Looking for a unique Cozumel shore excursion that takes you beyond the island? During our MSC cruise, we booked the Caverns and Underground Snorkel and Shopping in Playa del Carmen excursion through MSC Cruises and spent the day exploring the incredible Chaak Tun Caverns in Mexico’s Riviera Maya.
This full-day adventure began with a ferry ride from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen before a short shuttle trip to the cenote cave system. Along the way, we explored ancient limestone caverns, walked through narrow underground passages, swam in crystal-clear waters, learned about the geology of the cave system, and experienced one of the most unique excursions we’ve ever taken in Mexico.
Exploring the underground waters of the Chaak Tun Caverns was one of the highlights of this unforgettable MSC shore excursion. 🌊
Exploring the Chaak Tun Caverns
After arriving at the cave system, we were provided with water shoes, life jackets, helmets, flashlights, and snorkeling masks before beginning our guided tour.
Inside the caves, our guide explained how the limestone formations developed over thousands of years while pointing out stalactites, stalagmites, rock formations, fish, bats, and other natural features hidden beneath the surface.
One of our favorite parts of the excursion was navigating some of the narrower passages deep inside the cave system. The crystal-clear water remained around 22°C (72°F), and swimming through these underground chambers was an unforgettable experience.
Free Time in Playa del Carmen
After our cave adventure, we returned to Playa del Carmen, where our excursion included approximately an hour of free time to explore.
We spent our time browsing shops, visiting Starbucks (a bit of a travel tradition for us), walking along the colorful streets, and taking a quick trip down to the beach before meeting our group for the return ferry.
The ferry ride between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen is included with this MSC excursion, but it can be rough, even on relatively calm days. 🚢
An Important Tip About the Ferry
If you’re considering this excursion, there’s one thing we strongly recommend.
Prepare for the ferry ride.
Even though the weather was beautiful during our excursion, the ferry crossing was surprisingly rough. Several passengers struggled with seasickness, and we were very glad we had taken medication beforehand.
If you’re prone to motion sickness, we highly recommend planning ahead before booking this excursion.
And if you watch the video until the end, you’ll also get to see the unexpected guest Andrea discovered during the excursion, a rather large tarantula. 🕷️
Overall, we thought this was an excellent MSC shore excursion that combined cave swimming, cenotes, sightseeing, shopping, and a little bit of adventure. If you’re visiting Cozumel and looking for something different from a traditional beach day, this excursion may be worth considering.
Looking for a budget-friendly Costa Maya excursion during your cruise? During our visit to Costa Maya, Mexico, we booked the Costa Maya Reef Snorkeling Excursion and Krazy Lobster Beach Club Day Pass through Shore Excursioneer and had an incredible day exploring the Caribbean Sea.
For $33.99 USD per person (at the time of booking), this excursion combined reef snorkeling and beach club access, making it an excellent value. After a short taxi ride from the cruise port, we arrived at the Krazy Lobster Beach Club, where our dedicated table and chairs were waiting for us before heading out on our snorkeling adventure.
One of the highlights of our snorkeling excursion was spotting this beautiful sea turtle in the waters off Costa Maya. 🐢
Costa Maya Reef Snorkeling Excursion
The snorkeling portion of the excursion was definitely the highlight of our day. The warm, crystal-clear Caribbean water was filled with tropical fish, and we were lucky enough to encounter two sea turtles during our tour.
While turtle sightings are never guaranteed, seeing them in their natural habitat made this excursion even more memorable.
Krazy Lobster Beach Club
After snorkeling, we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing at the Krazy Lobster Beach Club. The excursion included a dedicated table and chairs, along with access to several beach club amenities, including:
Loungers
Lockers
Umbrellas
Kayaks
Wi-Fi
Bathrooms and showers
The swimming area at Krazy Lobster Beach Club offered a relaxing place to spend the afternoon after our snorkeling excursion. 🌴
Food, beverages, and transportation were purchased separately. We enjoyed lunch at the beach club, sampled the beef nachos, relaxed by the water, and took in the beautiful Caribbean views.
If you’re visiting Costa Maya on a cruise and looking for an excursion that combines snorkeling, beach access, and excellent value, this experience may be worth considering.
Are you planning a Celebrity Solstice cruise and wondering what the casino is like before you sail? During our 7-night cruise, we spent some time exploring the Celebrity Solstice casino on Deck 4 midship, and this quick walk-through gives you a closer look at one of the ship’s most popular entertainment venues.
From popular slot machines and classic table games to the casino bar and overall layout, this tour will help you become more familiar with the casino before your cruise. Whether you’re planning to play a few games or simply want to know what’s available onboard, this overview will show you what to expect.
The Celebrity Solstice casino offers a wide selection of slot machines and table games in a lively midship location.
Celebrity Solstice Casino Games
The Celebrity Solstice features a mid-sized casino with an impressive variety of gaming options. Slot machines line both sides of the casino, while the table games are conveniently located down the center.
During our tour, you’ll see many recognizable slot machine titles, including Dragon Link, Buffalo Gold, Dancing Drums, Lock It Link, Huff and More Puff, Prosperity, Rich Little Piggies, Buffalo Ascension, and many more.
Table Games on Celebrity Solstice
If table games are more your style, you’ll also find plenty of options, including:
Blackjack
Roulette
Craps
Three Card Poker
Ultimate Texas Hold’em
Single Deck Blackjack
The casino also features a cashier, a casino bar, and convenient access to the nearby Boulevard Lounge and shopping corridor.
Whether you’re researching the ship before you book or preparing for an upcoming cruise, we hope this quick casino tour helps you become more familiar with the Celebrity Solstice.
If you’re planning a Celebrity Solstice cruise and want to keep up with your fitness routine while you’re at sea, you’ll be happy to know that the ship features a complimentary fitness center located on Deck 12 in the spa area at the front of the ship.
During our Celebrity Solstice Fitness Center Tour, we’ll take a look at the cardio equipment, strength machines, free weights, cable machines, rowing machines, treadmills, Peloton bikes, and the fitness studio. We’ll also show you one of the hidden features of the gym, a forward-facing outdoor viewing platform that’s easy to miss during your cruise.
The Celebrity Solstice fitness center includes a dedicated free weight area with benches, dumbbells, cable machines, and other strength training equipment.
Celebrity Solstice Fitness Center Equipment
One of the things we appreciated about the Celebrity Solstice gym was the variety of equipment that was available. Whether you prefer cardio workouts, strength training, or a combination of both, there are plenty of options to help you stay active during your cruise.
The fitness center includes ellipticals, rowing machines, stair climbers, recumbent bikes, treadmills, upper and lower body machines, cable machines, free weights, medicine balls, and a fitness studio where classes are offered. The gym also provides complimentary water and towels, making it easy to stop in for a quick workout.
Another feature that many guests may overlook is the forward-facing outdoor viewing platform that can only be accessed through the fitness center. It’s a unique spot that offers incredible ocean views and is worth checking out during your cruise.
Whether you’re researching the Celebrity Solstice gym, planning your next cruise, or simply curious about the onboard fitness facilities, we hope this quick tour helps you become more familiar with one of the ship’s most useful complimentary amenities.
If you’re planning a Carnival Jubilee Caribbean cruise or searching for a complete Western Caribbean cruise vlog, this 7-night Carnival Jubilee Caribbean Cruise VLOGATHON takes you through our entire sailing from beginning to end.
Our adventure begins in Galveston, Texas, before setting sail for three incredible ports of call, Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Mahogany Bay (Isla Tropicale) Roatán. Along the way, we experience relaxing sea days, beautiful Caribbean beaches, snorkeling, delicious food, tropical drinks, onboard entertainment, and many of the activities that make the Carnival Jubilee such a fun cruise ship.
This day-by-day cruise compilation combines all seven of our Carnival Jubilee vlogs into one complete video, making it easy to follow the entire itinerary in a single place. Whether you’re researching the ship before you book, planning your own cruise, or simply love Caribbean cruise content, this VLOGATHON gives you a detailed look at what you can expect both onboard and in port.
Carnival Jubilee docked in Cozumel, one of three beautiful ports visited during our 7-night Western Caribbean cruise.
7-Night Carnival Jubilee Western Caribbean Itinerary
This VLOGATHON includes our complete Carnival Jubilee cruise from embarkation to disembarkation:
🚢 Day 1: Embarkation Day , We board the Carnival Jubilee in Galveston, explore the ship, tour our ocean view cabin, enjoy sail away, and experience our first evening onboard.
🌊 Day 2: Sea Day , We relax aboard the ship, enjoy great food, entertainment, activities, and our first full day at sea.
🐠 Day 3: Cozumel , We spend the day at El Cid Resort, enjoying snorkeling, great food, tropical drinks, and a relaxing beach day just steps from the cruise port.
🏖️ Day 4: Costa Maya , We visit Nacional Beach Club, enjoy the plunge pool, fantastic food and drinks, and even fresh grilled lobster.
🌴 Day 5: Mahogany Bay (Isla Tropicale), Roatán , We explore the port, browse the shops, snorkel from the beach, and enjoy another beautiful Caribbean day.
☀️ Day 6: Sea Day , We tackle the high ropes course, enjoy Sea Day Brunch, and take in more entertainment and activities aboard the Carnival Jubilee.
🌅 Day 7: Final Sea Day , We meet the Carnival performers, enjoy one final evening onboard, and wrap up an unforgettable cruise.
Whether you’re researching the Carnival Jubilee, planning a Western Caribbean cruise, or simply looking for a complete cruise vlog, we hope this VLOGATHON helps you prepare for your upcoming adventure.
Planning a cruise on the Celebrity Solstice and wondering what the ship is like before you sail? During our 7 night Alaska cruise, we spent plenty of time exploring the public spaces, restaurants, lounges, entertainment venues, and outdoor decks aboard this beautiful Celebrity Cruises ship.
Whether you’re trying to decide if the Celebrity Solstice is the right ship for you or simply want to become more familiar with the layout before embarkation day, this complete ship tour will show you many of the spaces you’ll encounter throughout your sailing.
The Celebrity Solstice has a more elegant and relaxed atmosphere than many modern cruise ships. While there are plenty of activities and entertainment options available, we found the ship to have a quieter, more laid back feel that catered primarily to adults and couples.
The beautiful Celebrity Solstice docked in Alaska.
One of the things we appreciated most was how easy the ship was to navigate. After just a day or two onboard, we felt very comfortable moving between decks and finding our way around the various venues.
The Lido Pool Area
Located on Deck 12, the Lido Pool area serves as one of the main gathering places aboard the Celebrity Solstice. This outdoor space features two swimming pools, several hot tubs, and plenty of lounge chairs for relaxing while enjoying ocean views.
Even on our Alaska sailing, we found guests enjoying the pools and hot tubs throughout the week. The layout also made it easy to move between the pool deck, the Mast Grill, and the Oceanview Cafe.
The Lido Pool area offers pools, hot tubs, and plenty of outdoor seating.
The Solstice Theater
Located toward the front of the ship, the Solstice Theater hosts many of the ship’s major entertainment events. Production shows, comedians, magicians, and other performers take the stage here throughout the cruise.
The theater itself is beautiful, with excellent sightlines and seating spread across multiple levels. We attended several performances during our sailing and found the venue comfortable and easy to navigate.
The Solstice Theater hosts many of the ship’s nightly entertainment events.
The Grand Foyer
The Grand Foyer quickly became one of our favorite spaces onboard. Spanning multiple decks, this impressive atrium serves as a central gathering place and creates a dramatic first impression when you enter.
Throughout the cruise, we found ourselves returning here again and again. Live music, entertainment, comfortable seating, and beautiful lighting all helped make it one of the ship’s most recognizable spaces.
The Grand Foyer is one of the most impressive public spaces aboard the Celebrity Solstice.
Beyond these featured areas, the ship also includes the adults only Solarium, Sunset Park, the Sky Observation Lounge, the casino, shopping areas, restaurants, bars, fitness facilities, and numerous smaller venues spread throughout the ship.
If you’re planning a Celebrity Solstice cruise, taking some time to become familiar with the ship before you board can help you make the most of your vacation.
🎥 Watch the full Celebrity Solstice Ship Tour here:
Related Celebrity Solstice Articles
If you’re planning a Celebrity Solstice Alaska cruise, you may also enjoy these related articles:
The Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Seattle-Bothell offers free parking, complimentary breakfast, and a convenient location near the freeway.
If you’re looking for a comfortable mid-range hotel north of Seattle, the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Seattle-Bothell is worth considering. Andrea and I have stayed here six or seven times over the past 20 years, and after our most recent visit, we thought it was finally time to share our experience and see how it compares with other hotels in this category.
Over the years we’ve watched the property receive several updates, and during this stay we found it to be more modern than we remembered while still offering many of the amenities we look for when travelling, including complimentary breakfast, free parking, fast Wi-Fi, an outdoor pool, and a hot tub.
This isn’t a luxury hotel, and we’re not comparing it to one. Instead, we’re comparing it with similar mid-range hotels that travellers commonly choose for road trips, business travel, overnight stays, and family vacations.
🏨 Want to book this hotel? Check current rates and availability for the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Seattle-Bothell(Affiliate) onBooking.com
Northern Viking Hotel Score
Overall Rating: ⭐ Good
Score:7.8/10 (78/100)
Recommendation:Worth Considering
The Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Seattle-Bothell earned a Northern Viking Hotel Score of 7.8 out of 10, placing it in our Good category.
Overall, we think this hotel is worth considering if you’re looking for a comfortable, dependable mid-range hotel with complimentary breakfast, free parking, and convenient freeway access. While it isn’t a luxury hotel, it delivers a solid experience with only a few compromises, and we’d happily stay here again if the price was right.
Stay Details
Hotel: Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Seattle-Bothell, WA
Address: 19333 North Creek Parkway, Bothell, WA 98011, USA
Room Type: King Suite
Length of Stay: One Night
Check-in: 3:00 PM
Check-out: 12:00 PM
Price Paid: Approximately US$148 including taxes
Booked Through: Third-party travel website
Disclosure: We paid for this stay ourselves and were not compensated in any way for this review. Hotel prices vary throughout the year depending on demand and availability, so our score reflects the quality of the hotel itself rather than the price we happened to pay.
How We Score Hotels
One of the goals of our hotel reviews is to make our scoring system as consistent and transparent as possible.
Rather than assigning an overall score based solely on first impressions, every hotel we review is evaluated using the same five categories. This allows us to compare similar hotels fairly from one review to the next.
It’s also important to understand what we’re comparing.
We’re not comparing a Country Inn & Suites with a luxury hotel like a Fairmont or Ritz-Carlton. Instead, we compare it with similar mid-range hotels that travellers commonly choose for road trips, business travel, overnight stays, and family vacations.
Andrea and I each form our own opinions during our stay. After discussing the room, amenities, service, breakfast, and overall experience, we agree on our final Northern Viking Hotel Score.
Northern Viking Hotel Scorecard
Category
Score
🛏️ Room & Comfort
24/30
🧹 Cleanliness & Condition
14/20
🏨 Amenities
12/15
🍳 Breakfast
8/10
😊 Service
8/10
📍 Location, Parking & Convenience
12/15
Total Score
78/100
Overall Rating: ⭐ Good (7.8/10)
Recommendation: Worth Considering
First Impressions
As we pulled into the parking lot, the first thing we noticed was how much the hotel had changed since our previous visits. The exterior looked refreshed, and once we stepped through the front doors, the lobby immediately felt brighter and more modern than we remembered. Comfortable seating, a fireplace, and an open layout created a welcoming first impression.
The updated lobby features comfortable seating and a fireplace, creating a welcoming first impression.
The lobby also includes a small market where guests can purchase snacks and drinks, along with complimentary coffee available throughout the day. We always appreciate complimentary coffee in the lobby, especially before heading out for the day or after returning from an afternoon of sightseeing.
Complimentary coffee is available throughout the day.
One feature we particularly like about this property is its layout. Rather than a traditional roadside hotel, the building surrounds a central courtyard where you’ll find the outdoor pool and hot tub. It gives the hotel a more open feel and creates a pleasant place to relax during your stay.
Location
The Country Inn & Suites is located on the edge of a business park with convenient freeway access, making it an excellent choice for travellers visiting Bothell, nearby Woodinville, or anyone simply passing through the Seattle area.
Although our room faced the freeway, traffic noise was surprisingly minimal and never disturbed our sleep.
Located right beside the hotel you’ll find:
Subway
A Japanese restaurant
Chevron gas station
Within approximately a 5 to 10 minute drive you’ll also find:
Target
Ross Dress for Less
T.J. Maxx
Red Robin
Costco (Woodinville)
Additional restaurants and shopping
We found the location practical and convenient. While it isn’t a destination resort with scenic surroundings, it provides easy access to nearby amenities and major roadways without excessive freeway noise.
Our King Suite
The King Suite offered plenty of space for the two of us and never felt cramped during our stay. Even with one of our suitcases open on the floor, there was still lots of room to move around comfortably. That’s something we always appreciate, especially when travelling with camera gear and luggage.
The room included a king bed, desk with office chair, comfortable sitting chair, mini fridge, microwave, coffee maker, large TV, blackout curtains, iron and ironing board, and a closet with hangers. Overall, it had everything we needed for a comfortable overnight stay.
Our King Suite offered plenty of space, a comfortable bed, and useful amenities for an overnight stay.
One thing we really appreciated was the number of charging options. There were two power outlets and a USB-A charging port on each side of the bed, making it easy for both of us to charge our phones overnight. The desk also included additional power outlets and USB ports, which is especially handy if you’re travelling with multiple devices or need to get some work done.
The bed was on the softer side and provided a comfortable night’s sleep. While the pillows were perfectly acceptable, we both felt they could have been a little larger and offered a bit more support.
A second view of the King Suite shows the desk, sitting area, and spacious layout.Each side of the bed includes power outlets and USB charging ports, making it easy to charge multiple devices overnight.
👍 Likes
Spacious room with plenty of space for luggage.
Comfortable king bed.
Mini fridge, microwave, and coffee maker.
Plenty of charging options.
Quiet room despite facing the freeway.
💡 Wishes
We’d have preferred slightly larger pillows for a little extra comfort.
Bathroom
The bathroom appears to have been partially renovated over the years. The vanity, lighting, and shower felt more modern, while some of the tile work and finishes looked older and were beginning to show their age. It wasn’t a major issue, but it did give the bathroom a mix of updated and older finishes.
The bathroom combines updated features with some older finishes and includes wall-mounted toiletries in the shower.
The shower included wall-mounted shampoo, conditioner, and body wash dispensers, which are becoming increasingly common in hotels. Water pressure was about average and provided a comfortable shower during our stay.
During our visit, we also noticed a few minor housekeeping issues, including a couple of crumbs, a hair, and a small mark on one of the walls. These weren’t major concerns, but they’re the kinds of little details we notice when reviewing hotels.
Some of the tile work and finishes in the bathroom were beginning to show their age.
👍 Likes
Bright vanity and lighting.
Good-sized bathroom.
Wall-mounted shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
Comfortable shower.
💡 Wishes
A little more attention to housekeeping details.
The older flooring is beginning to show its age.
Complimentary Wi-Fi
Complimentary Wi-Fi is included with your stay, and connecting was simple. After selecting the hotel’s network, we only had to accept the terms and conditions before getting online. No password was required.
Since reliable internet is important for both travellers and content creators, we ran a speed test during our stay using my phone while connected through a VPN. Even with the VPN enabled, the results were impressive.
Download: Approximately 114 Mbps
Upload: Approximately 131 Mbps
Ping:6 ms
Those speeds are more than fast enough for browsing the web, streaming videos, video calls, uploading photos, or getting some work done while travelling.
👍 Likes
Complimentary Wi-Fi.
Fast internet speeds.
Simple connection process.
Great performance, even while connected through a VPN.
Hotel Amenities
For a mid-range hotel, the Country Inn & Suites offers a nice selection of amenities that add value to your stay.
Amenities include:
Complimentary hot breakfast.
Complimentary Wi-Fi.
Outdoor pool.
Hot tub.
Fitness centre.
Business centre.
Free parking.
Complimentary coffee available in the lobby throughout the day.
The outdoor pool and hot tub are located in the centre courtyard, creating a relaxing place to unwind after a day of sightseeing or travel. We also noticed an ADA lift beside the hot tub, making it more accessible for guests with mobility needs.
The outdoor pool is located in the centre courtyard and offers a relaxing place to cool off during warmer weather.The hot tub includes an ADA lift, helping make this amenity more accessible for guests with mobility needs.
The fitness centre is on the smaller side but includes enough equipment for a basic workout while travelling.
The fitness centre offers a selection of cardio equipment and free weights for guests who want to stay active.
If you need to print a document or access a computer during your stay, the business centre is another convenient amenity available to guests.
The business centre provides guests with access to a computer and printer during their stay.
👍 Likes
Nice courtyard pool and hot tub.
ADA lift at the hot tub.
Complimentary coffee available throughout the day.
Free parking.
Good selection of amenities for a hotel in this category.
💡 Wishes
We’d like to see a slightly larger fitness centre with a few more equipment options.
Complimentary Breakfast
One of our favourite perks at the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Seattle-Bothell is the complimentary hot breakfast. We always appreciate having breakfast included with our stay, especially when we’re heading out for a day of sightseeing or a long drive.
During our visit, we found the breakfast area to be clean, well organized, and stocked with a good variety of hot and cold options. Overall, we’d compare it to the breakfast you’ll typically find at a Holiday Inn Express. It wasn’t a luxury buffet with made-to-order omelets, but it offered plenty of choices and was a great way to start the day.
The breakfast area was clean, spacious, and offered plenty of seating during our visit.
The hot breakfast included:
Scrambled eggs
Sausage patties
Hash browns
Biscuits
Fresh waffles
There were also plenty of lighter options available, including:
Bagels
Toast
English muffins
Muffins
Yogurt
Fresh fruit
Cereal
Milk
Orange, apple, and cranberry juice
Coffee, tea, and hot chocolate were also available throughout breakfast.
One thing we particularly liked was the use of real porcelain plates instead of disposable paper plates. It’s a small touch, but it makes breakfast feel a little nicer. We also appreciated the paper coffee cups with lids, making it easy to grab a coffee before heading out for the day.
The complimentary breakfast offers a variety of hot and cold items, including eggs, sausage, hash browns, waffles, fruit, yogurt, cereal, and more.
Seattle’s Best Coffee was served during our visit. While we found it slightly on the bitter side, it was still enjoyable overall and paired well with breakfast.
One unexpected favourite? String cheese! It’s a simple addition, but it’s not something we often see at hotel breakfast buffets, and it made a great grab-and-go snack.
👍 Likes
Complimentary hot breakfast.
Good variety of hot and cold food.
Comparable to a Holiday Inn Express breakfast.
Real porcelain plates.
Coffee cups with lids for taking coffee to go.
Plenty of seating.
Better-than-average orange juice.
💡 Wishes
We’d love to see a few more premium hot breakfast options in the future.
Service
Overall, we had a positive experience with the staff throughout our stay. Check-in was quick and efficient, and everyone we interacted with was friendly and professional.
While one employee was noticeably more outgoing than another, every staff member we encountered was courteous and helpful. We left with a positive impression of the service we received.
👍 Likes
Friendly staff.
Efficient check-in and check-out.
Positive overall customer service experience.
Biggest Likes
Looking back at our stay, these were the features that stood out the most.
Comfortable and spacious King Suite.
Quiet room despite being close to the freeway.
Complimentary hot breakfast.
Fast complimentary Wi-Fi.
Free parking.
Outdoor courtyard pool and hot tub.
Complimentary lobby coffee throughout the day.
Convenient location near restaurants and shopping.
Biggest Wishes
No hotel is perfect, and these are the areas where we’d like to see improvements.
A little more attention to housekeeping details.
The bathroom flooring is beginning to show its age.
Slightly larger pillows would improve sleeping comfort.
A larger fitness centre would be a nice addition.
Final Thoughts
The Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Seattle-Bothell continues to be a hotel we’d consider staying at again. After visiting this property several times over the past 20 years, we’ve seen a number of positive updates that have helped modernize the hotel while maintaining the comfortable atmosphere we’ve come to expect.
Although it isn’t a luxury hotel, it delivers many of the features we look for in a mid-range property, including comfortable accommodations, complimentary breakfast, free parking, reliable Wi-Fi, and a convenient location. We also appreciated the quiet room, despite being close to the freeway, and the thoughtful amenities like complimentary lobby coffee and the ADA lift at the hot tub.
If you’re looking for a comfortable place to stay in the Bothell area, or simply need a convenient overnight stop north of Seattle, we think the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Seattle-Bothell is worth considering.
🏨 Want to book this hotel? Check current rates and availability for the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Seattle-Bothell(Affiliate) onBooking.com
Northern Viking Hotel Score
Overall Rating: ⭐ Good
Score:7.8/10 (78/100)
Recommendation:Worth Considering
Understanding Our Hotel Ratings
Every hotel we review is compared with similar hotels in its category, not luxury resorts. Our ratings are designed to help you quickly understand both the quality of the hotel and whether we’d recommend it.
Score
Quality
Recommendation
90-100
⭐ Excellent
Highly Recommended
80-89
⭐ Very Good
Recommended
70-79
⭐ Good
Worth Considering
60-69
⭐ Fair
Consider if the Price Is Right
Below 60
⭐ Needs Improvement
Not Recommended
Our score reflects the quality of the hotel itself, not the price we happened to pay. Hotel rates change throughout the year based on demand, promotions, and availability, so we always share what we paid while keeping our rating focused on the overall experience.
Have You Stayed Here?
Have you stayed at the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Seattle-Bothell? We’d love to hear about your experience. Share your thoughts in the comments below and let us know if your stay was similar to ours.
Planning a stay near Vancouver? Take a look inside our River Rock Casino Resort Marina View Suite Tour, including a walkthrough of the suite and its marina views.
After spending seven nights aboard the Celebrity Solstice on an Alaska cruise from Vancouver, we had plenty of time to explore the ship and experience what it has to offer. There was a lot we really enjoyed, along with a few things we wished were different!
In this Celebrity Solstice review, we’re sharing our Likes & Wishes in four main areas: the layout and amenities, our sideways inside cabin 7160, the free food and restaurants, and the entertainment and activities onboard. 🚢🏔️
Celebrity Solstice Layout & Amenities
The elegant Grand Foyer is one of the beautiful public spaces aboard the Celebrity Solstice. 🚢
One of our first impressions of the Celebrity Solstice was how elegant and sophisticated the ship felt. It had recently been through dry dock, and many areas felt fresh and updated. Even though our sailing was full, we also rarely felt like the ship was overcrowded.
Some of our favourite spaces included Sunset Park, with its outdoor seating, games and beautiful aft views, and the Sky Observation Lounge, where the floor-to-ceiling windows made it a fantastic place to enjoy Alaska’s scenery when the weather wasn’t cooperating.
We also really enjoyed the relaxing indoor Solarium, the outdoor pools, Oceanview Cafe, Grand Epernay Restaurant and many of the lounges throughout the ship.
One of our biggest wishes was the lack of a sports court and public forward-facing outdoor space on the upper decks. We also found the beautiful Grand Foyer could become crowded during popular events.
Overall, though, we thought the Celebrity Solstice was a beautiful, classy and easy-to-navigate ship. 👍
Our Sideways Inside Cabin 7160 🛏️
Our spacious sideways inside cabin 7160 was our home for seven nights aboard the Celebrity Solstice. 🛏️
Our home for the week was inside cabin 7160 on Deck 7, and its unusual sideways layout ended up being one of the things we really liked.
The cabin felt surprisingly spacious for an inside room, with a full-size couch, large vanity, plenty of storage and a good amount of open floor space. We also had two North American outlets and one European outlet at the vanity.
Interestingly, USB-A and USB-C charging ports appeared beside both sides of our bed partway through the cruise! Looking back at our footage, they had covers over them when we boarded and appeared to have been installed during our sailing.
The bathroom included a glass shower enclosure, plenty of shelving and shampoo, conditioner and body wash. We also found the cabin generally quiet and were able to request a large fan.
Our biggest wish? We couldn’t fit our suitcases underneath the bed! Thankfully, the room was spacious enough that this wasn’t a major problem.
Overall, we were very happy with cabin 7160 for our seven-night cruise.
Celebrity Solstice Free Food & Restaurants 🍽️
Filet mignon with shrimp was the chef’s special on our final evening aboard the Celebrity Solstice. 🥩🍤
We were impressed with the variety of complimentary food available aboard the Celebrity Solstice.
The Oceanview Cafe offered a large selection for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with separate food islands that helped keep lines manageable. We found everything from omelettes, eggs Benedict and waffles at breakfast to carving stations, steak, salmon, pizza, Indian and Asian dishes, salads and plenty of desserts later in the day.
Other complimentary options included the Mast Grill, Spa Cafe, Sunset Park Cafe, and complimentary snacks and pastries at Cafe al Bacio.
Our main dining room was the beautiful Grand Epernay Restaurant, where we enjoyed breakfast and several dinners. Some highlights included prime rib, beef Wellington, salmon, short ribs, complimentary lobster tail on the second formal night and even filet mignon as the chef’s special on our final evening. 🥩🦞
We wished there had been a little more variety among the appetizers, and some of our steaks were cooked more than requested, but overall we thought the complimentary dining was very good.
Celebrity Solstice Entertainment & Activities 🎭
The candlelight concert in the Sky Observation Lounge was one of our favorite entertainment experiences of the cruise. 🎻✨
Entertainment was another highlight, especially the production shows and live music.
The Solstice Theater featured singers, dancers, aerial performers and, importantly for us, a live band. Some of our favourite shows included Rockumentary, Broken Strings, and Smoke & Ivories. We also enjoyed guest comedians, magicians and musicians throughout the week.
One of our favourite evenings was the candlelight concert in the Sky Observation Lounge, with the sun setting outside while a violinist, pianist and full band performed. 🎻
The dueling pianos were another highlight, although they were so popular that the Boulevard Lounge often wasn’t big enough for everyone wanting to watch.
There were also plenty of activities, including trivia, bingo, karaoke, arts and crafts, dance lessons, board games, Skee-Ball, shuffleboard, cornhole and more.
The overall atmosphere was definitely more relaxed than party-focused, which we thought suited an Alaska cruise extremely well.
Our Final Thoughts on the Celebrity Solstice 🚢
After seven nights onboard, we came away impressed with the Celebrity Solstice. We loved its elegant atmosphere, comfortable public spaces, relaxing Solarium, surprisingly spacious inside cabin, complimentary dining and high-quality entertainment.
Of course, there were things we wished were different, and that’s exactly why we like sharing both sides of our experience.
If you’re planning a Celebrity Solstice Alaska cruise or considering booking this ship, we hope our Likes & Wishes help you know a little more about what to expect before you sail! 🚢🏔️
Planning a Celebrity Solstice cruise and wondering what food is included with your cruise fare? 🍽️ During our 7-night Alaska cruise aboard the Celebrity Solstice, we had the chance to try a wide variety of complimentary food around the ship, from the Oceanview Cafe buffet to quick bites and meals in the Grand Epernay Restaurant.
In this guide, we’ll take you through some of the food you can expect to find onboard. We also collected many of the actual Celebrity Solstice main dining room menus from our sailing, which you can check out below.
The beautiful two-story Grand Epernay Restaurant aboard the Celebrity Solstice. 🍽️
📋 Celebrity Solstice Main Dining Room Menus
Want to see what was actually on the menu during our Celebrity Solstice cruise? We saved many of the breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert menus from our sailing so you can take a closer look before your cruise.
These menus are from our specific 7-night Alaska sailing, so menu items and selections may change depending on your sailing date and itinerary.
☕ Celebrity Solstice Breakfast Menu
The breakfast menu included options such as Eggs Benedict, omelets, pancakes, Belgian waffles and French toast, along with fruit, pastries, cereals and other continental breakfast choices.
The dessert menus featured plenty of choices throughout the cruise, including options such as crème brûlée, cakes, pies, ice cream and sorbet. One of the menus from our sailing, for example, included warm apple crumble à la mode, crème brûlée and After Eight ice cream.
Now that you’ve had a chance to check out the menus, let’s take a look at some of the complimentary food we found around the Celebrity Solstice.
All of the food featured in our video was included with our cruise fare at no additional cost. There are specialty restaurants and other food and beverage options available for an additional charge, but this tour focuses specifically on the included food we saw and ate during our cruise.
Oceanview Cafe Buffet
The Oceanview Cafe is the main buffet aboard the Celebrity Solstice and is located on Deck 14. The buffet uses an island-style layout, which made it easy to move between the different food stations.
For breakfast, we found everything from eggs, bacon, sausage and hash browns to pancakes, waffles, French toast, fresh fruit, pastries, cereals and made-to-order omelets. There were also a variety of international breakfast dishes available.
At lunch and dinner, the selection changed considerably, with salads, meats and cheeses, pizza, pasta, Indian dishes, Mexican-inspired options, carving stations, fish, chicken, vegetables and much more. 🍕🥗
And don’t skip dessert! We found cakes, cookies, soft-serve ice cream and even hard-scoop ice cream with several flavours available during our sailing. 🍦
Hard-scoop ice cream was one of our favourite dessert options at the Celebrity Solstice Oceanview Cafe. 🍦
Complimentary Drinks
The Oceanview Cafe also had complimentary beverage stations with regular and decaf coffee, hot water, tea, iced tea, lemonade and other beverages. Juice selections were also available during breakfast.
🍔 More Complimentary Food Around Celebrity Solstice
The buffet certainly isn’t your only option.
Up on Deck 15, Sunset Park Cafe offered a selection of complimentary snacks, including sandwiches, wraps, pastries, salads and fruit cups. This was also where we found the afternoon warm cookie hour. 🍪
Near the pool, Mast Grill was the place to grab hamburgers, hot dogs and French fries, while Spa Cafe in the Solarium offered lighter options such as fruit, salads and wraps.
We also stopped by Cafe al Bacio, where the specialty coffees cost extra, but we found a selection of complimentary pastries, cakes, cookies and small sandwiches.
A selection of complimentary cakes, pastries and cookies at Cafe al Bacio aboard the Celebrity Solstice. 🍰🍪
🍽️ Grand Epernay Restaurant
The beautiful two-story Grand Epernay Restaurant is the Celebrity Solstice’s main dining room, located toward the aft of the ship on Decks 3 and 4.
We ate here for breakfast, lunch and dinner during our cruise. Breakfast included options such as omelets, Eggs Benedict, pancakes and waffles, while lunch offered a changing selection of appetizers, sandwiches and entrées.
Dinner was where we saw the largest variety throughout the week, with different appetizers, soups, salads, entrées and desserts each evening. On our first Evening Chic night, for example, the menu included shrimp scampi, pan-seared cobia, seared duck, grilled lamb T-bone and Steak Diane, along with the Celebrity Classics.
During the cruise we also enjoyed dishes including prime rib, Beef Wellington, braised beef short ribs and filet mignon with shrimp. On our second Evening Chic night, complimentary broiled lobster tail was also available. 🦞
The complimentary broiled lobster tail served during our second Evening Chic night aboard the Celebrity Solstice. 🦞
🎥 Watch Our Celebrity Solstice Food Tour
Want to see what all this food actually looked like?
In our FREE Food on Celebrity Solstice: What to Expect! video, we take you around the ship and show you the complimentary food we found during our 7-night sailing, including the Oceanview Cafe, Sunset Park Cafe, Mast Grill, Spa Cafe, Cafe al Bacio and Grand Epernay Restaurant.
If you’re planning a Celebrity Solstice cruise, we hope this food tour and collection of menus helps give you a better idea of what you can expect onboard. Happy cruising! 🚢🍽️
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Our final day aboard the Celebrity Solstice had arrived! 🚢 After an incredible week exploring Alaska, Day 7 was a relaxing sea day as we sailed through the beautiful Inside Passage on our way back to Vancouver. Between incredible mountain scenery, ship spotting, whale sightings, entertainment, and one final dinner onboard, there was still plenty to enjoy on our last day.
🍳 Breakfast & Our Final Sea Day
We started the morning with breakfast in the Grand Epernay Restaurant before heading out to enjoy the ship. The weather was finally cooperating, so we spent some time playing ping pong, ship spotting, enjoying the views from the aft, browsing the shops, and grabbing some salted caramel gelato. It was a relaxing way to enjoy our final day aboard the Celebrity Solstice.
🚢 A little ship spotting during our final sea day aboard the Celebrity Solstice.
🐋 Inside Passage & Whale Spotting
As we sailed near the northern tip of Vancouver Island, we were lucky enough to spot a group of orcas right beside the ship! Later in the afternoon, while cruising through the beautiful Inside Passage, we also spotted a humpback whale with the mountains and islands surrounding us. Seeing both orcas and a humpback on our final day was an incredible surprise.
We also caught an afternoon performance from the dueling pianos and spent some time playing the complimentary games in The Parlor before heading back outside to enjoy more of the scenery.
🐋 Cruising through the beautiful Inside Passage, with a humpback whale making an appearance in the distance!
🎭 Our Final Evening Aboard Celebrity Solstice
Our final evening began with the Captain, Officers and Crew Farewell followed by Smoke & Ivories in the Solstice Theater. The production featured live music, singing, dancing, tap dancing, and acrobatics, and it was a fantastic show to finish our week onboard.
We then headed to the Grand Epernay Restaurant for one final dinner, where the chef’s special was filet mignon with shrimp. We also shared the braised beef short rib before finishing with the apple tart and crème brûlée. 🍽️
🍽️ One final dinner in the Grand Epernay Restaurant, filet mignon topped with shrimp.
📽️ Watch Our Celebrity Solstice Day 7 Vlog
Come along for our complete final day aboard the Celebrity Solstice as we cruise the Inside Passage, spot whales, enjoy the entertainment, and wrap up our 7-night Alaska adventure.
After seven nights aboard, we came away really impressed with the Celebrity Solstice. We found the ship calm, classy, and sophisticated, and despite its age, it felt clean, modern, and well maintained. From Hubbard Glacier and our Alaska ports to the incredible wildlife and Inside Passage scenery, it was a fantastic week aboard the Celebrity Solstice.
Related Celebrity Solstice Articles
If you’re planning a Celebrity Solstice Alaska cruise, you may also enjoy these related articles:
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