Celebrity Solstice Inside tips

[josephml1]

Please let me know your inside tips for the solstice.

 

Please share your favorite, spot, food, restaurant, inside tips, bar, fav place, etc:)

[chemmo]

Treat yourself and book Tuscan Grill for your first sail away night. Request a window table. Book it for about one hour after you leave port. You can then either enjoy the leaving port on your balcony or on deck and then quickly change, go to the restaurant and watch the fading lights of the port on the wake of the ship......now you know you are on holiday.

 

Food is seriously good too and you avoid what is always a chaotic night in MDR.

[bothluv2cruise]

If you like wine go to Cellarmasters. They have much more variety than any of the bars and you can sit at a window seat watching the water and/ or having good conversation with the sommelier.

[josephml1]

sound good thanks for sharing!!!:)

[chemmo]

Just some menu ideas for Tuscan if you decide to go....

 

Onion soup

Caesar salad(prepared table side)

Ribeye steak

Chocolate fondu

[MicCanberra]

Muranos' five senses meals are pretty spec as well.:D

[DaisyGirl55]

Can I make reservations at the Tuscan Grille before I get on the ship? Sounds like a completely lovely way to start my cruise. In fact, we now usually go to a specialty restaurant on our first night and on our last night.

 

Starting out, we know we are on vacation. Ending at a different specialty restaurant gives us the chance to sit back, think about our week, and indulge one more time before we get kicked off the ship the next morning.

[Escriteur]

Can I make reservations at the Tuscan Grille before I get on the ship? Sounds like a completely lovely way to start my cruise. In fact, we now usually go to a specialty restaurant on our first night and on our last night.

 

Starting out, we know we are on vacation. Ending at a different specialty restaurant gives us the chance to sit back, think about our week, and indulge one more time before we get kicked off the ship the next morning.

 

Yep...just log into your reservation via the Celebrity website and click the "Pre-Cruise Planner"/"Shop Excursions, Beverage, and Dining" button/tab near the top of the screen. From the Pre-Cruise Planner page, select the "Dining & Beverage" tab. From that page, you can book a multi-restaurant package or scroll down the page to choose a specific restaurant and make reservations for the date/time of your choice. Just keep in mind that if you book in advance, you incur the charge at the time you book (rather than having it appear on your ship-board account).

 

~ Shay

[ORV]

Can I make reservations at the Tuscan Grille before I get on the ship? Sounds like a completely lovely way to start my cruise. In fact, we now usually go to a specialty restaurant on our first night and on our last night.

 

Starting out, we know we are on vacation. Ending at a different specialty restaurant gives us the chance to sit back, think about our week, and indulge one more time before we get kicked off the ship the next morning.

 

By waiting until you book on board you can generally get a discount. You'll pay full price when booking in advance. If this is not important to you then definitely book in advance.

[chemmo]

You can also usually book meal packages before your cruise which also give you a discount. There are three specialities, all really good in their own right.

 

Tuscan is our favourite, especially for first night. Murano has great table side drama as your food is prepared. Silk Harvest is more laid back...

 

Have a wonderful cruise. We will be back on Solstice next March, can't wait for that wonderful first night feeling!

 

Have a great cruise!

[Embrace]

Murano's five senses is really good.

Ensemble Lounge in the evenings is good for a nice drink with live music.

Sunset Bar any time of the day or evening - fabulous aft views.

Cellarmasters - wine/champagne (or sparkling)/port tasting classes.

[MicCanberra]

You can also usually book meal packages before your cruise which also give you a discount. There are three specialities, all really good in their own right.

 

Tuscan is our favourite, especially for first night. Murano has great table side drama as your food is prepared. Silk Harvest is more laid back...

 

Have a wonderful cruise. We will be back on Solstice next March, can't wait for that wonderful first night feeling!

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Booking the three specialty restaurants provides a great sample and a little discount but i would wait until on board ad pick which nights you want.

[The_Big_M]

Booking the three specialty restaurants provides a great sample and a little discount but i would wait until on board ad pick which nights you want.

 

When you book in advance you can also pick the nights you want.

[phoenix_dream]

When you book in advance you can also pick the nights you want.

Not true unless it has changed recently. When booking a package you can only pick the first night. For the rest you can't reserve times until you are onboard.

[floralscent]

Murano's five senses is really good.

Ensemble Lounge in the evenings is good for a nice drink with live music.

Sunset Bar any time of the day or evening - fabulous aft views.

Cellarmasters - wine/champagne (or sparkling)/port tasting classes.

 

I second What Embrace says in that same order. We love the Solstice and can't wait for our second holiday with her in December. The Tuscan has unbeatable views and excellent food as well!

[cruzdude1]

Tuscan!!!! We were on the Solstice May 1-8, we ate ate the Tuscan Grille 3 nights. Booked the first night and paid before we sailed, there was a 50% coupon in the aqua class suite on the first night only. Food was great. Rib Eye, minestrone soup, my wife said to make sure you try the lasagna!!!! Caesar salad. If you get a chance have Stipe be your server, The best!! tell him Tom said hi

[MicCanberra]

When you book in advance you can also pick the nights you want.

 

Not true unless it has changed recently. When booking a package you can only pick the first night. For the rest you can't reserve times until you are onboard.

That was what happened with us, we then changed the other nights once on board but it was a hassle.

[curtdesilets]

1) If you have a special occasion (Anniversary, Birthday), try the Murano. It is a great meal. The lobster Tails are divine, but anything you order in there is great.

 

2) Aqua Spa Café for breakfast or lunch. Very few people know about this area. Very quiet and nice.

 

3) Get up early to explore the ship and sea. It is my favorite time on board as very few people are around. On our recent trip to Alaska, a few of us were on the Solstice Deck looking for whales at about 630am. All of a sudden a super pod of Humpbacks appeared. One whale fully breached a couple 100 feet from the ship. I think 5 of us on the ship saw this amazing site. The rest were sleeping.

[josephml1]

Greatadvice.

 

thanks for sharing!!!

[Escriteur]

We just returned on Friday from an Alasaka cruise on the Solstice. Some of my tips are specific to the Alaska itinerary, while others are more general:

 

* If you're interested in trying a specialty restaurant, they offered 50% off on the first night of the cruise. (We got a notice in our stateroom...unfortunately it was delivered AFTER we returned from dinner in the main dining room.) Also, they occasionally opened a specialty restaurant for lunch on sea days. On our cruise, Tuscan Grill was open for lunch during the Tracy Arm Fjord cruising day (since we arrived in Juneau after 1pm), Silk Harvest was open for lunch on our last sea day, and Murano was open for lunch on the day we visited Victoria (which was pretty much a sea day since we didn't arrive in port until 6pm). We didn't dine in any of the specialty restaurants this cruise, and I didn't see lunch prices listed...so I'm not sure if/how much of a discount they offer for lunch.

 

* When you have dinner in the main dining room, you can request to see the next day's menu. So if you're considering specialty dining but don't want to miss particular dishes in the MDR, you do have the option to preview the menu the night before.

 

* If you're sailing the Alaska itinerary, don't miss the the talks from the onboard naturalist, Brent Nixon -- they were outstanding. (He's a bit hyper, but it keeps his talks interesting...they're definitely not the dry lectures you might expect!) If you do miss them (they scheduled several of his talks at noon, and MDR lunch only runs 12-1:30), check the TV...I was able to catch a couple of his talks during a later airing (channel 5, I think).

 

* When cruising Tracy Arm Fjord, we found many of the open decks were mobbed with people. But the uppermost level (Solstice Deck) had far fewer people, and it's narrower...so we were able to easily dash back and forth and catch the views from either side of the ship.

 

* The Sunset Bar is a great place to take in the views, particularly at sail-away. Our roll call had an informal meet & mingle right after the muster drill, and we had amazing views of Seattle as we departed.

 

* If you have a beverage package, try all the bars to discover your favorite...each one has its own attractions. We were fortunate to have the Molecular Bar open during our last cruise, though it will soon be replaced by the World Class Bar. At either of those bars, they ONLY serve premium drinks...but other cocktails can be ordered from Cafe al Bacio around the corner (which many people don't realize, assuming they only serve coffee drinks). I had upgraded to premium while my husband stayed with the classic package; so while I was enjoying Molecular cocktails, he was able to get a Jack & Coke or Manhattan from Cafe al Bacio -- he ordered at the counter, but they brought it over to him at the bar when it was ready. The Passport Bar (across from Guest Relations) has a relaxed feel, and they offer free snack mix. The Martini Bar staff often make their drinks with "flair"...so you get some entertainment with your drinks. Sky lounge offers great views, even on rainy days. And check the "Daily Pour" on the back of "Celebrity Today" for the drink of the day; they have a footnote indicating which drinks are available on classic vs. premium.

 

* All of the pastries/cookies at Cafe al Bacio are complimentary. And their drink menu is much more extensive than just espresso, cafe latte, and cappuccino. As previously mentioned, they can do cocktails as well as coffee drinks with liqueur, and they also do a wide variety of teas (both hot and iced) plus a frappuccino-like "IGLU" drink that was delicious. :)

 

* Be sure to check out the "Hot Glass Show" near the lawn club. It was really interesting to watch them make glass pieces. It can get a bit chilly out on the open deck, but they provide fleece blankets. They also have a small "museum" around the corner from the glass studio (port side), which is worth a peek. (It's open 24 hours.)

 

* There's interesting artwork all over the ship, from the stairwells to the lounges. So be sure to explore the entire ship!

 

Those are all the tips I can think of off the top of my head. Enjoy your cruise!

 

~ Shay

[josephml1]

amazing tip.

 

thanks!!!

[AnchorsAweigh2011]

We enjoy the blackened Angus ribeye steak in the Tuscan Grille, the Glass Blowing shows and grabbing a burger at the Mast Grill on the Solstice.

[mtn_couple]

If you want to escape to somewhere quiet during the day head to Sky Lounge, unless there's an event, it's very quiet with great views.

 

Martini bar has great bar snacks for free if you ask. Great for predinner nibbles.

 

Coffee liqueurs in Bacio are delish and pastries/cookies/cakes are free. Even if you don't order a drink you can get the sweets for free and even as takeaway to eat somewhere else. We would grab a coffee and cookie and take it with a book to Sky Lounge for some quiet time.

[dhill]

This ship is a waste of time All we heard before are cruise is how beautiful she was what a disappointment no wow factor at all.The buffet is a joke the lawn club is a waste of space the pools are nothing special.Just nothing special about this ship boring:eek:

[Escriteur]

This is something I discovered after our cruise and wish I had learned sooner: If you're interested in art, Guest Services offers loaner iPads that provide a self-guided tour of the Solstice art collection. (I was trying to look up the names/artists of several works I photographed, and that's how I learned about it.) I didn't see this publicized anywhere, and they don't seem to have this available as a downloadable app...so be sure to ask at Guest Services if you're interested in it.

 

~ Shay