We embarked the Solstice in Sydney on Nov. 28 for a 12 night cruise, ending in Auckland, New Zealand. We had decided to reserve a Sky Suite (#8345) and our travel mates had the Sunset Veranda (#8347) next door. We absolutely LOVED our Sky Suite and the corner location on the rear of the ship. We had the ship attendant open the balcony door between our cabin and our friends next door, which gave us a very large balcony to share, with awesome views and very little wind. We really enjoyed seeing the sights from our balcony....we found that being on the rear of the ship kept the wind at bay, and gave us beautiful vistas especially while traveling through Fiordland National Park (Dusky Sound, Milford Sound, etc.) The larger stateroom and bathroom really provided much needed additional space for my 6'5" husband. We also had the pleasure of a "butler" attendant, who took care of anything we asked. Upgrading to the suite also gave us free access to two specialty restaurants; and we chose to dine at Murano once and Tuscan Grille once. We especially loved the Tuscan Grille, although all of our meals in the dining room (we had late seating) were truly delicious! We found the buffet choices for breakfast and lunch to be very good, although at times it did get crowded. Food overall was 5 star. We enjoyed the basic beverage (alcohol) package which was included with our booking; so we didn't worry about ordering drinks, wine, juices, water or sodas during our stay.

The itinerary was nice. We actually liked being in Sydney Harbor for our first night on board. It was spectacular seeing the sights from our balcony room! We didn't really enjoy Melbourne much (personal preference) but we did enjoy Dunedin, Akaroa, Wellington, Tauranga, Auckland, as well as cruising for several days. We booked our own off-ship tours and they were, for the most part, exceptional! We like smaller tours and this was the ticket.

The shows and entertainment on board were also excellent overall. The stage shows were well done; and the specialty acts were very good. The Solstice Orchestra was exceptional, and the Hot Glass Shows held daily were fun to watch. We had a blast at the 'adult' late night cruise director and friends comedy 'show.' There was plenty to do and see, and we also liked not having to do anything! The casino wasn't great.....not much winning going on, although the staff was friendly and helpful. The gym was busy, and some equipment was down which was bad, but overall you could work out when you wanted. Read more