FlutePrayer

We are currently on the Eclipse in an Aqua Sky Suite that we got with a Move Up bid. It is magnificent. There is no comparison to the Prime Aqua Class stateroom we sailed on in October on the same ship. We would bid again in a heartbeat.

"Long Beach is sketchy to the point of feeling filthy and dangerous & I recommend avoiding it.  If you're in a hotel near a port (Long Beach or San Pedro), you should be fine."

I live and work in Long Beach. As with any large city, there are areas that certainly match your description. Having said that, there are many, many other beautiful areas of Long Beach including lovely parks, a truly outstanding Nature Center, lots of great restaurants, and many cultural events. I'm sorry your experience in Long Beach was unpleasant.
 

3 hours ago, CruisinShips said:

Silly question, I know, but the first time we ventured into the Solarium on the Eclipse, which I know so many people love (and we have enjoyed them on other ships), we encountered a very strong chlorine smell in the air.  So much so that we didn't stick around.  I'm pretty sure the pools are salt water, so I guess it must have to do with some periodic cleaning process?

 

Has anyone else experienced this?  And no, I am not one who is overly sensitive to smells.

I did notice this on our October 8 cruise and avoided the area because of it. We're on again in less than 2 weeks. Here's hoping it has been sorted out.

2 hours ago, Presd said:

Good for you!  Was that $1525 per person?  My upcoming bid from an Aqua suite to an Aqua sky suite is considered “fair”.  Wonder if I should downgrade my bid.  Lots of Aqua sky suite available 

I bid on the same thing - $25pp above the minimum - and won the bid. We are excited!

We put ours out before dinner and it was picked right up.

3 minutes ago, Spudd said:

I'm on Eclipse right now and there are chocolates every night. 

We got ours every night on the Eclipse a few weeks ago as well.

On 9/18/2023 at 11:21 AM, FlutePrayer said:

Ship: Eclipse

Length of Cruise: 6 nights

Cruise Sail Date: December 1, 2023

Date email offer received: 9/18/23

Captain’s Club Tier: Classic

Booked through Celebrity Direct OR via TA: Celebrity Direct, moved to TA

Current Cabin: Prime Aqua Class

Bid? Yes/No: Yes

If YES - Bidding Details:

 

Minimum bids:

Sky Suite: $300pp

Sunset Sky Suite: $350pp

AquaClass Sky Suite: $400pp

Celebrity Suite: $950pp

Royal Suite: $1100pp

 

Cabin Category:

Bid Offer: AquaClass Sky Suite $450pp

Notification Date: November 1, 2023

Accepted / Rejected: Accepted

General Comments:

We're only interested in an AquaClass Sky Suite. We've already got a great cabin. Here's hoping!

 

 

We lowered our initial bid from $450 to $425pp. Our offer froze and showed pending last week. We were notified today that our bid was accepted, and we have our new cabin assignment. We are thrilled.

28 minutes ago, CulverCityCruisers said:

I too met with the Hotel Director o Eclipse regarding issues we had on the same cruise and found him to be far from concerned or really interested in "real" issues that we had.  Never dealt with someone at that level who really didn't seem all that interested in passengers happiness

We found the same attitude on our recent Eclipse sailing. There seemed to be a noticable coldness in upper management.

On the other hand, while I was on board I saw some delicious looking desserts posted on Celebrity's Instagram story - a hot chocolate chip cookie in a pan topped with ice cream and some profiteroles. I comment on the story saying that I hadn't seen anything like that on our sailing. I got an instant DM response from Celebrity. They said the cookie wasn't available on our ship (it was in an upcharge restaurant on Edge class ships) and weren't sure about the other. They emailed Eclipse guest services. Guest services called me and we had a pleasant chat with an apology. Several hours later, the maitre d from Blu (who we didn't ever see in person) called and asked if we would be dining with them. When I said no, he sent up 4 "Profiteroles". The dessert game is not strong on Celebrity and even I, a complete dessert lover, didn't find them edible. It's the thought that counts, however, and I was impressed with the Instagram side of things.

Unfortunately, on our sailing on the Eclipse last week, the Spa Cafe was closed on Day 1.

We were on the Eclipse on deck 11 Oct 8-15 with Premium WiFi. There was no WiFi at all on the balcony. The WiFi in the cabin was slow and sporadic. When we were in Port, our regular phone data worked on the balcony but not in the cabin. When we were on the Coral Princess in 2019, we could easily stream with our WiFi package. We were surprised, therefore, by the poor WiFi on the Eclipse, our first Celebrity sailing.

Ship: Eclipse

Length of Cruise: 6 nights

Cruise Sail Date: December 1, 2023

Date email offer received: 9/18/23

Captain’s Club Tier [“PREVIEW” = first Celebrity Cruise]: Classic

Booked through Celebrity Direct OR via TA: Celebrity Direct, moved to TA

Current Cabin: Prime Aqua Class

Bid? Yes/No: Yes

If YES - Bidding Details:

Minimum bids:

Sky Suite: $300pp

Sunset Sky Suite: $350pp

AquaClass Sky Suite: $400pp

Celebrity Suite: $950pp

Royal Suite: $1100pp

Cabin Category: place winning category, if accepted (all category offers, can be mentioned in comments)

Bid Offer: AquaClass Sky Suite $450pp

Notification Date:

Accepted / Rejected

General Comments (offer details, etc.)

We're only interested in an AquaClass Sky Suite. We've already got a great cabin. Here's hoping!

The Hotel Maya is lovely. Having said that, the hospitality workers are currently on strike and the picket lines are quite noisy. It might be good to check on that before a stay.

47 minutes ago, Hobbes67 said:

If I were just coming in for the night I would keep my reservations at Hampton Inn.  Lots of places to eat and it is not an unsafe area.  We never go downtown anymore, including the convention center area with crime etc.

I live here and I agree. 

I live 2 miles south of The Hampton Inn, and stayed in it when our house was being fumigated. It is fairly new in a very safe area. All of the construction around LBX - the Long Beach Exchange - is new, with several space companies as tenants. I wouldn't hesitate to stay there or at the Courtyard by Marriott across the street.

A recent development is a strike of the hospitality workers at The Hotel Maya. You might want to avoid their noisy protests.

As mentioned before, depending on which conventions or events are happening Downtown, the prices can be staggering. Until recently I worked across the street from the Renaissance Hotel and will let you know that the homeless situation can be a challenge. Downtown, especially around Ocean Blvd and the Aquarium, is beautiful, but can be "interesting". If you're not interested in sightseeing around Downtown, I'd recommend sticking with the Hampton Inn. Happy cruising!

3 minutes ago, NantahalaCruiser said:

When I was last on Celebrity - 3 years ago - II Bacio in the Oceanview Cafe did not offer all of the premium coffees that were available at Al Bacio - probably only 4 or 5 of the most regularly ordered coffees along with some tea.

This is very helpful. Thank you!

56 minutes ago, Random Cruizer said:

It's only drinks, have no idea why they called it the second Bacio...very misleading, even with the pastry Buffett next door.

That's what I was wondering about. Thank you for your help with this.

We will be cruising with Celebrity for the first time in October and are really looking forward to it. We enjoy daily premium coffee(s). Could someone please compare and contrast Il Secondo Bacio and Café Al Bacio? Aside from the location, how are they different? How are they the same? Thank you for your help with this!

On 7/8/2023 at 8:49 AM, jsmariner said:

We notified guest services via email (special_needs@celebrity.com) prior to the cruise. The extension cord and distilled water were already sitting in the corner of the room when we got there to drop off our carry-ons. Our room steward offered to tape down the extension cord, but we brought along hook magnets and strung it across the ceiling from the vanity to the bedside table. We found that worked out well as it made it easier for our steward to clean and vacuum and none of us had to worry about tripping over it.

This is a brilliant solution! Thank you very much for sharing it. 😀

We will be staying on the ship for our upcoming 7 night cruise to familiar ports. As others have said, the ship is our destination, and we are introverts. 🙂

My DH really enjoys cruising but is quite uncomfortable flying. We live very close to the Port of Los Angeles and always keep our eyes on departures from the World Cruise Center. We have done the Mexican Riviera and aren't interested in that again. We booked a Pacific Coast cruise, our first with Celebrity, a few months ago after the Princess cruise we had our eye on was wait listed in our preferred category. We are so pleased with what we've heard about X that we booked the 6 night Cabo cruise a few weeks later as well. We are looking forward to them both.

2 hours ago, bcrace said:

Has anyone received their PUP for the May Webinar?  Just checked, and they aren’t showing for me.

No. I'm glad I'm not alone!

We got them on the Coral in September.