Celebrity Silhouette Sets Sail from Southampton for the Last Time
It’s not just a farewell; it’s a grand send-off, as Celebrity Silhouette, the current Celebrity Cruises ship home-porting in Southampton, prepares to embark on her final voyage from the UK on October 22nd, 2023.
This departure not only signifies the end of an era, but serves as an opportunity to celebrate her remarkable milestones since 2018, as she makes way for Celebrity Apex, an Edge-Class ship, in 2024.
Launched in 2011 Celebrity Silhouette is the fourth ship in the five ship Solstice-Class built by Meyer Werft in Germany, she sailed on her maiden voyage on 23rd July of the same year.
On 28th April 2018 Celebrity Silhouette arrived in Southampton to start her maiden season from the UK port replacing an earlier Soltice-Class ship Celebrity Eclipse which sailed from Southampton for eight summer seasons its launch in 2010.
At the time she had an all white hull which was Celebrity Cruises colour scheme at the time.
28th June 2021 saw the newly-revitalised Celebrity Silhouette arrive in Southampton with the new blue hull colour.
The new hull colour was a major part of $500 the million initiative to modernize the entire Celebrity Cruises fleet following the introduction of the ultra modern Edge-Class ships.
Her Legacy is Recognized in Numbers
CHARTING THE SEAS
- Silhouette has charted a staggering 230,000 nautical miles, equivalent to circumnavigating the globe almost nine times over.
- She has also carried 199,164 guests from Southampton– if they were to lie head to toe, they would form a line approximately 318 miles long, which would almost stretch the width of England at its widest point (346 miles).
AN ENTERTAINING HISTORY
- Entertainment has always been at the heart of the Celebrity experience. Over the past five years, Silhouette has hosted an astounding 4,226 theatre performances. That’s equivalent to just over 176 days of non-stop laughter and applause.
- But that’s not all; Silhouette also ‘rocked the ship’ with a total of 24,390 hours of live music during her time sailing from the UK. Picture grooving to continuous tunes for an astonishing 1,016 days and 18 hours in total.
- AT YOUR SERVICE
- Behind the scenes, a dedicated crew of 11,997 members has ensured that every voyage was an unforgettable experience. These individuals could populate the coastal town of Minehead in Somerset.
- Speaking of populations, Celebrity crew members have represented an average of 60 different nationalities within the team over the years. That’s more than the number of countries in Europe (which sits at 50!)
- Silhouette created her own little slice of Europe at sea visiting varied port after varied port – 64 ports in total to be exact with the top three most visited ports being Copenhagen, Tallin and Stockholm.
TOASTS AND CELEBRATIONS
- Love has truly been in the air – and at sea! Celebrity is proud to have celebrated 105 weddings on board since 2018, averaging 21 weddings per year – making Silhouette a love-filled destination in her own right.
- When it comes to toasting life’s moments guests have staggeringly popped nearly 100,000 (97,771 to be precise) bottles of fizz on board since 2018. Cheers!
- Then there is Silhouette’s Martini bar, which is so cool that it maintains an average temperature of -20 degrees. Temperatures like this are only found in the Arctic – making Silhouette’s bar a paradise for penguins (but you won’t get cold having a cocktail).
AN ICONIC ELEMENT
- Finally – we must not forget the ship’s beautifully manicured lawn – engineered for her unique journey, fortified to endure the embrace of sea-borne elements. This lush expanse became legendary within the industry due to its unique location on a cruise ship – and has been mowed approximately 500 times since 2018.
Take a look at Celebrity Silhouette sailing from Southampton.
With endless horizons explored, breathtaking sunsets witnessed and countless memories created on her remarkable journey, the icon will be setting off to new waters. She makes way for Celebrity Apex, Celebrity’s the second ship in the Edge Series which is set to home port in Southampton from May 2024 for the European season.
Celebrity Apex will continue to revolutionise the way guests experience the world, all with the convenience of sailing directly from the UK.
Celebrity Apex made her maiden visit to Southampton in September 2020.
Join holidaymakers worldwide in celebrating the end of an era and a thrilling new beginning: discover exciting itineraries that explore northern Europe and the Mediterranean, featuring visits to the Norwegian Fjords, Arctic Circle, Ibiza, Lisbon, and much more.
All images copyright Andrew McAlpine
Thank you for taking the time to read my latest post
Cruise Ship Profiles 