I will start it out by saying WOW. This was my first Solstice class ship and second cruise on Celebrity. The first was on the Summit. We booked this cruise because it was a new ship and new itinerary for our group. We cruise with some wonderful friends we met on our first cruise, and make up a group of 11. This year we had 3 more join us, to make 14. This was our best cruise so far and I rate it a 9 out of 10 for service and food.

We arrived Friday, December 10 in Miami to start our vacation. I booked my precruise hotel on last minute travel dot com getting the Intercontinental, a 5 star hotel in downtown Miami on the bay, for $84. You have to ask for an upgrade to get a bay view room so you can see your ship out the window the next morning. Be aware that they do charge $100 for early check-in, before noon. This is a great hotel in close proximity to the pier and a short walk down the boardwalk to Bayside Marketplace where there are a lot of restaurants and shopping. Right across the street is a CVS for last minute items.

Since this was our first time in Miami, we rented a car. For dinner we went to Versailles, in Little Havana for some wonderful Cuban food. Parking is free and food inexpensive. Read more