My First Cruise Experience on Board Celebrity Silhouette
The embarkation process was very easy - I arranged my check-in (passport details etc) online and then arrives at the port at the indicated embarkation time window. My bag was provided with a 'cabin label' and was delivered straight to my cabin (=stateroom). I enjoyed a glass of Prosecco on the sun deck while the ship was getting ready for departure. We 'cast off' and sailed out of Southampton in time for the most magical sunset, which was a great start to an exciting first cruise!
Celebrity Silhouette is a very elegant, glamorous ship with excellent, modern facilities on board. I was staying in a Balcony Stateroom, which in my opinion is definitely worth investing in. It was lovely to sit on our own, private balcony sailing along watching the sun rise whilst enjoying a 'room service' breakfast or sailing into the next harbour sipping a cocktail. I would recommend planning a room service breakfast especially on 'port days' as the mornings in the main restaurants can be busier as everyone is getting ready for their land visit.
The main dining room has a truly magical, grand feeling featuring a dramatic, two storey glass wine tower and giant, dazzling chandeliers. I was very impressed by the choice of a-la-care dishes served. The Silhouette offers some of the most diverse specialty dining venues at sea. These normally require a supplement charge. We tried the Petit Chef and The Lawn Club restaurants. The Petit Chef features an animated character who appears on your plate and 'prepares' each course right in front of you before you are served the actual dish. Great fun for children and adults alike.
Before you take your seats at The Lawn Club Grill restaurant, I enjoyed a delicious cocktail in a deckchair on The Lawn Club. This is an area of half an acre of REAL grass on the top deck (Celebrity being the only cruise line to offer this, designed exclusively for enjoyment and relaxation). On a sunny day, you can take a picnic or opt for a game of boules on sea, before kicking back with some live musical entertainment. The Lawn Club Grill is a high energy, open-air restaurant celebrating the flavourful delights of outdoor grilling - with cosmopolitan flair. I particularly liked the gourmet salad bar and 'build-your-own-flatbread'. Both specialty restaurants are highly recommended for a special evening out on board.
The choice of activities on board is endless - day and night! I really enjoyed some excellent, Broadway like theatre shows, late nights in the casino and 'silent disco' nights which were a great laugh! There definitely was a real party feel around the ship.
Celebrity's kids and teen clubs - the Fun Factory with exciting games and activities for younger kids, to the Explorer Academy to X Club, the ultimate hang out for young adults (with their own DJ sets, games rooms and much more) - there is something for everyone. Family friendly dining options, sports courts, pool-volleyball and special family shore excursions really make it the perfect family cruise.
After having sailed past the Bay of Biscay and two days on sea, it was exciting to get off the ship for some terra firma on our first stop Vigo, a Galician town and one of the biggest fishing ports in the world! The old town of Vigo with its amazing food, little tapas bars and a beautiful park right in the middle of town showed us all its charm. I love tapas, delectable small bites such as patatas bravas, mini sandwiches with cheese and dried meats, small portions of stews, seafood and fresh olives, which were accompanied by delicious red wine and 'jerez'.
Our next stop was Lisbon! I will never forget the spectacular sailing into this stunning city! We had a special invitation to the Captain's champagne reception - on the helipad, at 6am, with the sun ready to rise whilst we sailed underneath the iconic '25th April Bridge', the longest suspension bridge in Europe, a 'twin' of the famous Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco! On our left, we spotted the famous 'Christ The Redeemer Statue', a smaller version of the Brazilian statue in Rio. In one moment, you could think of being in San Francisco and Rio at the same time, yet sailing in to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon.
After arriving in the central Lisbon cruise port, right at the entrance of the city and in easy walking distance of the old town on the hills above and the famous shopping streets, we decided to take a city bus tour to obtain an overview of this fabulous, bustling city. After sampling the famous Portuguese speciality pastry 'pasteis de nata', we strolled back to our ship.
After another day at sea, I finished my maiden cruise in the Canary Island of Lanzarote, where I was able to enjoy some late October warmth and sunshine before flying back to the UK. I really think that cruising represents the perfect holiday option, with a cruise to suit everyone! This type of holiday is ideal for couples, single travellers and multigenerational family holidays alike.