Celebrity Solstice Cruise Review
That ship need some TLC
Hello!
I recently returned from the February 25, 2023 Celebrity Solstice seven night cruise along the west coast of the USA.
First, this itinerary is not my favorite. You have a port days on the first and last days. We also had to do a full ship debarkation in San Diego and get everyone cleared through customs and immigration.
I explain why and give my full review of the cruise:
Cabin: 8.5
We used the “Move Up” process to upgrade to a concierge cabin on Deck 10. Cabin 1167. I liked the larger balcony with the footrests for the chairs. The bathroom is compact, efficient. The things I didn’t like were:
How the closet is boxed in by the couch. It made it hard to get things out.
No outlets next to the bed.
The tv only faces the couch. It’d be better on a swivel.
Overall Ship Condition: 7
This ship needs a dry dock. Prior to the COVID pause in operations, the Solstice was sailing in Asia and Australia. This meant it didn’t really get the update the other ships did. You can really see the wear and tear in some areas of the ship.
Casual Dining: 6
Celebrity needs to work on casual dining. We noticed a major cut back in what’s available for dinner at the buffet. The food was good, but they definitely scaled back the dinner time offerings. The breakfast and lunch buffets are lovely. The Mast Grill needs some work. Based on the quality of the food in the buffet, the Mast Grill is a stark difference. Hamburgers appear to be frozen patties. Nothing innovative or special about them. The offerings on Carnival, Holland America, and Princess are much better.
Sit Down Dining: 9
We had an excellent experience in the main restaurant. The service was great. The food was very good. It’s not a 10 because some of the food was to salty for us.
Specialty Dining: 9
We ate at La Petit Chef and Sushi on Five. While the food was good, I wouldn’t eat at La Petit Chef again. Sushi on Five is always a treat.
Entertainment: 10
Loved the variety of entertainment and shows: two guitar players, three bands, a violin duo, and a DJ. Usually, this is where I deduct a point because the shows don’t have the production value or Royal Caribbean or Norwegian, but the Celebrity performers overcame that. Their shows did not have the high production value, but I still really enjoyed them.
Service: 10
Terrific service. The crew was friendly and attentive. Now, we were sailing at 50% occupancy, so I think that helped quite a bit in the service department.
Value: 8
I think Celebrity is a wonderful experience, but the lack of casual dining does bring down the value for me. I also find things onboard like the specialty dining and spa to be very expensive.
Overall: 8.5
The ship condition and lack to casual dining options really brought down the score. Overall, we love the Celebrity experience. The service and food were very good.
What do you think? Have you sailed on the Celebrity Solstice? How would you rate it?