Silhouette Review: 12 - 24Dec 2012

[robharper]

I will firstly post this on the forums and then copy it onto the 'cruisecritic' website. We sailed on the Silhouette on the 12th - 24th December, myself and my wife are both in our mid 20's and this was our first cruise. Celebrity was deliberately chosen as a compromise between good facilities and activities that would interest us(basically no belly flop contests). The cruise was a belated honeymoon after I had spent the majority of 2011 away with the military and my wife was busy with work. I have uploaded a few photos of the ship onto flickr, heres the link;

Any questions feel free to post below. It feels like we were on a completely different cruise to most reviewers, we loved it and would recommend to anyone. You may want to go and boil the kettle before you begin or drink a red bull as I often go into far too much depth.

 

 

And so it begins;

I will include; embarkation, stateroom, dining, dress code, spa and fitness, public areas, entertainment, staff, fellow passengers and disembarkation.

 

 

Embarkation: We had stayed in Manhattan the night before and got a cab to the ship, a point to note for people grabbing cabs from Manhattan, make sure that your cab driver is 100% sure of exactly where you are going. I felt sorry for a Chinese couple who's cab driver got lost and took 4 hours, yes 4 hours to get from Manhattan to the port. I didn't think we could board until about 2pm so we didn't arrive until about this time. As it turns out, it seems that most people must have arrived earlier as it wasn't too bad for us at all. After arriving, bags were taken off us and we proceeded through the security checks, all was fairly smooth and as someone else has eluded to the checks were not too scrupulous. That said, if you can afford a £4000 cruise, it baffles me that people then sneak on a £12 bottle of gin, maybe its the thrill of getting away with it! We then moved into a main lobby area, everything is tented due to it being a temporary departure port, being Aquaclass we were then, to our relief, moved away from a huge queue through to a separate area with the suite passengers. It took about 20 minutes to get 'check in' finished, not too bad we thought. Coffee, water, cookies etc are available, as are seats for older passengers. I particularly enjoyed the people in motorised scooters pushing to the front of the queue, this wouldnt have bothered me had I not seen them that night, scooters parked, performing a lovely bit of ballroom!

We then boarded a bus and began the journey to the ship, nothing to note here, I had heard in previous reviews about the speed of the lifts. It took about 15 minutes to get a lift after initially going through security on the ship, this worried me a little but was just due to the large amount of passengers at once.

 

 

Stateroom: We were in Aquaclass #1587, the balcony was more than adequate and we often lounged outside on our way into a port. The bed was fine and the interactive tv was superb, I found out on the last day that you can pull the tv off the wall and swing it to face your bed on a bracket, a bit late! There are numerous complaints about storage, for passengers such as ourselves, limited by airline baggage then storage shouldn't be a problem. Our housekeeping staff were really nice and often gave us time for a chat. Flavoured water, fruit and canapés were available daily. The bathroom was a good size and we found the sink and shower were fine.

 

 

Dining: The bulk of the reading will be based around the dining, being in Aquaclass our first choice eatery was Blu. The only places I cannot comment on were the Main dining room, The porch and the Bistro on five, we simply didn't have big enough stomachs to eat everywhere. After boarding we ordered the five speciality restaurant package. This included a night at Murano, Lawn Club, Qsine and two in the Tuscan Grille. We enjoy trying different restaurant's and would have been left wondering unless we tried them all. One comeback to other reviews was the use of language in menu's, its aimed to be 'haute cuisine' and people should be willing to try something out of the ordinary. If not there's always the buffet or the burger grill!

Blu – We ate a number of times in Blu for dinner and breakfast. Don't think for a second you'll be losing weight by eating in here,its healthier, but once you've had 4 pieces of bread and 4 courses its certainly not healthy. What is nice though is the choice that you could eat lighter meals if you fancy it. The menu was extensive with different dishes each time we ate. Overall the food and service was excellent, our waiter once apologised after we had been waiting only 10 minutes for a course. It is nice to eat in smaller room that gives a more intimate atmosphere. As with all the restaurant's, you have to order any soft drinks from the sommelier, not just the wine. Also Blu provides flexible dining, meaning you can turn up anytime between 6.30 and 9 for dinner.

Murano – The surroundings are beautiful and it is obvious that the ship is aiming for a fine dining experience. Everything about the meal was perfect, our only small complaint would be that portions are very large, not that it matters, this is possibly catering for the American market.

Tuscan Grille – The first time we ate there was good but the second was much better. A large selection of breads, oils and pesto, good antipasto, a nice position on the ship and excellent staff made it a worthwile place to visit.

Qsine – A warning, its probably not worth snacking in the run up to Qsine, it is a literal feast. You choose all your dishes on the Ipad and your waiter will then choose which he belives to be the best order to eat them in. All were brilliant, especially the tacos, disco shrimp and sliders. Its a shame we went so late in the cruise or we would have gone back.

Lawn Club Grill – Another good eatery, the concept is really simple. We didnt make our own flatbreads but I cooked the steaks with a little help! Possibly our favourite meal on the ship, you can go as crazy as you like with the meat you choose.

 

 

We opted for a non-alcoholic beverage package. Although my wife wouldn't have got her money back it was a good idea for us. We rarely drink alcohol with meals and found the freedom it provided made the cruise even better. We used it mostly for cafe al bacio on deck 5, it makes a good speciality coffee and has a good selection of pastries in the morning, sandwiches in the afternoon and cakes in the evening.

 

 

Dress Code: I have added a small paragraph on dress code as I know its mentioned time and time again. Blu seemed to follow the dress code throughout as did Murano. In my opinion, unless eating in the buffet it is best to always be dressed as per the dress code. If you feel you shouldn't dress up to go to the lawn club grill for instance, it could annoy other guests when you then move around the ship not in the stated dress code. I cooked a steak in a three piece suit and tie and never felt out of place. I feel its better to be overdressed than under dressed.

 

 

Spa and Fitness: My wife used the spa for a manicure and pedicure, possibly the low point of the cruise for us. She was treated to Rhonda, one of the spa staff. She not only made my wives feet bleed and subsequently ache when removing skin but then gave her the treatment above what she ordered and made her pay for it. She had a poor attitude and told my wife, 'the tip needs to go there' when handing her the receipt. There were other gripes with the treatment but I think you get the idea........disappointing. The gym on the other hand was very well equipped,for the really big guys the free weights are limited but there is something for everyone. The machines can fill up quickly at busy periods and the gym is HOT, if you are planning to go hard, take lots of water.

 

 

Public Areas: We thought the ship was amazing, all the public areas were well kept and the central area, complete with tree was awesome. There's not a huge amount more to add on that, it was just a lovely ship, so much glass made it feel very spacious. Never was there a time we thought the ship felt busy.

 

 

Entertainment : We never ventured into the theatre to watch the entertainment so my comments are based on the live music throughout the ship. The standard was excellent and 'Sipra', the party band, could cater for anything from classical ballroom to modern chart music, we also enjoyed watching Michael, an acoustic guitarist, on the lawn. You could have wine and cheese whilst you watched if you wished. It was nice to sit and listen to the music, even when you didn't deliberately go there for it.

 

 

Staff: The staff were excellent, my wife, having previously worked in a 5 star hotel always has an eye out for things that shouldn't happen. Throughout we found the staff were engaging and polite, the only exceptions to this were Rhonda from the spa and one of the ilounge staff, I need not go into detail but the individual was obnoxious and rude. For future cruisers reference he is the young, slightly overweight American, unfortunately I didn't get his name. Two other couples we spoke to also had bad experiences with the individual.

 

 

Passengers: No big complaints here, it amazes me to see how rude certain people are towards the staff but this was to be expected. I will go into disembarkation shortly. Oh and we enjoyed an older lady in the Oceanview Cafe, looking at us and saying rather too loudly, 'You look at all these young people, what I want to know is where the money comes from?' My wife restrained me from saying drugs or selling tele's from the London riots.

 

 

Disembarkation: This really, really annoyed me. After we were given paperwork to make our choice, we choose 'Express walk off:Carry your own luggage'. I cannot comment on the other methods of disembarking but to me its very simple, 'CARRY YOUR OWN LUGGAGE'. We waited at 0730 to be allowed off and then the barriers were removed and you were allowed to walk off the ship. Cue people shouting, borderline heart attacks, old ladies not able to lift their luggage. If you cannot walk down 15 steps with your luggage then wait and get it taken off for you. It only further delays people such as myself who can carry my luggage. This is no fault of Celebrity but lies with passengers believing they are still 30! Aside from this, we were onto a shuttle bus(with the same passengers reeling that they were tricked into carrying bags after ticking the box) and were in a taxi within 10 minutes. For us it was all pretty smooth.

 

 

To summarise, a thoroughly enjoyable holiday. We literally loved it and would book again with Celebrity in the future. Aquaclass for us is a huge plus due to express boarding and the use of Blu, we would also recommend a beverage package. I wont go into individual ports and excursions as this falls outside of the ships touch.

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[The Big Booper]

Thanks for the review. We were on the same sailing. Because of my (temporary) mobility status there were areas I couldn't get to to take pictures and your album covered some of those areas.

 

Glad you had a good trip.

[gelo7]

Nice review and pictures.

[cruzeluver]

Great review. Thanks for posting. We are really looking forward to sailing Silhouette in March.

 

I agree about disembarkation, if you cannot comfortably manage your own luggage please do not choose express disembarkation. It is thoughtless!!

[BarbJ52]

"Silhouette Review: 12 - 24Dec 2012" - Looks like you posted a year too early! lol ;)

 

Thanks for the review

[buffi001]

I'm curious why you would want to eat all of your meals at Blu.

It seems like you miss so much by not eating in the main dining room,and, for that matter, not going to the theater for any of the shows.

 

I do appreciate your review, and I agree 100% with your opinion on the

beauty of the ship, the appeal of the Lawn Club, and the consistent crowding in the gym . It just seems like you missed two major components of the ship,

two which I thought were pretty good.

[BarbJ52]

I'm curious why you would want to eat all of your meals at Blu.

It seems like you miss so much by not eating in the main dining room,and, for that matter, not going to the theater for any of the shows.

 

I do appreciate your review, and I agree 100% with your opinion on the

beauty of the ship, the appeal of the Lawn Club, and the consistent crowding in the gym . It just seems like you missed two major components of the ship,

two which I thought were pretty good.

 

When in an aquaclass cabin, I wouldn't bother with the main dining room! In my opinion, the food and atmosphere is far superior in Blu - the assigned dining for AQ. And, like the OP, we seldom go to show anymore. Just a personal preference.

[bravostar]

Thanks for the review and great pictures. One month for our turn.

[smdubowsky]

I'm curious why you would want to eat all of your meals at Blu.

It seems like you miss so much by not eating in the main dining room,and, for that matter, not going to the theater for any of the shows.

 

I do appreciate your review, and I agree 100% with your opinion on the

beauty of the ship, the appeal of the Lawn Club, and the consistent crowding in the gym . It just seems like you missed two major components of the ship,

two which I thought were pretty good.

I have been in Blu for three cruises. What am I missing in the MDR?

[bob brown]

Thanks for your well-written review. I also enjoyed your photos.

[Buranogal]

Hi thoroughly enjoyed your review. Great effort indeed and well explained. We are booked 17th July 2012 umd and arghed about AQ as wondering if we would get to meet others if we dined in Blu? Varying reviews as to extra benefits. I would love to hear about excursions if you did Rome to Venice. As for dress code we did a river cruise smart casual so would you say you wore a suit often and your wife after 5 clothes? cheers and thanx

[robharper]

Hello, thanks for the comments and just some replies to questions;

 

Buffi - I think it varies from person to person on what they enjoy. I like listening to live music/bands but dont enjoy cabaret style performances as much. Also when it came to Blu vs MDR, we had already eaten in 5 other dinner venues and felt that Blu provided a more intimate restaurant atmosphere against that of a larger food hall in the MDR. Again its just personal preference and we had planned to have a night in the MDR but didn't feel the need to come the end of the cruise.

 

Buranogal - I would say it is not particularly easy to meet others when dining in Blu, the tables are close but in my opinion it is not easy to start conversations. We were on a Caribbean cruise so no reviews on excursions for Europe. I'm not sure about AQ benefits, the main one for me is Blu; great service, good food and breakfast is a plus. Skipping the larger queue for boarding and location on the ship are others. Persian garden is a bit of a non-starter, yes you have access but not a deal clincher for me. I found that I was in smart jeans/trousers, shirt and sports jacket most nights except for formal where I opted for a dark grey 3 piece suit. I was a little worried about being underdressed but I felt comfortable and didnt feel the need for a tuxedo.

[Chi Diva]

Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed review. We leave on the Silhouette next week. Reading your review has heightened my anticipation!

 

I know you left the ports of call out of your review, but is there anything you might like to share about a particularly good excursion? Or do you have any tips about any of the ports of call?

 

Thanks!

[robharper]

Chi Baby - I think people don't talk about excursions and ports as much because most have cruised numerous times before. Heres my take on it;

 

Labadee, Haiti - Its owned by the cruise lines and fenced off from the 'locals'. Its a very attractive place and we found that just walking off the ship to one of the beaches worked well. The same waiters etc from the ship come off and serve drinks as they would around the pool. Lunch is free in the shape of a BBQ in the central area. Beware of the shopping area, the local salesman literally mob you i.e placing clothing on you while your still walking.

 

San Juan - We did an excursion, 'Old and New San Juan' bus tour, it took us to the old fort and we walked around for 45 mins. We then drove to the new part and sat in traffic for over an hour, wasn't overly pleased and felt quite anxious about getting off and exploring. Next time I would walk, or get a very short cab journey to the fort, have an explore around there and then head back to the old town and check out the shops, cafés, live music etc. Nothing to see in the new town unless starbucks and the Marriott impresses you!

 

St Croix - As you come off the jetty you are almost in the centre in one of the towns, I cant comment on shopping as we did all that in St Thomas and St Marteen. We went left as you walk off the jetty and followed that road for just over a mile to rainbow beach(next time I'd get a cab, locals said 'just down the road'). Really nice independent beach ran by some young American guys on exended gap years. Chairs and an umbrella for the day was $20, they serve drinks and food from 11am and you cant rent jet skis etc if you like. Around 2pm taxis start turning up so you can get a lift back. Worth getting their before 1030am as by 11 it was getting busy

 

St Thomas - We didnt book any excursions and were off early, most of the shops were still shut. We were soon approached by a local taxi driver who said he would give us a tour of the island and drop us at a beach for $25 each. He produced I.D. and was good to his word.A very nice guy and took us on a 1 hour tour then dropped us at a private beach near one of the hotels, food drinks etc were all available. I wouldn't recommend coral world, he stopped there to show us it and it looks a little run down. He then picked us up at 2pm, dropped us at the shops and we paid him then.

 

Antigua - Went on the 'Catamaran cruise and Lobster Lunch'.........Carnage!! Me and my wife don't drink much but we were joined by a couple from the Silhoutte and a couple from the Norwegian Epic. It was a shore excursion we will never forget. We stopped at a beach for an hour then after setting sail again the bar opened, our only memories after lunch are provided by a digital camera with numerous pictures of about 20 of us on the front of the catamaran, very very drunk!! Ages ranged from 25 - 70 but I think the fun factor depends on who you share it with.

 

St Maarten - Didnt get off the ship until about 11(somewhat hungover) and got a water taxi into the Dutch capital, Phillipsburg. It was very busy with about 5 or 6 other ships in. The water taxi is good and cheap but I wasn't impressed by Phillipsburg, its a little less idyllic than the other islands. We witnessed a bikini competition on the front(I pretended to be disgusted which pleased the wife) and alot of run down areas. I think if you know where your going it would be better so it might be worth asking around before you leave.

 

Hope this helps

[egbslo]

Thanks for your review. Nice to get the point of view from people in my age group.

Will be on the silouhette next week and will be happy to leave the -20 celcius we have here this morning!!!

 

Like the comment about the scooters and "some people" using them in a bad way. We noticed that some of them can be pushy and unpleasant at times onboard cruise ship....too bad for the others that are nice and really need to use those machines!!

 

We always did the express walk off over the years and we never had any problems like you experienced.. Hope we will not see on the cruise this time.

[bob brown]

Chi Baby - I think people don't talk about excursions and ports as much because most have cruised numerous times before. Heres my take on it;

 

Labadee, Haiti - Its owned by the cruise lines and fenced off from the 'locals'. Its a very attractive place and we found that just walking off the ship to one of the beaches worked well. The same waiters etc from the ship come off and serve drinks as they would around the pool. Lunch is free in the shape of a BBQ in the central area. Beware of the shopping area, the local salesman literally mob you i.e placing clothing on you while your still walking.

 

San Juan - We did an excursion, 'Old and New San Juan' bus tour, it took us to the old fort and we walked around for 45 mins. We then drove to the new part and sat in traffic for over an hour, wasn't overly pleased and felt quite anxious about getting off and exploring. Next time I would walk, or get a very short cab journey to the fort, have an explore around there and then head back to the old town and check out the shops, cafés, live music etc. Nothing to see in the new town unless starbucks and the Marriott impresses you!

 

St Croix - As you come off the jetty you are almost in the centre in one of the towns, I cant comment on shopping as we did all that in St Thomas and St Marteen. We went left as you walk off the jetty and followed that road for just over a mile to rainbow beach(next time I'd get a cab, locals said 'just down the road'). Really nice independent beach ran by some young American guys on exended gap years. Chairs and an umbrella for the day was $20, they serve drinks and food from 11am and you cant rent jet skis etc if you like. Around 2pm taxis start turning up so you can get a lift back. Worth getting their before 1030am as by 11 it was getting busy

 

St Thomas - We didnt book any excursions and were off early, most of the shops were still shut. We were soon approached by a local taxi driver who said he would give us a tour of the island and drop us at a beach for $25 each. He produced I.D. and was good to his word.A very nice guy and took us on a 1 hour tour then dropped us at a private beach near one of the hotels, food drinks etc were all available. I wouldn't recommend coral world, he stopped there to show us it and it looks a little run down. He then picked us up at 2pm, dropped us at the shops and we paid him then.

 

Antigua - Went on the 'Catamaran cruise and Lobster Lunch'.........Carnage!! Me and my wife don't drink much but we were joined by a couple from the Silhoutte and a couple from the Norwegian Epic. It was a shore excursion we will never forget. We stopped at a beach for an hour then after setting sail again the bar opened, our only memories after lunch are provided by a digital camera with numerous pictures of about 20 of us on the front of the catamaran, very very drunk!! Ages ranged from 25 - 70 but I think the fun factor depends on who you share it with.

 

St Maarten - Didnt get off the ship until about 11(somewhat hungover) and got a water taxi into the Dutch capital, Phillipsburg. It was very busy with about 5 or 6 other ships in. The water taxi is good and cheap but I wasn't impressed by Phillipsburg, its a little less idyllic than the other islands. We witnessed a bikini competition on the front(I pretended to be disgusted which pleased the wife) and alot of run down areas. I think if you know where your going it would be better so it might be worth asking around before you leave.

 

Hope this helps

Interesting commentary on your excursions...looks like you really were active on this cruise!

Just one correction....that was the Norwegian Dawn we shared Antigua with....we were with the Norwegian Epic, as well as the Disney Magic, the HAL Maasdam, the RCI Adventure of the Seas, and Celebrity Eclipse in St. Maarten. And coincidentally, megayacht 'Eclipse' anchored in harbor. The rest of the ports we thankfully had to ourselves.:)

[egbslo]

Oh yes i forgot to ask about the cruise director on the SILOUHETTE, HOW WAS HE?

[New Hampshire]

Could you please tell me which nights were the formal nights?

[bob brown]

CD on the Silhouette was Paul Baya. Very energetic and a fun guy who was very friendly with passengers. He and his assistant did a funny morning tv show daily. And Paul had a good singing voice as well, surprising us several times during the entertainment events on board...I won't 'spoil it' by telling when.;)

 

Formal nights were second night, 7th night (for us St. Thomas), and second to last night.

[Gracie115]

I'm curious why you would want to eat all of your meals at Blu.

It seems like you miss so much by not eating in the main dining room,and, for that matter, not going to the theater for any of the shows.

 

What is the OP missing by not going to the MDR? I'd go for Blu everytime... Now if you've never cruised before I guess it would be nice to go to MDR for one dinner just to see what it's like but other than that there doesn't seem to be anything to miss and a lot to gain by eating in Blu.

[The Big Booper]

The mega yacht Eclipse that pulled into the Wathey pier as we pulled out is referenced on the SXM port website as the largest and costliest in the world, owned by a Russian multi-billionaire and cost over $450 million!.

 

Some of the scooter people own their machines and have lots of experience using that particular machine. Others, like me, were using rented machines because of an injury (broken ankle) and took several days to fine tune their performance and limitations. Plus many passengers wander around in a daze and frequently amble right into the path of a scooter. At least I could back Skippy up in a straight line when leaving the elevator.

 

As far as Blu it is a choice for the cruiser. We knew a couple on this cruise who went AQ and ate in Blu all the time except for lunch. They loved the peace and quiet.

 

I am assembling my Webshots album from this cruise (half way there) and I have the restaurants up. Some pictures of Blu, which does have a blue motif.:D

 

 

 

[bob brown]

The mega yacht Eclipse that pulled into the Wathey pier as we pulled out is referenced on the SXM port website as the largest and costliest in the world, owned by a Russian multi-billionaire and cost over $450 million!.

 

Some of the scooter people own their machines and have lots of experience using that particular machine. Others, like me, were using rented machines because of an injury (broken ankle) and took several days to fine tune their performance and limitations. Plus many passengers wander around in a daze and frequently amble right into the path of a scooter. At least I could back Skippy up in a straight line when leaving the elevator.

 

As far as Blu it is a choice for the cruiser. We knew a couple on this cruise who went AQ and ate in Blu all the time except for lunch. They loved the peace and quiet.

 

I am assembling my Webshots album from this cruise (half way there) and I have the restaurants up. Some pictures of Blu, which does have a blue motif.:D

 

 

 

Thanks for those photo's of my favorite restaurant at sea, David!

Ths second photo just misses a view of 'our' table that we occupied each night, and most mornings. Bianca was a gem as a server.

Are you refering to my mother and myself as that "couple"? We fit the description otherwise, having eaten all breakfasts and dinners there. The only time we tried the Grand Cuvee was for the 'grand brunch', but were turned off by the crowding and retreated to the relative calm of the Ocean View buffet....:)

[JennJohnNYC]

Thank you for your review and pictures. My husband and I were on the Nov. 18th sailing and had a wonderful time too.

 

I have to 100% agree with you about the one particular ilounge worker.....I know exactly who you are referring to and he was just awful! I avoided the ilounge at all costs when he was present.....rude, loud, condescending and just obnoxious.

[buffi001]

HI Rob, I am really not familiar with Blu. How extensive is their menu?

We've always booked balcony cabins and as a result couldn't eat in Blu.

I assumed that the MDR menu offers a greater selection of items and more variety. That was the point I was trying to make with my post...but since so many people love Blu, they must be offering a good product. what makes it unique?