OVERVIEW This was our first visit to Australasia and hopefully, will not be our last. Our limited experience of both Australia and new Zealand was invariably positive. All the places we visited and ports we docked at were uniquely beautiful. The cruise itself was fabulous with good weather all the way save for one roughish day at sea as we neared the end of the Tasman crossing. The ship was beautiful, clean, well-furnished in an understated way but, having been in service now for almost five years, is starting to show its age and needs a bit of refurbishment in some of the public places.
We had sailed on a Solstice class ship before, the Eclipse in June 2011, so we knew what to expect. The ships are almost identical with a couple of minor layout differences and with a Silk Harvest speciality restaurant as opposed to the newer Qsine brand on the Eclipse. However, although it is the older vessel by some two years, if anything, we preferred the vibe on the Solstice.
BEFORE THE CRUISE
Concierge class on 12th floor. Large balcony but rooms the same size as standard balcony cabins. Room 2109 has a partially restricted vertical view because of situation under overhanging Ocean View cafe.