HappyTvlr

I have to agree with the others. I took this cruise last year, and although I have taken ferries out of the harbor countless times it is special on the Solstice. I think it is a good suggestion to check your table location, but none will allow you the full experience. I'm with you on not wanting to do the buffet the first night, but say go for the chance to try a specialty restaurant. We booked in for 8pm on the first night and got 20% off. As for being alone, don't let that stop you. I have seen countless solo cruisers over the years in specialty restaurants, and will be one this October.

I've lived in the US, UK, and AUS, and have travelled extensively (mostly land) and never used a TA. I probably miss out a bit on OBC on cruises or other similar perk, but have never had any trouble with booking directly w/Celebrity. I actually took a job here in Aus as a travel agent thinking I could use some of my travel knowledge, but soon quit because I was limited to "sell" from brochures. Boring! My husband's TA is a rock star for her assistance with business travel, but I am a researcher and I love digging through websites and books to find cool out of the way places and deals.

I am glad I am not the only one thinking the prices were crazy high!

Dunedin will be your best bet, but keep in mind you have to take a bus ride from the ship to the city and then find your way to the laundromat. I did a quick google map search and a couple of options showed up in the city. Good luck.

I've always enjoyed tours booked with Celebrity. They were often booked with the same local tour operators that one could book privately, but I enjoy them having the responsibility for getting us back on time. I feel this is worth the extra cost that may be included for Celebrity.

Anyone concerned should go to the FAQ's on http://www.pinwise.com.au. Swipe cards will still be accepted.

I have no interest in an elite lounge. I have never had a problem finding a quiet place to read, play cards, or enjoy the company of fellow cruisers while having a drink.

Cruised with the 123 program for the first and only time on the Solstice in Oct 2013 (South Pacific in and out of Sydney), and they were out of most beers after day 9 of 12 and had to restock with nasty Fiji beer. The crew said they had their stock of beers pulled from their parties to go to passengers. The molecular bar was out of nitrogen after a week, and finding a seat at the martini bar was nearly impossible and we just hovered until something opened up. The wait for fresh OJ in the AM at the buffet was insane, and they ran out several times. None of this occurred on my 2 previous cruises so I believe it had to have been because of the 123 offer. This is not a complaint about the 123 promotion, but just my experience. My next cruise is in Oct 2014 (similar itinerary but on the Century), and I am curious as to what will go on. I've been on the Century and loved the small martini bar, and I am trying to be optimistic that it will not be a nightmare like the Solstice was. Part of my attraction to Celebrity was that they offered the beverage package, and I was happy to pay for it because I felt it was value for money. I was over the moon when it was given as a perk, but if my experience is the same this year as it was last year I probably be hesitant to cruise with Celebrity again because I just didn't like the negatives I experienced.

No tipping bag handlers required when departing Sydney.

Have cruised with Celebrity several times with the drinks package, and have never seen the bottom of my glass. I suggest you engage the sommelier, and you will be fine. They are being overworked a bit because of the drinks packages, but just find a way to make yourself known to them and you will be right.

Went in March and the water was warm enough to swim w/o a wetsuit, but they are available if needed. This was hands down the best trip of my life, and I am proud to say there have been a lot to compare it to. Someone mentioned the ship being quiet after dinner, and this is pretty true because the days are full on. However, about 8 of us took full advantage of the drinks on offer and had some wonderful chats until well past midnight.

I've tried staying silent on this issue because there is no resolution, but here goes my best effort at a response. The dress code is clear, and the fact that passengers choose to disregard it and that staff does not enforce it does not change the policy. To me it is the same as a smoker asking if they can get away smoking in non-designated area. Those of us that like the dress code and non-smoking policy choose Celebrity for these among other reasons. We should not have to get used to the changing times because as long as the policy exists as it does things should not change. If and when the policy changes, then perhaps I will consider alternate cruise lines. Until then I expect people to follow the rules or find alternatives. I am not a hater but simply an adult that follows rules, and it seems that the OP is simply looking for support for violating the policy.

I'm having a similar problem with a South Pacific cruise in Oct 2014. There were excursions at the Isle of Pines port, but they have disappeared. I sent an email to X, and expect to wait the typical week plus for a response. I was there last year with X and they did not offer excursions so I was excited to see them added. I only book with X because I like the safety net of them running the schedule and being responsible for getting back on time and giving refunds if we fail to tender, and I have always enjoyed the excursions. Hope you get to go to Dunns River Falls because it is a great time!

Great news for cruisers! Just finished a personal trip to the area, and was thinking about how cruises would handle tours given what was mentioned above about the long boat ride each way. I would give it a go in a heartbeat just to get even a small amount of time snorkeling the beautiful area. Make sure you take meds for sea sickness if you are prone to it because the ride can be bumpy!

My husband I took the cooking class at Murano and got the book as mentioned in previous posts. It is a beautiful coffee table book, and is a great reminder of everything that is fabulous about Celebrity. The recipes are a bit confusing because they are for several servings and not easily reduced and there are a lot of ingredients and not made quickly, but we have done several and all turned out very well. I love having this book, and love seeing it on display and using it for cooking.

Tendering can be a bit of a nightmare if you do not take an excursion, and you want to get off the ship as early as possible. I experienced this once in Cabo. Since we did not have priority tendering we had to wait in an unbelievably long line the day before to collect a ticket. We got number 23, and it took almost three hours for us to get off the ship. They started the process at 1PM and it was nearly 4 when we got to land. Luckily we had no real plans, but we had just enough time for a taco lunch and a brief sit on the beach. Just make sure you get a ticket asap, and then be prepared to wait. We made the most of it, and enjoyed all that Celebrity had to offer and just laughed that there are far worse places to wait 3 hours. Enjoy your cruise!

On a Century cruise I complained about an 8 year old being allowed in the Crystal lounge for the newlywed game in which her parents were participants. Anyone who has attended this game knows that it is not a child friendly game. The activities person had to seriously control the questions and responses due to the child's presence, and it was just horrible to watch. The response to the complaint was that the game was not altered (not true), and that all areas are open to all ages until 11PM. The child was a disruption in a late comedy show as well. On a Solstice cruise last year, the opposite happened. The brilliant CD, Ian, cleared the room of kids before a show because he knew the content. Why should a show be altered for hundreds of adults due to the presence of 2 children? As for elite events, if it says 21 and older that is what it should be. Rules are rules. That is what children are taught, correct? Or is it rules are rules except for me?

My opinion is that I cruise to enjoy the cruise experience and get a taste of the ports. My experience has been that cruising does not allow time to truly see and experience the country I am visiting. The best example is a New Zealand cruise I took following back surgery because I couldn't do much more than walk. It was my second cruise, but the first was to Galapagos which is a very different cruise experience. I fell in love with cruising, but did not see even a single 1% of what New Zealand has to offer. I have taken 5 self driven land tours in NZ, and although small on a map there is more to see in a short distance than one can imagine. On our South Pacific cruise we stopped at two of the worst Fiji ports I can imagine. I will continue to cruise because I love spending quality time with my husband, but I will never see it as a means of visiting a country. I will continue to do land tours to truly see a country. I'm working on a 6 week trip to Scotland with a focus only on the highlands, and I am already wishing I had another two weeks! If you are passionate about Italy, I would opt for the land trip.

We took the cruise tour to Machu Picchu after Galapagos. Well, we intended to. Machu Picchu actually shut one week before we traveled due to mud slides knocking out the train line. We were offered the opportunity to cancel or take an alternative trip to the Nazca lines which we did. The entire trip was beyond our expectations. We were treated like royalty and stayed at hotels that blew my mind. I have no idea if this is how all cruise tours are, but would be more than willing to take another.

Thanks for all the input. We love to snorkel but are not strong swimmers and do best when we start from a beach rather than being dropped off from a boat in deeper water. Will we be able to see much in water that is not very deep and be able to rent equipment on the beach? Thanks again. Steve

All the locations listed above have snorkeling just off the beach. You can rent snorkels and fins at all but I. of Pines where they do not have fins which you will really need in my opinion. I agree with the suggestion of buying your own because you can get a reasonable set for the cost you will pay in total rental. Add in the factor that they are yours and clean, and you will likely see that it is worth the extra luggage.

I found out on my last cruise that I need ports that are exciting and allow for a lot of activity. I'm including walking as an activity, but there has to be nice scenery or interesting surrounding.

First of all, I am a keen snorkeler so most of my input is about snorkeling. The Amadee Island tour that was offered by Celebrity was amazing. The snorkeling was amazing, and they did a glass bottom boat ride if you are not a keen snorkeler. They put on an amazing lunch with bottomless bottles of average but decent wine. You will read about sea snakes, and they are there but harmless and actually quite beautiful. Isle of Pines has two sides to visit if you just walk around. One is for just swimming, and the other for snorkeling. The snorkeling is not great, but the island is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. I am headed back in October and excited to visit the "natural aquarium" for snorkeling. As for Lifou, go to Jinek bay for some amazing snorkeling. You have to pay something like $15US to some guy "selling" wristbands to enter the water. A bit suspect, but we paid up and were glad we did. We take our own gear, but you can rent snorkels at any of these spots. Fins were available as well except at I. of Pines, and this is where they were needed most. As for the Fiji ports, we did not do any tours and just walked around. What a huge disappointment at both. They are small cities at industrial ports. We spent little over a couple hours at both and got back on the boat. Hope this helps!

Loved the look and feel of CM's on the Solstice, but was put off by the constant push to buy very pricy glasses of wine followed by the passive aggressive snub when we went with wines within the premium package. It was really disappointing because we loved going in there, but would have to ready ourselves each time for a repeat of the same situation. Several times we just decided to hit Molecular where we were enjoyed the bartender better. We did have a word with the Head Sommelier about the Sommelier working in CM's, and he said we were not the only ones to bring this to his attention. I am glad they are keeping it, and agree that adding the beers and small bites would be a great idea.

This has got to, be one of the most unusual complaints ever. I can't imagine why someone would be upset about a friendly restroom attendant doing her job and being pleasant.

It was not a complaint, but merely an observation and opinion about something I found a little over the top that seems to have been part of the norm for this one particular attendant. As for the hugs, it was not just people she was really familiar with because she attempted to hug me. I managed my way out of it. Not being snobby because I have hugged staff members, but none were wearing plastic gloves in the ladies room.

Love all the responses and opinions. And yes, I am certain it was Celebrity because I have only cruised with them. The attendant was in the restroom just off the MDR, and she was there most of the evening as far as I can tell. I agree that the services provided such as the handing of the towel, wiping up, and getting the door were nice and had the added benefits of keeping everyone honest with hand washing are beneficial to everyone. I think I just got annoyed with the constant singing (I didn't mention that earlier), and the over zealous interaction. I love interacting with staff and the high level of service Celebrity provides, but I just hope the next attendant takes the interaction down a notch.