We chose this cruise as we wanted an eastern Caribbean and southern to islands we have yet to explore and found this 14 day cruise. Little did we know that there is nothing for entertainment on this ship for anyone under the age of 60!!! The music is ideal for big bands, waltz and such which were popular in the 40's and 50's! Then we upgraded to get the water package as my wife needs water for medical reasons. But we were only able to get 1 bottle at a time and it was nearly an act of God to get more than that at a time! Like water is more precious than gold!!! And on a cruise that costs this much to get a case of flipping $10 water? Then have to wait until bedtime every 2-3 days to get it at that! The excursions are decent though over priced. You can do better and save money on your own shore side. Then the food. It was good, not exceptional, but they are on a schedule and take the food down by 10 pm every night no matter what! Then by 1030, the flipping ship is a near ghost town!!! Our ship was loaded with walkers and scooters and everyone over 60 thought this was wonderful as it isn't a party ship like the others and they can relax, take their naps daily and play Scrabble and cards daily and be in bed by 9 to 10pm and not have any partiers keeping them awake! Horrible cruise that I thought would never end! I will never cruise on Celebrity ever again! This is a cruiseline for old people that want quiet and no kids!!! Their whole idea of fun on sea days was name that tune! From the 40's, 50's and 60's!!! (ARE YOU FLIPPING SERIOUS???) Read Less

This was my 9th ever cruise, my first on Celebrity. I had previously cruised Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, and Holland America. I was searching for a cruise line to stay loyal to, and I believe I found the winner. I booked this cruise only about two months ahead of embarkation day, without doing any research on the Eclipse. The reason I selected this cruise was because of the itinerary. I wanted a longer cruise, and I wanted to visit some ports that I'd never been to before. Because of the longer itinerary, we were able to visit some of the southern-most islands in the Caribbean. And in my mind, the best way to start a cruise is with a sea day (or two), and the best way to end a cruise is with a sea day (or two). This itinerary starts with two sea days, then four port days, then a well-deserved sea day to recover, then four more port days, then it ends with two glorious sea days to wind down. It was one of the most perfect itineraries I've experienced. Having not researched the Eclipse ahead of cruising, I was pleasantly surprised to find an elegantly decorated, clean, and well kept vessel. I really liked the non-smoking casino. What a breath of fresh air - literally! - to not have to smell the smoke when above, below, or next to the casino. At one point I had to walk right next to the casino and I held my breath for a while. When I had to breathe, I couldn't believe it - NO SMOKE! It was the first non-smoking casino I had ever seen. Nicely done, Celebrity. The smokers had to smoke somewhere, and I did encounter them when walking on the track daily, and on the pool deck area. I was disappointed that one of the smoking areas was right next to the walking track. I thought that was not well thought-out. My cabin was 1208 in the rear of the ship, Deck 10. It was the first time I had a room overlooking the ship's wake. I really enjoyed it. The only downfall of a room at the back is the occasional soot from the smoke-stack that falls on your balcony. Well, maybe another downfall is the LOOOONG walk from the elevators/stairwell to the room, but that didn't bother me too much. Otherwise, loved the view, loved the room. My room steward was fantastic, always had what I needed. I was in Concierge class, so I enjoyed the little extras, like a pillow menu, afternoon snack, and a special embarkation lunch in the main dining room. The number one thing that makes a good cruise for me is the food. And this cruise did not disappoint. The food in the main dining room was spectacular. Everything I ate was delicious and gourmet. The portions were perfect. Some would say maybe a little small, but I can eat A LOT and I was more than full after every meal. The amazing thing was, this is the first ever cruise that I don't go to bed with an over-full stomach and heartburn. By the time bed-time rolled around each night, I felt well-digested. Not hungry, but not full. I hate going to bed full and uncomfortable, and it never happened on this cruise. I ate in the Main Dining Room almost every night. I only ate at the buffet a few times for lunch and breakfast. I am not a fan of the buffets, typically, but the food here was good and the selection was varied. Loved the ice cream - real scoops as well as soft serve, on cones or in cups, with a selection of toppings! From the best of my memory this was available every day. The flavors rotated and there was great variety. The pizza was not impressive. The burgers at the grill were delicious. I did eat at the three main specialty restaurants: Qsine, Murano, and Tuscano (I think those are the names). Qsine was a fun dinner, but I think this would be best experienced with a group of 4 or more. The food was delicious and the presentations were fun and creative. There was just way too much food for two people to appreciate it all. Tuscano was just so-so, in my opinion. I did not eat pasta there, so I can't comment on that. I ordered a steak and was disappointed. The breads and salads were delicious, however. And Murano was amazing. Loved my experience here and the filet mignon was DIVINE. I did not attend any of the theater shows so I cannot comment. That's just not my thing. I didn't see a comedian or a magic show or anything like that. But I did experience the bands and small musical groups that would perform in the common areas throughout the ship and I was super-impressed. Very talented musicians and tasteful music. I spent quite a bit of time in the spa, mostly because after my first massage with Karen from Zimbabwe, I couldn't stop coming back for more. She was amazing. I received three hot-stone massages from Karen on this cruise and can't recommend her enough. I can't comment on anyone else's experience, but Karen never once tried to upsell me on anything or tried to sell me a product. Just gave me the world's best hot-stone massage and only talked when I engaged her in conversation. But I enjoyed her so much that we visited quite a bit. But when I went quite, she did, too. It was perfect. The service by all staff members was exceptional. Didn't have a bad customer-service experience at all. Room stewards I passed in the hall would always greet me with a smile and some nice words. I booked shore excursions through Celebrity at almost every stop. I felt the price for these excursions, in most cases, was fair and not too far off of what you would pay if booking independently. In St. Maarten I took an excursion to St. Barts. The ferry ride was VERY bumpy and not for people who experience motion-sickness. If that's you, take Dramamine ahead of time and follow the instructions of the crew members to help avoid getting sick. St. Barts was a lovely island. Warning, beaches are topless (optional), and some even fully nude-optional. I booked a driving island tour in Antigua. Enjoyed it, but can't think of anything exceptional about it. I went to a "Beach Club" beach day at Carlisle Bay. Received a mediocre lunch, a free drink, and a beach chair with an umbrella. Lots of vendors walking by trying to get you to buy jet-ski time and dresses, etc. But I just loved hanging out in the water here. NOT a snorkeling spot. Booked a driving tour in St. Lucia. LOVED the island of St. Lucia. Lush and gorgeous. But the drive to the Pitons was kind of long and on very winding roads. I think next time I would choose to visit the Pitons via a catamaran excursion. But I can't really complain about my tour. I enjoyed it. It was sad for me to see many stray dogs on St. Lucia. I'm such a dog-lover, it pains me to see sad, hungry, mangey, limping dogs. Booked a land and sea excursion in Bonaire. Driving part was interesting, but loved the time on the sailboat. We put of the sails and turned of the motor and did some true sailing. The snorkeling in Bonaire was fantastic. In Curacao I booked excursions independent of the cruise line because what I wanted to do was either not available or sold out. The first things we did was an ATV tour. It was a long, dusty, dirty day, but it was memorable and a ton of fun. The second day I chose a shorter tour: Jet-skiing and snorkeling. The snorkeling on this tour was fantastic. They took us to a shipwreck and there were tons of fish. Lots of fun. Jet-skiing on the ocean was bumpy and rough, but FUN. And finally, in Aruba, I booked a helmet dive thing on a private resort/waterpark island. Had a great time. So if you made it this far, I hope I have been able to adequately describe my cruise experience. I loved almost everything about it. Celebrity felt like a higher class of cruising and I enjoyed it so much. I even booked my next cruise while on board - a first for me! This cruise is highly recommended. Do it!! Read Less

This was a wonderful cruise with an excellent crew who seemed to often go above and beyond. The restaurants were very good and different enough that everyone was able to experience a variety of dining options if they chose to do so. We enjoyed the shore excursions. They were well planned and it was easy to get off the ship at each port of call without any delays. We also enjoyed the entertainment. With the exception of one or 2 shows, the rest were well done. We also participated in several wine activities and especially enjoyed the workshop on custom blending our own wine. We liked the Smart Chic option versus the more formal nights. We felt that it was most appropriate for this cruise in a warm weather, casual environment. Our cabin was very comfortable and large enough. Our cabin steward did a great job of keeping us comfortable. Read Less

Our previous cruise experience is with Princess (Sapphire P and Island P) and Costa (C Concordia and C Luminosa). The last Princess cruise, passing the Panama Canal, was less than a year ago and it´s tempting to compare our impressions of Celebrity and Princess. (Costa is a bit different – not bad, especially if you like Italian food, but different.) It´s obvious that Celebrity and Princess are playing in the same league of price and quality. In fact, we think that the choice between the two can be based on itinerary: Both are generally good enough. A short comparison, though: A bit better on Princess: Food and service in main dining room. Professional attention to my need of gluten free food with offers of specially prepared pasta etc. Several GF choices in buffet and the International Café. Variety and quality in entertainment and enrichment programs. Generally more roomy public spaces. A useable Promenade Deck (full walk-around on Sapphire P; reduced on Island P, hidden behind lifeboats on C Eclipse). A bit better on Celebrity: Service and friendly atmosphere. Cleanliness and disease protection. Shover and amenities in stateroom. Buffet (Oceanview) better organized and mostly less crowded. Free room service which can deliver a full breakfast with egg and bacon. Fast debarkation process and luggage handling. Equal on both or very close: Smooth and fast embarkation. Comfortable stateroom and beds. Security and passenger information systems. Constant overselling of drink packages and special dining. Good but expensive shore excursions. All things considered we had a very nice cruise on the Eclipse with excellent weather conditions and seven interesting islands to see in two weeks. Our lasting impression is the hard working and ever friendly crew, with our stateroom attendant Irwan beeing outstanding. We were also impressed by the hygiene standard: Employees were actively serving hand sanitizers everytime we entered dining room or buffet. The public restrooms on the ship were constantly manned and cleaned which made them a realistic choice. Cloths towels in all public washrooms. The high service level might have been inspired by the Captain´s (Leo) good example: He was more present all over the ship than any skipper we have seen so far, he even said goodbye personally at the gangway when we ended our cruise. Furthermore he showed good wit and entertaining talents, both in his daily announcements and on stage in ”The Liar´s Club”. Energetic and humorous Cruise Director Eddy was also frequently seen and heard on the ship. Otherwise we found the entertainment and the enrichment lectures being so and so. A few shows – including the final ”Euphoria” – were great with very skilled dancers and acrobats. The music was generally very loud and singers a bit less attractive with high pitch and high volume. We could recognize very few of the songs performed, maybe due to a tight royalty budget. We were however a bit surprised that the music on board, both on the stage and in the lounges, almost never had any connection with the itinerary. No calypso and no West Indies tunes, not even at the sailaway. The same observation goes for the food: Local specialities were rarely offered. The main dining room generally offered good food and service. We encountered however a few misses: A French onion soup with hardly any traces of onion, some undercooked fish and a totally failed panacotta (also in the buffet). The noise level in this big MDR with two floors and hundreds of eating and chatting people was a bit disturbing. Furthermore the reclained chairs there were almost unusable for anyone with back problems, so we had about half of our dinners in the buffet. Speaking of furniture, we noticed a prefence for huge armchairs and sofas in the lounges. Most of them were frankly to big to sit comfortably in for average sized people. These unnecessarily bulky pieces took a lot of space in popular areas, e.g. by the dance floor in the atrium outside the MDR, and made it almost impossible to find empty seating other than in the more obscure corners. Read Less

I had been on this ship 3 times previously and so i knew that I liked it. The food , entertainment, crew and weather were all super. We met the nicest people at our Elite Lounge each evening. The itinerary was also great. The Cruise Director , Eddy Jenkins did a super job and Captain Leo was very visible.It was remarkable how they turned the ship on a dime to get into or out of some ports. My room attendant, Muhe, was so obliging to any requests that I had and cleaned my cabin each day while I was at breakfast and dinner which was so nice. The Select Dining Hostess, Ivana, took us so promptly each night and placed us at very nice tables of 6.We met so many others this way and saw them regularly at the Buffet or around the ship. I have never had such great service in the Elite Lounge by the Bar Staff at the Bar. Drinks were ready each evening when we arrived!. Read Less

It was just over 5 years ago that we first sailed on the Celebrity Eclipse. The ship has not changed and we found that the ship is neat & clean and that the staff are very friendly. The only complaint we had was that the escargot was not served hot and it was just lukewarm. One night my wife sent it back 3 times but they still couldn't get it served hot. But in the grand scheme of things if this is the only complaint we had in our 14 days then it must have been a great cruise, and it was. Our fellow cruises were typical of a Celebrity Cruise, it was a 50+ age group and very few kids or teenagers. If you are looking for a cruise tha provides non-stop entertainement then this is not the cruise line for you. The evening shows were typical cruise ship shows but the exceptions would have been Jane Curry, Amy Lee, & December63 who put on great shows. Celebrities Future Cruises is a good deal due due to the reduced deposit you pay and the added OBC if you book while you are onboard. All in all it was a great cruise and we fell we received very good value. Read Less

This was our 5th cruise, the 3rd with Celebrity. We really love the Solstice Class ships! Our cabin was very clean and tidy. There was plenty of space to leave our clothes. The cruise itinerary was perfect: very nice islands indeed! We especially enjoyed the overnight stay in Curacao! Just a quick suggestion: We always left ports quite early, even if the next port was just some 70 seamiles away. This could have been made smoothly even if we had left the previous port at 11 pm. We would have had more time to enjoy the evening at the islands... Dining in Moonlight Sonata was very nice. The card changed daily, but there were some all-time favourites. We did not feel the necessity to go for specialty dining. We enjoyed anytime-dining with shared tables. That way, we met a lot of people from many different parts of the world. Service was great. We especially enjoyed our pre-dinner cocktail at the Sunset Bar. A great team! Every sea day you could chose between action and a quite place to sit down and relax. We never had the feeling of being on a ship together with nearly 3000 passengers. We highly recommend this cruise. What a pity that Celebrity is not offering the 14 day cruises any more! Read Less

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We have sailed on Celebrity ships numerous times and have nothing but good things to say about them. This was the first experience with the Eclipse and what a pleasure it was. First let me start with the crew and this is a case where "lead by example" paid off. The captain was not only approachable, but polite, funny and hospitable. The rest of the crew followed suit. We not only opted for three specialty dining choices, but also a special dining with the officers seated at each of the tables. This allowed for great dialog on a small intimate setting. The food was great in the main dining room and even greater in the specialty restaurants. We did a wine tasting and I found a wine that I really liked that was not on the wine lists. It was communicated to the Sommeliers wherever I ate. It was the nicest touch. The ship was very clean and well maintained. Saw one instance where a door to the theater would not stay open and within minutes the problem was addressed and fixed. The entertainment was really good with only one performance being less than acceptable. As for excursions we opted to do only one through the ship with the rest being arranged through the locals. Read Less

First, Based upon vacations to go ratings, this is listed as a 5.5 star ship. Three months earlier I sailed on the Carnival Elation which is a 3.5 star ship. My review has the perspective of what should be significantly different ships and experiences. What Celebrity did better: Entertainment in the theater was excellent. The shows performed by the onboard cast as well as the quality of the entertainers far exceeded anything on the Carnival cruise. With one exception of the juggler/uni-cyclist, all shows were phenomenal. Under no circumstance should you miss the Liars Club with Captain Leo. Skip anything else but not this. The Hot Glass Show was second only to the Theater. I cannot believe they are discontinuing this as attendance was always great. The artist were very talented and knowledgeable. I learned a great appreciation of blown glass and am thrilled to have a new vase in our house. Music around the ship was very good though geared to a 60+ aged crowd. Somehow even 80s night ended with Beatles and other 60s music. I appreciated the quality of the talent and knew I was getting on a cruise where I would be significantly younger than average. We did not participate with other entertainment venues for trivia, pool games, etc. There seemed to be something for everybody. The service throughout the ship was excellent. Room stewards, bartenders, waiters, dining staff, etc. What more can you say? The only complaint was bar service in the main dining room but that equated to one person out of hundreds. The cabin was spacious with good storage. A few minor complaints. First, the bed was very firm. Somewhere our room steward found some extra padding which corrected the preference and we were very comfortable after that. Another complaint was the length of the bed. They have beds that are rounded on the end which helps mobility in the room but is too short for a taller person. I am 6'-4" and found the bed to be the length of a twin instead of the queen advertised. I have heard similar complaints from others on the ship. We were in the Sunset veranda rooms at the back of the ship and I think the height of the rooms were altered to allow additional height in the restaurants below. After stepping up in the bathroom, my hair would brush the ceiling in the shower. I do not think all rooms have this issue. Food: I am not sure what I expected but I did not quite get what I was wanting. Dining was always good and usually excellent. However I did feel there was a decent bit of room to improve. Some meals were unimpressive. Beef dishes especially lacked anything special with the exception of the filet and the prime rib which were excellent. One visit to Qsine was beyond compare. There is no doubt the talent on the ship is there to cook the very best. I highly recommend this experience with a group so you can taste many of the incredible dishes they provide. The Oceanview cafe was nothing special and seemed to serve the safe selections every day, lunch and dinner. There was a specialty every day but so much was the same that it got old by the end of the cruise. The mast bar had a good burger but here is one place I will sing the praise of Carnival. There is no comparison to the Carnival burger. We had room service most mornings for coffee and sometimes breakfast. It was average at best. Not sure the purpose of a plain omelette other than being a flat cooked egg. The cheese and fillings is what gives them character but was not an option. Coffee was fairly strong but good. Took a little extra cream to ease the bite. I was surprised how similar the schedule, events, and promotions were between the Carnival and Celebrity. Every day is was selling everything everywhere. Jewelry, bingo, drinks, gambling, etc. was over 50% of the daily activities. I guess this earns the cruise extra money and does appeal to enough to be worthwhile. I was hoping on this much nicer cruise this would not be so prevalent. Overall, it was a great experience and an awesome vacation. Read Less