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  • Introduction

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  • Concierge Class

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  • Beer & Wine

  • Mixed Drinks

  • Drink Packages

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  • Bistro on Five

  • Café al Bacio and Gelateria

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  • Retail

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  • Introduction
  • Overview
  • Overview
  • Bedroom
  • Bathroom
  • Features
  • Family Veranda
  • Ocean View
  • Deluxe Ocean View
  • Sky Suite
  • Sunset Veranda
  • Concierge Class
  • Royal Suite
  • Celebrity Suite
  • Penthouse Suite
  • AquaClass
  • Overview
  • Overview
  • Presentation
  • Food
  • Drinks
  • Dining
  • Overview
  • Beer & Wine
  • Mixed Drinks
  • Drink Packages
  • Non-alcoholic Options
  • Bistro on Five
  • Café al Bacio and Gelateria
  • AquaSpa Café
  • Overview
  • Grand Foyer
  • Video Arcade
  • Relaxation Lounge
  • Library
  • Card Room
  • Team Earth
  • Celebrity iLounge
  • AquaSpa
  • AquaSpa and Fitness Center
  • AquaSpa and Fitness Center
  • Basketball Court
  • Galleria Boutiques
  • Photo Gallery
  • Art Gallery
  • Shops on the Boulevard
  • Sundries Shop
  • Celebrity iLounge
  • Celebrity Destinations
  • Cellar Masters
  • Quasar
  • X Club
  • Fun Factory
  • Celebrity Central
  • Patio on the Lawn
  • Eclipse Theater
  • Celebrity Central
  • Solarium
  • Pool Deck
  • Deck 5
  • The Lawn Club
  • Solstice Deck
  • Solarium
  • Deck 14
  • Pool Deck
  • Ship Tour Overview
  • Staff
  • Tipping
  • Dress Codes and Alcohol Policy
  • Loyalty Programs
  • General Health and Safety
  • Clinics
  • Smoking Regulations
  • Overview
  • Overview
  • Overview
  • Conclusion
  • Overview
  • Food
  • Drinks
  • Additional Details
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Introduction


Overview

There are three basic types of cabins, plus various suites on Celebrity Eclipse. Least expensive are the Interior cabins, which represent about 10 percent of the total berths, followed by Ocean View (which are actually a tad smaller than Interior). There are lots of cabins with verandas, a 54-square-foot deck with two chairs and a table; premium veranda units face aft.

One can also invest in Concierge Class or Aqua Class, with added services and amenities designated for veranda cabins in the best locations. Concierge guests receive early embarkation and debarkation, wine, fruit and flowers at check-in, an expanded breakfast menu, nightly hors d’oeuvres, and a massaging showerhead. AquaClass guests receive those extras plus a pillow menu, complimentary bathroom amenities, unlimited access to the Persian Garden and can dine in the restaurant Blu.

We were inside, but comfortable in most respects.


Overview

Inside cabins represent about 10 percent of the room inventory on Celebrity Eclipse and, being the least expensive cabin available, we didn’t expect anything grand. But the size—about 183 square feet—was reasonable for two people. The one key downside was an awkward closet that proved more trouble than it was worth. The cabin was serviced twice daily and our ice bucket refilled without prompting (ice machines are otherwise not available to guests).

Bedroom

{{photo_gallery "Cabin 1 Bedroom Photos"}}

Our bed was two single mattresses linked to create a queen-size bed; the seam between the two mattresses was noticeable but not too annoying. The mattress was relatively firm with a pillow-top and four pillows; it provided a good night’s sleep. At the foot of the mattress each corner was rounded, making it easier to navigate the confined space.

Bathroom

{{photo_gallery "Cabin 1 Bathroom Photos"}}

A backsplash of copper-y mosaic tile provides an accent behind the sink, otherwise the bathroom was short on décor. It was also small, as we expected, but there was good storage space for two people—seven stacked shelves each large enough for typical travel kit, plus larger shelf under the sink and a pair of small drawers suitable for jewelry and incidentals.

Towels varied in quality—some were plush and full, others were thin and frayed. A sign indicated we could hang towels on the rack if we wanted to use them again, or leave on the floor to replace, however ours were replaced some days even if they were hung on the rack.

The bathroom could have used a makeup mirror, and a line for hanging wet swimsuits would have been nice. One unexpected inclusion was a handy footrest in the shower for shaving legs.

Features

{{photo_gallery "Cabin 1 Features Photos"}}

There were reading lights on either side of the bed—both illuminated the whole sleeping area. Five switches controlled the individual lights in the room, one of which was on a dimmer; a master switch that turned all lights off next to the entry door. There was one additional light fixture for the bathroom only.

Above the bed were two extended compartments where a pair of pool towels were stashed. This was nice “bonus” storage, though we didn’t use the compartments (we were afraid of leaving something there when it was time to check out!).

Our major complaint: The maximum opening of closet was no more than 18 inches, making it difficult to store luggage or reach behind the side closed off by the doors (also, the sofa was positioned less than 12 inches from right side of closet doors). Otherwise there was decent storage space for two, primarily in the drawers next to the minibar; luggage could also be stored under the bed.

The large flat-screen TV—a 32-inch Samsung—was mounted to the wall in the middle of the room. It could be pulled out and angled toward the bed though the hinge was very tight and required some muscle to maneuver.

Channel selection was limited on our cruise—major networks were not available, but CNBC, Fox and BBC were. There was no DVD player in our room but there was a pay-per-view library of about 50 movies, mostly recent releases—$9.98 each. The TV had some interactive features, the most useful of which accessed room service, including add-ons like flowers, chocolates, cruise mementoes, etc. We did not stay in the rest of these cabins, but we have summaries here provided by Celebrity Cruises. Note that any photos on this page may be provided directly by the cruise line and not our reviewer.


Family Veranda

By far the largest Stateroom with a veranda - plenty of room for you and the family.

Ocean View

Window staterooms with a sitting area where you can kick back and relax after a day that has been as busy or relaxing as you want it.

Deluxe Ocean View

Spacious stateroom located throughout the ship with a layout the same as AquaClass®.

Sky Suite

When you stay in a Sky Suite, you'll enjoy the luxury of European-style butler service. This includes assistance with unpacking and packing. In-suite lunch and dinner service. Afternoon tea. Evening hors d'oeuvres and complimentary espresso and cappuccino.

Sunset Veranda

These are some of our best located rooms - found at the aft of the ship with a similar layout to AquaClass® Staterooms.

Concierge Class

The AquaClass® staterooms offer a tranquil retreat and provide unlimited access to many of the AquaSpa® amenities.

Royal Suite

When you stay in a Royal Suite, you'll enjoy the luxury of European-style butler service. This includes assistance with unpacking and packing. In-suite lunch and dinner service. Afternoon tea. Evening hors d'oeuvres and complimentary espresso and cappuccino.

Celebrity Suite

When you stay in a Celebrity Suite, you'll enjoy the luxury of European-style butler service. This includes assistance with unpacking and packing. In-suite lunch and dinner service. Afternoon tea. Evening hors d'oeuvres and complimentary espresso and cappuccino.

Penthouse Suite

When you stay in one of our Penthouse Suites, you'll enjoy the luxury of European-style butler service. This includes assistance with unpacking and packing. In-suite lunch and dinner service. Afternoon tea. Evening hors d'oeuvres and complimentary espresso and cappuccino.

AquaClass

The AquaClass® staterooms offer a tranquil retreat and provide unlimited access to many of the AquaSpa® amenities.

Our standard inside cabin covered the basics pretty well.


Overview

Two plugs at the desk handled 110 and 220 volt, and a plug at the top of the bathroom mirror could be used for shavers. A hair dryer was provided and the closet had a couple bathrobes. There was a 32-inch flat-screen TV that could be angled towards the couch or bed. The WiFi signal was adequate if not exactly swift. A safe was tucked away above the stocked minibar, and there was a small desk that was adequate for a laptop but not much more. A liter of bottled water was $4.50.

{{photo_gallery "Cabin Amenities Photos"}}

Delivery was prompt and efficient, but maybe they could have spent a few more minutes brewing and toasting?


Overview

Room service was available 24 hours a day—almost. The breakfast menu can be delivered between 6:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., by hanging a check-off ticket outside the cabin the night before. The regular menu, inside the room directory, is offered between 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. All meals can be ordered by phone or by using an interactive system on the TV monitor.

Compared to the selection on some ships, the room service menu was not extensive on Celebrity Eclipse, thought the breakfast menu covered the conventional turf well.

Presentation

Meals are brought on a wide plastic tray, covered with metal lids or plastic wrap. The plates are oversized (up to 12½-inch), which means a full meal (soup or salad plus entrée plus dessert, all on separate plates) doesn’t fit on the tray or the coffee table. Salt and pepper came in paper packets.

{{photo_gallery "In-Room Dining Presentation Photos"}}

Food

For breakfast, there were seven choices of juice, and hot beverages included five types of tea plus hot chocolate. Fruits included a fruit plate, half grapefruit, seasonal melon and whole banana. Also available were cold and hot cereals, omelets, French toast and pancakes, and sides of meat and hash browns.

We ordered breakfast one morning using the TV monitor. A call came from the kitchen 14 minutes after ordering to say our breakfast was on the way; and 4 minutes later the cabin steward knocked on the door—18 minutes from order to delivery. The eggs over easy were fine, with nice runny yolks; there was a surfeit of bacon. The English muffin was warm but not toasted, as we prefer, accompanied by packaged butter and marmalade. But the coffee, served in a small metal pitcher, was weak and undrinkable. There were no additional garnishments on the tray.

We ordered lunch by phoning Room Service. After taking the order, the attendant said our order would be delivered within the next 35 minutes—it actually arrived just 16 minutes later. This lunch was just fine with one exception: The chicken noodle soup arrived lukewarm (despite a plastic wrap cover) and the noodles turned out to be full-length spaghetti noodles—farcical when tackled with a soup spoon. Otherwise, the grilled salmon was tasty, and came with a side of caper vinaigrette, a large portion of white rice plus a side of grilled vegetables drenched in basil olive oil. Dessert of warm apple pie was satisfying.

{{photo_gallery "In-Room Dining Food Photos"}}

Drinks

Our room had a small fridge stocked with various drinks. Hard liquors included 50 ml “nip” bottles of gin, vodka, bourbon, rum and scotch ($6 each), Remy Martin VSOP ($8.50), splits of white and red wine ($15), beer and water. There was one can each of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Ginger Ale, Club Soda and Tonic Water, all $2. A 1-liter bottle of Evian water was $4.50.

A small selection of beer and wine was available by the glass through room service.

Dining

With 10 different options for dining on small bites and full-scale meals, the variety on offer was impressive.

Although we had several decent meals, there were only a few in which every course hit all the right notes. This was a surprise, as Celebrity heralds its cuisine as “world-class” in its marketing. But although the variety was solid, we wished the food had been a little more consistent, especially considering the $30-$40 surcharge imposed at the three main specialty venues.

There were two dining packages available for the specialty restaurants. One was $99 for dinner at each of the three main options (a $110 value), the other was $139 for five dinners (a $180 value). But on our cruise we were offered (and took advantage of) a 20 percent discount when booking and dining at one of the specialty restaurants on the night of embarkation, almost negating the value of the first dining package. The quality of our meals at the specialty restaurants wasn’t consistent enough for us to recommend locking in the five-dinner package.

From Bud and Red Stripe to high-end champagnes and vodkas, Celebrity Eclipse kept our thirst quenched.


Overview

With a dozen bars available at various points in the day, there was no shortage of imbibing options on Celebrity Eclipse. A couple options we particularly liked were the Sunset Bar (especially at the titular hour), and the Molecular Bar, where creative, one-of-a-kind cocktails were the order of the day. A 15 percent service charge is added to all drink orders. The minimum age for drinking is 21.

Beer & Wine

Available at most of the bars on Celebrity Eclipse was a short selection of domestic (U.S.) beers at $4.50 with imports and premiums including Corona, Red Stripe, Stella Artois, Newcastle Brown Ale and Guinness, ranging $5-$6. Heineken and Amstel Light was on tap at some bars, for $5.

Wine by the glass included Bollini Pinot Grigio, Clifford Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Beringer White Zinfandel, Rutherford Ranch Merlot and Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Pinot Noir, at prices ranging $5.50 to $8.50. For sparkling, Domaine Chandon Brut Classic ($9) and Vigneti Fantinel Prosecco ($7) were available. The wine list varied by restaurant, but Moonlight Sonata (the main dining room) and Blu appeared to have the full ship selection.

Note that although wine prices from one restaurant to the next appeared to be constant, on our cruise by-the-glass prices were not always consistent with those at Cellar Masters, the ship’s wine bar. For instance, at Cellar Masters a 5-oz pour of Conundrum’s Proprietary White was priced $15.64, while the same wine by the glass (presumably also a standard 5-oz pour) was $12 at the restaurants Qsine and Blu. Dolcetto d’Ovada from Piedmont was $9.20 at Cellar Masters and $10 at Tuscan Grill.

{{photo_gallery "Beer & Wine Photos"}}

Mixed Drinks

There was a standard drink menu on Celebrity Eclipse of cocktails available at most of the bars. Caribbean-inspired drinks include Pirate’s Punch (rum, coconut rum, pineapple and orange juice), Pineapple Ginger Mojito (rum, ginger liqueur, lime and pineapple juice, mint and simple cyrup). Frozen drinks include Pyrat Alexander (rum, coffee liqueur, amaretto, ice cream and whipped cream) and the Tropical Spice Daiquiri (spiced rum, coconut rum, pineapple juice and mango purée. “Up” drinks served martini style included Pair of Roses (Grey Goose La Poire vodka, rose syrup, lemon juice and splash of soda), Blueberry Breeze (blueberry vodka, agave nectar, lime, blueberry and pineapple), and the Fresh Cucumber Gimlet (gin, lime juice, cucumber and simple syrup). All are priced $6.50-$8.50.

{{photo_gallery "Mixed Drinks Photos"}}

Drink Packages

The beverage packages on Celebrity Eclipse are worth investigating, even for non-drinkers. These include a bottled water package ($12 per day per guest), unlimited soda ($7/day) and a non-alcoholic package ($14-$18/day). Wine packages start at $99 for three bottles. The Premium drink package was $54 per day and availed unlimited drinks priced up to $12—this included the swanky $12 cocktails at Molecular Bar. Watch for pre-cruise discounts that bring prices down. But still allow for a 15 percent service charge tacked on to the package prices.

Non-alcoholic Options

Celebrity’s line of non-alcoholic drinks are called Zero-Proof Cocktails, all priced $4. Among these were Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade, Rainbow Punch (orange, lime and pineapple juice, Grenadine and simple syrup, Angostura Bitters and a splash of soda) and the Watermelon Tropic (watermelon syrup, pineapple and lime juice).

O’Doul’s non-alcoholic beer was available at most bars for $5. Soft drinks were $2. A vacation on Celebrity Eclipse was as busy and engaging—or not—as we wanted it to be.


There was one coffee house, Café al Bacio, located on Deck 5 mid-ship, serving espresso-fueled drinks. Coffee was available 24 hours from the Oceanview Café up top, though this was pretty undistinguished stuff.


Bistro on Five

The fourth of the specialty restaurants on Celebrity Eclipse, Bistro on Five is, as the name implies, a casual eatery on Deck 5. There is a $5 surcharge for a meal of crepes—sweet or savory—with other choices paninis, a chef’s salad and daily soup. With simple dishes made to order, we found this bright, attractive room and small surcharge to be a worthwhile investment for a change of pace.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 8 Overview Photos"}}

Food

Our chef’s salad was decent, with crisp greens, dice egg whites, kalamata olives, chunks of ham and other goodies—our only complaint was that we would have preferred a more interesting lettuce than iceberg. While some of the crepes had a breakfast-y bent, we opted for the hot and spicy shredded steak crepe, which was tangy with cheese and jalapeno. Coupled with a dulce de leche crepe for dessert this added up to a good light lunch.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 8 Food Photos"}}

Drink

A small selection from the ship’s wine list was on hand.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 8 Drink Photos"}}

Additional Details

Open from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. daily, we never observed Bistro on Five close to full, making this 62-seat venue a pleasant option to escape the occasional crowds.

Café al Bacio and Gelateria

This two-sided, 54-seat venue has the ship’s coffee stand on one side and a gelato bar on the other, united by a common seating area with high-backed and barrel-shaped leather chairs.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 9 Overview Photos"}}

Food

A chilled case offered bite-size pastries and sandwiches at no charge, with the selection evolving through the day. The small bites are a treat—if one worked at it you could create a small meal from them.

We imbibed in a few of the gelati and liked the hazelnut and the mint flavors best (some others lacked oomph). Dishes or cones of gelato are $3-$5, accompanied by assorted sprinkles if desired.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 9 Food Photos"}}

Drink

At the café, espresso drinks are constructed using Lavazza Coffee products, at prices ranging $3-$4.50, with fancier concoctions—such as the Espresso Melba (peaches, hot chocolate, whipped cream)—running $5-$6. A selection of teas is also available for $4, and iced tea for $5. Any drink can be plussed-up with a shot of flavored syrup—almond, cherry, vanilla, etc.—for 50 cents.

We found our caramel macchiato to be cloying and sugary—much sweeter than the same-named drink from Starbucks.

Additional Details

Café al Bacio served from 7:00 a.m. till 1:00 a.m.

AquaSpa Café

Located next to the Solarium Pool, this is a good spot for quick meals, served buffet style. With just nine tables (seating four each), we found all tables were filled within a few minutes of opening for lunch, leaving us to eat our meal perched on a marble wall. But tables turn quickly and for breakfast another morning we had no problem securing a seat.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 10 Overview Photos"}}

Food

Breakfast included plates of individual fruits, yogurt and granola with berries served parfait-style, and a nice selection of breads (loved the orange brioche).

At lunch there was a small salad bar with lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, large chunks of white onion, bean sprouts, shredded cheddar cheese and cold meats—turkey, ham and tuna. Prepared plates included small portions of gilled veggies and cold cuts, fresh water shrimp and avocado, sliced turkey and mushroom with Roquefort dressing, and a grilled chicken salad. For soup, cold melon ginger was offered.

A couple a la carte offerings could also be ordered: broiled, steamed or poached salmon or tuna and grilled or seared pork loin or chicken breast. There was an organic poached fruits bar; two we liked were peach poached in honey, cinnamon, thyme and rosemary, and pear with vanilla, orange zest and star anise. Desserts included peach compound and passion fruit reduction and a raspberry tart, and there was a frozen yogurt machine.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 10 Food Photos"}}

Drink

Assorted flavored vitamin waters and bottled water were available (for a charge), plus fruit punch, orange juice and coffee.

Additional Details

AquaSpa Café was open from 7:30 to 10:00 a.m. for breakfast, and from 12 noon till 2:30 p.m. for lunch.

Overview

There were lots of lounges to keep us occupied.


Grand Foyer

Located at Deck 3 mid-ship, this 12-story atrium is the focus of many activities, including the guest services desk and shore excursion desk. It can be very quiet during the day here, with an empty bar (Passport Bar) waiting for the odd customer, but during the evening hours this area springs to life, especially just prior to the two dinner seatings at Moonlight Sonata next door. Midway up the atrium, a large ficus tree sprouts from a giant metal sphere suspended next to the elevator shaft, a pretty nifty conceit—we’re just glad we don’t have to do the watering.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 13 Overview Photos"}}

Shows and Performances

Nightly musical entertainment here is often quite good (it can be seen and heard from decks 4 and 5 mid-ship as well).

Video Arcade

Actually, quarters aren’t in use here—you’ll use your room key or dollar bills to obtain arcade credits used to play. More than a dozen video games plus an air hockey table were available.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 26 Overview Photos"}}

Relaxation Lounge

Presumably, this small space located at the front of Deck 11 is designated for those using the ship’s spa services. Though attended, we found it open to those of us not using the spa, and it was a quiet area for reading and relaxing. Coffee, tea and cold water were available.

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Library

This impressive, two-story lounge on Deck 11 is a great spot for sitting and reading, especially when the sun beams through the atrium. Celebrity Eclipse had an above-average lending library, with no borrowing formalities observed.

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Card Room

This open area on Deck 9 has tables and chairs set up for card games, and chess and backgammon sets are also available. Games were scheduled for 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. daily, but the space can be used by anyone at any time.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 42 Overview Photos"}}

Team Earth

Team Earth is a two-story lounge at mid-ship on Deck 7, themed around environmental awareness with handmade posters featuring generic platitudes pasted to the walls. A bank of video monitors displayed a loop of images. A giant globe is useful for plotting out future explorations, otherwise this space is little used, but it was a decent spot for reading or playing games.

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Celebrity iLounge

This computer lounge was Apple’s first outlet at sea, and 27 MacBook Pros are available for guest internet. Classes are also offered (at an additional charge). The lighting is fairly bright here, cast by wall-size screens marketing Apple products—it’s not a very relaxing place for web surfing, though we were told that some guests felt the signal was best in this part of the vessel, mid-ship Deck 6.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 44 Overview Photos"}}

Retail

A small selection of Apple products is available for purchase, at prevailing prices—tax-free. As incentive to purchase the more expensive items, a complimentary Internet package is thrown in: Buy an 11-inch MacBook Air ($999) and earn 200 minutes of Internet (valued up to $150), etc.

WiFi on board was .75 per minute, though there were packages that brought the per-minute rate down (38 minutes for $24.95, 90 minutes for $49.95, etc.) along with specials that popped up one several days of the cruise that added bonus minutes to the packages.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 44 Retail Photos"}}

AquaSpa

Celebrity Eclipse boasts one of the largest and most attractive spas at sea.


AquaSpa and Fitness Center

Sparkling with delicate mosaic walls, the handsome, 21,000-square-foot AquaSpa sprawls across Deck 12 forward, with a chunk of real estate on Deck 11 also dedicated for the facility, accessed by a circular stairwell. There is also a full-service salon, the Persian Garden—a spa within the spa—and a large gym. Among the spa treatment rooms were ones designated for couples that had sea views.

The tranquil facility features Elemis products (among others) and treatments are handled by cruise spa giant Steiner Leisure. Prices were higher than comparable treatments at five-star beach resorts, though the quality of the facial we experienced was first-rate. Fifty-minute massages—Swedish, bamboo, stone—ranged $119-$159; 75-minute sessions were $175-$199; the 50-minute couples massage was $269. A variety of facials were available—all 50-minute sessions—and priced $119-$169. Other spa treatments available included Ionithermie, sunless tanning, lime and ginger salt scrub and men’s grooming. All of these were discounted 10 percent on port days, and packages and other specials popped up during the cruise.

The adjoining salon oversaw nail treatments, hair styling and color, waxing, acupuncture, and Botox, Restylane and Perlane cosmetic treatments.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 23 Sports and Fitness Photos"}} From a golf putting green to spinning classes, this is a good ship for active cruisers.


AquaSpa and Fitness Center

Sparkling with delicate mosaic walls, the handsome, 21,000-square-foot AquaSpa sprawls across Deck 12 forward, with a chunk of real estate on Deck 11 also dedicated for the facility, accessed by a circular stairwell. There is also a full-service salon, the Persian Garden—a spa within the spa—and a large gym. Among the spa treatment rooms were ones designated for couples that had sea views.

The tranquil facility features Elemis products (among others) and treatments are handled by cruise spa giant Steiner Leisure. Prices were higher than comparable treatments at five-star beach resorts, though the quality of the facial we experienced was first-rate. Fifty-minute massages—Swedish, bamboo, stone—ranged $119-$159; 75-minute sessions were $175-$199; the 50-minute couples massage was $269. A variety of facials were available—all 50-minute sessions—and priced $119-$169. Other spa treatments available included Ionithermie, sunless tanning, lime and ginger salt scrub and men’s grooming. All of these were discounted 10 percent on port days, and packages and other specials popped up during the cruise.

The adjoining salon oversaw nail treatments, hair styling and color, waxing, acupuncture, and Botox, Restylane and Perlane cosmetic treatments.

Sports and Fitness

Access to the gym onboard Celebrity Eclipse is through the main entrance to the spa. The entry is clearly defined (unlike on some ships), so when we were headed to our workout we didn’t have to navigate treatments rooms or the spa check-in desk.

The gym itself, positioned at the front of Deck 12, is a large facility, with a variety of equipment. Good thing, as on our cruise there was plenty of demand for cardio-vascular machines during peak hours. Two of the six Life Fitness bikes were out of commission during our cruise, which meant there was sometimes a wait for these.

One area of the gym was designated for classes, most of which carried a surcharge; yoga, spinning and pilates classes were $12 each, gravity was $20, body sculpting was $30. A few classes were free of charge.

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Basketball Court

Adjoining the two kids facilities, this court is available for all.

Sports and Fitness

Basketballs and soccer balls are available for impromptu play throughout the day, and a few games were organized, like free throw and 3 on 3.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 29 Sports and Fitness Photos"}} Although there were some unique items to be found, much of what was on display was duplicated by shops at our ports of call.


Galleria Boutiques

About 10 interconnected shops are found on the starboard side of Deck 5. We can only say “about” because the shops blend from one to the next—only the signs out front distinguish one from another.

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Retail

Starting from the end closest to the Eclipse Theater, Adagio and Jasmine sell fragrances for women, with a small section in Adagio devoted to men’s colognes. Most of the tops lines are represented, with the main focus on Chanel and Estee Lauder products. The Showcase features women’s handbags, mainly leather, and primarily from the Fossil and Guess labels. This flows into Moda, where colorful purses by Mary Frances and dresses by Canadian designer Joseph Ribkoff are displayed, along with showy necklaces and some swimwear.

The Men’s Shop sells resort wear by Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Bahama, which segues into The Collection and Pieces of Time, where watches by Marc Jacobs, Citizen, Rado, Tag Hauer and the Joseph and Thomas Windmills line from England. At the Artisan Studio and Exquisites we found larimar pieces from Marahlago and H Stern jewelry; Boutique C had a collection of inlay jewelry by Kabana of India.

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Photographers roam the ship, particularly during designated events (like gangway and embarkation), taking photos of cruisers. Portrait studio photographers are also available for formal sit-down shots. The photos are displayed on racks and available for purchase—$19.95 each for any size up to 8×10. A DVD of the voyage is also available at the end of the cruise, for $34.95.

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Retail

Photo albums, frames and a small selection of cameras are also sold here, along with binoculars, tripods, batteries and memory cards.

On each cruise a different artist is aboard with his or her work. The artist is available to discuss their art and arrange for sales. On our cruise the art was good, and we much preferred this to the art auctions that are common on some ships.

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Shops on the Boulevard

Also known as the Fortunes Casino Shops, this series of interconnected venues was flanked on one side by the casino (perhaps to capture some of your winnings?). Less upscale than the Galleria Boutiques upstairs, this was the place for informal cruise mementoes and sundries.

Retail

Starting from the forward end, Spirits and Such sells liquor, cigarettes and Dominican cigars; note that merchandize purchased here is held until the conclusion of the cruise. Next door, Glitz sells cultured pearl jewelry by Honara, crystals from Swarovski, glass jewelry from Antica Murrina of Venice, and baubles from the Guess and Fossil brands. Serendipity had odds and ends ranging from drug store sundries (sun block, toothpaste, razors, tampons, etc.), snacks, stuffed animals and sunglasses. Last in the line is the Eclipse Shop, where Celebrity Eclipse logo merchandize—caps, T-shirts, etc.—can be purchased, along with Samsonite travel gear.

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Sundries Shop

Located next to the main pools, this spot was handy for outdoor goods left behind. We found sun hats, flip flops, T-shirts and sun block, but a much better selection was available at shops on Deck 4.

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Celebrity iLounge

This computer lounge was Apple’s first outlet at sea, and 27 MacBook Pros are available for guest internet. Classes are also offered (at an additional charge). The lighting is fairly bright here, cast by wall-size screens marketing Apple products—it’s not a very relaxing place for web surfing, though we were told that some guests felt the signal was best in this part of the vessel, mid-ship Deck 6.

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Retail

A small selection of Apple products is available for purchase, at prevailing prices—tax-free. As incentive to purchase the more expensive items, a complimentary Internet package is thrown in: Buy an 11-inch MacBook Air ($999) and earn 200 minutes of Internet (valued up to $150), etc.

WiFi on board was .75 per minute, though there were packages that brought the per-minute rate down (38 minutes for $24.95, 90 minutes for $49.95, etc.) along with specials that popped up one several days of the cruise that added bonus minutes to the packages.

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Celebrity Destinations

For those who are sold on the Celebrity style of cruising, this small office handles bookings for future cruises. Reserving a berth here avails shipboard credits on a future cruise.

{{ gallery "Venue 45 Overview Photos" }} The crew kept us as busy as we wanted to be.


Cellar Masters

Cellar Masters is a 24-hour wine bar—unattended in the morning hours—where about 64 wines are available by the glass, using Enomatic Wine Preservation machines that dispense wines directly from the sealed bottle (inert gas preservation minimizes the oxygen which would otherwise change the wine’s character). This allows relatively high-end wines to be dispensed days after opening without substantial alteration.

Other Activites

Most of the ship’s wine activities are conducted here, priced $10-$20 for various tasting seminars.

Quasar

The ship’s disco gets going at various hours, with the musical focus highlighted in the daily ship newsletter. On some evenings, musical trivia games start the party, another night the DJ had a Rat Pack-focused lineup of tunes, while on another ballroom dancing was scheduled. But by 9:30 or 10:30 p.m. the energy shifted to one dominated by solid beats, albeit focused more on hits of the past couple decades more than today’s sound. An adjoining bar serves drinks.

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X Club

X Club was the place for teens to hang and activities were scheduled throughout the day and till late at night, including teens-only dance parties, scavenger hunts and dodge ball in the adjoining basketball court. In addition to ample games and activities on offer, there was a coffee machine and ice cream maker.

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Fun Factory

Also on Deck 15 and designed for kids age 3 to 11, the Fun Factory was open from 9:00 a.m to 1:00 a.m. each day of the cruise. Activities included karaoke, crafts, treasure hunts and talent shows. A few activities carried an additional charge of $6 per hour, such as the dinner party and slumber party. The venue has a private entrance to the Basketball Court, where kids can burn off energy during supervised games.

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Celebrity Central

This wide, 185-seat theater is used for lectures, bingo, viewing major sporting events and the nightly movie. Seats at the side had limited or no visibility of the screen, and the quality of movie presentations was pretty marginal.

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Read our review of the theater entertainment on the Celebrity Eclipse.


Patio on the Lawn

This unusual concept is another exclusive to the Celebrity line, a live glass blowing show conducted daily on the top deck of Eclipse. Just three ships have a home for this unique feature (Equinox and Solstice as well) and it was definitely an appealing element of our journey on the Celebrity Eclipse.

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Shows and Performances

The two-hour shows are hosted by three staff-members from the Corning Museum of Glass, and beautiful glass pieces are produced at each show, with one of the Corning staff explaining the techniques being used as the pieces are fired in a pair of glowing ovens. The venue seats about 103 guests in an open-air environment (only partly covered from the elements). Shows at the beginning of the cruise were overflowing, with overhead monitors available to watch the action from the surrounding lawn.

As a non-profit entity, Corning does not allow glass pieces produced on the ship to be sold. However at the conclusion of each show one or two pieces are raffled off to lucky attendees.

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Eclipse Theater

This attractive theater seats more than 1100 and is built for spectacles.

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Shows and Performances

The ship-sized spectacular Eclipse: The Show is a Cirque du Soleil-style review, performed on one evening of our cruise. Ten acrobats and a team of singers perform the 45-minute show, and the fact that these acts are performed on a stage that’s gently undulating (when at sea) makes the derring-do all the more impressive. Other shows here were more traditional music and dance reviews that showed off the venue’s trap doors. On one evening a medley of Beatles songs was chased by various pop songs of the 70s and later; on another, a comedy and juggling act took center stage.

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Celebrity Central

This wide, 185-seat theater is used for lectures, bingo, viewing major sporting events and the nightly movie. Seats at the side had limited or no visibility of the screen, and the quality of movie presentations was pretty marginal.

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Music-lovers will find much to celebrate on Celebrity Eclips


The casino on Celebrity Eclipse stayed busy whenever we were at sea.


Slot machines covered the gamut of traditional games (Double and Triple Diamond, etc.) to modern games like Wheel of Fortune. Next generation slot machines offer new features such as multi-denomination machines that allow the guest to program the denomination being played. Video poker is also available, including slant-top multi-poker games. Table games include roulette, craps, blackjack and various types of poker.

Gambling is allowed for guests 18 and older. The casino has its own bar, offering the ship’s standard drink list.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 47 Overview Photos"}} Deck 12 had the ship’s three pools, but there were other places for sunning.


There are three swimming pools on Celebrity Eclipse. Two outdoor ones located at mid-ship on Deck 12, whole just forward is the Solarium, which has a slightly larger indoor pool in a bright, air-conditioned three-story atrium. The Solarium pool is mostly used by lap swimmers (and it’s child-free) and was never crowded; the two outdoor pools were quite busy whenever the weather was good.

There were six whirlpools: Four outdoors at mid-ship around the main pools, and two more flanking the Solarium pool. Again, the whirlpools in the Solarium were less busy.

The ship has lots of real estate devoted to sun decks, but most people crowded around the main pools at mid-ship, on both decks 12 and 14. There simply weren’t enough loungers here on sunny sea days. But sun was also available at the Lawn Club—though lawn games are played on the turf there was usually a place for spreading out. Another great space for sunning (sans pool bar) was on the Solstice Deck, Deck 16, where there were about 50 loungers available.

A sunny deck overlooked by many guests (and not shown on ship deck plans) was the area flanking the basketball court on Deck 15. There were a few dozen loungers available, and few people using them. When the sun was right, Deck 5 was also a good sunspot, and little used. The main pools are pro forma, but the indoor Solarium pool adds a graceful touch of class to Celebrity Eclipse.


Solarium

The Solarium is a covered space at mid-ship, and the mostly-glass roof allows a lot of natural light; it is also air-conditioned. The pool is slightly elongated, which makes it better than the main outdoor pools for lap-swimming (it’s still a pretty short lap). There is a good number of loungers and, unlike the ones located outdoors, we never observed them all in use. A pair of small heated whirlpools flanks the pool, and the AquaSpa Café provides good bites close by.

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Pool Deck

Two side-by-side pools sit at mid-ship on Deck 12, ringed by four whirlpools. Although the space is all-outdoors, there is a good amount of shaded area on either side of the pools. But when the weather was good while at sea, every lounger was taken by mid-morning, and most never seemed to free up.

A stage is used for performances through the day—the ship’s party band put in an appearance here daily, and other acts were featured. There were also activities here: pool volleyball on several afternoons, dance lessons on another.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 40 Overview Photos"}} The decks around the main pools were crowded, but we found at least one unadvertised hideaway for sunning.


Deck 5

On either side of Deck 5 is a long walkway below the lifeboats that is nice for stretching the legs or sunning, but it doesn’t circle the ship. Smoking is allowed on the Port side.

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The Lawn Club

Nearly a half-acre of real turf blankets much of Deck 15 aft, and a journey on Celebrity Eclipse will ensure that you’ll never take your lawn at home for granted again. We were told the lawn had been replaced a couple weeks prior to our cruise, and the conditions were tip-top—perfect for arranging a memorable picnic on good sea days. It’s also a place for light sports, starting with a three-hole putting course.

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Solstice Deck

There are no facilities on this desk, but that doesn’t keep a large contingent of cruisers from using this breezy deck for sunning and napping on the loungers. There are planters with grass sprouting from them, but we found the grass dead and brown during our cruise.

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Solarium

The Solarium is a covered space at mid-ship, and the mostly-glass roof allows a lot of natural light; it is also air-conditioned. The pool is slightly elongated, which makes it better than the main outdoor pools for lap-swimming (it’s still a pretty short lap). There is a good number of loungers and, unlike the ones located outdoors, we never observed them all in use. A pair of small heated whirlpools flanks the pool, and the AquaSpa Café provides good bites close by.

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Deck 14

A jogging/walking track circuits mid-ship—five loops equals a kilometer, eight loops is a mile. The track was well trod during our cruise. There are lots of loungers here, supplementing the limited supply located around the pool, so this is the ship’s main area for sunning.

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Pool Deck

Two side-by-side pools sit at mid-ship on Deck 12, ringed by four whirlpools. Although the space is all-outdoors, there is a good amount of shaded area on either side of the pools. But when the weather was good while at sea, every lounger was taken by mid-morning, and most never seemed to free up.

A stage is used for performances through the day—the ship’s party band put in an appearance here daily, and other acts were featured. There were also activities here: pool volleyball on several afternoons, dance lessons on another.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 38 Overview Photos"}} The crew did a great job looking out for our vacation.


Service was uniformly excellent on Celebrity Eclipse. This included our cabin attendant, who made himself available for special requests at odd hours, and from wait staff in the restaurants. On the third day of the cruise, the concierge desk called the room to inquire if all our expectations were being met, a nice personalized touch.

Ship announcements were not piped into our cabin, but could be heard from the hallway. There were usually two announcements daily: one from the ship captain and a second from the cruise director. Announcements were made in English and most were translated (usually abbreviated) into Spanish. With 13 public decks, Celebrity Eclipse is a fairly large ship to explore; fortunately, signage and directions were clear throughout.


Ship Tour Overview

At embarkation guests are allowed to bring on board two bottles of wine, per cabin. A corkage fee of $25 per bottle applies to these bottles when opened by dining staff.


Staff

Before re-boarding the ship at ports of call, cold towels and ice water and tea are offered next to a couple couches—it’s a good way of handling the line when a large number of passengers decide to board at once.

Tipping

Celebrity recommends a tip of $11.50 per day, per guest for crewmember services, other than bartenders. The charge is automatically added to the bill during the cruise (and, according to Celebrity, 48 hours prior to disembarkation the amounts are locked in).

For bar service a 15 percent service charge is automatically added onto all beverage tabs, including minibar purchases.

Dress Codes and Alcohol Policy

Dress on Celebrity Eclipse was fairly casual by day, but suits and cocktail dresses came out on formal nights, usually two nights of a seven-night cruise.

For Celebrity, formal is a cocktail dress, gown or pant suite for ladies and a tux, suit or dinner jacket with slacks for gentlemen (full or partial tuxes can be rented from guest relations). On other nights, after 6:00 p.m. “smart casual” is the minimum: Skirt or pants for ladies with sweater or blouse, pants with sports shirt or sweater for the gents.

T-shorts, swimsuits, robes, bare feet, tank tops, sports caps and pool wear are not allowed into the dining room or specialty restaurants at any time.

Loyalty Programs

Celebrity’s frequent-cruise program is the Captain’s Club. Guests may enroll in the program following their first cruise with Celebrity. Cleanliness and safety issues seemed well thought out.


General Health and Safety

A muster drill was held just prior to embarkation the first day. Names were checked off a list as we arrived for the safety briefing. We were not required to bring life jackets from our cabin to the drill.

Clinics

A medical center is located on Deck 2 and was staffed daily from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. A doctor and nurse are on-call for emergencies at all hours.

Smoking Regulations

Smoking is not permitted in any cabins or their balconies and is prohibited indoors except at the casino and its bar on Deck 4.

Most of the ship’s outdoor areas are also designated as smoke-free, with the following exceptions: Smoking is permitted on Deck 5 on the open deck, port side; on Deck 12 at mid-ship and aft, port side; on Deck 14, at the Mast Bar; and on Deck 15 aft, on the port side at the Sunset Bar. Cigars are permitted only on Deck 15 aft, and there was usually a collection of stogie aficionados gathered here. Though similar in size and age, these two ships deliver very different experiences.


Overview

Carnival Freedom arrived on the scene in 2007, the last in the Conquest class that has proven a big success for Carnival. But it was the first of the line’s ships to get Serenity Retreat, an adults-only pool deck that is a push for the same couples market that Celebrity has long catered to. Food on the Carnival Freedom ranges from fairly simple buffet options to the very satisfying steakhouse. The ship also has a poolside screen, for movies, sporting events and cartoons, and there are self-serve laundry machines.

Debuting in 2010, Celebrity Eclipse was also the last of a class—in this case the Solstice ships, each of which has a top-deck lawn and a wide variety of specialty dining options. Décor on Celebrity Eclipse is sophisticated and contemporary, while Carnival Freedom has an in-your-face approach to interior design that can be off-putting to some. Celebrity Eclipse has slightly more space allocated per passenger, as well as a more favorable crew-to-guest ratio, but there was more clothing storage in our Carnival Freedom cabin. Both ships have “spa cabins” that are located close to the fitness room, featuring upgraded amenities.

With a family in tow, or if vacationing on a budget, we’d probably steer to Carnival Freedom; for more mature, refined environs and a few extra dining choices we’d book a trip aboard Celebrity Eclipse. Of similar age and style, these two ships aim for much the same audience.


Overview

The newest and largest in the Holland America Line, Nieuw Amsterdam began sailing in 2010 and the ship’s polished décor is themed around Manhattan (“Nieuw Amsterdam” is the Dutch name for New York City). Artwork fills the hallways and common areas, the dining aims for upscale, and an elegant ambience pervades. One feature on this ship Eclipse does not have include a dedicated movie theater.

Although the staff-to-guest ratio for the two ships is almost identical, at 121,878 tons and carrying 2,852 passengers (double-occupancy), Celebrity Eclipse is about 40 percent larger than Nieuw Amsterdam. This allows the Eclipse to have a broader range of restaurants, bars and activities, including a few unique ones like the Lawn Club and Hot Glass Show. A smaller percentage of the cabins on Eclipse are interior (no view), and fully 85 percent have private balconies.

If price and itinerary were equal, we’d choose Nieuw Amsterdam for a slightly more intimate cruise experience, and we’d go for Celebrity Eclipse if we wanted a longer list of venues to dine and drink at, a real consideration for a trip of more than 7 days. Though they debuted just months apart, the biggest ships in the Royal Caribbean and Celebrity fleets still represent distinct experiences.


Overview

Holding 2,704 cabins and a crew of more than 2,000, Allure of the Seas (and sister ship Oasis of the Seas) is a massive vessel—more than 80 percent larger than Celebrity Eclipse. In some ways, there is no comparing these experiences. Looking at sheer numbers, Allure tops Eclipse in almost every category, starting by offering almost double the dining options—more than one can sample in a week-long cruise. But on Eclipse the quality of food is better, and there are some intimate venues for dining and drinking. We also didn’t have a problem getting a seat at specialty restaurants on any night aboard Eclipse, whereas the most preferable dining times on Allure were sold out shortly after embarkation.

The passenger space and crew-to-passenger ratios are almost the same, and despite their size we didn’t find traffic flow to be a problem on either ship. But on both vessels, once the sun came out there was a shortage of loungers by the pool.

The biggest difference between the two ships may be the ports of call. Because of its size, Allure of the Seas can be accommodated at only a few Caribbean islands—most ports simply cannot handle a ship of this size. By contrast, Celebrity Eclipse travels to major ports throughout the Caribbean and Mediterranean.

Conclusion

Overall, we enjoyed our experience on Celebrity Eclipse. The ship is beautifully designed, with a relatively sophisticated ambiance. But it’s not ostentatious or cold, as some modern design can become, allowing the environment to cater to a wide spectrum of cruise aficionados. That said, the ship is not for the tracksuit and T-shirt crowd, and couples who want to dress up a little will enjoy themselves.

For an inside stateroom, our cabin was a pretty fair hideaway save one main complaint: storage space was not great and the small closet was awkward to utilize. Beddings were of good quality, though we got annoyed receiving a couple of thin, frayed bathroom towels. The 32-inch TV was generous; if the pay-per-view had been a little cheaper (or if there had been a DVD library) we would have watched a couple movies.

Dining was a mixed bag. When the dishes were good, they were very good—but too often they were followed by something middling. Other than a solid experience at Murano, no venue was consistently great, and with surcharges running $30-$40 for specialty venues we can’t recommend the dining packages Celebrity pitched us at the start of the cruise.

Entertainment offerings were a highlight, both in terms of quality and variety. Every evening there were two or three live musical acts going, sometimes even four at once in various locations around the ship, and during sea days there was music in the afternoon by the main pool. The Hot Glass Show is a great offering, and while shows in Eclipse Theater were not all top-quality, the acrobatic show called Eclipse was pretty awesome.

Despite its size, the Celebrity Eclipse was easy to navigate, with location maps at all major intersections. The ship’s daily newsletter, Celebrity Today, was nicely detailed about the many activities on offer. We appreciated that smoking areas were kept to a minimum, though on a couple days decks 4 and 5 at mid-ship were plagued by a lingering stale cigarette smell (the adjacent casino is the only indoor area where smoking is allowed). And we liked that hand sanitizers were encouraged, especially when entering the two main restaurants, Moonlight Sonata and Oceanview Café.

And finally there was the Lawn Club, a somewhat heady name for a seemingly simple concept: a real half-acre of turf blanketing much of the top deck. We doubt this element is simple to maintain with all the spilled drinks and sea air, but we think it’s a terrific asset. We look forward to enjoying the grass again onboard the Eclipse or another of the ships in Celebrity Cruises’ Solstice Class. Overall, the main dining room delivered satisfying meals.


Overview

Cast in silver and white tones, this two-story venue is an impressive space, dominated at one end by a gleaming, two-story wine tower. This huge operation Moonlight Sonata is open for breakfast and dinner daily, lunch on sea days, and one morning was devoted to an elaborate brunch buffet.

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Food

One side of menu at Moonlight Sonata stays the same throughout the cruise, with a series of favorites: Caesar salad, escargots, lobster bisque, broiled salmon, grilled New York sirloin, apple pie à la mode, and crème brûlée. The right side of the menu changes nightly and was the focus of our ordering. That said, the nightly specials were hit-and-miss.

Salads were generally fresh and spry, though toward the end of the cruise the greens were not as crisp. But the “vine ripined tomato and arugula crostini” made us think we would get something like bruscetta—instead we got four slices of flavorless tomato, five limp arugula leafs and crostini heaped with kalamata olive spread. Cream of broccoli soup was curiously ladled on top of a few sprigs of uncooked broccoli, but a touch of lemon-flavored oil added nice zing to this dish. An appetizer of risotto with solitary scallop and shrimp was mushy and overcooked, the tomato accent heavy-handed. Steak with jerk seasoning was more salty than spicy, though accompanying broccoli was green and not overcooked. Blackened drum fish was tasty, but spices could have been kicked up a notch or two.

On one of the formal nights we skipped the roasted lobster and crab duo—other diners complained that, although it looked great, there was a minimum of lobster in the shell. We took our waiter’s recommendation of the tournedos Rossini and were pretty happy with these pan seared medallions of beef tenderloin. Cheese plate ordered for dessert one night was four slices of grocery store blandness trimmed with grapes—bo-ring, and the baked Alaska on formal night was as inexplicable as always. Why do we get talked into that dish?

At breakfast we found the fruit plate wanting—a few thin slices, neither filling nor flavorful. The half-grapefruit another morning was a better pick. Hot items delivered the goods, like the Greek frittata spiked with kalamata olives, feta and spinach, or the vanilla flavored French toast. Though we didn’t get to them on our cruise we were tempted by the broiled Scottish kippers and steamed smoked haddock. On the last sea day of our cruise the main dining room served brunch with an elaborate spread that included a sushi bar, pastries in lock-step formation, and chocolate fountains—white or dark—with fruit at the ready for dipping.

The happy surprise was lunch. Mesclin salad was fresh, crispy greens and slices of tomato. Our pork with sour kraut was hearty without being heavy, the meat perfectly cooked and set against a mash of peas. Dessert of pineapple fritters was delicious—pineapple chunks dipped in batter and coconut and fried, with a vanilla cream and pot of chocolate sauce. Though not fancy, this was one of our most satisfying meals on the cruise.

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Drinks

Moonlight Sonata has the longest wine list on Celebrity Eclipse as well as the ship’s usual selection of cocktails and non-alcoholic offerings. The huge silver and glass wine tower at one end of the room was a conversation piece, but curiously we never saw waiters obtaining bottles from it.

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Additional Details

For dinner there were two seatings nightly—6:00 and 8:30 p.m. One side of the upper level was devoted to guests who had booked the Celebrity Select dining plan ahead of the cruise; they could arrive any time between 6:00 and 9:30 p.m. There were two formal nights

Breakfast was served from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. daily (earlier on disembarkation day). Lunch was available on sea days from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m., with one sea day late in the cruise devoted to brunch buffet from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The best meal of our cruise was at Murano, an intimate specialty restaurant.


Overview

Perfect for a romantic date night, Murano is a French restaurant inhabiting a 70-seat dining room. The room is made even more intimate by breaking the space up into several sections, and one of the rooms is occupied by a single larger table seating eight or more, flanked by wine cabinets. A minor quibble: Our table was located near the entrance and every time the door opened the restaurant’s (recorded) music soundtrack clashed with the jazz trio playing just outside through much of the meal.

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Food

We booked Murano for the first night of our cruise; doing so availed a 20 percent discount on the $40 surcharge. We put the savings to use by ponying up for the restaurant’s Gastronomic and Vineyard Tour, a five-course food and wine pairing option that added $49 to the surcharge.

The meal started with an “amuse du jour” of pear soup, a fruit puree with a dash of cinnamon that was like a silky applesauce, followed by a fairly ordinary lobster bisque—the soups paled in comparison to the Kistler chardonnay that started the wine pairings. Things perked up from here, with a quail and arugula salad accompanied by slabs of goat cheese—a sprinkle of sugar and swift heating gave them a caramel-crust. The rosé from Chateau Esclan was perfect, and the only thing that would have made it all taste better was a bigger portion served on a sunny terrace in Provence.

A phyllo baked Anjou pear with Roquefort cheese and spiced pecans followed, joined by a delicious sauternes from Barton & Guestier. With the arrival of a palate cleanser—Calvados-spiked green apple sorbet—we realized we had unintentionally ordered a meal of light, often-sweet flavors. Nonetheless, the main course was a treat: turbot (baby halibut) enshrined in a pretty net of thinly-sliced potato and an accent of caramelized orange; joined by an assertive pouilly fume from Ladoucette, this was perhaps the single most sophisticated entrée we had on the Celebrity Eclipse, delicate yet full of flavor. To finish, a dessert of croustillants (we’d call ‘em donuts) plugged with chocolate, hazelnut and lemon cream and served with ice cream was decent, accompanied by a South African dessert wine from Klein Constantia.

Overall, the wine pairing dinner was satisfying and, considering the quality of the accompanying 3-oz. pours (slightly more than a half-bottle in all), it was a fair deal. But with all of these food pairings available on the regular menu as well, we might have enjoyed our meal just as much sharing a well-chosen bottle of wine.

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Drinks

Murano has a strong list of both old and new world wines, with an emphasis on French wineries. Bottles start at about $35 (Benziger Carneros or Alfredo Prunotto Barbera D’Alba), and a selection of half-bottles is also available. Wines by the glass ranged $8-$27, with Perrier Jouët Brut “Grand” Epernay priced at $15.

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Additional Details

Murano is open nightly from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Lunch is sometimes offered at a surcharge, and on our last sea day a champagne high tea was available from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m., for $25. Celebrity calls this specialty restaurant “virtually indescribable.” We’ll take the bait.


Overview

The most unusual restaurant on Eclipse (or perhaps at sea anywhere), Qsine is a cozy 84-seat venue open for dinner only, at a surcharge. The most famous novelty is that the menu is presented on an iPad, which we found fun. Some guests didn’t care for this aspect, and in truth, the iPad didn’t actually make it easier to order—we found ourselves scrolling back and forth between the various offerings (each of which takes most of the screen to describe). On the other hand, we didn’t have to reach for reading glasses in the dim light!

We found the $40 supplement pretty steep, and the restaurant is not for all tastes, but it was an entertaining evening nonetheless. The décor was largely black and white, with upside-down lamps pinned to the ceiling to create a chandelier of sorts. Our only complaint was that the food did not justify the hype.

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Food

The menu at Qsine is definitely quirky (or should we call it qrky?), hewing to no single ethnicity or style—seemingly the only continent unrepresented here was the cuisine of Antarctica (Mexico, Iran and India were a few of the stops on this culinary voyage). Curiously, the menu did not delineate between appetizers and entrées—our waitress recommended we order four or five courses per person. With a pail of forks and spoons on the table, sharing was definitely encouraged.

The only dish we ordered that was truly appetizer sized was lobster escargot—an unusual blend of lobster and escargot meats. The menu called them fritters, but they didn’t seem deep-fried, more like baked meatballs, slathered with garlic butter; the crustacean flavor came through, while the snail meat was definitely in the background. Popcorn Fish ‘n’ Chips was a simple treat, nicely battered cod with Tater Tot-style mash of potato standing in for chips. This was served in an old-fashion popcorn box, with bottles of vinegar and aioli on the side.

The entrée-sized Painter’s Mignon was served on a dish shaped like an artist’s palette, and included “paint buckets” containing a wine reduction, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, sautéed mushrooms and mac and cheese; we only wished the filet mignon had been a slightly better cut, less chewy. A miss for us was the Chinese Martini-chinis, also entrée sized, a collection of five stem-less mini martini goblets filled with a different Asian dishes—orange chicken, kung pao shrimp, sweet and sour pork, etc.—with a side of white rice. The sauces were gloppy and the flavors undistinguished, though with three or four slices of meat in each dish it might be an innocuous appetizer for a small party to share.

Dessert presented more opportunities for showmanship, especially the Cupcake Affair, where naked cupcakes—red velvet and vanilla—were delivered with boxes of do-it-yourself frosting and sprinkles. The chocolate tombstone is a rich slab of chocolate ganache and Nutella sitting atop Rice Crispies—a must for chocoholics. But everyone also got a shot at the tray of real grass with lollipop “flowers” of chocolate covered strawberries poking out. Tucked between the blades of grass were “eggs” filled with crème brûlée—a real Alice in Wonderland finish to the evening.

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Drinks

We loved the cocktail list at Qsine, and the iPad provides the recipes for these amped-up versions of various classics. We ordered the Q-jito, and our waitress brought a tray brimming with ingredients: vials of Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum, Leblon Cachaca, pineapple juice and simple syrup, lime wedges, chunks of pineapple, fresh basil and mint leaves and, for good measure, a slice of jalapeno pepper. All of this was assembled, muddled and poured into a glass over ice—fun. Other drinks available included pineapple julep, something called Corpse Reviver #2, and an elaborate sangria involving St. Germain elderflower liqueur and rose petals.

Although the divergent menu invites mixed drinks, there is a wine list and—given the wide range of food tastes—an admirably robust selection of almost 30 half-bottles starting around $17 for Dry Creek sauvignon blanc going up to $49 for chardonnay from Cakebread Cellars. Full bottles started at about $25 for whites (Tarnas Estates Pinot Grigio) and from about $27 for reds (Tempranillo, Cune, Crianza).

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Additional Details

Qsine is open nightly from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Time it right and the backdrop for this Italian meal could be the highlight of your cruise.


Overview

This Italian restaurant is the largest of the Celebrity Eclipse’s specialty venues, seating about 124. It is a romantic, beautifully decorated room and, taking up the entire breadth of Deck 5 aft, every table has a view of the sea. We chose to dine at Tuscan Grill one evening following a day at port. Although most seating times were open, the maitre’d encouraged us to book our table for 6:00, right when the restaurant opened for dinner. It also happened to be the time of sail-away and, with a few other lucky couples, we were awarded a prime window-side table. As the lines were pulled in and the engines rumbled to life we were treated to a glorious spectacle as the sun set and our port retreated in the distance. This scene alone was worth the evening at Tuscan Grill; alas the food didn’t quite live up to the setting and excellent service.

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Food

Our meal started with a waiter bringing a plate of antipasto, allowing us to choose from the freshly sliced prosciutto and hunks of young parmesan, accompanied by breads—the onion focaccia was wet with olive oil and satisfying. Our waiter recommended the Tuscan onion soup and claimed it was very different from French onion soup; despite using some leeks in the broth and provolone cheese for the seared topping, we found the soup to be pretty similar in taste to the onion soup served in the main dining room (and similarly salty).

A perky salad of arugula benefitted from fresh greens and a dressing of balsalmic vinegar. The frizzled onions on top were a nice accent, but the fried mozzarella balls added up to deep-fry overkill. The New York Strip, another recommendation from our waiter, was fine and the shoestring fries on top a cute embellishment; grilled eggplant and zucchini was on the side. But the tower of steak fries, inexplicably served in fish ‘n’ chips-style English newspaper wrapper, seemed a needless indulgence. When it came time to order dessert we went again with our waiter’s recommendation, a crème brûlée, but the hard caramelized sugar crust on top was soft—perhaps it had been made earlier in the day and left in the fridge?

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Drinks

The wine selection at Tuscan Grill emphasizes Italian wines, starting around $32 (Allegrini Valpolicella Classico Superoire or La Scolca Gavi dei Gavi). By-the-glass options started around $11, with Vigneti Fantinel Prosecco at $7. A nice selection of after-dinner drinks included Lemoncello ($7) and Vin Santo Tenute Marchese Classico ($17).

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Additional Details

Tuscan Grill is open nightly from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Lunch was offered at a $20 surcharge on our last sea day. Open only to guests staying in AquaClass accommodations, this dining room provides an alternative to Moonlight Sonata for the select few.


Overview

This Mediterranean themed restaurant is open only to guests staying in AquaClass accommodations. As we were booked in a standard cabin, we didn’t dine here during our cruise.

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Food

Although we didn’t get to try it, the menu at Blu looked appealing. Celebrity describes the food as “clean cuisine, lighter updates to your favorite dishes.”

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Drinks

The long wine list at Blu placed an emphasis on organic, biodynamic or sustainably produced wines. Selections spanned the globe.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 5 Drink Photos"}} Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, the buffet restaurant had its moments.


Overview

The main buffet option on Celebrity Eclipse, this large venue seats more than 850, with a few more tables outside facing aft, next to the Oceanview Bar. Quality ranged considerably, with the best items being those that didn’t require a lot of preparation or finesse. But with so much variety on offer it was easy to figure out the hits and avoid the misses. And the ice cream bar—open till 9:00 p.m. each night—was a happy find.

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Food

All the breakfast standards are available, including fresh as well as stewed fruits, a bounty of cereals, a carving station (ham), cooked-to-order omelets and various styles of eggs Benedict, and a griddle pouring out pancakes, French toast and more. More exotic fare includes black pudding, congie and bok choy, blintzes with whipped cream, blueberries and strawberries.

The extensive lunch spread includes various pizzas and pastas—both prepared and made-to-order—a carving station, a sandwich station, Chinese, Mexican, Indian and English offerings, a long salad bar, various breads, cheeses, fruits and a dessert section. Lunch dishes we liked included the dal (lentils), mushroom pulau (curried rice with cloves), and the lamb from the Indian section. The ling cod fish and chips was lightly battered and the chips were lively. The Israeli couscous salad was a treat, nicely spiced with lemon, and Yorkshire pudding was a pleasant surprise. We did not care for the panda orange chicken, a Chinese dish that needed more zesty orange. The unimaginative calzone, while not overly doughy, seemed to be plumped with the morning’s leftovers—bacon, link sausage, bell peppers and scrambled eggs. The chocolate chip cookies were adequate; the peanut butter cookies had too little peanut flavor for our taste.

At dinner, the selection was reduced, though the choices were similar to the lunch offerings. One evening we headed to the pasta station and asked for asparagus, onions, bell pepper and bacon to be sautéed for a bowl of penne; tossed with pesto sauce and parmesan, it was one of the most satisfying meals we had, benefitting substantially by being cooked to order.

The dessert choices were most varied at lunch, with baked goods, pastries and more; the ice cream bar was scooping throughout the day and into the evening, with toppings ranging up to M&M size.

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Drinks

The station for complimentary beverages included coffee, tea, and fruit juice from concentrate—orange, apple and fruit punch. At breakfast a waiter circuited the seating area with a cart offering refills of coffee, tea and orange juice. At lunch, lemonade arrived on the scene.

The Oceanview has two bars, one inside and one outside on the small terrace facing aft. In addition to the ship’s standard bar list a few cocktails are available for breakfast, including a mimosa, a bloody mary and a pina colada (here called a Breakfast Colada, with a dash of mango purée added). Beers were $4.50-$6 and glasses of wine ranged $5.50-$8.50. One could also order a mini-decanter (355 ml) of white, rosé or red wine for $9.95.

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Additional Details

Breakfast was served from 6:30 to 11:30 a.m. daily (the full spread wasn’t available for the first 30 and last 60 minutes of the morning shift). Lunch was available from 12 noon to 2:30 p.m. daily, followed by afternoon tea from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. Dinner was from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m., though the sushi station opened at 5:30 p.m. and the pizza/pasta station was available all afternoon. The non-alcoholic drink station was open 24 hours. It’s a snack bar—what did we expect?


Overview

Open daily from 11:30 a.m. till 6:00 p.m., the open-air Mast Grill on Deck 14 is the main dining option for those enjoying the pool.

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Food

The menu is short: hamburgers, turkey burgers, vegetarian burgers and hot dogs. Though not cooked to order, the cheeseburger we tried was juicy, the French fries on the side were cold and chewy.

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Drinks

There was beer and soda available at the Grill, along with a full selection of drinks at the dedicated bar on the starboard side. This was also one of the ship’s four designated smoking areas.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 7 Drink Photos"}} An elegant spot for crepes and more.


Overview

The fourth of the specialty restaurants on Celebrity Eclipse, Bistro on Five is, as the name implies, a casual eatery on Deck 5. There is a $5 surcharge for a meal of crepes—sweet or savory—with other choices paninis, a chef’s salad and daily soup. With simple dishes made to order, we found this bright, attractive room and small surcharge to be a worthwhile investment for a change of pace.

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Food

Our chef’s salad was decent, with crisp greens, dice egg whites, kalamata olives, chunks of ham and other goodies—our only complaint was that we would have preferred a more interesting lettuce than iceberg. While some of the crepes had a breakfast-y bent, we opted for the hot and spicy shredded steak crepe, which was tangy with cheese and jalapeno. Coupled with a dulce de leche crepe for dessert this added up to a good light lunch.

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Drinks

A small selection from the ship’s wine list was on hand.

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Additional Details

Open from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. daily, we never observed Bistro on Five close to full, making this 62-seat venue a pleasant option to escape the occasional crowds. The ship’s coffee house and the spot for rich gelato.


Overview

This two-sided, 54-seat venue has the ship’s coffee stand on one side and a gelato bar on the other, united by a common seating area with high-backed and barrel-shaped leather chairs.

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Food

A chilled case offered bite-size pastries and sandwiches at no charge, with the selection evolving through the day. The small bites are a treat—if one worked at it you could create a small meal from them.

We imbibed in a few of the gelati and liked the hazelnut and the mint flavors best (some others lacked oomph). Dishes or cones of gelato are $3-$5, accompanied by assorted sprinkles if desired.

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Drinks

At the café, espresso drinks are constructed using Lavazza Coffee products, at prices ranging $3-$4.50, with fancier concoctions—such as the Espresso Melba (peaches, hot chocolate, whipped cream)—running $5-$6. A selection of teas is also available for $4, and iced tea for $5. Any drink can be plussed-up with a shot of flavored syrup—almond, cherry, vanilla, etc.—for 50 cents.

We found our caramel macchiato to be cloying and sugary—much sweeter than the same-named drink from Starbucks.

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Additional Details

Café al Bacio served from 7:00 a.m. till 1:00 a.m. Lighter, more healthful meals were found here.


Overview

Located next to the Solarium Pool, this is a good spot for quick meals, served buffet style. With just nine tables (seating four each), we found all tables were filled within a few minutes of opening for lunch, leaving us to eat our meal perched on a marble wall. But tables turn quickly and for breakfast another morning we had no problem securing a seat.

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Food

Breakfast included plates of individual fruits, yogurt and granola with berries served parfait-style, and a nice selection of breads (loved the orange brioche).

At lunch there was a small salad bar with lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, large chunks of white onion, bean sprouts, shredded cheddar cheese and cold meats—turkey, ham and tuna. Prepared plates included small portions of gilled veggies and cold cuts, fresh water shrimp and avocado, sliced turkey and mushroom with Roquefort dressing, and a grilled chicken salad. For soup, cold melon ginger was offered.

A couple a la carte offerings could also be ordered: broiled, steamed or poached salmon or tuna and grilled or seared pork loin or chicken breast. There was an organic poached fruits bar; two we liked were peach poached in honey, cinnamon, thyme and rosemary, and pear with vanilla, orange zest and star anise. Desserts included peach compound and passion fruit reduction and a raspberry tart, and there was a frozen yogurt machine.

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Drinks

Assorted flavored vitamin waters and bottled water were available (for a charge), plus fruit punch, orange juice and coffee.

Additional Details

AquaSpa Café was open from 7:30 to 10:00 a.m. for breakfast, and from 12 noon till 2:30 p.m. for lunch. Not quite a promenade, but it’s still a dose of fresh air.


Overview

On either side of Deck 5 is a long walkway below the lifeboats that is nice for stretching the legs or sunning, but it doesn’t circle the ship. Smoking is allowed on the Port side.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 11 Overview Photos"}} A high-tech device invited us to discover new wines.


Overview

Cellar Masters is a 24-hour wine bar—unattended in the morning hours—where about 64 wines are available by the glass, using Enomatic Wine Preservation machines that dispense wines directly from the sealed bottle (inert gas preservation minimizes the oxygen which would otherwise change the wine’s character). This allows relatively high-end wines to be dispensed days after opening without substantial alteration.

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Drinks

The Enomatic machines dispense glasses in 1 oz, 2.5 oz or 5-oz portions (the latter being a typical restaurant pour—one-fifth of a bottle); a 5-oz pour starts around $8. Much of the ship’s wine selection is available, including Cakebread Cellars, Jordan, Wolf Blass, Caymus, ranging up to Far Niente’s acclaimed 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon ($8.05 for a 1-oz taste, $40.25 for 5-oz).

When Cellar Masters is staffed—usually afternoon till 1:00 a.m.—a few dozen additional wines are available, including flights of four pre-selected 2-oz tastings ($15), themed around France, South America, Down Under, etc. There is a small selection of champagnes and ports also available.

In order to use the machines, one must purchase a prepay card (in any amount, which is billed to your room), available when the bar is staffed, generally some time in the afternoon until midnight. Watch for promotions when the prepaid cards come with additional credit and/or free WiFi.

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Other Activities

Most of the ship’s wine activities are conducted here, priced $10-$20 for various tasting seminars.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 12 Other Activities Photos"}} The hub of the ship is a spectacular space.


Overview

Located at Deck 3 mid-ship, this 12-story atrium is the focus of many activities, including the guest services desk and shore excursion desk. It can be very quiet during the day here, with an empty bar (Passport Bar) waiting for the odd customer, but during the evening hours this area springs to life, especially just prior to the two dinner seatings at Moonlight Sonata next door. Midway up the atrium, a large ficus tree sprouts from a giant metal sphere suspended next to the elevator shaft, a pretty nifty conceit—we’re just glad we don’t have to do the watering.

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Shows & Performances

Nightly musical entertainment here is often quite good (it can be seen and heard from decks 4 and 5 mid-ship as well). A great lounge for pre-prandial sipping.


Overview

This popular bar on Deck 5 is located close to four of the ship’s restaurants, and it’s a good spot for subdued live music—usually either a string trio playing classical or a jazz trio later in the evening. Opening at 5:00 p.m., the lights are turned down very low and the seating is cushy.

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Drinks

The bar menu melds the ship’s usual selection, such as the Sparkling Raspberry Ricky, Cool Caribbean and Pirates Punch ($6.50-$8.50), plus the signature cocktail of each of the four nearby restaurants ($8-$9). Wine and champagne are also available by the bottle or glass. Splash out with a flight and impress everyone.


Overview

Cast in cool white, gray and green tones this popular bar overlooking the Grand Foyer specializes in martinis. Circling the main bar is a sheet of frozen metal and soon after opening at 4:00 p.m., guests start scrawling their names in the frost. A small selection of caviar plates is available, ranging from Russian Coral ($18) to Golden Golani Osetra ($120), each served with blinis. Combos including a glass or champagne or shot of vodka are available.

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Drinks

There’s a long list of nouveau martinis, plus the classics. For those who just can’t choose there’s a flight of six elixers, ranging from traditional to apple to a raspberry-lemonade martini. The martinis are individually mixed and then shaken in a stack before being simultaneously poured into their respective glasses—a mean fete. The portions are 3 oz each, making this a solid value for $15 (and a great conversation starter, too).

A few feet away the freestanding bar Crush showcases more than 30 bottles of vodka and gin shrouded in shaved ice. The vodkas are organized by new world and old, and some of the more exotic specimens hail from places like Iceland and Kazakhstan. Themed flights of vodkas are also available here. The narrow bar at Crush seats 10 and is serviced by crew from the Martini Bar.

The ship’s standard bar menu is also available at the Martini Bar.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 15 Drink Photos"}} This was definitely the place to hang for sundowners.


Overview

As the bar designed to service the Lawn Club, faux wicker furniture invites lounging by the grass or facing the aft view, and if the weather’s decent at the titular hour, it is indeed a beautiful place for enjoying the sea. Note that the port side of this bar was one of the ship’s four designated smoking areas, and the only place cigar smoking was allowed.

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Drinks

Signature cocktail of the Sunset Bar is the Eureka—Bombay Sapphire gin, Triple Sec, White Cranberry juice, fresh basil and cubes of cucumber ($7). Lemonade spiked with Absolute Citron and Cointreau was $19. Pitchers of margaritas were available for $28 and could be prepared with your choice of agave syrup—ruby grapefruit, raspberry, watermelon or peach.

The standard bar list was available here but additional brews included Grolsch, Boddingtons, Bohemia and Hoegaarden beers ($6) and Strongbow and Woodpecker hard ciders ($5). In addition to the usual wines, Domaine Chandon sparkling wine ($9) and Perrier Joüet “Grand” champagne ($18) was available by the glass.

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Additional Details

Sunset Bar was open 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. daily (moonlight cocktail, anyone?), but the venue closes during inclement weather. We’re not sure who Michael is, but we like his hideout.


Overview

Modeled after a cozy, old school gentlemen’s club, Michael’s is tucked behind the Ensemble Lounge and seemed overlooked by many guests. Despite live piano, guitar or vocal music most evenings, Michael’s was rarely busy. Not staffed until around 6:00 p.m., this overstuffed setting was our favorite place to hang out with a book during the day.

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Drinks

Scotch and Irish whiskies are served here (most priced $7-$20), and there’s a stash of fine brandies and cognacs ranging up to Hardy Perfection at $450 a swill. The ship’s standard bar menu is also available.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 17 Drink Photos"}} Our favorite place for exotic cocktails, but the tab can add up quickly.


Overview

This bar is in a heavily trafficked location next to the Deck 5 shops and art gallery, yet it is rarely busy except between main dinner seatings (the bar opens at 5:00 p.m. nightly). The drink menu, designed by mixologist Junior Merino, incorporates fresh fruits, produce and high-end spirits—along with a dash of molecular gastronomy—to create heady concoctions. With a confident bartender from Eastern Europe at the helm, we loved hanging out here and watching the show.

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Drinks

Drinks like Lucky Cat and Berry Patch overflow with cold steam, while others incorporate ingredients like elderflower liqueur, rose petals, fig-infused bourbon, and guava-chipotle foam. At $12 each, they’re a bit of a splurge, but we thought this was a nifty experience.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 18 Drink Photos"}} When you want to stick close to the lobby entertainment.


Overview

Opening each morning at 10:00 a.m., this all-purpose bar is located opposite the guest relations desk in the Grand Foyer. It’s not used much except in the evening when live entertainment springs to life next to the elevators. Without live music to bring it to life, this spot felt a bit colorless to us.

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Drinks

The ship's standard bar list was available here. On pool days, this spot will be close at hand.


Overview

This busy spot serves the pool area. Most of the ship’s cocktails can be assembled here, but the focus is beer and margaritas. Live music erupts on the stage each afternoon, with multiple acts performing on sea days.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 20 Overview Photos"}} The dance club pumps from a metallic sphere that serves as the DJ booth.


Overview

The ship’s disco gets going at various hours, with the musical focus highlighted in the daily ship newsletter. On some evenings, musical trivia games start the party, another night the DJ had a Rat Pack-focused lineup of tunes, while on another ballroom dancing was scheduled. But by 9:30 or 10:30 p.m. the energy shifted to one dominated by solid beats, albeit focused more on hits of the past couple decades more than today’s sound. An adjoining bar serves drinks.

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Sports & Fitness

During the day, a pair of ping-pong tables slides in for table tennis competitions and open play. XBox was also available here on a couple mornings.

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Karaoke, trivia contests and sublime views.


Overview

This large, multi-purpose venue sits at the front of Celebrity Eclipse on Deck 12. By day it is often empty, especially on port days, but it makes for a great spot for lounging on sea days. There is a DJ booth, a bandstand and dance floor, and leatherette chairs, loungers and couches fill the broad, airy space.

By day, trivia contests, children’s talent shows, dance classes and more are conducted as per the ship’s daily newsletter, and during the evening this is the spot for karaoke. The house band goes live most nights.

The standard ship cocktail list is available here.

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Other Activities

This lounge connects directly to the ship’s conference rooms next door. Celebrity Eclipse boasts one of the largest and most attractive spas at sea.


Overview

Sparkling with delicate mosaic walls, the handsome, 21,000-square-foot AquaSpa sprawls across Deck 12 forward, with a chunk of real estate on Deck 11 also dedicated for the facility, accessed by a circular stairwell. There is also a full-service salon, the Persian Garden—a spa within the spa—and a large gym. Among the spa treatment rooms were ones designated for couples that had sea views.

The tranquil facility features Elemis products (among others) and treatments are handled by cruise spa giant Steiner Leisure. Prices were higher than comparable treatments at five-star beach resorts, though the quality of the facial we experienced was first-rate. Fifty-minute massages—Swedish, bamboo, stone—ranged $119-$159; 75-minute sessions were $175-$199; the 50-minute couples massage was $269. A variety of facials were available—all 50-minute sessions—and priced $119-$169. Other spa treatments available included Ionithermie, sunless tanning, lime and ginger salt scrub and men’s grooming. All of these were discounted 10 percent on port days, and packages and other specials popped up during the cruise.

The adjoining salon oversaw nail treatments, hair styling and color, waxing, acupuncture, and Botox, Restylane and Perlane cosmetic treatments.

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Sports & Fitness

Access to the gym onboard Celebrity Eclipse is through the main entrance to the spa. The entry is clearly defined (unlike on some ships), so when we were headed to our workout we didn’t have to navigate treatments rooms or the spa check-in desk.

The gym itself, positioned at the front of Deck 12, is a large facility, with a variety of equipment. Good thing, as on our cruise there was plenty of demand for cardio-vascular machines during peak hours. Two of the six Life Fitness bikes were out of commission during our cruise, which meant there was sometimes a wait for these.

One area of the gym was designated for classes, most of which carried a surcharge; yoga, spinning and pilates classes were $12 each, gravity was $20, body sculpting was $30. A few classes were free of charge.

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Retail

A small shop in the AquaSpa sells beauty products, including Elemis, Bliss and Phyto lines.

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Other Activities

The Persian Garden is a “spa within the spa” that carries a $20 fee for day use ($99 for the week); it is complimentary to guests in AquaClass. Although we didn’t try the room during our cruise it featured heated tile beds facing the ocean, aromatherapy rain and mist showers and wet and dry saunas, all against a backdrop of soothing new age music.

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We were quite taken by this concept—unique (for now) to Celebrity’s Solstice class ships.


Overview

Nearly a half-acre of real turf blankets much of Deck 15 aft, and a journey on Celebrity Eclipse will ensure that you’ll never take your lawn at home for granted again. We were told the lawn had been replaced a couple weeks prior to our cruise, and the conditions were tip-top—perfect for arranging a memorable picnic on good sea days. It's also a place for light sports, starting with a three-hole putting course.

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Sports & Fitness

The Lawn Club is used as a venue for scheduled golf competitions (putting only, of course), bocce and croquet (what, no tennis?). Equipment is available for loan all hours of the day.

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Retail

The Lawn Club has its own merchandize shop, with logo T-shirts, caps and flip flops made of plastic turf.

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Other Activities

On one cloudless evening the top-deck and funnel lighting was switched off and the Lawn Club was a venue for stargazing, hosted by the ship’s resident astronomy buff, with blankets spread about the grass.

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Celebrity’s popular Hot Glass Show plays out daily at this top-deck venue.


Overview

This unusual concept is another exclusive to the Celebrity line, a live glass blowing show conducted daily on the top deck of Eclipse. Just three ships have a home for this unique feature (Equinox and Solstice as well) and it was definitely an appealing element of our journey on the Celebrity Eclipse.

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Shows & Performances

The two-hour shows are hosted by three staff-members from the Corning Museum of Glass, and beautiful glass pieces are produced at each show, with one of the Corning staff explaining the techniques being used as the pieces are fired in a pair of glowing ovens. The venue seats about 103 guests in an open-air environment (only partly covered from the elements). Shows at the beginning of the cruise were overflowing, with overhead monitors available to watch the action from the surrounding lawn.

As a non-profit entity, Corning does not allow glass pieces produced on the ship to be sold. However at the conclusion of each show one or two pieces are raffled off to lucky attendees.

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Other Activities

A small museum that explains the glass-blowing process is around the corner from the stage area. A few pieces are displayed here, but better ones are found throughout many of the ship’s common areas.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 25 Other Activities Photos"}} Bring your quarters.


Overview

Actually, quarters aren’t in use here—you’ll use your room key or dollar bills to obtain arcade credits used to play. More than a dozen video games plus an air hockey table were available.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 26 Overview Photos"}} Deck 15 forward is dedicated to the younger set.


Overview

X Club was the place for teens to hang and activities were scheduled throughout the day and till late at night, including teens-only dance parties, scavenger hunts and dodge ball in the adjoining basketball court. In addition to ample games and activities on offer, there was a coffee machine and ice cream maker.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 27 Overview Photos"}} Junior cruisers unite.


Overview

Also on Deck 15 and designed for kids age 3 to 11, the Fun Factory was open from 9:00 a.m to 1:00 a.m. each day of the cruise. Activities included karaoke, crafts, treasure hunts and talent shows. A few activities carried an additional charge of $6 per hour, such as the dinner party and slumber party. The venue has a private entrance to the Basketball Court, where kids can burn off energy during supervised games.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 28 Overview Photos"}} Sports, of course, 15 decks above the sea.


Overview

Adjoining the two kids facilities, this court is available for all.

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Sports & Fitness

Basketballs and soccer balls are available for impromptu play throughout the day, and a few games were organized, like free throw and 3 on 3.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 29 Sports and Fitness Photos"}} Sky-high views in the sun.


Overview

There are no facilities on this desk, but that doesn’t keep a large contingent of cruisers from using this breezy deck for sunning and napping on the loungers. There are planters with grass sprouting from them, but we found the grass dead and brown during our cruise.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 30 Overview Photos"}} A corridor of shops lines one side of Deck 5


Overview

About 10 interconnected shops are found on the starboard side of Deck 5. We can only say “about” because the shops blend from one to the next—only the signs out front distinguish one from another.

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Retail

Starting from the end closest to the Eclipse Theater, Adagio and Jasmine sell fragrances for women, with a small section in Adagio devoted to men’s colognes. Most of the tops lines are represented, with the main focus on Chanel and Estee Lauder products. The Showcase features women’s handbags, mainly leather, and primarily from the Fossil and Guess labels. This flows into Moda, where colorful purses by Mary Frances and dresses by Canadian designer Joseph Ribkoff are displayed, along with showy necklaces and some swimwear.

The Men’s Shop sells resort wear by Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Bahama, which segues into The Collection and Pieces of Time, where watches by Marc Jacobs, Citizen, Rado, Tag Hauer and the Joseph and Thomas Windmills line from England. At the Artisan Studio and Exquisites we found larimar pieces from Marahlago and H Stern jewelry; Boutique C had a collection of inlay jewelry by Kabana of India.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 31 Retail Photos"}} This is the place for photos of your trip.


Overview

Photographers roam the ship, particularly during designated events (like gangway and embarkation), taking photos of cruisers. Portrait studio photographers are also available for formal sit-down shots. The photos are displayed on racks and available for purchase—$19.95 each for any size up to 8x10. A DVD of the voyage is also available at the end of the cruise, for $34.95.

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Retail

Photo albums, frames and a small selection of cameras are also sold here, along with binoculars, tripods, batteries and memory cards.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 32 Retail Photos"}} An artist was on board our cruise.


Overview

On each cruise a different artist is aboard with his or her work. The artist is available to discuss their art and arrange for sales. On our cruise the art was good, and we much preferred this to the art auctions that are common on some ships.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 33 Overview Photos"}} A hideout we discovered by accident.


Overview

Presumably, this small space located at the front of Deck 11 is designated for those using the ship’s spa services. Though attended, we found it open to those of us not using the spa, and it was a quiet area for reading and relaxing. Coffee, tea and cold water were available.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 34 Overview Photos"}} More shops, located just opposite the clanging and flashing casino.


Overview

Also known as the Fortunes Casino Shops, this series of interconnected venues was flanked on one side by the casino (perhaps to capture some of your winnings?). Less upscale than the Galleria Boutiques upstairs, this was the place for informal cruise mementoes and sundries.

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Retail

Starting from the forward end, Spirits and Such sells liquor, cigarettes and Dominican cigars; note that merchandize purchased here is held until the conclusion of the cruise. Next door, Glitz sells cultured pearl jewelry by Honara, crystals from Swarovski, glass jewelry from Antica Murrina of Venice, and baubles from the Guess and Fossil brands. Serendipity had odds and ends ranging from drug store sundries (sun block, toothpaste, razors, tampons, etc.), snacks, stuffed animals and sunglasses. Last in the line is the Eclipse Shop, where Celebrity Eclipse logo merchandize—caps, T-shirts, etc.—can be purchased, along with Samsonite travel gear.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 35 Retail Photos"}} This adults-only pool is indoors, and the best option for lap swimming.


Overview

The Solarium is a covered space at mid-ship, and the mostly-glass roof allows a lot of natural light; it is also air-conditioned. The pool is slightly elongated, which makes it better than the main outdoor pools for lap-swimming (it’s still a pretty short lap). There is a good number of loungers and, unlike the ones located outdoors, we never observed them all in use. A pair of small heated whirlpools flanks the pool, and the AquaSpa Café provides good bites close by.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 36 Overview Photos"}} Breathtaking acrobatics, funky costumes and nonsense lyrics, but—no mimes.


Overview

This attractive theater seats more than 1100 and is built for spectacles.

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Shows & Performances

The ship-sized spectacular Eclipse: The Show is a Cirque du Soleil-style review, performed on one evening of our cruise. Ten acrobats and a team of singers perform the 45-minute show, and the fact that these acts are performed on a stage that’s gently undulating (when at sea) makes the derring-do all the more impressive. Other shows here were more traditional music and dance reviews that showed off the venue’s trap doors. On one evening a medley of Beatles songs was chased by various pop songs of the 70s and later; on another, a comedy and juggling act took center stage.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 37 Shows and Performance Photos"}} This is the place for exercise and fresh air.


Overview

A jogging/walking track circuits mid-ship—five loops equals a kilometer, eight loops is a mile. The track was well trod during our cruise. There are lots of loungers here, supplementing the limited supply located around the pool, so this is the ship’s main area for sunning.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 38 Overview Photos"}} Emergency pool supplies here.


Overview

Located next to the main pools, this spot was handy for outdoor goods left behind. We found sun hats, flip flops, T-shirts and sun block, but a much better selection was available at shops on Deck 4.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 39 Overview Photos"}} The focus of the action on sunny sea days.


Overview

Two side-by-side pools sit at mid-ship on Deck 12, ringed by four whirlpools. Although the space is all-outdoors, there is a good amount of shaded area on either side of the pools. But when the weather was good while at sea, every lounger was taken by mid-morning, and most never seemed to free up.

A stage is used for performances through the day—the ship’s party band put in an appearance here daily, and other acts were featured. There were also activities here: pool volleyball on several afternoons, dance lessons on another.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 40 Overview Photos"}} Whether you BYOB or borrow, this is an airy space.


Overview

This impressive, two-story lounge on Deck 11 is a great spot for sitting and reading, especially when the sun beams through the atrium. Celebrity Eclipse had an above-average lending library, with no borrowing formalities observed.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 41 Overview Photos"}} We shuffled the decks here.


Overview

This open area on Deck 9 has tables and chairs set up for card games, and chess and backgammon sets are also available. Games were scheduled for 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. daily, but the space can be used by anyone at any time.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 42 Overview Photos"}} This little-used venue never quite made sense to us.


Overview

Team Earth is a two-story lounge at mid-ship on Deck 7, themed around environmental awareness with handmade posters featuring generic platitudes pasted to the walls. A bank of video monitors displayed a loop of images. A giant globe is useful for plotting out future explorations, otherwise this space is little used, but it was a decent spot for reading or playing games.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 43 Overview Photos"}} Mac users will feel right at home.


Overview

This computer lounge was Apple’s first outlet at sea, and 27 MacBook Pros are available for guest internet. Classes are also offered (at an additional charge). The lighting is fairly bright here, cast by wall-size screens marketing Apple products—it’s not a very relaxing place for web surfing, though we were told that some guests felt the signal was best in this part of the vessel, mid-ship Deck 6.

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Retail

A small selection of Apple products is available for purchase, at prevailing prices—tax-free. As incentive to purchase the more expensive items, a complimentary Internet package is thrown in: Buy an 11-inch MacBook Air ($999) and earn 200 minutes of Internet (valued up to $150), etc.

WiFi on board was .75 per minute, though there were packages that brought the per-minute rate down (38 minutes for $24.95, 90 minutes for $49.95, etc.) along with specials that popped up one several days of the cruise that added bonus minutes to the packages.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 44 Retail Photos"}} Book your next Celebrity Cruise here.


Overview

For those who are sold on the Celebrity style of cruising, this small office handles bookings for future cruises. Reserving a berth here avails shipboard credits on a future cruise.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 45 Overview Photos"}} A catchall venue for movies, bingo and more.


Overview

This wide, 185-seat theater is used for lectures, bingo, viewing major sporting events and the nightly movie. Seats at the side had limited or no visibility of the screen, and the quality of movie presentations was pretty marginal.

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