drakes2

I just got off the Eclipse last Saturday from an 11 night Hawaii cruise. Waited 2 hours 15 minutes in the MDR for our entree to arrive and when it did was lukewarm. They were extremely short staffed and clearly untrained. Running out of premium wines and trying to push basic wines thereby making even more of a profit. Sommeliers have absolutely no training whatsoever. I believe it was the first contract for many of them those who were on their second contract were much more efficient. Guest relations were no better. I took a Celebrity transfer from airport to pier and was charged more than quoted. When I complained I got all kinds of answers from guest relations until they realized it was a coding error and fixed it. Went from bad to worse. They didn't even know I could take out part of my refundable OBC as cash from my account Lady pointed to an ATM machine and said to get my money from there.

A lady at my dining table on Eclipse last week wanted to purchase 2 bottles of Elegance cab to take home. Sommelier quoted $40 per bottle. (I knew no way was that wine listed at $40 but didn't say anything). Couple days later she received message in cabin to say the cost was $70 each plus 20% gratuity. Some of these sommeliers are so ill informed its pathetic.

I purchase most of my wine in the vintage section but always wait for the markdowns at the end of the month usually between 20 to 30% off. Never had issues finding anything. Some stores have overstock and need to make room for new product. Not a bourbon or scotch drinker.

Yes the cruise was good. Our first stop was Hilo and should have been an overnight but due to barnacles on the hull we were at slower speed so added an extra sea day to the itinerary. In Hilo I did an independent excursion with a wonderful tour guide. It was a full day and saw many sights. Next stop Kona was booked through ship very expensive was Cloud forest nothing to rave about IMO spent a lot of time in the van followed by a visit to a coffee plantation. Overnighted in Lahaina did some shopping in the am, a catamaran cruise in the afternoon very well organized along the coastline with views of the Haleakala Volcano in the distance. Evening was Feast at Lele Luau booked independently about a 15 minute walk from tender. All stops were tendered apart from Kona. Since you are sailing in September take time to do some research as now that Hawaii has opened up there will be more excursions to choose from. Enjoy your cruise.

@Pinboywhen the Maitre D arrived all he said was I'm sorry I was busy at another section. Poor excuse IMO. Fortunately I had ordered a pasta dish that evening which was just lukewarm so they just zapped it and I had to eat quickly in order to make the 9 pm show. Service was better for the remainder of the cruise but still not great. The MDR hostess was excellent as was my cabin attendant but it appeared they were not new to Celebrity I think most of the MDR wait staff were on their first contract. No alternative wines were offered basically if they don't have much selection of premium wines you either downgrade or pay extra but God forbid they will do you no favors. Towards the end of the cruise they requested I give them a 10 star rating on the survey because if not they will take it from their paycheck. No Kidding. I was actually told that. Shocked!!!

For sure they can find a suitable replacement but they come with an upcharge and they won't serve it to you unless you pay the difference even if they run out of a couple of your favorite wines. I remember one afternoon at the casino bar waiting for our group to start a slot pull I asked for a glass of Villa Maria white which they did not have. Bartender offered me one from their basic package which I turned down. Well he found the Villa Maria just had to get it from another bar. Its either sheer laziness or lack of training, probably a little of both. Never experienced this type if service on any previous cruise.

If you want to drink a cocktail with dinner then yes but I was expecting some decent cabs as I enjoy a red wine with my meal I mostly ordered beef dishes either prime rib, beef wellington, short ribs, etc and some decent wine not high end but certainly not what they can and do purchase for much less than ten bucks a bottle. Some have stated they are having a supply chain issue and since covid can't seem to get the wines they carried pre 2019. We are almost half way through 2022 now so don't believe this to be true.

I called Celebrity directly to get the 10% Elite discount. I quite often frequented the World Class Bar while on the Eclipse. Not as busy as the Martini bar, therefore, seating was always available. They make some fantastic drinks with some unique ingredients. The El Don Julio was my favorite.

They seemed to have a decent variety of whites but one in particular which I enjoy during lunch that pairs well with seafood and chicken was a sauvignon blanc from NZ called Villa Maria. Whenever I requested it they had to run around to find it from a another bar or restaurant. Seems to be in high demand. My issue was offering a wine on the basic package when I made sure they knew I had paid for the premium package.

It really has nothing to do with upgrading to PVP. It's just me ranting about a cruise that did not offer a good overall experience to many of their guests, and yes, I heard a lot of complaints from others on various matters. A lack of decent wines was a major issue.

Just returned from an 11 night Hawaii cruise on the Ecliise. Included in cruise price was the basic drinks package covering all beverages up to $9 per drink. Since I'm mostly a cabernet wine drinker and enjoy better quality wines I decided to upgrade to the premium package which covers drinks up to $15. The first few nights I found some decent but not great and certainly not much of a variety of cabernets up to the limit included. By the fifth night I found the MDR had run out of the Decoy and was trying to substitute the cheaper wines such as Reservado from Chile. While its not a bad wine I didn't understand why the sommelier would not offer one of their better wines since they had such a limited selection to choose from. Wait tines in the MDR were long one evening we waited 2 hours and 15 minutes for our entree to appear. When we questioned the waiter he said they were short staffed and kitchen could not keep up. Maitre D was nowhere to be seen. I gave this cruise a rating of 3 out of 10, the best service I received was from my cabin steward. This was the first sailing for the Eclipse since March of 2020 and clearly they were nowhere near ready to sail. Food quality was mediocre and was served warm most evenings. Have done more than a dozen Celebrity cruises and this was the worst of them all.

Just returned from an 11 night Hawaii cruise on the Ecliise. Included in cruise price was the basic drinks package covering all beverages up to $9 per drink. Since I'm mostly a cabernet wine drinker and enjoy better quality wines I decided to upgrade to the premium package which covers drinks up to $15. The first few nights I found some decent but not great and certainly not much of a variety of cabernets up to the limit included. By the fifth night I found the MDR had run out of the Decoy and was trying to substitute the cheaper wines such as Reservado from Chile. While its not a bad wine I didn't understand why the sommelier would not offer one of their better wines since they had such a limited selection to choose from. Wait tines in the MDR were long one evening we waited 2 hours and 15 minutes for our entree to appear. When we questioned the waiter he said they were short staffed and kitchen could not keep up. Maitre D was nowhere to be seen. I gave this cruise a rating of 3 out of 10, the best service I received was from my cabin steward. This was the first sailing for the Eclipse since March of 2020 and clearly they were nowhere near ready to sail. Food quality was mediocre and was served warm most evenings. Have done more than a dozen Celebrity cruises and this was the worst of them all.