Blissful Mediterranean Cruise

Celebrity Silhouette Cruise Review to Europe - Western Mediterranean

DD68

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Reviews: 2

Helpful Votes: 92

Overall rating:

4.9 out of 5

14 Night Western Mediterranean (Southampton Roundtrip)

Sail date: September 09, 2018

Ship: Celebrity Silhouette

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 1569

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

On arrival at the cruise port car park, our cases were removed direct from the car by staff, allowing its to walk unburdened through the cruise port and onto the ship - a process which took less than 20 minutes. The Celebrity Silhouette is a fabulous ship, cleverly designed with luxurious indoor and outdoor spaces, quiet corners, and all the amenities you could dream of (as well of a few you couldn't). Even with 2,800 guests and 1,500 staff on board, it never feels busy or crowded and thee are always quiet places to relax. We booked an Aqua Class stateroom, mainly to gave access to the incomparable Blu restaurant. This serves fresh food, prepared with imagination and attention to detail, concentrating on flavour whilst reducing carbs. Eating here 12 days out of 14 allowed me to indulge in 3 courses each evening, plus 2 courses at breakfast, and still lose a stone during the holiday. Managed effortlessly by Aker, assisted by Yesenia, we never experienced a single problem in 24 visits. Service was prompt and personal and, when delivered by the amazing Agung, hilariously entertaining. The ship contains numerous bars ensuring a warm welcome at any time of day or night, all run efficiently. Cafe Al Bacio is the heart of the ship during the day, providing excellent coffee and a selection of teas. The Ensemble Lounge is the perfect pre-dinner venue, always with live acoustic or classical music. By far, in our opinion, the pick of the bars is the World Class Bar, where Cocktail Superheroes Daniel and Alexandra were on hand to conjure up stunning creations. Their efficiency was matched only by their friendliness and we spent many a night here chatting with them and other guests. The Aqua Class stateroom is not huge but is superbly designed with every square inch of space cleverly used. By the time you have unpacked and stowed everything away in all of the nooks and crannies, the room is very comfortable for 2 people for 2 weeks. The cabin steward, Peryton, was fabulous, appearing by magic whenever we left the room in order to clean and today before we returned. The maintenance and cleaning of the ship is inobtrusive and thorough. We stay in a lot of hotels and, whilst not obsessive, have a keen eye for dust and grime in public areas or in the bedrooms. In two weeks neither of us spotted a speck of dirt, never encountered a broken, run-down or damaged fitting, and never even came across an empty dispenser. I cannot imaging the Silhouette was delivered in a more pristine condition than she is today. The only potential issue with this, as with any cruise, is the keenness of Celebrity to part you from your money. The excursions are expensive and, at Toulon, the impression was given that they only way to the town was on a Celebrity-arranged shuttle boat costing €20, whereas the local boat, costing €20 was just 500 yards further down the quay. We tend to view all of this as a game rather than a problem. Great satisfaction can be found in doing a little pre-cruise research and taking a €15 train rather than paying the ship €80 for the same journey. All of the ports of call were excellent, with only Toulon being a little frustrating as it is not ideal positioned to explore the French Riviera - I much prefer Villefranche. Livorno and Civitavecchia are a good distance from Florence and Rome respectively but we can't blame Celebrity for geography. What sets Celebrity apart from other cruise companies is the attention to detail. The flavoured, chilled water and iced towels on return from a shore visit. The service from all members of staff which is attentive yet never overbearing, respectful but not stuffy. Entertainment is wonderfully varied, from a classical trio to a rock band to big stage productions, to academic talks, there is something for everybody. And yet, despite there always being something to do, there is never any pressure to join in, just an open welcomeness for those who want to participate. Celebrity sets its standards very high and raises guests expectations accordingly. This could be a recipe for disaster were it not their unfailing ability to achieve the standards comfortably. We have only ever cruised with Celebrity but have never found a single thing, however small, to complain about. Until we do, we see no point in trying anybody else.