Live Trip Report: Celebrity Silhouette Feb 26 Eastern Caribbean

[rcoasterz]

Hi all! We boarded the Celebrity Silhouette today and, since I made a promise to avoid work emails all week, I decided to spend some time doing live blogging of the trip. If you have a question you'd like answered, let me know. You can follow along on Twitter (@travstrat) and see blog updates at travstrat.blogspot.com

 

Have a great week!

[Texed]

Hi all! We boarded the Celebrity Silhouette today!

 

We board on March 12th. So, looking forward to your report. :)

[Pickels]

We board on the 19th love any heads-up, have a Great Cruise

[easyboy]

Looking forward to your live updates. Happy sailing!

[phabric]

First time on Celebrity, going on the Silhouette in January.

 

Looking forward to your review.

[guy999]

Hi all! We boarded the Celebrity Silhouette today and, since I made a promise to avoid work emails all week, I decided to spend some time doing live blogging of the trip. If you have a question you'd like answered, let me know. You can follow along on Twitter (@travstrat) and see blog updates at travstrat.blogspot.com

 

Have a great week!

 

i'll be following along but the picture you put is so small you can't read anything on it.

[rcoasterz]

Day 1 Summary - Celebrity Silhouette Embarkation & Evening at Sea:

 

We arrived at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale via Uber at 11:20am and waited about 5-7 minutes to get through security. The wait for check in was 2-3 minutes. In both cases we used the Elite line, but wait time seemed comparable in the standard line.

 

Once aboard, reserved our dinner times for our 7 dinner specialty restaurant package that we'd purchased online. Unfortunately, when booking a package online, you're unable to reserve the dinner times. We took care of it on deck 5 at the gelato shop where the restaurant team was temporarily setup. We had no problem getting times around 6-630pm every night for each restaurant. We also enjoyed a latte with our premium drink package (as part of the Go Best package).

 

To avoid the often crowded lunch buffet lines on embarkation day, we headed to Aqua Spa Cafe in the Solarium on Deck 12 for salad, chicken salad, and smoothies (free with premium drink package).

 

Staterooms were ready at 1pm. We unpacked (we carried our bags onboard). We met our stateroom attendant, who went through the normal notes. I do find it funny that you get the same drill even when you're Captain's Club Elite. :-) That said, he's friendly and has taken care of us.

 

I worked out at the gym and tried my luck at the spa raffle, but turns out I won't be getting a treatment this time. :-)

 

We had dinner at Tuscan. The menu is updated from what I remember from our last cruise in 2016. I had the meatball, crab cake, goat cheese salad, branzino (italian sea bass) and side of eggplant parm. I enjoyed it all.

 

At the 9pm show tonight (comedian Jim Colliton - worth the time), our Cruise Director, Sara from Spain, promised to keep her post show remarks to 1-2 minutes to be respectful of our time onboard. No complaints!

 

We called it a night after that.

 

We have a forward oceanview stateroom for this first time. We usually book balconies or suites, but the pricing made sense for us to scale back on this one. It's quite spacious due to a slanted window which extends the length of the stateroom. The only issue was that we were awoken by noises last night that sounds like meta; scraping against metal. It occurred 3 times for a just 1-2 seconds each time, but was enough to wake me up. It just happened again while writing this! Hope to solve the mystery source of the noise by the end.

 

I'll share some photos on Twitter (follow me: @travstrat). I'm having issues with the file uploader on this board. I'll also be posting some tips and other content on my blog: travstrat.blogspot.com

[rcoasterz]

i'll be following along but the picture you put is so small you can't read anything on it.

 

 

I uploaded full size, so it must be something the Cruise Critic board does to compress them down. I'll post them to my blog today, plus Tuscan Grill menu, Aqua Spa Cafe menu, forward facing oceanview stateroom, etc.

 

It's travstrat.blogspot.com

[rcoasterz]

Uploading photos has proven challenging at sea for some reason. I've created a Dropbox folder where you can see some day 1 photos, including the menu for Tuscan Grille and the Celebrity Today schedule.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5ih7b0dq72kgd74/AADcpR5HjqswjdbRn_a_WFhva?dl=0

 

A full day one post is also up at travstrat.blogspot.com

[phabric]

In January, it will be first time with Celebrity on the Silhouette.

 

On other cruise lines, on embarkment day before muster drill, they have a ship tour with one of the staff showing passengers the different areas of the ship.

 

 

Is there a tour of the ship on embarkment day?

 

 

At check in, do they give out small wallet size ship map?

 

 

For muster drill, do you need to bring your life jacket?

 

 

Are there pool towels in the cabin or just at the pool?

[rcoasterz]

In January, it will be first time with Celebrity on the Silhouette.

 

On other cruise lines, on embarkment day before muster drill, they have a ship tour with one of the staff showing passengers the different areas of the ship.

 

 

 

Is there a tour of the ship on embarkment day?

 

I didn't see this offered. If it was, it wasn'the listen in the schedule of events.

 

At check in, do they give out small wallet size ship map?

 

Yes. It is included in the key holder along with your wifi code if you have an Internet plan included.

 

For muster drill, do you need to bring your life jacket?

 

No. You proceed to the assigned muster station and watch a video. They are all indoors.

 

Are there pool towels in the cabin or just at the pool?

 

Just at the pool (you don't have to sign them out). But on past sailings they've provided beach towels in the room the night before ports.

 

 

 

See responses above. Enjoy your cruise. You can get a comprehensive report at travstrat.blogspot.com

[sunsetship]

Rcoasterz looking forward to your blog, I am also following on Twitter. I am boarding Celebrity on 30th July for the Baltic Cruise. I am particularly interested in the speciality restaurants, once you pay the supplement is that it or is certain steaks extra again? I appreciate you taking the time to answer.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[rcoasterz]

Rcoasterz looking forward to your blog, I am also following on Twitter. I am boarding Celebrity on 30th July for the Baltic Cruise. I am particularly interested in the speciality restaurants, once you pay the supplement is that it or is certain steaks extra again? I appreciate you taking the time to answer.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

Hi there. All the main speciality restaurants are $45, except Murano is $50. The Porch, which is more limited, is $30 I believe. Sushi on Five is a la carte pricing. For the main specialty restaurants, they offer a selection of meats/ cuts, but do also have a more premium/ bigger cut that carries an additional charge. For examples, at Tuscan you can pay $15 for a Bone In Strip Loin Prime or a Porterhouse. However, they offer a filet mignon, ribeye, or skirt steak as part of the standard cover charge. Below is a link to the entrees page of the Tuscan menu. I'll post the others as I dine at them. Unfortunately, I'm not able to upload photos to the blog right now. Thanks for following!

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/310fpip2ic63qsx/Tuscan%20Grille%20Menu%20Page%202.jpg?dl=0

[dandee2]

Thanks for the tour. Any chance to get more picture of the room (with the view outside) ? We're booked Feb2018 in 7103 and our friend (first cruise) in 7105

 

Thanks

[rcoasterz]

Thanks for the tour. Any chance to get more picture of the room (with the view outside) ? We're booked Feb2018 in 7103 and our friend (first cruise) in 7105

 

Thanks

 

 

Glad to help. I just uploaded a video of it, which should help:

 

I'll also include some photos in my blog post later today:

http://travstrat.blogspot.com

[JaniceB]

Thanks for doing a live report! Enjoy your cruise.

[dandee2]

Thanks a lot. We love the room already :-)

 

Cheers

[cheeseheads4ever]

Great job posting. Are Tenors of Rock onboard in theatre?

[rcoasterz]

Great job posting. Are Tenors of Rock onboard in theatre?

 

 

Yup! They performed last night. I believe they are departing after/ during this sailing though (or perhaps part of their act is saying that this is their last show before they return to their families).

[rcoasterz]

Day 3 report is now posted on the blog:

 

http://travstrat.blogspot.com

[phabric]

I have enjoyed reading your reviews.

[rcoasterz]

I have enjoyed reading your reviews.

 

 

Thank you!

[rcoasterz]

New update is posted. Rocky day at sea today. Several folks getting motion sick, but plenty more rolling with it and having fun. The Solarium pool is now officially closed after the wave action got just bit too dangerous... but not after some kids at heart got to enjoy the impromptu wave action. I posted a video on the blog...

 

http://travstrat.blogspot.com/2017/03/live-at-sea-rocky-day-on-celebrity.html

 

Take care!

[phabric]

DId you find there were chair hogs around the Solarium pool?

[rcoasterz]

DId you find there were chair hogs around the Solarium pool?

 

 

No. Was always able to grab a chair.