SunNFunCruzer

We were told that you can only cash out your "winnings" on slots and that we'd be given "special" chips for table games, with the same rule about only converting "winnings" to cash. Not big gamblers, so I don't know how those things are monitored. I've shared what we were told. On HAL's Rotterdam you can charge $5.00 or $10 at a time while at a machine to your on board account and this amount will be deducted from nonrefundable obc first. On Solstice there is no way to charge to your cabin while sitting at a machine (at least that we could figure out or were advised how to do).

Most working age people schedule vacation time and buy flights as part of their cruise planning, so I doubt the average passenger booked on Millennium took advantage of the option to get a refund. I'm sure most did what we did which was allow Celebrity to switch cabins ship to ship. As mentioned, I didn't choose the Best of Norway cruise because it was on Rotterdam, and I did not choose this Mexican Riviera itinerary because it was on Millennium (or Solstice). I was just giving readers another data point about the pros and cons of the Solstice.

I'll get you started.... Visit the transition area at the back of the very high-traffic Ocean View Cafe Starboard side as you transition from inside to outside. They are trying to mitigate the risk by covering the incline with a carpet. Maybe you can post the next one you find... that's just one of many on this ship.

Not sure about games on the screen at the pool.... and not sure you'd want to sit out there with the heat and humidity even if they were shown, but the in-room entertainment includes ESPN and ESPN2. Tonight's game is Cowboys vs. NY Giants.

Let me a take a moment to clarify. The Title of the Post quoted above was "Lincoln Center Live -- Disappointing" because Covid was spreading throughout the ship, the quartet was down a very talented and much needed cellist and the violinist was flat. Even in the quote above it says the ship AND staff were 5 star. Having criticisms about particular items does not mean we hate a cruise or a cruiseline, nor does it mean we're having a "bad" time. Cruises are, like most things in life, what you make of them. Treating staff and others with respect, courtesy, empathy and a smile goes a long way. However, on HAL staff seem to be trained to a higher level of customer service STANDARD. The staff's standard behavior is to scan a venue and anticipate a need or want. You can agree or disagree with that opinion, but that's been our observation and experience. Our cruise on the Rotterdam in Norway despite the smoke, Covid, flat violinist and repeated classical programs was a 5 star experience. We are not big "rock and roll" fans so skipped that musical genre venue, but in addition to Lincoln Center Live, BBKing Blues Club on Rotterdam was phenomenal. Will continue to report our observations onboard the Solstice for those interested.

I am the author of the Disappointed about the Solstice thread. It's ironic, but our check-in in LA / San Pedro was smooth and efficient. We dropped our bags with a porter, tipped him, had our express pass scanned what seemed like 4 or 5 times at different choke points and boarded the ship. No complaints about check in. Both port staff and ship staff were 5 star during the check in process.... in our experience. Obviously we can't speak to the b2b process.

I did not book the Solstice, I booked the Millennium. The Solstice was substituted, but, that wouldn't have affected our choice anyway. As I said, we do not book ship, we book dates, cost and itinerary. We booked because the timing of the trip and the ports Cabo & PV appealed to us. The Solstice seems like an older ship, but I don't recall any fare discount or obc offered when the change was made. Is that surprising or unusual for those that book for ships themselves? As for Celebrity supporters on the Celebrity forum; I post on the HAL forum and the MSC forum and the Carnival forum and the RCCL forum and the Celebrity forum. If I have a question or interest I post. I find it surprising when cruise line "fans" criticize my subjective opinion of something. I am sharing my experiences and observations so that when others do "homework" on a particular ship or cruiseline, there are "regular folk" opinions mixed in with those "fan" opinions. Nothing more, nothing less.

Whoa, so many die-hard Celebrity supporters. I may not remember every post, but I'll try to respond to all. We do not choose cruises by ship, so had no idea that Rotterdam was "new" and Solstice was "old". I just shared observations, to inform other cruisers. The tv does Not move. And, the movie options are trash. The live tv is fox news, bbc, BBC news, msnbc and maybe cnbc? There are very few inroom entertainment choices. Rotterdam had the best selection at sea I've ever experienced. Yes, many ships have steps into the bathroom, the step on Solstice is steep, and the inclines and odd transitions at doorways throughout this ship seem dangerous. I hate Smoke. I hated it on Rotterdam, and hate it on Solstice. I wish they would make all ships non-smoking. Regarding "superior'" food, some people save all month to go to Olive Garden for their Anniversary dinner. There is no objective truth. I will say, walking past Guest Services, there have been complaints about the food. Tonight I've encountered something new. The entire pool deck was closed briefly around dinnertime and the entire thing, including the huge multi-story glass windows overlooking the pool deck, was hosed down and squeegeed by a crew of it seemed 10-12 people. A few more positives, as requested: the ship is clean. There are staff asking to Purell your hands walking into the buffet. And, the cabin bathrooms and showers are great, including proper water temperature regulation and good water pressure. Will try to check in on this thread from time to time. Just trying to help. 😎

Yes to both. Video calls have been no problem from the Solstice, although colleagues on the other end report periodic micro freezes.

Thanks folks. Much appreciated! 🙂

Currently on the Solstice out of LA. Occupancy numbers from crew are all over the map (~1700-1900), and it feels uncrowded. While I was disappointed with the lack of variety in Lincoln Center shows, the Solstice disappoints in so many areas: 1) There are 2 American outlets in the room, both at the desk, none near the bed. 2) The tv is mounted in front of the loveseat, catty corner to the bed, and difficult to see, while there is a large tv size framed photo directly in front of the bed. 3) The pools feel like they are 84-87 degrees. Not refreshing at all even though the air is hot. Guests almost universally grimaced and complained about the temperature upon entering when we sat poolside. 4) The casino forces you to use OBC in increments of $50 non-refundable and you can only cash out what you've won. This I understand, but it's super annoying that they refuse to allow incremental cashouts. 5) The food in the buffet is lukewarm and the pizza (a fast and easy staple) is soft and soggy. 6) They allow smoking in waaaay too many areas, and especially in outdoor areas with tables and chairs, so its almost impossible to sit outside comfortably with a drink and game, etc. There are almost no outdoor areas with dining height tables in non smoking areas, except on personal balconies with no drink service. 7) The Ocean view Cafe aft behind the buffet has very limited outdoor space, and many of the tables are in direct sun. This is really the only place to hang out with a dining height table. You'll wait a long time for drink service, and will probably give up and get a yourself a cocktail. 😎8 ) staff are truly hit or miss. I miss HAL's super friendly, hardworking and proactive staff. In my opnion, 50% of the staff are HAL quality and 50% check their pockets every day. 9) The room AC struggles to keep the cabin cool. 10) The cabin layout and ship areas are dangerous. There is a very large step from the bathroom to the cabin, and in many public areas there are random ramps and uneven surfaces. I'd be really curious to know if the incidents of onboard accidents - in cabins and throughout the ship - is higher on this ship than on other ships. 11) The comedian last night bombed, and he knew it. He asked to have the lights turned up b/c there was so little sound in the room. Part can be explained by his trying new material related to Covid, but part was that his tired, stereotypical sexist jokes need to be replaced. Staff mask wearing is high, guests are estimated at ~5% masking up, but the Covid risk seems low because it seems low density. The positives: 1) The drink variety so far is good. 2) The lawn/grass areas and hot glass classes are very nice and, as far as I know, unique to Celebrity. 3) The variety of food is good, but quality is 6-7 out of 10. It's early days so hard to critique dining room food yet. 4) There are a number of relaxing indoor areas that have comfortable couches and cushy chairs, and homey touches like a live potted tree. These can be seen from the glass elevators and it gives that interior part of the ship a classy feeling. I have identified and experienced a lot of negatives, so will be on the lookout to add some more positives. Happy to answer questions when/if possible. If you're sailing soon, tone down your expectations. If you're home without a booking, you're not missing much.

Has anyone taken a Celebrity transfer from LAX to the Port of LA @ San Pedro? Where do you meet the shuttle? Near where Uber picks up (do you need to take that extra shuttle to the Uber lot?)? Or, iIs someone there with a Celebrity Shuttle sign at baggage claim ushering you right outside the Arrivals Hall? Is the bus comfortable? Does it leave LAX at a set time? Or will the bus wait until every seat is filled? Also, what is the cost and how is it booked if you are booking independent flights? TIA! 🙂

Following these threads and chatting with staff, it seems many ships on many (not all) dates are sailing light (below capacity). Galapagos ships are small ~48 spots. Does anyone know if these ships also sail light? Or if there are last minute deals available? Flying in to Quito with high altitude and long layovers makes and extremely last minute booking difficult, but, do these sailings go on sale 21-30 days before sailing like typical ships? Or would they rather keep prices up and a cabin open? Thanks for any insight!

Agree, 100%. Crowded, but crew is fantastic!

We have smelled smoke, so much so that it chased us off our balcony on numerous occasions. No, we did not complain. The staff is overworked enough without chasing down inconsiderate people who will probably do the same thing as soon as security leaves.

Interesting. I know the casino is run by an outside company, and the shops are independently run. What about specialty dining? and excursions? Does HAL run and control specialty dining and excursions? Maybe the answer to that question can provide an explanation. I wonder where Colin is off to? Warm but quite overcast in Kristiansand today.

Original incident happened outside Deck 10. Helicopter evacuation successful. Ship is moving again. Godspeed.

I doubt this is true. When the cellist was absent the first week, the trio of women played songs from their home countries.... I believe South Korea, Romania and the US (TN). Some arrangements were written by their friends, so, maybe pre-Covid you were correct, but its a new world post-Covid. Since that original program was created, I see no reason why so many other songs and programs need to be repeated.

Captain just announced a medical emergency all front decks, and Crows Nest need to be evacuated. Thankfully, we're close to Oslo. Earlier this afternoon, someone was locked in the handicapped bathroom on 12 just outside the Crows Nest. May be related. Ship is current to stopped.

Colin, can you please explain what your post means? You had an emailed confirmation of your reservation printed out and brought with you and the Rotterdam staff didn't honor your booking? Or you didn't have the email with you? Did you pay by credit card? Use On Board Credit? or credit from the Have it All promotion? You are not the first person I've heard on this cruise complain they couldn't get dining reservations. Is it possible you were bumped for a Suite guest? Or maybe you were a HIA bumped for someone paying full price in cash? Did you escalate to the restaurant manager? I think their names and titles are on one of the TV channels (I assume for this purpose), and I think there's a guest comment box to the right of the front desk at guest services. Good luck. Curious to hear how you initially booked.

If none of the guest-facing staff that you interacted with became Covid positive and disappeared during your cruise, count yourself lucky. We had substitutions due to staff Covid quarantine. Staff and guests were quarantined. Many of the sick staffers have been on the ship for months, some may have caught Covid in ports, but I'd guess the majority were the victims of cruisers who feel that staff who serve them can wear masks and suffer, but they should not have their cruises "ruined" by having to wear a mask to protect themselves and others. It is the nature of the cruise experience isn't it?... to be catered to and indulged. If staffers told you they prefer a maskless ship, my guess is they were in the minority, or were telling you what you wanted to hear. They are trained that, even straining the reasonable, "the customer is always right", and complaints by guests, even unreasonable ones, can impact their promotions and income. Covid gets them quarantined... trust me, they prefer a mask to quarantine.

If you mean "safely from Covid" the back of Deck 9 on the port side closest to aft is your best bet. This is the rear of the lido buffet, although the smoke from the starboard side of deck 9 at times is unbearable. And it feels yucky, like you're breathing in someone else's exhale. The smokers are numerous.... on the lido and on their balconies, sadly. Although there are negatives on these posts, we've enjoyed the cruise, obviously just not as much as we would have if people were more courteous, respectful, thoughtful and conscientious.

Some guests get moved to the quarantine floor (the "ward"). Standard policy is that you need to change rooms unless all the quarantine rooms are full. Fear of catching Covid on the Rotterdam under current protocols is reasonable. If I knew what I know now (what actual conditions onboard would be like), when I booked, I would not have booked. Not worth the risk. The coughs became louder and more frequent as the end of the cruise (the 5th, 6th and 7th day approached). Now, in week 2, you can imagine.... I expected with the average age of the HAL cruiser trending so high, extra protocols would be in place. On this Best of Norway cruise, I think the average age is the youngest I've experienced. Many younger Europeans.... Good luck!

For anyone boarding Rotterdam, to address the complaint above, the movie on deck may be repeated, but I'd guess there are close to 100 On Demand movies available for free in your stateroom. In fact, Rotterdam has the most comprehensive movie collection I've seen at sea. For comparison, hop on over to the Carnival board, where someone just complained that all on-demand movies were removed for their sailing.

Yes. I would take a unique and original program of one, two or three musicians any day over continuously repeated songs and programs performed by a quartet.