Review Part II: Silhouette W. Carib 4-6-14 to 4-13-14

[turning46]

Here is the link to Part I (which I named badly, forgetting to put in the name of the ship):

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2026837

 

Onto Part II: There's not much to add to the overall experience I've already described on the ship - sea days and evenings we spent reading, relaxing in the solarium or near the lawn, sipping drinks, working out, playing trivia, and taking naps. We are boring! But this is our idea of a nice vacation.

 

We tried breakfast at Blu on this day, and decided it was one of the highlights of being in the Aqua class. So relaxed, delicious breads and pastries being delivered, fresh juices, and a nice quiet start to the day. Dinners at Blu took a decided upturn when we were seated in Milorad's section - he and his assistant were delightful, extremely attentive, and we asked to be seated in his section every night thereafter.

 

Our first port stop was Cozumel, Mexico, and I had booked a "day of romance" at Mr. Sanchos Beach Club as a birthday gift for my H. I had wanted to book a cabana, anyway because we are pasty Midwesterners and need to stay out of the direct sun. I needn't have worried - there were tons of available shaded tables and loungers at Mr. Sanchos (at least on the all-inclusive side, which is where we were). I'd say the $55/pp all you care to eat and drink special is worth the $$, but the $200/couple romance pkg with the guaranteed cabana and massage may not be worth the extra money. I thought the 30-minute massage was heavenly, but I don't know how much it would have cost to just add that in ala carte.

 

Anyway, the drinks were kind of weak, but they kept coming, the food was actually very good, and the sea was delightful - walk-right-in warm with gentle waves. My handy swim-shirt covered my arms and shoulders and back, so I was able to stay in the water for as long as I wanted. Too soon, it was time to leave to catch the ship.

 

We did do a bit of shopping in the seaport area, and the vendors were very aggressive. My H was quite uncomfortable (it doesn't bother me as much) and we left that area feeling a bit tensed up from teh encounters. However, I did get a new silver wedding band, as I'd lost my original wedding band last year ziplining.

 

I don't remember the exact order of the entertainment, but I think tonight's show was a Broadway tribute. I loved it, because I love to see the young, talented singers and dancers being able to showcase their talent. I noted that the dancers, esp., were doing some pretty complicated choreography and each one was giving it his/her all - full extensions, complete rotations, the works. I was impressed!

 

The next day we unfortunately had to skip Grand Cayman Island due to rought seas and unsafe tendering conditions. I was quite disappointed, because I really wanted to try snorkeling and I wanted to see the stingrays, too. But as is often noted on these boards: if there is a "must-see" destination, book a land vacation there. I guess this gives me a handy excuse to do just that!

 

This unexpected sea day was the only one that really felt crowded on the ship. There were so many people packed into the Ensemble lounge for trivia that we couldn't even get a seat, much less a cocktail. My guess is that the A group didn't have any scheduled seminars for that day, so they were mixing among the rest of the guests? Maybe. Or maybe people were just milling about more than usual. In any event, we still found places to sit and enjoy the lovely ocean breezes.

 

The next day we landed in Jamaica. We decided to try a snorkel/beach excursion. Not such a great idea, as it turns out! Jamaica was hot and the seaport area was busy, but not overly crowded. I feared the vendors there would be aggressive, but they were very mellow. We bought a couple of bottles of rum cream as a gift to the people watching our dog while we vacationed.

 

A group of us got walked to the excursion boat, a smallish two-decker. We sat inside and the delightful tour guide started to distribute equipment as we set on our bouncy, jouncy way. We had absolutely no idea what we were doing, but luckily some fellow voyagers gave us some tips and we got suited up. At the site, the waves were fairly significant, but we hopped into the warm water and tried our best to snorkel at a large reef.

 

I never did get the hang of it - the waves were pretty strong, and my mask filled with water every time I put my head in the water. But! The view of the reef was incredible. I'd never seen anything like it, so I would just hold my breath and stick my face in to view as long as I could. After not too many minutes, we all looked up to see a HUGE wave coming toward us all - it scattered everyone and we all came up spluttering just in time to see another HUGE wave crashing over us. At that point, the guide made us all get back in the boat - snorkel time was over.

 

Barfing time had just begun! At least 7-10 people were sick on the ride to the beach, including my H. People were, uh, letting go over the side of the boat, and while I didn't get sick, I felt a bit green. Almost everyone felt better by the time we hit the small, rather disappointing beach. So we trundled out, and started to make our way wading around the beach area just in time to encounter . . . . sea urchins! Dozens and dozens and dozens of them, just waiting in the seagrass to launch their spines into our tender feet and ankles! This was just getting better and better.

 

Finally it was time to go and I tried to remember the best parts: rocking gently in the swelling waves that weren't strong enough to knock me over, and the amazing view of something I had never seen in my life. Those two things made up for the rest, in my view. Even H, after he had recovered from being sick, said it was overall a good experience.

 

More later!

[helen haywood]

LOL. You must be Canadian to have kept up such a positive attitude.

[Christine Frances]

Great review - thanks! We have warm memories of land trips to Jamaica:)

[turning46]

LOL. You must be Canadian to have kept up such a positive attitude.

 

Ha. Not Canadian, but a Wisconsinite. Close enough?

[helen haywood]

Yeah. You probably breathe the same air...