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Having previously cruised with P and O which we have loved, we were reluctant to change to another cruise line, but we were going away for a February birthday treat and the Itinerary of the Exotic Caribbean offered us some ports that we hadn't visited previously and so we decided to give Celebrity a try.
Pre cruise our only gripes were to do with the flights and hotel packages and we found Celebrity very unaccommodating when we wanted to have 1 night in Miami and 1 in fort Lauderdale, (even though we had asked at time of booking if we could do this and were told yes) so we had to agree with them and stay 2 nights in FL. The flights were through BA and again anything to do with the flights was a hassle. We will arrange our own next time.
The Eclipse is a stunning ship.
The transfers to the ship were good and check in was very smooth, we were on deck drinking bubbles by 12.30.
The cabins were both spotlessly clean on arrival and all areas of the ship were constantly being cleaned. Our Steward was always attentive.
The use of hand gel before boarding and going into the restaurants is good.
The Moonlight sonata Restaurant is fabulous, we had Select dining which was mostly good, but the were a few nights when we couldn't get our requested table, and the first formal night seemed to send the hostess into a complete frenzy and there were long ques and unhappy cruisers!! We ate port side every night and the waiters (Gede and Jonathan) were amazing. The food was excellent every night with plenty of choice.
The self service Restaurant was always busy but we managed to get tables, and there was plenty of choice and the food was good. The only down side is the music which is quite loud.
We dined a Qsine which was an experience and the food was good.
The bars are all good, but Molecular is something else, the cocktails there are fantastic and well worth the money.
Drinks are very expensive, especially when the 15% service charge is added, and then you have the option of spending more by adding a tip, we prepaid gratuities so weren't expecting to be asked this every time we got a drink.
We never had a problem getting a sun bed, but there is the usual problem of towels sitting on empty beds!!
Wifi was expensive and a bit difficult to connect at times.
Another observation is that on Formal nights there were often people dressed in casual clothing and some even in shorts and t shirts, we feel Celebrity should maintain the formal evenings and stop people dining in such casual attire.
We didn't do any organised tours as we prefer to do our own. At every port on returning to the ship we were offered a drink and a towel to freshen up, this is a nice touch.
The Captain sounded his horn when leaving most ports (we had heard that Celebrity don't do that) so we were pleased as this to us is all part of cruising!!
The disembarkation process was horrid, we queued to get through customs for 11/2 hours at least, it was chaotic to say the least.
All in all, a fantastic cruise, a fabulous ship, very polite staff, we loved all of it and have already booked our next cruise with Celebrity!! Can't wait!!!
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