Silhouette Dec 13-24 Live Update

[Stealthdog]

Some quick thoughts on casino and entertainment staffs.

 

The Casino staff has been great.  The manager is always present and you can tell she is training her staff very well.  Millie on the table games is alot of fun - very loud and great energy.

 

Cruise Director Angela and her husband David have done a good job with the daily game shows.  Sometimes the activities are really corny, but the two of them are funny and keep the shows interesting.  The game shows are in the Sky Lounge nightly and we have gone the last two nights.  Id guess about 60-75 passengers attending them. 

 

Keep an eye on the bar staff in the Sky though - some definatelty need more training.  One poured two different wines into one glass - when the first bottle emptied, i watched him open up a different brand bottle and top off the glass with that.  We have also have received the wrong drink there a few times.

[Stealthdog]

Day 6 Daily

[Turtles06]

31 minutes ago, Stealthdog said:

We ate at Murano and here is their menu and some pics of the food there - warm goat cheese soufflé, pork belly, murano lobster, and rack of lamb .  Was not our favorite of the dinings we have had on the ship.  In our opinion they overcomplicated the lamb with too much seasonings and we prefer it very simple.  We definately should have gotten the chateaubriand, but this was the first time we have seen lobster so we went for it.  We are going back the last night, so will give it another try.

 

So sorry to hear this!   Our meal at Murano was the best dinner we've ever had on a cruise ship (and better than any other meal we've ever had at Murano).   When you go back, see if you can get Marcel as your server. (He flambéed our lobster and made the sauce to perfection.)  🙂 

[Turtles06]

32 minutes ago, Stealthdog said:

Gavin prepped the room while we were out last night.  This is his first sailing and he has been outstanding taking care of everything we need.  Never would have guessed this was his first sailing.  Will definatley mention his name to the officers.

 

In the very unlikely event you don't know this, it's also really important (as has been stressed to us many times) to mention his name on the post-cruise survey you'll receive by email (and of course the names of anyone else you want to praise).  And something new we learned on this last trip (from an announcement by CD Angela): because the surveys are now done on-line, they are not only shared with the powers that be on the ship, but good mentions of staff and crew are also shared with those individuals.  

 

Enjoy Aruba!

[Pinboy]

Your posts are superb --  professionally written, excellent photographs , really enjoyable to read.

If I can share a funny " experience " we had in Cartagena :

Talk about luck----There are 5026 Juan Valdez's selling coffee everywhere -- ( We met the " real one " -- so HE said ).

What a great guy -- said he remembered us from a previous visit ( although we were never there ) , but, I didn't say anything because he was giving us his best " deal " on a 5 lb bag of their " best " coffee. He even looked around to make sure no one else heard . 

Two minutes later, his "cousin " happened to be close by,  approached selling all kinds of good " stuff " -- like Ray-Ban sunglasses,  straw hats,  jewelry , and cigars.   

BUT, " you know who " was suspicious of paying $20 for 5 straw hats even though they had Cartagena on the front-- so we left. ( I could have bought a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses--- but, paying $30 was no " bargain " because they didn't come in a fancy case -- you know, the one you leave in a " junk " drawer ).

Questions :

How much higher was his " best " price than the xxx other Juan Valdez's ?

How long did it take " you know who " to get rid of the 5 lbs of coffee because of the smell in our cabin ??? 

Has anyone else been on a cruise where at every port they have " Special Today Only " sales ?

 

 

 

[ela123]

9 hours ago, Stealthdog said:

 

Sadly we didnt make it.  We just had too much going on.  I hope they will go again later in the cruise.

They did do a matinee too when we were on so you might still get to see them 

[Stealthdog]

Blu Dinner 6.  Ate mostly off menu.  Others in my group had the coconut soup and osso buco and enjoyed both.

[Stealthdog]

Did the Sunset Schooner Cruise excursion.  There were 3 different sunset cruise excursion options and they all seem to do the same thing - take you around the island to the resort area and then turn back to the ship.  Id recommend the Schooner over the others even though its a little more expensive.  You will be in a much larger ship with more space and can move around to different area.  The other two were much smaller and had the same number of guests on them.

 

We also had the pleasure to see a couple get engaged on our excursion - was a great place to propose - sunset on a wooden schooner off Aruba.

 

The sunset itself was blocked by clouds, but it was still a nice sail.  We did have the benefit of seeing a full moon over the aruba skyline.

 

Holland America is also in port with us.

[Stealthdog]

On 12/18/2021 at 1:38 PM, Pinboy said:

Questions :

How much higher was his " best " price than the xxx other Juan Valdez's 

Has anyone else been on a cruise where at every port they have " Special Today Only " sales ?

 

Everyday in Cozumel always seems like special today only sale.

 

The guy who gave us the coffee tasting told us not to buy coffee from any of the Juan Valdezs on the street - he said what they are selling is a lower quality of colombian coffee that doesnt get exported, and to only get coffee from a reputable store.

 

I could have walked away with matching hat, shirt, and sunglasses with a dozen cigars though.

[Pinboy]

14 minutes ago, Stealthdog said:

Everyday in Cozumel always seems like special today only sale.

 

The guy who gave us the coffee tasting told us not to buy coffee from any of the Juan Valdezs on the street - he said what they are selling is a lower quality of colombian coffee that doesnt get exported, and to only get coffee from a reputable store.

 

I could have walked away with matching hat, shirt, and sunglasses with a dozen cigars though.

"The guy who gave us the coffee tasting told us not to buy coffee from any of the Juan Valdezs "

WHAT ??  

LOL--- But, But , We met the " real " Juan Valdez --- He told us !! 

Didn't you notice where I said " he looked around so nobody would hear him giving us his "best" price?

Are you suggesting that Pinboy was dooped ----- again, on a cruise ? LOL

 

 

 

 

[Stealthdog]

Day 7 daily.  2nd day in Aruba.  Still no announcement update on passenger that was isolated with COVID.

[Stealthdog]

Day 7 Blu menu.  Ordered all off menu tonight - goat cheese, chicken soup, and veal.  The Veal was awesome, huge piece with bone.  Definately recommend the veal.

[Stealthdog]

Spent the day at De Palm Island.  This was actually our 2nd time doing this one.  They added 3 adult water slides and took away the zip line since the last time we were here.  Its a nice day trip - a little beach area, snorkle site, slides, kids play area, flamingos and turtles, and 2 lunch options.  The waters everywhere in Aruba were very choppy so the snorkling was more of a challenge, but they still have a ton of corals and varieties of fish to see.

 

There are always lots of options for aruba.  We took the city bus to the resorts one time, a taxi to Eagle Beach another.  If you are looking for something different, give De Palm a try if it looks interesting.  The time on the island is about 5 hours.

[Stealthdog]

Oh, and we finally got our aruba sunset - a day late and on the Celebrity cruise ship and not the schooner sunset cruise. 😀

[Stealthdog]

Day 8 Daily.

[Stealthdog]

Some highlights from Day 7 evening.

 

The good - in the Sky lounge they did be the Front Man for the Cardinals.  Singers from the Valentines and Company Men participated, as well as about a dozen guests.  It was alot of fun.  The entertainment crew ended the event by modifying the participation slightly - they allowed a blind guest to do a song with the Cardinals as the drummer.  The event was very well done and tasteful with the blind guest at the end.

 

The OK - went to the Broadway Cabaret in the Theater with 6 of the singers/dancers.  They all have great voices, but they chose too many obscure broadway musicals/songs.  Would have preferred to hear something less obscure like Hamilton, Wiked, Evan Hansen, or others that guests would have known.  They definately have the voices to do those.  

[peanut head]

15 minutes ago, Stealthdog said:

Day 8 Daily.

Looks like Bingo is back...

[Turtles06]

9 minutes ago, Stealthdog said:

The OK - went to the Broadway Cabaret in the Theater with 6 of the singers/dancers.  They all have great voices, but they chose too many obscure broadway musicals/songs.  Would have preferred to hear something less obscure like Hamilton, Wiked, Evan Hansen, or others that guests would have known.  They definately have the voices to do those.  

 

We had the same reaction when we saw this during the cruise before yours.  (Frankly, calling some of the chosen songs and shows "obscure" is being kind.  😉 I don't mind hearing new music, but it should be good stuff.)  A couple of years ago, on the Celebrity Summit, the production company's Broadway Cabaret was really terrific, which made the Silhouette's even more disappointing.  In fact, one of the performers on the Summit sang "The Room Where it Happens," the first time we'd ever heard anything from "Hamilton" on a cruise ship.  It was well staged and he did a great job with it. 

 

Thanks for continuing to take the time to share your cruise with us.  Enjoy the remaining days!

[Stealthdog]

On 12/14/2021 at 2:07 PM, Tipsy252 said:

Say Hi to Alexandra from Sian & Stan. We were lucky to have met her on Silhouette in July and Sept.

 

Alexandra was happy to hear and told me to pass on hi back.  She said she normally remebers the last names, but she knew of a Stan and Sian and likes hearing from past customers. 😀

[Stealthdog]

54 minutes ago, peanut head said:

Looks like Bingo is back...

 

They have had the one card bingo a few times.  We havent gone to one of them yet, so not sure how they are being run.

Edited December 20, 2021 by Stealthdog

[like2cruise]

On 12/18/2021 at 7:49 AM, Stealthdog said:

Some quick thoughts on casino and entertainment staffs.

 

The Casino staff has been great.  The manager is always present and you can tell she is training her staff very well.  Millie on the table games is alot of fun - very loud and great energy.

 

Cruise Director Angela and her husband David have done a good job with the daily game shows.  Sometimes the activities are really corny, but the two of them are funny and keep the shows interesting.  The game shows are in the Sky Lounge nightly and we have gone the last two nights.  Id guess about 60-75 passengers attending them. 

 

Keep an eye on the bar staff in the Sky though - some definatelty need more training.  One poured two different wines into one glass - when the first bottle emptied, i watched him open up a different brand bottle and top off the glass with that.  We have also have received the wrong drink there a few times.

Did you happen to notice if the Sky Lounge still offers the drink menu with names from the Astrological signs...I love the Taurus one and I am hopeful to have it again when we sail on the Silly.  This is how great the staff can be.  After ordering many of these and going on a different ship 2-3 years later a staff member recognized my husband and asked where I was by name.  We are still stunned.  He made me Taurus drinks at the Sunset Bar for that cruise even though not on the menu there.  

[Stealthdog]

8 hours ago, like2cruise said:

Did you happen to notice if the Sky Lounge still offers the drink menu with names from the Astrological signs...I love the Taurus one and I am hopeful to have it again when we sail on the Silly.  

 

They still have them.  I saw them the first night.  Ill see if i can post them here.

[kearney]

On 12/9/2021 at 4:08 PM, Turtles06 said:

 

Every day, we see numerous crew members in public venues serving food or drinks, talking to guests, walking through the stateroom passageways, etc., with their masks pulled below their noses or their chins.  I have spoken with someone about this. So far, the powers that be do not seem to care.

 

There are a handful of young children on board. I’ve never seen them masked. 
 

There is no social distancing in the MDR, the theatre, or the elevators, despite what it says on Celebrity’s website.  With only 1300 guests on board, there is no excuse for people to be crammed into the MDR — especially the two-tops that are not even an inch apart. 
 

I find this very disappointing. 
 

 

Boy, I guess I wasn't paying attention..all the crew I saw were masked up.. I did see a few times were one pulled the mask back because I could not understand what he was saying..but that wasn't common

[kearney]

On 12/15/2021 at 2:09 PM, Stealthdog said:

General observations so far.

 

Food has been great no issues with any of our meals.  Have not had dinner in MDR though, just Blu.  Still, very much the celebrity quality i remember.

 

The service has been hit or miss though.  It feels a little slower than we are used to.  Talking with another passenger in Persian Gardens, he noticed the same.  It may be a case that there are alot of new untrained crew and they are working on it.  But, if you are sailing soon, give yourself some extra time for breakfast before you need to get to an excursion time.

 

The entertainment still dies down quickly before midnight.  Last night the ship was almost 100% empty after midnight.  The quality of the performers vary as well.  The house band (The Cardinals) are fantastic - very talented lead singer.  They gave a performace last night in the center and people were able to watch down from multiple decks.  It almost felt like a concert.  The argentinian band C'est si bon was not as bon.  It was ok listening to at the bar, but they seemed to have several mistakes between the 4 members being on different keys or verses.

 

There is alot of DJ activity on the ship. He is entertaining, but I prefer live performances.

 

The Spa gardens is very good on the ship - all 3 rooms work well - the sauna, steam room, and aromatherapy.

 

The gym is fantastic.  Its probably the best cruise ship gym ive seen - tons of cardio machines, machine, and free weight options.

 

I dont think i am a huge fan of the lawn replacing the sports deck.  I like having the option of basketball courts.  They put a ping pong table inside in front of one of the elevators which seems weird - people getting off may unsuspectedly get hit with a ping pong ball.

I know that our cabin steward left on the 13th to head home... so I suspect they had a large turnover the day you sailed. I know that there were a number of crew quarantined on deck 6 while we were onboard.    I did notice service at bars and at the Ocean View was a bit slow at times. I assume at this will be the case as long as they are sailing less than half full.  So between new crew and likely lower crew levels... I think patience is going to be the watchword for a while.  Nice to see your photos.. reminds me of our trip. I swear the woman waving in Ft Lauderdale..was there the day we sailed... Now that is my idea of an ocean front home... I would love to be able to watch the ships coming and going...just don't run into my home..as almost happened with Equinox a few years ago..

[Stealthdog]

In Curacao we did Curacao Highlights & Mambo Beach.  When we got there, we realized it was the same excursion we did about 5 years ago.  We didnt mind because we really enjoyed Mambo Beach.

 

The first part is a normal bus tour that takes you up the big bridge to view the harbor and the guide points out various interesting buildings and areas.  We were brought to the Cholobo House for the history of Blue Curacao and tastings, then had about 2 hours at Mambo Beach. We were rushed through the blue curacao and plantation area.  Because we had done it before we really didnt care.  But, if this was our first time, we would have been really frustrated.  Other excursions did the Hato Caves then Mambo Beach.  We would recommend that variation over the one we did.

 

The Beach includes loungers and one welcome drink.  Its an enclosed area that keeps the water calm and the beach is all sand.  You can swim out to the rocks to sea the crabs and dive back into the ocean.  There are also several local shops at the beach area.  The location is really nice and away from the port.  A Sandals resort is opening near Mambo Beach.