Solstice Questions Answered

[Host Anne]

Below you'll find answers to questions asked on the "What Questions Do You Have About Solstice" thread. I complied questions (as best I could) and attempted to get them answered this past weekend. Those I didn't get answers for do not appear below and I will attempt to get those for you on the maiden voyage next week.

 

If any of our other Cruise Critic members sailing can add to the information below, please post it or email me and I'll add it to my compilation.

I've also posted this on the actual QUESTIONS thread as well. I'll post a link to photos later tonight (sorry about the funky spacing...no time to try and fix at the moment).

 

SOLSTICE QUESTIONS

 

CABINS

 

• How do the dividers work between balconies? Half of the wall is painted solid metal; the other half is a heavily frosted glass. There is a turnkey that has to be unlocked by the cabin attendant (so you cannot open and close the glass partition by yourself.). When the glass is unlocked, it folds back to meet the metal partition and hooks onto a metal latch to hold the glass in place, allowing for you to walk between the verandas.
  

• Is the balcony furniture in a CC room different from the furniture on a standard balcony I believe the chairs have a foot stool to go with them (standard balconies do not) and they have a nicer table.
  

• Do aft balconies have any type of covering or overhand? Essentially, there is no overhang on the aft balconies. The metal overhang comes out perhaps a foot at most from the sliding glass door. The rest of the balcony is uncovered. However, because of the angle of the back of the ships, you can only see about half of the balcony below you.
  

· Within an interlocking cabin pair design, quads and triples always have a sofa (trundle bed or sofa/pullman) near the balcony. Sofas there are long enough be made into a twin bed. But if so, than why have a pullman in the triples? When sofa is closer to door and bathroom, sofa is smaller (loveseat size?) and reason why there are no connecting 3/4s (ex a few handicap). Pullmans are from ceiling, not wall, and ALWAYS over the sofa near balcony, never over bed or other wall. The sofa is the same size regardless of its location in the cabin

· Is there enough closet space? This is subjective. For us, there was enough but I’m guessing that the majority of folks will say the closets are not big enough. In photos of the Solstice cabins, the closet appears to be much shorter and narrower than the other Celebrity ship's. You are correct…they are shorter and more narrow. And while the access to the closet isn’t terrible, it’s surprisingly easier to access the closet where the bed is next to the closet versus the couch. And is there more drawer and storage space to make up for any difference in the closet? I think there is. There are quite a few drawers in below the TV. There are two large storage units above the bed (not great for short people like me but great storage nonetheless; There are a couple of smaller type drawers; shelf space under the safe in the closet and plenty of storage for us in the bathroom. If you are a heavy packer for a cruise, you might think it isn’t as much as other ships but for us it’s fine.

• Which cabins have the larger balconies, other than Suites? While I was not in all of these, I was in some and believe that the cabins above or below the ones we saw have larger balconies as well. Here’s my initial list: 9215; 9237; 9270; 9292; 8259; 8281; 8232; 8254; 7219; 7241; 7264; 7286; 7354; 7305; 8334; 8343
  

• What is the hairdryer like in the cabin? Aliseo is the brand and it has three settings – 1200 watt; 600 watt and cool. It’s free standing (not attached to the wall) and is in the desk drawer where the mirror and chair (very nice chair by the way) are located. The only thing I didn’t care for is that you must hold the on switch “on” in order to keep the dryer going (kind of like having to hold the handle at the gas pump if they don’t have the handle lock).
  

• We would like to know if there is a pattern for which cabins have beds by the balcony door & the reverse on deck 9....we have two cruises booked on that deck. Yes there is. Every other in-line cabin goes the opposite way. For example, we were in 9106 and the bed was at the veranda. The cabins on either side of us had the beds next to the closet so the cabins on either side of those would have the bed at the veranda door. Cabin 7317 has the bed at the closet and those on either side have the bed at the veranda. You’d have to take the deck plan and know the layout of a particular cabin and work it from there. I’m don’t think an actual layout exists at this point telling which cabins are which way. It would take someone a bit of time to create it but I’m sure someone on CC will do it before long.
  

• Now that the reg. veranda rooms are the same size as cc, what are they doing to make the cc cabins stand out? Is the decor and bedding upgraded? Are the bathrooms any nicer? Not much, really. I don’t think the CC cabins on other ships were really that much different (the cabins existed before they created the Concierge Class). You get flowers, nicer robes, a foot stool with the chair on your balcony and whatever other CC amenities you always get (pillow choice, etc). The actual cabin and bedding is pretty much the same. We were in a 1B cabin and I thought the beds were great. I’m not sure you could make them much better.
  

• Are the slippers provided in Aqua Class disposable? I picked them up and looked at them. I’m guessing they are take-aways. I wouldn’t want to use them if someone else had. There wasn’t anyone available to ask when I was in the room. I’ll see if I can find out next week.
  

• What is "spa concierge" provided in Aqua Class? Pretty much someone to make your spa appointments for you.
  

• How does the connecting cabin vestibule really work? I will post a link to my photos later tonight.
  

• Can you see the tv from the bed? Yes….the flat screen tv can pulled away from the wall and then is swivels. At first, it doesn’t seem like it will move as the latch is pretty secure. But if you pull firmly from the lower right corner, it will unlatch and swivel whichever you’d like.
  

• Is cabin 6242 obstructed? Did not get into the cabin from looking at the deck plans and way the lifeboats sit, I would say it’s a good chance this cabin has some obstruction. It won’t be completely obstructed but I’m guessing there will be some.
  

• Where are electrical outlets located in the standard cabins? On the desk next to the TV and several in the bathroom. Are there any near the bed? I didn’t see any near the bed but I didn’t pull the bed out to see if there was any behind the bed (there were none behind the little night stands).
  

• What is the available balcony space, level of coverage by overhang (personally I do not want any but I know there is some) and so the uprights supporting the upper canopy impinging in the balcony space on the Celebrity Suites (1619/1620 number range). I’ll break this out by cabin category. Didn’t have anything to measure exactly.
  

Standard cabins – nice size, two chairs with tall wooden table. Completely covered by an overhang

Sunset verandas – slightly smaller in depth than standard cabins. Depending on the cabin, the width of the verandas varies quite a bit (you cannot tell this by the deck plans). I’ll see if I can determine next week which ones have wider balconies and by how much.

Sky Suites (in-line) – more than totally covered. They have an additional 12 – 15 foot of metal canopy that extends out over them. They feel very enclosed. This does not apply to aft Sky Suites.

• Is the veranda of the angled bump-out cabins larger? Yes, considerably
  

• Photo of a Sky Suite and how much of an overhand is there? (Cabin 2122) The overhang is significant. I will be posting a link to photos soon.
  

• Are there refrigerators in standard cabins? Yes, and they are very nice.
  

• Photo of beds set in a twin configuration. I will be posting a link to photos soon.
  

• How large is the shower in a standard cabin? Larger than any other show I’ve seen in a standard cabin on a ship….and they have a shaving bar for ladies (nice touch)
  

• Sky Suite 1663…is the porthole really a window? How is the furniture laid out? Sorry, I didn’t get a chance to see one of these cabins. I’ll try to do that next week.
  

• How fast is the wireless connection in cabins? Didn’t work on the pre-inaugural. I’ll try next week and let you know.
  

GENERAL SHIP

• How close is the interior of the ship to the original renderings on Celebrity’s website? Very close but the real thing looks much better than I could have imagined. This ship is stunning!
  

• Where will smoking be allowed? Port side of the SKY Lounge; Mast bar & Mast grill; port side of the pool deck and the sun deck (no smoking in solarium); starboard side of the Casino – slot machine areas only.
  

• What brands of make up are they selling in the on-board shops? Darn, the night I went into the shops, I didn’t have anything to write with and I can only remember they sold Clinique (and about five or six other brands….I’ll try to remember to get them next week.)
  

• Can cash be used in the casino or must everything be done on your seapass? You can use cash. Can you get cash from casino instead of having to use the ATM? If yes, is there a surcharge from the casino? There is a surcharge to get cash from the casino.
  

• Do the armrests go up in the theater? No, they do not, but each seat has a drink holder.
  

• Do they allow lawn chairs on the lawn? No, they don’t.
  

DINING

 

• How are the Specialty restaurants are? They are all beautiful. Only ate in Silk Harvest and the food was great but with the other restaurants to try, I’m not sure I’d pay a surcharge to dine here on a 7-day cruise.
  

• Does the Blu menu change every night, or even at all? They change every night.
  

• How are the main dining room chairs? Is the spacing between tables comfortable? Are the better locations on the upper level or anywhere else down below? Dining room chairs were great. I found them to be very comfortable. There was sufficient
  

• Can you eat lunch outside at one of the restaurants? Yes, at the back of the Oceanview Café. And it’s FANTASTIC !!!!!
  

ENTERTAINMENT

• Will there be music and dancing in the observation lounge or only in the nightclub? Will there be a live band here or other types of music? Yes, there will be dancing in the Sky Lounge and they will have live music (they did last night).
  

POOLS

• Is the pool in the aqua spa heated? It was not heated this weekend.
  

• Does it appear that there is adequate deck space around the pools, or are the concerns expressed in here that it seems too minimal valid? To my surprise, the pools and the pool decks are great. Lots of lounge chairs, plenty of deck space. It appeared that there were as many or more pool lounge chairs around the main pool. It’s really a wonderful area.
  

[Rick-cruiser]

Thank you, Anne, for this very detailed and comprehensive list of answers to your readers' questions about the Solstice. I can probably speak for many on here in saying that we really do appreciate all the time and effort you spent in order to find out these answers, and for reporting them back to us.... Although I suspect that some of us might be a BIT jealous that we couldn't be the ones to take on this "assignment" ourselves... :)

 

Thanks again....

 

Rick

[BurgerBits]

Anne -

 

Incredibly thoughtful of you to cull through the other thread and compile this list!! Must have taken a LOT of time. Thank you very much.

 

Just one add'l *?* .... In the 'official' CC report of CC's advance peek at Solstice, it was stated that veranda cabin size is 210 square feet. Everywhere else, including the X website, it's 194 sq. ft. That extra 16 feet would be mighty welcome!! Do you know what the actual measurement is?

[ocbeachbums]

Thank you Anne for answering the many questions we all have about the Solstice. It was soooo easy to read the questions and the responses. I was the "are the closets... and drawers... and storage space" question asker and I really appreciate the detailed answer. I think I'll rethink some of my packing for the December 7th sailing! I'm short and will probably never use the over the bed bin! Thanks again for taking the time to answer the questions!:)

Ann

[Steph27]

Anne,

 

On the Century our CC cabin had a track where the bed side tables could slide out and be placed in between the twin beds. Did you notice if the standard cabins on Solstice had the tables attached to a track or did they just sit on the floor?

[chuly]

Hi, Anne and Andy:

 

First of all thank you for taking the time to blog and give us detailed reviews. It's much appreciated. Do you know if the 2b cabins on Continental deck, for example 6125 have obstructed views? I know the 07 cabins do, but we were wondering about the 2bs on that deck.

 

Thanks,:)

[Host Anne]

Hi everyone ~ just have a couple of minutes to try and give some quick answers and will check on those I don't know.

 

Rick ~ it probably doesn't help much, but I did think alot about all of our members as I walked through the ship looking for answers. I was just sorry I didn't have time to get them all answered. But I'll work on that :)

 

Burger ~ I didn't measure the cabin but I didn't think it "felt" any bigger than the standard cabins on any other Celebrity ships. The bathroom is definitely larger but the cabin area itself feels about the same as always....altho the couch is full size (not a love seat).

 

ocbeachbums ~ I'm just like you - short. I wouldn't put anything in the overbed storage, but certainly my husband could as he can reach it easier.

 

Steph ~ the "little" night stands (and they are very little ... maybe 9 or 10 inches wide) are free standing on the floor, lightweight and easily moved. You could place them anywhere you'd like (except the phone is placed on one of them). In cabins with the beds together, the stands were on the outside of the beds and where the cabin was set as a twin, the tables were placed between the beds. But you could easily move one of the stands elsewhere if you wanted.

 

Chuly ~ I'll have to look at the floor plans and my photos tonight to try and answer your question. I'll be back. If I can't figure it out, I'll try to find out next week.

 

You are all most welcome. I enjoy checking these things out and offering the info. It helped me explore the ship in a different manner, too. I noticed all sorts of "little" things. When I get to write a review, I'll include more details.

[hylasgirl]

Anne... did you happen to notice if the doors were metal??

[Host Anne]

hylas ~ I'm guessing you mean the doors into the cabins, correct? Yes, they are indeed metal.

[hylasgirl]

hylas ~ I'm guessing you mean the doors into the cabins, correct? Yes, they are indeed metal.

 

 

Thanks! That is awesome! There are many of us that love magnets on the doors and our HAL ship coming up do not have metal doors :)

[Stolinights]

did you notice if there were binoculars in the aqua class cabins?

[jackdiamond]

Thank you Host Anne,

You answered one of my earlier inquiries vis-a-vis the slippers.

Jack Diamond

[cvat]

Thank you very much for the answer!!!

[BocaRoo]

Anne - Wonderful post! Thank you for taking the time to find answers to questions when you had so little time onboard!

 

Jill & Kevin

[BocaRoo]

Anne - Wonderful post! Thank you for taking the time to find answers to questions when you had so little time onboard!

 

Jill & Kevin

[uktog]

Thank you for your post Ann. It is good to see how things are shaping up and to hear how spectacular things looked. I am a little unsure now having seen pics of the Celebrity Suite as to what it adds (the sofa area looks smaller than I expected) and I cannot yet work out where the best location for these suites are but as we are not sailing for a while, I hope we can pick up intelligence and maybe still have time to move if we have made a bad choice

 

A

[Host Anne]

Stolinights ~ I'm sorry I didn't notice if there were binoculars in the AQ cabins but I'll add that to my questions list for this weekend and see if I can find out for you.

 

uktog ~ I'm certain that MVPinBoyton will have some great photos for you. Watch for his info on his photos. I'll post here when he has then up for viewing.

[Stolinights]

thank you if your in a aq cabin could you check the veranda furniture for cushions

[Janet987]

I hope that you had some time to enjoy the ship and relax because it appears from this post that you spent every moment searching out answers to our questions and writing your excellent answers. So I hesitate to ask a follow-up, since it is really a question for the designers, but here goes. If the sofas are the same size no matter the cabin position, then why doesn't the Solstice have any connecting rooms where both rooms can sleep more than 2? The current plan shows (and maybe this is wrong) that with connecting rooms, one side may be a quad but the other is always a double (ex-a few accessible). Also, if every sofa seat can be made into a twin bed, then why have pullmans in the ceiling at all? If we are in a Triple on Solstice, can't the steward make the sofa into a bed rather than pulling down that scary looking pullman? This is obviously not an urgent request, but more curiosity as to why the 3/4s alternate on the deck plan and how the extra accommodations work. Not as family or group friendly as it could be.

 

Again, many many thanks to you (and all the wonderful CC posters-looking forward to Mike's 1300 photos!). Have a relaxing and wonderful next cruise.

[I Fly]

We are taking the 2-day charter on November 21st. and wondering what the disembarkation process was like. As we are not stopping at any ports, do you go through any type of customs procedure when leaving the ship, and were the duty free shops open on the ship?

Thanks for your comments in advance.

 

Steve

[tonto524]

First, incredible thanks to Hosts Anne and Andy - and everyone else - for answering so many questions we have all had about this ship and for being our eyes !! The personal time you've spent doing this is very, very much appreciated.

Quick question for Anne: on your original Solstice cruise, you stayed in (and took photos of) CC 1126, which is our cabin in February. Do you remember (or maybe, possibly, by any wild chance have a photo of) the balcony? Wondering if that last on-the-hump cabin's balcony is still a bit larger than the usual - and we have friends in 1124, so combining theirs and ours might be really nice. Thanks Anne.

Have fun, all, on the 11/23 sailing. We are all eagerly awaiting more information and pictures!

Thanks again !

[Host Anne]

Stolinights ~ I'll check for cushions for you.

 

Janet ~ there are some things I didn't understand (I'll see if I can ask) regarding sleeping arrangements. For example, in our cabin the sofa did not have the trundle bed but certainly could have. I'm not sure if the design of beds is for capacity control but I'll see if I can check out some connecting cabins and get your question answered.

 

I Fly ~ Embarkation and Disembarkation were a breeze. I'm not sure how full your sailing will be but we pretty much walked in, checked in and walked on the ship (it was about 11:45 AM). But keep in mind, most sailing with us were press and TA's so they many not have been in a rush to board like everyone will be with your sailing. Disembarkation is the BEST...since you sail to no where, there is no customs or security to go through coming off the ship. You simply walk off. We did not have any luggage checking service available so you carried your luggage on and off by yourself (which I'd highly recommend for two days). Quick and simple. ENJOY!

[DavidTravels]

PS to I Fly:

The shops were open. I bought some nice Riedel cystal stemless wine glasses with Celebrity Solstice embossed on the bottom.

 

DavidTravels

[I Fly]

Thank you Host Anne and DavidTravels for such fast responses. I can hardly wait for our short cruise.

 

Steve

[Host Anne]

Tonto ~ sorry I missed your post earlier....

 

Yes, 1126 and 1124 have larger balconies. 1124 will be slightly larger than 1126. If you look at my photo here: http://solsticepreinauguarlnov12142008.shutterfly.com/60 you can see how the hump balconies angle. Look at the underside and you can see where each is progressively larger than the next one as they angle towards the flat part of the hump. You are in an AWESOME spot! Great choices. The photo is showing the front side of the hump cabins and you are on the backside but they should be the same.