Weekend cruise with the family on board Celebrity Eclipse

Milo, my chocolate Labrador was dropped off at the kennels and we were off…heading south from North Yorkshire to Southampton. Traffic was heavy and there were plenty of roadworks, so we had to stop for coffee and a bite to eat. Seven hours later we arrived at the hotel for our overnight stay. I woke up early, excited, and looking forward to our weekend. After breakfast was done we walked down to Mayflower Park, which was a good photo opportunity. Then it was time for a quick walk around The West Quay Shopping Centre for last minute purchases. And we were off. Check-in did take a little time, but not the worst, so we were on board by 1.30pm. The ship looked like she was full, with a few hen parties and quite a few Travel Counsellors in attendance with partners and friends. We had a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with veranda, a decent sized bathroom with a nice shower and good-sized towels. Storage space was okay for the weekend, but might be an issue on a longer cruise with three in the stateroom. As we boarded, we upgraded from the standard drinks package to the premium package, as this included cocktails and premium coffee. The ship was explored from top to bottom, and we played Boules on the grass, yes on the grass! We took part in quizzes in the Sky Lounge, went swimming, danced in the (not so) silent disco, lost money in the casino (only $10), and watched the performance in the theatre, before checking out the Martini bar with its iced bar top. Eclipse docked in Le Havre, where many excursions were available to Honfleur/Deauville or day trips to Paris. We jumped onto the shuttle bus into the town centre for a quick wander around, with the next stop being the new commercial centre “Dock Vauben”. We had a fantastic trip as a family, it’s not often all five of us spend as much time together.