Cruising Solo on Silver Spirit

I am considering cruising on Sept 28th Istanbul to Istanbul as a single man in his sixties. I am wondering if anyone has do that voyage and what are your thoughts about traveling solo. It should be noted I don't look or act my age and get along with folks who are much young than I am.

I've traveled solo on AMAwaterways and loved it, but I am reading so many varied comments about the Silver Spirit that I'm not sure if this is the ship for me.

Any posts will be appreciated.

One of our favorite fellow cruisers on both our Spirit cruises is EnglishUSA (David). Super nice guy, and he seems to be having a lot of fun. I would definitely be ok cruising solo on Silversea or Regent if something happened to George. (And I have cruises on AMA twice and enjoyed it.)

We were on the Spirit in February. There were many singles on board. If I remember correctly, our butler told us there were 50 passengers traveling solo. I also think they had some scheduled single activities to encourage meeting others.

Thank you for your reply. BTW what did you think of the ship in general. I'm reading lots of reviews that are 180 degrees apart which I find surprising. While I don't expect to find 100% to agree having such a wide spread has me concerned.

I agree that the disparity in opinions can be disconcerting. We've only been on Viking for river cruises, and SS for ocean cruises, so I can't compare with other lines. I think SS passengers have high expectations, and are used to luxury travel experiences. Some of the issues criticized would bother me a great deal, others would matter little to me. I think only you can decide what might be a "deal breaker" for you.

We have sailed on the Cloud, the Shadow, and the Spirit. Each has its own charm. We know we are definitely small ship travelers, and probably would not enjoy something much bigger than the Spirit. We love the ease of access to everything and not feeling we are part of a huge crowd. So far we have been loyal to SS, but each time we consider a cruise we do compare itineraries with the other luxury lines.

This was our first cruise on the Spirit, and we thought the ship was in good shape, and the signs of wear here and there were not bothersome to us. The food was very good on the whole, and we had very attentive dining service. When we arrived in our suite there was a plumbing problem. We called for help, and the repairs began within minutes. Our butler, Regi, was wonderful through out the cruise, and was even more attentive during the repairs even though he was helping other passengers get settled. The entire cruise he was intuitive to our needs without being intrusive. My husband was unwell (probably an allergic reaction) and the medical staff were most attentive. They scheduled him for frequent follow up appointments to accomodate our touring plans, called the suite daily, and one morning the doctor even arrived at the suite to see him so he would not have to go to the medical center.

I think if you spend the time to research the Silversea product you will be able to decide if it is right for you. Sometimes I think the most negative criticisms come from passengers who were expecting things more often found on the larger ships. It also seems to me that long time SS cruisers are seeing a change in the product from 20 years ago and are disappointed. While I would love to have experienced THAT SS, I am able to enjoy the product SS is offering now. I also think that if you accept that nothing is ever perfect, it is easier to accept when something isn't as you had hoped it might be.

There are many varied opinions about the Spirit. Early on I was one of the naysayers. We are veterans of the FF (first four ships) and very comfortable with the smaller sizes. Our first foray onto the Spirit was very disappointing, the staff was stressed, some of the public rooms were uncomfortable, the decor was very different and the suites, IMHO, were poorly designed. First timers to SS reacted very well to the ship. Anything is a pleasure with fewer than a few thousand people, I assume. We probably went too early. We decided to give it another chance last year and voila! It was finally an organized SS product. It offers opportunities the smaller ships can't. The crew is all settled in. The Captain is terrific. Give it a go. I think you will enjoy it!

I agree. We avoided the Spirit having heard many old timers saying it wasn't great. Now been on it three times and we love it. There are differences, some better than others. Well worth travelling on.

Thank you all for your comments. I too have sailed on large ships and medium ships as well as a tour of the Greek Isles with Vantage on a sailboat with 100 others and enjoyed it, but all those trips were when I was married. My cruise on AMA from Budapest to Amsterdam last year was solo and a blast. I'll be on another AMA cruise from Prague to Paris Beginning on Aug 21st. I'm doing the hotels on my own for the freedom, but 8 days on the river will me wonderful. One last question regarding dress code is the ship that formal where jackets are required at night?

The dress codes are formal, informal and casual. As I understand it, there are no formal (tux, dinner jacket, dark suit) night on 7 day cruises in the summer. Informal requires a jacket with or without a tie. Casual means just that. Some dining venues are not formal on formal nights, but the DR is. Hope this helps.

Just watch out for the bathroom sink on Spirit. They are very poorly designed IMO and will spray you with water. We finally learned that if we put a wash cloth in the bottom of the sink for the water to hit instead of it hitting the slanted side, we were safe.

Just watch out for the bathroom sink on Spirit. They are very poorly designed IMO and will spray you with water. We finally learned that if we put a wash cloth in the bottom of the sink for the water to hit instead of it hitting the slanted side, we were safe.

Let me preface by saying we do like the Spirit very much. BUT, the sinks are terrible. Who ever thought that having the drain work by having to put your hand into the water to push it is a good idea? It is a small annoyance, and actually has become a fun memory of our time on the Spirit. Let's just hope they do something different on the new Muse.

As far as traveling alone on Silversea, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. The first evening (and every evening thereafter), there is a get together for singles so you can meet the other single people on board and choose whether you want to socialize with them or not. Singles are always welcome at big tables even if the rest of the table is couples, so don't hesitate to ask to join a big table in the main dining room.

DH and I have sailed on the Cloud, the Shadow, and the Spirit ( twice on the latter), and AMA. On each cruise there were plenty of singles and we had the pleasure of interacting with several of them. They tend to be outgoing. They were well-cared for by staff and there was no discrimination I saw or heard about. I would not hesitate to cruise solo on the Spirit. Most of the singles were older women, which is true not just on SS but also on other luxury lines, which might make you, a male single, either delighted or uncomfortable, depending on perspective, but my guess is from your descriptions of preferences you are more likely the former. If you are outgoing, mentally active, and open to starting conversations with strangers without assuming ladies traveling alone are trying to marry you, you will be fine :).

There may be some service issues on SS, as others have described, but issues are also seen on other lines. Just speak up early, make your wishes known early and clearly, and if you are social, when you go to the MDR, ask to be seated at a communal table early on in the voyage so you can start meeting people. If you could meet cruisers who are veterans of many cruises, they can also give you insider tips. And do go to the first single/solo get-together to see who all is there.

Have a great time, and if you do not like luxury SS, try luxury Regent, Seabourn, Crystal, or Hapag-Lloyd Europa2 (male CC member English Voyager has reported good solo rates and care on the latter).

I want to thank all who took the time to put my mind at ease. I've booked the Istanbul to Istanbul cruise leaving on Sept 28th. I'll be arriving on Sept 25th to do some sightseeing and staying at Noah's Ark a boutique hotel in Old Town within a few blocks of most sights.

I'm looking forward to making new friends and enjoying returning to the Greek Isles.

See you there! Please sign up for the CC Meet 'n Mingle.

I've signed up for the meet and mingle and look forward to meeting you.

I travel with my sister, generally these days on Cunard but used to love the. Hebridean Spirit. However, looking for a change and thinking of booking actually next year Istanabul to Venice on the Silver Spirit and just wondered how it was for singles? I'm early sixties, quite glam and lively, I'm concerned that the ship will be full of couples, I know there will be quite a lot but sometimes as a single you are viewed as being either a husband snatcher or the lowest in society! Any comments/ help appreciated... Thanks

I'm concerned that the ship will be full of couples, I know there will be quite a lot but sometimes as a single you are viewed as being either a husband snatcher or the lowest in society!

You don't need to be single to be a husband/wife snatcher!!!

We travel as a couple but as far as we have seen single travellers, as long as they are well house-trained, are allowed up to 20 minutes a day in mixed company before being locked up in their kraal.

Seriously, from what we have seen single travellers have a great time and we have certainly shared many hours/meals/trips with single travellers. SS set up a reception (each day I think) for single travellers at around 6pm. In fact, you will see on these boards many single travellers with a huge number of sea-days so the cruise lines must be doing something right.

SS takes very good care of Solo Travelers. You can participate or not. The shorter the voyage, the younger the crowd.