Off to a bad start but they learned a valuable lesson
Celebrity Solstice Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage
7 Night Alaska Tracy Arm Fjord (Seattle Roundtrip)
Sail date: August 25, 2017
Ship: Celebrity Solstice
Cabin type: Suite
Cabin number: 1611
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 6 years ago
Review summary
Overall, our first experience with Celebrity was good, not great. I do believe in giving people second chances but it was unfortunate that the bad start happened to us. The main reason for this cruise was to put a final closure to my parent's estate- to celebrate the achievement in dealing with the heartache of a dysfunctional family who did not want to honor our parent's wishes even though there was a legal document called the trust. However, we did have a beautiful ceremony that we planned with the concierge and the captain by throwing flower leis from Hawaii into the ocean. The captain got clearance to do this but in Canadian waters and was able to slow the ship down to reduce any wind when we threw the flowers. Although the ceremony was tearful, it was very nice of Celebrity to coordinate this for us. Also, when we walked into our Penthouse for the first time, they were playing a CD of our dad singing and on the baby grand piano was a beautifully framed photo of our parents with rose petals and floral arrangement honoring our parents. As for the staff, they redeemed themselves after our horrific Murano experience. The concierge encouraged us to experience Murano a second time while on the cruise but declined the invitation. It was unfortunate because that dinner was supposed to be special for us after throwing flowers into the Canadian waters. My advice to anyone getting a suite level stateroom, let your butler and concierge know of your standards. Some people may have medium standards while others have high standards. Be kind to everyone but also speak up if the service is not to your standard. Always tip your staff to what you feel they deserve. We ended up giving boxes of Hawaiian chocolate covered macadamia nut candy to our butler, state room attendant, lead host of Luminae, concierge, and her assistant. They were extremely surprised and appreciative. And most of all, enjoy yourself if you're in this Penthouse. We spent most of our time in the Penthouse on sea days and took in the beautiful scenery. We also took advantage of having some of our meals in our stateroom as well.Embarkation
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Murano Restaurant
Strike #1: When we arrived, the door was unlocked so we went in to wait in the waiting area. The host did not look too pleased and told us that they will seat us shortly. There was no greeting, no smile, etc. I informed him that we were in the Penthouse suite when asked. That should have given him a clue. Strike #2: Being that we were one of two Penthouse guests on board the ship, we were first seated in the worst table- the table next to their front desk. So we informed the host that we're in the Penthouse and that the table that they sat us at was not up to our standards so they moved us closer to the window. Strike #3: I ordered the lobster where they make it at your table. While eating this delicious dish, I found a piece of hair in my mash potatoes. Called the host over and he profusely apologized. The chef sent us a bottle of champaign to make up for the mistake. We then made our evening short and left to go back to our Penthouse. We contacted our concierge and she was shocked and embarrassed by her staff. She immediately took matters into her own hands, put some kind of alert on our profile, and the rest of the cruise was GRAND. Every restaurant we went to, the staff seated us at the best table AND were given the best servers. We were encouraged by the Director of Food and Beverage to try Murano again while on the cruise but we Kindly declined. That meal was supposed to be a celebration of our late parents but it turned out to be nightmare. Luckily the rest of the cruise went well and was treated like we belonged in the Penthouse suite.
Cafe al Bacio and Gelateria
By far the best cafe service on any cruise. Great wait staff and very friendly. They love to converse and make you feel at home. The coffee is premium and delicious. Also, take advantage of the petite pastries, etc. The tea is wonderful as well and you get your own tea pot to yourself. The Gelateria is excellent as well. And when I said "thank you" in Russian to the server, she was very happy and quite surprised that I spoke a little bit of her native language.
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
If you're going to go all out in the Penthouse suite, please make it know to the concierge that you paid a big chunk of money and expect impecable service. They can easily take you for granted. Now, this doesn't mean you should act like a snob. BUT just make sure they know your standards and set them high.