sptrout

Unless something has changed in the past few years:

1. There is a McDonalds that sits right next to the PCCs's parking lot. I think the PCC allows in and out passes.

2. The not to be missed, night show, is 90 minutes with a 10 minute intermission.

3. The main theatre is stadium style so most, if not all, seats have a good view. Obviously, money buys the best seats (near the stage).

IMO (but then I have never had any kids) the evening show will be the least boring part of the day for everyone (and I am not saying that the day's activities will be boring).

I agree with "agabbymama", rent a car. A taxi will likely cost as much as a car. The gardens is not that far, but it is located on a remote road with little though traffic. So you would have to arrange for a return taxi ride.

The garden is very nice and worth the time if you enjoy natural gardens (not fancy landscaping). There is a very steep walkway from the entrance building down to sea level and much of the gardens. I believe they will provide transportation if asked, but it is typical for visitors to walk. The walk back up is the tough part. We really enjoyed our visit and recommend it, but just wanted you to know the possible issue with the walk. (Note: It was several years ago when we visited, so things may have changed.)

I agree with the others that the OLL is the one to beat. My only reservation about recommending it 100% is that it does not have any fire dancing. The OLL tries to stay as close to real Hawaiian as possible, which leaves fire dancing out in the cold (pun intended). Since fire dancing is from Somona, it is not part of OLL's show. That is a show stopper for some people, or at least a good reason to go to both The OLL and to a second luau (my personal preference!). Its only money, and you may never get another chance.

Plan on the PCC to be an all day experience. There are more things to do than you can squeeze into a day, so some preplanning (check their website) would be appropriate. I agree with "slidergirl" that renting a car is a good idea while staying on the island. Just remember that traffic (and parking) are hell on earth in downtown Honolulu.

The PCC has what they call a luau, but it is really just a place to feed all the visitors before the main evening show, which is held in a different building. The evening show is the highlight of the day. It is not to be missed and there is nothing comparable to it on any of the islands IMO.

Also IMO, first time Hawaii visits should plan on going to the PCC and later going to a more conventional luau. This is what we have done multiple times we went to the PCC. IMO, the PCC is for learning and family entertainment (no drinking for example since it is owned by the Mormon Church), where standard luau's are more of an "eat, drink, and be merry" type of experience. The shows can be very good, but the whole experience is very different. My recommendation, go to the PCC, and then go to the Old Lahaina Luau on Maui if possible. I know we are talking considerable money here, but there truly are major differences.

Just to add-----

Medical jet transport services charge by the mile from hospital "A" to hospital "B". Last year we had to med-jet my dad from south Florida to northern Indiana: $17,000 for less than 1,000 air miles. So you can see that if you get in a similar situation overseas you will be in for a big bill without Medjet insurance.

Also, you can buy MedJet insurance by the year, or for just a specific trip (14 days for example). When purchased this way, it is not very expensive; considering.

Then why do you have to select your dining time on Celebrity's web site?

Celebrity's web page is screwed-up; I sure wish they would spend the $$ so these questions would not be repeated over and over. (Not a flame towards you Jade13, but Celebrity really needs to fix their web site. There is no excuse for the confusion this causes.)

Do you agree with so many others that the PCC has the best live show?

Based on the shows that I have seen, no one else is even close.

Where could one eat before going to the Breath of LIfe evening show, if they did not eat at the PCC? I asked this once before and was told there is a McDonalds close by. Somehow I think the luau food would have to be better than McDonalds. Do you have another suggestion? The only thing I am thinking is that if we don't eat at the PCC, we are not likely to get good seats at the show.

McDonalds is mentioned because it is right next to the PCC's parking lot and within easy walking distance. There may be other places to eat, but we will have to let our Hawaiian friends comment because I do not remember any.

When you buy your tickets to the show you will be buying specific seats so there is no need to "rush to the gate."

As for the food; I to have been to both the PCC and the OLL and others and it is safe to say that the food is not the highlight of the evening. At the PCC, the luau the food is mainly provided to give the visitors a break between visiting the Villages while waiting for the main show in the theatre. During my first visit to the PCC many years ago, the food was basically cafeteria-style. It has only been in more recent years that the PCC decided to provide a "luau" style option. During our last visit about four years ago, we bought the Super Ambassador Package, which included an order-off-a-menu dinner in a private dining area. This meal WAS very good, much better than any standard luau meal that we have had.

You are correct in that those that choose the better packages (we got the ambassador) will get better seats. There is an interactive seating chart that will show you what sections are available based upon the package you choose. The seating areas appear to be relatively flat (unlike a movie theater for example) so it looked like to us it paid to get closer to the stage.

The theatre is not flat like the interactive chart implies. It is actually fairly steep, more like stadium seating. This is one of the reasons that food is not served in the theatre, with the exception of a great ice cream stack during the intermission (extra charge unless you have purchased one of the better packages).

You are correct that the better packages get the better seats (closer & center). We bought the Super Ambassador Package for our last visit and we were seated in the first row, dead center.

The show at the PCC is very different IMO than any other luau show. I have visited the PCC twice and both times have went to a more standard luau later during the trips. Very different experiences, the PCC more history, others more of a party.

However, to answer your question more directly, I would not go to the PCC without seeing the evening show. The trip to the PCC is an all day deal (with travel time) so it is a major investment of your vacation time. The "Villages" and other attractions will take all afternoon (they open at noon, or at least they did the last time I was there). If you are going to be there all day you might as well stay for the show.

Does the $179 per couple pay for access to other areas besides the Persian Garden? On HAL, for instance, the same money gets you into a similar room and the hydrotherapy pool as well as the relaxation room. How about the relaxation area in the spa at the front of the ship...is that open to everyone? Also is there a hydrotherapy pool and if so how is the temp?

Thanks for all the info :)

No, just the Persian Gardens. The Relaxation Room is for AQ passengers and people waiting for spa appointments. There are no special pools on the Solstice including hydrotherapy-type pools.

What is the cost to use Persian Garden for the week if you aren't aqua class and what does it include?

Thanks

For one week the charge is $99 p/p or $179 per couple. The PG has a steam room, a dry sauna, and 8 eight heated bed-like chairs that are the main reason for using the Gardens. Very relaxing room.

is there an area on Orient beach that is not clothing optional?

thank you

Technically, yes. However, there are no fences so you will see people in all stages of dress, and undress, roaming past you. Makes for an interesting day at the beach.

Thanks for the clarification. I didn't see any signs on Equinox; might be one of those areas where the ships differ. Were there a lot of smoking areas on Solstice. I was a bit surprised at how many smoking areas Equinox offered, esp. the area betw. the pool and Solarium which was pretty nasty to walk through.

I believe the smoking restricted locations are fleet-wide. I did notice the smoking areas that you mentioned, but there did not seem to be many smokers around when we passed through, so no problems for us. A couple times my wife wanted to sit in a specific area and then we noticed the ash trays so we moved on.

On Equinox, Solarium was not limited to those 16 plus, but I only saw kids there once with their dad (I think most kids preferred the outside pools).

I believe that the pools are the only part of the Solarium that has an age restriction (16+). At least those were the only places (pool & 2 hottubs) on the Solstice that I saw any signs mentioning age. That said, I did not see any children in the Solarium on our 1/31/10 cruise, but there were very few children on board.

Since the Solarium is between the forward elevators and the main pool area, it would be very difficult to restrict access to the entire Solarium for any reason.

I know that the sentences above do not match my previous post in this thread, but that was what I meant earlier (age restrictions for the pools).;)

I am confused as well. Are there two solariums, one for Aqua Spa guests and one for non-Aqua Spa? When you look at the ship design I don't see two areas that are different...

No, there is only one Solarium and it is open to eveyone 16 and older. The only "restricted" area is the Persian Gardens (located within the AquaSpa area) that is for AQ passengers (& Suite passengers I think). PG is also available for extra $$ for other passengers.

Deck - 11

Cabin # - 1544

Class – AQ

Starboard or Port Side - Starboard

Bed near?(balcony or bath) – balcony

Quiet Cabin (With comments on problems. Note if connecting. ) – No noise problems of any kind. Not connecting.

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – Good views forward and aft; no obstructions.

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - Normal

Was wind a problem? No

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? N/A

Any specific problems with this cabin? No, but limited storage space.

Any other comments? Very near forward elevators, very handy and no elevator noise issues.