We managed to board the Celebrity Solstice yesterday at 12:50, clearing customs in a surprisingly easy forty minutes. Sunday turns out to be a solid day to start a trip, as the usual port chaos is absent and the transition off the mainland feels far more relaxed. Getting a spot on this ship at the last minute was sheer luck, and we both know it.
The Solstice recently went through an update, and it shows. The ship has a feel of understated luxury without being flashy, and everything feels fresh. Even with more than 3,000 passengers on board, the layout keeps the atmosphere remarkably relaxed, even if the summer season means there are plenty of young families with children running around. Our inside cabin is surprisingly spacious, offering distinctly more room than equivalent cabins on competing lines.
By 19:16 yesterday evening, we were already making good time toward the Inside Passage. Before turning in last night, we set the clocks back an hour to shift into Alaska time.
Today gave us clear weather with a copious amount of blue sky. I was up at 7:30 to watch the shoreline slide past, then took advantage of the afternoon with a proper nap between 2:30 and 4:00. We passed Prince Rupert at 4:30, leaving the last Canadian port behind us. By 18:18, we were well up the coast and crossing Dixon Entrance into Alaskan territory. The air turned cool and windy out on deck by the evening, but watching the northern coast open up under full daylight made for a fine day on the water.
