Trip Report: 12-night Holiday Cruise in the Caribbean on the SILHOUETTE (2018)

[SleepingUgly]

1 hour ago, micheleata said:

Still loving your report and pictures!

 

 

Thanks for continuing to hang in there!

 

Linda

 

[SleepingUgly]

1 hour ago, Nclgetawaymenhoney said:

Great read, really enjoying your review.  

 

Thank you, and glad you are here and enjoying the review!

 

Linda

 

[jpodds]

3 minutes ago, SleepingUgly said:

 

Hi - I love that city.  I went to college in nearby Evanston and then lived in downtown Chicago (near the Water Tower) for a couple of years after that.  I have the best memories of being a single girl in the city - even during the brutal winters.  Which raises the question ... do I love and miss Chicago, or do I love and miss being single?  Hmmm ... 

 

Linda

 

A Northwestern grad? No wonder you are so articulate. Go Cats!

Edited January 13, 2019 by jpodds

[effinaround]

2 hours ago, SleepingUgly said:

 

Hi - I love that city.  I went to college in nearby Evanston and then lived in downtown Chicago (near the Water Tower) for a couple of years after that.  I have the best memories of being a single girl in the city - even during the brutal winters.  Which raises the question ... do I love and miss Chicago, or do I love and miss being single?  Hmmm ... 

 

Linda

 

Empty wine glass next to the keyboard I presume, Linda?

[SleepingUgly]

1 hour ago, effinaround said:

Empty wine glass next to the keyboard I presume, Linda?

 

Empty wine BOTTLE next to the keyboard! 🙂

 

Linda

 

[KateWes]

Helipad sail away looks awesome! We’re there a lot of people there? Worth going?

[rosewood jo]

What’s the process like at port Everglades to get onto silhouette? Is it face recognition?  Or old school many lanes to check in, get ur pic taken, then up the ramp u go?   I just went thru new edge embarkation and it was wonderful.   I am spoiled!

[SleepingUgly]

Day 4 – St. Croix (cont.)

 

Just a few more pictures taken from the helipad.  Dh was fascinated with the rainbows (yes, two of them!), I see ...

 

We left the helipad around 5.30 pm to return to the rooms to get ready for the second evening chic night.  As it was Christmas, there was to be a special holiday performance put on by the Silhouette performers that evening so, of course, the little one wanted to go.  We go ready and made it to the theater in time for the 7 pm show.

 

First, we tackled the ship’s photographers so we could get our cleaned-up selves preserved for posterity.  Don't even ask me what the heck was going on with the little one's facial expressions in these.

 

 

Check out this picture, also known as the Awkward 1980s Prom Pose.  Is it just me, or does dh look super drunk and that he’s giving me the Heimlich?  Or we’re demonstrating moves in some sort of self-defense class, all with big, stupid grins on our faces.  Seriously, those asinine poses they make you do sometime for these pictures.  

 

The show that evening was pretty entertaining.  Some of the performances were the very same ones from the Grand Foyer the previous night - including the always popular, "I want a hippopotamus for Hanukah" - but Sue and Kate also put on a bit of a skit and they were quite fun to watch.  Sue has an amazing singing voice and is really a lot of fun to watch; she definitely is a great asset for Celebrity and you would be very fortunate to have her being the Cruise Director on any of your trips.  The performance also included a lovely and moving tribute to members of the military, as well as a children’s choir, featuring kids who attended the Fun Factory on a regular basis and had time to rehearse.  Our little one, as you know, avoided the place like the plague, so she was not there performing for the masses.

 

After the show finished, we waited for most of the audience to clear out first so we didn’t have to fight to swim upstream with the rest of the salmons.  We noticed the captain sitting up front, as his son had been in the children’s choir.  The little one wanted to get a picture with him, and he was very gracious and obliged her request. 

 

We then made our way to dinner, where my oh-so-refined children made us all proud with their lovely table manners.  I don't remember what I had as a starter that evening, but I had the turkey for the entree.  It was just OK - edible and somewhat enjoyable, but nothing that made me cry.

 

 

Dinner that night was kind of a mess.  For some reason, service was extremely slow and really dragged.  We sat down around 8.30 pm and placed our orders just five minutes after that.  However, we didn’t get our appetizer until 9.10 pm, and our entrée didn’t arrive until it was almost 10 pm!  As such, we skipped dessert that night and went to the photo gallery to check out our pictures, and then went to the Sky Lounge for the oldest and youngest to dance for a bit.  We stayed for only 15 minutes or so and then went back to the room.  Tomorrow is St. Maarten, and we actually have a full day planned, so we needed our rest.  It had been a great Christmas Day!

 

[jbranch]

On 1/13/2019 at 10:45 AM, SleepingUgly said:

Welp, two weeks ago, we were in 80-some degree heat and sun and cruising the Caribbean Sea.  This morning, I woke up to this scene in our front and back yards ...

 

 

[effinaround]

Nah, he doesn't look drunk.  He's.....just at an....advanced stage of merriment shall we say.

I swear the photogs tell people to pose that way just for their own sense of humour! I think they shame you into buying them so you get them off the display rack and shorten the humiliation factor.

[jbranch]

We missed the big snow here in Philly area , we moved from Ashburn last year. Sailing Jan 20 on Silhouette.

Really enjoying your review.

[Sheal]

Wow!  I so wish I was there.  It looks so relaxing compared to my stressful holiday entertaining the family of 20 in my shoebox.  Maybe if I loved to cook and clean I would enjoy it more but I don't.

 

Christmas in St. Croix sounds awesome, even if the shops were closed.  No biggie there, besides cooking and cleaning I hate shopping.  Well, maybe for others.:)

 

 

 

 

[SleepingUgly]

9 hours ago, KateWes said:

Helipad sail away looks awesome! We’re there a lot of people there? Worth going?

 

I would say that it is worthwhile to go, especially if it's your first invite.  After that, if I were to be invited again, I may just do so if the scenery was worth it or we didn't have anything else (like a nap) planned.  We had an aft cabin anyway so we had pretty much the same view, but from the opposite end of the ship.  I can see how the view may be different from the side of the ship but, for us, it was fairly similar.  Still, a very interesting experience!  I would say there were maybe 100 or so folks there, so it wasn't too crowded but we were one of the last to arrive and couldn't find a spot right by the railing.  Only when clouds moved in and people thought it was going to pour so they started leaving, were we able to have more room to move about.  The rain held off as well, so that worked in our favor.  HTH!

 

Linda

 

[SleepingUgly]

2 hours ago, rosewood jo said:

What’s the process like at port Everglades to get onto silhouette? Is it face recognition?  Or old school many lanes to check in, get ur pic taken, then up the ramp u go?   I just went thru new edge embarkation and it was wonderful.   I am spoiled!

 

So we boarded in Terminal 29, not the new terminal (25).  It was ... security screening, then regular check-in (no health forms to fill out; they just asked if anyone has been or felt sick in the past seven days), got our pictures taken and got our Sea Passes, and then we were on our way.  So, old-school check-in, but Silhouette isn't on the Celebrity app yet so that may have something to do with it.  I'm guessing that after its dry dock (in early 2020, I believe), the check-in process may be updated as well.

 

Linda

 

[SleepingUgly]

17 minutes ago, effinaround said:

Nah, he doesn't look drunk.  He's.....just at an....advanced stage of merriment shall we say.

I swear the photogs tell people to pose that way just for their own sense of humour! I think they shame you into buying them so you get them off the display rack and shorten the humiliation factor.

 

I think you may be onto something there re: the photographers!  I mean, can you blame them? 🙂

 

Linda

 

[SleepingUgly]

16 minutes ago, jbranch said:

We missed the big snow here in Philly area , we moved from Ashburn last year. Sailing Jan 20 on Silhouette.

Really enjoying your review.

 

Lucky you!  It continued to snow most of the day yesterday so we ended up with around 10 inches of snow out here by Dulles Airport.  Schools closed today, of course, and there's another possibility of more snow this weekend.  Ugh, I need another vacation!

 

Linda

 

[SleepingUgly]

5 minutes ago, Sheal said:

Wow!  I so wish I was there.  It looks so relaxing compared to my stressful holiday entertaining the family of 20 in my shoebox.  Maybe if I loved to cook and clean I would enjoy it more but I don't.

 

Christmas in St. Croix sounds awesome, even if the shops were closed.  No biggie there, besides cooking and cleaning I hate shopping.  Well, maybe for others.:)

 

 

 

 

 

I definitely did not miss all the cleaning and cooking for Christmas this year, although we still had to take down our decorations when we returned because the little one really wanted to put some up before we left.  As you may have figured out by now, I pretty much do whatever she asks of me ...

 

Linda

 

[Steve H]

This is the most entertaining review I’ve ever read, you have a great writing style we are on the Silhouette on Mar. 3rd looking forward to reading more!

[SleepingUgly]

Day 5 – St. Maarten

 

Starting off with today's Celebrity Today again.  I also attached the one insert we received that day.  Interestingly enough, we didn't get that shopping map of St. Maarten, and I understand it's a duty-free mecca in the Caribbean.  Guess Diamonds International didn't need our business here.

 

Dh and I got up at 7 am, just in time to watch the Silhouette slowly start to back into port.  Now this was a sight to behold!  The P&O Britannia, MSC Seaside and the brand spankin' new Celebrity Edge were already docked.  Oh, along with my own personal yacht.  Why, Jeeves, you didn't have to follow us from port to port.  I'm trying to go incognito on this vacation so I can mingle with the masses.  Anyway, there would be a total of seven ships in port that day with us – SEVEN!  The Seaside was due to depart around 2 pm, three others around 5-6 pm, and the Edge, a Mirabella ship and the Silhouette were not due to leave until 11 pm.  A whole day in St. Maarten … woo-hoo!  And I had a full day planned for us too, so let’s get it started!

 

We had ordered room service for breakfast that morning, as we had an early start to our day.  We had placed our order and left it hanging on our front door the previous night.  I had asked for the food to be delivered between 8-8.30 am.  At 7.55 am, we got the call that the food was on its way.  Nice wake-up call feature, if you ask me.  A couple of minutes after that, we heard the knock on our door.  Our food had arrived!

 

We woke the girls up and, since the weather was so nice, decided to eat out on the balcony.  Our balcony had been extended by Joaquim that first day when he opened up the divider so we had a lot more space to work with.  We pushed the two round tables next to each other so we could eat together.  They had plated all food onto five plates, as we had indicated there would be five of us, but we had to pick what we each wanted and put onto our own plates.  They provided way too much food and drinks – plenty of coffee and juices and smoothies – which was good because we would need a big breakfast that day.  The food was still hot and very tasty, and eating outside in the Caribbean with a view of the St. Maarten port on Boxing Day, was an experience you simply could not top.

 

[SleepingUgly]

Day 5 – St. Maarten (cont.)

 

The plan for today was a full-day snorkeling and beach excursion with Billy Bones Boat Charters (http://www.boatchartersxm.com), from 9.30 am to around 4 pm.  This excursion company has gotten some amazing reviews on TripAdvisor so I emailed them and they were very responsive.  They offer both a half-day and full-day (with lunch) option.  I decided on the full-day option for us since we’d be in port until very late – 11 pm – so I figured we’d still have plenty of time to walk around and shop a bit in the evening.  Little did I know …

 

But I’m getting ahead of myself.  Back to Billy Bones.  The cost for a full-day excursion (http://www.boatchartersxm.com/Cruise-Ship-Passengers/Full-Day-Excursions/Full-Day-ECO-Snorkeling-Beach) was $119 per adult, and $99 for our youngest.  So it’s not cheap for a family of five, but the awesome reviews online had me thinking this would be worth the cost.  Spoiler Alert – It was!

 

I paid a $119 deposit via PayPal a few months prior to our trip and paid the rest in cash upon arrival.  If you want to pay the rest by credit card, you can but there will be an additional 5% fee for that convenience.

 

Here is the description of the excursion, from Billy Bones’ website:

 

The TOUR: First a little sightseeing cruise along the coast with a view of Saba and St. Barth then arrive to the Simpson Bay Lagoon the larges saltwater lagoon in the Caribbean which is also temporary home of the million dollar Mega Yachts. Going under three bridges we heading up to Tintamarre Island where we snorkeling with Turtles and enjoying what’s that gorgeous uninhabited island has to offer. 

Then we cruise over for our next stop to Pinel Island for more snorkeling or check out and feed the iguanas. 

After Pinel Island a nice cruise take us to Creole Rock for more Snorkeling. That amazing rock formation part of the French National Park, loaded with tropical fish and corals. Must see snorkeling destination on the Island, You have a feeling here like in an Aquarium. 

GRAND CASE for lunch just about 5 minutes from Creole Rock, the cuisine capital on the French side waiting for you with a very tasty French lunch which is included in the price. 

When we finish with our lunch Long Bay waiting for us for a real beach time. Here we will introduce you to our unique floating bar time or just relax on the white sand beach and work on your tan. 

Of course on a way back we stop at the Airport beach where you can experience how’s that when a plane landing above your head. We back at the Philipsburg at 3 45pm 

 

So, overall, they followed this schedule fairly closely, with a couple of exceptions.  We went to Creole Rock first for snorkeling, and then Tintamarre Island, then Pinel Island, then lunch at Grand Case, and then to Maho Beach to watch (from the boat) the planes land and take off, and then to Mullet Bay, where we didn’t really have much beach time – they just let us swim from the boat to the beach and then back to the boat again.  We didn’t return to the dock until maybe 4.20 pm so it was indeed the entire day and a lot of fun.  I would highly recommend this company for a snorkeling tour, even if the name sounds “sketchy as hell,” which is what my oldest daughter said when she first read the itinerary for this trip (which was in the airport, waiting for our flight to FLL … I told you my family is a bunch of lame, non-planners).  

 

[SleepingUgly]

32 minutes ago, Steve H said:

This is the most entertaining review I’ve ever read, you have a great writing style we are on the Silhouette on Mar. 3rd looking forward to reading more!

 

Wow, thanks for the nice compliment, Steve!  I'm glad you are reading and enjoying.  Hope you have a great time on the Silhouette in March!  She is a fantastic ship and I definitely look forward to sailing with her again very soon.

 

Linda

 

[Jase0581]

I am really enjoying your review and photos, thank you for taking the time.  It is getting me excited for my first X cruise on the Silhouette next month.

[SleepingUgly]

Day 5 – St. Maarten (cont.)

 

We left the ship around 8.45 am and exited into the Cavern of Cruise Ships, and also got our photos taken by the ship's photographers, with the Edge docked right next to us.

 

The directions from Billy Bones told us we had about a 15 to 20-minute easy walk to Bobby's Marina.  They had emailed us a map with very detailed instructions on how to get there.  As we did not know exactly where Bobby's Marina is, and as we weren’t sure if an “easy walk” referred to seasoned triathletes who ran marathons before breakfast five times a week, or to couch taters who considered it a workout if we had to push buttons to change the volume on our TV remote – and you guess which category we fall into – we decided to give ourselves some extra time to get there before the agreed-upon meeting time of 9.30 am.

 

We walked along the main road that took us from our pier area to Bobby's Marina.  It was an easy walk, with many taxi drivers and tour operators offering to drive us around for the day.  We politely said no to each, and they all pleasantly wished us a good visit and left us alone.

 

Thanks to the great instructions from Billy Bones, it was not tough to find the marina and the meeting spot.  We checked in around 9.15 am and paid the rest of the excursion’s cost.  We also at this time selected what we wanted to have for lunch, as they would call the restaurant ahead of time so the food would be ready and waiting for us when we arrived.  This turned out to be a Godsend as we were starvin’ Marvins by the time we stopped for lunch after 1 pm.

 

At promptly 9.30 am, we were directed to follow the first mate, AJ, to our boat.  She and the captain, Nico, were extremely friendly and helpful, and always made sure we had enough to drink while on the boat and were happy to answer any questions we had.  They were a great pair and really helped to make the day extra enjoyable for us.

 

We had around 12 passengers in our boat so it was quite full (capacity was 14 people, I believe) but there was still plenty of room to sit and move around.  We took off our shoes, which were placed in a basket, and got in the boat and were off!

 

[SleepingUgly]

2 hours ago, Jase0581 said:

I am really enjoying your review and photos, thank you for taking the time.  It is getting me excited for my first X cruise on the Silhouette next month.

 

Thank you for your kind words!  Really glad to you are enjoying the trip report.  Lucky you - you have a vacation to look forward to, instead of reminiscing about! 

[rosewood jo]

I'll be on the Silhouette in feb.  I'm sure the shows and night life are the same by chance did you keep your daily activity sheets?  I saw day five as that was the abba mania....love that...could you plz send shot of just the entertainment page for each day of your cruise?  we are 7 days but I but some of will be the same....we are going with a group therefore I will share will all of the,    this in advance;)