Celebrity Solstice - Almost Great

Celebrity Solstice was once the flagship for Celebrity Cruises their new generation of ships with a bunch of new Innovations and cruise ship firsts but it's been almost 15 years since the introduction of the solstice today I'm boarding her for a short repositioning cruise up the Pacific Northwest to find out if the ship still holds up after so many years if this really is a premium Cruise experience and if celebrity as a brand lives up to the hype [Music] I've wanted to try the celebrity brand for a number of years now the company was formed as an offshoot of the historic chandra's line a company I've talked about a few times on the main Channel Celebrity Cruise Line was meant to rival other premium cruise lines and is still Guided by that philosophy today the company was later sold to the Royal Caribbean group in 1997. and since the brand has been building custom ships for their fleets now I have mixed feelings on Royal Caribbean I know that's sacrilege to say amongst Cruise fans but I recently sailed on Freedom of the Seas for a short three-night cruise for a wedding party with my friends and I'll be honest I didn't really enjoy it that much it was so chaotic that I didn't even bother filming a video regardless the celebrity brand is positioned as a more premium experience much more in line with Disney Cruise Line which I'm obviously a big fan of it's also a product that I've never tried before and I've been endlessly curious after trying other premium Brands like virgin so I found a pretty good deal on the Celebrity Solstice which was doing a repositioning Voyage our trip would take us from the port of Los Angeles up the Pacific coast to Astoria Oregon then through the Salish sea Crossing into Canada to dock in Victoria British Columbia and then ending in Vancouver the ship prior to this was doing weekly Mexican Riviera cruises and this was a short four-day one-way trip up the Pacific Northwest positioning the ship for weekly Alaskan voyages the Celebrity Solstice itself was the first ship in this new class and was put into service in 2008 becoming the new flagship for the celebrity fleets she was followed by another four nearly identical sister ships The Equinox Eclipse Silhouettes and the reflection which capped off the class and set sail in 2012. so at this point the solstice is nearly 15 years old and saw her last renovation in select areas in 2016. notably absent from them are the cabins welcome to 2008. I mean Welcome to our standard balcony cabin originally we picked a guaranteed stateroom which was placed on Dex 6 right across from the lifeboats the way the solstice class was designed was that the superstructure of the vessel jets in twice along the length of the ship that means there are some cabins particularly on Deck 6 that are slightly more obstructed with an intimate view of those orange life-saving boats so upon boarding we snagged a last minute upgrade to decades the result is this cabin which is definitely looking a bit tired now most of this cabin was functional with plenty of storage lots of floor space and a decently sized mini fridge though the fridge is involuntarily stocked with tiny bottles of Tito's the bed was somewhat comfortable with linen that also felt very nice the bathroom was also decently sized with a good amount of storage again it's not the prettiest and it feels more like an outdated Marriott hotel but it's functional and for the price point it's just passable though I will note the nondescript soap products they use is weirdly bad it doesn't lather very well and it makes your skin feel dry afterwards and the downside sides continue elsewhere too since the ship is from 2008 the decor really reminds you of it as does the technology or lack thereof as there are no plugs at the bedside tables in fact there are only two North American plugs in the whole cabin which is very annoying now the rest of the cabin was clean and felt relatively put together after all of these years though I did find some quirks here and there like a Macy's hanger for some reason in the closet the cleanliness however does not extend to the balcony as the deck railings and even the chairs all felt pretty dirty and in rough shape but again for this specific Voyage I really can't complain too much for the price but any other Crews lasting seven plus days and costing much more than what we paid I'm not sure if it's worth it but of course you can scale up or down depending on your budget the solstice like all of celebrity ships offer a wide variety of cabin types from inside Ocean View balcony and Suites they call their more premium rooms concierge Aqua class and the retreat but this particular ship doesn't offer anything that extravagant for the upgraded price so I would just save your money and stick to a cheaper balcony room the cabins particularly on the corners on where the superstructure Curves in are perfect for a better overall view but honestly I would have just gotten an ocean view room instead of our balcony the weather didn't really allow us to use our balcony all that often and even when it was nice outside it was so dirty that I'd rather just chill up on Deck somewhere plus an ocean view room is cheaper for pretty much exactly the same layout and size food was something celebrity is known to do pretty well and for the most part they lift up to the hype the Ocean View cafe the ship's casual Buffet had a wide variety of options and a daily International theme the hours of operation extended throughout the entire day and well into the evening and I found a lot of options that I really enjoy especially the Indian food the majority of the choices I tried were pretty great aside from the dessert options the cakes in particular range from flavorless to spongy and pretty awful Solstice also has a few formal options including a main dining room which is complementary each night as well as a few specialty restaurants we tried a specialty dining experience called La Petite Chef which was retrofitted in a former Asian restaurant on board it's an experience very popular in Europe and first came to see on their Edge class ships it was so popular that they brought it to the solstice and I could see why projectors mounted in the ceiling create a sort of show onto your dining table introducing each course of the meal too it's lined up exactly to your plate so there's a lot of visual jokes and gags that are made with this setting it's a really cool show both from a storytelling and technological standpoint and I thought it was worth a hundred dollars it cost for the evening especially since the food was also very good while we didn't try the other specialty restaurants I have heard the food is also exceptional but with that being said I don't even really see a need to try them out since the main dining room food is honestly pretty competitive in quality everything from the bread service us the appetizers the main courses were fantastic now honestly I'm not a fan of the one main dining room concept it feels a bit outdated and not my thing celebrities Edge class ships have done away with this concept and while the main dining room is a relic of the past for the industry our experience here was pleasant and the food came out extremely fast however that might have been a byproduct on the fact that the ship was only at half capacity so really everything on board was pretty solid the only food that I thought completely missed the mark other than the Casual desserts was the grill on Deck 14. The Burger there was pretty bad the bars on the other hand were great Solstice has a number of them to choose from from your generic lounges around the lobby to some more interesting venues like the martini bar with a chilled countertop to keep your drinks cool there's also a wine bar with a long list of wines from around the world to choose from although none from Niagara Cafe alpco offers coffees and teas throughout the day with a selection of bland pastries to snack on as well as a gelato bar at an extra cost but the best venue on board is the Sky Lounge the ship's observation Lounge all the way up on Deck 14. I loved this space with its massive floor-to-ceiling windows that looked forward over the ship's bow and provided 180 degree views of the scenery it paid off too since her Voyage was sailing along the beautiful landscapes of the Pacific Northwest so it was a specially incredible watching the ships sail into Port along the coast of Oregon even at Sea it was cool watching the ship Crest over the swells and see the whole superstructure of the vessel move that's the kind of stuff that makes me so happy to be on the ocean it's why I love being on ships it allows me to be on the ocean and observe the beautiful sea life and magnificent coastlines so yeah I was a fan but it's not just the Sky Lounge there's actually a lot to love about the design of the ship celebrity hired Martin Francis a well-known super yacht designer to come up with the design for the solstice I think he did a pretty good job the ship is definitely a bit blocky in some areas but not to where it looks overly white refrigerator on the ocean I think the ship does look pretty sleek and rather premium that extends to the Interiors as well with a Lobby that is adorned with warm tones and white curtains yeah it looks a little dated and the center chandelier piece is weirdly small but the entire ship does have a warm and comfortable feeling to it even in the elevator lobbies for the guest cabins there's some really tasteful art that creates a weirdly cozy area all of this aft connects to a central Atrium that spans the entire height of the ship and has glass elevators and open-air balconies that give the ship a real Dynamic sense of verticality along the way are a cozy games room a library and an internet Lounge the centerpiece for this Atrium is a beautiful three-story live tree I love this it makes the atrium feel fresh and alive and give the space an aura of sophistication yeah it may feel like a 2005 Mall Concourse but that's a net positive for me of course I'm gonna love that the sense of dynamic architecture is evident elsewhere too with a two-story opening in what they call the entertainment Court surrounded by underutilized lounges and horrific artwork there's also an extensive shopping area with an open-air Concourse spanning two decks it's only truly weird space is team Earth it occupies nearly two decks along the atrium and its purpose I guess is to educate people on environmental stuff through the instrument of a very 2008 touch screen UI this is obviously very underutilized and on other ships this space has been turned into a lounge with lots of seating I expect this space will see a similar upgrade in the future but let's take a trip to the top decks and we'll first visit the spa or maybe we won't if you've ever been on a mainstream cruise ship before you'll probably know that the Spas are some of the most borderline hostile and predatory aspects of the experience they're always trying to sell you things present ridiculous seminars and Market the vision of a more aesthetically beautiful body in a sort of toxic way honestly I think this whole sub industry is really gross and you might not know this but most major cruise lines have their Spas run by one company it's why many of them feel the same and their business practices carry on throughout all of them I didn't even film The Spa here since every time it came within 10 feet of the entrance I'd be surrounded by Spa employees trying to sell me cellulite removal therapy or something okay it wasn't that bad but we were brought on this deeply rehearsed tour through the many many many treatments and services they offer it felt like the most uncomfortable intended to be comfortable place on the ship I just really hate these business practices and these predatory Spas need to stop marketing to older people on how to make their natural bodies look cosmetically better for the low cost of like 300 so that's why I don't have footage at the spot here honestly it wasn't all that great looking anyways up on Deck things get a lot more pleasant Solstice has two outdoor pools and four outdoor hot tubs those are surrounded by a lot of Dexter seating as well as these cozy padded loungers in these shaded tarp structures you'll also find a reasonably sized basketball court kids club and a well-appointed sun deck up here when you move aft you'll discover a gimmick of the Celebrity Solstice this was and I guess still is the world's first and only lawn at Sea it's all real grass and it is pretty cool to lay out here while you're at Sea a very neat juxtaposition here you'll also find the ship's outdoor screen made up of like 20 pixels as well as a bar sometimes playing live music Cabanas that you can rent out and a hot glass studio where you can create your own glass thing yeah it's pretty strange all of these are pretty good amenities but my favorite is the solarium it's an indoor pool which is always kept at the perfect temperature this came in handy on our sea day with 45 knot winds and frigid temperatures the comfortable seating in here is accompanied by a nice cafe that just makes it a pleasant place to relax there's also two hot tubs bordering the space and the Central Pool in the middle felt like it was 98 Degrees during the heavy swells outside it also became the most entertaining wave pool imaginable overall I really loved all of these public spaces on board despite some of them showing their age but the set activities performed in them were a different story now look there's no doubt that celebrity is known for attracting an older clientele and this Voyage was no different it's why there's still an internet cafe which is actually called the I Lounge it's a certified Apple retailer at Sea though it is a bit puzzling to me on who would buy this old generation Apple TV remote on their Cruise unsurprisingly then the majority of the activities were designed for a more mature audience there is a crappy kids facility and some events throughout the day that are programmed for younger and more diverse people like an lgbtq plus meet and greet but that felt more like a corporate mandated necessity rather than a Jenny anyone attempt for inclusivity like on Virgin but some activities were just puzzling to me all together I'm not kidding with this they were listing playing with an Xbox Connect as an activity would you believe nobody showed up for this like what this isn't 2011 celebrity come on the majority of the other events range from live music and trivia though some were fun and different however when the events aren't happening in the public spaces you are cursed to listen to the most annoying goddamn music ever every place you go on board it's like you're stuck in a Swiffer commercial playlist it's fine in some areas I get if you want to play some 2012 party music in the evenings or whatever but when you're relaxing in the Sky Lounge watching The Vessel sail down this narrow channel into this gorgeous landscape I really do hate them for playing Blurred Lines the ship's ambient music is the most annoying and generic 2010 to 2015 music you can think of all being played played in the most inappropriate places we were eating in the Ocean View cafe and Gangnam Style came Gangnam Style what I'm sorry but you could not call yourself a premium luxurious Cruise experience and then play the top 40 playlist from the early 2000s on a pretty short playlist mind you since we heard songs repeat a few times in just four days I'm sorry it just drove me insane and it's annoying that companies often fail to understand the importance of sound in an experience it's one of your main senses if you want to present a premium feeling create an atmosphere play film scores classical I don't know modern sheet music God anything but Blurred Lines but it's not just the activities and the music that degrade the experience it's also the state of the ship itself I was pretty surprised to see that Solstice is in pretty rough shape in a lot of areas particularly Outdoors the outdoor pools had rust spots on the bottom with the wood deck around it coming apart the hot tubs had mildew building up in the plastic rims and this large Fountain section on the deck just never worked it was originally a signature focal point on this pool deck but is now clearly broken and has been for some time as was the indoor solarium's water feature up at the lawn club chairs have clearly seen better days and I'm honestly pretty shocked that they left this decorative elements in this state even the awnings for the shade structures have turned to this brown dirty color a clear sign of neglect especially when you look at pictures back in 2008 again too our balcony was very dirty and the railings around the whole ship appeared as if they haven't been varnished or repaired in years definitely a far cry from the other premium Brands like Disney even the Sky Lounge for as much as I loved it had some issues the glass that surrounded the space as well as other spaces on board are double paned with a gap in between both panels but it looks like some of the seals in those section have been leaking and allowing water to pool inside the windows this caused a good number of those panels inside the observation Lounge to be fogged up with condensation or sloshing around with mildew filled water so in some areas of this observation deck it's kind of hard to observe it is pretty surprising That Celebrity doesn't take a higher standard of Maintenance and cleanliness for their ships as other lines Solstice may be 15 years old but the 25 year old Disney Magic is in remarkably better condition it's just a testament where some companies keep their priorities so let's talk price our four night voyage for two people in a balcony cabin cost us 1368 Canadian or just a little over a thousand dollars USD so honestly going in with that price expectation the whole experience seemed to match the price point if not exceeded it for instance if I were to do nearly the same Voyage on the Disney Wonder it would cost me 3 700.00 Canadian so nearly triple the cost even if I were going to fly to all these places from LA to Astoria to Victoria and Vancouver you're looking at around fifteen hundred dollars plus with accommodations and food all in so this was a cool experience for me I got to see my friends and colleagues in Los Angeles and in Astoria while also visiting the most beautiful North American city I have ever seen Victoria we also got to see it from a unique Vantage Point slowly sailing around and into these amazing ports we got to see a pilot get airlifted off the deck of a cruise ship at night sailed through a massive pot of dolphins and watched this enormous ship Salander bridge at 5am those are the kind of moments that really stick with me so let's give this an actual rated score I call it Jake's is it any good score and it's out of five categories each out of 10 for a possible perfect score of 50 out of 50. I'll start with the state rooms while they're large they're definitely dated and don't really offer much in the latest and greatest for comfort and Tech they feel like an old chain hotel with crappy soap products and a dirty balcony I'll give it a 4 out of 10. food on the other hand was really solid the buffet was more hits than misses and the main dining room food left a little room for complaints the only real misses here were the desserts and the Quick Service options like the burgers which is unfortunate it's an 8 out of 10. the ship itself is truly great many of the public spaces are well designed with lots of glass to see the ocean and a constant feeling of elevated architecture but there are some venues less utilized and looking pretty tired along with a lack of Maintenance in some key outdoor venues it really could and should be a nine but it's a 7 out of 10. the experience overall though is mixed with a friendly crew and many venues to enjoy no matter what your itinerary is this Voyage in particular was filled with things to see and do outside of what celebrity had planned however this ship fundamentally does not understand all all of the aspects that make something luxurious or even premium the lack of atmosphere the poor choice of music and the activities make the experience feel a lot older and less refined than it should especially as the brand is pivoting their marketing to a younger demographic I think it warrants a six out of ten value is really more subjective than anything else here since this Voyage is a rare repositioning cruise and is thus much cheaper for this sailing it's a 9 out of 10. it's a really good deal and if you can find a similar Voyage at that price I think you'll be satisfied but that isn't the norm most voyages are double or even triple what we paid for longer and more routine voyages and you will be nickel and dimed along the way despite the higher prices disregarding that though the total score for the Celebrity Solstice and more or lesser sisters is 34 out of 50. I think this is a really good ship at its core and I think the score would have been a lot better if the ship was brand new back into 2008 but celebrity does not treat it that way and maintenance has slipped venues have become outdated and programming is not up to the premium standards they claim I think this was a great cruise for our itinerary and price but some salines are priced well over five thousand dollars which I don't think is worth it at all but let me know what you think leave a comment below and if you like these videos please consider subscribing my name is Jake and thank you very much for watching

Channel: Bright Sun Travels

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Id: vsoWSMxwxdU

Length: 21min 7sec (1267 seconds)

Published: Fri May 26 2023