Why did YOU book a cruise on Solstice/Equinox?

[Leejnd4]

At my bunko game the other night, some of the gals (who are also avid cruises) and I got into a discussion about why we think people have booked cruises on Solstice and Equinox. One gal thinks it’s nuts to book a cruise on brand new ship, and CLASS of ship, that’s never sailed before – she plans on waiting until there are some solid reviews back before she trusts her vacation dollars to an unknown. Another thought that the very concept of trying out a brand new class of ship would be a big draw for people, and theorized that lots of folks would be booking for that reason alone. Others thought that most people have probably booked their cruises on these ships primarily because they happened to be the itinerary they were looking for, and it just so happens to be on one of these new ships. (I actually fall in that later category, although I’m just as excited as the next cruiser about all the new stuff that we’ll be seeing on Equinox.) And there were other theories as well.

 

So I promised the gals that I would put up a poll here and come back to them with some solid numbers.

 

Hey, it gives us something fun to talk about at Bunko other than complaining about the husbands and kids! ;)

 

Anyway, I’ve set the poll up so that you can vote for as many choices as apply for you, because I’m sure some of you will have more than one reason you chose to book your cruise on one of these ships. But try to vote for the top three reasons or less, so we’ll have some actual data to discuss.

 

Thanks everyone! And my bunko friends thank you too! :)

[irishgirl]

Because it was THE Great Group Cruise for 2010 for my cruise group.

 

Judy

[hylasgirl]

We booked because the ship looks incredible. It looks like there will be a little more to do than their other ships. We aren't going on the first sailing. I don't think I would book the first sailing. But we did book about 6 months after that happens. It looks like an incredible Greek/Med itinerary and $1,000 cheaper per person than the Legend of the Seas. I think the early information that is coming in sounds awesome. I am really excited about it. I can't wait for real pictures.

 

I, for one, am not a SPA person. So it doesn't have anything to do with that class of service on board. BUT, the dining venues sound awesome, and the cabins look beautiful also.

[Sky Sweet]

I haven't booked a cruise on one yet, but plan to do so after they have been in service for a few months, providing that the initial reviews are encouraging.

 

They will be too new to have deferred maintenance and the pricing for them is very reasonable for new ships. That is the main reason why I am planning to try them.

[Denny01]

Signed up for the Nov 09 TA because first, it had a great price - no others that close, but the late Nov date may be part of it. The second - it's Celebrity. We've enjoyed C-Class (loved Mercury) and M-Class because of the T-Spa and great layout. So S-Class has to have some real hook we don't know about.

 

We were on Mercury right after it's initial cruise and the crew was top notch. They put their first-cut team on board, so I think we'll see that on Solstice. Hope they stay for a year!

 

We are now b2b Med then TA because we invited friends who then signed up for the Med cruise and talked us into it. I'm still working, so it should be fun hoping my team doesn't figure out they can live without me for 3+weeks.

 

I'm very glad we signed up for Solstice - I love reading all the threads about the ship - I even stayed up late (very late) to watch the rollout - sick man.

 

Denny

[Cathy Maneri]

I'm an avid Celebrity cruiser and I couldn't wait for this ship to come out. When I finally saw the new design and concept I was very happy I booked it.

 

I originally was booked for Jan then moved it to Dec (because our friends wanted to come and that date was better for them) then the Nov 30 sailing came out with great prices and finally settled there.

 

I live in Miami so it's easy for me to just drive to the port.

 

Knowing that 7 days would probably not be enough time to really get to know the ship, I'm booked on the Equinox for next Dec 4, 2009 on it's 10-day So. Carib. This is a fabulous itin, I've done it on the Millenium class and it's my favorite.

 

To all those who want to experience this new Solstice class and maybe have to fly to Florida to board, I would suggest doing the 10-night Caribbean itin. It really doesn't matter which Solstice class ship its on. I think they will all be very nice.

 

Happy cruising.

[joanne59]

...has always appealed to me. After cruising for so many years, it's fun to experience some new adventures in a new surrounding. It's similar to going to visit a new city, something to keep your interest around every corner. I've never had concerns on any of my cruises that the service was not up to par, that is just not my thing. I'm impatient for only one thing, for the experience to actually begin (why I spend so much time reading these boards), so waiting for others to check it out before me is so NOT me. Get out of my way and let me try it out :)

 

If I'm being waited on and not at work, I'm a happy camper....everything else is just gravy. I am surprised how much stock people put into quality of service in every aspect of their life. Come on people, it's Celebrity and you are on a cruise, how "bad" can it really be. I'll be happy for them to "work out the kinks" on me. Unless you are being totally ripped off (getting nothing for your $$) then just chill, relax and be patient...YOU ARE ON VACATION!!!!!!

[FLJudi]

We've been on numerous Celebrity cruises. We chose Solstice partially because of the Aqua Class concept. I love the idea of being on a floor with mainly adults, eating in a small dining room, also with mainly adults and going to a pool with adults only. We even chose a cruise between the holidays to minimize the number of children on board.

 

Yes, I have children and grandchildren whom I love dearly, but when we cruise or go out to eat, I have no patience for other people's children - no family type restaurants when we go out to eat if I can help it. I'd rather cook a good meal and stay home. I'll probably be slammed for my comments, but we all make different choices for different reasons. When I checked the poll results, 25% of people chose Aqua Class as their main reason for picking one of these ships, so I don't think I'm alone.

[Canadianhey!]

We booked the Solstice because our 20 something daughter and boyfriend has this great need to be on a brand new ship. I tried to tell them to wait until they worked out the kinks, just like buying a new model car, but father says "what ever daughter wants, daughter gets. She is only spending her inhertance early and we get to enjoy it with her." Who am I to argrue with that logic.

[shamda]

Living in fort lauderdale I wanted to go on a cruise over thanksgiving that departed from port everglades here. I searched to see what was available and the Soltice came up. I booked it. I had no idea it was a maiden voyage. I liked the fact that there are 3 sea days. I sailed on X once before 10 years ago on the Century and loved it. I figured the Soltice would be nice. I am a little nervous that it is a maiden voyage, but I am sure it will be great.

[hylasgirl]

We've been on numerous Celebrity cruises. We chose Solstice partially because of the Aqua Class concept. I love the idea of being on a floor with mainly adults, eating in a small dining room, also with mainly adults and going to a pool with adults only. We even chose a cruise between the holidays to minimize the number of children on board.

 

Yes, I have children and grandchildren whom I love dearly, but when we cruise or go out to eat, I have no patience for other people's children - no family type restaurants when we go out to eat if I can help it. I'd rather cook a good meal and stay home. I'll probably be slammed for my comments, but we all make different choices for different reasons. When I checked the poll results, 25% of people chose Aqua Class as their main reason for picking one of these ships, so I don't think I'm alone.

 

I feel the SAME way! I would pay double to fly on a flight that is strictly adults only. I have children also... grandchildren sounds wonderful (much later) but I really don't like the concept of "we're all in this together" that so many parents seem to feel is right. I LOVE the idea of an all adult pool on a cruise ship. What always cracks me up are the parents that still want into the pool with their kids. Like they want the adult only pool environment but have to drag their kids in with them.

[DrKoob]

Because two of the original Martini Mates booked a Cruise Critic cruise on March 15. After some arm twisting we decided to go along and now we have a bunch of the Mates headed down to Ft. Lauderdale next spring. That and a superb CC thread with a whole bunch of people that's been going strong for almost a year.

[TC Cruiser]

We wanted to see what happened when they combined Millennium style and sophistication with a RCCL sized ship. We can hardly wait! :D

[teedee]

I have several reasons, I love Celebrity, I've never been on a new, or even newer ship. Constellation last year is the "newest" ship I've sailed on. I love TA's and the price was very good when the westbound TA on Equinox first came out for Captain's Club members. Also, it leaves from Rome, my favorite city in the world and gives me an excuse to spend a few days there pre-cruise. Also have a lot of friends who booked the cruise.

 

Terri

[luvtocook]

We booked an 11 night Carib cruise on Equinox just to cruise with friends that we have not been able to hook up with for over 5 years!!! Fun and sun but I am thinking this ship will be way more large than we like! We LOVE the M class! Just want to try something new for a change!:D A new experience!

[buramiko]

Is there an adult-only pool on solstice? I didn't know that I thought that indoor pool was a small jacuzzi kind of thing. Anyway, it's good to know because I've booked Jun 09 to East Med. Me and my husband are not frequent cruisers and we spent alot of time in choosing the right cruiseline. After reading all the nice reviews about celebrity, and the fact that it wasn't THAT expensive like crystal, regent, etc. we picked celebrity solstice.

 

My husband is a big fan of new ships and we both think that the other celebrity ships, which are quite dated, might be a bit worn and old. We haven't been on any celebrity ships and we might be wrong, I mean I'm sure they must have kept them nice and clean, but then, it's always good to smell the new carpets, the new sofas, and to shower in a new white clean bathroom, isn't it?? We feel curious why would anyone want to sail on ships that are 5+ years old. We think it would be a huge turnoff if the interior designs are old fashioned and not modern. Yes please forgive us we're a bit shallow and we always judge on appearance :) Maybe the computer rending of solstice was not that accurate but celebrity did a great job in attacting customers like us.

 

As long as we trust Celebrity, we thought there shouldn't be a big difference in their service quality, as long as we don't travel in the first few months.

[jt1120]

This is an easy one: we booked the Solstice inaugural on the first day it was available just because we wanted to say that we've done an inaugural cruise. I know it sounds like a lame reason, but we're cruise snobs.

[Leejnd4]

Wow, awesome responses! I’m very pleased to see how many folks voted in this poll – as of right now we’re at 106. Some of the numbers are actually a bit surprising to me, which I’m sure will spur some very interesting conversations at my next bunko game. :) And if any Celebrity marketing people read these boards, even though this is an utterly unscientific poll, I think it offers some pretty significant data on what draws customers to these new Solstice-Class ships.

 

So far, nearly 75% of you chose “getting to cruise on a brand new ship” as one of your primary reasons for booking your cruise. While this doesn’t surprise me, I know at least one of my friends is going to have to eat her words! ;) As Buramiko said, “it's always good to smell the new carpets, the new sofas, and to shower in a new white clean bathroom, isn't it??” So clearly, regardless of WHAT these ships are, just the fact that they are new is a big draw in and of itself.

 

I realize now after reading the responses I could have put another choice in there – “We wanted to do an inaugural cruise”. Of course that reason will be captured in the first option, but I think now that there actually is a difference – some people might want to try out a new ship, but would prefer to wait until the “kinks” are worked out; while for others, the draw is the inaugural cruise itself. There's just something special about being the first ones, right?

 

One thing I found surprising is how many listed the dining venues as one of the key reasons – almost 20%! I think this is fascinating, and I suppose we should attribute this to the fact that, while Celebrity is including some tried and true dining favorites (Murano), they are also adding some that are entirely new (Blu, Silk Harvest). This just goes to show how important food is to cruisers – especially Celebrity cruisers, as Celebrity has for a very long time been known as the mass-market line for foodies. I’m not so sure they have lived up to that reputation in the past few years, but maybe they’ll earn that distinction back with their Solstice-class ships. I for one certainly hope so!

 

Another interesting thing to note is how few people felt that the unique attributes of S-Class (Lawn Club, Hot Glass show) factored into their decision. Only 8 out of 106 – that makes me think about the vast amount of money, and the incredible engineering challenges, that were involved in installing that lawn. Will it ultimately be worth it to Celebrity? While I don’t recall the specific details, I do recall reading that they had to actually widen the ship’s original design, and include some kind of extra supporting structures, to accommodate the enormous weight of all that turf. Considering how few people actually indicated it was a compelling reason to book their cruise on these ships, perhaps it’s really just a very expensive minor nicety? Another thought: given the heavy focus on this lawn that we saw in some of Celebrity's marketing (commercials, brochures, etc.), was this the right thing for them to focus on, considering how few chose it as a factor in their decision to book? I guess we’ll have to wait to see just how big of a hit it really is.

 

The other thing I find surprising is how few folks considered Aqua Class to be a driving force behind their choice. I voted for that one myself – there are a number of attributes about Aqua Class that attracted me. I guess I expected more folks to find it as compelling as I do. Again, we’ll just have to wait and see how it turns out, and IF it turns out to be everything we’re hoping it will be. Once we’ve actually experienced it, and reported on it, this number might change. The question is…which direction?

 

I’m going to file this whole thing away, and maybe re-do this poll a year from now, once most of us have gone on our S-Class cruises, and there are actual reviews and experiences that cruisers can use to help them make their decisions. It’ll be interesting to see if, and how, all these numbers change.

 

Thanks to everyone who voted!

[rolfecms]

LeeAnne - Thanks for the recap of the results of your poll. Given that this is not only a new ship but an entirely new class of ship, there're many unknowns about the Solstice that have yet to be experienced or that have yet come to light (ie, the unknown unknowns). So what may have initially attacted a person to (or repelled them from) booking on this ship may not in fact be the reason(s) that draw them to (or repell them from) it once the S-class becomes a known factor.

 

Since no one has yet experienced those concepts already announced such as a real lawn at sea or Aqua class, it's difficult for anyone to know what the real life experience will be (the known unknowns), let alone whether they chose the Solstice because of it. My hunch is that once these things become reality your poll results will change to reflect that newfound knowledge. :)

[Steph27]

The reasons we booked the Soltice are the following:

• New ship
  
• Larger cabins and updated decor
  
• Various dining venues including an Asian restaurant
  
• Price is very reasonable
  
• Cruises to Eastern Med were previously offered on Galaxy but I would not go on that ship regardless of positive reviews based on the top 3 reasons stated above

I cruised on the Century in 2007 and enjoyed it more than the Constellation which I sailed twice. I imagine the Solstice which will have a "Murano" restaurant like the Century will be even nicer. The new Aqua Class and the Lawn Club were not a consideration.

[Longboysfan]

hmmmm......... What is bunko?

 

We cruised the Century class ships when they first came out in 1996 and then the Millie series when they came out.

I have never found Celebrity to be lacking in any department on any type of ship.

 

Also the prices could not be beat for the new ship.

[tally10]

We booked the Equinox transatlantic for Nov. 5, 2009, because it is CELEBRITY, it is a new ship, the price was great (at least when it first opened up), and because of Celebrity's new smoking policy (ugh, can't stand second hand smoke). This cruise is all about the ship and less about the ports. Too bad my cruise next month is on the smokers cruise line (Carnival).

[jerseygirl3]

The price for the 11/05/09 TA was the selling point.

[Leejnd4]

We booked the Equinox transatlantic for Nov. 5, 2009, because it is CELEBRITY, it is a new ship, the price was great (at least when it first opened up), and because of Celebrity's new smoking policy (ugh, can't stand second hand smoke). This cruise is all about the ship and less about the ports. Too bad my cruise next month is on the smokers cruise line (Carnival).

 

Ah - right - the new smoking policy! I suppose I could have put that as an option - but on the other hand, that's fleet-wide, so it's not really a reason why one might have chosen THESE ships.

 

Anyway - bunko - actually, I misspelled it, it's Bunco. It's a fun parlor game played with dice, that usually involves 8 to 12 players and switching teams. We gals get together to play once a month, and often end up doing more talking (and eating - we do it as a pot-luck) than we do playing! :D Here's some basic info on it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunco

[rocket screen]

We were on one of the first sailings of the Century. Worked out great and we love to try new ships.