Celebrity Eclipse

Celebrity Eclipse leaving Southampton in September 2013
History
Name: Celebrity Eclipse
Owner: Celebrity Eclipse Inc.[1]
Operator:
  • 2010–2011: Celebrity Cruises
  • 2011–: RCL Cruises Limited[1]
Port of registry:
Ordered: 14 July 2006[1][3]
Builder: Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany[4]
Cost: US$750 million
Yard number: 677[5]
Laid down: 23 January 2009[4]
Launched: 28 February 2010[6]
Christened: 24 April 2010 at Southampton by Emma Pontin[7]
Acquired: 15 April 2010[2]
Maiden voyage: 29 April 2010[8]
Identification:
Status: In service[2]
General characteristics
Class and type: Solstice-class cruise ship
Tonnage: 121,878 GT[1]
Length: 317.14 m (1,040 ft 6 in)[1]
Beam: 36.80 m (120 ft 9 in)[1]
Draft: 8.30 m (27 ft 3 in)[1]
Decks: 17 decks[2]
Installed power:
Propulsion:
Speed: 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph)[4]
Capacity: 2,850 passengers[4]
Crew: approx. 1,271

Celebrity Eclipse is a Solstice-class cruise ship, 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, entered service in the third quarter of 2011. Celebrity Eclipse is the third Solstice-class cruise ship. She measures 122,000 GT and carries 2,852 passengers (double occupancy) plus crew.[4]

The ship's godmother is Emma Pontin.[9]

Design and construction

The keel of the Celebrity Eclipse was laid on 14 February 2007 and she floated in her drydock on 28 February 2010.[4][6]

Celebrity Eclipse is the third Solstice-class ship, preceded by Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox. Solstice-class ships are designed to save energy, equipped with photovoltaic system, an optimized hull design, highly efficient hull coatings and lighting system using light emitting diodes,[10] and are said to use only 70% of the energy consumed by other ships of their kind.[10]

Facilities

Celebrity Eclipse and her sisters have several categories of staterooms. There are several bars and restaurants, some offering extra facilities at additional cost. There is a spa and solarium, and an area planted with grass for leisure activities. The Celebrity Solstice Class have a "Hot Glass Show", where glass is blown at sea by professionals from the Corning Museum of Glass, using electrical heating as flames are considered a hazard at sea. Some glass pieces are auctioned off at the end of the cruise to raise money for the museum's scholarship fund; others are raffled free of charge to the show's audience.

There are swimming pools, a casino, a theatre, shops, a library, an art gallery where art and glass are auctioned, an Internet café and Apple product shop, and the usual amenities.[11]

2010 Iceland volcanic eruption

Celebrity Eclipse inbound to Southampton on 23 April 2010 with 2,200 British tourists stranded by the Eyjafjallajökull eruptions.

In response to the 2010 shutdown of UK airspace due to the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano, the newly completed Eclipse returned 2,000 British tourists stranded in Spain as "an act of goodwill" by the owners, sailing from Southampton to Bilbao on April 21 and returning on April 23.[12]

2011 crew member overboard incident

On 20 May 2011 a 31-year-old crew member was lost overboard 12 km north of Cherbourg, France; despite an extensive search the man's body was not recovered.[13]

Allegations of poor working conditions

In October 2012 Channel 4 TV aired a Dispatches undercover documentary that exposed poor working conditions and exploitation of workers on Celebrity Eclipse.[14] Allegations include flying under a flag of convenience to enable the ship owners to be unconstrained by employment legislation, including minimum wages and working hours. The documentary showed footage of workers who had no rest days in many months, and workers who had to pay helpers to enable them to fulfil their duties. Celebrity Cruises denied the allegations in the documentary.

Gallery

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Celebrity Eclipse (27760)". DNV GL Vessel Register. Det Norske Veritas. Retrieved 2013-06-24.
  2. 1 2 3 4 http://www.meyerwerft.de/en/meyerwerft_de/medien/presseticker/pressemitteilung_detail_4637.jsp
  3. ↑ Solstice class cruise ship
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Keel-laying of Celebrity Eclipse". Cruise Business Review. Cruise Media Oy Ltd. 23 January 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2009.
  5. 1 2 Asklander, Micke. "M/S Celebrity Eclipse (2010)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 26 January 2009.
  6. 1 2 "Celebrity ECLIPSE leaves building dock". Meyerwerft website. 28 February 2010. Retrieved 28 February 2010.
  7. ↑ Celebrity Cruises' New Celebrity Eclipse to be Named by Courageous Ocean-Racing Yachtswoman. Press Release. Celebrity Cruises. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010
  8. ↑ Celebrity Eclipse Cruise
  9. ↑ Launch of Celebrity Cruises' Newest ship 'Eclipses" Others Newest Solstice Class ship named by courageous yachtswoman Emma Pontin. Press Release. Celebrity Cruises. 26 April 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010
  10. 1 2 Delivery of Celebrity ECLIPSE. Meyerwerft website. 15 April 2010. Archived 25 February 2012
  11. ↑ http://www.tradingmarkets.com/news/press-release/rcl_celebrity-cruises-to-present-celebrity-ilounge-on-celebrity-solstice-and-celebrity-summit-891402.html
  12. ↑ Jo Palmer (22 April 2010) "Stranded tourists return from Bilbao on Eclipse cruise ", BBC. Retrieved April 23, 2010
  13. ↑ "Cruise ship worker feared dead after English Channel fall". BBC News. 21 May 2011.
  14. ↑ Dispatches, C4 October 2012 "Cruise Operator Launches Investigation After Dispatches Expos", Channel 4

External links

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