Live from Solstice 10/1/23 Transpacific

[tigervixxxen]

30 minutes ago, cruisinsusin said:

We had to show both the Australian and New Zealand ETAs at embarkation 

Yeah I know that. Just you’d think those letting you in to the country would have some concern. I just find it funny. It’s not exactly a strict check to have the folks holding iPads in the dimly lit terminal hall as the only border touch point. Im not saying I want more hassle or anything but that coupled with the fact passports are just left sitting out in public in a bin is a security weakness. With how much people worry about those ETAs and the hoops they jump through to complete shoddy online forms and nobody really seems to care is just something that struck me as an observation. And I know they are just a money grab. 

Edited October 17, 2023 by tigervixxxen

[cruisinsusin]

Just now, tigervixxxen said:

Yeah I know that. Just you’d think those letting you in to the country would have some concern. I just find it funny. It’s not exactly a strict check to have the folks holding iPads in the dimly lit terminal hall as the only border touch point. Im not saying I want more hassle or anything but that coupled with the fact passports are just left sitting out in public in a bin is a security weakness. With how much people worry about those ETAs and the hoops they jump through to complete shoddy online forms and nobody really seems to care is just something that struck me as an observation. And I know they are just a money grab. 

Agreed that there is a financial incentive to the ETAs 😉

[tigervixxxen]

Had lunch at sushi on 5 today on our last sea day. Despite many recommendations for the Kobe beef slider I was disappointed it was just hamburger. Had I known that I would have ordered something else. It was fine but for $10 I would have enjoyed something else more. The waiter recommended the shrimp and spicy tuna roll so I went with that. Nothing out of the ordinary but it was good. I enjoyed the ginger cake the best, the wasabi gelato was very interesting and I enjoyed it. A nice meal especially because I’m buffeted out. The whole thing took nearly 90 minutes though, which I thought was a bit excessive especially for lunch. I was prepared for some wait because I do appreciate it prepared freshly. Also the cake was listed as $8 and I was charged $10. I think it’s $10 in the app but if you can’t change the menu that’s not my problem so they did amend it and gave me the listed price. If you recall this also happened to me in the spa so just keep a watch out that listed price matches what you were charged. 
 

Not that I come on the ship for shopping but their last day blow out sale was pretty disappointing. Though the Alaska shot glasses were an amusing touch. Just a couple small tables were on sale, really nothing exciting. 
 

Last night was lobster chic night and the menu was pretty underwhelming. The tomato bisque just seemed like campbell’s out of a can. I do think the lobster tails were an ok size so portion didn’t bother me. DH who is not a foodie echoed these sentiments as well. We also stayed up for pretty much the only night of late night comedy on the entire cruise (I don’t count the X rated game shows as late night comedy). 
 

Yesterday was really the only poor day of weather at sea, rainy and boat rocked quite a bit. Today was intermittently cloudy but a much better day at sea. 
 

Sorry if things sound negative but after so many days the ship loses some luster and the basic food gets a little tiresome. Still, it’s been an enjoyable journey with no (knock on wood) issues, I have not had to speak with guest services at all. The weather has been fantastic and every stop has gone according to plan. We will enjoy a couple days in Sydney before heading home. I’ll offer some wrap up thoughts at that time. Thanks again for following along with me. 

[D. B.]

10 hours ago, tigervixxxen said:

Yeah I know that. Just you’d think those letting you in to the country would have some concern. I just find it funny. It’s not exactly a strict check to have the folks holding iPads in the dimly lit terminal hall as the only border touch point. Im not saying I want more hassle or anything but that coupled with the fact passports are just left sitting out in public in a bin is a security weakness. With how much people worry about those ETAs and the hoops they jump through to complete shoddy online forms and nobody really seems to care is just something that struck me as an observation. And I know they are just a money grab. 

I even had an Australia customs officer once tell me directly that he could care less about the ETA I took the time to print out and present to Him.

just another form of tourist tax he said as he dismissed my ETA

[$hip$hape]

Tigervixxen,

Thank you for taking us along on your journey! Catherine and I will be taking this same cruise in one year, and I will be re-reading your notes.

Michael

 

[the penguins]

20 hours ago, tigervixxxen said:

Yeah I know that. Just you’d think those letting you in to the country would have some concern. I just find it funny. It’s not exactly a strict check to have the folks holding iPads in the dimly lit terminal hall as the only border touch point. Im not saying I want more hassle or anything but that coupled with the fact passports are just left sitting out in public in a bin is a security weakness. With how much people worry about those ETAs and the hoops they jump through to complete shoddy online forms and nobody really seems to care is just something that struck me as an observation. And I know they are just a money grab. 

No difference to the ESTA we need to visit the USA. Two year validity from day of issue, no extension when we were banned from the US due to Covid.

Ship checks everyone leaving the ship and on reboarding - no need for extra burocrascy. The ship informs the Authorities is any one misses the ship.we 

[tigervixxxen]

Made it off the boat and am in Sydney. We had a nice day walking around and down by the Opera House. Our hotel overlooks the Solstice in the harbor. Will be bittersweet watching her sail away this evening. Everyone going on the next leg bon voyage!

 

 

[AZCruisergirl]

9 hours ago, tigervixxxen said:

Made it off the boat and am in Sydney. We had a nice day walking around and down by the Opera House. Our hotel overlooks the Solstice in the harbor. Will be bittersweet watching her sail away this evening. Everyone going on the next leg bon voyage!

 

 

What Hotel are you staying at and do you recommend?

[tigervixxxen]

9 hours ago, AZCruisergirl said:

What Hotel are you staying at and do you recommend?

Yes I do! The Sebel Quay West, sits right between the Four Seasons and Shangri La. They are basically converted apartments. We booked a one bedroom and were given a two bedroom, has to be at least 1000 square feet. Has two full bathrooms, washer and dryer, small kitchenette. Great location, amazing view, the rooftop pool area is quite nice (it’s actually indoors). Only downside is the carpet and couch are a bit dingy, they do need some furnishing updating but for about $300 US a night really getting a lot for our money imo. Also, highly recommend Harts Pub on the corner, it’s a converted house so has lot of little rooms, very cozy. 

[AZCruisergirl]

1 hour ago, tigervixxxen said:

Yes I do! The Sebel Quay West, sits right between the Four Seasons and Shangri La. They are basically converted apartments. We booked a one bedroom and were given a two bedroom, has to be at least 1000 square feet. Has two full bathrooms, washer and dryer, small kitchenette. Great location, amazing view, the rooftop pool area is quite nice (it’s actually indoors). Only downside is the carpet and couch are a bit dingy, they do need some furnishing updating but for about $300 US a night really getting a lot for our money imo. Also, highly recommend Harts Pub on the corner, it’s a converted house so has lot of little rooms, very cozy. 

Thank you, our trip is not until April, 2025 but already making notes. We are on opposite itinerary, Sydney to Honolulu. Have really appreciated your Live report. 

[mahdnc]

On 10/18/2023 at 4:29 AM, D. B. said:

I even had an Australia customs officer once tell me directly that he could care less about the ETA I took the time to print out and present to Him.

just another form of tourist tax he said as he dismissed my ETA

 

Been to Sydney twice for cruises and you are right, the paper ETA was not examined at all.  During our first trip the immigration officer said that he could see it electronically (or something like that) when my passport was processed.

[mahdnc]

20 hours ago, tigervixxxen said:

Made it off the boat and am in Sydney. We had a nice day walking around and down by the Opera House. Our hotel overlooks the Solstice in the harbor. Will be bittersweet watching her sail away this evening. Everyone going on the next leg bon voyage!

 

 

 

Your hotel's live webcam is pretty nice.  Have fun in Sydney.

 

 

[woodsmiths]

7 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

Been to Sydney twice for cruises and you are right, the paper ETA was not examined at all.  During our first trip the immigration officer said that he could see it electronically (or something like that) when my passport was processed.

ETAs are Electronic Travel Authorities with the details gathered at the time of application and attached to your Passport details.  When you enter Australia your Passport is scanned and the ETA information that is recorded allows entry.  No need for paper copies except for your own peace of mind.  Australian Border Force has no need to see paper copies.  Some may  think it is just an  exercise in revenue collection, but rest assured without one you can’t enter the country - Computer says NO.

[mahdnc]

16 minutes ago, woodsmiths said:

ETAs are Electronic Travel Authorities with the details gathered at the time of application and attached to your Passport details.  When you enter Australia your Passport is scanned and the ETA information that is recorded allows entry.  No need for paper copies except for your own peace of mind.  Australian Border Force has no need to see paper copies.  Some may  think it is just an  exercise in revenue collection, but rest assured without one you can’t enter the country - Computer says NO.

 

Yes.  I wasn't suggesting that the lack of paperwork inspection would tempt me to not get one next time.  I am pretty sure that I printed out the paper copies because that was the instruction on the ETA website after the payment was processed. 

 

When we purchased our NZ ETAs for our second cruise out of Sydney, I remember that Guest Relations called me to tell me that they didn't have the NZ ETA on file for our daughter.  I gave them the paper copy that I brought with me and they were satisfied.  So there's that.....

[tigervixxxen]

We are back home after a long day of travel but no delays or issues thankfully. Through the whole trip we really did not encounter one problem so that was a relief. 
 

That really was out view from a giant wall to wall front window at the hotel. I probably spent a few hours in total just watching out that window. The laser show projection on the Opera House on our last night was really cool to just watch sitting there too. Sydney was fun, a very happening downtown. It’s too bad we didn’t have the time to see more of Australia but we already stretched the amount of time away for this trip. 
 

Overall we very much enjoyed the trip. It really is such a wonder to be able to sail from one part of the world to another. Like I said I’d only describe one day at sea bad weather and rough seas. We tried to do one main thing on the ship per day but we’re happy to relax most of the days. This itinerary was perfect for that but with 5 port days sprinkled in was enough land time too. 
 

So overall thoughts on the cruise itself. As I said everything was satisfactory, went according to plan and on schedule. Crew as always was hard working and friendly. There just wasn’t much that wowed me or felt special. The ship is older and I’ve been on a few S class ships before, maybe if it was an E class there would have been more novelty. As I’ve also said the entertainment felt thin but we don’t care for production shows much. We did see the violinist and the Amade show which we thought was pretty bizarre but appreciated that current music was used. 
 

My main complaint would probably be the food. Not that it was poor by any means and there was usually something to try but by the last 2 days I was completely over it and the menus reflected they were all out of ideas. I know not all sailings are of that length but we also got a few more expanded options in the middle portion of the cruise as well. The buffet was generally decent, I’m just not a big buffet person. As I’ve said before I know the food is produced in mass quantities and don’t expect 5 star dining but I missed flavor. Tuscan Grill was probably my favorite meal and they could honestly cut that menu in half and make an entirely separate restaurant or give some dishes to the MDR and still be a wonderful meal. 

 

One thing I failed to mention is that nearing the end of the cruise one of the regular servers in Tuscan would spend time in the buffet for lunch quietly checking on guests as they were eating and asking if they had been to specialty dining yet. It was a pretty sneaky upsell. However on like the second to last day DH told me she was offering 40% off to book Tuscan. So perhaps keep that in mind and try to negotiate a discount even if they aren’t so obvious on your sailing. DH wouldn’t go for it but I asked him to take up on the offer because at that price it would have been worth it to go again and skip the MDR. DH just didn’t want to get dressed up but he said he’d easily pay $20 for that filet again. 
 

DH’s biggest complaint was the wifi didn’t work on the balcony. It would be fine next to the window inside but moving the 6 inches to outside would cut it off. We were on the hump on deck 9, maybe that made a difference, I don’t know. It bothered him because he likes sitting on the balcony and still able to enjoy technology and because of this didn’t sit outside much. Yes I know for many people this is a total non-issue, I’m just sharing his viewpoint. Otherwise the premium wifi worked very well, no dead spots or days, we were able to use the full compliment of streaming for all our needs. 
 

So, the verdict. We did not book a future cruise while on board so that probably means Celebrity won’t be in our next big vacation plan. Doesn’t mean we’ll never return but the value for money isn’t quite there. DH doesn’t like the big premium packages are gone (I forget what it was called but when everything was bundled with premium everything, substantial obc, 2 specialty night restaurant, bag of laundry type thing). We know doing it a la carte probably costs similar but this is his feeling that it’s not special to not have a one stop deal like that anymore. We might go back to Carnival (seriously their food was better pre pandemic than what we just experienced) or take a few land vacations. We like to mix it up and only cruise once a year anyway but it might be a couple year break until a great itinerary and price align. I’m very glad we did this trip but that’s also mostly due to the unique opportunity of this itinerary. And the bottom line of this cruise I’d say was good, just not special. 

[Norwaylady]

Thank you for a great live @tigervixxxen

great to follow your sailing🥰

[lienf]

Thank you for your review and the info you provided. I have followed along as we are doing this cruise on the Solstice next year and hopefully some of the dining issues you mentioned are addressed. My wife and I agree with you about the Tuscan over the other specialty restaurants. 
 

Neil

[mrgabriel]

Thank you for taking us along with you!

 

We were on the Vancouver to Honolulu leg and I agree with your summation that there was nothing special. Normally when we come home from a cruise I can enthusiastically say that we've had a fantastic time but after this Solstice cruise, not so much. 

 

 

[hcat]

On 10/19/2023 at 1:37 AM, tigervixxxen said:

Made it off the boat and am in Sydney. We had a nice day walking around and down by the Opera House. Our hotel overlooks the Solstice in the harbor. Will be bittersweet watching her sail away this evening. Everyone going on the next leg bon voyage!

 

 

How lovely..

Enjoy your stay and wish you safe travels from there!

great review

[tigervixxxen]

I should also mention a brief overview of the ports as I feel like that doesn’t get talked about near as much as the cruise ship experience. My ranking of these ports of call would be 

 

Auckland

Bay of Islands 

Moorea

Papeete

Raiatea

 

We are not beach, swim, snorkel people so the islands hold less appeal. I’m a city person so I enjoyed Auckland the most and loved the small city feel of a big city. Bay of Islands was so charming and serene. There was also a charm by how rural Moorea was. Papeete gave the city experience of French Polynesia. Raiatea was somewhere between the two, not a bad stop just not as memorable. I enjoyed Sydney as well though not a port of call, certainly was a major metropolitan city with a gorgeous harbor. 

Edited October 24, 2023 by tigervixxxen

[emdmistycc]

Enjoyed reading your review.  Thanks for taking the time!

We will be doing Sydney to Hawaii on the Edge next spring so appreciated your insights on port stops.

 

Elaine