Longboysfan

My Solstice trip on November 30th. Arrive FLL 11am to pier. Onto ship. First stop Dec 2 - Puerto Rico - 2pm Second Stop - Dec 3 - St. Maartin Third stop - Dec 4 - St. Kitts Back in FLL on December 7. Do we cut across anywhere?

Yes. Did three cruises with them. They ran the Doric and Oceanic(became the big red boat at the start). It was nice food and service but they were not that flexible in many regards. The chairs were nice - if you knew to go rent them right away as the prime spots anywhere near the pool or sun disappeared right away. I like the no pay now and can stand the chair hogs to some degree. Food was very good as was service. The only this is all the ship events were at 3pm every day.

Shoot - I just saw the thread. Wanted to take Crazie on the Solstice...... Same travel dates.... November 30th - December 7th.... Hey where are you going out of on that trip?

Curious what the group feels the best line they like is or was. Upcoming will be my 24th cruise (I think as I was never a strice counter of them) and it should complete my 30th week at sea. We started back in 1978 or 1979. On the old Volendan. Then the Veenemdan, Doric, Oceanic, Statendam. At least 7 or 8 HAL cruises and 3 Home lines Then stopped for the kiddies...... Started again I think in 1994 or 1995 on the Zenith. Then Horizon a lot of times. I think we hit Bermuda about 14 times counting the first cruises. Then we tried RCCL one time and then Princess 1 time. Back to Celebrity and then HAL again. And we have been back on Celebrity ever since. Celebrity has the right mix of activities and we consider the food and service the best out there. But I also see people who have done Carnival a lot and others with a nice mix. What about those that switch about???????

Beautifulll....Get me to the ship.............. Look in the Celebrity area and click onto Joey's topic on top. Just found them.

Some pictures of Solstice from the other day. http://web8.506.bces.de/xoops16_cruise/ This is the site for the person who took a lot of Solstice pictures.

This is a link to who is on board what ship. I do not know how up to date the link is kept. http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb145/X...osOnboard-1.jpg

We started out with Zenith and Horizon. I think about 9 or 10 cruises. When the Century series ships came out they stopped in NYC over a week to show off the ship. We were invited on to view the Century on a Sunday. It had a lot of WOW factor over the other two. Then we went on Mercury and Galaxy also. We have been on the Sunnitt and Millie. Each ship is more spectacular than the last. Now we are trying the Solstice. I expect nothing less from the people who design the ships. To me it is already a given that the food and service will be great. So having been on every class of ship Celebrity has makes me not have one favorite.

A few more links... they are a bit old. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruis...=56231633.blog and this link.... http://www.shipspotting.com/search.p...ll∧ or=AND

They used to go out of Baltimore a few years ago. Charleston was a stop port for Horizon and Zenith as they moved to the caribbean. They would do a 6 day Bermuda cruise out of there.

It looks like you have taken a lot of Pacific cruises. Any thing different from those and the regular close to shore cruises?

The pictures were spectacular.....

You can try this link also. http://www.onboardmedia.com/solstice_shipyard.asp Or... http://cruisezanzablue.wordpress.com/2008/...for-first-time/

Yes. Those are wonderful pictures. He was looking to get on board access to Solstice but was denied. Which I understand and Celebrity wanting to show their pictures only.

They used to go out of Baltiomre on a regular basis a few years back. The Charleston port they used - i think - when they were running down the coast with Zenith and Horizon for Bermuda runs a few years back. They would do 6 day cruises to Bermuda out of the port - but only one as the ship moved south as winter set in. They would end up in Florida after a month or so of jumping ports to the south.

Was there any mention about the loyalty program?

I wonder what NYC did back in the 80's when they were by themselves up here with a lot of ships.

I think one of the first cruises we were on the Doric and watched a movie - James Bond first run then. I don't think I have watched a movie on the ships since - too busy. We did us sit in the new movie area on the HAL ship... It escapes me the name - the area is like a shore theatre.

Give me about 60 days and you will know the answer.

I do remember we got pins from HAL on time but they were lost right away on return.

Is there a site for the older ships to find?

I pack for myself. Tux is easy two bow ties - one blue one black. Also one other for other formal night - for suite jacket. Also after the first 5 trips with supervised packing from wife I caught on to what was allowable and not. Now it is lay out 10 shirts and shorts sets - and pack 6 for the cruise.

Sick one time - lost my day in Bermuda. Something I ate - this was the old Home lines - Oceanic.

I think they have bee too low for about 5 years. The room and wait staff should be set at least $4.00 per day and the other levels a little higher. I have been tipping at this level for the last 5 cruises.

www.sbw-photo.com click on Image bank and then 'Solstice leaving 'Pap'. This is the pull out from the shipyard and down stream to the North Sea.