SusieV

They seem to have cut back quite a bit on photography, but the package is a good value especially if you get an Elite discount (40% off) but you have to buy onboard to get that.

It's been over two weeks since we returned home and we are still experiencing lingering covid effects. Extreme fatigue and the cough is still present. We are both relatively young so it's a little scary to think this is what we experience after vaccine + booster. Very grateful for those or this could be much worse.

Hi, I think I covered some of what you said? We did eat at Murano twice. There was a service issue that was resolved to our satisfaction. The food was excellent both times. The main dining room was generally very good. Formal nights were night 2 and night 6. We dressed up and I didn't notice anyone glaringly dressed down, but it's not like it was 10 or 20 years ago. You should be able to see the menus in your Celebrity app. Yes, I gambled in the casino, what did you want to know about it? Personally I am not a fan of Aqua Class. Blu was underwhelming the time I tried it so now I prefer regular balcony + specialty dining. But of course, your mileage may vary.

They come in various denominations. I didn't see $1, but I didn't ask. I was given $25 and $5 denominations at different times. They are clearly marked "promotional". You will have no trouble telling them apart from regular chips. You don't have tp play them all at once. You can always put them in your pocket and come back later. They must be played before the end of the cruise though. I played mine at blackjack and it was much easier to cycle them then I thought. Even when I was winning or holding around even, it's still win a hand, lose a hand, so the promo chips get replaced quickly.

Can confirm this was not available on Solstice last month. Also disappointed.

That's why I was so disappointed they had only the same 4 cheeses every day and maybe 1-2 sliced cold meats. No fancy cheeses like they used to, just monterey jack, edam, swiss, and gouda.

I haven't tried Edge class yet but I can tell you that the S class has gone downhill from the last time I sailed in 2017 (before Solstice last month). Fewer options and cheaper than in the past, fewer special stations, shorter hours, and reduced offerings. I was not impressed at all. MDR was great. Oceanview was middling at best.

Honestly? I'm not a big fan of the Oceanview Cafe and the cutbacks, so I can't imagine what I'd think of Carnival!

Generally they were at 7pm and 9pm. There were a few afternoon shows and a couple late night ones as well at 10pm.

I was in the casino quite a bit on my recent Solstice cruise, but I came home up a few dollars. I hope I start getting some offers like this!!

We booked two open bookings onboard, so I wouldn't say the sparkle is off for us! Can't wait to go aboard again (although preferably when covid has settled down a bit more now that there's basically no requirements whatsoever).

We were told there are no paper Attention to Detail cards on Solstice. They had us write it using the Free links on the login.com page, the Talk To Us or something like that. We did get a reply from the hotel director to our praise of the World Class Bar staff and the bartenders told us they were getting a free steak dinner at Tuscan Grille for our comments. We also tipped using OBC at Guest Relations, and they asked us for the staff members' names and we provided all the info. I hope they got those tips.

I'm surprised- we didn't wait longer than 10-15 minutes in the taxi line and we were able to get a van that held all six of us plus our luggage. That driver got a large tip for managing to cram all our bags in his vehicle rather than insisting we split into two taxis! They did have a desk and someone with a clipboard asking everyone what they needed in terms of taxis.

I would strongly advise against a 10am flight even if you're not international. We had number 5 and didn't get called until after 8am, and it's about a half hour drive at best to LAX. Customs was pretty quick though especially if you get a porter so you go to the front of the line. I didn't pass facial recognition (perhaps because non-US?) but they just wanted to see our passports and that was it. I'd go with 11am or later unless you plan to walk off with your own luggage, and the earliest time for that was 7:30am.

You can use OBC.

We had a regular cabin and a CC cabin on Solstice. I can tell you that the CC robes were considerably larger than the standard ones. I was surprised, to be honest.

I'm sorry I can't really describe it but it wasn't too far. I was happy with the port area and Walmart but it was also 38C plus humidity that day so I didn't go out for long.

The shuttle picked up right where you got off the ship, you can't miss it. It did not require prebooking. There were a lot of discounts offered to use the spa during the trip, so I suspect they are up to normal staffing levels and not getting normal levels of booking. I was able to call and make an appointment to get makeup done on formal night the day before with no issues. Several times they stuck $50 coupons in our mailbox or offered multi service packages at very reasonable prices. I don't think you'll have trouble getting bookings. I can tell you that many of the spa activities in the Daily Planner like the 5 Minute Makeover had literally 1-2 attendees. It was kind of crazy.

Just got off Solstice. I could not access Cruise Critic on the basic internet. Anything on the web was too slow. I could use Facebook and facebook messenger and that's about it. Celebrity is definitely doing the throttling because if you used a VPN, more of the web functioned correctly. My son had a device with premium internet that we upgraded so he could use discord and play games with his friends (it's his vacation too), and that moved better but it definitely still brought complaints from him lol.

There were warnings about not venturing out of the tourist area in Ensenada except on a tour. Since you had to take a bus elsewhere to shop, this contributed to our decision to skip that port. Puerta Vallarta we felt no safety issues. There was a port shopping area with even a massage tent set up, and a free Celebrity shuttle to downtown. In Cabo we walked about 40 min and did not feel unsafe. Maybe a bit lost lol we had to keep asking people for directions as we got closer. We enjoyed the live music, except for the parts of the ship where music competed. We like to sit at the World Class bar, so if there was music playing in the Grand Foyer it would compete with both the music from the shops and the music from the bar itself. I would say generally volume was a minor issue but that's personal preference. But as for quality? No complaints. We enjoyed sitting on the pool deck and listening to the band more than once.

I didn't check into the book, but I got an email from the Captain's Club to get a free book printed so that's why I didn't check into it further. I saw a package of 10 prints for $100; I didn't notice any for $5 each. With the Captain's Club discount that's pretty close though. Definitely though don't prepay for the package if you're Elite. It was a hassle to get it refunded and charged correctly.

Once again I beg to differ with your analogy, but wish you happiness in future cruising. I'd rather stick with my own experiences on my review post.

There was no testing for back to back guests. I think there was very little covid onboard during the first cruise.

Yes, there was enough time. On the turtle, the glass artist suggested booking the last time slot before lunch or dinner so that if they needed extra time it was available. That being said, she wasn't rigid by the clock because things took as long as they took. He had a lot of fun making the pieces!

Yes, my mistake I meant 9/24. I hope you continue to test negative! I'm not sure I would agree that Solstice was a big disappointment. I enjoyed the trip, despite the issues we encountered. No cruise is perfect and most of the time by speaking up about issues, they can be resolved to one's satisfaction. We enjoyed the pools being warm on the Pacific Coastal leg. They were a bit cooler on the Mexican Riviera leg which makes sense since the air was so hot. Our TV didn't pull out either, and that was annoying since all the TVs have previously. I didn't have your issue in the casino; I was handed as many promo chips as I requested. It didn't have to be in transactions of $50. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise and hope you have a better experience next time. Overall though? We had a great cruise and I look forward to going back. I would definitely book Solstice again even in this condition.