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First X Cruise:SILHOUETTE JAN 17 2016

Bimmer09

By Bimmer09,
in Celebrity Cruises

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TeaBag

TeaBag

Posted
Posted

Welcome to the Celebrity board, Norris. I am already hooked on your review and your writing style. I can only hope this is the first of many Celebrity cruises, so that after you finish this review we can look forward to more.

 

The Silhouette is our favorite of the Celebrity ships. I wonder if you made it to the Lawn Club Grill.

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FlynnRider78

FlynnRider78

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Hi Norris,

 

I got a little behind on the Med review and have only just caught up. I was so so sorry to hear what happened to you and I hope physically you are fully recovered and you both had another fantastic holiday.

 

I have never sailed with Celebrity but am along for the ride as I absolutely love your reviews. [emoji2]

 

Take Care

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Bo1953

Bo1953

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I really want to thank the Princess sailors to the X board, I now even appreciate B09's influence and great respect even more!

 

I really, really Am looking to forward to the information before my Silly embarkation next week.. and even after I return to compare notes.

 

I know this review will be good/excellent/superlative setting a new standard for our reviews based on the photos alone! Not that we all need to achieve this standard, but something to go forward with as best we can, as not everyone can write as well as B09, I appreciate everyone's review/insight on X (to a great degree, but especially when specific and fair).

 

Thank you one and all, and again, a hearty welcome to Princess cruisers your thoughts are welcome too.. :cool:

Edited by Bo1953
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Bimmer09 "Live from...." Rare

Bimmer09

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I hope that you and Carol enjoyed a lovely,sunny,interesting cruise! This Platinum level Princess cruiser has jumped ship for the past week to check for any postings by you on the Celebrity forum.

Glad to know that your review will soon begin! Reading your reviews are like reading a good book- they are page turners!

Welcome home and get to work on the X review post haste! (That is a request,not an order.) :)

 

MJ-I'm glad you found this. I think there will be a lot of pages to turn as I have much to say which is unusual for me (LOL!)

 

Hi Norris,

I too, have been waiting for this review. I have really enjoyed your Princess reviews and will be very interested in your X opinions.

Your photo's are brilliant and I can't wait for the next instalment.

Kerry

 

Kerry, welcome and thanks for the compliments on the photos and the Princess reviews. I should get us onto the Silhouette later today....

 

Welcome to the Celebrity board, Norris. I am already hooked on your review and your writing style. I can only hope this is the first of many Celebrity cruises, so that after you finish this review we can look forward to more.

 

The Silhouette is our favorite of the Celebrity ships. I wonder if you made it to the Lawn Club Grill.

 

Teabag-thanks for the warm welcome.Will we sail X again? Answer will be found on the last day of the cruise....Lawn Club Grill? Ate two dinners there!! Photos and video to follow, down the line.

Hi, Norris and Carol! I'm here, and I'm ready to settle in for a good long read! Can't wait to hear what you think about Celebrity.

 

Nancy!! Hi- I think you have featured in all of the reviews I have written on CC so a double welcome to you. I have much to say on Celebrity....

Looking forward to this review

it will be interesting to hear your opinion of Celebrity !

Thanks for captivating reviews

 

Beth- welcome back! Thanks for joining us here. All will be revealed, day by day.

 

Looking forward to your review!! Loved the one you did on the Emerald.

Thanks, Liz and Camilo. I appreciate the comments on the Emerald epic!

Norris....thanks for the head's up "text" last night. I am now officially strapped in for the ride!

 

Chris-so glad to see you again and particularly at the beginning of the piece. You are one of the few X cruisers I know from the Princess board. Hold on tight !

 

I have never sailed with Celebrity but am along for the ride as I absolutely love your reviews.

 

FlynnRider78, thanks for joining me again. Never sailed with X? Read on...

 

I don't normally combine all the comments together like this but in the

interests of brevity with so many comments I didn't want to wear anyone out scrolling, scrolling, scrolling on the river....

 

Meanwhile back to our regular scheduled programming...

 

Norris

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Bimmer09 "Live from...." Rare

Bimmer09

Posted
  • Author
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I really want to thank the Princess sailors to the X board, I now even appreciate B09's influence and great respect even more!

 

I really, really Am looking to forward to the information before my Silly embarkation next week.. and even after I return to compare notes.

 

I know this review will be good/excellent/superlative setting a new standard for our reviews based on the photos alone! Not that we all need to achieve this standard, but something to go forward with as best we can, as not everyone can write as well as B09, I appreciate everyone's review/insight on X (to a great degree, but especially when specific and fair).

 

Thank you one and all, and again, a hearty welcome to Princess cruisers your thoughts are welcome too.. :cool:

 

Thanks, Sam. That is a really nice gesture!

Thanks for the kind comments on the photos.

 

Norris

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Bimmer09 "Live from...." Rare

Bimmer09

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Following along! :D

 

We too are interested in your side by side thoughts. Our 1st Princess was in 1992, Celebrity in 1994. Our last 3 have been S-class ships, the Ruby in 2012 last Princess.

EW

 

EW....I went on the Silhouette determined not to do a comparison here BUT I have always planned a second review which will be a head to head experience comparison, with graphs, tables and pie charts (or at least pie as I am getting the munchies here)

 

So once this is written I will post a comparison- the rooms, the service, the staff, the food,excursions, amenities etc etc on the Princess Board. I think everyone on the P board needs to know as much as possible about X- and vice versa.

 

I went into this to just simply let the Celebrity Experience unfold. I can tell you (spoiler alert!) it was NOT the cruise from hell. Far from it-but I am getting ahead of myself.

 

Norris

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dodger1964

dodger1964

Posted
Posted

Thanks for taking time to review.

 

I will be interested in your observations of the differences to other cruise lines that you sail on.

 

We are elite plus on X, and just booked a cruise on a different line for the first time! I know the grass is always greener, but we have come to the conclusion that it is time to see what else is out there.

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5:00_Somewhere "Live from...." Rare

5:00_Somewhere

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Looking forward to your posts. Longtime Princess cruiser boarding my first X ship in 3 weeks.

Hi, Sox Fan. Thanks for stopping by.

 

Which ship in 3 weeks? If it's an S Class don't bother to pack any socks-they'll get knocked off on the first day.

 

Norris

 

Hey Norris, I'll take the liberty of answering this question, both because you and I have chatted before, and because SoxFanCruiser is my better half (or vice versa). ;) We are sailing on the Silhouette, doing the same itinerary.

 

I have been looking forward to your review.

 

And I have to say that my story of landing on the Silhouette is just a bit similar to yours. As I've mentioned (and as you can see below), we are long time Princess cruisers. Princess fits us very well, but I've wanted to at least try another line for some time. I'm also a bit of a ship nerd - though nowhere near as expert as you - and when I saw the first Solstice Class ship I immediately began to drool. But, I've had some difficulty convincing the DH to jump ship (pun intended) due in part to all the perks we get being Elite on Princess. When we discovered that we could essentially "buy" our way into the equivalent perks by sailing Aqua Class on Celebrity, he was finally convinced.

 

And so, here we are, waiting very impatiently for our sail away in just under 3 weeks. In the meantime, I will content myself enjoying another of your always entertaining reviews. Pray continue, good sir. :D

 

p.s. - and, while I do not want to be seen as a "basher", I do have to agree with you about the Celebrity website experience: it is absolutely excruciating, when it's functional at all. I feel like it's designed by a deranged video game creator who takes delight in forcing visitors to navigate a labyrinthian maze, simultaneously solving puzzles along the way in order to open secret levels that permit access to prized information such as boarding passes and luggage tags, what excursions you have already booked, what reservations you have made, and especially the meaning of the promotional packages you have taken advantage of. ;)

Edited by 5:00_Somewhere
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Shimsdan

Shimsdan

Posted
Posted

Hello Bimmer09! I am a Celebrity cruiser, but was curious about the Princess product, so I was lurking on the Princess boards when I ran across your Emerald review. I actually marked my calendar to follow for your Celebrity review, as I love your writing style, your photographs and your food porn. Hooray, you're finally here! Can't wait to read about your experience.

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jagoffee

jagoffee

Posted
Posted

Norris, another.

 

 

What cabin were you in? We were starboard corner aft deck 12. Perhaps my wife has a picture of you. This are just my IPad pictures.

 

By the way how do you get more than one attachment on a single post?

 

Jim

image.jpg.7b3223f97dca0843a0f97c89dda93b4e.jpg

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Bimmer09 "Live from...." Rare

Bimmer09

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Where was I?

Better yet-where am I?

 

I have been away from the computer for a few hours as I had a Doctor's appointment. Long wait. When I asked him what my life expectancy is he asked if I was the guy writing the review on CC. Yes. You might want to go home and step up the pace....

 

So, following Doctor's orders here is the continuation...

 

The aircraft took off from O'Hare and as we were strapped into the seats we had no option but to follow it.

 

The first 2 hours of the 3 hour flight we were treated to in-flight entertainment in the form of a screaming child a row behind on the opposite side of the aisle.

This was one of those new Uber-children with the improved lung capacity. Her mother used the new modern approach of pretending she (a) couldn't hear it or (b) the child on her lap was not hers.

 

You know the shower scene in the movie Psycho? That sound when the knife is stabbing Tippy Hedren? Just louder.

 

Breakfast came

 

24513849201_3f6898fbea_b.jpg

 

After 2 hours the kid stopped yelling or had ruptured her own eardrums and peace resumed.



 

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The land lay far below, which when flying is just where you want it. If you look out the window and see treetops then it's time to go knock on the cockpit door.

 

23969307283_2e8220c1ea_b.jpg

 

Soon we started our descent to FLL

 

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It was at this point that I saw a sinister black plane flying below us

24000205023_543ab53b32_b.jpg

It's still with us!! Spy plane? C.I.A. drone maybe??

 

24331471060_569f79a316_b.jpg

 

Norris

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Bimmer09 "Live from...." Rare

Bimmer09

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The plane landed in one piece-luckily the one with the wheels attached.



 

24518659472_888dfa31ca_b.jpg

 

Soon we were off the plane and into the busy airport baggage claim. There were 5 ships in port (7 if you count the Oasis as 3). I love the ship's horn that sounds when the luggage carousel starts to run. What fun!

 

24331474000_40b5201c44_b.jpg

 

Next the long walk to the taxis and off we went slowly as the airport was jammed.



 

HOORAY!!

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We drove across the 17th Street Bridge and saw the stern of our first ever cruise ship- Coral Princess.



 

24627004405_ce5209ffc3_b.jpg

Our room at the Mariott Harbor Beach Resort wasn't ready yet as it was around noon but they gave us some free drink coupons and 2 loungers and an umbrella on the beach until it was-maybe 90 minutes later. That sun sure felt good on our faces!

 

Norris

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