Celebrity Cruise onboard Eclipse

I must admit I wasn’t sure what to expect when I set foot onboard Celebrity’s most popular cruise ship for the UK, Eclipse. I was lucky enough to experience this two night cruise from Southampton to Le Havre, a ‘taster’ of what life at sea has to offer with Celebrity.

The ship was at maximum capacity- 2,850 passengers- and has just completed a refurbishment which has left it looking fresh and modern. Celebrity Cruises challenge all previously held conceptions about cruising with their ‘Modern Luxury’ approach and are enticing people who had never considered cruising to give it a try. And it’s easy to see why it’s working. Gone are the stereotypes we all hold about cruising. The interiors are light, bright and full of quirky designs. The top deck features a real grass expanse, a real tree grows up through the sleek foyer where elevators glide seamlessly, there’s a two story wine tower, nightclub, huge theatre and a frozen bar where the martinis are always on ice!

It was difficult not to tuck in and over indulge on the wide selection of food available. We ate on the first night at one of the speciality restaurants, the Tuscan Grille, which served excellent Italian food. The main restaurant, with its wine tower centrepiece, was an excellent way to start the following evening before going to see a lively performance of classic show tunes in the theatre. It would have been churlish of me to not try the selection of drinking establishments on board, including the martini bar complete with frozen bar top, authentic looking wine cellar which serves up a cheese selection alongside your wine and brand new slush bar serving frozen drinks by the pool. I can safely report back that they were all excellent!

We were kept entertained throughout the cruise in the form of a wine tasting session from Oz Clarke and an entertaining adventure talk from Ben Fogle. The list of events on the ship are varied and of the highest standard. We watched a West-end style performance of famous show tunes in the massive theatre backed by a huge orchestra. It was almost impossible to imagine that all of this was on a ship!

If you are new to cruising I think Celebrity offer a wonderful introduction to life at sea. Call me to discuss the endless possibilities that cruising has to offer!