Trip report- Solstice 10/26/14

[Osnab]

Long report to follow:

Celebrity Solstice from Sydney round trip – stopping in Lifou, Isle of Pines and Noumea

 

Sydney:

 

This cruise started on 10/26/14, but I arrived in Sydney on 10/25/14. The hotel I stayed at was the Pullman Grand Quay, right on Circular Quay. Excellent hotel and excellent location.

 

Before I left, I was confused about the layout of the harbors and where the ship was, so I hope I can help anyone else who is also confused. The Celebrity ship is docked at Overseas Passenger Terminal, which is exactly at Circular Quay. I could have walked directly to it from the hotel, and would have if I hadn’t been so tired. 

 

By the way, OPT is being renovated, so I dropped off luggage there, then took a bus to White Bay, where I checked in, then took a ferry back over to OPT. That was efficiently handled.

 

There are plenty of things to do in Sydney. The first day, I did “Oz JetBoating”. There are 2 companies side by side that do this, but I don’t remember the name of the other one. Basically, the same – you get in a jetboat and for 30 minutes go racing in the harbor super-fast, then the driver will turn on a dime, drenching you with cold water. I highly recommend this for the first day, especially if you have jet lag. It is quite invigorating and helps get you thru until you can fall, blessedly, into sleep!

 

There are plenty of restaurants, cafes and shops along the promenade or you can just sit and people watch.

 

Sydney Opera House is about ½ mile from the hotel and definitely worth a visit. I did not realize that they have more than opera there, and the tour was really interesting and informative.

 

Sydney Harbor Bridge is across the quay as well and you can do the Bridge Climb, if you are so inclined. (I was not.)

 

After the cruise, I went by myself to Uluru (Ayers Rock) and then to Cairns, then flew back to Sydney for departure the next day. That day, I also did Sydney Wildlife, which is at Darling Harbor. I stayed at Rydges Hotel, which is about a 2 min walk to the international terminal.

 

If anyone has any specific questions about Sydney, please let me know.

 

Restaurants:

Being in a suite gave me the opportunity to try 2 of the specialty restaurants for free, and I chose Silk Harvest (Asian) and Murano (French-Mediterranean). The other is an Italian one called Tuscan Grill.

 

I thought Silk Harvest was good, but nothing spectacular. Service was good and the food was good, but not super inventive or unique.

 

Murano was very good. Service was fair on this one, but the food was excellent.

 

Bistro on Five and I found myself together three times for lunch. It’s a crepe place – I had the Cajun one, the Mexicano one and the Cowboy one. The Cajun one was the best of all 3, but they were all 3 good. Service was good here, too.

 

Main dining room- service was good and the food was good. I don’t eat a lot on a cruise, so I was fine with the portions. (I heard some people complaining, but it’s ridiculous to complain about this.) My dinner time was at 6p, which I think is too early, but I find 830p to be too late. Just call me Goldilocks.

 

The buffet was interesting. This is the first time I’ve not seen people elbowing their way in and acting like they haven’t seen food for a year. It dawned on me later that it’s the way it’s laid out. The food was good. I ate for breakfast here only once (opting for room service or skipping it the other days) and lunch a couple of times.

 

Room service was good, but I think the menu is a little too limited and wish they’d have a bit more to choose from.

 

Oh, for the specialty restaurants ~ book the ones you want as soon as you decide, because they do get filled up quickly.

 

Cabin:

I had a suite, cabin 1618 on the 11th deck (Celebrity Suite) which was perfect. It was my first time to have a suite, and I absolutely am spoiled to pieces!

 

However, I wasn’t 100% thrilled with the cleanliness. As soon as I walked in on the first day, I noticed the desktop above where the refrigerator was covered with water spots from glasses, for the largest part of the top, not just one or two spots, but the entire top. Also, there was an accumulation of dust in the bathroom. Everything else was clean.

 

I also had a lot of moths. This wasn’t a big deal (it’s not like they’re gross like roaches) but I thought it was weird, every day, 2 dead ones on the floor and 2 more flying around the room. They became my pets-at-sea.

 

I loved the two TVs and the separate AC units for the main room and the bedroom. They did a great job cooling, something I’m always thankful for. The balcony was very large and had a recliner with a cushion and a table with 2 chairs.

 

My butler was fantastic and I’m having “Jacky withdrawals” now. Where are my afternoon snacks?!

 

Entertainment

I give this a score of “fair”. The entertainment itself was very good, but not a lot of variety. Each night, it was all musical; e.g., a saxophone player, a singer, dancing, etc. Where was the magician? Where was the comedian?

 

Activities

So much to do that I didn’t even get to it all in the 8 days! There’s the casino, which I loved and actually came out ahead by the end of the week. (Thus the reason for loving it.) Ha. Each day that we were not in port, there were plenty of things to do; e.g., Bingo, lawn games, trivia, shopping, spa, art auction.

 

I can elaborate on this if you have any questions.

 

 

Ports

Lifou, Loyalty Island – only 1000 inhabitants. We were tendered in and then you’re on your own because there are no excursions available. There’s a small market area right when you get off from the tender. I spent a brief amount of time at the market, and I also went to Jurek Aquarium, where for 1000 francs you can swim and snorkel in the water. Beautiful water, by the way. They rent snorkel equipment for $10 but that’s right near the market area, and you have to walk about ½ mile to get to the bay, so if you’re going to do it, decide then, not after you get to the aquarium area. There are also bikes for rent, but they looked kinda rusty and dilapidated.

 

From there, it’s about ¼ mile or maybe even ½ mile to the church, Our Lady of Lourdes. You walk up a little incline and there are maybe 50-75 steps made out of stone, uneven but not high, up to the top. Well worth it if you want to see the view. Quite beautiful. The church is a little cheesy inside: fake flowers, a few brochures, a small bench and a cup asking for donations.

 

Isle of Pines, New Caledonia – this has only 2000 inhabitants. Tendered in here as well. I took an excursion, just an old fashioned city tour, but really enjoyed it. The guide was quite informative about the lifestyle and culture of the island. We went to a grotto, a church and an area around the bay. Afterward, I swam in a bay. Can’t remember the name of it, but it’s the one right where the tender is. A friend I met on the ship said he went to the bay that had the big rock, but that was not the one I went to. So one is Kuto Bay and the other is Kaluhandra Bay or something like that.

 

Noumea, New Caledonia – did an excursion here, too, the Segway Tour of the zoological park. Segways are the coolest and I love them. The grounds were kinda messed up in the park, so that was a bit rough trying to maneuver on the Segway, but the park was interesting. We had a great guide, too.

 

This time, we’re docked (not tendered) but you want to get a shuttle from the ship to the center of town because it’s an industrial port, and you can’t really walk around there and see anything. Shuttles seem to be coming and going at a pretty fast clip, so not a long time to wait. I was not impressed with the downtown area of Noumea. Had lunch at a little café, but the shopping was not that good.

 

Basically, get your souvenirs in Sydney!

 

Celebrity itself

This is my 2nd time to sail with Celebrity and both times I’ve struggled to find anything to complain about! It is by far my favorite cruise line. Disembarkation and embarkation were great. You could have your photo made if you wanted to, but they weren’t in your face about it. Not a lot of junk or pushing you to buy things. Not a bunch of chattering on loudspeakers about activities. Lots of activities, the ship is laid out well, nice music on the pool area.

 

Mostly, it’s the crew. They didn’t just wait for you to approach them or make eye contact or speak first. They went out of their way to initiate the first move. I always felt genuinely wanted. I don’t know how they do it, time after time.

 

If you have any questions, I’m happy to answer.

Felicia

[AntjeG]

Thank you for your review - I enjoyed reading it. And indeed I have a question:

For embarkation in Sydney at what time did they open luggage drop off? What was the latest time you had to be at check in?

Thanks again.

Edited November 10, 2014 by AntjeG

[Osnab]

Thank you for your review - I enjoyed reading it. And indeed I have a question:

For embarkation in Sydney at what time did they open luggage drop off? What was the latest time you had to be at check in?

Thanks again.

 

I'm not sure what time the luggage drop off began, because I didn't get to the ship until 130p and of course, it had started already. The latest time was 3p. This may be different once they get the renovations completed.

 

Felicia

[Phxazzcruisers]

Thank you for your very balanced review. I really enjoyed reading it

[AntjeG]

I'm not sure what time the luggage drop off began, because I didn't get to the ship until 130p and of course, it had started already. The latest time was 3p. This may be different once they get the renovations completed.

 

Thank you.

[GOLFINCHICK]

Thanks for review we are going in January, glad to hear you enjoyed it! Inspired confidence in our decision to go.

[Canada14]

Long report to follow:

Celebrity Solstice from Sydney round trip – stopping in Lifou, Isle of Pines and Noumea

 

Sydney:

 

This cruise started on 10/26/14, but I arrived in Sydney on 10/25/14. The hotel I stayed at was the Pullman Grand Quay, right on Circular Quay. Excellent hotel and excellent location.

 

Before I left, I was confused about the layout of the harbors and where the ship was, so I hope I can help anyone else who is also confused. The Celebrity ship is docked at Overseas Passenger Terminal, which is exactly at Circular Quay. I could have walked directly to it from the hotel, and would have if I hadn’t been so tired. 

 

By the way, OPT is being renovated, so I dropped off luggage there, then took a bus to White Bay, where I checked in, then took a ferry back over to OPT. That was efficiently handled.

 

There are plenty of things to do in Sydney. The first day, I did “Oz JetBoating”. There are 2 companies side by side that do this, but I don’t remember the name of the other one. Basically, the same – you get in a jetboat and for 30 minutes go racing in the harbor super-fast, then the driver will turn on a dime, drenching you with cold water. I highly recommend this for the first day, especially if you have jet lag. It is quite invigorating and helps get you thru until you can fall, blessedly, into sleep!

 

There are plenty of restaurants, cafes and shops along the promenade or you can just sit and people watch.

 

Sydney Opera House is about ½ mile from the hotel and definitely worth a visit. I did not realize that they have more than opera there, and the tour was really interesting and informative.

 

Sydney Harbor Bridge is across the quay as well and you can do the Bridge Climb, if you are so inclined. (I was not.)

 

After the cruise, I went by myself to Uluru (Ayers Rock) and then to Cairns, then flew back to Sydney for departure the next day. That day, I also did Sydney Wildlife, which is at Darling Harbor. I stayed at Rydges Hotel, which is about a 2 min walk to the international terminal.

 

If anyone has any specific questions about Sydney, please let me know.

 

Restaurants:

Being in a suite gave me the opportunity to try 2 of the specialty restaurants for free, and I chose Silk Harvest (Asian) and Murano (French-Mediterranean). The other is an Italian one called Tuscan Grill.

 

I thought Silk Harvest was good, but nothing spectacular. Service was good and the food was good, but not super inventive or unique.

 

Murano was very good. Service was fair on this one, but the food was excellent.

 

Bistro on Five and I found myself together three times for lunch. It’s a crepe place – I had the Cajun one, the Mexicano one and the Cowboy one. The Cajun one was the best of all 3, but they were all 3 good. Service was good here, too.

 

Main dining room- service was good and the food was good. I don’t eat a lot on a cruise, so I was fine with the portions. (I heard some people complaining, but it’s ridiculous to complain about this.) My dinner time was at 6p, which I think is too early, but I find 830p to be too late. Just call me Goldilocks.

 

The buffet was interesting. This is the first time I’ve not seen people elbowing their way in and acting like they haven’t seen food for a year. It dawned on me later that it’s the way it’s laid out. The food was good. I ate for breakfast here only once (opting for room service or skipping it the other days) and lunch a couple of times.

 

Room service was good, but I think the menu is a little too limited and wish they’d have a bit more to choose from.

 

Oh, for the specialty restaurants ~ book the ones you want as soon as you decide, because they do get filled up quickly.

 

Cabin:

I had a suite, cabin 1618 on the 11th deck (Celebrity Suite) which was perfect. It was my first time to have a suite, and I absolutely am spoiled to pieces!

 

However, I wasn’t 100% thrilled with the cleanliness. As soon as I walked in on the first day, I noticed the desktop above where the refrigerator was covered with water spots from glasses, for the largest part of the top, not just one or two spots, but the entire top. Also, there was an accumulation of dust in the bathroom. Everything else was clean.

 

I also had a lot of moths. This wasn’t a big deal (it’s not like they’re gross like roaches) but I thought it was weird, every day, 2 dead ones on the floor and 2 more flying around the room. They became my pets-at-sea.

 

I loved the two TVs and the separate AC units for the main room and the bedroom. They did a great job cooling, something I’m always thankful for. The balcony was very large and had a recliner with a cushion and a table with 2 chairs.

 

My butler was fantastic and I’m having “Jacky withdrawals” now. Where are my afternoon snacks?!

 

Entertainment

I give this a score of “fair”. The entertainment itself was very good, but not a lot of variety. Each night, it was all musical; e.g., a saxophone player, a singer, dancing, etc. Where was the magician? Where was the comedian?

 

Activities

So much to do that I didn’t even get to it all in the 8 days! There’s the casino, which I loved and actually came out ahead by the end of the week. (Thus the reason for loving it.) Ha. Each day that we were not in port, there were plenty of things to do; e.g., Bingo, lawn games, trivia, shopping, spa, art auction.

 

I can elaborate on this if you have any questions.

 

 

Ports

Lifou, Loyalty Island – only 1000 inhabitants. We were tendered in and then you’re on your own because there are no excursions available. There’s a small market area right when you get off from the tender. I spent a brief amount of time at the market, and I also went to Jurek Aquarium, where for 1000 francs you can swim and snorkel in the water. Beautiful water, by the way. They rent snorkel equipment for $10 but that’s right near the market area, and you have to walk about ½ mile to get to the bay, so if you’re going to do it, decide then, not after you get to the aquarium area. There are also bikes for rent, but they looked kinda rusty and dilapidated.

 

From there, it’s about ¼ mile or maybe even ½ mile to the church, Our Lady of Lourdes. You walk up a little incline and there are maybe 50-75 steps made out of stone, uneven but not high, up to the top. Well worth it if you want to see the view. Quite beautiful. The church is a little cheesy inside: fake flowers, a few brochures, a small bench and a cup asking for donations.

 

Isle of Pines, New Caledonia – this has only 2000 inhabitants. Tendered in here as well. I took an excursion, just an old fashioned city tour, but really enjoyed it. The guide was quite informative about the lifestyle and culture of the island. We went to a grotto, a church and an area around the bay. Afterward, I swam in a bay. Can’t remember the name of it, but it’s the one right where the tender is. A friend I met on the ship said he went to the bay that had the big rock, but that was not the one I went to. So one is Kuto Bay and the other is Kaluhandra Bay or something like that.

 

Noumea, New Caledonia – did an excursion here, too, the Segway Tour of the zoological park. Segways are the coolest and I love them. The grounds were kinda messed up in the park, so that was a bit rough trying to maneuver on the Segway, but the park was interesting. We had a great guide, too.

 

This time, we’re docked (not tendered) but you want to get a shuttle from the ship to the center of town because it’s an industrial port, and you can’t really walk around there and see anything. Shuttles seem to be coming and going at a pretty fast clip, so not a long time to wait. I was not impressed with the downtown area of Noumea. Had lunch at a little café, but the shopping was not that good.

 

Basically, get your souvenirs in Sydney!

 

Celebrity itself

This is my 2nd time to sail with Celebrity and both times I’ve struggled to find anything to complain about! It is by far my favorite cruise line. Disembarkation and embarkation were great. You could have your photo made if you wanted to, but they weren’t in your face about it. Not a lot of junk or pushing you to buy things. Not a bunch of chattering on loudspeakers about activities. Lots of activities, the ship is laid out well, nice music on the pool area.

 

Mostly, it’s the crew. They didn’t just wait for you to approach them or make eye contact or speak first. They went out of their way to initiate the first move. I always felt genuinely wanted. I don’t know how they do it, time after time.

 

If you have any questions, I’m happy to answer.

Felicia

 

Hi

 

We're flight expensive from Sydney To the rock and then to Cairns and then back to Sydney? How long do you recommend someone stay in Cairns

 

Canada 14

[TLCOhio]

Appreciate your excellent reporting and details for future travelers to consider. As noted in the live/blog below, we got off of the Solstice in February. Love these exciting areas!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 86,930 views for this posting.

[Osnab]

Hi

 

We're flight expensive from Sydney To the rock and then to Cairns and then back to Sydney? How long do you recommend someone stay in Cairns

 

Canada 14

 

Yeah, the flight from Sydney to Uluru (Ayers Rock) was expensive, but I can't remember how much now. It was on Jetstar. They are supposedly an economy airline, but I didn't think it was that economical. They also nickel and dime you to death. You have to pay for EVERYTHING, even water. They are also a bit more restricted on luggage than Qantas.

 

From Qantas to Cairns was not as expensive, but still a little more than I'd have wanted to pay!

 

I recommend one day in Uluru. I arrived in the afternoon, and left the next day about the same time. It gave me time for a 5 hr tour.

 

Cairns - I got there in the evening and the next day spent all day doing some lovely things. The Kuranda Scenic Railway, the sky ride cable car over the rainforest, then a helicopter ride that took me out over the Great Barrier Reef, then snorkeling in the GBR. That was most of the day. I really wish I'd had more time in Cairns. I think 3 days would have been good.

 

Hope that helps. Any other information you need, let me know.

[Northern Aurora]

......

 

I recommend one day in Uluru. I arrived in the afternoon, and left the next day about the same time. It gave me time for a 5 hr tour.

 

......

 

 

 

Interesting comments.

 

We were flew to Uluru in October a few days after leaving the Century. We spent four days at the Ayers Rock Resort. We had been to Australia before, but both agree that the next time we visit "the land down Under" we will spent a week at Uluru. Just found the aboriginal culture fascinating.

[Osnab]

Interesting comments.

 

We were flew to Uluru in October a few days after leaving the Century. We spent four days at the Ayers Rock Resort. We had been to Australia before, but both agree that the next time we visit "the land down Under" we will spent a week at Uluru. Just found the aboriginal culture fascinating.

 

This is why they make chocolate and vanilla! I just wasn't a big fan, but I can certainly understand why somebody would like it. Especially if you don't have it in your own backyard.

[Miss-m]

Thanks for your post.

 

Just wondering what the seas were like. We are thinking of booking this cruise for 2015 , and the thought of rough seas scares me a little