My wife and I just returned from the 1/11 Solstice sailing. We do not have many reactions or perspectives that are that different than what has already been covered by other reviews and on the boards. However, we did want to share some specific observations about Celebrity, Solstice herself, and a couple other things.

1. This was our first Celebrity cruise, we have sailed on RCCL and Disney in the past few years. There is a marked difference between the "feel" of each of the lines, with Celebrity being exactly what they market to and precisely what we were hoping for (this was a vacation for just us, with the kids at home with their grandmother). Solstice is really a remarkable ship in many ways, and certainly seems like it was created to appeal to adults. There were a handful of families on board, but having 3 boys under 9 at home we can say with certainty that they would not have been entertained on Solstice. We will stick with RCCL for future family cruises.

2. We did conclude that booking AQ was "worth" the price difference compared to CC. However, only 2 things that made a difference to us (a) Persian Gardens and (b) Blu. Not the bigger towels, the nicer robes or even the Hansgrohe shower panel. My wife really enjoyed the heated loungers in PG, while I found them not warm enough. I liked using the steam room, particularly after the fitness center. Blu truly was a 4th specialty restaurant, and we were able to enjoy it for both breakfast and dinner. While the menu was uninspired on a couple nights, it was generally very good and often great (blackened tuna, filet, spinach salad, short ribs, mediterranean-style chicken in phyllo). We had one breakfast and one lunch in Epernay and noted how crowded and loud the dining room was. Blu was small, quiet, intimate - very relaxed. Read more