Review: Eclipse Pacific Coastal Oct 1-8, 2023

[mizLORInj]

Hi all.  Seasoned cruisers here.   Had not ever sailed from west coast and wanted to do something different so we booked this cruise that covered 4 ports we'd never visited (along with one we had). More port-intensive than we usually like, but since we don't know when we'll do the west coast again, decided to get to as many new ports as possible in this one cruise.   Did a price re-check just before final payment and price went down $300 so our TA got us the adjustment.   

 

Solstice class (like Eclipse) is my favorite class of Celebrity ship.   

 

Arrived 2 days early into LAX and stayed in Santa Monica.   Had a great time exploring the area and the usual Hollywood tourist sites.  We had a rental car and got sticker shock at the gas pump--$6.50/gallon!   I'll keep NJ gas prices, thank you.

 

Sunday arrived and we headed to Long Beach.   Arrived right at our check-in appointment time, and after our document verification and security, onboard we went.  We each brought a bottle of wine and I had a couple little cans of Coke in my carry-on.   Maybe 15 minutes from arrival to being in our cabin to drop off carry-on and get room keys.  Liked the cabin itself with storage space, bathroom was a good size with plenty of storage and ample shower.   First ship I think I've been on that had a fixed shower head; not one that was removable and flexible.   And the metal toilet paper helmet--yuck.   So unsanitary.  Removed the TP roll from it so I didn't have to touch it.    Sink works out well for doing hand wash.  There is no line in the shower to hang clothes.   The vinyl couch with matching vinyl drapes is different.  Balcony was smaller than I hoped for in a SV (aft-view) but I knew this after viewing videos on line.  Some cruise ship aft-facing balconies are deeper, including the Beyond, but this was a standard depth although we chose one of the wider balconies due to a steward's closet next door.  Anyway, an attractively decorated and functional cabin and balcony.  Only once did we have soot but that is because of wind direction.

 

Cabin steward did a good job keeping our cabin clean.   I heard someone on our deck commenting that she never saw her steward, but we saw ours every day.   

 

Mustering is quick and easy.  Watch the videos, then go to your muster station and get your card scanned.  

 

We always found something we liked to eat so we don't have complaints about the food.  Oceanview had a nice variety although the later you go, the more dry and overdone the heated dishes get.   I do wish there were sinks to wash your hands there like newer ships have.   The ice cream and sorbet in the Oceanview buffet were usually good but the cinnamon got weirdly grainy at one point.   Guava sorbet--love it.  We also cashed in our perk of free scoop of gelato, and it was just ok and nothing I would pay extra for.   

 

We had select dining and usually ended up waiting in some kind of line to be seated.   The food was good although the portions are very small.  Lobster night I cut my tail into 5 pieces, and there was ONE small broccoli spear and maybe 1/3 cup of rice.   On a huge plate which made it all look even smaller.   I did hear a lady in the elevator saying she "can't stand the food" in any of the places, but we did not find this to be the case.    Even the burgers at Mast Grill were good.   The buffet at dinnertime was much better than Beyond's earlier this year.   More variety and more stations open, and more guests eating there.   

 

Toward the end of the cruise plastic cups and mugs seemed to be unavailable and buffet had paper cups in their place.   Also on the 6th day our cabin key no longer opened our door so we had to visit GS to give us new keys.   No idea what happened; our keys were not together anywhere and we did nothing different than on any other cruise.  

 

We sent a few items to ship's laundry and they were back the next day.   

 

We went to a few of the Theater shows like ROCK which was awesome if you like that music, and the Broadway show which was (obviously) mostly singing of popular Broadway tunes.   It was nice to see a live band for those shows, which seems to be a rarity on ships these days.    The comedian/magician was entertaining.  Various entertainment around the ship was good.  Activities person was very funny--forgot her name but she is from Chihuahua, Mexico, and talks about it all the time.  We won a trivia game.  I do think the main plaza area is a weird place for activities.

 

Lots of bars of course, and I noticed the Martini Bar pricing again has gone up.   When I was on Reflection in 2022 drinks were $13; Beyond in Feb 2023 they were $15 and $17, and now $17.   Got a drink at World Class bar and it was just ok.  I remember when that space was the Molecular Bar which was so great; so sorry Celebrity changed those out.   Sky Lounge had unique drinks that were good too.   Love that bright and sunny room.   Mast Bar served a red wine that was  warm which I thought was odd.   

 

There was an 80s party in the Sky Lounge one evening, and it began with a team game of Naming that Tune which was fun.

 

Bunch of times in port the TV channels were unavailable.   If you want to hear the announcements but not open your cabin door, put the tv on channel 1 or 21 and you'll hear the announcements.  We kept 21 on when arriving into port so we had a forward view.   

 

Pickleball court forward deck 14 by the basketball court.   There are also lounge chairs facing forward in this area.   We loved this spot for sailaway; we had it to ourselves most days. 

 

We attended several of the CC top tier events although now I just realized we totally forgot about the Mixology event.  Oops.   Went to it on Beyond and the cocktails were just ok, so I'm not too sad.   The backstage tour was very good--first time I've seen that offered on Celebrity as Elite level perk, and we enjoyed our guide who was one of the performers, Benji from Denmark, as he was entertaining.   We went to Tuscan for the breakfast one day and got seated in the second row of tables as all the window tables were full.   Then we sat there.  Another table next to us got filled.  And all of us just sat there.  Finally one lady spoke up and asked if we were going to get service.  Yet other members got seated at a vacated window table and the server was there immediately.   Not sure where their disconnect was or why we got such slow service.   We prefer the variety in the buffet so we did not go back to Tuscan after that.  The Sr. Officers event was good as was the Welcome event--both in the Sky Lounge with free drinks and light bites.   Priority tendering was great.  The wine tasting was just ok.  Concierge is located by Team Earth. 

 

Celebrity app did not work on Android phone the entire cruise.  Kept getting error messages.   iPhone had no issues with the Celebrity app.

 

Ports.

Santa Barbara was a tender port.   It was a beautiful day and we were on land by 9ish.   Took a wander along the waterfront.  I may have walked past Rob Lowe but realized it too late.   He had longish hair and mirrored aviator glasses on so I can't be sure, but he does live there so. . . I'll never know.   Walked out on the pier and wandered downtown for a few hours.  Found an excellent cocktails place.   Long line to get back on the ship but it moved.   Liked this stop.  

 

San Francisco we've been to a few times and the fog cleared just as we approached the Golden Gate bridge.  This time we decided to go to Alcatraz.   Bought tickets online and walked over to the pier.   It was an interesting tour on a nice sunny day.  Other fellow cruisers did this as well.   Also got some nice sunset pics of the City.  

 

Catalina Island.  Tender port but they use lifeboats and local ferry-type boats so it goes quickly.   Golf cart rental line was too long so we rented electric bikes instead.   Two hours was more than sufficient to see what was around.  Got some great ship pics.   Stopped for a cocktail, then headed back to the ship.   There is a nice beach area there.   Note that this was the only port we planned a ship-sponsored excursion due to the 40% off sale Celebrity had, but the day before Catalina we noticed that our OBC had increased and this was due to the refund for the excursion, and then we got the letter that the excursion was cancelled due to maintenance.   We rode bikes past the excursion area and they were indeed working on the ropes courses.   But Celebrity only told us this the day before?    If you want to rent a golf cart, wait till early afternoon when most have been returned and there is no line to get one.  Note that the 2 rental companies wanted payment in cash only.  $60/hour.   I think if we stop there again we'll look into doing wave runners.   

 

San Diego.   We did the hop on hop off trolley car and they were not sufficiently prepared for 2 ships and many riders for that day.   We bought tix online and then had to show them at a window to get the stickers to be able to board the 36 person trolley.  The ride was fun and we got a great tour and decided we'd stay onboard for the whole tour, then get off at Coronado later.  Well, lunchtime was approaching and our guide told us he was stopping at Old Town and breaking for lunch so we'd all have to get off the trolley and wait for the next one.  Which ended up being a 20 minute wait in the hot sun.   They needed to be better prepared for the # of passengers they'd have that day--when ships are in port.   As we stopped back at where the ships were, there was still a line to get on the trolley.   We stayed on and hopped off to wander around the Hotel Del Coronado and then took a trolley back to Balboa Park, but at that point I'd had enough trolley time so we took an Uber back to the ship.  It was a great way to see the city; it is just a long ride.   And the lunch stop delayed things too much.  When ships are in port, they need more trolleys.

 

Ensenada.  Fog fog everywhere.  It did clear up and got hot and sunny.   We stayed on the ship.   Got foggy again just around departure time.

 

Weather:   I was not sufficiently prepared for how cold it can get on Pacific evenings and wished I had a sweatshirt--even on the southern parts of the itinerary.  It was hot for the most part during the day, but the breeze always seemed cold.  The seas were mostly calm though, with a gentle roll here or there.   Be on the lookout for lots of sea life; we saw sea lions, dolphins, and even whales.   

 

While this ship shows its age with rust and a lot of wear and tear, sticky buildup on tables, scratched and gouged floors, furniture needing repair or replacement, it is still my favorite class of Celebrity ship.  We got a good deal on this cruise, so this was all ok.  If I paid top dollar, I would not have been happy.  

 

Sometimes people ask about age of passengers, and I would say this cruise was largely folks over 60.  

 

To depart we got into a short line on deck 5 a little after 7, we were off the ship by 7:15 and in an Uber at 7:35.  Of course the price to SNA had surged up $30 due to demand, but what can you do.  I guess we could've priced a taxi, but the few that were there were taken quickly and people were waiting for more. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[yoshi]

Thank you for the review, sounds like all-in-all it was a good cruise experience. Glad you had some nice weather (except for the fog).

Did you notice if they had any lectures like naturalists or interesting guest speakers?

[luvcdays]

Thanks for doing a review.  We were on also.this cruise also. How was your stateroom? We are also on the Oct 22, 2023 cruise.

Edited October 10, 2023 by luvcdays

[mizLORInj]

15 hours ago, yoshi said:

Thank you for the review, sounds like all-in-all it was a good cruise experience. Glad you had some nice weather (except for the fog).

Did you notice if they had any lectures like naturalists or interesting guest speakers?

I don't recall any, and just looked through the Daily papers and no mention of lectures.

 

Yes, all in all, very glad we went and enjoyed it a lot. 

 

[Oceangoer2]

3 hours ago, mizLORInj said:

I don't recall any, and just looked through the Daily papers and no mention of lectures.

 

Yes, all in all, very glad we went and enjoyed it a lot. 

 

The ship doesn't sound as if it's in very good shape.  Would you say your comments below apply mainly to your cabin, or was this evident throughout the ship.  Bathroom sounded grungy.  We ARE paying top $.

 

"While this ship shows its age with rust and a lot of wear and tear, sticky buildup on tables, scratched and gouged floors, furniture needing repair or replacement, it is still my favorite class of Celebrity ship.  We got a good deal on this cruise, so this was all ok.  If I paid top dollar, I would not have been happy. "

[mizLORInj]

1 hour ago, Oceangoer2 said:

The ship doesn't sound as if it's in very good shape.  Would you say your comments below apply mainly to your cabin, or was this evident throughout the ship.  Bathroom sounded grungy.  We ARE paying top $.

 

"While this ship shows its age with rust and a lot of wear and tear, sticky buildup on tables, scratched and gouged floors, furniture needing repair or replacement, it is still my favorite class of Celebrity ship.  We got a good deal on this cruise, so this was all ok.  If I paid top dollar, I would not have been happy. "

The bathroom and the cabin were in decent shape I think other than pinholes in the vinyl curtain and ripped tiebacks.   Our observations:  the balcony (and other public decks) full of rust and bumps where they painted over rust.  Our deck chairs were very worn; I've seen them new and this was nowhere near new.   When we'd sit in public places we noticed things like chairs that had wooden armrests needed stain/varnish.   Our balcony railings were nicely varnished; all the decks below us were not.   A couple windows in the Sky Lounge needed replacement.   Nothing looked new or refreshed.  Decking scratched and gauged here and there.   

 A "luxury" line, like they like to call themselves, performs better maintenance.    

[phoenix_dream]

2 hours ago, Oceangoer2 said:

The ship doesn't sound as if it's in very good shape.  Would you say your comments below apply mainly to your cabin, or was this evident throughout the ship.  Bathroom sounded grungy.  We ARE paying top $.

 

"While this ship shows its age with rust and a lot of wear and tear, sticky buildup on tables, scratched and gouged floors, furniture needing repair or replacement, it is still my favorite class of Celebrity ship.  We got a good deal on this cruise, so this was all ok.  If I paid top dollar, I would not have been happy. "

I'm on Eclipse now. I don't see a lot of rust or wear and tear anywhere. Our cabin has older furniture but overall in good shape. Some minor scratches and so forth but I'm definitely not seeing a lot anywhere onboard.  Overall service has been good.  We are in a suite and Luminae has been very good with great service. Lunch at the buffet is similar to what I've seen for years. Entertainment so far has been better than average.  Have not seen a production show yet so don't know about the singers and dancers. Overall so far so good.

[DaKahuna]

@mizLORInj  You commented

 

"Celebrity app did not work on Android phone the entire cruise.  Kept getting error messages.   iPhone had no issues with the Celebrity app."

 

Just so you are aware, it is a much reported fact that the Celebrity App no longer supports Android based devices.  it's been mentioned here on CC a number of times.  There have been posted work arounds but I would not look for Celebrity to address this issue anytime soon. 

 

 

Edited October 10, 2023 by DaKahuna

[boxkite]

mizLORlnj,

 

Thanks for providing your cruise review. My wife will be doing a similar cruise in November with her sister on Princesses.

 

I too miss the Molecular Bar!

[horseymike]

Thanks for a great review. Glad you enjoyed your cruise 🚢.

[mizLORInj]

39 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

@mizLORInj  You commented

 

"Celebrity app did not work on Android phone the entire cruise.  Kept getting error messages.   iPhone had no issues with the Celebrity app."

 

Just so you are aware, it is a much reported fact that the Celebrity App no longer supports Android based devices.  it's been mentioned here on CC a number of times.  There have been posted work arounds but I would not look for Celebrity to address this issue anytime soon. 

 

 

Interesting!  Yet it let him check in on the app and show boarding pass, and do the muster movies!  

[calicakes]

On 10/9/2023 at 3:26 PM, mizLORInj said:

 

Sunday arrived and we headed to Long Beach.

Confirming because we're on this ship on Oct 28th, did you leave from San Pedro or Long Beach?  We leave from San Pedro( which is adjacent to LB)

[mizLORInj]

1 hour ago, calicakes said:

Confirming because we're on this ship on Oct 28th, did you leave from San Pedro or Long Beach?  We leave from San Pedro( which is adjacent to LB)

 

Oh, right.   San Pedro.   Los Angeles Cruise Terminal Berth 93

[whitshel]

4 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

@mizLORInj  You commented

 

"Celebrity app did not work on Android phone the entire cruise.  Kept getting error messages.   iPhone had no issues with the Celebrity app."

 

Just so you are aware, it is a much reported fact that the Celebrity App no longer supports Android based devices.  it's been mentioned here on CC a number of times.  There have been posted work arounds but I would not look for Celebrity to address this issue anytime soon. 

 

 

I was on the same cruise and my Android worked great for the 1st few days then kept getting an orange error.  Uninstalled and reinstalled the app and it worked great again for the rest of the cruise.  

 

With Android holding 70% of the Worldwide market share and RCG so big internationally, I'm guessing the "Celebrity no longer supports Android" a false statement. 

 

I've been on this ship twice in 2 months, is it new and fresh?  Nope.  Is she in good shape?  yup!  Varnish is fading, some rust is forming, some furniture needs replacing but none that would make me question a sailing on this ship.

 

The food on the other hand has definitley seen a decline.  Taste, some decline, but the choices seem so limited now.  Only 1 or 2 apps other than the regulars.  Same with entrees, they dress up the everyday chicken and steak and make them like new entrees.

 

Solstice class is also my favorite class of any class of ship.

 

BTW, this is the Carnival Magic Pre-Covid Jan 2020.  I took pics at that time because I was in shock seeing the amt of rust on a sailing ship.  When we say rust, nothing like this 🙂 

 

[enfuego4cruising]

Thank you for your review. We were on the same sailing and had an overall very enjoyable experience. Agree with much of what you wrote about. Just to add on if I may, here are some of our observations and experiences:

 

This was only our second cruise with Celebrity (first in 2006). We are Diamond with RCI so we were able to enjoy Elite benefits while onboard the Eclipse. We are also Elite with Princess.

 

We were in a CC balcony, midship on deck 9. I mention the cabin location because the Premium Wi-Fi NEVER worked inside of our stateroom. It worked fine most of the time in the public spaces. Such as, when I was waiting in line to speak with tech support at the internet help desk. I visited them each of the first three days, and was told each time that a work order would be generated. Finally on day 4, after zero follow up from tech support, I went to customer service and was offered a full refund of my prepaid Wi-Fi package. As for the app, it worked fine on my Android phone, when I had a good wi-fi signal in the public spaces.

 

We found the buffet area a definite upgrade in terms of food quality and layout when compared to any current class of Princess ships. Also enjoyed the quality of the MDR food, but as has been mentioned, the selection and portioning was very underwhelming. We enjoyed two dinners at La Petit Chef. Each night was a different menu and "show". The second menu was on a formal night, so that menu included lobster and filet mignon. Both excellent. It didn't' hurt that our server dropped by with an additional lobster tail and filet. The Tuscan Grille was very hit and miss. An extensive menu and you could order anything and everything that you wanted. The big downfall was the 1/2' thick ribeye steak. Very disappointing. The filet mignon was also meh. Big thumps up however to the lemon cheesecake dessert paired with house-made limoncello.

 

We enjoyed our Elite happy hour drink benefit, but having to hurry though the two hour window (actually a one hour window when dinner is at 6) is not as enjoyable as the way RCI now serves their drink benefit.

 

A fully non-smoking casino!  What a plus. This should be mandatory throughout the industry.

 

Found the ship to be comfortable and in very good condition overall.  The crew was very friendly and helpful (except for the internet no-help desk). The Captain was very informative with his daily updates. It was also nice to see that a cruise line still puts out a quality daily newsletter. Very well designed and informational. I also now know which cruise line still has the nightly pillow chocolates. 

 

Cutbacks are obviously everywhere in the cruise industry, and we definitely noticed differences from our previous Celebrity experience (no Le Grand Buffet Magnifique, no midnight chocolate buffet) among other touches that once put Celebrity in a category above RCI, Princess, et all. 

 

Thanks again to the OP for initiating this thread.

 

 

[phoenix_dream]

On 10/10/2023 at 3:07 PM, DaKahuna said:

@mizLORInj  You commented

 

"Celebrity app did not work on Android phone the entire cruise.  Kept getting error messages.   iPhone had no issues with the Celebrity app."

 

Just so you are aware, it is a much reported fact that the Celebrity App no longer supports Android based devices.  it's been mentioned here on CC a number of times.  There have been posted work arounds but I would not look for Celebrity to address this issue anytime soon. 

 

 

DH and I have Android and no issues with the app - onboard Eclipse this week 

[DaKahuna]

My apologies, it is support on Android tablets not phones that is said to no longer be supported. 
 

Edited October 14, 2023 by DaKahuna