Celebrity Solstice, the first of Celebrity Cruises’ Solstice class ships, arrived in 2008 with many features that have become iconic of the cruise line, including world-class art and multiple specialty restaurants, as well as a real lawn on its top deck. The ship, which holds 2,850 passengers, has expanded its appeal with the addition of Luminae, a suite restaurant, and homeporting in Australia for part of the year. We have five top tips for Celebrity Solstice cruises.
Five Best Celebrity Solstice Cruise Ideas
Tip 1 – Plan Your Meals
Solstice is home to four specialty restaurants: Murano Silk Harvest, Tuscan Grill, and Sushi On Five. There are also a main restaurant with a buffet and main restaurant. Ask your waiter in main dining room to show you the next night’s menu if you aren’t sure whether or not to spend. This will ensure that you don’t miss your favorite dishes.
Tip 2 – Seek out Free Food
The Aqua Spa Cafe and Oceanview Cafe are great options for mid-day snacks. You can also enjoy Cafe al Bacio’s decadent pastries, but there are other options. You will need to pay an extra fee for specialty coffee drinks.
Tip 3 – Enjoy some peace and quiet
The Celebrity ships tend to be quieter than the Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, or Royal Caribbean. If you want a quiet reading spot, you can head to Deck 10, the Sky Observation Lounge. The bar is lively at night with live music and DJs but it is quiet during the day so you can enjoy the views from the floor to ceiling windows.
Tip 4 – Celebrity solstice take an Art Tour
Celebrity is proud of its art collection. You’ll find unique pieces at Celebrity Solstice. You can borrow an iPad from guest services to go on a guided tour of each work and learn more about it.
Tip 5: Learn Glass Making
The Hot Glass demonstration, presented in partnership with Florida-based Hollywood Hot Glass, gives cruisers a close up look at glassblowing. It is shown once per cruise. Afterwards, cruisers can take part in short classes where they can create their own glass art.
Solstice Class vs. Edge Class on Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises was a long-established cruise line that had only two ship classes, Millennium and Solstice. All of its vessels (except Celebrity Xpedition), fit perfectly into these ships. Celebrity Edge was launched in 2018. It introduced a third class that combines the best of both the existing classes with new innovations. Celebrity Edge introduces Celebrity Edge’s Rooftop Garden. This combines the Greenery of Solstice-class Ships with the Rooftop Terrace vibe, making it a mainstay for the Millennium Class.
The ships are similar in some aspects. Each ship offers an upgraded suite class and exclusive dining in Luminae. All ships have large spa facilities and a Blu restaurant that focuses on spa cuisine.
The differences are more important than the similarities. We compare and contrast the two Celebrity Cruises ship classes to help you decide which one is best for you: Solstice and Edge.
Ships
Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection are all part of the Solstice Class. Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Silhouette are not included in this class. The Edge Class currently has only one ship, Celebrity Edge. Three more ships are being planned for this class.
Celebrity’s Solstice Class has five cruise ships. This gives cruisers more options for where they want to go and what they can expect onboard. You can choose from sailings to Australia, South America, Europe, South America, Hawaii, South America, Australia & New Zealand, and the Bahamas.
If you want the latest and greatest, choose Edge Class.
Celebrity Edge is the perfect Celebrity cruise if you like everything new and shiny. Edge is one of the most innovative cruise ships that has been launched in recent years. It features many new innovations such as the Magic Carpet. This platform, which is tennis court-sized, hangs from the side of the ship. It can be moved between Decks 2-16 to extend the deck. It is stylish and modern with a boutique-hotel look.
Dining
The most significant difference between the two classes is in the dining area. There are almost no similar restaurants across the two classes.