Comparing Eclipse with Norwegian Bliss review

[Ritap]

My husband and I just returned from a 7 day Alaska cruise on the Celebrity Eclipse Sept 1-8 2019. It was one of my best cruises, and probably the most relaxing one. Since I was on a brand new ship, the Norwegian Bliss last January, I will be doing some comparisons.

 

On the Eclipse I was able to relax more, and it was less crowded than on the Bliss. The Eclipse has 1426 staterooms with 2850 passengers. The Bliss is much larger with 2043 staterooms and 4004 passengers. The Eclipse was more quiet and relaxing than the busy energy on the Bliss. Since I wanted peace and quiet on this cruise, the Eclipse was the better one for that.

 

When it comes to the embarcation lunch, the Bliss did much better for it’s passengers. The main dining room was open for ALL passengers as well as the buffet and the Local. With the stress of travelling, standing in line, checking in, customs etc. I like to sit down in a peaceful setting for lunch, and that was not available for me on the Eclipse. My options was Sushi on Five or the buffet. The buffet was crowded and busy, and not a good start on the cruise. I definitely had better options on the Bliss.

 

We enjoyed the dining on Eclipse better than the Bliss.  The Manhattan room on the Bliss was extremely noisy, while the Midnight Sonata on the Eclipse was quiet and calm. The service was much better on the Eclipse, and the food was better. The one negative on the Eclipse was that the 2 person dining tables were extremely close together, so it was like we were on a table for 4. On the Bliss we did not have that problem. We had Select Dining and it worked very well.

 

Our cabin was 8279 which is one of the large balcony cabins on the bump. I spent most of my time on the balcony with my book, Diet Coke, Hot tea and blankets. This balcony, and a large balcony I had on Norwegian's Pride of America are the best balconies I have had. I am grateful to all the contributors on this forum who was able to help me find the perfect balcony for me.

 

Since spending my day on the balcony is so important to me, and I don’t want to run to a bar whenever I want my Diet Coke, I brought my own 12 pack onboard. For others being able to bring some soda onboard is not important, but for me it is. It was an irritant for me that I had to go to the bar on the Bliss every time I wanted to drink some Diet Coke on my balcony. Norwegian’s ban on bringing soda onboard may be why I won’t choose them again. For others not a big deal, for me it is.

 

One place where Norwegian did better on the Bliss, than what Celebrity does is the bathroom. Here is a picture of the spacious bathroom, with a fantastic shower on the Bliss.

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I think the entertainment was good on both the Eclipse and the Bliss. I especially like the Paul McCartney tribute band on the Eclipse as well as their production shows. The singers were better on the Eclipse.

 

The observation lounge on the Eclipse was forgettable. I didn’t even remember to take a picture of it. I will never forget the one on the Bliss with its 5 food stations and bar. Lots of loungers and places to sit or lay down. Here are some pictures.

 

Bliss observation lounge

 

The last portion of my review is where Eclipse wins. It is not even a competition the Eclipse is so much better than the Bliss. Service. On Norwegian Bliss you could feel the crew did not want to be there. They did the minimum they could get away with, and hardly ever smiled. On the Eclipse I was always greeted warmly with a smile. The servers knew our names. The bartenders knew our names, Our stateroom attendant, Menino, was amazing, and the service was excellent wherever we went. It was the best service I have experienced on all my cruises. This is the reason I will continue to cruise with Celebrity.

 

So in summary: If you don’t mind being nicled and dimed, and If you want lots of activities (co-carts, lazer tag, bowling etc.) and you have young adults, teens and kids in your party, then the Norwegian Bliss is the ship to go on. If on the other hand you want peace and quiet, wonderful music everywhere, great food and a more elegant setting, and fantastic service, then the Eclipse is the way to go.

 

 

Edited September 9, 2019 by Ritap
Added some pictures

[Texed]

Thank you very much for your comparison review.   😊

[PhillyTravelBug]

Thank you for the comparison. I just sailed the Bliss last month to Alaska and had the vacation of a lifetime. While I enjoyed the ship very much, especially that unforgettable observation lounge, I found the service and the food lacking. It’s time to check out Celebrity next round.

[helen haywood]

I’m not sure what you mean by “Observation Lounge” but if you weren’t impressed by Celebrity’s Sky Lounge you would be the first!

 

[Ritap]

3 hours ago, helen haywood said:

I’m not sure what you mean by “Observation Lounge” but if you weren’t impressed by Celebrity’s Sky Lounge you would be the first!

 

I was not impressed by the Sky Lounge, as the Observation Lounge on Bliss was much better. It is a comparison, and if I had never seen the one on the Bliss, I probably would have been impessed by the Sky Lounge.

[CruiserMickey]

Thanks for the great review! I, too, had the pleasure of sailing on the Eclipse in 8279.  The balcony was amazing and Menino is one of the best stateroom attendants I have ever had.

[Ritap]

42 minutes ago, CruiserMickey said:

Thanks for the great review! I, too, had the pleasure of sailing on the Eclipse in 8279.  The balcony was amazing and Menino is one of the best stateroom attendants I have ever had.

 

I have never had any better than Menino.  He anticipated our needs before we even had to ask.  He is an asset to Celebrity.

[PhillyTravelBug]

5 hours ago, helen haywood said:

I’m not sure what you mean by “Observation Lounge” but if you weren’t impressed by Celebrity’s Sky Lounge you would be the first!

 

It’s a good portion size of deck 15(I believe) for Alaskan scenery viewing. Complete with loungers and couches.

Edited September 10, 2019 by Joeghartman

[chemmo]

I love to read well balanced comparative reviews. Yours was just that!

 

Whilst we have never cruised Norwegian we used to cruise mainly RC. Like you, we love the smiling staff, better service level, better food and that calm ambience on Celebrity which at the end of a cruise leaves you feeling refreshed and relaxed....After the hustle and bustle on RC we often left feeling that we needed a holiday!

 

I also love the way you comment on ‘what’s import’ to each of us....You are so right. It is about identifying what you want/need from a cruise that helps you make good choices.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 10, 2019 by chemmo

[Cruising89143]

Thanks for your review. We love the S class ships and Celebrity. We’re on the Bliss three weeks from Sunday to the Mexican Riviera out of Los Angeles. This is our first time back on NCL in ten years. We chose this cruise due to the fact that it leaves from L.A. So far we have had a lot of issues with NCL’s website on booking specialty dining and entertainment. We still can’t book some of our entertainment. Glitch with their website. Not a huge deal but we shall see how it goes once on board.  

[TeeRick]

Thank you.  Great comparison.

[UFMOM]

We routinely cruise both Celebrity and Ncl. I would agree with most of this review. They are both beautiful ships and we sail each for a different experience. Ncl is a bit more party and many more kids. We eat exclusively in their many specialty restaurants which are all very good. And there is always an excellent Broadway type show.  We love the District Brewhouse with all the craft beers, live entertainment and great windows and the observation lounge is absolutely amazing.

On Celebrity it is  more relaxed and elegant, much less kids, we will actually eat in the mdr because the ambiance, service and food are so much better with occasional forays to the the specialty restaurants. Especially Murano which I think is one of the best restaurants at sea. Celebrity still does lobster night, Ncl does not. Better buffet on Celebrity and they have the Martini and World Class bars which are our favorites. I absolutely love Celebrity’s Cafe Al Bacio for snacks and coffee. The pool area is much more relaxing on Celebrity.  We love the shows on Ncl, on Celebrity not so much. We tend to get into better and more interesting conversations with our fellow cruisers on Celebrity. We find more families and  friend groups sailing on Ncl which tend to stay within themselves.

Both lines give us drink packages with Celebrity including some decent obc and Ncl including a 3 night specialty dining pkg which we always add to as I don’t like their mdrs.

We will be on the Equinox in November and on the new Ncl Encore for New Years. So we will continue to cruise both lines for the different but still enjoyable experiences.

 

Mary Ann

[calicakes]

I agree with so many about the pools, service, food and general feel being better on X than NCL. 

 

NCL also doesn't carry Coke products.  It was a rigamarole to be able to bring aboard diet minute maid lemonade.  I had to email and provide documentation that I'm diabetic.  It was ridiculous. 

 

I wasn't impressed with the specialty restaurants.  Entertainment was better on NCL.  We take cruises to relax( and snorkel @ ports).  We don't hang out in bars or go to many shows at night.  X is perfect for us. 

[need2cruisesoon]

Was on the Bliss for a PC cruise last November and yes the Manhattan DR was noisy but the other 2 (Savor&Taste) had a calmer decorum if you dined there.

 

Bliss does win for the showers in the cabins, entertainment and sheer number of bars and lounges to choose.

 

We also enjoyed Spice/H2O at the rear of the ship, very nice.

 

 

[need2cruisesoon]

5 hours ago, cruisingator2 said:

Thanks for your review. We love the S class ships and Celebrity. We’re on the Bliss three weeks from Sunday to the Mexican Riviera out of Los Angeles. This is our first time back on NCL in ten years. We chose this cruise due to the fact that it leaves from L.A. So far we have had a lot of issues with NCL’s website on booking specialty dining and entertainment. We still can’t book some of our entertainment. Glitch with their website. Not a huge deal but we shall see how it goes once on board.  

 

Book entertainment once you get onboard at the Kiosks, Bliss is a fabulous ship.

 

[Von & John]

Thanks for your balanced comparison...

We sail Celebrity, NCL & Princess (mainly NCL & Celebrity)...

We start w/ the itinerary, then the ship & value 🙂

We are headed out on the Getaway next month & the Eclipse in March.

The Getaway will be new to us - we previously sailed on the Eclipse - the Eclipse was a couple of years old when we first sailed & it will be interesting to see how she has aged...

[mafig]

1 hour ago, need2cruisesoon said:

 

 

We also enjoyed Spice/H2O at the rear of the ship, very nice.

 

 

 

Is Spice the area you have to pay for?

[need2cruisesoon]

13 minutes ago, mafig said:

 

Is Spice the area you have to pay for?

 

Negative

[CulverCityCruisers]

Well we love Sky Lounge forward and you can see everything.

 

[mafig]

2 hours ago, CulverCityCruisers said:

Well we love Sky Lounge forward and you can see everything.

 

 

Is there a Sky Lounge on Edge?

Are they doing away with the Sky Lounges when the ships go into refurbishment? (excuse me, I don't remember what they are calling it).

 

[CulverCityCruisers]

19 hours ago, mafig said:

 

Is there a Sky Lounge on Edge?

Are they doing away with the Sky Lounges when the ships go into refurbishment? (excuse me, I don't remember what they are calling it).

 

They are not doing away with them on S class ships, but are reducing the port side a bit by adding suites.  Overall the Sky Lounge will still be there and still have magnificent forward viewing

[mafig]

Thank you.  I understand.  Like they did on Reflection.