Celebrity Silhouette Review, Advice and Tips for Travellers

Daniel Abrahams who wrote this review for the site

This is a guest post with his Celebrity Silhouette Review by a fellow cruise fan and friend of mine: Daniel Abrahams

Disclaimer: At the age of 26, I am not your ordinary cruiser. I am also honest & have no intention of writing this to get a free Celebrity cruise. Most aspects of Celebrity Silhouette I loved. A couple things I couldn’t bare. I’m here to document all. No Spin! Thank you to Gary, one of the most renowned & respected Cruise bloggers for giving me this opportunity.

To introduce myself, I’m Daniel Abrahams, a tech entrepreneur who is Co-Founder of MyCurrencyTransfer & MyTravelMoney. I’m also an avid cruiser who is very grateful to Mum & Dad for taking me and my family on so many cruises as a teen & young adult. Late July, I was on the Celebrity Silhouette 12 day cruise around the Mediterranean. Having been a staunch ‘’Queens Grill Cunarder’’ for most of my life and only ever sailed on Celebrity once, I didn’t have too much expectation either way.

In this post, I’ll aim to show you some tips to get the most out of cruising with Celebrity and in particular, focus on the Celebrity Silhouette.

What is Celebrity?

In my mind, Celebrity Cruises represents a fun, modern & very forward thinking cruise line. The average age of passenger is WAY younger than what you would expect to see on Cunard, Silversea or Crystal. The layout of the ship & general décor is stunning. A really, really impressive ship that is part of the elite Solistice class of Celebrity vessels.

What to expect on Celebrity Silhouette by day?

It is SO different to the aforementioned cruise liners I have been on in the past. For a start, the main pool scene by day is kind of reminiscing of a chilled out pool club in Ibiza or Marbella. Alternating most of the day between relaxing chill out music & Sipra Party Band from the Philippines, if liveliness floats your boat (no pun intended), you’ll certainly get that feel good factor. Both old & new classics are blasted out of the sound system for much of the day.

We had such a laugh with the range of poolside activities. Whether it was  Crew V Passenger pool volleyball or the Celebrity Olympics poolside, there was always something going on. Yes, it MAY have bordered on a little tacky. But who cares when you are having fun! As snobby as it may sound, the class of passenger on Celebrity is impressive, interesting & articulate.

I overheard a few elderly couples complain about the noise poolside. They couldn’t bare ‘ the racket.’ In truth, the ship has so many outdoor areas for sunbathing and strolling. So, my message was ‘‘Get a grip and don’t sit there in the first place!’’ The ship has the most wonderful lawn, a separate outdoor sunbathing deck & an indoor pool for those who wanted peace and quiet.

What to expect on Celebrity Silhouette by night?

Food. Plenty of it. As I cover below in my top 10 tips, I suggest if budget allows, steering clear of the main dining room, the Grand Cuvee. The specialty restaurants are just so good both in food and atmosphere. My favorite was the Tuscan Grill, where I had the most divine Seabass in a stunning setting at the back of the ship overlooking the Ocean. If you are a fan of Al Fresco dining, try the Lawn Club Grill. Qzine is a fusion restaurant with menus presented on the ipad. Your waiter promises to take you on a ‘culinary journey’ with tastings of food from around the world. For me, it was a little gimmicky and the food so diverse on the same plate that wasn’t so complimentary. But hey, I’m no Jamie Oliver!

After dinner, the entertainment from shows to discos is fantastic. Prepare to P.A.R.T.Y! Everything about nightlife on the Celebrity Silhouette is fun. The entertainment staff have choreographed it perfectly, from the Cruise Director all the way down to the bar staff in various nightclubs. I particularly loved the on deck parties & as it’s a ship full of young families, there was plenty to keep me occupied at the nightclub. I met so many young adults from Mexico, UK & Scandinavia. Yes, cruising on Celebrity can be fun for young professionals!

My Top 10 Tips on getting the most out of Celebrity Silhouette

1. Use the state of the art gym on board. It’s huge & has every possible machine you could wish for! You will no doubt you will be consuming a large amount of food on board. Nothing will make you feel less guilty tucking into that Cheesekake than if you devote an hour or two a day to exercise.

2. If you are looking for the best in class lectures & your daily dose of ballroom dancing, go Cunard. Celebrity Silhouette has a very different demographic & atmosphere on board, catering more to the younger audience.

3. Don’t afraid to be sociable! The pool scene is super lively & the nightlife vibrant. If you love making friends & getting involved on holiday, jump into the variety of activities poolside. Try and get one of the comfy beds poolside. They really are the posh and becks of sunloungers!

4. I saved a fortune by buying one of the Celebrity Silhouette drinks packages. Work out your soft & alcoholic drink intake, and after a few minutes forecasting, take the plunge. It’ll save you money.

4. If you don’t like loud music, don’t sit by the main pool. If you, like me, want to be sociable and love getting involved in group activities at a busy pool scene, sunbathe by the main pool.

5. Spend a day at the lawn club! It’s a fantastic little haven on board where you can unwind, watch a game of boules & have a kip.

6. If you want an exclusive dining experience, steer clear of the main Grand Cuvee dining room. In my opinion. the food is ordinary, not delicate in slightest, room is absolutely enormous and all too frenetic.

7. If your budget affords it, eat most nights, if not all in the speciality restaurants. The food is exquisite. If you are staying in an Aqua class cabin, you are entitled to eat in Blu for free. The main buffet for lunch is fantastic. Try the Indian station – the Indian chef should be awarded a medal with the range of curries & tandooris he comes up with.

9. The service & dining experience at the flagship restaurant Murano was highly memorable. We still talk about it. From the Maitre D down, you’re made to feel a million dollars and the food was spectacular, delicate & flavoursome.

10. Try not to buy your travel money on board. The markups added to the ‘real exchange rate’ are pretty hefty. If sailing the med, buy online In advance & compare best euro exchange rates.

Celebrity Silhouette – Key Facts & Figures:

•    Occupancy: 2,886
•    Tonnage: 122,400
•    Inaugural Date: Jul 2011
•    Length: 1,047ft
•    Cruise Speed: 24kts

My Verdict?
A five star experience without being too stuffy. I can’t wait for my next Celebrity Cruise. It epitomized everything I look for in a cruise. Fun, socializing, great food (except main dining room) and a party like atmosphere on board.

For more of Dan’s adventures follow him on Twitter: @dan_currency

From the Celebrity Silhouette