Solarium Family Hours Added

[rodndonna]

10 hours ago, Painter4me said:

I switched from RCL to Celebrity because of the number of kids on RCL and not enforcing no children in the Solarium.  They’re allowed in the other pools. Why can’t there be one area where they’re not allowed? 

 

Although I agree with you (we travel travel as a couple), I wonder if providing limited hours for families helps.

 

The reason I say this as, in my experience with "adult only" pools or areas on cruises and resorts, there are ALWAYS parents who just say screw it and bring their kids because they want to be in the quieter pool or area ( for whatever reason). It always seems impossible to enforce the rule (like chair hogging rules). Perhaps offering 2-4 hours of time where kids are permitted will appease the folks who would otherwise just break the rules, or at least make it easier for staff to enforce "hey kids, hope you enjoyed the pool, but it's 7:10, you have to be out of this area now".

 

[superduper123]

11 hours ago, Painter4me said:

I switched from RCL to Celebrity because of the number of kids on RCL and not enforcing no children in the Solarium.  They’re allowed in the other pools. Why can’t there be one area where they’re not allowed? 

We are making a switch as well.  After 20 plus cruises exclusively on Royal, then one on Celebrity so far. We are empty nesters and prefer a more mature crowd.

[trout62]

6 hours ago, PinkT said:

I think my biggest issue is that it’s still marketed as “adults only”. Even underneath family hours on the app it states the no under 16s policy so it’s just confused messaging. The fact this was added way after actually booking didn’t give me all the info up front. Obviously now from reading here it’s how it is. But if celebrity had just said up front this is a mixed use space we wouldn’t have booked as we like to spend some vacation time adults only. I’m sure we will have a great time still and if we experience things that don’t work for us we will just leave the space. If it is a huge issue for us then we don’t use celebrity again 

Call me a nit, but if you advertise...

On the Resort Deck, you’ll find one of the most popular spots on every Celebrity ship—the adults-only Solarium. Celebrity Edge continues the tradition of offering a covered pool area where adults can unwind in luxurious style. Here, we turned again to Tom Wright for the design, and he used the ocean itself as his inspiration.

...then it kind of seems like it should be adults only.

 

Trout

 

[Fly and Sail]

1 hour ago, trout62 said:

Call me a nit, but if you advertise...

On the Resort Deck, you’ll find one of the most popular spots on every Celebrity ship—the adults-only Solarium. Celebrity Edge continues the tradition of offering a covered pool area where adults can unwind in luxurious style. Here, we turned again to Tom Wright for the design, and he used the ocean itself as his inspiration.

...then it kind of seems like it should be adults only.

 

Trout

 

 

Celebrity doesn't two hoots about honest advertisement. They also advertised complimentary room service and then suddenly implemented a fee without grandfathering in old bookings. There are other things that are either incorrect or plain dishonest and deceptive.

[PTC DAWG]

I've never seen enough kids on my Celebrity cruises for this to be an issue at all.  I suppose it could happen....but I would think it would be rare.

 

The hours posted for kids seem to be right in line when most adults are done with pool time/getting dressed...maybe having a pre dinner cocktail or 3.  🙂

[hrhdhd]

I use the Solarium hot tubs (and the pool on M-class) from 4:30-7 or so precisely because fewer people are around. 

 

If it's adults only, it should be adults only.

[bEwAbG]

47 minutes ago, hrhdhd said:

I use the Solarium hot tubs (and the pool on M-class) from 4:30-7 or so precisely because fewer people are around. 

 

If it's adults only, it should be adults only.

 

Ditto.  We have dinner late.  Prime pool time is when the early birds start clearing out.  Now we get to sit in a small pool next to kids splashing around?  Or watching us lounge while hanging out in the hot tubs?  I was fine with the longstanding policy of allowing (limited) family time if it was cold or rainy out.  Not with a takeover in mid-afternoon every day.  How about moving family time to coincide with dinner hours instead? 

 

And of course in the "give an inch, take a mile" tradition, the ones who would ignore adults only are certainly going to ignore posted hours, so I don't see this as resolving any problem.  

[PinkT]

Thanks for the replies all. I also don’t see what the problem is Celebrity are trying to “solve”? Many people say there’s hardly any kids on board, so why do they need to make extra allowances for them? Why do they even want to go in the indoor pool in a warm Caribbean cruise? Also if that’s now the policy that every day they can use it why not Celebrity own it and advertise the fact that out of 7-10 adult pool hours, 2 are in fact no longer that?  Why try to hide it? If it’s no big deal then change the marketing. The cynic in me thinks it’s because they know it will annoy the adults that they rely on too. There’s already an outside pool for everyone. I don’t see why they need to be all things to all people when we there’s so many family friendly lines anyway plus as I said there’s an outside pool for them to use. If we’d have known this we wouldn’t have chosen Celebrity. We liked the fact it stated it had an adults only relaxing space. Nowhere was it said it then becomes a family zone. Can I rock up to kids club during certain hours? Nope. It’s age limited. Petty I know . As I said we’re not anti kids, we’ve cruised Disney many times and love their adult section. No family hours there. Princess has an adult only section, no family hours.  I just don’t like being hoodwinked into buying a product that is then adapted long after booking on the app to something that goes against what it advertised in the first place. Even if it is only 2 hours, it’s not adult only anymore.

[WonderMan3]

I think when they have these family hours in the solarium then the main pools should become adults only for the same hours...

[DaKahuna]

I think the Family Hours for the Solarium is going to be a permanent thing going forward.  So, I have decided to live with it, not that we spend any time there anyway. 
 

[mnocket]

If one wants an Adults Only cruise, there are several such cruise lines.  If one is satisfied with a Mostly Adult cruise, Celebrity is a good fit.  While I would prefer Celebrity to be Adults Only - it isn't.  Were I younger with a family, I would appreciate accommodations such as this one made for children - even though as a grumpy old man I don't want children in the solarium. I can live with it🙂

[docsneeze]

17 minutes ago, mnocket said:

If one wants an Adults Only cruise, there are several such cruise lines.  If one is satisfied with a Mostly Adult cruise, Celebrity is a good fit.  While I would prefer Celebrity to be Adults Only - it isn't.  Were I younger with a family, I would appreciate accommodations such as this one made for children - even though as a grumpy old man I don't want children in the solarium. I can live with it🙂

I agree!!  I am a 67 y/o grumpy old man with a 5 year old child.  I understand your concerns and I appreciate your willingness to compromise for the sake of others.  That is why we do everything possible to respect other passengers by ensuring our child is not disruptive to other passengers who deserve a peaceful vacation.  Thank you.

[ldubs]

51 minutes ago, PinkT said:

Thanks for the replies all. I also don’t see what the problem is Celebrity are trying to “solve”? Many people say there’s hardly any kids on board, so why do they need to make extra allowances for them? Why do they even want to go in the indoor pool in a warm Caribbean cruise? Also if that’s now the policy that every day they can use it why not Celebrity own it and advertise the fact that out of 7-10 adult pool hours, 2 are in fact no longer that?  Why try to hide it? If it’s no big deal then change the marketing. The cynic in me thinks it’s because they know it will annoy the adults that they rely on too. There’s already an outside pool for everyone. I don’t see why they need to be all things to all people when we there’s so many family friendly lines anyway plus as I said there’s an outside pool for them to use. If we’d have known this we wouldn’t have chosen Celebrity. We liked the fact it stated it had an adults only relaxing space. Nowhere was it said it then becomes a family zone. Can I rock up to kids club during certain hours? Nope. It’s age limited. Petty I know . As I said we’re not anti kids, we’ve cruised Disney many times and love their adult section. No family hours there. Princess has an adult only section, no family hours.  I just don’t like being hoodwinked into buying a product that is then adapted long after booking on the app to something that goes against what it advertised in the first place. Even if it is only 2 hours, it’s not adult only anymore.

 

Well, if you can't get a refund at this point your choices seem to be to go on a cruise you will not enjoy or not go.  Or, maybe take a deep breath and recognize this is not a huge problem.        

[cw2go]

54 minutes ago, PinkT said:

Thanks for the replies all. I also don’t see what the problem is Celebrity are trying to “solve”? Many people say there’s hardly any kids on board, so why do they need to make extra allowances for them? Why do they even want to go in the indoor pool in a warm Caribbean cruise? Also if that’s now the policy that every day they can use it why not Celebrity own it and advertise the fact that out of 7-10 adult pool hours, 2 are in fact no longer that?  Why try to hide it? If it’s no big deal then change the marketing. The cynic in me thinks it’s because they know it will annoy the adults that they rely on too. There’s already an outside pool for everyone. I don’t see why they need to be all things to all people when we there’s so many family friendly lines anyway plus as I said there’s an outside pool for them to use. If we’d have known this we wouldn’t have chosen Celebrity. We liked the fact it stated it had an adults only relaxing space. Nowhere was it said it then becomes a family zone. Can I rock up to kids club during certain hours? Nope. It’s age limited. Petty I know . As I said we’re not anti kids, we’ve cruised Disney many times and love their adult section. No family hours there. Princess has an adult only section, no family hours.  I just don’t like being hoodwinked into buying a product that is then adapted long after booking on the app to something that goes against what it advertised in the first place. Even if it is only 2 hours, it’s not adult only anymore.

Many felt the same way regarding the buffet cut backs in January and the new Room Service Fees.

 

Celebrity makes changes all the time, our only options are that we can choose to accept them or sail another line. 

 

Hope you enjoy your sailing and that this doesn't have much impact, 

Patty 

[hcat]

the adult only rule has been  politely well  enforced on all our X cruises over the years.  We have observed self- entitled Aggressive Complainers about the rule escorted out.

 

imho  children  under 16 should not  be in any hot tubs( inside or outside) for their health and other hygenic reasons.. but cruise ships let them be used as heated all day  kiddie  swimming pools.  to me this is more annoying than family swim..

 

the family hour is okay esp in cold or  bad weather areas

 

 we take our swims early for the cleanest water and quitest times

[hcat]

ps  X ussd to have kiddie pools ( older ships)   and  then took them out..

 

On one ship X located the topless sunbathing area right next to the kiddie pool!    tone deaf

[CNDKangaroo]

14 hours ago, docsneeze said:

Does that include a cruise to Iceland?  There is a difference between cooler weather and freezing my tail off weather.  Where are they going to swim?

 

I think perhaps my question was taken the wrong way.  To clarify, I was asking if the outdoor pools are heated and if they are I was curious about the advantages to swimming indoors.  The posts I had read were referring to warmer climates so I was genuinely curious about the pool differences, deeper, larger?  Fact finding question only as we are headed off to Alaska soon and I was curious.

[hcat]

solarium pools can be well heated..hit or miss...not great for real swiming but you can get in some strokes when uncrowded.

 

 

[rodndonna]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

 

imho  children  under 16 should not  be in any hot tubs( inside or outside) for their health and other hygenic reasons.. but cruise ships let them be used as heated all day  kiddie  swimming pools.  to me this is more annoying than family swim..

 

 

I agree. I don't (and will likely never) enter a pool or hot tub on a cruise anyway (unless they enforce a "no one but me rule" haha), but, when I wonder by them, I am amazed seeing kids frolicking in hot "tubs" like they are little heated "pools". It's in the name - "tub" - it is purely for sitting in and relaxing. I've seen parents with their young kids jumping and playing in those hot tubs - like it's their private pool or something. 

[hrhdhd]

2 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

I think the Family Hours for the Solarium is going to be a permanent thing going forward.  So, I have decided to live with it, not that we spend any time there anyway. 

Cool. I'm all for smoking hours in the casino, not that I spend any time there.

[airhose]

We really enjoy the peace and quiet of the Solarium.  I can see allowing children occasionally on an Alaska cruise, but I think it should remain Adults Only.   Even a couple of kids can change the atmosphere a lot.  There are plenty of other cruise lines geared to families.

[docsneeze]

37 minutes ago, airhose said:

We really enjoy the peace and quiet of the Solarium.  I can see allowing children occasionally on an Alaska cruise, but I think it should remain Adults Only.   Even a couple of kids can change the atmosphere a lot.  There are plenty of other cruise lines geared to families.

Not sure why this needs to be repeated but Celebrity is also geared to families but just in an upscale market.  It is not an Adults Only line as it has Kids Clubs.  The Solarium is adults only except for a limited 2 hours a day in most instances.  Why would you think otherwise?  The demographics of cruising is changing and families want an upscale choice such as Celebrity instead of the gimmicks with Carnival, RCL, NCL, etc.  I think we can all live with this.  If not, there are other choices which are adults only.  Doubt it would be a good business decision for Celebrity to be adults only exclusively.

[hcat]

1 hour ago, airhose said:

We really enjoy the peace and quiet of the Solarium.  I can see allowing children occasionally on an Alaska cruise, but I think it should remain Adults Only.   Even a couple of kids can change the atmosphere a lot.  There are plenty of other cruise lines geared to families.

depending  on the ship  that peace and quiet is often disrupted by the snoring  of those who lay on the loungers for a good part of the day...like an asst living day room!  

 

they used to have soothing music, trying to provide a spa like environment...mostly does not work!

[docsneeze]

7 minutes ago, hcat said:

depending  on the ship  that peace and quiet is often disrupted by the snoring  of those who lay on the loungers for a good part of the day...like an asst living day room!  

 

they used to have soothing music, trying to provide a spa like environment...mostly does not work!

Actually cruises may be cheaper than assisted living facilities!!!

[neverlaysup]

On 4/30/2023 at 12:04 AM, PinkT said:

Hi everyone, we are new celebrity cruises (but not new cruisers) with 2 cruises booked. Noticed today on the app that our 10 day Caribbean on the silhouette in January/feb has family hours added to the solarium hours for every day 5-7. This definitely wasn’t the case a few days ago. Don’t feel great about this as when we booked it was described as adults only. It means there’s no adult only pool areas in these times and I doubt folks will stick to the times allocated. Such a shame as we probably would have picked another line if this was advertised up front. It’s not like inclement weather if it’s already planned this far ahead. We’re heading to Europe this month on the edge with no mention of family hours there. 

I wouldn't worry so much, there are usually NO children in there at all and when they are in there outside of family hours, they are usually shooed away politely. We spend most of our deck time in the solarium and have almost never had an issue (20 Celebrity cruises). Have a great cruise and remember, those family hours are during the hours that most are getting ready for dinner.