Jim_Iain - Solstice LIVE Mexico Riveria B2B - December 3 and 11

[Astro Flyer]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 6, 2022 by Astro Flyer

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

 

This is our first X cruise & my only time in Vietnam was when flown off the USS Midway 50 years ago into Da Nang to begin my journey home to muster out of the Navy.

 

Performances in the Solstice Theater have been at 1900 & 2100.

 

If anyone is interested in the MDR evening menus I have screenshots of the entrees that I could post.

 

Feel free to post.     I'm sure others would enjoy seeing them.     I've been checking via app every night to see what's for dinner.   Have ordered a couple items off of it.

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, boxkite said:

Jim and Iain, following along once again on your most excellent cruise adventure!

 

 

 

Solstice was our first S Class ship which we took to the Caribbean back in 2010.

 

Wonderful ship which we all loved so much that we went to Future Cruise Vacations to book a return Caribbean cruise for the following Summer. There we were disappointed to learn that no S Class ships would be sailing in the Caribbean the next Summer with Solstice being sent to the Mediterranean instead.

 

 

Keep those HDR picture coming!

 

I'm very impressed with Solstice and the Crew.   

 

Food is surpassing Summit and we thought that was the best food we had ever had on Celebrity.   

[Jim_Iain]

Night 3 dinner. 

 

Amuse Bouche

Was really interesting and very good.  Cauliflower Puree with a hint of White Chocolate and Salmon Tartar

 

 

 

For starter I had Lamb Balls

 

 

Iain had Egg Drop Soup

 

 

For main Iain had the Fluke

 

I had what was advertised as a New York Steak.   Strange shape but tender and flavorful but WAY too much.   I could only eat half of it

 

Edited December 6, 2022 by Jim_Iain

[Redking]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Love it.     Iain's Aunt had a very strong Ayrshire and when I first met her 34 years ago would usually just smile at her because I couldn't understand a thing she said.    Iain moved to America when about 21 and didn't want to be identified as a Scott and tried very hard to drop his accent.  Most people would never know he was Scottish unless they hear him talking to his Sister.      When someone doesn't believe he is a Scott I ask him to give them a bit of Robert Burns  -  which he had to memorize at school.

 

 

 

Brilliant. Ah the memories of having to memorise Burns in my school days. I wasn't very good at it!

[Jim_Iain]

We decided to stay aboard today.    I did most of my walking this morning but got too hot so took to the hallways.   Decks 7 and 8 are my favorite as they both are the only floors that have a complete lap.   

 

I did go up and down and took some picture of the ship and explored while I got my exercise in.

 

 

 

Martini Bar

 

 

Casino

 

 

Edited December 6, 2022 by Jim_Iain

[Jim_Iain]

Cellar Masters

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 6, 2022 by Jim_Iain

[CruiserMickey]

Thanks for all of your updates, @Jim_Iain! Your meal looked amazing and you and Iain look so happy. 😊

[Jim_Iain]

ILounge Does it bring back memories 

 

 

Total product offering. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

10 minutes ago, CruiserMickey said:

Thanks for all of your updates, @Jim_Iain! Your meal looked amazing and you and Iain look so happy. 😊

 

Meals have been incredible.    Being a port day we decided to eat in OVC.

 

Really much better layout than I've seen in a long time.    I'll post pictures later.

 

Ice Cream is always a must and is just as good as I remember.   Much better selection than Summit had.

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

For starter I had Lamb Balls

 

They really should call them something else 😂.

[Scottishclover]

59 minutes ago, Redking said:

Brilliant. Ah the memories of having to memorise Burns in my school days. I wasn't very good at it!

I’m a teacher in a Scottish Primary School and the tradition is still carried on. Sometimes we branch out into other poems in Scots for the younger pupils. I still have nightmares thinking about my own daughters trying to memorise Tam o’ Shanter.

 

Jim and Iain - it’s lovely to read about your travels again. 

[kwokpot]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

I had what was advertised as a New York Steak.   Strange shape but tender and flavorful but WAY too much.   I could only eat half of it

 

ANOTHER meal that's not a steak but a roast. I really wish they would stop doing that. 

[MamaFej]

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Most people would never know he was Scottish unless they hear him talking to his Sister.

 

I was so surprised when I spoke to him for a short bit on a staircase on the Summit. I was expecting to hear a Scot, but heard an American. 

[MamaFej]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

We did see about a dozen sea lions and one of the biggest Yachts I've ever seen.

Was it the one with the helicopter? I'm not confident that one ever actually goes anywhere. 😉

[amcco]

6 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

As a general rule all tips in Luminae, Blu and MDR are pooled as well as bars.   I have been told by a HR manager that if you leave additional tips by placing a person's name on the Additional Tip form it goes to the individual.   She was the one who applied it to their payroll check.     I trust what she told me and have been personally thanked by the crew member.

Our room steward was so upset with us one time when we left money using the form. He said it gets taxed and he stomped away like a small child. 

Edited December 6, 2022 by amcco

[jelayne]

6 minutes ago, MamaFej said:

Was it the one with the helicopter? I'm not confident that one ever actually goes anywhere. 😉

There is one that had 2 helicopters on it yesterday

[George C]

35 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

ANOTHER meal that's not a steak but a roast. I really wish they would stop doing that. 

Just about all the steaks in beyond Luminae were like that not a fan .

[wrk2cruise]

34 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

ANOTHER meal that's not a steak but a roast. I really wish they would stop doing that. 

 

We were told it's prepared "Manhattan Style" so now when we see the rib eye, sirloin, or strip steak listed on the Luminae menu we ask if it's prepared in that style.

 

I have to admit I've really enjoyed what I've had prepared this way but if your expecting a char-broiled steak you will be disappointed.

 

[dlh015]

57 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

They really should call them something else 😂.

I thought precisely the same thing...😁

[Jim_Iain]

23 minutes ago, amcco said:

Our room steward was so upset with us one time when we left money using the form. He said it gets taxed and he stomped away like a small child. 

If that was the case I sure would never tip him again and might ask for it to be credited back to my account.    Personally I would rather be taxed on a full amount of a tip rather then get 1/20th of it as a pooled tip.

 

[Stratford1950]

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Glaswegian and Ayrshire are similar but all so different.    Iain can pretty much tell which city or region a Scott is from ... Kinda like us recognizing a New York, Philly, Texan or Deep South...  Or the Canadian Ahhhhh..  and Aboot

So…as a Canadian I feel I should point out we seem to say eh, not ahhhhh and if you were to travel throughout the Maritime provinces in particular you would clearly hear different accents in the 4 provinces. I’m sure people from those provinces would also say the other provinces and regions have distinctively different accents from them, just like across the US.

I’m from southern Ontario and I say about…not aboot but I’ve heard some other provinces do pronounce it like that eh.

[dlh015]

27 minutes ago, amcco said:

Our room steward was so upset with us one time when we left money using the form. He said it gets taxed and he stomped away like a small child. 

I'm stunned. That might have sent me to GS to see about removing it...I might even have made mention of it in the survey. That's just unprofessional.

[Jim_Iain]

39 minutes ago, MamaFej said:

Was it the one with the helicopter? I'm not confident that one ever actually goes anywhere. 😉

I just looked her up -   Yacht Viva

 

 

It is the 85th largest superyacht in the world, and is believed to be owned by billionaire Frank Fertitta III, the CEO of Station Casinos in Las Vegas and founder of Zuffa LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

 

Valued at $175 Million.

[Jim_Iain]

12 minutes ago, Stratford1950 said:

So…as a Canadian I feel I should point out we seem to say eh, not ahhhhh and if you were to travel throughout the Maritime provinces in particular you would clearly hear different accents in the 4 provinces. I’m sure people from those provinces would also say the other provinces and regions have distinctively different accents from them, just like across the US.

I’m from southern Ontario and I say about…not aboot but I’ve heard some other provinces do pronounce it like that eh.

Definitely not making fun.  Many of our Toronto friends do use the aboot.   With my mother being from Tennessee and a UT Knoxville Grad I sometimes let a Y'all slip out.