Our Celebrity cruise of the Baltic leaves from Amsterdam, so we got here one night ahead of the set sail date for peace of mind sake. We had a nice night’s sleep and were up to greet the day with amazing pastries and the best bacon of the trip so far. If bacon is not meaty and crisp, I’m out, and this stuff was both times two!

We had a transfer from the hotel, so getting to the ship involved getting ourselves and our luggage to the lobby for a 10:00 a.m. departure. We had downloaded and printed our boarding documents and had luggage tags, so it was a breeze. Our cruise buddies, Hettie (aka our personal Cruise Director) and Ronnie from Baltimore and Cleone and Walter from Tulsa, met us in the lobby. It was wonderful to see them again. The last time we saw one another is when H&R and we flew into Tulsa to surprise W&C at their surprise 50th anniversary party the end of last year.

A quick bus ride across town got us to the pier. We boarded the ship right away and enjoyed a buffet lunch and quick tour of the ship while waiting for our staterooms to be cleaned. Hettie chose and booked our rooms and oh my gosh! Each couple is situated in a corner room in the back of the ship, so not only do we have a small (read: really small) balcony off the back but a huge (read: 4.5 feet across) port hole on the other wall. It is so bright and cheery! Bulgari toiletries, champagne, fresh fruit, and flowers are just frosting on the cake! See why Hettie is in charge?

We spent the rest of the first afternoon on board unpacking, stowing our suitcases (under the bed), and getting organized in general. Quickly after setting sail the ship went through a lock that raised us up to sea level so we could head into the North Sea where the captain set a course around Denmark and into the Baltic.

We met for cocktails at 5:00. The premium beverage package is included with our room, so the sky’s the limit on what we can drink, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic. I just said ‘Bring me the most expensive glass of red wine that comes with my beverage package’ and left it at that. From there to dinner and then the show, Just John and Paul, two brothers who did a great job singing Beatles tunes. From there to bed. A great start to what we think is our seventh cruise.

A bit about the ship

Name: Celebrity Silhouette
Number of decks: 16
Length: 1,063 feet
Occupancy: 2,886
Dining Rooms: 1
Casual dining and specialty restaurant options: 12
Bars and lounges: 10
Plus: card room, library, casino, swimming pools, gym, and spa