Live from Solstice!!! Few cutbacks!!

[FortyNinerLiz]

Everything is going great. There have been some cutbacks, but everyone seems to be generally happy and their special requests are being met. Some of the crew was called back early off of vacation just to handle the load of cruisers. The ship is in excellent shape and all crew members are cheerful and welcoming!!!! Hope this continues as we cross the Pacific.

 

Aloha!!!

[Montana]

Everything is going great. There have been some cutbacks, but everyone seems to be generally happy and their special requests are being met. Some of the crew was called back early off of vacation just to handle the load of cruisers. The ship is in excellent shape and all crew members are cheerful and welcoming!!!! Hope this continues as we cross the Pacific.

 

Aloha!!!

 

Can you comment on what you have noticed

[elena7seas]

Everything is going great. There have been some cutbacks, but everyone seems to be generally happy and their special requests are being met. Some of the crew was called back early off of vacation just to handle the load of cruisers. The ship is in excellent shape and all crew members are cheerful and welcoming!!!! Hope this continues as we cross the Pacific.

 

Aloha!!!

 

Aloha Liz:

 

Thanks for posting. This is excellent news. We get on her as you get off.

 

Who is the Captain, and the Captain's Club host/ess. Do you know if they will be the same for the Alaska run next week?

 

Thanks again.

[MicCanberra]

Can you comment on what you have noticed

 

I agree, what are the cut backs? Or is it that there are only a few of them that you haven't noticed as yet.:D

[The_Big_M]

From our last cruise, I saw that the orchestra and performers had been cut (in part, not entirely!)

 

I was told that the majority of the activities staff would be cut this cruise, with some of their workload given to other staff.

 

The MDR experience was pared back substantially. It appears it's trying to do the same with less as the menu was much simplified and repeated, yet service took a very long time.

[Quo Vadis?]

Aloha Liz:

 

Thanks for posting. This is excellent news. We get on her as you get off.

 

Who is the Captain, and the Captain's Club host/ess. Do you know if they will be the same for the Alaska run next week?

 

Thanks again.

 

I think that information was updated on Who's Onboard.

 

Captain Berdos boarded in Hawaii.

[cruisestitch]

So do they have A Cappella? a string quartet or trio? a full Activity Staff? Those are the biggest cutbacks that affected my enjoyment of my recent cruises on Solstice. It would be great to hear that those cutbacks are not fleetwide, but I fear I am only dreaming.....

[Cruise Raider]

Can you tell me if the frozen top martini bar is functional? Last time out on the Solstice, it was not working. I know it is a little thing but going with a group for their first time out on Celebrity and have been bragging it up about all the little things -- this being one of them. It would be best if everything I have bragged about on this ship is in working order.

[TeaBag]

There is a string quartet. The ice is on the martini bar. Hostess is Rose. yes, some activity staff have been cut. I don't see scrapbooking. Zumba leader is now employed by Canyon Ranch and not Celebrity, so there is a charge. He is not happy. Food is awesome. Crew cheerful. No cuts, as reported in another thread, to Elite breakfast that I can see. Captain Yannis (forget last name) got on in Honolulu. He even came to the CC meeting.

[FortyNinerLiz]

Everything is going great. There have been some cutbacks, but everyone seems to be generally happy and their special requests are being met. Some of the crew was called back early off of vacation just to handle the load of cruisers. The ship is in excellent shape and all crew members are cheerful and welcoming!!!! Hope this continues as we cross the Pacific.

 

Aloha!!!

 

Let me see if I can answer some of your questions.....I do not know if the staff will change for the transition to Alaska routes. The Brunch appears to be gone. There are not as many Life lectures. I have not noticed reduction in trivia, etc. activities. No reduction in Captain's Club activities. Vouchers are working very well. Even if you are in a CC room, you have to ask for ice and canapés. No problem after requests are submitted. Sometimes the arrival of food in the MDR seems slow, but it is hard to determine the cause. The food has been very good in the MDR and the Captain's Club breakfast lounge in the Tuscan Grill. I hope this is of some help. They are definitely getting ready for Alaska. No sooner had we departed Hawaii, they had Alaska items in the gift shops etc!!!

 

Aloha

[The_Big_M]

There is a string quartet.

 

 

Sort of.

 

Like the orchestra, the string quartet has now been cut to a string trio.

[The_Big_M]

Even if you are in a CC room, you have to ask for ice and canapés. No problem after requests are submitted.

 

I found that very awkward. They wanted us to fill out a form, in advance i.e. the day before, each day we wanted canapés the following day!

 

After a few days of messing around, I had a word to the room attendant and she just took it as a standing order.

 

They don't deliver on port days anymore, which is reasonable.

 

They are definitely getting ready for Alaska. No sooner had we departed Hawaii, they had Alaska items in the gift shops etc!!!

 

 

Yes, they started early with that. They set up part of the shop (left side with the eggs) in the first week of the cruise. And set up more Alaska items in the last week of the Hawaii cruise.

 

Still not sure how Russian Eggs relate to Alaska, but anyway...

[Spartan Tartan]

USA purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire in 1867 for 7.2 million dollars.

 

The Alaska Purchase was the acquisition of Russian America by the United States from the Russian Empire in the year 1867 by a treaty ratified by the U.S. Senate.

Russia wanted to sell its Alaskan territory, fearing that it might be seized if war broke out with Britain. Russia's primary activity in the territory had been fur trade and missionary work among the Native Alaskans. With the purchase of Alaska, the United States added 586,412 square miles (1,518,800 km2) of new territory. Reactions to the purchase in the United States were mixed, with opponents calling it "Seward's Folly", feeling that U.S. Secretary of StateWilliam H. Seward, the primary American negotiator, got the worst of the bargain.

[MicCanberra]

There is a string quartet. The ice is on the martini bar. Hostess is Rose. yes, some activity staff have been cut. I don't see scrapbooking. Zumba leader is now employed by Canyon Ranch and not Celebrity, so there is a charge. He is not happy. Food is awesome. Crew cheerful. No cuts, as reported in another thread, to Elite breakfast that I can see. Captain Yannis (forget last name) got on in Honolulu. He even came to the CC meeting.

Thanks for all the info, very nice to know I will not be affected by these cuts listed in your post.

This is Mic - OUT.:p

[MicCanberra]

USA purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire in 1867 for 7.2 million dollars.

 

The Alaska Purchase was the acquisition of Russian America by the United States from the Russian Empire in the year 1867 by a treaty ratified by the U.S. Senate.

Russia wanted to sell its Alaskan territory, fearing that it might be seized if war broke out with Britain. Russia's primary activity in the territory had been fur trade and missionary work among the Native Alaskans. With the purchase of Alaska, the United States added 586,412 square miles (1,518,800 km2) of new territory. Reactions to the purchase in the United States were mixed, with opponents calling it "Seward's Folly", feeling that U.S. Secretary of StateWilliam H. Seward, the primary American negotiator, got the worst of the bargain.

Yes, Russian eggs for Alaska cruises due to its original ownership makes sense. Of course, not everyone can afford a dogsled to take home in their luggage.:p

Edited May 5, 2014 by MicCanberra

[The_Big_M]

USA purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire in 1867 for 7.2 million dollars.

 

I remember that from history. I wouldn't have thought that Russian (Faberge style) Eggs would be part of current Alaskan souvenirs though. It was quite a while ago!

[bakcd]

I remember that from history. I wouldn't have thought that Russian (Faberge style) Eggs would be part of current Alaskan souvenirs though. It was quite a while ago!

 

We had an invitation, under the door mail, to view the eggs while on the Infinity in March. This sailing was from Valparaiso to Miami. They may be a new product that will be offered on most sailings.

[MicCanberra]

We had an invitation, under the door mail, to view the eggs while on the Infinity in March. This sailing was from Valparaiso to Miami. They may be a new product that will be offered on most sailings.

Actually, we had the invitation to a premier event offer of the eggs on our Antarctic cruise on the Infinity in Feb as well. I had forgotten that, although they were not on display in the gift shops.:D

[Martinjjd]

It was working on our March cruise.

[Martinjjd]

Can you tell me if the frozen top martini bar is functional? Last time out on the Solstice, it was not working. I know it is a little thing but going with a group for their first time out on Celebrity and have been bragging it up about all the little things -- this being one of them. It would be best if everything I have bragged about on this ship is in working order.

 

The bar was working on our March cruise.