Celebrity Solstice Review

Not Up to Celebrity Standard

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Celebrity Solstice
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CRUISERTN
First Time Cruiser • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Dec 2011
Cabin: Concierge Class 1

We are veteran cruisers of more than 75 cruises on a variety of lines, including being Elite members with Celebrity.

We received notification a few days before the cruise of delayed boarding due to the need for deep cleaning of the ship because of a norovirus outbreak on the Transatlantic crossing. We arrived at the pier about 3:15pm thinking we would miss much of the chaos only to find disorganized lines snaking all over the place, people cutting in the lines and the boarding process had just begun. Celebrity could have handled the boarding process better than just handing out bottles of water, especially since they knew in advance there would be delays and I am sure they have had delays before. We finally boarded the ship about 5pm, only to learn the cabins would not be available until 6pm. All passengers and staff seemed equally tired and irritable.

Once on the ship, we tried to forget about the first day fiasco and have what we hoped to be a cruise of normal Celebrity standards. This did not happen. Our cabin attendant was the worst we have ever experienced on any cruise. None of the extra amenities for the Concierge cabins were there when we boarded, and she explained that because of the cleaning, everything would be delivered the next morning. Same with basic items such as shampoo and soap. Fair enough. We understood. By the third day of the cruise, after asking her the second and third day, we still had not received anything. Luckily we had our own soap and shampoo. Our cabin did not have any extra toilet paper and we had to make calls in order to receive extra paper. The night before arriving in Cozumel, we had not received beach towels in the cabin and I called our attendant. She said "maybe I will bring them tomorrow morning". I told her we were leaving the ship early in the morning to go to the beach and asked if she could please deliver them tonight as they are normally delivered the night before. She reluctantly said OK and brought them to the cabin. The little flowers that are in the concierge class cabins add a little touch of color and brightness, and, they, too, were not delivered until the 3rd day after I inquired at Guest Services as to whether or not the concierge class amenities were going to be received this week. We did, after all, pay for the amenities. Flowers and sparkling wine finally received half way through our cruise. Cabin attendant acted as if she were doing a big favor and as if she really did not want to be there. Out of all of our cruises, we have never had a bad cabin attendant until this cruise. I guess there is always a first, but I did not expect it on Celebrity.

Cabin Review

Concierge Class 1

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