Family members rated Celebrity and the itinerary was just what we were looking for, so we opted for this particular cruise. What we were not told about was the constant, loud and inane "background" music, from which it was so difficult to escape. Even on the helipad, for our departure from Wellington, we were unable to escape! On the tender from the ship to Akaroa, we were blasted with loud music, interrupted only briefly by the safety announcement which was nigh on impossible to hear clearly. A complaint to Guest Relations was met with total indifference. Compared to the dining we enjoyed on our Emirates Business Class fights from the UK to Australia, the dining on board the Celebrity Solstice was rather disappointing, although, to be fair, we found the fried bread in the Oceanview cafe to be outstanding. Our meal in the Tuscan Grill is also worthy of mention, although, even at a reduced cost of $35 each, it was overpriced.. The big plus for us was the excellent service we got from our cabin "stewardess" Marion - friendly, cheerful, polite and very helpful in getting a damaged shoe repaired for us. In conclusion, Celebrity will need to up its game somewhat if we are to be persuaded to sail with them again.