Next cruise on Silhouette?

We have recently returned from a superb cruise on Constellation in the Adriatic/Greek Islands. Whilst onboard we couldn't take any advantage of future cruise deals as we weren't able to commit at the time.

We are now in a position of looking/booking for next Summer, sailing to the Med from the UK. Silhouette has an itinerary that seems to suit and we are looking for advice on best Balcony/Concierge cabins to look at. ( and those to avoid)

There is also an option to sail with RCI on the Explorer in a slightly larger cabin, similar itinerary and money. We will have an 18YO sharing with us so we need a Sofa Bed. We really are down to tossing a coin.

So thoughts on Silhouette please, compared to Constellation, would be appreciated, plus any advice on RCI as we haven't sailed with them before.

We have about 5/6 sea days, and our 18YO will probably do his own thing in the evening, although he usually eats with us in the MDR. We take in the occasional show and I would imagine that both cruises would be more geared to the UK market?

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I have sailed on the Silhouette twice and the Constellation once. Constellation is an M class ship, smaller than the Solstice Class ships like Silly. They are both beautiful ships. I prefer the Silly for the wine tour in the MDR, the Lawn Club Grill, the Alcoves and lots of other cool features. Hope this helps.

I have sailed on the Silhouette and did the Med cruise on Vision of the Seas. Loved both but found that RCI had a livelier evening scene which may appeal to your 18 y/o more. Sailing in the summer there will be more young people on both lines. Explorer is an older and smaller ship with less passengers. I think food is better in the MDR on Celebrity but that is subjective.

Flip your coin as both are good choices.

I suggest Balcony Category 1A cabin or Concierge Category C2. Category 1A or a C2 on the slant of the hump of the ship will give you a significantly larger balcony to enjoy. First and third cabins from the flat of the hump have the biggest balconies. Not all C2 cabins are on the hump so choose carefully 😉

There is a lot of detailed information on these cabins on this forum including benefits of Concierge Class.

Silhouette is nicer in all ways ,except thermo pool.

Silhouette is a beautiful ship, we sailed on her in the summer. As you have been on the Constellation you should already be Captains Club members. This means that you will get a one category upgrade, for instance we paid for 2D cabin, but sailed in 2C.

Unfortunately, I can’t comment on Explorer, as we don’t sail on her until August 2019.

Silhouette is a beautiful ship, we sailed on her in the summer. As you have been on the Constellation you should already be Captains Club members. This means that you will get a one category upgrade, for instance we paid for 2D cabin, but sailed in 2C.

Unfortunately, I can’t comment on Explorer, as we don’t sail on her until August 2019.

How do you go about getting the one category cabin upgrade please? :o

OP: For the future, if you think you will take a Celebrity cruise at sometime, then it is a good idea to book whilst on board - any cruise! You can then move it, penalty-free, at a later date to one you want and still keep OBC obtained for booking on board. This advantage only exists for those who did not book in north America if you book on board. Otherwise you lose your deposit should you need to change.

Bernipops, the one category upgrade applies if you have sailed with Celebrity before and joined the Captain's Club. Note that a category means 2B to 2C, 1B to 1A etc (with a few exceptions), and not inside to outside. You must request this at the time of booking and have your CC number handy if booking with a TA. If booking on board, my experience is that they do this automatically.

OP: For the future, if you think you will take a Celebrity cruise at sometime, then it is a good idea to book whilst on board - any cruise! You can then move it, penalty-free, at a later date to one you want and still keep OBC obtained for booking on board. This advantage only exists for those who did not book in north America if you book on board. Otherwise you lose your deposit should you need to change.

 

Bernipops, the one category upgrade applies if you have sailed with Celebrity before and joined the Captain's Club. Note that a category means 2B to 2C, 1B to 1A etc (with a few exceptions), and not inside to outside. You must request this at the time of booking and have your CC number handy if booking with a TA. If booking on board, my experience is that they do this automatically.

Thanks for the info about booking on board. We are Captain's Club members but didn't realise you have to ask for the upgrade with the TA. I gave them the CC numbers when I booked but didn't get an upgrade. Doh! Lesson learned.

Thanks for the info about booking on board. We are Captain's Club members but didn't realise you have to ask for the upgrade with the TA. I gave them the CC numbers when I booked but didn't get an upgrade. Doh! Lesson learned.

Are you sure that you didn't pay a lower price because of it? They will give you the cabin category you have requested, but charge you the lower price, which sometimes is not that much by the way! It's not a matter of being told that you are eligible for an upgrade.

Thanks for the info about booking on board. We are Captain's Club members but didn't realise you have to ask for the upgrade with the TA. I gave them the CC numbers when I booked but didn't get an upgrade. Doh! Lesson learned.

A good TA will tell you!

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I have sailed on the Silhouette twice and the Constellation once. Constellation is an M class ship, smaller than the Solstice Class ships like Silly. They are both beautiful ships. I prefer the Silly for the wine tour in the MDR, the Lawn Club Grill, the Alcoves and lots of other cool features. Hope this helps.

Hi. Could you explain "the Alcoves". We are on Silhouette in October and really enjoy lazy days in quiet places.

TIA

Jim

Thanks for all the tips. we've taken the plunge and booked on Silhouette next Summer. We managed to bag the last Family Veranda cabin. This suits us down to the ground as our 18YO gets a choice of his own cabin or sofa bed, and we get a separate double cabin. Would appear to have all the advantages of a suite without the perks?!

I've had my TA add the upgrade after booking when I/we forgot. I'm in the USA, and I know that the rules are different on both sides of the pond, but it can never hurt to call and ask for the captains club 1 category upgrade to be added to your booking retroactively. All they can say is no, and you may be pleasantly surprised if they say yes! At any rate, it never hurts to ask.

We have recently returned from a superb cruise on Constellation in the Adriatic/Greek Islands. Whilst onboard we couldn't take any advantage of future cruise deals as we weren't able to commit at the time.

We are now in a position of looking/booking for next Summer, sailing to the Med from the UK. Silhouette has an itinerary that seems to suit and we are looking for advice on best Balcony/Concierge cabins to look at. ( and those to avoid)

There is also an option to sail with RCI on the Explorer in a slightly larger cabin, similar itinerary and money. We will have an 18YO sharing with us so we need a Sofa Bed. We really are down to tossing a coin.

 

So thoughts on Silhouette please, compared to Constellation, would be appreciated, plus any advice on RCI as we haven't sailed with them before.

 

We have about 5/6 sea days, and our 18YO will probably do his own thing in the evening, although he usually eats with us in the MDR. We take in the occasional show and I would imagine that both cruises would be more geared to the UK market?

 

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You will love the silhouette. First it is newer and has many more amenities then the M class ships. The lawn grill is excellent- our favorite specialty restaurant. They have others also, including cafe Baci for delicious coffee and special treats.

We enjoy the lawn also and the indoor adult pool. If it rains or is cold, you can still enjoy it. The Martini bar is wonderful on the Silhouette . We find because the Silhouette is a larger ship, much more is going on. Always best if a balcony cabin to get midship, with cabins above and below. We like deck 8 or 9. Having sailed on the RC ships also, if not sailing on the Oasis class, the Silhouette is a much better option. A much more attractive ship with more to do. We also like Celebrities no-smoking policy throughout the casino. The Explore's Casino is horrible if you do not smoke.

I prefer the X ships, they are really a cruise ship. RCI is a amusement park in the sea.

Good choice with Silhouette..one of our fav Celebrity ships. Often quite lively compared to some others..but depends on itin and time of yr

Has a nice gym area and enough activities for your son on his own and you...

OP: For the future, if you think you will take a Celebrity cruise at sometime, then it is a good idea to book whilst on board - any cruise! You can then move it, penalty-free, at a later date to one you want and still keep OBC obtained for booking on board. This advantage only exists for those who did not book in north America if you book on board. Otherwise you lose your deposit should you need to change

We always book onboard as the deposit is essentially FREE. You are given the deposit back as obc so if you cancel you lose nothing!

Silhouette is our favorite Celebrity ship. Boarding in 5 weeks and can't wait. Love the Lawn Grill too.

We have recently returned from a superb cruise on Constellation in the Adriatic/Greek Islands. Whilst onboard we couldn't take any advantage of future cruise deals as we weren't able to commit at the time.

We are now in a position of looking/booking for next Summer, sailing to the Med from the UK. Silhouette has an itinerary that seems to suit and we are looking for advice on best Balcony/Concierge cabins to look at. ( and those to avoid)

There is also an option to sail with RCI on the Explorer in a slightly larger cabin, similar itinerary and money. We will have an 18YO sharing with us so we need a Sofa Bed. We really are down to tossing a coin.

 

So thoughts on Silhouette please, compared to Constellation, would be appreciated, plus any advice on RCI as we haven't sailed with them before.

We have about 5/6 sea days, and our 18YO will probably do his own thing in the evening, although he usually eats with us in the MDR. We take in the occasional show and I would imagine that both cruises would be more geared to the UK market?

 

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We love the Silhouette. We also have sailed on the Infinity and Summit multiple times. While the M class, like the constellation and nice- the S class are even better. We enjoy the larger size of the Silhouette, the addition of the lawn grill our favorite speciality restaurant and the alcoves on the lawn (for a fee). We typically sail in a sky suite and on the S class ships they are larger and have more storage- I believe this is also true for the regular balcony cabins. The buffet on the Silhouette is designed with multiple stations, so the "cafeteria" type lines are minimized.

All around, we really enjoy the Silhouette and she is our favorite Celebrity ship-let's see what the edge has to offer. Not sure how comfortable the couch is for sleeping- but if your son isn't very tall it should work out for him.We have also been on the Adventure of the Seas, which is similar to the explorer, but IMO Celebrity Silhouette much better option for all.

Enjoy your cruise.

We are now in a position of looking/booking for next Summer, sailing to the Med from the UK. Silhouette has an itinerary that seems to suit and we are looking for advice on best Balcony/Concierge cabins to look at. ( and those to avoid)

 

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We always avoid Med cruises which depart from the U.K. so many wasted sea days and the unpredictability of the Bay of Biscay is a no-no for us. Sea days are a nightmare on Silhouette with everyone reserving sun beds if the weather is good and little to do if the weather is bad. Although Silly is newer I would choose Conny for the Med either from Barcelona or Rome, back to back cruises will give better itinerary than the Silhouette out of Southampton.

Just read your update that you’ve booked Silhouette, hope the weather is good but definitely plan your meds for the Biscay.

We always avoid Med cruises which depart from the U.K. so many wasted sea days and the unpredictability of the Bay of Biscay is a no-no for us. Sea days are a nightmare on Silhouette with everyone reserving sun beds if the weather is good and little to do if the weather is bad. Although Silly is newer I would choose Conny for the Med either from Barcelona or Rome, back to back cruises will give better itinerary than the Silhouette out of Southampton.

 

Just read your update that you’ve booked Silhouette, hope the weather is good but definitely plan your meds for the Biscay.

I agree that sailing out of Southampton are wasted sea days. There are better ports to leave from and those generally have calmer seas. When I travel in Europe, I am not looking forward to sea days. I would pick a 12 day cruise over a 14 if the first the last days on the 14 day cruise are sea days.

celebrity is much more upscale than rcl

food is better on celebrity

i prefer celebrity