Solstice Dec 11-18 - Hangin' with the Primate Posse

[subtchr]

Thanks for all the nice comments, everyone!

 

Sorry for the delay posting my final thoughts and pics, but I just spent a couple days visiting Nashville with some friends. By the way, if anyone is a music fan, specifically the Blues, I highly recommend checking to see if the Stacy Mitchhart Band is playing anywhere (they are frequently at BB King's or Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie). We gave his first show a try because he actually went to my high school, and we loved it so much we went the next night to hear him again! Great music, and lots of laughs!

 

Now back to your regularly scheduled cruise review...

 

I woke up early on the morning of our arrival back in Ft. Lauderdale, so I donned my X robe one more time and curled up on the balcony. I saw Allure pulling in ahead of us:

 

 

A few other early morning photos:

 

 

 

 

 

Bruce enjoying one more chance to read on the balcony:

 

[subtchr]

 

 

 

We had a 5:30 pm flight, so on the disembarkation questionnaire X has passengers complete I put that we had our own arrangements and asked for about a 9:15 departure. We received luggage tags #21, with instructions to proceed to the theater at 9:10, so that worked. We had plans to meet with some friends who live in Germany most of the year but were in Ft. Lauderdale this month to visit family.

 

We had breakfast in Blu, and it was both delicious and relaxing. The boys had eaten breakfast in Blu several times throughout the week, but this was the first time we had tried it. There is just not enough time on a 7-day cruise to do everything!

 

After breakfast we finished packing up our small things and left the cabin just before 8:00, when all passengers were supposed to be out of the cabins. We found some deck chairs in the sun, which we enjoyed until the window-washing equipment above started approaching the area:

 

 

We proceeded to the theater about 9, and our number was called about 9:20 or so. So sad to hear that "bing" for the last time this trip as we departed! Luggage retrieval was easy, as groups of bags were clearly marked by the disembarkation number. Then a bit of a line for customs, maybe 20 minutes or so. After that, easy to find a taxi for the short distance to where we were meeting our friends. We had a great day catching up with them, with lunch at the 15th Street Fisheries and a drive around town. Our flight from FLL to ATL was delayed about an hour, but we had a long layover in ATL, so that was not a problem.

 

We made it home late Sunday night, happy to see our daughter, son, his fiance, and the dog, but sad our relaxing vacation was over!

 

I'll post more later today with my final thoughts, some comparisons with Royal, and a few other items. Let me know if anyone would like any specific info!

[starlake]

Thanks Sue for the great review and pictures. We are also on the March 4 cruise and really found your review to be outstanding.

I really can't wait for the cruise.:)

[WisCruiser2]

Great review and photos (I'm always a sucker for sunrise/sunsets)! We were on the Solstice in '09 & looking forward to a return this February. We're doing the Eastern itinerary, but may have to try the Western one NEXT time -- I hear the snorkeling on Roatan is the best!

[subtchr]

Happy New Year to all!

 

I thought I would add a few random thoughts and observations from our great vacation.

 

FOOD

 

I would not consider us "foodies", but we are willing to try just about anything, and we love cruises for the opportunity to try new things and enjoy nice dining experiences.

 

OCEANVIEW CAFE

 

Bruce ate all but one breakfast and also most of his onboard lunches at the Oceanview Cafe. I had quite a few meals and snacks there, as well, but I like to mix it up a bit, too.

 

We were both able to find some things we really liked here. Pizza and pasta are available from noon to after midnight each day. I found the pizza quite good, especially the veggie. Ice cream was also available throughout the day, both hard and soft serve. I am a big fan of the soft serve, very creamy.

 

We had made-to-order omelets one morning, but I never tried the famous waffles. Bruce had one and said it was just okay. I did have french toast one morning before they were making the waffles, and it was quite good, especially with fruit topping.

 

The only inconvenience at the buffet was that there was no self-serve because of the noro restrictions in place. This created lines when there would not normally have been any, but it was not a deal-breaker. The staff worked very hard to keep things moving, but even so, Bruce and I estimated that they probably go through something like 20% less food when people cannot serve themselves. Purely personal speculation, but between unwillingness to wait in line and reluctance to ask the server for as much as one might take on one's own, it may even be more than that.

 

One of our favorite places on our last cruise, on Royal's Serenade of the Seas, was the outside eating area at the back of the Windjammer Buffet, so we were happy to see that Solstice featured a similar area. It's so nice to be out in the warm Caribbean air, watching the water, while you enjoy a meal or snack.

 

MAST GRILL

 

I only ate here once, a burger and fries, and it was quite tasty. Be sure to ask for "Celebrity Sauce" on the burger, very good!

 

CAFE al BACIO

 

My son and his partner frequented this venue much more than we did, and they loved it. We each did stop by a few times for a chai or coffee, especially since we had the premium beverage package. The small pastries were delicious (and are complimentary, no need to purchase a beverage here).

 

BISTRO on FIVE

 

We had planned to eat here for lunch on embarkation day, but with the late start, we did not make it until the last sea day for lunch. Delicious! We each had the beef panini, and I also had a cup of soup. Then we split the Italian dessert crepe - nutella and banana - WOW! Highly recommend it.

 

GELATERIA

 

We enjoyed the ice cream in the Oceanview so much that we never did try the gelato here, but the boys did, often (they had some OBC to use!), and said it was great.

 

AQUA SPA CAFE

 

The hours here were a bit limited (typically 7:30 - 10:00 breakfast, 12-2 for lunch), but I had breakfast here a couple mornings, and it was good. I had a smoothie one day (included in the premium package), and it was just okay. They are also not very large, so if I had paid separately for it I might have been a bit disappointed.

 

GRAND EPERNAY (MDR)

 

We never ate here - in fact, the only time we stepped in the room was for the muster drill, since our station was here. It felt cramped when we did that, and there are so many other choices we never felt the need to dine there. Having said that, if they had held the brunch buffet, we would have tried it, but that was cancelled because of the noro restrictions. We will probably stick with Aqua for future cruises on X, so I hope to experience the brunch someday.

 

SILK HARVEST

 

We had fun here with the boys, although service was a bit harried and the food was inconsistent. Several very good dishes and a few mediocre. The warm sake was delicious, and complimented the meal very well.

 

TUSCAN GRILL and MURANO - We did not try these, but the boys did and enjoyed them, especially Murano.

 

BLU

 

Wow, we loved it. Definitely a reason for us to book Aqua in the future. So much more intimate, and sophisticated without being pretentious at all. In spite of having several different servers throughout the week, the service was warm and personal, and the pace of the meals was just perfect. I have mentioned her before, but the female sommelier (Maggie, for short) provided what to us was the epitome of perfect service.

 

We had dinner in Blu every night except one, and had breakfast on disembarkation morning. To us, the menu was no more exotic than the MDR. We never did try the three "everyday" offerings, and in fact often had trouble choosing from among the options each evening. My favorite dish of the week was the short ribs - yum!

 

ROOM SERVICE

 

The only day we had room service was a lunch I ordered the first sea day. The menu that is available on the interactive menu on the tv was a bit limited, but I am not sure if you actually call and ask, whether more choices were available.

 

More thoughts to come...

[Buranogal]

Hi Its soo late but i just cant stop drooling over your review and soo envious what a fantastic computer person you are. I cant even get my signature to work properly. Too bad we are 1000's miles away lol. If we are in AQ class are we allowed in the swirl pool thingy?? Sadly all that was left was up front of ship but hey who cares we are on holidays. I just am concerned if we will mee others if we dine in Blu some reviews say no :( What worries me most that when I shut down my laptop I will lose your link to the review. I dont know how I stumbled across now..dont laugh. Please send me the link via my email just incase..mirandavale8599@bigpond.com many thanx I dont want to miss a thing cheers Liz

[bessinfl]

Sue, thanks so much for the lovely review. We were supposed to be on this cruise but had to cancel (and I know Larry and Jan from the Solstice last April). I definitely am going to head for the Western Caribbean ports and the excursions you all took, and I'm glad you enjoyed Nachi Cocom; it was a favorite of mine last year on an NCL cruise. This was a really fun trip report to read, and I'm so sorry I missed getting to hang with you all!

[dblane]

Sue-- Have really enjoyed your review, almost like going with you. Your pixs of that last morning coming into the harbor always makes me sad. I love being out on the ocean, I have a saying in my scrapbook that sort of says it all. "The waves of the sea help me get back to me." I stand at the deck rail and just let that feeling become part of me. Donna and I will be there again on Feb 5th. Thanks for sharing with our rollcall.

[subtchr]

Your pixs of that last morning coming into the harbor always makes me sad. I love being out on the ocean, I have a saying in my scrapbook that sort of says it all. "The waves of the sea help me get back to me." I stand at the deck rail and just let that feeling become part of me.

 

Diane, thanks for the kind words and for sharing your quote. I feel the same way on any cruise, and it was especially true on this cruise, after the recent passing of my father. And the bittersweet feeling coming back into the harbor hits me every time as well!

 

Different observations keep popping into my head, so bear with me if you are interested!

 

Even though we are very relaxed travelers who find enjoyment out of every vacation we are fortunate enough to be able to take, we could not help but compare Celebrity to our previous experiences on Royal Caribbean. I'll preface the comparisons by saying that there are MANY more similarities than differences between the two lines, and we will continue to cruise both lines, dependent on itinerary and price.

 

First, a few areas where WE felt X outshines RC:

 

- Mast Grill and Aqua Spa Cafe

 

Although we did not use either venue often, and we do not generally spend much time at the outdoor pool, it was very nice to have a casual food venue there. No need to dress to go to the buffet, just grab a burger or hot dog in your swimsuit! And the Aqua Spa Cafe was perfectly located, within the relaxing Solarium. The only drawback was the limited hours.

 

The reason I mention the location was that on some RC ships, (I specifically remember our first cruise on Grandeur of the Seas) the casual food venue was located within the Solarium. So kids, who were not supposed to be permitted in the Solarium, had to pass through it to get pizza or burgers or fries. Not ideal!

 

- Gifts in the cabin!

 

Okay, this is so minor it's hardly worth mentioning, but we joked that this was the cruise of the bags! They just kept appearing...first, I believe everyone received one of these in the cabin:

 

 

And since we were in Aqua Class, we received one of these (plus the slippers, lip balm, and hydrating spray):

 

 

Then a couple days later we had one of these. I THOUGHT they were for Captain's Club members (we are Select on X because of our Platinum status on RC), but our son and his partner got one, too, and they are new to CC:

 

 

I actually really like that one, as I use it at the grocery store, putting my wallet in the detachable small bag inside the larger bag.

 

And although this was not from X, I must mention our lovely Primate Posse member Leslie, who gave us these great bags (and calendars, and magnets, and other cool stuff - what a sweetheart!):

 

 

We also received chocolates on our pillows each night, but no towel animals. I believe others did receive towel animals, so that must be a matter of which cabin attendant one has.

 

I hope everyone takes this in the spirit in which it is intended - I would NOT book a cruise only because I get gifts! (Or decide not to book a cruise because I didn't get any!) I have read longtime cruisers on Royal who mention they have dozens of bags or ballcaps or whatever else they used to give as Crown and Anchor gifts. And if we ever get to that point, I'd feel the same way. But as we got a laugh about the stream of complimentary bags (and they have been added to my stash of reusable grocery bags!), I thought I would share!

 

- Availability of Beverage Packages

 

Even though I am sure we did not break even (comparing what we consumed vs. what it would have cost us separately), we LOVED the all-inclusive feel of the premium beverage package, especially at dinner. Trying different wines and after-dinner liqueurs was great fun.

 

If it is within our budget, I will definitely consider purchasing it again.

 

- Cold washcloths and drinks at the dock

 

Again, not a deal-breaker either way, but a wonderful touch. For those who might not be aware, on port days, X erects a tent on the dock where passengers either enter the ship or board the tender. When you arrive back to the ship from a tour or beach or whatever, you are greeted by smiling X employees bearing cold water or fruit punch, and iced washcloths, which feel amazing on the face and neck after a day in the sun. Sometimes it's the simple things!

 

- No incessant announcements during the day

 

I know there was bingo offered, but I am happy to say we didn't have to hear about it!

 

More to come, including some things we liked better on RC, I promise!

[subtchr]

Life keeps getting in the way of me finishing my review!

 

A couple other things that occurred to be as advantages Celebrity has over Royal Caribbean, in our opinion.

 

- TOWELS

 

I loved that there was no need to check out pool towels on X, as there is on RC. And the beach towels that are left in the cabin (and must be returned, or there will be a charge) are quite large, so it's nice to have those for excursions.

 

- BLU

 

We always enjoyed the MDR on RC, and I'm sure we would have been fine dining there on the Solstice, but Blu was AMAZING. We booked Aqua because our son and his partner, after reading reviews, wanted to be able to eat in Blu, so we went along to be able to dine with them. Well, as long as it is within the budget, we will ALWAYS book AQ - Blu was that good. Not just the great food, freshly prepared, but even moreso the service and ambience. Intimate, and sophisticated without being pretentious. A great experience.

 

- BATHROOM DESIGN

 

Actually we don't mind the design of the bathrooms in the cabins we have had on RC, especially those with shower doors instead of curtains, but I thought the one on Solstice was terrific. Some people complain about the sink design, but we did not have any problem with it, and the generous cabinets to the right of the sink are brilliant. As I said, we have always had enough storage on RC, with the cabinets behind the mirrors, but this was even better. Again, a small thing, but these touches all combine to make for a very pleasant week aboard.

 

OK, now for a few things we missed from the Royal ships on which we have sailed!

 

- PROMENADE DECK

 

No, not the Royal Promenade (that's next!), but the promenade deck, where one can walk all the way around the ship, or sit and watch the water in a quiet spot. Here it is on Serenade:

 

 

You can also go to the helipad:

 

 

 

Yes, Solstice has a couple areas on Deck 5 that are similar:

 

 

But much of that deck feels closed in by the lifeboats:

 

 

And you cannot walk around the ship on that Deck.

[subtchr]

- ROYAL PROMENADE

 

No, not all Royal ships have this - 2 of the 4 we sailed did - but we love it as a large, open, central space for shops, restaurants, bars, and people watching! We certainly will cruise on ships without one, but it is a great space.

 

- EVENING ENTERTAINMENT

 

We went to several of the shows on Solstice and enjoyed them for the most part, but we do feel RC outshines X a bit in this area. We are far from night owls looking for parties until the wee hours, but we do like to attend the show most nights.

 

One mode of entertainment we did like better on X was the choice of shows on the interactive tv. We actually spent more time in our lovely cabin this cruise than we had in the past, and in exploring the options, we found several very good free On Demand movies, as well as some fascinating short documentaries about the Solstice. The only problem was that there were times that the tv service was glitchy - either hard to get movies to come up, or a problem showing our onboard account. And we always enjoy the navigational channel (what can I say, we are both former USAF Navigators.), but that was not working during our cruise. It came up, but was not showing correct info.

 

I"m sure I will think of more in the coming days, but until then, please let me know if anyone has any questions for me. We had a wonderful cruise and will definitely be sailing X again!

 

[redhot1]

Thank you for a great review and the pics are fanastic. Made you feel like you were there. I am sorry about your dad but our prayers will be with you. Loved all the insight. We are planning a european cruise next year and you certainly gave us a feel for the ship and services. nice to see a positive point . :)

[Candleonwater]

Thank you for this thread! I've been curious about Celebrity, contemplating straying from RCL... if you can call it straying!

 

BUT you've also helped me understand exactly what it is that I like about cruising! Our 2011 cruise happened less than 2 months after my mother passed away. I wasn't sure if we should go, but DD pointed out that my mother would have wanted me to go.

 

Every cruise to us is therapy, a chance to get away from the realities of every day living, to recharge and relax and be pampered. Besides the beautiful ships and amazing service, there is something about being on the water that is elemental, that allows one to feel tranquility. At least it does for me. So I spent a lot of time on the balcony or elsewhere on the ship just watching the water, thinking of my dad. Don't get me wrong, I also had a great time laughing with my husband and some new friends, and we had some great shore excursions, as you will see if you stick with me. But there was some healing going on as well.

[The Big Booper]

I laughed at your comment on the difficulty of trying to photograph the art work in the Ensemble lounge entrance room. I went crazy trying daytime, nighttime, flash, available light, etc. Nothing worked.:confused:

 

We enjoyed your trip report a lot, we had been on the Solstice June 2010 and just finished the Silhouette around the same time frame as your trip. The Silhouette also put up a large display overnight in the Grand Foyer for Christmas, the guys worked from midnight to 5 AM.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Thanks for the great review and pictures! We're taking our first Celebrity cruise in Dec......on their new ship.....Reflection. We're in Aqua Class and are looking forward to dining in Blu. By any chance do you have the menus? My DH is a bit of a fussy eater.....not a fish/seafood/lamb kind of guy so I hope there are choices that will appeal to him. Me......I love it all! :)

[subtchr]

Thanks for the great review and pictures! We're taking our first Celebrity cruise in Dec......on their new ship.....Reflection. We're in Aqua Class and are looking forward to dining in Blu. By any chance do you have the menus? My DH is a bit of a fussy eater.....not a fish/seafood/lamb kind of guy so I hope there are choices that will appeal to him. Me......I love it all! :)

 

Sorry, I don't have the menus, but we absolutely loved Blu! There were some amazing steak/beef dishes, and a steak on the "every night" menu as well, although we never tried it. Besides the food, the atmosphere and service were just amazing.

 

Enjoy!

[Killington]

Hi to The Primate Posse

 

Having seen your thread, and what a lively and active roll call group you had, and loving your name, I offered a version of it to our roll call that seemed very suitable for Antarctica 17 Feb 2013. This was accepted and we are now "The Penguin Posse" :)

 

Work is already in progress for name buttons, T-shirts etc. So a big thank you for the inspiration.

 

Frances

[gw2fll]

Sue: Thank you for the excellent write-up. It was your feedback that helped us decide to book on Solstice Alaska in 2013. Thanks again...

[happy cruzer]

Loved your pictures of the ship. Very helpful. Gets me really excited to be on Celebrity again.

[twosit]

I am sorry for your loss.

What a great review and pictures. It was funny, as I was reading your review I was wondering if you ever went to breakfast at Blu. As much as we enjoyed dinner in Blu--the breakfast was our favorite part.

We also visited Upachaya when we visited Roatan. Roatan has the bbest snorkeling we have ever experienced. We did the snorkel boat trip--it was different than the kayak tour. We really enjoyed it a lot and would recommend it to others. The last time we went there was not enough availability at Upachaya for our group so we chartered The Free Radical catamaran for a snorkel tour. That was really awesome. The snorkeling was great and the food and drinks were incredible.