CruiseDad-NYC

You'll be all set then. I would think this would be an issue only for this general range of cabins on the rear of deck 11.

That's a good question, and one I had wondered myself. I traveled for 5 weeks on this trip, from Argentina to Uruguay, Brazil, Barbados, St. Kitts, and Bermuda. I used my credit cards in each country with mostly no problem. I would bring 2 or 3 credit cards (and make sure they have free currency conversion if you can), because there were a few times where my primary credit card was declined (e.g., buying ice cream at a store in Rio; paying my beach bar bill in Salvador, Brazil). You get the best bank rate that way, particularly in Argentina. I also brought US dollars, which were freely taken in Argentina. I had brought an envelope of singles, $5s, and $10s for tips (e.g., at restaurants and cafes). There were also a few times where I made small purchases (e.g., my bar bill at the beach in Buzios) and dollars were perfectly welcomed. When I go to Europe, I usually bring a few hundred dollars' worth of Euros, but didn't think I needed to on this trip at all.

The airport in Barcelona is only 20 to 30 minutes from the cruise terminal. If you can get off by 7:30 to 8 am, you should have plenty of time, particularly if a weekend.

Sorry - I noticed a mistake in my review. Carambola Beach Club on St. Kitts was $30 for 2 chairs and 1 umbrella, not $30 pp.

SHIP NAME Eclipse CABIN # 1642 DECK # (3-14) 11 CATEGORY: 7-12, 1A-1C, 2A-2D, A1-A2, C1-C3, CS, FV, PS, RF, RS, S1-S2, SG, SV Aqua LOCATION ON SHIP: Port (left), Starboard (right), Bow (front), Stern (back) or Inside and Forward, Midship (between the forward and aft elevators), or Aft (For example: Port-Midship, Bow-Forward or Inside-Aft) Starboard stern BED NEAR (Bath, Balcony, Window, N/A) Bath QUIET? (Yes/No/Usually) Cabin was quiet, balcony was loud because of vent BALCONY VIEW (Good, Great, Obstructed?) great BALCONY SIZE (Standard, Oversized, Other) standard with table and foot stool for lounger WIND A PROBLEM? (Yes/No/Sometimes) No SOOT A PROBLEM? (Yes/No/Sometimes) No PROBLEMS/COMMENTS (Explain all Noise (including crew door issues), Wind and Soot Problems here, plus all comments and information regarding things like connecting or accessible cabins) Was VERY unhappy with noise from the vent over the balcony door. It was an industrial fan that made being on the balcony unpleasant if you enjoy having breakfast or just enjoying the balcony in general. It also caused moisture to drip, and the table and floor was wet the whole time. If you don't make much use of your balcony, you may not notice. But, if you are someone who enjoys quality time on your balcony, definitely AVOID this cabin. It had a negative impact on our enjoyment of the cabin. PICTURES (Attach pictures in your review) DATE OF CRUISE AND "REVOLUTION" COMMENTS April 20 - 27, 2024 20240425_091943.mp4

It is hard to say, because I wasn't in the other cabins and wasn't aware of similar cabins until I looked up from the dock and took this picture. I think my cabin was somewhere in the middle of the cabins with exhaust fans that I circled in my picture. I would be wary of Aqua Class cabins 1630 - 1646 since I am sure the noise would be heard by cabins just past the first and last one.

Hi, keysey222 - I agree with everything you say here. I am sure we would have liked Punta Del Este and hope to have a chance to go there some day in the future, particularly since it tends to be a consistent stop for ships going in and out of Buenos Aires, which I would like to do again some day. I had never heard of Ilhabela and would not have sought out Buzios but now would love to go back to and was a highlight of our 3 weeks of cruising. I am glad you had a good tour into Sao Paulo. It is sometimes so hard to make these decisions based on what you read about online, which is why I wanted to write a detailed review of the Brazilian ports in particular which for some reason I didn't feel I was getting a complete picture of in my research. I had been a bit wary of Rio, which I really loved. I also almost skipped Salvador on the Rio to Cape Liberty leg based on what I read and it turned out to be one of our favorite stops. Hopefully they will bring back this itinerary some day - I would very gladly do it all over again!

Cruise Review – Rio de Janeiro to Cape Liberty on the Celebrity Eclipse – April 27 – May 11, 2024 This cruise was the second leg of a B2B, which had started the previous week from Buenos Aires to Rio and which I wrote about in a separate review. Before that, we had spent 2 weeks traveling in Argentina. This itinerary was very appealing to us, in part because we had never traveled in South America and because it sailed back to New York, which is where we live. Overall Thoughts We had a great time overall – we loved the ship and the itinerary. I had mentioned previously that we had not been blown away by Aqua Class and Blu on the first leg. And that we had been very unhappy with the exhaust fan over our Aqua Class cabin (1642), which made it essentially unusable for us. You would think moving out of an Aqua Class cabin to a V1 cabin (9186) would be a downgrade for us, but we were happier in this cabin because we could enjoy the balcony (and did). It looked almost exactly like our Aqua Class cabin and was very comfortable and well laid out with good storage space. We also thought the location near the front elevators was more convenient. There was almost never a wait for elevators unlike in the rear, and it was a quick walk upstairs to the Solarium, where spent a lot of time on sea days. The Eclipse is in good shape, but definitely needs some freshening up. New carpets. New curtains. New towels. Reupholstered furniture and some paint would go a long way. It doesn’t need an overhaul in my opinion, just freshening up, which I understand is happening in 2025. We love the overall size of the Solstice class of ships and like Celebrity as a brand in general. Service was universally excellent and friendly. The entertainment was very good. There was a particularly good acrobatic show called Veronika and Vladimir. We also liked the lectures on sea days by Jacob Marvin who talked about things like the Sugar Trade, Pirates, etc. Food We thought the food overall was very average and not nearly as good as the Edge B2B we had taken in the Mediterranean last September. Fresh vegetables were in short supply. Desserts mostly taste the same and you can tell they are made with cheap ingredients (e.g., frosting on cakes is pasty and vaguely greasy). A lot of the dishes were mushy in appearance and very salty. They also ran out of items (e.g., gruyere cheese on the French onion soup in the main dining room was gone after 4 days or so but then was substituted with Swiss on the last night; kale salad was substituted with romaine; brown sugar at the oatmeal station in the Oceanview was substituted with sugar in the raw; limes in cocktails were substituted with lemons). We didn’t really care, but it was somewhat noticeable. The food wasn’t bad, but we have had much better on Celebrity, particularly on European voyages. I wondered if it was because food standards in Europe are than in the US or because this cruise was much cheaper. The first leg from Buenos Aires to Rio for 7 nights had been $699 for balcony guarantee (which we ended up in Aqua Class) and then $939 for V1 balcony on this leg (Cabin 9186) for 2 weeks. We also ordered coffee, tea, and yogurt (and sometimes the fruit plate) to our cabin every morning on this leg and enjoyed them on the balcony before heading out. Starlink Wifi I also was very impressed with the Starlink Wifi as I needed to do some work while I was away for so long. It was sometimes a little spotty if I was sitting at the desk in my cabin, but got better if I moved to the bed (particularly if the bathroom door was closed). There were a few times that were frustrating, but if I moved to the library or some other central location, I never had a problem. The Wifi worked for video conferences and for me to download video and other materials for work. I originally had worried that being away from my (home) office for so long would be a problem, but it was totally fine. Drinks and Bars We enjoy the Martini Bar but found it hard to get a space there during peak times because other people enjoy it as much as we do. We also enjoyed the bar at the Sky Observation Lounge and often stopped there before dinner. We have Elite status and would get drinks during this time off the Elite drink menu which wasn’t elite at all. The ingredients are cheaper, the choices limited, and they even give you smaller glasses so you make sure you know you’re getting something lesser. Celebrity could do better with this and it would be nice if they offered non-alcoholic alternatives other than soda or juice. Laundry We also used the Elite laundry benefit, which we had never used before this trip. It was very easy to use and much appreciated after traveling for 2 weeks in Argentina prior to our trip. We each got one bag (I had thought it was 1 bag per cabin) and a total of 30 items per bag. We just used it for underwear, socks, and t-shirts, including a few items we wanted on hangers instead of put into a dryer so they wouldn’t shrink. We wrote it in on the form, and they did it. The Itinerary As I had mentioned, sailing back home to New York was a big reason we chose this trip. We have been on B2B voyages totaling 14 days in the past, but a total of 21 days (i.e., 7 + 14) was new for us. I originally had wanted some additional ports, but we really liked the 5 straight sea days early on, which gave us an opportunity to relax and enjoy the rhythms of the ship (and for me to catch up on some work). Rio de Janeiro I wrote in a prior review what we did here (i.e., the Christ the Redeemer statute and Ipanema Beach on our own). We loved the city and would love to go back. We definitely did not enjoy the terminal when we returned to the ship. We were misdirected to the check in line (which was a mess) instead of returning passengers and found the local port staff to be rude and unhelpful. It was overall unacceptable. Salvador, Brazil We wanted a beach day here. I don’t usually do cruise-sponsored excursions and go on my own, but I had read some reviews that had said Salvador was a bit sketchy. So, I checked out the Celebrity beach excursion, which was to Flamengo Beach. It turns out the excursion was sold out, so we decided to go on our own and were very glad that we did. We took an Uber that was about 40 minutes and $21. The beach is absolutely stunning. Wide, warm water, big surf. There are a number of places where you can sit on chairs and use umbrellas if you order food and drink. The one that we used was a bit more informal and the bathroom access was a portapotty (which hadn’t been emptied in quite some time). Cold beers were about $3.50 each. A coconut was about $1. Next time, we would go to the beach club that Celebrity went to, which was right next to where we were. It’s called Lôro. They have loungers, umbrellas, bathrooms, etc. I would take an Uber straight there. It was a really great day and turned out to be very easy to do on our own. Traffic was not a problem, but I would be mindful of it just because it was 40 minutes of highway driving and a back up could make you late getting back to the ship. I hadn't been too sure about stopping in Salvador, but would look forward to going back to this beach for sure. Barbados We have been here a number of times and really like The Boatyard. It is a 10 minute taxi ride. Admission of $35 pp gives you a lounge chair, umbrella, use of the facilities and a drink. The beach is fine white sand, and the water was warm and beautiful. They give you a ride back to the ship at the end of the day. St Kitts We have been here a number of times and really like Carambola Beach club. The taxi is $7 pp each way. For $30 pp you get a lounge chair and umbrellas. It’s a nice beach, and they have a decent restaurant and bathrooms. The water was warm and the views are beautiful. It is easy to get to. I am curious about Nevis and might try to go there next time, but this is always a solid beach day. Bermuda It was a bit chilly and cloudy on this May day to swim, but some people were doing it. We took the minibus from the cruise port to Horseshoe Beach for $7 pp each way. We enjoyed a walk on the beach, which is absolutely beautiful, and went for a nice walk along the trail from there to Warwick Long Bay which was about 45 minutes there and back at our pace. It was a pretty walk with coves and beautiful views. I would definitely do this again and thought it was a good alternative to Horseshoe Bay, which gets pretty crowded. Cape Liberty – Disembarkation I was up early and watched the sail-in to New York harbor at sunrise, which was really beautiful with the NYC skyline in the background. I always like sailing in and out of New York and under the Verrazano bridge. I know it is the last day and it is early, but if you get an opportunity to see this, I think it is worth getting up and experiencing it. We self-disembarked with our luggage just before 7 am. It was super easy. They had said it would begin at 7:30 and we had encountered crowds, lines and difficulty finding elevators when self-disembarking on prior cruises, so we planned to go sit down on Deck 4 and wait to be called. We were surprised when we went downstairs that we were free to leave, and there was no line at all. I think they probably started letting people off around 6:30 am. We had ordered our Uber in advance the day before, which you really need to do to avoid long waits, which is what has happened on prior occasions at Cape Liberty. In the past, a number of Uber drivers didn’t want to drive the long distance to Long Island, where we live and the number of people seeking rides is obviously a lot. This was the first time we had ordered in advance and were glad we did. If you are coming in to Cape Liberty, I really do advise ordering your ride in advance to help avoid waits and frustration. As with the prior leg of our B2B cruise, we had a great time on our trip and really enjoy Celebrity. The food definitely wasn’t as good as our other Celebrity cruises have been and the ship could use a cosmetic freshening up. But, we had a great time overall and even booked a cruise for next year on the Silhouette while on board. This cruise was very inexpensive overall. If it had been expensive, I might not have been as forgiving about the food and need for some updates. If anyone has any questions about any of these ports, I am happy to answer them.

That's a good idea. I have attached a video with the audio of what I am talking about. It might not bother some people, but this is something I didn't want to listen to and I didn't know what I might be breathing. It also was annoying to have the chairs and floor wet. 20240425_091943.mp4

I have attached a picture of the vent over 1642 and a picture showing the row of Aqua Class cabins on deck 11 I would definitely want to avoid if this noise would be an issue for anyone. If people don't make much use of their balcony (which I believe many people do not), it would not be an issue and you cannot hear it inside the cabin. But, if you want to have breakfast on your balcony or sit out on it and enjoy the sound of the water, you won't hear it because of the fan. I mentioned the water to the cabin attendant who suggested that it was from cleaning, but it clearly wasn't and was there the whole time. We tried to just deal with it and ignore it for the first couple of days. We already had to move cabins in a few days for the second leg of our B2B and didn't want to have to pack up and move twice. If I had to do it over again, I definitely would have moved on day 1 or day 2. It took me a bit to figure out what was going on and to realize that it was going to be nonstop instead of intermittent. It didn't ruin our trip, but it made our balcony experience (something that is important to us) not enjoyable. I mentioned it in the cruise survey, and I am going to write to Celebrity about it. I don't expect them to do anything about it, but I really didn't think this was right for any cabin, and particularly Aqua Class.

Cruise Review – Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro on the Celebrity Eclipse in Aqua Class – April 20 – 27, 2024 My wife and I traveled from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro, which is an unusual itinerary for Celebrity and was part of a repositioning of the Eclipse to New York (i.e., Cape Liberty, NJ). We were on that voyage as well, which had quite a number of B2B cruisers. We live in New York, so it was appealing to us to sail home. In sum: we loved it and had a really great time even though we were unimpressed by Blu and were extremely disappointed with our Aqua Class cabin (1642), because of the exhaust vent over the balcony door, which made the balcony effectively unusable. It was actually quite shocking to me that Celebrity would sell such a cabin as a premium cabin (or any cabin at all for that matter). The noise was quite loud and literally never ever stopped. It was so loud, we could not sit on the balcony for more than a few minutes, which was quite disappointing because we usually have breakfast on the balcony and spend time there during the morning and in the afternoons. It was also wet the entire cruise with water dripping from above for reasons I don’t understand. There was some mold, and it felt very unhealthy. We didn’t let it ruin our trip, even though the balcony experience was ruined. I very much wish we had not been “upgraded” from our V2 cabin on Deck 7. We were very glad to leave our Aqua Class cabin and be “downgraded” to a V1 balcony cabin for the Rio de Janeiro – Cape Liberty segment of our trip. Traveling in Argentina Before Embarking We spent 2 weeks traveling in Argentina before the cruise and really loved it and highly recommend it. It is a beautiful country with stunning natural beauty. Because of the strength of the dollar in comparison to the Argentinean Peso, it is inexpensive for Americans. We traveled very well for not a lot of money in my opinion. We flew from New York to Buenos Aires on Delta. Incidentally, we paid an extra $150 per ticket to upgrade from regular economy to their “Comfort+” section of the plane, which was an A330neo. I did it solely for the extra legroom and space at the bulkhead between economy and premium economy. For such a long haul flight, the legroom and space at the bulkhead were totally worth it to me, and I would gladly do it again if the bulkhead seats were available. But, Comfort+ gets you only some additional legroom, and it would not be worth it to me unless the bulkhead seats were available. Buenos Aires We first stayed for 4 nights at the Hotel Madero in the Puerto Madero neighborhood of Buenos Aires. The neighborhood is new and modern and is super convenient to the cruise port. Breakfast is included and there is a supermarket and pharmacy nearby in case you need to buy anything before your cruise. There are also a number of restaurants. The taxi from the international airport (EZE) was about 35 minutes about $34. The Uber to the cruise port was about $5 and took 10 minutes. When we flew back to Buenos Aires the night before our cruise from other travels in Argentina, we stayed here again. The first stay we paid $326 per night for an executive suite (including all taxes and fees). The last stay for one night we were in a regular room that was $246. The executive suite was definitely worth paying extra for the additional space and separate bedroom. The regular room was also perfectly nice, although it was on the front of the building overlooking the street and was very noisy. I would definitely avoid a window overlooking the front of the hotel on a future trip to Buenos Aires. Overall, a good hotel choice before a cruise leaving from Buenos Aires or for flying in or out of the Newbery airport (AEP) In Buenos Aires, we visited the San Telmo Market, the Recoleta Cemetery, the Japanese Gardens, and Palermo. A beautiful city. We did a lot of walking. Uber was also really an easy way to get around and very inexpensive. Food was inexpensive as well. Ushuaia Originally, when we were looking at cruise choices, we were intrigued by Ushuaia. It looked like there were a number of things we wanted to do there, so we ended up flying down and staying for 5 nights at the Los Cauquenes Hotel, which we absolutely loved and highly recommend if you ever go to Ushuaia for a long stay. While there, we visited the national park, went on an amazing boat trip on the Beagle Canal where we saw a few stray penguins that had not left yet, whales, dolphins, and incredible scenery. Truly a highlight of our 5 weeks away. We also hiked up to Lago Esmerelda, which was incredible. You could do all of these things on your own if you were stopping here on a cruise. For the national park, we had our hotel book a taxi with a driver who spoke English. He dropped us off at the train and then picked us up on the other end. He drove us to various parts within the park and drop us off and either wait for us or pick us up at the end of another trail. It was April, which is fall in the Southern Hemisphere. The mountains had snow on the peaks. The fall foliage was beautiful. The weather was pleasant and in the 50s. The taxi was about $76 for 7 hours. The entrance to the park was $14 pp. The train fare was $36 pp even though we only took it one way. The train was scenic, cute and pretty good, although not awesome. Next time, I would probably skip it and go straight to the park. But, it was scenic, particularly if you are there for the day. For the boat trip, our hotel booked a trip on their boat. It was $115 pp and included lunch and beer/water. If you are in Ushuaia on a cruise, I highly recommend a beagle channel boat trip. We were lucky, because we had a very clear day, the water was smooth (unlike the prior few days, which had been quite choppy and likely would have made the trip on such a small boat too rough for someone wary of seasickness). We would have been happy with just the scenery (and the sea lions) and considered the whales, dolphins, and penguins for this time of year to be an unexpected bonus. For the hike to Lago Esmeralda, we had our hotel arrange a taxi to drive us to the park drop off (and then come back for us 4 and half hours later – she did!). It was muddy and the walk was a little more strenuous than I had expected (and we are in good shape), but extraordinarily beautiful. If you are physically fit and can handle a steep hike in places, I totally recommend this if you are spending extra time in Ushuaia. The taxi ride was $35 roundtrip and was about 40 minutes each way. El Calafate This isn’t a cruise stop, but absolutely amazing if you are traveling in Argentina and can make it up there for 3 days or so. We stayed at the Design Suites Hotel, which we loved for the views. I definitely recommend it, although it is one of those hotels that have so much potential but don’t live it up to it. It was $200 per night all-in. While here, we did a boat tour of the glaciers via Patagonia Dreams. $250 pp and highly worth it. We also went horseback riding at Estancia Cristina ($250 pp) which was absolutely incredible and one of the best things I have done in recent years. We then flew back to Buenos Aires and stayed again at the Hotel Madero. Incidentally, if you fly on Aerolineas Argentinas internal flights, they charge extra for luggage that weighs more than 15kg (i.e., about 33 pounds), there is an extra fee. It was only about $15 to $18, which I didn’t mind paying. Our bags were right at 50 lbs each, and I was just glad they made it on board. The Cruise After 2 weeks of a lot of travel, we were looking forward to getting onboard the Celebrity Eclipse. We have found that 2 weeks of vacation travel on land is enough to satisfy us and we then look forward to a cruise experience where you are well taken care of. The Uber ride from the Madero Hotel took us to the pier in 11 minutes for $4, which I thought was very inexpensive. The pier in Buenos Aires was not fancy, but not bad. We waited about 20 minutes before being whisked along to check in. It was very busy, but not chaotic, and we were on board about 15 minutes of starting. Aqua Class We had booked a balcony guarantee cabin for $699 for the week and had originally been assigned a non-obstructed view cabin on deck 6 towards the front. I didn’t want to be that far forward and called Celebrity to ask if I could move the cabin, and they said yes, as long as it was in category V1. They moved our assignment to deck 7 in the middle of ship (cabin 7002), which I was very happy about. The night before we boarded, however, I noticed in my cruise reservation that our cabin was changed to Aqua Class cabin 1642. It was a nice surprise to book a balcony guarantee and get an Aqua Class cabin! I had been curious about Aqua Class and had watched the prices and had considered making bids on Move Up before. The cabin itself was basically exactly the same as the regular balcony cabins and is essentially indistinguishable. The only difference is the shower head is different, the bathrobes were plush, and the bed pillows were longer. Oh, yeah, and they gave 2 yoga mats which just took up space in the closet. I bet almost no one uses these. I had been looking forward to Blu and have an elevated dining experience. But, we were not impressed with Blu at all. The food is not better than the main dining room. It is just a different menu with fewer choices. Some of the items are actually the same as the items offered in the main dining room. You would think it would also be healthier, but it wasn’t at all. The only benefit of Blu – and it is a big one – is that we could walk in without a reservation and be seated immediately and in a space that is not as frenetic as the main dining room. We liked having breakfast there as well so we didn’t have to deal with the crowds up in the Ocean View Café. In my opinion, if it is important to walk in and dine when you want to and have an experience that is a bit more civilized than the Ocean View Café or the main dining room, then Blu/Aqua Class would be worth spending a little more – maybe $100 per week pp. But, don’t expect better food (at least that was my experience on the Eclipse). We went into the Persian Gardens, which is an Aqua Class perk. But, it wasn’t for us and we only stayed a few minutes. The Ship in General The Solstice class ship is our favorite class of ship, and we love the size and layout of the Eclipse. Yes, it is feels a bit dated and worn in some places and it could use some freshening up, which I understand it will be getting during a dry dock next year. I personally don’t think it needs much more than new carpets and reupholstered furniture and a fresh paint job, so it will be interesting to see what they do. We enjoyed the solarium and the gym (which was the most crowded I had ever seen on my prior 20+ cruises). The Ports Montevideo, Uruguay The first stop was in Montevideo. The ship stopped in an older part of the city and it was easy to walk off and through a market area and then along a pedestrian friendly street, Peotonal Sarandi. I had printed off a walking tour online. I had been looking forward to this stop, but found it underwhelming and a bit shabby. It could be that it was a Sunday and, in the morning particularly, everything seemed closed. This was our least favorite city on the 5 weeks we were traveling. If you don’t do a tour of some kind, you can very easily do a walking tour on your own from the ship, which docks in the old part of the city. I had googled “Walking tour of Montevideo” and came up with a map I printed out before our trip. We walked from the Public Terminal, through the Port Market, and then down the Peotonal Sarandi until the Salvo Palace. I could see the potential for this on a sunny day other than a Sunday morning, when everything might be open and you could stop for a meal or drinks at an outdoor café. But, that’s not really how things were on the day we were there. Ilhabela, Brazil After 2 sea days (which we appreciated, because we were tired from 2 weeks+ of travel) we arrived in Ilhabela, which was an island off of Brazil. It was a last minute substitution for Punta Del Este, because the weather was rough there and the ship had had trouble tendering there a few days prior. We really liked this island, which I don’t believe is a regular cruise stop. We tendered in to a very cute pedestrian friendly town with restaurants, stores, stalls, etc. It felt totally safe, nice, and scenic. There was a scenic walk along the water starting in the town with beaches and beach bars nearby. I swam even though it was cloudy and we stopped for a cold drink. Because this had been a last minute substitution, I hadn’t researched too much what to do here. I really enjoyed the time that we had and would consider taking a taxi to a bigger beach if we had more time. It was a nice and unexpected stop. I had read about mosquitos being a problem, but we didn’t encounter any at all. Buzios, Brazil This is an island off of Brazil. It is very charming, beautiful, and pedestrian friendly. There are cute stores and restaurants in the town where the tender boat drops you off. There are stone pathways along the water with beaches within walking distance. We walked about 30 minutes to Joao Fernandes Beach, which was beautiful, but very crowded. We sat at beach chairs under an umbrella which we weren’t charged for, most likely because we ordered some cold drinks. The bar/restaurant associated with our chairs had a nasty bathroom, but better than nothing. This beach would be really incredible if it weren’t so crowded, but for an easy, decent beach day on a cruise stop. If I were here longer, I would consider taking a taxi to a different beach, but this worked well enough for us. Incidentally, I don’t believe that Celebrity has plans to go back to Buzios in the next couple of years, which is a shame, because it is a beautiful island. I would be excited to go back. Santos (Sao Paulo) We didn’t get off here and enjoyed a day on the ship. I had heard that the bus trip to Sao Paulo from the cruise port was very long, and there wasn’t much to see. I spoke to a few people who had taken it, and they confirmed the negative things you have probably read about, and I am glad I didn’t take it. I also hadn’t been too interested in the city of Santos based on what I had read and seen on videos. I had considered going to Gonzaga Beach, but had read some mixed reviews. I have since done some additional research and had liked the other beaches I had seen in Brazil and if I ever go back to Santos, I would take an Uber to Gonzaga Beach for the day. Rio de Janeiro This was the official end of this leg, but an interim stop for us, because we were on a B2B. We had to move cabins, which is a bit of a nuisance on a B2B (but a first class problem to have!). We packed up our suitcases and our cabin attendant moved all of the items that were hanging in our closet. There were quite a number of consecutive cruisers like us going on the next leg back to Cape Liberty. It was all handled efficiently up in the Sky Lounge through a line that was long but moved pretty quickly. Incidentally, we had wanted to put some items in the safe (e.g., jewelry and my laptop) while we toured around Rio for the day. Our cabin attendant helped arrange this with our new cabin attendant and we were able to use the safe even though the room obviously wasn’t clean and ready yet. We were off the ship by 8:45 and took an Uber to the Corcovado train station for the train up to see the Jesus statue (Christ the Redeemer). The Uber ride took 13 minutes and was only $6. I had purchased the train ticket on line the day before online and it was about $24 pp roundtrip. My advice is get there as early as you can. We arrived just after 9am on a sunny Saturday, and it was already very crowded. The train ride was nice and goes up a steep incline through an urban rain forest. It had crowds like you might experience in Venice or Santorini up at the top. The views were absolutely incredible, and there was a café up there where we bought a cold drink afterwards. I am glad we did it, but the crowds definitely made it less enjoyable. If there is any way for you to go there on a week day first thing, you would likely have a different experience. After we got down from the statue, we hopped in an Uber to take us to Ipanema Beach. It took 16 minutes by Uber and was only $8. Wow, this was a nice beach and neighborhood! It was sunny, beautiful, and it had a nice vibe with lots of families and couples. I had read that it was sketchy, but it didn’t seem that at all. It was a nice, upscale neighborhood with a great walkway along the beach that went for miles it seemed. We stopped at a café along the beach and had some cold drinks and also got ice cream after detouring a few blocks back. We wore long pants, and I really wish we had been wearing shorts and/or had brought bathing suits to enjoy an afternoon on the beach before going back to the ship. (36 minutes and $13 by Uber) Next time! They had ship tours that took you up to the Christ the Redeemer, but we found it very easy to do on our own via Uber. Incidentally, Uber Black is only a few dollars more per ride in Brazil. It’s not the same caliber of car for Uber Black in the US, but you do get a somewhat larger car, and I thought it was worth paying a few dollars more. Additionally, I had read some negative things about crime in Rio, but we felt totally fine. We would love to go back there. In Sum: We like Celebrity in general and the size of the Solstice class ships. The service was terrific the itinerary was great. All in all, it was a great trip even though we weren’t impressed with Aqua Class or Blu (and had been very unhappy with the exhaust fan on the balcony). I know Celebrity isn’t planning a similar trip in the foreseeable future, but I am happy to answer any questions on any of the ports.

That would be my understanding as well.

On my recent Eclipse voyage, the attendants in the Solarium did enforce the towel policy and did move things if there hadn't been activity for awhile (and I believe if the attendant had been notified). I really appreciate that.

On my recent B2B on the Eclipse (which I got off on Saturday), we had foot stools in our Aqua Class cabin balcony on the first segment but did not have them on our V2 cabin balcony on the second.

I don't mind filling out the cruise survey and actually appreciate being given the opportunity to give feedback on my cruise experience and hopefully improve things for future cruises (and help give recognition to crew members who had a positive impact on my vacation). I don't know if it helps anything, but it is nice to be given an opportunity to speak. I do find it off-putting, however, and think it cheapens the vibe to be implored many and multiple times to fill out the surveys. On my recent Eclipse cruise, we were implored probably the most we have been in recent memory to fill out the survey. By waiters. Managers. The cruise director. I think even the captain may have done it during his final talk in the theater. It was too much. I will give excellent crew ratings, because I think they all deserved it. I am not going to lie and say the food was good, because it wasn't. For some customers, these cruises are a lot of money and maybe the trip of a life time. Falsely stating that things are good when they aren't hurts those people and doesn't help the cruise line overall, because word gets out, including at CruiseCritic!

I just booked this one last week (albeit for August 2025 followed by the return to Boston). Very much looking forward to it!

Yes, in good condition. I actually don't think the bathrooms need to be changed at all other than new towels.

This was my cabin (9186) taken just a few days ago:

Hi, JDPCruisers - I would not be concerned about the condition of the Eclipse based on my experience onboard over the last 3 weeks or so. But, I would temper my expectations a bit. It is well-maintained, but not new. It just felt a bit dated, including in the staterooms (e.g., dated carpets, upholstery, towels were sometimes thin). It needs to be freshened up and polished, but not ripped apart.

Hi, I just got off the Eclipse on Saturday after being on it for 21 nights on a B2b (i.e., 7 nights from Buenos Aires to Rio De Janeiro and then 14 nights from Rio to New York). I have been writing up a review that I hope to post soon. We had a really terrific time overall, and the Solstice class is my favorite Celebrity class of ship. The Eclipse is in very good shape, but definitely feels a bit dated and could use some freshening up as some others have said. New carpets, new curtains, reupholstered furniture, and some paint in places (e.g., on the outside of the ship and by some windows) and it would sparkle. The crew is really excellent. The food was very average - nothing to be excited about and not as good as the Edge B2B from Barcelona last September. I would go on it again for sure assuming the itinerary and price were right even though it needs a polish, which I understand is happening in the Spring of 2025. If it is expensive, I don't think I would splurge on it.

On Bonaire, I have been a couple of times to Harbour Village resort. They offered a day pass. Beautiful and quiet private sandy beach and a restaurant. I would definitely do it again.

I remember speaking with a captain on a RCCL ship a couple of years ago. He had been annoyed that 2 passengers were 30 minutes late back to the ship (turns out they were hanging out at a bar in the cruise terminal area). The engines had been idling, and I believe he said it was $10,000 in additional fuel charges and that he was going to be giving them the bill (I couldn't tell if he was serious or not, but he was definitely annoyed and said he had been able to do it that time, but is not always able to wait that long). I feel bad for the little boy!

Thank you for the terrific review, which I am following with great interest. I am traveling in Argentina in April, including Ushuaia and then boarding the Eclipse in Buenos Aires and sailing to New York. Am really looking forward to it! Antarctica is definitely on my bucket list. Thanks again, and have a great cruise.

That's not true. 0/0 beer is non-alcoholic and Celebrity allows you to bring in non-alcoholic beverages that you can carry on yourself (can't be in checked luggage).