Trip Report: 12-night Holiday Cruise in the Caribbean on the SILHOUETTE (2018)

[DENIE]

Once again, Linda, GREAT review!!! Your photos brought back so many memories of our recent cruise.  Considering we just got off the Silhouette (9 night ABC Island) in early December, you helped bridge the "depression" from leaving an awesome cruise.  Now, if only our Mediterranean cruise in November can hurry up! 

[SleepingUgly]

1 hour ago, Martini Queenie said:

Linda thank you for the amazing review! I loved your style of writing - you have done what I have always wanted to do but somehow never find the time to do when we get home from the cruise. Thank you for sharing all the stories of your excursions and posting the wonderful pictures of your family and the sites.  DH and I will be leaving on Sunday on the Silhouette and your review has made these last few weeks bearable as we count the days to our cruise. 

 

Cant wait to read along on your next family cruise! 

Thanks again and happy new year to you and your family!

 

Jen

 

Thank you so much for staying with me all these days, Jen!  It was a lot of fun to relive our vacation again so really appreciate the opportunity to have been able to do that.  These last few days before your cruise will fly by, believe it or not.  I hope you and your husband have a wonderful vacation.  Safe travels and happy, happy new year!

 

Linda

 

[SleepingUgly]

55 minutes ago, Decpl said:

Great review Linda, thanks for taking the time to do all the work. It was fun reading along with your trip.

K and J

 

Thanks so much for reading and following along!!  It was not work at all, although I know I lagged behind some days so sorry about that.  I enjoyed being able to go on vacation again by sharing my experience with all of you.  Thanks for letting me do so!

 

Linda

 

[SleepingUgly]

50 minutes ago, pretty princess said:

Thank you for taking the time to post your review. Very informative and fun to read. Really enjoyed all the pictures you shared!

 

Thank you so much for your compliments!  I had a lot of fun writing the trip report so am glad you found it to be helpful.  The pictures were a combo of those taken mostly by dh and me, and a few from our daughters' phones.  Really appreciate your following along and sticking with me!

 

Linda

 

[SleepingUgly]

4 minutes ago, DENIE said:

Once again, Linda, GREAT review!!! Your photos brought back so many memories of our recent cruise.  Considering we just got off the Silhouette (9 night ABC Island) in early December, you helped bridge the "depression" from leaving an awesome cruise.  Now, if only our Mediterranean cruise in November can hurry up! 

 

Thanks again for staying with me all this time, and especially for all your feedback and comments, Denie!  I am so jealous of your upcoming cruise.  I really want to do an eastern Med / Greek Isle itinerary but feel guilty if I do that without the kids, but it seems as if we may have to do so since their schedules are so wonky.  Safe travels in November, and wherever your plans may take you in the future!

 

Linda

 

[Briggs99]

This was one of the best reviews ever. I loved your humor ! I feel like I know your lovely family. Thank you for sharing with us! 

[anniedave]

Hi Linda,

Ive really enjoyed your review , my husband and I are going on our first ever cruise in Jan 2020 for my 50th. Reading all the reviews on here is helping me prepare for our cruise, but yours is the most entertaining I have read. Thankyou

[amitje]

hi Linda,

 

This was (I know, I'm being repetitive) the best review I've ever read.

We are boarding the Silhouette on the 22nd together with our friends, can't wait! You got me all excited (as if I wasn't excited before ;-))

 

I'm also a planner - and I get the same comments that we shouldn't plan activities for each and every port. And when I give in, we end up standing in the port and after 10 minutes they will all start looking at me and I know what they are going to ask: "so what can we do around here?!!" Really???? Or: which direction do we have to go? As if I've been their 20 times before..

Dh does that every time we go on vacation to a place for the very first time: so now what?! where do we need to go?? Uh..men.

 

Does this mean you will now actually have to work for your money? and what am I going to do now?

I've pretty much planned everything - whatever I was allowed to plan for, which is not a lot - , I've printed all my travel docs..and there is no more fun review to look forward to.. Guess I'll have to work too??!! I'm blaming you for that!!

 

Anyway, thanks for the review - you should get paid for that!

And responding to all the raving comments should keep you busy for a while.

 

greetings from Belgium,

Amy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ktmush2]

WOW! Spectacular trip report on what looks like a fantastic trip. Thanks for taking us all along and for all the time and effort that went into this!

Ken

[willma]

Thank you so much for this wonderful review. I have looked forward to reading about your travels every day, and am sorry to see it end.

I will miss you and your lovely family! Looking forward to the next trip.

We are coming to try out the Caribbean in April for the first time. Most of our cruises have been in Europe, so this will be a different kind of adventure for us. We hope to try out some of those lovely beaches!

[SleepingUgly]

8 hours ago, Briggs99 said:

This was one of the best reviews ever. I loved your humor ! I feel like I know your lovely family. Thank you for sharing with us! 

 

Aww, thanks so much for the compliments!  I can't take all the credit - dh actually helped by organizing the photos after we got home, so it was easier for me to go through them.  So, while he isn't one to do much before a vacation, he's Mr. OCD when it comes to organizing everything afterwards, including unpacking and getting the laundry started the DAY WE GET HOME.  Me?  I would be able to keep my clothes in the suitcase and live out of it until my next trip, haha.

 

Thanks again for following along!

 

Linda

  

[SleepingUgly]

8 hours ago, anniedave said:

Hi Linda,

Ive really enjoyed your review , my husband and I are going on our first ever cruise in Jan 2020 for my 50th. Reading all the reviews on here is helping me prepare for our cruise, but yours is the most entertaining I have read. Thankyou

 

Thanks for reading and following along!  An early congrats on your upcoming 50th birthday!!  I know the cruise is quite a ways away but you will have lots of fun planning in the meantime, I'm sure.  Safe travels, and thanks again for staying with me!
 

Linda

 

[SleepingUgly]

5 hours ago, amitje said:

hi Linda,

 

This was (I know, I'm being repetitive) the best review I've ever read.

We are boarding the Silhouette on the 22nd together with our friends, can't wait! You got me all excited (as if I wasn't excited before ;-))

 

I'm also a planner - and I get the same comments that we shouldn't plan activities for each and every port. And when I give in, we end up standing in the port and after 10 minutes they will all start looking at me and I know what they are going to ask: "so what can we do around here?!!" Really???? Or: which direction do we have to go? As if I've been their 20 times before..

Dh does that every time we go on vacation to a place for the very first time: so now what?! where do we need to go?? Uh..men.

 

Does this mean you will now actually have to work for your money? and what am I going to do now?

I've pretty much planned everything - whatever I was allowed to plan for, which is not a lot - , I've printed all my travel docs..and there is no more fun review to look forward to.. Guess I'll have to work too??!! I'm blaming you for that!!

 

Anyway, thanks for the review - you should get paid for that!

And responding to all the raving comments should keep you busy for a while.

 

greetings from Belgium,

Amy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Amy - I hope things are well in Belgium!  Thank you for your kind words and compliments!  I really did have fun writing this trip report and reliving our vacation, and it really made me that much more appreciative of the fact that we were able to take this trip as a family.  With the kids all getting older - our oldest will turn 20 in June! - and their having their own lives now more and more, this was a wonderful opportunity for us to really reconnect as a family and just enjoy being with each other.  I am sure you and your friends will have a blast!  It will be nice to escape the winter in Europe and enjoy the sunshine in the Caribbean. 

 

In the meantime, maybe I can keep you updated on my daily life to keep you all entertained.  Let's see ... this morning, I got up, got myself ready for work, woke up the little one, helped get her dressed for school, made her breakfast (peanut butter on toast with a banana on the side), packed up her lunch and her school bag, made sure her homework was all in her red folder, told her to feed the dog, got my own lunch packed ... asleep yet?  Yeah, real life is not as exciting as vacations, obviously!

 

Anyway, I hope you have a fantastic trip!  Safe travels and cheers to making great memories!
 

Linda

 

[SleepingUgly]

5 hours ago, ktmush2 said:

WOW! Spectacular trip report on what looks like a fantastic trip. Thanks for taking us all along and for all the time and effort that went into this!

Ken

 

Hi Ken - Thanks for reading and following along this past month!  It was truly a great vacation - we were able to relax, still be active and see new things and meet new people, and still got to really enjoy time with each other.  And I didn't give in and buy expensive jewelry either so a total win on my part, haha.  Thanks again for sticking it out with me!

 

Linda

 

[SleepingUgly]

1 hour ago, willma said:

Thank you so much for this wonderful review. I have looked forward to reading about your travels every day, and am sorry to see it end.

I will miss you and your lovely family! Looking forward to the next trip.

We are coming to try out the Caribbean in April for the first time. Most of our cruises have been in Europe, so this will be a different kind of adventure for us. We hope to try out some of those lovely beaches!

 

Thank you so much for the compliments!  I really want to do a cruise in Europe so am so jealous that you've got to experience that many times already.  I am sure you will love the Caribbean - the beaches are lovely and the water is simply amazing.  

 

Safe travels and hope you have a great vacation!  In the meantime, if you find yourself start to miss my children too much, just drop me a note and I'll be sure to send them your way.  I'll let you know when the little one is extra whiny because I'm all about sharing the joy. #payitforward 😉 

 

Linda

 

[rcssmom]

I loved your review.  I am going to miss reading about your adventures.  Please go on another cruise soon.  😉

 

Karen

[Sheal]

Hi Linda,

 

I have enjoyed living your family's adventure this past month.  Your review was the first thing I checked each morning and got me through each day at work. I think our trip this spring could be the last one with my daughter and my almost a daughter (her bff).  Kind of a bummer.  At least I can look forward to another vacation with my new "family".

 

Thanks for the all the work you put into the review!

 

Lori

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rages100]

Thank you for your fabulous review. We fly out on Friday to join the Silhouette to almost relive your cruise in person. Looks like I will have to re-read it as I have spent far too long reading about your cruise than planning ours. 

Anne

[mkcurran]

15 hours ago, SleepingUgly said:

 

Start.  Drinking.  Now.

 

Haha, seriously, I am sure you will have a great time!  We saw a lot of large families on our cruise and everyone looked like they were having a blast.  The nice thing is - you can all do what you like to do and, even in port, see what you want to see, without having to stick together in a herd.  I'm sure you will have an awesome time.  Safe travels to all!

 

Linda

 

Thanks!

The ability for everybody to scatter their own directions or seek out family time as they wish is exactly why we picked this type of vacation. 

 

And drinking is how I plan on getting through the next two days at work and the drive through LA traffic and......

[micheleata]

Thanks for sharing this wonderful review with us!!  I am so sorry to see it end!  Looking forward to the next one!

[Sadebud]

Linda,

 

Fantastic review!  I'm sorry to see it end!  Love your commentary and humor! Hope to run into you on a future cruise (you have me looking at the holiday 2020...lol) so I can buy you a martini or two!

 

 Happy New Year to you and your wonderful family!

 

Tracy

[WarmH2OSailing]

As as "senior citizen" that has followed your wonderful review from the beginning, I would offer a couple of observations.  A review such as yours is much like a personal travelogue made public.  (My wife and I have been doing the private version for almost 40 years.). Perhaps twenty years from now, or during some family event that brings nostalgia, you'll re-read your review of this vacation while having a hot toddy on a cold winter's morning.  Your eyes will water and you will be truly thankful that you spent the time writing this fine memory. 

 

Thanks again, we enjoyed your trip.

[SleepingUgly]

4 hours ago, rcssmom said:

I loved your review.  I am going to miss reading about your adventures.  Please go on another cruise soon.  😉

 

Karen

 

Haha, Karen, thanks for reading along!  I wish I could go on a cruise every other month or so, but unfortunately, 1) I've got three kids and they are damn expensive to maintain; 2) I've got a FT job and my boss is such a meanie that he won't give me three months of vacation per year ... seriously, who am I, Oliver Twist?; and 3) I've got three kids and they are damn expensive to maintain.  Anyway, thanks again for staying with me!
 

Linda

  

[SleepingUgly]

2 hours ago, Sheal said:

Hi Linda,

 

I have enjoyed living your family's adventure this past month.  Your review was the first thing I checked each morning and got me through each day at work. I think our trip this spring could be the last one with my daughter and my almost a daughter (her bff).  Kind of a bummer.  At least I can look forward to another vacation with my new "family".

 

Thanks for the all the work you put into the review!

 

Lori

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks, Lori, and I really appreciate your reading this past month and especially your feedback and comments.  I really hope you have a fantastic vacation this spring; I am sure you will create some wonderful memories for all of you.  I am not sure what I will do at work, now that this trip report is done!

 

Thanks again, and safe travels!
 

Linda

 

[SleepingUgly]

2 hours ago, rages100 said:

Thank you for your fabulous review. We fly out on Friday to join the Silhouette to almost relive your cruise in person. Looks like I will have to re-read it as I have spent far too long reading about your cruise than planning ours. 

Anne

 

Oh, I am so jealous.  You will have a fabulous time on the Silhouette!  There really is plenty to do on each island, and even I learned that, when nothing is planned, you can still have a fantastic day.  Here's to great weather and safe travels for you, Anne!

 

Linda