My (Very Honest) Review of CELEBRITY SOLSTICE - Not What I Expected
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 มิ.ย. 2024
- I give my very honest review of Celebrity Solstice and tell you why this ship wasn’t what I expected. I review the ship, food, entertainment, ports, and service. I tell you about Murano, Le Petite Chef & Family, Tuscan Grille, Blu, and Luminae onboard Celebrity Solstice in my brutal and honest review.
For help booking your next trip with my official travel partner: travelwithzach.com/
Celebrity Solstice is the first in the Solstice Class of ships. I previously sailed on Celebrity Equinox, a sister ship to the Solstice, and have been on multiple Edge series ships. Celebrity Cruises is one of my favorite cruise lines, but where will Celebrity Solstice rank in the list of my favorite cruise ships across all of the cruise lines?
I look forward to sharing this cruise experience onboard Celebrity Solstice with you - including a full ship tour, cruise review, specialty dining, food review, shore excursions, and more! This cruise will call on Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán, and Puerto Vallarta.
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#celebritycruises #celebritysolstice #cruise
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I’ll be on Solstice in 2 years, going across the Pacific for 17 days from Sydney to Honolulu. Sounds fantastic.
That’s an amazing itinerary. I was eyeing that one for all of the cool stops. Plus the ship, of course!
We just recently went on the sister ship, the celebrity reflection and that was by far the best cruise we ever went on. We have gone on many royal cruises and carnival cruises but this was so much better. The service is top notch and so is the food.
Hi, David. Thanks for sharing this. So glad you enjoyed your first Celebrity experience!
Good to hear this. I'm booked on the Reflection to the ABCs in January for my 60th. Really looking forward to it.
Daughter and I were on the Reflection when there were only 800 guests, one of my best cruises ever!
Try Regent Seven Seas. You’ll never want to sail on any other cruise line.
Very informative, thanks. We're moving on from Carnival. This vlog helped a lot 😁
What an amazing video, thank you for a useful review. Going on it in December around Thailand and Vietnam can't wait.
Thanks for watching! I’m jealous of that itinerary. Should be amazing.
Thanks Zach for the review!
We will be on the Solstice on April 1st for a California coastal cruise.
Looking forward to it!
Oh you’re going to have a great time. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for the review! We are taking this trip next week. It will be our first time on Celebrity. Your video has gotten us very excited!
Hope you enjoy it! I’m so glad the video helped pump you up.
Couldn’t agree with you more Zach! I’ve sailed on Solstice 3 times and it’s always fantastic…in fact, feels like home after a while. Great video and love the STEPS reviews, I always look forward to those 🇦🇺👍
Thank you, Natasha! So glad you love Solstice and glad you enjoyed the video.
Great review! We are sailing on the solstice to Alaska in 6 weeks. Can’t wait.
Have a great time!
Hi Zach, as usual great ship review. You make it easy for cruises to make choices when deciding to take a cruise. Thanks again
Thank you! So glad you enjoy them. I guess I’ll make a few more. :)
Please keep them coming, very honest and informative
Thanks Zach for that great review. Makes me feel very comfortable now as I am cruising her in Alaska in August 😀
Hope you enjoy it! Should be a great cruise. Thanks for watching!
Another great video, Zach! We're glad that you had an excellent experience on a Solstice class ship. It's our favourite (we like the World Class Bar and don't like the infinite window ...and we haven't been on Beyond). We trying our first B2B on Celebrity soon and looking forward to it.... It snowed this morning where we live.... Miami, here we come!
Thank you! A B2B sounds amazing - currently writing this on a 20°F morning and could really use some nice tropical weather. I hope you have a great time.
So happy for this review. I'm sailing on Solstice to Alaska in August, and it's good to know you had a good experience!
You’re going to have a great time. Thanks for watching!
I'm leaving on the solstice next month. I'm so excited!!
We have sailed on the Solstice twice and loved it both times. We did Aqua the last time and loved Blu. The crews were wonderful. Food excellant. I am handicapped, and staff was always helpful..
So glad you enjoyed Solstice! We enjoy all the different classes of Celebrity ships (sailed Summit, Equinox, and 2x on Edge) and we're looking forward to Beyond next. Hope we cross paths with you someday!⚓🚢
I hope so too. And hope you enjoy Beyond!
So glad I found your review. I'll be on the Solstice for an Alaskan cruise May 3rd. Murano is the one specialty dinning I've booked also!
Have a great time!
Thanks Zac. Great review. REALLY looking forward to sailing on the Solstice for May 2023 Alaska in a suite, so great to hear about Luminae. Great to hear the ship is in great repair in general as I was a little worried since she was supposed to be “revolutionized” during the pandemic and was not. Have sailed with Celebrity many times (not Edge class) and have always have great service, great crew, and fantastic ships. One of our favourite cruise lines.
Thank you for watching! Enjoy your cruise - coming up so soon. You’ll love Solstice, I’m sure!
We had the same hesitations going into our Infinity sailing last August but we had an amazing time as well! While the ship was dated, the crew and celebrity were incredible. Great video as always!
Thank you so much!
I don't find the Infinity outdated. It's retro-modern style is classic, classy and timeless in many aspects. All ships are dated. The newest ships in 8 years will be dated in terms of their tech and style content as being ships done in the early to mid 2020s. Ships don't stay "new" and "latest" for very long, just a few years.
Hi Zach, another great cruise review! Glad to hear you enjoyed the solstice ship, even though she has not been revolutionized. Celebrity offers such great food, entertainment and service that you're able to look past the esthetics of the cabins. I would be interested to sail in a solstice class in the near future. 😊
Happy Travels!!
I think you’d like it. Thank you for watching!
Thank you Zach! I’ve been wanting to try Celebrity. I don’t mind an older ship as you have described Solstice it sounds lovely. Newer doesn’t always mean better(your infinity window conundrum). Happy cruising!
I highly recommend Celebrity!
Great review Zach. We're advid Celebrity cruisers. Just got off the Equinox a few weeks ago and back on the Apex this summer to the British isles. We're doing our first Alaska cruise in 2024 on the Soltice . Good to hear such positive feedback.
Apex in the British isles sounds amazing. Enjoy that and thanks for watching!
Thank you! I just booked Solstice for my Asia cruise for March 2024. I was also worried about it not being renovated or updated. I decide to do Aqua Class on your recommendation. Looking forward to more vlogs!
That’s going to be an amazing cruise. Thanks for watching!
Sailing on Solstice in 2024 to Vietnam and Thailand in a suite. Can’t wait and even more so now after your review!
Man that sounds amazing! Quite jealous. Hope you have the best time and I’m sure you will.
I'm taking Solstice in 3 weeks to Alaska. My first time on Celebrity. I'm so stoked. I enjoyed your video.
You're going to love it. Have a great time!
Thanks Zach,, Subscribed,, looking forward to my cruise to alaska this sept,,, but its MAAA ZET LAAAN,,, lol
Great review! I just booked us for Aquaclass on Solstice for a Hawaii cruise April 2024. Your review is fabulous! Thanks!
Hope you enjoy it!
We'll be on there, too! Are you continuing on to Alaska?
I have a cruise on the Solstice in June! I was nervous, but now I'm so looking forward to this. I liked the Reflection too
I hope you have a fantastic time!
How did it go
We love Celebrity Edge class ships. We have sailed on the Solstice to Alaska.
We have a Hawaii cruise booked on her in Aqua class in 25. We are very excited for this one. Thank you for the information!
Have fun!
Great review! I was on Apex for Christmas and am booked on Solstice for Alaska. Several Apex crew members got almost misty-eyed when I mentioned Solstice. It’s a crew favorite, too!
We sailed on Solstice to Alaska. It was wonderful. Enjoy!
That’s so cool! Both ships have amazing crew. Thanks for watching. Enjoy Solstice!!!
Fantastic! We are RC loyalist but decided to do Celebrity in March ‘24 headed to Vietnam and Thailand, leaving out of Hong Kong. We booked Murano and Tuscan Grill. I am now so excited! Thank you!
Have fun! What a great itinerary.
Just booked Solstice to Alaska in 2024. I was nervous for the same reasons you mentioned, but your video made me feel so much better!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
@@ZachtheTravelingMangoing on the Solstice in 3 weeks… any updates?
I have to agree that the "feeling" one gets in that first hour aboard can really impact your entire cruise. A few years back, I was on Norwegian Escape and, for inexplicable reasons, she just didn't give me the positive vibes I usually get upon boarding a ship. And while I've never had a bad cruise, I would say that was my least enjoyable.
Very useful. Iam planning to Cruise in the Solstice and My fears were "what if it looks too old", you grave me a new perspective. Thanks!
My first cruise with Celebrity was on Solstice. Of course, then I was hooked. Loved Murano on Solstice and ate twice there - lunch and dinner. An exceptional ship.
Good to know she’s still in good shape sailed on her 2018 and will be again in 2024 , having sailed on apex last year , I did like the cabins and the smaller main restaurants on apex but I think the bar areas and the flow of the ship is better on the solstice
Hi Zack I was on the Solstice right before you and you are spot on everything! It’s a wonderful ship and the crew are amazing! But not a very warm itinerary.
Totally agree!
Hi Zach, so glad you got to enjoy Murano. Have had wonderful dinners at this specialty restaurant on Solstice, Equinox, and Century (home of the first Murano for Celebrity). Thanks for another awesome video. Cheers 🚢😎
Thanks for watching! Can’t wait to go back to Murano.
Excellent Review!!!
Thank you kindly!
Ocean view buffet has the best lay out of any other cruise line I have sailed with. The selection is outstanding. Since I live on the west coast I took advantage of the Solstice already 2 times, and will go on the Eclipse also, already booked on her in November, before she will sail away.
How awesome! Great place to sail from as well. Hope you enjoy the Eclipse!
We went on Equinox in April 24, Southern Caribbean (impressed with Celebrity!). We'll be taking Solstice to Alaska in 25 - can't wait!!
Glad to see Zach enjoyed the Solstice. There is a caveat though. Crews are constantly rotating and changing and maybe chefs too from one ship to the next. So, on any ship you can get great service and food on one sailing and a few months later, or even weeks later, the service level and food can drop. Same thing with entertainment. Not sure why the oldest of the Solstice class ship was best maintained but maybe it had something to do with when she had her latest dry dock. And, it is true that nothing about a newer ships means better food or service other than the cruise line may have put its best crews and personnel on the newer ship.
I like the Solstice ships. The Edge ships are incomplete for my style of cruising. YMMV. But I can say for sure having sailed with Celebrity since the mid 1990s that the Solstice is more of a definitive Celebrity cruise experience. Edge may be the beginning of Celebrity's future or not. We'll have to see. But I do think the Solstice is premium and charming as is the Solstice class in general. And romantic.
Thanks again Zac. Glad you have reinforced our decision😊
I hope you have a great time. Thanks for watching!
Really good (and balanced!) video, Zach. I've only cruised on Silhouette and really enjoyed it, but I want to try EDGE class so badly now to see how they would work out. My only gripe with Celebrity is their solo fares - they're just SO steep for cruisers from the UK!
They are quite expensive and getting even more so here lately! I hope you get on one soon. Thanks for watching!
This guy is very good at explaining
Thanks for this. First cruise ever coming up this Summer on the Solstice. Sounds like I booked a few specialty restaurants (Murano, Tuscan & Le Petit) correctly!
Hope you enjoy it! Solstice is a great ship for a first cruise. And those restaurants are all amazing.
BTW, I was on Equinox in Oct and Dec. Loved it. Half of the cruise is the cruise and activity director. Loved them both. Can't wait to get back with
Eddy on the Eclipse in May. He is an amazing cruise director, Pete was good too, but I preferred Eddy. Mark the activity director on both cruises was amazing. Don't know when I'll meet up with him again.
I consistently appreciate your videos, you honesty, and how you present with the categories. Because I am a Retreat guest, I appreciate your inclusion of Luminae. In the future, please request a time in the clubs, like the Retreat Lounge or Michael's Club. Our next up is Edge in the Mediterranean. We all hope for a 5 rating for our cruises. I thought about that for my previous Apex, and I came up with a 4.7 for our experience. Having the Retreat Lounge and Luminae always available probably pushed up my score, although I also enjoyed Blu. Not to mention that the Sky Suite is about 50% bigger than a standard cabin, and I enjoy the more standard balcony. Our daughter, however, loved her Infinite Veranda. Thank you. I have to keep the Solstice in mind for our future cruising!
Thanks for watching! I always enjoy the taste of the Retreat I get when I’ve visited with friends who are staying in a suite. I definitely need to book in one sometime and get the full experience.
@@ZachtheTravelingMan You should. But even if you don't, I appreciate glimpses into the different ships Retreat, Michaels Club, Retreat Deck, etc. Obviously the different class ships have very different accommodations. Thank you. It's a pleasure watching!
The new glasses look terrific!
Thank you!
Thank you for the review. My husband and I will be taking a South Pacific cruise on the Solstice in October 2024. It's a repositioning cruise so is a surprisingly imexpensive. We will be in a cabin with a balcony. We have cruised with several other cruiselines before, but it's our first time with Celebrity. So excited!
Hi, myself and my partner will be on the same cruise in October and looking forward to it.
Love the black glasses! Super chic. We just cancelled our Mediterranean cruise on the Reflection and we're disappointed, rather sad actually. But, we have the Beyond, Apex and Silhouette coming up so looking forward to those. Maybe we'll sail the Solstice to Alaska. We're moving closer to Seattle this summer so we'll be able to drive to Vancouver and Seattle. I agree she's charming. Thanks, Zach
Thank you! She’d be a great ship to cruise Alaska. Sorry to hear about Reflection but the ships you have booked sound great also.
We cancelled for a good reason. I got a fantastic job offer, really happy about it, just couldn't make the Reflection work this summer.
Just did the Solstice last week. Slightly different itinerary, we only went to Cabo and Mazatlán, then our 3rd port was San Diego. I think I would have preferred your route as it would have given 1 extra day in the warmer climate, because as you said, it was cold once you got north of Cabo. While on the ship, I used your exact same word to describe the ship, it is super charming. I loved this ship, the size, the ambiance, everything. It is my favorite ship I've sailed on. Couldn't agree more with you, if you can get on this ship, do it, you won't be disappointed!
So glad you enjoyed it too. Thanks for sharing!
My wife and I did 4 cruises, 3 with Celebrity and one with Holland-America. And when it comes to service, the difference is, that when you ask staff members "Please jump for me" , a Celebrity member will ask "How high?" and a HAL member will say " Why?"
I will be taking my 3rd Solstice cruise since October 2022 onApril8th-15th. It's my favorite ship. The staff are amazing and service is fantastic!
I’m so jealous but glad you love her too!
I’m glad you had a good time on Soltice. We got off Celebrity Constellation on March 17. It was a horrible experience. The ship itself is in terrible condition. None of the decks are even. Rust was everywhere. Fully 1/3 of the coffee and water stations did not work. Public restroom sinks were not working. Every night we were treated with the stink of sewer in the bathroom and our cabin. The beds and loveseat were concave. The stateroom was worn out. For some reason there was a closet like rail running the length of the cabin over the bed. It was delaminating. The ice bucket was just a metal pail with no insulation and no lid. The cabin was so dusty you could write your name in the lampshades. The balcony was filthy and the rail’s varnish was just gone. The balcony below us was flooded the entire cruise. The curtains were light filtering and full of holes. The bed pillows were half the size of a standard pillow. Stateroom carpet was filthy as were hallway carpets. Food was hit or miss. Some of it was so salty it was inedible. Needless to say, we scratched Celebrity off our bucket list.
So sorry to hear you had a bad experience with Celebrity. :(
I think you were on the same cruise as me and my wife, February 18-25th 2023. I am pretty sure that was the couple that caused us to leave port late, (17:25 in the video). Anyway thanks for a great video. We thoroughly enjoyed our time on the solstice on that cruise as well.. Cant wait for the next cruise.
That was my cruise! Glad you also enjoyed the cruise. Thank you for watching!
I’ve been waiting some what impatiently for another video from you regarding Solstice and thrilled to finally see it post! My daughter and I will be going on the 15 April cruise which is Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and then San Diego. I’m curious since State Dept has put Mazatlan on the Do Not Travel list if we will still stop there?
I think that’s been in place for a while. You’ll still stop there. Just be mindful as you would in any other port. I hope you have a great time!!
Great review Zach I'm Elite + on Celebrity, 21 cruises with them. They never give
Me a reason to leave😊
I love them also! Can’t wait until my next one. Thanks for watching, John!
Great and so informative TH-cam’s! Who was your Murano waiter?
Thank you so much!
We are booked on the Solstice in August going to Alaska. Haven’t cruised in 20 years but the deal was incredible and I’ve always wanted to see Alaska.
I’m going to Alaska for the first time next month. I hope you have a great time on Solstice!
One of our best meals at sea was in Murano (Silhouette), yes I had the lobster! Have you ever considered doing a live stream to address questions? I know it would be informative and entertaining!
Thanks for watching! I’ll have to consider doing a Q&A livestream at some point.
NOT SURE if you remember me mentioning in one of your streams saying I prefer the Soltice Class ships and the M Class ships...
I am sure you now know what I am talking about.
That is why I am booked on the revolutionized Reflection.
And because of the review of the food and entertainment....I will keep my reservation in place.
I am boarding the Reflection Sept 21 cruise out of Barcelona in Aqua Class.
Would have liked to see the food in the Ocean View Buffet for LUNCH.
You really need to do the New England Canada Cruise that stops in Quebec over night.
Hi Zach… Going to watch this video now… We are getting on the celebrity silhouette on March 27 so I am very interested in what you have to say about the solstice… Thanks for all you do!!🚢
Thanks for watching! Have a great cruise.
@@ZachtheTravelingMan thank you much 😎🚢😎
Great video Zach, but you’re a tough grader! You rave about the ship, the food, the entertainment, etc. but end up only giving a 4 out of 5. Glad you weren’t my teacher in school LOL. Sailed on Solstice many years ago, happy to see it’s still holding up so well.
Nothing is ever perfect haha. You know I really LOVED something and things were above and beyond when I give a 5.
IMO, it's a relatively young ship. I'm old-school. Ships should last 40 to 50 years so a ship 12 years old is relatively young IMO. Just with all these new ships coming out people expect ships to be in new condition. That's just not practical. They should be well maintained, but they're going to show wear after just a few years in service.
I'm going 2 Alaska dis summer n I am so elated about ur review. I, too, was thinking it was gonna b sub par, bcuz of her age, i am excited now. Dis being my 1st cruise ever, i didn't do any research, i went on da website n booked it. I just learned days ago, dat i shouldv'e done Glacier Bay Nat'l Park or Hubbard, but it's late in da game, n i don't wanna lose a cent, so...Alaska here we come!!! N we'll make da most of it!!! Thank u.
Enjoy the Solstice and Alaska! You will have a great time regardless of the itinerary.
Heading to vietnam in February on Solstice
Have a great time! That’ll be amazing.
I’ll be on board in just a couple weeks! This is such good news! Our first Celebrity sailing. 🎉
I hope you have a great time!
Always enjoy your honest opinion about Celebrity. I felt that Blu should be open until 10AM for breakfast and always let them know when cruising Celebrity. I feel they try and push people to the buffet for breakfast so as to not waste food. In the future would love to know how you managed to dine at Luminae several times. It for suite guest only so believe you have a secret for getting a reservation.
My “secret” is going with friends. If you are invited by a suite guest you can dine at Luminae and not be in a suite. There is a charge for the guest not staying in a suite. But it’s a great way to get to try it out. Other than that there is no way to dine there unless you’re staying in a suite. Thanks for watching!
I agree with your thoughts on Solstice just completed my first cruise ever and chose south east Asia and loved the ship, cleanliness, staff,stateroom, food quality,entertainment great, bars great especially the martini bar. I agree that the basic Wi-Fi is poor, I purchased an e sim that gave me data coverage inc Wi-Fi calls which cost me £10(13 dollars) for 3gb worked well. But this cruise and ship for us was 10/10 for great value and I would definitely recommend.
Thanks for sharing!
Great review. We were on this ship and itinerary just before you were and loved the ship as much as you did. The Riviera cruise is one of the few West Coast cruises we have to choose from and the time of year is really important if you want a warmer cruise.
The Pacific ocean (unlike the Atlantic) is very cold. The highest temperature is in the mid 70s for a brief time in the middle of summer. This is why the California climate is so temperate and not humid. If you cruise when the water has warmed a bit it's much nicer at sea. The first day is always on the cooler side though.
Unfortunately other than the Riviera we really only have Panama Canal to Florida (longer), Hawaii (also longer) , Pacific Coastal and Alaska. If you want a quick getaway the Riviera is it! 😂 Unfortunately it appears the Solstice is abandoning this itinerary this year so our opportunities to sail on her again will be limited. She's a great ship!
Thanks for watching! I’ll definitely do more cruises out of Southern California because it was such an easy and quick embarkation process.
@@ZachtheTravelingMan the San Pedro terminal is pretty amazing!
👀 I spy the Murano soufflé. I had that on my Reflection sailing and it was like eating a cloud. Sooo good! I had the venison as my entree (had never had it before) and it came out great. Agree on the service, it was top notch and I left an extra tip on top of the auto-gratuity. I also went to LPC and would definitely consider that a one-and-done. I'd repeat Murano on a future cruise for.
That soufflé was so good! Murano was amazing and I can’t wait to try it again. Thanks for sharing and for watching.
Hi , have done all the solstice class ships all have been great no disappointment. Leaving in 2 days for second time on the equinox. Was supposed to be on it right after being revolutionalized but because of covid had to postpone till now.
Hope you have a great time!
We were on a RC to those three ports at the end of February. In fact, we boarded in a driving rainstorm and 70 MPH winds. Trust me, you didn't miss much in Mazatlan.
You must’ve boarded the day I got off the ship. Crazy weather in L.A.! I hope you had a great cruise.
Will be on Solstice to Asia in Nov 😊
Have a great time!
Aw! You missed out by not going to "Maz et Lawn" a.k.a. Mazatlan. lol I have been 23 times and every single time over Valentines Day in February. I love it. It is also the shrimp capital of the world. Beautiful beaches, amazing weather, wonderful people, interesting history and .......the shrimp. You didnt mention Puerto Vallarta at all? Didnt your ship stop there? and/or Ensenada? I think you need to do another cruise through the Mexican Riviera, because you really didnt experience it if you missed two of the 3 ports. How were the pools? hot tubs? hanging out on the ship deck during the day? The movies? The bars? The drinks? You left so much out of what could have been a really thorough review.
Thanks for the video - it's very informative. May I know the name of the port that you saw the seal (most wildlife you have seen)?
Have fun.
I've been on RCL, Princess and MSC the past year. I've found food has suffered a little bit across the board. With prices rising for everything I think this is going to be the reality in order to keep fares affordable at least until something like fuel gets back in line. Looks just like the Equinox which I had a great time on a few years ago.
Good point. Thanks for watching.
hey Zach - Wondering if I should cruise Alaska on The Edge or Solstice - Thinking of the retreat. Any thoughts?
Great review... u earned a like and sub!!! I'm literally booking for this weekend now... how's the demograph of ppl, more singles, couples or family??? And any advice im booking the balcony veranda... am I able to add premium wifi while on board, also I was wondering about the aqua upgrade??? thanx
Thanks for the sub! You'll generally find and older demographic of couples and singles. Not many kids. However, it is currently Spring Break in the United States so expect more families onboard. Check on MoveUp on Celebrity's website for the Aqua upgrade and you can definitely upgrade to premium wifi once you are onboard. Have a great time!
Aqua is extremely popular and our class of choice. IMHO Blue has it all over Laminae. We are sticking with the edge class for many reasons but we do have the Eclipse for the Greenland trip, its good to hear the S class is still worth doing. Aqua class is the best value on Celebrity.
You’re definitely right about that!
🎉❤GREAT video
Thank you 🤗
There is nothing better than a well-maintained older ship. Brand new ships just don't have the same soulful feeling to them as ships that have lived a little.
Very true! They have that classic feel to them.
I have been on the Solstice 3 times the South Pacific & Alaska will be on her sister the Eclipse next month I'll be interested to see what has changed our ships have only been here this season since the shut down. Off on Ovation of the Seas on Thursday to Tasmania.
I hope you enjoy Eclipse! She’s on my list for next year. As is Australia on Edge. Hope you enjoy Ovation and Tasmania!!!
Great video Zach. Quick question, for anyone I guess. Can you trust the laundry staff to read the labels on shirts? Silk, linen specifically. I’m doing a 13 day transatlantic in April and with my CC I get a discount. However I don’t want my shirts to be destroyed because they did not follow the directions. Thanks in advance.
I would think they would be very careful to launder your clothes by instructions on the labels. Write a note on the “order form” you put on the bag of laundry so they’re extra diligent with it.
Good idea thanks
Love it
Zach you HAVE TO TRY REFLECTION. the absolute best of the solstice class ships
I cruised the Reflection and found it much more crowded than the other Solstice class ships. They added another deck, as well as more Sky Suites but kep the common areas the same size. So we had to wait longer for a table in Luminae.
I want to! It’s definitely on the list.
@@ljacobs357 I disagree Reflection is the best. Cutting out some of the Sky Lounge, deleting Quasar and some weird alterations to the Martini Bar are all negatives IMO. It's great but I like others better.
were is your blue ship deck wall
art from?
what time did they give you to Board? I was told to be there at 11:30, but I was going to get there early.
My check in time was 11. Arrived at 10:20 and they let me in and boarding began promptly at 11. They don’t really check the time.
Dinner buffet looks kind of bare in the video. Was this a reduced capacity sailing?
No carving stations or hot entrees? Looks like a lot of junk food carb heavy stuff..
Pizza bread sugary desserts. Did you see any healthy options besides salad? On
long excursion port days we sometimes come back very tired and go to buffet for
quick easy and reasonably healthy. Will still try this lovely ship out. Great video!
The video clip I show where there is nothing on the buffet was taken after hours when it was closed. They do have plenty of hot entrees and always a carving station. Plenty of salads and fruits and veggies and other healthy options as well. Thanks for watching!
After having cruised all three Celebrity classes of ships, I much prefer the Solstice class ships over the Edge class ships. As for food and service, I haven't found the Edge class to be superior. I feel their new ships are just too much for my style of crusing.
Makes a lot of sense now that I’ve been on Solstice. Thanks for sharing.
I find the Edge ships lacking. There's a sense of romance and intimacy lacking plus physical areas like an observation lounge, library, card room and either Rendezvous or Ensembles lounge. They're also, I don't know, gray and pale. Maybe if they didn't make a separate retreat area that's so large and isolated they could have put some more into certain aspects of the Edge ships. I even don't like on the Solstice class ships that Michael's isn't available. As a piano bar it was great.
Want a Greek Italy and maybe Spain cruise sept 2024...saw a equinox...silhouette...ncl epic or rc odyssey???
I’d say either of the Celebrity ships. I love sailing Celebrity in the Mediterranean. And the Greek isles are not to be missed. I have a great travel advisor contact if you want it!
We loved the Solstice too. Enjoyed the facilities and the size of the ship. I have heard that celebrity is following the trend of other cruise lines in restricting prime areas of their newer ships to higher paying customers. So much of the lawn club and their fabulous forward bar is restricted access. I find that very off putting as I am not prepared to pay twice as much just to get access to these areas that were once open to all.
The Lawn Club isn't restricted at all, other than 6 cabanas you can rent out there. The forward bar on Solstice doesn't yet exist, so that area is still open to the public. For now! Thanks for watching.
@@ZachtheTravelingMan Thanks, I am glad the Solstice hasn't changed. I had heard that the edge class ships were going to have more areas closed off for the higher paying customers. 🙂 Interesting to see all the places she cruises, ours was from Auckland NZ to Sydney Australia.
@@Heather_T The Edge class has class division just like the NCL ships with the Haven do. The Edge class takes away the Sky Lounge and puts Luminae up there in its place. So, if you are not a suite passenger and want to see forward facing ocean views, go to the gym or see them somewhere else. They also have the foreward deck spaces with villas and such. Celebrity is going the class division route with this ship, the whole so-called "ship within a ship." I don't like this direction one bit. Royal Caribbean seems to be saying that's the direction of the industry so, we'll see.
I was just on the Constellation in Feb. I found that Celebrity isn't using Starlink all the time. How could I tell? When it was on Starlink I could access my TV package in the US without using a VPN. When the ship connected to someplace else I couldn't access things that required a VPN, because it now said I was out of the country. Once back on Starlink things worked perfect, For my European cruise this summer I will download a VPN just in case. Not sure if I need it for my Hawaii cruise. I have not been on the Soltice, but it was given a top rating by Forbes. I was surprised as it is an older ship. They haven't had any destinations I like, so we'll see if I ever get on there. Going on Apex this summer, my first Edge class ship.
Thanks for sharing this. Very interesting to know about your VPN issues and StarLink. Hope you enjoy your first Edge series sailing! Love Apex!
Did they give you their best room perhaps? Knowing you will critique? Im looking to book this cruise but worried about bad reviews. Wow best service? - are they compensating for a bit of an old ship? We want to do the Sydney to Hawaii cruise
They did not give me any room. I paid for and selected my room like anyone else would. I’m not sure what the other reviews say, but I had great experience with the service. The ship is older but very well maintained.
@@ZachtheTravelingMan thanks Thats good news - I just wondered if you got a better room. Even by accident?
I've never been on Celebrity before but this is a really interesting itinerary from Sydney. We dont tend to have very high expectations usually just clean and good service - so this may work for us?
We are not interested in food because we find most airline and boat food terrible but is there an advantage in being in the aqua class for the activity facilities? Im interested to hear your opinion. The trip we are thinking of doing is 18 days (3 of shore)
I want to book last minute Alaska but am worried the dogsled/glacier excursion may be sold out, how can I find out before I actually book on Celebrity Solstice?
You probably want to give Celebrity a call and see if they can give you that information.
What about puerto vallarta? You did not mention stop there.
Loved Puerto Vallarta and just walked around the port area. I’ll have a video of all the port stops out very soon.
I'm thinking of going on my first Celebrity cruise aboard the Solstice. But I've read that there are many areas that are "exclusive" and restricted certain classes, e.g. "aqua class". I have zero class, so would I enjoy this cruise as much as you obviously did? I wouldn't have access to any of the exclusive dining areas.
You will enjoy it regardless of what room, or class, you’re staying in. Celebrity has a great cruise experience available to anyone regardless of room category.
I've been charged 2 times for excursions that i went to buy from their excursion desk for my sister & myself.
Question. Does the Basic WiFi include You Tube watching?
Unfortunately if you want to do streaming you’ll have to get the premium package.
Which did you like better of the older ship, Solstice or Reflection? I liked Summit and I want to go on an edge class but...baby steps. 😂
Reflection! I think she’d be a good middle level transition ship between Summit and Edge class.