We stayed at the Hampton Inn Fort Lauderdale City Center, which was a great deal that included free transfers (up to 2 people) to the port. Each additional person was $7 apiece. Great hot/cold breakfast, quiet rooms and efficient process to board our shuttle to the port.Once to the port, embarkation took longer than expected, but we were prepared. This was due to the norovirus outbreak that happened on the ship a couple weeks prior. Embarkation was scheduled to start at 3 p.m., but actually began at 2:30 p.m. or so.Once on board, the ship was breathtaking. Staff went over and beyond everywhere we went, always with a smile and greeting you with a friendly "hello".Rooms: We were in Concierge Class and the room was beautiful. We were missing some amenities the first evening, due to the deep clean of the ship. They were brought to us the second day of the cruise. Balcony was roomy and a great place to relax away from the crowds.Dining: We usually ate breakfast at the buffet (the first few days the staff was serving us, which I thought was a great idea). We generally got there by 7-7:30 am and there was hardly a crowd. For lunch, we also ate at the buffet. Never got the chance to eat at the Mast Grill though. For dinner, we ate every evening in the Epernay Dining Room and our waiter, Jose and his assistant Leonard were both wonderful. The staff always was ready for you when entering the dining areas with Purell. The staff was always keeping everything very clean.Pool area: As on most of the ships I've been on, the early bird gets the pool chair. One thing I did notice is if you left your items on your chair for more than a 1/2 hour unoccupied, the pool staff did remove the items and brought them to the main check-in desk. I probably observed this happen several times during the cruise. I'm still not sure why passengers feel the need to "save" 4 chairs at 8:00 am, but not occupy them until 10 or 11 a.m., while people who would like to lounge have nowhere to sit. Tip -- go to the solarium! Very relaxing and generally you'll always find a seat.Shows: I only caught one of the shows, which I thought was decent. My mom and her friend did watch the shows every evening and enjoyed them all.Spa: I enjoyed the spa twice; both times with positive reviews. If you're looking for a deal, wait to book when you're on the ship -- they're always running specials every day. Of note -- the second spa visit, the technician tried to upsell me on close to $200 worth of product. If you're not interested, just let them know -- they don't mind at all.Lawn area: Didn't really use this during the cruise during the day, although we did enjoy it one evening when there was glass blowing and music playing. They laid out blankets and pillows for you to lay on and watch the stars sail by :)Overall, I would happily sail on the Solstice again in the future. I thought the ship was first class and the staff outstanding!