The food in the Main Dining Room was very good!! The food in the three speciality restaurants we ate in was exceptional (Tuscan Grill, Murano's, The Lawn Club)!! The Mast (hamburgers & hot dogs) was good, but how does a ship that carries a lot of Americans not have relish for the hot dogs? Unbelievable. The buffet we ate in for breakfast and lunch. If you like your scrambled eggs very, very watery, you will love them!! Otherwise, stand in the omelette line and order them fresh cooked. BTW, the omelette line was the only one that seemed organized: one person took orders, two cooked them so the wait was short. There were many items (bacon, French toast, etc.) that had empty trays; there was no food in them, OR they had only a few pieces of undercooked bacon or a pancake. I'm sure they eventually filled them up, but why did they get empty in the first place? One would think that if you have bread and rolls, you would have butter and jelly. On the Silhouette, one would be in wrong. Yes, they have them, but you have to walk all lover looking for them. We are used to Princess, where they bring you silverware, water, and coffee. Not so for the Silhouette; you have to get your own. They did have a cart every now and then for refills, but they were few and far between. Friday was a sea day, and we went to get lunch, but there were no plates, none, zero, zilch! I walked all over and every plate holder was empty!! They have a variety of bars on the ship, but I am at a loss as to why each bar does not have the same items. Asked for a Kendall Jackson Chardonnay; they didn't have at that bar, but they would go get one. Same with Hennessey and Courvoisier. Peanuts...some bars had them, others had to go get them for us. Speaking of the bars, they generally did not have enough servers or bartenders. Most of the time I would have to go to the bar as ask for a server; waits of 5-10 minutes after we ordered were also the norm. Ordered Room Service twice. The first time was fine, the second time we got small pots of coffee (asked for large), and three orange juice, which did not order. For me, the bed was like a rock...very hard and hard to sleep. My wife slept okay, but said it was also very hard. Have a sofa bed, not a sofa, so forget about curling up and reading as there are no arms, and the back is straight. Had 4 pieces of luggage. Eventually went to room and one bag was there. Around 5 or so, two others showed up. One never showed up. I went down and they told me I had a prohibited item in it (an extension cord, which they had taken out). So, if they took it out, why didn't they send the bag up? They have two shows, 7 & 9. We ate at 8 or so. No shows after 9, just karaoke and a few participant games. Read Less

A relaxing 9-night Southern Caribbean cruise! Our trip began in Tallahassee on November 29th as we drove to Dania Beach. We stayed at the Fairfield Inn in Dania Beach (a 10-minute drive to the port). We had an excellent fresh seafood dinner at the Rendezvous Bar and Grill about a mile from the hotel at 2525 Marina Bay Dr. in Ft. Lauderdale. Great happy hour and excellent nightly specials. Our hotel did offer extended parking for cruisers at a reasonable rate. However, for the convenience, we parked at the port - $15/day. Since the Celebrity Silhouette was docked at the newly renovated Pier 25, we chose to park in the mid-port garage after dropping off our luggage at the pier. We arrived around 10:30 a.m. and check-in was very organized and a pleasant process. Overall, we were not impressed with the renovated terminal, as we expected more of a “wow” factor in design and decor; also, they needed more X-ray machines at security, the seating in the waiting area was uncomfortable, and the bathrooms were at the far end of the terminal. We boarded the ship a little after 11:00 am. Southern Caribbean Cruise The Silhouette is a beautiful ship and was clean and well maintained. The ship was also beautifully decorated for Christmas. We stayed in cabin 9294, a veranda room. The room was well maintained and outstanding cabin service was provided by our Cabin Attendant (Saby)! He was very friendly and was always asking if we needed anything. The food in the Main Dining Room was average at best, as the menus did not provide many desirable options for the main course or for dessert. Service was slow as our waiter was serving 20 people at 4 tables and our table was far from the kitchen. The Asst. Waiter hardly ever came to our table. Several nights it took over 40 minutes for the first course to arrive after the waiter took our order. If you wanted refills on water or iced tea, you had to ask. Service from the wine sommelier was excellent. Due to the service, on several nights, we elected to have dessert after dinner in the Oceanview Cafe or the Cafe on Deck 5. The highlight of our dining experience in the main dining room was the great conversations with our table mates, a couple from Minneapolis. Also, one night we decided to have dinner in the Oceanview Cafe (buffet) and we really enjoyed the Asian stir fry. Dellecia, the lady running the Asian stir fry station, is a wonderful cook and the stir fry was one of the best meals we had on the cruise. We usually had breakfast in the Oceanview Cafe and we really enjoyed the made-to-order omelettes, the fresh fruit (especially the sliced oranges), and the daily featured danish and breakfast bread station. The walnut, cinnamon breakfast bread was delicious!! We did choose to purchase the four-night speciality dinning plan for $149 per person. Two nights we had dinner at the Lawn Club Grill; as usual, it was outstanding and I highly recommend this restaurant. What could be better, great food, great service and a beautiful sunset to enjoy! We also had dinner one night in the Tuscan Grill. Service and the food did not disappoint! The pasta and the filet mignon were excellent, and the cannelloni soup was sensational. Our fourth dinner was at Qsine, which had been one of our favorites in the past. The format of Qsine has now changed to include a cool video projection of the Le Petit Chief at your table. Dinner consisted of two seating times and two set menus; however, you are able to choose options between the menus The food was excellent, but the dinning room was very noisy and because of the projection show between courses, it took 2.5 hours for dinner. We miss the old Qsine! The entertainment on the ship was average and we were disappointed that no holiday music or trivia activities were presented, as we have enjoyed on past December cruises. Our favorite shows were Modern Gentlemen and John Bressler, both excellent shows. The singers and dancers in the production shows were impressive and very talented. We did find the theme of the production shows (Cosmopolitan and Pearl) hard to follow and thought they did not seem to be a good match for the demographics of the audience. The aerial performers in the production shows were excellent. We found the best entertainment to be the House Band, Trust Me, Jack. This young English rock and roll band was very talented and was a crowd favorite. In my reviews, I always like to include tips and advice on how to make your next cruise more enjoyable. Below are a few thoughts: 1. Keep in mind that there are over 3500 guests on this cruise ship and everyone will not like everything that is being offered in the dinning room and on the theater stage. As you can see in my review above, we liked some things and others we did not care for, but I am sure other guests enjoyed the things we did not enjoy. My advice is to keep an open mind, be patient, and keep trying the many options provided during the cruise. 2. Make it a point to make new friends on the ship. I suggest that you talk to as many people as you can in the halls, in the elevators, at the bars, and at the pool. Even if you just ask them how their cruise is going, you will be surprised at how people like to talk and share their experiences. I find that a college t-shirt, or a destination t-shirt, or a unique hat always generates conversations as you relax and move around the ship. 3. Make an effort to talk to the ship’s crew. We have found that a few questions regarding how they are doing or where they are from always generates a smile and a brief conversation. This interaction with the crew usually results in great service. 4. We are avid college football fans and always take Florida Gator magnets to put on our cabin door during the cruise. Many times we get notes from other Gator and SEC fans or non-Gator fans turn the magnets upside down or rearrange the magnets. On this cruise, our neighbors said they always looked for the magnets to know they were close to their room! 5. When going ashore, be sure to carry a copy of the ship’s daily bulletin as it normally includes the Cruise Lines Port Agent telephone numbers and information on the local U.S. Embassy. These numbers are very helpful in case of an emergency while on shore. When traveling, it is also a good idea to have a photograph or paper copy of your passports and identification documents. Also, when traveling, my wife and I carry different credit cards in case you lose your wallet or purse, this way you always have an active credit card after canceling the one that was lost. 6. As a precautionary measure, we always take disinfectant wipes ($1 at the Dollar Tree) and wipe down our room (door handles, shower, table tops, remote, etc.) when we arrive on the ship. I‘m sure the room attendant does a good job cleaning the room, but we always take this extra step (10 minutes) to make our room as safe as possible to prevent illness. 7. A few items we bring to make our room more functional: large magnetic wall clips ($1 at the Dollar Tree); a 3-in-1 electric plug to increase the number of electrical outlets for phones and I-pads; paper cups for drinking; a small clock for the bathroom so when you get up at night you know the time; and, a large mouth water bottle for ice and water. 8. We have noted recently that more and more islands in the Caribbean are now prohibiting guests from wearing camouflage clothing. Apparently, this clothing is reserved for the police and military. In many locations, they will not let you go ashore wearing camouflage clothing, My suggestion is just leave your camouflage hats and clothing at home. 9. On the last sea day, the Captain gave an excellent and well-attended presentation on navigation. It was very informative and provided numerous facts about the ship. Also, I discovered on the On-Demand channel on the television under the Free Programs a section of short videos on the construction and operation of the ship. If you have ever wondered how the Captain commands the ship when coming into port, there are two excellent videos showing the operation of the Bridge when arriving in St. Marten and Gibraltar. 10. The best way to avoid the wait for elevators before dinner: Either take the stairs or come down early for dinner and have a drink in the Martini Bar or have a coffee or soda in the Café Al Baccio. We also enjoy sitting in the chairs outside the Café when the ship is leaving port. 11. Many people, my wife included, also enjoy doing the daily crossword and sudoku puzzles available at the stand near the Guest Services Desk on Deck 3. Unfortunately, on this cruise, the daily one-page newspapers from around the world were not available. When I asked about the newspapers at the Guest Services Desk, I was told that I could get the news on the TV news channels. Sounds to me like Celebrity has discontinued one more thing that tended to set them above all the other cruise lines. We arrived back in Ft. Lauderdale at Pier 29. We used the Express Departure (carry your own luggage). Disembarkation began around 6:30 a.m. and we were at our car within 20 minutes. In the terminal, to take the escalator, you must have one hand free to use the handrail (to have a free hand - we each use a large suitcase and a backpack). Otherwise, you have to take the elevator, which may result in a delay due to lines forming for the elevator. We recently joined the Global Entry Travel Program and Port Everglades is a participating Point of Entry. We wanted to see the benefits of the program in clearing customs. In the Terminal there was a Global Entry sign near the line we were in, but after asking an attendant at the front of the line we were told the Global Entry line was at the far right. Since we were at the front of the regular customs line, we chose to go through customs using the standard process. By arriving at Pier 29, we had to take a shuttle to the Midpoint Garage. The shuttle was waiting outside the terminal and it took just a few minutes to get to the garage. Read Less

I chose this cruise because it is offered by Celebrity and the itinerary included places I wanted to visit -- the ABC islands of the Netherlands Antilles. I live in Florida and it was a fairly easy drive of 3-1/2 hours to get to the port. The only issues we had were on embarkation day. The boarding documents we had printed from the Celebrity website did not indicate that we were in Concierge Class and so we were directed to the wrong queue where we had to spend extra time snaking. Then the woman checking us in couldn't find our cards and had to print new ones, causing another delay. Once we had our cards and got to the entry, the computer showed that we had disembarked and were trying for reentry, so we were sent to another queue. Then when the cabins were ready, our cards did not open the door and we had to go get in line for new cards. As Concierge Class we were supposed to get our pillow choice. We kept getting the pillows we didn't want and had to repeat our request for our pillow choice. Our cabin attendant told us she could not remove the pillows we did not want, so they were always in the way. On disembark day, we went out for breakfast and came back to our soaps and towels removed, which we still needed. Are we supposed to open new ones then? Other than those hiccups we had smooth sailing. The ship is beautiful. I love the orchids in the ladies rooms. I love using cloth towels rather than throw away paper towels. I love looking at the various artworks, especially on the stairway landings The Silhouette Theater is beautiful. Our dinner crew with Joseph was fantastic. The food in the main dining room as well as the buffet offerings was very good. We were seated (fixed time early) with some extremely nice people and enjoyed all our dinners with our new friends. Most of the serving crew went about their jobs happily and efficiently. We so much appreciate them. We enjoyed all of the shows we attended very much (we missed the juggler and the magician). I attended only one of the Enrichment Activities and was not keen to attend any more. I had loved those on my Alaska trip on the Solstice. I only went to the gym a couple of times to heft a weight. I thought our Cruise Director was fantastic. Sue Denning is a comedian in her own right and does a great job of introducing events and of rallying cruisers without being overbearing or obnoxious. I was impressed by her fantastic outfits that always included high heels, including when she led a one mile fast walk on the deck 14 track for the charity World Wildlife. We did not do any of the Celebrity Excursions. Our cabin was 1102 on Deck 10 Starboard. If you want to see the the ports, be on the port side. We never had any cabin issues. Read Less

Just returned from a 9 day on Celebrity Silhouette, sailed 11/30/18. Can't believe the decline in service and overall experience from Celebrity. This must have been a training session or else they pulled all competent bartenders and food service employees to the EDGE. Could not get a drink at pool deck at all, most bartenders clueless as to how to make a basic drink, no plates at Oceanview cafe as well as dismal service in this venue. My attempt to speak to "suits" got me nowhere. One of my favorite venues is Cafe Bacio, again almost always the order was wrong. If Celebrity is trying to push Edge at the expense of the other ships, they are making a big mistake, The bright spots on the trip were the entire staff of Blue, all were amazing, our cabin steward was great and we found a great bartender who was skilled and friendly! Our conversation with other guests told of nightmares in the main dining room, long waits and poor service. I became elite on this cruise but am seriously considering options after this cruise. Read Less

My wife and I have sailed 14 times previously with Holland America and enjoy their trips. However, as a result of a price my wife could not pass up we gave Celebrity a try. Our cruise was on the Silhouette (11/18/18 to 11/30/18) and the experience was outstanding. I read some negative reviews about our cabin 7183 which made me a little weary, however Celebrity corrected all of the faults mentioned in the reviews and the cabin was in excellent condition. The service and all the staff on the ship was excellent. We ask for a table of not more than six, but was seated at a table for ten, but due to the friendliness of our dinner friends and the excellent service of the wait staff (Jose and Valentino) the experience was great. The entertainment was great, lead by cruise director Sue, who was outstanding, During sea days we spent time at the pool. Always something to do,entertainment, dance exercises, dancing and games. All food revenues were excellent especially the breads freshly prepared daily. The on board and off load was well organized (better than Holland). We will sail definitely sail with Celebrity again and recommend the Silhouette. Read Less

We booked essentially the same cruise on Holland a year ago but changed as our agent found us a better deal with Celebrity. $ca 1000 savings for one more day On sea days not enough plates were around in the buffet. The buffet isn’t designed as well as Holland’s. Food is essentially good on both lines. Staff are nice and friendly. We missed the chamber music that Holland has. Computer lessons free on Holland cost $$ on Celebrity. The continuous hounding to go to speciality restaurants was NOT appreciated. We had enough hounding in port Trying to get served wine in the buffet was a trying experience. My sister has always been super impressed with Celebrity but she was never on Holland. I found Holland more professional but it was little things so when we take an ocean cruise, the price between the two will decide which line we will cruise on. Don’t buy any electronics in the Caribbean unless you know what the prices are at home. I checked and the Bulchand (whatever) place is a real rip-off. Hmmm perhaps a river cruise next? Read Less

Our family, including our adult children and their significant others, booked adjoining Sky Suites on deck twelve of the Celebrity Silhouette for the twelve- day cruise to the Southern Caribbean. The Sky Suites were a new experience. We embarked in Ft. Lauderdale’s Port Everglades terminal 26 and disembarked in Port Everglades at terminal 25. We parked in the mid-port garage. The terminals and garage were new experiences. We used a wheelchair for my wife who cannot walk or climb well. That was a new experience. Embarkation: We drove to Port Everglades, dropped our bags at terminal 26, and unloaded the wheelchair with my wife near the entrance of the terminal. We parked at the mid-port garage located across the street from the terminal. The large garage is used for several terminals on the East side of the port and conveniently located within walking distance for them. We were met at the security checkpoint by Celebrity terminal representatives who took control of the wheelchair, took us through check-in, wheeled my wife out a pier level door to the Silhouette’s deck two, and up the elevator to the deck 3 customer relations area where we met the rest of our family. The process only allows one person to accompany the wheelchair embarkation. Hint: Call Celebrity and let them know wheelchair assistance will be needed and if you will have your own wheelchair. Cabins: We had three adjoining Sky suites on deck twelve, a huge treat for all of us. The partitions between the three balconies were opened by the room steward so that we had one very large balcony and easy access to each of the cabins. The high deck also had an overhang from the Oceanview Café deck that offered nice shade for most of every day, a real plus in the Caribbean. There was some noise from the Oceanview Café, but not bothersome. We could also smell the food in the hallway. Hint: Ask the steward to open the balcony partitions which they can do on most cruise ships. The Sky suites come with several nice perks including access to the Luminae restaurant and Michael’s Club where the concierge is based. The concierge was helpful in making reservations, solving problems and guiding disembarkation. Dining: We had access to the Luminae restaurant, the restaurant designated for suite guests, and a real treat. We ate most breakfasts and dinners there with excellent service. It is easy to get to know most of the restaurant staff during the cruise. Hint: Let the waiter know if you want expediated service because they normally allow for leisurely dining. The food on Celebrity was excellent. We had filet mignon, lobster, roasted turbot and a Thanksgiving dinner in the evening. Belgium waffles, smoothies, pancakes, and eggs custom prepared for breakfast. Lunches in the Oceanview café were prepared with a different theme each day: Pub, panini, Indian, Mexican, Mediterranean, and taste of the USA. The Oceanview featured large selections of dessert trifles and cakes on different days, colorful and tasty. We booked both the Qsine- Le Petit Chef, and Sushi on Five specialty restaurants. Le Petit Chef included videos with the table and dinner plates as projection screens along with excellent prepared steak and lobster. Nice! Sushi on Five featured rolls and soups that we tried, Hint: The sushi on Five portions are generous. It is easy to order more than you can eat from the a la carte menu. Just ask how many rolls are included in each selection. The steaks in Qsine and the pork chops in the Luminae were highlights of our dining experiences. Ports: Wheelchair processes in the ports was a concern. It worked out well. Disembarkation in each port was from deck two, an easy trip from the ship to each pier. Ship staff were ready every time to assist both pushing the wheelchair off and on. The walk to port shopping was reasonable for most of the ports. Wheelchair friendly shore excursions were few but we did try the trolley tour in Dominica that worked. Port shopping in St. Kitts was the best of any port. There was significant hurricane damage in each port but a lot of work had been completed in the port areas which are the lifeblood of the locals. Ship and staff: The Silhouette is elegant with numerous well kept venues. Café al Bacio is a favorite for specialty coffees, gelato and pastry snacks. The casino has a large variety of games and slot machines but they use stools instead of chairs with backs for many slot machines. Back aches are a penalty. Hint: The casino features slot packages which provide bonus money when purchased. For example you can get $340 of slot play for $300. The catch is that the money must be played. The Celebrity staff, as always, were excellent. The waiters, room stewards, concierge, terminal employees, maintenance staff were representative of the excellence. Worth noting are the quality inspectors who constantly patrol the ship looking for things that need attention. Attention is immediate. Disembarkation: We disembarked at terminal 25, the Celebrity terminal that had a huge makeover for hosting the Celebrity Edge. The terminal was walking distance to the mid-port garage and had easy access for passenger pick-up. We were assisted from Michael’s lounge to the baggage claim area by a member of the ship’s staff. The terminal 25 exit ramp from the ship to the terminal is the back-and-forth type so it is not as steep as a direct ramp like the one in terminal 26. This makes it wheelchair friendly. Hint: Let someone know that you will need wheelchair assistance prior to disembarkation. A staff member will be available. Conclusion: There were plenty of other ship venues and features worthy of mention. The pool deck, Lawn Club Grill, bars and lounges, shops, and grand foyer are among those. You have to experience them. Our experiences with the Sky suites, the terminals and garage on the East side of Port Everglades, and the wheelchair friendly ship were all very nice. Read Less

Been on Celebrity 7 times before. This balcony cabin came up on sale about 60 days prior. We liked the 10-15 night cruises. Many islands have not recovered from their hurricanes however. Good weather. Very few children on board. We had great table-mates. Entertainment was fair to good. Aerialists, Juggler and Comedian were the best. Cast shows, not so much. They use original music - not popular tunes. Food was very good, but had been excellent in years past. Only two major complaints - they push alternate dining ($50-75 per person now) at every opportunity, even coming into the dining room interrupting your meal and conversation. Shopping talks are endless too. Also, our wine steward charged us twice for a bottle of wine that was 50% off on Thanksgiving Day. I had to complain to Guest Services to get it corrected. We stopped buying wine from him after that. Celebrity lost out because of a pushy sommelier. We are Elite Level Captain's Club. The Captain's Club hostess was cheerful. Sue Demming was a good Cruise Director. Wish Celebrity would do the Orinoco River Devil's Island again, like in the 90s. We search for good deals 60-75 days prior to sailing. No more "open bookings" to get OBC for Future Cruises. You need to have a specific ship, date and category to get OBC benefits. Still Celebrity is better than MSC, Carnival, NCL, Holland, Princess and Royal for us. Read Less

The best term to describe this cruise is "uneven." Some aspects of the cruise were quite good, and others unbelievably bad. The Good: 1. The Silhouette is spotlessly clean. I don't remember seeing any area of the ship that needed attention. 2. In my opinion, Murano is one of the best restaurants on any cruise ship. My brother and I had dinner there three times, and truly enjoyed each meal. 3. Ray Brown, Jr. and his trio were on-board. Music does not get any better than this. The Bad: 1. The prices for wine, beer, and liquor on-board are terribly inflated. Celebrity definitely takes advantage of being "the only show in town." I bought a three-bottle wine package for $129, and have to admit that I did enjoy the wines I chose. When I got home, I tracked down two of the wines I had, and found one for $10 and one for $11! Celebrity obviously wants their customers to buy drinks packages, but they really take advantage of those of us who might only want two or three drinks a day. 2. The food on-board was very uneven. I had breakfast in the main dining room, and the food rarely came out hot or as ordered. Items were typically overcooked or barely warm. To be honest, I got tired of sending things back. One day at lunch, I ordered a cheeseburger. It had obviously been cooked way ahead of being served. The bun was toasted, but cold. To be fair, dinner in the main dining room was a totally different experience. The food was generally very good, and our waiters were outstanding! 3. Many of the activities on-board definitely cheapened the feel of the ship, especially the "art" auctions. Also, selling overpriced watches for 30% off at 4 PM does not qualify as an activity, so don't list such things in the daily schedule. Read Less

We have always wanted to sail into New York passed the Statue of Liberty. It was a wonderful experience and were not disappointed! Leaving New York at night was spectacular. We haven't sailed with Celebrity for two years. We felt there had been a slight decline in the overall experience since our last trip. Our main gripe was all the "nickel and diming" we were constantly subjected to. The hard "up selling" for the speciality restaurants when entering the main dining areas being part of it. $45.00 for a bottle of very ordinary "House Wine" was excessive. Entertainment was very ordinary. The ship felt in need of a refurb with some of the soft furnishings looking decidely tired The staff on board were great, always ready with a smile and a greeting. Special mention to our cabin steward Sunny who made sure our cabin was always immaculate. Unfortuenatly the bar staff let down the rest of the staff. Overall a pleasant enough cruise not quite the quality we have become used to from Celebrity. Read Less