!!! SILHOUETTE !!! Western Caribbean- The Ultimate Review & Complete Pictorial Guide!

[gambee]

Thanks Gambee for this fabulous review and pictures we are really enjoying it. We were on the Equinox 4 years ago and we did not enjoy it but after reading just day one we are considering giving it another shot on either the Silhoutte, Reflection or eclipse. Thanks again!!!

 

Interesting, now I am wondering how I managed to change your mind. So far everything that I have typed is good and bad, nothing that I could think to severely change someone view. But I am still glad that you're considering X again, they are completely different from RCCL, but offer a great cruising experience!

[CruisingTheWaves]

I have this same material as well, but I am not sure how to share the dpf format, maybe through google docs. I will try it out. Thanks for reminding me about that.

 

i have decided not to share, as i do not think that is something that should be for public eyes. if someone asked me for a recipe i'd give it to them, but as far as their entire bank of recipes (sans martini bar) i think i'll spare celebrity the expense. it's actually beyond their control that people like me have it.

[Eng23]

Hi gambee! Going back to your sailaway pictures you asked why there was a need for a tug on the HAL ship. I'll offer up an answer, judging by the wind coming through your microphone it seems the wind might have been an issue. If the winds were coming across the HAL ship from the side it is possible the tug was assisting to keep the ship stable as the lines are dropped. Wind coming across the side of a ship can push the ship around, think of the side of a ship as being somewhat like a sail. The sail catches the wind and moves the ship. Even with the ships bow thrusters the wind could have been strong enough to require some help from the tug.

 

That's just my theory, but it could have been there for another reason too. Keep up the good work! Harold. :D

[gambee]

i have decided not to share, as i do not think that is something that should be for public eyes. if someone asked me for a recipe i'd give it to them, but as far as their entire bank of recipes (sans martini bar) i think i'll spare celebrity the expense. it's actually beyond their control that people like me have it.

 

I actually think I got the document from their website, yeah I got it from there. But I just went through it and it only the drinks on the regular menu, not the ones at molecular or tini bar.

[gambee]

Hi gambee! Going back to your sailaway pictures you asked why there was a need for a tug on the HAL ship. I'll offer up an answer, judging by the wind coming through your microphone it seems the wind might have been an issue. If the winds were coming across the HAL ship from the side it is possible the tug was assisting to keep the ship stable as the lines are dropped. Wind coming across the side of a ship can push the ship around, think of the side of a ship as being somewhat like a sail. The sail catches the wind and moves the ship. Even with the ships bow thrusters the wind could have been strong enough to require some help from the tug.

 

That's just my theory, but it could have been there for another reason too. Keep up the good work! Harold. :D

 

Thanks Harold that is definitely a valid reason. Which reminds me X S class ships are one huge sail :D, I will get into that later on ;).

[CathyCruises]

Well, I made it as far as Page 13 and I am going to have to stop reading. We board on the 14th and I want to be surprised by SOMETHING! I know many people are just lapping it up, but I am one of those who enjoys discovering it for myself, not seeing it all beforehand.:(

 

Great job--I kept reading because I wanted to hear about the weather--guess I'll never find out!!!

 

Congrats on an amazing review!

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Excellent and well balanced review! I cant believe all the detail and info from you, and its only day 1 of your trip. Now I have to go back and spend several decades of my life reading your others ..... Lol

 

I'm hoping at some point you will share info from Cellar Masters with us. My partner and I both love wine and are hoping there will be a nice selection there that fits within the premium package limit of $12. I know we can't use the enomatic machines with the package, but hoping for a good sampling from the menu :D

[CruisingTheWaves]

I actually think I got the document from their website, yeah I got it from there. But I just went through it and it only the drinks on the regular menu, not the ones at molecular or tini bar.

 

i really don't think this is something celebrity would have anywhere on their website? where would you have found it?

[s8222]

Gambee, I am a silent reader of your review as I am sure many others will be. Your review is amazingly detailed!

 

My partner and I were on the cruise with you, doing a B2B with the cruise before that. We love Silhouette and have booked our next cruise already.

 

I look forward to reading more.

 

Greetings from Amsterdam!

[gambee]

Well, I made it as far as Page 13 and I am going to have to stop reading. We board on the 14th and I want to be surprised by SOMETHING! I know many people are just lapping it up, but I am one of those who enjoys discovering it for myself, not seeing it all beforehand.:(

 

Great job--I kept reading because I wanted to hear about the weather--guess I'll never find out!!!

 

Congrats on an amazing review!

 

Have a great cruise, I wish I had the determination that you have. I am usually all over these boards.

 

Excellent and well balanced review! I cant believe all the detail and info from you, and its only day 1 of your trip. Now I have to go back and spend several decades of my life reading your others ..... Lol

 

I'm hoping at some point you will share info from Cellar Masters with us. My partner and I both love wine and are hoping there will be a nice selection there that fits within the premium package limit of $12. I know we can't use the enomatic machines with the package, but hoping for a good sampling from the menu :D

 

The good thing is I only have one more review that is detailed, so no need on spending decades maybe one year only :D

 

Oh my.............. That is precisely the only drink menu that I don't have, I am sorry. I do however have some pictures and you might recognize some bottles. I am sorry, also on the first pages I put a link with the MDR drink menu. That might help you a little.

[gambee]

i really don't think this is something celebrity would have anywhere on their website? where would you have found it?

 

Hmmmmmm, I think you're right. I went back and read it. It does seem that the document is geared towards bartenders and managers. I wonder where I got it from, it must be posted in this board somewhere.

 

Thanks for bringing that up, I will refrain from posting it.

[gambee]

Gambee, I am a silent reader of your review as I am sure many others will be. Your review is amazingly detailed!

 

My partner and I were on the cruise with you, doing a B2B with the cruise before that. We love Silhouette and have booked our next cruise already.

 

I look forward to reading more.

 

Greetings from Amsterdam!

 

I hope you had better weather on the first week of the cruise. Thank you for posting, I appreciate it.

 

I will see you around.

[gambee]

Ok, lets finish day 1.

 

 

 

After karaoke we stopped by the nightly show, it was the opening show. Ok this is the first time I am posting pictures of shows, on the Allure I refrained from it. But after reading thousands of reviews and seeing multiple people posting them, I am venturing and posting a few. Please note, I did not take video, that goes into copyright violation.

 

 

 

 

I can't really tell you how good it was because those who know me know that I am not one for shows. That said it was not enough to keep me in there for more than a few minutes, the place was pretty packed, so I am assuming that it was good. The reason I actually left was because the band stopped playing and the a cappella group started singing and that was my cue to leave. I have only had another experience with an a cappella group and the one on the Silhouette had nothing on them, by that I mean they were pretty average and by that I mean not good at all. The bad part was that they were singing everywhere in the ship during the week, I found myself running away from them several times, it was actually very funny :D now that I think about it.

 

Now on to another topic, that night was the first time that I have ever felt a ship roll, it was an ever so light roll and very calming. But this was just the beginning of what would become a VERY rocky voyage, lots of people getting sick. Do you guys want to know the funny part? I ABSOLUTELY LOVE!!!!!! When ships rock and roll, on our last day the ship actually stopped rocking and I missed it dearly. I also ventured with no anti-nausea medicine on the last two days and I did not get sick!!! It was just AWESOME!!!! I was so excited!!!! I am not sure how to put it, but from now on I will look forward for the rocking and rolling of ships more than anything. It sort of lets me know that I am aboard a SHIP!!!! How cool is that?!?!

 

[gambee]

As we headed out I thought there was still room for one more drink, so we headed towards the martini bar. We got a pear martini and the raspberry lemonade.

 

Both drinks were very nice!

 

We took our drinks up to the room and I decided to set up the internet. It took me a little while to find the keyboard, but I eventually found it. Then I found myself trying to get to work, but nothing… Then I decided to open the battery compartment and found this, oxidation everywhere.

 

 

I am not sure how long it has been there without use, but my guess is as good as yours. I cleaned the battery and the contacts and got it to work. We decided to buy the $100 internet package and go from there, it was a little complicated to set up, but I figured it out. I suggest if you're having trouble to go to the ilounge and get it set up over there.

 

I will go more into detail about the internet and TV system later on.

 

Then I decided to go outside and download all my daily pictures into my computer ( I do this every night), my data is precious to me. Not only do I download it, but I also bring a backup hard drive and backup my entire computer every night. Then I place the hard drive on the safe.

 

My work station, not very safe for my computer :( (I feel pretty dumb now, specially with the ship movement) and yes I was drinking both drinks :D, mom had given up

 

 

[gambee]

At 11pm I decided to order some food, I did not want to go to sleep without eating something with so much alcohol intake. I sat in the balcony and worked on my pictures waiting for my food, my mom thought I was crazy ordering food so late and I guess she was right… moms…. anyway my mom went to sleep and at around 11:50pm the food arrived to the room. it was a good thing because I was ready to head to bed. That is also when I found out that the room Steward is the one that delivers the food, I felt soooo bad, words cannot explain how guilty I felt about doing this. I gave him his tip and headed to look at the food.

 

Some chicken, no very appetizing, right? trust me it did not taste that good either...

 

Asian platter I think, it was ok I think. Nothing special.

 

The fries were good, the burger just ok.

 

And the same creme brulle as in the MDR, that was also ok.

 

The food was possibly the worst I had in X, this is not to the standard of X food quality. I really did not eat that much and my mom was pretty much asleep by then, so I tried a few things and placed them in the floor to take them out the next day.

 

I went to sleep a little after midnight, I woke up a few times for two reasons. I am a very light sleeper and at home I need a fan (for noise) and my bed is extremely soft. It was so quiet in that room and I was not used that and the bed was a little too hard for me (yes, it had the egg crate topper on it) I can only imagine how hard it is otherwise. I found a fix for one of the issues later on in the cruise :), I had to adjust to the other issue for that voyage.

 

 

 

Day 1 finished.

 

 

 

I now have to work on the day two pictures and videos, I haven't even selected them yet ughhhhhhhhh. I will take my computer to work today and work on them, most likely my next set will go up by friday, although I will try my best to have some up earlier but no promises. I will be around to answer questions and posts.

 

Happy Wednesday everyone! :D

 

[4774Papa]

I just went through 16 of this thread to read about the ports. Still no info on the ports. Great review, but a bit much without covering the ports.

[gambee]

I just went through 16 of this thread to read about the ports. Still no info on the ports. Great review, but a bit much without covering the ports.

 

I review by days, I will get to the ports soon enough.

 

If you want more info on the ports go to my Allure review, I did a very similar itinerary on that ship. Got some great pictures too.

[Tommy3putts]

Now on to another topic, that night was the first time that I have ever felt a ship roll, it was an ever so light roll and very calming. But this was just the beginning of what would become a VERY rocky voyage, lots of people getting sick. Do you guys want to know the funny part? I ABSOLUTELY LOVE!!!!!! When ships rock and roll, on our last day the ship actually stopped rocking and I missed it dearly. I also ventured with no anti-nausea medicine on the last two days and I did not get sick!!! It was just AWESOME!!!! I was so excited!!!! I am not sure how to put it, but from now on I will look forward for the rocking and rolling of ships more than anything. It sort of lets me know that I am aboard a SHIP!!!! How cool is that?!?!

 

 

What type of seasick meds were you taking? Were there any adverse interactions/side effects with the booze?

[librarylady19]

I just went through 16 of this thread to read about the ports. Still no info on the ports. Great review, but a bit much without covering the ports.

 

That is rather rude. Do not read the review if you are not finding the information you desire :(

[Tommy3putts]

That is rather rude. Do not read the review if you are not finding the information you desire :(

 

Wow totally agree. I enjoy the stuff about the ship more than the ports. Gambee's reviews are excellent and wealth of information, not to mention extremely popular on CC. He as reached an almost cult-like status. His Allure review has 1000+ posts and counting!

[gambee]

What type of seasick meds were you taking? Were there any adverse interactions/side effects with the booze?

 

We took ginger pills, bonine and the sea bracelets (scopolamine patches, but did not use them). Well as you will find out soon, I did get sick on day 2, but it was not sea sickness. It was something different and I believe it was a combination of a bunch of stuff, including alcohol , I will try to explain later. So maybe, yes... but not sure.

[gambee]

That is rather rude. Do not read the review if you are not finding the information you desire :(

 

Wow totally agree. I enjoy the stuff about the ship more than the ports. Gambee's reviews are excellent and wealth of information, not to mention extremely popular on CC. He as reached an almost cult-like status. His Allure review has 1000+ posts and counting!

 

 

I try to provide information for all, that means lots of things that some may not like and others will. So it's all good, it just might take sometime to get to the info some want.

 

Thank you for the support and kind words :)

[BILL-WI]

I can tell this report is a true labor of love...GREAT JOB!!!:):):)

 

BILL

[Just The 3 Of Us]

GAMBEE!!!!!! Your pictures and review are simply AMAZING!!!! Love your sense of humor and great attitude - I would sail with you and your mom anytime!!!!

Thanks so much for all your hard work!!!

Barb

[Iluvcruising2]

Great review. Amazing pictures.

 

Thanks for sharing, including all the pictures of the kids' areas.

 

My family will be sailing on this very ship this November. It will be our first time on Celebrity.

 

Keep up the great work!!