Celebrity Silhouette Caribbean Cruise
We flew to Miami with Virgin and had a private transfer for the 45 minute journey to our hotel the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. The Hilton offers comfortable spacious rooms, pool terrace, two restaurants and bars and an excellent all day deli. We really loved Fort Lauderdale and enjoyed some quality time chilling out and getting in training for the cruise experience with some excellent meals in the Hilton and other restaurants nearby. On sailing day we used the Hilton shuttle bus to the port about 10 minutes away and boarded the magnificent 5 star plus Celebrity Silhouette - one of our favourite ships.
After a day at sea we arrived at the Mexican island of Cozumel, just off the Yucatan Peninsular. The island is just 30 miles long and 10 miles wide so can be explored in a half day excursion or private hire taxi. As well as beaches and jewellery shops, the main attraction is scuba diving due to the superb coral marine life in the area. Having visited the area before, I stayed on board with my husband and took advantage of the peace and tranquillity which exists when most people have gone ashore. Just like having your own bar tender in your own pool on your own private yacht!
Next morning we arrived in the port of George Town the capital of the British owned territory of Grand Cayman. The island is again very small at just 22 miles long and 8 miles wide. We took a short excursion around the island before being deposited at one of the main attractions the magnificent Tikki Beach. After a very nice lunch right on the beach we enjoyed two hours on sun loungers before returning to the ship. Being an off shore banking centre, Grand Cayman is a very expensive tourist destination and there isn’t much to see but the beaches really are fabulous.
Our next destination was the island of Jamaica, the third largest in the Caribbean, covering an area of just over 4,000 square miles. Being a much bigger island there is a wide choice of things to see and do. We had decided to visit the famous Dunn’s River Falls which rise up 600 feet from the beach below and can be climbed with the help of the compulsory local guide. I made the one and a half hour climb with our friends while my husband followed the route taking pictures of our ascent. The falls are dangerous hence the guide and you must remove all jewellery and wear crocs to sustain your footing on the rocks. Did we make it? Oh yes and I have the photos to prove it! It was a scary but exhilarating experience but it would never be allowed by Health & Safety in the UK! Shame!
The island of Labadee part of Haiti was our final destination the next day. Labadee is a lovely private island used exclusively by the cruise ships of Celebrity and Royal Caribbean who have invested in the development of berthing and leisure facilities which also provide some jobs for the local population. With a choice of beaches, water sports, zip wire and other activities available there is something for everyone to enjoy and the option of a barbecue lunch ashore or the usual choices back on the ship. There are some really peaceful spots on Labadee where you can really feel like “Robinson Crusoe” for a day!
After a day at sea we arrived back at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. I had arranged a private transfer to Miami airport where I had booked a day room at the Sofitel Hotel to give us a base before our late evening flight back to the UK. We spent the afternoon with a leisurely lunch in South Beach watching the world go by on Ocean Drive.
With a great location, choice of hotels, abundance of restaurants and shops Fort Lauderdale really is a great destination to enjoy a few days pre or post cruise. Cruising is a fabulous way to holiday. There is a ship and cruise line for everybody but it is important to choose the right one for you and I choose Celebrity for my cruise holidays.