Don't forget about these bars...
Cafe Al Bacio
If customers can’t find it, it doesn’t exist. Clearly list and describe the services you offer. Also, be sure to showcase a premium service.
Passport Bar
Having a big sale, on-site celebrity, or other event? Be sure to announce it so everybody knows and gets excited about it.
Mast Bar
Are your customers raving about you on social media? Share their great stories to help turn potential customers into loyal ones.
Rendevous Lounge
Running a holiday sale or weekly special? Definitely promote it here to get customers excited about getting a sweet deal.
Cellar Masters
Have you opened a new location, redesigned your shop, or added a new product or service? Don't keep it to yourself, let folks know.
The Gastropub
Customers have questions, you have answers. Display the most frequently asked questions, so everybody benefits.
Cafe Al Bacio
Coffee, Espresso, Tea anyone?
Coffee and Tea can be found here from very early in the morning to late at night. This also functions as a bar so if you want a can of soda or a screw driver, etc. they can accommodate!
What coffee & tea drinks do they have?
First off, there is no fresh brewed drip coffee here. Everything is espresso based, meaning if you want a black "coffee" you need to order an Americano. That is fine with me, that is what I typically order anyway. An Americano, if you don't know, is a shot or two or three, etc of espresso and then hot water added.
The cafe serves all your standard coffee house drinks as well as alcoholic coffee drinks and even frozen coffee drinks with or without alcohol.
If you want tea, well they have a very nice selection to choose from. If you're having it there you will be served a nice ceramic tea pot and cup or you can get it to go.
Is this coffee free or do they charge?
They do charge. If you have a classic drink package you're going to be covered on most items and if you have a premium drink package you'll be covered on all items. You will see a case of pastries available and all those are free so no need to worry about a charge there!
How do you order?
If you're ordering at Cafe Al Bacio you can either walk up and order to go or you can have a seat and order to be served at a table. We've found the service here to be pretty quick as long as they are not extremely busy. Typically we find ourselves having coffee in a rush at home so it is nice to have a seat and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while relaxing and not doing a single thing. The chairs here are pretty cozy and since Cafe Al Bacio is located on deck 5 overlooking the atrium, it makes for good people watching.
Does the cafe get crowded?
You'll noticed a steady crowd here on most days, but it is typically most crowded in the morning. Especially if you have a later port arrival...say 10am. People have time to kill and will come down here while waiting to get off the ship and explore the port.
The Passport Bar
The Passport bar is on all the Solstice class ships and is located on deck 3 opposite guest relations. It is a nice bar with good sized windows so you can watch the ocean or watch the waves crash against the ship on a rough sea day. The hours always vary on this bar but it is always open in the late afternoon and into the late evening.
Passport Bar is great for Grand Foyer Events
If there is anything going on in the Grand Foyer whether is is ballroom dancing, a pianist, live band, etc. the Passport Bar provides a nice vantage point. It is on the 3rd floor which is the same floor where the staircase in the grand foyer starts / ends.
What drinks are at the Passport Bar?
Think of the Passport Bar as your average hotel bar. They're going to have all the basics of what you could need. Whether you're looking for something very basic or something a bit nicer, they'll have it. They do have a blender so if you'd like a frozen drink you can get it here.
Check to see if they're busy!
If you're at the Martini Bar and it is packed just look over the atrium and down a floor from the Martini Bar side and you'll be able to see if the Passport Bar is busy. Then you'll know if you should wander down there for a drink or just stay put and fight the crowds!
Rainy Day spot
On most days the Passport Bar typically opens up later, however, on rainy sea days where the pool bar, mast bar, and sunset bar may close they will open up Passport Bar early. So this place is my rainy day bar.
The Mast Bar
The Mast Bar
The Mast Bar is located on the opposite side of the Mast Grill and is just up above from the pool bar. If you're sunbathing or lounging on the top deck then the Mast Bar is a great bar to grab a drink. There are also tables around the bar as well. However, this is a bar where smoking is allowed at the tables. So if you're sensitive to cigarette smoke then this might not be the bar for you.
You'll recognize the bartenders
It always seems, just like the pool bar, that the bartenders you'll see the Mast Bar are everywhere on the ship! They keep them moving so you'll definitely recognize some familiar faces.
Typically less crowded than the pool bar!
People don't like walking upstairs from the pool so typically this bar will be slightly less crowded than the pool bar on a hot day. It also provides some shade depending on the ships position and time of day so if you just want to sit at the bar with a drink and get away from the sun this can be a great option for you.
You get a view
While the view is not as great as the Sunset bar, you are on deck 15 so you're able to view the ocean or port nicely while still having a view of the pool and being in the middle of the "action" on the ship. This is also a nice spot to watch the pool olympics or guests vs officer volleyball game!
What drinks are available at the Mast Bar?
It is just like the pool bar. It has most of everything you'll want and need for being an outdoor bar and yes, they do have a blender so you can get those frozen drinks.
The Rendezvous Lounge
Think of a large old school hotel bar
So I will be honest, I've only been in this bar on one cruise and it was a little while ago, but I would describe this bar as a large old school hotel bar. It has a nice sized bar at the front and lots of 4 person tables and a couple cozier sections as well.
What can I get to drink here?
Well as described above it is like a large hotel bar so you'll have most of anything that you will want. You can choose to sit at the bar, order a drink to walk away with, or sit at a table and have a cocktail server come to you.
Does this bar get crowded?
Yes it definitely can. I don't remember the specific hours that were most crowded the last time I visited this bar, but it is near the dining area so I imagine you'll see a large influx of people 30 to 45 minutes prior to dinner and then an influx just after dinner ends.
Live Music
This bar has a nice dance floor and is used for live music so this can make a great evening spot.
People watching
The one great thing about this bar is that it is passed through by a lot of people making their way from one end of the ship to the other. If you're heading to dinner, to the martini bar, the casino...chances are you're passing through here. So with this being said if you're looking to meet up with friends or looking for someone you ran into on the ship, this is a great place to be. Hence the name....Rendezvous Lounge!
Cellar Masters
How long will it stay?
It appears Celebrity will be phasing out Cellar Masters and I will discuss that below but first lets talk about what it is. Cellar Masters is a bar that is on both classes of ships and feature wine that is available through dispensing machines. The idea behind this is that you can try wine by the ounce and allows you to sample many different wines.
While this sounds great in theory, the implementation of this by Celebrity was poor. The Cellar Masters space on the S-Class ships was too enclosed and too dark. On the M-Class ships the Cellar Masters area is at least in a space that people are forced to pass through so when you're there you don't feel too cut off from the rest of the ship.
On the Celebrity Equinox Cellar Masters has been replaced by the Gastro Pub which is a much more inviting space, brighter, and feels more connected with the rest of the ship.
Since Cellar Masters, at least on the S-Class ships, has seen decreased interest you'll notice it is not staffed very well. It is a still a place you can go to get some wine or even a craft beer, but it now seems to mostly be utilized for wine tasting events or even the silent disco events.
The Gastro Pub - Only on the Equinox
I really like the concept
We first visited the Gastro Pub on our last cruise on the Equinox this past August, 2017. This pub is in the former Cellar Masters space and as mentioned above it is only on the Equinox at the current time. Personally, I love the concept. It is much more open, has a nice modern pub vibe, good craft beer list, and TVs.
You can order food here
Food is available here a la cart and it is quite good. We both tried the burger last time and we were impressed with it. The food items are typically in the $8 to $15 range depending what you get. We ate here when they were open on a sea day and throughly enjoyed it.
Craft Beers and Craft Cocktails
You can get standard drinks here but the there is a decently extensive craft beer list, most of which will fall under the premium package, and some nice craft cocktails available. If you're planning to watch a game they're showing on the ship this is the perfect place to sit.
When does the pub get crowded?
When the pub first opens its not that busy but we did notice around 6 to 8pm that it does fill up pretty quickly. I think this will vary from cruise to cruise and it will also depend what sporting events are on TV as they have multiple TVs in the bar. During big games you'll notice it will definitely get crowded.
My final thoughts on the Gastro Pub
I think this is a great simple concept that Celebrity put forward and it is definitely a better use of the space compared to Cellar Masters. As much as I love wine and would love a wine bar, I think their version was poorly executed. Gastro Pub is bright and open and feels very welcoming. You feel happy to be there.
I think going forward this concept in some version will be added to other ships. I think there is some room for improvement such as adding a couple more TVs, perhaps adding a few more tables outside the pub so you can feel a bit more in the midst of the action on the ship. However, I think the food menu concept is great and the overall experience we had there was quite positive. Check it out!
Display their FAQs
Customers have questions, you have answers. Display the most frequently asked questions, so everybody benefits.