| I am writing this review while on my return flight | | | | waitresses served their meals. So, at best, any |
| to the U.S., having just spent the past two weeks | | | | evaluation of service should be taken only as a |
| (14 nights) aboard the Celebrity Eclipse. Launched | | | | generalization based on limited individual |
| in April of 2010, the Eclipse joins Celebrity's | | | | experiences while onboard. |
| award-winning family of "Solstice-class" ships, | | | | Having prefaced this part of my review (to |
| which currently includes the Celebrity Solstice, the | | | | "cover my tail" in case the reader has a different |
| Equinox and, in 2011, will also include the Silhouette. | | | | experience), let me say that my wife and I found |
| So, although I will try to maintain complete | | | | the service to be superb. Our stateroom |
| objectivity, I must admit that I boarded the | | | | attendants (Violetta Rodriguez and David |
| Eclipse with very high expectations. Fortunately, | | | | Campbell) were the best team we've had on any |
| with only minor exceptions (as later noted), I was | | | | cruise (and we've taken many cruises). The dining |
| not disappointed. | | | | staff was competent and professional in all |
| The "Hardware" | | | | restaurants. In addition, there were some nice little |
| When discussing the physical attributes of a cruise | | | | "extra touches", such as greeting you back |
| ship (i.e., it's layout and appearance), industry | | | | onboard with a complimentary welcome-back soft |
| professionals often refer to the ship's "hardware". | | | | drink and a "spritz" of cool spray after a long day |
| So, let's start there. | | | | of shore excursions. However, one of the things |
| At 122,000 tons (the largest in the Celebrity | | | | that I most appreciated was the judicious use of |
| fleet), the Eclipse was surprisingly easy to get | | | | public announcements. Following the captain's |
| around on and, even with a full capacity of 2,850 | | | | positioning and weather update each morning, the |
| passengers (based on double occupancy), the ship | | | | public address system was virtually silent the |
| never felt crowded. To be perfectly honest, my | | | | remainder of the day. There were no blaring |
| first impression of the interior décor was that it | | | | announcements about the next round of jackpot |
| was a bit "plain" but, as the days onboard passed, | | | | bingo or special "deals" on jewelry. If you were |
| I came to appreciate it more and more. | | | | interested in such things, the time and place of all |
| Consistent with Celebrity's position in the industry | | | | onboard activities and events were clearly shown |
| as a "premium" cruise line (as distinguished from | | | | in the daily calendar that was left in the |
| "mass market" or "luxury"), the overall look and | | | | stateroom the preceding night. Having learned to |
| "feel" of the Eclipse is what I would describe as | | | | read when I was in 1st grade, I didn't miss the |
| "subdued elegance". Unlike the "cheap glitz" or | | | | annoying announcements one bit. |
| "pretentious opulence" of some other ships I've | | | | The Entertainment |
| seen, the interior of the Eclipse seemed to be | | | | If there was one area in which my experience |
| intentionally understated by its designers so that | | | | aboard the Celebrity Eclipse disappointed me (and |
| guests (myself included) would feel completely at | | | | my traveling companions), it was the |
| ease while residing in their upscale home at sea. | | | | entertainment. More specifically, the |
| Colors in the main lobby area were soft and light, | | | | Broadway-style production shows (which I have |
| while other public areas and lounges (including | | | | seen countless times before on other cruise ships) |
| Michael's Club and Cellar Masters) were adorned in | | | | were fair at best and totally uninspired at worst. |
| deep natural wood tones with luxurious furnishings | | | | That's not to say that the individual performers |
| and plush carpeting. | | | | were not talented (although I've seen better). It's |
| Hallways and stairways were sufficiently wide for | | | | only to say that I found these "song and dance" |
| side-by-side passage of guests and we rarely had | | | | shows to be "corny", repetitive and, in certain |
| to wait more than a minute or two for an | | | | respects, slightly amateurish. The exception to this |
| elevator. The public bathrooms were immaculate | | | | was the last show (titled "Eclipse"), which featured |
| and they were always well-stocked with small | | | | some terrific acrobatic performances and great |
| single-use cloth towels (rather than paper or hot | | | | sets with special effects. The variety shows |
| air dryers). | | | | (jugglers, magicians, comedians, etc.) were |
| The pool and solarium areas were spacious | | | | generally good. |
| enough that finding a comfortable lounge chair | | | | The highly-promoted glass blowing exhibition was, |
| was never a problem. However, the jogging track | | | | in my opinion, slow-moving and dull. Although the |
| (or "walking path" for those of us over the age | | | | presenters from the Corning glass museum were |
| of 60) went right through the pool lounging area | | | | obviously very skilled at their craft and dedicated |
| (so it became something of an "obstacle course") | | | | to their work, I just couldn't get too excited |
| and it didn't go completely around the entire ship. | | | | about spending nearly an hour watching a glass |
| Perhaps the most unique feature of the ship's | | | | bowl being made. In fact, at one point during the |
| "hardware" was the "Lawn Club". I must admit | | | | exhibition, my wife turned to me and said "What |
| that a negative pre-conceived notion (based on | | | | am I missing?". Ironically, this same exhibition was |
| photos and descriptions that I saw) may have | | | | highly recommended to us by one of our staff |
| clouded my expectation. But, after spending just | | | | members who saw it on the Solstice. So, don't |
| a few minutes watching fellow passengers playing | | | | take my word for it. See for yourself. |
| croquet or basking in the sun on the finely | | | | The Staterooms |
| manicured natural grass, I realized that the | | | | Like every modern cruise ship, the Celebrity |
| photographs of this area in Celebrity's brochures | | | | Eclipse offers a wide variety of accommodations, |
| and television commercials could not capture it's | | | | ranging from lower-priced interior cabins (with no |
| peaceful serenity. I loved it! | | | | window) to huge luxury suites with personal |
| The Food | | | | butlers. Obviously, a guest staying in one of the |
| Since all restaurants offer a variety of culinary | | | | large suites would have a different stateroom |
| choices, any evaluation of food is influenced not | | | | experience than one staying in a much smaller |
| only by personal taste but also by what items are | | | | interior cabin so, once again, I must preface my |
| selected from the menu. Nowhere was this more | | | | stateroom review by cautioning the reader that it |
| apparent than at the Murano specialty restaurant | | | | is based on my specific experience (which may or |
| aboard the Eclipse. My wife ordered the filet | | | | may not hold true for other types of |
| mignon while my cousin, Mike, had the veal chop. | | | | accommodations on the Eclipse). |
| Both entrees were, unquestionably, the best of | | | | My wife and I chose (as we most often do) a |
| their kind we've ever tasted....anywhere! On the | | | | standard mid-priced stateroom with a balcony, |
| other hand, the fish (Mediterranean sea bass) that | | | | which was more than adequate for the two of |
| my cousin's girlfriend, Janet, and I both ordered | | | | us. The décor was soft and pleasing. The |
| was fair at best. | | | | bedding was very comfortable and neither of us |
| More consistent was the meal we had in the | | | | had any difficulty falling asleep. The bathroom was |
| specialty restaurant, Tuscan Grille. Although the | | | | a nice size but the shower did not have a |
| filet mignon was quite as good (in our opinion) as | | | | hand-held extension (which meant you had to |
| in Murano (even though the Tuscan Grille touts | | | | move your body around a bit to get yourself all |
| itself as being "a steak house with an Italian flair"), | | | | rinsed off). There was somewhat less storage |
| all of our entrees were excellent in their own way. | | | | space than we would have liked on a 14-night |
| At the specialty restaurant, Quisine, we had a lot | | | | cruise but, overall, we were very satisfied with |
| of laughs sampling a wide variety of unique | | | | our standard balcony stateroom accommodations. |
| entrees and side dishes, each described on an | | | | Conclusion |
| I-pod menu. | | | | Having taking well over 30 cruises over the past |
| The main dining room, Moonlight Sonata, offered a | | | | 15 years that we've been in the business, my |
| variety of dishes every night that ranged from | | | | wife and I are always looking for something |
| good to excellent, with very few disappointments. | | | | special when a new cruise ship enters the market. |
| We especially liked the Select Dining option which | | | | And, that's exactly what we got with the |
| was a nice departure from the regimented | | | | Celebrity Eclipse. On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 |
| two-seating arrangement on most traditional | | | | being the unattainable standard of being absolutely |
| cruise ships. And, we were always able to get a | | | | perfect in every respect), we give this one an |
| table for four by the window as we requested. | | | | overall rating of 8.5 to 9. We can't wait to book |
| The Service | | | | our cruise on the brand new Celebrity Silhouette |
| A cruise passenger's perception of onboard | | | | (sister ship of the Eclipse) when she begins |
| service is so often dependent upon who their | | | | round-trip sailings to the Caribbean from Cape |
| stateroom attendant was and which waiters / | | | | Liberty, New Jersey in 2011. |