I’ve just got back from an Alaskan cruise with my family aboard the Celebrity Solstice. Overall, we had a good time, but there were some disappointments with the ship and the food.
Highlights
I would rate my family a 10 out of 10. Truly excellent. I love them and I like them too! All jokes aside, people matter. More on that below, but it is safe to say spending time with family was the highlight of the trip.
Our parents had cruised to Alaska and loved it, so it was on my bucket list of places to visit. My sister and I had planned to go, and then our brother and his wife decided to join us. This worked out great, especially since they connected us with our travel agent, Biz Davidson, who was very helpful, especially when a late-breaking crisis almost derailed one of us attending.
The scenery was unreal, almost otherworldly. This was true even though it was raining and foggy for much of the trip. The pictures really do not do it justice. A favorite spot was Dawes Glacier, where the weather cleared and we had excellent viewing. They turned the ship so that no matter where you were, you had a chance to see the glacier. We also saw whales, a seal, a helicopter, and even a submarine (we assume US or Canadian).
I loved being able to disconnect. There are very few places I can go without thinking I could be going more productively, but a ship is one of those wonderful locations where you literally cannot Do All The Things. I felt more relaxed and creative than I have since my last vacation in the woods.
We appreciated our room attendant, as he was very thoughtful and always around to answer questions. The room was clean and always tidy, thanks to him. Most of the other crew were friendly as well, though my brother and his wife did not have the same luck with their attendant.
The on-board bars were fun, and I’d recommend having a Cosmo at the Martini Bar. At the Skagway port, we stopped by the Red Onion Saloon, and I had a hot toddy and a “Bone Warmer.” They did not skimp on the whiskey! I was definitely warmer when leaving than when I arrived.
The Disappointments
The Solstice launched in 2008, had renovations in 2016, and is scheduled for another update in 2026. I don’t know how often they replace or do a full cleaning of windows, but many windows were impossible to see out of due to staining. The observation lounge had plenty of seating, but you had to make sure you sat in front of a clean window if you wanted to see anything.
Most of the chairs we sat in were uncomfortable. Again, I don’t know if this was due to older design, age, or some other factor. Many were lower than what would be comfortable for most, and I’m short so that’s saying something. Our deck chairs might have been better, but they’d been strapped into place, locking them into a half reclining angle.
We did enjoy the first day of bingo and trivia, just listening in from the edges of the observation lounge. But the second day brought many of the same questions on repeat.
I would rate the food mediocre at best, with some of the desserts proving inedible. Almost all of the bread and cookies we had were stale and hard, the chai tea from the cafe was weak, and sometimes things would just be missing like hamburger buns or a working mustard dispenser. The buffet was open in the afternoon, but some items like fruit were out but blocked off with plastic wrap. In one case, my sister asked for a non-hard hamburger bun after being served one, and the server handed her a slightly softer one instead but put the hard one back into the “to use” pile.
Of particular concern was the water system. On the last full day, we woke up to the water sputtering and then shutting off in our cabin. When it resumed, it sputtered black sediment for a time. When I asked, they said “there’d been a problem but it was turning on back now.” We had no trust in the water safety at that point for the rest of the trip.
While we saw our attendant multiple times each day, the entire cruise, we met a lot more of the crew in the last 24-36 hours as they appeared to ensure we’d had a good week. Many of them noted we’d be getting a survey, and we needed to mark them 10 out of 10 or they wouldn’t get paid enough. I don’t know if that is true, but what an odd thing to say at the last second instead of aiming to provide that service the whole time.
Another issue, which you could find anywhere and not the fault of the ship or crew, was some of the other passengers. We had someone make a rude comment when we got off the elevator after only a floor – we were both lost and tired, but that’s what the elevator is for anyway, going floor to floor. Another woman knocked a roll onto the floor at the buffet, shrugged, picked it up, and put it back on the pile. The last night as I stood getting hot water, someone came up behind me and reached across the front of my body to throw something away. They were so close I assumed it had to be one of my siblings; if I’d known it wasn’t, they were close enough I probably would have at least yelled, if not flat out shoved them away.
Tips & Takeaways
Pack some motion sickness medicine. Alaska can have rougher seas by default, especially depending on what time of year you go. There were days it was impossible to walk in a straight line on the ship due to waves.
Be prepared for fog and rain. I would consider planning outdoor excursions carefully, as you may not want to go on a four-mile hike once it is cold and raining.
Bring bottled water to avoid any water safety concerns. You can buy them on the ship as well, but it’ll be cheaper to pack them in yourself.
Conclusion
I’m not sure if I could recommend the Celebrity Solstice. The older age could be mitigated with its upcoming renovation, but that wouldn’t explain the food.
On the other hand, I recommend visiting Alaska in general. I would like to do another cruise! Do you have any recommendations you’d like to share on where to go on which company to cruise with? Let me know in the comments!
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