Solstice - Condition

We are scheduled to sail on the Solstice 9/14/18. I have been reading lots of reviews that the ship is in poor condition with an overworked and unpleasant staff. I am wondering if this is accurate or an over-reaction? Any recent experiences? I thought the ship had a big dry dock in 2016 so I am surprised to hear it is not up to par.

Thanks!

We are scheduled to sail on the Solstice 9/14/18. I have been reading lots of reviews that the ship is in poor condition with an overworked and unpleasant staff. I am wondering if this is accurate or an over-reaction? Any recent experiences? I thought the ship had a big dry dock in 2016 so I am surprised to hear it is not up to par.

 

Thanks!

Just got off a few weeks ago, the ship was great as was the crew. The crew was much better than the crew we experienced on the Eclipse in Late 2016 (some of those guys were pretty cranky). The condition of the ship is fantastic. Sure a few areas show some wear (it is 10 years old) but overall it's in great shape.

It gets 5 out of 5 start in Cruise Critics ratings. Are you reading one bad review?

I read about 10+ fairly recent reviews that all indicated the ship was in poor condition. Some on cc, some on other forums or on individual travel blogs. None of this will affect our reservation (unless the reviews get really terrible by final payment date), just wondering what we will find when we get on-board. I've never found an S-Class ship to be anything short of perfect condition with the exception of the alcoves on the reflection the week before they were scheduled to be replaced.

Glad to hear a positive review that the ship is in good condition!

I read about 10+ fairly recent reviews that all indicated the ship was in poor condition. Some on cc, some on other forums or on individual travel blogs. None of this will affect our reservation (unless the reviews get really terrible by final payment date), just wondering what we will find when we get on-board. I've never found an S-Class ship to be anything short of perfect condition with the exception of the alcoves on the reflection the week before they were scheduled to be replaced.

 

Glad to hear a positive review that the ship is in good condition!

Our two best ever cruises were on Solstice...

I read about 10+ fairly recent reviews that all indicated the ship was in poor condition. ......

Tennant: Are you aware that the Solstice spent ten days in dry dock starting in October 2016? I was on the cruise prior to the Solstice entering that dry dock in Singapore.

Did a new Zealand cruise in the solstice a couple of months back and the ship, crew, food and entertainment were all first class. Best ship we have been on this far. Don't worry she is great

CHEERS Bob.:):)

I too just came off Solstice recently and can say the ship was in fine condition and the crew / entertainment / food were all fantastic - you have nothing to worry about!

I'm not sure if you would consider this recent, but were on the Solstice a little less than a year ago. She was in fabulous shape and you couldn't have found a better crew / staff onboard. Absolutely no complaints! I know you probably won't have the same crew / staff but I've never had a bad overall experience on Celebrity in the past ... on any of their ships.

The only thing I would say has changed is they used to have really nice seating couches and chairs out on the deck just aft of the Oceanview Cafe. These have all been replaced with wooden tables and chairs. I could see how people would end up hogging them for a good portion of the day, though ... leaving little room for those looking for a table to sit at and eat. Plus, they just saw a lot more wear and tear on that type of furniture. I enjoyed those seating areas but that's about the only thing I really see that has changed for the worse.

I have sailed 41 times on Celebrity. Of those 41 times, there was one ship whose condition was a little less than we expected. It was Century right before they sold her. But the crew was fantastic and it turned out being one of our best cruises.

There was also one time where the crew was just not well-managed. This was on Summit years and years ago. We were talking to the Future Cruise specialist onboard at the time about it, and she admitted they were having management problems and there were going to be some changes. Sailed soon thereafter on her and it was great.

Obviously this does not answer your question exactly, but my point is that a less than kept up ship, or a less than stellar staff are very, very rare. Celebrity takes input very seriously and quickly corrects any issues brought to their attention. They also take very good care of their ships.

We will be on this ship in June to Alaska. We were on her a year ago and thought she looked great. Granted she’s not brand new so I would not expect her to look like she just came off the assembly line. Looking forward to a beautiful cruise with absolutely no qualms about anything.

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We heard similar things about he Infinity this past fall (2017), however we found her to be in beautiful shape!

We were on Solstice during her Jan 2 2018 sailing. Ship was in great condition--both inside and out.

We were on the Solstice from Feb 17/18 for 4 back to back crusies and found the ship and crew to be in top shape. Yes she shows her age in some areas but overall they maintain her very well. The crew was outgoing, friendly and helpful but as usual there a a few individuals that are unhappy.

I am on board now, enroute to Hawaii. The crew have been amazing, have not encountered a single unpleasant crew member. The food has been wonderful, both in MDR & specialty restaurants. Buffet up to par too. The evening entertainers (mainly musical soloists) have not been to our taste so we have not been to many shows, but the production shows have been great. Particularly loved the Beyond the Podium informative talks. Have not noticed anything in disrepair or requiring attention. All in all it’s been a wonderful itinerary and cruise (Sydney to Honolulu).

I read about 10+ fairly recent reviews that all indicated the ship was in poor condition. Some on cc, some on other forums or on individual travel blogs. None of this will affect our reservation (unless the reviews get really terrible by final payment date), just wondering what we will find when we get on-board. I've never found an S-Class ship to be anything short of perfect condition with the exception of the alcoves on the reflection the week before they were scheduled to be replaced.

 

Glad to hear a positive review that the ship is in good condition!

We just did a 16 night AUS and NZ on Solstice last month. The ship was in great condition and the staff was friendly and service was exceptional. Why overly focus on 10+ negative reviews while perhaps ignoring all of the positive ones?

I’ve never really read any reviews of a Solstice ship not being in good condition so seeing multiple reviews saying the same thing after the ship was dry docked recently had me wondering what was going on.

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I join my voice to the concert of positive feedback. We were on Solstice in May 2017. Found the ship in excellent condition and one of the best crews we ever had.

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We disembarked Solstice 2 1/2 weeks ago. She was as amazing as our previous 2 cruises on her. Staff are absolutely amazing, never saw an unhappy or grumpy one. I certainly would not cancel my cruise based on a few bad reviews. Some people are never happy.

:):):)During the months of February and March, 2018, we spent 32 nights on the Celebrity Solstice cruising Australia and New Zealand. At no time were we dissatisfied with the quality of the ship, the cleanliness of the ship or the staff. All the staff that we encountered from the Captain down to the cleaners, were all friendly and attentive. We were in Aqua Class and we must say we had 10 out of 10 service from the staff in Blu Restaurant, plus of course our Room Attendant too, with a 10 out of 10. So no complaints whatsoever with the Celebrity Solstice on our trip regarding staff and ship condition. Enjoy your cruise.

I beg to differ, while the staff has been excellent with the exception of guest services, the ship is tatty. The chairs in Blu need a good cleaning. Towel and sheets are too worn to be acceptable. Carpets look bad in hallways. Would I cancel a cruise over it, no. But it is not in great shape by any means.

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I beg to differ, while the staff has been excellent with the exception of guest services, the ship is tatty. The chairs in Blu need a good cleaning. Towel and sheets are too worn to be acceptable. Carpets look bad in hallways. Would I cancel a cruise over it, no. But it is not in great shape by any means.

 

 

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Tatty?? Definition of tatty is worn and shabby, in poor condition, of poor quality. IMO that is not an accurate description of Solstice at all after having spent 16 days on the ship last month.

Tatty?? Definition of tatty is worn and shabby, in poor condition, of poor quality. IMO that is not an accurate description of Solstice at all after having spent 16 days on the ship last month.

Yes, worn and shabby. Just spent 19 days on the ship within the last week. Compared to our experience on the Mercury, the Reflection, and the Infinity, this ship ship needs some attention.

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Yes, worn and shabby. Just spent 19 days on the ship within the last week. Compared to our experience on the Mercury, the Reflection, and the Infinity, this ship ship needs some attention.

 

 

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We were on the same itinerary, but must have frequented different locations as I can’t remember anything that was overly worn or required repairs. Sure, there’s some general wear and tear (but what ship/hotel that carries 3000 people every day doesnt have that?).

We are scheduled to sail on the Solstice 9/14/18. I have been reading lots of reviews that the ship is in poor condition with an overworked and unpleasant staff. I am wondering if this is accurate or an over-reaction? Any recent experiences? I thought the ship had a big dry dock in 2016 so I am surprised to hear it is not up to par.

 

 

 

Thanks!

Traveled on the Solstice in 16’ and 17’ and will be in 18’ too. She’s in fine shape, our cabins have been good/clean, public areas very nice. All our experiences with the crews have been only favorable, from the officers down.

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We will be on her the middle of June and I will write back and tell you how she looks.

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