Silhouette Photo Review - Feb. 9-16 2014

[cricketts]

Day 6 - Haiti

Or: Oh no, they've ruined Labadee!

 

The (formerly) unspoiled Labadee:

 

We woke up once again to sunny skies and a predicted high of 94 on Haiti. Yay! Now, let me preface this by saying our first trip to Labadee was in 2008, and it was wonderful. Back then, there was no dock, so you had to tender in. Once there, they had chairs, and some palapa type shade things, a couple restrooms, and a BBQ area. They had a small market area where you could haggle with the locals as well. The zip line was there, but that was it in the way of action.

 

And it was bliss! It was quiet, peaceful, plenty of room to spread out. But I guess the folks at RCI decided it wasn't enough. So they set about turning it into Disneyland Haiti.

 

Welcome to Disneyland! Right this way for your fast pass....

 

When we went back with our kids last year, we noticed tremendous changes. Okay, the dock was necessary and makes disembarking so much easier. And they added a water park, which my kids enjoyed. And okay, maybe you add a dragon coaster to take up the hillside that is otherwise going unused. But...where is that nice beach we went to last time? Hideaway? Where it was us and about 20 other passengers relaxing with plenty of room to spread out? Now they've "monetized" this area and crammed wooden cabanas on every rock, nook, and ledge. (On our first trip, we had run climbing the rocks and taking pictures). These cabanas totally block the water views from further inland. So we made our way down to Columbus Cove, where they've built another dock, and enlarged the water park, and added jet skis, and a tour boat, and parasailing......ahhhh! It's no longer quiet. Or peaceful.

 

So this year there were still more changes. When you walk in, there is a big sign pointing you every which way. (Hmmm, sort of like Main Street Disneyland). Now we noticed they've built low walls around some of the beaches, so you can't even walk through them. Nope, you losers (hey, I'm one of you) can't get into the area where folks have shelled out $200 to sit in a cabana.

 

As a result, the beaches that are left over are MUCH more crowded. But that's not all, folks! If you act now, you can get a giant blue clamshell to cram your lounge chairs in, thereby blocking the water view from everyone behind you! (Amazing the rude passengers who drag their chairs and try to cram them in between you and the water's edge.) Oh, and did I mention the lovely trash cans at the water's edge? I don't know about you, but I just love relaxing next to a trash can while on a lovely Caribbean beach.

 

Now let's talk about vendors. Look, I used to live in NYC, and I love meeting different kinds of people and I love to bargain. On our first trip to Labadee, there was one market, and the vendors were fairly aggressive, but not too bad. Last year, the market expanded. They added an indoor one (no haggling, no pushy vendors) but they expanded the outdoor vendor areas. So now instead of 20 guys selling stuff, there were 80. Which made them more desperate, more pushy, and let's face it: more creepy. My daughter was terrified last year when some guy grabbed her and pulled her into his booth...not cool, dude, not cool at all. Another guy took my $20 and tried to give me $8 back instead of $18- luckily I speak enough French to have heard him tell the guy "huit" (eight) and I said, "Non, dix-huit!" (eighteen!) The guy looked shocked and peeled the extra 10 off his stash and handed it over. (Who said you'll never use your high school French?) And don't even get me started on our other bad experience last year on Labadee- my cell phone was stolen. (Long story short, I pitched a fit, cruise line was no help, so I bribed a local guy, miraculously, he "found" it and I got it back.)

 

So anyway...this year...somehow...there are even more vendors! Now they've built a sort of boardwalk along the hillside with booths all along it. So, once you walk up there, you are totally trapped, and now you have to walk down a long lane of booths with people harrassing you. It is not for the faint of heart. I would caution you not to call out to your spouse, either, like this: "Hey Dave, come look over here..." because then suddenly a hundred vendors are yelling, "Dave! Dave! Hey Dave! Bargain for you Dave! Daaaave!" Whoops. Sorry, dear.

 

And the sad thing is, these guys are just trying to make a buck. But it's nearly impossible, because the cruise line has packed in so many vendors, selling all the same stuff, they hardly stand a chance. So at the end of the day, you wind up feeling very sorry for these people, and you feel guilty, and you feel like a jerk for then getting back on the ship and sitting in the hot tub and stuffing your face with ice cream. Sigh.

 

I will say this: the indoor market had some fair trade items, like Haitian coffee, pot holders, etc, that benefit local causes. Buy some! Look for the fair trade/non-profit labels.

 

See those stupid blue clamshells???

 

Every year we find at least one hermit crab. (He must not be a suite passenger because we found him on the losers beach.)

 

This used to be a lovely hillside...now it's more dock:

 

Yeah, it's pretty crowded. And sometimes there are TWO ships in port here! <shaking head in disgust>

Love, love, love all your input on Labadee! We were also there in 2008 and we return in 3 weeks. Your review in outstanding and is helping us so, so much in our planning and preparation!

[Toots]

Enjoyed your fun review. Would you mind sharing what deck and cabin number you were in? We're going to be in cabin 7144 veranda deck, cat. 2B in April and wondered if we'll be looking at lifeboats.

 

Good luck with re-entry into the real world - I'm sure with your sense of humor you handle it just fine.

 

Brigitte

[micmacmissy]

Enjoyed your fun review. Would you mind sharing what deck and cabin number you were in? We're going to be in cabin 7144 veranda deck, cat. 2B in April and wondered if we'll be looking at lifeboats.

 

Good luck with re-entry into the real world - I'm sure with your sense of humor you handle it just fine.

 

Brigitte

 

We were on deck 6 in 6159. You won't have lifeboats directly outside your cabin, but you'll probably see them when you look down. On these S class ships, the lifeboats aren't tucked under the balconies.

 

Category 2Bs aren't obstructed, so you'll be fine! Have a great time!

[Us Two]

Having not been to Labadee before, we had nothing to compare it to, so we really liked it. We were the only ones in port. :p.

 

We read on CC that Nellies beach is the one to go to, so we went. Now i'm not a lay in the sun and cook kinda person, tend to stay in the water, which was wonderful. So we didnt stray too much. Went to the indoor market, then to the BBQ. So we had a good day, and would go back.:)

[midwestchick]

I've thoroughly enjoyed your wonderful and humurous report and all the pictures. I remember your report from last year and reading about your cell phone.

[micmacmissy]

I've thoroughly enjoyed your wonderful and humurous report and all the pictures. I remember your report from last year and reading about your cell phone.

 

Glad you liked it. So glad that this trip didn't have any unexpected adventures like the cell phone debacle!!!

[seadancer]

Can't wait to hear about your last sea day. Sea days are my favorite! (I've been to a lot of the ports several times) thanks again for your post!

[Sun&Sand52]

Great review! Enjoy reading (and laughing) about your adventures. Looking forward to the last day. :)

[dwdwnurse]

Love, love, love your review! We're sailing on the Silhouette on 3/9 and can't wait :). Thanks for taking the time to do such an awesome review. We have select dining for the first time ever...not having a good feeling about it lol I think I can hear some giggling from up above lol

[prim8keeper]

Great review! We are doing this cruise in December. Where the alcoves booked up on your sailing?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[micmacmissy]

Great review! We are doing this cruise in December. Where the alcoves booked up on your sailing?

 

I don't think so. Even on the a sea day I only saw one of them occupied. They're aren't very convenient to the pool, although they looked very comfortable!

[micmacmissy]

Day 7 - At Sea

 

We woke up on our last day at sea to calm seas and sunny skies...ahhh! We hit up the gym (by now, pretty empty in the mornings) for an 8am yoga class. They charge $12 per person and the class only had about 7 people in it. The studio they use is quite lovely with floor to ceiling windows. Unfortunately, there is no door to the studio, so the piped in zen/spa/namaste music is basically drowned out by the "oonce oonce" hip hop beats blaring in from the gym. So you'll get a little yoga workout, but your inner buddha might find the mix of music annoying and make it had to concentrate.

 

This was not your typical yoga class; the instructor was not one of those touchy feely people like you find in the states. He was no nonsense, barking orders and poses. I would say this was a moderate class; there were definitely some more advanced poses and holds. Overall it was an enjoyable hour.

 

After yoga we headed to the buffet for another made to order omelet (they were SO good). Then we got in our swimsuits and headed up to the Solstice deck for the strenuous part of the day...reading, sun, drinking, napping.

 

The captain gave a Q&A that morning that our friend went to. He said it was interesting but the captain wouldn't enter any hard questions (describe a dangerous situation, etc). He did say that the calm seas and great weather made this one of the nicest cruises the last several months. There was also a brunch in the MDR that day that we skipped (too busy soaking up the sun).

 

After our usual afternoon routine (ice cream, hot tub), we returned to our stateroom to pack. Boo. We set our luggage out, left our room steward an extra tip (he was great) and had our last dinner in the MDR (finally, seated without a wait, but server was rushed). I could feel the cranky seeping back into me!

 

Everyone asks about disembarking. Our flight wasn't until 2:30pm so we were in no rush to get off the ship. We got the last number (60) with a disembark time of 9:45am. At 8am we vacated our stateroom and headed to the buffet, which was a ZOO. No worries, we took our time, ate, and then settled down in the library with about 6 other passengers. As numbers were called, we just relaxed and waited. Finally our number was called at 9:45am and we walked off, we were probably among the last 30 passengers off the ship. There was a long line to get your suitcases, but it kept moving. By about 10:15am we were through suitcases and customs, and then we hit the taxi line. It was LONG. After about 15 minutes we jumped out of line and got in a passenger van that was ready to leave, and off to the airport we went.

[micmacmissy]

Wrapping it Up

 

So overall, this was easily the best cruise we've had (out of the 4 we've taken).

 

Highlights were:

Ship: it's clean, beautiful, spacious, elegant

Service: Other than the MDR, service is really great

Lounges: The variety of lounges and the pre-dinner live music is fantastic.

Buffet: So much more variety and better quality than Royal and past X cruises.

Ice Cream: Seriously. I'm having withdrawal.

Specialty Dining: Qsine! It's also nice to have lots of specialty options.

Facilities: Gym, spa, hot tubs, solarium, awesome!

 

I really can't say there were any bad things about this cruise. But if you absolutely forced me to come up with some negatives, I mean, like, held a gun to my head and positively made me, or if I were one of those whiny, nit-picky people (oh, you know the type), I'd say...

 

Fine, fine, I'll complain since you're forcing me to...

Main Dining Room: Get with the program, Celebrity! Royal manages to do anytime dining very well. Celebrity dining was a hot mess. I mean, a lukewarm mess. From the lengthy waits to the confused waiters to the smushed in tables, I expected more. And don't even get me started on the podium/reservation lady. I'm still having nightmares about her a week later.

 

Falmouth, Jamaica: Ugh. RCCL and X had a good idea here to build up this port area, but it ain't working. If the Cruise Director has to announce how dangerous a port is and how you shouldn't leave the gates without an escorted tour, what does that tell ya?

 

Laundry Service: Sent hubby's flat front khakis out for a pressing with "NO CREASE" written in huge letters on the form, since he hates a crease in his khakis. They came back with a crease. That's it. I'm never sailing Celebrity again, and I want a written apology and $500 on board credit. <stamps foot>

 

Chair Hogs: Well, what are you gonna do...they're on every ship. I will say that on the last sea day I sat next to an abandoned towel and book for about 4 hours. When I got up, I hid the book. Ha! Take that, chair hog! I hope it took you forever to find your copy of "Miss Manners Guide to Travel Courtesy". I would love to see some enforcement, but I get that this is a lose-lose proposition for the cruise line. Hey, wait, I have an idea: take the iron curtain away from the MDR podium, and put HER in charge of the pool deck! Ha. I'd like to see you leave your chair to take a potty break with her on patrol. I can just see her collecting abandoned paperbacks (and towel clips, honestly, people!) and laughing maniacally. "No lounger for YOU!"

 

Well, that's it for me, kids. I'm now going to continue my slide into post-cruise depression. I have nothing booked although I'm hoping to sell the husband on a summer 2015 cruise on Oasis/Allure with the kiddos. Until then, I'll live vicariously through all of you. So take your cruises and come back with photos and reports!

 

Happy Sailing!

[crazygirl!]

Loved your review - so fun and entertaining! Thanks for sharing!

[pbs14]

Thank you so much! We enjoyed your review and sense of humor greatly!

 

Now...12 days, 12 days, 12 days. You've made us so excited to sail!

[micmacmissy]

 

Now...12 days, 12 days, 12 days. You've made us so excited to sail!

 

Lucky you! Have a wonderful time and report back!

[grammaof8]

Thank you so much! We enjoyed your review and sense of humor greatly!

 

Now...12 days, 12 days, 12 days. You've made us so excited to sail!

 

Truly thank you for this wonderful review! I'm sailing with pbs14 and dwdwnurse and can hardly concentrate with only 12 days left!

Marilyn

[Colorado Buffalo]

Micmacmissy ....

 

can you please tell me how the ship handled 'telling time'

 

meaning ... did they use 'local' time when at port or did they stay on

 

East Coast time ?

[MisterBill99]

Micmacmissy ....

 

can you please tell me how the ship handled 'telling time'

 

meaning ... did they use 'local' time when at port or did they stay on

 

East Coast time ?

The ship stayed on EST time the entire cruise. The only place this was a problem was in Cozumel. I thought it would be an issue in Grand Cayman (as I had on a previous visit there) but I guess that was during the summer and they don't switch to DST so their time was ship time.

[MisterBill99]

I don't think so. Even on the a sea day I only saw one of them occupied. They're aren't very convenient to the pool, although they looked very comfortable!

When we had lunch at Lawn Club Grill the last sea day, several of the alcoves appeared to be in use. Interestingly, the assistant waiters who handle beverages in LCG also service the Alcoves.

[texasrose0219]

I love love love love all of your pictures and your review! Hilarious and informative and now making me think of doing the same itinerary on our next cruise! My DH and I just got off a 7 day with silhouette and was almost amazing. We had select dining and felt there were times that we were treated as if we were less important than those who chose a set time. The service was horrid and at times barred the line on disrespectful. The funny thing is that by the time I booked the trip because it was so late (hubby was coming home from Afghan and we didn't have set leave dates till about a month before) select dining was the only option available to us. We had to wait for long periods of time for a waiter to appear and by the end of the night they may have accomplished putting together a whole sentence or two. Our last cruise was on the Ruby Princess where we had the anytime dining and NEVER had an issue. The wait staff were always extremely attentive and made sure we had a great time. Then there were the shows.....Oh Celebrity...just bless your sweet little heart....the vocals in the production shows made me physically cringe at times and it is sad when your live bands around the ship put on a FAR better show than anything you take valuable time out of your nightly relaxation or gambling to go see. I will say that our Elton John impersonator (his name was different than the one you listed) was amazing and hands down one of the highlights of the trip.

[Colorado Buffalo]

The ship stayed on EST time the entire cruise. The only place this was a problem was in Cozumel. I thought it would be an issue in Grand Cayman (as I had on a previous visit there) but I guess that was during the summer and they don't switch to DST so their time was ship time.

 

so the ship is supposed to be in Cozumel from 7 a.m. - 4 p.m.

 

does this mean it's really 6 a.m. - 3 p.m. Cozumel time ?

 

this is very important to know since I'm trying to plan an excursion which starts at 10:30 a.m. and lasts 4- 4 1/2 hours...

[micmacmissy]

so the ship is supposed to be in Cozumel from 7 a.m. - 4 p.m.

 

does this mean it's really 6 a.m. - 3 p.m. Cozumel time ?

 

this is very important to know since I'm trying to plan an excursion which starts at 10:30 a.m. and lasts 4- 4 1/2 hours...

 

Yes, that's right. Depending on what time of year you're there (not sure if Mexico does daylight savings time). But just keep your watch on ship time and you'll be okay. We got to Cozumel at 10am but it was 9am local. So yes, you'll have to be back at the ship by 3pm local time!

[Colorado Buffalo]

when is the latest one should be back aboard ?

 

is it like an airline where one should be aboard 10 min B4 departure ?

[suzzek]

Thank you for taking the time to post your wonderful pictures and very witty review! We were on the ship 2 weeks b/f you with 2 other couples, so 6 altogether. We had a wonderful cruise, and it was the first time for all of us in those ports. Hubby & I had 3 other X cruises under our belts, so it was fun to share the WOW factor with our friends , who were on their first cruise. We left the port area in Falmouth on an organized culinary/historical walking tour. We really enjoyed it, and are so glad we went. In Labadee we rented a cabana and loved it. If we're ever back in Labadee we will rent one again. For $80.+/couple, your own "cabana boy" and floating mats, we thought it was a great bargain. Somehow, we missed seeing all the vendors and shopping opportunities:D. Enjoy your future cruises, and I will look forward to your future reviews!