Live from the Eclipse, Apr 19 - May 21, Sydney to Honolulu to Vancouver B3B in an Aqua Cabin

[hcat]

On 5/2/2023 at 9:38 PM, Ken the cruiser said:

Thanks! I do have fun taking them with my old iPhone SE. I usually take about 130-150+ when I’m on an excursion, and then do some serious deleting! I have definitely mastered the art of point and click 4-5 times, especially when we in a moving bus! 😂

you have a good eye..nice colors and perspective.  i like to snap alot of pics..drives my dh nuts. He is a great photographer but still prefers a camera.

[Ken the cruiser]

What a full morning it’s been! Besides eating breakfast in Blu and lunch in the MDR, we went to 3 lectures, a wine tasting, talked with Guest Services again, and booked a couple of “place holder” cruises in April 2025! 
 

Now for the details. First of all it’s another beautiful day on the high seas!

 

 
After breakfast we headed to the theater to attend a very interesting lecture about the Great Barrier Reef and reefs in general.

 

 
Then my DW was going to stay and watch Part 1 of the Marilyn Monroe story while I went to the free wine tasting seminar.

 

 
Unfortunately with all of the nearby coughing going on, I got a little twitchy and left as we are having too good of time for me to catch “whatever is floating around”, especially if we might have to test again in a few days.

 

But on the way back to the theater I stopped by Guest Services to give them a heads up on the increased stress levels that folks might be encountering when they try to board in Hawaii based on the mixed signals Celebrity is sending out.

 
First I told them about what was recently posted in the last few days in the FAQ section on the website requiring either a negative PCR or antigen test prior to embarkation in Honolulu, which they were well aware of.

 

 
Then I showed them the email we received last night saying no testing was required prior to embarkation in Honolulu. They were NOT aware of this email. I told them we’re good either way, as we are on the B2B. However, they’re probably going to have to deal with some pretty frustrated folks in Honolulu if Celebrity HQ doesn’t correct this mismatch of information. They took a picture of the email I was sent, and said they would run it up the chain as they agreed this could turn into a big mess if HQ doesn’t do something about it, and quick. So it will be interesting to see what, if anything, happens next.

 

 

 
Then I was off to join my DW to finish watching the first part of the Marilyn Monroe story, which was being presented by Roxstar and was quite interesting! Then after lunch we headed to Celebrity Central to learn more about whales with Nina!

 

 
Then finally we went to Future Cruises, first to confirm you cannot book a cruise from Honolulu to Vancouver and then a follow on cruise to Alaska subsequently disembarking in Seattle. It’s against the PVSA rules.
 

However, we also learned that the Honolulu to Vancouver cruise is now fully booked! I can only imagine what the price increase was for those few remaining rooms!

 

We also booked our two April 2025 “place holder” cruises with refundable $100 deposits. Chances are very good we’ll use them to book more desirable itineraries, but at least we got the $200 OBC perk for each leg booking them onboard.

 

And finally the internet has been quite acceptable today and in both directions I might add! 😁

 

Edited May 5, 2023 by Ken the cruiser

[hcat]

On 5/2/2023 at 9:38 PM, Ken the cruiser said:

Thanks! I do have fun taking them with my old iPhone SE. I usually take about 130-150+ when I’m on an excursion, and then do some serious deleting! I have definitely mastered the art of point and click 4-5 times, especially when we in a moving bus! 😂

you have a good eye..nice colors and perspective.  i like to snap alot of pics..drives my dh nuts. He is a great photographer but still prefers a camera.

[swigso]

Hi Ken

many thanks for confirming that for me, what a stupid rule but heyho never mind.

I will need to look at other options but what a shame we cannot stay on board for the next sailing. However things may change when the Schedules are released.

I will just need to be patient, we have friends sailing on a med cruise next month so I may ask them to purchase a future cruise certificate. Once again many thanks for the confirmation 👍

 

[Ken the cruiser]

56 minutes ago, swigso said:

Hi Ken

many thanks for confirming that for me, what a stupid rule but heyho never mind.

I will need to look at other options but what a shame we cannot stay on board for the next sailing. However things may change when the Schedules are released.

I will just need to be patient, we have friends sailing on a med cruise next month so I may ask them to purchase a future cruise certificate. Once again many thanks for the confirmation 👍

 

I was talking with someone in line waiting to get into Blu this evening and supposedly the Eclipse May 21 Alaska cruise was changed to a RT out of Vancouver instead of ending up in Seattle. If that was the case, you would have no issues booking it. However, when I went to the website to look for it, there were no Alaska sailings on the Eclipse listed. Maybe it’s sold out? 

[Ken the cruiser]

Tonight while waiting for dinner, we had another pretty sunset.

 

 
Then after dinner and dessert up in the OVC, we headed off to the theater to watch a lady, Ashlie Amber, do an awesome job of singing Whitney Houston songs!

 

 

 
After that we headed to Celebrity Central to watch the Challenge Game Show followed by the Pub Quiz. Then at 10, we headed up to the pool to watch the pre-equator crossing party featuring Divas3, which actually doesn’t happen until around noon tomorrow when we actually cross it.

 

[Ken the cruiser]

Went to the Equator crossing party and had a great time. They definitely were packing them in the closer it got to the Divas3 “pop up” performance.

 

  

 

[Ken the cruiser]

Day 18 - May 5 - 3rd sea day out of 5 before we reach Honolulu. The Equator crossing celebration is scheduled for 1 pm, and the King’s Coronation coverage starts at 9 pm in the main theater.

  

  

 

[DaKahuna]

On 5/3/2023 at 6:17 PM, Ken the cruiser said:

Sorry, I won’t be of much help for you in that area. To be honest we mostly book Aqua cabins to be able to eat in Blu and on a lesser degree have access to walk-in shower. I can’t remember ever using the spa services on the other 3 cruises where we had booked AQ before.
 

However, I do remember booking a SS on the Constellation last December and having to climb over that 24” tub wall to take a shower with no wall handle to grab on to for stability. That was fun, especially in rough waters! 😂
 

 

Thanks.  We booked an Aqua Class Sky Suite for next year’s sailing on Millennium.  On this cruise we met the passengers staying in the same suite as we booked except they are on the port side and our cabin is on the starboard side.  Seems this suite has both a full tub and a separate walk in shower.  I will not miss having to step over the side of the tub to get into the tub nor the extreme distance step down to get out of the tub after showering. 

 

 

[prmssk]

19 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

Thanks.  We booked an Aqua Class Sky Suite for next year’s sailing on Millennium.  On this cruise we met the passengers staying in the same suite as we booked except they are on the port side and our cabin is on the starboard side.  Seems this suite has both a full tub and a separate walk in shower.  I will not miss having to step over the side of the tub to get into the tub nor the extreme distance step down to get out of the tub after showering. 

 

 

You must be booked in one of the two Aqua Sky Suites that connect to the penthouses.  Those are nice rooms with a bit larger bathroom and a nice size balcony.

[DaKahuna]

1 hour ago, prmssk said:

You must be booked in one of the two Aqua Sky Suites that connect to the penthouses.  Those are nice rooms with a bit larger bathroom and a nice size balcony.

 

Yes, we lucked out and one of those was open.  We had originally booked a Celebrity Suite for the 5/27/24 sailing but realized that if we took at cruise we would miss our granddaughters High School Graduation so we rebooked but the Celebrity Suites were all already booked.  

 

[Ken the cruiser]

Good morning! I briefly got up early this morning and couldn’t help to take a few pictures of the sunrise. It was so pretty I posted 3 of them at different stages! 😁

 

 

 

 
This morning we have 2 lectures to go to, have lunch, go to the Equator crossing celebration at 1 pm, and then to a show in the main theater featuring the musician Danny Elliott who we’ve seen earlier on this cruise. The shows are at 2 pm and 7 pm today because of the coronation coverage starts this evening at 9 pm. 

Update: Just heard from the Captain that we actually crossed the Equator around 5 am this morning. So the pictures I took at 6 am were just after we crossed over. 

Edited May 5, 2023 by Ken the cruiser

[mahdnc]

10 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Day 18 - May 5 - 3rd sea day out of 5 before we reach Honolulu. The Equator crossing celebration is scheduled for 1 pm, 

  

 

I am confused about date and time for the equator crossing.  Is it occurring "now" which is May 6, Day 19 (your time)?  Or  am I wrong?

 

Never mind, I forgot you had crossed the international date line.  I keep thinking you are a day ahead.  sorry.
 

Edited May 5, 2023 by mahdnc

[Ken the cruiser]

19 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

But on the way back to the theater I stopped by Guest Services to give them a heads up on the increased stress levels that folks might be encountering when they try to board in Hawaii based on the mixed signals Celebrity is sending out.

 
First I told them about what was recently posted in the last few days in the FAQ section on the website requiring either a negative PCR or antigen test prior to embarkation in Honolulu, which they were well aware of.

 

 
Then I showed them the email we received last night saying no testing was required prior to embarkation in Honolulu. They were NOT aware of this email. I told them we’re good either way, as we are on the B2B. However, they’re probably going to have to deal with some pretty frustrated folks in Honolulu if Celebrity HQ doesn’t correct this mismatch of information. They took a picture of the email I was sent, and said they would run it up the chain as they agreed this could turn into a big mess if HQ doesn’t do something about it, and quick. So it will be interesting to see what, if anything, happens next.

 

 

 
 

And magically the testing requirement in Honolulu has disappeared from the FAQ section! 😂

 

Testing Requirements

Pre-Arrival Covid-19 Testing

As of March 21, 2023, proof of a negative COVID-19 test is no longer required for guests embarking on Transocean sailings, except for those on select back-to-back sailings and those aboard the April 22nd, 2023 Celebrity Eclipse 18 Night Tahiti, New Zealand & Hawaii sailing out of Sydney, Australia. 

 

Back-to-Back Sailings

Guests 2 and older on back-to-back sailings in Australia/New Zealand will be required to take a complimentary COVID-19 test in between each leg of their sailing.

[Northern Aurora]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Good morning! I briefly got up early this morning and couldn’t help to take a few pictures of the sunrise. It was so pretty I posted 3 of them at different stages! 😁

 

 

 

 
....

Update: Just heard from the Captain that we actually crossed the Equator around 5 am this morning. So the pictures I took at 6 am were just after we crossed over. 

 

I also have been enjoying this thread.  We left the Eclipse the day Ken boarded.

 

And I have to smile at the update -- we have crossed the Equator five (or has it been six) times on Celebrity ships and the Equator crossing celebration has never been any time close to the actual crossing, but always conveniently after lunch.

[Roxydog15]

I posted this on the May 9 roll call.  Just figured to update here too.

I guess when I just checked out the website, it had just been updated.  I see "no testing" in the faq area, the website "before you board" area in the manage reservation section, the app has no testing indicated in the Health subsection, and I've gotten emails saying no testing, as of yesterday's email.  Do you suppose that is enough places for confirmation, oh sigh*  But as someone mentioned above, we're probably going to test at the hotel on Sunday just in case to be prepared.  Oh brother the anxiety that goes with cruising lately.  😞

Thanks so much to Ken the Cruiser for bringing this to guest services attention 🙂

[Ken the cruiser]

As I mentioned we went to 2 lectures this morning.

  

 

 

 
Then we headed back to the cabin before heading to lunch and found an envelope with our In Transient cards and information about a meeting point to get the details on what’s going to happen once we get to Lahaina. 

 

  
Then after lunch in the MDR we headed to Deck 14 to watch the celebration of crossing the Equator. Because it was so packed, my DW decided to go watch the afternoon lecture called Songs of the Seas with Nina, which included sound clips of various types of whales and which she really enjoyed.

 

For me all I can say was that it was packed! This was our 3rd time crossing the Equator, once with Princess, once with NCL, and now with Celebrity, and I can honestly say they’ve all be fun! 😁
 

King Neptune being seated at his throne.
 

 

 

 

 

Of course, all of the folks on trial besides getting dowsed with stuff had to Kiss The Fish!

  
This also included all of the guests who had fallen in ill favor with the powers that be as well! 😂

 

 

Then my DW and I met back up in the theater to watch the Matinee Show with Danny Elliott, who was once again fantastic!

 

 
Tonight we’re planning on going to the Reigning Rocks show with the production cast up in the Sky Lounge before heading to the theater to watch the Pre-Event coverage of the Coronation via satellite starting at 9 pm.

 

 
As far as Starlink goes, it looks like the speed test is now pinging off of a server in Los Angeles. Prior to crossing the Equator, it was pinging off of one in New Zealand. I will note I was able to upload all of these photos, even with the upload speed at a measly 0.28 mbps.

  

 

[Ken the cruiser]

We finally figured it out. If you come an hour early to a scheduled mini-production show in the Sky Lounge, you can get a good seat! 
  

 
Just remember to bring your device and/or a deck of playing cards to keep yourselves entertained for an hour! 😂

[Ken the cruiser]

What a great show, especially when they sing a bunch of Queen songs and we had such great seats! 😁

 

 

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

Day 19 - May 6 - 4th sea day out of 5

 

 

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

This is more of a request for information to confirm or refute (based on personal experience) what we were told the other day when we booked onboard the Eclipse an (A1) Aqua cabin for the price of an A2 cabin on a future April 2025 cruise. The onboard future cruise rep told us you can only get the Captains Club discount, in this case an A1 cabin for the price of an A2 cabin, IF you book the cruise directly with Celebrity or through a Celebrity Vacation Planner. However, you cannot get the discount applied and if you book a cruise using a Travel Agent.
 

Up until late last year we always booked our Celebrity cruises using a CVP. But the last 2 Celebrity cruises we booked were through a TA and we just assumed it was an automatic thing. Not so in our case. But by the time we noticed the oversight, the price of the A2 cabin was more than what we originally booked our A1 cabin.

 

Has anyone had any luck getting the Captains Club loyalty discount when booking a cruise using a TA?

Edited May 6, 2023 by Ken the cruiser

[mahdnc]

2 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Has anyone had any luck getting the Captains Club loyalty discount when booking a cruise using a TA?

 

The Future Cruises rep is quite mistaken and there is no "luck" involved. We've only booked through a travel agent and when we have been eligible for the free loyalty one category upgrade, we've gotten it (we usually book FVs and they're not eligible). 

 

The loyalty upgrade is not an automatic thing as your TA has to remember to ask for it at the time of booking. If you choose to book online through Celebrity's website, the discount is not applied even when you supply your Captain's Club number, you have to call it in to get it (it shouldn't have to be like that). 

 

You may or may not recall us discussing the loyalty upgrade on this forum late last year. I believe that's when you found out about it. 

Edited May 6, 2023 by mahdnc

[Norwaylady]

So great to follow you Ken😎🕺🏻

Really enjoying your trip. 
The weather looks great!

 

it’s still frosty nights…. And it snowed again on Monday🫣❄️🥶 luckily it didn’t stay. 

 

We drove from Oslo to Jektvik last evening and arriving now…. So crossing the article circle on the ferry this second😉

 

It was -6 on the coldest point during the nights drive. 
And lots of snow in the mountains and early spring. 
outside temperature is +6 and cold wind🥶🥶🥶 

So wool is gold🐑🐑🐑🥰

 

 

[firegoofy]

We booked our fall transpacific while on board an Alaska cruise last spring. We specifically chose to stay A2 so our room would be between floors of staterooms. In the fall our TA found a better deal and rebooked our room in doing so she took the upgrade to a A1. We ended up with good room (we think) but to answer your question TA's can definitely access the CC 's benefits as ours did it without us even asking.

Really enjoying the report so far love seeing how busy the sea days have been.

[Silkroad]

6 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Has anyone had any luck getting the Captains Club loyalty discount when booking a cruise using a TA?

Yes. Every time. Regardless of whether I booked directly, through a TA or through a CVP, I have always gotten any available CC loyalty discount. I have had to request the discount when I’ve made the booking directly. Thus far, my TAs and CVPs have obtained any available CC discounts for me.