Silversea v Seabourn comparison from 1st timer on SS

Posted this on the Silversea board today but thought it would also be of interest to Seabourn fans...

Hello everyone... after receiving so much good information from these boards, I wanted to take a chance and write my first detailed review of our first Silversea voyage on the Silver Cloud – 10 days from Barcelona to London in May, 2010. Some background: we are two 48-year olds. Recent cruises have all been on the Seabourn Spirit (3 of them), and we have also sailed with HAL, Princess, Carnival, and many, many times with Celebrity. Decided to give Silversea a try as the price was right (well not really, but at least moderately acceptable) and the itinerary was great (got to visit Normandy France and Omaha Beach on the 66th Anniversary of D-Day... an utterly amazing experience!).

To keep things interesting, I will compare our Silversea experience with that of our recent Seabourn trips, giving each category of the review a rating factor to indicate how important that aspect of the cruise was to us (1 being least important and 5 being most important). Then I’ll rate each category in much the same way for each line (Silversea vs. Seabourn) to hopefully arrive at numerical score to see who wins. As I begin, I don’t really know who will come out on top. There were aspects of the Silversea and Seabourn experiences that we very much enjoyed. I will also cross-post this on both boards so both lines’ passengers can benefit from this information.

OK… here goes. First, the categories and their importance to us on a scale of 1 (least important) to 5 (most important). I may have missed a few, but these are what are important to us.

• Ship overall: 5

• Crew/service overall: 5

• Main Dining Room food: 5

• Alternative restaurant(s): 4

• Special Event dining: 3

• Room service: 4

• Outdoor pool/Jacuzzis: 5

• Pool/deck bar: 5

• Other bars/nightspots: 4

• Handling/Recognition of special milestones/birthdays: 3

• Self-service laundry facilities: 3

• Full-service/ship laundry & dry cleaning: 2

• Cabin design/layout: 5

• Cabin bathroom: 5

• Cabin balcony/veranda: 3 (on these small ships, it’s not as important as we thought)

• Spa: 2

• Ship-sponsored excursions: 4

• Gym/fitness facilities: 4

• On-board shopping: 1

• Casino: 2

• Shipboard entertainment: 2

• Overall feel of the cruise experience and camaraderie with like-minded travelers: 5

And now, some comments on each category along with a rating of 1-5, with 1 being OK and 5 being outstanding.

Ship overall (importance 5)

Both ships are lovely. Small, no lines anywhere, nice fixtures and finishes. I liked the extra space and additional bar and restaurant options on the Cloud vs. smaller Spirit, and the Cloud is also so beautiful to look at. Like a classic ocean liner trimmed down in size. Cabin interiors I liked better on Seabourn.

Silversea rating: 5 * 5 = 25 points

Seabourn rating: 4 * 5 = 20 points

Crew/service overall (importance 5)

Silversea was good but Seabourn far better. By day two of our Seabourn voyages, we were being called by our first and/or last names. I can count on one hand how many Silversea crew called us by name throughout the voyage. It sounds corny, but it was amazing how much we missed that on Silversea and the difference it made. In terms of friendliness, promptness, attention to detail, and other service aspects, I’d say both lines are pretty competitive with one another. Maybe it was just the smaller size of the Seabourn ship that makes a difference, but I really felt more a part of the Seabourn family than I did apart of Silversea.

Silversea rating: 3 * 5 = 15 points

Seabourn: 5 * 5 = 25 points

Main Dining Room food and service (importance 5)

This was perhaps our biggest disappointment with Silversea. On our 10-day itinerary, we ate only 3 times in the MDR. The menus were generally boring, with only a few items that really peaked our interest. I can recall reading the menus on Seabourn and genuinely looking forward to the dining experience each night. Now don’t get me wrong, during the entire 10 days, we never had a bad meal anywhere on Silversea. We are not fussy eaters or high maintenance patrons when it comes to restaurants. And although we dine out frequently at home, we rarely go to the top-end/expensive restaurants in any particular city around the world. Also, the number of entrée choices was fairly limited, with three or sometimes four courses being the standard on Silversea vs. five on Seabourn. Service in the MDR on both lines was similarly excellent however as was the quality of flatware, plates, glasses etc.

Silversea rating: 2 * 5 = 10 points

Seabourn: 5 * 5 = 25 points

Alternative restaurant (importance 4)

As average as we thought the Silversea MDR experience was, La Terazza – one of three! alternative venues, the other being outdoors on deck under the stars and Le Champagne (more later on that) – was superb! We ate there 4 times on our 10 night voyage. The La Terazza menu was the same most nights, but that did not matter. Every item we ate there was mouth-watering delicious. On two occasions, and with 24 hours advanced notice, we asked the chef to prepare something special off the main menu. Both of these items were delivered and equally outstanding. Well done, La Terazza. We dined outdoors on deck once, with a basic menu of salads, fish, steak, prawns etc. It was very nice and the food was very good but not excellent. My steak was cooked medium rather than medium-well as ordered, but the Madagascar prawns were delicious. We did not try Le Champagne, the $200 per person with wine venue. There is just something wrong with charging that price on a luxury line where you’re already paying roughly $1,000 per night room and board. I know you can dine there for only $30 per person without wine, but the up-charge left such a sour taste in our mouths that we decided against it. I talked to several fellow cruisers who did opt to try it, and it received across the board “good” but not outstanding reviews.

Seabourn alternative dining options were limited to Restaurant 2, a tapas style concept with a changing menu each evening. While extremely enjoyable and a definite change of pace from most alternative restaurants at sea today, La Terazza on Silversea was superior in most every respect.

Silversea rating: 4 * 4 = 16 points (would have given this a 5 if it hadn’t been for the ridiculous up-charge of Le Champagne).

Seabourn rating: 3 * 4 = 12 points

Special Event Dining (importance 3)

Silversea, like Seabourn, offers a deck BBQ one evening and a galley lunch. Silversea’s BBQ was laid out in one long line, with a lot of food choices in terms of quantity, but nothing overtly special. It was one big buffet that reminded me of any gala buffet on a big-ship line. The wait in line was in excess of 15 minutes, and for the price I paid for the cruise, I was just underwhelmed. Seabourn’s on-deck BBQ extravaganza was set up in small stations to minimize lines and wait times, with food items that included as I recall grilled Lobster among other wonderful food items. Silversea’s experience was so average that we skipped the galley lunch entirely.

Silversea rating: 2 * 3 = 6 points

Seabourn rating: 5 * 3 = 15 points

Room service (importance 4)

Both lines did a good job with this. Table with linens always set for breakfast or dinner, great service provided with a smile, and the cabin layouts made for a very comfortable overall experience. When it comes to the menu, I believe Seabourn offered a more varied selection and better overall quality of ingredients. Again, the boring MDR menu (see above) limited our dinner choices to the likes of French Onion Soup and pizza one evening. A telephone call to the cabin was always made before each delivery on Seabourn (especially helpful on those early mornings). Not so on Silversea. A minor point for some, but another factor that makes Seabourn superior in this category.

Silversea rating: 3 * 4 = 12 points

Seabourn rating: 5 * 4 = 20 points

Outdoor pool/Jacuzzis (importance 5)

As a swimmer and someone who uses both the pool and Jacuzzis 2, 3, 4 or more times daily, the Silversea pool area beats Seabourn without exception. Silversea’s pool was heated to an almost uncomfortable high temperature (90+ degrees) on 2 days, but it sure beats that tiny “pool” on Seabourn that’s barely big enough to cool off on a hot day. I missed Seabourn’s Jacuzzi far forward on the bow, but Silversea’s two Jacuzzis were lovely and afforded just as great a view.

Silversea rating: 5 * 5 = 25 points

Seabourn rating: 3 * 5 = 15 points

Pool/deck bar (importance 5)

I know it may seem strange to call this out as its own separate category, but on these small ships it is a big aspect of afternoon shipboard life for us. Sitting around, chatting with fellow guests, observing and interacting with the bar staff and their cocktail-making abilities etc. Silversea was good (and their bar folks were the ones to call us by name most of the time) but Seabourn was a notch above. Silversea had the premium-brand liquors out of sight in a cabinet underneath the bar, although available if requested. A cost-cutting move I’m sure. Seabourn on the other hand presented all options to its guests within view. Want a peach Bellini or strawberry daiquiri? On Silversea, out came the fruit concentrate dispensed from large bottles. On Seabourn, fresh fruit went into the blender to make the drinks. How about a Bloody Mary in the Jacuzzi? On Silversea, it was promptly delivered without celery and olives. On Seabourn, those two side accompaniments were always present. Just a few examples… but little things like this mean a lot when paying these high-end prices, so Seabourn wins this category handily.

Silversea rating: 2 * 5 = 10 points

Seabourn rating: 5 * 5 = 25 points

Other bars/nightspots (importance 3)

Please see above for comments on premium liquors and cocktail ingredients. Because of the larger size of the Silver Cloud vs. Seabourn Spirit, I did appreciate the additional venues to enjoy pre-dinner drinks or post-dinner socializing. Not much else to say here, but Silversea’s sheer number of choices was welcome.

Silversea rating: 4 * 5 = 20 points

Seabourn rating: 3 * 5 = 15 points

Handling/Recognition of special milestones/birthdays (importance 3)

Both my partner and I have the same birthday (yes, it’s true) – and we celebrated it on this cruise. Last year we celebrated it on Seabourn. On Silversea, nothing was mentioned at the dinner table, and when we returned to the cabin, there were three balloons on the bed, a slice of chocolate cake with a generic Happy Birthday written on it, and a card addressed to just my partner. On Seabourn last year, at the conclusion of dinner in the MDR, my partner was presented with a personalized cake at the table with Happy Birthday XXX written on it. Yes, Seabourn forgot me to. I guess neither line gets too many travelers with identical birthdays. The difference is that on Seabourn, after bringing the mistake to the wait staff’s attention, a personalized Happy Belated Birthday XXX cake was brought out to me the following evening. After making a Silversea staff member aware of the mistake, absolutely nothing was done for the rest of the cruise. No biggie really… but the attention to detail on Silversea with these sorts of things is not at the level of Seabourn.

Silversea rating: 2 * 3 = 6

Seabourn rating: 4 * 3 = 12

Self-service laundry facilities (importance 3)

I love returning home with clean clothes, so I really enjoyed the launderette facilities on both Silversea and Seabourn. Both were clean and of good quality (machines, detergent), but Silversea’s laundry was bigger with an additional washer and dryer which made for a no-wait experience for me. Excellent. On Seabourn, it was a cramped space with a survival of the fittest mentality, and guests were lined up in the hallway to use it.

Silversea rating: 5 * 3 = 15

Seabourn rating: 2 * 3 = 6

Full-service/ship laundry & dry cleaning (importance 2)

Both lines did an equally good job here with both laundry and dry cleaning. Not much else to say.

Silversea rating: 5 * 2 = 10

Seabourn rating: 5 * 2 = 10

Cabin design/layout (importance 5)

In terms of the main cabin (we had a standard veranda on Deck 5), I have to say Silversea and Seabourn were pretty much on par with one another. Nice walk-in closets on both. No Bose radio on Silversea (although I understand they are coming soon), but I really liked the main cabins’ design and layout equally on both ships. Very, very comfortable for 10 days or more. The big differentiating factor was soundproofing between the suites. On Silversea, when it was quiet , you could literally hear the neighbors conversing next door in their room. It was a bit muffled, but if you tried and really listened, you could make out their sentences. Scary! Not the case on Seabourn with much better soundproofing – where you rarely heard your neighbors’ comings and goings.

Silversea rating: 3 * 5 = 25

Seabourn rating: 5 *5 = 25

Cabin bathroom (importance 5)

Silversea’s bathroom was no bigger than a bathroom on Celebrity or Holland America. Yes, it has a tiny bathtub which was actually quite nice, but only 1 sink and a toilet all jammed next to one another. It was fine and very functional, but far inferior to Seabourn Spirit’s bathroom with a larger and better arranged tub/shower combination and dual sinks. And although the Cloud is a newer ship, the bathroom looked shabbier than Seabourn’s for some reason. Must be the marble with the pink accents (not so attractive to begin with) that’s not wearing so well!

Silversea rating: 2 * 5 = 10 points

Seabourn rating: 4 * 5 = 20 points

Cabin balcony/veranda (importance 3)

This category is easy. Silversea had a comfortable private veranda with two chairs and a nice table. Seabourn has no true balconies except in their very high end (and priced!) suites. The importance of a private veranda on these small ships is less important than it would be on a larger vessel. You are literally 2-3 minutes to the open decks no matter where your cabin is on the ship.

Silversea rating: 5 * 3 = 15

Seabourn rating: 0 * 3 = 0

Spa (importance 2)

Other than haircuts, we didn’t really utilize the spa services on either Silversea or Seabourn. I did look around however and would rate Silversea’s facilities a little higher just because of the larger footprint that the bigger ship affords. Both have separate steam/sauna rooms for men and women, massage treatment rooms, and hair/nail salon areas… but Silversea has a nice little outside deck to relax on outside the locker rooms where Seabourn does not.

Silversea rating: 3 * 2 = 6

Seabourn rating: 2 * 2 = 4

Ship-sponsored excursions (importance 4)

All excursions were good on both lines with no real disappointments. But there were no special “Welcome Home” receptions or in-cabin goodies on Silversea as there were on Seabourn. On Seabourn, for example, after an all-day outing, you may come back to the ship to find a staff of 10 or so crew members pier-side displaying a “Welcome Home” banner with waiters serving champagne before you even re-board the ship. Not so on Silversea. On another all-day excursion on Seabourn, you may return to the cabin to find a “Welcome Back” note from your room steward on the dining table complemented by Caviar, fixings, and a bottle of champagne. Not so on Silversea. I could list other examples where Seabourn far excels over Silversea in its attention to detail, but will instead switch to something that Silversea delivered on big time!

We were scheduled to be in Honfleur, France (the port for Normandy) on June 6, 2010. Yet there was no excursion available to Normandy or the landing beaches, due supposedly to our early 3pm departure. When other Silversea ships dock here with a later departure, Normandy tours are offered. It seemed that none of the senior crew members realized it was the anniversary of D-Day, so I approached the Cruise Director about it and explained the significance of the port stop, date, and that I’m sure when Silversea arranged this itinerary (probably 2 years ago) that they knew it was the 66th anniversary of that momentous day in history. Well, in a couple of days time, a flyer was delivered to all cabins announcing the Normandy tour offering. The captain had not only arranged an earlier than planned arrival in Honfleur, but a later departure time as well in order to allow this tour to be offered. Major kudos to the excursion staff and Cruise Director, Jimmy, for putting this together and pulling it off on such short notice! Bravo! It does make me wonder though about Silversea’s lack of attention to the finer details of this and other things (like the numerous grammatical and typographical errors in all the daily newsletters/bulletins). Oh well… let’s not get too off track.

Silversea rating: 5 * 4 = 20 (rating this a 5 only because of the Normandy trip - would otherwise have been a 3)

Seabourn rating: 4 * 4 = 16

Gym/fitness facilities (importance 4)

This is another clear-cut category. The Silver Cloud’s size affords it a much nicer gym area with a great view forward across the oceans. Seabourn’s gym is small and from what I recall, had no view. Also no Elliptical machines on Seabourn which is a big deal to me as I really enjoy using them vs. the traditional treadmills.

Silversea rating: 4 * 4 = 16

Seabourn rating: 2 * 4 = 8

On-board shopping (importance 1)

As noted this is of not much importance to us, but the selection of merchandise was better on Silversea than on Seabourn. Although seeing an on-board H. Stern on Silversea was a real turnoff. What a tourist trap with a hard sell!

Silversea rating: 3 * 1 = 3

Seabourn rating: 2 * 1 = 2

Casino (importance 2)

I know this will sound familiar by now, but the larger Silver Cloud had a larger casino than Seabourn. About twice the number of slots and I believe an additional blackjack table, although I never saw both in use simultaneously. What was key here is that I thought the casino staff on Silversea were very professional and pushy/casino-like (fast dealing, made sure your drinks were always full etc.) - whereas on Seabourn the casino staff were much more conversational and leisurely which made for a much more relaxing gambling experience.

Silversea rating: 2 * 2 = 4

Seabourn rating: 3 * 2 = 6

Shipboard entertainment and Theater (importance 2)

I enjoyed the entertainment on both lines. Silversea had a professional production company/cast aboard that did 4 different shows in 10 days. Impressive for a small ship! Seabourn’s entertainment is mostly handled by its senior crew (cruise directors, asst CD, and others) – which was also good but different than a production show. Depends on what you like. Nicer theater by far on Silversea but I personally preferred the intimacy of the Seabourn crew entertainment. A draw for me in this category – but please note, don’t go on a small ship if big show, theatrical entertainment is a high priority.

Silversea rating: 3 * 2 = 6

Seabourn rating: 3 * 2 = 6

Overall feel of the cruise experience and camaraderie with like-minded travelers (importance 5)

This is an area where for us there was a huge difference. Please don’t flame me on this as my thoughts are difficult to convey in writing. At 48 years of age, we were among the 20 youngest passengers I would say on both Silversea and Seabourn. Not a big issue… we knew that would be the case going into both cruises. Let’s suffice it to say that Silversea just felt older to us than Seabourn all around. Seabourn’s passengers were all of similar age to Silversea, but definitely much more young at heart. I know what I’m about to write is a huge generality and in fact may not even be entirely true, but in order to simplify my feelings about our fellow travelers and to provide some background to other travelers considering Silversea vs. Seabourn… Silversea was very reserved and sometimes downright stoic while Seabourn was uplifting and sometimes rather raucous (and thus fun!). It was really quite different in terms of shipboard environments, attitudes, passenger interactions, and overall feel. Huge plus to Seabourn here for us.

Silversea rating: 1 * 5 = 5

Seabourn rating: 5 * 5 = 25

DRUM ROLL PLEASE… finally tally – and it’s very close much to my surprise:

Silversea rating: 280

Seabourn rating: 312

Concluding thoughts

Although we thoroughly enjoyed our Silversea experience (anyone who can’t have a good time on Silversea has got a problem in my opinion!), I am a little worried about the viability of Silversea long-term. It is just not in the same league overall as Seabourn with a focus on small details (not sure about how it compares to Regent or Crystal). In fact, Silversea does not distinguish itself enough from even the likes of Celebrity, IF you consider what Celebrity offers in their higher end suite categories at roughly the same price as you’d pay on Silversea their entry level veranda cabin. Yes, of course you don’t get the crowds as you encounter on a huge ship – and for some, I understand that is a deal breaker. But other than that, I don’t know what Silversea provides in a standard veranda cabin that Celebrity does not let’s say provide in one of their Celebrity or Royal Suites.

This was also the first time in a long time that we did not book another cruise while on-board. Instead… what did we do? Well, the weekend after our return from Silversea we booked another Seabourn voyage this August in the Med. Hmmmmm. What does that tell you?

I have provided a lot of information I know, but I do hope some of the readers find it helpful. Others of course will disagree with some of my comments. And I no doubt left some details out that others will be interested to know about. So questions and comments are welcome. Please feel free to post them here or email me directly.

And most importantly, THANK YOU to the Silver Cloud staff and crew for an excellent vacation. You worked very hard - and despite the occasional suggestions for improvement noted above, please know that we appreciated your efforts and you are to be commended for affording us a great time. Happy and safe journeys to all of us fellow CC’ers.

THANKS for all of your details and info! You've done a very comprehensive report that shows various plus and minus factors for both lines. Clearly, no one ship is perfect for everything and all interests. We did Seabourn Spirit in June 2006 for the Greek Isles and Turkish Coast and Crystal Symphony in late July 2008 for the Baltics and Russia. Loved both. Each had their service differences and other factors. We are getting ready for our first trip on Silversea, doing the Silver Cloud from Copenhagen. We will sail along the Norway Coast, see the fjords, Arctic Circle, Land of the Midnight Sun, July 1-16, 2010. We are more focused on the ports and reaching where we want to go and what we want to see.

We will be able to report more in later July. We'll see how our impressions for the Silver Cloud match up to your comparisons with Seabourn. Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

This is an excellent way to share thoughts on both ships in a very logical and well thought out manner. In the end it is your opinion that counts the most including how you view the importance of each area, what your experiences were and your actual opinon of each area. Others may see this differently but that is of no importance.

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on this and I applaud you for the way you have organized this.

Keith

Outstanding review. Thank you for taking your time to review both of these top rated ships. After falling in love with Seabourn this past Spring we have probably stopped dating, if you know what I mean;).

After falling in love with Seabourn this past Spring we have probably stopped dating' date=' if you know what I mean;).

We're still "dating" and comparing. Nice comparison term. We are more focused on the ports and reaching where we want to go and what we want to see. It's fun for us, getting ready for our third cruise, to be "playing the field" among the various high-quality lines and different ships size that are not the MEGA or SUPER MEGA sizes.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

for this comprehensive comparison of your experiences. I particularly liked the fact that you began with identifying the importance to you of each category. It's also interesting that when scores are methodically assigned, the final tally can be somewhat more of a surprise than a blanket statement would have implied.

This was a great review. We are planning to spurge in a "Luxury Cruise" in the coming year and Seabourn was one of the Cruise Lines we are considering. The info you provided will be very used full in assisting us in choosing which cruise line to cruise with.:eek:

A round of applause for Stines lengthy, careful and sensitive comparison of Silversea and Seabourn. (Perhaps on this site that should be rendered as Seabourn and Silversea.) Although innocent of Silversea, we have experienced Odyssey, Legend (amd soon) Sojourn, after an introduction to cruising on Regent's Navigator. I think the most interesting--and elusive--quality about a cruise experience is which part of that experience is cruise-specific, and which part is line-specific. We have chosen not to sail on Silversea precisely because of a quality which Stines alludes to without really defining. May I suggest that it is conservatism? (We're not talking Tea Party here.) I note that Silversea persists in keeping a number of formal nights even on 7-night itineraries. Perhaps that hints at a social attitude which may come off as , um, plowing straight ahead with little interest in the appeal of the new. Well, that's not quite right either.( I also infer this from reading the Silversea boards.) But I also subscribe to the reviewer's feeling that, at a grand a night, the imposition of extra cost dining options is price-gouging, And even though I can afford it, I won't. I will be interested in seeing how others define the difference between SB and SS. To wit, what is the soul of the line?

We have so far been on the smaller ships of both lines. It is difficult to pinpoint the differences in atmosphere; SS does seem a little more formal overall; we found the Italian officers did not mix like the SB ones do (sometimes they do not have very good English), but mainly it was the slight difference in the staff, particularly bar staff and waiters. SS were excellent, but somehow the personalities of the SB staff, more of whom are European or from, for example, South Africa, shone. They just seemed more like friends and less like people serving you. I hope this does not sound unkind. I also have heard that they have better conditions of employment, and are therefore more likely to stay with the line.

Stines, thank you so much for the thorough and incisive comparison. Having sailed both lines extensively I agree with so much of what you found. It would be interesting to see a similar comparison between SS Spirit and SB Odyssey or Sojourn because some of the issues you found on SB i.e. no balconies or the pool size and position or fewer areas to take a drink have been resolved on the new SB ships.

In general, the only thing I disagree with is that you can get a similar esperience in a suite on Celebrity as you can on SS. Yes, the suite will be larger and more luxurious but the moment you leave it you are on a mass market ship where you have to pay for every drink, pay for gratuities, wait in lines yada yada yada.

Thank you Stines for the review / comparison...

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Tho my partner & I have not sailed on either line I have been researching the 2 lines for a cruise in the near future....

Thanks to Martha here on this board seabourn is first on our list.

One thing you mentioned was the passengers & crew interaction - or lack thereof..

Could the difference be Silversea is more of an European Line & Seabourn more American?

Years ago sailingon the Italian or French Lines it was a more subdued atmosphere(nite time was fun) the American ships had a a friendlier atmosphere.....

It would be interesting to hear your thoughts.....

It is nice to see a thoughtful and well presented review with sufficient detail to form a point of view. I also like the methodology of using importance as one of the scoring factors.

Thanks for that.

Wripro,

Let me clarify what I meant by getting a similar experience to Celebrity as long as booking in a higher end suite. Yes, Celebrity is a mass market line and once you step outside the suite you are in a literal sea of other travelers... lines, lines, and more lines in many places. But if I can get a good deal on a Royal Suite for let's say 10K with insurance on Celebrity *or* book a standard veranda on Silversea for let's say 12K with insurance... if I had it to over again I'd choose the Royal Suite at 10K and pay for my bar bill, which generally is less than 1K on a 10-night voyage. While I'm not fond of the crowds on a mass market line and the many kiddies around (especially in summer), I just didn't have as much fun with my fellow travelers on Silversea and they didn't offer the attention to detail on the "little" things that Seabourn does to very high degree. So when paying 10-15K for a cruise, I'd go with Seabourn or a high end Celebrity suite, depending on how important the lack of crowds and kids are to you. Hope that helps!

Rotterdam,

One our cruise, the Silversea officers were very nice I thought. Not as personable as some of the captains on Seabourn, but I'd still give them very high marks. So the crew wasn't an issue for me. In fact on SS cruise, the captain's wife and their two very young children were aboard and I had the most pleasant time conversing with them around deck and in the pool. Both lines catered to Americans and I found them somewhat equally boring in the respect. On the SS cruise there were more Europeans than on Seabourn, but if anything that is a reason to go with Silversea. I find Europeans in general a much more interesting bunch to travel with. More refined, more well traveled, and frankly more intelligent in some ways. Yes, I am American - but now live in London and have come to better appreciate the difference between US and European cultures and their citizens.

Although I continue to applaud the the structured comparison of SS and SB, I think you are a tad impressionable if you believe "Europeans" are more intelligent than Americans. I say that as a yank who spent 30 years working for Newsweek and Time, and an admitted anglophile. (My first night in London was at the RAF Club, hosted by a colleague who was an ace in the Battle of Britain.)But I think broad generalizations such as "more intelligent" or even worse, the frequently used "more sophisticated" are, well, too general. The UK education system, its still fundtioning (barely) class & caste system, the tyranny of the accent, all combine to mold --and leave unmmolded-people in different ways. I can assure you that, have attended press briefings in several European capitals, there are as many boobs abroad as there are in D.C. It may well be, however, that Europeans who choose SB and SS are different from typical American customers. You don't have to be rich to afford either cruise line in America, but perhaps the state of mind of wealth is different there. Maybe we could start a thread on the sociology of cruising. What say, Host Dan?

Although I continue to applaud the the structured comparison of SS and SB, I think you are a tad impressionable if you believe "Europeans" are more intelligent than Americans. I say that as a yank who spent 30 years working for Newsweek and Time, and an admitted anglophile. (My first night in London was at the RAF Club, hosted by a colleague who was an ace in the Battle of Britain.)But I think broad generalizations such as "more intelligent" or even worse, the frequently used "more sophisticated" are, well, too general. The UK education system, its still fundtioning (barely) class & caste system, the tyranny of the accent, all combine to mold --and leave unmmolded-people in different ways. I can assure you that, have attended press briefings in several European capitals, there are as many boobs abroad as there are in D.C. It may well be, however, that Europeans who choose SB and SS are different from typical American customers. You don't have to be rich to afford either cruise line in America, but perhaps the state of mind of wealth is different there. Maybe we could start a thread on the sociology of cruising. What say, Host Dan?

THANKS, writer100, for these excellent insights and historic background aspects! Agree on doing a separate posting on this perspective. I would do that separate posting on this subject and would love to hear and learn more. You could title it "Cruising Cultural Differences?". Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Maybe we could start a thread on the sociology of cruising. What say, Host Dan?

Go ahead and start one, and we'll see where it goes! ;)

Host Dan

Just a quick comment on "you don't have to be rich" to pay SB or SS prices in America. I'm currently researching a cruise for next year and the identical sailing costs $2,499 or £2,220 (7 nights cruise only) depending on which Seabourn site you log onto. So in the UK, most people who book SB probably are a little better off than average because it's a expensive holiday. The same is also true on the mass market lines, we pay probably 30-40% more than our friends across the pond.

Stines, thanks for the clarification. However I would rather have a standard suite on SB or SS than a Royal suite on Celebrity any day of the week just like I'd rather stay in a regular double at a Four Seasons than a big suite in a Hilton. It's the whole atmosphere, feeling of being special throughout the ship instead of just where you sleep that is important to me. Not to mention the food and the idea of being a guest rather than a passenger because everything is included.

AS for SS being more European and SB being more American I think I'd have to say that now SB is becoming more British.

Just a quick comment on "you don't have to be rich" to pay SB or SS prices in America. I'm currently researching a cruise for next year and the identical sailing costs $2,499 or £2,220 (7 nights cruise only) depending on which Seabourn site you log onto. So in the UK, most people who book SB probably are a little better off than average because it's a expensive holiday. The same is also true on the mass market lines, we pay probably 30-40% more than our friends across the pond.

Yes, I've seen that noted here before, i.e., the cruise lines charge what they can, market by market. (I seem to recall that the pricing is even worse for Australia.) Perhaps I should have suggested that in America, regardless of the price point, even Seabourn is not seen as the province of the aristocrats. So, maybe not so much (here in the U.S.) as "I can afford that," but "I have a right to that experience." This edges into market symbolism, about which I know next to nothing. One fascinating nugget that came my way via a friend doing research for RollsRoyce, was that in one year, the largest group of Rolls purchasers listed their occupation as: plumber.I hasten to add that this was a U.S. market finding. And it was some years ago. Still, sort of interesting, as different cruise lines seem to have various social overtones connected to them.:D (Early on I was severely chastized for using the word "valence", and I fear I would receive similar treatment if i said "cachet." Sorry, the grin belongs here.

Stine:

Excellent review--your detail and logic supporting your views was very helpful. As we have only tried Seabourn in the luxury market and have been very happy, we've wondered if we were missing something by not giving the other lines a go. Your review --expecially citing the importance of the item, tells me I'd regret the choice to try Silverseas and will stick with Seabourn. Thanks for taking the time to share your insighful views!

Stines,can you check your score for cabin design/layout.I think the Silversea score is wrong.

We had been booked on a Silverseas, cruise for October. As we had travelled with them before, I knew that even though their itinerary was more exciting, I would be settling. I read through the posts on both Silversea and Seabourn's boards. I cancelled with Silverseas and booked with Seabourn. I am sure I made the correct choice.

Hi Lord of the Seas,

I believe I got the cabin design/layout score correct. I did like the cabin layouts equally well (sans bathroom) - but the soundproofing between the suites on Silversea was no where near as good as Seabourn. We were fortunate in that we had good neighbors who didn't make much noise at all. But I'm not kidding, if you sat on the sofa when all was quiet (like in the morning or mid-afternoon) you could hear the conversation going on next door... and the neighbors were speaking in a normal tone of voice. Nothing elevated, no arguing... just normal conversation. That is a huge design flaw on Silversea's part in my opinion. Hope that helps to clarify.

WRITTER100

Rolls Royce - Plumber?? Oh, that's what we call traders on Wall Street.

Bob