First time Celebritym questions - Silhouette

[dznymom]

We are experienced cruisers but this will be our first on Celebrity. I could use some advice.

 

I studied as much as I could about the ships and staterooms, and we booked only a month out. Thanks to input from this forum, I decided against a Sunset balcony in favor of a midship 1A large hump balcony. DH likes shade and privacy, so it seemed to best fit the bill. I am pleased with our choice :)

 

We are now deciding about Specialty restaurants. Most recently we have been cruising NCL, and eat in the specialties several times each cruise. Food and service in NCL's MDR is 'fine' whereas food and service in the specialties is generally very good. I expect that the food in the MDR on Silhouette will be significantly better than NCL. I really want to give it a chance, but I also want to try out the best meals available. Would you recommend just booking a night or 2 in a specialty restaurant or should we go for the 4 night package? If we just do one or two, which would you recommend? Also, should we book dining ahead of time or do you think we'll be okay booking day by day? Are reservations need for the MDR? We really embrace NCL's Freestyle and don't like to overplan.

 

Ok, that seems like a lot of questions for now. Thanks in advance!

[flames9]

We have only sailed once on Celebrity, and it was on Aqua class so we ate in BLU....love BLU..But that is not ur question,lol I know on our 2013 Med cruise on the Silhouette, at least twice (maybe 3 times) they offered 50% off in the specialty restaurants, as they were not busy! We ate in Quisine 1 night at 50% off....It was very neat, great presentation..bu tour selections were somewhat greasy! But many seem to like it....Lawn Gril is very popular as well

[DancerOT]

I would suggest requesting Select Dining as that will give you the same freedom with dining time as you have experienced on NCL. If there is a very specific time you want for the specialty restaurants than you can book them ahead of time. But, based on what you said, you are more "go with the flow" so you could probably wait until you are onboard and then make your selections. Enjoy!!

[scifimonkey]

If you are on a 7 day cruise then I would say that the MDR is good enough not to require a 4x package in specialities although Silhouette has some good speciality offers. If you are on a 14 day then I would say a 4 day package is a reasonable deal but you might be able to do even better by picking up discounts on board. Have not managed it myself but there are many reports on these boards of getting 50% discounts on both the lawn club grille and on Qsine. You are less likely to get big discounts on Murano which is probably the best traditional restaurant experience on board. Tuscan is also quite traditional and is also quite good but not really to the same standard as Murano IMHO.

Strangely( given that they are the ones which most often attract the discounts) I would recommend the Lawn club Grille and Qsine if you want something a little different and unique to Celebrity. The former has simple but high quality food in a very relaxed environment and the latter has a concept which I have not come across anywhere else and if you are up for a whole new way of presenting food is great fun but may not appeal if you are very traditional about what you want from a restaurant.

In the end it depends on your preferences for restaurant style, food tastes and what you are used to. You will not find the best quality restaurants on any large cruise ship but Silhouette offers pretty good ones and a nice range of quite different options. If I had to have 7 days in the Silhouette MDR however I could happily live with it.

Reservations are not essential but probably sensible if you want to be sure to avoid any kind of wait on select dining. We are generally a bit chaotic on vacation and tend not to decide until quite late in the day what time we are going to eat. Except on the first night we have seldom had much of a wait even if we did not make a reservation.

Have a great cruise iMHO you have picked Celebrity's best ship.

[phoenix_dream]

I am still in shock that you were able to book a 1A hump cabin only one month out - those are rare as diamonds and always go first - someone must have cancelled - lucky you:).

 

I do not recommend that you book a 4 dinner package on a 7 night cruise. The food in the MDR is generally quite good so there is really no need, especially if you are new to Celebrity and have not tried their menus. The specialty restaurants are very nice, but for the vast majority of cruisers the MDR is just fine. If there is a particular specialty restaurant that sounds wonderful to you, book that one. They definitely are great to experience. But most people would be of the opinion that you certainly don't need to do that to enjoy your dinner.

[Turtles06]

We've sailed five times on NCL and three on Celebrity; our most recent cruise was a 15-night TA on the Silhouette this fall. She is a stunningly beautiful ship and I think you will have a great time. Personally, I think you made the better choice in booking the 1A on the hump. You can't beat that location on an S-class ship.

 

Food is subjective, but we found the food on the Silhouette to be excellent. The buffet practically beats the MDRs on NCL. As for the MDR on the Silhouette, we had Select Dining this time and it really worked well for us. (We love NCL freestyle.). We never made any reservations, we just showed up on the later side (around 8:10), and were either seated immediately or in just a few minutes. On the second night, we loved our servers so much we requested their section every night after that.

 

I agree with others that if you have a 7 night cruise, a 4-dinner specialty dining package would be overkill. I would strongly recommend two of the specialty restaurants on the Silhouette: the Tuscan Grill and the Lawn Club Grill. Our meal at Tuscan was just superb, the food and the service. The Lawn Club is a very casual place, also with terrific food and service. We found Murano on this ship to be disappointing. We also ate at Qsine, as we did on the two other Celebrity ships on which we've sailed. Some of the dishes were good, others not. We also decided that the "shtick" had grown old for us. You'd be new to it, so you would not have that to deal with.

 

The Porch is a nice place for lunch. We also enjoy the crepes at Bistro on Five (although we never made it there on the Silhouette, as the weather on our crossing was so wonderful. You can eat breakfast and dinner there as well.)

 

I hope that's helpful. Have a wonderful cruise!

[dznymom]

Thanks flames. We decided to just get a balcony so we would get the basic Celebrity experience. I was afraid if we started out in a suite or Aqua that we would get spoiled and might not experience the whole ship the same way. Blu sounds absolutely fabulous though, and we may end up there on a future voyage :)

 

Dancer, we were able to get Select Dining, and I think it will fit our style (or lack thereof :p) perfectly. Thanks!

 

Thanks you Scfimonkey for your well thought out & very helpful response. We are not particularly traditional in any way, which is one reason we haven't sailed Celebrity previously. We aren't good with a schedule (possibly because I worked shift work all my life & even in retirement haven't really adjusted to a routine) so I was very happy to learn that they have Select Dining. I am also insatiably curious about everything, so it is tough for me not to see, eat and do everything available, but I think a more conservative approach is wise this time :) We will take it as it comes, always keeping in mind your recommendations about the specialty restaurants. I am so happy to hear such glowing reviews of the Silhouette here, especially after reading many sour grapes reviews during her engine issues.

 

I am still in shock that you were able to book a 1A hump cabin only one month out - those are rare as diamonds and always go first - someone must have cancelled - lucky you:).

 

I do not recommend that you book a 4 dinner package on a 7 night cruise. The food in the MDR is generally quite good so there is really no need, especially if you are new to Celebrity and have not tried their menus. The specialty restaurants are very nice, but for the vast majority of cruisers the MDR is just fine. If there is a particular specialty restaurant that sounds wonderful to you, book that one. They definitely are great to experience. But most people would be of the opinion that you certainly don't need to do that to enjoy your dinner.

 

I was also surprised that there was a hump available. It is on Deck 6, though, which I know isn't optimum, but I am still very pleased. There were 2 available and they were side by side, so perhaps there was a cancellation.

 

I think you are right that 4 specialties would be over the top for us, so I will wait until we are onboard and expect that we will choose one or two.

 

We've sailed five times on NCL and three on Celebrity; our most recent cruise was a 15-night TA on the Silhouette this fall. She is a stunningly beautiful ship and I think you will have a great time. Personally, I think you made the better choice in booking the 1A on the hump. You can't beat that location on an S-class ship.

 

Food is subjective, but we found the food on the Silhouette to be excellent. The buffet practically beats the MDRs on NCL. As for the MDR on the Silhouette, we had Select Dining this time and it really worked well for us. (We love NCL freestyle.). We never made any reservations, we just showed up on the later side (around 8:10), and were either seated immediately or in just a few minutes. On the second night, we loved our servers so much we requested their section every night after that.

 

I agree with others that if you have a 7 night cruise, a 4-dinner specialty dining package would be overkill. I would strongly recommend two of the specialty restaurants on the Silhouette: the Tuscan Grill and the Lawn Club Grill. Our meal at Tuscan was just superb, the food and the service. The Lawn Club is a very casual place, also with terrific food and service. We found Murano on this ship to be disappointing. We also ate at Qsine, as we did on the two other Celebrity ships on which we've sailed. Some of the dishes were good, others not. We also decided that the "shtick" had grown old for us. You'd be new to it, so you would not have that to deal with.

 

The Porch is a nice place for lunch. We also enjoy the crepes at Bistro on Five (although we never made it there on the Silhouette, as the weather on our crossing was so wonderful. You can eat breakfast and dinner there as well.)

 

I hope that's helpful. Have a wonderful cruise!

 

Thanks for the fabulous suggestions! We are excited to be trying Celebrity, but it is a little strange leaving our comfort zone, especially since NCL fits us so well. I am especially looking forward to seeing the ship, as NCL's don't really have that WOW factor.

 

Since we don't mind a short wait, I think we will just wing dinner times and see how it works out for the first couple nights anyway. I am leaning towards trying the Tuscan Grill midweek, as that menu is most appealing to both of us. Then we will make a game time decision between the Lawn Club or QSine. Both sound interesting for completely different reasons.

 

Thanks also for the heads up about the Porch & the Bistro. We will definitely try them both. Time is going to fly with this being only 7 days, but based on prior experience we felt that 7 days was the right amount of time for a fair trial :)

[flames9]

I don't blame ya,lol Our first cruise on Celebrity was on Aqua, and we love BLU! The cabins are fine, really nothing that special...but we just like BLU--as they have many tables for 2...and we are not a super social couple,lol

 

Actually we had a terrible MDR experience on RCCL in Alaska. 1st night for supper we just ordered to our cabin...as we were just departing Vancouver and watched to chill on our balcony......So when we went to supper on night #2 and went to our assigned table, we got the rudest look from the others at the table as they had got our seats re-assigned to their friends.....so we got sent to another table for that meal......Supper #3 we went to the Maitre D and he had us re-assigned to another table....He took us there..again odd looks as these people had others re-assigned there,lol People were pretty rude about it..and we were just going where we were told,lol Just a very odd experience. But we did manage to get a permanent table for 2....and the people next to us, took us under their wing,lol We ordered and ate fast, so they would always asks us what was good or not....Got invited up to their huge suite....very nice people....What was funny, when we told them we were from DC, they seriously asked if we ever had supper with Nancy Pelosi and Donald Rumfield....as when they came to DC, they did! They were super nice people. Guess that is why we like BLU so much, no worries about that happening again, and we enjoyed the food.

Edited January 25, 2015 by flames9

[TeaBag]

dznymom, if you only have time for one Sp restaurant on Silhouette, make it the Lawn Club Grill. Many here think it is the best of the lot. I know you said you are on deck 6. We were in #7260 (1A) and this cabin is right outside the Hideaway, a delightful little quiet place to read and get coffee 24 hrs/day. If your cabin on deck 6 is near this, then you would only have to go up one flight to access it. Most people don't even know it exists. BTW, food in the MDR is great too. You have picked a great ship, enjoy your cruise.

[ghstudio]

It is very likely that when you get on-board, they will offer you 20% off a specialty restaurant if you dine there the first night. Since you are new to Celebrity, that will probably be a difficult decision....try the MDR or try one of the specialty restaurants. During the cruise, you may well see other offers made by specialty restaurant sales folks around the ship....and/or don't be bashful about asking, or rather suggesting, that you'd love to try one of the restaurants if they would give you 20% (pick your number up to 50%) off. You'd be surprised how many times they say OK.

 

Final restaurant advice for lunch on the day you embark...again probably a hard choice for you as a first time celebrity cruiser...the buffet area generally is mobbed with folks, all of whom still have their carry on bags because the cabins aren't available. Seats are hard if not impossible to find as folks sit, not eating, until the cabins are available. The alternative is to go to "bistro on 5" for lunch where they serve a variety of soups, crepes and salads for $7.50 a person....and there is generally lots of space for a very nice lunch. Highly recommended as the best way to start your cruise....

[cruzdout]

i'm not an experienced cruise person, having only gone on one before with RC 7-8 yrs ago..

Just booked with Celebrity yesterday to depart FL on 15 Mar on the Silhouette.

I should have a zillion questions, but am reading much on this forum and learning lots--and am very grateful for all the info.

One issue that I haven' found an answer to - is exactly what restos will I not have to pay an extra fee for?

Any snack bars ?

I have a voracious teenager who needs constant feeding, but don't have unlimited funds!! :)

Tks for info !! :)

[scifimonkey]

i'm not an experienced cruise person, having only gone on one before with RC 7-8 yrs ago..

Just booked with Celebrity yesterday to depart FL on 15 Mar on the Silhouette.

I should have a zillion questions, but am reading much on this forum and learning lots--and am very grateful for all the info.

One issue that I haven' found an answer to - is exactly what restos will I not have to pay an extra fee for?

Any snack bars ?

I have a voracious teenager who needs constant feeding, but don't have unlimited funds!! :)

Tks for info !! :)

 

Don't worry they won't go hungry

MDR, mast grille and buffet are all included and some of the room service menu( but note I think there is a service charge on the latter even for those included options) buffet is open almost every waking hour.

[Turtles06]

i'm not an experienced cruise person, having only gone on one before with RC 7-8 yrs ago..

Just booked with Celebrity yesterday to depart FL on 15 Mar on the Silhouette.

I should have a zillion questions, but am reading much on this forum and learning lots--and am very grateful for all the info.

One issue that I haven' found an answer to - is exactly what restos will I not have to pay an extra fee for?

Any snack bars ?

I have a voracious teenager who needs constant feeding, but don't have unlimited funds!! :)

Tks for info !! :)

 

Don't worry they won't go hungry

MDR, mast grille and buffet are all included and some of the room service menu( but note I think there is a service charge on the latter even for those included options) buffet is open almost every waking hour.

 

Cruzdout, welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

Besides the included food options noted above, there's also the Aqua Spa Cafe ("healthy" food), as well as the cookies, pastries and cakes at Cafe al Bacio. (The fancy coffees, etc. there are upcharge items, but the food is no charge.)

 

The buffet on the Silhouette is wonderful, with all sorts of options during the day.

 

Your teen will not go hungry, and you won't have to spend an extra penny.

 

Have a great cruise!

[cruzdout]

Tks for this ..

Since booking am now reading about all the extra charges...:(...

Am not stingy...but I have a limit...

 

Any thought about teen activities? and other stuff to do on-board ? I gather that the Wifi is not the best, and $$..and my teen has a big appetite for "screen based entertainment ".. sadly ..

[flames9]

Tks for this ..

Since booking am now reading about all the extra charges...:(...

Am not stingy...but I have a limit...

 

Any thought about teen activities? and other stuff to do on-board ? I gather that the Wifi is not the best, and $$..and my teen has a big appetite for "screen based entertainment ".. sadly ..

 

I love my Internet......1 can download movies onto a hardrive....But I try and stay away from the internet on the ship!!

[CathyCruises]

Tks for this ..

Since booking am now reading about all the extra charges...:(...

Am not stingy...but I have a limit...

 

Any thought about teen activities? and other stuff to do on-board ? I gather that the Wifi is not the best, and $$..and my teen has a big appetite for "screen based entertainment ".. sadly ..

 

Yup, Internet games will cost you a fortune!! I would nip that in the bud right now. It's not only expensive, it's very s-l-o-w.

[cruzdout]

Tks CathyC!

Are there decent movies on the TV or is this additional charge as well?

[cruzdout]

Tks CathyC!

Anyone?

Are there decent movies on the TV or is this additional charge as well?

Can the safe fit a laptop -17.5 x 12"?

[CathyCruises]

Tks CathyC!

Anyone?

Are there decent movies on the TV or is this additional charge as well?

Can the safe fit a laptop -17.5 x 12"?

 

There are lots of good on demand free movies, also ppv is available but we never use it. I think the laptop will fit in the safe, but honestly, we never give ours a thought. Leave iPad and iPhones and good cameras laying about, we leave cash for tips in the top drawer, just thrown in there, never ever had a problem. Now, we're talking about less than $50 worth, not big bucks, but still. . I am not a fancybjewelry person but I leave what I bring in the drawer too, also never a problem.

[TeaBag]

ppv is $12.

 

Your teen will love the burgers and fries at the Mast Grill. Ice cream, available at the buffet and made on the ship is wonderful and free They even provide M&M's to go with it. The Gelato by Cafe al Bacio is not.

 

Unless things have changed in the last few months, there is no charge for room service from the daily menu in the MDR but it is nice to give an extra tip for that since your room steward will probably provide the service.

 

Pizza is available in the buffet area till 1AM.