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My trip report: Solo on the Solstice 5/24-5/31/2013 (Alaska)


silentbob007

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Hi everyone. I got off the Solstice yesterday and thought I would provide my point of view about the trip. If you have signatures turned on, you can see that I am a veteran cruiser and that this was my fourth Celebrity cruise (3rd on S-Class). I booked this cruise about three weeks out and decided to go solo. It was a graduation trip for myself as I finished up my PhD in May. I'm a D+ Royal Caribbean cruiser, so I was Elite on this trip. Those of you who have read my trip reports on the Royal Caribbean board know that I'm interested in travel bargains, so I will do my best to describe my thought processes and plans on this cruise. I also have a few rants ... hopefully no one takes too much offense. :)

 

8914620444_38695df495.jpg

Untitled by cmong, on Flickr

 

Booking

 

As I mentioned earlier, I booked this cruise about three weeks out. There was some very good pricing for all of the major cruise lines to Alaska at the end of May which is what got me interested. I ended up on Celebrity based upon the brand, the ship, the itinerary, and the fact that it left on a Friday instead of the weekend (made flight and hotel cheaper overall). As I was debating about what I was going to do, an OV guarantee showed up on Celebrity's site for a lower rate than an OV double or even an inside. I put a hold on that rate, then explored other options (and was also waiting to hear about a job offer). By the time I heard about the job, the rates for the my OV had doubled, so I ended up keeping the online booking instead of using the travel agent I normally go through for benefits.

 

8815069828_0c4c38b44e.jpg

May 23, 2013-11 by cmong, on Flickr

 

With my cruise locked in, I booked airfare to Seattle. I found airfares to be quite high, though I was able to use my United points on US Airways for a discount rate for the Thursday before the cruise (costing me 12,500 miles for that leg). Cut rate coach fares for my return were sold out, but I was able to book a first-class cabin seat for 25,000 miles. In the end, 37,500 miles plus fees wasn't too bad for flights that were going for about $400-$500 roundtrip for those dates (and $1700 for the seats I booked). I planned to arrive early on Thursday to allow for time to explore Seattle. I planned my departure on debarkation day to be at 1:10 PM as I was unfamiliar with the port of Seattle and wanted to make sure I did not have to worry about making my flight.

 

8815116694_5923fbb015.jpg

Untitled by cmong, on Flickr

 

May 23rd - IND to SEA

 

I had two choices for booking my travel ... early arrival or late arrive into Seattle. Because I chose early arrival, that meant I had to catch a 6:00 AM fight out of Indianapolis to Phoenix. This meant a 3:00 AM alarm, lots of grumbling after a rather-sleepless night (excited/anxious about trip), and a 45-minute drive to the airport. My flight to Phoenix was uneventful which was much appreciated as I only had a 40-minute connection in Phoenix. Both flights were very full of both people and roll-aboard luggage. US Airways has definitely cut back as much as possible with onboard amenities ... no entertainment options for a 3.5 hour flight, limited beverage service, and absolutely no free snacks at all (not even peanuts).

 

**Baggage Rant** I know that the airlines shoulder much of the blame for the roll-aboard baggage situation, but I am always amazed by the battle royale resulting from lining up to get on the plane in order to secure bin space. Seriously ... all of the "hover-ers" waiting for their number to be called block both the gate entrance and the airport pathways for everyone else, drawing out the process. Once onboard, it seems like a good percentage of these people are either too weak or too short to stow their own bags and expect others to help them, wreaking havoc on the heads of people already seated.

 

Now ... I'm a frugal guy, but I pay my money to check a bag. It may seem heartless, but I no longer help anyone put their luggage up in the bin. I've done this in the past and have then be blamed for treating it to roughly and breaking something in the bag. Too many people have too many bags that they are physically unable to properly take care of (both on the plane and off) and it needs to stop. I have a feeling that future fees for carry-on baggage will be implemented and may help (not that I'm a fan of fees ... it would be better if they just let everyone have a checked bag).

 

**End Rant**

 

Arrival in Seattle

 

I booked my hotel through Hotwire (after unsuccessfully bidding on Priceline ... my usual bread-and-butter) and ended up with the W Hotel Seattle. As this hotel was downtown, I researched the best way for a single traveler to get there. As I was not in a hurry and able to handle my bags, I chose to take the SoundTransit Link train from SeaTac to downtown. Once you collect any checked bags, you have to go up an escalator and follow signs through the attached parking garage until you reach the train terminal. It was perhaps a 5-10 minute walk. Once at the terminal, you can buy your ticket from automated kiosks using cash or credit. You have to know what stop (or zone) you plan to get off on. I chose University as my stop (near the end of the line ... right downtown) and paid $2.75 for my ticket. I then headed up the escalator boarding the waiting train, and had a fairly uneventful 35-minute ride into the city.

 

8815057358_65d8b66cf5.jpg

May 23, 2013-6 by cmong, on Flickr

 

Once I got off the train (University is an underground station), I made my way to the surface. It took me a while to get my bearings (and having a smart phone helped) but I headed uphill a few blocks and arrived at my hotel by about noon.

 

The W had a fairly sedate entrance that took me a little while to recognize. Upon check-in, I was told that I had been upgraded to a "spectacular" room (I think meaning high floor with a view). However, as I wanted a king bed instead of two doubles, I was given the choice to take a lower "wonderful" room with a view of the parking garage ... to make up for this view, however, I was offered the choice of a free movie or free internet ($15) ... that sounded like a good deal to me, so I took the king. It was fairly spacious and nicely appointed.

 

8804449675_e72e796bb5.jpg

May 23, 2013-0 by cmong, on Flickr

 

I spent the rest of my day exploring the area (public library and drug store one way, Pike Street and the market an other). The W was a very nice hotel in terms of location, both in terms of convenience to the train and to attractions.

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US Airways has definitely cut back as much as possible with onboard amenities ... no entertainment options for a 3.5 hour flight, limited beverage service, and absolutely no free snacks at all (not even peanuts).

 

There is a reason my friends and I call them "Useless Air", even though they're one of the major players here in Phoenix.

 

 

8804449675_e72e796bb5.jpg

May 23, 2013-0 by cmong, on Flickr

 

 

That looks like a nice place!

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8913523057_cf3ae574df.jpg

Untitled by cmong, on Flickr

 

To the Ship

 

I woke up on Friday morning with the usual eagerness to get to the ship. I made a short visit to the local drug store and patisserie for breakfast and supplies, then I packed up and played the waiting game. While the W did not offer coffee in the room, they did have free pots of coffee in the lobby (and let me tell you ... it was strong stuff).

 

I had thought a lot about how I was going to get to the ship, ranging from public bus to a taxi. In the end, I found out that the W offers a complimentary Accura car service with a 5 mile radius ... it's a good thing that the W is only 4.9 miles from Pier 91. I made the arrangements on Thursday to be picked up at 10:30 AM on Friday morning. I checked out from my room on the TV, headed to the lobby, and was led out to my car immediately. It was a nice ride with leather seats and water. The driver mentioned that I could take a survey about Accura but did not push it. At 10:45 I was dropped off at the pier (I did offer a gratuity to the driver, which he accepted). A smiling porter grabbed my bag and loaded it without pausing or looking back for tip money ... the port of Miami this was obviously not.

 

After dropping the bag off, I headed to the terminal. There were two lines to enter ... a standard line and a priority line (Elite, Suite, Concierge, etc). The standard line had quite a few switchbacks while the priority line was just single-file down the wall. They would allow the priority line to go up the escalators for a few minutes, stop them, then allow the standard line. There was a bit of grumbling about this from those who were stopped in the priority line, but in the end, it did not make a difference. At the top of the escalator, the line once again separated into two security lines (standard and priority). The security lines were fairly standard for ports with a baggage scanner and metal detector. I was not forced to remove my belt or shoes ... just made sure to have my phone out of my pocket. Once through security, I got into the Elite line and was immediate shown to a counter to check in (there was quite a long line for the suite check-ins). After check-in, I was giving a boarding number which turned out to be irrelevant as the ship had started boarding.

 

All-in-all, it was one of the most efficient check-ins I have ever been a part of, including the Allure and Oasis. Security pictures were taken at the check-in desk, making it feel much more streamlined. About 20 minutes after being dropped off at the pier (11:05), I found myself on the Solstice.

 

8913457871_b9b82c3ac6.jpg

Untitled by cmong, on Flickr

 

Embarkation Day

 

Having eaten breakfast at around 9, I was not yet hungry, so I just walked around the ship and eventually found a place to sit in the Sky Lounge on 14. After having spent 14 days on the Eclipse over Christmas, the Solstice felt very familiar. I ended up grabbing some lunch at Bistro on 5 as I did not want to try to manage the buffet with the crowds and my camera bag. It was pretty good, though service seemed a bit slow to me as the servers seemed to be confused about who was assigned to wait on me and it took a while for me to order, get drinks, etc.

 

8913404243_5b7fee4a7f.jpg

Untitled by cmong, on Flickr

 

Cabins were not available until 1:30, so I tried to relax on the ship the best I could. There were many cruisers that were upset that they were unable to go to their cabins. Others camped out in the Oceanview Cafe, I'm assuming, as constant announcements were made imploring people to please eat and leave so that others could find a place to sit. They also made another announcement about the cabins, essentially stating that they hoped everyone enjoyed their special early boarding treat and that cabins would be available later ... pretty clever ... reading between the lines, the message was that we could have been left sitting in the terminal until the cabins were ready, so passengers should stop complaining and enjoy the ship.

 

The Cabin

 

About a week after booking my OV guarantee, I was assigned cabin 3151. This cabin was a few doors down from guest relations and the lobby. The location was pretty decent as it had good access to both sets of elevators and was close to the gangways. The only downside of the location is that the hallways on deck 3 seem to be main passageway for crew, so there were often people in the hallway (though it was pretty quiet).

 

8913501207_610920025a.jpg

Untitled by cmong, on Flickr

 

As for the cabin itself, it was similar to other cabins I've had on the Eclipse. There was plenty of storage space, a decent sized closet (though I guess I was only storing clothes for 1), a mini-bar, and a cruise-ship-large bathroom.

 

8914107194_f8c1808a94.jpg

Untitled by cmong, on Flickr

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Hello Bob, thanks for the thorough report. Looking forward to the rest! One question that seems to be in the air on recent Solstice sailings is tendering in Juneau. Did you tender this week in Juneau or were you docked?

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Bob,

 

I'm enjoying your review and pictures. Normally i would have patience for the rest of your review, but we fly out to Seattle on Wednesday for the June 7th cruise on the Solstice. What excursions do you recommend? We haven't booked any yet.

 

Randy

 

P.S. Congratulations on your PhD and new job!

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Hi everyone. I got off the Solstice yesterday and thought I would provide my point of view about the trip. If you have signatures turned on, you can see that I am a veteran cruiser and that this was my fourth Celebrity cruise (3rd on S-Class). I booked this cruise about three weeks out and decided to go solo. It was a graduation trip for myself as I finished up my PhD in May. I'm a D+ Royal Caribbean cruiser, so I was Elite on this trip. Those of you who have read my trip reports on the Royal Caribbean board know that I'm interested in travel bargains, so I will do my best to describe my thought processes and plans on this cruise. I also have a few rants ... hopefully no one takes too much offense. :)

 

8914620444_38695df495.jpg

Untitled by cmong, on Flickr

 

Booking

 

As I mentioned earlier, I booked this cruise about three weeks out. There was some very good pricing for all of the major cruise lines to Alaska at the end of May which is what got me interested. I ended up on Celebrity based upon the brand, the ship, the itinerary, and the fact that it left on a Friday instead of the weekend (made flight and hotel cheaper overall). As I was debating about what I was going to do, an OV guarantee showed up on Celebrity's site for a lower rate than an OV double or even an inside. I put a hold on that rate, then explored other options (and was also waiting to hear about a job offer). By the time I heard about the job, the rates for the my OV had doubled, so I ended up keeping the online booking instead of using the travel agent I normally go through for benefits.

 

8815069828_0c4c38b44e.jpg

May 23, 2013-11 by cmong, on Flickr

 

With my cruise locked in, I booked airfare to Seattle. I found airfares to be quite high, though I was able to use my United points on US Airways for a discount rate for the Thursday before the cruise (costing me 12,500 miles for that leg). Cut rate coach fares for my return were sold out, but I was able to book a first-class cabin seat for 25,000 miles. In the end, 37,500 miles plus fees wasn't too bad for flights that were going for about $400-$500 roundtrip for those dates (and $1700 for the seats I booked). I planned to arrive early on Thursday to allow for time to explore Seattle. I planned my departure on debarkation day to be at 1:10 PM as I was unfamiliar with the port of Seattle and wanted to make sure I did not have to worry about making my flight.

 

8815116694_5923fbb015.jpg

Untitled by cmong, on Flickr

 

May 23rd - IND to SEA

 

I had two choices for booking my travel ... early arrival or late arrive into Seattle. Because I chose early arrival, that meant I had to catch a 6:00 AM fight out of Indianapolis to Phoenix. This meant a 3:00 AM alarm, lots of grumbling after a rather-sleepless night (excited/anxious about trip), and a 45-minute drive to the airport. My flight to Phoenix was uneventful which was much appreciated as I only had a 40-minute connection in Phoenix. Both flights were very full of both people and roll-aboard luggage. US Airways has definitely cut back as much as possible with onboard amenities ... no entertainment options for a 3.5 hour flight, limited beverage service, and absolutely no free snacks at all (not even peanuts).

 

**Baggage Rant** I know that the airlines shoulder much of the blame for the roll-aboard baggage situation, but I am always amazed by the battle royale resulting from lining up to get on the plane in order to secure bin space. Seriously ... all of the "hover-ers" waiting for their number to be called block both the gate entrance and the airport pathways for everyone else, drawing out the process. Once onboard, it seems like a good percentage of these people are either too weak or too short to stow their own bags and expect others to help them, wreaking havoc on the heads of people already seated.

 

Now ... I'm a frugal guy, but I pay my money to check a bag. It may seem heartless, but I no longer help anyone put their luggage up in the bin. I've done this in the past and have then be blamed for treating it to roughly and breaking something in the bag. Too many people have too many bags that they are physically unable to properly take care of (both on the plane and off) and it needs to stop. I have a feeling that future fees for carry-on baggage will be implemented and may help (not that I'm a fan of fees ... it would be better if they just let everyone have a checked bag).

 

**End Rant**

 

Arrival in Seattle

 

I booked my hotel through Hotwire (after unsuccessfully bidding on Priceline ... my usual bread-and-butter) and ended up with the W Hotel Seattle. As this hotel was downtown, I researched the best way for a single traveler to get there. As I was not in a hurry and able to handle my bags, I chose to take the SoundTransit Link train from SeaTac to downtown. Once you collect any checked bags, you have to go up an escalator and follow signs through the attached parking garage until you reach the train terminal. It was perhaps a 5-10 minute walk. Once at the terminal, you can buy your ticket from automated kiosks using cash or credit. You have to know what stop (or zone) you plan to get off on. I chose University as my stop (near the end of the line ... right downtown) and paid $2.75 for my ticket. I then headed up the escalator boarding the waiting train, and had a fairly uneventful 35-minute ride into the city.

 

8815057358_65d8b66cf5.jpg

May 23, 2013-6 by cmong, on Flickr

 

Once I got off the train (University is an underground station), I made my way to the surface. It took me a while to get my bearings (and having a smart phone helped) but I headed uphill a few blocks and arrived at my hotel by about noon.

 

The W had a fairly sedate entrance that took me a little while to recognize. Upon check-in, I was told that I had been upgraded to a "spectacular" room (I think meaning high floor with a view). However, as I wanted a king bed instead of two doubles, I was given the choice to take a lower "wonderful" room with a view of the parking garage ... to make up for this view, however, I was offered the choice of a free movie or free internet ($15) ... that sounded like a good deal to me, so I took the king. It was fairly spacious and nicely appointed.

 

8804449675_e72e796bb5.jpg

May 23, 2013-0 by cmong, on Flickr

 

I spent the rest of my day exploring the area (public library and drug store one way, Pike Street and the market an other). The W was a very nice hotel in terms of location, both in terms of convenience to the train and to attractions.

 

Can you tell us what price you wound up paying for he hotel?

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Hi everyone ... thanks for the encouragement. I'm sorry for such a late update today, but we had a belated graduation party today with many guests to attend to.

 

8914665756_2231740751.jpg

Untitled by cmong, on Flickr

 

I know that everyone is interested in the ports, so I'll get to it. One note, as I mentioned earlier, I was trying to do this cruise somewhat on the cheap (have a few months until my first "real" paycheck). Alaska is not an easy itinerary for cheap excursions, especially booking late with many independent operators already booked. In the end, I went for Celebrity's Alaska Coach Tour package (purchased on the Juneau page). It included 2-2.5 hour bus tours with stops in all of the Alaskan ports as well as a ticket for the tram up Mt. Roberts. The pricing for this package was $147 which is the combination of the prices for each bus tour and then a "free" ticket for the tram (which costs about $30 from the ship or on site). If you want to go whale watching, ride a helicopter, or take a sea plane over a glacier, you are going to have a much more exhilarating time than I did, but you are also going to pay $150-400 per person for the excursion (through the ship).

 

8913524755_c80f6d5638.jpg

Untitled by cmong, on Flickr

 

8913526503_77733fb824.jpg

Untitled by cmong, on Flickr

 

8914233636_8f985e0584.jpg

Untitled by cmong, on Flickr

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Can you tell us what price you wound up paying for he hotel?

 

It was around $120 before taxes. Hotwire amenities for when I booked it included pet friendly, business center, and Internet access (was a recommended 4* hotel in the Pike Street area with a 4.5 TripAdvisor rating).

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Bob, I'm really enjoying and learning from your review! The Solstice to Alaska Sept 6 will be our first cruise so any and all info is much appreciated. Many congrats for completing your studies and best wishes for the future!

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