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If you decide to book flights through Celebrity do some homework first then contact Celebrity to see if they have flights/transfers that you want. Bologna would definitely have been a better option. It possibly was available but if you didn’t request they may not have offered…

If you weren’t spending time in Venice did you not consider flights in/out of Bologna?

Where is the other cat? You could get a surprise unpacking….

I think quality rather than quantity is more important when it comes to concierges! We have been on ships with caring, hard working ones who genuinely mean ‘Have a nice day!’ and take the time and effort to look after all guests. They arrange events, take the trouble to greet all passengers by name and sometimes may organise little treats. Then on other ships we have found the concierges are responsive rather than proactive. If you ask for something they will do it but other than that they simply say ‘Hello’ in passing… Definitely prefer one proactive to two responsives!

If they are pre packed not a problem.

It would! As someone who has only ever won one raffle in her life despite supporting any fund raising event in our neighbourhood it would be a miracle! I would add the only raffle prize I did win was arranged by my husband and consequently I didn’t accept the prize! I seem to recall some roll calls arranging some sort of fun sea day casino activity…Perhaps I should investigate. At least then someone could show me what to do!

Gosh, I am tempted to stick $10 in a machine next cruise to get registered as a gambler then phone up and see if I can get a free cruise!

As far as I can remember there has never been a concierge available all day in the lounge. Generally I think someone is there 8.30 - 10.00am and 5.30 - 11.00pm. I am sure someone can correct me if I am wrong. Some Celebrity ships have far more suites than others. E class and Reflection having significantly more than the other ships. These ships will need two whereas generally I would think one concierge would be fine for other ships. This has been our experience although I can’t remember if there was one or two concierges on Silhouette… All ships also have a suite manager who could become involved if there were any significant issues.

If you get a free cruise then are you expected to gamble on board? Do you have to agree to spend $X in the casino? Asking totally out of curiosity. Loads of cruises and I have never even tried a slot machine…perhaps I am missing something…

We used our balcony a lot on our Fjords cruise…Early morning we would order coffee and pastries on the balcony and even if it was cold we would wrap ourselves in blankets and enjoy the port approach…We were on Eclipse. Would IV be better or worse for Norway? Not experienced E class so I can’t make a judgement but balcony vs IV could be a deciding factor… Price…I have done a few price comparisons between E, S and M ships in the Med recently and the E was significantly more expensive…Would booking Silhouette mean you could afford a better room or give you more spending money? Also agree with others Flam is a highlight…

Whilst the food is available elsewhere it is the ambiance of the breakfast that makes it a premium experience. Quiet, speedy and friendly service and an opportunity to chat to the Captains Club host if you have any questions or problems. We usually cruise in suites and frequently opt for the Elite breakfast over Luminae.

I also love the ultimate platter but I am like Joey “I don’t share food!”.

Thank you for your review. I do love comparisons when broken down into categories as you have done!

Sincere best wishes for a wonderful cruise…There is nothing like the sound of the ocean to relieve stress…

I wonder if cruise ships are as popular and as revenue producing as they once were? Certainly I think a lot of people are more travel knowledgeable than they used to be. Independently booking passes and using local transport rather than booking ‘full tours’. Then food and beverage…many cruise passengers bring their ‘free’ water off the ship with them, skip lunch or buy something basic only buy an occasional drink. Obviously the drinks package may drive this… If someone is staying in the port it seems inevitable they will spend more than someone on a day trip…They are paying for accommodation, meals and drinks… I guess it all comes down to choices. We did love cruising in/out of Venice but I did for environmental reasons support the decision to ban cruise ships. Amsterdam is a city I have never visited (perhaps because it is so easy to do from the UK?). I would be willing to be transported in/out if I cruised there although I would be more likely to book it as a long weekend break than a cruise stop.

Yes. Venice still seems as popular as ever…

This is definitely a real perk…On those mornings you don’t need to set an alarm it is lovely to just relax and then saunter down to Tuscan (S class) and leisurely nibble a platter of one type or another with a Bellini and a coffee or two. If I was to go to the buffet by the time I had rounded up a breakfast that early morning relaxed feeling would have gone, with a Captain’s Club breakfast it lingers on…

Yes, I believe it has changed. We only tend to take decent champagne on with us if we are going to host a sail away. Not something we do every cruise…

The better champagne is by the bottle and availability can vary from cruise to cruise as well as ship to ship. Hopefully someone recently on board can advise. We do find it very expensive on board. Within the wine package we haven’t found it fantastic and as long as it isn’t too dry I am not fussy…I did like the Prosecco offered in the premium package, though, sorry can not remember the name. Remember that your allowed take on board wine can include champagne. A couple of cruises ago when we knew we were hosting a sail away we took two decent bottles of champagne on board with us and got the butler to put in on ice (room attendants will do this too). No charge. If you want to enjoy in a restaurant there is no corkage charge if you have a drinks package and $20? if you don’t. This may be a better option for you. Enjoy your cruise. Silhouette is a beautiful ship, enjoy!

Sometimes there is a point when travelling you are better just gritting your teeth and getting it all done in one go…Totally agree with TeaBag. You will get to Southampton, have a good sleep and be a short taxi ride from your ship the next day, you probably won’t need to set an alarm…you can sleep in…

All relative…Following your journey, enjoy!

Sincere best wishes for a fantastic cruise, following from over the pond where seeing the Statue of Liberty was a big wow for us!

Yes they do. I believe in some ports they initially book, for example, two coaches then if there is more interest they can simply add more so there is a good chance your wait list will result in a booking. The trips that are harder to expand often involve boat trips, sea planes, helicopters…where the port has limited availability. On these occasions you literally are waiting for someone else to cancel. We were told when we booked in a suite and were wait listed we would be prioritised if any availability came up. We did get the trip we wanted. Hopefully, someone else can respond if this is actually a suite perk or just something we were told…I simply mentioned this as if it is true then if you are in a suite you have more chance of a cancellation, however, if you are not suite guests may have priority over you… Anyone with factual information if this really is a suite perk?

We are E+ so have done numerous cruises in all areas of the world and children in the Solarium has not been an issue. Most parents encourage their children to follow the rules and the fact there is family time later in the day accept the rules. Most staff are alert to children entering and will remind them of the rules also informing them when they can come in. If you are on a cruise with children/families who do not follow the rules then a quiet word with a member of staff will make a difference. If you choose a cruise outside school holiday times the number of children on board drops further and it really becomes a none issue. Enjoy your fortress of solitude! On our last cruise the only interruption to our peace was by a man you took a lengthy (and what sounded like a business) phone call. He was politely challenged by staff who encouraged him over to the side of the area…

Personally, although I no longer travel with children, I think the Solarium family time is a great idea and at a time most adults will not be using the space anyway… Most adults by 4pm are finishing a siesta, returning from an excursion or beginning to shower and dress if they dine early and want to enjoy a cocktail first. For families (especially on sea days) they can follow the ‘adults only’ rule for the Solarium but know they can take their kids for a swim later. So necessary for children to get some exercise on wet sea days! When you cruise on Celebrity you need to take on board it is not an adults only line. You need to expect there to be children on board and that sometimes there will be decisions made to promote their cruise enjoyment too. In no way am I condoning children being unsupervised and entering the Solarium at none family time or staff turning a blind eye to it but most of the time on most cruises it simply isn’t an issue…Quite simply Celebrity is making a facility useful for some of its customers (children) at a time when it is less used by others (adults).