Went on Royal Caribbean last Allure of the seas, didn’t want to do the flying this choose to sail from Uk. Check in and boarding excellent very erfficient, boarded on time at 10.30, expected to wait for cabin entry, during which time had lunch in Main Dining Area what was offered was not brilliant, so concerned of standard of meals would be. Cabin was clean and well appointed, Although has cruise continued being aft deck 11 was quite a noisy experience. Ate in Tuscan, food service and ambiance lovely, lawn grill poor service and watch out for the starters of flat bread this is a huge pizza which caught out other customers, my wife ordered chicken tikka and lamb chop, huge portion of chicken and four chops, we are good eaters but this was to much left desserts left feeling overfaced food experience. Quinine virtual experience, excellent service but menu boring, food was good, but once you’ve been it’s , no good returning. Murano situated in the dark and dismal area of the ship, no ambiance service was good and food beautifully presented, but this restaurant lacks lustre. Ocean view buffet breakfast was a bun fight for tables and getting to servery, tried different times but always the same, Read Less

We have travelled with Celebrity for years now though this was the first time on this ship. Embarkation was perfect, very quick, no hassle. Disembarkation was the same, we chose to take our own luggage off the ship so were able to leave at 6:30am. It was very quiet, very few people doing the same so we just walked off with our luggage, got into our car which was parked across the street in the secure port parking area and away. Food quality in the main dining room and in the Sea View Cafe was fantastic. Service also in both was as usual, fantastic. Service in the bars was also first class. Staff were all very friendly in all roles, though Guest Relations were a little less so. We advised them that charges had been added to our account that we hadn't signed for and there was no apology, we were told that we must have had drinks that were more than our drinks package allowed! I did remark that surely then we should have still signed a receipt and remarked how strange it was as this was a second round of the same drinks, the first of which we weren't charged extra for, but still no apology, though they did remove the charge! Entertainment on the first night was brilliant, the Barricade Boys, and later in the week a comedian, Steve Womack, also brilliant. The shows however and the other acts were just OK. The problem with the shows is they have speciality acts, which they obviously have to use in every performance to get their moneys worth, and although they are good at what they do there's only so much they can do and it gets a bit boring and repetitive. One thing that did annoy us, and many others we spoke to was the port of Toulon. We've been to Toulon before with Celebrity and we did stop in Toulon. This time, although we weren't told beforehand, we stopped 10km outside and then had to pay $20 per person to be taken to Toulon by boat! There was nothing at the place we stopped at so there was no alternative other than to pay up. Everyone was furious about it. Another money saver for them was that at a few of the ports of call we didn't dock until after lunch, which gives you less time on shore. Although we've been with Celebrity many many times, we can see they are not as good as they used to be. Some of the nice things have been taken away and they seem focussed on getting you to pay extra for almost everything you do on the ship, including some sitting areas on the deck! Maybe if it's your first cruise with them then you will likely think it's great, the food and the staff certainly are but we can see the differences. It is a shame but we're thinking we might try another company next time. Read Less

Made reservation while on board previous cruise which was excellent. Just a social and relaxing extension to previous cruise. The transition from one cruise to the other was excellent with Celebrity providing shore passes to all the repeat guests. Living close to Southampton this allowed me to go home, pickup lighter weight clothes etc. for transition to Meditteranean. Had to change staterooms as ship was essentially sold out, no re-packing involved Celebrity moved everything from wardrobe to wardrobe etc. The new stateroom was Oceanview which I had not previously experienced but was very acceptable. Dining was a mixture of speciality restaurants and Main Dining Room and Ocean View Buffet. Speciality restaurant Lawn Club Grill was excellent on two occasions. Tuscan Grill a let down. However Main Dining Room was on this occasion not to standard, the menu was limited and the quality of several main course items poor. How this can vary from one cruise to the next is a matter of conjecture. Ocean View Buffet was used mostly for breakfast and was excellent, also on the one occasion I used it for an evening meal it was again excellent. So the ship can produce good food if not in the Main Dining Room. As with my previous cruise I did not participate in on board activities other than supporting the Martini Bar with there excellent team Madi, Putu, Angel, Jonie, Kadek. These guys are worth every penny. Casino and occasionally Bingo provided some alternative entertainment. Deck was limited to the Spa area, the main deck area is much too noisy for me and not so good when weather was inclement. Overall an acceptable cruise, must be because I have reserved two more. Read Less

I have been on The Eclipse several times on its Western Mediterranean itinerary but with it swapping to Dublin and the Silhouette's inclusion of Corsica and Barcelona I was tempted. I wished to take my younger daughter with me so she could experience a luxurious, yet restful holiday ..... and that was achieved in spades ! Embarkation was the quickest ever. We had stayed the night before at the Holiday Inn and got a taxi to the port in the morning. Before we had even finished getting our cases put on the waiting trolleys a lovely gentleman appeared from the Assistance team to whose me into reception and off to the official checking in. I have to say that from start to finish Celebrity and its staff are marvellous for disabled people and they remove any concern about holidaying and travelling. It means a great deal and I cannot praise them highly enough. We were on the ship in almost record time with a glass of sparkly and off to Cafe al Bacio for the first of many delicious coffees. After a light lunch in the Oceanview the announcement came about 1pm that the rooms were ready and off we went to our Deck 9 1A Veranda stateroom. As a seasoned (Elite) Celebrity traveller I knew what to expect from the room but my Daughter was relieved to see the hanging wardrobe space, spacious bathroom with again yet more useful storage. She unpacked for us both our luggage having "raced" us to the room! We were easily all prepared and in holiday mode by the time we were summoned to the Muster drill. Oddly enough the staff decided to empty the theatre from the front first instead of the more obviously efficient rear rows first which meant we had quite a wait to be able to access the lifts as I had organised the "sail away" for the Cruise Critic roll call folks and I was a little concerned at not being able there to greet people with name badges etc. Anyway we got there eventually and had a very pleasant )if trifle cool and windy) sail away from Southampton. I had chosen Select Dining which suits me better as I don't like to be "tied to " a time. WE never had to wait and as we were always very happy to share a table we had a great dining experience with so many interesting and friendly co diners. I have to say I think the standard of the food exceeded the Eclipse and we simply never had a meal which didn't meet expectations. We both loved the menus,taste, variety and presentation of the food without exception. Even though we went to all 3 speciality restaurants we thought that the MDR took some beating ! The wait staff were efficient and attentive and we thoroughly enjoyed our evenings there. We always took breakfast in the Oceanview and yes at times it was pretty full but we always ended finding somewhere to sit. The Silhouette has had the great idea of reserving the more easily accessible tables for disabled people and that was a great help. There was quite a high incidence of disabled passengers travelling and it is to Celebrity's credit that they try very hard to ensure that disabled travellers get a great cruise experience too. The staff everywhere were very disabled aware..... the restroom staff would rush to open doors - most appreciated and the staff in the Oceanview were quick to spot you and approach to ask whether they could help. This was very welcome as they would walk round and collect breakfast items one wanted. Full marks ! I am now however suffering withdrawal symptoms as I miss my morning mushroom omelette.....freshly cooked in front of me.... The food and selection in the Oceanview was outstanding and the desserts were most definitely far better than those I remember on the Eclipse. We dined in the Tuscan grill - great venue and ambience, Murano - delicious food and attentive service and the new "Petit Chef"- which was different. My daughter was persuaded into booking it for our last evening meal...... it was rather short of customers though to be expected on the last night. The Bouillabaisse was wonderful...... best seafood experience of the trip, Lobster course - fine and the filet mignon - lovely. On balance I think I preferred Quisine as it was but fleet wide that seems to have gone..... so..so be it. My daughter loves to cook and is an experimental and experienced cook and she praised the food on the ship very highly. Full marks Celebrity. I admit we didn't get to any of the shows but we found plenty to interest us during the evenings. We both found 95% of our fellow travellers to be good company and we made good use of the Martini bar. We also really enjoyed the musicians around the ship at the different venues - the classical musicians in the Ensemble bar, the solo singer/guitar player was very good indeed as was the jazz performer with his accompanists who we were told by a diner companion was actually Ella Fitzgerald's son ! On this trip I also "got" the Silent Disco bug as we went to several of those and really enjoyed them! There was plenty of "life" around the ship and my daughter loved looking out each night for a really fabulously dressed couple. They really took the "best dressed couple award" as my girl was convinced that the lady had outfits like Westwood's even if not authentic and the male partner had some of the most amazing suits.... We also used to try and join the trivia quizzes. My daughter really excelled on the music quizzes and with the help of some great folk we managed a few wins at General Trivia - great fun ! The Cruise Director Eddy was in evidence about the ship, though one evening's trivia in the Sky lounge run by "Sam" left our group (and I suspect others) excluded as she insisted that people should run onto the dance door with their trivia answers - 1. maybe not too safe an activity and 2. certainly not inclusive for disabled travellers or some of the older people wishing to play - it certainly excludes our team of 6. It was more suited to a Club 18 to 30 clientele which was certainly not this demographic! My girl just really wanted a holiday which was to be restful - no rushing about so she said she wasn't wanting to do "trips" however the one she was eventually interested in was the Tuscan wine tasting starting from Livorno. Alas this was a little disappointing as the guide didn't aways point out features of interest along the route eg the Tower of Pisa which I spotted from the motorway ! The venue was a farm which has diversified into wine and olive oil production. The buffet they provided was very nice but alas we weren't too impressed with the wine at the tasting. Their "shop" was a very muted affair but we bought their most expensive wine which we didn't try, hoping that it would be nice and also some of the olive oil. The drive through the countryside was lovely. Gibraltar - we just left the ship which docked at 1pm and joined a local minibus tour of the rock. These buses are right at the entrance to the port building and are reasonably priced for the trip. The driver took pains to make the tour interesting and indeed gave advice as to how to act around the apes which made a lot of sense and which worked ! I had been up the rock many times but it was a first for the daughter. On the way back down he gave the option of returning to the ship or to go and shop along the main street so the daughter and I separated as she wished to buy some beauty products. The highlight of the straits os that one can usually get to see dolphins - which we did and also some fish jumping over the waves .....just great (We did however miss the whales - adults with a juvenile) which some lucky people spotted when the ship was in the Atlantic. Toulon - we had always planned to go to the beaches just 15 mins from the port at Les Sablettes. Alas there weren't any taxis at the port when we left the ship and despite waiting an hour none came. Luckily my daughter managed to find an Uber from her phone Uber ap and a lovely driver in a limousine Jaguar came and took us there and agrees to return for us later in good time for the ship's departure. We had a great day on a simply lovely beach surrounded by French people. The beach was lovely and sandy and the sea a good depth..... little fish swimming around. We swam and sunbathed and then had a lovely lunch of moules and frites overlooking the beach and sea. Later in the afternoon we had a fabulous ice cream from an artisan workshop which was quite the nicest I have ever had ! Livorno we did the aforementioned Wine tasting trip. Rome..... we remained on the ship having a chilled out day- just relaxing. Corsica. We were tendered to the harbour where was parked the most enormous ship ever ! a new German vessel which I was told help 5000+ passengers ! Corsica was lovely with the attraction of a fabulous market. WE bought some charcuterie and some fabulous cheese with truffle :) Yummy. We only could manage a drink and an ice cream at a cafe however...... Barcelona. I had planned to take the Hire scooter into the city but with the info given that is was a 15 min drive there I wavered and instead we paid a shuttle bus fee. I wished I had stuck to my original plan. Instead I used the wheelchair and it was difficult especially as I wanted to show Jen the marvellous food market just off Les Ramblas, - La Boqueria. Wish I had done better research and that we had eaten there instead of the restaurant we had picked in Placa Reial as the seafood lunch we selected was very disappointing, (restaurant Tobagan ) The market eateries looked brilliant and something to remember for next time. Lisbon - we took the mobility scooter off the ship but be warned Lisbon's streets are not too disabled friendly as the "dropped" kerbs are not flat but are a few inches high quite often and uneven. I was told of how one chap overbalanced his scooter and fell off as it keeled over ! However with very careful driving we managed to access the shopping area and had a good look round with a lunch snack of sardines...... a must have when in Portugal. The last 2 sea days saw us sail through foggy conditions and though the sea looked rough I didn't feel it and I now feel fully confident that I can cope with rougher seas. Earlier in the cruise we had had the drama of 2 helicopter arrivals to take ill /injured travellers off the ship although we were told that both parties managed to return to the ship a couple of days later. There were crew announcements made though - one on the last evening - which we found out were summoning crew to attend to travellers who had died. Considering the age of some this shouldn't have been a surprise. It was dealt with tactfully but I am just left hoping it wasn't anyone we had had the good fortune to meet. Disembarking wasn't as easy as in the past. Someone told me we docked a little later than usual - probably due to the fog. We had been allocated an 8 30 leave but that timing wasn't working with the luggage number announcements but because I can get quite stressed about being on time for trains we left at our designated time without waiting for passenger assistance as they were very busy. We managed though and the cases were there and despite the horrid pouring rain we managed to get across to the taxi rank and off to the station. The taxi driver though on speaking said to his base that he wasn't returning to the port because of the volume of traffic. I thought that maybe not as many people as usual left the ship "under their own steam" earlier so that there were more people to get off the ship. So - we were two happy travellers.... I had upgraded us to the premium drinks package which meant we didn't worry about prices. I had also got the internet package and I found it to work pretty well - we could access email etc and I even got to FaceTime with home :) so all well there then. Read Less

The cruise started well, having chosen the itinerary and ship having heard good things about Celebrity. Embarkation was smooth and quick, we needed assisted boarding and this was provided easily and with a very helpful and friendly member of staff. The rooms were ready at 13.30, we settled in well and the luggage was quickly delivered. We were very happy with the layout and look of the ship, although there are very few quiet areas, but there was plenty to do and see onboard. The pool in the solarium however was always very cold and seemed to be unheated, which meant it was difficult to swim in. It was however a very pleasant area to relax in. Food and service on the whole was very good. We had select dinning and met different people each night at dinner which was fantastic. There was an issue with the meal on one night, which was dealt with easily and with no fuss. The buffet style eating was also very good with a large selection also and the grand buffet on the last day for lunch was outstanding. We loved the Sky Lounge and the bar staff there were amazing, and deserve a special mention. Entertainment was superb, particularly the fabulous Jayne Curry and comedian Paul Eastwood. Don't miss them if you have a change to see them. Our main issue started right from the beginning and it is the high pressure selling all the time. Everytime you walked passed a shop or looked at anything there was pressure to buy, often at prices in excess of the hight street despite being told that it was tax free etc. This also extended into the specialty dinning, where you were constantly harassed at breakfast and lunch, often at the table, into attending. For that reason we didn't do so. There were also these raffles all the time, where you were promised fantastic prizes but this wasn't the case. We won a free artwork in the art auction, only to be told be would have to pay $69 for the privilege. The ports were good on the whole, although it would have been nice to see more of the Fjords, as this was often early in the morning, or when it was dark. The train excursion in Flam was very badly organised with some people not being able to go on the train due to overbooking. We did do the ship tour on the last sea day which was fascinating and meeting the Captain on the bridge was a special moment. For us however the pressured selling of goods and dinning would make us think twice about choosing Celebrity again sadly. Read Less

We were told it was a wonderful way to see Norway and it was. Easy boarding at Southampton , the ship was beautiful and very well equipped . Cabins were large and very comfortable . Dining was lovely do try La petite chef you will love it. Service was second to none. Lots to do on board fabulous theatre entertainment. Very well organised excursions. You won’t be disappointed with this cruise. Celebrity are now my preference in cruising have tried a few we have actually booked with them having so enjoyed our trip. We were lucky enough to be picked to dine with the chief engineer which was a lovely and interesting experience. The pools were lovely and the gym facilities were excellent. All public areas were very clean. The eggs benedict served at breakfast were fantastic. The catering was all to a very high standard and the choice was plentiful . It really was one of my favourite holidays so far. Read Less

I chose this cruise because I wanted to see the Norwegian fjords, and because a travel agent had put together a group that included some dance lessons and dancing as part of the package. I would probably not have chosen to go on a cruise otherwise but I was very pleasantly surprised by the experience. The Norwegian fjords are beautiful and well worth the trip. The facilities and standard of cleanliness on the ship were very good, and the food was much better than expected - a good variety including some dishes which are tricky to do well, but we enjoyed everything we tried. We tried one specialty restaurant which was also good but not worth the additional cost. Also, generally the speed of service was slow at dinnertime, I would rather have had some of that time for other things. The cabins were comfortable and it was nice to have a balcony for the views although we hardly ever went out on it. I now think an outside cabin without a balcony would be just as good, as you still get the views and you are nearer the sea. We thought the evening entertainment was very good, and especially enjoyed the jazz quartet. The service was excellent, all the crew were very friendly and helpful, the emarkation and disembarkation process was extremely efficient. One gripe - I asked for my credit card charges not to be converted to my card currency by Celebrity, this was quite clear on the form I signed but they ignored it (and added their 3% conversion charge). As I didn't find out about this until several weeks later when my statement arrived, and they make it almost impossible to figure out how to complain once the cruise is over, I've just had to accept it. Read Less

This was our first time on Silhouette but we knew she was the sister ship to Eclipse so we felt we would feel 'at home' pretty quickly and we were sure we would be well looked after. Our embarkation was extremely fast and efficient, taking only about 10-15 minutes from arrival to the port to being welcomed with a glass of bubbly on board. As Concierge passengers, we had a delicious lunch in the Main Dining Room and were in our cabin by 1330. We were in cabin 1034 on Deck 10, which was very comfortable. Plenty of hanging storage, some drawers and plenty of storage space in the cupboards over the bed. My dresses and hubby's shirts are mostly packed on very light hangers for ease of unpacking and we knew that it would be easier to have medium sized storage cases for the overhead cupboards from past experience so our unpacking was very quick. We met our cabin steward, Joy, whilst we were unpacking and she told us how to contact her if we had any questions or needed help in any way. Throughout the cruise, she lived up to her name and looked after us very well. The food in the main dining room was at least as good as it had been on the Eclipse, or perhaps even better. We had Select Dining and we requested a table for two as my hubby struggles to hear conversations in restaurants with the general buzz of conversation. We were taken to Table 57 and were so very well served with recommendations and lovely service by Budi S, Kenneth and Bayu, that we requested this table for the rest of the cruise. After dinner we decided to see the show in the Theatre, which was a comedian called Paul Eastwood, a very funny guy with so much original material we were very impressed. Another great act is Jayne Curry, who has a fabulous singing voice and also one of the funniest comedienne's I have ever seen. We didn't go to the Theatre every night, but we heard great reviews of every show. As Captain Club Members, we were invited to their Party in the Sky Lounge with free drinks and canapés. Our first port was Bergen, where we took the Hop On Hop Off bus, which was very interesting even though it stayed quite local to the town. The cost was high in comparison to HOHO buses in other countries, but it is a fact that Norway is expensive anyway. Our next port was Flaam and we had booked the excursion on the Flaam railway, which had been highly recommended by our son and his wife when they travelled on it. The Silhouette had two carriages dedicated to it, but this did not prevent a total shambles when we were boarded. A few passengers were very upset that there were not enough seats for couples to sit together and with the unhelpful attitude of the train staff. I believe that this excursion, although arranged by Celebrity, was not in the control of Celebrity staff because it certainly didn't live up to the standard we have come to expect. I did report back, in writing, to the Excursion desk and was contacted and thanked for providing feedback which would be used when arranging future excursions on the Railway. This was the only excursion we had booked, because we had been to our other ports previously and were happy to stay fairly close to the port areas. The weather was really good and quite warm on almost the whole cruise, I think it only rained on one day. Overall, we had a fantastic time on the Silhouette, with the best of service, food and entertainment. Read Less

Provided wish list for Juliette at www.cruises who gave three options with three cruise lines. We selected one Celebrity (new to both of us) and one Royal Caribbean. All aspects of the Celebrity cruise were excellent. Staff in all roles were attentive, friendly, polite and efficient. Luggage transfer was excellent at both ends of cruise. There was a helicopter lift-off of a sick patient and husband on first night and from our stateroom 7103 window (opposite helipad) we witnessed superb teamwork between Silhouette and helicopter crews. Stepping off in each Port with no need for tendering or shuttle made everything so relaxed and easy. We had pre-booked one trip with Cruising Excirsions.com to Geiranger by coach which was an amazing experience. The daily drinks allowance was very well received. The only issues causing inconvenience were insufficient seating at times when entertainers were in areas of ship and lack of real help and guidance when enquiring about booking another cruise. My friend,Rosina Farrance, and I both Joined Captain’s Club and are interested in another cruise on Celebrity Silhouette, in 2019 in a similar cabin, and are currently talking to Juliette at www.cruises. Thank you Celebrity. Read Less

Had not been to Norwegian Fjords before. Itinerary was one of the best for several years, small towns and villages easy to get round without any strenuous tours. Those tours I did choose were with companies other than Celebrity and pre-booked online. Celebrity Silhouette was up to its usual standard of maintaining a smooth operation, embarkation at Southampton excellent. I didn,t disembark as carried on for second "back to back" cruise. Disembarking and returning from tours was again a smooth operation. I will not comment too much in regard to on board activities etc. as I do not participate in many of them. The bar staff at my favourite bar (Martini) were beyond excellent. The deck areas were always maintained clean but sometimes crowded. Stateroom was kept clean and tidy on a daily basis. Restaurants and dining, On this cruise everything seemed to be of an acceptable standard both in Main Dining Room and in Speciality Restaurants. However read my next review of the back to back cruise to Meditteranean where main dining came in for some criticism. All in All would recommend this cruise but not go again because once seen, once seen. Read Less