Back from 1/10/16 Sillhouette

[smdubowsky]

My DW and I cruised with friends last week on the Silhouette to the Western Caribbean and we had a great time. This was our third cruise on Silhouette. We were in Aqua Class and dined in Blu except for one night in Tuscan.

 

I can tell you that the ship is in great shape. The crew and staff were extremely accommodating and the cuisine has never been better. We are a little finicky about our meals and my wife has some dietary issues (gluten). Not only did they pay close attention to our needs but the food was the best we have ever had on a Celebrity cruise and we have been on close to 20.

 

Celebrity has completely changed the entertainment since we have been on S Class ships. Now there are different entertainers just about every night in the main theatre. We did not go to all of them but enjoyed those we did attend. IMHO, the new acts were refreshing and we were getting tired of the ensemble entertainment we has seen year after year. (we even knew the choreography by heart.)

 

The ports were fine. We had been to most so we knew what to expect. Falmouth was a new port in Jamaica. It is completely new and looks like it was built by RCCL. The shopping area is built to look like a colonial port. Our friends decided to venture out past the port into the town but quickly felt uncomfortable and returned. There were street fights and people begging. Falmouth is one port where you definitely need to book an excursion but be careful with that also. On the day we were there, a passenger from the Independence of the Seas was killed in a bus accident.

 

In Labadee we went on a brand new excursion. It was called the New World Sailing Experience. It was a three hour sail on the 62 foot sailing yacht, "Balance'." We had a great time. The drinks were flowing. The scenery was beautiful and we anchored off a small island where many of us on the excursion (there were 20) jumped into the azure waters. I would definitely recommend this excursion but try to get a deal. It was originally $179.00 pp but they were offering a two for one special.

 

Finally, i want to give some tips to my fellow CC'ers. If you want to dine in the specialty restaurants, always ask if they are offering a discount. We dined in Tuscan for $30.00 instead of $45.00 on the 6th night of the cruise. If you have a beverage package, try to get them to explain the rules of your package. It can be very confusing especially since different restaurants and bars carry different brands. You can also upgrade your package and pay for only the days since the upgrade but it also must be at least three days before the end of the cruise. It can be very confusing. Another quirk of the Classic package; at the Pool Bar you can order an included Pina Colada but can't get a non alcoholic coconut water. Go figure?

 

Since we had a beverage package (it seemed like almost everyone did) the lack of bottled water in the rooms was not an issue, but I think it would have been smarter to put the bottled water in the Aqua class rooms anyway.

 

One word of caution about buying liquor on the ship. We had bought two bottles of Bailey's Chocolate Luxe liquor. I picked up the boxed bottles on the last day of the cruise. I did not open the box because the handle seemed a little fragile and thought I might tear it. When I opened the box back in Florida, they had given me the wrong Bailey's. I called Celebrity Captain's Club and they were very apologetic. In fact they sent me a refund. The irony is that the Bailey's I had bought is not available in the US. Oh, well. Wait til next year.

 

The only issue that really needs improvement was the Internet. As Elite Plus we had a total of 480 minutes. We used them up and hardly were able to get on. The wifi was the worst we had experienced in years of cruising. I suspect that they were selling or giving away too many internet packages. The 6th floor iLounge was a little better on their MacBooks with an ethernet connection. When I did complain about this they did give me an additional 60 minutes and told me that they were trying out a new system on the Reflection. I assume it's the system they are using now on some of the newer RCCL shps.

 

The bottom line: We had a terrific time and have already booked our next cruise on Celebrity.

[az_tchr]

Thanks for your report. Also glad you were able to log on the internet at all. The service is really awful and made worse by providing unlimited internet packages. When you divide very narrow bandwidth into about 3000 pieces it comes out in dribs and drabs. I know they are putting in new systems - no idea how complicated to install - so look forward to actually having internet, real internet; but in the meantime the internet packages have made things worse IMO.

[steve3857]

Was the labadee sailing trip one you booked on board or independently. Sounds like something for us Thanks

[portofrome]

Thanks for the review.

[luv2cruisemore]

We were on last week as well and we're still on (B2B). We were on the Silhouette 4 1/2 years ago in the Med and it's still just as beautiful.

 

For some reason, it seems easier to get on-line this week. It's still slower than at home and using our phones.

 

We had the same $30 deal at Tuscan last week. Also at Lawn Club. They seem almost desperate to get business, offering deals outside the Oceanview Cafe morning, noon and night.

 

We missed the production shows and again, they won't have them this week. So far the shows are a repeat of last week.....but with the same material.

[JMG]

We also were onboard for the 1/10 Silhouette cruise. Agree that the ship does not look like it is scheduled for drydock. It has been well maintained.

 

We dined at Blu, Murano, Tuscan Grill and MDR. I loved the lobster at Murano but the atmosphere left a lot to be desired. We were seated in an area that was directly behind the wall where the entertainers were performing in the Ensemble lounge. The music came through the wall and was not the kind of music that we wanted to hear during dinner. So, we cancelled our next reservation at Murano.

 

We had the Unlimited Internet and Internet has always been agonizingly slow on ships. We basically just used it to check emails and remove unwanted stuff to make it easier to handle when we returned home. We did find that early in the morning the internet behaved a bit better - some people still asleep or on shore excursions. We were on the Quantum that had a special satellite to improve internet speed. Yes, that was better.

 

We did the Luggage Valet and it was worth every penny of the $20pp fee. The program is limited to various airlines and we qualified. We put our luggage outside the stateroom on Sat night and did not see it again until we arrived at our destination airport. We got our boarding passes and airline luggage tags on Sat along with the Celebrity Luggage Valet tags.

 

It did take us an hour to get off the ship and through customs. That was the worst we have ever witnessed. It was nice not having to tow luggage with us through the line for customs. With boarding passes in hand, we headed for the airport. Lots of people waiting in line to check in for their flights....we walked past them right to TSA. Another line of people waiting to go through TSA clearance. The luggage valet program gave us a short cut to a shorter line....we zipped right through! Our luggage was on the carousel in Philly.

 

It was a great cruise and of course...we love Celebrity!

[JMG]

Was the labadee sailing trip one you booked on board or independently. Sounds like something for us Thanks

 

Everything on Labadee is booked through the cruiseline. It is a "private island" even though it is not an island. They have loads of beach chairs available to use - no fees. There are a few food stations, an arts and craft type marketplace, and of course...several bars. If you have the drink package...it works on Labadee.

[New Hampshire]

I have read so many negative reviews of Tuscan Grille on Silhouette recently. What was your experience? We are sailing next month and are trying to decide whether or not to reserve on Tuscan when we board.

[smdubowsky]

As others have mentioned, all the Labadee excursions are through the cruise line. We did get a two for one deal. I also forgot to mention that they now have Global Entry at the port in Ft. Lauderdale but you need to have the physical card in your possession . It saved us a lot of time.

[smdubowsky]

The only specialty dining we did was the Tuscan Grill and it was fine. My wife's side dish did come cold but when we mentioned it, they were very apologetic and replaced it immediately.we had a lot of obc and were prepared to go to the other restaurants. But Blu was so good that we just didn't feel the need.

[hcat]

Thanks for the upbeat, helpful review...we just booked Silhouette for Jan 2018. We like that ship ..looking forward to it.

[Algebralovr]

Thanks for the info about the New World Sailing Experience! I'll look for it in a month since it sounds interesting! Were the drinks included or was it a cash bar?

 

Falmouth gave us the same feeling Dec 27 cruise.

[luv2cruisemore]

We ate in Tuscan Grill last Saturday night and it was terrific. The food and service were both excellent. They couldn't do enough for us. We were able to go there for $30 each. We're going to Q-Sine tomorrow night for $25 each.

 

We have Global Entry, but I forgot my card in the cabin (we're on a B2B), thinking they would simply scan my passport, but they needed the card. My wife forgot to bring her card so I doubt if they'll let both of us through next Sunday when we return.

[JMG]

We enjoyed Tuscan Grill. We both got the Filet and it was so tender and tasty! Our waiter was very attentive.

 

We both had the premium bev package and at Tuscan, the waiter suggested wines that were within our package....at Murano...they gave us a premium wine that required an upcharge. We were not made aware of the upcharge until the bill came at the end of the meal.

 

The food at Murano was very good but it was this service that we received plus being seated in an area that was subjected to noise from the lounge band that caused us to cancel our later reservation at Murano.

 

We have been on close to 40 cruises and I have never had a bad lobster...until last Friday. We opted to go to the MDR and first bite of the lobster....mealy texture/bad taste. I informed the waiter and he apologized and returned a bit later with another plate and that lobster was firm and tasted great.

[RealDeal]

So, it sounds like the specialty restaurants haven't been super busy if they've been offering deals? Cruising in a couple of weeks and I KNOW things vary cruise to cruise, but I'm just trying to get a feel for how things have been going. We want to do a few nights in specialty restaurants, but I won't pay $90 x 3. Not going to happen...

[dcruisers]

We will be on the Silhouette Sunday ( our 2nd time ) and looking forward to it!

Leaving earlier than we originally planned to beat the snow storm!

 

Are the shows 7 and 9 every night? Or did they have a few nights where the show were 8 and 10:30.

 

Glad you had a great cruise! We are so looking forward to our cruise and R&R..

[scrabble6]

Thanks so much for posting this! We'll be on the Silhouette/Western Caribbean in 2.5 weeks and can't wait!

 

I gotta ask: do you have any Celebrity Today dailies that you can post?

[smdubowsky]

Ok, here are my answers to your questions.

 

On the New World Sail the drinks were included and they were pretty good. We did not go to all of the shows but I think they were all at 7 and 9 pm.

[JMG]

We will be on the Silhouette Sunday ( our 2nd time ) and looking forward to it!

Leaving earlier than we originally planned to beat the snow storm!

 

Are the shows 7 and 9 every night? Or did they have a few nights where the show were 8 and 10:30.

 

Glad you had a great cruise! We are so looking forward to our cruise and R&R..

 

We had:

Sunday 7pm/9pm Michael Wilson Comedy, Impressions and Music

 

Mon 7pm/9pm Soulmates - A Journey to Hitsville

10:45pm - Michael Wilson - late night comedy

 

Tues 7pm/9pm - Comedy Juggler Pete Matthews

10:30pm - Live Activity ROX Interactive Theme Party poolside

 

Wed 7pm/9pm - Broadway Vocalist Moya Angela

 

Thurs 7pm/9pm - Vocalist Jesse Hamilton Jr

10:45pm - 80's dance party

 

Fri 7pm/9pm - Beatles Tribute Hards Days Night

11pm - Interactive Theme Party

 

Sat 3pm - Vocalist Jess Hamilton Jr and Comedian Robbie Printz

7pm/9pm - Comedian Robbie Printz

10pm - Twist and Shout Hard Days Night Grand Foyer

Edited January 20, 2016 by JMG

[JMG]

Wow!!! Looks like we were lucky we docked at Labadee!!

 

JANUARY 19, 2016 7:10 PM (Miami Herald)

Royal Caribbean ship cancels Haiti visit amid protests

 

 

Royal Caribbean’s 3,634-passenger Freedom of the Seas canceled its scheduled visit Tuesday at the Haitian port of Labadee after the ship encountered a number of locals in small boats staging a protest, according to a company release.

 

“Although this protest was peaceful in nature, it was clear that if the protest continued, there would be a significant impact on our guests’ ability to enjoy Labadee,” the release stated. “We will continue to closely monitor the situation and are in close communication with local and government officials in Haiti. At this time, we have not made any decisions regarding future port calls to Labadee.”

 

Haitians have protested widely amid concern over the validity of fall 2015 presidential and legislative elections. Runoff elections are slated for Sunday.

 

The line’s next scheduled port call is Thursday, when the 3,276-passenger Navigator of the Seas is slated to visit the beach resort on Haiti’s northern coast.

 

Royal Caribbean leased the peninsula in 1986 and spent several million dollars there to develop a day port for cruise passengers with open-air dining areas, refreshments and marketplace selling locally made crafts. The company suspended visits in 1991 amid government instability and resumed in early 1995.

 

Jane Wooldridge

 

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article55509290.html#storylink=cpy