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Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady vs Celebrity Eclipse
The Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady is a fairly new ship, being built in 2022. This is an adults-only ship; all guests must be 18 or older. It's 12 years newer than the Eclipse, which was built in 2010.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
Ship Size
The Valiant Lady is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 912 feet long and 125 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.5 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 13-story building. Compared to the Celebrity Eclipse, the Valiant Lady is 10% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady holds about the same number of passengers as the Eclipse based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Valiant Lady has less space per person compared to the Eclipse.
| Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Lady | Solstice |
| Gross Tonnage | 110,000 | 122,000 |
| Length | 912 | 1,040 |
| Beam/Width | 125 | 121 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,700 | 2,850 |
| Crew | 1,150 | 1,286 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 2.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 41 | 43 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Valiant Lady has 12 different dining options like The Pizza Place, The Wake, and The Dock / The Dock House. Of those options, 12 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare.
The Eclipse has 3 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Murano, Main Dining Room, and Blu. 9 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 6 have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Eclipse might be a better choice. It has 25% more dining options than the Valiant Lady.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Valiant Lady might be a better choice then the Eclipse. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 12 | 15 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 12 | 9 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 0 | 6 |
| % of Included Options | 100% | 60% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Valiant Lady and the Eclipse below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.
The Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady has a total of 2 pools and 6 hot tubs. 2 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.
Celebrity Eclipse has more pools than the Valiant Lady and the same number of hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Eclipse. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
| Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | ||
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. You might up paying more while on board the Valiant Lady. Only 55% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Eclipse, 67% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobatic Show | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Beyond the Podium Talk Series | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Group Fitness | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lawn Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Outdoor movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Private Karaoke Rooms | ✓ | ✗ |
| Salon | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tattoo Studio | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Virgin Voyages and Celebrity are both considered "Premium" cruise lines. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady will likely be more expensive than on Celebrity Eclipse.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady | Celebrity Eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | Included | $18.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | Included | 20% |
| Soda Price | Included | $4.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.00 See drink menus | $8.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | No drink package available | $65 - $95 |
| Internet Plan | Base level is Included. For "premium" speeds, it's around $25 per day | $19 to $30 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Celebrity Cruise Lines offers an "All Included" program. Guests who book a cruise using this promotion will have wifi and alcohol included. Some sailings are available without this program so pay attention when booking. Typically prices are lower if they don't include "Always Included." The wifi and alcohol package are the base levels and can be upgraded for an additional cost.
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