Solstice Mexican Riviera March 4th-11th...Finally...let the saga...ahem, I mean live review begin!

[Jase0581]

I am following along, I got off the Solstice the day that you boarded.  I am glad to hear service is great, our sailing only had about 1500 passengers and service was way above expectations.  Sorry to hear about the mixup at Tuscan, I really enjoyed my dinner there and sounds like you will still get to experience it.

[Jim_Iain]

Good to hear about the Whale Watching.   When we took it our whole boat was from Solstice.  

 

Since we were the only ship in port it stands to reason.     The crew are incredible at finding and following the Whales.

 

Another vote of Mar -   She is a gem and have been on 5 cruises with her.   I think she would make a great Retreat Manager and have said that in each of my reviews.

[britestar]

Following  along.Like many we were cheering “ Go Peaches go “, and relieved when we learned you arrived safely. I agree, Mar is lovely. It wouldn’t surprise me if she confirmed any future dinner reservations. Is Mike mixing cocktails in Michael’s? We were on Solstice in January and look forward to returning soon. Enjoy the whales, we saw dozens in and around Cabo.

[CruiszBug]

I swear I was holding my breath until you got onboard! Happy for you both! We'll be trying Solstice for first time in May!

[abbydancer2003]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

 

Another vote of Mar -   She is a gem and have been on 5 cruises with her.   I think she would make a great Retreat Manager and have said that in each of my reviews.

Indeed.  She is wonderful, and please tell her Abby & Beth say hello.

 

 

[sdnich]

I am just catching up on your review!! We are also on board with you !! And have had way too much fun the last two nights !! We have rented a cabana today and are enjoying a quiet day with our two best friends!! We have been to Cabo many times so we did not feel the need to get off the ship!! 
We saw many whales on the sail in today!!

Now that you posted pics I will say Hi if we see you !! 

[peanut head]

I just caught up and couldn't believe what you went through to finally board.  Relax and enjoy now--the worst is over!  

[vickykay]

So glad to hear you’re enjoying your cruise.  And very happy to be following along.

[phoenix_dream]

So glad you were able to make the cruise, and I am enjoying your report.  We are sailing the 18th and 25th B2B in our first ever (and likely our last with current prices!) Royal Suite.  If you are willing to share your actual cabin number that would be great but if not I understand.  Sometimes things like the whirlpool bath are different cabin to cabin.  I'm also hoping for a great butler.  Just had a B2B on Apex in a Sky suite and our butler (not to be named) was let's just say not the best.  Hoping for a better experience this time!  Sorry to hear about the mix-up in Tuscan.  That is just unacceptable!  You pay a lot of $$ to get the perks in a RS which include specialty dining.  They should have found some way to accomodate you, or given you some extra OBC or something to make up for it. 

 

We sailed on Solstice in a sky suite last December and had a great time.  I am not much for remembering faces, but I remember that Mar and Ken were very good in the Retreat lounge.  I don't recall much of the entertainment, some of which may have changed by now anyway, but I remember not being too thrilled with the production shows.  But having cruised 70+ times on Celebrity I've seen most of them several times anyway so happy to skip them.  Hoping the lounge entertainment is good.  Recently we've found there seem to be a lot of classic and stringed instrument performers.  That's good for a day or two but it gets old after awhile.  So fingers crossed.  Anyway..........enjoy and keep that info coming!

Edited March 6, 2023 by phoenix_dream

[sbcs5390]

I’m so surprised they didn’t offer to have your butler serve from one of the menus in-suite. I had a RS when the ship was less than half full and we enjoyed Murano a lot. You’re right though - that tub takes a while to fill! Keep having a great time! 

[Georgia_Peaches]

5 hours ago, sdnich said:

Now that you posted pics I will say Hi if we see you !! 

Yes!  Please do. Hope you had a relaxing day. We just returned for the day. Grabbing a glass of wine before freshening up for dinner….hopefully in Tuscan. 

Edited March 7, 2023 by Georgia_Peaches

[san diego spartan]

Enjoying your live report.  So glad you made it to the ship.  I was worried!

We will be on Solstice April 8th.  Can't  wait.  Had to change from our February initial dates but glad we did as we have the more traditional Mexican Riviera ports versus going to Catalina.   I love PV! It is our favorite.  Please do stroll the malecon and hit one or more of the beach bars along Los Muertos. 

 

Looking forward to your next update.

 

We are also like another cruiser with the Blue Chip offer.  

 

Edited March 7, 2023 by san diego spartan
typo

[aml3679]

Following 

[TeeRick]

@Georgia_Peaches it looks like you and DH are having a great time!  Following along.  Your onboard review is excellent and I feel like I am there with you guys.  ( I wish!).  😀

[Georgia_Peaches]

2 hours ago, TeeRick said:

@Georgia_Peaches it looks like you and DH are having a great time!  Following along.  Your onboard review is excellent and I feel like I am there with you guys.  ( I wish!).  😀

Thank you!  Honored to have you along. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

Cabo San Lucas was our first port of call and did not disappoint. Weather was chilly in the morning but got warmer as the day progressed. We got off the ship around noon and boarded a ten minute tender ride to the pier. Celebrity really has their tendering process streamlined for Cabo using both lifeboats and local tenders. Both leaving and returning were quick and efficient. Contrast this with some passengers we met from Princess who said it took them nearly 3 hours to get off their ship!  
 

We walked the gauntlet of venders and tour operators that is the marina district in search of our whale watching check in location. Whale Watch Cabo is on the opposite side of the marina…a 15 minute power walk or 30 minute leisurely stroll. After checking in for our 3 pm tour we began our search for the perfect local lunch joint. There are tons to choose from including the requisite Senor Frogs to lesser known establishments. We settled on Pochos and ate under a shade umbrella with a view of the water. It was a people watcher’s paradise!

 

Lunch was our first meal of the day and we were hungry!  We ordered fresh guacamole and pico, shrimp civiche, and Baja fish tacos. The food was delicious and boy was there a lot of it!  Had we known, we would have slimmed down our order. But with all that and BOGO beers (2 each), the meal came to $56. 
 

 

Edited March 7, 2023 by Georgia_Peaches

[Georgia_Peaches]

Whale Watch Cabo was one of the most awe inspiring excursions I’ve ever experienced!  I had no idea how humbled I’d feel as a guest in the habitat of such massively beautiful animals. Our marine biologist guide and boat captain worked in tandem to provide  us with some up close and personal views of the whales. There were 4 adults and a baby and boy did they put on a show!  
 

Worth noting if you are looking for a whale watching excursion, there are a few different kind of boats. Some are coved with a canopy and others are completely open. Ours was covered and only had 8 passengers. Our guide took pictures with a professional camera and they are included in the ticket price. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

After the 2.5 hour tour we made the return walk around the marina…this time at a more power walk pace. It was 5:30 and the last tender was at 7. I still wanted to pick up a Cabo t- shirt for DH and me. Lots of venders to choose from but most shirts we saw were long sleeves and we wanted short. Finally found a short sleeve vendor but he wanted $22 per shirt!  Maybe it’s me but I think that’s a lot for a t-shirt. About to give up, I went to one last shop and here’s how it went (mind you, there are no published prices): 

Me:  how much for this shirt?

Senor: For you, $25.

Me:  oh no. Too much. 
Senor: How much you pay?

Me:  Two for $30. 
Senor: oh no, my lady. 
Me:  Ok, no deal then

Senor:  Two for 45

Me: 40

Senior:  Deal

 

Though the tender line was long, it moved quickly and we were back on board by 6:15. Went straight to Cellar Masters for a glass of wine. We were wiped out and needed to catch a second wind before dinner. 
 

Coming soon… our Tuscan dinner review. Preview:  Tuscan host and I are like oil and water. 😳

Edited March 7, 2023 by Georgia_Peaches

[nyonefivetwo]

36 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Whale Watch Cabo was one of the most awe inspiring excursions I’ve ever experienced!  I had no idea how humbled I’d feel as a guest in the habitat of such massively beautiful animals. Our marine biologist guide and boat captain worked in tandem to provide  us with some up close and personal views of the whales. There were 4 adults and a baby and boy did they put on a show!  
 

Worth noting if you are looking for a whale watching excursion, there are a few different kind of boats. Some are coved with a canopy and others are completely open. Ours was covered and only had 8 passengers. Our guide took pictures with a professional camera and they are included in the ticket price. 

WOW! These images are stunning!! We went whale watching in Cabo in December, and we saw one whale breach, but nothing as majestic as this! Great excursion choice!!

[Beachlover1989]

The whale pictures are amazing!  So excited for you to have experienced that!  I was also one of those following along on your frantic journey to reach the ship in time - a personal nightmare for me!

[Stem to Stern]

Your day in Cabo looks absolutely incredible.  I am so jealous.  You are being so rewarded for all you went through during your first couple days of your saga.  Many thanks for all of the great pics and descriptions.

[hcat]

Hoping for a photo of you guys in the Cabo tee shirts!

Great photos..sounds like a perfect day!

[Georgia_Peaches]

We decided to skip the magic show last night in favor of some live music in the Ensemble Lounge. Arrived at 7 pm but it was dead and music didn’t start until 7:45 pm so we grabbed our wine and headed to Tuscan.
Now, I’m going to be very diplomatic here.   We were warmly greeted by the same host who turned us away the night before. We exchanged some pleasantries and I felt we were on the path to an apology for the mix up on our last visit. Instead we were asked not to be angry with him because what happened wasn’t his fault but that of the shoreside concierge instead. I will leave it there except to say that I was not expecting the finger pointing…
 

On the other hand, dinner was excellent!  Michael was our server and he bent over backwards to ensure we enjoyed our meal. Service was faster than I remembered and each course was perfect. We ordered the crab cake, heirloom beat salad, Caesar salad for DH, rosemary snapper for me and bronzino for him. We also had the lobster rigatoni to share. No room whatsoever for dessert. 
 

Hoping to catch some live music after dinner, we headed back to the Ensemble lounge. Once again, no music. I guess we just couldn’t sync with the band as the first set was at 7:45 and the second was 9:45. Will try again today but I seem to recall earlier sets of music in the Ensemble lounge on other ships. 
 

Looking for entertainment, we headed to the casino. Lady Luck took the night off so we moved on and rounded out another day by having a night cap on the balcony before turning in for the night. 

[dlh015]

I can only echo everyone else!!!   WOW!! Tremendous memories to help blot out that stressful beginning!

[DaKahuna]

8 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Whale Watch Cabo was one of the most awe inspiring excursions I’ve ever experienced!  I had no idea how humbled I’d feel as a guest in the habitat of such massively beautiful animals. Our marine biologist guide and boat captain worked in tandem to provide  us with some up close and personal views of the whales. There were 4 adults and a baby and boy did they put on a show!  

Between this pictures and the ones that @Jim_Iain posted from the same tour I am very sad that we are not stopping in Cabo on our next cruise.  I am trying to wait patiently for your experiences in Puerto Vallarta as we will be stoping there. 

p.s.  The bronzino is one of my favorites from Tuscan.