Categories: Cruise News

Celebrity Eclipse refit and refurbishment delayed until 2021 for operational efficiency

Celebrity Cruises has delayed the refit and refurbishment of Celebrity Eclipse until March, 2021 for reasons of “operational efficiency” and will contact affected passengers to re-book them.

According to a statement from the cruise line, the other three ships scheduled for ‘Celebrity Revolution’ refurbishments in 2020 will go ahead as planned.

“Through 2023, Celebrity Cruises has dedicated more than US $500-million toward a fleetwide modernisation effort known as ‘The Celebrity Revolution’,” said a spokesperson for Celebrity Cruises.

Celebrity Eclipse will likely get a new Retreat deck during her refit

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“As part of this effort, four ships were scheduled to complete ‘Revolutionary’ modernisations in 2020, including Celebrity Eclipse. Due to operational efficiencies, the brand is rescheduling the dry dock of Celebrity Eclipse,” the spokesperson added.

Celebrity Eclipse was meant to go into drydock for her refit on October 27, 2020. Instead, she will begin her refurbishment on March 7th, 2021.

The work is expected to take a month, meaning that a full four weeks of cruises in March and April, 2021 will need to be cancelled.

Celebrity Eclipse will spend a month in dry dock in March, 2021 instead

Celebrity Cruises apologised for the inconvenience the schedule change has caused and is in the process of contacting affected passengers to re-accommodate them.

The rescheduled refurbishment means that Celebrity Eclipse will be going into drydock a year after the cruise line’s new Edge-class ship Celebrity Apex is launched, which will give Celebrity the added capacity needed to withdraw Eclipse from service for a month.

The reschedule also means that passengers have more time next year to enjoy the 2,850-passenger Solstice-class vessel. Celebrity Cruises has added two new cruise itineraries in Asia for 2020.

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Both will sail roundtrip from Singapore and call in Vietnam and Thailand, there will also be three new 2021 sailings, including a visit to the Great Barrier Reef out of Melbourne; a sailing to Vietnam, Taiwan and Japan; and a Japan and Bering Sea transpacific sailing out of Tokyo.

The upcoming refurbishments to Celebrity Silhouette (January), Celebrity Constellation (April) and Celebrity Infinity (October/November) aren’t affected.

The redesigned Passport Bar aboard Equinox

When these ships emerge from drydock they will join the three ships refurbished in 2019: Celebrity Millennium, Celebrity Summit and Celebrity Equinox.

Celebrity Cruises haven’t said exactly what will be done to Celebrity Eclipse during her refit, but based on the refurbishment of sister ship Celebrity Equinox we can assume that she will get a new Retreat Sundeck and Retreat Lounge, as well as the line’s popular Le Petit Chef experience and an all-new Craft Social bar.

All the ship’s public spaces and staterooms are likely to be refreshed with new soft furnishings, or stripped right back and redesigned.

Shaun Ebelthite

Founder and editor of Cruise Arabia & Africa. I try to create the best news and information specifically for cruise passengers taking cruises to and from Dubai (where I live) and South Africa (where I was born). You can contact me at shaun(at)cruisearabiaonline.com.

View Comments

  • My wife & I have a cruise booked on the Celebrity Infinity in May 2021. We knew the infinity was slated for dry dock refurbishment in Oct/Nov 2020 and planned to sail due to its update as its reviews are not good (outdated & worn). I called Celebrity in October 2020 to ensure that the schedule was still set for the revolutionization and Celebrity said all ship refurbishments were on hold due to Covid related setbacks in getting dry dock space & time. I sure hope this has changed as we only plan setting sail on Infinity as long as the refurbish has been done.

  • My husband and I look forward in cruising with NEW Celebrity Eclipse in May 2021. We have taken many cruises with different cruise lines and by far Celebrity is First Class !! Celebrity's service is over the top. !! We recommend Celebrity Cruises to all our friends so they too, can experience The class of a Celebrity. ! Thank you Celebrity !! A hui hou (til we meet again)

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