Silhouette LIVE (1/12) w/ Side by Side: A Royal Week on Celebrity and MSC

[LMaxwell]

Should be a good comparison.  S class ships some of my favorites. Great layout and venues. 

 

 Divina is gorgeous though. MSC ships are always kept brand new and glitzy looking. I haven't sailed in Yacht Club, but those that do rave. Definitely keep an Open Mind that your experience may be significantly different than Celebrity. MSC does things a lot differently for a lot of things. Not better or worse, just different. 

[sbt518]

20 hours ago, GenerationX said:

Thank you! I have never sailed NCL but it is on my list to try.  My cousin and her husband are loyal NCL cruisers and Jeremy and I have agreed to try an NCL Haven cruise with them if they’ll try a Celebrity Retreat cruise with us (I suspect we’re both expecting/hoping to convert the other couple 😂). The cards haven’t lined up for the four of us yet in terms of price and schedules, but we’re hoping to get both cruises in before end of this year.

I'm very curious to see your opinions of NCL when you try it.  We've only done one Celebrity retreat cruise (on the Edge) and it was fantastic, I think better than the few NCL Haven cruises we've done but we do prefer the spas on NCL because of the thalasotherapy pools and the larger spa areas.

 

I'm also considering MSC since they will soon be leaving from a port I could walk to if I didn't insist on bringing way too much luggage 🤣 so I'm excited for this review.  Also, I love your reviews and I do wish my husband wouldn't be too jealous if I cruised without him.  As it stands, I take land based vacations to use up my excess of vacation time with my best friend so I'm not suffering but I do live vicariously through your solo cruises.

 

Bon voyage!

[GenerationX]

Good Morning from the Four Seasons St. Louis!  

 

I’m sitting in the restaurant having tea and a smoked salmon platter before heading to the spa for my pre-cruise facial and pedicure.

 

I plan to wait to get a massage at some point while I’m on Silhouette. I had a massage appointment booked in advance through the cruise planner, then last week I played with dummy bookings for the cruise and spa and it looks like unlike my past two cruises, our ship isn’t going to be full this time (Retreat and Aqua are sold out, probably thanks to lots of move ups, but basic verandas and insides are plentiful) and there are plenty of spa appointments still available. So I decided to cancel and wait and see if any better deals are offered to book onboard and to give myself more flexibility in planning my onboard schedule.

 

Speaking of onboard plans:

 

As far as dining, I plan to take full advantage of my complimentary specialty dining privileges and plan to spend my lunches and dinners (other than maybe embarkation lunch) at specialty restaurants.  I have reservations for dinner at Murano, Lawn Club Grill and Tuscan Grill. 

 

In a RS, if you want to make the specialty reservations pre-cruise without being charged, you have to either book them with the shoreside concierge (details on that coming soon) or wait and book them onboard with your butler or Retreat concierge.  I had read that the shoreside concierge may not contact you until fairly close to sail date and I’d heard of rare instances of desired restaurants and dining times being fully booked when RS guests waited till then or onboard to book.  

 

So, hyper planner that I am, I took a tip from @Jim_Iain and booked and paid for my specialty reservations in the cruise planner well in advance to make sure I got the days and times I wanted. Then, when the shoreside concierge contacted me, I just asked her to assist with an OBC refund which she was happy to do.  Worked like a charm, thanks Jim!

 

Since I’m not spending any OBC on dining, I will probably take advantage of some wine events and see if I have any luck in the casino.  

 

I’m also checking off another Celebrity cruise bucket list item and signed up for the Daniel Boulud Chef’s Table dinner!

 

Cozumel is a been there done that port for me so I’ll probably just run in to buy some tequila for Jeremy and then get back onboard and enjoy a quieter ship.

 

I plan to spend a little more time off ship on the Divina sailing but we’ll talk more about that as that sailing approaches.

 

Next up, more info on working with shoreside concierge.

[GenerationX]

3 hours ago, sbt518 said:

I'm very curious to see your opinions of NCL when you try it.  We've only done one Celebrity retreat cruise (on the Edge) and it was fantastic, I think better than the few NCL Haven cruises we've done but we do prefer the spas on NCL because of the thalasotherapy pools and the larger spa areas.

 

I'm also considering MSC since they will soon be leaving from a port I could walk to if I didn't insist on bringing way too much luggage 🤣 so I'm excited for this review.  Also, I love your reviews and I do wish my husband wouldn't be too jealous if I cruised without him.  As it stands, I take land based vacations to use up my excess of vacation time with my best friend so I'm not suffering but I do live vicariously through your solo cruises.

 

Bon voyage!

Thank you! I will be sure to report when we sail NCL. I agree with you on the spa common areas on Celebrity.  I was really hoping that with E class they would add hydrotherapy type spaces to the spa.

 

It’s interesting though. I got a survey from Celebrity just the other day asking about my interest in various new spa amenities, including therapy pools and hot tubs, and how likely I would be to pay for access to them and/or book a stateroom that includes access.  I wonder if Celebrity is thinking about adding some of these things?

 

I assume it would have to be a distant future add though.  Like maybe for the next class of ships.  
 

I assume Ascent is too close to done for that kind of major addition if it isn’t already in the plans and they haven’t even finished all the previously planned S and M class refurbs yet. 

[GenerationX]

5 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

Should be a good comparison.  S class ships some of my favorites. Great layout and venues. 

 

 Divina is gorgeous though. MSC ships are always kept brand new and glitzy looking. I haven't sailed in Yacht Club, but those that do rave. Definitely keep an Open Mind that your experience may be significantly different than Celebrity. MSC does things a lot differently for a lot of things. Not better or worse, just different. 

Thank you, I do plan to sail very much with an open mind.  
 

I’ve heard that some of the critiques US passengers have of MSC are primarily due to cultural differences with MSC being an Italian line with a larger international passenger demographic.

 

I’m actually looking forward to a potentially more international experience and getting to meet different types of people.

 

The ship does look gorgeous and very well kept up for her age in the YouTube videos that I’ve watched.

[mikeysed]

Hello,

 

For a King bed in a regular veranda room- are the pillows king size or are they more standard/queen size?

Edited January 9, 2023 by mikeysed

[MamaToMany]

I love, love, love your trip reports!! Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with us yet again. I board Apex on Saturday, so your fabulous writing will get me through the last few looooong days in fine style! 

Edited January 9, 2023 by MamaToMany

[GenerationX]

 

A report on the Shoreside Concierge perk of Royal Suites:

 

As mentioned previously, I’d heard that the shoreside concierge doesn’t contact guests about specialty reservations, etc. until a couple of weeks before the cruise (hence my self help dining reservations a couple of days after I booked).  It turned out though that I received an email from Celebrity in mid-October introducing me to my shoreside concierge Erin and providing her contact info and letting me know I could reach out to her for any onboard booking needs.

 

Since I’d already made dinner reservations, all I really needed was assistance with a refund of the OBC, which she took care of super quickly.  I also asked whether she was able to make lunch specialty reservations in advance (since that can’t be done in the cruise planner).  She said she wasn’t able to book lunches shoreside, but if I sent her my requests for lunch reservations she would send them to the Retreat concierge on the ship.

 

My first stop after embarkation will be to see the Retreat concierge to see if my lunch requests made it over (there’s one I think I want to change anyway) and will report back.

 

Last week, Erin sent me an email with a questionnaire about my cruise plans (pier arrival time, requested disembarkation time, any special occasions, allergies, etc.).  She also included menus for the premium beers and liquors available for stocking in my stateroom (2 bottles of alcohol and beer and water/soft drinks in the mini fridge are included with RS) and asked what I would like waiting in my suite for me.  She did warn that supply issues may make certain items unavailable and suggested I also provide my second choices in case my first choices aren’t available.

 

Her email also included instructions for embarkation stating that upon arrival at the terminal I should look for a banner that says “Priority Curbside Drop Off” and leave my bags there for prompt delivery to my room and someone will meet me there and personally escort me through security, check in, and onto the ship.  I’ve heard that these instructions from the concierge can have varying accuracy with regard to what the set up actually is at the terminal so will be sure to report on how my embarkation experience actually plays out.

 

I only had to correspond with her a few times but Erin was very responsive other than a short delay over the holidays (understandable given time off and how busy holiday sailings are) 

 

Sharing pics of the current premium beer and spirits menus for RS below.

 

 

[jcpc]

I am so looking forward to your comparison, Charla.  I vote for you posting the reviews in whatever manner makes the most sense to you.  I'll find them and follow them no matter where they are posted.

 

I am just now contemplating and investigating booking an MSC sailing out of NYC in the fall of this year.  I am a LONG time Celebrity cruiser and always book Retreat but the Retreat pricing has skyrocketed and to be honest with you I think the quality and service on Celebrity has, in my opinion, nosedived.  I am SERIOUSLY considering moving my cruising dollars to MSC.  I have friends onboard MSC (Yacht Club) this week and I'm getting daily updates from them.  

 

Wishing you 2 wonderful sailings.

[MzShae]

Hi, Gen X. I'm looking forward to both of your reviews. I've never sailed on Celebrity or MSC. But I ❤️ your reviews and style. Thanks. 

[KatieDub]

We are on-board Silhouette in February so look forward to your comments about the ship as a whole (Not just the Retreat areas and perks).

[jzad]

Looking forward to the comparison and your lively review!

[GenerationX]

After an incredibly rough day, it is finally packing time!  Apparently my husband isn’t the only guy in the house who is less than thrilled that I’m running off without him. Who knew Labradors could be so judgmental?

 

So far my 5am flight is still showing on time departure [knocks wood] so after I finish packing I’ll make us a quick easy dinner in the Instant Pot then it’s off to bed for a 1am alarm to get up and head to the airport!

 

[Lena11033]

8 minutes ago, GenerationX said:

After an incredibly rough day, it is finally packing time!  Apparently my husband isn’t the only guy in the house who is less than thrilled that I’m running off without him. Who knew Labradors could be so judgmental?

 

So far my 5am flight is still showing on time departure [knocks wood] so after I finish packing I’ll make us a quick easy dinner in the Instant Pot then it’s off to bed for a 1am alarm to get up and head to the airport!

 

 

I have 4 golden retrievers, I think they get more upset at me traveling than my husband lol

[CruisinBanka]

Can’t wait to follow along on another Gen X adventure! Your reviews are a must read. Will be especially interested to know your impressions of MSC, as we are considering “jumping ship” to MSC or a more premium line. Although we are longtime Celebrity Cruisers, we agree with rising Retreat pricing and food and service not being what it once was, it is time to see what else is out there. Enjoy your cruises!!!

[lola2013]

42 minutes ago, GenerationX said:

After an incredibly rough day, it is finally packing time!  Apparently my husband isn’t the only guy in the house who is less than thrilled that I’m running off without him. Who knew Labradors could be so judgmental?

 

So far my 5am flight is still showing on time departure [knocks wood] so after I finish packing I’ll make us a quick easy dinner in the Instant Pot then it’s off to bed for a 1am alarm to get up and head to the airport!

 

Safe travels 🛫

[Stem to Stern]

On 1/9/2023 at 7:05 AM, GenerationX said:

think I’m leaning towards keeping the reviews in one thread after all.  

Sounds like a great idea, Charla.  I am looking forward to the comparison on one continuous thread on the Celebrity board.  I think it will be much easier on yourself.  What theme nights are you organizing?  😂 You know I loved your emerald green Gatsby frock.

 

Many of us loyalists on the Celebrity board are curious about alternative lines that offer more overall value.  We just came off our first Azamara.  We had not strayed from X since 2017.  We have two more cruises booked on Celebrity.  But we count our sole Crystal Cruise as one of our most memorable.  
 

Sadly we fear our next cruise on Summit will be our last experience in The Retreat as prices soar. 😭 We love Luminae, The Retreat Lounge, and The Retreat Sundeck.
 

Like  yourself we are giving MSC Yacht Club and Silversea serious consideration along with Explora Journeys, Viking, and Windstar.  And for port intensive sailings we are not ruling out Holland America.  Bon voyage! 🥂 

[GenerationX]

1 hour ago, Lena11033 said:

 

I have 4 golden retrievers, I think they get more upset at me traveling than my husband lol

Oh my FOUR golden retrievers??? I’ll stop complaining about my dog food budget and pet hair cleaning struggles. It could be worse! 😂

[GenerationX]

Just when I thought it was safe to take a sigh of relief that there’d be no flight issues this time…about 15 minutes before boarding, our flight just went on a delay.
 

Apparently there is an FAA system outage nationwide across all airlines so nothing can take off from anywhere.  Looks like they’re currently estimating 45-50 minute delay for us.

 

If anyone is scheduled to fly later today, be sure to keep an eye on schedules. I could totally see this type of system wide outage creating snowballing havoc as the morning goes on.  
 

Once again, why I fly in day before cruise.

[jimbri]

Hope your flight takes off soon.  Have a wonderful time!

[countess5]

2 hours ago, GenerationX said:

Just when I thought it was safe to take a sigh of relief that there’d be no flight issues this time…about 15 minutes before boarding, our flight just went on a delay.
 

Apparently there is an FAA system outage nationwide across all airlines so nothing can take off from anywhere.  Looks like they’re currently estimating 45-50 minute delay for us.

 

If anyone is scheduled to fly later today, be sure to keep an eye on schedules. I could totally see this type of system wide outage creating snowballing havoc as the morning goes on.  
 

Once again, why I fly in day before cruise.

Being reported no flights until 9-9:30 EST. 

 

Cheers! .

[GenerationX]

I’m officially declaring the 2022-2023 cruising season the nadir of Charla’s flight schedule luck. 
 

Apparently this FAA issue is quite serious and according to the FAA Twitter account  all domestic flights in the US have been grounded until at least 9am Eastern.  
 

The admirals club was getting crowded with all the backed up flights, so I’m having a little liquid patience in a quieter spot near my gate.

 

Please send positive thoughts that I’ll be in the air soon!

 

[countess5]

Flights have started in Newark and Atlanta, but still saying 9 AM EST.

 

Cheers! 

[hcat]

sending pos thoughts your way.

hope the stoppage of flts taking off is short duration..

 

.I recently lucked out on  short trip week of Jan 1st.. just missed getting messed up by the SW air debacle  on my way to  NY and  the previous faa snafu in Fla on my return

 

we are on the W Coast of Fl..some flts landing but none taking off

 

day ahead is a smart move

Edited January 11, 2023 by hcat

[raudacruise]

Positive thoughts! 

 

And I was feeling smug because in a couple weeks I’ll be on American instead of my usual Southwest to Miami.

 

I’m flying several days early so cancellations would just be a hassle rather than a disaster.

 

NBC news just said FAA Groundstop has been lifted.