Live from the Gorgeous Celebrity Solstice - 11 Day Med Cruise 11/9-11/20

[wiselindag]

I have never before written a live review from the ship, but thought I would give it a try. I am a retired educator traveling with my husband. Also in our party are two other couples. We arrived in Rome on Friday morning and spent a great weekend walking around neighborhoods, and eating marvelous meals. Especially glorious was a long walk along the Tiber with the sun streaming through the brown and gold leaves still on the trees and a stroll through the Jewish Ghetto and over to Trastavere in the company of some people we met along the way.

Solstice Cruise – November 9-20, 2009

Monday, November 9

Mario Sepe drove us to Civitavecchia on Monday morning with a quick detour up to the top of the Janiculum Hill for photographs of the city. We arrived at the pier at noon and were on board Solstice a few minutes later with no wait. The buffet was crowded with diners since it had been open from 11.30. Fortunate for us, since we were a group of six, one of our group members managed to snag an empty table and we each went off to check out the offerings in the buffet. We were all impressed with the variety and quality of the food on offer. I spotted hot dishes, BB selections, and stations for Mexican food, Indian curries, a gentleman carving roast beef, Asian stir fry, Pastas\ with sauces, salad bar, pizzas, burgers and hot dogs, and, of course desserts. I ate chicken tikka masala, rice, dal, vegetable curry, and two samosas along with a sample of Asian noodles.

After lunch we went off to check out our cabins. Our Aqua Class cabin is lovely and filled with many very nice touches. On the bed were our Captains Club coupons and a bag with little aromatic spa goodies such as facial mist and lip balm and a pair of spa slippers. I love the look of the new cabins, and especially like the bathroom with the sliding shower doors. After unpacking, I have to say that I agree with those who don’t like the storage design. The closet door is too close to my side of the bed, the safe takes up room inside the closet, the shelves next to the bed are open and the storage shelves are all the way over by the desk near the balcony doors – not convenient for dressing at all. The drawers are also too shallow and there aren’t enough of them. There is a picture across from the bed where the flat screen TV is on some other ships and the TV is in a unit over the shelves and next to the bed. I think that space would have been better used for shelving and the TV could have been housed in front of the bed. By angling the bathroom there is a greater sense of space in the entryway, but I would rather have had a narrow entrance and the closet in the usual spot. The balcony chairs with ottomans are a nice addition and are quite comfortable, but given the present temperature, I’m not sure how much time we will spend out there. The towels in the bathroom are beautiful and very soft and the bedding is also luxurious in feel and very attractive. I also like the leather (or leather look) of the couch and the desk chair – very sleek and modern.

Our cabin attendant, Sanjay, came by to introduce himself on the first afternoon while we were unpacking (bags arrived about 2:15 and cabins were accessible by 1:10.) We asked for an extra towel and a few extra hangers. He quickly brought the towel and many more hangers than we needed, but on first impression, our cabin service will be excellent. In Aqua Class we have a pitcher of flavored ice tea and bottles of water which are complimentary and will be re-supplied each day. We also had a fruit basket, flowers, and champagne in an ice bucket, all of which come with the cabin.

The ship is gorgeous. All of the design elements so many cruisers have mentioned are stunning in person. Although we only saw a fraction of the ship on our first day, we spent much of the time admiring the look of the Solstice and the many new ideas incorporated into it. I especially loved the look of the two-story library and the tree that is suspended in the atrium space outside of it…. spectacular!

I stopped off in the computer center to set up my account and want to commend Bob, who is great and has a terrific droll sense of humor. I love the new CC coupon for the discount on the computer package – finally a significant perk for CC along with the new CC Club card in Michael’s Club (but more about that later).

The boat drill was unusual. We didn’t need to bring our life jackets (after 25 cruises this was a first!) We went to our muster station, which was in the theater, and watched a video about what to do if there is an emergency. Then it was time for the sailaway party. This was moved indoors to the Sky Lounge, which is another gorgeous space (I’m running out of adjectives to describe this ship!)

Dinner was at 8:30 in Blu and although it was only one dinner, it had its pluses and minuses. Blu is stunning and the intimacy of a small supper-club like setting is a pleasure. It’s much quieter and feels more upscale than the huge Epernay Dining Room. The meal started off well with Blue Cheese tart served on a beautiful blue plate with red dots of sauce artistically arranged around the tart. The Corn Veloute also garnered a thumbs-up. The spinach salad with walnuts and cranberries and yes, more blue cheese!, was also quite good. We all ordered filet mignon for the main course and each of us was pleased with the color of our beef – medium rare for three of us and medium for the fourth. I enviously eyed fried onions on another plate across the room, which I realized belonged to the tuna entrée. They would have been good on the steak. Dessert, alas, was disappointing. While the folks in the MDR were treated to a menu that included profiteroles (my favorite dessert!), we had no chocolate choices at all and nothing that even tempted me. Our waiter (I’m not sure of the spelling at this point, but will give it a try – Krashin) sought to please me by sending for some chocolate cake from the MDR, but I didn’t learn that I’d missed out on the profiteroles until later. I also missed seeing the dessert choices presented as they do in the MDR. Service was spotty. As someone at the table pointed out, it’s easy to keep water glasses filled and more drinks offered when glasses are empty, but we had to ask for beverage re-fills more than once on this first evening and I had only a spoon with which to eat the cake. I have read so many rave reviews for Blu prior to this cruise, that my expectations were high… maybe too high. We’ll see what the rest of the cruise brings.

The show was typical first-night fare… the A Capella group – called SOULD, OUT – was excellent but the brief number performed by the Celebrity singers and dancers was underwhelming. Our cruise Director, James, kept the jokes to the bare minimum and we were happy to call it a night, especially since we lose one hour tonight as we journey to Greece.

Tuesday, November 10

Today dawned bright and sunny (a big improvement over the rain and wind of last night!) We slept in until 8:30 (Stromboli was on the starboard side so we missed that). Breakfast in the buffet was varied and plentiful. We had trouble finding a table – lots of people slept in this morning. I wish the MDR breakfast hours were more generous or started a little later! When we did find a table it was next to the waffles, so that made the choice easy – waffles with bacon, one cheese blintz, some fruit, juice, and I was all set.

The Cruise Critics Party was in Michael’s Club at 10:45. I had not received an invitation although we did sign up for the party, but someone told us about it so we managed to get there. James, the Cruise Director, was there briefly and it was good to see him, but it would have been nice to meet more of the officers as I did on Century at the CC party last year. It’s always great to meet the people with whom you correspond on the Boards and we had chats with a number of people. Wandered over to Café Bacio for more conversation in the beautiful chairs in this area while enjoying the Italian coastal scenery outside the big windows.

Soon it was time for lunch and we went down to the MDR where Vladimir was on duty. He was on Century with us last year and does a great job. We asked for a large table and he gave us a new one, which quickly filled with pleasant dining companions. After lunch DH and I went our separate ways – he to the cabin for a nap and I went to the Solarium to write this report with a brief detour to check out the lawn The
Solarium is great – lovely blue, cushioned lounges and a big, warm indoor pool. There’s a huge trellis with a wall of fucshia flowers…I’m going to spend as much time in here as possible.

Now I’m off to the cabin to put on some clothes and check on the Captain’s Club Lounge. I’ll report on that, formal night, and our second dinner in Blu in the next installment.

[vickykay]

We were on the Solstice last March and loved her! If you run into our friends and fellow cruisers, Robbie and Jim from DC, please give them our love. Glad to hear that today's weather was good. Enjoy your cruise.

Vicky and Terry

[pamkev]

Keep the reports coming we will be on Nov 30th for the ta back to Fl. Can't wait

[Woobstr112G]

Thanks for taking the time to post your live from thread. Looking forward to seem more of your posts.....

Bob

[etsdas]

Keep the reports coming. We board on Nov. 20 for the Med. cruise followed by the Transatlantic.

We are especially interested in hearing about entertainment, including lectures and enrichment types of programs. Maybe this is too port intensive. Over the years we have experienced many great programs of this type - and a few not so great.

[Stella Jules]

Yes, would def like to hear about any lectures or enrichment programs that are not about drinking. We are taking my parents on their first ever cruise on Jan 24th. My BF and I went on the Solstice last year and had a great time, but we love to sit in the sun and spa and loved loved loved Blu. My parents are kind of high brow and am worried they will be bored on the ship.

[Texed]

Originally Posted by wiselindag

When we did find a table it was next to the waffles,

That's where I would sit also. Thanks for posting.

[Camelia-]

I'm looking forward to hearing more and more..we'll be there to see her glory for ourselves at the end of the month!! Excitement is definitely in the air..we booked so long ago but it's finally here!!

Camelia

[bobbyleduck]

Dear Linda:

Thanks for the information. Having cruised with you two years ago, I can truly appreciate your review. After spending as much time as we did in the T-Pool aboard Millennium, I can just imagine the two of you in the warm indoor pool.

Have fun, relax, and keep the reports coming.

Bob

[wiselindag]

Thanks to all of you for commenting. I'll do my best to keep up on the reports. The downside is that this takes so much time, I haven't gotten to an enrichment lecture or activity yet and hey Bobbie -- I haven't been in the pool yet either. Yesterday I put on my suit, so I had good intentions, but never got in there. DH went later and said it was cool, not hot, but he's never satisfied with the temperature. I'll let you know how it is later in the cruise. Anyway, here's the latest:

Live from the Solstice – Installment Two – Sea Day and Santorini

The Captain’s Club Lounge in Michael’s Club for CC Elite and Suite guests from 4-6 (also in the morning, but you will have to wait until we have an early day to hear about that part), is new for us. We loved the Concierge Lounge on RCCL, and have high hopes that this will be as nice. We went in at 5 and showed our special white cards to the barman. There was a list of cocktails (not sure if they will make cocktails other than those on the list), but they did have beer for DH. We grabbed our cocktails and tried to find a place to sit… but all the chairs were taken so extra seating would be appreciated. They had two little hors d’oeuvres on the bar… a far cry from the really terrific spread on RCCL, but it was nice that they put out something. Perhaps there was more out earlier… I don’t know and won’t be able to find out for several days since we’ll be at Santorini this afternoon. What I especially liked is that there were some lovely people there and we enjoyed chatting with them.

On to get ready for formal night. I should mention a few other terrific features of the new bathrooms. The shelves are now recessed and have glass doors so there is plenty of excellent storage in the bathroom. The new showers are wonderful... powerful spray from the overhead nozzle and extra water jets to squirt you from several directions.

First we went down to Deck 3 where there was a jazz performance in the foyer and had a drink with our friends before heading off in three different directions for dinner – two to Murano (which they said was wonderful), two to the MDR, and we went to our regular table in Blu.

On the second night we really enjoyed our dinner. Krasimir is our waiter and tonight, the service was excellent.. I asked our Maitre’D, Lorita, to write his name for me so now we have it spelled correctly. I enjoyed the Corn Fritters, Waldorf Salad, Roast Beef served rare, and crepes suzette for dessert. Our neighbors at the next table are fast becoming good friends. One of them had the Chilled Caesar Salad Soup, which sounded interesting, but somehow unappealing. She offered me a taste, but I took her word for it that it was goodd. She said it was very garlicky and cheesy. One of the ship’s photographers was walking around taking photographs, but he never got over to our tables. We took photographs of each other instead.

The show tonight was Ghost Light: The Spirit of Broadway. After 25 cruises, I’ve seen a lot of shipboard production shows. This one was well sung by the lead voices (the numbers from Carousel were beautiful(, and the orchestra sounded great, but somehow it didn’t work for me. This group of singers and dancers, called Stars of Solstice, didn’t seem to jell. Although they had smiles pasted on their faces (one looked more like a grimace), they seemed rote rather than spontaneous and even unhappy… I don’t know why or how to explain it, but the ensemble part just wasn’t there… maybe it’s the staging of the show, which featured songs from West Side Story, My Fair Lady, Carousel, Hairspray and Gypsy. The strippers number from Gypsy was particularly painful (for me, anyway). The adagio team, which often adds, here didn’t fit and seemed poorly matched. As one of my tablemates said, they had no chemistry.

Tomorrow we have a morning on the ship before our arrival in Santorini.

Wednesday, November 11 – Santorini

We awoke to a cloudy morning, which turned bright and sunny by the time we got up to breakfast in the buffet. Today I tried a little more restraint and had an English muffin with smoked salmon, tomato and a little cream cheese, some herring and fruit. I ordered some freshly squeezed orange juice from room service along with a pot of hot chocolate and it was delivered ten minutes early with a call first to say they were on their way.

We are barely moving so perhaps we’re ahead of schedule for our arrival time of 2 p.m. I was told by the lovely Daniella, our CC Hostess, that priority tender tickets would be delivered to the cabins in the evening, but they did not arrive. When I asked Sanjay, he said he would get them for us and soon after he called and said he had them and would bring them to the cabin. Our neighbors and traveling companions didn’t receive theirs either, so I asked him to get them some as well, but the system doesn’t seem to operating smoothly.

We had lunch in the MDR – iceberg lettuce with artichoke, tomato and olives and Tunisian Brik (which didn’t taste or look like the Tunisian brik pies I have had in the past and which I wouldn’t recommend although it was edible. We were capably served by Emir and our very own Krasimir, which was a nice surprise. .. more interesting table companions... today DH had someone who actually enjoyed talking about economics and politics.

Just before arrival time at 2:00 we went to the Ensemble Lounge for priority tendering. There were many people there and the number seemed to surprise the cruise staff person assigned to bring the group down when the tenders were ready. When he got the word, he told the group to use the far stairs and to wait for him on deck 3, which we did although it was chaotic and more people seemed to appear out of nowhere. He collected the priority tender tickets and we moved down to the second deck, where there was a delay in getting the tender going due to rough seas. We got onto a tender and then took the cable car up to the top (4 Euros). We had to wait for two people in our party who got separated from us and took a later tender, and then we stopped to take photographs from Fira before heading to Oia. We arrived at the bus station at 3:25 and discovered that the next bus would be at 4 since they were running on the winter schedule. The bus cost 1.40 Euro. A van drove up and the driver offered to drive us over for five Euros a person. We negotiated a fare of 30 Euros for eight people, figuring that time was of the essence. Our driver was very nice and told us what time the sun would set and where to go to get the best pictures.

On the drive over to Oia we enjoyed the wonderful views of the terraced vineyards and the fertile, volcanic fields. We asked the driver to return to pick us up at 5:45, which turned out to be a great decision, We walked through the streets of Oia, stopping to admire the handicraft and jewelry shops and taking fantastic photographs of gorgeous vistas and charming churches, flowers, and little traditional-style houses. Each turn presented photo opportunities better than the ones we had just viewed so we all snapped dozens of photographs. Finally we got to the point where the famous blue-domed church was visible and we snapped dozens more. The sun was just ahead of us, but unfortunately there was a large cloud obscuring most of the sunset. We stopped at a café and had a cold drink and then admired the good sense of a young couple who had ordered hot chocolate. Although it had been mild (in the 60’s) earlier, as the sun disappeared, the temperature dropped and the wind picked up. We headed back to the taxi stand and just made it before the rains came… very lucky! Our drive back was uneventful and we asked the driver to drop us off as close to the cable car as possible. He directed us up a set of steps and in front of us was a huge line for the return trip down the mountain. The rains let up and then stopped, so we lucked out again. We were regaled in line by an Atlantan who made the mistake of taking the donkey up to Fira and very much regretted his choice of transportation.

We finally got to the cable car and after a dark ride down, were quickly able to board a rocking tender and return to the comforts of Solstice. Tonight we again dined in Blu and each night has been better than the night before. This evening I loved the appetizer of escargot and spaetzle and enjoyed a Greek Salad and Osso Bucco wrapped in prosciutto. One of my dining companions ordered the Field Greens with a dressing we had never heard of called kalamasin (or something like that) which tasted like olives, olive oil, lemon and balsamic vinegar… unusual and delicious. Since all of the service staff in Blu now know that I like chocolate desserts, Krasimir brought out a chocolate cake from the MDR for me (and another for the table) and I ordered the Chocolate Cake with Grand Marnier from the menu. The latter was the winner – excellent. Our drinks preferences are now known and offered without the need to ask. Tonight all beverages were refilled promptly and service was excellent. Emilia, who handles our drinking needs is a delight – very competent and very funny.

A word needs to be said about the public bathrooms on this ship. Today I actually took a photograph of one of the Ladies Rooms, which are gorgeous. I am told the Men’s Rooms have the same design, which includes dark wood and unusual deep basins with what looks like etched glass, but is probably some sort of synthetic. Celebrity is still providing real linen with which to wipe your hands and has matrons monitoring the high traffic bathrooms.

Last, but definitely not least for this installment, tonight’s headliner was James Stephens III, who is a comedian and song impressionist. He does stand-up comedy, improv, sings songs, plays the piano, dances, and does impressions of just about every male singer you can name (the audience tried to stump him and failed). We enjoyed this show very much.

Tomorrow we tender early in Mykonos.

[anthk333]

Hi Linda. I'm enjoying your updates. I have a question - is your CC host Daniella from England? And does her last names start with a W?

[bighairtexan]

Thanks so much. I'm hanging on your every word. We'll be on the Solstice next year in an AQ so I'm really enjoying your reports.

[pspercy]

spoon with which to eat the cake

Maybe a dessert spoon ?
No kidding, I grew up in England and dessert was eaten with a (dessert) spoon, like a rather large teaspoon. Things probably different nowadays.

[pspercy]

Tunisian Brik (which didn’t taste or look like the Tunisian brik pies . .

Is that the same as brik a l'oeuf ?
Basically an egg deep fried in batter with some herbs and "stuff".

Makes a great snack.

[sasmisjas]

Loving the 'live' review. We will be on the Solstice in February for our first ever X cruise. We are taking the cruise as a party of 3 couples. It's a special trip to mark our pearl wedding anniversary later in the year. We have had it booked for absolutely ages and I'm reading everything Solstice related in anticipation of a fantastic experience. Looking forward to your next installment. Yvonne

[StLucia]

We're so jealous, we left Solstice as you joined on 9th November after a wonderful cruise. She is a gorgeous ship though we would agree with you over the closet. Our cabin had the bed close to the balcony which meant the sofa, though lovely and well used, made access to my long dresses and shoes very difficult. We loved the bathroom, very well designed with plenty of storage space.

Enjoy every minute all to soon it will be over.....until the next time.

[bobbyleduck]

Dear Linda:

It sounds as if you're enjoying yourself. I hope Chris is having some fun as well. I would love to be there with the two you. Santorini sounds like a great visit. I've wanted to visit Santorini and Mykonos for more than 20 years, and still haven't made it. One day soon, I hope. Keep up the great reports and let me know about the pool.

Happy cruising to all!

Bob

[jagoffee]

I too was very impressed with the public restrooms. I liked all the quotes engravings on the wall. If you send your husband exploring, one of the men's room has several large windows looking out to the sea. Perhaps it was the one near the future cruise area. I cannot remember where, but it was impressive.

[tuscansun]

Thank you so much for your updates!!!! We will be on the Solstice for the November 30 TA sailing in AQ....cannot wait!!! Thanks for taking the time to share, we are all eagerly awaiting your next installment!

[JSR]

thank you. I am loving your review and can not wait for the next installment. We are on the Solstice in January. Greece is one of my favorite places to visit.