Silhouette Review: First Celebrity Cruise Not What I Expected

[QM2 Cruiser]

Hi everyone, I wanted to write a review and share my experience on the Celebrity Silhouette from February 14-21, 2016. Port calls included San Juan, St. Kitts, and St. Maarten. I'm 26 and this was my 18th cruise. I usually travel with family, and I've cruised with Cunard, Holland America, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Costa and Carnival.

 

I had always been under the impression that Celebrity is the best of the big-ship cruise lines. To me, Celebrity was always the cruise line to "work up to." I booked this cruise just three weeks before departure and was really excited to try Celebrity.

 

The Silhouette is beautiful. In contrast to some other ships, the decor is extremely contemporary. The public rooms are upscale and the traffic flow is excellent inside the ship. I especially liked the wide corridors and sufficient spacing between furniture in the bars and lounges. Sometimes cruise lines have a tendency to squeeze in a few too many chairs and tables, making the public rooms feel crowded. Generally speaking, the focal point in each public room is the bar. I noticed that the staff closes the curtains rather early in Bistro on Five and in the Martini Bar, which I didn’t like. I found myself wishing for more spaces with an ocean view, and I missed not having an exterior promenade deck with views of the ocean. I got the impression that The Lawn Club was underused, and instead served only to occupy deck space that could have been used for more chaise lounges.

 

I really enjoyed the entertainment on this cruise, and my fellow cruisers stayed up much later at night than they tend to on other cruise lines. I made it a point to listen to the house band daily in the Grand Foyer at 7:45pm and the Soulstiss Quartette in the Ensembles Lounge at 10:45pm. The ship’s production show cast was the largest I've seen on a ship, with a total of 16 singers and dancers. Both shows were exciting and focused on aerial acrobatics. I was surprised that the "pre-show flash photography announcement" in the theatre encouraged the audience to take videos and photos to share on social media. Video recording is normally prohibited in the theatre. This “new” policy sounds like a way for Celebrity to benefit from free advertising.

 

Dining is always subjective, but I was really disappointed by my experience on this cruise. Before booking, I knew that Celebrity was big on specialty dining. There are five specialty restaurants on the Silhouette, most of which cost $50 for dinner unless booked together in a package. I didn't try any of these restaurants because I felt that $50 was a bit too expensive. I've had amazing specialty dining experiences at Todd English on Cunard, the Pinnacle Grill on HAL, and Sabatini's on Princess, and none of them cost $50. I know the industry trend is to increase dining prices, but I just couldn't justify it on this cruise.

 

That being said, I had the 8:30pm late seating in the Grand Cuvée. First of all, I was shocked at the number of empty chairs in the main dining room each night; my guess is that second seating was at 65% occupancy on an average night. I’ve never had this experience before, sitting at a 10-top in the center of the main dining room with 7 unassigned chairs. Several neighboring tables were the same, as were the tables near the windows. My waiter assured me that first seating was much busier, but I wanted to maintain my second seating. I contributed the low turn out to the specialty dining packages that many cruisers had purchased. The lack of camaraderie in the main dining room took away some of the ambiance that I love about cruising. I love having the same waiter and dining companions every night, and I also prefer a large table of 10 to 12 people.

 

My waiter and assistant waiter were assigned to three tables with a total of 24 chairs. Due to the low turn out, only 11 chairs were occupied on a given night, making the service uncomfortably fast. With so few diners to look after, our waiters would clear away plates and replace them with the next course just as soon as the last bite was finished. A five-course dinner would typically last just over an hour, with an appetizer, soup, salad, main course, and a dessert. I’m used to a much more relaxed dining experience that lasts around two hours. My waiters would also tend to disappear after delivering the dessert course, and I never even had a chance to wish them well on the last night of the cruise.

 

In general, the food was nicely presented and very tasty. There were just a couple of nights that I felt the menu was lacking. I noticed that Celebrity seems to have consolidated many of the more “upscale” main courses to the Chic nights only, leaving simpler options for the other days. For example, it was quite difficult to choose between the Colorado rack of lamb and the chateaubriand, both of which were available on the same night. Service in the main dining room was attentive and professional, but lacked personality and friendliness. For lunch, the food offered in the Oceanview Café was a bit repetitive, but acceptable.

 

There was one experience I had on Celebrity that I particularly didn’t care for. My cabin was in the forward part of the ship, so I regularly needed to walk through the Galleria Boutiques on Deck 5 to make my way to the center of the ship. Frequently when walking by the watch shops, staff members would greet me and ask me if I’d like to have a look in the shop. This became just as annoying as when locals try to sell souvenirs or sunglasses on the beach in St. Maarten. I had similar experiences one deck below in the Shops on the Boulevard: staff members would stop me and give me information about raffles and art auctions. I just wanted to walk through this part of the ship in peace without having to listen to sales pitches. Many of the watch shops would stay open until 11:00pm with no passengers anywhere to be seen. There was always a group of staff waiting outside the shops hoping to make a sale, and probably to escape from boredom. I haven’t experienced this type of high-pressure sales on any of my other cruises.

 

All in all, it was a good cruise. I enjoyed Celebrity, but I think I need to stay with Holland America and Princess for future cruises. I’ll give Celebrity a second chance someday, but this certainly wasn’t the cruise line I was expecting. I need a cruise line that puts less emphasis on specialty dining rooms and upsell techniques, and more emphasis on a solid baseline product. I suppose that Celebrity is what you make of it. If you’re looking to spend twice what you’ve paid for the cruise in extras to make it something extraordinary, you’re in the right place. On the other hand, I’m looking for a more traditional experience with a fewer “nominal fees”, more ocean views, and a more relaxed atmosphere.

[Clarea]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[richstowe]

Thank you QM2 Cruiser for your insightful comments . I agree with you that Celebrity's push toward additional fee restaurants is off-putting . DW and I really enjoy Celebrity . We relate well to the fellow passengers , love the smoking policy and the way we are treated like respected adults . Having said that I agree that HAL and Princess are wonderful and probably offer better value .

 

Good luck on your future cruises . At the rate you are going , you'll have 100 cruises in no time . ;)

Edited March 2, 2016 by richstowe

[Fouremco]

Thanks for the review. Nice balance and perspective.

[Keith1010]

In the end the most important opinion is your own.

 

I am reminded that if we all had the same experiences and the same opinions there would only be handful or less of cruise lines and it would be a boring world.

 

Now you know better what you like most.

 

Nice review.

 

Keith

[DrivesLikeMario]

Thank you for such an excellent review. It's good to give it a second try when you get a chance. Your insights on the first cruise may, or may not, be confirmed then.

 

BTW - Good for you for traveling on your own! That's wonderful! :)

[jbuch02]

Thanks for your excellent and balanced review.

 

I too miss the comradery associated with the evening dining experience that has been a staple of elegant cruising with Celebrity for years.

 

There's a reason for that: The Select Dining option, while right for some, has diminished what you and I have both enjoyed. I don't think we are alone. More than once, we've been seated at a 10 top and found ourselves alone at the traditional late seating. We usually find something but moving around is a distraction to what should be a wonderful dining experience with new friends.

 

It is what it is and I suspect that we may be in the minority with the majority of cruisers preferring to sit at a table for two and dine when they wish.

 

We tried Select Dining for our first time on a B2B Asian Cruise on Millennium. We were put off by the wait regardless of a reservation, by the rotating staff who never got to know you or your preferences and the varied dinner companions, who, in our experience, were not particularly talkative. For the second two week portion, we switched back to traditional dining at 8:30, asked for a table with a Head Waiter we knew, sat with 3 other couples who were great. Anyway, this whole issue has been a hot topic for years so, the debate is nothing new. Each to his own.

 

I also agree with you with regards to specialty dining. In my view, it is exorbitantly expensive. When we first started cruising with Celebrity in 2001, the ships specialty restaurants charged $25pp and they were superb. They are still superb but not worth the $50-75 on the S class ships, slightly less on the M class ships. We attend only if our On Board Credit account allows for it.

 

We still find Celebrity enormously enjoyable mostly because it feels like home to us and we probably know 1/3 of the long timer staff who always greet us by name when we do a repeat on the same vessel. But, for the first time, I'm looking around and mostly because I am disappointed in Celebrity's pricing strategies and trend to focus on cruisers who are perfectly willing to spend much more than I am for a level of exclusivity (Aqua Class and Suites in particular with exclusive dining) that, personally, I don't feel is worth the price.

 

While the pricing of the category of Celebrity cabins I look at is still very competitive, given that you will end up paying a good deal more if you want a 5 star dining experience in what was previously available to you in the MDR or for only a nominal upcharge is disheartening. When you compare other cruise line's offerings in this regard, it should be a surprise to no one at the corporate level that value cruisers, like we are, are going to shop around to try something else.

 

But, you get what you pay for and I have not, to date and in view of the corporate trends that are focusing on cruisers who will pay, feel as if I am not welcome nor do I feel I am treated differently when on board Celebrity ships. However, I think it is telling that a new cruiser on Celebrity had a less than positive experience, for obvious reasons that corporate could do something about and was not captivated and ready to book his next Celebrity Cruise forthwith. I hope some one at a high level within Celebrity reads this stuff. It is becoming a common refrain.

[need2cruisesoon]

"There was one experience I had on Celebrity that I particularly didn’t care for. My cabin was in the forward part of the ship, so I regularly needed to walk through the Galleria Boutiques on Deck 5 to make my way to the center of the ship. Frequently when walking by the watch shops, staff members would greet me and ask me if I’d like to have a look in the shop. This became just as annoying as when locals try to sell souvenirs or sunglasses on the beach in St. Maarten. I had similar experiences one deck below in the Shops on the Boulevard: staff members would stop me and give me information about raffles and art auctions. I just wanted to walk through this part of the ship in peace without having to listen to sales pitches. Many of the watch shops would stay open until 11:00pm with no passengers anywhere to be seen. There was always a group of staff waiting outside the shops hoping to make a sale, and probably to escape from boredom. I haven’t experienced this type of high-pressure sales on any of my other cruises."

 

Really high pressure, come on they are just doing there job. Just walk walk by and nod that you have no interest they won't bother you again.

 

 

"On the other hand, I’m looking for a more traditional experience with a fewer “nominal fees”, more ocean views, and a more relaxed atmosphere."

Please tell me where to find ocean views on the Royal/Regal princess?

 

"Dining is always subjective, but I was really disappointed by my experience on this cruise. Before booking, I knew that Celebrity was big on specialty dining. There are five specialty restaurants on the Silhouette, most of which cost $50 for dinner unless booked together in a package. I didn't try any of these restaurants because I felt that $50 was a bit too expensive. I've had amazing specialty dining experiences at Todd English on Cunard, the Pinnacle Grill on HAL, and Sabatini's on Princess, and none of them cost $50. I know the industry trend is to increase dining prices, but I just couldn't justify it on this cruise. "

 

You missed out, the specialty restaurants are very good in particular Murano and LGC. You can usually get discounts of 30-50% onboard, you just have to ask what discount is available that evening.

Edited March 2, 2016 by need2cruisesoon

[grandgeezer]

You missed out, the specialty restaurants are very good in particular Murano and LGC. You can usually get discounts of 30-50% onboard, you just have to ask what discount is available that evening.

 

If they are so good, why do they have to give 30-50% discounts to get people to eat there? We've tried them a couple of times and found, even with the discounts it wasn't worth the money. Nice atmosphere, just average food quality and service.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

My waiter and assistant waiter were assigned to three tables with a total of 24 chairs. Due to the low turn out, only 11 chairs were occupied on a given night, making the service uncomfortably fast. With so few diners to look after, our waiters would clear away plates and replace them with the next course just as soon as the last bite was finished. A five-course dinner would typically last just over an hour, with an appetizer, soup, salad, main course, and a dessert. I’m used to a much more relaxed dining experience that lasts around two hours. My waiters would also tend to disappear after delivering the dessert course, and I never even had a chance to wish them well on the last night of the cruise.

 

Thank you for a well-written, informative review. You may have focused a bit on the negatives, but it's natural to do so and good that you took the time to detail exactly what was amiss.

 

In part, it's perspective that determines whether an aspect is positive or negative. One of my chief complaints over the years is the length of dinner-- we use Select dining, show up at 5pm, and still can't make it to the early show in the theater at 7pm. To hear that waiters were there, johnny-on-the-spot with the next course, was a plus in my book. With Select dining, we have the disadvantage of (usually) not having the same waiter, but we get to meet many more interesting people and they will generally fill a table, not leave seven open seats on a ten top.

 

I don't know about Celebrity having a reputation for being the best cruise line, especially if you're used to Cunard, but they do tend to skew towards the older traveler, which is also why they tend to roll up the sidewalks early for the clubs.

 

I agree that the price of specialty dining is getting ridiculous, but supply and demand is what drives those 30-50% discounts. They can offer them when demand is low and remove them if demand picks up.

 

Unfortunate that the layout of the ship required you to go past the shops. I've not had the experience you've described at getting a sales pitch, but then again it's been a couple of years since I've been able to sail X.

[bar_20]

There was one experience I had on Celebrity that I particularly didn’t care for. My cabin was in the forward part of the ship, so I regularly needed to walk through the Galleria Boutiques on Deck 5 to make my way to the center of the ship. Frequently when walking by the watch shops, staff members would greet me and ask me if I’d like to have a look in the shop. This became just as annoying as when locals try to sell souvenirs or sunglasses on the beach in St. Maarten. I had similar experiences one deck below in the Shops on the Boulevard: staff members would stop me and give me information about raffles and art auctions. I just wanted to walk through this part of the ship in peace without having to listen to sales pitches. Many of the watch shops would stay open until 11:00pm with no passengers anywhere to be seen. There was always a group of staff waiting outside the shops hoping to make a sale, and probably to escape from boredom. I haven’t experienced this type of high-pressure sales on any of my other cruises.

 

All in all, it was a good cruise. I enjoyed Celebrity, but I think I need to stay with Holland America and Princess for future cruises. I’ll give Celebrity a second chance someday, but this certainly wasn’t the cruise line I was expecting. I need a cruise line that puts less emphasis on specialty dining rooms and upsell techniques, and more emphasis on a solid baseline product. I suppose that Celebrity is what you make of it. If you’re looking to spend twice what you’ve paid for the cruise in extras to make it something extraordinary, you’re in the right place. On the other hand, I’m looking for a more traditional experience with a fewer “nominal fees”, more ocean views, and a more relaxed atmosphere.

 

There are no cabins on deck 4 or 5. So why didn't you walk to the center elevators and take them to deck 5 avoiding the shops? I am not understanding why you had to walk past them all the time.

[micmacmissy]

"There was one experience I had on Celebrity that I particularly didn’t care for. My cabin was in the forward part of the ship, so I regularly needed to walk through the Galleria Boutiques on Deck 5 to make my way to the center of the ship. Frequently when walking by the watch shops, staff members would greet me and ask me if I’d like to have a look in the shop. This became just as annoying as when locals try to sell souvenirs or sunglasses on the beach in St. Maarten. I had similar experiences one deck below in the Shops on the Boulevard: staff members would stop me and give me information about raffles and art auctions. I just wanted to walk through this part of the ship in peace without having to listen to sales pitches. Many of the watch shops would stay open until 11:00pm with no passengers anywhere to be seen. There was always a group of staff waiting outside the shops hoping to make a sale, and probably to escape from boredom. I haven’t experienced this type of high-pressure sales on any of my other cruises."

 

Really high pressure, come on they are just doing there job. Just walk walk by and nod that you have no interest they won't bother you again.

 

 

"On the other hand, I’m looking for a more traditional experience with a fewer “nominal fees”, more ocean views, and a more relaxed atmosphere."

Please tell me where to find ocean views on the Royal/Regal princess?

 

"Dining is always subjective, but I was really disappointed by my experience on this cruise. Before booking, I knew that Celebrity was big on specialty dining. There are five specialty restaurants on the Silhouette, most of which cost $50 for dinner unless booked together in a package. I didn't try any of these restaurants because I felt that $50 was a bit too expensive. I've had amazing specialty dining experiences at Todd English on Cunard, the Pinnacle Grill on HAL, and Sabatini's on Princess, and none of them cost $50. I know the industry trend is to increase dining prices, but I just couldn't justify it on this cruise. "

 

You missed out, the specialty restaurants are very good in particular Murano and LGC. You can usually get discounts of 30-50% onboard, you just have to ask what discount is available that evening.

 

Give this guy a break! He's right about the shopping pitches. They may be doing their job, but he is 100% right: it cheapens the experience overall. Celebrity should not be encouraging this.

 

If someone pauses to look in the shop window, that's one thing. But passengers walking by? Leave. Them. Alone!

[micmacmissy]

You missed out, the specialty restaurants are very good in particular Murano and LGC. You can usually get discounts of 30-50% onboard, you just have to ask what discount is available that evening.

 

If they are so good, why do they have to give 30-50% discounts to get people to eat there? We've tried them a couple of times and found, even with the discounts it wasn't worth the money. Nice atmosphere, just average food quality and service.

 

I think they are good- worth the full price, even better with 30% off. They give the discounts to fill the seats on slow nights. On our last cruise, only certain nights were discounted.

 

Food quality was EXCELLENT in Murano, Qsine, and Lawn Club- far better than in the MDR. And you can't even compare the service- the service is worlds above "average".

Edited March 2, 2016 by micmacmissy

[Saturngrl]

I was on this sailing as well. My friend and I booked the specialty dinner package when we boarded the ship. We found every specialty restaurant well-worth the $36 we paid for each (in the package). Lawn Club Grill and QSine were the BEST. Murano and Tuscan Grill also were wonderful and all restaurants had service far superior to the Main Dining Room.

 

Yes, this ship is fraught with constant, pushy sales pitches. They almost seemed disappointed when we told them we already had the Premium drink package and reservations in all the specialty restaurants. The sales people were very helpful and I still dream of purchasing a floating diamond ring when my own personal ship comes in.....

 

Regarding the lawn....there's nothing like a fierce Bocce competition while sipping Bellinis up there.....

 

We had a great time!!!

[BrendaJ]

There was one experience I had on Celebrity that I particularly didn’t care for. My cabin was in the forward part of the ship, so I regularly needed to walk through the Galleria Boutiques on Deck 5 to make my way to the center of the ship. Frequently when walking by the watch shops, staff members would greet me and ask me if I’d like to have a look in the shop. This became just as annoying as when locals try to sell souvenirs or sunglasses on the beach in St. Maarten. I had similar experiences one deck below in the Shops on the Boulevard: staff members would stop me and give me information about raffles and art auctions. I just wanted to walk through this part of the ship in peace without having to listen to sales pitches. Many of the watch shops would stay open until 11:00pm with no passengers anywhere to be seen. There was always a group of staff waiting outside the shops hoping to make a sale, and probably to escape from boredom. I haven’t experienced this type of high-pressure sales on any of my other cruises.

 

Thanks for your thorough review. I was on the Silhouette myself last week and have to agree with the above. I have been on many Celebrity cruises and have never noticed shopkeepers standing in their doorways beckoning people to enter until this cruise. This was only an issue on deck 5; the shops on deck 4 were fine. All in all it wasn't a big deal, but I have to say there were a few times I wished I'd walked through on a different deck.

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[2CatsInFlorida]

Which pier did you dock at in San Juan? TIA

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[KKB]

We board the Silhouette Sunday.

 

We also like a large table camaraderie in the MDR; we were considering going for the Ultimate (unlimited) Dining Plan if available & based on your review, you have made my decision.

 

Funny, we dined at Sabatini's on Princess and were NOT impressed--felt the MDR food was just as good. We found MDR food to be comparable on RCCL, Princess & Celebrity.

 

I always avoid walking through the shops area--I only shop for things needed in an emergency.

 

Glad to hear about your impressions on entertainment--there had been some more negative impressions in recent months. Sounds like things have changed.

[grandgeezer]

I think they are good- worth the full price, even better with 30% off. They give the discounts to fill the seats on slow nights. On our last cruise, only certain nights were discounted.

 

Food quality was EXCELLENT in Murano, Qsine, and Lawn Club- far better than in the MDR. And you can't even compare the service- the service is worlds above "average".

 

If the food and service was excellent and the price was fair, they wouldn't have slow nights to have to discount 30-50% to get people in. We've done a lot of Celebrity cruises and have seen a lot of slow nights, even with sales going on.

[cgags47]

Give this guy a break! He's right about the shopping pitches. They may be doing their job, but he is 100% right: it cheapens the experience overall. Celebrity should not be encouraging this.

 

If someone pauses to look in the shop window, that's one thing. But passengers walking by? Leave. Them. Alone!

 

I agree. Just because it is their job doesn't make it any better. Just like the OP, I hate having to walk through sales pitches in ports (or at home for that matter), so I'd really hate it on the ship.

[janetz]

I was on this sailing as well. My friend and I booked the specialty dinner package when we boarded the ship. We found every specialty restaurant well-worth the $36 we paid for each (in the package). Lawn Club Grill and QSine were the BEST. Murano and Tuscan Grill also were wonderful and all restaurants had service far superior to the Main Dining Room.

 

Yes, this ship is fraught with constant, pushy sales pitches. They almost seemed disappointed when we told them we already had the Premium drink package and reservations in all the specialty restaurants. The sales people were very helpful and I still dream of purchasing a floating diamond ring when my own personal ship comes in.....

 

Regarding the lawn....there's nothing like a fierce Bocce competition while sipping Bellinis up there.....

 

We had a great time!!!

 

Love Bocce and love Bellinis

Edited March 2, 2016 by janetz

[janetz]

Hi everyone, I wanted to write a review and share my experience on the Celebrity Silhouette from February 14-21, 2016. Port calls included San Juan, St. Kitts, and St. Maarten. I'm 26 and this was my 18th cruise. I usually travel with family, and I've cruised with Cunard, Holland America, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Costa and Carnival.

 

I had always been under the impression that Celebrity is the best of the big-ship cruise lines. To me, Celebrity was always the cruise line to "work up to." I booked this cruise just three weeks before departure and was really excited to try Celebrity.

 

The Silhouette is beautiful. In contrast to some other ships, the decor is extremely contemporary. The public rooms are upscale and the traffic flow is excellent inside the ship. I especially liked the wide corridors and sufficient spacing between furniture in the bars and lounges. Sometimes cruise lines have a tendency to squeeze in a few too many chairs and tables, making the public rooms feel crowded. Generally speaking, the focal point in each public room is the bar. I noticed that the staff closes the curtains rather early in Bistro on Five and in the Martini Bar, which I didn’t like. I found myself wishing for more spaces with an ocean view, and I missed not having an exterior promenade deck with views of the ocean. I got the impression that The Lawn Club was underused, and instead served only to occupy deck space that could have been used for more chaise lounges.

 

I really enjoyed the entertainment on this cruise, and my fellow cruisers stayed up much later at night than they tend to on other cruise lines. I made it a point to listen to the house band daily in the Grand Foyer at 7:45pm and the Soulstiss Quartette in the Ensembles Lounge at 10:45pm. The ship’s production show cast was the largest I've seen on a ship, with a total of 16 singers and dancers. Both shows were exciting and focused on aerial acrobatics. I was surprised that the "pre-show flash photography announcement" in the theatre encouraged the audience to take videos and photos to share on social media. Video recording is normally prohibited in the theatre. This “new” policy sounds like a way for Celebrity to benefit from free advertising.

 

Dining is always subjective, but I was really disappointed by my experience on this cruise. Before booking, I knew that Celebrity was big on specialty dining. There are five specialty restaurants on the Silhouette, most of which cost $50 for dinner unless booked together in a package. I didn't try any of these restaurants because I felt that $50 was a bit too expensive. I've had amazing specialty dining experiences at Todd English on Cunard, the Pinnacle Grill on HAL, and Sabatini's on Princess, and none of them cost $50. I know the industry trend is to increase dining prices, but I just couldn't justify it on this cruise.

 

That being said, I had the 8:30pm late seating in the Grand Cuvée. First of all, I was shocked at the number of empty chairs in the main dining room each night; my guess is that second seating was at 65% occupancy on an average night. I’ve never had this experience before, sitting at a 10-top in the center of the main dining room with 7 unassigned chairs. Several neighboring tables were the same, as were the tables near the windows. My waiter assured me that first seating was much busier, but I wanted to maintain my second seating. I contributed the low turn out to the specialty dining packages that many cruisers had purchased. The lack of camaraderie in the main dining room took away some of the ambiance that I love about cruising. I love having the same waiter and dining companions every night, and I also prefer a large table of 10 to 12 people.

 

My waiter and assistant waiter were assigned to three tables with a total of 24 chairs. Due to the low turn out, only 11 chairs were occupied on a given night, making the service uncomfortably fast. With so few diners to look after, our waiters would clear away plates and replace them with the next course just as soon as the last bite was finished. A five-course dinner would typically last just over an hour, with an appetizer, soup, salad, main course, and a dessert. I’m used to a much more relaxed dining experience that lasts around two hours. My waiters would also tend to disappear after delivering the dessert course, and I never even had a chance to wish them well on the last night of the cruise.

 

In general, the food was nicely presented and very tasty. There were just a couple of nights that I felt the menu was lacking. I noticed that Celebrity seems to have consolidated many of the more “upscale” main courses to the Chic nights only, leaving simpler options for the other days. For example, it was quite difficult to choose between the Colorado rack of lamb and the chateaubriand, both of which were available on the same night. Service in the main dining room was attentive and professional, but lacked personality and friendliness. For lunch, the food offered in the Oceanview Café was a bit repetitive, but acceptable.

 

There was one experience I had on Celebrity that I particularly didn’t care for. My cabin was in the forward part of the ship, so I regularly needed to walk through the Galleria Boutiques on Deck 5 to make my way to the center of the ship. Frequently when walking by the watch shops, staff members would greet me and ask me if I’d like to have a look in the shop. This became just as annoying as when locals try to sell souvenirs or sunglasses on the beach in St. Maarten. I had similar experiences one deck below in the Shops on the Boulevard: staff members would stop me and give me information about raffles and art auctions. I just wanted to walk through this part of the ship in peace without having to listen to sales pitches. Many of the watch shops would stay open until 11:00pm with no passengers anywhere to be seen. There was always a group of staff waiting outside the shops hoping to make a sale, and probably to escape from boredom. I haven’t experienced this type of high-pressure sales on any of my other cruises.

 

All in all, it was a good cruise. I enjoyed Celebrity, but I think I need to stay with Holland America and Princess for future cruises. I’ll give Celebrity a second chance someday, but this certainly wasn’t the cruise line I was expecting. I need a cruise line that puts less emphasis on specialty dining rooms and upsell techniques, and more emphasis on a solid baseline product. I suppose that Celebrity is what you make of it. If you’re looking to spend twice what you’ve paid for the cruise in extras to make it something extraordinary, you’re in the right place. On the other hand, I’m looking for a more traditional experience with a fewer “nominal fees”, more ocean views, and a more relaxed atmosphere.

 

Thank you for your review. Well done. We are excited to try this ship and not being big foodies, we will be fine. Food is subjective.

I remember a time when there were only MDR and the food was excellent and there was no need to pay extra to dine.

[QM2 Cruiser]

Which pier did you dock at in San Juan? TIA

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

I think it was Pier 3, which is right in Old San Juan. If I'm not mistaken, Carnival Corporation uses Pier 4 and RCCL uses Pier 3. Luxury ships like Silversea usually dock over at Pier 1 or 2. Hope that helps!

[jbuch02]

Love the comments and interchange produced by the wonderful review the OP made.

 

Yes, the dining experience is a subjective one however, if I'm in the leisure travel business, my goal is to capture the fancy of everyone that sets foot on my property. So, what I'm offering in that department better be pretty good. Given that one of Celebrity's sales pitches is it's Culinary Experiences, it better be doubly good.

 

As I said in my original post in response to the OP, I find it troubling, and so should corporate, that he wasn't captivated by his first experience. I believe, most of you will remember something special about X when you first experienced it that brought you back, made you brand loyal.

 

I think Celebrity is running on fumes in that department. Not only do they need to captivate the new cruisers so they'll come back repeatedly, they also need to keep their loyal ones.

 

That's a tightrope to walk in the very competitive cruise industry that, for the most part and among the mass marketed brands, have become somewhat homogenous. It is expensive to keep up with the Jones' and/or look better than they do. Celebrity's job should be to standout and for years they did just that. But in the rush to corporate profits and climbing share price, my view is that they have turned away from value cruisers, like the OP, and targeted the affluent demographic. It might be that it's working and so, it does not matter to Corporate.

 

However, my experience with this sort of thing is that when you lose things your corporate predecessors worked hard to create in the market place, lose that competitive edge with customers because your product is no longer better than the next guy, the risk of collapse is increased. Clearly, I don't think Celebrity is at the precipice of Collapse. Still, any kind of significant exodus by loyalist to other cruise lines can be damaging in the long run. So too can be the damage of not impressing your first time cruisers on your vessels. You have to snag those people when the opportunity presents itself to do so.

 

Keep classy Celebrity.

[QM2 Cruiser]

There are no cabins on deck 4 or 5. So why didn't you walk to the center elevators and take them to deck 5 avoiding the shops? I am not understanding why you had to walk past them all the time.

 

I guess the main reason I chose to walk through the shops was because I really like to peoplewatch and see what's going on around the ship. I also liked participating in the Port vs. Starboard games, which were occasionally held in the nearby Entertainment Court. Even though I didn't like the "sales pitches" that were going on outside the shops, I wasn't "offended" enough to forgo an entire area of the ship in lieu of a residential hallway with nothing to look at.