A superb transatlantic crossing on Silver Cloud

[philipb]

Fans of the crossings may like to see my review of the recent Silver Cloud transatlantic crossing

 

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=245689

 

Someone else has posted a rather harsh review. I think they must have been on a different ship!!!

[Keith1010]

I enjoyed reading your review and, most importantly, glad you greatly enjoyed the cruise.

 

Keith

[RosseauGirl]

Great review and so glad you enjoyed the Cloud! Mark was also our butler on our August UK trip, and what a wonderful young man he was - such attention to detail, and so helpful. We had an amazing trip on the Cloud, and, like you, were rather surprised by some of the negative comments. To each his own, I guess.

 

Best of the season :)

 

Michele

[WesW]

Thanks Philip for an outstanding Cloud cross review chock full of wonderful SS and or Cloud tips (e.g., booking adjacent verandas, having Pommery vs Heidsieck Monopole blue top, butler use). Did y'all enjoy pre dinner cocktails in the Panorama Lounge with the outstanding bar team?

 

We very strongly agree with your gym comments, altho we love the Cloud gym's forward location, gym size is small & cramped, and in the Cloud gym you absolutely can tell you're in 20 year old facility (mildew smell prevails). Do wish as SS originally planned during last November's refurb they converted the gym space into an Observation Lounge and built a new gym where the open space forward of the ship (via covered awning) is today. However, we enjoyed the cloud so much in July we are booked again in 2015 for Norway/Russia/Denmark.

[RachelG]

Thank you for your review. I have never sailed on the Cloud, and frankly, the only thing holding us back is the reports about the gym. My husband is right at 6 ft and uses the gym daily, so this could be a problem.

 

A question: were they able to remove the divider between the verandas for you and your friend? We were able to have this done on the Radisson Diamond several years ago when travelling with our sons, and it was very nice to have the extra large area and also be able to go next door without having to go out in the hall.

[Ravenscroft]

Thanks Philip. I actually read your review this morning.

We're currently looking at our plans for Christmas 2014 and had been considering returning to Silversea. I've been reading quite a lot of negativity on the boards lately so it's good to read of a positive experience.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the review, glad to hear you had a good time.

[dusababy]

Love the Cloud and love crossings. So glad you had a superb experience!

[drron29]

We just have to remember each one of us is unique.I certainly though still get amazed by the negative comments on cruises,hotels etc I have experienced.My best example is the restaurant Per Se in New York.I checked on Trip Advisor before we went.5 terrible reviews.but 3 of those were because they could not get a reservation and one because they would not change the reservation until the next night!

 

Your comments about the wine are spot on.We have always been able to find wines we enjoy from the standard list and then ask for those when dining.

[oregon50]

Someone else has posted a rather harsh review. I think they must have been on a different ship!!!

 

I enjoyed reading your review. The one you considered to be harsh, I found quite factual. Not as well written as yours, but I read both as being equally realistic experiences.

 

Interesting to read reviews once every couple years. Recently read the terrible tripadvisor reviews of a few highly regarded restaurants/hotels.

90% were from people that never experienced the dinner/stay. Very funny.

[ging466]

Fans of the crossings may like to see my review of the recent Silver Cloud transatlantic crossing Someone else has posted a rather harsh review. I think they must have been on a different ship!!!

 

Great review Philip.

 

Look forward to seeing u in a couple of weeks.:D

 

Cheers

Jennifer

[philipb]

 

A question: were they able to remove the divider between the verandas for you and your friend? We were able to have this done on the Radisson Diamond several years ago when travelling with our sons, and it was very nice to have the extra large area and also be able to go next door without having to go out in the hall.

 

Hi Rachel - no you can't. We had wondered that before we went, but the divisions are pretty solid (which is of course a good point if you don't know or don't want to know your neighbours!).

[philipb]

Great review Philip.

 

Look forward to seeing u in a couple of weeks.:D

 

Cheers

Jennifer

 

Hi Jennifer. We are having a lovely (non-) Christmas break in Madeira!

 

As you say, see you soon.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Fans of the crossings may like to see my review of the recent Silver Cloud transatlantic crossing

 

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=245689

 

Someone else has posted a rather harsh review. I think they must have been on a different ship!!!

 

Not at all. It is possible for someone else to be disappointed on the same cruise and their opinion to be as valid as yours. It just proves that SS has been more successful at satisfying people with easier standards - that's all. :)

 

Why the compelling need to rubbish anyone who posts a differing and lower opinion has become an illness.

 

:rolleyes:

[Village.ins]

Thanks Philip for an outstanding Cloud cross review chock full of wonderful SS and or Cloud tips (e.g., booking adjacent verandas, having Pommery vs Heidsieck Monopole blue top, butler use). Did y'all enjoy pre dinner cocktails in the Panorama Lounge with the outstanding bar team?

 

We very strongly agree with your gym comments, altho we love the Cloud gym's forward location, gym size is small & cramped, and in the Cloud gym you absolutely can tell you're in 20 year old facility (mildew smell prevails). Do wish as SS originally planned during last November's refurb they converted the gym space into an Observation Lounge and built a new gym where the open space forward of the ship (via covered awning) is today. However, we enjoyed the cloud so much in July we are booked again in 2015 for Norway/Russia/Denmark.

 

Col Wes, Your comments brought back memories. First SS sailing on the Cloud in 1998. Gym was on deck 5 or 7 and about 1/2 the size of a suite. I remember doing set-ups and someone walked into gym and almost fell over me. Ha. The present gym was an observation lounge which no one went. When I was on, it was converted to a storage room with lots of soda. Now just completing 500 days. Like SS, but brand is not as strong today. Take care. Van

[brimary]

It was good to meet you on the Barcelona/Barbados crossing and agree with your excellent review.The high standards were maintained on the following cruises to Rio.The Gym is small but Nacho who was in charge was the worst SS emplyee we have encountered in 15 years.Thankfully he was an exception the rest of the crew were great !

[rl787]

Not at all. It is possible for someone else to be disappointed on the same cruise and their opinion to be as valid as yours. It just proves that SS has been more successful at satisfying people with easier standards - that's all. :)

 

Why the compelling need to rubbish anyone who posts a differing and lower opinion has become an illness.

 

:rolleyes:

 

Yes Jeff I agree with you in principle but I do sometimes think some reviewers are not realistic in their expectations. I do believe that a few reviewers are expecting the service more akin to a private yacht.

[philipb]

It was good to meet you on the Barcelona/Barbados crossing and agree with your excellent review.The high standards were maintained on the following cruises to Rio.The Gym is small but Nacho who was in charge was the worst SS emplyee we have encountered in 15 years.Thankfully he was an exception the rest of the crew were great !

 

Brian & Mary - I'm glad you enjoyed the rest of your nice long voyage (apart from Nacho!). Thanks for posting.

[calgcruiser]

Thanks for the great review Philip. It was great to have met you. This was our first time on SS and were not disappointed. The friendliness of our fellow passengers that was mentioned in a couple of posts was amazing. On that score alone I think it will be a tough voyage to beat! Your observations re the wine choices were spot on. We quickly learned that the proffered choice was merely a suggestion and a simple question would result in much wider choice. Criticisms of the spaces on the Cloud are, I believe, a bit unfair as they are often in comparison to much larger vessels. Our deck 5 mid ship veranda stateroom was very comfortable, clean and quiet, even when docking!

We are looking forward to our next SS cruise.

[SmartTraveller]

Really enjoyed the crossing from Barcelona to Barbados last year. Such a lovely bunch of people onboard - so friendly. We were so lucky with the weather - it was superb!

 

I couldnt fault the service although I thought the food could have been better. In my view it lacked variety and tended towards the bland. My original suite had a very annoying hydraulic pump noise in the ceiling and I was moved to another which was fine.

 

However a friend I made on that crossing and I are looking at doing the TA from Fort Lauderdale to Lisbon on Silver Spirit in April next year.

 

Perhaps some of you may be onboard!

Julie

Edited February 7, 2014 by SmartTraveller

[duct tape]

Philips, just wanted you to know that I just read the 3 reviews and agree the other posters must have been on another ship. Maybe they don't know the Cloud is over 20 years old and a little gem. Their experience was theirs but I always want folks to enjoy the Cloud. She won't be around forever! See you again eventually.