Older Celebrity ships? Solstice or Eclipse?

[Sigyn]

I've always wanted to travel on Celebrity and I've heard such amazing things, and I finally have a kid-free vacation opportunity coming up next summer where my husband and I are considering a cruise to Alaska while our teenager is at summer camp. I looked at the Solstice and Eclipse, which have cruises that fit with our timeline during the camp schedule, but both ships are kind of older (Solstice from 2008 and Eclipse from 2010) and, worse, they have bad reviews. People say the ships are looking dated, the deck furniture needs a refresh, and some really gripe about the food on the Eclipse. 

 

These complaints aren't what I expected to hear about Celebrity, so now I'm wavering and unsure whether to book. Maybe it's the newer Celebrity ships like the Apex, etc, that get all of the fanfare? I would love to book an Alaskan cruise - my only trip to Alaska was 23 years ago and it wasn't a cruise - but I'm having trouble figuring out which cruise line to book. If anyone here has sailed on either of these two ships, particularly to Alaska, I'd love to hear about your experiences. 

[Arizona Wildcat]

Wondering about a couple things. - the food recently has changed on all mainstream cruiselines because of cost and supply chain issues.  What does that have to do with the age of the ship?

As for being older - really?   We love the M class ships from about 2000 as they are even smaller and dislike the infinite veranda design on the Apex and other new ships.  None of the ships on Celebrity will appear as worn and tacky as any on Carnival.  

If you cruise to Alaska in ANY Celebrity vessel you will.have a great time in a well maintained ship while receiving service from a crew that try very very hard.

[Cruise a holic]

We sailed on the Solstice many years ago and enjoyed the cruise.  Have sailed on all S class, Edge  and M class ships.   Last March we sailed on the Equinox and it was a wonderful cruise.    However our favorite S class ships are the silhouette and reflection.  We love the Lawn Club Grill.

[jhagen]

You will be several steps up from Carnival. Each cruise is different, but after 40 we like to say we have never had a bad cruise. Love the Solstice class.

[jackaboo]

I just got off Solstice last week (Mexican riviera)

 

yes she is not looking as shiny as the edge series but she is in really good shape, you can tell she is well looked after.

 

service and food is as fabulous as ever. Deck furniture looked fine to me. I had the best cruise 

[Jeremiah1212]

Keep in mind, most people come online to write a review when they have an axe to grind...so to speak. They range from mundane issue that I wouldn't give a second thought to truly bizarre complains. Don't read the Facebook groups. Just don't. Both ships will be perfectly fine. Will they be as new and fresh as Edge class? No, but I would not have any concerns with either ship. 

[choppe]

1 hour ago, jackaboo said:

I just got off Solstice last week (Mexican riviera)

 

yes she is not looking as shiny as the edge series but she is in really good shape, you can tell she is well looked after.

 

service and food is as fabulous as ever. Deck furniture looked fine to me. I had the best cruise 

This is good to hear.  We are going on her over thanksgiving to the same place.  So excited to be cruising again.  Love Celebrity and have been on Reflection, Edge, and Equinox and have loved all of them.  Since Reflection and Equinox are in the same class, I'm sure we will love the Solstice too.

[bigbenboys]

3 hours ago, njsmom said:

I've always wanted to travel on Celebrity and I've heard such amazing things, and I finally have a kid-free vacation opportunity coming up next summer where my husband and I are considering a cruise to Alaska while our teenager is at summer camp. I looked at the Solstice and Eclipse, which have cruises that fit with our timeline during the camp schedule, but both ships are kind of older (Solstice from 2008 and Eclipse from 2010) and, worse, they have bad reviews. People say the ships are looking dated, the deck furniture needs a refresh, and some really gripe about the food on the Eclipse. 

 

These complaints aren't what I expected to hear about Celebrity, so now I'm wavering and unsure whether to book. Maybe it's the newer Celebrity ships like the Apex, etc, that get all of the fanfare? I would love to book an Alaskan cruise - my only trip to Alaska was 23 years ago and it wasn't a cruise - but I'm having trouble figuring out which cruise line to book. If anyone here has sailed on either of these two ships, particularly to Alaska, I'd love to hear about your experiences. 

We did 2 Alaska cruises this year and one last year. Celebrity has 3 ships that do Alaska. If a newer ship is important to you, then look at Millennium. Millennium has been updated. Also Millie goes to Hubbard Glacier. HG is my favorite glacier. In my eyes Solstice is in good shape. We are back on her in 2 weeks.

https://www.celebritycruises.com/blog/celebrity-millennium-revolution

[Sigyn]

3 hours ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Wondering about a couple things. - the food recently has changed on all mainstream cruiselines because of cost and supply chain issues.  What does that have to do with the age of the ship?

As for being older - really?   We love the M class ships from about 2000 as they are even smaller and dislike the infinite veranda design on the Apex and other new ships.  None of the ships on Celebrity will appear as worn and tacky as any on Carnival.  

If you cruise to Alaska in ANY Celebrity vessel you will.have a great time in a well maintained ship while receiving service from a crew that try very very hard.

Ooooh, bashing my previous Carnival trips. I should expect such a dig from a University of Arizona fan. 🤣 ( I say that in jest - I'm an ASU grad!) Seriously, you're absolutely right. Carnival is tacky. I went on those first two Carnival cruises because friends were with us who were longtime Carnival customers, and I hated those ships. And the third one because the Vista was brand new that summer and it was the Mediterranean. It was actually quite nice. But then, can you really have a bad time when you're visiting Italy, France and Spain? We're switching to NCL's newest ship for a cruise in December when our 15-year-old will be with us, and because we don't want to do Carnival ever again, that's why we're looking at Celebrity or something nicer when it's just my husband and myself. 

 

2 hours ago, jhagen said:

You will be several steps up from Carnival. Each cruise is different, but after 40 we like to say we have never had a bad cruise. Love the Solstice class.

 

Oh yes, definitely a huge step up from Carnival! That's why I like it. I looked at Oceania, too, but then I read that Oceania is a much older crowd because that's who mostly can afford Oceania. We're in our early 50's, so I don't want to be surrounded only by people two decades older than us. I'm fine with older people, and definitely enjoy meeting people of all ages and having great conversations, but I'd like a solid mix of ages on a ship.

 

1 hour ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

Keep in mind, most people come online to write a review when they have an axe to grind...so to speak. They range from mundane issue that I wouldn't give a second thought to truly bizarre complains. Don't read the Facebook groups. Just don't. Both ships will be perfectly fine. Will they be as new and fresh as Edge class? No, but I would not have any concerns with either ship. 

Very good point!

[Denny01]

To emphasize the point, the food on Celebrity ships are pretty much the same, so Solstice will have the same quality and choices as Eclipse, and postings about the quality of food is Very subjective.

 

I got a kick out of one post reminding all of us that Celebrity MDRs are the same as our local fast-food places…right. So along with being very subjective, you have those posting just to get reactions, or to show their superiority to us commoners. 

 

We cruised Solstice this last July and loved her. Good shape, excellent dining (for us), outstanding service and Alaska is fantastic. 

 

Den

[JCruise85]

1 hour ago, Denny01 said:

To emphasize the point, the food on Celebrity ships are pretty much the same, so Solstice will have the same quality and choices as Eclipse, and postings about the quality of food is Very subjective.

 

I got a kick out of one post reminding all of us that Celebrity MDRs are the same as our local fast-food places…right. So along with being very subjective, you have those posting just to get reactions, or to show their superiority to us commoners. 

 

We cruised Solstice this last July and loved her. Good shape, excellent dining (for us), outstanding service and Alaska is fantastic. 

 

Den

Man, I'd love to see the fast food places they go to.

Drive through seared duck, salmon tartare and veal sounds like an experience.

[Denny01]

18 minutes ago, JCruise85 said:

Man, I'd love to see the fast food places they go to.

Drive through seared duck, salmon tartare and veal sounds like an experience.

This was my response:

 

“Yeah, just got back from the fast food joint down the street….enjoyed the escargot with fresh salad and lamb entree followed by an order of tiramisu …..you know, all the normal dishes I get at any of the fast food ‘restaurants’.”

 

I then suggested using the words ‘restaurant’ and ‘fast-food’ together didnt seem to work too well.

 

Would Love to visit their hometown. But dont know if I want to pay $50 each at a drive through….

 

den 

[GORDONCHICK]

2 hours ago, bigbenboys said:

We did 2 Alaska cruises this year and one last year. Celebrity has 3 ships that do Alaska. If a newer ship is important to you, then look at Millennium. Millennium has been updated. Also Millie goes to Hubbard Glacier. HG is my favorite glacier. In my eyes Solstice is in good shape. We are back on her in 2 weeks.

https://www.celebritycruises.com/blog/celebrity-millennium-revolution

I also LOVE Hubbard!  We seem to be in the minority, but it does depend on the time of year because it's trickier to see (fogged in) or get close to (lots of bigger ice in the water).

[Jim_Iain]

You may want to read a couple of the recent threads.   There's a really good one on Solstice with many people on or just off the ship. 

 

The OP was a bit critical but most of the reviews were very detailed on little areas they noticed wear and tear but had to look to really notice them.   I would say it would be the same things we might all experience when we look at our car -  She's not new and has some wear and tear but she's not a klunker.

 

If your really want bright and shinny book Apex.    Reality is all ships even that are 2-3 year will show signs of rust and they touch it up daily.    I'm booked on Solstice in 6 weeks and have no qualms at all about sailing her.    Recent reports have been very positive.

 

 

[GORDONCHICK]

IMO, there's always wear and tear on ships, due to the number of passengers on and off plus the sea air.  Also IMO, Alaska should be more focused on the itinerary than the actual ship (same goes for Europe).  To really experience Alaska, that is off the ship.  Whatever glacier(s) you put priority on, and if there are specific ports you want to hit.  We did a cruise on HAL solely because I wanted to go to Sitka.  The fact that our 3rd person (minor son at the time) was free except port charges and taxes was also a plus.  I definitely wouldn't sail HAL again (at least not for another 15-20 years) or  in the Caribbean unless it's an itinerary thing.

 

And what I've learned from reviews - some people's expectations and travel standards are very different than ours.  There are some reviewers on here that I put a whole lot more stock in than others because I've learned that their expectations and standards are pretty similar to ours.  I also don't take travel recommendations from my SIL.  Why?  She rents castles to stay in while in Scotland and Ireland!  I think that would be cool - if I had her basically unlimited budget.  But we don't.  If people drag on things that aren't important to you, just skip that part.  As far as food goes, that's incredibly subjective.  I'm a great cook.  But not a chef.  I am picky about food but my criteria is probably different from many.  That's okay!

[PTC DAWG]

Just off Equinox last month, was a great cruise.  I would board any Celebrity ship tomorrow without hesitation. 

[crusinthrough]

I don't know how Carnival ships became part of the conversations but I'll be in the minority and disagree with the comments.  Carnival Mardi Gras is different from Carnival's older ships and just as nice as an S class ship.  I enjoyed my Carnival cruise and all my Celebrity cruises.   I have a Reflection sailing coming up in a few months.  I expect the rooms to feel dated compared to the Edge and my upcoming Beyond but overall Celebrity keeps their ships well maintained.  I don't expect to be disappointed.  

 

Discovery Princess is a brand new ship with Alaska sailings.  The food is a bit better on Celebrity but I find more nightly entertainment on Princess.  You can not go wrong with either.

[dlh015]

We did the Cunard Queen Elizabeth to Alaska including the HG...it was fantastic...like other cruise lines, they had a ranger on board for the glacier viewing...provided a lot of interesting info.

 

But I do look forward to doing Alaska again, this time with X. 

 

I'm sure you will have a great cruise regardless of which ship you choose!

[phoenix_dream]

I have sailed on Celebrity 67 times so far, with 9 more already booked.  In all those cruises I have only sailed on one that I would consider a little worse for wear and that was many, many years ago on Century right before they sold her.  Celebrity does a great job at maintaining their fleet.  Yes, on older ships you will see some wear and tear here and there if you are looking for it.  But nothing at all that deteriorates the experience in my opinion.  And just as a counterpoint, I recently sailed on Eclipse and had a great cruise and found nothing at all wrong with the food.  If you want brand, spanking new then book an Edge class ship.  But have no fear about booking any Celebrity ship of any age.  

Edited October 14, 2022 by phoenix_dream

[rj59]

I went on Solstice and it's great for Alaska. The main reason is the viewing areas--the Sky Lounge with lots of seating, outdoor forward viewing areas on decks 12 and 15, and plenty of outdoor viewing space on the outdoor promenade on deck 5. Of 3 ships I was on last summer leaving from Seattle, Solstice was the only one who got within viewing distance of the Dawe's Glacier--Carnival and Princess captains chickened out because of ice in the water, but Solstice as a smaller ship went through with no problem. It was my first Celebrity cruise and I loved it, and booked Solstice 4 times to Mexico and Pacific Coastal cruises. The only drawback is that HAL and Princess seem to have priority for berthing in places like Juneau and Skagway, so we had a long walk or bus ride in the former and had to tender from the pier in Skagway to avoid rockslide dangers. The other disadvantage is that some HAL and Princess ships visit Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier, which are much more impressive than Tracy Arm or Endicott Arm fjord glaciers. If you want the new Edge-class ships and you like Celebrity, then you can just book them later for the Caribbean, where scenery is less important than in Alaska. 

[the penguins]

9 hours ago, njsmom said:

I've always wanted to travel on Celebrity and I've heard such amazing things, and I finally have a kid-free vacation opportunity coming up next summer where my husband and I are considering a cruise to Alaska while our teenager is at summer camp. I looked at the Solstice and Eclipse, which have cruises that fit with our timeline during the camp schedule, but both ships are kind of older (Solstice from 2008 and Eclipse from 2010) and, worse, they have bad reviews. People say the ships are looking dated, the deck furniture needs a refresh, and some really gripe about the food on the Eclipse. 

 

These complaints aren't what I expected to hear about Celebrity, so now I'm wavering and unsure whether to book. Maybe it's the newer Celebrity ships like the Apex, etc, that get all of the fanfare? I would love to book an Alaskan cruise - my only trip to Alaska was 23 years ago and it wasn't a cruise - but I'm having trouble figuring out which cruise line to book. If anyone here has sailed on either of these two ships, particularly to Alaska, I'd love to hear about your experiences. 

We chose Eclipse to celebrate our Golden Wedding and loved every minute of our B2B around South America cruise. Solstice was our retirement gift to ourselves 5xB2B from Auckland to Seattle. Whichever you choose you will get the same great service and friendly staff. We have sailed on 4 Celebrity cruises post Covid and have seen no reduction in the food quality or the service levels. Yes there were some supply issues and staff being trained but nothing that had a serious impact on our overall enjoyment.

[Northern Aurora]

Our OP is considering the Eclipse or Solstice for an  Alaska cruise.  We were on the Eclipse in May 2022  from  Vancouver to Hawaii, the Solstice for a B2B Alaska cruise in June, 2022, and again on the Solstice for another B2B in September 2022.  We were in three Sky Suites and one Celebrity Suite (we had to change staterooms on the September B2B).

 

While the decor is dated the ships are clean.   The staff is happy,  We had no issues with the food (we were dining in Luminae but did specialty dining and some meals in the Ocean  View Cafe).  On our September cruise one of the staterooms had a water temperature issue but our stateroom attendant immediately called a plumber and the issue was corrected within minutes.   So we had a minor issue in one of the 4 staterooms which was immediately corrected.

 

But one more comment from someone who lives in Alaska and periodically does Alaska itineraries since an Alaska cruise gives us the opportunity to visit another part of our very large state -- Celebrity offers three Alaska itineraries.  The three ships are the Millennium,  Solstice and the Eclipse.

 

In my opinion the best itinerary is the seven night  either north or southbound between Seward and Vancouver which is done on the Millennium.  While additional flying time is needed this is a great option to add a few days on land in  Alaska before or after a seven night cruise.  The Millennium has been "revolutionized" so has been updated.  When we were on the Millennium in September 2021 I was talking to a first time Celebrity cruiser and mentioned that the Millennium is the oldest Celebrity ship sailing, and he was visibly impressed.

 

The second best Alaska itinerary is the Eclipse RT out of Vancouver with the poorest, in my opinion, being the RT out of Seattle.  With the Eclipse itinerary the ship is almost immediately in scenic cruising while the Seattle RT has more time at sea away from land.

[bigbenboys]

4 hours ago, GORDONCHICK said:

I also LOVE Hubbard!  We seem to be in the minority, but it does depend on the time of year because it's trickier to see (fogged in) or get close to (lots of bigger ice in the water).

As we live in the Pacific Northwest. Alaska is our quick and easy cruise. My only thought is that the sailing to the glacier is very scenic.

 

[Northern Aurora]

7 hours ago, GORDONCHICK said:

I also LOVE Hubbard!  We seem to be in the minority, but it does depend on the time of year because it's trickier to see (fogged in) or get close to (lots of bigger ice in the water).

 

I also like Hubbard.  One important factor as to why it can be "trickier" to see is the tidal conditions in Disenchantment Bay.  For those who have not been to Hubbard it is located at the very top end of Disenchantment.  And it is so massive that part is  located in the US Wrangell -- St. Elias National Park Preserve and  the other part is located in  Canada's Kluane National Park.  It is one of the few tide water glaciers accessible by cruise ships.  Hubbard  is advancing while the glaciers in Glacier Bay are dramatically retreating.

 

 

[RedIguana]

23 hours ago, Denny01 said:

I got a kick out of one post reminding all of us that Celebrity MDRs are the same as our local fast-food places…right. So along with being very subjective, you have those posting just to get reactions, or to show their superiority to us commoners. 

Celebrity MDRs. I think the poster spelled Carnival wrong 😆. Honestly, it is the quality of the food (or actually lack of), that makes me not even bother looking at a Carnival cruise.