Review: 12N Scandinavia & Russia - Celebrity Silhouette 28/May/2015

Nice photos, thanks.

The walk around the barracks and the coastline was a lot of fun. The weather was overcast and we were certain that it was going to rain, but fortunately it didn't.

We then headed towards Stroget and Nyhavn. Now I must say that DW and I love walking streets in Europe and Copenhagen certainly had one of the best we've seen so far! Stroget was absolutely amazing. Long streets filled with shops, cafes and eateries!

We took a 1 hour canal ride from Nyhavn and it was nice to see a lot of landmarks from the sea!

Nyhavn and Stroget are truly wonderful places where you can literally spend an entire day. The shopping wasn't very expensive either (we had heard that Scandinavia can be frightfully expensive).

The boat ride from Nyhavn takes you around the canal and shows you some good views of the city.

For those interested, there are also combo options of this boat ride with HOHO buses.

After spending quite a bit of time at Stroget, we decided to stroll back to our ship. The walk was around 3.5kms long but DW and I were not tired.

The walk was amazing and took us through the Rosenberg Castle Gardens which was a huge garden. Reminded us of the amazing Gorky Park in Moscow, but this was much smaller. The gardens near the port too were absolutely amazing (Langelinie) and is close to the Little Mermaid statue so you cannot miss it.

7th June 2015

Copenhagen Day2

Day2 was more like half a day in Copenhagen since we needed to be back on the ship by 2:30 in the afternoon. So we decided to walk to the Little Mermaid Statue, Kastellet, Amalienborg (which is 4 identical palaces next to one another) and back to Stroget for some more shopping and people watching.

We really enjoyed this day as it was at our own pace, the weather was nice and cool and the scenery was amazing!

This fountain really reminded me of my favourite fountain in Rome, the Trevi. Although not as grand as the Trevi, this one had the church in the background, the Kastellet on one side and the ship and the dock behind and it was really wonderful to stand here and people watch.

I LOVE your review. I was on the same cruise and it was great! I did see my wife and one of the pictures :D

If you want to check my pictures (not all of them are up yet), add me to my Facebook (Robin Schrijnemeeckers). I welcome all cruise addicts to my Facebook by the way ;)

I LOVE your review. I was on the same cruise and it was great! I did see my wife and one of the pictures :D

 

If you want to check my pictures (not all of them are up yet), add me to my Facebook (Robin Schrijnemeeckers). I welcome all cruise addicts to my Facebook by the way ;)

Hey Robin, Glad you're enjoying the review! The cruise was fantastic and we're already planning our next one.

Cheers!

After a thoroughly enjoyable (half) day in Copenhagen we made it back to the ship at sharp 2:30PM.

We then decided to really explore the ship and make the most of it on our last 1.5 days on the ship. Because of the really busy itinerary, we had hardly laid back and done most of the things that we used to do on the ship. This was the first cruise where we didn't use the pool or the solarium, we didn't even step into the gym (but we did ALOT of cardio while walking in the cities), didn't even use the jacuzzi !

Tonight was also our last Formal Night so we decided to have a light snack at our favourite Mast Grill, so that we don't spoil our appetite. We took off our walking shoes and we're ready to take the definition of lazing around to a whole new level.

I was also thrilled to know that the ship was broadcasting the Formula1 Canadian GP LIVE, so I first headed up to the sports bar to watch that.

The formal night was good fun. There were plenty of shows and the crowd was in a great mood to party.

It was also on this day, when the cruise director and his team threw one hell of a party! I've never seen anyone being able to get the crowd going like our CD Richard Spacey. He just let loose and lit up the entire evening with his crazy moves. The band TOP NOTCH was dishing out some amazing songs from the 70s and 80s and Richard and his team brought down the house. I'm going to let some of these pictures tell the story...

People weren't just dancing in the aisles, but even in the elevators!

The band kept playing one great song after another and Richard and his team matched them with their enthusiasm and raw energy. The party was certainly unlike any other we had seen on any of our other cruises, and the entire crowd definitely had a super time.

Later we grabbed some dinner which was amazing since all the chefs came out to the dinning room and gave us an opportunity to show our appreciation to all of them for taking such good care of us and feeding us such amazing meals!

Next up: our final sea day

8th June 2015: Sea Day

Maybe it was Monday, maybe because it was our final day on this fabulous cruise, maybe a combination of both, but the Blues were really starting to set in. I call them post cruise depression syndrome. But I quickly ignored that and decided that I wasn't going to let that ruin my last day on the ship! Plus we also had 2 days in Amsterdam and a week of vacation before going back to work, so the excitement was right back!

We woke up late since we were not too keen for a heavy breakfast. The last sea day has a brunch in the Ocean view which has some amazing desserts. This used to be in the MDR but since 2014 it changed to the Oceanview cafe. It was excellent.

After filling ourselves silly we played some Bingo, we played ALOT of table tennis, shopped around for some souvenirs at the shops, lazed around in our balcony and the solarium and played in the casino!

Luck seemed to be favouring us in the casino, DW won $45 in slots (she was down to $0.89 when it happened). I've never seen it happen in slots!

And then later in the evening, my FIL hit the jackpot on the same machine and won $75 !

All in all a super day. We also booked a future cruise since there was a great promotion on board where you get the Go123 Promo and an additional $200 as OBC on this cruise or the next. We finally retired back to our room for our final night on the cruise. We love our stateroom :-(

After a thoroughly enjoyable (half) day in Copenhagen we made it back to the ship at sharp 2:30PM.

 

We then decided to really explore the ship and make the most of it on our last 1.5 days on the ship. Because of the really busy itinerary, we had hardly laid back and done most of the things that we used to do on the ship. This was the first cruise where we didn't use the pool or the solarium, we didn't even step into the gym (but we did ALOT of cardio while walking in the cities), didn't even use the jacuzzi !

 

 

Tonight was also our last Formal Night so we decided to have a light snack at our favourite Mast Grill, so that we don't spoil our appetite. We took off our walking shoes and we're ready to take the definition of lazing around to a whole new level.

 

I was also thrilled to know that the ship was broadcasting the Formula1 Canadian GP LIVE, so I first headed up to the sports bar to watch that.

 

 

The formal night was good fun. There were plenty of shows and the crowd was in a great mood to party.

 

s!

The picture you show of the "Sports Bar" looks just like what used to be the Molecular Bar.

Is that what they're calling it now? :(

(It's in the foreward area of the "art" gallery across from the watch shop, just aft of Cafe Al Bacio)

Great review.

Couple of questions...what port did you use in Stockholm? And will you be posting scans of the Celebrity Today?

Thanks again for all your work!

The picture you show of the "Sports Bar" looks just like what used to be the Molecular Bar.

Is that what they're calling it now? :(

(It's in the foreward area of the "art" gallery across from the watch shop, just aft of Cafe Al Bacio)

Yup it's official name is the Molecular Bar but most of the time there was tennis and other sports shown so I called it the sports bar 😊

Great review.

 

Couple of questions...what port did you use in Stockholm? And will you be posting scans of the Celebrity Today?

 

Thanks again for all your work!

Hi Jayson, in Stockholm we were at the Frihamnen port. Very convenient. Nice view as well.

Would you want the scans of the celebrity today dailies? I think I have them. Anything specific you're looking for?

this was an incredibly well done review........I have enjoyed each and every moment with you. I am starting to plan this trip for next year, and you have given me the inspiration and courage to see Moscow on our own. again, a huge thank you!!!

this was an incredibly well done review........I have enjoyed each and every moment with you. I am starting to plan this trip for next year, and you have given me the inspiration and courage to see Moscow on our own. again, a huge thank you!!!

Thank you 😊 this is a really good itinerary and I'm sure you will enjoy Moscow as well.

9th June 2015:

Well, it was here. The dreaded last day of the cruise! Woe is me. I absolutely HATE leaving a cruise. The thought of waiting another entire year before being able to cruise again makes me totally depressed. Being made to slog for 350 days so you can really LIVE for 15 days is not fair! Typically these kind of thoughts run through Sent from my iPhone

But let's look at the positives. This was one of our best cruises in terms of itinerary. We saw so many wonderful places and had absolutely amazing weather throughout the cruise. We were leaving with wonderful memories.

I opened the balcony door to spend some more time out and thought that they really need this machine to haul me off the ship!

After a quick breakfast, we got off the ship for a loooooong walk to the baggage collection counter. The weather in Amsterdam was FREEZING ! Definitely below 10 degrees C and definitely not good for wearing shorts!

Our last shot of our home away from home. Till next time you beauty!

Our baggage was found easily and we then stood in a really long line for a cab. We were staying at the IBIS styles Amsterdam Central station hotel which was very close to the dock. However since we had a lot of bags, we decided to cab it. We managed to get a large cab which fit 6 people and 10 bags and in 10 minutes we were at the hotel. The cab driver had a problem finding the place since some roads were closed so we called up the hotel and they gave him directions.

However, when we reached the hotel, we realised that he had dropped us off at the wrong IBIS hotel. Luckily the correct one was just across the street so we dragged our bags there!

We managed to get 1 room so we just dumped all our bags in the room and got ready to go out and explore Amsterdam!

As usual, DW and I decided to walk while my in laws and their friends decided to take the trams. We decided to meet back at the hotel at 7PM. We figured 6-7 hours was more than enough time to wander around the city. So off we went.

The hotel was in an excellent location. Just at the base of Damrak, the main pedestrian street from where everything was accessible by foot. We first walked past the sex museum which was absolutely hilarious! €4 entry per person. I'm not posting any pics as it isn't entirely safe for work.

We then had to try the famous chips with various sauces. We took the smallest size and neither of us could finish even half of it. But they were excellent!

As we walked down further, we also saw a huge cheese shop and one of our favourite falafel shops, MAOZ. We had eaten at a MAOZ in Barcelona and absolutely loved it. We were so glad to find one in Amsterdam and we decided to eat here later. An absolute must try when in Amsterdam/Barcelona!

We then walked to the Dam square which had the palace, the national monument and the madam Tussaud's museum. Plenty of little shops along the way as well.

The city was vibrant and buzzing, just the way we liked it. Out of all the places we'd been, and all the walking/shopping streets we'd seen, Amsterdam was quickly becoming our favourite. The cold weather also made it ideal for walking, without any of us getting tired.

There was actually an entire store selling cornetto ice creams! In this weather! I think I'd like to move to Amsterdam.

We then decided to take a tram to the Rijksmuseum. DW and I were in no mood to be indoors in this weather so we decided to visit the inside of the museum on our next trip here (we had already fallen for this awesome city and decided to come back soon, hopefully on another cruise)

At the Rijksmuseum we hung around the iamsterdam sign, lots of people here. Walked through the gardens. Played with some kids in the fountain. The usual stuff!

We were also on the look out for interesting places on the way to the museum and having seen so many amazing stops on the way, we decided to walk back from the museum to our hotel, via these places.

So we walked past the numerous bars and restaurants from Leidseplein towards Leidsestraat which was an even better walking street! I absolutely loved this shop called Eichholtz Deli which had every imaginable chocolate you could think of. I finally found mint M&Ms that I was looking for during the entire trip only at this store! Woohoo!

We also found a Magnum ice cream shop that allowed you to make your own flavoured (design) ice cream!

More food and sweets!

DW was quickly regretting walking back since I was going crazy just ogling at all these yummy treats! We also found a coffee shop from where we bought a space brownie which DW was dying to try. Didn't have any effect on DW what so ever, she said it was quite mild and tasted ordinary. Oh well, there were plenty of better things to eat!!

Amsterdam really has some of the best bakeries!

We walked onwards to the Bloemenmarkt (the floating Flower Market) and it was a really nice colourful place!

After walking and shopping for 6 hours straight, we reached our hotel at around 6:30 PM for a quick rest and change of clothes. We also managed to get our other 2 rooms and so we were all finally checked in.

At 7:00PM we caught up with the others and left together for a canal ride. The canal ride was a 5 minute walk away, right opposite MAOZ and at the base of the road which leads to Amsterdam's famous red light district.

The canal boat ride was 1.5 hours long and gave us a chance to see some amazing sights. Amsterdam really is very similar to Venice.

Some more sights from the canal cruise!

Here's the tallest bicycle parking building!

Avalon River cruises in the waters of Amsterdam...

A replica of the famous floating Chinese cuisine restaurant in HongKong (Sea Palace) and the Library

Thank you 😊 this is a really good itinerary and I'm sure you will enjoy Moscow as well.

Thanks for a wonderful review Nick, the pictures only made it even better! We too loved this itinerary, also cruising with the whole family was a pleasure in itself. DH and I most certainly want to visit Moscow one of these days, will certainly pick your brains for tips.

We saw the Silhouette just leaving on her next sailing when we did the Amsterdam canal cruise, my sister and I go back on her for our British Isles itinerary in a month's time, can't wait:D

Thanks again, hope to meet up again one of these days...:)

I really enjoyed your review!

The pictures are beautiful, and your write up of the various places is a great companion to the sights.

We are trying Celebrity (and the Silhouette) for the first time later this year.

Your review is giving me even more reasons to look forward to the ship and all she has to offer.:D

Ted

Great photos and commentary. We are sailing on the Eclipse next Saturday to the Baltics and this has been a great preview.

JoAnn

Thanks for a wonderful review Nick, the pictures only made it even better! We too loved this itinerary, also cruising with the whole family was a pleasure in itself. DH and I most certainly want to visit Moscow one of these days, will certainly pick your brains for tips.

 

We saw the Silhouette just leaving on her next sailing when we did the Amsterdam canal cruise, my sister and I go back on her for our British Isles itinerary in a month's time, can't wait:D

 

Thanks again, hope to meet up again one of these days...:)

Thanks Geeta. Hope you enjoy the British Isles cruise as much as we enjoyed the Baltic. DW and I were thinking about looking at this one sometime soon. We just can't get enough of Europe.

I really enjoyed your review!

The pictures are beautiful, and your write up of the various places is a great companion to the sights.

 

We are trying Celebrity (and the Silhouette) for the first time later this year.

Your review is giving me even more reasons to look forward to the ship and all she has to offer.:D

 

Ted

Thanks Ted. The ship is a real beauty. DW and I loved Royal Caribbean but now Celebrity is our first choice. We hate leaving this ship!