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[Terre]

Thanksgiving Cruise

 

Ship:  Silhouette

Class:  Solstice Class

Dates:  November 21, 2022 – December 1, 2022

Ports:  Leaving out of Miami, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, Antigua, St. Kitts, St. Maarten

Captain:  Michael Sympouras

Cruise Director:  Mike Gibbons

Cabin:  #9280, Deluxe Ocean View Stateroom Veranda

 

Sorry this has taken me so long to write, but after we got home the holidays were here and we had so much to do.  Let me start off by saying that my review is in sections so you can read what you want and skip over anything you don’t want to read.  If you’ve read my previous reviews, this will not be as detailed. The comments are my personal opinions and my intention is to help others with their cruises.  Pictures at the end.

 

The Silhouette is a beautiful ship and this was our third or fourth time on it.  We really like the interior design and the size of the ship.  For this sailing we were a little more than half full, so not as crowded as it could be.  I’m afraid we’ve gotten used to sailing at half capacity or less and will not like sailing at full capacity when that happens; however, it won’t stop us from cruising.  Okay, let’s get started!

 

Boarding Day:  We flew from Charlotte to Miami the morning of the cruise. It has been quite awhile since we have flown into the Miami Airport, and it has gone through quite a few changes since then.  It was crazy, but we managed to find our way to baggage claim and out of the airport to a taxi.  Once at the port, we were able to board promptly and begin our cruise!  We went directly to our cabin, #9280, threw our carry-on on the bed and headed to the buffet for lunch. 

 

Cabin:  Our cabin was adequate with enough space, the usual amount of outlets and the bathroom was okay.  Small, but worked for us.  Our balcony was very nice and we used it some days to relax on a sea day or in port to enjoy the view.

 

Food:  Food for the most part was good, we ate in the main dining room most nights and for lunch most days.  The buffet was okay, the food was good, nothing to write home about.  We did enjoy the ice cream in the buffet, that was always good!

We ate in the Lawn Club Grill two nights and that was very good.  The red snapper was excellent if you’re not into steak.   We also had dinner in Murano one night and we both ordered lobster bisque, Murano Lobster, warm goat cheese soufflé, and Grand Marnier soufflé.  They prepare and cook your meal at your table.  The décor and ambiance, along with your meal cooked at your table, was quite romantic!

 

Entertainment:  We had some great entertainment, as always!  We had our stand-by rocker, Domenick Allen, who again was out of this world wonderful!  Comedian Derek Cameron, who was really funny; Boy Band Evolution, that was excellent, singing songs of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons as well as some other groups; a wonderful singer, Leslie McDonel; and the performances by the Celebrity singers and dancers; do  try to catch a couple of these shows, they’re magnificent!  The aerialists and acrobats are incredible and can do some amazing things! You will be awed!

 

Ports:  Our first port of call was Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.  We had booked an independent tour here called Explore the Best of Puerto Plata through our travel agency. 

This tour included a drive through the city to Fort San Felipe, home to a historic Spanish fortress built in 1577, to protect the city of Puerto Plata from pirates and other enemies. Next, we made our way to Parque Independicia, which was the first park in the city.  We then made our way to the summit of Mount Isabel de Torres.  At the top, we explored beautiful gardens, saw a representation of a typical countryside house or "casa tipica", the Christ the Redeemer Statue (a smaller version of the one in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), and enjoyed the views of Puerto Plata and the Atlantic Ocean. I have to say for me, the Christ Redeemer statue was breathtaking!  The Christ Redeemer in Brazil is on my bucket list, but for now, this one will suffice.  It was surrounded by clouds and I couldn’t help but think of the Bible verse in Revelation 1:7, “Behold, He is coming with the clouds…”.  From here we took the cable car down to the city and went back to the ship.

We got started late and had to miss lunch, so take a snack with you just in case this happens on your tour.

San Juan was our next port and we didn’t get off here; we’ve been here several times and have walked up to the fort and did a self tour, walked around to the cemetery, and around town.