Which of the new ships that have come down under this season have you been on???

This summer Australia and New Zealand have seen 4 new cruise ships that have come down under, the Voyager of the Seas, Oosterdam, Celebrity Solstice and Carnival Spirit

Which of these new ships that have come down under this season have you been on???, what do you think of them and anyone got any photos of the inside off them?

I have several photos inside Celebrity Solstice and will post them in due course after I edit, resize and upload them. Some of them need manua white balance tweaking as well. I will also have webspace where I can share all the interior photos I take.

Only Celebrity Solstice (twice - the one-nighter and 12 days NZ) - Really enjoyed this ship, service was good, facilities were first class and I would not hesitate to sail on her again. Do have some photos but need to locate the files first. :p

Went on the Carnival Spirit in October 2012 on its 2nd Aussie cruise.

Have just come off the Oosterdam.

I preferred the Oosterdam as it was more like Princess. It was an older crowd ( no problem for me late 40's) and things were a little more formal which I liked. There were also more international passengers as well, which was a nice change.

Carnival Spirit had too many under 18's on it (650) for my liking. While there were things that i really liked about it, just not the right fit for me.

It has been nice to have a bit of a choice and try something different.

Voyager of the Seas for us -- we highly recommend it. I actually enjoyed the activity of the Dreamworks team onboard - so am thinking that perhaps I may even enjoy Carnival Spirit (kids and all??)) DID I JUST SAY THAT???? or was it the Evil Spirit inside me again?? :D

Even though I realise/understand they are based out of Sydney, I just wish they would at least "pick up" sometimes in Brisbane.

Barry

We were on the same Voyager cruise as Barry & thoroughly enjoyed the ship.

It's fun to experience the inside promenade down the length of the ship & is a great place for people watching & for the dreamworks shows etc.

I think I prefer Radiance in several small ways but would sail on Voyager again no problem.:)

The crowd was a lot older on our Voyager cruise than on Radiance but that would most likley be due to a combination of the destination (NZ) plus the longer cruise length of 14 days, rather than anything to do with the ship.

Voyager of the Seas for us -- we highly recommend it. I actually enjoyed the activity of the Dreamworks team onboard - so am thinking that perhaps I may even enjoy Carnival Spirit (kids and all??)) DID I JUST SAY THAT???? or was it the Evil Spirit inside me again?? :D

:eek: :eek:

If bazzaw does a Carnival Spirit cruise, I think I might just faint! :p :eek:

Went on the Xmas/NY cruise on the Oosterdam, was great to be able to have a balcony cabin, rather than a outside cabin. Nice to be able to lie in bed and look outside. The atrium in the Oosterdam is very small for the size of the ship. Another bad point was when we cruised into Milford Sound you were not able to hear the commentary, which was only broadcast in certain inside locations of the ship. You need to be outside to take in the scenery and enjoy it.

We felt overall that the Volendam was a nicer ship.

Been on Voyager and Solstice. I was surprised as I preferred Voyager over Solstice. Voyager was my pick of the Royal Caribbean ships here, whereas Solstice didn't measure up to Celebrity expectations. But both are good, and have lots of nice things to see if you see the pictures. Just the service/conditions were also better on Voyager.

Yep. Tried Carnival Spirit. We thought, great some competition for P&O. Would NOT recomend it. The kids were not a problem. Never saw any staff. Food was ordinary. Back to RCI and doing P&O when RCI is not here.

Aussie Frequent Floaters.

Went on Voyager of the Seas in January and loved her! So much so, we'll be back on her in December for the NY cruise!!

Had only been on Rhapsody before that, I didnt mind Rhapsody but Hubby wasnt so keen, but he did fall in love with Voyager too!

This summer Australia and New Zealand have seen 4 new cruise ships that have come down under, the Voyager of the Seas, Oosterdam, Celebrity Solstice and Carnival Spirit. Which of these new ships that have come down under this season have you been on???, what do you think of them and anyone got any photos of the inside off them?

Sutho has posted some good examples on this classy and well-designed Solstice. Below are some of my pictures from our June 2011 cruise on this ship. See more through the link below.

We are looking forward to our first “down under” visit, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Celebrity Solstice sailing, departing Sydney, going from Australia to Auckland/NZ doing 14 days on this ship we loved in the Med in June 2011. Plus, doing some pre-cruise options for Cairns/Port Douglas, the Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef, then Kangaroo Island near Adelaide before departing from Sidney’s scenic harbor. And, doing the mid-cruise ship over-night to and in Queenstown and the stopping in Hawaii on the way home to break up that long, long flight back. We have a nice and active roll call going at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1614754

Welcome to any who want to join us for this trip and/or travel along via the web as we get prepared for that "adventure".

Need more??

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Celebrity Solstice Visual Highlights? From our June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in France, Italy, Kotor and Dubrovnik, I have pull together a number of wonderful visuals of the Solstice, its features, food, entertainment, options, etc. We are now at 2,010 views for this shorter version started late last week of my larger full review of that cruise and all of the port pictures/details. Check these postings and added info at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1803477

The Solarium was one of our most favorite areas. Food and drinks were nearby and it was very relaxed and sophisticated. Quieter, too, as it is an adults-only area. Two hot tubs here. Not crowded, especially in the evenings. Nice art and design with this facility. Wonderful setting for relaxing and watching the outside water/shore views, enjoying subtle inside action, etc.:

I liked to ride one of the eight glass elevators in the mid-ship courtyard with nice views out to the different floors, enjoying the ship architecture, people being active, etc. You can see the relaxing library in this shot. Classy design on this ship! Some tradition, but not too dated or old.:

For entertainment in the Solstice Theatre, it was called “Solstice -- The Show” featuring a European-style dance, air acts, music, etc. Very dramatic and interesting as they swing, twirl and soar over the audience and stage. It is a “state-of-the-art” theatre with these "Cirque-type" dancers being able to “do their thing”. Here is one example of the “air show” put on by the show performers.:

Here is an overview for this wonderfully-appointed, speciality Murano dining room with nice wood, ceiling, glass, etc., details. Maximum capacity for seating in 90. For the last night, they had 30 people on a waiting listing. We booked ahead which was smart in order to get a specific date on a sea day late in the cruise for our 39th wedding anniversary, June 17, 2011.:

Not exactly an interior shot, but this is a "cool" area in the pool area. They have these water jets that put on a nice “show”, both to watch and/or for kids to play in.:

On the top, back of the Solstice, here is a wider view of Corning Hot Glass show area, plus the green grass and the unique covering designs for this special area of the ship. Classy design touches and style!!:

I returned from two cruises last month,one on Voyager of the Seas and the day after getting off I boarded the Radiance of the Seas.

I preferred the Voyager.I thought the food was better and the Cruise Director,Graham Seymour is a very funny man and the entertainment staff were very good so it was quite a contrast getting on the Radiance where the Cruise Director is much more sedate.

I am a people watcher so I enjoyed sitting in the promenade watching the world go by.

Regards Elaine.

Cruised on Voyager...but just returned from Rhapsody today and remembered why we love her soooooo much....the only thing missing is the Pig & Whistle. would gladly cruise on either though.

Got off Celebrity Solstice, last weekend. Ship very nice, but the food a disappointment both in Buffet and MDR. I submitted a members review on CC, should be up in a day or two, once cleared.

Got off Celebrity Solstice, last weekend. Ship very nice, but the food a disappointment both in Buffet and MDR. I submitted a members review on CC, should be up in a day or two, once cleared.

Welcome back Les,

Glad to hear you liked the ship, but sorry to hear you found the food was disappointment.

Looking forward to reading your detailed review.

Nicki

Cruised on Voyager...but just returned from Rhapsody today and remembered why we love her soooooo much....the only thing missing is the Pig & Whistle. would gladly cruise on either though.

I too have experienced Voyager which though looking a little weary is a great ship - just love the Promenade!

I'm looking forward to sailing in her again after her re-fit next year.

I too just got off Rhapsody yesterday! Very happy crew! Nice smaller ship but must admit I missed the Promenade area.

Next is Radiance which some say is one of the nicest ships in the RCI fleet! It will be great to compare.

Gae

Got off Celebrity Solstice, last weekend. Ship very nice, but the food a disappointment both in Buffet and MDR. I submitted a members review on CC, should be up in a day or two, once cleared.

I would be interested to hear all your thoughts. I found the whole cruise outstanding and loved the food. I often dined in Bistro on Five and loved their crepes. Also tried the Tuscan Grille and Murano as well as room service on one night and buffet on one night.

I liked Solstice and think it is modern, trendy and innovative. There are slight differences such as the drink waiters on deck were few and far between. The cabin steward had far more rooms to look after than P&O UK. Also theatre productions were much less than on P&O and Princess.

I would be tempted to do Celebrity again. It is a large ship and absorbs the passengers well. It was much better than Azura which is smaller and carries more passengers.

One design glitch was that they did not build any manual gangways above deck 3. When we got to Dunedin and could not get off the ship. The port could only supply one gangway. As a result all 2,800 passengers could only leave via one gangway. Due to the ships poor design (no gangways being lowered from the promenade deck) and the tide being too low meant that the ships doors on deck 3 were too low below the wharf level and could not be used as a gangway until high tide. Had the ship been designed with gangways that could be lowered by crane from the promenade deck then there would not be so much congestion when the port wall is too high above their own gangways on deck 3.

I have several photos inside Celebrity Solstice and will post them in due course after I edit, resize and upload them. Some of them need manua white balance tweaking as well. I will also have webspace where I can share all the interior photos I take.

Thank you for the beautiful photos. It brings back some memories!

Please advise your webspace address so I can visit to see more... :D

We have just arrived back after cruising on Solstice. We really loved the contemporary design of this ship after the glitzy Radiance we cruised on last year. We found the staff friendlier as well. Solstice was immaculately clean. The food was prepared well and not over cooked.

Murano restaurant was well worth dining but were not that impressed with Tuscan grille.. Izumi was good for Asian cuisine.

We always managed to get a chair, inside or outside. Plenty of deck chairs aRound the pool..

The only downside is it is difficult to get a chair in the theatre if you arrive 5 minutes before the shows begin.

The alcoholic drinks are always made with a very decent pour. No skimping at the bars. Just wish there were more bar attendants around the pool. Always seemed to have to go to the bar to request a drink.

The cabins were spacious enough and we liked the shower doors in the shower.

We have paid the $100 open deposit for our next cruise on her and we have no hesitation in recommending anyone wishing to cruise to give Solstice a try. Happy sailing!