The What I Can Remember Celebrity Solstice Review (With Princess Comparisons)

[Cruiseathoning]

I say what I can remember because we bought the premium drink package. And wow did Celebrity provide drinks, as it was the greatest binge of drinking I have ever participated in.  But I remember almost everything.  First off, if you buy a premium drink package, wowee do they come through.  The Martini bar is worth every penny.  The service is impeccable.  The ship is mostly pristene.  Kelly Rose (CD) is both sweet and a good manager.  The food was good to great, with the exception of cakes, in the buffet, which were not.

 

That said, the buffet is quite enjoyable.  A lot of cultural diversity, with good flavor profiles.  The MDR got better each night, and it started out well.  It wasn't perfect, but I would say the hits outweighed the misses 9-1.  Don't miss prime rib night on night 7.  Just, don't.  

 

Embarkation was a breeze, debarkation a dream (10 minutes room to car.)   Everyone without exception were smiling and friendly.  Not one "face" or glare.  Not so much as a frown.  Our room steward was kind, thoughtful, and dependable, and the room itself was beautiful.  The TV was large, situated in front of the bed, and HD.  The bed was comfortable, internet did what we needed it to do, including stream, and overall we had a fantastic time.

 

For the most point, aside from decor, Celebrity closely tracks Princess in approach.  Princess does their activites in daytime better, as the cruise activity staff was not very prepared, or personable, which is about the only flaw on this cruise.  They were in no way rude, just lacked the familial connection a good Princess Cruise Director's staff creates.  The rooms, while similar, still fell slightly behind Princess in bed quality and TV on demand options, but this is like comparing Marriott to Hilton.  

 

Celebrity wins on food in the MDR as it was both more varied and better executed.  The buffet was a clearer victory for Celebrity.  However, lacking the overnight Piazza for a late night sandwich or mousse was noticed.  Celebrity had more food availability gaps than Princess, especially overnight.  That said, a robust-ish room service menu was free of service charge until 11 p.m. nightly.

 

One big thing to let everyone know about, is that Celebrity Central is an actual small theatre, and a nice one, that shows movies and acts as a second night venue for some performers, which were also univerally excellent.

 

I did not know that until night 7.  Because some game shows are on deck 4 in the hallway, I thought that is where the rest of the performances were too.  Celebrity would do well to explain that in the beginning.

 

As far as entertainment at night, as I said universally excellent.  While it tracks closely with Princess in both offerings and quanitity, I found the Solstice theater to allow for a more immersive experience.  There were fun silent discos, late night comedy, movies, and live music.

 

There was sadly, no karaoke or piano bar, although that last one seems to be fading into history on some lines I hear.  Nevertheless, one had to try to be bored, or hungry, or thirsty, or aggravated.  The ship is in great shape, though a bit dated, is still sparkling.

 

The big thing is if anyone looks for something to be mad about they will not disappoint themselves.  You could find paint chips or worn carpet.  Not sure why you would cruise to look for such things, but you could.  However on this ship you have to try to find disappointment.  if you go with a good mindset, you should experience 99 percent joy.  But then again, we are talking about the sort of people who might go to Heaven and complain they need sunglasses.

 

If you are booked on Solstice, she is a beautiful girl, with a lot to offer, great people, a relaxed charming vibe, and a wonderful way to spend your days.  If you are booked on Princess, you will have much the same experience, except they are quite a bit more full lately.  But if you are a Celebrity first-timer, my prediction is that your experience will lead you to wanting to be a Celebrity multi-timer.  Any questions, just ask!

 

Happy Cruising!

 

[Jim_Iain]

Thanks for the well rounded and well thought out review.

 

I will be sailing a similar set of 8 day cruise in December -  Dropped Ensenada an picked up Mazatlan.    

[yoshi]

Another thank you for the review. We are booked on both Solstice in January and Discovery in March and looking forward to both. 

Did you get off the ship at any ports? any excursions?

 

[dlh015]

I really enjoyed your well-nuanced and light-hearted review. Thank you.

[lakegirl16]

Thank you for your review.  I also appreciate the comparisons to Princess, as we do cruise them as well.  We will be on the Solstice for a B2B starting 12/11.  Can't wait!!

[NutsAboutGolf]

Thanks for the review, I'll be on her several times during her current sailing.  I'd imagine except for some holiday sailings, the overwhelming majority of sailings this season will have a very limited capacity.

[Boycey]

lovely and balanced comments. Thanks very much.

 

We too like the Princess product, but find a slightly bigger gap between the two lines than maybe you yourself did, but of course it’s all subjective in the end, and post-Covid still very variable.

 

Enjoy whichever comes next  

[helenb]

We are elite on both Princess and Celebrity, and I agree with your assessment. Our general comparison is: Princess is better for entertainment, Celebrity is better for food. This means that we like to take Princess when there are lots of sea days, and Celebrity when there are lots of port days. But we enjoy them both.

[upwarduk]

9 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

the overwhelming majority of sailings this season will have a very limited capacity.

Why do you say that?
We sailed in August on Silhouette at 93% capacity and the following sailing was estimated to be 100%.

[NutsAboutGolf]

10 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

Why do you say that?
We sailed in August on Silhouette at 93% capacity and the following sailing was estimated to be 100%.

As stated I said the Solstice’s current season (Mexican Riviera).

[dogsdogs]

Thank you for your review.

We were on the Solstice last month.  We had an all included fare and the internet was unusable.  It wasn't just slow--it wouldn't take you to any websites--it would just lock up.  Our 90 Elite premium minutes worked only slightly better.  It made us not want to buy any internet packages on future X cruises. I'm glad it worked better for you.

[cruisequeen4ever]

Good to know and especially of interest, since you are a Princess cruiser. 

[Jim_Iain]

23 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

As stated I said the Solstice’s current season (Mexican Riviera).

 

I think you are pretty much spot on with the Solstice sailings out of LA.    I've been checking 4 different cruises and only one went out at about 85% capacity and most at the 60-70% capacity.  

 

Has nothing to do with Celebrity limiting capacity totally due to low booking numbers.

[NutsAboutGolf]

1 minute ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I think you are pretty much spot on with the Solstice sailings out of LA.    I've been checking 4 different cruises and only one went out at about 85% capacity and most at the 60-70% capacity.  

 

Has nothing to do with Celebrity limiting capacity totally due to low booking numbers.

There were a couple of threads about it that were merged where many who claim they never gambled or did a very little and received offers for the solstice.  Many asked on here if the offer/bcc was real.  Lol

[rj59]

I'm Elite level on Princess and my first two Celebrity cruises have been on Solstice, so I agree with most of what you said. I like Princess MDR food better, with better chilled soups and the Chocolate Journeys desserts. Besides the lack of a pizza place, I also miss 24-hour International Cafe, so as an early riser I didn't have an espresso/snack option on Solstice. The other thing I sort of missed was the outdoor movie screen dominating the pool deck, especially for Sunday football and things like concerts during the day. The one thing I loved about Solstice and hate about Princess is the Sky Lounge, for a forward observation lounge with comfy chairs, live and recorded music throughout the day, and beautiful views. Princess only has a paid Sanctuary that isn't open late and doesn't protect from cold and wind. As a solo cruiser, Celebrity has mostly been out of my price range, but I found lots of good deals on Solstice so have 4 cruises booked on her through April (with varied itineraries, which I also like), including my next two with the included beverage package, which should be an adventure. 

[caribbean2000]

GREAT review, exactly what I was looking for! We are Elite level on Princess, also a couple cruises RCI (which we'd do again if the time and pricing fit our needs), one on Carnival (never again!!). This will be our first with Celebrity, the Reflection on Feb. 19. Very excited to try Celebrity, we've been wanting to for a long time! I am a professional musician (perform and teach guitar) and I always enjoy conversing with guitarists on cruise ships. If I was 40 years younger and single I would apply to play on almost any ship in a heartbeat! Are there guitarists doing daytime sets as on Princess?

 

I'm certain that I too will miss the International cafe.  I'm an early riser and need coffee to basically open my eyes....maybe two coffees, ha!

 

Could you elaborate on the evening shows? I recently learned that on some of the larger RCI ships you now need to make a reservation to be assured you'll get a seat. Is that the case with Celebrity? I hope not...

 

I've asked on other threads but have yet to receive an answer, so.... Is it necessary to sign up for Chef's Table on Celebrity the minute you board as it sells out quickly on Princess where we've done it twice (fantastic doesn't even begin to describe the experience!) or is that something you reserve via the app or on the Celebrity site?

 

Is there a lounge that features duos, trios or bands every night?

 

I find it interesting that you think Princess has better entertainment but Celebrity has better food. Could you elaborate on those opinions, which are of course anecdotal and personal?

 

Thanks VERY much. You did say fire away with questions!  ;~)

 

Gene and Kathy from Cape Cod

[SHIP TRAVELER]

I like the regular cabins on Celebrity much better.  Princess does not have a place to sit for a second person in either the insides or balcony cabins except the bed.  In order to have a "second chair" you have to pay for a deluxe room or mini suite.  We sailed in a mini suite on the Majestic last November from LA.  It was a great cruise and we enjoyed the ship but the mini suite balcony was so tiny you could barely walk around the chairs and the dining was in the MDR.  We sailed on it again in December in a regular balcony.  No place to sit except the one chair at the desk.  Even pictures show room service on the bed ugh.  On Solstice in August in the lowest priced balcony cabin, we had a sofa and a larger balcony.  In my opinion the cabins are not the same on the two cruise lines. 

The Majestic was a wonderful ship with a big sports bar, the Hollywood Conservatory (forward view lounge), the international cafe and Alfredo's pizza all free for everyone.  Sadly, I think this ship will be back in Asia and the replacements will have the for a fee Sanctuary.  The Hollywood Conservatory was wonderful for whale watching off Cabo.  The Sky lounge on the Solstice was wonderful for whale watching in the inside passage. I will be sailing in December on the Solstice with some others posting here.

[Cruiseathoning]

On 10/29/2022 at 4:53 AM, caribbean2000 said:

GREAT review, exactly what I was looking for! We are Elite level on Princess, also a couple cruises RCI (which we'd do again if the time and pricing fit our needs), one on Carnival (never again!!). This will be our first with Celebrity, the Reflection on Feb. 19. Very excited to try Celebrity, we've been wanting to for a long time! I am a professional musician (perform and teach guitar) and I always enjoy conversing with guitarists on cruise ships. If I was 40 years younger and single I would apply to play on almost any ship in a heartbeat! Are there guitarists doing daytime sets as on Princess?

 

I'm certain that I too will miss the International cafe.  I'm an early riser and need coffee to basically open my eyes....maybe two coffees, ha!

 

Could you elaborate on the evening shows? I recently learned that on some of the larger RCI ships you now need to make a reservation to be assured you'll get a seat. Is that the case with Celebrity? I hope not...

 

I've asked on other threads but have yet to receive an answer, so.... Is it necessary to sign up for Chef's Table on Celebrity the minute you board as it sells out quickly on Princess where we've done it twice (fantastic doesn't even begin to describe the experience!) or is that something you reserve via the app or on the Celebrity site?

 

Is there a lounge that features duos, trios or bands every night?

 

I find it interesting that you think Princess has better entertainment but Celebrity has better food. Could you elaborate on those opinions, which are of course anecdotal and personal?

 

Thanks VERY much. You did say fire away with questions!  ;~)

 

Gene and Kathy from Cape Cod

Cafe Bacio is excellent, so your coffee needs are met.  Princess excels at staff activities, that is, the games and trivias.  They focus on interaction with passengers, and Celebrity's crew was not all that charismatic.  The evening is very similar, with Celebrity having a more immersive theatre and Princess having more advanced sets in production shows.  There are no reservations needed.  Bands are plentiful and talented, with many nights up in Sky Lounge, which is a great place to unwind and dance.  

 

The rooms are more like a hotel room on Celebrity, with what we believe to be a better use of space.  However the beds and television offerings, (You would be shocked how much we watch TV after midnight on vacation) are better on Princess by a fair margin.  Pizza is nowhere close to Alfredo's, nor is it available outside of the buffet.  But, the ship itself is much airier, and less confined.  

 

On Celebrity you feel like "this is a cruise."  Same with Princess, unless deck 7 becomes where you get stuck, in the airless windowless "Princess Live" which compared to the midship Lounges on "Grand" class can feel like a classroom.  Where it gets bizarre with Princess is that the beautiful lounge is at the back of the Royal class ships but rarely used, and also, that removes, in my opinion,  the best club at sea, Club Fusion.

 

Remember most of what you have on larger ships you have on smaller ships, but with less people.  For this reason I would choose Emerald or Ruby ten times over a Royal class once.

 

The Solstice is an amentity driven ship, with wonderful public spaces and lots of neat nooks and crannies to relax or read.  Even The Card Room is neat, and well used.  But my favorite outdoor spot is Bocce Ball on the grass.  A game that takes ten seconds to learn and a lifetime to master.

 

Overall Give me mid sized ships like Solstice or Ruby.  ICON by Royal Carribean is already sold out, and they can keep it.  We did the Allure, it is fine, there is a lot to do, and the food is adequate, at least it was.  Thing is if you are like me and you just need that half an hour or so where its just you and your view of the water, aside from a balcony, large ships don't excel at that.

 

The other thing is it is almost impossible to build friendships on a ship where you rarely see the same person twice.

 

When I want that experience, because sometimes I do want to be anonymous, I go to Vegas.

 

Happy Cruising!

[caribbean2000]

Thanks! We have cruised on all the classes of Princess ships except the newest. Glad to hear about Cafe Bacio - is something like the Princess coffee card offered? Interesting what you said about the differences in the production shows. Could you describe what you mean by an "immersive experience"? Also good to hear about the music offerings. I'm a professional guitarist and teacher and the music on board any ship is important to me. In any case, thanks again for taking the time to write. Anything else that pops into your head re: similarities and differences between the two lines is appreciated!

[caribbean2000]

On 10/29/2022 at 12:18 PM, SHIP TRAVELER said:

I like the regular cabins on Celebrity much better.  Princess does not have a place to sit for a second person in either the insides or balcony cabins except the bed.  In order to have a "second chair" you have to pay for a deluxe room or mini suite.  We sailed in a mini suite on the Majestic last November from LA.  It was a great cruise and we enjoyed the ship but the mini suite balcony was so tiny you could barely walk around the chairs and the dining was in the MDR.  We sailed on it again in December in a regular balcony.  No place to sit except the one chair at the desk.  Even pictures show room service on the bed ugh.  On Solstice in August in the lowest priced balcony cabin, we had a sofa and a larger balcony.  In my opinion the cabins are not the same on the two cruise lines. 

The Majestic was a wonderful ship with a big sports bar, the Hollywood Conservatory (forward view lounge), the international cafe and Alfredo's pizza all free for everyone.  Sadly, I think this ship will be back in Asia and the replacements will have the for a fee Sanctuary.  The Hollywood Conservatory was wonderful for whale watching off Cabo.  The Sky lounge on the Solstice was wonderful for whale watching in the inside passage. I will be sailing in December on the Solstice with some others posting here.

 

Thanks very much! One of the first things Kathy noticed was the couch, even in a "view" room, which will have on the Reflection and she was THRILLED to see it there.  We have booked basic balcony cabins on 90% of our cruises and in the newer Princess ships we've found the balconies to be really nothing more than a way to step outside for some fresh air to watch the proceedings when arriving or leaving a port of call. A chair barely fits on the basic balcony in all the newer Princess ships so forget about having new-found friends in for pre-dinner drinks and snacks unless you don't mind them sitting on the bed. Depending upon how much we like the overall experience on Celebrity we may go for a balcony next time. And again - thanks very much for taking the time to post an answer to some of my questions, any other input is greatly appreciated.

 

Gene from Cape Cod

[dogsdogs]

No one mentioned the closets on Princess.  I think Princess really knows how to provide a useful closet--plenty of room and you can see everything.  All the rest of the cruise lines seem to have small closets that are difficult to access.