Life on the Solstice

The Solstice is the first of the special class of Celebrity ships that are large, providing a variety of amenities for the 2, 850 passengers.   It is beautifully appointed, with works of art throughout, and natural plants, even a lawn on the fourteenth deck!

We were fortunate to be on this beautiful ship close to Christmas, so it was decorated for the season.  

   

                                     Flat Stanleys hanging around on the Solstice

                                   Grand staircase decorated for Christmas

                  A live tree that is suspended between the glass sided elevators

 

Activities abound.  There is a featured hot glass show, cooking demonstrations, guest speakers, dance lessons, fitness classes and a watercolour class that I attended (I wasn't teaching on this cruise).  Some activities, such as wine tasting, have a cost attached, but there is so much to do, we didn’t need to partake in the more costly offerings.  Since this was a Trans Atlantic cruise, there were many activities throughout the days at sea, but the weather was good, so loafing around one of the pool areas was always an option.

                                          Bocce on the lawn of the ship

                                                    Hot glass show

We liked to start our day with breakfast in the dining room.  It is nice to be served, rather than going to the buffet, and there is less temptation to try a little bit of everything.  Some days we tried to walk around the track on the fourteenth deck, but it was rather crowded with people going to the grill, bar, glass show, or heading to play games on the grass.  The well equipped gym was also an option for fitness, and we actually went there a few times.  We didn’t participate in the many spa activities, as they were too costly for us, as was dining in the specialty restaurants.  The regular dining room was great, and we had excellent table mates, so every dinner was enjoyable, both the food and the company. Each night there was an excellent live show in the theatre, and sometimes we went to one of the many bars for a drink and music before retiring to our spacious, comfortable room.

                                                 One of John's hangouts

                             Ladies of the "fun" table - Connie, Beth, and Gail

                                         The waiters had fun with us too

The days flew by so quickly, it was hard to believe it when we reached Fort Lauderdale, and we had to get off! We flew home the same day, and spent the next six days catching up on laundry, visiting the kids, going to appointments, and preparing for the next adventure, Florida and a Hawaii cruise.