We probably would have been happier on a smaller ship with less passengers, and a slightly shorter cruise. As first-time cruisers, we were overall satisfied with the Celebrity Silhouette and found that everything promised was there and often more. Celebrity—and being on a cruise—makes it easy to travel and have lots of conveniences and not have to worry about too much. The Silhouette is a lovely ship with elegant design and thoughtful features throughout, as well as interesting displays of artwork at every turn. I was surprised and happy with how comfortable our veranda cabin was. I found the crew and staff to be professional, fun to talk to, warm and friendly. Too many of the passengers, however, were not friendly. Would not say good morning (ok, ignored them too.) Priviledged people not moving aside in the elevator (we took the stairs more.) During peak times at breakfast and lunch, the 14th level cafe "resembled feeding time at the zoo" (I’m quoting a fellow passenger.) Didn’t love running into empty glasses and plates from the bars and buffet left on public ledges, by the artwork displays, around the pool, and I wish Celebrity did a better job removing that stuff. I saw it too often to be considered “modern luxury” in my book.

We enjoyed our meals in the Cuvee dining room and I found the SPE Certified dishes at dinner to be quite elegant and delicious and healthier. Food was always beautifully plated, our servers efficient and unobtrusive, and we were glad to be able to dine alone when we wanted to. Overall the food, especially in the Casual Dining buffet, was a tad bland and seemed to be prepared in the USA. I was hoping for a more European experience, felt the need to kick it up a notch overall. We decided early on not to use the specialty dining venues because for the additional cost it would be nothing different than what we can find at home in NYC. Instead, we opted for great lunches when in port, and for that expense, we had memorial meals off the ship that had all the local flavor I was looking for—even at the most touristy stops. We purchased a premium non-alcoholic drink package, and hard to say if it was worth it or not, but we easily got water, soda, and decent coffee.

Very pleased with our 9th floor veranda cabin. Would like to install that bathroom into our home! Read more