Silhouette ABC Island Live Review 11/22-12/1... A Royal Suite Experience

[Reel Love]

Happy Anniversary!  😊

Thoroughly enjoying your review.  Will be interested in hearing about any shore activities you will be doing as we will be sailing the Silhouette ABC itinerary in Feb 2020.  Always looking for good ideas of places that folks enjoy going to while in port.  
Great pic of you two, btw!  

Edited November 24, 2019 by Reel Love

[Georgia_Peaches]

Sea day number two...

 

My observations of the pool deck suggest a great deal of open seating in both shaded and sunny locations. It was hit and miss in the solarium however, so we felt lucky to score a couple open seats facing the pool. We relaxed for a while and then collected our things to head to the Porch for lunch. It was our first visit and I was looking forward to trying some of the items pictured by fellow CC members. We ordered the seafood tower and ceviche, a meat board and a salad. Everything was quite tasty and enjoyable. A word of caution for those who have other activities planned for after lunch, the Porch serves each item independent of the next which draws out the time needed to eat the meal. If on a schedule, I recommend asking for all items to be served together in order to save a little time. 

 

For anyone embarking on Silhouette on Dec 1 you’ll be happy to know that holiday decorations are going up all around the ship. 

 

More to follow...

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

29 minutes ago, Reel Love said:

Happy Anniversary!  😊

Thoroughly enjoying your review.  Will be interested in hearing about any shore activities you will be doing as we will be sailing the Silhouette ABC itinerary in Feb 2020.  Always looking for good ideas of places that folks enjoy going to while in port.  
Great pic btw!  

Thank you so much!  Tomorrow is Aruba and we are going to an all inclusive beach resort called Barcelo. Will definitely report out. 

[reallyhooked]

Booked on this ship for March 2020. Looking forward to reading your review.

[reallyhooked]

22 minutes ago, reallyhooked said:

Booked on this ship for March 2020. Looking forward to reading your review.

Happy Anniversary.

[NAYRB]

I hope you enjoy your anniversary cruise. I look forward to following along, we will board as you are getting off.  How do compare the haven to your suite experience?  We did the haven last year.  We have not done a suite on celebrity but always do aqua.  I really like the haven, but was surprised that kids were allowed where in aqua they are not (I think). 

[dani negreanu]

Happy anniversary. Enjoying your review, very well written.

DH lost his wedding ring while walking the Great Wall. We looked everywhere, retracing our steps, to no avail.

Back at the hotel in Beijing, the room attendant found it on the bathroom floor and laid it on a towel near the sink, to be sure we'll see it. What a relief, since it was a one of a kind design.

WAS... since then, he lost it again....

[Georgia_Peaches]

16 hours ago, NAYRB said:

I hope you enjoy your anniversary cruise. I look forward to following along, we will board as you are getting off.  How do compare the haven to your suite experience?  We did the haven last year.  We have not done a suite on celebrity but always do aqua.  I really like the haven, but was surprised that kids were allowed where in aqua they are not (I think). 

Thank you!  We had our first suite experience on Celebrity several years ago and of course, fell in love with the concept.  Hard to go back after you've been pampered by suite amenities.  We tried NCL a few years ago because the price was right and found that we really liked the Haven too!  In fact, we are on the Escape in February.  There's aspects of both suite products that we really like.  NCL has Celebrity beat in a few areas that pop to mind:  1. the comfort of the bed and 2. the thermal suite.  Yesterday as I sat in the steam room of Persian Gardens, I found myself longing for NCL's thermal suite.  It's a larger space with more to offer.  And after night three on our bed in the Royal Suite, I feel like I need the hot tub to soak out some of the kinks.  Hopefully for those embarking on Silhouette after the refurb. there will be new, more comfortable mattresses in place.  On the other hand, the Celebrity vibe is a little more subdued in the evening, which is a nice change of pace and I feel as though they really know how to cater to every guest, not just those in a suite.

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

Day 3, 8:30 AM, Aruba

 

We woke to beautiful blue water and a light breeze in sunny Aruba.  As I type this a large catamaran is making its way past our ship and toward the shore, no doubt to start its day of cruise ship excursions.  This morning's breakfast is coffee as we recover from the food coma of the last few meals.

 

After a leisurely day spent bumming our way around the ship, we headed to the gym for a workout and then Persian Gardens for a relaxing steam.  There is an herbal room that had a rather potent odor of eucalyptus on our first visit and I looked forward to breathing in the cleansing herbs once again but it seemed that the heating element was not working and so no eucalyptus.  Hopefully, today will be better.

 

As is our custom, BHE and I walked the dining circuit to look at the dinner menus so that we could make a final decision on where to eat.  We had reservations for Tuscan Grill as a back up and ultimately, that's where we ended up eating.  We both ordered the Bronzino, a mild white fish that was served with spinach and a choice of side.  I also had the roasted beet salad which for me, stole the show.  The fish was just OK and may have been better if our server had advised me to select a sauce but I wasn't aware of this until after placing the order.  We also shared a beef short rib pasta which was really good.  We were hesitant to eat at Tuscan because of our previous experience on Equinox but were pleasantly surprised by the attentive service and the rate at which our food arrived.  Good job Tuscan Grill!  We skipped dessert and made our way to the gellato stand on deck 5.  Unfortunately, there was a malfunction in the freezer element and the stand was closing for the day....our back up plan was Cafe al Bachio for a lemon tart and decaf.

 

Last evening's theater showcase was a 4 man group called December 1963 (or something like that) and was an act dedicated to the hits of Frankie Vallie.  The vocals were good and again, anyone who can belt out a tune and sound good while doing it gets points in my book...but I just wasn't that impressed with the show.  BHE agreed that the show was just ok, but perhaps a tough act to follow from the previous night's theater presentation.  

 

We ended the night with a cocktail on the balcony and look forward to doing it all again today.

 

Today's excursion is to Barcelo Resort, Aruba...more to follow.

[tcmagnum]

Your trip sounds perfect.  The food looks amazing.

Hoping your DHE gets his wedding ring back.

[Georgia_Peaches]

First Port Day:  Aruba

 

I don't think I fully appreciated how beautiful the island of Aruba is until we arrived yesterday morning.  The water is a perfect turquoise blue and so very clear.  We planned a day visit to Barcelo all inclusive resort which offered two different 8-hour passes.  We opted for a 9 AM to 6 PM day pass but could have selected the 1 to 8 PM evening pass.  Not really sure of what to do in Aruba, I did a little research on the Ports of Call page on Cruise Critic.  After some reading I discovered Caribbean Day Pass which sells passes to all inclusive locations at a discounted rate.  Barcelo had nice reviews so we picked up 2 passes for $75 pp.  The pass included access to the private beach, two bars, two dining options, water floats, and towels.  We took a 15 minute cab ride to the resort for $16.  Upon arrival, we checked in at the front desk, paid our balance due, and received wrist bands and a towel key.  I should mention that I paid a $35 reservation fee at time of booking and then paid the balance upon arrival.

 

First impressions of Barcelo did not disappoint.  The resort was very clean and felt safe...actually, the whole island felt safe.  There was no soliciting on the grounds which was nice and when one gentleman did make it to the beach area selling ATV rentals, he was promptly escorted off the property by security.  There is a large pool area which is the focal point of the grounds but the real show stopper was the beautiful beach and powder white sand.  We found a nicely shaded area and a few loungers and set up base for the day.  A drink boy made rounds periodically throughout the day taking orders and working for tips.  The food offering was typical OVC style and had pretty much anything you could want from burgers and hot dogs, pizza, salads & soups, and a variety of hot dishes as well.  We enjoyed lunch on the deck overlooking the ocean and were joined by lizards of various shapes and sizes...waiting hopefully for a fallen bit of lettuce.  

 

After lunch, we walked the beach and took time to swim in the ocean.  The water was as warm as the people we met throughout the day.  Most of the people at the resort were guests for the week and I think I only saw one other pink wristband like ours during our visit.  BHE and I agree that it was a nice way to spend the day.  The food was good and so was the overall vibe of the area.  My only negative, and for some it may be a big one, is that the drinks weren't very good.  In fact, not good at all.  They were served in 4 oz. (5 oz tops) plastic cups, not much bigger that a dixie cup that you might find in a dentist's office, and were made from mostly bottom shelf liquors.  In all, a great experience but should we find ourselves in Aruba again, we will likely explore a different option.

 

Here are some pics of the day...

 

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

Aruba Continued...

 

We packed up and left Barcelo around 4 pm and headed over to the shopping district of the port area.  On the hunt for something specific, we headed to a few jewelry stores.  No, not replacement wedding bands as we are still holding out hope that the elusive band will turn up by trip's end.  The shopping was good and included the typical port shops and souvenirs.  Once again, we were pleasantly pleased by the lack of vendor peddling trying to get tourists to enter the stores that we have encountered in some ports.  There was an easy feeling as we walked up and down the main drag and BHE has concluded that Aruba may be one of his favorite ports. 

 

Back on the ship we headed to Persian Gardens for a sit in the steam room followed by the herbal room, which seemed to be fixed and fully herbal.  We had the whole space to ourselves as I guess most were still in port. 

 

Dinner was in Murano again and was every bit as wonderful and the other night.  BHE ordered the veal tenderloin and I had the rack of lamb.  Food and service were excellent.  Although Luminae is the suite guest restaurant, we have yet to dine there with the exception of the embarkation day lunch.  Though we've not had this issue in the past, we are currently struggling to find something on the menu that appeals.  Will keep checking though.

 

The evening show was an illusionist and he was very good.  We enjoyed his sense of humor as well as his modern spin on age old "magic" classics.  There was also a glow party on the pool deck that was well attended and various other things going on about the ship.  We ended the night back on the balcony.  

 

 

[jary8]

On 11/24/2019 at 6:34 PM, Georgia_Peaches said:

Sea day number two...

 

My observations of the pool deck suggest a great deal of open seating in both shaded and sunny locations. It was hit and miss in the solarium however, so we felt lucky to score a couple open seats facing the pool. We relaxed for a while and then collected our things to head to the Porch for lunch. It was our first visit and I was looking forward to trying some of the items pictured by fellow CC members. We ordered the seafood tower and ceviche, a meat board and a salad. Everything was quite tasty and enjoyable. A word of caution for those who have other activities planned for after lunch, the Porch serves each item independent of the next which draws out the time needed to eat the meal. If on a schedule, I recommend asking for all items to be served together in order to save a little time. 

 

For anyone embarking on Silhouette on Dec 1 you’ll be happy to know that holiday decorations are going up all around the ship. 

 

More to follow...

 

 

Can you tell me how you access the Porch and if there is an additional charge and if so what it is. Thanks

[Georgia_Peaches]

32 minutes ago, jary8 said:

 

Can you tell me how you access the Porch and if there is an additional charge and if so what it is. Thanks

The Porch is located at the top of the stairs from the pool deck on the lawn club level. You can get either a water view, pool deck view, or grass view and some tables offer a panoramic view of all three areas.  It has a $25 pp cover charge for lunch and a $30 pp cover for dinner.  

[fstuff1]

1 hour ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

The Porch is located at the top of the stairs from the pool deck on the lawn club level. You can get either a water view, pool deck view, or grass view and some tables offer a panoramic view of all three areas.  It has a $25 pp cover charge for lunch and a $30 pp cover for dinner.  

 

for $30, everything in your pics is included?

what does the extra $5 get you for dinner?

 

edit:

i'm also on this cruise.

the menu in the main dining room so far is meh.

and the dinner food in the buffet was also meh for the 1st two days. the mexican fajita stuff was the best thing those 2 days. (i skipped lunch.)

3rd day i actually went to lunch at the buffet. the meatballs with white sauce were delicious!

but they werent served for dinner. 😞 but the food for dinner was better.

 

the Frankie Vallie show started off good then just went downhill 1/3 of the way through with the juvenile humor. 

the turning point was the part AFTER  bringing the old lady from the audience onto stage to serenade her. she was great and really getting into the act.

then it went into dumb humor. if they kept on doing the show after the serenade without the low brow humor, it would have been fantastic!

 

Edited November 26, 2019 by fstuff1

[Georgia_Peaches]

29 minutes ago, fstuff1 said:

 

for $30, everything in your pics is included?

what does the extra $5 get you for dinner?

 

edit:

i'm also on this cruise.

the menu in the main dining room so far is meh.

and the dinner food in the buffet was also meh for the 1st two days. the mexican fajita stuff was the best thing those 2 days. (i skipped lunch.)

3rd day i actually went to lunch at the buffet. the meatballs with white sauce were delicious!

but they werent served for dinner. 😞 but the food for dinner was better.

 

the Frankie Vallie show started off good then just went downhill 1/3 of the way through with the juvenile humor. 

the turning point was the part AFTER  bringing the old lady from the audience onto stage to serenade her. she was great and really getting into the act.

then it went into dumb humor. if they kept on doing the show after the serenade without the low brow humor, it would have been fantastic!

 

Everything pictured is available at the Porch. The extra 5 bucks for dinner gets you nothing additional. For some reason it just cost more for dinner. 

 

Completely agree with your take on the show. Were it not for the audience participation the show would have few redeeming qualities. 

 

Glad we aren't the only ones finding the dinner offerings unimpressive so far. We haven’t been to OVC yet. Not sure I would spend the money for the Porch. Maybe with a discount. 

[fstuff1]

1 hour ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Everything pictured is available at the Porch. The extra 5 bucks for dinner gets you nothing additional. For some reason it just cost more for dinner.

Glad we aren't the only ones finding the dinner offerings unimpressive so far. We haven’t been to OVC yet.

 

Not sure I would spend the money for the Porch. Maybe with a discount. 

 

Just went up to 15 to see the menu.

It's closed for lunch on port days apparently.

The menu said $20 cover charge.

And the seafood tower was for 2 people and was +$15 extra.

Is that $15/person or $15 per tower order?

Edited November 26, 2019 by fstuff1

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 hour ago, fstuff1 said:

 

Just went up to 15 to see the menu.

It's closed for lunch on port days apparently.

The menu said $20 cover charge.

And the seafood tower was for 2 people and was +$15 extra.

Is that $15/person or $15 per tower order?

Wow!!  I'm so sorry for the bad info.  Was going by what was published in a recent PDF of all the restaurants.  As we are in a Royal suite, all specialty dining is included so we weren't presented with a bill.  I'm surprised about the extra $15 though as I was under the impression that it was part of the specialty cost.  Thank you for clarifying.  

[fstuff1]

1 hour ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Wow!!  I'm so sorry for the bad info.  Was going by what was published in a recent PDF of all the restaurants.  As we are in a Royal suite, all specialty dining is included so we weren't presented with a bill.  I'm surprised about the extra $15 though as I was under the impression that it was part of the specialty cost.  Thank you for clarifying.  

 

here's the pic of the menu i took today.

the cover/surcharge pricing is at the bottom

 

is it all you can eat starters and Raw section?

 

Edited November 26, 2019 by fstuff1

[39august]

This shows a charge of $15 for the seafood tower for two. I just want it for me, not to share as husband doesn't care for seafood except shrimp cocktail. So, can you please inquire if the tower is included in the cover if just for one person? 

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 hour ago, fstuff1 said:

 

here's the pic of the menu i took today.

the cover/surcharge pricing is at the bottom

 

is it all you can eat starters and Raw section?

 

Just passed by the Porch on way to Sunset bar. A person behind the counter confirmed that one can order multiple apps/mains and only pay additional for the tower. When I asked BHE if he knew the tower was extra he looked at me like I’ve lost my mind stating,  “of course I knew. It said so right on the menu.”  Don’t know how I missed it 🙃. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

50 minutes ago, 39august said:

This shows a charge of $15 for the seafood tower for two. I just want it for me, not to share as husband doesn't care for seafood except shrimp cocktail. So, can you please inquire if the tower is included in the cover if just for one person? 

Was just told that seafood tower is $15 up charge  regardless of the number of people who actually eat from it. And they don’t make a scaled down version to serve just one. 

[hcat]

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Just catching up on this great review!

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Just catching up on this great review!

Thank you so much!  We are having a great time. Loving the Silhouette!

[39august]

Peaches-Thanks for the info. There was no extra charge on Silhoutte two years ago. May not bother with dinner next week.