Taking a break from Celebrity after our Eclipse cruise

[BosoxI]

I so agree about mixing it up. We flew to Venice and rented a car; drove to the Dolomites for a wonderful time! The scenery was breathtaking.

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The most beautiful mountains in the world as far as I'm concerned. A combination of wild beauty and clean, quaint towns. Plus, the food and architecture are quite distinct from most of the rest of Italy. I give you credit for being able to move on for the rest of your trip.

[BosoxI]

Since our first cruise with Celebrity 5 years ago, we have also noticed a significant change. The food quality is better; the incentives are amazing and wasteful excesses that result in tons of food uneaten and discarded, silly towel animals, ice sculptures and many other things that bring minimum value to a only handful of people are gone.

 

What’s left is a competitive and still affordable price for a very pleasurable vacation experience with top notch, committed staff that are there to make your trip a very special experience.

 

We tried a few cruise lines that just didn’t work for us; instead of investing our time complaining on websites and trying to convince people how awful and “lost” some cruise line was, we simply gravitated to something we liked much better.

 

I, agree with most of what you say, but I don't want to fall into the trap of "Since I don't like/need/require/miss something, who cares if it's gone?" Little things do mean a lot.

[richard1s]

I, agree with most of what you say, but I don't want to fall into the trap of "Since I don't like/need/require/miss something, who cares if it's gone?" Little things do mean a lot.

You are most definitely correct; and little things certainly to do matter. But I think the cruise industry is evolving and I believe that all lines know if they can’t remain price competitive, profitable and optimize value, they’ll sink.

 

The examples I mentioned only occurred to me because many cruise lines, including Celebrity, had to be looking at the labor wasted and copious amount of food that was being discarded with those midnight buffets (and the like) or, the time and energy for staff and laundry resources dedicated to towel animals etc.

 

Things like that may be lavish or fun and special but in the end they are costly and if you’re going to cut, they seem to be likely candidates all things considered. Many may miss those little things but in the end, someone has to pay for it.

 

But my only real point is if people are truly so unhappy, they should find something more suitable. I often see the opinion stated that “people that are happy with Celebrity are just always lowering their standards”. I don’t agree with that at all; if I am certain about one thing after countless travel experiences in my life is that I know what I like.

[ISABELLA]

We are Elite with Celebrity and it is a shame to give up on a cruise line when you've cruised with them so often however for 2017, with the exception of a cruise on Royal's Anthem of the Seas to Canada & New England which has been booked for a long time.

 

If you were disappointed with Celebrity - you would be even more disappointed with free restaurants on Anthem. On our 10 days cruise last year, after trying each restaurant once - we ate at specialty restaurants.

[Julie Jean]

Thanks for the review uktog - still hoping we'll sail together again sometime soon - not sure Azamara is ready for 'the boys' just yet. We are back on Summit (in our favourite room ;)) in 2 weeks - counting the days until I celebrate my big birthday onboard!!:)

[Catasetumkid]

Ah! We just got off that cruise on the 22nd. What did you think of the buffet?

[uktog]

Ah! We just got off that cruise on the 22nd. What did you think of the buffet?

 

Never went there apart from a couple of lunch times on port days when it was chaotic - mostly because tables were not being cleared away when people left them. Food was OK - but then I tend to eat just baked potato at lunch

[Catasetumkid]

6 P&O trips, 6 Celebrity trips and IMO there is no comparison. Food on P&O is good in the MDR and the cost of speciality restaurants is good but the buffet on Celebrity is far superior, the bar scene is much livelier and the service is way better. P&O dining service at times is appalling with down right miserable waiters.

 

 

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I'm trying to figure out how to respond properly on this forum, this is my first post.

 

I wrote a review of my recent Celebrity cruise on the Eclipse that of course was not published. Now I see your post as I read this forum thread. What cruise are you referring to? I was on the Eclipse for 2 weeks in Jan 2017. The buffet was horrendous. I would like to know what you enjoyed about it. I have photos that I can share. Much of the food was inedible and unappetizing to say the least!

[Lastdance]

I, agree with most of what you say, but I don't want to fall into the trap of "Since I don't like/need/require/miss something, who cares if it's gone?" Little things do mean a lot.

 

I have always believed that "details make the difference." I always remember those special little things that really impact an experience...like a gorgeous red rose that I received on my first cruise with Celebrity, along with a small pillow for my back at dinner in the MDR...

[hurwitz5]

We sailed on the Eclipse on January 8 for two weeks and on the Reflection on January 28 for 1 week. The food on the Reflection was better prepared (very tender lobster) and better presented (especially in the buffet). Our waiter and assistant waiter were better on the Reflection (ate in the MDR every night on both cruises). Our cabin attendant on both cruises were excellent. We still feel that cruising in the Caribbean is a wonderful winter vacation for us since we like escaping from the cold weather in New Jersey for as long as possible. Being on a ship, enjoying warm weather, and being taken care of for 3 weeks is wonderful. Our main complaint are the new production shows on both ships - talented performers burdened with boring material. People of all ages prefer shows with songs that they know.

We sail in inside cabins, so we feel the value for our money is very good. It would cost us more money to stay in hotels in Florida, and pay for restaurants and car rental.

[Lastdance]

We sailed on the Eclipse on January 8 for two weeks and on the Reflection on January 28 for 1 week. The food on the Reflection was better prepared (very tender lobster) and better presented (especially in the buffet). Our waiter and assistant waiter were better on the Reflection (ate in the MDR every night on both cruises). Our cabin attendant on both cruises were excellent. We still feel that cruising in the Caribbean is a wonderful winter vacation for us since we like escaping from the cold weather in New Jersey for as long as possible. Being on a ship, enjoying warm weather, and being taken care of for 3 weeks is wonderful. Our main complaint are the new production shows on both ships - talented performers burdened with boring material. People of all ages prefer shows with songs that they know.

We sail in inside cabins, so we feel the value for our money is very good. It would cost us more money to stay in hotels in Florida, and pay for restaurants and car rental.

 

T:cool:hat is wonderful to here, as we depart for our TA near the end of April and I can't wait!

[curtdesilets]

Good to know. We were thinking of doing Infinity for our Pacific Coastal this year. Decided to upgrade to the Crystal Serenity. It's a shame because you and I know just how good Celebrity used to be. I think it was game over when they sold off the Century, which was still a very great ship and had a great service/staff. See you on Serenity. Hope they still play that song when they sail away.

[upwarduk]

I think the changes for the worse happened when they introduced 'Modern Luxury,' in a bid to encourage the 30-40 age group.

Also the demise of Formal nights, for Evening Chic.

[Ma Bell]

I so agree about mixing it up. We flew to Venice and rented a car; drove to the Dolomites for a wonderful time! The scenery was breathtaking. Then on to La Spezia to drop off our car and train to Cinque Terre for several days....we love it there. After that we trained to Civi and boarded Celebrity for a Med cruise to Barcelona in a suite for an upsell of 150 pp. We loved every minute of every day, ending up in Barcelona for three days and flying home. It was the perfect vacation.

My DH and I do not sail the Caribbean anymore and prefer European travel for its beauty and educational benefits. I have yet to have a really poor experience on Celebrity, but maybe since my DH and I are in another suite in April on the Reflection TA, it will also be a great cruise. I guess the saying is "How suite it is." At least That is what I am thinking. We are sending some time in Rome post cruise, as we love Rome and our little boutique hotel next to the Pantheon.

Reading some of these posts make me think about the negative experiences that some encounter, but the culture and experiences of Europe are abundant. There is more to life than beautiful beaches and alcohol...IMHO...That is just me and my DH, though we have done our share.....

 

 

 

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Sounds like we are having the same experience in April, including the hotel.:)

[jagoffee]

I'm trying to figure out how to respond properly on this forum, this is my first post.

 

I wrote a review of my recent Celebrity cruise on the Eclipse that of course was not published. Now I see your post as I read this forum thread. What cruise are you referring to? I was on the Eclipse for 2 weeks in Jan 2017. The buffet was horrendous. I would like to know what you enjoyed about it. I have photos that I can share. Much of the food was inedible and unappetizing to say the least!

 

We just departed the Eclipse, my wife and I thought the Oceanview offering were as good as always. I would suggest you not cruise on Celebrity if it was "horrendous" in your opinion as it was typical. Fresh eggs to order, waffles, pancakes, English back bacon, regular bacon, hams, toast, bagels, muffins, cereals, fresh fruit galore, and many other choices every morning. Ham, beef, tacos, pizza, pork chops, steak, fish, chicken, salads, stir fry, Indian food, ice cream, deserts, special options each day, and many other great options for lunch. I did not have dinner there, but there was a theme each night as well as grilled fish, steak, and chicken.

 

The bottom line is that we enjoyed it and I do not think you can expect it to improve significantly. Which cruise line's buffets do prefer for comparison?

[WonderMan3]

We just departed the Eclipse, my wife and I thought the Oceanview offering were as good as always. I would suggest you not cruise on Celebrity if it was "horrendous" in your opinion as it was typical. Fresh eggs to order, waffles, pancakes, English back bacon, regular bacon, hams, toast, bagels, muffins, cereals, fresh fruit galore, and many other choices every morning. Ham, beef, tacos, pizza, pork chops, steak, fish, chicken, salads, stir fry, Indian food, ice cream, deserts, special options each day, and many other great options for lunch. I did not have dinner there, but there was a theme each night as well as grilled fish, steak, and chicken.

 

The bottom line is that we enjoyed it and I do not think you can expect it to improve significantly. Which cruise line's buffets do prefer for comparison?

 

I think Celebrity's buffet is great and the best of the various cruiselines I have experienced (NCL, Princess, HAL, Royal). I was on the same cruise as you and had a great meal almost each day, although we only had lunch there, no breakfasts or dinners. I think the only day I struggled to find a good selection was the lunch on the second to last sea day when there was a huge selection of Middle Eastern food being served. There were a few off items like the Alfredo sauce being flavorless at the pasta station and the parmesan pork on the embarkation day being drier than normal. Otherwise I always found lots of choices that were tasty. Some items from last year have improved like the caesar salad and the panini station, the pasta station looked larger with more choices, and I loved that they had more specialty food days like Pie Day and make your own burrito. As far as service goes, I found the staff to be friendly and quick to clean tables. Trying to find a drink server could be tough at times, but once order was placed they were fast. Was it chaotic in there at times, yes, especially on boarding day, so we tried to time our visits to be there later for lunch, closer to 2pm. Our best visit was on our first Aruba day where the place was a ghost town; no crowds and we managed to get a table outside for the first time ever which was great.

[TFLG]

I sailed the Eclipse in Nov, over thanksgiving and the Buffet was great for Breakfast and Lunch. We didn't go for Dinner but I can believe it would have been any different. The fresh cooked fish and chips they did at lunch were some of the best I've had on a ship. I'm not sure how anyone could find it "horrendous". Oh wait, this is cruise critic:rolleyes:

[Catasetumkid]

We just departed the Eclipse, my wife and I thought the Oceanview offering were as good as always. I would suggest you not cruise on Celebrity if it was "horrendous" in your opinion as it was typical. Fresh eggs to order, waffles, pancakes, English back bacon, regular bacon, hams, toast, bagels, muffins, cereals, fresh fruit galore, and many other choices every morning. Ham, beef, tacos, pizza, pork chops, steak, fish, chicken, salads, stir fry, Indian food, ice cream, deserts, special options each day, and many other great options for lunch. I did not have dinner there, but there was a theme each night as well as grilled fish, steak, and chicken.

 

The bottom line is that we enjoyed it and I do not think you can expect it to improve significantly. Which cruise line's buffets do prefer for comparison?

 

This being my first cruise on the Eclipse, I had no idea they had tubs of what looked like slop everywhere throughout the buffet. I've only cruised on Royal Caribbean, twice before, and they use trays for the food, or at least they did 3 years ago when I was on my last cruise. I see from your posting that you are probably British - perhaps there is a cultural difference? The pizza was not proper American pizza - it was not thin nor was it thick crust, and underbaked - it tasted as if it had been under lights for hours. Tough and the cheese was rubbery. The salad was good, but there was nothing crunchy like croutons for the salad. In the USA you never see a salad bar without croutons. I did manage to steal some from the area where they made a Caesar salad. Tacos? Have you eaten proper Mexican food? One day they had taco shells, chili, refried beans (beans were everywhere on this buffet, and I rarely eat them), and fajita meat too chunky to fit in a taco shell. Oh, and some "queso" which was melted cheese with no peppers, no flavor. How can you make a taco out of that, please inform me. The British breakfast was well covered, there were at least 3 stations for it with your grilled tomatoes, and sauteed mushrooms and your black pudding, which turned my stomach when I looked at it (no offense intended, but you know what it looks like). When I went to get some french toast, there was only some type of syrup with no flavor. None! Just sweet. What is that stuff and where did they put the maple syrup for Americans? None to be found. I ended up eating a hard boiled egg daily and the fresh fruit which was very nice. The eggs 'made to order' were a hoot. Wait in line for a cheese omelette which was scrambled eggs with a tiny bit of cheese sprinkled over.

 

My biggest complaint, both the Buffet and in the MDR was that the food was 100% tasteless. I kept putting salt on things...my ankles swelled up....still, no flavor. How do you take flavor out of tomato sauce, I ask you? They did it, somehow.

 

You mention there is toast, muffins, etc. There was also yogurt, all of it Plain most days, and watery. The toast, bagels, etc, were a wait-in-line thing, with as I remember, only 2 stations going. On other cruises I've been on, the food is there in front of you and you take what you want. Were too many people eating too much food that way? Maybe! I'll bet that's why there are 2 long lines for toast now. The Muffins and pastry would usually be my favorite stop, but I didn't like these, they had an egg wash, I think? So they were that shiny, hard type of texture, and they all tasted stale. Where were the soft warm cinnamon rolls made with yeast dough? Somewhere onshore, I'm sure, because those pastries were not made on board. I'd bet my life on it.

 

I understand there are differences between the food we eat in the USA and what is eaten in Europe and when I travel in Europe I expect to eat their food and have no complaints. But this was a cruise with at last as many Americans as there were British or other Europeans and I kept wondering where is food that WE might eat? I don't eat heavy meats for lunch, pork chops for lunch? Yuck. I looked everywhere for the clever french fries they had on the Royal Caribbean ships...piles of them...none on the Eclipse. If there were hamburger patties they were swimming in fat, it was altogether a disgusting experience. I wandered around aimlessly with a plate in my hand and saw many people doing the exact same thing. With 2 days left in the trip - they finally had potato chips. ONE BOWL! OMG....LOL....that many are easily consumed in 15 minutes at a Superbowl party, let alone a ship with over 2,000 passengers!

 

What was just insane to me was the number of dutch ovens, big pots, pot after pot, filled with swimming beans, or some type of horrible looking stuff. Never would I even try such food - it looked terrible! I have photos which I have shared. My review was finally published, so you can see them there, I have more, too. But it was a big disappointment to me, and if this was typical, I'd guess I'd better stick with a cruise line that serves more American style fare - or at least makes an attempt at serving food for Americans. I had a great trip in every other way, but the food was complete inadequate in my view. I'm glad you enjoyed the food. Perhaps if I were from Britain or India I might have enjoyed it too.

 

I did think it was interesting that the prior poster said the buffet was great - but when I pressed him on what he ate, he said "baked potatoes". I thought - wow - where were they? I didn't see any the entire trip and that would have been a nice lunch. I did see some boiled potatoes however. Maybe the fact that I actually enjoy cooking and eating means I was expecting more, and I certainly was very disappointed in the food. Thank you for the wake up call and the response.

[bananawindnj]

We had very similar experiences on Equinox in December. Worst of our 3 Celebrity cruises by far, especially the food and service. We've decided to try a different line next year or maybe go back to the all inclusive resorts we used to frequent.

 

We were on the Equinox in November, Thanksgiving 10 day cruise. Was really great. No complaints at all.

All reviews are subjective.

[ChucktownSteve]

I just disembarked the Eclipse February 5th after 14 days. I agree with much of your comments however I was only in a veranda which means we were in the MDR.

 

There were some good dishes, however I found many of them overcooked and well done while always hidden under heavy sauces. The best dishes in the MDR for me was Steak Diane and the scallop Rockefeller.

 

The best part of the Oceanview Cafe to me were the fresh breads, carving station and the best egg/omelet station!!! The rest of the food were very well done and overcooked in what I imagine were large vats then portioned into the crock pots as needed. The paid restaurants must have gotten the good cheese. The Oceanview only got swiss, provolone and mild cheddar the entire cruise from what I saw.

 

Fortunately I found my most favorite bartender from the Connie on this Eclipse cruise. He told me there were many new contract bar tenders and servers that didn't know yet what they were doing. He also said the attitudes of many are that they only care to grab you at the beginning to upgrade your package. That's because they receive the gratuity for the full upgrade. After that they ignore you.

 

I witnessed several of the servers in the Oceanview hanging out with each other talking and ignoring their guests. I saw one female server walking around with an empty tray as if she were working, but she was not taking any orders, just walking around.

 

Cafe al Bacio had perhaps the best & hardest working crew of all the "peon" venues.

 

I agree with the OP about taking a break from Celebrity. If the pricing is getting closer to the more premium lines and they have the better food & itineraries, why not try them?

[WonderMan3]

Funny how you can travel on the same cruise as other people and have totally different experiences. Our Oceanview visits were essentially problem free. We only ate there for lunch but made it up there at least 6 or 7 times. It was busy a couple times (embarkation day especially) but somehow we always managed to find seating quickly. Staff was friendly everywhere, whether serving food, clearing tables or taking drink orders. Tables were cleared very quickly wherever we were sitting. Sometimes it took a bit of time to find a drink server but once order was taken drinks were brought promptly. The drink servers appeared very busy though, I imagine due to all the drink packages. A couple times I went up to the bar and they were crazy busy there but always pleasant despite being clearly overworked. An example of great service amid chaos was when I went to bar and ordered a tropical drink. They were out of Curacao so I was ready to just switch my order to a different drink as they were really busy and I didn't want to bother them, but the bartender asked me to hold on for a minute and he'd run to a different bar to get more Curacao. It took him 5 minutes or so but he returned with the Curacao, made up the drink and I gave him a big thank you which he really seemed to appreciate; I got the sense that he wasn't hearing a lot of that gratitude from other customers. Food choice was great, improved from last year. I had no problem finding lots of different cheese choices. Had fresh blue cheese almost every visit which is my favorite. My only meal there that was mediocre was on boarding day. The pork I grabbed was dry and the au gratin potatoes tasteless. And one other day the Alfredo sauce at the pasta bar was flavorless. Otherwise everything else was great.

 

 

 

 

 

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[kdawg954]

Although I am fairly new to cruising, I think one of the things I best enjoy about it is the variety of trying out different cruiselines.

 

As much as people want to talk about them being "Diamond" or "Zenith", and yes they do offer great perks of course, I think people should take the time out to try cruiselines that give you something different from a ship perspective and a itinerary perspective. Yea so you don't get the free laundry or the 3 extra drinks a night but you get a different experience.

 

Personally I don't understand how people can continously go on the same ship and the same places and not get a bit tired of the same song and dance. I live in South Florida so I am able to jump on a 3 night cruise for dirt cheap, even if it is just CoCo Cay and Nassau . . . but if you are flying in and have 7 nights . . . hell try other brands.

[BosoxI]

I'm trying to figure out how to respond properly on this forum, this is my first post.

 

I wrote a review of my recent Celebrity cruise on the Eclipse that of course was not published. Now I see your post as I read this forum thread. What cruise are you referring to? I was on the Eclipse for 2 weeks in Jan 2017. The buffet was horrendous. I would like to know what you enjoyed about it. I have photos that I can share. Much of the food was inedible and unappetizing to say the least!

 

I guess those of us who disembarked on January 2 got the good food. Sorry. First post? I can't wait for your second.:eek:

 

Oh, boy. I just saw it. Good you found out early, No use in discussing it further, as you are never going to be happy on Celebrity. What shipboard buffet suits you?

Edited February 11, 2017 by BosoxI

[Catasetumkid]

I am wondering - where in the Oceanview were the "fresh breads"? I'm being serious. I didn't have anything near "fresh" except for the fruit. I bake bread - to me, fresh = warm and soft (hard crust). Was there seriously anything like that? If so, I didn't see it.

[Cruise Junky]

I am wondering - where in the Oceanview were the "fresh breads"? I'm being serious. I didn't have anything near "fresh" except for the fruit. I bake bread - to me, fresh = warm and soft (hard crust). Was there seriously anything like that? If so, I didn't see it.

 

It was always by the cheese board on our cruise