Celebrity Eclipse dining with oceanview room

[Christinky]

Considering booking a last minute cruise on Celebrity Eclipse, leaving out of Los Angeles, in an oceanview room, but based on what I am reading, a basic room doesn't allow for many dining options or things to do. Is this true, or am I missing something? Dining seems to only be buffet and main dining room and a fee for room service.  I want to go because it's cheap, but if I have to pay for other dining experiences (my fav part about cruising is eating non stop), I may be better off on a different line. Is this how it is with all Celebrity cruises?

What are people's experience with the most basic room option? Food, activities, anything really. 

[RTShaker]

20 minutes ago, Christinky said:

Considering booking a last minute cruise on Celebrity Eclipse, leaving out of Los Angeles, in an oceanview room, but based on what I am reading, a basic room doesn't allow for many dining options or things to do. Is this true, or am I missing something? Dining seems to only be buffet and main dining room and a fee for room service.  I want to go because it's cheap, but if I have to pay for other dining experiences (my fav part about cruising is eating non stop), I may be better off on a different line. Is this how it is with all Celebrity cruises?

What are people's experience with the most basic room option? Food, activities, anything really. 

The dining options for all cabins up to Concierge are all the same. Oceanview and MDR are included. Specialty restaurants are not included for any except a few suites I believe.

[Woody14]

3 minutes ago, Christinky said:

Considering booking a last minute cruise on Celebrity Eclipse, leaving out of Los Angeles, in an oceanview room, but based on what I am reading, a basic room doesn't allow for many dining options or things to do. Is this true, or am I missing something? Dining seems to only be buffet and main dining room and a fee for room service.  I want to go because it's cheap, but if I have to pay for other dining experiences (my fav part about cruising is eating non stop), I may be better off on a different line. Is this how it is with all Celebrity cruises?

What are people's experience with the most basic room option? Food, activities, anything really. 

The experience for food and acitvities is the same pretty much no matter the room catagory.  True in some of the upper catagories they get a different restaurant than the main dining room but that is a 1 for 1 trade and some say it is an upgrade some would say not.     the other food options are the same for all.    If is true there are less options that on some lines (like carnival during the day) but the food quality in my mind is better so the less variety in places to eat has never bothered me.   There are some great to exceptional specialty dining restaurants on the eclipse (and celebrity in general) but they are an upcharge for everyone.   The buffet (oceanview cafe) is serving food of some type pretty much 24/7 (does get quite limited really late at night/early morning).   Celebrity seems to put most of the casual eating options in here rather than having separate venues like some others.     They do also have the mast grill which does great burgers (included) daytime. And some of the other places like the coffee bar and smoothie place the food is included.

 

[Tierun]

There’s mast grill on the pool deck with free burgers, dogs, and fries. No one goes hungry on a X cruise. There may not be many included dining venues, but the variety is there to keep things fresh.

[Northern Aurora]

Our OP will also have the Spa Cafe available (most items no additional charge) and the Mast Grill.  Treats at the Cafe al Bacio are complimentary.  

 

I wonder what our OP has read which suggests that activities would be restricted in an Ocean View stateroom.  Folks in an Ocean View stateroom attend the same production shows, same Beyond the Podium presentations, same trivia and so forth as anyone else.

[Christinky]

59 minutes ago, Woody14 said:

The experience for food and acitvities is the same pretty much no matter the room catagory.  True in some of the upper catagories they get a different restaurant than the main dining room but that is a 1 for 1 trade and some say it is an upgrade some would say not.     the other food options are the same for all.    If is true there are less options that on some lines (like carnival during the day) but the food quality in my mind is better so the less variety in places to eat has never bothered me.   There are some great to exceptional specialty dining restaurants on the eclipse (and celebrity in general) but they are an upcharge for everyone.   The buffet (oceanview cafe) is serving food of some type pretty much 24/7 (does get quite limited really late at night/early morning).   Celebrity seems to put most of the casual eating options in here rather than having separate venues like some others.     They do also have the mast grill which does great burgers (included) daytime. And some of the other places like the coffee bar and smoothie place the food is included.

 

THANKS! Your response is what I was looking for. I've been on two cruises (Princess and Norwegian) and had many options for dining, and actually didn't have time to try them all out. Guess I'll book this last minute cruise then!

 

[Mike45LC]

21 hours ago, Woody14 said:

The buffet (oceanview cafe) is serving food of some type pretty much 24/7 (does get quite limited really late at night/early morning).   

 

This was not my experience at all, and was one of my gripes against Celebrity. We were on a Mediterranean cruise on the Edge, and our excursions tended to return us to the ship around three or four in the afternoon. At that hour, the buffet was completely closed, and the only dining venue that was open was the mast grill or pizza slices.  
 

The buffet was also closed in the late evening and overnight.

[Mark_T]

21 hours ago, Woody14 said:

 The buffet (oceanview cafe) is serving food of some type pretty much 24/7 (does get quite limited really late at night/early morning). 

It falls a long way short of 24/7.

 

06:30 - 11:00 for versions of breakfast.

12:00 - 14:30 for lunch

16:00 - 17:00 for tea

18:00 - 21:30 for dinner

22:00 - 01:00 late food options

Pasta/pizza station open 12:00 - 01:00

 

Lot of gaps in there.

[jelayne]

23 hours ago, RTShaker said:

The dining options for all cabins up to Concierge are all the same. Oceanview and MDR are included. Specialty restaurants are not included for any except a few suites I believe.

In addition the Mast Grill and most items in the Spa Cafe are included.  The cookies and pastries at Cafe Al Bacio are free, there is a charge for coffee, tea and beverages at Cafe Al Bacio, but you don’t have to order a beverage to enjoy the pastries.  The ice cream in the Oceanview is also included and is great.