solarium

Some ships or cruise lines have certain features that stand out in excellence above what other similar ships have to offer. Such is with the solarium on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships. The solarium on these ships is an area with hot tubs and sometimes pools with lots of deck chairs to relax in, but it’s not outdoors like the typical cruise ship pool decks. Instead the solarium has glass walls all around the outer edges of the ship, offering protection from wind and weather as well as great views.

cruise ships love odd statues – even in the solarium

With all else being equal when deciding which ship to book, I’d choose one with a solarium over one without because when the ship has one that’s my favorite hangout. It’s not just me either. My husband likes them too, and my two nieces who cruised on the Quantum along with my sisters, mother, and I loved it too. My nieces called it the terrarium because lounging there reminded them of a lizard sunning itself on a rock in a terrarium.

cascading pools

While the exact design varies from ship to ship even within the same cruiseline, the stand-out features always there are the hot tubs and deck chairs. The Celebrity ships we’ve been on had a pool in theirs reminiscent of the sort found in pay-extra spa thermal suite areas on some other ships. That’s the best thing of all about the solarium, it’s not a place you have to pay extra to enjoy. It is for adults only, but open to any adult passengers on the ship at no extra charge.

lower pool

On Quantum of the Seas, the front area of the solarium, which was at the bow of the ship, spanned 3 decks with cascading pools starting with one on its highest deck, with a waterfall into the middle one, and then another waterfall into one lower down. That level also had a hot tub on either side of the pool. One level below that sported deck chairs around the floor-to-ceiling windows that went up the entire height of the room. Those front row chairs by the window were course the prime seating and always the first chairs taken, but we did get lucky enough to find space available in that front row occasionally.

top pool

The top floor of the solarium had the most things. Doors on either side of the ship offered entry, and rows of deck chairs lined the window on either side with additional deck chairs in more rows behind them. It also had some basket-weave style covered pods that were big enough for two people.

No saving deck chairs!

Some of these deck chairs sported bright pink additions saying that saving deck chairs is not allowed. This seemed much more effective than the single sign at the entry found on deck areas of most cruise ships. Towels left on chairs in this solarium generally belonged to someone in the vicinity who had just temporarily left their chair rather than to someone who staked it out all day in case they might want to use it at some point, which happens frequently on most ships. It can be nearly impossible to find an open chair on ships where people selfishly leave their towels all day on chairs they aren’t actively using.

bar in front of the bistro

At the top of the area at the front of the ship above the cascading pools the solarium had its own bar so people didn’t have to go far to find something to drink even if nobody came around asking if they wanted anything. That happened infrequently so it was nice to have it close by even if they didn’t have the ingredients to make a mango daiquiri. The space just behind the bar and between the rows of deck chairs on either side of the entry level was occupied by the Solarium Bistro. It held a small buffet open for lunch and dinner. The selection was smaller than the main buffet, but the venue was far less crowded. It was a nice place to go if you were hanging out in the solarium and got hungry, or if you wanted to avoid some of the more crowded eateries elsewhere on the ship.

Barbara found a pink duck in a planter in the solarium

There were lots of plants in little planters all around the solarium giving it somewhat of a greenhouse or tropical feel. Or some might say much like a terrarium! Planters all over the ship were a popular place for people to hide cruising ducks. My sister Barbara found a pink one in a little planter there. Cruising ducks are little rubber ducks that people bring to hide for other people to find. It’s a thing. People sometimes post about them on social media. Usually the duck has a tag that will say conquackulations you found me or something similar. Some mention specific sites where they’d love to see a posting of their duck on, but you don’t have to post anything if you don’t want to. The finder can keep the duck or hide it in a new location.

indoor pool in the room next to the solarium

Some people prefer outside decks, which all the ships with solariums also have so it’s nice to have that choice. Quantum went one step further. Besides having the adults-only solarium and outside pool deck, it also had an indoor pool in an area similar to the solarium that was open to all ages. On a ship sailing to Alaska indoor pool areas are a really nice thing to have.

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