Silverseas vs. Sea Dreams

[iticlaudia]

My 10 year anniversary is this Sep. and my husband and I can't make up our minds between these two options. Anyone been on both that can give us their opinion and advice? Thanks!!

[Bon.Vivant]

My 10 year anniversary is this Sep. and my husband and I can't make up our minds between these two options. Anyone been on both that can give us their opinion and advice? Thanks!!

 

I've been on both. Six Silversea. Only 1 Sea Dream -- but, that was enough. Sea Dream had good food and service (but really no better than Silversea, in my opinion). But, Sea Dream is rather 'boring'. Hardly anything in the way of entertainment or activities. Basically, they feed you well and give you nice lodgings, but the rest is totally up to you. If you want a quiet, romantic ambiance where you can feel like you're on your own private yacht, then go Sea Dream. If you'd like a little more in the social, entertainment, activity, 'fun' aspects of cruising, the Silversea would be the better choice, IMHO.

[TLCOhio]

I've been on both. Six Silversea. Only 1 Sea Dream -- but, that was enough. Sea Dream had good food and service (but really no better than Silversea, in my opinion). But, Sea Dream is rather 'boring'. Hardly anything in the way of entertainment or activities. Basically, they feed you well and give you nice lodgings, but the rest is totally up to you. If you want a quiet, romantic ambiance where you can feel like you're on your own private yacht, then go Sea Dream. If you'd like a little more in the social, entertainment, activity, 'fun' aspects of cruising, the Silversea would be the better choice, IMHO.

 

This sounds like an excellent summary. Our friends on the Silver Cloud with us last month had previously done Regent and SeaDream. We've done Crystal and Seabourn previously. They are all excellent, but it's that question of whether you would like things to be "too small" without some of the social, entertainment and activities that Silversea can offer. Much depends on where you would be sailing and your personal interests/travel style, but we were extremely happy with our experience on the Silver Cloud. You can read more details, food items, many pictures, etc., with the posting noted below. Neither is going to be "bad", it is just that question of what "fit" you seek and how you balance the trade-offs on whether "too small" is too much.

 

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

[stan01]

We've been on three SD and one SS cruise, and would go on either again depending up itinerary. We aren't dress up types, but reluctantly do so to fit in on SS. With air travel the way it is, its nice to be able to go on a one week SD cruise with one carry-on bag per person (and still end up overpacking).

 

The food is about the same (very good to excellent), although SS has the specialty restaurants for dinner which offer some variety. I prefer breakfast and lunch on SD because both buffet and menu service is provided in the same outdoor restaurant.

 

I wouldn't say SeaDream is "boring", but you are left to provide your own entertainment as there are few structured activities. We did not attend the activities scheduled on SS. SeaDream has enjoyable features such as the evening cocktail party that most guests attend and a covered outdoor bar area that becomes the after dinner social scene (for both alcohol and water drinkers). We find there is much more opportunity to meet people and socialize on SD, if that is your thing. Meeting other people becomes the primary social activity on SD. Also, swimming off the marina on SD while the ship is anchored in a secluded harbor is unbeatable. The wave runners are also fun, but can't be used in most ports.

 

The cabins are much larger on SS and there are no balconies on SD. We find that we do fine on SD without the balcony because we are always out on the deck. We've found service on SD to be a little better -- daily sunglass cleaning on deck, fruit smoothies, refills before a glass is empty, ice cream sandwiches, and placing large umbrellas to create shade where ever you want to sit. The SD officers and senior staff are extremely accessible and engaged in passenger service.

 

There are some similarities. Both lines are investing in overhauls for their ships. Whisper looks and feels like a brand new ship after its overhaul, so I'm curious what SeaDream does. Both SS and SD are owned by European companies and have a large international clientele.

[iticlaudia]

Thank you for all the info and advice!!! We booked and paid for our Silversea cruise today on the Spirit Barcelona-Lisbon. We have decided that we will try out Sea Dreams on a Caribbean trip.

[wripro]

Always the best solution. Try them both and decide for yourself.

[SonomaWine]

I couldn't agree more with Stan01's reply. We have 1 two week stint on SeaDream and several Silversea cruises under our belt, and both are nice unique products. Just eoday we received itineraries and pricing for both Silversea and SeaDream cruises this coming December and the choice is tough! I love the casual nature of Silversea, and the water sports, but do miss having a balcony in the room. I do think the food quality is superior on SeaDream, but the service is fine tuned on Silversea. I could go on and on. Feel free to read my SeaDream review from last year: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1089662&highlight=sonomawine

[JoAnne B]

Have sailed both SS and Seadream, I agree with most of these comments. However, I was less impressed with SS and will probably not sail again in the near future. The smoking policy is a big issue for me, and I'm not willing to pay big bucks to have a huge table of smokers ruin my evening dining experience in the grill area again.

 

But SD is a unique experience that is not right for everybody. I liked the laid back time at sea and disembarked feeling very relaxed. She might be more ideal for most on a port-intensive itinerary. She is definitely what I would want for a Greek island cruise.