A Brief Report From Onboard Solstice

[chemmo]

How busy was Michael's Club during your cruise? Did they arrange any events and was it manned all day?

 

Thank you

[TrulyBlonde]

How busy was Michael's Club during your cruise? Did they arrange any events and was it manned all day?

 

Thank you

 

Michael's Club was not busy on the last cruise and they did have many different events planned. An example: On Sydney sailaway, we were offered the opportunity to see it from the helipad on board. We did not partake in the events offered, but they were available.

It was not manned all day, but you can call the concierge number and someone would answer and try to help or take a message. Service was wonderful.

My understanding is that it is quite busy on this current cruise. Also, the weather is cooler, older passenger group, and the pool area is not being used due to these factors. It makes the indoor venues seem a bit more crowded, as expected.

[chemmo]

Thank you for your reply Portofinoitaly!

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise! We have only cruised N island NZ, would love to do the full cruise..

 

Sincere best wishes for a great vacation.

[TrulyBlonde]

I want to provide a suggestion as to what we do to get our veggie intake due to Luminae being quite limited in this area.

Like Michael, we have to go to Oceanview Cafe and create a large salad. The selection is very nice. I am not a fan of buffets due to the possible exposure of germs from everyone touching the same utensils. I picked up a hint from another poster on a luxury line who uses a napkin when handling the serving utensils. This is now what I do to avoid the germs. We typically cruise on Oceania and they serve you from their buffet and nobody touches anything. I prefer this hygienic approach to others and have no issues eating there. Also, after watching a young woman walk out of the restroom without washing her hands, and the woman walking up the staircase while flossing her teeth, the napkin is important. :(

 

Now, another spot I have found to be very nice for our breakfast is the Aqua Spa cafe. Every morning I get the V-12 juice (the very green one) and the preparer makes it with care and adds a bit of extra ginger for me. DH has his granola and fruit and this is what we prefer to start our day with a healthy meal. I forgot to mention we always have a cappuccino at Bacio first. We are definitely creatures of habit and have found our comfort zone on the ship.

 

We have enjoyed Celebrity and would definitely cruise with them again given the right itinerary and timing. Also, the Tasman Sea can be a bit rough at times and we felt little compared to being on the small ships.

[treesah]

So grateful to TxnAquarian and Portofino for posting your Solstice experience. We'll be on board in less than three weeks for a back to back voyage. Porto, thanks for the tip about the napkin or tissue. Much appreciated.

[gazzas]

The music (noise) i thought was ok.The band or solo artist or DJ only do 45 minute sets and play at different areas of the shipat various times.Very easy to avoid if you must.

[chrisaus]

I want to provide a suggestion as to what we do to get our veggie intake due to Luminae being quite limited in this area.

 

Like Michael, we have to go to Oceanview Cafe and create a large salad. The selection is very nice. I am not a fan of buffets due to the possible exposure of germs from everyone touching the same utensils. I picked up a hint from another poster on a luxury line who uses a napkin when handling the serving utensils. This is now what I do to avoid the germs. We typically cruise on Oceania and they serve you from their buffet and nobody touches anything. I prefer this hygienic approach to others and have no issues eating there. Also, after watching a young woman walk out of the restroom without washing her hands, and the woman walking up the staircase while flossing her teeth, the napkin is important. :(

 

 

 

Now, another spot I have found to be very nice for our breakfast is the Aqua Spa cafe. Every morning I get the V-12 juice (the very green one) and the preparer makes it with care and adds a bit of extra ginger for me. DH has his granola and fruit and this is what we prefer to start our day with a healthy meal. I forgot to mention we always have a cappuccino at Bacio first. We are definitely creatures of habit and have found our comfort zone on the ship.

 

 

 

We have enjoyed Celebrity and would definitely cruise with them again given the right itinerary and timing. Also, the Tasman Sea can be a bit rough at times and we felt little compared to being on the small ships.

 

 

That's such an awesome approach at the aqua spa cafe - will definitely do it next trip! Thanks for sharing [emoji106]

[AlexMAC]

I was also aboard the CS for the 21st Oct-2nd Nov Fiji/South Pacific cruise.

It was my second time on the Solstice. I had cruised with the Solstice in APR 2014.

This time round, the atmosphere was very different. I wasn't aware that a huge group named Abraham-hicks had booked on this cruise. I would say it was a group of more than 300 people. Although majority were nice, i found that they tend to take up a lot of the public space, crowed the bars and were very loud. They even booked out the entire pool deck for their exclusive Halloween party. Kind of annoyed me, but really wasn't a big deal.

 

I still loved the crew and the service, however I found that the entertainment and customer service was far better in 2014 than this recent cruise.

 

I will definitely be cruising with Celebrity again next year :)

[padgman1]

Have really enjoyed reading the comments on this thread....

 

My wife and I were on Solstice in Oct. 2013 on our 25th anniversary from Hawaii to Sydney/ repositioning cruise......most of the passengers were Australian and very lively, but they were also very friendly ( we made lifelong friends from outside Sydney at the MDR that cruise - met up with them in Seattle in 2014 after they finished an Alaskan cruise on Solstice). I can see where the volume level in certain places on ship would become bothersome, esp. at pool during the day and at a few bars ( Martini esp.)....luckily there are other areas where one can relax and not be bothered too much ( Café al Baccio in the early morning, Solarium, among others)...

 

Hopefully Celebrity will keep these comments about the volume in certain areas in mind as they move forward....we love Celebrity and don't want it to stoop to Carnival levels....

[TrulyBlonde]

RE: the Abraham Hicks group on Board. I asked how many of them were on this cruise and was told 900. We were not aware of this group until about a month or so prior to cruise embarkation. They did use Luminae frequently and were put in the back dining room for their dinner party which could be quite loud.

Thank goodness on this cruise I have yet to see any purple hair, nose rings,and numerous tattoos. Lot's of gray hair on board this time and a much more quiet atmosphere. :)

[TxnAquarian]

RE: the Abraham Hicks group on Board. I asked how many of them were on this cruise and was told 900. We were not aware of this group until about a month or so prior to cruise embarkation. They did use Luminae frequently and were put in the back dining room for their dinner party which could be quite loud.

Thank goodness on this cruise I have yet to see any purple hair, nose rings,and numerous tattoos. Lot's of gray hair on board this time and a much more quiet atmosphere. :)

 

 

Haha!! Purple hair, nose rings and tattoos! I wasn't going to mention that on here, as I have been attacked in the past for being judgmental on here, so I am glad you did :) It was definitely not the usual Celebrity crowd.

 

And, yes, the Abraham group was 800-900. We didn't have a big problem with except for when they tried to recruit us lol

 

Michael

[LuckiePuris]

RE: the Abraham Hicks group on Board. I asked how many of them were on this cruise and was told 900. We were not aware of this group until about a month or so prior to cruise embarkation. They did use Luminae frequently and were put in the back dining room for their dinner party which could be quite loud.

Thank goodness on this cruise I have yet to see any purple hair, nose rings,and numerous tattoos. Lot's of gray hair on board this time and a much more quiet atmosphere. :)

 

Haha!! Purple hair, nose rings and tattoos! I wasn't going to mention that on here, as I have been attacked in the past for being judgmental on here, so I am glad you did :) It was definitely not the usual Celebrity crowd.

 

And, yes, the Abraham group was 800-900. We didn't have a big problem with except for when they tried to recruit us lol

 

Michael

 

My partner and I do like the fine things in life. We are hard working professionals, enjoy good wine, and fine dining. We are not loud and rowdy. And yes, he has tattoos.

 

I am sad to hear that we don't meet your idea of a "celebrity crowd". Celebrity is our favourite cruise line and offers everything we love in a holiday, and we will continue to cruise our hard earned dollars on this line.

Edited November 4, 2015 by LuckiePuris

[TxnAquarian]

My partner and I do like the fine things in life. We are hard working professionals, enjoy good wine, and fine dining. We are not loud and rowdy. And yes, he has tattoos.

 

I am sad to hear that we don't meet your idea of a "celebrity crowd". Celebrity is our favourite cruise line and offers everything we love in a holiday, and we will continue to cruise our hard earned dollars on this line.

 

 

It wasn't tattoos.....it was tattoos with green / purple mohawks and body piercings, while carrying bottles of beer around the ship.

 

Don't worry....I'm sure you two would be fabulous to sail with :)

 

 

 

Michael

Edited November 5, 2015 by TxnAquarian

[TrulyBlonde]

It wasn't tattoos.....it was tattoos with green / purple mohawks and body piercings, while carrying bottles of beer around the ship.

 

Don't worry....I'm sure you two would be fabulous to sail with :)

 

 

 

Michael

 

Ditto....the combination of all 3 was overwhelming and the guy with at least 6 rings in his nose...not attractive:(

 

One comment about Luminae today: It is important for all of you to provide your after cruise reviews because they do read them. When I filled mine out I rated them a 6. The food was excellent and I raved about the service which is exceptional on this ship. My rating was due to too much sauce and not enough veggies. I should have been more specific and stated why I gave that rating. The staff cared enough about my review and personally came up to us to discuss the reasons why and were concerned we did not like it. I explained in detail that extra sauce and calories are not my thing and I really would like to see more salad offerings available. The chef is wonderful and the fact that they are paying attention meant a lot to us. I have learned to always ask for any of the sauce, salad dressings etc. on the side and they are more than willing to do whatever you require and ask for. Pleasantly surprised:)

[LuckiePuris]

It wasn't tattoos.....it was tattoos with green / purple mohawks and body piercings, while carrying bottles of beer around the ship.

 

Don't worry....I'm sure you two would be fabulous to sail with :)

 

 

 

Michael

 

Ditto....the combination of all 3 was overwhelming and the guy with at least 6 rings in his nose...not attractive:(

 

One comment about Luminae today: It is important for all of you to provide your after cruise reviews because they do read them. When I filled mine out I rated them a 6. The food was excellent and I raved about the service which is exceptional on this ship. My rating was due to too much sauce and not enough veggies. I should have been more specific and stated why I gave that rating. The staff cared enough about my review and personally came up to us to discuss the reasons why and were concerned we did not like it. I explained in detail that extra sauce and calories are not my thing and I really would like to see more salad offerings available. The chef is wonderful and the fact that they are paying attention meant a lot to us. I have learned to always ask for any of the sauce, salad dressings etc. on the side and they are more than willing to do whatever you require and ask for. Pleasantly surprised:)

 

Apologies I misread it as just tattoos.

 

I understand that there are some preconceived ideas of tattoos. But some that are well thought out and are an art.

 

That's interesting about Luminae and the variety of vegetables. I would have thought a more premium dining option would have more variety and higher quality produce such as more premium veggies and salad offerings. Were there side orders available?

Edited November 5, 2015 by LuckiePuris

[misha1]

I want to provide a suggestion as to what we do to get our veggie intake due to Luminae being quite limited in this area.

Like Michael, we have to go to Oceanview Cafe and create a large salad. The selection is very nice. I am not a fan of buffets due to the possible exposure of germs from everyone touching the same utensils. I picked up a hint from another poster on a luxury line who uses a napkin when handling the serving utensils. This is now what I do to avoid the germs. We typically cruise on Oceania and they serve you from their buffet and nobody touches anything. I prefer this hygienic approach to others and have no issues eating there. Also, after watching a young woman walk out of the restroom without washing her hands, and the woman walking up the staircase while flossing her teeth, the napkin is important. :(

 

Now, another spot I have found to be very nice for our breakfast is the Aqua Spa cafe. Every morning I get the V-12 juice (the very green one) and the preparer makes it with care and adds a bit of extra ginger for me. DH has his granola and fruit and this is what we prefer to start our day with a healthy meal. I forgot to mention we always have a cappuccino at Bacio first. We are definitely creatures of habit and have found our comfort zone on the ship.

 

We have enjoyed Celebrity and would definitely cruise with them again given the right itinerary and timing. Also, the Tasman Sea can be a bit rough at times and we felt little compared to being on the small ships.

Interesting concept...the napkin usage at the buffet...do you use a new one with each utensil? Do you discard the napkin after use but before you eat?

[AlexMAC]

The tattoos and hair colour were not so much an issue but the constant recruiting attepmts and the drunken passengers were.

 

There was an incident on the second sea day. I was at sunset bar enjoying a drink with my cousin and there was a group of people very off their face. Yelling, swearing very loudly and being inappropriate. One of the girls actually flashed everyone her backside. That was the lowest point of the cruise.

Rumours on board was that she was escorted off the ship at Nouméa by local police.

[sleepless]

It wasn't tattoos.....it was tattoos with green / purple mohawks and body piercings, while carrying bottles of beer around the ship.

 

Don't worry....I'm sure you two would be fabulous to sail with :)

 

 

 

Michael

 

Ditto....the combination of all 3 was overwhelming and the guy with at least 6 rings in his nose...not attractive:(

 

One comment about Luminae today: It is important for all of you to provide your after cruise reviews because they do read them. When I filled mine out I rated them a 6. The food was excellent and I raved about the service which is exceptional on this ship. My rating was due to too much sauce and not enough veggies. I should have been more specific and stated why I gave that rating. The staff cared enough about my review and personally came up to us to discuss the reasons why and were concerned we did not like it. I explained in detail that extra sauce and calories are not my thing and I really would like to see more salad offerings available. The chef is wonderful and the fact that they are paying attention meant a lot to us. I have learned to always ask for any of the sauce, salad dressings etc. on the side and they are more than willing to do whatever you require and ask for. Pleasantly surprised:)

 

Nothing different then I would see at a local high school - "the times they are a changing".

[TrulyBlonde]

Interesting concept...the napkin usage at the buffet...do you use a new one with each utensil? Do you discard the napkin after use but before you eat?

 

Actually, what I do is get a paper napkin from the coffee bar area and just cover the palm of my hand with it to pick up the utensils and continue that way thru each station and dispose of it prior to sitting down at my table with my plate of food. The large cloth napkin is too cumbersome and the paper one works best.

 

As to the Luminae question from Lucky regarding side dishes, appetizers, main course and desserts are offered. You can always request anything additional from them and they are eager to please and will bring it if available.

Edited November 5, 2015 by portofinoitaly

[Adidas4fun]

Actually, what I do is get a paper napkin from the coffee bar area and just cover the palm of my hand with it to pick up the utensils and continue that way thru each station and dispose of it prior to sitting down at my table with my plate of food. The large cloth napkin is too cumbersome and the paper one works best.

 

As to the Luminae question from Lucky regarding side dishes, appetizers, main course and desserts are offered. You can always request anything additional from them and they are eager to please and will bring it if available.

You are getting minimal protection from cross contamination by using a paper napkin, and by the third or four implement next to no protection.

[TrulyBlonde]

You are getting minimal protection from cross contamination by using a paper napkin, and by the third or four implement next to no protection.

 

Thank you but I also then use Purell hand sanitizer prior to eating my food. I have to eat, therefore what option would you propose? I do not plan on giving up on my cruising as that provides me with a healthy enjoyment of life and I am only trying to make the best of what I am presented with. Happy to be alive:)

[Adidas4fun]

Thank you but I also then use Purell hand sanitizer prior to eating my food. I have to eat, therefore what option would you propose? I do not plan on giving up on my cruising as that provides me with a healthy enjoyment of life and I am only trying to make the best of what I am presented with. Happy to be alive:)

 

I suggest you stop using the paper napkin and just use the hand sanitiser

[robbi36]

It is not good news to hear about non changing menus and loud noise on Celebrity ships.

We are taking our second cruise on Celebrity in early 2016.

We moved "up" after 4 cruises on RCL, or so we were led to believe.

I did not find Celebrity the cut above I expected.

Sure the ship was very nice, clean, and comfortable.

The Crew were fantastic. The passengers very nice to meet and talk with.

But the nickle and dime take away's started soon.

 

Now with this cruise, it has been going on for months.

I asked about a couple changes in venue to make it easier for a substantial group doing similar Shore Ex.

I was told no way, the schedule is set years in advance and cannot be changed.

I booked on board the previous cruise with a written reservation for a category upgrade.

For months each inquiry was answered, ship is full, you can't get the upgrade.

Then today a call was made to my TA with an offer.

It was 2 categories up. But the cabin was in a lousy location.

Price was raised 20%. Extra OBC was slashed in half.

 

I tried to take independently booked airline insurance on the cruise insurance package with Celebrity.

This was clearly indicated on the Celebrity web site last week.

TA said it was not included. He pointed this out to Celebrity.

Today I got a call from X and they repeated the denial to me.

Agent could not find it stated on the web site I gave her.

I less than 5 days they must have found their error. And the lawyers said it was OK to just change!!

 

How are the rest of you finding things?

Dick

[teecee60]

I'm all in favor of a lively upbeat nightlife, please continue to move away from the ballroom dancing crowd. ;)

 

atmosphere sounds awesome! Can't wait to have a great time!

 

Pesky young whippersnappers! Just don't complain if you miss the back up alarm on my scooter! :eek: :D :rolleyes:

Edited December 4, 2015 by teecee60

[Martinjjd]

We noticed that our New Caledonia cruise was far 'noisier' around the bar areas than our New Zealand cruise.Perhaps the New Caledonia/Fiji cruises attract a different age bracket & the included drinks package may also be a factor now.

Our New Caledonia was about 7 nights compared to about 14 nights to New Zealand and the 7 nighter definitely attracted a very different crowd.We still loved them both - love Solstice & are doing NZ again in 2017 - we still managed to find more peaceful areas when we wanted to.