Celebrity Solstice South Pacific Review - with PHOTOS and MENUS!

[LuckiePuris]

 

As we had skipped lunch while on shore, I grabbed some miso soup and sushi from the buffet for us to enjoy on our balcony as we sailed away, which would carry us over for dinner.

 

 

 

We had martinis at the martini bar, and molecular cocktails before dinner. Martini bar menu below.

 

[LuckiePuris]

 

At our table by the window we were able to see the pilot leave on the pilot boat which was quite exciting.

There were some amazing sorters tonight to pick from! We both had the venison carpaccio and clam chowder, however there was also duck confit as well as your regular prawn cocktails, escargots etc.

With the entree / main courses, the dishes that are available every night do vary by a dish or two here or there. They had steak in this section so my partner enjoyed and loved that, while I had the chicken Kiev. Mains were simple however done very well. With dessert, we were also offered a dish off the menu - grand marnier soufflé which I jumped at, and my partner had the crème brûlée with is on the always available dessert list.

 

 

We always have the best intentions of staying up after dinner, but at 10.30pm, we rolled into bed and ready for a sea day.

[LuckiePuris]

DAY 7

 

Woke up to a beautiful sea day today, weather looks fantastic! It's a little bumpy but not too bad. I'm not sure if it's just me, but it tends to be the bigger the ship, the more I am feeling the movement! We're always similar deck, midship, balcony cabin and similar time of year to cruise. Our next cruise is on RCI Explorer Of The Seas with the extended family, back to the South Pacific. We love Celebrity and will cruise again on Celebrity in a heartbeat, but RCI Explorer suited better for the next cruise as there is a little one coming along, and some of the passengers like to do more such as rock climbing, flowrider etc. and with their buy 1 get 1 half off sale, it was fantastic value.

 

 

We tried the main dining room for breakfast today which was good, however they were so busy being a sea day, it did take a bit of time for our egg orders to come out. When they did arrive, they were cooked to perfection and well enjoyed.

 

[LuckiePuris]

Feeling a little unwell, we had a rest in the room until lunch, again in the main dining room. We have always found service to be so amazing here, which is why the start of our lunch was a disappointment. We asked for a table of 2, and were advised that it would be a wait. That was fine with us, we were more than happy to wait for an available table of 2, along with half a dozen other couples, meanwhile letting other passengers who were happy to share a table, pass through. We were looking forward to a quiet lazy lunch and were more than happy to wait. When we were seated, we were handed menus however 20 minutes passed and no one offered us water or came to take our order. They were busy, I understand this, however tables around us who were seated after us, we're attended to. It felt like our table was being overlooked no one was sure who we belonged to. We asked a passing waiter and they said they would return but no luck. My partner went and asked to speak to the maître d, explaining that while we understood they were busy, it was like we were forgotten! The maître d was amazing and took it upon himself to serve us. He promptly took our order, delivery and clearing our meals. For dessert, he noticed we were enjoying a glass of bubbles so he also bought chocolate strawberries for us - noting that they would go perfect with the rest of our bubbles. He certainly went above and beyond for us, and it didn't go unnoticed.

 

We spent the lazy afternoon relaxing by the pool desks whichever ere busy but easy to get two deck chairs. We continued our 6pm sushi tradition on the balcony tonight, which was again from the buffet and so very fresh, with a great selection.

One thing we did notice was the stateroom tv now also had Australian channels such as 7,9,10 and sbs, as well as the USA channels.

The evening was formal night and we love an occasion to dress up. With the generally younger demographic on the cruise this time, some were dressed more casually in almost sun / day dresses, however most made an effort. We visited Cellarmasters for a pre dinner wine and met with the Cellarmaster himself who was fantastic to speak with and shared some humour on different accents from around the world. This was the busiest we had seen cellarmasters which I believe formal night may have bought out the wine drinking side of everyone! We were lucky to get a seat at the bar, and there would have been five sommeliers run off their feet.

 

[LuckiePuris]

Full Cellarmasters menu below. On the previous cruise they served wine only, however they now also had a selection of beers available.

 

[LuckiePuris]

 

This was our favourite main dining room menu so far, and we were excited. We shared a few starters as we couldn't decide - BBQ smoked oysters, blue cheese soufflé, escargots, chilled pea and mint soup with crab. For mains, we couldn't go past the lobster tail however also our waiter also bought out a leg of lamb dish for us to share, which tasted fantastic accompanied with mint jelly.

Desserts I was hoping for bombe Alaska, however it wasn't on the menu. So I went with the crème brûlée which was again fantastic, and my partner a vanilla meringue with cream and fruit which was beautiful.

 

[LuckiePuris]

[LuckiePuris]

 

Chatting with our table sommelier, we asked about packages. He said that with the 123GO promo, now 90% of guests have a drink package. Of those 90%, only 15-20% upgrade to premium. I found it surprising that the percentage was so low for the upgraded packages, when taking into account the per day upgrade cost is less than one premium glass of wine, one martini, one molecular cocktail.

We are not smokers at all, however we had a Cuban cigar we bought with us to mark the formal night occasion. We headed up the sunset bar to enjoy the cigar, and it was a beautiful relaxing part of the ship we had never explored at night.

 

 

Quick go at the casino before we headed to bed. We were keen to make the most of tomorrow, our last sea day!

[LuckiePuris]

DAY 8

 

We woke up to a bumpy cool sea day today, 4m swells.

 

 

The deck chairs were mostly packed up so it was going to be a busy day inside today.

We had a quick buffet breakfast before I relaxed with some magazines on a hammock, which my partner went to the gym.

 

Complimentary tea blends on offer in the buffet:

 

 

Hammocks & solarium area:

 

[LuckiePuris]

 

Outdoor pool area:

 

[LuckiePuris]

Lunch was again in the main dining room and arriving right at 12pm we had no trouble getting a table for two by the window. Beautiful lunch of prawns, a seafood pasta and orange sorbet as a nice palate cleanser.

This afternoon we had booked the privee wine and cheese tasting event in Cellarmasters. There was just us and another couple, and a fantastic opportunity to sample some more premium wines $100-200 bottle price range and artisan cheeses. The sommelier was fantastic with his extensive knowledge and we really loved this tasting.

 

A quick afternoon nap, and we packed our cases before show and dinner. I wanted to get the packing done early so we could enjoy our night and not have to worry about it later. Cases had to be out by 11pm, but having them out by 6pm, we headed to the molecular bar for our last cocktails for the trip.

 

[LuckiePuris]

Tonight's show was our second and a violinist which really surprised us how much we enjoyed the show.

 

 

We like to end our last dinner with a specialty restaurant which was Tuscan. At 8pm we had a table by the window, with a view of the light up wake which was just stunning. Beautiful antipasto and breads set the tone for the evening. We each ordered the steak tartare which was amazing, shared a Caesar salad prepared table side, and both had the filet mignon which was cooked medium to perfection. For the sides we had the mac and cheese, and steak fries which were a great accompaniment followed up a new twist on Toffee Panacotta for dessert - four tastings of toffee and Panacotta.

The sommelier was fantastic, offering some amazing wines to match as well as giving some insight to the grapes. Service could not be faulted.

 

[LuckiePuris]

[LuckiePuris]

[LuckiePuris]

 

Exhausted, we had an early night in preparation for the next day. I believe onboard accounts were closed at midnight.

 

 

DAY 9

Woke up just in time to see the Sydney Harbour Bridge sail past our balcony at 5.30am.

 

 

The buffet was available until 8.30am for breakfast, and was relatively easy to find a table for 2 here. Full offerings were available, and you could hear the disembarkation groups being called at the buffet.

 

[LuckiePuris]

 

Luggage was easily available, and took 10minutes from the time we were off the ship to have our cases, clear customs and exit the terminal.

 

 

We were picking up a hire car from Avis at the Marriott, which was only a 10 minute walk away.

 

SUMMARY

 

That was a day by day review, but wanted to end with a summary:

 

The heated topic of drink packages

We had the classic package included when we booked however for us it was a no brainer to upgrade to premium as we enjoy sparkling water, and the premium cocktails and wines.

We definitely don't drink $1400 worth on a cruise, so a classic or premium package wouldn't work worthwhile for us if we had to purchase a package. Instead we would just buy the a paralleling water / premium cocktails and wine / coffees etc as normal and pay by the glass / drink.

While we definitely saw value in upgrading to premium as we prefer premium drinks, I wouldn't see the value for us to purchase a classic package.

We had no trouble at all using our package, and liked not having to sign for each drink.

Sommeliers were more than happy to offer recommendations to fit within your package, or go above the limit on request.

Best thing about the premium package was that we could purchase premium wines or bubbles by the glass, and just pay the price difference.

 

There was also when onboard a new Standard package on offer. This was advertised at Café Al Bacio however it wasn’t clear if this included the specialty teas and coffees.

 

 

 

Buffet dining

Buffet dining was always busy as is the case with buffets, however found there to be a great variety and food always hot. The pizza station was always popular, and we really enjoyed the sushi station for a pre dinner snack.

Our breakfast was normally bagels with smoked salmon and there was always a large variety of bagels and breads on offer, including the famous fried bread.

 

Main dining room dining

We found breakfast here to be okay, however didn't find the food that much better than the buffet. Of course, it was great not to have to get your own food and the crowds, but would in future prefer buffet breakfast on celebrity, especially as we often took the food back to our balcony.

Sea day lunches were fantastic and a nice quiet way to enjoy lunch. Food quality always amazing, and plenty of variety with a daily changing menu.

Dinner here, wow. We loved the main dining room quality and options, and it was always am exceptional experience dining here. The waiters and sommelier always went above and beyond, and we really appreciated the table for two. Menu was amazing, with always something adventurous to try if you wished. The bread basket with whipped butter, hommus and a spring onion dip was a great way to start each night.

One recommendation I do have is that if you would like a table for two, to contact celebrity before and make sure there is a request note on your booking, and to follow up as soon as you get onboard.

 

Specialty Restaurants

The specialty restaurants were again fantastic value and well worth the extra money for an extra special meal. If you are wanting to try all three, the restaurant packages work out the best value for money. I recommend to prebook before you go or as soon as you are onboard, so you don’t miss out. Ask for the window tables in Tuscan, well worth the view even if it is dark.

Bar service

Bar service throughout the ship was fantastic and in particular we found the wait at Molecular Bar quite minimal. The only bar that was a bit chaotic was again the pool bar. It seemed that same as last cruise, there was no order as to how they took orders.

 

Entertainment

We watched two shows and found them to be of a fantastic standard. I'm sure the other shows would have also been great if they were to our taste.

 

Ports & tendering

We had been to the ports before so were not in a rush to disembark. With the later scheduled arrival to Lifou we found the queue quite long for the tender tickets. I understand that will it be difficult to issue tender tickets for so many people however maybe it would have been good to have two allocated areas issuing tender tickets.

Other than this, getting on and off the ship was hassle free.

 

My tips

- take an inflatable donut for optimum relaxation on the beach

- straw beach mats are cheap and I do recommend to take them with you. They are great to use to setup your place on the beach, and keeps your towel sand free and for drying yourself.

- reef shoes are a must for Lifou.

- in Noumea, have a plan. Whether you are prebooking a ship tour or doing your own thing, have a plan of what you want to see and do, to get the most of your day.

- take local currency with you. You don't want to be trying to find an atm at the start of your day on port in Noumea.

 

 

If you have any questions, big or small, feel free to let me know and I’d love to help!

 

Link to full photo album: http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/LuckiePuris/library/Celebrity%20Solstice%20Cruise%20November%202015

 

Please feel free to share photos, however I just ask that you please ask for permission to use photos on any pages, blogs or publishing formats, and share credit to Luckiepuris.

[Cassalou]

Thanks for the awesome and detailed review :)

While I've done a couple of cruises I've so far only been with RCI. On the basis of your review alone, I'm now super keen to try Celebrity!

[cruise47]

Thanks for an outstanding review with all your supporting pictures & comments.

[DebbieMacG]

Fab review, thanks very much :)

[RedBlu]

Thank you for your great review much appreciated. We board the Solstice for the third time on 19 January for our first visit to New Zealand. Reading your review has really got us excited! :)

Edited January 10, 2016 by RedBlu

[chemmo]

Really enjoyed your review! Can't wait to be back on board Solstice again in March when we do the 12 night cruise similar to yours.

 

Question re Isle of Pines....are there any chairs, sun beds on the beach...much as I still love sitting on the sand I think I would struggle to stand back up again! If there are any idea on cost and will they take Ausie dollars?

[LuckiePuris]

Really enjoyed your review! Can't wait to be back on board Solstice again in March when we do the 12 night cruise similar to yours.

 

Question re Isle of Pines....are there any chairs, sun beds on the beach...much as I still love sitting on the sand I think I would struggle to stand back up again! If there are any idea on cost and will they take Ausie dollars?

 

Thank you all for your kind words.

 

Regarding Isle Of Pines there were no beach chairs for hire. You could bring a small collapsible one?

 

On the back beach - the beach to the right of the main road with the large sacred rock - if you walk to the end there is a resort which you may be able to pay for a day pass to use their pool which has deck chairs.

 

Alternatively I'm pretty sure the cruise lines sell a pass for Le Meridian which may include deck chairs on their beach area. I haven't done this before but it may be worth researching.

 

The front beach - the beach to the left of the main road and the first beach you see when you arrive - has a restaurant a few minutes walk away and they appeared to have an outdoor sitting area where it looks like you can enjoy a drink or a meal.

 

Good luck!

[chemmo]

Thank you for your prompt reply, we will look at all options!

 

Glad to see you enjoyed the speciality restaurants, we have a family tradition of booking Tuscan first night and intend to do the same this time! Can't think of anything nicer than watching the lights of Sydney fade into the sunset....

[LuckiePuris]

Thank you for your prompt reply, we will look at all options!

 

Glad to see you enjoyed the speciality restaurants, we have a family tradition of booking Tuscan first night and intend to do the same this time! Can't think of anything nicer than watching the lights of Sydney fade into the sunset....

 

That sounds like a perfect sail away dinner!!

[upwarduk]

Thank you for your very positive review. We have sailed from Sydney, but not the itinerary you did, which I must admit would not be for me, considering the number of tender ports. I still remember being tender ticket #35 and taking 3 hrs to get off the ship in Split.