Sea Days aboard Celebrity Eclipse

We made our first transatlantic cruise from Miami to Southampton with the Celebrity Eclipse. We had 13 days aboard the Celebrity Eclipse before us. Eight days were to be just sea days. But what do you do on board the Celebrity Eclipse during 8 days at sea? We want to give you a few tips.

Our trip started with 6 days at sea before reaching Ponta Delgada in the Azores. We had booked an Aqua Class cabin on the Penthouse Deck. In our opinion the Aqua Class cabin has a huge advantage for a transatlantic trip. You can enjoy exclusive access to the exclusive Blu Restaurant (dishes to stay fit and healthy) for breakfast and dinner and you have all the time free access to the spa Persian Garden. At sea we went to the spa every day. Sometimes even two or three times a day. It is wonderfully relaxing. You also get free water, tea and canapes in your cabin every day and there is a 24-hour complimentary room service. We really enjoyed it. Having arrived on board, there was a welcome-bottle of champagne. Enjoying this, we watched leaving the harbor of Miami from our balcony.

In the evening we went into the Blu Restaurant for the first time. In this restaurant there are many tables for two, but also a few larger tables for more guests. On our trip, the restaurant was not very crowded. We always got a table immediately and most of the time at the window. The food is lighter and more exclusive than in the main restaurant. Most nights the evening dress code was elegant.

The first day after the show we spent the evening thinking about what we wanted to do on board the following days. The offer varied, so that the days at sea were easy to plan. No trace of boredom.

Our 10 top tips for sea days on board of the Celebrity Eclipse:

1. Enjoy the Persian Garden: The spa Persian Garden aboard the Celebrity Eclipse is quite large and very nicely decorated. We were relaxing on warm benches, enjoyed a massage and the sauna with sea views. At the beginning of the trip, there is a free guided tour of the area and you can also try out mini massages. All very relaxing..
2. Glassblowers Show – The Hot Glass Show on board is really great. Here employees of the Corning Museum of Glass show on deck 15 how to make vases and plates of glass.
   
3. Walk barefoot across the lawn of the Lawn Club or play petanque or have a picnic there. The Lawn Club is on Deck 15 and features real turf.
4. Don’t miss the Jazz Brunch. During our trip we were once at the Jazz Brunch in the main restaurant. The Jazz Brunch is unique. There is a fantastic buffet set up in the main restaurant that really is matchless. Here are some impressions :
5. Take a drink at the frosted martini bar. We recommend the Martini Flight. You can also try several varieties of Martinis as minis and it is quite a spectacle when they are preparing the cocktails.
   
6. Read a book in the Sky Observation Lounge and watch the sea. The Sky Observation Lounge offers a fantastic panoramic view and if you’re lucky, you get hold of a deckchair overlooking the sea. That is a fantastic panorama and we even saw some whales.
7. Visit one of the many cooking shows. They are very entertaining and you get to know how many things the chefs use on board and how some of the dishes are prepared.
8. Go to the dance class, to lectures by authors or join a language course. We took advantage of the daily free dance classes on board. Everything was offered, from standard dances to Salsa and Line Dance.
9. Relax In a large double hammock or cabana on the pool deck.
10. If you like music, you can join the Celebrity choir from the first day of the trip. The whole trip there were rehearsals for the big show of the guest choir at the end of the trip. Thus you get to know fellow travelers and get a unique experience.

In addition, there are of course swimming pools, several bars with live music, a gym, wine tastings, promotions of the Duty Free shops, beauty treatments at the spa, a jogging track, creative courses, a library, the possibility to borrow games and an Internet zone. What they are offering on board the Celebrity Eclipse is quite overwhelming. Not every cruise line and every ship provides the same opportunities. But even if the offers vary, we can only say, we could have done much more on board. We were not able to do everything that it would have been possible to do – we preferred to relax. But it was never boring.[:]