Plaidlulu

We were on the Solstice a few weeks ago and Ensemble Lounge had a quiet vibe and as others have mentioned times when there was live music and/or a singer.  It was a great spot. I don't recall the exact drink menu, but you can order a drink from other spots on the ship and bring it to another spot to enjoy.   We also find that the area directly around the Martini bar was lively, but they had seating areas, with an outside view, that were quieter which we enjoyed as well.  Tons of options! 

4 hours ago, bigbenboys said:

It has been my understanding that smoking is on the port side only of the Sunset Bar.

This might have been the intent but at the Sunset Bar there was smoking on beyond the port side and one day they had a sign advertising 50% off cigars so there were a good amount of people enjoying them.  The mast bar only had smoking on one side, it was the side opposite of where they were cooking the burgers.

8 hours ago, SusieV said:

When you say the World Class Bar often wasn't open, do you mean during posted hours? It's usually only open in the evenings until late.
It's my favourite watering hole by far!

We tried to go twice during the hours it was posted as being open, one time it was simply closed and another time we were told it was closed for a private event.  Since this is the first time we cruised I'm not sure if this is normal or not.

10 hours ago, jasmine196 said:

Hey there, we were on the same cruise.  Did anyone in your party get COVID when they got back?  My husband just tested positive and we think he got it on Wednesday or Thursday last week.  He didn't show any symptoms until last Saturday.  We knew the risk, and it was worth it.  We had a wonderful trip!

Sorry to hear about your husband.  Nobody in our party has tested positive or displayed any symptoms.  Hope he feels better soon!

1 minute ago, Northern Aurora said:

We found the Solstice Retreat team to be one of the best we have experienced.  And while we had a different Luminae maitre'd as Mr. Fernando was leaving on vacation I hope you also experienced a wonderful Luminae experience.

Yes! They were absolutely fantastic in both Luminae and Michael's Club. Our maitre'd was Bruno and the team of Noval, Ari, Annge & Melissa were outstanding at every single meal.  They spoiled us beyond!!!

We returned from our very first Celebrity Cruise and in preparation from the trip I used a lot of the tips and information on this board.  In hopes of returning the help I received here are some brief notes from our recent trip:

Arrival at SEATAC: The baggage took a significantly long time. We used Seattle Elite Towncar for transportation to our hotel. Our driver said the baggage delay has been going on for about the last month as the airport is short staffed.  Our experience with Seattle Elite Towncar was great, so great we decided to have them pick us up from the hotel to take us to the pier. We could take two Ubers for a bit less money; however, we are willing to pay more to keep our group together since we had never sailed from this port or on this cruise line and the service was so great with Seattle Elite Towncar. 

We stayed at Residence Inn Seattle Downtown/Convention Center which turned out to be an excellent location for us as we walked to everything we wanted to see/do.  

Would definitely stay there again.

Pre Cruise COVID Testing, we decided to use the emed COVID test kits (purchased online) and conducting the tests from our hotel room. Prior to departing for Seattle we set up our emed accounts which saved time. Each person needed to have their own account and they email you the results very quickly.  Afterwards we completed the ArriveCAN requirement. I added all travelers prior to leaving home so it was really easy to complete the remainder from the app on my phone.

Our boarding time for the ship was 11:30am and we boarded very quickly. We noticed some folks struggling with security (metal detectors and x-rays) which made me wonder if they didn't expect that type of screening would be in place.   After security they checked all of our boarding documents (boarding pass, passport, COVID test results and vaccination cards) by person and it was a smooth process.

Once on board we were told we could go directly to our stateroom and pick up our SeaPasses (they were on the stateroom doors), 2 of the 3 rooms were ready, one had a note on the door to leave bags and return.  (We all had Sky Suites)

We knew this was an older ship and that it didn't receive the planned make over so we had reasonable expectations.  The ship was beautiful and very clean.  Our stateroom was in good condition and our stateroom attendant was great.  He told us he was new but it did not show at all.  We noticed one light in the bathroom wasn't working and they had it corrected before we returned to the room. We purchased swivel magnetic hooks from Amazon and found them, along with our USB 6 port charging station to be the most useful things.  One note is that the hair dryer does not work in the bathroom, only the outlet in the stateroom near the television and mirror.

We found the Persian Garden Room and the fitness room to be disappointing.  The Persian Garden Room is a smaller area but it was packed, and packed with guests that were not in the appropriate attire and were loudly chatting/socializing as if was a lounge rather than a relaxation room.  We stayed about 10 minutes, quickly departed and never returned. I don't think it was being monitored by a spa attendant which might have made a difference.  The ladies' changing room in the spa area is also in need of some TLC, the lockers don't fully function (my lock got stuck and the attendant couldn't get it open, which turned into an ordeal - there was rust, I cut myself, they eventually used the master key to override the lock..).  For the fitness center, only about 1/2 the treadmills are operational, and on sea days it was crowded as was the spa reception area.  I'm sure it will be improved in the future. 

We found the service to be absolutely amazing!  We did not note any staff shortages, although the World Class Bar wasn't often open (not sure if that is related) but we enjoyed every other bar/lounge with the exception of the Sunset Bar which numerous folks recommended; however, for our sailing it was a designated smoking area so we did not spend time there. 

The weather was really warm and sunny so I'm glad that we packed a mix of clothing, although a bit sad I didn't get wear one of the 4 jackets I brought 🙂 

We booked two excursions - VIP Glacier Explorer and White Pass Railway. They were both absolutely exceptional.  I was hesitant about the Glacier Explorer but it was stunning!!!  The crew was exceptional and we saw so much!  The train was also super, although we only made it to mile 18 and had to return due to an issue with the train but it was still awesome.  To our surprise they fully refunded the cost of the excursion to our cruise accounts.

The crew on the ship was absolutely amazing, from dining to the coffee bar to the martini car.  We had a great time and would not hesitate to cruise Celebrity and the Solstice again. 

18 minutes ago, 39august said:

There has been a children's menu in Luminae for years. Are you sure there was not one on Solstice?

If there is one, we were not offered it; we also did not ask for one. Everyone was very happy with the options at Luminae and the MDR which has a kids menu printed directly on it.  

4 minutes ago, DisneyTech said:

One specific question that I had was regarding dining in Luminae. I am traveling with my wife and daughter (6 y.o.). My wife is a fairly picky eater, so I’m worried there will be nights that the food is too fancy for her. 
 

Do those dining in Luminae have the option of ordering off of the MDR menu if nothing on the Luminae menu sounds good to them?

 

Also, I’m assuming that Luminae still offers a kids menu of some sort?

Just returned from Solstice this past Friday and stayed in a retreat cabin (Sky Suite) - was also our first time.  We dined in Luminae every day and if you ask for the MDR menu they will bring it to you and you can order from it in addition to the Luminae menu  We had two in our group that preferred the MDR menu.  There is no kids menu at Luminae but there are options on the MDR menu.  The staff is very accommodating and the service is amazing! Enjoy!!

@luvcrusen We were in a sky suite and the slippers in your photo are not the ones that we received in our staterooms.  The ones given to us were very thin and made of a nylon type material.  I am jealous of yours 🙂 

I would not recommend walking around the pool area with the slippers that are provided.  They were helpful to walk around the stateroom but they do not have much a sole with traction, so you could easily slip. 

Just disembarked from the Solstice yesterday and masks were optional everywhere on board and in the Alaskan ports we visited.  Enjoy your cruise! 

1 hour ago, GTJ said:

(As for White Pass Route management . . . if any railroad sells parlor car seats but cannot provide the service, then the ordinary course of action would be to downgrade the parlor car passengers to ordinary coach, and to bump persons who had booked ordinary coach, starting with those who had booked most recently. Railroads should not be bumping passengers who have paid extra for parlor car seats. Something tells me that White Pass Route management might not be competent, possibly the result of the railroad having recently been acquired by Carnival.)

I didn't realize they were acquired by Carnival. IMO it does seem a bit "shady" that they cancelled the highest price seats without accommodating us on another train even it wasn't the luxury experience. I am wondering if they simply oversold or dropped us to accommodate a higher paying group.  I also recognize that they their level of customer service isn't a factor because they don't have any competition.  I contacted our cruise line's concierge and thankfully they are willing to see if they can do or find us an alternative with open seats this close to the date. 

1 hour ago, SightCRR said:

In May a vlogger reported that the WP&YR leaves 10 % of the total tickets for walk up passengers that will not be available to book via phone or online. If you have a fairly small group and still want to ride call and ask if that is the case. Then get off the ship as soon as you can and head for the ticket sales. 

I TOOK MY MOM DOG SLEDDING IN SKAGWAY ALASKA! | PLAYING WITH HUSKY PUPPIES - YouTube

You will have to find somewhere else to eat but it is shorter ride than nomal just to the US /CA border so should have time for lunch. sightcrr. 

Thank you for the suggestion, will keep it in mind.  I called the WP&YR directly and they were fully aware of the situation and they told me completely sold out for the times we could go. I would think since they cancelled on us this late they would have offered any available seats they had remaining...

We sail next week and were notified today by email that our excursion for the White Pass Legacy Luxury Experience was cancelled due to operational issues. I called White Pass & Yukon Route directly and they said they are cancelled the due to staffing and losing their cater.  They are unable to accommodate us on any other train ride the day/time we are in port because they are already sold out.  We had this booked since February so it is extremely disappointing.  Posting this to provide awareness/help others. 

33 minutes ago, RollWave said:

Thank you so very much for your helpful & informative thread! Sounds like you had a fantastic trip!

 

We are on the Solstice July 1st sailing (sooooo looking forward to this trip)!

 

If you have a moment will you explain the ArriveCan process and embarkation. I was under the impression that we were to complete this process within 72 hours of boarding the ship in Seattle. For us this is Tuesday June 28th.

I recently received an email from Celebrity with my boarding time and procedures. The email states:

CANADA ENTRY FORM

Complete entry form prior to arrival in Canada.

 

What exactly happens during the boarding process with ArriveCan?

Also, interested in experience with the ArriveCan. When I reviewed the information on the ArriveCan website it states the below which makes me think you cannot submit until your in that 72 hour window and must be boring.

You'll need to submit your information within 72 hours:

• before your arrival to Canada
• and/or before boarding a cruise ship destined for Canada

21 minutes ago, ImperialLady said:

Hi, no we don't sail until August. However we used them a couple years ago and was very satisfied. There was 6 adults and lots of luggage and the van was appropriate.

 Thank you so much! We are a group of four with lots of luggage, have been directed to the SUV option but will inquire about the van 🙂 

On 5/27/2022 at 12:31 PM, ImperialLady said:

We are using Seattle Town Car Service...4 adults, 8 large bags plus 4 carryons one way $75.00 van, per Nadar (very nice man) 206-719-0015 

Have you completed trip - wondering if you had a positive experience with Seattle Town Car Service as I am looking at book them for transportation for our group next week (airport to hotel).  Thank you! 

Ours took two weeks and we used the app to upload all the photos.  We sail July 1st. 

We have three reservations linked. I used the app to complete the check in for my family members. I was also able to select the boarding time for everyone so we have the same time and then they can go back and complete the rest of their check in when they are ready. 

It is my understanding that Celebrity doesn't hold "Sail Away" Events.  We will be departing Seattle for an Alaskan Cruise (mix of adults and teens) and I would appreciate if anyone could share suggestions of how to enjoy the "Sail Away" from Seattle.  We have previously only sailed on Disney and they have a "party", while we don't need that I did want to plan something because we are an extended family group meeting for the cruise.  I was considering picking a meeting spot for all to gather with their favorite beverages but I'm certain others have much more creative ideas 🙂.  If it factors in we are in Aft Sky Suites.  Thanks in advance! 

12 hours ago, chemmo said:

Encourage your boys to interact with the bar staff, showing their card which will indicate their drinks package and then asking if they can have ‘something like a strawberry milkshake’…most staff will be more than willing to sort them out with something to their liking!

I will definitely do this! Thank you all for your suggestions! I feel much better about what to expect!!!

First Time Celebrity Cruiser. We are cruising with three teenage boys and have the AI with Premium Drink Package for everyone in our party.  I want to be prepared for the extra onboard expenses I should expect and it is my understanding that zero proof cocktails and smoothies are included with the premium drink package, but I'm certain there are other things not included that we should be except - gelato? ice cream? milkshakes?  Would appreciate any input or experience others have had so I can ensure I set a reasonable budget.  Thank you! 

3 hours ago, Silkroad said:

I realize this comes too late for this trip, but I purchase packs of six proctored Covid test kits from eMed periodically. We’ve successfully used them the morning before driving to the airport (an added advantage being that we can print the reports at home to speed boarding). 

 I noticed the same issue with online scheduling COVID tests at Walgreens and CVS, so I just ordered these for our group. Do you recall if you have to establish an online account for each person testing? Or do can we all test with one account?

9 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

Ha! I am definitely looking forward to using my Premium Drinks Package to its fullest. I definitely need it after all of this stress and long hours at work!

I am looking forward to hearing all about this as well. Sounds like you will have an amazing trip!!

I'm trying to decide which credit card to use for onboard charges and have not been able to find information if they will be billed from the US/in US dollars or if they will bill in Canadian currency.  Does anyone recall how it worked for them?  Thank you!

We are set to take our first Celebrity Cruise on the Solstice this summer and we are booked in The Retreat.  While I can understand that in comparison to the newer ships, The Retreat amenities are not as abundant or new, there are still some benefits.  They recently put out an updated video that shows the current Solstice which might help you decide if you should cancel.