Solstice vs Eclipse

[Texasopa]

We're looking at Alaskan cruises in June 2020. We went to Alaska in 2015 on the Solstice and loved it. This time we are looking at both the Solstice and the Eclipse. Solstice leaves Seattle while the Eclipse leaves Vancouver. Itinerary's are the same except the Solstice goes to Skagway, and the Eclipse goes to Icy Strait Point. The price is almost the same, except Seattle is a little more in port fees. 

We've never been to Vancouver and it looks like it's beautiful. We've never been to Icy Strait Point, but it looks like there is not much there. 

We've been to Seattle, and there is a lot more there for us to see. We rode the train in Skagway last time, not sure if we would do it again.

Hotels are expensive in both cities and it looks like airfare to Vancouver would be a little more expensive.

 

Give me your thoughts and help us decide. Picture is from our 2015 trip

[bEwAbG]

The main difference I've always read about is that cruises from Seattle do more sailing in the open sea, which can be rougher.  The one from Vancouver sticks to the Inside Passage for longer.  I find their itinerary map misleading since both trips sail outside the Inside Passage for an extended period but the labeling could lead you to believe that it's all Inside Passage.  The Vancouver one definitely stays in it longer, though.

 

Anyway, I would do the Vancouver one because I love Vancouver more than Seattle.  It's definitely a city you can spend a week in by itself.  The Fairmont Waterfront that is right across from the pier is a great hotel.  There is a food court beneath it that provides some cheaper eats, which is nice if you're looking for something quick and easy.  You can also walk from the train station that brings you from the airport.  If you want a more premium experience, the Fairmont Pacific Rim is just down the street.  Lots of others in that general area, and the whole city is pretty easy to get around.

Edited March 16, 2019 by bEwAbG

[Tourist1292]

Probably not a big difference. Eclipse has a dry dock schedule in November 2020. So June would be just a few months before that and 5 years since the last one. Solstice is more than a year away and last dry dock was in 2016.

[cachouonacruise]

Regarding Icy Straight Point, it is indeed a very small community. This said, Humpback whales were waiting for us in the harbour which we could see from the cruise ship. Then, on our excursion, we saw bald eagles, their nest, a Pacific Brown Bear as well as a Spirit Bear. Our excursion guide was really nice and we really enjoyed our time in this port. (we were also very lucky since it did not rain during our visit and very little rain during our cruise, despite visits in the rain forest). 

[mahdnc]

My vote for you is the Eclipse cruise.  You pick up a different ship, different embarkation city, and a new port of call (Icy Strait Point).  

 

Vancouver, BC is a beautiful city and worth spending time before/after the cruise especially if you have never been there. 

 

Leaving the Canada Place pier with its 5 Sails canopy, then sailing under the Lions Gate Bridge at the outlet of Vancouver Harbor, all with beautiful Mt Baker looming in the background is just magical.

Edited March 16, 2019 by mahdnc

[Cruise Raider]

You sure can't go wrong with either one, especially if you liked the Solstice.  My advice would be the newer ship, the Eclipse, if I had to make a choice.  But, it really depends on what you want more ... and cost and ease of travel, of course.  Vancouver's port is right in the downtown area if you sail from Canada Place.  

We stayed at the Pan Pacific right there the night between cruises and it was amazing!!  If you can swing it, spend a night or two in Vancouver if you choose that itinerary.  If not, it's still a very scenic sail away.  The one thing I like about the Solstice and Eclipse is they both have Cellar Masters ... I think!  I like it much better than the Gastro Bar, which is on the Equinox. 

Icy Strait Point is actually one of my favorite ports of call.  So much wildlife and nature right there.  They have a small forest area with paths for a nice easy hike right off the ship.  It is a little more commercialized since we first started going there but still has a quaintness about it if you get out of the shopping area.  It also has some interesting museum pieces right there by the ship.  There is a paved sidewalk that will take you all the way into town if you are up for a longer walk, or you can always take the bus.  We liked the walk, took our time and stopped at a local brewery.  The scenery along the way is stunning.  Even saw a bald eagles nest with her baby popping up for his/her feeding.    There's not a ton of things to do like in some of the other ports, yet, it is a great port of call in my opinion.  There is great whale watching and even occasional bear sightings ... pricey tours for that but worth it! 

 

 

Edited March 16, 2019 by Cruise Raider
additonal info

[letsgogogo]

We cruised on an end-of-season Solstice cruise that started in Seattle, ended in Vancouver, so we tacked a couple days on each end to explore both. Vancouver is a lovely town to visit, highly recommended. As for which ship...Solstice was dry-docked in late 2017, so while it's a slightly older ship than Eclipse, it may actually have been updated more recently. The whole Celebrity fleet (other than Edge) are undergoing "revolution" over the next 3 years, starting with the older ships in the fleet. However, Solstice was fairly recently freshened up. Not sure about Eclipse. Pick your preferred trip, rather than the ship. All the Celebrity ships, regardless of age, are well kept and with outstanding service. 

[Umbarger]

Vancouver is beautiful.  Also the chance to go thru the inside passage is not to be missed.  Seattle cruises stay out in the open ocean.  

[DrKoob]

This is a no brainer. We have been to Alaska six times and three of those were from Seattle and three  were from Vancouver. We will never sail to see Alaska from Seattle again. What I mean by that is that this summer when we go to Alaska on RCL we will sail from Seattle because that cruise will all be about the ship (taking the grandkids) one of RCL’s big ones but if you want the real Alaska experience, sail out of Vancouver.

 

Why? The biggest reason is that when you leave Seattle and get to the Straits of Juan de Fuca (between Victoria and Port Angeles) you take a hard left turn and head out to sea and that means that on your sea day getting to Alaska and getting back you are truly at SEA! You can only see land far in the distance.

On the other hand, when you leave from Vancouver, those first and last sea days are spent in the glorious Canadian Inside Passage. Don’t get me wrong. All Alaskan cruises go through the Alaskan Inside Passage but that’s not until the ship gets all the way up to Alaska. And in the Canadian Inside Passage, the weather is always better. We had so much sunshine coming back, people were actually laying by the pool…in early May! And all the way we were in a narrow channel with small Canadian towns slipping by us as well as lots of incredible mountains on either side.

Another reason to choose Vancouver is that with the Jones Act in full force, every Seattle ship has to stop for a few hours in Victoria to make sure they stop in a foreign port. That means that the only ship sailing near us, the Norwegian Pearl (which had sailed from Seattle) had less time in every port than we did. They had to leave each port earlier so they could be on time to stop in Victoria from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm on the last night of their cruise. Not enough time to even really see Victoria but required by law. For that reason when we have sailed out of Seattle, we have always felt like we were rushing.

One more thing. To see the real Alaska, go early in the season. We were in Skagway last year in June when four ships were in port. It was slammed. You could barely walk on the sidewalks. See the pic above, no one. not a soul on the street. We were able to walk into shops and actually talk to the owners. Wonderful.

Hope this helps.

[Tourist1292]

Very interesting comments from #7 and #9 above. We are going to take the earliest Alaska cruise on Solstice this year which is from Vancouver to Settle through the inside passage. We will spend a couple days before and after cruise to explore Vancouver and Seattle too. According to the info I found, Solstice was last dry dock in November 2016. Even with the early season in mid May, there will be at least 4 ships at each port that it is going to stop.

[Texasopa]

We've decided on the Eclipse, now we just need to wait for a good sale. 

Thanks everyone for your input, it helped a lot. 

[mahdnc]

In the end you couldn't go wrong with whichever choice you made, but I like the choice you made!

[katrina915]

I took the Solstice a few years back and taking the Eclipse to Alaska in September.

 

I think the most important distinction is that you are seeing Hubbard glacier on the Eclipse and Tracy Arm on the Solstice. I like both but most people think Hubbard is better.

 

I booked a whale watch and bear search at Icy Strait. 

 

Have fun!

[Texasopa]

50 minutes ago, katrina915 said:

I took the Solstice a few years back and taking the Eclipse to Alaska in September.

 

I think the most important distinction is that you are seeing Hubbard glacier on the Eclipse and Tracy Arm on the Solstice. I like both but most people think Hubbard is better.

 

I booked a whale watch and bear search at Icy Strait. 

 

Have fun!

Let me know how September goes. 

[Northern Aurora]

This Alaskan resident is late to this discussion, but I would also have suggested the Vancouver departure and the Eclipse itinerary.  While we enjoy both Seattle and Vancouver, for someone who hasn't visited Vancouver there is a tremendous amount of interesting things to do in Vancouver.  And regarding Icy Strait Point (the actual community is Hoonah) -- if you are the type of person who prefers visiting a port which does NOT have yet another Diamonds International store -- you will love ISP.  My husband worked one summer out of Ketchikan in the mid-1970s, and Hoonah is what Ketchikan was like before being discovered by the cruise industry.  

 

And for a Vancouver hotel recommendation -- if the Pan Pacific is within your budget consider it.  The Pan Pacific is located over Canada Place (cruise ship terminal), and Pan Pacific bellmen will pick up your luggage from your hotel room and take your luggage down to the luggage porters.

 

We like both the Solstice and Eclipse.  Unless there has been a more recent drydock, the last Solstice drydock which I am aware of was in 2016.  We had boarded the Solstice in Honolulu and left the ship in Singapore when it went into drydock.  And in the interest of full disclosure -- I am posting from the Eclipse as we cruise the Chilean fjords.

 

 

[DebInAntigua]

We also had trouble deciding between those two same cruises... and then decided to do both, back to back!

 

Never been to Alaska and there are SO many great shore excursions to pick from, I'm certain we will love the chance to visit several ports twice and experience different things each time. Plus we double our chances of enjoying good weather in each port.

 

We'll fly in and out of Seattle (much less expensive for us than Vancouver).

 

Here's how you can put together a great 2+ week Alaskan cruise:

1. Fly into Seattle, go on Solstice cruise first, getting to visit the beautiful gardens at Victoria on the way back.
2. Debark in Seattle and take a VIP Amtrak train ride up to Vancouver the following day.
3. Cruise out of Vancouver on the Eclipse next day after that, and upon return of the Eclipse, spend a few extra days enjoying the city of Vancouver and its sights.
4. Take Amtrak train back down to Seattle (and stay a few days there too, if you like)
5. Fly home from Seattle and wish the time away until your next cruise!

[CHEZMARYLOU]

My choice would be Millennium with time on land pre cruise. We are doing it for the 4th time next year. 

[FruNorge]

I sailed on my first cruise with Celebrities from Vancouver and I am doing so again on Eclipse August 25, 2019.  My memory of the fabulous scenery  of the Inside passage is probably one of the best and comforting experiences.  Sitting on the aft  bar. Sipping on a fantastic coctail and viewing the  seals and whales with the quint villlages on shore as we floated by. Still sticks in my mind .  

I am looking at the shore excursion, and have not booked any yet. I am thinking that I enjoyed everything on the ship so much, like Spa packages, captains cocktail hours.   I don’t want to miss out if there are special brunches etc.  But I don’t know if they have them on  Alaskan cruises.  Maybe I have to call Celebrity to find out, or maybe one of you are in the know🧐

[letsgogogo]

My favorite excursion while on Solstice a few years ago was a combination White Pass Rail with Bike tour from Skagway. We took White Pass on the gorgeous ride up to the Canadian border, then were picked up by a separate tour company that equipped us with rain gear and well maintained mountain bikes. We rode downhill the entire mountain, through twists and turns, with photo stops at many scenic areas, and then finally Mendenhall glacier. While there were a handful of very short uphill segments (like a minute or 2 each,) the ride was mostly just coasting down the mountain back to Skagway. It was a super fun way to see a lot of scenery and stay a little bit active. But honestly, any person who is out of shape but comfortable steering/braking a bike would be fine.)

[DrKoob]

35 minutes ago, FruNorge said:

I sailed on my first cruise with Celebrities from Vancouver and I am doing so again on Eclipse August 25, 2019.  My memory of the fabulous scenery  of the Inside passage is probably one of the best and comforting experiences.  Sitting on the aft  bar. Sipping on a fantastic coctail and viewing the  seals and whales with the quint villlages on shore as we floated by. Still sticks in my mind .  

I am looking at the shore excursion, and have not booked any yet. I am thinking that I enjoyed everything on the ship so much, like Spa packages, captains cocktail hours.   I don’t want to miss out if there are special brunches etc.  But I don’t know if they have them on  Alaskan cruises.  Maybe I have to call Celebrity to find out, or maybe one of you are in the know🧐

 

You sure have it right about the Canadian Inside Passage. And you have kind of discovered what those of us who live in the NW realize about Alaska cruising---we just take them north and never get off. We live in the Seattle area and will take our 7th Alaska cruise this summer. On the last few, we have barely set foot off the ship. We did all the whale watching, flight seeing, train riding, etc on the first four cruises. After that we just treat the ship like the big luxury hotel that it is. And since we live here and don't have to worry about airfare (kind of like people who live in Florida do with the Caribbean) we can grab last minute fare drops. But you are right--enjoy the ship. 

 

When people ask me my favorite cruising destination, I always say, "the ship."😀

[Cruise Raider]

On 3/20/2019 at 1:38 PM, DebInAntigua said:

We also had trouble deciding between those two same cruises... and then decided to do both, back to back!

 

Never been to Alaska and there are SO many great shore excursions to pick from, I'm certain we will love the chance to visit several ports twice and experience different things each time. Plus we double our chances of enjoying good weather in each port.

 

We'll fly in and out of Seattle (much less expensive for us than Vancouver).

 

Here's how you can put together a great 2+ week Alaskan cruise:

1. Fly into Seattle, go on Solstice cruise first, getting to visit the beautiful gardens at Victoria on the way back.
2. Debark in Seattle and take a VIP Amtrak train ride up to Vancouver the following day.
3. Cruise out of Vancouver on the Eclipse next day after that, and upon return of the Eclipse, spend a few extra days enjoying the city of Vancouver and its sights.
4. Take Amtrak train back down to Seattle (and stay a few days there too, if you like)
5. Fly home from Seattle and wish the time away until your next cruise!

 

That sounds like the most perfect vacation!!  What a great way to visit Alaska, Vancouver and Seattle!  

We've taken the Amtrak before from Bellingham, Washington to Vancouver ... such a comfortable ride with amazing scenery along the way.  I think they call it the Cascades route.  It sounds like you may have more luggage than we had when we did that, but the train station is close enough to walk to the light rail station and then close enough from the light rail station to the pier in Vancouver.  It was a good way to get from place to place ... but I don't think they allow anything more than carry on luggage on the light rail.  

We've also stayed before and after our Alaska cruises in both Vancouver and in Seattle ... both just adding to our overall experience of our cruise.  BTW, I highly recommend the Pan Pacific if it is in your price range....it is amazing, especially if you can get a harbor view room.  Their bell hop even comes to your room to take your luggage directly onto the ship ... no charge but a nice tip is appropriate.  In Seattle, I absolutely loved the Downtown Sheraton.  Since parking in Seattle is ridiculously priced, we picked a location that was convenient to everything .. the Sheraton fit perfectly.  It was close to Pike's Market (7 min walk), to the light rail train (2 min walk), to the monorail (2 min walk), etc. 

Enjoy both cruises ... again ... sounds like some perfect planning to me.  

 

[Kathy53]

We're sailing on the Eclipse to Alaska on July 21st, 2019 out of Vancouver, where we live.  Your kind and generous comments about Vancouver is much appreciated.  This truly is a beautiful city with lots of amazing things to do and see.  Sometimes we become 'tourists in our own city' to remind us just how beautiful it is.  The Pan Pacific and Fairmont Waterfront are both luxury hotels and the rates are around $600 CDN which would be about $420-$450 US.  I'm looking at hotels in Ft. Lauderdale for April, 2020 when we cruise on the Silhouette and the prices appear to be equal but I don't think the hotels can compare to either the Pan Pacific or Fairmont so if your budget allows, either one is a great place to stay.  Location, location, location!  You won't regret staying in Vancouver for a couple of days before your cruise.  Enjoy!

[Cruise Raider]

6 hours ago, Kathy53 said:

We're sailing on the Eclipse to Alaska on July 21st, 2019 out of Vancouver, where we live.  Your kind and generous comments about Vancouver is much appreciated.  This truly is a beautiful city with lots of amazing things to do and see.  Sometimes we become 'tourists in our own city' to remind us just how beautiful it is.  The Pan Pacific and Fairmont Waterfront are both luxury hotels and the rates are around $600 CDN which would be about $420-$450 US.  I'm looking at hotels in Ft. Lauderdale for April, 2020 when we cruise on the Silhouette and the prices appear to be equal but I don't think the hotels can compare to either the Pan Pacific or Fairmont so if your budget allows, either one is a great place to stay.  Location, location, location!  You won't regret staying in Vancouver for a couple of days before your cruise.  Enjoy!

 

We do the same (play tourist) when one of our ports of call is San Francisco.  

And ... I must have hit the jackpot when I got the Pan Pacific for a rate of $150 US per night in a harbor view room.  I knew it went up but had no idea just how much.  

If I could recommend a hotel in Fort Lauderdale, it would be Lago Mar in Fort Lauderdale Beach.  It may not be considered a luxury hotel but one would be hard pressed to find a better place to spend a few nights.  You can even watch the ships sail in and out of Port Everglades from your balcony with the sunrise in the background.  

The reviews on Trip Advisor will back up my recommendation.  You are a couple / few miles away from the port but my #1 spot to go in Fort Lauderdale.  

 

[Rod&Deb]

The last cruise on the Eclipse looks to be 24th May 2020 then no cruises until Sept so I have read Drydock is June.  She calls Australia home from early December for summer and I am booked on her on the 10 Dec to NZ can't wait 🙂

[Diamond lover]

On 3/20/2019 at 11:38 AM, Texasopa said:

We've decided on the Eclipse, now we just need to wait for a good sale. 

Thanks everyone for your input, it helped a lot. 

I think you made the right decision!  And if you precruise in Vancouver (and you should) your dollar goes a lot further with the exchange!