Since reviews are partly subjective, I share some of the poster’s impressions but not all of them. I was on the May 9 to 21 Hawaii cruise, and stayed on board for the May 21 to 28 Alaska sailing. My wife and I, who were celebrating a milestone wedding anniversary, were in a Concierge class cabin on Deck 10. It was our fourth and fifth sailing on the Eclipse.
In my experience with Celebrity, the Guest Relations desk or the Concierge assigned to Concierge class passengers will do their best to fix complaints while you’re on board. Of course, some complaints reflect the new normal and can’t be fixed. But the new normal has affected the entire cruise industry, which shut down for years during the pandemic, and has resurfaced with every cruise line cutting costs and services because they, like everyone else, are operating in a new economic reality.
Even before the pandemic, I was never a fan of the specialty restaurants on board the S-class ships, thinking them overpriced and frankly mediocre. I had a lot of OBC during the Hawaii leg of my trip and gave Le Petit Chef and the Tuscan Grille a try again. A total waste of money, I thought. On the other hand, I enjoyed the MDR food just fine and from the comments I heard from surrounding tables so did practically everyone else. We even enjoyed the buffet restaurant a few nights when after exhausting shore excursions during the day we didn’t feel like dressing for dinner.
The chilly weather during the Alaska leg was a first for me. Normally when cruising in the tropical climates of the Caribbean or the Mediterranean the pool deck is packed, relieving the congestion inside. But unlike its RCCL big sister, Celebrity ships do not offer nearly the number and variety of on board activities, resulting in passengers overcrowding the coffee bar and the buffet restaurant with little else to do when the weather is not conducive to sitting outside. Finding a seat in both the coffee bar and the buffet restaurant became a daily challenge.
But Celebrity must be doing something right because both cruises were filled to capacity. I was determined to have a good time and wound up having a wonderful time. I’m sure no matter what cruise line I chose I could find plenty to complain about, but instead I felt privileged and grateful that my wife and I were able to sail to exotic places on a still beautiful ship with perhaps the kindest crew at sea.
I certainly agree that the Eclipse is due for a facelift, but thinking that none of us are getting any younger, and regarding Time as our most precious commodity, while on board we booked a Croatia/Israel B2B on the Silhouette for 2024.