Da boat, da boat, da boat

I was trying to think about how many times I have sailed on cruise ships in the 20 or so years since I first went with my parents on a three day Mexican excursion.   You may know the one, LA to Catalina to Ensenada and back.  It was a big deal at the time on an old Royal Caribbean ship, the name of which I don't even remember. I think I've logged 11 more cruises since then, but I could be missing one or two.

I prefer the more intimate small ships like Regent Seven Seas in Tahiti and Crystal (Serenity) in the Mediterranean.  Only a few hundred passengers are on board those ships, and the service is impeccable. And that raised some concerns about the monster we're on now

With 2850 passengers on board, and 1250 crew, the Celebrity Solstice is the largest ship we have been on.  It is a floating city, and normally when I travel, I want to get away from cities. That being said, it has actually been a rewarding experience so far.

First of all, the ship itself.  Launched three years ago, it is among the most modern and technologically advanced cruise ships on the ocean today.  The staterooms all offer wifi (dial up speed at 75 cents a minute, so you can rack up a hefty bill in no time), HDTV with a variety of live channels from around the world, music, and movies on demand.  Though the outside balcony staterooms are pretty much the industry standard of 250 square feet, these have 15% more living area, because of the design.  Flat screen TVs free up a lot of space, and increased cabinet storage over the beds reduce the wall of drawers that in the past ate away a good chunk of your roaming area.  You do notice the difference.

Then there are the aesthetics of the public areas.  The

 artwork alone has to be worth millions.  Original paintings, drawings, and sculptures are found throughout, as is colorful glasswork that is made here on board in the glass blowing gallery on the top deck.  The center of the ship is open, much like a large hotel (think the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco), with a live tree sprouting up the open space alongside the banks of glass elevators.  Elsewhere, specialty cafes and 15 bars.  On the deck where the Vegas style casino is located, you'll find what else but Vegas style shops.  There is a large computer/Internet room with a small Apple store on board.  Though as I mentioned, we limit our time online because of the cost and the slow speed.  Many ports now offer high speed Internet, and they are a welcome site for us when we arrive.

For recreation (or relaxation, depending on how you look at it), the Lawn Club on the top deck is where you can lounge or play lawn sports (yes, it is real grass).   The gym is the largest and best equipped of any we have seen on the seas.  There are three pools, two outdoor, one indoor, and so many hot tubs, many are never being used.  And there are several reading rooms and libraries where on sea days, I often like to hang (I've already read The Racketeer by John Grisham and have now just started My Spiritual Journey by the Dalai Lama).

For dining, and from the looks of many of the people on this ship that is a VERY important part of their existence here, there are 10 different venues, from the Mast Grill poolside to the Grand Epernay Dining Room where we have a private table for two by a window overlooking the sea. There are some really cool alternatives when it comes to finding food on the Solstice.  First, the Oceanview Cafe.   On a lot of other ships, it's called the Lido Lounge or Lido Cafe.   Nice names for a cafeteria.  We called it "The Hog Trough."  Imagine people who haven't missed a meal all their lives, lining up in an all you can eat buffet, and loading their tray with as much fatty food as possible ... So worried that the ship might run out, they elbow other passengers out of the way just so they can get that second helping of chocolate decadence cake.  Real pretty.   The scene was so repulsive we usually steered clear of The Hog Trough.   But the Solstice folks had a better idea.  First of all, no more trays!  You get a plate or a bowl, depending on what you are eating, thus limiting the gluttony you observe when people are given a 1.5 by 2 foot rimmed plastic tray and feel they have to fill it.

Second, instead of long lines where you shove your tray down the metal edge, waiting for the guy in front of you to pile on one more pound of mashed potatoes and gravy, here there are food stations with wait staff there to serve you ... And there are a lot of them throughout the cafe.  Finally, the quality of the food is excellent.  While Wilbur from Omaha can still get his hunk of beef with mashed potatoes and mounds of butter, the majority of the serving stations feature a much healthier fare.   Lots of fruit, great local sandwiches, seafood, and salads for lunch.  Yogurt, cereals, fruit for breakfast.  In the past you had to search out the healthy stuff.  Here, it is standard.

Also on board, there are several specialty restaurants that do charge a bit more for meals including Asian, French, and Italian venues.  They are really gourmet experiences.   

The evening shows ... Musicals, magic acts, singers ... Have been entertaining.  And the main showroom was converted into a football stadium for the Superbowl (which was on here live at 10:30AM Monday morning).  It was OK for one quarter, but after that we retreated to our room to watch the drama and disappointing outcome.

We're never bored.   And we never feel crowded.  We also rarely do any tours organized by the ship, instead preferring to explore the different ports on our own or arrange our own excursions.

Criticisms:  beds are too short, you can't plug your iPad or iPod into the TV to watch your own movies or listen to your own music, and as usual, there are the few grumpy passengers on board who are always angry at something.  But complaints are few, and overall, life on board (at least for us) is good.

Additional facts for my boating friends:

The ship weighs 122,000 tons

13 decks

85% of staterooms have verandas

Maximum speed 24 knots

4 Diesel engines

The ship can produce 2180 cubic meters of potable water each day