A taste of the Eclipse November 17th--20th

[joanne59]

Three nights and two days--my wonderful taste of the Celebrity Eclipse

 

Please ignore all the ** they mean nothing and appear to be a byproduct of cutting and pasting from my IPad.

 

It was a last minute decision to book this sample cruise on Eclipse from 11/17--11/20. My husband, who is my constant travel companion, was unable to get additional time off from work, so it was decided that I would "suffer" through this mini cruise all on my own. I'd met a few ladies through CC also sailing on this cruise, and we made plans to share our dinners together, including a voyage into the unknown world of Qsine.

 

Because I've never been short on words, I'll try to briefly highlight what occurred on the trip and include a link to my daily blog which has many photos and a more detailed explanation of my experience.

 

Let me first say that Celebrity has a track record in my book of never failing to impress me, on all levels. Nothing is ever perfect, and I will include my opinion (and that's truly what it is) of a few things that I did not particularly agree with, if I can even remember them.

 

The weather cooperated as I boarded around 1pm, having worked a half day and driven down from the Juno Beach area. Amazingly, the parking garage had plenty of room, and I was in line and on the ship within minutes. No line for Elite guests, which is the case no matter what time we seem to arrive.*

 

I was pleased to find that the cabins were open and my more than adequate inside room was very spacious.... I found it to be perfect for a solo passenger. I dropped my luggage and made a quick stop at the ILounge to prepare my IPad for my intended internet use--free 90 minute coupon...I never spent a penny over the course of the next three days. I had one issue Friday morning posting my blog, but that had nothing to do with my connection and more to do with the amount of photos included in the journal entry.

 

Next stop buffet in the Oceanview cafe, an outdoor seat to enjoy the fresh air and then off to explore a bit. Our planned sail away get together went off without a hitch...the only issue, we didn't leave the dock until approximately 7pm, well after we had all gone to change for dinner and the show.*

 

The show that evening was Ovations, a dancing and singing production pretty typical of Celebrity with a sampling of various famous Broadway and West End shows. The dancers were very talented and the singers were equally so, except I found it difficult to understand the lyrics because the sound system was set to such a HIGH volume, my ears actually began to hurt.

 

Dinner in the main dining room was wonderful as usual, I had the lamb shank and was not disappointed. We were all exhausted and called it a night soon after dinner.

 

Next morning I ventured up to the Sky Lounge to check out the Elite breakfast offered for two mornings of this short cruise. It was similar to what I had experienced in Michael's Club in the past, with a few more options to round out the selection. I chose a few light items, then found a spot on a lounger to relax and enjoy the view of the sea passing by. I then wandered down to the Aqua Spa cafe to see what was set out for that breakfast spread...I knew I'd be eating again before the morning was over and everything looked delicious.*

 

The cruise was short but the daily listings in Celebrity Today offered a full schedule for those willing to participate in something rather than just spending the day relaxing at sea. I chose to attend Dr. Lori's lecture and antique appraisal session in the theater. Before long, she had me laughing out loud and I actually learned quite a bit about antiques, which was not something I'd been interested in, prior to that afternoon.

 

The group of us attended the Champagne High Tea offered in Murano later that afternoon. I was impressed by the the entire experience and felt the up charge of $20 was worth the expense for the freshly brewed tea, specialty sweet and savory tastings and of course the champagne. * *

 

The show the 2nd night was a double headers variety show--Pete Matthews and comedian/juggler and Karen Grainger, a very talented vocal impressionist. *I'm pleased to say, the sound that evening was not nearly as deafening. Dinner was once again delicious, I'd chosen the rack of lamb, which may sound a bit redundant, but I'm a big fan of lamb and only indulge when I'm cruising. *A late night interactive theme party held in the Grand Foyer was a lot of fun and a great way to spend a hour and to work off that dinner we had all just eaten.

 

Last day and we arrived in Nassau first thing in the morning, as the sun began to peek from behind the clouds. I hadn't made plans to get off the ship and instead found a quite spot in the solarium and proceeded to catch up on a few hours of lost sleep. Lunch offerings in Aqua Spa Cafe met my expectations, then I met up with other passengers for Dr. Lori's IPad art tour around the ship.*

 

We attended the evening show entitled "Eclipse" which is a cirque-type presentation with many amazing acrobats and an incredibly elaborate set design. Next up...our eating extravaganza in Qsine.

 

Everyone that warns you to eat lightly and save room for this experience is more than accurate in their estimation of how overwhelming the food options can be, that are set before each passenger. It was incredible, from beginning to the end of our almost 4 hour adventure. I would further suggest an early reservation, ours was for 8:30, and I'd personally opt for 6pm if available. We had every intention of attending the late night comedian at midnight, but our dinner ran well into the starting time of the show.*

 

I was pleased to learn that the Aqua Spa Cafe was once again open early the morning of debarkation. It was a nice calm quite space to enjoy my breakfast before saying goodbye to the Eclipse. A quick wait to pass through customs, and I was in my car on the way north headed to home. *

 

All in all, the days passed quickly and although I missed him, I had much information to bring home to my husband. We are currently preparing for our next cruise vacation on Eclipse in 2011, when we once again embark on another travel adventure together.

 

For further reading and some photos, here is the link to our dining experience in Qsine.

*

http://joanne-justanotherday.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-eyes-were-bigger-than-my-stomachor.html

 

Happy cruising....Joanne **

[Gonzo70]

Great pictures of Qsine! I can't wait to try that venue. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

 

Glad you had a nice cruise. :)

[librarylady19]

Thanks for your detail-laden and very interesting report. I will be sure to check your blog also. Eclipse is definitely the next ship I would like to try (mainly because of Qsine). Couple of questions :

Re. Solarium - was it adult only or kids under 16 with parent?

What about smoking - were the nonsmoking areas enforced?

Did you happen to meet up with Lois R. onboard?

Thanks!

[madelinerose]

Thanks for the Qsine photos, Joanne. This venue is right up our alley. DH and I, more often than not, will order lots of apps rather than entrees when we dine out. We like to mix things up and have fun with it.

 

Great shots and really nice blog. ;)

[joanne59]

Re. Solarium - was it adult only or kids under 16 with parent?

What about smoking - were the nonsmoking areas enforced?

Did you happen to meet up with Lois R. onboard?

Thanks!

 

Glad you enjoyed the review, it's a great ship, can't wait to go back.

 

I believe the Solarium was 18 and above and I witnessed a family trying to get in the pool with a very young child who was advised by an older woman in the pool, to read the sign posting the age restrictions. She left with her family and I saw no other underage folks attempting to get in the pool.

 

Didn't see any smoking out of the specific designated areas, but then again, I don't always pay attention to such things.

 

Lois and I shared all our evening meals, in addition to two other ladies, Janet and Lisa whom I also met through the CC roll call.

 

We all had a great time and they contributed to the enjoyment of my first solo cruise.

 

Happy cruising...Joanne

[joanne59]

Thanks for the Qsine photos, Joanne. This venue is right up our alley. DH and I, more often than not, will order lots of apps rather than entrees when we dine out. We like to mix things up and have fun with it.

 

Great shots and really nice blog. ;)

 

Thanks a bunch, I felt like the entire meal was one never-ending procession of appetizers, lots a great little tastes of so many different items. I'm an appetizer gal myself, so this place was wonderful.

 

Happy cruising....Joanne

[Cruiser Susie]

Hi, Joanne!

Loved the Qsine report! SO much food... but it looks delicious.

 

Glad you enjoyed your three day solo adventure... and that you had fun sharing it with the other ladies.

 

I hope we get to go on the Eclipse sometime soon... and Qsine will definitely be at the top of the list to try.

 

Thanks for sharing!

[Lois R]

Hi Joanne:) great review and it was a pleasure meeting and hanging

out together from time to time:D

 

The sign on the Solarium said 16. For some reason Solstice said 18.

I didn't see any kids there. And I agree, the food is always good

in there:)

 

Your pictures are FABULOUS:D:):D

[TeaBag]

Thank you for your detailed review of Qsine. We will just have to book a cruise on Eclipse.

[joanne59]

Hi, Joanne!

Loved the Qsine report! SO much food... but it looks delicious.

 

Glad you enjoyed your three day solo adventure... and that you had fun sharing it with the other ladies.

 

I hope we get to go on the Eclipse sometime soon... and Qsine will definitely be at the top of the list to try.

 

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks Susie, it was a quick three days, but I'm so glad I decided to give the whole solo thing a try. I know you and Larry would enjoy Qsine, I'm sure Roger will be a fan also.

 

Happy cruising....Joanne

[joanne59]

Hi Joanne:) great review and it was a pleasure meeting and hanging

out together from time to time:D

 

The sign on the Solarium said 16. For some reason Solstice said 18.

I didn't see any kids there. And I agree, the food is always good

in there:)

 

Your pictures are FABULOUS:D:):D

 

Thanks Lois, it's always a pleasure to share a meal with another cruise addict!

 

Hey, what do you know, even with my camera focus issues, the pics are pretty clear.

 

Happy cruising...Joanne

[Chitown12562]

Thank you for sharing your trip.

 

Thisvwill be our first cruise on a Celebrity show and we are looking forward to it.

[joanne59]

Thank you for sharing your trip.

 

Thisvwill be our first cruise on a Celebrity show and we are looking forward to it.

 

My pleasure, I'm sure you are in for a treat on your first Celebrity cruise.

 

Happy cruising...Joanne

[joanne59]

Thank you for your detailed review of Qsine. We will just have to book a cruise on Eclipse.

 

You are welcome, and yes...it is a ship to be seen first hand....just book it :)

 

Happy cruising...Joanne

[Texed]

Joanne,

Thanks for posting. We enjoyed Eclipse also. :)

Edited November 22, 2010 by Texed

[Host Anne]

Joanne ~ thanks for the wonderful review. Please be sure to post it to our REVIEWS section for others to enjoy. I LOVED your blog on Qzine. Makes me hungry at 8:30 AM. We'll be sailing soon and can't wait!

 

THANKS again!

[joanne59]

Joanne ~ thanks for the wonderful review. Please be sure to post it to our REVIEWS section for others to enjoy. I LOVED your blog on Qzine. Makes me hungry at 8:30 AM. We'll be sailing soon and can't wait!

 

THANKS again!

 

My pleasure, Anne. I'll post it on the reviews section soon. Glad you enjoyed the Qsine blog, it even makes me hungry and I actually ate all that food. Enjoy your cruise...I know I'm already counting the days until our next one :)

 

Happy cruising...Joanne

[joanne59]

Joanne,

Thanks for posting. We enjoyed Eclipse also. :)

 

It's a wonderful ship, kudos to Celebrity for just making them better and better each time :)

 

Happy cruising...Joanne

[vplsh]

Great review, Joanne. Now I don't have to actually write one; I can just say "ditto!" Janet and I enjoyed spending our days with you and the meals as well! Steve was so jealous when we got home and showed him the pictures, so I'm sure that we'll be back on Eclipse sometime in the future.

 

Like Joanne, this was my first cruise without my husband. My sister, Janet, is a TA and she was offered a great rate on this cruise, so we bought our airline tickets and headed off on our sisters' cruise. I think she'll agree that it ranks up there as one of our best cruises ever.

 

 

A couple of things I noted-

 

- Eclipse has one of the friendliest crews I've ever sailed with. We often commented that you could never pass a crew member by without them greeting you.

- There was definitely enforcement of the rules in the Solarium pool. In addition to the family you mentioned, we saw a security person go over to a guest who'd brought a drink into the pool and have the guy get out.

- The Glass Show is a must-see event. Amazing that they can do that right on a ship in the middle of the ocean!

- Real grass on a cruise ship! Amazing! and not to be missed.

- The food was better, and the portions larger, than on our previous Celebrity cruise on Century.

 

I really can't believe we ate all that food in Qsine, but we definitely did! It's a must do for anyone on Eclipse; but I agree that eating earlier would have been better. At least we got to see the show beforehand!

 

Lisa :-)

[joanne59]

 

- Eclipse has one of the friendliest crews I've ever sailed with. We often commented that you could never pass a crew member by without them greeting you.

 

Lisa :-)

 

Thanks Lisa for filling in some of the holes in my review. I had a great time sharing the "sisters' cruise" with you and Janet. Tell Steve it's time to book another trip as soon as you are able!!!

 

I agree 100%, the crew is one of the friendliest, can't wait to be back onboard :)

 

Happy cruising....Joanne

[Lois R]

Hi Joanne:) and I will add a couple of more things too;)

I am not sure if you, Lisa or Janet ever went to the Molecular Bar

or not but I did:D and for those folks who are interested, it was a lot

of fun. Great bartenders and fabulous drinks too:D

 

I agree, the crew was wonderful.:)

 

3 nights was just too short:eek:

[njmomof2]

I am the other half of the sisters' cruise...I have to say one of my best cruises ever.

 

The ship is fantastic, the crew wonderful, all the food terrific and really, that Qsine is not to be missed. I showed my kids and husband the pictures and they were overwhelmed at what we were served and really, how lovely the presentation, which is half of the dinner.

 

I'd love to go back, if only to try the remaining food that we missed (and we did miss some) and to really enjoy it earlier in the evening. I agree with Lisa that there would be no reason not to enjoy an inside cabin...so spacious. I was really looking forward to enjoying the Solarium, which is something that I don't get to do as I have younger kids, so this time was a real treat. And enforcement was definitely there.

 

Loved the Aquaspa food, so light and delicious. Wish I'd had a chance to enjoy more drinks, but it was just not that hot and I was not all that thirsty. But on the up side, I have now developed a new passion on the drink front...iced espresso and milk. The Cafe has a drink...espresso, skim milk, ice, shaken, with a dusting of chocolate. I'm sure it's like any other iced espresso that you can get, but I'm not a coffee drinker. Because I had the unlimited package, I decided to try it and now I'm hooked. I can see a big Starbucks bill in my future!

 

Shows were great, if a bit loud. Singers and dancers are very talented. The CD was great and the Activities Director, Joe, is a young guy from Massapequa, NY. We had a lovely chat one afternoon while Lisa was doing a bit of scrapbooking in the card room.

 

Had a chance to meet Junior Merino, the Liquid Chef, while they were preparing the Molecular Bar for the evening. We had a chance to hear about how he came up with his drink concepts, and learned a lot about his ingredients. I also found out that he has a partnership with the Mexican Pavilion at Disney's EPCOT, where we will be in February for our son's bar mitzvah celebration, so he told me to make sure I got over there and mention his name.

 

All in all, a wonderful, albeit short, vacation, with one of my favorite people on the planet (my big sister). I'm so glad we had a chance to enjoy a few days together on such a wonderful ship. Chances are, she'll be back before I will, as it really is not a ship for my young boys (almost 13 and 8). For the time being, I'll keep them on Royal Caribbean ships (and away from all of you enjoying a grown up cruising experience!).

[joanne59]

Thanks Janet and Lois for further reviews on this wonderful ship. I also enjoyed chatting with Junior and hearing how he originally came up with his unique drink combinations. When we were there, he was offering samples of the "Dragonfly" I think it was called...very tasty.

 

Anyone who has a reservation on Eclipse, or any of the other Solstice class ships, is in for a big treat.

 

Happy cruising...Joanne

[joanne59]

Hey Lisa...so happy to see that you are still cruising. Roger and I just booked our 1st cruise in 4 years. Feels like we've been away so much longer. Grandsons are growing fast, and we can't wait to bring them on a cruise. This time it's just us, but can't wait to be back on board again. Say hi to Janet for me :)