Celebrity
Solstice
Where The Grass Is Always Greener
 |
|
The Lawn Club
|
by
Linda Coffman
Part Two
Where
Turf's Up & the Action Is Hot
In case you haven't heard,
the Lawn Club is covered in real honest-to-goodness
grass. It covers a half-acre fifteen decks above the sea and
provides a sea of green for genteel games of croquet, golf putting,
lawn games, picnics, or simple barefoot strolls. A nearby covered
patio area is furnished with thickly padded chairs and settees. But
the pièce de résistance is the Hot Glass Show, presented in its own specially-designed
open air
“theater”
where artisans from The Corning Museum of Glass demonstrate glass
making techniques.
Watch the schedule of daily events for times—you won't want to miss
it.
 |
| Michael's Club |
Inside and on decks 3,
4, and 5 is where the lounges are located and there are a lot of them,
ranging from Quasar the futuristic disco with
lucite-globe chairs suspended from the ceiling to Celebrity's
signature Michael's Club, the refined, wood paneled
clubby lounge to savor a cocktail in front of the faux fireplace
while a pianist or jazz combo performs. In addition to familiar
spots, such as the hip and trendy Martini Bar,
Celebrity Solstice introduces Ensemble, a new
lounge concept that resembles a drawing room aboard an ocean liner
in the last century. Located near the entrance of the specialty
restaurants, it's an ideal spot for pre-dinner aperitifs.
New to Celebrity Solstice is Crush,
an enclave adjacent to the Martini Bar where vodka and caviar
samplings are the order of the day (or night).
Cellar Masters wine
bar delivers wines and wine-tastings accompanied by the sommelier
service that is a standard aboard Celebrity Cruises.
Off the Lobby is the Passport Bar, filled with
cozy, comfortable seating and a relaxed yacht-y atmosphere.
Two public spaces that aren't exactly lounges, and might be
confusing as to their purpose until you experience them, are Galleria Tastings, the spot to “taste” an array of foods
and beverages while sampling fashion, jewelry, and
art presentations, and Celebrity Central, the
Entertainment Court venue where you can expect to
see anything from daytime culinary demonstrations to late-night
comedy shows.
Sky Observation Lounge offers
panoramic views from atop the ship by day and a dance club vibe at
night. Sensibly, the sound system delivers music directed at the
central dance floor, yet the volume level in surrounding seating
areas is lower. Finally, a lounge where you can dance and still
carry on a conversation.
Naturally, there are poolside bars; however, my
choice of outdoor watering hole is the Sunset Bar.
Tucked away aft of the Lawn Club, it's the ideal location to get
away from it all and savor a perfect sunset.
Fortunes Casino is conveniently located near Shops on
the Boulevard, the ideal spot to relieve yourself of some
"found" money. In all, there are 18 onboard shops filled with enough
merchandise to satisfy the need for retail therapy. The Lawn Club
Shop offers nifty "turf" soled flip flops, pricey at $25, but no one
at home will have a pair.
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| The Solarium,
with overhead solar panels |
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| Resort Pool |
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| Resort Pool Seating Area |
Where There's Relaxation & Water Everywhere
Celebrity Solstice's
AquaSpa has my nod for a total spa vacation at sea. In
addition to a complete menu of spa treatments to get you glowing
from head to foot, there are salons for both women and men. Guys
have their own barbering space where screens set into the mirrors
show sports programming when they opt for a traditional
shave-and-a-haircut. Gym rats can use exercise machines to get the
heart pumping, free weights, and an exercise area. Some sessions
such as aerobics and stretch classes are complimentary, while
there's a $12 per class fee for others such as yoga and pilates, and $30 per class for unique gravity
reformer training. Saunas are
located in ladies' and men's changing rooms, but for true relaxation after a work out,
give the Persian Garden a try—heated
stone loungers, a gentle aromatic sauna, and herbal steam room are included in the $20 per day fee
(which is complimentary
to AquaClass passengers). The AquaSpa and
Salon offers treatments and services by Steiner Leisure.
Adjacent to the
AquaSpa is the prettiest Solarium at sea. With a
soothing fountain at one end and a wall of bougainvillea at the
other, in between are the pool, two hot tubs, and a variety of
padded loungers and funky wicker clamshell-style seating. It's an
adults-only haven.
Just a few steps away
is the main Resort Pool area. Separate sports and
family pools lead to the wet zone where kids on my cruise frolicked
amid jets of water pulsating from the floor while adults relaxed
nearby in four hot tubs. Go early if you want to laze on one of the
poolside loungers set into draped sailing material—there's
no charge for one of these cabana-like loungers, but they're
popular and get snapped up fast. Set in the shade are padded wicker
seating areas where you'll also find nifty draped hammocks-for-two.
Service is provided by Pool Bar stewards and Pool
Butlers keep the area ship shape.
Fun
Stuff For Families
While
Celebrity Cruises are heavily adult-oriented, no one gets overlooked
on Celebrity Solstice and the youth and teen areas are as
appealing as any I've seen at sea. Fun Factory offers age-specific
spaces and activities for groups ages 3-5 (Ship Mates), 6-8
(Celebrity Cadets),
and 9-11 (Ensigns).
Extensive play areas for children feature not only the usual arts
and crafts and games, but they also offer
“edutainment”
in collaboration with LeapFrog SchoolHouse. Teens, ages 12-14 and
15-17 have their own supervised XClubs Teen area with computer
stations, video games, and a hang out space with a mock bar.
Chic & Cutting Edge With a
Softer Side
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| Draped
alcove in the Martini Bar |
 |
| Shops on
the Boulevard |
While Celebrity
Solstice has public spaces where
“traditional”
ship decor predominates—Michael's Club, Ensemble Lounge, Murano
Restaurant—and even contains areas that could be considered
“themed”—Silk
Harvest's Asian inspiration and Tuscan Grille's Italian
ambiance—overall the decor is stylish
and chic with a hip edgy twist.
Accented by modern art and
sculpture, clean and crisp public areas flow into one another with
unparalleled continuity. In the hands of most designers, the result
could be cold and sterile; however, hard lines are softened with the
use of textiles. Seating alcoves throughout the ship are defined with sheer
fabric drapes creating intimate spaces and textile
“columns” line
Shops on the
Boulevard and soar skyward from the lobby floor.
Lighting also plays a key role aboard Celebrity Solstice—in the vast double-height Grand Epernay Dining Room
tables are individually lit to create the illusion that each one is in a smaller,
more intimate space. However, the most useful lighting fixtures
aboard are located just above each elevator door where panels change
from blue to pink signifying an elevator's arrival.
A contemporary artwork collection consisting of works
from 98 artists and valued at five million dollars adds beauty and
thought provoking interest throughout Celebrity Solstice.
Stairtowers contain particularly intriguing portrayals light or
water and have been dubbed the Stair of Water and Stair of Light.
Staterooms and the passageways leading to them were not overlooked
and are graced with specially commissioned pieces by Norwegian
photographer Espen Tollefson.
Natural elements and environmental friendliness also
play a part aboard Celebrity Solstice, which captures the sun's
energy in the only solar panels at sea and has a special silicone
hull coating to reduce friction and fuel consumption. You can
learn more about the energy efficient features incorporated into
Celebrity Solstice as well learn about conservation efforts
worldwide in the Team Earth venue. Created in
cooperation with Conservation International, Team Earth isn't marked
on deck plans yet, but once on board you can't miss it's location,
which is highlighted by a huge globe on Deck 7.
With respect for tradition and an
eye to the future, Celebrity Solstice is truly a dazzling addition
to the Celebrity Cruises fleet.
Celebrity Solstice Fast Stats
- 122,000 tons
- 1,033 feet long
- 121 feet wide
- Cruising Speed 24 knots
- 2,850 guests,
double occupancy
Photos © Linda Coffman,
Resort Pool image courtesy Celebrity Cruises
Back to Part One -->
Celebrity Solstice Preview
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