crazyman3

Now, we've only done this on Princess (never going to cruise with them again!) but some of it may be helpful to you.

Falklands: it rains a lot. Really, a lot! Take umbrellas ashore. Port Stanley is rather like England 60 years ago!

Montevideo: we took a tour to a local estancia. Wow! great fun! Wine tasting, a huge barb-b-q, a tractor tour, skin skiing, horse riding, milking cows etc etc

Ushuaia: Amazing! The southernmost city in the world. Loved the main street. The shop where they sell home made chocloate... mmm... the hit chocolate... amazing views

The Horn: make sure that you put on plenty of layers! Also, make sure that you're viewing from the appropriate side of the ship! Some people didn't and so missed the view!

Punta Arenas: we did a tour to the Fitz-something-or-other ranch and it was fun! Think Scottish scenery and a rather strange collection of engines, typewriters, stuffed birds, pianos etc etc. It was fun riding a horse there too!

Puerto Montt: A rather odd place. Quite dead when we arrived. Then the town started to wake up. Lots of feral dogs. Oh, we went horse riding here too!

Valparaiso: beautiful city! Lots of hills with funicular railways up them. Very colourful.

On our way through to Santiago   (we stayed on for a few days before the long haul back home) we enjoyed a wine tasting. Even better than the wine was the pisco sour. Homemade. Delicious. Sadly, we couldn't take any home.

Alarming moment: at Valparaiso we were all herded into a huge barn-like structure, We were 'held' against the wall, single file, by a metal fence whilst sniffer dogs went up and down. Phew! We were pleased to be out of there!

Would we do the Horn again? You bet! But with X not Princess!

On 8/31/2019 at 12:43 AM, dolittle said:

Just got off the eq last week and every one (and I mean every one ) is on their eight eq cruise or one very nice couple who told me about their cruise to Patagnoina . I know many people on all lines have done many but it seems that X is the king of the been there done it crowd. I am one of them but I must say it get a little old .Iwould love to meet some one who is new and high with enthusiasm for cruising and X.

Oh no! Not this point again! How many times do we have to read this over the years? (Just joking!)

I agree entirely. We try to avoid talking about past cruises unless asked.

We were on the Connie for Christmas and New Year in 2016/17 UAE to UAE via Oman & India.

There was a Santa's Grotto area, a visit or two by Father Christmas, a festive gift ---- we had a tree decoration, some others had chocolate. There were some decorated trees about the place. Oh, there was some carol singing too.

The evening show had St Nicholas coming down a rope onto the stage!

The Christmas menu was not festive in Luminae so we orederd off the MDR menu: the roast turkey meal was like a school dinner! We were so sad because a Norwegian couple had joined us especially for that traditional English Christmas Dinner.

On NYE some people went into Dubai to watch the fireworks. The rest of us enjoyed the entertainment, food and drink on the ship.

Would we cruise again at Christmas/NYE? Yes! You bet!

10 minutes ago, GastroGnome said:

They can - but they will charge you for it.  Personally I send DH!  (I guess I still pay for the service... just differently!!)

Love your response!

Whenever we leave a port, my DW gets me to go to Michael's Club for two glasses of bubbly. Then I take them back to our 'home' to toast the port goodbye. We've always done this!

Of course, if we leave so late that we're eating, we toast in the restaurant.

Reading the Az pages, there are plenty of ex-Celebrity cruisers there.

We are trying Az for the first time next year...  This is for the amazing itinerary but... well, we'll see how it goes! Perhaps we'll book X again or maybe we'll change to Az.

We were on the Connie for Christmas and New Year a few years ago. Great fun!

We've been on her twice and always enjoyed the experience. On both occasions we were in a CS so we received lots of perks.

To add to this we've been on the Silhouette (in a CS) a number of times and the Reflection (Sig.Suite) once.

We're not party animals but we do enjoy listening to the musicians in Ensemble Lounge, Michael's Club etc etc

Rest assured, there is always plenty to do!

Enjoy the Panama Canal!

Yes, we do hope to have him again!

We've just returned from the 'Viking Raider' (as I call it) cruise on the Silhouette.

Greg (Groryjm) has produced a fab blog already but I just wanted to let you know about our experience.

We were in a CS (1110) a few doors along from Greg.  We have been in this particular suite twice before. We too had the fabulous Jacky as our butler and Bryan as our attendant. We felt that Jacky was the best that we've ever had.

Briton, the concierge in Michael's Club, was excellent. 

Edwin was our waiter in Luminae --- we'd had him before and as I have a severe nut allergy, he was obviously assigned to us. We cannot praise him too highly.

Carlos, the sommelier,  served us well throughout the cruise -----but we were drinking wine rather than cocktails. I understand Greg's point suggesting that waiters should be able to take non-wine orders. 

So our tours:

Guernsey: a ships tour about the German invasion of the island. A good tour with lots of sites & sights. Plenty of information.

Waterford: we caught the expensive shuttle into the town and met up for an independent tour that I had organised with the tourist office --- the Viking Triangle Tour. This was a walking tour of the centre and there were about 15 of us on it. Although I had pre-booked it, you can just turn up on the day. Price... mmm... about 15 euros each. Duration was about 80/90 minutes. I'd happily do recommend it for lovers of history.

Cobh (for Cork): I had booked us up for the Cobh Rebel Tour. Wow! Excellent! A walking tour from which we found out about the politics of 19th century Ireland through to the early 1920s. Kieran, our informative and impassioned guide, was dressed in early 20th century military costume. He took us to many areas of Cobh, explaining the significance of each

e.g. a place where a local policeman was ambushed and shot; he brought it alive by mentioning the name and age of the lookout, the source of the gun, the vehicle used...

An amazing tour from start to finish. 12 Euros each I seem to recall.

Also, we enjoyed the museum about the Titanic and Lusitania (plus others) located close to the ship.   

Dublin: another independent tour. We met a local professor of history outside Trinity College and he gave us an in-depth guide of Dublin, focusing on the history ---- of course! Lots of walking and talking! Sadly, someone near our group had her phone snatched by a cyclist. Beware!

Iceland Day 1: We took the ship's 4 x 4 tour. Wow! Fantastic! Awesome! Something special! Think Lunar lanscape... think Dr Who... think Star Trek... We'd do this again like a shot! It far excelled our 4 x 4 tours in other parts of the world.

Iceland Day 2: Whale Watching (ship's tour) was good fun. We saw some minke whales, dolphins and porpoises. The crew of the boat were young and knowledgeable. 

The hot chocolate on the boat is good! Be warned, wrap in lots of layers and no shorts!

Iceland Day 3: we spent a lot on this ship's tour to the island of Grimsey, about 30 minutes flight north of the mainland. A very interesting place with a pleasant guide to show us around.

No puffins (they'd flown a week or so ago) but a small shop selling woollen goods. Due to a taxation oddity, the fab sweaters etc. are much cheaper on Grimsey than on the mainland. The labels actually tell you who made them. Those in supermarkets on the mainland are often made in China!

Belfast: an independent tour of the city focusing on the politics, especially during 'The Troubles'. Lots of murals, the wall, grim stories, first hand accounts. We booked it through the Information Centre next to the shuttle drop-off point. Out guide was JFK!  That's John Fitzgerald Kennedy!

The music on board varied: we like staying in Ensemble Lounge most of the time; here we heard the amazing Charlie. We also enjoyed the music of the Wild Embers Duo and the modern string duo, Dina and Gulnara.

Let's hope this helps some of you out with future choices!     

Loved reading your blog, Greg!

I'd better write something, I guess because we had a different set of excursions, tours etc.

I'll start a new string.

Hope to see you on another cruise in the future.

On 8/14/2019 at 7:37 AM, groryjm said:

We didn't ask bit when he showed up with canapés on the first day we didn't say no, So probably you coild stop them but i think the butlers dolike to brimg them. 

Jacky was also our butler. The canapes did arrive on the first two nights --- but we asked for cheese and biscuits instead. After a week of cheese and biscuits our waistlines needed a break!

You'd be wearing something else too I guess... Otherwise it would need to be a very long polo shirt, more akin to a Victorian night shirt!

I'm just noting the replies because I'm on this cruise too...

Thanks.

You're allowed to take 2 bottles of wine aboard... Why not take two Dubonnets instead? It's much cheaper than a good wine and so X should be pleased that you're more likely to spend more in a bar / dining room.

I used to drink it with bitter lemon ---lots of ice too. Haven't had it in donkey's years.

Thanks everyone.

I un-ticked the 'stay signed in' box and it worked!

Hi Shipmates

Is anyone else having problems logging into their account?

My usual password was rejected over a week ago, I changed password and for the past four days I have had a message saying that my information is there and that I need to come back later.

We're sailing on the 11th August ----thank goodness I printed out the documents a few weeks ago!

Who do I contact in the UK about my lack of access to my account? The Weybridge office?

Thanks. 

43 minutes ago, Texed said:

 

Deck 14?

Yes, unlike other s-class ships, there is accommodation on Deck 14 on the Reflection.

15 hours ago, GastroGnome said:

We're on the same sailing - do sign onto the roll call.  We've sailed on Silhouette a few times.  You can get the dailies from the link above - but they do vary run to run and Silli is currently on the  St Petersburg run which she will do once more before changing route.

 

You'll find plenty of live music - not so much pre recorded unless you go to something like the silent disco.  Loads of dancing  head to the sky lounge every night.  House bands do play in the main foyer as well.  Crowded - well define crowded....Not if you are into the club scene I think.  But tables in the sky lounge fill up fast - loads of other options but if you want  to occupy a table for the night you need to be fairly prompt.  But seats at the bar or round the outside open up fairly frequently.  The Grand Foyer the same - the closest tables get occupied and sat on for a time.  But the outlying ones and the bar stool areas open up fairly often.  You can also watch the grand foyer bands from El Biacio.  DH and I dance - quite a bit.  We haven't found any dance floor too crowded to be comfortable on.

 

Silli in general - love her.  One of the better S class ships.  Everyone has things the like or dislike but for us definitely a good one (and before you ask there are ships in the fleet I don't like!)  To repeat myself do sign in to the roll call and you can get to meet loads of fellow cruisers.  Even if you hate those collective things (and to be honest I do so you won't see me there, although you will see DH and possibly DD) they are worth a brief drop in to get some info from fellow cruisers and find out about those things X don't advertise.

 

Average age... I would dispute with the previous poster here.  This is a highly active and sought after itinerary so the age drops a bit.  I would say mid 50's rather than mid 60's.  But it is an older group than you might find on other lines.  Usually fewer kids - X does kids activities and DD grew up in teens club.  But it isn't a focus.

 

Yes there are dance lessons on sea days usually in the main foyer.

 

Food on X is very high quality.  I'm sorry to say we haven't eaten in MDR for about 6 years as we cruise in suites who have a separate dining room.  But generally both food and service on X ships is really good.  I don't know if you have fixed dining or anytime - but either way to food and service is great.

 

Have a happy cruise!  You won't see me at the Cruise critic thingy - but you will see loads of other knowledgeable and experienced X cruisers.  Do sign in!

Yes, we're on this cruise too!

Average age depends on the itinerary and the time of year. I would expect the average for this cruise to be mid to late 50s.

Our favourite area for the evening is most definitely Ensemble Lounge. We appreciate the music around the ship.

We love Murano's for food when we're not in suite-only Luminae.

This will be our 3rd cruise on the Silhouette --- each time in the same suite!

Hope you enjoy your cruise! See you at the CC meet-up!

On 7/7/2019 at 6:10 PM, FLgemini said:

I'm set on what time Celebrity generally starts allowing passengers on the ship for embarkation, but do they have a fleetwide policy of not allowing passengers in their suites/staterooms before a certain time? I know on other cruise lines, you can get on board and have lunch or wander, but you can't get into your stateroom until a specific time, like 1 p.m.

 

I'm traveling on the Solstice from Seattle staying in a Celebrity Suite (CS category) if it that matters.

 

I'm slipping in an extra question if anyone knows: Does the suite-only Laminae have set seatings for dinner (early or late)? Or is it open seating whenever you arrive within the dinner timeframe? I'm receiving conflicting info.

 

Thanks.

The only time we've needed to book a dining time in Luminae was on the Constellation for both Christmas Day dinner and New Year's dinner ----even then it was only advisory.

Enjoy!

On 7/10/2019 at 10:11 PM, varoo said:

 

Booking open-jaw flights is usually a lower price than booking 2 one-way flights.

But is always pays to check out the various options available and compare.

 

We usually book flights, hotels, etc. on our own, but occasionally have found it advantageous to let the cruise line handle the arrangements for us.

It depends on a combination of price and circumstances.

 

Open-jaw flights? What are these? Is this an American expression? Please explain. Thanks.

We love suites on X.

Apart from those perks mentioned by the helpful posters so far, I do like the private get-togethers and musical performances in Michaels.

I dislike the cost... but we usually only cruise once a year.

5 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

Not for me, I'd rather stay in control of my own travel plans.  Some have selected Flights through Celebrity to get cheaper international fares, I would check that.  But with a little research you can do better and cheaper than Celebrity.  I also fly in a day earlier.

Thanks. We won't use X -selected hotels or flights. My agent has told me that we can specify our own choices.

I agree totally about travelling the day before.

What are the benefits of getting tour choice of flights, hotel and ship-to/from-hotel transfers?

Thanks.

What are the benefits of getting tour choice of flights, hotel and ship-to/from-hotel transfers?

Thanks.

15 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

 

Hmm, thanks for the explanation!  Not sure if I would enjoy this or not, but could always try it if we couldn’t find something else to do. 

Go on! Try the silent disco! It's great fun! 

My wife takes lots of persuading to get her up dancing ---but the silent disco really appeals to her! Me, I'm a crazy dancer! 

On 6/26/2019 at 7:57 PM, NCteacherlovescruising said:

 I’ve been reading a lot of threads in here recently and one common theme is that Celebrity has an older clientele. What is the average age?  We have booked our first Celebrity cruise so I’m not sure what to expect, other than few cruisers under 30 and far fewer children. Will most be 70+?

 

Is there live music in the bars at night?  A comedy club?

We like a lot of the entertainment that Celebrity offers: before and after a meal we go to a bar, enjoy the music and perhaps dance too.

Our favourite place is the Ensemble Lounge: music there is usually a singer, duo or group. We've loved the Irish/American duo, the Spanish violin and 'cello duo, the guitarist who liked his Donovan, an American trio who were into jazz big time...

The musicians appear at different venues around the ship both during the day and in the evening.

Sometimes we enjoy the music/dancing of one act so much that we will change bar/lounge just to follow the act.

As an recently retired music teacher, I enjoy the high standards of the smaller acts. The larger bands can be fun too!

We don't do the shows because we live an hour from London and we can see great performances in the West End, the O2, Albert Hall, The Royal Opera House and so many other places.

Enjoy Celebrity! You'll find it similar to Princess but... well... in our opinion much better.