Cruisers1975 are back! - This time on Silver Shadow

[clkc86]

Nigella,

 

You will have a wonderful trip. We also spent more than we normally would for a weeks vacation for our first trip on Silversea. Was everything a fairy tale, no. Was it a wonderful, pampering, luxurious trip, yes. Don't go looking for problems. Go expecting to be treated well. The op is on the trip to really scrutinize Silversea. The op trip started off on a sour note, but improved. To my mind you would have to have unrealistic expectations to not have a wonderful trip. We did not fit in with the other passengers overly well, so what. We got out of our trip what we wanted out of it; relaxation and really good service.

 

The Silversea board on CC does seem to have more than its fair share of naysayers. After experiencing Silversea for myself I know better.

[scapel]

margben, this has put me off more than somewhat and we are already booked and fully paid up and sailing in 18 days!

I already had some doubts about our holiday after reading comments on this board, and especially after the problems we have had regarding the air portion of our trip, but this thread has just added to my anxiety and my current state of mind in "anticipating" a holiday that will be costing us more than £10,000 is one of anxiety and regret...I think we may have made a mistake in booking Silversea.

We are just ordinary people who wanted a very special holiday and spent more than double on this one than we normall would for a 7 day holiday. I am trying to approach this trip with an open mind but if what I have read here is the same case on our cruise, I just can't see it being enjoyable. The emphasis on labels and designer gear that the OP had discussed is very worrying....I am thinking already that we will not fit in on this cruise and kind of wish we had celebrated this special holiday elsewhere.

 

Hi,

Every cruise has some problems. How the line handles the problems is what you look for. Don't let anxiety get the best of you. Silversea is a top notch line and you will be impressed with the best of service. I have been on 41 cruises and have seen things that I thought were going to cause a mutiney. Once the captain wanted to abort the Cape Horn sailing when the weather turned out to be the best in 20 years. Maybe we talked him into going.

I have jumped ship on one cruise.

We hit another ship on another cruise in the Saigon River.

We had 12 passengers die on a tour in Arica while on a Panama Canal cruise.

 

We have missed ports that we really wanted to see.

I had to attend a gentleman that passed out on a bridge tour and thought he would die.

I did a video of a medical evacuation off the coast of Spain and sorry to say the patient did not survive, but he went on this cruise knowning this might happen. What a wonderful way to approach life. Live with all the vigor you can untill you die. This man did.

Go with the attitude that nothing will deter you from having a good time and you will. Look at any problems as an adventure.

Remember the most entertaining thing on a cruise are the different people you meet.

Our last Silversea cruise we met one of the most entertaining people I have ever met. He was an aussie and had good jokes. I guess I enjoyed the accent also.

We have sailed with Ernie Borgnine an old American movie star with a wonderful sense of humor.

Cruise directors on cruises are some of the best people in the world to be around. (Most of the time). Get to know them.

Have a wonderful time. Bon Voyage.

[ging466]

I wish I could say all the right things to put your mind at ease. Silversea is a lovely cruise line with marvelous service and a very interesting group of passengers. Nothing is perfect, but I believe you will find most of it to be well beyond your expectations. We are not fancy folk - more the blue jean/plaid type. Any designer label I own is more likely GAP than Armani! We do enjoy formal nights (or at least I do), but we also enjoy the casual and informal evenings as well. We have always found passengers whom we liked a lot and have made every effort to travel with them again. I believe the OP has not fully understood the dress code in the evening and has felt relegated to his suite unnecessarily. On formal nights, only the dining room is formal. There are those who opt to wear dark suits rather than tuxes, and that is fine.

 

Please keep in mind, on Silversea, if you want something, just ask for it, and you will get it! That includes the dining rooms, in your cabin and just about anywhere on the ship. The service and the willingness to please the passengers are amazing. The cabins are lovely. Okay, if they don't pour wine or champagne exactly the way you want it, just ask them to do it differently. If you make an effort to learn the names of the staff, they will be thrilled. Exhale! Enjoy the preparations for what should prove to be the trip of a lifetime. Please let us know how you liked it when you get home.

 

I agree with everything that Victoria has written here. I don't wear designer clothes and I save up every bit of money that I have to go on my SS cruises. I've done 4 so far and another one is booked for 2012. Each cruise has been spectacular in its own way.

 

Nigella, go with an open mind. Forget about what has been written here by the OP. Enjoy yourself, don't look for problems. SS is a great cruiseline.

 

Cheers

Jennifer

[Saga Ruby]

Nigella, go with an open mind. Forget about what has been written here by the OP. Enjoy yourself, don't look for problems. SS is a great cruise line. Cheers Jennifer

 

While the original kerfuffle of embarkation was certainly negative, the posts made by the OP while onboard were offputting to me. It was quite interesting to watch the OP back away from his determined negativity and start to enjoy his cruise as the days rolled by. He admitted at debarkation that the service and other elements onboard were outstanding.

 

Congratulations to Silversea for making lemonade out of lemons. Silversea's ability to quick-change an entire passenger itinerary into a marvelous trip to Beijing is commendable. Behind the scenes, much intense work must have been performed at top speed by Silversea staff to make that side trip happen in a manner so as to placate even the most critical of passengers.

 

The OP's disappointment that the ship wasn't rock' n' rollin' into the wee hours, or that alcohol wasn't served properly or in sufficient quantity, reflected a personal opinion. "Luxury travel professionals" surely knew ahead of time that this particular itinerary in Asia would not attract a party-hearty crowd, especially with the itinerary whiplash of Japan closing down to tourists.

 

The eloquent attached photo shows the heartbreak and hope in Japan today.

 

Ruby

[LaCroisiereS'amuse]

The prosecco appears when unbidden. That is, if there is tray of something bubbly being passed around, it's probably prosecco. If you request Champagne, you'll get it. However, I don't think Sea Dream or Seabourn even stock prosecco! We never had any, at least.

 

The only time i have ever seen Prosecco on board Silversea was at the old style Terrazza dinners, when Terrazza was single sitting in the evening & you gathered for aperitifs on the aft terrace, with slices of prosciutto freshly carved and cubes from the whole parmesan being served by the chef......champagne was of course freely available if preferred.

 

Whilst I love Sea Dream too.....I really don't like their cheap & cheerful Charles Laffite, it's only one step above the Pol Acker served on Cunard. :eek:

[CruisePhan]

Cruisers1975,

Bravo! Thank you for your posts and reviews. As a frequent passenger aboard Seabourn, SeaDream, Silversea, Regent and Celebrity, I think your comments and observations are absolutely accurate. You certainly reflected our experience on Silversea (which is why we are former Silversea passengers) and we received some of the same type of feedback on this board when my wife posted an honest review.

 

I appreciate your writing, humor and candid reviews.

 

 

Smooth sailing and keep writing

 

CruisePhan

[Older Party]

The only time i have ever seen Prosecco on board Silversea was at the old style Terrazza dinners' date=' when Terrazza was single sitting in the evening & you gathered for aperitifs on the aft terrace, with slices of prosciutto freshly carved and cubes from the whole parmesan being served by the chef......champagne was of course freely available if preferred.

 

Whilst I love Sea Dream too.....I really don't like their cheap & cheerful Charles Laffite, it's only one step above the Pol Acker served on Cunard. :eek:[/quote']

 

My February Cloud sailing was all about Prosecco ... morning, noon and night. Every time I sat down, there was Prosecco being offered to me. It was one of the highlights of my cruise! ;)

[Nigella]

Just an update on some of my pre-cruise comments on this thread.

 

Our fellow passengers were a mixed bunch. The demographic on this cruise, 7 day Med on Spirit, was probably not quite the usual SS group of pax, but all the same, everyone was very nice and there was no snobbery or anything at all like that. We are a couple in our 40's . Many of our fellow passengers were around our age +/- 10 years. I spotted some very nice watches, shoes and handbags, but didn't feel that I was any less of a person just because I don't have Louis Vuitton suitcases or designer clothes.

 

The prosecco/champagne debate is a different matter!

 

Embarkation at the terminal was a breeze, no queues. Once we stepped on board Spirit I was so excited I could hardly breathe :o and this was not helped by a feeling of overwhelm...a line up of employees at reception, the CD thrusting a promotion from the Spa into my hand, crowds of people and a lot of noise from a large group who had also just embarked, and I felt disorientated until I actually reached my suite.

 

Anyway, back to the point, we were handed a third full glass of something masquerading as Champagne, and described by the staff member as Champagne, but was clearly prosecco.

I had anticipated this, but my partner was wrong footed by it and it didn't set him off in the best impression. He worked for several years at Louis Roederer and while he has no issue with sparkling wines per se it is a pet peeve of his to have them described as Champagne.

 

Into the suite, complimentary bottle of Dom Perignon 2002 from Amex, and also the Drappier which suited my tastes perfectly thanks to it being heavily Pinot Noir grapes. I definitely prefer it to Pommery,

 

We found that if we asked for Champagne in The Bar, that's what we were given. However in the Panorama Lounge they brought prosecco on at least two occasions. The pours however were fine, usually a little more than two thirds full. No problem with that.

 

 

Anyway, I just wanted to update as I'd expressed my concerns earlier in the thread.