LIVE from the Eclipse 3/24-3/31

[sldispatcher]

Hello fellow CC members.

 

Over the years, I have gained so much information from this board, that I always feel I must give back.

 

One of my favorite threads happens to be the "live from" threads. I am aware that there have been quite a few on this ship, but I hope to add my own perspective.

 

I'll introduce myself and fellow passengers as the week goes on.

 

My last "live from report can be found here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1339111

 

That was a report from the Maiden Voyage of Oceania's Marina. I feel very fortunate to have been on her and had so many aspects of that cruise that I loved.

 

Okay..perspective:

 

Last Celebrity cruise was to Alaska on the Infinity some 8 years ago. 14 day RT out of San Fran.

 

3 Prior Holland Cruises: Ryndam to Sea of Cortez, Amsterdam 12 night Carib. and Eurodam 7 days

 

Oceania Marina, as mentioned above.

 

We are from the state of Louisiana and traveling together as a group. We have a range of cabin types and are celebrating a special occasion. Several on the group will be first time on Celebrity.

 

We are about food and not ports.

Quality over quantity.

Service is appreciated and shown appreciation.

We are about the ship and not the destination.

We are not party people and don't mind if they roll the carpets up at 1130 at night.

 

Age ranges are from 13 to 73.

 

Some of us are very regular travelers. Some are not.

Some like city stays, others like rural america/pristine settings (count me in on the second).

 

So, after spending a couple of weeks in Montana in January (LOVE IT LOTS), we are heading to the tropical climates where the Gulf meets the Atlantic.

 

Here...

We....

Go....

[Sarah@Sea]

:D

 

Packing to join you! Not sure if I'll be getting online while on the cruise as I work 7 days a week on a website and usually still "check in" while traveling in the US so when I cruise I completely unplug! BUT I did recently get an iPhone so it will be easier to check in with any free wifi spots in ports.

[Andy]

Hi Sldispatcher,

 

I hope you have a great time on Eclipse. We look forward to your updates.

[sldispatcher]

Do you remember?

 

I am thankful that we have cruising in this world. It is a reminder, albeit artificial at times, that there is a more civilized way to do things with a focus on customer service. Extra effort is made to make the customer happy.

 

I remember when airline travel was that way for me. The late 70's/early 80's were special times in the deep south. Delta 727's making their hopscotch milk run journeys across the Mississippi Delta was simply part of traveling. It took you all day and you didn't mind. It may not have been, but in my mind's eye there seems to have been greater seat pitch and twice the padding on those seats.

 

Planes would be held for late connecting passengers. Cardstock luggage tags printed in bright colors. Cabin service and luggage was simply a given, not a paid for luxury.

 

It used to be the journey to your destination was half the fun. Not anymore.

 

With 3 different flight arrangements for the 10 of us, only 1 of the 3 groups made the flights originally booked yesterday. Front line personnel in smaller airports are often low wage/contract workers with no real ties to the company. Service and corporate culture are non-existent.

 

I won't bore you with the details, but to anyone ever considering a cruise vacation that a flight to the departure port is required, please do what is often recommended and go down the day before...preferably early.

 

Thankfully, today we will be boarding the Eclipse.

 

We are looking forward to checking out this ship. At first, the large size of the ship was quite intimidating. We are counting on the numerous CC reports of very little feeling of being overcrowded.

 

Excitement is in the air. Don't know about you, but goose bumps always show up when walking on the gangway. It's almost like an intergalactic transporter is taking you away from the humdrum busy body life and onto a whole new world.

 

It has been a while since we've tasted Celebrity. But I remember. The Infinity rekindled my family's cruising interest and it has been off the chart ever since. But I remember.

 

7 days is just too short in my book. But I'll savor each moment.

 

Cruising is our last great hope for keeping the journey most of the fun.

[sldispatcher]

Okay...for those who like some details.

 

Due to air transportation costs, we elected to fly into FLL.

 

Staying at Springhill Suites near the airport. Don't even bother waiting on the "free" hotel transportation. It may cost you 50 minutes or more of your life that you will never get back. Cab fare is approx $20 one way.

 

DW and I waited for the shuttle...and waited...and waited. Later arriving family took our advice and did the cab.

 

The hotel itself is adequate. Woudn't give them more than $150 a night to stay in it though. Nice sitting area in each room with free wi-fi. Breakfast was standard.

 

There is a person at the front desk who will arrange transportation to various eateries and ports/airports. Recommend for sure.

 

 

For dinner, my DW and I went to Blue Moon Fish Co in Fort Lauderdale. Not for the budget minded, but excellent seafood with a Louisiana twist. They are on OpenTable so was easy to get reservation. There is inside and outside dining right on the intracoastal canal. We are still talking about the flavor profiles and freshness of the items we tried: stone crab claws, bibb lettuce salad, fried firecracker oysters, grouper with corn and crab, and a giant Godiva chocolate and raspberry souffle. (Why wait to get on the ship to start one's vacation?) :)

 

Okay..those are some details..I'll be happy to post answers to questions.

 

Bon Voyage!

[sldispatcher]

First Impressions

The blue sky didn’t amaze me, but the nice morning air did. It wasn’t as hot and muggy as the last time we were here to board a ship (Oct of 2010). In fact, it was pleasant.

The sun had already started its vertical trek across the Florida sky when I arose at 735.

After a quick hotel self-serve breakfast, I checked on the troops and we gathered at the appointed time in the lobby. The Sunshine staff was punctual, clean, and efficient. 30 minutes later we were unloading at the Port of Miami. 4 other ships were in port today with the Eclipse: Millie, Carnival Destiny, NCL Epic, and another Carnival ship that I did not catch the name.

My first impression was that everything was running smoothly at the port and nothing was really slowing us down.

We arrived at 11am and had a short wait to get past passport/document check and brief wait in security. At that point, people were directed into a top end suite holding area, some people went around a corner for what may have been the lower level suites/or higher end captain’s club members, then there was the line for everyone else. Of note, the line for everyone else was rather long, but they were on board by noon. From my perspective, I would probably show up at the pier at 1215.

Overall, not bad. Getting on to the ship took a few extra moments while a Celebrity official played PacMan or something on the screens. One of the card readers was not operating at top form. There were two lines letting people on board. They just stopped our line while boarding the other. Of course, my first thought was that they should have started grabbing some people off of our line and using the other check-in, but again, minor annoyance. Some people on Cruise Critic would have probably given the whole trip a 2 star just for that!

Okay….getting onboard the vessel I knew to head to Bistro on 5. It took a while for anyone to notice that we would even like to sit down. A little helter skelter at first, but we were seated soon enough. There was quite a bit of hawking of alcohol cards/packages going on as you make your way there.

The crepes were divine. Enough said. This eatery is worthy of at least one or two trips during your cruise. I’m very thankful for the extended hours. There was no one that didn’t like their meal at our table of 7. I could give a run down on each crepe, but the menus are widely available on the internet. I will say that they taste even better than they sound.

From there, we moved on to verify some specialty dining arrangements we made before our cruise. Each stop was greeted with nice handling of any special requests we made.

This trip is a special culinary themed cruise so we are planning on taking advantage of that. I might urge any of you considering taking advantage of the special offerings to do so either ahead of time or as soon as you board as they were selling out quickly. We will be having a very special meal in Murano this week in addition to the regularly scheduled dining experience there. Also, Qsine is offering the first ever cocktail pairing menu this week. Only two seatings and limited numbers of reservations. We took up 10 spots and that left only 30 when I checked at 115pm.

My first impression of the specialty dining area is that Celebrity was smart putting them altogether. It seems, at first glance, that they might have had better exposure placed throughout the ship, but I’m thinking that from an engineering and logistics standpoint, they are much better off being grouped the way they are. I thought each area was nicely done and I liked the wide passageways.

Of note, the ship seems a bit crowded today, but it is embarkation time and people were not able to go to their staterooms just yet. I don’t think it is fair to judge a ship based on the first 3 hours of embarkation!

A note on the overall appearance of the ship: very well maintained interior. It took a lot of people with very good ideas to incorporate some of the design features that help isolate noise in various parts of the ship. The designers and engineers deserve a lot of credit.

On to the stateroom. Our room is a category 1A with the bed near the balcony. I don’t mind this arrangement at all. The bathroom is smartly designed. The shower is quite ample. I’ve not noticed any wear or tear in our room. The attendant, Jose, was quick to stop by and say hello with a smile. His assistant, Igor, had the luggage in the room by 230. For a ship this size, again have to give them hats off for such efficiency.

Like others have mentioned, the room is about 2 drawers short of storage space. The closet probably could have used a little more thought in terms of storage, but it looks like they chose maximum flexibility. Of course, like most anything, if you need more you can pay more. It will be just fine as our home away from home.

By the way, we have a balcony “on the bump”, but I’ll deal with that more later (all good).

We toured some other areas, but I’ll save that for a later time.

Sail-away is one of my favorite things from any port. The ships looked amazing pulling away and heading off one by one. The Carnival Destiny had berthed with the bow facing west. She had to move into the turning basin and get lined up behind us. I was instantly glad I was not on that ship blasting rap music in the pool area. But I’m glad that Carnival has a place and we owe a lot of gratitude for them opening up the cruise market to the masses in the 70’s (My first cruise was as a pre-teen on Carnival’s Mardi Gras: that’s worthy of a blog entry all by itself ;) )

Hint #2: attack any dining room requests early, or if you are in a suite, just get the butler to handle the changes. When I went at 4pm to see the Maitre D, the line was 20 people long and there was the usual suspect at the front of the line in an endless cycle of talk and babble over the seating arrangement. I gave up and pulled rank with one of our cruisemates by using their butler to straighten out the mess.

Muster was easy. I like the no life jacket and stay in air conditioning part. But again, this is one of those times when you realize just how many people are onboard. I can’t wait to see the mess at the showroom.

The impression of the casino area was that it was very nice. Some in the party will drop some cash in there. Ample machines for those so inclined. Of course, the smoke free policy will make it so much more enjoyable.

Our impression of dinner was better than expected. The waiter, Mcasio, and assistant waiter, (can’t remember his name) were very efficient and seemed glad we were there. They may not have felt that way, but it sure seemed to come across that way. That’s someone doing their job.

Food came out quite a bit faster than expected. Not in a bad way, they just kept it moving. Mcasio has even made an attempt to start learning our names. Nice touch. Unfortunately, we won’t be dining there often this week, but they made me wish I was going to be onboard for 2 weeks to enjoy more of their time and service. Same goes for the Sommelier and Matre D personnel. Very warm and hospitable.

Tonight was truly the first time I started to get the sense of service I was hoping for/paying for on a ship despite the large size and not because of it. Kudos to them.

The dining room itself is one of the places on the ship where I think you can really appreciate the extra girth of the ship.

I won’t bore you with menu choices, but will certainly give you some if you ask. Noone didn’t like their order, so that is always a big plus.

My first truly bad impression came from the loud music in the atrium. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed in the whole mess. You had to tolerate it riding the elevators; walking to some of the public areas, but again, the ship’s design eliminates some of those issues. Several people were obviously enjoying the live music and attempting to tear up the dance floor. After all, it is the Caribbean. I’m not a loud music fan, so that is just personal taste.

I went up and checked out the buffet area. I didn’t try any of the food, but after being on the Marina, I have to measure my expectations of such an area. For what it is, it is clean. Could it be crowded? I have no doubt about that. When the daily bulletin is asking you to leave as soon as you finish eating, that pretty much sums it up.

So if I had to sum everything up so far I would say that Celebrity’s Eclipse makes a good first impression.

I’m already going to be on Solstice at the end of April, so this is really a good one-two punch.

Not sure about how others feel, but it seems as though Celebrity is also very clear about the sort of cruise and impression they want to give their passengers. Do they achieve that? It’s probably too early to tell on our short 7 day trip, but all in all, I’m glad to be here and looking forward to a good night’s sleep.

My first impression? I like it. J

[mac_tlc]

 

Excitement is in the air. Don't know about you, but goose bumps always show up when walking on the gangway. It's almost like an intergalactic transporter is taking you away from the humdrum busy body life and onto a whole new world.

 

 

 

And I thought I was the only one who felt this way ! It is a wonderful feeling that I have been unable to duplicate elsewhere.

 

I love your writing style and looking to forward to the rest of the week!

 

Nice job!

 

mac_tlc

[rddk]

Thanks so much for posting this. I will be keeping up with it as we will be getting on this ship the day you are getting off. I know the thrill of walking on the ship the first day.

[AdamKnows]

I can't wait to read more! My wife and I will be sailing on the Eclipse in 13 days.

[indigosails]

Thank you for your cruise log, sldispatcher. It is fun to read. Especially since I watched your ship leave port yesterday via the web cam! Isn't technology a wonderful thing...

[gelo7]

Thanks for checking in.

[sldispatcher]

Just a quick mid day report....top decks are full..no almost insanely full of people.

 

Quiet spaces can be found in doors.

 

There are definitely some changes for the better compared to my Infinity cruise from 8 years ago, but there are some changes for the worse. I feel a little like the soft product has been "dumbed down" some. That may in part be due to the corporate pressure from RCCL...part may be due to the location and length of the cruise.

 

You win some/lose some.

 

Things in the buffet seemed to be moving along well for breakfast and lunch.

 

AquaSpa Cafe was mobbed at lunch with few tables to sit. I remember on Infinity that they served hot entrees as well as cold. All cold now. It was fine and fresh.

 

Overall, it is still an upscale line in my book and probably a good first choice for most people. I would say it is easy to have an enjoyable cruise. I am looking forward to port days when most people get off and I get to have the ship more to myself :)

 

But if you don't like crowds, you'll need to find something smaller.

 

There was a time I wanted to just get on the Oasis of the Seas or Allure of the seas to say that I had been on there.....

 

....this cured me of that disease. No thank you.

 

Full report later tonight....Tuscan Grille tonight.

[sldispatcher]

What color of blue are you?

Staring across the azure colored waters of the Sargasso Sea, you know many factors attract people to this part of the world for their cruise. Like those people, the ocean seems to show a different personality each day. Hardly a white cap is present and the Eclipse seems to be in zero effort mode as it continues its southeasterly course for San Juan. The bright, cloudless skies of the morning have been taken over splotches of Elmer’s glue colored clouds. The haze present in the upper atmosphere has muted the bright blue effect of the morning sky and given the sky a more muted effect.

So today, the ocean is Calm Deep Blue and the skies are Lazy Lilac. Effort is not in the cards today.

Onboard, the mostly 50ish crowd seems to have settled on the theme of Calm and Lazy. It is their vacation as well after all. Eclipse continues to reveal some outstanding design elements that feature function and form as though they were married from the start. The windbreaks on the upper decks are spotless and needed. Rooms are tight without a single squeak. Cabinets and drawers hold their places. Elevators, for which there is always a line, never seem to make any noise. Find a quiet place in the library and watch them move up and down. Like children of a former time, they are to be seen, and not heard.

I can see where this ship ranks so highly in regular polling. Quality product meets value pricing. Nervous corporate types probably want to ensure full cruises and have most likely expanded some of the onboard entertainment to keep something going for everyone. To give you the impression that everything is perfect would be misleading and far from the True Blue truth. At 2 pm in the Ocean’s Café, there were no drink glasses available at one of the liquid stations. Staff seemed more worried about getting you out of the way and onto the next person than directing attention to you. There was some distraction in the dining room last night as well. Embarkation day must always be tough.

By the way, this is an Excite the Senses cruise. There are many food related themes and events peppering the week’s menu of activities. Special tasting dinners are being held in the various eateries this week. We are partaking of two of those and hope to give you up front and personal reports on those.

Just so you’ll know, I personally prefer the 10+ day cruises. For the most part, I like to slowly unravel the fabric of the different layers of the ship. There was a time when I would attempt to see all parts of the ship on the first day. No longer do I want to do that. There are always key elements that good CC members know to hit first: dining arrangements, spa appointments, special excursions. 7 days feels like too much pressure to see and do on a ship this size.

I’m again shocked at what is allowed in the dining room. I’m actually a stickler for the dining room dress code rules. You see, part of what the dress code does is filter the cruisers by category. If one can’t live without eating, breathing, and living in shorts or blue jeans, there are cruise lines that will suit you. The same person who disregards the dress code most likely will have disregard for staff and fellow cruisers. Celebrity is better than that. To the powers that be, help us help you. Enforce the code. Lose some of the casual outliers. Gain more respect from current and future X cruisers. Walmart appeals to the masses because of an “anything goes” attitude. The world is indeed more casual. I loved a previous cruise where there were no formal nights. However, that didn’t mean there wasn’t a dress code. And the country club casual requirement was strictly enforced. It works.

That brings me to a final point. I wonder what most people’s expectations are when booking and planning their cruise. Obviously, most persons are pleased with the end result or the industry would not be able to continue the growth curve that it has seen. Onboard today, calmness and serenity have found a home in certain parts of the ship. I would imagine most people on Celebrity cruises are looking for some of that. Some want to be wined and dined. Some want to be entertained. Others need lavish service. Still others simply want to be left alone.

All of the above are different shades painted under the same Celebrity palette. Whether it is a lazy, calm, electric, soothing, serene or satisfied, just what color of Celebrity blue are you?

[texmex.ferr]

Thank you for your cruise log, sldispatcher. It is fun to read. Especially since I watched your ship leave port yesterday via the web cam! Isn't technology a wonderful thing...

 

Hi Indigosails,

 

Can you give me the link for the webcam that you watched Eclipse sail from, cos I have asked on here previously and I have been told there is no webcam for Port of Miami (yet). We are due to sail on Eclipse March 2013 and would love to see her "in the flesh" before then if we can.

 

Thanks for any info

 

Texmex

[sldispatcher]

Mini Review of night:

Tuscan Grill:

Nice view aft with sun setting and moon rising.

Antipasta plate A+: don’t miss the fried zucchini

Appetizer Crab Cake: B- not served as crispy as I like, but also packed with crab which is a plus; came to table luke warm

Onion and Leek soup: B+ nice and hot; good texture broth; not as full bodied as onion soup the night before in main dining room, but the creators may have been looking for something more silky

Arugula and Mozzarella salad: C+ The subtlety of the dressing is lost after the two bolder courses; I would ask for this prior to appetizer; others raved about the chop chop salad by the way

Entrees: Ribeye C+/Salmon B+/Chicken B+/filet B+/Veal Scaloppini A-/ Sea Bass D- (bones)

Food is subjective. What can I say?

Dessert: A- Toffee Panna Cotta won hands down; hint, it’s more than one dessert ;)

Service: A- They really tried to impress on us that they would do whatever it took to make us happy.

Here’s the real question, would I go back? Maybe once on a 14 day cruise. I have high expectations for specialty dining. This didn’t quite get there.

Entertainment:

Production show called “The Edge”. I’m very tough on shows and always give big props to the singers and dancers. They don’t get to pick what they do. It is, however, their job to deliver. The voices were energetic and appreciated. Aerial performances were simple, but the spinners stole the show. The dancing was a little crowded on stage at times, but they gave effort. The music was performed live (which is always a plus in my book). The show took musical and costume themes across several decades and genres of music. As always, the production company throws out the biggest net they can to appeal to as many people. The stage looked small for such a big ship. Fancy LED lighting props were used.

An A for the performers, but a C- for the production company. Again, very subjective.

Would I go back to see it? No. Did I enjoy it the first time? Yes.

[sldispatcher]

Note to ship with Norovirus problem: You are keeping the air conditioning system 3 - 5 degrees to warm in all of the public spaces.

 

As a medical professional, I can tell you that every degree of warmth makes viral replication exponentially higher. You want to cut down on the problem? Cut down the temp. Humidity is high in halls and public spaces.

 

The casino was especially warm last night.

 

Hope someone is listening.

[vvnh16a]

Who is the current Resturant Manager (ships Maitre 'd ) on the Eclipse??

[sldispatcher]

:)Try another way

Another nice day aboard the Eclipse. A quick bite in a mostly empty buffet at 730 AM. The ship was slicing its way through warmer air and darker waters this morning on the way to San Juan. The multitude of people had decided that waking up first thing was not as important as one may have first thought. The ship was coming to life with more of a yawn than a big stretch today.

In a bit of retrospective thinking, I have probably been overly critical of the ship in terms of what I have reported. Please understand that the positives far outweigh any of the negatives.

Today, I have sat in solitude in the Sky Observation lounge. Bare feet have met grass on the Lawn Club and a round of Bocce. The Moonlight Sonata Dining Room continues to amaze me. So far, no, by far the best service and food experienced on the ship to date. Mcasio and Arvin are superb. Also, the unseen chefs and cooks continue to feed the masses at a shockingly high quality. Someone has injected cruise dining with flavor and spice and the result is dining on Celebrity.

Back to Bistro on 5 for more great crepes. Even though we are at sea, the place is practically empty. One can become very full here quickly. Daniel, a young server from Croatia, was fun and engaging and made us feel like royalty.

A note now about my balcony stateroom on the middle “bubble”. In fact, we are in 9209. It is in an enjoyable position. I am fortunate that the group I am traveling with also has an aft Sky Suite and one of the Penthouse rooms as well. I am getting to experience all 3. Back to my room, I actually wound up with one of the beds by the window situations. At first, simply because of the unknown, I had feared this arrangement. However, it turns out that I rather like it. The room darkening shades are more than adequate and of course, their respective tracks overlap a good 6 inches so that keeping them closed has not been a problem. Storage is a bit of an issue, but nothing that hasn’t been addressed by others or can’t be remedied with some creative thinking by the person sailing.

Sailing into and out of ports are one of my favorite things onboard a vessel. San Juan is no exception as history, geology, and technology merge to form the vista on arrival into the port. Upon arrival, you would have thought they were giving away gold in town as the ship emptied itself. The small pier was engulfed by people headed into old town. In the distance, a wounded Caribbean Princess sat tied up to the pier but appearing to be under her own power based on the exhaust coming from the stack.

With most people gone, it was fun to stop and stare at the modern pieces of art and architectural elements of the ship. The Foyer is quite amazing.

Departing on time, the behemoth of a ship backed up under its own power and then churned the water up as it headed out through the runway of channel lights out into open seas. Gulls sitting on buoys seemed to scream out “why are you waking us up” as we passed by each marker. Just like that another day of vacation was gone.

Through no one’s fault but my own, I had spent the first two days comparing everything onboard to the previous cruise I had been on. Part of that is due to the critical eye that I have especially with the nature of blogging. The other part is just personality. This may come to a shock to some as I am also considered an eternal optimist in most situations.

So if you are considering spending your hard earned dollars on a Solstice Class vacation, I think this ship and company actually represent a very high value for your money. Some cruise companies push the idea that you should do your vacation in the way you want to do it. I might suggest something else.

Instead of trying to do your vacation your way, try doing it the Celebrity way.

[sldispatcher]

I Wish I May, I Wish I Might

Excite the senses. We planned this cruise before this particular offering was available. I have to admit, I have not participated in many of the events because of a recurring problem with gout of all things. I’m surviving, but meds are running low and pain is not seeming to ease. Everything I do only seems to aggravate it. I wish it would go away.

However, that does not stop the food and fun. AquaSpa Café does hot meals if you ask. I suggest that you do. Takes about 15 minutes, but the lean, clean, and tasteful results are worth it. The ship was once again slowly deserted as St. Marteen took center stage. A milky haze blanketed the morning sky as the Eclipse made a perfect landing at the pier at Phillipsburg. The NCL Epic and RCCL Adventure of the Seas were berthmates for the day. I wish they were enjoying their cruise as much as those on the Eclipse were enjoying our voyage!

This leads me back to tonight’s double main event. We took part in an Excite the Senses cocktail pairing at Qsine. Sulley and Murino were both onboard to handle the initial event. It was definitely an adventure in food and drink and I strongly suggest you book this if it happens to occur during your next cruise. There were 6 and 9PM seatings. Sadly, our 6PM did not seem sold out or was limited based on what the kitchen and staff would be able to handle. If it were the latter, then I give them huge props for holding quality as the benchmark over quantity. You should try it, you might like it!

Service was plentiful. Each course was introduced by the Master Chef and Doctor of Mixology. It really was well thought out and paired. This was the first test run and should be a hit as word of mouth grows.

I also have to give huge props to the cast and production company for putting together the “Eclipse” show. For a cruise ship show, it had great production value, utilized the voice talent, and took full advantage of limitations that the environment of the showroom and ship provided. If I were grading, I would give the cast and A+ and the production company an A+ as well. Might we all wish that they continue to aim high like this one.

If I didn’t mention it before, Mcasio, Arvin and the Sommelier in the MDR were top notch last night. I’m really sad that we did not spend more time with them as they certainly would have added to the enjoyment level of the cruise.

The stars are out over the Caribbean’s aqua and steel blue waters tonight. As we drift the 90 miles to St. Kitts, an island with lots of lights is just off to our port side. Music is being played in all corners and a certain rhythm is starting to develop to the week’s journey for ship, crew, and passengers. This is also why I like to choose 10 day or longer cruises. We are simply running out of time with so much more to experience. Might we all be so lucky?

So in the end, Celebrity and the Eclipse really started hit their stride today in providing an exceptional level of service and vacation fun.

I wish I may, I wish I might

To let you all know

That it was a 5 star night.

[sch]

Thanks for your detailed review of your cruise on Eclipse. I am headed to Miami this weekend to start my first Celebrity cruise on Eclipse. Can't wait!

[cruiseorbust]

Thanks so much for posting....looking forward to hearing more!

[LinAli55]

Hi Indigosails,

 

Can you give me the link for the webcam that you watched Eclipse sail from, cos I have asked on here previously and I have been told there is no webcam for Port of Miami (yet). We are due to sail on Eclipse March 2013 and would love to see her "in the flesh" before then if we can.

 

Thanks for any info

 

Texmex

 

The following is the webcam:

http://portevergladeswebcam.com/

[sldispatcher]

An Evening in Paris, Tuscany, and Tripoli while staying in Vermont

Okay. I’ll admit it. As my tag line says, any day at sea is a good day. It doesn’t take much to thrill me sometimes. Special moments are often dreamed up in a moment of happenstance. Today would be no different.

Last night, my soon to be 13 year old nephew was let down that no one would go on the zip line with him. I offered up the St. Kitts Railway and bus tour and he gladly accepted. He’s an old soul in a young body. He is beyond his years in terms of his needs and wants. We don’t get to spend time together as much as I would like so this has been a good trip for doing just that thing.

An early call for breakfast at the buffet/Oceanview Café was followed by a quick descent to the 2nd floor disembarkation area. This would be my first time to St. Kitts and it the approach/scenery and general feel of the area made me think of an imaginary Lahaina 50 years ago. Eclipse could have easily nudged the skinny pier over had the ship had the mindset to do so.

We were efficiently greeted and then transported to busses for the short trip to the Sugar Cane Train. Instead of boring you with details, I can vouch that it was all really well done. The cleanliness of the busses, train, and facilities as well as onboard narration and entertainment made you feel like you had not really left the ship. That’s a big plus in my book. I thoroughly enjoyed the historical narrative and culture with such a huge background for such a tiny island in the Caribbean.

After returning to the ship, I had a quick bite (room service has been slow and lacking in freshness on this trip…I would avoid it if possible except in odd hours) and then off to the spa.

The spa is nice enough. I had the hot stone massage and have the bruises on my back to prove that it is indeed a “deep tissue” therapy. I decided that she knew better what she was doing than I did and just let her have her fun with the lump of dough otherwise known as my body.

After watching a sailaway from a rear balcony on Eclipse, I had the pleasure of getting ready for a unique journey across different cultural palates and preparations while being guided by a California winemaker. As part of the Excite the Senses cruise, there was an offering for a unique wine pairing dinner with our guides from Celebrity and Kendall-Jackson. Chef Sully and team were in the kitchen at Murano while we were seated at the wine cellar table in the same dining room.

Course by course, the Celebrity team and Mark Theis with Kendall-Jackson took us on a journey from Paris to Italy to Tripoli and beyond. I won’t bore you with the details that involved everything from an amuse bouche served in an egg shell to lamb 3 ways with Moroccan spices and Middle Eastern ingredients. The wines were from select 200 case lots from the family of Jackson Estates wineries across California. It was a magic carpet ride of flavors and pairings. Hopefully, you’ll find out what Vermont had to do with all of the flavor pairings one day.

Note to future cruisers: this will be a VERY limited offering on future Excite the Senses cruises. If you enjoy good company, great food, and gorgeous wines, this will be for you.

Eclipse is delivering a great vacation for all 10 of us in very different ways. That is the beauty of cruising for me. Something for everyone.

Tomorrow night (Thursday), we will have a great dinner in Murano proper. I am looking forward to that as much as anything I’ve had so far as it brings back tremendous memories of the SS United States on the INFINITY 8 years ago.

David

[tteettimes]

Thanks for posting

[librarylady19]

I'm really enjoying your descriptive review. We were on a Savor Your Sestinstion cruise on Eclipse in December and enjoyed several culinary activities. The events offered on your cruise, especially the cocktail pairing, sound intriguing. What was the cost?