The Solstice class of ships is said to be outstanding in service and design, and to say we were looking forward to it is an understatement. We were extremely excited, which is perhaps to say that our expectations may have been too high. There are some stunning areas on the Celebrity Solstice, and this review will cover what we found to be both pleasing and less than satisfactory.

Ship design: Some of the common areas of the ship are absolutely beautiful, such as the uppermost level with an actual lawn to walk on and a glass-blowing studio. It feels like a private club, and is a great place to sit and enjoy the breeze and sun both while at sea and in port. The overall design elements of the ship are very modern, and we felt this had been taken a little too far. We both very much like chic boutique hotels, and having heard that this ship class imitates such surroundings, we were sorry to find that the ship lacked warmth. It’s hard to put a finger on, but something that Royal Caribbean does well, for instance, is make passengers feel welcome no matter the size of ship, and that feeling is not present on the Solstice. It felt somewhat cold and removed to us, from the ultra-modern Star-Trek-esque dining room to the lounges and shops. Some of the carpet is already threadbare, particularly noticeable because it is in the area where we enter upon embarkation. Certainly there are interesting features, such as the fountains in the adults’ solarium and on the pool deck, but overall the ship felt stark and we never felt at home. Usually, on a nice cruise ship, I feel more at home than when I’m home!

Food: We did not try the fee-added restaurants, but ate in either the main café or the dining room for all meals. There were little extras throughout the ship, such as crêpes and ice cream, but all had a surcharge, which we found annoying, so did not partake on principal. It’s not that we are cheap, as we are very generous with our tips, etc., but that we felt that this was to be a luxury cruise, and didn’t appreciate being nickle-and-dimed. The food in both the main café and the formal dining room left a lot to be desired. It was almost the same every day, and often not cooked properly. Of 7 dining room fish dishes, only one was cooked well; others were either still half raw or like leather. We realize that it is an immense challenge to feed so many people, but other ships we’ve been on managed it with aplomb. We enjoy the food – both selection and taste – far more on the Royal Caribbean line. Celebrity is owned by the same people and is a step-up, we were told, so we were, quite simply, disappointed.

Staff: We always find staff to be friendly, but that is because we make the effort to get to know them. Here we found them far less friendly and helpful than we are accustomed to, and WE had to make extra effort just to be acknowledged. Small things were ignored, and big things as well. There was no care for the level of service offered, and at times we felt as if just by being passengers we were somehow putting the staff out; very bizarre. My husband’s surprise 40th birthday decorations I’d requested were not done despite my asking ahead; we were told we may be getting a room upgrade and lived out of our suitcases for 3 or 4 days while we got the runaround from various staff members. Room service meal, which we ordered only once, was both late and contained overcooked fish and limp, tasteless vegetables. Sigh.

A couple of other notes were that the champagne upon embarkation was a lovely touch, and the glass blowing show was REALLY cool. Our cabin (forward balcony) was quite nice, if small. The one broadway-style show we tried to watch was pretty lame, so we left. There were only 3 stops in a 7-night itinerary so we felt rather cooped up on the ship, especially as the inner sections are not as open as those on RC that we are used to and like. To each their own, I suppose, but we will not likely be sailing Celebrity again.

Some pictures of the Celebrity Solstice (click for larger views)

Bahamas Cruising

All the ships that do the Bahamas run from southern Florida are the older, smaller vessels in their respective companies’ fleets, and the Carnival Fascination is no exception. Along with the Imagination, the Fascination has, for several years, done both Bahamas cruises and smaller Caribbean cruises, usually featuring Key West, Florida and Cozumel, Mexico. Of late, Carnival has added other ships to this area, including the Destiny, Sensation and Pride. These were not options when we went for our 3 night Bahamas cruise, and the price seemed ‘right,’ so off we went! How bad can it be, right?…

At first glance (embarkation), this ship doesn’t seem all bad. Although small, it seemed like a fun little ship for a weekend cruise, and we happily settled into the main buffet restaurant for our first lunch, as we waited for our room to be ready. Any cruiser will be familiar with this scene. Our disappointment began when we started noticing little things, such as how poorly the staff treated the guests, not even offering a welcome and wiping tables haphazardly so that food and God knows what was left smeared over them, almost without exception. The table we sat at still had bits of egg left over from someone’s morning breakfast, and a ship is usually at its cleanest when welcoming new guests. Yikes! Then, and throughout the cruise, we noticed flies all over the café, landing on food, and while we would expect this in an outdoor market, we have never before nor since seen this on a cruise. Since the flies were everywhere, we thought we might as well go outside and enjoy the fresh air.

Below is a picture of me at that first meal, excited about our cruise.

As far as food quality and selection goes, it varied greatly and was never spectacular. We didn’t expect 5 star dining from this line, especially given the price we paid, but many times there was nothing but hamburgers and hotdogs to eat, and we are vegetarians. The menus seemed to be geared towards overweight, really hungry people who like salt and fat, and indeed there were always line-ups for the fattening, nutritionally-void offerings. Most of the people on board, sad to say, actually were overweight.

The ship itself is dated, with lots of gray and pink, brass and mirrors; something you would see in the 80′s lounge era. This was especially evident in the dining room, which was gaudy beyond belief. In fairness, we heard people remarking about how fabulous it all was, so your opinion may depend upon your tastes, as well as what you are accustomed to. For us, we felt the lack of class and taste throughout the ship and were very disappointed and out of our element. The pool deck was very spare, with bare light bulbs hanging as the only real decor items, and almost always full of rowdy people. The exception was an evening we went out to find a place to sit and found a disheveled mass of tables cluttered with beer cans, drink glasses, ashtrays and plates of half-eaten food, all from many hours earlier. What’s going on here, Carnival? We actually spent the last day in our cabin we disliked the rest of the ship so much.

Our room, an outside, oceanview room, was quite spacious, and luckily the bed was comfortable. Right outside in the hall, the smell of cabin bathrooms pervades at all times, and we kept a towel at our door bottom most times. Without a balcony we had no escape from it. The television had only a few channels and we would up watching the same bad movie (Fool’s Gold) quite a few times.

Here is a picture of me dreading going back on the Fascination after our day in Nassau. A picture tells a thousand words! We were saying ‘Nooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’ all the way along the pier.

Nassau, Bahamas

Nassau was the only stop on this cruise, followed by an ‘at sea’ day on the Sunday. Nassau is perhaps the most famous of Bahamian cities, and certainly offers much to do for cruise passengers. You can visit any number of hotels – eg. the Colonial Hilton – and pay a small fee to enjoy their beach and facilities for the day. Below is a shot of the cruise pier from the Hilton’s beach.

Paradise Island, accessible by taxi, water taxi or very long walk, offers shopping, restaruants and the fantastic Atlantis hotel. Unfortunately, the hotel grounds are not open to the public, save for a few tours you can take which allow you limited access. One used to be able to book a room for the day at the adjacent Comfort Inn and receive complimentary Atlantis access, however this has stopped and bookings are a minimum two nights’ stay. If you are willing to book for this time period, you will enjoy unlimited access to all of Atlantis’ incredible properties during your visit. Note that all food and drink expenses will be extra, and at a premium. Atlantis is full of fun things to do, however and you will definitely fill a day with fun. The picture below is a view of Atlantis from the deck of the Fascination.

Almost everyone speaks English in Nassau, and virtually all the local stores accept US dollars. There are plenty of shops, bars and restaurants within walking distance of the ship, and many cruisers look for deals on jewelry while cruising. For more tips on shopping in cruise ports, see Jewelry and Souvenir Shopping While Cruising. We enjoyed a Kalik, the delicious island beer, at a local bar (pictured below).

The lovely lady at check-in back in Miami (see Port of Miami) said to us ‘You won’t need your passport in the Bahamas, so just leave it in your safe. All you’ll need is your card (the card the ship gives you which identifies you as a current sailing passenger).’ We did just that, and upon returning to the port were told we could not get back to our ship without passports. Funny enough, we would rather have stayed in Nassau!

We’ve sailed many times out of Miami, and thought you might enjoy some of the pictures. As always, click on the pictures for a larger view.

For those of you with questions about a cruise sailing out of Miami, here are some tips:

• You can stay at any number of hotels the night before or after your cruise, either by the airport or downtown, which is only a few minutes away from the Port of Miami. Most airport hotels have complimentary shuttles to and from the airport, and there is also a shuttle available for a charge that will take you from the airport (MIA) directly to the cruise terminal of your choice. Try Orbitz.com for good pricing on pre-cruise hotels, or learn to use Priceline for even deeper hotel discounts. You should be able to catch a cab from your downtown hotel to the terminal for about $10, whereas it will cost you between $20 and $30 from an airport area hotel.
• Transportation from the pier to the airport runs from $9-$10 per person for a shuttle (you will share with others) and approximately $24 per ride for a taxi. You can also arrange for transport through various local tour companies, your cruise ship line or possibly your hotel.
• For the various cruises we have taken, we find that arriving earlier allows for the best embarkation experience. It’s usually less busy between the hours of 11am and 1pm, before the masses begin arriving. In this way, we usually get to board the ship and look around before it gets crowded, and although the rooms aren’t usually ready we don’t mind and enjoy having the ship to ourselves.
• TIP: Always ask at the check-in counter and then again at the guest relations desk (after muster, to ensure they have a final passenger count) if any upgrades are available. Sometimes you can receive a complimentary or low-cost upgrade to a better room, and enjoy it for less than you would have paid at the time of booking. It’s always worth asking!

If you should have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. You can reach me at admin@travel-like-a-pro.com.

Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas, sailing out of Miami at sunset (it was turning around). She looked glorious! (As seen from the deck of the Celebrity Solstice)

A row of pretty cruise ships leaving the Miami port on a Monday evening. Two Royal Caribbean ships, two Carnival ships and a Norwegian ship. As seen from the deck of the Navigator of the Seas

On the deck of the Carnival Fascination while docked in Miami

Freedom of the Seas docked in Miami port

Downtown Miami in the background, as seen from our cruise ship deck (Freedom of the Seas)

Cruise ship terminal at Port of Miami

Biscayne Bay as seen from a cruise ship deck in Port of Miami. Also note the parking garage immediately adjacent to the cruise terminal/s

Downtown Miami, including the massive entertainment complex, as seen from Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas

Loading up the ship on turnaround day. There were dogs sniffing each skid of goods to check for illegal substances.

Leaving the ship on turnaround day in Miami. Over the bridge you can just see the marina and Bayside Marketplace, a great place to have lunch or dinner and watch the cruise ships (before or after your trip).

The beautiful Freedom of the Seas docked in Miami

Royal Caribbean’s cruise terminal in Miami

A barge in Biscayne Bay

A view of some of the beautiful homes and boats in Miami, from the deck of the Carnival Fascination

The shipping canal in Miami, out of which all the cruise ships sail

Norwegian cruise ship docked in Miami

Last few minutes on board the Carnival Fascination before disembarking in Miami

The Rhapsody Docked in O’ahu, Hawai’i (click for larger picture)

It is always exciting to see your cruise ship in port, and this was no exception. RCL has some beautiful ships, and we boarded with great anticipation. The Rhapsody of the Seas is a Vision class ship, launched in 1997.* The Vision class marked a new era for RCL back then, bringing ships into service with more features than ever before – like rock climbing walls – and with even more attention paid to aesthetics. RCL says this is their most well-traveled class of ships.

Vision class ships introduced an atrium area surrounded almost entirely with glass, with glass elevators, allowing cruise passengers to enjoy sweeping views of the sea (or port) and sky while on any floor of the atrium area, and while riding the elevators. The result is a bright, sunlit atrium of several stories which acts as a natural gathering place for passengers and for entertainment venues. On this trip, we enjoyed the many and varied dance and music numbers from Spirit of Polynesia, a fantastic group of people (see more pictures below).

Rhapsody of the Seas Atrium

Another View of the Vision Class Atrium

Food: Embarking was fairly straightforward, especially as this is a smaller ship. As most people do when boarding, we headed straight for lunch at the Windjammer Café. We found the food here to be delicious and varied throughout our cruise, and in fact ate here many times for dinner rather than in the dining room. Much of the reason for this is that we are vegetarians, and found the formal dining room menu to be much more limited. There was always plenty for us to eat at the Windjammer, and they had different specialty foods on different nights, such as sushi. One thing we had a tough time with was seeing them throw out everything after each meal (we saw staff tossing plate upon plate of dessert displays full of untouched cakes, pastries, etc.). This is to ensure that the food is always fresh, I know, but it’s still difficult to witness such waste.

Staterooms: Our room was an ocean view stateroom. We had asked for a balcony, but there were none available, even at the time of boarding. The ship was completely full, we were told. Even so, the oceanview room felt quite spacious and had everything we needed (I was traveling with my 12 year old daughter).

Rhapsody Outside Cabin – Oceanview

Rhapsody Inside Cabin

General: The main areas of the Rhapsody are in fairly good shape, and are kept immaculately clean. I did notice some signs of aging on this ship, such as stained grout between the pure white flooring in the atrium. The ship’s décor is typical of Royal Caribbean: neutral and classy with a touch of a nautical theme. Bits of the ship seem dated and tired, and some areas are in better shape than others, for instance the lounges and casino were in fabulous condition.

All main areas of the ship were thoroughly enjoyed by passengers, particularly because we spent several days out to sea as we crossed from the Hawai’an islands to the continent of North America. The inside areas, such as the adults only pool (gorgeous!) and the spa, gym and lounges, got more crowded as we headed north. As the weather changed from balmy and warm to cold, rainy and blowy, the pools were less and less utilized and eventually they were closed off.

Some more pictures (click for larger views) and videos:

The Rhapsody at Sunrise off of Maui – Beautiful!

Click here for a video of the waves crashing in O’ahu

Click here for a video of a beautiful waterfall in Maui

Spirit of Polynesia Hula Dancers

Click Here for a video of the Spirit of Polynesia Dancers

The Rhapsody at Sunset off of Maui

Surfers in Maui – Look Closely! (Click for larger view)

Adults Only Area on Rhapsody of the Seas – Spa and Gym to the Side

Pool Deck and Hot Tubs on Rhapsody

Hula Dancers on Pool Deck

Formal Dining Room - Waiters Singing

Following the Norwegian Pearl into the Port of Vancouver – An Incredible View of Stanley Park and an Amazing Experience Going Under the Lion’s Gate Bridge, Unforgettable!

The Port of Vancouver – Canada Place

Overall, we had a lovely cruise aboard the Rhapsody of the Seas. It was a little difficult to pack for and deal with a what started out as a warm tropical vacation turning into a cold, windy one, but we managed. :) We did lose internet access for a few days while crossing the Pacific ocean, and this, for me, contributed to a feeling of isolation which I did not enjoy. My daughter, however, didn’t seem to notice and had a ball. She says the kids’ club is fantastic, and misses her cruise already. 

*While we had a lovely time and all onboard seemed to enjoy the cruise, I would hesitate to cruise on an older, smaller ship again. Having been on the Freedom class just the year before, we have found that older and smaller ships don’t measure up in terms of quality and cleanliness, as well as ambience and things to do. This is, of course, a matter of perspective, and the many retired couples aboard the Rhapsody like it just the way it is, and would likely find the Freedom class too big, too noisy and too full of younger people. As it turns out, any cruises over 7 days tend to be booked up by a fairly mature crowd, meaning that the vast majority of the passengers were one, if not two, generations older than me. I was an oddity at 38, and there weren’t many kids on board either. Just so you know!

The Freedom class includes Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Independence of the Seas, all virtually identical and all VERY large as far as cruise ships go. These ships feature all the latest in cruise ship technology, from environmentally friendly ship systems and state of the art azipod steering, to amenities that will wow you and your entire family. In the picture below, you can see the hot tub cantilevered out over the edge of the ship on the left (there’s  one on the port side as well). At night the roof over the hot tub is lit up with tiny pin lights and makes for a marvelous effect as you sit in the spa while riding over the ocean waves far below.

For those familiar with the Royal Caribbean ‘look,’ you’ll find plenty of their signature décor aboard. Our trip was on the Freedom of the Seas, so the pictures you see here are from that lovely ship (click on any picture to see it in full size). Throughout the ship the décor is decadent, colourful and yet subtle – the perfect ambiance for a cruise. While no provider can please everyone, Royal Caribbean has come pretty close with the Freedom class. The kids’ club is fantastic and we rarely saw children as they were engrossed in their own activities. There’s even a lovely and private adults only area and a good gym and spa.

Somehow RCI (Royal Caribbean International) has managed to take a very large ship (the largest in the world when we sailed it) and have it come across as intimate and welcoming. Although she holds a record number of passengers and crew, the ship never feels crowded. We did not encounter any lines for anything, from dinners to entertainment to leisure activities such as rock climbing and mini-golf. The one exception was the surfing simulator, which was extremely popular, for good reason!

The formal dining room is the most decadent we’ve seen, with a full three tiers open in the middle and lots of glorious gold. While some cruise ships can be a bit tacky, we found that RCI has found a perfect mix between nautical and upscale without being in the least bit snobby. Through the middle of the ship runs the Royal Promenade, a Royal Caribbean innovation taken to further heights on this ship – they have taken good advantage of the size and added many extra boutiques and cafés.

One thing that makes the Freedom class beautiful is that they are new ships. All the carpets, wall coverings and artwork pieces are new; the railings and glass elevators and floors are gleaming. There is nothing threadbare as you may find on older ships, and everything is designed to impress, from the glass sculptures to the spectacular amenities. The rooms are spacious and well thought out, in every category. Ours was a junior suite and we found ourselves spending lots of time in it just relaxing to the sound of the Caribbean waves outside our balcony door.

All in all, the Freedom class of ships is good value for the money, and offers something for almost everyone. We saw no particular age group or even cultural group as being prevalent. The food is varied and delicious and well presented for a ship of such size; the activities and excursions offer various levels of challenge and interest; the entertainment is varied and well done and the cruise director is helpful without being intrusive or cutesy. The ship is well laid out and there are no bottlenecks despite the number of people. There is something of the familiar for Royal Caribbean and lots of new things to explore – a great combination!

The Adventure of the Seas really is an adventure, for many reasons. Royal Caribbean continues to set new standards in what is available on a cruise ship, and this lovely little ship is no exception.

Overview

Adventure of the Seas is part of the Voyager class of ships by Royal Caribbean, and includes some features that were at the forefront of cruise adventure when they were introduced. An indoor skating rink (you can borrow skates and helmets), onboard rock climbing wall, basketball courts and mini-putt course and inline skating track are just examples of the innovation offered on this class of ship.

They also offer a full range of amenities which are now considered standards in cruising, such as an entertainment theater for live shows, several restaurant choices and on-deck pools and hot tubs.

One stand-out feature on the Adventure of the Seas is the Royal Promenade, an interior atrium which runs half the length of the ship and is several stories high. The Royal Promenade recreates the ambiance of a European street, and is lined with boutiques, cafés and activities; it is the site of a fantastical welcome parade and goodbye party, as well as several special entertainment events and sales specials during your cruise.

For dining, you can grab a snack – anything from pizza to a croissant – in the Royal Promenade, or you can enjoy the Windjammer buffet, which is spacious and well-stocked enough never to feel too busy. For dinner you have the option of the Windjammer, but there is also more gourmet-style sit-down dining available in the beautiful three-level dining room section. You may choose either the early or late dining option, depending on what activities and bedtime suit you and your family. Many couples also opt to try the more intimate high-end restaurant, which is available at a small extra cost and by reservation only.

For kids, there are very comprehensive programs for each age group. Rather than just being ‘baby-sitting’ clubs these kids’ clubs are interactive, full of action and very stimulating. Fun includes time in the kids only waterpark with slide at the back end of the ship. Without exception, the kids we saw on our cruise were barely seen around the ship – they absolutely loved the kids’ clubs and didn’t want to leave when it was time to go back to their rooms. Knowing that your kids are in good hands, having fun and making plenty of friends is a great relief and can allow parents some wonderful alone time during their cruise.

For adults, there is a good spa (services are extra) and a great gym, the latter of which overlooks the front of the ship so that you can run on a treadmill while watching as the ship plows through the waves below. You may also enjoy the running track which winds around the upper deck. There is also a peaceful adults-only pool area which allows for refuge from the more boisterous family pools in the middle deck.

Accommodations on the Adventure of the Seas range from small, interior rooms with no window (although some do have a window overlooking the Royal Promenade) to full-sized suites with multiple bedrooms and a balcony, with many balcony and outside window rooms in between. TIP: As with most cruises, you can save money by booking an interior room, and a lot of travelers do this and claim they never stay in their room, anyway – it’s just a place to sleep. However, many would argue that it’s worth the extra money to have a balcony, as the fresh air, sunlight and the sound of the ocean are an integral part of cruising and can be very romantic. Suit yourself and book what you feel is best for you – speak with your travel agent or cruise specialist to find the perfect combination of price and room. Find out more about rooms, deck plans and other ships at RoyalCaribbean.com.

With fun and varied ports of call, many activities and events to keep you occupied, you’ll find the Adventure of the Seas a great cruising venue. It is upscale enough to please most patrons, while welcoming and friendly enough to please families and groups looking to have fun and adventure. Happy sailing!