Eclipse Jan 4 review long and detailed

[garardo]

Review of the Eclipse January 4, 2015

 

A little bit of background on us will help you understand our perspective on the cruise. We are both in our early 60’s. I am a semi-retired Certified Sommelier working on the strip here in Las Vegas. I am a 50 year veteran of the hospitality industry culminating as CEO of our own chain of restaurants in the Chicago area. I also was fortunate to have gotten my Chefs training in in Italy in the early 70’s. I do not recall how many cruises we have been on but for the last ten years or so we only sail Celebrity.

We flew out of Las Vegas to Fort Lauderdale. On the 3rd of January and sent the night. Because the hotel did not have a van that would handle a wheel chair, the front desk said they would pick up the tab for the cab with the $5.00 tip.

The following morning, we took a yellow cab to the dock and that took about 40 min with a cost of $63 plus tip. We were on the ship with welcome champagne in hand in about 30 minutes.

The cabin

The cabins were ready at 1:30pm and we got all of our luggage by 3:30. The staterooms were in good repair with no noticeable wear and tear. We met our 2 stateroom Attendants, Julio Cesar Gonzalez Murcia and his Assistant Prasan Chodankar and I conveyed our needs and our normal schedule. I asked Julio for an extension cord so we could plug in the scooter and we had it delivered in 15 minutes.

The lighting controls for the room were not explained to us. It took me 4-5 days to figure out how to turn off the overhead lights from the switch by the bed.

The cabin was quite with the exception of hearing the phone ring from the cabin next door for their 6 am wake up call.

I remember reading that Celebrity does not do the chocolates on the pillows at the evening turn down. We got chocolates about every other night.

The shower drain ran a bit slow causing a bit of a flood in the bathroom when I took a long hot shower.

Something I had never seen before on Celebrity was a plastic basket of crackers and candies with a note stating that if you open the package even if you do not consume it you will be charged $5 for each pack opened. I put them in the closet to remove the temptation.

The Do not Disturb sign would not stay on the outside handle causing a few courtesy knocks from Julio and Prasan.

I am blind as a bat and it was hard to tell what direction the temperature control should be turned for hot or cold.

The auto opening doors in the handicap cabin make things a lot easier but you have to wait a minute or so for the door to close completely before you leave.

 

Another thing I do is to organize a very informal wine tasting event that is held on the first sea day at 3:00. I went to guest relations to make the request and was told that I must speak to the Cellar Master Ivan. He did not think it would be a problem but he needed to speak to his beverage manager. The beverage manager said that because the wine bottles are being opened out of the stateroom there would be a corkage fee of $10. I said I could not do that. I was then told that because the ship was 100% full there was no space available. Celebrity was nice enough to call all of the folks who were going to come and send them a note stating the cancellation of the event. I had 59 very disappointed tasters.

 

 

 

Murano.

The first night as is our custom is always in Murano. This did cause some confusion. When you buy one of the 5 dinner packages the first night of the five will always be in the Tuscan Grill. This would not work so I had to purchase a Muarno dinner at full price and then started the package the second night in the Tuscan Grill.

The Murano dinner was absolutely spot on for dinner. Everything from the Caviar to the cheese and the dessert. Maître d Marjan Burazer was most gracious and very accommodating with my wife in the scooter. I read that the quality or portions have changed in the specialty restaurants. Yes there has been a few changes. The sides of dried fruits and nuts offered on the cheese cart is less and they no longer offer Foie gras. Over the last 5-6 years I do not recall experiencing any lessening of quality.

The only slight opportunity that keeps reoccurring at Murano is that the beautiful food garnishes that are expertly presented on the main entrée plates are not hot.

After our first dinner we were approached and asked we would like to come to a rather exclusive white truffle dinner in a few days. I accepted. There were 6 of us and we met in the cellar masters for a glass of Pierre Jouet Champagne. We then did a behind the seen tour of the select dinning kitchen during their service. Very interesting. The menu for dinner was mainly Italian and excellent with one small flaw. The food could have been hotter.

 

Tuscan Grill

The next night we did the Tuscan Grill. I was looking forward to a great experience. The view from the stern of the ship is awesome and the room is stunning but they fell short. I waited 30 minutes for my glass of Franciacorta sparkling wine, the crab cakes were not hot, the calamari is served as large breaded rings, the wine menus were badly stained, red candle holder on the table was badly chipped leaving sharp edges and the red coating on the holder was peeling off. My Paparadelle alla Bolognese was not served any wear near al dent. It was mushy and the pasta bowl was badly chipped. I had brought a rather rare bottle of dessert wine on board to be enjoyed over several nights. I had asked that the bottle be preserved with a Vac U Vin to retain freshness but alas this was not done. This is a small point but worth mentioning, all of the fat had been removed from the Prosciutto d’ Parma. This left it dry and tasteless. All of the other antipasti offered on the tray were delicious. On our earlier dinners at the Tuscan Grill, I recall a hand powered slicer that was used to slice the Prosciutto. I asked Maître d Miguel de Sousa why they do not use it anymore and he told me that it was a board of health matter.

I had a chance to talk to Miguel the next day while he was supervising the Ocean View Café and I told him of our disappointment. He assured me that the next visits would be perfect and they were indeed great with the exception of the dry Prosciutto.

Canyon Ranch

We are both big believers of the benefits of massage so we are sure to get a number of them while on board. They are a bit pricey but if you book on a port day there is a 25% discount. Celebrity was nice enough to offer a 10% on board ship credit if you pre booked things like beverage and dinner packages, or spa appointments. When I went to book the massage appointments, they could not be done on line. I called Canyon Ranch directly and they were more than happy to help. When I talked to them I told them that my wife is disabled and will need assistance on and off the massage table. When we arrived for the first appointment there was no one to help. I told the manager and the issue was resolved. I had a regular 50 min massage but she could not get the knots out of my shoulders and recommended a deep tissue massage. This caused me to have very bad bruising and pain on my ribs under my arms. I showed the bruising to the manager and was given a complimentary Abhyanga massage. This was a fantastic experience. Not a traditional massage but fantastic.

I noticed that I had not received my 10% off on my pre booked spa treatments so I went to the guest relations. It took them a day but they corrected the issue.

 

 

Ocean View Café

 

We are not big buffet people. We live in the buffet capital of the world. We did get up late a few mornings and enjoyed the offerings. We found the selections fresh and well rotated. The pizza and pasta kitchen is open from 11am till 1 in the morning. They served 3 different pizza and 4 or more different types of pasta with as many sauces.

On more than occasion the wife went up and the staff was there to accommodate her needs. She loves her smoked salmon but it had been removed for the lunch menu set up. All she had to do was ask and she had it in a minute. Not a nano second before you wanted it but close enough.

Bar experiences

Because I enjoy and appreciate many of the finer wines we decided to try the Premium beverage package. I was concerned that it would not be a value so I kept track of all beverages covered in the package. We ended up saving about $200. I have read that some of the staff had an attitude about serving guests with the packages. I saw nothing of the sort. I did see that the servers were clear to point out that if you ordered a beverage that cost say $1 more than the package would allow they would tell you that you will be charged the $1.

On a number of occasions, the beverage server would refill my glass of wine of cocktail without me even asking.

This is my list of what we had:

Beverage Amount Cost Total

 

 

Cocktails 13 13 169

Glasses of wine 33 13 429

Espresso 1 4 4

Double Espresso 14 5 70

Cappuccino 2 5.25 10.5

Smoothies 3 6 18

Wine discount 74 1 74

Water 32 5 160

Beer 4 6 24

 

 

 

 

Total 958.5

15% tip 143.775

Total 1102.275

 

After dinner I walk around the ship and see what kind of trouble I can get into. My regular haunt is the Sunset bar where Fabian Heaven Always made sure my glass was not empty. Because I enjoy new experiences I always made it over to the Molecular Bar where George was always shaking up a new beverage for me every night. A few evenings after gambling I went to the casino bar. They have a blender to make great blended drinks but the blender was so noisy you could not hear yourself think. They should put a cover around it like they do at Starbucks.

I always start my meal with a glass of sparkling wine usually a Champagne. If the bottle had been opened for a while and did not have enough bubbles I would ask for a fresh bottle that was brought with no issue.

For the last 8 or so cruises I have done the Riedel glass tasting. Although I am a trained Sommelier I always learn something new. If you are into fine glass ware it is a value you get about $140 worth of glassed for $85 plus shipping. In the past you got 4 different glasses, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay. They have changed the selection process where you can get only 3 different types. 2 of the same and 2 different.

For the first time Celebrity offered a Beer glass tasting with 4 different glass shapes. Each glass was very supportive of the style of each beer. The cost was only $45 plus shipping.

Cellar Masters

This venue is going through a transformation. All of the very cool wine dispensers are empty and the room was being used as a theater for Perry Grant in the evenings. According to the Sommelier I ran into the Cellar Masters room will be converted into a sports bar.

Café Bacio

This café became our central meeting place and the last place I would go before calling it a night. I would get a double Espresso and a cookie and bring the cookie back to the wife. The only problem was they never gave me just 1 cookie. I always got 2. I am a real lover of a correctly made espresso and I am sad to say that of the nearly 20 espresso drinks I had only 2-3 were correct and they were made by Maître d Marjan Burazer in Murano’s

Qusine

I cannot describe in words this restaurant except to say that I have never in all my years in the hospitality industry enjoyed such an innovative dining experience. If you are willing to try something completely different give them a try.

Casino

I am not a big gambler but I got a few match play coupons so I thought I would try my luck. I got a $20 advance on my sea pass card. They charge you a 5% fee for the advance. Long story short, I played roulette at a $5 table and the dealer only required $1 on the inside and $5 on the outside. I won a few $$. Went back the next night and a different dealer said that it was $5 for both the inside and outside. A few players pitched a stink.

 

Main Dining Room

Although we had the specialty dinning package we did have a few dinners in the main dining room. We had select dinning and always eat early. The service was kind of a mixed bag. The first experience was very good. One of the guests at the table commented to the waiter that her food was not hot. He pleaded with her to allow him to replace it but she would not allow it. Another night I ordered a shrimp cocktail to be served with my bubbly wine and then have the escargot with my glass of chardonnay. I got the Escargot first and the shrimp Cocktail 2 minutes later.

 

 

 

Aqua Spa Café

This is a great venue. We dine there almost every breakfast and lunch. The food is super healthy and the staff is very accommodating. A change that was made since the last cruise is that they no longer offer an asparagus egg white omelet made to order. They have replaced it with an egg white frittata that was rather bland and not made to order. Every lunch they offer a made to order dish. Normally a fish and it was wonderful hot and tasty every time. Something new that they are offering is a yogurt Parfait for about $5. Had them twice. Outstanding.

 

Room Service

One night I did not call in the wakeup call correctly and got up too late. I decided to have room service be our wakeup call. They arrived on time and with the correct order.

Disembarkation

Because we had a late flight home, we were among the last to leave the ship. Because we are Elite we were allowed to wait in the Tuscan Grill where they had a continental breakfast buffet.

 

Talking with the staff

Although there could be more tips made in the main dining room, our server in Murano said that he prefers working in

Murano because he can be the best he can be and show each and every guest respect and gracious hospitality.

Talking with management

On all of the cruises we have been on I have been fortunate to have been able to talk with members of management. On this cruise I had the privilege on 3 occasions to talk with Chef Richard Green.

I have a copy of the Celebrity cook book, Excite the Senses and I refer to it regularly. He took time to clarify a number of the recipes that I was having a hard time with.

He took time out even though his phone was ringing almost nonstop. All of the senior management is equipped with small radios that are used to resolve any issue. While I was meeting with Chef Green his phone went off 4 times. There was an opportunity at the crew galley and the Chef had everything handled in less than 2 minutes.

At Celebrity they have a Save the Waves program where none of the waste from the ship is dumped into the ocean. All waste of sorted and any food waste is burned at high temperature and the resulting ash and solid waste is taken off the ship at dock and recycled.

Chef Green was very pleased to tell us that the last health inspection the Eclipse received a 100%.

Over 85% of all food stuffs used on the ship are supplied at the beginning of each cruise. The food is distributed to the ships through Royal Caribbean warehouses in Miami and California with the US being the point of origin. In today’s world economy, the quality and safety of food is very consistent in the developed world. If a cruise starts in say Australia then all food stuffs will be sourced there. Chef said that Celebrity does not start cruises in emerging markets or third world countries for concern over quality and food safety. About 20% of all the food brought on board is wasted. Mainly due to overindulgence of the guests and over preparation of the kitchen.

One of the biggest challenges Chef Green has is ordering food for upcoming cruises. Some of his inventory must be ordered 2 months ahead. Celebrity uses data from where the guests live to try to project the usage of food. For example if the ship has a large number of guests for the south of the US then more grits may be purchased.

All of the menus for Celebrity are reviewed yearly and changed if needed to reflect changes in guest preference and availability.

All of the protein comes on board frozen and is meticulously thawed. All of the produce is shipped to the ship within days of harvest and stored at very precise temperatures allowing them to serve fresh raspberries for 14 days Celebrity pays the air fare for crewmembers that finish their contract but the exact day of their departure can vary because of the cost of the airfare.

I had the chance to meet the Cellar Master Ivan several times. Considering the depth of the wine list I was interested in how Royal Caribbean buys their wine. He told me that Royal Caribbean contracts with an outside vender and that Ivan again as the Chef does must project out months in advance what he feels the need will be. With such a vast selection it is difficult to know where every bottle of wine is. I found this out when we ordered a bottle of Vega Sicilia only to be told that there was no more of it. We ended up with a Château Palmer 2006. 2 nights later I ran into Ivan and he apologized for the mix-up.

Ivan was changing ships in Miami. Normally the new Cellar Master would be able to spend a few days with Ivan to hand over the baton but because there was not enough cabin space, Ivan was only able to leave notes behind regarding what needed to be done.

[yorky]

Thanks for the review and your obvious knowledge, very enjoyable.

[drinkspackageexpert]

I love love love yourreview...and cannot agree more in reference to Marjan. He was an absolute gentlemen to me and my mum and could not do more for us. It was the first time I had dined in Muranos and he offered to cook us steak Diane (not on the menu) a couple of nights later...It was amazing. So worth it. I love the eclipse and enjoyed reading your review. Thank you

[Chitown12562]

Garado, thank you very much for posting the review. I think you are the first person who mentioned the book "Excite The Senses". I haven't made anything from it since purchasing it last year, but I am going to finish reading it before our next cruise. After tasting a few items that are in the book I will attempt to make them.

[bothluv2cruise]

Thanks for the review. Loved the details. We are scheduled to cruise on the Eclipse March 2016, can't wait!

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Thanks for the detailed review. Wine and food are our passion. Can't wait to sail on eclipse next year.

[macandlucy]

Thank you so much for your very informative review; I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

 

Do you have any thoughts you'd like to share on the wines offered onboard, and especially the wines by the glass available in the drink packages?

[Texed]

Thanks for posting. :)

[TeaBag]

Thank you so much for all the behind the scenes info. I have wondered how they provision a large ship especially for a long cruise.

[steamboats]

Garardo,

 

Thanks for your review! I was so sorry that you ran into those problems regarding our wine tasting! At least my stateroom attendant was happy to end up with my bottle of wine which I wasn´t able to take back home to Germany.

 

Funny thing was that we were able to chose the restaurant for the first night when we walked up to the restaurant reservation desk. We had chosen 6:30 pm online for the first night (3 dinner package) and then were told you can go whereever you want. Anyway we went to Tuscan Grille. I wasn´t too highly impressed by the menu there and comparing it to Chops Grille on the Oasis my filet mignon was larger on the Eclipse but better on the Oasis. No explanations about the sides. So I ended up ordering only one side (mashed potatoes) which turned out being a mere two forks full of mashed potatoes. On the Oasis the waiter told us to order more sides and share them family style (we were 4 people there).

 

I totally agree on Murano!! Wonderful night!! Our waiter Christian first asked whether we do have a package (Classic) and immediately told us to get some nice wines covered by this package (nothing on the wine list is covered by the Classic package). Excellent service!!

 

Qsine, I agree about the dining experience part. But actually most of the meats were overcooked. Anyway it was a great evening.

 

I´m always wondering about those wine/beer glas seminars. Being from Germany I do now Riedel or Schott. Nice glasses. But the ones sold onboard I´ve never regarded as their premium series... Actually I got two or three sets for free ordering wine from a German online vendor.

 

steamboats

[Host Jazzbeau]

Thanks for this review. We'll be boarding Eclipse in 10 days and this really helps get a feel for the ship.

[black forest]

Many thanks for review. Excellent and precise!

[steamboats]

I forgot... no chocolates on our pillow except for the first formal night ... but that was this chocolate covered Oreo cookie. No towel animals either...

 

steamboats

[Redtravel]

How was the entertainment on your cruise?

[garardo]

How was the entertainment on your cruise?

 

Only saw 2 shows. The juggler comedy act was real good and the oriental magician was great.

[steamboats]

How was the entertainment on your cruise?

 

Saw all shows. Headline entertainers were excellent. The first night the comedian was pretty hard to understand (at least for me being German). Others were not my cup of tea but anyway good entertainers. Also loved the production shows.

 

You can "see" my extensive review here. I don´t write "read" as it´s in German but there are tons of photos. I´ve linked to the websites of all headline entertainers too.

 

steamboats

[Croooser]

Thanks very much for taking the time and effort to post an informative and balanced review.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for your detailed review.

[Wiseask]

Ms. Steamboats, I saw your review, and although I can't read the German commentary, I cannot commend you highly enough on your magnificent pictorial essay of both every aspect of the ship and the islands. Bravo!

[steamboats]

Thanks, Wiseask!

 

My DH is already sorry that he started this website... he says I´m taking way too many photos :D:D!

 

steamboats

[Wiseask]

Carmen, I have a dozen questions for you. Is there a private e-mail address where I can write to you? Thanks.

[steamboats]

Wiseask,

 

Take my first name at my website ;)!

 

steamboats

[Judyumcer@aol.com]

Garardo, good to read your detailed post. We are fellow Las Vegans. We love to cruise & decided to book a Christmas cruise on Celebrity. We did one other Celebrity cruise a couple yrs ago to Alaska. It was nice! But have been cruising Regent & Oceania for over 10 yrs. European cruises. This is going to be a short 7 day from Miami. You have an interesting background. Perhaps sometime before our cruise we could meet with you & your wife for dinner. You can e-mail me & my husband, John. We have been in Vegas 37 yrs. originally from Buffalo. Judy