What a fantastic review..... so professional and informative. My wife & I are from the UK and also have cruised more than 30 times..... but without a doubt, celebrity is the best. This class of Ships are relaxed not to formal, less children, amazing staff and entertainment just a fantastic cruise experience... unfortunately, the same can not be said for the newer Celebrity Edge class ships, but that's another story......
Having lived & worked on cruise ships for 4 years (including Celebrity) your analysis and advice is spot on! Thanks for your honest and thoughtful channel. 👍
Just came back from my Celebrity cruise to Hawaii from Vancouver, 10 day cruise, last week. Everything was wonderful. Had loads of fun with evening silent Disco, Abba Kareoke, shows, day lectures with Milosh, lectures with Mary Ace, we never stopped. My only beef ( excuse the pun!)was some of the food was bland, no herbs or flavor, roast beef was bland, Garlic please, turkey was bland, no sage or thyme...that sort of thing, same with soups, everything seemed to lack flavor. In the dining room the salmon was served with mashed potatoes, in fact many evenings the main course was served with mashed potatoes, which seemed odd with certain mains. Our cabin attendant was amazing, Wayan, a shout out to an always smiling young man. Everyone working on the ship were friendly, kind and sincere. Took the ship tour, glad to see the staff are so well cared for and appreciated. I would definitely recommend Celebrity Solstice, this was my first cruise, my Sister's fourth on the same ship.
I sailed on Oasis of the Seas in early August, and their dinner buffet was quite large. A sizable variety of American and Indian dishes, a ramen station, a selection of desserts, soups and entrees being served in the main dining room as well as one particular favorite: Strip steak and peppercorn sauce. Nothing like finishing a day with steak 6 days out of a 9 day sailing, after coming from the main dining room no less.
We were on the same Solstice cruise with you! It was our 3rd with Celebrity and our 2nd on the Solstice and although we have taken other cruise lines Celebrity is our favorite for all the reasons you mention. Service is exceptional.
I cruised the Solstice on a 7 day trip to Alaska. I have 1/29th of the cruise experience you do but I agree on all the positives you mentioned. We felt like friends with some of the staff after 7 days. Thanks for the review
My family and I recently went on Norwegian Joy and the buffet was HUGE!!! Plenty of items to choose from and we all enjoyed most meals from the buffet as the specialty restaurants were booked full most nights. This was my first cruise and as well, we did the Mexican Riviera cruise with stops at Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Ensenada.
Thanks! I'm proud of that! I've been doing it for years in my videos, although on some ships I get so busy that I forget to do it. I've never seen any other RUclipsr doing it, yet it's so important to whether passengers will enjoy the pool. I've been on some cruise ships (and hotels) where they don't even bother to heat the water in the pools.
This ship shocked me when it first debuted in 2008. It was so creative and elegant. Now time passed by, though those glories faded away. I still love solstice class more than Edge class.😁
@@DJL70 Also the lack of an observation lounge or any sort of nice music lounge. And the lack of a library or card room or quieter room. I don't like the Edge ships.
Thank you Jim. We were on the Equinox for our first Celebrity cruise, then the Beyond. We are booked for another Equinox cruise next December, and a Reflection cruise in May, 2024. We fell in love with Celebrity fro all the reasons you mentioned.
Even though I just came back from 12 night Asia itinerary cruise with Celebrity Solstice 2 weeks ago, I do enjoy your video because I was cruising with a travel group. Every time the ship came to ports, we went on excursions. On the days cruising at sea, we were tired, sleep late, just came out for lunch, dinner and didn't explore the ship much. But we did enjoy the Evening Chic days with many activities like music and dance, the officers soiree, the Martini bar shows... One afternoon, they had pool volleyball game with officers vs guests. That was really fun. We booked veranda room. It smaller than the suite. But I like the bathroom with only shower, no bathtub, towels hanging rod is not inside the shower. Consider many included in the price, you had a good deal on the suite. Thanks for the video and I will try the agent you recommended. Happy cruising.
Very well done. My wife was very happy to hear about the temperature of the indoor pool. We've been on many cruises with various cruise lines. We're excited about trying out Celebrity, especially after watching your video.
Great video. I am booked on Solstice for a Thailand Vietnam cruise and this sealed the deal. Changing to an aqua sky suite for the 12 nights. You are right Jim...it’s a great deal!
Dear Jim, I was very impressed with your story about traveling on Solstace, so I decided to book a cruise on the same wonderful ship for November next year from Hong Kong. Thank you, you are a wonderful storyteller with a very competent and correct speech, which is really interesting to listen to. I will definitely review all your stories about cruises! With best wishes from far away Russia!
My husband and I, as well as his son and a chum, are going on Solstice out of Vancouver to Alaska this July 28th-my 70th birthday. It's also our first cruise on Celebrity (we're Emerald Status on RCCL), but have also sailed on Princess, Norwegian and Carnival. Your review really gave us more clarity on the amenities of the ship and, yes, I LOVED that you informed us of the water temperature in the pools! The buffet sounds fantastic; I plan to check out the traditional English breakfasts. My first husband introduced me to many British culinary offerings, and I quite enjoyed many of them! Thank you again for such an informative tour and review!
Jim, I have enjoyed all your videos for many years. I have also been into G scale trains for 30 years. I was so very surprised on this was your 1st. time on Celebrity. I have been on the Celebrity Summit several times. End of March, going on Celebrity Eclipse from Cape Liberty to Bermuda. I would love to go on the EDGE, but don't want to fly to Florida anymore. I go on most cruises from Cape Liberty, Bayonne, NJ most of the time because I live close to it. Just drive there. Going on RCL Anthem of the Seas in 6 weeks. One of your reviews some years ago. Love that ship. Going on a Sister ship, Odyssey of the Seas, from Cape Liberty, New Years Eve cruise. I started cruising in 1986 and I cruised mostly on Holland America Line. I just can not believe that you were never been on a Holland America Ship. You would love it as much if not more than Celebrity Solstice. Last summer we went to Alaska from Vancouver on the Holland America Koningsdam. You would just love that ship and service. And it is so close to you. I am sure you have been to Alaska, but if you just took the inner harbor cruise on the Koningsdam and not even get off the ship, you would love it. It is also one of the few ships that go through Glacier bay. You don't even have to get off the ship to another to go through Glacier Bay. See the ship on RUclips. Sorry for the long message. Norm
No need to apologize for the long message... I appreciated it! Yes, I would like to give Holland America a try sometime. At 66 years old, I think I am finally in the right demographic for it. Up until now, I just felt a little too young for HAL. Plus, I really love the Guy Fieri food on Carnival. I totally agree that in your situation the best thing to do is just sail on ships that sail out of either Bayonne or New York City. With the money you save on airplane flights and hotels, you can cruise more often. When I lived in California, the easiest thing to do was just to sail out of Los Angeles. But now that I'm in Washington, I almost always have to fly to get to cruise ships, unless I want to do an Alaska cruise... which honestly, I probably only need to do about one more time and then I don't want to visit those places over and over again. There are a lot of places in the Caribbean I'm perfectly happy going to over and over again... Alaska, not so much!
@@JimZim Thank you Jim. Much appreciated. I am amused at your statements about your age in reference to the cruise ship lines. Yes, Holland America is very up-scaled and enjoyed by the older couples. Not as appealing to Children. In the 1990's years I always wore a Tux for dress nights. Ships are smaller, as at "my age" easier to walk from one end of the ship to the other. Sailed on many Big Band cruises, as was my life. Played almost every week end for 63 years. All their smaller ships I was on are gone. Ms Vedam, Ms Ryondam and mostly Ms Hollandam. To give you an idea about your age you refer to, I was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington in the Army in 1949. Was on Maneuvers at Yakama, Washington. You are just a youngster. I may reply to your trains on Facebook. Later Regards, Norman Faut
I sailed on the Celebrity Edge last month and I am 58 and I felt like the youngster on board. I didn’t mind that at all. The ship is beautiful and the crew great. The food was ok in the regular restaurants, but fabulous in the specialty ones. The buffet was a buffet, so it met my expectations. We went to ports that were more for enrichment than fun, but it was still great. We are sailing on another Celebrity ship on our next cruise.
I'm on the Apex February 24th. Previously l have only been on Solstice ships so far, equinox and eclipse but l love the both. I love how they heat the pools ..especially in Alaska. L9ve Celebrity. I will only go Celebrity or Princess now.
Sailed on Celebrity Reflection in 2015 to Europe. Also had a suite like yours. Loved it! Ours was located on the aft corner of the ship, starboard side. Since it was on the aft, we had no overhang and actually had a bit bigger balcony.Absolutely fell in love with our Butler! What a great guy! One of our favorite things was dining in Luminae, the private suite dining restaurant. Those waiters knew us inside out! 😂
Holland America still has great buffets. Also they serve you so people are not touching everything. Love your review though. First time I’m tempted to try Celebrity. That’s the atmosphere I like.
Yeah, that is fun! I've done that, too. I also really appreciate it when a ship warms their pools way up past 80 degrees like Celebrity did. That's super comfortable to swim in.
@@JimZim I agree! Nice to know Celebrity keep their pools warm! I love it! I have been sailing with HAL Montreal-Boston in the last year! Very nice but the pools could be much warmer! The staff and the food has been great! I am going back in June! Thanks hot stuff! Maybe one day, I sail Anthem of the Seas! I was booked on that ship (thanks to you) but Covid had other plans!
Jim...spot on with cutbacks, and while I do not consider myself a picky eater, poor food quality is the #1 reason why I am now reluctant to book a cruise. I recently did a Mexican Riveria cruise on Princess Discovery and was ready to fly back to LAX from Cabo because the food was so terrible. The only way to survive a cruise today is to use the specialty dining options. The buffets are just terrible.
Thanks for another excellent video Jim! I have watched many of your cruise videos and always enjoy them. I think they are some of the best quality videos on RUclips. My wife and I have sailed mostly with Princess and took 1 cruise with Norwegian in the Haven which was a great experience. We have our first cruise with Celebrity booked in April 2024 on the Silhouette that I am really looking forward to. We will be in a concierge level cabin but after watching this video I am really tempted to try a sky suite!
You did really well to book that cruise for that price. The "real" fare is cheaper than what you could typically book a balcony on Carnival Panorama for.
Interesting video. Only cruised Holland and Royal up to now, but my next two are on Carnival and then Celebrity in August. Expect Celebrity to be more like Holland. This video seems to confirm that it will be more like Holland than any of the other lines I have been on. Looking forward to it. I just got off Harmony of the Seas and the breakfast buffet was awesome, lunch was just ok, dinner was also just ok in terms of selection.
I really appreciate your video. We are sailing this itinerary in April on the Solstice in a Sky suite on Deck 11 in an aft facing suite. Your video gave me a sneak peek at what I have to look forward to. My husband will probably have some issues in the shower:)
The aft facing Sky Suites are completely different than the type of Sky Suite that we were in... so, maybe your husband will be lucky and the room will have a different design for the shower. Let's hope!
Great comments on the Solstice those water features by the pools that were not working,they were not working when we were on the ship in 2016 must be having problems getting parts to fix them.We went from Honolulu to Sydney it was a great trip,as you said the serve your-self restaurant is the best at sea
I’m so glad you posted that video! I have always wanted to try Celebrity for myself. There is a great deal over spring break, and I would imagine the ship might have fewer kids as compared Royal Caribbean. The only downfall is that the itinerary does not go as far south as Puerto Vallarta. Just Cabo, Mazatlan and San Diego.
Happy to see you back cruising! We were very surprised by the size and scope of the buffets on NCL's Bliss class ships, personally experiencing the Bliss and Encore both in late 2022, they are large with huge variety at every meal
My first Celebrity cruise was also on the Solstice in November 2023. It was one of the most relaxing cruises I’ve been on. The service was impeccable. I agree totally with your review!
I was on the Celebrity Millennium in February 2023. If I were running the ship, I would also offer a limited buffet at dinner as only about 10-15% of passengers eat there. In fact, on both Celebrity and HAL, you start to think that the dinner buffet is a crew mess due to the number of uniformed crew up there.
Four different kinds of potatoes? They’re really breaking the bank. 😂 I don’t know if it’s fair to compare Celebrity and Carnival directly considering their different price points and ship sizes. But I think the beauty of cruising is there are options for nearly every style and budget. I sailed this ship in Alaska last year and I was very underwhelmed by the food in the buffet and MDR. I also thought the ship felt a bit dated. Nevertheless, the crew and service was excellent; I thoroughly enjoyed the solarium and martini bar. Celebrity remains among my favorite cruise lines.
This was one of the better videos I've seen about the Solstice, great job all around. I agree with all points made. We were on the sailing directly after yours and they were talking about how few people were on your sailing! Must have been very quiet. I will also mention they were paining the hull in one of our port stops on our sailing so they must've noticed the same thing! Thanks for the thoroughly well thought out and enjoyable review!
Super video, Jim. I sailed on Celebrity Edge recently, and I have been on Carnival and RC. I think your comparison between the lines is well calibrated and spot-on
Great video and review as always Jim!!!!! I agree with everything said, and the one thing left unsaid was out amazing their 2-story library is with such a great selection of books and cozy seating areas galore. The back-mid elevator atrium was also a stunner !!!!! Happy travels Jim and hi to your wife - cheers to you both !!! PS - another thing about booking a sky suite is that you can also go to Blu and when you order room service, it is not a limited menu per se. Your butler will bring the menu's from Lumier, Blu, and the MDR ! YAY !
Just off sister line RCCL Anthem of the Seas sailing at the same time as you except in the Caribbean. The Solstice buffet is a carbon copy of the Windjammer buffet and the pool deck layout is very similar. Although RCCL cater to multigenerational clients, hardly any kids on board as well. The ship was full.
Jim, thank you for this timely report! Will be sailing on the Solstice in 2 weeks, also to Mexico. Not splurging for a Sky Suite this time, but will be Aquaclass and very much enjoyed healthy options at Aquaclass's Blu restaurant in the past. Please consider booking a cruise on one of the newer Edge class ships. Truly best cruise ever in November in a Sky Suite for Edge's first Panama Canal transit. The Retreat service and food in Luminae were absolutely fantastic.
Thank you for your informative video. I went on the Celebrity solstice in 2014 from Hawaii to Sydney 19 days … loved it ! Flying to LA from Brisbane on Wednesday and next Saturday 4 march I’ll be getting on again from LA to Cabo/ Mazatlan/ PV for my birthday celebration !! Great to watch !! Thank you 🙏🏼
Thanks! Yes, from what I've heard, Norwegian is still offering a good buffet on all their ships. This is one of the reasons that I've booked a cruise on NCL for next year.
I have 74 cruises with Princess, 54 with Royal Caribbean but now only cruise Celebrity specially since they have a ship out of Los Angeles. I agree with all you said about the Solstice, having sailed twice on her since she arrived on the west coast and will go on the Eclipse in Nov 2023 when she replaces the Solstice. we went on a Carnival cruise in Dec 2023 and the food was really really bad. The buffet was unacceptable. Also the dress code on Carnival was not enforced, passengers in shorts, tank tops and baseball caps on formal night in the dining room. Needless to say no more Carnival for me and also Princess is on the way out for me. Royal Caribbeans Navigator of the Seas similar bad experience in October 2022.
Thanks! I do a lot of Carnival cruises because I like what they do with casual food... especially their tie-in with Guy Fieri. Not just the burgers, which are fantastic, but also his Pig & Anchor barbecue restaurant onboard Carnival. But like you said, the buffet has gotten unacceptable on Carnival. I do also really like Carnival's emphasis on standup comedy... and then the big one for me is the very uncrowded Havana pool and sundeck (no kids and no crowds) on their Vista-class ships. But the older I get, the more I appreciate a refined, classy cruise like on Celebrity Solstice.
Thanks for this lovely report. We cruised Regal Princess over New Year’s Eve and found the buffet to be excellent, with lots of good choices. There were multiple types of potatoes as well! 😊 There was a full English breakfast along with a full American breakfast. There were always other regional offerings. We loved the ramen station as well. Will cruise Sky Princess next month and look forward to good choices there too.
@@JimZim they also had a full staff compliment in the buffet every morning. However, we noted they were short staffed in other areas. I’m sure this is an ongoing issue everywhere as cruising returns to pre-pandemic numbers. It was a holiday cruise and the ship was full. We were very pleased with the crew and their good attitudes, despite being overworked in a few areas. Thanks again for your reports! Happy cruising.
We cruised on Celebrity in 2019 and will again this coming Oct from Honolulu to Sydney. We have also cruised on Princess and R.C. and noticed a def difference with Celebrity. We booked an inside room as the price was very good- we have only had balconies in the past, but we will be outside as much as we like outside of our room. We prefer the buffet- I am vegetarian and the MDR choices are always minimal for me. I hope the dinner buffet is not too severely cut off......we r looking forward to being back to cruising and hope that everyone will be well.................
I just did Celebrity Millenium in November and again last week. The decrease in the buffet offerings was staggering ( but I still found plenty to eat). Going on Solstice in a few weeks.
Disney cruise lines has an excellent breakfast and lunch buffet! The two week cruises such as the Panama Canal or Transatlantic usually have about 300 or less kids on them if that’s a worry for you.
Thanks Jim great Video, My wife and I are going on this exact cruise Celebrity Solstice (Mexican Riviera) in April, I can say yours was the best I found. this well be are 2nd cruise first one was Carnival few years ago it was In June from Miami, and was crowded, buffet was terrible, almost made me not want to cruise again. I'm really excited about celebrity Solstice.
This is another great review. I noticed when you listed lines you've been on you didn't list Holland America. You should visit historic St. Augustine FL. sometime before a port Canaveral cruise. you can make a video of this wonderful rich attraction and have lunch Caitlin at Columbia. I like Hilton water front , St George inn or Casa Monica.
Yeah, I am actually intending to try Holland America sometime in the next year or two. I think the older I get, the more aligned I probably am with what HAL is doing. I do also like your idea about a visit with Caitlin and visiting some land attractions in Florida.
@@JimZim The stereotypes of Hal are only somewhat true. There were plenty of families and kids on our Christmas sailing on the Rotterdam. It is true that they don't have 'spectacular' cirque type shows like Royal of course--but I and most found that the food was still really good, and this was after Carnival had already done major cutbacks on some of their MDR type dining. See if you can do a Pinnacle class ship on Hal. Hal's biggest drawback (from what I read) is that they literally do the exact same shows on all their ships, so that if you do multiple Hals within a 2-3 year span, I think that much of the main stage entertainment is the same across the different ships.
We are going on our 1st Celebrity cruise next month on the Solstice. Great video JZ! Big Downer...the itenerary we signed up for, the one you went on, is gone. Now it is going to Monerrey USA and San Francisco USA, Ensendad, MX but still Catalina, at least. I say again Great video JZ!!! Just subscribed, too.
World class buffet?Marvel one Market on Disney Wish and @ Cabanas on all Disney Cruise Line ships. The food is excellent. It can get crowded depending on the time but EXCELLENT Food & Service, indeed.
This is the first time you, Jim Zim got to sail with Celebrity Cruise Lines on board Celebrity Solstice! That makes eight cruise lines in all! This is the Celebrity Solstice review of what you loved and what you didn't loved AKA what you hated about this cruise ship!
We love Celebrity. It is our favorite cruise line as long as they don't follow in NCL's footsteps. We just made Elite Plus Status. You mentioned the hamburgers...we know that Carnival has great hamburgers but you should try the hamburger in the Luminae Restaurant for lunch. It is delicious too!
Actually, I did try the Luminae burger at lunch. It felt like they thought that large size would automatically equal great burger. The thing was huge. But it was too huge, making it difficult to eat... and when you use that much meat in a burger, you better make sure the meat is tasty, which I didn't really think it was. The huge Luminae burger looks impressive in a photo, but I thought it was just too difficult to eat and didn't come through with a "wow" taste. Guy Fieri got so many things right with Carnival's burgers... and one of them was the size. It's not a big burger. You can get a second one if you have a huge appetite. The beauty of a slightly-smaller-than-average burger is that it's very easy to eat. You can take a bite out of it with no problem. Plus, when you do get a taste of the meat... it has taste. I think it's a perfect burger. So, I cringed a little bit as I struggled to eat the Luminae burger.
A few observations and questions. Thanks for the video Jim. I've watched your videos for years and one of the complaints I had in the past was really enjoying everything and later realizing it was something that I would never be able to afford. It wasn't the cost that bothered me, I just wanted it to be communicated in the video. 1) So I really loved that you included the cost breakdown and thoroughly talked about that this time. It was a great addition, in my opinion. 2) With the solarium being closed in, do you think it would be noisy when at full capacity? 3) The width of your balcony really reminded me of HC accessible cabins that my in-laws stay in. It's wide enough for scooters and chairs. It was pretty cool to see a regular cabin that wide. Though the short shower head and towels in the shower were bizarre. The other trend that I always find odd is those places with no shower curtain and water gets everywhere.
When we sailed on MSC Seaside, the shower had no shower curtain... only a piece of glass that blocked about 1/3 of the shower. Water got EVERYWHERE! I hated that. The shower on Celebrity Solstice did have a full shower curtain. Regarding the Solarium... I think people understand that it's a quiet, relaxing place... and that they would use quiet voices when talking in there. I imagine that at full capacity, it would still be a relaxing place.
Welcome to Celebrity, Jim. Your review was the best, as usual. You are correct, IMO, the best burgers are on Carnival. Unfortunately, the better everything else is on Celebrity. Fantastic price, BTW. That's the price we used to pay for a sky suite. Now that they've thrown it all together into what they call, "The Retreat", the prices are significantly higher. I know Luminae is good, really good, but so is the buffet and the MDR. As you know, Michelle and I like to partake in the bubbly. So, we have to weigh the cost of the premium drink package with the cost of the sky suite to assess the value. The butler doesn't sway our decision, but the onboard credit and price of the suddenly increasing drink packages does. I do believe our Diamond status on Royal gets us a time during the day for a free cocktail or two. I wanted to ask, did they still have Michael's Club on Solstice? I want to say it's gone from the newer ships and replaced by something in The Retreat. I was blown away the first time I walked in a Michael's Club and the hostess knew my name. We were also surprised by the hostess at Luminae when she asked us, by name, why we hadn't eaten at Luminae yet. Now that is customer service. Celebrity really is stepping it up over the regular lines. We sail on Apex in April and I'll let you know how that goes. I couldn't book that one through Caitlin because it's a CME for Michelle and is required to go through the CME company. Other than that, all of our sailings go through Caitlin. Finally, our next non-Apex style Celebrity will likely be on Millinium. Unlike, Solstice, they have been in drydock for refurbishment. We're trying to get a Japan cruise in 2024 as a CME where Michelle's reimbursement can help us with some of the expense.
They do have Michael's Club on Solstice. It's just for the suite guests. I never got around to going in there to see what all they offered in there, though. The level of customer service that they offered to the suite guests was very impressive!
The best buffet in terms of depth of selection has been on the Regal Princess in November 2023. They have a lot of items and theyvare generally well prepared. The worst buffet was the Norwegian Epic in February 2023. So much of the buffet were duplicate stations of hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza. A major disappointment.
It really is strange to have towels hanging in the shower. Iv seen that a couple of times. I could see them stopping the fountains just because its probably more maintenance then they want to deal with. As times change the needs and wants have changed too so they are adapting, but it would make sense to remove them during dry dock, but that might require a longer time to do properly. Its also like they thought people were shorter when the ship was designed years ago. I haven't seen a water fall/ rainforest shower that short before
Nice review. We have been on their Reflection ship and really enjoyed La Petite Chef dining venue. Really a hoot! Wondering if it was one of the selections on your ship. 09:25 EST.
Yes, they did have Le Petit Chef on Celebrity Solstice. We chose not to dine there... mainly because I'm a really picky eater and none of the items on the menu appealed to me. Another consideration was that they use a type of lighting in there that does not play well with video cameras... so, there was no point in me trying to shoot any video to show people the very unique "show" at Le Petit Chef. In fact, I had a heck of a time getting decent photos and videos in the restaurants on Celebrity Solstice because of the type of lighting they use. It really messed with my cameras! So, that's why I didn't show more pictures or videos of the food... and that's why the picture quality of my wife's gluten and dairy-free food was fairly low!
Thank you Jim! Your video is just in time. We have a signature suite book and I was definitely wondering how the service was on this vessel. Oh yes they are very generous with their On board credit 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Jim, Great video of Celebrity as my wife and I are taking our first Celebrity cruise in mid October on the Equinox in Aqua class for 8 days to the ABC Islands. We are both going to be 56 on the fall and thought it's time to move into a higher luxury/pampering and upscale but yet fun experience. Just curious have you ever been on Oceania cruise line? I'm surprising my wife with this additional cruise for a December 30th sailing this year as well to the Caribbean in a Penthouse suite with only 1,200 passengers. Both cruises are to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary and my recovery from two tramatic brain injuries from falls in 2018 & 2020. This will be our first time attempting major traveling since 2017 before my injuries when we sailed on Norwegian Escape. Praying for a wonderful experience on both cruise lines since we have never sailed them before but in the past we have sailed with Norwegian and Carnival. BTW.... Also great review on Carnival Celebration as my wife forwarded it over to my sister n law and her brother as they along with there two children ages 19 and 16 will be sailing here i believe July 29th to the Caribbean. That ship is definitely made for them and there kids. Lol. There first cruise and it should be a blast! Thanks again for your work and dedication bringing information to the cruising public.
Thanks for your comments! I'm glad you found my video about our Celebrity cruise. I think you'll enjoy your October cruise! We have not sailed with Oceania. My impression of them is that they would be too upscale for me. Really, a great buffet where I can eat in casual attire is what I need for true dining happiness. A fancy white-glove fine dining experience is not what I'm looking for. Out of curiosity, is there a buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Oceania?
@@JimZim Thank you for your reply and as for Oceania actually the new Vista ship is more of a upscale service and food along with country club casual dress so not ultra luxury white glove per say like seabourn or stuffy some might say like Queen Mary 2 Trans Atlantic Voyages where it's a much more traditional cruise with formal nights with elegant dresses for women and dark suits or tuxedos for men. Yes Oceania Vista has a buffet service and from what i have researched it's very good. Also ALL there restaurants are included in the base fare as well which is nice and other perks with there O life package make it more inclusive or as much or less you want it to be. I'm not expecting a stuffy atmosphere but a less crowded more contemporary cruise. They have entertainment throughout the ship albeit probably not as glamorous as mega ships of Carnival or Royal Caribbean etc. The ship also has plenty of the amenities the other lines have like Celebrity per say bars, casino, library, spa etc. Also they have a Aquamar therapy section with hot tubs, Aqua thearpy pool and hot bed loungers food and drinks section included in your fare if in Concierge cabins and above is a GREAT PERK as it's a huge space back of the ship outside and of course they have a lido deck with a very big nice pool, hot tubs, pool bar and grill for those hamburgers, fries and hot dogs. Lol. What i'm interested to see is Oceania's tag line is finest crusine at sea? We shall see. I can also tell you the stateroom bathrooms are much bigger and there staterooms overall are bigger including all bathrooms. Lol. Also the age group? We will be 56 when sailing and from what i researched the age range is 50 and up. What i'm hoping for is a slight upgrade over Celebrity with less people but similar amenities that a cruise ship like Celebrity offers. Hence why we are trying these two lines because we know these are different than our other three cruises over the years with Norwegian Windword in 1993 Carnival Glory 2003 and Norwegian Escape in 2017 when we were younger. Lol. That's one thing we enjoy about cruising is all the options to find your preferred options as you age gracefully. Lol. Oceania Vista just launched in May 2023 so not many reviews yet but hoping by December any issues that arise from a brand new ship work themselves out before we sail as they get some sailings under there belt per say and the crew and staff settle in. If you want to see a review of the ship i know Harr Travel has a review on youtube if you wanted to check it out in the future? Thank you again for your detailed vlog on the cruise industry as it's very helpful!
What a fantastic review..... so professional and informative. My wife & I are from the UK and also have cruised more than 30 times..... but without a doubt, celebrity is the best. This class of Ships are relaxed not to formal, less children, amazing staff and entertainment just a fantastic cruise experience... unfortunately, the same can not be said for the newer Celebrity Edge class ships, but that's another story......
We are returning to Celebrity Royal Retreat suite (to Alaska) on Solstice in May. Hence the reason I’m reviewing your video. Thank you for it!
Having lived & worked on cruise ships for 4 years (including Celebrity) your analysis and advice is spot on! Thanks for your honest and thoughtful channel. 👍
We are taking the Solstice to Alaska in June 2023. I really appreciate the info you provided.
How was it? We went on Celebrity Equinox to Alaska in September (2023) and now we’re going in May on Solstice.
I really enjoy your professionalism in these reviews. The editions, the detailed descriptions. Congratulations!
Thank you very much, Ariane!
@@JimZim I was on that during Christmas
@@JimZim it was pretty awesome
@@JimZim though there were a lot of kids not like thanksgiving
Celebrity cruises is the best bang for buck cruise I have been on. The best meal I ever had was on this line.
Just came back from my Celebrity cruise to Hawaii from Vancouver, 10 day cruise, last week. Everything was wonderful. Had loads of fun with evening silent Disco, Abba Kareoke, shows, day lectures with Milosh, lectures with Mary Ace, we never stopped. My only beef ( excuse the pun!)was some of the food was bland, no herbs or flavor, roast beef was bland, Garlic please, turkey was bland, no sage or thyme...that sort of thing, same with soups, everything seemed to lack flavor. In the dining room the salmon was served with mashed potatoes, in fact many evenings the main course was served with mashed potatoes, which seemed odd with certain mains. Our cabin attendant was amazing, Wayan, a shout out to an always smiling young man. Everyone working on the ship were friendly, kind and sincere. Took the ship tour, glad to see the staff are so well cared for and appreciated. I would definitely recommend Celebrity Solstice, this was my first cruise, my Sister's fourth on the same ship.
I sailed on Oasis of the Seas in early August, and their dinner buffet was quite large. A sizable variety of American and Indian dishes, a ramen station, a selection of desserts, soups and entrees being served in the main dining room as well as one particular favorite: Strip steak and peppercorn sauce. Nothing like finishing a day with steak 6 days out of a 9 day sailing, after coming from the main dining room no less.
Holland America as of August 2022 on the Koningsdam had a huge, well stocked buffet.
The 90 deg water sounds wonderful in the Solarium Jim.
We were on the same Solstice cruise with you! It was our 3rd with Celebrity and our 2nd on the Solstice and although we have taken other cruise lines Celebrity is our favorite for all the reasons you mention. Service is exceptional.
You got one cruise ship video so far this year... keep 'em coming!
I cruised the Solstice on a 7 day trip to Alaska. I have 1/29th of the cruise experience you do but I agree on all the positives you mentioned. We felt like friends with some of the staff after 7 days. Thanks for the review
My family and I recently went on Norwegian Joy and the buffet was HUGE!!! Plenty of items to choose from and we all enjoyed most meals from the buffet as the specialty restaurants were booked full most nights. This was my first cruise and as well, we did the Mexican Riviera cruise with stops at Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Ensenada.
the precise water temp is the greatest add to a video ever. Thanks for that.
Thanks! I'm proud of that! I've been doing it for years in my videos, although on some ships I get so busy that I forget to do it. I've never seen any other RUclipsr doing it, yet it's so important to whether passengers will enjoy the pool. I've been on some cruise ships (and hotels) where they don't even bother to heat the water in the pools.
This ship shocked me when it first debuted in 2008. It was so creative and elegant. Now time passed by, though those glories faded away. I still love solstice class more than Edge class.😁
We loved our Reflection cruise in 2013.
Solstice is better overall when compared to Edge class. Infiniti verandas are a huge downside for me on Edge.
@@DJL70 Also the lack of an observation lounge or any sort of nice music lounge. And the lack of a library or card room or quieter room. I don't like the Edge ships.
I’m curious, why do you still like Solstice when you’ve been on Edge (I’ve only been on the former).
Thank you Jim. We were on the Equinox for our first Celebrity cruise, then the Beyond. We are booked for another Equinox cruise next December, and a Reflection cruise in May, 2024. We fell in love with Celebrity fro all the reasons you mentioned.
Even though I just came back from 12 night Asia itinerary cruise with Celebrity Solstice 2 weeks ago, I do enjoy your video because
I was cruising with a travel group. Every time the ship came to ports, we went on excursions.
On the days cruising at sea, we were tired, sleep late, just came out for lunch, dinner and didn't explore the ship much.
But we did enjoy the Evening Chic days with many activities like music and dance, the officers soiree, the Martini bar shows...
One afternoon, they had pool volleyball game with officers vs guests. That was really fun.
We booked veranda room. It smaller than the suite.
But I like the bathroom with only shower, no bathtub, towels hanging rod is not inside the shower.
Consider many included in the price, you had a good deal on the suite.
Thanks for the video and I will try the agent you recommended.
Happy cruising.
Very well done. My wife was very happy to hear about the temperature of the indoor pool. We've been on many cruises with various cruise lines. We're excited about trying out Celebrity, especially after watching your video.
Great video. I am booked on Solstice for a Thailand Vietnam cruise and this sealed the deal. Changing to an aqua sky suite for the 12 nights. You are right Jim...it’s a great deal!
Dear Jim, I was very impressed with your story about traveling on Solstace, so I decided to book a cruise on the same wonderful ship
for November next year from Hong Kong. Thank you, you are a wonderful storyteller with a very competent and correct speech, which is really interesting to listen to. I will definitely review all your stories about cruises! With best wishes from far away Russia!
That's really interesting! Thanks for taking the time to leave me the comments!
I love that Celebrity gives you pop in a can and Cafe El Bacio is included in your pkg.
My husband and I, as well as his son and a chum, are going on Solstice out of Vancouver to Alaska this July 28th-my 70th birthday.
It's also our first cruise on Celebrity (we're Emerald Status on RCCL), but have also sailed on Princess, Norwegian and Carnival.
Your review really gave us more clarity on the amenities of the ship and, yes, I LOVED that you informed us of the water temperature in the pools!
The buffet sounds fantastic; I plan to check out the traditional English breakfasts. My first husband introduced me to many British culinary offerings, and I quite enjoyed many of them!
Thank you again for such an informative tour and review!
Jim, I have enjoyed all your videos for many years. I have also been into G scale trains for 30 years. I was so very surprised on this was your 1st. time on Celebrity. I have been on the Celebrity Summit several times. End of March, going on Celebrity Eclipse from Cape Liberty to Bermuda. I would love to go on the EDGE, but don't want to fly to Florida anymore. I go on most cruises from Cape Liberty, Bayonne, NJ most of the time because I live close to it. Just drive there. Going on RCL Anthem of the Seas in 6 weeks. One of your reviews some years ago. Love that ship. Going on a Sister ship, Odyssey of the Seas, from Cape Liberty, New Years Eve cruise. I started cruising in 1986 and I cruised mostly on Holland America Line. I just can not believe that you were never been on a Holland America Ship. You would love it as much if not more than Celebrity Solstice. Last summer we went to Alaska from Vancouver on the Holland America Koningsdam. You would just love that ship and service. And it is so close to you. I am sure you have been to Alaska, but if you just took the inner harbor cruise on the Koningsdam and not even get off the ship, you would love it. It is also one of the few ships that go through Glacier bay. You don't even have to get off the ship to another to go through Glacier Bay. See the ship on RUclips. Sorry for the long message. Norm
No need to apologize for the long message... I appreciated it!
Yes, I would like to give Holland America a try sometime. At 66 years old, I think I am finally in the right demographic for it. Up until now, I just felt a little too young for HAL. Plus, I really love the Guy Fieri food on Carnival.
I totally agree that in your situation the best thing to do is just sail on ships that sail out of either Bayonne or New York City. With the money you save on airplane flights and hotels, you can cruise more often. When I lived in California, the easiest thing to do was just to sail out of Los Angeles. But now that I'm in Washington, I almost always have to fly to get to cruise ships, unless I want to do an Alaska cruise... which honestly, I probably only need to do about one more time and then I don't want to visit those places over and over again. There are a lot of places in the Caribbean I'm perfectly happy going to over and over again... Alaska, not so much!
@@JimZim Thank you Jim. Much appreciated. I am amused at your statements about your age in reference to the cruise ship lines. Yes, Holland America is very up-scaled and enjoyed by the older couples. Not as appealing to Children. In the 1990's years I always wore a Tux for dress nights. Ships are smaller, as at "my age" easier to walk from one end of the ship to the other. Sailed on many Big Band cruises, as was my life. Played almost every week end for 63 years. All their smaller ships I was on are gone. Ms Vedam, Ms Ryondam and mostly Ms Hollandam. To give you an idea about your age you refer to, I was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington in the Army in 1949. Was on Maneuvers at Yakama, Washington. You are just a youngster. I may reply to your trains on Facebook. Later Regards, Norman Faut
I sailed on the Celebrity Edge last month and I am 58 and I felt like the youngster on board. I didn’t mind that at all. The ship is beautiful and the crew great. The food was ok in the regular restaurants, but fabulous in the specialty ones. The buffet was a buffet, so it met my expectations. We went to ports that were more for enrichment than fun, but it was still great. We are sailing on another Celebrity ship on our next cruise.
Thanks Jim. We love your cruise videos
We booked an Alaskan cruise on Celebrity Solstice July 2025. Thank you for all the information you've provided. Enjoyed your video.
We’re going in June 2025…can’t wait!
I'm on the Apex February 24th. Previously l have only been on Solstice ships so far, equinox and eclipse but l love the both. I love how they heat the pools ..especially in Alaska. L9ve Celebrity. I will only go Celebrity or Princess now.
Sailed on Celebrity Reflection in 2015 to Europe. Also had a suite like yours. Loved it! Ours was located on the aft corner of the ship, starboard side. Since it was on the aft, we had no overhang and actually had a bit bigger balcony.Absolutely fell in love with our Butler! What a great guy!
One of our favorite things was dining in Luminae, the private suite dining restaurant. Those waiters knew us inside out! 😂
Thank you for your video and the experience you outlined. I appreciate the balance you presented.
Your filming and editing skills are seriously impressive.
That's very nice of you to say. Thanks!
Holland America still has great buffets. Also they serve you so people are not touching everything. Love your review though. First time I’m tempted to try Celebrity. That’s the atmosphere I like.
Great video ! Good information !!! Thanks !
I love swimming when it's very windy and when the boat is rocking provided the pool water is nice and warm!
Yeah, that is fun! I've done that, too. I also really appreciate it when a ship warms their pools way up past 80 degrees like Celebrity did. That's super comfortable to swim in.
@@JimZim I agree! Nice to know Celebrity keep their pools warm! I love it! I have been sailing with HAL Montreal-Boston in the last year! Very nice but the pools could be much warmer! The staff and the food has been great! I am going back in June! Thanks hot stuff! Maybe one day, I sail Anthem of the Seas! I was booked on that ship (thanks to you) but Covid had other plans!
Jim...spot on with cutbacks, and while I do not consider myself a picky eater, poor food quality is the #1 reason why I am now reluctant to book a cruise. I recently did a Mexican Riveria cruise on Princess Discovery and was ready to fly back to LAX from Cabo because the food was so terrible. The only way to survive a cruise today is to use the specialty dining options. The buffets are just terrible.
Thanks for another excellent video Jim! I have watched many of your cruise videos and always enjoy them. I think they are some of the best quality videos on RUclips. My wife and I have sailed mostly with Princess and took 1 cruise with Norwegian in the Haven which was a great experience. We have our first cruise with Celebrity booked in April 2024 on the Silhouette that I am really looking forward to. We will be in a concierge level cabin but after watching this video I am really tempted to try a sky suite!
I really appreciate the in depth information , thank you!
Jim I just started following you a Patreon. Wishing you all the best. Thank you for all the awesome videos.
Thanks Jim for another informative video! I will look at this line more for future sailings.
We we're spoiled with our first cruise ever. Celebrity. And we were upgraded to a balcony room. Every cruise since then has been not as great 😂
Wait until you purchase a suite with a butler. You’ll never go back.
They moved the Soltice to do these Mexican Riviera cruises and scheduled many of them - hence the low occupancy. We took one in Nov. & did it twice.
You did really well to book that cruise for that price. The "real" fare is cheaper than what you could typically book a balcony on Carnival Panorama for.
Interesting video. Only cruised Holland and Royal up to now, but my next two are on Carnival and then Celebrity in August. Expect Celebrity to be more like Holland. This video seems to confirm that it will be more like Holland than any of the other lines I have been on. Looking forward to it. I just got off Harmony of the Seas and the breakfast buffet was awesome, lunch was just ok, dinner was also just ok in terms of selection.
17:20 I always think cabins photo best in the evening with the table lamps illuminated.
I really appreciate your video. We are sailing this itinerary in April on the Solstice in a Sky suite on Deck 11 in an aft facing suite. Your video gave me a sneak peek at what I have to look forward to. My husband will probably have some issues in the shower:)
The aft facing Sky Suites are completely different than the type of Sky Suite that we were in... so, maybe your husband will be lucky and the room will have a different design for the shower. Let's hope!
@@JimZim I will let you know in April:)
Jim you will always be my favorite cruise blogger. Your video skills and your expert narration's are by far the very best on RUclips.
Great comments on the Solstice those water features by the pools that were not working,they were not working when we were on the ship in 2016
must be having problems getting parts to fix them.We went from Honolulu to Sydney it was a great trip,as you said the serve your-self restaurant is the best at sea
I’m so glad you posted that video! I have always wanted to try Celebrity for myself. There is a great deal over spring break, and I would imagine the ship might have fewer kids as compared Royal Caribbean. The only downfall is that the itinerary does not go as far south as Puerto Vallarta. Just Cabo, Mazatlan and San Diego.
I will be on that cruise lol, this was a great video, very helpful.
Happy to see you back cruising! We were very surprised by the size and scope of the buffets on NCL's Bliss class ships, personally experiencing the Bliss and Encore both in late 2022, they are large with huge variety at every meal
My first Celebrity cruise was also on the Solstice in November 2023. It was one of the most relaxing cruises I’ve been on. The service was impeccable. I agree totally with your review!
are you a time traveller ?😂
My first ever cruise was on this ship, back in 2019, fell in love with cruising, very hard for others to beat this.
I was on the Celebrity Millennium in February 2023. If I were running the ship, I would also offer a limited buffet at dinner as only about 10-15% of passengers eat there. In fact, on both Celebrity and HAL, you start to think that the dinner buffet is a crew mess due to the number of uniformed crew up there.
Four different kinds of potatoes? They’re really breaking the bank. 😂 I don’t know if it’s fair to compare Celebrity and Carnival directly considering their different price points and ship sizes. But I think the beauty of cruising is there are options for nearly every style and budget.
I sailed this ship in Alaska last year and I was very underwhelmed by the food in the buffet and MDR. I also thought the ship felt a bit dated. Nevertheless, the crew and service was excellent; I thoroughly enjoyed the solarium and martini bar. Celebrity remains among my favorite cruise lines.
Burgers on Holland were very good, I'm surprised about the burgers on Celebrity! Thank you for the video.
This was one of the better videos I've seen about the Solstice, great job all around. I agree with all points made. We were on the sailing directly after yours and they were talking about how few people were on your sailing! Must have been very quiet. I will also mention they were paining the hull in one of our port stops on our sailing so they must've noticed the same thing! Thanks for the thoroughly well thought out and enjoyable review!
Thanks for your explanation of Cruseliner. We will be traveling In this June ‘23
Super video, Jim. I sailed on Celebrity Edge recently, and I have been on Carnival and RC. I think your comparison between the lines is well calibrated and spot-on
Great video and review as always Jim!!!!! I agree with everything said, and the one thing left unsaid was out amazing their 2-story library is with such a great selection of books and cozy seating areas galore. The back-mid elevator atrium was also a stunner !!!!! Happy travels Jim and hi to your wife - cheers to you both !!! PS - another thing about booking a sky suite is that you can also go to Blu and when you order room service, it is not a limited menu per se. Your butler will bring the menu's from Lumier, Blu, and the MDR ! YAY !
I hear Seabourne cruise have excellent buffets. My friend is entertainment officer and he said they receive much praise.
Just off sister line RCCL Anthem of the Seas sailing at the same time as you except in the Caribbean. The Solstice buffet is a carbon copy of the Windjammer buffet and the pool deck layout is very similar. Although RCCL cater to multigenerational clients, hardly any kids on board as well. The ship was full.
Jim, thank you for this timely report! Will be sailing on the Solstice in 2 weeks, also to Mexico. Not splurging for a Sky Suite this time, but will be Aquaclass and very much enjoyed healthy options at Aquaclass's Blu restaurant in the past. Please consider booking a cruise on one of the newer Edge class ships. Truly best cruise ever in November in a Sky Suite for Edge's first Panama Canal transit. The Retreat service and food in Luminae were absolutely fantastic.
Oh yes, I'm definitely trying to get Mrs. Zim to agree to a cruise on Celebrity Beyond.
Thank you for your informative video. I went on the Celebrity solstice in 2014 from Hawaii to Sydney 19 days … loved it ! Flying to LA from Brisbane on Wednesday and next Saturday 4 march I’ll be getting on again from LA to Cabo/ Mazatlan/ PV for my birthday celebration !!
Great to watch !! Thank you 🙏🏼
We did Aqua class and again this trip ! We bid last week and got it … looks like there are still plenty of these cabins left
We recently returned from a cruise on Norwegian Encore and the buffet offerings at each meal were extensive and varied. This cruise was 03/2023.
Thanks! Yes, from what I've heard, Norwegian is still offering a good buffet on all their ships. This is one of the reasons that I've booked a cruise on NCL for next year.
HAHAHA this guy brings a pool thermometer- that’s commitment! 👍
On our Australian cruise on the solstice they were painting the hull.
I have 74 cruises with Princess, 54 with Royal Caribbean but now only cruise Celebrity specially since they have a ship out of Los Angeles. I agree with all you said about the Solstice, having sailed twice on her since she arrived on the west coast and will go on the Eclipse in Nov 2023 when she replaces the Solstice. we went on a Carnival cruise in Dec 2023 and the food was really really bad. The buffet was unacceptable. Also the dress code on Carnival was not enforced, passengers in shorts, tank tops and baseball caps on formal night in the dining room. Needless to say no more Carnival for me and also Princess is on the way out for me. Royal Caribbeans Navigator of the Seas similar bad experience in October 2022.
Thanks!
I do a lot of Carnival cruises because I like what they do with casual food... especially their tie-in with Guy Fieri. Not just the burgers, which are fantastic, but also his Pig & Anchor barbecue restaurant onboard Carnival. But like you said, the buffet has gotten unacceptable on Carnival. I do also really like Carnival's emphasis on standup comedy... and then the big one for me is the very uncrowded Havana pool and sundeck (no kids and no crowds) on their Vista-class ships. But the older I get, the more I appreciate a refined, classy cruise like on Celebrity Solstice.
Loved this video looking for a cruise for my parents!
Thanks for this lovely report. We cruised Regal Princess over New Year’s Eve and found the buffet to be excellent, with lots of good choices. There were multiple types of potatoes as well! 😊 There was a full English breakfast along with a full American breakfast. There were always other regional offerings. We loved the ramen station as well. Will cruise Sky Princess next month and look forward to good choices there too.
Thanks! The times I cruised with Princess, they did have an excellent buffet... but that was years ago. I'm glad to hear that they're still doing it.
@@JimZim they also had a full staff compliment in the buffet every morning. However, we noted they were short staffed in other areas. I’m sure this is an ongoing issue everywhere as cruising returns to pre-pandemic numbers. It was a holiday cruise and the ship was full. We were very pleased with the crew and their good attitudes, despite being overworked in a few areas. Thanks again for your reports! Happy cruising.
We cruised on Celebrity in 2019 and will again this coming Oct from Honolulu to Sydney. We have also cruised on Princess and R.C. and noticed a def difference with Celebrity. We booked an inside room as the price was very good- we have only had balconies in the past, but we will be outside as much as we like outside of our room. We prefer the buffet- I am vegetarian and the MDR choices are always minimal for me. I hope the dinner buffet is not too severely cut off......we r looking forward to being back to cruising and hope that everyone will be well.................
Great job,Jim
Great review. Planning to sail the Celebrity Apex next year. My husband and I are in our early to mid 50's. Hopefully, we won't be out of place.
You won't be out of place at all!
Well done Jim! This is very helpful as we're deliberating between NCL, Princess and now Celebrity. Thank you for the time you put into this.
Thanks Jim
I just did Celebrity Millenium in November and again last week. The decrease in the buffet offerings was staggering ( but I still found plenty to eat). Going on Solstice in a few weeks.
I'm so happy you said that about the Hamburgers. Worst Burger ever had. No in our group Liked The Hamburger or Hot Gog. Inedible
Disney cruise lines has an excellent breakfast and lunch buffet! The two week cruises such as the Panama Canal or Transatlantic usually have about 300 or less kids on them if that’s a worry for you.
Holland American still does great buffet with lots of choices
Really enjoy your videos, your views are always non-objective and pertinent. And your pronunciation is very standard for non-native speakers.
Thanks Jim great Video, My wife and I are going on this exact cruise Celebrity Solstice (Mexican Riviera) in April, I can say yours was the best I found. this well be are 2nd cruise first one was Carnival few years ago it was In June from Miami, and was crowded, buffet was terrible, almost made me not want to cruise again. I'm really excited about celebrity Solstice.
I expect Icon of the Seas won't be cruising until it is completed by the end of this year in time for the first time cruises in January of 2024!
I think you would like the new Breakfast "Buffet" concept on Virgin Voyages! Very unique and delicious!
Jim Zim saying “vibe” is a Vibe
Very nice job Jim - haven’t seen one of your videos in a long time. Sounds like your preferences are very similar to mine sir..
Enjoyed the review
This is another great review. I noticed when you listed lines you've been on you didn't list Holland America. You should visit historic St. Augustine FL. sometime before a port Canaveral cruise. you can make a video of this wonderful rich attraction and have lunch Caitlin at Columbia. I like Hilton water front , St George inn or Casa Monica.
Yeah, I am actually intending to try Holland America sometime in the next year or two. I think the older I get, the more aligned I probably am with what HAL is doing.
I do also like your idea about a visit with Caitlin and visiting some land attractions in Florida.
@@JimZim The stereotypes of Hal are only somewhat true. There were plenty of families and kids on our Christmas sailing on the Rotterdam. It is true that they don't have 'spectacular' cirque type shows like Royal of course--but I and most found that the food was still really good, and this was after Carnival had already done major cutbacks on some of their MDR type dining. See if you can do a Pinnacle class ship on Hal. Hal's biggest drawback (from what I read) is that they literally do the exact same shows on all their ships, so that if you do multiple Hals within a 2-3 year span, I think that much of the main stage entertainment is the same across the different ships.
We are going on our 1st Celebrity cruise next month on the Solstice. Great video JZ! Big Downer...the itenerary we signed up for, the one you went on, is gone. Now it is going to Monerrey USA and San Francisco USA, Ensendad, MX but still Catalina, at least. I say again Great video JZ!!! Just subscribed, too.
World class buffet?Marvel one Market on Disney Wish and @ Cabanas on all Disney Cruise Line ships. The food is excellent. It can get crowded depending on the time but EXCELLENT Food & Service, indeed.
This is the first time you, Jim Zim got to sail with Celebrity Cruise Lines on board Celebrity Solstice!
That makes eight cruise lines in all!
This is the Celebrity Solstice review of what you loved and what you didn't loved AKA what you hated about this cruise ship!
Great video Bro
If I lived in your beautiful house I’d probably never need to go on holiday. You have great taste.
We love Celebrity. It is our favorite cruise line as long as they don't follow in NCL's footsteps. We just made Elite Plus Status. You mentioned the hamburgers...we know that Carnival has great hamburgers but you should try the hamburger in the Luminae Restaurant for lunch. It is delicious too!
Actually, I did try the Luminae burger at lunch. It felt like they thought that large size would automatically equal great burger. The thing was huge. But it was too huge, making it difficult to eat... and when you use that much meat in a burger, you better make sure the meat is tasty, which I didn't really think it was. The huge Luminae burger looks impressive in a photo, but I thought it was just too difficult to eat and didn't come through with a "wow" taste.
Guy Fieri got so many things right with Carnival's burgers... and one of them was the size. It's not a big burger. You can get a second one if you have a huge appetite. The beauty of a slightly-smaller-than-average burger is that it's very easy to eat. You can take a bite out of it with no problem. Plus, when you do get a taste of the meat... it has taste. I think it's a perfect burger. So, I cringed a little bit as I struggled to eat the Luminae burger.
A few observations and questions. Thanks for the video Jim. I've watched your videos for years and one of the complaints I had in the past was really enjoying everything and later realizing it was something that I would never be able to afford. It wasn't the cost that bothered me, I just wanted it to be communicated in the video.
1) So I really loved that you included the cost breakdown and thoroughly talked about that this time. It was a great addition, in my opinion.
2) With the solarium being closed in, do you think it would be noisy when at full capacity?
3) The width of your balcony really reminded me of HC accessible cabins that my in-laws stay in. It's wide enough for scooters and chairs. It was pretty cool to see a regular cabin that wide. Though the short shower head and towels in the shower were bizarre. The other trend that I always find odd is those places with no shower curtain and water gets everywhere.
When we sailed on MSC Seaside, the shower had no shower curtain... only a piece of glass that blocked about 1/3 of the shower. Water got EVERYWHERE! I hated that.
The shower on Celebrity Solstice did have a full shower curtain.
Regarding the Solarium...
I think people understand that it's a quiet, relaxing place... and that they would use quiet voices when talking in there. I imagine that at full capacity, it would still be a relaxing place.
Welcome to Celebrity, Jim. Your review was the best, as usual. You are correct, IMO, the best burgers are on Carnival. Unfortunately, the better everything else is on Celebrity. Fantastic price, BTW. That's the price we used to pay for a sky suite. Now that they've thrown it all together into what they call, "The Retreat", the prices are significantly higher. I know Luminae is good, really good, but so is the buffet and the MDR. As you know, Michelle and I like to partake in the bubbly. So, we have to weigh the cost of the premium drink package with the cost of the sky suite to assess the value. The butler doesn't sway our decision, but the onboard credit and price of the suddenly increasing drink packages does. I do believe our Diamond status on Royal gets us a time during the day for a free cocktail or two. I wanted to ask, did they still have Michael's Club on Solstice? I want to say it's gone from the newer ships and replaced by something in The Retreat. I was blown away the first time I walked in a Michael's Club and the hostess knew my name. We were also surprised by the hostess at Luminae when she asked us, by name, why we hadn't eaten at Luminae yet. Now that is customer service. Celebrity really is stepping it up over the regular lines. We sail on Apex in April and I'll let you know how that goes. I couldn't book that one through Caitlin because it's a CME for Michelle and is required to go through the CME company. Other than that, all of our sailings go through Caitlin. Finally, our next non-Apex style Celebrity will likely be on Millinium. Unlike, Solstice, they have been in drydock for refurbishment. We're trying to get a Japan cruise in 2024 as a CME where Michelle's reimbursement can help us with some of the expense.
They do have Michael's Club on Solstice. It's just for the suite guests. I never got around to going in there to see what all they offered in there, though.
The level of customer service that they offered to the suite guests was very impressive!
The best buffet in terms of depth of selection has been on the Regal Princess in November 2023. They have a lot of items and theyvare generally well prepared.
The worst buffet was the Norwegian Epic in February 2023. So much of the buffet were duplicate stations of hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza. A major disappointment.
1st time sailing thanks
It really is strange to have towels hanging in the shower. Iv seen that a couple of times. I could see them stopping the fountains just because its probably more maintenance then they want to deal with. As times change the needs and wants have changed too so they are adapting, but it would make sense to remove them during dry dock, but that might require a longer time to do properly. Its also like they thought people were shorter when the ship was designed years ago. I haven't seen a water fall/ rainforest shower that short before
Nice review. We have been on their Reflection ship and really enjoyed La Petite Chef dining venue. Really a hoot! Wondering if it was one of the selections on your ship. 09:25 EST.
Yes, they did have Le Petit Chef on Celebrity Solstice. We chose not to dine there... mainly because I'm a really picky eater and none of the items on the menu appealed to me. Another consideration was that they use a type of lighting in there that does not play well with video cameras... so, there was no point in me trying to shoot any video to show people the very unique "show" at Le Petit Chef. In fact, I had a heck of a time getting decent photos and videos in the restaurants on Celebrity Solstice because of the type of lighting they use. It really messed with my cameras! So, that's why I didn't show more pictures or videos of the food... and that's why the picture quality of my wife's gluten and dairy-free food was fairly low!
Thanks for the excellent video again we will be travelling on celebrity reflection in two weeks on the western Caribbean .
I bet that's going to be really great!
Thank you Jim! Your video is just in time. We have a signature suite book and I was definitely wondering how the service was on this vessel. Oh yes they are very generous with their On board credit 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Jim,
Great video of Celebrity as my wife and I are taking our first Celebrity cruise in mid October on the Equinox in Aqua class for 8 days to the ABC Islands.
We are both going to be 56 on the fall and thought it's time to move into a higher luxury/pampering and upscale but yet fun experience.
Just curious have you ever been on Oceania cruise line?
I'm surprising my wife with this additional cruise for a December 30th sailing this year as well to the Caribbean in a Penthouse suite with only 1,200 passengers.
Both cruises are to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary and my recovery from two tramatic brain injuries from falls in 2018 & 2020.
This will be our first time attempting major traveling since 2017 before my injuries when we sailed on Norwegian Escape.
Praying for a wonderful experience on both cruise lines since we have never sailed them before but in the past we have sailed with Norwegian and Carnival.
BTW.... Also great review on Carnival Celebration as my wife forwarded it over to my sister n law and her brother as they along with there two children ages 19 and 16 will be sailing here i believe July 29th to the Caribbean.
That ship is definitely made for them and there kids. Lol.
There first cruise and it should be a blast!
Thanks again for your work and dedication bringing information to the cruising public.
Thanks for your comments! I'm glad you found my video about our Celebrity cruise. I think you'll enjoy your October cruise!
We have not sailed with Oceania. My impression of them is that they would be too upscale for me. Really, a great buffet where I can eat in casual attire is what I need for true dining happiness. A fancy white-glove fine dining experience is not what I'm looking for. Out of curiosity, is there a buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Oceania?
@@JimZim Thank you for your reply and as for Oceania actually the new Vista ship is more of a upscale service and food along with country club casual dress so not ultra luxury white glove per say like seabourn or stuffy some might say like Queen Mary 2 Trans Atlantic Voyages where it's a much more traditional cruise with formal nights with elegant dresses for women and dark suits or tuxedos for men.
Yes Oceania Vista has a buffet service and from what i have researched it's very good. Also ALL there restaurants are included in the base fare as well which is nice and other perks with there O life package make it more inclusive or as much or less you want it to be.
I'm not expecting a stuffy atmosphere but a less crowded more contemporary cruise. They have entertainment throughout the ship albeit probably not as glamorous as mega ships of Carnival or Royal Caribbean etc. The ship also has plenty of the amenities the other lines have like Celebrity per say bars, casino, library, spa etc. Also they have a Aquamar therapy section with hot tubs, Aqua thearpy pool and hot bed loungers food and drinks section included in your fare if in Concierge cabins and above is a GREAT PERK as it's a huge space back of the ship outside and of course they have a lido deck with a very big nice pool, hot tubs, pool bar and grill for those hamburgers, fries and hot dogs. Lol.
What i'm interested to see is Oceania's tag line is finest crusine at sea? We shall see. I can also tell you the stateroom bathrooms are much bigger and there staterooms overall are bigger including all bathrooms. Lol.
Also the age group? We will be 56 when sailing and from what i researched the age range is 50 and up.
What i'm hoping for is a slight upgrade over Celebrity with less people but similar amenities that a cruise ship like Celebrity offers. Hence why we are trying these two lines because we know these are different than our other three cruises over the years with Norwegian Windword in 1993 Carnival Glory 2003 and Norwegian Escape in 2017 when we were younger. Lol.
That's one thing we enjoy about cruising is all the options to find your preferred options as you age gracefully. Lol.
Oceania Vista just launched in May 2023 so not many reviews yet but hoping by December any issues that arise from a brand new ship work themselves out before we sail as they get some sailings under there belt per say and the crew and staff settle in.
If you want to see a review of the ship i know Harr Travel has a review on youtube if you wanted to check it out in the future?
Thank you again for your detailed vlog on the cruise industry as it's very helpful!