The steeply sloping stern – which includes a mega-yacht-style ducktail platform above the propulsion pods, is very attractive, and nicely balances the ship’s contemporary profile. Two small-ish funnels, set one behind the other distinguish the new ship from previous (single-funnel) Celebrity ships. Between the two funnels (the forward of which displays the Celebrity “X”) is a real grass outdoor area, the Lawn Club. This is the authentic stuff – not green Astroturf – so let’s hope it likes the salty air. The Lawn Club is open to all, so you can go putting, play croquet or bocce ball (like bowling or French boules), or have a picnic on the grass (picnic baskets not included), or perhaps sleep on it. Several pool and water-play areas are positioned on Resort Deck: one in a solarium (with glass roof), a sports pool, a family pool, and a wet zone. However, the deck space around the two pools is not large enough for the number of passengers carried.
Inside, the decor is elegant, yet contemporary. Several firmly established Celebrity “signature” rooms are featured. One such is Michael’s Club, an intimate, quiet lounge with classic English leather club chairs, a dramatic black glass chandelier, a grand Michelangelo marble fireplace and some contemporary artwork. Other features include a wine bar with a sommelier, a pre-dinner cocktail lounge that reflects the jazz music period of Duke Ellington and Count Basie (1930s and ’40s); a bar with the look of an ocean-going yacht; Quasar, a bar with designs from the 1960s and ’70s and large screens that create a nightly light show synchronized to music; and an observation lounge with a dance floor.
Celebrity''s signature Martini Bar, which has a frosted bar – and more than 100 varieties of vodka as well as martinis – has a small alcove called Crush with an ice-filled table where you can participate in caviar and vodka tasting, or host a private party. It’s very noisy and congested.
Fortunes Casino (non-smoking) has 16 gaming tables and 200 slot machines. The ship also has a delightful two-deck library, but books on the upper shelves – it is 12 shelves high – are impossible to reach (still, it looks nice). The card room – located, unusually, in the center of the ship, with no ocean view windows to distract players – is unfortunately open, and attracts noise from adjacent areas, so it’s almost useless as a serious card playing room.
An innovative Hot Glass Show, created in collaboration with Corning Museum of Glass, includes demonstrations and a narrated performance of glass-blowing, housed in an outdoor studio on the open deck as part of the Lawn Club (a good place to smoke a cigar). However, it’s a novelty, and once you’ve seen it, you’ve seen it; many would say it’s a waste of valuable open-deck space. Three resident glass-blowing artists host workshops.
Passenger niggles include inadequate children’s facilities and staff, and utter congestion caused by a bottleneck when you exit the showlounge.
Play areas include the Fun Factory (for 3–12 year-olds, featuring Leapfrog Schoolhouse’s educational programs); and “X Club” – a high-tech teens-only chill-out room with a night-time dance club, and an integral coffee bar.
The onboard currency is the US dollar, and gratuities are automatically charged to your onboard account. Celebrity Solstice sails year-round from Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades).
Berlitz Guide © Apa Publishing 2010
Berlitz Guide © Apa Publishing 2008
