Solstice 1/31 - 2/7. My two cents.

[One Morlock]

Just got off Solstice this past Sunday and wanted to post my 2 cents while it’s still fresh in my mind. Please understand that these are my personal feelings about my experience with Celebrity and we all know that there were many on this same cruise that will say it was there “best cruise yet” so take from it what you will and if you have any questions about the ship or itinerary that I can answer, don’t hesitate to ask.

Some background – this was only my and my DW’s 4th cruise. Prior to Solstice we have sailed RC’s Freedom, Liberty and Serenade in that order. Serenade is still my favorite ship/cruise thus far. We are both in our mid fifties and traveled with another couple who have 14 cruises under their belt.

I was actually ready to book the Serenade again this year but my TA said that I should give Celebrity Solstice a try and that it was “a step up” from Royal. He also said he would book me an Aft Cabin which I had never tried before and he was sure we would “love it”.

Here we go…..

Embarkation:

We arrived at the terminal at 11 a.m.. We went right to the counter and had our Sea Pass in a matter of minutes. Then, based on post’s on this board, we sought out the Pier Coordinator and enquired about possible upgrades. He informed us that the ship was in fact “sold out” but also told us that we should always check before we board because there are times that upgrades are in fact available. Good to know! We then proceeded to board the ship and were in the Oceanview Café by 11:20. It was in fact the easiest and most organized boarding experience we have ever had.

The Ship. First impressions:

Nice. Not fantastic but nice. I did not find it “classier” then Royal as some have mentioned on these boards. I still don’t get the Lawn Club. Went up a few times out of curiosity and each time it was pretty much empty. Saw a couple of people playing Croquet but that was it.

The Cabin. 8344 AFT.

We went to check out our cabin at 1 p.m.. First impression was that it was the same as each cabin we’ve stayed in on RCC. Bed was comfortable. Nice flat screen Samsung. Bathroom did seem a little larger then the other ships. We then walked on to the veranda and I was somewhat prepared to see some soot based on what I heard back from some on this board, and yes there were traces of it. We stood out on the veranda as we were leaving port and were overwhelmed with the smoke from the funnel. The odor became so strong that we had to go inside. We woke up the next morning to a beautiful day and I opened the door to the veranda and was immediately hit with the odor from the funnel again. The only way I can describe it is to picture yourself at a stop light with your windows open and you’re sitting behind a diesel truck who’s exhaust is spewing smoke right at you. That is exactly what it was like. Now I know that I can not spend the whole week inside a veranda cabin so I go down to deck three to customer services with the hope of changing cabins. I’m about 4th in line and see a sign on the counter that reads “This cruise is totally sold out. No upgrades available.” I’m prepared for the worst as my turn comes up but here is where I was totally impressed with Celebrity. I explained my situation to the gentleman at the counter and said there were two things that would solve my problem – either getting a new room on the side of the ship or if they couldn’t do that, turn the ship around and drive backwards so I could enjoy my veranda. He excused himself for a few minutes and came back with a piece of paper with room 9282 written on it. He told me he had told them to open the door for me so we could go up and look at it to make sure we liked it, and if so, they would move our belongings up there right away. The room was on the hump and was terrific! They had all of our things moved within 20 minutes and we were thrilled with the room. Thank you Celebrity!

Food:

OK. I know this is subjective and we all have different taste buds, but I found the food in the main dining room “OK” at best. One night I had a piece of steak that was not edible. In fact, it was not edible because I couldn’t even cut it to get it into my mouth. I’m not hard to please and I only have my 3 previous cruises to compare it to, but I really thought Royal’s food was much better. One thing that was very impressive in the Emperney Dining Room was the wine storage room. Our wine steward walked us in and they store 2500 bottles of red wines in this area which is temperature controlled. It’s enclosed in glass in the back of the dining room and is quite a site. By the way, for you trivia buffs, the most expensive bottle of wine sold on the ship is a bottle of Screaming Eagle which sells for $7000! It is kept in the Tuscan Grille and you must sign a contract before they open it saying that if you don’t like it when you taste it, tough luck – it’s yours!

We also had dinner Thursday night at the Tuscan Grille. I had asked on these boards prior to leaving which restaurant on Solstice would compare to Chop’s on RCC and most said it would be the Tuscan Grille. Sorry, but to me there is NO comparison. For those who have dined at chops, the service was always outstanding and the choices similar to restaurants like Morton’s and the Capital Grille. Not so with Tuscan. I had a filet mignon that was mediocre, and when one of our tablemates ordered the same and asked our head waiter if she could have a baked potato with hers, he responded that she could, but “he’d have to go downstairs to get it”! That set the tone. In my opinion it was a waste of money.

We ate our breakfasts in the Oceanview Café. As has been stated on these boards many times, the waffles are fantastic as are the freshly made eggs benedict. Just put on your battle gear to fight the line cutters and you’ll be all set! (something else I don’t remember from the RCC cruises.)

The service in the main dining room was not great. Our waiter was ok but had his hands full with 24 guests at our early seating. The assistant waiter was a very likeable guy but didn’t say much. Our wine steward, Ronny, was terrific and very attentive. He was the only one of the 3 who addressed us by name the entire cruise.

Pools:

We spent our time in the Solarium Pool area. Never had a problem finding chairs and it was a great area on the ship. One difference here that my DW liked (and I didn’t) was that unlike RCC, they don’t have people walking through to take drink orders. If they did come through, you had to wave them over but they wouldn’t come through asking if you’d like a drink. Not a big deal because the bar was just around the corner and an easy walk if you wanted something.

Ports:

We did the San Juan, St. Maarten, Tortola and Labadee route. Stayed on the ship in San Juan, went to Dawn Beach in St. Maarten (fantastic!), Cane Garden Bay in Tortola (Best stop!) and did get off in Labadee. I was in Labadee on our Liberty cruise in 2008 and it has changed greatly since then. It’s almost like RCC is trying to turn it into an amusement park. Many more buildings then I remember and segregated areas for guests which I found mind numbing. When you leave the dock and proceed towards the “bay” beaches, the first are you come by which is walled off looks very inviting and we began to walk through the gate but were stopped by an attendant that told us we could only come in if we were a “suite guest” or had a silver sea pass. We of course had neither so were told that we had to continue walking to the next area which was open to everybody. Now what I don’t understand about this is that our traveling companions are Diamond with Royal who operates Labadee, however that meant nothing where they were first time cruisers with Celebrity. Had they docked on a RCC ship, they would be allowed in this “private” area but not with Celebrity. Bizzare.

Disembarkation:

We decided this time to try “express disembarkation” and carry our bags off. BIG MISTAKE! We received the letter the night before telling us to be on Deck 4/Emperany Restaurant at 7 a.m. and we would leave the ship at 7:15. First, trying to get an elevator down from the 9th deck was impossible. We finally rode up so we could go down. We arrive on deck 4 and found about another 200 people there. At 7:15 they told us we were cleared to leave and HAD TO GO UP TO DECK 5 TO DISEMBARK!! Picture 200 people trying to cram into elevators, or drag there luggage up the stairs to Deck 5!! It was unbelievable. So, if you choose to do express, even if you’re told to go to Deck 4 – DON’T! Go to deck 5 and wait. It will be much easier for you.

Don’t get me wrong. Any cruise is a good cruise. However, IMHO, Royal just knows how to do it better. Even though RCC and Celebrity are one, I’m going to be loyal to Royal. Sorry this is so long winded. If you have any questions that I can answer, don’t hesitate to ask.

-Bill

[hcat]

we are loyal to X but just had a great time on Navigator of the Seas--not quite as elegant & I disliked the mall layout & cigarete smoke all around BUT we did have a great meal at Chops as compared to a good meal at Tuscan... And the Express disembarkation at Miami was perfect!!! we were lined up & off the ship in minutes---

 

I think alot has to do with the week anyone cruises rather than the general line or ship...just my opinion...--

 

Next up for us is Radiance of the Seas, then Summit, then Equinox--so we'll sure have a variety with that plan!!!

[jerseygirl3]

Just got off Solstice this past Sunday and wanted to post my 2 cents while it’s still fresh in my mind. Please understand that these are my personal feelings about my experience with Celebrity and we all know that there were many on this same cruise that will say it was there “best cruise yet” so take from it what you will and if you have any questions about the ship or itinerary that I can answer, don’t hesitate to ask.

Some background – this was only my and my DW’s 4th cruise. Prior to Solstice we have sailed RC’s Freedom, Liberty and Serenade in that order. Serenade is still my favorite ship/cruise thus far. We are both in our mid fifties and traveled with another couple who have 14 cruises under their belt.

I was actually ready to book the Serenade again this year but my TA said that I should give Celebrity Solstice a try and that it was “a step up” from Royal. He also said he would book me an Aft Cabin which I had never tried before and he was sure we would “love it”.

Here we go…..

Embarkation:

We arrived at the terminal at 11 a.m.. We went right to the counter and had our Sea Pass in a matter of minutes. Then, based on post’s on this board, we sought out the Pier Coordinator and enquired about possible upgrades. He informed us that the ship was in fact “sold out” but also told us that we should always check before we board because there are times that upgrades are in fact available. Good to know! We then proceeded to board the ship and were in the Oceanview Café by 11:20. It was in fact the easiest and most organized boarding experience we have ever had.

The Ship. First impressions:

Nice. Not fantastic but nice. I did not find it “classier” then Royal as some have mentioned on these boards. I still don’t get the Lawn Club. Went up a few times out of curiosity and each time it was pretty much empty. Saw a couple of people playing Croquet but that was it.

The Cabin. 8344 AFT.

We went to check out our cabin at 1 p.m.. First impression was that it was the same as each cabin we’ve stayed in on RCC. Bed was comfortable. Nice flat screen Samsung. Bathroom did seem a little larger then the other ships. We then walked on to the veranda and I was somewhat prepared to see some soot based on what I heard back from some on this board, and yes there were traces of it. We stood out on the veranda as we were leaving port and were overwhelmed with the smoke from the funnel. The odor became so strong that we had to go inside. We woke up the next morning to a beautiful day and I opened the door to the veranda and was immediately hit with the odor from the funnel again. The only way I can describe it is to picture yourself at a stop light with your windows open and you’re sitting behind a diesel truck who’s exhaust is spewing smoke right at you. That is exactly what it was like. Now I know that I can not spend the whole week inside a veranda cabin so I go down to deck three to customer services with the hope of changing cabins. I’m about 4th in line and see a sign on the counter that reads “This cruise is totally sold out. No upgrades available.” I’m prepared for the worst as my turn comes up but here is where I was totally impressed with Celebrity. I explained my situation to the gentleman at the counter and said there were two things that would solve my problem – either getting a new room on the side of the ship or if they couldn’t do that, turn the ship around and drive backwards so I could enjoy my veranda. He excused himself for a few minutes and came back with a piece of paper with room 9282 written on it. He told me he had told them to open the door for me so we could go up and look at it to make sure we liked it, and if so, they would move our belongings up there right away. The room was on the hump and was terrific! They had all of our things moved within 20 minutes and we were thrilled with the room. Thank you Celebrity!

Food:

OK. I know this is subjective and we all have different taste buds, but I found the food in the main dining room “OK” at best. One night I had a piece of steak that was not edible. In fact, it was not edible because I couldn’t even cut it to get it into my mouth. I’m not hard to please and I only have my 3 previous cruises to compare it to, but I really thought Royal’s food was much better. One thing that was very impressive in the Emperney Dining Room was the wine storage room. Our wine steward walked us in and they store 2500 bottles of red wines in this area which is temperature controlled. It’s enclosed in glass in the back of the dining room and is quite a site. By the way, for you trivia buffs, the most expensive bottle of wine sold on the ship is a bottle of Screaming Eagle which sells for $7000! It is kept in the Tuscan Grille and you must sign a contract before they open it saying that if you don’t like it when you taste it, tough luck – it’s yours!

We also had dinner Thursday night at the Tuscan Grille. I had asked on these boards prior to leaving which restaurant on Solstice would compare to Chop’s on RCC and most said it would be the Tuscan Grille. Sorry, but to me there is NO comparison. For those who have dined at chops, the service was always outstanding and the choices similar to restaurants like Morton’s and the Capital Grille. Not so with Tuscan. I had a filet mignon that was mediocre, and when one of our tablemates ordered the same and asked our head waiter if she could have a baked potato with hers, he responded that she could, but “he’d have to go downstairs to get it”! That set the tone. In my opinion it was a waste of money.

We ate our breakfasts in the Oceanview Café. As has been stated on these boards many times, the waffles are fantastic as are the freshly made eggs benedict. Just put on your battle gear to fight the line cutters and you’ll be all set! (something else I don’t remember from the RCC cruises.)

The service in the main dining room was not great. Our waiter was ok but had his hands full with 24 guests at our early seating. The assistant waiter was a very likeable guy but didn’t say much. Our wine steward, Ronny, was terrific and very attentive. He was the only one of the 3 who addressed us by name the entire cruise.

Pools:

We spent our time in the Solarium Pool area. Never had a problem finding chairs and it was a great area on the ship. One difference here that my DW liked (and I didn’t) was that unlike RCC, they don’t have people walking through to take drink orders. If they did come through, you had to wave them over but they wouldn’t come through asking if you’d like a drink. Not a big deal because the bar was just around the corner and an easy walk if you wanted something.

Ports:

We did the San Juan, St. Maarten, Tortola and Labadee route. Stayed on the ship in San Juan, went to Dawn Beach in St. Maarten (fantastic!), Cane Garden Bay in Tortola (Best stop!) and did get off in Labadee. I was in Labadee on our Liberty cruise in 2008 and it has changed greatly since then. It’s almost like RCC is trying to turn it into an amusement park. Many more buildings then I remember and segregated areas for guests which I found mind numbing. When you leave the dock and proceed towards the “bay” beaches, the first are you come by which is walled off looks very inviting and we began to walk through the gate but were stopped by an attendant that told us we could only come in if we were a “suite guest” or had a silver sea pass. We of course had neither so were told that we had to continue walking to the next area which was open to everybody. Now what I don’t understand about this is that our traveling companions are Diamond with Royal who operates Labadee, however that meant nothing where they were first time cruisers with Celebrity. Had they docked on a RCC ship, they would be allowed in this “private” area but not with Celebrity. Bizzare.

Disembarkation:

We decided this time to try “express disembarkation” and carry our bags off. BIG MISTAKE! We received the letter the night before telling us to be on Deck 4/Emperany Restaurant at 7 a.m. and we would leave the ship at 7:15. First, trying to get an elevator down from the 9th deck was impossible. We finally rode up so we could go down. We arrive on deck 4 and found about another 200 people there. At 7:15 they told us we were cleared to leave and HAD TO GO UP TO DECK 5 TO DISEMBARK!! Picture 200 people trying to cram into elevators, or drag there luggage up the stairs to Deck 5!! It was unbelievable. So, if you choose to do express, even if you’re told to go to Deck 4 – DON’T! Go to deck 5 and wait. It will be much easier for you.

Don’t get me wrong. Any cruise is a good cruise. However, IMHO, Royal just knows how to do it better. Even though RCC and Celebrity are one, I’m going to be loyal to Royal. Sorry this is so long winded. If you have any questions that I can answer, don’t hesitate to ask.

-Bill

 

I'm guessing one of the reasons your TA suggested an aft cabin is that, generally speaking, those cabins have humongous balconies. However, your TA should have done her homework. That's not the case with regards to the Solstice class ships on Celebrity. If you had been on one of the M-class ships, you would never want to leave your balcony. No problems with soot and they are bigger than my son's entire apartment in Hoboken!

 

Jo-Ann

[harmarkai]

I agree about the disembarkation. We were also told to be in the dining room on the 4th floor at 7:00. We checked around and noticed that there was not a place to "disembark" from on that floor. We took our luggage up one floor to the 5th floor and waited until the "all clear" sign was given and were off the ship within 5 minutes. I don't know why they tell people to go to the 4th floor with all of their luggage and then tell them they have to go to the 5th floor to disembark. I am sure it was a madhouse!

[Gracie115]

Just got off Solstice this past Sunday and wanted to post my 2 cents while it’s still fresh in my mind. Please understand that these are my personal feelings about my experience with Celebrity and we all know that there were many on this same cruise that will say it was there “best cruise yet” so take from it what you will and if you have any questions about the ship or itinerary that I can answer, don’t hesitate to ask.

 

Some background – this was only my and my DW’s 4th cruise. Prior to Solstice we have sailed RC’s Freedom, Liberty and Serenade in that order. Serenade is still my favorite ship/cruise thus far. We are both in our mid fifties and traveled with another couple who have 14 cruises under their belt.

 

I was actually ready to book the Serenade again this year but my TA said that I should give Celebrity Solstice a try and that it was “a step up” from Royal. He also said he would book me an Aft Cabin which I had never tried before and he was sure we would “love it”.

 

 

Here we go…..

 

Embarkation:

We arrived at the terminal at 11 a.m.. We went right to the counter and had our Sea Pass in a matter of minutes. Then, based on post’s on this board, we sought out the Pier Coordinator and enquired about possible upgrades. He informed us that the ship was in fact “sold out” but also told us that we should always check before we board because there are times that upgrades are in fact available. Good to know! We then proceeded to board the ship and were in the Oceanview Café by 11:20. It was in fact the easiest and most organized boarding experience we have ever had.

 

The Ship. First impressions:

Nice. Not fantastic but nice. I did not find it “classier” then Royal as some have mentioned on these boards. I still don’t get the Lawn Club. Went up a few times out of curiosity and each time it was pretty much empty. Saw a couple of people playing Croquet but that was it.

 

The Cabin. 8344 AFT.

We went to check out our cabin at 1 p.m.. First impression was that it was the same as each cabin we’ve stayed in on RCC. Bed was comfortable. Nice flat screen Samsung. Bathroom did seem a little larger then the other ships. We then walked on to the veranda and I was somewhat prepared to see some soot based on what I heard back from some on this board, and yes there were traces of it. We stood out on the veranda as we were leaving port and were overwhelmed with the smoke from the funnel. The odor became so strong that we had to go inside. We woke up the next morning to a beautiful day and I opened the door to the veranda and was immediately hit with the odor from the funnel again. The only way I can describe it is to picture yourself at a stop light with your windows open and you’re sitting behind a diesel truck who’s exhaust is spewing smoke right at you. That is exactly what it was like. Now I know that I can not spend the whole week inside a veranda cabin so I go down to deck three to customer services with the hope of changing cabins. I’m about 4th in line and see a sign on the counter that reads “This cruise is totally sold out. No upgrades available.” I’m prepared for the worst as my turn comes up but here is where I was totally impressed with Celebrity. I explained my situation to the gentleman at the counter and said there were two things that would solve my problem – either getting a new room on the side of the ship or if they couldn’t do that, turn the ship around and drive backwards so I could enjoy my veranda. He excused himself for a few minutes and came back with a piece of paper with room 9282 written on it. He told me he had told them to open the door for me so we could go up and look at it to make sure we liked it, and if so, they would move our belongings up there right away. The room was on the hump and was terrific! They had all of our things moved within 20 minutes and we were thrilled with the room. Thank you Celebrity!

 

Food:

OK. I know this is subjective and we all have different taste buds, but I found the food in the main dining room “OK” at best. One night I had a piece of steak that was not edible. In fact, it was not edible because I couldn’t even cut it to get it into my mouth. I’m not hard to please and I only have my 3 previous cruises to compare it to, but I really thought Royal’s food was much better. One thing that was very impressive in the Emperney Dining Room was the wine storage room. Our wine steward walked us in and they store 2500 bottles of red wines in this area which is temperature controlled. It’s enclosed in glass in the back of the dining room and is quite a site. By the way, for you trivia buffs, the most expensive bottle of wine sold on the ship is a bottle of Screaming Eagle which sells for $7000! It is kept in the Tuscan Grille and you must sign a contract before they open it saying that if you don’t like it when you taste it, tough luck – it’s yours!

 

We also had dinner Thursday night at the Tuscan Grille. I had asked on these boards prior to leaving which restaurant on Solstice would compare to Chop’s on RCC and most said it would be the Tuscan Grille. Sorry, but to me there is NO comparison. For those who have dined at chops, the service was always outstanding and the choices similar to restaurants like Morton’s and the Capital Grille. Not so with Tuscan. I had a filet mignon that was mediocre, and when one of our tablemates ordered the same and asked our head waiter if she could have a baked potato with hers, he responded that she could, but “he’d have to go downstairs to get it”! That set the tone. In my opinion it was a waste of money.

 

We ate our breakfasts in the Oceanview Café. As has been stated on these boards many times, the waffles are fantastic as are the freshly made eggs benedict. Just put on your battle gear to fight the line cutters and you’ll be all set! (something else I don’t remember from the RCC cruises.)

 

The service in the main dining room was not great. Our waiter was ok but had his hands full with 24 guests at our early seating. The assistant waiter was a very likeable guy but didn’t say much. Our wine steward, Ronny, was terrific and very attentive. He was the only one of the 3 who addressed us by name the entire cruise.

 

 

Pools:

 

We spent our time in the Solarium Pool area. Never had a problem finding chairs and it was a great area on the ship. One difference here that my DW liked (and I didn’t) was that unlike RCC, they don’t have people walking through to take drink orders. If they did come through, you had to wave them over but they wouldn’t come through asking if you’d like a drink. Not a big deal because the bar was just around the corner and an easy walk if you wanted something.

 

Ports:

 

We did the San Juan, St. Maarten, Tortola and Labadee route. Stayed on the ship in San Juan, went to Dawn Beach in St. Maarten (fantastic!), Cane Garden Bay in Tortola (Best stop!) and did get off in Labadee. I was in Labadee on our Liberty cruise in 2008 and it has changed greatly since then. It’s almost like RCC is trying to turn it into an amusement park. Many more buildings then I remember and segregated areas for guests which I found mind numbing. When you leave the dock and proceed towards the “bay” beaches, the first are you come by which is walled off looks very inviting and we began to walk through the gate but were stopped by an attendant that told us we could only come in if we were a “suite guest” or had a silver sea pass. We of course had neither so were told that we had to continue walking to the next area which was open to everybody. Now what I don’t understand about this is that our traveling companions are Diamond with Royal who operates Labadee, however that meant nothing where they were first time cruisers with Celebrity. Had they docked on a RCC ship, they would be allowed in this “private” area but not with Celebrity. Bizzare.

 

Disembarkation:

 

We decided this time to try “express disembarkation” and carry our bags off. BIG MISTAKE! We received the letter the night before telling us to be on Deck 4/Emperany Restaurant at 7 a.m. and we would leave the ship at 7:15. First, trying to get an elevator down from the 9th deck was impossible. We finally rode up so we could go down. We arrive on deck 4 and found about another 200 people there. At 7:15 they told us we were cleared to leave and HAD TO GO UP TO DECK 5 TO DISEMBARK!! Picture 200 people trying to cram into elevators, or drag there luggage up the stairs to Deck 5!! It was unbelievable. So, if you choose to do express, even if you’re told to go to Deck 4 – DON’T! Go to deck 5 and wait. It will be much easier for you.

 

Don’t get me wrong. Any cruise is a good cruise. However, IMHO, Royal just knows how to do it better. Even though RCC and Celebrity are one, I’m going to be loyal to Royal. Sorry this is so long winded. If you have any questions that I can answer, don’t hesitate to ask.

 

-Bill

 

 

Thanks for the review....I was on Solstice on 1/17/10 and loved every minute...have also cruised a few of the Royal ships you mentioned and really disagree with you on the food analysis...but to each his own... I do love Chops but also very much enjoyed Tuscan Grill ane will go back again sometime. I really do think Celebrity is far classier than Royal, although we love the Serenade class of ships on Royal. The attention to detail for us on Celebrity was just much better than on Royal, but we were booked in Aqua Class and maybe it does make THAT much difference. Don't know but I intend to stay in that class for next cruise.

[the_dylaness]

I also agree about the disembarkation. Just because you don't need a porter doesn't mean you can lug things up a flight of stairs. We managed to get everything up but it was quite a struggle--- we had two large suitcases (each weighing probably 60 lbs- we drove), a backpack, a tote bag, a large bag of scuba gear (30 lbs or so), my purse, and two boxes of Riedel glasses from the workshop. We literally went up one step at a time.

[jd1966]

Thanks for the review. I wasn't surprised by the problem you had with the soot. There were several late nights where we sat in the Oceanview Bar area and I noticed that the smoke had a tendency to dive downward towards the water very quickly. We couldn't smell anything from the bar and there was no soot but I figured the aft balconies may not be so lucky. Our cabin was on the hump and loved it!

[CruisinNewb]

Thanks for your review.

 

Ronny was out sommelier as well on our med cruise this past summer and he was excellent.

 

Ron

[Texed]

Thanks for posting. :)

[One Morlock]

I'm guessing one of the reasons your TA suggested an aft cabin is that, generally speaking, those cabins have humongous balconies. However, your TA should have done her homework. That's not the case with regards to the Solstice class ships on Celebrity. If you had been on one of the M-class ships, you would never want to leave your balcony. No problems with soot and they are bigger than my son's entire apartment in Hoboken!

 

Jo-Ann

 

Ironically, 8344 was a larger (wider) balcony then most on the aft because there was a storage closet next to the cabin. It's a shame we couldn't enjoy it.

[jerseygirl3]

Ironically, 8344 was a larger (wider) balcony then most on the aft because there was a storage closet next to the cabin. It's a shame we couldn't enjoy it.

 

That's good to know, but the M-class aft cabins are very, very deep. Maybe that's why we had no problem with soot. The balcony was half open and half covered.

[One Morlock]

That's good to know, but the M-class aft cabins are very, very deep. Maybe that's why we had no problem with soot. The balcony was half open and half covered.

 

There was not much of a cover at all over 8344. Maybe a 2 ft. overhang. If you stood at the rail you could see all the balconys above you and below you. That's probably why we were getting the soot and odor.

[One Morlock]

Thanks for your review.

 

Ronny was out sommelier as well on our med cruise this past summer and he was excellent.

 

Ron

 

 

Yes, he was terrific! In fact, I happened to read a book on board called "Cruise Confidential: A Hit Below The Waterline" written by a gentleman who claimed to be the only american to fullfill a waiter contract on Carnival. An amusing read about life on board a cruise ship. Ronny and I discussed some of the "realities" of ship life each night which made the book that much more interesting. He asked for the name of the book so he could order it and read it. I finished it the last day of the cruise and gave it to him that night. I don't know how he did it but before dinner was over, he had read through most of the first chapter and my wine glass was never empty! That is a great Sommelier!

[dzcruisers]

That's good to know, but the M-class aft cabins are very, very deep. Maybe that's why we had no problem with soot. The balcony was half open and half covered.

 

From what I've read, they have two different kinds of engines.

 

The soot problem has been discussed since Solstice first cruised. I canceled my aft cabin on the Equinox and booked on the slant of the hump.

Thanks cruise critics.