Just off Solstice!

[avalon1025]

Just sitting in thr airport, just off Solstice: Aug 1st sailing. I had a great time, some thoughts:

 

Aqua class was well worth it just to eat in Blu

Over 3100 passengers, ship felt very crowded especially around the pool

Could not even get near the outdoor pools on a sea day

Dress code, what dress code: tee shirts and jeans on most nights, some made an attempt to dress on formal nights. Next time I'm not bringing half the clothes

Lots of kids: over 500

Great food

Great service for a ship this size

Loved my cabin

Outdoor pool area too small for 3000 people

Amazingly beautiful ship

Tuscan Grill was great

Murano very good

 

Overall a great time, looking forward to Eclipse!

[madelinerose]

Lots of kids: over 500. Overall a great time, looking forward to Eclipse!

 

It's vacation-crunch-time-before-school-starts.

 

So glad you enjoyed your cruise. Thanks for posting. ;)

[Lois R]

Welcome back and glad you had a good time.:) It is still summertime

and I agree with Karen,...lots of families cruise before school starts

back.

Glad I am going in September;)

[HAM]

Welcome back and glad you had a good time.:) It is still summertime

and I agree with Karen,...lots of families cruise before school starts

back.

Glad I am going in September;)

 

Hi Lois, I couldn't agree more. Very happy that I'm trying out the Solstice in October. Enjoy your September cruise. Looking forward to your post-cruise thoughts.

[riandei]

Just sitting in thr airport, just off Solstice: Aug 1st sailing. I had a great time, some thoughts:

 

Aqua class was well worth it just to eat in Blu

!

 

thanks for this info ....looking more and more forward to january 2 2011 !!!

[eandj]

Avalon, Have you cruised Celebrity before???

 

 

Since retiring from teaching the biggest advantage is vacationing OFF school vacation times..saves lots o' money and seeing so many smiling children.....not that there's anything wrong with children!:D

 

 

Glad you found the beauty of the ship. We cruised her in Feb and will be on the Equinox in Jan. Not as crowded than you experienced. Going "Aqua" is my next goal. ;) But since we travel every quarter, will do with a verandah until my dh retires and we can jump on some deals.

 

It is well reported here that the summer cruises on the s class ships have a deteriorated dress code. A shame...but I guess understandable for all the new to Celebrity cruisers. It's just a new ship to them. We'll stick to longer and no/few kids crusing times.

 

Lois, don't forget to come back and report in on the Riverside on the Fl board. Thanks!:)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

avalon 1025 Thanks so much for reporting in. You still have a long flight home but at least you get to gain 3 hours and it is not mearly as brutal as the all day flight to get there or at least it does not seem that way.

Question about eating in Blue, did you always just order off them menu or did you ask to see the mneu from the Main Dining Room when dining in Blue? Just curious :o

 

 

 

Welcome back and glad you had a good time.:) It is still summertime

and I agree with Karen,...lots of families cruise before school starts

back.

Glad I am going in September;)

 

Lois about the sailing in September Oh Me TOO

Now we have to just hope that thos Tropical Storms stay away, although I really do not care if they have to change itineraries as long as I am on the ship ;)

[montrealerinnyc]

We sailed Connie over Thanksgiving in her first year and she was packed with kids. Our waiter in Ocean Liners told us that our sailing carried more children than she had seen since her launch in April, and the crew was a little overwhelmed. As we talked, we could hear the pounding of "little" feet running down the corridor above us - the waiter sighed and said that had been more or less part of the "ambience" of Ocean Liners that whole week!

 

No more cruises for us during school vacations! :D

[avalon1025]

We never were offered any other menu in Blu but the Blu menu. For me I would never sail outside of AQ for the freedom of eating when I wanted as well as being away from the crowds.

 

This was my 10th Celebrity cruise, and best as far as food and service. Worse as far as my fellow passengers. Not that they were bad, but very few kept to the dress code. Shorts on formal nights etc and celebrity says nothing. Yelling across public rooms, many very classless people.

 

Had a grew time but never again during the summer (I didn't have a choice this time)

 

I counted 12 kids in one hot tub, gross....

[eandj]

Avalon, other than the Aqua experience, this sounds like my nightmare vacation!:eek: As my daughter says, "Just shoot me!" :D

[hcat]

Just sitting in thr airport, just off Solstice: Aug 1st sailing. I had a great time, some thoughts:

 

Aqua class was well worth it just to eat in Blu

Over 3100 passengers, ship felt very crowded especially around the pool

Could not even get near the outdoor pools on a sea day

Dress code, what dress code: tee shirts and jeans on most nights, some made an attempt to dress on formal nights. Next time I'm not bringing half the clothes

Lots of kids: over 500

Great food

Great service for a ship this size

Loved my cabin

Outdoor pool area too small for 3000 people

Amazingly beautiful ship

Tuscan Grill was great

Murano very good

 

Overall a great time, looking forward to Eclipse!

 

Sorry you were crowded-- we have never been crowded on Solstice but we don;'t cruise in the summer or during school holidays! Glad you had AQ to avoid some of the crowding!

 

How was the relaxation room & spa?

[avalon1025]

Last night i was having a drink sitting at crush around 11PM, some twenty something ordered a drink with no shirt, shorts and barefoot. Then walked through the lobby. The waiters are so worried about a bad comment card they just put up with it. Very sad

[avalon1025]

To be fair, I did just come off QM2 prior to this cruise (and in no way was I expecting the same level of dress) but the difference in dress was very noticeable. Now I would say 50% of the ship looked great.

[DanManBob]

My first cruise will be on Equinox in October (Eastern Med/Holy Land).

 

Assumptions, relative to the OP's Solstice experience in early August:

 

1. Far less than 500 school aged children.

 

2. More adherence to dress code.

 

3. Quieter, older crowd.

 

Am I off base here in those assumptions?

[cruiseacecat]

avalon1025,

 

Sorry there were so many kids. Changes the entire ambiance of the ship. And I am not someone who dislikes kids normally. Just in great numbers.

 

Can you tell me who the hotel director was? Will be on Solstice on the 22nd. And really hoping for fewer kids. :)

 

Anne

[cruiseacecat]

My first cruise will be on Equinox in October (Eastern Med/Holy Land).

 

Assumptions, relative to the OP's Solstice experience in early August:

 

1. Far less than 500 school aged children.

 

2. More adherence to dress code.

 

3. Quieter, older crowd.

 

Am I off base here in those assumptions?

I believe that you are exactly on target for your itin. and date.

 

Anne

[Lois R]

My first cruise will be on Equinox in October (Eastern Med/Holy Land).

 

Assumptions, relative to the OP's Solstice experience in early August:

 

1. Far less than 500 school aged children.

 

2. More adherence to dress code.

 

3. Quieter, older crowd.

 

Am I off base here in those assumptions?

 

Hi,:)I agree with Anne and think you quite on target. There probably

won't be 1/2 that many kids on your sailing. I am betting less than

100...and it may not even be that many.

 

But I must say I am very disappointed in what I read. Kids or no,

walking around the Martini Bar area in no shirt and no shoes? That

is just plain tacky. (Flame away).

[horseymike]

Hi Avalon and welcome home. My DW and I are going on the Solstice W. Caribbean itinerary Aug. 15th. Do you have any recommendations as far as the shore excursions go in the ports ? Thanks in advance and I am glad you enjoyed your cruise.:D

[Woobstr112G]

Just sitting in thr airport, just off Solstice: Aug 1st sailing. I had a great time, some thoughts:

 

Aqua class was well worth it just to eat in Blu

Over 3100 passengers, ship felt very crowded especially around the pool

Could not even get near the outdoor pools on a sea day

Dress code, what dress code: tee shirts and jeans on most nights, some made an attempt to dress on formal nights. Next time I'm not bringing half the clothes

Lots of kids: over 500

Great food

Great service for a ship this size

Loved my cabin

Outdoor pool area too small for 3000 people

Amazingly beautiful ship

Tuscan Grill was great

Murano very good

 

Overall a great time, looking forward to Eclipse!

 

Glad you enjoyed your cruise.....:):):)

 

Bob

[AmyinVail]

I believe the OP stated the no shirt/no shoes was a 20 something...not a kid.

 

We are the opposite...we choose cruise dates that are high in kids - our little people can make friends/makes cruise more enjoyable for them!!!

 

Say what you will about kids and the pitter/patter of their feet....I will take that over a loud drunk, chair hogger, balcony smoker, alcohol smuggling and poor dressing adult.

[montrealerinnyc]

I believe the OP stated the no shirt/no shoes was a 20 something...not a kid.

 

We are the opposite...we choose cruise dates that are high in kids - our little people can make friends/makes cruise more enjoyable for them!!!

 

Say what you will about kids and the pitter/patter of their feet....I will take that over a loud drunk, chair hogger, balcony smoker, alcohol smuggling and poor dressing adult.

 

 

All good reasons to opt for Celebrity over a line where fellow passengers are likelier to be loud, drunken, chair-hogging balcony smokers...

[tayl]

Hi Avalon 1025.

Are you the same Avalon from the Seabourn site?

We are having a small family reunion (all adults) on the Solstice, in early Sept. and were unable to convince them to go with Seabourn. The Aqua spa rooms were sold out and we are in concierge. After reading info on the Celebrity site; it appears to be of good value and it seems that they include little extras that the other mass market lines are cutting back on.

I'm going to assume that formal nights are not as dressy and gowns are overkill.

We are booked at Murano and the Tuscan restaurants.

Any thing else we should know about the ship?

Thanks

[montrealerinnyc]

[Kids or no,

walking around the Martini Bar area in no shirt and no shoes? That

is just plain tacky. (Flame away).

 

What happened to basic "No shirt, no shoes, no service"?

 

Lois, I can't imagine anyone on this board is going to flame you for thinking that an adult walking around the Martini Bar and lobby with no shoes or shirt is tacky. I might even add "crass" and "vulgar". JMHO...:rolleyes:

[Lois R]

Hi Avalon 1025.

Are you the same Avalon from the Seabourn site?

We are having a small family reunion (all adults) on the Solstice, in early Sept. and were unable to convince them to go with Seabourn. The Aqua spa rooms were sold out and we are in concierge. After reading info on the Celebrity site; it appears to be of good value and it seems that they include little extras that the other mass market lines are cutting back on.

I'm going to assume that formal nights are not as dressy and gowns are overkill.

We are booked at Murano and the Tuscan restaurants.

Any thing else we should know about the ship?

Thanks

 

Hi Denise,:) you are going in early Sept? If it is the Sept 5th sailing

please come over to the roll call and say hello:)

[Ma Bell]

[Kids or no,

walking around the Martini Bar area in no shirt and no shoes? That

is just plain tacky. (Flame away).

 

What happened to basic "No shirt, no shoes, no service"?

 

Lois, I can't imagine anyone on this board is going to flame you for thinking that an adult walking around the Martini Bar and lobby with no shoes or shirt is tacky. I might even add "crass" and "vulgar". JMHO...:rolleyes:

 

 

Maybe that's one reason they're not doing summer Carribbean cruises next year.