Review of Eclipse 14 Day Med Cruise, May 2014

[kevinyork]

This is our review of our 14 night Med cruise from Southampton leaving on May 10th. I will post it it in the reviews section of this site too. Im not reviewing the ports of call as they are specific to this cruise and there is plenty of info on them in the ports of call section on this forum. Additionally I couldn't review any Celebrity excursions as we didn't do any, everything was DIY.

 

We booked this cruise after first experiencing Celebrity on the Eclipse last July. Having cruised around 9 times, previously with RCI and P&O we loved the Eclipse last year, so much so that we made sure our next cruise would also be a Celebrity one. We booked this cruise using a US agent for the first time and got a great deal with the 123 Promo and a hefty OBC from the agent. The price was £800 per person less than the same cabin grade had we booked with a UK agent and that would exclude the OBC. So we chose the Classic Drinks Package and free tips from Celebrity and had the agents OBC on top. The OBC was supposed to be $300 per cabin but for some reason the agent gave us $350. We are not sure why but didn't complain. In the end, apart from one charge for Bistro on 5 we didn't spend any of our OBC so took it all out in cash. It was like being paid to cruise.

 

We are a party of 4, hubby and I and my Mother and Sister and had two cabins. These were C3 Concierge cabins on deck 9, not so much out of choice but at the time the agent had two adjacent cabins only in this grade on an excellent promotional rate and in the end the price difference was negligible over a regular Verandah cabin. My Mother is a part time wheelchair user so we like to be right next door to assist with transporting her around the ship etc and to have the divider opened on the balcony so we can all sit out together.

 

 

Boarding

 

We like sailing from Southampton. It beats the hassle of flying any day. Our edocs stated that due to works at Southampton we had to check in at set times dependant on our deck, deck 9 for us, which stated a time of 12.45. We always like to get there early and have lunch so we took a punt and arrived at 11, parked the car using AB Parking right by the ship and were onboard 15 mins later. AB parking isn't cheap but it is so convenient and we love that on opening our curtains the morning we arrive back in Southampton we can see our car waiting for us. Despite Celebrity advising that passengers would be turned away if they arrived before their allotted time clearly this was not enforced.

 

We boarded and were greeted with sparkling wine and we headed to Bistro on 5 based upon the advice of forum members so we could avoid any hassle in the buffet. We were the first there but it filled to about two thirds full over the hour or so we were there.

 

The first thing we noticed was that the price had gone up to $7 from $5. Not a huge increase though. Between us we had a mix of crepes and panini. The panini were excellent but unfortunately the crepes were not. They were not made fresh for us and as a result the dessert crepes were cold, dry and hard. We didn't see a chef at the crepe making area at all during our visit. We all left ours and they were taken away virtually untouched without any question from the waiting staff. Not the best of starts but we knew there was better to come. We wont be heading to Bistro on 5 again anytime soon which is a shame given the many positive reports we had read.

 

The Ship

 

We loved Eclipse last year and it was great to be back onboard again. She looks amazing. As my Mother and Sister were not with us last time this was the first time onboard for them. Whilst waiting for the cabins to become available we took them on a whirlwind tour and they were impressed. My sister said it was like a boutique hotel rather than a ship. We were a bit took back by the lawn at first as it was looking a bit brown and thin in places but it did green up over the two weeks. I suppose this was because it was only 9 days out of its Transatlantic from the Caribbean and may have suffered a bit over the hot winter season.

 

Over the two weeks we spent a lot of time on the sun deck, always rising early enough to have a choice of loungers. On a couple of inclement days we did the same but in the indoor solarium which is a lovely relaxing spot. Unfortunately on the first day in there staff we in and out of a staff door all day and kept letting it slam which would echo loudly around the place ensuring a nap was unlikely. This seemed to stop later in the cruise.

 

We like the Sunset Bar if weather permits and we had a great sail away there out of Genoa which looked stunning. Our evening bar of choice became the Martini Bar. We really like this place and it became more popular as the cruise went on. We especially like the cartoon like light box paintings on the walls. I do think that some passengers believe you can only get a Martini there so may avoid it hence it may take a while for some to try it.

 

Everywhere was spotless and with so much glass this must be no mean feat. We were once again amazed where 2,800 passengers go on this ship as we could always get a seat at a bar or in the theatre and in some cases some bars were a little too quiet for our liking. The design of the S class really does spread people out so you never feel like you are sharing it with so many people. We now much prefer this to the Royal Promenades on RCI which though extremely impressive do tend to channel people together making you aware how many people are onboard.

 

Concierge cabin

 

As I said earlier we didn't aim to get a Concierge Cabin but took it so we could be in adjacent cabins at the discount rate the agent was offering. Of course visually and spatially they are identical to standard verandah cabins. The same great layout and clean, modern decor, big bathrooms with loads of storage, a great interactive TV and extremely comfortable beds. We had read about the extras included with Concierge Cabins. We did get the sparkling wine waiting for us, three pieces of fruit and daily canapés. Unfortunately the fruit was not great and we could choose better from the buffet so we asked for that to stop being replenished. Also after three days we stopped the canapés too. There is enough food around the ship and the canapés were not interesting enough to encourage us to eat them. We did get much better bathrobes that actually fitted us unlike the dolls size ones we had in our standard cabin last year plus the towels were lovely and fluffy. We got the upgraded tote bag which we used for our explorations ashore. We were not sure if the shampoo etc was upgraded from a standard cabin as we could not remember what it was like last year.

 

Having read of a pillow menu, I advised my Mum, who likes to sleep with a pillow on one side of her that they had 'body pillows'. She duly ordered one only to find they were the size of a person and took up half the bed. She settled for an additional feather pillow.

 

The cabin was spotless and was kept so. The cabin attendant was excellent, very friendly, efficient and unobtrusive. A slight niggle is that two days before disembarking two dressing gowns appeared on our sofa and two towels below the sink. These were for the next set of passengers. This made us feel like our holiday was over and they were already preparing for the next cruise.

 

We didn't experience any priority at check in given that when we arrived there were only a few people in the terminal. The footstools were nice to have on the balcony.

 

Of course you get extra Captains Club points for a Concierge cabin over a standard Verandah and this would be the only reason we would pay a little extra over the price of a standard Verandah cabin in future, however only a little extra as the other 'perks' wouldn't be sufficient to prompt us to pay a lot more.

 

Dining

 

We ate breakfast everyday in the Oceanview Cafe Buffet apart from one day when we tried the main dining room. We thought the MDR was not as relaxing an experience for breakfast as we imagined it would be. People are seated all in the same area and there were dozens of waiters buzzing around, each handling a different aspect of the meal service so it felt a little too 'busy' for our liking and not a relaxing experience. The food however was excellent, especially the eggs benedict. The selection in the Oceanview was very good and I fail to see how anyone could not find something to enjoy amongst the vast selection on offer. We also had lunch here most days and once again the selection was excellent. A few things differed each day but overall the lunch menu was similar however as there is so much to choose from you could have a different lunch everyday. The ice cream section was extremely popular. Tables were cleared almost immediately and drinks service was excellent. Yes you may have to look for a table but thats as much a fault of the passengers not vacating them as it is the design. We like the different islands in the buffet avoiding the long shuffling lines of passengers however but there is quite a lot of passenger criss crossing so you need to keep you wits about you to avoid a collision.

 

The main dining room brunch on the last but one sea day is now in the buffet however there wasn't any publicity. We only knew when we walked in and saw the (excellent) ice carvings. It was very busy as it coincided with the heavens opening causing an influx of people. The choice was excellent, especially the carved meats.

 

We had all our evening meals in the main dining room using select dining. The longest we waited was 5 mins for a table for four but on most nights we were seated straight away. Service was pretty good overall with some waiters making more of an impression than others however the speed and efficiency was fairly even. We had experienced these 14 day menus last year so could remember some favourites. Food is very subjective however for us the food on Celebrity beats Royal Caribbean and P&O both in terms of choice and quality. Any beef or lamb dish we had was outstanding, fish less so. The lobster on the last formal night was huge as was the turkey on the last night. I remembered enjoying the duck a l'orange last trip but this time round it seems the 'a l'orange' bit was missing. The always available menu on the left hand side has some great choices on it, especially the french onion soup and the creme brûlée. We noticed the always available side dishes had been removed, so no roast potatoes or cauliflower cheese but strangely they reappeared on the last formal night and on the next night, our last onboard. However on that last night the always available entrees changed. No chicken or salmon, instead they had fish and chips and chicken tikka curry. Not sure whats happening here, whether the always available sides will continue to appear or whether the always available entrees are going to rotate. In any case we all agreed the choice of food was excellent and my mother who is normally trying to palm off her food to us ate everything (seeing her try and eat the stringy cheesy topping on the onion soup was a highlight of our evening.........we should have taken scissors to come to her aid).

 

We were going to try the Tuscan Grill restaurant. However we didn't for two reasons. Firstly we all were enjoying the main dining room food so much that paying the increased fee of $45 per person didn't make it look good value to us. Secondly, there are no dishes marked as vegetarian so I spoke with the Maitre D one day to ask what was vegetarian (my other half is a Veggie). I was surprised he had zero knowledge about some cheeses having animal rennet in them. Anyway after I had explained he went and got the chef. He explained the hard cheese they used was vegetarian as long as they used the stock onboard left over from the US but the newly loaded stock from the UK was not. One dish showed Parmigiana Regiana included in it which officially is never vegetarian but he said they just used regular hard cheese. I asked about the buffalo mozzarella and he said if that was ordered he would check the packaging. I felt left than confident and unfortunately couldn't risk it. The MDR caters so well for vegetarians with items marked as being suitable and with a separate vegetarian menu but the speciality restaurants don't have any vegetarian indications which is very disappointing. In any case the MDR suited us well.

 

We had a meal from the Mast Grill once. The choice was very limited. Burgers or Hot Dogs with Fries. I have read it used to have more choice. Given the limited menu it was disorganised. They had a burger listed whose name I forgot but basically it had all the toppings. I ordered it only to be given a plain burger. I said it should have cheese so they put cheese on it and handed it back. I said I'd like the salad and tomato (as per the menu) and they put those on. The couple in front had the same experience and had to ask for everything. The burger and hot dog was very good however my burger bun was greasy and I left it. The fries were excellent though.

 

Drinks

 

We had the classic package as part of the promo when we booked. Im not going to reiterate everything I posted on another thread but to summarise the inclusions in the classic package had been cut starting on the cruise before ours. The classic package had drink value limits but there were no prices anywhere for spirits and we couldn't find a single menu that included a cocktail within the classic drinks package price limit. We had a list of included items printed off from the Celebrity website the day we booked the cruise and I'd checked it was the same the week we left however we found on day one that drinks we asked for were not included. I posted about these changes on this forum and had discussions with staff onboard. Celebrity reversed the changes 3 days into our cruise due to feedback on this forum and on facebook. This did leave a bad taste. They had sold cruises with an incentive and then devalued the incentive when onboard. Anyway they realised they got it wrong and resolved it.......by giving us the upgrade to the premium package after elevating my complaint. It took three discussions with different staff members/officers but the result was good. However, on balance, we would have been happy just receiving what we had expected without having to raise a complaint.

 

We found drinks service to be outstanding. In the MDR our glasses were never empty. In the buffet there were lots of waiters offering drinks both at breakfast for water or fresh juices and at lunch for wine and beers. Bar service was also very good but the Martini Bar staff were a little stretched at times.

 

As we were given the premium package upgrade we tried the Molecular Bar once. Unfortunately none of us enjoyed our choices so we stuck to other bars and more traditional drinks. The Martinis in the Martini bar were excellent but we would never have paid $14 without a package (smaller versions of 4 Martinis were available for those with the classic package). Spirit measures were generous and drinks were always nicely presented.

 

Trying to find 4 seats in Cafe El Bacio on a sea day was impossible. Clearly some people were sitting here, reading their books and taking up tables which meant others who wanted to sit and have a drink couldn't do so. You cannot go into a McDonalds and sit there all day reading without making a purchase so is it that different on a ship? There are so many other places to go and sit.

 

I have no idea how others slept at night given that at every juncture they would head to the cafe for more coffee, after a meal, after a show, after anything. Anyway this meant that for three of us we never tried anything from there as we could never get a table. One of our group saw an iced drink go by called an Iglu one day and asked for one to go. It was lovely however for the rest of the cruise it was prepared differently and not as per the menu each time. However, the cakes and biscuits they have look and are delicious.

 

For those without a drinks package then the drinks prices may come as a shock. They increased the week before our trip and are a fair bit higher than RCI now. Perhaps Celebrity are trying to persuade those without drinks packages to buy one or book a cruise with a drinks pakcage perk included.

 

Entertainment

 

Sue Denning was out cruise director and she was highly visible around the ship and not just after the shows. We watched 'Eclipse, The Show' and enjoyed it a lot. We didn't rate 'the Edge' so much as it was just a mix of songs with no theme. We saw the British Comedian Bobby Davro who went down with the largely British audience and a comedy magician who's name I cannot remember but was pretty good.

 

Apart from making our own entertainment, we did go and see Perry Grant (pianist entertainer) several times in the Cellar Masters bar. Having seen him last year we were curious what Mum and Sister would think. No worries, there though with Mum wanting to take him home with her. He does divide people but has a committed following and I have to say we all really enjoyed his shows as we could guarantee coming out smiling. The venue isn't ideal as its long and narrow and most seating is on fold out chairs.

 

There was other music around at most times. We didn't rate the house band at all. They did three sets by the pool on days we were out there but they were the same exact sets so clearly had a limited repertoire. Im no singer but could sing better than the male singer in that group. There was a couple of guys, one on guitar, one on keyboard and Im ashamed to not know their names but they were superb. A great choice of music and really good voices.

 

Staff

 

Staff on the whole were very friendly and helpful. I found Guest Relations staff to be extremely helpful and professional. Bar staff were pretty good but at times a little rushed. Drinks service by the pool, buffet, MDR was exemplary. We would have preferred a little more consistency in the waiters in the MDR with some being less than smiley whilst others being very friendly. We particularly remember Harah who had numerous little quips to keep us amused (serving my duck and introducing it as 'here comes Daffy)

 

Officers were very visible around the ship. So much so than on other lines we've been on.

 

Overall

 

Ive tried to give a balance of opinion and not just say everything was wonderful. However the small things that were not 'wonderful' were just that, small, and didn't detract from us having a superb cruise (some people seem to let a small issue become a spoiler for their cruise and blow it out of proportion). Sometimes when you've had such a good first experience a revisit can lead to disappointment but not for us. The trip reinforced how much The Eclipse and the Celebrity package suits us. We met some very nice other passengers and enjoyed the mix of people onboard. Once again we've come away with memories of the food and the great ambience on this ship. Luckily we've got another trip lined up on her in 4 months time and are really looking forward to that one.

 

 

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[HelenREMfan]

Thank you very much for your review. It describes The Eclipse as I remember it from last September and I am now really really looking forward to embarking on June 7th!

Roll on that and your next cruise !

 

Helen

[welshfamily]

Thank you for such a detailed and fair review. I was delighted to hear you were upgraded to the premium package as you alerted us all here on CC to the changes in the Classic.

Although you state you are not going to review the ports I wonder if you would be kind enough to tell me what you did in Genoa. This is the only port on our August cruise which we have not been to and we are torn between exploring Genoa or taking a trip to Portofino. There are very few posts on the ports of call board. We will be there on a Sunday.

Thank you.

[kevinyork]

Thank you for such a detailed and fair review. I was delighted to hear you were upgraded to the premium package as you alerted us all here on CC to the changes in the Classic.

 

Although you state you are not going to review the ports I wonder if you would be kind enough to tell me what you did in Genoa. This is the only port on our August cruise which we have not been to and we are torn between exploring Genoa or taking a trip to Portofino. There are very few posts on the ports of call board. We will be there on a Sunday.

 

Thank you.

 

 

It was the only new port to us too. The initial view was inspiring as we walked along the quay as you are under a highway. However once you reach the pirate boat and aquarium it gets better. We walked everywhere. In Piazzo Del Portelo there is a public lift up to see Genoa from above. Via Garibaldi is stunning with the palaces lining it. Piazza de Ferrari is very impressive and Via XX Septembre has all the shops within colonade terraces though on a Sunday they open later. It was a real suprise to us. Prices for food and shopping were very reasonable. I would like to go back.

 

We thought about the train to Portofino but our limited time meant we would be clock watching to ensure were were back on time.

 

 

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Edited May 27, 2014 by kevinyork
addition

[Surrey_Pirates]

This is our review of our 14 night Med cruise from Southampton leaving on May 10th. I will post it it in the reviews section of this site too. Im not reviewing the ports of call as they are specific to this cruise and there is plenty of info on them in the ports of call section on this forum. Additionally I couldn't review any Celebrity excursions as we didn't do any, everything was DIY.

 

We booked this cruise after first experiencing Celebrity on the Eclipse last July. Having cruised around 9 times, previously with RCI and P&O we loved the Eclipse last year, so much so that we made sure our next cruise would also be a Celebrity one. We booked this cruise using a US agent for the first time and got a great deal with the 123 Promo and a hefty OBC from the agent. The price was £800 per person less than the same cabin grade had we booked with a UK agent and that would exclude the OBC. So we chose the Classic Drinks Package and free tips from Celebrity and had the agents OBC on top. The OBC was supposed to be $300 per cabin but for some reason the agent gave us $350. We are not sure why but didn't complain. In the end, apart from one charge for Bistro on 5 we didn't spend any of our OBC so took it all out in cash. It was like being paid to cruise.

 

We are a party of 4, hubby and I and my Mother and Sister and had two cabins. These were C3 Concierge cabins on deck 9, not so much out of choice but at the time the agent had two adjacent cabins only in this grade on an excellent promotional rate and in the end the price difference was negligible over a regular Verandah cabin. My Mother is a part time wheelchair user so we like to be right next door to assist with transporting her around the ship etc and to have the divider opened on the balcony so we can all sit out together.

 

 

Boarding

 

We like sailing from Southampton. It beats the hassle of flying any day. Our edocs stated that due to works at Southampton we had to check in at set times dependant on our deck, deck 9 for us, which stated a time of 12.45. We always like to get there early and have lunch so we took a punt and arrived at 11, parked the car using AB Parking right by the ship and were onboard 15 mins later. AB parking isn't cheap but it is so convenient and we love that on opening our curtains the morning we arrive back in Southampton we can see our car waiting for us. Despite Celebrity advising that passengers would be turned away if they arrived before their allotted time clearly this was not enforced.

 

We boarded and were greeted with sparkling wine and we headed to Bistro on 5 based upon the advice of forum members so we could avoid any hassle in the buffet. We were the first there but it filled to about two thirds full over the hour or so we were there.

 

The first thing we noticed was that the price had gone up to $7 from $5. Not a huge increase though. Between us we had a mix of crepes and panini. The panini were excellent but unfortunately the crepes were not. They were not made fresh for us and as a result the dessert crepes were cold, dry and hard. We didn't see a chef at the crepe making area at all during our visit. We all left ours and they were taken away virtually untouched without any question from the waiting staff. Not the best of starts but we knew there was better to come. We wont be heading to Bistro on 5 again anytime soon which is a shame given the many positive reports we had read.

 

The Ship

 

We loved Eclipse last year and it was great to be back onboard again. She looks amazing. As my Mother and Sister were not with us last time this was the first time onboard for them. Whilst waiting for the cabins to become available we took them on a whirlwind tour and they were impressed. My sister said it was like a boutique hotel rather than a ship. We were a bit took back by the lawn at first as it was looking a bit brown and thin in places but it did green up over the two weeks. I suppose this was because it was only 9 days out of its Transatlantic from the Caribbean and may have suffered a bit over the hot winter season.

 

Over the two weeks we spent a lot of time on the sun deck, always rising early enough to have a choice of loungers. On a couple of inclement days we did the same but in the indoor solarium which is a lovely relaxing spot. Unfortunately on the first day in there staff we in and out of a staff door all day and kept letting it slam which would echo loudly around the place ensuring a nap was unlikely. This seemed to stop later in the cruise.

 

We like the Sunset Bar if weather permits and we had a great sail away there out of Genoa which looked stunning. Our evening bar of choice became the Martini Bar. We really like this place and it became more popular as the cruise went on. We especially like the cartoon like light box paintings on the walls. I do think that some passengers believe you can only get a Martini there so may avoid it hence it may take a while for some to try it.

 

Everywhere was spotless and with so much glass this must be no mean feat. We were once again amazed where 2,800 passengers go on this ship as we could always get a seat at a bar or in the theatre and in some cases some bars were a little too quiet for our liking. The design of the S class really does spread people out so you never feel like you are sharing it with so many people. We now much prefer this to the Royal Promenades on RCI which though extremely impressive do tend to channel people together making you aware how many people are onboard.

 

Concierge cabin

 

As I said earlier we didn't aim to get a Concierge Cabin but took it so we could be in adjacent cabins at the discount rate the agent was offering. Of course visually and spatially they are identical to standard verandah cabins. The same great layout and clean, modern decor, big bathrooms with loads of storage, a great interactive TV and extremely comfortable beds. We had read about the extras included with Concierge Cabins. We did get the sparkling wine waiting for us, three pieces of fruit and daily canapés. Unfortunately the fruit was not great and we could choose better from the buffet so we asked for that to stop being replenished. Also after three days we stopped the canapés too. There is enough food around the ship and the canapés were not interesting enough to encourage us to eat them. We did get much better bathrobes that actually fitted us unlike the dolls size ones we had in our standard cabin last year plus the towels were lovely and fluffy. We got the upgraded tote bag which we used for our explorations ashore. We were not sure if the shampoo etc was upgraded from a standard cabin as we could not remember what it was like last year.

 

Having read of a pillow menu, I advised my Mum, who likes to sleep with a pillow on one side of her that they had 'body pillows'. She duly ordered one only to find they were the size of a person and took up half the bed. She settled for an additional feather pillow.

 

The cabin was spotless and was kept so. The cabin attendant was excellent, very friendly, efficient and unobtrusive. A slight niggle is that two days before disembarking two dressing gowns appeared on our sofa and two towels below the sink. These were for the next set of passengers. This made us feel like our holiday was over and they were already preparing for the next cruise.

 

We didn't experience any priority at check in given that when we arrived there were only a few people in the terminal. The footstools were nice to have on the balcony.

 

Of course you get extra Captains Club points for a Concierge cabin over a standard Verandah and this would be the only reason we would pay a little extra over the price of a standard Verandah cabin in future, however only a little extra as the other 'perks' wouldn't be sufficient to prompt us to pay a lot more.

 

Dining

 

We ate breakfast everyday in the Oceanview Cafe Buffet apart from one day when we tried the main dining room. We thought the MDR was not as relaxing an experience for breakfast as we imagined it would be. People are seated all in the same area and there were dozens of waiters buzzing around, each handling a different aspect of the meal service so it felt a little too 'busy' for our liking and not a relaxing experience. The food however was excellent, especially the eggs benedict. The selection in the Oceanview was very good and I fail to see how anyone could not find something to enjoy amongst the vast selection on offer. We also had lunch here most days and once again the selection was excellent. A few things differed each day but overall the lunch menu was similar however as there is so much to choose from you could have a different lunch everyday. The ice cream section was extremely popular. Tables were cleared almost immediately and drinks service was excellent. Yes you may have to look for a table but thats as much a fault of the passengers not vacating them as it is the design. We like the different islands in the buffet avoiding the long shuffling lines of passengers however but there is quite a lot of passenger criss crossing so you need to keep you wits about you to avoid a collision.

 

The main dining room brunch on the last but one sea day is now in the buffet however there wasn't any publicity. We only knew when we walked in and saw the (excellent) ice carvings. It was very busy as it coincided with the heavens opening causing an influx of people. The choice was excellent, especially the carved meats.

 

We had all our evening meals in the main dining room using select dining. The longest we waited was 5 mins for a table for four but on most nights we were seated straight away. Service was pretty good overall with some waiters making more of an impression than others however the speed and efficiency was fairly even. We had experienced these 14 day menus last year so could remember some favourites. Food is very subjective however for us the food on Celebrity beats Royal Caribbean and P&O both in terms of choice and quality. Any beef or lamb dish we had was outstanding, fish less so. The lobster on the last formal night was huge as was the turkey on the last night. I remembered enjoying the duck a l'orange last trip but this time round it seems the 'a l'orange' bit was missing. The always available menu on the left hand side has some great choices on it, especially the french onion soup and the creme brûlée. We noticed the always available side dishes had been removed, so no roast potatoes or cauliflower cheese but strangely they reappeared on the last formal night and on the next night, our last onboard. However on that last night the always available entrees changed. No chicken or salmon, instead they had fish and chips and chicken tikka curry. Not sure whats happening here, whether the always available sides will continue to appear or whether the always available entrees are going to rotate. In any case we all agreed the choice of food was excellent and my mother who is normally trying to palm off her food to us ate everything (seeing her try and eat the stringy cheesy topping on the onion soup was a highlight of our evening.........we should have taken scissors to come to her aid).

 

We were going to try the Tuscan Grill restaurant. However we didn't for two reasons. Firstly we all were enjoying the main dining room food so much that paying the increased fee of $45 per person didn't make it look good value to us. Secondly, there are no dishes marked as vegetarian so I spoke with the Maitre D one day to ask what was vegetarian (my other half is a Veggie). I was surprised he had zero knowledge about some cheeses having animal rennet in them. Anyway after I had explained he went and got the chef. He explained the hard cheese they used was vegetarian as long as they used the stock onboard left over from the US but the newly loaded stock from the UK was not. One dish showed Parmigiana Regiana included in it which officially is never vegetarian but he said they just used regular hard cheese. I asked about the buffalo mozzarella and he said if that was ordered he would check the packaging. I felt left than confident and unfortunately couldn't risk it. The MDR caters so well for vegetarians with items marked as being suitable and with a separate vegetarian menu but the speciality restaurants don't have any vegetarian indications which is very disappointing. In any case the MDR suited us well.

 

We had a meal from the Mast Grill once. The choice was very limited. Burgers or Hot Dogs with Fries. I have read it used to have more choice. Given the limited menu it was disorganised. They had a burger listed whose name I forgot but basically it had all the toppings. I ordered it only to be given a plain burger. I said it should have cheese so they put cheese on it and handed it back. I said I'd like the salad and tomato (as per the menu) and they put those on. The couple in front had the same experience and had to ask for everything. The burger and hot dog was very good however my burger bun was greasy and I left it. The fries were excellent though.

 

Drinks

 

We had the classic package as part of the promo when we booked. Im not going to reiterate everything I posted on another thread but to summarise the inclusions in the classic package had been cut starting on the cruise before ours. The classic package had drink value limits but there were no prices anywhere for spirits and we couldn't find a single menu that included a cocktail within the classic drinks package price limit. We had a list of included items printed off from the Celebrity website the day we booked the cruise and I'd checked it was the same the week we left however we found on day one that drinks we asked for were not included. I posted about these changes on this forum and had discussions with staff onboard. Celebrity reversed the changes 3 days into our cruise due to feedback on this forum and on facebook. This did leave a bad taste. They had sold cruises with an incentive and then devalued the incentive when onboard. Anyway they realised they got it wrong and resolved it.......by giving us the upgrade to the premium package after elevating my complaint. It took three discussions with different staff members/officers but the result was good. However, on balance, we would have been happy just receiving what we had expected without having to raise a complaint.

 

We found drinks service to be outstanding. In the MDR our glasses were never empty. In the buffet there were lots of waiters offering drinks both at breakfast for water or fresh juices and at lunch for wine and beers. Bar service was also very good but the Martini Bar staff were a little stretched at times.

 

As we were given the premium package upgrade we tried the Molecular Bar once. Unfortunately none of us enjoyed our choices so we stuck to other bars and more traditional drinks. The Martinis in the Martini bar were excellent but we would never have paid $14 without a package (smaller versions of 4 Martinis were available for those with the classic package). Spirit measures were generous and drinks were always nicely presented.

 

Trying to find 4 seats in Cafe El Bacio on a sea day was impossible. Clearly some people were sitting here, reading their books and taking up tables which meant others who wanted to sit and have a drink couldn't do so. You cannot go into a McDonalds and sit there all day reading without making a purchase so is it that different on a ship? There are so many other places to go and sit.

 

I have no idea how others slept at night given that at every juncture they would head to the cafe for more coffee, after a meal, after a show, after anything. Anyway this meant that for three of us we never tried anything from there as we could never get a table. One of our group saw an iced drink go by called an Iglu one day and asked for one to go. It was lovely however for the rest of the cruise it was prepared differently and not as per the menu each time. However, the cakes and biscuits they have look and are delicious.

 

For those without a drinks package then the drinks prices may come as a shock. They increased the week before our trip and are a fair bit higher than RCI now. Perhaps Celebrity are trying to persuade those without drinks packages to buy one or book a cruise with a drinks pakcage perk included.

 

Entertainment

 

Sue Denning was out cruise director and she was highly visible around the ship and not just after the shows. We watched 'Eclipse, The Show' and enjoyed it a lot. We didn't rate 'the Edge' so much as it was just a mix of songs with no theme. We saw the British Comedian Bobby Davro who went down with the largely British audience and a comedy magician who's name I cannot remember but was pretty good.

 

Apart from making our own entertainment, we did go and see Perry Grant (pianist entertainer) several times in the Cellar Masters bar. Having seen him last year we were curious what Mum and Sister would think. No worries, there though with Mum wanting to take him home with her. He does divide people but has a committed following and I have to say we all really enjoyed his shows as we could guarantee coming out smiling. The venue isn't ideal as its long and narrow and most seating is on fold out chairs.

 

There was other music around at most times. We didn't rate the house band at all. They did three sets by the pool on days we were out there but they were the same exact sets so clearly had a limited repertoire. Im no singer but could sing better than the male singer in that group. There was a couple of guys, one on guitar, one on keyboard and Im ashamed to not know their names but they were superb. A great choice of music and really good voices.

 

Staff

 

Staff on the whole were very friendly and helpful. I found Guest Relations staff to be extremely helpful and professional. Bar staff were pretty good but at times a little rushed. Drinks service by the pool, buffet, MDR was exemplary. We would have preferred a little more consistency in the waiters in the MDR with some being less than smiley whilst others being very friendly. We particularly remember Harah who had numerous little quips to keep us amused (serving my duck and introducing it as 'here comes Daffy)

 

Officers were very visible around the ship. So much so than on other lines we've been on.

 

Overall

 

Ive tried to give a balance of opinion and not just say everything was wonderful. However the small things that were not 'wonderful' were just that, small, and didn't detract from us having a superb cruise (some people seem to let a small issue become a spoiler for their cruise and blow it out of proportion). Sometimes when you've had such a good first experience a revisit can lead to disappointment but not for us. The trip reinforced how much The Eclipse and the Celebrity package suits us. We met some very nice other passengers and enjoyed the mix of people onboard. Once again we've come away with memories of the food and the great ambience on this ship. Luckily we've got another trip lined up on her in 4 months time and are really looking forward to that one.

 

 

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Nice review. The duo are the 'Parker Neil Duo' and we agree they are excellent. Thank you for dealing so well with the issues with the drinks package. It is appreciated!

[kevinyork]

Nice review. The duo are the 'Parker Neil Duo' and we agree they are excellent. Thank you for dealing so well with the issues with the drinks package. It is appreciated!

 

 

Thats them! I feel so bad not remembering their name. They were excellent!

 

 

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[welshfamily]

Thank you Kevin,

You have mind up our minds, we will explore Genoa on foot.

Time is short both here and in Lisbon. We may well book a private tour away from Lisbon to Sintra however we only have 7 hours here from 12 noon to 7pm.

[jomf]

Thank you Kevin,

You have mind up our minds, we will explore Genoa on foot.

Time is short both here and in Lisbon. We may well book a private tour away from Lisbon to Sintra however we only have 7 hours here from 12 noon to 7pm.

 

We explored Genoa on foot and had a great time. It is a walkable place.

 

It is a place we would fo back to.

[Newbury newbie]

Thank you Kevin,

You have mind up our minds, we will explore Genoa on foot.

Time is short both here and in Lisbon. We may well book a private tour away from Lisbon to Sintra however we only have 7 hours here from 12 noon to 7pm.

 

I can recommend Sintra for a trip, it's nice up there. Especially if you've done Lisbon before and looking for something different.

[Newbury newbie]

We booked this cruise using a US agent for the first time and got a great deal with the 123 Promo and a hefty OBC from the agent. The price was £800 per person less than the same cabin grade had we booked with a UK agent and that would exclude the OBC. So we chose the Classic Drinks Package and free tips from Celebrity and had the agents OBC on top. The OBC was supposed to be $300 per cabin but for some reason the agent gave us $350.

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How do go about booking through a US agent? Is it simply via a .com Internet address?

Edited May 27, 2014 by Newbury newbie

[lillyhouse]

Hello just read your excellent review we were on eclipse last year and we are going on silhoutte in a few weeks if you don't mind how did you get American agent to book your cruise and what are they called would like to do my next one with them thanks

[snowyboy]

Kevin great report and many thanks for all your efforts I to am looking forward to my first cruise on Eclipse we were on Century last year smaller ship but nice first cruise.

 

John

[need2bespoiled]

 

Unfortunately on the first day in there staff we in and out of a staff door all day and kept letting it slam which would echo loudly around the place ensuring a nap was unlikely. This seemed to stop later in the cruise.

 

 

Thanks for your review.

 

We have found the same thing from that door. I wish they would put a stronger door closer thingy on them on all S-Class so it wouldn't do this.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[rubydoobydoo]

Great review Kevin, I think using a US agent is the way to go, I have not done that before but I think I need to check it out next time, they do seem to give much better deals.

 

How far in advance did you book ? We are looking at next year but the prices are way to high at the moment.

[kevinyork]

For those asking about using a US agent: We booked around six months in advance, when the 123 Promo came out last Autumn. You dont need a special email address or anything. I cant name the agent on here but they are one of cruisecritics recommended agents and won 'Celebrity Cruises Chairmans Award 2013' (Googles your friend) and are a 'cruise outlet' (there are two winners, I used the 'outlet'). I saw a price on their website that looked too cheap, called them via a 0845 prefix service I found on Google that lets you call internationally for the cost of a local call. It was all booked in around 10 mins with an email confirmation straight after. Very easy.

 

Not all their prices were cheaper but they have some group rates which are much cheaper. When searching their website you need to go all the way through to the page showing the price by each cabin grade to see the best prices as the group rates dont show up when you have a list of varous cruises on the search result. Hope this helps.

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[Keith1010]

Excellent review. Thanks for taking the time to write and share your review.

 

Keith

[reilly1]

Think we may have sailed with you on Eclipse last July to Iceland and Norway! Nice review - we will be on Eclipse on 7th June!

 

We have also upgraded to Premium Package. Can you tell me the upper limit now? It was $13. Is it now $15? Thanks.

 

Colleen

[kevinyork]

Think we may have sailed with you on Eclipse last July to Iceland and Norway! Nice review - we will be on Eclipse on 7th June!

 

 

 

We have also upgraded to Premium Package. Can you tell me the upper limit now? It was $13. Is it now $15? Thanks.

 

 

 

Colleen

 

 

Hi, for sailings from the UK the Premium limit is $15 for all drinks (that includes the service charge).

 

 

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[iandjm]

Think we may have sailed with you on Eclipse last July to Iceland and Norway! Nice review - we will be on Eclipse on 7th June!

 

We have also upgraded to Premium Package. Can you tell me the upper limit now? It was $13. Is it now $15? Thanks.

 

Colleen

 

See you onboard :)

[drarill]

Great review, thanks for taking the time to share your cruise with us.:)

[scotslizzy]

For those asking about using a US agent: We booked around six months in advance, when the 123 Promo came out last Autumn. You dont need a special email address or anything. I cant name the agent on here but they are one of cruisecritics recommended agents and won 'Celebrity Cruises Chairmans Award 2013' (Googles your friend) and are a 'cruise outlet' (there are two winners, I used the 'outlet'). I saw a price on their website that looked too cheap, called them via a 0845 prefix service I found on Google that lets you call internationally for the cost of a local call. It was all booked in around 10 mins with an email confirmation straight after. Very easy.

 

Not all their prices were cheaper but they have some group rates which are much cheaper. When searching their website you need to go all the way through to the page showing the price by each cabin grade to see the best prices as the group rates dont show up when you have a list of varous cruises on the search result. Hope this helps.

 

 

Hi

 

I tried to see some prices on the website you mentioned but it stated that you needed to be a resisdent in the USA or Canada?

 

Am I doing something wrong ? The savings you made are brill and I would really like to get something similar for our next Caribbean Cruise.

 

 

Thanks

 

Scotslizzy

[kevinyork]

For those asking about using a US agent: We booked around six months in advance, when the 123 Promo came out last Autumn. You dont need a special email address or anything. I cant name the agent on here but they are one of cruisecritics recommended agents and won 'Celebrity Cruises Chairmans Award 2013' (Googles your friend) and are a 'cruise outlet' (there are two winners, I used the 'outlet'). I saw a price on their website that looked too cheap, called them via a 0845 prefix service I found on Google that lets you call internationally for the cost of a local call. It was all booked in around 10 mins with an email confirmation straight after. Very easy.

 

Not all their prices were cheaper but they have some group rates which are much cheaper. When searching their website you need to go all the way through to the page showing the price by each cabin grade to see the best prices as the group rates dont show up when you have a list of varous cruises on the search result. Hope this helps.

 

 

Hi

 

I tried to see some prices on the website you mentioned but it stated that you needed to be a resisdent in the USA or Canada?

 

Am I doing something wrong ? The savings you made are brill and I would really like to get something similar for our next Caribbean Cruise.

 

 

Thanks

 

Scotslizzy

 

 

Hi

 

Are you sure you are using the right agents? Two agents won that award, just make sure it's the right one, the 'outlet'. If it is the right one then yes there is a tick box when quoting a price asking if you are US / Can residents, you just leave it blank.

 

The price quoted won't show any other benefits from the agent that are included. You will find these extras on their specials page. Hope this helps.

 

 

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[scotslizzy]

I think when I saw the Residents box I just gave up ! Will try again.

 

Cheers

 

Scotslizzy

[TeaBag]

What a wonderfully balanced review kevinyork. We, too love the Eclipse. Unfortunately we have to wait about a year to sail her again. Glad you all liked Perry. I think he teaches people how to laugh at themselves.

 

I'm glad you liked the food too. We enjoyed it on a recent Solstice cruise. I'm wondering if it is, indeed, better than a few years ago. About the fish....I asked for mine to be cooked less and the waiter asked me if I wanted it rare! I have never thought about asking for fish to be cooked rare, but it worked. It was quite good.

Edited May 28, 2014 by YVR cruiser