12/7 on Solstice -- very enjoyable

[tinybabynurse]

Tinybabynurse’s hubby here – Reviewing the 12/7 cruise on Solstice.

 

We loved the ship and would return in a minute but here are some of our observations. First, some background to help you evaluate this review: We were on the 10/17 Canada/New England cruise on the Constellation, so an almost real-time comparison between the M-class and the new Solstice was unavoidable for us. We are active 60/50 years old couple, “Elite” / “Diamond”, and we cruise 2 or three times a year. Other than a couple of early cruises on Carnival, they have always been on either Celebrity or Royal Caribbean. We count Baltic, Hawaii, Panama Canal, Med, and others on =X= but we generally take the Caribbean itineraries on RCCL because of departures from Port Canaveral which is only about 30 minutes away from our Condo in FL. On the 2-week cruises we always have an outside cabin with an unrestricted view. We travel about 70% with a group of 4 to 6 others and the remainder as a couple.

 

Embarkation: Painless and quick for us. We drove down from Satellite Beach, FL and arrived a bit earlier than we had planned. Other than the confusion on which driveway to use to drop off luggage (use the one that says “taxi staging”) there were no problems. We found that Elizabeth had our inside cabin ready, even though it was only 12:30. I suspect that was just luck. We were so early it appeared that some folks were still disembarking. I believe it was because of that we were not greeted or shown to our cabins, but there were a couple of trays of drinks by the aft entry and we are smart enough to find our cabin anyway. Later, our fellow cruisers boarded amidships and that appeared to be a more =X= like experience.

 

First impressions: Beautiful ship. We personally liked the clean, modern look, and thought the spaces were “open” but with lots of little nooks and crannies where you could get away from the other passengers if you wished. The sky lounge continues Celebrity’s tradition of a large open lounge with panoramic views right up in the “pointy end”. Thankfully they do not have the “Cirque” décor that greatly limited the day use on a couple of the M-class ships. Love it! Library is impressive and, for now anyway, a great selection of books. The martini bar, wine bar and the lounges near the specialty restaurants are beautiful, although we are not big drinkers. The layout of the ship reminds us of an enlarged version of the RCCL Jewel, and that is a complement because Jewel is beautiful and one of our favorite ships. The gym was nice with very good equipment but we were a bit puzzled that the weight circuit that we rarely see used was forward facing while all the more popular devices faced the right (starboard if you insist). The view was great from all the equipment but it seemed odd to walk or peddle sideways. The outside area off the gym was nice while in port but not useful underway because of the wind. The change rooms do not seem to be a conveniently located for the pool user as on M-class but they do offer a more direct path to the steam room and “premium spa services”. I personally liked the Sauna with the porthole on the M-class but the Sauna is now inside. I guess that is an advantage if you want to Sauna in port without putting on a show. Noticed instantly that the complementary shaving cream and razors are gone – Oh well. Loved the shops and the arrangement of the walkway that does not go through the Casino. This is a big improvement. Casino is very nice and is more like an upscale Vegas venue than other ships we have seen. Not big gamblers so spent little time there, but it did look nice. Large ship for certain, with lots of passengers, but the only time it was obviously crowded was during the lifeboat drill when about 2,000 folks were all trying to get down to muster stations using the aft stairway. Otherwise didn’t notice overcrowding. Lots of deck space but chairs were a bit close and the familiar small tables between some of the chairs are gone. Hard to find a place to set your drink. The Solstice deck was nice when the winds cooperated. I suspect this will be the “European Deck” on some cruises but not on this one.

 

 

 

 

Food stuff:

 

* After dropping our luggage and a very quick self-guided tour, first thing we did was go to the Oceanview for a bit of lunch. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the RCCL-type buffet is on this ship with multiple stations for different types of foods. While the M-class buffet is fine, it always seemed more industrial/hospital like and the M-class layout was frustrating for those wanting only one or two items – or as they are commonly called like cutters! On Solstice one ambles up to the station in the location where there is something interesting and you are generally no more than one person away from the food. Could use a bit more signage on what is what, but I suspect that is in the works. A bit of confusion about silverware – it is supposed to be on the tables and usually was. As a backup we found that there are a couple of stations with silver near the plates. Trays are gone which is a mixed blessing – staff does not take your tray and help you find an open table but then I don’t get thrashed about by trays where the lines get congested. It is a bit difficult to carry food and drink but we got over it. We thought the food for the most part was varied and above average for a buffet type setting.

 

* We did the Silk Harvest the first evening. We liked it a lot. The food was very good. Think a nice meal at P F Chang’s with a bit better food, a lot nicer/quieter atmosphere and the ability to order several different dishes. There are lots of choices and you can get several small plates to try a variety. If you get the large plate be aware that these are family-size servings suitable for at least two or three folks. We are not big Sushi fans but decided to try some of their offerings. The left side of the Sushi menu is rolls and we found out -- the hard way -- that you get the whole roll. Embarrassing because we wasted so much. The sushi items on the RIGHT side of the menu are by the piece. The SH service lacked the “wa-la” entrée service and the Wow-factor we have had in the Normandy, Oceanliners, etc., but that is, in our opinion, because it is a different type of restaurant, rather than a deficiency. We held on to our menus and just continued to order bits and pieces till we just ran out of room. Met a nice couple from Chicago (Retired Fire Chief and Police Woman) at next table that we socialized with for the rest of the cruise and their food looked wonderful. They said when we saw them later they were also very happy.

 

* We ate all our other evening meals in Main Dining Room because we were interested trying out the new offerings. We were late seating at table 303. To get right to it, the table location sucked! It was a 2-top (we requested a 6- or 8- even though we were traveling alone) just inside the door on the Starboard side and was back in a hole and next to a serving station. It was just slightly better than eating in the hallway and had no view of any of the rather impressive dining room. A bit of a mystery to us why these tables were even being used because we were told that the ship was about 500 below capacity. We noticed the location on our whirlwind self-guided tour but the lines requesting changes were long and we decided to give it a try rather than fight it. The 2-tops were within about 6 inches from our neighbor, which could have been bad news. It wasn’t! We had the very good fortune of being seated next to a realtor/travel agent and her childhood friend who was an event planner. They were on a Husband-free vacation. They were great dinner companions (Hello, Bonnie and Judy, we miss you!). On the second night we were chatting about the atrocious location and warm temps in that location and we found that both we and they had decided to stay put because we enjoyed each others company. We didn’t think to ask if there was a 4 or 6 available where we could all move. Oh well!

 

* The Dining Room menu is generally quite different than the M-class. One less course, for instance (Similar to RCCL). Salads come already tossed with dressing with no real choice. Gone is the selection of 3 dressings. Our soups were all good to great. Fewer desserts but Crème Brule is available every night, YEA! Missed the dessert tray presentation. Tinybabynurse likes seafood and pasta she was very happy with the fish selections except for a snapper offering which she returned. Lots of pasta as sides which is just OK with me but great for her. I thought the portions were reduced (a plus for us). We were generally pleased with our meals but I’m not ready to profess it wonderful. Some nice touches such a small portion of pesto and hummus with the butter. Bread selection seemed more limited than M-class. My beef entrées were decent and prepared as ordered. No more Baked Alaska Parade which I enjoyed but can definitely live without. Had one nice brunch which is being held instead of the Midnight Buffet – good move in our opinion. Lobster night was clearly not the old =X= offering but was identical to our 10/17/08 sailing on the Constellation. It is now ½ of a medium size Caribbean lobster tail, split longways, a nice scallop, and one shrimp. The difference was that on Constellation additional servings of lobster were offered but not on this trip. That may have just been our waiter (more on that later). There is a good selection of “available every day” items if you don’t like the daily offerings and that saved me once.

 

* Dining Room Waiters and Staff were clearly not totally in sync with this ship. Our waiter and assistant were professional and pleasant but we never really connected with them as we have on almost every other cruise. They seemed rushed and the whole thing was not as well organized as we have come to expect. One of the problems may have been that our waiter had some sort of problem on two of our days. He apparently missed the first day of this cruise (we were in Silk Harvest) and then managed to get severely sunburned at St Martin so missed that day as well. That seemed to throw off the entire week. Generally by the second or third day our assistant will bring our iced tea without ordering but on this trip it was the next to last day before they got that down. It seemed that the serving system was more rigid. For instance, if you want both a soup and salad or some other “non-standard” sequence, it doesn’t come when your table mates are served but you will sit while your table mates have their appetizer and then you will get your order when the kitchen puts out your particular selection. On RCCL, with a similar setup you were never without food in front of you regardless of which selections were ordered. Seems the Celebrity folks should have pulled a few of the RCCL dining room staff to help them get their new system down. Not a fatal flaw, and it will probably work itself out after a few more cruises but it was a noticeable flaw. The “Asst M” made an effort with the AC and ventilation which helped some and was there to help with some of our questions and comments, all by the way, with a great attitude and humor. Never saw the “big M”, but I don’t blame him for not visiting that horrible location – couldn’t resist one last comment on the table! I think things will sort out but it was a bit below standards for =X=.

 

* Aqua Spa Café. This is our favorite spot for lunch and is apparently not well known on this or other Celebrity ships. That is just fine with us, particularly on Solstice, because on this ship the seating is quite limited. I suggested that some of the spa chairs be removed and about 4 to 6 tables added. The Aqua Spa Café is by far the best location on the ship to get fish, with the possible exception of the specialty restaurants. Their food is prepared by the Murano staff. They offer the same 4 grilled-to-order selections everyday as opposed to two changing dishes on the M-class. Tuna, salmon, pork loin, and chicken with grilled veggie sides – Yum! These are prepared individually, do not set on a steam table, and are available in 15 to 20 minutes – just enough time to have one of their light appetizers, soups or salads. They ask you to come back to the buffet to pick up your order but they generally bring it out before you do that. There is no charge but they take your name or cabin number to keep orders straight. Those familiar with the M-class Café will be disappointed with the bread selections and notice a difference in the desserts and other offerings, but it is not necessarily bad, just different and depends on your personal taste. The major complaint is that there is no indication that these grilled offerings are available. TBN was almost distraught when she went down to check it out on our first full day. Came back to the pool saying there was “nothing” in the café. I encouraged her to go talk with them, since the staff all seemed to be familiar with the other =X= ships. When she asked, they told her about the hot, grilled offerings. Strange that it is so super-secret, but it worked out for us. Or new friends from the Silk Harvest where there, on our recommendation, and we happened to be there at the same time. They were obviously disappointed with what they first saw, but, when we told them what the system was, they ordered and were hooked. Yet another mystery – why is it not advertised what the menu is like on the M-class???

 

* Bistro on Five never looked busy but did look interesting. The $5.00 cover was another mystery but in the end we decided it was a bargain. When we decided to go it was near the end of the cruise. By coincidence we met our dining room table mates that were just finishing up. They praised the food and told us the staff had even made up some non-menu special desserts for them. Crêpes and Panini are the specialties. Also entree type salads are offered, but we found they were happy to prepare a small portion of anything. Similar to the Silk Harvest, you can continue to order as long as you wish and as many different offerings as you wish. We ordered several things with reduced portions to try to get a feel for their meals. TBN had a soup, veggie Crepe and we each had a savory choice. I had a small Chef salad before a savory Crepe and then we each had a different sweet Crepe for dessert. We didn’t stand on formalities and tasted each others orders. We both agreed that the food we had was very good. We are not crepe-type folks generally, but the pleasant surroundings, good service, and relaxed atmosphere made the experience well worth the small service fee. Definitely will return but would suggest that Celebrity include a coupon in their Capitan’s Club “benefits” to make this a complementary restaurant. Similar to the Johnny Rockets deal at RCCL.

 

* Miscellaneous: The Mast Grille was, except for the location, the same as the similar facility on the M-class ships. Adequate to good burgers and dogs and a nice selection of items to make up a plate of Nachos. And good cookies! The coffee bar (can’t remember the name right now) is similar to the “Cova” but the dessert offerings are in our opinion more varied. The same selections are offered everyday with Danish in the mornings and a fairly elaborate assortment in the afternoon and evening. Also good cookies. Wife liked the coffee but I don’t drink coffee so I’m no help. Breakfast selections in the Oceanview were varied and we felt the breakfasts were all anyone could want.

 

Cabin: We thought our cabin was very nice. We had an inside Cabin on Deck 10 aft, number 1152. Missed the water pitcher. Loved the shower size but had mixed emotions about not having “hand” shower. Missed the small clothesline but there were two hooks that served adequately. This cabin was much larger, or at least felt larger, than any inside or outside balcony cabin we have ever had on =X= or RCCL. Closet looked smaller but we had plenty of room. Storage under and over bed was great. We had two chairs and a small table which would have been handy if we had used room service. I particularly liked that the arrangement of the cabin, the location of the closet, and the sliding closet doors that avoided the swinging-door maze that happens frequently on the other ships. You know, when the closet doors, bathroom doors, and cabin door are all in roughly the same location competing for the same space while you are trying to get your tux and she is trying to get out of the bathroom. Internet service in the cabin was great and fast. Fastest we have ever experienced on ship. The Plasma TV was nice and had a lot of functions but is still a work in progress. The position option does not really show the ship position and if you believed it, the wind was just off the port at 14 MPH for the whole trip??? Details, details! The music selections were misclassified for now but guest services said they were working on these problems. TBN said she smelled sewer in the hallways but I didn’t notice. Had one small plumbing issue that was repaired within minutes. Elizabeth was great. Never really saw her much but room was always tidy and in shape by the nearly invisible housecleaning staff. Did note that apparently there is no convenient place for the service cart as it was in the hallway almost all the time along with a bag or two if linens. Not a big deal, I suppose, but detracted from the overall appearance of the ship. We noticed that someone’s review said the mini-frig was locked on night 6. For us it was late on the last night of the cruise and before locking, Elizabeth removed my wife’s water and Diet Pepsi – she doesn’t do Coke Cola. Seemed normal to us. On demand movies had a pause feature that let you restart at the same place within 48-hours, which was neat. Wife preferred the hairdryer to be in the bathroom instead of the plug-in unit that had to be used in the cabin but could not be used in the bath, if you believe the “shavers only” placard on the bath outlet.

 

Entertainment: We enjoyed the production shows. The “Cirque” shows were a bit weird, as is normal. The “xylosynth” guest artist is starting to grow on us. This is our third cruise seeing him including the 10/17/08 cruise! Thankfully, he will not be with us on the South America cruise in Feb – we asked. He is entertaining, just not so close together. Just the luck of the draw. The musical acts around the ship were all nice. Didn’t really care for the Piano player in Michaels. We just had been with Perry Grant in Michaels on the Constellation with overflow crowds every night for his campy and hilarious shows. The Michaels Club on Solstice is comparatively “stuffy” and is obviously intended for the brandy and cognac crowd with a bit of a superior attitude thrown in for good measure. We went in one evening with the intent of ordering a couple of drinks. Wife does not care for straight drinks and asked if she could have a pina colada. The waiter told us that frozen drinks were not available there. No big deal, but at other Michaels they either DO serve frozen drinks or will go to an adjacent bar and get one for you if you wish. Not a problem, just not our thing on this ship, and there are lots of other choices. My wife was offended, but silent, when one of the patrons with a superior attitude sniffed, to his companion, “can you imagine ordering a frozen drink in here. They don’t even have a blender!” Guess if he traveled a bit more he would have been more aware of the routine on the other Celebrity ships. She said nothing till later and it was probably fortunate that I did not hear the comment, I suppose, because in such situations, I tend to discuss the individual’s canine heritage in his maternal lineage. The glass show was more interesting that we thought it would be. We watched several short portions of the show. I found it more interesting than watching demos in Venice/Murano.

 

Itenerary: The itinerary was the itinerary. We have done most of it before, several times, and are familiar with all but St Kitts. St Kitts was interesting and we took an around-the-island tour followed by a bit of time at Frigate Bay. Snorkeling there was not great BTW but better than I thought it would be. We like San Juan partially because I worked there for a short time. Others don’t. We love Orient Beach but some of the folks were scared of the nekkid people. For those that gripe about a few dollars at the specialty restaurants go eat a burger at Orient Beach. We took shelter from a short rain storm at Baywatch and had a good burger, order of rings, and a couple of ice teas which set us back about $34.00. Not complaining because the food was good and the folks are friendly. Just offering a comparison to those I heard complaining on the ship about 20 bucks for Silk Harvest or $5 for the Bistro, for instance.

 

Things that make you go HUH?

 

* The small tables in theatre are gone, which is fine, but the drink holders in the chair arms will not fit any drink that does not come in a long stemmed glass, such as wine or Martini. All the rest you have to hold for the whole show or sit in the floor.

 

* Celebrity continues to put the waffles and pancakes at the end of the line and the toppings and butter at or near the beginning of the line. This sometimes causes great confusion and I saw an argument break out when someone trying to get topping for their waffle was being accused of cutting the line. Just poor planning. This is a tradition that is carried on to the Solstice from the M-class ships. Same for the location of the drink glasses which are usually at the wrong end of the natural traffic at the serving station while the ice and tea/punch etc., are further back and against the flow.

 

* The table tops in the Aqua Spa, the dining area at the rear of the ship, and elsewhere are untreated wood. After a few days there was a grease spot everywhere someone had dropped a portion of their food. Not very appetizing. These should probably be oiled with Tung oil or something similar to avoid showing the grease spots.

 

* The chrome finish on the outside tables and chairs (aft of the Oceanview, for instance) is already noticeably rusting after only 4 cruises. Bet someone is catching heck for that purchase/decorating decision.

 

* The cabin doors sometimes fail to latch. I suspect with a bit of use they will close automatically but until then pull or push them closed to make certain.

 

* The “shopping events” were laughable. The Caribbean shopping event had stuff the dollar store would have rejected. TBN usually buys a piece or two or three of amber but they first forgot there was an amber event and had not started even setting it up at the scheduled time. Then it turned out to be virtually nothing. She was told they ran out but that seems unlikely that they would allow a profit center to be under stocked. Saved us some $$$ so I didn’t complain.

 

* The celebrity loyalty program -- Captains’ Club -- is weak, to say the least. Minimal perks. The coupon books of old have been replaced with a sheet of coupons with far less appeal to us. Internet is the only thing we consistently use and occasionally we get the free specialty coffee IF we eat at one of the premium restaurants. We are tending more and more to take RCCL on the last-minute trips and Caribbean trips. Mostly because of our proximity to Port Canaveral, but also in part because of the C&A Concierge service for Diamond, the hour or two of free drinks and goodies before dinner, and the private computer lounge area as part of their C&A society (Diamond Level)

 

OK this last part seemed a bit crabby so I want to close it the same way I opened this review. We loved the cruise and would return tomorrow if it were possible. Even so there some things that definitely need work. I fully expect that this ship will be much different and much better in 6 months.

 

Debarkation: Ultimately, we chose express disembarkation. There were two conflicting sets of instructions. We didn’t make up our minds until after we finished packing so we initially submitted the paperwork for the normal process. The last paragraph on that page of instructions said something like …or you can choose express disembarkation and walk off with all you luggage anytime after 7:30. In the elevator, I noticed a gentleman with a full page of instructions that were for the express disembarkation. Those said to meet at the theater on deck 5 at approximately 7:20 and you would have to disembark promptly at 7:30. We did that, although it became clear that we could have walked off just about anytime after 7:30 and avoided the long lines and elevator congestion. Customs/passport was painless.

 

We are looking forward to South America in Feb with =X=, and are already dreaming about sailing Solstice or maybe Equinox on another Med trip.

 

Overall, I give it a 9, Dick. It had a great tune but is still a little hard to dance to! ( if you don’t understand this reference, you are just a bit too young!)

 

Hope some of you find this helpful

 

TBN and Hubby

[BAPON]

Great review. Found your comments very balanced and helpful.

[benbess]

Outstanding review!! Many thanks!

 

One little question. When you are on deck do you get any soot or smoke that's annoying from the engines? Only been on M-class where smoke isn't really an issue.

Thanks.

[ellbon]

I so agree. two peopel who knew how to write a fair review. thanks

[luvtocook]

TBN's Hubby--thanks for the great review!!!

Thoroughly enjoyed reading it and actually learned some new things--REALLY???? no blender in Michael's? :eek: We also love Perry!!!!!

Since we are wine drinkers, the drink holders in the theater sound great.

Also appreciated your "HUH" comments, very informative and not crabby at all. I just did a DUH to DH--4 grilled choices at the spa cafe????? We have been on 4 M class sailings, eat there all the time & never knew that!!!!:p

Again thank you!

[Kevin's girl]

Tinybabynurse’s hubby here – Reviewing the 12/7 cruise on Solstice.

 

Overall, I give it a 9, Dick. It had a great tune but is still a little hard to dance to! ( if you don’t understand this reference, you are just a bit too young!)

 

Hope some of you find this helpful

 

TBN and Hubby

So if I got it right away, does it mean I'm old?:o I'm glad to hear you had a good time. I still have just over 2 months to go. I'm so glad you shared your experience and opinions. Thanks so much.

[tinybabynurse]

Outstanding review!! Many thanks!

 

One little question. When you are on deck do you get any soot or smoke that's annoying from the engines? Only been on M-class where smoke isn't really an issue.

Thanks.

 

We have never experienced a problem with smoke in the decks - not on M class or the Solstice.

[tinybabynurse]

So if I got it right away' date=' does it mean I'm old?:o I'm glad to hear you had a good time. I still have just over 2 months to go. I'm so glad you shared your experience and opinions. Thanks so much.[/quote']

 

Old - no way! You are only as old as you feel!

[tally10]

Loved your review. Did you experience a problem with the motion on the ship? I have read several posts mentioning this. We are booked on the Equinox for the transatlantic in November and I am a little worried about this issue. People seem to think it is a design flaw. We had 20+ ft. seas on our last transatlantic on RCCL's Jewel of the Seas and the stabilizers worked great. I have just read several posts mentioning the this and that there seems to be a problem with the stabilizers.

[signman]

TBN hubby. Too bad we weren't sharing a table in Grand Epernay. I had plenty of room at my 8 top that only 2 of us showed up at most evenings. And after seeing my original assignment in the aft wing I did invest the time to get a change. I say this because your experiences and observations seemed to mirror mine. Only I took one look-see at the Aqua Spa Cafe, deemed it inferior to Century's and never gave it a second look. It is good to know now about the grilled options, as I will be back aboard in February.

 

And you have made me very happy by finally mentioning your cabin number, as I have been very interested in the fact that there are at least 2 differing layouts for the inside cabins, and knowing which are which. I have 1100 for my upcoming cruise and totally agree that it looks to be more spacious and user friendly than the standard balcony layout. I am willing now to bet that all insides aft of the forward stairtower are of this same layout which features 2 side chairs instead of the sofa Celebrity states is in every inside cabin.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post your review. I wish our paths had crossed on the ship.

[tinybabynurse]

Loved your review. Did you experience a problem with the motion on the ship? I have read several posts mentioning this. ...I have just read several posts mentioning the this and that there seems to be a problem with the stabilizers.

 

 

We didn't notice enough motion to bothered us but, on the otherhand, our October cruise had two nights with 23+ ft seas so maybe we just didn't pay attention this time. There was a bit of movement on one of the nights, although not a problem. I don't think we had anything approaching 20-ft seas so our experience is not much help.

 

sorry

[dmk]

Loved your review. Did you experience a problem with the motion on the ship? I have read several posts mentioning this. We are booked on the Equinox for the transatlantic in November and I am a little worried about this issue. People seem to think it is a design flaw. We had 20+ ft. seas on our last transatlantic on RCCL's Jewel of the Seas and the stabilizers worked great. I have just read several posts mentioning the this and that there seems to be a problem with the stabilizers.

 

I was on the Dec 7 sailing. I, too, had read all sorts of things about the ship motion and with concern. I do get sea sick. I found no problems with the ship's movement. It didn't move any differently than any other ships I've been on.

I am booked on the Solstice TA in April and don't feel any hesitant any more, now, that I've been on the ship.

It is amazing to me how people make conclusions about malfunctioning stabilizers. How would they know? Why cause a panic amongst others who are booked to take cruises on the Solstice.