2017: Silhouette to Amsterdam and maiden call Eclipse

On another thread someone asked about the 2017 schedule for Alaska and Pacific Coastal. One of the replies was that the schedules up to April 2017 are out (and have been for quite some time now) and that the next 'batch' is not expected until November. For those of you who wonder about the European schedule for 2017, my guess is that those sailings will be announced in the next couple of weeks... Why do I think that? Well, this week the port of Amsterdam posted all the docking times for Silhouette in 2017, starting at May 7. So, yes, Silhouette will return in 2017 to Amsterdam for her third season in a row. While that was to be expected, I also noticed a maiden call of Eclipse to Amsterdam. No, not for a turn-around, but for a regular (and so far one-time only) cruise call. Safe to say that Eclipse will be 'homeported' (new verb?) in Southampton again.

thank you for posting. I am waiting for 2017 TA scheduling....

I am waiting for 2017 TA scheduling....

How nice, so am I! That's why I wrote down the last cruises of all the Solstice class ships in April 2017. That gives me all the start dates for the TAs:

- Reflection: April 15 out of Miami. Best guess destination: Rome.

- Eclipse: April 16 out of Miami. Best guess destination: Southampton

- Silhouette: April 16 out of Ft. Lauderdale. Best guess destination: Southampton

- Equinox: April 24 out of Ft. Lauderdale. Best guess destination: Barcelona.

And, no, I did not make a typo with the destination of Silhouette ;) She's leaving FLL on April 16 and her first cruise out of Amsterdam is not before May 7. That's three weeks, so I am betting that she's heading for Southampton first and do one 7 night cruise from there before arriving at her home port for the summer.

How nice, so am I! That's why I wrote down the last cruises of all the Solstice class ships in April 2017. That gives me all the start dates for the TAs:

- Reflection: April 15 out of Miami. Best guess destination: Rome.

- Eclipse: April 16 out of Miami. Best guess destination: Southampton

- Silhouette: April 16 out of Ft. Lauderdale. Best guess destination: Southampton

- Equinox: April 24 out of Ft. Lauderdale. Best guess destination: Barcelona.

 

And, no, I did not make a typo with the destination of Silhouette ;) She's leaving FLL on April 16 and her first cruise out of Amsterdam is not before May 7. That's three weeks, so I am betting that she's heading for Southampton first and do one 7 night cruise from there before arriving at her home port for the summer.

I thought that I was the only one who did this sort of prediction!

I get so frustrated when I see that part of the 2017 cruises are out and when I open one up like Antarctica Cruise, AQ and Concierge Classes are already sold out.

This cruise is 19 months away!!!!

Are people getting advanced notification before they go out to everyone else?

I am a Captains Club member and have NEVER received advanced notification of any cruise. I love Celebrity but this is ridiculous.

I would appreciate any suggestions

Thanks

I get so frustrated when I see that part of the 2017 cruises are out and when I open one up like Antarctica Cruise, AQ and Concierge Classes are already sold out.

This cruise is 19 months away!!!!

 

Are people getting advanced notification before they go out to everyone else?

I am a Captains Club member and have NEVER received advanced notification of any cruise. I love Celebrity but this is ridiculous.

 

I would appreciate any suggestions

Thanks

When is the cruise to which you are referring?

Cruises up until April 2017 have been released and have been on sale since The end [November and December] of last year. Many have a number of categories already sold out. Except for a week when each staged release is available only to Captain's Club members, they have been fully open for the public to book since then.

If you can see cruises for dates past April 2017 [excluding Expedition], it is possible that Celebrity are in the process of setting up the next season's cruises and YOU are the lucky one getting a sneak preview. Take a note because you should not be seeing them [but I am sure I have read of such slips by Celebrity in the past on Cruise Critic.

One thing I would look out for, is perhaps they are still firming up timing of the TA's in the spring and fall, and maybe they have just reserved just to hold space.

On the investor call yesterday, they stated they are looking to expand the seasons for ships in Europe and Asia, which means they will spend less time in Caribbean, so I would expect the TA's to happen a week or 2 sooner, which may allow for some unique European itineraries early and late in the season there.

Also they were very clear that advanced bookings are the highest the company has ever experienced, so it's no surprise you are seeing complete cabin categories unavailable, the various promos have worked, like 123, 123 All-In, and BBB.

I've seen entire cabin categories gone for my late 2015 and early 2016 sailings for some time. My annual cruise after thanksgiving, last year was 60% available cabins at final payment, today it's at 12% open cabins, and we are not even at final pay.

I just came across this quote in an article about the financials released yesterday:

The drivers of that demand are multiple. According to Fain, the company is opening up the ability for folks to book future cruises -- and marketing the packages to prospects -- earlier than in the past.

Wonder if we will see the 2017 season open before November this year....

I just came across this quote in an article about the financials released yesterday:

 

Wonder if we will see the 2017 season open before November this year....

It certainly works for Azamara, which is also seeing unprecedented booking levels. But people get upset when these extra-early plans have to be changed. [Azamara had this problem with some lengthy charters, which were only booked after orders had been taken; Celebrity has something similar with the Caribbean overnights] Once you start taking orders, you should really strive to keep the itinerary as announced (IMHO).

I can't find where the Amsterdam schedule. The one sight that looked promising only shows ships through 2016.

I just came across this quote in an article about the financials released yesterday:

 

Wonder if we will see the 2017 season open before November this year....

There have been a couple of hints [must have been on Cruise Critic - I do not see anything else] that they would open even earlier this year. Sorry, I am unable to quote, jut little worms eating into my brain - so they were probably quite subtle.

I was on an Eclipse Baltic cruise back in 2010 when our particular sailing made a stop in Rotterdam instead of Copenhagen which it had done on all other sailings that first season. I always wondered why, especially as I would've preferred to see Copenhagen but that was the only sailing our schedules would allow.

I can't find where the Amsterdam schedule. The one sight that looked promising only shows ships through 2016.

Here's the website of the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam: http://www.ptamsterdam.nl/en/cruises-portal

Here's the website of the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam: http://www.ptamsterdam.nl/en/cruises-portal

Awesome.

Interesting Eclipse has an Overnight in Amsterdam arriving 7am June 8, 2017 departing 3pm June 9 2017

Any sort of "special event" in amsterdam then?

Here's the website of the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam: http://www.ptamsterdam.nl/en/cruises-portal

Thank you for link! Strangely enough, they have not posted the Solouette calls for June. Also, the 14 day British Isles cruise for August does not appear to be happening for 2017 like it did for 2015 and 2016. The 12 day British Open cruise looks to be starting July 18th. That's the one I'm interested in. Would like be to know what itinerary is going to be!

Love the overnight in Edinborough for the Tattoo on the Silhouette for 2016. Really hope this itinerary is repeated in 2017- it is wonderful. Next year's cruise is selling extremely well and I would hope Celebrity takes note an offers it again.

You bring up some good points. It must be great for the cruise lines to have ships half sold out up to 18 months ahead but it sure makes it frustrating for travelers who don't know what they will be doing a year and a half from now.

Oh well, will just have to try and keep on top of it

One thing I would look out for, is perhaps they are still firming up timing of the TA's in the spring and fall, and maybe they have just reserved just to hold space.

 

On the investor call yesterday, they stated they are looking to expand the seasons for ships in Europe and Asia, which means they will spend less time in Caribbean, so I would expect the TA's to happen a week or 2 sooner, which may allow for some unique European itineraries early and late in the season there.

 

Also they were very clear that advanced bookings are the highest the company has ever experienced, so it's no surprise you are seeing complete cabin categories unavailable, the various promos have worked, like 123, 123 All-In, and BBB.

 

I've seen entire cabin categories gone for my late 2015 and early 2016 sailings for some time. My annual cruise after thanksgiving, last year was 60% available cabins at final payment, today it's at 12% open cabins, and we are not even at final pay.

Awesome.

 

Interesting Eclipse has an Overnight in Amsterdam arriving 7am June 8, 2017 departing 3pm June 9 2017

 

Any sort of "special event" in amsterdam then?

Not that I know of. The only thing special about that day is that Eclipse is having an overnight :D

Thank you for link! Strangely enough, they have not posted the Solouette calls for June.

Hmm, I hadn't noticed that before... Question is: did they not post it yet or is Silhouette not visiting Amsterdam in June? Or did someone make a mistake and entered Eclipse on June 8 into the system instead of Silhouette?? Too many possible explanations at the moment; time will tell.

We did book the 6th August 2016 Silhouette sailing, but really want to postpone this trip until 2017.

I contacted the port authority in Lerwick, Shetland Islands and received a reply that the Silhouette is scheduled there for 8/17/2017....

Nice find on Lerwick, anybody else find another clue?

We did book the 6th August 2016 Silhouette sailing, but really want to postpone this trip until 2017.

 

I contacted the port authority in Lerwick, Shetland Islands and received a reply that the Silhouette is scheduled there for 8/17/2017....

Silhouette will be docked in Amsterdam on 8/11/2017 and 8/23/2017. If she's scheduled for Lerwick on 8/17/2017 that would mean that Silhouette will do a 12-Night British Isles cruise starting on 8/11/2017 out of Amsterdam. But that's two nights shorter than your 2016 itinerary.

Love the overnight in Edinburgh for the Tattoo on the Silhouette for 2016. Really hope this itinerary is repeated in 2017- it is wonderful. Next year's cruise is selling extremely well and I would hope Celebrity takes note an offers it again.

If Celebrity had any sense they would start the Round Britain cruises in Southampton, not Amsterdam. Well, it would be easier for those of us who live in UK.:)

On our recent Eclipse cruise, one of the officers answered my query as to why we now only have one ship sailing from UK:

"We find it difficult to fill ships sailing from UK."

The sailing we were on had 85% passengers who were from the UK!!

 

- Eclipse: April 16 out of Miami. Best guess destination: Southampton

- Silhouette: April 16 out of Ft. Lauderdale. Best guess destination: Southampton

- Equinox: April 24 out of Ft. Lauderdale. Best guess destination: Barcelona.

 

And, no, I did not make a typo with the destination of Silhouette She's leaving FLL on April 16 and her first cruise out of Amsterdam is not before May 7. That's three weeks, so I am betting that she's heading for Southampton first and do one 7 night cruise from there before arriving at her home port for the summer.

When is Shiloutte due for dry dock? This year Eclipse had one week in Dry dock before her Eastern TA, then a 2 nighters out of Southampton was slotted in before her scheduled cruise starting on May 9th.

When is Shiloutte due for dry dock? This year Eclipse had one week in Dry dock before her Eastern TA, then a 2 nighters out of Southampton was slotted in before her scheduled cruise starting on May 9th.

I believe Silhouette had a one-week dry dock in January... However, that was an unplanned dock visit to fix some Azipod problems, and I don't know if any other, regular, maintenance work was carried out.

Silhouette will be docked in Amsterdam on 8/11/2017 and 8/23/2017. If she's scheduled for Lerwick on 8/17/2017 that would mean that Silhouette will do a 12-Night British Isles cruise starting on 8/11/2017 out of Amsterdam. But that's two nights shorter than your 2016 itinerary.

With Lerwick so far north I'm wondering what ports might be eliminated as compared to the 2016 August 6 sailing which has the following itinerary:

Depart Amsterdam/Sea Day/Guernsey/Cobh/Dublin/Liverpool/Belfast/Sea Day/Lerwick/Inverness/Edinburgh/Edinburgh/Sea Day/Bruges/Return Amsterdam.

I know other 12-day British Isles Celebrity cruises visit LeHavre, Holyhead and Greenock via a loop that doesn't go round Scotland. We have booked the 2016 just in case the 2017 8/11 cruise doesn't include Edinburgh overnight.