An amazing experience!
Celebrity Silhouette Cruise Review to Europe - Northern Europe
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Reviews: 2
Helpful Votes: 52
14 Night Scandinavia & Russia (Southampton Roundtrip)
Sail date: June 16, 2019
Ship: Celebrity Silhouette
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 8285
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 4 years ago
Review summary
Great cruise intinerary, very interesting ports of call and definitely the best experience to date. Met so many wonderful people onboard and have remained in touch since. Would definitely consider doing this cruise again as there is so much to see and do, it would never get boring!Embarkation
Check-in at Southampton was quick, efficient and professional. Only took a matter of minutes before sea passes were issued and we could board the ship.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
This is where Celebrity es into it's own. The quality and variety of food onboard is fantastic. Whether it be the main dining room or any of the speciality restaurants, the service, presentation and experience is second to none.
We had a 4 night speciality dining package this time and booked into Murano twice - the food and service was that good! The quality of food served, in my opinion, is unrivalled by any of the other speciality restaurants onboard. If you're looking for more relaxed surroundings the Lawn Club and Grill is a must, but be aware due to the partially open nature of the restaurant, time of year and destination, it can be a bit chilly/cold whilst eating, however blankets are provided if needed.
There's also a great selection of different bars to suit all tastes/styles but my personal favourite has to be the Martini bar. If you're looking for somewhere more relaxed there's the Passport Bar or Ensemble Lounge as well as Cafe Al Bacio for your alcoholic coffees if you fancy one after dinner.
Onboard Activities
Taking advantage of the plethora of available activities, particularly on sea days, was hugely beneficial, especially attending the talks about upcoming destinations and 'must see' sights whilst visiting. It's the ideal way to understand how to get around and what to look out for when you leave the ship.
There's lots of things to do throughout the day, with the itinerary being provided in each stateroom the evening before so you can plan it all out.
Entertainment
Entertainment was incredible - from the theatre shows, the silent discos, Abba night sailing out of Stockholm, the various artists on board - couldn't fault it. The only slight let down for me was the DJ in the Sky Lounge, it was a bit hit and miss with the songs/tracks being played.
Children's Programs
I don't have children.
Service and Staff
With the exception of the sommelier in the main dining room the service received from all ship personnel was incredible. Particular credit goes to the stateroom attendant who always made sure the room was cleaned and well maintained throughout the whole cruise.
The problem with the sommelier was having to request he come and serve us, and this happened on more than one occasion, as he just didn't appear to be interested in making sure that you had drinks with your meal. This was fed back whilst onboard and his attitude appeared to change for the better.
Ship Quality
Every area of the ship was spotlessly clean and very well maintained. Celebrity Silhouette is due for a refurbishment in January 2020 to bring it up to the standard of the Edge class ships that have been added to the fleet, however to say that so many people sail on her, the cleanliness and overall maintenance is fantastic.
Cabin / Stateroom
With the cabin being on the 'hump' of the ship the size of the stateroom and balcony was bigger than the standard cabin. The beds and pillows are super comfortable, with the size of the bed being pretty big - certainly enough for 3-4 people to share (if that's what you want!).
Cleanliness was second to none, with the most loveliest stateroom attendant making sure that it was kept spick and span throughout the day.
Bathrooms are spacious with a really decent sized shower cubicle and toiletries (shampoo, conditioner and a soap bar) being provided. There's also lots of storage for all bathroom items so don't be afraid of taking too many!
Ports of call
Stayed overnight in Southampton before embarking and was pleasantly surprised at how nice, and historic, the place actually is. There's a great selection of bars/gastro-pubs a few streets away from where the ship docks, in particular The White Star - a must if you want a great selection of wines and incredible food at a very reasonable price.
Thumbs Up
6
Really easy to find your way from the port of Zeebrugge to Bruges - it's a short walk from the ship to the tram stop, and then on to the train. Very cheap to do it yourself and train tickets can be downloaded to your mobile so you don't have the hassle of figuring out the ticket machines at the station.
Bruges itself is stunning! Very easy to find your way around, it's hard to get lost in this beautiful place. The architecture is out of this world!
There's more than 1 place where the ship can dock. If you're lucky enough to dock 'downtown' you're a 10-15 minute walk away from the little mermaid and the major sights of the city.
We docked at one of the new cruise terminals built further out of the city which takes approx 90 minutes to walk (and I walk at a fair pace, so I wasn't being slow!). I don't agree with Celebrity charging for shuttle buses if you're so far out of Copenhagen, particularly for those who are less mobile and not able to walk for long distances or periods of time.
Apart from that the city is beautiful but VERY expensive for food and drink.
This was my favourite port of call. There is so much to see and do in Stockholm, but don't miss the sail in - it is absolutely beautiful. Once the ship is docked it's a 20 minute walk into the city itself and the Gamla Stan (Old Town) is right on your doorstep. Getting about is really easy with the regular passenger ferry service running between all of the islands that make up Stockholm. It's very reasonably priced and easy to use.
Favourite attractions included the Vasa Museum and of course the unmissable ABBA museum!
What an incredible place! Loved, loved, loved Tallinn. A stunning, medieval walled city with little cobbled streets that take you everywhere, but don't worry it's not a huge place so you can't really get lost. It's a very short walk (less than 15 minutes) from where the ship docks but my advice would be to get off early and go explore before everyone the streets become more crowded.
Lots of places to eat, drink and shop and it is really inexpensive if you fancy a spot of lunch or a drink. Would definitely go back here for a longer stay.
St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
This is a vast city to explore and one that you shouldn't do unless on an organised excursion. Russian immigration can be quite intimidating when disembarking/embarking each day but they are only doing their job.
Traffic congestion in the city has to be seen to be believed so be patient when travelling between sites of interest as it often takes longer to drive than it would to walk!
Out of all of the amazing places visited in St Petersburg the only one that I would not go back to is The Hermitage Museum. Unless you're there first thing in the morning the crowds are awful. There is no restriction in the number of visitors allowed in, no designated walking route through the museum, it's a free for all! Even I felt uncomfortable with the volume of people in here and couldn't wait to get out.
Warnemunde is a beautiful seaside town that is definitely worth a stroll around, with it's little houses surrounded by roses, and the famous Teepot. Rostock is only a 25 minutes train journey away and is also worth a visit particularly to appreciate the Hanseatic architecture that is typical of this area.
Disembarkation
Very quick and efficient disembarkation from the ship and all luggage waiting for you in the luggage hall. Couldn't have been smoother.