Celebrity Eclipse Review
Rating by category
Additional details
What a cruise! Our trip began in Atlanta on June 14 as we flew Delta to London. Inadequate long-term parking at the international terminal required that we park in the park and ride lots near the domestic terminal. We had to take two shuttles to get to the international terminal – what a hassle! However, we had a great flight with excellent service. Unfortunately, it took 2.5 hours to clear immigration at Heathrow Airport and another two hours to get our luggage and travel to our hotel in downtown London - just what you do not want to endure after an 8-hour flight. Traffic in London was terrible.
In order to experience London prior to our cruise, we booked a four-night Pre-Stay in London through Celebrity Cruises. We stayed at the Grange St. Paul Hotel – the hotel was fantastic. An excellent daily buffet breakfast was included. Our tour group consisted of 11 individuals from CA, PA, IL, NJ, and FL. We became friends with Mike and Jan from Illinois, enjoyed having lunch and visiting with them on several occasions on the cruise, and look forward to seeing them on future cruises. The Pre-Stay consisted of a day and a half of guided tours, including a half day in London and a day into the countryside (Cotswald area) to visit two small villages and a trip to Bath, England. We really enjoyed the tours, especially the trip into the country and to Bath. Celebrity had a representative stationed at the hotel during the day to facilitate our stay. Margaret was our tour guide and she was awesome!
The hotel was conveniently located as we walked to St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower of London, London Bridge, and the Borough Market in our free time. We had dinner at the Café Rouge next to the hotel – food was very good. We also enjoyed picking up a quick sandwich and soft drinks at the EAT cafes – they seemed to be on every corner. The Pre-Stay package included transfers from the airport to the hotel, hotel to the pier (South Hampton – a two hour trip by bus), and a return transfer from the pier to the airport. I highly recommend the London Pre-Stay package. The Pre-Stay operator did a great job featuring London and coordinating all of our activities and transportation.
Cabin Review
Deluxe Veranda 1A
The cabin was in an excellent location near mid-ship and was just a few yards from the elevators. It was also across the card room, which was a short cut to the elevators. The cabin was clean and well maintained.