Celebrity Solstice 1/08/12 or 1/15/12

[squidward]

Doing our first back-to-back and hoping to make some new friends on board!:)

 

1/8/12 will be me (Ed), DH (Jon), our 2-year old (Franklin) and 8 adult relatives.

 

1/15/12 will be just me and DH. We're sending Franklin back to NY with his aunts and uncles at the end of the first cruise.

 

Jon and I have been on lots of Celebrity cruises, some with Pied Piper, some on our own. You can always find us at the martini bar before dinner, and we'll be easy to spot when we are out and about on the ship - I doubt there will be too many mixed-race same-sex couples with a of toddler who doesn't look like either of them in tow:D.

 

We hail from Brooklyn, NY. Looking forward to a week of crazy fun (1/8 cruise) and peace and quiet (1/15 cruise), and good times all around.

 

Hope to see you there!

[mitttocs]

Tim and Scott here --- from Mass. --- we will be on the 1/8 cruise and, though jealous that we only have the 1 week instead of your 2 -- look forward to meeting you!

[CelebfanChicago]

Troy and Rod here. Just booked the 1/8 sailing. Maybe we'll be the other mixed race same-sex couple but without the toddler.

 

We've sailed Celebrity twice before, but it's been a few years. Looking forward to it! We'll definitely be at the martini bar pre-dinner as well.

[mitttocs]

Looking forward to meeting you guys at the martini bar......

[squidward]

Welcome Troy+Rod and Tim+Scott!

 

We'll definitely have to try to commandeer one of the semi-private seating areas near the martini bar. DH and I might have to take turns watching our son in our cabin until the babysitter arrives, because the days of putting him to sleep in his stroller and parking him next to the bar are sadly over! :p

 

Ed

[mitttocs]

Ed and Jon, Troy and Rod -- look forward to meeting you on the cruise. There have to be more than just the 6 of us....it's a very quiet roll call.

 

Just curious about any suggestions on where to stay the night before, as we are flying to Fort Lauderdale late on Saturday.....?

 

18 more days!

[CelebfanChicago]

Tim and Scott, no advice on staying in Ft. Lauderdale. We've never sailed out of there, and the only time we've been there before, we were visiting/staying with friends.

 

This is actually the first cruise where we're gambling and flying in "just in time" through ChoiceAir. Not sure if I should be worried or not given it's January and Chicago. We've always stayed on site the night before, but just didn't work out this time. We actually ended up with flights back on Monday (nothing acceptable available on Sunday since we booked late), so we'll be staying Sunday night and looking for a hotel.

[mitttocs]

See you at Martini Bar!

[squidward]

This is also our first time flying in on the day of the cruise. Normally we go in the night before, but this time we decided arriving the day of was a better option.

 

Regarding places to stay in Fort Lauderdale: I have stayed there many times, and there are a ton of nice little gay motels and inns near the beach. A few are luxurious, but most are pretty basic and affordable. I don't have a favorite, since they are all so similar, and if you google gay accommodations Fort Lauderdale you should be able to find one that suits your fancy. They are about 25 minutes from the airport.

 

There are also a couple of gay places in Wilton Manors, which is the gay suburb of Fort Lauderdale, but it's not that close to the beach.

 

If you are just planning to check in and go to bed, then you might as well stay at one of the hotels near the airport like the Embassy Suites, which is very gay friendly. There is also a Sheraton (I think) near the airport which is nice. The advantage is that they offer free shuttles from the airport and they can get you a taxi to the pier in the morning for about $15.

 

Ed

[rcoasterz]

Hi folks. There are three hotels in Fort Lauderdale that we've stayed at that have all been great.

 

1) Hilton Ft Lauderdale Marina

- This hotel is across the street from the driveway to Port Everglades so it's convenient the day of the cruise. I think it's also frequently part of a hotel stay package with Celebrity or Royal Caribbean, so expect a crowded lobby the morning of the cruise.

 

2) Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach

- This is right on the beach and has condo style rooms so you'll have a small kitchen to cook your own dinner. The pool overlooks the ocean. It's been a great place, though it's been almost a year since we've stayed there. It tends to attract families. The cab ride to the port would be about 10 min.

 

3) W Fort Lauderdale

- This is a bit pricey, but we enjoy the W Hotel vibe. It's right next door to the Hilton and is a great choice for people who are loyal to Starwood. There's a DJ at the pool on Saturday starting at 1pm or so and if you want serenity, there's a second pool on the west side of the hotel.

 

On a separate note, I'm surprised to continue to read reviews about the norovirus issues on the Solstice. It seems they've been going on since November. I'm hopeful the issues will be resolved before Jan 8!

 

John

[speedlady]

This is our 15th cruise. We're traveling with friends we met on the Summit going to Hawaii in 2006 and cruised with a year ago on the Mercury. Looking forward to seeing the Solstice!

[crc88]

Wohoo - first post. :)

 

My boyfriend and I will be on the 1/8/12 sailing! We're both super excited!! It's our first big vacation together so we're both giddy with anticipation. This will be my 12th cruise (5th on Celebrity), but my BFs first. I've never sailed on any Solstice class ship so I'm very eager to see what new and exciting features the ship has.

 

We're both only 23 so we should be fairly easy to spot! My only concern being a gay couple on this cruise, is getting stuck with table mates at dinner who aren't OK with us. I know we can move, but I'd rather avoid the hassle. Anyone have any experience with this?

[squidward]

Wohoo - first post. :)

 

My boyfriend and I will be on the 1/8/12 sailing! We're both super excited!! It's our first big vacation together so we're both giddy with anticipation. This will be my 12th cruise (5th on Celebrity), but my BFs first. I've never sailed on any Solstice class ship so I'm very eager to see what new and exciting features the ship has.

 

We're both only 23 so we should be fairly easy to spot! My only concern being a gay couple on this cruise, is getting stuck with table mates at dinner who aren't OK with us. I know we can move, but I'd rather avoid the hassle. Anyone have any experience with this?

 

Welcome CRC! Table mates can be hit or miss, but in my experience Celebrity passengers have been very cool and we've never had any major problems with our seating arrangements.

 

You probably also know that after the first night a lot of people change tables,you just have to ask. We were once seated with another male couple and a newlywed opposite-sex couple on the first night. On the second night, the opposite-sex couple moved to a table with two other young opposite sex couples. We tried not to take it personally!:D

 

Look forward to meeting you on the ship.:)

[rcoasterz]

Welcome CRC! Table mates can be hit or miss, but in my experience Celebrity passengers have been very cool and we've never had any major problems with our seating arrangements.

 

You probably also know that after the first night a lot of people change tables,you just have to ask. We were once seated with another male couple and a newlywed opposite-sex couple on the first night. On the second night, the opposite-sex couple moved to a table with two other young opposite sex couples. We tried not to take it personally!:D

 

Look forward to meeting you on the ship.:)

 

We've always had welcoming table mates, too, although I get worried about it beforehand. We are doing specialty restaurants a few nights so it won't be so bad. We've also ended up having great luck before where we ended up with another gay couple who've joined us on a subsequent cruise.

 

12th cruise by age 23 is impressive! I'm 29 and my partner will celebrate his 32nd birthday on the cruise (somehow we always get to go on cruises for his birthday while I end up at a work conference for mine).

[CelebfanChicago]

While this is only our 4th cruise as a couple, we've never had an issue and always enjoyed our table mates from all different backgrounds. Definitely wouldn't worry about it - it's their issue, not yours.

[mitttocs]

Only 11 days and counting --- we'll all have to look for a F.O.D. meeting before dinner on Sunday ------

[crc88]

What exactly is "Friends of Dorothy?" I've seen several mentions of it, but never a full explanation.

[mitttocs]

Gay/Lesbian --- F.O.D. "codename" indicating where a meet and greet will take place

[crc88]

Are they in the Daily Activities or does it take a little more digging to find the time / location?

[squidward]

They used to include FOD meetings in the daily activity newsletter, but now they post them on a bulletin-board like thing near guest services.

 

Regardless - on every Celebrity ship I've been on the gays always seem to instinctively congregate at the Martini Bar before dinner each night. I know that's where we'll be! We usually get there around 7:00 PM. ;)

 

Ed

[crc88]

Can't WAIT!! Less than 10 days. Already started my laundry backlog in preparation for the warm weather.

 

We're both on shoestring budgets, which means fewer martinis at the martini bar for us, but if we have to have one, is there a specialty you'd recommend?

 

I forgot to introduce ourselves earlier - our names are Chris (me) and Jason. Say hi if you see us around!

[mitttocs]

Chris and Jason,

 

Tim and Scott here -- from Mass. See you at the Martini Bar on Sunday the 8th! There are several other couples who introduced themselves a bit earlier in the thread......

[squidward]

Can't WAIT!! Less than 10 days. Already started my laundry backlog in preparation for the warm weather.

 

We're both on shoestring budgets, which means fewer martinis at the martini bar for us, but if we have to have one, is there a specialty you'd recommend?

 

I forgot to introduce ourselves earlier - our names are Chris (me) and Jason. Say hi if you see us around!

 

For the budget minded I recommend Smirnoff Vodka, straight up with olives. ;)

 

The martinis at the martini bar are twice as big as those from the other bars on the ship and only cost a couple of dollars more. More bang for your buck.

 

Smirnoff is a nice smooth vodka that is priced less than top-shelf brands. Plus, you're not wasting a penny on non-alcohol ingredients like fruit juice that you could get for free at the buffet.

 

Just remember what they say: Martinis are like ***s. One is not enough and three is too many.:D

[crc88]

For the budget minded I recommend Smirnoff Vodka, straight up with olives. ;)

 

Haha well that type of martini is coming with us in our suitcases ;) So maybe we'll try a fruity drink to mix it up a bit!

[squidward]

Haha well that type of martini is coming with us in our suitcases ;) So maybe we'll try a fruity drink to mix it up a bit!

 

Just make sure you put it in an Poland Spring or Evian bottle, so they won't confiscate it!

 

People are so funny about sneaking booze on board - if you just put it in a water bottle, how will they know? And if you prefer darker liquors - an ice tea bottle or orange juice carton would work just fine.:D