floridianny

someone just posted on the thread I recommended to search for..so its right up there now:)

do a search with words "laurieal silhouette" then click on link below. She gives an excellent review of her cruise this past spring and has many photos of her accessible balcony cabin. Sorry I don't know how to give you the link directly:(

sorry, just realized you were asking to go from port to port not port to airport:o

Not sure if a shared shuttle would apply but they do private as well I think but worth a check on their website.

We used QLS from POM to FLL and they were great. Booked online before we left for cruise. They call your cell phone the morning we got back into Miami and confirmed that we should call them after we clear customs. When we called back we were through customs early she offered to get us on an earlier shuttle in next 10 min so we didn't have to wait outside over an hour. Service was great and only around $12 or $15 pp I believe.

You will get a variety of responses to that question. I can tell you our experience with two boys ages 17 and 11 has been very positive. They have sailed twice with us on Celebrity. Both times on a Solstice class ship with a 7 night Caribbean itinerary. Once this past February and a couple years ago as well. They are not the type to care about rock climbing walls, etc and have no other cruise lines to compare Celebrity to yet, but they really enjoyed both vacations. My 11 year old has been in the Fun Factory a few times when they have an activity that interested him. Its well run but the X Club for 12 and up appeals to him more so I think he'd utilize that facility more in the future.They do have a sports court and do outdoor activities as well. I did scan and post the daily schedules from the Fun Factory after our last cruise in February. If you do a search for "Reflection Fun Factory Dailies" it should come up if you're interested.

The crew on the ships is very kid friendly and seem to love to give them a bit of extra attention whether its showing them a little trick in the dining room or leaving a towel creation in their cabin or showing interest in a video game they're playing. Our boys have been to all the specialty restaurants (except Murano) and have been very welcome. Our oldest is a picky eater but our youngest is very adventurous and the wait staff always love giving him dishes to try:)

It all comes down to knowing your children and if they need a lot of action or if the activities on Celebrity will suit them. We have found them very welcoming to kids.

Thank you! Once again another fantastic and informative review! I love that we all get to "relive" the cruise with you:)

I agree with you about the refugee situation. So incredibly sad and the fact that EVERYONE does not have compassion for what their fellow human beings are going through is appalling!

Here's hoping for a more peaceful world. Thank you again for all of your hard work. Hopefully there will be another cruise in your future. Wishing you and your wonderful family all the best:)

They no longer had a comedy show this past February when we sailed.

We've been in 1285 and 1150. My sister was in 1259 last time. All were great, quiet cabins. Nice location and east to run upstairs to pool deck or buffet or down to Cafe al Bacio. Its our favorite ship. Enjoy:)

Wonderful review, as always:)

Thank you for taking the time to share all your beautiful photos.

May there be many many more cruises for you and your wonderful family

Hi, we're going to be sailing on the Solstice in June 2016 with 11 and 8 year old girls. I was wondering, when you eat in the main dining room, do they have kids' menus? If they do, can the kids just order off of the main menu? My kids love to try new foods and really aren't the chicken nugget types.

When we've sailed with ours sons and young nephew, they have never automatically given a children's menu. My younger son is an adventurous eater and loves to try new things. His favorite place to eat is Tuscan Grill. Loves the chioppino and risotto:) The wait staff have always mentioned that there is a children's menu and told us what was on it in the past. They will pretty much try to accommodate anyone. But your children are definitely encouraged to order from the adult menu..no worries.

There are usually tables set up right when you step onto the ship on deck 5. They can make any specialty dining reservations for you.

Thank you for taking the time to do another one of your amazing reviews:)

LOVE the photos of the storm over Miami!

This is the cruise I want to do most of all:)

Fantastic review and photos! Thank you for sharing.

So very sorry for your loss

We have purchased the Premium Non-Alcohol Package a few times and find it a good value. We like to have Pellegrino with lunch and dinner and take bottled waters back to our cabin regularly or off the ship. Every morning in the Ocean View we get fresh OJ and my husband prefers the Cafe Americano to the regular self serve coffee. Once the servers recognize all of us, they greet us and bring us our usual drinks.:)

We go to Cafe al Bacio a couple times a day as well. I only drink tea and it is much better quality. Both the hot and iced teas are very nice. They will also give you either in a "to go" cup. My husband enjoys both the coffee and tea there.

We usually just pay as we go for wine or beer. Were not big drinkers so it doesn't add up to too much.

I will say the water on the ship is very good but the convenience of the bottled to take with you is also nice. I also bring some of my own tea to make myself a cup whenever I want. You can check the prices from menus online to see if this package would be a good deal for you. We have only done Caribbean cruises so we spend a lot of time on the ship. We love the Reflection. They have the most wonderful crew!

Also, any cabin on deck 11 aft will be wonderful. No worries. Enjoy the fantastic aft views:)

LOL. According to my 11 year old son, Gagaball is a more "PC" version of Dodgeball where the ball is kept below the knees and on the ground..whatever that means:D

But, yes they do play both on the sports court. They always seem to have some outdoor activities every day.

None of the Fun Factory spaces on Soltice ships are dark or windowless.They're at the forward area of the ship and very nice. They use the outdoor sports court at certain times of day for organized games such as GaGa ball, Dodgeball etc.

this past February I "downgraded" my Classic Package to a Premium Non-Alcoholic Package by calling Celebrity about 2 weeks prior to our cruise. I like Pellegrino and the Classic doesn't include it. My husband upgrades his package to Premium (with alcohol) as well. That cost us $82.60. It took a few minutes on the phone with a representative but I was able to get my package changed for a fee of $33.04. I honestly don't know exactly how they came up with that fee and didn't bother to figure it out. It seemed reasonable enough to get what I wanted.

We just did this in February. Found out on this website that Budget has a drop off location in Miami close to port. We did this and it worked out nicely. The drop off was quick and they have constant shuttle vans running to the ships. I think it took about 15 minutes to get dropped off at the ship. The location is great. Only thing was the directions from Budget's website were a bit vague so it took us a few extra minutes to find the place, but not too bad.

Oh and yes, you can just get into the taxi line at the airport. We told them we needed a minivan or SUV and they got us one, since we were five people plus luggage.

We have done this both ways..taxi and shuttle, on different trips. This last time we used QLS shuttle from Miami port to FLL. They were fantastic. We set it up online and they call you to confirm. We were running early when we got off the ship and they arranged for an earlier shuttle to pick us up within 10 min so we didn't have to wait outside for over an hour.

I will say, the last time we took a taxi from port at Fort Lauderdale to Gallery One after our cruise, the cab driver was angry. He complained the entire way that he thought we were going to the airport (we never said that) and that he gets more money going to airport (which is closer, so I don't understand). My husband kept telling him "don't worry, we will take care of you", but he was annoyed.

When we left Gallery One for the airport the next day, the hotel got us a large SUV taxi to come and take all five of us to the airport, so that worked out well. We requested it from the guys out front and I think they had the car there within 15 min. You could probably do the same going to the port.

BTW,Gallery One is in a great location:)

Risotto is made with arborio rice. It is a short, "fat" grain of rice. There are many variations of risotto dishes. There's saffron, seafood, mushroom, etc. ..many options. It basically is made by slowly cooking in a pan and gradually adding broth, stirring continually. The starch in the rice and slow cooking creates a creamy consistency. I don't remember any risotto on the MDR menu. It really doesn't lend itself to banquet style cooking. It can't really be "held" once its done because it thickens up. I do think my husband may have ordered it in one of the specialty restaurants. I know Celebrity makes it in the Tuscan Grill. The menu for Chops and Giovanni is on this sight if you do a search you may be able to check. We went last year when Portofino was still on Freedom. Hope you find some, risotto is delicious.. Enjoy your cruise:)

Thanks I bet you can buy stuff that says "Haiti":)

You can buy LOTS of stuff there. You will read a lot on here about the vendors and walking through their area. They are very aggressive. It bothers many people. We were curious and did go there. I actually bought my kids some beautiful shells. They get pushy and try to sell you more and the prices start out kind of outrageous . My feeling is, I'm supporting the locals. They are indeed pushy but I did not let that bother me and offered what I thought was a more reasonable price and that was it. Maybe being from NY helps:D lol. But there is an indoor shop that you can go to if you don't feel like dealing with the vendors outside. No pressure in there.

Mostly free. The zipline, coaster, and jet skis are not free. Lunch is free, but not alcohol, unless you have a beverage package on the ship, I believe. There are cabanas you can rent for the day that come with a butler but I think suite guests get preference to book these and everyone else can book on the ship if available.

Labadee is owned by Royal. As far as I know, only Royal and Celebrity ships stop there. There is a dock, so no need to tender. It is not an actual island, but more of a peninsula that is part of Haiti but no locals except those that work there or sell goods are permitted on property. You cannot leave the property.

We were there last summer on the Freedom of the Seas. We thought it was really scenic and there was plenty to do. There are a few different beaches you can choose. You can walk to them or take a shuttle. There is a zipline excursion and a "coaster". The ship sets up a BBQ lunch in a few locations. There is some shopping as well. I think there are a few other "excursion" options, like jet skis, but they should be on the Royal website with details.

Our favorite was a walk on a path along the shore to Dragon's Point. Its beautiful and takes you out to a point over the water where the water crashing through the rocks sounds like a "dragon breathing". Its a beautiful walk with lots of photo opportunities if you enjoy that type of thing. We loved Labadee and can't wait to go back. Hope you enjoy your cruise:)