A Happy Hour with warm cookies and hot chocolate. A champagne toast to a glacier. A five-week-old sled dog puppy snuggled in my arms. Alaska didn’t stand a chance of being anything less than unforgettable.
I sailed the newly refurbished Celebrity Solstice this summer, fresh from her transformation transformed under Celebrity’s $250 million Solstice-class modernization. She came out the other side feeling brand new from bow to stern — and the upgrades made an already spectacular itinerary even better. Here are the moments I’m still thinking about.
Warm Cookie Hour at Sunset Park Cafe
The top deck has been completely transformed into Sunset Park, a half-acre of open-air space with lawn games, live music, and sweeping views. But the real magic happens every afternoon at 3:30, when fresh cookies come straight out of the oven at the new Sunset Park Cafe. Watching guests line up for a warm treat became one of my favorite daily rituals — there’s something about a gooey chocolate chip cookie against a background of snow-capped mountains that is irresistable.
A Private Cabana for Glacier Day
One of the best decisions we made was renting one of the new private cabanas for glacier viewing. Yes, the 5:30 am wake-up call felt regrettable when the alarm clock first buzzed. But the sun rises early in Alaska, and coffee and warm pastries made it worth the wakeup. Soon we were sipping champagne in our own sheltered space, protected from the wind and drizzle, with front-row views as the ship approached the glacier. Core memory activated! It turned the most anticipated day of the cruise into the most comfortable one, too.
Whales at Icy Strait Point
No refurbishment can top what Alaska itself delivers. Our whale watching excursion from Icy Strait Point gave us more memories of a lifetime: Witnessing a mother humpback and her calf. Booking our whale watching excursion with a small, family-owned company rather than the cruise line gave us a more private and personalized experience. Unforgettable.
Puppy Snuggles at the Sled Dog Camp
Only in Alaska … where else can you snuggle a five-week-old puppy? At the sled dog training camp near Juneau we got to cuddle the newest recruits of Alaska’s future mushing teams. Fair warning: you will seriously consider smuggling one home. (Yes, they check for that before you leave the property — don’t try it!)
The AquaClass Experience
We booked an AquaClass stateroom, and the extra benefits of this cabin class were really enjoyable. Spa-inspired features enchance the stateroom – the rain shower was a dream! AquaClass also unlocks two of the ship’s best perks: access to the thermal spa facilities — perfect for warming up after a chilly day — and dinner at Blu, the exclusive AquaClass restaurant. Blu was refreshed in the refurbishment as well, and the meals were consistently delicious, with the flexibility to enjoy dinner whenever we wanted in an intimate space away from the crowds.
So Much More Is New
While the outdoor spaces of the Sunset Park deck and the cabanas were two of my personal favorites, the refurbishment of the interior spaces on Celebrity Solstice added addtional appeal. A new restaurant debuted: Trattoria Rossa, a cozy home-style Italian spot with tableside preparations and fresh homemade pasta, Nightlife got a makeover too, with the new Boulevard Lounge hosting everything from game shows to dueling pianos. The adjoining Boulevard Bar contains a sports bar complete with billiards, darts, and retro games.
Beyond the new venues, every one of the ship’s staterooms was updated, new stateroom categories were added, and longtime favorites like Café al Bacio, the Martini Bar, and the expanded Sunset Bar all got a fresh look. Next time, we’ll try an upgrade to The Retreat, imagine sailing through Alaska on a private sundeck with an oversized hot tub! Wherever we wandered on board, everything looked new — polished, reimagined, and updated. It’s just the start of a program to update the other Solstice-class shis in the fleet.
Final Thoughts
Alaska has always been a bucket-list cruise, but it was even more enjoyable on the “new” Celebrity Solstice, with the just-right combination of modern, elevated cruise amenities. It made the journey itself as memorable as the destination. Once you’ve experienced Alaska, it finds a home in your heart. This was a cruise I’d repeat in a heartbeat.
