Back from the GGC 2009 Solstice***

On Feb 18, 8:57�am, "Tom K" wrote:
"George Leppla" wrote in message

...



"Tom K" wrote

Did they have an AquaSpa restaurant for healthy fare breakfast and lunch
like they did on Millie Class ships?

Yep. �The food they served there was real good if you ate it with some
bacon and nachos. vbg

That's the place on Connie that had the chilled soups... on the days when
they had the chilled strawberry soup, I think I probably went back and forth
all afternoon and got like 20 bowls. �Not sure how bacon would go in the
strawberry soup... but I could definitely see having a big bowl of nachos on
the side with refried beans, guac, sour cream, salsa, and ground beef...

--Tom

your mking me hungry Strawberry soup and bacon and Nachos with the
works.

SO george You going with us in December?? come on lets annoint you a
Viking....we can even go to the topless beach! LOL

On Feb 18, 11:00�am, "Tom K" wrote:
"D Ball" wrote in message

...



Diana sunny, no fog today!

If you've got some extra sun, we could use some here in NJ... it's 40 deg,
overcast, and just plain nasty outside... we need some sun and warm real
soon... I'm tired of winter.

--Tom

TOM
Don;t you feel the breezes and the Palms swaying and the warm
breezes are there.. ahhhhh

"Susette" wrote in message
...
On Feb 18, 11:00?am, "Tom K" wrote:
"D Ball" wrote in message

...



Diana sunny, no fog today!

If you've got some extra sun, we could use some here in NJ... it's 40 deg,
overcast, and just plain nasty outside... we need some sun and warm real
soon... I'm tired of winter.

--Tom

TOM
Don;t you feel the breezes and the Palms swaying and the warm
breezes are there.. ahhhhh




I'm seeing sleet under my palms...

--Tom

Jean O'Boyle wrote:
It was a beautiful ship, with very good food and service!

PRE-CRUISE:
We stayed at the Hyatt @Pier 66 in Ft. Lauderdale.

EMBARKATION:
Superb!..As Elite members, there was no line...we were fortunate to walk
straight to the embarkation desk and then immediately on to our cabin.
Our cabin stewards, Jose and John were jewels! They were also Erm and Mary's
and Erm wanted to take Jose home with her! Both deserved the extra tips that
they received! They teased me about keeping the cabin so neat that all they
had to do is make up the bed and change the towels. One room is easy...they
should see our house...four bedrooms are a different story plus I'm a pack
rat! Ed says I invented recycling because I always think there will be
*some* use for something I should throw away!

DINING:
We selected the Main Seating and our Waiters, VO and Dennis were very
attentive and efficient. Dennis remembered some of us from our voyage on
the Mercury to the Mexican Riviera in April of 2006...that made it special
for us all! The food was very good and only second to the Oceania Regatta!
Our table consisted of Erm, Barbara and Cotton, Judy Schuster, Mary Foster,
Kate Pitluck, Tobie & Barb and Ed & me. Nearby were Tom Gauldin and his
family, son Chris & Julie with their two little daughters, Penny and Nikki,
and daughter, Sam and Claudia Shoaf.... Tom & Vickie's granddaughters are
absolutely precious...what beautiful children! Tom could not misbehave very
much...after all there were children present and he did not want to spoil
his "grandfatherly" image....he was just beaming while showing those little
ones off! Not too far away to join in the table hopping were Judy & Art
Dossman, Irene & Dick Proulx, Ray & Barbara Downton and Peggy & Dee Lampros.
It was great seeing the usual group members and new to the group as well.
Jeff Coudriet whom we already knew from previous cruises with his friend,
David, whom we met for the first time, were "first timers" . John and Lola
from Hamilton, Ontario, also with whom we had cruised previously, were able
to join us on their first GGC...Hope all had a great time and will join us
on the next one! Knowing Jeff, he always has a good time!
It was especially good seeing Bill Calvin and Barbara Howie sailing with us
after so long...No one looked as if they had aged any!

SHIP DECOR:
Quite different from any of the 44 cruises that we have been on. The ship's
interior was mostly white with lots of chrome and beautiful crystal
lighting...There is a saying that sometimes something simple makes it very
beautiful and it definitely was in this case. Very striking but with
colorful touches in furniture and carpeting that enhanced it and brought the
ambience together beautifully. I was surprised that we were able to pretty
much cover the ship despite of its huge size, but I think we pretty well
covered it!

SHOPS:
There was a nice variety but some were quite pricey. Even the table sales
they have on most ships that have evening bags, shawls and such that are
usually $10. were all $15. on this ship. Did not see and gold by the inch
counters either. Which was good as there was not so much aisle clutter by
the shops.

BARS AND LOUNGES:
There were many on the Solstice (eleven, if I recall correctly counting the
wine Cellar Masters and the Martini Bar)and the price of the drinks was more
than we have paid on previous cruises. Mostly in the $8 and above
range...The Drink Special of the Day was $5. The decor in all areas was
attractive and tastefully appointed..

CASINO:
VERY tight! Lots of different slots and tables plus roulette. I was not as
lucky as I was on the Regatta. But it was much fun as Ermalee and I found
out; sometimes trying each other's machines for luck that just did not want
to appear...We decided they were still paying off the ship with the casino
earnings...Although Tobie's Barb, did very well one night! GO BARB!. We also
did win at Trivia...the one time that we played.

BUFFET:
Good variety and quality...plentiful with fruit such as watermelon, orange
slices, honeydew, cantaloupe, strawberries and blueberries plus the usual
canned variety and prunes. Lots of grapes, bananas and apples...Again
Regatta did better in this area.We alternated eating there and the dining
room for breakfast and lunch. Delicious hot and cold soups in the buffet and
dining room.

ENTERTAINMENT:
Can't tell you much as we usually do not go to the musicals. The A Capella
Group Ocean's Four were very good.
We had a complimentary wine tasting. We were also invited to a Backstage
Tour and an Elegant Tea but because of conflicting times, we did not attend.
Just too much to do! They did have a regular tea each afternoon at 4:00 PM.

CAPTAIN'S PARTIES:
There were two; the Senior Officer's Party for the Elite passengers and the
regular Captain's Cocktail Party for all guests. You could have your choice
of drinks instead of the usual wine or champagne along with hors d'oerves.

CHAPLAINS:
We were pleased that they had two Catholic priests onboard for daily Mass.
Celebrity seems to always be very good about this.

DISEMBARKATION:

VERY easy. We had an 8:45 time and our bunch met in the dining room for one
more time @ 7 AM where we broke bread and said our sad good-byes and then
went back, finished packing the carry-ons and met in the SKY Lounge that was
the designated departure lounge for Elite members...There we ran into Janet
and Ray Zegarski and we disembarked with them and Tobie & Barb. Got to say
good-byes (again) to Erm and Barbara & Cotton on the way to catch the cab
with Tobie & Barb. At the airport we ran into John of (John & Lola) and said
good-bye and then later after having to wait for nearly three hours for our
flight departure, we ran into George and Becca and had an nice chat before
their Houston departure which was a couple hours before ours.
As always, George did a great job putting this GGC together and I think that
everyone really liked the ship and enjoyed themselves! NOW...we have another
of George's Alaska cruises to look forward to this May where we will get to
see many of the ones that we have just left plus some of the regular GGCers
who could not be with us on the Solstice. After that...IT's VIKING Time!
Diana, if you are reading this, I did not let you down this time! The last
two cruises in November and December were so close and with Christmas and
all the family in, it was too hectic to even think about reviews! By the
way, when are you going to join us on a cruise? Your Austin air is always
better priced than our San Antonio air is...they keep offering us Austin
departures when we ask for the best rates! Not enough to make up for the
75-80 mile drive and then worrying about parking.

--Jean---who misses Ermalee knocking on the wall in the cabin next door!
Mary and she were great neighbors!



Good job Jean! Was wonderful seeing you and Ed again! I didn't know
Erm was your next door neighbor....doesn't she make a lot of noise at
night....that's what I've heard at least! She's a party girl, gotta
watch her!! We hate to see nice girls get in trouble and such!

Jeff

Tom K wrote:
"Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message
...
BUFFET:
Good variety and quality...plentiful with fruit such as watermelon, orange
slices, honeydew, cantaloupe, strawberries and blueberries plus the usual
canned variety and prunes. Lots of grapes, bananas and apples...Again
Regatta did better in this area.We alternated eating there and the dining
room for breakfast and lunch. Delicious hot and cold soups in the buffet
and dining room.

Did they have an AquaSpa restaurant for healthy fare breakfast and lunch
like they did on Millie Class ships?

--Tom



Oh yes!! We availed ourselves of that for several little lunches. They
had a pesto chicken salad to die for, absolutely loved it and had 2!!
Also the Aqua Spa desserts were super yummy! Right up my alley --
glazed fruit tarts with fresh fruit, had a coconut flan one day with
peaches, few other things. Yum yum yum. We felt mildly healthy eating
this stuff.

In the regular buffet -- had pain au chocolat of course!!!! YUMMMMMMM!

Jeff

D Ball wrote:
Diana, if you are reading this, I did not let you down this time! The last
two cruises in November and December were so close and with Christmas and
all the family in, it was too hectic to even think about reviews! By the
way, when are you going to join us on a cruise? Your Austin air is always
better priced than our San Antonio air is...they keep offering us Austin
departures when we ask for the best rates! Not enough to make up for the
75-80 mile drive and then worrying about parking.

--Jean---who misses Ermalee knocking on the wall in the cabin next door!
Mary and she were great neighbors!

Hi, Jean,

You definitely did not let me down, LOL! (Gosh, I'm sorry to have made
you feel the pressure to write. I am the worst about following through
with a review, so it is always understandable when folks don't have
time to do it.) Anyway, thank you so much for sharing all the juicy
details. I am impressed with your favorable comparison of the food as
being second only to the Regatta. That is high praise. From your
description and the photos and comments others have offered, it sounds
like the Solstice could be a real winner for Celebrity.

It's wonderful you and Ed were able to enjoy such a lovely cruise with
such a great group of friends old and new.

Your remark on the Austin air alternative is funny. I often get the
San Antonio alternative as being a better rate, but like you, I've
never found the savings to be enough to justify the aggravation.

The answer to the question of when I get to try a group cruise with
y'all gets shorter everytime someone asks....today, it's 2 yrs 3+ mos!
I cannot say I am "counting the days," however. You know how
bittersweet it is when the last one leaves the nest. OTOH, I guess a
cruise could salve the grief?!!

Diana sunny, no fog today!

Well....there were a couple of occasions in life when my parents ditched
the kids and went on their own to various places! So think about that,
lol....as adorable as your kids are!

Jeff

Tom K wrote:
"D Ball" wrote in message
...
Diana sunny, no fog today!

If you've got some extra sun, we could use some here in NJ... it's 40 deg,
overcast, and just plain nasty outside... we need some sun and warm real
soon... I'm tired of winter.

--Tom



Winter sucks. It serves no purpose. Unless its real cold and kills
vermin like it should. And/or restores the water table. But that's it!

Jeff

We've only been on one GGC (2000), the big one. But your review makes me
feel we have missed out on another Great Group Cruise.

--
Greg


"Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message
...
It was a beautiful ship, with very good food and service!

PRE-CRUISE:
We stayed at the Hyatt @Pier 66 in Ft. Lauderdale.

EMBARKATION:
Superb!..As Elite members, there was no line...we were fortunate to walk
straight to the embarkation desk and then immediately on to our cabin.
Our cabin stewards, Jose and John were jewels! They were also Erm and
Mary's and Erm wanted to take Jose home with her! Both deserved the extra
tips that they received! They teased me about keeping the cabin so neat
that all they had to do is make up the bed and change the towels. One room
is easy...they should see our house...four bedrooms are a different story
plus I'm a pack rat! Ed says I invented recycling because I always think
there will be *some* use for something I should throw away!

DINING:
We selected the Main Seating and our Waiters, VO and Dennis were very
attentive and efficient. Dennis remembered some of us from our voyage on
the Mercury to the Mexican Riviera in April of 2006...that made it special
for us all! The food was very good and only second to the Oceania Regatta!
Our table consisted of Erm, Barbara and Cotton, Judy Schuster, Mary
Foster, Kate Pitluck, Tobie & Barb and Ed & me. Nearby were Tom Gauldin
and his family, son Chris & Julie with their two little daughters, Penny
and Nikki, and daughter, Sam and Claudia Shoaf.... Tom & Vickie's
granddaughters are absolutely precious...what beautiful children! Tom
could not misbehave very much...after all there were children present and
he did not want to spoil his "grandfatherly" image....he was just beaming
while showing those little ones off! Not too far away to join in the table
hopping were Judy & Art Dossman, Irene & Dick Proulx, Ray & Barbara
Downton and Peggy & Dee Lampros.
It was great seeing the usual group members and new to the group as well.
Jeff Coudriet whom we already knew from previous cruises with his friend,
David, whom we met for the first time, were "first timers" . John and
Lola from Hamilton, Ontario, also with whom we had cruised previously,
were able to join us on their first GGC...Hope all had a great time and
will join us on the next one! Knowing Jeff, he always has a good time!
It was especially good seeing Bill Calvin and Barbara Howie sailing with
us after so long...No one looked as if they had aged any!

SHIP DECOR:
Quite different from any of the 44 cruises that we have been on. The
ship's interior was mostly white with lots of chrome and beautiful crystal
lighting...There is a saying that sometimes something simple makes it very
beautiful and it definitely was in this case. Very striking but with
colorful touches in furniture and carpeting that enhanced it and brought
the ambience together beautifully. I was surprised that we were able to
pretty much cover the ship despite of its huge size, but I think we pretty
well covered it!

SHOPS:
There was a nice variety but some were quite pricey. Even the table sales
they have on most ships that have evening bags, shawls and such that are
usually $10. were all $15. on this ship. Did not see and gold by the inch
counters either. Which was good as there was not so much aisle clutter by
the shops.

BARS AND LOUNGES:
There were many on the Solstice (eleven, if I recall correctly counting
the wine Cellar Masters and the Martini Bar)and the price of the drinks
was more than we have paid on previous cruises. Mostly in the $8 and above
range...The Drink Special of the Day was $5. The decor in all areas was
attractive and tastefully appointed..

CASINO:
VERY tight! Lots of different slots and tables plus roulette. I was not
as lucky as I was on the Regatta. But it was much fun as Ermalee and I
found out; sometimes trying each other's machines for luck that just did
not want to appear...We decided they were still paying off the ship with
the casino earnings...Although Tobie's Barb, did very well one night! GO
BARB!. We also did win at Trivia...the one time that we played.

BUFFET:
Good variety and quality...plentiful with fruit such as watermelon, orange
slices, honeydew, cantaloupe, strawberries and blueberries plus the usual
canned variety and prunes. Lots of grapes, bananas and apples...Again
Regatta did better in this area.We alternated eating there and the dining
room for breakfast and lunch. Delicious hot and cold soups in the buffet
and dining room.

ENTERTAINMENT:
Can't tell you much as we usually do not go to the musicals. The A Capella
Group Ocean's Four were very good.
We had a complimentary wine tasting. We were also invited to a Backstage
Tour and an Elegant Tea but because of conflicting times, we did not
attend. Just too much to do! They did have a regular tea each afternoon at
4:00 PM.

CAPTAIN'S PARTIES:
There were two; the Senior Officer's Party for the Elite passengers and
the regular Captain's Cocktail Party for all guests. You could have your
choice of drinks instead of the usual wine or champagne along with hors
d'oerves.

CHAPLAINS:
We were pleased that they had two Catholic priests onboard for daily Mass.
Celebrity seems to always be very good about this.

DISEMBARKATION:

VERY easy. We had an 8:45 time and our bunch met in the dining room for
one more time @ 7 AM where we broke bread and said our sad good-byes and
then went back, finished packing the carry-ons and met in the SKY Lounge
that was the designated departure lounge for Elite members...There we ran
into Janet and Ray Zegarski and we disembarked with them and Tobie & Barb.
Got to say good-byes (again) to Erm and Barbara & Cotton on the way to
catch the cab with Tobie & Barb. At the airport we ran into John of (John
& Lola) and said good-bye and then later after having to wait for nearly
three hours for our flight departure, we ran into George and Becca and had
an nice chat before their Houston departure which was a couple hours
before ours.
As always, George did a great job putting this GGC together and I think
that everyone really liked the ship and enjoyed themselves! NOW...we have
another of George's Alaska cruises to look forward to this May where we
will get to see many of the ones that we have just left plus some of the
regular GGCers who could not be with us on the Solstice. After
that...IT's VIKING Time!
Diana, if you are reading this, I did not let you down this time! The last
two cruises in November and December were so close and with Christmas and
all the family in, it was too hectic to even think about reviews! By the
way, when are you going to join us on a cruise? Your Austin air is always
better priced than our San Antonio air is...they keep offering us Austin
departures when we ask for the best rates! Not enough to make up for the
75-80 mile drive and then worrying about parking.

--Jean---who misses Ermalee knocking on the wall in the cabin next door!
Mary and she were great neighbors!

"Jeff" wrote in message
...
Tom K wrote:
"Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message
...
BUFFET:
Good variety and quality...plentiful with fruit such as watermelon,
orange slices, honeydew, cantaloupe, strawberries and blueberries plus
the usual canned variety and prunes. Lots of grapes, bananas and
apples...Again Regatta did better in this area.We alternated eating
there and the dining room for breakfast and lunch. Delicious hot and
cold soups in the buffet and dining room.

Did they have an AquaSpa restaurant for healthy fare breakfast and lunch
like they did on Millie Class ships?

--Tom

Oh yes!! We availed ourselves of that for several little lunches. They
had a pesto chicken salad to die for, absolutely loved it and had 2!! Also
the Aqua Spa desserts were super yummy! Right up my alley --
glazed fruit tarts with fresh fruit, had a coconut flan one day with
peaches, few other things. Yum yum yum. We felt mildly healthy eating
this stuff.

In the regular buffet -- had pain au chocolat of course!!!! YUMMMMMMM!

Jeff

NO WONDER there was not much out when we went by there, Jeff! YOU got there
first! ;-P

--Jean

"Jeff" wrote in message
...
Good job Jean! Was wonderful seeing you and Ed again! I didn't know Erm
was your next door neighbor....doesn't she make a lot of noise at
night....that's what I've heard at least! She's a party girl, gotta watch
her!! We hate to see nice girls get in trouble and such!

Jeff

Thanks, Jeff! It was great seeing you and meeting your very nice friend,
David, too! I'm so pleased that you could make this one with us. You should
see the pictures you took of the two of us with my new camera! Funneeeeee!
Have you given any thought to the Viking's Cruise that we talked about on
December 6th?
Yep, Ermalee was our next door neighbor, along with Mary Foster... I take a
white noise making machine (which makes other ocean or chirping sounds) that
I turn on when we travel... mostly to drown out Ed's snoring...so I didn't
hear Erm if she was making any noise after we went to bed...but during the
day was a different story...we WERE on a cruise!...When I can't move fast
enough she grabs me by the hand and pulls me...talk about stamina! Don't
worry..she did not get me in any trouble this time! ;-)
Think seriously about the Vikings...they are one wild and wooly bunch!

--Jean