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Has anyone been on Solstice to Alaska in 2022?

dgoz

By dgoz,
in Celebrity Cruises

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dgoz

dgoz

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I have seen so many reports from other Celebrity ships, but info on Solstice is sparing. I'm wondering how her start up has been and if she is having the staffing and supply issues that have been reported on Eclipse. I'd love to know what shows are in the theater, who is the Captain...so many questions! 😄 How full have the Alaska sailings been?

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LGW59

LGW59

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42 minutes ago, dgoz said:

I have seen so many reports from other Celebrity ships, but info on Solstice is sparing. I'm wondering how her start up has been and if she is having the staffing and supply issues that have been reported on Eclipse. I'd love to know what shows are in the theater, who is the Captain...so many questions! 😄 How full have the Alaska sailings been?

Every ship on every line is having both staffing and supply issues.

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Mom2labs

Mom2labs

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We just came back from the 5/27 sailing.  There was some slight evidence of staffing issues.  We did not see evidence of supply chain issues on this most recent cruise.  Very nice, and we had exceptional weather so that made up for any slight issues.  We had a great time.  

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dgoz

dgoz

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11 hours ago, Mom2labs said:

We just came back from the 5/27 sailing.  There was some slight evidence of staffing issues.  We did not see evidence of supply chain issues on this most recent cruise.  Very nice, and we had exceptional weather so that made up for any slight issues.  We had a great time.  

How full did the ship seem? Was the buffet handling the bigger passenger numbers with staff serving effectively? Did you go to any of the shows? Any recommendations?

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Mom2labs

Mom2labs

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Cruise director said ship was at about 75% occupancy.  Can’t comment on the buffet as we did not go to buffet.  Shows were hit or miss.  Loved the last headliner, Elton John tribute.  Most of the shows up until the Elton John were sparsely attended, less than 1/2 full.  Might have been more to do with folks not wanting to be masked.  Masks were required in Solstice Theatre, Celebrity Central and the casino.  Casino was not crowded at all. The only not so great experience was the Seafood Shack lunch at Tuscan Grill.  Service was not great at all, and it was served all at the same time on one tray.   Tuscan Grill regular dinner was phenomenal though.  I would not do the Seafood Shack again.  Martini Bar was a hot spot and lively, we visited several times😆.  Cafe El Baccio was also very good but could get kind of crowded.  Go with the mind set that you will enjoy and have fun and you will.  We really had very few “negatives”.  

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JRG

JRG

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I can't believe its been 9 years and 1 pandemic since we've sailed Eclipse to Alaska so I'm sure alot has changed but.

 

Have Fun and ask for the Goats Cheese Souffle ahead of time if you are so inclined

 

(not the other cheese souffle though).

 

 

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Phxazzcruisers

Phxazzcruisers

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On the Solstice right now in a suite.  There are 2100 guests on board, all suits occupied except 3, I believe.  Food has been wonderful, service great.  We just found out that 3 of the butlers are quarantined, so the 2 remaining are working very hard.  Weather not so good on this trip.  In Juneau and it is rainy and many excursions cancelled.

The entire crew is working very hard to ensure everyone is having a great cruise experience, and they are succeeding

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edgee

edgee

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On 6/6/2022 at 1:31 PM, Mom2labs said:

Cruise director said ship was at about 75% occupancy.  Can’t comment on the buffet as we did not go to buffet.  Shows were hit or miss.  Loved the last headliner, Elton John tribute.  Most of the shows up until the Elton John were sparsely attended, less than 1/2 full.  Might have been more to do with folks not wanting to be masked.  Masks were required in Solstice Theatre, Celebrity Central and the casino.  Casino was not crowded at all. The only not so great experience was the Seafood Shack lunch at Tuscan Grill.  Service was not great at all, and it was served all at the same time on one tray.   Tuscan Grill regular dinner was phenomenal though.  I would not do the Seafood Shack again.  Martini Bar was a hot spot and lively, we visited several times😆.  Cafe El Baccio was also very good but could get kind of crowded.  Go with the mind set that you will enjoy and have fun and you will.  We really had very few “negatives”.  

Were they specific in requiring surgical or K95 masks? Or are cloth masks okay? Thanks.

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mauimary

mauimary

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Does anyone know if Luminae will be open for lunch on embarkation day?  

Hopefully the butlers will be out of quarantine by the end of next week. The sailing on the 17th will have more families on board as school will be out so the passenger count will be higher. 


The weather in the Northwest has really been funky with only a few days here and there of sunshine.  We were spoiled as the last twice we have been to Alaska it has been sunny and nice. We spent a lot of time on our balcony. 

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ibkidd

ibkidd

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2 hours ago, mauimary said:

Does anyone know if Luminae will be open for lunch on embarkation day?  

Hopefully the butlers will be out of quarantine by the end of next week. The sailing on the 17th will have more families on board as school will be out so the passenger count will be higher. 


The weather in the Northwest has really been funky with only a few days here and there of sunshine.  We were spoiled as the last twice we have been to Alaska it has been sunny and nice. We spent a lot of time on our balcony. 

We are sailing on the Solstice Sept 2, 2022. I downloaded the Celebrity app and it shows on Day 1 the Luminae is open for lunch from 11:30am to 2:00pm (this is for Sept.2 I assume it would be the same for all sailings). It is a great tool for seeing when the different venues on the ship are open. Plus it shows the menus. Since we have not sailed yet I cant say how well it works on the ship. Have a great cruise!

Robert and Patty

Luminae.thumb.png.36b918078e47a80900c0a9f7b5bac121.png
 

Edited by ibkidd
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Phxazzcruisers

Phxazzcruisers

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On 6/8/2022 at 10:52 AM, mauimary said:

Does anyone know if Luminae will be open for lunch on embarkation day?  

Hopefully the butlers will be out of quarantine by the end of next week. The sailing on the 17th will have more families on board as school will be out so the passenger count will be higher. 


The weather in the Northwest has really been funky with only a few days here and there of sunshine.  We were spoiled as the last twice we have been to Alaska it has been sunny and nice. We spent a lot of time on our balcony. 

They are definitely open in Luminae on embarkation day and all sea days.

The butlers were still in quarantine on the 10th, the day we departed, however, service was NEVER lacking

The weather on our cruise was not good.  Missed most  of Victoria, arrived very late due to weather and the se day was windy and rainy.  Still did not stop us from having a wonderful cruise

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akke29

akke29

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Just off the 6/3 sailing, overall it was a terrific cruise.  We were so happy to be back cruising!  Overall condition of Solstice was good.  She is beautiful inside and out.  The staff with a few exceptions were great.  Seattle Pier 91 was chaotic for departing and arriving, especially with Ovation there at the same time.  

 

Dining was probably the most disappointing, but I'm not sure if it's fair to compare pre/post Covid experiences.  Oceanview cafe food was inconsistent.  Some things were good, most mediocre and some things not great.  I do enjoy no more self service buffet, like Holland America.

 

MDR service was slow most nights with the whole experience often lasting more than 2 hours.  The staff was working hard and trying their best though.  Food also ranged from great to mediocre.  Taste is subjective... but unless chilled, one would expect hot soup.  And it was as if they forgot to salt the baked goods.  Lots of flavorless dishes. 

 

We had a verandah cabin which was perfectly fine for us.  Bathroom condition was fine and always clean.  Some signs of wear in the room, but not a big deal.  There was a maintenance issue with a latch on the balcony which was causing the glass divider to buffet loudly in the wind.  Repairs were prompt.  The bed was adequately comfortable, but the pillows were not great.  

 

Again, overall a terrific cruise.  I have to be hyper critical to really find fault in things, so that's a good sign right?  Can't wait for the next one!  Odyssey in October!

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akke29

akke29

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Just now, Ferry_Watcher said:

Is Brent Nixon the naturalist on board?

 

No, her last name was Aeby, I forgot her first name.  I went to one of her lectures on birds and ended up with a good power nap.  

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haynesra

haynesra

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On 6/12/2022 at 12:34 PM, Ferry_Watcher said:

Is Brent Nixon the naturalist on board?

He was onboard for our cruise on Solstice for our May 6th trip. Excellent presentations by both him and Mary Amanda. His on whales was the best one.

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