biltmore Hotel in Miami where we stayed the night before our cruise
and last stop before our flight back to Dublin. The Three Generations agreed on
'Reflection' our Celebrity Cruise was the best holiday ever.
Tour America package details
Miami & Western Caribbean Fly/Cruise fr €1469 per person
Return flights to Miami, All taxes and charges
2 Nights Miami
7 Night on board Celebrity Reflection - Inside stateroom
Based on 2 adults sharing
Date of departure: 17 Nov 2016
Our Ref: 512587
CTA:
Phone: 01 8173558
Join Celebrity Cruises’ (www.celebritycruises.ie); 1800 932 611*) Celebrity Summit on an eight-night Eastern Caribbean fly/cruise from €1,849 per person (based on two people an interior stateroom).
Price includes return flights from Dublin, transfers and a
six-night cruise departing from Cape Liberty (NJ) and calling at Philipsburg
(St Maarten), Charlotte Amalie (St. Thomas) before arriving in San Juan (Puerto
Rico) for the flight home; meals and entertainment on board the ship and all
relevant cruise taxes/fees.
Price based on 16 October departure.
* Calls cost 7 pence per minute plus your network access charge
www.biltmorehotel.com
