Rare Jim_Iain Posted November 30, 2022 Author #126 Share Posted November 30, 2022 14 hours ago, CTSandy said: So glad that I will be having another great live report to enjoy every evening! We will be sailing Solstice for the first time in April 2023 - looking forward to your comments on ports, also our first visit to the ports on the west side of Mexico. Thanks in advance! We really thought we had sailed Solstice before and only recently learned we had never sailed her before. From the posts I've followed she looks like she has been well maintained and while not revolutionized still is in good shape. I'm sure she has some rust, dings and scrapes but then again so do I. 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted November 30, 2022 Author #127 Share Posted November 30, 2022 13 hours ago, cachouonacruise said: Hi Jim, Thank-you so much for posting one more review! I really look forward to read it! So, we have been on Solstice in 2017 and Silhouette in 2022. Although they are ships from the same class, there were some notable differences. I am curious to see if these differences still exist: Solstice 2017: I don't remember any cabanas, the hot glass show was open every night, Cellar Masters was one of the bars. ( I don't remember if the World Class Bar was on Solstice back then and I know the Porch Specialty Restaurant was not). Silhouette 2022: No hot glass show, no Cellar Masters Bar. However, we loved the Porch Specialty restaurant and the World Class Bar. Cabanas were available. I believe the Sky Lounge was a bit smaller on Silhouette than Solstice, since on Solstice it was accessible from the port and starboard side of the ship, while on Silhouette, we could only access the lounge from one side. So I hope, you will be able to update us on the Solstice evolution. I wish you and Lain, good weather and beautiful cruises on Solstice! I'll do my best int taking lots of photos. I know Michael's Club still exists for Suites with the original paneling and no Retreat Sun Deck. What I've been told is they don't have a buffet in Michaels Club and they have Breakfast items per-plated and delivered by a wait staff. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted November 30, 2022 Author #128 Share Posted November 30, 2022 13 hours ago, lilghallinsf said: I am SO EXCITED to see this review. I love your reviews and we booked this cruise for New Years! Can't wait to read through it. It is really nice having a ship on the West Coast. It is so nice not to spend a full day traveling to join a cruise. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted November 30, 2022 Author #129 Share Posted November 30, 2022 12 hours ago, sdnich said: I also look forward to following you on another cruise !! We will be doing this cruise next March ! We live in San Diego so will be nice to drive to port .We have been to Cabo and Puerto Vallarta a few times once on a Panama Canal cruise and a few land trips . I like Cabo but love I Puerto Vallarta so much more culture than Cabo !! But have never been to Mazatlan so look forward to seeing some beautiful pictures!! I'm looking forward to Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan as they are new ports for us. Everything I've read is positive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted November 30, 2022 Author #130 Share Posted November 30, 2022 12 hours ago, cruisingator2 said: I will be reading along but only during our downtime since we will also be onboard. I always enjoy your “live” threads. Please drop in often and when you have a free moment post about your experience. There is so much on the ship that we don't partake in because we cruise so much. Shows are one thing that we just don't go any longer as we've seen all of the production shows an usually conflicts with pre-drinks and dinner schedule. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted November 30, 2022 Author #131 Share Posted November 30, 2022 11 hours ago, MarinerAlex said: Hey Jim and Lain, I was on the Nov 12 sailing and first time on the boat, and loved it. “Regular” cruise, no suite, not perks and it was great. Will be interested to hear your perspectives as you experience it over the next 2 weeks. For me, the cruise director is top notch, and the people in the main dining / buffet were as well. Was so glad to call this home for all of 7 days. I just received a message from a friend who's daughter works for the activities staff on Reflection and said her CD is on Equinox now and is a really good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted November 30, 2022 Author #132 Share Posted November 30, 2022 9 hours ago, abbydancer said: Yay, a live from! By the way, my sister and I are on the Solstice on February 4-11. Because she wanted to fly Jet Blue and I wanted to fly United down, we decided instead that we will rent a car the day before, and drive to LA. We'll dump the car that night, and take a shuttle to the cruise the next morning. I would be curious to know who's the retreat staff and if they're sticking around for another couple of months. If you have trouble with your flight, driving might be an option. Also, I did 2 Mexican Riviera cruises on Princess in the last 11 months, so if you want some ideas for ports, and you haven't booked them all, email me. Abby - Will let you know all the staff once aboard. So far I've been monitoring the flight for the last month and only 2 delays of 15-20 minutes. Looks reliable. Not sure if you stuck your head out today yet but it's cold out there. May have to get my puffer out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted November 30, 2022 Author #133 Share Posted November 30, 2022 8 hours ago, gordylad said: Jim, How is the weather this time of the year. Today it is around 50 degrees F where we are. Cheers As you know California is a huge state and has 1,000's of micro climates. In Silicon Valley over night hit 34-35 but should warm to 60. We are suppose to have a heavy rain on the whole coast tomorrow. LA currently 58 with a high of 62. Cabos - 70 - 78 Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan 67-83 Perfect in my opinon 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted November 30, 2022 Author #134 Share Posted November 30, 2022 6 hours ago, Mark_T said: Don't forget 'Craft Social' which replaced 'Cellar Masters', and the 'Lawn Club Grill' which replaced the hot glass show. Can't wait to see what's changed and what's the same. Cellar Master was another failed experiment. I'm hoping they serve food in Craft Social. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted November 30, 2022 Author #135 Share Posted November 30, 2022 5 hours ago, vickykay said: Jim, Looking forward to another wonderful review. Will get me thru the cold December weather in upstate NY until we go back to FL after Christmas. So glad to hear your eye surgery went well. An unrelated question. We are doing the Canada/New England cruise next Sept. I recall you went on the excursion that included a visit to the Anne of Green Gables house and a lobster lunch. We’ve been looking at that one as well. It’s somewhat pricy and wondering if you felt it was worth the cost. Thanks and .have a great cruise. Vicky Vicky - I would say it was definitely worth the price. A great day and the Lobster was the highlight. What part of Upstate. I lived in Upstate for my last couple years of High School. We were in Balston Lake - I can tell you I don't miss those winters. We were above the 100 inch belt and the ground was covered from Nov to March. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted November 30, 2022 Author #136 Share Posted November 30, 2022 4 hours ago, GREG781 said: Hey Jim. Following along from the Beyond currently! We will be on the Solstice in February, so we are eager to see your thoughts and pictures. Have a great time. I'm getting excited. I do have to get off my rear reading CC or I will never get packed. Oh well... one more cup of coffee. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted November 30, 2022 Author #137 Share Posted November 30, 2022 4 hours ago, Susanb10567 said: Following along….I usually do it live but I will be on the Apex from 12/3-12/10…so I will have a lot to catch up on when I get home…have a great cruise!!! Yikes... I can't even imagine of making the commitment to read one of my live posts. That may be a lot of reading. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted November 30, 2022 Author #138 Share Posted November 30, 2022 3 hours ago, lola2013 said: Winter in Illinois is exactly why we sail to the Caribbean in February!!! LOL -- I can only imagine. We were in Chicago for a Week in May for the Ring Series. In one day we had sun, warmth, rain, thunder, hail and snow. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted November 30, 2022 Author #139 Share Posted November 30, 2022 1 hour ago, Barwick Cruiser said: So wonderful to pour my coffee this morning, click over to CC and see that Jim and Iain are cruising again! And page five already and you don’t leave for another few days yet 🤩. It’s obvious how many others enjoy your live postings as much as me! Hope you enjoy a wonderful couple weeks. By the way, you mentioned Ponant cruise lines which I hadn’t heard of until recently when my sister told me that they are booked on Ponant in June to explore the Norwegian fjords and Scotland. I checked it out and it looks really nice! Cathy Our friends love Ponant and the size of their ships. It allows them to get into places that larger ships just can't do. I've been looking at their Great Lakes cruises during the summer as a possible trial. The Norwegian and Scotland sounds really interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted November 30, 2022 Author #140 Share Posted November 30, 2022 1 hour ago, PSU said: I love Celebrity but we also love Regent Seven Seas for longer cruises. We are going to South America and Antarctica in January. It includes business class airfare, excursions, drinks, internet and gratuities. Seven Seas is on the top of Iain's list and we will have to compare with Ponant. What i really want to do is a sailing to Africa or South Africa. Would really love to do a Safari as a side trip. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark_T Posted November 30, 2022 #141 Share Posted November 30, 2022 19 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said: Can't wait to see what's changed and what's the same. Cellar Master was another failed experiment. I'm hoping they serve food in Craft Social. If you've not been on Silhouette since she went through the revolution process you'll love the changes when you are next onboard I'm sure. ... and yes, Craft Social has all the atmosphere of a traditional sports bar, including the TV's and the food (at a cost if you're not in a high level suite). A vast improvement over the always empty and dismal 'Cellar Masters' 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagoffee Posted November 30, 2022 #142 Share Posted November 30, 2022 3 minutes ago, Mark_T said: If you've not been on Silhouette since she went through the revolution process you'll love the changes when you are next onboard I'm sure. ... and yes, Craft Social has all the atmosphere of a traditional sports bar, including the TV's and the food (at a cost if you're not in a high level suite). A vast improvement over the always empty and dismal 'Cellar Masters' The Craft Social was busy every night. I am not sure that they served any food during our November B2B. A very smart change IMO. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark_T Posted November 30, 2022 #143 Share Posted November 30, 2022 Just now, jagoffee said: The Craft Social was busy every night. I am not sure that they served any food during our November B2B. A very smart change IMO. We were onboard in September last year and the bar menu ('bar bites') looked good, but perhaps under advertised. Hope it is still in place. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted November 30, 2022 Author #144 Share Posted November 30, 2022 We are really not ready for this cruise. Our daughter has been in the Hospital for a week and really threw our planning to the wind. Good news is she it doing well and back on her own. Luckily we are Zenith and get free laundry as we will be using it for sure. We didn't get our dry cleaning and pressing to the laundry so will be taking it as is and have it done on the ship. I get asked often on how we pack for longer multi segment cruises and have to say we have evolved to a system that works for us. We pack for 7 days regardless of the length that we will be away and then send out laundry almost daily. I will admit we have an advantage to many of you in that we are about the same size and can swap off to keep our wardrobe fresh. 4 short sleeve and 3 Long sleeve T's 2 pair of jean 1 dress pants 1 Dinner Jacket 8 Bow Ties since I can neve plan what I'm in the mood for 7 pairs of socks 6 Dress Shirts with Collars 1 Tuxedo Shirt 1 Dress Shoes 1 Walking Shoes 2 Sweaters and 2 Sweatshirts 1 puffer 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted November 30, 2022 Author #145 Share Posted November 30, 2022 18 minutes ago, Mark_T said: If you've not been on Silhouette since she went through the revolution process you'll love the changes when you are next onboard I'm sure. ... and yes, Craft Social has all the atmosphere of a traditional sports bar, including the TV's and the food (at a cost if you're not in a high level suite). A vast improvement over the always empty and dismal 'Cellar Masters' We were on her last April on the TA and Spain Portugal. Unfortunately I caught Covid and spent one day in quarantine before being tossed off in Southampton and cancelled my 3rd segment to Norwegian Fjords. I agree Cellar masters was not really inviting. By the way we celebrated hitting Zenith on Silhouette. The Captain gave me a model of the ship and sits on the dresser in one of the guest bedrooms. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted November 30, 2022 Author #146 Share Posted November 30, 2022 16 minutes ago, jagoffee said: The Craft Social was busy every night. I am not sure that they served any food during our November B2B. A very smart change IMO. When in Europe in April it was really a hopping place as heavy British and European passenger load they had Soccer Matches playing on multi screens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruzzzinma Posted November 30, 2022 #147 Share Posted November 30, 2022 58 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said: I'm hoping they serve food in Craft Social. Cellar Masters is still on the Solstice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helen haywood Posted November 30, 2022 #148 Share Posted November 30, 2022 Jim, I will be following and hoping for pictures! Solstice was our first S Class ship and we absolutely loved everything about the class. We’re currently on the Banging Beyond. I had read reports about banging and other noises in some cabins and it’s no joke. A million thanks to you for recommending the Bose sleepbuds that are the only thing enabling me to sleep. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Cruiser 6143 Posted November 30, 2022 #149 Share Posted November 30, 2022 Will be interesting to hear what you think of Ponant. I wasn't aware they did Great Lakes cruises. I've been looking at other vendors of Great Lakes cruises. And if you find something great to South Africa, would love to hear about that too. My niece lives in Cape Town and absolutely loves it there. The retreat concierge on my October Summit cruise was from Cape Town and said I absolutely must visit. It would be nice not to have to do that long flight both ways. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike981 Posted November 30, 2022 #150 Share Posted November 30, 2022 Just for fun, a weather point of reference here in Minn-a-snowta. The southern third of the state received 8+ inches of snow yesterday (we are an hour north and only got 2"). And as it always goes, the temperature dropped today and is 16º with winds out of the NW at 18-20 mph, so it feels close to 0º. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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