Would a Silversea Lover Like Seabourn?

My wife and I have taken three Silversea cruises (one on the Cloud, two on the Spirit) since December of 2014, and have enjoyed all of them immensely. We do, however, like to try other lines from time to time (we'll be on the Oceania Riviera next month), and I'm wondering about Seabourn. Our only sailing on Seabourn was way back in 2000 (on the Pride, which of course has long departed), so we have no recent experience with the line. Has anyone been on both Silversea and Seabourn recently, and if so how would you compare the two? FYI, our biggest priority is the dining experience. Thanks!

If dining is your priority then Seabourn has it all over Silversea. Food is far superior imo. I spent three weeks on the Shadow last Spring and found the food mediocre and repetitive except for a couple of dinners at La Terrazza which were excellent. Give SB a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Thanks---this is helpful.

It has been awhile but we were on the Shadow twice and thought the food was meh and the service so so. We are making the leap from Crystal to Seabourn later this year. Nothing wrong with Crystal we just need to change it up and the Encore seems to fit what we want.

jimdee3636,

in MHO, absolutely "yes".

We have been big SS fans, especially loved the crew, but got more and more disappointed by the constant cost cuttings. We took our first SB cruise in 2014, loved it and I posted an attempt at a side by side comparison thereafter:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2058188

Since then we were on the Wind and the Shadow in Feb 2015/16 in Asia and on the SB Quest last October. We found the quality of SS in continuous decline, but maintained on SB.

Needless to say, preferences are personal and you will find good and bad reviews for both SS and SB.

Food is even more personal. And at the risk of oversimplification, we found that the menu was more varied on SS, the food overall better on SB and on the selection and quality of beer, wine and Champagne (not to mention the caviar) SB wins in MHO hands-down.

Thus, while we will miss the free Laundry and the Asian staff on SS, our next cruise most likely will be SB again.

MJN1:

Thanks for the detailed reply, and the link to your even-more-detailed 2014 comparison. You (and the others who have kindly replied) have whetted our appetites (no pun intended) for Seabourn.

I do agree with you about the Silversea cost-cutting, although (as cost-cutting often is) it's manifested initially in little ways. For example, in 2014 and 2015, the Silversea library had complete, full-size paper copies of each day's Wall Street Journal, NY Times, the Times of London, and maybe one or two others, In December of 2016, no hard-copy newspapers were available at all.

I think Silversea is still getting most of the big things right, and I certainly wouldn't rule them out for the future, but I'll probably book Seabourn before going back on SS.

MJN1:

 

Thanks for the detailed reply, and the link to your even-more-detailed 2014 comparison. You (and the others who have kindly replied) have whetted our appetites (no pun intended) for Seabourn.

 

I do agree with you about the Silversea cost-cutting, although (as cost-cutting often is) it's manifested initially in little ways. For example, in 2014 and 2015, the Silversea library had complete, full-size paper copies of each day's Wall Street Journal, NY Times, the Times of London, and maybe one or two others, In December of 2016, no hard-copy newspapers were available at all.

 

I think Silversea is still getting most of the big things right, and I certainly wouldn't rule them out for the future, but I'll probably book Seabourn before going back on SS.

We had sailed 6 times with SS and decided to try Seabourn last year. We have since sailed twice with Seabourn.

We thought there is not much between the cruise lines to be honest. The suites were very similar, the dining similar. We do like the concept of Seabourn square, very nice indeed as is the Colonnade for eating.

We didn't care much for the pool grill, in our opinion only very ordinary, on one day they served sausages, sausages and sausages, not very inspiring at all.

For us is really down to itinerary, other wise I would say not a lot between the two cruise lines.

Just to add, we have just booked a cruise on Regent so that should be something different. All shore excursions and free wi fi were the deal breaker, looking forward to that on the first June.

We had sailed 6 times with SS and decided to try Seabourn last year. We have since sailed twice with Seabourn.

 

We thought there is not much between the cruise lines to be honest. The suites were very similar, the dining similar. We do like the concept of Seabourn square, very nice indeed as is the Colonnade for eating.

We didn't care much for the pool grill, in our opinion only very ordinary, on one day they served sausages, sausages and sausages, not very inspiring at all.

 

For us is really down to itinerary, other wise I would say not a lot between the two cruise lines.

 

Just to add, we have just booked a cruise on Regent so that should be something different. All shore excursions and free wi fi were the deal breaker, looking forward to that on the first June.

Except you are paying upfront for the included excursions on Regent. And not ALL excursions are included. The really good ones cost extra.

True Henry but I guess that a lot of people are fooled by the sales spiel of free and included flights and tours.

Thankfully we know better.

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Yes, jimdee3636, a Silversea lover would like Seabourn very much! I have enjoyed them both. I have more SS journeys, due to dates and itineraries, and also because I enjoy the more formal, albeit happy, vibe. Also, I use the butler very efficiently. But then, this is just me. I'm nonetheless very happy sailing with Seabourn.

True Henry but I guess that a lot of people are fooled by the sales spiel of free and included flights and tours.

Thankfully we know better.

 

 

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I know this is a Seabourn vs SS comparison but I wanted to add my comments in response to the last few comments on Regent. From a value perspective, I don't believe the value offered by Regent is anywhere near that of Seabourn. I just booked a 14 day summer Med cruise on Seabourn with Seabourn business class air included. Comparing this to a 10 day (yes, that's 4 day shorter) cruise on the Voyager, the Regent price point is several THOUSAND dollars more expensive. That's a lot of "free" excursions, that I personally don't want anyway. To me the choice is obvious [emoji3]

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Silversea has gone from 5 star to 3 star all round condition of the ships cosmeticly as well as mechanically have been let go. The food is nothing great in any of the restaurants the specialty restaurant never change the menu. The crew all foreign and difficult to understand though they do try hard. It's a problem with management and cost-cutting not putting back into the ships when you sail with only two thirds capacity you don't make money . But rather than discounting the cruise to fill it up they rather leave it empty this makes no sense financially

On the other hand Seabourn the once great Galley dinners have disappeared the wine choices are more limited but still Seabourn is light years ahead of Silver sea

The era of small Ship luxury cruising has passed it's all about economy of scale bigger ships more people less attention to detail more profit. Sad.

I know this is a Seabourn vs SS comparison but I wanted to add my comments in response to the last few comments on Regent. From a value perspective, I don't believe the value offered by Regent is anywhere near that of Seabourn. I just booked a 14 day summer Med cruise on Seabourn with Seabourn business class air included. Comparing this to a 10 day (yes, that's 4 day shorter) cruise on the Voyager, the Regent price point is several THOUSAND dollars more expensive. That's a lot of "free" excursions, that I personally don't want anyway. To me the choice is obvious [emoji3]

 

 

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My point exactly. You are paying upfront for what they call "included." For those several thousand dollars I'd much prefer doing private tours in every port.

The food on Regent isnt that great either!

Regent is OK if you get a good deal going to a place you want to visit but their 'normal' price is wayyyy too expensive. Initially, we felt we had to do the included tours as we had paid for them, however, several were really not worth the effort and the tours we did on our own were far better.

Seabourn remains my first love despite a couple of episodes of infidelity :D

Silversea has gone from 5 star to 3 star all round condition of the ships cosmeticly as well as mechanically have been let go. The food is nothing great in any of the restaurants the specialty restaurant never change the menu. The crew all foreign and difficult to understand though they do try hard. It's a problem with management and cost-cutting not putting back into the ships when you sail with only two thirds capacity you don't make money . But rather than discounting the cruise to fill it up they rather leave it empty this makes no sense financially

 

On the other hand Seabourn the once great Galley dinners have disappeared the wine choices are more limited but still Seabourn is light years ahead of Silver sea

 

The era of small Ship luxury cruising has passed it's all about economy of scale bigger ships more people less attention to detail more profit. Sad.

I do believe you have taken my words and put them into a coherent post.

Regent is OK if you get a good deal going to a place you want to visit but their 'normal' price is wayyyy too expensive. Initially, we felt we had to do the included tours as we had paid for them, however, several were really not worth the effort and the tours we did on our own were far better.

 

Seabourn remains my first love despite a couple of episodes of infidelity :D

We have a very good deal with Regent and is certainly not thousands of dollars more, in fact is less than any Seabourn cruise I could find using the same criteria. Of course I would sail with Seabourn again given the right circumstances.

Well, it looks like I've come to the right place. I was just wondering the same thing--would a Silversea person like Seabourn?

I was just surfing the Seabourn website and there are some intriguing voyages. Most of our friends who have done both say they each excel in different categories but they are basically the same in terms of "overall" ranking. We love Silversea and have a lot of days invested in them, but I think they are certainly chipping away at the brand with all the costs-cutting

So we are wondering about the new Riviera ships, the Ovation and Encore, what to expect, and if they might be a interesting alternative.

PLUS: two couples we know just came back from the Oceania Riviera and said the food, service, spa, activities and overall ship were amazing. One couple ha been on virtually every cruise line and always gets the biggest suite available. :) They said they didn't feel like it was a huge ship with 1200 passengers. Granted, I like the concept of no gratuities and alcohol included, but both said the food on the Oceania Riviera was definitely "5-star." And the spa/fitness center were beautiful. I am a bit turned off by the size, but if the ship handles it well and the food, decor, service really excel that much, is it worth considering/trying? And of course, a larger ship will have more amentities, etc.

Would be interested in all your thoughts on the above in regard to Seabourn plus of course the Oceania Riviera. Thanks in advance!

Herman The Cat:

(I'm the guy who started this thread).

You mentioned the Oceania Riviera. Coincidentally, my wife and I will be sailing on that ship in less than two weeks (12 nights out of Miami, beginning Feb. 12). It will be our first Oceania cruise, and we're eager to see if the dining is as good as many people say.

If this thread is still up when we return, I'll try to remember to post a follow-up.

Herman The Cat:

 

(I'm the guy who started this thread).

 

You mentioned the Oceania Riviera. Coincidentally, my wife and I will be sailing on that ship in less than two weeks (12 nights out of Miami, beginning Feb. 12). It will be our first Oceania cruise, and we're eager to see if the dining is as good as many people say.

 

If this thread is still up when we return, I'll try to remember to post a follow-up.

Jimdee! Yes, thank you for starting the thread and replying! It would be fabulous if you could share your thoughts on Oceania--food, wine, service, ship, the "crowd" issue. The only thing I heard from both couples is that the Asian Restaurant was fair--all the others terrific. Ship beautiful, Penthouse cabin lovely, spa "a dream", Vista Suite had whirlpool inside and out on the veranda. Would be curious about the price of liquor and whether it is absurd. One couple was on in December and over New Year's, the other got back about 10 days ago. Have a terrific cruise!

In the UK the Oceania deals include one of:

A free drinks package (the lunch and dinner one) or

On board credit or

Free excursions

The value of the last two depend on length of cruise

Gratuities may or may not be included

We too have wondered about Silversea these days vs Seabourn. As there have been a few SS deals around.

We've done Regent and therefore have our own thoughts on the differences vs SB.

Have heard excellent reports on Oceania's food, so would be keen to hear of your experiences. We love SB - the staff, ship size - and have a heavy investment in terms of their loyalty program. However, the food experience on our last few cruises has left a lot to be desired.

Please share your thoughts on return and happy sailing.

I have been on 9 Seabourn cruises and I too am trying Oceania in a couple of weeks. My husband and I will be on the Rivera's sister ship, the Marina. The decision to try Oceania was simply based on convenience. We were looking for a short Caribbean get away, in and out of Florida. We are in a penthouse cabn and we are purchasing the drink package with the promotional shipboard credit in an attempt to try and make the experience closer to what we are used to experiencing with Seabourn. I too will report back.

Before Seabourn, we sailed on 9 Regent cruises. We jumped to Seabourn when the Odyssey class was introduced with balconies, Regent became too expensive because it started including excursions which we did not use, and we felt their service and food went downhill a little, all at the same time. Last year we tried Silversea, on the Cloud, which we found unacceptale, which I detailed in another post last summer - primarily based on food and air conditioning issues, although there were other issues. For the right itinerary I would consider trying Silversea again, but only on a ship newer than the Cloud or the Wind.

Except you are paying upfront for the included excursions on Regent. And not ALL excursions are included. The really good ones cost extra.

The really good ones cost extra extra as you aren't given credit for the tours you've already paid for. The costs of the extra tours are at least equal to what you'd pay on Seabourn/Crystal/Silversea - so no discount for having at least partially pre-paid.

Hopefully when you do Oceania Mariner the band Siglo will be on board (unless moving around the other ships). They were on the Paul Gauguin out of Tahiti for 10 years or more and are one of the best groups of musicians we have found cruising. Their playlist is spot on.