A return to the Celebrity Silhouette

[Onboard]

It’s been a year since we cruised with Celebrity, and two years since we sailed on the Silhouette. So we were looking forward to this 8-night northern Spain and France cruise. The embarkation process was smooth, speedy and hassle-free - we were on board within minutes of arriving at the terminal. However, being reunited with our luggage wasn’t without problem. Having waited several hours for our bags, they then arrived two hours apart from each other.

For this cruise, we had a sunset veranda cabin as we really like the views from the back. It seemed smaller than we had remembered, but it was perfectly serviceable - with a comfortable bed. There was just about enough storage space and a small bathroom with a shower. There was a large TV with limited channels, but it did have Sky Sports News and Sport 24 for the football, so all was good.

There were many bars and lounges. We found the Ensemble Lounge to be very dark, the Martini Bar to be always crowded, so we spent a lot of time in the Sky Lounge, which was bright and spacious - located on deck 14 forward. There is also the Passport Bar on Deck 3, the World Class Bar (which often appeared to be empty) on Deck 5, the Pool Bar on Deck 12, the Mast Bar on Deck 14 and the Sunset Bar on Deck 15.

We only spent a little time in Cafe Al Bacio on deck 5 due to its close proximity to the atrium; both the noise levels from the entertainment in the foyer on deck 3 and the low lighting were off-putting. There is the usual expensive Spa, a well-equipped and modern gym, and a solarium with an indoor pool and hot tubs.

On Deck 15/16 forward is The Retreat, an outdoor area for suite guests. There is also a private Lounge for suite guests on deck 5. We are Elite Plus on the Celebrity Loyalty programme and attended the majority of the events that were laid on. Our favourite, which was new to us, was a Music and Mixology event, which was great fun. There was also a Senior Officers Cocktail Party, a welcome event, wine tasting and a Backstage Tour.

Other benefits of being Elite Plus include some free laundry, and discounts off Internet, drinks packages and specialty dining. With regard to food, there is a main dining room, the Grand Cuvee, on two levels and you can either opt for anytime dining or early or late sitting. There is also the Oceanview Cafe, the buffet on Deck 14 where some choice of food is available from 6 am till 1 am.

There are numerous specialty restaurants available for an extra charge - Tuscan Grille, Murano, Le Petit Chef, Sushi on Five, The Porch and The Lawn Club - and for what it’s worth, we find them expensive compared to other cruise lines we cruise with. We didn’t eat in the main restaurant very often as although it was easy to get a table, service was slow between courses, and the food wasn’t always hot by the time it reached you. Quality was fine; there just wasn’t enough variety generally in the MDR or the buffet.

There was a varied choice of lounge entertainment - acoustic, jazz, party, classical. Celebrity seem to have moved away from entertainment in the Sky Lounge with the exception of quizzes - great to be entertained at a number of these by the charismatic former Captain’s Club Host David Perrien. There were a number of guest entertainers during the week, including the talented Jo Little and The Barricade Boys as well as the usual production shows. We didn’t book any shore excursions as we found them to be very expensive compared to other lines we cruise with.

In summary, it’s fair to say we fell a little bit back in love with Celebrity. We had an enjoyable cruise and actually booked two more cruises whilst on board. This was partly due to being made to feel more valued, something we hadn’t felt in recent times with Celebrity. Max - the Guest Relations Manager and Tania - the Captain’s Club Host were absolutely brilliant.

We are very well aware that Silhouette in the scheme of things isn’t a large ship these days, but it is to us, and it’s certainly the largest ship we would be happy to travel on moving forward - we are definitely small ship cruisers at heart. If you are new to Celebrity, we believe you will absolutely love them, but if you have travelled with them more frequently you will certainly notice a decline in standards and a rise in prices. That said we will continue to travel with them just not exclusively as in the past.

[3Sisters]

@Onboard Thanks for this thorough review! That's such a bummer you encountered those issues with your bags. That's actually one of my biggest fears, not having my things with me while I cruise. Celebrity Silhouette is going to have you coming back for more! I think that Celebrity Cruises has really good loyalty perks. The line's loyalty system is much better than all other cruise lines I have encountered actually. You make me want to give the line a shot! How many cruises did you have to take before you made it to the Elite Plus status? 

[FJB]

Going on the Silhouette in February- 1st time on this ship. We’ve been on the Solstice, Equinox, Eclipse, and Reflection- this is probably our favorite class of ships. 

[3Sisters]

@FJB I know you love Celebrity Cruises so this is very exciting! What is your itinerary like? Are you visiting any new ports of call? 

There is a great review on a back-to-back on Celebrity Silhouette. The ship was in Southampton at the time. She surely is a beauty! https://www.cruisehive.com/review-back-to-back-cruise-on-celebrity-silhouette/55077

[FJB]

8 hours ago, 3Sisters said:

@FJB I know you love Celebrity Cruises so this is very exciting! What is your itinerary like? Are you visiting any new ports of call? 

There is a great review on a back-to-back on Celebrity Silhouette. The ship was in Southampton at the time. She surely is a beauty! https://www.cruisehive.com/review-back-to-back-cruise-on-celebrity-silhouette/55077

We have not been to Tobago or Antigua. 
 

 

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@FJB I love Antigua! Don't skip out on the little quaint beaches. I haven't done this, but having been there and loved it, I think renting a motor scooter and touring the island would be really lovely. I felt very safe while in Antigua, and I would imagine you will feel the same. You are taking this cruise during the perfect time of year. It won't be hurricane season!

If you want a real thrill of a day you could consider this zipline tour! https://antiguarainforest.com/

I haven't been to Tobago, but I wonder if there is a private beach club experience you could get! Does Celebrity have any cool excursion options available for booking in Tobago yet? 

[Emrys]

Great review @Onboard, thanks for posting!

[FJB]

On 10/17/2023 at 9:59 AM, Kendall James-Vargas said:

 

If you want a real thrill of a day you could consider this zipline tour! https://antiguarainforest.com/

I haven't been to Tobago, but I wonder if there is a private beach club experience you could get! Does Celebrity have any cool excursion options available for booking in Tobago yet? 

I like zip lining so will look into that.  Otherwise, I have not looked at any excursions yet or done any planning.  I will wait until after I make final payment next month to do any further planning.  

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@FJB That's a great plan of action. I typically do the same. Once you pay for the entire cruise, it's pretty official. If you wait until a couple of months out, the excursion options can change too, depending on the cruise line. I can't wait to hear about Grenada. I have yet to visit. The typical Carribean cruises I take usually don't stop there. 

 

[Onboard]

Thank you to you all for your kind comments 😀

[3Sisters]

@Onboard Of course! Do you have any upcoming itineraries booked for next year? I only have one booked so far, but I intend to book another itinerary (hopefully) in the coming months. I love reading your reviews!  They excite me to cruise again in the near future. 

[DICK REIF]

Regarding the Silhouette, We have sailed on all the Solstice Class ships. Our very best trip was sailing from Stockholm

(we arrived there 3 days early), on the Silhouette. The passage to the Baltic Sea was unbelievable. Very narrow, "in feet". the Itinerary of the Baltic Capitals Cruise was outstanding. Stockholm, St Petersburg and Berlin and other Baltic capitals was something to see! The Silhouette,  being just the "right size" was excellent in every way! ...Try it you will like it!!

 

[3Sisters]

@DICK REIF Thanks for sharing your experience here! That's so impressive your cruise made it three days earlier than expected. That speed is pretty rare. This itinerary also sounds exquisite. Was it a one-way route? I can't even imagine cruising through that channel and getting to take in all of that breathtaking scenery. You may have just sold me on the Silhouette! Were you able to see landmasses from both sides of the ship while cruising through the passage to the Baltic Sea?  

[FJB]

On 10/17/2023 at 9:59 AM, Kendall James-Vargas said:

@FJB I love Antigua! Don't skip out on the little quaint beaches. I haven't done this, but having been there and loved it, I think renting a motor scooter and touring the island would be really lovely. I felt very safe while in Antigua, and I would imagine you will feel the same. You are taking this cruise during the perfect time of year. It won't be hurricane season!

If you want a real thrill of a day you could consider this zipline tour! https://antiguarainforest.com/

I haven't been to Tobago, but I wonder if there is a private beach club experience you could get! Does Celebrity have any cool excursion options available for booking in Tobago yet? 

So I ended up doing this ziplining excursion at the last minute since our other excursion in Antigua was cancelled a couple days before arriving in port.  This was a great alternative.  

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@FJB I'm so glad you considered my recommendation and tried out zip line during your time in Antigua. Were you able to film part or all of your experience? I know you typically create great video memories of your cruises. Zip lining clips would likely be great in your memory videos! Did anyone else do the zip lining with you? 

[FJB]

4 hours ago, Kendall James-Vargas said:

@FJB I'm so glad you considered my recommendation and tried out zip line during your time in Antigua. Were you able to film part or all of your experience? I know you typically create great video memories of your cruises. Zip lining clips would likely be great in your memory videos! Did anyone else do the zip lining with you? 

Unfortunately I did not have the right harness for my GoPro and the staff would not allow me to hold my GoPro while ziplining so no footage of me actually zipping.  I will try to start a new thread of my experience on this last Celebrity cruise.  

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@FJB That's a bummer! When doing an activity line that, should you wear one that attaches to your forehead? I see why the zip lining staff didn't allow you to bring anything hand held along because of the potential loss associated. Is there a chest strap style you could use to film with your GoPro while adventuring? My husband enjoys the GoPro but he always brings the little and large poles that can go underwater. He doesn't have any of the additional attachments. I would love to see that new thread. I will keep my eyes peeled for it. I love your recap posts! Every time I want to try Celebrity Cruises more and more.