Ahoy! Modern Luxury on the High Seas

By Rafa Carvajal
Images Provided by Celebrity Cruises 

PortMiami has been known for a long time as the “Cruise Capital of the World.” Our port is also expected to experience significant growth over the next 12 months as a host of new cruise brands and newly built ships, considered to be among some of the most innovative vessels in the world, make Miami their home. One of those ships is Celebrity Cruises new Reflection – a true modern luxury hotel that travels on the high seas while providing the best the cruise industry has to offer in terms of lodging, dining, entertainment, and art.

Jesse Spencer, Associate Publisher of Wire Magazine, and I sailed on Reflection for its inaugural voyage in the United States after the ship traveled from its birth-site in Germany to Miami.. If you like the finer things in life, the Solstice Class ships from Celebrity Cruises that was named “Best Cruise Ships” by Frommer’s 2011, and Reflection, in particular, offer a modern luxury vacation unlike any other cruise line I have ever been on. This year Celebrity Cruises was also named “The Most Gay-Friendly Cruise Line” from the Meet Me Onboard annual Members’ Choice Awards. I consider this the perfect staycation because we did not have to go very far to enjoy an amazing vacation. The beauty of this type of staycation is that the hotel happens to float on the ocean and goes to many beautiful ports of call before bringing you back to our Magic City a few days later.

Little did I imagine during my five months at sea as a young Coast Guard Academy cadet, that one day I would experience my love of sailing on the high seas in such luxury as Reflection. Long gone were my sailor days sleeping in cramped bunk-beds, washing dishes, cooking in a hot galley, polishing brass fixtures, or scraping paint. They were replaced by a spacious, luxury cabin with mouth-watering fine dining alternatives, first-class entertainment, cocktails, gambling, spa pampering, and stunning art throughout the ship. Reflection was designed with very roomy, stylish interiors, delightful and artistic dining experiences, personalized service that includes a guest-to-staff ratio of nearly 2:1; and many unexpected, trendsetting activities onboard that will make for a very unique vacation experience. I’d like to share some of what you can look forward to when planning a fantastic modern luxury vacation on a brand new cruise liner.

There are two great alternatives to cruise on Reflection. The first one, during the winters of 2012 and 2013 is a seven-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary with ports-of-call that include San Juan, Puerto Rico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Basseterre, St. Kitts; and Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. If you prefer to travel across the pond and sail in Europe, you can choose a 10 and 11 night Eastern Mediterranean cruise during the summer of 2013 with a roundtrip out of Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy. The Mediterranean ports-of-call include Santorini, Athens (Piraeus), Rhodes and Mykonos, Greece; Istanbul and Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey; as well as Sicily (Messina) and Naples, Italy.

Our AquaClass stateroom was very modern, luxurious, and spacious, with an oceanview balcony, and a very roomy bathroom with a full size shower that included water jets. I have vacationed on several cruises before and this is by far the best stateroom I have ever stayed in. If you prefer to enjoy the “Suite Life,” Reflection offers three new, unique, and very luxurious suite categories. At the very top of the heap is The Reflection Suite: a two-bedroom, 1,636-square-foot suite with a breathtaking view from its 194-square-foot wraparound veranda and a distinctive all-glass shower extending out over the edge of the 3,030-guest ship. This stunning six-guest suite is nestled in a private area of the ship’s 14th deck with exclusive cardkey access, over the bridge and bow, along with the new Signature Suites – giving you amazing forward views of any port of call. The five Signature Suites offer a 441-square-foot stateroom area and 118-square-foot veranda, with floor-to-ceiling windows and veranda doors, and amazing views of the sea. Each suite accommodates up to four guests, and includes luxurious 24/7 butler service – a hallmark of every suite across the Celebrity fleet. The AquaClass Suites are spa-inspired staterooms that take the onboard spa experience to the suite level with 300-square-foot interiors and spacious 79-square-foot verandas. They include all the amenities associated with Celebrity’s luxurious suite treatment and its AquaClass accommodations, including exclusive and complimentary access to Blu, Reflection’s Mediterranean-themed specialty restaurant.

All these suites also offer some very sweet dreams with the Reverie® Dream Sleep System™ premium mattress that allows guests to customize the firmness of their beds with exclusive technology that enables Apple products equipped with the Reverie Remote app to act as a remote control that operates massage features, adjusts the elevation of the mattress and turns your suite’s appliances that are connected to a power outlet, on or off. You can enjoy this innovative technology with the iPad provided in each of the suites, which also can be used to control your TV and lights.

I love fine dining, so I particularly enjoyed the broad range of fine dining experiences that Reflection has to offer – along with very high quality regular dining that far exceeded the dining experiences I had on other cruise vacations. Several restaurants were created by world-renowned designer Adam Tihany, and I particularly enjoyed Reflection’s specialty restaurants offering unique menus and diverse dining experiences. Qsine is a one-of-a-kind restaurant featuring a “uniquely unordinary” approach to dining with food that is artfully presented. It was also the world’s first restaurant to have its menu and wine list presented to everyone on iPads. Murano offers a delectable, multi-course meal featuring a blend of classic and modern continental cuisine, with many selections prepared tableside for a truly spectacular experience. Tuscan Grille is a sophisticated steakhouse and specialty grill experience restaurant that provides the ultimate cruising grill experience. We also dined at Blu, as it is open to AquaClass stateroom guests. The menu featured fresh, flavorful and lighter fare in a stunning setting that reminded me of the true luxury on the high seas. I particularly loved the Creamy Pea and Morel Mushroom Risotto with mascarpone cheese and chervil; Pan Seared Australian Sea Bass with crispy artichokes, smoked tomato coulis, arugula and garlic confit; and Crispy Tulip Basket low-fat frozen yogurt with fresh berries for dessert.

The Lawn Club Grill is an outdoor, interactive grill venue overlooking the beautiful, lush lawn area and surrounding sea. You can relax topside with a casual lunch menu that includes a variety of high-end burgers; you can also attend cooking classes on pizza making, grilling secrets, marinades and more. You have the choice of top-quality meats to grill yourself side-by-side Celebrity’s chefs or have them grilled to order – a truly unique foodie experience. We particularly enjoyed a very special dinner on the Lawn Club Grill prepared by Jeff McInnis, Executive Chef of Yardbird in Miami Beach. This was one of the best dinners I’ve had in my life. Highlights included the Flatbread with smoked chicken, artichoke, grilled baby leeks, collard green pesto, and housemade ricotta; Tomahawk Rib Eye, carved tableside with YB-1 steak sauce, grilled Trumpet and Hen of the Woods mushrooms; Shrimp ‘n’ Grits with Florida shrimp, crisp Virginia ham, and Adluh South Carolina stone-ground grits; Truffle Mash potatoes with Parsnip, celery root, and potato puree; and Chocolate Mississippi Mud Pie for dessert.

A few other dining and libation choices you may enjoy include the Bistro on Five vibrant creperie; the Molecular Bar serving handcrafted cocktails made with foams, ice spheres, and liquid nitrogen by Junior Merino, The Liquid Chef, a master of the art of Molecular Mixology – with a musical mood that is fresh from lounge to house; the ice-topped Martini Bar, featuring a selection of chilled, top-tier vodkas, paired with Crush, a VIP-like lounge area that is perfect to hang out at with friends or that special someone; the Enomatic wine bar with a state-of-the-art, Italian-designed wine serving system that allows you to select and serve wines of your choice by the glass at the touch of a button; and the ‘cool’ Café al Bacio and Gelateria, where we enjoyed some delightful cappuccinos and gelatos.

If you enjoy the best in spa service and fitness, Reflection has a lot of offer. You can be pampered in their beautiful spa with a wide array of world-renowned services that range from Bamboo Massages and 24K Gold Facials to a full Medi-Spa and acupuncture. The enhanced AquaSpa by Elemis allows you to create your own circuit of sensory experiences by moving from room to room and experiencing hot and cold, wet and dry, and peace and tranquility. The spa’s expanded 883-square-foot Persian Garden offers curved, heated tile beds where you can relax with a view of the ocean. Some of Celebrity Reflection’s new spa experiences include: The Hammam, where you can enjoy a cool, calm and quiet space designed to loosen muscles and joints; Infrared Sauna, where the heat deeply penetrates your joints and surrounding tissue to increase blood flow, reduce inflammation and decrease pain; Aromatic Steam Room, where steam and aromatherapy are combined to eliminate muscle tension and toxins, relax the mind and leave the body feeling rejuvenated; the Cold Room, where you can literally chill out in an icy cold (52° F) environment designed to tighten pores; the DIY Scrub and Salt Bar where you can experience a custom-made experience by creating “body cocktails,” or scrubs from an array of salts, sugar and herbs; the Sensory Showers where you can select from a choice of warm, tropical rain infused with mild, fruity fragrances, or an arctic-cold mist enlivened with eucalyptus essences accompanied by soothing sound, scent and light; “Rhythm and Bliss,” which is a rhythmic rubdown conceived and choreographed by the New York brand Bliss to give your tense spots a ‘tune-up,’ while you tune out with noise-canceling headphones playing your choice from four music mixes; “Acupuncture: The Point of Well-being,” which can help you deal with chronic symptoms ranging from severe muscle and joint pain to insomnia; and Keratin Complex Smoothing Therapy.

If you want to continue your fitness routine while enjoying a vacation, the ship offers state-of-the-art fitness facilities and classes that range from boot camps to indoor cycling. You can also build strength, flexibility and body awareness with comprehensive yoga, Pilates, and body-sculpting classes taught by certified instructors. Top of the line fitness equipment includes Life Fitness® Engage treadmills, cross trainers, upright bikes, recumbent bikes, summit trainers and rowing machines. Each Life Fitness Cardio unit comes with integrated touch-screen TV, iPod music/video, a virtual trainer and 18 language options. The “Home Gym” has new TechnoGym equipment made-for-home fitness and designed to resemble designer furniture. If you prefer a private work out area, the “Fitness Reserve,” exclusive VIP suite for up to two guests, is available fully equipped with TechnoGym equipment and optional personal training for a fee.

Reflection has a stunning, thematic art collection that must be admired as you move about the ship. Just as the art collection across all of Celebrity’s Solstice Class ships, Reflection’s relates to a theme based on the ship’s name. As International Corporate Art’s Mariangela Capuzzo says, they “intentionally present an alternative to the ‘white cube’ museum surroundings in which most of us have become accustomed to experiencing art, and seek to inspire both the guest and the artist by allowing for greater creative possibilities in all of the ship’s spaces.” The upper Grand Foyer of Reflection, with its own living tree, has become an iconic symbol of every Solstice Class ship. The tree – the metaphorical heart of the ship – lives in a stunning artist-designed vessel suspended mid-air in the ship’s atrium. On Reflection, Bert Rodriguez’s “Reflections” – crafted of steel, fiberglass and paint with LED lights – has metallic roots that seem to draw life as well as give it, while merging with the ship’s gorgeous architecture.

In the dining corridor you can admire Anthony James’ “Birch” sculpture with a never-ending vision of birch tree trunks, Albano Alfonso’s “From the Forest Series,” where the reflective properties of the murals mirror shapes as if walking through the very forest you are viewing, Mary Tsiongas’ video, “Vanish #3,” that adds mystery to your surroundings, and Dutch designer Jurgen Bey’s “Tree Trunk Bench” which allows you to sit upon a tree trunk and experience this unique space in a very tactile way. The Ensemble vestibule was designed by artist Carlos Betancourt and Alberto Latorre with a dreamlike photographic collage of mixed media, stainless steel and sound. The floor tiles, ceiling, furniture and sound element composed the magical art piece “The Celestial Garden,” created by the artist. There are many other stunning, thematic artworks on Reflection that include: Jeff Koons’ stainless steel “Mirror Flower” sculpture, highlighting the point at which mass-produced kitsch and contemporary narcissism intersect; Ann Veronica Janssen’s gilded “Venetian Blinds”; Thomas Simm’s cartoony “Big Bloom,” sculpture of polyurethane and red carpet in the Oceanview Cafe; and the huge “The World is a Looking Glass” by Austrian Norbert Brunner, featuring two pair of mesmerizing eyes with the quote, “the world is a looking glass so be certain you are smiling,” that captivates you while you relax in the ship’s beautiful library.

Reflection also offers an extensive, first rate entertainment program that includes live stage productions ranging from Vegas and Broadway-style shows to circus-style shows, live music by Jazz bands, classic trios, contemporary party bands, guitarists, percussionists, DJs, and very funny comedians. We particularly enjoyed a fabulous Broadway-inspired review of the Great White Way’s best shows, and a Cirque-du-Soleil-like rock music extravaganza that kept me on the edge of my seat as aerial performers and acrobats thrilled the audience. If you are looking to do something unique and different during your vacation, Reflection and its sister ships offer you Celebrity Life – a wide variety of unique, enriching and entertaining activities.

The Celebrity Life specialty programming brings modern luxury to life through onboard hands-on experiences in culinary arts, learning, wellness and entertainment. You can enjoy “Champagne High Tea” in the afternoon with impeccable service, fine bone china, and a string quartet playing in the background. You can attend the “Star Chefs Cooking Competition,” where two Celebrity chefs and guests from the audience put their skills to work for the best-chef honors of the day. If you are interested in “chef-inspired” bartending and mixology or wine activities you may enjoy “Mixology 101,” and “Molecular Mixology,” “Wine Appreciation 101,” the “Riedel® Comparative Wine Crystal Workshop” and the “Food and Wine Pairing” hosted in Cellar Masters. You can also take a “Celebrity iLearn,” custom-designed course featuring Apple software or attend a “Beyond the Podium Speaker Series” featuring Smithsonian Journeys on select sailings. Rosetta Stone language lessons are offered in 13 different languages, shake your booty at the “Let’s Dance” series, or attend hands-on art classes and lectures at The Art Studio on the top deck – taught by two artists-in-residence from The ArtCenter South Florida, including jewelry-making and painting.

Be sure to stop by the “Lawn Club,” an outdoor venue reminiscent of a country club that features a lawn of real grass where you can practice your putting skills, play lawn games like croquet and lawn bowling, or simply relax under the sun and stars. You can also enjoy the first Hot Glass Show at sea, presented in collaboration with The Corning Museum of Glass, which features professional glassblowers working in a custom-designed, outdoor glassblowing studio. In addition, Celebrity Reflection offers a new, whimsical “Game On” venue that features six 32-inch touchscreen tables with structured tournaments with a variety of interactive games designed to engage memory, attention and creativity using the latest technology. You can sing karaoke by choosing from over 1,700 songs or enter casino tournaments and lessons featuring blackjack, slots, poker, roulette or craps. You can also play interactive video games that include virtual bowling, tennis, boxing, darts and more or play outside sports, including basketball, golf putting and ping pong.

So remember, if you are looking for a modern luxury vacation you don’t have to go to far. PortMiami and Celebrity Cruises’ Reflection are just around the corner. Ahoy! Sail away…