We sailed Celebrity Solstice on a 7-day cruise to Alaska. In typical This Cruise Life fashion, we captured all of our thoughts about the sailing, including what we loved, what we didn’t love, and what we HATED about Celebrity Solstice. Check out our Celebrity Solstice Complete Review (2024) for our full review.
Before we jump in, don’t forget to check out our Must-Have Essentials for an Alaskan Cruise! (opens in a new window)
Beautiful Alaska
Cruising is an AMAZING way to see Alaska as it gives you the chance to sail through fjords and explore multiple stops – each with their own personality and experiences. Our 7-day cruise onboard Celebrity Solstice departed from Vancouver and we visited Icy Strait Point, Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan. In addition, we got a bonus seeing Dawes Glacier up close and personal as we cruised the Endicott Arm. Truly, one of the most beautiful places I have *ever* visited.
Cruise Options to Alaska
This wasn’t our first time to Alaska. In fact, we now sail north at least once a year to experience the serenity and beauty. Our first visit was on board Carnival and second visit was on board Norwegian. I recorded a complete review of the Norwegian Encore to Alaska and have included the video below:
Our time on board Celebrity Solstice was our third visit to Alaska, with our fourth visit in July of this year when we sailed on Carnival Spirit. We’re intentionally trying multiple brands and multiple ships so that we can tell you what we’d recommend and why.
How Did Celebrity Solstice Compare?
First and foremost, there was a LOT to love about the Celebrity Solstice. In our complete review, we go in detail about the food, drinks, entertainment, design of the ship and miscellaneous things we loved. Just check out some of the photos below:
Didn’t Live Up to Expectations
While there was a lot to love about the ship, we know that no cruise ship or vacation will ever be perfect. There’s bound to be something that goes wrong or doesn’t live up to expectations. This was certainly the case with Celebrity Solstice. In our full review, we discuss what we didn’t love and what we hated about the ship – and, unfortunately, there were some big deal items in these lists.
The biggest disappointment for me was the upkeep of the ship. It’s clear that Celebrity Solstice needs some TLC and work. From rusty balconies (in upgraded cabins, mind you!) to signage that should have been replaced years ago, the ship shows signs of wear and tear worse than most. Below are just a couple pictures that demonstrate the upkeep issues we saw:
And while the state of the ship didn’t take away from the AMAZING experience we had sailing to Alaska and spending time with family, it was disappointing considering the money that was spent on this cruise – especially considering the number of other options a person has when sailing to Alaska!
Watch the Complete Review
For a complete run down of all the things we loved, didn’t love, and hated, be sure to check out our Celebrity Solstice Complete Review (2024) and let us know what you think in the comments.
Final Thoughts
We’ve promised since the beginning we would ALWAYS lead with the positive. There was a LOT to love about our time on Celebrity Solstice. We’ve also always promised we would lead with HONESTY, and there were several things that really let us down on Celebrity Solstice. We don’t believe she represents the Celebrity Brand and are hopeful that her upcoming dry dock will address many of the issues we experienced.
Curious about our other experiences with Celebrity Cruises? Check out our complete review on Celebrity Apex. You can find out all about our previous sailing experience in our Celebrity Apex Playlist.