This was our second cruise with Celebrity, and it certainly won’t be our last… In fact it was our second cruise on the Eclipse; we’d been around the Baltics and to St Petersburg (another superb itinerary) when she was newer and shone a little bit more, but the slightly older lady definitely hasn’t lost her sparkle! This was one amazing itinerary- sailing out of Vancouver (spectacular in itself), on to Icy Strait Point, a trip to Hubbard Glacier, back to Juneau, Ketchikan and back down the Inside Passage towards home. The sights in the right weather, which we were lucky enough to have all week, are unsurpassed: snow-topped mountains, small islands dotted with pines, early morning mists, clear blue skies, humpbacks, orcas, porpoises, sea otters, sea lions, seals, bald headed eagles, bears, and a glacier which grew before our eyes in a glassy sea dotted with curiously shaped ice blocks, some the size of a iceberg… Celebrity looked after us, and very well we felt: our balcony stateroom was cleaned twice a day by Imade, the best cabin steward we’ve ever had in our six cruises to date. Yes, it’s knocked about a little bit since the last time we were on board, but we’re all a bit weathered with age… Food was exceptionally good in the Moonlight Sonata Dining Room where service was prompt and good humoured, thanks to Julius Caesar (minus his helmet), Santos and wine waiter, Rakman. We enjoyed the variety and quality of the buffet but found it difficult to get a table at times, one of the disadvantages of doing a cruise where many would otherwise stay outside on their sunbeds from dawn til dusk. On this cruise, we took to having lunch back in the main dining room, where we enjoyed all sorts of treats such as duck and steaks. Service in the bars was good although we felt that there should have been more staff on occasions. The main shows in the theatre were a little odd for our tastes at times- some strange song choices, and some weird concepts, one of which involved a top hat (!) but the singers and dancers were all well drilled and worked hard around the ship with their ad hoc shows to keep us entertained. Well sone to Simon, our Cruise Director. We particularly liked Savannah Smith, and knew that if ever the ship’s fog-horn lost its bellow, Savannah would step right in. What a pair of lungs! We enjoyed her so much, we ate lunch early one day just to attend her extra matinee show. With only three ports in the week we chose to book independent excursions at Icy Strait Point (whale watching) and Juneau (a city tour, a trip to the Mendenhall Glacier and another whale watch) which were cheaper than those on offer with the cruise company. We were also on smaller boats for the whale watching, an obvious plus. We chose the Lighthouse, Totems and Eagles tour in Ketchikan and were glad we did. The added advantage of this particular itinerary was the fact that so much was seen from the ship itself- the scenery, the glacier and the wildlife were all completely unforgettable. This was the first cruise we’ve done which included a drinks package- and what a difference that made! And despite various crew members’ efforts to get us to upgrade from the Classic to the Premium, we felt our needs were more than catered for with the basic one on offer. Bottled water, coffees, hot chocolates, endless cocktails and glasses of wines from around the world kept us more than satisfied. In fact we’ve told ourselves that we’d have to think twice before booking another cruise without that particular offer… We were lucky enough to be invited onto the helipad for the Vancouver sailaway where we were treated to exceptional views of the disappearing city while drinking complimentary champagne. We also found ourselves invited to a lunchtime drinks and canapes party up in the Sky Observation lounge, our favourite bar- a generous gesture we felt. And we couldn’t believe our luck when we were sent a special invitation to dine with the Hotel and the Public Relations Directors in the Tuscan Grille one evening… all these little touches made it a holiday to remember. We’re particularly pleased that we’ve already got our next Celebrity cruise booked- to the far East at Christmas on the Millenium. We’re already considering the next, to Venice, and the next, to South America… Thanks to all the thoroughly nice people we met on board, crew and fellow travellers, who made our first trip to Alaska a trip of a lifetime! Read Less

We cruised on the Eclipse to Alaska out of Vancouver, embarkation July 21, 2019. The Eclipse is very well maintained, with ongoing maintenance, both interior and exterior; exterior painting while in ports. The Eclipse is very easy to navigate and even with a full passenger sailing, you never felt crowded. Both embarkation and debarkation in Vancouver was smooth and very well organized. On embarkation day, we enjoyed the Concierge Lunch in the MDR. It was nice to have a relaxing lunch as there was a lot of activity in the Oceanview Café. Likewise, on debarkation day, we enjoyed the Concierge class breakfast, also in the MDR and then waited for our luggage tag numbers to be called for debarkation. There was a continental breakfast table with coffee, tea, juices, ice water and croissants. It was a nice way to end our cruise. We are residents of Vancouver and while we are very proud of our city, I will defer to our visitors to our beautiful city, to comment on their experiences. We opted for a Concierge Class stateroom, Deck 10, Cabin 1162. The location was close to the glass elevators and stairways. Our stateroom attendant, Cosmas, was outstanding. He was very pleasant, friendly and very accommodating. Our stateroom was cleaned on a very timely basis each day, as was nightly turndown service. Our Concierge attendant, Dana, assisted us with certain requests and it was so convenient to not have to stand in line at Guest Services. Our evening canapes were delivered at 5:00 p.m. and while many reviews have been negative, we found them to be fresh and quite tasty. The nachos were crisp as was the garlic toasted bread. The bruschetta was cold and vegetables crisp. The salmon/caviar rolls were fresh as was the brie cheese. The Oceanview Café was very busy, especially for breakfast and lunch. Because the weather was quite cool and we experienced a lot of rain, it was not possible to eat outside of the Oceanview Café or at the Mast Grill so we were confined to finding a table inside and it was quite congested but it’s a matter of being patient. Unfortunately, by the time you secured a table, your food was not hot….warm at best but that’s not the fault of Celebrity. You can’t control the weather. The service staff was accommodating, very helpful and very welcoming and friendly. We noticed that tables were cleaned immediately after a guest left. I have very severe food allergies, resulting in carrying an EpiPen everywhere I went. Prior to the cruise, a Cruisecritic post recommended that you call Celebrity and advise them of your food allergies, which I did. But to be extra cautious, I made business card size pieces of paper outlining my allergies and included my name and cabin number. We dined in the Moonlight Sonata, Murano & Tuscan Grille and every server had a small printout from the ship of the allergies I reported to Celebrity. If there were any questions by the Chef, both Chefs in Murano & Tuscan Grille came to our table to ensure that the ingredients were safe. I was so impressed and appreciative of their attention to detail. We had Anytime Dining in the Moonlight Sonata. Our experience with our servers, Elmer & Ryan was so pleasant and entertaining and while we had a table for 2, we met wonderful people on either side of us. Consequently, we asked for their section every night we ate there and we were seated immediately, with the exception of one night where we had to wait 30 minutes. We went to the Martini Bar until we were called. We dined in Murano and had the best experience. The quality of food was exceptional. The Sommelier was outstanding. His knowledge of wines and showing true interest in your taste, exceeded our expectations. Our server, Gael was also fantastic and provided outstanding service. As an aside, we attended the Food & Wine Pairing event, hosted by the Murano Sommelier. If you enjoy wines and wanting to understand how foods can be mirrored or contrasted with wines, this is a must event. He was very entertaining and shared very valuable information. We dined in Tuscan Grille as well. While it was a pleasant experience, it was not Murano. While our server was knowledgeable, his suggestions and recommendations were overwhelming, consequently, resulting in far too much food. My DH had the filet mignon (medium) and it was served closer to medium well…very well. I ordered the Ribeye (medium rare) and it arrived medium well. The Entertainment was very good in the Theatre. The production show ROCK was done very well. We especially enjoyed the 2 comedians, Randy Johnson and Kevin Jordan. The adult show by Randy Johnson was hilarious. The 60s performance in the Grand Lobby was packed and while the passengers were invited to dance with the performers, passengers on Decks 4 & 5 were also participating. It was a great evening. We met with Artur in Future Cruise Sales as we had a few questions regarding ‘booked’ cruises we have in 2020 & 2021. He clarified our inquiries and was very pleasant to deal with. We appreciated his efforts. I attended the Glass Blowing class and made a flower. It was an incredible experience and the result so rewarding. Having no experience, it was a bit daunting but the instructor was very encouraging and helpful. It was great fun! Onboard Shopping was good. As we all know, the best day is the last day at sea. There was good selection and the staff in all stores were helpful and pleasant and we never felt pressured to buy. There are lots of onboard activities and you’re never bored. We were always busy. Our Ports of Call were Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan and, of course, the Hubbard Glacier. The Hubbard Glacier was amazing to experience. Going through the ice flows to the Glacier was very exciting, hearing the ice rub against the side of the ship and seeing the calving were sights that no picture or video could do them justice. We attended the Park West Art Auction many years ago and decided to go again. The format certainly has changed. It’s hardly an ‘auction’ but an art ‘sale’. The price points were ridiculous. The first piece started at $15,000; saying the reserve was $13,500 and the ‘bidding’ started at $13,000. At an auction, you never divulge the ‘reserve’. All in all, not many pieces were sold and the 5 or 6 pieces that were sold were primarily purchased by one person. The format was basically to get you interested in pieces and then make appointments with you to get you to come back for the hard sell. It was disappointing. The Casino has the tightest slot machines we’ve ever encountered. Getting a bit of a return is fun but just feeding a machine helped us decide very quickly that we’d pass. Overall, this was an amazing cruise. The Eclipse is beautiful, the staff and service, the best! We met such wonderful people who made our cruise very memorable. Being Canadian, there were more Canadians than we have ever met on any other cruise – from our own city of Vancouver to the Prairies to the East Coast. Our neighbours to the South were fun and very entertaining and our friends from “Down Under” and the UK were very complimentary of Vancouver and, of course, Alaska. It truly was a once in a lifetime cruise. Read Less

Great experience with Celebrity cruises ships before decided to vacation with them again Great service above and beyond expectations Melvin -room man amazing talents, had our room in tip top shape every morning and night. Making sure that we had everything in our room that we would need. Very friendly and outgoing. Khristopher our waiter in dinning room met all our needs remembering our likes and dislikes , very positive and outgoing attitude Ajit -wine Steward met all our needs and remembered what we liked,also suggesting new wines to try. Very positive and great energy Booked a transfer with Celebrity from airport to ship terminal this was very well organized, staff toke our luggage all we had to do was follow the celebrity rep and get on the bus. All amazing staff on this vessel in all areas that we were exposed to., The embarkation was busy the celebrity team made the line move quickly, disembark was very quick and well planned out Read Less

Traveled with my wife, two daughters (in their 20s), their boyfriends and one of his daughters (9) on the Celebrity Eclipse departing July 7 returning July 14 round trip from Vancouver. We stayed in Vancouver at JW Marriott Parque for three nights prior to the Sunday departure. We had two full days in Vancouver. I woke up first thing in the morning and walked to the Canada Place Cruise Terminal to watch a HAL ship dock, walked back to the hotel and met up with the family. We did the Capilano River Regional Park (recommended), and then Gas Town. Had lunch at a restaurant named Local-ok. My wife and I had dinner at Provence Marinaside-excellent and enjoyed tasting many different BC wines. They are able to draw a glass or taste out of any bottle with a syringe and nitrogen. Following day went to Granville Island by Ferry (recommended) and then the Science Place (I have aged out of this attraction but interesting and more suited for young children. Dinner with everyone at Floata in China Town-food was excellent but ambiance was like being in the twilight zone. It is on the third floor of a mostly empty shopping center and it appears more like a banquet hall than a restaurant. The food made up for the atmosphere. Great Dim Sum and Peking Duck. That night, hung out at a bar on a 6th floor terrace-Paul McCartney was in concert next door, so we listened to the end and the encore while we enjoyed our nigh caps. Embarkation day my wife and I went to Mass at the Holy Rosary Cathedral and returned to the hotel to meet the kids et al and catch a private transfer to the terminal. I arranged the transfer through the concierge in a micro bus, rather than hail 3 cabs. There is no Uber et al in Vancouver. We arrived about 12:45 pm at the terminal and it was not too crowded. My wife and I were in a suite, so we all breezed through except for the bottleneck and US ICE. It took, about 30 minutes to clear. Once on the other side, we were met by a greeter and escorted on board and to our cabins. My wife and I were in RS 1612 and the children were in connecting Veranda staterooms 9233-9255. Suite was awesome, so was the butler and the steward. It was really nice to have the living area for congregations. First night we all dined at Luminae. Excellent food and service. Better quality wines than MDR. We did pay for our children to join us, but it was worth the price for the wines. There are higher quality wines not on the menu and you do not pay any up charges. First day at sea we explored and ate lunch at Sushi on 5-Lobster R amen highly recommended. Dinner at Muranos (excellent). Second day was Sitka. We watched the arrival from the Helicopter pad. I have been to Sitka many times before (cruises and fishing). So my wife and mostly walked, shopped, and did walk through the Historic Park. You now shuttle to town from a cruise dock located about 10 miles north. Last time I was in Sitka on a cruise, it was a tender. Kids did excursions. Third day was Hubbard Glacier-breathtaking. We catered a lunch in our cabin (sushi, salads, apps, and roast beef sandwiches). Very cool to entertain in your suite with a Glacier in the background. There was an excursion for an up and close view of the Glacier, in hindsight this would have been a very cool excursion. Next day was Junea. I hired a cab from the taxi line for a morning tour and we went to Mendenhal, the Arboretum and the Tram. Highly recommend all and the cab kept us away from the crowds. We had a late lunch of crab and Tracey's (recommended), shopped and then a drink at the Red Dog Saloon (must see). Dinner that night was MDR. Next day was Ketchikan were my wife and I went Zip lining. Good excursion but in hind sight on a short port day, I rather would have explored Ketchikan. My wife's advise is to book the excursions on longer port days, so you also have time to explore. Dinner was at Tuscan. Highlight was the appetizers. I order an upcharged NY Strip-flavor was good but the texture was mushy (think more short rib than steak). Stick to the apps and Italian offerings. Next day was at Sea with lunch at Sushi 5 and dinner at Luminae. We did the ship's tour which was very cool. My daughter won a bingo while playing our cards. I told her I would split the winnings, so I used my half to spread some love to the crew who had taken care of us so well the prior week. Embarkation is painless in suite class. My wife and I bar hopped the prior evening while our butler packed for us. So we just went to bed, woke up about 8:00, was at Michael's Club by 9:00, and hung out until after the last boarding group was called. We were escorted off the Ship through Customs. Two of our party disembarked first thing in the am to catch a flight home by 12:20 pm, they made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare in a cab. The remaining group needed a large Taxi, so we had to wait about 25 minutes for them to procure one. We stayed at the Westin Grand (JW was nicer but the service was very good). We went to church, had Pho and then went to the Maritime Museum with dinner at Granville Island. We walked home (doable but about an hour) and had Gelato as a reward. To bed for early return Passage home was unremarkable except for realizing we needed a duffel to fit our dirty clothes with the original space in our suitcases displaced by our purchases. Went downstairs at 6:30 am to inquire as to procuring luggage on an early Monday in downtown Vancouver from the bellman. The Concierge overheard my conversation, told me to sit tight, and procured me a large hard suit case from housekeeping that was left by another guest. Returned to my room, insured the lack of contraband in said suit case, and from leaving the hotel to sitting in the Maple Leaf Lounge was one hour. Every night was saw a show which we enjoyed. We also enjoyed Milos (a naturalist lector), the various live music and the silent disco. The ship is impeccable and so is the service. 95% of our food was delicious. I highly recommend the suite experience for two main reasons, first, you get to cut in line for everything and second you have free reign of the restaurants. My only expenses on the ship was inviting my kids plus to dinner, two excursions and the terrible steak. I did have some trepidation about a mass market ship but it exceeded my expectations and we reserved a cruise from Ireland to Iceland on Celebrity for next summer. The Ship itself is beautiful and well laid out. Time passed to quickly while on this cruise. I didn't even have time to visit the Casino other than 45 minutes of Blackjack showing my daughters how to play. My wife and I cruise with Crystal over Thanksgiving leaving from Miami. I will write a comparison then, but Celebrity is a great cruise for families in that my wife and I were abler to enjoy a Crystal like experience, while my kids enjoyed the plethora of activities available. Read Less

Overall, an amazing cruise. Great weather. Amazing sites. Ship is beautiful and staff really works to keep it spotless. Service was spot on. Took the train/subway from the airport to the Waterfront stop - super easy and convenient ($8 CAN). Though on a weekday it might be crowded with our luggage (it was Saturday). We stayed at the PanPacific right above the cruise port in Vancouver the night before the cruise. Nice but very expensive. Really appreciated the free luggage transfer to the ship though. This was our first Celebrity cruise (Diamond on Royal Caribbean) and although it was great, Royal does it better overall. However, I appreciated that Celebrity seems to be less pushy than Royal with the up-selling and shopping on the ship. I’ll start out with what I thought was lacking – again, overall a great cruise but just some items that I noticed. Though nice to look at, I think the Eclipse is not as well designed as the Royal ships we have been on (Grandeur, Anthem, Liberty) with respect to getting around. Seems like there are lots of dead ends with no way to get back without simply backtracking. The promenade is short and does not loop around at all – not in the front or the back of the ship. Entire back of deck 5 is just specialty restaurants with no public space at all – if you go back there you have to turn around. There is a deck with lounge chairs at the front of the ship that we were never able to find the door to access. Ensemble Lounge was ridiculously dark. Signage was just ok – it would tell you what was on a deck but not where on the deck. They need to install the interactive screens like Royal. Public spaces are generally small and a few are odd - not sure what Team Earth is supposed to be, though the big globe was neat. The iLounge – lots of computers but with no internet access without signing out of your own phone to use your package, I never saw anyone use them so just wasted space. I will say the Library was the best of any ship I’ve been on – most selection and nice place to read. The card/game lounge seemed to get a lot of use. Grass on back deck is neat but a bit pointless (though I did enjoy glass blowing on that deck). The fitness center elliptical machines are awful – a no-name brand that are very jerky. I’m a regular elliptical user and was not able to use them because they are so bad. I use them every day on Royal (they have either Precor or LifeFitness machines) I know Celebrity is supposed to be more laid back than Royal, but activities were severely lacking – I never thought I would want a bingo game or two because Royal overdoes it, but there were hardly any activities. The daily itinerary listing each day was not well designed and too busy with activities that were not really activities (things like table tennis that is available every day all day). Random items were highlighted. Some activities are not included in the overall list and are only in separate boxes, making it hard to plan the day. Cruise Compass on Royal is much better. Casino is small but nice. I do not play table games but like to watch and noticed they never opened the craps table. Dealers seemed very nice. Good though not extensive selection of slot machines. They did not publicize any special casino events very well. Buffet was the same as most ships – good selection, large quantities, ok taste. Could get extremely busy at lunch. Not much selection of non-bar (i.e., free) drinks – no flavored waters like Royal. Spa café was good, but they had only a few dishes for lunch that did not change. “Smoothies” were just cold juice, but it was nice to get something different to drink. We were able to afford a suite, so had access to Luminae. We ate most meals there – it was amazing food and service was impeccable. After first day, they knew our names and preferences. Rozi our waiter and Vira the assistant waiter were exceptional. Sky Lounge is awesome – great views and nice seating. Milo, the on-board expert was great – his talks were fun and informative and the commentary during Hubbard Glacier was a highlight. We liked the World Class Bar – Nikolas and Roberto are great. Though it’s stuck next to the art gallery and no windows, so not the best location. Again, overall a great cruise, and I’m just nit-picking because it’s easier to remember what isn’t perfect sometimes. All staff was friendly – they would all smile and say hello. Service was great overall. Read Less

We enjoyed our 7 day Alaska cruise on the Eclipse. The Eclipse ship was comfortable, spacious , and clean. Everyone was so friendly and the service was wonderful. Our stateroom 8257 was very comfortable & clean, we had a great view from our Balcony. Our housekeeper "Melvin" was so very cheerful and helpful. Melvin took care of all our needs every day, ie extra towels as many time that we needed them , he placed ice in the ice bucket every evening for me at 9 pm, brought personal items for our person care when needed, . Melvin always greeted us every day when he saw us with a warm & cheerful good morning (day) & have a wonderful time I hope Celebrity realizes they have a winner they have n Melvin I have some severe food allergies & was very concerned about the preparation of the food during my cruise. I am very allergic to MSG, raw Ginger, raw Garlic, spices like curry, turmeric, cumin so had to avoid them especially Indian & Asian dishes. Therefore, on the first day of the cruise I spoke to the Maitre d" in the the main dinning room and explained my concerns. He was really understanding and made special arrangements for me, he spoke personally with the chef about my dietary needs. Then he arranged for me to see the next days menu so I could select what I would like to eat and then checked with the chef to confirm that the meal was safe. By doing this I was able to relax and enjoy my dinner every evening without having to make it an issue. I would like to say thank you to our amazing and charming waiter, Vincent and the assistant Viviano. They took special attention to all our needs and made every evening very special. I extent my special thank you to the Maitre d, and the Chef for taking very good care of me. We ate at two of the Specialty Dinning Restaurants and enjoyed the meal, and attentive service. We selected the Tuscan Grille for a romantic Italian dinner & exceptional service (2 times) also the Qsine La Petite Chef because of the unique dinning experience show & gourmet dining (2 times) We enjoyed the 4 shore excursions that we took. Alaska is a beautiful place and make sure you go ashore or take am excursion to experience the place.The excursions are expensive but worth it, It was difficult so select which ones to take. My favorite was the Hubbard Glacier Inside Passage Cruise. Make sure you dress warmly for Alaska as it was very cold during the Alaska cruise. I, actually had to purchase a warm fleecy hoodie at one of the stores on the cruise to wear to keep warm . The entertainment shows in the Theater were amazing. The director of entertainment Lauren was very profession, funny and delightful to speak to when she was on board the cruise. I would recommend this cruise to my friends and family if they show any interest in going on an Alaska in the near future. In closing I wish to say thank you to all the staff/crew that made this cruise a wonderful memory. Read Less

Once in a lifetime cruise, what an amazing trip! Sailing the inside passage was beautiful and scenic. I sailed with my husband, son and sister with her family. We choose to sail from Vancouver to sail the inside passage and we have been on the Eclipse before and loved it! Once again Celebrity delivered an amazing vacation for my family. Arrived in Vancouver the day before and used the Canada line train from airport to hotel near Canada Place. We stayed at the Auberge Hotel, its location was perfect. Close walk from train and to Canada Place, no need for taxi at all. We ate dinner at the Elephant bar and it was very good. I have heard mixed reviews on check in at the pier so my husband and I decided to go down there early and check things out. After speaking with a worker at the port he suggested to check in before noon. We decided to collect our luggage at the Hotel and checkout at 10:30am and walked over to the pier. We entered through the parking garage and were expedited through immediately. We dropped our luggage and went on through to check in. We were told we could get our sea pass cards and not go through customs if we wanted to still explore Vancouver , but we decided to go right on the ship. My sister and her family stayed at the Pan Pacific which is on the pier. She just took the elevator down from the lobby right to check in so it was easy as well. The ship was in great shape and very clean . This was our second time on Eclipse and our 8th Celebrity cruise. The Eclipse was the first celebrity cruise we did when she was new and we have been hooked ever since. We have sailed Royal, Carnival, and Disney and Celebrity is perfect for us. The main reason is the consistency in their customer service and quality for what you pay. Plenty of choices for dinning and the quality to me hasn't changed much, but to be fair we usually don't dine in the main dinning room. For this trip we used Tuscan as our main dinning room and dinned in Murano as well. We stayed in Concierge class for this trip . Our cabin was exactly as expected, very clean but a little tired. We knew she was due for refurbishment, only complaint was the bed. It was very worn and hard as a rock. Thankfully their was beautiful scenery the entire cruise since we didn't sleep much. Tuscan grill is our favorite place to eat every cruise, since this ship doesn't have Lawn Club and the original Quisine restaurant we decided to do a five night package with Tuscan and Murano. I understand changing to La Petite Chef but I had no desire to try it. Not really into gimmicks just good quality food. Tuscan has cut back on their menu choices over the years but the quality is still great. Murano's menu never changes and its always good . In my opinion sushi on five is a bust, its never busy like it was when it was crepes and soups. We always go to the mast grill at least once and its good old comfort food. The ocean view was a bit more crowded then I remembered but the quality of food was still good. We did dine in the main dinning room one night all due to Menino Fernandes the maître D. What amazing customer service he offered us. We decided last minute to line up on deck 4 for anytime dinning and the line wasn't moving and the girl at podium wasn't saying anything just typing away on the computer. We waited fifteen minutes and decided to leave and go to Buffett so we didn't miss the comedian that night. As we were walking away my son was upset and we couldn't understand the lack out communication we entered the elevator and in comes Menino the maître D. He had over heard us and followed us in the elevator took us down to level three and walked us right to an available table. Amazing customer service, thank you! We had a great meal and still managed to make the show that night. Jorge was our server he was wonderful. Our server at Tuscan we had three nights was Shankar and one night Joby they were both great and attentive. Vladan and Irena were there to greet us each time with a smile and a welcome back great to see you again. This is why we love Celebrity they are always consistent with their customer service, they work really hard and always smile. We frequent café al bacio every cruise and they never disappoint. They were a lot of fun and service was great! The entertainment they brought on board was excellent as always. Loved the comedians! By far the best was Milos! He was charismatic and very informative. We went to all his lectures and loved his science talk in sky lounge. He really made our cruise. Thank you Milos! My husband and son took Oasis fishing charter from Ketchikan and enjoyed it very much. All ports had good shopping and beautiful sites to see. All in all another amazing vacation with Celebrity! Read Less

We regularly cruise with Celebrity, and our Alaska cruise on Eclipse was one of our best! The entire staff was professional and friendly, and our dining experiences were consistently enjoyable. Gorgeous, sunny weather was a bonus! The embarkation team at the port in Vancouver was friendly and efficient. We were quickly on board after arrival, making a great start to our vacation. We sailed in Aqua Class, so we dined in Blu for breakfast and dinner. Our entire experience was excellent with delicious, well-presented meals and outstanding service from the entire restaurant staff. We have been in Suite Class on our previous two cruises and didn't feel Blu was a step down from Luminae. The view out the floor-to-ceiling windows was stunning! We ate one dinner in Murano, which was a special experience and well worth the upcharge. We ate lunch at the Oceanview Cafe, where we enjoyed the wide variety of offerings. Everyone we encountered on board was friendly and professional. Cruz, our cabin steward, amazed us with his almost stealth-like work keeping our cabin in tip-top shape. We felt so spoiled! The fitness center was large with ample cardio equipment and weights. It was especially enjoyable to workout while watching the beautiful Alaska coastline go by while at sea Entertainment was hit and miss on our cruise, but we found the acts with singers in the Ensemble Lounge to be very enjoyable. We love the layout of Celebrity's Solstice Class ships. We never felt crowded, and we enjoy the artwork around the ship. Read Less

Quick review of our Celebrity Eclipse Hubbard Glacier Cruise June 20-30 2019....not one drop of rain the entire 10 days! The ship was very clean, friendly staff, decent buffet dining and ok main dining. We never had to wait more than 5 minutes to be seated in the main dining hall as we didn't have an assigned dining time. The wait staff was very polite, they are only human when small things are forgotten, and very quick to correct any oversight. The food was somewhat average, and portions were good. The beef wellington and lobster were very good, probably the best meal that we had during the main dining experience. Drinks/alcohol were plentiful, and not watered down. Several meals we only had one cocktail, as they were quite potent! We were in Cabin 7292 midship. Very quiet room, centrally located near the elevators, very comfortable beds and large bathroom and balcony. We found it to have plenty of storage. The onboard Entertainment was not great, the best show was Rondell Sheridan comedian. The casino was nice, never very crowded, but that may be due to the age of fellow travelers on an Alaskan cruise. Overall we would be happy to travel with Celebrity. The excursions we took were made via the ships webpage, and they did not disappoint! We saw an abundance of wildlife, had a wonderful experience! Read Less

We had a great trip to Alaska the last week of June 2019. The weather was superb, the food and entertainment on board was amazing. Service was very good and all excursions went as planned. We were a group of 10 cruising together and the main dining staff did a terrific job of seating us each evening. The ship itself was a little tired but I understand it is going in for refit in 2020. It’s time. Our only disappointment was self induced to some extent. Unfortunately I left my jewelry on board. I realized my mistake within hours and called Celebrity to make a report. I knew exactly where it was in the stateroom. Two weeks have gone by and nothing has turned up. This should not be rocket science. Either the room cleaner found it or the new residents did. A word of advice - do not take good jewelry with you! I hoped and expected people to be more honest. Read Less

We have cruised with our now 18 and 16 year olds 6 times- 4 on big Royal Shops, one time on a new huge NCL ship, and once in a big MSC ship. This was our first and last Celebrity trip. Here’s why: Theater: too much smoke for theatrical effect. Strong chemical smell. Main nightly performances very weak compared to all other shops we’ve been on with the exception of one good comedian- Rondell. Too much time between early dinner and main show. We are at 6, done by 7:25 and nothing happening other than live music until 9. Last sea day awoken by captain and cruise director who spoke over loudspeaker for a full 10 minutes at 8:00 am. This should have been at 10 or 11 am on a day where nothing is happening all day. Food variety in moonlight sonata and main dining room excellent. Still about the same as Royal and NCL. Never met main maitre de. Just assistant who came by but was very impersonal and didn’t care about compliments we gave. Poor social skills. Need game shows and 8 pm entertainment in places where people can sit like celebrity central or sky lounge, not in open echo chamber areas with no seating. Love spa cafe concept and good but why can’t food options change? Everything exactly the same for 7 days straight? Would like sugar free fruit flavored waters offered on royal Caribbean. Ship seems overdue for renovation. Couldn’t see outside of warped windows in main dining room. All windows warped. Celebrity house jazz band was excellent and played in common areas frequently. Good focus on sanitizers. Nice soap bars in room. Not enough activities in large rooms, just in open hallways with no seating. Gym is nice but need more classes a little later in morning. Why are only free classes at 7 and 7:30 am? Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the great itinerary. This was supposed to be our dream vacation to a dream destination. Celebrity sells itself as upscale but are anything but. Their parent company RCCL provides a lot better experience. Everything started out great. Embarkation went smoothly. We then got to our aft balcony room to find multiple holes in the curtain liner and $5+ for a bottle of water in the room. I don't call that upscale. We had the premium beverage package but that doesn't include room service or in room mini bar for some reason. You would at least think the water would be included. Next was the internet support. Internet service went from minimal to nothing at all and bounced back in forth. Only when I went to the mid part of the ship would I get good internet. Moving onto our first dinner. We met a great couple and great Serving staff (Marvin/Lauri). Unfortunately, the food did not match the service. I have never had a steak as bad as this. It was tough to cut and chew. Menu had little variety the entire week. My wife was happier with her choices, but I kept getting lousy ones. Lousy continued through the week starting with chaos boarding a whale watching excursion with multiple groups all pushing to get down one narrow pier. Several of us pointed out that we thought we were on a smaller group, but we had over 100 people on ours. Next was the specialty restaurant Tuscan Grille. First you pay for speciality which is fine, but they surcharge you more money if you want a good steak so basically you are paying twice. Then we waited over 40 minutes after we finished our salad for the entree to come. Excuse was we cook from scratch and were busy that night. Each time we questioned we were told it would be out in a minute. Evening entertainment and meals for remainder of week were just so-so. Only saving grace was the quality of staff. Our room steward and waiting staff were outstanding. Cruise ended with nobody being able to find me a wheelchair for disembarking so I had to walk with a walker what seemed like a mile to finally get through everything. In summary, Celebrity calls themselves an upscale cruise line. Our cruise was anything but upscale. They tried to fix some of the issues including putting new curtains in and discounting the excursion, but that still doesn't change our opinion. We paid for what we thought was our dream vacation. Instead we got a low price cruise experience Read Less

Alaskan cruise from Vancouver BC. Sitting on the front top deck enjoying my first drink and taking in the peaceful moment. Relaxing and chilling and then the ships horn blasts with no warning. People ducked, swore, and were shaken. Poor move Celebrity for not announcing a warning to passengers on decks. The ship was nice and easy to find deck seats to enjoy the coastal views. The sky lounge was a nice indoor viewing spot. There are no pool side bands. No pool games. No ice carving. No rock wall climbing. No flow rider. No water slides. No indoor game arena. No north star. There was a 1/2 basket ball court. Lots of time to soak in hot tubs or sit in a chair. Saw all the evening shows and walked out on 3 of them. Food and room were good. Ship was good. But lacking activities. At least turn up the canned mu8sic past volume 1 at poolside. Read Less

Of 23 cruises on several cruise lines, the Celebrity Eclipse was the BEST ship ever. Great attention to detail. So many little things that were a cut above other ships; food, friendliness, bands, Persian Spa, dimmer switches in the stateroom, and even the TV programming. Food: Although we didn’t eat in the beautiful main dining room, we can vouch for the great food and selections in the Blu Restaurant and the Ocean View buffet. The maitre’d in the Blu ensured we ate well even though gluten and dairy-free, especially the fantastic flour-less chocolate cake. They even had quail legs for an hors d’oeuvre. The Ocean View buffet had so much variety (e.g., three different fish dishes almost every day), that it took extreme self-control to not overeat (too much). :)) They had one ‘island’ that was “Chef’s Specials” that changed every day; one day Cajun, another ‘Californian’, etc. The buffet is well spread out so you hardly ever experienced that ‘frantic-ness’ of overcrowding seen on other ships. Plus they kept the buffet open until midnight or 1 AM, making it easy to have a mid-night snack after dancing for two+ hours every night. Coffee: Deserves a special mention. FINALLY, a ship that has strong, flavorful coffee…everywhere! (buffet , dining rooms, etc). We have been accustomed to bringing our own, very good coffee crystals to mix with ship’s coffee because it is usually so bad/weak. [Maybe just this ship? The CruiseCritic blogs were very mixed on this topic re Celebrity ships.] Gluten-free Desserts: Also a special mention. They were great!, especially the macaroons and the flour-less chocolate cake. Itinerary: We’ve been on Alaska cruises 7 times. Although we didn’t put in to Skagway or Sitka this time, we much enjoyed the smoother ‘inside’ (hardly any ocean) passage. The art in Ketchikan shops (x-1900 brothels) is always worth a stroll-through, as is a tour of Dolly’s House and the Totem Pole Heritage Museum. The Alaska State Museum has reopened in Juneau and is a MUST for a cruiser’s itinerary; great breadth, design, and quality content. Worth two hours. But…watch out for the dinosaur!!! (great photo opportunity). Bands: Contrary to other blogs on cruise ‘rating’ web sites, this particular ship did NOT exemplify that “Celebrity is getting out of ballroom dancing.” The Eclipse had THREE dance bands, all playing almost every night. And that doesn’t even count the two Duo’s. Having a ‘silent’ disco [headphone music] was a hoot. They had numerous places to dance, and the music started early; mid-afternoon until midnight. Theater Entertainment: Wonderful, quality variety. Intricate singer/dancer shows (e.g., “Topper”), consistently funny comedians (without being off-color), and singing productions. You don’t want to miss any of them. Captain’s Club (loyalty club): Activities were extensive and quality. Have never seen this many-day plan/schedule on any other ship. The hors d’oeuvres, and drink & wine selections were wonderful. They were actually gluten-free! Plus the traditional opportunity to interact with the Officer’s. Television: Deserves a special mention. Large screen TV with FREE! on-demand movies, and the ability to ‘pause’ the movie for up to 48 hours! Smoke/Smoking: FINALLY, an almost smoke-free ship. We could actually walk through the casino (and in areas/passages around it) without holding our breath or drawing in second-hand smoke. 60’s Dance Party: Deserves a special mention. The Eclipse singers/dancers put on a fun show in the Grand Foyer, and then opened the floor to dancing. Could not believe how many people were out dancing late the last night of the cruise! Don’t miss this one. We have never seen so many people out and about every night. Persian Spa: Beautiful, and the temperatures were perfect every day on the thermal beds, steam rooms and saunas. Also LOVED that there were coed saunas and gender specific saunas in the changing rooms. Loved having water with immersed fruit slices. As a final note, the Eclipse has so many little details of extraordinary quality. Its clear Celebrity Cruise line is paying attention to feedback, implementing changes, and has a ‘woman’s touch’ from top to bottom; from the very entry (glasses of champagne), the comfortable sitting areas, the separate swimming and sunning areas, the fast elevators, the disembarkation efficient system, to the lack of line-ups in the Ocean View buffet. They deserve to be #1 of cruise lines. Read Less

The ship is a beautiful ship, and the international staff were excellent. The cabin steward was great, and everyone we met was so friendly and helpful. You could not ask for nicer people and better service while on board. Food was excellent - above my expectations. There was a wide variety of foods in the general cafeteria - from salad bar to excellent Indian buffet to sandwiches, burgers, whole roast turkey or ham, asian food, pizza, lots of good deserts. The table service restaurant was also very good, with a good choice of well-prepared foods every night. We did not eat at any of the premium restaurants. I did not really find the need to - food was good enough! The ship is a beautiful ship. It feels spacious, and the only times it felt crowded was in the cafeteria. Art was modern and gave the ship a modern and lively feeling. Most days there was pleasant music from a live group playing in the center atrium area which added a nice ambiance. One weird, and not so good thing with the ship itself: There is a basketball court at the very front of the ship in a most premium spot. Bizarre - as the kids playing basketball could care less about the view, and if you were in the lounge/viewing area below you often heard the thump, thump, thump of balls being bounced on what is your ceiling. That being said, the layout of the ship was pretty good with lots of areas to chill out in. We loved the front lounge/viewing area (mentioned above) with it's incredible 180 degree windows and views, and comfy chairs to sit and watch the world go by. Most nights they were playing disco or band music (although not too loud), so if you wanted a really quiet place to retreat to, this wasn't always the best place. But the view was to die for. My only real complaints lie with the cruise line itself and deceptive practices and outright incompetence or lies. We were booking a year ahead for a family reunion and my wife has food allergies. When we were investigating the various cruise options, the agent told us that it was best to get a guaranteed table/dinner time as the waiter would make sure the allergies were taken care of every night. Even though the 6:15 seating was full, he told us that the allergies would guarantee us a table at that time. Needless to say, after we booked that turned out not to be true. After a few calls over the next 10 months we finally got that done (one person even suggested we call EVERY day to ask for this hoping a table would open up). They confirmed this in writing to us, but that's not the end of that story.... My wife also filled out a very detailed allergy form, and submitted it a year ahead when we initially booked. She decided to call 2 weeks before the trip to make sure everything was in order. They said they never got the request. Really? She submitted again. When we boarded the ship, the first night we went to dinner and our family was seated at two different tables - even though we got written confirmation that we were to be seated all together. It was total chaos in the dining room that night. Presumably ours wasn't the only screwed-up reservation. It was only through the very kind guests at one table who agreed to move and take a less desirable table that we ended up together. Then the final problem came on the last day. We had some onboard credit, and the night before we got a draft bill which showed some credit left. We asked if we should spend this before the trip ended, and the staff person in customer service told us that this was not necessary - it would be refunded to our Visa. Guess what... It was not, and down on the bottom of the bill it says non-refundable (even though right under the credit amount it clearly says "This amount will be credited to your Visa"). That's mis-leading at best. I should also mention that the food allergy issues for my wife were a bit mixed. On the one hand the kitchen was incredible - allowing my wife to order anything from the menu the night before, and then having that item made allergy free. Wow! Also, at lunch in the cafeteria, we would often have a waiter look all over the room for us to bring my wife an allergy-friendly desert. That's amazing! The flip side was that in the cafeteria, virtually nothing was labeled as to the ingredients, so while the choices were fantastic for me they were a pain for her. If you wanted to know the ingredients of any one item, you had to ask the busy staff, who would then track down the busy head waiter, who would track down the chef. Minutes later you would get your answer. This was all unnecessary, as you could see the food signs were pre-printed and had been used many times - so why not just label them like "Contains, nut, shellfish, dairy etc." Again, when we booked, we were told something to the effect that that the chef would walk us through the line and describe what my wife could have. It all sounded very personal. Well, when you have a thousand or so people scurrying for food and the staff trying to keep up, that's out of the question. Maybe that was not realistic of us to expect, but then again why tell us a line of BS. So the bottom line is that in spite of the deceptive and incompetent practices of Celebrity, we enjoyed the trip due to the really beautiful ship and exceptional staff on board. Read Less

I choose this cruise for three generations,: a 14 year old boy, parents and us, the grandparents. The 14 year old is a world traveler and all of us enjoy good food. I believed Celebrity had great dining and I was not disappointed. We marveled how it could produce french onion and all the soups hot to the table. The last night grand finale souffle for dessert was perfect! i would have liked more included dining areas. There are many things for the higher class travelers - dining and activities. We were surprised that we became attached to our waiter. He was very pleasant and enhanced our sailing. Rancio was not available the last night but he came to our table to wish us a safe journey home. It was small personal things like that which made us smile though out our cruise. Having been on other cruise lines, we were disappointed in the activities and entertainment. Perhaps just not to our taste. As a family group, it was not important because we talked, played cards and read books to fill the time.. There were few kids on board so not much excitement in the teens club. Our teen spent some time there. We loved that 5 Asian boys and our boy from AZ could enjoy time with games. The excursions and ports were as expected. (We had been to Alaska before.) The kids took a private 6 passenger whale watch tour in Hoodah that was fantastic. We took the shuttle and saw two bear cubs along the shore. Our cabin 6155 was a "partial obstructed' with only a pulley to lock the view. Our kids in 6167 could see the top of a life boat but not an issue. Our balcony was larger because it was on the leading edge of the hump. I looked for a reasonable, food highlight cruise (Celebrity in early June), easy access (flight to Vancouver and hotel shuttle for the first night) Aerocar Services picked us up to transport to the ship. Embarkation was organized and swift. Success!!!! Read Less

Bucket list cruise that fulfilled all expectations. Visited Icy Strait Point, Juneau and Ketchikan. Not forgetting the amazing Hubbard Glacier. Saw so much wildlife including a brown bear who came within 15ft of us. Too many experiences to list. Took tours through Celebrity. Booked them online before we sailed which was much cheaper. All the tours were excellent. See below for cabin reviews. Blu restaurant food was excellent although the service could be very hit and miss. The Oceanview Restaurant always delivers excellent food although i felt that cleanliness of the tables could have been better. Dined in Le Petit Cuisine which was excellent. This is a must visit especially with children. The Cocktail Bar is a lot of fun and the measures very generous! Only went to one show this time which was ok. Made the most of the stunning sunsets from the Sunset Bar. Would highly recommend this cruise, certainly the top one we have done. Read Less

Intro: I have to say so far for us Celebrity has been to date the best cruises my hubby and I have done. I don’t think that any Cruise line has lived up to my expectations 100% of the time, and yes even Celebrity has some faults, but when on board and talking to other avid cruisers, almost all say Celebrity beats any other cruise line they’ve been on. Embarkation: Three ships in port in Vancouver on June 2nd. The drop off area was changed so we had to go underground to do this. This incurred a lot of walking, we had to zig zag, go up then down, then up again, down again. It was the craziest embarkation we’ve done so far. Thank goodness for the porters who took our luggage right away. They can do this as we already printed and attached our boarding luggage tags, which cuts down on waiting in another line. So I definitely recommend doing this ahead of time. If you have a disability and need assistance let someone on staff know and they will help you directly onto the ship. 7/10 rating Sail Away: Live band playing on the upper deck, which I love. Really gets you into vacation mode, however they only played a few songs, packed up and left just as the party was getting started. Usually the band will do an exciting countdown as we sail under the Lion’s Gate Bridge, but this never took place. 7/10 rating Dining: Mast Grill -Lido deck 14, outside. Complimentary This was open on embarkation day, so if you don’t want to fight the lines in the buffet it was a nice, quiet spot to grab a burger & fries or a hot dog. Oceanview Cafe- Lido deck 14, inside. Complimentary This buffet area had an excellent assortment of delicious food. My favorites are the chicken & okra curries. Some of the best I’ve eaten. They featured items daily which is mentioned in your newsletter. I only ate here a couple of times as I’m not a big fan of overly crowded areas and don’t like searching for a place to sit. You can take your food outdoors, however need to go down a floor or flight of stairs if you want to eat on the outside pool deck. Aqua Spa Cafe- Resort deck 12, inside. We loved this little cafe by the indoor pool area which opts for healthier choices or light little dishes of food- complimentary, and smoothies (fee $). I kept on going back for the Chicken Salad. The Asian Noodle Salad with the spicy oriental dressing was delicious. The 1/2 Turkey Bacon Sandwich on pumpernickel bread was also a hit as a light bite. We also enjoyed the soup which you need to order. This cafe is open for breakfast and lunch. MDR-Moonlight Sonata- Promenade deck 4, inside The main dining room is open daily for lunch (and for Concierge guests on embarkation day) but I never had lunch there. This dining room is gorgeous, its white, bright monogrammatic decor gives a feeling of airiness & elegance in this large venue. We only ate here for breakfast one morning. Service felt a little slow and our breakfast was just o.k. Moreno- Entertainment deck 5 We booked this restaurant for our first night as Celebrity offers their specialty restaurants at a discount then, which is an excellent way to enjoy your first evening at sea and away from the crowds especially in the MDR. The dining venue is a bit dark, and if you’re looking for an ocean view you will not find it here. Our $35 discounted fee included an appetizer, main entree & dessert. The Diver Scallop Wellington Style Baked in Puff Pastry appetizer with Black Truffle Emulsion was definitely a favorite for our group of six. We all ordered double and they allowed us to do so. We were off to a good start, however when our friend ordered another scallop dish in lieu of dessert they seemed a little ‘put off’ by it but obliged. Sushi On Five- deck 5 Not much to write about. Ate at this restaurant on the Infinity, it was so good we so couldn’t wait to try it again on the Eclipse. Something didn’t feel right...the ambience was different, service not as attentive, we ordered the same food, but it just wasn’t as delicious as it was on Infinity. Blu- Specialty restaurant for Aqua class guests- Entertainment deck 5. Opened for breakfast & dinner - No reservations We were a little skeptical to book the Aqua class cabin, however for us it ended up being one of the highlights of our cruise & dining, that’s why we didn’t bother to venture much elsewhere. On this cruise the cost wasn’t much more but it was well worth the little extra $$ to book Aqua class. Blu’s food was exceptional for dinner, breakfast was good. There are still the daily feature items you can order from the MDR that’s not listed on Blu’s menu (appetizer: Caesar salad, Escargot, French onion soup, Shrimp cocktail & for dinner: chicken, steak & salmon). Blu has its own kitchen with about five chefs. The conception is to provide healthier meals, so the Calamari will be grilled not fried & sauces are made more like an au jus than thickened with flour. My favorite meal for dinner was the lamb shank, it was fall off the bone delicious served with a curried couscous, some ordered it with potato...I can’t say I’ve had better in any land restaurant. Also the freshly caught halibut in lobster broth, tender and moist, so good. The best desserts by far was the Creme Brûlée & Apple Pie. Don’t even bother with the Cherries Jubilee, it was just plain awful. Overall dining rating 9/10 Drink Package: We at first decided not to purchase the drink package on this cruise as it was costly and when pre-purchasing online each person in a cabin has to purchase the package which would of been about $950 USD for both of us for the seven nights. Since I hardly drink we felt this would not of been worth it for this cruise. Also the drink package option included in the fare price package that was offered worked out to be more expensive than purchasing it separately which seemed a little odd to me. We instead opted to gift ourselves a $450 onboard credit to cover the majority of our alcoholic beverages. You can pre-purchase this online which is a great way to budget your spending and not get hit with such a huge bill after cruising. Once onboard staff are always trying to get you to purchase dining, drink & other packages. We told the waiter trying to sell packages that we didn’t purchase the drink package as we had to buy two and I’m not an avid drinker so it’s not worth it for us. He told us that yes online you have to buy for each adult in the cabin, but when on the ship you only need to buy for one! WHAT?? My husband immediately purchased the package for himself which was well worth it for him. Entertainment: Excellent from the comedy to the shows we enjoyed them all, some a lot more than others. We were lucky enough to see Jeffery Allen performing as Elton John. Incredible! This was by far my absolute favorite and the comedy on board made me laugh so hard my stomach hurt. 9/10 Rating Activities: Lots going on all over the ship from music, dancing, & mini performances by Celebrities onboard dance crew. Some things I wanted to do overlapped others. I really enjoyed the trivia in the observation lounge. Being an Aqua class guest also gave us privileges to use the Persian Gardens for free. The Roman beds (warm tiled beds) were a very relaxing way to spend a few hours in peace and quiet. You also had access to use the sauna and steam room. 10/10 rating Excursions: Didn’t do any booked excursions this trip. Juneau & Ketchikan have stores right off the peer so walking is easy. Go to an onboard seminar for information on the port and receive coupons for shopping and free gifts. If you need help going up the steep, long peer they will assist you. If you like to shop, go to Creek Street while in Ketchikan. It’s a lovely walk over wooden bridges and creeks with cute touristy shops in charming old buildings. Choose to shop or see Mendenhall Glacier while in Juneau or take a tour of the Alaskan Brewery. Shore excursions can be booked with many different tour operators. Just make sure they have a ‘back to ship on time’ guarantee. When booking third party excursions be very aware of the time the ship gets into port. This doesn’t mean you can get off at that time. It can take up to approximately 2 hrs from when a ship docks to when your able to disembark. Not to mention the crowds of other people also trying to disembark, so leave time for this. Service -Blu- Staff that served us here were exceptional! A big thank you to Dan, Maria Hugo & “Z” ( can’t recall his full name). Their personalized service goes beyond words. No matter where they were working on the ship they always spotted us and came over to assist since we were traveling with 2 people with slight disabilities. I was pushing my friend in his wheelchair to the cafeteria for lunch and never had to look for someone to help us carry plates etc., staff appeared from nowhere and insisted to help us each time without me ever asking. Another time our friend got lost in the cafeteria (yes it’s that large) and Maria (waitstaff at Blu) recognized her, helped her with her plate. Searched and found us and brought her over. So far the best service I’ve experienced on a cruise. Are there some areas on board that I felt service was lacking? Absolutely...The Sunset Bar. Two guys, rude to guests and each other. Arguing in front of us, one demanding an apology from the other. Time to get off the ship guys! -Pushing sales- You’re bombarded when you get onboard. They want you to purchase drink, dining & spa packages etc. I get it, sales are important to most business’ small & large, but it’s really overkill. We would just kindly say no thanks. Cruise director- Lauren was amazing...that’s one hard working lady. She was seen everywhere and always seemed to invest time interacting with passengers. On HAL cruise last fall we only saw our cruise director once, I was actually starting to think maybe there’s not even one on board and then there he was standing by the piano, having a drink wondering when the day was going to end. I’m not going to take away from those who went above and beyond in service, so I’m rating Service 10/10 Overall: Celebrity seems to have the right balance with things to do, dining and entertainment. No wonder it appeals to age groups in their late 20’s and up. If your looking for an elegant, upscale cruise that’s not too ostentatious then Celebrity’s for you. We love everything from the size, beauty and cleanliness of the ships, to the quality of food and service we receive. Read Less

My wife and I chose Celebrity for our trip to Alaska because the itinerary and duration fit our needs. It was a round trip out of Vancouver, so getting to the ship was an easy bus trip on the ferry to the cruise ship terminal. Embarkation seemed a little disorganized, from one level up to another and back again. We arrived on the bus with some friends, they were traveling concierge class; as such they were in a much shorter check in line, which gave them a head start to the customs check in line. Needless to say they were aboard long before we got half way through the customs line. I think they could figure out a better system that doesn't include changing levels twice. Also bring water because it is a long wait and we were getting pretty dehydrated. Once on board things were looking up, a welcome glass of sparkling rose. And we started to explore the ship that would be our new home for the next 7 days. Up to the cabin to drop our carry on luggage. The stateroom was spacious and well appointed. The balcony was a nice size with 2 chairs and a table. I use a CPAP machine and we had to request a power cable to reach the bedside, this arrived quickly and that issue was solved. Hopefully the poor placement and quantity of power outlets will be addressed during the upcoming "revolution" refit. The bathroom was a nice size and the shower was big enough for me (I'm a big man). I'm not a seasoned cruiser with 2 dozen cruises on 4 different lines so this is my impression of this cruise from the prespective of a first timer with an open mind. We saved up for this cruise and are well aware of the premium price we paid. Not knowing what to expect we just enjoyed our trip. The ship was lovely, large but not overpowering. There are so many choices for bars and meals. We didn't try any of the specialty restaurants, and there were some parts of the ship we didn't even get to. Our favourite place was Cafe el Baccio the treats were complimentary and the beverages were covered by our classic beverage package. We chose the classic beverage package as a perk when we booked, I understand this was not "free" but included in the price of our fare. It worked for us. We are not big drinkers but it was nice to be able to order a drink and not have to worry about the bill at the end of the cruise. We felt it was a good thing for us, others will have a different opinion. We had most of our breakfasts in the ocean view cafe which had a great variety, I especially enjoyed the "English Breakfast" station. My wife enjoyed the lighter fare of fresh fruit, yogurt and boiled eggs. We tried the main dining room for one breakfast and it was good but the buffet seemed a better choice for us. We are early risers so the buffet really wasn't very busy that early. We had open dining and enjoyed 2 lunches in the main dining room, where we shared a table with some other passengers we had never met. It was nice to enjoy a great meal with total strangers. We had our dinners in the main dining room where the service was outstanding and the food was tasty and well prepared. We didn't have a bad meal on board. We didn't try any of the specialty restaurants on this trip. Next cruise we will try them. Entertainmet, was perhaps the main area where celebrity needs some improvement. While the instumentalists were good for the most part, the singers were not all that good. We did go to several shows in the main theatre, Rondell Sheridan was great and we went to his general admission show as well as his "Adults only" show; he was funny without being offensive. Topper is a good production even if the premise is a little strange. More work needed on hiding the harnesses for the arial acts. Don't expext broadway shows, this is not going to be that. We did walk out on the last show, the comedian whose name I don't recall was rude and vulgar. I'm not a prude and I can handle raunchy, but a good comedian can read his audience and this guy failed miserably. We weren't the first out of the theatre and I'm sure we weren't the last. We were on vacation and our entertainment was people watching, relaxing and watching the scenery as we sailed by. We are from Vancouver Island and there is much of the same scenery at home. We have eagles around our home, whales in the local oceans and seals at the local beach. Still these things don't get boring or old. I wish we had seen some sea otters though. I have read many reviews about Eclipse not having this that or the next thing, that ship A,B or C has. Well I'm pretty sure that Celebrity never claimed to have a climbing wall or water slides or a go Kart track. If you need those things on your cruise you know where to find them and it's not on a Celebrity ship. My hometown is a tourist town so we have many souveneer shops that carry many of the same tourist trinkets that we found on our port visits, the only difference? Ours say Victoria BC and theirs say Alaska. In Juneau we did enjoy the stunning views from the Mount Roberts Tram and our little gold panning excursion. We came away with a little gold and the salmon barbeque was very tasty. Make sure you get the chowder I went back for seconds. We didn't explore Juneau very completely, by the time we finished the gold panning and salmon barbeque we chose to go back to the ship and relax at Cafe el Baccio for a treat and a beverage. Ketchikan is another tourist town, many of the shops are only open for the "season" and close the rest of the year. Creek street is a nice walk. We really enjoyed our King Crab dinner at Annabelle's, we had the chowder sampler, 3 cups of their different soups all were good. I ordered the King crab with a claw but they didn't have any claws so I got an extra leg. That was a little disappointing but I didn't make a big deal of it (unlike the guy at the next table). Good meal nice restaurant Every member of the crew was helpful, friendly and professional. When we had a small problem it was solved quickly and efficiently We truly enjoyed this adventure and look forward to sailing in Celebrity Eclipse for a New Zealand Cruise after she has her "Revolution" refit. This was our first cruise with Celebrity and won't be our last. Some day we will cruise on another line and I suspect my review may have comments about being great but Celebrity is better. Read Less

Alaska was on our bucket list and our 5th Celebrity Cruise. Very scenic and the weather was not too cold for June 2-9, 2019. Some rain but overall the weather was great. Being from Canada the coastline is similar to Ontario lakes other than the massive mountains along the coast. Saw a few whales and whale tails as well as Bald Eagles. One of the disappointing things at the Glacier (no fault of Celebrity) was we could not hear the Glacier movement. Perhaps not everyone knows this but Glaciers make sounds as they move. We had a group of 50+ people down on the helipad singing at the top of their lungs for 10 minutes or so which ruined the experience for everyone else onboard. I have mentioned this to Celebrity via Facebook to inform their guests on future cruises the need for quiet as this is an important part of the Glacier experience. Not sure if we expected more than on previous cruises but the service while good for the most part was not exceptional as it has been on our past 4 cruises with Celebrity. We have been traveling Aqua Class (3rd time now) and the breakfast service was slower than we are used to in Blu and I'm sure they lost my breakfast order one morning as it took more than 30 minutes to arrive. Luckily it was a sea day so did not have to be anywhere. The food in Blue was not up to normal standards either. Had a rib eye that had far too much fat on it and somewhat chewy. Stateroom attendant Made (yes his name) was exceptional. I have a shellfish allergy which Celebrity knew and was on my reservation but still had canapes delivered on the first day that had shrimp in it. We informed Made and we asked for fresh fruit and cheeses to be our daily canapes and he made those arrangements for us. Celebrity should not have delivered the shellfish to begin with. We ate in the Ocean View Cafe one afternoon for lunch and had a Chinese Food Day onboard and I took a couple of scoops of fried rice with chicken (that is what the sign said) and guess what? There were small shrimp in there too! Glad I saw that before I ate it. We stayed in stateroom #1610 which given the location allowed for a larger balcony that other staterooms. Interior was the same as other Aqua Class staterooms we have had. Not sure if we will choose Celebrity on our next cruise or go back to Holland America or something else. Make sure if you have the time post cruise to visit Whistler, BC for a couple of days to top off your trip. It was incredible. Read Less

Everything from the staff made you feel like you were part of the family. I lost my Father while I was on the cruise and the staff were very kind to me. I had one breakfast in the main dining room and a few lunches while we were in ports and the food was great. Eating in a suite guest private dining room and Michael's Club were a nice touch for suite guests. At anytime you could ask a crew member for advise and they were happy to answer you. Great comedians and other productions were spectacular. There is a lot of perks for suite guests which is the first time I have been a suite guest and hopefully not the last. The ship was very clean, the cabin was great, dining many options to dine at. I travelled with a friend. This was her first cruise and won't be her last. See Celebrity in 2020. Read Less

To see Alaska. Embarkation was sweet as we were Elite members until we got to US Customs who had to cope with 3 ships Celebrity, HAL & Viking (?) all boarding at same time, about 6000 cruisers all up. Debarkation was not much better, lucky for us an attendant saw we were struggling & took us to the front of a long que to catch a cab. You could always use a wheelchair & go to the front of the que. Once on board all was well; Everything was great by my standards, the ship is in excellent condition, the decor is 5 stars; entertainment was very good with 2 Production Shows, a Mozart remake themed show with aerial gymnasts & a more modern themed show), also Elton John Tribute Show. A comedian was on hand; the music around the ship was great, loved the Argentinian 4 piece Latino combo & their music. Master Captain Michael & fellow officers were always around to say hello & mingle with guests; Enrichment guy Milos provided some interesting talks. Ports were great, especially Hubard, ship stayed there for about 2 hours close to the Glacier; feedback from whale watching guests was positive for whale watching. Dining was very very good by my standards, Eko & Cumic were very attentive to our requests, well done. Cabin Steward Norman was very good, quietly going about his job. Public rooms were kept very clean, always someone cleaning something, attention to detail very good. Read Less

This cruise was chosen specifically for the itinerary, sailing 5/9-19. The weather was fabulous, no rain in 10 days. This was my first time in Alaska, however it won’t be the last. We did excursions in every port, booked through Cruises Only, and didn’t have to mess with the masses on big busses. Cruises Only used different companies than Celebrity, so all of our excursions had 15 people or less. It was great, more personalized. Loved every port, nothing in Alaska disappointed. However, Celebrity has gone downhill since I last cruised on the Equinox in 2017. Their personalized high quality service that they pride themselves on is lacking. I read several reviews prior to our trip, and have to agree with most, food was a major disappointment. The only highlight was Tuscan Grille, which served a fine filet. We had “ anytime dining”, never had to wait in Moonlight Sonata, but food is mediocre. I admit I’m a picky eater, but not everyone wants duck, fish, or seafood every night. They do serve salmon, NY strip steak and grilled chicken breast every night. Just feel quality & service have gone downhill. The Oceanview Buffet also has suffered, not from variety, but quality. There are many different ethnic choices, but taste is bland. Same goes foe desserts at the buffet, great presentation, but no taste. Ice cream is a hit though, very good. Entertainment varied , acrobats amazing, but one show centered around Amadeus, was weird and boring. Had a comedian one night that was hilarious, wish he could have performed more. Also had a group that performed Motown songs that were very talented. Loved Alejandro the cruise director, very funny. But having said that, really wish there was more activities on the ship. Felt ship had a “ boring” vibe. Shopping was so-so on board, they want to push watches, however they are way overpriced, as is most of the jewelry. We had a concierge class veranda cabin, love the balcony, our room steward , Taat, kept things neat & clean. Don’t think I would pay for the “ Concierge Class” again, the perks aren’t worth the money. Also, the concierge is available to all passengers. Having sailed Princess, NCL, RCCL, Carnival in the past, don’t feel I will be returning to Celebrity. Again the trip was great, Celebrity charges way too much for what is provided, unfortunately. Read Less

Past experience has always brought us back to Celebrity. This time around was a little disappointing. The attempted up-sale to the specialty dining rooms was relentless. It was never this way in the past. I was also disappointed with the bar service. When I asked for a mixed drink with a specific alcohol it was no problem at the bar and it was poured in front of me but when I asked for the same drink from a waiter I received a drink with an obviously inferior alcohol from the back bar. My drinks were not the only substituted alcohols that I heard of on board. Sad to find them cutting corners this way. The new entertainment being produced by Celebrity's production company is great. They do need to review and probably change the guest entertainment sources that fill out the shows for the cruise. Some of the singers were not even sufficient in talent to warrant a "b" stage show in Vegas. I haven't walked out of a show in many years but it happened on this cruise. Read Less

We booked thi s cruise in early may because it was with Celebrity and it offered longer days than the 7 day cruise. This was our 5t celebrity cruise and we had previously sailed on the Eclipse years ago. We saied aqua class. mainly for the blu restaurant. It did not disappoint for the staff Nirtalia Hugo and stephen they were great always with a smile and very nice Wish we could say the same for the food. We found a decline in the food. Everything was good but a bit repetitive in the cuisine.I do not eat meat the fish were very similar in taste. My companion though said his meat was very good. The boat is going for a refresh look soon and this will be good. The ship was very clean and well kept but it did show a bit of age. we did not attend many shows but the one we went to were very good . Also Milos the naturalist was very good and entertaining wish we could have seen more of his lectures. One thing we found was lacking was a bit more variety in the music maybe they will add more variety as the summer goes this being their first trip. It was the first time we encounter one staff that was not to par with their customer excellence but you are bound to encounter this once in a while. We will still sai with Celebrity we tried Holland of America, Princess and Norwegian and this is our preferred line Read Less