My Solstice Experience

[Coco Creek]

I am on my final day of my Solstice cruise. Here is my initial review:

 

Celebrity Solstice:

My First Impressions: Walking on to the Solstice was an exciting experience for me. Having followed its construction and first sailings on Cruise Critic, I felt I already knew the ship well. The Solstice does have the feel of Celebrity. I spent the first 30 minutes racing around the ship and it was then that I realized Solstice was even more stunning in its splendor, more inviting than I had imagined.

Embarkation: A

The embarkation from being dropped off by a friend to standing on the ship took 9 minutes—I timed it. It could not have been better organized.

Ship: A

The ship met and exceeded every expectation I had formed. The flowing columns and ascending stair case told me I was back on Celebrity. The atrium with its view to the top and suspended tree (now trimmed) added another dimension (though it felt a bit borrowed from a national hotel chain). Riding up and town the elevators gave a real sense of grandeur to Solstice.

Celebrity put a lot of attention when into the ship’s lounges. Cellar Master’s is a gem. On two different nights I sat in a comfortable chair listening to a string quarter (I love string music) and just sipped in the ambiance. It is an amazing place to simply rest at the end of the day. Ensemble Lounge (located en route to the specialty restaurants) is well appointed, and if you walk to fast, you will miss the entrance to the L shaped Michael’s Club. The piano has been moved to the base of the L which makes Michel’s more functional. I also visited Café al Bacio almost daily—I love cookies.

The Dining Rooms are well designed. The Grand Epernay is grand, but not my taste. The Specialty restaurants were small, intimate and very inviting. The Tuscan Grille really grabbed my attention. I was traveling solo and thus did not dine at any of the specialties, I sure will when I return to Solstice Class ships with friends.

The pools look wonderful, but are cold. No problem with chair hogs. You can always find a comfortable place to plant yourself. I loved chilling in the air conditioned Solarium, but missed the T-Pool which I had become addicted to in my two Millennium cruises. The Solstice Theatre is a work of art and the Entertainment Court became the center of much enjoyed music. Celebrity Central needs to be used more—it is a very useful entertainment venue. I did enjoy a comedian at a late show, but is too nice a space for watch seminars.

The Lawn Club at this point is over hyped. The grass is very fragile and very thin, built on a several inches of sand. As a result, the putting green and croquet do not respond as we expect grass to respond. If the Lawn Club is going to remain viable, it must be heartier and Celebrity must find more uses for it. The Hot Glass show at the edge of the Lawn Club was popular and a fun way to spend two hours.

I liked the Relaxation Room concept in the Aqua Spa and liked even more that I was not hassled about product after my massages (or maybe they know that a sixty six year old man is not going buy the stuff). I did appreciate that the Casino was non-smoking and thus contributed more to Celebrity than I had planned.

Food B:

The food in the Grand Epernay was overall good, but not great. There was no wow factor and plenty of bland seasonings. The soups were great, however. The Oceanview Café was certainly on upgrade from Millennium. The choices were many and the flow is well organized. The Bistro on Five was disappointing. I love crepes and the Italian dessert crepe I ate on the first night was stale and overcooked. I did not return. I can’t comment on the Specialty restaurants, but comments I heard were nothing but totally positive.

My initial table assignment was a single (one place setting). After protesting I was moved on the second night to a table for six where there was one other couple who has also requested a table for six. Finally, on the fourth day, another couple who been placed at a table where no one else spoke English arrived at our table.

Entertainment: A

The new emphasis on shows, particularly the Solstice and Pulse shows worked for me—fast with paced, with lots of movement. Comedian Dave Burleigh did great impressions. I am a space nut so I partook in a lecture series by astronomy and space by Apollo veteran, Dr. Ralph Pass.

I love Celebrity’s commitment to live music from the Celebrity orchestra, to the Inspiration Strings, a Steel Pan artist, Guitarist Jefferson Ang and to a Jazz Trio. The cruise experience is enhanced for me by hearing live music more often than not as I move about the ship.

Room: B

My room, an aft Sunset Veranda was nice, had the necessities (a bed and a bathroom). The storage space is limited and the room does not feel bigger than the Millennium aft cabin I had for my Alaska cruise. The aft baloneys on M Class ships are special, not so on Solstice.

Service: A

Service was excellent. My room attendant was the best I have had. She seemed to have my schedule down and was often there to open doors for me. My waiter was also very good. Beyond that I appreciated the smiles from all staff, the many hellos and the attendant in my corridor who was always singing when I walked past here.

Itinerary: This is not an itinerary I would have chosen to sail absent The Solstice. Three sea days is too much for a Caribbean cruise and San Juan is deju vu all over again for me.

I ran into the brothers Weir one afternoon and asked if all five Solstice Ships would be sailing the Caribbean in the winter and Europe in the summer. No, was the answer. The Solstice Ships would be going worldwide and Celebrity was thinking about making Singapore the home port for one of the ships. Good news, at least for me.

I will be happy to answer any question.

[benbess]

Great review! Many thanks.

 

I am puzzled by the cold pools. Why would they do this? Well, I guess I know, it's to save energy and therefore money, but it seems penny wise and pound foolish.

 

How was the coffee on the ship, both the "free" and the extra cost coffee?

 

Thanks...

[tom_uk]

I ran into the brothers Weir one afternoon and asked if all five Solstice Ships would be sailing the Caribbean in the winter and Europe in the summer. No, was the answer. The Solstice Ships would be going worldwide

 

That's good to hear a confirmation of that policy. We are booked on Solstice in the Mediterranean next September, and we've been wondering if Celebrity might cancel Solstice's deployment there (in the way Carnival have done with several of their ships. I'm pleased to hear that their plans remain to have the Solstice-class ships all over the world.

[BurgerBits]

Thanks so much for taking the time to write!! Excellent review, well organized and easy to read.

 

As you offered, I will be emailing to ask for tips on how to enjoy San Juan with our group in February (have been to the airport many times, but never strayed...).

 

Happy Holidays to you!!!

[cruzmaven]

Thanks for taking the time to review while on board. Sounds like some of the problems highlighted in earlier reviews have been resolved.

 

Good news!

[Coco Creek]

Great review! Many thanks.

 

I am puzzled by the cold pools. Why would they do this? Well, I guess I know, it's to save energy and therefore money, but it seems penny wise and pound foolish.

 

How was the coffee on the ship, both the "free" and the extra cost coffee?

 

Thanks...

 

I do not drink coffee. Folks at my table stopped ordering coffee mid cruise--did not like it.

[Host Joe]

Thank you for your great review! I am so happy that they have moved the piano in Michaels Club!

[gregjm]

 

The pools look wonderful, but are cold. No problem with chair hogs. You can always find a comfortable place to plant yourself. I loved chilling in the air conditioned Solarium, but missed the T-Pool which I had become addicted to in my two Millennium cruises.

 

The Lawn Club at this point is over hyped. The grass is very fragile and very thin, built on a several inches of sand. As a result, the putting green and croquet do not respond as we expect grass to respond. If the Lawn Club is going to remain viable, it must be heartier and Celebrity must find more uses for it. The Hot Glass show at the edge of the Lawn Club was popular and a fun way to spend two hours.

 

 

I have a feeling that the live grass will eventually be replaced with artificial turf----the lawn can only "rest" so long and it was looking pretty ragged in some spots. the other thing X should consider is to remove an area of grass in front of the hot glass show and put in additional seating (maybe bleachers of some sort) That would eliminate the lines of people standing on the grass to watch the hot glass show.

 

I do agree with you about the solarium pool. It's a beautiful space, but was very cold (temperature wise) and the water was unheated---making it verge on being unusable. Fortunately, once you "made the plunge" it became tolerable, but it definitely is not an area where costs should be cut. This is a reported $1 billion ship so to cutting costs in this area seems shortsighted.

[Host Anne]

Coco ~ please be sure to submit your review to the Cruise Critic REVIEWS section. It is well balanced and provides great details. Thanks for taking the time to write it and share it with us on your last day.

 

Great news that they moved the piano in Michael's Club. Makes it a much more useable venue for everyone - passengers, crew and entertainer. It's nice to know that they listen to comments and take action.

 

Also glad to hear that they have plans to place Solstice class ships around the world. Safe trip home! And thanks again!

[willysgrandma]

Very nice review. It makes absolutely no sense to me that the Solarium Pool is not heated. Of course there are no chair hogs - I bet hardly anyone is swimming in the cold pools.

 

Can I ask what time you arrived at the pier, since your check in was so amazingly fast?

[Mparis184]

Thanks Anne for your review. What a beautiful ship, we enjoyed our week but 7 days is much to short to enjoy the Solstice ambiance. The cabin is well appointed and I loved the vanity area and comfortable chair. Lots of outlets for all our electronic stuff. The bed was rather large for a queen and real comfortable. It took us a little while to figure out how all the lights worked and I loved the bathroom night light.

 

Our service was awful, I was surprised. I guess my expectations were too high. This was our 9th Celebrity Cruise and we have always had excellent service, especially in the dining room. No dinner seating card greeted us on our bed when we arrived in our stateroom. I thought it would only take a few minutes and went off to see the Matre'd to get it straightened out. 45 minutes later they checked their computer and gave us at a table for 10 that was scrunched up against a wall. My DH said he would have trouble getting in and out (6 ft 3 and 260lbs) if we were sitting near the wall. I changed our seating again to the only other table they had - or so I was told - and it was 1/2 UNDER the grand staircase in the Grand Epernay. We couldn't see anything in the dining room and felt like we were in a closet. Since the ship was not full we couldn't understand why they did not have put us at another table. We spent 2 nights by ourselves at this big table and they finally put other passengers (who were also sitting alone) with us on the third night. I hope they get their seating act together. I chalk it up to trial and error - we were the error! We were not alone. The line to get seating changes and problems taken care of was the longest I have ever seen.

 

There were too many situations where the service was bad or where we had NO service at all. We were even ignored when asking for more cream at tea in the Grand Epernay and told someone else will be coming by and can get it for us........ Since I am not a complainer I will stop here. The ship is fabulous and as I always say "There is no such thing as a bad cruise - only a better cruise".

 

Marion

[Mparis184]

Great review! Many thanks.

 

I am puzzled by the cold pools. Why would they do this? Well, I guess I know, it's to save energy and therefore money, but it seems penny wise and pound foolish.

 

How was the coffee on the ship, both the "free" and the extra cost coffee?

 

Thanks...

 

I found the coffee too strong for me. I got a good tip from another coffee lover the first day of the cruise. She told me to add hot water to the coffee. It took care of the strong coffee taste and it was great. The dining room coffee was another story. Their coffee was even stronger than at the Oceanview so I became a tea drinker after dinner.

 

Marion

[Duanerice1]

Great review. Pretty much our experience. Service was outstanding.

 

Just wanted to weigh in on the coffee. It was actually good. Even room service coffee. Coffee in Blu was very good. I was one of the folks that could not stand the earlier coffee. This time it was a delight!

 

I actually saw them using regular coffee not a syrup or anything.

 

Ahh what I would give for a T pool on this ship.................

 

enjoy,

Duane

[Andy]

I ran into the brothers Weir one afternoon and asked if all five Solstice Ships would be sailing the Caribbean in the winter and Europe in the summer. No, was the answer. The Solstice Ships would be going worldwide and Celebrity was thinking about making Singapore the home port for one of the ships. Good news, at least for me.

I will be happy to answer any question.

 

Hi Coco !

 

Thanks for your excellent review. I agree with most all of it, especially the food in the Grand Epernay. I thought the food was good to very good (I also rated it a B in my review), but definitely not great. I'd say of the 7 meals, 1 or 2 were outstanding, and the rest were as mentioned above. IMHO, I think it's safe to say that I miss Michel Roux's Menus. Hopefully, Celebrity will find a way to improve the Grand Epernay menus soon. One of the Maitre'd s mentioned to me that all of the Grand Epernay Menus are on a test basis, and will be assessed every 6 months... something Celebrity hasnt done much of in the past. I hope it proves to be true.

 

As for the Solstice Class ships being deployed all around the world, while its possible, its probably wishful thinking at this point. I expect the S-class to be based mainly in the USA and Europe.... at least for the next few years. As the World economy is in meltdown, the last place Celebrity might put an S-Class ship is Singapore. If they should decide to put an S-Class ship there anytime soon, they need to have their heads examined :). I am pretty sure I read that Eclipse will be homeported in Southampton for her initial season. We will see what happens regarding other S-Class deployments.

[Coco Creek]

Very nice review. It makes absolutely no sense to me that the Solarium Pool is not heated. Of course there are no chair hogs - I bet hardly anyone is swimming in the cold pools.

 

Can I ask what time you arrived at the pier, since your check in was so amazingly fast?

 

I arrived a few minutes before noon. Lots of people were arriving, but the processing was amazing.

[cosaraquis1]

What cabin number where you in & also was the bed by the balcony ? Thanks

[Coco Creek]

What cabin number where you in & also was the bed by the balcony ? Thanks

 

I was in 8344, an aft Sunset Veranda. The bed was next to the balcony.

[cvat]

 

Embarkation: A

 

The embarkation from being dropped off by a friend to standing on the ship took 9 minutes—I timed it. It could not have been better organized.

 

They are very speedy!

[CaroleLee]

I am on my final day of my Solstice cruise. Here is my initial review:

 

Celebrity Solstice:

My First Impressions: Walking on to the Solstice was an exciting experience for me. Having followed its construction and first sailings on Cruise Critic, I felt I already knew the ship well. The Solstice does have the feel of Celebrity. I spent the first 30 minutes racing around the ship and it was then that I realized Solstice was even more stunning in its splendor, more inviting than I had imagined.

Embarkation: A

The embarkation from being dropped off by a friend to standing on the ship took 9 minutes—I timed it. It could not have been better organized.

Ship: A

The ship met and exceeded every expectation I had formed. The flowing columns and ascending stair case told me I was back on Celebrity. The atrium with its view to the top and suspended tree (now trimmed) added another dimension (though it felt a bit borrowed from a national hotel chain). Riding up and town the elevators gave a real sense of grandeur to Solstice.

Celebrity put a lot of attention when into the ship’s lounges. Cellar Master’s is a gem. On two different nights I sat in a comfortable chair listening to a string quarter (I love string music) and just sipped in the ambiance. It is an amazing place to simply rest at the end of the day. Ensemble Lounge (located en route to the specialty restaurants) is well appointed, and if you walk to fast, you will miss the entrance to the L shaped Michael’s Club. The piano has been moved to the base of the L which makes Michel’s more functional. I also visited Café al Bacio almost daily—I love cookies.

The Dining Rooms are well designed. The Grand Epernay is grand, but not my taste. The Specialty restaurants were small, intimate and very inviting. The Tuscan Grille really grabbed my attention. I was traveling solo and thus did not dine at any of the specialties, I sure will when I return to Solstice Class ships with friends.

The pools look wonderful, but are cold. No problem with chair hogs. You can always find a comfortable place to plant yourself. I loved chilling in the air conditioned Solarium, but missed the T-Pool which I had become addicted to in my two Millennium cruises. The Solstice Theatre is a work of art and the Entertainment Court became the center of much enjoyed music. Celebrity Central needs to be used more—it is a very useful entertainment venue. I did enjoy a comedian at a late show, but is too nice a space for watch seminars.

The Lawn Club at this point is over hyped. The grass is very fragile and very thin, built on a several inches of sand. As a result, the putting green and croquet do not respond as we expect grass to respond. If the Lawn Club is going to remain viable, it must be heartier and Celebrity must find more uses for it. The Hot Glass show at the edge of the Lawn Club was popular and a fun way to spend two hours.

I liked the Relaxation Room concept in the Aqua Spa and liked even more that I was not hassled about product after my massages (or maybe they know that a sixty six year old man is not going buy the stuff). I did appreciate that the Casino was non-smoking and thus contributed more to Celebrity than I had planned.

Food B:

The food in the Grand Epernay was overall good, but not great. There was no wow factor and plenty of bland seasonings. The soups were great, however. The Oceanview Café was certainly on upgrade from Millennium. The choices were many and the flow is well organized. The Bistro on Five was disappointing. I love crepes and the Italian dessert crepe I ate on the first night was stale and overcooked. I did not return. I can’t comment on the Specialty restaurants, but comments I heard were nothing but totally positive.

My initial table assignment was a single (one place setting). After protesting I was moved on the second night to a table for six where there was one other couple who has also requested a table for six. Finally, on the fourth day, another couple who been placed at a table where no one else spoke English arrived at our table.

Entertainment: A

The new emphasis on shows, particularly the Solstice and Pulse shows worked for me—fast with paced, with lots of movement. Comedian Dave Burleigh did great impressions. I am a space nut so I partook in a lecture series by astronomy and space by Apollo veteran, Dr. Ralph Pass.

I love Celebrity’s commitment to live music from the Celebrity orchestra, to the Inspiration Strings, a Steel Pan artist, Guitarist Jefferson Ang and to a Jazz Trio. The cruise experience is enhanced for me by hearing live music more often than not as I move about the ship.

Room: B

My room, an aft Sunset Veranda was nice, had the necessities (a bed and a bathroom). The storage space is limited and the room does not feel bigger than the Millennium aft cabin I had for my Alaska cruise. The aft baloneys on M Class ships are special, not so on Solstice.

Service: A

Service was excellent. My room attendant was the best I have had. She seemed to have my schedule down and was often there to open doors for me. My waiter was also very good. Beyond that I appreciated the smiles from all staff, the many hellos and the attendant in my corridor who was always singing when I walked past here.

Itinerary: This is not an itinerary I would have chosen to sail absent The Solstice. Three sea days is too much for a Caribbean cruise and San Juan is deju vu all over again for me.

I ran into the brothers Weir one afternoon and asked if all five Solstice Ships would be sailing the Caribbean in the winter and Europe in the summer. No, was the answer. The Solstice Ships would be going worldwide and Celebrity was thinking about making Singapore the home port for one of the ships. Good news, at least for me.

I will be happy to answer any question.

 

We are booked for E. Med in June thanks for the review. Question to everyone- Is it possible that pool temp was due to new ship/shakedown/winter outside temperatures?

We are AQ- does anyone have actual Blu menus?

[cruiserbryce]

glad you had a good trip. we sail equinox a year from today and hope we have as good of a trip

[Oceangoer2]

I was in 8344, an aft Sunset Veranda. The bed was next to the balcony.

We have that cabin 02/22 sailing. Is there more room if the bed is beside the balacony rather than the sofa? Is the balcony slightly larger (as I've been told) than others beside it?

[Parrot Mom]

Did anybody who went to Café al Bacio meet Herve? He was our Asst. Waiter on the Galaxy.. an incredible young man. Sorry to hear about the shortage of storage space.. I'm hoping with the Equinox they remedy this problem. We are going for a t/a 14 days and I need extra space..

[Coco Creek]

We have that cabin 02/22 sailing. Is there more room if the bed is beside the balacony rather than the sofa? Is the balcony slightly larger (as I've been told) than others beside it?

 

The size of the room is identical whether near the door or near the balcony. The bed is not an obstruction if near the balcony. The balcony is a bit wider (as our other balconies) in the same vertical role) because of a utility closet next to the room.

[FLJudi]

I'm just off too. We were in Aqua Class, ate in Blu and were not happy campers. Very few interesting choices on the menu - once I eliminated those containing bell peppers, which I abhor, I struggled to put together an edible meal from the remaining choices. One night I couldn't find anything of interest, so ordered the always standby steak, rare. All I got was a gray slab of lukewarm, tough meat. The last night they served lamb shanks - I get much better ones in Costco in the frozen food section.

Service was also atrocious. We could never find the waiter or sommellier (Sp) when needed, and the gaps between courses stretched interminably.

 

The room however was beautiful, and in the summer when there are more hours of light, the view should be wonderful. I hope they get their menu choices expanded and the wait staff better trained.

 

Lots of things we liked about the cruise - don't want to only be negative, but this was a major issue.

 

FLJudi

 

PS- didn't like the coffee anywhere on the ship either

[LEESRE]

Coco Creek,

Many thanks for your review very interesting. Noted that you used the relaxation room etc. What were the changing rooms like I do believe there is a FOC sauna in the mens is this so please.