Live from the Solstice 5/1, first Alaskan trip of the season

[Escriteur]

Quoted: For those of you wondering, the bartender at the Molecular Bar confirmed the last day for the bar is May 22nd.

 

Bummer, we sail on May 29th. What are they planning to do with that space instead?

 

I'm bummed as well; we sail June 12. They're replacing it with a Diageo partnership concept called the World Class Bar. Someone recently posted some pics of the menu; you can view them on this thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2203250 (Jump to page 2, posts 29 & 32 for larger/clearer pics.) Three of the drinks are above the Premium package, the rest should be available under the Premium package. (See the earlier posts in that thread for pricing details.)

 

~ Shay

Edited May 10, 2015 by Escriteur

[curtdesilets]

Sounds like we are in for a treat. My wife and I board Solstice in 20 short days! The ship sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing your experience

 

On another issue you presented:

 

Vancouver was a problem when we sailed Century a couple of years ago, and there was only 2 ships departing then. I think they have SIGNIFICANT problems there, and ultimately that will cost Canada a lot of money. More and more ships and passengers are cruising out of Seattle these days, perhaps because of the Canadian (and US) Customs disasters in Vancouver.

 

Wake up Vancouver! This is costing you $$.

 

They used to have a speedy cruise pass embarkation for US citizens arriving at Vancouver airport. If you were arriving by plane and heading straight to the ship, it was a fast one-stop customs thing where you got on a bus and are whisked directly to the port. Easy as pie! Apparently they stopped that program.

 

Now its' a long line at the airport going through customs. Next, finding your transport to the port, and then enduring apparently a 2 hour wait to go through customs again, followed by the cruise line check-in which will add even more time. That is insane.

Edited May 10, 2015 by curtdesilets
clarification

[curtdesilets]

I'm bummed as well; we sail June 12. They're replacing it with a Diageo partnership concept called the World Class Bar. Someone recently posted some pics of the menu; you can view them on this thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2203250 (Jump to page 2, posts 29 & 32 for larger/clearer pics.) Three of the drinks are above the Premium package, the rest should be available under the Premium package. (See the earlier posts in that thread for pricing details.)

 

~ Shay

 

I was unaware of any of this. Thanks for the info!

[trvlcarib]

We were in line for a cab and that was a long line! Glad I looked over at the shuttle area and saw this brand new shiny black suv, looked at the driver and saw him show 5 fingers and I said 50, yup that was the best $50 I spent. Was at airport by 9:30. I bet we would have waited 1 hr in that taxi line. Great cruise Blu was awesome! Never went too buffet, hate lines.Drink package was funny, had the free classic but several bars were confused about what beer you could get.

[Escriteur]

I was unaware of any of this. Thanks for the info!

 

You're welcome! I'm glad others posted the pics/pricing; it's good to know what to expect now that Molecular is going away...

 

~ Shay

[haven001]

Is world class bar starting as soon as they close molecular?

[nojoke]

We don't sail until September and this is way to early to get excited, but I'm reading every word and loving it! Thanks for posting.

[kennelgang]

Sounds like we are in for a treat. My wife and I board Solstice in 20 short days! The ship sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing your experience

 

On another issue you presented:

 

Vancouver was a problem when we sailed Century a couple of years ago, and there was only 2 ships departing then. I think they have SIGNIFICANT problems there, and ultimately that will cost Canada a lot of money. More and more ships and passengers are cruising out of Seattle these days, perhaps because of the Canadian (and US) Customs disasters in Vancouver.

 

Wake up Vancouver! This is costing you $$.

 

They used to have a speedy cruise pass embarkation for US citizens arriving at Vancouver airport. If you were arriving by plane and heading straight to the ship, it was a fast one-stop customs thing where you got on a bus and are whisked directly to the port. Easy as pie! Apparently they stopped that program.

 

Now its' a long line at the airport going through customs. Next, finding your transport to the port, and then enduring apparently a 2 hour wait to go through customs again, followed by the cruise line check-in which will add even more time. That is insane.

 

I have a horror story to tell about Vancouver customs via bus from Seattle. We have in almost all cases flown from San Jose to Seattle, rented a car, and driven to Vancouver when we are leaving on a cruise from that port. We do this since it is way cheaper then flying in and out of Canada.

 

About 2 years ago we decided, as opposed to renting a car, to take the shuttle bus from Sea Tac to Vancouver.

 

We never pack light and for the 7 day cruise and my wife and I had 2 medium suitcases, 1 small suitcase and 1 carry-on plus my wife's POC (she suffers from COPD). When we reached the border the bus driver was required to remove and place all of the luggage, for everyone on board, onto the curb. The distance from the curb to the actual customs station inside the building was about 100 feet and the building was mostly glass so everything outside and inside was clearly visible in both directions.

 

Based on the fact that my wife cannot lug baggage due to her breathing issues and the fact that we had so many pieces I asked the bus driver if we could just leave the luggage at curb while we process through customs since there were no provided luggage carts, nor a porter, there was no way I could manage rolling all the pieces all at once. He stated I would have to ask the custom agent, who at the time was exiting the bus after inspection, if that were possible.

 

Upon explaining my situation the female agent gave me this nasty look, and with little regard to the situation, made this exact statement that I will never forget. "You packed it didn't you? NOW GET YOURSELF AND YOUR LUGGAGE INTO THE BUILDING!!!"

 

So I had no choice but to "piece meal" it through the line. I certainly made my frustration know to everyone around stating how stupid this whole issue was. Once reaching the desk the same agent was extremely unprofessional. Much to my dismay, they never even looked at the luggage let alone inspect it. I then stated, to the agent, why on earth did your force me to lug all of this luggage into the building when you aren't even going to look at it lease of all inspect it, when you could have clearly seen it at the curb? Her comment was "It's policy". I stated how ridiculous. The policy needs to be reconsidered uncertain circumstance.

 

Later the bus driver said that he thought the reason for physically carrying your luggage through customs was if they discovered something amiss with your ID they would have your luggage right there. Again, how ridiculous, it was in plain site at the curb and clearly visible from inside the building and could easily be confiscated if need be!!

 

Later I said to my wife, what if there was a 90 year old women who was impaired and unable to carry or roll her luggage from the curb to customs inside. There are no porters nor any carts provided and the bus driver was unwilling to help me, why would he help her? I can just see that same customs agent tell the women, "You packed it didn't you? NOW GET YOURSELF AND YOUR LUGGAGE INTO THE BUILDING!!!"

 

Needless to say we will never go through customs via the border by car or by bus. We'll fly regardless of the cost!

 

Bob

Edited May 10, 2015 by kennelgang

[cruisecriticmember]

Thank you for the dailies offer. Please do. [emoji4] [emoji106]

 

Absolutely would love for you to do this! Thanks!!

[curtdesilets]

I have a horror story to tell about Vancouver customs via bus from Seattle. We have in almost all cases flown from San Jose to Seattle, rented a car, and driven to Vancouver when we are leaving on a cruise from that port. We do this since it is way cheaper then flying in and out of Canada.

 

About 2 years ago we decided, as opposed to renting a car, to take the shuttle bus from Sea Tac to Vancouver.

 

We never pack light and for the 7 day cruise and my wife and I had 2 medium suitcases, 1 small suitcase and 1 carry-on plus my wife's POC (she suffers from COPD). When we reached the border the bus driver was required to remove and place all of the luggage, for everyone on board, onto the curb. The distance from the curb to the actual customs station inside the building was about 100 feet and the building was mostly glass so everything outside and inside was clearly visible in both directions.

 

Based on the fact that my wife cannot lug baggage due to her breathing issues and the fact that we had so many pieces I asked the bus driver if we could just leave the luggage at curb while we process through customs since there were no provided luggage carts, nor a porter, there was no way I could manage rolling all the pieces all at once. He stated I would have to ask the custom agent, who at the time was exiting the bus after inspection, if that were possible.

 

Upon explaining my situation the female agent gave me this nasty look, and with little regard to the situation, made this exact statement that I will never forget. "You packed it didn't you? NOW GET YOURSELF AND YOUR LUGGAGE INTO THE BUILDING!!!"

 

So I had no choice but to "piece meal" it through the line. I certainly made my frustration know to everyone around stating how stupid this whole issue was. Once reaching the desk the same agent was extremely unprofessional. Much to my dismay, they never even looked at the luggage let alone inspect it. I then stated, to the agent, why on earth did your force me to lug all of this luggage into the building when you aren't even going to look at it lease of all inspect it, when you could have clearly seen it at the curb? Her comment was "It's policy". I stated how ridiculous. The policy needs to be reconsidered uncertain circumstance.

 

Later the bus driver said that he thought the reason for physically carrying your luggage through customs was if they discovered something amiss with your ID they would have your luggage right there. Again, how ridiculous, it was in plain site at the curb and clearly visible from inside the building and could easily be confiscated if need be!!

 

Later I said to my wife, what if there was a 90 year old women who was impaired and unable to carry or roll her luggage from the curb to customs inside. There are no porters nor any carts provided and the bus driver was unwilling to help me, why would he help her? I can just see that same customs agent tell the women, "You packed it didn't you? NOW GET YOURSELF AND YOUR LUGGAGE INTO THE BUILDING!!!"

 

Needless to say we will never go through customs via the border by car or by bus. We'll fly regardless of the cost!

 

Bob

 

That is something. I think I recall on our 1st ever cruise...Infinity out of Vancouver in 2001 ... huge problems again with Canadian Customs Officials.

 

We had a package deal that for about $1000 per person included airfare from LAX to SEA, a transfer bus to Vancouver, and an outside cabin on the brand spanking new Infinity. The cruise was insanely great, and got us hooked on cruising and Celebrity for life.

 

Now the free bus ride from Seattle to Vancouver was another matter altogether. Major delays with traffic, compounded by an almost GESTAPO attitude from the Canadian Customs people at the border (both ways). It was very similar to your experience.

 

We barely made the ship BTW, and literally was told we had to run. Missed the Muster Drill and literally the ship took off minutes after we boarded. I do think Celebrity held the ship up for us, as there were about 60 passengers on our bus.

 

I cannot recall all of the details of the customs delays and attitudes, but my wife and I did a few double takes. Was this really Canada?

 

Every single Canadian we ever met was warm friendly and great. Not so with these customs guys. Holy Cow! I mean seriously, a bunch of primarily elderly American retirees coming across the border to visit Alaska on a ship, really should pose no threat whatsoever. This was pre 9-11 mind you. Amazing.

Edited May 10, 2015 by curtdesilets
Clarification

[Northern Aurora]

fuinseog: Just a quick thank you for your well written and informative report!

[Its my first]

To answer questions: The formal nights were more casual than I have experienced in the past. I saw a few gowns and one tux. As PP said, the cruise overall was definitely more on the casual end.

 

I put the American cash on there because our guide on the Duck Tour in Ketchikan said he is always asked multiple times a season what currency is accepted up there ???? So, evidently some people don't realize it is a US state, or just aren't thinking?

 

As PP said, we had gorgeous weather for this trip. Not a drop of rain. Fog and clouds in Ketchikan, but that was the worst of it. We took the train in Skagway, which was a nice experience. For the price, I would not do it again, but it was very relaxing, and everyone in our party enjoyed it. Speaking of Skagway, if you have kids age 7 and under, there is an amazing public park just off 6th and Broadway. We were directed there by a very nice shopkeeper when a diaper emergency presented itself. They said there would be changing tables there, and they were correct! Very clean restrooms, and the only changing tables we saw in town. The park was wonderful for our two year old to burn off some energy after sitting on the train. It has the crushed rubber mulch, lots of slides and swings. Definitely check it out if you have a little one. Oh, and it is free!

 

Overall, we loved our cruise and would definitely sail Celebrity again. The ship was beautiful. I thought the Oceanview Cafe had the best buffet food we have had at sea. I mean, there was roast duck on the buffet...and it was good! The buffet did get very crowded, especially on sea days, but I think this was mainly due to people sitting and watching scenery, not necessarily eating. Tables were always promptly cleared, so I am not sure what, if anything, Celebrity could do to improve this, short of adding table space.

 

Our other complaint was our room 9298. Every day, multiple times a day, there was a loud, repetitive banging noise, usually accompanied by a saw or drill type noise. Loud enough that it could be heard outside the room and on the balcony. When we first heard it in the afternoon, we thought it was maintenance. Annoying, but we could live with it. Then it kept us from sleeping. We called guest services three times about the issue over the course of the cruise, but it did not happen when the manager was present. Our cabin steward heard it and told us she had heard it was something with the pipes, but it was never resolved. We did see maintenance walking around our deck looking perplexed. The room itself was wonderful otherwise. I would hesitate to book this area again, but since I have not read about a similar experience, maybe it was just a one-off problem.

 

The staff on board was wonderful, incredibly polite and accommodating. The only times we felt service was slow was when a venue was obviously busy, and it was evident that waiters were rushing to serve as fast as they could.

 

Oh, and disembarkation in Seattle was a breeze! We did have 200 passengers disembark in Victoria, which seemed like a large number, probably due to the fact that we left from a Canadian port. I think from the time we walked down the gangway to the time we were on the Celebrity airport shuttle was 20 minutes, honestly. Very quick and efficient. Our number was called just before 8:30, so I think we may have missed the rush earlier in the morning.

 

If people are interested, I can post dailies, as I kept them all. I just have to get them scanned.

 

Thank you for the great review. Sounds like you had an awesome time. We leave the end of May and if you can post the Dailies that'd be great. We've never sailed before, so I'm trying to get all the info I can.

[Langley Cruisers]

Oh! I also just remembered about the huge table of confiscated items at disembarkation! Number one offender? POWER CORD. Loads of them. Just a warning that they are being seized and held.

 

I also saw a small cooking pot on the table... not exactly sure what someone was thinking! LOL :D

 

.

[Wickets]

Went to pickup my knife we bought on cruise and spotted the rice cookers along with tea pots and probably a dozen irons and many hair irons

[kennelgang]

Went to pickup my knife we bought on cruise and spotted the rice cookers along with tea pots and probably a dozen irons and many hair irons

 

Rice cookers/tea pots on a cruise?...what were they thinking?...OH wait... that's right they weren't... it's called sh*t for brains, like so many drivers on the roads these days, speeding, tailgating at 75mph 1 foot from your rear bumper, especially in California!!

Edited May 11, 2015 by kennelgang

[curtdesilets]

Rice cookers/tea pots on a cruise?...what were they thinking?...OH wait... that's right they weren't... it's called sh*t for brains, like so many drivers on the roads these days, speeding, tailgating at 75mph 1 foot from your rear bumper, especially in California!![/QUOTE]

 

One of The GREAT Benefits of a Cruise...

 

No DRIVING. I drive over 25K a year on southern California Freeways.

 

Enough said. :eek:

[lovetotraveltx]

You can't bring a flat iron for your hair??

[Northern Aurora]

You can't bring a flat iron for your hair??

 

We have completed over twenty cruises on Celebrity. On each cruise I have packed either a curling iron or flat iron. On no occasion was a hair styling product confiscated.

[FKGirl]

Oh! I also just remembered about the huge table of confiscated items at disembarkation! Number one offender? POWER CORD. Loads of them. Just a warning that they are being seized and held.

 

I also saw a small cooking pot on the table... not exactly sure what someone was thinking! LOL :D

 

.

 

Saw this, too! We were also on this sailing.... hoping to get some info on my husband's suitcase today (Thanks, Luggage valet!) Also, will have blog posts covering all aspects of the cruise over the next 2 weeks, although the first ones will cover the time we spent in Vancouver.... floridakeygirl.com

 

Also, will be happy to answer any questions.

[fuinseog]

Went to pickup my knife we bought on cruise and spotted the rice cookers along with tea pots and probably a dozen irons and many hair irons

 

I saw the rice cooker too! I wonder if they checked rice too...

 

I am scanning the dailies and will have them up shortly.

[Knicks1130]

Thanks fuinseog!

[FKGirl]

Actually the blog address is floridakeysgirl.com (oops).

 

Meanwhile, this is not a comprehensive list, by any means, but some of the highlights:

1. no smoking in the casino, or anywhere else indoors! This was great.

2. Luminae was fantastic. Food and service were both excellent, and the new table settings arrived mid cruise and look great.

3. Food in the buffet was much better than I thought it would be. Also, much less crowded than I anticipated.

4. Service throughout the ship was very good.

5. Activities team were engaging, live music was good. (Although I do think the schedule of the music was a bit strange.)

6. Embarkation in Vancouver was bad. Celebrity did warn us, however, so we did not arrive hungry. That was a big plus.

7. Giant S1 balcony was fantastic, but too cold for this Floridian to spend too much time out there. We did see some orcas off our balcony on day 1.

8. Naturalist on board was a value add. He added a lot to the Tracy Arm cruising.

9. We sailed the whole inside passage. It was spectacular. I have never taken so many photos on a trip.

10. We did not do excursions through Celebrity, but rather through another company. The helicopter to the glacier, where we were the only people there, was one of the best things I have done in my life. AMAZING.

[fuinseog]

Here are the dailies for Vancouver to Seattle stopping in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Victoria. Note that formal night was moved to Night 3 on our sailing due to the Mayweather/******** fight being shown (not sure why Cruise Critic won't let me type his name...).

[fuinseog]

or maybe one day at a time will work...

AKDay1.PDF

[fuinseog]

Day 2

AKDay2.PDF