Silver Spirit Live ... getting ready to enjoy

[taxman1]

For the poster who asked about the bourbon ... Jim Beam and Makers Mark are being poured. Frederick gave me a quick 101 this morning on bourbon as I was retrieving the morning "smoothies" from the pool bar. Hint - if you are a morning smoothie drinker we have found a virgin strawberry daiquiri to hit the spot vs. the standard ship smoothie. St Kitts today ... Anthem of the Seas is docked with us. That ship is huge. Will attempt to post pictures this afternoon.

[spinnaker2]

Taxman,

Frederick is phenomenal. Ask to see pictures of his beautiful daughter, Bella, aptly named.

Ask him when he is going to be the mayor, and please send regards from Candy and Larry.

[TLCOhio]

Will attempt to post pictures this afternoon.

 

taxman1: Dinner last night was at STARS. For those not familiar with the concept ... 5 courses with 3 small plates for each course. Before I get into the courses' date=' the table is set with fabulous breadsticks, pita chips, olives, various spreads and olive oils. To be honest ... I would go just for the breadsticks. For the five courses ... cold appetizer, hot appetizer, fish, meat and then dessert. Inside tip ... should you not like one of the plates in the course you can double up on a plate. For example, the cold appetizer, is crab, Thai prawn and beef carpaccio. If you are not a fan of the carpaccio you can request a [b']crab and two Thai prawns[/b]. If there is a course you do not like, you can substitute the entire course with three small plates of pasta. For those of you with hearty appetites, trust me, the 5'course are sufficient.

 

Appreciate this very helpful and detailed information on the STARS dining option on the Silver Spirit. In June during our Lisbon to Rouen sailing, we are very much looking forward to trying that dining/entertainment location. Love the idea of "crab and Thai prawns"!! Sounds wonderful.

 

Yes, look forward to seeing the promised pictures. Liked your interesting details on St. Barts, what you saw and enjoyed there, etc. Keep it coming!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 207,309 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[Tothesunset]

Stars is our favourite restaurant at sea. Half the fun is trying things that one might otherwise shy away from. Mind you, we are adventurous eaters - it might not be so appealing to those who have narrower gustatory requirements.

[tripperva]

Taxman,we are also on deck 10 this cruise. We think the staff,menus

and food are excellent throughout. But this ship is overcrowded at 540 passengers with the dining spaces and bars all overpacked. We have never seen lines like this on Silversea (eleven cruises) and never on Regent or Seabourn. The Spirit with fewer pax is just fine,but not this time. This cruise has enjoyed great weather with Antigua next stop.

[itzfitz]

Trippvera we are also on this cruise on deck 9. The only lines that are long happen at dinner, in the MDR. I believe this new "check in" policy needing your room number before seating you is what is causing the delay in getting seated. I remember not too long ago all you did was show up when you wanted to dine and tell them how many people would be at your table and they seated you! My husband has a shrimp allergy and now the waiters are made aware of it without asking you. I also find they use this check in procedure to be able to identify you by name. IMHO not necessary. We've avoided the lines by eating a little bit later than 7 p.m. or in an alternative restaurant with reservations. It's been a lovely, smooth trip so far. The staff are very efficient and nice. The food has been Outstanding to so-so with most meals being very good. Life is good!

Patty

[KaraokeQueen]

Can you find out how long Vicki will be on board? She's terrific fun! Do not miss her show. You will love it.

 

 

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[Stumblefoot]

...this ship is overcrowded at 540 passengers with the dining spaces and bars all overpacked. We have never seen lines like this on Silversea (eleven cruises) and never on Regent or Seabourn. The Spirit with fewer pax is just fine,but not this time.

 

Interesting. We had 534 last week and constantly remarked how it never felt overly crowded.

 

 

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[Stumblefoot]

Can you find out how long Vicki will be on board?

She just came on board Jan. 5, so I would assume several months.

 

 

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[englishusa]

She just came on board Jan. 5, so I would assume several months

 

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I believe Moss returns for the crossing on March 31st. They are both great!

[KaraokeQueen]

She just came on board Jan. 5, so I would assume several months.

 

 

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Thank you. We are doing two segments and maybe we will luck out and get both her and Moss.

[Stumblefoot]

Thank you. We are doing two segments and maybe we will luck out and get both her and Moss.

 

Cool! We really enjoyed Moss's entertainment.

 

 

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[taxman1]

After a few days MIA I am back for a few updates. As I lost a rather long posting 3 days ago I thought I might post several short-ish posts.

 

Current update - due to very high winds we were re-routed yesterday from Punta Cana to Samana DR. We thoroughly enjoyed our day tour to Bahia Principe Cayo Levantado. The grounds were meticulous and the staff very friendly. Due to rough seas the sand was pushed over several roads and pathways around the resort. Even so, the staff still managed to wade through the water and provide cold cocktails with a smile. The activities around the beach pool at this resort was refreshing, with many of our shipmates participating.

 

Today was supposed to be Grand Turk, however, due to these high winds we will bob around the sea today and miss another port. Hopefully we will manage to find a few rays of sunshine throughout the day and the casino opens.

[taxman1]

Refreshed my coffee and carefully staggered back to the bed as we navigate through this weather. We have cruised through 3 hurricanes much worse than what we have experienced the past few days, however, still a rough experience.

 

I believe I left off at St Kitts ... we walked around port along with passengers form the Anthem of the Seas and the Caribbean Princess, I believe. St Kitts is how I remember the Caribbean ports from twenty years ago.

 

Our next port was Antigua. We spent a fabulous day at the Galley Bay resort. The waves were incredible as we managed to ride a few before being told no more swimming by the beach police. The sand at this resort was soft as cotton with a water color backdrop hard to described with words ... picture perfect! From the beach we made our way to a delicious lunch at one of their restaurants for the island version of chicken & dumplings; absolutely delicious. From the restaurant we made our way to the pool area to cool down with a swim and a few refreshing cocktails. This resort is worth a look if you should consider a stay at the Caribbean.

 

Our beach tour at our Tortola port visit was cancelled due to the high winds and seas conditions not being cooperative. You can see the pattern which has developed and is slowly becoming a bit worse. Road Town is very small, but extremely clean and fun to walk around the shops directly in front of the pier. A very pleasant morning walking around the shops.

 

Another coffee refresh is required before we continue, so back in a jiffy.

[taxman1]

I will use this post to give my opinion on the dining around the ship. Let's start with the easy one, dinners at La Terrazza. The food at La Terrazza is exceptional, the service superb and the wines being poured consistently good. Francesco runs a 1st rate restaurant. Interesting point ... the menu changes every three days. This has worked out out well for us as we are frequent guests. My suggestion ... book this venue well in advance and often on any future cruise.

 

Breakfast at La Terrazza is good. We seem to always find an acceptable table outside. Most mornings the coffee is hot and strong, just the way we like it. The omelette station changes up its offering daily and the fruit bar is always fresh.

 

Lunch at the pool is split between food and service. The good ... food is consistently fresh and appropriately hot or cold depending on the dish. Now the bad ... service is S. L. O. W. My comment is in regards to the point in time you sit at a table until you are approached for a drink or food order and after you receive your order checking back on you. Is it due to the number of guests, or lack of servers, or combination of the two?

 

Seishin is very much overrated. The food was extremely fresh, but lacks inspiration. Our only experience at this venue did not differentiate itself from any decent restaurant on shore. There were only two tables of four and us when we dined at Seishin. A very different experience when you dine at La Terrazza and STARS. Maybe we dined on an off night.

 

Our butler has been superb with later afternoon snacks and breakfast in our suite. Food always arrives on time, hot, and a complete order. Neo is an excellent butler with a beautiful personality.

 

Ok ... I need to get out in the air as the back and forth motion is finally taking its toll on me. Hopefully the sun comes out soon. Will continue shortly.

[taxman1]

After a caipirinha on the pool deck and dodging the rain we ended up at La Tarrazza for lunch. We were seated in STARs to accommodate the overflow of people having lunch today. This was our first for lunch there since the day we embarked. It was fabulous! Jordan was disappointed we cancelled for STARS tonight.

 

We gambled with the one armed bandits this am and walked the shops. Overall, we are about break even at the casino this trip which is excellent.

 

Hot Rocks has been a great experience. Nestle has been fun to have serve us and the food has been outstanding. He was even kind enough to grab me a bottle of the South African wine we had at Seishin the evening before. Great concept that Hot Rocks. We did it one night when the strong winds were kicking up. It did not bother any of us, we had a ball. We watched as the crew finally made the executive decision to drain the pool and place the net over it. The water in the pool was coming up over the sides onto the main deck. One diner came through the 10 deck doors in her heels and immediately requested a call be made to her butler for flats. She was never so happy to see Neo come with her husband's deck shoes!

 

We are catching intermittent sun on the veranda until bingo later this afternoon. The Captain provided an update on our itinerary and weather. Unfortunately, we cannot stop in the Bahamas on our way to Ft. Lauderdale. The dock is available, however, there are no tug boats to assist us and the Ship cannot dock on its own. By tomorrow afternoon the winds should subside.

 

We can't comment much on the shows as we have only attended two which were typical of the cruise industry onboard talent.

 

I was told the ship cannot stream any of the NFL football games this weekend. We will see if we can use the laptop similar to the Golden Globes. While not ideal, at least we get to see snips of action. There are several Cowboy fans onboard and we are eager to see the game. Talk again soon.

[easyboy]

Glad to be reading your updates again.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Lovely posts Tax ..... even though every time I see your handle I come out into a cold sweat .....:)

 

Jeff

[taxman1]

Back home and unpacked. Before life returns to the crazy norm I thought I might wrap up the trip log.

 

The Verdict: Not Good, but Not Ugly.

 

The Good:

 

Food. La Terrazza was our favorite and can stand toe to toe with memories from Rome, Venezia, Firenza and Milan. Well done chef Mario from Naples! "Hot Rocks" was also a favorite. The pool grill food was consistently good. We never did return to the MDR. STARS was a delight and Seishin fell flat. The one afternoon my son and I attended tea and thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

Cabin. The Silver Suite was large and was kept in impeccable shape by Crista ... who left today for home in the Philippines. The furniture was worn and needs replacement as does the rug. Layout of space was good and sufficient for three adults, however, the electric receptacles are almost non-existent. The only receptacle for the ladies vanity is European and does not accommodate the hair dryer provided by Silver Seas. Thankfully we packed our converter. Hint ... bring along a power strip for use in the living area. The balcony was used everyday and provided more than enough space for three adults to spread out.

 

Pool. The area around the pool on both decks 9 and 10 was plenty with the exception of one day where we lost our chairs while enjoying conversation with fellow passengers while cooling off in the water. Towels were always clean and plentiful and the chairs comfortable, but the cushions could be due for replacement in the very near term.

 

The Bad:

 

Service. Extremely sporadic. Drinks around the pool deck was handed well by Denzil and Justin. Lunch service at the pool grill was bad, and at times borderline ugly. We always managed to find a table for lunch and then struggled to place a drink & food order or iced tea refill. La Terrazza dinner service consistently good. Breakfast in La Terrazza was consistently good. The service in Stars was ok; felt they were trying too hard. The service in Seishin was to the point of being intrusive; maybe because our only experience was a night with just three tables of diners. MDR was ugly and no need to rehash that one. The butler service was good and extremely efficient with whatever we asked. Maybe we expected too much, but thought Neo may have picked up on our routine and anticipated a request. Everyday around 5PM we placed an order for pizza, melon and finger snacks. We thought maybe one time that would be anticipated. Again, maybe asking too much and comparing to our previous experiences at Seabourn. And yes, there are no butlers at Seabourn, but there was not a bar or deck chair approached without our drinks magically appearing. The service at Silver Sea fell way short of the hype and our expectations; sorry.

 

The Ugly:

 

Embarkation and Debarkation. No real thought about the processes IMO. Were we standing in lines for more than an hour, NO! However, if I am pitching a luxury line experience improvement is a must. Activities were slim. How about some music around the pool, or on deck when we are leaving a port. Even the Fred Olsen line had a pool party in St Kitts.

 

In wrapping up, did we enjoy ourselves, YES. Would we sail again with Silver Sea, probably not. I think SS fell short for a luxury line. IMO the Silver Sea product has its fans who for the most part have not really explored the other luxury lines to provide a true comparison. Yes, I did ask many of our fellow passengers. Try something new and don't necessarily take the word of someone else. You just may like it!

 

Until next time ... Maybe the Regent for something new or back home to Seabourn. Regent has the better itinerary for Jan 2018.

[itzfitz]

I am just back from the same cruise. I am in agreement with most of what Taxman has stated. His comments about lack of activities was spot on. This is the first SS cruise where I was BORED! Same activities every day and none of them, with the exception of the Liar's Club which happened to be added because we had to miss our stop in Grand Turk due to high seas, were out of the ordinary (Bingo, Trivia, Bridge, lectures) Even the cooking demos didn't happen until we were forced to skip two planned ports! No music by the pool, Panorama Lounge never got going (DJ played the same songs every night. Abba and Tom Jones are not my idea of current good dance music! This cruise seemed to have a lot of sedentary senior citizens. If you talked while in the Lounge you were asked to be quiet so they could hear the piano player! It's a bar people! There were little things missing like "Death by Chocolate", drinks of the day being offered poolside, Caribbean music on deck. There was so much "quiet" all over the ship, it felt like a floating library!

 

Maybe because it was a Ft. Lauderdale round trip was the reason the average age was up! I will say this, if SS does not start offering activities that appeal to the younger baby boomers and those even younger, they will miss a huge opportunity to perpetuate their product. My husband and I are in our early 60's and we live a very active lifestyle as do most of our friends. There were quite a few of this age group on board and the ones I spoke with felt the same as we do. The excursions were OK but on board not much to choose from.

 

Agree that the suites are a little dinged up and there is a definite shortage of outlets. Our butler found me a power strip that accommodated all my chargers. Hopefully when they bring the Spirit in for a refurb they can address this issue. Our butler, Edmundo, was awesome! He did anticipate my routine, the biggest was every morning I woke up to find the puzzles of the day in my mail slot! Coffee in the morning and chips and salsa in the afternoon. I guess it all depends on who you get!

 

Loved the Grill, only ate at Seishin for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed it! Sushi and Sashimi was all they serve but it was fresh, delicious and presented beautifully. MDR was hit or miss although I will say that the BEST meal we had was in the MDR. The fish of the evening was Branzino and everyone at our table ordered it. It was superb! I liked LaTerraza, but felt the service was hit or miss and usually very slow. LeChampagne was also outstanding. Beautifully prepared food and service was impeccable. The breakfast and lunch buffets were fresh and plentiful. I always found something delicious. Loved the pizza!

 

Would I sail SS again. Most definitely but I do think we will try another, like Seabourne first!

[Stumblefoot]

Thank you to those on this voyage who shared their perspectives with us all. Most appreciative!

 

I agree with the frustration over the lack of electrical outlets. I do hope the Muse will be more accommodating of our modern day conveniences. With that said, one of the greats of the Spirit is its sleeper sofa. By far, the most comfortable I've ever slept on and it's cool how it takes up no more room than the sofa itself.

 

 

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[TLCOhio]

Back home and unpacked. IMO the Silver Sea product has its fans who for the most part have not really explored the other luxury lines to provide a true comparison. Yes, I did ask many of our fellow passengers. Try something new and don't necessarily take the word of someone else. You just may like it! Until next time ... Maybe the Regent for something new or back home to Seabourn. Regent has the better itinerary for Jan 2018.

 

itzfitz: I am just back from the same cruise. I am in agreement with most of what Taxman has stated. His comments about lack of activities was spot on. This is the first SS cruise where I was BORED! This cruise seemed to have a lot of sedentary senior citizens. If you talked while in the Lounge you were asked to be quiet so they could hear the piano player! It's a bar people! Maybe because it was a Ft. Lauderdale round trip was the reason the average age was up! Agree that the suites are a little dinged up and there is a definite shortage of outlets. Loved the Grill, only ate at Seishin for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed it! Sushi and Sashimi was all they serve but it was fresh, delicious and presented beautifully. MDR was hit or miss although I will say that the BEST meal we had was in the MDR. The fish of the evening was Branzino and everyone at our table ordered it. It was superb! I liked LaTerraza, but felt the service was hit or miss and usually very slow. The breakfast and lunch buffets were fresh and plentiful. I always found something delicious. Loved the pizza! Would I sail SS again. Most definitely but I do think we will try another, like Seabourne first!

 

Appreciate both of these very interesting follow-up reviews, the comments, details and many insights. As noted here and earlier, different cruises have varied mixes of passengers, staffing, etc. That can affect "things", aspects of the enjoyment, etc. For us, we have done previous cruises with Seabourn, Crystal and Celebrity. We are not locked into Silversea. It is just a matter of the itineraries offered and what fits to our needs and interests, plus being at a reasonable value for pricing. That's key to using the Silver Spirit for our upcoming Lisbon to Rouen sailing in mid June.

 

Will be looking to see how the carpets, furniture dings, etc., are looking on the Silver Spirit. Plus, testing on food quality and offerings. Will do a live/blog and report on my findings and other aspects that might be of interest for future travelers. For us on this upcoming cruise, our eleven-day cruise does not have any sea-days, so I do not believe that we will be too concerned on being "bored"! Might have more questions on the Silver Spirit in the coming weeks. Look forward to hearing any and all tips, secrets, suggestions, etc. Always take along an electric strip as most all cruise ships never have enough outlets in the suites.

 

We are flexible consumers who are somewhat loyal when we have had good, past experiences. But we are always looking for better options, improved innovations and improvements, great places in the world to explore, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 46,918 views for these postings.

Edited January 17, 2017 by TLCOhio

[easyboy]

Thank you OP for the recap of your review. Enjoyed following along.

[nfcu]

I am also not a "senior citizen", but a young baby boomer. We enjoy Silversea because of its quiet, relaxing nature. We like that there is no music around the pool or a bunch of summer camp activities that are found on bigger ships. We are adults who can entertain ourselves - I would not care if they did away with the position of cruise director.

[Stumblefoot]

We enjoy Silversea because of its quite, relaxing nature. We are adults who can entertain ourselves.

As a member of the "old" Gen X'er club, I can say we agree with you regarding the quiet and relaxing nature of a SS cruise as we have no problem entertaining ourselves too. Playing music around the pool would drive us bonkers as well.