At 12:30, we had a backstage tour of the theater where we met with some of the cast and the production manager. Eighteen are in the cast, and four of the women dancers also have to learn to perform on a trapeze 20 feet over the stage. The cast is formed as a group of individuals and train in Miami before joining the ship for a 6-month contract. The four dancers/trapeze artist girls train for 24 days at 8 hrs per day as a group when they first join the troupe. Then, the rest of the troupe comes in, and they all train for another 3 weeks. Rosemary and I were both surprised that these young dancers could summon up the courage to learn the trapeze moves. The back stage area was interesting, and we weren't surprised to find most of the costumes had button snaps for quick changes.
Our next stop was at the Captain's Club farewell party at 1:30 in the observation lounge. They had live entertainment, lots of food (including sushi and fresh berries and crepes), and an open bar. What more could one ask for? Glad we didn't eat lunch! Back to the cabin at 3:00 for packing our suitcases before drinks and dinner with some new cruise friends.
Dinner was good, but not quite as outstanding as some of our other meals. We decided maybe we were reaching the food saturation point that even I reach after over-eating for a week.
Before the show, we dropped by the liquor store to pick up our duty-free liquor. I asked the clerks what their most expensive bottle of booze was, and he said "a $1,400 bottle of cognac". When I asked how many he sold, he replied "about one bottle per month". Personally, I'd rather put my $1,400 towards another cruise, but some folks have more expensive palates than mine.
The last show of the cruise was very good, with performances from the xylophonist (who we had missed when eating at a specialty restaurant), the singer/impressionist, and the a cappella quartet. Very fun. After stopping by the casino to drop $3 each in the penny slots, we were back in the cabin by 11 pm to put the bags out.
Sunday morning we were out of the cabin and eating breakfast by 8 am. Since we weren't in a hurry to disembark, we didn't get off the ship until about 9:45, and it took another hour and a half to get our bags and through customs. Process was very well organized, but slow.
As we pulled out of the parking garage and said good-bye to the Celebrity Solstice, we were both a little sad. Based on my two-day preview cruise two years before, my expectations for the ship had been very high. Thanks to this wonderful ship and her crew, those high expectations were met and exceeded. Couples, adult travelers, and families with children who won't miss a water slide or rock climbing wall will love the exceptional value and memories that this premium ship provides.
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary cruise accommodation for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.
