Celebrity Silhouette – My First Authentic Celebrity Cruises Experience

I say this is my first authentic experience because previously, I’d only visited Celebrity Silhouette and sailed a shakedown on Celebrity Beyond for 2-nights – so I hadn’t really had the full Celebrity Cruises first-hand experience.

Before I go any further, I’ll tell you that I loved it! So much so, I wish I could have stayed and went round again. There were some things that I think need to be looked at, but overall, it was brilliant – I am absolutely a Celebrity Cruises convert. If I were to book a holiday with a cruise line offering mostly larger ships Celebrity would now likely be my first choice.

OK, let me get down to some quick details before I break this into sections for you! I travelled down with Eavesway, which I always prefer to do when I can because it’s much easier and it’s a great service! Check-in was seamless, in fact I do believe I walked through the terminal door and was onboard within 6 minutes! It was THAT quick! My cabin was a balcony cabin on Deck 7. It was very comfortable, but a bit of a squeeze when it came to storage – especially for 2 women, as I was sharing with my friend.

I had the classic drinks package and it suited me fine. I don’t think I’d buy the premium as the classic had more than enough choice. I only wished the vitamin water was included on the classic package, but oddly, it wasn’t even though it was under $12.

Celebrity Silhouette – Fast Facts!

• Tonnage – 122,400
• Length – 1,047 feet
• Decks – 13
• Max Occupancy – 3,324
• Crew – 1,285
• Registry – Malta
• Maiden Voyage – July 2011
• Revolutionised – February 2020

Celebrity Silhouette – My Favourite Bits & The Ship!

I don’t even know where to start! Let me say that the crew onboard are FANTASTIC!!!! I really did notice how nice everyone was and for a ship of Silhouette’s size, it’s the first time I’ve ever come across the level of service onboard that I would only ever really find on a much smaller ship. That’s the only way I can describe it – a big ship with small ship dedicated service.

Celebrity Silhouette herself was immaculate and there were so many places to sit and just enjoy being in the onboard moment. My favourites were Café Al Bacio, Sunset Bar, Craft Central, The Hideaway and the Sky Lounge. As we had such good weather for this cruise, I spent most of my time at Sunset Bar enjoying the views and the company of my friend and fellow passengers. I did venture to and from Cafe Al Bacio frequently because aside from the coffee being VERY good, I also loved the little sweet treats that were free of charge. I could never say no to the little chocolate tartlets.

There many little things I picked up on that I think should be noted. On one occasion, the funnel was churning out soot across many of the aft decks. Now, this happens on many ships, but it’s quite often just shrugged off – not on Celebrity Silhouette! My friend and I were sitting outside at OceanView and had noticed the soot falling on the deck. It wasn’t too bad, but it was of concern to the crew so we were told we might prefer to sit somewhere else to avoid being covered. Within a few minutes of the deck being cleared of passengers the crew were removing all the cushions from the chairs (to be washed) and the deck was being hosed down. The same thing happened at SunSet Bar. Although it wasn’t quite as bad up there, the crew still went around replacing cushions to ensure the seats were clean for guest use. It doesn’t sound like much, but it was that kind of attention to detail that definitely didn’t go unnoticed with me.

Just like the service we received in Cafe Al Bacio and at the SunSet Bar. As we frequented both, we rarely had to ask for drinks – the crew knew our orders and would simply ask if we wanted our usual. We also got to a point where we made up our own drinks. So, for example, in the non-alcoholic cocktail list many of the drinks contained Red Bull and neither of us like it. We would ask for these drinks without and for one I would ask for the drink without Red Bull and the orange juice changed for peach juice. Technically, they were still within the drinks package – winning!

OceanView Café – Buffet Restaurant

The buffet was EXCEPTIONAL! Breakfast and lunch were literal feasts for all! The choice was insane, and the quality and flavour of the food was very good.  At breakfast, you will always find sausages, bacon, hash browns, international options, numerous egg options, waffles, pancakes, fresh fruit and so much more. Lunch was also a lavish affair and again, all stations would be open and offering a wide variety of options. You could always find pizza, pasta, minute steak, grilled chicken, chops, sausages and fajitas, alongside different Indian and Asian dishes and more! The salad bar was exceptional, and I fell in love with the various types of hummus. I genuinely can’t say enough good things about the buffet – the only thing I would say is that I wished there was slightly more choice at dinner time.

I would also recommend a visit to the Mast Grill on Deck 15. I had the turkey burger here and it was the nicest I’ve ever had. I sometimes find them to be a bit, well, mashed together, but this was very nice, juicy, and always cooked to order. Other options available included hot dogs, veggie burgers and various styles of cheeseburger, including the ‘Celebrity Burger’ of which I think contained a bit of everything, topping wise.

Celebrity Silhouette – Le Petit Chef

This hands down the best dining experience I’ve ever had whether at sea or on land. It had been something I desperately wanted to try since the concept was first introduced on Celebrity Cruises and I was NOT disappointed. I need to start by making it perfectly clear that the entire room dines at the same time! This is SO important because you are asked to arrive 15-minutes prior to your booking and several people didn’t do this, which then slowed the process down for the crew and everyone else already in the restaurant with orders placed. So, PLEASE, if you book – ARRIVE EARLY AS ASKED. Your table will only be held for 15-minutes and then the doors are closed, and you luck out. Basically.

So, back to the experience – it’s just WOW! The world-renown artists of Skullmapping have reached a true pinnacle of their custom 3D table animation art form. This dining experience is beautifully choreographed with an elegant menu created by Celebrity’s Michelin Star Chef. Le Petit Chef is simply one of the most unique dining events in the world.

Your entire table is a projector screen, and a story unfolds before your eyes of immense animation, humour, and the process of different aspects of culinary excellence. There are 2 stories and thus 2 menu options to choose from (on different days respectively). As the story unfolds on the table, your dedicated crew are in the background preparing your dishes so that as each section ends, your food is there on the table in front of you.

The entire experience was out of this world and the food was delicious! As noted, there were 2 menu options during this cruise, which I hadn’t realised.

Le Petit Chef is available on the following ships:  Celebrity Reflection, Celebrity Infinity, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Silhouette, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Millennium, Celebrity EDGE, Celebrity APEX, Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Summit and Celebrity BEYOND.

I’ve also uploaded a short video to my YouTube Channel that you can watch below. I didn’t want to spoil the experience for those of you that have yet to try it, but I did want to give you a live taste of what to expect and I’m sure you’ll agree it looks amazing! I can verify that it was just that! I think it’s one of those things that once you’ve done it, you probably wouldn’t do it again unless you went for a different story, but either way it really is a MUST!

Celebrity Silhouette – Onboard Entertainment

The onboard entertainment was massively varied and although I tend to skip the main evening shows in the theatre, I do enjoy dipping my toes in other things that are going on around the ship. There were some incredible musicians on this cruise and my hands down favourite were the Acoustic Duo: True Colours. They were excellent! I also really enjoyed listening to guitarist and vocalist ‘Camila’ at the SunSet Bar. I went along to the LGBTQ+ party in Quasar one evening and that started out OK but when a young man whom I believe was from the main show team arrived and started signing I was blown away! His voice! He’s the best male vocalist I’ve heard on a cruise ship, and he gathered the crowds – I just wish I could remember his name!

My favourite night was in Craft Social for the ‘Pub Lockin’. It was my friend that spotted this in the app, and we decided we’d go along for the laugh. It was hilarious, I loved every minute of it and Mike and Julie held the crowd perfectly! It was basically a sing-along of old-fashioned songs that were presented in a ‘Hymn Book’. The whole room got involved.

They’re hardcore about baggo onboard and although I never joined in, I did enjoy watching others play. It was good fun and I do believe several records were broken during my cruise. Things like this were ‘made’ by the crew, without their quick wit and humour it wouldn’t have been the same!

My only negative was that although we had amazing weather for most of the cruise, we didn’t have a single deck party and I really did miss that. That was one thing I checked the app for every day, and it never came to life. I think a few others were also disappointed by this – well, enough people passed comment on it.

The Celebrity Cruises App Experience

The Celebrity Cruises app for me was imperative to the cruise. Everything I needed to know was there in the palm of my hand and I could schedule my days and things of interest by simply clicking on what I liked the look or sound of – including events, activities and more.

I could also message fellow guests whom I’d become friends with to arrange meeting up, check specific locations of venues onboard, check my cabin account and, depending on stateroom category (mainly suites) you can even control aspects of your own cabin through the app – such as opening and closing the curtains!

I took a few screenshots so you could get an idea of how it works and what was happening onboard, see below.

Celebrity Silhouette – Our Ports Of Call

So, this was a Baltic sailing and I’d previously visited all the ports on other cruises. For me, this trip was more about the ship and onboard experience. We called at Copenhagen, Stockholm, Skagen, Oslo and Tallinn. One of the things I really did like about this cruise were the call times. We never docked anywhere before 11am (11:30 and 1pm) and had 2 overnights with each of the other destinations seeing us stay alongside until early evening, around 8pm. For me, this was perfect! I don’t always like the rush up on port days and this cruise allowed everyone to have a leisurely morning before going ashore. For those that wanted to really delve into each port, the longer call times allowed them to do this and even go further afield if they wanted to do so. Yes, this was a BIG plus for me! It meant you didn’t feel guilty staying up later than planned the evening before because you didn’t have to dash up at the crack of dawn the following morning.

I didn’t book any tours for this cruise, my friend and I just ventured ashore under our own steam. As I’d been to all the ports before, but she hadn’t, I suppose I acted as her tour guide and took her to see the interesting parts of each place. I had thought Skagen was a new port for me, but on arrival I realised that I had actually visited on a previous cruise.

Celebrity Silhouette – What Could Be Improved

The biggest let down for me was the main dining room. Honestly, I don’t know exactly what I was expecting but given everything else on the ship, I’d thought this experience would have been far better. I only visited once and that was enough. I can’t fault the service I received, but the food wasn’t great. There were a lot of other people commenting on the main dining room letting them down – portions were either huge or tiny, people were waiting upwards of one hour for main courses and so on. There were also big queues for those that didn’t make reservations in the app for anytime dining. Did it impact my overall experience? Honestly, I’d say no because it allowed me to explore the buffet which was, as I’ve said, EXCELLENT and the best I’ve seen at sea. That also allowed my friend and I more flexibility for going ashore.

That is quite literally it. I can NOT place fault on any other aspect of this sailing. Not a single thing. It was borderline perfection.

Celebrity Silhouette – Onboard Public Spaces, Dining Options, Speciality Options And More!

This is a rundown of all the public areas onboard and for speciality dining options, what the current extra charges are on a per person basis. I didn’t try the room service on this cruise so I can’t make comment on that but I did try it on Celebrity Beyond and the portions were pretty big – worth the additional charge, in my opinion, but I do wish room service was included.

Complimentary Dining Meals Cover

• Luminae. Eclectic cuisine, extraordinary service, exclusively for guests of The Retreat.
• Blu. Clean cuisine prepared with imagination, exclusively for AquaClass®
• Grand Cuvée (main restaurant). Centrepiece of our culinary experience
• Oceanview Café & Bar. All-day world of pasta, pizza, stir-fry, sushi, salad, desserts
• Spa Café. Eclectic blend of offerings both flavourful and good for you
• Mast Grill. Poolside spot for a juicy burger and refreshing beverage
• 24-hour room service – chargeable

Specialty Dining Meals

• The Lawn Club Grill. The joy of barbecuing outdoors—yes, that’s real grass – $25L, $45D
• Murano. Our contemporary take on classic French cuisine – $25L, $50D
• Le Petit ChefTM at Qsine®. Animated dinner theatre right on your plate D $55
• The Porch. A fresh seafood and raw bar inspired by the charm of the Hamptons $25L, $30.
• Sushi on Five. Locally sourced, authentically prepared Japanese specialties – à la carte
• Tuscan Grille. Steak house with contemporary Italian style and artisanal flair – $25L, $45D

Bars And Lounges

• Café al Bacio & Gelateria. Freshly baked snacks, dessert cocktails, rich coffees
• Craft Social Bar. Pub-style craft beers, cocktails, wines, and bar bites, with entertainment
• Ensemble Lounge. Live entertainment by world-class musicians in the ideal spot
• Martini Bar & Crush. Creative cocktails served with flair.
• Mast Bar. Poolside cocktails, frozen specialties, and non-alcoholic offerings
• Passport Bar. Great cocktails and people watching, right off the Grand Foyer
• Pool Bar. Sunny-side spot for refreshing beverages and snacks
• Quasar. Dance and club favourites in a chic nightclub for the late-night crowd
• The Retreat® Lounge. Private lounge and concierge exclusively for guests of The Retreat
• Sunset Bar. A casual atmosphere to hear live guitar as the sun sets in the ship’s wake.
• Sky Observation Lounge. Expansive sea views by day; live music and dancing at night
• World Class Bar. Fresh ingredients, fine spirits, and expert mixologists for fine drinking

Onboard Venues

• Celebrity Central. Intimate venue for game shows, lectures, films, and performances
• The Meeting Place. Dedicated meeting facilities with audio-visual equipment
• Connect: Breakout space for conferences, classes, meetings, banquets
• Engage: Larger breakout space for conferences, classes, meetings, banquets
• Pool Deck. Open-air environment for group events and fun-in-the-sun activities
• Solarium. Adults-only sanctuary with a pool, hot tub, protective glass roof
• Lawn Club. Real grass with cabanas and a video wall for alfresco movies and more
• The Theatre. Venue for large conferences and presentations and Broadway-calibre shows

More Venues

The Casino and Photo Gallery on 4. Onboard shops on 4 and 5. Art Gallery and Celebrity iLoungeSM on 5. The Hideaway. Library. Persian Garden, Fitness Centre, and The Spa. Jogging track. Lawn Club, Camp at Sea, and The Studio. The Retreat Sundeck

Would I Sail With Celebrity Cruises Again?

Would I book a holiday with Celebrity Cruises? It’s a resounding YES! I also enjoyed the mix of passengers. Although this was an ex-UK sailing, there were numerous nationalities onboard – predominantly UK guests closely followed by US and then others.

Shout out to some of my favourite people onboard! Apologies if I’ve missed you, but please know that you are valued, and I thank you! Lamin M, Prince, Jeffrey, Inna, Gloria, Joysun, Bob, Baba, Jorge, Shailesh, Bayu, I Wayan, Uriel, Obessie, Jenny, Kade, Domingo, Nyoman, Suresh, Sohum, Lidi, Leidjane, Alwin, Kade, Kadek, Suraj, Leony, Cosmin, Kimberly, Keanne, Kadek, Erick, Angelique, Uriel, Mike and the wonderful and always smiling Julie.

AD| I was a guest of Celebrity Cruises for this sailing. However, all opinions and comments are my own – I was not influenced by the cruise line in any way.