Review Silhouette Thanksgiving Cruise

[Terre]

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.

 

Frederiksted, St. Croix was our next port and we picked up a tour at the pier.  We drove around the island and saw some beautiful sights before heading back to the ship.

 

At Anigua, St. Kitts, and St. Maarten, we stayed on the ship since we have been to these islands several times.  They are all beautiful and if you haven’t been here, there are many things to see and do.

 

A Couple of Tips:  The night before our tour in Puerto Plata, I wet a couple of wash cloths, rolled them up and placed them in a baggie and placed that into our mini fridge.  I took them with us to wipe our necks and faces.  It gets very hot at these islands and it was very refreshing to have the cold damp cloth.

I think most people do this, but for newbies, I also take heavy duty magnetic hooks and clips to hang items on and clip important papers to the wall that I don’t want to get lost.  This is handy as space/storage is limited.  Also if you’re a newbie, your luggage should fit under the bed to keep them out of the way. 

I also take a U.S. adapter for the European outlet and that has been a big help, as well as the additional plug in outlets for USB ports. These can be purchased through Amazon.

Remember, take pictures of your travels, but also take some time to just watch, look around, take in those sights, and sounds around you for those mental images years later.

 

So that’s it, folks.  It was a wonderful cruise with beautiful sights and nice memories to store away in our mind’s scrapbook.

 

Pictures:

Acrobats Silhouette Nov.html

Edited January 17, 2023 by Terre

[vickykay]

Thanks for the review and photos!

[sunandsnow]

Thank you for posting. We are cruising on the Silhouette next month.

[dock]

Thanks. Lovely pictures. Was trying to decide what to do in P.Plata and your tour seems like it was a great overview of the port. 

[Terre]

1 hour ago, dock said:

Thanks. Lovely pictures. Was trying to decide what to do in P.Plata and your tour seems like it was a great overview of the port. 

Just to let you know, this tour is a lot of walking and a lot of steps with no handrails up to the top of the mountain.  If you have any mobility challenges it may be tough.

[Swordfish1949]

Nice review - many thanks.

[dock]

Thanks for the input@Terre. Will take that into account. No mobility issues but not sure if I’d be comfy without handrails. 

Edited January 17, 2023 by dock

[Terre]

19 hours ago, dock said:

Thanks for the input@Terre. Will take that into account. No mobility issues but not sure if I’d be comfy without handrails. 

No handrails was my issue.  I leaned on my husband but it was still hard.  I need handrails.

[Wanderlost]

Thanks for the review. We haven’t been on the Silhouette in five years and wondered if the hammocks are still on the Lawn Club deck?

[hcat]

Excellent review! Thanks for sharing.

 

Silhouette is one of our favs over the years.

How much was Lawn Club Grill? Did you go on port nights?

Loved the idea abt the cold washcloths in a baggie...

Edited January 22, 2023 by hcat

[Terre]

On 1/22/2023 at 7:53 AM, Wanderlost said:

Thanks for the review. We haven’t been on the Silhouette in five years and wondered if the hammocks are still on the Lawn Club deck?

I think I saw some.

[Terre]

On 1/22/2023 at 8:20 AM, hcat said:

Excellent review! Thanks for sharing.

 

Silhouette is one of our favs over the years.

How much was Lawn Club Grill? Did you go on port nights?

Loved the idea abt the cold washcloths in a baggie...

Sorry, I don't remember the cost because we got a discount, and I don't remember which nights we went.  I know we went twice and to Murano one night.

[Cruise Kay]

Excited by this review. I will be sailing first time on Silhouette next year. I snagged a tiny solo cabin for a greatly reduced fare.

[Terre]

On 1/24/2023 at 1:14 PM, Cruise Kay said:

Excited by this review. I will be sailing first time on Silhouette next year. I snagged a tiny solo cabin for a greatly reduced fare.

You will love Silhouette...enjoy your cruise!

[jargey3000]

Hi there Terre. we're looking at the Silhouette for April.

Re your cabin, can I ask which deck? area (or number)?
We're looking at Plaza Deck 3 midship...

 

[aml3679]

Enjoying 

thanks

on her in November 

[Terre]

On 2/1/2023 at 9:06 PM, jargey3000 said:

Hi there Terre. we're looking at the Silhouette for April.

Re your cabin, can I ask which deck? area (or number)?
We're looking at Plaza Deck 3 midship...

 

We were on deck 6, a little way from the elevators.  Sorry I don't remember the cabin number.

[Terre]

On 2/1/2023 at 9:06 PM, jargey3000 said:

Hi there Terre. we're looking at the Silhouette for April.

Re your cabin, can I ask which deck? area (or number)?
We're looking at Plaza Deck 3 midship...

 

Found my paperwork; we were in cabin 9280 so we must have been on deck 9, but my husband says 6.  We liked the cabin.  We had to walk a little ways to the elevators, but now too far.