Eclipse Photo Review - Feb. 15, 2015 Exotic Southern Carribean Cruise in Aqua Class

[prim8keeper]

Celebrity Today - Monday, Feb 16, 2015

Featured Today - Monday, Feb 16, 2015

Celebrity Packages (Shore Excursions, Specialty Dining, Beverage, Canyon Ranch Spa Club, Photo, & Internet)

 

We slept in on Monday morning. The joy of sea days! The only thing we wanted to made sure we got up for was breakfast in Blu. On sea days Blu was serving breakfast from 8 am to 9:30 am. We went to breakfast around 8:30 am after getting up around 8 am. While the breakfast in Blu is lovely, we found that on our last cruise we actually enjoyed eating in the Aqua Spa Cafe for breakfast better.

 

 

In our normal lives for breakfast we have a smoothie. So going from that to a full breakfast in Blu in addition to all the other rich food we eat throughout the cruise can be a bit much. This time we tried to strike a balance by getting a smoothie at the Aqua Spa Cafe and then only having the muesli or Blu parfait in Blu. The muesli cart in Blu is fantastic since you can pick what you want. We would also occasionally order eggs or do something else light. I did order the french toast one day which has been changed. Its much better than what they were doing, however they could cut the portion size in half.

 

 

 

Full Blu album.

 

After breakfast I wasn't feeling great so we decided to go back to the cabin so I could take a nap before the connections party. The connections party was scheduled for 10 am in the Sky lounge. We had both been sick off and on since December and I wasn't sure if I was coming down with something again or just ate something that didn't agree with me. Prior to this cruise I also had a lot of stress at work and had been going none stop since the New Year. In the end we ended missing the connections party (sorry everyone!) since I slept all day. I woke up again around 4 pm. Apparently I needed to catch up on my sleep. This happened to me on a prior cruise and its amazing how burnt out you can be and not even realize it.

 

*Imagine a photo of me sleeping here*

 

After I woke up we decided to go grab a quick coffee at Cafe al Bacio and then get ready for dinner. We wanted to make sure we had plenty of time to grab a pre-dinner drink or two at the Molecular Bar (drink photos coming soon!).

 

 

Tonight we had reservations at Q-sine with our group of friends. So we actually had to keep to a schedule rather than our usual we get to dinner when we get to dinner philosophy. There were 16 of us total and we had two tables of 8.

 

 

 

Full Q-sine album.

 

This was our second time at Q-sine. The first time was on Summit last summer during our Bermuda cruise. That time it was just me and my DH. We didn't really enjoy it, however we heard it was much better as a group experience so we had hopes. Unfortunately once again, while the company was fantastic, we still really didn't enjoy it. Don't get me wrong, some of the dishes are very good. However, I think the majority are not all that special considering you are paying extra money to eat here. The only thing that makes most of the food special is the presentation. Celebrity says this about the cuisine in Q-sine, "Unexpected twists on familiar favorites, different textures, tastes, and presentations pleasing all the senses at once." This would lead me to believe that the restaurant is based on molecular gastronomy. However, I think they fail to deliver on that promise. It all just comes across as gimmicky. Maybe I'm missing the point of Q-sine or expecting something that it isn't. Either way, we probably wont be back. I really wish X would not have put Q-sine on so many of their ships. One comment I would have for the new president is to diversify your specialty restaurants on the various ships when they go into dry dock. While I get the idea of "if its not broke, don't fix it," it does seem like X has a lot of repeat customers so I'm sure a little variety would be greatly appreciated.

 

After dinner we stopped by Cafe al Bacio for a quick espresso and then headed off to the Molecular bar for another drink before bed. Most evenings after dinner we would just sit around the ship either at one of the various bars chatting with friends or listening to the musicians. As we went to sleep that night I told myself I would get up in the morning and actually go to the gym in the morning...

[sunor]

Hi Tom,

 

Looking forward to seeing our cruise through your eyes. It was nice seeing you and Pete along with Larry and Jane.

 

Hope our paths cross again.

 

Suz

[Grandmaanne7]

I'm certainly enjoying your review Tom and I have to agree with your summation of Qsine. We were there a few night later and, had we not been with a group of wonderful people, we would have walked away disappointed. The service was great and the food uniquely presented but not amazing. Since it was an extra charge, I expected more. I'm glad we went for the experience but we will not return.

[prim8keeper]

Celebrity Today - Tuesday, Feb 17, 2015

Featured Today - Tuesday, Feb 17, 2015

Celebration Packages

 

Since our second sea day was similar to the first one, only with less sleeping, I wont really go into a lot of detail about it. We are creatures of habit so most sea days we just sit around either on our balcony reading or in the solarium relaxing. Spoiler alert: I didn't make it to the gym. I was so optimistic too since I did work out while we were on the Silhouette.

 

In the afternoon my DH went to the Around the World wine tastings which was being held in Tuscan. It was $20 and he got to taste 12 wines from the New World. They also served a variety of hors d'oeuvres. He really enjoyed himself and said he would do it again.

 

Let's continue our ship tour. I'll start with a few photos of our cabin. Like I said earlier we were in 1643 which is just a standard A2 cabin. The only thing different for us was that this was the first time that we had the bed by the balcony. I thought I wouldn't like this configuration but I was wrong. I think I like it better than the bed by the bath. The cabin just felt bigger and my fear about sunlight coming in proved to be unfounded.

 

As others have reported the flowers are gone which I kind of miss. There was also no ice bucket, but if you asked for one they brought you one right away. We didn't bother. One new thing we noticed was that the slippers they give you are different than the old ones. They actually fit!

 

 

These photos are looking towards the bed out onto the balcony. I thought I took another photo from the balcony looking into the room, but I may be wrong. If I do find one, I'll post it later. If anyone is really interested I'm sure I also have some old photos that I can pull since all the cabins are the same. I didn't take any bathroom photos this time around. However, if anyone is really interested I'm sure I have some I can track down.

 

 

 

Full cabin album.

 

Well it looks like this will be it for today. Hmm, I didn't make nearly the progress I thought I would in my head. Isn't that always the case? I hope the images are worth the wait. In the mean time, I'll leave you with this...it is a Tanned Russian from the Molecular Bar. I did get all those photos edited. Important things first! Where is Irena when I need her?

 

[chamima]

Loving this review Tom!

Did you read that Celebrity is thinking about doing away with the Molecular Bar? :eek:

[prim8keeper]

Loving this review Tom!

Did you read that Celebrity is thinking about doing away with the Molecular Bar? :eek:

 

Thanks Karen! I did. I saw the thread last night and could not agree more with your comments. That is honestly one thing that could make me think twice about sailing X.

[prim8keeper]

As I stated previously we tend to spend a lot of time relaxing and reading in the solarium during our cruises. We both burn easily so we rarely, if ever, sit out on the poll deck. Below are a few photos of the solarium where I hung out while my DH was at his wine tasting.

 

 

 

This is one of my favorite photos so far.

 

 

Full solarium album.

 

When my DH got back we sat out on our balcony until it was time to get ready for dinner. Tonight we had reservations at Tuscan Grille. This is currently our favorite specialty restaurant. We usually go at least once, if not twice per cruise. Below are a few photos of Tuscan Grille.

 

 

 

 

For the most part dinner at Tuscan was very good. My biggest complaint is that service tends to be inconsistent. I'm not sure why, but it almost seemed like they were short staffed. We returned a second time with friends and noticed once again they seemed short on staff. I'll talk more about the second visit later.

 

After dinner we stopped by the Molecular bar for one last drink and then decided to call it an early night. We had a long day in Aruba ahead of us. We had a morning excursion planned (island tour), after lunch we wanted to walk Oranjestad and then we had an evening excursion booked (sunset sail).

[bothluv2cruise]

Thanks for sharing the beautiful photos and your review. We are booked on this cruise in March 2016. SO looking forward to it!! I also hope they keep the Molecular Bar!:eek:

[prim8keeper]

Thanks for sharing the beautiful photos and your review. We are booked on this cruise in March 2016. SO looking forward to it!! I also hope they keep the Molecular Bar!:eek:

 

Thank you!

 

I read on the other thread they are just changing the drinks since it will no longer be affiliated with Junior. The bartenders on our cruise were trying out several new drinks and that explains why. They were all things they had created. If it makes the new menu, I highly recommend the hibiscus mojito to everyone!

[prim8keeper]

Celebrity Today - Feb 18, 2015

Featured Today - Feb 18, 2015

Port Shopping Map - Aruba

123go! ALL INCLUSIVE

 

We were up around 7 am. It was going to be a busy day in Aruba! I was really excited since getting to Aruba was a big part of why I wanted to book this cruise. We were due to dock at 8 am.

 

Good Morning Oranjestad!

 

 

 

Since we wouldn't have time to eat in Blu this morning for breakfast we decided to head to the Aqua Spa cafe which opens at 7 am. We each ordered a smoothie and then I made myself a yogurt parfait with the granola and yogurt they had there. We did this most port days since Blu generally did not open early enough or we just didn't have the time for a sit down breakfast.

 

 

After breakfast we went to grab our stuff since we had our first excursion at 9 am. We were doing a 3 hour island tour with Bully. There were five of us total. This was one of the tours I organized through the roll call. He does a general island tour for $45 an hour. I found him through a friend on the roll call and he did not disappoint.

 

We drove through downtown Oranjestad on our way to the Casibari Rock Formations. Along the way he pointed out various points of interest and shared information about the island. He was very knowledgeable.

 

 

 

[prim8keeper]

 

 

After the rock formations we made our way to the Ayo Rock formations. Along the way Bully stopped at a local bakery and treated everyone to the pastry of their choice. Everyone but me got something breakfast related. I opted for a coconut cupcake which did not disappoint.

 

 

The paintings were done by the Arawak people who were the first settlers on the island.

 

 

 

All over Aruba we saw a lot of cactus fences which I thought was really cool. You just have to go around and cut some cactus and then put them in the ground. We also saw these fences later on Curacao.

 

[prim8keeper]

After spending about 15 minutes at the Ayo Rock formations we made our way to the natural bridge.

 

This is what is left of the bridge after it collapsed in 2005.

 

 

Next to the original natural bridge is a baby natural bridge. This bridge will also collapse at some point in the future. However, they don't know when. As a result you shouldn't walk on it.

 

 

You can see how rough the seas are on this side of the island. Those waves are crashing into the collapsed natural bridge.

 

 

From the Natural Bridge we made our way to the gold mine ruins. Gold was found on the island in 1824 and eventually the mine produced 3 million pounds of gold.

 

 

In front of the gold mine there is a Rock Wish Garden. Here you can build you own devotional tower of stones in the hopes that your wishes will be granted. Most of course, wising to return to Aruba.

 

 

From here we made our way to the Alto Vista Chapel, but not without making a stop for a cold beverage.

 

 

In addition to the beer we also sampled the water which is bottled on Aruba. They get all their water on the island through desalination. It did taste different. Very clean and refreshing. The beer is also made with the same water.

[prim8keeper]

The Alto Vista Chapel is a small Catholic chapel. The chapel that is there currently was built on the spot of the original chapel which was constructed in 1750. The current chapel was built in 1952.

 

 

 

 

After spending some time at the Chapel we made our way the California lighthouse.

 

 

From here we headed back to port driving through the resort area of Aruba. It is divided into the high rise and low rise section. This is a popular location to learn how to kite and surf since the water is only one to two feet deep.

 

 

The famous Eagle Beach.

 

 

To see some additional photos of our island tour I did not post you can go here. I will continue to add photos to this album as time goes by.

[SharonK]

Tom, I am loving seeing the trip through your eyes. Anxious for more!

[PathfinderEss]

Enjoying your review and photo's. Think you would have like Perry's show, should have gone.

[CTBob]

Thanks Tom. I'm doing this same cruise on the Eclipse in January of 2016 so I will look for all the great hints you can offer.

 

Bob

[LynandBill]

See that Cafe Bacio doesn't open until 11. Where can you get specialty coffees early latte, etc)

 

Café al Bocio opens at 11am on Embarkation day only. It opens around 7am all other days.

[prim8keeper]

Enjoying your review and photo's. Think you would have like Perry's show, should have gone.

 

You may be right, but now I have an excuse to book the cruise again! :D It took us three or four cruises before we actually went to a show. I'm the type of person that while I plan my day in ports to the max I like doing the opposite on the ship at night.

[kroberst]

Tom, thank you so much for doing this review. Your pictures are gorgeous and I can't wait to rebook DH and I on this itinerary some day! Keep them coming, I'm looking forward to the next installments:D

 

Kathleen

[wwcruisers]

Tom -- we did this ship/itinerary over the holidays, and loved it. Your photos and notes make me feel like I'm right back on the ship (wish I were)! :cool:Thank you for taking the time to post this marvelous photo-review! :)

[prim8keeper]

Sorry for not posting an update yesterday. I got home late and then I couldn't get onto the boards. At any rate lets pick up where we left...

 

We got back from our morning island tour around noon and decided to have lunch on the ship since Bully dropped us off at the pier. He also gave us the option of being dropped off at the beach but since it was so windy we decided against this.

 

Once back on board we decided to do a quick lunch in the buffet with our friends and then head out to explore Oranjestad. Our one friend had not gone on the morning tour with us and instead ventured out into Oranjestad so he could serve as our unofficial tour guide.

 

After lunch I grabbed my camera and we were off. We wanted to be back on the ship again by 4 pm so we had some time before our final excursion of the day. We headed out towards the Renaissance along the marina to get some photos of Eclipse.

 

 

We also came across these guys.

 

 

From this view point we could also get better photos of Eclipse.

 

 

From here we walked along the water's edge for a while past the Renaissance.

 

 

If you look closely there are two crabs in this picture.

 

 

Following the walk way around the Renaissance put us in Wilhelmina Park. Queen Wilhelmina was queen of the Netherlands and Aruba for fifty years.

 

[prim8keeper]

From Wilhelmina Park we made our way back towards the Renaissance mall past the I heart Aruba sign.

 

Obligatory I heart Aruba photos. My DH was thrilled...lol.

 

 

 

The main reason I wanted to visit the mall was so that we could go to the Aruba Aloe store. I had seen people talking about it on cc and wanted to check it out for myself. When we go back to Aruba I want to visit their factory and museum. We ended up buying their after sun lotion which I can't recommend highly enough. It came in very handy during the cruise. I actually liked it so much that when we got home I also ordered some sunscreen and the special care lotion. While you are in the store if you give them your email they will also give you a coupon and a free lip balm with 15 SPF in it. I intended to just unsubscribe, but as you can see I ended up using my coupon too. FAIL!

 

 

You can also find free Wi-Fi in the mall at the Starbucks. It was nice to just take a quick minute to clean out our emails and to post to FB that we were enjoying the 80 degree weather in Aruba while everyone else back home was freezing.

 

From the mall we made our way back towards the cruise ship stopping in various stores along the way. We also stopped off at the I heart Aruba store and bought a t-****.

 

 

Our final stop was the open air market which is across from the gas station. Bully told us this was a good place to get souvenirs. Its called the Local Market and it is supposed to be the better of the two. It is the one with a big red chair out front, as seen below.

 

 

 

We really didn't find much of anything at the market. Most of it looked similar to what you see at other markets in the Caribbean and nothing really seemed specific to Aruba. I'm a huge fan of buying items that are specific to the island/hand made/art, hence the t-shirt and Aruba aloe.

 

After visiting the market we decided to make our way back to the ship. On the way to the pier there are a few more shops (outside stalls really) and there we found a lady who had hand painted ornaments, magnets, etc. Our friend bought an ornament and we purchased a magnet.

[cruise47]

To the OP thanks for sharing your awesome photos. Looked Like A Great Cruise.

[prim8keeper]

After wandering around Oranjestad we decided to run back onto the ship to drop of our purchases, grab an iced coffee and to change shoes. We were doing the sunset sail through Celebrity as our final excursion of the day. The sunset sail went from 5 to 7 pm and we had to be back down at the terminal at 4:45 pm. Many of our friends had also booked this excursion.

 

We got back to the terminal a little early so we decided to look around in the small shopping area. There is one stall in particular that sells MopaMopa art which was really interesting. Just know that the items are not cheap. Other than that though most items again seemed pretty generic.

 

As it closer to 4:45 pm a lady from the company providing the excursion showed up to have everyone fill out and sign a waiver. If you want to get an idea of what type of catamaran they use for the excursion, it is run by Red Sail Sports. I would estimate that there were maybe 75-100 people. I'm not sure what the max would be, but there was still plenty of room to spread out. After filling out our forms we boarded the catamaran and were off!

 

 

This sunset sail is brought to you by the "green iguana." No idea whats in it, but everyone sure did enjoy them. The bar was complimentary.

 

 

We sailed out along the coast of Aruba towards the high and low hotel area before turning around as the sun set.

 

 

 

 

The weather was clear and it was obvious it was going to be a beautiful sunset.

 

[prim8keeper]

This doesn't look like a bad place to spend a few days.

 

 

Everyone having a good time.

 

 

Finally, the sun slowly began to set...

 

 

 

Almost gone...

 

 

It was a beautiful sunset. On the way back they began to play music and it turned into more of a party boat. I was told not to post these pictures, so I'm only posting this one photo. I'm not even sure they realized I was taking photos at this point. I forget exactly what dance they were doing....

 

 

You can find additional Aruba photos here.

 

We got back to the pier just after 7 pm. All aboard was at 7:45 pm and it looked like most people had already gone back onto the ship. Once we were back on board we headed up to our state room to shower and change for dinner. Tonight we were going back to Blu to dine with our friends.

 

Dinner in Blu was once again outstanding and the running joke became how slow we were going. It could not have been more than a few knots. We could see the airport runway lights throughout our entire dinner. After dinner we headed to the Molecular bar for a quick drink and then decided to call it a night. It had been a long day and we had another long day ahead of us in Curacao.

Edited March 11, 2015 by prim8keeper