Celebrity Solstice Review
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We arrived in Seattle the afternoon before sailing. My wife and I were in Seattle after a cross country train trip in September, and we had enjoyed the traditional tourist destinations at that time. It is one of the most beautiful destinations on the west coast and has some of the best food we have had. We highly recommend Pike Market as an enjoyable location, especially with a tour guide who is familiar with the market and is known to the vendors. We ate incredible seafood at Ivar’s (at the water and at the airport) and Anthony’s. We also enjoyed a meal at the Columbia Tower Club (75th floor of the tower) though our Club Corp membership. There are so many things to do that a trip just for the Seattle experience, or a longer time before/after a cruise is worth the time. Our adult son was with us on the cruise (separate stateroom) and had been to this charming city a couple of times in the past.
We arranged for a limo service to take us from our airport hotel to Terminal 91 after breakfast. The traffic leading to the terminal is horrific, but this is a Seattle, not a Celebrity issue. We arrived at the terminal around 11:00 am. I have seen reviews describing confusion regarding Celebrity vs RCCL baggage and check in lines, but we found the process to be very quick, efficient and simple. In a few minutes, we were onboard and welcomed by pleasant crew members bearing Champagne. We walked up to the Oceanview Café (buffet) foe a nice lunch of quite fresh food before muster drill and then to cabins. Disembarkation was every bit as easy and painless.
The celebrity Solstice is a magnificent vessel. It is large enough to have every amenity we desired (and then some) yet easy to maneuver. The cruise was full, yet never felt overly crowded and waiting in lines was nonexistent. The ship has a sophisticated yet whimsical style that appealed to both our Boomer tastes as well as our son’s Millennial wants. There are bars, clubs and lounges for various age groups and what appeared comprehensive children’s/adolescent’s programs and areas of the ship for adults who want a quiet adult area and separate areas for the much younger aged passengers. Although the Solstice (and sibs) have the traditional food in the back, entertainment in the front and “money in the middle” layout, there are uniquely Solstice features, including a huge ficus tree growing suspended foe many deck heights in the middle of the ship. Oh, and there is the whole ½ acre of grass growing on deck…
Cabin Review
Deluxe Veranda 2B
We were in stateroom 7210, which is starboard and mid ship. Being starboard located allowed for more time with a land view early on the trip north. The bed was comfortable and the small sofa an easy place to sit. All the typical amenities were there, and, surprisingly, robes for our use. There was no noise at all. We were sandwiched between two decks with only cabins and not near any crew entrances. The elevators were fairly close, but I took the stairs when I could. One minor issue was that the lifeboats are below this deck which meant that we did not have a clear view of the water straight down. We liked having that view on our last cruise
Port Reviews
Seattle
We enjoyed some of the typical tourist sites and took a group tour of the Pike Market. We also stayed for a few days on Mercer Island with my wife's cousin. Seattle is an exceptionally beautiful place to visit, a bit on the expensive side, but well worth a visit pre or post cruise.
Juneau
Walked around the city and found the environment to be pleasant and atypical for a state capitol.
Victoria
We took the bus to the city and walked around for a while. The historic Empress Hotel and parks with flowers everywhere made the visit pleasant. We also came across a violin instructor, who, with her class of several young students were essentially busking on a sidewalk.