Review of Silver Moon

[Daveywavey70]

I’m reminded of a recent cruise that  I was on where somehow one evening I ended up on a large table with 2 people that I’d met previously and 7 people that I Hadn’t. The first person rejected the offered wine in a quite dismissive way and requested something better. 6 others followed. I Kept mine. When the sommelier offered me a top up which I was very grateful for I thanked her and told her that it was delicious. I Felt a little awkward to be honest being on a such a table but was determined that I wasn’t going to make the Sommeliers night any worse. It was only later into the evening when I was asked about work that It came up that I used to Manage the wine cellar at the Savoy. Things felt a little more awkward then. I Shortly after withdrew to the Avenue.  No moral to my musings, purely a reminiscence.  

[jpalbny]

It's far more complicated than that.

Any poster is free to like or dislike SS, and post whatever opinions they'd like. I'm also free to agree or disagree with their post. Or, ask them to back up their opinion with something more substantial, to see if their opinions might resonate with mine.

 

And yes, I agree that old rubbery calamari are gross, like chewing on rubber bands. But the fresh stuff is divine! So, a generalization such as "the wines are all terrible" isn't very helpful,  even if "in my opinion" gets added.

 

Why not? Because it very different from every experience I've had on SS. IME, most are perfectly drinkable. Few are spectacular, but I don't expect that to be included. So I'd want to know if something has changed since my last cruise. Should I get worried that they bought a bunch of jug wine?

 

So the blanket statement doesn't tell me anything useful. All I can say in response is, "That's not been my experience," which is equally unhelpful to the unsatisfied customer. It degenerates into an elementary school playground at that point. "The wine is terrible." "Is not!" "Is too!" Such a useful conversation...

 

But. Perhaps we could offer helpful advice to the person who doesn't like the wines, if more information were given. Or at least we could have an adult conversation. 

 

If the issue is, "I only drink California cult Cabernet and SS doesn't provide that," then we can respond by setting appropriate expectations. And also, I'm no longer worried that the quality has gone to the dogs. I don't drink expensive Cabernet so its absence doesn't make my cruise less enjoyable. 

 

OTOH, if the issue is, "Several bottles that they served us were badly corked and the server would not bring a new bottle when asked. He insisted that the bottle was fine.

 

"The staff didn't have a clue about food and wine pairing. I asked for a full-bodied dry white to go with my creamy pasta dish in LT and they brought me a semidry Moscato. I had to tell them to go find a lightly oaked Chardonnay. Etc." 

 

Now that kind of review would make me stop and think. And I'd really sympathize with the poster being disappointed if that was their experience! That shouldn't happen.

 

All opinions are perfectly shareable, but not all are equally valuable or informative. But, this being a SS board, most of us presumably like the line. So of course, someone will have an uphill battle convincing us that it's rubbish. That opinion might fly better on another forum...

[drron29]

Well done JP and DW.

But with all the shenanigans going on I decided to go and test my patience today.

It was negative.

[jpalbny]

5 hours ago, drron29 said:

 

But with all the shenanigans going on I decided to go and test my patience today.

It was negative.

 

Mine went on extended holiday some time in 2020 and has not been seen since!

[zqtchas]

have you heard the one about the dead horse?

[Gourmet Gal]

Since disembarking I’ve been off the grid a bit as we’ve continued our travels.  Happy to report the white wines on our Tauck Douro cruise have been mostly great.  As for my opinion of the SS included wines, I will admit to a certain amount of laziness in my critique but of course I am free to express my opinion and I am not surprised at the vitriol directed my way when an opinion strays from that of the die-hards.  Disappointing? Yes, but not discouraging enough to prevent me from critiquing here on Cruise Critic any way I wish as long as I am not insulting anyone else’s opinion.

[Nemanoxer]

I am booked on Silver Moon from Rio de Janeiro in February 2023. First time Silversea.

 

I am kinda nervous. The dress code. The entertainment. The average age. All of those issues that the CC boards and Facebook are full of.

 

But TA and other sources tell me that Silver Moon is the best SS ship at the moment. And speaking of today, I would lose 40 % of the cruise price if I´d jump off my reservation.

 

So... I guess I´ll do it.

[Silver Spectre]

26 minutes ago, Nemanoxer said:

I am booked on Silver Moon from Rio de Janeiro in February 2023. First time Silversea.

 

I am kinda nervous. The dress code. The entertainment. The average age. All of those issues that the CC boards and Facebook are full of.

 

But TA and other sources tell me that Silver Moon is the best SS ship at the moment. And speaking of today, I would lose 40 % of the cruise price if I´d jump off my reservation.

 

So... I guess I´ll do it.

The ship is in great shape. Exactly why are you concerned?

[Nemanoxer]

@Silver Spectre

 I am sure Silver Moon is in great shape. She is almost new. My nervousness is more about the overall Silversea experience. 

 

I am upgrading myself from Celebrity Cruises, and that is only because I felt their standards went down whilst the pricing went up.

 

I know SS will be quieter and smaller and have a more exclusive club-like atmosphere. But apart from that, I can only hope I won´t regret to have paid about double as much as I am used to.

[Lois R]

24 minutes ago, Nemanoxer said:

@Silver Spectre

 I am sure Silver Moon is in great shape. She is almost new. My nervousness is more about the overall Silversea experience. 

 

I am upgrading myself from Celebrity Cruises, and that is only because I felt their standards went down whilst the pricing went up.

 

I know SS will be quieter and smaller and have a more exclusive club-like atmosphere. But apart from that, I can only hope I won´t regret to have paid about double as much as I am used to.

Hi, I was a Celebrity cruiser for about 15 years and started sailing with Silversea in 2017 and have never looked back. Not sure what "club like" atmosphere you are referring to.........I always feel very welcomed and the crew/staff are always helpful and friendly (In my experiences).  As for being nervous, I would say nothing to be nervous about, truly.  We all have our own opinions about things but I love the on board experience🙂. I was on the Moon back in June 2021 and she is a beauty!  And one more tip, I would not look at the upcoming cruise with regret before you even sail, go with an open mind and have a wonderful time😀

[Accessor]

4 hours ago, Nemanoxer said:

@Silver Spectre

I am upgrading myself from Celebrity Cruises, and that is only because I felt their standards went down whilst the pricing went up.

 

We sailed on Celebrity Apex Oct 21 in Greece followed by Silversea Spirit May/June 2022. I am giving up on SS for now as our Celebrity Apex experience was far superior overall  to our 27 days onboard the Spirit....Yes, SS has better service. Food? Celebrity superior. Bars? Try to order an IPA on SS (they have 6 beers to choose from).  Entertainment? No comparison. 

 

I strongly feel RCL has raised the game on the Apex class ships to a very high level and standard. Meanwhile, they are finding as many ways as possible to cut corners (save money) at SS...just my opinion, and one from recent experiences not pre-covid.

[Nemanoxer]

I will try SS now because I caught 330 $ per night in a Superior Veranda Suite deck 9 midship on a brand new vessel. And the itinerary is one I've always wanted to do @Accessor . I guess Apex or Beyond would be more expensive.

 

So, I hope I might eventually only get bored, but not regret the whole SS thing.

[Accessor]

2 minutes ago, Nemanoxer said:

I will try SS now because I caught 330 $ per night in a Superior Veranda Suite deck 9 midship on a brand new vessel. And the itinerary is one I've always wanted to do @Accessor . I guess Apex or Beyond would be more expensive.

 

So, I hope I might eventually only get bored, but not regret the whole SS thing.

 

Go figure, it's cheaper to sail on SS vs Celebrity. Maybe that explains things....

[Nemanoxer]

20 minutes ago, Accessor said:

 

Go figure, it's cheaper to sail on SS vs Celebrity. Maybe that explains things....

 

Cruise consultant had to double check my fare to believe it, especially because it includes solo travel add on fee. I might just have been lucky.

 

Edge class does not catch me so much, lacks cozyness in my personal opinion. Equinox in the year 2012 might stay my personal benchmark. 9 out of 10 back in the day.

 

[Stumblefoot]

31 minutes ago, Nemanoxer said:

I will try SS now because I caught 330 $ per night in a Superior Veranda Suite deck 9 midship on a brand new vessel.

 

5 hours ago, Nemanoxer said:

I am kinda nervous… of those issues that the CC boards and Facebook are full of.

 

So... I guess I´ll do it.

 

5 hours ago, Nemanoxer said:

My nervousness is more about the overall Silversea experience. 

 

I can only hope I won´t regret to have paid about double as much as I am used to.

Wait… what?  

Do I have this right?

 

1) You didn’t want to sail SS to begin with, but you let a Travel Agent talk you into it?
 

2) Now, you’re scared as hell that you’ll hate it and be full of regret, like you expected too before you ever booked it, because $330/night is 2x more than you’re used to paying?

 

If I have summarized your posts correctly, then yes, cancel your booking immediately.  A 40% hit now, on what has to be one of the cheapest per diems, post-Covid, will be the least amount of money you’ll have to ever spend on SS.  Why?  Because, if you get on board that vessel and actually enjoy yourself, I guarantee you the nerves you have now at $330/night will be nothing like what you’ll experience on a normal per diem.

 

One last piece of advice… don’t let a Travel Agent, or any other salesperson, ever talk you into spending money on something you don’t even want, especially something that is twice as expensive as you’ve ever bought before.  

[Nemanoxer]

I have been wanting to try SS for years @Stumblefoot. It's finally the itinerary and the price combined with getting a brand new ship that made me book this.

 

Will I love it? I will find out.

[broker1217]

39 minutes ago, Nemanoxer said:

I have been wanting to try SS for years @Stumblefoot. It's finally the itinerary and the price combined with getting a brand new ship that made me book this.

 

Will I love it? I will find out.

Nemanoxer---what level of Cabin do you normally book on Celebrity?

And what, precisely, do you like the best about your Celebrity cruises---is it the entertainment, the food, the dress code, the activities, your fellow passengers?

 

It looks like your sailing has 6 sea days. In my opinion, sea days are when the smaller ships shine. No blaring microphones for activities at the pool, plenty of outdoor space to enjoy, and a relaxing and tranquil environment. If you need lots of activities on sea days or the shows are very important to you--a smaller ship may not be the best fit.

 

I will not sail SS until March but I know from my experiences on Viking and Crystal that I much prefer a smaller ship experience so I am pretty confident I will enjoy Silver Moon. Looks like a lovely ship!

 

 

 

[Nemanoxer]

I usually book veranda staterooms on the Equinox @broker1217 . Used to love the food on Celebrity, but that was not so good lately. Hope SS is as good as food was on the maiden voyage of Celebrity Edge (or better).

 

My SS cruise will have 12 days between Rio and Bridgetown. Every second day is a sea day. I find that perfect, or at least I suppose so.

 

I am not too much into pool parties and drunk folks, except on NCL maybe... I guess SS will let me down on entertainment and casual elegance, but I am consciously taking that risk in exchange for butler service and a magnificent suite and included excursions.

 

One way or the other, I am excited to finally do this.

[Stumblefoot]

1 hour ago, Nemanoxer said:

I have been wanting to try SS for years @Stumblefoot. It's finally the itinerary and the price combined with getting a brand new ship that made me book this.

 

13 minutes ago, Nemanoxer said:

One way or the other, I am excited to finally do this.

Thanks for the replies.  They provide further context.  

Now we know this is something YOU have wanted to do for a long time AND that you’re actually excited about it.  Those are the feelings I would encourage you to hold dear.  
 

Let go of the negative emotions of nervousness about the dress code, entertainment, and average age of the passengers.  If you will allow yourself to succumb to your excitement of sailing on a line you’ve wanted to for years, your mind will open to all of the possibilities and wonderful things your voyage will provide.

 

Best wishes!  I hope you’ll return to share your perspectives while sailing on your voyage as selfishly, we’re doing a similar, albeit longer, voyage with 8-days in the Amazon in March, 2025 on the Silver Ray.

[gwesq]

On 10/5/2022 at 9:01 PM, drron29 said:

on our dawn cruise 2 months ago there was no Tiki. They had another Marlborough Sav blanc which was equal to Tiki.

And my favourite lunch venue was Kaiseki. We have over 50 trips to Japan and many sushi restaurants here in Australia. The sushi was very good at Kaiseki even though they had a lot of rolls to cater for western tastes. I mean does a California roll sound like a Japanese dish.

Some pictures of the food at lunch.

 

 

The sashimi was of good quality and the eel,mackerel and sea urchin were very good.

IMHO we know our sushi and wines.

THAT'S my kind of lunch!  OR dinner.    

[ak1004]

Our friends who are elite plus on Celebrity are now on the Edge. They say service and food leaves a lot to be desired, and the entertainment is mediocre as well.

 

There is absolutely no comparison between ships like Celebrity and small ships like SS, Oceania or Azamara. A different league. Makes me laugh when someone says they prefer Celebrity over SS, but of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

 

 

[Nemanoxer]

As a first time Silversea guest, I wonder if making reservations in the included restaurants way before the cruise is really a must.

 

Having people talk about "small ships", my inner eye makes up images like I would be going on a yacht. I know Silver Moon is not really "small". However, I wonder if she will be fully packed on my 12 day trip from Rio de Janeiro to Bridgeton on 22nd February. Or are the reservations mandatory, anyway?

[Stumblefoot]

1 hour ago, Nemanoxer said:

I wonder if making reservations in the included restaurants way before the cruise is really a must.

If you believe the brand promise, and what others have posted here over the years, no, it is not a must.

 

Oh, and get your eyes checked.  You are not going on anything remotely like a yacht.

[Nemanoxer]

By the way, how is Internet on Silver Moon? Fast, mediocre, slow, very slow or not really existent?

 

 

[A Tucson Guy]

20 minutes ago, Nemanoxer said:

By the way, how is Internet on Silver Moon? Fast, mediocre, slow, very slow or not really existent?

 

 

In July 2022, the internet on the Moon was really slow. It looks like by next spring, the new satellite system will solve the problem.