descartes1

We booked and paid for a Med voyage this summer. The cost upon booking many months ago was $4,140. I see now that for out suite category (V2) the cost has now jumped to $6,350.

 

Don't get me wrong. I'm happy to have booked at the lower fare. However, I'm wondering why there has been such a significant price increase. (Typically, the price goes down, not up, as you get closer to the sail date as SS tries to fill the ship).

 

I'm thinking this may have something to do with customers wanting to avoid Istanbul for security reasons, hence increasing the demand for out voyage 9which does not port in Istanbul).

 

Does anyone know?

This is very helpful information. Just what I was looking for.

 

Thanks.

On our next SilverSea voyage we have an overnight in Venice.

 

Does anyone know if the ship supplies tender service from the cruise terminal/dock to St. Mark's Square.

 

Otherwise, it's a long walk.

 

I suspect water taxi service is available from the cruise terminal/dock, but not sure of the convenience, and also the price (which I suspect would be very steep).

There is also a restaurant called "Regina Magherita" which they are billing as "for families."

 

So, the absence of a casino, the addition of a kids' room, a restaurant for families and no "supper club" seem to suggest a different target audience for this ship.

I am a fan of SilverSea, and in particular the Spirit.

 

We tried Seabourn, and it was terrific too, but we like the layout and feel of the Spirit more than the Seabourn Sojourn. In particular, the deck layout of the Spirit (and especially the pool area, the back of the ship and the al fresco part of La Terraza) feels more spacious and luxurious than the Sojourn, there is a greater variety of dining venues on the Spirit, the connoisseur club is a nice old-word touch and overall, the SilverSea passenger mix seems a bit more fun-loving and social (we are in our late 40's and tend to stay up late and have fun).

 

Seabourn gets the edge in food quality, with a particular thumbs-up for the complimentary caviar (a big draw for my wife, who might choose Seabourn on that basis alone if the itineraries were a toss-up).

SilverSea really should re-think the caviar policy. From what I saw on Seabourn last summer, everyone REALLY loved it and it engenders a real feeling of luxury. It feels like a step down when the closest competitor has it, but SilverSea doesn't.

Taxis at the port of Monte Carlo can be a real adventure. French taxis are not permitted to pick up there, so it needs to be an MC based service. The lack of competition means high charges, and low reliability. Also, I have heard horror stories of people waiting hours for a car/cab at the port.

 

Last summer I had an 11 am appointment after disembarking so I needed to be on time. I arranged for a car service through my hotel (Metropol) for which I was charged about $200E to go a little more 1/4 mile up the hill.

 

I know you prefer not to take a helicopter, but I can tell you that the car service to the heliport is included and they are very reliable. In truth, the $120 charge is a bargain to take the heli when you include the transit from the port.

As with many things these days ....... there's caviar and "caviar" ;)

 

When specifcly sourced caviar is not mentioned (.... even sometimes when it is ....) lumpfish caviar is generally what is served and unless you are a genuine expert you are unlikely to tell the difference. The chances of SS or any other line spending a packet on "free flow" caviar is somewhere bewtween zero and minus one .... I wouldn't choose a line just on that basis.

 

:)

 

 

The type Seabourn uses is from Uraguay, and it's fine by me.

 

Are you saying that that type of option is available on SilverSea?

If that's true about the caviar, we would have no reason to choose Seabourn over SilverSea. Seabourn's complimentary caviar otherwise makes it a virtual toss up between the two lines, especially in my wife's eyes.

Most Venetians take/enjoy longer cruises.

 

Well, last summer we did 14 days on Seabourn, but this time we prefer to spend the second week at Villa d'Este in Como (to which we'll drive after disembarking in Venice).

 

I think SS should support returning cruisers, whether they sail for 7, 10 or however many days. They are in a tough competition with Seabourn and being treated well as a returning customer is a nice touch that can tip the scales. After all, what's the point of hyping this "Venetian Society" status, which I get constant emails and snail mails touting our membership.

In looking over the website, it appears the "selected" voyages where 5% is given to all Venetian Society (prior customers) are primarily the voyages which are more than 10 days.

We have sailed previously on SilverSea (Spirit), and last summer tried Seabourn.

 

Overall, we preferred our experience on SilverSea, but we did very much enjoy eating caviar on the Seabourn voyage. (We did not think to order caviar when we sailed on the Spirit).

 

So, our question is whether we can order caviar on SilverSea like on Seabourn, for example while sitting at the pool, to our suite before dinner, while enjoying a drink at the bar in the evening, etc. We found doing this to be pretty decadent and enhanced the overall feeling of luxury on the trip. It was also a great ice breaker with new friends to enjoy champagne and caviar together....

 

Thanks in advance to anyone who can answer....

Wasn't it previously the case that the 5% discount applied to all future sailings? I asked this question to the AMEX PLAT agent and they said the policy had changed.

We rented a car on Santorini and had a blast driving all over the island, from the red beach > black beach > vineyards > Oia etc.

As previous passengers on SilverSea we are Venetian Society.

 

However, we were disappointed to learn upon recently booking a voyage that Venetian Society benefits only apply to "selected sailings." For whatever reason, the one we selected is not included. As a result, no 5% discount.

 

This is very disappointing that customer loyalty is not being rewarded.

 

It is also a bit ironic that are voyage will include "Venice" but Venetian Society privileges don't apply there!

The new website is cumbersome, confusing and overall is quite 'low brow.' It also seems to try to imitate the look and feel of Seabourn's website, but is far less user friendly.

Restaurant 2 was mentioned by the OP as an alternative option, but the OP was not too impressed with that one. Somewhere between the tuna tartare with popcorn and the waiter telling us to keep the menu turned over so we would be surprised by the next course, the OP and his wife decided 1 night was enough.

Thanks for posting that last set of pictures. They do help illustrate what I didn't love about the seating areas of the Sojourn. Specifically, I found it odd and uncomfortable to be sitting at a patio table on the back of the ship. I also found the area to be somewhat small and cramped, and the sofa style wicker seating to be of low quality. I much preferred to Spirit's set up and quality which was far more luxurious, spacious and "yacht -like.". I found a few photos to help people compare (sorry for the small size, but you can click on them to enlarge):

I don't know whether it's a tarp, or not. But the point is that you can plainly see that on the Sojourn, the entirety of the outdoor dining space is fully covered. It is also quite small and cramped. Contrast that to the photo of the Spirit. You can actually sit under the stars at the back of the boat. Plus, it is a VERY spacious area (which actually includes additional tables to the left which are cut off in your photo). In fact, most of the restaurant is outside.

 

The patio tables I referred to are not the four tops at the pool grill. Those are useful there for dining. Rather, I refer to the ones at the back of the Sojourn, which are larger, and have no business being on the back of the boat (considering that there is no food service there). IMO, it is a cheap alternative to furnishing the boat well with high quality pods (see the ones in the video tour you posed of the Spirit) or high quality couches.

 

And, while I am thinking of it, the furniture on the balcony on the Sojourn was pretty ragged and rusted. They need to replace it.

 

You don't have to believe me, or agree with my view. I offer these observations not because I have any agenda, but because i hoped to make an honest comparison of both products and experiences. In my opinion, the look and feel of the ships are dramatically different, and the experiences are less (but somewhat) different, even though they are often compared.

@Nolatranvelgirl- Thanks for your comments.

 

* La Terraza on the smaller SilverSea ships is covered. On the Spirit it is not. There is a VERY large outdoor dining area. much of which is open to the stars. If you look carefully at the video you posted you will see that two rows of tables under open sky, as well as the ones on the flanks. In contrast, the out door space of the Colonnade is quite small and virtually all of it is covered, and to me feels a bit claustrophobic considering that you are on a ship at sea.

 

* Picnic tables may be the wrong choice of word. Sorry. "Patio" table is really more accurate. They are large, generic white patio tables which seat 6-8 people, not unlike those which you can buy at Walmart. To my taste, these are quite down market and uncomfortable compared to the furniture in the back of the ship on the Spirit (and on the pool deck) which frankly, was luxurious and something I would have at home.

 

* I know you have not actually been in La Terraza, but the best way I can explain the difference is that in the Colonnade the buffet set up is THE centerpiece of the restaurant. As a result, the space felt like a down-sized version of what you would find on a large Carnival style cruise ship. On the other hand, La Terraza did not have this feel to me. Yes, there is a buffet set up, but somehow it was more discreet and the design of the space overall conveyed a more upscale feel in the restaurant…More old world luxury.

 

* I suppose we could have located the hotel manager, but it was within moments after boarding and we didn't want to make an issue in our first few minutes of the ship. Plus, we were more interested in seeing the ship and relaxing.

 

* I agree the small charge for certain dining venues is a nuisance and SS should simply do away with it. I suppose it didn't irk me too much because we had a shipboard credit from AMEX and they deducted it from that so we never really notice the up charge.

I promised this review in August but haven't had a chance to write it until now.

In July we did a 10 day sail on the Sojourn, from Athens to Monte Carlo. This review compares this to a similar Western Med sail we did the prior year on the SilverSea Spirit.

I know this is the Seabourn board, but overall we felt the SilverSea product-- at least the Spirit-- was superior in most respects. (We can't speak to the smaller SilverSea ships, which seem to suffer from less kind reviews than the Spirit).

[U]Layout[/U]: We much preferred the layout of the Spirit. It felt far roomier, and the quality of the furnishings is superior. The back of the ship in particular is very spacious and laid out in a manner which promotes relaxation, for example with very comfortable sofas and bed/pods to lounge on. In contrast, similar areas on the Sojourn are more cramped and seating is either sun loungers (with cheap padding) or round picnic style tables. There is also little or no service on the back of the Sojourn, just a cart of 'help yourself' beverages and towels. On the Spirit, you were waited on constantly, and brought drinks, canapés and a meal if you liked.

[U]Food Quality[/U]: Seabourn wins this category. The caviar in particular is a real treat and is almost reason enough to choose Seabourn. [I][B]SilverSea should take a lesson on this one.[/B][/I]

[U]Dining Options/Variety[/U]: SilverSea prevails in this category. On the Sojourn, we grew tired of eating in the MDR almost every night. We were not enthused about the other options. The Colonade has a cafeteria feel and layout, and its outside space is small and covered with a tarp, rather than al fresco like La Terraza, which is the similar dining venue on the Spirit. Restaurant 2 was a weak attempt at a gourmet style restaurant. The pool grill was just meh in terms of atmosphere. In contrast, the Spirit has several interesting options, including a supper club, two al fresco dining options (La Terraza and Hot Rocks), La Champage (a Relais and Chateaux experience) and a Sushi Bar... in addition to the MDR. While food quality was a little less than Seabourn, the dining options made up for this.

[U]Service[/U]: Surprisingly, we found the service to be very spotty on the Sojourn. Some of the staff were quite good, while others were going through the motions. The Butler on SilverSea is an excellent amenity. Some on this Board seem to be confused about how to utilize this service. Our Butler was only two happy to serve as our personal assistant, handling all of our dinner reservations, special requests, laundry and anything else we asked. In contrast, the cabin attendant on Seabourn was essentially a maid who pointed iu to the phone to call room service when we asked if we could have canapés left in our suite in the late afternoon, or to have beverages re-stocked. We were disappointed on the first day when the maid informed us that we must be sure to leave our "make up the room" card on the door so that she can do her work as early as possible to be free to have her time off the boat. Don't they have a way to track when we leave the ship? The last thing I want is to have to be concerned about-- and told how to manage-- the attendant's schedule on my vacation. This was a far cry from SilverSea where our Butler was literally at our service. What a treat! On SilverSea, we purchased fresh fish in the market which the dining staff happily prepared. On Seabourn, it became an ordeal when we asked if we could have something which we purchased ashore simply cut up and plated by the staff. SilverSea also effortlessly arrange for a rental car in one port for us, whereas the Seabourn rep in the Square simply gave us a cell number to call, which of course did not work. In the end, another rep in the Square handled it 3 days later after we expressed frustration. Why they did not execute on this as asked the first time is inexplicable and in sharp contrast to SilverSea.

[U]Excursions/Tender Service[/U]: This was executed much better on SilverSea. The port crew always had a beautiful and well stocked set up with cold water and fruit. On Seabourn, the water was often left in the boxes, and warm, and the set ups were dismantled by the crew 30 minutes before the last tender. We missed out on this service nearly every day because we would always return on one of the last tenders.

[U]Nightlife[/U]: Far superior on SilverSea. We found the crowd to be more fun loving and casino/night club oriented. On Seabourn, the MDR is open only until 9pm, and we were actually turned away and told to order room service our first night when we arrived at 9:15pm. We usually prefer to eat late, European style, at 9:30ish. The early dinner crowd means that the casino and night club also close early. Too early in our opinion. On the Sojourn, they also had the SAME singer in the night club EVERY night, singing the same songs. This became very tiresome. We also love the Club Room on the Spirit, which, like the Spirit overall, has a very old world and elegant feel which we loved. There is no equivalent for cigars and cognac on the Sojourn, merely a box of cigars which sits on the bar.

[U]Passengers[/U]: We found the passengers on SilverSea to generally be more interesting, more fun loving, more sophisticated and slightly younger (which surprised us, because we were expecting Seabourn to have a younger crowd). We tend to stay out late and get up early to enjoy the port, rent a boat or a car. We are in our VERY LATE 40's, and were easily among the youngest on Seabourn, but not on SilverSea where we felt near the middle of the pack age-wise.


On balance, we would choose the Spirit over the Sojourn, though we did enjoy Seabourn enough to go again if the itinerary suited us and the Spirit was booked or had a much less appealing itinerary.

I promised this review in August but haven't had a chance to write it until now.

 

In July we did a 10 day sail on the Sojourn, from Athens to Monte Carlo. This review compares this to a similar Western Med sail we did the prior year on the SilverSea Spirit.

 

I know this is the Seabourn board, but overall we felt the SilverSea product-- at least the Spirit-- was superior in most respects. (We can't speak to the smaller SilverSea ships, which seem to suffer from less kind reviews than the Spirit).

 

Layout: We much preferred the layout of the Spirit. It felt far roomier, and the quality of the furnishings is superior. The back of the ship in particular is very spacious and laid out in a manner which promotes relaxation, for example with very comfortable sofas and bed/pods to lounge on. In contrast, similar areas on the Sojourn are more cramped and seating is either sun loungers (with cheap padding) or round picnic style tables. There is also little or no service on the back of the Sojourn, just a cart of 'help yourself' beverages and towels. On the Spirit, you were waited on constantly, and brought drinks, canapés and a meal if you liked.

 

Food Quality: Seabourn wins this category. The caviar in particular is a real treat and is almost reason enough to choose Seabourn. SilverSea should take a lesson on this one.

 

Dining Options/Variety: SilverSea prevails in this category. On the Sojourn, we grew tired of eating in the MDR almost every night. We were not enthused about the other options. The Colonade has a cafeteria feel and layout, and its outside space is small and covered with a tarp, rather than al fresco like La Terraza, which is the similar dining venue on the Spirit. Restaurant 2 was a weak attempt at a gourmet style restaurant. The pool grill was just meh in terms of atmosphere. In contrast, the Spirit has several interesting options, including a supper club, two al fresco dining options (La Terraza and Hot Rocks), Le Champagne (a Relais and Chateaux experience) and a Sushi Bar... in addition to the MDR. While food quality was a little less than Seabourn, the dining options made up for this.

 

Service: Surprisingly, we found the service to be very spotty on the Sojourn. Some of the staff were quite good, while others were going through the motions. The Butler on SilverSea is an excellent amenity. Some on this Board seem to be confused about how to utilize this service. Our Butler was only two happy to serve as our personal assistant, handling all of our dinner reservations, special requests, laundry and anything else we asked. In contrast, the cabin attendant on Seabourn was essentially a maid who pointed iu to the phone to call room service when we asked if we could have canapés left in our suite in the late afternoon, or to have beverages re-stocked. We were disappointed on the first day when the maid informed us that we must be sure to leave our "make up the room" card on the door so that she can do her work as early as possible to be free to have her time off the boat. Don't they have a way to track when we leave the ship? The last thing I want is to have to be concerned about-- and told how to manage-- the attendant's schedule on my vacation. This was a far cry from SilverSea where our Butler was literally at our service. What a treat! On SilverSea, we purchased fresh fish in the market which the dining staff happily prepared. On Seabourn, it became an ordeal when we asked if we could have something which we purchased ashore simply cut up and plated by the staff. SilverSea also effortlessly arrange for a rental car in one port for us, whereas the Seabourn rep in the Square simply gave us a cell number to call, which of course did not work. In the end, another rep in the Square handled it 3 days later after we expressed frustration. Why they did not execute on this as asked the first time is inexplicable and in sharp contrast to SilverSea.

 

Excursions/Tender Service: This was executed much better on SilverSea. The port crew always had a beautiful and well stocked set up with cold water and fruit. On Seabourn, the water was often left in the boxes, and warm, and the set ups were dismantled by the crew 30 minutes before the last tender. We missed out on this service nearly every day because we would always return on one of the last tenders.

 

Nightlife: Far superior on SilverSea. We found the crowd to be more fun loving and casino/night club oriented. On Seabourn, the MDR is open only until 9pm, and we were actually turned away and told to order room service our first night when we arrived at 9:15pm. We usually prefer to eat late, European style, at 9:30ish. The early dinner crowd means that the casino and night club also close early. Too early in our opinion. On the Sojourn, they also had the SAME singer in the night club EVERY night, singing the same songs. This became very tiresome. We also love the Club Room on the Spirit, which, like the Spirit overall, has a very old world and elegant feel which we loved. There is no equivalent for cigars and cognac on the Sojourn, merely a box of cigars which sits on the bar.

 

Passengers: We found the passengers on SilverSea to generally be more interesting, more fun loving, more sophisticated and slightly younger (which surprised us, because we were expecting Seabourn to have a younger crowd). We tend to stay out late and get up early to enjoy the port, rent a boat or a car. We are in our VERY LATE 40's, and were easily among the youngest on Seabourn, but not on SilverSea where we felt near the middle of the pack age-wise.

 

 

On balance, we would choose the Spirit over the Sojourn, though we did enjoy Seabourn enough to go again if the itinerary suited us and the Spirit was booked or had a much less appealing itinerary.

We have sailed on the Silver Seas Spirit and recently returned from a 10 day Med cruise of the Seabourn Sojourn (the Odyssey's sister ship).

 

While the food was superior on the Sojourn, we felt that the Spirit was superior in almost every other respect, and overall a better product.

 

I plan to submit a detailed review soon which compares and contrasts the two ships/experiences.

I have a spare referral coupon if you have an e-mail address

 

Thank you so much!

 

My email is descartes@comcast.net

 

Thanks again!!!

Hi all.

 

We are booked as first time cruisers on Seaborn (through AMEX). Our final payment is due in a few weeks.

 

I'm not 100% sure how the referral coupon works, but if there is a way to benefit from it (and/or help someone else benefit) I'd be most appreciate if you could let me know.

 

Feel free to PM me.

 

Thanks.