Silhouette, British Isles port review 6/9/2015

We've cruised with Celebrity many times. However, this was our first time on the Silhouette. We loved the food and service. This was a great cruise.

Amsterdam is a place we've visited previously so we just flew in a day before departure. We took the train from the airport to Central Station (5 euros pp), and a taxi to the lovely Hotel Esthera.

Dover, England

We could see the famous white cliffs from our balcony.

There were many blue port buses waiting to take passengers to Dover Castle. $7 pp round trip and they took dollars. It was an uphill hike to the entrance, and there was a long line ahead of us to pay. Once inside we followed the path to the secret war tunnels. Two guided tours run every 20 minutes. Our charming guide for the hospital tour told stories about what it was like to live and work underground during WWII. The 45 minute Operation Dynamo tour is well done with film and original radio broadcasts.

The land train took us up the hill to the castle. Buses back to the pier run every 30 minutes.

St. Peter Port, Guernsey

This is a tender port - pretty town.

Cork (Cobh) Ireland

This was our favorite day of the cruise. I am not a fan of big bus tours, but after reading positive reviews of eCoach, I booked with them. An eight hour tour cost 35 euros pp, paid in advance. Ian was our wonderful driver/guide. He gave interesting narration as we drove through Cork on our way to Blarney Castle. I booked our tickets to the castle online ($13). Kissing the Blarney Stone did not interest us, but we enjoyed two hours exploring the gardens, waterfalls, and parkland on our own.

Next we had two hours in the quaint village of Kinsale. Last was a quick stop at Charlesfort before driving back to Cobh and the ship.

Dublin (Dun Laoghaire) Ireland

Dun Laoghaire is a tender port. The ship was quite far from shore so tendering took a long time. We had priority tendering, but it was a total of 2 hours from the time we waited for the tender, caught the train to Dublin, and got off at Pearse Station.

The train station in Dun Laoghaire had good city maps of Dublin. Upon arrival in Dublin we walked to the free National Gallery on Clare Street. We enjoyed seeing works by Vermeer, Goya, Monet, Pizarro, and Picasso.

Leaving the Gallery we continued on to Kilkenny Department Store. We ate a tasty lunch in their cafeteria upstairs. They offer a variety of choices at reasonable prices.

The nearby campus of Trinity College was attractive.

Next we had a quick look in the free National Museum: Archeology. My husband asked the guard to recommend a good pub. He directed us to The Blarney Inn. After having a beer, we headed back to the train station. Trains run three times an hour, and take 20 minutes to port.

Liverpool, England

The ship docked in a perfect location with lots of attractions on the waterfront. We could see the new (free) Museum of Liverpool from the ship. The top floor has musical/cultural exhibits from the 50's and 60's. We enjoyed watching a short film of the Beatles. Suits worn by the Beatles were on display along with album covers, newspaper articles, a small model of the house where John Lennon grew up, etc.

Our friends spend two hours at "The Beatles Story" and liked it. ($26, located on Albert Dock)

We walked to Matthew Street to see the Cavern Club where the Beatles performed in their early career. We also stopped in the free Merseyside Maritime Museum with displays on the Titanic and Lusitania.

Greenock to Edinburgh, Scotland

We took the ship's excursion "Edinburgh on Your Own" (9 hours with a two hour drive each way.) Upon arrival we walked a few blocks to the free National Gallery on Princes Street. After viewing the artwork, we ate lunch in their excellent restaurant with a view of the Princes Street Gardens.

The free National Museum of Scotland is worth a visit. The museum is huge. There are 2 linked buildings - one houses collections relating to Scottish history, and the other showcases natural history and world cultures. A lift in the Scottish building goes to the roof terrace on level 7 with great views of the city.

Edinburgh is a beautiful city, and we admired the architecture of the old stone buildings along the Royal Mile.

Holyhead, Wales

Holyhead was scheduled for June 17th. On the 15th the captain announced that the Harbor Master was refusing to allow the Silhouette to call in Holyhead, and it was necessary to cancel the port. On the 16th we had a letter in our stateroom confirming this. "We were very disappointed to receive this late information from the port, and tried to have them reverse this decision, to no avail."

We had prepaid an excursion with Busybus. They will refund 50% of our payment. Although sorry to miss visiting Wales, we didn't let it ruin our cruise.

Because Holyhead was cancelled, Celebrity added an extra day in Le Havre.

Le Havre, France

In 2013 we visited Le Havre for 2 days while on the Infinity. At that time we went to Etretat, Fecamp, and Honfleur on a private excursion. The next day we went to Rouen & Giverny. All were wonderful!

This time my husband joined a private Overlord tour to the beaches of Normandy with a group from Cruise Critic. The history and locations of the D Day Invasion on Omaha and Utah beaches were covered well by an excellent guide. It was a long day, but he enjoyed the sights of Normandy.

Hello -- we have Dover on our itinerary in a couple of weeks. A couple of questions:

1) Are the "blue port buses" the same thing as the "land trains"?

2) Where did you get dropped off? At the entrance to the castle, or at the bottom?

3) I guess my real question is -- how much uphill walking/hiking is there? I'm traveling with my 70-something mom.

Thanks,

Cathy

Dover, England

We could see the famous white cliffs from our balcony.

There were many blue port buses waiting to take passengers to Dover Castle. $7 pp round trip and they took dollars. It was an uphill hike to the entrance, and there was a long line ahead of us to pay. Once inside we followed the path to the secret war tunnels. Two guided tours run every 20 minutes. Our charming guide for the hospital tour told stories about what it was like to live and work underground during WWII. The 45 minute Operation Dynamo tour is well done with film and original radio broadcasts.

The land train took us up the hill to the castle. Buses back to the pier run every 30 minutes.

We're doing the British Isles Cruise, next May. Thanks for the review! BTW -- what was the weather like? :cool:

Hello -- we have Dover on our itinerary in a couple of weeks. A couple of questions:

1) Are the "blue port buses" the same thing as the "land trains"?

2) Where did you get dropped off? At the entrance to the castle, or at the bottom?

3) I guess my real question is -- how much uphill walking/hiking is there? I'm traveling with my 70-something mom.

 

Thanks,

Cathy

 

Dover, England

We could see the famous white cliffs from our balcony.

There were many blue port buses waiting to take passengers to Dover Castle. $7 pp round trip and they took dollars. It was an uphill hike to the entrance, and there was a long line ahead of us to pay. Once inside we followed the path to the secret war tunnels. Two guided tours run every 20 minutes. Our charming guide for the hospital tour told stories about what it was like to live and work underground during WWII. The 45 minute Operation Dynamo tour is well done with film and original radio broadcasts.

The land train took us up the hill to the castle. Buses back to the pier run every 30 minutes.

1) The land trains are trolleys that will take you from the war tunnels up a steep hill to the castle. They don't run everyday. They are not the same as the port buses.

2) You get dropped off at the bottom of the hill, and have to walk up to the ticket area and castle. There was a parking lot in the middle of the large grounds surrounding the castle so perhaps a taxi would get you closer.

3) My husband and I are "seniors", but did not have any trouble touring the grounds. The entrance to the war tunnel is rather steep and in a few places dark. It depends on how fit your mom is.

We're doing the British Isles Cruise, next May. Thanks for the review! BTW -- what was the weather like? :cool:

Although it was often cloudy we only had rain one morning in Le Harve. We were lucky as my neighbors did the same itinerary in July, 2013 and they had rain in every port.

Although it was often cloudy we only had rain one morning in Le Harve. We were lucky as my neighbors did the same itinerary in July, 2013 and they had rain in every port.

Well, being from Western Washington, we should be used to that, right?;)

Sounds great, and thanks for the review.

I'm sorry you missed or had to miss the Normandy beaches. One of our best vacation days EVER (and we've had many) was that day on a private tour. There was only one other lady besides me - all the ladies went to other places. I guess some thought it was a "man's" tour??? I had no intention of missing the cemetery and Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, the sights around the area. It was an 11 hour tour and I was in tears off and on all day. If you ever get a chance to go again, DO!!!

We hope to do a British Isles cruise and I've looked at that one and one on Azamara. Both have advantages.

We are doing this cruise in July. Can you tell me what you did for Currency? Did you have GBP, Euros and Dollars or did you mostly use your credit card?

I ordered some GBP and euros from my bank. The Guest Relations desk on the ship also has foreign currency although at a less favorable rate of exchange.

I used my credit card for our hotel and dinner in Amsterdam, and the entrance fee to Dover Castle. You need a card with a chip. Some small restaurants in Amsterdam were cash only.

We've cruised with Celebrity many times. However, this was our first time on the Silhouette. We loved the food and service. This was a great cruise.

 

Amsterdam is a place we've visited previously so we just flew in a day before departure. We took the train from the airport to Central Station (5 euros pp), and a taxi to the lovely Hotel Esthera.

 

Dover, England

We could see the famous white cliffs from our balcony.

There were many blue port buses waiting to take passengers to Dover Castle. $7 pp round trip and they took dollars. It was an uphill hike to the entrance, and there was a long line ahead of us to pay. Once inside we followed the path to the secret war tunnels. Two guided tours run every 20 minutes. Our charming guide for the hospital tour told stories about what it was like to live and work underground during WWII. The 45 minute Operation Dynamo tour is well done with film and original radio broadcasts.

The land train took us up the hill to the castle. Buses back to the pier run every 30 minutes.

 

St. Peter Port, Guernsey

This is a tender port - pretty town.

 

Cork (Cobh) Ireland

This was our favorite day of the cruise. I am not a fan of big bus tours, but after reading positive reviews of eCoach, I booked with them. An eight hour tour cost 35 euros pp, paid in advance. Ian was our wonderful driver/guide. He gave interesting narration as we drove through Cork on our way to Blarney Castle. I booked our tickets to the castle online ($13). Kissing the Blarney Stone did not interest us, but we enjoyed two hours exploring the gardens, waterfalls, and parkland on our own.

 

Next we had two hours in the quaint village of Kinsale. Last was a quick stop at Charlesfort before driving back to Cobh and the ship.

 

Dublin (Dun Laoghaire) Ireland

Dun Laoghaire is a tender port. The ship was quite far from shore so tendering took a long time. We had priority tendering, but it was a total of 2 hours from the time we waited for the tender, caught the train to Dublin, and got off at Pearse Station.

The train station in Dun Laoghaire had good city maps of Dublin. Upon arrival in Dublin we walked to the free National Gallery on Clare Street. We enjoyed seeing works by Vermeer, Goya, Monet, Pizarro, and Picasso.

Leaving the Gallery we continued on to Kilkenny Department Store. We ate a tasty lunch in their cafeteria upstairs. They offer a variety of choices at reasonable prices.

The nearby campus of Trinity College was attractive.

Next we had a quick look in the free National Museum: Archeology. My husband asked the guard to recommend a good pub. He directed us to The Blarney Inn. After having a beer, we headed back to the train station. Trains run three times an hour, and take 20 minutes to port.

 

Liverpool, England

The ship docked in a perfect location with lots of attractions on the waterfront. We could see the new (free) Museum of Liverpool from the ship. The top floor has musical/cultural exhibits from the 50's and 60's. We enjoyed watching a short film of the Beatles. Suits worn by the Beatles were on display along with album covers, newspaper articles, a small model of the house where John Lennon grew up, etc.

 

Our friends spend two hours at "The Beatles Story" and liked it. ($26, located on Albert Dock)

We walked to Matthew Street to see the Cavern Club where the Beatles performed in their early career. We also stopped in the free Merseyside Maritime Museum with displays on the Titanic and Lusitania.

 

Greenock to Edinburgh, Scotland

We took the ship's excursion "Edinburgh on Your Own" (9 hours with a two hour drive each way.) Upon arrival we walked a few blocks to the free National Gallery on Princes Street. After viewing the artwork, we ate lunch in their excellent restaurant with a view of the Princes Street Gardens.

 

The free National Museum of Scotland is worth a visit. The museum is huge. There are 2 linked buildings - one houses collections relating to Scottish history, and the other showcases natural history and world cultures. A lift in the Scottish building goes to the roof terrace on level 7 with great views of the city.

Edinburgh is a beautiful city, and we admired the architecture of the old stone buildings along the Royal Mile.

 

Holyhead, Wales

Holyhead was scheduled for June 17th. On the 15th the captain announced that the Harbor Master was refusing to allow the Silhouette to call in Holyhead, and it was necessary to cancel the port. On the 16th we had a letter in our stateroom confirming this. "We were very disappointed to receive this late information from the port, and tried to have them reverse this decision, to no avail."

We had prepaid an excursion with Busybus. They will refund 50% of our payment. Although sorry to miss visiting Wales, we didn't let it ruin our cruise.

Because Holyhead was cancelled, Celebrity added an extra day in Le Havre.

 

Le Havre, France

In 2013 we visited Le Havre for 2 days while on the Infinity. At that time we went to Etretat, Fecamp, and Honfleur on a private excursion. The next day we went to Rouen & Giverny. All were wonderful!

 

This time my husband joined a private Overlord tour to the beaches of Normandy with a group from Cruise Critic. The history and locations of the D Day Invasion on Omaha and Utah beaches were covered well by an excellent guide. It was a long day, but he enjoyed the sights of Normandy.

Thank you for port info, we are scheduled for Silhouette Aug 6, 2016 British Isles cruise.

We too have reserved The Esthera for this years cruise, any further information such as room description, location etc,?

Thanks for the review.

Thanks for the review. We are doing the BI in July (15) but our ports are slightly different and we are overnight in Edinburgh and are going to Belfast. We, too, are taking the ecoach tour so I was very glad to read that you enjoyed it. We have been to Blarney and Cork in the past and really booked this to have some time in Kinsale.

We also stayed at the Hotel Estherea in April/May this year before a Baltic cruise on the Silhouette. It was lovely, very "Amsterdamish" since it is three canal houses joined together and beautifully restored. Complimentary water, coffee, cookies and candy all day. Lovely breakfast room and a (never before seen) complimentary iPad to use during your stay. I loved it so much I cancelled the Doubletree for the BI cruise and booked the Hotel Estherea again for two nights before the BI cruise.

Just to add, we have already had two changes in ports/docking, one in Edinburgh, where we will be tendered and the other where we will dock in Dublin but at a rather industrial site. Oh well, I'm sure we will enjoy it nevertheless.

Thanks for the review, my sister and I are on the Aug 8 sailing out of Amsterdam and it was great to hear from someone who just did a similar itinerary. We also want to take Celebrity's shuttle to Edinburgh from Greenock, I plan to get online tickets to the castle, will also walk around the Royal Mile and take in the National Gallery.

We were to tender in Dun Laoghaire but have since been informed that we'll be docking in Dublin, need to check where exactly though, but hopefully it'll be closer than the original port. We overnight there and sail out is pretty late on Day 2, so we plan on staying in town after our tours on both days. Also looking forward to Wales, so fingers crossed that we're able to make it to Holyhead...:)

Thank you so much for your informed post. We are taking the same cruise in 2016 so it helps a lot to about it from someone who's done it.

Hotel Estherea is located on Singel Canal in an area of good restaurants and within easy walking distance of the main sights. The lobby is beautiful with crystal chandeliers and bouquets of fresh flowers.

The rooms are small, but each decorated individually. Our room overlooked the courtyard and was quiet. It was charmingly decorated with blue & white floral wallpaper and framed flower prints. (Check out their reviews and photos on Trip Advisor.)

The desk called a taxi for us when we left for the ship. The price of a taxi to the pier was 13 euros.

Hotel Estherea is located on Singel Canal in an area of good restaurants and within easy walking distance of the main sights. The lobby is beautiful with crystal chandeliers and bouquets of fresh flowers.

The rooms are small, but each decorated individually. Our room overlooked the courtyard and was quiet. It was charmingly decorated with blue & white floral wallpaper and framed flower prints. (Check out their reviews and photos on Trip Advisor.)

The desk called a taxi for us when we left for the ship. The price of a taxi to the pier was 13 euros.

Thank you for the info on the hotel. Sounds nice. also thank you for taxi information.

how did you find out about the port changes? This is our first trip to BI and we are trying to navigate

The captain announced the cancellation of our port call in Wales on the evening of the 15th. (We were due to dock in Wales on the 17th.) He had been informed of a last minute refusal by the Harbor Master in Holyhead to allow the Silhouette to dock.

The following day (the 16th) there was a letter in our stateroom confirming this.

Thank you for all your great information. First time posting on this site, it is so helpful.

"Just to add, we have already had two changes in ports/docking, one in Edinburgh, where we will be tendered"

Hopefully for your new Edinburgh tender spot will mean you'll be anchored right under the Forth Bridge which has just received World Heritage Status. From there you'll also see the Forth Road bridge (built 50 years ago) and the construction of the new Road Bridge too!

The captain announced the cancellation of our port call in Wales on the evening of the 15th. (We were due to dock in Wales on the 17th.) He had been informed of a last minute refusal by the Harbor Master in Holyhead to allow the Silhouette to dock.

The following day (the 16th) there was a letter in our stateroom confirming this.

Did they give you a reason why they couldn't dock ? Did they dock somewhere else ?

Did they give you a reason why they couldn't dock ? Did they dock somewhere else ?

We were not informed of the reason. A cruise critic member quoted the local paper which citied weather conditions and the size of the Silhouette. The Harbor Master feared the ship would damage their dock.

Because we were not able to call in Wales, Celebrity added an extra day in Le Havre, France.