The Celebrity Solstice - a great lady of the seas

Sailing with a group on the Solstice

I am a travel agent who accompanied a group of 44 people on the new Celebrity Solstice in March 2009. Here is my review classified the ship.

Boarding: A +. We arrived at the bus terminal at Port Everglades at 12:15 clock. By 12:45, all 44 passengers were checked and the ship. The board is very open, with lots of windows that run almost without lines. Upon receipt of the ship, we were in a certainGlass of champagne or a mimosa.

Ship: B +. This ship is a beauty. E 'elegant, with soft colors and warm colors. The public areas are for the most part very good. We liked the fact that bridges culture and walk through the most alternate entertainment and restaurants instead. E 'was fine with everyone on the two bridges.

The theater was very nice, but there are some seats that were obstructed by columns. In addition, there are not enoughSeating for all passengers who wanted to see the show starts. While the lifeboat drill, we asked the employees of the celebrities, as many passengers filled the theater and instead has been said, 1600 with the entire back of the theater with people standing. Although this seems more than half of the passengers, the reality is viewed by several hundred people to a show I do not see feasible.

The only complaint our group has had with the ship layout was the fact that there islifts the stern. It was a very long way for passengers who had room to the rear of the ship.

The Lawn Club again showed signs of wear. While this is a new feature on a ship, it is actually wasted space. While there have been few bowls, golf tournaments, and croquet on the ship, if this activity did not rise, we have not seen anyone participate in these sports for themselves. The room could be better for the additional sessions for the Hot Glass Show and chairs are used,as the loungers pool were very busy during the days at sea.

Cabins: We had an inside cabin on deck 8 to 8188th The cabin was very spacious and got the same number of balcony cabins have experienced on other lines. The bed was in the middle of the room with plenty of room to walk. Our luggage fit easily under the bed. There were two chairs in the cabin, a small table and a desk with two small tables. Our only problem was that there was not enough drawers - just 5next to the desk drawers. The cabinet was also small, but surprisingly we had enough space to hang our clothes. But the lack of drawers we need a lot of our clothes in the cupboard above the bed that was a bit 'hard to reach.

The bathroom was spacious with glass doors in the shower and ample storage space. The sink a little 'uncomfortable as the water was splashed on the vanity and the floor when you wash. The bar in the shower for shaving legs has been a great addition, butwas a bit 'up for old ladies to get their foot. We have lost a clothesline in the shower to hang bathing suit - it took two days to dry our clothes hanging on hooks.

We loved the flat screen TV. But there is a distinct lack of channels. In addition to the two ESPN channels, CNN and two channels, there was not much else to see the many ship channels. Thank God there were free movies on demand, because that was a lifesaver. The interactive features were a little 'hard toto use. We have tried to access was not possible on the internet with the keyboard in the room, but with the mouse to work and we ended up with the Internet cafe when we need to check e-mail.

Food: B. We ate breakfast and lunch almost every day in the Oceanview Café. The buffet is very good, keep up "with various related items. The device eliminates the long lines at the bar. There were the usual lines of cooked eggs in the morning and orderBurgers, steaks and sausages in the afternoon. The waffles were very good as the vegetarian pizza. The selections change every day and ice cream were very good. There were Asian selections daily for lunch and pasta and many standard types of salads.

What I found missing sandwiches. It 'been a station, sausage and tuna, bread, etc. where you can make your own sandwiches before, but I enjoyed paninni with small sandwiches and ready-to other vessels.

Weate one night here and I was very disappointed. Most of the stations were closed and what was available again to pizza, pasta, was pre-cooked steaks, salads. On other cruise lines, mirrors what the evening buffet is served in the dining room.

Grand Epernay Dining: We had four nights in a double room. We went to dinner 135th Our group of 44 had dinner with six tables and Celebrity did a great job of sharing tables.

food reviews are verysubjective. After many trips to the celebrity, when he was the chef Michel Roux and then the food was superb, we were disappointed in the quality of food on this ship. That is, we have not hungry, but were not quite as happy as we expected. The first night I had the lamb which was very good. I'm also a big fan of cold fruit soups, and they were very good. But the rest of the night, I found myself ordering the steak is always available, as nothing has hitme as particularly interesting. Well, believe me - we have not hungry, but I could not believe that one is something distinct enough for me in the menu that seemed interesting. The desserts were so-so.

We ate one night in silk Harvest. The food and service were very good. The sushi was excellent with some interesting possibilities. They released a lot of dishes and all were very good.

We also ate at the Bistro in five, and thought the food was very good here too,great service. One of us had a crack and had paninni has a server and you can order more items if we wanted, but we could not eat much. We had a sweet crepes, which are also very good.

We ate some free desserts at Café Bacio and they were good as was the ice cream at Gelateria. However, once we found the ice in the free breakfast every day, do not feel the need to pay more for ice cream.

Pools and Spa: A - Mid-ship found twoSwimming pools, family and sports pool, and a wetland that was never turned on, with four hot tubs. Up front, the Solstice pool with two Jacuzzis. In the days at sea, as usual, filled the chairs around the pool chair accessible pigs who leave their posts and never sit on the chair was. Just once I would like to say a cruise with the courage of lifeguards, the words after an hour did not sit on the chair to see removed. We found we enjoyed the Solstice swimming pool - it was easylow, since no one was allowed in 16 years, and has been included. They always want the room a bit 'too cold - many have been brought together under towels, because the air conditioning was too cold.

My wife made an appointment for a manicure in the salon on Thursday. Although no one with a manicure when they arrived they had to sit still and wait 10 minutes before being adopted. The girl who did manicure was very nice, had a pleasant conversation and a decentManicure.

Performance: C + This is an area that I, like many others in our group felt Celebrity has really cut. Celebrity Headliner no more. Most of the evening shows in the Teatro Principal were made by singers and dancers of production. Perhaps because we live near New York City and Broadway shows often are a bit 'tired of this production shows at sea. They were ok, nothing more. The singers were adequate, but notterrifying. I'm sick of the same faces every night. On the night in St. Martin, there was no show at all, just a movie (Iron Man, I had already seen in theaters last summer). I wholeheartedly recommend Solstice, the show. It 'was very well done - not as good as a real show of Cirque, but considering that these are the guys who want to show the same production, have a fantastic job.

The first nights show featured Oceans Four, an a cappella group, performed at night during the weekin different areas of the ship. Their first song was barber quarter and I winced, but then some of Frank Valli and the 4 Seasons and others and were better. The Broadway-style shows in the second night was okay, but again - because Broadway shows me all the time, I compare to leave, and that it was not good.

The night had a first floor xylophonist, we could not longer than 10 minutes. The man was good but not good enough for a 45-minute show - it was endless. IfCelebrity faces the more than 70 mass meet - Well, this is great fun. If you are looking for a younger person - that's not going to cut it.

The Cruise Director was dampened a bit '. He had a joke every evening in the theater. But he was not one of those inflatable too enthusiastic applause that keeps telling you guys to clap, clap. His staff was pretty good - the girls tournaments were golf and bowling were good on itsAssistant to show the bride and groom.

I must say that the orchestra was great celebrity. They played in the lobby a couple of times and have been formidable. I could have heard a whole show of their own - why not consider getting celebrity?

Entertainment room - I liked the music channels on interactive television, free movies on-demand (I would have more choice), but the regular TV channels are terrible. CNN was not even the temperature forecast from home or from any of theIslands we went. Cruise ships need a little 'more mainstream TV. Two of the passengers caught in our group and Norovirus were firm in their rooms for 24 and 48 hours and went nearly mad by the terrible TV. Decisions.

Services: I want to get out of services in three areas - room attendants, food service, and Customer Service.

Food Service: B. The service in Grand Epernay dining room was chaotic on the first two nights. It 'been a bit' better after the fourth night when wespoke to D. The Maitre 'We were spread with a group of 44 people from more than six tables with four different servers. Celebrity did a fantastic job keeping the group together. There were three tables 123-135 to cover near a window.

Celebrity waiters tend to me for the entire set of tables to sit before orders are pending. The first night, we sat for 15 minutes before our waiter came to take our orders. The other tables were already ordered. We ordered drinks fromsomeone else, and then a woman came to take a couple of drinks. Why two kinds of people to drink? It took more than 20 minutes to get our drinks (this was every night) up to the Maitre D will happen to us to talk to our table and asked how was the service, and we told him that we have long waited for 15 minutes , our drinking and have not yet arrived. He also could not find a man of order, took our drink. Then we ordered were delivered by another server and our drinksless than 10 minutes. If you wanted to make iced tea, and another person has this order, and we waited 15 minutes for that too. The service was so insignificant in the dining room that I can not remember the name of our waiter. During the cruise, the dining room service was slow, but better than the last two nights of the trip. It was not the quality of service we have experienced thus far on the celebrity.

I must say that the Maitre 'D was very good. We had some problems withBirthdays and anniversaries that were allegedly delivered that had not happened. I talked to the Maitre D 'and he took care to ensure that they were celebrated.

We ate at Silk Harvest Bistro in five, and service in these two restaurants were very good. The quality of service is what brought my overall assessment in

Room Steward: Steward B. Our room was good, not outstanding. I noticed that the first day that the bathroom floor was dirty - wereHair in the corners of the floor. The rest of the bathroom was good, but the dirt floor was a red herring. We had a bottle of champagne in our room, and took the ice for the first two days, but we could not open the ice and never appeared after the first two days.

What could we do, was that the room steward was very discreet - we have rarely seen and he has a decent job with the rest of the cleaning. I had to ask him to give us a bag of dry cleaning - there was no one in our room and wenormally do not use this service at least once on a cruise.

Customer Service Desk: D. Because we were a group of leaders, we had to use the Customer Service Desk a few times for requests. The people at reception were very rude and condescending. I've never seen a group of people who do not like the jobs they were doing seemed to see. Each of them has tried to brush off my desires, and it seemed that I was annoying.

Two of our group went to the ship and the Doctor were quarantinedtheir rooms for 24 and 48 hours. Dr. told them that the ship could free room service, movies on pay-per-view, and soda in the time were placed under quarantine. Were delivered by room service different - just a free soda, could not, because what in the dining rooms, etc. They called the customer service and was told that was how it was. We tried to get answers for them and were well brushed.

Once they received from their state of quarantinewent to CS desk and were abruptly dismissed by the staff of customer service when the machine from top to so much demand, they could tip accordingly, since their room steward was the only time in his room during the they were allowed in quarantine. The desk rep. not allow them to talk to anyone but him, and he was furious. Until they were finally allowed to the head of customer service, sitting with them talking, telling them thathad given false information to the service room and were allowed to get what they served in the dining room, and should have soft drinks at no cost. They have suffered unjustly for 48 hours because of misinformation and lack of support from customer service.

I will say that the service in other areas of the ship - the buffet, ice cream counters, and so service was very good.
We also had an event coordinator for our group was exceptional, from the cocktail partywe had at the beginning of our group at a time during which they received different numbers landed landing. It was what I wanted to do customer service.

Landing: A +. We got up and ate breakfast in the dining room, then returned to the gym and called our carryon and sent to the theater, our waiting area around 8:20. We were only there 20 minutes when our number was called. We have our luggage and went straight to our bus for theTransfer to the airport.

Overall: B + + We enjoyed the trip very well liked and so did our group. We, as the ship and would recommend it. Your customer service desk needs some improvement, and have their act together in the dining room and perhaps a little 'better entertainment. But none of them were deal breakers or prevent us from sailing on the solstice again.