Celebrity Eclipse
Encyclopedia
Celebrity Eclipse is a , operated by Celebrity Cruises
. She is the sister ship of Celebrity Solstice
and Celebrity Equinox
, which entered service in November 2008 and July 2009, respectively. A fourth ship in the class, Celebrity Silhouette
, she entered service in Fall 2011. She is the third Solstice-class cruise ship. Celebrity Eclipse measures 122,000 gross tons and carries 2,852 passengers (double occupancy) plus crew.
The ship's godmother is Emma Pontin, a famous yachtswoman.
Winter 2010- Caribbean sailing from Miami
Summer 2011- Mediterranean and Northern Europe sailing from Southampton
Winter 2011- Caribbean sailing from Miami
Summer 2012- Mediterranean, Northern Europe and Iceland sailing from Southampton
Winter 2012- Caribbean sailing from Fort Lauderdale
Celebrity Eclipse is the third Solstice-class ship, preceded by Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox. Solstice-class ships are considered to be some of the most environment-friendly ships in the world, equipped with photovoltaic system, an optimized hull design, highly-efficient hull coatings and lighting system using light emitting diodes. With these innovations, Solstice-class ships save 30% more energy than other ships of their kind.
The lawn wraps around another Celebrity Solstice Class exclusive - the Hot Glass Show. This is an area where hot glass is blown at sea by professionals from the Corning Museum of Glass
, and shows are held at various points throughout the day at no extra cost to the guests. The studio is all electric which is unusual for a glass blowing studio, but for safety reasons flames needed to be kept to a minimum on the ship (hence the electric design). This studio is very well equipped with tools for glass blowing despite it being on a ship, a fact that the professionals there note. Of course being at sea makes the glass blowing much more difficult - sudden winds can cool the glass too quickly and sea salt can be corrosive to the materials used - but the professionals have all had much experience of glass blowing and the majority of the pieces that start to be created make it to the end of the process. A few of the pieces are auctioned off at the end of the cruise to raise money for the museum's scholarship fund, but otherwise the pieces made are not available to buy; instead some of the pieces are taken by the gaffers, and sometimes the pieces are raffled off for free to the audience of the show.
As for other facilities, there are pools, a casino, the Eclipse Theatre, bars including the Martini Bar (with a bar made of ice)and Cellar Masters, gift shops, a library, an art gallery where the art and glass auctions take place and other Celebrity Trademarks and industry-standard amenities. On April 26, 2010 the Celebrity Eclipse launched the iLounge, an internet cafe and an Apple product retailer where classes are held throughout the cruise and some products are available to buy.
volcano, the newly completed Eclipse was used to rescue 2000 British tourists stranded in Spain as "an act of goodwill" by the owners. The ship departed from Southampton for Bilbao on April 21, and returned on April 23.
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean International to become Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF...
. She is the sister ship of Celebrity Solstice
Celebrity Solstice
Celebrity Solstice is a owned and operated by Celebrity Cruises. At the time she was launched, she held the record for the largest cruise ship ever built in Germany; however, her record was surpassed when the Disney Dream was launched in 2010....
and Celebrity Equinox
Celebrity Equinox
Celebrity Equinox is a Solstice-class cruise ship built by Meyer Werft in Germany. Celebrity Equinox is the second of the five Solstice-class vessels, owned and operated by Celebrity Cruises. She is a sister ship of Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Silhouette and the forthcoming...
, which entered service in November 2008 and July 2009, respectively. A fourth ship in the class, Celebrity Silhouette
Celebrity Silhouette
Celebrity Silhouette is a , owned and operated by Celebrity Cruises. Celebrity Silhouette is the fourth ship in the Solstice class, her sister ships being Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Reflection. Solstice Equinox and Eclipse entered service in 2008, 2009,...
, she entered service in Fall 2011. She is the third Solstice-class cruise ship. Celebrity Eclipse measures 122,000 gross tons and carries 2,852 passengers (double occupancy) plus crew.
The ship's godmother is Emma Pontin, a famous yachtswoman.
Itinerary
Summer 2010- Mediterranean and Northern Europe sailing from SouthamptonWinter 2010- Caribbean sailing from Miami
Summer 2011- Mediterranean and Northern Europe sailing from Southampton
Winter 2011- Caribbean sailing from Miami
Summer 2012- Mediterranean, Northern Europe and Iceland sailing from Southampton
Winter 2012- Caribbean sailing from Fort Lauderdale
Concept and construction
The keel of the Celebrity Eclipse was laid on 23 January 2009 and she floated in her drydock in 28 February 2010.Celebrity Eclipse is the third Solstice-class ship, preceded by Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox. Solstice-class ships are considered to be some of the most environment-friendly ships in the world, equipped with photovoltaic system, an optimized hull design, highly-efficient hull coatings and lighting system using light emitting diodes. With these innovations, Solstice-class ships save 30% more energy than other ships of their kind.
Amenities
The Celebrity Eclipse features many facilities, most of which are used for various events throughout the cruise. As for dining there is no shortage of restaurants to choose from - there are multiple dining areas including the Moonlight Sonata, Cafe al Bacio, the Oceanview Cafe, the Mast Grill and the Continental and European-inspired Murano which is also found on Celebrity Century. Some of these do come as an extra fee to guests. Also on board the ship is the Aquaspa and Solarium, an adults-only area designed for relaxation and rejuvenation for the over-16s only. Another exclusive to the Eclipse and the rest of her Solstice Class sister ships is the Lawn Club, an area of real grass that is cut nearly everyday and where activities are held, such as boules, miniature golf and giant Jenga.The lawn wraps around another Celebrity Solstice Class exclusive - the Hot Glass Show. This is an area where hot glass is blown at sea by professionals from the Corning Museum of Glass
Corning Museum of Glass
The Corning Museum of Glass, in Corning, New York, explores every facet of glass, including art, history, culture, science and technology, craft, and design....
, and shows are held at various points throughout the day at no extra cost to the guests. The studio is all electric which is unusual for a glass blowing studio, but for safety reasons flames needed to be kept to a minimum on the ship (hence the electric design). This studio is very well equipped with tools for glass blowing despite it being on a ship, a fact that the professionals there note. Of course being at sea makes the glass blowing much more difficult - sudden winds can cool the glass too quickly and sea salt can be corrosive to the materials used - but the professionals have all had much experience of glass blowing and the majority of the pieces that start to be created make it to the end of the process. A few of the pieces are auctioned off at the end of the cruise to raise money for the museum's scholarship fund, but otherwise the pieces made are not available to buy; instead some of the pieces are taken by the gaffers, and sometimes the pieces are raffled off for free to the audience of the show.
As for other facilities, there are pools, a casino, the Eclipse Theatre, bars including the Martini Bar (with a bar made of ice)and Cellar Masters, gift shops, a library, an art gallery where the art and glass auctions take place and other Celebrity Trademarks and industry-standard amenities. On April 26, 2010 the Celebrity Eclipse launched the iLounge, an internet cafe and an Apple product retailer where classes are held throughout the cruise and some products are available to buy.
2010 Iceland Volcano Eruption
In response to the shutdown of UK airspace due to the eruption of Iceland's EyjafjallajökullEyjafjallajökull
Eyjafjallajökull is one of the smaller ice caps of Iceland, situated to the north of Skógar and to the west of Mýrdalsjökull. The ice cap covers the caldera of a volcano with a summit elevation of . The volcano has erupted relatively frequently since the last glacial period, most recently in...
volcano, the newly completed Eclipse was used to rescue 2000 British tourists stranded in Spain as "an act of goodwill" by the owners. The ship departed from Southampton for Bilbao on April 21, and returned on April 23.