Celebrity Cruises…. Not just for grown ups!
Outside of school holidays you wouldn’t usually find many kids on board but we met plenty during our May half term break to the Norwegian Fjords on Celebrity Silhouette, often as part of multi-generational family groups . The kids club, Camp at Sea, is smaller than other cruise lines might offer but has a wide range of activities for the kids to do together, tailored to their different age groups: 3-5, 6-9, 10-12 and the 13-17 teens. There are also activities put on for the whole family such as scavenger hunts around the ship. The temperature in Norway was only about 12°C but we still used the heated outdoor pools, though the hot tubs were a necessity to bring body temperatures back up! Fortunately, the adult only solarium with the indoor pool did have a couple of ‘family hour’ sessions each day so that Esme was able to get in her multiple pool fixes a day. Meal times are also great for kids, with their own menu (with the usual kids options) in the main dining room, Grand Cuvee and a kids corner at the buffet with burgers, fish fingers and chips as well as the pizza and pasta section to keep them happy.
I should mention that grown ups cruising without kids don’t need to worry - there are plenty of quiet corners on the ship as well.
Our cruise to the fjords had some great stops - the Norwegian ports we stopped at were all within 15 minutes walk of the centre of town. All of them offered spectacular scenery in the area around the port as well as beautiful views sailing out of port (and on the way in, if you get up early enough!). With the little one in tow we didn’t feel the need to take any of the shore excursions which went further afield, though I did hear some fantastic reports from people that did take them. There are also hiking options close to the ports. Evenings worked well for us, eating early following by a little entertainment from the house bands in the grand foyer area followed by one of the fantastic shows in the theatre. The shows in the theatre were very varied on our 7 nights cruise, magician Matthew McGurk put on two different shows as did rock tenors Rebel. The Celebrity singers, orchestra, dancers and acrobats had different shows on 4 nights, each showing at 7pm and 9pm.
One of the highlights of any cruise is the food and we found plenty of excellent options . In addition to the included Oceanview Café buffet restaurant and the main dining room Grand Cuvee ( which both offer breakfasts, lunches and dinners) we also had breakfast a couple of times at the peaceful Spa Café and enjoyed a burger lunch at the Mast Grill (both of which are also included). We also had enough onboard credit included (thanks to a special offer when we booked) for a couple of specialty restaurants. Tuscan, right at the rear of the ship is Italian: steaks, pizzas, pastas so works well with small ones in tow. Its setting makes it the perfect choice for dining when you are sailing out of port so make sure to check your cruise schedule before booking your specialty restaurants. The other we tested out was Le Petit Chef at Qsine, which combines animation with fine dining . I wasn’t the only parent who purposely booked this for the last night to avoid being pestered to go back again! It is best to book your specialty restaurants in advance for a wider choice of times and also better prices.
We really enjoyed the experience of waking up somewhere new each day. All in all this was a great cruise and would highly recommended for anyone liking a bit of luxury, great food and the opportunity to explore beautiful destinations.
Get in touch to discuss your own cruise adventure. 020 3292 0515 sarah.coombes@travelcounsellors.com