Solstice to Alaska - First Sailing for 2023 - Hopefully Live

[Chrissit]

On 5/8/2023 at 7:58 AM, SSFrance69 said:

Those photos of the food in Blu look great! I'm curious what the dishes were. Looks like beef carpaccio? Not sure what the others are but they look yummy. If you can remember I'd like to know so I know what I want to order. 

 

Thanks to your comment, I'm trying to remember to add the names of the dishes going forward. Sorry about that! 

 

In order it was: 

San Danielle Prosciutto

Seafood Ceviche

Snow Crab and Avocado Timbale

"Daily Vegetable" Tandoori cauliflower steak 

 

That cauliflower would be a light main dish or a good side dish for two. It is heavily spiced, but not in a bad way at all. I'd happily order that multiple times over. 

 

[SSFrance69]

12 hours ago, Chrissit said:

 

Thanks to your comment, I'm trying to remember to add the names of the dishes going forward. Sorry about that! 

 

In order it was: 

San Danielle Prosciutto

Seafood Ceviche

Snow Crab and Avocado Timbale

"Daily Vegetable" Tandoori cauliflower steak 

 

That cauliflower would be a light main dish or a good side dish for two. It is heavily spiced, but not in a bad way at all. I'd happily order that multiple times over. 

 

Thank you! I appreciate it! It's always nice to identify what it's called on the menu so you can order it. I'm definitely ordering that Prosciutto and the Timbale! Probably the Ceviche too! I was able to identify which night's menu that was on in the app. It will be a tough choice between the seared duck breast and the slow-braised lamb shank for my entree. 😁

[vanislandcruisers]

On 5/5/2023 at 4:39 PM, Chrissit said:

This morning we woke up to Ketchikan. 

 

Breakfast was a quick bite at Blue (even more than it should have been due to a race back to the cain for our waterproof camera so I missed pics...) because we didn't want to miss our excursion. 

 

A year or so ago, we booked our excursion - snorkeling. Yes, seriously, we opted for snorkeling in Alaska with Snorkel Alaska. 

 

Fred (the owner) is a great guy and Kurt, our other guide was awesome. Also, it's cold snorkeling in Alaska, but the wetsuits, once they warm up? Great. 

 

They would go down and bring up some of the local starfish, sea cucumbers and sea urchins so we could see them up close. 

 

Then we headed to the Asylum for lunch and a few beers. Beers were only $3.50 each. I can't get a draft for that back home! 

 

 

 

 

We split a halibut sandwich from next door at Burger Queen (which was delivered to our seat at the bar)

 

 

Local map

 

Rain gague

 

 

Ketchikan sign

 

 

Solstice was parked at Birth 3. There were four ships in port today. 

 

Thanks for taking us along on your Cruise!!!... Enjoying each and every one of your posts!!!

 

The Asylum and Burger Queen are our musts each and every time we are in Ketchikan. Can't beat the Beer Prices and the Free WiFi at The Asylum and the Owner (Carlos) is one-of-a-kind!!!...and Burger Queen has some of the best Burgers we have ever had!!!

 

Jim

[Chrissit]

So, I’ve been waffling back and forth for the last day or so to keep the live going. Because our views got a bit more static, but I figure the information is equally warranted and may help some. 
 

At this point, one of us is in quarantine due to COVID, which bites. The other person, while under the weather has tested negative twice and is allowed to roam the ship. 
 

Yesterday morning we got up. Pretty much business as usual. Both of us had a sore throat. One of us really didn’t want to get out of bed. So, I pulled out the handy dandy test kits that I bring from home and pack “just in case”. First person tested - positive. Second person tested - negative. 

Called medical shortly before they were closing for the morning, we were told to the person who tested positive needed isolate and come down at 4:00pm. No problem. The person not positive can still use the ship (I’m still somewhat baffled by this). 
 

So the person not positive masked up and headed out for tea and water. And lunch. Which is important because, well, food! Other than that, we stayed put. We were also somewhat bummed because yesterday was the wine lunch at Murano and we’d been looking forward to that. 
 

At 4:00pm, we did as had been requested and headed to medical. For the person that tested positive - forms were filled out, temps were taken, along with a few other tests. Due to other medical things that are preexisting, paxlovid was provided along with a few other items - cough drops, Tylenol, and a thermometer. For the person who tested negative, since there were symptoms (even having tested negative) a test and cough drops. They gave us the nurses number, the room service number and again told us that the positive person was in quarantine but the other person could roam the ship.

The ship has been great. Zero arguments from us about that. 
 

When we called room service for dinner, they briefly questioned when we went to medical, but the charge for delivery was refunded (before we asked). The Quarantine Concierge has been great - when they told us something would happen, it absolutely did. A letter was delivered last night outlining what the ship requirements are and what next steps would be. Additionally, because we are so late in the sailing, disembarkment information was provided. 

Access to Wi-Fi, movies and room service is open to us. Room service called us today about ordering lunch. We’ve heard from Guest Services, the medical team and when we called with a specific medical question due to the short hand they used, the question was answered immediately. We’ve heard from the Quarantine Concierge a number of times, actually just got off the phone with them because some thing changed about disembarking tomorrow. 
 

I highly suspect that we don’t have the only COVID case on board in our cabin - there are a few reasons for this, but it’s speculation on my part based on observations.

 

Our last dinner in our package was cancelled and since Sushi on Five does carry out, we plan to ask if it can be used there.  More to come on that. 
 

One more comment to add to the wall of text above (sorry about that everyone! The goal was to provide as much information as we could) our stateroom attendant has been WONDERFUL to us. He makes sure to check in on the sicker person at least daily, handing off plenty of water, ensuring that our old water bottles are removed and asking what else he can do (within what he can of course). 
 

We’ll be able to provide a few shots of room service meals and if you really want it, reviews of a few movies. I can now understand the desire for a Chrome Cast on the cruise. 

We are both doing well all things considered. Would far rather be out roaming the ship and enjoying everything that she has to offer, however, we are content and very happy with the support coming from the ship. 

Edited May 12, 2023 by Chrissit

[Chrissit]

On 5/10/2023 at 9:16 AM, vanislandcruisers said:

Thanks for taking us along on your Cruise!!!... Enjoying each and every one of your posts!!!

 

The Asylum and Burger Queen are our musts each and every time we are in Ketchikan. Can't beat the Beer Prices and the Free WiFi at The Asylum and the Owner (Carlos) is one-of-a-kind!!!...and Burger Queen has some of the best Burgers we have ever had!!!

 

Jim

Carlos was great. He was behind the bar when we were there and we were chatting with him on and off. Didn’t try the burgers, but the halibut was really good!

[juanrod]

@Chrissit sorry your group caught Covid.   Hope you are getting rest and drinking lots of fluids.  At least it sounds like they didn’t make you move staterooms 

Edited May 12, 2023 by juanrod

[Chrissit]

53 minutes ago, juanrod said:

@Chrissit sorry your group caught Covid.   Hope you are getting rest and drinking lots of fluids.  At least it sounds like they didn’t make you move staterooms 

 

Thank you for the kind thoughts. We have more water in the cabin than you can shake a stick at. 

 

Happily they kept us where we were. And I'm thankful for that balcony - it's fresh air and helps circulate the air in the cabin. 

[Fly and Sail]

Sorry to hear about this, and glad you can get off the ship tomorrow.

 

I wonder how long they want to keep this isolation stuff going. I have a friend who just had the same situation on a Carnival ship, and they're telling her nonsense like she isn't allowed to use public transport or fly after arriving in Florida.

[Chrissit]

6 hours ago, Fly and Sail said:

Sorry to hear about this, and glad you can get off the ship tomorrow.

 

I wonder how long they want to keep this isolation stuff going. I have a friend who just had the same situation on a Carnival ship, and they're telling her nonsense like she isn't allowed to use public transport or fly after arriving in Florida.

Our documents say we are supposed to quarantine for a total of five days. However that part is at our expense. There is a line in there about following current public health regulations. We’re in Seattle for the day anyways and will have to figure out the best plan of action. This comes with a humber of questions -not the least of which is can we switch flights and will the hotel be able to put us up for another day or two if needed.

[Fly and Sail]

23 minutes ago, Chrissit said:

Our documents say we are supposed to quarantine for a total of five days. However that part is at our expense. There is a line in there about following current public health regulations. We’re in Seattle for the day anyways and will have to figure out the best plan of action. This comes with a humber of questions -not the least of which is can we switch flights and will the hotel be able to put us up for another day or two if needed.

 

You don't need to do anything. There is no longer any law requiring you to refrain from traveling, using public transport, or mandatory isolation. Cruise lines should be prohibited from distributing this stuff.

 

Additionally, since 11:59 PM yesterday, all Covid related federal regulations and Presidential Proclamations are null and void.

Edited May 12, 2023 by Fly and Sail

[Chrissit]

4 minutes ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

You don't need to do anything. There is no longer any law requiring you to refrain from traveling, using public transport, or mandatory isolation. Cruise lines should be prohibited from distributing this stuff.

 

Additionally, since 11:59 PM yesterday, all Covid related federal regulations and Presidential Proclamations are null and void.

I forgot about that expiring on 5/11. Thank you!
 

I’ll give them a slight pass in that the letter we have is dated prior to that and that was the “recommendation” and what the line was doing prior to that date. 
 

A big part of it is, does everyone feel well enough to travel… 

Wishing you a great cruise and hopefully you find her to be in good shape. 🙂

[Fly and Sail]

One thing is for sure, you have arrived at an excellent time in Seattle. It's a beautiful day!

[juanrod]

1 hour ago, Chrissit said:

I forgot about that expiring on 5/11. Thank you!
 

I’ll give them a slight pass in that the letter we have is dated prior to that and that was the “recommendation” and what the line was doing prior to that date. 
 

A big part of it is, does everyone feel well enough to travel… 

Wishing you a great cruise and hopefully you find her to be in good shape. 🙂

Totally understand about feeling well enough to fly.  On our 10 hour flight home from Rome in October, got horribly sick half way home, so for 5 hours wanted to rip my head off from the pressure in my head from flying .  Ended up testing positive when we got home.  Make sure you feel like you are on the mend before flying  

[SSFrance69]

13 hours ago, Chrissit said:

 

Thank you for the kind thoughts. We have more water in the cabin than you can shake a stick at. 

 

Happily they kept us where we were. And I'm thankful for that balcony - it's fresh air and helps circulate the air in the cabin. 

I'm so sorry to hear your party caught covid! I know that's not a good or fun thing on vacation, but I'm glad you were able to make the best of it, having gone through at least part of the cruise feeling well, the nice balcony you've been able to enjoy, and hopefully room service has treated you well. Were you able to order room service delivered from the dining rooms, or just the standard room service menu? In any case, I hope everyone is on the mend soon and feeling great. Thanks for sharing your cruise journey and all the food photos! 🤗

Edited May 12, 2023 by SSFrance69

[Chrissit]

I promised some food service shots ( I suspect we tried more of the menu than most opt for 😃). 

 

Shrimp cocktail 

 

Fruit plate

 

Soup of the day (some kind of tomato)

 

Antipasto platter

 

Turkey club (soggy and honestly not great)

 

Tuna Nicosie salad

 

Chicken noodle soup 

 

Cheesecake with blueberry topping

 

And if you'd like a laugh, our breakfast order where we requested two coffees and got two full carafes. 🙂

 

Apparently I took exactly zero breakfast pics. 

[Chrissit]

We got a call about a change to our disembarkation last night. Originally, we were not to put out luggage, but that was changed and luggage was picked up along with everyone else's. 

 

When room service called us last night about what we might want to have for dinner, we told them we would likely try Sushi on Five to use our last meal in our dinner package, but if that didn't work, then I'd call them back. 

 

Normally, room service is not available on the final morning, thankfully the ship made sure we were taken care of. So during that dinner chat they took a breakfast order for us. Which was greatly appreciated. 

 

We were asked to remain in the cabin until someone came to grab us. Original time was estimated to be 9:20 and honestly they were pretty close to that! 

 

We were escorted to Celler Masters where we waited with everyone else that was were in quarantine (okay, that's what we suspect from chatting with a few people around us and the fact that pretty much everyone was masked up). 

 

It was weird to be some of the last people off the ship (even past the multiple "last call for all disembarking passengers!"). 

 

Rather than go through customs (copies of passports were made yesterday), we were escorted directly through the terminal and to where our luggage was chilling and then cut free. 

 

Two last pictures from our balcony.

 

 

[Chrissit]

9 hours ago, SSFrance69 said:

I'm so sorry to hear your party caught covid! I know that's not a good or fun thing on vacation, but I'm glad you were able to make the best of it, having gone through at least part of the cruise feeling well, the nice balcony you've been able to enjoy, and hopefully room service has treated you well. Were you able to order room service delivered from the dining rooms, or just the standard room service menu? In any case, I hope everyone is on the mend soon and feeling great. Thanks for sharing your cruise journey and all the food photos! 🤗

 

We were grateful that it happened towards the end of the trip. And we tried to take it in stride. Things happen and sometimes we can't fix them. 

 

Room service was great - heck, they called us about ordering most of the time. 

 

As to ordering from the dining room, that wasn't mentioned until last night and I REALLY wish someone had spoken up sooner... The turkey sandwich left a lot to be desired. 

 

Thank for you the kind thoughts, everyone continues to improve.. wish I had been able to keep on track better and I really did wrestle with finishing things up, but it made sense to share the full story of the trip. 🙂

 

I hope your cruise, when you get there, is fabulous. 

[Chrissit]

10 hours ago, juanrod said:

Totally understand about feeling well enough to fly.  On our 10 hour flight home from Rome in October, got horribly sick half way home, so for 5 hours wanted to rip my head off from the pressure in my head from flying .  Ended up testing positive when we got home.  Make sure you feel like you are on the mend before flying  

I've had the pleasure of a six hour car ride where I was the sickest I can remember ever being. Chills, cough, exhausted, wanted to crawl under a blanket and not move etc... I have no desire to ever do something like that again!  I cannot imagine adding pressure in the head.

 

Thankfully everyone is on the upward trend and the airfare is fully refundable (plus we have travel insurance) so if we need to move something we can! 

[Fly and Sail]

Get some good rest and feel

better soon!! 👍

[Ferry_Watcher]

@Chrissit, sorry friend to hear that Covid hit one of you and the last couple of days were not what you had planned.  Fortunately there was some spectacular weather and you could make use of your aft balcony. Happy to hear that y'all are doing better, and that the amazing Solstice crew took good care of you.

We attended the Napa Lunch, and it was amazing.  Sadly, no commentative menu was given out, and we didn't remember to take a photo of the menu.  We did do the pairing option, and I found myself choosing a particular course because of the wine/champagne offering (Cakebread & Taittinger).  

 

Question for you - we will be on a 6 night Edge cruise in 2024 (first time).  I know that you can book Eden at least once before the cruise.  Since you have sailed on the Edge, do you recommend buying the specialty dining package, and if so, how many nights?

Which restaurants are a must try?  Raw on 5 is on our list, and we would be drawn to Cyprus. 

Any thoughts on the Daniel Boulud Chef's Table?

Any other must try dining venues?

Any thoughts about lunch on sea days? 

Any other Edge tips for us?

 

We hope that your trip home went well, and we wish you continued good health.

Thank you for any insights about the Edge!

 

[mahdnc]

On 5/12/2023 at 9:31 AM, Chrissit said:

I forgot about that expiring on 5/11. Thank you!

 

It expired in the minds of many a while ago. I'm sorry that you guys got sick but at least you got to enjoy the majority of the cruise. 

[mahdnc]

I also forgot to thank you for posting your live review. It was well written and the photos were beautiful. We've been on Solstice before and it was interesting to me to see photos of her in her blue livery. 

 

We will be back on Solstice in Dec when she does her Asian itineraries. 

[Chrissit]

On 5/14/2023 at 8:19 AM, Ferry_Watcher said:

@Chrissit, sorry friend to hear that Covid hit one of you and the last couple of days were not what you had planned.  Fortunately there was some spectacular weather and you could make use of your aft balcony. Happy to hear that y'all are doing better, and that the amazing Solstice crew took good care of you.

We attended the Napa Lunch, and it was amazing.  Sadly, no commentative menu was given out, and we didn't remember to take a photo of the menu.  We did do the pairing option, and I found myself choosing a particular course because of the wine/champagne offering (Cakebread & Taittinger).  

 

Question for you - we will be on a 6 night Edge cruise in 2024 (first time).  I know that you can book Eden at least once before the cruise.  Since you have sailed on the Edge, do you recommend buying the specialty dining package, and if so, how many nights?

Which restaurants are a must try?  Raw on 5 is on our list, and we would be drawn to Cyprus. 

Any thoughts on the Daniel Boulud Chef's Table?

Any other must try dining venues?

Any thoughts about lunch on sea days? 

Any other Edge tips for us?

 

We hope that your trip home went well, and we wish you continued good health.

Thank you for any insights about the Edge!

 

Hi @Ferry_Watcher - the best laid plans as they say 🙂

We are bummed to have missed that lunch, but it gives us something to look forward to next time. 
 

We did Apex, but happy to give what insight we can for that class of ship. 

Book Eden ahead of time. 100% hands down, fantastic dining experience. We had booked, I believe, a four night package on a seven day sailing. Eden was a challenge to get into onboard… in the event that we book the E-Class again, we’ll book Eden out right and then possibly a package and see if we can score a second seating. 
Please do Raw on 5, it was excellent. We didn’t try the main dining rooms since we had a fantastic rate on a suite for that trip. Fine Cut was very good - but do be aware that the martini bar does get loud and will likely intrude on your dinner because of how the ship is set up/designed. Didn’t bother us, others are not fans.
Haven’t done the chef’s table in years (maybe 2018?) so we can’t help there. 
Lunch on sea days - try Le Grand Bistro at least once. Eden Cafe is a great little spot for lunch (and breakfast!).

As to other tips, grab a drink on the Magic Carpet, very cool. Shows in Eden are different - in a good way. If you like aerialist acts, we recommend getting there early. The walkway that curved around the back is a great vantage point. During the days you’ll normally find a quiet space with beautiful wake views.

 

Thank you for the kind wishes - the dogs are happy to have us home and don’t seem to mind that we’re under the weather. 
 

We enjoyed sharing dinner and wish you amazing travels in the upcoming year! 

[Chrissit]

22 hours ago, mahdnc said:

I also forgot to thank you for posting your live review. It was well written and the photos were beautiful. We've been on Solstice before and it was interesting to me to see photos of her in her blue livery. 

 

We will be back on Solstice in Dec when she does her Asian itineraries. 

We really do love her, she’s a great ship and the one we’ve spent the most days on. I’d be very interested in following along as she does her Asian itineraries - we’ve been eyeing those up and I’m waiting to see if she will end up going back to Japan at some point. 
 

Thank you for the kind words, I tried to keep up with it, and now better appreciate the work that goes into the lives. 🙂

[mahdnc]

28 minutes ago, Chrissit said:

We really do love her, she’s a great ship and the one we’ve spent the most days on. I’d be very interested in following along as she does her Asian itineraries - we’ve been eyeing those up and I’m waiting to see if she will end up going back to Japan at some point. 
 

Thank you for the kind words, I tried to keep up with it, and now better appreciate the work that goes into the lives. 🙂

 

You are most welcome and you are right, it takes time to post a good live thread which is why it is not for everybody although the Starlink wifi connection is making it easier.  I will probably post a live thread during our upcoming Solstice sailing.  We are doing the Singapore to Hong Kong itinerary.