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Celebrity Silhouette Review

5.0 / 5.0
2,124 reviews
See all photos
Editor Rating
5.0
Excellent
Overall
Adam Coulter
U.K. Executive Editor

More energetic and with more extra-fee attractions than its three Solstice-class predecessors, the 122,400-ton Celebrity Silhouette debuted in July 2011 as the fourth of five ships in the now-iconic series. It has since been “revolutionized”, as the cruise line likes to call its vessel upgrades, and it is now an extraordinary cruise ship offering top-of-the-line dining, sleekly styled spaces, and wonderful entertainment.

The Celebrity Silhouette Cruise is Nothing Short of Impressive

Celebrity Cruises’ Silhouette is a sophisticated experience for a ship carrying nearly 3,000 passengers, without being overly stuffy. The cruise line does a commendable job of keeping the pretentiousness quota in check by inserting playful touches, like an ice-topped martini bar that features juggling bartenders, a cook-your-own steakhouse and another restaurantwhere passengers watch a fun animation called “Le Petit Chef”.

Solstice-class stalwarts won't miss a beat, and for first-timers, the Celebrity Silhouette cruise ship will showcase why the series was an innovator in modern cruising.

Celebrity Silhouette Deck Plans Include Exclusive Spaces and Ample Public Areas

The Celebrity Silhouette refurbishment came in 2020. This bow-to-stern update saw a number of new features added from the line’s newer Edge-class ships. The Solstice signatures -- a stable of themed dining venues, a public hub that smells of waffle cones, a strikingly green and grass-covered deck space, the use of glass and marble throughout -- are all there. But Silhouette also reflects a handful of significant modifications to the blueprint.

The most visible are found on the Lawn Club, a square of real grass that tops every Solstice-class ship's stern sun deck area. On Silhouette, the public park has become something of a gated village green, and the space is much more exclusive -- and expensive -- to use than those planted on Solstice, Eclipse and Equinox. However, the addition of a giant screen showing movies and games has given this space a more egalitarian feel.

Further exclusivity extends to the Retreat Deck (Deck 16), an exclusive key-card access only sundeck for suite passengers, and the Retreat Lounge (Deck 5), also for suite passengers only. Both of these new spaces are lifted from the line’s Edge-class ships.

Still, despite these distinctions, this ship is nothing if not quintessential Solstice Class. The deck plans of Celebrity Silhouette are pretty much the same as those of its sister ships Celebrity Solstice, Equinox, Eclipse and Reflection. Most cabins and suites are on decks 6 through 12, while the pools are on Deck 14. The rest of the ship’s decks house restaurants, bars and entertainment and wellness venues.

Pros

Outstanding service, top-notch cuisine and well-thought out design

Cons

Specialty dining charges can run high

Bottom Line

Sets standards for an upscale big ship experience for service, ambience, dining and decors

About

Passengers: 2995
Crew: 1500
Passenger to Crew: 2:1
Launched: 2011
Shore Excursions: 569

Inclusions

Included with your cruise fare:

  • Main dining rooms, the buffet and select other eateries.

  • All theater shows and the comedy club

  • Use of table tennis and the pickleball court

  • Most daily activities unless noted below

  • Use of the gym, but not most classes

Not included with your cruise fare:

  • Gratuities

  • Automatic beverage and spa tips

  • All drinks beyond water, tea (including iced-tea), coffee and select juices in the buffet

  • Spa treatments

  • Shore excursions

  • Wi-Fi, except for Retreat passengers

  • Photos and art work

Fellow Passengers

Celebrity draws a wide range of upper-middle-class couples and groups, with the average age of passengers being in the mid-50s. On cruises from Southampton (the ship splits its time between the Caribbean and Europe), expect a majority of Brits. The ratio of families with kids to couples may increase during the Caribbean season and the European summer season, bringing the average age down.

Celebrity Silhouette Dress Code

Daytime: Casual, with T-shirts, workout gear and shorts the norm.

Evening: Celebrity passengers tend to dress up for dinner -- typically button-down or dressy collared shirts and slacks for men and dresses or smart-casual pants for women. Evening Chic (twice a cruise) equals sport coat and collared shirt, with smart jeans. Women can wear cocktail dresses, sundresses or designer jeans or nice pants. In the buffet, almost any form of dress is allowed except swimwear, flip-flops, spa robes and bare feet.

Not permitted: T-shirts, tank tops and flip-flops are not allowed in the main dining room at any time; shorts are not allowed at dinner (although this rule isn't always enforced).

For more information, visit Cruise Line Dress Codes: Celebrity Cruises.

Find a Celebrity Silhouette Cruise from $331

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More about Celebrity Silhouette

Where does Celebrity Silhouette sail from?

Celebrity Silhouette departs from Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Piraeus, Piraeus, Laviron, Barcelona, Bayonne, Cape Liberty, Bayonne, Boston, and Reykjavik

How much does it cost to go on Celebrity Silhouette?

Cruises on Celebrity Silhouette start from $331 per person.

Is Celebrity Silhouette a good ship to cruise on?

Celebrity Silhouette won 36 awards over the years.
Celebrity Silhouette Cruiser Reviews

Exceptional "Value for Money" Premium Cruising

After only 25 nights onboard Celebrity cruise ships (12 nights on Celebrity Edge and 13 nights on Celebrity Silhouette), my wife and I have become raving fans of Celebrity Cruises.Read More
CharleMarg

many10+ Cruises

Age 65s

Fantastic cruise!

The Silhouette house band is phenomenal.Read More
Teacher211

few6-10 Cruises

Age 73s

Back to the Baltic on Celebrity

The crew on the Silhouette were, as we found previously on Celebrity ships, drawn from a wide range on countries primarily Asia, India, Southern Africa, the West Indies and Eastern Europe.Read More
willden

many10+ Cruises

Age 25s

Great Cruise - food needs to improve

It is some years since we cruised on the Silhouette & we found the decor & general appearance of the ship to our liking.Read More
We-R-Off

many10+ Cruises

Age 74s

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