Just back from the Silhouette TA – a brief review after 4 years away from Celebrity

[Turtles06]

My wife and I have just returned from the Silhouette’s 15-night westbound TA, Southampton to Ft. Lauderdale by way of Boston, New York (overnight), and Bermuda (overnight).  Nassau was supposed to be in there as well, but as has been discussed in other threads, Celebrity wisely changed our itinerary at the last moment to avoid a massive low pressure system that was bringing extremely high winds and waves (50-foot waves in the center) to much of the north Atlantic.  Still, it was the windiest crossing we’ve ever had, causing the outside decks to be closed much of the time, resulting in a good bit of cabin fever.

 

This was our sixth TA, our fourth cruise on Celebrity, and our second on the Silhouette, which prior to this cruise had been our favorite ship.  I’m very happy to report that she still is!  🙂 Overall, we had a good time on this cruise (despite the challenges posed by the weather and the change in our itinerary), in particular because of the ship, the food, the staff and the crew.

 

It had been four years since we last sailed with Celebrity, not so much by choice but just because of other things that had intervened (in fact we had to cancel a planned cruise on the Silhouette a year ago after I'd been in an accident).  So we were very excited about being on board the Silhouette again after such a long absence.  In this thread, I’ll post my thoughts about the cruise, and most particularly about the ship-board experience (food, entertainment, etc.), and of course I’d be happy to answer any questions. 

 

By way of background, we were in a C2 cabin on the hump – our favorite location on the S-class ships. We began this cruise as Select Captain’s Club members, so no special breakfasts or free evening drinks for us.  😉  We did remember our one free gelato though! (Post-cruise, we are now Elite [I truly hate that term], so I guess we have some things to look forward to on our next cruise.  However, we don’t sail for points or what they get us, we sail because of the itinerary and the ship.)

 

Let me start with the ship.  Four years ago, the Silhouette struck us both as stunningly beautiful, and she did so once again.   She has not lost any of her luster.  I would find myself just walking around somewhere and suddenly thinking – what a beautiful ship this is.   And when you are on a crossing, with lots of sea days, the ship is important.  . .

[Turtles06]

So is the food.  We had chosen select (anytime) dining.  Also, prior to the cruise, we had purchased a six-night specialty dining package when Celebrity had it on sale for a very good price.  We did so because we know that on a cruise of this length we like to have some variation in where we eat, and also because, last time around, the specialty dining venues on the Silhouette (especially Tuscan Grille, Murano, and the Lawn Club Grill) were really excellent, and we were looking forward to trying them again.  And, over the years, a number of comments here on the Celebrity board indicated that the food in the MDR was not what it once was, and also that there were sometimes major hassles getting seated in a reasonable time on the Silhouette if you had select dining.  (That had not been our experience four years ago.) 

 

Here’s our take on the food now, recognizing of course that food is subjective and that others may well have had very different experiences and reactions:

 

The MDR --- we were both very happily surprised at how good the food in the MDR was, and on a consistent basis.  In fact, the food in the MDR overall was probably the best food we’ve had on a cruise to date.   The service was also excellent.   We had reservations each night for dinner when we ate in the MDR, and were seated almost immediately upon our arrival.  Eating dinner in the MDR on this cruise was, for us at least, a very hassle free and positive experience – we really enjoyed the food and the service.

 

I wish I could say the same for the specialty dining venues.   Early on, we had dinner at Tuscan Grille, where we’d had our very best meal of the entire cruise the last time we were on the Silhouette.  What a disappointment this time around!  The service was awful – we were either ignored or rushed (and the place was not busy) – and the food was mediocre, even the “homemade” pasta.  We had two more reservations for Tuscan, and we cancelled them both – the MDR was better!

 

Next we tried Murano, which I’m happy to say still has terrific food and service.  But this type of dining – rich food, a long, drawn out meal – as good as it is, is not something we enjoy doing more than once a cruise.  If you are looking for a special meal or celebrating a special occasion, this is the place.

 

Our other favorite, the Lawn Club, where we’d hoped to have a few dinners, especially once we were around the warmth of now-cancelled Nassau, was a problem because of those very strong and COLD winds.  Finally, nearly a week into the cruise, we decided to give the Lawn Club a try.  It turned out to be still too windy and cold; even bundled up in layers and our warm jackets, we still needed blankets over our heads and shoulders.  It’s not much fun eating that way, and there was a good reason the place was practically empty.   It really should have been closed for most of the cruise.  (Food wise, it did not help that my steak, which I’d ordered medium, was served to me so rare that it was nearly mooing, and that, after I sent it back, it still came back far too rare.)

   

With Nassau out of the picture, we gave the Lawn Club another try after we left Bermuda, the warmest place we’d now be on the cruise.  What a difference!  It was still very windy, but at least it was a warm wind, and we had a wonderful dinner.  Steering clear of the steaks, we split a flatbread, which was excellent, and then had the delicious kabobs.  And, of course, the warm chocolate chip cookie for dessert.   Here’s a tip: if you have ice cream with this, ask for it on the side.  When they put it on top of the cookie (which is how they serve it), it turns the whole thing into soup.  (Question: has this cookie always been served in a ramekin, or was it once served in a skillet?  I have this memory of the skillet, but I could be wrong . . .)

 

Since we had the package, and since Tuscan was now out of the picture and we had no interest in Le Petit Chef at Qsine, we tried Sushi on Five.  For ship-board sushi, the meal was quite good, and the service was excellent.   But the restaurant was practically deserted, as it always seemed to be whenever we walked by, and we find that dining in an empty restaurant has a weird, uncomfortable vibe.  I miss the Nutella crepes of Bistro on Five, and I miss the sushi that Celebrity used to put out in the buffet in the late afternoon, something they stopped doing after Sushi on Five opened.   I’m not sure why Celebrity has had such a problem in using this space.

 

With the benefit of hindsight, we would not have purchased the specialty dining package.  The MDR was too good, and the specialty venues too inconsistent, to make the package worthwhile.  

 

I would be remiss if I failed to mention the Oceanview Cafe.  We really enjoy the buffet on the S-class ships, and found it still up to snuff on this cruise.  We love the separate stations, as well as the variety of cuisines offered.  On those few nights when we wanted a quicker meal and a break from the MDR, the buffet was a good option.   

During breakfast and lunch, though (and especially lunch), the high winds and closed decks caused the buffet to be so crowded as to be very unpleasant, even if you could find a place to sit.  (Or a plate for your food.  The crowds were so huge that there were sometimes no plates to be found.)  I really don’t like to eat meals on top of other people and in such frenetic circumstances.  We wound up eating lunch on the very late side, and often opting to sit at one of the long, high, communal tables on the starboard side of the buffet, near the entrance, as we could almost always find seats there at the later times.  (And yes, for those who might inquire, the MDR was open for lunch on sea days.)

 

[more to come]

[Iamthesea]

Very nice review, Turtles!  🙂

 

The Silhouette is also our favorite ship, to date.  And Lawn Club our favorite specialty.  It does get a bit windy up there at times.  We are off on the Edge in a couple of weeks.  Will be interesting to compare the ship to the Solstice class.

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, Iamthesea said:

Very nice review, Turtles!  🙂

 

The Silhouette is also our favorite ship, to date.  And Lawn Club our favorite specialty.  It does get a bit windy up there at times.  We are off on the Edge in a couple of weeks.  Will be interesting to compare the ship to the Solstice class.

Thank you!  I hope you have a great cruise on the Edge, and I'm looking forward to your thoughts on it.   (I have to say, I'm a bit apprehensive about what the other ships will be like after the "Revolution.")

[Turtles06]

Part of our shipboard routine is going to the 7pm show in the theatre, and having dinner afterward.

 

We found the entertainment in the main theatre to be a mixed bag on this cruise, but since entertainment, like food, is very subjective, things we liked may not have been someone else's cup of tea, and vice versa.

Let me start by giving a huge shout out to guest performer John Bressler, a pianist and singer, who we thought was not only THE BEST performer on this cruise, but far and away one of the best performers we've ever seen on any ship.  If you ever have a chance to see him, don't pass it up!   

 

The other guest performers were just not very good.   How many times can you watch a guy doing card tricks on a ship?  And, call me crazy, but a guy making sound effects with his mouth may have a lot of talent, but it's not really entertaining to sit through.

 

As for the ship's production company, the Silhouette Orchestra, led by "Big Mike," was terrific.  The singers and dancers in the production company were mostly very talented, but, alas, they were ill-served by the three production shows, as were we.  We sat through the first one, "Cosmopolitan," billed as "an Olympic postcard adventure to enlighten the senses," whatever that means.  It turned out to be a sort of a tour around the world, musically, but it was pretty lame.  We thought we'd give things another chance with the second show, "Pearl," but a change in the performance schedule meant we could only see the second half, which was enough.  Not giving up, on the final night of the cruise we went to the last show, "Life," but there was just not enough life in it for us to stay.

 

Early on, when it was deemed not to be safe to perform the production shows, the singers did a set of Broadway show tunes, which we thought was excellent, especially a performance of "Bring Him Home" from "Les Miz" by the three male singers.   We were so encouraged by that evening, only to have our hopes dashed by the production shows.

 

Just about every ship we've ever been on has had a male-female aerialist couple, usually from Russia or thereabouts, and the Silhouette was no exception, except that, as I learned during a backstage tour, the duo on our cruise, from Ukraine, were siblings, which I found really creepy when I later saw them perform. 

 

[signman]

Following right along with you Turtles.  Thanks for the heads up about John Bressler.  I wonder if he'll be on Dec 9th cruise.  Did you listen to Ray Brown Jr band anywhere?  

Edited November 22, 2018 by signman

[upwarduk]

4 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

Still, it was the windiest crossing we’ve ever had,

It must have been bad if it was worse than the TA on Infinity in 2013. We were in the FV above you and I remember not being allowed to shelter in Bilbao, as Celebrity maintained we would be safer at sea. One of the MDR windows imploded on that crossing and I remember sliding up and down the bed as the ship rolled in the 50ft waves.

Edited November 22, 2018 by upwarduk

[woozlebear]

We were on the previous cruise to this and have to say our meals at The Tuscan were excellent and the service attentive and not hurried. It just goes to show how things change.

[nikel]

5 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

So is the food.  We had chosen select (anytime) dining.  Also, prior to the cruise, we had purchased a six-night specialty dining package when Celebrity had it on sale for a very good price.  We did so because we know that on a cruise of this length we like to have some variation in where we eat, and also because, last time around, the specialty dining venues on the Silhouette (especially Tuscan Grille, Murano, and the Lawn Club Grill) were really excellent, and we were looking forward to trying them again.  And, over the years, a number of comments here on the Celebrity board indicated that the food in the MDR was not what it once was, and also that there were sometimes major hassles getting seated in a reasonable time on the Silhouette if you had select dining.  (That had not been our experience four years ago.) 

 

Here’s our take on the food now, recognizing of course that food is subjective and that others may well have had very different experiences and reactions:

 

The MDR --- we were both very happily surprised at how good the food in the MDR was, and on a consistent basis.  In fact, the food in the MDR overall was probably the best food we’ve had on a cruise to date.   The service was also excellent.   We had reservations each night for dinner when we ate in the MDR, and were seated almost immediately upon our arrival.  Eating dinner in the MDR on this cruise was, for us at least, a very hassle free and positive experience – we really enjoyed the food and the service.

 

I wish I could say the same for the specialty dining venues.   Early on, we had dinner at Tuscan Grille, where we’d had our very best meal of the entire cruise the last time we were on the Silhouette.  What a disappointment this time around!  The service was awful – we were either ignored or rushed (and the place was not busy) – and the food was mediocre, even the “homemade” pasta.  We had two more reservations for Tuscan, and we cancelled them both – the MDR was better!

 

Next we tried Murano, which I’m happy to say still has terrific food and service.  But this type of dining – rich food, a long, drawn out meal – as good as it is, is not something we enjoy doing more than once a cruise.  If you are looking for a special meal or celebrating a special occasion, this is the place.

 

Our other favorite, the Lawn Club, where we’d hoped to have a few dinners, especially once we were around the warmth of now-cancelled Nassau, was a problem because of those very strong and COLD winds.  Finally, nearly a week into the cruise, we decided to give the Lawn Club a try.  It turned out to be still too windy and cold; even bundled up in layers and our warm jackets, we still needed blankets over our heads and shoulders.  It’s not much fun eating that way, and there was a good reason the place was practically empty.   It really should have been closed for most of the cruise.  (Food wise, it did not help that my steak, which I’d ordered medium, was served to me so rare that it was nearly mooing, and that, after I sent it back, it still came back far too rare.)

   

With Nassau out of the picture, we gave the Lawn Club another try after we left Bermuda, the warmest place we’d now be on the cruise.  What a difference!  It was still very windy, but at least it was a warm wind, and we had a wonderful dinner.  Steering clear of the steaks, we split a flatbread, which was excellent, and then had the delicious kabobs.  And, of course, the warm chocolate chip cookie for dessert.   Here’s a tip: if you have ice cream with this, ask for it on the side.  When they put it on top of the cookie (which is how they serve it), it turns the whole thing into soup.  (Question: has this cookie always been served in a ramekin, or was it once served in a skillet?  I have this memory of the skillet, but I could be wrong . . .)

 

Since we had the package, and since Tuscan was now out of the picture and we had no interest in Le Petit Chef at Qsine, we tried Sushi on Five.  For ship-board sushi, the meal was quite good, and the service was excellent.   But the restaurant was practically deserted, as it always seemed to be whenever we walked by, and we find that dining in an empty restaurant has a weird, uncomfortable vibe.  I miss the Nutella crepes of Bistro on Five, and I miss the sushi that Celebrity used to put out in the buffet in the late afternoon, something they stopped doing after Sushi on Five opened.   I’m not sure why Celebrity has had such a problem in using this space.

 

With the benefit of hindsight, we would not have purchased the specialty dining package.  The MDR was too good, and the specialty venues too inconsistent, to make the package worthwhile.  

 

I would be remiss if I failed to mention the Oceanview Cafe.  We really enjoy the buffet on the S-class ships, and found it still up to snuff on this cruise.  We love the separate stations, as well as the variety of cuisines offered.  On those few nights when we wanted a quicker meal and a break from the MDR, the buffet was a good option.   

During breakfast and lunch, though (and especially lunch), the high winds and closed decks caused the buffet to be so crowded as to be very unpleasant, even if you could find a place to sit.  (Or a plate for your food.  The crowds were so huge that there were sometimes no plates to be found.)  I really don’t like to eat meals on top of other people and in such frenetic circumstances.  We wound up eating lunch on the very late side, and often opting to sit at one of the long, high, communal tables on the starboard side of the buffet, near the entrance, as we could almost always find seats there at the later times.  (And yes, for those who might inquire, the MDR was open for lunch on sea days.)

 

[more to come]

Question: has this cookie always been served in a ramekin, or was it once served in a skillet?  I have this memory of the skillet, but I could be wrong . . .)

 

Didn't get there this time, but our cruise last April definitely had it served in a skillet.  Yummm....

[Turtles06]

4 hours ago, upwarduk said:

It must have been bad if it was worse than the TA on Infinity in 2013. We were in the FV above you and I remember not being allowed to shelter in Bilbao, as Celebrity maintained we would be safer at sea. One of the MDR windows imploded on that crossing and I remember sliding up and down the bed as the ship rolled in the 50ft waves.

I certainly recall you up there, and i sure do miss that corner FV!   We did have a rough time then sailing through the Bay of Biscay (though I don't recall waves that high nor the window imploding, but I'll take your word for it).  However, once we left Lisbon, we had a really nice crossing; the day of the solar eclipse was particularly spectacular.

 

Here on the Silhouette the entire cruise was beset by high winds, almost the entire time.  Not rough seas (the first few days we had some waves that probably bothered some folks), but wind, wind, wind, all the way across the Atlantic and for the entire cruise.  The outer decks were closed much of the time, much more than on just about any cruise I can recall.  And I have never been on another cruise where a card was left on our bed the first night stating that the balcony furniture was going to be secured.  It was all due to the wind.   Even one day when the decks were open and my wife was out walking on the Deck 14 track, her sunglasses blew off.  

[Turtles06]

5 hours ago, signman said:

Following right along with you Turtles.  Thanks for the heads up about John Bressler.  I wonder if he'll be on Dec 9th cruise.  Did you listen to Ray Brown Jr band anywhere?  

Sorry, we did not.  We aren't jazz fans, but also (and this is good news) there was so much going in on the evenings that there were often conflicts.  

 

You have led me to my next comment... there was great live music around the ship.  In particular, we enjoyed listening to the house band, Trust Me, Jack.  They were talented musicians and their song selections were spot on.  

[Shadow9612]

Really enjoying your review Turtles06.  Love your perspective and the way you write! 

 

Silhouette is probably my favourite ship as well. I say probably because as long as I'm on a ship, I'm happy ;). 

 

[jamacka]

We were on that cruise as well.  The cruise overall was a complete success.  The weather was a bit of drag.  We would have liked to spend more time on deck but Celebrity can't control the weather and I admit, I am quite passionate about weather, especially bad weather, so watching the waves was entertaining.  We were in the box, deck 6 and there were days when the bow spray went as high as the floor of the balcony of deck 7 above me.  On the night before we arrived in Boston the bow spray went as high as deck 8.  I didn't dare go out on the balcony that evening.  

About the Silhouette:  We found it looking a little tired.  Its a beautiful ship.... they all are... and we especially appreciated the better use of the glass blowing place, with the lawn grill instead.  It's time for Celebrity to make that change on their other ships.  The Lawn Grill is a much better use of that valuable deck real estate.  But yes, the furnishings are looking a little worn.  I'm not trying to ruffle feathers by offering that small criticism.  It's just that when a ship is used 24/7 for years, things are bound to get worn.  

We found the food good.  We had Select dining but probably only ate in the MDR 4 or 5 times.  This was the first cruise we were on that we didn't go AquaClass.  The money we saved by going regular Verandah we used on Specialty Restaurants. We also bought the Specialty Meal packages.  We ate at Tuscan twice, Quisine once, Murano once, Lawn Grill once, and Blu (for a special lunch promotion) once.  We found the food to be of equal quality everywhere but I miss the old Quisine when we could order a variety of dishes of all sorts.  I thought la Petite Chef sort of missed the mark.  It was entertaining and a great production but the food felt just slightly less.  I have to confess that by the last few days were were done in by the rich food of the dining room and restaurants and we started eating dinner in the Ocean View.  The food in there is just as good if you know what to look for and we really appreciate being able to get a better balance  in our diet... (less meat and more vegetables).  And that Stir-Fry station in the Ocean View?   Fantastic!!!

We didn't take in too many shows so I can't comment on that.  We're sort of wanderers after dinner.  We especially enjoyed our trivia and met some amazing people during those spirited matches.  (Hello to Janet, Philip and Ron if you're reading... Thanks for the great time).  

I am thankful for the electric kettles in the cabins.  How many cozy afternoons did we spend in our cabins drinking hot chocolate (and eating cookies we scarfed from Ocean View) and watching movies and even the incredible redundant HGTV and Food Network (they had the exact same shows and ads on during this cruise that they had on our cruise back in Feb/March).  But overall, we ate, we read, we napped, we ate, we napped, we played trivia, we napped, we ate, we played trivia and we slept.  Might sound boring to some but its what we went for.  LOL!!

[Turtles06]

Many thanks to those who are reading along, and to those who have taken the time to comment.  

 

Jamacka -- eating, napping, trivia -- describes many of our activities as well!    I also love to watch the waves, and find it boring when the sea is like glass.   I have been known to sit and stare at the water for hours.  

 

 

[Turtles06]

I love to photograph ships in the evening, and "the beautiful Celebrity Silhouette," as most of the staff appropriately call her, is a great subject.  One of my favorite spots was above the pool deck, with its colorful lights.

 

 

 

(photos by turtles06)

[micmacmissy]

12 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

 (Question: has this cookie always been served in a ramekin, or was it once served in a skillet?  I have this memory of the skillet, but I could be wrong . . .)

 

 

It's always been in the ramekin.  Now when you go to Pizzeria Uno, it's in a skillet- maybe that's what you're thinking of!

[Turtles06]

7 hours ago, nikel said:

Question: has this cookie always been served in a ramekin, or was it once served in a skillet?  I have this memory of the skillet, but I could be wrong . . .)

 

Didn't get there this time, but our cruise last April definitely had it served in a skillet.  Yummm....

 

3 minutes ago, micmacmissy said:

 

It's always been in the ramekin.  Now when you go to Pizzeria Uno, it's in a skillet- maybe that's what you're thinking of!

 

   😜 

[micmacmissy]

4 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

 

   😜 

There is only one way to solve this dilemma.  Sigh.  Guess I have to hop on another cruise and report back.  FINE.

[Turtles06]

Sue Denning was our Cruise Director.  I had read so many good things about her over the years here on CC, and thus was very excited to learn she would be on our TA.  Now that we've sailed with her, I can say that her reputation is very well-deserved; she was terrific.  Among other things, she did a great job dealing with the challenges of an additional sea day, as well as juggling the entertainment schedules because the weather precluded certain performances early on. 

 

She's also quite a talented entertainer in her own right -- singer and stand up comic!  On many evenings, Sue's post-show remarks and jokes were far more entertaining than the performance that preceded them.   We were wishing she had just done a show of her own.  (And her wardrobe and high heels were a show unto themselves!)

 

Sue's activities staff were excellent as well.  Activities Manager Sarah, in particular, ran a great progressive trivia in the afternoons.  I think trivia is best when the questions are not so obscure that they are not within the realm of most people's knowledge, when they ask something that you might actually know or make an educated guess about, and that's what trivia was like on this TA.  Probably the most fun we've had playing trivia on a cruise.  My wife and I were not on a team, but we very much enjoyed playing along for fun, and sitting up in the Sky Lounge chatting with many of the folks who were competing. 

Edited November 23, 2018 by Turtles06

[Turtles06]

3 minutes ago, micmacmissy said:

There is only one way to solve this dilemma.  Sigh.  Guess I have to hop on another cruise and report back.  FINE.

It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it! 

[Turtles06]

In addition to the various daily activities, like trivia, we also had three Beyond the Podium speakers on the TA, something that I think is very important on a cruise with so many sea days (and that turned out to be even more important given the high winds that kept most people indoors so much of the time).  Of the three speakers, we thought that former NASA official Jim Kennedy, who spoke about the space program and lessons in life and leadership, was the absolute standout.   If you ever have the chance to listen to him, take it! 

 

I have one little nit to pick about how the speakers were handled on this cruise -- there was no information about them provided in the daily "Today" nor at their first lectures.  I think it would have been very helpful to have a short bio, which could easily have been provided in the same format of the "In the Spotlight" page left in our cabins containing photos and bios of the ship's key officers and staff. 

 

We had one special event on this cruise -- a "Remembrance and Veterans Day Memorial and Service" on November 10 (we were going to be in port in Boston on the actual day, November 11), to "honor the Military Personnel of all Allied Forces and the victims of conflicts, past and present."  This was held in the theatre and consisted of various readings by the Captain, staff and crew.  It was a nice addition to the schedule, especially on the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI, and well done.

 

One nit here, though: as we entered the theatre, we were handed a one-page, black and white program for the service, and admonished to take only one per couple, as they did not have enough.  Even so, they ran out.  Yet every single night, two color copies of ads for the stores and other junk were left on our beds along with the next day's schedule.  They went immediately into the trash.  

[Turtles06]

Just interrupting my review to prove that we did get to see the sun during our crossing:

 

 

(photo by turtles06)

[dateacher]

Thanks for posting. We will be on the Silhouette on Jan. 2. Your review is getting me even more excited.

[Turtles06]

3 hours ago, dateacher said:

Thanks for posting. We will be on the Silhouette on Jan. 2. Your review is getting me even more excited.

Thank you, and have a great cruise!

[Turtles06]

As should come as no surprise given my comments above, we found the staff and crew on the Silhouette to be extremely friendly and helpful; they had no control over the weather of course, but they did everything they could to make the cruise a success.  Our cabin attendant in particular was one of the very best we've ever had. 

 

For those who may be new to Celebrity, if there are specific people on board who have made your cruise special, please be sure to mention them by name in the comment card that will be left on your bed and that you turn in to Guest Services, and in the email survey you'll receive after the cruise.  This is really important to these folks.