REVIEW -6/16/12 Mediterranean Venice Cruise on Solstice

[Wonders10]

Hi everyone! I thought I would do my review a little bit differently than some others I've seen. I decided to write it in installments, more like a trip journal with my opinions and reviews thrown in. Feel free to ask questions though. I'm still working on downloading all my photos and getting photos from other people in our group but I'll try my best to get updates up as quick as possible. I will say that this was the best cruise and in my top 2 vacations of my entire life. I almost had tears in my eyes leaving the ship.

So here we go...

Some background on this trip…over a year ago my family (consisting of my mom, brother, sister in law, 9 y/o nephew and 11 y/o niece and myself) had a 10 day Alaskan land and sea vacation booked for June 2012. For some reason though, we just weren’t getting excited about it and after getting some brochures for cruises in Europe, we all decided to cancel Alaska and take a Celebrity’s Mediterranean Venice Cruise on the Solstice. This was a retirement vacation for my mom who will be retiring in a few months. The 12-night cruise started and ended in Barcelona and had stops in Split (Croatia), Kotor (Montenegro), Venice (overnight), Naples, Rome, Florence and Provence (docked in Toulon). We booked one pre-night hotel and transfer with Celebrity at the Hotel Regina.

I'm going to stop here while I get my Barcelona pictures completed. Also, for future reference we did 3 tours with RomeInLimo towards the end of our cruise so look forward to that if you are curious about RIL.

Thanks for reading!

[d4m]

Looking forward to your review!

[librarylady19]

I really want to take this cruise but I'll have to settle for reading about yours for now!

[LDR]

Looking forward to more! I will have my turn on Solstice in 70 days:)

[Golfgal]

Looking forward to reading all about your cruise. We're doing a similar itinerary this August :).

[mgmigs]

Can't wait to see and hear your review. Doing this same trip in August except kotor is switched with dubrovnik Croatia. We are also staying at Regina pre-cruise.

[mahdnc]

I also look forward to reading your review. Exactly 5 years ago today, we were disembarking Millennium in Barcelona.........

[buzzybuzzbuzz]

Looking forward to your review, we have the same itinerary except for Cannes instead of Toulon.:)

[BBsails]

Tap, tap, tappity, tap, tap. Get that review going, please. We're also on a similar itinerary in October, stopping in Cannes instead of Toulon, and in Dubrovnik instead of Split.

 

Betsy

[Wonders10]

Thanks for your eagerness to read the review...hope you all enjoy! Here we go...

 

Thursday June 14th into Friday June 15th:

 

We arrived at Fort Lauderdale airport around 9am for our flight to Toronto on Air Canada. Flight was smooth and on time…a couple hours later, we were back in the air heading for Barcelona. I managed to sleep a little bit until a crying baby woke me up. I have sympathy for the crying baby but what annoyed all of us, was what they were doing to console the baby (or what they weren’t doing rather). Mom was no where to be found and no one else in the family seemed to be doing anything effective to calm him down. Eventually he did fall asleep and we landed safely in Barcelona. I had arranged a half day tour and hotel transfer with Barcelona Day Tours. We landed a bit late and took our time getting our bags and things…but our driver (we think his name was George – we were all exhausted and he introduced himself very quickly) was waiting for us and quickly ushered us to our Mercedes van. We began with a visit to a scenic overlook (and I think a museum that we didn't go into and the Olympic stadium:

 

 

 

 

 

Then, we drove through the Harbour and old fishing village. I was really excited to see some of the Gaudi sites up close and personal.

 

 

Ugh...just realized I'm over my photo limit. Continued in next post...

 

[Wonders10]

We then made it over to La Sagrada Familia:

 

 

 

 

followed by a drive down La Ramblas, and lastly, Parc Guell.

 

 

 

 

In all the stops, except for La Ramblas, we were given some time to walk around and explore the sites. He was very informative, friendly, easy to understand and I would definitely use their company again. He dropped us off at our hotel, Hotel Regina around 1:30 or so. The hotel was located at the top of La Ramblas, around the corner from Placa Catalunya. In our short time in Barcelona, I would say the hotel was in a great location.

 

Continued...

[Wonders10]

Continued...

I apologize in advance for having no pics of the hotel, but it looks similar to pictures I saw online prior and it was very clean. Hotel Regina was nice and served its purpose, but they weren’t the friendliest staff (could just be a cultural thing because they weren’t necessarily rude either) but you could hear your neighbors and all the doors slamming. It quieted way down by the time we went to bed though. Our 3 rooms were ready, unfortunately on all different floors, and we settled in for a quick nap before more exploring on our own and dinner.

 

After resting and freshening up, we headed out for some food and settled on a tapas restaurant not far from the hotel. We had an assortment of tapas – fried sardines, peppers, olives, bread, cured meats and cheeses and a Spanish omelette. It was good, but it was definitely not the best meal of the trip. After eating, we walked down La Ramblas, stopping at the Boqueria market and made it all the way down to the Columbus Statue and the waterfront, then just sat and enjoyed that feeling of finally “being there”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A cute square off of the Ramblas with cafes and things:

 

 

We then headed back in the direction of the hotel with a mission. A dessert mission. 3 of us wanted gelato and 3 wanted hot chocolate with churros. By chance, we rounded a corner (towards the square pictured above) and found a cute family owned café that sold both things we wanted. I was part of the churro and chocolate group and O.M.G…was it delicious! This is no swiss miss. The chocolate is thick and rich and you can actually eat it with a spoon, like chocolate soup. Yum…one of the best desserts of the trip. Okay ever. By this point we were getting really tired and headed back to the hotel where we got some much needed sleep.

 

I want to point out that in my research and readings on these boards, I had some negative opinions of Barcelona going into the trip. I was worried I would be scared and looking over my shoulder the whole time and that the city would look dirty and unsafe. It could not be farther from what I thought it’d be. I’m not saying it doesn’t have any of those things, but in our experience, we approached it as any big city and it was fine. We were all enthralled with Barcelona. We just wished we were a little less zombie like when exploring it lol.

 

Up next...Boarding the Solstice and 2 days at sea!

[Wonders10]

Saturday June 16th

The day we had been waiting for was here! In a few short hours, we’d be boarding the Solstice! Our package (again booked with Celebrity) included the hotel’s free breakfast buffet. It got the job done but I don’t think I would have paid the 11 euros or so of my own money to eat there. It included many cold cereals, a Spanish omelette, breads for toast and pastries, cured meats and cheeses, fruit, and juices and coffee. We filled our bellies, plus we weren’t concerned since we knew the Solstice was waiting for us! Our shuttle was scheduled to pick us up at 10 and I think they were pretty much on time. There was a rep from both Celebrity and Royal Caribbean in the lobby to answer any questions. We had a small bus and made one quick stop at another hotel before setting off for the port. They took care of our luggage and everything. After 5 cruises out of Fort Lauderdale and 1 out of Miami, this was by far the quickest and easiest check in of all my cruises. I would say within 15 minutes (or less) from getting out of the bus, I was on the beautiful Celebrity Solstice sipping my champagne.

It was around 11:30 I believe and we opted to grab some lunch at the Oceanview Café before it got too crowded. Let the eating begin! Then we just explored the ship and sat out by the pools, soaking in that fresh, “first day of your cruise” feeling.

It was hard to believe we still had 11 days ahead of us! Rooms were ready on time – I think 1:30ish so we headed that way. We had 3 rooms in AquaClass – my niece and I in 1676 (facing aft) and brother and sister in law in 1661, and mom and nephew in 1659 on the port side, aft, just around the corner from 1676. My mom and I both sailed on the Solstice a couple years ago and remembered it being a beautiful ship and nice staterooms and that continued on this trip, maybe even more so. I will say that our room steward left a little to be desired. It started when I opened our fridge and found what appeared to be separated grapefruit juice in it (it looked like dentures, minus the teeth). Then my brother found an opened milk in his fridge. Twice we returned from excursions to find our balcony door either unlocked or actually open and the straw that broke the camels back came when I was looking for the remote under the bed and found pills in one of the those Saturday-Sunday pill carriers. I attempted to bring them to the medical facility which was not open so I settled for guest relations, who appeared horrified that I found that in my stateroom. Nothing major and nothing that ruined the cruise by any means, but I think he would be one of our only true negatives related to Celebrity. I think it was hard because we had 3 rooms so if one of us didn’t get something, it was pretty obvious (sometimes, one of us wouldn’t get the celebrity today newsletter or more bottled waters). My opinion on it is that aqua class is one step below a suite and the people cleaning your room should be really on top of things and not make what I consider to be careless mistakes, like leaving gross liquids in the fridge and pills under the bed. But I digress. The room itself was beautiful and the aft view, amazing! Oh and after one night of gross canapés that none of us would eat, we asked for cheese and crackers instead which was delivered every day…very nice.

Our luggage arrived rather quickly and we all started to unpack a little before sailaway. At 5 o’clock, we all gathered on my aft balcony with a glass of champagne soon we were off to sea.

We completely ignored Blu’s suggestion of dinner at 8:30 and arrived shortly after 6. We had a great team of waiters who came to really like us I suspect as we often were seated in their section and if we weren’t, they would come over, say hello and make sure we had everything we needed. I was apprehensive about eating in Blu (for both myself and the kids) but I had no need to worry. It was delicious. For dinner the first night, we all had the Filet Mignon which was probably the best filet I have ever had (and it was huge!). I can’t remember everything we ordered every night, but I do remember our waiter bringing us an extra dessert “for the table” on this night so we could all try it. This would not be the last time they did this for us…

I have horrible notes about what we did after dinner, but I guarantee that my mom and I hit the casino and browsed the shops. I’m guessing we called it an early night as well. So far, it was a great first day on the ship!

[kat228]

I love "reviews" like this with pictures! It's how I do mine too, so I really appreciate the effort that goes into it. And the pretty pictures! The 5 picture (or is it 6?) limit per post gets annoying, doesn't it?!

 

I'm looking forward to seeing the rest!

[nycgrl2]

thank you for posting your review!!! we going on the Solstice on 8/15/12 for our honeymoon, and many of the stops are the same as yours, so reading about your trip is making me that much more excited for ours!

 

i look forward to reading the rest

[librarylady19]

Great review and pics! Barcelona os definitely on my bucket list...sounds like a couple of days at least pre-cruise are needed to explore.

[gold1953]

I took this cruise in April and was in 1676 . The room steward was the WORST ever!!. I actually wrote in the dust to bring it to his attention. Amenities were not replaced , the counters were left sticky.. and do you actually have any pages in your black binder?? He told us just to get the onfo from the TV..really!! I could go on and on!!

the ship , food and everything and everyone else were totally awesome .

The guy even walked into our cabin without knocking!! :eek:

[Wonders10]

I have to apologize again for my lack of pictures on sea days. And my horrible recollection of our evening plans. Hope you all are enjoying though...feel free to ask any questions!

Sunday June 17th

Today was Father’s Day and as my father passed away a few years ago, I don’t really acknowledge it anymore but for my brother’s sake, I don’t recall anything special being done for the day except for a sale on “gifts for dad” in the shops, like watches and things. The girls in the group started the day with breakfast in Blu. It was delicious and I loved our mornings there. I had a traditional eggs, bacon and toast breakfast. I especially loved the fresh squeezed grapefruit juice as an alternative to OJ. And just like last night, our waiter brought us a parfait "for the table" to try. I’m not a huge yogurt fan but it was tasty. Then it was time for us to go our separate ways and my mom and I spent a rough morning lounging by the pool. We all met back up again for a quick lunch at the buffet where most of us opted for sandwiches from the make your own sandwich station.

Then it was time for round two of pool lounging before heading to the galley tour, which we insist on doing even though every galley looks the same to me. But, we got a free glass of champagne, which helped. They also had someone in the galley passing out treats like pastries and chocolate covered strawberries - a first for us. We decided to test out the gelato ($3 for 1-2 flavors and $5 for 3-4 flavors). We made a rookie mistake of getting cones and it was a sticky mess but the gelato was still yummy.

By this point, we opted to head back to the room to relax before getting ready for dinner. The kids were eating at the Fun Factory while the grown ups were going to eat at Silk Harvest. It was also formal night. Silk Harvest was not crowded at all, although it did seem to pick up as the cruise went on. I had read not so great reviews of this restaurant prior to us leaving, but I thought it was very delicious. With 4 of us, we ordered tons of food and I was stuffed to the gills when we left. And, like in Blu, the waiter gave us a sampling of the BBQ ribs even though we didn’t order them.

Tonight was “Solstice the Show”, which is the Cirque du Soleil type show and we all went. It was a great show but I remember liking it better the first time I saw it a few years ago. Have they changed it? Then mom and I hit the slots again and it was off to bed. Another great day on the Solstice.

 

Up next...another day at sea!

[Wonders10]

Monday June 18th

Some of us ate in Blu again today and I didn’t write down what I ate – I think this was the day I tried the tableside muesli. It was good…but if I got it again, I’d leave out the grapes and apricots. I’m loving Blu for breakfast, though. World’s better than the MDR to be honest. Then, my brother dragged the kids and the rest of us to the Secrets of Ship Navigation Lecture. I have no idea why I agreed to attend this, but I am so glad I did. One, it was actually really really interesting to listen to. Second, it was really, really fun watching the speaker, the Staff Captain (2nd in command), Tasos Kafetzis who was probably one of the most charming men I’ve ever “met”. He became my cruise crush for the rest of our vacation haha. From there, we immediately headed to the theater for the Split and Venice presentation since we were doing those cities on our own.

Then it was time to eat again! We opted for lunch in the MDR and I had a cheeseburger that was good, but not as good as the ones I ate from the Mast Grill. Mom and I headed to the Solarium for a nap, then made a visit to the Relaxation Lounge. I will mention here that my mom and I never stepped foot into the spa except for this one time. My brother and sister in law, however, went almost every single day to the Persian Gardens and/or the Sauna and Steam Room. They really enjoyed their time there. Anyway, after our time by the pool, we did our usual routine…Blu, casino, bed. I don’t think we went to the show tonight.

 

Up next...Our first port - Split! And I promise the return of pictures!

[Wonders10]

I took this cruise in April and was in 1676 . The room steward was the WORST ever!!. I actually wrote in the dust to bring it to his attention. Amenities were not replaced , the counters were left sticky.. and do you actually have any pages in your black binder?? He told us just to get the onfo from the TV..really!! I could go on and on!!

the ship , food and everything and everyone else were totally awesome .

The guy even walked into our cabin without knocking!! :eek:

 

He was definitely the worst room steward we have ever had. I forgot about him not replacing the shampoo and things...once he actually put the empty shower gel bottle back on the bathroom counter instead of throwing it out. What the heck do we need an empty bottle of soap for? I also got a creeped out feeling from him...but of course, no proof. Unfortunately he started off on the wrong foot and never redeemed himself.

[Wonders10]

Tuesday June 19th

Our first port! Today we tendered in Split, Croatia.

I had a hard time finding tons of info on this port prior to our cruise but it did seem doable to do on our own so that was our plan. We were off the ship relatively quickly (somehow, my brother hovered near the gangway stairs and managed to get us on a boat earlier than our tender ticket number). We walked straight into Diocletian’s Palace where our first stop was the cathedral.

It was beautiful and the first of MANY cathedrals we’d be visiting over the next 2 weeks. The cathedral had a bell tower that you could walk up…my mom had hurt her leg on the plane and didn’t want to do too much and I hate heights and closed in spaces so we hung back and the other 4 went up. They said it was a little scary…missing hand rails, rickety steps and ladders. Makes me feel less guilty for not doing it. We walked around the entire town and had our first of many gelatos. Then we found the statue of Grgur Ninski and rubbed his big toe for good luck.

Continued in next post...

[Wonders10]

We grabbed a quick slice of pizza that was pretty good and decided to take a walk to Bacvice Beach.

It was a farther walk than I thought and it was hotter than blazes. We did make it to the beach and I really wish I had my bathing suit on but walking in the Adriatic for a few minutes somewhat cooled us off and we headed back towards the ship where cold towels and water were waiting for us before we boarded the tender.

Bye Split!

The kids again had dinner with the kids club and the 4 grown ups ate at Blu, where we saw dolphins out the window! I am taking horrible notes on our evening plans, but it usually involved dinner, casino and maybe a show. Our opinion of Split was…”random”. It seemed like it was still working towards being a cruise port stop and in the town itself, not tons to do. Also some areas seemed very shady and I would not want to be near most of that area at night, alone.

Up Next...overnight in Venice!

[librarylady19]

He was definitely the worst room steward we have ever had. I forgot about him not replacing the shampoo and things...once he actually put the empty shower gel bottle back on the bathroom counter instead of throwing it out. What the heck do we need an empty bottle of soap for? I also got a creeped out feeling from him...but of course, no proof. Unfortunately he started off on the wrong foot and never redeemed himself.

 

Sorry to hear about the poor service. Did you complain to guest relations or the head housekeeper?

[tright]

I am loving your review!!! The pictures are beautiful. Thanks for taking the time and I am looking forward to the rest

[BBsails]

Uh-oh. We have an AQ cabin a few away from yours. So sorry to hear about the steward. Are you willing to share his first name? Initials? I was hoping we'd have a great steward because our cabin is near the suites.

 

Loving your review!

 

Betsy