Live (I'll try my Best) from the Eclipse Baltic Sailing

[2552phxcrzr]

caribill ... a mnemonic that only makes sense in Turkish ;)

[absolutboy20]

The flight was quite pleasant with a very a personable crew. My entree choice of the king prawns salad wasn't the best. The prawns were tasty but the salad was a little overwhelmed by the amount of quinoa.

 

 

We caught good tailwind and arrived earlier than the 10.5 hour expected. It was supposed to be a cloudy rainy afternoon but the skies were clear and made for a wonderful view of London for landing.

 

 

Cleared immigrations and customs without any issues, and we got through the airport so fast that even the driver was not at the arrivals hall. I originally wanted to try the Heathrow Express train service that is supposed to only take 15 minutes from the airport to downtown London, but by the time I added the rail tickets, needing to carry our bags through the rail station, and then having to get a taxi from Paddington station to our hotel, it just made more sense to book a vehicle service for about $90 usd.

 

The drive from airport to The Hyatt Regency Churchill was about 45 minutes. Now sitting in the room, will take a shower to freshen up, and then take a nap. I can never sleep on the plane no matter how comfortable the seat may be, so I've been up for about 24 hours.

 

Tonight we'll walk around the area as it is near Hyde Park, maybe get a photo op by the department store Selfriges a few blocks away as we watched the series on PBS, and call it an early night.

 

Tomorrow is a full day tour of London starting at 8am... T-minus 36 hours until the start of the cruise.

[LauraAnneC]

Looking forward to the rest of the review. We're on the Eclipse in September!!!

[absolutboy20]

Day 1 - Embarkation Day (Part 1 of 2)

 

Today's the day! I arranged a car service pickup from central London for about $200. The driver ended up showing up at 9AM and luckily we were ready to go. The drive is about an hour and forty five minutes (without any traffic) and was uneventful.

 

Check-in also went smoothly. We received an email from Celebrity a week ago indicating boarding times based upon cabin numbers and the possibility of being turned away if you arrived outside of the designated time; however, I did not see anyone waiting or being denied boarding. As the rooms were not ready, we went to Luminae for lunch with the menu below.

 

 

The menu did look familiar from our cruise last year. I ordered the salmon, lobster bisque, and lamb. All were quite tasty.

 

After lunch we headed to the lounge to make a dinner reservation for Qsine (this will be our first experience in this restaurant) and one night in Murano. I also booked the ship tour for a sea day and was surprised there were only 8 spots left considering we have five sea days.

 

Afterwards the concierge informed us that our room was ready and we headed up. As we have been in this category before, the room layout is identical to how I remember it on the Equinox. The location of the cabin is different, and the only surprising part for me was that even though the Eclipse is the newer ship compared to the Equinox, the cabin seemed to have aged faster. The reasoning I believe is this cabin is situated in the center of the ship where it experiences the most flex.There is a circular beam at the entryway which was not present in our last CS cabin. The other indicators for me is that the live plant does vibrate which causes a clicking sound as well as several ceiling patch jobs running the width of the cabin.

 

[absolutboy20]

Day 1 - Embarkation Day (Part 2 of 2)

 

I apologize for the multiple posts. Apparently on Tapatalk the maximum amount of pictures that can be loaded to one post is 6. So I had to split the report.

 

Continuing on...

 

Today’s cruise daily is below along with the senior staff on board.

 

 

The muster drill occurred a little before 4pm and we headed down to our station E1 which places us in the main dining room. As we were watching the mandatory video for sailing, our ship started to depart the pier. I was a little disappointed seeing this through the dining room window as I really enjoy watching the ropes drop and the ship slowly back away from the pier using thrusters.

 

Last years lifeboat drill consisted of an animated video which repeated the same information in about five different languages and emphasized washing your hands through a jingle. This years video was different in that it was produced to be a parody on a Mission Impossible movie. Luckily they do not repeat every sentence in five different languages.

 

For dinner I had the salmon carpaccio and filet mignon. My apologies as I forgot to take a picture of the menu.

 

I always hope to see familiar faces in the dining room from waiters who I met in the past but this year no such luck. The only person who is from a past cruise is the cruise director, Eddie Jenkins. It'll be interesting to see how he does solo as the charters I have sailed on in the past brought on their own cruise director who worked together with the Celebrity CD to make the cruise daily videos, intros at shows, and on board games/announcements.

 

So far the pros on the ship have been:

- No problems with embarkation.

- Smooth check-in and boarding process.

- The availability of perks including unlimited internet, beverage package, and tips. These are not offered on a charter cruise.

 

The cons or surprises have been:

- Even with our past charter sailings being sold out, Luminae for dinner every night was pretty empty with only 5-6 tables occupied. This cruise I would say ¾ of the tables are occupied where it makes getting to know the servers a little difficult.

- Cutbacks on small items. They used to provide a small blue single card leather wallet to place your key card in. I used to use that everyday and wrap a few bills along with a credit card inside. As it wasn't present in our room during embarkation, I went to guest relations to inquire and was told they no longer provide the card holder. That combined with the pullback on two complimentary speciality meals and disappearance of the coupon booklet is disappointing. Also afternoon in room snack service has been discontinued and is only available by heading down to the lounge.

 

I called it an early night tonight. I'm still a little jet lagged and was falling asleep at dinner even after a two shot cappuccino. Tomorrow's a sea day so hoping to hit the gym first thing in the morning. We will see if that happens! My goal today was to sign up for a set of boot camp classes, but there was only one scheduled for a Thursday. So I'll try to self motivate and go before breakfast myself.

 

Last thing to do was to move our watches an hour forward before retiring to bed.

 

I'll leave you with the sunset for the evening.

Edited August 14, 2017 by absolutboy20

[cruisebunny32]

Awesome review so far. Can't wait to hear about all the islands!!

[groryjm]

Loving your "Live" review.....

 

I am intrigued by the column you mention as we've stayed in CSs on a couple of ships and not noticed them before. Are you on the hump? Are you in one of the ones with the huge balcony?

[chemmo]

Enjoying reading your post...we were on the Eclipse in May and are back on her in September.

 

Re afternoon snack, if you want afternoon tea served in your room the butler will organise it for you. It may not be your own butler that delivers but it will come at your requested time. We did this earlier in the year and plan to do so again....

 

Hope you have a great time!

[absolutboy20]

Loving your "Live" review.....

 

 

 

I am intrigued by the column you mention as we've stayed in CSs on a couple of ships and not noticed them before. Are you on the hump? Are you in one of the ones with the huge balcony?

 

 

 

I am in a hump cabin. The last time we were in the hump cabin, it was on the aft side and did not have the column outside of our door. Here is a picture of the column:

 

 

The balcony is oversized which is nice. The weather is cooler on this trip so I don't know how much use we will get out of it even with all of these sea days. I was just outside and If you stand by the handrails you'll get a sprinkling of ocean mist.

 

 

The wifi also dies off on the balcony. I know there are some techies who would want this so I speed tested the internet at sea mid-day today in the Solarium. It's actually not bad at all for being out at sea.

 

[absolutboy20]

Re afternoon snack, if you want afternoon tea served in your room the butler will organise it for you. It may not be your own butler that delivers but it will come at your requested time. We did this earlier in the year and plan to do so again....

 

 

So our attendant didn't mention any alternatives other than going to Michaels for afternoon service. He states that the experience is better with a larger selection of items, and that it's not crowded as most people don't go down to the club as it's far away. It was certainly nice in the past where even if we were not in the cabin, the attendant would leave a few selections on the table as a nice appetizer before dinner.

 

I think I may head down there today to see if it really is improved, or whether it's just a corporate line that they are told to repeat.

[chemmo]

So our attendant didn't mention any alternatives other than going to Michaels for afternoon service. He states that the experience is better with a larger selection of items, and that it's not crowded as most people don't go down to the club as it's far away. It was certainly nice in the past where even if we were not in the cabin, the attendant would leave a few selections on the table as a nice appetizer before dinner.

 

I think I may head down there today to see if it really is improved, or whether it's just a corporate line that they are told to repeat.

 

There is certainly a better selection down there IF you want to go down....we just asked for a small sandwich selection and scones with jam and cream (and tea of course!). This is something your butler would sort for you not the room attendant. We also asked the butler to leave us shrimp platters some evenings too...we would put them in the fridge and enjoy with a last brandy on the balcony.

 

Enjoy!

[absolutboy20]

Day 2 - Sea Day! (1 of 2)

 

Today's daily is here.

 

I made it to the gym at 6am with the combination of jet lag and my usual insomnia! It's an interesting time to be up and walking around as it feels like everyone else disappeared as we were in a Stephen King novel. At Cafe al Bacio bakery items are freshly wrapped on the counter ready to be placed into the display, but not a single soul around.

 

 

I walked through the double doors for the gym, where I finally had my first human sighting outside of my stateroom. The gym was empty which is perfect for me. I got to workout without waiting for machines or a bench all while watching the sunrise.

 

 

One note is that if anyone has a beverage package, it's impossible to get a bottled water for the gym that early. I almost died of thirst but I decided to get a Bloody Mary after I was done. I'll start ordering bottled water randomly to hoard in the stateroom.

 

The gym is identical to the Equinox except for the pull up bar. On the Equinox they raised one panel for the ceiling so that you wouldn't hit your head while using the machine. Not sure why they didn't do the same on the Eclipse but they placed a bumper cushion stuck to the ceiling.

 

 

After working out, I went back to the stateroom to wait for Luminae to open at 8:00am. The other half was still sleeping in so I ventured on my own. I don't know if there is a dress code but I went in shorts, t-shirt, and a baseball hat. May not be kosher but I wasn't turned away either. I went with my usual of plain Greek yogurt, side of fruit, scrambled eggs, baked beans, grilled tomato, side of bacon, smoothie, and a cappuccino. I did manage to skip the pastries. #winning

[absolutboy20]

Day 2 - Sea Day (2 of 2)

 

After taking a shower I headed down to the Solarium pool which is adults only. I would have went to the outside pool but the weather is getting cloudy and with the wind it feels like it's in the mid 60’s. So why not enjoy the Solarium with its cascading waterfall wall and dancing jets.

 

 

The SO has a total of four spa appointments scheduled, all being deep tissue massages. I purchased them during the 72 hour sale, and basically the second and fourth spa appointment is $139 compared to $240.

 

I went to the Oceanview Cafe for lunch but it was just way too crowded. I headed down back down to the usual spot where I had the tomato soup and the hamburger.

 

 

I never saw the Corning glass making show so I stopped by at 2PM to watch one of their demonstration. The first item they created was a goblet with a penguin as the base, in honor of evening chic night. There was a good crowd watching, but it was quite windy and the staff started passing out blankets to guests.

 

 

I went back to the stateroom and took a nap while watching some television.

 

We went back to Luminae for dinner thinking that would be the more casual establishment to eat at, but there also were plenty of people dressed up and in tuxes.

 

 

The evening entertainment is going to be Celebrity Showtime: Taste of Broadway at 10:30pm. I also might swing by the silent disco if it is still going on after the show.

 

Tomorrow is our first port stop, Fredericia Denmark with arrival around 1pm.

 

I'll end this post with the wake of the ship from the sunset bar.

 

[absolutboy20]

There is certainly a better selection down there IF you want to go down....we just asked for a small sandwich selection and scones with jam and cream (and tea of course!). This is something your butler would sort for you not the room attendant. We also asked the butler to leave us shrimp platters some evenings too...we would put them in the fridge and enjoy with a last brandy on the balcony.

 

 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

So he did bring up the small plate unannounced.

[chemmo]

So he did bring up the small plate unannounced.

 

 

This is a standard hors d'oevre platter also offered to guests both in stateroom and in Michael's Club. We have really enjoyed similar when returning from an excursion and needing a little something to put us on until the evening. It is not an 'afternoon tea' selection, however....If you want a real afternoon tea chat again with your butler....I am sure once he knows what you want he will respond. There can on occasions be language issues, chat with the Michael's host if you are not happy....

[BCJO]

Enjoying your photos and review so far! Hearing they stopped the blue card holders, did they also stop the nice blue Celebrity 'canvas like' tote bags? Looking forward to tomorrow's posts from you. [emoji3]

[absolutboy20]

Enjoying your photos and review so far! Hearing they stopped the blue card holders, did they also stop the nice blue Celebrity 'canvas like' tote bags? Looking forward to tomorrow's posts from you. [emoji3]

 

 

 

The canvas bag lives to see another day. This is actually one item I wouldn't have minded if they "enhanced" away. I had to use that word as whenever British Airways reduces their overhead costs by eliminating an item, they call it an enhancement in their program. When we sail on charters, their complimentary gift is always a gym bag, so I have a shelf full of Celebrity and gym bags in the garage back home.

 

Last night show at 10:30pm was quite full. If you were not into Broadway music, then you would have hated it. What I did like were that the singers are able to choose their music, so they sang songs that were in their range and liked. Some of the songs were from Les Miserables, Dreamgirls, and Jersey Boys.

 

One thing that irked me were parents bringing small children to a 10:30pm show. I think it's just too late for them, and some of them ended up talking loudly or running up and down the aisles during the show.

 

After the show, I watched the silent disco going on and headed to bed.

 

[absolutboy20]

Day 3 - Fredericia, Denmark

 

Well I woke up early again around 5AM so I hit the gym at 6 when they opened. I wish I had this motivation back home on a regular basis!

 

After working out I went solo to the dining room to have my usual breakfast.

 

 

The SO didn't join me as he had to go to the infirmary yesterday afternoon for a chest cold. Unfortunately when this happens he needs an inhaler and forgot to pack one from home. He got in to see the doctor without any issues, and was given an inhaler. Total bill $130 which I think is quite reasonable. We have travelers insurance which states they would be primary coverage, so I am going to submit this claim when we get home. We always buy and never have needed to use it, so it would be nice to see what the process entails to get reimbursed for a low cost bill.

 

After breakfast we headed up to the Sky Lounge so that housekeeping could clean the room. Trivia was going on and I played on the side while listening to the questions. I didn't even come close to being the winner. I.e. What kind of animal lives in a drey???

 

We pulled into Fredericia around 1pm and were greeted by the locals who came out to watch. This is the first time the Eclipse has stopped at this port this year, and only 7 cruises are scheduled. I toyed with the idea of going to the castle through Celebrity’s excursions, but I just wasn't feeling it. The castle houses one of the largest motorcycle collections in Western Europe, which I'm not really interested in. I also looked at booking a car but I could not find one that would have the vehicle at the port. What I did see today was Enterprise did have vehicles lined up for who I assume reserved vehicles. So there is a way, maybe not online or through the US site.

 

We had a quick lunch where I had a filet mignon. I can't pass up a piece of expensive steak.

 

The SO stayed in the room to try and recover and I headed out on my own solo. Upon exiting the ship, there was a kiosk to rent a bicycle. I took the deal for 4 hours for $9 usd. Helmet is free if you wanted to use one.

 

 

At first I started going through the perimeter of the town. Then eventually I cut through the city center. This is a very small town, with the shopping district being only a few blocks in the city center. For some reason there is an abundant number of eyewear and shoe stores. Once you enter the shopping area, you need to get off the bike and walk to the nearest bike stand. They have water features in this district, and I'm assuming the area has a high water level content as they looked like natural spring water.

 

[absolutboy20]

Day 3 - Fredericia, Denmark cont'd

 

After buying a decorative bird that is officially licensed by the danish royal family as a gift for the guy who's stuck in bed, I headed to the water tower which supposedly has great views. The cost of entry was $3 usd.

 

 

Although there are not many steps in the water tower to climb, the walkway gets extremely narrow and low at one point. If there were people coming down, you would either need to wait or stop and turn sideways to allow the other group to go through.

Once at the top, there are several benches and good views of the town including the Eclipse.

 

 

After the water tower, I headed back to get my bike. I crossed under the city mound to a park with a pond.

 

 

I then went to the east side of town where there is a trail hugging the water line. There's a nice hidden beach with lifeguards and a ocean pool.

 

 

Tonight's activities include Qsine (my first time!) and a show in the main theater. I'll post on that separately later on. The weather has warmed up a bit now that we are in port allowing me to write this up sitting on the balcony. Rain is expected tonight. Correction is happening right now.

[absolutboy20]

Day 3 - Fredericia, Denmark cont'd

 

Today's daily is posted below. I hope you all are having a nice Tuesday!

 

[Islander500]

Leaving on a similar itinerary next week on Silhouette. Loving your review and pics.

Thanks

[CcCp]

This is like going, without going. Booked Eclipse out Amsterdam next year. Looking forward to read about the rest of your cruise.

[gentle@spici]

I give you a lot of credit for doing this live! And Thank You! I couldn't do this as there just never seems to be enough minutes in the day while on board. In any event we are doing the 11 day cruise on Eclipse in December and it is exciting to read about your daily ventures.

[prmetime]

I'm really enjoying your posts! I appreciate the amount of detail you've included and it makes me feel as though I'm sailing as well.

[absolutboy20]

Day 3 - Fredericia, Denmark Final

 

We went to Qsine for a 6:30pm reservation. This was the only available time besides being later at 8pm. When we arrived the only table occupied was by a ship's officer and their other half having dinner. I saw the same scenario playing out at Sushi on Five. I read the dress code is smart casual for Qsine, but I couldn't find anything online for the definition on this. I went in a collared ironed short sleeve shirt and some khaki shorts to my knees. I was politely asked to switch to pants. Oops [emoji87].

 

Quick change and back at the restaurant where the other half was seated at a table near the window. The iPad menu was brought out with the 20 items available. We spoke to the waitress on her recommendations and ended up ordering 6 items. Everything we ordered was tasty except for a salmon dish with pork sausage. It was a little too smoky. Oh and if you're a martini drinker, THIS is the place to order one. Luminae's are served in thimbles shaped into a martini glasses, whereas Qsine goes the opposite direction and is comparable to a goblet.

 

 

While eating dinner we kept looking out the window at the townspeople who were walking by the ship, on a bike ride, taking their dogs out for a evening walk, and most would stop and point upwards to parts of the ship. The nice part of this port is that anyone can get up and close to the ship to about twenty feet where a modular chain link fence was erected. There was lightning going off in the background but the rain had subsided.

 

As we finished dinner, we saw parents driving up with their kids in marching band uniforms. They were preparing to play us out as a bon voyage. I really have to say that this town made it very welcoming and appreciative of the ship stopping in port. It was nice to see the positive aspects of cruising rather than reading about the larger tourist attractions who want to kick us out.

 

Wrapping up dinner we quickly went midship on deck 5 where there was a good view of the marching band from the promenade. We were delayed for 1/2 hour while waiting for one passenger, but the marching band kept playing one song after another until departure. Finally the one passenger emerged from a taxi, the gangway was pulled, and the ship slowly edged away. At the pier, the adults in uniforms lit three miniature cannons as a final salute with the townspeople waving Danish flags. I couldn't have asked for a nicer send off.

 

 

We got back in the room and I was feeling tired. I knew I was not going to make the 10:30pm show tonight so I threw on some pajamas and called it a night.

 

I'm going to try and start up my old IG account as I can't load videos on this site. The kids marching down to the pier and the cannon salute was priceless.

 

Wishing everyone a great day from the ship.