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November 25, 2008

Celebrity Solstice Review

Ships have an aura about them.  An energy.  If you're attuned to it, they reach out and speak to you.  And the Solstice has spoken to me.  It says "home." 

There's a lot to the Solstice.  There are the whiz-bang aspects like the 2-story wine tower in the Grand Epernay Restaurant, and the undeniable attraction of the Lawn Club on Deck 15.  But there's something else running through this ship.  A sense of achievement.  Of finally accomplishing the goal of Celebrity.  Of that intangible mix of style and sense of comfort in itself that the Solstice achieves.  For those who appreciate what Premium sets out to be, this is the best it has to offer.

From the time you step onboard, the clean lines, yet warmth of welcoming envelop you.  The decor is without a doubt upscale, trending toward contemporary, but without the starkness of true modern.  The colors are light but warm.  No assault on the senses anywhere.  It's subdued but elegant and trendy all at the same time.

Because of the use of light colors, the ship could have looked stark in areas, such as the main Epernay dining room or Blu restaurant, but they instead are light and warm.  Columns are softened by draperies hanging down multiple stories.  Shapes are rounded, nothing assaults you.  Everything is fresh and alive.  Even the tree suspended in the atrium.  (Let me tell you, there's quite a story about that tree!)

The Millennium Class on Celebrity set a standard of edginess, and Celebrity has experimented a lot with programming and changes in how it markets itself in the past 6 years, some successfully, some not quite so much, but it was all an evolution which sees its culmination in the Solstice Class ships.  There's an intangible sense of being without trying too hard here, yet being absolutely current and comfortable in the trends which exist peacefully together in the public spaces.  In so many instances, this ship is like your favorite friend with whom you feel comfortable and at home, but who is also is the perfect hostess who says "relax, let me do this" as you enjoy just being together.

Onboard both a pre-inaugural and charter sailing (on my own dime) of the Solstice, I've spent a bit of time getting to know her.  In both a standard balcony cabin and Aqua Class cabin, I've seen the public image Celebrity is putting on display, but also her every-day working being.  And I'm very happy onboard. 

Several people have commented on her cabin size.  Celebrity may have made a slight misstep in initially promoting her as being significantly larger in her standard balcony cabins.  On first impression, they are probably shorter than average.  But there's a flow which doesn't exist in most mainstream cabin designs.  A full-size sofa dominates the room, and makes the cabin far more livable than expected (though I think it is a tad too long which affects other things - more on that later).  While a lack of hanging closet space is of initial concern, the well-designed drawer and cupboard space begins to overcome that hesitation.  This is not a ship which gives up her secrets immediately, but upon living with her, becomes more and more comfortable as time goes on.

And the bathrooms are a joy.  More shelf and storage space than two divas could use on an extended journey, unless they need a 12-step plan from online cosmetic shopping... and even then they'll probably have enough room to store their toiletries in comfort.  Larger passengers may feel initial constraints on the commode, but they are quickly overcome. 

The public rooms flow comfortably from one to another.  The intentional placement of specialty restaurants together in one area makes dining in any of them easy and accessible.  Decks 4 and 5 primarily serve as the central hub of the ship.  I wouldn't be surprised if there aren't passengers who rarely stray from these decks - from the theatre in the bow to Cova Café (now named Café el Bacio) mid-ship, the casino, martini bar, Tastings on Five, Gelatteria and Quasar nightclub, there's little reason other than large appetite to stray elsewhere... but so much else to explore!

There seems to be music everywhere, something I've enjoyed on other lines such as MSC.  Live music.  Lots of different styles.  But it makes everything seem more alive and relaxing.

This is truly a large ship, with all the whiz-bang aspects you'd expect.  But despite this, it retains a sense of connection.  Part of this is achieved through the mid-ship glass elevators which are the central hub of the ship, from Deck 3 Pursers to Deck 15 Lawn Club.  Believe me, you'll be riding these frequently.  Fortunately, they're fast, efficient and plentiful.  There are no disconnects on this ship - no time that you need to go up or down a deck to get bow to aft (except the very top decks), nor a sense of confusion or misdirection.

And I've not even begun to address the top decks.  Let me say I'm not a pool person.  I'm fair skinned and haired, and have never been a sun worshipper.  But even I find attraction in the two main pool areas onboard.  The Serenity pool is my retreat, but the main pool area is comfortable (with padded lounges which I'd previously experienced on Azamara, the Deluxe sister brand of Celebrity), great music, and other interesting seating making full use of both sun and shade on 2 levels. 

And then there's the Lawn Club.  Okay, I admit it, I thought this was merely a gimmick.  A space where Celebrity could say they have something no one else has.  But you know, the basic connection to land lends an element of peace and pleasure I didn't expect.  So many of us live so much of our lives in a concrete jungle, that even if we have yards, we've forgotten the pleasure of relaxing on a lawn and feeling grass under our feet (bare or shod).  The Lawn Club brings back that pleasure of running in the grass we had as children, the romance of a picnic in a park we may have experienced when we were courting (if we were lucky, or if we have a good fantasy life), and the joy of living earth we don't often have time to experience.  Okay, Celebrity, I get it now!

At one end of the Lawn Club is the perpetually-popular Sunset Bar, one of the best places to watch a sailaway, and at the other is the Corning Museum Glass Show.  Having seen a glass blowing demonstration in Venice, I was a bit skeptical about this, but let me tell you, this isn't any glass show you've seen before.  These truly are masters, and make sure the audience is involved and kept educated, informed and fascinated.  I went to the night-time demonstration, and I think that's best for seeing the "glow" of the glass as they work, but most there had already been to one of the daytime shows and came back again - it's that interesting and that much fun.  I expected the glass show to be a one-time thing and then never be interested again, but next time I'm on a Solstice-Class ship, I'll be back there.  Oh, by the way, because the Corning Museum of Glass is a non-profit museum, they don't sell any of their works.  The ones made onboard are raffled (no cost at this time for a ticket - any cost in the future will go toward a charity) to passengers in attendance at a show, or donated to charities for auctions.

Opposite the Lawn Club in the bow of the ship on the top deck is the Sky Bar.  Live music in the evening (lots of people seem to go from an after-dinner drink in Crush (martini bar) up to Sky and finally ending the evening in Quasar night club).  Absolutely beautiful room with panoramic glass windows.  Easy to miss if you're not intentionally going there, but a great entertainment venue and daytime retreat. 

I'm not going to go over all the bars, but wanted to touch on a few highlights:  Crush is the martini bar (on steroids) with some excellent bartenders, Quasar the nightclub works well and is perfectly sized for Celebrity - though on this ship it may be more popular than usual.  But the find of this ship for me is the Cellar Masters wine bar.  This bar has a unique system for wine tasting utilizing "taps" into bottles where you can select either a small tasting, half glass or full pour.  It allows you to self-select tastings from several different bottles before you decide what you'd like to fully enjoy.  Great for a small group of people to share the tastings, without any wait for a sommelier to assist you.  It's also perfect to just hop in there to grab a glass of wine before you head to dinner.

There are several other venues onboard for lounging, drinking and entertainment, and I went to them all, but part of the fun for you will be discovering them on your own.

Three specialty restaurants (plus the exclusive restaurant Blu) on board, and each one deserves its own praise.  Murano is the top-flight restaurant, for a truly elegant experience, is a delight and bargain at $30/person.  Tuscan Grill, the Italian Restaurant, isn't like any chain Italian you've experienced.  The quality is every bit as good as Murano, but at $25/person, and a comfortable environment, is sure to be a favorite, especially with their brunches at sea. I could easily eat there a couple nights as there were multiple items in each category I wanted to try!  Silk Road, at $20/person is the real find, and for those who like Asian food will probably be a multiple-night experience.  They have a terrific concept of small plates, large plates and sushi, all included, with the small plates intended to serve as appetizers, large plates to be shared family-style (they suggest one per person and adjust the serving size to the number of people in the party).  Excellent quality food!

Blu is, at this point, exclusive to those booked in Aqua Class cabins (it is their assigned dining room), and to suite passengers as space is available.  Food there emphasizes flavors derived from and around preparation methods such as reduction sauces rather than cream-based recipes.  I had a seared ahi tuna main course there last night which was wonderful - peppered, intense, tender and very satisfying.  Others at my table had a filet mignon they really enjoyed.  Several different choices, including vegetarian (though I didn't notice if it was vegan).  The soups are lower sodium (yippee!) and scrumptious, salads are fresh, desserts indulgent but relatively guilt-free.  For me, Blu gives me exactly the flavor intensity and variety I seek with fresher, lighter foods, and I'll be very happy eating here every day.  They also serve breakfast for the Aqua Class passengers if they wish.  It's spa cuisine -- what you'd receive at the most luxurious, indulgent spas, not a "work you until your love handles fall off and feed you sticks and grass" kind of spa.

And if you want a lighter lunch, there's the Spa Cafe open to everyone forward on Deck 12.  This will be familiar to those who have sailed any of Celebrity's Millennium-Class ships.

The main Epernay dining room is stunningly beautiful  The first impression is that it's white, but it's not.  It's warmer than that.  And very comfortable.  The kitchen was designed around the new menus, and they do seem to work better here than on the ships which have been adapted to them.  But we were informed that the new Executive Chef will be going out to all the older ships and making sure they're brought up to this level. 

The buffet is done in stations, many repeated.  Several people have commented to me how quiet it seems up there, even at peak times.  While neither sailing was full (no one in insides or oceanview cabins), the ship is still more than 3/4 full and it seems to be working up there.  I never got to experience the alternative dining in the evening up there (4 days is simply not enough), but others said they enjoyed it.  And, of course, the aft Sunset Bar continues to be a favorite, but it's a bit hidden away at the back of the Lawn Club. 

Is this ship perfect?  Of course not.  You need to be prepared for the additional charges, and additional benefits, from partaking in the specialty venues.  But they're worth every penny.  On more of a budget?  You'll be very happy, but be prepared to be tempted.

The cabins take a bit of time to find all their hidden attributes  Unpacking at first is a challenge.  The key is to keep looking at all the spaces.  Cabinets over the bed perfect for sweaters and other folded clothing (even for a sub-5-foot person such as myself, though I did have to crawl up on the bed to access).  Thoughtful drawers and other spaces to hold smaller items.  The bed has been raised slightly to accommodate a larger suitcase (though some space is taken up with the life vests now residing in a basket under the bed).  A safe large enough even for my 17" laptop (FINALLY!)  And the long-overdue touch of a lighted clock on the telephone (but still lacking a sleep timer on the television - come on, everyone, do you not realize people are addicted to their sleep timers on their bedroom tvs?)

Cabins alternate in design - left and right.  Forward cabins in each pair have the bed closer to the outside, while those farther aft reverse the design.  This is especially important for those traveling together but not as a couple.  For those who would like to have their beds closer to the balcony, choose the cabin in a pair which is closer to the bow of the ship.  To have the sofa near the balcony, go with the one farther aft.

Connecting cabin design has been made easier, too, as there is an "anteroom" into connecting cabins.  There is an outer set of doors to the hallway, left open when the rooms are not booked by people wishing connecting, but closed and serving as a "front door" to the two cabins when occupied by friends or family.  That way, you can have the doors to the individual cabins open, with just one outer door.  Brilliant!  This in no way takes space away from the cabins, as there's an indented entry to all the standard cabins.  But it gives those traveling together both access and privacy when desired.  This is the same design which will be used on the Oasis of the Seas.

There are a lot of little touches in the cabins, ones I'm going to credit to the 5 ladies who contributed to the design.  Such as a total of 3 plugs at the vanity (two US design 110v outlets, one a European 2-plug round 220v outlet), a low-level nightlight automatic in the bathroom (doesn't assault you in the middle of the night, but does provide just enough light, and a foot bar in the shower so you can easily shave your legs, or even wash or moisturize your legs more easily.

There are some brand new, exclusive spa treatments on this ship in the Aqua Spa.  One is a deep tissue bamboo massage for those who really appreciate a deep rub.  There's a poultice massage similar to the hot stones so many of us are familiar with, but instead of heated stones, they use heated bags of herbs and oils.  Finally, there's a table version of a Thai stretching massage for deep stretching and relaxation.

Since I'm talking spa, probably time to discuss the Aqua Class cabins.  They're identical in design to the standard balcony or Concierge cabins, but with added amenities.  In addition to the Concierge benefits (such as afternoon canapés, fruit plate, binoculars in the cabin, etc.), there are added benefits to the cabins themselves.  There's an aromatherapy container discreetly placed over the mini-bar, using reeds to distribute a very light scent.  I'm pretty sensitive to aromas, and this one didn't cause me any distress, nor was it conspicuous in the room.  There's free bottled water and flavored teas for Aqua Class cabins, and other amenities such as spa toiletries, including foot spray, facial mist, and lip balm and even loofah slippers.  But most apparent is the "shower tower" in the bathroom.  Instead of one, fixed shower head, there's a hand-held adjustable-height rainwater shower head, and 5 additional "body blaster" heads which massage your body and legs.  At first, I felt I needed a higher advanced degree in order to properly operate it, but quickly got the hang of it and appreciated it from the first shower.  Very nice!

But in addition to the cabin amenities, there's the other main benefits to these cabins as well: free access to the Relaxation Room in the bow of Deck 11 (the deck on which all these cabins are located), a spa concierge staff to book and coordinate your appointments (no more waiting in line to book your treatments), free, unlimited use of the Persian Garden thermal suite and private entrance to the spa (no more feeling out of place riding the elevators in your robe) and free access throughout the cruise to the Aqua Spa.  I'm not a big spa person - occasional massages, more often acupuncture treatments, but as I'm sitting and writing this portion, I'm sitting in the Relaxation Room, drinking the fruit-infused water, and wondering when I can book this for a longer sailing.  Yeah, I'm hooked. 

Don't forget that the Aqua Class also has the wonderful Blu dining room I discussed above.

This class of cabins is perfect for a girlfriends' getaway, mother-daughter trips, couples who enjoy spas, or even if you'll never use the spa, but would like the peace of a floor without young children (cabins are double occupancy only) and a beautiful, QUIET, observation room in the bow for sea days.  Looking around this room, there are solo and double loungers, and right now, more men in here than women.  People are napping, reading, I see one gentleman looking over a future cruise book, obviously looking at the deck plan, I'm guessing for planning his next cruise.  There are even blankets in here so you can snuggle up and nap.

It's also perfect for those who would like a bit better, lighter, and more private dining experience that Blu offers as compared to the main dining room.  I anticipate there will be quite a few in this class who book it and never step foot in the spa.  If you generally book a Concierge cabin, and any of the benefits of the Aqua Class are appealing, you absolutely should move into Aqua Class. 

I do have a few quibbles about the ship.  I'm not a fan of large ships with 2 main elevator banks, forward and just back from mid-ship.  I think it makes for terribly long walks for those in aft cabins. I'd love to have at least a passenger stairwell back there for when you're wanting to go from an aft cabin to say one of the aft bars, or even down a level or two.  If you're in an aft cabin, be prepared to feel like you're constantly covering the same territory.  And this ship is large enough it can be a long walk from an aft balcony to the aft dining room or aft specialty restaurant like Tuscan Grill.  (And yes, that will hold true for the Oasis of the Seas when she comes out as well). 

I do think that a bit shorter sofa and a bit longer, even rounded, closet, with more hanging space would have been useful.  Thinking of the longer Mediterranean sailings or two women traveling together, the current closet design is a bit cramped.  Even shortening the sofa just a few inches would make the closet easier to access as there's not a lot of room to stand there.  I understand it's even more tight in cabins in the configuration with the bed next to the closet, especially when the beds are separated into two twins.

Most of you know I've long been a fan of Celebrity and Azamara.  They're upscale without stuffiness.  Edgy and current without being elitist.  But Solstice is entirely different than anything Celebrity has done before.  This is the design and style you wish your every-day lifestyle allowed.  The comfortable elegance and effortless comfort we'd like to project in our lives.  The break from our everyday which gives us friendly acceptance without trying too hard to impress, but has just enough style to satisfy the wow factor we crave in a vacation.  After all, we're leaving our every day behind, and we deserve a bit of pampering, don't we?

Were you expecting pictures?  There are people out there far more talented (and comfortable) in taking architectural pictures which convey the essence of a ship.  Those who have read me for awhile know that I excel not at pictures of rooms but at connecting to wildlife and nature.  So I apologize to those who wanted pics of the cabins and public areas; others have done a far better job than I could have.  While I'm a photographer when it comes to wildlife, on land and at sea, I'm only a "happy snapper" at taking ship pictures, and I'd do you a disservice in passing those along.  But if you want a mental or emotional picture of your experience on this ship?  I'm your girl. 

Yes, I'm an unabashed fan.  But also an unbiased one.  I find benefits in all lines from Carnival to Seabourn.  The key is finding the right fit for you.  For those who have found the Premium lines a bit hum drum in the past few years, I think this is what you've been looking for.  It's an unexpected pleasure in times of stress and uncertainty.  And with her first sister ship to be inaugurated next year, Equinox, overall an incomparable value. 

It's also a ship I'll be begging to come back aboard soon, and if what I've written appeals to you, so should you.  It's lived up to the hype.  And beyond.  It won't have the over-the-top elements of sister brand Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, but it's intended for a different audience.  And it sets out for what it intended to do.  Beautifully.

The Solstice in nature represents the pinnacle of the year - the longest day in summer, the shortest in winter.  A day that cultures have observed for millennia as a turning point in their life and cause for celebration and communal party.  Celebrity's Solstice is well named, as it is a turning point for Premium cruising, and definitely should be enjoyed and celebrated.  Ancient cultures knew that celebration was an important part of their stressful, every-day struggle to survive, and it's possibly even more true now in our busy, often disconnected lives.  Take this opportunity to create your own Solstice celebration - any time of the year.