On board Celebrity Silhouette, June 11-June 25.

[cachouonacruise]

So, thank-you for your interest in my pictures.

 

Yesterday was a fabulous day in Iceland. We really enjoyed the Ring of Fire excursion. So, I will share some of our best moment. Of note, the last two pictures were taken from our cabin's balcony after 23h PM. I hope you will enjoy! 

 

This morning we went to the Blue Lagoon, and I will post these pictures in my next post.

 

 

[WeBcruisingMN]

@cachouonacruisethanks for your stupendous pics too!
I especially love your representation of our wonderful weather day in Iceland on June 20- looks like you had a great tour and saw some wondrous beauty of the land. Even if we have a rainy dreary sailaway from Reykjavik, what a great cruise it has been, right? Onward to Belfast!

 

Not sure if you already mentioned this, but Guest Relations told me we are sailing with 2,091 guests. I also heard from a crew member that we have approximately 960+ Americans and 760+ Brits… plus other nationalities. I was kind of interested to hear the top national representations, so I asked…. And I know some have asked or wondered about the passenger count on cruises. 

Edited June 21, 2022 by WeBcruisingMN

[chemmo]

We cruised last year on Silhouette when masks were mandatory and had no issues doing so. Picking up our masks as we left the suite was simply a habit.
 

We do not board Silhouette now until October this year but we will be wearing masks inside in lifts and moving between venues…Regardless of what is advised. Not only do we hope it will keep us well if it saves us from inadvertently infecting someone else that is also a plus…

[cachouonacruise]

So, we are leaving Iceland in a similar fashion than we arrived: rain, fog, strong winds and heavy seas. 
 

But, we did have a nice opportunity this morning to enjoy a beautiful experience this morning at the Blue Lagoon.

 

Enjoy the images from our perspective:

 

P.s. My next post on this thread, will be on Thursday, from Belfast.

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

Wonderful pictures of the Blue Lagoon.   Curious as to what the temperatures were like during your stop.   I'm expecting cloudy and possibly drizzle but wondering how heavy we need to pack for our visit in August.

[cachouonacruise]

4 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Wonderful pictures of the Blue Lagoon.   Curious as to what the temperatures were like during your stop.   I'm expecting cloudy and possibly drizzle but wondering how heavy we need to pack for our visit in August.

 

We went very early this morning. Left the ship at 08h00 AM and entered the lagoon at about 09h00 AM

 

The air was chilly in the morning and we needed a light jacket to walk from the bus, to the building, where the changing rooms and shower are.

They are extremely well organized. Body soap, shampoo, conditioners, lockers with a locking bracelet are provided.

 

Once you're shower and in your bathing suit, you can access the lagoon, from inside the building.

 

In the water, it's very comfortable, and you have access to a bar, without going out of the water...

 

So, for us it went really well and the rain only started after our return to the ship.

[kinshasa]

23 hours ago, cublet said:

Hello,

 

A letter from the hotel director is now asking guests to wear a mask whilst indoors unless eating or drinking.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

We are currently on board. I notice an increase in masks but it’s not enforced totally.

[ladylemondrop]

On 6/14/2022 at 11:44 PM, cachouonacruise said:

Thank-you very much for the tip regarding lemon tarts, I will definitely try them!

Lovely photos of your ports of call, but can we please see the lemon tarts too? 😊 

 

[cachouonacruise]

1 hour ago, ladylemondrop said:

Lovely photos of your ports of call, but can we please see the lemon tarts too? 😊 

 

Sadly, I have been to Al Bacio a few times and looked for these "famous" lemon tarts and have not seen them yet.

 

I will try to look again and even ask for them next time. I will post a picture of them, if I finally am able to put my hands on this delicassy.

[jwlane]

18 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Curious as to what the temperatures were like during your stop.

August 19, 20, 2019, at 7AM in Reykjavik it was 39° and 45° when I started my runs.  On the 21st it was 39° arriving in Aukreyri.

[Jim_Iain]

7 hours ago, cachouonacruise said:

Sadly, I have been to Al Bacio a few times and looked for these "famous" lemon tarts and have not seen them yet.

 

I will try to look again and even ask for them next time. I will post a picture of them, if I finally am able to put my hands on this delicassy.

Now that's disappointing.   We were just on Silhouette in April.   They usually only have them in the afternoon as in the morning they have Muffins an Pastries. 

Edited June 22, 2022 by Jim_Iain

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, jwlane said:

August 19, 20, 2019, at 7AM in Reykjavik it was 39° and 45° when I started my runs.  On the 21st it was 39° arriving in Aukreyri.

Thanks... that's perfect...  KInda what I had in mind.      I bought some puffers and many of the reviews say they are comfortable down to about 35F.      Last cruise we brought heavy winter jackets and took up too much space in our suitcases so wanted something packable.     I was think using in combination with a a layer of sweater or sweat shirt -   Also have a waterproof slicker which I bought oversize o wear over the top if required.  

[jwlane]

43 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 Also have a waterproof slicker  

Luckily not a hint of precip all 3 days.

[cachouonacruise]

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Now that's disappointing.   We were just on Silhouette in April.   They usually only have them in the afternoon as in the morning they have Muffins an Pastries. 

I am not giving up. After talking with an Al Bacio server, I learned that my timing was off... So, I am still hoping to taste them! 

[Jim_Iain]

3 hours ago, jwlane said:

Luckily not a hint of precip all 3 days.

 

 

 Absolutely gorgeous falls... Where were these.   I can only hope for clear skies but ready for anything.  Since were are doing a B2B the only port with limited time is Rekjavik.    We get in at 7 and depart at 4:00       I was able to book a foodie walking tour but may have to cut a little short depending on when we have to be back to the ship. 

 

I've booked a couple hikes to various falls in other sites.   That one looks really interesting. 

[Jim_Iain]

22 minutes ago, cachouonacruise said:

I am not giving up. After talking with an Al Bacio server, I learned that my timing was off... So, I am still hoping to taste them! 

Get a bag of 4 as they also keep well.  

[jwlane]

34 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 Where were these. 

This is Gulfoss---we visited it on a Golden Circle Tour (Thingvellir, Geysir Geothermal Area & Secret Lagoon)---not sure if you'd have time for all those---I think some tours omit Secret Lagoon.  Ours was the "Hot Golden Circle (incl. Secret Lagoon)"

Edited June 22, 2022 by jwlane

[cachouonacruise]

15 hours ago, ladylemondrop said:

Lovely photos of your ports of call, but can we please see the lemon tarts too? 😊 

 

Thanks to Jim's suggestion, I was finally able to find and taste the famous Al Bacio's Lemon tarts! Delicious indeed!!!

 

 

 

 

Edited June 22, 2022 by cachouonacruise
The picture did not seem to be included as intended

[hcat]

Amazing photos continue...thank you again!

[chemmo]

OP sincere thanks for your wonderful review and fantastic pictures. We have had Iceland on our bucket list for some time although I think we may land tour rather than cruise…Certainly seems to be plenty to do…

 

A couple of questions…

 

How strenuous are the tours? How much walking over rough ground? 

How rough was the crossing to Iceland?

 

So nice to enjoy your reports with morning coffee.

[cachouonacruise]

37 minutes ago, chemmo said:

OP sincere thanks for your wonderful review and fantastic pictures. We have had Iceland on our bucket list for some time although I think we may land tour rather than cruise…Certainly seems to be plenty to do…

 

A couple of questions…

 

How strenuous are the tours? How much walking over rough ground? 

How rough was the crossing to Iceland?

 

So nice to enjoy your reports with morning coffee.

Hi Chemmo,

 

There is definitely a lot to do, see and learn in Iceland. We really enjoyed our visit in this unique kingdom. 
 

Regarding the concept of Land Trip versus Cruise, I would highly suggest to check prices very carefully. Everything being sooo expensive in Iceland.  For example, a simple deck of cards, cost us $17 CDN (at home it would be $4), a key chain ($ 9 CDN), a T-shirt was $50 CDN etc. We were told that car renting prices were really high too... So, definitely worth, checking in details, prior to make your final choice, to ensure you're not negatively surprised.

 

On the tours we did, we did not have to do any strenuous walking. A couple of walking tours were on gravel, for relatively short distances. For example, the visit to the First Parliament Area, involved a 700 meters walk on a slope, between two parking areas. It's easier to choose to walk down the slope rather to walk it up. You just have to choose your correct point of departure, and ideally, have a driver that will drop you at one end and pick you up at the other end.

 

The crossing...Weather is...changing all the times... Our crossing from Liverpool to Reykjavik was pretty rough with waves 15 to 20 feet, while the captain guided us around a fairly powerful weather system. Returning from Reykjavik to Belfast, ....it was similar, if not a tad worse, because the waves hit the ship, from left to right, generating quite a bit if rocking.... I'm sure though, that crossing conditions will vary from time of the year and from cruise to cruise...

 

Good luck in planning your trip and enjoy!!!

[lydnsyd]

On 6/21/2022 at 5:15 PM, chemmo said:

We cruised last year on Silhouette when masks were mandatory and had no issues doing so. Picking up our masks as we left the suite was simply a habit.
 

We do not board Silhouette now until October this year but we will be wearing masks inside in lifts and moving between venues…Regardless of what is advised. Not only do we hope it will keep us well if it saves us from inadvertently infecting someone else that is also a plus…

We did the same on our recent Reflection cruise but not many people did.  Even doing that we still caught Covid 

[chemmo]

58 minutes ago, cachouonacruise said:

Hi Chemmo,

 

There is definitely a lot to do, see and learn in Iceland. We really enjoyed our visit in this unique kingdom. 
 

Regarding the concept of Land Trip versus Cruise, I would highly suggest to check prices very carefully. Everything being sooo expensive in Iceland.  For example, a simple deck of cards, cost us $17 CDN (at home it would be $4), a key chain ($ 9 CDN), a T-shirt was $50 CDN etc. We were told that car renting prices were really high too... So, definitely worth, checking in details, prior to make your final choice, to ensure you're not negatively surprised.

 

On the tours we did, we did not have to do any strenuous walking. A couple of walking tours were on gravel, for relatively short distances. For example, the visit to the First Parliament Area, involved a 700 meters walk on a slope, between two parking areas. It's easier to choose to walk down the slope rather to walk it up. You just have to choose your correct point of departure, and ideally, have a driver that will drop you at one end and pick you up at the other end.

 

The crossing...Weather is...changing all the times... Our crossing from Liverpool to Reykjavik was pretty rough with waves 15 to 20 feet, while the captain guided us around a fairly powerful weather system. Returning from Reykjavik to Belfast, ....it was similar, if not a tad worse, because the waves hit the ship, from left to right, generating quite a bit if rocking.... I'm sure though, that crossing conditions will vary from time of the year and from cruise to cruise...

 

Good luck in planning your trip and enjoy!!!

Thanks for that! My sister enjoyed a five day land trip there pre covid and were also shocked at the prices and as they had visited at the height of midge season it did put a bit of a damper on an otherwise great trip! Another possible alternative is the little ship (can’t remember it’s name) that seasonally cruises around Iceland…I think it doubles as the postal ship. Certainly not Celebrity standards but we  liked the quirkiness of it when we saw it on a documentary….

 

As and when we visit we will definitely do our homework on tours….

 

Re the rough seas…We have been through a few storms over the years and I tend to retreat to my bed well dosed up whilst my husband and son will enjoy natures spectacle! I think the trip overall would be worth the stormy day or two…

 

Sincere thanks for taking time out from your cruise to answer…

[upwarduk]

14 hours ago, cachouonacruise said:

Returning from Reykjavik to Belfast, ....it was similar, if not a tad worse, because the waves hit the ship, from left to right, generating quite a bit if rocking.... I'm sure though, that crossing conditions will vary from time of the year and from cruise to cruise...

We had similar in July 2009.
Our crossing between Iceland & Ireland was rough.

Mind, when we arrived in Iceland, there was snow on the hills, which made for good pictures.😱

[cachouonacruise]

All good things must come to an end, and this will be my last posting of pictures of our port of calls, since Belfast, today, was our last stop, prior to return and disembark in Southampton on Saturday.

 

Strangely, in this area of the world, known for rainy days, we experienced a mix of sunshine and clouds at all our ports on this cruise! However, the price to pay, was on sea days, where we met : strong winds, heavy seas, cold temperatures, fog and rain. 
 

Sadly, as we left Belfast, the ship was again prepared for rough conditions, for our last sea days.

 

A few comments about this cruise: Staff performance was excellent! Our cabin attendant, our dining staff at table 230, waiters at The Porch, Murano, Sushi on 5, all exceeded our expectations. Our experiences at the Martini Bar and World Class Bar were really enjoyable. Of course, staff and service at Cafe al Bacio, excellent as usual!

 

On the entertainment side, for the most part, we enjoyed activities, and musical performance, in particular, the following: Uptown, Our Lady Valentine, Ben Richards and Bristol Fashion. And, as you can see, we also enjoyed our excursions: All Celebrity Excursions, with the exception of the walking tour in Guernsey, where Annette Henry, offered us an exceptional performance.

 

So, the promised pictures:

 

A few from Belfast Harbour,

Most from the Giant Causeway

And the last few from the city if Belfast!

 

In closing, thank-you very much for following this thread and for your support! 
 

Enjoy the pictures!