Silvesea Questions

[chrismakris]

Hello all,

 

We are a couple in our mid 40’s and we have been cruising together for a few years now and we are starting to find that our regular cruise line is not meeting the standards we are accustomed to from them. 
 

We are looking at switching lines and have contemplated switching to a higher end line and cruising every 18-24 months instead of once a year. 
 

Siversea has caught our eye and we have a few questions from the experienced Silversea crowd. 
 

1.  What is dress code like at dinner? We’re a little more business casual than dressed up but not a dealbreaker. 

2. Are the included shore excursions of good quality? We like a wide range of activities from beach getaways to learning about destinations we are visiting 

 

3. Is there entertainment on board and what can we expect?

 

4. Quality of food?

 

5. Tipping?  Is it included in the price?  I don’t see it included when doing a booking. 
 

Im sure I’ll have more questions but thank you in advance and any advice is greatly appreciated. 

[drron29]

First you will get an absolute avalanche of opinions on the dress code but business casual should be fine on the classic ships,too good on the Expedition ships and possibly a bit better dressed than most on the new Nova and Ray.

Included excursions are very variable from being boring to excellent. A lot depends on the local guide you get.

There is entertainment but basically a song and dance show after dinner. They have started bringing some more variety by having guest entertainers on for a short stay. We though don't cruise for the entertainment.

Food is very subjective and depends on your likes and dislikes. It can be very good but there certainly are some failures from time to time.

Staff are nearly always good to excellent. more problem with the way some guests think they should treat the staff.

I would think the majority of passengers don't tip on board. We do make a donation to the crew fund when we board and usually tip our Butler and Room attendant.

[Hermione60]

Hello! We have done 3 cruises on Silversea, so I guess I'm qualified to answer. So:

1. Dress code is usually more like business casual than anything else (if I understand the meaning well - I'm from Switzerland and France, where dress codes are much less important than in the US), with about one formal night a week, but even then you can escape it if you wish by going to the less fancy restaurants (Grill or pizzeria).

2. Yes, all the excursions we've been on are good, and very varied. Of course, the really best ones are not free, but even the free ones are nice.

3. Some entertainment: daily trivia, some very nice shows (good singers usually). But be aware that Silversea is not entertainment-driven like the really big lines.

4. Excellent food. My only gripe is that it is "international" food, with one restaurant geared more towards Asian, one European, one (expensive) French, one (for a fee at dinner, but lunch is free) Japanese, one grill and one pizzeria (if it still exists, I don't remember I must say), and I really would like to have food sourced from the traveled area - but they are introducing it on some ships, with the S.A.L.T. concept.

5. Tipping is included. 

[docmark]

We have had only ONE cruise experience with Silversea (Norway) and definitely very disappointed with included excursions, poor to mediocre. 

[bobolz]

I think you will enjoy SS, I know we have. I don’t know what line you are coming from but we have sailed both Viking and Oceania and believe SS is comparable , but a step above in regards to service and food  (Viking) as well as more inclusive than both other lines. although I was satisfied with all 3 lines and would not hesitate to sail with them again. 
 

here are my responses to your questions (Note: I have been on 4 SS ships, 2 of the older ones whisper and Shadow b4 the refurbishment and on Muse and Dawn one of the newer Muse class ships, I prefer the Muse class ships for the size, restaurant offerings , and staterooms. )

 

1) SS is definitely more formal than Oceania and Viking . Men wear jackets except on casual nights  or at the Grill or Spaccanopoli (sp? Pizza place on newer ships) , 1 -2 formal nights in main restaurants (as stated above you can avoid that by dining in aforementioned restaurants and La Terrazza the Italian restaurant) and there is no buffet at dinner. That’s the only thing I don’t like about SS, since sometimes after a long day of touring I just want something quick, casual and low key. 
 

2) so far I have been very satisfied with the included excursions, they are much better than Viking included excursions which are simply bus rides around the city. So more substantive and at least 4 hour trips. They can include entry fees and tours of museums and various historical sites. I think they had a good selection on the tours we took. 
 

3) I think this was covered well by others

 

4) I think the food was very good. Sometimes it came out Luke warm , but if a problem, you can always ask them to warm it up

 

5) tipping is included 

[pavementends]

8 hours ago, docmark said:

We have had only ONE cruise experience with Silversea (Norway) and definitely very disappointed with included excursions, poor to mediocre. 

 

I have generally been happy with the included excursions, especially when there was a strenuous option. My advice is to assess how much bus time there is and make sure the objective is worth the time on the bus.

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, bobolz said:

so far I have been very satisfied with the included excursions, they are much better than Viking included excursions which are simply bus rides around the city. So more substantive and at least 4 hour trips. They can include entry fees and tours of museums and various historical sites. I think they had a good selection on the tours we took.

 

45 minutes ago, pavementends said:

I have generally been happy with the included excursions, especially when there was a strenuous option. My advice is to assess how much bus time there is and make sure the objective is worth the time on the bus.

Thanks for this.  I have been quite impressed by the range of included excursions on our soon-upcoming Whisper cruise in NZ-Oz.  I'm glad to see that they are as good as the descriptions!  [And I agree – Viking's included excursions are so basic that we ended up not taking any on our one Viking Ocean cruise]

[Tudorcruisers]

1.  What is dress code like at dinner? We’re a little more business casual than dressed up but not a dealbreaker.  
We find Silversea  a lot more  formal than Regent for example though  if you look up the dress code we find most guests do adhere to a jacket for men and collared shirts when required .  I find in general most passengers dress as they would to visit a very nice restaurant.  

2. Are the included shore excursions of good quality? We like a wide range of activities from beach getaways to learning about destinations we are visiting .  
We have found it really does come down to the guide.  We have had some excellent free excursions and some not as good.  As they are free we just appreciate someone taking the time to talk about their area to us. 

 

3. Is there entertainment on board and what can we expect?  

The entertainment isn’t the big shows you might get if you sail on Celebrity or some of the larger ships.  It’s more low key though we have always enjoyed it and have no complaints .   Their is a main show each evening and then other entertainment in different lounges.  

 

4. Quality of food?   Again we have never had any cause whatsoever to complain and when I read some of the posts even just a week after we have been onboard it really makes me wonder what is going on and I do like good food .   I personally find the food on Silversea to be as good as any five star restaurant we would go to. 

 

5. Tipping?  Is it included in the price?  I don’t see it included when doing a booking.
 

It does say included and it’s an exhausting subject. I do still tip as I find the service to be above and beyond and there is a staff fund you can contribute to so every worker is covered which I think is an excellent idea.  I feel if you travel with Silversea you will realise just how excellent the service is so I personally feel this should be rewarded.  I actually think Silversea need to come up with something regarding tipping as I know how hard the staff work and it’s so unfair when some passengers tip and others don’t. 

[Tothesunset]

The SS site used to say something along the lines of "tipping is neither expected nor required".   

 

What isn't widely known is that each ship runs a Crew Fund to which guests can contribute and which goes to support amenities for all the crew - this rewards not just front of house staff but also those whose hard work is otherwise unrecognised; for example, deck hands, Engine Room crew, laundry and others without whom the shop couldn't function. 

 

Just a thought... 

[jollyjones]

I quote the SS website:

Cruise fares cover …… gratuities aboard ship (except spa) …..

 

Entirely up to you if you feel that is sufficient or if you wish to tip more or give to the crew fund. 

[QueSeraSera]

Hi @chrismakris and welcome to Silversea.

I agree with the above posts.  I suggest you bring (or wear to your departure port) a sport coat, nice pants and button down oxford type shirt, & you'll be set.  One thing we like are the on-board, free, washers and dryers. My wife and I have both found the food great.  If you would like a soft drink or wine bottle (or beer or liquor) stocked in your fridge (or some combination), just tell the butler when he or she introduce themselves & it will be continuously restocked.

[SNJGuy]

Just coming off The Dawn, I think you'll find the entertainment not aimed at people your age.  We are 41 and 50 and it wasn't really our thing. We want to see what the other luxury lines have for entertainment next time we cruise.

[Host Jazzbeau]

53 minutes ago, SNJGuy said:

Just coming off The Dawn, I think you'll find the entertainment not aimed at people your age.  We are 41 and 50 and it wasn't really our thing. We want to see what the other luxury lines have for entertainment next time we cruise.

You might want to look at Explora Journeys.  They are the newest luxury line, and consciously different from everything that went before.  [This is a big turn-off to me.  But it may mean they have tapped the vibe of the younger generations; I don't know.]

[Catlover54]

On 1/4/2024 at 2:35 AM, chrismakris said:

Hello all,

 

We are a couple in our mid 40’s and we have been cruising together for a few years now and we are starting to find that our regular cruise line is not meeting the standards we are accustomed to from them. 
 

We are looking at switching lines and have contemplated switching to a higher end line and cruising every 18-24 months instead of once a year. 
 

Siversea has caught our eye and we have a few questions from the experienced Silversea crowd. 
 

1.  What is dress code like at dinner? We’re a little more business casual than dressed up but not a dealbreaker. 

2. Are the included shore excursions of good quality? We like a wide range of activities from beach getaways to learning about destinations we are visiting 

 

3. Is there entertainment on board and what can we expect?

 

4. Quality of food?

 

5. Tipping?  Is it included in the price?  I don’t see it included when doing a booking. 
 

Im sure I’ll have more questions but thank you in advance and any advice is greatly appreciated. 

 

I'm a little late to this thread (was busy booking cruises :)), and appreciate most of your questions were answered.

I mix and match various lines (mostly but not exclusively luxury lines), and see you have previously sailed on Celebrity, and with that in mind, I will add these comments:

 

1.  The crowd on SS tends to be older  than on Celebrity (where many middle-aged pax are seen), unless it's a beach-oriented holiday time trip.  If you're "young and hipster 40's", unless you're unusual, quite a bit of entertainment may at times seem dated to you, almost comically dated  (e.g., with an emphasis on sappy old Broadway songs, melodramatic crooners, and lounge lizard music), but it is getting more modern  (the last SS cruise I was on even had an aged rocker as a guest performer and about 70 pax were really into the show!).  There are also typically a few regular dancers of varying skill who move around a lot, and regular singers who belt out some older and previously popular tunes, sometimes in synch with the dancers, YMMV.  I experiment and try almost all!

If you're "older and maturer 40's" the 45 minute small group production shows will be ok but not as flashy or suggestive as they may be on Celebrity.  You might see a guest classical music performer. Compared with on X, even with a full cruise, you can find a seat within 5 minutes of showtime, so no need to come early.

Other entertainment options include swimming in heated pools, ballroom dancing lessons, trivia, bridge, a small casino, and other things like there are on big ships, just with smaller groups and older pax  (sometimes young at heart, sometimes not).  Of note, SS is also not a good place for young children (no organized kids' activities), so it is usually sedate.  

"Enrichment" lectures about the region or random subjects   (history, flora, fauna, chats by semi-celebrities) also are typically well-done on SS (a few exceptions), I thought they are better than on X, and are worth checking out as "entertainment."

After 10PM, it is generally very, very quiet on SS ships (so have a plan) -- this is a great time for romantic strolls on empty decks with your spouse/s.o. Early mornings are also great times for quiet walking or a trip to the gym as entertainment.

2.  Other than in the French specialty restaurant on SS , I thought  the food in Luminae (as you know, this is the suite-pax restaurant on Celebrity), was on average better than in the no-added-cost dining rooms on SS (whereas the other restaurants and buffet were worse on Celebrity ).  Selection, however, is much larger on SS, and *you can, with 24 hour advance notice, and no extra cost*, order a special meal prepared just for you* on SS (you don't even have to have a special event). You can also get caviar and champagne  on demand (no upcharge).  

There is almost no  nickel and diming like there is on X.

Decent hard liquor and mixed drinks are all-inclusive, as are beers and wines ranging from $10-$20 retail value +/- (with a specialty list of better wines that have reasonable markups).  You can also *bring on as many bottles of your own alcohol as you want*, there is no corkage fee, and you can drink them anywhere you want.

3.  The SS excursions are usually well-done, and the buses are not as crowded as on X (where every seat would be booked).  If you don't like them, you get little resistance if you try and get a partial refund.  If you can, pay for the ones that have a charge if they sound good to you, fellow pax will often be more interested in the trip if they are paying extra. 

4.  SS has *a lot* of public space per passenger, and lines are rare for anything that SS controls.  Other "luxury" English language lines like Seabourn, new Crystal,  and Regent (which you may also wish to consider since you're upscaling) have similar benefits in space and lack of lines , and have more  "business casual" days than SS (note the new SS ship Nova is so far unique in that it always has an elegant casual dress code, but people like to go beyond at dinner and there are formal optional nights). 

5.  You are not required to tip anyone, neither crew fund nor individual and will not get ugly looks from staff if you don't.  Crew fund of course is a form of tip, which will unfortunately include any rude waiter or hostile receptionist you may encounter as well as the terrific helpful (and more typical) crew you really want to tip, but who are entitled to only a tiny fraction of what you donate.  My preference is to personally tip the "butler" (basically a room service attendant in a tuxedo, but he can be more ) and his assistant (who mostly cleans) individually, if I like them and the work they do, even if they perform as expected on a "luxury" line.  But that is not required. I do this one day before the cruise ends, in person (so I can be sure and find them), with thanks and a nice note. I almost never have a 'regular" waiter, so other than in a specialty restaurant, I don't tip food people, but other pax develop an "in" with a special waiter they seek out  most of the cruise, and do tip.

Also be aware that some non-American and/or older school pax on SS find it distasteful when fellow pax (especially Americans) talk about tipping and cost saving issues at all (even on Cruise Critic).  Also note  that "pre-tipping" is frowned upon by many (other than the crew), for various reasons, and the topic of tipping often leads to threads being shut down.

 

I wish you and your s.o wonderful cruises on SS and/or other luxury lines!  They will not likely  be perfect but can be very good  (*all* lines, at varying levels, have experienced deterioration in service from baseline in recent years, per inflation-adjusted dollar spent)

 

[pachecos]

What about tipping for the included daily shore excursions?  What is the norm there?

 

Thank you!

[drron29]

53 minutes ago, pachecos said:

What about tipping for the included daily shore excursions?  What is the norm there?

 

Thank you!

Those who normally tip do. Those that normally don’t tip don’t.

And for us only tip for excellent service.

[alithecat]

The excursions are run by local operators, not by Silversea. Depending on the customs of the area, of course, but most want and expect tips.

[edgee]

We are fairly early diners. Is it true that on Silversea the earliest time dinner is available in any restaurant is 7:30?

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, alithecat said:

The excursions are run by local operators, not by Silversea. Depending on the customs of the area, of course, but most want and expect tips.

Other tipping-included cruise lines we have been on (Scenic, Noble Caledonia) made it clear that the cruise line already tipped the local guides and drivers.  So most passengers didn't.

[Texas Tillie]

7 hours ago, alithecat said:

The excursions are run by local operators, not by Silversea. Depending on the customs of the area, of course, but most want and expect tips.

 

My theory, if the tour guide stands by the door where you must exit, it's not just to say good bye.

I've noticed that often some who can afford luxury lines are bigger cheap skates than those on mass market lines.

[drron29]

20 minutes ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

My theory, if the tour guide stands by the door where you must exit, it's not just to say good bye.

I've noticed that often some who can afford luxury lines are bigger cheap skates than those on mass market lines.

If he hasn’t done a good job and he stands at the door with his hand out I will shake his/her hand. Then I will give them my tip- do a better job next time.

 

There is a lot of the world who don’t share the ways of the USA. Strange but true.

[Lois R]

8 hours ago, edgee said:

We are fairly early diners. Is it true that on Silversea the earliest time dinner is available in any restaurant is 7:30?

Good morning, the restaurants open at 7pm so you can definitely eat before 7:30. 

[caviargal]

On 1/5/2024 at 8:46 PM, SNJGuy said:

Just coming off The Dawn, I think you'll find the entertainment not aimed at people your age.  We are 41 and 50 and it wasn't really our thing. We want to see what the other luxury lines have for entertainment next time we cruise.

We loved the live music on Seabourn Ovation!  Two great house bands and lots of dancing!

[Tothesunset]

2 hours ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

I've noticed that often some who can afford luxury lines are bigger cheap skates than those on mass market lines.

And then there are travellers from countries where guides are properly paid. 

[edgee]

41 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Good morning, the restaurants open at 7pm so you can definitely eat before 7:30. 

Thank you. That is reassuring. I was looking at an on line TA website which says all restaurants open at 7;30.