Celebrity Silhouette Feb. 8-12, 2024 - brief review

[DJLDRUMS]

We'll be on the Silhouette in early April. We're looking for those cruisers who ate specifically at the Tuscan Grille restaurant. I've read some positive reviews without them going into detail. Can anyone else elaborate on the food quality and types they serve that you'd recommend along with the price per person and if you've found it worthwhile. I'm reading that the MDR food is now blah-blah so a night or two at the Tuscan grille might be something to give a try to. Thanks in advance to those who reply.

[Harrisonkid]

Thanks for the Info. Very glad to hear you enjoyed My favorite ship. Sounds like too many people are starting to enjoy cruising and this must stop 🤣

[DJLDRUMS]

On 2/15/2024 at 7:32 PM, drpclarke said:

My first Celebrity cruise!

For reference, I've sailed several times on Carnival (never again), Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian. Went on my first Norwegian cruise back in June and loved it so much I booked several more.

 

...and then came this Celebrity cruise.

 

EMBARKATION - what? Ten minutes? If even? SPEEDIEST EMBARKATION EVER.

 

CABIN - a surprise upgrade was awesome to get. Balcony cabin, spacious and plenty of storage. My only gripe was the lack of outlets. 3 of them, all by the desk. My husband and I were continually fighting for outlet use. No outlet in bathroom, so had to dry my hair there by the desk.

 

OVERALL SPACE: I was told that this cruise was fully booked. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, but hey, I WAS NEVER IN A LINE and NEVER IN A CROWD. There is plenty of creative and cozy seating throughout the boat, and I could always find a seat on deck too.

 

BAR: The martini bar is pretty crowded and loud, it's right in the atrium. My room wasn't far, but I couldn't hear the noise. Martini flight was not included in drink package but got it anyway and it was yummy. Smaller martini glasses, but that was okay. Bar by the specialty restaurants was quiet and nice.

 

SPECIALTY RESTAURANTS: didn't hit any except for "Le Petit Chef" which was just precious, and the food was pretty good too!

MAIN DINING ROOM: my only complaint about this cruise. The food was uninspired, bland, and the menu just wasn't appetizing. Two salmon dishes on the menu? NO thank you. (however, I will say the escargot was teeny but good, and that is offered every night)

 

THE BUFFET FOOD: I make a practice of staying away from all buffets, but I broke that practice on this cruise. In the words of Stefan on SNL: "This place has everything": salad bar, mexican, indian, carvery, hummus bar, pasta bar..I don't even know what all they had and I appreciated the fact that things didn't stay the same throughout the cruise either. I thought the quality here was better than the MDR.

 

CASINO: Penny slots with the lowest bets at 50 cents. Some bad seating by the "Huff and Puff" machines...too many machines, not enough space.

 

ENTERTAINMENT: SIlent disco is a must. I did hear a bit of the "LIFE" Musical and my ears bled, so I ran off.

 

DEBARKATION? Ten minutes, tops!

 

SERVICE: SMILES EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

OVERALL? I absolutely loved it and cannot wait to go on another Celebrity cruise!!!!!!!! I hate that I'm late to the Celebrity life!

Was the musical "LIFE" the main show attraction in the theatre? (your description might keep us away from seeing that show) Do you remember the show times for that one and if they had other Headliner shows during your stay. One more question, assuming you did the 10 nighter which nights were the Formal Nights.

Edited February 25 by DJLDRUMS
Added another question.

[Markanddonna]

On 2/17/2024 at 12:41 PM, mahdnc said:

 

It's all relative and subjective!

I thought the food on the Constellation in May was great. The food in the Sillhouette's MDR in January 2024 was quite disappointing. The menu needs a redo and the head chef needs to go back to culinary school. 

Edited February 26 by Markanddonna

[Cruiscs]

12 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

I thought the food on the Constellation in May was great. The food in the Sillhouette's MDR in January 2024 was quite disappointing. The menu needs a redo and the head chef needs to go back to culinary school. 

Ouch. Will be on Silhouette for 11 days later this year. Is the buffet better or should I spend a fortune on speciality dining? 

[Markanddonna]

Some nice people we dined with also felt the way we did about the MDR. The menu was what I would call "uninspired," and the food was somewhat bland and often dry. I am usually happy just to not have to cook. We have been on quite a few lines, and I would describe their food as similar to MSC's. MSC, however, is half the price. 

[SHIP TRAVELER]

We were on this cruise and in Aqua and wanted to add some of our experience here.  I agree with the OP that this was a great cruise and we really enjoyed it.  We had foot stools on the balcony, two waters a day and excellent service in our cabin.  Blu was great service wise, we ordered off the BLU menu almost exclusively.  We had planned to a specialty but at $72 extra per person (with required tip) Murano just did not seem worth it when we were so well treated in BLU.  We had a window seat for two multiple times but we tend to arrive early and never had any wait to be seated.  BLU added a lot to the cruise experience.  We booked this cruise a long way in advance and got a good price for Aqua, we did not go near the SPA or fitness classes so it was all about the BLU dining for us.  We liked the Casino but do not play slots.  There was a good 2 for 3 BJ games for $15 bets which is a far better game than on the Las Vegas strip and the NON SMOKING casino is wonderful.  We though the entertainment was so so, not bad, not outstanding.  Unique 3 Ladies trio was the most entertaining in our opinion.  Our shore excursion through the ship was very disappointing, I don't know why we keep trying their over priced crowded bus trips.

Other than that and having to hustle a little for seats in buffet during peak times we have no complaints.  The Pool area was crowded outside but we usually got seats in the Adult Solarium with out a problem.  Very few kids and not a lot of sick people in our opinion.  We came home healthy and now of the wagon to recover from the premium drink package.

[Lastdance]

23 minutes ago, SHIP TRAVELER said:

Our shore excursion through the ship was very disappointing, I don't know why we keep trying their over priced crowded bus trips.

Booking your own private tours, along with others on the roll call can be so much fun.  You really get to know people and have a great time at a better price point.  I cannot and will not ride on a big bus.  Also, your on time back to the ship is guaranteed with the right companies.  I say to go private or go home, but understand that some do not feel comfortable doing the research and booking, but it is an excellent way to learn about the various activities/excursions available.  Furthermore, so much more comfortable and you see more too.  

 

One of my most favorite cruises was in the Adriatic on Silly; I met so many wonderful people/friends on that cruise; would do it again in a heartbeat!

Edited February 26 by Lastdance

[DJLDRUMS]

8 hours ago, Cruiscs said:

Ouch. Will be on Silhouette for 11 days later this year. Is the buffet better or should I spend a fortune on speciality dining? 

On a 10 night I assume the first formal night is the second night? And how about the second formal night?

[sofietucker]

On 2/15/2024 at 8:47 PM, Luvcrusn said:

Just a FYI. There is an outlet in the bathroom above the sink near the ceiling. It is a low voltage only though it's good for an electric shaver or to charge an electric toothbrush.

Lol, came here to say this

[sofietucker]

9 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

I thought the food on the Constellation in May was great. The food in the Sillhouette's MDR in January 2024 was quite disappointing. The menu needs a redo and the head chef needs to go back to culinary school. 

Great to hear! We ate *everywhere* except the MDR on the Silly in January (in Aqua, so Blu plus buffet, etc, & specialty) and couldn't say. On the Connie in a couple of weeks and it will be all MDR, all the way, due to our travel companions preferences.

[Cruiscs]

6 hours ago, DJLDRUMS said:

On a 10 night I assume the first formal night is the second night? And how about the second formal night?

?

[gold1953]

19 hours ago, SHIP TRAVELER said:

We were on this cruise and in Aqua and wanted to add some of our experience here.  I agree with the OP that this was a great cruise and we really enjoyed it.  We had foot stools on the balcony, two waters a day and excellent service in our cabin.  Blu was great service wise, we ordered off the BLU menu almost exclusively.  We had planned to a specialty but at $72 extra per person (with required tip) Murano just did not seem worth it when we were so well treated in BLU.  We had a window seat for two multiple times but we tend to arrive early and never had any wait to be seated.  BLU added a lot to the cruise experience.  We booked this cruise a long way in advance and got a good price for Aqua, we did not go near the SPA or fitness classes so it was all about the BLU dining for us.  We liked the Casino but do not play slots.  There was a good 2 for 3 BJ games for $15 bets which is a far better game than on the Las Vegas strip and the NON SMOKING casino is wonderful.  We though the entertainment was so so, not bad, not outstanding.  Unique 3 Ladies trio was the most entertaining in our opinion.  Our shore excursion through the ship was very disappointing, I don't know why we keep trying their over priced crowded bus trips.

Other than that and having to hustle a little for seats in buffet during peak times we have no complaints.  The Pool area was crowded outside but we usually got seats in the Adult Solarium with out a problem.  Very few kids and not a lot of sick people in our opinion.  We came home healthy and now of the wagon to recover from the premium drink package.

I Blu , did you order from the MDR menu? I love the Blu menus but hubby would like a couple of basic meals after checking the offerings

[Orator]

16 hours ago, DJLDRUMS said:

On a 10 night I assume the first formal night is the second night? And how about the second formal night?

They no longer have "formal" nights. Replaced by "Smart Chic" which is far less formal. There are many threads about this.

Edited February 27 by Orator

[Luvcrusn]

47 minutes ago, Orator said:

They no longer have "formal" nights. Replaced by "Smart Chic" which is far less formal. There are many threads about this.

I think it's Smart Casual and Evening Chic, but whatever the name you're right it's far from formal and now pretty much all the same.

[Orator]

1 minute ago, Luvcrusn said:

I think it's Smart Casual and Evening Chic, but whatever the name you're right it's far from formal and now pretty much all the same.

It is "evening chic". Good catch!

[mjeffv]

 

1 hour ago, Luvcrusn said:

...it's far from formal and now pretty much all the same.

We still wear a tux and formal dress on chic night.  It make us feel good and besides, when else are we going to use these clothes.  Its also nice to get our picture taken all fancy.

[Cruiscs]

Will be on Silhouette for 11 days later this year. Is the buffet better or should I spend a fortune on speciality dining? 

[SHIP TRAVELER]

On 2/27/2024 at 5:51 AM, gold1953 said:

I Blu , did you order from the MDR menu? I love the Blu menus but hubby would like a couple of basic meals after checking the offerings

Yes we did order a couple of times from the MDR menu.  I ordered Chiquita Chicken which is one of my MDR faves and it was OK.  DH ordered a fish dish one day and was not happy with it.  We saw that others ordered from MDR more often but we dine more often in the MDR than in Blu so we wanted to try more of their choices this time.  Oddly, one of the Blu dishes I liked was called lamb chop salad. I had no idea what to expect.  Turns out it was three small lamb chops cooked to order on a bed of greens.  It tasted great.  Our service in Blu was great.  They seemed very willing to accommodate requests.  A lady dining next to us had her own special request off menu salad every night as a starter.  We saw lots of double shrimp cocktails being served.  I think your husband will have no problems.

[gold1953]

13 hours ago, SHIP TRAVELER said:

Yes we did order a couple of times from the MDR menu.  I ordered Chiquita Chicken which is one of my MDR faves and it was OK.  DH ordered a fish dish one day and was not happy with it.  We saw that others ordered from MDR more often but we dine more often in the MDR than in Blu so we wanted to try more of their choices this time.  Oddly, one of the Blu dishes I liked was called lamb chop salad. I had no idea what to expect.  Turns out it was three small lamb chops cooked to order on a bed of greens.  It tasted great.  Our service in Blu was great.  They seemed very willing to accommodate requests.  A lady dining next to us had her own special request off menu salad every night as a starter.  We saw lots of double shrimp cocktails being served.  I think your husband will have no problems.

I have my eye on that lamb chop salad!  . We were in Blu in January and hubby ordered the shrimp often and also a baked potato but never a meal. I see with the menu changes that he may do that a few times on our upcoming 13 night. We will still dine in Blu nightly. MDR is too noisy for hubby's hearing aides

[GatorMomInNC]

On 2/15/2024 at 7:32 PM, drpclarke said:

My first Celebrity cruise!

For reference, I've sailed several times on Carnival (never again), Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian. Went on my first Norwegian cruise back in June and loved it so much I booked several more.

 

...and then came this Celebrity cruise.

 

EMBARKATION - what? Ten minutes? If even? SPEEDIEST EMBARKATION EVER.

 

CABIN - a surprise upgrade was awesome to get. Balcony cabin, spacious and plenty of storage. My only gripe was the lack of outlets. 3 of them, all by the desk. My husband and I were continually fighting for outlet use. No outlet in bathroom, so had to dry my hair there by the desk.

 

OVERALL SPACE: I was told that this cruise was fully booked. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, but hey, I WAS NEVER IN A LINE and NEVER IN A CROWD. There is plenty of creative and cozy seating throughout the boat, and I could always find a seat on deck too.

 

BAR: The martini bar is pretty crowded and loud, it's right in the atrium. My room wasn't far, but I couldn't hear the noise. Martini flight was not included in drink package but got it anyway and it was yummy. Smaller martini glasses, but that was okay. Bar by the specialty restaurants was quiet and nice.

 

SPECIALTY RESTAURANTS: didn't hit any except for "Le Petit Chef" which was just precious, and the food was pretty good too!

MAIN DINING ROOM: my only complaint about this cruise. The food was uninspired, bland, and the menu just wasn't appetizing. Two salmon dishes on the menu? NO thank you. (however, I will say the escargot was teeny but good, and that is offered every night)

 

THE BUFFET FOOD: I make a practice of staying away from all buffets, but I broke that practice on this cruise. In the words of Stefan on SNL: "This place has everything": salad bar, mexican, indian, carvery, hummus bar, pasta bar..I don't even know what all they had and I appreciated the fact that things didn't stay the same throughout the cruise either. I thought the quality here was better than the MDR.

 

CASINO: Penny slots with the lowest bets at 50 cents. Some bad seating by the "Huff and Puff" machines...too many machines, not enough space.

 

ENTERTAINMENT: SIlent disco is a must. I did hear a bit of the "LIFE" Musical and my ears bled, so I ran off.

 

DEBARKATION? Ten minutes, tops!

 

SERVICE: SMILES EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

OVERALL? I absolutely loved it and cannot wait to go on another Celebrity cruise!!!!!!!! I hate that I'm late to the Celebrity life!

Hello -

 I pre-purchased the Martini Flight but I am not really sure how it works.   Can you just go and get it any time or is it a scheduled event?  It is on the flash sale and I am thinking of getting 2 since I am on a 13 night cruise. 

 

[jadragnfly]

On 2/17/2024 at 11:00 AM, Cruiscs said:

Why? 

Saves money. Otoh it was very good food on 2nd dressy night like old celebrity menu. All the good stuff in one nite. Smart way to save$$$ for food budget