Jan 31 Solstice Review

[algorithmannie]

I just submitted my review of the Solstice, but thought I would also post it here for any comments or questions people have about this amazing ship!

 

I traveled with my parents and aunt on the Celebrity Solstice. We had an Eastern Caribbean itinerary. This was my 5th cruise (previously cruised Princess and Royal Caribbean) and the best one yet!

 

We have a fabulous time. As many have already said, the ship is absolutely gorgeous! We really noticed that it seemed more refined and classy than other ships. I'm in my twenties, and was concerned that this ship might feel stuffy. The opposite was true! The average age was older than previous ships, but we felt that the environment was very young and fun! Nearly all the passengers were friendly and having a great time!

 

EMBARKATION: My aunt and I shared an inside cabin (1140) which was very nice. However, we were traveling with my parents who had an Concierge Class cabin. Because of their status, we had priority embarkation. We arrived at 11:15, sat down for two minutes, and then boarded immediately. I loved the campaign we received and the new cruise terminal in Ft. Lauderdale is very nice!

 

PUBLIC ROOMS: Amazing! Great furniture and so many wonderful places to sit and talk, drink, play cards or read. A small critique is that all the chairs seemed to be exceptionally deep, making it a bit uncomfortable to sit back. We really enjoyed the ensemble lounge and the passport bar.

 

CABINS: I was pleasantly surprised by our inside cabin. It didn't feel cramped or closed in at all. Our bathroom was very large and we kept the tv tuned to the bridge camera to create our own "window". The concierge class room 1243 is a hump balcony. I highly recommend this location! It was right off the library, but there were no noise problems. The huge balcony was very nice and protected from the wind. Most of the perks of concierge class weren't that special, but hump balcony and priority embarkation/disembarkation made it worth the small extra cost.

 

FITNESS AND RECREATION: We hardly made it to the gym! We were so busy this trip that we kept losing track of time! The pools were nice, but the hot tubs were not warm. We didn't use the Persian Gardens but enjoyed the Sauna available in the ladies locker room. It never was being used when we went, and the showers there are nice too.

 

ENRICHMENT: We attended a variety of activities around the ship. This ship offered the most activities that we were actually interested in. We took a short course offered by Rosetta Stone in Italian and had a wonderful time! We also toured the Galley, attended a drink mixology demo, and toured the engine room and bridge. Excellent activity offerings! We didn't have enough time to do everything!

 

DINING: The best food of all my cruises so far! The wonderful food (and service) made this one of our best cruises yet! We had an excellent waiter named Murat in the MDR and he easily fulfilled our every request. If we had trouble deciding between two dishes, he brought us both! The food was always hot (or cold for salads) and beautifully presented. The only dish I tried and didn't care for was the Lobster Bisque. Everything else that our whole group tried was outstanding!

 

We also ate in all of the specialty restaurants. Shortly after embarkation on our first day, we ate at the Bistro on 5. I HIGHLY recommend this! We avoided the busy buffet and it was an incredible start to the trip! I've eaten crepes in many cities and can honestly say that these were my favorite! I recommend the Italian Dessert crepe (Nutella with pistachios) with vanilla ice cream. Our waiter, Wilson, recommended the ice cream and it was a fantastic addition! We ate here again for lunch on our last day. We had a great time joking with our waiter Jay about taking notes for my cruise blog. As luck would have it, Jay was our waiter that evening in the Tuscan Grille!

 

Tuscan Grille was my favorite Specialty Restaurant. It is my favorite kind of food in every way! We started the meal with melon, prosciutto, cheese, and grilled veggies. I had the calamari (to die for!) and amazing pasta with Kobe meatballs. If you only choose one specialty restaurant, I recommend this one!

 

Silk Harvest was also very very good! I love sushi and was not disappointed! I also loved being able to order all my favorite appetizers - miso soup, lettuce wraps, spring rolls and cream cheese wontons. All were very good! My favorite sushi roll is the Solstice - it's not to be missed! The main dishes were also yummy and the desserts were quite creative (a cheesecake and fruit "rainbow roll")

 

Murano is the most expensive specialty restaurant, and it wasn't my favorite. Everything was very good, and the service was immaculate, but maybe just not my favorite kind of food? The service here was so good that it was actually a bit over the top. I took my last bite of a roll and immediately someone appeared asking if I wanted another! A bit much, but also kind of fun at the same time! Two parts of the meal stood out. First, the goat cheese souffle. This is was the creamiest, melt-in-my-mouth, incredible thing I have ever eaten. Pure heaven. I also loved that there was a cheese course! Very unique and fun!

 

SERVICE: Our dining service was outstanding. A definite 10+. Everyone we met on the ship went out of their way to be helpful, friendly, and efficient. I noticed a dramatic difference, for example, in the service at Guest Relations. We never waited more than one minute in line, and all requests were handled quickly. My aunt left her camera at a table in Cellar Masters and when we returned for it 15 minutes later, the woman working there brought it right over to us. She said she knew we left it and was keeping it for us! So thoughtful!

 

Sadly, the hotel service wasn't quite up to our expectations. Nothing was wrong with it, but it just wasn't impressive. About half of the time we returned from breakfast and our room hadn't been made up yet. We also asked for fresh beach towels for our excursion, but they didn't come for hours (we had to leave without them). These small things were not problems, but just not quite up to par with previous experiences.

 

ENTERTAINMENT: The lounge entertainment is the best I've ever experienced. There were many talented musicians and it was a joy to listen to the variety of music offering each evening. I truly think that I could have stayed on the ship for a month visiting different venues and hearing different music. Fantastic!

 

That being said, the theater entertainment was the worst that I've ever experienced. The production shows simply weren't good. They were exactly what you might expect at a small local theater... not even close to being on par with Las Vegas quality. Usually I love cruise entertainment! I'm not too picky, and I'm always up for a fun show. These were just tacky and unprofessional. The singers and dancers weren't polished and the shows themselves were not put together well. Solstice - The Show, was the only show that was worth attending - and again, this comes from someone who usually loves cruise shows! The guest performers were also just ok. Many people seemed to enjoy the impersonator, but it wasn't my cup of tea. I really wanted to like the magic show, but some of the tricks were just so fake! There were a handful of good ones mixed in too. I think Celebrity needs to step up their entertainment to match other ships.

 

PORT & SHORE EXCURSIONS: We walked around Puerto Rico a bit on our own, but didn't do an excursion there. In St. Marten, we did the Mobile Fun Tour. It was the best excursion I've ever been on! We rode in small three-wheeled cars... similar to a motorcycle side car! It was very low the ground and at times we went over 70 miles per hour! We drove all over the island, and stopped for an hour at a breath-taking beach on the French Side. It was the best beach I've ever been to! I wish we could have stayed longer at the beach, but highly highly recommend the tour for anyone looking for an adventure!

 

In Tortola, we did the Norman Island Snorkeling excursion. Again, one of the best excursions I've been on. The boat was nice and crew friendly, but simply the best snorkeling I've ever done. It was truly like swimming in an aquarium! There were thousands of fish swimming so close to us! Usually while snorkeling, you might spot a few "really neat" fish... this trip, I couldn't believe how many colorful, unique fish I was seeing - all at once!

 

Labadee was beautiful as always, but has changed quite a bit in the past year. I was VERY sad to see that my favorite beach has become a private beach for suite guests only. Very disappointing. However, it was really convenient to just walk off the ship instead of tendering. I've always admired the Dragon's Breath Flight Line, so I finally got up the nerve to do it this time! What a blast! I thought I wouldn't be scared, but realized that I was afraid of even the small practice zip line! I worked up the courage, and it was so worth it! Once you take the plunge and are actually going, it's very peaceful! You go fast, but it's not a sharp drop and it's so scenic. The end of the zip line was a bit jolting. I got going way too fast and came to a very harsh stop. If you are sensitive to neck injuries, this may not be a good choice. I wasn't too bothered but the quick stop and really enjoyed the trip!

 

DISEMBARKATION: Best yet! Because we were concierge class, we disembarked as soon as the ship was cleared and did not wait at all. Great!

 

OVERALL: I highly recommend the Solstice for people that are looking for a more refined, luxurious experience. I felt that the overall atmosphere was very fun, while being a bit more high-class. The food and service were incredible! We also were very fortunate to experience some of the best excursions we've been on! I can't wait to cruise on this ship (or her sisters) again! You can read a journal of our sailing and see pictures at www.candidcruising.com

[firstplacechef]

Thanks for the great review. algorithmannie, was the galley tour for anyone? How do you sign up or let them know you want to attend? We are select members on this cruise, if that helps. We also, have an inside and CC room on the hump angle and are so looking forward to the nice balcony. Thanks in advance. Scott

[texkan]

Thank you for review.

 

Question: Did Celebrity impose the fuel surcharge on your cruise???

[Solstice23]

Thanks for posting

[eandj]

Thanks for the great review. algorithmannie, was the galley tour for anyone? How do you sign up or let them know you want to attend? We are select members on this cruise, if that helps. We also, have an inside and CC room on the hump angle and are so looking forward to the nice balcony. Thanks in advance. Scott

 

 

I think you have to be invited as a captains club member for the galley tour. We skipped that but my dh did the engine room tour.

[1234asdf]

Thanks for the review, I have one question, is it hard to obtain lounges near the pool (even if it is a deck higher). I asked this on another review and only recieved comments on how to get in a fight with a "chair hog". This ship was recommended to me because of the open spaces and never feeling crowded.

[eandj]

ALGORITHMANNIE! I totally agree on the depth of the chairs. It was one of the first things we noticed.

Even the mdr chairs, because of the high sides, weren't the most comfortable. My dh complained the theatre seats were pitched a bit downward, which made us slide forward. (No we weren't tipsy:)) I'm 5'6 and thought it was my "short" height.:confused: I forgot about that thought.

[kgloverii]

I read the longer review on candidcruising and she mentioned there were NO ISSUES finding loungers! So happy to see this!

[FinelyCruising]

Its unusual to hear that you had to wait for the towels. Usually they are updated in the evening for the next day's use so there should be no waiting. On a rare occasion our schedule collided with our stewards and our cabin was not made up by the time we got back from our morning jaunt, but usually it was. It sounds like you might have gotten caught with an unusual situation and that's a shame. The cabin service is so important to the ambiance IMHO too. Glad you had a great time and Thanks for posting.

[Texed]

Algo,

Thanks for posting. :)

[algorithmannie]

Glad everyone enjoyed the review! In response to questions:

 

The Galley Tour was for everyone on Monday morning (our first sea day). We had to call to be assigned a time. The info was listed in the daily.

 

The fuel surcharge was not imposed (I'm 90% sure)

 

There were limited loungers that were actually near the pools. However, tons of loungers available in the sun or shade... just not neccessarily right by the pool. We had a group of four people and had no trouble finding 4 loungers together. There were plenty of shady areas on the pool deck, and plenty of sunny ones on the deck above the pool. We also "discovered" the Solstice deck and it was usually quite empty. The lounger availabity was far less crowded than our previous trips on Royal Caribbean.

 

It was so helpful for me to read everyone else's reviews before our trip, so I'm so happy that I can help others now! Please keep the questions coming!

[RichS10]

Very well written, informative review. Good info on the specialty restaurants.

Thanks!

 

Rich

[texkan]

Would appreciate more info on the CC party and Cabin Crawl . Who organized the crawl and how many people attended the party, etc.

 

We have a large group over 60 for Solstice April 18.

[algorithmannie]

How awesome that you have such a big group! We were actually pretty late to the cruise critic party... due to the galley tour. It was held in Michael's club on Monday morning (I believe around 10:00 or 11:00?). There were some snacks and drinks, and some officers and the cruise director available to chat with.

 

One of the women on our roll call organized the cabin crawl. She had everyone email her their room info that wanted to participate. We had quite a few drop-outs, but we had the crawl right after the CC party, and that helped. She had a list of rooms for everyone and we started at the bottom and worked our way up!

[texkan]

Thanks for the CC info.

 

You have a GREAT web site for Solstice Review. You did a super job with pics and story.

[jtvmi77]

how did you get a tour of the Bridge and ECR/Engine Room? Is that a special thing, or was it posted in the newsletter? I would have loved to do that. The ship's Chief and AEs (sweathogs) aren't usually too visible on a cruise ship to the passengers.

[i guide the sky]

Do you only have two days posted or is my computer acting up? The blog doesn't seem very intuitive to navigqate. Strange since itas an apple.

[algorithmannie]

We requested the bridge tour at guest relations when we first boarded the ship. We received invites for the bridge and engine room tours on our last sea day. A really cool experience!

 

I only have four days of my cruise journal posted so far. It's taking a few days to get it all written! Sorry that the blog doesn't seem easy to navigate! Any suggestions?

[librarylady19]

Very well written, enthusiastic review. It really brought back how excited and impressed I was sailing on an S class ship the first time last November. We also enjoyed Bistro on 5 and will definitely be booking Tuscan for our Solstice this Nov. based on the wonderful reviews I've been reading. Must go check out your website now. Thanks again for taking the time to share your views.;)

[librarylady19]

We requested the bridge tour at guest relations when we first boarded the ship. We received invites for the bridge and engine room tours on our last sea day. A really cool experience!

 

I will definitely have to request the tours; thanks for the tip! We were in 1519 with a great view of the bridge but thought tours were reserved for the Elite group!

[portofrome]

Thank you for the review.

[algorithmannie]

The bridge tour was really cool! I highly recommend trying to go on one. I feel a bit funny discussing it on cruise critic, because our invitation actually asked that we keep our tour confidential! I assume they mean while on the ship... but I guess a limited number of tours are available and they don't want people to feel bad if they don't get one. The engine room tour was cool... but it was mostly men who wanted to ask lots of techie engineering type questions! We did learn about the water filtration system which was neat. The bridge tour was way cooler! An incredible view and really educational! We were sad not to meet the captain, but that leaves something to look forward to on another trip!

[eandj]

Yes, they seriously limit the tours to a small amount of cruisers. You have to be "in the book" and they don't budge on the number allowed. My dh was put "in the book" and then didn't get his promised written invitation until he went down the night before. I think it would have stayed in the "drawer" if he hadn't squawked.

I'm sure he was one of the "techies" asking lots of questions, as he's a senior engineer who has worked on developing stuff for Navy ships.

[algorithmannie]

That's so funny... the same thing happened to us! We requested a tour and were all set, but didn't receive an invite. The night before our last sea day, we went to Guest Relations and asked about it. The invite showed up the next morning just a few hours before our tour!

[ZellaLamb]

What a wonderful review! You did a great job of describing the cruise. You took all the pictures that I forgot to take. We met at the cabin crawl and it is kind of fun to read a review from someone I would recognize.

 

ditto on the chair depth. I actually asked our waiter if I could have a back cushion on my chair as it was not comfortable for me to sit through a whole dinner. He had it for me every evening.

 

Kate