A Tale of Two Cruises: Silversea and Seabourn, June 2015

I have been intensely curious about whether I am more suited for Silversea or Seabourn, and due to a very unusual set of personal circumstances I am going to get to experience BOTH in June (provided I can get to Copenhagen as my ticket is on SAS where some of the pilots are striking...but I digress). I thought I would write up what I see in this next month in case others have the same curiosity. I welcome any comments and questions. What I write will be only my experience. I am not trying to write any definitive guide on anything, just a set of my own observations in the hope that what I see might be helpful to others. Or at least entertaining. ;)

I have only ocean cruised once before: On Crystal Symphony in the Mediterranean in 2008. My husband and I took our kids, then early teens, and it was BLISS, the best vacation ever. I loved Crystal. But a bunch of circumstances and other travel (and river cruising) have delayed my ocean cruising again until next month.

A tiny bit more about me because one's observations are necessarily filtered through one's experiences: My husband and I live in Silicon Valley today but we are moving to Oregon a month after we get back from the Seabourn cruise. He works in tech and I have been running a nonprofit. We are empty nesters with one child in college and another in grad school.

From the outset, both Silverseas and Seabourn seem extremely lovely. I'm very excited about taking both cruises! I am not likely to get to do two cruises again in the same month anytime soon, so I am reveling in this chance and feeling very blessed.

On this side of the cruises, I have just received the ticket packets from both companies. Seabourn provided the old-fashioned quasi-leather folder carrying printed information and tickets, along with very fun luggage tags and a personalized 8.5 x 11 book about the cruise. Silversea presented us each with a nice box with a smaller personalized travel journal about the cruise (very cool!) and some paper luggage tags. Both very fun to drool over.

As you can see from the footer, the Silversea cruise we are doing is me + my 78-year-old mom, the Baltic, 7 nights. We are in a Veranda suite, Deck 6. Mom has always wanted to do St Petersburg so we are doing to do so. :) I'm clandestinely organizing ballet tickets for her too while we are there. Hopefully very fun. Because she is 78 and moves at her own pace, we chose to go with a private car and driver in St. Petersburg but will do the Silversea shore excursions in Estonia and Finland.

The Seabourn cruise is 2 weeks up the Norwegian Fjords. Again a veranda suite, Deck 5. We are celebrating 25 years of marriage! :) Husband and I have not yet chosen any shore excursions for this. Nothing like leaving things until the last minute....

So that's what I know today. Provided that SAS keeps flying (fingers crossed) I leave on Saturday for Copenhagen. Won't be back for a month (very happy to have great dog and house sitters for the period that hubby and I are both gone!). Please let me know if anyone is curious about anything in specific about these trips. And thanks for reading!

PS Will cross-post in Seabourn unless the mods object? Thanks!

I have been intensely curious about whether I am more suited for Silversea or Seabourn, and due to a very unusual set of personal circumstances I am going to get to experience BOTH in June. I welcome any comments and questions. My husband and I live in Silicon Valley today but we are moving to Oregon a month after we get back from the Seabourn cruise. He works in tech and I have been running a nonprofit. From the outset, both Silverseas and Seabourn seem extremely lovely. The Seabourn cruise is 2 weeks up the Norwegian Fjords. Again a veranda suite, Deck 5. We are celebrating 25 years of marriage! :) Husband and I have not yet chosen any shore excursions for this. Nothing like leaving things until the last minute....

Good luck with your exciting adventure! We did the Baltics in 2008 with Crystal. Loved St. Petersburg and many other "star ports" in the Baltics. As detailed below in my live/blog, we super enjoyed going up and down the scenic and interesting Norway coast with Silversea. Our first cruise was with Seabourn in the Greek Isles/Turkish coast. Both Silversea and Seabourn are excellent cruise lines. There are some differences and little "service imperfections" can happen with either line. BUT, overall, you are seeing wonderful parts of the world on very good ships.

Let us know more on your personal interests and travel style. We can make added suggestions for excursions. Hopefully for St. Petersburg, you have some type of private tours set-up. That works much better than ship tours for that amazing city. What are your port stops along the Norway coast and what you most seek to see and do there?

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 178,280 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

We did the 14 day Seabourn Norwegian Fjords trip last year in June and it was terrific. Great scenery, low key ports, easy to navigate on your own. Do the train ride in Flam.We rented a car and drove to the Nordkapp. The oil museum in Stavanger is worthwhile. Just relax and enjoy the scenery.

We are big Seabourn fans, 7 cruises so far with them and are doing our second Silversea cruise next month. I'm looking forward to a comparison.

What a fun adventure! Looking forward to reading your opinions and observations as I am considering a Seabourn cruise after my next SS cruise in September. Your Baltic cruise will be fabulous. We did than a couple of years ago on the Whisper and we had a great time.

I also live in SV and enjoy all the Bay Area has to offer. However, it does tend to spoil me when it comes to experiencing ships' cuisine!

We did the 14 day Seabourn Norwegian Fjords trip last year in June and it was terrific. Great scenery, low key ports, easy to navigate on your own. Do the train ride in Flam. We rented a car and drove to the Nordkapp. The oil museum in Stavanger is worthwhile. Just relax and enjoy the scenery. We are big Seabourn fans, 7 cruises so far with them and are doing our second Silversea cruise next month. I'm looking forward to a comparison.

Great that your Norway cruise will be stopping at Flam as noted by lbkjj. YES, agree strongly on doing the Flam rail adventure. Lots of pictures from this location are available from my live/blog. Wonderful that you will be departing from Copenhagen/Denmark and returning to this super charming city. How much time will you have to experience Copenhagen?

We, like with your cruise, did wonderful stops at Alesund/Norway, Svolvaer/Lofoten Island, Tromso, Honningsvag, North Cape and charming/historic Bergen. Have not been to Stavanger or Olden.

Below are a few Flam details and other pictures to help build up your excitement for Norway and these amazing parts of the world.

Flam, with a population of about 500, is nestled in a tributary of the world's longest and deepest fjord. It is 128 miles long and has a maximum depth of 4,291 feet. On the question of how deep are these fjords, local say: “A mermaid could swim all the way to China.” The chief attraction here is the 74-year-old Flam Railway. It includes twenty tunnels and eight stops as it goes up the mountain. This rail lines rises from Flam’s gingerbread rail station going up 2,835 feet to Myrdal and this "Roof of Norway" rail station. In 2010, this railway was chosen as one of the top ten most beautiful train journeys in Europe by National Geographic Traveler Magazine. In 2012, there was a new passenger record of 635,368 riders carried. That is a big jump up in ridership from 475K in 2005 and 380K in 1994.

Railroad website with more history and technical details for its construction, operations: http://www.flaamsbana.no/eng.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 108,521 views for this posting.

Here are a few highlights from the Flam train ride, including where you stop in a stone tunnel to get out and then see this dramatic 305-foot-high Kjosfossen Waterfall half-way on this 12.4 mile trip. We then exit the train at the Vatnahalsen Hotel, to see the grounds, nearby mountains, etc. Lots of great views on this routing, up and down.:

Here’s a close look at these historic Bergen Hanseatic merchant warehouse building fronts, people taking pictures, etc. :

Right near the Hanseatic merchant warehouse area is the Bergen Fish Market with lots of options to buy food to eat on site or just watch, enjoying the “show” as people ask questions and buy the various fresh fish items.:

As we departed Svolvaer in the Lofoten Islands of Norway on a perfect, sunny day, these are two of the green, tree-covered mountains rising up from the sea that we saw with the small out-islands in the foreground. The Lofotens are amazing with such dramatic sights. Get out and about to see more up and down this location.:

Have two wonderful cruises. I have done both itineraries, the Baltic actually twice, but all on Regent. We love Silversea, but have never cruised on seabourn due to their smoking policy. I will be interested in hearing about that. I simply could not deal with a room where residual smoke odors might be.

So looking forward to your comparative impressions and analysis! :) Have two wonderful voyages . . . and thanks for allowing us to "vicariously" sail along!!

Mia

I look forward to following your experiences on Silversea and Seabourn as we are also planing to try both these cruise lines in the next year or so.

We love Crystal and have completed 27 /28 cruises with them,including 2 WC. We have also cruised on Regent for 175 nights or so(can't remember the exact nights)....including doing Norway one on Regent. Rachel, I think you and George were also on this same cruise as we were back in 2008. In Gerrhinger, six of us(a tad tight) hired a private taxi to take us around and we were able to get awesome photos.

Anyways, I am sure you will have a wonderful time on both.

Looking forward to your reports on both forums and the responses on each.

Pat

yes, Pat, that is the Norway cruise we were on--outstanding!

We took this trip last year with Silversea (Cloud). Trip from Hell! We slept 2 nights out of 14, management stopped the pool pump for 2 nights. Quality of food and service lousy

Our excursion to Berlin cancelled. I wrote a letter to Mr. Sauleau explaining our problem, never received an answer. Fellow passengers thought they were going to the Bolshoi, instead went to a performance by Bolsoi students.

We took another trip on Silversea (Wind) in November of last year.

Lousy food. grey rough towels in our bathroom, scratched furniture, a so called culinary food cruise with Chef David, who was on board for half the cruise.

We cancelled all cruises with Silversea and spent 21 days on Seabourn Quest, Ft Lauderdale to Rome last month It was heaven, quality food, excellent service, inspection in Ft Lauderdae, result 100!!

I anxiously await your reports! Have wonderful experiences on both lines. Bon Voyage.

Have done both itineraries and both both cruise lines. (Four Seabourn and three Silversea, a fourth coming up in Dec.) Fantastic ports on both cruises. At the present I am a bit fonder of SS. Just got off the Spirit a month ago. Fantastic cruise. Can't go wrong with either line. At this point, think food and service at bit better on SS.

Have two wonderful cruises. I have done both itineraries, the Baltic actually twice, but all on Regent. We love Silversea, but have never cruised on seabourn due to their smoking policy. I will be interested in hearing about that. I simply could not deal with a room where residual smoke odors might be.

Smoking is not allowed in "rooms" on Seabourn.

However, smoking is permitted on the balcony! A deal breaker for us. The recent threads regarding smoking on Seabourn is enough to put a lot of people off (IMHO).

Whew!! SAS strike threat settled so I made it to Copenhagen. Mom flew KLM from Florida so we met up in the airport and are enjoying a jet lag day today. :). Took a canal tour, had a leisurely outdoor lunch, and mom got a nap.

Tomorrow it's the Rosenborg Slot (castle) and Crown Jewels, then embark on Silversea for a week!! Very excited!! Will keep you posted. Plan to take a cab from the hotel at about 2.

Really appreciate all the nice comments and tips. Thanks for reading!

Whew!! SAS strike threat settled so I made it to Copenhagen. Mom flew KLM from Florida so we met up in the airport and are enjoying a jet lag day today. :). Took a canal tour, had a leisurely outdoor lunch, and mom got a nap.

 

Tomorrow it's the

Have a super time and looking forward to your reports. If you want to indulge in a little retail therapy before you board, the Georg Jensen shop and the Royal Copenhagen porcelain shop are next door to each other in Amagertorv. Two wonderful birds with one stone - though perhaps best not to mention throwing stones in the Royal Copenhagen shop!!

Rp

Whew!! SAS strike threat settled so I made it to Copenhagen. Mom flew KLM from Florida so we met up in the airport and are enjoying a jet lag day today. :). Took a canal tour, had a leisurely outdoor lunch, and mom got a nap. Tomorrow it's the Rosenborg Slot (castle) and Crown Jewels, then embark on Silversea for a week!! Very excited!! Will keep you posted. Plan to take a cab from the hotel at about 2. Really appreciate all the nice comments and tips. Thanks for reading!

Great to hear that the air strike has been settled and that you are ready to "launch" for your "great adventure".

Good luck!! When you get back and/or have a chance, give us an update on your experiences, impressions, what you loved most, any added questions, etc.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 199,527 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

We had a lovely trip through the Baltic 2 years ago on the Whisper. St. Petersburg was incredible: early entrance Hermitage, Peterhof fountains in the sun, churches…

If Rex is still in the Panorama or Casino Bar, do make friends. Just don't ask for Perrier…this is an Italian ship…they serve Pellegrino :)

Have a marvelous time!

Looking forward to QM2 this fall and then our first cruise on the Wind next year.

Melissa

It's an Italian ship? Do they not serve French wines? Cognac? Champagne? Croissants? SS is supposed to be luxury and should serve Perrier if that's what one prefers.

So sorry but yes, first world problems made it impossible for me to post while actually on the vessel. But I took notes so here's the first part of the overview.

TL:DR I really enjoyed Silversea but we did not do as much as many other travelers might do on such a cruise, as my mother was very wearied by the travel.

Embarkation

Embarkation was smooth and efficient. We were first passed through initial screening (including an ebola questionnaire) and then welcmed into the ship. We were sent to reception and checked into our cabin formally, welcomed with champagne, and walked to our stateroom.

I LOVED the physical space. Veranda, deck 6, very cleverly arranged. We had the beds twinned and really enjoyed the veranda and the view throughout. I think the cabin was my very favorite part of the Silversea offering.

The first day we scurried around the ship trying to learn where everything was, and unpacked and settled. I was a little bummed that we left entirely without fanfare (no additional champagne or confetti or even a blast of our whislte) but it was so exciting to be underway!

We had a drink in the main bar and then went to the dining room for dinner. We were tired so sat just the two of us, with a great waiter named Sammy. It was very fun and SO GORGEOUS to see the waves outside the windows. The food was good and the drinks were amazing.

We turned in early that night and the next day skipped between lectures and a coooking demonstration and shopping and massages--quite lovely and relaxing. We met some interesting folks and ate more good food. That night was our only formal night so we had quite a fun evening.

We did not stay up long enough any night to see the shows, which mostly started at 10 or 10:30. We had booked a 9 AM tour the following moring and my mother prefers to arise at least 2 hours before going out in the morning. So we went to bed early throughout.

Our Silversea tour in Helsinki was fairly disappointing. Big bus, full of folks, and our guide was ill so she did not talk all that much. Apparenly there was another bus that was fantastic but we did not have it. I also thought a 4 hour tour with a "snack of cake" at the end, at 12:45, was not good planning. Didn't people (in addition to my mother) want to get back to the ship for lunch rather than eating cake first? Still Helsinki was interesting, if a tad gloomy due to the guide, and we enjoyed seeing it.

That night we had dinner in La Terraza which I loved and my mother did not like as much. Watching from the back of the ship as we plowed through the waves was amazing!

So that's the summary up to Russia. We enjoyed many things. Overall, I give the food an 8 out of 10 but my mother loved all the fancy appetizers and desserts and wines. (I am also from the Bay Area and spoiled about food). Service was good and as I said, the veranda suite is 10 out of 10. :)

More to come....

Lol x 100

So that's the summary up to Russia. We enjoyed many things. Overall, I give the food an 8 out of 10 but my mother loved all the fancy appetizers and desserts and wines. (I am also from the Bay Area and spoiled about food). Service was good and as I said, the veranda suite is 10 out of 10. :) More to come....

Appreciate your Baltics "adventure" details and posting, ship details/impressions, etc. Look forward to reading more, especially from our favorite of St. Petersburg. Keep it coming!!

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 23,986 views for these postings.

Thanks much for sharing your adventure with us.

as we will be going on the Cloud in July for the Baltic cruise, any insight would be appreciated, including trivial stuff such as weather

especially wonderful you have the opportunity to spend time with your Mom.

wish I could have done a cruise with my Mom.

So glad to hear that you enjoyed the first part of your trip. Too bad about the quality of the guide in Helsinki. That rarely happens on a SS tour, but when it does, we speak to the tour desk and let them know of our disappointment. When enough people complain about a certain tour, they sometimes will make a partial or full refund of the cost.

How's it going, OP? Any further updates?