There is one downside to the Celebrity Silhouette. It becomes the standard by which you judge future cruises. I seriously doubt that any other ship can match the service that you receive onboard this ship.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Getting on the ship was easy and efficient after we dropped off luggage and parked. The hard part was just getting into Port Everglades. Evidently there was a bomb scare because traffic was halted for at least 30 minutes while emergency vehicles passed by. I realize this is not a common occurrence but once traffic resumed it seemed like the local taxi drivers had preference over personal vehicles on lane changes and access.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The food in the main dining room, the Grand Cuvee, was very good as was the service. Dinner one night in the Tuscan Grill was well worth the price. The food and wine selection was way better than expected. Once again the service was first rate.
We used the buffet for breakfast and sometimes the quick lunch. The scrambled eggs from the buffet were excellent and that's comparing it to a full service breakfast restaurant. the made to order omelets were delicious as were the breakfast meats.
To lighten up the morning there was one waiter in particular that was filling and refilling coffee orders that was always upbeat and offered duty free coffee and was very friendly.
Since we had the drink package from Celebrity we took advantage of the many bars, both outdoors and indoors. The Pool Bar tended to get overwhelmed by the "bambis" in bathing suites so we ended up gravitating to the Mast Grill one level up. The bartenders were friendly and willing to make an concoction that you could come up with.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The pools were very crowded and populated by chair hogs.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The performances by the Silhouette's dancers, singers, and musicians were very surprising in a good way. Based on previous reviews from earlier sailings I expected an amateurish production. To be honest, I was blown away by the productions. There is true talent on this ship.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The room steward, Seby, made sure we had everything we needed for a comfortable cruise. We had fresh ice every morning and every night. The cabin was spotless. He also wanted to make sure we were getting good service in other areas of the ship.
The staff of the main dining room was first class. Their recommendations were spot on each night. All you had to do was look like you wanted something and they were right there asking if you needed anything. They seemed disappointed if you skipped dessert in order to make one of the shows in the theatre.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabin was large enough to be comfortable as was the veranda. The only negative complaint is that the shower is a little on the smallish size. Other than that, there are no complaints.
Ship tip
Be prepared to be overwhelmed by the service. The entire crew of the Silhouette are customer oriented.
We did not do an excursion just walked around Old San Juan. In my opinion, Celebrity could skip San Juan and it wouldn't be missed. Arriving at 3:00 PM and departing at 11:00 PM didn't make a lot of sense.
It would have been nice to know that we would be docking at Crown Bay instead of the docks that other cruise lines use. Crown Bay seems to be Royal Caribbean's private terminal with just a few shops and a bar. There were only a few shops open so the recovery from Irma must still be a work in progress. The one bar makes a very good Rum Punch, probably the best on the island.
We've been to St. Maarten numerous times, all pre Hurricane Irma. This was our first time back since. Philipsburg has done a remarkable job rebuilding given how hard it is to get manpower and supplies on the island. The people there are truly the friendliest in the Caribbean and are most appreciative of the cruise lines that visit there. There is one restaurant/bar in Philipsburg that deserves a mention, that is the Lazy Lizard on the boardwalk. Even though there was one other ship in port along with the Silhouette they weren't overwhelmed with tourists. The entire staff from the owner, his wife, the bartender, and the waiter made sure we were well taken care of. The food and drink was excellent. we didn't use them, but they do rent chairs and umbrellas and offer a nice view of Great Bay.
Disembarkation stunk. After all of the goodwill we got from Celebrity on the cruise it was diminished by the disembarkation process. When you finally leave the ship and make your way along the gangway you are herded into a huge warehouse. It seems there is no procedure on where you sit, you just are told to sit. Finally when it's time to claim your luggage there are no directions on which line to get into. Luckily we found a porter who not only helped with the luggage but also got us into the customs line and told us where to go. He was well worth the tip he received. I'm not sure if this is a Celebrity problem or if it is a Fort Lauderdale problem, but FLL does not impress.
We have been on 5 Celebrity cruises, 4 were great, 1 was not. That one was the Mercury 'Noro' cruise. I swore off cruising. We got over it, went on Silhouette and it was the best. We have also shopped other lines and went to Alaska on Princess, out of San Fran. Worth. Every. Dollar! Do your resesrch.
I haven’t been on the silhouette but I’m going on it in later in the year, I’ve been on the Celebrity Eclipse twice and their service is the best I’ve experienced especially on the last cruise with them! It’s good to know this is standard is expected and lived upto on this ship too. Glad you enjoyed it :)
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