What a $50 Million Cruise Ship Makeover Looks Like

New and improved entertainment spaces

Occupying the space of a former nightclub, The Parlor is a buzzing games-sports bar combo. It’s home to a dozen large TV screens always tuned to ESPN, as well as a foosball table, dart boards, and some Skee-Ball machines, among others. I saw families sitting around tables playing Jenga while friends were having a competitive game of shuffleboard. Others were enjoying 42-ounce boozy milkshakes at the bar. Boulevard Lounge brings a different kind of game to the ship: game shows. The cabaret-style venue is a constant source of entertainment, ranging from karaoke and trivia to dueling pianos, as well as a source of cocktails at the Boulevard Bar.

Those who prefer to have fun outside can play lawn games on Sunset Park’s artificial turf. You can combine a game of croquet or bocce with a cocktail and a snack from the bar — or a hot chocolate and warm cookies if that’s more your speed. While Alaska isn’t a destination that easily lends itself to such activities, the views from this new venue are worth putting on your puffy jacket and gloves to devote an hour to a chilly game of cornhole.

Surprisingly, The Parlor and Sunset Park aren’t Solstice’s only games spaces. On deck nine, just below the cozy Library, is the Card Room. Always busy, but especially popular on sea days, the Card Room is hushed, comfortable, and full of guests who prefer quiet entertainment like a game of Mahjong or Uno. Unlike at The Parlor, there’s no blaring hockey game or cocktail shaker in sight.

In fact, providing guests with quiet, relaxing spaces seems to have been one of Celebrity’s priorities in this multi-million-dollar reno. They’re everywhere on board the renewed ship, especially during the day. The newly refreshed Ensemble Lounge — which has a bar and serves as a glamorous, dimly lit live music venue at night — is one of them. The large, plush armchairs, many of which are perfectly positioned for sea views, make for excellent spots to read, daydream, or do a little bit of work.

That said, it’s hard to beat the immense Sky Observation Lounge on deck 14. Entire walls of glass at the bow of the ship and ample seating allow guests to take in the view and look out for wildlife in peace. The Sky Observation Lounge is especially lovely and silent in the morning when everyone is raiding the buffet or flooding deck five’s Café Al Bacio for a pistachio latte and a croissant filled with dulce de leche. Because Solstice and its guests take food very seriously.

Two new dining venues, one extended waistline

Celebrity Cruises delivers when it comes to food at sea. There are four specialty restaurants on board Solstice. Two of them are brand new, and all of them serve very refined cuisine with, refreshingly, no menu restrictions. You can order as much as you want, and the staff won’t bat an eye at your two entrees and three desserts. In fact, they’ll push you to order more, bring another full bread basket unprompted, and fill up your glass with more wine when you’re not looking, so come prepared with elastic-waisted pants.

Trattoria Rossa ($55 per person, exclusive of drinks) is a new Italian venue with an Art Deco aesthetic that’ll get you hooked on creamy fresh pasta and table-side desserts. Do yourself a favor and end your meal with both the cannoli and the tiramisu. Trattoria Rossa replaces Qsine, the former home of Le Petit Chef immersive dining experience on Solstice, and it’s for the best. I experienced Le Petit Chef on two different Celebrity ships in late 2025 and found the concept — wherein animations of a miniature chef are projected onto your table throughout the meal — to focus more on the show than the quality of the food. For now, you won’t find Trattoria Rossa on any other Celebrity ship, but rumor has it that it’ll be available Celebrity Reflection once it gets its own makeover.

Also new, Fine Cut Steakhouse ($65 per person exclusive of drinks) is all about tender, juicy, dry-aged meats and fresh seafood, but vegetarians won’t have any trouble ordering off the menu. The side dishes, especially the parmesan truffle fries and the gruyère tater tots, are the stuff of comfort-food dreams. The specialty restaurant’s location at the very stern of the ship, together with its floor-to-ceiling windows throughout, make for terrific views during dinner. Note that while Fine Cuts is new to Solstice, it’s not unique to this ship. It’s found on many Celebrity ships and is a guest favorite.

Despite the Italian-sounding name, Murano ($72 per person exclusive of drinks) is a French restaurant, and one you’ll want to dress up for. It’s as chic as it gets with white tablecloths, crystal glasses, and a very formal staff. (Our waitress called me “m’lady.”) The food is delicate and succulent, and the table-side dishes — including the Châteaubriand (a thick cut of beef tenderloin) and a couple of flambé desserts — both make your mouth water in anticipation and provide entertainment. And, like in any French restaurant worth its salt, there’s an overflowing cheese cart.

Sushi on Five ($40 per person exclusive of drinks) is the most affordable of all the specialty restaurants on board, serving fresh and excellent Japanese specialties ranging from vegetarian hand-made sushi rolls to octopus sashimi and wasabi gelato. You can accompany your meal with a solid selection of Japanese beer and sake.

The only issue with having such high-end specialty restaurants on board is that there’s a significant disparity in quality between what you get when you pay extra (at specialty venues) and when you opt to dine at the main restaurant (included). The food at the main restaurant is lovely, but it doesn’t hold a candle to what you’ll be served at the four dining options listed above. It’s a bit of a let-down considering how beautiful the main restaurant is and how fantastic the staff is.

The buffet, however, is glorious. The food is abundant, varied, and very well prepared. The only problem is the environment — it’s always hard to find a free table, and it can be quite loud at peak times.

A partial refurbishment of the cabins

A good chunk of the $50 million allocated to revitalize Solstice was spent on the cabins. In fact, every single one of the 1,425 existing staterooms was spruced up, and the cruise line added 54 new ones.

I stayed in Concierge Class Veranda cabin 1223 on deck 10. The room was clean, spacious, and very comfortable. It’s been updated with new carpets, beds, sofa, lighting, and more, but it’s important to note that, like all the existing cabins on board, it’s not been fully refurbished. The closet, desk, bathroom cabinets, etc. remain the same as when the ship was built 18 years ago, and it shows a little. Also, while I have been told that USB outlets were added in the bedside light fixtures as part of the updates, I wasn’t able to locate them. Therefore, my guests and I took turns to charge our electronics using the outlets by the desk.

Veranda cabins all have good-sized covered balconies furnished with two chairs and a table. I’d recommend anyone booking an Alaska voyage to splurge for a balcony so they can admire the extraordinary landscape and watch for wildlife from a dry, peaceful, and private spot.

The design that outlasted the renovation

Despite being 18 years old, Solstice looks like a brand-new ship (existing cabins excluded). That’s mostly because, during the revitalization, all the public spaces were refreshed to a very high standard — but not only. The clever original design of Solstice has stood the test of time, that’s why the unchanged central atrium that stretches from the Grand Foyer on deck three to deck 14 remains the money shot. This 11-story space includes a tree suspended in mid-air and multiple glass elevators, and allows a striking view of the entire ship. It’s a unique feature that, nearly 20 years later, continues to make the ship look modern, airy, and full of light.

More ships to be revitalized

After experiencing Solstice for seven days, I’m of the opinion that $50 million was money well spent. Obviously, Celebrity clearly thinks so too because it’s going to provide a bow-to-stern remodelling of four more ships: Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Silhouette, and Celebrity Reflection for an additional $200 million.

That doesn’t mean that the cruise line won’t acquire brand-new ships, however. In 2027, Celebrity will launch its very first two river boats to sail Europe’s waterways, and Celebrity Xcite, a ship capable of accommodating over 3,200 passengers, is expected to start sailing in 2028.