We have cruised on Royal Caribbean twice, but last 9 cruises have been on Celebrity. We have been on Solstice three times including our recent August cruise to Alaska from Seattle. We were on Celebrity Millennium two years ago from Seward to Vancouver, but unfortunately the ship had propulsion issues and we were unable to sail to the ports of Ketchikan, Skagway or Juneau. So this was a return to Alaska to visit those ports specifically. Embarkation was quick and easy, but we arrived early.

The Solstice is a beautiful ship, well maintained and our cabin on the 7th floor midship was ideal for us. We had a wonderful cabin steward, Melvin, and everyone from Rose, the Captain's Club Hostess to the Captains, staff and everyone that we encountered on the ship were terrific except in one case.

We only dined once in the MDR but the staff was great and food good that night. We bought the 3 Specialty Restaurant package and in addition dined at Bistro on Five twice due to an onboard credit we wanted to use. We also ate lunch either at the Buffet or off the ship in port. Many good choices at the Buffet, but sometimes crowded if we went at the most popular times. We ordered room service for breakfast 3 times and each time it was served within the time period specified although the order wasn't always accurate. Read more