Jump to content

Eclipse, a Mediterranean Royal Suite Experience


chemmo
 Share

Recommended Posts

5am and wide awake in Barcelona!

 

No jet lag, we had an easy trip over from the U.K. the day before yesterday I am just excited! We will be boarding in 6 hours!

 

How nice it is that no matter how many cruises you do that anticipation of stepping on board and hearing your first sea pass ‘ting’ doesn’t wane....

 

As always we have flown in a few days prior to our cruise. Whilst we are only flight wise a few hours away we are not brave (or reckless?) enough to risk flying in same day. For those who followed our last adventure on the Reflection in March our strategy of always arriving early paid off when our flight was cancelled and then our luggage didn’t arrive with us. It was very refreshing to arrive here on schedule and with clean clothes to wear!

 

Barcelona is a city we have visited before so without the pressure of feeling the need to ‘see and do’ everything we have leisurely visited a couple of (very good) museums and had time to enjoy a few nice meals and soak up the ambiance of the city. We have stayed at the Crown Plaza, Fira and would recommend. It has some lovely suite rooms, a nice club lounge and a rooftop restaurant with fantastic views.

 

We have cruised Eclipse twice before from Southampton when I had some mobility issues and could not fly. The high service level and attention to detail on board made the cruises very memorable. I am a little more mobile now and looking forward to seeing some of our favourite ports including Valletta and Santorini again.

 

Our young adult son has squashed this cruise into his busy work and social schedule so the Royal Suite is ideal and works much better for enjoying some family time than booking two rooms. Whilst he rarely joins us on other holiday types he invariably joins us for our SKI (spend kids inheritance) cruises!

 

I will post our experiences from on board and will try to answer any questions you may have on Eclipse, the ports visited or the suite life experience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At the port at 11.30am, sipping champagne in Michael’s by midday. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch in Luminae and now we are all unpacked and enjoying a drink in the suite before muster...

 

Bar and room set up all sorted, Speciality Restaurants all booked as sent to the shore side concierge....the adventure begins.

 

Sincere thanks to all for the good wishes!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hope you have a wonderful time and looking forward to reading about your trip. Question for you, when you have more than two in a suite, do the additional people get all the same benefits ie premium drink package, wifi, obc?

Thanks!

 

In PH and RS where the perks ‘belong’ to the suite guests 3/4 get the premium drinks package, speciality dining, WiFi etc although no additional OBC. In other suites I think this could be different as the perks are usually but not always offered with the suite but not part of the suite package.....Hopefully someone else who knows more about perks for guests 3/4 in other suites will join the conversation....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chemmo,

 

Hoping you and your family have a wonderful cruise. :)

 

We feel ‘settled in’ already.....Whilst we always enjoy new experiences and variety getting on Eclipse today had something of a feel of ‘coming home’. Whilst most staff are new to us we felt touched that a few remembered us from last year, so nice...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have a wonderful cruise! We will be in a RS on silhouette in November. Did you fill out a butler/ preference request prior to your departure? Any trouble getting your desired specialty dining requests? We plan to do specialty dining every night.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bon voyage! I’m looking forward to reading about your experiences. We sail out of Barcelona on the Eclipse in November.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

We will look after her for you!

 

We have a family tradition now of always dining in Tuscan first night and watching the port fade into the distance as we order and then enjoy our first meal...Based on food and service tonight I would strongly recommend!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have a wonderful cruise! We will be in a RS on silhouette in November. Did you fill out a butler/ preference request prior to your departure? Any trouble getting your desired specialty dining requests? We plan to do specialty dining every night.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

The shoreside concierge will contact you about 10 days before departure. We email them a list of our dining preferences and times. Once on board we give a copy of this to the butler so he can check it has been actioned.

 

We have never had any problems getting our requests. I think issues can arise when suite guests don’t want to prebook but then expect Murano’s or Tuscan to have a table for them at a preferred time on a specific day.

 

We have once or twice wanted to modify our initial requests and have found the staff very accommodating. I think it generally helps all around if you start with a plan...

 

We base our plan on booking Tuscan on evenings where we are leaving a port just before or after 6ish. This makes the most of the stunning wake views. Murano’s we book on evenings where we have either had a relaxing sea day or a mild tour (a longer meal, you want to savour it...). Le Petit Chef we enjoyed on Reflection earlier this year. We plan on watching and giggling again at the antics but once per cruise is enough...

 

Hope you have a fantastic cruise in November!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The shoreside concierge will contact you about 10 days before departure. We email them a list of our dining preferences and times. Once on board we give a copy of this to the butler so he can check it has been actioned.

 

 

 

We have never had any problems getting our requests. I think issues can arise when suite guests don’t want to prebook but then expect Murano’s or Tuscan to have a table for them at a preferred time on a specific day.

 

 

 

We have once or twice wanted to modify our initial requests and have found the staff very accommodating. I think it generally helps all around if you start with a plan...

 

 

 

We base our plan on booking Tuscan on evenings where we are leaving a port just before or after 6ish. This makes the most of the stunning wake views. Murano’s we book on evenings where we have either had a relaxing sea day or a mild tour (a longer meal, you want to savour it...). Le Petit Chef we enjoyed on Reflection earlier this year. We plan on watching and giggling again at the antics but once per cruise is enough...

 

 

 

Hope you have a fantastic cruise in November!

 

 

 

Thanks so much!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chemmo if you find time can you post who is on ship ie cruise director captain michaels club concierge. We will be on ship in Nov just curious who is on. Thanks.

And if you're checking when they leave, can you check for the end of January?

 

And, if you're planning to dine in Luminae, I'd be curious both about the staff and if they serve an amuse bouche before dinner and a little sweet treat (ie, palette cleanser) before dessert (we had that on the Reflection, but not on the Equinox).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chemmo if you find time can you post who is on ship ie cruise director captain michaels club concierge. We will be on ship in Nov just curious who is on. Thanks.

 

Captain Leonardos Palaiokrassas

Staff Captain Christos Trifyllis

Hotel Director Jamie Petts

Cruise Director Alejandro Tortorelli

Food and Beverages Sheldon C. Martin

Executive Chef Javier De Jesus

Michael’s Concierge Bianca

 

It has just taken me ages to type these in as my iPad was desperately trying to autocorrect my spelling....it was quite insistent that the Staff Captain was a triffid and the Cruise Director became a pasta dish!

 

We know Captain Leo and Jamie from our previous cruises. We bumped into Jamie last night really nice to see him again.

 

Bianca is lovely....one of those infectious smiles and you know when she says ‘If there is anything I can do to help you....’ she means it!

 

I think several staff will be changing just before or after repositioning....if I find out any more during the cruise I will post.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

chemmo

 

Have a great cruise. I am thinking of you.

 

Thanks Sue,

 

Presently sat in the harbour in Palma enjoying the view. As we spent a week here in June in a countryside villa we are going to enjoy a quiet ship day!

 

Your advice about Barcelona airport came in handy. We contacted the airline and said we would need mobility help if the walk from gate to the exit was too far. They arranged a golf cart for us which worked out great! I think airports are becoming increasingly difficult for those of us who are somewhere between mobile and disabled. Certainly neither of us could have made that long walk. Thanks again for your advice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...