Celebrity Eclipse Cruise Reviews - Reviews

We had sailed on mostly higher end lines the past few years (Oceania and Silversea), but took a Celebrity Cruise because people recommended it.  We were amazed at how good it was.  We don't know if we just got lucky on the Eclipse or if all of the Soltice class ships are this good.  Not surprisingly, overall the food could not compare with Oceania or Silversea, but we had what I considered to be the best meal we have ever had at sea in the Murano restaurant.  Once again, I don't know if we just got lucky.  We had the lobster and the Mediterranean bass and my wife said that the chocolate dessert she had (I don't know the name) was the best dessert that she had ever had at sea.

For the most part, the invited acts were similar in quality to what we see on other lines.  Much better than average was Doug Cameron (extraordary violionist).   However, the production shows were superior to every other line, with the exception of what we saw on the Allure of the Seas, where millions have been spent developing the shows.  We have not been on Disney for awhile, so can't really compare those shows.

What blew us away was the quality of the musicians, instrumental and vocal, who played in the various locales around the ship and the intelligent design of spaces where they performed. For the most part, these musicians could be seen, heard, and appreciated.  We were amazed at the acoustics that the ship designers had managed to tweak out of the third floor atrium so that the music could be heard a dozen floors higher.  (I assume that there were well placed speakers.)  Unlike many ships where the musicians are put in the equivalent of hallways, there were dedicated rooms and alcoves on the Eclipse.

It is likely that we will be returning to a Soltice class ship.  They might have gotten us to sign up while we were on board, but the deals were not quite as good as what we expect from the lines we usally travel on for on board sign ups, so we didn't feel sufficiently motivated.  We will do more research first in order to find out if we were just lucky with regard to the live music on the Eclipse or if we can expect it on the sister ships as well.

Note:  Esprit de corps of the ship's crew and staff was strong.  We had noticed on our most recent trips on Holland America (now more than four years ago) that it was flagging.  This influenced us to try Celebrity rather than book another Holland America cruise, although we do like Holland America.

Overall it was a very good cruise, the Blu Dining staff were exellent , two people that stood out were Victoria assistant MD, and Vish the wine waiter.

The Tuscan Grill had excellent food but the staff didnt seem to work together too well ,it might have been due to a large crew turn around, and new people on their team.

We found that in some areas the staff were a bit sluggish and slow to tidy up areas, i understand the volume of people they have to deal with on a daily basis, and some of the Cruise Cretins (professional Cruisers) are difficult to deal with.

We sailed on the Eclipse last year and found the furniture is starting to look Tatty.

Pre Sail experience was at the Hilton Marina Ft Lauderdale, my family was booked in there by Celebrity as part of their cruise package ,we booked in th be with them , I would suggest you review this Hotel, the only thing that it has is location, Please see reviews on trip advisor.

I thought the entertainment could have been better.  I walked out of one of the shows.  The food was good but not excellent in the dining room.  I did get food poisoning one night after eating shimp coctail and loin of pork.  I was perfectly fine the next day after being sick during the night which is why I knew it was the food that upset my stomach so bad for about one hour.  I thought the food and service in the Italian specialty restaraunt was outstanding. My room stewards were excellent and the ship was immaculate.   My husband and I  did feel that we preferred the Royal Carribean Liberty of the Seas food and entertainment  to the Celebrity Eclipse. This was our first Celebrity cruise.

Susan Natoli 

Fully enjoyed this cruise.  Particularly enjoyed the hospitality and friendliness of the Officers and staff on Eclipse.

Ship was kept up in great shape.  Extremely clean.

Food and service  in Blu restaurant was very good.  Especially enjoyed the quiet and more intimate aspect of this venue.  Buffet was excellent.

The highlight of our trip was our day at the private enclave at Labradee Haiti.  We had rented a cabana in advance, and had the time of our lives.

The beach and amenities were unbelievable.  Unfortunately this is not a port that is utilized often by Celebrity, as it is used frequently by Royal Caribean Oasis ships.  Celebrity can take a lesson from its sister line.

The only negative experience was embarcation at Port Everglades, and handled predominantly by contracted personnel.  Security screener confiscated an extension cord necessary for operation of my CPAP medical device.  She claimed the extension cord was a prohibited item and would only be returned at the conclusion of the cruise.  I insisted on speaking to a security officer from the ship, and after a 45 minute delay he appeared and cleared the item immediately.  I feel that Celebrity should have greater oversight of the boarding process, and have personnel readily available on the pier to  smooth out the process.  An inauspicious start to what turned out to be a great cruise.  Have booked for next years cruise on Eclipse.

This cruise was wonderful! The ship was beautiful, the service top notch, the food delicious, I could go on and on. Of course the islands were nice, some better than others. We booked an excursion package which perhaps I wouldn't do next time. It is probably better to hire a taxi, there are plenty when you disembark, that way you have the flexibility to spend more time where you choose. If you want to hang out downtown to shop and have lunch you can without having to be back on the bus in one hour. Also, if you want to go to the beach, the taxi drivers know the places to go.  We definately will cruise again with Celebrity.

Paul and Tina

excellant shows, food and entertainment. I would like more Bingo games, differnt games and higher prices.

rooms are very nice. bording was easy and quick.

Everything was as enjoyale as expected. The crew was more than courtious, and obliging in every respect to passenger comfort. At no time, did my wife or I feel uncomfortable or neglected. This feeling I am most sure can be duplicated in the sentiments of the couple we were happy to travel with for the second time on Celebrity. Or first cruise 0f 6 couples was on the Solstice to Spain. On this cruise, we were fortunate to aquaint with many people of varying ethnic groups. The Islands visited were more than just enjoyable. Again, I say that a trip on Celebrity is one to live if comfort, accomidations, and enjoyability are the prime concerns.   

  I am already formulating  plans for a family sogourne so that my Children and their children will be able to experience what I and my wife were so fortunate to enjoy. I would recomend this cruise to anyone who is looking for a holiday to enjoy and remember

Loved the glass blowing!  Criticism of the cruise line:  when the glass blowers held their raffle for charity, the ship did not advertise it to cruisers at all!  BUT every time they were selling art, we had an invitation to that in our stateroom!  This is so unacceptable!  We are tired of being pushed to buy things profiting the ship. Try pushing donations also!

Food overall was fair, not excellant.  Lamb shanks were horrible!!  Tasted the same a lot. 

We felt like we were being pushed off the ship.  Friday night when we returned to our room from dinner, our steward came to place new sheets in the room "to prepare for tomorrow".  Then a few minutes later, someone came to restock the refrigerator!  Maybe we just should have left our room the night before!  While we were at dinner, someone came in and took our perishables out of the refrigerator and locked it!  We have NEVER had this experience on any other cruise line!

my brother-in-law was in the room next to ours and his insulin was taken out of the frig!  It has to be refrigerated!  They came back and opened the refrigerator, but that isn't the point!  It was left out and if we hadn't returned to our rooms early, it would have been lost!

we were traveling in a group of 6 people, had asked to be set at the same table and did not get seated that way.  We waited for over an hour in the dining room to see Martin and get it straightened out.  He was very nice, but there were a lot of people with the same experience we had.

there were more small incidents during the cruise that we were unhappy with, but these are the main ones.  

I would not recommend this cruise line in the future or use it again.  This is my first and last time. I have previously traveled on Holland America, Carnival and Princess. 

Enjoyed the cruise a lot. The good was amazing and the staff was great. A lot of older adults then expected an not a lot of exciting entertainment, however the shows wrote enjoyable and exciting.

Out of more than 60 cruise experiences, this was the very best.  The ship, the food, the crew ALL WERE SUPERB.  Can't say enough about the quality of comfort of this cruise.

One of the top cruises we're taken and we have been ov over 30 cruises.

Foods, entertainment, personnel were all excellent.

This cruise was the most generous ship we've been on.  A free beverage was provided several times throughout the 13nigts cruise, which may occur one time and most times not at all on other cruises.

This was our second cruise with Celebrity and was definitely the better of the two. Everything was great on the ship including food, service, accommodation and entertainment. We did not visit the premium restaurants, as the food in the Moonlight Sonata restaurant was more than adequate and suited our tastes just fine. The itinerary was great and the weather on port days was perfect. We booked a package of tours of five cities (Berlin, Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg and Tallinn) though SPb tours, that was fantastic. We only booked limited excursions in Brugge and Copenhagen through Celebrity. The Celebrity excursions were not great and definitely not good value, when compared with the SPb tours. The fellow passengers on this cruise were about 70% Brits, Scottish and Irish, about 20% Americans, 5% Canadians and 5% others. Most were 50 to 70 years old, with few families with young children. Everyone we met was extremely friendly and engaging.

Great ship, staff, crew and officers. Food is excellent, entertainment program is fantastic and itinerary delightful. Embarkation and disembarkation are smooth. Cabin staff courteous and helpful. Wait staff very friendly. Passenger help disk are highly professionals.

A great itinerary, and the 8 days crossing enabled us to fully enjoy both the ship and our new cruising friends. The Eclipse is magnificent...undeniably first class modern stateroom and all facilities on board. The cuisine was both excellent in taste and presentation in all the restaurants, including 3 speciality venues. The service in the restaurants was top notch, as was the room steward and every staff member we encountered. The entertainment in the theatre was first class..breathtaking in fact, and all other onboard performers were most entertaining ( who could not enjoy Perry !!!) Overall, a terrific cruise value, and having experienced RCL, Norwegian and MSC, I would rate Celebrity above all of them, although RCL comes a close second.

Beautiful ship. We were impressed with its innnovative building techniques and engine systems. The food was just so so in the main dining room and the buffets. We did not partake of the "extra" cost dining experiences because the feedback we heard was that it was not worth the extra money given that even after paying extra to dine there, you still had "optional" costs for wine - pretty tacky. The Celebrity offerred excursions were less than acceptable as the 'vendors' they used were obviously not well vetted for the safety of their vehicles/boats/etc. and the snorkel experience we had was dreadful - on Granada's Cat Sail and Snorkel, the catamaran was in less than satisfactory condition including ripped canvas in the sails so we never "sailed" and the snokel equipment was not sufficiently sanitized, there was no "swim step" and the engines puffed and sputtered for the entire 1 mile trip.

The cruise was exceptional. The entire staff was extremely courteous and friendly. We had one problem with a waiter and brought the matter to the proper person. It was handled immediately and they were extra attentive to make sure that we did not have any further problems. The Celebrity Eclipse management wants the best for everyone involved and makes sure that any problems are handled immediately. The food was good and plentiful. The shows were good, for the most part. We had our first encounter with Perry Grant and are now fans. He is the "new Liberace" in my book. Our only bad experience, not the fault of Celebrity, was disembarking. Due to heightened security and reduction in customs personnel, it was long. Also, we had parked at "Park 'N Go" and it took them over one hour and fifteen minutes to come and pick us up. We called three times, and others, I'm sure, also called. There was no excuse that was satisfactory. Yes, there was a lot of traffic, but not that much for it to take over an hour to come for us. Would I do this cruise again? In a heartbeat!

need 2 weeks to acclimate to the perfect care & experience. I was born to live this life The perfect venue sun & beaches. Crew always happy & helpful. Loved the big productions

We had a great time, were treated royally. Although, I think a 10 day cruise is about the best length, We were ready to come home, but the ship was beautiful. WE fell in love with our main waitor Louis from Panama, he was excellent. Our rooms were always clean and ready for us when we returned. Had a wonderful time.

The cruise and ports were Awesome. This was our 16th cruise and our second favorite. Our first is the Panama Canal. The only thing we did not like was that the Elite members got coupons for drinks. The times did not fit our schedule so we feel the ship saved money not having the normal Captains Club happy hour. Other than that this cruise was awesome. We enjoyed it very much. The Curtomer Relations department was wonderful and always so helpful. They cared about the passengers and did what they could to make sure the customers we well taken care of.

I had a wonderful cruise with 7 other friends. The entertainment was supper as was the food. I love my balcony for time out to relax, read, & view. No complaints! I look forward to my next cruise on Celebrety next year.