The stunning Celebrity Eclipse, the third ship in the Celebrity Cruises Solstice Class, is truly a Luxury Experience.  With its sleek and sexy design, well-appointed staterooms, Spa, 10 restaurants, 14 bars, outdoor and indoor pools, day and nighttime entertainment and activities, green grass lawn where you can play croquet, diverse shops, an art gallery, a casino, a library, and enough intimate places to relax, plan on leaving reality behind the minute you embark on the ship.

Celebrity Cruises has a lovely new addition to its sophisticated Solstice Class, the Celebrity Eclipse, the third in its class, built in Germany and inaugurated on April 29, 2010 weighing 122,000 tons, 1041 feet in length, with 2850 occupancy, and a cruising speed of 27 knots; she is gorgeous, she is yar.  

Celebrity Cruises Solstice Class - Eclipse

In November 2010, the Celebrity Eclipse made her North American debut from the Port of Miami, and we had the pleasure of partaking on her inaugural voyage. To say that we were impressed would be an understatement, the ship is luxury personified, and even with the ship at capacity, there was a feeling of spaciousness, with gracious and attentive service.  

Edward Enjoying the View

We stayed in a 194 sq. ft. Deluxe Ocean View Stateroom with a 54 sq. ft. Veranda resplendent with its floor to ceiling sliding glass door, sitting area with cream leather sofa and an oval coffee table laden with a fruit plate and a chilled bottle of champagne in an ice bucket.  

Deluxe Ocean View Stateroom

Luxury amenities included a 32" Samsung LCD television with Apple Entertainment system, vase with pretty, purple freesias on the vanity with large mirror, a pop-up vanity mirror in a drawer, hairdryer, large closet with Frette robes, slippers, a safe, a mini-bar, postcards and stationery, ship information in English, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, and French, and a full-length mirror on the wall.  

Debra Setting Sail

The attractive bathroom featured a jetted glass walk-in shower with rain showerhead and hand-held showerhead, toilet, a large mirror over the vanity with a bowl sink, and a selection of private label amenities.  

Edward Resting on the Veranda

The king bed was dressed with a pristine white duvet, attractive throw, and decorative pillows. Paintings graced the walls, and there were ample drawers throughout our spacious stateroom. The 54 sq. ft. veranda was the pièce de résistance though, with its inviting reclining chairs, ottomans, and round table, where we watched the glorious sunrises over the ocean each morning, and was the perfect spot to curl up with a book or take a short nap in the afternoon.  

Ensemble Lounge

The Spa and Fitness Experience  

The Celebrity Eclipse truly has it all for the sports minded including a basketball court, jogging track, Spa and Fitness Center, saunas, steam rooms, outdoor and indoor pools, and whirlpools.  

AquaSpa by Elemis

During our cruise, we experienced the ultra-luxurious AquaSpa by Elemis with its diverse Spa menu offerings. A few of the many treatments offered include a 24 karat gold facial, indulgent massages, acupuncture and cosmetic treatments, tooth whitening, fitness classes, specially designed treatments for men, and salon treatments.  

Read about the AquaSpa by Elemis in the Spas section.  

The Dining Experiences  

Yes, it is true, cruising is all about the food, and with Celebrity Eclipse's 10 dining venues that range from casual to elegant, there was much to discover. 

Bistro on Five located on Deck 5 is a Crêperie that brings a French touch to the cruise with its low background music, taupe velvet loveseats with silk cushions, green cushioned chairs that flank wood tables, decorative metal screens frame the wall of windows, and decorative fabric screens create intimate spaces. A dessert chef at the front of the restaurant entices patrons where you can watch the chef in action creating the crêpes.  

Bistro on Five

We had a delicious lunch of the Hot and Spicy crêpe made with shredded steak, peppers, jalapeño, cheddar cheese, and cumin dressing, and the Tuscan Sun crêpe made with sautéed artichokes, mozzarella, and sun dried tomato aioli. Paired with glasses of Jean Dorsene Brut champagne it was oh so delicious and très French.  

Chef Making Crêpes

We also indulged in French and Italian dessert crêpes. Lightly golden, and folded, the French crêpe featured Grand Marnier and candied oranges, while the Italian crêpe featured Nutella, bananas, and pistachios.  

Café al Baccio Gelateria located on Deck 5 is an intimate space where we enjoyed relaxing with afternoon coffees and refreshing Italian gelato. 

Oceanview Café located on Deck 14 is open 24 hours, and was where we liked to start our day with breakfast from the diverse buffet including Belgian waffles, blintzes, and more. Dining al fresco at teak tables in the bright sunshine overlooking the ocean was indeed the perfect morning "wake-up."  

Qsine, one of their specialty restaurants, is a play on the word, cuisine, which clearly defines its focus on being "uniquely unordinary." Chef Jacques Van Staden is the man behind the innovation of menus presented on iPads, where wait staff are "Culinary Tour Guides," Sommeliers are "Grape Connoisseurs," and imaginative food presentations are all part of the delectable culinary experience.  

Qsine 

The setting is contemporary elegance with touches of whimsy, and the presentations are uniquely creative. As for the food, our palates found paradise with inspired dishes of Lava Crab, Lobster Escargot Fritters, Disco Shrimp, Baby Back Spring Rolls with Chipotle Coleslaw and White Truffle BBQ Sauce, and Chocolate Tombstone to name but a few of the many highlights.  

Lobster Escargot

Tuscan Grille, also one of their specialty restaurants, is an attractive restaurant where the entrance has the feel of entering a wine cellar, and the wall of windows provides the perfect location to watch the sunset.  

Tuscan Grille

The restaurant's focus is a harmonious blend of steakhouse and Italian favorites. Excellent cuisine and professional and attentive service made for a delicious evening of dining. A few of the many highlights of our dinner included Bistecca Tartare (Steak Tartare), Filletto Mignon Rustico (Rustic Filet Mignon), Trancio di Salmone (Pan-Seared Salmon), and Chocolate Fondue. 

Pan-Seared Salmon  

Read about Qsine and the Tuscan Grille in the Restaurants section, and read the Chefs' Recipes section where Chef Jacques Van Staden shares recipes for a delicious taste of Qsine.  

  Celebrity iLounge

The Wine and Spirits Experience  

The Celebrity Eclipse has 14 bars located inside as well as outside the ship. We enjoyed experiencing the Cellar Masters an intimate space that definitely appeals to oenophiles with its wine tastings and pairings, and an excellent selection of 32 wines where you can serve yourself with the touch of a button, all kept at the perfect temperature.  

Cellar Masters

We also enjoyed martinis at the Martini Bar where their focus is 100 different vodkas and 25 varieties of martinis. The ice-frosted bar surface kept our martinis perfectly chilled. 

Martini Bar

Another interesting bar we experienced was Crush, where the focus is on caviar and vodka pairing on an ice-filled table.  

The Molecular Bar features creative cocktails designed by our friend, Liquid Chef Junior Merino, whose cocktails feature all things molecular and organic. Liquid nitrogen, fresh squeezed juices, and specially created syrups are a few of the many things that distinguish this fun bar for cocktail connoisseurs.  

Junior Merino, Debra, and Edward at the Molecular Bar

One of Junior's innovative cocktails that we indulged in was named the "Tan Russian" made with Russian Standard Vodka, Malibu Rum, grilled pineapple, coconut, lemon, with a coconut and coffee foam, and  a dehydrated coconut rim.  

Bar Chef at the Molecular Bar

The Entertainment Experience  

Corning Museum Glass - Hot Glass Show

During the day, we enjoyed watching the glass artists from the Corning Museum Glass demonstrate their craft during the Hot Glass Show, walking on the green grass lawn of the Lawn Club, soaking up the sun on the many deck chairs lining the outdoor pools, and visiting the Celebrity iLounge where we used the Internet.  

Lawn Club

Each night we enjoyed grand-scale productions in the Eclipse Theatre, where one night we saw the show "Edge" with classic Rock and Pop songs and dance, as well as innovative cutting-edge technology; and on another night, we saw the show "Ovations" featuring songs from Broadway and London's West End Theatre including Chicago, Tommy, Billy Elliot, Cats, Les Misérables, and more.  

Edge Show at Eclipse Theatre

We also tried our luck in the Fortunes Casino, listened to the live music in many of the lounges and clubs located throughout the ship, explored the Art Gallery, and enjoyed romantic moonlight walks under breathtakingly beautiful starry skies. 

Outdoor Pool  

Additional amenities include a Medical Center, Beauty Salon, Barber Shop, Video Arcade, Fun Factory Youth Center, Celebrity iLounge, Xclub Teen Center, outdoor pool, and the adult only Solarium.  

Solarium 

The Celebrity Eclipse definitely lives up to its slogan, "Celebrity Life. Now that's the good life. Enjoy every minute of it." We did!  

Foyer

Read more about Celebrity Eclipse in the Restaurants, Spas, and Chefs' Recipes sections where Chef Jacques Van Staden shares a delicious taste of their specialty restaurant, Qsine, with recipes for Lobster Escargot, Lava Crab, Vegetable du Jatour: Carrot-Cardamom Purée - Sweet Potato-Raisin Purée - Truffle Potato Purée, and Chocolate Tombstone.  

Lounge

Celebrity Eclipse
Celebrity Cruises, Inc.
Cruise Reservations:    1-800-647-2251 
Website:                        www.CelebrityCruises.com 

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