Interesting Itinerary

Celebrity Solstice Cruise Review

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 18
Helpful Votes: 338

Overall rating:

4.6 out of 5
Celebrity Solstice

7 Night Pacific Coastal (Los Angeles Roundtrip_

Sail date: March 25, 2023

Ship: Celebrity Solstice

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

Interesting itinerary, wonderful staff, good food and entertainment. Well maintained and designed ship. Would have been more enjoyable in late April or May.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Quick and easy.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5
We were in Aqua Class, so we had Blu as our designated restaurant. We had a good menu, and also the choice to order off the main dining room menu. All dishes were good, soups were a little salty. Caesar salad would have been better with shaved parmesan or a better quality grated variety. Meals were served warm, but could have been (and should have been) served hotter. Dining staff was over the top exceptional, particularily the female assistant waiters that all were from various countries in Africa.

Tuscan Grille

4 out of 5

Very enjoyable. Exceptional service, and outstanding food. We dined at a very relaxed pace, never needing anything, it was all anticipated by the excellent staff. In all, a 3 hour meal with great company and conversation.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
Padticipated in trivia, won two, did poorly on others.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
Production staff performed two nice shows, sadly they are starting to get outdated. The shows need to be updated, after 10-15 years they should be changed. Guest entertainer Ashlie Amber had two different performances and stole the show both times. Her Whitney Houston tribute show is not to be missed and never gets old. Would give these performances more than 5 stars.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
All staff exceeded our expectations, as usual.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Love the Solstice class ships. Good design for cabins and public space. Very well maintained for a ship in its teenage years.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
Aqua class balcony cabin. Adequate space, nice balcony, although most times too cold to enjoy it. Bathroom and shower larger than most rooms on other ships. Never ran out of hot water. Still appreciated 2X room steward service. Some noise from hallway and neighboring rooms around, above, and below.

Ship tip

Be ready for over the top service from an excellent staff

Ports of call

Santa Barbara, California

5 out of 5
Tendered into port. Good info booth on pier with free shuttle into town. Rented a 3 wheeled scooter buggy and drove all around town for three hours. Saw the Mission and many beautiful homes, parks, and golf courses.

Ensenada, Mexico

5 out of 5
Did an OVER PRICED ATV ship tour. Took an hour to get to the site, and an hour back. Waited for previous group to return with the vehicles. Half hour suit-up and safety briefing. Aprox 30 minute ride. This was followed by a 45 min to 1 hr wine and tequila tasting. Would have liked longer ride and no liquor tasting.

San Francisco, California

5 out of 5
Had over night here due to itinerary change. Rented a car on the first dsy, drove to Point Reyes National Seashore, had a picnis lunch in the rain. Returned to town where it had snowed enough to cover the grass. Following day, met with family to walk the city. Went into the Palace Hotel, and SFMOMA.

San Diego, California

5 out of 5
Met with friends we had not seen in over 30 years. Had a great lunch at the Fish Market.

San Pedro (Los Angeles), California

5 out of 5
Used for arrival and departure only.

Disembarkation

4 out of 5
Ship docked at a different pier on its return. There was no terminal building at the pier. No self assist program was allowed. ALL luggage was transported to a tented area on another pier, and all passengers were taken by bus to retreive their bags. Surprisingly, this all went smoothly, even with our group that needed wheelchair assistance. We were off the ship around 7:30, bus to luggage, taxi to airport, through TSA, and to airport gate by 8:30.
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10 Comments

deconz    1 year ago

AuntPinkie    1 year ago

Appreciate your detailed and informative review. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

henrivr31219287    1 year ago

Informative and useful review... thanks! Looking forward to 5/12 Solstice Alaska adventure.

willwork4cruz    1 year ago

Glad you had fun. Yes, sailing off the CA coast will be cold in winter and spring, with this year being extra chilly.

envy1219    1 year ago

Thank you for sharing

cruising2004    1 year ago

Thank you for sharing your cruising experience.

Gwbigdog    1 year ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise

boatdrinks4me    1 year ago

Thank you for sharing your experience. We’re on the same cruise later this month, and as it’s our first time on Celebrity, we’re looking to learn as much as we can in advance.

javawoody    1 year ago

Thanks for sharing

RetiredRay    1 year ago

Aqua is a tad expensive, but having two menus was nice.

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