Quantum leap of Celebrity Solstice

Spa and staterooms
The two-story spa and fitness center is an integral part of this ship and with adjacent spa staterooms the aim is to create a healthy spa-resort fitness feeling. The Solarium indoor pool and main pool are among the prettiest pools at sea with waterfalls and dancing water fountains. The pools are sectioned off with architecturally placed canvas, creating areas of privacy. Guests can lounge in comfy sun loungers, plush wicker ottomans, and hammocks.

Eighty-five percent of Solstice’s 1,425 smartly-laid-out staterooms have private balconies. These staterooms are 15-per-cent larger than other Celebrity vessels. AquaSpa staterooms have unlimited access to the spa facilities featuring an amazing shower, with a waterfall showerhead and jets. It’s the coolest shower I’ve seen on a ship.

Interestingly stateroom design was influenced by a panel of five women with unique travel and hospitality insights. While professional designers were responsible for the overall design, the five boomer-aged women made suggestions about what they would like to see on board. Among the design features they suggested: more storage space above and below the bed, double doors that opened up to the adjoining cabin, and footrests in the showers for shaving legs. While the staterooms are terrific, I was disappointed by the small closet space afforded — it will definitely be an issue for passengers on longer voyages.

Another great thing about every stateroom on Solstice is the Apple Mac minis with 32-inch flat-panel displays. I found it an amazing amenity that allows guests to book services, shore excursions, watch on-demand movies and other programs, peruse and purchase photos taken by ship photographers, and listen to a music library with thousands of songs.

“We did it!”
Upon seeing the finished ship for the first time Dan Hanrahan, Celebrity’s president and chief executive, boasted “We did it! Four years of planning and we accomplished what we set out to do.” Hanrahan is quick to point out that Solstice’s beauty is not just in the decor, but in operating efficiencies as well. “This ship is very environmentally friendly,” adds Hanrahan.

Anita Dunham-Potter The ship has 10 dining venues, including four specialty restaurants in the same area of the ship.

Indeed, Solstice is the first cruise ship to use solar power. There are 216 solar panels throughout the ship and energy collected becomes part of the ship’s power grid — enough to operate 7,000 of the vessel’s 25,000 energy efficient LED lights. Additionally, Solstice’s hull design and coating make the ship more fluid dynamic, which means less fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

Hanrahan isn’t the only person highly-enthusiastic about Solstice, travel agents I spoke to were pumped up about the new product. Seattle-based travel agent Karen Wagner of Call Me 4 Travel said, “I cannot wait to get home and sell this ship to more of my clients.”

If you go
The Solstice begins its inaugural season in the eastern Caribbean on Nov. 23 out of Fort Lauderdale, where it will operate alternating itineraries: St. Maarten, San Juan, St. Kitts and St. Maarten, San Juan, Tortola and Labadee (Royal Caribbean’s private beach in Haiti). Prices begin at $599 per person. Solstice will transit to Europe to cruise the Mediterranean beginning in May. Fares for 10- and 11-night cruises begin at $1,349 per person. All aforementioned prices are based on inside staterooms, double occupancy. Visit Celebrity Cruises Web site for more details.

Sound off! Do you have a comment, an idea, a complaint or a problem for Anita to solve? Send her an e-mail and you might find yourself in her next column. And check out her blog, ExpertCruiser.com.

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