Eclipse: the Good the Bad and the Ugly

[daydreamer16]

Just return from a 14 day cruise on the Eclipse (2/21/16)---Here's my short review:

 

The Good: The ship is beautiful and so very clean! The staff is constantly cleaning all of the public areas, and our stateroom was always ship shape. This was our first time in Aqua Class and we loved it! The shower in our stateroom was awesome and we were so happy with Blu. We upgraded our drink package and enjoyed many different kinds of cocktails at the World Class Bar and the Martini Bar. Loved , loved Evening Chic, everybody doing their own thing! The entertainment was good, we liked Jayne Curry, David Austen and Jordan Petersen. It was really a great cruise!

 

The Bad: I personally find the photographers annoying. They jump in front of you getting of the ship at every port. At dinner, at least in Blu and in the Tuscan Grill they come to you table to ask if you want to have your picture taken while you're cutting into your food or putting it in your mouth. " No I'm actually here to eat dinner"!

 

The Ugly: The chair hogs were in full force on the 5 sea days---there was no remorse either!:(

 

If anyone has any questions I would be happy to help.

[Fouremco]

Just return from a 14 day cruise on the Eclipse (2/21/16)---Here's my short review:

 

The Good: The ship is beautiful and so very clean! The staff is constantly cleaning all of the public areas, and our stateroom was always ship shape. This was our first time in Aqua Class and we loved it! The shower in our stateroom was awesome and we were so happy with Blu. We upgraded our drink package and enjoyed many different kinds of cocktails at the World Class Bar and the Martini Bar. Loved , loved Evening Chic, everybody doing their own thing! The entertainment was good, we liked Jayne Curry, David Austen and Jordan Petersen. It was really a great cruise!

 

The Bad: I personally find the photographers annoying. They jump in front of you getting of the ship at every port. At dinner, at least in Blu and in the Tuscan Grill they come to you table to ask if you want to have your picture taken while you're cutting into your food or putting it in your mouth. " No I'm actually here to eat dinner"!

 

The Ugly: The chair hogs were in full force on the 5 sea days---there was no remorse either!:(

 

If anyone has any questions I would be happy to help.

Thanks for the review. We board in another week and can't wait.

 

Question: where was your overnight and what, if anything, did the ship do to enhance the stay? OK, that's two questions. :)

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report. We also are annoyed by the photographers.

[4774Papa]

We find the Celebrity photographers are generally less aggressive than those on NCL. In fact, they usually don't block you when getting off the ship, like NCL does. Also, you say NO and they move on. What else do you expect?

 

Chair hogs, what else is new. Every cruise has them, but we find Celebrity does try to police the hogs that are gone for a long time.

 

Celebrity is our favorite cruise line.

[daydreamer16]

Thanks for the review. We board in another week and can't wait.

 

Question: where was your overnight and what, if anything, did the ship do to enhance the stay? OK, that's two questions. :)

 

We were overnight in Curacao and there wasn't anything special as far as I know. It was nice not having to rush back to the ship--it was our first time in this port and we really liked it.

[OneMoreTime]

We were on the Eclipse for the February 7th sailing. Chair hogs are definitely an issue. My husband held me back from making a complaint to the staff - didn't want to cause a scene. I was not happy. We have booked the same cruise again for next year and if we encounter the same situation - which I'm sure we will, I'll just bring it to the pool staff's attention without telling my husband.;)

[daydreamer16]

We find the Celebrity photographers are generally less aggressive than those on NCL. In fact, they usually don't block you when getting off the ship, like NCL does. Also, you say NO and they move on. What else do you expect?

 

Chair hogs, what else is new. Every cruise has them, but we find Celebrity does try to police the hogs that are gone for a long time.

 

Celebrity is our favorite cruise line.

 

I was mostly annoyed by the photographers at dinner. As I recall, in the past they only came to the tables on the formal nights. On this cruise, it was at least every other night.

[eurotraveller1]

Is Quasar there or have they removed it?

 

Have heard some people say they have removed it.

[keithm]

We were on the Eclipse for the February 7th sailing. Chair hogs are definitely an issue. My husband held me back from making a complaint to the staff - didn't want to cause a scene. I was not happy. We have booked the same cruise again for next year and if we encounter the same situation - which I'm sure we will, I'll just bring it to the pool staff's attention without telling my husband.;)

Do what we do..If you see a chair unattended except with a towel(no personal stuff)we'll wait & walk around the area for 30 min. or so. If no one comes back we just move the towel. We encountered a hog who had gone to lunch. We were on the chairs for at least 90 min. When she & her hubby came back they screamed at us. I told them to show us their "engraved" names ion the chairs. I have no problem telling them where to go & how to do it! We find the pool butlers on ALL lines too chicken to do anything about it. Never had it get to the point of physical threats. If it did, againI have no problem kicking a little@#$%.

[Banjo]

I always thought the photographers are less aggressive on Celebrity. Try NCL, Princess or CCL.

 

When they do come around your table or when leaving the ship I don't really consider it a big deal. I just say no 'thank you' and they leave you alone.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I tell the photographers I'm in the Witness Protection Program and walk right by them. :D I'm sure they've heard it a lot by now but 10 yrs. ago, it worked really well. Now they just step back with a smirk. :cool:

[ghstudio]

I tell the photographers I'm in the Witness Protection Program and walk right by them. :D I'm sure they've heard it a lot by now but 10 yrs. ago, it worked really well. Now they just step back with a smirk. :cool:

 

Yup...they hear that same line from me. Overall, they aren't all that aggressive...it's very easy to just walk by or say no if they come to the dinner table.

[daydreamer16]

Is Quasar there or have they removed it?

 

Have heard some people say they have removed it.

 

Still there!

[Podie]

I deal with chair hogs in this simple way...I give them a full hour to return to their chair. Then I remove their towel and sit there. When they return and start screaming at me, I say, "I don't know what you're talking about. There was no towel on this chair when I sat here. If you've been gone more than 30 minutes, an attendant probably removed the towel." They slink off...

[Keith1010]

Thanks for your report.

 

Keith

[MicCanberra]

Just return from a 14 day cruise on the Eclipse (2/21/16)---Here's my short review:

 

The Good: The ship is beautiful and so very clean! The staff is constantly cleaning all of the public areas, and our stateroom was always ship shape. This was our first time in Aqua Class and we loved it! The shower in our stateroom was awesome and we were so happy with Blu. We upgraded our drink package and enjoyed many different kinds of cocktails at the World Class Bar and the Martini Bar. Loved , loved Evening Chic, everybody doing their own thing! The entertainment was good, we liked Jayne Curry, David Austen and Jordan Petersen. It was really a great cruise!

 

The Bad: I personally find the photographers annoying. They jump in front of you getting of the ship at every port. At dinner, at least in Blu and in the Tuscan Grill they come to you table to ask if you want to have your picture taken while you're cutting into your food or putting it in your mouth. " No I'm actually here to eat dinner"!

 

The Ugly: The chair hogs were in full force on the 5 sea days---there was no remorse either!:(

 

If anyone has any questions I would be happy to help.

 

Thanks for sharing.

Shame about the CHOGs, the pool attendants should be on top of it.

[daydreamer16]

Thanks for sharing.

Shame about the CHOGs, the pool attendants should be on top of it.

 

On the first day there were cards on many of the chairs saying "don't leave your chair unattended, etc." that was the only time I saw them. The pool butlers would help people look for a chair but by 9:30am on sea days most were taken.

[David Owl]

Yup...they hear that same line from me. Overall, they aren't all that aggressive...it's very easy to just walk by or say no if they come to the dinner table.

 

I agree, they are much better than the other ships that we've been on.

 

You also have to remember that some people actually want photos and pay for them, otherwise the photographers wouldn't bother.

[DaisyFire]

I agree, they are much better than the other ships that we've been on.

 

You also have to remember that some people actually want photos and pay for them, otherwise the photographers wouldn't bother.

 

Agreed. If it swung the other way, I can just imagine the posts by those who really wanted pictures - but could never find a photographer. :)

 

As with many things, you make one group happy, and another gets offended. Really don't know why it is so horrible to just say 'no thank you'. Do folks actually get approached by multiple photographers while sitting at dinner, or just one or two?

[SAC69]

I tell the photographers I'm in the Witness Protection Program and walk right by them. :D I'm sure they've heard it a lot by now but 10 yrs. ago, it worked really well. Now they just step back with a smirk. :cool:

 

I tell them I'm a vampire so there is no need for a picture.:cool:

[rjrpar]

Just return from a 14 day cruise on the Eclipse (2/21/16)---Here's my short review:

 

 

 

The Good: The ship is beautiful and so very clean! The staff is constantly cleaning all of the public areas, and our stateroom was always ship shape. This was our first time in Aqua Class and we loved it! The shower in our stateroom was awesome and we were so happy with Blu. We upgraded our drink package and enjoyed many different kinds of cocktails at the World Class Bar and the Martini Bar. Loved , loved Evening Chic, everybody doing their own thing! The entertainment was good, we liked Jayne Curry, David Austen and Jordan Petersen. It was really a great cruise!

 

 

 

The Bad: I personally find the photographers annoying. They jump in front of you getting of the ship at every port. At dinner, at least in Blu and in the Tuscan Grill they come to you table to ask if you want to have your picture taken while you're cutting into your food or putting it in your mouth. " No I'm actually here to eat dinner"!

 

 

 

The Ugly: The chair hogs were in full force on the 5 sea days---there was no remorse either!:(

 

 

 

If anyone has any questions I would be happy to help.

 

 

We were on the same cruise. Agree that entertainment was very good, almost every night. The service and staff were great; always smiling and trying to help.

We found the food in the MDR to be awful. After about the 3rd night the selections, both starters and entrees, were very poor. The everyday sirloin was about a quarter inch thick, as was the prime rib on the last night. The food budgets are obviously being slashed. May not cruise X for a while due to this. Was on HAL 4 months ago and X didn't compare

[Cruise Raider]

I deal with chair hogs in this simple way...I give them a full hour to return to their chair. Then I remove their towel and sit there. When they return and start screaming at me, I say, "I don't know what you're talking about. There was no towel on this chair when I sat here. If you've been gone more than 30 minutes, an attendant probably removed the towel." They slink off...

 

But it might be even funnier if you were donning their sun hats, wearing their flip flops, slathering on their lotion and reading their books. :D:D

 

That would teach them.

[Sandtrap328]

I deal with chair hogs in this simple way...I give them a full hour to return to their chair. Then I remove their towel and sit there. When they return and start screaming at me, I say, "I don't know what you're talking about. There was no towel on this chair when I sat here. If you've been gone more than 30 minutes, an attendant probably removed the towel." They slink off...

 

Good approach but one question. What do you do for the full hour you are waiting for them to return? Have you found another chair in the meantime but just wait an hour and then go back to the saved chair in order to have a confrontation? Just asking.

[SharonK]

We are just off the February 21 Eclipse sailing and loved every minute of it! Photographers never bothered us. We just said no thanks and they left us alone. When we are looking for chairs, any chair that only has a towel on it is free to use. We just put the towel in the used towel bin and take the chairs-no waiting 30 minutes or an hour.

In Curacao, the ship was just like any other night with a show and casinos and shops were open. Specialty restaurants must have been slow because we got recruited to go to Tuscan Grille for a discounted price while waiting to get in MDR. Since we had not been to Tuscan we decided to try it and had a lovely dinner.

[20pluscruises]

But it might be even funnier if you were donning their sun hats, wearing their flip flops, slathering on their lotion and reading their books. :D:D

 

That would teach them.

 

I caught someone trying to steal my shoes on my cruise two weeks ago. I was standing 2 feet away with my back to her and my shoes. I couldn't believe it!