Celebrity Solstice Alaska cruise (8/26/16 - 9/2/16) review with many photos

[Boxerlover2]

Disembarkation, 2 September 2016

Last day of our vacation! We always choose to self-disembark (despite hauling multiple suitcases behind) and so we got up early, gathered our remaining belongings, soaked in the last few moments of our beautiful suite, and at 7:30 am we headed downstairs to exit the ship. (Our stateroom attendants were in the halls already this early morning and so it was very nice to say goodbye one last time).

 

For those of you who may be wondering about breakfast, we had a choice of either having breakfast in Luminae (6:30-8:00am) or stopping by Michael’s Club for continental breakfast, but we skipped both as we wanted to get off the ship as soon as possible to continue our day in Seattle.

 

We waited about 5 minutes in line to exit on Deck 5 and then made our way to customs. We have never experienced this, but it seemed like all the crew was either coming back onto the ship or leaving the ship to go to customs – through the same way that passengers were getting off the ship. This created quite a difficulty for those of us with luggage as we had to maneuver our way around and through the two-way traffic. And let me tell you, the crew was in a rush!

 

Once we got to the customs area, we started to merge with the Royal Caribbean cruise passengers as we made our way toward the passport security check. Interestingly enough, my husband and I went through some line where there was no booth at the end to stop at; instead, there was an employee standing near the exit who checked my passport but did not bother checking my husband’s. It was probably to expedite the lines of passengers, but we found the lack of security measures quite odd.

 

About 20 minutes after we left our stateroom, we were hopping into a cab.

Our flight back to Saint Louis was not until 6pm and so we decided to rent a car and explore some of the areas that we had not explored when we lived in WA.

 

We chose to take a ferry to Bainbridge Island. The cost of the roundtrip fare was $44.60 and it took about 40 minutes to get to the island from Seattle. Of course, we experienced what it seemed like a monsoon throughout the ferry ride and also as we drove around the island, but it is WA and so we welcomed the rain. We purely just enjoyed driving around the island, adoring the beautiful (and expensive) homes along the way, admiring the water views from varies points, and lastly driving through a couple of streets with shops and restaurants near the ferry terminal. By the time we were leaving to go back to Seattle, the blue skies and sun made their appearance.

 

Our next stop was Lowell’s Restaurant at Pikes Place market. We enjoyed our lunch there the previous week so much that it was worth fighting through the market crowds once again.

 

West Seattle was our next destination as we wanted to check out Alki beach. This is another great area that, to us, felt like a Florida’s coastline as many of the homes resembled ocean front properties.

 

We said goodbye to one of our favorite cities and made our way to the airport.

[Boxerlover2]

FINAL THOUGHTS

Since my husband and I have cruised with Celebrity many times and know the Solstice Class ships and the daily programs offered, we opted to make our vacation into a relaxing one this time. As you could tell from the review, we did not do many activities or go see many shows. The access to Michael’s Club also made us somewhat lazy as this was a great place to relax. Perhaps if we did not have this access, we would had taken more naps or visited other bars.

 

For those of you who may be new to Celebrity, the glass blowing studio on the Solstice is a must-see (we’ve see the show two times already). The dance classes always seem so much fun and we have yet to participate in those.

 

I cannot comment on any music entertainment (besides the theater shows as mentioned in my earlier reviews) as we really did sit at a venue long enough or at all to enjoy the musicians/singers.

 

We have sailed in Aqua Class twice and although Blu is a nice restaurant (only available to Aqua Class passengers and also suites), we did not really fall in love with the food options, except for breakfast. And so after experiencing Luminae, my DH and I both agree that we prefer the suite restaurant over Blu.

 

The following were the Captain’s Club Events for Select Members: Casino Double Jackpot, Captain’s Club Celebration, Theather Backstage Tour, Senior Officer’s Cocktail Party, and Wine Tasting Seminar. My husband and I attended the Senior Officer’s Cocktail Party in the Sky Lounge where we were welcomed by some of the officers and Captain’s Club Hostess. There were also cocktails and canapés available. Honestly, this was one event that my DH and I thought was little boring. They also had a band playing there and it was very difficult to have a conversation because the music was so loud.

 

The Michael’s Club Concierge left a message for the suite guests on the phone every morning informing us about the weather, ports of call, on going activities onboard, etc.

 

Now back to the food promised to be available in Michael’s Club: light continental breakfast 8:00-11:00am, afternoon canapés 11:30am-2:00pm, and evening canapés 5:30-8:00pm. We never visited MC prior to 11am and so I cannot say if any breakfast was available. I do not recall a single time when afternoon canapés were offered, but Jaya learned that we like the long thin breadsticks (I think these are typically served in the main dining room or Tuscan grill) and so he brought over a basket of them the last few days of our cruise. We never visited MC after 5:30pm, which was the start of the evening canapés. Perhaps since MC was always empty during the early afternoon, there was no reason to serve any snacks. We probably could had asked for something to munch on if we truly wanted to, but there was no reason to consume any more calories.

 

I asked twice for champagne in MC and I am 99% positive they gave me sparkling wine. My husband once asked for Johny Walker Black Label as the bottle was displayed at the bar and had no problems getting a glass with a generous pour. Overall, I am sure the bartenders would accommodate any of our specific drink requests, but we did not have the need to order anything too special.

 

We did not notice many kids on this sailing and those who we did encounter were well behaved.

 

I slept so good on this cruise, which does not usually happen. I blame it on the roomier cabin, though my husband doesn’t believe it. ☺

 

Luminae Thoughts:

The presentation of each dish was spectacular!

 

The Maitre d’ or waiters never offered us dining menus from the main dining room, but I am sure one could ask for one (as previous cruisers stated), should the Luminae menu was not satisfying.

 

I can’t speak for the other ships, but the tables in Luminae on the Solstice are not placed very close together, unlike in the main dining room or even Blu. Instead, Luminae provided more of a private dining, but if we wanted to chat with the couple next to us, we could do so without having to raise our voices. It was just the perfect combination.

 

We were done with dinner in Luminae between 1-1.5 hours.

 

The sommelier that was working in this restaurant was one of the best ones that ever served us on all of our sailings. Specifically, he was always available and came by all the time to refill our wine glasses. Perhaps, this luxury only comes with the high price that one pays for a suite.

 

We really DID gain several pounds, which has never happened on our previous cruises. Luminae to us tasted so good that it was very hard to resist the food. The atmosphere of a private dining experience also made an impact on us and this was another reason why we kept on going back.

 

 

The Solstice ship is almost 8 years old, but unless one looks closely and searches for any scratches or marks on the furniture, etc., one could say the ship looks brand new. Our bathroom did not have any mold or rust. All bathrooms across the ship were spotless. (The cleaning crew always does a great job, in my opinion). The ship looks great from the outside as well. To us, the interior (and exterior) of the Solstice seems still very sleek, modern, elegant, and tasteful... a look and feel that keeps us being dedicated to Celebrity S-Class ships among many other reasons.

[Boxerlover2]

A few photos from our balcony on the aft (to pursue you to book an aft cabin next time :)).

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, we definitely got spoiled by the suite experience and Celebrity is definitely at fault! It will be little while before we'll get to cruise again, but we are certainly looking forward to it, whenever that may be.

 

I have truly enjoyed writing this review. It may not seem like it, but my Word Document shows 26 full pages written; I did not even write this much for my graduate school :). Thank you for your patience and for forgiving me for my bad grammar and misspellings. I appreciate all the positive comments from all of you so far. I can only hope that this review is or will become helpful to anyone thinking about cruising on Celebrity or better yet, thinking about cruising in a suite.

 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!

Edited September 24, 2016 by Boxerlover2

[Boxerlover2]

I am so excited to see your post and read it in its entirety soon. We are going on our first Alaska cruise next August on the Millennium... I will say I am jealous that you were on Solstice - our first Celebrity ship and our favorite!! We sailed on the Infinity in April for a Panama Canal cruise and while we prefer the S class ship it was a good cruise. Hoping the Millennium is in good shape when we sail next year! Looks like your pictures are fantastic - what type of camera and lens did you use?

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to share with your CC friends!!

 

We have yet to sail on the smaller X ships, but you are right, the S-Class ships are beautiful and it would be hard for us to switch.

 

I used Canon 5D Mark II with the following Canon lenses: 28-70mm 2.8, 100mm 2.8, and 70-200mm 2.8.

 

My husband used my old Canon 40D with wide lens: Canon 10-22mm 3.5-4.5.

 

Enjoy sailing to Alaska next year; it is a wonderful experience.

[Boxerlover2]

You both looked fabulous on your Day 6 before dinner photo!

Enjoying your review.

 

Thank you! I hope you did not compare our day 1 photo to day 6... because I think our faces are chubbier and we are more than likely sucking in our bellies too in our 2nd chic night photo. :)

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[Disnyfan2]

I have really enjoyed your review. The pictures were great and the information was so useful. It felt like going on the cruise with you. We will be in the same itinary next summer. Now I know what to look forward to.

 

Thanks again.

[nelderwoman]

Thank you for your wonderful review and photos. I loved reading it.

[ncmtnmamma]

Wow,I have to say this is one of the best reviews and pics of Alaska that I have read and seen. Loving it,I am so looking forward to our cruise to Alaska next May on the Solstice. I have only heard excellent reviews about Brett Nixon so i hope he will still be there next May. Looking forward to the rest. Thank you for taking the time to do such a thorough review with wonderful pics.

 

 

The review is wonderful! I wondered when you would mention Brent Nixon! We saw him on our first Alaskan Cruise and everyone loved him! We were a family group of 17. Even my 10 year old son and nephew asked to go to everyone of his presentations (after we made them go to the first one)!

 

Definitely make time for he and his wife (she often does presentations as well) whenever you can!

 

Enjoy!

[teachwitme]

Thanks going next August, this was very helpful.

[Ginnyfyr]

Fantastic review with amazing photos! Thank you so much for sharing!

[Half Hitch]

Lucie,

Thanks so much for the wonderful review. Your photos were awesome! Did you use the 100mm macro for your beautiful food shots?

[Boxerlover2]

Lucie,

Thanks so much for the wonderful review. Your photos were awesome! Did you use the 100mm macro for your beautiful food shots?

 

I actually used the 28-70mm since the space between me and the food was limited. No doubt, the 100mm would have produced better images. :)

[exbiologist]

Absolutely fantastic review and photos

[Holly g]

I enjoyed your review immensely! We just returned from our Infinity cruise to Alaska and can't wait to take the Solstice to Alaska given the different port stops. We have also only sailed the S class ships so M class is a different experience. We will be sailing Solstice to Hawaii next September so I was really happy to read your positive review of the ship after reading some negative ones. But then again I have read negative reviews of the Infinity and found the reviews to be without merit in my opinion.

 

I was a little disappointed that you did not review Victoria. I noted that you have been there before so just wondering if you did not enjoy this port?

 

Thanks again for the great pics and review.

[Boxerlover2]

I enjoyed your review immensely! We just returned from our Infinity cruise to Alaska and can't wait to take the Solstice to Alaska given the different port stops. We have also only sailed the S class ships so M class is a different experience. We will be sailing Solstice to Hawaii next September so I was really happy to read your positive review of the ship after reading some negative ones. But then again I have read negative reviews of the Infinity and found the reviews to be without merit in my opinion.

 

I was a little disappointed that you did not review Victoria. I noted that you have been there before so just wondering if you did not enjoy this port?

 

Thanks again for the great pics and review.

 

Do you enjoy/like the S-class or M-class better?

 

We actually decided on the day of the Victoria port that we would not be getting off the ship. We spent all day there a few years ago and enjoyed it, but we were just not in the mood to walk around or tour in the late afternoon/evening on this day, knowing we still had to pack. We also just wanted to enjoy our time on the Solstice for the last few hours. Maybe we'll feel more adventurous next time! :)

[puppyluv1]

Wow. Really impressive photos. I wish the photographers on board were as good as you and your husband!😊 We were on solstice two years ago and have booked it again for sept 2017. Your review and photos made me even more excited! We're also in an aft sky suite which is nice on any cruise but we think is even more special on an Alaska cruise because of the awesome views. Thank you so much for taking the time to share.

[MVPinBoynton]

Thanks for the great review and lovely photos. We are doing this same cruise in June, so I was glad to see the Tracy Arm alternative looked very nice.

[Holly g]

Enjoyed both the S and the M class ships but probably the S more. The S obviously is a newer ship so a bit more up to date with nicer art distributed about the ship which I enjoy. The S also has a larger assortment of breakfast and lunch choices due to it's larger size. But I would happily sail either ship if it had an itinerary that appealed with great ports of call. We did notice the Infinity was quite chilly inside as we got to the Inside passage and for the rest of the cruise. Always had to wear a heavy sweatshirt or jacket. Many people wearing their puffy winter jackets indoors because the temperature on the ship was fairly cold. Did you notice that on the Solstice? Even on our two trans atlantics on S ships the air temperature was kept comfortable but not on the Infinity. Don't know if this is a normal Alaska thing.

[Boxerlover2]

Enjoyed both the S and the M class ships but probably the S more. The S obviously is a newer ship so a bit more up to date with nicer art distributed about the ship which I enjoy. The S also has a larger assortment of breakfast and lunch choices due to it's larger size. But I would happily sail either ship if it had an itinerary that appealed with great ports of call. We did notice the Infinity was quite chilly inside as we got to the Inside passage and for the rest of the cruise. Always had to wear a heavy sweatshirt or jacket. Many people wearing their puffy winter jackets indoors because the temperature on the ship was fairly cold. Did you notice that on the Solstice? Even on our two trans atlantics on S ships the air temperature was kept comfortable but not on the Infinity. Don't know if this is a normal Alaska thing.

 

That is quite odd about the temperature on the Infinity ship. I typically get very cold, especially in restaurants, but I never had to wear a sweater or light jacket while walking around the Solstice, other than when going outside on the decks/balcony.

 

Good information about the breakfast/lunch assortments on the M-class ships.

[Bimmer09]

Lucie, thanks for a richly detailed review of this beautiful ship!

 

I love the crisp photos. I see I'm not the only one who takes photos of every meal that comes my way.

 

Which camera/lenses did you use?

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

[Boxerlover2]

Lucie, thanks for a richly detailed review of this beautiful ship!

 

I love the crisp photos. I see I'm not the only one who takes photos of every meal that comes my way.

 

Which camera/lenses did you use?

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

 

I used Canon 5D Mark II with the following Canon lenses: 28-70mm 2.8, 100mm 2.8, and 70-200mm 2.8.

 

My husband used my old Canon 40D with wide lens: Canon 10-22mm 3.5-4.5.

 

It looks like I may need to take some time to read through your many reviews and learn about other cruise lines and sailings through YOUR lenses :).

[Bimmer09]

I used Canon 5D Mark II with the following Canon lenses: 28-70mm 2.8, 100mm 2.8, and 70-200mm 2.8.

 

My husband used my old Canon 40D with wide lens: Canon 10-22mm 3.5-4.5.

 

It looks like I may need to take some time to read through your many reviews and learn about other cruise lines and sailings through YOUR lenses :).

 

Thanks for the response Lucie!

 

I have Canon gear too but a lowly T3i which I love. We have some of the same lenses.

 

In my reviews I usually put up a photo of my gear so people will see how much stuff I have to lug around and hopefully they will take pity and offer me a drink on board. A pint of Guinness in case you are asking..

 

From my latest review...

 

 

I tell those interested what models they are seeing when I post in the review.

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

I just read this review in it's entirety this morning having previously looked at the stellar photos which caught my eye.

 

It deserves to be on page One as I am sure many may have missed it.

 

It's a great read and the photos tell the story vividly.

 

Norris

[SilverFox61]

Hi. Thanks for all your efforts to chronical your Alaska cruise. We're considering their June 2017 Seatle to Seattle cruise. Are you aware if the Soltsice has a cigar lounge? I enjoy a premium cigar & am finding it more difficult these days to be able to do just that. Thanks for any help you can provide.