Lounge area… service staff and management walk by this table repeatedly paying it no attention.
Am going to start commenting in detail as pics don't make sense of themselves.
In our stateroom, a ship-provided fruit plate is delivered with the plate bearing an unknown stain type. The question of how well Solstice staff is trained concerning cleanliness and proper food handling is my response to this. Taken into consideration is the gastro-intestinal illness on board. Supposedly this illness is a virus---passengers being to blame in this case---rather than food poisoning---the ship being to blame in this case.
Wanting to watch a pay-per-view (PPV) movie is a nuisance. Rather than it taking seconds to access a selected movie, it’s a drawn out process as follows: First it’s necessary to menu-order a movie on screen as is typical procedure, then, after the error message appears, call Guest Relations. Guest Relations then contacts the IT department asking IT to reboot the system. Repeated tests are then made by me to determine if & when IT has rebooted… after IT has, the movie is then available. This does not always work in a timely manner so on one occasion… we gave up on repeatedly testing the TV after 12 minutes of doing so. This procedure was required NOT once but every time a PPV movie was desired during the entire cruise. When playing, some movies automatically paused/froze during presentation (with no ability to continue a given “frozen movie” via the remote control.)
According to the ship’s banner display on the TV, it’s 140 degrees F and 8:25pm. Not at this moment but ALL the time. Never was this information corrected. (This does not bode well for IT's skill. Does the entire ship rely on this level of IT expertise?)
The Bridge View channel on our stateroom’s TV. This displays interesting and potentially up to date information… that’s consistently challenging to read.
Making Specialty Restaurant reservations... Call the dedicated line for this and… no one answers. I always allow the full cycle (approximately 30 rings) after which the line automatically hangs up, “TIMEOUT.” It’s the same throughout the cruise for the 5 or 6 times I attempt dealing with reservations by phone. To make a Specialty Restaurant reservation, I need to go in person to a restaurant or to Guest Relations (or call Guest Relations and let them deal with it and confirm the reservation status back to me.) It’s another system on board offering an annoyance instead of a simple, pleasant solution.
Having already experienced the cuisine at Tuscan Grille (a “specialty restaurant,”) there’s no interest to return a second time for a standing reservation we have. I call Specialty Reservations… no answer. Another call is made. Same result. I go in person to Silk Harvest to both cancel Tuscan Grille and reserve at Silk Harvest, this being done two days in advance of Silk Harvest dinner plans. The Maitre’d at Silk Harvest assures me he’ll attend the cancellation I want. Below, reservation reminder cards---for Tuscan and Silk Harvest---arrive the day of dining…
If you're a graphic designer, you'll appreciate the attention to luxurious detail in these reservation cards.
To correct the double booking, I call Specialty Reservations… useless as usual. Instead, Guest Relations handles the Tuscan cancellation for me. When appearing this evening for dinner at Silk Harvest, the Maitre’d greets me with “Good evening
Mr. Hansen…” and follows to advise me he’s handled the cancellation as I requested of him two days ago. I’d prefer---and respect---the Maitre’d saying “My apologies Mr. Hansen but I realize I’ve not cancelled your Tuscan reservation, I’ll do that immediately for you.” Instead, dinner begins on a sour note.
During dinner at Silk Harvest, the Maitre’d feverishly wipes seating and tables with what is surly disinfectant---the gastro-intestinal illness being still an issue on board. While credit goes to him for attending his restaurant relevant to the gastro-issue, his wiping the restaurant down as intensely as he is kills the relaxing, fine ambiance this intimate restaurant would otherwise offer.
A cleaning bucket left next to the wall in a dining room. A mop is stuck behind the clearing table situated to the right of the bucket. Servers and restaurant management walk by this repeatedly paying it no attention. A restaurant manager is the individual passing by in this photo. Buckets and mops also regularly stand in the main hallway to our stateroom with no housekeeping nearby.
Concierge desk with no Concierge. I’ll gladly return later… There’s notably no courtesy note advising of the when the Concierge will return.
In our stateroom, a rubber glove of unknown use is left behind on our sofa… housekeeping?
