Azura or Eclipse

[mourne]

Azura or Eclipse for New Year Cruise 2013/14

 

Thank you

[jeanlyon]

Neither - too monstrously big for me :-)

[badgerboy13]

Eclipse,it's a no brainer.

[marylizcat]

Celebrity are supposed to be 5 star, as opposed to P & O's 4 star. However, you must take into consideration the high prices for drinks and indeed everything on board on Celebrity. High gratuities and paying for shuttle buses. Don't just look at the initial price of the cruise.

[littlesteelo]

Azura or Eclipse for New Year Cruise 2013/14

 

Thank you

 

Compared to Ventura/Azura, Eclipse is a far more beautiful and impressive ship inside. They are both of similar size, yet Eclipse carries 2852 passengers as opposed to Azura's 3500. Much more open space inside, and areas like the dining room and the buffet are much bigger.

[littlesteelo]

Neither - too monstrously big for me :-)

 

Jean, if you think 120,000 GT is monstrously big, I would love to see your reaction to the RCI Freedom/Oasis class ships :D

[jeanlyon]

Hi there. Won't have a reaction, wouldn't like them. I like to sail on a ship, not a block of flats.

[kruzgal]

Is there any difference in price/itinerary/number of nights - it might help to make the comparison if we had a bit more detail :)

[LibraLass41]

Having sailed on both (well Equinox which is exactly the same as Eclipse) Its a hard choice.

 

Wouldn't say no brainer.

 

Azura very 'British' - food , entertainment, passengers. £/p onboard, cheaper drinks at british pub prices, still a lovely new ship, great cabins, great restaurants,

 

Eclipse, beautiful ship $/c, American feel, entertainers may be unknown to us .

Lots of steak small amounts of veg, pay for shuttles, pay 15% service charge ontop for all drinks, they say the extras bring the price upto P&O'S.

 

a HARD CHOICE, both very nice ships.

[tartanexile81]

Having sailed on both (well Equinox which is exactly the same as Eclipse) Its a hard choice.

 

Wouldn't say no brainer.

 

Azura very 'British' - food , entertainment, passengers. £/p onboard, cheaper drinks at british pub prices, still a lovely new ship, great cabins, great restaurants,

 

Eclipse, beautiful ship $/c, American feel, entertainers may be unknown to us .

Lots of steak small amounts of veg, pay for shuttles, pay 15% service charge ontop for all drinks, they say the extras bring the price upto P&O'S.

 

a HARD CHOICE, both very nice ships.

 

Agree with everything Libralass says. We've also sailed on both and for us, Azura wins hands down. We're a 'mature' couple and the entertainment in particular on Azura is much better and much more enjoyable and fun for people in our age range without being brash. We found the entertainment in the bars on Celebrity to be very much of the muzak variety. We prefer the cabins on Azura and IMO the Planet Bar and The Glasshouse are lovely. On the other hand the buffet on Eclipse is excellent and the alternative restaurants are very good.

[mourne]

Thanks everyone for your replies. The prices are much the same for a fourteen night cruise over New Year 2013/14.

Eclipse leaving Fort lauderdale and Azura from Barbados. Cabin on Eclipse is CC grade lovely, Azura is GA standard balcony I'm sure very good. Flights included.

We have sailed several times on RCCL, once Queen Mary, one Italian, one Celebrity all excellent cruises just fancied - Libra Lass hit it on the head, more a British feel than American, yes should be a no brainer, Azura, but have read some very bad reviews of Azura e.g 'Butlins at sea' 'Benidorm crowd' etc while reviews of Eclipse have nearly all been glowing.

A considered purchase for us so trying to get it right, however my heart says Azura my head says Eclipse.

 

Thanks again everyone for your help :)

[msg_girl]

I enjoyed both Eclipse and Azura but I think I would choose Azura based on dining experience - we found that the dining room on Eclipse was very tight - waiters lifting dishes over our heads and not able to serve from your side and really noisy whereas Azura had a bit more space and with the low ceiling a little quieter but not as grand. Buffet serving and variety on Eclipse was better but the seating was like a motorway cafe, opposite on Azura. We liked the alternative restaurants on both.

For us entertainment was better on Azura but that's very personal.

You'll have a great time on either. G.

[mourne]

Thanks tartanexile think your taste is similar to ours we are a bit of tartanexiles ourselves

[marylizcat]

If those are your options, I would take into consideration the P & O charter flights to Barbados with more legroom than scheduled airlines and the brilliant transfer straight from plane to ship without collecting luggage or going through airport at all and same on return. This is much better than going through horrid Miami airport, collecting luggage and queueing for Homeland Security etc.

[mourne]

Yes marylizcat you are so right. Thanks again all.

[LibraLass41]

I wouldn't called Azura brash either, shes a very nice ship. Who you get onboard though depends on the cruise, and time of year...I am quite fond of Azura as was onboard when she was named by Darcey Bussell as Godmother, I think out of all the P&O present fleet she's my favourite, although yet to try Adonia,

[terrierjohn]

Thanks everyone for your replies. The prices are much the same for a fourteen night cruise over New Year 2013/14.

Eclipse leaving Fort lauderdale and Azura from Barbados. Cabin on Eclipse is CC grade lovely, Azura is GA standard balcony I'm sure very good. Flights included.

We have sailed several times on RCCL, once Queen Mary, one Italian, one Celebrity all excellent cruises just fancied - Libra Lass hit it on the head, more a British feel than American, yes should be a no brainer, Azura, but have read some very bad reviews of Azura e.g 'Butlins at sea' 'Benidorm crowd' etc while reviews of Eclipse have nearly all been glowing.

A considered purchase for us so trying to get it right, however my heart says Azura my head says Eclipse.

 

Thanks again everyone for your help :)

Mourne, If the initial prices are similar and your tastes are more British, then perhaps Azura would suit you best, especially as the on board spend will be quite a bit higher on Celebrity.

 

We have sailed Azura and Solstice and prefer the Celebrity cabins, especially the bathrooms which I rate as the best ever, and the standard balcony cabins also have a sofa, something sadly lacking on Azura. The Solstice class balconies are also bigger than Azura, with the exception of C deck. Main drawback on Solstice class is lack of cabin storage.

 

Azura does have better entertainment venues and we found Sostice a bit quiet late at night, and we felt their bar areas were a bit soul less.

 

But Americans do not enjoy lager lout behaviour, which you might experience on Azura.

 

The charter flights and not having to tote your luggage at Barbados is also a plus for P&O.

 

But overall not a lot to choose.

[wales4ever]

You may have to pay a premium for drinks, but that is surely a tiny part of a cruise?

 

Service and food quality on celebrity is far, far superior to P+O. In my mind Celebrity is the best company I have sailed with, in the dozen or so cruises I have taken.

[kevinyork]

 

But Americans do not enjoy lager lout behaviour, which you might experience on Azura.

 

The charter flights and not having to tote your luggage at Barbados is also a plus for P&O.

 

That made me laugh. Lager louts on Azura.......they might have one too many Boddingtons and hit you with their walking stick.

 

I agree re the flights. When you have done the P&O direct flights to Barbados then going via a USA airport seems so mich hassle.

[Jo and Rob]

We sailed on Eclipse in the Summer and were blown away by how lovely it was. We particularly enjoyed the real grass lawn for croquet, the hot glass show, the free adult only solarium with pool, plush cushions on all the sun loungers not just in the adult only area, spacious bathroom, interactive TV so you could order room service, check your account etc and a fantastic choice of food in the main dining room (with an always available menu plus a daily menu) and the buffet. The buffet had a huge selection of ice cream throughout the day which was all complementary. The brunch is also a not to be missed event. Qsine is a fantastic speciality restaurant not to missed. The galley tour was superb and there were several culinary events during the cruise. We did a daily video report which includes a cabin tour so that may be helpful for you to decide.

 

Disadvantages of Celebrity are the really expensive gratuities, really expensive drinks and no free shuttle buses. If you prebook excursions or restaurants your credit card is charged immediately unlike P&O. We would go back on Eclipse in a flash if the itinerary and price was right for us.

 

As for Azura, sail on her in August but I can share some advantages with P&O. Cheap gratuities, no 15% service charge on drinks which are also pub prices, opportunity to bring on alcohol on embarkation including spirits and at ports to drink in your cabin, duty free spirits in the shop which can be consumed in your cabin, free shuttle buses, afternoon tea everyday in the main dining room (only twice on Eclipse during 14 days), and the main dining room is open everyday for lunch (only port days on Eclipse).

 

I'm sure you will have a fabulous cruise what ever you choose! :)

[Glenndale]

Both are far too big for me, but the flight into Barbados avoiding homeland security would clinch it for me :)

[Denarius]

Both are far too big for me, but the flight into Barbados avoiding homeland security would clinch it for me :)

Arriving in Barbados for a P&O cruise is simplicity itself. You don't even go through immigration or customs. Coaches on the tarmac transfer you direct from the plane to the ship, your luggage follows in a wagon. Landing at a US airport however .....

[tartanexile81]

Thanks tartanexile think your taste is similar to ours we are a bit of tartanexiles ourselves

 

Actually not quite sure I can use the name any more as I moved home a month or two ago! Have you deided on your cruise yet?

[philipsw285]

just back from azura been on eclipse twice in the last 2 years i think azura has it price wise and entertainment but eclipse wins on how the deck are all on one level with azura you have to go up or down and then come up so it gets confussing eclipse you reach a deck and can go anywhere on it with out worrying or getting lost which happened a lot on azura.

there are a a lot more entertainment venues other than the theatre which to me is a bit more apealing i hope this might help.

[mourne]

Thanks everyone again. Yes tartanexile have booked Azura, afraid heart won over head plus I got C balcony which I wanted and the difference in price will cover airfare from Belfast to Gatwick and overnight accommodation, nothing easy when you live where I do but sure its one of the loveliest places on earth. Not Belfast but on the coast.

Have been watching 'Benidorm' on tele :D and now live in anticipation to see if the cruise lives up to 'certain' reports from some very grumpy people. Take it all with a pinch of salt. Leave the Americans to another time.