We wanted to see the New Zealand Sounds - not hear them. We are regulars and have sailed on Celebrity before, the last trip was around the west coast of India. The Solstice is a modern well run Ship with good food, comfortable cabins, and professional staff. Exploring Milford and the other sounds on the ship was a great experience, and the Captain and pilot managed to manoeuvre close to the shore, giving us close ups of the waterfalls and rock formations.

It is a shame that the crews good efforts were spoiled by the constant noise generated by the background music which was always loud and intrusive. It consisted of about 2 hours of repeats on a loop, coldplay, wailing femail vocals, seeped into everything. I could list the tracks

I complained several times, the waiting staff said that the background tape had been played constantly for 7 months at least. Reception also confirmed that there had been several complaints. The Hotel Manager said that the music was on Spotify, it was not.. When we alighted into the tender, the first thing the skipper did was to crank up the same tape. All restaurants were the same as was the rear deck, and I was told it was for ambiance, in fact it was a weapon to move people through the restaurants faster. To be told repeatedly "Head Office choose the music and its for your own good is just not acceptable. Read more