Celebrity Solstice - Seattle to Hong Kong, 61 Nights, September 15, 2023

[Desert Cruiser]

Hi - Just booked this "Bucket List" cruise from Seattle to Hong Kong. Departs Seattle on September 15, 2023.  I know there is some over lap with a few other Roll Calls but wondered if anyone else was going all the way across the Pacific.

[LGW59]

41 minutes ago, Desert Cruiser said:

Hi - Just booked this "Bucket List" cruise from Seattle to Hong Kong. Departs Seattle on September 15, 2023.  I know there is some over lap with a few other Roll Calls but wondered if anyone else was going all the way across the Pacific.

Is this considered a single cruise?  I don’t see it on the website but I see several 12+ day Asian cruises.

[Jim_Iain]

I was trying to look up your cruise but took some searching to figure it out.   Nice cruise for sure.   Was it difficult to put all those cruises together?     I'm surprised Celebrity isn't selling it as a World Cruise like the Rome to New Zealand in 20223

[Snowey88]

I WANNA GO

 

[Ride-The-Waves]

Been to Hong Kong multiple times, back in the day when yt actually was a fun place and a managed by the Brits.  Would not go to HK today.

[LGW59]

2 hours ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Been to Hong Kong multiple times, back in the day when yt actually was a fun place and a managed by the Brits.  Would not go to HK today.

Thanks for sharing, I guess...🙄

[cruisestitch]

16 hours ago, LGW59 said:

Is this considered a single cruise?  I don’t see it on the website but I see several 12+ day Asian cruises.

It is not a single cruise.  There are a series of cruises adding together.

[LGW59]

19 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

It is not a single cruise.  There are a series of cruises adding together.

Thank you.  Yes and I have been looking at a couple of them to make to a B2B, perhaps the Alaska/Hawaii legs, really looks lovely, esp the sea days which I love.  I would just want the Solstice to have the total refurb before I could commit to doing these.  It is a ways off though, so I may just book and do the refundable deposit so there is that.

[TeeRick]

I can't imagine testing positive for COVID and being in isolation for 61 days!🤧

[LGW59]

2 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

I can't imagine testing positive for COVID and being in isolation for 61 days!🤧

Agree 100%, which I why I have canceled all of my 2022 cruises, Oct & Dec.  As this is not until later 2023, perhaps (hoping) this all may greatly improve with the on-board non-sense/uncertainty.  Time will tell hence refundable deposits.  But Ireland this year, here I come, no worries about being banished to my room there.  

[TeeRick]

1 minute ago, LGW59 said:

Agree 100%, which I why I have canceled all of my 2022 cruises, Oct & Dec.  As this is not until later 2023, perhaps (hoping) this all may greatly improve with the on-board non-sense/uncertainty.  Time will tell hence refundable deposits.  But Ireland this year, here I come, no worries about being banished to my room there.  

Instead of cruising this past winter, we rented a beach house in the Southeast US for a whole month and drove there.  It was cheaper than the two of us going on a Celebrity ship in a suite for a week. And no worries about getting caught up in all the on board COVID crap.  Or flights cancelled.  Or any number of vacation downers.

[canderson]

4 hours ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Been to Hong Kong multiple times, back in the day when yt actually was a fun place and a managed by the Brits.  Would not go to HK today.

Sadly, ditto.  Been there, done that, and got the T-shirt.  I still have my T-shirt from 1997 that shows a guy on a scaffold painting over the British flag with a mainland Chinese flag, and a house full of rosewood from Queen's Road East.

 

[LGW59]

15 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Instead of cruising this past winter, we rented a beach house in the Southeast US for a whole month and drove there.  It was cheaper than the two of us going on a Celebrity ship in a suite for a week. And no worries about getting caught up in all the on board COVID crap.  Or flights cancelled.  Or any number of vacation downers.

Somewhat similar but I did fly, spent six weeks in San Diego with a friend, JetBlue coming home, canceled me 3x but I never left her condo as received all very timely comms via text from JB, worked out well but got home two days later than planned.  Went to Mexico for two weeks with my son and his GF, zero issues at all on any of the JB flights.  Now for Oct 2022, we had a 12 day cruise planned on Oceania, they could not assure me that if we tested positive we would be able to stay in our suite, said it would be whatever the policy was at that time, no thanks!  This cruise was in a Vista suite (that now late retirement gift to myself) that was $21K for 2 ppl. (no grats or bev package).  We have now booked a 18 day vacation to Ireland, Donegal, Galway, Killarney, Dingle, Kilkenny and Kinsale, flying Aer Lingus bus. class, all hotels and B&B's, and other than the full Irish for breakfast every day, no other meals/bevs are included.  That said, we got deals on air and lodging...all in is just under $11K for the two of us for 18 days.  This coupled with no worries of quarantine etc was a no brainer.  Perhaps in the next year or so the cruise lines/CDC will get its act together, until then, I am sure still traveling but will do so on my terms not theirs. 

[TeeRick]

1 minute ago, LGW59 said:

Somewhat similar but I did fly, spent six weeks in San Diego with a friend, JetBlue coming home, canceled me 3x but I never left her condo as received all very timely comms via text from JB, worked out well but got home two days later than planned.  Went to Mexico for two weeks with my son and his GF, zero issues at all on any of the JB flights.  Now for Oct 2022, we had a 12 day cruise planned on Oceania, they could not assure me that if we tested positive we would be able to stay in our suite, said it would be whatever the policy was at that time, no thanks!  This cruise was in a Vista suite (that now late retirement gift to myself) that was $21K for 2 ppl. (no grats or bev package).  We have now booked a 18 day vacation to Ireland, Donegal, Galway, Killarney, Dingle, Kilkenny and Kinsale, flying Aer Lingus bus. class, all hotels and B&B's, and other than the full Irish for breakfast every day, no other meals/bevs are included.  That said, we got deals on air and lodging...all in is just under $11K for the two of us for 18 days.  This coupled with no worries of quarantine etc was a no brainer.  Perhaps in the next year or so the cruise lines/CDC will get its act together, until then, I am sure still traveling but will do so on my terms not theirs. 

Very good!  We have cruised so much that we kind of forgot about other vacation options.  But we are happily rediscovering them now.😀

[Fly and Sail]

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

I can't imagine testing positive for COVID and being in isolation for 61 days!🤧

 

You're not in isolation for the entire cruise if you test positive. Just for a certain amount of days or until you test negative.

[canderson]

13 minutes ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

You're not in isolation for the entire cruise if you test positive. Just for a certain amount of days or until you test negative.

I suspect there was some tongue un cheek there, Fly and Sail.  

[Redtravel]

Loved Hong Kong. Was there for a week 4 years ago.  Followed with cruise on Millenium for 2 weeks…..Vietnam and Taiwan.  

[Fly and Sail]

Not to rain on the parade but the likelihood of this cruise itinerary going as planned are extremely small. Asia is still in Covid shell shock and they don't seem wanting to come out of it. Not sure what ports this includes but usually Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong. Unlikely that these will open their ports for cruises within the next 18 months.

[lostchild]

Wonder if the quarantine requirement would be gone by then for Hong Kong.   My mom can't go back to Hong Kong to visit her siblings since 2020 because she doesn't want to be jailed in a tiny hotel room for 21 days.    I think they just shorten it to 7 days if tested negative on 5th day. 

[LGW59]

14 minutes ago, lostchild said:

Wonder if the quarantine requirement would be gone by then for Hong Kong.   My mom can't go back to Hong Kong to visit her siblings since 2020 because she doesn't want to be jailed in a tiny hotel room for 21 days.    I think they just shorten it to 7 days if tested negative on 5th day. 

Seems that China will be keeping the 21 days quarantine in effect through March/April 2023, and I believe that by default this will include HK.  My husband had to go through this recently when he had to return to the mainland for a family issue.  He said it was awful.

[TeeRick]

5 hours ago, Fly and Sail said:

Not to rain on the parade but the likelihood of this cruise itinerary going as planned are extremely small. Asia is still in Covid shell shock and they don't seem wanting to come out of it. Not sure what ports this includes but usually Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong. Unlikely that these will open their ports for cruises within the next 18 months.

Not to mention the barnacles working against it too.

[Virginia100]

On 6/18/2022 at 11:45 AM, canderson said:

Sadly, ditto.  Been there, done that, and got the T-shirt.  I still have my T-shirt from 1997 that shows a guy on a scaffold painting over the British flag with a mainland Chinese flag, and a house full of rosewood from Queen's Road East.

 

So much for the one country, two systems nonsense. That was always a sidewalk shell game gambit. Same for independent and sovereign Taiwan.

needless to say the Chinese Communist party is as honest and reliable as loan shark!

Edited June 19, 2022 by Virginia100

[Desert Cruiser]

Hi all ... I haven't been back here since my original post. The cruise was marketed as one cruise but is actually five back to back cruises.  We lived in Hong Kong for 19 years, leaving in 2018.  Went back last August to substitute teach for the fall semester.  Three weeks quarantine was long, but not as bad as it sounds.  At the moment it is down to 7 days.  While not the same as during its golden years, HK is still vibrant and filled with activity, great food, and amazing shopping.  Granted the likelihood of all 5 of these sailing is "iffy" but it's fun to dream and who knows what the world will be facing 14 months from now.