Firsthand sneak peak at Solstice (Merger of Several Threads)

[FinelyCruising]

Art - I'm sorry that many with an experienced AE (Aft Eye ;) )already think the balconies are not the largess of the other classes of ships. But just for fun, having been on an aft on Connie...the size is big. :)

[denb]

Now if someone who has had an aft balcony on both an M class ship and the Century can tell us the relative sizes of the balconies on the two ships, ......

Our first balcony was on Century's aft (then) mini-suites. They are now called Century Suites (38 sq ft) or Family View (42 sq ft). Very small, although we loved it at the time. They've also added a few Sunset Veranda cabins on Century, with the balcony being 55-80 sq ft.

On the M class, discounting the aft Family verandas at up to 242 sq ft, the mid CC aft cabin balconies are over 100 sq ft. We'll be enjoying this one in less than 3 weeks!

[denb]

The M class aft staterooms have a dividing line that one could correlate with the large balconies, whereas there is no line on the Solstice aft staterooms.

If you look at the Equinox deck plans, they are deliniated. It's hard to tell, but they look similar in size to M class.

[denb]

If you look at the Equinox deck plans, they are deliniated. It's hard to tell, but they look similar in size to M class.

 

Use the following site, not the Celebrity one. This one is much better.

 

Equinox Site

[Schplinky]

Being as though the search is still dwon has anyone reported about the steam and sauna's on Solstice yet please.

I realise that they are going to have a Persian Garden but will they have a sauna like the M class ships free of charge or will it be all pay pay pay!!

Another thing that seems to be charged for not so long ago these things were part of the cruise fare.

 

 

If you look at the deck plan, the men's and ladies' changing rooms extend tot he side of the ship, which to me infers that there will be a free sauna with a porthole, like the M class. Unlike the Radiance class, M class don't offer free steam so I doubt Solstice will either.

[SailAway78]

Meyerwerft changed the webcam picture today.

 

 

 

 

Bonnie

[Melianne]

Here's my fantasy: Since we can only see them working on one side of the ship, the other side MUST BE DONE!!!

 

She'll set sail any week now.

[Schplinky]

Here's my fantasy: Since we can only see them working on one side of the ship, the other side MUST BE DONE!!!

 

She'll set sail any week now.

 

I like the way you think!!! :)

[awinner]

Here's my fantasy: Since we can only see them working on one side of the ship, the other side MUST BE DONE!!!

 

She'll set sail any week now.

 

Has anyone considered emailing the shipyard and ask if the aft balconies are larger than the midship ones...just a thought.

[mafig]

Does anyone have a guess whether the lifeboats will be flush or stick out?

 

Will those staterooms on Continental and Sunrise look down on the lifeboats, unless they have a forward cabin or one on the "hump."?

[Quinn]

We are booked on the March 15th sailing and were thinking about doing a B2B - The previous sailing is saying on the Celebrity site that every catagory is SOLD OUT - I thought that I read somewhere on this site that this sailing was cancelled. Is that true?

[MVPinBoynton]

Hi Quinn,

Come on over and visit the folks on the March 15 roll call. The B2B was changed from March 8 to March 22 due to the 8th being booked with a private group.

[ottawapuppy]

We are booked on the March 15th sailing and were thinking about doing a B2B - The previous sailing is saying on the Celebrity site that every catagory is SOLD OUT - I thought that I read somewhere on this site that this sailing was cancelled. Is that true?

 

It's not canceled per se; the whole ship has been bought by one group.

[Quinn]

Thanks to both of you - I'll look for you on the March 15th roll call !!!

[Peteymil]

On the Summit last week, when booking our Solstice cruise, I was told that the aft balconies are not any bigger than the rest. There are a few bigger balconies on the cabin just before aft, on either side of the aft cabins. This is what the cruise rep told me, for what it is worth.

[SailAway78]

Here's the new one:

 

 

 

 

Bonnie

[MVPinBoynton]

Bonnie,

Thanks for the reminder. They are making progress.

[Schplinky]

Here's the new one:

 

 

[ATTACH]74976[/ATTACH]

 

 

Bonnie

 

 

It's interesting how the different yards do it differently. At Akers, where many of the RCL ships are built, they're in drydock for the first year and are then floated out for nearly a year of finishing work. I was starting to wonder about Solstice being on time but it looks like they're doing the finishing work right in the dry dock.

[darrencantwait]

now that AidaBella is out, I wonder if they'll lay the keel for Equinox.

[FinelyCruising]

ooohhhh! Good thought! ;)

[SailAway78]

now that AidaBella is out, I wonder if they'll lay the keel for Equinox.

 

Solstice's first steel plate was launched 10/6/06 and the first set of blocks was laid 3/17/07. Equinox's first steel plate was 9/6/07. Based on Solstice's schedule, I thought we would see her in Building Dock 1-Hall 5 once AIDAbella left too. .

 

AIDAluna is due out next spring, had the keel laid on Saturday. See the pictures on the German part of the shipyard site:

 

http://www.meyerwerft.com/page.asp?lang=d&main=3&subs=0&did=1544

 

I would think Equinox's keel laying has to be soon since it's due out in the summer of 2009. It sure is fun to watch the ships being built.

 

Bonnie

[ionsys]

Hello folks

 

We are booked for Sept09 Sunrise Deck--

 

When I look at the Deck Plans, I see 2 banks of Elevators

 

The bank at our end shows 2 elevator sections, each section separated from the other

 

Does that mean that each section has only 1 elevator--or might it be that each section might be 2 separate elevators--ie 4 elevators to the bank at our end?

 

Been 30yrs since I've been on a cruise ship (HAL)

 

How do experienced cruise guests feel about the Solstice elevators?

 

--Are there enough to handle 1400 couples easily

--roughly how many minutes delay do you envisage?

[Schplinky]

Hello folks

 

We are booked for Sept09 Sunrise Deck--

 

When I look at the Deck Plans, I see 2 banks of Elevators

 

The bank at our end shows 2 elevator sections, each section separated from the other

 

Does that mean that each section has only 1 elevator--or might it be that each section might be 2 separate elevators--ie 4 elevators to the bank at our end?

 

Been 30yrs since I've been on a cruise ship (HAL)

 

How do experienced cruise guests feel about the Solstice elevators?

 

--Are there enough to handle 1400 couples easily

--roughly how many minutes delay do you envisage?

 

There are much larger ships accomplishing this so I doubt it will be an issue.

[SCCAcruiser]

Yikes - do you really think that a "cutting edge" ship like Solstice is going to be designed with too few elevators? Given the width of the ship, I wouldn't be surprised if the forward elevator bank has four elevators (three at a minimum), and the two midship banks appear to have three each (if the little "squiggles" in the deckplan are accurate). AND, I'm sure they are going to be the latest elevator technology (i.e., faster). So I really wouldn't worry about delays! ;)

[denb]

They have elevators on cruise ships?????

 

I just thought those glass boxes were for 'Lobby Excursions'.

 

Seriously, there's at least 3 if not 4 elevators in each bank/section.