Eclipse 12th deck aft cabins - corner sky suite, sky suite, or concierge?

[vermonter16]

DH and I are looking at a 12th deck aft cabin on the Eclipse.  We have never been on the aft before and want to give it a try for Alaska.  We are normally in a bump out on the hump of the 12th deck and are used to a larger balcony which I don't think we will get on the aft (unless it is the corner) but that really isn't a big deal and we are aware of it.  Does anyone have any photos, pics, etc?  We have never stayed in a suite and would love to give it a try depending on price but may wind up with a concierge aft....just don't know.  There are not a lot of photos of 12th deck aft cabins that I can find, so hoping that you guys can help out.  Thanks so much.

[jelayne]

The balconies on deck 12 aft have a roof over them which, if the weather is bad, can be a good thing. They are also under the Sunset bar so can be a bit noisy at times.  
We had a aft facing cabin on Deck 11 for our Alaska  Cruise and would highly recommend a aft facing cabin.   The view was great and the ship blocked much of the wind. 
 

[ExArkie]

We were in cabin 2146 (aft corner S1) on Solstice, which I believe is essentially the same as Eclipse as far as this cabin configuration is concerned. It was a great location - and would be even better with a more scenic trip like Alaska. The balcony was sufficiently large for us and there was an overhang from the deck above that provided shade for a reasonable portion of each day. I was somewhat concerned about noise from the Oceanview Bar outdoor seating directly above us, but it was not an issue. The following are photos I took of the cabin and balcony.

[vermonter16]

Wow, those are great photos!  Thank you.  I understand that the 12th may have some noise and we are fine with that.  I guess, regardless, one can't go wrong with any of the cabins....and maybe it just comes down to a certain price point.

[dkjretired]

We had a similar cabin on the Equinox however ours did not have a roof but the views were great because you could see the aft and the starboard side.   It was a sky suite but I would highly recommend an aft cabin in Alaska as there is sometimes sights and wildlife on one side of the ship you won't see with a starboard or port side cabin.  Especially wildlife which may not be there if you are on sort of a round trip. 

[cruzzzinma]

We are in the minority because we love the Aft S2s. I find the corner aft balconies are like wind tunnels.

[jelayne]

21 minutes ago, cruzzzinma said:

We are in the minority because we love the Aft S2s. I find the corner aft balconies are like wind tunnels.

I agree with you

[Tarrian]

I think they're great too .But the first night you have to get used to the pole in the cabin. Once you've hit it a couple of times you get used to it. 🤕

[scanditaly]

8 hours ago, Tarrian said:

I think they're great too .But the first night you have to get used to the pole in the cabin. Once you've hit it a couple of times you get used to it. 🤕

That pole is perfect for using magnets to hang robes and sunglasses. 

[chemmo]

Remember upgrading to a Sky Suite does give you advantages above the room space. Michael’s/Retreat is a nice space with some special events, the concierge will sort out any issues you may have and coordinates special treats like helipad sail aways, behind the scenes tours, bridge tours...Then there is Luminae, definitely a nicer dining experience.

 

 

[vermonter16]

You guys have given me a lot to think about.  The Sky Suite is definitely a chunk of change more....we have just never had a suite before and if we were going to do one, Alaska would be perfect....price is still a consideration though.  Any thoughts on 2146 vs 2151 which are both corner suites?  We have 2146 reserved right now along with a concierge on the aft.  The regular sky suite aft is a little cheaper....

[TeeRick]

Early this year in January, we had a corner aft sky suite on Eclipse deck 11 starboard side (cabin 1666) for a two week cruise around South America.  You cannot go wrong with this cabin.  These corner aft sky suites on S-Class are highly desirable and sell out quickly.  Go for it!

[ExArkie]

22 minutes ago, vermonter16 said:

...Any thoughts on 2146 vs 2151 which are both corner suites?  We have 2146 reserved right now along with a concierge on the aft.  The regular sky suite aft is a little cheaper....

Check out where the smoking sections are on the top deck. I think the smokers are on the port side, which would be the same side as 2151. That might diminish the enjoyment of your balcony.

[jagoffee]

3 hours ago, vermonter16 said:

You guys have given me a lot to think about.  The Sky Suite is definitely a chunk of change more....we have just never had a suite before and if we were going to do one, Alaska would be perfect....price is still a consideration though.  Any thoughts on 2146 vs 2151 which are both corner suites?  We have 2146 reserved right now along with a concierge on the aft.  The regular sky suite aft is a little cheaper....

2146 is our favorite Sky Suite.  We do not sit in the sun, so we really enjoy the shade from the overhang.  We also like the more isolated entrance.  You will hear some chair movement from above, but it has never been a problem for us.

The pricing for suites has been steadily increasing, but it does include a lot. The demand for suites have been high on the cruises that I have booked. But suites are significantly more expensive than the Concierge Class cabins.  Tough decision, I am sure.  Our first suite expensive was a free upgrade.  Very smart of Celebrity.

 

 

[vermonter16]

5 hours ago, jagoffee said:

2146 is our favorite Sky Suite.  We do not sit in the sun, so we really enjoy the shade from the overhang.  We also like the more isolated entrance.  You will hear some chair movement from above, but it has never been a problem for us.

The pricing for suites has been steadily increasing, but it does include a lot. The demand for suites have been high on the cruises that I have booked. But suites are significantly more expensive than the Concierge Class cabins.  Tough decision, I am sure.  Our first suite expensive was a free upgrade.  Very smart of Celebrity.

 

 

Yes, the price for a suite is pretty significant on this 11 day Alaskan.  We may splurge depending on if the Concierge price when all is said and done.  Some say that the balcony is like a wind tunnel - is that correct?  We will be in Alaska and it does get chilly so not sure if that will be a factor or not.  Haha - that is great, a suite as an upgrade - that ruined you I'll bet 🙂

 

[jagoffee]

3 hours ago, vermonter16 said:

Yes, the price for a suite is pretty significant on this 11 day Alaskan.  We may splurge depending on if the Concierge price when all is said and done.  Some say that the balcony is like a wind tunnel - is that correct?  We will be in Alaska and it does get chilly so not sure if that will be a factor or not.  Haha - that is great, a suite as an upgrade - that ruined you I'll bet 🙂

 

Yes, it ruined us. So be careful.

jelayne agreed with the statement concerning it being like a wind tunnel.  I have always know her to provide great information.

Therefore, I am a little perplexed.  I have stayed in that cabin maybe about 6 times and I never noticed it being like a wind tunnel.  It has a long overhang.  A large portion of the balcony faces aft.  Standing on the wrap around portion is probably windy.  My wife and I spend hours on the balcony and enjoy breakfast on the balcony occasionally.  So no, I would not call it a wind tunnel.  I am not sure why it would be more windy than any balcony cabin on the side of the ship in that portion of the balcony.

 

Best of luck.

 

 

 

[vermonter16]

Thanks for the reply!  I certainly appreciate it as this will be the most $$ we have ever spent on a cabin before.  It is for our 21 year anniversary....well, not really, but it falls within the same month.   We have never had the chance to do a suite, let alone a corner.  Your information has been really helpful and that a good size portion does directly face the aft.

[wrk2cruise]

The other nice thing about the corner suites it the 4' round window on the side of the room.  Lots of natural light.  I do think the room are a bit bigger than a standard sky suite as well.   I personally avoid deck 12 but love the aft corner suites.

[vermonter16]

19 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

The other nice thing about the corner suites it the 4' round window on the side of the room.  Lots of natural light.  I do think the room are a bit bigger than a standard sky suite as well.   I personally avoid deck 12 but love the aft corner suites.

Thanks for the response.  I appreciate all the input!

[Oceangoer2]

On 12/6/2020 at 7:43 PM, cruzzzinma said:

We are in the minority because we love the Aft S2s. I find the corner aft balconies are like wind tunnels.

I suppose it depends which way the wind blows...we were in S1 on Reflection....great location and not bothered by wind or anything else.  Very hot sometimes - no shade to speak of - but only at certain late day times, again -depending on which way the ship is facing.  Nothing perfect in any cabin location, but I highly recommend aft, and particularly S1.

[shirazcruiser]

We've stayed in  S1 aft SS on several sailings and DH prefers the pole to be on the right side of the bed as in 2146. FYI to those who care: the pole is on the left side of the bed on the port side on deck 12. They are opposite on deck 11 and then deck 10 cabins are the same as 12, and so on.

Edited December 9, 2020 by shirazcruiser

[ExArkie]

21 hours ago, shirazcruiser said:

We've stayed in  S1 aft SS on several sailings and DH prefers the pole to be on the right side of the bed as in 2146. FYI to those who care: the pole is on the left side of the bed on the port side on deck 12. They are opposite on deck 11 and then deck 10 cabins are the same as 12, and so on.

I was curious about the placement of that pole on each deck. Our only corner S1 experience was Solstice 2146, which had the pole close to the side of the bed (see my pictures upstream), as you noted on the right side. Considering that the floor plans on lower decks are not perfectly aligned, i.e., there is a slope to the back of the ship so that deck 11 sticks out slightly more than deck 12 and so on down the levels, does the pole appear in the same spot in the corner S1 on each deck?

 

With only a self-taught structural engineering education, I could not work out exactly how the support structure worked when we were in the cabin.

 

By the way, we had to move the sofa down six or seven inches in order to have enough room for my wife to get out of bed around the pole (fortunately, she requires a lot less space than do I). Other than the first night, after which we figured that out, the pole really wasn't an issue.

[wrk2cruise]

I think we have been in various rooms from deck 6 to 9 and the pole is always within a few inches from the bed.  I believe in all our rooms the sofa has been very far away from the bed.  I think more where the other chair is in your picture, 90 degrees to the bed near the round window.

[ExArkie]

28 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

I think we have been in various rooms from deck 6 to 9 and the pole is always within a few inches from the bed.  I believe in all our rooms the sofa has been very far away from the bed.  I think more where the other chair is in your picture, 90 degrees to the bed near the round window.

Thanks.

 

That was the arrangement that I had seen in other peoples' pictures before our trip. Sort of surprised me that it was different for ours. I would definitely prefer the sofa to be located near the porthole rather than where ours was.

[shirazcruiser]

24 minutes ago, ExArkie said:

I was curious about the placement of that pole on each deck. 

We've stayed in 7307 and 9374 which have the pole on the right side of the bed (my side). I've looked at multiple photos on S class ships to assure the pole is not on the left side of the bed.  I love the layout of the S1 cabin with the side window except for the bed pole placement.  There is one less closet door storage and fewer storage drawers. DH doesn't like the aft of the ship so we book the S2 cabin.