Review with photos: Celebrity Solstice Cruise 8/22 to 8/29/10

[riz215]

FinelyCruising,

 

I WAS on this cruise and ate at Blu with Fighterone and our group of eight. I am what some would consider a picky eater but am always able to find something to eat. Both my fiance and I were very excited to eat at Blu in a smaller dining room with better service (from what we heard from CC, anyway). Previous to this cruise we had been at the MDR on Princess and were very happy with the selections, including a wonderful cheese plate. As Fighterone has pointed out, it was almost impossible to get an acceptable cheese plate in Blu. We had thought that if you wanted something off menu that could be found somewhere else on the ship they would get it for you. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. Even a simple baked potato (which we found every night in the buffet) was impossible for the staff to get.

 

We found out on the last night of the cruise that the waiters had been "scared" into not getting these items for diners because of the staff that was on this cruise due to the Food Network being there. I find this inexcusable. We heard it straight from the maître d’ that it would be impossible to get us a kobe meatball due to their fears of getting in trouble. It did sour our experience when we couldn't even get a baked potato! Our darling Wilmer said that he would get it for us, but you could tell how scared he was of getting in trouble, so we told him it wasn't a big deal.

 

Overall we were let down by our experience in Blu. We had some great food (the corn soup on the first night was delicious!) but also some food that I wouldn't expect to see at the local Micky D's. One night one of the girls and I ordered the chicken. It was so horrible we went to the buffet after dinner to actually eat. It was below the portion size the government calls for and had the texture of rubber. Wilmer was kind enough to bring us some hot chili garlic sauce when we tried the chicken a second time on the last night. My fiance had some type of seafood every night and was very happy with the way the fish was prepared. There was a delicious brie appetizer that everyone loved, but many that were unmemorable.

 

You may have a different experience on your cruise, it seems like the Food Network was causing problems based on things we couldn't get. For all I know you will get the baked potato and Kobe meatball that we weren't able to have. Blu could have been better on many fronts, and I am willing to give them a second chance. I believe that the customers need to come first, and on this cruise we came second.

[Fighterone]

FinelyCruising,

 

I WAS on this cruise and ate at Blu with Fighterone and our group of eight. I am what some would consider a picky eater but am always able to find something to eat. Both my fiance and I were very excited to eat at Blu in a smaller dining room with better service (from what we heard from CC, anyway). Previous to this cruise we had been at the MDR on Princess and were very happy with the selections, including a wonderful cheese plate. As Fighterone has pointed out, it was almost impossible to get an acceptable cheese plate in Blu. We had thought that if you wanted something off menu that could be found somewhere else on the ship they would get it for you. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. Even a simple baked potato (which we found every night in the buffet) was impossible for the staff to get.

 

We found out on the last night of the cruise that the waiters had been "scared" into not getting these items for diners because of the staff that was on this cruise due to the Food Network being there. I find this inexcusable. We heard it straight from the maître d’ that it would be impossible to get us a kobe meatball due to their fears of getting in trouble. It did sour our experience when we couldn't even get a baked potato! Our darling Wilmer said that he would get it for us, but you could tell how scared he was of getting in trouble, so we told him it wasn't a big deal.

 

Overall we were let down by our experience in Blu. We had some great food (the corn soup on the first night was delicious!) but also some food that I wouldn't expect to see at the local Micky D's. One night one of the girls and I ordered the chicken. It was so horrible we went to the buffet after dinner to actually eat. It was below the portion size the government calls for and had the texture of rubber. Wilmer was kind enough to bring us some hot chili garlic sauce when we tried the chicken a second time on the last night. My fiance had some type of seafood every night and was very happy with the way the fish was prepared. There was a delicious brie appetizer that everyone loved, but many that were unmemorable.

 

You may have a different experience on your cruise, it seems like the Food Network was causing problems based on things we couldn't get. For all I know you will get the baked potato and Kobe meatball that we weren't able to have. Blu could have been better on many fronts, and I am willing to give them a second chance. I believe that the customers need to come first, and on this cruise we came second.

 

Riz215, Thanks for chiming in and please keep doing so on this thread. It is our review, we all sat and ate together and had a great time with one "community drink and one community camera!

[ginag]

A wonderful detailed review so far, Fighterone! I have nothing to add at the moment, but will do if needed.:)

Lauren: I agree with you...very well said!

Still under the weather....:(

[Fighterone]

A wonderful detailed review so far, Fighterone! I have nothing to add at the moment, but will do if needed.:)

 

Lauren: I agree with you...very well said!

 

Still under the weather....:(

 

I wonder why 4 of us girls got sick!

 

Thanks for the input Gina G. get well.

[dbub]

This is a great review. Really appreciate the information and look forward to the rest of the installments.

Well this does not sound good at all. Do I upgrade to Suite while I still have a chance to do so???

Hey FinelyCruising, we are with you on 10/10/10. I too was concerned about Blu experiences like this in previous posts and hope they get the restaurant in order on a daily basis. Funny, it seems there are cruises where everybody raves about the place.

 

I guess staying put in our 1A's a couple of weeks ago when AQ was $849 might have been a good thing. Yet, I truly hope for all the folks on deck 11 that Celebrity and Blu will make passengers rave again.

[Fighterone]

This is a great review. Really appreciate the information and look forward to the rest of the installments.

Hey FinelyCruising, we are with you on 10/10/10. I too was concerned about Blu experiences like this in previous posts and hope they get the restaurant in order on a daily basis. Funny, it seems there are cruises where everybody raves about the place.

 

I guess staying put in our 1A's a couple of weeks ago when AQ was $849 might have been a good thing. Yet, I truly hope for all the folks on deck 11 that Celebrity and Blu will make passengers rave again.

 

Thank you for the kind words. Please feel free to ask any questions concerning our experience on Solstice.

[happicruzer]

My husband and I were also on this sailing. Everything has been well put and mostly fits with our experiences.

 

The ship itself is beautiful. The employees were pleasant and we enjoyed our cruise.

 

We arrived too early (10:45) at the port and actually spent more time trying to get our seapasses than usual; mostly lack of staff due to the early hour and one cruiser having problems at check in tying up the only AQ clerk. Didn't like having photos taken at boarding rather than at the check-in desk - really caused congestion that wasn't necessary especially since the first rush of passengers were anxious to board (began around 11:45).

 

The AQ hype is interesting. We lucked out with a bump up to this class and I was worried that my husband wouldn't enjoy the food at Blu. Turned out that he liked the food but I found it lacking; can't put my finger on the why, but...maybe all the "fabulous" and "wouldn't eat anywhere else" comments on this site. The presentation was an experience (loved the corn soup but the avocado-lime tasted just like that green stuff in the picture above). I ordered my steaks medium-rare and they arrived nearly well-done (3 out of 4 times). Again, we had generally good service - but... Did eat breakfast in Blu once; usually opened later and we're early risers.

 

I commented on the card that they should have two sizes of slippers in the AQ package; both small meant that my husband couldn't wear his. We never took the robes out of the closet. Used the relaxation lounge two or three times but prefered the balcony and fresh air to the enclosed area.

 

I'll willingly travel Solstice class again but it doesn't have to be AQ. The small cabin size was a detraction for the usual cost of that cabin (and is, I believe, equal in size to most balcony cabins) and the experience of Blu, while nice, isn't on my list of a must repeat.

 

By the way - for someone doing a B2B, I asked and was told, Blu repeats menus on a 7-day cycle and not a 14-day cycle.

 

We did experience a couple of accounting errors and it actually took our stateroom attendant to correct the last one as the front desk refused to back out a charge that was not ours (he hadn't been contacted and should have been); it is worth it to check your balance on a daily basis.

[Fighterone]

My husband and I were also on this sailing. Everything has been well put and mostly fits with our experiences.

 

The ship itself is beautiful. The employees were pleasant and we enjoyed our cruise.

 

We arrived too early (10:45) at the port and actually spent more time trying to get our seapasses than usual; mostly lack of staff due to the early hour and one cruiser having problems at check in tying up the only AQ clerk. Didn't like having photos taken at boarding rather than at the check-in desk - really caused congestion that wasn't necessary especially since the first rush of passengers were anxious to board (began around 11:45).

 

The AQ hype is interesting. We lucked out with a bump up to this class and I was worried that my husband wouldn't enjoy the food at Blu. Turned out that he liked the food but I found it lacking; can't put my finger on the why, but...maybe all the "fabulous" and "wouldn't eat anywhere else" comments on this site. The presentation was an experience (loved the corn soup but the avocado-lime tasted just like that green stuff in the picture above). I ordered my steaks medium-rare and they arrived nearly well-done (3 out of 4 times). Again, we had generally good service - but... Did eat breakfast in Blu once; usually opened later and we're early risers.

 

I commented on the card that they should have two sizes of slippers in the AQ package; both small meant that my husband couldn't wear his. We never took the robes out of the closet. Used the relaxation lounge two or three times but prefered the balcony and fresh air to the enclosed area.

 

I'll willingly travel Solstice class again but it doesn't have to be AQ. The small cabin size was a detraction for the usual cost of that cabin (and is, I believe, equal in size to most balcony cabins) and the experience of Blu, while nice, isn't on my list of a must repeat.

 

By the way - for someone doing a B2B, I asked and was told, Blu repeats menus on a 7-day cycle and not a 14-day cycle.

 

We did experience a couple of accounting errors and it actually took our stateroom attendant to correct the last one as the front desk refused to back out a charge that was not ours (he hadn't been contacted and should have been); it is worth it to check your balance on a daily basis.

 

Happicruiser, it was nice meeting you. and thank you for your input and for sharing your experience here.

 

Yes, the ship is beautiful, the staff is pleasant and well groomed and Blu is certainly not a must repeat experience if we ever sail Celebrity again. I also agree with you on the photos at boarding! Someone even commented that this was holding up the line.

 

I never did get a final bill delivered to the stateroom but reviewed it daily on the T.V. set.

[happicruzer]

Had a smooth debarkation - we were scheduled for 8:30; walked right off the ship, picked up our luggage and walked out to the car. I actually think it took longer to find the pay parking kiosk than it took to debark the ship and go thru customs. (I saw the postings about 'cheaper' off-site parking but my husband made the decision to use port parking as he didn't want to wait for a shuttle, partly due to the 11-hour drive home.)

 

I noticed, however, that folks who "jumped the line" were directed to or already sitting down in the luggage area - until the earlier numbers (1-18?) were debarked.

Judy

[Fighterone]

Before going on to the wonderful settings of the Aqua Spa and fresh water pool, I need to bring up the following:

 

Ensemble Lounge’s What a Poor Location for the Band!!!

 

My girlfriend and other dinner companions were rightfully offended when we were told to shut up as our group of 9 was leaving Blu, one night, making casual conversation while going through the Ensemble Lounge.

 

Thumbs down for having a wonderful guitar player, piano and band on one side of a very busy hallway while listeners sit on the other side and try to enjoy the music in interrupted silence.

 

Of course, with so much traffic walking through the Tuscan Grill, Silk Harvest and Blu, there will be some disruption.

 

I didn’t notice this old man “shooing” everyone…(with unpleasant interjections) as I was my usual boisterous happy self. My friend was so upset however, that she called it in early that night.

Why are some folks so unpleasant?

 

Some of us ladies also had complaints about the poor location of the restroom, not at all adjacent to the 3 specialty restaurants, at least for the ladies room. The men's room was much closer.

[Ma Bell]

FC, I agree. I can't imagine booking AC and then expecting the waiters to run all over getting me something from a different venue.:confused:

[Fighterone]

Aqua Spa

 

The first day at sea started with breakfast at the Aqua Spa. There are only a few tables for 4, here, maybe 6 or 7. Be prepared to share your table if there are only 2 of you or eat standing up or on a lounge chair. We had no problem making new friends during the meals we enjoyed here or regrouping with our CC bunch. I was very impressed with this area. Not only was the food excellent, the waiters were very attentive and went out of their way to make us feel comfortable.

 

Breakfast includes an assortment of mini-brioches baked with ingredients such as eggplant, saffron, rosemary, orange, tomato, onion, carrots, squash etc. Each tray of brioche rolls displayed the actual fruit/vegetable used underneath the bread, such as a piece of eggplant stem for the eggplant brioche. Great presentations! The table also includes bowls of fresh jam. There is no butter here.

 

The cold buffet includes a variety of fruit, cereal, dried fruit and nuts and yogurts. Omelets are cooked to order and brought to your table. The dish comes with a couple of almost raw asparagus, cherry tomatoes and fried potatoes. We detected the flavor of lard on the potatoes here.

 

For lunch, once again, the Aqua Spa had beautiful food. Lunch includes a cold buffet with several choices. On different occasions, I enjoyed thin slices of ahi tuna, sushi or a perfectly cooked piece of chicken breast with fresh garlic. The hot food is cooked to order and served piping hot! The breads are miniature French loaves in different flavors, the choices of salad include radicchio, watercress and arugula and a citrus or balsamic dressing. Deserts were tartelettes with fresh berries, flan (tofu) and other light fare. A limited assortment of wine is served by the glass here.

 

The pool was very inviting. One gal got brave and started swimming laps so I followed suit and promised myself to come back early the next day. I enjoyed a good swim without any crowds. The pool tends to get very crowded but is quite a great venue for relaxing or water aerobics. I thought 10 people was a crowd...try 40 + in the afternoon. No children allowed.

 

This area is covered with a glass roof. There are a few canopy beds here something that could be replaced by a couple of tables to accomodate more diners.

 

The Aqua Spa Café and pool were definitely some of my favorite spots on Solstice.

 

When we pulled into the port of San Juan, we were having lunch here with a nice couple. The ship’s slow gliding through the water around the fort and into the dock was a majestic moment I shall never forget.

 

What a beautiful sight!

[Ma Bell]

Thanks for your wonderful review.:)

[Fighterone]

Thanks for your wonderful review.:)

You are most welcome!

Just my thoughts and opinions, it's fun to relive the great time we had on the ship.

[Fighterone]

We pulled into this port at 1400 hours, in the hot mid-afternoon sun. Puerto Rico is a place where we had never been to but are considering visiting as a place to retire to.

Since we were not with our DHs, we didn’t want to venture too far on our own. We walked in the old town a bit and amid the heat and humidity, on this late afternoon, we walked into several of these famous warehouse outlets such as Guess, Coach, D&B, Tommy Hilfiger and others to see if there was anything we couldn’t live without.

It was really a very painful walk for my degenerating hips, up and down hill and I didn’t enjoy seeing the town on foot at all. Guess I just have to start realizing that I am not so jubilantly young anymore.

As soon as we exited the port area, we were surrounded by vendors who wanted to sell us a tour of the town for $10 each. “Oh I need just 2 more, one said! Get on my bus, #48”. This bus sat at least 20 and when I looked there was nobody in it. Had I done my homework, I might have considered getting on a trolley to see the town, instead of walking in the miserable heat of the day. We had considered Luis Rosado but he wanted $80 for 3 hours or so of daylight…this fee was unreasonable to me. Luis said he had a friend who could offer a half day tour for $60 each. 3:00 p.m. start for a half day tour was still a bit more than we wanted to pay.

 

As a result, we didn’t get to see much of San Juan.

As we returned to the ship, we were besieged by beggars, some scary ones too! One came directly at us, put his hand in our faces. Another started following us after we spotted him a few feet from the port entrance. There were 5 or 6 within a 10th of a mile of the entrance to the port. There was virtually no police presence on that day. Is it because there was only 1 ship in port?

 

We expected a different type of welcome. Instead, here is the only law enforcement we saw: one motorcycle cop talking on his cell phone half a mile from the ship by a boutique and another in full suit and armor speeding down the road on his motorcycle. We were happy to return to our Solstice home.

 

If we have the opportunity to visit this beautiful port again, I should hope that we would arrive early and make a plan for a full day of sightseeing with a tour guide and see the rain forest, the fort and enjoy the local food of the folks who live in this beautiful city.

 

Mea Culpa for not planning this one better!

[Fighterone]

I cannot do justice to commenting about entertainment since I no longer stay up very late and have never been one to understand much about English (not my first language) speaking comedy and the likes. I am one of few who probably never laughed at the Rodney Dangerfield’s Club while visiting New York, several years ago. I just have to include what I saw, here.

 

The Glass Show

We started to sit in on the glass show. Front row seats, it was so hot with the ovens close by and I quickly got bored with the explanations. We left after a few minutes. Just not for me but so many rave reviews!

 

The Circus Act or is it Le Cirque du Soleil?

I really got tired of seeing that guy in some furry outfit hanging from the rope and leaping all over the place. This went on for quite a while! So again, I just left. It might have been a great show.

 

Introduction of the Crew by the Captain

Now that was entertainment! Don’t miss it if Captain Dimitrios Kafetzis is the master of that ship! He is hilarious. His sense of humor is unparalleled. He takes the time to introduce each one of his executive staff by quoting directly whether they are Greek! "Greek Wanna Be" or "Not Greek".

 

He also takes the cake for his noon announcements daily with comments such as, something like: if we are lucky enough to find the coast of Puerto Rico… or the cruisers next week are in for a time with the hurricanes approaching (no quote but you get the gist).

 

At the end of his introduction on stage, a glass of sparkling wine was served to each member of the crew the captain had just introduced and they toasted us, their passengers. A moment to remember!

 

The Chef’s Cook Off

Now that was fun! Don’t miss it. The chefs are genuine and great here.

They allowed 45 seconds or so to select ingredients, about 20 minutes to cook these “new creations” with an assistant chosen from the audience for each of the 2 chefs and later, 3 judges are selected to sample and judge the dish on originality, taste and presentation, if I recall correctly.

While the chefs are cooking, the master chef answers questions from the audience. I am not sure if Executive Chef Misha Graafmans was the master of ceremonies here but this chef was from Holland and very comfortable on stage. He was relaxed and humorous. A very important question came up from the audience, which touched me. This little voice said: "Do you have popcorn?" Chef Misha didn't miss a beat and said that of course he would fix him some. The food brought on board for a cruise amounts to 50 pallets. It is not weighed by the pound. The latest 2 CDC reviews yielded 100% and a lot of other good questions were answered.

The 2 dishes prepared by the competing chefs and their assistant were ceremoniously named “Perfect Pan Asian Pork” created by the sous-chef from Silk Harvest and the other “Divine Duck” from the chef from Tuscan Grill or Murano, I don't recall which. This was his first attempt at the cook-off so he sheepishly admitted forgetting to select the fat and the condiments during the 45 seconds allotted to him for doing so. He was proud to say that he would just use the fat from the duck. They later made fun of him saying he had just cooked "duck in berries". There was also a question on how the Mirin suddenly appeared in the ingredients for the preparation of the pork. I guess the sous chef from Silk Harvest must carry it as a secret ingredient in his pocket since it is after all an essential ingredient in Japanese cooking.

I was sorry I was on the upper level of the theater for this intro and for the chef’s cook off.

 

I cannot comment on Cruise Director Paul Baya’s performance since I only heard him speak to the audience during the chef’s cook off.

 

The Martini Bar

Watching those bartenders pour 7 martinis in one shot without spilling a drop was very entertaining. Their juggling acts were also great.

[Dunmore2]

We really appreciate your detailed reviews and photos. Thank you.

We head out on the same itineray in a week and you are fueling our excitement.

[Fighterone]

We really appreciate your detailed reviews and photos. Thank you.

We head out on the same itineray in a week and you are fueling our excitement.

My former neighbours to the West! You are most welcome!

She is a the most beautiful ship I have ever been on and we really enjoyed the Port of St-Maarten. We had the one of the best tours there.

[riandei]

fighterone

 

thanks for your wonderful review

 

do tell about St. Maarten....

 

thank you for your honest review of Blu....

[Fighterone]

fighterone

 

Thanks for your wonderful review

 

do tell about St. Maarten....

 

thank you for your honest review of Blu....

 

riandei, you are welcome!

 

As mentioned, these are my opinions and observations about Blu.

 

My adventurous days are now unfortunately limited to gastronomy and experiencing new foods and drinks. We didn't select the Aqua Class to eat at Blu. It just so happened that we liked the small additional frills offered for this class and thought it would be really nice to experience a different style/class of cruising.

 

Blu was a nice addition but I believe there is certainly a need to express what some of us enjoyed and what some of us did not. This specialty restaurant is not for everyone, especially if you are a couple who has extremely different tastes in foods.

 

Granted that posting pictures does not help the palate but I always enjoy looking at those since it gives me an idea of the presentation and care that goes into the preparation of a dish. I could have posted more and given more detail about each one of the dishes I selected but this review might never end, LOL. Just a detail here, if you look at the carpaccio appetizer, it came with this white sauce, possibly mayo but the person who ordered it is allergic to dairy products... of course it was not an issue to replace it without the sauce and much easier to do in the small Blu kitchen than in the main dining room.

 

I plan on reliving St-Maarten this weekend and posting more then. We booked a tour with Bernard's Tours and spent about 6 hours with "The Mailman" touring both the French and Dutch sides of the islands. I don't remember ever booking a tour that provided so much information and so many stops in such a small amount of time, and where there was a complimentary ice chest full of water, soft drinks, beer, and even rum punch at no extra charge. I certainly recommend Bernard's Tours if you are undecided.

[ginag]

fighterone

 

thanks for your wonderful review

 

do tell about St. Maarten....

 

thank you for your honest review of Blu....

 

It is a wonderful review...especially since I was with her! I am enjoying reliving every moment. Can't wait for St. Maarten...what a fantastic day! :)

See F1, there are those that appreciate this! :)

[harryb50]

Is a pitcher of ice and water still included in the cabin?

 

ann - sailing 10-3-2010

[Fighterone]

Is a pitcher of ice and water still included in the cabin?

 

ann - sailing 10-3-2010

 

A non insulated small bucket of ice and a jug of tea are included in the AQ cabin plus 2 bottles of water! Happy sailing to you.

[luvpug]

Great Review! I'm going to have to seriously think about joining you and Gina on your next adventure. I know a TA that may work out for us! ;)

[Fighterone]

Great Review! I'm going to have to seriously think about joining you and Gina on your next adventure. I know a TA that may work out for us! ;)

 

YESSSSSSSS! We are ready! Thanks luvpug! I am so looking forward to it although still under the weather.

Welcome back!