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Silversea reviews - is it really bad?


JVNYC
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Good day all. I have never sailed with Silversea and I am considering a 2017 sailing on Silver Spirit.

 

I've been reading up on all the reviews lately and also comparing Silversea with Seabourn (considering them as well).

 

I am amazed at how awful the reviews of Silver Spirit have been lately (and in the past when it first sailed) and most surprised is that the food gets terrible reviews. Am I missing something here? I always thought Silversea was one of the very best? How can so many people continually say the food is that bad?

 

I frequently sail Oceania and think it's time to try something new. Seabourn has a fantastic itinerary for 2017 that I am looking at but so does Silversea. Silversea is also considerably less expensive than Seabourn.

 

Please let me know if what I am reading on Cruise Critic and other travel sites is true or false.

 

Thanks.

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I come from the point of view of someone who over the last 10 years has sailed over 200 days, using the Whisper, Shadow,Wind, Cloud and Spirit. Indeed in a few weeks we are booked for 22days on the Whisper. In all honesty it is not what it was but to be fair from what I can glean reading other reviews all the other cruise lines have had cutbacks and adjustments. What you will find on SS is a superb crew who will go the extra mile to make your holiday a great experience

. The food varies in our experience with the chef on board but there have been cutbacks to some of the luxury foods they used to serve. Sadly long gone are the days of caviar on demand. The champagnes served have gone from Moët and Chandon, through Perrier Jouet to now pouring. Heindsick Monopole Blue label. The wines are quite average but if you know your wines and are prepared to spend time talking to the Sommelier there are good ones to be had albeit in small quantities.

 

We did not sail the Spirit for the first few years it was in service mainly because people who were regulars constantly said they did not like it. Eventually we did as it was an itinerary that we particularly wanted to do and it has become one of our favourite ships. With the exception of the poor of the theatre and unusual bar area design it offers more dining options and always appears spacious and comfortable. We have had nothing but praise for our Spirit cruises.

 

We now find both the Cloud and Wind to be rather tired but understand that they are due refits with one of them going to be an expedition ship. The small ships do however offer a very intimate and pleasurable experience. If you want major entertainment and busy busy then SS is not for you. If you like meeting international travelers who are in the main fairly sophisticated and interesting then you will enjoy it. We now have friends in America, Australia, NZ eats plus people we visit here in the UK.

 

As to SB I have never travelled on it but understand that those who are devoted to it would support it. Friends have travelled with Regent, Oceania and Crystal and say that SS compares favourably with them. We stay with SS partly because we think we know how to work the line to our advantage and partly because of the benefits we receive with the number of days we have sailed.

 

I can't tell you which line to choose. I'm sure others will write on this thread to give their opinions, but we have introduced SS to at least 4 other couples all of which have repeated the experience.

 

I hope this has been of some help.

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. What you will find on SS is a superb crew who will go the extra mile to make your holiday a great experience.

 

I enthusiastically agree. The crew go a long way toward redeeming SS. Curiously, this is an area where economizing has led to improvement. If one looks way back on this forum one will find complaints that SS was replacing European staff with staff sourced from Asia in order to save money. Unlike getting cheaper provisions for the galley or the wine cellar or any of the many other cuts, the economizing on staff by hiring from Asia has led IMHO to an improvement in the SS experience.

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I have a mantra - "It's where you are going that counts, not the ship that takes you there." I know many people care more about the food, the quality of the service, the level of luxury etc, but these are all secondary to me. I thought Seabourn was pretty average, to be honest, but I fancied just one itinerary and tolerated the limitations of the ship. I'm about to take my first Silversea trip and I'm taking this attitude on board and hope I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Edited by Fletcher
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[i am finding this thread very interesting. We are on Whisper in November, our first time with Silversea, and were beginning to share some of the misgivings expressed here based on recent reviews - particularly with reference to food and wines. I was reassured by downloading the menus recently posted on the Silversea forum - by 'looking' I think. There had been so much chat about burgers, but now I see that there are many other choices. Proof is in the eating of course but I am now much happier about this.

I find it very refreshing that the thread has not been totally dominated by Silversea loyalists, as so often happens when people ask for comparisons. Here, to me, we have good points, well made. Specifically, that economies are being made by all of the lines but nevertheless I am expecting to receive a good experience overall. We have been Azamara regulars, would cruise with them again in a heartbeat, but it's not what it was I think, particularly the food. We tried Regent for the first time this year - it was an outstanding deal - and loved it.

I shall set out determined to enjoy the cruise. I share the view that a positive attitude is always a bonus.

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There are so many reasons why reviews can be bad.

 

It can be that what is being delivered is genuinely poor. It could be that the expectations were too high and too unforgiving. It could be that some had extremely good experiences before and that by comparison things were not as good later - but may be perfectly satisfactory to anyone who hadn't the earlier point of comparison.

 

Reviews can give a general impression of things but not tell a particular customer whether they will likely be satisfied or not. It is a very general indicator. It is also wrong to compare the reviews from one line to another unless you also attempt to factor in what each cruise line's customer is likely to expect based on their customer profile and cruise cost. It could be that cheaper lines who provide less than SS but more than their customers were expecting than say an SS customer who has spent considerably more and consequently may realistically expect more. It is simply a summary of what a customer feels they received compared with what they were expecting. However the repeating fo the same criticisms is often the most illuminating. It is as wrong to say you should base your cruise line decision solely on good or bad reviews as it is to say that you should ignore them completely. They are simply a further source of information.

 

What a prudent potential customer should do is make a list of those elements of the cruise that are really important or essential and equally those features that are not. If food isn't important, then don't be swayed by adverse food comments. If free-flow premium booze is important to you take note of that. There are two parties to those expectations. The lines creating expectations that they fail or succeed in fulfilling and the customers having realistic or unrealstic expectations. It is equally important that cruise lines do not dishonourably create a set of expectations that they have no intention of fullfilling as it is for customers who expect wither too much or indeed too little.

 

We use to have a poster meouw who was really savvy with analysing and spreadsheets on these issues to the extent of actually (if my memory is correct) almost down to a diem per square foot type level. I know that many will poo poo that approach but they shouldn't. It is simply another source of data and information and people that provide data should be thanked.

 

What would be really useful are threads within each forum where those who cruise enough in recent times with several lines and ships could start a comparison thread with simply things like "In our opinion Spirit is better than Quest in these areas and worst in these". Perhaps several ongoing threads within each forum one for each comparison ie "Silversea compared withg Seabourn" "Silversea compared with Regent" etc.

 

Comparisons between lines and ships would be more helpful to many people choosing than simple isolated reviews.

 

:)

 

 

Jeff

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I find these comparisons especially useful when the passenger gives information about his/her preferences so that I can judge if they match my own. Food, for example, is important to us; entertainment less so BUT I do like to dance after dinner. We hate music at the pool every afternoon, some people like it. You still have to sample the lines to find your niche, but it is helpful to have some of the work done for you.

Sorry, niche was the wrong word there but I hope you get my drift.

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Here is our comparison of the "large" ships on Silversea and Seabourn for a comparable length of cruise.

 

Cabin – about the same but you felt more closed in on the narrower Silversea room.

 

Cabin furniture – Silversea since the balcony furniture was better and better TV size

 

Main Dining Room – better on Seabourn but one of the best meals on Silversea. This is based on old menus.

 

Specialty restaurants – better on Silversea but you have to pay extra for two of them. However Le Champagne experience was mixed, one good and one bad.

 

Pool Grill - Silversea, but both are worse than Oceania

 

Sushi, Asian – clear winner is Silversea, no sushi available on Seabourn.

 

Buffet – slight edge to Silversea except conversion to dinner better on Seaborne with different themes which you may or may not like.

 

Food Availability - Seabourne, they did not run out of food that has happened to us twice on Silversea.

 

Alcohol – generally gave you the same class of brands, easier selection process on wines on Seabourn but both have too many under $10 per bottle wines on their list.

 

Pool Deck Furniture – better on Silversea

 

Excursions – Silversea but limited data here based on a few tours. We generally book our own and use cruise ones to use cruise credits

 

Spa – clear winner is Seabourn

 

Entertainment – a few better shows on Silversea but more consistent good performances on Seabourn. If you really think shows are important part of cruise then these two lines are not for you.

 

Internet – clear winner is Seabourn, 20% of the price of Silversea

 

Fellow Passengers – very similar but edge goes to Silversea on these two cruises

 

Crew Helpfulness – slight edge to Seabourn, Silversea crew tended to focus on frequent travelers than to first timers.

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Good day all. I have never sailed with Silversea and I am considering a 2017 sailing on Silver Spirit. I've been reading up on all the reviews lately and also comparing Silversea with Seabourn (considering them as well). I am amazed at how awful the reviews of Silver Spirit have been lately (and in the past when it first sailed) and most surprised is that the food gets terrible reviews. Am I missing something here? I always thought Silversea was one of the very best? How can so many people continually say the food is that bad? I frequently sail Oceania and think it's time to try something new. Seabourn has a fantastic itinerary for 2017 that I am looking at but so does Silversea. Silversea is also considerably less expensive than Seabourn. Please let me know if what I am reading on Cruise Critic and other travel sites is true or false. Thanks.

 

Lots of good and valid comments, opinions and viewpoints are on this thread. We have sailed with Crystal, Seabourn, Silversea and Celebrity. Lots of variations in value, style, quality, ship size, etc. Any of the top lines can have have "slips" and/or staff imperfections. We have seen "it" with ALL of these various cruise lines, plus in other travel and consumer areas. There can be actual service problems and/or customers might be expecting too much or the wrong things.

 

BUT, we are focused first on itinerary!! That's our top priority, plus decent pricing and value for our getting our money's worth. As detailed below, we did 26-days earlier this year on the Silver Cloud for the Amazon River and Caribbean. Things worked out very well!! We had previously done a Silver Cloud Norway that worked extremely well. We had recently read "bad" reviews on this ship and/or related to Silversea. You can see, however, much of my "evidence" and photographic proof, that reflects what we enjoyed this recent trip so much. This includes especially the staff and fellow passengers. Plus, great ports, sights and experiences. I noted certain slips or needs, but overall, in the big picture, it was a high-quality experience.

 

We are getting ready for an early February 2016 Silver Cloud, ten-day South Africa-Mozambique sailing. Later in October and early November, this ship will undergo major "upgrades and fixes", including replacing all of the teak decking and many back-of-ship, internal improvements.

 

My view is that you should do the value comparisons and seek the best for fitting your itinerary priorities. Then GO FOR IT! Look for and enjoy what is good and quality. Generally things will work out well.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 28,972 views for these postings.

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We've been on Silversea and Seabourn once each (and several on Oceania, Azamara, Regent and Crystal). Do remember that Silversea has formal nights (and guests DO dress formally). Seabourn has "formal optional" nights -- tux or dark suit fine, but also sport coat, dress shirt & tie. The latter is what I wore, along with about half the men on the cruise - perfectly acceptable.

 

Some may or may not enjoy formal nights - personal choice. Just wanted to point it out, as it may be a consideration.

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[i am finding this thread very interesting. We are on Whisper in November, our first time with Silversea, and were beginning to share some of the misgivings expressed here based on recent reviews - particularly with reference to food and wines. I was reassured by downloading the menus recently posted on the Silversea forum - by 'looking' I think. There had been so much chat about burgers, but now I see that there are many other choices. Proof is in the eating of course but I am now much happier about this.

I find it very refreshing that the thread has not been totally dominated by Silversea loyalists, as so often happens when people ask for comparisons. Here, to me, we have good points, well made. Specifically, that economies are being made by all of the lines but nevertheless I am expecting to receive a good experience overall. We have been Azamara regulars, would cruise with them again in a heartbeat, but it's not what it was I think, particularly the food. We tried Regent for the first time this year - it was an outstanding deal - and loved it.

I shall set out determined to enjoy the cruise. I share the view that a positive attitude is always a bonus.

 

On the Shadow last year we had an Azamara cruiser who had come for the chance to get to Easter Island. I sincerely hope that he was not typical as he wore 'trackies' around the ship during day and would have been more at home in Eastenders. If you are happy to follow SS's dress code, like meeting and socialising with new people, then you will have a fantastic time.

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Good day all. I have never sailed with Silversea and I am considering a 2017 sailing on Silver Spirit.

 

I've been reading up on all the reviews lately and also comparing Silversea with Seabourn (considering them as well).

 

I am amazed at how awful the reviews of Silver Spirit have been lately (and in the past when it first sailed) and most surprised is that the food gets terrible reviews. Am I missing something here? I always thought Silversea was one of the very best? How can so many people continually say the food is that bad?

 

I frequently sail Oceania and think it's time to try something new. Seabourn has a fantastic itinerary for 2017 that I am looking at but so does Silversea. Silversea is also considerably less expensive than Seabourn.

 

Please let me know if what I am reading on Cruise Critic and other travel sites is true or false.

 

Thanks.

 

I am almost afraid to post but I decided I will.

 

Just wanted to offer some advice.

 

As background, my wife and I cruise often but have only sailed once with Silversea and that was on the Shadow. We do have a cruise on Spirit coming up this January.

 

I do think it's good to try other cruise lines so you get to experience more than one line. You might find that you don't care for that other line as much as the one you frequent, or you might find you even like it better, or you might find that it is about the same. If one of the two latter cases you now have another go to cruise line.

 

I have found that if you want to try another line that a good way to do that is to be the itinerary be the driver. That is how we have sailed other luxury lines in addition to one we cruise frequently. In the case of Silversea that is how we first cruises on the Shadow and why we are causing on the Spirit in January and that also was the case on why we chose Seabourn.

 

Just my own view but until you experience it yourself I would not get too hung up on the review particularly on luxury lines. I have found that those people who love the line on all of the boards rarely take the time to write a member review. They do post on the threads on the board but often people just don't do the review. So, you are missing their thoughts if you rely to much on the member review section. I also find that on the luxury lines you don't have many reviews to look at anyway. And finally, when someone has a bad experience whether on land or at sea I believe you are more likely to hear negative comments than positive comments. Often if people have had a good time they don't take the time to share that and if they have had a terrible time they are more apt to tell others. Just human nature.

 

Food can be very subjective. Even take the reviews. Last three reviews two people gave highest rating of 5.0 for dining while one a 2.0. These were the last three reviews. The most recent were 5.0. Do I believe there was a dramatic change in dining that occurred when the first person gave a 2.0 and the last two gave a 5.0? No. I just believe that we all see things differently and have different tastes.

 

When I was trying to make my decisions as to trying another line I base it on several factors. As I said, itinerary is often our driver to try something new. I also look at a book that I think is a great book to have for both new and experienced cruisers which is the Cruising book written and updated annually by Douglas Ward and published by Berlitz. I like his approach to rating ships and lines and also his narrative summaries. Finally, I speak to my TA who has sailed on many cruise lines to get her opinion and I speak with friends who I respect and have similar tastes to my wife and myself to get their opinion.

 

This approach has served me well.

 

Now, with all of the homework and research you will just never know until you have taken the plunge.

 

So I would do your homework on this but I would not make the reviews the a major driver on this for the reasons I mentioned.

 

Good luck with your decision.

 

Finally, and I've mentioned this on the cruise line board that I sail frequently for those who have had very positive experiences take the time to do a review. I try to do them on each cruise regardless of how many times I've sailed the cruise line and they really are not very time consuming.

 

Happy Cruising and yes I will do a review after our cruise on the Spirit in January.

 

Keith

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Like Keith, I am itinerary driven when it comes to deciding on a cruise (one of the main reasons far more of my recent travels have been land trips as opposed to ten years ago when I cruised almost all the time. Guess I'm one of those people who actually want to see something when they travel.) I have a Shadow cruise booked for March which was purely itinerary driven and am really looking forward to it. I am not expecting great food so won't be disappointed. I will have a great time because I am lucky enough to be able to sail on luxury lines and do not want to take that for granted, no matter what small issues I may encounter.

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I think the advice to be itinerary driven and to set realistic expectations are very wise.

 

The challenge remains however that when all or most lines cover the same or very similar itineraries, trying to judge which is best fit for varying priorities.

 

That's why I think it would be great if between us we could maintain a single thread where those that have recently experienced two or more could say what is better and what is worst. It'd simply be a first info point for those still unmarried to a single line seeking more data to consider.

 

Jeff

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Apologies if the post offended, it was not intended.

 

No, not offended, more bemused that you would imagine individual behaviour to be typical. But let's move on. I shall bring my positive attitude, good manners and decent wardrobe to Silversea - or any other cruise line. Apology accepted despite there being no offence taken and I hope that one day we may share a drink onboard.

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No, we're B2B 6th to 20th November. First time Silversea and Caribbean so trying to gather information on both. Enjoy your cruise!

 

Good luck with your Nov. 6-20 B2B Caribbean sailing. I noticed that you will be visiting a number of interesting ports and great areas with these two cruises. This includes starting in Barbados and visiting the Dutch ABC islands, Philipsburg/St. Maarten, Gustavia/St Barts and Roseau/Dominica. As detailed on my live/blog connected below, we visited seven of these locations. There are a great variety of options and potentials there. Let me know if you have any added questions for what Silversea offers on their excursions and/or what fits your interests/needs.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 29,117 views for these postings.

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JVNYC,

I see you are from NY and you are worried about the food on SS. I am from San Francisco and am also a pretty good cook so I have high expectations when I travel. As you have exposure to some incredible restaurants at home and you are a bit concerned about the culinary offerings then I would say, don't get your hopes up too high for any cruiseline fare. To begin with, most proteins have been frozen. Milk and cream are ultra pasteurized and have been stored in shelf-stable cartons so there is a difference in flavor. I have never had a good cup of coffee on a ship either. Between the water and the creamer I find myself missing my espresso maker! I have also never had a good croissant on a ship! Never crispy enough. I think SS does a great job with the limitations and there will always be some fantastic dishes and some duds. Coming from where I live the food is good enough!

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JVNYC,

I see you are from NY and you are worried about the food on SS. I am from San Francisco and am also a pretty good cook so I have high expectations when I travel. As you have exposure to some incredible restaurants at home and you are a bit concerned about the culinary offerings then I would say, don't get your hopes up too high for any cruiseline fare. To begin with, most proteins have been frozen. Milk and cream are ultra pasteurized and have been stored in shelf-stable cartons so there is a difference in flavor. I have never had a good cup of coffee on a ship either. Between the water and the creamer I find myself missing my espresso maker! I have also never had a good croissant on a ship! Never crispy enough. I think SS does a great job with the limitations and there will always be some fantastic dishes and some duds. Coming from where I live the food is good enough!

 

You have not sailed Crystal which has outstanding food and yes fresh crisp croissants served warm and flaky. I attended Johnson & Wales culinary school many years ago and interned at a top rated resturant. I agree most coffee on cruise lines is not good because of the chemicals in the water.

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JVNYC,

I see you are from NY and you are worried about the food on SS. I am from San Francisco and am also a pretty good cook so I have high expectations when I travel. As you have exposure to some incredible restaurants at home and you are a bit concerned about the culinary offerings then I would say, don't get your hopes up too high for any cruiseline fare. To begin with, most proteins have been frozen. Milk and cream are ultra pasteurized and have been stored in shelf-stable cartons so there is a difference in flavor. I have never had a good cup of coffee on a ship either. Between the water and the creamer I find myself missing my espresso maker! I have also never had a good croissant on a ship! Never crispy enough. I think SS does a great job with the limitations and there will always be some fantastic dishes and some duds. Coming from where I live the food is good enough!

 

Thanks for your note. I truly have been extremely happy with the food on Oceania Riviera and Marina. Every meal has been just wonderful and the breads (wonderful flaky croissants), pastries and desserts are just as fabulous as I can get here in Manhattan (many are actually better than here). Oceania consistently has great reviews when it comes to their food. What amazes me is that so so many of the reviews and posts with Silversea are that the food is not good.....consistently not good....and the idea of "don't set your expectations too high" (which has been repeated by many users) just doesn't work for me. Why wouldn't I want to sail on a luxury ship with great food??!! Crystal and Seabourn have consistent good reviews for their cuisine....Silversea from what I'm seeing does not. I understand that food is not as important to everyone, but for the foodies out there....are Silversea passengers "settling" for mediocre cuisine?

Edited by JVNYC
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