Get Celebrity treatment on your next trip to the Mexican Riviera – San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Celebrity Cruises is a happy medium between a floating Six Flags and a Waldorf-Astoria at sea.

Not too young, not too old. Not too wild, not too calm. And from a cost perspective, not too chintzy, not too extravagant. Said another way, if cruise lines were department stores, Celebrity would be  Nordstrom compared with Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean’s mainstream-class Macy’s, or Azamara, Oceania and Windstar’s luxury-class Saks Fifth Avenue, or Seabourn, Silversea and Regent Seven Seas’ ultra-luxury-class Le Bon Marché. (I’ve never been to that one, either.)

Celebrity, a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group, is within the premium cruise category that includes Holland America, Princess and Cunard. Each of these lines has a distinctive personality, and a few things that separate Celebrity from most of its class mates are onboard activities that actually involve sweating and cheering, a spicy late-night comedian and a main dining room with service and food on par with upcharged specialty restaurants. Depending on the time of year and itinerary, cruises on Celebrity also seem to have the desirable ratio of adults versus children for grown-ups, generally in their 50s, who want at least a few tikes running around their vacation rental of a few days or longer. Mexican Riviera cruises tend to skew younger than sails to Alaska, for example.

Speaking of which, with mostly seven-night voyages starting in late September, Celebrity will offer itineraries to the fun and sun destination of Mexican Riviera for the first time in 15 years. The upcoming season also marks the first time Celebrity Solstice will be homeported in Southern California, taking as many as 2,852 of the fully vaccinated to such Pacific ports as Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, Ensenada and Catalina Island from San Pedro’s World Cruise Center.

Ahead of Solstice’s Sept. 24 arrival to the Port of Los Angeles, marking the first of any Celebrity ship there since the pandemic, we paid a week’s visit to the oldest of its namesake, five-ship class on an Alaskan sail out of Seattle. Happy to report, the German-built luxury liner with high nautical mileage looks and functions great after 14 years. Even with postponement of a dry-dock refurbishment that had been scheduled for last October, the ship, one of 15 in Celebrity’s fleet, is a beauty. The cruise line promises that Solstice will look even spiffier over the next several months; a “full soft goods refurbishment” is underway with installation of new carpets, curtains and furnishings stealthily being done between and during sails.

What’s cooking?

Since a flavor-filled journey is what many passengers want out of a sea cruise, let’s start with the food. The most pleasant and tasty surprise was the consistent quality of dishes coming out of the main dining room galley — the best in my 11 cruises taken since COVID-19. No supply chain or labor issues under the watch of Executive Chef Manish Naik. Plates were brought to the table as ordered, at the right temperature and, with few exceptions, comparable to what usually costs extra at specialty restaurants. Sublime was the prime rib on the fourth night in the Grand Epernay Restaurant, the main dining room for those not booked in Retreat or Aqua class cabins; these bigger spenders have the option of being served in the more exclusive Luminae and Blu dining rooms, respectively.

Eclectic and inviting as the buffet lunches and dinners appeared at the expansive Oceanview Café, most of what was tried leaned toward the mediocre. Hamburgers, pizzas and even ice cream weren’t worth the calories all week, which isn’t a bad thing. Positive exceptions at the buffet were the daily Indian dishes, cold salads and the wunderbar German sausage station near the end of the cruise.

Also on the plus side were the ship’s four specialty restaurants. No disrespect to the à la carte Sushi on Five, which makes a mean sunset roll and barbecue pork ramen bowl, but it’s a tossup choosing the favorite among French-accented Murano, southern Italian-influenced Tuscan Grille, and Le Petit Chef, where augmented reality meets luxury cuisine.

Murano is the most elegant dining experience onboard with impeccable service to match. Yet even with all the fancy-schmancy touches that include three entrees being prepared tableside — all winners are the lobster, chateaubriand and Dover sole — the stately bistro has zero pretentiousness. The savory scallop Wellington and lobster bisque starters plus some amazing desserts are worth the $60 per person and 18% gratuity upcharge. If you really want to splurge, opt for the five-course gastronomic and wine tour for $107.

After being disappointed by dozens of specialty Italian restaurants no better than Olive Garden, how nice it is to recommend Tuscan Grille ($55 per person plus 18% gratuity). Located on deck 5 like the other upcharging dining options, the oregano-dusted steakhouse has killer beef and veal meatballs, lobster rigatoni alfredo, tiramisu and something else its sister eateries don’t have: an incomparable romantic view. Dining at the stern often comes with distracting noise and vibrations from the rumble of the engines, but not on Solstice. That’s impressive for an older ship.

Next door, Le Petit Chef proves that gimmicky restaurants don’t always sacrifice on food. The concept of having an animated little chef making a rendering of each course directly on your table, followed by the real thing, is adorable and TikTok worthy. Dual menus that change every two days have themes that yield thrills, laughs and even a tear or two. The two-hour, 4-D experience can be enjoyed at top restaurants around the world, but at sea it’s a Celebrity exclusive. The upcharge of $60 per person plus 18% gratuity is a steal when you consider that when Le Petit Chef was at The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles from February to May this year, the price per head was $145.

Putting down the knife and fork

On a ship that prepares 13,000 meals a day and boils 1,700 tails on lobster night alone, it’s hard to fathom that there’s more to do on Celebrity Solstice besides eat. In truth, each day offers more than 60 activities, and that doesn’t even include what’s scheduled for youths participating in the Camp at Sea program. Each morning starts with fitness classes and every evening is capped by a DJ-hosted dance party. In between are trivia games, shopping events, casino tournaments, dance and origami classes, wine and martini tastings, spa treatments — and that’s just what goes on indoors. Outdoors, on the fleet’s first Lawn Club with a half-acre of actual grass, are bocce ball contests, movies under the stars and the most serene sunbathing on the ship.

Also outside is the fleet’s first hot glass studio. What sounds like a snore-spawning use of prime real estate on the top deck is actually a hit with crafty passengers; classes, taught individually in 20-minute intervals, regularly sell out. Thrilled to get three coveted spots was Mary Lawson, a former Irvine resident and current Texan who, like her husband and 16-year-old son, spent $120 and braved a 2,100-degree furnace to make a unique and stunning memento from molten glass.

“It’s something wholesome we can do as a family,” said the mom, who is no doubt proudly displaying her jellyfish at home next to hubby’s pumpkin and the son’s equally beautiful heart.

Different artistic talents of professionals are showcased in the bars, lounges and foyer, where the sounds of classical, pop, rock, disco, country, R&B and other genres are heard day and night. Inside the grand 1,113-seat Solstice Theatre are production shows that often feature a live orchestra. The current cast of singers, dancers and aerialists is terrific, as are the shows continuing through Solstice’s season in the Mexican Riviera. “Amade” is an elaborate and provocative musical journey from classical to contemporary; “Rock City” explodes with power ballads; and “Broadway Cabaret” on the final night gives the singers a stage to belt their favorite showtunes.

At press time, Celebrity (www.celebritycruises.com) was offering deep discounts with onboard credit for sails on Solstice. Fares were starting at under $500 per person, taxes and fees included, for seven-night cruises to the Mexican Riviera.