Celebrity Eclipse

[Trialawyer]

I suspect it must have been something to do with where your cabin was. We spent 22 nights in 1633 and 14 in 1632 and had no issues with the water pressure level.

 

Agreed. By remarkable coincidence we were also in cabin 1633 and it was perfect. It's interesting how people's experiences and perceptions can sometimes differ. I read a review from a passenger on my same cruise in cabin 1627 who complained that he was unable to sleep for two weeks because of what he described as "loud banging noises." Unless the banging was maybe coming from a honeymooning couple in the cabin next to his, we did not detect any disturbances whatsoever to interfere with our comfort a scant three cabins from his.

[Gordoncruickshank]

Agreed. By remarkable coincidence we were also in cabin 1633 and it was perfect. It's interesting how people's experiences and perceptions can sometimes differ. I read a review from a passenger on my same cruise in cabin 1627 who complained that he was unable to sleep for two weeks because of what he described as "loud banging noises." Unless the banging was maybe coming from a honeymooning couple in the cabin next to his, we did not detect any disturbances whatsoever to interfere with our comfort a scant three cabins from his.

 

I have to say that we found that 1632 was much noisier as there is a door used by the staff right across the corridor which bangs regularly (which is a shame as I had already booked that cabin for next February.

[Cruising89143]

Thanks for your review. We have the Eclipse booked for next year. Do you recall the number of formal nights on board? We love to eat most of our meals in specialty dining with Qsine being our favorite. It will be hard to schedule the reservations on this long cruise not knowing the show times each evening.

 

Also, how was the entertainment if I may ask in the main show lounge?

[Trialawyer]

Thanks for your review. We have the Eclipse booked for next year. Do you recall the number of formal nights on board? We love to eat most of our meals in specialty dining with Qsine being our favorite. It will be hard to schedule the reservations on this long cruise not knowing the show times each evening.

 

Also, how was the entertainment if I may ask in the main show lounge?

 

Thanks for your post. There were three formal nights during our two week cruise. The first was the second night, the second was the second Saturday and the final was the night before the last night. Showtimes were posted daily in the handy Celebrity Today publication. The shows in the theater were usually at 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm, although twice they were at 8:30 pm and 10:45 pm. My advice is to remain flexible. You can always make your dinner reservations after you determine which showtime suits you or even if the show appeals to you.

 

Frankly, in the highly subjective area of entertainment, I did not consider the quality on the Eclipse to match Celebrity's superb accomplishments in the food and service categories. In my opinion, the theatrical productions were standard for a cruise ship, but in a very competitive market that can be taken as a compliment. The singers and dancers on the Eclipse were energetic, their costumes were colorful and the show tunes were toe-tappers. I would be disappointed if I'd paid $100 or more per ticket to see them on Broadway, but as part of my cruise fare they were perfectly fine for an evening's entertainment. The other theatrical acts were hit or miss for me. I like magicians and comedians, and there was a combination of both in a performer from the UK I thought was outstanding. On the other hand, there was a ventriloquist whose biggest laugh of the night came at my expense when he took a verbal shot at me for leaving his performance early. I should add that my wife disagrees with my negative assessments. She went to and enjoyed each and every show. I should also add that the entertainers on your cruise may, and most likely will, differ from mine. The entertainers rotate from ship to ship at each port of call.

[MarGG]

Thanks for your post. There were three formal nights during our two week cruise. The first was the second night, the second was the second Saturday and the final was the night before the last night. Showtimes were posted daily in the handy Celebrity Today publication. The shows in the theater were usually at 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm, although twice they were at 8:30 pm and 10:45 pm. My advice is to remain flexible. You can always make your dinner reservations after you determine which showtime suits you or even if the show appeals to you.

 

Frankly, in the highly subjective area of entertainment, I did not consider the quality on the Eclipse to match Celebrity's superb accomplishments in the food and service categories. In my opinion, the theatrical productions were standard for a cruise ship, but in a very competitive market that can be taken as a compliment. The singers and dancers on the Eclipse were energetic, their costumes were colorful and the show tunes were toe-tappers. I would be disappointed if I'd paid $100 or more per ticket to see them on Broadway, but as part of my cruise fare they were perfectly fine for an evening's entertainment. The other theatrical acts were hit or miss for me. I like magicians and comedians, and there was a combination of both in a performer from the UK I thought was outstanding. On the other hand, there was a ventriloquist whose biggest laugh of the night came at my expense when he took a verbal shot at me for leaving his performance early. I should add that my wife disagrees with my negative assessments. She went to and enjoyed each and every show. I should also add that the entertainers on your cruise may, and most likely will, differ from mine. The entertainers rotate from ship to ship at each port of call.

 

Does the ship have actors as part of the crew - or would they invite some local performers in different ports? And what kind of show would there be usually?

[Cruising89143]

Thanks for your post. There were three formal nights during our two week cruise. The first was the second night, the second was the second Saturday and the final was the night before the last night. Showtimes were posted daily in the handy Celebrity Today publication. The shows in the theater were usually at 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm, although twice they were at 8:30 pm and 10:45 pm. My advice is to remain flexible. You can always make your dinner reservations after you determine which showtime suits you or even if the show appeals to you.

 

Frankly, in the highly subjective area of entertainment, I did not consider the quality on the Eclipse to match Celebrity's superb accomplishments in the food and service categories. In my opinion, the theatrical productions were standard for a cruise ship, but in a very competitive market that can be taken as a compliment. The singers and dancers on the Eclipse were energetic, their costumes were colorful and the show tunes were toe-tappers. I would be disappointed if I'd paid $100 or more per ticket to see them on Broadway, but as part of my cruise fare they were perfectly fine for an evening's entertainment. The other theatrical acts were hit or miss for me. I like magicians and comedians, and there was a combination of both in a performer from the UK I thought was outstanding. On the other hand, there was a ventriloquist whose biggest laugh of the night came at my expense when he took a verbal shot at me for leaving his performance early. I should add that my wife disagrees with my negative assessments. She went to and enjoyed each and every show. I should also add that the entertainers on your cruise may, and most likely will, differ from mine. The entertainers rotate from ship to ship at each port of call.

 

 

Thanks for your help. Much appreciated.:)

[NetPT]

Enjoyed reading your post and glad to hear again how great the cruise was. We leave this Saturday for 2 weeks Southern C. cruise and look forward to the trip.

[TomMMD]

Great thread

 

We are sailing on the Eclipse the end of May from Southampton.

 

This will be our third Solstice-class cruise (1. Equinox, 2. Solstice) plus the Solsticized Summit.

 

We love Aqua class and especially Blu.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Trialawyer]

Does the ship have actors as part of the crew - or would they invite some local performers in different ports? And what kind of show would there be usually?

 

Thanks for your post.

 

With the exception of the calypso bands, I don't recall Celebrity hiring entertainment from the islands (what you call "local"), but the performers on board seem to fall into two categories: (1) those who are there for the duration of the cruise, and (2) those who are there for part of the cruise.

 

Those in category (1) include the singers and dancers who perform the production shows in the theater, the orchestra and bands, and lounge acts like the popular a cappella group and Perry Grant. Those in category (2) include the various acts like singers, comedians, magicians and musicians who perform once or twice in the theater and then switch ships.

 

Scheduling entertainment for nearly 3,000 passengers with different tastes is even more daunting than feeding them, because at least a menu in a restaurant has a number of items to choose from, but usually in each entertainment venue there is just one performer. I would think that all cruise lines carefully consider the demographics of their passengers before hiring entertainment. I know that at the end of each cruise Celebrity welcomes guest comments on all aspects of the cruise, including the entertainment.

 

By the way, back in 2006, before the S-class ships like the Eclipse were built, Celebrity had some sort of arrangement with Cirque du Soleil. On the M-class Constellation there was a Cirque boutique on board; the Reflections Lounge on Deck 11 at the front of the ship was renamed and transformed into The Bar At The Edge Of The Earth, where exotic Cirque characters mingled with the passengers; and best of all was an electrifying Cirque show in the theater that brought the audience to their feet, cheering. It was probably the best show I have ever seen, either on or off a ship.

[MarGG]

I just want to thank you Trialawyer for this review once more. We have finally made our choice and we are sailing on Celebrity Eclipse!!!!! Your review was the one thing that finally convinced us to make this choice. So if we do not like it you will be the one to blame!;)

Just joking of cause - for all I read here I am sure we are going to love it. And we are really looking forward to the trip - though assuming that it is to be our first cruise we are a bit nervous.

Thank you once more for the wonderful review!

[Trialawyer]

I just want to thank you Trialawyer for this review once more. We have finally made our choice and we are sailing on Celebrity Eclipse!!!!! Your review was the one thing that finally convinced us to make this choice. So if we do not like it you will be the one to blame! ;)

 

Just joking of course - for all I read here I am sure we are going to love it. And we are really looking forward to the trip - though assuming that it is to be our first cruise we are a bit nervous.

 

Thank you once more for the wonderful review!

You're most welcome. I don't believe you could have made a better choice than the Eclipse for a first cruise. Your only "problem" will be spoiling your second cruise if you choose a ship which doesn't measure up to the Eclipse. Orson Welles famously made his best film first, so that everything that followed was a disappointment by comparison. Likewise, the Eclipse is also a hard act to follow. Anyway, between now and your cruise in August, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

[missgoatlady]

I just want to thank you Trialawyer for this review once more. We have finally made our choice and we are sailing on Celebrity Eclipse!!!!! Your review was the one thing that finally convinced us to make this choice. So if we do not like it you will be the one to blame!;)

Just joking of cause - for all I read here I am sure we are going to love it. And we are really looking forward to the trip - though assuming that it is to be our first cruise we are a bit nervous.

Thank you once more for the wonderful review!

 

I agree, I spent a long time weighing up the different options offered by different cruise lines. I have been lucky enough to visit a couple of ships for a day tour so I have some idea what to expect.

 

But, this is my first ever cruise; I really want the first cruise experience to be the right choice. So, I've opted for the Eclipse. Everything I read seems to make me think that the Eclipse is the right ship for me. Like you, I'm somewhat nervous about cruising, but feel more reassured by all the positive comments everyone on this forum has about Celebrity & Eclipse.

[Trialawyer]

I have to say that we found that 1632 was much noisier as there is a door used by the staff right across the corridor which bangs regularly (which is a shame as I had already booked that cabin for next February.

 

For the readers unfamiliar with the Eclipse, they should know that cabin 1632 is on the opposite (starboard) side of the ship from cabins 1633 and 1627 on the port side which I talked about in my post on page 4 of this thread.

 

You call it "a shame" that you will be back in 1632 on your February 2014 cruise. With all due respect, I don't call it a shame; I call it correctable. It makes no sense to pay to stay again in a cabin you already found not to your liking. Surely the February 2014 cruise is not already sold out, so why not call your travel agent, or Celebrity if you booked directly, and simply select a different cabin?

[cruiseclues]

Thanks for your excellent detailed, informative, interesting review. :):):)

[MarGG]

Your only "problem" will be spoiling your second cruise if you choose a ship which doesn't measure up to the Eclipse. Orson Welles famously made his best film first, so that everything that followed was a disappointment by comparison. Likewise, the Eclipse is also a hard act to follow. Anyway, between now and your cruise in August, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

 

Well, this does sound like a bit of a problem...:) Thank you for the encouragement anyway! We are really looking forward to this cruise.

[MarGG]

Like you, I'm somewhat nervous about cruising, but feel more reassured by all the positive comments everyone on this forum has about Celebrity & Eclipse.

 

Good to know I am not the only one worrying about everything:)

[Lovemychoos]

Good to know I am not the only one worrying about everything:)

 

Please don't worry about anything, you'll have a wonderful time.

 

I can remember when we first started cruising, it took our friends a good 5 years to persuade me, and now over 40 cruises later - well, it speaks for itself :)

 

You will love Celebrity, their attitude to their 'guests' is second to none, the staff are truly wonderful. Eclipse is the most amazing, beautiful ship ever. We had 35+ cruises with P&O, 2 with Cunard (QM2), and took our first Celebrity cruise is Oct 2011. We are now waiting to join Equinox for the second time at the end of this month, having already cruised twice on Eclipse :)

 

Replace your 'worry' with 'excitement' - you'll have a blast xxxxx

 

Louise

Edited April 7, 2013 by Lovemychoos

[happy cruzer]

We too loved the Eclipse.

 

However the pool deck on sea days was a nightmare. Every chair was taken and many moved to a sunnier spot or shadier spot depending on what the lounger prefered and blocking the jogging track. Having the joggin track go through that area is crazy, had to dodge the chairs and the people walking several abreast... Very, very crowded on sea days.

 

We did enjoy the buffet are more than any other ships buffet.

 

Thanks for posting.

[Trialawyer]

We too loved the Eclipse.

 

However the pool deck on sea days was a nightmare. Every chair was taken and many moved to a sunnier spot or shadier spot depending on what the lounger preferred and blocking the jogging track. Having the jogging track go through that area is crazy, had to dodge the chairs and the people walking several abreast... Very, very crowded on sea days.

 

It's difficult to determine when you sailed on the Eclipse, since this particular ship doesn't appear on the extensive list of cruises below your signature. Furthermore, I can only speak from my experience on the Eclipse, not yours. In my experience, on the same two week southern Caribbean cruise the year before on the smaller and older Constellation, finding a chair on the pool deck on a sea day, especially in the shade, was a challenge. There simply weren't enough chairs to meet the demand.

 

My experience on the Eclipse was a refreshing and welcome change. The Eclipse is bigger than the Constellation, there are more sitting venues, and the seating is configured cleverly and differently. As I said in my review at the beginning of this thread, we had no difficulty finding prime seating in the shade on the pool deck at almost any time of day, including sea days.

 

Mid-morning after breakfast on the Eclipse, my wife and I power-walked 5 miles daily using the jogging track on Deck 14. We walked an invigorating 40 times around with no problems whatsoever. Naturally there are more passengers on deck on sea days than on port days, and because we walk quickly we frequently passed people. To open a pathway we found that a simple "excuse us" did the trick admirably.

[mikechass]

You will love this ship.

We never had a single time we couldn't find a chair where we wanted.

WE aren't early risers but would go up there about 1030 or 11 and never had a single time that we didn't sit where we wanted.

To be honest, the Solarium was a favourite place for the hot afternoon sun as well.

But by the pool, in the sun there wasn't an issue.

Eclipse is amazing, we are looking at Med itineraries on this EXACT ship just because we loved it.

We have done 10 cruises, and have NEVER done a repeat ship so that should say something.

HAVE A BLAST!!!!

You will loooove it.

 

Chass

[MarGG]

Please don't worry about anything, you'll have a wonderful time.

 

I can remember when we first started cruising, it took our friends a good 5 years to persuade me, and now over 40 cruises later - well, it speaks for itself :)

 

You will love Celebrity, their attitude to their 'guests' is second to none, the staff are truly wonderful. Eclipse is the most amazing, beautiful ship ever. We had 35+ cruises with P&O, 2 with Cunard (QM2), and took our first Celebrity cruise is Oct 2011. We are now waiting to join Equinox for the second time at the end of this month, having already cruised twice on Eclipse :)

 

Replace your 'worry' with 'excitement' - you'll have a blast xxxxx

 

Louise

I am gradually switching from 'worry' to 'excitement' reading these posts. Thank you.

And I believe all the concerns about the sun deck are not so important on a Baltic cruise. Baltic is not quite a resort area, is it? What about the weather there in August?

[supersecdd]

Thank you so much! This review is just what I needed. We are choosing a Baltic cruise for this Summer right now and Celebrity was one of the options. Could you advise about the passengers there? What age category and what countries was the majority from?

We are in out fifties, Brits - me and my friend. We like nice food but are not heavy eaters and we are not very much in for drinks (a bit old fashioned - like tea ). We are in for art and culture. And we like it when it is calm and comfortable. Do you think we will fit in?

 

We are 60 and the Celebrity Baltic Cruise we took was so wonderful! The sea was calm, the passengers were great. We had many Brits and Americans on our ship (we are American). The food was good in the MDR and the specialty restaurant. The paid for Afternoon Tea was wonderful and there is Afternoon Tea items served in the buffet cafeteria. The ports are wonderful. This was one of our favorite cruises; so glad we did it.

[Trialawyer]

I saw a thread on this website from one passenger complaining that on her March 2013 cruise on the Eclipse, two months after mine, she found the salespeople among the crew to be "annoying." She defined annoying as aggressive. One example she used was Celebrity allegedly marketing to her ten-year-old daughter in the Fun Factory. She didn't say if she had bothered to simply request the staff not to solicit to her child, or how that differed from the marketing all children are routinely exposed to on television and the Internet.

 

I have been on several Celebrity cruises and like all cruise lines they are in the business of selling products they think their passengers will like, ranging from bingo cards and T-shirts costing a few dollars, to jewelry and spa treatments costing quite a few dollars. No one forces anyone to buy anything, and at least on my cruises there were plenty of passengers who were excited to at least look at what was for sale. People are on vacation to have fun, and the many products for sale are all designed to enhance our enjoyment.

 

To those solicitations which were made to me directly and which held no interest for me, I have found without exception that a smile and a "no, thank you" works wonders.

[Hillstoby]

I have booked to go on the Celebrity Eclipse in February 2015 and i can't wait after hearing all these comments! It will be my first Cruise with Celebrity too! :)

 

Hillstoby

[dmk]

I saw a thread on this website from one passenger complaining that on her March 2013 cruise on the Eclipse, two months after mine, she found the salespeople among the crew to be "annoying." She defined annoying as aggressive. One example she used was Celebrity allegedly marketing to her ten-year-old daughter in the Fun Factory. She didn't say if she had bothered to simply request the staff not to solicit to her child, or how that differed from the marketing all children are routinely exposed to on television and the Internet.

 

I have been on several Celebrity cruises and like all cruise lines they are in the business of selling products they think their passengers will like, ranging from bingo cards and T-shirts costing a few dollars, to jewelry and spa treatments costing quite a few dollars. No one forces anyone to buy anything, and at least on my cruises there were plenty of passengers who were excited to at least look at what was for sale. People are on vacation to have fun, and the many products for sale are all designed to enhance our enjoyment.

 

To those solicitations which were made to me directly and which held no interest for me, I have found without exception that a smile and a "no, thank you" works wonders.

 

I think the most appropriate place to put your comments is on the thread that it applies to.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1819777&highlight=fun+factory&page=3