The big issue with annoying sounds is that you can never fully ignore them. With ugly visual art, you can at least look away without closing your eyes, but there's no way to "listen away" without wearing earplugs (which are often uncomfortable and should not be necessary in a space that's meant to be relaxing).
I 100% agree, and as someone who struggles with attention due to noise/sound distractions, it is something I really appreciate when sound design has been taken into account. I fully agree that for experiences like these, they should also not be static. Just because an attraction was made in 20xx does not mean it should always exist in that era.
In my experience, wait until the middle or end of the cruise and you’ll get a pretty good deal on a massage combined with a haircut or facial. I did this on my last Celebrity cruise and the employees were thankfully not super pushy.
Egh, you go to the spa to relax and get harassed by staff to get their fancy treatments for the low low price of a large sum of money. I'm sure most of the time people don't want to beauty part of the spa and just want the relax part of it so that sales pitch of beauty stuff sounds painful to listen to.
I'm a travel agent. Last month I took the opportunity to visit and take a ship tour of Celebrity Solstice while it was docked at the Port of Los Angeles. We visited all the public areas (not the Sky Lounge unfortunately, I definitely missed out 🥲) and got to have lunch in the main dining room on our *escorted* ship tour. I thought the ship was absolutely gorgeous inside, and I enjoyed the food and wine I had onboard. However, we were not taken to see any cabins and we did not linger too long in any public area. I can clearly see why after watching this video.
Solstice was due to be refurbished but then Covid happened. I was on Silhouette last year, which was refurbished in Feb 2020, just before Covid, and it was amazing. It looked brand new. The layout of the rooms was the same, but the beds were new and comfortable, and the colour scheme had been updated. Everything else was in excellent condition. Agree about the burgers, though.
Yeah, from what I've seen, Solstice's next major dry dock/refurb is now set for 2026. She did get new soft goods earlier this year (carpets, drapery, linens), but I don't know if it was before or after this review. Hopefully, they fix the water features and the windows in the Sky Lounge. I won't be surprised if the Hot Glass space gets replaced by a grill like they've done on her sister ships.
@@robertsammons1 Plugs on cruise ships are just terrible in general for some reason... you always need a power strip and an extension cord because there's not enough of them and they are in the wrong places.
I actually got to travel on the Solstice, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If I'm recalling, on that trip the captain actually gave an engineering talk on the ship's design, as he had been one of the design leads when it was being constructed (it remains to this day one of the single funniest, most in depth, and easiest to follow engineering talks I've heard to date), so it will always be looked upon fondly in my eyes
You have no idea how genuinely useful these reviews have been for a person who is just getting into cruising. I’ve only gone on the Norwegian Encore so far and really liked it, so I hope you get to review them sometime. Really love your perspective and honesty, keep up the great work
Other cruise bloggers don't really show so much of the wear, tear, and mold here and there on the ships. Thanks for revealing that it's not always so glamorous on the more premium ships.
There are plenty of good travel and cruise channels on RU-vid, but your style of travel reviews is reflected in this video; honest, thorough, a little humor, and filled with hope for what could and/or should be an excellent experience. Thank you
Very thoughtful review and expertly Pitt oftener Vid! My wife and I went on this ship in February and felt just about the same on every level. I HATE the high pressure spa sales and seminars. Your cruise ship review videos are by far the best on YT! Please make more. Would love to see an Edge Class review or a luxury brand like Silver Sea or Viking.
Celebrity needs to improve in so many ways. We will never go on another Celebrity cruise until they start catering to someone besides Joe Sixpack with screaming children.
Just got off the Celebrity Ascent. We were part of her inaugural season and were her first spring break cruise. I absolutely loved every aspect of the ship and it shows that Celebrity puts tremendous care into its ships. We had a behind the scenes tour and got to see how environmentally friendly Celebrity is, which is a plus. I also toured the Equinox and Silhouette (both post-refurb) and they look almost brand new and beautiful. It's almost disheartening to see the condition that the Solstice is in. I know Celebrity has a schedule for designated renovations, but it's painful that this video reflects the cruise lines priority over other ships in the fleet. I'm a huge Celebrity fan and supporter, but the condition of the amenities on the Solstice is borderline disgraceful. Needless to say, love you Celebrity Cruises! 💙
The music commentary made me laugh. My grandfather, who was so particular about his musical tastes that he wouldn't eat at a restaurant if he didn't like the background music, would've jumped ship within seconds of hearing "Blurred Lines", and I have to say I'd be tempted to join him. It's not just cruises, many businesses need to think about their musical choices. Loud, thumping club music and autotuned belting is fine in a club, do we need to hear it while grocery shopping? Get off my lawn! 😆 Time and a place is what I say.
I really like ambient music on cruises when it's done well. There's nothing like sitting and watching the ocean while some calm R&B music plays over the radio
I sailed on her sister ship Reflection in January in a concierge veranda. The cabin looked basically the same as yours, if anything a bit better maintained from what I can see. Otherwise my experience matched yours. Loved the Solarium. One thing worth pointing out is that COVID put Celebrity’s “revolutionize” refurbishment program on indefinite hold and ships like Solstice have missed out (for now, at least). As for food, I enjoyed Le Petit Chef, but Murano was amazing. If you get back on this class of ships sometime I can’t recommend it more.
I agree with everything you said except for, Covid did not do anything. During that time the government mandated lockdowns brought on by media driven fear is what destroyed our economy and the cruise industry. Just wanna make sure you understand where your anger should be directed.
This is a brilliantly-done video! You really didn't hold back on your comments! I was on this ship in January. The lack of maintenance was shocking to me. One thing you didn't mention, perhaps because it has been resolved... When I was aboard, the lawn was in horrible shape. Thankfully, I never heard Gangham Style while aboard. In fact, I don't recall any problem with the background music when I was aboard. It's probably a completely different person selecting the mix now than it was during my cruise. I couldn't agree with you more about the spa! One of the things I really liked about sailing with Viking Ocean Cruises is that their spa experience is actually relaxing and they're not trying to sell you additional services. You're right that the atrium has a very cozy feel to it, and that the food in the buffet was actually pretty good. At a time when a lot of cruise lines are skimping on their buffet, Celebrity Solstice still offers a fairly nice one... especially at breakfast and lunch time. The dinner buffet is less extensive. I really appreciated your video and laughed out loud several different times when your comments cut especially deep!
Thanks so much Jim, I love your videos and I also saw your Solstice review. Sounds like we agree on a lot of the issues, though thankfully the lawn was in better shape when we were aboard. We gotta try Viking next! Thanks again
Having just come off of the Celebrity Millennium (built in 2000) last week doing an Alaskan cruise and having been on the Solstice for a Caribbean cruise back in 2017...there's a huge difference on ships that have gone through the full conversion and retrofits that the Solstice missed out on because of the pandemic. The new stateroom schemes are much lighter and feel a lot more modern...there are a lot more electrical plugs in the rooms and the railings on deck have been replaced. I had previously been on the Millennium back in 2011 and 2013, so there was a huge improvement on the ship felts between then and now. It's unfortunate that the Solstice missed out on that, because it would have presented a better picture to you what their refreshed ships really feel like. It's funny thing you mentioned about the cakes in the buffet...because I had the exact same feeling about them...they almost were like the cakes you get a cheap Chinese buffets. Although, from what I heard from our party, our deck bar burgers were better. We also did the Millennium's version of La Pettie Chef while on the cruise. While the food was good and the animations were fun and whimsical, definitely a one time thing. I still have the glass bowl I made on the 2017 Solstice cruise :)
The Solstice-class and Royal’s Radiance-class are my favorite ship designs in terms of spaces to truly enjoy the ocean. I recently got off a brand new Princess ship, and was disappointed how inward facing it all felt.
it may help that i’ve been watching your content for at least 7+ years now but it is truly a talent that you’ve managed to keep me, someone who both has a fear of cruises and just an overall dislike of the industry, so engaged. i genuinely enjoy your storytelling and commentary style. thanks jake!
synthetic materials don’t last in normal conditions now add the added wear and tear that salt creates and you get this. Crazy to think 100 years ago ocean liners could last well into their 60s
@@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606Ships didn't have that many amenities, and were a lot less refined. They were much easier to maintain simply because there was a lot less going on (plus they were held to a lower standard)
I have never seen somebody with a more genuine hatred of blurred lines in my life and it had me rolling on the floor laughing 😂 I sailed on the equinox several years ago on a seven night Caribbean cruise and I think we got a pretty good deal on it if I remember right and I absolutely loved it. I still have the stuff I made at the Glass works with me. Not sure what condition It is in now, but at that time it was still quite pristine and the food was amazing!
I grew up going on Disney Cruises with my family and we recently switched to doing Celebrity. We've been on the Summit, Edge, and Apex so far and I can highly recommend you try the newer Edge class ships. The Solstice was due for a revolution but that got postponed indefinitely because of Covid and from your video, it looks like it really needs it because the other ships are much higher quality. The Retreat level on Edge class in particular really elevates the experience to that "luxury" level. Being in our mid-20's, my husband and I agree with you on the activities. They definitely need to fill the schedule out with more and higher quality ones. The food, martini bar, and the solarium are the highlights of any Celebrity cruise for us and I hope you get the chance to try the newer ships sometime soon! Either way, please keep making your awesome travel reviews, I really relate to your perspective!
I know this is an older video now, but I recently went on my first cruise with Celebrity on the Summit for a 5 day Bahamas cruise. The weather was poor and we missed a port stop, and despite the Summit being older than Solstice (Yes it was refitted in 2019) I didn't encounter many, if any of the issues you did. It was unmistakably the same cruise line, but it's crazy to me how much different the experience is on a ship to ship basis. There were some issues that needed addressed, like our cabin AC not working upon arrival, and a huge spot in the carpet outside the Ocean View cafe always being wet, but the crew managed these issues like their lives depended on it. The music in particular was almost unnoticeable because it was rather peaceful or classical depending on the location of the ship, which I liked a lot. Decor felt, for the most part, premium and relatively up to date. The ship generally was very clean, and nothing ever seemed to be out of place or broken. I would happily do it again for the right price, which usually isn't a problem with Celebrity because they are always running a sale or promotion of some sort.
Spent 2 weeks on the Solstice back in 2013 and it's a shame to see it in such a state! Glad you also appreciated the layout and public spaces as that was my favorite part of the ship as well. Definitely check out the Edge class if you get the chance though, last year I took a trip on the Apex and it was easily my favorite cruise of the past decade! PS: try the asiago cheese flan if it's still around
My husband and I just got finished cruising on the Solstice to Alaska! We had an amazing time. We had great food accommodations (I’m vegetarian husband is gluten free) and we got the best nights of sleep. We didn’t really mind the outdated cabins or the outlets (we brought an extender). We also had a great spa experience with a couples massage and my husband got a hot stone massage as well. I do absolutely agree with you about the activities and the clientele they cater to. It was definitely not family friendly. Also kind of weird? They had a rubber axe throwing contest which was so odd. And yes, the music was weird. We heard Miley Cyrus like 45 times. I think a lot of the outdoor neglect is hard to combat given the constant bad weather they are fighting. But nevertheless I understand why it concerned you. But the customer service is unbeatable. And the absolute relaxation is priceless.
I worked on this ship in 2013, crazy to see how little has changed outside of a few restaurants. The wear and tear were obviously no where near as bad.
I’ve sailed on the Solstice once and Equinox four times. I agree with your assessment that maintenance is slipping a little on the Solstice class ships. But, all of the new ships feel so encloses compared to Solstice class - and they are generally more expensive to travel on. I’m not willing to pay triple to go on Disney rather than Solstice class. You get what you pay for. And Disney charges an unacceptably high brand premium - just like Disneyland and Disney World. I still think that Solstice class still offers the most luxury per dollar spent, all things considered. I would not be willing to pay extra for Celebrity to do the maintenance that you are discussing and Celebrity knows that most of their customers think similarly.
'The Edge Class ships are antiseptic and generic compared to the Solstice IMO. I feel they are so overrated. I don't like their lack of lounges especially the Sky Lounge. I don't like their decor because it's just generic contemporary and lacks Celebrity signatures they established with the Century class. I don't like the splitting of the ship into classes. Eden is a very casual looking area IMO. There's a lot of open wasted spaces. And the cabins are gray, gray, gray with a splash of color. They look good now but in a few years people will see how boring they are. The theater on them is nice, the four main dining rooms are OK but that whole Grand Plaza area turns really what is the Passport Bar into the Martini Bar and the Martini Bar has lost its chic styling and club feel it has on the solstice Class. Those ships are way overrated IMO.
I love that ship even though it does need updating. I agree 10000 % with you on the ambient music, that is so bad and like you said, very short playlist. I was on an older X ship, Constellation this past holiday, 44 days doing 4 RT cruises out of Tampa. Yes, it was Xmas time, but when standing at the urinal off the Oceanview bar and trying to “ go “ hearing 🎶 Jingle Bells 🎶 in the bathroom was a bit insane.
oh my gosh i was just on this ship! maybe you were there but im so happy you posted a review of it. i was actually thinking about your reviews of other ships while i was on it lol
Victoria is my hometown and I'm glad you enjoyed your visit here. I live a 10 minute walk to where you docked and a lot of ships come here every spring summer and early fall. Thanks for the inside look.
You aren't missing out on much. At the end of the day, it's really just a big hotel and some restaurants that happen to move from place to place and occasionally make you seasick.
I enjoyed seeing the pictures of Solstice in the shipyard. During construction, we were able to tour the half finished ship when she was at the outfitting dock at Meyer shipyards in Papenburg Germany. It was interesting to see some of the areas which usually are off limits to passengers.
I love going on cruises but due to vacationing and pricing , there are just some ships I can’t get to. Thanks to your reviews , I get a realistic, in-depth, and insightful feel of the ship. I am a new subscriber and super excited for your future reviews!
How right you are about the dreadful musac absolutely everywhere on the Solstice. I was screaming by the umpteenth time they played "Let it Snow" and Jingle Bells even after Christmas, in Asia! How good it would have been to have some classical or jazz music for a change. This ship is all about making money. We had a classic drinks package which didn't even cover one glass of basic wine, we were shocked at having to pay over £200 for a drinks package once on board. WiFi was very poor. But the main reason we hated this cruise was that we were SO BORED, particularly on sea days. They cancelled items on their programme without any notification or notice, such shocking poor communication. No enrichment. I could go on and on with examples of why this cruise was so poor but suffice to say, some people love Celebrity and they're welcome to it.
You NEED to try an Edge class Celebrity Ship. I’ve sailed on all of the different classes of Celebrity ships, and the Edge ships are in a different league-both within Celebrity and amongst all cruise lines. Would be right up your alley
I think they aren't half the ship the Solstice class is. They're just new and have light, muted colors. But they lack a lot of the intimacy, class and ship views of the Solstice class. They don't even have a Sky Lounge. Anyway, it's not fair to compare a new ship to one that has been in service for 15 years. Try them out in 2033 to see how they compare with a newer class and we'll see then how they stack up.
Hi my husband and I were on this exact sailing with you. We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise. We were in a higher aqua class and we did not have the exact experience as you. Our room was very clean. I agree the desserts were not good and the Sky lounge is amazing and the cracked windows were very distracting. We are "older" as in our 40's so the cruise may have been to more of our taste. We loved loved our time on the Solstice and would book it again except it is on its way to Asia next year. Wish we could of met you as you are defiantly one of our favorite creators. It was interesting to here your perspective on the ship. This was are 2nd cruise ever and we obsoletely fell in love with the brand. We are just not the right type for Disney. Keep up the great content!
My wife and I getting ready for a cruise on the sister ship, the Equinox on a Caribbean itinerary. We had been considering a California based cruise on the Solstice. Seeing this video, I'm confident in our choice. This explains why the cruise fare was dramatically less.
CELEBRITY EQUINOX was my PERFECT CRUISE! I love it love love it! I are in the Main Dining Room once and it was excellent!!! I had upgraded dining every night - for $25 extra purchased on board. EXCELLENT. I am a Celebrity guy through and through. I agree about decor in room. I thought they updated.
I had a very similar experience on the Eclipse which is a sister ship. We sailed Alaska from Vancouver in 2022. We were on the dreaded deck 6, but aft veranda so actually a great vantage point for all the sights. I managed to contract Covid during the cruise and was quarantined on day 6 of our cruise. I opted to stay on ship for a second week to meet my quarantine obligation. As it worked out, I could have stayed a third week but the dreadful room service food and dated cabin had me escaping after the second week. I know my experience is biased due to my illness but I saw and felt many of the same shortcomings you mentioned. In Celebrity’s defense they did accommodate all the Covid patients very well on our sailing and gave us plenty of options to make the best of a difficult situation. You made light of the Tito’s Vodka in the room frig but it was a lifesaver on that second quarantine week alone. I spent many an hour on the balcony enjoying the Alaskan view and a sip while passing the time!
So I recently did a Reflection cruise in the Caribbean. Exact same experience as you except the food in the specialty restaurants (the Patio/sushi on 5) was rough. We walked out of the Patio. I agree… with a solid renovation these ships could be great. Especially since I’ve been on the renovated infinity and it was beautiful.
Wow. Finally a reviewer who actually makes critical comments. This is really appreciated. I have cruise booked for October on the Solstice. I am seriously thinking of canceling and rebooking on an Edge class vessel.
They are so different but at least a balcony on Solstice IS a balcony. That virtual gimmick is just that...a gimmick. Sadly the same music and dessserts.
Edge class are new. If you love a ton of restaurants and shops, a Grand Plaza that is busier and noisier than the Grand Foyers on the Solstice or Millennium, no Sky lounge, no library, no card room, no music lounges, and gray staterooms, then the Edge is fine. Also, the Edge has the Retreat, a great place to overspend to get prime real estate on the ships. Oh and there's Eden also which is kind of a peaceful-ish place in the daytime and then some mix of theater and pop up music at night. The Solstice are the best class of Celebrity ships IMO. I don't need newest. I like ships that stand the test of time and I don't find anything wrong with the decor on this ship or even the stateroom. Celebrity just needs to take care of some of their ships better.
Repositioning itineraries can be a great introduction to see if you enjoy cruises. For several years before the pandemic, I took an overnight spring repositioning cruise from Vancouver to Seattle with a big group of friends from the Pacific Northwest. Because we had some ins with the cruise line and booked as a group, the cost for an exterior stateroom was less than a hotel and dinner in Vancouver. We sailed on Holland America's Oosterdam each time. While the stateroom decor felt a little dated, everything seemed clean and well maintained. Some of the promenade decks were inaccessible as they were undergoing repainting and deck finishing, but we had the run of the rest of the ship; it was usually under 30% occupancy. Sailing under the Lions Gate bridge at sunset, in the aft open air hot tub was pretty great. The food and service in the main dining room was fantastic.
This review was refreshing. Thanks so much for doing it. I'm going on the Solstice in February. I now know to take a duster and some ear plugs. Oh, and a surfboard for the pool
Celebrity Equinox got a renovation in 2019 and Celebrity Silhouette got a renovation in 2020. Celebrity Solstice was scheduled for drydock in 2021 but I doubt she got more than anything mandatory due to ... well, 2021. 2023 allegedly got her all new linens, and she's scheduled for another drydock in 2026, but it doesn't look like renovations are happening right now, it all seems on hold. If anyone wants to cruise Celebrity they're probably better off with Silhouette or Equinox. I have to wonder whether the ships will see refits or just replacement earlier than scheduled, given the hit this kind of dilapidation causes to the ship's reputation. Too bad, doesn't seem like they'd lose out if they put a little effort into off-season refurbishment, but you can only drag it out so long if you don't.
I'm researching an Alaska cruise and considering Celebrity and have watched this and your video on the Edge like five times each in the last week lol. Honestly that bit about the music is so influential, I keep thinking about it when I look at itineraries with the older ships! You are so right, that's so silly and it really impacts the mood/environment. The best cost/itinerary I've found is on the Summit and I'll probably still put that as my frontrunner... but now I know to always wear a life jacket because if I hear Blurred Lines I'm abandoning ship
We just got off a 10-night Bermuda & Eastern US Sailing on the Summit (which had a full refurbishment in 2019) and I can see a lot of similarities to your experience. The food was the best we ever had and everyone's favorite was also the Indian! I will say the new cabins are MUCH better with plenty of plugs and updated/refined furnishings (a bit small though since its an older ship), but there were a few upkeep things I noticed similar to yours. I definitely agree with the activities as we were pretty much done by 9:30 every night which made sense because probably about 95% of the 2200 passengers were 65+ I'm interested to see what a refurbishment on the solstice would look like.
I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS! I have cruised many times but never on Celebrity and this has been in my cruise bucket list, But after watching this, I am having second thoughts. I’m very surprised to see the condition of the ship and a bit disappointed. Perhaps I will stick with Princess or Royal Caribbean. Thanks for this video! ❤
I sailed the Solstice to Alaska in May of last year and it was so-so... granted it was it's first cruise coming out of being mothballed for C19 but many things were really NOT up to Celebrity standard. Service and food were not great and much of the ship was tired looking. I sailed the Baltic on her twin the Silhouette in 2018 and it was MUCH better as were my other cruises on other older Celebrity ships.
We went on that ship in December. It seems more run down than when we were on it. It's a hard life being a ship! Hopefully, they spiffy it up for Alaska. We'll be sailing with it again this summer. I really wanted to do a Disney cruise, but Celebrity was half the price for a balcony cabin, mid ship, deck 9.
Thank you so much for your spa commentary ❤️. I have never been on a cruise, but I travel frequently and also wonder whether hotel spas are worth it. I have always avoided them, as I assumed the experience would be exactly as you described.
your note on the ships being taken care of is something we always notice. we are Avid Disney cruisers. we just got off the Fantasy doing an Eastern Caribbean, and we always notice that Disney is constantly repainting, fixing, repairing the ships. When we were in San Juan, we were parked next to the carnival jubilee, which is a relatively new ship, especially compared to the Fantasy, and even from port you could see that the carnival ship already looked faded and rust stains. The fantasy was in perfect condition and they spent the day painting the hull.
Just been on the solstice on our first cruise to south east Asia, November 2023,we had an inside cabin and found the ship,cleanliness while a little dated excellent,food fantastic also in ocean cafe(buffet) and Eperney(main dining room)total value £2500 pp for a 12 night cruise including tips and drinks package. Staterooms 8,food 9, public spaces 9,staff 10, bars10, value 10. I picked this cruise solely based and destination’s Hong Kong to Singapore and we spoke to many couples that had cruised many times all over the world on many different cruise lines and were told Solstice is a very good ship to cruise with and we concur 100%. If you want to cruise on a brand new ship with 5 star staterooms and food then there are ships that can offer you this and it will cost a lot more money,but for the money we paid and the cruise as a whole this was a fantastic once in a lifetime experience that ticked every box and enabled us to visit some amazing cities and sample amazing cultures in HongKong/Vietnam/Thailand and Singapore.
I was on Solstice in September. I agree on most points. I thought the ship was way older based on the décor and venues. Atmosphere was lacking and I was hard pressed for activities to do on sea days that didn't involve a sales pitch. It was cleaner than you experienced on my trip, although that same exact window by the entrance of Sky Lounge had the condensation problem nine months ago. 😆I wasn't a big fan of the food in general and yes, the desserts were tasteless. I feel DCL food is better, in my experience. Given that I had a drinks and tip package included I feel I got my money's worth with the fare. I probably came out ahead since I ended up at the bar most sea days from boredom. 😑
I just got off my first cruise. Best way to travel hands down. Voyager of the Seas is ten years older and is in great condition. I literally saw crew members get into small seemingly meaningless nooks and crannies to keep up with the maintenance
I’ve was on the Solstice in Alaska back in 2015 and the ship was in much better condition. We really enjoyed the food and the views from the observatory lounge up front. It’s sad to see how much they’ve neglected her:( Hopefully then can clean her up in the near future!
Was on the Solstice just a couple weeks ago doing the Alaskan Cruise. We've sailed on Celebrity before and immediately noticed the Solstice is need of some upgrading and improvements. Still enjoyed the cruise. Have a cruise in 2024 on the Silhouette which has been upgraded. Seen a video and it looks so much better and what Solstice is in need of.
Just went on explorer of the seas for 2 weeks in Europe and the ship definitely shows its age, but it is over 23 years old and hasn’t been refurbished. So by that standard it looked great. Saw the Reflection docked next to us in port one of the days, it’s a similar size to Explorer
These cruise videos are seriously some of the best content you have made. I look forward to new videos on this channel and BSF more than anything on the platform. The explanation on the topics is perfect with the subtle jokes here and there. The Gangnam style part got me for sure😂😂 Keep it up brother!!
Fantastic, fair review. I'm doing my first Celebrity sailing on the Summit next week, which is one of the most-loved ships (despite its age) in the fleet. A few thoughts on your various comments: I would say that while you're TOTALLY on the mark with comments on the upselling in modern cruiseship spas, the one space I find lovely and worthwhile is the thermal spas. I often will get a pass for the week and enjoy the various amenities with little-to-no staff interaction. I'm not sure I agree that cruise lines are "moving away" from the idea of MDR's, as every ship has them, including the newest Edge class ships. There's obviously an increased emphasis on specialty restaurants, but I don't see MDR's going away anytime soon. Given the overall state of Solstice, I'm kinda shocked that she won't be going into drydock until 2026...
I would really like to hear your thoughts on Royal Caribbean. I've only ever been on Royal Caribbean and Carnival ships and I've pretty much always had a blast, but it would be interesting to hear the thoughts of someone with a more diverse experience, and hear how they compare to these 'nicer' options.
The cruise he mentioned is always problematic for any line - a three day Bahamas. Always seems to attract a party-type crowd, especially on the weekend.
I think that mainly was the issue. Though, the whole ship was a little tired looking if I’m honest. Annoyingly, we paid more for that cruise than this one
@@BrightSunTravels - I used to sail Royal a lot, but in the last year, they’ve started pricing all their ships as if they’re a premium line, but they’re just not. In fact their food has noticeably declined in quality. I’ve been sailing Holland America a lot more lately. I think you would enjoy their latest ship Rotterdam.
I was on this boat when it was brand new for Christmas out of Miami. It was a really nice boat I had a great time in the Caribbean. The solarium fountian shot line rings of water, it was cool running through them like a tunnel
I took my first cruise ever on this ship in February. I honestly didn't notice the maintenance issues and to me felt luxurious, probably because I didn't have anything else to compare it to. Food was spectacular, I liked the large entertainment shows and the crew was top notch. My cruise was also just under half full. I will agree though to NEVER GO TO THE SPA. Decided to treat myself to a massage which was nice but then ruined by a 15 minute lecture on buying their crap. And I took was disappointed by the dessert. But for a 7 night inside cabin for 2 to Cabo it was less than $1000, so it to me was amazing!
I loved this perspective. I’ve been curious about trying Celebrity, but my experience with the impeccable upkeep on Princess and especially Holland America Line ships (it’s hard to believe that HAL’s Oosterdam is 20 years old,) I may be content with my existing preferences 🙂
My family takes cruises on average 2 times per year, and after having sailed in 6 different cruise lines, we settled on celebrity as our first choice. You’re right, they do have issues with maintenance, however, for me personally, this ship engulfs the feeling of taking a luxury ship, with the feeling of being in a large cruise in the perfect way. Food in the main dining hall has always been great, except for 2 instances where we cruised in 2021 and you could easily tell they had cut back. Although my biggest pet peeve is the lack of nightlife
Just got off The Solstice for the second time (Alaska.) The Mast Grill (burgers) was excellent and very popular with long lines and they even ran-out of burgers one day. Maybe the product was bad on your voyage. We had horrible, retched, disgusting fried chicken on ours in the buffet. I agree that that the ship was not maintained very well and is showing its age but that seemed to make it have a classic older feel that oddly seemed to work for us. The ship does have a upcoming remodel planned. My guess is that they are not going to fix-up what is going to be soon replaced. And it was funny that some of the venues were outdated and under utilized. We do love the overall design of the ship, especially if you are focused on the views, scenery and destinations and not the physical surroundings.
Neat!! I'm enjoying your travel channel a lot, keep at it, I hope you can cruise on our dime more and more, you do cruise reviews better than pretty much everyone else.
She's not scheduled for drydock until the first quarter of '26 but no word yet on the level of refurbishment. I cannot believe the condition of those observation windows.
This class was due for a major refurbishment when Covid hit. Clearly they have stopped some needed repairs until they head to drydock. Hopefully that happens soon.
Currently on it with a colleague of mine. Super disappointed that I can go to any of the bars or even the casino. I just turned 19, and back in Ontario I'd be an adult. Here, I'm treated like a child. Almost everything is 21 and up. Excited for today though. We are a few ours away from Icy Straight Point, and have a hiking trip booked. I'll tell ya'll later if I enjoyed it
What a great review! I cannot agree more with your comment about music. We have been on two cruises recently, On silhouette there was a discjockey playing the kind of music I call Bitxx Fxck My Asx. Unbelievable! Even in resting areas screaming music and when I spoke to one of the officers, well, he agreed with me. I think that Celebrity is confused what they clients want and who they are. The Solstice class is basically fine, but we made the mistake to take a cruise on Infinity- and that is quite another thing. Everything that is wrong with Celebrity, is much worse there. Idiotic that breakfast closes at 9.00 at the main restaurant and that at the buffet, they are always busy CLOSING instead of offering constant choice.
This was a very well don and important review. I did a solo transatlantic on the Edge and loved everything about it. I'm trying to book an Alaska cruise for my wife and I and am being told that both the Edge and the Solstice are equally rated. I'm thinking now that the Edge is better.
I just got off the Celebrity Reflection a couple days ago, and I think the Reflection is the best of all of the Solstice class ships, because when I was on there I could see hints of the upcoming Edge class ships but still with a Solstice class body. To be honest I actually kinda enjoyed the dated interior and stuff as it felt really nostalgic, especially the Celebrity iLounge, and some of the lounges going up the main elevators, it felt like you were living in one of those Fruitger Aero videos LOL.
