Any thoughts on comparing Silversea to Crystal?

The breakfast buffet on Crystal is awful and the same as any budget lido cafe.

Hmm... I haven't sailed SS yet (January 2019 coming up) but I think I might disagree with calling Crystal's breakfast buffet awful and equivalent to a budget lido cafe. (And I can say that with certainty having sailed on NCL, Princess, Carnival EEK, and RCCL, among others.) There were made to order eggs with rarely any significant wait if at all- Asian influenced options- all sorts of fresh fruit beyond your usual cantaloupe and honeydew, nice looking pastries and breads (rather than just frozen looking airplane stuff), wide varieties of breakfast meats and fish, and more. I think breakfast is really the hardest meal to impress with- other than freshness and quality, it's difficult to differentiate yourself because most people enjoy a pretty set menu of breakfast items, compared to other meals when the sky is the limit.

FWIW, Crystal Serenity very nicely accommodated our night-before request to have one tuna melt and whatever other non breakfast item my husband ordered for breakfast, with fresh orange juice, to our room at 3am so we could depart at 330am to make it home from Vancouver to the midwest in time to pick our kids up from preschool. They were perplexed but polite and the food arrived hot and on time. I love non breakfast food for breakfast! :)

I am sorry you had a poor experience in the Crystal buffet but I wanted to offer a different point of view.

I am not an experienced “cruiser” by any means, but in connection with this thread I have one Silversea under my belt, and a second booked for October next year.

I am tentatively looking at my options for late 2020 and am, therefore, comparing various companies. I am looking at Silversea, Seabourn, Regent and Crystal.

As it stands, I am putting Silversea at the bottom of the list - not based on the product offered, but on the product delivered, or not in some cases!

On the lead up to my last SS cruise they cancelled six cruises for external / charter purposes, and, I understand, that with very short notice they amended the the itinerary of a South American cruise which caused mayhem with with people who had individually booked flights and pre-cruise options.

This year the fiasco of the ‘part charter’ (https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=56342532 .... amongst others) is still rumbling on and I can see that there have been a couple more cancellations?

I am in the position that I can still cancel with a full refund ... and am giving serious consideration to doing so as, in the back of my mind, I am having nagging doubts ......

Another thing to consider?

Sent from the magic box!

Been there, done both but can only comment on the Spirit, pre stretch. We'll be on the fall TA on the stretched version so that should be similar to the Muse. I think most of the posters have pretty well summed the comparison up. I don't think you can go wrong with either....here are a few of my thoughts...

SS is probably a little cheaper and gives a reasonable priced upgrade to business (we don't have lots of points to use toward that)

SS most definately has the much better cabins...even at the cheapest, space is better.

C has better food in general and I like their specialty restaurants

C has better service, imho, although both are good. SS can be a little sketchy at times....

C has a traditional teak promenade deck which I love (most certainly not a deal breaker, but I like it a lot)

C has the best bars, bartenders and imaginative cocktails. I think they make the best cocktails in the cruise industry, bar none.

SS is more "yachty" and C is more country club.....haha. As I said, I don't think you can go too far wrong with either.

On the lead up to my last SS cruise they cancelled six cruises for external / charter purposes, and, I understand, that with very short notice they amended the the itinerary of a South American cruise which caused mayhem with with people who had individually booked flights and pre-cruise options.

This year the fiasco of the ‘part charter’ (https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=56342532 .... amongst others) is still rumbling on and I can see that there have been a couple more cancellations?

I am in the position that I can still cancel with a full refund ... and am giving serious consideration to doing so as, in the back of my mind, I am having nagging doubts ......

Another thing to consider?

 

 

Sent from the magic box!

Hi,

It seems to me that your decision is totally dependant on your acceptance or rejection of risk and whether you are content to trust a company that has clearly treated others poorly and have failed to behave honourably and in a trustworthy way, and in the UK in a legally/ABTA Code compliant way. I suggest it isn't one issue to consider, but the compound effect of several possible risks.

My wife and I would have been momentarily irritated if when making our booking we had been warned of the large groups totalling over 270 that had been booked on to the Whisper cruise we had booked, but after that initial response then would have been relieved that we had been warned and we would have booked a different one. Receiving the warning would have reassured us about SS and made us trust them in the future ignoring any other defect(s) in the product. We would have been fine with that.

However, the sequence of events ie SS booking the larger group which was demographically totally unsuitable for a non-charter retail sailing, and was far, far too large, without allowing other passengers informed choice to join it or not, then the clear promises made whilst on board to keep us quiet when I requested that we abandon the cruise and asked that they arrange earlier flights home, then the failure to respect the clear promises made to us about refunds, and the subsequent contemptuous way we have been treated seems to me to offer a stark choice. It is the compound effect of these failings, that is important. If they had failed, it would have been bad enough, but then if they had made promises that they had kept it just might have caused doubt, but might have nudged us to shrug and try again. If you are content to take that risk and in the event nothing goes wrong you would otherwise be satisfied with the product then you should probably proceed. If however you are not content to take that risk and/or the product is lacking in any other way then perhaps you should find a less riskier alternative. Overlaid over that decision is the "unknowns" the recent takeover represents. They bought the line presumably because they thought they could make more money out of SS than the previous owner. That does not automatically imply spending more to improve the experience but may imply the opposite. What weighs on my mind is that also one mustn't overlook that unlike a hotel, you cannot shrug and leave if things aren't right. You are at the mercy and integrity of others. To me this implies that the bar must be set far higher when it comes to deciding on trust. You are stuck if they repeat what has happened to us and others like Dave for example.

We were not expecting greatness in the core product and to be honest even setting ourselves lower expectations the service and food was poor. But that in itself would not have made us doubt the other future more expensive cruise we had fully paid for. We knew roughly what to expect and we would have continued and not cancelled our 2019 cruises and would have made more bookings. The killer was the degree of mistrust that had been generated by not allowing us informed choice about whether to join the charter - we felt that this was intentionally misleading and greedy and dishonest (and against UK consumer law and ABTA), and then how we were "cheated"/treated subsequently. I take the view that I will always give people the benefit of the doubt if they make mistakes and genuinely try to put it right - but would never do so when they fail to do so. Even in spite of all the promises, the so called reputation and the laws and codes they are supposed to respect they continue to stick to doing the wrong thing. It is bewildering that a so called prestigious company flouts both the ABTA code meant to reassure UK consumers and UK laws intended to protect us. Organisations managed with integrity wouldn't do that. It is the compound doubt that the series of failings that is the thing to consider not just each in isolation.

Others who haven't experienced what we and others like Dave have will obviously and naturally feel differently. I understand that and I feel your pain and wish you good luck with your decision.

Hi,

 

It seems to me that your decision is totally dependant on your acceptance or rejection of risk

I understand sense of grievance against Silversea, and the incidents you cite must have been very upsetting to the affected guests.

However, there is risk with any travel experience, including cruise experiences. And those risks are not limited to Silversea.

Since the topic of this thread is Crystal/Silversea, I will cite two fairly recent experiences with Crystal.

First, a Crystal ship ended its journey in San Diego rather than Los Angeles, as advertised. The change in port was announced only days prior to arrival, just after departure from its last Hawaiian port, while the ship was steaming eastward in the Pacific. This was very disruptive to guests with flights from LAX, who had to get up at 2-3 am in order to make the long drive from San Diego to Los Angeles. Crystal agreed to pay change fees of flights (up to $250 as I recall) but not the difference between fares booked well in advance and fares purchased at the last minute (e.g., if one opted to fly from San Diego rather than LA).

Second, a Crystal cruise from Charleston was announced to depart on a given day very soon after new year's day. A couple of months before departure it was announced that the ship would depart a day earlier. This significantly reduced opportunities for some guests to tour Charleston and impelled others to rebook their flights to ensure that they had the desired margin of at least 24 hours (or whatever they felt desirable) between arrival in the embarkation port and the ship's departure -- especially necessary for some of us in the dead of winter and in the midst of packed holiday flights.

Yes, there are risks. But they are not limited to Silversea. They are inherent in the travel experience.

I understand sense of grievance against Silversea, and the incidents you cite must have been very upsetting to the affected guests.

 

However, there is risk with any travel experience, including cruise experiences. And those risks are not limited to Silversea.

 

Since the topic of this thread is Crystal/Silversea, I will cite two fairly recent experiences with Crystal.

 

First, a Crystal ship ended its journey in San Diego rather than Los Angeles, as advertised. The change in port was announced only days prior to arrival, just after departure from its last Hawaiian port, while the ship was steaming eastward in the Pacific. This was very disruptive to guests with flights from LAX, who had to get up at 2-3 am in order to make the long drive from San Diego to Los Angeles. Crystal agreed to pay change fees of flights (up to $250 as I recall) but not the difference between fares booked well in advance and fares purchased at the last minute (e.g., if one opted to fly from San Diego rather than LA).

 

Second, a Crystal cruise from Charleston was announced to depart on a given day very soon after new year's day. A couple of months before departure it was announced that the ship would depart a day earlier. This significantly reduced opportunities for some guests to tour Charleston and impelled others to rebook their flights to ensure that they had the desired margin of at least 24 hours (or whatever they felt desirable) between arrival in the embarkation port and the ship's departure -- especially necessary for some of us in the dead of winter and in the midst of packed holiday flights.

 

Yes, there are risks. But they are not limited to Silversea. They are inherent in the travel experience.

I was replying to specific concerns raised by MBP&O2/O about Silversea against the background of recent complaints. No one has ever suggested or believes that the risks are limited to Silversea.

In reading your complaints about Crystal however, it seems to me that passengers were treated a lot better - although not perfectly - compared with the way that I and others have been treated by Silversea.

Crystal Serenity (soon to be back on service) 68,000 tons 980 passengers 566 crew.

So 69.4 tons/passenger and 1.73 passengers/crew.

Crystal Symphony 50,000 tons 848 passengers 545 crew.

So 59.0 tons/passenger and 1.56 passengers/crew.

Silver Mews 40,700 tons 596 passengers 411 crew.

So 68,3 tons/passenger and 1,45 passengers/crew

So the refurbished Serenity has slightly more space/passenger than the Muse, while the Symphony has substantially less space/passenger than the Muse.

The Serenity staff and Symphony staff have substantially more passengers to service than the Muse. So if staff have similar abilities, Crystal cannot offer better service than Silversea. All this talk of Crystal service is hype without numbers to support it.

Besides, both Crystal ships have a lot more passengers than Silversea. While Silversea new ships are over 400 passengers (the definition of a small ship), Crystal ships are close to 1,000 passengers (the definition of a large ship). Luxury cruisers don't like crowds!

Though we have not been on Crystal, we fail to see how Crystal can be superior to Silversea, sorry!

.

Crystal Serenity (soon to be back on service) 68,000 tons 980 passengers 566 crew.

So 69.4 tons/passenger and 1.73 passengers/crew.

 

Crystal Symphony 50,000 tons 848 passengers 545 crew.

So 59.0 tons/passenger and 1.56 passengers/crew.

 

Silver Mews 40,700 tons 596 passengers 411 crew.

So 68,3 tons/passenger and 1,45 passengers/crew

 

So the refurbished Serenity has slightly more space/passenger than the Muse, while the Symphony has substantially less space/passenger than the Muse.

 

The Serenity staff and Symphony staff have substantially more passengers to service than the Muse. So if staff have similar abilities, Crystal cannot offer better service than Silversea. All this talk of Crystal service is hype without numbers to support it.

 

Besides, both Crystal ships have a lot more passengers than Silversea. While Silversea new ships are over 400 passengers (the definition of a small ship), Crystal ships are close to 1,000 passengers (the definition of a large ship). Luxury cruisers don't like crowds!

 

Though we have not been on Crystal, we fail to see how Crystal can be superior to Silversea, sorry!

 

.

I understand the weight divided by passenger thing and while the numbers can be an excellent reference, unless you've been there, you don't really know....

"All of this talk of Crystal service is hype without the numbers to support it." I don't really think you can make that call without having experienced it. Figures are just that....rationally, they should prove correct, but that's not always the case. What makes or breaks a cruise is personal to each person. To make calls without having experienced the issue isn't fair.

Numbers are a good indicator but staff training can make up for it. Really, both cruiselines are well-staffed or they wouldn’t both be in the lux. category. However my personal experience is that Silversea service is much more personalized, gracious and refined. Crystal seemed a bit amateurish to me and the MDR wait staff was downright awful despite having an outstanding head maitre ‘d. Then again, service and food can vary by ship, even within the same line.

Numbers are a good indicator but staff training can make up for it. Really, both cruiselines are well-staffed or they wouldn’t both be in the lux. category. However my personal experience is that Silversea service is much more personalized, gracious and refined. Crystal seemed a bit amateurish to me and the MDR wait staff was downright awful despite having an outstanding head maitre ‘d. Then again, service and food can vary by ship, even within the same line.

Agree strongly with the above wise comments and follow-up by Gourmet Gal. On both our Crystal and Silversea cruises, there have been certain staff, including and especially waiters, who are less experienced, fairly new and/or not as perfect in their performance. It happens!! But, we did not suffer too much. We survived and did not have to clear the table, do the dishes, load the dishwashing machine, etc.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean adventure that started in Barbados, here is the link for that live/blog. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.):

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

Now at 58,706 views for these postings.

We had several crew members who were not great at their job on our last voyage. Maybe three that I can think of. In two of the cases, they were really trying, were apologetic, but just couldn't get orders right. It is hard to say where the real breakdown was. At the same time, there were SO many SB crew members who were fabulous, it is very difficult to even think about complaining. Many of the crew members are about a decade younger than our children and it is easy to feel very paternal and protective of them. I find myself wondering where life will take them and what they will do after having a career on a cruise ship. As someone else said, they leave their families and friends and go to a ship where they live in tiny quarters and work 7 days a week. They are a BIG part of what makes SB successful.

Hi Marc,

I, too, travel solo on Crystal, and have always been made to feel welcome. I'll be doing a back-to-back on Serenity in November/December this year, but am now tempted to book a Christmas/New Year cruise on Silver Muse, as well. I recently received a mailing stating that the single supplement has been reduced to 10% so it seems like a good time to try this line. They're also offering $1,000 on-board credit, but, like Crystal, it's difficult to spend this when everything is included.

I'll let you know if I'm a convert when I return in January.

Ancientmariner the obc is useful for excursions, which are not included on many SS cruises. The spa is good too and some like to spend on wines or top grade spirits.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

And upgraded internet, the free version is about 0.6 MBPS ... slooooow ...

Hi Marc,

 

I, too, travel solo on Crystal, and have always been made to feel welcome. I'll be doing a back-to-back on Serenity in November/December this year, but am now tempted to book a Christmas/New Year cruise on Silver Muse, as well. I recently received a mailing stating that the single supplement has been reduced to 10% so it seems like a good time to try this line. They're also offering $1,000 on-board credit, but, like Crystal, it's difficult to spend this when everything is included.

 

I'll let you know if I'm a convert when I return in January.

Hi Trudi, I have sailed solo with SS twice and loved both cruises:D. I have yet to sail with Crystal so cannot give a comparison. I hope you have a wonderful cruise!:D

I recently received a mailing stating that the single supplement has been reduced to 10% so it seems like a good time to try this line. They're also offering $1,000 on-board credit, but, like Crystal, it's difficult to spend this when everything is included.

 

I'll let you know if I'm a convert when I return in January.

Woah! 10% single supplement??? That's fantastic! I wonder if that is a UK-only promotion, or if it might be a sign of the future. Hoping for the latter. And looking forward to your report back in January :-)

I believe the 10% single supplement is on;y for certain cruises so check to make sure it's one you're interested in.

Hi Marc,

 

I, too, travel solo on Crystal, and have always been made to feel welcome. I'll be doing a back-to-back on Serenity in November/December this year, but am now tempted to book a Christmas/New Year cruise on Silver Muse, as well. I recently received a mailing stating that the single supplement has been reduced to 10% so it seems like a good time to try this line. They're also offering $1,000 on-board credit, but, like Crystal, it's difficult to spend this when everything is included.

 

I'll let you know if I'm a convert when I return in January.

I would be interested to learn what cruise(s) were being offered with a 10% single supplement in the mailing you received. I have rejoiced in the many cruises Silversea has been offering lately with a 25% single supplement, but I do not recall seeing any 10% offers. Could you please share the specifics? You are not conflating the single supplement reduction with the 10% early booking/payment savings offered on many cruises, are you?

I searched for 10% Single Supplements, but didn't find any -- the best I could find is the 25% that I currently enjoy.

Earlier this summer, when I was in Asia, I noticed that the SS specials were configured a little differently, implying that the website was sensitive to context. Perhaps the 10% SS Single Supplements simply aren't available from North America.

Or, as Observer suggests, perhaps it was just a simple error. It sure caught my attention! A girl can dream, can't she?

14 Oct 15 3831 Hong Kong to Tokyo Silver Shadow 25% £5,700

23 Oct 17 6830 Muscat to Singapore Silver Muse 10% £8,700

29 Oct 15 3832 Tokyo to Hong Kong Silver Shadow 25% £5,300

9 Nov 10 6831 Singapore to

Hong Kong

Silver Muse 25% £5,100

13 Nov 11 3833 Hong Kong to

Singapore

Silver Shadow 25% £4,800

19 Nov 12 6832 Hong Kong to

Singapore

Silver Muse 25% £5,500

24 Nov 14 3834 Singapore to

Bangkok (Klong Toey)

Silver Shadow 10% £5,100

1 Dec 12 6833 Singapore Roundtrip Silver Muse 10% £5,400

8 Dec 14 3834A Bangkok (Klong Toey)

to Singapore

Silver Shadow 10% £4,600

13 Dec 8 6834 Singapore to

Bali (Benoa)

Silver Muse 10% £3,700

21 Dec 16 6835 Bali (Benoa) to

Sydney

Silver Muse 10% £7,300

There are also three other November cruises @ 10% ss. Two in the Caribbean and one S. America.

Great information, Trudi! Sure enough, when I checked the site from my home in North America, it is still showing 25%.

Consider yourself especially lucky -- and enjoy!!!

Interesting. I switched my VPN to a U.K. server and the website shows 25% single supplement for those cruises. Example, Bali to Sidney:

FEATURED EXCLUSIVE OFFERS / PROGRAMMES:

Asia - All Inclusive: Book by 30 September, 2018 and benefit from Reduced Air Fares + Included Hotel and Transfers + Free Shore Excursions* Last-Minute Savings: Book by 15 September, 2018 and enjoy $1,000 onboard credit per suite and one-category suite upgrade* Single Fares: Single occupancy supplements starting at only 25% Venetian Society sailing: members of the Venetian Society enjoy an additional 5% saving on the cruise fare

the complimentary wines are maybe better on Crystal

however the wine list - wines to purchase - is a lot more friendlier priced on SS as on Crystal

on SS very good choice of Champagnes and Italian special wines - Crystal does have a lot of big guns however the wine list is dominated by US wines and does lack some European "upper medium level " like a good Meursault or a decent white Bordeaux - just an example .

I received the attached 10% Silversea single supplement promotion from my TA. Hope it posts.

Special_SingleSupplement_Promotion.pdf