Live on board Silhouette for a quick cruise to the Norwegian Fjords

[barneymag]

17 minutes ago, groryjm said:

 🤞 🤞 🤞 🤞

 

We are on Reflection in 8 weeks and as it is a fly to cruise we are going the day before and staying over night in Civi. We currently need to test the day before we fly to get into Italy but also need to need to test the day before we cruise. When we are in Civi! 

Current entry requirements to Italy If you’re fully vaccinated ( or proof of recovery ) …… you don’t need to test to enter Italy from the UK

 

Obviously we are all currently required to test 24hrs before to get on the ship though ….. however these rules could change again.

[Benthayer Gonbak]

1 hour ago, barneymag said:

Current entry requirements to Italy If you’re fully vaccinated ( or proof of recovery ) …… you don’t need to test to enter Italy from the UK

 

Obviously we are all currently required to test 24hrs before to get on the ship though ….. however these rules could change again.

We recently, May 4 landed in Italy and provided no  COVID test upon arrival.

 

[groryjm]

3 hours ago, barneymag said:

Current entry requirements to Italy If you’re fully vaccinated ( or proof of recovery ) …… you don’t need to test to enter Italy from the UK

 

Obviously we are all currently required to test 24hrs before to get on the ship though ….. however these rules could change again.

Good to know 

 

[bunnyette]

13 hours ago, groryjm said:

I was about to make our pre dinner drinks at 6 o’clock last night when I noticed out the window that we seemed to have come to a halt. Captain George then came on the tannoy in the room and said we had a medical emergency and had come to a stop to await a helicopter for a medevac arriving in 30 minutes. Not I am afraid a nice end for someone’s cruise.

 

We did pop up to the retreat sun deck to see the helicopter and while I did video the whole event I am only proposing to post pictures of the crew being landed and the helicoptor leaving.

 

 

 

 

One slight downside that might impact some passengers is that because of the hour or so delay while the evacuation took place Captain George announced we will not get to Southampton until 8am tomorrow.

Yes, for Europe cruises, we usually stay an extra night or 2 for this reason especially with the horrendous lines at the airports these days.

[kwokpot]

18 minutes ago, bunnyette said:

Yes, for Europe cruises, we usually stay an extra night or 2 for this reason especially with the horrendous lines at the airports these days.

Not to mention a covid test to reenter the USA.

[groryjm]

After an excellent cocktail from Ananas in the retreat lounge we proceeded to Tuscan for our dinner. We had originally booked Le Petit Chef for tonight and hoped for the The one show my Gastrognome hasn’t seen. There are three shows. The first one (with the lobster ride), the international competition, and the season’s one. I have seen all three but my Gastrognome has not seen the competition as the last time I saw it a few years ago my daughter and mother-in-law joined me but my Gastrognome opted to skip it favour of a show in the theatre. Needless to say timing was not with us and the completion was only performed on the first two nights and we missed it.

 

As many have said and I won’t disagree the Little Chef is fun but once you have seen a show a second time is usually as much as one can do. So to Tuscan

 

The food as always was great but what I had been looking forward to was one of the cocktails on the little chef’s menu. A Champs-Élysées (a riff on the Sidecar, named after the touristy Parisian boulevard. The first known recipe for which appeared in Nina Toye and Arthur H. Adair's 1925 Drinks-Long and Short)

 

 

As the back bars for Le petit Chef, Blu and Tuscan are all connected I thought it worth an ask and a big thankyou to Shaun (Trinidad and Tabago) the Tuscan and Blu mixologist from he produced it perfectly, oh and the food was good too but you’re probably beginning to realise my priorities.

 

 

 

 

 

[groryjm]

On Returning to the Retreat Lounge Ananas made an excellent French 75. Created towards the end of the first war and So named as it has such a kick that it feels like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm field guns

 

[groryjm]

 

Friday was our last day and a beautiful day to sail the North sea. We opted for Lunch at the porch. We have lunched here twice before this cruise and somehow missed the tasty Cheesy bread and this time asked specifically for one each

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pill pill prawns were excelent but the Branzino outstanding 👍

 

[groryjm]

As the afternoon progressed the wind increased and when I went to find our favourite bartender at the retreat sundeck, Anthony, I found it deserted.

 

 

 

 

I headed to guest relations as I didn’t want him to miss out and they said he should be at either the Passport bar or the Sunset. As the passport was closest I walked over there to be greeted by name by a bartender there, Emanuel, who remembered me from when he was serving at The retreat when it had been Michaels club back in 2019. It amazes me how they do that. He said Anthony would be at the Sky lounge. So up I climbed. Now my journey was in vain and I had to return later that evening but… I spotted a bottle behind the bar. Not being one to miss an opportunity I asked for a large shot straight up and took the green gold back to our room.

 

[groryjm]

That evening being our last we planned to eat at Murano but stopped by at the Retreat Lounge for a pre dinner drinkie. I brought down my prize to show Ananas but he trumped my straight up shot with a whole bottle. He had heard me mention Green Chartreuse and had found a bottle in the stores. He made me my absolute favourite cocktail, a Last Word, as served in the Detroit Athletic Club in the 1920s. Equal parts Green Chartreuse, Tanqueray Ten gin, Maraschino and Lime juice, shaken and served straight up. Ideally it should have a real Maraschino cherry but as I have only once seen them at the World Class and only then under the reign of Alexandra I forgave the slight lack.

 

When we walked over to Murano my problem with finding a drink there was solved. I brought my own. The food was excellent although for my Gastrogome having her Dover sole deboned tableside was as always a bit surprising. I am not convinced that this is true Dover sole but in fact Pacific Dover sole (Microstomus pacificus) which is actually a flounder species. That however is a debate I am not going to get into as regardless it was good. I however had the Loupe which was I feel better.

 

 

 

 

 

I also love the interestingly shapped bread. I won't tell you my daughters name for it

 

 

For desert this time I opted for a Grand Marnier Soufflé and nipped next door where Ananas made me a Jasmine. This drink despite having none in it tastes of grapefruit and went particularly well with the soufflé.

 

 

[groryjm]

For my last drink this cruise in The Retreat Ananas made me a Final Ward and a double expresso. Perfection.

 

 

 

This cruise has been quite different to the last three for a number of reasons. While they have all been great I think those of us lucky enough to cruise last summer were very luck indeed. When Michaels was Michaels I loved it for the sanctuary it offered and the comradery of those who regularly spent time there. Our first reaction post Revolution was that it had become a bit of an airport lounge and lost a bit of its personality. As the ship last summer on the three cruises we took was at 50% capacity the rest of the ship felt empty and the need for a quiet sanctuary was not there. The Retreat Sundeck is a great asset and became our new home and the Bars in general, being less crowded, the bar staff had more time to prepare drinks off book and I felt give more time to guests. With this cruise back to nearly full capacity we once more returned to our sanctuary. If you find a bar were you get on well with the bartender they can learn your likes and in Ananas we found an excellent barman. Meeting Emanuel again in the passport bar reminded me of the rapport we built up  in 2019 while venturing up to Iceland for 14 days and it was lovely that 3 years later he still remembered me.

[groryjm]

 

s Captain George had warned us we arrived in Southampton a bit late. We actually came alongside the pier at 7.50 so we weren’t able to debark until about 8.45. We were the first with bags to get off so I feel sorry for those with early flights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is now Sunday and slightly worryingly our FB Rollcall has had many post from people testing positive once back home. With about 270 members of that roll call it dose put a new slant on the new world order we are in. My Gatrognome and I are negative so we are ok but we avoided the theatre, martini bar and silent disco and tried to wear masks whenever we could

 

I hope you have enjoyed this Live and will try to write a comparison on the 4^th of July on a no revolutionised ship….

 

Just to add that the provision of USB charging in our suites bedroom was a real plus

 

 

 

 

[chemmo]

So pleased you are both home and well.

 

Sincere thanks for your wonderful review…I need to look at my drink choices before next cruise, certainly not as adventurous as you!

 

I hope you are now sat at home with a cocktail in hand reflecting on a wonderful cruise and looking forward to the next. 

[Redking]

3 hours ago, groryjm said:

On Returning to the Retreat Lounge Ananas made an excellent French 75. Created towards the end of the first war and So named as it has such a kick that it feels like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm field guns

 

@groryjmlove your cocktail posts. Do you have a blog?

[Redking]

Thank you for your wonderful review and very much looking forward to your next one. I've learnt some great tips.

 

Restocked our drinks cabinet yesterday on the back of making a gin and elderflower sour and gin fizzes the night before.

 

Be well!

[Jim_Iain]

Welcome home and thanks for the great Live Post.  I really enjoyed following along and seeing what I missed.  

 

I've heard from others that were disembarking  and had to scramble to make changes to their plans as their drivers weren't at the piers after the late arrival and had to scramble to get to LHR or early afternoon flights.

[Azulann]

Thank your for your lively  ship report. You have given me a whole new list of cocktails to try whether on land or on a cruise. 🤩

[Von & John]

Thank you so much for your amazing review, photos, food & cocktails!!!

Enjoy your July cruise & looking forward to your comparison 🙂 

Hopefully you will both stay C-19 negative in the next few days!

[asnaleah]

Thanks for your excellent posts. So glad to hear you returned home healthy!

[mrsgoggins]

My thanks too - I've enjoyed your posts despite having zero interest in your cocktails, would you believe!

 

Happy to hear that so far you are testing negative, but the reports of the numbers who are not is worrying.  I agree about being lucky enough to cruise last year with less than 50% occupancy.  We took four cruises then - 3 of them on Silhouette.  Masks in place and distancing possible - it felt very safe and yet quite intimate.  I shall look back on it as a golden time for cruising.

 

 

[chemmo]

22 minutes ago, mrsgoggins said:

 

 

Happy to hear that so far you are testing negative, but the reports of the numbers who are not is worrying.  I agree about being lucky enough to cruise last year with less than 50% occupancy.  We took four cruises then - 3 of them on Silhouette.  Masks in place and distancing possible - it felt very safe and yet quite intimate.  I shall look back on it as a golden time for cruising.

 

 

We honestly on our Silhouette cruise last September found mask wearing no issue at all. We felt very safe, more safe than shopping in Sainsbury!
 

We cruise to the Canary Islands in October and would welcome mandatory masks being worn moving venues, on lifts etc. Looking at rooms available and mock bookings it looks like it will be a near to full cruise. 
 

Following all threads closely at present, final payment date end of July….Any chance of being moved to deck 3 and we will be postponing. Haven’t Celebrity thought it through that the more they make ‘admitting’ to having covid resulting in negative experiences the less guests will come forward? Guests with mild symptoms may ignore their sniffles and move around the ship at will.

[amcco]

Thank you for the wonderful live report. Some of those drinks look amazing. I really like that you posted the ingredients for some as they vary so much when you look them up!  

[boxkite]

Thank you for all drink reports, enjoyed all of them.

 

French 75 is a favorite of mine. I have have found that a well made French 75 will sneak up on you as opposed to hitting like a 75 artillery piece!

 

 

[ecslady]

I may have missed this, but can you post what the current internet rate is - surf and then the stream? 

 

Thanks in advance.  Really enjoying your review.

[cavaaller]

Thank you for this thread. I have to learn how to make cocktails!