Cruise Spotlight
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Freedom of the Seas vs Solstice
The Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas was built in 2006. It was renovated in 2025. It's 2 years older than the Solstice, which was built in 2008 and renovated in 2021. The Celebrity Solstice was the first cruise ship to feature a full half-acre of living grass on board. It'll undergo rennovations and will debut in March 2026 with some new upgrades.
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 Freedom of the Seas is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,112 feet long and 185 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.1 football fields, as wide as 3.5 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. Compared to the Celebrity Solstice, the Freedom of the Seas is 28% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas holds 38% more passengers than the Solstice based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Freedom of the Seas has less space per person compared to the Solstice.
| Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | Celebrity Solstice | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Freedom | Solstice |
| Gross Tonnage | 156,271 | 122,000 |
| Length | 1,112 | 1,033 |
| Beam/Width | 185 | 121 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,934 | 2,850 |
| Crew | 1,447 | 1,284 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 43 |
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 Freedom of the Seas has fourteen different dining options like Cafe Promenade, Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, and El Loco Fresh. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.
The Solstice has four fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Sushi on Five, Tuscan Grille, and Oceanview Cafe. nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other six have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Freedom of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 40% more dining options than the Solstice.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
| Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | Celebrity Solstice | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 14 | 10 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 10 | 9 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 6 |
| % of Included Options | 36% | 40% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas has 3 fewer bars than the Celebrity Solstice. The Freedom of the Seas has 13 bars like Casino Bar, Playmakers and The Plaza Bar. On Freedom of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 16 different bars such as Cellar Masters, Michael's Club and Sunset bar.
| Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | Celebrity Solstice |
|---|---|
| •Boleros • Casino Bar • English Pub • Playmakers • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Star Lounge • Suite Lounge • The Lime & Coconut • The Plaza Bar • Viking Crown Lounge • Vintages | •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 |
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 Freedom of the Seas and the Solstice 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 Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas has a total of 3 pools and 5 hot tubs.
The Celebrity Solstice has the same number of pools as the Freedom of the Seas and more hot tubs.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Freedom of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | Celebrity Solstice | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 5 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 3 | 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. On the Freedom of the Seas, 80% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Solstice, only 67% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | Celebrity Solstice | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Beyond the Podium Talk Series | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bingo | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Hot Glass Show | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✗ |
| Lawn Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Outdoor movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean 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.
Celebrity, on the other hand, 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.
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.
| Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas | Celebrity Solstice | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 | $18.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $4.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus | $8.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more | $55 - $99 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. | ||
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.
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.
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