BeachTunes

We just disembarked the Solstice on Sunday in Vancouver. On the last sea day they had an "Alaskan Fisherman's Feast" at the buffet during lunch. We dined at the Spa Cafe but popped in and grabbed a few photos. They had some elevated dessrts and lots of shrimp, smoked salmon and a chocolate fountain. We didn't walk around the entire buffet but saw people with mussels and other seafood on their plates. Enjoy!

2 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

What is that used for?   

I use it when applying my makeup. It helps to prevent blotchy foundation and smeared eyeliner! LOL! Approaching 50, my eyesight isn't what it used to be! 🤓

We disembarked the Celebrity Solstice this morning. They did offer Bingo twice during the cruise on sea days. I believe Celebrity is bringing it back to some ships. Not sure if that's fleet-wide. There is another Bingo-type game offered on most itineraries called Deal Or No Deal. It's similar to the game show and can be quite fun to play and watch. Happy planning!

We just disembarked this morning (Concierge Class) and no, there was not a magnifying mirror in the stateroom. I brought one that I got on Amazon that charges for up to 8 days and has three different light settings. It's great! 

We disembarked the Solstice this morning and are currently (And thankfully!) on our Air Canada flight back to Toronto.

I booked a very expensive last-minute Plan B flight with Porter that we cancelled once we heard the news. Being on the ship the wifi wasn't the greatest to cancel the Porter reservation so we had to call. We learned that they don't have a 24/7 call centre. When we finally reached a representative, cancelling was easy the refund is on the way. 

Sadly, it seems there aren't any 100% reliable airlines these days. There was a strike earlier this year that affected WestJet flights for several days. 

My tip to anyone booking a backup flight is to read the fine print of the fare rules very closely. I once thought I booked a refundable fare but it was only refundable 24 hours after booking. 

Wishing everyone smooth flights and smooth sailing!

This is an interesting observation. We have a pool and our experience is that if it's not filled enough, the filter system gets overworked. If left like that for too long, it can cause major damage to the pump which can be costly to fix. I believe cruise ship pools are usually on a salt water system. Not sure if that makes a difference. We'll be on the Solstice very soon so I'll have a look at the water levels and report back! 🙂

@OKC365 Thank you so much for sharing your experience. We have decided to take a pass.

As per @Jim_Iain's suggestions, I think we'll take a look at other behind the scenes options when we get on board, which is VERY soon! 🙂It's fitting that you mentioned Daniel Boulud's Chef Table as he was literally just on TV a few minutes ago on Toronto's morning show! We've been to one of his NYC establishments and had a great experience. I'm hoping there will be a couple of seats left as I don't see a booking option in the app. If there aren't, oh well, we'll just have to book another cruise to enjoy it! 😉

1 hour ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

You shouldn't expect a lounger on a S class SV.  The balcony is much smaller than the E class and I don't believe it was originally furnished with loungers.

 

Here is a visual grabbed from a Youtube video of a Solstice SV.  Notice how much narrower it is than the E class.

 

Thank you for the info and photo! That set up looks perfect to me! 

I will be on the Solstice in an Aft Sunset Concierge Verandah (I think that's what it's called!) very soon. I promise to report back! 🙌

17 hours ago, Stem to Stern said:

Thanks for setting me on the correct course.

I think it would be nice to go out of Vancouver now knowing what I have learned.

Hi Paul!

We chose Vancouver R/T because of its routing through scenic British Columbia and the fact that it's supposed to be smoother sailing. I was really curious to try the Edge out of Seattle but Solstice's pricing, timing and route won. We embark in exactly 3 weeks so I'll be sure to share our thoughts when we return! 🙂

Please say hello to Tim for us! And thanks to @mac_tlc for sharing your journey!

*Back to regular scheduled programming...*

35 minutes ago, dctravel said:

They start taking reservation on the ship on embarkation day. We went a little early for the demonstration show, and she signed up there. It's on a clipboard. Since you have prepaid, the Hot Glass guys will also leave you a message on your cabin phone reminding you to come and make an appointment. They are open on sea days. My wife did it on Hubbard Glacier day just after lunch.

Thank you very much for this info! I appreciate it! 🙂

Thank you so much for sharing your Solstice experience with us! Loving your report and writing style. We are embarking the Solstice on the same itinerary in 4 1/2 weeks! ⛴️

Whenever you have a moment to reply, and if you happen to remember, do you recall when your wife booked her Hot Glass reservation? I have prepaid for a spot as well and want to book as soon as possible to get a morning time slot that aligns with our excursions and all of the fun entertainment! 🎵

Thanks again for taking the time and effort to review your cruise. It is helping with my anticipation! I'll try to return the favour/favor (We're Canadian and add the "u". LOL!) when we get back. Cheers! 🥂

7 minutes ago, Milhouse said:

 

No issues currently that I know of.

Thank you! 🙂 

22 hours ago, Milhouse said:

I would just caution to everyone researching hotels in Vancouver, to maybe check if there are any labour issues occuring at any hotels you may be considering.  

 

This is kind of anecdotal based on my local news feeds but I'm seeing a few hotels in downtown Vancouver and Richmond that seem to have some ongoing labour issues with varying degrees of job action that may or may not disrupt your stay; it's just a risk to consider.

 

Here are a few articles:

Hyatt Regency / Pinnacle Harbourfront / Westin Bayshore July 16 article:  https://www.biv.com/news/hospitality-marketing-tourism/workers-picket-hyatt-regency-vancouver-in-one-day-strike-more-action-possible-9227441

Residence Inn Downtown July 30 article:  https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2024/07/30/downtown-vancouver-hotel-marriot-strike/

Sheraton Hotel Richmond/Airport (and Hilton and Marriott in the same complex) June 14 article: https://www.richmond-news.com/local-business/richmond-hotel-workers-to-mark-one-year-on-strike-9086245

 

Thank you for sharing this information! 

We have the Pan Pacific booked for one night before our cruise this September. Have you heard any rumblings of labour issues at that property by any chance?

I know things can change on a dime but was curious if the Pan Pacific is typically a safe bet! 

My husband and I were invited to join the Captain's Table, hosted by the Hotel Director, on our first Celebrity cruise in 2014.

As we were leaving Blu after breakfast on the Reflection, the Captain's Club hostess commented on my dress and we started a conversation. I told her I had already signed up for the Captains Club online. I mentioned that it was especially fun being a guest on board as I had worked as a crew member on another line many moons ago. She then asked us if we'd like to join the Hotel Director and some other guests on the second formal night for dinner so we happily accepted. I have a feeling it was being a former crew member that led to the invite. Everyone always wants to talk about what it was like behind the scenes!

It was a lovely evening with an interesting mix of tablemates including a Vietnam veteran and his wife, a journalist couple from the UK and an executive who was the CEO of a very large US chain. (We were definitely the "Beverly Hillbillies" of the group! LOL!) We met for champagne in Cellar Masters and walked to the MDR together. A suit jacket would have been fine but my husband was glad he packed his tux!

We had rented an alcove the following day and several of our new friends popped by in the afternoon for more drinks and chats. 

We typically prefer a table for two but that night was very memorable. Less than six weeks to our next Celebrity adventure on the Solstice to Alaska! 🙂

My husband and I sailed out of San Juan back in 2015 on the Summit and on the Millennium in March, 2023. We were amazed by how quick the embarkation process was! Last year we stayed in Old San Juan for two nights pre-cruise and taxied to the pier. We dropped our luggage off with the porters, went through security, had our boarding passes scanned and were on the ship around 15 minutes after arriving! 

If I recall correctly, our boarding time was 11am and we arrived at 10:45am. We were in Aqua Class but I do remember seeing a separate area for suites.

We really like San Juan. In addition to Old San Juan we have also pre-cruised in the Condado Beach area. Both are nice with loads of amazing restaurants, nightlife and shopping. Old San Juan obviously has a more historic feeling while Condado has more of a Fort Lauderdale/Miami vibe on the water. 

For Old San Juan we also recommend El Convento. In Condado, we stayed at the Condado Vanderbilt when it first opened in 2015. Service at the Vanderbilt was incredible and they have a gorgeous infinity pool that overlooks the ocean. Both neighbourhoods are relatively close to each other via a 10 minute or less cab ride. 

Happy planning! 

Thank you all very much for your input! It is appreciated! 🙂

A couple of photos from #6145 on the Summit in 2015. While definitely not newer photos and those of a sister ship, they should give you an idea of how spacious the stateroom is. 🙂

We stayed in #6145 on the Summit in 2015 before the ship was Revolutionized and ADORED that stateroom!

I understand the layout is the same on the Infinity. The bathroom was amazing and had loads of room to store everything. It felt more like a good-sized hotel room than a cruise ship cabin. It was a Caribbean sailing out of San Juan so we spent a lot of time on the balcony. 

Enjoy! 

We will port in Icy Strait Point in September. I'm wondering if there is a restaurant at the top of the Sky Peak Gondola or at least a stand to get a casual snack and drinks. I know there are walking/hiking trails but have read mixed reports about facilities, if any, are on top. Thank you! 

Thank you @SerraG for taking the time to post about your journey! We will be taking our first cruise to Alaska in September, albeit on the Solstice, and found your port info very helpful! May you feel better soon!

20 minutes ago, asctony said:

I'm sorry if you took my opinion as being directed at you. Like I said before, it was a general statement to inform people to use all the available resources.

 

Just like I have people ask me what is my favorite Cruise Line? I don't have one as they all provide something both plus and minus.

 

Happy Sailing. Enjoy your cruise. 

All good! No worries at all! Yes, these boards can be "amusing" at times. 

By the way we ADORE Italy. What a beautiful country you live in! 🙂

19 hours ago, Stem to Stern said:

Hi Ellen.😃

Great to see you on the Celebrity boards.  Tim still reminisces about the Crystal cruise as one of his most memorable and relaxing.☺️

 

I am in 100% agreement with you.  I can think of a few other venues.  
Murano.  

Sushi on 5.  

Inside Access excursion.

 

It is unfortunate that Celebrity may be cutting the galley tours short.  We have done the free galley tour of days gone bye bye before as well as the one included with the Inside Access: Behind the Scenes Ship Tour excursion.  Both provided an extensive overview in the galley.  The latter being the more recent one that hasn’t yet escaped my memory included commentary from one of the chefs who sadly was not understandable at all through the provided wireless earpieces.  
 

Once we did one on a December sailing and the crew was working on the construction of the gingerbread houses for the displays.  That was really cool.😎 
 

We have another Behind the Scenes tour booked on our upcoming Beyond sailing mainly because we hope it will be a bit different than the previous one since it is on a different class of ships.  We are doing it more for the bridge and control room access than anything else, but we will enjoy it all.  On board it is US$155.10 per person, but I caught a pre-cruise 30% off flash sale bringing it down to US$107.99 per person.  I booked the excursion at the end of March.  If you and DH have not yet considered this tour, you should have a look at it.

Hello Friends! 

Thank you for sharing your experiences with the Behind The Scenes Tour. That might be a better use of our time and funds! 

And yes, that Crystal cruise was dreamy! Virtual hugs to you both! 🙂

14 hours ago, asctony said:

Please help me to understand why anyone would book & pay for anything that is undefinable?

 

Like people said this galley tour was free before. It is shorter now and offers a lunch which you already paid for in your cruise price. 

 

Too many things are now no longer free. Yes, many things have changed from free to money makers for the cruise lines.

 

We see postings where people are asking for information about:

I purchased a xxxxxx.

What does it contain, what will i get, how long may I use it, where is it located, etc.?

 

Tell me why I should cruise this ship? Are these ports for me? 

 

I see and read these on all of CC Forums. I just don't understand it.

 

Research, use a TA, Internet, call Cruise Line. Before you commit!

 

JMHO, I know it is your money.

 

Thank you for taking the time to voice your opinion. With all due respect, I asked the question about this tour because my understanding is that is a fairly new offering to Celebrity so I was hoping to hear from people who have recently experienced it. Mission accomplished! 🙂

Happy Seas to You!