8-Night ABC Islands Cruise on Celebrity Silhouette: Suite, Dining and Excursion Review

In January, Kristin and I had the opportunity of sailing on the Celebrity Silhouette for an ABC sailing. The ABC islands, if you didn't know are Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. We had been wanting to try both Celebrity Retreat and visit the ABC islands so when we found this cruise we had to jump on it.

Retreat Life and the Sunset Sky Suite

We stayed in a Sunset Sky Suite, which gave us access to The Retreat and its suite-only amenities. The Retreat is Celebrities suite-only amenities which include the private restaurant, Luminae, the lounge, and the Retreat sundeck (with a private bar and hot tub). Our room also included a butler who was available via WhatsApp and was able to meet our every request :)

The room was spacious and comfortable, but the best part was the view from the back of the ship. There is something special about watching the ocean and seeing the ships wake, especially as the ship sails away from port. That said, I (Lauren) am scared of heights so I was definitely on the balcony very limitedly.

One thing to keep in mind with a Sunset Sky Suite is that it can be a bit of a walk from some areas of the ship since it is in the very back. It did not bother us, and we felt the views made it worth it. The Celebrity Silhouette is also the perfect sized ship in my opinion so walking forward to aft isn't bad, regardless.

Dining on Celebrity Silhouette

One of the main reasons we wanted to try The Retreat was the opportunity to dine in Luminae, the private restaurant for suite guests. Luminae did not disappoint - we did not have a single bad meal.

Victor our waiter took care of us during the cruise and provided some of the best service we have ever received. He was warm, attentive, and always seemed to know what we needed before we even asked. By the end of the cruise, seeing Victor at dinner felt like visiting a friend. He made an already special experience even more memorable. The rest of the staff was also amazing.

We also had the opportunity to dine in Blu once. Blu is normally reserved for AquaClass guests, but suite guests may be able to dine there based on availability. We enjoyed our meal, but Luminae remained our favorite.

Overall, both the food and service aboard Celebrity Silhouette were excellent. Dining felt like an important part of the experience rather than just something we did between activities.

Life Aboard the Ship

Celebrity Silhouette is a beautiful ship, and we were impressed by how comfortable it felt throughout the cruise. The common areas never seemed overly crowded, even when there were plenty of people enjoying the ship.

The elevators were busy during disembarkation, but that was really the only time we had an issue. During the rest of the sailing, getting around the ship was easy.

We also spent some time in the casino and were pleasantly surprised to find that it was completely smoke-free. This made a huge difference and made the casino much more enjoyable than casinos we have visited on other ships.

Our Day in Aruba

Our Aruba excursion included a beach stop, the Natural Bridge, and a visit to a butterfly farm.

The Natural Bridge area was interesting to see, we learned that there was originally two beaches but the larger one collapsed years ago so the one that is left is the smaller one. The butterfly farm was a real highlight. We really enjoyed walking through the butterfly farm. It was a relaxing stop and gave us the chance to see a variety of beautiful butterflies up close.

The beach was the one part of the excursion that did not impress us. I was surprised because Eagle Beach routinely gets rated one of the top beaches in the world It was fine, but it was not the beautiful Caribbean beach experience we had expected. After visiting the other islands, it definitely did not stand out as one of the better beaches of the trip.

We still enjoyed seeing more of Aruba, but we would probably choose a different beach or excursion on a future visit.

Bonaire Was the Highlight

Bonaire was easily one of the highlights of the entire cruise.

Our excursion took us through a nature reserve before stopping at an absolutely gorgeous beach. The water was beautiful, and there were conch shells everywhere. It was peaceful, uncrowded, and exactly what we had pictured when planning a trip to the Caribbean.

We also saw flamingos throughout the island. There were flamingos everywhere we looked, which was incredible.

Our guide was amazing and shared so much about Bonaire, its wildlife, and the efforts being made to protect the island’s natural environment.

By the end of the day, Kristin and I both agreed that Bonaire was a destination we would happily visit again.

Willemstad in Curaçao

In Curaçao, we spent part of the day at the beach and then did a walk through historic Curacao.

Willemstad is even more colorful in person than it looks in photos. We enjoyed walking through the city, seeing the historic buildings, and exploring the waterfront. It was a nice contrast to the beach-focused excursions we experienced on the other islands.

The combination of beach time and sightseeing made Curaçao a well-rounded day. We had time to relax while still learning more about the island and its culture.

Final Thoughts on Our Celebrity Silhouette Cruise

Our eight-night ABC Islands cruise was a wonderful way to celebrate a January birthday. We were able to visit three destinations that had been on our list while also experiencing The Retreat for the first time.

Most of all, we will remember the service we received from Victor in Luminae. He made us feel genuinely cared for and provided the best service we have ever experienced while traveling.

We would absolutely sail with Celebrity again and would recommend this itinerary to anyone who wants a mix of beautiful Caribbean destinations, excellent dining, and a more elevated cruise experience.