An Hour On Board The Celebrity Silhouette

    Cape Liberty Cruise Terminal, Bayonne, NJ: The April 22nd sailing came faster than I had imagined.  It was the day of the Celebrity Silhouette’s repositioning cruise back to Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy.  The ship was in the middle of the embarkation process.  A noreaster was threatening the area.  The rain was coming down.  Aside from the rain, it was extremely chilly out.  I felt really bad for the guests boarding the vessel.  They couldn’t enjoy the open areas of the ship due to the inclement weather.  Not every trip starts out the way you want it.  I’ve learned that lesson time and again in my role as a cruise line agent in the New York area.  I have my good days and I make the very best of the not so good days. 

    Despite the poor weather conditions, five of my colleagues and I had the opportunity to have lunch on board the Celebrity Silhouette.  At first, we had to wait for the ship’s security staff to clear us to board the vessel.  Once we got the all clear, we proceeded on board via the forward gangway.  We took the elevator up to deck 14, where the Oceanview Café is located.  The Oceanview Café is the Silhouette’s guest buffet.  Once we arrived on deck 14, we had to navigate our way through the public areas to get there.  While on our way to the Oceanview Café, we passed through the Aqua Spa.  All I could say was “WOW!”.  If you have ever been in the Solarium on a Royal Caribbean ship, the Aqua Spa is very much like it, but exceptionally spruced up.  The pool was enclosed, and the pool area was very relaxing.  All of the lounge chairs had fresh folded towels sitting on them.  At that moment, I just couldn’t help but say to myself, “One day, I am going to be on board this ship.  Lord, make it happen!”.  Right in the corner of the Aqua Spa was this hammock with a canopy draping over it.  I so wanted to drop myself onto it, but I didn’t want to ruin things for the guests.  Next we walked past the ship’s main pool.  The main pool was absolutely gorgeous.  If you want to see an environment where guests get pampered beyond their dreams, that is sure the place. 

    Lastly, we walked through the automatic sliding glass door into the Oceanview Café.  All I could say was “Whoa!  Somebody definitely better get me on this vessel.”  The buffet stations in the Oceanview Café were endless.  There was a roast beef carving station, a chicken carving station, a fruit buffet, a bread bar, and a massive salad bar which I thought I’d never see on a cruise ship.  I thought I was in heaven.  I went to the roast beef carving station, and the chef couldn’t have been friendlier.  He said to me, “Welcome aboard! One good slice for you, Mr. David.”.  I then said, “It looks awesome.  Can you cut me a second piece?”.  The chef said, “My pleasure, Mr. David. You enjoy your meal sir.”  From the roast beef station, I walked over to the fruit bar.  There I loaded my plate up with pineapple and honeydew melon chunks.  From there, I walked to the bread bar.  There were these pretzel baguettes.  I took one, and I went to the juice dispenser.  I decided to try something a little more exciting than Sprite, iced tea, or fruit punch.  I filled my glass with guava juice.  It tasted absolutely heavenly.  I sat out on the stern with two of my supervisors, with the wind and rain whipping about.  Despite the weather, we enjoyed the food on board.  The food was fantastic.  I wanted to go back for seconds, but I didn’t want to overstay my welcome.  Besides, I didn’t have a Sea Pass card.  As we left the Oceanview Café, I took some pictures of the buffet area to share via email.  I then took pictures of the ship’s library, the Aqua Spa, the Aqua Spa Café, and the main pool.  I so didn’t want to get off the ship.  After a memorable hour on board, it was time to step off the ship and return to my check-in duties.     

    With a bit of resistance, I managed to board the shuttle bus back to the terminal building.  I couldn’t help but reminisce about the on board environment I had just visited.  I have never been on board the Celebrity Solstice, Equinox, or Eclipse.  However, I can say for sure that the Silhouette is truly a palace. It is most definitely a ship I look forward to sailing on board for real.  Whether I plan to sail to the Caribbean or the Mediterranean, I would most definitely sail on board the Celebrity Silhouette.  The staff was welcoming, the food was splendid, and the public areas were through-the-roof majestic.  There was most definitely a special flare in the air.  Never so quickly has one ship caught my eye like the Silhouette.  That one hour I spent on board her is one hour I will deeply treasure.  There is no doubt in my mind that very hour I spent on board will transpire into an unforgettable seven or twelve-day adventure in the near future.  I was left with the everlasting impression that a ship so elegant, paints the perfect picture of “A True Departure”.