CrankySailor

I should add that service throughout the ship is terrific. Any time you passed a crew member, they would smile, and say "good morning" (afternoon, etc.). An anyone you asked a question, would work to get an answer if they didn't know it (i.e., they "owned" it - didn't tell you to go talk to someone else).

A little behind in getting out some thoughts on my recent sailing (12/13) on the Eclipse. 5-Night W Caribbean (Costa Maya and Cozumel).

AQ stateroom 1606 - on the slant...so larger balcony.

Embarkation in Miami was super-smooth. From the time I was dropped off at the pier until I hit deck 5 was about 25 minutes (maybe less).

Stateroom was in great shape - basically brand new looking (not sure if they were refurbished during the recent dry-dock, but nonetheless, great shape - almost no signs of wear). I do like the stateroom layout a little better on Constellation - where the shelves/drawers are in the closet (vs across the room), but s-Class ships have the overhead bins over the bed.

Overall condition of the ship was very good. A few things were not refurbished during dry dock...but mostly minor (textured decking in some areas was peeling...and the ceiling over the covered area at the pool was pretty weathered...as was a lot of the outdoor furniture at the Ocean View Cafe and up on the Solstice deck). Arms on the dining chairs in the MDR were rubbed bare in places...I saw them during the safety drill and while I was waiting to go on the galley tour.

Good segue to the food...

Food in Blu was mostly very good. I thought the meat dishes were better than the fish dishes, which were a little weak, in my opinion (usually a bit over cooked). I also thought the desserts in Blu were not strong - and most nights, we went to Cafe al Bacio for espresso and pastry (even there, the cakes/pastries were not always great...I think the desserts on Eclipse need a bit of an upgrade. Even the ice cream - which on Constellation was always outstanding - was icy and not worth having.

Service in Blu was great - hostess, waiter, and asst waiter from the first night treated us like were were long-time customers of their restaurant. Hostess (Olga) made sure we had the same wait staff for breakfast and dinner every day (Mentor - waiter we knew from Constellation) - we were so appreciative of their service we gave extra cash gratuities to the Blu staff on the last day.

We were very fortunate to have friends in a suite who were able to have us dine with them in Luminae one evening. The food was good - but I felt it was a little over the top and maybe "trying to hard." Couldn't imagine eating there every night- would need to have some serious self-control to avoid over-eating.

Service was outstanding in Luminae, but there were some small miscues with the food. The server created a "surf and turf" dish for us, by combining the lamb chops from one entree and the seared scallops from another. Lamb was great but the "seared" scallops were definitely not seared (with a brown crust as you would expect).

Desserts here were also a little underwhelming...and the dessert cart (with many small "goodies") just added more unnecessary decadence. Some diners were raving over the dessert cart, but I didn't find anything I would want to have again on another night.

Ocean View Cafe had good food. The salads were basically my lunch choice every day (along with some of the Indian dishes). Even the pizza - which they crank out all day long - was pretty good!

Gastro Bar - sigh. Had high hopes this would be like the pub on Queen Mary 2. Nope. Food not worth getting here at all. Fish and Chips....the fish was wet (liquid came out when you cut into it) and the batter soggy. The pub burger was not really edible, and not even close to what was described on the menu (caramelized onions...aged cheddar..etc). It was basically a grey blob of meat that didn't even hold together (ended up in a pile...partially in my lap) - not one bit of sear on it (they have hot griddles all over the galley - it's not hard to griddle a burger and get a nice seared crust on it!).

Cafe al Bacio was a great place for coffee every morning before breakfast at Blu. The servers encourage you to sit and have table service (vs. waiting in line at the counter). I preferred the table service, as I like to drink my coffee from a ceramic cup (vs paper). I am also a bit of a coffee geek, so I am very particular about my espresso. The espresso here is fine, but nothing like what you would get at say, Stumptown or Blue Bottle or Intelligentsia (and didn't expect it to be). Some days, the drinks were a little better than others, depending on who was pulling the espresso shots and frothing milk. Had the IGLU one afternoon - next time, would ask to double the espresso, and cut the rest of the ingredients (ice, mike, iglu powder) in half so it's stronger/less sweet. If you like Sbux Frappucino, you will like the IGLU.

Did not eat at any other specialty restaurants - I think they are completely overpriced at this point (and I think Bistro on 5 needs a refreshed concept). Friends ate at Qsine twice and loved it - but all specialty dining was included with their suite fare and they admitted they would likely not pay $45pp to dine there.

Have to save my harshest judgements for the bar service. On Constellation, we always had a great time with the bar staff...on Eclipse, I felt that many times the bartenders at the outdoor bars were disinterested, and at times, just not in the game at all.

Slush - drinks are OK (great on a hot day) - but as you would expect, a little on the sweet side (ok, a lot on the sweet side). The ones with fresh herbs are interesting (helps temper the sweetness), but when making the drink I had with fresh thyme, the tender threw in the entire stem. If you cook, you know that thyme stems are woody, and they did not pulverize in the blender, so I was picking stems out of my mouth with every sip through the straw. Clearly, this is a "first world" problem to have - but I wouldn't order that drink again.

Gastro Bar - continuing with the poor execution on the food, the bar service here was very shaky. First, this bar was not widely visited, which is odd given it's location on the ship, but I guess not much else outside of Guest Relations happens on Deck 3, so maybe most Pax don't really know it's there. Was not a fun place to hang out because it was so dead (was a good place to get caught up on game scores, however). Bartenders are not very knowledgeable about the beers, and sometimes they didn't even know what I was trying to order (after the first couple of days, I would just go to the wall of coolers, take out what I wanted, and have the tender

ring it up). I do think the bar is a good concept - but needs work on the execution. Have not been on any RCCL Quantum class ships...but I have to imagine the Michael Schwartz pub on those ships is a much different/better experience - and Celebrity will need to step it up with this type of venue (both food and drink).

World Class Bar - the drinks I had were good (Celebrity No. Ten and the Strawberry Fields...and friends had straight-up Manhattans...which the tender would make stirred...hard to find). HOWEVER - the bar is totally understaffed at times, and you can wait up to 20+ minutes for your drink. I understand that these are craft drinks, and it takes some time to make them, but when there are four drinks ahead of you...and each drink takes 5 minutes to make...one at a time...you can do the math. Lord help you if the bar runs out of an ingredient and the bartender has to go take a walk to get it.

Martini Bar - saved the best for last (or should I say, worst). On Constellation, we spent every night before dinner (and sometimes after dinner) at the Martini bar. On Eclipse, after the first night - never went back. The bartenders are completely out of control, and I was shocked the ship's officers have not addressed the situation. I am all for creating a fun atmosphere, but these guys were at times standing/dancing on the bar...or the area where the glasses were stored...or the area where the drinks were being made...(I was imagining drinking out of those glasses...so you get the picture). They were pouring drinks on each other...and they even stopped a server with an entire cake en route to Cafe al Bacio...took it from him, then proceeded to use their hands to "serve" the cake to the passengers. Though I never went back after the first night, I walked by many times on the other nights, and the shenanigans were ongoing.

Beverage Package. Did the math when I purchased the cruise, and the FL resident special (with NO perks) would have saved me about $500 over the "Go Better" promotion, after accounting for the cost of out-of-pocket gratuities. Decided to go ahead with the Go Better promo, and used the $300 OBC to cover gratuities and the upgrade to the Premium Package (the leftover OBC went to cover my $35 "meal" at Gastro Bar and some up-charges we had to pay for wines that were > $13 per glass).

I am sure we did not drink $500 worth of coffee/wine/beer/water/liquor...but we decided that we liked the freedom of not thinking about what we were ordering/drinking, so was worth it, even if it cost me a bit more in the long run.

Hot Glass Show - was the best thing on the ship. I think we went to every show. The gaffers are very personable, interesting, creative, talented (I could go on...) and were happy to chat with the Pax after the show.

Also enjoyed the other "Celebrity Life" lectures (astronomy...ship navigation with the Chief Navigation Officer, etc.). Didn't really go to any shows other than the singer Claire Vinkelstijn (from "Holland's Got Talent). She's a good singer - but some of her material was questionable. Opening number was "9 to 5," then she sang "You Light Up My Life" and a couple of other old songs that I would not consider perennial classics - so it seemed a little bit like C-level Las Vegas entertainment (that you would find way off-strip) for senior citizens, which is a shame, because she really is good. She's a classically trained pianist, and she performedsome snippets from the classical repertoire, but turning classical music into pop music is really not my thing, so we didn't stay for the entire performance (saw about two-thirds though).

Since there has been so much anxiety over the new dress code...I will say that I don't think the Evening Chic diminished the overall dress quality or ambiance at all. It may actually be helping, in a way. There were plenty of people in more formal attire (on three nights, I chose to wear jacket/time..though not a suit/tux and two nights, I wore very dark jeans with a dress shirt/vest). I didn't notice people walking around in shorts/tees/flip-flops like I did on previous X cruises. Maybe relaxing the code is also reducing the "rebellion" attitude some folks had (i.e., won't do formal attire...so just wearing shorts - whereas now, with jeans

being "ok" that's much easier to comply with).

Also - since so much anxiety over the lack of water in AQ staterooms, will comment briefly. Will admit, it was weird. Never asked the Stateroom Attendant for a pitcher of ice water (so not sure what the response would have been), as I usually just grabbed a bottle from a bar on the way back to my room.

Overall service was very good. Had to go to Guest Relations twice and both minor issues were resolved promptly. Once was to fix an errant charge on my Sea Pass account (charged for drinks even though we has Premium Pkg - not really sure how that happened...but was from Gastro Bar...so yet another grumble about that place).

Also had to go down to try to get some attention when my jacket that was sent out for pressing on the first afternoon, failed to show up the next evening. Stateroom Attendant was "off" so was dealing with this issue over the telephone, and was not having any luck (no phone calls back with status...at one point received a call asking me what I needed to have picked up for pressing...). All turned out well - the jacket had the wrong stateroom tag on it (after three hours, my stateroom attendant was back "on" so she went down to the laundry to go find it herself).

For the record - I have three more trips booked on X (1/2/17 on Eclipse, 1/2/18 on Eclipse, and an Asian itinerary in 2017 that I may switch to something later in the year or Galpagos). For now, no reason to "jump ship" as we still like the brand/experience. We are sailing Viking Star in mid-February (was an impulse purchase two years ago) - so looking forward to a much smaller ship experience at a premium price point as a comparison.

That's about it. Hope this is helpful.

I had the same issue/message with two 2018 sailings that could not possibly be sold out. I assumed it was an issue with the new deployments and how the inventory was being pulled back. Sure enough...a few days later it worked fine...so keep trying.

Avid player...but didn't play a single hand on the 12/13 Eclipse sailing.

Casino was running games with all 8-deck shoes, with "dealer hits soft 17s" rules (even the $100 table - which is cra-zy!). There was one single deck game, also a "hit soft 17s" made worse by a 6-5 blackjack payout. Those 8-deck/hit S17 games are murderous. Unless you can catch a streak and bet aggressively (then walk away), the game will grind you down. Necer saw anyone doing well.

Question - what happened to the new rules Celebrity rolled out where all blackjack games would be "dealer stands on all 17s"? I remember a press release about this (or at leat an email), and I played on Constellation in January with stand 17 rules....but you can get to any press releases from 2014 on the X website (shocking, I know, that something on the X site isn't working properly).

Bump

As I was making my reservations for the specialty restaurants, I noticed that all of the deck plans in the Journey Planner show only tables for 6 (two 4tops tucked away near the entry). I am guessing those are just illustrative, and not the actual seating charts, but hoping someone can confirm that there are ample tables for two in all of the dining venues.

Also - is the Restaurant open for breakfast...or is the buffet the only breakfast venue (maybe Mamsen's too)?

Thx.

We're in a suite on deck 11.

We're on 11 as well...in AQ, just a few doors down from the Royal suites.

Viking's given Cruise Critic's editorial team -- 10 members strong, including the U.S., Australia/NZ, and the U.K. -- an unbelievable opportunity to make sure we all get to sample its Oceans' product. After next week, our coverage will reflect all our different voices -- not just mine but of course including mine. In the spirit of sharing my enthusiasm for Viking Star with not only my own team but also with our community, I drafted a very quick "My Favorite Things" about Viking Star ....

On the 2/14 Med Getaway (Rome to Barcelona). A different port every day (wish there was one sea day!)...but hoping to still have time to enjoy the ship and it's amenities. Will likely eat lunch ashore...how can I not in Italy and Spain?!? A little bummed I will be sailing on Celebrity Eclipse when my reservation opens for me to book specialty dining. Have to do it when i get back home...hopefully some good slots at Manfredi's will still be available.

Anyway...the self-service laundry is a bit of a relief! Spending time in Barcelona after the cruise, and will be great to was/dry personal items so I don't have to over-pack. I am thinking the washers will be hard to come by except early morn/late night, unless there are a few on each floor. Also wondering - does Viking provide detergent, too?:confused:

Thanks all.

Love Constellation (with Captain Tassos). We were tempted to take her again this year, but really wanted to get back on a Solstice class ship. Looking forward to Gastrobar, World Class Bar, spa...

Are either of you in Aqua Class?

Look forward to catching you on the ship. Chicago is one of my favorite cities...and interested in hearing how things are on the Gulf coast.

Looked on CruiseCal by ship name at all of the Celebrity ships, and I do not see any Asia deployments after April 2017 (was hoping for some in the fall/winder 2017 and into 2018). Has anyone spotted anything? Seems odd there would be no sailings in that region.

where is this Gastrobar on Eclipse please and what dies it sell / provide .

 

was on Eclipse January 2015 and On Eclipse again January 2016 so keen to know what it replaced and what it is all about [emoji41]

I think it replaced Cellar Masters (not 100% sure of that. Guaranteed someone on CC will correct me if I am wrong:D). it serves mostly "craft beers" - though I use that term loosely, as most of the beers are from large breweies...but just a large selection of "premium" brands (i.e., not Bud Light). Some specialty cocktails and wines also on offer. Menu is "pub food". burger, steak pie, flatbreads...

http://media.celebritycruises.com/celebrity/content/en_US/pdf/gastrobar-menu.pdf

Sailing on 2/14 Rome to Barcelona Medeterranean Getaway. No sea days...very full itinerary....but being February, it may be chilly, and hoping I can use the spa facilities to warm up in the evenings.

Is use of the spa facilities (sauna, steam, grotto, pools) included in the fare, or is there a surcharge?

Thx.

I know Bistro on 5 is opened on embarkation day...but wondering if the Gastrobar, which is new for Eclipse, also happens to be open. I am not hopeful, but it would be great if it was open. Not a huge fan of Bistro (needs a menu refresh), and don't like the buffet crowds...but it will do if need be.

Thx

I like to wear a jacket/tie or suit on some nights because I like the way I look. Admittedly, I sail Celebrity, in part, because I think (but do not know) that more passengers embrace the legacy of cruising and dress for dinner - somewhat formally on some nights, and still a bit "dressy" on others. It would bother me when the line would not enforce "no shorts, t-shirts, or flip-flops" in the MDR. I switched to AQ years ago, and it has not been an issue there, and I don't think the new policy will be a problem. I am totally fine if people are in jeans, and I probably will wear a very dark pair of jeans with a jacket myself on the last night (and maybe the first night as well).

I hope the new dress code doesn't encourage people to wear torn jeans, or feel that because jeans are allowed, it means it's ok to,wear flip-flops or crocs instead of shoes in the dining venues. i don't think people that are hoping others don't dress down (to an extreme) are allowing others to negatively impact their vacation, nor is it wrong to look for a certain "standard." People that stay at Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons chains expect a certain service level, quality of the rooms, amenities, and the general "style" of fellow guests - it's part of the brand image. If Celebrity lets people take the dress code too far in the casual direction, I do think they risk alienating some portion of their customer base. I am sure they did the research and know the risks, and they are making the business decision they think is right.

Thank you. I don't know wny I didn't see that on the site.

Bump

Does anyone have the beer list from Gastro Pub on Eclipse (ot other S-Class ship sailing from the US...assume they are similar - though probably different if the ship departs from UK/Europe or Australia)?

Also - any reviews of the World Class Bar? I am imagining a mix (no pun intended) of classic and contemporary cocktails, with interesting flavors. Excited that once I upgrade my beverage pkg, I can sample some of them...as well as the beers in Gastro.

Thx.

For me, I find the entire Blu experience to be worth the extra cost of AQ. The menus are more interesting, the service is more personal, and the ambiance is better (to me) than MDR. I feel like I am eating in a rstaurant, not a dining hall, and the wait staff is very attentive, comsistently. I have had good meals in MDR for lunch (during sea days), and in the past, before AQ, I had some very good service in MDR - but overall, I will stick with AQ (access to the spa is also nice), and on M-class sjips, I LOVE the AQ cabins on deck 11 (very top of the ship-small group of cabins...very secluded and private feeling - plus, if you book early, you can get AQ staterooms along the back of the ship - some with huge verandas).

Do any recent AQ pax that have sailed in AQ previously know if there are newer menus in Blu? Like the food, and of course love the setting compared to MDR, but Blu menus have been repeating since AQ was introduced, it seems.

Thanks.

It will only cover the tips if you book traditional dining. If you book select the gratuity has to be paid at finial payment so you won't be able to apply the OBC.

The way I did it in the past...I selected a dining time so I didn't have to pay gratuities up front. Sailing in AQ, having a dining time doesn't matter - I go to Blu whenever I want.

Make sense?

Bump

This on going Celebrity promo is very confusing to so many people. I have been on two cruises and booked another one for next year under this promo. Celebrity knows what they are doing and are making huge profits with this promo. My guess is most people stick with the Go Big part and pick the Classic beverage package. Celebrity knows a good percent upgrade to the premium package so they get you right there making more money. It is very nice not to worry about ordering drinks and running up a huge bill at the end of the cruise. But trust me you are paying for it up front anyway. The best deal is always the outside cabin. You get the same promo perks with the lowest price cabin that the promo allows. People are discovering this and the outside cabins sell out quickly. It is all a number crunching game. The problem is many people do not take the time to figure it out. You also have to know that in many cases when you pick a senior rate or a resident rate that gives you a slight discount they knock you out of the promo. You might still do better with the promo depending what the other discount is. You just have to get your calculator out and crunch the numbers and see what you are really getting. I think this promo has been a major success for Celebrity. Not always a good deal for the consumer.

It seems for me - on a 5-night cruise, go Better is the right choice. I take the $300 OBC and Classic Drink pkg, and once on-board, I upgrade to Premium Drink package (so the OBC covers the upgrade for 2, as well as tips...with some left over for a lunch or two at Bistro...tips on the drinks, etc.).

I looked at taking the Exciting Deals and saving the money (and losing the perks)...but decided that not having to worry abt drinks at all is a nice feeling. Not big drinkers...but usually have a martini before dinner, glass of wine with dinner, specialty coffee in the morning.....just nice not to think about it (plus could be fun to try the interesting cocktails in the World Class bar, Slush, different beers in Gastropub...).

I think RCCL's approach on Quantum class ships will become more of the standard (many more dining venues...some for fee, and some with a fee). I do think the MDR will get smaller and smaller...and eventually become just another dining venue.

As for formal vs. chic....I am sorry to see formal go. I enjoy wearing a suit, or jacket/tie at dinner and having others dressed similarly. Clearly I can still dress formally (and I will), but it bothered me when other pax would wear tank tops, flip flops, jeans, and shorts to dinner in the MDR and the line would not endorce the dress code somas not to make amscene or offend the pax - even though the "rules" are stated before you buy your ticket (now I travel in AQ and Blu doesn't have that issue). I think changing formal night will only encourage more sloppy dress. If people follow the code as Celebrity describes...will be fine...but I suspect it will be an even more likely excuse for people to wear sheedded jeans (which to me look sloppy even if you pay $250 for them) and flip flops or Crocs ("oh...but their my dressy Crocs").

Bump

Looking for others sailing on Eclipse from Miami. Fun couple from Fort Lauderdale, sailing in AQ (i.e., dining in Blu). Like to meet for drinks before dinner, some backjack after dinner, perhaps....and good conversation.