Long term future of the Cloud

[Silver Spectre]

If only us US tourists could get such a conversion rate when we visit England this summer! The credit card companies are charging nearly $1.70 = 1£ now.

 

Could you work with a US Travel Agent Silver Spectre to book a voyage and put that extra 13% in your pocket instead of Silversea's?

 

I could, but until SS move to full e-tkts it is more convenient to use a UK based TA. There is also the issue of (probably) being better covered by UK law if there is a problem. In the past SS have been happier if I stick with a UK TA and have made an adjustment for the bad conversion rate.

[seabreezer]

I was strongly considering taking advantage of the SS incentives this Fall on The Cloud but then I saw this thread. Think I will skip it and look at another line for now. I may also have to re-think my 2015 SS cruise. There are too many negatives and questions about the financial stability of SS and many alternative travel opportunities to choose from that are less risky. My one SS cruise was nice but nothing all that special. The clientele were really the most interesting and enjoyable aspect.

[oregon50]

The clientele were really the most interesting and enjoyable aspect.

 

As we have basically dumped SS in favor of playing the field, I keep repeating what you have written. The folks we enjoy most on the other lines, are refugees from SS. And that includes crew.

 

A shame that the greatest asset for SS today has nothing to do with the product offered.

[billcrooz]

I was strongly considering taking advantage of the SS incentives this Fall on The Cloud but then I saw this thread. Think I will skip it and look at another line for now. I may also have to re-think my 2015 SS cruise. There are too many negatives and questions about the financial stability of SS and many alternative travel opportunities to choose from that are less risky. My one SS cruise was nice but nothing all that special. The clientele were really the most interesting and enjoyable aspect.

 

I can not believe that you would not book a trip on Silversea based on some of the opinions posed here by some of the same naysayers that continuously bad mouth this company.Sure it might not be as great as the first time one steps on, but as one who's cruised on all the other so called luxury lines,it's still a great time.just look at the posts on Regent,Crystal ,and Seabourn to,see all the caterwauling and bitching going on. Book it !

[Observer]

I can not believe that you would not book a trip on Silversea based on some of the opinions posed here by some of the same naysayers that continuously bad mouth this company.Sure it might not be as great as the first time one steps on, but as one who's cruised on all the other so called luxury lines,it's still a great time.just look at the posts on Regent,Crystal ,and Seabourn to,see all the caterwauling and bitching going on. Book it !

 

Strongly agreed. I too have traveled on each of the four major luxury lines, and none of them is perfect. Have others not discovered (as I did long ago) that nothing in life is perfect, including Silversea. But Silversea comes about as close to perfection as one can expect nowadays.

 

Previous posters who are dissatisfied with Silversea and believe that it has gone hopelessly downmarket, and who imply that cost is not a major consideration for them, might want to consider purchasing their own yachts.

[billcrooz]

Strongly agreed. I too have traveled on each of the four major luxury lines, and none of them is perfect. Have others not discovered (as I did long ago) that nothing in life is perfect, including Silversea. But Silversea comes about as close to perfection as one can expect nowadays.

 

Previous posters who are dissatisfied with Silversea and believe that it has gone hopelessly downmarket, and who imply that cost is not a major consideration for them, might want to consider purchasing their own yachts.

 

Totally spot on, and we know who they are!

[dusababy]

Totally spot on, and we know who they are!

 

Oh Bill-O -- you still delight me !......:p

[billcrooz]

Oh Bill-O -- you still delight me !......:p

 

Miss you and The Kareoke queen Mary Ann ! Hope you are doing well

[UKCruiseJeff]

Strongly agreed. I too have traveled on each of the four major luxury lines, and none of them is perfect. Have others not discovered (as I did long ago) that nothing in life is perfect, including Silversea. But Silversea comes about as close to perfection as one can expect nowadays.

 

Previous posters who are dissatisfied with Silversea and believe that it has gone hopelessly downmarket, and who imply that cost is not a major consideration for them, might want to consider purchasing their own yachts.

 

I've been looking back through some of your previous posts, and your opinions and postings to me seem on the whole well balanced and reasonable compared to some, so I pick no argument. I see you also like Crystal which I have no experience of and so therefore cannot make any comparisons.

 

I don't think anyone is ever suggesting anything should be perfect, but I think it a touch daft to not accept that there is a market for a cruise line between the current deteriorating product and buying one's own yacht.

 

:)

[billcrooz]

I've been looking back through some of your previous posts, and your opinions and postings to me seem on the whole well balanced and reasonable compared to some, so I pick no argument. I see you also like Crystal which I have no experience of and so therefore cannot make any comparisons.

 

I don't think anyone is ever suggesting anything should be perfect, but I think it a touch daft to not accept that there is a market for a cruise line between the current deteriorating product and buying one's own yacht.

 

:)

 

Sure,try the 3 day Carnival cruise!..:)

[Silver Spectre]

I was strongly considering taking advantage of the SS incentives this Fall on The Cloud but then I saw this thread. Think I will skip it and look at another line for now. I may also have to re-think my 2015 SS cruise. There are too many negatives and questions about the financial stability of SS and many alternative travel opportunities to choose from that are less risky. My one SS cruise was nice but nothing all that special. The clientele were really the most interesting and enjoyable aspect.

 

Nothing that has been said on this thread should stop you from booking and enjoying an SS cruise. My decision not to sail again on the Cloud is based on the poor Gym and the positioning of the remaining bathrooms with baths. This does not stop me from sailing with SS and I have 4 more cruises booked over the next 12 months.

[derbylane]

I can not believe that you would not book a trip on Silversea based on some of the opinions posed here by some of the same naysayers that continuously bad mouth this company.Sure it might not be as great as the first time one steps on, but as one who's cruised on all the other so called luxury lines,it's still a great time.just look a. t the posts on Regent,Crystal ,and Seabourn to,see all the caterwauling and bitching going on. Book it !

Agree very much with you and Observer. I just sailed on Spirit and had a great time. I plan on Cloud in Oct. I started on SS in 1997. In my opinion the staff of today is much better than of 17 years ago. Yes the ships are older but that has happened to me. By the way I am a distant neighbor in Tyngsboro.

[billcrooz]

Agree very much with you and Observer. I just sailed on Spirit and had a great time. I plan on Cloud in Oct. I started on SS in 1997. In my opinion the staff of today is much better than of 17 years ago. Yes the ships are older but that has happened to me. By the way I am a distant neighbor in Tyngsboro.

 

Now in Lynnfield...civilization! Was on the Cloud in 96. Then they put us up in the Ritz in Coconut grove overnight before the next day flight to Barbados.All part of the fare. As mentioned by others, we have met so many lovely people ,Brits,Aussies,and fellow Americans as well....

[wripro]

Even though I said I miss the old SS and she ain't what she used to be a SS cruise is still a great experience. Hell, I ain't what I used to be either!

[ScottToronto]

Even though I said I miss the old SS and she ain't what she used to be a SS cruise is still a great experience. Hell, I ain't what I used to be either!

 

Hi Henry,

I remember our first cruise with Silversea many years ago. West Palm Beach to Barbados. Included air, hotel for 1 night at the Ritz Carlton Palm Beach, private limo to the hotel and then to the ship......but the prices were much higher than now........20 years later.

 

Well said Henry!

 

Best to you always,

 

ScottToronto

[seabreezer]

I don't think anyone is ever suggesting anything should be perfect, but I think it a touch daft to not accept that there is a market for a cruise line between the current deteriorating product and buying one's own yacht.

 

:)

 

The World would certainly fit the bill and I believe there are more ships similar to it in the works? I can access The World through my Exclusive Resorts membership but cannot always snag a suitable itinerary. It is a member favorite.

 

As to comments that an older ship isn't what it used to be, that is fair but if The Cloud is not being properly maintained then could that an indicator of a deeper financial or management problem at SS?

[UKCruiseJeff]

The World would certainly fit the bill and I believe there are more ships similar to it in the works? I can access The World through my Exclusive Resorts membership but cannot always snag a suitable itinerary. It is a member favorite.

 

As to comments that an older ship isn't what it used to be, that is fair but if The Cloud is not being properly maintained then could that an indicator of a deeper financial or management problem at SS?

 

I think we may have discussed this some time ago on the other forum. I got quite close to finding 3 other potential owners to share a suite on a joint ownership arrangement. That approach would have made it perfect, but not outright ownership.

[seabreezer]

Anyone can book time on The World. You do not have to be an owner. I believe the management company handles the rentals. To purchase is intriguing but you are buying what's left of the 50 year lifespan of the ship and committing to over $100k annually in maintenance fees plus a significant charge for a food package. A fractional arrangement would make more sense and I believe I heard something about a Four Seasons ship or similar in the works with a fractional option. It could do well.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Anyone can book time on The World. You do not have to be an owner. I believe the management company handles the rentals. To purchase is intriguing but you are buying what's left of the 50 year lifespan of the ship and committing to over $100k annually in maintenance fees plus a significant charge for a food package. A fractional arrangement would make more sense and I believe I heard something about a Four Seasons ship or similar in the works with a fractional option. It could do well.

 

Yes, we have rented one of the two-bedders when we were looking at it a few years back. It made no sense unless we shared it, and we had a couple of serious couples but in the end it never came to anything. We also had one other reservation about it and that was it felt a bit too empty, and the restaurants weren't available all the time, and sometimes you dined fairly ... shall I say quietly. ;) I also had some doubts about how owners would treat us as part of an owner group.

 

The on board shop was good .... fresh daily bread and shopping requests etc. We did manage to set off the kitchen detector, and I thought the balcony jacuzzis naff.

 

Before that we had tried yacht charter to see whether ownership might be sensible but it was ok whilst out at sea but when tied up, most of the boats around you will have absent owners but noisy crew doing the maintenance and it just wasn't pleasant. We ended up on Silversea, and our first cruise was in 801/2 on Whisper and we were smitten. It was right up our street.

[brimary]

Just catching up on CC posts following vacation.Sad to see so many adverse comments re the Cloud.It has been our favourite SS ship since 1997 and we are due to join up again on 4 August for a month. We were concerned to read UK Cruise Jeff quote that "the Cloud is not fit for purpose"We disembarked on 12/12/13 in Rio after a wonderful 47 days aboard with very good food in all restaurants and the highest quality service throughout the ship.Could I ask UK CruiseJeff the dates when the Cloud was not fit for purpose as we may reconsider our fothcoming cruise.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Just catching up on CC posts following vacation.Sad to see so many adverse comments re the Cloud.It has been our favourite SS ship since 1997 and we are due to join up again on 4 August for a month. We were concerned to read UK Cruise Jeff quote that "the Cloud is not fit for purpose"We disembarked on 12/12/13 in Rio after a wonderful 47 days aboard with very good food in all restaurants and the highest quality service throughout the ship.Could I ask UK CruiseJeff the dates when the Cloud was not fit for purpose as we may reconsider our fothcoming cruise.

 

If you re-read the post you cite you will see that I was replying to several posts complaining about the recent condition of the ship from passengers that had taken cruises but were disappointed in the ships condition. The issue in this thread has been largely about the ship's deterioration not any of the other elements that delighted you. If loyal passengers state -with more recent experience than me - that they will not book a cruise on the ship again because of it's condition, then it clearly isn't fit for purpose.

 

I can see you are understandably concerned but I think you need to ask the other people in this thread rather than me about their recent disappointments if you have further concerns.

 

Enjoy your August cruise.

[duct tape]

Brimary, you aren't leaving the Cloud. We will still be there when they are lowering the boats...

[daddyo]

We were on the Cloud last August with Duct Tape and a great time. I would go on that ship again in a hearbeat.

[brimary]

Brimary, you aren't leaving the Cloud. We will still be there when they are lowering the boats...

 

We hope to be with you when the boats are lowered!best wishes to you both.

[DCPIV]

We were on the Cloud last August with Duct Tape and a great time. I would go on that ship again in a hearbeat.

 

I am glad to hear that, since my lovely wife and I will be aboard her this Summer.

 

I am glad that someone has brought up the issues that Silver Cloud may and does have, and I appreciate the candor and balance in the actual reports.

 

Have fun!

 

 

D