First Cruise on Celebrity in About 15 Years

I've been on a ton of cruises. Everything from the usual Carnival, RCCL, Norwegian, Princess and some a bit less common like MSC and Pullmantur/Crosieres de France. But even though I had a great experience on Celebrity, I hadn't actually cruised on Celebrity in about 15 years.

I'm glad to report that the standards and quality are still first class. I'm not sure that the food is quite as good as it used to be, but it's close. Here are my recent impressions from our recent 6 day cruise aboard the Eclipse.

Embarkation: Well organized but super slow. Not sure if something could be done to speed up the process, but at least everyone was very friendly. 3 stars.

The Ship and Cabin: Very nice overall condition. Loved all of the "hidden" bars and places to eat. Really enjoyed the Aqua Spa Cafe, which we didn't notice until almost the last day. Our room was spotless and the ship was very well maintained. We stayed in 7287, midship on the port side. We had a great experience, but another couple on the same deck slightly farther aft felt excessive vibrations. 5 stars.

Entertainment: So-so, to be honest. Only 1 "splashy" production, which was pretty solid, and one comedian was funny (I forget his name), but otherwise room for improvement. They should have done at least one more major production, as the cast was very solid. 3 stars, at best. We thought MSC's entertainment blew Celebrity's away. They had wonderful pianists, opera singers, flamingo guitarists, live music and such all over the ship. Much more basic on Celebrity and somewhat lacking in energy (with the exception of the major production).

Food: Outstanding. Fresh ingredients used in creative ways. Steak always cooked perfectly. Not much scrimping, if any. Sanitation could be better. I got sick. A lot of the soap dispensers were empty. Room service pretty efficient. Loved the Lobster Murano in the Murano specialty restaurant. 5.5 stars.

Service: First class all the way! It's not the friendliest crew, but pretty friendly nonetheless and always very professional. Employees seemed pretty happy, which is always a good thing. 5 stars for service.

Itinerary: We visited Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Costa Maya in that order. In Grand Cayman, we did the Celebrity tour of the island and then onto the 7-mile beach, which was very nice. The price seemed fair and I thought the tour was worthwhile.

In Cozumel, we privately booked Mister Sancho's in Cozumel. While you have to take a cab there and back (about $17 each way), it's all inclusive and the food and drinks are great and well-varied. Don't miss the fresh fish, a local grouper that was fantastic. You can get a whole fish or grilled filet. We went with the filet. Drinks are strong and tasty. Grilled shrimp were outstanding. Yum Yum. Beach and grounds are gorgeous. Highly recommend this. If you buy it on Viator, you might be able to find a tour coupon to reduce the price.

In Costa Maya, we did the Maya Chan resort, again privately. Owner Mark is from my hometown of San Diego and he put together a gorgeous, all-inclusive resort after visiting the town on a cruise himself. Coconut trees everywhere, hammocks, white sand beach, wonderful cocktails and food and again, all-inclusive for about $55 per person, which includes transportation to and from. I cannot recommend Maya Chan highly enough. Great food and drinks and great service. Book this one early, as it sometimes sells out.

Passengers: Varied. Mostly 50-70 with obviously some younger and some older. Non-snobby, somewhat upscale crowd. Everyone was polite and well-behaved. I've seen shouting matches and fights on Carnival. Nothing like that. A pleasant group to sail with.

Cocktail Package: As you may know, Celebrity is throwing in cocktail packages as an incentive to book many of their cruises. This is a great value if you drink. We highly recommend the World Class Bar, featuring really interesting craft cocktails using fresh ingredients and premium liquor. Speaking of premium, I upgraded our basic drink package to the premium package, and that is probably worth doing. Wine by the glass in the restaurant was generally very good and our sommelier was excellent and attentive. 5 stars.

Shopping: Meh. Not impressed. Shops were nice, but I'd like to see more varied merchandise with better pricing. 3 stars.

Disembarkation: Relatively fast and efficient. We had a long layover and did the ship organized Everglades tour and FLL airport drop off. While I thought they were well done, the weather was unusually cold which made the experience less-than-pleasant. Not their fault though and it's a great way to kill time and get to the airport if you have a later flight. 5 stars.

Overall: We had a terrific time. While the lobster tails were not quite as big as they used to be, and the filet mignon wasn't quite as thick or yummy, we had a really exceptional time. Even though I haven't sailed on Celebrity much, I'd certainly consider it a "go to" cruise line. If you want a truly first class experience at a fair, but not cheap, price, there's not a lot of serious competition.

Clean, quiet and comfortable. Minimal motion. Slight obstruction below from lifeboats, but nothing worth worrying about.