Total Eclipse : A pictorial review of the Tradewinds Transatlantic crossing 2015

[perfect match]

Ok but if you say it 3 times quickly, with no mistakes - after 3 rounds , on our cruise . ;)

 

Would that be before or after you've warmed him up with a few drinks? :D :eek:

 

Great start to your review. I'm looking forward to learning a bit more about Celebrity because at some point I'm sure we will be looking to try a Celebrity cruise ourselves. Maybe even a transatlantic, but DH has assured me that he's not quite ready for that yet. I will win him over eventually, so I want to be prepared when I do! :p

[MicCanberra]

Would that be before or after you've warmed him up with a few drinks? :D :eek:

 

Great start to your review. I'm looking forward to learning a bit more about Celebrity because at some point I'm sure we will be looking to try a Celebrity cruise ourselves. Maybe even a transatlantic, but DH has assured me that he's not quite ready for that yet. I will win him over eventually, so I want to be prepared when I do! :p

 

Joe may confirm, but I feel they (Princess and Celebrity) are more alike than different.:D

[scubacruiserx2]

Joe may confirm, but I feel they (Princess and Celebrity) are more alike than different.:D

 

 

Looking forward to your review. ;)

 

 

 

QUOTE=perfect match;46666254]Would that be before or after you've warmed him up with a few drinks? :D :eek:

 

Great start to your review. I'm looking forward to learning a bit more about Celebrity because at some point I'm sure we will be looking to try a Celebrity cruise ourselves. Maybe even a transatlantic, but DH has assured me that he's not quite ready for that yet. I will win him over eventually, so I want to be prepared when I do! :p

 

 

 

Welcome aboard Julia and Nancy ! Mic makes a good point , and a reference point . With our 4 previous cruises ( and our next cruise ) on the Caribbean Princess , there will be some comparisons between the ships . A more accurate comparison should be the Constellation vs the Caribbean Princess , or the Eclipse vs the Regal . But since our last 2 cruises have been the Eclipse and the Caribbean , the reference point will be old vs new .

[jenseib]

woo hooo!!! Joining in to read all about it!

We're going on NCL this summer to Alaska, but I did look at Celebrity as one of my options. I am just not familiar enough with Celebrity so I went with NCL in the end after looking at all the pros and cons that would work for my family. (We debated Princess too).

[scubacruiserx2]

Good morning everyone - time to get this trip going again . This was our first trip on the Solstice class ship and we had some strong first impressions . It's a beautiful ship , with all the bells and whistles . Kinda reminds me of a new car . Our cars are old and reliable and we love them . But on this trip we got to ride in some brand new cars . Wow , amazing things in the new cars , but our learning curve is falling fast . And so the new ship is gonna take some time , but we had plenty . After lunch we had time for some exploring . We had wanted to sign up for the Persian Garden so went to find it and have a look . Being used to the 3 elevator / stairways in the Caribbean Princess ( CB) , required adjusting to the 2 elevator / stairway system used in the newer ships like the Eclipse or the Regal . I've gotta say I like 3 better . However , we like the all glass elevator of the Eclipse .

 

 

 

 

And I love the deck plan model pointing fore and aft near the elevator .

 

 

 

And we found the Persian Garden hot seats . We thought that these would come in handy later when we reached cooler temps in Europe . The door at the far end lead to a warm aroma room and behind me was a HOT steam room .

 

 

 

 

 

$ 200 each (plus an 18% gratuity) . We said yes . Next order of business was the lifeboat drill . We were to report to the Tuscan Grill - without life jackets . My concerns with the 2 elevator system were realized when we hit gridlock all around the elevators . We like using the stairs on cruises so waiting for the elevator was not a problem . However getting to the stairs took some doing with the throng of people , encircling the elevators . After the life boat drill it was much worse with us being stuck totally aft and many people waiting for their ride on the elevators , between us and the stairs . We waited until the Tuscan Grill emptied and after about 15 minutes , tried to get to the stairs . But can I say , the elevator area still looked like a mosh pit at a Lawrence Welk Concert ! :eek:

 

Back in our cabin with life and limb spared , we watched the City of Miami Fire boat 1 .

 

 

 

 

It was time to light this candle !

 

 

 

 

And the bubbles beneath our butts made it official - We were on the way !

Edited May 27, 2015 by scubacruiserx2

[MicCanberra]

Yes, I agree with you about using the stairs and leaving the elevators for the people who cannot do stairs. I think it is a great way to avoid both illness and getting to heavy. :D

[Mom-rules]

"Mosh pit at a Lawrence Welk concert" Just love this!

[AmberCascades]

"Mosh pit at a Lawrence Welk concert" Just love this!

 

 

LOL Double "Like".

 

We are going on the Eclipse at the end of June. Thank you for posting your pictures and review.

[curtdesilets]

They do not offer the 1,2,3-promotions on Transatlantics, do they?

 

I was just wondering if they throw in the free Classic Beverage package.

 

I thought I had read before that 1,2,3 does not apply to Transatlantics.

 

At $49 per day, a beverage package would be quite expensive for 16 nights!

[scubacruiserx2]

Saying goodbye to my hometown ( And hello to the rain clouds ) .

 

 

 

 

It seem like we weren't the only thing on the move

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Was this guy doing donuts in the water , or was it time to eat again ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

A video clip from the camcorder :

 

 

[texasgirl29]

Enjoying your review. Our first Celebrity cruise is coming up soon -- the Baltic on the Eclipse. So thanks for bringing it across the pond for us!

 

I was interested in your comments on the elevator situation, especially in case of an emergency. I can see that could be problematic for those who are mobility impaired or have small children or others to look after.

 

A transatlantic cruise is on my bucket list but for now, I'll just live vicariously through yours.

 

JoAnn

[scubacruiserx2]

Enjoying your review. Our first Celebrity cruise is coming up soon -- the Baltic on the Eclipse. So thanks for bringing it across the pond for us!

 

I was interested in your comments on the elevator situation, especially in case of an emergency. I can see that could be problematic for those who are mobility impaired or have small children or others to look after.

 

A transatlantic cruise is on my bucket list but for now, I'll just live vicariously through yours.

 

JoAnn

 

My first thought exactly ! As a career Firefighter/Paramedic I think safety first . I felt much better when we looked at the door evacuation instructions later , which showed an alternate route , and I also looked behind behind some opened crew doors . There are other stairs and elevators hidden from sight that will be deployed in the unlikely event of an emergency . But we did have many mobility impaired passengers on this trip .

[scubacruiserx2]

woo hooo!!! Joining in to read all about it!

We're going on NCL this summer to Alaska, but I did look at Celebrity as one of my options. I am just not familiar enough with Celebrity so I went with NCL in the end after looking at all the pros and cons that would work for my family. (We debated Princess too).

 

Hi Jen , and welcome ! That sounds great . Alaska is on our to do list for sure . As we were leaving Miami we saw this sign and thought of you and Nancy . Enjoy ! :) :D

 

 

[MicCanberra]

They do not offer the 1,2,3-promotions on Transatlantics, do they?

 

I was just wondering if they throw in the free Classic Beverage package.

 

I thought I had read before that 1,2,3 does not apply to Transatlantics.

 

At $49 per day, a beverage package would be quite expensive for 16 nights!

 

Generally not included and as for value/cost, it really depends on how much and what you drink.:D

[MicCanberra]

Enjoying your review. Our first Celebrity cruise is coming up soon -- the Baltic on the Eclipse. So thanks for bringing it across the pond for us!

 

I was interested in your comments on the elevator situation, especially in case of an emergency. I can see that could be problematic for those who are mobility impaired or have small children or others to look after.

 

A transatlantic cruise is on my bucket list but for now, I'll just live vicariously through yours.

 

JoAnn

 

Just to note, in emergencies, the elevators are not supposed to be used. A scary thought if you have mobility issues and cannot use stairs.:eek:

[scubacruiserx2]

Just to note, in emergencies, the elevators are not supposed to be used. A scary thought if you have mobility issues and cannot use stairs.:eek:

 

A great point Mic . Firefighters carry an override key for the elevators which will be used during a fire to move equipment for firefighting . It's a point for everybody to consider and another reason that we routinely use the stairs .

[scubacruiserx2]

In this boring photograph , you can see Terminal Island . The low white bridge leads to Star Island . Home to Rosie O' Donnell , Lenny Kravitz , Gloria Estefan and Shaquille O Neal's former home .

 

 

You can also board the flat , blue striped boat to Fisher Island .

 

 

 

 

Fisher Island homeowners ( mostly condos ) include Mel Brooks , Boris Becker , Andre Agassi , Julia Roberts and Oprah Winfrey . The Island used to be owned by the Vanderbilts and their mansion is still there . This was home to the last fire station that I worked at before I retired .

 

 

 

Ocean facing condos on Fisher Island .

 

 

 

 

Exiting Government Cut into the Atlantic Ocean . Facing North and looking at South Beach .

 

 

 

 

We had hoped for a beautiful sunset over the city , but we had an unusual rain for a couple of days just before we left . But the seas were calm as we headed North to Bermuda !

 

 

 

 

Fisher Island on the left and South Beach on the right . Here's a Google star map of Miami :

 

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?gl=us&ll=25.772238,-80.2537&t=h&source=embed&ie=UTF8&*****=1&msa=0&spn=0.213377,0.247086&hl=en&mid=zjKawu9-U2GQ.kCNs6NcUB0RM

Edited May 27, 2015 by scubacruiserx2

[MicCanberra]

Interesting stories to go with your so called boring photo. Cheers.:D

[jenseib]

Hi Jen , and welcome ! That sounds great . Alaska is on our to do list for sure . As we were leaving Miami we saw this sign and thought of you and Nancy . Enjoy ! :) :D

 

 

 

 

I likey!!! ;)

 

Looks like a great start...except for the elevators. I do try to use the stairs as much as I can too. I have a rule that when going down we use the stairs....going up if it's more than 2-3 floors we can use the elevator....but it does me better if I take the stairs. :rolleyes: Claire doesn't always like my rule, but she'll live.

 

Your "boring" pictures are gorgeous!

[bachcruise]

I'm loving your review..thanks so much for sharing it along with great pictures. Like you the Eclipse will be my first trip on an S class ship and I can't wait to experience it!

 

 

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[Islander500]

Enjoying your pictorial review! Thanks for sharing with all of us. :)

[Harley57]

Enjoying your pictures. We were on the Eclipse May 9th sailing to the Norwegian Fjords. Thank you for delivering the ship to Southampton safely and in fine shape.

[perfect match]

Funny, DH just mentioned yesterday that we should think about another Disney cruise. I have a tendency to hit "book" pretty quickly when he says he wants to go on another trip! :D

[nursedibdob]

Thanks for great review so far. Our first ever cruise will be on the Eclipse in 4 weeks. Excitement is building!

[scubacruiserx2]

Interesting stories to go with your so called boring photo. Cheers.:D

 

Thanks Mic . you're too kind . Maybe boring was a poor choice of words . How about drab ? When the light gets better , the pictures usually do . :) :D