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Host Andy - Almost Live from Eclipse

Andy

By Andy,
in Celebrity Cruises

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LinZbee

LinZbee

Posted
Posted
Hi PJ,

 

The Hostess is actually a Host :) - It's Graeme Kelleher. We've sailed with him several times, and he's an outstanding host.

 

Oh, thanks for this great news Andy! My husband and I will attest to Graeme being the BEST Captain's Club host we've ever had, by far! All who haven't had the pleasure of his hospitality will never forget him. He is gracious and fun and eager to please. Looking forward to seeing him again - for the third time.

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Anubi

Anubi

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Hi Andy, many thanks for doing this.

My question is what kind of equipment is there in the gym? Is it all machines or are there free weights?

If you are thinking of doing the Eclipse in April 2014 come join us on our cruise April 5. We have JW!!! :D:D:D

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chamima

chamima

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Hi Ghstudio,

 

Here's what I know so far (in order of your questions),

 

1 & 2 - not that I'm aware of, or maybe I'm not VIP enough to have obtained an invite. Nothing mentioned in the Captains Club letter received on Day 1. I will check out Michael's tomorrow, and see what's going on.

 

3. Will ask the Martini Bar tomorrow, if they are taking the coupons.

 

4. Have not been to the Sky Lounge yet. I will answer this tomorrow.

 

5. No craft beers available in Michael's Club. According to Bar personnel, there's no current plans to add craft beers at Michael's on Eclipse.

 

 

 

Hi Andy

Thanks for doing this Live From!

I also have a couple of questions

 

1) Are there craft beers anywhere on the ship? (I (mistakenly) told my husband they would be there. :o )

 

2) Do you know if upgrading a classic package to premium on board is still $10 or has it been raised to $15?

 

3) Any chance the fresh grilled salmon and/or tuna is back at the Aqua Spa Cafe?

 

HAve a great cruise and thanks!

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Chicago Boy

Chicago Boy

Posted
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Hi Everyone,

 

Hello from Eclipse ! I'm happy to report that we are off to a great start. The Officers and crew are extremely friendly. Everywhere you go, there are smiling happy crew saying "Good Morning" and so on. It's always great to see a happy crew, which IMO, adds to your cruise experience. Eclipse is spotless, and in beautiful condition. The seas are calm, which is always a plus !

 

The Embarkation was fairly smooth, other than one Port individual who was rude to My Mom. Eclipse departed from Port Everglades about 90 minutes late, due to reports of Gangway issues (seems they had it set up incorrectly). As Mom was in a wheelchair, we were one of the first to board, and went directly from the pier, up a small ramp, to Deck 2. The whole process was ok, but fairly unorganized. To be fair, I'm giving Celebrity a pass for the embarkation, as it was good enough, and was the first sailing of the season. Stuff always seems to happen then. I also heard about delays in loading the luggage onto the ship. Our luggage arrived after we left for dinner at 6 pm, though it was in our cabin by the time we returned. Better late than never ! :)

 

Cuisine : all meals have been outstanding. I ordered the Prime Rib on Saturday night, and it was perfect - large size, soft as butter, and absolutely delicious. Our Dining Room Waiter & Assistant (Norman & Sarah) are fantastic - very attentive and friendly. It certainly seems that Celebrity has bumped up the cuisine, as we've been quite happy. Kudos to Executive Chef Paul Carroll & Restaurant Manager Srdjan, who is one of Celebrity's very best.

 

In addition to the Captains Club happy hour, Elite members are given 3 vouchers daily, which have your last name, cabin number and date printed on them. The custom printed vouchers are new, but it makes sense. The vouchers are for beverages up to $8.00 (beer up to $6) to be used between 5-7 pm. It states on the vouchers "For use in bars or lounges excluding Martini Bar, Michael's Club, Specialty Dining, Main Dining Room, and Molecular Bar". I must say that I love this new system, and IMO, it's extremely generous of Celebrity, as it's the best of both worlds. I hope Celebrity continues with the voucher system.

 

We had a wonderful time at the Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle. I'd say at least 100 members attended. Several Celebrity officers visited with us, including Captain Manetas (he's incredibly gracious & personable), Hotel Director Raffaelle Bernardini, and Cruise Director Sue Denning. It's always wonderful to meet our Cruise Critic members in person. They are so appreciative of my efforts, which means everything to me.

 

As many of our community members are aware, I've been quite vocal about the loud music at the pool and in other public venues, as observed in recent sailings. I'm extremely happy to report that in the first 4 days of our cruise, the situation appears to be resolved. The constant loud techno is thankfully gone. They were playing a very nice selection of inviting music this morning, and early afternoon... and at reasonable levels - not too loud, not too low. Just right IMO. This is all I ever asked/hoped for, in that it be a varied selection. I truly hope this continues, and I'd like to say... Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, to Celebrity for listening, and making the most welcome adjustments. I truly hope we can put this item to rest, once and for all.

 

I'm working on answering your questions, and taking photos of the ship. Due to the weak internet condtions, I'm currently unable to post them on my Twitter feed. If all else fails, I will post photos when I return home. That's about it for my first installment. As long as the internet cooperates, I hope to post again in the next day or two. Bye for now !

 

 

Dear Andy....Hope you and your mom continue to enjoy the cruise. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences.

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GarrenS

GarrenS

Posted
Posted

Hi Andy!

am hoping you can answer this quick question for us -we are going on the 11/30 sailing of Eclipse, and have a tour planned in Aruba at 9am.....which is 8am FLL time. Can you tell us if they have/are planning to adjust ship's time to match Atlantic Standard Time?

 

Thanks!

Garren

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cruisegirl1

cruisegirl1

Posted
Posted

Thanks Andy.

 

Any photos?

 

We are taking the Eclipse over New Years and will have Select dining for the first time. We like the shows and usually try to attend most of them. Will an 8 PM dinner reservation generally work? On our last cruise I recall going to most of the shows around 7-7:45. Is that the case?

 

Thanks

 

M

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Andy

Andy

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Hi Andy!

am hoping you can answer this quick question for us -we are going on the 11/30 sailing of Eclipse, and have a tour planned in Aruba at 9am.....which is 8am FLL time. Can you tell us if they have/are planning to adjust ship's time to match Atlantic Standard Time?

 

Thanks!

Garren

 

Hi Garren,

 

They moved the clocks 1 hour forward on the first or second night of the cruise - it's 2:08 am as I type this (I think the change was made on the first night - will try to confirm). They will reverse the process later in the cruise. I hope this helps.

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Andy

Andy

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Hi Andy,

 

So happy to hear you and your Mom are having a great time.

 

If you have the opportunity, would you ask Rafaellle how long he will be on Eclipse? I am so tempted to book. Thanks so much.

 

Hi Cruiseacecat,

 

I will certanly try to ask Rafaelle, if & when I see him. I believe he's been onboard for a brief time, so he's probably here for at least another couple of months. Stay Tuned !

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mahdnc "Live from...." Rare

mahdnc

Posted
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Andy,

 

Will Eclipse tender or dock at St Thomas for your sailing? If it tenders, I would appreciate hearing how that went--amount of time it took to get ashore, where the ship anchors, location where the tenders go to, etc.

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Andy

Andy

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Hi Everyone,

 

I attended the Captains Club lounge tonight (5-7 pm). For those asking about the vouchers, yes - they must be presented for a complimentary drink. Appetizers are also served. As there are a number of others venues which accept the coupons, attendance was moderate.

 

I asked about the voucher usage at the Martini Bar. Member Ghstudio asked if the vouchers can be presented for a smaller Martini. I was advised the vouchers would not be accepted for any drinks at the Martini Bar. We've been enjoying the Passport Bar on Deck 3, so we're happy.

 

I'm working on obtaining information on whether the Michael's Club VIP lounge is being offered on this sailing, but I'm fairly certain that is not the case. I hope this is helpful !

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Andy

Andy

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Hi Everyone,

 

I wanted to say a special thank you for your very kind comments. Our cruise is moving all too quickly, but we continue to have an absolutely wonderful time. I'm working on another update, but it's after 2 am, and have a number of work related items to take care of.

 

Thanks again, and I will try to provide an update as soon as possible.

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Andy

Andy

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Andy,

 

Will Eclipse tender or dock at St Thomas for your sailing? If it tenders, I would appreciate hearing how that went--amount of time it took to get ashore, where the ship anchors, location where the tenders go to, etc.

 

Hi Mahdnc,

 

I asked this question yesterday, and was advised we are scheduled to tender. I will not be leaving the ship in St Thomas, but will try to provide insights from friends on this sailing.

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chamima

chamima

Posted
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Hi Andy

Thanks for doing this Live From!

I also have a couple of questions

 

1) Are there craft beers anywhere on the ship? (I (mistakenly) told my husband they would be there. :o )

 

2) Do you know if upgrading a classic package to premium on board is still $10 or has it been raised to $15?

 

3) Any chance the fresh grilled salmon and/or tuna is back at the Aqua Spa Cafe?

 

HAve a great cruise and thanks!

 

Hi Andy

Any info on the above?

I'm happy to hear about the new music!

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GarrenS

GarrenS

Posted
Posted
Hi Garren,

 

They moved the clocks 1 hour forward on the first or second night of the cruise - it's 2:08 am as I type this (I think the change was made on the first night - will try to confirm). They will reverse the process later in the cruise. I hope this helps.

 

Andy,

Thank you for taking the time to reply! No need to worry about which day they will do it, as long as it's before Aruba we should be OK!

 

Appreciate you replying so quickly, and have a great cruise!!!!

 

Garren

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