Eclipse Review, 12-10 Sailing (LONG)

[librarylady19]

Seems to be an issue with Webshots....will upload those photos again later...be patient with me!

[gelo7]

Looking forward to the rest of your review.

[maxs mom]

We sailed on the Eclipse over Thanksgiving and had a wonderful time. I wrote a similar review with pictures! Yours is great. Thanks for taking the time to do this! It is much appreciated by upcoming and former Eclipse cruisers!

[librarylady19]

OK, think I have a handle on the problem with Webshots and will try to post the missing photos here:

 

Bistro on Five menu

 

Sweet and spicy crepe

 

 

Italian crepe

 

 

Xmas decorations

 

specialty restaurants

 

[librarylady19]

A few more....

 

Tuscan Grille

Lunch Menu

 

Tuscan

 

Martini Bar

 

 

 

 

[vplsh]

Thanks for the wonderful review and pictures, Sandi. We are counting the days until our Eclipse cruise. I was on her with my sister last November for a very short 3 days and just loved her.

 

Hi Lois, What was your tip about lunch??? Sounds intriguing!!

[librarylady19]

OK - hopefully I can continue without more photo issues now.

 

CABIN

 

We finally went up to Deck 11 to check out our living quarters.

Our cabin - 1520 in Aquaclass - was starboard, quite far forward - right across from the "secret staircase" up to the Aqua Spa, Persian Gardens and the fitness center.

 

 

 

I will of course be adding my review to the S-Class sticky but let me just say that I cannot recommend this particular cabin due to location.

 

Cabin 1520

 

 

I really felt the lack of storage space in the cabin. (Our last cruise was in a very spacious Sky Suite 5145 on Summit so maybe I was spoiled by that). Even though this was only a 7 day cruise, there just aren't enough drawers for one person, let alone two.

 

 

The storage space above the bed is helpful but not exactly easy to browse when looking for a clothing item (unless you are 6 feet tall!). For the life of me, I don't know why they didn't but storage under the sofa as it really only serves to take up space and as a place to pile clothes!

 

The closet had lots of hanging space but there just wasn't enough floor space for all my shoes!:)

 

[PelicanLvr]

Really excelent photo review. Looking forward to future installments!

[librarylady19]

The bathroom is definitely the cabin's best feature with more than ample storage and that excellent shower head.

 

 

 

 

We did not use the balcony very much as we always seemed to be hanging out in various bars. It was nice to be out on the balcony as we came into port, but we didn't get any sun in the afternoon at all (wrong side of the ship!). There was no overhang on this part of Deck 11, so you could get some sun, if the ship was positioned appropriately.

 

 

It was quite a hike to many of our favorite spots on the ship (i.e. bars) so we would definitely book a more central location on future cruises. Also, it did turn out that we were under the gym :( and you could definitely hear the thump, thump of the treadmills, sometimes as early as 5:00 am! There was also noise from doors banging, feet overhead and other unexplainable loud thumping noises. It didn't bother me as much as I thought it would, mainly because we spent so little time in the cabin as there was always so much to do on the ship! I would avoid this cabin if you like an afternoon nap though!

 

Our steward was not very good, many details were missed. We never received a fruit basket (even after requesting it on day 2), there was no breakfast card or carafe of tea and often drink glasses would sit on the table for a day or more! The only reason I think we saw him at all, is because his cart was parked outside our door. The room was cleaned and towels provided but I have had much better service on other ships.

 

We did get fresh flowers in the cabin, but none in the bathroom.

 

 

On other cruises we have had cheese and crackers delivered and enjoyed them on our balcony. We didn't bother requesting that this time. These ridiculous "logs" of "spam" and cheese with 3 olives were not appetizing at all. If you wanted delivery, you had to fill out a card and pick a certain time period - definitely not worth it.

All that said, it didn't really impact my cruise experience significantly as we rarely had time to be in the cabin with so many bars, pools and activities to choose from!!

[librarylady19]

Day 1 (still!)

We had brought our swimsuits thinking we would pop up to the pool but it was already time for the muster drill at 3:45 p.m. We gathered in our assigned spot, the Eclipse Theater, watched a brief video and were free to enjoy the ship.

 

 

We then headed up to the Lawn Club on Deck 15 for the Sailaway Party planned by our Roll Call.

 

 

We met a few folks there from CC and enjoyed the beautiful vista of sailing way from Miami.

 

 

Here's the drinks menu from the Sunset Bar. I would definitely recommend the Summer Solstice, very refreshing!

 

 

 

DH was very pleased that they had Old Speckled Hen and London Pride both here and at the Mast Bar! We liked the Sunset Bar (at least the non-smoking side). It was nice to sit in one of the chairs overlooking the lawn, especially at sunset. However, I enjoyed the Oceanview Bar a little more as there was live entertainment scheduled at that location.

 

[librarylady19]

So long Miami.....

 

 

We popped into the Oceanview Cafe around 5:30 p.m. for a few bites of sushi (a quite popular activity) and then readied ourselves for the evening's entertainment and dinner. (There were some people who must have thought the sushi was the main course, the way they loaded their plates each night).:confused:

 

After heading back to our cabin to ready ourselves for our first night of entertainment and dining, we stopped at the Molecular Bar to check that out.

 

 

I was pretty hyped to try the creations there as they all sounded great, unfortunately, I found the drinks I had were not really to my liking (too acidic). They were definitely creative though!

 

 

 

Unfortunately, this area suffers from lack of ambience; it needs a more defined space, entertainment perhaps, more comfortable seating, to attract people. It was not very busy and several times we thougt of getting a drink here and the bartender wasn't there (I think Michael is the only mixologist -nice guy from Montenegro).

[HazyDavy]

Loving your review so far, thank you for taking the time.:D

 

Had to cancel an Eclipse cruise last year at the last minute. Haven't had opportunity to rebook yet so living vicariously through reviews like yours.

[librarylady19]

We attended the Welcome Aboard Variety Show in the Theater, a preview of the shows and entertainers on the voyage. I was immediately impressed with the Cruise Director Mike Gibbons, an exuberant guy from London. He was just a hoot and had an excellent singing voice (Note to X: this guy's singing talent should be showcased). I saw him emcee many events, including participating in the Liars' Game with the guest comedians and he was genuinely upbeat and personable throughout the cruise. I spoke to him a couple of times and he was always welcoming (I noted this on comment card).

 

I have attached a copy of the listing of officers onboard, for those who are interested. I only ever saw CD Mike and Head Chef Rijo who participated in several of the "Savor Your Destination" events. I did not make it to any of the Captains Club gatherings or other events where senior officers were probably present.

 

After the show we headed to Blu for our first dinner onboard.

 

 

We always ate around 8:00 - 8:30 p.m. and never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a table. We ate in Blu on Equinox and, if my memory serves me correctly, the table arrangement was definitely better on Eclipse.

 

 

The dining room seemed larger, with more space between the tables. I really liked the color scheme here, which was definitely more green than blue, it seemed more restful We requested a table in the back dining area (behind the wall) and were able to eat there each night we dined in Blu. (We did not have the same waiter every night, but always the same sommelier).

 

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I particularly liked the area along the back wall as the banquette seating was very comfortable and it was quiet back there.

 

 

I feel the area by the windows is a bit crowded and noisy so was pleased that Marcel the Maitre 'D always acommodated our request for the back area.

Our overall experience in Blu was wonderful. The decor and atmosphere were conducive to relaxed, intimate dining experience. Service was excellent; the Maitre 'D and his assistant always welcomed us graciously and inquired about our dining experience.The waiters were very pleasant and willing to acommodate requests. I often ordered both soup and salad; DH had the pheasant entree as an appetizer portion one evening and received escargot from the MDR another evening. I guess he looked hungry on the 2nd formal night, as the waiter brought him a second lobster tail!). My highest praise goes to Jazmin the sommelier from Turkey. We had the premium alcohol package and he was so helpful in recommending different wines to try and keeping our glasses filled. We both tried a number of wines we probably wouldn't have ordered by the bottle and we could each try different wine styles with the package - a great experience.

 

My only criticisms were that the food was not overly seasoned (I'm glad they don't use a lot of salt, but other herbs/spices would be nice) and the desserts are not "to die for". That didn't stop me enjoying each and every meal in Blu, however, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to others. Here's the menu for the first night:

 

In The Spotlight.pdf

[algorithmannie]

Great Review! Thanks so much for posting... I'm getting so excited for my upcoming cruise on Equinox!

[mspink98]

Sandi, I loved the little dog in Ensemble too. It was like meeting an old friend when I first saw him. He used to be on Galaxy.

 

Phil

 

I thought I recognized him!

 

Great review, Sandi! It's not making me any less excited for February. :D

[jerseygirl3]

It was weird. Many people had posted that you don't see the hotel identity on LMT until you book (like Hotwire) but when I used the site, the hotel was clearly identified. Make sure you pick the Hotel Intercontintental at Chopin Plaza as there is another hotel called the Intercontinental that isn't nearly as nice.

We booked 3 months in advance.

 

Your review is bringing back wonderful memories of our Eclipse cruise. Just to clarify the other hotel. We are so looking forward to our Silhouette cruise this March.

 

Jo-Ann

[librarylady19]

After dinner we headed to the Grand Foyer for the Masque Theme Party which started at 10:15 p.m. This was without a doubt the entertainment highlight of the cruise.

A dozen or more male and female dancers attired in Elizabethan-era finery and masks descended the staircase and danced to period music.

They then proceeded to "rip off" the skirts of their gowns to reveal rather racy stockings and performed a rousing rendition of "The Time Warp" The crowd on the dancefloor joined in and it was such fun!

The dancers even went up anddown the glass elevators and continued their performance there!

After the dancers left, the band Southside continued to play for sometime and we enjoyed dancing to a fun mix of fast and slow numbers.

I learned later that week (on the Backstage Tour) that Eclipse is the only ship with this show. It is more expensive than other production numbers because of the elaborate costumes. I wish they had repeated it later in the cruise and mentioned this to the Activities Director Maria (she was excellent in her job also; a real upbeat Aussie with a great rapport with Cruise Director Mike).

 

As you can tell, it had been a long, very full day so we finally headed back to our cabin to bed to recharge for our first full sea day on Sunday.

[Lois R]

Hi Sandi, I am now able to see all the pictures:) so whatever was

happening is now corrected:D

Thanks for sharing everything with us. Last month was the first time

I didn't take any photos on a cruise.

[Lois R]

Thanks for the wonderful review and pictures, Sandi. We are counting the days until our Eclipse cruise. I was on her with my sister last November for a very short 3 days and just loved her.

 

Hi Lois, What was your tip about lunch??? Sounds intriguing!!

 

Hi:) my tip? About what to eat? I had the Ahi Tuna and it was

delicious:) and I went with 2 friends who had the Filet and said it

was delicious too:D

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Taking notes for our trip next month. :)

 

Thanks!

 

Tom

[Tweets]

I was on the Eclipse 12/3 cruise so your review is bringing back memories, I'm ready to go again! :D

Great review :)

[librarylady19]

Day 2 –Sunday (finally!)

I woke up in the middle of the night to the motion of the ship rocking back and forth (no, it wasn't from any determination to drink my money's worth with the beverage package; we were experiencing some rough seas). Unfortunately, I had opted not to take any sea sickness pills the night before (something about not mixing it with alcohol!). Needless to say, I was not able to leave the cabin for most of the morning. I won’t make that mistake again that’s for sure. (Cabin attendants do have the anti-sickness pills available if needed).

I missed the Connections gathering and the Wine Appreciation event for Select members as a result.

By late morning, I had rallied enough to drag myself to Café al Bacio for an herbal tea and a couple of little croissants that really helped settle my stomach.

I enjoyed many visits to the Café during our cruise, mainly for cappuccinos. The staff was also very prompt and courteous. While I enjoyed the drinks (all included in our beverage package) and free snacks, I still prefer Cova Café on Summit (yes, I know it’s being replaced). This was another area that suffered from a lack of a dedicated entertainment venue in my opinion. This was one of the areas of the ship whose decorating scheme did not appeal to me; I do not like the yellow chairs and find them a bit large for a shorter person (I know, picky picky).

The first “Savor Your Destination” event was underway on Level 3 and it was pretty crowded, but I was able to snag a comfy seat on Deck 5 where I could see some of the event. It featured Chef Dena Marino and several chefs from the specialty restaurants highlighting some of their dishes.

 

 

Since I was feeling less queasy, we decided to have lunch in the MDR. Lunch was held on the upper level of the beautiful Moonlight Sonata.

 

We are not big buffet fans and prefer the slower pace of being served our food. We both had the potato leek soup which was served nice and hot and was creamy and flavorful. Scott had the oriechette pasta with shrimp and I tried the turkey scallopine, both were decent. It was so nice to order sparkling water to accompany every meal, as well as a glass of wine. Ordering by the glass allowed us to choose our own wine rather than having to agree on a bottle (and risk not liking it).

We attended another food program - Global Flavors Cooking Demonstration - in the afternoon in the Celebrity Central theater. Chef Marino and Executive Chef Rjio prepared a dish each and answered audience questions.

 

 

We got to sample Dena’s mussels and Rijo’s paella at the end of the program, as well as the tres ceviche from Qsine. It was well worth attending this informative program. Chef Marino is a very personable chef who seems very down to earth and comfortable with the audience and working with other chefs. Chef Rijo had a great sense of humor that I enjoyed.

[Huddler]

Loving this TR! Dont stop now!!

[EithneMay]

Can't wait for more! Loving the pictures!

[librarylady19]

Finally got all my pictures uploaded last night and will get working on the rest of the review tonight!