Eclipse Review - March 2011/our 1st Celebrity Cruise

[ds521]

Although this was our 12th cruise after sailing with RCCL, Carnival, Princess, and NCL, this was our first Celebrity Cruise. We read many reviews about the Eclipse and it sounded like a sure bet that this ship was a winner. We left the frigid cold of the north and departed from Cleveland the day before the cruise departure of March 5th. We arrived in FLL and booked SAS transportation for the transfers to Miami. SAS was there promptly and for $13 pp you just couldn’t beat it.

 

We bid for our hotel on Priceline and got the Windham Garden Hotel in South Beach. We read many mixed reviews on this hotel once we won the bid—there aren’t many deals to be had out there for that time of the year so we resigned ourselves to the fact that we were only going to be there one night and we could survive anything for a night. Honestly, some of the reviews were terrible and to be honest, this hotel is not that bad at all. It’s in a great location, the rooms are clean—yes, they’re small, but if you know anything about South Beach you understand how long ago these hotels were built. Typical hotel rooms back in the 50s were small, no large beds, extra furniture or anything like that. The elevator is old—reminds me of some of the ones we’ve been in when visiting Europe, but it worked. The air conditioning worked in all 3 rooms so that was not a problem. This hotel has been updated so I was surprised to see that it wasn’t falling down around our ears as some of the reviewers would have you believe. And it had a lovely pool/sitting area outside which was pretty private with all of the trees, etc. The best feature of this hotel though has to be the location—it’s only 2 blocks from the beach, lots of great restaurants, bars, shops nearby. The worst feature that I can think of is that some of the rooms are a bit noisy at night so you might want to ask for a room away from the street side. If you have $400 or $500 for a one night’s stay, then spend it on another hotel, but for this price in South Beach, you can’t beat it.

 

We took a van cab the next morning to the pier and it ran about $10 pp. We arrived at the port at approx. 11:20 and it took about 45 minutes to actually get on the ship. We brought 2 bottles of wine and were able to bring them on board & into our cabin without a problem. However, I had a travel iron—something I always bring on cruises—but it was confiscated before I boarded because of the risk of fire. This would make more sense to me if they had a rule banning curling irons, flat irons, etc.—they pose the same dangers. I just see this as a way to force you to pay for their laundry services, but it’s not that big of a deal—just a warning to anyone out there who depends on an iron when they’re on a cruise. Iron your clothes before you pack and pack them carefully.

 

Our first impression of this ship is that it’s very pretty, but none of the 6 in our party felt that the décor equaled what we’ve come to expect on most cruise ships. Since we normally cruise on RCCL ships, we expected to see similar décor but that’s not what this ship is like at all. It is VERY understated—very contemporary, and in some cases I would go as far as to say it can leave you cold.

 

Our cabin was 9200 and it was very nice. I really liked the lay out of the cabins—even though at first it appears that you don’t have the drawer space that RCCL offers, but there is a huge storage cabinet above the bed that takes care of any extras that need to be stowed away. The bed was comfortable and roomy, and the cabin was really pretty quiet at night. The balcony furniture is a step up from what we’ve had on other cruises so that was a nice surprise. Our room was always cleaned and stocked with towels, lotions, etc.—we never had to ask for a thing.

 

There are two features of this ship that we felt were just a bit above RCCL ships: the food, especially in the buffet on deck 14 AND the service overall. All 6 of us in our group felt that Celebrity falls short in the area of entertainment and the overall décor on the ship. There’s just not as much going on as you find on RCCL ships and the rest of them. The entertainment they have is good—we especially liked the Asian group that performed in the Centrum lobby and poolside. They were so talented and everyone seemed to really enjoy them. The problem seemed to be that there was not enough of a variety of entertainment going on at any one time. On RCCL you’ll find live entertainment at a variety of places throughout the ship at most times of the day. We really missed shows like the Newlywed Game, etc. And we felt that the 10:45—11:00 PM showtime in the theater was really kind of late for us. Plus we just didn’t feel like the acts were as professional as what we’ve enjoyed on other ships. Our groups age range is 57—65. I guess it should have been a hint as to what to expect when we saw that glass blowing was considered part of their entertainment.

 

One of the highlights of our cruise experience was our wait staff in the main dining room. We sat at table 510 every night even though we chose their select dining plan. Our waiter was Nengah and Numba was our assistant waiter (probably not spelled correctly). They and the rest of the staff were absolutely fantastic, along with the hostess and head waiter. Each one of them bent over backward to please us and we so appreciate all they did to make our dining experience enjoyable every night.

 

Even though my husband and I had already been to most of the ports on this cruise, we did enjoy the stops and really enjoyed our first visit to Roatan in Honduras. Our first stop was Georgetown, Grand Cayman, and we took a cab once at the port for only $4 to Paradise Beach. This was a very nice beach but it was expensive to use their chairs and umbrellas. We hadn’t been to the Cayman’s since the hurricane went through and it’s sad to see how it’s affected this island. They still are suffering the affects of the hurricane and because they don’t have a pier, many cruise lines won’t put them back on their itineraries. Our 2nd stop was Cozumel and we took a cab to a beach there. We were a bit disappointed in Cozumel—the water wasn’t nearly as clear and as beautiful as we remembered, and it seemed littered also. Costa Maya was our next stop and we enjoyed our stay there. The seas were rocky when we headed into their port though and it wasn’t easy for the captain to dock but he did it. As it turned out, Eclipse was the only ship to dock that day in Costa Maya. One of RCCLs mega ships attempted but hit the pier and did some damage—all of the other ships turned away and left. We took a bus into Mahujual for $3 and parked ourselves on the beach at the Green Iguana. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed our time there. We walked a bit down the beach to find $15 massages for an hour—and wow, were they great. We were right on the beach with the waves breaking only a few feet away and let me tell you, these women know what they’re doing. It’s the cheapest massage and one of the best we’ve ever had. Roatan was a nice surprise—it’s such a beautiful island and we thoroughly enjoyed the beach we visited for the day. For $20 we took a tour of the island and then were dropped off at the beach to spend a few hours. We did this on our own once we docked.

 

Debarkation was a little chaotic—there were no signs of the crew there to help control the lines or the crowds of people waiting to get off the ship. The ship arrives back in Miami pretty early and it seems like quite a few people were off the ship before 8 AM, so I think catching an earlier flight can be considered. We never wanted to take a chance on flights leaving before noon, but the last few cruises we’ve been on would’ve allowed for earlier flights without question. Unfortunately, our flight didn’t depart from FLL until 7:30 PM so we decided to rent a car from Alamo for $45 total for the entire day. We had a nice day, spent some time at Bayside and had lunch there, and did some sightseeing in Ft. Lauderdale before heading to the airport.

 

All in all we had a nice trip, and definitely enjoyed getting away from the brutal Ohio winter. I don’t know if we’d sail Celebrity again—at least not until we’re maybe 20 years older. We just found it a bit boring. BUT the service is great and the food was very good. Hope this helps anyone out there planning a cruise. These are just our opinions and we in no way want to offend anyone, but I know how much I value honest opinions when we’re planning vacations so that was my goal when I wrote it.

[Lois R]

Hi, thanks for the review.:) No offense taken....you posted your experience:)

 

You said they took your travel iron~that has always been a no-no on

Celebrity.

Sorry the decor was not to your liking but glad you found good service.

 

One question, what age group are ya'll in? Just curious when you say

you might sail Celebrity again in 20 years? I guess we folks in our mid

50s must be really old:eek:

 

As for the glass blowing show? I think it is fabulous:)...sorry ya'll were bored.

[shanebbb]

..good review. We're on the Eclipse the week after next.

 

One question, post-cruise, did you rent from Alamo at the airport? We also have a 7:30 PM from FLL and that car for the day sounds terrific.

[jratly]

Now I'm scared that we may have made a mistake.

 

We just booked our first Celebrity cruise on the Eclipse two weeks from tomorrow after many RCCL cruises and worry about the nothing going on you describe.

 

I guess we will find out...

[alj1208]

We were on the same cruise, and we felt the stylish, understated decor and vibe are among the ship's best assets. The service was over-the-top. I appreciate OP's candid opinion, but we loved the Eclipse and the fact that everything was so tasteful and not overdone.

[portofrome]

Thanks for the review.

[Whippets]

jratly, I assume you are sailing with us on Eclipse April 9th. Come on over to the roll call thread and join in. I am certain we will have a good time!

[Lois R]

Now I'm scared that we may have made a mistake.

 

We just booked our first Celebrity cruise on the Eclipse two weeks from tomorrow after many RCCL cruises and worry about the nothing going on you describe.

 

I guess we will find out...

 

Hi, please don't be scared:eek:....why not take a peek over at all the

folks who posted their review on the review forum.:) Everyone has

different experiences. On the first page there are 26 reviews...6 gave

5star+, 20 gave 5 stars, and 1 gave a 4 star. Looks like the % of folks

loved their cruise:D

[busyvj2]

Well...I read this as well - and thought???? Fun is what you make it - I'm sure there is somewhere to dance at night, right? A couple of margaritas and a band and we're good to go - I'm sure there are others who feel the same.

 

Other cruiselines offer rock climbing walls and wet t-shirt contests, not my idea of fun.

 

We're mid 40's - having more fun than ever!!!!!

 

April 9th Eclipse - I gotta feelin' people!

[ds521]

Our ages range from 57 - 65 so we definitely were not the younger set on the ship, we've just grown accustomed to having more variety in entertainment on our cruises.

[ds521]

..good review. We're on the Eclipse the week after next.

 

One question, post-cruise, did you rent from Alamo at the airport? We also have a 7:30 PM from FLL and that car for the day sounds terrific.

 

 

They picked us up at the pier and we had to back to MIA for the car. It didn't take long though. I do think they have an agency close to the pier but they were booked up so they took us to the airport instead. Yeah, for the price it wasn't bad at all, and at least we weren't hanging out at the airport all day long.

[ds521]

Now I'm scared that we may have made a mistake.

 

We just booked our first Celebrity cruise on the Eclipse two weeks from tomorrow after many RCCL cruises and worry about the nothing going on you describe.

 

I guess we will find out...

 

 

I'm sure you'll have a good time - we all have different expectations when it comes to vacations, and you may find this to be one of your best vacations - who knows? Go with an open mind like we did. There are several things we liked just as well as RCCL and a few things even better. Can't wait to hear about your cruise after you return ;-)

[PM Cruisers]

We were on the Solstice last year and will be on the 4-9 Eclipse cruise. (44 and 48) We've been on RCCl, Carnival, Princess and NCL and prefer to cruise on Celebrity due to the service and overall relaxing atmosphere. I've never felt bored on a Celebrity ship...lots to do but not overwhelming. Great cabins, food etc. I can't wait!

[jratly]

We'll have a good time - it's a cruise after all!

 

My concern based on not just this review, but also others, is that maybe we won't enjoy it as much as we would have on another RCL cruise.

 

But, we decided to try Celebrity as a change of pace so we knew we were getting something different going into this. Hopefully, it will be good in its own way and we'll just have more choices in the future.

 

Looking forward to a good time!

[Woobstr112G]

Thanks for taking your time to post your thoughts on your cruise. You're not offending anyone with your honest and well stated observations. Fair Winds and A Following Sea with whomever you choose for your next cruise.....:):):)

 

Bob

[VacationsRme]

We sailed Eclipse on March 12th. We thought the ship was beautiful. We took our daughter for her 16 th birthday. We were all bored. The weather may have played a big part in that. Three sea days with nothing to do but sit in the shade with your towel covering you because you were cold. Chair hogs were worse than any ship I have ever been on. The food was great and service even better. We enjoyed our room. Great cruise to chill, but not much to do. Don't take kids!!!

[New Hampshire]

We were on the same March 5 sailing as the OP. We found the demographic to be very diverse, from many young families to seniors, with lots in the 45-60 range. I thought it was a very lively, happy group of passengers. I found the entertainment to be great, better than it's been on Celebrity in recent years. I have sailed on all the S-class ships and find them to be beautiful and elegant as far as decor. We haven't sailed on any other line for a long time, except for one sailing on RCCL in 2006. That fell so far below our Celebrity experiences in every aspect of the cruise that we haven't been tempted to leave Celebrity again.

[KirkNC]

Glad you had a good cruise, thanks for the review.

 

Kirk

[gelo7]

Thanks, this was a very helpful and insightful review.

[ds521]

Well...I read this as well - and thought???? Fun is what you make it - I'm sure there is somewhere to dance at night, right? A couple of margaritas and a band and we're good to go - I'm sure there are others who feel the same.

 

Other cruiselines offer rock climbing walls and wet t-shirt contests, not my idea of fun.

 

We're mid 40's - having more fun than ever!!!!!

 

April 9th Eclipse - I gotta feelin' people!

 

 

For some people, I guess some music and a couple margaritas would provide all the entertainment they need. I wish I could get my husband out on a dance floor - as I'm sure many women would tell you the same thing, but I think when you are planning the entertainment programs for nearly 3,000 people you do have to take all of this into consideration. And even if our husbands danced, 7 days and nights of the same thing (or worse) can get boring, and it did.

 

All I was saying is that Celebrity needs to design entertainment for more than those who are happy with a couple drinks and a band, or who think of glass blowing as entertaiment. Those of us who have become accustomed to a huge variety of forms of entertainment (think of RCCL QUEST, Newlywed Game, Ice Skating shows or Idol games and the many other types of adult and family entertainment) can get bored with the few choices that Celebrity offers. And from several of the reviews I've seen, many others feel the same way. And I would have to say that if all Celebrity offered was wet tee shirt or sexy leg contests, I'd be disappointed in that as well. It's the variety that's needed that would appeal to the nearly 3,000 passengers on the Eclipse.

[sharpieADL]

Well...I read this as well - and thought???? Fun is what you make it - I'm sure there is somewhere to dance at night, right? A couple of margaritas and a band and we're good to go - I'm sure there are others who feel the same.

 

Other cruiselines offer rock climbing walls and wet t-shirt contests, not my idea of fun.

 

We're mid 40's - having more fun than ever!!!!!

 

April 9th Eclipse - I gotta feelin' people!

I'm feelin' your feelin' too. We're on the same cruise April 9th, and plan to have the best time ever.

[Vol fan]

I'm feelin' your feelin' too. We're on the same cruise April 9th, and plan to have the best time ever.

 

We're going to have a great time on the Eclipse, you Total Eclipsers! I remember there was a 50's night, a 60's night and a 70's and 80's night on the Solstice last year. We had a great time dancing to that oldies music. Different strokes for different folks!

Carole

[Vol fan]

We were on the Solstice last year and will be on the 4-9 Eclipse cruise. (44 and 48) We've been on RCCl, Carnival, Princess and NCL and prefer to cruise on Celebrity due to the service and overall relaxing atmosphere. I've never felt bored on a Celebrity ship...lots to do but not overwhelming. Great cabins, food etc. I can't wait!

 

If you are interested, come on over to the Roll Call for the April 9th cruise. Here is the link:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1206636

 

We have 106 people signed up for the Connections Party onboard.

Carole

[Vol fan]

Now I'm scared that we may have made a mistake.

 

We just booked our first Celebrity cruise on the Eclipse two weeks from tomorrow after many RCCL cruises and worry about the nothing going on you describe.

 

I guess we will find out...

 

If you are interested, come on over to the Roll Call for the April 9 Eclipse sailing. Here is the link:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1206636

 

Carole

[Vol fan]

Do you recall how many nights there was Karaoke?

Thanks,