Exotic Southern Caribbean | Celebrity Eclipse | Nov 16, 2013

[upwarduk]

Hickory shampoo ,

I hope you made mention on your comment card re the missed excursion due to the broken toe.

Have you had your money refunded. If not Celebrity need to be informed.

[Jane2357]

As we are boarding on Feb. 8th - I have read with excitement your review and feel like I've gleaned a good bit of useful information - most notably that I need to keep my dh away from the beautiful Ice Cream Girl ;)

 

We were on Solstice once - one of her first few sailings and we too loved the Hot Glass show. At that time you got a ticket for attending and then they drew for winners who were given some of the pieces. When you say that there is now a "raffle" - do you now have to purchase those drawing tickets or are they still free? Also could you give me some type of range for the Auction? I'd like to budget for a possible purchase as I am the MOST un-lucky person and will never win a thing. :cool:

 

I'm excited to go back to Grenada - I loved it on a previous cruise several years ago - the people were very friendly at that time although it does have a poverty problem. I'm sorry that you didn't care for it.

 

Thank you for taking the time to report back!

[vickykay]

Great review and thanks foe taking the time to include such details. We are also on the Feb 8th sailing with Jane2357 and looking forward to a wonderful cruise and warm weather but then again, we always enjoy our cruises. Tell your wife to try some independent tours - we have done many since our florist cruise where we did mostly ship's excursions ( some times we do some of both). Lots of very helpful information on these boards.

 

Vic,y

[chamima]

Jane

The raffle is the ticket you were also referring to. They pass out tickets and then choose a couple of them from a bowl and give out a couple of pieces. I also called it a raffle.

At the end of the cruise they auction off 2 or 3 of their best pieces.

The price range depends on the audience. We wanted a piece and it got up to $900 before we gave up (talked to the guy that got it afterwards and he said he had no upper limit, he would have bidden as "high as it took" to get it.)

One piece that was only "ok" to me went for $300 or so.

You don't need to bring cash - they put it on your ship account. (I'm with you - the winners were all around me for every show but it was never me! :( )

 

Matt-

So now I'm reading your posts to my husband (who won't normally have anything to do with Cruise Critic). This " As usual, all eight elevators were programmed to skip deck 11, no matter which direction they were going or how many people were on them."

got an out loud laugh from him (and a second one from me!).

Can't wait to see Ice Cream Girl and see if he notices. ;)

 

And I also think you would have enjoyed private excursions a lot more. You can research on the Ports Of Call boards on here for excursions that others have done successfully. But the reality is that the Caribbean islands are more alike than they are different and, after doing this for years, there isn't a ton to see. Just beautiful places to relax and, for us, get away from winter.

Edited January 17, 2014 by chamima

[Maligator]

My opinion of Grenada may have been tainted by the lousy tour, so it may be better than I led on.

 

The raffle went as described by Chamima. They handed out tickets (free) toward the end of a couple of shows and drew from a bowl. Most of the time, it was 3 pieces, but I think they even raffled off the bowl on the last one. At our auction, they sold off 6 or 7 pieces. None went for less than $300 and Tom's hatchling sea turtle went for $1600, if memory serves. On Equinox, I don't think anything went over $500.

 

Ice Cream Girl may be in a different station by now. I saw her one time behind the bar inside Oceanview Café. She looked like she was being trained. If he's ogling a blonde with an elegant walk, that's her.

 

Sent from my SCH-I915 using Tapatalk

[jagoffee]

My opinion of Grenada may have been tainted by the lousy tour, so it may be better than I led on.

 

The raffle went as described by Chamima. They handed out tickets (free) toward the end of a couple of shows and drew from a bowl. Most of the time, it was 3 pieces, but I think they even raffled off the bowl on the last one. At our auction, they sold off 6 or 7 pieces. None went for less than $300 and Tom's hatchling sea turtle went for $1600, if memory serves. On Equinox, I don't think anything went over $500.

 

Ice Cream Girl may be in a different station by now. I saw her one time behind the bar inside Oceanview Café. She looked like she was being trained. If he's ogling a blonde with an elegant walk, that's her.

 

Sent from my SCH-I915 using Tapatalk

 

Thank you for your excellent review. It was helpful and very enjoyable especially since we are doing the same cruise leaving 1/25. We feel the same as you and our cruise is as much about the ship than the ports. In fact our favorite days are when we stay on the ship while in port.

 

I know the Holidays affected the timing for formal days. What would be your guess for the 3 formal days?

 

In sounds like you departed at a perfect time. What time were you scheduled to leave the ship and when did you actually leave?

 

Thank you.

[Maligator]

Thank you for your excellent review. It was helpful and very enjoyable especially since we are doing the same cruise leaving 1/25. We feel the same as you and our cruise is as much about the ship than the ports. In fact our favorite days are when we stay on the ship while in port.

 

I know the Holidays affected the timing for formal days. What would be your guess for the 3 formal days?

 

You're very welcome. I'd think the formal nights should be the same. First one on the second night (Sunday), second one between Curacao and Grenada (Thursday) and the final one on your second-to-last at-sea day (the following Thursday).

 

In sounds like you departed at a perfect time. What time were you scheduled to leave the ship and when did you actually leave?

 

I don't remember exactly, but we were in Luggage Group #2. I'm not sure if that was because we were in a suite or because we booked the airport transfer.

[Maligator]

for a video tour of our room. I figured out the mystery nozzle on the veranda is where they attach the hose for cleaning. And I am aware I likely said the wrong voltage for the outlet. ;)

[SSFrance69]

You're very welcome. I'd think the formal nights should be the same. First one on the second night (Sunday), second one between Curacao and Grenada (Thursday) and the final one on your second-to-last at-sea day (the following Thursday).

 

 

 

I don't remember exactly, but we were in Luggage Group #2. I'm not sure if that was because we were in a suite or because we booked the airport transfer.

 

Which of the formal nights seemed the most and least formal (full length gown vs cocktail dress/tux vs suit)?

[Maligator]

Which of the formal nights seemed the most and least formal (full length gown vs cocktail dress/tux vs suit)?

 

Don't know. We never went! :D

[Jane2357]

THANK YOU for the video of your cabin!!!! I'm just down the hall - in 1663, a corner S1 come February and watching you tour the cabin - I'm so thrilled. Love that aft view even in the rain. It will be our first aft, would you do an aft cabin again? Any thoughts or tips. I do plan to bring lounge covers for the chairs incase of soot.

Edited January 18, 2014 by Jane2357

[Maligator]

There's no soot, so don't worry about that. This was our third of three cruises where we booked an aft cabin. We love it!

 

Sent from my SCH-I915 using Tapatalk

[jagoffee]

You're very welcome. I'd think the formal nights should be the same. First one on the second night (Sunday), second one between Curacao and Grenada (Thursday) and the final one on your second-to-last at-sea day (the following Thursday).

 

 

 

I don't remember exactly, but we were in Luggage Group #2. I'm not sure if that was because we were in a suite or because we booked the airport transfer.

 

Thank you.

[Pacific islanders]

thank you Matt,

What a wonderful review. We really appreciate the time,effort and humour you put into all of this.

We don't leave until April, and have always taken ship tours, or walked off the boat and headed out on foot. Only once, in Crete, did we venture off in a cab even. South Korea, we took the subway, but we had all day, and we were only going to the United Nations memorial. Since these ports/islands seem fairly compact, maybe I'll get up the nerve to try some more cabs or local tours from the dock. I've always been afraid to be left behind. We're already getting our minds around what we really want to see, planes coming in low, tropical fish, Harrison caves... You've been a tremendous help!

Many thanks,

Liz

[drychi]

Thanks for your great information. My wife and I are taking this cruise in January, 2015. First week back from Reflection cruise, so your review helped get the anticipation started for next year!

[Antonintassie]

Thanks for the review really imformative and very entertaining

[GaryfmCol]

Thanks for your great information. My wife and I are taking this cruise in January, 2015. First week back from Reflection cruise, so your review helped get the anticipation started for next year!

 

 

Ohhh-eeeee...that is a long time for this cruise to wait.

 

Ahem... :p we going to FLL tomorrow for this cruise on Saturday,

but, we have been waiting for this cruise since we booked it in March..

 

We are thinking of booking aboard ship, this same cruise next January also.

The folks we going with did this cruise last year this time, and, re-bboked it for this January 25th cruise date.

 

A year is a long time to wait..

Finally, it is here for us!

[Pepc]

Jane2357 - -

We, too, are booked on the Eclipse in S-1 suite #1663 next year!

I'd love to see some pictures and read your comments / review of the cabin after your upcoming cruise!

Thank you.

Patti

[GiannaD]

Day 10: St John’s, Antigua | Monday, November 25, 2013 | Partly Cloudy 90F

Also in port: Mein Schiff 2 | Port load: ≈ 4736

 

Eclipse was backing into her berth as we awoke on a beautiful day. We were excited for our Antigua excursion, which was a helicopter tour over Montserrat. Having taken flightseeing tours in Alaska on our first cruise, we knew this was a real thrill. We’d reported our weights to the Excursions desk as instructed a few days prior, so all was set. On the pier, we located our contact amid the masses and waited for the others to arrive. While we waited, we were treated to the Hell’s Gate Steel Orchestra, who had a contingent of seven musicians on the pier. They were great! I regret not buying a CD, as they’re not on iTunes that I can find. Our contact told us they’d just won the big steel music competition and it was apparent in their performance.

 

 

After a few minutes, the last of our group arrived. The straggler was in a wheelchair due to an apparent foot injury, which presented a bit of a problem, as we had a hike along the waterfront to get to the shuttle van. As her chair was not the powered sort and I could see she was going to have trouble, I offered to give her a hand and she gladly accepted. My parents did not raise an ill-mannered heathen. The drive to the helicopter facility was about 10 minutes and upon our arrival, a scale waited for us in the lobby for a last-minute weigh-in. The weight limit was 215 lbs (I think) and my pre-cruise weight was a little north of that, but it’s just an estimate, right? Wrong. Learn from my failure, dear readers. I was called back to the lobby as the others went through the safety video and was told my combined weight (including my photo gear) was significantly off and I couldn’t go. My heart sank and I had to break the news to my wife, who was in tears. This was the one excursion we truly looked forward to. After some discussion, the staff told us they had an open flight later in the afternoon, but we’d have to buy a second seat for the extra 40 lbs of my butt and camera gear. We had some extra cash and decided it was worth it, so we went back to the port to kill some time.

 

We shopped for touristy stuff and first aid things for her toe and I even managed to get some decent shots of the little hummingbirds I missed in St Lucia. We had lunch on-board and relaxed by the pool before it was time to meet our contact person on the pier again. We paid for the third seat and found out they’d arranged this flight just for us. Yes, we’d already paid and were paying some more. They could’ve just sent us back disappointed, but they didn’t, and by going out of their way, it literally turned our day back around and I think Caribbean Helicopters deserves to be commended for it. Anyway, with that mess out of the way, we loaded up in a Bell Jet Ranger II for the flight. They let me clamp my GoPro camera to the dash, so if you’re inclined to do so, you can

to see the 12 minute video. Kristi was assigned the front/left seat for weight distribution and I drew the right/rear seat behind the pilot. Our pilot was a young woman from Canada, if memory serves, and she explained that they were allowed to do these tours of the exclusion zone in return for giving volcanologists rides to study the island.

 

We lifted off and flew over the harbor, where I was able to fire off a few shots of Eclipse and Mein Schiff 2. There was a little panel in my door that was open and I could stick my lens through for unobstructed shots. We flew south, along the west coast of Antigua, then about 10 minutes to the southwest to Montserrat. I was vaguely familiar with the recent history of the island. I knew a volcano erupted and covered much of the island in mud and ash, but I was unprepared for what I saw. Here was an island just like the others we’d been visiting. It was covered in lush vegetation and settlements dotted the hillsides. Then, with little warning, a long-dormant volcano burped to life and over the next few years, obliterated nearly every town, including the capital, Plymouth. Homes, schools, universities, churches and the airport were destroyed. Those structures in the exclusion zone (the area potentially exposed to any future eruptions) covers about 75% of the island. I’ll let my photos and video do the talking, but flying over modern day ghost towns is absolutely surreal. After about 20 minutes over the island and another 10 minutes back to Antigua, I asked the pilot if we could go back over the harbor so I could get some more shots of the ships and she obliged. This excursion was truly the highlight of the trip.

 

 

 

 

Thank you for your wonderful review and the amazing video of Montserrat. After watching your video three times I decided to book the tour on our Feb 22 cruise. It was a truly amazing experience.

 

I was fortunate to be assigned the front seat next to the pilot and had an awesome view. The weather was unusually clear and we had a marvelous view of the summit with its escaping plume of steam. The pilot circled the summit so we could get a really close up look.

 

I would never have even considered this once in a lifetime flight had I not read your post and viewed your video. It was truly the highlight of the whole cruise.

 

Thank you again,

 

Gianna

[Maligator]

Thank you for your wonderful review and the amazing video of Montserrat. After watching your video three times I decided to book the tour on our Feb 22 cruise. It was a truly amazing experience.

 

I was fortunate to be assigned the front seat next to the pilot and had an awesome view. The weather was unusually clear and we had a marvelous view of the summit with its escaping plume of steam. The pilot circled the summit so we could get a really close up look.

 

I would never have even considered this once in a lifetime flight had I not read your post and viewed your video. It was truly the highlight of the whole cruise.

 

Thank you again,

 

Gianna

 

This is exactly why I like to share this stuff. I'm ecstatic you got some inspiration from my review! Thanks and I'm glad you had a great time.

[GiannaD]

You're welcome.

 

On our most recent Eclipse cruise I talked to a couple who had taken a private Jewish Heritage tour in Curacao. The booking was as a result of a post on the Ports of Call Board. It turned out that it was the tour that I had recommended in 2013. One just never knows where a post will lead!

[JFontaine]

Fun review and a very helpful video of an S2.

 

Thanks!

[Maligator]

Fun review and a very helpful video of an S2.

 

Thanks!

 

My pleasure.

[Buckcruise]

We just got off a 7 day Eastern on the Silhoette, where we booked this 14 day trip for March 2017. Loved your musings, but hope people were not turned off by your excursion reports. We have only done 4 cruises but learned early on that cruise excursions are not the best. We try to pick one place or experience and go with that, eg Mayo beach in St Maarten or Stingray City in Grand Cayman. Much more enjoyable. You will be happy to learn we do not visit Grenada, but go to Bonaire and overnight in Aruba. I am sure you have cruised Celebrity recently too and are happy with the new Evening Chic?

[Maligator]

We just got off a 7 day Eastern on the Silhoette, where we booked this 14 day trip for March 2017. Loved your musings, but hope people were not turned off by your excursion reports. We have only done 4 cruises but learned early on that cruise excursions are not the best. We try to pick one place or experience and go with that, eg Mayo beach in St Maarten or Stingray City in Grand Cayman. Much more enjoyable. You will be happy to learn we do not visit Grenada, but go to Bonaire and overnight in Aruba. I am sure you have cruised Celebrity recently too and are happy with the new Evening Chic?

Glad you enjoyed it. It was such a dismal experience, we're booked for the same cruise on Eclipse this November. ;)

 

Sent via my Samsung Note 4 while I should probably be doing something productive