Celebrity Solstice 22nd -29th August long review

This was our first Celebrity cruise, and we all had a wonderful time and would love to cruise with celebrity again. Our group of 10 ( 5 couples) from Australia booked 2B balcony cabins, on Deck 7, which we were very happy with. We received the Classic Beverage Package free with the 123 Go Promotion whilst booking, and whilst at lunch on boarding day the 5 men upgraded to the Premium Package. We all made good use of our packages, and the men felt the upgrade was worthwhile, enjoying especially the Martini Bar. We enjoyed being able to order cappucino’s at breakfast, and the speciality teas and coffees at Café Al Bacio which can also be ordered from other venues such as the main dining room. I will try to organise this review into sections.

The Solstice - is a truly beautiful ship. It has clean, gleaming, modern, cabins and bathrooms spacious, and best of all, lots of seating areas where the 10 of us could meet and chat. The buffet was the only place which seemed a bit congested at times, but even then, with a bit of searching most of the time we found a couple of tables where we could sit together. The solarium pool is fresh water, lovely warm temperature to swim in and not crowded. The hot tubs in the Solarium are a relaxing place to watch the view from large windows. I found the temperature on board the ship very comfortable and did not need a cardigan or jacket inside. However I would recommend wet weather gear and jackets for the ports.

Dining -We all had Select Dining but linked our bookings, and were very fortunate to be given the same table each night with the same waiters who looked after us so well. We requested dining around 6 pm each night and were usually given 5.45, 6 or 6.15 pm. Each night whilst leaving the dining room we would book our time for the next night with the staff member at the door who takes bookings. I think as we were a large group we were either offered early or late times. For Juneau we changed to later time due to longer time in port, and dined at 8.45 pm with the same table and same waiters. They made us feel so welcome and we looked forward to seeing them each evening.

Evening entertainment –loved the active night life on board!!! I enjoyed all the shows, but especially the Cirque Solstice show is not to be missed. I felt the Sail away party could have been better with songs that encouraged the audience to join in. Patti the cruise director was very visible, introducing every show and then after the show saying a few words about the next day’s port times, events etc. She sings amazingly well, and did several numbers in the opening and closing shows. The Solstice Singers and Dancers I felt did a great job entertaining us. Some themed parties were held in the Atrium steps area deck 3 or in the Skylounge and we enjoyed these too, where the dancers would start off, then turn into a general party. Enjoyed the Top Notch singers, but found Miami DJ’s music to be a bit too “Dooff Dooff” for my liking. We enjoyed the waltz and salsa and line dance classes held in the atrium deck 3.

Internet- Having heard that wifi on board can be slow and expensive we opted to just use wifi at the ports briefly. In Juneau, right next to where the ship docks, is Juneau Public Library which was open till 8 pm on the Monday we were in port. Take the lift up to Level 4, and you can either connect to their free wifi using your own device ( but this can be slow if there are many users, as there were when I was there) , or you can ask the desk for a free guest pass number and use their computer terminals which is what I did. You can log in 4 times for 15 mins each time, maximum 1hour altogether. A lot of cruise passengers seemed to be using the Juneau Library Wifi. In Ketchikan we used the free wifi at the Arctic Bar, right next to Sockeye Sams which is where the ship docks. For the price of a beer ( $4) you get a ticket with a code to use their internet. In Skagway, we used the free wifi at the Visitors Centre at Carcross- fast and efficient.

Ports - Tracy Arm/ Juneau- We did the Celebrity Tracy Arm small boat excursion to Sawyer Glacier and all felt it was the highlight of our trip. Although very cold and windy, standing at the foot of deep blue glacier, listening to the thundering sounds of the glacier calving, and being surrounded by seals on small icebergs was an amazing experience. I would thoroughly recommend this excursion to all. Book early on line because it does tend to get sold out. We were returned to the Solstice at 1.30 pm ( tendered in Juneau). I went straight to get tender tickets for the 10 of us and was given tender number 44. Our number was called at 3pm , so it gave us time to have some lunch.

Once we reached Juneau dock we bought tickets for the white bus which leaves every 20 minutes from a booth at the port. I had read it was better to buy one way only, but the man at the booth convinced me to buy $20 return tickets so I did that. We caught the 3.40 bus to Mendenhall Glacier, it was raining and there was a lot of traffic at the drop off point …by the time we got off it was about 4.20. We walked to photo point, and if I had not read previously about Nugget Falls we would have missed that altogether, as I felt it was not well signposted. However we found the Nugget Falls trail and walked the mile each way to Nugget Falls, which walking briskly took 20-25 minutes each way. When we got there , Wow!!! We were so pleased we had gone, the Falls were thundering, the glacier nearby, awesome experience!! Please do go if you get a chance, and don’t let the rain stop you. I had a good raincoat and rain pants over my jeans and these were very worthwhile! We caught the 5.40 pm bus back to Juneau…I thought the last bus was 6pm, but some of my group members said the bus driver said 7pm.

Other Ports -. I had organised private tours for our group of 10 in each of the other ports. In Ketchikan we used Dave and Kat , of Ketchikan Taxi Tours, and enjoyed a great 3 hour tour in their 2 cabs. In Skagway we toured with Becky of Beyond Skagway Tours in her 11 seater van. Unfortunately her microphone was not working so those seated at the back could not hear her commentary. We took a 6 hour tour to Emerald lake, stopping at Carcoss, Bridal Veil Falls, Carcoss Desert, and of course the stunning Emerald Lake. I feel we could have done the tour in 5 hours quite comfortably. On the way back we stopped at the Gold Rush Cemetary and walked to the waterfall just behind this. Becky showed us around Skagway town also in the van. In Victoria I booked a 3 hour Butchart Gardens tour with Victoria London Taxi, they have a 11 seater van. We particularly really enjoyed the 90 minutes we had to tour the stunning Butchart Gardens.

For those of Indian background- We were constantly amazed at how well Celebrity catered to those of Indian background. Great Indian options in the Buffet every meal. At breakfast puri with bhaji ( usually a vegetable curry with kidney beans or simlar) , one morning there was idli and another morning dhosa! At lunch roti ( lift up the blue napkins – they are kept warm under napkins), rice , several curries ( vegetable, chicken, meat, fish curries, dahl) with sides of raita, salad and wonderful mango pickle. At the main dining room every night we were offered an Indian Menu which changed daily in addition to the usual menu, and we could mix and match as we wished. This is something we have not experienced on any previous cruise. Also on the second formal night , we were very pleasantly surprised to see a Bollywood party at 8pm scheduled for the sky lounge. We had such an amazing time dancing with an Indian DJ ! I don’t know if these are available on all Celebrity ships, or if we just got lucky!! Anyway we really enjoyed it and appreciated it!

Things I wished I had known before- Celebrity provides a folding umbrella in the cabin which can be used. Also a tote bag which is handy and bathrobe is provided in the cabin. There is no laundry bag special offered, but I found it easy to hand wash a few small items in the sink.

Beyond the Podium- As many others have said, Brent Nixon’s presentations are well worth attending, he is so knowlegable, and entertaining as well. I went to almost all of his talks. I also attended his wife Mary’s talk on the final day where she told the story of the musicians on the Titanic – she is an amazing storyteller herself and I found myself in tears at the end of her talk.

In summary- Thoroughly enjoyed our first Celebrity Cruise and would highly recommend Celebrity Solstice to others.

Thanks so much for your informative review...we are cruising on the Solstice Aug 2015. You gave us some wonderful insight. Thanks again..look forward to your pictures? :)

I couldnt find the Tracy Arm small boat excursion on Celebrity Website. I checked Tracy Arm and nothing was listed there or in Juneau.

Help please.:D

Grammyprf you will love the Solstice! The Tracy Arm excursion was listed under Juneau ( tour number JU94), "Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier Explorer" 5 hour small boat excursion, cost $199 USD per person. I would highly recommend this as you go right to the foot of the South and North Sawyer Glaciers, and spend about 30 mins at each Glacier. Sorry I am not clever with posting photos, but am certainly happy to answer any questions anyone may have.

I couldnt find the Tracy Arm small boat excursion on Celebrity Website. I checked Tracy Arm and nothing was listed there or in Juneau.

Help please.:D

Allen Marine Tours - Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer

Cruise ship passengers need to book it through their cruise line.

Here is the link to it on Celebrity's website, where they list it with their Alaska excursions as JU94:

JU94 Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer - Celebrity Solstice

Thanks so much for the websites and information greatly appreciated!

Here is a link to it on the vendor's website:

Allen Marine Tours - Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer

 

Cruise ship passengers need to book it through their cruise line.

Here is the link to it on Celebrity's website, where they list it with their Alaska excursions as JU94:

 

JU94 Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer - Celebrity Solstice

 

 

This was our first Celebrity cruise, and we all had a wonderful time and would love to cruise with celebrity again. Our group of 10 ( 5 couples) from Australia booked 2B balcony cabins, on Deck 7, which we were very happy with. We received the Classic Beverage Package free with the 123 Go Promotion whilst booking, and whilst at lunch on boarding day the 5 men upgraded to the Premium Package. We all made good use of our packages, and the men felt the upgrade was worthwhile, enjoying especially the Martini Bar. We enjoyed being able to order cappucino’s at breakfast, and the speciality teas and coffees at Café Al Bacio which can also be ordered from other venues such as the main dining room. I will try to organise this review into sections.

 

The Solstice - is a truly beautiful ship. It has clean, gleaming, modern, cabins and bathrooms spacious, and best of all, lots of seating areas where the 10 of us could meet and chat. The buffet was the only place which seemed a bit congested at times, but even then, with a bit of searching most of the time we found a couple of tables where we could sit together. The solarium pool is fresh water, lovely warm temperature to swim in and not crowded. The hot tubs in the Solarium are a relaxing place to watch the view from large windows. I found the temperature on board the ship very comfortable and did not need a cardigan or jacket inside. However I would recommend wet weather gear and jackets for the ports.

 

 

Dining -We all had Select Dining but linked our bookings, and were very fortunate to be given the same table each night with the same waiters who looked after us so well. We requested dining around 6 pm each night and were usually given 5.45, 6 or 6.15 pm. Each night whilst leaving the dining room we would book our time for the next night with the staff member at the door who takes bookings. I think as we were a large group we were either offered early or late times. For Juneau we changed to later time due to longer time in port, and dined at 8.45 pm with the same table and same waiters. They made us feel so welcome and we looked forward to seeing them each evening.

 

Evening entertainment –loved the active night life on board!!! I enjoyed all the shows, but especially the Cirque Solstice show is not to be missed. I felt the Sail away party could have been better with songs that encouraged the audience to join in. Patti the cruise director was very visible, introducing every show and then after the show saying a few words about the next day’s port times, events etc. She sings amazingly well, and did several numbers in the opening and closing shows. The Solstice Singers and Dancers I felt did a great job entertaining us. Some themed parties were held in the Atrium steps area deck 3 or in the Skylounge and we enjoyed these too, where the dancers would start off, then turn into a general party. Enjoyed the Top Notch singers, but found Miami DJ’s music to be a bit too “Dooff Dooff” for my liking. We enjoyed the waltz and salsa and line dance classes held in the atrium deck 3.

 

Internet- Having heard that wifi on board can be slow and expensive we opted to just use wifi at the ports briefly. In Juneau, right next to where the ship docks, is Juneau Public Library which was open till 8 pm on the Monday we were in port. Take the lift up to Level 4, and you can either connect to their free wifi using your own device ( but this can be slow if there are many users, as there were when I was there) , or you can ask the desk for a free guest pass number and use their computer terminals which is what I did. You can log in 4 times for 15 mins each time, maximum 1hour altogether. A lot of cruise passengers seemed to be using the Juneau Library Wifi. In Ketchikan we used the free wifi at the Arctic Bar, right next to Sockeye Sams which is where the ship docks. For the price of a beer ( $4) you get a ticket with a code to use their internet. In Skagway, we used the free wifi at the Visitors Centre at Carcross- fast and efficient.

 

Ports - Tracy Arm/ Juneau- We did the Celebrity Tracy Arm small boat excursion to Sawyer Glacier and all felt it was the highlight of our trip. Although very cold and windy, standing at the foot of deep blue glacier, listening to the thundering sounds of the glacier calving, and being surrounded by seals on small icebergs was an amazing experience. I would thoroughly recommend this excursion to all. Book early on line because it does tend to get sold out. We were returned to the Solstice at 1.30 pm ( tendered in Juneau). I went straight to get tender tickets for the 10 of us and was given tender number 44. Our number was called at 3pm , so it gave us time to have some lunch.

 

Once we reached Juneau dock we bought tickets for the white bus which leaves every 20 minutes from a booth at the port. I had read it was better to buy one way only, but the man at the booth convinced me to buy $20 return tickets so I did that. We caught the 3.40 bus to Mendenhall Glacier, it was raining and there was a lot of traffic at the drop off point …by the time we got off it was about 4.20. We walked to photo point, and if I had not read previously about Nugget Falls we would have missed that altogether, as I felt it was not well signposted. However we found the Nugget Falls trail and walked the mile each way to Nugget Falls, which walking briskly took 20-25 minutes each way. When we got there , Wow!!! We were so pleased we had gone, the Falls were thundering, the glacier nearby, awesome experience!! Please do go if you get a chance, and don’t let the rain stop you. I had a good raincoat and rain pants over my jeans and these were very worthwhile! We caught the 5.40 pm bus back to Juneau…I thought the last bus was 6pm, but some of my group members said the bus driver said 7pm.

 

 

Other Ports -. I had organised private tours for our group of 10 in each of the other ports. In Ketchikan we used Dave and Kat , of Ketchikan Taxi Tours, and enjoyed a great 3 hour tour in their 2 cabs. In Skagway we toured with Becky of Beyond Skagway Tours in her 11 seater van. Unfortunately her microphone was not working so those seated at the back could not hear her commentary. We took a 6 hour tour to Emerald lake, stopping at Carcoss, Bridal Veil Falls, Carcoss Desert, and of course the stunning Emerald Lake. I feel we could have done the tour in 5 hours quite comfortably. On the way back we stopped at the Gold Rush Cemetary and walked to the waterfall just behind this. Becky showed us around Skagway town also in the van. In Victoria I booked a 3 hour Butchart Gardens tour with Victoria London Taxi, they have a 11 seater van. We particularly really enjoyed the 90 minutes we had to tour the stunning Butchart Gardens.

 

For those of Indian background- We were constantly amazed at how well Celebrity catered to those of Indian background. Great Indian options in the Buffet every meal. At breakfast puri with bhaji ( usually a vegetable curry with kidney beans or simlar) , one morning there was idli and another morning dhosa! At lunch roti ( lift up the blue napkins – they are kept warm under napkins), rice , several curries ( vegetable, chicken, meat, fish curries, dahl) with sides of raita, salad and wonderful mango pickle. At the main dining room every night we were offered an Indian Menu which changed daily in addition to the usual menu, and we could mix and match as we wished. This is something we have not experienced on any previous cruise. Also on the second formal night , we were very pleasantly surprised to see a Bollywood party at 8pm scheduled for the sky lounge. We had such an amazing time dancing with an Indian DJ ! I don’t know if these are available on all Celebrity ships, or if we just got lucky!! Anyway we really enjoyed it and appreciated it!

 

Things I wished I had known before- Celebrity provides a folding umbrella in the cabin which can be used. Also a tote bag which is handy and bathrobe is provided in the cabin. There is no laundry bag special offered, but I found it easy to hand wash a few small items in the sink.

 

Beyond the Podium- As many others have said, Brent Nixon’s presentations are well worth attending, he is so knowlegable, and entertaining as well. I went to almost all of his talks. I also attended his wife Mary’s talk on the final day where she told the story of the musicians on the Titanic – she is an amazing storyteller herself and I found myself in tears at the end of her talk.

 

In summary- Thoroughly enjoyed our first Celebrity Cruise and would highly recommend Celebrity Solstice to others.

Is there time to do both the small boat cruise to Sawyer Glacier and a helicopter flight to a glacier out of Juneau?

If you are booking a private helicopter tour, I would not book any earlier than 4 pm , as our tender tickets got us to Juneau Dock about 3.20 pm. You are in port till 10 pm so there may be time. In August it was light till about 8.45 pm.

Last tender is 9.30 pm to return to the ship. If you are booking a Celebrity shore excursion helicopter tour, then you will probably be able to get an earlier tender. Patti the cruise director said tenders go to "open tender" meaning no ticket needed, around 3.30-4pm.