 In January I had the opportunity to sail my first Celebrity Cruise Line cruise on Celebrity Silhouette to Key West and Nassau, Bahamas. Today I review my experience with the good and the bad, not a lot of bad. I do have a review of my stateroom already posted. Celebrity is considered a premium cruise line and it's reflected in the amenities, service and design of the ship. From marble floors, to comfortable seating throughout the ship. An example of something that stuck out to me was at the pool. If you have sailed on Royal or Carnival, you have to check out the towels for the pool but on Celebrity, they are waiting for you on the chairs. And if you need more, there are always plenty at the stand. Lets talk about my favorite parts of Celebrity Silhouette.  The Oceanview Cafe As with most cruise ships, the Silhouette has a buffet and on Celebrity, its the Oceanview Cafe. I would say it is similar to the Windjammer on Royal Caribbean as its set up with several stations rather than just one long line. After a mile walk on the track in the morning, I always grabbed breakfast and coffee in the Oceanview Cafe. For breakfast, they had lots of options including pancakes, waffles and french toast. There is an omelette station where you can get an omlette of made to order eggs plus a station for breakfast meats and potatoes. If you wanted a lighter breakfast, you had a choice of cereals, fruit and a yogurt bar. For lunch, I really only had dessert and they had some great options including cakes, pudding and more. Two of the nights I did have dinner in the Ocean View Cafe and was impressed by the selection. A carving station, stir fry station, salad bar and a good variety. They do tend to have a theme each night, like one night was mexican with taco stations. In the back, you can go out doors taking you to a deck with lots of seating allowing you to enjoy your meal alfresca. It seemed like they were always serving food and if not, they did have complimentary coffee, tea and juices 24 hours.  Food Options As I mentioned, you can find great variety in the Oceanview Café but around the ship, you will find other dining options. The dining room is of course available and complimentary for dinner and on sea days, breakfast. They may have served lunch but not sure. I had dinner in the dining room two of the nights and enjoyed what I had but the other two nights, I just did not see anything on the menu that struck my interest. The only negative I can say about my experience in the dining room is the table and chair. For whatever reason, either the chair was too low or the table was too high. I know I am shrinking as I get older but I was scared I was going to need a phone book. Ok, it was not that bad but it was awkward. On Deck 14 just above the pool is the Mast Grill open for lunch until about 6pm. The grill featured hamburgers, hot dogs with sides and lots of topping options including mushrooms and grilled onions. I had a burger almost every day for lunch and thought it was fresh and had lots of flavor. I liked they had a separate line if you wanted a beer if the bar line was just too long. A few tables and chairs were available if you wanted to sit and relax but most of them were in the sun so on a hot day, may not be comfortable. I never made it to the coffee shop. Café Al Baclio, but there are complimentary desserts and specialty coffees available for purchase. Walking by, I did notice it was often busy especially in the morning and late afternoon so they must be doing something right. Although I did not experience it, they do have a few specialty restaurants on board at an additional cost. The Lawn Club for burgers and steaks, Mirano for French cuisine and Tuscan Grill for Italian and Sushi on 5 for Asian cuisine. Plus so many more.  Sunset Bar Located in the back of the ship on Deck 15 is the Sunset Bar. This was a great place for an afternoon or evening drink with a view of the ships wake. There was seating on rails in the very back and then lots of comfortable chairs long the sides including rocking chairs where you could sit, relax and enjoy the ocean breeze. During peak times, it can be hard to find a seat but usually you can find something. The staff was always attentive asking if you need anything. Usually at sunset, they had live music, a gentleman with an acoustic guitar sang and he was fantastic creating a fun atmosphere.  The Sollarium If you are wanting a peaceful pool environment, then the sollarium is your spot. This area has padded chairs, a pool, two hot tubs and and the Spa Cafe. The atmosphere is peaceful with a water feature and soft music. One thing that made a difference is there was no bar as there usually is in adult only areas. I 100% believe this contributed to the atmosphere. Now there is a spa cafe open in the mornings to early afternoon where you can get smoothies for a charge, complimentary light dishes, coffee, juices and water. I spent a couple afternoons here reading and napping probably the most relaxed during the whole cruise.  The Main Pool Area The main pool area on deck 12 is one of the nicer pool decks I have seen. There are two pools, one is shallow and the other is a little deeper. Four hot tubs are on the corners, but they are small. There is also had a stage often featuring a live band playing top 40 or Caribbean music and other times a DJ. On sea day, I did have a problem finding a seat around the pool but when you go up to deck 14 overlooking the pool, there were lots of open chairs. If you wanted shade, Deck 12 had lots of seating under the overhang from Deck 14.  The Lawn Club Located on Deck 15 is the Lawn Club where I watch NFL Playoff games on the big screen. This is a real grass area located on Deck 15 featuring a big screen for movies and more. There are stands where you can pick up a blanket to sit on your bring you own. Need a drink, the Sunset Bar is located just around the corner on the same deck.  Library and Hideaway These locations are perfect for time to read, do a puzzle, work on your laptop or simply talk with friends. The library had books for check out and in the hideaway, there was lots of seating and tables including some cubby holes with plugs for your phone or laptop. The only thing I was disappointed in with these areas is its right on the atrium that goes from deck 4 all the way up to the top of the ship. In the mornings it was quiet but once music started in the atrium, it got noisy. It's nice to have the big open atrium though. Activities and Entertainment This was a relaxing cruise for me so I was not watching the activities and jumping up to take part as I might on other cruises. But, they offered lots of activities like trivia, corn hole or Bocce Ball at the Lawn Club, live music throughout the ship, bar classes and so much more.I did fail to mention, they have a huge spa with every treatment possible available plus a I did go to the theatre one time for the family show for the comedian, Sam Fedele. He was really good and spent a lot of time interacting with the audience. The theater is beautiful with lots of seating and very few areas where site lines might be obstructed, maybe in the upper levels. Overall, i am hooked on Celebrity for the service, amenities and experience. While I love the ships with the waterslides, you are not going to find that on Celebrity. So if you are looking for an upgraded cruise experience, Celebrity is for you. To see more, check out my Celebrity Silhouette Page and for cruise options on Celebrity, email me [email protected] 
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