we took this cruise because the itinerary appealed to us. We were not disappointed. The cruise met or exceeded(Shetland Islands) our expectations. Our only regret: not enough time allowed for Dublin prior to cruise. Stayed two nights at the North Star hotel before boarding the ship. But, we took two Paddywagon tours to the Cliffs of Moher(13 hours) and County Wicklow/Kilkenny(9 hrs). Wanted to see as much of Ireland in three days prior to the cruise as we could. We did but left only a day for Dublin. Not nearly enough in our opinion. This was our second cruise on the Eclipse. Still like the food, at all venues. Dined twice at The Tuscan and once at Murano. The service at Murano is a sight to behold. Imptressive teamwork. The Maitre d cooked my wife's lobster tail at the table. As for entertainment, we enjoyed the singers and dancers the most. Skipped three nights of entertainment, including two nights of comedians. Enjoyed all the ports. took tours in all of them. Took ship shore excursions in Dublin to Malahide castle/Howth and the Panoramic North Shetlands/Eshaness cliffs. Both were excellent. Would go back to Howth and the Abbey Tavern. Otherwise we took independent tours in Reykjavik, Akureyri, and Cobh/Cork. Not a problem with any of them. Elding Whale Watching tours promised us we would see whales in the fjord and we did. Humpbacks only. No Minkes. Thankfully, Celebrity docked the Eclipse in Cobh at the Titantic pier, not the industrial area. That was a bonus. Try e coach tours in Cork to go to Blarney castle. Our driver Kevin was top notch. Would we return? to Ireland for sure. Much more to see. To Iceland: no. Loved it and happy we crossed the Arctic Circle even if it was all water. Lerwick and the Shetands were picturesque. A real surprise, wish we could have had a little extra time in Lerwick Read Less

We wanted to go to Iceland without incurring the high price of lodging and eating on the island. In Dublin the check-in terminal is not at the ship. After check-in they bus you to the ship. We walked from the last Luas (tram) point. Probably should have taken a taxi. Since the ship spent the first night in Dublin we were able to walk from the ship to the tram (Luas). It took 15 minutes. We are fans of inside cabins. They are always dark at night and cheap. We only spend time in our cabin to sleep and shower. We tried to get early dining but were told it was full. We were given anytime dining (I think they call it Select) on deck 4. That turned out to be better. We typically showed up around 6:30 asking for a shared table. We were always seated immediately. If you can, ask for a table of 6 versus 8. It was hard to talk to the people across the big tables. Get Rick Steve's books for all your destination and follow his tips. Avoid ship excursions. Try to find excursions on Roll Call. We joined one to do the Golden Circle in Reykjavik. We rented a car in Akureyri and toured Lake Myvatn on our own (use Rick Steve). You can do that in Reykjavik too. We did a Free Tour in Reykjavik. There was a great walking path from the ship to downtown Reykjavik. Lerwick can be done with a self walk. We did meet a couple that rented a car and saw a lot more. Cobh was easy to do with a self walk. We did take a ship excursion to the Blarney Castle. Nice botanical place to visit but if you had plans to kiss the stone be prepared for a long line. Getting in to see the castle is only available by standing in the same long kissing line. Disembarkation was easy for us. We walked off with our luggage at 6:15 AM. This was 15 minutes before the published time. They had created a rope line for ones needing a taxi. At 6:15 there were no taxis to take. The security guy said just to wait. Sure enough at 6:30 taxis started showing. I yelled back in the line of people that had now formed to say I was going to the airport and wanted to know if anyone was interested in sharing a cab. We had a taker and for 20 euros a piece we got a ride. The meter was 35 euros. There were parked taxis further down the dock that had been reserved. I would discourage that. I heard two stories of reserved taxis either showing up late or not at all. In the second case the couple missed their flight. Just be one of the first off the boat and you won't have a problem. Unless you get WiFi included in your package I wouldn't buy it on the ship. You can usually get WiFi on shore at a cafe or municipal building e.g. library, community center, etc. The ship had great entertainment all 10 nights in the main theater. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Read Less

I have travelled previously with Celebrity and other cruise lines, This was my 13th cruise. and find Celebrity the best at this price point. Last year my friend and I travelled to South America on another cruise line ( Celebrity were not doing that route when we were able to travel) This year, we decided we wanted to see the north and liked the itinerery. We were in concierge class and our 'butler' Hector was very attentive. Ship's cleanliness always impresses me as does the staff in all locations. I am finding the entertainment is improving over the years, however, i also find the nightly selections in the dining room are shrinking. This may be due to the fact it was a shorter itinerary. I was disappointed at the wine selection included in the classic beverage package. On previous cruises there was a better and higher level of wine offered. Guess they are trying to encourage us cruisers to move up to premium. We met some wonderful people on the Eclipse. The tour guide on The Golden Circle tour together with the driver were excellent. They were very knowledgeable and answered any and all questions in a friendly, professional manner. Would I travel again with Celebrity....absolutely! Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the Iceland experience. Wanted a taste of it before jumping in for the whole meal. We had been to Ireland before, and weren't really that excited about going back. We aren't PUB people, nor big beer drinkers. The shopping isn't all that great, and the site seeing, well, not that exciting either. Nonetheless, we got to Dublin early Saturday morning before our Monday embarkation. On Saturday we walked around the area of our hotel, near the Spire. We did the HOHO on Sunday, and on Monday went to the (free admission) Botanical gardens which were lovely. That used up enough of Monday so that we didn't arrive at the port until the 3pm to 4pm timeframe and therefore walked right on to the ship. So, embarkation was a dream! Our cabin was ready (deck 6 veranda), the room steward visited with us immediately (Muhe was fabulous!) and recorded our desires (extra hangers, ice bucket filled at night, etc). We didn't go back into town at all before our Tuesday departure from Dublin. The seas were a bit rough between Ireland and Iceland, but not the worst we have ever had. The ship did well with the rolling surf. First day at sea was leisurely with a spa appointment and relaxation in the Persian Garden which I had bought admission to for the entire cruise. This ended up to be a bit problematic on our second sea day when it was at capacity and therefore a few of us were denied admission. This was a negative on the spa staff. Our Iceland experience was unusual because we had 2 half days in Reykjavik (arrived at 1pm the first day, and departed at 3pm the second day). Our first day we booked the Golden Circle with Viator (less expensive than the ship's tour) and it was spectacular. We met our tour guide at 2:30pm and returned to the ship at 11pm. We got a feel for the topography and enjoyed every minute of the tour with Darrin. The second day we had a ship's tour for the Blue Lagoon which is not to be missed. I was very skeptical because of the cold air and warm water, but the entire experience was delightful. Down to the facial mask and the smoothie that were included in the admission. Don't be leery of the experience, there is nothing like it in the world. Just do it. At any cost. We left there and sailed north to Akureyri and hired a private driver for this part of the island. The driver did not speak English which was a bit problematic, but we saw a good deal of the country. A day at sea was followed by the Shetland Islands, for which we got a ship's tour of the northern part. Interesting, pretty. Don't need to go back. Another day at sea, followed by docking in Cobh and taking the very convenient train to Cork. Nice city. We had spectacular weather everywhere we went. It rained for one hour on us in Dublin. Other than that, the sun was out for us whenever we were in port. The ship experienced foggy conditions on the north sea which was cozy feeling, actually. Entertainment provided by the ships staff (dancers, singers) was first rate! I loved the addition of the up close and personal performances, where they were in the foyer and on deck 14. Just John and Paul were squeal-worthy. The local performers were just so so in my opinion. The dining room staff was okay, we moved tables to get a bigger table and more personable waiter and that was worth the move. Qsine was okay, we went the first night at 1/2 price, the waitress dribbled grease down the sleeve of my top which I didn't notice until the second time I tried to wear it. Ruined it. I had the internet package for the whole cruise and the connection was good most of the time. Our drink package was a nice addition. My spa appointments (I had 5) were all fabulous. There is just nothing like a cruise! Read Less

After an aborted attempt to get into Reykjavik on Azura last year, I finally made it. This was my main reason for booking this cruise. Celebrity is still Celebrity. First time on Eclipse and all so similar to Solstice. Embarkation at Dublin went quite smoothly, given that it was in a large, very hot tent. I took a taxi to the port from my hotel. Easy. I found the food OK in the dining room. I seldom go near the buffet and one of the best parts of finally being elite was the Murano breakfast. I joined a family I met at the cruise critic cocktail party [big thank you to Karen for that one] for an Indian meal at Qsine. What a disaster! Turned up at 7 to be told that their booking was at 8.30. Couldn't find my friends and when I went back at 8, after attempting to contact Qsine via guest relations as 'they don't answer the phone during service', there they were. Fortunately the maitre d comped my meal but I would have to say that food was a huge disappointment. Doughy naan bread and samosas. I have had very good Indian food in the buffet on Solstice but this was not worth the effort. I seldom go to any of the shows, having discovered ages ago that they are not my cup of tea so I really cannot comment. I did notice that the atrium is being used for some rather loud activities so I'd suggest booking a cabin well away from that. Private excursions except for Lerwick. The much vaunted 'Golden Circle tour' was a bit of a letdown. If you have seen the geothermal activity in NZ at Rotorua or the Niagara or Iguassu Falls you will be very disappointed, and it is a long day. The walk through the rift between the tectonic plates was fascinating. The tour out to Mytavn from Akureyri was similar but a great view of the tectonic plates. We were lucky to have a windy day as they have a severe midge problem. They even sell hats with nets like they do in outback Australia. Lerwick was a ship tour and the only place we tendered. Well organised and I went to Jarlshof. It was freezing and the comfort stop at the Sumburgh hotel actually had a man on bathroom traffic control, letting 3 ladies in at a time. Thank goodness it was not raining. Very interesting archaeological ruins. Time for a quick visit to the fudge shop before tendering back to the ship. Several people hired cars to tour in all ports and that seemed to be very successful. We docked next to the train station in Cobh so getting to Cork was easy. There had been a lot of discussion about this as at one stage it looked like we would dock in Ringaskiddy, industrial area across the bay. I took the ship transfer to the airport rather than try for a taxi. Big mistake as I got to spend 3 exciting hours at Dublin airport before I could check in. I was very excited to finally reach "elite" status on Celebrity but I am now reconsidering the value. A free bag of laundry, washed and folded, 3 cocktails each evening and a discount on internet , may not be enough to retain my loyalty. Azura last year had a much cheaper single supplement, a super free laundry and tea and coffee making facilities [with biscuits] in the cabin, just great when you are waking up at 2am with jetlag. I'll be seriously shopping around for my next cruise. Read Less

The itinerary is why we chose this cruise to see Iceland and spend time in Dublin. We flew into Dublin 4 days early so we had plenty of time exploring the city, took tour to Northern Ireland to see Giant Causeway (wonderful) and enjoyed the restaurants and pubs including Guinness tour. The Eclipse is a Solitice size ship with lots to do. We were disappointed they changed the Hot Glass from a show by Corning Glass experts to just classes for passengers (no expert shows). We have sailed 5 times on the 3 Celebrity ships with the Glass show and spent lots of time watching the glass blowing experts. Now this format of glass show is very boring. Our cabin was nice but not much storage space. The bathroom is a nice size. We were first seated a table for 2 when we requested 6 or 8. We were able to change to a table with 8 which was wonderful! Our waiters were wonderful and the food was great every meal. We did eat in the Oceanview Cafe where the food was good but it is crowded so finding a table was difficult at times. We enjoyed the production shows most of the other entertainers. The nightly game shows were a bit lame like the Liars Club. Our last cruise was on the Princess Emerald where the game shows had us laughing from start to finish. The Eclipse staff needs to see how other ships do it. The ports on this itinerary were great except for Lerwick. Iceland we booked online before arriving and the tours were wonderful. We were lucky to have blue sky for our 2 days in Reykjavik and a dry day in Akureyri. Lerwick was disapointing because we decided walk around and explore. Very few shops and just 1 restaurant and no pubs were open. In Cobh, we totally enjoyed walking around seeing their beautiful church and musuem, shopping and visiting the pubs. The only tour we booked on the ship was the behind the scenes which was terrific seeing all storage rooms, food preparation like meat rooms, food and drink storage areas, crew bar and dining and of course Engine control room and Bridge. We have been wanting to do this tour for years since Celebrity lowered tour to a reasonable price $99 we finally did it. Totally loved it! Read Less

I enjoy cruising Celebrity for many reasons. They have an excellent buffet and a spa cafe with healthy selections. I have dairy allergy and entire dining staff was helpful in determining what I could eat and chefs would make adjustments for me. I did notice some changes from my previous cruises such as the breadsticks in the spa cafe are no longer organic and maybe a slight dip in diningroom food quality. I understand some cuts are made to keep cruising affordable, I would much rather pay a little more to keep things on the higher end which Celebrity Is known for. The bars are top notch. The staff is so hard working and they all bend over backwards to make your cruise perfect. We had an excellent itinerary and two overnights which gives you a chance to spend extra time in a port. I did notice that there were a lot of paid activities on sea days instead of free activities and I think Celebrity needs to take a long look at that. Even with some slight slips, I’m still rating 5 star at this time. Read Less

Liked the itinerary. Food was just ok. I lost 8 lbs on the cruise so maybe a ship with just fair food is good. Most of we Americans need to lose weight anyhow. However, in 2014 we were on the Oceania Marina and it was the best cruise food I ever had since Sitmar's the Fairwind. I do not believe in spending more money than your cruise fare so I skip the luxury restaurants on a ship except when they are included with the booking, e.g. Oceania. The Eclipse is a beautiful ship and the largest I have been on and I prefer smaller than 3000 passengers. The Ocean Cafe on deck 14 often looked like"Vulture City" but the breakfasts were better than the MDR. Cruisecritic had a couple get togethers and they had a nice presence on the ship. We are all lucky to have Cruisecritic as a partner to our sailings. We had a nice cabin forward (family cabin). Other than the carpet could use a shampooing, it was very nice. Celebrity asked us pre cruise (booking) if we were celebrating a special occasion, which we were and anniversary and then did nothing for it. That was probably ok, though because I didn't need an extra cake. Their desserts for the most part we good and the waiter we had, Walter, was terrific. Always had a smile to greet us. All in all, our cruise was a good value and I am glad to be down to 152 lbs. Read Less

We have always wanted to see the Norwegian Fjords and they exceeded our expectations- absolutely breathtakingly beautiful! The weather was magnificent everyday, couldn’t have asked for more beautiful conditions! 4 of us traveling together, me and my partner, my mom and her best friend. We flew to Dublin 3 days early to enjoy the city. We had been before and loved it. It never disappoints. Embarkation and Disembarkation: There were some concerns before the trip as earlier cruises had some issues with Dublin port since they are new to having a ship begin and end there but by time we took our cruise, everything seemed to be ironed out and both were very easy and quick. Ship: We loved the ship. We have been on Reflection before so we were familiar with the majority of the ship. Sure hope Celebrity does away with the cheesy glass blowing thing and replace it with a lawn grill. Ship was very clean and always a lot of officers walking around inspecting things. Cabin: we were in an S2 Sky Suite...aft /wake view/ on deck 12. Loved the room, very spacious, lots of storage. Hated deck 12. Too much noise from the Oceanview Cafe above. Deck chairs dragging off and on all day long. My mom was also on deck 12 but over on starboard side and she heard rolling carts from the Oceanview Cafe all hours of the day and night. We will never book deck 12 again. Dining: ugh...so disappointing. We were excited about eating in Luminae but we didnt care for a lot of the menu options and the things we chose were just blah. Nothing was bad, just boring. Got steak one night and it had a strange texture. Sweet potatoes, squash and asparagus was in everything every night it seemed. We ordered from the main dining room menu a couple times in Luminae as we didnt care for our options in Luminae. We ate at Tuscan Grill one night....the Minestrone soup was good but my lasagne was terrible. It was just basically hamburger between a couple slices of lasagne noodles. Not several layers. Missing ricotta cheese, barely any tomato sauce, spices...clearly no Italian was in the kitchen. No wonder the restaurant was only half full....just dont think it was worth $180 for the 4 of us...We did Qsine..and most of it was good, but for being Tapas style...still think portions are too large to really enjoy very many courses... Our only really good meal was Sushi on 5 for lunch our last full day on the ship. It was excellent. Tasted very authentic and what you would expect. Entertainment: Can’t comment too much here, we dont really do the shows, few interest us. Don’t do trivia etc....There seemed to be a lot going on every day based on the daily newsletter thing that showed all the things to do. Service: Excellent. Everyone was fantastic from our butler and suite attendant. To our waiter at Luminae, concierge in MIchaels Club.... We felt like everyone was very genuine in trying to please us. In fact, our butler was better than most of the butlers we have had on Silversea. Only negative was that it took forever to get our drinks at Martini Bar once ordered. Shore Excursions: we only did 2 shore excursions through Celebrity. Both were very good and well organized. This itinerary is FANTASTIC!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT! Read Less

We wanted to see Ireland and Norway and thought the cruise was a fabulous way to do both as it departed from Dublin! The ship is beautiful and the crew were very pleasant and provided quick service! We were treated so well! Ray and his team were excellent servers at the main restaurant. They were fun, fast, efficient and met all our needs. Great job! Pleasure! The food choices in the buffet restaurant were excellent and varied every day....always something new and delicious at every meal. Our steward Jafar was excellent at his job! Always friendly, helpful and kept our room so clean! The entertainers were very talented, but the themes/comedian were not as enjoyable as those on other cruises taken. The singers/musicians throughout the ship were fabulous!! The shore excursions looked good, but were quickly filled & seemed costly and we did our own thing instead. Suggestions: 1) Make anytime dining more accessible. We had anytime dining and were told we still had to make reservations, which really defeats the purpose as we would have liked a bit more flexibility to see the entertainment or get involved in activities on or off the ship. 2) Move the soft ice cream machine away from the other ice cream choices in the buffet restaurant... usually a line up that could be eliminated with a small change Overall, would highly recommend this trip & ship Read Less