Silver Shadow: How bad is it?

Looking at the reviews of the Silver Shadow, one is left with the impression that this ship is a blight on the Silversea reputation. However, those who choose to leave a review are a select sample. Therefore, I post here, hoping that those who have not written reviews, but who have recent experience, will share their experiences ---good and bad-- on the Silver Shadow.

Thank you for your insights!

It is not bad at all. I've been on the Shadow November 2017 for 2 weeks and February/March 2018 for three weeks. The ship is in good condition. Pool was perfectly fine and working, all the machines in the gym were working, crew was amazing, food was excellent. Of course there might be a few spots here and there where you can see it is not a brand new ship but I would book it right away again.

And I spoke to several people on the cruise and they shared my opinion. So unless you are expecting a brand new ship in my opinion there shouldn't be a problem. The colours of the interior, some people are complaining about...well that is a matter of taste. Some like it some won't.

Miriam,

Many thanks for your kind reply. It is reassuring that the ship's condition is not as bad as some have reported. Since you have gone on two recent voyages, can you confirm that they did some "refurbishments," and if so, what was the nature of the refurb.

Thanks again!

I was on Silver Shadow in January. The ship is well maintained physically. I am not sure what refurbishments they did last year apart from painting and revarnishing etc.

I will say, I know everyone's taste is different but I was surprised of the very dark and heavy feeling in the decor. I am used to Seabourn little ships and expected something similar but this felt more old fashioned to me. They have changed the decor of the Whisper which is Shadow's sister ship to a lighter palate and apparently Shadow will have this done sometime soon. Her decor did affect me but to others it won't matter.

The MDR I found was very good food wise with a lot of variety and our servers were lovely. Hot Rocks, we tried it once, we don't get the appeal, while you are cooking your protein, your side dishes get cold from the wind, and we were on a warm weather cruise.

Not a fan of La Terrazza during the day as you have to queue in order to get a table. It wasn't to bad if you went outside of the busy times as no queue but you still have to wait to get assigned a table.

La Champagne now known as La Dame. I love French food and the food was good but apart from the smaller more intimate venue to us we didn't have any Wow factor. Therefore didn't think worth the $60/person up charge. Others we met loved it and went a few times.

Maybe because we had found a good quiet section in the MDR we preferred to dine there with our lovely waiters. The Sommelier Coralina was excellent so we preferred to buy premium wine. The up-charge for the premium wine was very reasonable so we indulged ourselves a few times.

The Champagne was good. We preferred the Pommery to the Monopole and the bar staff were fine to serve us that.

The Destination Services team on our cruise were excellent and I said so in my final cruise survey.

As we all know every one has different priorities. I wouldn't rebook Shadow again but other people on the cruise loved her and her, to me, old fashioned gentleman's club type decor.

Julie

Hi Julie,

Thanks for your considered review. We are Seabourn travelers and come with that experience in mind.

Other than the decor, it sounds as if you found the physical plant, food, and service acceptable? On par with Seabourn?

Again, many thanks!

Hi notjaded, I sail on Seabourn usually twice a year so we come with that background.

We found it very similar to Seabourn but definitely with a more conservative twist. Not something I mind as we like getting dressed up. I am always hesitant to give a strict viewpoint as what I like/dislike is not always as important to others.

For example, the butler, other Seabourn friends who recently sailed for the first time on Silversea loved having a a butler. For my husband and I we found it tiring because as lovely as he was he was always asking us for things to do. We are too independent minded and I like to have a direct answer for a direct question so I prefer to go straight to the source if I have queries. But if you like have coffee, tea, snacks etc brought to your room then your butler will organise for you.

The crew were lovely and we really enjoyed the interaction with the Filipino staff. I did find the European staff generally more reserved which was interesting as I don't find that on Seabourn. But people are different and this may not be the case on your sailing. Actually we loved our interaction with the Sommelier, she was very knowledgeable and lots of fun. We did buy a few bottles as the price was good. I found it harder to get inclusive wines I was happy with but as I said other friends didn't have a problem.

The fresh fruit was excellent and the cheese selection. I only had one disappointing meal in the MDR, my last chicken meal was too dry but I think that was a pretty good average.

When we find a Muse or expedition cruise, really want to do the Galapagos, that fits our schedule, we will sail Silversea again. I must admit we still favour Seabourn as it seems to fit us better at this stage.

Sorry for the long reply.:)

Julie

Hi Julie,

 

Thanks for your considered review. We are Seabourn travelers and come with that experience in mind.

 

Other than the decor, it sounds as if you found the physical plant, food, and service acceptable? On par with Seabourn?

 

Again, many thanks!

There are many arguments on each side but, in reality, the Seabourn and Silversea products are very similar. You do get some cheerleaders for each line on the respective sub-forums but it seems to be the little things that cause the discontent.

I reckon if an SSer or Seabourner tries the other line with an open mind then they would need to be particularly curmudgeonly to be disappointed. But we've met a few curmudgeons on both lines...

Both advertise to be ultra luxury. Neither are either.

I see huge differences between the two. For starters, good employees seldom go from Seabourn to Silversea.

I see huge differences between the two.

I'd be interested in your detailed views on this matter. Thanks.

...in reality, the Seabourn and Silversea products are very similar. You do get some cheerleaders for each line on the respective sub-forums but it seems to be the little things that cause the discontent.

 

I reckon if an SSer or Seabourner tries the other line with an open mind then they would need to be particularly curmudgeonly to be disappointed. But we've met a few curmudgeons on both lines...

Thanks. We will need to go with an open mind...

We found it very similar to Seabourn but definitely with a more conservative twist. Not something I mind as we like getting dressed up. ...

 

For example, the butler, other Seabourn friends who recently sailed for the first time on Silversea loved having a a butler. For my husband and I we found it tiring because as lovely as he was he was always asking us for things to do. We are too independent minded and I like to have a direct answer for a direct question so I prefer to go straight to the source if I have queries. But if you like have coffee, tea, snacks etc brought to your room then your butler will organise for you.

 

The crew were lovely and we really enjoyed the interaction with the Filipino staff. I did find the European staff generally more reserved which was interesting as I don't find that on Seabourn. ...

 

The fresh fruit was excellent and the cheese selection. I only had one disappointing meal in the MDR, my last chicken meal was too dry but I think that was a pretty good average.

...

Julie

Thanks again, Julie.

I think we are more do-it-ourselfers too, so the butler may be foaming at the mouth. :) As my spouse is Asian, the Filipino staff will take to her well.

As long as everything is working in our room and bathroom, we should enjoy the experience.

Since the Silver Whisper is due for its major renovations late this year, is the Shadow going to get the same treatment at some point?

Michael

Have to weigh in. I disembarked The Shadow on April 25th. I was on the ship for almost a month....a wonderful month of excellent excursions which were beautifully managed by Maria. The CD, Kirk, is terrific fun and unbelievably energetic. Martin, the HD, runs a happy ship..best crew ever. Both the food and the included wines were very good. I liked La Dame the specialty restaurant better than I have in years.

As for the decor; sure it’s a little heavy and maybe old fashioned...but the ship is Italian and it feels Italian. I much prefer the decor to the Muse’s neutral, to me gloomy, decor. I think the ship looks very good in terms of upkeep.

Now for the butler situation. I must admit that when SS first initiated the butler system, no one screamed louder than me in objecting to this change. Years later, I am fine with the changes as I have figured out how to handle things. From the first time I meet the butler, I make it clear (sweetly) what I would like and, also what I don’t want. I can only remember one sailing on which we had a butler who couldn’t get the message that we only wanted help when WE asked for help. Since then, I have found that being (sweetly) specific works perfectly. On the recent Shadow Cruise, we had a young man named a Mark Anthony and he was wonderful.

Bottom line: Aren’t we lucky to have all these wonderful choices? And opinions!

OP here. Thank you all for taking your time and sharing your observations. We have decided to book on this ship as we like the itinerary and you have allayed our concerns.

We embarked on Silver Shadow for the first time two days ago, having previously sailed only with Regent & Cunard.

We both think the ship is great, particularly the food. Don't see what the problem is with the wood - doesn't look very dark to us. Yes, some things should be updated in the refurbishment. The shower, TV & particularly the TV control in our suite have seen better days. Still 20 nights to go, but so far we are impressed. La Dame tonight. It will be interesting to see how good it is.

Thanks for your positive post about the Shadow. We're cruising on her in Alaska next month to celebrate retirement. It will be my first cruise ever and we're super excited! We've booked all our dinners and shore excursions (independently) and now are just counting down the days.

After reading previous negative reviews, I had some concerns. But I imagine many of these were from veteran cruisers and, as a first-timer, I won't be that particular. We've been very impressed with the service so far from Silversea and are looking ahead to the Med next year on the Shadow, so I hope she doesn't disappoint.

We embarked on Silver Shadow for the first time two days ago, having previously sailed only with Regent & Cunard.

 

We both think the ship is great, particularly the food. Don't see what the problem is with the wood - doesn't look very dark to us. Yes, some things should be updated in the refurbishment. The shower, TV & particularly the TV control in our suite have seen better days. Still 20 nights to go, but so far we are impressed. La Dame tonight. It will be interesting to see how good it is.

Glad your initial impressions are positive. Have a great trip and please do report back with your experience.

I’m on the Shadow now. Ship is great crew is great and everyone I’ve talked to is happy. The original post illustrates how skewed a view one can have from an anonymous bulletin board. Tip top ship and service. We have around 250 days on SS as well as several cruises on Seabourn Crystal and Regent so we do have a bit of a reference point.

We are boarding the Shadow in July and would like to know who the CD, Hotel Director, and Restaurant Manager will be - don't go to too much trouble to find out though - enjoy your cruise!

We just returned from two weeks on the Shadow (our third Silversea cruise) and we had no complaints about the ship. We sailed from Alaska to Japan and decided that we are not going to sail on anything other than Silversea in the future.

The attention to detail is fantastic. Our other two Silversea cruises were each on the Silver Cloud (also one of the smaller ships)

We are considering one next year on the Silver Muse and are wondering whether we would enjoy the cruise as much with almost twice as many passengers

What my husband and I especially enjoyed on this cruise( many sea days) were the fantastic lectures

We have not heard or seen such interesting and enlightening lectures on any other cruise line

Kudosto the enrichment staff for a job very welldone

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Have to weigh in. I disembarked The Shadow on April 25th. I was on the ship for almost a month....a wonderful month of excellent excursions which were beautifully managed by Maria. The CD, Kirk, is terrific fun and unbelievably energetic. Martin, the HD, runs a happy ship..best crew ever. Both the food and the included wines were very good. I liked La Dame the specialty restaurant better than I have in years.

 

As for the decor; sure it’s a little heavy and maybe old fashioned...but the ship is Italian and it feels Italian. I much prefer the decor to the Muse’s neutral, to me gloomy, decor. I think the ship looks very good in terms of upkeep.

 

Now for the butler situation. I must admit that when SS first initiated the butler system, no one screamed louder than me in objecting to this change. Years later, I am fine with the changes as I have figured out how to handle things. From the first time I meet the butler, I make it clear (sweetly) what I would like and, also what I don’t want. I can only remember one sailing on which we had a butler who couldn’t get the message that we only wanted help when WE asked for help. Since then, I have found that being (sweetly) specific works perfectly. On the recent Shadow Cruise, we had a young man named a Mark Anthony and he was wonderful.

 

Bottom line: Aren’t we lucky to have all these wonderful choices? And opinions!

We were on the preceding cruise to yours CP (disembarked in HK) and similarly had a great time. My only negative was our butler who was as much use as a chocolate fireguard and simply wasn't ever to be seen. It wasn't an issue, since we are more than capable of doing everything he's there to assist with. Of course there will be one or two who will claim the sky has just fallen on their heads and duly character assasinate the cruise line and go on to try to claim a refund and compensation for the stress it caused them and hang around like a bad stench to repeat ad nauseam.

Meanwhile in the real world. If you put your mind to the most perfect of things, you can always find fault. Sometimes the complaint is genuine real and deserved. Sometimes not. I think the only thing other than the hidden butler of note we've had issurs about were air con problems in the grand suite on the Cloud a few years ago. Luckily it was in the Baltic or would have been far worse than it was.

Shadow, Whisper, Cloud and Wind are all older ships. Some might say run down. I prefer to think of them as having character.

I'm personally unable to compare with Seabourn, but people I know generally state they are comparable with areas either they are better or worse with. I'd happy sail on either with no hesitation .

I’m the OP, and was on Molly”s Cruise. We had a great time, and the food was the best experienced at sea (except of a horrific rack of lamb at LaDame.)

Our initial impression of the ship left us shaking our head. We went to the pool grill for dinner and had the most disinterested staff to be found at sea. I’ll post more details later. Luckily, we eventually found that most of the waitstaff does a good job.

The ship was a bit aged, but still in good condition. It appears to be an early version of Seabourn” Odyssey-class. It handled rough seas quite nicely.

Loved our butler as a consistent in-room dining agent and single point of contact for room issues.

If Silversea could find, train and retain more top-notch waitstaff, we would have purchased a future cruise credit.

We just returned from two weeks on the Shadow (our third Silversea cruise) and we had no complaints about the ship.

Also, I can tell you the only time I noticed the extra passengers on the Muse was during the muster drill. Other than that time it felt like any other SS ship, nice and relaxing without any crush of people.

I’m the OP, and was on Molly”s Cruise. We had a great time, and the food was the best experienced at sea (except of a horrific rack of lamb at LaDame.)

 

Our initial impression of the ship left us shaking our head. We went to the pool grill for dinner and had the most disinterested staff to be found at sea. I’ll post more details later. Luckily, we eventually found that most of the waitstaff does a good job.

 

The ship was a bit aged, but still in good condition. It appears to be an early version of Seabourn” Odyssey-class. It handled rough seas quite nicely.

 

Loved our butler as a consistent in-room dining agent and single point of contact for room issues.

 

 

 

If Silversea could find, train and retain more top-notch waitstaff, we would have purchased a future cruise credit.

If you think the Shadow is an early version of Seabourns' Odyssey class then I guess the Mayflower was an early version of the Shadow,

If they look tired maybe Windstar will buy them. That’s what happened with the Seabourn triplet. ;)