LIVE: Celebrity Eclipse March 10th - March 15th - Sydney (Australia)

[cruisinsusin]

15 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

When it comes to the internet service on the high seas, location always places a big partn as well. But unlike other cruise lines, Celebrity purposely locks down the bandwidth for their Basic service to motivate folks to upgrade to the Premium service. They've done this ever since they introduced the two levels of service when cruising started back up.

Even while docked/tendered near shore, there was absolutely no service on the balcony and had to get closer to the door at times to be able to have stable connection and we were in a mid ship concierge cabin. When most were off the ship, we were able to stream one show, There was relatively good connection in the library and of course the I-lounge. It seems that, altho Starlink was added to Eclipse, the infrastructure to support it being available in all cabins has not yet been updated.

This was not the case on Silhouette in January- the internet was stable and very fast- streaming was done without buffering.

[mahdnc]

On 3/10/2023 at 9:02 AM, Ken the cruiser said:

We will be on the Eclipse starting April 19th for a B3B transpacific cruise, with the first leg being a 3-day RT cruise to nowhere from Sydney. If I might ask from where the Eclipse was docked in Sydney, would walking to the Opera House in your opinion be doable say in less than an hour? 

 

 

As you already figured out, the answer is "yes".  There is a large number of tourist attractions within easy walking distance (or a ferry ride) from the Overseas Passenger Terminal.  It's one of my favorite ports.

 

Edited March 14, 2023 by mahdnc

[mahdnc]

On 3/10/2023 at 10:09 AM, Ken the cruiser said:

Just did a little more research and it looks like it is definitely within walking range if the Eclipse continues to dock at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, West Circular Quay, The Rocks, Sydney. Enjoy your cruise!! 😀

 

 

There is no other dock that Eclipse can get to other than the OPT.  I don't believe that Eclipse can use White Bay because of her size.

 

BTW, as you probably surmised, the walk to the Opera House is shorter than the car route in the map as the walk-ways stay closer to the harbor.

[Ken the cruiser]

16 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

As you already figured out, the answer is "yes".  There is a large number of tourist attractions within easy walking distance (or a ferry ride) from the Overseas Passenger Terminal.  It's one of my favorite ports.

 

Thanks! Nice photo!! 

[Ken the cruiser]

25 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

There is no other dock that Eclipse can get to other than the OPT.  I don't believe that Eclipse can use White Bay because of her size.

 

BTW, as you probably surmised, the walk to the Opera House is shorter than the car route in the map as the walk-ways stay closer to the harbor.

Cool!! In Oct 2019 we were on an Australia circumnavigation cruise on the HAL Maasdam and it docked over in White Bay, which of course would have required a taxi to get to the Opera House. However, back in 2015 we were there on the Diamond Princess, a much larger ship, and it was docked at the OPT as well. So we're definitely happy the Eclipse will be at the OPT! 😃

 

We're also happy to hear Eddy Jenkins is back and hopefully will be the CD on our B3B in April as it appears he joined the ship in Feb according to his Instagram account. We've been on 2 B2B cruises with him as he's a hoot!!

 

Edited March 14, 2023 by Ken the cruiser

[mahdnc]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Cool!! In Oct 2019 we were on an Australia circumnavigation cruise on the HAL Maasdam and it docked over in White Bay, which of course would have required a taxi to get to the Opera House. However, back in 2015 we were there on the Diamond Princess, a much larger ship, and it was docked at the OPT as well. So we're definitely happy the Eclipse will be at the OPT! 😃

 

We're also happy to hear Eddy Jenkins is back and hopefully will be the CD on our B3B in April as it appears he joined the ship in Feb according to his Instagram account. We've been on 2 B2B cruises with him as he's a hoot!!

 

 

Sydney Harbour Bridge does not have the clearance for Eclipse.to get to White Bay.

[mahdnc]

On 3/10/2023 at 10:59 AM, Ken the cruiser said:

Thanks! We have booked an Opera House tour for 10:30 am, so it looks like we should have plenty of time to walk over and pick up our tickets at the Will Call window. Unfortunately, it looks like we might be on the "other" side and will be looking at the Sydney Harbour Bridge from our balcony. But I'm sure we'll still be able to take some awesome pictures of the whole area from up top! 😀

 

Most of the time Solstice/Eclipse will dock at the OPT with her bow pointed towards downtown Sydney (I have seen photos where the reverse was true).  So, yes, with that orientation the Opera House will not be on your side of the ship. 

 

However this does mean that your starboard side balcony will be facing the Opera House as Eclipse sails past it on her way out of the harbor.

 

BTW, the Opera House guided tour is excellent.

 

Sydney Opera House, Dec 31 2017

[lilbrownie95]

On 3/9/2023 at 4:09 AM, xxpinksaltxx said:

Tonight we headed down to Circular Quay for some icecream, and to have a look around the overseas passenger terminal. My partner who has never cruised before, is beyond excited. We walked around the dock, and stood there imagining how large and beautiful the Eclipse will look tomorrow.

 

Just after we got off the train at Circular Quay, you can see the Overseas Passanger Terminal to the left (a very short walk).

 

Overseas Passenger Terminal where we will board tomorrow

 

The dock where the Eclipse will be tomorrow (presumably tomorrow this will all be blocked off for loading supplies etc).

We stopped for gelato at Messina Gelato, I'm a qualified Pastry Chef (I use to work for Adriano Zumbo), so good quality sweets are super important (unfortunately I've never been a fan of any of the desserts in the Oceanview Cafe or Cafe Al Bacio on Celebrity, however we have booked at Tuscan and hopefully Le Petit Chef once we board). Pictured is ' pastry cream gelato, besting cake, caramelised almonds' and ' caramel tiramisu' gelato.

I don't know who else caught it but I love watching Adriano Zumbo make his fabulous desserts!! 

[lov2sun]

Is there a late night snack place on Eclipse?

 

 

[Northern Aurora]

7 minutes ago, lov2sun said:

Is there a late night snack place on Eclipse?

 

 

I am posting from the Eclipse.  We were also on the Tasmanian cruise and will stay onboard until April 19th.   According to the Celebrity Today the pasta, pizza and salad bar is open until 1AM.  Late bites are offered from 10 PM until 1 AM.

[Ken the cruiser]

15 minutes ago, Northern Aurora said:

I am posting from the Eclipse.  We were also on the Tasmanian cruise and will stay onboard until April 19th.   According to the Celebrity Today the pasta, pizza and salad bar is open until 1AM.  Late bites are offered from 10 PM until 1 AM.

Cool! Hope you continue to have a fantastic cruise!! We’ll be boarding the Eclipse for our B3B when you disembark. If I might ask, did Celebrity provide complimentary antigen tests on your transition day prior to this leg?

 

[Northern Aurora]

23 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Cool! Hope you continue to have a fantastic cruise!! We’ll be boarding the Eclipse for our B3B when you disembark. If I might ask, did Celebrity provide complimentary antigen tests on your transition day prior to this leg?

 

 

Yes, Celebrity did provide complimentary rapid antigen tests for the 300 and some B2B passengers.  The tests were in staterooms when we re-boarded.  We were on the honor system regarding reporting positive results.  

[Moochi]

OP please come back for food and drinks reviews after Day 3! 🤣🤣I have been dying to hear about your professional opinions.

[Ken the cruiser]

Just thought I'd pass this along. It appears Eddy Jenkins is going to be the cruise director until at least after the transpacific ending up in Vancouver! If you have an account on Instagram, here's a post on his account regarding the 18-day transpacific from Sydney to Hawaii that will give you a small taste of how much fun Eddy is, especially if you are able to see the video portion of the below post. We've been on 2 B2B cruises with him and he is definitely a hoot!! 

 

cruisedirectoreddy

I love the long repositioning cruises. There’s so much planning that goes in. The best comment to get from guests is this: “There’s TOO MUCH going on at the same time and we can’t decided what to do.” The Sydney, Australia to Hawaii is 18 days and then there’s another 12 day cruise straight after. Can’t wait ! 🎉🥳🤩🎉🥳🤩

 

Cruise Director Eddy Jenkins (@cruisedirectoreddy) • Instagram photos and videos

 

[Ladybugdm]

22 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

I am posting from the Eclipse.  We were also on the Tasmanian cruise and will stay onboard until April 19th.   According to the Celebrity Today the pasta, pizza and salad bar is open until 1AM.  Late bites are offered from 10 PM until 1 AM.

My wife and I will be joining on April 6 for the Fiji/Tonga cruise to celebrate our 20th anniversary.  Enjoying your food reviews so far.  Have you tried the chef’s table?  We were hoping to make reservations for our anniversary dinner, but the link is showing as sold out.  One non-food question as it’s been a while since our last Celebrity cruise—is there a magnifying mirror in the cabin bathroom?

[Northern Aurora]

On 3/18/2023 at 2:29 PM, Ken the cruiser said:

Just thought I'd pass this along. It appears Eddy Jenkins is going to be the cruise director until at least after the transpacific ending up in Vancouver! If you have an account on Instagram, here's a post on his account regarding the 18-day transpacific from Sydney to Hawaii that will give you a small taste of how much fun Eddy is, especially if you are able to see the video portion of the below post. We've been on 2 B2B cruises with him and he is definitely a hoot!! 

 

cruisedirectoreddy

I love the long repositioning cruises. There’s so much planning that goes in. The best comment to get from guests is this: “There’s TOO MUCH going on at the same time and we can’t decided what to do.” The Sydney, Australia to Hawaii is 18 days and then there’s another 12 day cruise straight after. Can’t wait ! 🎉🥳🤩🎉🥳🤩

 

Cruise Director Eddy Jenkins (@cruisedirectoreddy) • Instagram photos and videos

 

We did not go to the Captains Club event on the March 10th cruise but did attend on the March 15th cruise.  I have no idea who Dominic is but we definitely have Eddy Jenkins now.

[Ken the cruiser]

1 minute ago, Northern Aurora said:

We did not go to the Captains Club event on the March 10th cruise but did attend on the March 15th cruise.  I have no idea who Dominic is but we definitely have Eddy Jenkins now.

Yay!! 😁

[Northern Aurora]

20 hours ago, Ladybugdm said:

My wife and I will be joining on April 6 for the Fiji/Tonga cruise to celebrate our 20th anniversary.  Enjoying your food reviews so far.  Have you tried the chef’s table?  We were hoping to make reservations for our anniversary dinner, but the link is showing as sold out.  One non-food question as it’s been a while since our last Celebrity cruise—is there a magnifying mirror in the cabin bathroom?

I have posted on this thread but am not the OP.  I certainly hope she returns.

 

It has been years since we have done a Chefs Table but would not be surprised if it is indeed sold out.

 

Magnifying mirrors seem to be rather hit and miss anymore.  On the Eclipse we were in a Celebrity Suite for the March 10th cruise and no such mirror.  We are now in a Sky Suite for the next three legs of our b2b2b2b series and again no such mirror.

[horseymike]

Thanks so much for your most interesting and informative review, looking forward to reading more .

Hope you really enjoyed your cruise.

[horseymike]

15 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Just thought I'd pass this along. It appears Eddy Jenkins is going to be the cruise director until at least after the transpacific ending up in Vancouver! If you have an account on Instagram, here's a post on his account regarding the 18-day transpacific from Sydney to Hawaii that will give you a small taste of how much fun Eddy is, especially if you are able to see the video portion of the below post. We've been on 2 B2B cruises with him and he is definitely a hoot!! 

 

cruisedirectoreddy

I love the long repositioning cruises. There’s so much planning that goes in. The best comment to get from guests is this: “There’s TOO MUCH going on at the same time and we can’t decided what to do.” The Sydney, Australia to Hawaii is 18 days and then there’s another 12 day cruise straight after. Can’t wait ! 🎉🥳🤩🎉🥳🤩

 

Cruise Director Eddy Jenkins (@cruisedirectoreddy) • Instagram photos and videos

 

Was Eddy Jenkins on the Equinox in Nov - Dec of 2022 ?

[woostergirl]

On 3/12/2023 at 4:35 PM, xxpinksaltxx said:

To put into context, the animals at the sanctuary are only their if they are injured or can not return to the wild. 

 

One of the wildlife keepers on our Celebrity Excursion, holding a wombat, who is 9 months old.

 

 

Tasmania Devils (male) both are blind in one eye.

 

 

My partner feeding the kangaroos (these kangaroos were already at the sanctuary when the owner bought it. They are now too humanised to be released into the wild. 

 

 

Fred arrived as part of a will, he is 109 years old.

Love these pictures! Are you able to pet the wombats too? An Australian cruise is definitely on my cruise list..

[Azllama]

Hi Ken, we are on this cruise with you, we departed Suva yesterday. We’re not in Aqua class, but are just bellow you on deck ten. We are doing a back to back and this is our second leg. We have always enjoyed sailing with Celebrity cruises. Our 1st cruise since Covid. We are finding the food bellow average and not up to Celebrity standards. The Mast Grill hamburger is disgusting. The meat is a raw gray meat patty before it is cooked, and is the same color when it is cooked! Sorry but I have to disagree with the food on this ship. It is disgusting, and I have talked with many of the Australians on board and they agree the food is terrible!!!! 

[Ken the cruiser]

4 hours ago, Azllama said:

Hi Ken, we are on this cruise with you, we departed Suva yesterday. We’re not in Aqua class, but are just bellow you on deck ten. We are doing a back to back and this is our second leg. We have always enjoyed sailing with Celebrity cruises. Our 1st cruise since Covid. We are finding the food bellow average and not up to Celebrity standards. The Mast Grill hamburger is disgusting. The meat is a raw gray meat patty before it is cooked, and is the same color when it is cooked! Sorry but I have to disagree with the food on this ship. It is disgusting, and I have talked with many of the Australians on board and they agree the food is terrible!!!! 

I’m not sure if you’re directly this comment to me, but if so, we won’t be on the Eclipse for our B3B until next week starting April 19, which I just started a Live From thread associated with it. In any event, I’m sorry the food was not up to Celebrity standards. Hopefully by the time we board, they will have solved this issue and the meals will be once again as tasty as we’ve come to expect when cruising with Celebrity.

[Azllama]

3 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I’m not sure if you’re directly this comment to me, but if so, we won’t be on the Eclipse for our B3B until next week starting April 19, which I just started a Live From thread associated with it. In any event, I’m sorry the food was not up to Celebrity standards. Hopefully by the time we board, they will have solved this issue and the meals will be once again as tasty as we’ve come to expect when cruising with Celebrity.

Sorry Ken, I missed read the dates you posted. Safe travels.

[Azllama]

On 4/12/2023 at 2:53 PM, Azllama said:

Sorry Ken, I missed read the dates you posted. Safe travels.

Hi Ken, captain yesterday morning, told us we have Covid cases on board and to wear masks in casinos and theater. In the afternoon, he announced increased Covid and everyone to wear masks while inside. I can see why, they were very relaxed about Covid testing for everyone that was doing back to back. 400 of us. We got off in Sydney. Return back to the ship. They requested we use the Covid test kits they left in our cabin, and call if they were positive. The “kit” was 3 pieces, with no instructions! I bet a lot of people just threw them in the trash.