LIVE!!!!! From the ECLIPSE 14night Southern Carib!! - CHICAGOPAUL -

[chicagopaul]

Good Morning Everyone - Well two more days to go! Before reviewing last night’s activities and dinner here is today’s Daily

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[chicagopaul]

Yesterday we spent a lot of time by the pool. We ate in Ocean View for lunch we are rarely in ocean view but I did like yesterday’s selection. They had a pub lunch with fish and chips, carving of a pig and turkey, and lots of other options. I was happily surprised. The ocean view was packed yesterday at 1pm even though we were in port. We sat at a nice table outside and enjoyed. We then went and grabbed a couple gelatos on 5. I went with rum raisin and Edward had the vanilla. Both were good.

 

Last night we had our drinks to start at the Martini Bar. Then some more! Dinner was in Luminae and we had our favorite table and of course our waiter Tony. The food was very good. Nothing that was absolutely incredible last night but it was a solid meal. We had the potato soup, then scallops (which was an entree portion but light) and then the veal chop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[miched]

It looks like the rumor that the hot prepared salmon and char that used to be available from the Aqua Spa cafe no longer is , is true.:(

So sorry to see that go but some of the new offerings look interesting - ESPECIALLY that baby coconut with rum. Have you tried it?

(Is everything pre-made in there now?)

 

Thanks for all of the time and effort you're taking in giving all of us future cruisers so many details!!!:D

 

 

It isn’t a rumor as there have already been a few threads on this. On the Equinox it started in Sept.

 

Wouldn’t get too anxious about the coconut. I asked about it in Oct and was told that they didn’t have it and weren’t planning on it. I guess it depends on their supply. In the past they were selling them on other ships by the pool naturally there is no constant. Later in the cruise they were in the buffet along with other fruit selections with no charge. I guess if you wanted you could get a shot of rum to pour in yourself.

 

On one ship I was told it was an extra $5 with a premium drink pack.

 

On another ship they were included in the classic and free with no alcohol.

 

Happy crusing 🌊🛳🇺🇸🌅

Edited December 8, 2017 by miched

[chicagopaul]

One correction to the above. The chocolate soufflé was PERFECTION. Last night at dinner Nened our MaitriD talked to us for quite some time. We ended up having him pull up a chair and we talked for a good hour after dinner. It was great hearing his history with the company, the way he chooses to manage and train his employees, etc etc. He told his staff they could all go and we just continued to talk, that’s how late we were there! He is fantastic and everyone who sails with him must get to know him. We’ve cruised with him before and his greatest asset is his ability to listen and understand an issue and correct it.

 

Now for those of you concerned about Murano after my recent story....guess who is helping out in Murano next cruise who has worked in Murano for years?? Nened! So if any of you have any concerns after my recent comments about our Murano dinner (which I believe was just a one off experience) you definitely have nothing to worry about now. If anything I would book more in Murano if I were you. I explained my concerns to him regarding our meal. He wanted to know EVERYTHING. He genuinely seemed to care.

 

After dinner we went to the Martini Bar to meet up with friends and then went up to Sky Lounge. There was a small crowd in sky lounge and we stayed there until 1:30 I believe and people were still there and the DJ was still playing.

 

 

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[chicagopaul]

Hi Paul!

Your blog continues to be a great view of the Eclipse and her staff !

We will be boarding on Sunday. The last 2 weeks has gone by so quickly.Safe travels home to you and Edward !

Warning....it will be chilly in Miami. We are having a bit of a cold snap here in Florida.

One last question for you.....

Does the World Class Bar have “one-night tasting events” ? The example given in the review was a “traditional” Absinthe drink. Sounds intriguing.

Margaret

 

 

 

I haven’t seen that but we will see Vasil there tonight and I’ll ask him. They do a mixology class which is advertised in the Daily for an additional fee. They’ve also had half off ladies night a couple nights.

 

 

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[gerelmx]

Read today's dailies, lunch at Murano.

[Dawgone]

Good catch, gerelmx. Lunch would be a treat at Murano.

[ChrissieB]

We’ll be in Curacao in February and booked this all inclusive day stay

http://www.resortforaday.com/Curacao-Santa-Barbara-Beach-Resort-p/cursbba.htm

Anyone ever been?

 

 

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Yes, we went there last January. Had a great time. Spent some time on the beach, had lunch, and moved up to the pool. Plenty to drink, great staff. Everything was really good. Go - enjoy!

[chicagopaul]

Read today's dailies, lunch at Murano.

 

 

 

Yep good catch! Edward saw that earlier but we were sweaty from being by the pool and didn’t want to go back and change so we opted for Ocean View today but will be doing Qsine for lunch tomorrow.

 

Today they had kabobs and falafel. The beef kabobs were tough but the chicken was fantastic. They also had some “locally sourced” fish which was tasty. Then of course a little of my usual Indian cuisine I needed to have.

 

 

 

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[emmas gran]

Hi Paul thx for your posts.

Tony your Luminae waiter is fabulous we had his service on Connie last Xmas and for the whole of March. We saw him on T/Atlantic a really nice guy

Liz

[JennJohnNYC]

Hi Paul, any idea who will be taking over for Nenad in Luminae?

Thanks! And thoroughly enjoyed tagging along with you on this sailing. We board Sunday and can't wait!

 

One correction to the above. The chocolate soufflé was PERFECTION. Last night at dinner Nened our MaitriD talked to us for quite some time. We ended up having him pull up a chair and we talked for a good hour after dinner. It was great hearing his history with the company, the way he chooses to manage and train his employees, etc etc. He told his staff they could all go and we just continued to talk, that’s how late we were there! He is fantastic and everyone who sails with him must get to know him. We’ve cruised with him before and his greatest asset is his ability to listen and understand an issue and correct it.

 

Now for those of you concerned about Murano after my recent story....guess who is helping out in Murano next cruise who has worked in Murano for years?? Nened! So if any of you have any concerns after my recent comments about our Murano dinner (which I believe was just a one off experience) you definitely have nothing to worry about now. If anything I would book more in Murano if I were you. I explained my concerns to him regarding our meal. He wanted to know EVERYTHING. He genuinely seemed to care.

 

After dinner we went to the Martini Bar to meet up with friends and then went up to Sky Lounge. There was a small crowd in sky lounge and we stayed there until 1:30 I believe and people were still there and the DJ was still playing.

 

 

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[chicagopaul]

Hi Paul, any idea who will be taking over for Nenad in Luminae?

 

Thanks! And thoroughly enjoyed tagging along with you on this sailing. We board Sunday and can't wait!

 

 

 

From the sounds of it, and I will confirm, he will be handling both. I believe Luminae will be his primary and he will be helping them in Murano. This cruise he’s also been helping out Ocean View at dinner and we’ve still found him very present in Luminae.

 

 

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[chicagopaul]

As much as I love the officers versus guests volleyball it is always bittersweet because it signifies the end of the cruise. At least today is not our last day, we still have one more!

 

 

 

Earlier in the day they had the baggo (bags or cornhole depending where your from) Officers vs guests. They had a good sign up and it was fun to watch.

 

 

 

The last picture above is Sue Denning versus Sue from Florida. You can see them staring each other down!

 

 

 

 

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[JaneStarr]

Sara has already put in the request through her manager. It’s no longer in her hands, so we shall see what happens.

Sara Gouveia is her name.She’s from Portugal. Very personable and efficient at her job. She’s proactive and really does go above and beyond for her guests. No complaints.

Jane

To update:

Luggage valet is a no go for us this trip.

The request was graciously submitted but “rejected by the airline” — which most likely means the luggage valet subcontractor — since I can’t imagine JetBlue cares whether our luggage originates in Miami or Ft. Lauderdale.

 

Too bad we will now end our vacation with a 3 1/2 hour wait in the JetBlue terminal at FLL. If I’d been given correct info by shoreside concierge, we would’ve made better arrangements.

 

An email has already been sent out to hopefully help others avoid misinformation.

Wonderful cruise so far!

 

I just wish the land and web side of the Celebrity operation were comparable to the seaside service.

Jane

[chicagopaul]

To update:

Luggage valet is a no go for us this trip.

The request was graciously submitted but “rejected by the airline” — which most likely means the luggage valet subcontractor — since I can’t imagine JetBlue cares whether our luggage originates in Miami or Ft. Lauderdale.

 

Too bad we will now end our vacation with a 3 1/2 hour wait in the JetBlue terminal at FLL. If I’d been given correct info by shoreside concierge, we would’ve made better arrangements.

 

An email has already been sent out to hopefully help others avoid misinformation.

Wonderful cruise so far!

 

I just wish the land and web side of the Celebrity operation were comparable to the seaside service.

Jane

 

 

 

Ugh I’m sorry to hear that! We are doing luggage valet and are awaiting our information tomorrow. We’re flying AA First so hoping for no issues. Luke you we have a late flight and just want to have a relaxing day before the flight.

 

 

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[cementhands]

We’ve done the hop on hop off bus in South Beach with transfers to FLL airport. Great way to spend time before flying home.

Suitcases are kept on a secured truck. You retrieve bags before flight.

Ate lunch at Newsstand deli South Beach. Drinks at Clevelander Hotel.

A little tour included by hotel from Scarface movie. Versace home.

If you have the time it’s an option. Booked through Celebrity.

[chicagopaul]

Good Morning Everyone - Cheers from the last day at the pool bar. Here is today’s Daily

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[chicagopaul]

A continued thank you to everyone for following along. Last night we started at the Martini Bar. The bartenders had saved seats for us by the flight of 52 martinis they were planning to do and referenced it has “my flight.” I mean I know I can drink a lot but......

 

 

That is before and here is after. I’ll have the video uploaded for you and will post it here with my final review / recap.

 

 

It was a great show as always and a very clean show! No spilling at all on a total of 52.

 

Last night I also had to start the task I love, but I dread and that is writing thank you notes to our staff. We always tip well with the cards but I think the written out cards provides a nice touch and is something to show we really care. Whenever I get hand written thank you cards from clients I always save them.

 

This time I brought my own stationary.

 

 

I hope they can read my awful handwriting.

 

Another thing to mention which you’ll see in the video was the DJ playing Christmas music for an hour at the bar. Everyone actually really liked that he did and it was a nice slow way to start the evening.

 

I’d like to talk about DJ Mace for a quick moment. I’ve never gotten to know DJs in the past. I’ve never been thrilled with much of their selections as they usually seem to play the same basic play lists per their personal tastes. DJ Mace is the opposite. His music at the Martini Bar has been perfect sound level and a great mix. He takes requests, engages with people, and seems to watch people to see what they like and what they don’t. This was his first cruise as DJ by himself. He will definitely do well. When you see him go up and say hello. Get to know him. He’s a very nice guy and I like to see Celebrity going this direction with the DJs.

 

Here he is

 

 

 

 

 

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[chicagopaul]

Dinner last night in Luminae which we enjoyed with our champagne from our room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[chamima]

Dinner last night in Luminae which we enjoyed with our champagne from our room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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It must be the time of year but I saw a reindeer with antlers when I looked at this! ;)

Seriously , the presentation of your meals have been beautiful so thank you for posting the pictures.

 

I think it's really nice that you take the time to write thank you notes to the crew along with the extra tip.

I try to do that but sometimes have trouble with exactly what to say other than thank you for being so wonderful.

They all do work so hard and must feel gratified that someone notices.

[LadyVol1]

Last night I also had to start the task I love, but I dread and that is writing thank you notes to our staff. We always tip well with the cards but I think the written out cards provides a nice touch and is something to show we really care. Whenever I get hand written thank you cards from clients I always save them.

 

 

What a great idea. LadyChew also does this. I had never even thought about it until seeing her do it on my last cruise. The two of you have inspired me to do it going forward. I’m sure that a personal note, plus cash, means a lot to the hard-working crew. Notecards have now been added to my packing list. Great job, chicagopaul!

[gerelmx]

To update:

Luggage valet is a no go for us this trip.

The request was graciously submitted but “rejected by the airline” — which most likely means the luggage valet subcontractor — since I can’t imagine JetBlue cares whether our luggage originates in Miami or Ft. Lauderdale.

Jane

 

How sad that these things happen. After a wonderful cruise, what you want is to get home without worries. It makes me disrespectful not to give the reason why it was rejected.

[chicagopaul]

After dinner last night we walked by Martini Bar and it was packed so it was a good excuse to go to World Class Bar and see Vasil and Toni at the bar. If you’re on the Eclipse soon be sure to say hello to them. The world Class bar was also crowded with most of the tables full. Most of the drinks there take a while to make so they were definitely working hard.

 

This morning we had a bridge tour arranged by Sara. I started with a drink by the pool bar and gave a thank you card to Dhinesh though I realized I spelled his name horribly wrong in the card.

 

I had my drink and Edward came to meet me and we walked to Deck 10 forward elevators and met for the tour. You had to show photo ID to security and sign in plus get wanded by security.

 

The bridge tour was given by the captain. He gave a quick education on the mechanics of the ship and opened it up to questions. It was definitely very interesting and it was nice being able to ask any question.

 

The group was small. Maybe 16 people?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[avid]

After dinner last night we walked by Martini Bar and it was packed so it was a good excuse to go to World Class Bar and see Vasil and Toni at the bar. If you’re on the Eclipse soon be sure to say hello to them. The world Class bar was also crowded with most of the tables full. Most of the drinks there take a while to make so they were definitely working hard.

 

This morning we had a bridge tour arranged by Sara. I started with a drink by the pool bar and gave a thank you card to Dhinesh though I realized I spelled his name horribly wrong in the card.

 

I had my drink and Edward came to meet me and we walked to Deck 10 forward elevators and met for the tour. You had to show photo ID to security and sign in plus get wanded by security.

 

The bridge tour was given by the captain. He gave a quick education on the mechanics of the ship and opened it up to questions. It was definitely very interesting and it was nice being able to ask any question.

 

The group was small. Maybe 16 people?

 

 

 

 

 

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We’ll be just behind the bridge for our upcoming cruise.. since they’ll be able to look in at us.. I hope they let us look in on them!

 

 

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[gerelmx]

We’ll be just behind the bridge for our upcoming cruise.. since they’ll be able to look in at us.. I hope they let us look in on them!

 

 

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I have read in the forum that those who register for the CC (meet & mingle) party sometimes also receive an invitation for the bridge tour. Since Celebrity changed its website, registration for the party is not possible. Hopefully and this event is made to those who we reached to register on the previous page.