First Cruise Ever - Solstice March 13-20 - What I didn't read anywhere else

[TeaBag]

Thank you Mia for your well written review. Another thing you probably learned on this cruise is that it is addictive. Your choices for future cruises are very good. Add the South Pacific to the list too. By the way Australia/NZ remains one of our favorite ones. If you leave from Honolulu, the South Pacific just fits right in there.:):)

[winc]

I am set to sail this Sun, the 27th. When we return, our flight takes off at 10 am. Will we be able to get off the boat and to the airport in time? Also, since I am a novice, what is good to take to prevent seasickness? Thanks!

[kasjas]

Thanks Mia for your review, as a first timer myself it has really clarified that we have so done the right thing booking with Celebrity. Its has also made me realise that I need to pull my finger out and get the speciality restaurants booked up. Thanks again.

[MiaS13]

I am set to sail this Sun, the 27th. When we return, our flight takes off at 10 am. Will we be able to get off the boat and to the airport in time? Also, since I am a novice, what is good to take to prevent seasickness? Thanks!

 

If I were you I'd pack LIGHT* (1 carry on per person) and do self-disembarkation at 7:00AM. What that means is you'll be the first ones off the ship, but you'll have to exit the ship with your all your luggage. And trust me, you DO NOT want to treck heavy luggage through those long narrow hallways and down the gangway. Plus you had to go down the last level by stairs since only a few elevators went there and they were reserved for wheelchair guests. You should have no lines at immigration and should be able to get to FLL by 8 ish.

 

For sea sickness I was very pleased with 25mg Meclizine Hydrochloride (several brand names, one of them being the LESS DROWSY version of dramamine) ... it lasted 24 hours and I did not feel drowsy at all. I didn't like the regular dramamine, it only lasted 4 hours...

 

*... have some laundry done onboard for you! And that's another thing - the stateroom attendant came by twice a day ... we left our laundry bag with the form filled out on the bed, he picked it up next time he was in, the next day the laundry was hanging in the room ready for us. SUPER convenient.

[miched]

You made this comment:

 

"Solstice was the only ship on any of our ports of call that laid out a little red carpet for its guests with a little sitting area, cold drinks, and cold towels for its guests returning from shore."

 

Where was this at? On the pier or on board? Are the drinks free and what are they?

 

How many passengers could fit on the little sitting area?

 

And why is this needed?

 

Thanks

[sarahc78]

You made this comment:

 

"Solstice was the only ship on any of our ports of call that laid out a little red carpet for its guests with a little sitting area, cold drinks, and cold towels for its guests returning from shore."

 

Where was this at? On the pier or on board? Are the drinks free and what are they?

 

How many passengers could fit on the little sitting area?

 

And why is this needed?

 

Thanks

 

It is normally juice and ice water. A very nice touch though that other lines dont do.

[mgerstl42]

Thank you for the thorough post! We are sailing on the Solstice this Sunday and I am so excited! It was a surprise for my 30th and i've just had this week to prepare - and last minute chose Murano for my "Birthday dinner" restaurant. Your review was amazing and you have me so excited! I'm a bit of a foodie and can't wait for all the yumminess you described!

 

This is our first cruise together and my first in more than ten years - your insight into port transportation and disembarkation were great! I'll try to add to your post when we return! So excited!!

 

On a sidenote - for a "first-timer" were there any itesm you didn't pack that you wish you would have, or anything you packed that you felt was a waste of space?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Best,

Melissa

[SomersetBoy0]

I was also on the Solstice for my first ever cruise, and agree totally with the OP. Live music dotted around was brilliant, I particularly liked Jana Seale who played most days and I myself listening to her in Oceanview or the Ensemble Lounge on several occasions.

 

Loved the ice towel thing they provided, especially coming back to the boat from St Maarten as it was a really hot day.

 

Staff were brilliant to us all week, including the Captain who we happened to share an elevator with one evening, he was very friendly and actually held doors open and operated the controls for everyone until he reached his floor.

 

Food was amazing all week, and I often had 5 or 6 courses at dinner just because I could. Only downside to the week was having to make an extra hole in my belt!

 

I'll write a proper review of my own soon, just a bit exhausted right now.

[MiaS13]

You made this comment:

 

"Solstice was the only ship on any of our ports of call that laid out a little red carpet for its guests with a little sitting area, cold drinks, and cold towels for its guests returning from shore."

 

Where was this at? On the pier or on board? Are the drinks free and what are they?

 

How many passengers could fit on the little sitting area?

 

And why is this needed?

 

Thanks

 

 

It was on the pier right before you boarded the ship... complimentary water and fruit juice served out of pretty silver urns. Sitting area was a little living room, a couch and two chairs/love seats.

 

It's not needed but it was one of the little extra special touches that no one else had and really made us feel special.

[JENHERE4]

Thanks! Great information! Sailing on the 3rd and this really helped!

[Onessa]

Hey, cruise Europe!

 

With EU stuff you do customs at the airports so you walk off the ship. If you avoid Heathrow (London), DeGaul (Paris) and Amsterdam, the customs coming in/out of EU is pretty painless. On the US side avoid the NY airports and a few of the other really large ones. We tend to fly through HHH (Minneapolis/St Paul) or Detroit and the custom lines are pretty short and the customs agents pretty nice (JFK were nice enough but very very busy)

[ORV]

It is normally juice and ice water. A very nice touch though that other lines dont do.

 

Actually there are other lines that do it, it's just that they are premium or luxury lines. Celebrity seems to be the only mass market line that I've been on that does it. It's one of the things that set them apart from other mass market lines.

[SomersetBoy0]

Hey, cruise Europe!

 

With EU stuff you do customs at the airports so you walk off the ship. If you avoid Heathrow (London), DeGaul (Paris) and Amsterdam, the customs coming in/out of EU is pretty painless. On the US side avoid the NY airports and a few of the other really large ones. We tend to fly through HHH (Minneapolis/St Paul) or Detroit and the custom lines are pretty short and the customs agents pretty nice (JFK were nice enough but very very busy)

 

Yes we were pretty lucky. Took a while to get off the ship and through the customs desk, but after that it was pretty easy. Had to put carry-on luggage through the x-ray machine at Ft Lauderdale on our first flight to Charlotte, where we didn't even need to recheck luggage, it went straight onto the plane for London Gatwick. Back in the UK we showed our passport to one man at a desk and we were clear.

 

Sort of wish I had stocked up on duty free now, since nobody looked at it.

[miched]

It was on the pier right before you boarded the ship... complimentary water and fruit juice served out of pretty silver urns. Sitting area was a little living room, a couch and two chairs/love seats.

 

It's not needed but it was one of the little extra special touches that no one else had and really made us feel special.

 

Sounds very nice. I am just wondering how they are able to accommodate all of the passengers returning to the ship?

 

Never sailed with X and never paid any attention to the other cruise lines when in port.

[MiaS13]

On a sidenote - for a "first-timer" were there any itesm you didn't pack that you wish you would have, or anything you packed that you felt was a waste of space?

Thanks in advance!

Best,

Melissa

You're going to have a great time!

There was nothing I didn't pack that I wish I had, except for Aloe because I forgot.

There were a few things I wish I had saved space for and left at home:

- The two bottles of wine per stateroom - we didn't even touch it. We're not big drinkers... we had bottles with dinner most nights, but no point in using the one you brought since they charge the $25 corking fee... and they had very delicious wines for $25 in their wine list. I guess you could have it on your balcony before dinner, but really, there is SO MUCH eating during the set meal times already, I couldn't fit any snacks in anywhere. The very few times I had a drink outside of dinner I opted for mixed drinks instead of wine. Good thing we're local, the bottles came right back home with us.

- That extra pair of shoes - Seriously, don't waste space with a ton of shoes. one flip flop, one casual or athletic, one dressy, max. I promise you, I did not notice anyone's shoes, and people are enjoying themselves so much, they don't even realize they're about to walk right into you... so they're obviously not looking at your shoes either!

- A full makeup bag - you're getting all this sun... you're not going to want to go all out and cover your sunned face with a ton of stuff. The most I ended up using was a little powder over the sunblock, eyeliner and mascara with a fixing spray.

- You can totally repeat clothes between sea days, and mix and match bottoms and tops for different outfits for dinner. If you're not dressed for the shore and you're not in a bathing suit, you really shouldn't be getting dirty! Just MHO, I'm sure lots of people are going to :eek: at this. lol.

I think that's about it. I tried to pack pretty conservatively as it was!

 

[Denny01]

Sounds very nice. I am just wondering how they are able to accommodate all of the passengers returning to the ship?

 

Never sailed with X and never paid any attention to the other cruise lines when in port.

The great majority head directly to the gangway and go on board. The setup is nice when you are waiting for friends, hot and just want to stop and get a nice towel and drink before getting on board, or if there is a line and you want to sit down and relax instead of stand in it for a while.

 

we've used it, especially the cold water and cold towel and it was just a very nice, classy touch.

 

Den

[MiaS13]

Sounds very nice. I am just wondering how they are able to accommodate all of the passengers returning to the ship?

 

Never sailed with X and never paid any attention to the other cruise lines when in port.

 

Well, it's not like 3,000 are coming in at 5:45pm. Some people stay onboard, others trickle in and out throughout the day...they had a couple of crew members handing out the cups and cold towels as you walked by... it wasn't like a full bar or anything :o

[LAH718]

WOW, someone from Celebrity just called me to discuss my comments from the comment card I dropped off onboard yesterday!

 

am VERY impressed!

 

Wow, that was fast. I've received a call from Celebrity after each cruise, but not the next day!

[mgerstl42]

Thanks, Mia!

 

Love this forum and the prompt responses. So happy I found it.... Great input regarding what to leave at home...I always over pack shoes and am going to *try* not to...the less sexy, more comfortable options are going to win out. Nothing is fun when your feeties hurt!

 

The make-up insight was good as well. We live in South Florida and are in the sun often, so I am pretty well-versed in the "less is more" when you have sun-kissed cheeks. I'm a "lip-stain and some mascara goes a long way" kindof girl! But, great advice for others...cosmetics get heavy and go unused on most tropical vacations.

 

On another note, i've read a lot about formal attire rental for men and am curious how meny men wore tuxedos on the formal night? My hubby has a new tux and it's great to have an excuse to throw him in it ( he looks so dapper), but i'm trying to figure out if it's necessary, or if he'll be happier in a suit. Also, for most of the other restaurants (including specialty) are jackets required or will a button-down and slacks suffice? What are your (or anyone's) thoughts on this??

 

Thanks in advance!!

 

Best,

Melissa

[MiaS13]

Thanks, Mia!

Love this forum and the prompt responses. So happy I found it.... Great input regarding what to leave at home...I always over pack shoes and am going to *try* not to...the less sexy, more comfortable options are going to win out. Nothing is fun when your feeties hurt!

The make-up insight was good as well. We live in South Florida and are in the sun often, so I am pretty well-versed in the "less is more" when you have sun-kissed cheeks. I'm a "lip-stain and some mascara goes a long way" kindof girl! But, great advice for others...cosmetics get heavy and go unused on most tropical vacations.

On another note, i've read a lot about formal attire rental for men and am curious how meny men wore tuxedos on the formal night? My hubby has a new tux and it's great to have an excuse to throw him in it ( he looks so dapper), but i'm trying to figure out if it's necessary, or if he'll be happier in a suit. Also, for most of the other restaurants (including specialty) are jackets required or will a button-down and slacks suffice? What are your (or anyone's) thoughts on this??

Thanks in advance!!

Best,

Melissa

Yeah, I mean, to be honest, I had some sexier shoes and outfits with me, but you're in the caribbean, out in the sun all day, in a boat moving through the ocean... "easy" won out every day, I just didn't felt like being uncomfortable!

I didn't see any men in tuxes on the first formal night, and we stayed in the second, so I'm not sure if it was more casual or less. I would guess less, after visiting three ports back to back! I did see one or two ladies in formal gowns. The majority of guys were wearing suits, and gals in cocktail dresses.

Specialty dining is tagged "smart casual", which means your DH can go in khakis/polo if he so desires (which is what our party did)... but to be honest, when we got to Murano, everyone was dressed really nice... next time I think they would all wear at least a jacket.

I do know they rent tuxes on board, so if your DH wanted to wear his tux, he would certainly be welcome to... but I would leave that up to him, whatever he's more comfortable with will allow him to have a more enjoyable cruise, which will only mean more cruises for you!

[4Grandcats]

Why does Celebrity put out the red carpet, cold towels, juice and water??

To make other ship cruisers totally jealous!!!

 

It was a marvelous touch - and very welcome after a day in the sun.

[sailingintothesunset]

Hey Mia,

 

Funny you mentioned the rocking of the ship. We were on the March 6th cruise and had several days of rocking. I certainly felt it! Glad I took ginger gravol and motion sickness wrist bands. They worked! We loved our time on the Solstice! The bread was fantastic in the MDR. The meals were out of this world! The little area set up for you when you returned from port was neat. The cold drinks and facecloths were appreciated, especially in St.Maarten, where it was so hot. I agree with someone who mentioned the poverty in St.Maarten. However, having been to the DR for the last 3 years, that's where you witness true poverty. Anyway, I loved your review of the Solstice.

 

Thanks,

Sailingawayintothesunset

[Seapoint]

Great review!

Just remember the best islands in the Caribbean are the ones with propellers attached !!

It is great to stay on board while in port, as ship is less crowded and there is no motion of the ocean.

[JENHERE4]

 

You're going to have a great time!

 

There was nothing I didn't pack that I wish I had, except for Aloe because I forgot.

 

There were a few things I wish I had saved space for and left at home:

 

- The two bottles of wine per stateroom - we didn't even touch it. We're not big drinkers... we had bottles with dinner most nights, but no point in using the one you brought since they charge the $25 corking fee... and they had very delicious wines for $25 in their wine list. I guess you could have it on your balcony before dinner, but really, there is SO MUCH eating during the set meal times already, I couldn't fit any snacks in anywhere. The very few times I had a drink outside of dinner I opted for mixed drinks instead of wine. Good thing we're local, the bottles came right back home with us.

 

Thanks!

I put aloe in my bag last night and was considering if it was "needed." :)

We decided not to bring the wine as we are purchasing the premium pkg.

I did only pack 4 pairs!- tennis, flip flops, flats and heels (formal night)

 

Great advice for someone leaving in two days!!!:D

[Orlandocruiser]

We did carry off disembarcation from our March 20 Solstice cruise and they had a very organized line (add your luggage to the line and that was your spot - no place for line jumpers to sneak ahead) on deck 3 in the MDR. They had the access to the stairs next to the dining room blocked off so people couldn't sneak in the line there and they had people helping you negotiate you luggage down the stairs to deck 2. It was much appreciated and really sped up the process (of course the customs line was something else but that is out of the hands of the cruise line)