I hate flying. So any cruise that docks in Australia is attractive to me. It was easy to get to the port from Waikiki but we left it late and got traffic. This was a good size ship. The cabins are quite spacious and decent. The staff are great. And who doesn't love Tahiti. The entertainment, food and general feel is this cruise is great. The breakfast ends in the restaurant at 9 am and with the 830 pm dinner seating that was too soon for is a few mornings. The buffet is open longer and the food was great just a little hard to get seating some days. I got the non alcoholic premium drinks package but I'd probably get the alcoholic one next time. I'm 43 so the demographic is slightly older than I'm used to but they're a great crowd. And a welcome change from the drunken louts. I've already booked it again. I particularly enjoyed the Silk Harvest for dinner. Quirky Le Petit Chef projection show accompanied an absolutely fantastic meal. Check it out. Read Less

This was my first time cruising with Celebrity, but I had sailed with other lines previously. The demographic was what I expected, mostly 30 or 40-somethings and up. The staff onboard worked extremely hard to ensure I had everything I needed and that my experience was a positive one. The captain always had a good sense of humor, and I enjoyed his commentary during daily announcements. The area I enjoyed most was the solarium--super relaxing. For entertainment, I loved going to see the string duo, Lighthouse. They were so fun and such great performers. The only criticisms I could think of are regarding the thermal suite and the wifi. The thermal suite is fairly small for the ship size and the amount of money you pay to get access. It could use a refurb. The wifi was just not good. I realize most like to disconnect while on vacation (I understand this), but unfortunately I have to keep up with my house/dog sitter at home. The connection was just very poor for most of the cruise, and I did not like paying that much for something boasting access to all streaming apps, surfing, etc. Overall, the experience was a very positive trip. I would consider Celebrity again, and I do believe the solstice class ship could be a lot of fun in the caribbean. Read Less

We took this particular cross pacific cruise from Hawaii to Vancouver for the route it was sailing and also, the price was very attractive. We sailed in Concierge Class and we enjoyed the little extras it gave us, like priority boarding, tender service, sparkling wine and snacks every day. Our cabin was located on deck 10 in the forward part of the ship, it was very quiet, hardly any noise at all, we could hardly even hear the engines. Our first of five sea days threw us into a scale 11 storm with 55 knot winds and 25 feet waves. The ship handled it VERY well. Yes, there was movemnet, lots of people were sea sick, but there was nothing failing of the tables or anything like that. Luckily, none of us were prone to sea sickness. The ship itself is very beautiful, lots or artwork and spotlessly clean! It is ten years old and in the cabins the age is beginning to show just here and there. Nothing to be concerned about, and I understand that all cabins will be replaced during her major refit in 2021. The ship has plenty to do, you can do it all or nothing at all. The choice is yours. The service onboard is impeccable and the food is of a very high standard. Even the buffet and room service was excellent, ask for crispy bacon and you will have just that.. Personally, I did find some of the tastes to be a bit bland, but that is purely a matter of personal taste. The wines were excellent and all cocktails equally delicious. We had a few ports with tender service and that can be a bit of challenge, but sail in a Concierge cabin and you will not experience any of that. There were a few flaws here and there. For instance, the music in the lounges and bars is simply too loud. It discourages conversation and it fails to meet its purporse of adding to the ambiance. Furthermore, there were no change in the music during the day, why have Madonna blasting from the speakers on the aft deck outside the buffet, where people were having breakfast at 8 am?? Why not play some lovely classical music or piano, even some soft jazz would have done better. The bands on board and shows were very good as well. There was always plenty of seating to be found, both in and outdoors, no shortage of nice sun loungers either. We did not take any of the organized tours as we preferred to arrange it ourselves. Travelling as LGBTs we were greated with a social hour each evening, that was a nice touch! Read Less

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Review of Celebrity Eclipse We tried out the Eclipse on its ten day journey from Hawaii to Vancouver. We usually cruise on Princess so it was inevitable that we tended to compare the two. The Eclipse is a very elegant ship but we found that some of the venues were a bit sterile feeling, in particular the main dining room and the Quasar lounge. The main dining room is far too crowded, too many tables and strangely uncomfortable tub like chairs. The buffet area however was wonderful, spacious food stations with lots of access room between, definately superior to the Lido area on Princess ships. The main theatre is well laid out and quite comfortable. Our outside cabin was lovely but the bathroom is poorly designed with very limited counter space and strange tiny drawers and cabinets. They do have sliding doors for the shower which is just brilliant. No shower wand which would be preferable. Buffet food was excellent, lots of choices but finding a table was often difficult and line ups for the food were long. We were very disappointed in the dining room fare. Poor choices and variable quality food as well as disorganized service. Princess offers a far better dining experience. We did not use any of the specialty dining rooms even though they were very aggressively promoted. A major negative for us was the coffee. Very poor in the buffet and dining areas and the specialty coffee offered in the Cafe was very overpriced (5$ compared with Princess' $2.75). We purchased Starbucks instant in Honolulu and used that during the cruise. We have yet to see any cruise line that can compare favourably with Princess' International Cafe. Entertainment was very good, perhaps the best we have experienced. The singers and dancers were very talented and gave excellent performances. Shops were nothing special, overpriced and limited selection, however we don't patronize cruise ship shops anymore. Staff were friendly and efficient in most areas. Our cabin steward was wonderful, shout out to Marco! All in all a good, not excellent cruise and Princess will remain our go to cruise line. Read Less

We started off the trip a few days early by arriving in Honolulu by arriving on Saturday to board on Monday. The day we arrived the weather pretty great with a little cloud coverage. That afternoon/evening we checked the street fair and Jeff Goldblum and his jazz band. Sunday we did Pearl Harbor (a.m.) and a Luau (p.m.) that evening. Monday we boarded the ship which turned into a two day headache; please note that the boarding process and the Maître D’ rudeness were the only minor gripes I had during the entire trip. The issue with regards to the boarding process was that once we got through the lineup, which was not bad at all, the person who assisted us managed to jumble our seapass cards to the point where my charge account and photo were assigned to my friends card and vice versa. This did take some time to correct even after the assistance of a manager during the checkin process. Upon our arrival to our concierge class cabin, it was apparent that the special requests that were made through Celebrity directly was not passed along to the ship; this includes the request to separate the bed, emptying the mini fridge, sharps disposable container, which is fine as I was able to request these items once on board. During the trip our waitress, assistant waitress, sommelier and cabin attendant were all amazing and provided great service as they always went above and beyond in keeping us happy! We did do one shore excursion which was over Hilo’s volcano which was neat. Disembarkation was relatively easy and quick. All in all, it was a great trip after sorting out annoyances. Read Less

We recently traveled from Honolulu to Sydney, Australia on the Solstice. We were in Aqua Class and as usual the food and service in Blu was excellent. We were very pleased with the stateroom attendant who was personable and exceeded our every request. We thought our meals in Murano, the Oceanview Cafe and the AquaSpa Cafe were very good. We enjoyed our ports of call and the shore excursions which included Maui, Tahiti, Bora Bora , Moorea, Auckland and Bay of Islands. We thought the cruise director was excellent and really enjoyed the shows, lectures and various entertainment. On occaison we visited the Martini Bar and found the bar tenders to be very personable and quite entertaining. We found the Fitness Equipment to be in good working condition and thought the Embarkation and Disembarkation process was efficent . We were assigned a Guaranteed Cabin which was Stateroom 1510. We had read several reviews regarding the noise from the treadmills located in the Fitness Center being problematic. Actually, it was not an issue for us since we are early risers and only on a couple occaisons did someone use the treadmills prior to the 6 am Fitness Center opening.We did not hear any noise after 7pm. You can hear the treadmills in the Cabin and on the Veranda but again it was not an issue for us but could be for someone else. The real issue we had with the Cabin was that the Couch was worn and the fabric was ripped in three different areas. The paint on the ceiling of the Veranda was peeling in two separate spots and ready to fall. On one of the days during the 18 day cruise they power washed the verandas and the peeling paint fell on the floor and onto our porch furniture. The paint that fell actually dried and stuck to the recliners and our room attendand cleaned the furniture to the best of his ability.. This was our eight cruise with Celebrity and it is the first time we departed a Celebrity ship not being able to recommend that ship to our family and friends. The only other negative we experienced ,and heard many others comment on, is the constant Upsellling from Specialty Dining to Photos etc;. Read Less

Our experience aboard the Celebrity Solstice was wonderful, despite there being 12 sea days throughout our cruise the options for entertainment were wonderful, you could be continuously entertained or you could always find a quiet spot for some time on your own. Great ship and always smiling obliging crew, only one negative was the terrible coffee at elbacio, the baristas had no idea, when the manager made a coffee it was superb, the other staff need to learn quickly. Food on board fantastic from the buffet right through to fine dining. Well done to all in the catering department. Entertainment in the theatre was incredible, we did not miss a show, and whilst it is impossible to please everyone and we are included in this, not all shows were our cup of tea, however the skill on the cast in every case was amazing, and when we next cruise on the Solstice we will again be sure to catch every show. A big thumbs up to cast and crew Read Less

This is going to be long winded! So many times, I have read that this itinerary only comes around twice a year and therefore, fewer reviews. If I can help anyone decide to take this journey, my job will be done. I decided to sail from Honolulu instead of Sydney mainly to escape airline luggage restrictions and also to rest after my first visit to Hawaii. This trip was 18 months in planning with no stones unturned. I really don’t know where to start. I’m always sceptical about people who have a gripe against a cruise line or hotel when something goes wrong that clouds their entire review (sometimes due to unrealistic expectations), or those, much like me, who can see no wrong. I’m a glass half full kind of person. I will try to give this review balance. A little background. I have always wanted to go to Hawaii and more importantly, to Bora Bora, my bucket list place. My youngest daughter aged 19 and I flew to Hawaii on Jetstar on September 24 from Sydney. We spent a marvellous week there before embarking the Solstice on Oct 1 for the cruise home via French Polynesia and New Zealand. What a month-long journey it was…. We stayed at the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel in a premier oceanfront room. The view was stunning and well worth the extra cost for this room in my opinion. It made me constantly “feel” I was finally in Hawaii. It’s located next to the Park Shore Hotel and the Zoo in the quieter end of Waikiki. It was an easy 10-minute walk to Waikiki central. The staff at this hotel were friendly, helpful and professional. We luckily paid $USD60 for an early check in which was much appreciated after arriving from Sydney at 6am. Those overnight flights are brutal if you can’t sleep on a plane (like me). Check in and check out was super easy and fast. The pool area was very pleasant. You could check out towels and deck chairs to take to the beach across the road without charge. There’s an ice machine on some floors. One thing about this hotel is that there is no room service. That didn’t bother us in the least because there were 2 ABC stores, a Wolfgang Puck, a juice place, a cookie store and a Subway on the ground level. The weather in Hawaii was very warm and humid. The locals saying that it was unusually so due to the recent hurricanes and volcanic activity around the islands. I enjoyed swimming at Kuhio Beach to cool down on many occasions. The ocean was refreshing and not cold. Whilst in Hawaii we went with Oahu Photography Tours to the “North Shore” and a “Beautiful Hawaii” tour. I can highly recommend them. You don’t need to be a photographer. They will help you get great shots at some beautiful locations if you want or you can do your own thing. An iphone is just as good as an SLR. We took both. It’s a great way to see the island. I do have to say here that many people we spoke with went to the North Shore with Hi5. It sounds that this may have been a better option. I will go with them next time. Oh, and there will be a next time. Already booked for next June before I even left Hawaii. LOL. We also went to Pearl Harbour. Got a shuttle from our hotel, for something like $USD32 return for both of us. Of course, you still can’t disembark the boat onto the memorial due to structural defects, however, the moving video and 2 free museums were well worth the visit. The movie really explained in simple terms why and how the bombing of Pearl Harbour occurred. Such a tragedy. I booked Arizona tickets online two months out. We got there two hours before our tour asked if we could change our times. Numbers are down so we were able to do that no problem and did not have to wait. One morning at 6am we hiked Diamond Head. We caught an Uber as the buses weren’t running that early. My daughter called it the “death hike” although it wasn’t that bad. It was tough though. There were lots of places to stop and rest on the way up with great photo opportunities. There are lots of uneven lava paths, tunnels and stairs +++. I saw some young and older people have trips and spills. TIP. Once you get to the top and arrive at the near vertical stairs on your right, turn left, a much easier climb to the summit. We were greeted by an amazing scene that included a rainbow! Well worth the effort. Some other things we did was to eat Poke’ in backstreet restaurants, tuna, salmon and octopus, yum. I tried Loco Moco once, and ate at a lovely Italian place, Arancino Di Mare, down near the zoo. Beautiful food. Of course, we went to the Cheesecake Factory and Dukes. No complaints. Lulu’s attached to the Park Shore had great breakfast although way to big portions that were very tasty and economical. Get one meal for two. Great views too. Tikis grill at our hotel was lovely too. You could have a light meal by the pool with drinks or dine in the restaurant for a more a la carte menu. There was nightly music and entertainment. We were on the 10th floor and the music was enjoyable, not intrusive. Of course, we also did some retail therapy at the Waikele outlets and Ala Moana Centre and got some high-end bargains compared to prices in Australia. We caught an Uber to the outlets from Ala Moana, $USD35, and then got a Robert’s air-conditioned bus back to the hotel for $USD10 each which you could book at the outlets. Now to the cruise October 1, got to the terminal by 11am with Hawaii23 shuttle service and were on board by 12 eating lunch at a dedicated dining room function for Concierge class. A lovely way to start. This would be my 7th cruise. All the others on Royal Caribbean. As Concierge class we were invited by the concierge Javier, to the bridge and to sail into Auckland on the helipad which were really nice touches. The main advantage of Concierge class for me was the location. We had a hump cabin on the pool deck with a bigger balcony. We were starboard and had shade most of the day. From day 1 I was blown away. This ship by far is the best I have been on. Probably the biggest difference is that this ship seems to have 2 passengers to each crew member. That is amazing. Considering I have been on Ovation where it was probably 10 to 1. There were no lines on this ship! The Solstice staff were standout. They are truly a credit to their ship and industry. So friendly and willing to help anyone and assist at every opportunity. I could name so many people. But here goes some….Greg and Abel on the pool deck, Maurice, our room attendant, Jim, Faishoul, Kim and Almandi in the dining room. Thank you. You deserve all the recognition you can get. The Solstice has tendering down to a fine art. We had no problems getting off or back on the ship whenever we wanted. We were docked for Honolulu, Papeete, Auckland and of course Sydney. The entertainment was enjoyable with a few standout performances. I enjoyed the enrichment talks about sharks, rays and turtles etc with Brent Nixon prior to French Polynesia. They were appropriate and informative. Especially as we would be swimming with them in Bora Bora. The food was amazing. Not one bad meal. We were careful not to overeat and enjoyed our food. Often skipping lunch after a lovely breakfast where you are spoiled for choice. Occasionally we had a hot dog or burger from the Mast Grill that were always tasty. We dined at many of the specialty restaurants, namely Murano, Silk Harvest, and Tuscan Grill. The flambé lobster at Murano was particularly good. At Silk Harvest, we did a set menu that consisted of a lot of seafood with an Asian twist titled Silk ‘n’ Soul. Very nice. Tuscan Grill was my least favourite, only because I am not a steak person. We had pre-purchased a 3-night dining package. Most nights we did select dining and did not ever wait to be seated. We were treated like royalty. We ate breakfast in the Oceanview café daily except when we ordered room service on days that we had early tenders. It was on time, complete and still hot enough to eat. I was not going to purchase a drink package; however, I could not pass up the premium package for $AUD46 a day! It went on sale just before our cruise. By the time I had daily bottled water, speciality coffees, soft drink, nightly wine with dinner and a cocktail or two, it worked out economical for me. Whenever we went ashore I would grab some cold bottled water to take with me. I suppose I should mention here that we were advised not to drink anything other than sealed bottles of water in French Polynesia which surprised me a little. We were also warned about having drinks with ice in it. My daughter had the premium non-alcoholic package which was not on sale. I was under the impression that she would not be able to drink alcohol as this cruise originated in the USA where drinking laws are 21. However, after clearing Hawaii and in international waters, the drinking age was reduced to 18. So, she ended up having a couple of drinks which were charged at full price and 18% gratuity. Luckily for me she doesn’t drink much. Our first port of call was Maui after departing Honolulu at midnight. We had organised a ship’s tour on what was a beautiful day without any wind. A 45min helicopter flight. How else to see the most of Maui in one day? I can only say that it was worth every dollar. My daughter and I travelled in the front with the pilot as we ascended 10000 feet to the Haleakala Crater. Awe inspiring. It looked like something out of a sci fi movie. A bit like Mars, the red planet. We then travelled the road to Hana by air and saw majestic waterfalls and beautiful terrain that you can’t see from the road. We travelled the famous Jurassic Park helicopter scene into the “park” as Blue Hawaiian had the contract for all the helicopter scenes for all the Jurassic movies. On return to the port we visited the shops and bought some souvenirs and enjoyed the shade of the Banyan Tree. After Maui we had 5 sea days. There was always something to do around the ship or relax around the pool. The cruise director, Rick Spacey and his team could certainly entertain. The uniformed staff often played games against passengers which I think they genuinely enjoyed. Many people debated that 5 sea days in a row were too much, however, I didn’t think so. I used the Canyon Ranch Spa for a massage and a manicure however I found the staff unengaging, condescending and dismissive on two different occasions. Karin who did the massage and Kim the advanced aesthetics technician who did my nails were less than happy to be there in my opinion. I believe they are not employed by Celebrity which could have enhanced their business in my eyes. I could not wait to get out of there. Our next port of call was Papeete, Tahiti. The city itself was like any other capital city with a French flavour. We did another ships tour down the West Coast. It was a nice way to see some of the island. We visited a grotto, a scared ground, and a botanical garden. We called into the markets to buy some souvenirs and found them to be quite expensive. $USD10 for a fridge magnet minimum. This was the same all over French Polynesia. I did get some beautiful unique flower arrangements for my granddaughters to wear in their hair. The next port day was Bora Bora. My destination!! I was up early because I was so excited. It was another beautiful day. I had organised a private tour for about 30 cruisers with Maohi Nui. We had booked nearly a year out to ensure we could experience all Bora Bora has to offer. 12 of us, 6 at a time, did a full day combo tour for $USD215 each which included going up the mountain in a 4-wheel drive for some stunning views, a drive around the island with commentary from Arii who was obviously proud of his country and culture. Up the mountain we visited an artist studio where I bought 4 beautiful hand painted sarongs for my family at home. They were not cheap but definitely unique and of good quality. The artist said it takes him 4-5 hours to paint each one. We then went down the mountain and boarded a 12-seater outrigger canoe with Teddy and Vaitiare and went snorkelling in a coral garden. So many fish all swimming around you. We were serenaded by ukulele as we were taken through the pristine waters to Patrick’s private motu for a true Polynesian feast of suckling pig cooked underground. It was melt in the mouth good! It was served with fruits cooked in the oven, two types of BBQ fish, a chicken and spinach dish and some salad. Cold drinks were supplied and included bottled water, beer, wine, soft drink and champagne. We ate with our hands as you do in Bora Bora from banana leaf plates. After lunch, Patrick performed his fire dance before we headed back to the outrigger to swim with sharks and rays, and that we did in 1-2 metres of water! It was thrilling. Finally, we headed out to the reef to swim in 40ft of deep blue water on top of sharks deep below. To top everything off, a mother and calf whale breached in front of our outrigger as we headed back to the port. What a day! Words are not enough. This day turned out to be the highlight of our month-long holiday. It’s a good idea to take water shoes, an underwater camera, and your own snorkels as we did. If you go to Bora Bora, do yourself a favour and tour with Maohi Nui. Vaitiare likes to book groups to make her job easier so use your roll call and organise things early with one person to do the planning. I do recommend the combo tour however only 12 people per day can do this. The other cruisers did the full day tour and Polynesian lunch minus the 4 wheel drive up and around the island and most raved about the day. All money is payable on the day in cash. The last port of call in French Polynesia was Moorea. It was very hot and humid. We booked the ships Capture Moorea photo tour. It was a lovely way to see the island from Belvedere Lookout and atop Magic Mountain. It was very majestic scenery. After we left French Polynesia, the weather changed. We had cold windy weather with 4 metre swells. They closed the top decks for a couple of days. I was rocked to sleep two nights in a row. The weather settled a little in New Zealand and remained cool till we reached Sydney. Fortunately, I heard of no one coming down with gastro. Unfortunately, many people including myself became unwell in the last few days of the cruise. Many people were quarantined due to influenza A or another virus going around that caused razor blade throats and a hacking cough. I am still recovering. I don’t blame Celebrity for this. The ship was kept meticulously clean and they maintained mandatory hand sanitising. It was just a consequence of many people in a confined space with viruses that were airborne and helped along via the air conditioning when everyone was forced inside due to inclement weather. Despite the illness, I had the time of my life!! I met so many nice people to share my time with. I can now tick off Bora Bora and hope that you can too one day. It really is paradise. Everything else on this remarkable voyage was a bonus. Tours Hana and Haleakala Helicopter Exploration ++++ Discover Tahiti’s West Coast +++ Maohi Nui- Bora Bora ++++++ Capture Moorea- Photo tour ++++ Auckland- Hop on Hop off bus and the Skywalk +++ Bay of Islands- Island and Cave Adventure ++ Read Less

We did the Tahitian Treasures Cruise on Solstice from Honolulu to Sydney for the second time now. We enjoy seadays and chose Aqua Class because of the breakfast in Blu and access to Persian Gardens. Dinner in Blu is a nice plus and we are happy to report that the food has been significantly better compared to our Blu experience from last year! Our cabin 1543 showed some wear under the roof on the balcony (visible and rusty holes) beside this, it was kept extraordinarily well by our steward Santan. He was incredibly hard working and we can't praise him enough! Overall the ship is still in very good condition - just the seats in the theatre desperatly need a new padding and one hot chair in Persian Guardens seems to be out of order for more than 1 year! We love seadays and we have immensely enjoyed Brent Nixon's lectures and those of Mary Amanda (B. Nixon's wife). The Hawaiian enrichment where enjoyable and authentic, but we had the feeling, that they have just been squeezed into the daily programme without very much attention - which resulted often tin conflicts with other important programme points. Too bad, because our tutors where hard working and overly friendly and helpful. The shows where hit and miss, often very good and spectacular, but then noticeably cheap (repetetive jugglers and the comedian was not funny at all) and boring. Our cruise director Richard and his sidekick Tim where more entertaining than the jugglers and comedians of the main program. Food in Blu was outstanding all the way and Ocenview Cafe always offered an incredible offering of various food and we always found something delicious there. The crew is exceptionally hardworking and overly friendy - with one exception: Guest Service who had a different attitude: "No, you customer are wrong, we can't help you" and we could always feel that they where afraid that complaints could lead to potential refunds (which we never asked for). We dined twice in Murano - top notch from beginning to end and being helped by Sandra was like being guest at a friend's home! She's a gem! We also dined twice in Sushi on 5 and where excited about their offerings that had nothing to do with Sushi! We enjoyed the Lobster Ramen, the Lobster Wan Tan and in particular the Ramen Sliders (Wagyu burgers). Having booked the dining package for 4 nights in advance, Sushi on 5 and Murano gave a very good value for money. All meals in Blu where excellent and beyond what we have experienced last year, the staff around Tanja where absolutely outstanding and it was just like returning to family. It really was that good! We did read a lot about Celebrity diming down and to be honest (with the exception of the lack of the daily 2 bottles of water) we could not sense anything compared to last year - quite the opposite: Everything was slightly better compared to last year. One negative thing: We had to leave ports in Bora Bora at 6:00, Moorea at 5:00, Auckland and Bay of Island at 6:00. Keeping in mind the tender times, this all left not enough time at the destinations and we have heard complaints, that Celebrity excursions left viewpoints before sunset just to be right on time back on the ships. These stays should be longer (and have been mostly longer in the last year) to enable guests to enjoy more of these phantastic destinations. Another niggle: Last year, we had an Hawaiian Farewell show with Hula dancers of all ages (particularly the little boys and girls where just adorable!!!) - nothing like that this year and we really missed it! All in all, it was an almost perfect experience and we can highly recommend cruising on Celebrity Solstice! Read Less

My wife and I had twelve prior cruises under our belt, but had never done a re-positioning cruise. The "Tahitian Treasures" cruise from Honolulu to Sydney via French Polynesia and New Zealand sounded like just the ticket for our inaugural re-positioning, and we were not disappointed in the slightest. The Solstice, although the oldest of the Solstice class ships, is still relatively young (in service since 2008) and is in tip-top shape. Everything is sparkling clean, in good working order, and we didn't see anything that showed signs of wear and tear. Our stateroom was reasonably spacious for two, as was the veranda. One thing I liked was that the bed frames were high enough off the floor to easily allow our 29-inch suitcases (and we had four of them since we were staying on in Australia after the cruise and needed clothing for a couple of climate zones) to fit underneath them. There is also a nice-sized couch in addition to a small but functional desk. The large TV provided for easy viewing and the controls worked well. Storage space was adequate, but just barely. More drawer space would have been nice although I'm not sure where it could have gone. One minor complaint is that the safe was in a less-than-convenient spot, requiring you to get on your hands and knees to operate it. At least there was a safe, however, which we think is a critical piece of equipment for storing passports and other valuable. This was the first time we opted for Celebrity's "Select Dining" rather than having a fixed dining time and fixed seating assignment, and we found it worked quite well. Being able to eat when we wanted was very convenient, and allowed us to select the time that best worked relative to shows or other activities that we wished to see. We never had to wait for a table, and although the tables are relatively close together, it afforded us the opportunity to meet some very nice people while also avoiding the situation, which has sometimes occurred, of being seated for the whole cruise at a table with people with whom you have nothing in common. Also, over time Celebrity has cut back on the selections available in the main dining room, and we found that on some nights where there was nothing that compelling on the main menu we enjoyed the more relaxed atmosphere of the buffet in the Ocean View Cafe. Food quality was uniformly good in the main dining room and the Ocean View Cafe. We also tried three of the premium restaurants -- Silk Harvest (Asian fusion--nothing particularly impressive), Murano (continental--limited menu but excellent quality and superb service), and Tuscan Grill (Italian/steak house--good amount of choices, also with excellent quality and service). We found the entertainment on this cruise to be somewhat better than on other Celebrity cruises we have taken in the last couple of years. There was a good variety of singers, comedians, and production shows. We particularly enjoyed Ivan Rutherford, who for many years was in the Broadway production of Les Miserables, and Nikki Barrett, an Australian singer. The singers, dancers and band really put their all into the production shows. Although we enjoyed some of the shows more than others, we never for a moment felt that any of the cast were putting less than 100% into their efforts, even though by this point (they were all near the end of their tours) they must have done these shows any number of times. The only entertainer we were a little put off by was a juggler who, although quite talented, made a number of comments we thought were a bit too edgy for an audience that included some (although granted not a lot) of children. Special mention goes to one of the bands, Jeam Beam, who we thought did an excellent job with every genre of rock, pop and contemporary music. Service was exemplary. We don't know how they do it day in and day out, but one thing we have found on every Celebrity cruise we have taken is that to a person, the crew is friendly, cheerful, and anxious to please. Being a re-positioning cruise, there were lots of sea days, but we never felt bored or as if we were going through the same routine day after day. There were a variety of activities to keep us busy, and plenty of time to just sit, relax, and read if that's all we wanted to do for the moment. We enjoyed all the ports of call and the shore excursions we did, although Papeete on Tahiti was something of a disappointment--a bit grungy around the edges. Bora Bora and Moorea were excellent, and we highly recommend the Aqua Safari on Bora Bora--you put on a diving helmet into which air is pumped under pressure so it keeps the water out, and you can walk on the sea bed 15 feet below the surface, surrounded by hordes of tropical fish. A truly memorable experience! Moorea was scenically magical--very reminiscent of Bali Hai in South Pacific. For some reason, it has been dropped from next year's itinerary for this cruise, however. Would we do this cruise again? In a heartbeat! It was one of the best we've ever done. Read Less

We have sailed with Celebrity for years, enjoying many of their ships and cruises. We booked this cruise, starting in Hawaii and going on to Canada. It's fair to say that we are now unkeen to remain with Celebrity. Starting by saying that the room steward and our waiters were fabulous. I have simple dietary needs. Well, simple to explain, but apparently almost impossible to deliver on board, it seems, for reasons too mysterious. The hotel before the cruise managed fine. Other restaurants on land manage fine. The hotel after the cruise managed fine. I am not a chef and can manage to feed myself effortlessly. On Celebrity, the chef for Blu managed by just not giving me food. For example, each day, I'd watch the other diners with their basket of bread. For me, nothing. Their meals had sauces. For me, nothing. They had a full range of desserts. For me, same one offered every night, barring one where the lovely waiters took pity on me. Cakes -nothing. Pastries - nothing. The actual waiters and staff were good. But I was left truly hungry on the ship. The cafe had foods that nearly all contained the things I can't eat. The grill likewise. The 'highlight' for me was a main course which consisted of one dry piece of meat balanced on two burned brussels sprouts. I actually burst into tears afterwards. Interestingly, the male diner next to me was given sauces I could easily eat, so the chef could do them. He just didn't bother with mine each time. The waiters tried their best to improvise, but they are not the chefs. Then, there was the nightmare flight on their preferred partner from LA to Honolulu, Delta, booked via Celebrity. We arrived in pain and exhausted, unfed and with nothing to drink. Crammed into tiny uncomfortable seats for six hours. Having paid for an upgraded service, we even had to pay for a snack that I couldn't then eat. Then, their transfers to and from the ship and hotels, again organised by Celebrity. Don't ask how two of the four of those went. But if you enjoy paying a lot of money for a car transfer that turns up an hour late, or one that drops you unexpectedly in the middle of an unknown town at near-midnight, some distance from your hotel, with four heavy cases, you're in the right place. "Oh the road's closed ahead - I'll have to leave you here. The hotel is just round the corner". It wasn't. No attempt to find anywhere closer. Again, left in huge pain trying to get the cases to the hotel. As a disabled traveller, Celebrity have always been good until now. This time...I just can't explain how exhausting it was. Celebrity, you need to do better than this. We've been very loyal and, as normally-suite-level customers, spent a lot of money with you. We are in conversation with their guest relations people. Read Less

Hawaii Celebrity Solstice review April 29 - May 11, 2018 We had a enjoyable cruise despite some bumps along the road. We embarked in Honolulu. The lines were short but the woman we had checking us in just couldn't get it together. We stood waiting for her to check us in. It took 30 minutes. We were not happy with that but couldn't do anything about it. Finally, we got on board. They were giving out Champagne and mimosas as we boarded. The ship looked great. It shined and sparkled. The rooms were not ready yet. So we found some lunch and then found a comfortable place to wait. We had the Classic beverage package and enjoyed some drinks while waiting. We booked a handicapped accessible cabin on deck 11 Aqua class. I use a scooter to get around as I have muscular dystrophy. The cabin was barren as usual for handicapped cabins but did not have enough storage. We had only one closet and only 4 small drawers. The balcony had a lovely built in ramp to get out to the balcony. We had two chairs and loved having matching foot stools for each. We spent may hours out on that balcony. The door to our room was automatic which was wonderful for me. It is so hard to drive my scooter and open the door at the same time. I found the whole ship to be wonderfully accessible. All the doors were automatic all around the ship. I was able to get everywhere. Waiting on elevators after shows were awful. I would wait for my turn however able bodied people wouldn't let me get in the elevator. By the time I was able to get to elevator door it was full of able bodied people. I would have to wait and wait. Most of the time I would have to travel to the back of the ship just to find an elevator. Then had to travel back to the front of the ship where our cabin was. I would have loved to travel the stairs but my disability makes it impossible. We booked no excursions thru the ship. We booked them on shore. Much cheaper and just as good as ship excursions. Since we were in Aqua class we were able to eat in the Blu restaurant. It was open for breakfast and dinner each day. We went to breakfast there a few times, however, I like waffles and Blu didn't serve waffles at breakfast. The buffet did serve waffles so we preferred to eat there. The buffet was quicker too. The buffet food was delicious. Two lunches in the buffet they had fish and chips which were wonderful. We ate all our dinners in Blu. The food was good. The waiters were very nice and knowledgable about the menu and food. I liked having a cosmopolitan at dinner. After 3 days the wine waitress in Blu would recognize me and would always bring me my cosmopolitan with out me even having to ask. This made me feel so special. I went to all the shows. I was always entertained. My favorite shows are usually production shows but I found these productions shows to be lacking. I enjoyed all the game shows. The newly wed game and liar liar were hilarious. All the comedians were funny and clean. We experienced an earthquake in Hilo. We were on the ship at the time. The whole ship shook while we were at the pier. It was quite the adventure. Not for one man. I went down to guest relations to find a man yelling at the poor guest relations attendant. Earlier in the day he went on a ship excursion to the Volcano. He wanted a full refund. He couldn't understand how Celebrity would take passengers to a place that had earthquakes and that Celebrity should have known a earthquake was going to happen. I had to laugh. I don't even think all those specialists with all their expensive equipment knew that an earthquake was going to happen. I don't know if he got a refund or not. Getting a bar drink during the day was next to impossible. We would go to the pool bar to find one bartender trying to get drinks for 10 people in line. This was a daily thing. However, at the show room at night it was super easy to get a drink. The bar waiters were abundant. We had the classic drink package and liked it. The only drinks I couldn't get were at the martini bar. It worked for wine, beer and drinks of the day. I spent most of my money at the spa. I do not get the popularity of the Persian Garden. It was included in our Aqua class cabin. Lovely view but those tile chairs are hard and uncomfortable. I got two massages which were wonderful but expensive. I also got a facial. I was not told to buy this cream and that cream. No hard sell. Actually no sell at all. I really liked that. I also got my teeth whitened. It worked really well. I went 7 shades lighter. I was happy at the time but it sure doesn't last very long. I am now home and my teeth look the same as they did before the whitening. Next is the horrible problem we had in our cabin. Bugs. We found 7 in total. 3 we found in our bed. They were not bed bugs. I was told they got in thru our balcony. We did not leave our balcony doors open. Only when we went in and out. This really was a problem. I have been on over 27 cruises and I have never had bugs in my cabin before. Despite the bugs, and the earthquake we really enjoyed our Celebrity cruise and still believe that there is no such thing as a bad cruise. Read Less

We sailed on the Celebrity Solstice from Sydney to Hawaii via Auckland & Tahiti in April 2018. This ship was breathtakingly fabulous. We stayed in the Celebrity Suites and this we could not fault. Our private dining room for breakfast lunch dinner was outstanding. Nothing was a bother for them. The food was simply delicious and the staff were absolutely brilliant. Although we could have dined here every night on our 19 day cruise we chose to eat in Murano Restaurant. This restaurant is not to be missed. The food and the staff are very very professional. The service is akin to six star fine dining restaurant. The meal selection is very varied and they will offer you something else if you can’t find a suitable selection from the menu.. Being Suite guests we had the opportunity to visit Michaels. Michaels is a suite only private area where you have canapés and drinks before dinner. Our female bartender was brilliant. She could remember everyone’s drink orders and was an asset to the ship. Our Butler was very attentive and prompt. We are sailing on the Queen Elizabeth in February 2019 for 12 days around New Zealand. This ship has got some very big shoes to fill. I have my doubts. Read Less

We have sailed Celebrity Solstice class ships several times before, but we chose this itinerary as our first trip to Hawaii. Overnights in Oahu, Maui, and ports on both sides of the big island were much enjoyed. Our last day in Hilo we experienced two earthquakes about 1/2 hour apart while on a bus tour in Volcanoes National Park and its environs. It was great and very exciting. All our excursions were from Celebrity, and all were well organized. We had one guide on the island of Hawaii, Anthony, who was very knowledgeable and entertaining. We actually enjoyed him on 2 separate tours. We learned a great deal about the history and geology of this island. I also really liked the "Beyond the Podium" lectures that were offered on the 5 sea days, especially the ones about the art of the south Pacific. I joined the choir, directed by Isaac, and had a great performance on our last night of the cruise in Victoria, B.C. A great way to get back to Canada! Read Less

Loving cruising and wanting to go to Hawaii and the added bonus of Vancouver was amazing! Landed in Oahu end of April with warm air and palm trees! Glad to get here after over 12 hours of travel and changing planes from the East Coast. Hubby upgraded us to First Class so not so hard to take the trip:) Hawaii and Oahu were more than I imagined! Good food, friendly people, upgrade in our room at the Hilton Rainbow Tower. We were set! Since we were only going to be there for 3 nights we decided it looked like an easily walkable city, it was. We walked everywhere. Had dinner at both Duke’s and Roy’s. Loved Duke’s, Roy’s not so much. Ate at Tommy Bahama’s in town for lunch, on the rooftop! would do it again. Hilton was great. Found breakfast to be expensive eat locally. And don’t forget to have a shave ice! Watched the Solstice come into port from our balcony on Sunday morning. Sad to leave but excited to try the Solstice. Embarkation went smoothly with one problem and something in our carry on. A box of Tastycakes!! We were bringing them to family that lived in Kona. No one in the port knew what they were. They let us go :) No one to give us direction when we boarded. Since we have done more than 35 cruises we were helping others. We went to Michael’s where we met Cali, a pretty, well mannered young woman with a nice smile. Met a couple there that I had talked to on the Cruise Critic boards. Then went to Luminae for lunch. Great staff. Greeted by Marie who we remembered from Equinox. Enjoyed most dinners there and the staff was amazing! Headed to our room on deck 11, Sky Suite 1667. First thing we noticed, the railing was missing and there were paint chips all over the deck and furniture. Graffiti on the deck railing was exposed. I told Cabin steward and butler. It stayed like that for the whole 12 nights (I cleaned the paint chips). Room needs makeover but it was kept clean with requested extra towels, everyday. Only request for butler was keep lots of water and ice in the bucket. We do not need anything else. Had to ask for it the first two days. Water appeared about every other day, ice two days. It was our only request. Maja was the suite concierge we told her and water appeared, two days. Still no ice. Cabin is a good walk to aft but it was great since we are late eaters. Shows, most were pretty good, some not so good. Passed the time. Ports were the best!!!! Oahu (overnight), Maui (overnight) and the big island of Hawaii. Went on a Viatour to Pearl Harbor, don’t miss it. Very emotional. Then left to head to Maui. Took the Road to Hana tour in Maui with a local, went to Lahaina Luau with friends on Cruise Critic (well worth it) food was very good and entertainment was terrific. Second day did Maui on our own and had lunch atPaia Fish Market, loved it. Shopping was great in town. Tender ride was a little rough. In Kona we met family to tour their coffee farm, it was amazing. Next day the other side of the island Pahoa, Hawaii. Probably one of the most exciting days we ever had while traveling. We got to take a tour with Daniel Kenoi, a local with a great sense of humor. He told us Ku’u Home la ‘Oe which means My home I share with you. The best tour we have ever taken (before Vancouver). He took us to steam vents, to the crater, where as everyone knows by now, we were when the walls caved in and ash shot up into the air. Being from the East coast, we don’t get to see things like this. Took lots of photos, but we were both a little nervous. First a small earth tremor, it was an earthquake. Daniel decided for us to leave. They closed the park after we left. He headed to an orchid greenhouse to have our lunch where we were when the second earthquake, this one a 6.9 occurred. I felt my heart jump out of my chest. Saw hubby and Daniel and both were scared. He decided it was time for us to head back, NOW. Worried more about aftershocks and sunami. All on this tour decided to let Daniel go back to his family and help friends rather than continue tour. God Bless the people of Hawaii. 5 days at sea and we had a naturalist forgot his first name but last name was Nixon. He was great with stories of whales, and sharks and eagles. We went to every one. We arrived in Victoria BC in the rain. We had been here before on our way to Alaska. Nice city with wonderfully helpful people. Had lunch in an Irish Pub. Next day was disembarkation with a Vancouver tour (Sea to Sky) we both awoke with terrible colds (lots of sick people on board) but did not have much choice since our flight was not till 11PM. One of the best tours we ever took!! Vancouver is beautiful do no miss this tour if you get a chance. We traveled as a couple, in our 60’s and 70’s. I recommend this cruise for the ports. Glad we did it.Should not have waited this long to do it. Was a lot of moving luggage around and customs. Did not get home till Saturday morning after two plane changes!! Booked another cruise while on board - why not!! Read Less

Embarkation was quick and easy compared to recent large ship and midsize ship embarkations. After arriving at the cruise terminal in Honolulu, we were guided to our line for our cabin class and we walked right to the counter. After answering the quick health questionnaire our photos were taken and we were escorted to our cabin by ship's staff. Twenty minutes from unloading at the dock and getting to our cabin. Disembarkation was the also the easiest we have ever had as the Destinations Manager escorted us off the ship, to our luggage and then to our awaiting car to take us to the airport. Our suite was well appointed with only the sofa cushions showing some wear, otherwise the Suite was perfect. Dining at Luminae, Tuscan Grille, Morano and Sushi On Five was the best dining we have had in terms of quality and variety on any ship. Michael's Club, where after the first night the bar tender knew our choice of libations and the string duet and the classical guitar entertained was our favorite spot before dinner. The service on board was excellent from the butler, cabin steward, to the whole staff at Luminae, Sushi On Five, Tuscan Grille and Morano, we did not want for anything. We had chosen some interesting shore excursions including the Road to Hana and the Pineapple Plantation on Maui, the Atlantis Submarine in Kona as well as the Glass Bottom Boat and we recommend those excursions. The most interesting shore excursion, and it was a matter of timing, was the visit to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and hiking through Kilauea Iki Crater as the plume from the Kilauea Caldera rose behind us. The 5.1 earthquake which occurred while we were in the crater and brought rock down from the crater sides was pretty exciting and then experiencing the 6.9 earthquake while at the Jaggar Volcano Overlook topped off the day. It was a matter of timing! I will add, that we never felt in danger as the guides and the rangers were well trained and safety came first in dealing with the guests and the situation. Read Less

Cruising from Hawaii back to Australia via Tahiti and New Zealand and not having to fly, seemed like a wonderfully relaxing holiday... But then there was norovirus! I think many more cases than were officially reported. I was an unlucky one who had to be wheeled down to to doctor at 3.30am! I have never been so violently ill in my life. My husband who felt quite unwell a few days later but avoided all food and alcohol, dodged the bullet of a full blown attack and was not reported. Many people we discovered along the way had been "feeling unwell" and so we hadn't seen them for a few days. I bet lots had "it" and just laid low. I have been on 6 previous cruises and Solstice was the grubbiest, from the table top in the lounge immediately upon embarkation to our cabin in which I had to scrub the sink with an airline toothbrush, yuk! The towels were threadbare and I daren't check out the pilllows or mattress. Yes, my adult kids say I am the CLEANEST person they know and I was perfectly healthy for a week in Hawaii and through Tahiti and Bora Bora. I was fastidious in my hand sanitising but then I began to notice people's habits - at the buffet especially. For example- people picking their teeth - it has to be said - and then touching the servers!!! For heavens sake cruise ships, serve people individually or put sanitizers on each table so we can eat a bread rolll. Needless to say, the buffet is to be avoided at all costs. The restaurants all seemed good but I bet menus etc. are still contaminated. Oh, and all that cruise pass handling. I have to stop now as I am reliving the nightmare. Don't go!!! PS. After being in isolation for 24 hrs Celebrity offered me a 1 day credit on a future cruise (within 12 months) of course. An admission of liability perhaps? I don't think I will be taking them up on their offer, ever. Read Less

PROS: I have to disagree with many of the reviews that decried the quality of the dining. We found dinner to be quite pleasant, even if the menu did become a little repetitive. Our waiter and assistant waiter were outstanding, and we couldn't go wrong by following their suggestions. Dinner was served efficiently so that we usually could make it to the early show in time, and the cafeteria offered adequate seating and predictably good quality alternatives. Also, the staff were invariably helpful and exceeded expectations. This included, notably, our cabin attendant, all members of the dining room and food service staff. At the end of the cruise, these staff members had to work especially hard because of the outbreak of illness aboard the ship. CONS: We choose this cruise because of the itinerary. While it involved 11 days at sea, we usually enjoy the many shipboard activities and the opportunity to relax. Sadly, the main shipboard activity on the Solstice was fending off--sometimes physically--the constant upselling. Being accosted by animal characters outside the cafeteria accompanied by equally insistent photographers became worse than tiresome: It was practically assault. The pre-recorded upselling phone messages left in the cabin reminded me of why I had wanted a vacation. And the gauntlet of specialty restaurant barkers when entering lunch were like carnival workers. Added to this, at least half of the "enrichment" activities were actually enrichment for Celebrity and attempts to squeeze $$$ out of guests for overpriced services or terrible "artwork." In fact, outside of some worthwhile lectures and trivia contests, there was little to do during sea days. Scant information was made available about the ship's daily position, about port layouts or getting into town. The daily newsletter was a reiteration of dining venues and times, a list of sales presentations, and a few repetitive activities. Celebrity dedicated considerable space to upscale shops but only a pegboard of about 25 sq ft to sundries such as aspirin and seasick pills. With nearly two weeks at sea, I would have appreciated the usual supply of everday items being on hand. Show quality varied from one extreme to another. A fantastic concert pianist on one night, then a disorganized and pointless production show the next; an on-the-mark female vocalist raised my expectations on the first night to be followed later by a lounge lizard male singer. Considering that we paid a very low price for the cruise, it was a good value for the money. Had we paid anywhere near full price, I would have been sorely disappointed, but it was a comfortable way to travel to Sydney and arrive more rested than if we had flown. See cabin review, below. Read Less

Chose this cruise for itinerary and package deal through travel agency. 1) Lacking in day time entertainment & activities. By 5th sea day, was bored. After 9th, weather cold and couldn’t go by the pool, I was exasperated and incredulous as to how little there was to do. Celebrity could learn a lot from its parent company, Royal Caribbean, in this department. 2) Bands for night entertainment were good but only on for two lots of 45minutes in a small foyer area. Needed to be on for longer, in a larger area. Crowd loved them when there were on. 3) Coffee in Bacio Cafe was dreadful, undrinkable. Order a white tea, got milk AND water in teapot. 4) Baggage offload from ship was a fiasco. Bags were put outside cabin the night before. Disembarkation started 1 hour after docking. Early departure bags not there, late departure bags clogging up small bag collection area. Bags need to be sorted in departure time order on the ship the night they are collected then offloaded into terminal in that same order. People were missing bags and delaying airport shuttles. Celebrity needs to study their market, i.e. Australian made up over 65% of the passengers on this cruise and will make up over 95% on their Sydney to Pacific/NZ cruises. They’re still catering heavily for the Americans that will not be on the cruises out of Sydney for things such as food, entertainment, activities. Read Less

Cabin: Cabin 9191, an outside balcony on the port side, had plenty of room and the most well-designed bathroom we’ve seen on a cruise ship, with more storage space than we needed and a shower big enough that you could actually pick up a dropped bar of soap. There was some low-level vibration whenever the ship was in motion, but not enough to bother us. Dining: We ate twice at each of the specialty restaurants (including Sushi on 5), as well as the main dining room and Oceanview café. Overall, the food was above average but not spectacular. Service in the specialty restaurants was usually excellent, but slow service in the main dining room implies they were understaffed for much of this cruise, and finding an open table in the Oceanview was frequently difficult. Ports and Shore Excursions: An inordinate number of rainy/cloudy days only slightly dampened our enjoyment of the ports. On Maui we did the road to Hana -- an 8-10 hour trip with scenery and road conditions such that you definitely want someone else driving. In Tahiti we did a small-group private circle tour of the island, and on Bora Bora the snorkel/stingray/shark trip was a lot of fun. In Auckland, the weather finally cleared part-way through our wine-tasking excursion to Waiheke Island, although the ferry and bus rides were more interesting than the wines. And at the Bay of Islands, the scenery during the bus ride was as interesting as the stops at kauri forest and glow-worm cave. Entertainment: The musicians who played in public areas throughout the day and evening covered a wide range of styles from classical to blues, and for the most part did a good job. We didn’t see all of the theater shows, but the best that could be said for most were that they were about what you’d expect if you’re familiar with cruise entertainment. In some cases, the sound system was so loud that singers’ words were unintelligible. However, we enjoyed comedian Jeff Nease, and musician/story-teller Bayne Bacon was outstanding. Other: Despite the omnipresent Purell dispensers and the captain’s daily exhortations about hand-washing, there was an outbreak of norovirus on the last day before we reached Sydney. Actions such as eliminating all self-service in the Oceanview café probably helped limit further spread of the virus, but the medical center could have handled the triage process more efficiently than they did. Read Less

Because we wanted to visit Hawaii and French Polynesia. We choose celebrity solstice as we wanted a premium cruise liner as celebrity and we did the right selection! The ship was amazing, the destinations was amazing and overal it was a great experience and holiday!Service was excellent, captain and the crue officers were very experience and professional and they kept us inform all over the voyage. Port of calls were carefully selected by the cruise line to be according to the higher standards.Our balcony cabin was perfect and spotless with a super efficient design.Our battler was very polite and thoughtful.He met all of our needs with politeness.Entertainment was according to the destination with themes inspire from the tradition and dances of the region.Overall we had a creat experience within the ship and on each port of call. We will gladly repeat the cruise in the future with the celebrity Solstice ! Read Less

A relatively EXPRENSIVE 17 DAY TRANSITION CRUISE TO SYDNEY FROM HONOLULU...Lots of people sick from on board virus..(removed number 0ver 200). food in dinning room and buffet monotonous and bland. Asst Ma'de tried to calm us down over food issues and brought chef to us--who then made excuses about trying to please guest who didn't like spicy or tasty food. (Cruise line trying to please wrong people). .Ports ok... Specialty results were good=with the quality one used to find of Celebrity.. Stale crackers in essentially forced quarantine. What we were offered for restitution totally inadequate. Service on board was great except for room service who may have gotten overwhelmed because of serving quarantined guest. Restitution offered only for days you had sought medical treatment. Had to smooze staff to get a refund on excusion we were unable to go on due to sickness. Policy exist to only refund those unable to attend during quarantine. (we had been sick for two days before quarantine)... Won't be traveling Celebrity any time soon... Kudos to our cabin attendant Lenie who went far beyond the normal call of duty. We were in 9356... This was out 19th cruise.. 4k video will soon be posted on you tube.. Bora Bora and Sydney were the best ports. Ackland cultural experience excursion Disappointing--2.6 hours on bus thru NZ countryside not mentioned beforehand. Read Less

This was the only cruise line sailing from Hawaii to Australia at the time we were going. On-board check was done ahead of time yet we had to go through it all over again. Very disconcerting. The too narrow sofa had a stained mattress. Ugh! Dining was just so-so. The extra dining rooms were priced high at $50/person. Much too pricey. They would stand outside the main dining area and try and recruit people to go there. Most everything on board had an extra price tag to it or it was intended to sell you something as a result of a presentation. Our room steward was superb but was run off his feet with so many rooms to care for just on his own. We've always had 2 stewards on other cruises. The ship had no promenade deck to walk around. This was a huge disappointment. The running track above the pool area was short and had a lot of people walking across it or using walkers. Not good for a power walk. The ship had an outbreak of the Nora virus. We all had a number of days of sickness but not from that. But because one of us visited the medical clinic, we were quarantined, including our luggage. But were not told that our luggage would be in a different area when we disembarked. Read Less

I think this itinerary was mis-named. For me, South Pacific Treasures would have been more accurate, because it was traversing the South Pacific ocean that was the purpose of this cruise, with a total of 11 sea days. One day we were treated to 4-5 meter waves, another day 2 meter waves, another day it was a pacific ocean, smooth as a lake. Overnight of Oct. 5, we were treated to a beautiful full moon reflected on the water. As attractive as most of the stops were, spending time on open water was the central reality of this re-positioning cruise. Embarkation in Honolulu was smooth, with a different look, we each received a shell necklace as we entered the registration area. We cruised the Inside Passage on the Solstice last year, and it seemed a fair number of other passengers had previously been aboard this ship, allowing a comfortable familiarity for us. Certainly for us, the other passengers help make this a very enjoyable vacation. The many Australians we met during this trip were individually and as a group friendly and good-humored. The fun we had with our trivia team was a highlight of the whole cruise. The Cruise Critic meeting was well attended by cruisers and officers. Hotel Director Andrea and the Cruise Director Ben were very visible and active leaders throughout the cruise, one never knew where and when either of them might appear. Parag was our stateroom attendant, and he performed his duties with a smile, and proved quick to respond to both face-to-face requests and to phone calls. Blu was good for us. Telma and her restaurant staff provided excellent service throughout the cruise. Our main complaint is and has been, that we would like richer flavors in the food. Over 17 nights, the menu of course had repetition, and constraints of resupply further limited some of the potential choices. Considering there was some understandable drop-off in fresh produce, we admired the way Celebrity handled the logistics of supplying our cruise. Rose of Captain's Club had plenty to do, and was once again helpful to us. Ben was ok as CD, he is definitely energetic. Alexa and Nick ran trivia, both injecting some dry humor into the sessions. The house band Sound Stars was as good as any we have seen during our 16 years cruising. They played a range of popular music, covering different styles well, with some good interpretations thrown in. Prisma, the string duo, were excellent throughout the cruise, and I made an effort to hear them play. Starlight, the fusion quartet were good. Duo, the acoustic pairing were not as good for us as the other performers. Of the stage productions, the acrobatic/aerial show was much better than the other productions. Yoomi was good, as was Denny Elliot. The entire Hotel Staff deserves kudos for their efforts to clean and re-clean the ship during the Norovirus outbreak. Days before the cruise ended, thorough cleaning and re-cleaning of some state rooms commenced, pillows and linens were removed. The housekeeping and restaurant staffs, I think the entire Hotel management and staff, worked hard long hours to contain and rectify this outbreak. People were quarantined, care was offered and given. We very much appreciate all the efforts the service staffs made on the passengers behalf. The Polynesian Enrichment team provided ukulele lessons that I attended when they were available. They also were offering hula and other dance lessons, and were well attended, again when they were officially scheduled. It was odd to see them aboard and stating they were willing to hold classes that for some reason weren't being scheduled by the activities director. We watched some of the Enrichment lectures via the television, which was a first for us. We made good use of the fitness center and walking track. We the number of sea days, we had ample time to walk the promenade, and decks 14 and 15. Disembarkation in Sydney was easy, with helpful attendants sprinkled throughout the terminal. If the meters worth of missing wood railing on decks 14 and 15, and the connecting stairways; and the amount of rust clearly visible on our veranda and other parts of the ship are any indication, then the Celebrity Solstice best not wait until 2019 or even later to be totally refurbished. Overall, the combination of meeting friendly and interesting fellow cruisers, excellent service, the Pacific ocean, and attractive ports made for memorable travel. Read Less