What's so wonderful about Solstice?

I've just booked a family cruise on the Solstice after hearing (mostly on this board) what a great ship it is, one of if not the best sailing in this part of the world.

I've had trouble navigating the Celebrity website to find out what we can expect on this cruise, but the snippets I've read so far left me feeling like we're going to miss some of the things we've enjoyed on Princess;

- movies on the upper deck in the evenings

- free movies on demand in the cabins

- cheap soft drink/mocktail package

- indoor pool in cooler weather (for kids)

There must be lots of other wonderful things on offer which make Solstice as good as or better than, say, Golden Princess, so please... tell me what they are!

We prefer being outside on the decks when weather permits, and not keen to spend a bunch on optional extras.

Many thanks

We too are regular Princess cruises but did go on one Solstice cruise out to the Islands. What we found better was the various types of loungers very well padded and sun chairs on the outside and inside pool decks.

There was also a small cafe serving healthy food up near the inside pool and it was a great place to have breakfast without the crowds.

The Glass Blowing Show is a must see.

The theatre is very large and we found that we could arrive 5 minutes before the show and easily find a seat.

The general decor is very different which a more modern feel than Princess and there are a few WOW factors there.

The speciality resturants have there own rooms and are very well layed out. Three right near each other. Do try one or all of these. We enjoyed all four of them including the more casual Bistro on Five.

We found our bed very comfortable and the shower kept a constant temperature.

As regular Princess cruises we enjoyed our cruise on the Solstice and would cruise with them again.

Mrs Gut loves Aqua spa cafe on Celebrity.

Haven't been on solstice yet so can't comment on other things, but she often says she wished Princess had something similar.

The two things that really stand out for me about Solstice are:

- The cabin bathrooms are bigger and the shower cubicle has doors not a curtain.

- The Sky Lounge is wonderful, especially during sailaways.

I don't rate Solstice above Golden Princess, but Solstice does have some lovely features, and has a more modern appearance onboard. I rate them as equal, but different.

The lift foyer is a standout, and I like the pool deck features (fountains and cabana) and Lawn club. Definitely things to impress when onboard, but they are different.

BTW, as I recall Solstice also has free (and also charged) movies on demand on the in room tv.

We also cruise mostly princess due to the varied itineraries in australia. However the solstice is still the best ship we have been on. Overall it feels a little more up market. Mainly due to the ship amenity. Contemporary, modern and spacious. Plently of large windows overlooking the sea. Lawn club. Padded seating etc. Princess in many ways feels dated in this sense

Thanks all, it sounds like it's the overall ambience and quality of Solstice that makes it so well loved.

I'm looking forward to it more now!

Clairebear you will enjoy the Solstice. I have cruised with a few different companies and would definitely rate Solstice among the top few. Sailed RCI earlier this year with the whole family, we chose RCI over Celebrity for one reason the dream works shows and characters for out GD. But disappointed compared to Celebrity. Loved seeing the little ones all dressed for dinners, really didn't see the same level of "dress ups" on RCI. I have not sailed Princess but I am sure you will enjoy. We too loved the glass blowing show, very interesting, also the lawn area with the picnic rugs, a treat, they have "Sunday sessions" on the lawn just like pubs, with families all gathered there, kids playing, dancing, just a great atmosphere.

I too have been looking at Solstice vs Princess for a cruise next year where I want to take my two grand-daughters. Solstice gets such rave reviews from cruisers down under and sounds wonderful however when I'm comparing apples with apples such as currency onboard $US vs $AU, alcohol packages, gratuities, price etc.....a Princess cruise offers a lot more affordability. I looked at a 7 day Solstice Cruise next year and compared it to a Princess cruise....well for the same price as a 7 day Solstice cruise I could get a 14 day Princess cruise, plus my Princess cruise has no gratuities, is in AU$ and the drinks look more affordable than if we had to pay in US$ with our poor exchange rate at the moment.

However that being said, I would still love to cruise on the Solstice, and would consider it if they switched their pricing over to AU.

The Solstice cruise I booked comes with free drink package for the adults, which was a huge incentive.

Solstice has much better food than Princess(last on Ruby). All Celebrity ships decor more beautiful than Princesses sea of beige.

I agree with all of the comments and reasons above. Another reason for trying another cruise line is you then have something to compare to and a reasoning for why you may prefer one cruise line (or ship) to another.

Apart from all the many reasons as to why I think X beats Princess, I have spent many more days on the Solstice than any other ship and now it feels like coming home, recognising staff members that still may be aboard and them remembering us is even better.:D

Solstice has much better food than Princess(last on Ruby). All Celebrity ships decor more beautiful than Princesses sea of beige.

I disagree, I thought the variety and quality in the MDR on Solstice wasn't quite as good as on Princess. Princess offers four courses, appetiser, soup/salad, main, dessert. Celebrity only has three, appetiser which includes a soup, a salad and a couple of other dishes, main, dessert. However the food on Celebrity was quite acceptable.

Clairebear, I noticed you're doing a South Pacific cruise on Solstice.

One thing that is annoying about Solstice is that there is no pull-out drying line in the bathroom for hanging wet swimsuits on. There are two knobs on the wall on one side of the shower, very close together (maybe 10cms apart) which you can hang things to drip but they don't dry well like that.

If you have a balcony cabin take some pegs so you can clip swimsuits to the back of the balcony chairs to dry, or take a travel pegless clothesline (the twisted elastic type) with suction caps on each end.

Also Solstice doesn't have guest laundrettes.

I've booked Solstice for next Easter and also looking to do Christmas/NYE cruise in 2017. One of the attractions is the Go Better, Best package.

The Solstice cruise I booked comes with free drink package for the adults, which was a huge incentive.

Claire - we are doing the same cruise. I booked on that one last week.

I've booked Solstice for next Easter and also looking to do Christmas/NYE cruise in 2017. One of the attractions is the Go Better, Best package.

Agreed, that package makes Solstice affordable.

We like Sostice because she does a number on one way NZ-Aus cruises druing the season. This suits us as we can fly to Auckland a few days before the cruise starts and catch up with friends and family there, then catch up with others at the various port stops.

I think having the Drink's package and/or the other perks instead makes X very much competitive.

I think having the Drink's package and/or the other perks instead makes X very much competitive.

It does indeed.

We looked at Celebrity for a 21 day Mediterranean cruise next year. The B2B itinerary wasn't quite as good as the Princess one we were also considering but the price was considerably cheaper because of the drinks package perk.

Then Princess brought out it's Sip and Sail promotion, naturally not available to us Aussies. :rolleyes: However Pushka helped me sort that one out and then the prices were comparable so we booked Princess for the itinerary.

Thanks all, it sounds like it's the overall ambience and quality of Solstice that makes it so well loved. I'm looking forward to it more now!

Great that you have had many of your questions regarding the Solstice answered. Let me try to offer some added "photo evidence" as to what others have shared and said. Below are some of my visuals, plus connections to a couple of different posting with more pictures, details, ideas, etc. For many sail-aways, we liked being up on the top of the ship in the back area where we could see activities and sights on both sides of the ship.

Need more? Additional questions? Happy to share more!!

Did a “Solstice: Visuals, Highlights Shared!” summary from two different adventures on this ship with many pictures and other details on its many options. This includes our recent Australia to New Zealand sailing. Check it out, including these early 2014 updates, at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1803477

Now at 38,543 views for this posting.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 150,776 views for this posting.

The Solarium was one of our most favorite areas. Food and drinks were nearby and it was very relaxed and sophisticated. Quieter, too, as it is an adults-only area. Two hot tubs here. Not crowded, especially in the evenings. Nice art and design with this facility. Wonderful setting for relaxing and watching the outside water/shore views, enjoying subtle inside action, etc.:

On the top, back of the Solstice, here is a wider view of Corning Hot Glass show area, plus the green grass and the unique covering designs for this special area of the ship. Classy design touches and style!!:

I liked to ride one of the eight glass elevators in the mid-ship courtyard with nice views out to the different floors, enjoying the ship architecture, people being active, etc. You can see the relaxing library in this shot. Classy design on this ship! Some tradition, but not too dated or old.:

Super loved it when there were times at the pool in the afternoons on the Solstice in June 2011 when the “party band” was going at it with great tunes. This added to the fun and excitement around the pool area of our ship. Just like done by some famous California pop groups, we were hearing “fun, fun, fun” underneath the sun!!:

For dining in Tuscan Grille on the Solstice in January while sailing from Australia to New Zealand, we started with a nice glass of sparkling Italian wine (Prosecco Spumanti). The best is always saved for last . . . a nicely designed and super tasting of this Italian favorite, Tiramisu.:

Here is a photo highlight from our ship's production show called "Ghostlight--The Spirit of Broadway". Lots of great tunes, including many from the Four Seasons as done on Broadway with Jersey Boys. Nice lighting, staging, sets, etc.

Clairebear, I noticed you're doing a South Pacific cruise on Solstice.

 

One thing that is annoying about Solstice is that there is no pull-out drying line in the bathroom for hanging wet swimsuits on. There are two knobs on the wall on one side of the shower, very close together (maybe 10cms apart) which you can hang things to drip but they don't dry well like that.

Good point; I always think it odd that Celebrity made a big deal about the cabins getting female design input - yet oddly removed the clothes line that they used to have in all their other ships.

One of my favourite things on Solstice about the bathroom is the permanent nightlight though. Very nice. (Small things... :-) )

Our first cruise was on Sun Princess to New Zealand and then the Diamond and then we try the Solstice last November to New Zealand again and we fell in love with the Solstice the moment we boarded for the following reasons:

Complimentary Mimosa on boarding for everyone

Warm towels prior to boarding when coming back from a cold port

Martini Bar

The elegant decor of the Solstice

Beautiful artwork on the ship, especially the beautiful pink vase on the way to the Specialty restaurants

Tuscan Grille

The friendly staff

Spotless ship

Younger demographic of passengers

The Lawn Deck

My list could go on and on. The food we found very similar to Princess very good in the MDR and buffet. Yes they only have 3 courses but you can ask for an extra course if you wish. We are not into shows so I cannot comment, but I have read the current shows are better on Princess. We loved the Solstice so much we booked a Baltic Cruise for August this year on the Eclipse and have also booked the South Pacific cruise for April 2017. At the moment Celebrity is our cruise line and yes you pay USD, but if you book when they have special deals eg Beverage package, free gratuities etc I feel you do come ahead with Celebrity. Hopefully you will love the Solstice ship as much as we do.

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Those piccys look bloomin marvellous.:)Esp the lawned area.:)

Love your work terry.:D

Our first cruise was on Sun Princess to New Zealand and then the Diamond and then we try the Solstice last November to New Zealand again and we fell in love with the Solstice the moment we boarded for the following reasons:

Complimentary Mimosa on boarding for everyone

Warm towels prior to boarding when coming back from a cold port

Martini Bar

The elegant decor of the Solstice

Beautiful artwork on the ship, especially the beautiful pink vase on the way to the Specialty restaurants

Tuscan Grille

The friendly staff

Spotless ship

Younger demographic of passengers

The Lawn Deck

My list could go on and on. The food we found very similar to Princess very good in the MDR and buffet. Yes they only have 3 courses but you can ask for an extra course if you wish. We are not into shows so I cannot comment, but I have read the current shows are better on Princess. We loved the Solstice so much we booked a Baltic Cruise for August this year on the Eclipse and have also booked the South Pacific cruise for April 2017. At the moment Celebrity is our cruise line and yes you pay USD, but if you book when they have special deals eg Beverage package, free gratuities etc I feel you do come ahead with Celebrity. Hopefully you will love the Solstice ship as much as we do.

 

 

 

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Nice points about the Solstice and also X. I agree. I just wish I had a Solstice cruise booked.