Review - Royal Loyal Tries Celebrity For First Time

[Aquahound]

Sorry....another Solstice review. I posted this on the RCI boards and thought I would put it here also.

 

My wife and I are Diamond Crown and Anchor members on Royal Caribbean. We are very happy with Royal Caribbean, but wanted to try something different. When Celebrity introduced the Solstice, I decided to give Celebrity a try.

 

Let me first talk of the complications I had with the reciprocal loyalty perks I was to receive as an honorary Elite Captain's Club member. When I booked this reservation, I gave them my C&A number and they awarded me a new CC (Captain's Club) number for Celebrity. When my documents arrived, our CC numbers were not in the booklets. I called Celebrity and they told me not to worry and that they had me on record as an Elite member. My X-press Pass, printed off the internet, did indicate I was Elite. At check-in, our Sea-Pass cards were handed to us and they did not say "Elite Member" on them. When I inquired, they told me I had to take it up with Guest Relations on board. Once boarded, I went to Guest Relations. They told me I had to wait until 3:00 to speak with the Loyalty

Ambassador. 3:00 rolled around and I did speak with her. She put "Elite Member" stickers on our cards. Then, for the rest of the cruise, we received nothing...no events announcements, phone notifications, nothing. When it came time to disembark, I was given the highest number they had since I drove to the port. Again, I went to Guest Relations, and again, they had to re-issue me new stickers so I would have priority disembarkation.

 

To be honest, I really don't care about the CC program because the perks are not that good. So why am I complaining about the CC program? I'm just making anyone else in my situation aware of this so they may avoid this problem in the future. By the way, there were several other Diamond members on board that did receive the reciprocal perks with no problem. I may have just been an exception. Oh, and if you are one of those people who are jumping ship from RCI because of a decline in perks.....don't go to Celebrity. What RCI currently offers is still leaps and bounds better.

 

Boarding time was a little later than I am used to. They began boarding at 12:00. I was told this is the usual time for them.

 

SHIP - When I stepped on board, I knew I was going to be happy. Solstice is, perhaps, the most beautiful ship I have ever seen. Granted, there was a newness to everything, but this ship was stunning. Solstice is 122,000 GT, 1033 feet long, and carries over 2800 guests. Despite the mega size of this ship, it had a small ship feel. Not once in this entire cruise did I feel crowded. The ship is sectioned in a way to prevent overcrowding in any one area. Also, for me, it was nice to board a ship and have no idea where to find anything. I loved discovering and finding my way around a new layout. There was an area called Entertainment Court. This are was at the entrances to the Solstice Theater, Celebrity Central (Enrichments and Comedy), and Quasar nightclub. The Ensemble Lounge was the hub to Michael's, and the specialty restaurants.

 

ROOM - We stayed in room 9223, a category 1B veranda. It was located on what could be considered Solstice's "hump." The room was decorated very comfortable. There was a 32" flat panel LCD television that was interactive. The music selection included almost every genre and artist you can think up. The free on-demand included dozens of recent release movies. The veranda was very spacious. I loved the wood deck and tall wooden table. The Solstice veranda furniture was much nicer than anything I have seen on RCI. The bathroom was very spacious and modern. The shower was the largest I have seen in any veranda room category under a suite. My wife loved the built-in foot-rest for leg shaving. Something I also found nice was the absence of balcony lights. This allowed us to keep our shades open at night without neighbors forgetting to turn their lights off. My only gripe was a lack of storage space. There are not enough drawers. Oh, and one more thing....about 1/3 of the glass on the veranda was covered by a portion of the large "X" on the side of the ship. It was not bad, but I do not recommend booking a cabin where the entire glass is covered, as you can barely see through it (the rooms next to me...9225, 9227, 9229...were completely covered).

 

LAWN CLUB - When I first saw the Lawn Club, I thought the entire grass area was a waste of space. This opinion changed as the cruise went on. I joined in on playing Bocce and loved it. It was very nice to walk around barefoot on the grass. The Lawn Club is completely separated from the pool area and provided a very relaxing area to sit. Personally, I can't wait to cruise a sister ship and play Bocce again. The Hot Glass show was a nice touch and attracted a crowd every time.

 

SHOWS - There were three production shows. The first two were very similar to what I'm used to on RCI and were so-so. However, the last show, "Solstice - The Show," which is a Cirque du Soleil style show, was fantastic. This show rivaled, or was even better than some of the ice shows on RCI.

 

LOUNGES - The Martini Bar is very popular. I loved sitting at the ice bar and enjoying my espresso martinis. In regards to the bar areas, there was not a bad venue on board. Even the Passport Bar down on deck 3 was a nice area to enjoy a drink. Galleria Tastings on deck 5 was an interesting venue. My only bar complaint was the Pool Bar. It is not shaded like on RCI ships. If you want to get out of the sun, you have to go up to the Mast Bar on the next deck.

 

FOOD - The main dining room food was very good. I found it to be better than RCI. I really liked how the shrimp cocktail, my favorite appetizer, was available every night on the permanent selections menu. There was also a lobster, shrimp, and stone crab appetizer that was fantastic. The service was perfect. I could not have asked for it to be any better. The main dining room was a little strange, in my opinion. I am not a fan of how they designed it. There was too much white and silver. Elsewhere, the Oceanview Cafe also served very good food. My only complaint there was a lack of seating. They really need to add more tables on future sister ships. Also, the Mast Grill was good. It was nice to find burgers, hotdogs, wings, nachos, etc at any time during the day while poolside.

 

SPECIALTY DINING - I only tried Tuscan Grille. I found it to be right in line with Chops on RCI. The food was absolutely delicious, right down to the chocolate fondue desert.

 

SOLARIUM - I loved the completely enclosed glass Solarium. They kept it air conditioned so it never got too hot. Unlike RCI, they had a sushi bar in the Solarium that was open around lunch time. Also, the seating was very comfortable. They had round, covered chairs that you could crawl in to and go right to sleep. My only complaint here is a lack of enforcement on the no kids rule. The signs were not very conspicuously posted and no employees enforced the rule. On the second sea day, there were a few teenagers and, most annoyingly, a couple of screaming kids at one of the lunch tables with a family. The screaming is one thing, but this an enclosed Solarium. The sounds echo.

 

 

GENERAL GRIPES

Outdoor Promenade - I have always enjoyed walking around this part of ships, especially at night. On Solstice, it went around neither the bow, nor the stern. You could not go to the heli-pad like on RCI ships. On the sides, the view is completely obstructed by the lifeboats. There are only two areas, about 100 feet long, that you can look out to the water from either side of the ship.

 

Shops - They wanted $40 for souvenir Solstice t-shirts. I own silk t-shirts that cost less than that.

 

Drinks - They ran out of Captain Morgan three days prior to the end of the cruise. This just makes no sense to me.

 

People - For the most part, this crowd was very well behaved. Unfortunately, there was a medical emergency that re-routed us to San Juan when en-route to Labadee. The nature of the emergency prevented an air-lift, so we were delayed several hours by this alter in course while we went to meet up with a USCG vessel. When it was announced that we were going to miss Labadee, I was appalled at some of the things I heard people say. It amazes me that so many people can be so heartless. Now, I was also disappointed, but not to the point of cursing the person who was hurt like some of these people were. As luck would have it, I also had rowdy neighbors that partied in their room until 3 am. (by the way, that is not a Solstice gripe.....just mentioning how stupid people are everywhere.)

 

 

GENERAL KUDOS

Pier Service - I loved how they set up palm trees and a sitting area on the pier at the gangway in every port. When returning to the ship, they served cold towels and ice water to everyone. If Celebrity does this on every ship, I am impressed. I thought this was a very nice touch.

 

Tips - Tips are automatically added daily to your account at a rate of $11.50 per person. You do have the option of removing this charge if you like, or even adding to it. For me, I found it convenient. On RCI, I always felt dumb handing over a tip envelope with a voucher inside. With this system, service does not decline since you can still add to it, yet tips are not something you have to concern yourself with.

 

Announcements - The only announcements were the necessary ones. There were no bingo, etc announcements, and the announcements that were made were only in English...not extended for several minutes to cover all languages.

 

Enrichment - This is the first I have attended these. To be honest, I don't even know if RCI offers them.....never seen them before. I found them to be a very nice, and an educational break from the norm

 

 

CONCLUSION - Over all, I found the Solstice to be excellent. My gripes are very, very minor in the grand scheme of things. If this is the way Celebrity does business, I foresee many more Celebrity cruises in the future.

 

Any questions?

 

Pictures...Lots of them: http://travel.webshots.com/album/571220205nZewNj

[Peteymil]

In addition, since Labadee had to be eliminated due to the medical emergency, Celebrity added the Bahamas to the itinerary on the last day. This must have required a lot of work and last minute details, for many, many Celebrity employees. I was impressed that they made this extra effort, and when I commented to several of the officers, they all stated that they "just wanted the passengers to be happy".

[Aquahound]

In addition, since Labadee had to be eliminated due to the medical emergency, Celebrity added the Bahamas to the itinerary on the last day. This must have required a lot of work and last minute details, for many, many Celebrity employees. I was impressed that they made this extra effort, and when I commented to several of the officers, they all stated that they "just wanted the passengers to be happy".

 

This came as a nice surprise. I am very happy with the senior officers for this.

[MisterBill99]

In addition, since Labadee had to be eliminated due to the medical emergency, Celebrity added the Bahamas to the itinerary on the last day. This must have required a lot of work and last minute details, for many, many Celebrity employees. I was impressed that they made this extra effort, and when I commented to several of the officers, they all stated that they "just wanted the passengers to be happy".

Remember that Celebrity took a financial hit on lost sales on Labadee, so stopping in the Bahamas allowed them to sell some excursions there.

 

So while it may have been very nice for them to do, and required some work on the front office's part, it worked to their advantage.

[nps001]

I would say your review is spot on, and as such, we will be seeing you much more on X. Thanks for the review. I enjoyed reading it.

[Mysticks1]

Thanks for posting such a wonderful, detailed review. Our upcoming cruise is our first on Celebrity so it is good to read a review from someone else who was cruising for the first time on Celebrity. Also good to hear your comparisons to RCI as our last cruise was on Mariner of the Seas.

I looked at your photos and they are really great. You have some taken from perspectives that I haven't seen before. Someone has a good eye for photography.

Just wondering - Did you complain to anyone at guest services about the kids/teens in the Solarium or the noise from the cabin next door?

Did you find the balcony furniture more comfortable/functional than that on RCI ships?

[Aquahound]

I would say your review is spot on, and as such, we will be seeing you much more on X.

 

That, you can be certain of! :)

 

First impressions certainly are lasting ones!

[red lobster]

Great review, I have only been on one Celebrity cruise and it was one of my favorites. I would love to try them again someday.

[Aquahound]

Just wondering - Did you complain to anyone at guest services about the kids/teens in the Solarium or the noise from the cabin next door?

 

Did you find the balcony furniture more comfortable/functional than that on RCI ships?

 

At the time, in the Solarium, I found no one to gripe to. Later, when I had to go to Guest Relations over a demagnetized card, I forgot all about it. However, I did mention it on the comment card.

 

As for the neighbors, Guest Relations received 3 calls from me throughout the week, each at 3 am. Each time, the noise did stop. It was my intention to politely ask my neighbors to be more courteous, but the only time I knew where to find them was 3 am in their cabin! At that time, I was in no mood to be polite.....so I let a cooler head prevail.

 

The balcony furniture was great! Both chairs recline back to almost a flat position. They were very comfortable. The tall table was also very nice, and was perfect height for eating on.

 

Oh, and thanks for the kudos on the pictures! ;)

[Texed]

Nice review Paul. Did you try the waffles? :cool:

[Sailaways_]

That was a really excellent review! Very detailed and well-written, thank you for posting it. I'm glad to hear you had such a good time on Solstice, she's a beautiful ship.

 

And yup...Celebrity provides cool towels when you return from ports - a very nice touch. :D

[Mysticks1]

As for the neighbors, Guest Relations received 3 calls from me throughout the week, each at 3 am. Each time, the noise did stop. It was my intention to politely ask my neighbors to be more courteous, but the only time I knew where to find them was 3 am in their cabin! At that time, I was in no mood to be polite.....so I let a cooler head prevail.

 

The balcony furniture was great! Both chairs recline back to almost a flat position. They were very comfortable. The tall table was also very nice, and was perfect height for eating on.

 

Oh, and thanks for the kudos on the pictures! ;)

 

Thanks for the reply - it is good to know that they did something when you called. It is terrible that your neighbors were so rude that they needed to be called more than once. :(

I was wondering about the table. On Mariner we only had a couple of small drink tables - very hard to have a nice breakfast on the balcony. We spend a lot of time on the balcony. :)

[Aquahound]

Nice review Paul. Did you try the waffles? :cool:

 

No, I did not. However, on the disembarkation morning, a lady at my table tried them and loved them. I was amazed how they brought a separate plate just of toppings.

 

 

I was wondering about the table. On Mariner we only had a couple of small drink tables - very hard to have a nice breakfast on the balcony. We spend a lot of time on the balcony. :)

 

On RCI, I always have to take the glass table from the room out to the balcony in order to have enough room. Like I mentioned, the veranda tables on Solstice are perfect height and are at least 3 times bigger than those drink tables on RCI. Also, they are wood.

[CRUZBUDS]

Cool towels were missing from our Mercury cruise last Month - I figured it was just another cut-back. Do the other ships still have them or just the Solstice?

 

They are a little thing, but it was the little things that set Celebrity apart!

[Shirley C]

Great review!! We were also on this sailing and had a wonderful time, and found the ship to be beautiful.

[Despegue]

I for one found the cast of the Shows fantastic. They were on their first week and both female singers have very strong voices.

 

Solstice is THE classiest and most beautiful ship afloat, no doubt about it, and we consistently received very good service. Only the Murano food was a let-down for me (my wife loved it).

[Longboysfan]

Nice review Paul. Did you try the waffles? :cool:

 

Well we knew that was coming.......

[Aquahound]

Well we knew that was coming.......

 

What am I missing? Was this a hot topic on the Celebrity boards? :confused:

[Longboysfan]

Cool towels were missing from our Mercury cruise last Month - I figured it was just another cut-back. Do the other ships still have them or just the Solstice?

 

They are a little thing, but it was the little things that set Celebrity apart!

 

They should have them out at all times on all ships....

Well maybe not the Alaska cruises......

 

They sometimes run out and it takes awhile to get more in place.

One of the nice things they do.

[Karynanne]

What am I missing? Was this a hot topic on the Celebrity boards? :confused:

 

Not so much a "hot" topic on Celebrity, as much as an "interesting" topic on this board. Texed is well known to LOVE his waffles! He's the "go-to" person if you need to know anything and everything about waffles.

[hcat]

I enjoyed the review & the photos that you posted. We did not get sushi at lunch--will look for that next time around! How did you like the music/bands as compared to that of Royal C.?

 

Guess we have another X convert!

[Aquahound]

I enjoyed the review & the photos that you posted. We did not get sushi at lunch--will look for that next time around! How did you like the music/bands as compared to that of Royal C.?

 

Guess we have another X convert!

 

Thank you hcat!

 

There is no comparing pool entertainment. RCI has one pool band of a few calypso guys who only seem to sing a couple hours out of the day.

 

Solstice almost always had live music playing. They had a 6 person band called "Top Secret," with male and female vocalists who were excellent and sang everything from the 50s to today. Then there was an A Capella group called the "Voice Males," then there was a lone steel drummer who played along with recorded music. "Top Secret" and "Voice Males" were contracted entertainment for other venues. It was great to see them regularly poolside.

[Cruzaholic41]

Great review Paul! I also recently sailed Solstice and pretty much agree with everything you said. I'm glad to see you enjoyed trying a new cruise line! :)

[cruisebunny32]

Paul...great review! I am glad you loved Celebrity. On a side note about the Elite status...My husband and I are a Elite (have been for a few cruises now) We did not recieve any invitations to any of the events this time either. The last cruise we recieved a letter detailing all of the Select and Elite events. Daniella, the Captians Club Hostess, did call us and leave messages in our cabin for some of the events.

 

They have been doing the cold towels and the water at the pier the past few cruises...this and the welcome champagne are always things that I look forward to.

 

I did miss having the pitcher of water in the room...having to buy the bottled water was not what I had planned!

 

As far as the waffles...Of couse we had them...every day. They were so very yummy and I thought of you Ed when I ate them!

[parrothead1]

Nice review Paul. Did you try the waffles? :cool:

 

Ed - I did! Almost every day, and I have to say that the quality was certainly up to your high standards!! :)