Having spent an enjoyable holiday aboard Eclipse I can only endorse everything Dr Paul has to say about this holiday. We have travelled on most of the cruise lines at some time or another, and have never felt we were being conned for every penny on board. Whilst the ship is delightful and food extremely good, we were disgusted at the cost of drinks on board. Whilst on holiday we always have a bottle of wine each night, but because of the cost made a bottle do for two nights. Celebrity should be aware that they will price themselves out of the market, if they continue along these lines.
The cost of shore excursions were also prohibitive, and we heard many complaints about this. Because of the cost we did not take any excursions, once again Celebrity loosing money. When we were in Venice last year, we had a shuttle bus to take us right into the water bus station, free of charge, but Celebrity charged $20 per person for a shuttle boat to St. Marks Square, once again extortionate.
With regard to the entertainment, on the whole it was good, but the pianist and the ventriloquist had people leaving the theatre in their droves. We also felt the first of the cruise company shows was aimed at a far younger audience than those cruising today. It was so load we heard complaints from quite a few people that they came out of the theatre with a headache. As you said, Dr. Paul, Dru think of your clientele. We very much enjoyed Michaels Club when Rik Steele was playing, and had to hurry to get to the bar after the show as he was so popular.
We felt, whilst the cabin was a good size, the overall storage was not good. The cupboard above the bed was so inaccessible as to be practically useless. There were not enough drawers or shelves to put folded shirts etc. We enjoyed having the balcony which we used quite a bit. The reason for this, was that we were able to sit quietly and read, without the distraction of piped music all the time.