Just off the Solsitice - 6/20-6/27 - Sunset Veranda - never again!!

[bigwalt0176]

I don't post much much would like to share my recent experience on the Solstice. The ship was great, service and staff were great. The ports were new to us and very nice (Western Carib). The food was to our liking.

 

We took our two boys, 21 and 18, who had graduated with honors from High School and University as their reward on their first cruise and decided on adjoining cabins on the Sunset Veranda. I spent a few more dollars on these cabins for the view and to WOW the boys.

 

I would have to say that this was a mistake. I have a real thing for Veranda rooms. You can read, eat and normally just relax on a veranda. The SV was quite the opposite. There was either blistering sun or pouring rain during our cruise. This is normally not a problem except that the 12 inch overhang of the SV provides no protection against either. There was also no privacy from above. We could not enjoy the cruise on our veranda. A simple cloth canopy extension could have provided us with a much more enjoyable experience. Neither one of the two boys or my wife spent any time at all on the veranda. I only did so because I thought I had paid the extra money for the veranda and thought I should take advantage of it but even I was driven back inside quickly whether the weather was fair or not.

 

To sum things up, I would have been much happier with a port or starboard veranda as they would have provided the coverage that I was looking for. I will conclude in saying that if you want a great view of the wake of the ship, a SV is for you but be prepared for the downsides that go along with it.

[bighairtexan]

Interesting comment. Personally, I've never seen the huge appeal of the wake view, but I sure do know some cruisers LOVE them. I debated and wound up in a starboard AQ cabin and now I'm glad that I did.

[Redtravel]

we also made the same mistake. we had a suite at the back of a ship. The veranda was partially covered, but the fumes, soot, engine noise, and vibration made it too uncomfortable to enjoy. I now prefer a veranda cabin mid or forward. Midship gets a smoother ride on the lower cabins. For the quietest ride, go forward...just a bit forward of the front elevators is best. Quieter since you get less vibration and also there are fewer people passing by your door. We are early to bed and early to rise. We hate the late night people who are sometimes noisy at night passing through the hallways. When they dock early, we sometimes hear the anchor. Since we are up early, we don't care. I wouldn't go forward if you like to sleep late.

Our worst cabin ever was on the deck under the pool. Next was under the kitchen. Watch out for the location and pick a cabin if possible between 2 decks of cabins.

[Trainer]

I know it is not a Celebrity ship, but the rear veranda suites on the back of the Ruby Princess do not have the problems you mentioned here. We got a lucky upgrade and really enjoyed the back of the ship. The veranda was huge and fully covered with a large teak table and four chairs plus two fully reclining louge chairs. Very nice and usable!

[Straughn]

The previous posts have now confirmed what I always suspected-that the aft cabins were not as nice as some passengers would have you believe. Everybody is entitled to his/her opinion/likes/dislikes, but I have long suspected that soot was a problem, but I didn't realize that the overhangs were that small, or that on the upper decks, you still felt the vibration. I have visited some aft cabins on other ships/cruise lines where the balcony was 40-50% covered, so there was some privacy.

 

I have had a number of cabins under the pool or the buffet restaurant and never had too much of a noise problem. I think that problem has been addressed in the newer ships. On RCCL's Radiance class, we were always under one or the other and never heard anything.

 

On our upcoming Solstice cruise, we purposely selected a cabin under the large overhang. We wanted as much sun and rain protection as possible as we use our balcony a lot. The overhang also helps keep the cabin cooler because the sun only beats in there very early in the morning or late in the day.

 

Different strokes for different folks. I am happy to leave the aft cabins to those who love them.

[derf5585]

Note to self

Pack patio umbrella

[dixieva]

I used to wonder about the love of aft cabins that some folks have. I always had a side balcony and thought this was much better--until I tried an aft balcony! I love them! The view is fantastic and you can see both sides of land instead of just one side like you get with a side balcony. And the view of the wake is lovely. The large balcony is great to have friends over to chat and visit. Haven't been on a Celebrity ship yet but when I do book one I will try an aft.

 

Never had a soot problem either.

 

To each his own I guess but you really have to try it yourself to see how you feel about aft balcony rooms.

[63galaxie]

Thanks for the "heads up." We've had both aft and side cabins. Love the big balconies, but I miss the breeze on the side. I also get seasick, so aft is harder on me. That said, the view and size of the balconies are so wonderful, that I'd still consider an aft. It all depends on what the price is.

[luvtocook]

We have had many aft balcony cabins on the M class Celebrity ships and absolutely LOVE them. Plenty of cover, no soot , no noise & lot's of privacy, not to mention the views!

I believe the soot issues come from the new S class ships due to the different funnels & their placement.

We were on Equinox in Feb and looking down from the aft bar, I could see all the balconies and the people on them, hardly any privacy. Having seen that, I don't think I would ever choose one of the aft cabins on this class of Celebrity ship.

[gkm]

I have to agree with the OP's assessment of the aft balconies on the Solstice class ships. We also had a problem (and this was in December) with blistering sun that made us have to close the curtains during the day because our cabin became overheated. You definitely couldn't sit outside because of the heat. At night, I like to leave the balcony door open, but after the first night and rain which soaked the carpet in front of the door, we were unable to do that again. We also had soot on our balcony furniture every morning.

 

After that experience, we now book cabins on the side and have been much happier there. I never thought I'd do that because I definitely love the aft!

 

Garry

[harz99]

We had an SV on Mercury for an Alaska cruise - fabulous views of both Hubbard Glacier and the Inside Passage - but soot problem every day.

 

I guess its horses for courses; in other words their good for specific scenic cruising and not so good for just sitting out! Same as Inside cabins are ok for port intensive cruises but not so good for t/a's with lots of sea days.

[CruiseDad-NYC]

I was on the Solstice in May and spoke with a passenger with a Sunset Veranda cabin. She said the same thing you did about the blistering sun.

[tkabrk]

We had a SV on the Solstice in April. Absolutely loved it - made my entire cruise worth it. The view was amazing. Didn't notice any noise, vibrations, fumes, etc. Didn't really notice the soot problem, however they do wash down the balconies every day. Since the pool area was always crowded, I enjoyed the sun on my deck.

[RichS10]

We've booked one of the aft corner Sky Suites on an upcoming Equinox cruise, but I made sure it was on the Resort Deck which is supposed to have more of an overhang since it is the top deck level of cabins. (at least that's what it looks like from the exterior pictures I've seen).

 

I'm hoping we won't have the same problem with the Sun/Rain issues that the OP did.

Rich

[derf5585]

One thing I liked about an aft cabin that if you get lost and can't find your cabin just keep going aft.

Or one can use their GPS:D

[C 2 C]

I don't post much much would like to share my recent experience on the Solstice.

I have a real thing for Veranda rooms. You can read, eat and normally just relax on a veranda. The SV was quite the opposite. There was either blistering sun or pouring rain during our cruise. This is normally not a problem except that the 12 inch overhang of the SV provides no protection against either. There was also no privacy from above.

To sum things up, I would have been much happier with a port or starboard veranda as they would have provided the coverage that I was looking for. I will conclude in saying that if you want a great view of the wake of the ship, a SV is for you but be prepared for the downsides that go along with it.

 

We totally agree:

For those who are posting that aft cabins are great, the topic here is the aft balconies on Solstice Class. Aft balconies on the M-class are superior in every way. Every ship class on every cruise line has its own character. Unless you like the elements avoid these cabins... but the wake is great if you like living indoors.

Great View:

Privacy?

[Denny01]

One thing I liked about an aft cabin that if you get lost and can't find your cabin just keep going aft.

Or one can use their GPS:D

Good one! I remember a Navy joke I'd tell about how to find the ship in a strange port after an evening of 'socializing'. I told my buddies to just keep going downhill...you'd sooner or later run into the bay/ocean and then all you had to do was decide to turn right or left, and even in our 'compromized state', you could usually see the Navy Carrier at anchor!

 

So it became the rule: Just go downhill!

 

Denny

[krewzin]

Well, we've booked a corner Sky Suite w/adjoining CC class cabin aft....because there were none other available. So we're stuck with what we have.

 

It's nice to hear how much these cabins & balconies suck though :D! The only other accomodation available to us would be for all 4 to take a Royal Suite....but it only has 1 full bath, and a 2nd 'powder room' in the living room.

 

Might be tough with 2 teenage boys and only one shower....as well, they'd hafta sleep on a foldout couch and a seperate roll-away bed (they won't share a bed).....but at least we'd have a beautiful balcony out of the sun...and a beautiful suite to boot.

 

After reading about how bad these aft cabins really are, I'm tempted to switch our accomodations....:confused:

 

2 bathrooms and private bedrooms along with deplorable balconies in our current setup, or....... 1 1/2 bath, 2 boys sleeping in the living room and a gorgeous useable balcony?

 

 

 

We totally agree:

For those who are posting that aft cabins are great, the topic here is the aft balconies on Solstice Class. Aft balconies on the M-class are superior in every way. Every ship class on every cruise line has its own character. Unless you like the elements avoid these cabins... but the wake is great if you like living indoors.

 

[Solstice23]

I don't post much much would like to share my recent experience on the Solstice. The ship was great, service and staff were great. The ports were new to us and very nice (Western Carib). The food was to our liking.

 

We took our two boys, 21 and 18, who had graduated with honors from High School and University as their reward on their first cruise and decided on adjoining cabins on the Sunset Veranda. I spent a few more dollars on these cabins for the view and to WOW the boys.

 

I would have to say that this was a mistake. I have a real thing for Veranda rooms. You can read, eat and normally just relax on a veranda. The SV was quite the opposite. There was either blistering sun or pouring rain during our cruise. This is normally not a problem except that the 12 inch overhang of the SV provides no protection against either. There was also no privacy from above. We could not enjoy the cruise on our veranda. A simple cloth canopy extension could have provided us with a much more enjoyable experience. Neither one of the two boys or my wife spent any time at all on the veranda. I only did so because I thought I had paid the extra money for the veranda and thought I should take advantage of it but even I was driven back inside quickly whether the weather was fair or not.

 

To sum things up, I would have been much happier with a port or starboard veranda as they would have provided the coverage that I was looking for. I will conclude in saying that if you want a great view of the wake of the ship, a SV is for you but be prepared for the downsides that go along with it.

 

We have had an aft CC room and Aft Sky suite on Solstice and yes it was a bit messy at times but they cleaned it and it was worth the view! plus we liked getting the sun! it was great for us

[cruisnfool]

We did not choose an aft for our upcoming Solstice because we had read that they were designed differantly.

 

We are aft balcony snobs on such lines as RCI & Princess because the balcony is extra long and since we usually have others with us the balcony holds more.

 

I love the watch the wake.

 

Funny story....we had an aft on the Infinity......now it was longer which was great.....we could talk to others below us because of the design BUT if you notice in one of the earlier posts that FLAG.......we were so excited that our room was the highest and in the center but it was a Hawaii cruise and two nights we were overnight in the port and they left the flag up and it whipped back & forth all night long.....If i could have reached it I would have ripped it down!

[dixieva]

Well, we've booked a corner Sky Suite w/adjoining CC class cabin aft....because there were none other available. So we're stuck with what we have.

 

It's nice to hear how much these cabins & balconies suck though :D! The only other accomodation available to us would be for all 4 to take a Royal Suite....but it only has 1 full bath, and a 2nd 'powder room' in the living room.

 

Might be tough with 2 teenage boys and only one shower....as well, they'd hafta sleep on a foldout couch and a seperate roll-away bed (they won't share a bed).....but at least we'd have a beautiful balcony out of the sun...and a beautiful suite to boot.

 

After reading about how bad these aft cabins really are, I'm tempted to switch our accomodations....:confused:

 

2 bathrooms and private bedrooms along with deplorable balconies in our current setup, or....... 1 1/2 bath, 2 boys sleeping in the living room and a gorgeous useable balcony?

 

 

My opinion-keep the rooms you have. With 2 teenagers the extra room/bathroom is well worth it!!

 

And who knows? You just might get to enjoy those balconies.

[kmawani]

A little bit of research goes a long way. My girl friend and I are sailing on the Solstice in December 2010, our first cruise, and our hearts were set on the Concierge Class Aft cabins. However, before the actual booking, I did some research and found out what people had to say about the aft balconies on the Solstice. I learnt three things; soot, sun and lack of privacy with most of the aft cabins. Needless to say, we did not book an aft cabin.

 

Moral of this story? Do your research.

[stomsf]

Well, we've booked a corner Sky Suite w/adjoining CC class cabin aft....because there were none other available. So we're stuck with what we have.

 

It's nice to hear how much these cabins & balconies suck though :D! The only other accomodation available to us would be for all 4 to take a Royal Suite....but it only has 1 full bath, and a 2nd 'powder room' in the living room.

 

Might be tough with 2 teenage boys and only one shower....as well, they'd hafta sleep on a foldout couch and a seperate roll-away bed (they won't share a bed).....but at least we'd have a beautiful balcony out of the sun...and a beautiful suite to boot.

 

After reading about how bad these aft cabins really are, I'm tempted to switch our accomodations....:confused:

 

2 bathrooms and private bedrooms along with deplorable balconies in our current setup, or....... 1 1/2 bath, 2 boys sleeping in the living room and a gorgeous useable balcony?

Krewzin --

 

My experience with an Aft Corner SS (I think they're the S1's) is that they are great -- good size of room given they are on the corner and very nice balcony. I was pretty put off by the SV class as I was expecting a great accomodation like the M class aft cabins, but there is really no comparison.

 

Our preference is to stay with the M-class ships as the S-class was just not our cup of tea. YMMV. Happy Cruising!

[krewzin]

I just don't know what to do, and I most certainly appreciate the input (I've asked this same question before, but I didn't realize exactly how disliked these Solstice Class aft cabins were!).

 

Dixieva....Stomsf...I've 'polled' the family after explaining the situation, and my youngest (15) and my wife say 'let's upgrade, we can make it with 1 shower and it'll be fine sleeping in (fancier) the living room.'

 

My oldest (17) is leaning towards sticking with the aft-connecting, while I'm still extremely confused as to what we should do. If the balconies had some shade, there'd be no question (I had melanoma years ago, and could not enjoy the balcony without shade).

 

I hate indecision, lol! :D

[wwcruisers]

Note to self

Pack patio umbrella

 

AND Factor-500 sunscreen (lol) -- unless you're in one of the aft cabins on the top (Resort) deck. The Oceanview Cafe provides a nice overhang! :p