Celebrity Solstice Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Well this was our first cruise on Celebrity (first two on RCL) and our longest cruise. It also had by far the most amount of sea days, so we were curious on how this would play-out. Unfortunately the friends who put us onto the trip cancelled prior to departure, so it could have been a long, long trip.
Starting at the beginning, the embarkation was reasonably painless, we were aware that you can really embark whenever you wanted, so we dropped the bags off at the collection area and went for a stroll. Once the lines were down a bit (and this was early afternoon) we boarded. Quickly got our all important seapass, cleared customs, checked through security and were onboard - 20 mins tops.
We then proceeded to check out a couple of bars and waited for the rooms to be ready, which was also quite quick, and we were ready to go (well the bags showed up by about 4ish).
Cabin Review
Deluxe Veranda 1C
As this was a long cruise, a veranda cabin was a must for us. The room was not overly large, but was up to the task. Having a small lounge as well as the large bed (more than King size I would guess) gave us both plenty of room to spread out. Also the balcony was a good size, and we spent a large amount of time reading and listening to music watching the world go pass. The surprise (although we had been warned) was the bathroom - it was a good bit larger that the RCL bathrooms - nice.
The service from the room attendants (thanks Santanu) was very good, and has been a common factor on all cruises we have had. We had ice twice a day, and they were very good a cleaning when you weren't around - a nice knack they have.Although a little walk from the atrium elevators it was not too far, and there was no noise in the cabin apart from a few from the next cabin, but it was excellent.
Down side was that the bathroom did not air our clothes out quickly, so we used some hooks with magnets (thanks to whose blog we read that on) and were able to hang them near the balcony for a bit of airflow (walls are metal!).
Port Reviews
Tahiti (Papeete)
You have to remember that this is an administrative centre, and so lacks some of the polish of the touristy areas. We just walked around town, had something to eat and checked out the Pearls. Nice, but probably better out of town.
Moorea
Beautiful Island and friendly people. We hired a car and drove around the island. We stopped and swam with rays and sharks at the Laggonarium, and ate at the local Golf Club. The scenery was FANTASTIC. A must visit.