Eclipse vs Emerald Princess (vs HAL Vista ships)?

[Sopwith]

We're looking at the Eclipse (~2800 pax) for 14 days in the Caribbean in January. Last time we did this was on the Emerald, which we found too big and overcrowded (~3600 pax). Most of our cruising has been on the HAL Vista ships (~1900 pax), which are about the right size for us, but due to the declining HAL service (just spent 11 days on theNoordam, which was mildly disappointing), we're ready for a change.

 

Your thoughts on the Eclipse vs Emerald? Too big, too crowded, or do the size and facilities match the passenger count?

 

Thx.

[rkacruiser]

I sailed on the Eclipse itinerary in February, 2013. I have sailed on the Zuiderdam, the Noordam, and the Nieuw Amsterdam as well, but not on the Emerald Princess.

 

The Eclipse is a modern, beautiful ship. It's specialty restaurants of Tuscan Grille and Murano's surpasses anything that I have experienced at any of the Pinnacle Grills on HAL's ships. Happy Hour time, some of the lounges are packed. Prime dining time in the Oceanview Cafe, finding a table is a major challenge. Two of the three cast shows in the Theater, I found odd and Eclipse: The Show was one I did not enjoy whatsoever. (And, among Celebrity cruisers, I am a distinct minority in this opinion.) Crew was wonderful; equal in all respects to HAL's crew. Other than what I stated above, I did not feel any crowding on the ship. Main dining room menu does not offer as many selections in any of the categories as HAL. Cuisine was generally good to very good in the MDR, but my final two dinners there were the worst I have had afloat. (Probably chose the wrong items.) Excellent Cruise Director and if solo entertainer, Perry Grant, is aboard, he is a "don't miss". You may find him to your taste; you may not. He used to be on HAL, but now he is a Celebrity regular. DARN!!!

 

The one very major disappointment was disembarkation. Eclipse docks in Port Everglades at Pier 25/24. Pier 25 is totally inadequate in handling embarking and disembarking passengers from this size of vessel. As a result, disembarking passengers have to depart the vessel from a hatch aft of the vessel, walk along the pier a good distance in order to get to Terminal 24 where the luggage is. If another ship is at Pier 21 which in January there likely will be (Eurodam), expect a long line waiting for taxis inasmuch as passengers from both ships end up in this line-up. I had my car in the Mid-Port Parking Garage and was in the final group to disembark. It took me 90 minutes from the time I stepped on the gangway to leave to get to the car! The luggage claim conditions and Customs/Immigration in Terminal 24 was a zoo! I have disembarked from Piers 19, 21, and 26 in the past on both HAL and Carnival vessels and this was the absolutely worst I have ever experienced!

 

Would I return to Celebrity? If the itinerary is what I desire, if the price is reasonable, and, if sailing from/to Port Everglades the ship did not use Pier 25/24, yes I would.

 

For an up-scale "modern" experience that Celebrity's ads tout, the disembarkation at Pier 25/24 was a major disappointment. Up-scale, it most certainly was not!

[CathyCruises]

I have sailed on Eclipse, twice, and also Sapphire Princess, which I assume is the same class as Emerald. To me there is no comparison. Eclipse is open, airy, and has lovely contemporary décor. Sapphire was gaudy in parts, closed-in in parts, tackily decorated throughout, and had many dead ends, or apparent dead ends. The public restrooms were a disgrace, not the lovely clean well stocked and staffed loos on Eclipse. The three small dining rooms defied explanation.

 

The food was fine, the service adequate but unfriendly, and the ports were good; other than that, I really missed the lovely S class ship I have gotten so spoiled by!!!