Beyond the exciting changes around the Lawn Club, the Celebrity Silhouette offers more changes below deck. The most exciting for those of us that enjoy brewed beverages (not coffee) is in Michaels Club. With muted lighting, warm dark leather furniture and beautiful wood paneling, Michaels was conceived and designed as a social club environment for aficionados of cigars and fine malt whiskies and rare scotches. As guest tastes have changed the cigars have been relegated to outdoor decks and Michaels updated with a big screen TV’s showing sporting events. And now onboard the Silhouette, Michaels Club becomes a bit hipper and trendier with an amazing selection of craft beers. This isn’t just a few cans of some English Ale; this is over 50 varieties of premium brews from all over the world (reported as 62 different beers during the inaugural events). Of course there are interesting English Ales in addition to lagers, lambics, ciders, wheat beers, and seasonal beers. There are even some beer cocktails. And, along the theme of Celebrity “experiences”, you can sign-up for a class at Michaels to learn how to pour the perfect draft, enjoy a tasting of distinctively different beer styles, learn Beer and Food pairings or compete in a tasting challenge to test your beer knowledge.
While not a new space, the concept and activities in Galleria Tastings have been completely reworked and expanded. Galleria Tastings is a small bar (maybe 25 seats) located mid-ship, in a quiet setting next to the art gallery. Under the direction of Jacques Van Staden, Celebrity’s vice president of food and beverage operations, Galleria Tastings now highlights a new partnership with The Liquid Chef. From this partnership you’ll discover a hipper bar serving molecular drinks and cocktails with wild concoctions of color, fruit juices, liquor and liquid nitrogen. Onboard during the inaugural sailing were Junior Merino, Master Mixologist the “liquid chef” and his lovely wife Heidi. Junior and Heidi are responsible for everything from concept to menus at Galleria Tastings – Molecular Bars onboard all Solstice class ships.
Until April 2012, the Celebrity Silhouette will be sailing 12-Night voyages to the warm Caribbean from the New York City area. On April 22, she crosses the Atlantic to begin eastern Mediterranean cruises alternating from Rome and Venice. In late 2012, she’ll move to the new home port in Ft. Lauderdale sailing 7-Night Caribbean itineraries.
The 5th and final Solstice “sister” is currently under construction in Germany. The Celebrity Reflection will make her first appearance in a 9-Night Inaugural sailing from Amsterdam to Barcelona on October 12, 2012. The Reflection will be slightly larger then her siblings, featuring an additional deck with new staterooms and expanded public spaces. Stay tuned – we’re schedule to sail the inaugural sailing! Following this sailing, the Reflection will sail a pair of 14-Night Venice/Barcelona itineraries before departing the Mediterranean for her new home port in Miami. From Miami she’ll sail 7-Night Caribbean itineraries through April, 2013.
The Liquid Chef – Junior Merino
Galleria Tastings – The Molecular Bar
Craft Beers at Micheals Club
Michaels Club and Craft Beer Pub
