My guide to a cruise on the Celebrity Silhouette to Western France and Northern Spain.
*All work including photos, videos and writing on this page is my own, apart from the suite video freely available on Youtube.
Whilst Celebrity Cruises doesn't have the wow factor of Cunard or the very low passenger numbers of the more expensive cruise lines, I thought it was amazing value for money and really enjoyed this cruise! I would rate it a very good 4 star ship, in line with a four star hotel.
They like to market themselves as a luxury cruise line and yes it is a very good 4 star experience, but I think you would need to book a suite, which gives you an exclusive smaller dining room, Only for suites guests, a lounge with snacks, drinks and afternoon tea, sun deck and bar, butler etc to really get a 5 star rating from me. The suites also include The premium wifi, all tips and premium drink packages (So totally all inclusive.) It also includes some onboard spend and your choice of bottled alcohol in your room too. Some suites give you credit for the speciality restaurants too, so I will be looking in to the suites if I travel again on celebrity as you do get a lot for your money there, equivalent to travelling in business or first class on a plane. You could spend your whole cruise in that area if you wish or visit the theatre and other areas if you wish as well as having your own quieter exclusive lounges.
For a very special occasion the Penthouse suite is gorgeous, and not even the top suite! and includes dining at the speciality dining rooms and Luminae restaurant as well as free laundry and butler. Great if you are travelling with friends. (See video below.)
The Celebrity Edge has won 11 awards recently for the best premium cruise ship, so my comments only apply to the Celebrity Silhoutte as I haven't been on the Celebrity Edge yet.
These are my ratings:
Staff: Absolutely Amazing
Food: Good, although if one of the bars could have served food as well, that would have given more options.
Facilities: Very Good
Entertainment: Excellent
Drinks package: Excellent
Cabin: Excellent, lovely shower and balcony
Decor: Good
Value; Outstanding!
The mix of passengers on my cruise was mostly British people with a few Americans, the average age was around 50, with a mix of people from different socio economic backgrounds. Outside of school holidays there were no children and I think this cruise line caters more for adults than families. There was a baby though.
The later dinner sitting did see more people dressing up for dinner, so opt for that if you like dressing up, although the dress code is smart casual officially apart from the two formal nights. ( The formal nights were not really formal, a nice dress for ladies and a shirt and tie for the gentlemen, no jacket required.) Some people on the early sitting didn't even wear ties. I was really amazed by the customer service from all the staff on this ship, better than anywhere in the world I have ever experienced!!
Below is the Penthouse Suite:
Whilst Celebrity Cruises doesn't have the wow factor of Cunard or the very low passenger numbers of the more expensive cruise lines, I thought it was amazing value for money and really enjoyed this cruise! I would rate it a very good 4 star ship, in line with a four star hotel.
They like to market themselves as a luxury cruise line and yes it is a very good 4 star experience, but I think you would need to book a suite, which gives you an exclusive smaller dining room, Only for suites guests, a lounge with snacks, drinks and afternoon tea, sun deck and bar, butler etc to really get a 5 star rating from me. The suites also include The premium wifi, all tips and premium drink packages (So totally all inclusive.) It also includes some onboard spend and your choice of bottled alcohol in your room too. Some suites give you credit for the speciality restaurants too, so I will be looking in to the suites if I travel again on celebrity as you do get a lot for your money there, equivalent to travelling in business or first class on a plane. You could spend your whole cruise in that area if you wish or visit the theatre and other areas if you wish as well as having your own quieter exclusive lounges.
For a very special occasion the Penthouse suite is gorgeous, and not even the top suite! and includes dining at the speciality dining rooms and Luminae restaurant as well as free laundry and butler. Great if you are travelling with friends. (See video below.)
The Celebrity Edge has won 11 awards recently for the best premium cruise ship, so my comments only apply to the Celebrity Silhoutte as I haven't been on the Celebrity Edge yet.
These are my ratings:
Staff: Absolutely Amazing
Food: Good, although if one of the bars could have served food as well, that would have given more options.
Facilities: Very Good
Entertainment: Excellent
Drinks package: Excellent
Cabin: Excellent, lovely shower and balcony
Decor: Good
Value; Outstanding!
The mix of passengers on my cruise was mostly British people with a few Americans, the average age was around 50, with a mix of people from different socio economic backgrounds. Outside of school holidays there were no children and I think this cruise line caters more for adults than families. There was a baby though.
The later dinner sitting did see more people dressing up for dinner, so opt for that if you like dressing up, although the dress code is smart casual officially apart from the two formal nights. ( The formal nights were not really formal, a nice dress for ladies and a shirt and tie for the gentlemen, no jacket required.) Some people on the early sitting didn't even wear ties. I was really amazed by the customer service from all the staff on this ship, better than anywhere in the world I have ever experienced!!
Below is the Penthouse Suite:
Below are areas accessible to people from any cabin.
First stop La Rochelle, France
La Rochelle is a gorgeous little harbour city, full of French charm. It dates from around the 9th century.
Nestled around the harbour and marina are cafes and restaurants enticing you with the same aromas of crepes and seafood for many years. Of course I did have a crepe! Potatoes are very popular here, as are oysters, the French cheese Cendre de Niort and the most famous dish is Mouclade (Mussels, cream, saffron,white wine and a bit of spice.)
The Old Town has tudor/Renaissance architecture and is very picturesque for a stroll. Some streets have porticos to keep you cool in the sun and it was hot when we were there in early September. Today it is a port city on the Bay of Biscay, for trade and cruise ships. The French settlers who founded Montreal set off from here. The entrance to the port is guarded by three medieval towers, Saint Nicolas, Chain tower and Lantern tower. You can climb all three of them.
The weather in La Rochelle can range from 6c - mid twenties Centigrade. It was 27c when we visited in September.
Crime in La Rochelle is rare and violent crime very rare! It is a safe city to visit, although pick pockets do sometimes target tourists as they do everywhere.
Crime in La Rochelle is rare and violent crime very rare! It is a safe city to visit, although pick pockets do sometimes target tourists as they do everywhere.
Places to visit from La Rochelle:
The main things to do in La rochelle are:
-The aquarium
- Towers of La Rochelle
-Museum of Natural history
-Parc Charruyer
-Plage des Minimes
-Old Town
-Catherdral St-Louis
-Museum des Beaux-arts
And many more museums.
Next stop Bilbao, Spain
Bilbao is a large port and capital of the Basque region of Spain. Although a truce was called in their fight for independence, it remains a fiercely independent region, with it's own culture and language. It's a city surrounded by lush green hills and mountains on the Bay of Biscay. As well as the port there are many coves and beaches too. The architecture of the houses in the mountains is that of alpine villas, which did interest me, as this is different to any other part of Spain I have visited.
It has an industrial heritage with iron and steel works being the main exports, but today it is becoming a cultural city, since the arrival of the Guggenheim museum and other museums that have followed since. Along with being known for the region with the most Michelin star restaurants in the world with 28! 4 of which have been awarded the much coveted 3 Michelin stars! This region has something to offer tourists that are looking for a cultural and gastronomic experience.
Weather:
The temperature ranges from 5-27c and was 27c when we visited in September. It rains a lot in the winter, keeping the landscape green and very different to Southern Spain! It rarely rains in the summer though, so that is the best time to visit!
Crime:
Bilbao is listed as having the most crime in Spain, it is still a safe city, with crime mainly pickpockets and theft. Violent crime is low.
Food:
The traditional food in Bilbao consists of it's own version on Tapas, called pintxos, Seafood including salted cod called bacalao, grilled meat and fish, lamb stew, bean dishes washed down with cider.
What to do in Bilbao:
- Guggenheim Museum
- La Ribera Market
- Bilbao Fine Arts Museum
- Plaza Nueva
-Basilica of Begona
- Plaza Moyua
- Catedral de Santiago
-El Balcon de Bizkaia
Next stop La Coruna, Spain
Now we move from the Basque country to a region of Spain called Galicia. La coruna, known locally as A Coruna is a port city on the Atlantic coast with a Roman lighthouse, the tower of Hercules. As well as the port there are plenty of beautiful beaches, with a large beach running along the the main coast. It has an historic centre. This was where the Spanish Armada set sail from.
There are two languages, Spanish and Galician, Galician is similar to Portuguese, with which this region has close ties with. Whilst Manufacturing is still important here, it is the headquarters of everyone's favourite chain store Zara. It is a town known for it's unusual glass balconies, which are enclosed balconies. It is a city that has grown with the times and constantly re defining itself. Museums have recently emerged to entice more cultural tourists, along with 16 Michelin star restaurants currently.
There are two languages, Spanish and Galician, Galician is similar to Portuguese, with which this region has close ties with. Whilst Manufacturing is still important here, it is the headquarters of everyone's favourite chain store Zara. It is a town known for it's unusual glass balconies, which are enclosed balconies. It is a city that has grown with the times and constantly re defining itself. Museums have recently emerged to entice more cultural tourists, along with 16 Michelin star restaurants currently.
Weather;
La Coruna has a moderate climate from 10c in January to 24c in August, although it was 25c in September when I visited! It does get a lot of rain in the winter, especially December with around 150mm in that month.
Crime:
Crime in La Coruna is very low, however it is increasing slightly, but still a very safe city!
Food:
the main specialities here are pemento peppers, scallops, potato omelette called Betanzos Omelet, Octopus, mussels, Arzua-Ulloa / Requeixo of A Capela unpasteurized cheese, and a delicious Galician almond cake.
La Coruna has a moderate climate from 10c in January to 24c in August, although it was 25c in September when I visited! It does get a lot of rain in the winter, especially December with around 150mm in that month.
Crime:
Crime in La Coruna is very low, however it is increasing slightly, but still a very safe city!
Food:
the main specialities here are pemento peppers, scallops, potato omelette called Betanzos Omelet, Octopus, mussels, Arzua-Ulloa / Requeixo of A Capela unpasteurized cheese, and a delicious Galician almond cake.
Places to visit in La Coruna:
- Tower of Hercules
- Aquarium
- Castle of San Anton
- Praia de Riazor Beach
- Domus museum
- Mega museum Estrella Galicia
- Iglesia de Santiago Apostol
- Marineda city shopping Mall
- Menhires
Places to visit from La Coruna
I am only going to list one place as it is absolutely essential to visit from here:
Santiago de Compostela UNESCO world heritage site
It is the culmination of the pilgrimage route called Camino "The Way" to the buriel site of St James the apostle. It takes at least 30 days to hike the way. There are several routes with the main ones starting in France and Portugal covering over 500 miles. This ancient pilgrimage has become very popular with hikers recently, wishing to undertake their own spiritual journey, not just for catholics. On arrival they receive a certificate in Latin and the first 10 each day receive a free breakfast in the hotel next to the cathedral.
The Cathedral is magnificent and free to enter. Photos below.
Next stop Vigo, Spain
Vigo is a beautiful port city surrounded by islands and hills. You can walk up to the remains of the castle for spectacular views of the whole city and islands. Even if you can't manage the hike up there, there are escalators a part of the way and there is a road that runs up the side too, so don't miss out on this experience.
Vigo is one of the largest fishing ports in Europe and has a large freezing and canning facility. It was attacked by Sir Frances Drake in 1585 and 1589. It lies very close to the Portuguese border and the Galician language they speak is similar to Portuguese. They do speak Spanish too. It has ancient Roman ruins and an authentic Galician old town, with lots of lovely shops, cafes and restaurants. I really enjoyed a stroll around here and an ice cream as it was an unusually hot day!
It appears to be a vibrant city with lots of cultural and culinary treats for everyone to enjoy. I also like that it is surrounded by green hills, national parks, wildlife, particularly birds. I highly recommend this very much overlooked city!
Weather:
The weather is mild with a 10-25c range With January the coolest and August the hottest. It was 27c when I visited in September though.
Crime:
Vigo is one of the safest cities in Spain, with a very low crime rate in all types of crime. I felt very safe here.
Food:
Seafood is obviously the main food to eat here, with these waters providing an exceptional amount of fish and shellfish etc. Tapas is also important here as well as their own red wine. Other specialities here include Jamon ( A dried raw pork) and Empanadas (Pies with fillings like a cornish pasty).
Places to see in Vigo:
-Parque Monte del Castro
-Playa Samil
- Castro's Fortress
- Barco Islas Cies-Cruceros Rias Baixas
- Calle de las Ostas
- Senda del Agua biking trail
- Museo do Mar de Galicia
-Villa Romana de Toralla
Places to visit from Vigo
- As with La Coruna you can also visit Santiago de Compostela from Vigo.
- Porto, Portugal
=Peneda-Geres National Park
- Cies Islands
- La Coruna (See above as I have already covered this city.)
- Pontevedra
- As with La Coruna you can also visit Santiago de Compostela from Vigo.
- Porto, Portugal
=Peneda-Geres National Park
- Cies Islands
- La Coruna (See above as I have already covered this city.)
- Pontevedra
I didn't get off the ship at the next stop of Le Havre, but thoroughly enjoyed the places I did see above! I would actually like to go back and spend longer in Vigo and the surrounding area and see Porto and that area in more detail. A cruise can only give you a taster of the area, but a great taste it was! Santiago de Compostela was the real highlight, such an amazing atmosphere and stunning architecture. A very unique place that can only be experienced when you are physically and spiritually there. I would recommend this cruise! I will be happy to take another cruise with Celebrity again as the itineraries are excellent, but will perhaps look at a suite if possible next time, not that there is anything wrong with the normal balcony cabin, but I would like a smaller restaurant.