Crowded Conditions

Throughout the voyage across the Atlantic, I had the feeling that the resources and facilities on the Silhouette were being stretched to the maximum to accommodate a bloated number of passengers. There was a constant shortage of chairs and tables in the Aqua Spa area and martini bar, there were not enough lockers in the gym, the public entertainment areas on the 3rd and 4th decks were seriously short on space and chairs. In the main dining room, tables were crammed so close together that there merely three to four inches separating them.

The whole system of Select Dining (where they make you pay your tips in advance) broke down because there were not enough tables to accommodate those opting for this venue at an alternate time to the fixed dining. You're not allowed to "select" any dining time. You either wait in line (30 to 40 minutes) for something available or go at 6:30 or 8:30 pm, the same time as the fixed dining. We finally opted to go back to fixed dining. The managers of Celebrity would do well to study how NCL has resolved freestyle dining. I asked them why there was such a system breakdown and one of the managers said that people were lingering too long at their tables!! Read more