It was spring 2022 with the biggest COVID-19 travel restrictions gradually being lifted it was time for the first big holiday for my boyfriend and I. As I wanted to convince my boyfriend that travelling without his beloved car can also be fun I decided to drag him along on a Mediterranean cruise on Celebrity Reflection, starting from the Italian port of Civitavecchia near Rome.
For our cruise we really wanted a balcony cabin, as I was looking up prices the difference with a standard balcony or concierge class balcony wasn’t that big. Considering you earn 5 points when staying in concierge versus only 3 when staying in a normal balcony for gaining status in the captains club, this was for this price an interesting addition. Besides the extra points you also got more perks during the rest of the cruise, like access to a dedicated concierge (which we didn’t make use of).
One of the nicest perks was the separate exclusive lunch on embarkation day. While most passengers where sent off to the buffet on deck 14, Concierge Class customers could make use of a sit-down lunch in the main restaurant on deck 3. A much more relaxed and enjoyable start to your holiday in my opinion.
The cabin itself was equally big to a normal balcony cabin. Upon entering you had the bathroom on your left. This bathroom featured a big shower with glass doors (much better than a curtain), a toilet and a sink. Even though the bathroom was quite small, it was well designed so you had plenty of space to store your stuff.
The products offered by Celebrity in the Concierge Class are also better than the ones I experienced on my previous cruise with them. This time you had shampoo, shower gel, conditioner and body lotion as well as a normal bar of soap, much better than the shampoo and bar of soap last time.
After the bathroom the cabin offered a sitting area with a sofa that could be transformed into an extra bed. There was also the hanging closet to store some stuff. A small desk area with 2 US and 1 EU plug, these are also the only plugs in the room! There was the small minibar and drawers area next door with a movable tv mounted above.
Next up was the very comfortable bed, sufficiently high so your suitcases fitted underneath, also your life vests are located under the bed. Above the bed are 2 further storage areas.
The best part of the cabin however is the balcony itself. Much bigger than the one on Princess Cruises, with reclining seats and foot stools, inviting you to spend more time on your own balcony.
Some extra Concierge Class perks where an enlarged room service menu, we ordered in-room breakfast once and it was an elaborate affair.
Binoculars, bathrobes and umbrellas were also provided. Another perk where the daily delectable delights, a small plate of 4 different bites, delivered daily to your room. Once on the cruise you were also given a bottle of sparkling wine and two glasses, we used this for our scenic sail-out of Montenegro.
As a traveller in Concierge Class we also had a number of occasions where we could join in exclusive events, like sail-outs and sail-ins on the Helipad on the front of the ship. We joined in once on our sail-in in Livorno and enjoyed the magnificent view with a mimosa in our hand.
The last additional perk was on debarkation day when we had the chance to wait for our time slot In a private waiting lounge, much better than having to hang around the ship somewhere.
We had a nice experience travelling in Concierge Class, however I would only book again if the price was right. While you do get some nice additional perks, they are not worth it to pay a much bigger price compared to a standard balcony.
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