Should I book the Solstice?

[mattR]

Looking at booking the Solstice for Alaska next Aug however reading the board it sounds like Celebrity is tanking?  Should I look closer at our other options of NCL Bliss or RCL Brilliance? 

[NutsAboutGolf]

1 hour ago, mattR said:

Looking at booking the Solstice for Alaska next Aug however reading the board it sounds like Celebrity is tanking?  Should I look closer at our other options of NCL Bliss or RCL Brilliance? 

 

Have you been on Celebrity, NCL or RCI before and if so, what did you think?  Your answer will help us on the forum provide a more specific recommendation

[Georgia_Peaches]

Alaska is port intensive, no?  Does it matter so much about the vessel as it does the scenery of beautiful Alaska?  Given the three you mentioned, Solstice would be my pick. Having said that, was talking to a friend tonight who did Alaska on Princess and absolutely loved it. 

Edited September 28, 2023 by Georgia_Peaches

[zanderblue]

We were on Solstice in August. The ship is in good condition.

We found the changes to the menus in the MDR very disappointing. So degraded, in fact, that we are in the process of moving our business away from Celebrity.

[Boatharbour]

We did a lot of reading on several forums before booking our Alaska cruise for 2025. Princess and HAL seem to have better itineraries in particular Glacier Bay.
 

We have only ever sailed Celebrity before but the recent changes ( some of which we experienced in July) prompted us to look elsewhere.  We have booked with HAL for Alaska in an aft suite for slightly more than a SV on Celebrity all included

[crusinthrough]

The Brilliance is an older ship.  I would not chose it over the Solstice, which I know hasn't be revolutionized. RC add ons are getting ridiculously high.

[lv2cruisgrl]

Friends did Solstice this year and said she is tired looking, especially the carpets and furniture. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

1 hour ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Alaska is port intensive, no?  Does it matter so much about the vessel as it does the scenery of beautiful Alaska?  Given the three you mentioned, Solstice would be my pick. Having said that, was talking to a friend tonight who did Alaska on Princess and absolutely loved it. 

 

It depends on what's important to the OP.  For example, there's nothing to see after the sun sets and if one is a night owl, and wants lots of evening entertainment and/or lively nightlife, X would rank at the bottom of the list

[NutsAboutGolf]

17 minutes ago, lv2cruisgrl said:

Friends did Solstice this year and said she is tired looking, especially the carpets and furniture. 

 

Was on her this month in a reg balcony, the furniture didn't have any noticeable wear but it was dated along with the carpet.  I do agree with you on the premise of booking a newer ship; the Bliss started sailing a decade after the un-revolutionized (not updated) Solstice sailed.  If the price and itinerary are in the same ballpark with all three ships, I'd pick the newest one

[Brad1185]

Went in June. Ship is tired looking with lots of very fogged windows that makes it really hard to see out of especially in Blu restaurant and the gym.  The flooring around the pools are looking really bad. Cabin was beat looking with the bathroom draws not opening and a very leaking shower that dripped very loud that the room Seward kept a town on the ground to blunt the noise. The balcony was a rust fest and looked really dirty. The metal had a lot of holes in the ceiling of the balcony. 

[mattR]

Yes have cruised most of the main lines before.  Looking for good food, good service, good main theater evening entertainment and a beautiful ship.  Was thinking Celebrity might be a step up in class from NCL/RCI but from recent reviews it sounds like maybe it isn't?   

[lv2cruisgrl]

1 hour ago, mattR said:

Yes have cruised most of the main lines before.  Looking for good food, good service, good main theater evening entertainment and a beautiful ship.  Was thinking Celebrity might be a step up in class from NCL/RCI but from recent reviews it sounds like maybe it isn't?   

Go with a newer ship or one that has been redone within the past 5 or 6 years and all will be good.

[FiremedicMike151]

7 hours ago, mattR said:

Looking at booking the Solstice for Alaska next Aug however reading the board it sounds like Celebrity is tanking?  Should I look closer at our other options of NCL Bliss or RCL Brilliance? 

We just sailed Alaska on the solstice last week and would not do it again, primarily for the food options.  If you’re planning on doing specialty dining and/or suite, then you’ll probably be fine, otherwise 7 days was a long time to hit the MDR/buffet every day.

 

We definitely want to do Alaska again, but it won’t be on the solstice. Nice clean ship with a friendly crew, but the lack of food options killed it for us.

[dctravel]

We just booked Solstice for next July in Alaska. I certainly took the review on here (and elsewhere) into account, but our travel agent got us a better deal on Solstice than on some of the other choices that fit our schedule. I am looking forward to trying something different. We plan to mix it up with main dining and a few specialty. I'm just looking forward to relaxing and seeing Alaska for the first time!

[SbbquilterUT]

30 minutes ago, dctravel said:

We just booked Solstice for next July in Alaska. I certainly took the review on here (and elsewhere) into account, but our travel agent got us a better deal on Solstice than on some of the other choices that fit our schedule. I am looking forward to trying something different. We plan to mix it up with main dining and a few specialty. I'm just looking forward to relaxing and seeing Alaska for the first time!

We sailed her three times this year and enjoyed them all.  We are low key folks happy to sail in a balcony or an interior, dependent on the pricing.  We are Elite and the evening drinks are plenty for us.  Our cabin has been tidy and clean as expected though not the most modern decor.  Staff was excellent, food okay to very good (the updated menus should help with that).  Would happily sail her again.

[McCruisester]

In July, I was on Solstice to Alaska from Seattle (home). 5 of the last 6 summers I went with Celebrity, a couple of times on Solstice. The ship was at max capacity this year and this was by far the most I ever paid. I worried about crowds and COVID but the ship never felt crowded. It’s a beautiful smaller ship. Sure the furniture in my cabin showed some wear and the balcony chairs were sun faded but the cabin was clean and the carpet looked new. I ate in the MDR and once in Murano. My only disappointment was that first night meal in Murano. I have only had great experiences there previously but that night the food was off and I made some poor menu choices (skip the chateaubriand, love the lobster). I had good food in MDR. The waitstaff was quick to suggest something else the few times I ordered a miss. They were quite experienced with this as there are a couple of solid duds on the menu. I had zero other complaints or suggestions for improvements for the cruise. The staff was fantastic. I had a great time. 

Edited December 24, 2023 by McCruisester

[keesar]

On 9/28/2023 at 1:40 AM, mattR said:

Yes have cruised most of the main lines before.  Looking for good food, good service, good main theater evening entertainment and a beautiful ship.  Was thinking Celebrity might be a step up in class from NCL/RCI but from recent reviews it sounds like maybe it isn't?   

Solstice was really tired looking.  We had a worn carpet and the lower frame around the closet was missing.  We had been on this ship the inaugural  year but now maintenance is needed.  The cruise was really good and we enjoyed ourselves. Food was very good, especially when fresh seafood was brought onboard in Juneau I believe.

 

Take a look at the itineraries for ships that go to Glacier Bay.

[squadron]

I read the menus date 2023 and they seem good - the old classics are still there They have been removed from RCI.    Have they been changed?

[highway180]

we did the Solstice in Alaska earlier this year, with our daughter and Granddaughter. We had adjoining sunset verandas. It was one of our best cruises to date. The ship is older for sure, but the service and food was excellent on all counts from the main dining room to the specialties. Be sure to look for the specialty lunch in Tuscan! it was over the top delicious

i would not hesitate to sail on her again..