There are those who say that Celebrity is not what it used to be and that is somewhat true, but we still found our cruise this December on The Eclipse to be quite enjoyable. It seems that Celebrity is suffering from a small identity crisis. It used to cater to a passenger who was generally was a couple over the age of 40 who preferred a more formal cruise atmosphere and high quality cuisine served in a somewhat more elegant style. It was never a cruise line devoted to parents traveling with young children although certainly there were always younger couples with children present on board. It now appears Celebrity is working to attract both groups, and I'm not sure the result of happiness on all accounts is indeed possible.

We found the food in the dining room of very good quality, some nights better than others, but not everyone we dined with agreed. The Tuscan Grille was excellent and a small step above the main dining room, but you have to pay for the privilege of dining there. Some nights there is a chef in The Oceanview Cafe who will grill a specific steak or fish that you select in advance and if you don't mind dining without a linen tablecloth, that might be the place for you. The buffet for lunch was always a hit with stations providing international dishes. The Indian food was particularly good. We didn't bother with QSine after reviewing their information. I do not want to go to a restaurant where I order from an Ipad! I would agree with the previous reviewer who said that Murano was overpriced and overrated, plus the seating there was uncomfortable and some of the service a bit pretentious. I'm not sure why there is a cover charge for The Bistro but it keeps people from dining there which is too bad. The food there was very good. I do not understand why Cafe Baccio has better pastries than anywhere else on the ship and they are free.

Celebrity's main problem is identifying which passenger it wants to attract instead of trying to attact anyone and everyone. They offered parents a deal to bring children on board for this cruise for free and that policy initially kept me from booking. Our children are grown and our grandchildren wouldn't enjoy a cruise on Celebrity. I'd opt for a Disney cruise if I wanted to cruise with them, which I don't. Only after the price went down in the last week before the cruise did I book. Read more