My wife and I recently returned from a 12-night cruise aboard Celebrity Silhouette. This was our 31st cruise overall, and we have now sailed on at least one of each of all the Celebrity classes of ships dating back to Zenith. This was our 8th sailing of more than 10 nights, although it was our first experience embarking and disembarking in New Jersey (more on that later). We selected this sailing in order to experience the unique Solstice Class Celebrity ships, because Bayonne is a convenient 4-hour drive from our Maryland home, and because having gone on a highly intensive 14-night, 8-port Mediterranean cruise on Independence of the Seas this past summer, we were very ready for a relaxing and rejuvenating cruise experience. With visits to 6 Caribbean ports to which we've sailed many times before, and with every night and half the days spent actually at sea, this was an ideal opportunity to do just that.

Overall this was an excellent cruise vacation by any standard. We were very fortunate to enjoy wonderful weather, given the mid-December cruising timeframe. In particular, our sea days were mainly bright and sunny, and our times in port were virtually rain-free -- always a bonus when visiting the Caribbean. Other than a few stretches of moderately rough seas in predictable locations (off Cape Hatteras and at the conjunction of the Gulfstream and the easterly flow of weather in the Atlantic just north of Hispaniola), the seas remained fairly calm, making for a very comfortable cruise. I actually prefer feeling a little motion on the ship; it contributes to the unique aspect of cruising, and actually improves my sleep on board.

Having sailed on Celebrity multiple times, we have come to expect a nicely refined cruise experience on a modern, beautiful ship with extensive amenities and a high level of service and food quality. In this respect our cruise on Silhouette not only met, but largely exceeded, our already high expectations. My few criticisms of the cruise really amount to minor issues, and are far outweighed by the overwhelming number of positives that we have taken away with us. Let me take each aspect of the cruise -- the ship; accommodations; dining; entertainment and activities; the staff; fellow passengers; and embarkation/disembarkation one by one. Be forewarned, however, that I am trying to cover a lot of ground in some depth, and so this review will not be brief! Read more