Radisson -v- Silversea and Seabourn????

[Rapunzal]

Hi

 

Would like to know what you all think about the comparison with Silversea & Seabourn?

 

My husband and I are both in our fourties and have only sailed once on the Grand Princess. We did find it somewhat lacking in the personal touch ;) and would like to try a cruise of more luxurious surroundings, service and cuisine. We also ended up with a very hefty bill at the end of the cruise :eek:

 

I know that both Silversea and Seabourn are inclusive of all wines, champagne etc., what is Radisson's policy?

 

My other concern is one of sea sickness - we never felt anything on the Grand Princess and we were unfortunate enough to be on the edges of Hurricane Michelle in November 2001, but still suffered no sea sickness. Are the ships I'm looking at too small???:confused:

 

I would like know what you seasoned Radisson cruisers think as we really can't decide which ship to choose. Really need your help.

 

Bye for now from England

Rapunzal

[cruiseyguy]

Rapunzal-You've been posting this question on several "luxury" boards but I thought you had decided on SilverSea. Having second thoughts?

[joannapvb]

We have cruised on Radisson 5 times (on 3 different ships) no problem with seasickness at all - we were on two segments of the world cruise and it got rocky a couple of times but no one was sick - you are served complimentary wine at dinner or any other drinks you may like (while you are having dinner) and get 2 bottles of liquor for your cabin - I will only cruise with a balcony and I am interested in trying SS - Seabourn doesn't have full balconies so I am not interested - obviously, we love Radisson - we also bought wine in ports and brought it onboard for our cabin - I don't think you will go wrong with any of the 3 lines - Joanna

[Rapunzal]

Hi Cruiseguy,

 

Yes - I've posted this on several cruise boards - why not?:mad:

I value other cruise travellers' opinions - if I don't know the answer I'll ask - today I received some very positive advice from a travel agent re: Radisson, so naturally I ask the opinion of Radisson cruisers too.

 

II'll decide on a cruise when - and if - I feel it is the right cruise for us that is what I thought all these different boards were about??? Different opinions from different cruisers and I'm not too proud to keep asking either:(

 

To all helpful reviewers thank you for your advice it is well received!

[cruiseyguy]

Rapunzal-Please do keep asking. I simply thought you might have heard something specific about RSSC that caused you to suddenly change your mind.

[canadagal]

I guess my choice would depend on itinerary too but having cruised on all three lines my first choice would be Seabourn (even without the balconies) then Silversea and then Radisson. However, I would be really reluctant to do a crossing on anything other then a larger Radisson ship.

[sandracruiser]

I can't comment on Silverseas , but we have been on several Radisson cruises, and we really have enjoyed all of them, we have also cruised on Seabourn's (Legend), and we are going back on the Legend in Sept.... The triplets are much smaller, and they only have the French balconies, we wouldn't pay the large difference in price for one. Our stateroom was very nice, and the large window is O.K. , although we do prefer the verandas. You do feel more movement on the smaller ships, we like deck 4 on the Legend.

I love that Seabourn is ALL inclusive, I think it depends on the iteniery, for one, I don't think you can go wrong on either Radisson or Seabourn. Good luck in whatever you choose.

[A J Theodore]

I generally agree with Canadagal and, like her, Seabourn would be my first choice, followed by Silversea. Among other things, I like the fact that the Seaborn and Silversea ships can get into smaller ports and had quite interesting itineraries, which distinguishes them from Radisson and Crystal.

If you prefer a larger ship because of motion sickness concerns, you should look into Crystal. The quality of the programs, activities, lecturers, etc., on Crystal - something more available on Crystal than Silversea or Seabourn - in my experience, exceed those of Radisson.

I also think that food quality, service, etc. on all three of them are more consistent and, again, exceed Radisson. Radisson is now undergoing shift in service crew (room stewardess, etc.) from Eastern European to a more oriental crew.; I have heard that the transition has been inconsistent (including some language problems and lack of training). You might want to wait for Radisson to get this all sorted out first.

[Leejnd4]

Radisson is now undergoing shift in service crew (room stewardess, etc.) from Eastern European to a more oriental crew.; I have heard that the transition has been inconsistent (including some language problems and lack of training). You might want to wait for Radisson to get this all sorted out first.

I assume when you say they are shifting to a "more oriental" crew, you are referring to the fact that many of the newest crew members are Filipino. I was just on the Voyager a month ago, and much of the crew was Filipino. However, I felt that the service was absolutely impeccable. I didn't encounter a single language problem. The service in the dining room was perfect, including all the details picayune people might notice, such as serving your plate from the proper side, etc.

 

I did hear that some of the early cruises with the newer crew members exhibited some training issues, but they certainly appeared to be resolved by the time I was on there.

 

LeeAnne

[maucat]

I can't comment on Silverseas , but we have been on several Radisson cruises, and we really have enjoyed all of them, we have also cruised on Seabourn's (Legend), and we are going back on the Legend in Sept.... The triplets are much smaller, and they only have the French balconies, we wouldn't pay the large difference in price for one. Our stateroom was very nice, and the large window is O.K. , although we do prefer the verandas. You do feel more movement on the smaller ships, we like deck 4 on the Legend.

I love that Seabourn is ALL inclusive, I think it depends on the iteniery, for one, I don't think you can go wrong on either Radisson or Seabourn. Good luck in whatever you choose.

 

I'm sorry, what are French balconies?

[dougburns]

The Seabourn French balconies were more of an afterthought than anything else. They're really more clearly defined as French doors, since there is bearly standing room outside. Wouldn't be my cup of tea. After RSSC I'd definitely take Silversea over Seabourn, but it would take an awful lot to get me to switch from RSSC. We've been on all of their ships; all but one multiple times. RSSC is hard to beat for quality and consistency. They also have the best staterooms for your dollar.

[simonv]

I also would rate Silversea and Seabourn as the top choice, and RSSC as the distant third. If motion is a concern, then I'd take Silver Shadow or Whisper. I was on the RSSC Voyager a couple of weeks ago, and the service was not impressive. The crew was lacking in training, or on the process of being trained. I had the same experience on the Mariner last fall - indifferent service. I got better from the Indonesian crew on Holland America. After trying them twice, I probably won't take RSSC again, because I can get as good a room on Silversea and Seabourn.

[traveller333]

I'd rank Radisson as tops with Silverseas a close 2nd (just because the average age of a Radisson passenger is younger than Silversea and it's a bit more formal than Radisson). I've never been on Seabourn for the reason stated by others, I want a balcony. I seriously looked at trying Crystal but decided against it for quite a few reasons: they're not all inclusive, the cabins are smaller, the price was quite a bit higher, the average passenger age was older than either Radisson or Silversea and the number one reason I DO NOT WANT A SET DINING TIME AND TABLE. I've been too spoiled with open seating and having the ability to eat when and with whom I choose.Furthermore, I didn't see VALUE for my money with Crystal. I did learn that Crystal has larger casinos than any of the Radisson ships if this is important.

 

I've never had any problem with service or food on a Radisson ship, they have always met or exceeded my high expectations. Radisson just seems to be the best fit for my needs. If cabin size is important, Radisson is probably your best bet.

[petlover]

Rapunzel,

We've cruised for many years on lots of various ships although I have not cruised on any of the other cruise lines you're considering. I hope to cruise on Silversea one of these days. We cruised on Radisson for the first time about 20 months ago and sure got hooked! If you find an itinerary you like, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend trying it.

 

After cruising with Radisson for the first time, we've since cruised with them 4 more times. Most recently we were on the full World Cruise on the Voyager for almost 4 months! It was spectacular in all regards! In fact we like this cruiseline so much that we're booked for 2 more cruises including a 62 day trip around South America in January.

 

We considered trying some of the other luxury ships but there were some drawbacks to the others. Seabourn doesn't have balconies which are a MUST for us. Crystal doesn't have open seating in the dining room so this was a no go. Oceania sounds like a good ship but again, not right for us because it doesn't allow smoking on the balcony (I smoke, my husband does not) and it didn't seem very "all inclusive" compared to what the others offered.

 

We've met some of the nicest people on our Radisson cruises. It's upscale but not at all snobbish. The staff is wonderful and really bend over backwards to always try to accommodate. The word NO is very rarely in their vocabulary. The standard cabins are also some of the largest in the cruise industry.

 

Good Luck with whatever you decide.