Photo Review: Celebrity Silhouette 2/7/16 Western Caribbean

[HeatherC430]

 

 

 

 

 

[HeatherC430]

 

 

 

 

 

[HeatherC430]

Here's one picture I took as we walked through the top deck that night after the sun went down. I will say that I loved the look of the top decks of this ship at night with their colorful lights. It made me wish that there was more going on in the evenings on the top deck. It seemed like periodically they would plan something and either it would be moved due to weather, or we wouldn't make it that late in the evening. For example, tonight at 10:30pm there was an Interactive Theme Deck Party. We had another early morning the next day in Jamaica, and didn't make it out late to see if it went on or not.

 

 

My DH testing the hot tub temperature. We did go in the hot tub in the Solarium on the last sea day for a bit. I must say, we're spoiled with our hot tub at home (and/or we're just high maintenance). The water didn't seem "hot" enough (warm sure). And there weren't any "jets". I guess if you didn't know any better you'd think this was what hot tubs were supposed to be like?

 

 

 

 

We ordered room service breakfast again the next morning. It really was becoming one of our favorite things. There's alot to be said for avoiding the overcrowded buffet area at peak times.

 

 

The weather outside our window that morning in Jamaica wasn't looking very good (and the forecast for the day was rain!)

 

[sistersfirstcruise]

Loving the review. DH and I sail on Silhouette this Sunday and I cannot wait.

My sister and I had a very similar experience in Grand Cayman during a Carnival Cruise. It was a gorgeous sunny day and we met our driver and were told that everybody else had cancelled via email through the night as it was supposed to be stormy.... We all looked to the sky and laughed [emoji4].

We did our Jet Ski tour with Fat Fish Adventures that went to Stingray City, Starfish Point and a snorkelling spot. It was amazing. We each had our own jet ski's. Thankfully our guide had lots of food for us to feed them and I was very happy to have booked this separately from the cruise line as we had a very private experience and were so happy we were not on the crowded boats.

 

Anxiously awaiting more photos and posts. (ps, double chins are ok [emoji6] )

[HeatherC430]

We were scheduled to be in the Jamaican port of Falmouth today from 8am until 5pm. As I mentioned in my last post, upon looking outside the weather wasn't very nice at all. Zero sun, light sprinkle, and the forecast in our Celebrity Today stated today would be partly cloudy, with a chance of rain. Going into the day, I was a little bit bummed because I was most looking forward to this day in port. Upon booking this cruise last year onboard the Summit, I immediately began researching excursions (as I tend to) and came upon pictures and reviews of Blue Hole in Jamaica. I knew that it wasn't going to be close to the port we would be docked at, but figured it was worth the effort to get there. I found an excursion operator who did this tour from several Jamaican ports and contacted him immediately (literally almost a year ago). Within minutes, I had a response from my email inquiry.

 

At first he was hesitant to confirm my booking as it was SO early and we were literally the only two booked on the tour for that day. He initially asked if he could keep my information on file and let me know closer to the tour day if any others would be joining us for the tour to go on. Since the website stated there was a minimum of 4 people to book for the tour to go on, I inquired if we would be able to pay the surcharge of the two additional people to ensure we'd be able to have the tour that day. Truthfully, I'd prefer private tours anyways, so it really wasn't a loss if no one else from our ship signed up for the tour with us. Plus, the tour price per person on the website was $50 each, so even paying for all 4 people (if it was just the two of us) was only $200 total anyways.

 

The tour operator (Dwight) even gave me a slight discount to that cost as well - $180 total for a private tour for the both of us ($36 deposit to hold our spot, and additional $144 due in cash on the day of tour). I couldn't have been more pleased with the tour operator at this point. The price was right, we were having a private tour, and getting to see the Blue Hole I'd admired from pictures for pretty much the year leading up to the cruise. I had emailed Dwight several times after the initial setup to confirm and ensure we were still set for tour day, and always received prompt and courteous service.

 

Below is a link to the tour available through their website with details they had provided.

 

Excursions in Jamaica (also known as Karandas Tours)

http://excursionsinjamaica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=260&Itemid=427

 

The Blue Hole & Secrets Falls Excursion from Falmouth

 

The Blue Hole and Secret Falls is probably the most sought after tourist attraction in Ocho Rios. There are many unknown waterfalls in Jamaica, but the secret in Ocho Rios is the most accessible one. Travel east of the Ocho Rios town for approximately 4 miles, pass through local communities and then head into the rural hills until we get to the remote Irie Blue & Secret Falls attraction. The Blue Hole is deep and a lot of fun for good swimmers and divers of all ages.

 

The White River’s blue hazy water adds to the beauty of the surroundings.

Included in this attraction for thrill seekers is a Tarzan Rope swing after which you can jump in the river pool, you may explore small caves, climb behind the water falls, go cliff diving into the river, hike along the river and get covered in clay from the river bank. Bask in the sun, enjoy the cool breeze in the hills, and spend a day in the Jamaican bush enjoying the beautiful surroundings away from the crowds associated with larger tourist attractions.

 

This is an off the beaten track attraction that supports the local economy, you will be assisted with guides and trained life guards as you go through the property, they are eager to help you enjoy this one of a kind attraction. Bathrooms facilities and changing rooms are also available at the Secret Falls. We guarantee that you will enjoy this experience, consider it to be your #1 attraction and go away with many memories of adventure and fun.

RATES

 

Adult: US$50.00

Duration: apprx. 5 hours

Minimum persons: 4

 

Based on the email exchange, we were instructed to meet our tour guide that day at 8:30am. The only negative I've ever found with booking independent tours in port, is that sometimes it can be challenging to find your tour guide in port that day. Sometimes you get lucky and see someone with a T-shirt or sign with the tour company name, other times you get lucky (or not so much) asking the right person if they know where you can find your tour company. We got off the Silhouette pretty much as early as we were allowed upon arriving in port for this reason - you never know how long it'll take to track down the tour operator. By about 8:15 we started asking around when it wasn't apparent where to go. Finally we were directed to a white tent just outside the shops, but still within the port confines. They had a few benches under the tent and at that point only tour operators were there. One of the other tour operators told us to have a seat under the tent and wait for them there.

 

We got to talking to one gentleman who asked with tour company we were using. He asked if I had the company's number and took out his cell phone and phoned them (I had left my cell phone on-board the ship as we were doing water activities that day). He phoned the operator directly and passed the phone to me. There must have been a slight confusion with the meeting time as they had me down for 9:00 meeting time and not the 8:30 my email had stated. I got another phone call a few minutes later (on the gentleman's phone) letting me know our driver would be Robert and he was on his way, and would be there asap. Dwight apologized for any inconvenience. Before long another couple from an RCCL ship was using the same tour company. We didn't initially know if they were on our tour or another.

 

Once Robert arrived, he stated he'd take the other couple to their driver as it was on our way. Even though we had a slight delay that morning, the meeting time could have just as much been my fault as I did book the tour over a year ago! Who knows what could have changed with the tour company since then. Anyways, it was smooth sailing as we made our way to Blue Hole. It is a pretty lengthy drive, but Robert was happy to answer any questions we had on our way. Right before we arrived, we pickup up a young man along the side of the road who was waiting for us. This was "little T" our guide for maneuvering Blue Hole.

 

Once we arrived, we were able to keep our bags in the car with Robert as he was waiting in the parking lot for us while we were at Blue Hole. There were restrooms to use when you arrived. Little T got us situated with our wristbands and entry fee and we were on our way. Lucky for us (well me...really), little T wasn't all that little at I'd guess over 6 foot tall. He was clearly skilled at maneuvering over the rocks and falls. He did an excellent job throughout our time helping me to make sure I knew where to step, where it was deep enough to jump, etc. My DH made it clear to him to just worry about me, and he'd be fine without any assistance. And probably the most important part, he offered to take my waterproof camera with him during much of the time and took countless pictures as we maneuvered. Talk about scoring brownie points with me! lol.

 

The time at the Blue Hole and Secret falls went all too quickly. I could have spent all day there. It did sprinkle off and on throughout our time there, but it didn't really matter as we were in the water the whole time.

 

For anyone contemplating this tour over Dunns River Falls (I've done it on a prior cruise with my mother), I'd rate this trip to Blue Hole WAY BETTER! This felt authentic and not like another tourist trap. You had the flexibility to do different jumps or swim in whatever areas you wanted, and weren't raced through holding hands with each member of your group. Also, this wasn't a fraction as crowded as Dunns. I'll post any other comments that come to mind as I'm posting pictures in the next several threads, but I can't say enough good things about this tour company and Blue Hole!

 

After the time at Blue Hole, Robert was waiting for us as he had promised. I had also inquired about adding on a stop for an authentic Jamaican lunch. Robert was happy to make this stop as well as any others that we requested as we were on a private tour.

 

Long story short...THIS WAS EASILY OUR BEST DAY IN PORT! Our favorite excursion of the cruise, and also the friendliest of tour guides and locals we encountered.

 

One other side note that's definitely worth mentioning. Many times on the message boards I'd read time and time again how so many people either 1. stay on-board the ship when in one of the Jamaican ports, or 2. they don't leave the port area as they complain about the locals being pushy, etc.

 

Our experience couldn't have been more further than that. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that those we met in Jamaica (specifically Robert and little T) were great ambassadors for their country. We actually had MUCH better experience in Jamaica with the locals than we did on our other ports of call. They actually seemed genuinely interested in ensuring we had a great time, and interacting with us whereas others in days in port were clearly giving the bare minimum in terms of effort.

 

Bottom-line - Don't avoid venturing out and about in Jamaica based on what others opinions may be, or what you read on the message boards. If you do so, you just may miss a great day in port. I honestly think that if you fully research the excursion and/or tour company you're interested in, you won't be disappointed with your experience.

 

Onto the pictures...

 

 

 

 

 

[HeatherC430]

I think I should have warned little T to avoid getting any double chins while he was documenting our excursion! I really have to work on my posture in action shots ;)

 

 

Worried little T was going to get more than he bargained for as the waterfall momentum was about to take my top down.

 

 

 

 

[HeatherC430]

Let me go on record that my DH loves to jump off things, into things. He'll regular jump, back dive, front flip, back flip...you name it. One time he even jumped off the roof of our pool bar into the shallow end of our pool. He'll do flips off the boat in the summer-time. Flips into the main pool onboard the cruise ship when no one's looking. He'll regularly jump off the bridge over the lake in the summer. Then, there's me! I'll jump off a diving board or into a pool and that's about it. So, I was actually really pleased with myself that I did any of the jumps here at Blue Hole. That being said, ignore my form...I'm clearly not the most graceful of jumpers. I was just happy I didn't hit any rocks on my way down! Even though you can't see my DH's face in the first picture, you can tell that he's grinning ear-to-ear watching me jump!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[HeatherC430]

 

 

 

This was about as crowded as any of the areas got at any point while we were there.

 

 

And there goes my DH for his famous back dive...If I didn't see him do these things so frequently, I'd be worried.

 

 

Every once in awhile there will be a back-smacker though...

 

[HeatherC430]

At least my form was getting a little better...

 

 

 

Luckily, my DH knows my limits and took one look at this below and immediately said this "wasn't for me". I couldn't help but agree. Truth be told this would have been the only thing there that I would have been really nervous to do. I'm glad he said it wouldn't be a good idea, because I had envisioned myself slip-n-sliding straight down the waterfall! And...it was one of the busiest spots there.

 

 

 

 

[HeatherC430]

Gearing up for another jump after some young kids. This was the highest one of them all (for me). It was as high as I was willing to go. My DH did a few that were higher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[HeatherC430]

 

 

 

 

 

[HeatherC430]

 

 

 

 

[HeatherC430]

Right as it was approaching the time to go and it was clear we had made our way through most of what Blue Hole had to offer, little T asked if we were about ready to go (I assume they have to stick to a time schedule as it's a longer drive each way back to port). Then, I mentioned that I had seen photos online of going through the side of the waterfall and under it. It was clear that this wasn't going to be on the standard tour...but since I asked about it, little T was ready to indulge us. (This is why you do your research people!)

 

There were two ways to get under the waterfall. In the picture below you can see the small opening at the bottom of the falls where you can swim underneath the falls and be "under" the falls (this was the option we did). There was also a small hole in the side that little T was about to show us - See pictures below.

 

 

Our guide "little T" going through the side of the waterfall to get underneath.

 

 

 

 

little T showing us how to go under the falls. My DH went first.

 

 

[HeatherC430]

And there he goes...

 

 

 

Under the waterfall! Pretty cool. It's not everyday you get to swim literally UNDER a waterfall.

 

 

 

 

Looking up...

 

[HeatherC430]

 

 

Swimming out from under...

 

 

 

View up as you were swimming under...

 

 

You had to be careful because there were people walking down the waterfall above you and jumping into the water below.

Our guide watched for us and told us when it was ok to go for this reason.

[HeatherC430]

Scotchies is where Robert has chosen to have our authentic Jamaican lunch. There was a reasonable amount of other tourists as well so it must have been one of the hot spots. Robert walked us through and suggested a few items to order. Looking it up online after returning home it appears it's ranked #2 in Ocho Rios restaurants on Trip Advisor. The food was all really good, and everything was reasonably priced. This place is definitely worth a stop if you're in the area.

 

 

They cook the Jerk chicken and pork, just as I've seen on the Travel Channel! This is exactly what I was looking for!

 

 

 

 

If you read my other reviews, it's not surprising to see my DH (aka the cat whisperer) having the local felions flocking to him. This was no exception.

 

 

 

This lunch was our last stop on our excursion before heading back to port. It was a perfect end to the day.

[HeatherC430]

It was raining pretty good on the drive back. We even saw a car that had flipped off the side of the road due to road conditions. See below (taken through the car window as we passed)

 

 

 

 

[HeatherC430]

Due to our early morning meeting time, and the amount of rain after we returned to the port, we didn't have really any time to check out the shops or take pictures of the port. We of course, made one stop at the Harley Shop in the port so that I could get my dad his token black Harley t-shirt (He gets one from pretty much everywhere I vacation if/when I see one). I was surprised to see one in this port area though, as I had been to the one in Ocho Rios on my last time in Jamaica. These were the few pictures I took before boarding the Silhouette after our day in port.

 

 

 

 

 

[micmacmissy]

Great review!

 

The hot tubs in Silhouette do have jets...they turn off to conserve power if no one is in them. Had you gotten in, you would have seen the button to push to turn the jets on!

 

Blue Hole looks awesome...will have to try that on our next port day in Jamaica!

[goodycruising]

Thank you for taking the time on your review. Fantastic pictures. We have only done Solstice with Celebrity and it was lovely to see all the ship pictures. Some thing similar, and some differences, like the Oceanview Cafe and some seating around the ship. :)

[HeatherC430]

Great review!

 

The hot tubs in Silhouette do have jets...they turn off to conserve power if no one is in them. Had you gotten in, you would have seen the button to push to turn the jets on!

 

Blue Hole looks awesome...will have to try that on our next port day in Jamaica!

 

Thank you! I recall your last Silhouette photo review was great as well! It was one of the few Silhouette photo reviews I remember reading when doing cruise research for this trip.

 

We did go into the hot tubs on the last sea day. Yes, we saw and pushed the button when inside the hot tub. While you're probably correct that someone technically considered those bubbles to be "jets", I assure you, what we experienced was a very loose interpretation of "jets".

 

Below is an interior view of our hot tub at home with what I like to call "jets". My point, is that we felt the hot tub experience was very lack luster (for two individuals whom hot tub several times per week). The "jets" should feel as though they're massaging various parts of your back, neck, etc. What we experienced was some small bubbles generated in various areas, but didn't operate like the jets we know (and love). Then again, if the hot tubs had jets that were positioned and operated as they should, then no one onboard would have any need to have massages done in the spa. And, like I mentioned earlier, the temperature wasn't "hot" enough. I don't believe the sub par hot tub experience would qualify as Modern Luxury. ;)

 

Yes - I can't say enough great things about our Blue Hole experience.

It would be even better if you were at a closer port so that the drive wasn't as long (potentially the only downside one might argue).

 

[HeatherC430]

I'll start off by saying that 99% of the time in port, I always book excursions or activities for at least half of the day either through the cruise line or independently. This was my first trip to Labadee. After reading through each of the excursions available through the ship (since let's face it, there's literally NO other options of independent tours), I settled on booking the Sandbar Island Adult Getaway through Celebrity. We were scheduled to be in port from 10am through 5pm that day. The tour was supposed to operate from 1:15pm through 3:45pm, so I was planning on spending the first few hours walking around checking out the beach areas, then the tour would fill the duration of the day in port.

 

Our Celebrity Today stated the forecast for the day was a high of 85F with partly cloudy, showers (not exactly what you'd like have for a beach and sandboar/boat ride). Knowing that, it didn't come as a total shock when we received a voicemail in our room that morning that our tour was being cancelled due to water conditions. At that point, since we had a busy few days, and options of tours were already limited, we decided to just skip doing a tour that day, and explore what Labadee had to offer.

 

Overall, we had a pretty decent day in port considering the options of what was available. While I wouldn't hesitate to book another cruise that included Labadee, I also wouldn't go out of my way to book an itinerary that included it either. Personally, I prefer non-private island ports that have more to offer in terms of activities and excursions. I'd rather my "beach time" be added in before or after my tour (or included as a brief stop within a tour). I'll try to balance out the good and the bad as we did find it to be a mix of both.

 

Pros:

1. Drink package you have on-board is included in Labadee although beer is poured into plastic cups (my DH was sour was this) - but at least you're not spending extra money on drinks as you would during any other "beach day" on any other island. Cruise-line food is also setup in Labadee free of charge although we personally did not eat while there or even check out the offerings.

2. We did a full walk around all areas using the walking map. While the area isn't huge and it doesn't take long to walk the whole way around, there are various areas to explore, rather than just one strip of beach. This made it a little bit more interesting seeing the various areas.

3. Several different beach areas, all of which are something nice about them depending on what you were looking for.

 

**Personally, I think for those who rave about Labadee this is the big drawl. A beach day that is setup with very little effort and can essentially be expense free.

 

Cons: (for us)

1. While the weather ended up being decent for us, it wasn't a super nice/sunny day all day, and everywhere we went seemed busier than I would have liked. While there were some beaches that were less busy, they were still busy. We were the only ship in port that day too. I literally can't imagine how crowded it would feel on beautiful sunny day with two ships in port!

2. Lack of excursions or anything outside of the confines of the RCCL cruise port. Not every cruise passenger wants a beach day. I find it hard to believe that there's literally nothing else to do in Haiti (or tours that could be created by locals showing everyday life, etc). Whatever they have (or lack-there-of) they need to find a way to market it. If they put half as much effort into this as they do selling their wares, they would no doubt be profitable (which leads me to #3)

3. The vendors! Now, I love milling around looking at the same dumb junk in port like anyone else. My DH has limited tolerance for it, but is always willing to indulge me when the opportunity presents itself (within reason). We started in the stalls where the local vendors where, and literally each one tries desperately to wrangle you into their half cube of wares to see what "they" have to offer. The first handful of times you feel bad so you allow them to show you their stuff even after expressing you're just looking, or not interested in whatever item they're trying to sell you. As soon as you start to walk away or move to the next cube, the next vendor grabs you (not literally) and the process repeats itself. We actually bought a few things (license plate for our pool bar as we do in all ports & a few wooden spoons). However, you're lucky if you can tolerate anymore than 10 minutes or 5 cubes in. Shortly after starting, my DH ended up standing far away from the cubes, but keeping an eye on me (for obvious reasons) as he literally couldn't take anymore. Then, we just kept walking as we were heading to a different area on the map and had to walk the rest of the way through. Anyways, one vendor was really nice as he approached me with desperation to look at this stuff. I stood and talked to him for at least 5 minutes and discussed what the problem was with how the vendors were setup and their hard approach. I told him, after the first handful of vendors, no one wants to look any longer. If they just let you look at what they had uninterrupted (because clearly if you're interested in something you'd ask how much? Or inquire further). I suppose that's the problem though, it isn't clear to them.

 

**Personally, after re-boarding the ship you couldn't help but feel sorry for the locals, and want to buy some of their wares to help them make a living, but the way they went about it, you couldn't bring yourself to endure for very long.

 

I took lots of pictures both before and after our day in port from the ship, specifically some good shots of the shoreline before anyone starting debarking the Silhouette. I'm just going to rapid fire pictures in the order in which they were taken and will comment as I go if necessary.

 

View from our room was already looking better than the last few days we've had.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[HeatherC430]

 

 

 

 

 

[HeatherC430]

 

 

 

 

 

I didn't even realize this until now (as it was sunny when I was taking these pictures with my zoom lens), but I see the Island Sandbar boat (that our excursion was cancelled on!). Even more irritating was later at one of the beaches we had talked to someone who went on a snorkel tour that day that wasn't cancelled!

 

[HeatherC430]