Switching from Regent to Silversea?

[Mr Retired]

We have just returned from our Arctic Circle cruise on Voyager. While on board we tried to book on the Auckland to Sydney segment next February of the world cruise. We were told they had been fully booked for months and it probably wasn't worth while going on the wait list which was already very long.

 

We are therefore looking at switching to the new Silversea Spirit for that same segment just a few days later. There seems to be plenty of avaailability there. We have been enchanted by Terry of Ohio's wonderful travelogue from his Silver Cloud cruise to the Arctic where he visited many of the same places (and took much better photos!) as we did. His descriptions, as a first-time Silversea cruiser, suggests Silversea is a worthy competitor line.

 

We love the Voyager (and the Mariner) and have been well pleased with Regent overall... but we began to feel on our recent Voyager cruise that to try a different ship would be a nice experience. Crystal seems considerably more expensive and we don't care for the lack of dining flexibility. But Silversea (in a verandah suite) seems pretty comparable to a Regent penthouse in cost, amenities and service, allowing for the non-included shore excursions.

 

What are the main differences we would be likely see with Silversea in general and the Spirit in particular? Should we read anything into the fact that they have plenty of availability while the Voyager is full? We have noted Silversea's smoking policies and are slightly concerned if the previous occupants of our suite are smokers... Mrs Retired is allergic!

 

We'd appreciate your comments and advice.

[Ste. Michelle]

We have only sailed the Cloud (after 8 Regent cruises) and we are now Silversea converts and booked our next cruise while on board.

We feel that Silversea is Regent.....but better! The Cloud was built by the same shipyard as the Regent ships. (Smaller version.) Overall, the service is better. Smoking is truly a nonissue. (Smoking around the pool bar and in the lounges on the Regent ships is more noticeable than anything we experienced on the Cloud.)

 

Silversea is more formal than Regent,which is another positive for us. (We were very disappointed in Regent's "country club casual" conversion.)

 

I think you would truly love Silversea.

[Observer]

I think you will be very pleased with Silversea. The ship is smaller (and will be newer). The service is excellent. And the price is (I am finding) much more reasonable, partly because one is not forced to pay for shore excursions one may or may not want to use. On the other hand, the Regent frequent-sailor program provides a rich array of useful benefits not available on Silversea.

[harbormaster]

We are Gold Passengers with Regent, but we are about to embark on our third Silversea cruise this year. It will be our first time on the Spirit and I will report back after the cruise. Interested to see how Silversea handles the larger ship service, but, after the first reviews, it sounds as if they are doing well.

We loved Regent and sailed her on longish cruises (NZ to LA for example) as well as in Alaska. However, we do find that many of the staff we loved on those ships have gone elsewhere. In addition, because of the excursion-included situation, prices have indeed risen. We tend to do our own private tours or have been to many of the ports and don't need regular shore excursions.

We will probably sail Regent again, but do have to tell you that we absolutely love Silversea.

The service is terrific, the cabins very comfortable and the food suits our taste. We find the Main Dining room food to be wonderful and do enjoy La Terraza. Having sampled La Champagne, we find we do not need to do it again as it is just not to our preference.

When we arrived on the Silver Wind for our second cruise on her, we were welcomed by name by the people checking passengers in, before we told them who we were. Waiters, bar waiters, and several staff knew us and welcomed us by name. We were frankly astounded by the personalized service.

The Butler service is fine, but we do not find that an advantage - we also had it on Regent. We do not use the Butler service that much, but it is nice to have someone with whom to place requests when needed.

I think you will find that Silversea does a fine job. The passenger component is much like Regent's.

I also am very sensitive to smoking and have never found it a problem. Will let you know the situation with the Silver Spirit.

I also understand that Silversea is looking at its Venetian program in an effort to enhance the amenities to make it more competitive. The one thing that is wonderful in the Venetian program are the "Venetian Value" sailing which are relatively last minute, but provide outstanding value for select sailings.

Whatever you decide, we know you'll enjoy it.

[NJBelle]

We kind of alternate on Regent and Silversea - mostly depending on itinerary, timing of cruise and cost - since we see them as interchangable, in the broadest sense. You can do some searches to see the recent comparisons, but all in all, they are pretty similar. Main differences to us are that Regent is less formal (but I wouldn't say that SS is stuffy) and the service is a tad better on Silversea. Also, the passenger nationalities seem to be more diverse - less Americans - on SS than on Regent.

 

Regent has better smoking regulations (would prefer totally non-smoking if it were up to me) but so far we have not had any real trouble on SS (although, on our Spirit cruise in Dec/Jan, at one point, the Panorama Lounge was virtually uninhabitable due to some smokers on "their" side of the room - I think that SS management has since made the room non-smoking). I wish SS would tighten up; we will certainly be watching this as we go forward.

[dougburns]

We were Platinum with Regent and cruised all of their ships multiple times. We switched to Silversea when Apollo took over and we're glad we did. Even though the lines seem to be a mirror image of one another, they're not. The service and pax mix on Silversea are much more to our liking. We expecially like Silver Spirit and, yes, they did make the Panorama Lounge totally non-smoking. One can still smoke outside on that lovely aft verandah of Panorama Lounge, which is covered. I had our TA check re further changes to the smoking policy, because I smoke. None are planned. I don't think you'll be bothered by smoke on Spirit. The verandah staterooms on Spirit are much like the verandahs on Voyager. They're longer, but not quite as wide. If you like Voyager and Mariner you'll definitely like Silver Spirit.

[DebbieH103]

I sail both Regent and Silversea and enjoyed Spirit and am returning on her on November 6. Unlike Regent, not all of Silversea dining venues are included, but the included restaurants are quite good with similar quality to Regent. We have found service to be more attentive on Silversea.

 

We are non-smokers, and we found more smokers in the public areas on Regent than Silversea, and they do a good job with it on Silversea for the most part. The only thing we saw on Spirit was that they left the humidor open into the casino and hall. Maybe this has been stopped.

[Silver Spectre]

We kind of alternate on Regent and Silversea - mostly depending on itinerary, timing of cruise and cost - since we see them as interchangable, in the broadest sense. You can do some searches to see the recent comparisons, but all in all, they are pretty similar. Main differences to us are that Regent is less formal (but I wouldn't say that SS is stuffy) and the service is a tad better on Silversea. Also, the passenger nationalities seem to be more diverse - less Americans - on SS than on Regent.

 

Regent has better smoking regulations (would prefer totally non-smoking if it were up to me) but so far we have not had any real trouble on SS (although, on our Spirit cruise in Dec/Jan, at one point, the Panorama Lounge was virtually uninhabitable due to some smokers on "their" side of the room - I think that SS management has since made the room non-smoking). I wish SS would tighten up; we will certainly be watching this as we go forward.

 

Does 'tighten up' perhaps mean that all non-smokers be excluded from Silversea.

 

You can see from previous posts on this board that the 'smoking issue' has been done to death.

 

Thankfully, and unlike some management companies, Silversea has a relatively enlightened, and maybe more european, view to accepting the smoking addicts amongst us. This is still a live and let live society, and the choice is always to take ones custom elsewhere.

[TLCOhio]

We are therefore looking at switching to the new Silversea Spirit for that same segment just a few days later. There seems to be plenty of avaailability there. We have been enchanted by Terry of Ohio's wonderful travelogue from his Silver Cloud cruise to the Arctic where he visited many of the same places (and took much better photos!) as we did. His descriptions, as a first-time Silversea cruiser, suggests Silversea is a worthy competitor line.

What are the main differences we would be likely see with Silversea in general and the Spirit in particular? Should we read anything into the fact that they have plenty of availability while the Voyager is full? We have noted Silversea's smoking policies and are slightly concerned if the previous occupants of our suite are smokers... Mrs Retired is allergic!

We'd appreciate your comments and advice.

 

 

THANKS for your very kind comments about my postings! I like the phrasing "enchanted by Terry of Ohio's wonderful travelogue".

 

Clearly, we loved our Silver Cloud experience. BUT . . . each of these major luxury lines has its differences in style, philosophy, size and approach, but they are all much, much more similar than really that different. None is a “mega” ship in size/mass market and the service was highly personalized. Our friends/neighbors traveling with us have previously done (on company paid trips) Regent Voyager (when owned by Radisson) and SeaDream (when owned by Cunard), giving added perspective on the “Biggies” among this luxury ship categories. Many on these various boards will get extremely passionate about their favorites, and only THAT ONE! It is impossible, however, to say which one is the absolutely, always “best”, as that “label” depends so much on your personal needs, travel interests, budget, expectations, prices being offered at the time and style of experience you seek from the journey.

 

Things will also vary from cruise to cruise as staffing will be different, the luck of the “Weather Gods”, etc., will influence your ratings. The staff “chemistry” on our cruise was great (to the wonderful credit of the Captain, Hotel Director, Maitre D’, Executive Chef and Cruise Director who set a perfect tone). I saw and sense their positive impacta up close and personal at many times. They were very effective, approachable, skilled and knew how to motivate the staff. Whether on the Silver Cloud or another Silversea ship or another of these top lines, that leadership and staffing will vary from cruise to cruise. The length of a cruise can also affect “cruise chemistry”. We had fifteen days and as things “jelled”, it got better and better. On only a seven-day cruise with many less experienced passengers, you are going to have different situation. It could be good, better or lesser.

 

The port stops or itinerary were key for us in picking this specific cruise, combined with the cost factors at the time being offered. Like many of today’s consumers, our “loyalities” are more floating, selective and flexible. We are not “invested” in just one cruise line/style. We want it to be good, but fitting our budget and “what-we-haven’t-seen-or-done” needs are also very important factors to us.

 

You're a smart consumer. They are all good companies with excellent products. See what fits best for your needs, where you want to go, "values" being offered, etc. Last night at dinner with our friends who previously did Regent, they had nothing major negative from that cruise. Go with what best for your needs. It will work out fine.

 

Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For more details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle Silver Cloud experiences:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[ging466]

Great post Terry, u summed it up well.

 

Cheers

Jennifer

[Mr Retired]

Thanks to everyone for helpful input. We have decided to sail on the Spirit and will report back after our first Silversea cruise.

[TLCOhio]

Great post Terry, u summed it up well. Cheers

Jennifer

 

Mr Retired: Thanks to everyone for helpful input. We have decided to sail on the Spirit and will report back after our first Silversea cruise.

 

THANKS to Jennifer for the kind comments! I'm sure things will work well on Mr Retired's Spirit cruise. YES' date=' do post, including as you travel. Us travel junkies like to travel along, learn more, etc.

 

[i']My sense is that the "competitive juices" are flowing strongly with Silversea and their higher-end competitors[/i]. Just in the last fourteen months, Seabourn has gone from three ships holding 612 passengers to over 1500 passengers on five ships. These top-line cruise companies want to get high ratings, fill capacity and make their customers happy. That helps improve service and quality, as we experienced on the Silver Cloud earlier this month.

 

Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For more details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle Silver Cloud experiences:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[Tella]

Unfortunately, the "live and let live" does not apply when it comes to smoking. If the smokers could figure out a way to keep the smoke out of the air in adjacent areas it would be great. Of course, this is impossible. To take ones custom elsewhere implies, and I hope I'm wrong, you are suggesting we non-smokers confine ourselves to our cabins leaving the rest of the ship free for smokers. Let's face it: smoking areas anywhere will always infringe on the non-smoking area.

[TLCOhio]

Unfortunately, the "live and let live" does not apply when it comes to smoking. If the smokers could figure out a way to keep the smoke out of the air in adjacent areas it would be great. Of course, this is impossible. To take ones custom elsewhere implies, and I hope I'm wrong, you are suggesting we non-smokers confine ourselves to our cabins leaving the rest of the ship free for smokers. Let's face it: smoking areas anywhere will always infringe on the non-smoking area.

 

All I can share is what we experienced on our July 1-16 Silver Cloud cruise. We had no problem with smokers and/or the drifting odors, etc. Smoking bothers me significantly and we had NO such challenges on this cruise, nor heard any others expressing comments about such problems. As I noted on another post, I think and sense that Silversea will be tightening down their policies more as other cruise lines have done. This cannot guarantee what you will or will not experience on your cruise, it is just reflecting our actual results.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For more details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle Silver Cloud experiences:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[conchyjoe]

I sail both Regent and Silversea and enjoyed Spirit and am returning on her on November 6. Unlike Regent, not all of Silversea dining venues are included, but the included restaurants are quite good with similar quality to Regent. We have found service to be more attentive on Silversea.

 

We are non-smokers, and we found more smokers in the public areas on Regent than Silversea, and they do a good job with it on Silversea for the most part. The only thing we saw on Spirit was that they left the humidor open into the casino and hall. Maybe this has been stopped.

 

This subject has been worked to death and I do not wish to promote another smoker v. non-smoker thread.

 

There is however a logical reason why you would find more smokers in the public areas of Regent than on Silversea. This is because Regent does not permit smoking on the cabin veranda.

 

I think you will also find that the vast majority of smokers do not smoke in their cabins, if they have the opportunity to simply step outside onto the veranda.

[cechase]

I think you will also find that the vast majority of smokers do not smoke in their cabins, if they have the opportunity to simply step outside onto the veranda.

 

Joe you hit the nail on the head. In my last two cruises on Shadow, I had a smoke on the veranda, and never in the cabin. While I am not supposed to smoke, do enjoy having several a day. On Shadow, they do allow smoking on one side of the Bar, and am assuming that it is the same on Whisper. The two sides are really separated by distance and the dance floor. On neither cruise did I hear any complaints.

 

I have never thrown a lighted cigarette over the balcony, and it is this act which could potentially be a fire hazard. I have never seen this happen on Silversea, and I do enjoy a lot of time on the balcony watching the sea and other vessels and/or the stars. Smoking a cigarette on the veranda and using an ash tray is not in my opinion even remotely a fire hazard. But we live in a PC world, and people no longer are required to use the innate common sense which they were born with.

[DGF]

We expecially like Silver Spirit and, yes, they did make the Panorama Lounge totally non-smoking. One can still smoke outside on that lovely aft verandah of Panorama Lounge, which is covered. I had our TA check re further changes to the smoking policy, because I smoke. None are planned. quote]

 

 

Doug

 

Thanks for the new info on Silversea Spirit smoking policies. Good signs on recent threads. They appear to be listening to customers concern- i.e. adding insulation to overcome noise to cabins above the bar; and now removing smoking from the poor ventilation system in the Panorama Lounge.

 

Looking forward to our upcoming Silversea Spirit cruise

 

 

DEAN

[Travelcat2]

Thanks to everyone for helpful input. We have decided to sail on the Spirit and will report back after our first Silversea cruise.

 

Hi Mr.Retired. I am a bit confused by your signature. Are you going on the Mariner on January 11th (we will be on that cruise) or the Spirit?

 

We are not "changing" from Regent to Silversea. . . . . just want to try a cruise line that is both different and similiar to Regent. After doing indepth research on Silversea and Seabourn we finally decided to give SS a try. . . . but, only a 9 night cruise in the Caribbean. We chose the Spirit due to it's size.

 

I will do an overview rather than a review of the cruise when we return. Our goal is to enjoy Silversea rather than nitpick every difference between SS and Regent. We also have a smoking concern. . . . . hopefully it will not be as bad as we fear. There are many folks that currently sail exclusively on Regent that would try Silversea if it were not for the liberal smoking policy.

[Mr Retired]

Travelcat2: We will be on the Spirit in February 2011. We did the Mariner from Ft Lauderdale to Peru last January... a great cruise! We find it hard to say whether we prefer Voyager to Mariner. I think the Mariner has a slight edge. Mrs Retired prefers the Mariner suites but likes the Voyager public areas better. Enjoy your Panama canal transit!

[Tella]

I certainly can understand how you as a smoker want to have your several a day. It is nice that you are careful about not throwing a lighted cigarette over the balcony. One thing you may not realize, however, is that smoke travels. On our last cruise on a Holland America cruise, the folks on the next balcony smoked incessantly. I went into my cabin to escape it. Then I thought, why should I be inside when I, too, would like to be outside enjoying all that you describe. It turns out they were nice folks and understood what I was saying and refrained from smoking when they knew we, too, were on our balcony.

 

I am hoping the Spirit setup is different and smoke cannot permeate our balcony if our neighbors smoke.

 

I have had breast cancer. I was told I should avoid second hand smoke whenever possible. It is not the loss of my innate senses that makes me so afraid of smoke. I am trying to prevent the recurrence of this dreadful disease.

 

So please know that we non-smokers are not stupid or lack understanding. It may be that we are the way we are because we are trying to live, like you.

 

Thanks for this chance to clarify how I feel.

 

 

 

 

 

Joe you hit the nail on the head. In my last two cruises on Shadow, I had a smoke on the veranda, and never in the cabin. While I am not supposed to smoke, do enjoy having several a day. On Shadow, they do allow smoking on one side of the Bar, and am assuming that it is the same on Whisper. The two sides are really separated by distance and the dance floor. On neither cruise did I hear any complaints.

 

I have never thrown a lighted cigarette over the balcony, and it is this act which could potentially be a fire hazard. I have never seen this happen on Silversea, and I do enjoy a lot of time on the balcony watching the sea and other vessels and/or the stars. Smoking a cigarette on the veranda and using an ash tray is not in my opinion even remotely a fire hazard. But we live in a PC world, and people no longer are required to use the innate common sense which they were born with.

[TLCOhio]

I certainly can understand how you as a smoker want to have your several a day. It is nice that you are careful about not throwing a lighted cigarette over the balcony. One thing you may not realize, however, is that smoke travels. On our last cruise on a Holland America cruise, the folks on the next balcony smoked incessantly. I went into my cabin to escape it. Then I thought, why should I be inside when I, too, would like to be outside enjoying all that you describe. It turns out they were nice folks and understood what I was saying and refrained from smoking when they knew we, too, were on our balcony. I am hoping the Spirit setup is different and smoke cannot permeate our balcony if our neighbors smoke. I have had breast cancer. I was told I should avoid second hand smoke whenever possible. It is not the loss of my innate senses that makes me so afraid of smoke. I am trying to prevent the recurrence of this dreadful disease. So please know that we non-smokers are not stupid or lack understanding. It may be that we are the way we are because we are trying to live, like you. Thanks for this chance to clarify how I feel.

 

On our Silver Cloud cruise in early July, we spent lots of time on both the balcony and the aft/back area. There were no problems for us with smoke problems there or elsewhere on the ship. Good luck on your efforts.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 22,000 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[winegirl]

I almost ruled out Silverseas for a Scandinavian cruise since I read on the boards here that they have a "more liberal" smoking policy.

My question: have any nonsmokers found their cabin smelled of smoke when they boarded? Or does Silverseas have "smoking" and "nonsmoking" cabins? We can always smell it if a room has been used by a smoker and this would be a disqualifier for us. It's strange to hear about this issue, since it's never been an issue on our prior cruises on any line.

[TLCOhio]

I almost ruled out Silverseas for a Scandinavian cruise since I read on the boards here that they have a "more liberal" smoking policy. My question: have any nonsmokers found their cabin smelled of smoke when they boarded? Or does Silverseas have "smoking" and "nonsmoking" cabins? We can always smell it if a room has been used by a smoker and this would be a disqualifier for us. It's strange to hear about this issue, since it's never been an issue on our prior cruises on any line.

 

I had those strong concern before our July cruise. When I asked in advance about this issue, I was told that if there was a problem from a smoker in that room that they can run an ionizing machine to "clean" it and/or they will change out some of the soft goods, if and as needed. When we got on the ship, there was not any such problems in our Vista room. We had a mechanical noise problem and got moved to a balcony on the fifth level. No problem there in that room. My experience from just three cruises is that more and more people are smarter in not smoking and/or being reasonable about where it's done. It can happen, but I was pleased in not having any such problems during our July cruise. If things are not right, ask for a solution. If need be, ask to speak with the Hotel Director.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 22,800 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[jgrahamiii]

I almost ruled out Silverseas for a Scandinavian cruise since I read on the boards here that they have a "more liberal" smoking policy.

My question: have any nonsmokers found their cabin smelled of smoke when they boarded? Or does Silverseas have "smoking" and "nonsmoking" cabins? We can always smell it if a room has been used by a smoker and this would be a disqualifier for us. It's strange to hear about this issue, since it's never been an issue on our prior cruises on any line.

I agree. I hate the smell of smoke and can often tell that there has been a smoker in a room before us. I can tell you that there was NO lingering odor in our Vista on the Cloud (and of course the "balcony" had no such issue!). We also had no issues on deck anywhere, and I spent a lot of time out back of the Panorama Lounge.

 

We had no issues in the Panorama Lounge (though I believe smoking is permitted there), but we did have some issues in the Bar (though it was the quartet more than the smoking that pushed us away from there!). -John

[funoton]

Granted, smokers also have rights, there is nothing worse than a smoked in suite, whether on a cruise ship or in a hotel, Silversea allows it and Regent doesn't. It is almost impossible to recover in the quick turnaround on embark day. Short of cleaning the curtains and carpets the smell permeates.