LIVE FROM Eclipse with video and photographs

[Host Anne]

Jo and Rob ~ it's become a nightly ritual to stop by this thread and see how your day was! I absolutely love your family photo in front of the leaning tower. A lifetime of wonderful memories. I think you should just stay on board and continue your wonderful reports.

 

ENJOY ROMA !!! Cannot wait to see the video!

[Moomintroll]

Jo & Rob - thank you so much for the fantastic posts, photos and videos! It's great to log on every day and see your latest update! Hope you're having a wonderful time, it sure looks like it!

[John73]

Great pics and vids! I have to ask, how did you 'capture' the Google images and the ship inline there? That's great to be able to see the ship's location for each of the videos.

 

Good job on keeping everyone updated. if only I had half your video and google maps skills I'd be happy to post updates when I get around to a Med/Venice cruise on Solstice

[scotslizzy]

Jo & Rob

 

 

Thanks soo much for posting your videos,they are fab.

 

One question. What is the music called .I was on a Proncess ship out of Venice and they played this piece and there was not a dry eye on the ship on the sailaway .

 

Thanks

 

Scotslizzy

[upwarduk]

staygulf

 

It was a US travel agents opinion, which was made in 2005.

There have been changes since, especially as there are more speciality restaurants to choose from on Solstice ships.

 

Here is a comparison which I made in 2006, when we were on Artemis ( now Artania -Phoenix Reisen)

"I was surprised that there was no salad course( Celebrity), but was very surprised when cheese & biscuits were served along with coffee & After 8 mints( or similar) + a selection of fruit.

2 Major +++ for P&O. "

 

 

More of my opinions can be found:

 

http://cruise.11.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=586

[Nonna and Papa]

Jo & Rob

 

 

Thanks soo much for posting your videos,they are fab.

 

One question. What is the music called .I was on a Proncess ship out of Venice and they played this piece and there was not a dry eye on the ship on the sailaway .

 

Thanks

 

Scotslizzy

 

I believe the music chosen for the video in Italy was "Time to say Goodbye", originally sung by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman. The chamber piece in an earlier video was Pachelbel's Canon in D, "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire". (They just happen to be two of my favorite pieces - that's why I know their names).:)

 

Jo and Rob, your postings are just wonderful, and so enjoyable to read and watch. Thank you for letting all of us share in your cruise and remember our own great memories.

 

Mary

[Lois R]

Technical question for anyone who has the answer. Everytime I click

on the link to see the video it stops and starts...all the way through:eek::(

Then when I replay it, it goes smooth as silk....is it something with my

laptop?:confused:.....it is really annoying not being able to see it correctly

the first time.

Thanks for any help:)

[Wine-O]

Technical question for anyone who has the answer. Everytime I click

on the link to see the video it stops and starts...all the way through:eek::(

Then when I replay it, it goes smooth as silk....is it something with my

laptop?:confused:.....it is really annoying not being able to see it correctly

the first time.

Thanks for any help:)

 

It's called "buffering." Click on the link. When the video starts, hit the stop button. At the bottom, you can see it moving as it is downloading the video, especially if you have a slow connection. Then click on the start button.

[stinsowm]

Joe and Rob...thank you thank you for shaing your tips, photos and great videos! I am extremely impressed with your attention to detail and your 2 children are just wonderful! I am sailing on the Eclipse in November and am following your daily updates as well!!

 

Walter

[nikel]

Jo & Rob

 

 

Thanks soo much for posting your videos,they are fab.

 

One question. What is the music called .I was on a Proncess ship out of Venice and they played this piece and there was not a dry eye on the ship on the sailaway .

 

Thanks

 

Scotslizzy

 

When we were on the Summit out of Venice, they played the same one "It's time to Say Goodbye" by Andrea Bocelli. Quite a few people including me were very teary eyed. It was the greatest sailaway of any cruise we have ever taken.

Jo and Rob - I love your reports, rush home every day to read what is next.

[TLCOhio]

I agree that the drinks prices on X are very high. I am not a big wine drinker so was only drinking wine by the glass which was around $9 which I suppose equates to around $45 per bottle. I dont agree that the food in the MDR is 5*+. More like 3 or 4* at best. All that mashed potato and pasta with everything is not my idea of a 5* culinery delight. Nevertheless, for the price the food is acceptable, just not as good or as well presented as on P&O which is silver service.

 

nikel: When we were on the Summit out of Venice' date=' they played the same one "It's time to Say Goodbye" by Andrea Bocelli.[/quote']

 

Agree with the view point on the Solstice/Celebrity MDR food being good to very good. It is not excellent or five star plus. Overall, from our first experience with Celebrity and the Solstice in June, it was a very good cruise. Great value and the Solstice and its sister ships are well designed and maintained. Great staff!

 

Appreciate the Bocelli song details. Have ordered that CD disc from our library and will add it to my iTune music library.

 

Where's the video today? Us "JUNKIES" need a fun, travel fix!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Just back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. These postings are now at 27,209 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[JWJs]

Wonderful live from reports, pics and videos. :)

[karpela]

I believe Jo said they had a very long day in Rome today. I have a feeling they will be too tired to entertain us all today!!

 

Jo and Rob we will all be thrilled to read your next post whenever you can make it. Please don't let it become a chore now you have all these fans! :D

 

Adele

[Jo and Rob]

 

Day 8 – Civitavecchia, Italy (Rome)

 

To see our latest day 8 video please click the link below

 

 

Thank you everyone for your kind comments. We eagerly log on too to see your responses. A special thank you to Staygulf and Terry and no Rob doesn’t do video work professionally but it is a hobby.

 

Staygulf, our stills camera is a Panasonic DMC FX700 point and shoot compact camera.

 

L751, I haven’t tried the smoothies yet, sounds like a job for tomorrow!

 

John73, Rob says when we get home he will post more details on how to capture google.

 

Scotslizzy, the music was an instrumental version of “Time to Say Goodbye” on the Pisa video.

 

Another fantastic day!! We booked “Glories of Gladiators” CV83 with Celebrity and a great time. Our coach took us (and 3 people who missed the previous sticker 15 coach) to Rome. The journey took about 90 minutes including a toilet stop at a service station. In Rome we were met by our guide who apologised for her dirty state of dress but she had just had a scooter accident! Talk about professional, she did a great job despite being clearly shaken and patched up from her crash.

 

Our tour started at the Colosseum where we were given a guided tour of the inside (unlike the other Celebrity tours which just went past the outside). The tour was very interesting and we were able to pass the huge queues of tourists and go straight in. From there our tour took us to the Roman forum for more sights and historical facts. We were escorted as a group to the Piazza Navona and then had about three hours free time for lunch and to explore independently.

 

Jo’s tip 34 – Beware of drinks prices as they can be more expensive than the food!

 

We needed to sit down and have lunch in the shade (it was 34 degrees C!!) so we chose a restaurant on Piazza Navona and shared a pizza for 11 euros, half a litre of water and a coke. It was a lovely lunch, provided a well earned rest in the shade with a fantastic view of the huge fountain and the whole bill only came to 19 euros and it provided excellent toilet facilities. Let’s face it with all the delicious food available on board we were not looking for a huge lunch just something to keep us going.

 

After lunch we headed for the Trevi fountain which was much larger and more spectacular than I imagined. The children loved the fountains and enjoyed a good cooling off in the water at the same time. Rome maps don’t seem to give you street names so finding your way is a bit of a challenge but at least the route back is quick as you know where you are going. We even had time to look inside the Pantheon so we really felt like we had an excellent taste of Rome. We finished off the day with an Italian ice-cream which provided a perfect end to a perfect day.

 

Jo’s tip 35 – instead of having ice-cream at lunch in a restaurant (from 8 euros) treat yourself to a well earned cone or tub at the end of the day over the counter (only 2 euros)

 

P&O Aurora and Ventura were also in port today. It was interesting to see as we drove past both ships that they just had the gangway to walk up with security as the welcome party. Celebrity gangway greeting is very different. There are trays of iced flannels which are given to everyone as they return (with tongs), complementary iced water and fruit punch in paper cups and even a sofa and a couple of arm chairs on the quayside! You are certainly made to feel more of a VIP with Celebrity when you return to the ship and we certainly appreciated the iced flannels.

 

We had an excellent show in the Eclipse Theatre for the second night running. Last night there was a comedian juggler who had us in stitches and tonight it was a ventriloquist who was a semi-finalist on Britain’s Got Talent in Susan Boyle’s year and again he had the theatre in fits of laughter. I hear the hypnotist was also good (although we didn’t go) so entertainment has definitely improved recently. I think having singers or acts including singing for the first five consecutive shows on a cruise is a mistake and they should try and spread out the variety acts more to break it up a bit.

 

I got a letter from the Shore Excursions manager, Diego Pelaez, tonight thanking me for my comments on the Aix-en-Provence trip from a couple of days ago. It said that they will send a copy of my comments to the Miami office and the tour operator. It then said having spoken to the tour escort on the bus (someone from kids’ club) “the tour was operated as described in the tour description and carried out in good faith by the tour operator”. That’s pretty rich as the “escort” seemed to be along for the ride and didn’t do anything. I thought she was going on a day off because she wanted to see Aix too and wouldn’t have even known she was on the trip if Oliver hadn’t said that Marissa from kids’ club was also on the trip. They obviously spoke to her and she wasn’t aware of the short comings.

 

Jo’s tip 36 – if you have a problem with a tour make sure you find out who the official Celebrity person is (if you have one, there was no one on our Gibraltar trip so we weren’t expecting one in Aix) and tell them your concerns.

 

I must admit I’m a bit narked by the response. What is the point informing Miami and the tour operator if Celebrity don’t think there was a problem? We have just had two fabulous trips which have both been the quality and standard we would hope for in a ship excursion. However, if we hadn’t pre-booked Pisa and Rome, the Aix trip could have seriously put us off booking future Celebrity trips which would have been a great loss of revenue to Celebrity, so it is short sighted in my opinion for them not to take such feedback more seriously.

 

Interestingly on P&O we had a problem with the free shuttle bus as the driver in Le Havre got lost! He had no idea where he was going and headed out of town at one point. The guest services desk apologised and gave us a free bottle of wine with our meal as compensation. I think P&O were extremely generous considering that was a free shuttle and it has certainly made Celebrity’s response all the more disappointing.

[Kiwis Afloat]

Hi Jo and Rob,

I just "hooked" onto your reviews yesterday and I must say, the first thing I thought when I logged on this morning was, "I must see if there is another?"

The videos are excellent -just the right balance of scenery, your charming family and a good length. Your written accounts are a great read too!

I am now a regular viewer.

Have a wonderful day.:):)

[staygulf]

In the light of your various posts regarding the Rome excursions on other threads earlier in the year, it is so nice to see that you had an enjoyable family day in Rome and that you got to see the Colliseum.

 

As regards the Aix excursion you will probably get a response from Miami along the lines of "Celebrity acts as agent for the tour company and as the tour went ahead as planned there is nothing Celebrity can do ". This is what happened to us in Haifa, Israel where over half of the travellers on our tour were not happy. Quite insulting, really, when you book the tour with Celebrity and do not contract with the tour company. Basically Celebrity are just adding on a commission to the tour company's price and don't accept any responsibility. Which is why I will continue to sail Celebrity but won't book any more of their (sorry, their tour companies) tours.

[Lois R]

It's called "buffering." Click on the link. When the video starts, hit the stop button. At the bottom, you can see it moving as it is downloading the video, especially if you have a slow connection. Then click on the start button.

 

Thanks for the reply. I will try it.

[TLCOhio]

We eagerly log on too to see your responses. A special thank you to Staygulf and Terry and no Rob doesn’t do video work professionally but it is a hobby. Jo’s tip 34 – Beware of drinks prices as they can be more expensive than the food! We needed to sit down and have lunch in the shade (it was 34 degrees C!!) so we chose a restaurant on Piazza Navona and shared a pizza for 11 euros, half a litre of water and a coke.

Jo’s tip 36 – if you have a problem with a tour make sure you find out who the official Celebrity person is (if you have one, there was no one on our Gibraltar trip so we weren’t expecting one in Aix) and tell them your concerns.

 

THANKS, Jo, for your continued great work and postings! YES, Rob, could be doing these things professional. He's doing very, very well with this "hobby".

 

Your two above tips #34 and #36 are very good. For us on the Solstice in June, the free ice tea and fruit punch worked well. The other drinks and their charges do start adding up fast, especially with a family of four.

 

Having been in Rome on June 10 with the Solstice, it was nice to see that you got to Piazza Navona and enjoyed this super scenic site so much. Lots of charm, history and beauty in Rome. Look forward to seeing what you do in Lisbon and your other port stops.

 

Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Just back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. These postings are now at 27,209 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Jo, I'm loving your journal of your trip. Your kids seem to be having a great time. Looking forward to Rob's tutorial on Google Earth and the ship when he's back on land with good bandwith!

 

I guess I'm not surprised at the response you got from the shore ex desk. I did not find the Eclipse staff to be at all responsive to anything when I was on board.

 

Here's what I did. When I returned home, I talked to my travel agent about the issues I had. She said to put it all in writing and she would forward it to her rep at Celebrity. Eventually I received a very thoughtful response from Celebrity Miami and they offered me a nice credit on a future cruise.

 

I really wasn't looking for financial compensation and I didn't ask for any (although it was nice of them to offer). I just wanted them to see that they had some problems that needed to be addressed. I really love cruising on Celebrity and want it always to be great.

[Lois R]

Hi Jo, also looking forward to your daily updates:)

 

So sorry about the lack of response from Celebrity concerning your

excursion:(. I had a couple of problems over the years and they

came through for me in a much more positive manner. (at least got

a % of credit back). My next suggestion would be to see the Hotel

Director. The Supervisors of all the departments report to him.

[suzzek]

Love, love, love all the videos, your children and the music that accompanies the videos! You are keeping so many people entertained as we await our next cruise!! Thank you sooo much!!

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Hi Jo, also looking forward to your daily updates:)

 

So sorry about the lack of response from Celebrity concerning your

excursion:(. I had a couple of problems over the years and they

came through for me in a much more positive manner. (at least got

a % of credit back). My next suggestion would be to see the Hotel

Director. The Supervisors of all the departments report to him.

 

Jo, that's a good suggestion to see the Hotel Director. Invite him to view your blog!

[upwarduk]

it has certainly made Celebrity’s response all the more disappointing

 

Jo,

You may be surprised; I made a complaint last year, re the glass cups in the metal holders, which spilt hot tea all over me( are they still in the cabins- I did suggest they were against "Health & Safety rules" & asked for mugs from the MDR)

 

Every other day ( at tea time) we were treated to canapees, flowers, wine etc etc

 

On the last day, I had a phone call from Customer Services informing me that I would be recieving a letter which I could use to claim "future Cruise" vouchers, which of course I did, hence our "splash out" on the Hawaiin cruise.

 

PS.

Loved the tour of the Colosseum, I have never been inside.

Edited August 7, 2011 by upwarduk
Adding information

[alonzo14]

Jo,

I absolutely love your review and videos. Your videos are very well put together and edited!! We appreciate the time you took from your vacation to do this! Your children are so charming!!! I hope the remainder of your vacation is fabulous! We are going on the Eclispe in December so this gives us something to look forward to until then! your tips are very helpful also.

 

I hope you will give us further details of your trip when you return!:)

[sddsddean]

Missed out on Rome when we there in 2008 due to illness (went and did the laundry in Civitavecchia instead...my, we know how to live!!:D), so it was great to see the vid. Regarding the Aix problem, apart from seeing the HD, if that doesn't work send an e mail to Celeb with your concerns when you return home and catch your breath...how are you finding time to upload all these vids etc?

 

Have fun

 

Simon