Mahogany

2 hours ago, tinaincc said:

Hope you try Sea Dream yacht Club. We just disembarked this morning and your dress preference is exactly their code - it was FABULOUS. Never treated as a second class citizen based on appearance. People in long dresses sitting next to someone in shorts. The conversation and scenery were the focal points. 

A question about Sea Dream which was in Lisbon when I was there last month. The yacht didn't seem to have a lot of balcony space. Do all the suites have balconies?

1 hour ago, Fitstylist55 said:

The Pursuit is stunning! The suites are beautiful with very well thought out features (walk-in closet door is the one flaw I see—ask for a stopper). 
 

About to go to my kayak safety briefing and I will inquire about snorkeling opportunities. 

I planned on bringing my own door stopper (lots of CC complaints) when I sail Venture in March. I assume it's the design which didn't get rectified with Pursuit's build. Do they really have enough stoppers on board for all the disgruntled passengers? A small, but annoying problem.

5 minutes ago, QuestionEverything said:

Sounds like Oceania's food delivery options are far superior to Seabourn.

Did O Insignia in August - Iceland, Greenland, Canada and US.

The food and options for eating were outstanding.

The Grand Dining Room was mostly full at breakfast and lunch - I ate there much over 17 days! The food, service, staff were outstanding.

I have not done Seabourn yet, but this thread will ensure I will not do so.

Not good at all.

 

My opinion after several Oceania cruises: the specialty restaurants are excellent, the dining room poor. If your experience is very recent, that's good news.

Dining threads are just like dress code postings, very subjective IMHO 😀

47 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

 

To be honest, I don't pay much attention to decor and furnishings, but they look comparable to me.

 

One big difference worth mentioning is that on SS ships all public areas are on the aft, while the cabins are on forward and mid ship. This is very different from O (and most other lines) where public areas are spread between aft and forward (the theater for example is almost always forward while the dining room is aft). personally I don't really care. Those are small ship and fairly easy to navigate, no matter the design.

Not all SS ships. The Nova and Ray have decks dedicated to suites, fore, mid and aft, and public spaces above and below suites.

15 hours ago, Hobar said:

Looks like OneSpaWorld has the monopoly.

https://onespaworld.com/at-sea/spas-at-sea/

I had such a wonderful mani on recent cruise that I couldn’t resist adding more gratuity.

On the website you mention, it's interesting that of all the cruise lines it says it provides service for, only Regent and Oceania don't have a "Discover" link to their onboard spa. So maybe the NCL conglomerate is not currently using them?

18 minutes ago, taxman1 said:

Good morning, afternoon and evening to fellow cruisers.  My wife and I are gearing up for the Miami to Miami cruise leaving port on Feb 5th.  We live in Sarasota so will be driving to Miami. Based on previous posts embarkation seems pretty smooth as long as you can meander around the pre-night hotel bus arrivals.  We have cruised numerous times and pretty much go with the flow on that first day.  My anxiety really lies with dinner. Seabourn has never disappointed with respect to being seated upon arriving at the dining room.  Silver Seas consistently disappointed which is why we have never gone back.  How well does Regent score with regards to wait time?  We love to have cocktails 6-7ish and then make our way to the dining room.  While I recognize this is prime time how well does Regent manage the push?  Should we be gearing up for wait times?  Any inside tips for us to consider?   Thanks for any insights you can share.     

Disappointed in Silversea (not Silver Seas)? Was that related to the rush when restaurants open at 7?

On 12/24/2023 at 9:47 AM, Utopia1 said:

OneSpaWorld, a spinoff of Steiner Leisure, is the company that operates the spas on 19 different cruise lines.  Among the cruise lines OneSpaWorld operates the spas on are Seabourn, SilverSea, Crystal, Regent, Oceana, and Azamara.

I do not know how OneSpaWorld applies the mandatory gratuity on the other cruise lines.

but my guess is that it is similar to the way it is done on Seabourn.

 

I will be sailing Regent Splendor next summer and checked out the Serene Spa and Wellness booklet. Nowhere could I find any reference to a company I recognized, like OneSpaWorld, Steiner, or Canyon Ranch. Is this company unique to Regent, do you think? BTW, they automatically add 20% which can be adjusted by the customer. Hmmm, lower?

1 hour ago, Lookingtocruise42 said:

1957, I think that is the problem :).

 

At least, where I live, people don’t even dress in suits to interview anymore. I typically wear a tshirt, shorts, and sometimes even sandals when going into the office.

 

It’s just in today’s culture, formalwear is just not a thing as many are interested in. 
 

The older generations still like it, as it’s something they grew up with and always did. The younger demographic, who Silversea will need to reach out to more and more as time moves on, just don’t usually have the same view (on average) about attire.

Curious where you live that you wear shorts and sandals to the office, a Caribbean island? 😁

12 hours ago, UUNetBill said:

Mahogany, there's not much in the spreadsheets on these cabins - the closest I could find was a review for 634 on Explorer (sister ship so same basic layout) that liked the cabin but echoed my thoughts on the G cabins - if there's any way to stretch the extra $800 or so per cabin to move to an F2 it's money well spent.  I know people say "Oh, we don't spend a lot of time in our cabin" and while that may be true, the extra space sure does make things more relaxing, IMO.  

 

Some folks disagree with me, and I've known people who sail in the Cat H cabins and love them, too, so it really is a matter of personal wants...but it's something to think about.

 

Now having said that, there's nothing wrong with the G cabins, they're tastefully decorated, comfortable, and of course all have balconies - and they're still larger than the cabins on many other cruise lines.  Maybe someone who has sailed in these cabins will see this and be prompted to submit some reviews for me to add - but if not, I look forward to seeing YOUR reviews when you get back from your cruise!  🙂

 

Enjoy!

Thanks, Bill, for the info. My problem is a financial one. The 18-day cruise has 0 Single Supplement, and for me as a single to upgrade to F will be another $9000. Ridiculous, no? I was in F on Explorer, but that was a few years ago, and the price was right then.

3 hours ago, markham said:

That is true but that’s not the big picture.

 

Hiow so? Silversea gives 5% off their fares to those who have 100 sailed days and another 5% after you sail 250. Plus those particular Venetian sailings that include reduced fares. So book early on board Silversea ships (another discount) for the best fares knowing you are all set. Unlike Seabourn Silversea does not need to offer sales on empty cabins close to sailing date. They have stability and confidence through a pricing model/quality product that consistently has worked for me. And enjoy that free week on top of those incentives. I think it comes after 350 days but I can handle that. What they do overall is kinda like icing on the 5* cake.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Oh, 350, 100 more than I thought.

22 hours ago, tinaincc said:

You may want to focus on your dinner companion(s) - you may enjoy yourself more.

Snarky

On 12/19/2023 at 2:12 AM, markham said:

Times have moved on and other lines have moved up. This year we graduated to Silversea as our primary choice for cruises. It is the combination of 2 things that do it: they get all the basics right (track, longer pool, several differentiated restaurants with real menus, plenty of padded loungers with attentive drinks service coming to you, and far more space per passenger) on their 4 classic newer ships and there are many attractive pricing incentives when you book on-board. Plus more when you reach 100 days (laundry which is same day, not the next/up to 2 days on Seabourn), go on Venetian- named cruises, and after 250 days an additional 5%. Also, the milestone awards of free weeks. 

 

Yes, excursions are included which is fine for those who want to take them. If I don’t I am assured of a quiet ship whose facilities I can enjoy for a few hours around my choice to walk in town or whatever. At mid-day the pool and track on their own are inviting enough to keep me in the ship, and then there are the Patio, Spaccanapoli and La Terrazza outdoor seating restaurants and the Atlantide (near-MDR) and Kaiseki Japanese to choose from. In the evenings there are in addition the SALT (local cuisine), Silver Note (jazz) and upcharge La Dame (surcharge) restaurants. The complimentary wines are all of an higher standard and there (again) is more choice/ less need to buy premium wine. And lots of space with all those choices!

 

Now arguably you get a higher standard of luxury, and loyal cruisers there know what that means. Its vibe is consistently calm. No need to game each other over “retreats”, TKG reservations, nor guess what happens with the next round of long-awaited menu “enhancements” around ship staff you come and go. Nor do they need to offer fire sales all the time to keep us biting; we would worry anyway about what type of cruise those low fares can pay for when we know that we can rest assured of quality at a level we know well elsewhere. We find that they never cut out so much as Seabourn did before and during Covid, and so all the standards are there. Seabourn has yet to recover and still haven’t. Eg Seabourn still does not say one way or another if they will restore the old Club Concierge (precruise cabin amenities) service… Similarly, the only time a true 5* hotel does that unpredictable and repetitive public price discounting is when they are renovating, and only if they think they can still deliver the luxury experience and original standards without upsetting loyal guests with a degraded experience.
 

Maybe it would be easier to accept that Seabourn is now a notch below. Maybe it is on the upswing? It’s hard to know. This year’s quality ratings of the top lines in each category tell part of this story. 
 

i hasten to add that the Venture and Pursuit are top of league. It’s the combination of ship design, old Seabourn “can-do” mentality on board and the focused purpose these ships deliver so well! 
They are honest and concise products which set them apart in the line and the industry. Eg the idea of a “retreat” there is absurd.

 

That’s my take FWIW,

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Having just been on 2 trips on Dawn for a total of 40 days, I have to agree with you a lot about Silversea. But I have plans for Venture in spring and Regent Splendor in the summer, then Silver Ray next December. I like all 3 lines for different reasons.

But in the first paragraph, you mention milestone free weeks.  I have a free week with Seabourn at 150 days; I believe Silversea doesn't award you a 7-day cruise until 250. That's a big difference.

Just came off Silversea Dawn. MDR (Atlantide) open daily sea or port day for lunch and breakfast. And very crowded. Maybe that's a reason for Seabourn passengers who dislike Colonnade to consider switching cruise lines.

Any info on Deck 6 of Splendor? We have booked 3 suites between 626 and 633 for July in Northern Europe.

On 12/8/2023 at 6:03 PM, Bronxchihuahua said:

Not common in the U.S. there are ‘cancel for no reason׳ policies but they are extremely expensive.

And you don't get 100% back, right?

I'll let others reply to dress code questions.

As for making dinner reservations, you can wait until onboard to make dinner reservations at La Terrazza and The Grill but be aware that you will be competing for spots that others have made prior to boarding. You may not be able to eat at the time you prefer. I just debarked from the Dawn, and while waiting for the Maitre'd at La Terrazza, a party of 3, young man and older couple (grandparents?) asked for a table, and was told it was sold out, and return at 8:30 to see if there were cancellations or no-shows. He claimed not to know reservations were necessary. So, if disappointment isn't a problem, you can wait. Silver Note is especially difficult to get a reservation for. Don't know if Whisper has that venue.

Don't you have to book ahead for Regent specialty restaurants?

10 hours ago, canderson said:

Given where we will be for the first part, lots of Portuguese food? 😄  Arroz de Pato might be fun!

The first ports, Canary Islands, are Spanish: paella again?

2 hours ago, Port Power said:

 

Close enough to one hour.  It was thoroughly enjoyable.  I hope that I have the opportunity to participate in another class on this cruise leg.

Any idea what the theme will be for the classes on the crossing? 

2 hours ago, skleeb said:

That makes sense-new ship and good deals! Hey, I will be on the Dawn crossing with you, jollyjones. perhaps we will meet at the solos group? I also like pingpong and the trivia, so hope to see you on board!

I'm solo this time on the Dawn crossing. I was on her in September and looking forward to the SALT restaurant, bar, and lab, best part of my previous voyage.

Fiona

3 hours ago, Dolcevita Diva said:

 

The SALT Lab is separate from the SALT Kitchen restaurant.  I've not yet sailed on the Dawn, but the SALT Lab on the Nova looks totally different from the pictures that I've seen of the SALT Lab on the Dawn. It's a more enhanced decor, with a wall of windows and seating (counter stools) for use during the Chef's Table. 

Here are some pictures from when the space is used for cooking classes.  The stools you see against the windows and in a side area will be pulled up to the counter for seating during the Chef's Table experience (and of course place settings, lighting, etc. will be more conducive to dining). 
 

Are those stools comfortable, and is there knee space? Hard to tell. At $180 I prefer chairs with arms.

In any discussion comparing different cruise lines, the one commonality is staffing. In most cases, the criticism is: not enough trained crew. Many experienced staff members quit cruising as a profession during Covid. It could take years to bring staffing and professionalism up to pre-Covid standards. I think it is unrealistic to think that choosing a different line will provide you with superb service. The crew keep smiling, though, as we criticize them 😟

I have booked cruises this year with Seabourn Venture, Regent Splendor, and Silversea Dawn and Ray. Though I agree Jacques is an excellent restaurant, that's not enough to have me return to Oceania.

I recognize the drop in service over the years, and frankly, accept it for the most part. The alternative is, quit cruising (ah, no). For the poster on the World Cruise who said, "we rarely if ever complain", my advice would be: DO. If I were on that long and things weren't going well, I wouldn't hesitate to complain - often - and give management a chance to correct.

Interesting that the dress code issue seems to center on men, not women. Daisy Dukes allowed? Just kidding 😄. But I do have a serious question. What's with headwear? I'm more bothered by ball caps in the restaurant than jacket or tie.

We just cancelled April Dubai to Athens. My TA told me about a client on another luxury line RT Athens on October 18 that changed itinerary on October 15. And probably more itinerary changes mid-voyage. Back to the cruise drawing board for a spring replacement!

3 hours ago, scseas said:

I was within the free cancellation period as I had booked D2D. However, I asked Silverseas to waive the $500 admin fee/ FCC. They simply ignored me which has left a very bad taste in my mouth. We rebooked on Virgin Voyages which we find a lot more fun at 1/4 the price, especially for a Greek island cruise. The voyage also has an overnight stop which our Silverseas cruise lost with the schedule change. We will also visit Egypt and Israel on our own before the cruise, providing the situation has improved as that was the motivating factor of the original trip.

 

I also had a really bad experience trying to book custom biz class flights months ago before the itinerary switch via Silverseas. I ultimately decided to book my own biz class flights because Silverseas was too difficult to deal with.
 

Overall, I was very disappointed by these customer issues, especially given the price of the voyage. I’m not sure I’ll be back to Silverseas after how I felt treated by them…which is to say, largely ignored.

Were you using a travel advisor - or talking directly to Silversea (not Silverseas)?

50 minutes ago, Tallante said:

Well said Julie. I just find it amusing that there are people who have time to post these articles.  

Or time to READ these articles 😄