Review by Jason Peters (Director Creative Cruises)
The sparkling new jewel in the crown of the Celebrity Cruises fleet, the Eclipse arrived in Southampton, to not only a fanfare for its arrival but also on a mission to rescue from the clutches of the Ash Cloud stranded Brits in Spain. This was followed by a lavish naming ceremony in the port of Southampton where the Great and Good of the Cruise industry celebrated another addition to the Fleet of the finest cruise line afloat.
So once the day for the launch Voyage came, the Eclipse had already made her mark on the expectant passengers about to board her, to marvel at its grand interiors and enjoy the elegant and attentive service of its officers and crew.
The 4-day Cork cruise offers agents the chance to not only introduce new to cruise clients to cruising, but also new to brand for those hardy cruisers used to sailing with the other major lines from Southampton. With the finest ship afloat, a task easily achieved.
Our group aboard consisted of 68 clients some new to cruise and with this in mind I set about a ships tour to familiarize all with the vessel. There were gasps of pleasure followed with abject amazement of the standard of the vessel!
We sailed at 5pm and then the true nature of the vessel came to life, with all its array of entertainment and dining options tempting the fellow cruiser. The one thing that strikes me with this vessel is the varied array of live music aboard with jazz bands and Lounge singers, to classical groups and a great Orchestra to accompany the excellent loud and proud production shows in the theatre.
Dining has further been enhanced with the addition of a new eatery Qsine; a stunning fusion of tastes served in a very unique way and a must for all fellow cruisers.
The usual array of staterooms are provided with attention to detail that the finest land-based hotels would find hard to match.
Our arrival into Cork provided a great backdrop to the ship in the town of Cohb for our overnight stay.
The overall impression from our clients was of just amazement of the vessel and its service standard, and the real need to re-book on the product again for longer voyages.
This above all else is a message for agents really, as although revenue can be small on these showcase voyages, the future sales that are generated can be great, especially if you take the time to escort the trip yourself, as you have a captive audience and can provide that personal touch to your clients experience aboard with parties and a contact for new to cruise passengers to feel comfortable with..
Eclipse will be wowing guests from Southampton this season and returns next year for another season, so I would encourage all agents to look at the brand and enjoy!
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