Just off Silhouette - still rockin' and Rollin'

[TXranchgal]

We just finished 10 nts on the Silhouette.  The best part of this ship is the way the entire staff treats you.  Everyone we encountered seemed to be happy and just wanted our cruise to be "special".   We are Elite Plus with Celebrity because of the way the staff treats you.   We had an excellent Cabin Steward who was very efficient and seemed to know when we were gone,  so he could freshen up the cabin.   So much for the good part.

 

The first night, the ship started vibrating.  It increased on day 2.  The water was calm, but the rocking and rolling and vibrating were quite annoying.  They needed to use the stabilizers - even if it uses more fuel.  People were unable to use the stairs without rocking from banister to banister.  I am surprised that more people didn't fall or get hurt.  The rocking and rolling and vibrating continued for the entire trip.  

 

The menu in Blu has changed drastically.  We were offered duck and lamb almost every night.  Since we don't care for either - we asked for meals from the main dining room frequently.  Our Server was very accommodating and made the trip to fetch our meal from the Main dining room as requested.  Again, service was excellent.  

 

There were no production shows.  During the 10 nights, we had 1 comedian, 1 magician, 1 Saxophone player, and the rest of the shows were "variety shows".  The singers were good, but not much variety.   We noticed that attendance at the shows decreased as the days went by.  

 

The Ensemble Bar staff were great, but it was so dark in there, that it felt like a cave or basement....

 

Celebrity has been an upscale line in the past.  This trip on the Silhouette makes us wonder if the cutbacks have changed it to a mediocre line and we need to shop around....

 

 

[NMTraveller]

Don't know what to say about the stabilizers as most X cruises have been too smooth IMHO.

 

Calm and rocking and rolling?  Something is wrong with the ship.

 

Edited December 17, 2022 by NMTraveller

[Georgia_Peaches]

That movement would have made me sick. Did  you happen to ask about it?  Or was any explanation offered?  I can’t imagine a ship that size would purposely not use the stabilizers. Im sorry to read this. Our last Celebrity cruise was on Silhouette, my favorite, but that was in 2019. Can agree that the crew went above and beyond. 

[bandp407]

9 hours ago, TXranchgal said:

We just finished 10 nts on the Silhouette.  The best part of this ship is the way the entire staff treats you.  Everyone we encountered seemed to be happy and just wanted our cruise to be "special".   We are Elite Plus with Celebrity because of the way the staff treats you.   We had an excellent Cabin Steward who was very efficient and seemed to know when we were gone,  so he could freshen up the cabin.   So much for the good part.

 

The first night, the ship started vibrating.  It increased on day 2.  The water was calm, but the rocking and rolling and vibrating were quite annoying.  They needed to use the stabilizers - even if it uses more fuel.  People were unable to use the stairs without rocking from banister to banister.  I am surprised that more people didn't fall or get hurt.  The rocking and rolling and vibrating continued for the entire trip.  

 

The menu in Blu has changed drastically.  We were offered duck and lamb almost every night.  Since we don't care for either - we asked for meals from the main dining room frequently.  Our Server was very accommodating and made the trip to fetch our meal from the Main dining room as requested.  Again, service was excellent.  

 

There were no production shows.  During the 10 nights, we had 1 comedian, 1 magician, 1 Saxophone player, and the rest of the shows were "variety shows".  The singers were good, but not much variety.   We noticed that attendance at the shows decreased as the days went by.  

 

The Ensemble Bar staff were great, but it was so dark in there, that it felt like a cave or basement....

 

Celebrity has been an upscale line in the past.  This trip on the Silhouette makes us wonder if the cutbacks have changed it to a mediocre line and we need to shop around....

 

 

So sorry to hear about your experience on the Silhouette. I too am curious if any explanation was given about the rocking and rolling?  DH and I are booked on the 10 night Silhouette sailing in April. After reading this, I am beginning to have my doubts- particularly as it relates to the shows. Over the past year we have sailed on both the Reflection and Equinox several times and the shows and headliners were amazing. Also had some great bands. We enjoyed Silhouette in the past , but wonder if what you are describing is in part due to the longer sailing. This would be our first 10 night sailing and we look forward to some good entertainment. This sounds far from it! 
 

If anyone is currently on the Silhouette and can chime in about the ship’s rocking and entertainment it would be appreciated. Our final payment is due shortly.

 

Happy Holidays! 
 

 

[SeaWatch12]

10 hours ago, TXranchgal said:

We just finished 10 nts on the Silhouette.  The best part of this ship is the way the entire staff treats you.  Everyone we encountered seemed to be happy and just wanted our cruise to be "special".   We are Elite Plus with Celebrity because of the way the staff treats you.   We had an excellent Cabin Steward who was very efficient and seemed to know when we were gone,  so he could freshen up the cabin.   So much for the good part.

 

The first night, the ship started vibrating.  It increased on day 2.  The water was calm, but the rocking and rolling and vibrating were quite annoying.  They needed to use the stabilizers - even if it uses more fuel.  People were unable to use the stairs without rocking from banister to banister.  I am surprised that more people didn't fall or get hurt.  The rocking and rolling and vibrating continued for the entire trip.  

 

The menu in Blu has changed drastically.  We were offered duck and lamb almost every night.  Since we don't care for either - we asked for meals from the main dining room frequently.  Our Server was very accommodating and made the trip to fetch our meal from the Main dining room as requested.  Again, service was excellent.  

 

There were no production shows.  During the 10 nights, we had 1 comedian, 1 magician, 1 Saxophone player, and the rest of the shows were "variety shows".  The singers were good, but not much variety.   We noticed that attendance at the shows decreased as the days went by.  

 

The Ensemble Bar staff were great, but it was so dark in there, that it felt like a cave or basement....

 

Celebrity has been an upscale line in the past.  This trip on the Silhouette makes us wonder if the cutbacks have changed it to a mediocre line and we need to shop around....

 

 

Would you mind being more specific about the BLU menu changes?  Are you saying only duck and lamb were offered, no other main courses?  Did the staff explain why and were they encouraging you to order from the MDR menus to make up for the lack of variety. I would love to see photos of recent BLU menus. I wonder if changes also occurred on the Edge class ships. Thank you. 

[retird]

Im confused as to why the ship would be rocking, rolling and vibrating if the seas were calm.   Maybe the OP could chime in with a little more information.    

[LMHSRN]

11 hours ago, TXranchgal said:

We just finished 10 nts on the Silhouette.  The best part of this ship is the way the entire staff treats you.  Everyone we encountered seemed to be happy and just wanted our cruise to be "special".   We are Elite Plus with Celebrity because of the way the staff treats you.   We had an excellent Cabin Steward who was very efficient and seemed to know when we were gone,  so he could freshen up the cabin.   So much for the good part.

 

The first night, the ship started vibrating.  It increased on day 2.  The water was calm, but the rocking and rolling and vibrating were quite annoying.  They needed to use the stabilizers - even if it uses more fuel.  People were unable to use the stairs without rocking from banister to banister.  I am surprised that more people didn't fall or get hurt.  The rocking and rolling and vibrating continued for the entire trip.  

 

The menu in Blu has changed drastically.  We were offered duck and lamb almost every night.  Since we don't care for either - we asked for meals from the main dining room frequently.  Our Server was very accommodating and made the trip to fetch our meal from the Main dining room as requested.  Again, service was excellent.  

 

There were no production shows.  During the 10 nights, we had 1 comedian, 1 magician, 1 Saxophone player, and the rest of the shows were "variety shows".  The singers were good, but not much variety.   We noticed that attendance at the shows decreased as the days went by.  

 

The Ensemble Bar staff were great, but it was so dark in there, that it felt like a cave or basement....

 

Celebrity has been an upscale line in the past.  This trip on the Silhouette makes us wonder if the cutbacks have changed it to a mediocre line and we need to shop around....

 

 

Very interesting.  We were on the same cruise but apparently a different story? 

 

Yes there were days the ship swayed some but the stabilizers were already in play.  There was no rock n rolling that we were aware of and we were on an upper deck where that is usually felt. 

Never felt unsafe on the stairs.

 

Staff, food and entertainment were outstanding as usual. 

 

We attended two shows.  Guess you missed them. 

 

By virtue of the atmosphere, the ensemble Bar/Lounge is always with subdued lighting.  We found absolutely nothing to complain about on this trip except a couple of the Excursions which were a waste of money.

 

Everyone has their own opinion and that's what makes the world go around...

[bandp407]

3 minutes ago, LMHSRN said:

Very interesting.  We were on the same cruise but apparently a different story? 

 

Yes there were days the ship swayed some but the stabilizers were already in play.  There was no rock n rolling that we were aware of and we were on an upper deck where that is usually felt. 

Never felt unsafe on the stairs.

 

Staff, food and entertainment were outstanding as usual. 

 

We attended two shows.  Guess you missed them. 

 

By virtue of the atmosphere, the ensemble Bar/Lounge is always with subdued lighting.  We found absolutely nothing to complain about on this trip except a couple of the Excursions which were a waste of money.

 

Everyone has their own opinion and that's what makes the world go around...

Now this is encouraging- thank you! How were the house bands - we enjoy good dance music.

[the penguins]

2 hours ago, bandp407 said:

So sorry to hear about your experience on the Silhouette. I too am curious if any explanation was given about the rocking and rolling?  DH and I are booked on the 10 night Silhouette sailing in April. After reading this, I am beginning to have my doubts- particularly as it relates to the shows. Over the past year we have sailed on both the Reflection and Equinox several times and the shows and headliners were amazing. Also had some great bands. We enjoyed Silhouette in the past , but wonder if what you are describing is in part due to the longer sailing. This would be our first 10 night sailing and we look forward to some good entertainment. This sounds far from it! 
 

If anyone is currently on the Silhouette and can chime in about the ship’s rocking and entertainment it would be appreciated. Our final payment is due shortly.

 

Happy Holidays! 
 

 

We have cruised on Silhouette 4 times in the last 12 months and had none of these issues. On one cruise we didn't have the production shows because the Cast Members were all quarantined (2 had tested positive). The crew were as always excellent. 

Never booked Aqua as the cabin locations and the dining arrangements don't appeal - we always share tables at dinner. 

[bandp407]

1 hour ago, the penguins said:

We have cruised on Silhouette 4 times in the last 12 months and had none of these issues. On one cruise we didn't have the production shows because the Cast Members were all quarantined (2 had tested positive). The crew were as always excellent. 

Never booked Aqua as the cabin locations and the dining arrangements don't appeal - we always share tables at dinner. 

Thank you - this is great to hear about Silhouette! It sounds like what we have come to expect from Celebrity & experienced since the return to cruising. We are also very happy as we are sticking to the “S” class ships. Recently sailed on Beyond and it’s not for us. 

[cruisemom42]

I wonder if the OP realizes that duck and lamb are generally more expensive than beef or chicken -- not sure why this would be viewed as a cost-cutting measure?

 

It seems in recent months there are a number of people who complain about the food choices in Blu and Luminae -- aren't these supposed to be elevated dining venues?

[TXranchgal]

On day 2 - we went to Guest Services to ask about the vibrations and the rocking.  They sent up a deck supervisor.  He agreed that the vibrations were pretty extreme.  He said that several cabins on deck 11 were complaining about the same thing and he would see if he could get it fixed. 

 

About 30 minutes later, we got a call from guest relations -offering us a different aqua cabin.  It was under the Ocean View and we turned it down.  Guest relations said that the ocean may look calm, but the underwater currants were causing the rocking and rolling and there wasn't anything they could do about it until we got to calmer water.  (We noticed 2 other cabins had people moving out  and asked if they had been upgraded - They said no - they were moving to lower decks because of the vibrations and rocking.)  Since the next 6 days were port days, we felt that the vibrations would be more controlled near the islands.  It did stay calmer until the final 2 sea days...  then it started again.  The rolling from side to side was frustrating and almost nauseating...   

 

The menu at BLU always had 4 choices for meals.  One was usually fish, one was either chicken or duck one was lamb or pork and one was pasta...   We always book in Aqua because we like the food in BLU.  This time, the menu seemed repetitive and one night it was duck, lamb, octopus and gnocci...

We still will book in aqua.  I mentioned it because it was obvious that they had lots of duck and lamb onboard.   I'm sure several people loved it.  I wish I had copied the menus, but I didn't.. 😞

 

The entertainment for dancing was very good.  They had several vocalists that were soft and smooth.  They also had loud and raucus bands near the passport bar and the dance floor was a busy place.   The Matini bar was always hopping on deck 4 as well.

 

The theater productions were not production shows like we have seen in the past.  The singers were very good, but seemed repetitive.  Just our take....  your mileage may vary.....   

 

 

 

[TeaBag]

We got off Silhouette Nov 3 and the only rough seas we encountered were between Southampton and Lisbon where it is often rough.  This was a TA and was quite smooth.

As for Blu, we love lamb and order it whenever we see it on the menu.  I would say the menu was varied with lots of good entrees.  In all the times we have eaten in Blu, we have never ordered from the MDR because we feel it is more work for the waiters and they work hard enough.

[Mchupp]

Just returned from the same cruise.

 

Yes, there was some vibrating towards the back of the ship the first few days.  I was not sure if it was cavitation or the engines hitting just the right vibrations where other things around also vibrate.  It did go away.

 

Stabilizers would have done nothing.  We were going 15-20 knots with side swells of 10-20.  First 2 days had some strong winds to go with it.  I enjoyed the rock, but it was tricky in the halls for a bit.

 

Personally, I found the attention to detail really off.  We were concierge class.

 

We did 5 nights of specialty dining, and none were what they were 3 years ago.  Sushi on 5 was a disappointment.  Murano was good, but slow service.  Too much for 1 guy to do all of the table side service offered on many dishes.

 

Main dining room was really hit and miss.  Our server was nice, but really just an order taker.  When I asked what kid of cut was steak on the "steak and chips", his answer was "dry".  Regardless of opinion, the server should know the menu.  

 

Oceanview Cafe has less selection.  It's fine, but had this is where you see a lot of hits and misses.  I know they had to cut costs, but it shows in the OC with the food quality.

 

We don't really care for the shows, but we did see the magician and Boy Band Revolution.  Meh

 

Best attraction was Dr. Gary who did lectures on forensics and murder cases.  Absolutely fascinating.

 

The 1 thing that really bothered me, though, was the "closed for private functions".  2x the Sky Lounge was closed for private functions and 1x the solarium.  This, while the app said there was an open function.  Mike, the cruise director, said only follow the printed daily schedule.  But Celebrity says follow the app.  We missed multiple functions because of this.  Not as many fun advents either when your largest non theatre venue is closed for private functions.  This resulted other games & activities being over crowded.  Really bad look for Celebrity in my opinion.

 

Aside from that, we really loved our cruise.  I think Celebrity will get back to where they were, but they need time and experience with the staff.  Staff was clearly overworked in many places.  Being from the food business, I probably noticed a lot of stuff which would not even register with others.

 

I would go back.  Maybe skip specialty all together.  I love the vibe of Celebrity and I love the ships.

 

The ship was in great shape

[Georgia_Peaches]

24 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

I wonder if the OP realizes that duck and lamb are generally more expensive than beef or chicken -- not sure why this would be viewed as a cost-cutting measure?

Here's OP's remarks regarding duck and lamb:

14 hours ago, TXranchgal said:

The menu in Blu has changed drastically.  We were offered duck and lamb almost every night.  Since we don't care for either - we asked for meals from the main dining room frequently. 

No mention of cost cutting with regard to food.  Or did I miss it somewhere else?

[cruisemom42]

5 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Here's OP's remarks regarding duck and lamb:

No mention of cost cutting with regard to food.  Or did I miss it somewhere else?

 

Sorry, maybe I misinterpreted the comments -- it seemed at the end the OP was lumping all of these things into the category of cost cutting, since at the end there is mention of cutbacks in the plural -- assumed it was referring to all of the things mentioned.

[Georgia_Peaches]

5 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Sorry, maybe I misinterpreted the comments -- it seemed at the end the OP was lumping all of these things into the category of cost cutting, since at the end there is mention of cutbacks in the plural -- assumed it was referring to all of the things mentioned.

LOL...sometimes I read so many reviews that they start to run together, which is what I thought was happening here.  I only questioned it because we are sailing soon and cut backs are certainly a concern.

[SusieAV8R]

19 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

Don't know what to say about the stabilizers as most X cruises have been too smooth IMHO.

 

Calm and rocking and rolling?  Something is wrong with the ship.

 

Maybe an issue with the propeller?

[McGarrett5oh]

20 hours ago, Mchupp said:

Just returned from the same cruise.

 

Yes, there was some vibrating towards the back of the ship the first few days.  I was not sure if it was cavitation or the engines hitting just the right vibrations where other things around also vibrate.  It did go away.

 

Stabilizers would have done nothing.  We were going 15-20 knots with side swells of 10-20.  First 2 days had some strong winds to go with it.  I enjoyed the rock, but it was tricky in the halls for a bit.

 

Personally, I found the attention to detail really off.  We were concierge class.

Thanks for your feedback on your cruise.  We depart Monday.  

 

What was it about Concierge Class that was disappointing?

 

TIA!

 

 

Edited December 18, 2022 by McGarrett5oh
Only 1 question now

[NMTraveller]

13 hours ago, SusieAV8R said:

Maybe an issue with the propeller?

That would seem like the most likely reason for the vibrations.

 

I was on a cruise on the Westerdam before a refurbishment.  There were vibrations in the MDR which was in the rear.  While I noticed it, it was not all that bad.

[LMHSRN]

On 12/17/2022 at 10:55 AM, bandp407 said:

Now this is encouraging- thank you! How were the house bands - we enjoy good dance music.

All the music, singers and bands were excellent.  There was music everywhere.

[bandp407]

39 minutes ago, LMHSRN said:

All the music, singers and bands were excellent.  There was music everywhere.

This is great to hear- thank you!

[asnaleah]

We were onboard with you. There was some vibration early on, but it was resolved quickly. The next to last sea day was very much rock and roll due to large swells. Last sea day was great. We were on deck 10, midships.