Cruise Spotlight
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Celebrity Solstice vs Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas
The Celebrity Solstice was built in 2008. It was renovated in 2021. The Celebrity Solstice was the first cruise ship to feature a full half-acre of living grass on board. It's 2 years older than the Allure of the Seas, which was built in 2010 and renovated in 2025. Allure of the Seas underwent a $100 million renovation in 2025 where they added water slides, a dry slide, new restaurants, and bars.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
Ship Size
The Solstice is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,033 feet long and 121 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.9 football fields, as wide as 2.3 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 13-story building. Compared to the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas, the Solstice is 46% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Celebrity Solstice holds 48% fewer passengers than the Allure of the Seas based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Solstice has more space per person compared to the Allure of the Seas. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.
The Allure of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Celebrity Solstice | Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Solstice | Oasis |
| Gross Tonnage | 122,000 | 225,282 |
| Length | 1,033 | 1,187 |
| Beam/Width | 121 | 215 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 16 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,850 | 5,484 |
| Crew | 1,284 | 2,200 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.2 | 2.5 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 43 | 42 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Solstice has ten different dining options like Le Petit Chef at Qsine, Luminae, and Oceanview Cafe. Of those options, nine are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other six options have an additional fee.
The Allure of the Seas has twelve more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Dog House, Starbucks, and Cafe Promenade. fifteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other thirteen have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Allure of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 120% more dining options than the Solstice.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
| Celebrity Solstice | Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 10 | 22 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 9 | 15 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 6 | 13 |
| % of Included Options | 40% | 41% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Celebrity Solstice has 2 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas. The Solstice has 16 bars like Ensemble Lounge, Il Secondo Bacio and Sunset bar. On Solstice, you can grab a drink at 18 different bars such as Casino Bar, Dazzles and Rising Tide Bar.
| Celebrity Solstice | Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas |
|---|---|
| •Cafe al Bacio • Casino Bar • Cellar Masters • Ensemble Lounge • Il Secondo Bacio • Martini Bar • Mast Bar • Michael's Club • Oceanview Bar • Passport Bar • Pool Bar • Quasar • Sky Observation Lounge • Sunset bar • The Whiskey and Cigar House • World Class Bar | •Blaze • Boleros • Casino Bar • Comedy Live • Dazzles • English Pub • On Air Club • Pesky Parrot • Playmakers • Rising Tide Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Suite Lounge • Suite Sun Deck Bar • The Lime & Coconut • Trellis Bar • Vintages • Wipeout Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Allure of the Seas below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Celebrity Solstice has a total of 3 pools and 6 hot tubs.
Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas has more pools than the Solstice and the same number of hot tubs.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Solstice.| Celebrity Solstice | Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. You might up paying more while on board the Solstice. Only 67% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Allure of the Seas, 82% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Celebrity Solstice | Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Beyond the Podium Talk Series | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bingo | ✓ | ✗ |
| Carousel | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✗ | ✓ |
| Hot Glass Show | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ice Skating | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Laser Tag | ✗ | ✓ |
| Lawn Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Outdoor movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thrill Slide | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Zip Line | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Celebrity is a premium cruise line. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 per person per day.
Royal Caribbean, on the other hand, is considered a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit the cruise line's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| Celebrity Solstice | Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.00 | $18.50 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $4.00 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.00 | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $65 - $95 | $77 - $118 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day | $19 to $30 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Celebrity Cruise Lines offers an "All Included" program. Guests who book a cruise using this promotion will have wifi and alcohol included. Some sailings are available without this program so pay attention when booking. Typically prices are lower if they don't include "Always Included." The wifi and alcohol package are the base levels and can be upgraded for an additional cost.
Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, which means the pricing for many things will vary per sailing. The daily gratuities and tip are consistent across the fleet, but the pricing for the drink package, internet, and excursions will change. The only way to know your price is to consult the Royal Caribbean cruise planner once you're booked.
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