Would you cruise in a Eclipse suite?

[chill6x6]

Hi,

 

So I haven't been on a Celebrity ship in a while. The last time I was on one was in a CS on Silhouette before Revolution even began I think(2018). I have since been on several cruises on Royal(Star and Sky class) and in the NCL Haven.

 

I'm looking at 9-day ABC cruise on Eclipse, probably again in a CS or maybe a RS. I really like this itinerary.  My only real concern is it is my understanding there is no Retreat sundeck on Eclipse? We enjoy the Royal suite sundeck and Haven sundeck. I'm kinda concerned

 

What do you think of cruising in a suite on non-Retreat ships?

 

 

[mahasamatman]

It's still our preferred way to cruise on Celebrity. We've never been on a ship with a Retreat sundeck, and we probably wouldn't even use it if it were there - just not our style.

[cruisestitch]

OP you did it before without a sun deck, yes?

[chill6x6]

1 hour ago, cruisestitch said:

OP you did it before without a sun deck, yes?

Yes that's true! The problem is we now enjoy the Royal suite sun deck and the Haven sundeck.  Not having to hunt down loungers and deal with chair hogs sure is nice!

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

We tend to sail Aqua class on non revolutionized ships and not retreat. But we are getting more spoiled and still like Retreat without the retreat deck. We avoid the main pool and still go up to that area to get away from the noise even though it’s not reserved for us alone. We still get Luminae and the lounge. 
 

But the price jump for Retreat does make us think. 

Edited November 20, 2023 by Sox Fan Cruiser

[SusieAV8R]

4 minutes ago, chill6x6 said:

Yes that's true! The problem is we now enjoy the Royal suite sun deck and the Haven sundeck.  Not having to hunt down loungers and deal with chair hogs sure is nice!

Maybe Eclipse is not a good fit if this important to you?  Like other posters, DH and I don't lay out in the sun.  BUT in a RS, you have a nice balcony where you can enjoy the sun, no?

[chill6x6]

3 hours ago, SusieAV8R said:

Maybe Eclipse is not a good fit if this important to you?  Like other posters, DH and I don't lay out in the sun.  BUT in a RS, you have a nice balcony where you can enjoy the sun, no?

We made that work with the CS.....staff brought us down a lounger to go with the standard single fabric louger on the balconies. Was on a stant so balcony was large enough, We don't necessarily have to be in the sun all the time...sometimes shade.

 

We might can make it work regardless....  

 

 

[Rustyman]

I’m guessing a lot of people still like the suites on Eclipse, the October 2025 transatlantic sold out of all entry level suites within a few days of going on sale. With the absence of the retreat deck the prices were considerably lower than other ships in the fleet.

 

[jelayne]

We prefer the suites on E class ships because of the Sun Deck (and seating in the shade as well as sun) with a .  bar and area for lunch, the larger, lighter and more modern feel.  
 

The thing we dislike about suites on E class ships is that you can’t order items from the MDR or Blu menu in Luminae due location of Luminae being a very long way from the other kitchens.  

[hasentreelake]

10 hours ago, chill6x6 said:

Yes that's true! The problem is we now enjoy the Royal suite sun deck and the Haven sundeck.  Not having to hunt down loungers and deal with chair hogs sure is nice!

We did the ABC cruise on Silhouette in 2021 in a Sky Suite.  Very often the retreat sun deck was entirely full and we often had to wait or take loungers that were in undesirable locations, particulary at lunch time.  We have since decided to sail in aft veranda (our preference) and dine in specialty restaurants which we much prefer over luminae.  

Edited November 20, 2023 by hasentreelake

[chill6x6]

2 hours ago, Rustyman said:

I’m guessing a lot of people still like the suites on Eclipse, the October 2025 transatlantic sold out of all entry level suites within a few days of going on sale. With the absence of the retreat deck the prices were considerably lower than other ships in the fleet.

 

Gotcha.  

54 minutes ago, jelayne said:

We prefer the suites on E class ships because of the Sun Deck (and seating in the shade as well as sun) with a .  bar and area for lunch, the larger, lighter and more modern feel.  
 

The thing we dislike about suites on E class ships is that you can’t order items from the MDR or Blu menu in Luminae due location of Luminae being a very long way from the other kitchens.  

I can see that.  It's hard to have it all isn't it?  That's what I try to do all the time!

45 minutes ago, hasentreelake said:

We did the ABC cruise on Silhouette in 2021 in a Sky Suite.  Very often the retreat sun deck was entirely full and we often had to wait or take loungers that were in undesirable locations, particulary at lunch time.  We have since decided to sail in aft veranda (our preference) and dine in specialty restaurants which we much prefer over luminae.  

OK.  Maybe I best just reply on loungers on out suites balcony.  

 

Really looking at two cruises which are very similar....one is on Celebrity Eclipse and the other on HAL Rotterdam both to the ABCs.  

[Cruise a holic]

We truly enjoy the suite perks- perhaps better on the new Edge class ships.  However on S class, you still get a great suite lounge and Luminae.  In addition, many priority perks.  The suites themselves are larger and more comfortable IMO well worth it!  Enjoy

[bigbenboys]

We were on the Eclipse last Sept in a non angle CS. Photo of the lounge chair on balcony. I personally dont like the E Class ships Retreat area or Luminae. 

[maggie.1008]

We I’ll be in a CS in 10 days. We got a move up bid for a good price. If I paid full price I don’t think it’s worth it. We usually stay in a AQ aft cabin and enjoy the menu in Blu more than Luminae. 

[JDPCruisers]

Have not sailed on the Eclipse, yet, but we only stay in suites, E and M class, so do think it's worth it for a number of reasons, size of the cabins and balcony, Retreat lounge and sundeck, Luminae, and prior to the changes, butler service (on the Constellation in a SS a few weeks from now and will experience first-hand the changes). 

[CruisinShips]

So we were on the Eclipse in a CS in October.  We had a great cruise and had very few complaints...except for two things: 1) Michaels was a dark, kind of depressing dungeon feeling room, with no snacks at cocktail hour and really no vibe whatsoever, and 2) as stated, there is no Retreat sundeck.

 

Those (a nice suite lounge and a sundeck) are typically very important aspects of the suite experience for us.  We didn't let it ruin a great time...the Martini Bar made up for Michaels to some extent, and we had no problem finding chairs near the pool...but given we only sail it suites these days, it would make me reconsider the value of booking a suite on one of the older ships again.

 

Hope that helps.

[George C]

Love perks on royal suite, free specialty restaurants, two liters of liquor of your choice, fridge gets stocked daily with your choice of beer, soda, bottle of champagne and of course suite lounge and restaurant.

[PTC DAWG]

Who’s paying? No if me…suites on E Class for me..

[chemmo]

17 hours ago, chill6x6 said:

Hi,

 

So I haven't been on a Celebrity ship in a while. The last time I was on one was in a CS on Silhouette before Revolution even began I think(2018). I have since been on several cruises on Royal(Star and Sky class) and in the NCL Haven.

 

I'm looking at 9-day ABC cruise on Eclipse, probably again in a CS or maybe a RS. I really like this itinerary.  My only real concern is it is my understanding there is no Retreat sundeck on Eclipse? We enjoy the Royal suite sundeck and Haven sundeck. I'm kinda concerned

 

What do you think of cruising in a suite on non-Retreat ships?

 

 

It all depends on which Retreat perks are important to you…We have cruised both RS and PH on Eclipse and loved our cruises. The RS balcony is a good size and the room really well appointed. We enjoy the in suite bar set up and the unlimited speciality dining.

 

When we have booked a ship with a Retreat deck we have used it very little usually preferring the Solarium. Given the choice of Silhouette or Eclipse I would choose Silhouette for the extra restaurants and the Retreat deck but it wouldn’t be a deal breaker.

 

Personally now I am more concerned about the maintenance/condition of the ships that haven’t been updated rather than the addition of new facilities. Reviews on condition of these ships are varied. We are booked on Infinity next year and hope that during its short dry dock some painting and replacement of chairs etc happens. I can live with a bit of shabby but not if it has gone to tatty…

 

 

[SusieAV8R]

20 hours ago, chill6x6 said:

We made that work with the CS.....staff brought us down a lounger to go with the standard single fabric louger on the balconies. Was on a stant so balcony was large enough, We don't necessarily have to be in the sun all the time...sometimes shade.

 

We might can make it work regardless....  

 

 

I believe the RS balcony is larger than that of CS. (We cruised CS & RS pre-covid, but PH post-covid so memory a bit fuzzy 😁 ) And RS is considered "upper suite" so the Butler will likely be more attentive, within reason, but likely more than in a CS.

[SusieAV8R]

10 hours ago, bigbenboys said:

We were on the Eclipse last Sept in a non angle CS. Photo of the lounge chair on balcony. I personally dont like the E Class ships Retreat area or Luminae. 

DH & I prefer M and S class ships also.

[chill6x6]

9 hours ago, CruisinShips said:

So we were on the Eclipse in a CS in October.  We had a great cruise and had very few complaints...except for two things: 1) Michaels was a dark, kind of depressing dungeon feeling room, with no snacks at cocktail hour and really no vibe whatsoever, and 2) as stated, there is no Retreat sundeck.

 

Those (a nice suite lounge and a sundeck) are typically very important aspects of the suite experience for us.  We didn't let it ruin a great time...the Martini Bar made up for Michaels to some extent, and we had no problem finding chairs near the pool...but given we only sail it suites these days, it would make me reconsider the value of booking a suite on one of the older ships again.

 

Hope that helps.

I think you kind of hit the nail on the head. I appreciate the comment!

[phoenix_dream]

Would I? I just did last month - b2b in Sky Suites. We spend little time in the Retreat deck anyway so didn’t really miss it. Also prefer the old Michaels Club to the revolutionized version (although E class has the best lounges in our opinion).  Personally I think Retreat prices on ships without all the amenities should be lower to reflect that, but as long as they keep selling well that won’t happen. To us, the main perks of Retreat are the larger cabin and balcony, the better service (and sometimes food) in Luminae, the lounge, and the help of the Retreat team or concierge if we have issues or need help with something rather than waiting in long lines at Guest Relations. 

[buncosquad]

That ship looks really dated. The pricing must be incredibly good for any suite on that ship.