md80fan

I am not sure i understand the concern for labadee. You do realize that 2 women were raped in the bahamas recently. If i remember correctly they were on carnival. Other cruise ship passengers have reported muggings, assaults, pick pockets in places like jamaica and the bahamas and yet cruise ships are still going there. How many people have been assaulted in labadee or been mugged or raped. Yes what is happening in port au prince is terrible. We cannot even comprehend what daily life must be like inside the city. The gangs are fighting for control of the city. I highly doubt they even care about a cruise ship over a hundred miles away. It is always good idea to stay up to date on current events and things can always change but people should be more concerned walking around some of the other ports where actual documented violence has occurred

I admit i have not read all 13 pages on this topic but i do not get why some people think they are in danger on labadee. You do realize that recently two women from a cruise ship were actually raped in nassau. Cruise ship passengers have actually reported rapes, muggings, pick pockets, assaults, in places like nassau, jamaica, trinidad and tobago and yet the cruise lines still go there. Now tell me how many cruise passengers have been raped, mugged, assaulted, in labadee. I would guess zero since it is a protected compound. Yes what is happening in port au prince is terrible. The gangs are fighting for territory and control of the city. There is a fuel shortage so i highly doubt the gangs will waste fuel driving hours on end to get a cruise ship. I would also bet that RCL probably has spotters along the only road in or out and if they got word that a caravan of gangs was driving towards labadee they could evacuate everybody before they arrived. Yes the people in haiti are desperate for food but guess what that is all over the Caribbean. Do you see the people standing outside the port zones in places like falmouth. The reason is they are trying to make any money to eat its not because they are rich. Unfortunately poverty is all over the Caribbean.

Just to say again, i was on deck 10. Concierge class on Silhouette on 10 day cruise and returned thursday. Did not have foot stool at the start of cruise, did get them about halfway through and were still there when i got off thursday morning. Everybody on deck 10 from the front elevators forward got them as i saw them outside everybody door in the morning and the attendant put ours on the balcony when he did the morning clean. I cannot speak for the rest of the ship.

Thanks for the replies. Interesting breakdown by cruise type and age group. We still enjoyed our first time on Celebrity.i need to look at those longer cruises in order to have a variety of different islands to see out of ft lauderdale. The 7 day does not offer enough time other than to see the familiar san juan st thomas st maarten islands which i have seen multiple times. I want to see martinique and grenada and dominica and they are on the 10 day cruises. I am curious if princess and holland america have similar breakdowns of their demographics on 7 day and on their longer cruises

Just got off silhouette on thursday. The room attendant on first day brought the snacks. My dad told him he was gluten free and the attendant offered to switch to a fruit plate which my dad agreed to. He actually enjoyed the daily fruit plate. I told the attendant i did not want it either and he also offered me the fruit plate which i declined. He also brought the sparkling wine on first day which he put in our fridge and then explained how the other items in the mini bar worked.

I just returned from a 10 day Silhouette out of Ft. Lauderdale. This was our first time on Celebrity. I do have 1 question for possible future cruise on Celebrity. First some background, We have sailed Royal Caribbean and the Oasis class ships and absolutely love Oasis class. We chose Celebrity as we wanted a longer cruise (10 day vs 7 day) and we wanted to see new ports other than Nassau and San Juan that the Oasis ship regularly dock at. This cruise did St. Vincent which we really wanted to see and St. Lucia among others. We wanted traditional balconies so we could open the dividers and did not want the infinite Veranda on the edge class. I knew that Celebrity caters to a more older demographic and there would be less families and kids which was ok. What surprised me was how much older the crowd was and the split between the number of say middle aged passengers vs older passengers was onboard. There did not seem to be much activity on the ship at night. My father went to see a movie on the lawn at 10PM and there were less than 10 people there to watch it. We showed up to watch live music at the Grand Foyer around 7:45 on a couple of nights and we had no issue finding the comfy chairs on level 4 or 5 looking down on Grand Foyer. We would walk by the Sky lounge at night and it seemed like hardly anybody was in there even though we could hear music playing. My question would be is this a typical demographic breakdown on all Celebrity cruises where it is skewed to the higher end of the demographic or are there cruises with more middle aged 45-55 year old passengers.My thoughts would be since this was a non traditional cruise leaving on a Monday and returning on a Thursday stretching over two weeks it would attract an older crowd vs a traditional 7 day Sunday- Sunday or Saturday - Saturday Cruise. If we booked on a newer edge class ship (ignoring the veranda issue) does this attract a slightly younger crowd. Does a 7 day Saturday to Saturday attract a younger crowd. Just trying to look at options for a future cruise to see what would work best. We still had a very good time and enjoyed our experience. Just a couple thoughts to add as a first time Celebrity passenger. We liked the ship and thought it was in very good condition, We thought the food was better on Silhouette than the Royal cruises we took in 2023. The entertainment and live music was much better on the Royal ships.than Celebrity. I really missed the Royal Promenade on the Oasis class ships with the wide hallway with high ceilings that stretch over a couple of decks as when we walked the shops on level 4 or 5 it kind of felt cramped and claustrophobic. The solarium seemed to be better on Silhouette than on the Oasis ships if you want to be in a climate controlled environment. The staff on Celebrity we found to be outstanding and very friendly.

I just got off Silhouette in Concierge cabin. I needed two cabins next to each other and the only ones left that were not obstructed view was concierge.My father enjoyed the fruit plate that he received everyday in the afternoon, The bottle of sparkling wine was just ok nothing to get excited about. If we book another Celebrity cruise I think it will just depend on the price difference and what cabins and their locations are still available. The other features were nice we just never used them like the boarding day lunch

I just got off Silhouette on Thursday and they put the stools back about halfway through the cruise. When walking down my hallway I saw them all stacked up in one of the attendants supply room and then a day or two later they had them outside everybody's door. When I came back to the room after the attendant had done the morning cleaning the stools were outside under the chairs. I was in a concierge room if that mattered or not

I Have no interest in these and want a regular traditional balcony. Our family usually gets two or three rooms side by side and love having the dividers on the balcony open to go room to room and socialize on the balcony. Having a room with a window that opens just does not cut it. Too bad they Celebrity could not do what it looks like Icon of the seas has done and have both so you can pick what works best for each.

Lets not compare movie theater to a royal ship. I cannot tell you how many movie theater floors are stick from spilled soda. Not sure those floors ever get cleaned. On the cruise ship they are cleaning every surface constantly. The standards of cleanliness are totally different. In addition the movie theater makes almost all their profit from soda, candy and popcorn as almost all ticket sales money goes to the movie company. Royal makes enough money selling their drink and dining packages i highly doubt someone is ringing the cash register over 3.50

We actually talked to who i assume was a higher up of some kind on either harmony or symphony a couple years ago. He had white shirt with shoulder stripes. Anyway he told us royal actually does not want you to buy popcorn. He said it is such a pain to clean up especially in the theater and from carpets. Even after vacuum and sweeping you find a kernel here or there. He said the cleaning staff would love to eliminate popcorn all together but there are some people who say they MUST have it during shows. He said they price it to discourage everybody but the die hards from buying it. It actually makes sense. Could you imagine if it was free. You would see little keenals blowing around on the pool deck and every place else. At least now parents will tell their 5 year old i am not paying 3.50 for popcorn.

we will be driving from central florida to catch a cruise. We prefer to rent a car each way instead of driving our own and deal with parking. Anybody have experiences with who might be the best in terms of office location and best shuttle back and forth to the cruise port. We will not be going to the airport. We used Avis earlier this year for Miami and it worked out for the most part but want to see if anybody has a recommendation for Lauderdale.

We will be on Silhouette in early 2024. My father is obsessed with stir fry. If you are in the Oceanview Buffet any chance of finding out if the stir fry station still operates at lunch or dinner or both. This will be our first time on Celebrity and he absolutely loves the stir fry station that we had on Royal's Oasis class ships.He just loves having those hot and spicy dishes made up.

I actually felt bad for some of the Pins. I was on a oasis cruise earlier this year and this one Pin had to make sure everybody knew who she was. In The captain Q and A she had to ask a question that even the cruise director had to make a comment that if he did not call on her he would hear about it later and she must of asked the same question every cruise or a very similar question. I felt bad as how empty her life must be that the only satisfaction she gets is going around on the cruise and making sure everybody acknowledges her and her status. On a side note I was on a flight once and there were two passengers who were both at the very top of the carrier frequent flyer program. The level where you get invited to join not just automatic based on flights taken. They were the top of the top. They started arguing with each other to see who would actually board first. These are two professionals who travel for a living and spend more times on planes then they probably do at home. They started pushing each other to want to be first on the plane. Just goes to show that you might have earned a certain level or status but common sense or decency is not always present whether a Pinnacle or any other loyalty program.

I will second the message above. They are very aggressive and actually rude towards people. I have heard all the excuses about how poor they are and just trying to make a living. I can appreciate trying to make money but they flat out lie to get you into their "store". Most of the stuff is cheap made in china stuff and not actual hand crafted stuff. They will try putting a bracelet on saying its free then try to get you to give them money for it or carve your name into a cheap wood cup and then demand you pay for it. I have told people there is no benefit in going into that area. Some people enjoy to haggle as part of the experience. I was looking for something specific and the guy at the foot of the hill said oh he had it and then when we got to his store he did not have it and tried getting me to buy all this junk. The name of the game is to get you into their "store and then not let you leave. Some people enjoy that but I would pass in my opinion.

Everybody is free to spend their money however they see fit but I really do not understand how the drink package is any value. My last seven day cruise I think the package was around 1100 or 1200 dollars for two people. All I could think of was going to my local supermarket (Publix) and how much liquor would fit in a shopping cart for 1200 dollars. The cases of beer and the number of bottles of rum and vodka I could buy for 1200 bucks. I am not saying do not drink on vacation but you can still enjoy the cruise having 2 or 3 drinks per day paying as you go. What I found strange was on the last cruise I had met a great coupe from St Louis who had the drink package but in the ports I would see them in the local bars drinking the local drinks and costing more money. To each their own but I am sure Royal laughs all the way to the bank on the drink package.

We normally cruise RCL but finally booked a celebrity cruise, one to try the different ports, and second to try a different cruise line. It will be out of South Florida to the Caribbean in 2024. We ended up having to get concierge class veranda as that was all that was available except for obstructed view on deck 6 which we prefer to avoid. I tried looking up some information on concierge class and being new to Celebrity i was thinking some more experienced Celebrity cruisers can chime in. It says we get a bottle of sparkling wine. Is this a regular size bottle or some sort of mini bottle. My father does drink a little wine and we were planning on bringing a bottle onboard but if we get a normal size bottle we might not. 1 might be enough for the cruise. It says there are binoculars in the room. Are these any good or are they weak ones. My dad likes to bring his to look at birds and other ships off in the distance but curious if these are high powered enough to actually see anything or should we still bring ours. Is there any other things to know about concierge class like priority getting on and off. Is this kind of like "the key" with RCL The one question about the buffet is my father is obsessed with Stir Fry and loved it on the Oasis class RCL ships that had it. I told him Silhouette has it and I want to make sure with all the cut backs and cost savings the buffet will still have stir fry at night as he is loves that to eat. Anybody that has been on recently if they can confirm they still have the Stir Fry We are looking forward to trying Celebrity and also trying some new ports that we have not seen before.

In my opinion only I believe that some people think or want to be remembered by the crew and when the crew go home to their families they will say what a difficult 8 month contract it was but you know what Mr. and Mrs. Smith during one cruise was so nice they gave me some chocolate or some chips. Unfortunately the crew will forget all of us as soon as we are off the ship. The numbers of guests they have to serve means we will be all forgotten except for the memorable ones like the people who destroy their rooms and live like pigs and the make their jobs hard. I do not fault the OP for asking the question as you can tell they only had good intentions and was trying to think outside the box and go that extra mile. I remember awhile back someone had asked about giving their Genie some sort of physical gift or item as a thank you. I thought the Genie is not doing this for fun or as a hobby in their spare time. This is their job and they are not our friends, family or neighbors or co workers. They are trying to make a living and pay their bills like all of us. This may be a week long vacation for us but it is a week long job for them. I know at my job at the end of the week I want money on payday so I can pay for my next cruise 😄.

Can I first say I do not mean to disrespect the OP or come across as negative as that is not my intent as I am just asking questions. What is the fascination with giving employees on cruise ship gifts. This topic comes up from time to time. Can I ask do we give chocolate bars when we go to the local Chilis, TGI Fridays or Perkins. Do we give bags of chips or candy when we stay at a Holiday Inn or a Comfort suites. I promise you the waitress at the Applebees and the maid at the Days Inn is struggling, living pay check to paycheck just like the people working on a cruise yet we never ask gee would they like a snickers bar in addition to a tip. I know the majority of us have a soft spot for these workers on cruise ships when you hear about their difficult and poor living conditions back home. That is why it is even more important to just give them cash. That is why they spend 6 to 8 months away from their families is for cash. Like it was said above if they had a choice between 20 bucks and a candy bar or 25 bucks they would choose the 25 bucks. They have to always say thank you and seem appreciative they cannot say gee what a useless gift or I wish you got me something else. I know it gives everybody a warm fuzzy feeling like we are going that extra mile to give them something extra but in reality they just need and want cash. I am not telling anybody what to do and if you want to give them a bag of skittles or m and m then that is your choice. The only time I could see getting them something is if you were on a B2B or a B2B2B and you had the same person and got to know them and they said hey I could really use this. Otherwise all they care about is maximizing their money to support their family back home. Again I do not mean any disrespect to anybody but lets be realistic just like your waitress or maid here at home they need cash not candy

Just curious if anybody knows what happened to Tom Hopkins. He was our CD on Oasis at the beginning of the year. I did not really care for him but still curious as I have not seen his name pop back up. I believe he was nearing the end of his contract in January when we sailed on Oasis.

In response to the reply above where they said they had not heard of the show Rock baby rock on the Silhouette. I read that on this website under reviews. It looks like it is the official summary or review and written by Adam Coulter Cruise Crittic UK Executive Director. I do not know how to contact anybody from this website but maybe a suggestion would be to update these official reviews or summaries if things like these shows have not been around for several years. New people like myself come here looking for information about these ships to help choose our next cruise and then to find out the information is way out of date.

For me, what I find interesting is that the ABC islands is a unique and different cruise. It seems like every cruise line has some variation of a 7 day from Florida that does some combination of San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Maarten and The Bahamas (Either Nassau or a Private Island) or They do a Cozumel, Costa Maya trip. The ABC islands get to go in a totally different direction and see different islands plus it is usually a extra day. We did do a San Juan cruise on Freedom a couple of years ago and did not like the ship at all. It was great to see new islands like St. Lucia and Barbados and complete it within a 7 day time span. The ship was way too crowded. My family not once found a seat in the Buffet for Breakfast on any of the 7 days. We found seats for Lunch and Dinner but never Breakfast. After day three I stopped going for Breakfast as it was a lost cause but my parents would go. They would try to find a seat with no luck leave and come back 30 minutes later and then try again. After three attempts they would load up plates and bring them back to the cabin and eat on the balcony. The rest of the ship also felt way too crowded. People never believe me when I say on the Oasis class ships during the middle of the day (On a sea day) I can sit in Central Park and literally be the only person sitting there except for the people coming or going from Park Cafe. The chairs in the middle under the glass canopy in Central park I can sit by myself and read or sit with my mom and just talk. The only plus on the Freedom cruise was since it only had 1 sea day with the rest being ports they offered the 10 drink punch card about half way through the cruise.

My family will be new to Celebrity and trying to decide between two different itineraries. I know they are of the same class of ship but any thoughts on Equinox vs Silhouette. Also being new to this class of ship for a balcony cabin is there a floor or floors that are better than others. Trying to avoid obstructed views and loud noises.Also In one review ( not sure how old it is) there was a mention of a show called rock baby rock on Silhouette that was mostly 1950 and 1960 music. I am curious if they still have this show as my parents might enjoy it. These would be 2024 in the Caribbean itineraries Thanks

Looking at doing a ABC island cruise and we always get a balcony cabin. Just curious which side of the ship is best. We like watching the approach to the islands from the balcony and trying to figure out from which direction they usually approach from. I am guessing from West to East but not sure. Also which side would be great to view the port from the balcony. The other question is we have done mostly Oasis class ships and love them for Aqua shows and Central park but trying to decide on Odyssey vs Symphony. We have already done Symphony but curious thoughts on this cruise to the Southern Caribbean. Thanks

My family is looking at trying a different cruise line mainly to see different ports. We have only done Royal Caribbean in the past. We found a couple itineraries on Enchanted that look interesting for 2024. My father is a huge fan of Stir Fry and I cannot find the answer if any of the Princess ships and more specific does Enchanted have a custom made stir fry station in the buffet.