Transatlantic Cruise Delayed for Celebrity Cruises Ship

The much anticipated seasonal transatlantic crossing for Celebrity Silhouette is getting a late start due to rough weather that delayed the ship’s return to Southampton at the end of her last European sailing for the year.

Guests have been offered either late night or early morning embarkation window, and the ship will miss its first port of call as she makes her way across the Atlantic to Fort Lauderdale.

Celebrity Silhouette Delayed

Celebrity Cruises’ 122,210-gross-ton, Solstice-class Celebrity Silhouette was delayed returning to Southampton due to rough weather, which required the ship to remain overnight in Lisbon, Portugal and skip visiting Vigo, Spain on her last European sailing of the season, an 11-night voyage to Portugal and the Canary Islands.

Because of the delay, the ship was unable to return to Southampton on time, resulting in a knock-on effect on embarkation for the ship’s transatlantic cruise.

That crossing was to have departed Southampton at 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 22, but the ship hadn’t even yet returned to Southampton at that time.

Celebrity Cruises reached out to booked guests to alert them to the delay and offered a choice of embarkation options. Guests were able to either embark the ship between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. on Sunday night, or else between 7 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Monday morning, October 23.

If guests chose to embark on Monday morning and required a hotel stay for Sunday night, Celebrity Cruises is offering up to £200 (approximately $243 USD) to cover hotel costs. Guests need to submit receipts via email for review and reimbursement.

Furthermore, all guests are receiving a refundable onboard credit equal to one day’s cruise fare, which will vary depending on each guests’ overall fare pricing. That credit will be applied to guests’ onboard accounts for use on drinks, specialty dining, spa treatments, and other onboard expenses. Any amount remaining after the sailing will be refunded to the card on file.

“We are sorry for the impact the weather had had on your holiday – but know once you get onboard, our amazing team will be waiting to welcome you and ensure your crossing is nothing short of amazing,” the email said. “We thank you for your understanding and appreciate your patience.”

Transatlantic Sailing Now Underway – With an Itinerary Change

Celebrity Silhouette was able to depart Southampton at noon on Monday, October 23, with a revised schedule. Because of the delay, the ship will not be able to visit Punta Delgada in the Azores, a port stop that was originally planned for Wednesday, October 25, from 2:30-9 p.m.

Instead, the ship is heading directly for King’s Wharf, Bermuda, and is planned to arrive on Monday, October 30. This means the first week of the 11-night one-way cruise will be spent completely at sea, with guests able to enjoy onboard shows, live music, activities, and amenities.

From Bermuda, the ship will then visit Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, on Wednesday, November 1. Celebrity Silhouette will arrive in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Thursday, November 2.

Should additional itinerary adjustments be necessary – Hurricane Tammy may impact Bermuda this coming weekend and could cause further diversion for the Celebrity Cruises’ ship – the cruise line is committed to keeping guests updated. At this time, no further changes are expected.

Read Also: Celebrity Cruise Ships – Newest to Oldest

From Fort Lauderdale, Celebrity Silhouette will offer 9- and 10-night “Ultimate Southern Caribbean” and “Eastern Caribbean” sailings visiting top ports of call such as St. Maarten, Barbados, Tobago, St. Lucia, St. Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Johns, and Antigua, with the exact itinerary varying depending on sailing date.

The ship will also feature a variety of 4-night cruises that may visit Key West, Nassau, Bimini, and Cozumel, depending on departure date.

In April 2024, Celebrity Silhouette will return to Europe to begin another summer season, homeporting from Rotterdam/Amsterdam and offering northern European, Scandinavian, British Isles, and Iceland sailings. Later in the season, the ship will move to the Mediterranean for a number of cruises before returning to Fort Lauderdale in mid-November 2024.