New to Celebrity

[romandog]

Hi,

 

I am seriously thinking of trying the Celebrity Silouette W Caribbean cruise in April 2014. Not new to cruising, just new to Celebrity. We have done 1 Princess, 2 RCCL, 1 Carnival (never again) and 2, soon to be 3 NCL cruises. We prefer NCL, as we are not big on dressing up on vacation to go to dinner.

 

Questions:

 

1. Considering Concierge class. Is it worth the extra? Room size is the same as regular balcony cabins?

 

2. Can you get room service to deliver the regular dining room menu in the evening? This would be useful on the captains dinner nights as we would probably not attend.

 

3. How does the my time dining work? We prefer to eat at a table for two, and usually go early. We are not food junkies, and find the food on most ships to be just fine.

 

4. How is the entertainement? We are not night owls by any means, but we do like to attend the after dinner shows in the evening, and we are usually back to our cabin by 10:00.

 

5. What is the average age of Celebrity cruisers?We will both be 51 by the time this cruise comes around. We prefer cruises where there are not many children.

 

6. How is the solarium on the silouette? Is it adults only, and is it enforced.

 

Sorry for all the questions and thanks to all that will respond to my post.

[islandgirlejfan]

Hi,

 

I am seriously thinking of trying the Celebrity Silouette W Caribbean cruise in April 2014. Not new to cruising, just new to Celebrity. We have done 1 Princess, 2 RCCL, 1 Carnival (never again) and 2, soon to be 3 NCL cruises. We prefer NCL, as we are not big on dressing up on vacation to go to dinner.

 

I'm a past NCL cruiser (mostly in the low end suite) and understand how you feel about freestyle....however I'm really wild about Celebrity. We had the same clothing we would have taken on NCL. Hubby and I added a suit for him and palazzo pants and sparkly blouse or cocktail dress for me. Of course we did the dress up or not nights on NCL. I'll tell you, I was so sold on Celebrity, I don't think we will ever go back to NCL. Love the fact their smoking areas are limited, the classiness of the ship and the staff was just above and beyond. I can answer a few of your questions from my perspective

 

Questions:

 

1. Considering Concierge class. Is it worth the extra? Room size is the same as regular balcony cabins?

 

I've only been on the one cruise with Celebrity, but we were Aqua and LOVED it! If the price isn't too much more, give it serious consideration. You get the same benefits plus use of the spa area. Blu is your dining room if you book AQ....to me, it was a lot like dining in Cagneys everyday. :)

 

 

4. How is the entertainement? We are not night owls by any means, but we do like to attend the after dinner shows in the evening, and we are usually back to our cabin by 10:00.

 

I think it's not quite what it is on NCL, but we got to the point where we found friends on our roll call and we spent the evenings talking and relaxing near the Sunset Bar....really wonderful evenings and I have made some wonderful lifelong friends at this point who share the same love of cruising!

We also are ready by about 10 or 11 to retire to the cabin.

 

5. What is the average age of Celebrity cruisers?We will both be 51 by the time this cruise comes around. We prefer cruises where there are not many children.

 

You are going to be fine....hubby and I are in the same boat and were looking for the same things. We have kids (well, actually we have a grandchild at this point! :eek:), but don't want to be surrounded by little ones on our cruise. Hubby is 52 and I'm 50.

 

6. How is the solarium on the silouette? Is it adults only, and is it enforced.

 

We had no children in the Solarium on the Eclipse. It's a great area....we truly enjoyed it on our days at sea.

 

Sorry for all the questions and thanks to all that will respond to my post.

 

I say give it a try....I don't think you will regret it! :) We have an April 2013 on the Silhouette and December 2013 Reflection booked...we're sold! :)

[TLCOhio]

Hi, I am seriously thinking of trying the Celebrity Silouette W Caribbean cruise in April 2014. Not new to cruising, just new to Celebrity. 4. How is the entertainement? We are not night owls by any means, but we do like to attend the after dinner shows in the evening, and we are usually back to our cabin by 10:00. 5. What is the average age of Celebrity cruisers?We will both be 51 by the time this cruise comes around. We prefer cruises where there are not many children. 6. How is the solarium on the silouette? Is it adults only, and is it enforced. Sorry for all the questions and thanks to all that will respond to my post.

 

You have received a good outline of info from islandgirlejfan. We really like the Solstice-class ships, their offering, options, etc. Below are a few of my visual highlights to help give you a better sense for such great places such as the Solarium, shows, etc. You can see more on food, entertainment, speciality dining, etc., from my live blog connected below.

 

Speciality Dining Photos/Tips:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1434523&page=2

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 104,795 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

The Solarium was one of our most favorite areas. Food and drinks were nearby and it was very relaxed and sophisticated. Quieter, too, as it is an adults-only area. Two hot tubs here. Not crowded, especially in the evenings. Nice art and design with this facility. Wonderful setting for relaxing and watching the outside water/shore views, enjoying subtle inside action, etc.:

 

 

 

I liked to ride one of the eight glass elevators in the mid-ship courtyard with nice views out to the different floors, enjoying the ship architecture, people being active, etc. You can see the relaxing library in this shot. Classy design on this ship! Some tradition, but not too dated or old.:

 

 

 

For entertainment in the Solstice Theatre, it was called “Solstice -- The Show” featuring a European-style dance, air acts, music, etc. Very dramatic and interesting as they swing, twirl and soar over the audience and stage. It is a “state-of-the-art” theatre with these "Cirque-type" dancers being able to “do their thing”. Here is one example of the “air show” put on by the show performers.:

 

 

 

Super loved it when there were times at the pool in the afternoons on the Solstice last June when the “party band” was going at it with great tunes. This added to the fun and excitement around the pool area of our ship. Just like done by some famous California pop groups, we were hearing “fun, fun, fun” underneath the sun!!:

 

 

 

In the top, back area near the Sunset Bar with live grass, some enjoy this area by reading, playing on the lawn or sun-bathing there. Usually, it’s not too crowded!:

 

 

 

Here is an overview for this wonderfully-appointed, speciality Murano dining room with nice wood, ceiling, glass, etc., details.* Maximum capacity for seating in 90.* For the last night, they have 30 people on a waiting listing.* We booked ahead which was smart in order to get a specific date on a sea day.:

 

[WELSH WIZARDS]

Hi,

 

I am seriously thinking of trying the Celebrity Silouette W Caribbean cruise in April 2014. Not new to cruising, just new to Celebrity.

Questions:

 

2. Can you get room service to deliver the regular dining room menu in the evening? This would be useful on the captains dinner nights as we would probably not attend.

 

Sorry for all the questions and thanks to all that will respond to my post.

Most of your questions have been comprehensively answered by the other thread posters, but I have one plea to you.

Please ...DO NOT HIDE AWAY in your cabin just because it's Formal night.

There will be other people around the ship not in Formal wear. Just put your best stuff on, and still enjoy the ship.

You can eat in your room, but it's not necessary. I don't think you have to wear a tux or anything to the cafeteria where they do a variety of meals, and I believe set the tables nicely for the evening .

If you want to eat out on Formal night I can assure you a nice jacket and tie will be ok for most other places.

If I am wrong, someone will post more info. ;)

 

Nice pics TLCOhio.

[stellarose]

We are new to celebrity. Looking at summitt to Bermuda. Any tips? Looking at inside cabin and getting two classic beverage packages for DH and I. Have been on carnival inspiration and imagination. RC freedom of the seas.

 

Inlaws said celebrity is more relaxing.

 

Thanks.

[dkjretired]

Most of your questions have been comprehensively answered by the other thread posters, but I have one plea to you.

Please ...DO NOT HIDE AWAY in your cabin just because it's Formal night.

There will be other people around the ship not in Formal wear. Just put your best stuff on, and still enjoy the ship.

You can eat in your room, but it's not necessary. I don't think you have to wear a tux or anything to the cafeteria where they do a variety of meals, and I believe set the tables nicely for the evening .

If you want to eat out on Formal night I can assure you a nice jacket and tie will be ok for most other places.

If I am wrong, someone will post more info. ;)

 

Nice pics TLCOhio.

 

As far as dining on formal nights, there are options. You mentioned having the dining room delivered to the room and that is an option. The buffet is open where you do not have to dress up. The formal portion only applies to the Main Dining Room. The dress code for all the specialty restuarants is smart casual meaning you do not need a jacket, just a pair of pants. No shorts.

 

I am not a fan of Concierge cabins on the Silhouette or the other S class ships. They are really no different than a veranda cabin with a couple of extras. The only thing I find appealing is the enhanced breakfast menu and that is not a big deal to my wife and I. The other benefits, I find to be really superficial.

 

As a previous poster stated, AQ class can sometimes be had for a good price. With AQ class you get Blu as your dining room for breakfast and dinner. Blu is exclusive to the AQ cabins and no one else can eat there except suites on an availability basis. Blu is like eating in a specialty restaurant every night.

 

I have been on NCL and the entertainment on their ships is better than Celebrity. I fell asleep during the "Show" on Celebrity but many like it. Big difference with NCL is the smoking policy with Celebrity having very few locations to smoke, you hardly saw anyone smoking on a Celebrity ship.

[dkjretired]

We are new to celebrity. Looking at summitt to Bermuda. Any tips? Looking at inside cabin and getting two classic beverage packages for DH and I. Have been on carnival inspiration and imagination. RC freedom of the seas.

 

Inlaws said celebrity is more relaxing.

 

Thanks.

 

Just back from the Summit to Bermuda earlier this month. Great relaxing cruise to a beautiful location. Really had no complaints, food was excellent, entertainment good.

[SCGirl3211]

My DH and I too are not big on the formal dinners. On a longer cruise, with 2 formal nights, we will opt to dress up for one formal night and then dress as we would for going out to dinner in our hometown and book a speciality restaurant for the second formal night to avoid the MDR. Something you might consider even if you only have one formal night on your cruise.

 

We also booked concierge for the first time last year and we loved it. You are correct that the cabins are the same size but we loved the afternoon canapes and drinks on the balcony before getting ready for dinner and the other cc benefits.

 

We have always chosen select dining and have never established a set time. We would go to the hostess stand anywhere from 7:45 - 8:30 and never waited more than 10 minutes for a table for 2. Being Celebrity they always try to grant your every wish or whim!

 

Like Mikey said "Try it...You'll Like It".

[TLCOhio]

Most of your questions have been comprehensively answered by the other thread posters, but I have one plea to you. Please ...DO NOT HIDE AWAY in your cabin just because it's Formal night. There will be other people around the ship not in Formal wear. Just put your best stuff on, and still enjoy the ship. You can eat in your room, but it's not necessary. I don't think you have to wear a tux or anything to the cafeteria where they do a variety of meals, and I believe set the tables nicely for the evening. If you want to eat out on Formal night I can assure you a nice jacket and tie will be ok for most other places. If I am wrong, someone will post more info. Nice pics TLCOhio.

 

Appreciate the nice comments from our UK expert/friend on my pictures. I also want to strongly second your wise viewpoint about not "hiding away" on the formal night. You'll see, even then, such a wide range of dressing/clothing styles and types. Don't worry. Just get out there and experience the full ship. There are less formal options on those nights in the speciality places and/or the Oceanview Cafe. For several evenings, especially on busy port days, we did that buffet option, got our food and enjoyed it on the back of the ship, loving the ocean air and great visuals in that scenic location. When time is more limited, don't feel locked into only the Main Dining Room table/timing. Below are some added pictures on that back deck option, the Oceanview Cafe, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 104,795 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

For the handy and quick Oceanview Cafe buffet, here are two visuals samples, including getting items from the pizza-pasta bar area. The pizza is very good when it is hot and coming fresh right out of the oven.:

 

 

 

 

 

From the Oceanview Buffet, here are two visual samples, including the sushi selections in this area during the evenings. Second is a carved melon in the fruit area.:

 

 

 

 

 

From the various buffet options in the Oceanview area, here is one of the “sweet” potentials. Here are just three of the cakes, etc., dessert options. No calories in this picture, only the real thing causes any challenges!:

 

 

 

Here is the view from the back of the Solstice near the Oceanview Cafe as the Solstice makes a turn in the Mediterranean Sea between Italy and Sicily. Loved hearing the water and watching the action at sea. This is a great viewing area to see the "action" as you sail.:

 

[islandgirlejfan]

Most of your questions have been comprehensively answered by the other thread posters, but I have one plea to you.

Please ...DO NOT HIDE AWAY in your cabin just because it's Formal night.

There will be other people around the ship not in Formal wear. Just put your best stuff on, and still enjoy the ship.

You can eat in your room, but it's not necessary. I don't think you have to wear a tux or anything to the cafeteria where they do a variety of meals, and I believe set the tables nicely for the evening .

If you want to eat out on Formal night I can assure you a nice jacket and tie will be ok for most other places.

If I am wrong, someone will post more info. ;)

 

Nice pics TLCOhio.

 

Terry has some great shots there that should entice you! :D

I totally agree with Welsh Wizards....DO NOT HIDE AWAY! Formal Night is really not that serious! :) I pack all of my clothing in a small carry on at this point and just mix and match the clothing I bring with me. You have the choice of the specialty restaurants (Murano being my favorite...if you like LeBistro, you will LOVE Murano!) or the buffet if you want to avoid what is considered formal. We found the buffet very nice...certainly no complaints on our end. My hubby took a suit, but is going to take a sport coat, tie and complementing slacks for the next two cruises. Since we cruised in the suite on NCL, I just think of Celebrity booked in any cabin as a suite experience! :D Probably the only time we considered (but never reserved) room service was at breakfast and that was mainly because we enjoy the fresh sea air, but being booked AQ and getting to know the staff, we were always seated in the corner by the window and it made for truly magical mornings with friends! If you are looking for a more intimate experience, booking AQ will do it for you.

 

I can understand how you feel.....I was very much on that bandwagon of *It's MY vacation!*, especially since I dress to the nines for my job everyday (where I work does not believe in business casual like many companies today), but you can get away with 2 or 3 pairs of slacks and some blouses or shirts, nice shoes (no flip flops or shorts, which BTW I never saw at dinner on NCL with the exception of the buffet)....probably the same way you would have dressed for dinner on NCL and you will be fine. I say go for it....you will never know unless you give them a try! :)

[Miss SeaBee]

I agree with everything Islandgirlejfan said, except that I love the evening shows! Maybe I'm just corny or easily entertained, but the shows are one of the highlights of the cruise for me. We enjoy the same sort of schedule you do, so we eat early seating, then dinner, then the show in the theater. We are usually back in the cabin from the show around 10:00 or 11:00. My daughter, who is 24, then goes out to dance, have drink, mingle with others. I get a cup of tea from the buffet and drink it on the balcony or in the cabin. Lovely! Enjoy!

 

By the way, my favorite place in the daytime is the solarium pool area. It is quiet, with delicate spa music playing quietly. No kids, no smoke, no bumpin' pool party music. Bliss!

[debandbruce]

We really enjoy the extras that come with Concierge class, especially that extra cruise point. The Silhouette is lovely and has some great options for dining if you wish to skip formal night. Qsine, Tuscan Grille and the Lawn Grill are all great and are all smart casual. Qsine is a lot of fun, very different approach to dining. We find Celebrity is a good fit for us, we are in our late 40's and find that there is always something to do. I love the solarium it is my favourite spot on the ship. If I can get one of the clamshells overlooking the ocean it's even better. DH loves the gym so I get a drink and my book and have a blissfully quiet afternoon. I find the ages of people on cruises is never a real factor for us, we have met a lot of fun loving energetic seniors and hope that we will be the same when we are their age.

[ruatha65]

Great answers from prior posters, but I wanted to add a word of caution. If you are concerned about children on board, April may not be the best time. Many schools in the U.S. do Spring Break at the end of March into the first two weeks of April. We take the kids each year during that time span, and Celebrity has an awesome Kid's Club, as well as the Family Veranda cabin, so it's a great fit.

 

I certainly understand your concerns about children, as we've experienced out of control groups of kids when parents just let them have the run of the ship. Just thought you may want to avoid the prime season for family vacations.

[ClaudiaB]

Great answers from everyone and I'm another one who will echo "come out of your room on formal night." Formal night sounds stuffy but it's not. Not at all. There will be the tuxes and formal, sure. Less to me than there used to be. Then the suits and dressy outfits. More and more people are just wearing their snappy casual clothes (think Chico's for ladies and nice slacks for men with a buttondown shirt). No one cares what you wear. Just sit down for a drink at the martini bar next to the tux and the casual slacks and everyone is the same. We usually book the specialty restaurants for formal nights and you can just wear the casual stuff. Book Qsine for one of them --- you'll have a fabulous time. Book Murano or Tuscan for the other one. We've never done the buffet/Oceanview dining at night so I can't comment on that, but we probably only eat in the buffet 4 times in a two week cruise for lunch and breakfast. We just prefer other venues.

 

We LOVE the S class ships, have our 4th one coming early 2013. I know you'll love it, particularly the virtually no-smoking part and the SERVICE!! Well, everything!!

[SeaBlu]

Hi,

 

I am seriously thinking of trying the Celebrity Silouette W Caribbean cruise in April 2014. Not new to cruising, just new to Celebrity. We have done 1 Princess, 2 RCCL, 1 Carnival (never again) and 2, soon to be 3 NCL cruises. We prefer NCL, as we are not big on dressing up on vacation to go to dinner.

 

Questions:

 

1. Considering Concierge class. Is it worth the extra? Room size is the same as regular balcony cabins?

 

2. Can you get room service to deliver the regular dining room menu in the evening? This would be useful on the captains dinner nights as we would probably not attend.

 

3. How does the my time dining work? We prefer to eat at a table for two, and usually go early. We are not food junkies, and find the food on most ships to be just fine.

 

4. How is the entertainement? We are not night owls by any means, but we do like to attend the after dinner shows in the evening, and we are usually back to our cabin by 10:00.

 

5. What is the average age of Celebrity cruisers?We will both be 51 by the time this cruise comes around. We prefer cruises where there are not many children.

 

6. How is the solarium on the silouette? Is it adults only, and is it enforced.

 

Sorry for all the questions and thanks to all that will respond to my post.

 

 

I do NOT want to be mean or rude or anything of that nature. However, the thing we love most about Celebrity is that they have REAL formals nights! My DH ALWAYS wears his TUX and I always wear evening gowns! We love that we have this opportunity! I mostly buy my gowns at Ann Taylor, I watch for them to get marked down and then (like today) they are an additional 50% off. I have often gotten $900 dress for under $200 and many for $59. If you really do not want to dress I recommend you sail another line. On every Celebrity cruise I have been on I have seen people told they could not enter the dining room, or told not to come back for the next formal night "if they did not have the proper attire". And I have, twice asked that people at our table move. I will not dine on formal night with men wearing jeans and no ties. I am sorry if my actions offend some, but I would not have to do or say anything IF others would "dress appropriately" for the occasion. Try it, it is such fun, where else do you get to do on 'real date nights"? DH ofter orders me a corsage and we have drinks before dinner, dancing after dinner. We may be old, but it is great to have a loving husband that encourages me to get "dolled up" and even though I am old he tells me I am pretty, that he loves me and buys me flowers. My life is perfect!:D

[Notagoose]

I do NOT want to be mean or rude or anything of that nature. However, the thing we love most about Celebrity is that they have REAL formals nights! My DH ALWAYS wears his TUX and I always wear evening gowns! We love that we have this opportunity! I mostly buy my gowns at Ann Taylor, I watch for them to get marked down and then (like today) they are an additional 50% off. I have often gotten $900 dress for under $200 and many for $59. If you really do not want to dress I recommend you sail another line. On every Celebrity cruise I have been on I have seen people told they could not enter the dining room, or told not to come back for the next formal night "if they did not have the proper attire". And I have, twice asked that people at our table move. I will not dine on formal night with men wearing jeans and no ties. I am sorry if my actions offend some, but I would not have to do or say anything IF others would "dress appropriately" for the occasion. Try it, it is such fun, where else do you get to do on 'real date nights"? DH ofter orders me a corsage and we have drinks before dinner, dancing after dinner. We may be old, but it is great to have a loving husband that encourages me to get "dolled up" and even though I am old he tells me I am pretty, that he loves me and buys me flowers. My life is perfect!:D

 

How wonderful that your life is perfect - kudos to you. But saying you're not trying to be rude doesn't make your response any less rude. The OP never suggested they were going to try to get into the main dining room on formal night without formal attire - in fact, they said they were going to stay in their rooms!! Others correctly pointed out that they could also go to the buffet or the specialty restaurants without formal attire and still be within "the rules" of Celebrity. So perhaps if you don't agree with Celebrity's policies, then you should be the one looking for a different cruise line?

[Orlandocruiser]

How wonderful that your life is perfect - kudos to you. But saying you're not trying to be rude doesn't make your response any less rude. The OP never suggested they were going to try to get into the main dining room on formal night without formal attire - in fact, they said they were going to stay in their rooms!! Others correctly pointed out that they could also go to the buffet or the specialty restaurants without formal attire and still be within "the rules" of Celebrity. So perhaps if you don't agree with Celebrity's policies, then you should be the one looking for a different cruise line?

 

You are so right. I think that the post you quoted was one of the rudest and most off putting things I have ever read on this board.

[ORV]

I do NOT want to be mean or rude or anything of that nature. However, the thing we love most about Celebrity is that they have REAL formals nights! My DH ALWAYS wears his TUX and I always wear evening gowns! We love that we have this opportunity! I mostly buy my gowns at Ann Taylor, I watch for them to get marked down and then (like today) they are an additional 50% off. I have often gotten $900 dress for under $200 and many for $59. If you really do not want to dress I recommend you sail another line. On every Celebrity cruise I have been on I have seen people told they could not enter the dining room, or told not to come back for the next formal night "if they did not have the proper attire". And I have, twice asked that people at our table move. I will not dine on formal night with men wearing jeans and no ties. I am sorry if my actions offend some, but I would not have to do or say anything IF others would "dress appropriately" for the occasion. Try it, it is such fun, where else do you get to do on 'real date nights"? DH ofter orders me a corsage and we have drinks before dinner, dancing after dinner. We may be old, but it is great to have a loving husband that encourages me to get "dolled up" and even though I am old he tells me I am pretty, that he loves me and buys me flowers. My life is perfect!:D

 

And there's people that keep saying you won't see this type of behavior on board. Here you go.

[zoey09]

Some people just don't know how to give respectful opinions. There is a lot more to celebrity then just formal night. Yes I dress up, but I can care less who decides not to. There are other options, please don't stay in your room, this is your vacation too! How perfect can one life's be if you get upset so easily over other people's choices in attire? When i'm with my fiancee at dinner, our topics of conversation are much more then what others are wearing. Anyways, enjoy celebrity it will be a amazing vacation!