Celebrity Eclipse

On February 26^th we will be departing on the Celebrity Eclipse for a seminar at sea. We will be sailing to San Juan, PR, St. Maarten, and St. Kitts on this trip. And although we will be on board for educational purposes, we will still get to enjoy the ship and the ports on some free time.

I was lucky enough to be invited by Celebrity back in November for a two night inaugural cruise (the Eclipse had just come into Miami from Europe). She sure is a beauty! Some facts on the Eclipse: She is part of Celebrity's Solstice Class of ships. She entered service in April of 2010. She carries approximately 2,850 passengers, is 1,033 feet long and weighs in at 122,000 tons. Some highlights of this ship are: The Lawn Club (actual real grass on deck); the incredible AquaSpa® by Elemis®; The Martini Bar (which has ice inlayed in the bar); incredible entertainment; The Hot Glass Show^TM (yes, they do amazing pieces right on board) and I could go on and on and on. The décor is quite classy; the ship in a whole is just fabulous.

When I sailed on the inaugural, I was in an interior stateroom. And I must say, I do not like interior staterooms. I find myself feeling trapped in them, especially with no natural light. However, on the Eclipse, I was quite pleased. Now I know I was only on there for two nights, but I really thought the room was nice. The bathroom was wonderful, and had much more space than your typical stateroom bathroom, especially in the shower. And ladies, there is even a little bar to place your foot for leg shaving. So with the extra space and the bar in the shower, no more balancing like a flamingo and shaving your legs without really seeing your legs! It was a small thing, but such a pleasure! When we travel next week, we will be in a balcony stateroom, and I cannot wait to see the room!

As for the clientele on this ship … I would say this ship would attract a bit of an older crowd than Carnival or Royal Caribbean, and younger travelers looking for a unique experience. You won't find a rock climbing wall or a zip line running through the ship, but you will find venues that offer enrichment. You will find wine tastings, art throughout the ship (which you can tour with the help of a checked out iPad or iPod). You might decide to partake in a cooking class as well. This is not a ship that I would take my 8 year old son or 22 month old daughter on. And most likely you will not find an abundance of children on board. With that said however, they do have a wonderful kids program that will more than entertain any kiddos ranging from 3 years old up to 17.

I am planning on an incredibly enriching experience, from the classes we will be involved in, to other activities that we will partake in. I also plan on some serious relaxing time … hopefully we can hit the spa for a couples massage!

I will certainly update you more upon our return, and hopefully with some really great pictures of the ship and the destinations. Might I add that Celebrity has some really great rates for these ships. And as a side note, they will be offering a few cruises this year with Celebrity Chefs on board as well. The Eclipse is sailing the Caribbean now, but will be heading over to Europe soon, along with the Solstice and the Equinox (April and May). Hey, you can get some nice Transatlantic rates too. How about sailing across the pond to London, Barcelona or Rome? Just give me a call and I will go over all the details with you. You can reach me at 888-882-5793 or on the web at www.kfreer.cruiseone.com.

Why use CruiseOne? Well, the answer is quite simple actually. First, it does not cost you anything to use me as your travel agent. You will get the same rates as going directly to a cruise line. However, sometimes I have added perks that the cruise lines are not offering (such as on board credits). I will be your dedicated agent. Got questions? I am here. I will help you from the pre-booking process, all the way through to your cruise and will be here when you return. You cannot really put a value on good service, and it is even better when you don't have to pay for it!