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Solstice booked for Thanksgiving...what to expect?

mdxter

By mdxter,
in Celebrity Cruises

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mdxter

mdxter

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Hi Everyone,

 

Our group have just booked on the Solstice for a 2009 Thanksgiving (Nov 20 2009)cruise. We have only cruised on Carnival. What can i expect differently from the Celebrity (especially the Solstice). Thanks in advance for everyone's input.

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hcat "Live from...." Rare

hcat

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You can expect lots of kids on board since it's over a family holiday!

 

Hopefully, this ship will reflect the celebrity experience-- updated & modern yet classy with excellent food & service & amenities---this is a new design & many non X cruisers are coming aboard. Hope they will appreciate all X has to offer & add to the ambiance.

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mdxter

mdxter

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The 11/23 Solstice cruise is 7 days...not 10, and I would expect that there will be quite a lot of children onboard.

 

Hello, the cruise is for 2009 Thanksgiving. I don't mind kids on board b/c i will be traveling with a 4 and a 1.75 year old. I know the work involved with bringing children (not to mention costs) but I could not go on vacation without my children (even when they are of age to move out).

 

I was wondering about the ambiance and services. For instance, what is the gratuity rate for X? Are there a lot of different specialty restuarants? Is there a buffet type of restaurant on the Lido deck? What about room service (is there an extra charge)?

 

I picked this cruise b/c of the itinerary and price. I was down to between the Brilliance (RCL) and X and i choose this one because it was a little more affordable for a balcony. Also, this is a brand new ship.

 

We wanted to visit the Mediterranean cruise this year but my youngest will only be 9 months old so we decided to do the Glory for this Thanksgiving.

 

This will be our first ever trip to Europe and we are all so very excited!!!!!

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Denny01

Denny01

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We are cruising the 20 Nov trip also, but staying on for the 30 Nov 09 TA. Come on over to the Roll Call for 20 Nov and sign up. You'll get a lot of info. We sailed on the Summit for Thanksgiving and loved it - took the grandparents, us and the kids. I DIDN'T have Turkey, I tried another meal.

 

My wife hates to cook Thanksgiving dinner, so we've either joined the kids, or taken a cruise! I told her I could set up a fantastic catering for the cost, but we decided that a cruise is so much more fun!

 

Here is the gratuity info:

It is customary to offer gratuities to staff members you feel have given you exceptional service and personal attention. Celebrity suggests the following guidelines for all guests per day, per person:

Waiter: $3.50

Assistant Waiter: $2.00 per day

Butler (suites only): $3.50 per day

Assistant Maitre'd: $1.00 per day

Stateroom Service: $3.50 per day

Stateroom Service (ConciergeClass): $4.00

Assistant Chief Housekeeper: $0.50 per day

This averages about $10/pp per day.

 

Dining Info on the Solstice:

Two restaurants are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the two-level main dining room Grand Epernay (two dining times) and the casual Oceanview Cafe & Grill (buffet).

Alternative restaurants which require reservations and have a surcharge include Tuscan Grille serving steaks, Kobe beef and Caesar salad; Silk Harvest, an Asian restaurant with Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese and Indian selections and Murano, serving continental cuisine and fine wines.

The restaurant Blu will be complimentary to passengers staying in the new AquaClass category of accommodations but have a surcharge for those staying in other cabin categories. Cafe al Bacio & Gelateria will serve designer coffee, teas, gelato, pastries and chocolate truffles.

Additional dining venues with no surcharge include Bistro on Five, specializing in crepes, sandwiches and other casual meals, will be open 24 hours per day; Aqua Spa Cafe in the ship’s Solarium and the Mast Grill and Bar next to the pool.

 

Denny

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Giorgi-one

Giorgi-one

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Hi Everyone,

 

Our group have just booked on the Solstice for a 2009 Thanksgiving (Nov 20 2009)cruise. We have only cruised on Carnival. What can i expect differently from the Celebrity (especially the Solstice). Thanks in advance for everyone's input.

 

Turkey sandwich or turkey croquettes!

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eileen & jay

eileen & jay

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Hi Everyone,

 

Our group have just booked on the Solstice for a 2009 Thanksgiving (Nov 20 2009)cruise. We have only cruised on Carnival. What can i expect differently from the Celebrity (especially the Solstice). Thanks in advance for everyone's input.

 

 

Hi, we were on the Galaxy in the Eastern Med. during Thanksgiving, 2007. The Captain acknowledged the holiday with best wishes to all the American guests during his noontime address and dinner that evening did include turkey. Enjoy your cruise....you'll love Celebrity!!:D

 

Go Tigers!!;)

Class of '70

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Cruising Carol

Cruising Carol

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Was on Summit for Thanksgiving in 2006. Our turkey dinner was the French chef's idea of a Thanksgiving dinner. Rice based stuffing topped with turkey which seemed like a turkey roll. Then over that two strips of bacon with gravy on top. As a side, he included grits. The only edible part was the cranberry sauce. Pumpkin pie was a layer of chocolate cake with a white creamy layer on top of that with a thin topping of pumpkin mousse. Really regretted not getting lobster as our English tablemates did.

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Sky Sweet

Sky Sweet

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We have been on a few Thanksgiving Cruises, but they were always in the Caribbean, so most of the passengers were American.

 

On these cruises, a traditional Thanksgiving dinner was one of the options on the menu, but it was never as good as the ones we have at home or at a friend's house. In fact, this year we will be celebrating Thanksgiving at our house, for the first time in several years, with out of town guests, because my family misses celebrating it this way when we are on a cruise.

 

One of the main attractions of a Thanksgiving Cruise is that it provides a venue for extended families and/or friends to celebrate the holiday together without having to turn the host's house into a hotel for all of the out of town guests.

 

However, a ten day Mediterranean Cruise is likely to have more European passengers, who don't celebrate Thanksgiving, than Americans who do. Therefore, I doubt it will be much different than other Mediterranean Cruises.

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mdxter

mdxter

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We are cruising the 20 Nov trip also, but staying on for the 30 Nov 09 TA. Come on over to the Roll Call for 20 Nov and sign up. You'll get a lot of info. We sailed on the Summit for Thanksgiving and loved it - took the grandparents, us and the kids. I DIDN'T have Turkey, I tried another meal.

 

My wife hates to cook Thanksgiving dinner, so we've either joined the kids, or taken a cruise! I told her I could set up a fantastic catering for the cost, but we decided that a cruise is so much more fun!

 

Here is the gratuity info:

It is customary to offer gratuities to staff members you feel have given you exceptional service and personal attention. Celebrity suggests the following guidelines for all guests per day, per person:

Waiter: $3.50

Assistant Waiter: $2.00 per day

Butler (suites only): $3.50 per day

Assistant Maitre'd: $1.00 per day

Stateroom Service: $3.50 per day

Stateroom Service (ConciergeClass): $4.00

Assistant Chief Housekeeper: $0.50 per day

This averages about $10/pp per day.

 

Dining Info on the Solstice:

Two restaurants are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the two-level main dining room Grand Epernay (two dining times) and the casual Oceanview Cafe & Grill (buffet).

Alternative restaurants which require reservations and have a surcharge include Tuscan Grille serving steaks, Kobe beef and Caesar salad; Silk Harvest, an Asian restaurant with Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese and Indian selections and Murano, serving continental cuisine and fine wines.

The restaurant Blu will be complimentary to passengers staying in the new AquaClass category of accommodations but have a surcharge for those staying in other cabin categories. Cafe al Bacio & Gelateria will serve designer coffee, teas, gelato, pastries and chocolate truffles.

Additional dining venues with no surcharge include Bistro on Five, specializing in crepes, sandwiches and other casual meals, will be open 24 hours per day; Aqua Spa Cafe in the ship’s Solarium and the Mast Grill and Bar next to the pool.

 

Denny

 

Thank you for the insight on X. You have answered a lot my questions.

 

We would have liked to cruise this itinerary @ an earlier date and perfer to spend Thanksgiving home but our schedules would not allow this.

 

Have to go to prepare for Gustav. Wish us luck!!!!

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