The Great Barrier Reef was to be the centerpiece, but we never got to see the Reef

Item: Celebrity Solstice
Rating: 4.5
Author: cskenney

Celebrity Solstice Cruise Review to South Pacific - Australia

cskenney

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 54

Overall rating:

4.5 out of 5

Verified Review

11 Night Great Barrier Reef (Sydney Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 14, 2020

Ship: Celebrity Solstice

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 8255

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 4 years ago

Review summary

We waited over a year to see the Great Barrier Reef. Then, when the moment came, Celebrity/Sunlovers Cruises failed to provide the means for seeing the Reef. The Celebrity/Sunlovers boat held just 27 people, forcing the 300 people to go aboard for just 15 minutes each. 15 minutes to see the Great Barrier Reef is false advertising, verging on fraud. And we were charged nearly $300 extra to see the Reef for 15 minutes. [Then we did not even get the 15 minutes because the glass-bottom boat was cancelled by ocean swells.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Entertainment

2 out of 5

Entertainment production shows in the theatre are almost unbearable--unintelligible and loud--almost to the point of feeling like one is being assaulted. Individual outside performers are very good, however.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Ports of call

Sydney, Australia

5 out of 5

Newcastle, Australia

5 out of 5

Airlie Beach, Queensland, Australia

5 out of 5

Yorkey's Knob (Cairns), Australia

1 out of 5

Cairns is the port where we scheduled to see the Great Barrier Reef from a glass-bottomed boat excursion, run by Celebrity/Sunlovers Cruises. The excursion, however, was designed so badly (and described in the enticing brochure so inaccurately) that nearly all of those signed up for the glass-bottomed boat never got to see the Reef.

Thumbs Up 1

Port Douglas, Australia

4 out of 5

Cruise Willis Island, Australia

5 out of 5

Brisbane, Australia

5 out of 5