Choosing the best aft room on Eclipse

Getting ready to book a cabin on Eclipse for next July. There are aft rooms available on decks 9,10,11 & 12. Can anyone offer advice as to which deck would be most desirable? Are the aft balconies on this ship as large as the older Celebrity ships? Thanks so much....have not been on a cruise for 4 years...so am really looking forward to this one!

Check the spreadsheet (link below my signature) and look for aft cabins.

Getting ready to book a cabin on Eclipse for next July. There are aft rooms available on decks 9,10,11 & 12. Can anyone offer advice as to which deck would be most desirable? Are the aft balconies on this ship as large as the older Celebrity ships? Thanks so much....have not been on a cruise for 4 years...so am really looking forward to this one!

The afts on the S-Class ships are no deeper than the typical side balconies; some are a bit wider than normal, some a bit narrower than normal, but none are very large. The largest non suite balconies on S-Class ships are those on the slanted portion of the humps, not those on the aft. Some still like the aft because of the views, others dislike them because most have minimal coverage, they are a long walk to the nearest stairs/elevators, are more prone to motion than midship and they sometimes receive soot.

Getting ready to book a cabin on Eclipse for next July. There are aft rooms available on decks 9,10,11 & 12. Can anyone offer advice as to which deck would be most desirable? Are the aft balconies on this ship as large as the older Celebrity ships? Thanks so much....have not been on a cruise for 4 years...so am really looking forward to this one!

In response to your question, I have stayed in Cabin 1674 Deck 11 on the Eclipse great cabin. It has one of the largest aft balconies (C1). If you can get this cabin you will love it! There is no foot traffic noise and the views are great! I have attached a photo that was posted on the celebrity thread, which helped me pick my aft cabin! It has the cabin numbers on the photo so you can see the different sizes of balconies. Good luck in picking a cabin hope this helps you!

As the photo in PENNST66's post shows....The widest stern aft/stern cabins are those...starting on deck 12...with 2152, and all the cabins that line up below it. Is it a huge difference? No...but it is noticeable and enjoyable.

On Deck 12, remember that your entire balcony will be covered by the overhang ( I loved that aspect when we stayed in 2152 and 2157)...and noise from the deck above from chairs etc on the floor of the OceanView Bar/Cafe outdoor seating area has been an issue for some folks.

Also, you have to take into consideration the other factors that Gonzo70 listed.

That said...we love the view, and soothing sound of the ship wake while sitting on our balcony.

Hope this helps.

Woody

Let me emphasize one part of Gonzo 70's comment. The Solstice class ships do not have an aft elevator. That means that every time you leave your cabin to go somewhere, you have to walk half the length of the ship to reach the midship elevators. If you forgot something in your cabin, at least half the ship to go back and get it. Going to dinner, you are in the rear, walk to the middle, then have to walk back to the aft to get to the main dining room. On a two week cruise that gets old quickly.

If you are younger and very fit, it is just annoying; but for anyone with the slightest walking issues, it's a nightmare. Also, as previously stated the cabins are not any "better". We were aft on the Solstice in #1206 -- never again!

Aft is best ever on Infinity, but not on the Solstice class!

We're in 1674 on the Solstice 12-night Mediterranean cruise in October. Can't wait!

This is a good post that points to the balconies that are wider:

Based on this view of the aft and judging only on balcony sizes, I group the aft C1s in 3 categories. Check the width of the balcony wall on either side of the cabin door.

 

 

 

 

Widest balconies:

2152, 1674, 1206, 9382

 

Mid-sized balconies:

2157, 1676, 1670, 1407, 1208, 1202, 9303, 9307, 9378

 

Smallest balconies:

1672, 1668, 1405, 1409, 1204, 1200, 9301, 9305, 9380, 9376

 

Your choices all have about the same size balcony. We were in 1204 and know that it was noticeably smaller than 1202 and significantly smaller than 1208. The smallest balconies are not bad, it's just that the difference in the three sizes is just noticeable. I would pick 9380 as it is closer to the center but any of the three would be good cabins.

Whilst I agree with Carol that it is quite a long walk between aft facing cabins and elevators especially for those with walking limitations, being fit I didn't find it an issue. It's definitely quieter back there with little passing traffic because of this. More of an issue was the soot from the funnels which settled readily on the balcony and lack of cover when it rained. Those on deck 12 don't suffer from this as they have more cover so if you want more protection from the sun and rain then go for this deck. Be aware that you may hear to chair scraping there from the outdoor cafe one deck above.

Phil

I would say that the only downside is the lack of cover (no sunshsde, no rain protection, some soot problems and -some cabins- reduced privacy).

Otherwise it's all upside.

Fantastic views.

And -- if it's in your budget and you'd like an extra treat, book one of the corner aft S1 suites if they're still available. We LOVE the aft location on the S class ships. We had 1674 once and we were sold on the location. For many people I can agree that the long walk to any stairs or elevator might be a problem. However we like that it's private "back there" and we like the longer walk. Totally worth the view. Our favorite rooms are always aft on the Penthouse deck - great cabin stewards and butlers. Nowadays we try and get 1663 or 1666 if we can.

Although S1 rooms aren't a true suite, they ARE bigger rooms with much more walking around space and the corner balcony is wonderful. If you have an S1 room further down (I think the deck under Penthouse) there can be a window washing machine there. However, we've had that room too, and it's no big deal, you just miss the view of the balcony below you, it doesn't detract in any way so no worries there.

However if you don't get a suite, you will definitely love the aft location. It's a wonderful place for sailaway. We love any room aft. Have a great cruise, can't wait to sail Reflection sometime.

I have to add also that in probably 6 aft cruises on S class we have never had a soot problem, so not sure when it's an issue and when it's not. We like Penthouse because it's not directly under the chair scraping. But we would take that deck too, as that's not likely during sleeping hours for us.

:):):):)

This is a good post that points to the balconies that are wider:

 

 

 

Whilst I agree with Carol that it is quite a long walk between aft facing cabins and elevators especially for those with walking limitations, being fit I didn't find it an issue. It's definitely quieter back there with little passing traffic because of this. More of an issue was the soot from the funnels which settled readily on the balcony and lack of cover when it rained. Those on deck 12 don't suffer from this as they have more cover so if you want more protection from the sun and rain then go for this deck. Be aware that you may hear to chair scraping there from the outdoor cafe one deck above.

 

Phil

Had 1676 on Solstice last year and have booked it again for 2 more cruises, no soot problem, view is great, quiet as no guests going by and figure the walk to the stairs helps offset the martini😊. The extra couple of feet on the balcony makes it so much easier to get in and out of the door.

I agree, cabin #1674 is great due to the wider balcony. My husband and I have experienced regular-sized and deep balconies, but love the wider one the best. Plus the views from this location are amazing. As others stated, it is a long walk to the elevator, but that did not bother us at all (great way to walk off a pound or two) :). We could actually hear moving of the chairs from the Oceanview buffet two decks above a few times, but it was not disturbing enough for us to regret booking this cabin. There is not much shade and privacy, but to us, the views just made up for those. We would DEFINITELY book this cabin again.

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Lucie, Thanks for sharing those pictures. Very helpful!:)