This cruise was everything I expected. So happy that I went, sad that it’s over.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation at the Boston Cruise Port was smooth and direct. My Uber driver drove right up to the luggage area and the porters were right there helping everyone with their luggage. I strategized getting there early because I was concerned about leaf-peeping traffic into Boston over the Columbus Day/Yom Kippur weekend, but that wasn’t an issue, so I was way too early. We weren’t allowed to embark before 10:30am, which makes sense. Unlike the Brooklyn or Manhattan ports, the walk onto the ship was very short and easy, no standing around for hours (unless you arrived before 10:30 am). Also, the Eclipse was the only ship embarking on Oct. 11, though, I’m not sure if there’s ever more than in Boston.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Going forward, I’m done with specialty restaurants. It just doesn’t feel that special to me, and the service that I receive in the MDR has been fantastic! My team was Kamong, as the head waiter, Johnedel his assistant and budding sommelier, and Altair, the sommelier, and they were awesome! To me, Murano and Tuscan Grille just weren’t that exceptional. The food was good, but the servers and staff at those venues seemed more stressed than in the MDR. Also, I love curry-based stews and the buffet had a different curry for dinner every night.
A suggestion for Celebrity: Take a page from MSC’s book. They give solo cruisers the option of eating alone or at a table of solos. I liked that option. I had a great time being spoiled by the MDR team.
Cafe al Bacio and Gelateria
3 out of 5
I didn’t use the Gelateria, but did do Cafe el Bacio. The service for the free pastries and desserts is really poor. It’s because the coffee and tea concoctions are where the staff make the money from the tips, so there’s always a very long line at the dessert case, and the staff person who eventually decides to walk over and serve those desserts really wants to get back to serving up the drinks. Your best bet is to order a coffee drink, then ask that server to get your desserts—which they will do even though others have been waiting. Also, I don’t find that the desserts are worth the wait. In the time you waste waiting for a server at Cafe el Bacio, you can go up to the Oceanview Buffet and get desserts, that they have until they close up at 1am.
Tuscan Grille
3 out of 5
Like the Murano, I wasn’t impressed by the Tuscan Grille. I liked the food, though, just not worth the upcharge from the MDR.
Main Restaurant
5 out of 5
The best part of dining for me was the MDR, and there was a great staff. My waiter, Kamong, rocked! As did the assistant waiter, Johnedel, and the sommelier, Altair. My service fast, delicious and hot! If anything, maybe have options for people to be “assembled” at a tables. Right now, cruise lines either do this automatically or not, which is too bad. It’s just another box to check, “Are you open to seating with others unknown to you?” Something like that. There were couples who might have liked being seated with others unknown as well as solos.
Sushi on Five
5 out of 5
Lots of food within each dish, and I loved it! I had the sashimi and the baked scallop California roll—Yum! The seating is weird on the couches, though. Opt to sit in chair. You can request forks instead of the chopsticks, but do yourself a favor and learn to use the chopsticks.
Murano Restaurant
3 out of 5
I had the lobster at Murano, and it was good.
Mast Grill and Bar
5 out of 5
The perfect hot, greasy cheeseburgers! The fries get cold, but they’re ok. Add a cold beer and you’re in heaven. Not for the calorie conscious.
Le Petit Chef at Qsine
4 out of 5
This was fun and interesting, you should try this once. Just know that if you don’t choose the script, or you chose a dish not on the script, the animation will be a little off, but still worth the experience. My four stars is due the staff who seemed more scripted and mechanical.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Ok, so I’m an activities enthusiast! I did the Hot Glass Blowing and made an adorable candy dish. It was pricey, but worth every dime. It’s hot, dress accordingly, but no regrets! Heather is a great guide, and you get to do the actual “blowing.” Though, no cruise is long enough for me to do everything. There was watercolor painting, Basic Spanish, Origami, all with Laura who is a phenomenal and awesome teacher! There were the Flash Mob, Cruisers Choir and Cruisers Dance Recital, I didn’t do these, but cruisers on their own time during sea days, practiced with cruise staff and on the 2nd to last night performed for everyone, it was fantastic. There were recently released movies shown, and an excellent series on nautical history by Mike West, a great presenter! Everything from the history of ships and cruising to warships, and even the Titanic! I’m only scratching the surface with all the activities. I have to talk about “Magic Mike” the cruise director who had enough energy for three ships! On sea days, his goal was a new activity every 15 minutes from 10am to 4 pm. Or, you could have spent your time sunning yourself on the many decks. We had great weather, by the way.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Ok, if there was room for improvement, it’s here. They saved the best show, “Topper,” for last, but if the Eclipse could have had maybe two “Topper” Broadway quality shows over the 10 nights, that would have been great. What they did were Vegas-style headliners and it was something to do, the singers were good, but meh. There was a magician, but I didn’t see his shows. The bands and solo shows in Ensemble and the Sky Lounge were great, such as Soulful Roots and Dan the guitar soloist. I think the Vegas-headliners would have been suited to those smaller venues and do more Broadway-style shows like “Topper,” in the Eclipse Theater. I also loved that there were no reservations needed. I think it’s an issue on for bigger ships, which seems unnecessary
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
There were waiters walking around to get drinks everywhere, especially in the buffet, the lounges and the Eclipse Theater. For Celebrity Central, you have to grab drinks at the Casino Bar or others (there are bars everywhere!). The staff was overall fantastic, though in the specialty restaurants I’m not impressed. There seemed to be more stress on them, especially QSine and the Tuscan Grille. My cabin steward, Yogi, was excellent, especially since I’m not an early riser. I left him an extra tip.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The Eclipse is very easy to get around and navigate. The public bathrooms had attendants, so they were constantly cleaned and maintained. The tables in the Oceanview buffet were cleaned within minutes and staff walked around to clear plates and such. I’ve read critiques about the age of the ship, but I really couldn’t see where that was an issue anywhere.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Celebrity Eclipse cabin #9124 has the bed right next to the balcony/veranda, with couch by the door. I needed a CPAP machine, you’ll need to request a 8ft extension cord from Celebrity to reach the outlet, which are in the vanity. The shower is a good size with the shaving bar. They supply shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, with an extra bar of soap to wash your hands. I’m solo, so I never had problem with towels, plenty of storage and I had plenty of hangers. For two people it could work.
Ship tip
Arrange any of your needs ahead of time, and if you’re traveling in a group or as a family, designate someone to read everything. I find that Celebrity gives thorough information.
The Eclipse was the earliest I ever had to clear my cabin, which is 7:30 am! Other cruises, it’s 8 or 8:30. That was hard, I basically didn’t sleep well, and like hundreds of others, I had a full day of travel to get back home, and that extra half hour or so makes a difference. The Eclipse had activities that ended after midnight (of course, I didn’t stay out that long), but kicked you out of your cabin by 7:30. Debarking was just as simple as embarking. Just be sure to read, then re-read the information the Eclipse gives you, it’s all there. It’s still the worst part of the cruise, because no matter how easy they make it, you still don’t want to get off the ship! I had breakfast in the MDR that morning, and I’m glad that I did.
Excellent review packed with good information! We were on the Eclipse to New England and Canada prior to your relocation cruise and had a similar fun cruise with exceptional service.
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