Celebrity Eclipse

[yogaluvgirl]

My husband and I are cruising through Norway May 3, 2013 on the eclipse. I am very excited. This is our 3rd cruise with Celebrity. I love this cruise line. This cruise is my 50th year b-day present. We bought the drink package and the 3 restaurant package. We hope to indulge. We lucked out and received some significant on board credits.

 

Next year for our 30th year anniversary we are thinking of booking a panama canal cruise with Celebrity. Anyone have any suggestions?

[Tom47]

My husband and I are cruising through Norway May 3, 2013 on the eclipse. I am very excited. This is our 3rd cruise with Celebrity. I love this cruise line. This cruise is my 50th year b-day present. We bought the drink package and the 3 restaurant package. We hope to indulge. We lucked out and received some significant on board credits.

 

Next year for our 30th year anniversary we are thinking of booking a panama canal cruise with Celebrity. Anyone have any suggestions?

Hi

 

See my review

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1787067

 

Tom:)

[Trialawyer]

Next year for our 30th year anniversary we are thinking of booking a panama canal cruise with Celebrity. Anyone have any suggestions?

Yes, I have two suggestions.

 

It looks like Celebrity will be sailing the Century and the Infinity through the Canal in 2014. I took the Panama Canal cruise on the Constellation in 2010. The Constellation is a sister ship to the Infinity. My advice would be (1) to select the Infinity over the Century because it's a newer (and larger) ship, and (2) because you are located on the east coast, to begin your voyage on the west coast and sail east bound.

[MarGG]

Trialawyer, I have one more question. I heard there was a library on the Ship. Could you comment on it? Is it big? And what kind of books can you get there? Thank you in advance for any information!

[shoreham01]

Trialawyer, I have one more question. I heard there was a library on the Ship. Could you comment on it? Is it big? And what kind of books can you get there? Thank you in advance for any information!

I think I may be able to answer this question for you. On the Eclipse there is a library, but from what I have read about it in the past, it is not well stocked. You would be better to bring a Kindle or Ipad with your choice of books. There is one huge problem with the library. It is situated overlooking the atrium where there is loud music playing some of the time. This makes it impossible to sit and relax there whilst reading a book.

 

We are not readers so it did not worry us although other people were commenting on it.

 

We did notice whilst we were waiting to disembark that people had left books around the ship. Possibly these find their way into the library.

[Trialawyer]

Trialawyer, I have one more question. I heard there was a library on the Ship. Could you comment on it? Is it big? And what kind of books can you get there? Thank you in advance for any information!

 

As you can see from the photo below, the library on the Eclipse is a lovely, semi-enclosed space bordering the atrium on Decks 10 and 11.

 

I disagree with the above poster who said it's impossible to read there because of loud music from the atrium. First of all, the music is played on the floor of the atrium seven decks below. If it can even be heard in the library at that distance, I would doubt that it's loud. Second, there were almost always passengers enjoying the library during my cruise, mostly during the day, so they hardly found reading there "impossible." Many people read on the pool deck full of noise and other distractions, so who's to say that you can't read comfortably in the library?

 

That said, I agree with the poster that you should bring your own books on your cruise, especially if like me you're particular about what you read. Personally speaking, my pleasure reading is too important to me to leave to what by chance I might find in any ship's library. In passing through the library on the Eclipse for a quick look, I do not remember if the books were arranged by title, subject or author, or the names of any. And I don't know if those books on the higher shelves are actually accessible or are simply there to help decorate the room.

 

But you can see for yourself that there are plenty of books.

[dmk]

Trialawyer, I have one more question. I heard there was a library on the Ship. Could you comment on it? Is it big? And what kind of books can you get there? Thank you in advance for any information!

 

I just returned from the Eclipse last month.

 

The best books in the library are the books that past passengers leave behind. I suggest getting to the library after you board otherwise there is not much left.

 

In the picture of the library be aware that the first 5 shelves have real books but after that they are fake books.

 

I never heard any sound from the Atrium when reading at the library. The only annoying sounds are from people who come to have a little chat. Their chat can be done anywhere but why the library...I have no idea.

[drarill]

I just returned from the Eclipse last month.

 

The best books in the library are the books that past passengers leave behind. I suggest getting to the library after you board otherwise there is not much left.

 

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True!!! I left a couple of new novels last year on the Silhouette :):) I always bring my own books. Planning to do the same this year on the Eclipse :)

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

One sound you do hear in the library is the constant sound of elevators going up and down. Evidently this is not a major impediment to reading because our cabin was on the library floor and we passed the library dozens of times day and night. During the day there were almost always folks seated there reading.

 

Lots of books were on the shelves, but iI bring my own books on cruises. I wouldn't want to depend on a cruise ship selection. Also I honestly don't know if there are books in French, German or Spanish or other language. There were many Germans on our cruise, for example. Whether the Eclipse library offered them much of interest, I don't know. I don't know if there are many children's or teens' books either.

[Trialawyer]

 

The best books in the library are the books that past passengers leave behind.

 

Thanks for your comments. The question is who's to say what are the "best" books?

 

For example, on a 2006 Celebrity cruise to the western Caribbean, including Mexico, I devoured a copy of Scott Smith's deliciously creepy "The Ruins." In his praise of Smith's novel, no less than Stephen King said it "does for Mexican vacations what 'Jaws' did for New England beaches." Now, I frequently exchange books with my daughter. Like her Dad, she is also a trial lawyer and a voracious reader, but she disliked "The Ruins" as much as I liked it. Well, coincidentally, a few years later on another Celebrity cruise, I came across a passenger reading a copy of "The Ruins" borrowed from the ship's library. There was no way to know whether the book had been added to the library because it had been abandoned by a passenger or purchased by Celebrity. Would (and should) that determine if it was a "best" book? And don't my opinion, my daughter's opinion (which differed) and the passenger's opinion of the book factor into its rating as "best" or "not best"?

 

Anyway, you get my point.

 

I should like to make a second point after reading some of the other comments about the library on the Eclipse. In my many years of cruising, I have heard passengers select a ship because of its food, service, cabins and several other criteria, but I suspect that few people select a ship because of its library. I think the evidence supports that assertion. The library on the Eclipse seats less than two dozen passengers. On my cruise which carried nearly 3,000 passengers, I saw a number of those seats taken but I never saw the library filled to capacity. Moreover, people don't board any ship expecting the Library of Congress with unlimited selections of books in every language and genre to satisfy all ages and cultures. The relatively few passengers who do use the library hope to find a selection of books in an attractive and comfortable setting, and I think that under those circumstances Celebrity has succeeded superbly.

 

As for those passengers on my cruise whose native language was not English, I noticed that they tackled the dilemma of what to read in the same novel way I did. We simply brought our own books.

[dmk]

The best books in the library are the books that past passengers leave behind. I suggest getting to the library after you board otherwise there is not much left.

[quote]

 

Thanks for your comments. The question is who's to say what are the "best" books?

 

Hi:)

 

You are absolutely right that is my subjective opinion. How can there be any other.

[MarGG]

Thank's Trialawyer - it's a wonderful picture. And the library looks very cozy!

I do not think I will carry a lot of books with me - maybe just one or two. But what I was expecting to find in the library was some books about the countries and ports to visit. Do you know if there are any? It would be nice to refresh some history and culture information of the place the day before coming to it. I believe you can not carry books out of the library, but you have to read there, is that true? Also are there any restrictions on bringing in your own book?

[MarGG]

I just returned from the Eclipse last month.

 

In the picture of the library be aware that the first 5 shelves have real books but after that they are fake books.

 

 

This is a useful remark! Because the first question I had when looking at the picture was how would one get a book from the upper shelf or how would one even know what the title of that book was!:)

[Trialawyer]

Thank's Trialawyer - it's a wonderful picture. And the library looks very cozy!

I do not think I will carry a lot of books with me - maybe just one or two. But what I was expecting to find in the library was some books about the countries and ports to visit. Do you know if there are any? It would be nice to refresh some history and culture information of the place the day before coming to it. I believe you can not carry books out of the library, but you have to read there, is that true? Also are there any restrictions on bringing in your own book?

Thanks for your post.

 

I can't say whether any of the books in the library are about the ports or countries you will visit, but I have two suggestions for you. First, the Internet is an indispensable source of information, in many cases free information. Simply Google whatever port or country you wish and you will find a wealth of information at your disposal. Second, there are numerous inexpensive and very good guide books on the market. Below are some links to just a few of them:

 

http://www.guide-guru.com/blog/2013/03/23/baltic-cruise-guide-books/

 

http://www.amazon.com/Northern-Europe-Cruise-Ship-Complete/dp/098095732X

 

I don't believe that Celebrity limits passengers reading library books to the library itself. I don't know the lending policy or procedure, but I have personally seen several passengers on the pool deck reading books from the library. I suspect that you can't take the library books off the boat, but I also suspect that you can take them just about anywhere on the boat.

 

Finally, I'm not aware of any restrictions on bringing your own books into the library. In my experience on Celebrity ships, you are more than welcome to read whatever you want wherever you want.

[Fixit2010]

Great review.

 

I noticed you say you are a trial lawyer, if we pay a bit more do we get the full version? :D

[Trialawyer]

Great review.

 

I noticed you say you are a trial lawyer, if we pay a bit more do we get the full version? :D

 

Thanks. :)

Most of my work is done on a contingent fee, meaning I don't get paid unless I win the case. And while no lawyer can guarantee a win, when people come to me for help I can guarantee that I will give them the best I got. I always try to apply this principle both in and out of court. It's worked pretty well so far.

[Fixit2010]

I was joking. As in Microsoft licenses. You get a trial license and pay for the full version. but still a good review.

[Trialawyer]

I was joking. As in Microsoft licenses. You get a trial license and pay for the full version. but still a good review.

 

Thanks. While lawyers are notorious for lacking a sense of humor, your smiley-face emoticon at the end of your joke made it easy even for us to figure out.

[Trialawyer]

I think the most appropriate place to put your comments is on the thread that it applies to.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1819777&highlight=fun+factory&page=3

Thanks for providing the link. I had frankly forgotten the title and location of the thread where I had read the complaint about Celebrity's marketing on board the Eclipse.

 

I don't know what yardstick you use to measure what's "most" appropriate in any given circumstance, but I think we can agree that my posting a comment about the Eclipse on a thread entitled Celebrity Eclipse is most certainly not inappropriate.

[Trialawyer]

Please don't worry about anything, you'll have a wonderful time.

 

I can remember when we first started cruising, it took our friends a good 5 years to persuade me, and now over 40 cruises later - well, it speaks for itself :)

 

You will love Celebrity, their attitude to their 'guests' is second to none, the staff are truly wonderful. Eclipse is the most amazing, beautiful ship ever. We had 35+ cruises with P&O, 2 with Cunard (QM2), and took our first Celebrity cruise is Oct 2011. We are now waiting to join Equinox for the second time at the end of this month, having already cruised twice on Eclipse :)

 

Replace your 'worry' with 'excitement' - you'll have a blast xxxxx

 

This is the best advice I have read on this Bulletin Board. The hospitality industry in general and the cruise lines in particular are in the business to give us worryfree vacations. In my experience, nobody does this better than Celebrity. The excitement anticipating an upcoming Celebrity cruise is so much a part of the fun. There will be plenty of people, both staff and passengers, happy to give you guidance if you need it. But basically, all you have to do is show up and enjoy it.

[Lovemychoos]

This is the best advice I have read on this Bulletin Board. The hospitality industry in general and the cruise lines in particular are in the business to give us worryfree vacations. In my experience, nobody does this better than Celebrity. The excitement anticipating an upcoming Celebrity cruise is so much a part of the fun. There will be plenty of people, both staff and passengers, happy to give you guidance if you need it. But basically, all you have to do is show up and enjoy it.

 

Thank you so much for your kind words.

 

We have just returned yesterday from our Equinox cruise, and yet again, the standard of food, service and everything else was phenomenal. We were lucky enough to have the same sommelier we had last Oct, who not only remembered us, but also where we were sitting last time, and what sort of wine we liked - how's that for service? His name is Murat, and if you are every lucky enough to be in his section, you are really in for a treat. We had the prem package again, and he 'paired' wine for us each night depending on what we were eating.

 

So say we had a wonderful cruise is a HUGE understatement :D

 

Lou

[MarGG]

Well, it has been a long time since I last came here. It's my favorite thread, so I just feel like I have to post here one more time before I leave for my first ever cruise (which is less than in three weeks time!!!). Oh my! I am still worried... And also so exited!!! I am always nervous before I go on any trip but this time it feels like it is something different. Nevertheless I am really looking forward to it. I hope everything goes well! Please wish me luck and good weather!

[BourneWandering]

Hi MarGG

 

We are on the same cruise as you, and like yourself getting quite excited.

 

If you need to borrow any guidebooks we have a few and would have no problem lending

 

Have you registered for the meet and mingle.

[Lovemychoos]

Well, it has been a long time since I last came here. It's my favorite thread, so I just feel like I have to post here one more time before I leave for my first ever cruise (which is less than in three weeks time!!!). Oh my! I am still worried... And also so exited!!! I am always nervous before I go on any trip but this time it feels like it is something different. Nevertheless I am really looking forward to it. I hope everything goes well! Please wish me luck and good weather!

 

You won't need luck - I was going to say I hope you have a wonderful time - but I don't need to hope, I know you will :)

 

We are going on Infinity in October, and have 2 cruises on our absolute favourite ship to look forward to next year booked already.

 

Your first cruise is very, very special, and you will feel nervous, apprehensive,excited and overwhelmed all at once - but its a wonderful feeling. Please don't worry about anything, you are going on a fabulous ship, with a wonderful cruise line, which is in itself fantastic when it's your first time - enjoy :)

 

Lou x

[Jo and Rob]

Well, it has been a long time since I last came here. It's my favorite thread, so I just feel like I have to post here one more time before I leave for my first ever cruise (which is less than in three weeks time!!!). Oh my! I am still worried... And also so exited!!! I am always nervous before I go on any trip but this time it feels like it is something different. Nevertheless I am really looking forward to it. I hope everything goes well! Please wish me luck and good weather!

 

Come and join our roll call for this sailing.

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=35123487#

 

We are a chatty bunch on your cruise. You should also sign up for the connections party which is a party laid on by Celebrity for cruise critic passengers and a great chance to meet everyone! :)