Celebrity Apex, Silhouette or Reflection for Fjords?

[Eli_6]

I'm trying to decide between these three for the Norwegian Fjords.  Which would you go with?

 

I lean towards Apex. The only negative is that I would have to pull my kids out of school for that sailing because it is on May 3rd. Not a big deal because they are young (K and 1st grade) and in private school (so the school will work with me), but it is something to consider. Negative to the other two is the flights are about twice as much (for 4 of us to do a direct flight in June, it is as much as the cruise in a balcony or concierge) because flights double out of Houston to Europe after school gets out. I also have a slight preference for London simply because I am familiar with it and the airport and the flight is only 9 hours there and 10 back.

 

I have cruised Carnival, RCCL and NCL, but never Celebrity. Carnival has a single cruise to the Fjords I'm looking at, too.  

 

I don't care anything about the trampoline parks and roller coasters, etc., but I do want a kids' club. At least according to the website, the Celebrity one looks nice and even talks about tailoring the events to the interest of the children on board. I liked that they had educational activities including "STEM" activities.  My children are well-behaved and don't run about and act obnoxious, but I do want some time away from them.

[GastroGnome]

Can't see Reflection as an option?  She is quite big for the Fjords.  We did the 8 night in late August on Silhouette last year.

 

If you opt for May your flights will be cheaper - but there will be very few kids on board. (That may be a blessing or a problem depending on your point of view!).  If you opt for May check the kids club will run if yours are the only ones of that age group and bear in mind that they close kids club if the sea is rough - which is slightly more likely in May.

 

Only the late August option includes Flam which is a truly lovely port.  I think one of my favourites.  Coming from the US, if you have an option, I would choose that itinerary over the other two.  Its one of those trip of a lifetime things and Flam is really worthwhile. 

 

Apex is an Edge type ship - views are mixed on those.  Sihouette is an S class but will have been re-fitted in Feb 2020 so will be all shiny and new.  To be honest I think that comes down to personal choice.

 

Which ever you choose this is a stunning itinerary (with and without Flam!).  You'll have an incredible time.

 

[upwarduk]

Just to add, British schools don’t close until mid- late July, so I doubt there will be many children on the ships which are sailing out of Southampton. Maybe a consideration if you are relying on the kids club being open.

[dani negreanu]

Early May is way too "early" for the Fjords.

Mid July will be best.

At least 4 stops in Norway -- Geiranger is also a must.

[DrKoob]

3 hours ago, GastroGnome said:

Can't see Reflection as an option?  She is quite big for the Fjords.  We did the 8 night in late August on Silhouette last year.

 

 

This was an interesting statement to me since the Silhouette and Reflection are basically identical ships? Reflection has a few more staterooms but that's about it. Did you mean that you had sailed on Silhouette somewhere else?

[bluwes]

We have just come back from an Edge Med cruise. While on board we booked the Silhouette out of Southampton on 28th. August for an 8 night fjords cruise as its an itinerary we have always wanted to do. People have told us that May is early for this itinerary as the weather can be unpredictable

That date suited us as we have an April sailing in the Caribbean on the Reflection

[Xport]

2 hours ago, DrKoob said:

 

This was an interesting statement to me since the Silhouette and Reflection are basically identical ships? Reflection has a few more staterooms but that's about it. Did you mean that you had sailed on Silhouette somewhere else?

 

You are correct, Jim...

 

Silhouette and Reflection are of equal length [1047 feet]; Reflection is two feet wider than Silhouette [123 feet versus 121 feet beam]…  That minor difference certainly would not influence navigational/docking ability in Norway [or, for that matter, virtually anywhere else]... 

 

At double occupancy in each stateroom, Silhouette's guest capacity is 2886 and Reflection's guest capacity is 3046...  Most of that additional capacity resulted from repositioning the pool area from Deck 12 on Silhouette [one flight below The Oceanview Café] to Deck 14 on Reflection [immediately adjacent to The Oceanview Café] so as to create space for more staterooms on Deck 12 as well as the addition of a handful of suites that were carved out of the port side of Reflection's Sky Lounge...

Edited October 1, 2019 by Xport

[panamapd]

I know it is the Celebrity site, but what about the new P&O Iona out of Southampton on 23 May 2020?  It will be the school holidays in the UK.  Must say, I have been on many sailings with various cruise lines and have NEVER known the kids club to be closed?!!

 

We sailed on the Eclipse to the fjords mid-July and it was one of our best cruises.  In terms of location, the fjords are hard to beat.

 

(We are doing the preview Apex out of Southampton - can't wait!)

 

 

[Sunshine summertime]

10 hours ago, GastroGnome said:

Can't see Reflection as an option?  She is quite big for the Fjords.  We did the 8 night in late August on Silhouette last year.

 

If you opt for May your flights will be cheaper - but there will be very few kids on board. (That may be a blessing or a problem depending on your point of view!).  If you opt for May check the kids club will run if yours are the only ones of that age group and bear in mind that they close kids club if the sea is rough - which is slightly more likely in May.

 

Only the late August option includes Flam which is a truly lovely port.  I think one of my favourites.  Coming from the US, if you have an option, I would choose that itinerary over the other two.  Its one of those trip of a lifetime things and Flam is really worthwhile. 

 

Apex is an Edge type ship - views are mixed on those.  Sihouette is an S class but will have been re-fitted in Feb 2020 so will be all shiny and new.  To be honest I think that comes down to personal choice.

 

Which ever you choose this is a stunning itinerary (with and without Flam!).  You'll have an incredible time.

 

We were on Reflection end of May to the Fjords. It was a great ship to be on for this trip. Weather wasn't ideal- rain, snow and very little sun. Fjords were breathtaking sitting on our balcony and watching g them go by was something g I will never forget. 

[GastroGnome]

9 hours ago, DrKoob said:

Did you mean that you had sailed on Silhouette somewhere else?

 

No.  I looked at the list of sailings for 2020 to Norway.  Reflection wasn't listed.  Having been on both Silhouette and Reflection - as well as a fair number of others-  over the years my perception was that Reflection was bigger. Presumably because of the greater number of cabins.  Reflection has always felt bigger. 

 

She isn't listed as an option on the front page of the Norway cruises but if you click though she does appear.  (Possibly because I am looking at the UK site - who knows with X!)   Flam still isn't listed - but she sails out of Dublin and calls at Belfast on her way home.   Having been to both I don't think Belfast is a decent trade for Flam. Sorry. 

[Texed]

1 hour ago, GastroGnome said:

 

  Having been on both Silhouette and Reflection - as well as a fair number of others-  over the years my perception was that Reflection was bigger.

 

Reflection is a little bigger.  126,000 GT vs Silhouette's 122,400 GT. 🙂

[NMTraveller]

I have been on Reflection, Silhouette, Solstice, and Edge.  I would choose Relection, Silhouette, and Solstice before the Edge.  Look at the user and critic reviews.  They are higher for these 3 ships than the Edge.  I would expect the Apex to be similiar to the Edge.

 

When I was on the Edge I missed having more public places.  They seemed to merge them into fewer bigger spaces.

 

I also missed Murano and Tuscan.

Edge had Fine Cut which was difficult to book on Sea Days and Eden which was good.  For Eden some liked it and others did not.  The food on Raw on 5 and La Petit were below average.  The food on the Rooftop Grill and Magic Carpet were very windy.

 

If you like new, shiny, and overrated go for the Apex.

 

BTW I am still trying to get my photos from the Edge cruise.  Being a new ship there are personnel/training issues that you don't see on a more seasoned ship.  The same with the food quality/consistency.

 

The quality of the entertainment on Edge was very average.  The other 3 ships had a much bigger audience in the theater and better acts though the Edge theater is nicer.

 

I remember when I sailed on Oasis during its first year it had crew and food issues.

 

My motto is don't sail a new ship and wait for them to get the issues ironed out.

 

The magic carpet is way overrated.  It is nice for tendering but other than that it is way too windy to dine on.

Edited October 1, 2019 by NMTraveller

[Saab4444]

23 hours ago, panamapd said:

I know it is the Celebrity site, but what about the new P&O Iona out of Southampton on 23 May 2020?  It will be the school holidays in the UK.  Must say, I have been on many sailings with various cruise lines and have NEVER known the kids club to be closed?!!

 

We sailed on the Eclipse to the fjords mid-July and it was one of our best cruises.  In terms of location, the fjords are hard to beat.

 

(We are doing the preview Apex out of Southampton - can't wait!)

 

 

Do you really want to sail to the small villages in the Fjords on a ship with more than 5,000 people?  

[sandpipercruiser]

We have been on Edge twice about 6 weeks apart. Once in a sky suite and once in a balcony.  I would have canceled the 2nd one after the first but had made final payment already.  That being said we did not love the Edge.  Seemed so much smaller inside than Reflection and other S Class.  Too small in the center.  Putting Martini bar in center seems misplaced. Never enough seats or bartenders. Too bad dancing was added as an afterthought after complaints. Missed the Sky Bar and other areas to dance or talk.  Music was not great.  We are in the group that did not care for Eden. It was too wierd. Big waste of space for us.  Silent Disco was in there.

Biggest complaint the chairs on balconies. Where are the lounge chairs? Footstools? Sit up chair is too short to be comfortable.

Food was ok.  Butler was not around much. Cabin steward we had was awesome. Suite pool area was nice but everyone else loses a place to be on deck up front.  I find that unacceptable. 

It was new and shiny and I like modern.  All the fleet needs a remodel, but making them all look like the Edge is a mistake for many of us who like choices. My husband calls it a McEdge line after all are made to look the same.

They want 30-40 group.  Very few children on either of our cruises. We are 50s and cruise a lot.  We are going to take one more on an unremodeled ship. 

Fine cut was great once. Terrible the second and we got the same exact meal. Luminae was good. 

They did not keep smoking to one side.  If you wanted to be on back of ship and do not smoke you could not stay long.

Too windy to use dining on top deck.

Hope that helps some.

[NMTraveller]

On 10/1/2019 at 7:48 AM, Xport said:

 

You are correct, Jim...

 

At double occupancy in each stateroom, Silhouette's guest capacity is 2886 and Reflection's guest capacity is 3046...  Most of that additional capacity resulted from repositioning the pool area from Deck 12 on Silhouette [one flight below The Oceanview Café] to Deck 14 on Reflection [immediately adjacent to The Oceanview Café] so as to create space for more staterooms on Deck 12 as well as the addition of a handful of suites that were carved out of the port side of Reflection's Sky Lounge...

Are they adding the 3046 guest capacity to all ships as part of the Edgification?  Or is the Reflection different?

Edited December 13, 2019 by NMTraveller

[chemmo]

We cruised Eclipse to the Fjords early May and had fantastic weather...brilliant sunshine although it was cold in the shade. Snow was still on the mountain tops, the waterfalls were flowing. No issues with the sea. Yes, we were lucky but our friends went in August, had a week of drizzle and low clouds and got eaten by midges!

 

Itinerary would be important for me, Flam is beautiful and I wouldn’t consider an itinerary that misses it.

 

Whilst schools will not be out in the U.K. many parents with under fives look at booking holidays early May as it is significantly cheaper so there may be some other children on board. We have never heard of them closing the children’s club but if there are only a few children they may join age groups together.

 

If you are unused to Celebrity the focus tends to be on rest and relaxation rather than action and adventure. There is no children’s pool but on cold weather cruises they usually have a ‘family hour’ (late afternoon) in the usually adults only Solarium. We have cruised on Reflection and are booked on Silhouette next year, we do love the S class but as yet we haven’t cruised Edge class...If you decide on Apex check your room has a real balcony. Many parents enjoy a drink and chat on the balcony at night after settling the little ones in bed...Infinity balconies are not the same (research photos). 

 

Whatever you choose I hope you enjoy! If you can add on a few days in the U.K. to your cruise the New Forest area near to Southampton and the coast are stunning and there are lots of places suitable for families to visit.