June 2023: Our Third Amazing Cruise to Alaska
DISCLOSURE: Stylish Cruising contains affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, as well as affiliate programs with other companies. If you make a purchase using one of these links, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. To learn more, please see our Privacy Policy.
What do you do when you’ve been on the same cruise itinerary over and over? Enjoy the ship and the scenery, which is what we did on our last cruise to Alaska.
Which Ship We Took
This has been a banner year for us, taking a cruise every four to six weeks so far. It’s been exhausting, so for this cruise to Alaska—our third—we decided to just relax onboard and enjoy the scenery. Next time we’re in Alaska, which will be when we stop in Ketchikan on our way to Tokyo in September, we plan to do the Misty Fjords and Wilderness Explorer boat tour, which should be lots of fun.
This time we cruised on Celebrity Solstice, our first time on a Solstice-class ship, and we enjoyed it immensely. Be sure to check out our quick tour of the Solstice to learn why we liked it so much.
Where We Slept
Our sky suite this trip was 2127 on Deck Twelve, not far from the central elevators. It still had a good bit of its original furniture from 2008, but it was in good condition, and the bed was comfortable. The bathroom was smaller than we’re used to and we had to share a sink this time, but it was still nice. Our only issue with the cabin was that the bathroom drawers tended to slide out on their own while we were at sea.
The balcony for this cabin had an overhang above, which obstructed our view and made taking good photos from the balcony difficult. But the balcony’s size made up for it, with a lounge chair and a good-size table and two chairs, large enough for dining on, which we did when the ship made its pass by Dawes Glacier.
What Was Different About The Retreat
When we cruise on Celebrity, we like to stay in the Retreat, which is the suites experience. On Edge-class ships, which are all we’d sailed on Celebrity prior to this cruise, we were accustomed to having Retreat amenities including Luminae, the Retreat Lounge, the Retreat Bar, and the Retreat Sundeck. On non-revolutionized Solstice-class ships, however, you only have Luminae and Michael’s Club, which is a combination of the Retreat Lounge and the Retreat Bar.
Luminae is essentially the same from ship to ship, although some versions are larger than others. But we found that Michael’s Club was very different from the Retreat Lounge, and in a good way.
The Retreat Lounge on Edge-class ships is very sleek and modern, which to us makes it feel a bit sterile and uncomfortable. Michael’s Club, on the other hand, has an old-world feel to it that is very welcoming, and the chairs are cushy and deep. We found ourselves going to it several times a day, not only for cocktails but also for socializing, which is something we never do on Edge-class ships. In fact, we went so often that all the bartenders knew our favorite drinks, even custom ones, and made them automatically for us when we came in.
What We ate
On this cruise to Alaska, we ate most of our meals at Luminae, which was wonderful as always, as was the service. All of the crew at Luminae, from the hostess and restaurant manager to the assistant waiters were friendly and efficient, working hard to make our meals as perfect as possible.
Here’s a little taste of what we enjoyed at Luminae this trip.
Luminae Restaurant Chili Braised Short Ribs Filet Mignon Chocolate Cake Pork Belly Appetizer Amuse Bouche Goat Cheese Cracker Amuse Bouche Apple Pie a la Mode Blueberry Pancakes Burrata Appetizer Burrata Appetizer CaRke Cobb Salad Cod Basquaise Baked Alaska Filet Mignon French Onion Soup Mushroom Risotto Ribeye Steak Ham and Cheese Omelet Pork Chop Ricotta Cavatelli Beef Short Ribs Tuscan Kale Soup
RELATED POSTS:
What We Did
Since we didn’t book excursions for this trip and had no intention of going ashore, we made the best of our time onboard. We slept late, really late, and skipped breakfast most days. We scheduled spa treatments, which are always wonderful. We explored the ship, which was interesting since it was our first time on a Solstice-class ship.
We participated in a trivia challenge (we won second place!), and got silly playing ring toss. The archery competition was fun—again, we tied for second place. We entered a slots tournament and did abysmally at that, but still had a great time.
To our surprise, we were invited to join other Retreat guests on the helipad for the sail-in to Juneau, and that was fun. And since it was the Fourth of July during our cruise to Alaska, we were able to watch fireworks while we were docked in Skagway, and pause for a moment to hear a fabulous rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” in the foyer. It gave me chills. This was the first holiday we’d spent onboard, and we enjoyed it a lot.
But the most fun we had on this cruise was the hot glass class we took.
What We Learned
Celebrity Solstice was the first ship we’d been on that offered a hot glass class, and we signed up well ahead of time. Good thing we did, because once we got onboard and went to sign up for our time, the slots were mostly gone.
Pro Tip: Purchase your class before the cruise, and sign up for your time slot on Day 1. The classes fill up quickly.
The class is one-on-one and takes twenty minutes as an expert glassblower walks you through the process step by step. You’re able to be very hands-on during the process, and at the end, your art glass is in the annealer, curing until you can pick it up the next day.
Flying home with the glass was probably the most nerve-wracking part of the process. Luckily, we had a very short flight and got home safely. Here are the pieces that we made:
In fact, we enjoyed the class so much that we’re looking forward to our next sailing on the Solstice, which will be next April for our first cruise to Hawaii, where we plan to take the class again. Myron is already planning the colors and form for the piece he wants to make next. Can’t wait!
More in-depth information about the hot glass class is available in another post.
What We Saw
Although we didn’t take an excursion on this cruise to Alaska, we did enjoy the sailing through Endicott Arm to Dawes Glacier, early in the morning of Day 4. We got up at 6:30 a.m. and waited for our room service breakfast to be brought to our suite by our butler, and enjoyed it on the balcony as the jaw-dropping scenery revealed itself.
Where We Are Going Next
Want to keep up with our cruise schedule? Here is a current list of where we have been and where we are going next.
Final Thoughts On Our Third Cruise To Alaska
It may seem like we didn’t do much on this cruise, but honestly, we had a great time. The cruise was only seven days long, which didn’t give us as much time as we’re used to with the longer itineraries we’ve been cruising. A good bit of our time aboard was actually spent exploring the ship and taking photos and videos for this website.
Next up…Japan!
Happy cruising!
LET’S BE SOCIAL: Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.
Planning to book a cruise? We have some tips for you.
