Just off the Eclipse...our first Celebrity cruise. Thank you to all of the critical posters here

[CruisinShips]

for lowering our expectations to the point where they were GREATLY exceeded!

 

Let me start by saying we have cruised plenty.  We are Diamond on Royal, and I have cruised on Carnival, NCL, Holland America, and most recently Virgin.  That said, it's only our second cruise since the pandemic.  We are fortunate enough to be able to cruise in suites, in this case we had a CS, so these comments are based much on that aspect of the experience.

 

I'm not going to get into the minutia because, frankly, I am tired after a long travel day back to Florida from LA with delayed flights.

 

The Eclipse is a beautiful ship with a classic cruise ship feel.  Yes, I agree with those who said it's feeling a little tired in areas, but we expected that and all in all it was immaculate. It was an older crowd (we are in our early 60s, and a big percentage of travelers were older than us).  I don't mind that at all.  Very few kids on our Pacific Coastal itinerary.

 

Our butler was Ronald, nice man, very good at his job.  We aren't demanding...basically he brought us coffee in the morning at the same time as we requested.  Our essentials were replenished daily (water, sparkling water) and maybe an occasional other request. 

 

Luminae was a high point for us. Breakfast every morning, dinner 4 nights.  Dinner menus were a bit limited, but quality was good, and we could order off the MDR menu, which was good for my wife.  We had the same server, Vennis, and he was the highlight of the staff for us.  The entire Luminae team was outstanding.  We ate at Tuscan Grill 2 nights, and it was pretty good cruise ship Italian food.  No complaints at all. The buffet was not good IMO.  Not much in the way of healthy options beside the salad bar.  I am not a fan of cruise buffets, and this one did nothing to change that.

 

We spent our pre-dinner cocktail time mainly at the Martini Bar...the bartenders are a riot and there was always a great vibe there.

 

We don't do much as far as after dinner shows...we did see a comedian/magician who was excellent.  The vocalists that were aboard were very good.

 

Now as for the Retreat amenities, this is where we can knock some points off.  I will preface it by saying some of this was to be expected given that the ship hasn't yet been revolutionized.  Michael's Club was a huge disappointment...dark, boring, lacking in any  basic little snacks that, IMO should always be there (other than peanuts).  The lack of a Retreat sundeck was a big negative as well.  Again, I know it's not typical of the newer ships.

 

The elevator situation wasn't good, but again, not enough to alter our overall enjoyment.

 

Itinerary was fun and different for us.  We had great weather and enjoyed LA, Santa Barbara, Catalina Island, San Diego, and Ensenada.  San Fran is a place we have been to many times and only got off the ship to meet friends for dinner.  But it was a fun and novel itinerary for people who have done mainly Caribbean cruises.

 

I'm sure I will think of more, and I can answer questions if anyone has any.  All in all it was a really great week (plus a couple of extra days prior in LA).  Our expectations were lowered, but the reality for us is we had a wonderful time.  Yes there were some little things that felt chintzy, and I can understand how some people who cruise very often would notice and care more than we did.  But for people like us who only cruise a couple of times a year, it was just a great week and we didn't feel the need to nitpick.

 

I'm reminded of a line from the old TV show King of Queens where Kevin James told Leah Remini...if you can lower your expectations of me, I will disappoint you less often.

 

We have two X cruises booked, and we look forward to both!

[hcat]

great mini review..thanks for posting

 

we enjoyed this same itin a few yrs ago on an even older ship..Infinity..most likely in AQUA Class.. We had never been to most of the ports before, and it was one of our best cruises.. We took quite a few excursions to maximize what we could enjoy at each port.  Lots of wine tasting, beautiful surroundings so much fun. Regret not getting off at Ensenada for a winery tour!

 

Would consider this itin  again on a newer/ more updated ship.  And hope to do something similar along the US East Coast to include Bermuda which we love,   & Charleston .

[mjfship]

47 minutes ago, CruisinShips said:

for lowering our expectations to the point where they were GREATLY exceeded!

 

Let me start by saying we have cruised plenty.  We are Diamond on Royal, and I have cruised on Carnival, NCL, Holland America, and most recently Virgin.  That said, it's only our second cruise since the pandemic.  We are fortunate enough to be able to cruise in suites, in this case we had a CS, so these comments are based much on that aspect of the experience.

 

I'm not going to get into the minutia because, frankly, I am tired after a long travel day back to Florida from LA with delayed flights.

 

The Eclipse is a beautiful ship with a classic cruise ship feel.  Yes, I agree with those who said it's feeling a little tired in areas, but we expected that and all in all it was immaculate. It was an older crowd (we are in our early 60s, and a big percentage of travelers were older than us).  I don't mind that at all.  Very few kids on our Pacific Coastal itinerary.

 

Our butler was Ronald, nice man, very good at his job.  We aren't demanding...basically he brought us coffee in the morning at the same time as we requested.  Our essentials were replenished daily (water, sparkling water) and maybe an occasional other request. 

 

Luminae was a high point for us. Breakfast every morning, dinner 4 nights.  Dinner menus were a bit limited, but quality was good, and we could order off the MDR menu, which was good for my wife.  We had the same server, Vennis, and he was the highlight of the staff for us.  The entire Luminae team was outstanding.  We ate at Tuscan Grill 2 nights, and it was pretty good cruise ship Italian food.  No complaints at all. The buffet was not good IMO.  Not much in the way of healthy options beside the salad bar.  I am not a fan of cruise buffets, and this one did nothing to change that.

 

We spent our pre-dinner cocktail time mainly at the Martini Bar...the bartenders are a riot and there was always a great vibe there.

 

We don't do much as far as after dinner shows...we did see a comedian/magician who was excellent.  The vocalists that were aboard were very good.

 

Now as for the Retreat amenities, this is where we can knock some points off.  I will preface it by saying some of this was to be expected given that the ship hasn't yet been revolutionized.  Michael's Club was a huge disappointment...dark, boring, lacking in any  basic little snacks that, IMO should always be there (other than peanuts).  The lack of a Retreat sundeck was a big negative as well.  Again, I know it's not typical of the newer ships.

 

The elevator situation wasn't good, but again, not enough to alter our overall enjoyment.

 

Itinerary was fun and different for us.  We had great weather and enjoyed LA, Santa Barbara, Catalina Island, San Diego, and Ensenada.  San Fran is a place we have been to many times and only got off the ship to meet friends for dinner.  But it was a fun and novel itinerary for people who have done mainly Caribbean cruises.

 

I'm sure I will think of more, and I can answer questions if anyone has any.  All in all it was a really great week (plus a couple of extra days prior in LA).  Our expectations were lowered, but the reality for us is we had a wonderful time.  Yes there were some little things that felt chintzy, and I can understand how some people who cruise very often would notice and care more than we did.  But for people like us who only cruise a couple of times a year, it was just a great week and we didn't feel the need to nitpick.

 

I'm reminded of a line from the old TV show King of Queens where Kevin James told Leah Remini...if you can lower your expectations of me, I will disappoint you less often.

 

We have two X cruises booked, and we look forward to both!

Appreciate your review and would like to suggest considering the Retreat experience on an E Class ship, which offers a remarkable upgrade from the S Class. Glad to hear you enjoyed your cruise.

[vickykay]

Thanks for your review. We had a wonderful cruise on the Eclispe this past May.

[CruisinShips]

17 minutes ago, mjfship said:

Appreciate your review and would like to suggest considering the Retreat experience on an E Class ship, which offers a remarkable upgrade from the S Class. Glad to hear you enjoyed your cruise.

Our next two booked cruises are on the Apex and the Beyond.

[mjfship]

2 minutes ago, CruisinShips said:

Our next two booked cruises are on the Apex and the Beyond.

Get ready to be pleasantly surprised (for the good)!

[bnurick]

1 hour ago, CruisinShips said:

I can answer questions if anyone has any.

 

We are also in a Celebrity Suite on the Eclipse this month.  A couple questions if you do not mind answering.

 

1. In Luminae, can you order MDR Premium Selections and is there a charge?

2. Did Roland provide bottled water in your Stateroom?

3. I noticed little wine lists on the App now, did you look at bottle selections available, specifically in Tuscan Grille?

4. Did you try Murano, and if so, what did you think?

 

Thank you so much.

[JDPCruisers]

1 hour ago, CruisinShips said:

for lowering our expectations to the point where they were GREATLY exceeded!

 

Let me start by saying we have cruised plenty.  We are Diamond on Royal, and I have cruised on Carnival, NCL, Holland America, and most recently Virgin.  That said, it's only our second cruise since the pandemic.  We are fortunate enough to be able to cruise in suites, in this case we had a CS, so these comments are based much on that aspect of the experience.

 

I'm not going to get into the minutia because, frankly, I am tired after a long travel day back to Florida from LA with delayed flights.

 

The Eclipse is a beautiful ship with a classic cruise ship feel.  Yes, I agree with those who said it's feeling a little tired in areas, but we expected that and all in all it was immaculate. It was an older crowd (we are in our early 60s, and a big percentage of travelers were older than us).  I don't mind that at all.  Very few kids on our Pacific Coastal itinerary.

 

Our butler was Ronald, nice man, very good at his job.  We aren't demanding...basically he brought us coffee in the morning at the same time as we requested.  Our essentials were replenished daily (water, sparkling water) and maybe an occasional other request. 

 

Luminae was a high point for us. Breakfast every morning, dinner 4 nights.  Dinner menus were a bit limited, but quality was good, and we could order off the MDR menu, which was good for my wife.  We had the same server, Vennis, and he was the highlight of the staff for us.  The entire Luminae team was outstanding.  We ate at Tuscan Grill 2 nights, and it was pretty good cruise ship Italian food.  No complaints at all. The buffet was not good IMO.  Not much in the way of healthy options beside the salad bar.  I am not a fan of cruise buffets, and this one did nothing to change that.

 

We spent our pre-dinner cocktail time mainly at the Martini Bar...the bartenders are a riot and there was always a great vibe there.

 

We don't do much as far as after dinner shows...we did see a comedian/magician who was excellent.  The vocalists that were aboard were very good.

 

Now as for the Retreat amenities, this is where we can knock some points off.  I will preface it by saying some of this was to be expected given that the ship hasn't yet been revolutionized.  Michael's Club was a huge disappointment...dark, boring, lacking in any  basic little snacks that, IMO should always be there (other than peanuts).  The lack of a Retreat sundeck was a big negative as well.  Again, I know it's not typical of the newer ships.

 

The elevator situation wasn't good, but again, not enough to alter our overall enjoyment.

 

Itinerary was fun and different for us.  We had great weather and enjoyed LA, Santa Barbara, Catalina Island, San Diego, and Ensenada.  San Fran is a place we have been to many times and only got off the ship to meet friends for dinner.  But it was a fun and novel itinerary for people who have done mainly Caribbean cruises.

 

I'm sure I will think of more, and I can answer questions if anyone has any.  All in all it was a really great week (plus a couple of extra days prior in LA).  Our expectations were lowered, but the reality for us is we had a wonderful time.  Yes there were some little things that felt chintzy, and I can understand how some people who cruise very often would notice and care more than we did.  But for people like us who only cruise a couple of times a year, it was just a great week and we didn't feel the need to nitpick.

 

I'm reminded of a line from the old TV show King of Queens where Kevin James told Leah Remini...if you can lower your expectations of me, I will disappoint you less often.

 

We have two X cruises booked, and we look forward to both!

Thanks for posting your review. We are booked on the Eclipse next year in August - September for NE and Canada RT and looking forward to it as our first time on the Eclipse.

[CruisinShips]

1 minute ago, bnurick said:

 

We are also in a Celebrity Suite on the Eclipse this month.  A couple questions if you do not mind answering.

 

1. In Luminae, can you order MDR Premium Selections and is there a charge?

2. Did Roland provide bottled water in your Stateroom?

3. I noticed little wine lists on the App now, did you look at bottle selections available, specifically in Tuscan Grille?

4. Did you try Murano, and if so, what did you think?

 

Thank you so much.

I'll try...but my answers may not be of much help...

1.  We did not order any premium selections from MDR as it was my understanding you couldn't because they aren't set up for anything that required a bill.  I am not 100% sure though.

2.  Yes, bottled water every day, plus Evian and also Vitamin Water per request.

3. I didn't look at bottle selections, sorry, because my wife isn't a wine drinker and I was fine with what they had by the glass.  And after a couple of pre-dinner martinis at the Martini Bar, I didn't need a bottle!

4.  Did not try Murano, but I have heard great things.

[bnurick]

4 minutes ago, CruisinShips said:

I'll try...but my answers may not be of much help...

1.  We did not order any premium selections from MDR as it was my understanding you couldn't because they aren't set up for anything that required a bill.  I am not 100% sure though.

2.  Yes, bottled water every day, plus Evian and also Vitamin Water per request.

3. I didn't look at bottle selections, sorry, because my wife isn't a wine drinker and I was fine with what they had by the glass.  And after a couple of pre-dinner martinis at the Martini Bar, I didn't need a bottle!

4.  Did not try Murano, but I have heard great things.

 

Thank you. It sounds like you can get the Premium Selections and I had read once before for Celebrity Suites there is no charge.  But what is $20-$30 when you are paying $1,250 a day.

 

We really like the Martini Bar too!

 

Is Evian no charge? That large bottle is our preference at bedtime.

 

Also, did they have "everyday items" in Luminae like filet mignon if you do not like the menu?

 

Many thanks!

[CruisinShips]

No charge for the bottles of sparkling water.  Luminae did not have the list of "everyday items".  It had the daily menu, and then they would give you the MDR menu if you requested it.  You could always get the old staples like shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad, French onion soup, salmon or chicken.  Filets weren't offered every day as I recall.