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

[GeorgiaPeach51]

What an incredible review! Such attention to detail, and what a memory! Just wonderful to read.

[Fighterone]

What an incredible review! Such attention to detail, and what a memory! Just wonderful to read.

 

Thank you for the compliment, detail is what usually gets me in trouble!

 

"Look at the big picture"! is what I am always told.

 

I promise to work on it more this weekend.

[ginag]

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!

 

I'm ready girls!! :D

[Fighterone]

Liquor/Wine

 

The Premium Drinking Package

 

After a lot of deliberation, we purchased this package. We thought this would give us lmore freedoom to select certain wines by the glass, and enjoy top shelf liquor such as Patron and digestifs I had never heard of such as Extase. Not quite the case, though!

 

On the 2nd day of the cruise, a comment form was left in our stateroom. We mentioned that we were disappointed by the fact that top shelf liquor was not readily available in the some of the bars. The wine by the glass was extremely limited, no Patron tequila and Cachaça at the Oceanview bar. I was served a glass of sweet Riesling at the Sunset bar, by a disgruntled waiter who was overwhelmed by the crowd. When I asked for Extase at the Ensemble Lounge, the bartender told me he had never heard of it and made no effort to find out more about it.

 

My written comment to guest relations was answered by a phone call to the stateroom as we were getting ready to leave for Amalie. Lisa Sarmans (spelling), not sure of her title but associated with bar management, stated that if a certain type of liquor was not available, the bartender should go and get it…not a very practical answer when the poor bartender is scurrying to serve drinks to several who are waiting in line… same for the wine by the glass.

 

Better inventory and replenishing prior to opening seems like a more sensible answer to me. I never did see a glass of Domaine Chandon offered and was not impressed with the poor selection of wines by the glass. Thumbs up to Sommelier Sedjan, though, for his great efforts in Blu!

My recommendation is therefore 2 fold here:

1. If I had been strictly a wine drinker, I would have preferred selecting wines by the bottles to suit my personal tastes and spent more time and $$$ at the enomatic machines in Cellar Masters.

 

2. I would buy the package again without a doubt because I enjoyed some fine exotic teas, cappuccinos, fresh orange juice, numerous bottles of Evian, a few martinis, many glasses of wine by the glass including a new flavor for me: dry Riesling and after dinner drinks and many of fantastic Kelby’s drinks at the Molecular Bar. He is a fabulous waiter and truly knows his art. I learned about new liqueurs here also. Did I break even? Probably not but it was worth not having to sign for anything. Should I have purchased the classic package instead of the premium package? No way! Extase and all Molecular bar drinks are $12. The very limited selection of better wines are over $8 a glass.

 

 

Note: There is no wine package available for purchase on Celebrity Solstice.

 

Wine Events

 

A card in our stateroom indicated that there would be 5 wine related events throughout the cruise; the first 3 would take place in Cellar Masters.

Cellar Masters is a beautiful wine bar on Deck ,4 with comfortable chairs and tables and a favorite hangout for oenophiles and many of the 22 sommeliers on board.

 

The wine related events were:

 

Enomatic Wine Machine Introduction on Sunday: (not so sure this was an event I didn't attend) one machine with chilled white wines (behind glass) and another with red wines (room temperature) sold by the 1, 2 or 4 oz (not sure if this measure is accurate but there are 3 choices). This is a great way to sample expensive wines (see thumbnails)

 

Celebrity’s World Wine Tour and Silent Auction: $20 I did not attend

 

Riedel Crystal Comparative Wine Workshop: $87 - there were about 6 couples who attended this session.

We each sat in front of 5 different shaped glasses on a place mat. Four of these contained the appropriate wine for the glass presented. The place mat gave details of the shape of the glass and what the contents (type of wine) should be including alcohol %, acidity levels type of grapes, and wine regions. The glasses presented were:

1. Glass #1 was left empty and called “The Joker” (all purpose glass)

2. Glass #2 Montrachet/Chardonnay …

3. Glass #3 Sauvignon Blanc, sweet wines, Icewines …

4. Glass #4 Bordeaux …

5. Glass#5 Burgundies….

 

A Romanian lady sommelier gave this presentation and did a great job of putting us in touch with our senses, especially the sense of taste. By switching the wines from one glass to another, and tasting a sip from the different shapes we agreed that the shape of the glass does make a big different in the taste of the wine. Even the rim of the glass makes a difference in the taste.

 

One set of 4 different wine glasses is provided to each participant after the workshop. Carry it home of have it shipped for an extra $15. It takes 3 to 4 weeks for the delivery. I can’t wait to get mine and see if my tastebuds still agree with the sommelier.

 

Wine Appreciation and Sabering at Sea: $20 - about 30 attended here and the presentation was given by Sommelier Vikram from Mauritius. Cheese and breadsticks were offered. The placemat illustrated the 6 different wines to be sampled. The last one was a Perrier Jouet champagne. Of course we all wanted more of this one…I was selected for the “sabering at sea” and sliced a bottle open on the first try. (Thumbnail)

 

Convergence of the Arts’ Premium Wine Tasting and Auction: $40 – Molecular Bar I was disappointed to have to cancel due to health issues.

[riandei]

Interesting take on the drink pkg...I am considering the classic over the premium...I'm more of a Jack and Ginger /gin and tonic / sea breeze kinda girl and don't really go for the martinis...

 

Does classic sound like the right way to go ??

[Fighterone]

Interesting take on the drink pkg...I am considering the classic over the premium...I'm more of a Jack and Ginger /gin and tonic / sea breeze kinda girl and don't really go for the martinis...

 

Does classic sound like the right way to go ??

 

Probably so if you figure your drinks are not gonna be over $8 a shot and if you don't care about the higher end wines. I don't remember what Jack Daniels cost.

[Woobstr112G]

Great review, thanks for posting your thoughts. Thanks for posting all the great pictures as well.....:):):)

 

Bob

[Fighterone]

Great review, thanks for posting your thoughts. Thanks for posting all the great pictures as well.....:):):)

 

Bob

 

You are most welcome! not much more to go...

[Fighterone]

Charlotte, Amalie St-Thomas

 

After the misfortunate tragedy that occurred at Coki Beach last month, where a young cruise ship passenger was killed in the cross fire of some drug deal gone bad, and the reports that the security had not been enhanced, we were not sure about what to do in this port.

We opted for a cab ride to Magen’s Beach with 4 of our CC friends and are glad we did. We enjoyed a scenic ride up and down the hilly island and stopped to take a couple of pictures.

Safari cabs are the norm here but we were lucky to get a fully air-conditioned van and a very nice lady driver, Petra.

The cab ride is $8 per person each way. The same driver will come collect you at the time you select. Access to Magen's beach cost $4 per person. A chair is an additional $5. There is a restaurant, bar, and an area to change with "semi fresh water showers.

This is a nice area if you like to swim laps. I saw a few angel fish but nothing worth snorkeling for. On the way back, we shopped at the port for a little while. Jewelry shops are owned mostly by Indians here and items are not inexpensive; bargaining is recommended.

A nice touch, before boarding the ship, there is a cold water and towel (frozen out of an ice chest) station to cool us off.

[Fighterone]

St-Maarten/St-Martin

We booked a 6 hour tour with Bernard’s’ Tours and enjoyed “The Mailman” as our guide. He included a complimentary ice chest of soft drinks, beer and Bernard’s secret rum punch made with 5 different types of rum and just a bit of punch.

We stopped at Orient beach for a couple of hours. The area with yellow umbrellas is for nudists. We sat on the non nudist side. Unfortunately, were constantly bothered by vendors who sold beach towels, chains, necklaces and even CDs, we were surrounded by jetskis both on the beach and in the water…rather dangerous

I enjoyed the most fattening croquet-monsieur (topped with thick and crusty béchamel sauce) at the Sarafina Pastry shop in Marigot and purchased a bottle of Guavaberry liqueur from Bernadine, who also takes care of abandoned animals with donations from the public.

I especially enjoyed watching the planes land from the Sunset bar and grill at Maho beach and took a few pictures of planes landing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maho_Beach

 

For $35 (excluding tip), you can’t beat this tour!

[Fighterone]

Room Service

 

My friend ordered room service almost every morning. The items were delivered on time and a phone call always preceded the delivery.

 

I ordered room service just once, for lunch on Friday, when I was not feeling well: fabulous hot food, much better than I can ever remember on the other lines! Cesar salad, crisp with great dressing, spaghetti Bolognese, a bit on the fatty side but good, and the chicken noodle soup was my favorite, made with the freshest delicate broth, and a delicious small pizza Margherita.

 

The order was placed on the T.V. and took about 20 minutes to be delivered.

 

The Monday Brunch

 

Beautiful presentations and fabulous looking food were set up in the center of the Grand Epernay dining room. The wine wall is quite a sight. The montages and ice sculptures holding the Champagnes, the shrimp and displayed on center tables are gorgeous. There is a wide variety of food and several different stations with staff ready to carve and serve the meats and seafood.

 

I like the idea of a brunch much better than the chocolate/midnight buffets on other lines.

 

Solstice

 

It is the newest ship I have ever sailed on and its condition is not comparable to any of the others mentioned in my signature. The décor is fabulous everywhere; the restrooms are spotless, the bars are inviting…except for the design flaw in the Ensemble Lounge where you “disturb” artists’ performances when you return from the specialty restaurants.

 

I took several pictures but a thumbnail would not do justice so I choose not to post here. The Celebrity website showcases Solstice well.

 

The gym was very crowded and I’d be prepared to wait for any of the cardio machines, especially early.

 

The Persian Garden room was made accessible in exchange for the room key. The tile beds are a great idea; there are tropical rain showers in this room, a wet sauna and an aromatic sauna. One of our friends decided to leave and go into the sauna. When she came back all her items had been removed from her chair and she was told that she should not have left anything unattended.

 

The relaxation room is a peaceful area with soft music where one can relax while sipping hot tea or cold lemon or orange water.

 

The spa is accessible through the secret staircase located forward on the starboard side. It took us a while to find it. Aqua Class passengers can just walk up these stairs in their robes.

 

We only ate at the Oceanview Café three times. The selection of entrees and salads is impressive, and we did not feel crowded. The waiters have small stations to serve coffee and tea. An older man decided to help himself to whatever he wanted and opened every lid and smelled every pot while the waiter was away…germs!

 

The pool area was generally too crowded for us. We sat at the deck above, on the first sea day and enjoyed the sun. The Mast Grill and Bar remained busy and Germain, one of the bartenders, did a great job of waiting on us.

 

The frozen Margarita here looks like a nice big fat egg white lime meringue pie and if it is windy, some of that froth on top flies away in the wind.

 

I am sorry I missed out on the lawn games. I had planned on and the sales on the last day at sea.

 

Smoking on board: it was the first time I ever went to a smokeless casino. Interesting that Celebrity would enforce this rule in a casino. My friend and our neighbor both smelled smoke while sitting on the balconies.

 

The Medical Facility

 

It is located aft of deck 2 and the only way to access it is by the glass elevators. It opens at 5:00 p.m daily and if you need access outside these hours, there is an extra $30 charge.

 

Within 2 minutes of walking in there, I saw 2 friendly faces. One had had an elevator door close suddenly on him and the other took a fall on her scooter. They were both getting their bandages changed. One lady had a serious segway accident and was pretty bruised up.

 

I was promply escorted in by a doctor and given a breathing treatment, and some generic drugs, cost $169. Dr. Thassos (abbreviated spelling of full name) might have been the head doctor here. He was a friendly man whom we enjoyed making casual conversation with. The place was spotless of course but I felt a bit claustrophobic, as though we were in a house trailer. They seem to carry all the basic medications.

 

That breathing treatment made a new woman out of me temporarily.

 

The End

 

We docked early befoe 0600, had a last breakfast at Blu where they honored the premium package until 0800 for one last cappuccino.

 

We did self- debarkation and it went very smoothly.

[riandei]

Thanks again for taking the time to post

 

Wonderful review

 

Hope you are feeling better

[a68vet]

This was a great review F1, as always. I knew you'd love the ship. Really, the X does a great job, even on an old tug like we were on for Panama...the Galaxy. ;)