Detailed Photo Review of Celebrity Eclipse 14 Night Southern Caribbean Cruise 3/4/18

[pghsteelerfan]

Hi Holly,

So glad you found my review :) The ABC's were definitely a highlight for us, but of course you'll have to wait a little longer to get the details since that was week 2 of the trip hehe We actually fly Southwest a lot since we live in CA and they have direct flights from San Jose to many of the places we visit (DH's brother in LA, DH's parents in Phoenix, and we have been to San Diego, Seattle, Las Vegas, and will fly them to Chicago for Memorial Day Weekend). The stress of checking in for those flights exactly 24 hours in advance isn't ideal, but you can't beat their prices, especially for short distances flights on the West Coast, and it's convenient that you can check up to 2 bags per person for free. Just a word of advice- when you pick your seats on the plane, try not to sit in the first 3 rows because if someone with mobility issues boards after you, you can be asked to move and then you'll end up at the back of the plane. DH had that happen to him once and we learned a valuable lesson haha

 

 

And that's great that you got the fisheye lens! You will love using it, so I guess that's a good excuse to book your next cruise!! I think Olympus owes me a commission ;)

 

Thank you for the information on Southwest. On our last few trips, we've been sure to check in for flights 24 hours in advance to avoid possibly getting "bumped". On a few of our recent flights, they've actually asked for "volunteers" since the flights have been overbooked. I love that there is no charge for the checked bags. Bonus! But thank for the info on the first three rows, I'll be sure to keep that in mind.

 

 

Yes, I can't wait to try that Fisheye, so hopefully another cruise or Caribbean vacation will be in the works next year. We'll see. Yes, Olympus does owe you a commission! :) I'm definitely happy to wait for your section on the ABC's because I will enjoy everything in between. I am really looking forward to the rest of your stay in South Beach, Miami. Next time we cruise out of Miami, at least one night pre-cruise, in South Beach is a must.

[cruisetimeforme]

Looking forward to more of your review as we're also leaving April 1st on the Eclipse.

 

Two questions please - Did you enjoy Mi Dushi sunset sail in Aruba? We have it booked

Do you have MDR menus from nights 6 and 11 that you might be able to share? I think I have all 14 so if you mention one of the main entrees on each of the nights I can probably figure it out

 

Good thing the pastries aren't that large in Cafe Bacio!!

[Kiwifromkiev]

Dana, how do you remember things for your reviews - do you write notes at the time you do things? Rely on your memory? Thank you

 

 

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[deladane]

Looking forward to more of your review as we're also leaving April 1st on the Eclipse.

 

Two questions please - Did you enjoy Mi Dushi sunset sail in Aruba? We have it booked

Do you have MDR menus from nights 6 and 11 that you might be able to share? I think I have all 14 so if you mention one of the main entrees on each of the nights I can probably figure it out

 

Good thing the pastries aren't that large in Cafe Bacio!!

 

We did enjoy Mi Dushi but definitely go in with the right expectations. Our cruise was during spring break so there were a lot of 20-somethings on the boat with us who were staying in Aruba for the week. They all did the rope swing and went swimming while DH and I hung out on the top level of the boat and stayed dry. The staff was great and did their best to make sure everyone had fun, weather going swimming or not. It's definitely not a romantic sunset cruise, but we had a lot of fun.

 

I don't have all of my photos loaded onto my computer yet, but I can check the photos on my camera... Night 6 (Antigua) was the menu with Eggplant Caviar as the first appetizer. Night 11 was the overnight in Aruba so we missed dinner in the MDR that night but I'm pretty sure it was the menu with fluke ceviche as the first appetizer.

 

And yes, that croissant was probably 3 times the size of what they have in Cafe al Bacio lol I actually really liked the mini-sized pastries at Bacio as a little treat before breakfast or a mid-morning snack :)

 

Hope you have a great cruise!!

[deladane]

Dana, how do you remember things for your reviews - do you write notes at the time you do things? Rely on your memory? Thank you

 

 

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I keep a trip journal when I'm on vacation so whenever I get spare time, I take some notes so I don't forget all the little details. I also take tons of photos which help jog my memory (some photos that I take are purely to help me write my review, like a photo of just the name of the martini I ordered in the menu at the martini bar... you won't ever see that photo in the review, just the photo of the actual cocktail, but the extra photo helps me remember what's what) When most people are lounging around on the beach or by the pool on a sea day and reading a book, I am always writing in my journal :)

[Kiwifromkiev]

I keep a trip journal when I'm on vacation so whenever I get spare time, I take some notes so I don't forget all the little details. I also take tons of photos which help jog my memory (some photos that I take are purely to help me write my review, like a photo of just the name of the martini I ordered in the menu at the martini bar... you won't ever see that photo in the review, just the photo of the actual cocktail, but the extra photo helps me remember what's what) When most people are lounging around on the beach or by the pool on a sea day and reading a book, I am always writing in my journal :)

 

 

 

Ah, that makes sense, but brings the next question- if you keep a journal, why do you write such detailed reviews - I thought this was as a substitute for a travel log ( not that we are complaining [emoji4])

 

 

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[kbeer15]

I really love your reviews and have read the last 3 or 4 but this is the first time I have had to wait for the next installment. Ha ha, I will just have to be patient and real along as you post. The ABC islands and French Polynesia are both on my bucket list to visit. so I love to read about them and see pictures. Thanks for your great reviews.

[deladane]

Ah, that makes sense, but brings the next question- if you keep a journal, why do you write such detailed reviews - I thought this was as a substitute for a travel log ( not that we are complaining [emoji4])

 

 

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Fair question ;) My journal looks like chicken scratch- lots of messy hand writing and sentence fragments. It's not something I could look back on to remember my vacation. Plus, there's no photos in the journal, so these reviews on CC let me integrate the photos and the text. Also, I really like to share my experiences with all of you. I spend so much time researching my cruises by reading other people's reviews so it's nice to pay it forward and share my story to hopefully help others plan their vacations. It's a lot of work, but it's fun work (much like researching the trip is fun work for me), so I enjoy doing it. Hope that makes sense :)

[deladane]

I really love your reviews and have read the last 3 or 4 but this is the first time I have had to wait for the next installment. Ha ha, I will just have to be patient and real along as you post. The ABC islands and French Polynesia are both on my bucket list to visit. so I love to read about them and see pictures. Thanks for your great reviews.

 

Thanks for reading! FP and the ABC's were bucket list places for me too... guess I need to think of a new list now! ;)

 

Next installment coming in a few minutes!!

[Kiwifromkiev]

Fair question ;) My journal looks like chicken scratch- lots of messy hand writing and sentence fragments. It's not something I could look back on to remember my vacation. Plus, there's no photos in the journal, so these reviews on CC let me integrate the photos and the text. Also, I really like to share my experiences with all of you. I spend so much time researching my cruises by reading other people's reviews so it's nice to pay it forward and share my story to hopefully help others plan their vacations. It's a lot of work, but it's fun work (much like researching the trip is fun work for me), so I enjoy doing it. Hope that makes sense :)

 

 

 

And we sure appreciate it! I know you like beaches, but have you visited pyramids in Cozumel or Costa Maya on any of your cruises?

 

 

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[deladane]

After breakfast, we wandered over to the Art Deco Museum and gift shop. They offer guided walking tours for $25 per person but we were too jet lagged to commit to a formal tour. For $3, we could buy a map which pointed out over 100 different Art Deco buildings and noted the year it was built, the architect, and the building’s style. The employee at the store told us we could go inside any of these hotels and look at the lobby, free of charge. That sounded like a better plan for us, and we could walk around at our leisure both today and tomorrow.

 

Heading north on Ocean Drive, the first building we noticed was not actually on the map at all- the Versace Mansion. I had been watching the tv show on FX called The Assassination of Gianni Versace just before leaving on the trip, so I thought it was really cool to see it in person! Unfortunately, you cannot walk around inside there because it is private property, so a photo of the outside will have to suffice.

 

 

We spent about 2 hours looking at the buildings and admiring the views of the beach. I will admit, it felt a little weird to walk into the lobby of these hotels and asking to look around, but no one seemed to mind.

 

 

 

Rooftop views from the Crescent Hotel

 

 

[deladane]

And we sure appreciate it! I know you like beaches, but have you visited pyramids in Cozumel or Costa Maya on any of your cruises?

 

 

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Nope, I haven't visited any of the ruins in Mexico yet, but now that I have my fisheye lens, I think it would be fun to visit and try to capture the whole pyramid in one photo. Yes, I do partly pick my tours based on photo opportunities haha We don't have any other cruises booked at this time, but if I am ever in one of those ports, I will look into those options :)

[Kiwifromkiev]

Nope, I haven't visited any of the ruins in Mexico yet, but now that I have my fisheye lens, I think it would be fun to visit and try to capture the whole pyramid in one photo.

 

 

 

What is fisheye lens??

 

 

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[deladane]

What is fisheye lens??

 

 

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It's an attachment for my camera which gives the photos a wider angle so you can capture more in the frame. It is great for landscape photos and would probably be amazing when touring the ruins.

[Kiwifromkiev]

Thanks Dana! I will look into this ;)

 

 

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[cruisetimeforme]

Thanks Dana

[deladane]

By noon, it was very hot and humid and we really wanted to relax in some air conditioning. We called our hotel to get an update, and our room was ready! Yay! He had told us it could be as late as 3pm so we were grateful to check in at noon.

 

The hotel room was small but suited our needs just fine. There was a fridge, microwave, and coffee pot, and the air conditioning was strong, so we were happy. It would have been nice if it had a balcony and a couch, but we were only here for 2 nights so it didn’t really matter.

 

 

 

 

Complimentary soaps in the bathroom- notice the brand name? Looks like they got inspiration from the spa cabins on Celebrity hehe

 

 

It took us just a few minutes to unpack because everything we needed in Miami was packed in our carry on bags and we did not need to unpack the big suitcase. We relaxed for an hour (ie: DH napped while I wrote in my trip journal), then we got changed and headed out for a late lunch. We had 7pm dinner reservations and we didn’t want to eat too much and spoil our appetites, so when we stumbled upon Pizza Rustica, we knew it was perfect. They have huge square slices of pizza with lots of fun toppings, but the crust is fairly thin so it isn’t too filling. DH got the chicken parmesan slice and I got the mushroom pizza. Both were very tasty and the perfect amount of food to hold us over until dinner.

 

 

After lunch, we walked south on Ocean Drive to South Point Park Pier to watch the cruise ships sail away. There were 5 ships at the Port of Miami today, which seemed like a lot for a Friday. We arrived around 4pm and took a seat on one of the park benches to do some people watching while we waited for the ships to arrive.

 

[deladane]

By the way, for those wondering about the difference in photos with and without the fisheye lens, I did a little experiment while we were sitting in the park. The first photo is taken with just the normal camera lens...

Then, I took this photo with the fisheye lens attached. I did not move my position or the angle of the camera between the two photos...

Notice how much more is captured in the frame of the second image? You can see the light poles on the left side, the big condo complex across the river on the right side, a bunch more of the sidewalk and rocks in the foreground, and a lot more clouds overhead in the sky. In this particular image, the extra information isn't that exciting, but there are many other times where I have seen it make a big difference. The one downside of the fisheye lens is that it can distort the shape of parts of the image. Notice how the light pole has a curved shape? It was really perfectly vertical in real life. Also, sometimes, it creates a curved line on the horizon, which can be either a positive or a negative, depending on what you want to achieve with your photo. I tried uploading an example photo for the curved horizon effect but Flikr won't let me upload a new photo right now for some reason... hopefully it will work later!

[deladane]

At 4:20pm, we spotted the first ship… Norwegian Jade. It was so fun to wave at the people on board and know that we will be in their shoes in just 2 days! DH made it his mission to get someone to wave at us. You'd be surprised at how hard that is since most people on the top decks of the ships are way too high up to make eye contact, but I think he did catch the eye of someone on a lower deck balcony, and he accomplished his mission.

 

 

 

 

Up next was RCCL’s Enchantment of the Seas…

 

[Kiwifromkiev]

Dana, can I ask you - why did you guys decide not to book another cruise? no good deals whilst cruising or is another one not on the cards at the moment?

[sxyshell]

Looking forward to reading the rest of your review! We don't sail until 8/4 but I've only cruised Carnival (12 cruises) and I'm so excited to learn little tidbits about Celebrity. Thank you for taking your time to do such an in depth review!

[deladane]

Dana, can I ask you - why did you guys decide not to book another cruise? no good deals whilst cruising or is another one not on the cards at the moment?

 

Nah, no specific reason, just taking a break from cruising to do some shorter land trips instead :)

[deladane]

Looking forward to reading the rest of your review! We don't sail until 8/4 but I've only cruised Carnival (12 cruises) and I'm so excited to learn little tidbits about Celebrity. Thank you for taking your time to do such an in depth review!

 

Thanks for reading! Hopefully you'll learn a few things about Celebrity. In the meantime, take a look at my 2016 review from when we were on the Equinox because I posted lots of photos from around the ship. They are sister ships and have nearly identical layouts so when I post more ship photos of the Eclipse, that should be helpful to you too :)

[Kiwifromkiev]

Nah, no specific reason, just taking a break from cruising to do some shorter land trips instead :)

 

Your fan base will surely miss your reviews! :)

[deladane]

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to watch all 5 ships sail away because we needed to go back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. One of DH’s friends lives in Miami, so we arranged to meet up for dinner at 7pm tonight at a Peruvian restaurant called Chalan on the Beach on 16th and Washington Ave. As we were walking there, we passed the Miami Beach Police Department. I was impressed at how new and pretty the building looked, and we thought this car parked outside was quite clever.

 

 

We weren’t sure exactly how long it would take to walk there from our hotel, so we ended up arriving a few minutes early. Just a block before the restaurant, we found a cute alley called Espanola Way that is closed to vehicular traffic and lined with restaurants and bars. We took a little detour to check it out and stopped in a little Italian restaurant called Hosteria Romana for happy hour. It had such a great atmosphere with bottles of chianti hanging from the ceiling. It had started to rain outside so we couldn’t sit out on the patio for people watching, so we grabbed 2 seats at the bar. The bartender immediately served us a plate of bruchetta, a bowl of mixed nuts, and a bowl of antipasto- a nice treat to snack on with our drinks.

 

 

 

After a quick walk around the corner, we arrived at our dinner restaurant and met up with DH’s friend. Chalan was a quaint little restaurant with authentic Peruvian food. Having never eaten Peruvian food before, DH’s friend recommended we try their specialty- Lomo Saltado, a mixture of onions, tomatoes, French fries, and grilled beef with a side of white rice. We also ordered a round of Peruvian beer. His recommendations were spot on as everything was delicious and very flavorful, and we really enjoyed our first Peruvian experience!

 

 

 

After dinner, we walked back along Washington Avenue and had one more drink at a nice little bar called Employees Only. It was kind of a strange name for a bar, but they claim to be a speakeasy so maybe that’s part of the appeal? They had some creative cocktails that were a bit pricey (like most things in South Beach haha), but the vibe was upscale and swanky so it made for a fun experience.

 

 

By 10pm, we were exhausted after being awake since 7am the day before, so we said goodbye to DH’s friend and walked back to the hotel to crash for the night.

 

Step tracker daily total: 20,129 steps; 8.15 miles; 2 flights of stairs