Millennium v Solstice Class

[JohnSC]

We are veterans of some fifty plus cruises with various cruise lines but have recently formed an attachment to Celebrity's Millennium Class ships.We were attracted by the size and configuration of the ships and, as dancers, by the Rendezvous Lounge. To expand the range of itineraries we would need to switch to the larger Solstice class ships. I have perused the various deck plans of the S class ships and could find no corresponding venue: just a proliferation of specialty restaurants where the Rendezvous lounge was located. My question to you who have cruised with the Solstice Class is what has replaced the Rendezvous long on these ships? Other than the "disco" is there an area for dancing? I suspect that it is on one of the upper decks away from the main flow of traffic and if so it is probably isolated and poorly attended. I hope that I am wrong and would like to hear from others who have cruised on there ships.

[cle-guy]

The Rondezvous lounge is sorely missed on the S class ships.

 

However what they do, is have the dancing in the Sky lounge many nights (or Quasar on those ships with it o some extent).

 

Also the atrium/grand staircase area is set up to have a live band play and people dance, the Passport Bar nearby serves as a place to sit and watch and get a drink. There are many seating areas in the location as well. The soaring atrium has a nice feel to me than that low ceilings in Rondezvus.

 

They do all the dancing with the officers, and other such contests and activities in this multi-purpose Atrium space

 

Having the dancing in the atrium, provides a great atmosphere, I think. Others would strongly disagree.

 

It's also nice to be in Martini bar and watch the goings on down in the atrium area.

Edited December 10, 2014 by cle-guy

[harz99]

We are veterans of some fifty plus cruises with various cruise lines but have recently formed an attachment to Celebrity's Millennium Class ships.We were attracted by the size and configuration of the ships and, as dancers, by the Rendezvous Lounge. To expand the range of itineraries we would need to switch to the larger Solstice class ships. I have perused the various deck plans of the S class ships and could find no corresponding venue: just a proliferation of specialty restaurants where the Rendezvous lounge was located. My question to you who have cruised with the Solstice Class is what has replaced the Rendezvous long on these ships? Other than the "disco" is there an area for dancing? I suspect that it is on one of the upper decks away from the main flow of traffic and if so it is probably isolated and poorly attended. I hope that I am wrong and would like to hear from others who have cruised on there ships.

 

You have two choices. The high up forward main Sky lounge (as long as it is not being used for private functions), and the midships Atrium which is far to small for the enjoyment of the entertainment put on there, in particular dancing will be very cramped.

 

I'm not a lover of the S class, much prefer the M class but in the end the itineraries dictate which ship I'm on.

 

Happy sailing.

[gek]

It's really weird they don't have a Rendezvous-type venue on the S-class ships. Every other ship I have been on has something similar. The events that would normally occur in the Rendezvous get farmed out to various other venues like Celebrity Central or the Ensemble Lounge which are not always suitable. I much prefer the M-class layout.

[Sloop-JohnB]

Mr Sloop & I are new cruisers... With 2 sailings on Celebrity... Solstice 2012 & Summit 2013. We too love to dance. For us we actually preferred our experiences on The Solstice vs The Summit... Partly because of the fact there were more venues / choices, and partly because of the layout of the spaces.

 

On our Solstice Sailing we found dancing in 3 areas of the ship... The Atrium - Quasar - and The Sky Lounge (although not necessarily all at the same time).

 

Like CLE-GUY we did not mind, but actually enjoyed The Atrium space and how Deck 3 was utilized in various ways during our cruise (dance revue, singers, bands, celebrity events... Like dancing with the stripes... And a space for Pax to dance). It was a very lively area, with something happening each evening. The space might not be ideal for dancing, but we found it adequate... And especially enjoyable on Formal Nights. On those nights it was very much the area of he ship to be in before & after dinner with the music, surrounding bars, and nearby photo stations (including one with the Master Captain). It was a buzz with ctivities... Quite electric & fun. Indeed it was filled with people, many on different levels taking in the view from above / around the railings / on the stairs etc.

 

Quasar we found although originally designed as a night club space just was not for us... On our cruise it was continually empty, or filled by teens hanging out or taking in techno music. Altough Quasar was advertised as an Adult Space it clearly was not. Not that I took any issue with that, cause it did seem to work well for the teens who were using it... And meant there were fewer in other areas.

 

The nights there were a live band in the Sky Lounge were awesome also. This space is high & forward and has windows on 3 sides. It is a large room with comfy seating & has a round bar in the middle. There is also a true dance floor and a bit of a stage to one side. We had a great evening here. (On our cruise this space felt a lot like a wedding hall... With both couples & families with smaller children present & partying. We had no issue with this... It definitely added to the mood. By 11 PM the kids were gone, and the place was really hopping)

 

On The Summit (at least our cruise) the Rendezvous Lounge was always packed... Which due to the layout of the ship... Where this lounge is in the middle, made it feel uncomfortable for us... Continually felt like we were in the midst of a major hallway.

 

Granted The Atrium is essentially part of a major hallway too... But I think the open concept layout of the S-Class Ships (all that air - glass - and steel) negated that feeling a bit... And a large volume of Pax just wanting to "see what is going on" do so from other floors above

 

We just could not get as comfy on The Summit as we did on The Solstice (and there was no dancing up in the Revelations Lounge on our cruise... Equivalent to the Sky Lounge on the S-Class. We found that to be a huge waste of a great area).

 

Our next cruise is on another M-Class Ship... I am hoping that the Dancing situation is better than we found on The Summit last year

 

Cheers!

PS... In addition to all these indoor venues... On our Caribbean Cruises there have also been Under The Star Parties on the Pool Deck with Bands & Dancing as well. We have enjoyed those too.

Edited December 10, 2014 by Sloop-JohnB

[RickT]

In a perfect world the ships would have both a Rendevous lounge and an Atrium.

 

When I'm on an M-Class ship I love Rendevous but miss the action/excitment of the Atrium. I find the Rendevous better for dancing and actually enjoying the band but on many nights I find it more empty than full which is a bit disappointing.

 

When I'm on the S-Class ship I love the open area of the Atrium and love how I can watch the band from the main floor or any of the levels above. On most cruises the Atrium is more lively and has a "buzz" which you don't find in the Rendezvous.

 

On the S-Class ships there is also a lot of live entertainment in the Ensemble Lounge which is similar to the Rendezvous lounge.

 

Having sailed both classes of ship I've learned it's just a matter of adjustment and willingness to try someplace.

 

All in all I do prefer the S-Class ship but don't hestiate to book an M-Class if it's the ship sailing where I want to go.

[JohnSC]

I would just like to thank all the folks who have taken the time to respond to my question. You have confirmed what I surmised from studying the deck plans of the S Class ships.I regret the loss of the rendezvous lounge, my favorite hangout on the M class and will probably look elswere to fulfill my need,

 

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[JohnSC]

The atrium is a transit point. Okay for listening to music as you transit the area but it is ni-ot a dance venue, If the S class ships prefr to dallocat spacse to restauranntr to the exclusion of dedisated dsnce ventue I will tape my businrr sldwhere

[jerrymanos]

I have only been on one S Class, but it was enough to let me know that I prefer M Class. On S Class in June, we mostly danced in the atrium. The main stairs empty onto the dance floor. Very inconvenient. I called it "dancing with the stairs". On formal night, a ship's photographer set up right on the dance floor to photograph people near the stairs. So one had to try to dance around the stairs, the people coming and going on the main set of stairs, the photographer and their equipment, and the line of people waiting to be photographed. How anyone thinks that is reasonable for dancing is beyond me.

 

It also depends on what type of music and dancing one prefers. My DW and I love to "couples dance" where we actually touch each other the whole dance. On the Solstice the band played music for that kind of dancing only about 45 minutes of each evening. Then they changed to what I call music only suitable to "rhythmic bobbing", where one doesn't need a partner. Many more young people enjoyed that type of music. I guess that I'm just too old for S Class and am not the target audience. In the future I will try to stick with M Class.

 

Because of the dancing on the S Class, my next cruise is with Cunard where I won't have to be concerned about music and venues not designed with couples dancing in mind. No one compares with Cunard's dance venues. But then again, younger dancers probably wouldn't want to dance to that music. The good news is that the younger generation will have more room to dance because we will be on Cunard (or M Class if I can't find an itinerary on Cunard that I want.)

 

Jerry of Jerry and Lady Kathryn

[latunxitom]

Every other ship I have been on has something similar.

[JohnSC]

I have only been on one S Class, but it was enough to let me know that I prefer M Class. On S Class in June, we mostly danced in the atrium. The main stairs empty onto the dance floor. Very inconvenient. I called it "dancing with the stairs". On formal night, a ship's photographer set up right on the dance floor to photograph people near the stairs. So one had to try to dance around the stairs, the people coming and going on the main set of stairs, the photographer and their equipment, and the line of people waiting to be photographed. How anyone thinks that is reasonable for dancing is beyond me.

 

It also depends on what type of music and dancing one prefers. My DW and I love to "couples dance" where we actually touch each other the whole dance. On the Solstice the band played music for that kind of dancing only about 45 minutes of each evening. Then they changed to what I call music only suitable to "rhythmic bobbing", where one doesn't need a partner. Many more young people enjoyed that type of music. I guess that I'm just too old for S Class and am not the target audience. In the future I will try to stick with M Class.

 

Because of the dancing on the S Class, my next cruise is with Cunard where I won't have to be concerned about music and venues not designed with couples dancing in mind. No one compares with Cunard's dance venues. But then again, younger dancers probably wouldn't want to dance to that music. The good news is that the younger generation will have more room to dance because we will be on Cunard (or M Class if I can't find an itinerary on Cunard that I want.)

 

Jerry of Jerry and Lady Kathryn

 

We fully agree with you. At least on the QM2 those who prefer "bobbing" to dancing have the disco to go to.

[cle-guy]

On The Summit (at least our cruise) the Rendezvous Lounge was always packed... Which due to the layout of the ship... Where this lounge is in the middle, made it feel uncomfortable for us... Continually felt like we were in the midst of a major hallway.

 

This is a great observation I had forgotten about. Especially near dining times, the hallways are lined up with people queuing for entry into the dining room. Almost feels like the lines in customs at disembarkation!

[Sloop-JohnB]

This is a great observation I had forgotten about. Especially near dining times, the hallways are lined up with people queuing for entry into the dining room. Almost feels like the lines in customs at disembarkation!

 

Hi CLE-GUY,

 

In reality... If one looks at Deck Plans neither of the most utilized spaces for Dancing on either the M or S Class Ships are ideal... Both are not seperate rooms off the beaten path... Both are in the thick of things (sort of a bulge in between two hallways)

 

Rendezvous Lounge seems more cramped because it is a less open space to begin with. But it is in the middle of the ship on a MAJOR Deck... Halfway between the MDR, the Casino & the Theatre. If you happen to get a seat along the sides (more prone if you are a late comer / Late Diner) you feel like you are truly in a hallway as so much traffic goes from one end of the ship to the other

 

In my opinion that glorious space known as the Revelations / Sky Lounge at the forward top of the ship is ideal for partying / dancing... But is waaaaay under used for this on Celebrity Ships.

 

I suppose that is because many find it "out of the way" vs all the other venues

 

Another case of danged if you do ... Danged if you don't. Hard to please one & all

Cheers!

Edited December 11, 2014 by Sloop-JohnB