First time on Silversea - Very Mixed Feelings

[drron29]

When we finished a cruise in Venice the SS late departure tour wasn’t great and cost $US 275 each. So we arranged a private transfer to the Courtyard by Marriott near the airport for 60 euro and a day room for 100 euro and we were able to have lunch and a sleep for far less than the SS transfer.

[Invited On-board]

7 minutes ago, Ovener said:

it would have been nice to have stayed on board (albeit out of the cabin) a few hours longer. It was too far ago to visit Rome en route to the airport, but there are other attractions on the way to the airport that could have been taken in. Viking arranged a tour, Seabourn and Hapag Lloyd either a day room or conference room at a hotel. I guess a flight at 15.30 isn’t a great time. Had it been later we could at least have bought a tour. 

Local immigration is cited as a stipulation, that all disembarking guests are off the vessel by certain time, I think the latest we  achieved was  09.30/ 9.45 in Fort Lauderdale ( Feb 2024) Though of course  others may have different experiences. It is likely  a status quo that suits ports, immigration  and cruise  lines equally.

As nice an idea as it is,being able to access public areas of a ship  prior to disembarking at a time that suits,logistically  it would be problematic at best for a cruise line. It seems fair that all of their resources should be focused on preparation for the next itinerary.

I'm a little  bit confused re Viking,Seabourn, Hapag Lloyd  info,as previously  you mentioned   that the complimentary Debark Tours  on VK/ SB are now chargeable   and that HL had appeared  to have stopped the ' staging post conference room option"?.

Port to Port may have been worked better, as booking flights independently is required, which may have resulted in a flight departure that suited.? Possibly an option you do not require the information for as from what I recall though the overall SS experience is not one you wish to repeat. That is the great thing with choice, everyone has options.

Hope it isn't too long before  you are back onboard a ship and  enjoying another cruise.

[Ovener]

7 minutes ago, Invited On-board said:

Local immigration is cited as a stipulation, that all disembarking guests are off the vessel by certain time, I think the latest we  achieved was  09.30/ 9.45 in Fort Lauderdale ( Feb 2024) Though of course  others may have different experiences. It is likely  a status quo that suits ports, immigration  and cruise  lines equally.

As nice an idea as it is,being able to access public areas of a ship  prior to disembarking at a time that suits,logistically  it would be problematic at best for a cruise line. It seems fair that all of their resources should be focused on preparation for the next itinerary.

I'm a little  bit confused re Viking,Seabourn, Hapag Lloyd  info,as previously  you mentioned   that the complimentary Debark Tours  on VK/ SB are now chargeable   and that HL had appeared  to have stopped the ' staging post conference room option"?.

Port to Port may have been worked better, as booking flights independently is required, which may have resulted in a flight departure that suited.? Possibly an option you do not require the information for as from what I recall though the overall SS experience is not one you wish to repeat. That is the great thing with choice, everyone has options.

Hope it isn't too long before  you are back onboard a ship and  enjoying another cruise.

Thanks very much for clearing that up - I had a feeling there might be some rule about everyone needing to be off ship by a certain time. I honestly don't know what Viking and Seabourn are doing to deal with passengers with later-in-the-day flights in 2024.  They were, however, very good to us in arranging pre-flight tours or a staging post in 2022 and 2023. However, I think someone may have mentioned in another post that Seabourn isn't providing them or may be charging. Perhaps someone on Seabourn in 2024 could kindly comment, it would be good to know. Hapag Lloyd used to provide a staging post but now they explicitly state they have changed their rules and they don't. Neither Seabourn nor Viking charged for a tour or staging post for a later flight whereas it seems Silversea does. 

 

Port-to-Port indeed would have worked better and we would have loved to have been able to choose it. Unfortunately Door-to-Door was the only option available here in the UK to reserve a Silver Suite on this particular cruise. Going back to my original point, I'm just saying Door-to-Door is not the 'seamless' experience marketed by Silversea, when you take account of Blacklane not working and a five hour airport wait. As you say, it's great we have a choice and there were a lot of things on Silversea we really liked. Who knows, if the price and itinerary is right, we may try Silversea again, but not at current prices.

[RetiredOnVacation]

4 hours ago, Ovener said:

Thanks Port Power, that’s correct. Sorry for any confusion jmmiva. We dropped Blacklane in the UK but took Silversea’s airport bus transfers to and from the ship. Quite a few guests were on our later flight back to the UK. I was therefore rather annoyed that Silversea hadn’t arranged a later bus for us all. 

Did you try to get SS to rebook to an earlier flight back to London? There are around 6 BA flights a day after lunchtime, 3 of which might have been before yours?

Just interested to know how amenable or flexible SS air are, as usually we book our own flights mainly for this very reason! 

[Ovener]

3 minutes ago, RetiredOnVacation said:

Did you try to get SS to rebook to an earlier flight back to London? There are around 6 BA flights a day after lunchtime, 3 of which might have been before yours?

Just interested to know how amenable or flexible SS air are, as usually we book our own flights mainly for this very reason! 

Looking back that's exactly what I should have done had I known that they wouldn't provide a tour or staging post. But I don't know either how flexible they are with the Door-to-Door included flights. We're doing our own flights next time! 

[vistaman]

I left in Civitavecchia as well and I decided not to come back to SS 

The Arts cafe was indeed very good by Iulia and her friendly team 

Poor presentation of the lunch and breakfast buffets  - poor cold cuts and cheeses cut in pieces the same every day 

poor breakfast pastries and croissants !!!

It was a full house and when several tables were ordering special wines  especially in La Terrazza  the sommeliers were drowning  1 for 120 guests   -  my 265 $ bottle was served

extremely bad  no special glasses " tulip style " for top rated Champagnes  - i informed the chief sommelier 

one cabin meal : 50 minutes waiting time  and cold ( not lukewarm ) 

a lot of alcohol but poaring measures were too small - i did ask for several  double GT   - glasses too small for a real long drink

 

SALT  : local cuisine but no local purchase  I went to food market in Sète , Monaco , St Tropez and Livorno - no sign of somebody from the ship to buy something 

poor fruits as well : white melon  yellow melon water melon   and caned fruits 

I went to buy strawberries , blood oranges  those french red apples French cheese  and a few slices of home made ham at a local butcher store

Duck liver terrine by Rougié removed from Atlantide menu obviously to deviate guests to La Dame 

poor flower garnishments   pots with green small plants ???

Invisible captain , lady hotel director not approachable ,  and very obnoxious cruise director  - SS deviate the very good one to the Muse 

Endured a few bad cocktails as well  - sent back 2 and took another 2 "to my cabin " otherwise said into the sink 

bed linnen was very ok but towels were overused thin and not soft anymore  - cutlery also overused full of scratches 

 Newly appointed CEO can continue with the economising ...😝

Back to "my "Europa 2  asap  😀

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Woodrowst]

59 minutes ago, Ovener said:

 I honestly don't know what Viking and Seabourn are doing to deal with passengers with later-in-the-day flights in 2024.  They were, however, very good to us in arranging pre-flight tours or a staging post in 2022 and 2023. However, I think someone may have mentioned in another post that Seabourn isn't providing them or may be charging. Perhaps someone on Seabourn in 2024 could kindly comment, it would be good to know. 

 

 

We were on the Seabourn Venture to Antarctica in January.  If it makes you feel any better (i.e. misery loves company) the Seabourn charter flight got us to Buenos Aires in the early afternoon and our connecting flight was not until nine hours later at 11:15pm.  Seabourn took us out to a local restaurant for a very nice early dinner and returned us to the BA airport at 5:30pm.  I believe the dinner was only provided to those who booked air through Seabourn.  Some who were told they could not join us were upset. 

[jmmiva]

6 hours ago, Ovener said:

Thanks Port Power, that’s correct. Sorry for any confusion jmmiva. We dropped Blacklane in the UK but took Silversea’s airport bus transfers to and from the ship. Quite a few guests were on our later flight back to the UK. I was therefore rather annoyed that Silversea hadn’t arranged a later bus for us all. 

 

3 hours ago, Invited On-board said:

What would you wish  Silversea to have done for you and the other guests while waiting for a ' later bus ' between disembarkation and airport arrival for the return flight?

You previously mentioned the Debark Tour for Rome was unsuitable and also that Seabourn, Viking and Hapag Lloyd have  altered  how they facilitate disembarkation.

 

 

3 hours ago, Invited On-board said:

What would you wish  Silversea to have done for you and the other guests while waiting for a ' later bus ' between disembarkation and airport arrival for the return flight?

You previously mentioned the Debark Tour for Rome was unsuitable and also that Seabourn, Viking and Hapag Lloyd have  altered  how they facilitate disembarkation.

 

I get it.  Tough after a cruise to sit in airport for 5 hours!

 

[Port Power]

3 hours ago, Ovener said:

it would have been nice to have stayed on board (albeit out of the cabin) a few hours longer. It was too far ago to visit Rome en route to the airport, but there are other attractions on the way to the airport that could have been taken in. Viking arranged a tour, Seabourn and Hapag Lloyd either a day room or conference room at a hotel. I guess a flight at 15.30 isn’t a great time. Had it been later we could at least have bought a tour. 

Your flight was at an awkward time.  You need to be at the airport 3 hours prior.  The bus also takes guests who probably have 12pm and 1pm flights.  There are usually transfers for flights before xxx and after xxx. The ship also needs to be ready for incoming guests.  I think your flight time was just in between everything else.  So your choice was take the included transfer or arrange your own as @drron29 did.  His flight seems to have been later the. 3:30pm though.  

[spinnaker2]

1 hour ago, vistaman said:

I left in Civitavecchia as well and I decided not to come back to SS 

The Arts cafe was indeed very good by Iulia and her friendly team 

Poor presentation of the lunch and breakfast buffets  - poor cold cuts and cheeses cut in pieces the same every day 

poor breakfast pastries and croissants !!!

It was a full house and when several tables were ordering special wines  especially in La Terrazza  the sommeliers were drowning  1 for 120 guests   -  my 265 $ bottle was served

extremely bad  no special glasses " tulip style " for top rated Champagnes  - i informed the chief sommelier 

one cabin meal : 50 minutes waiting time  and cold ( not lukewarm ) 

a lot of alcohol but poaring measures were too small - i did ask for several  double GT   - glasses too small for a real long drink

 

SALT  : local cuisine but no local purchase  I went to food market in Sète , Monaco , St Tropez and Livorno - no sign of somebody from the ship to buy something 

poor fruits as well : white melon  yellow melon water melon   and caned fruits 

I went to buy strawberries , blood oranges  those french red apples French cheese  and a few slices of home made ham at a local butcher store

Duck liver terrine by Rougié removed from Atlantide menu obviously to deviate guests to La Dame 

poor flower garnishments   pots with green small plants ???

Invisible captain , lady hotel director not approachable ,  and very obnoxious cruise director  - SS deviate the very good one to the Muse 

Endured a few bad cocktails as well  - sent back 2 and took another 2 "to my cabin " otherwise said into the sink 

bed linnen was very ok but towels were overused thin and not soft anymore  - cutlery also overused full of scratches 

 Newly appointed CEO can continue with the economising ...😝

Back to "my "Europa 2  asap  😀

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vista I was waiting to hear about your experience on the Dawn. Thanks for posting. I am sorry that your experience seems to be consistent with ours, days earlier.

We too are looking elsewhere. After years of sailing with Silversea, the handwriting is on the wall. 

[Invited On-board]

1 hour ago, vistaman said:

I left in Civitavecchia as well and I decided not to come back to SS 

 

 Newly appointed CEO can continue with the economising ...😝

Back to "my "Europa 2  asap  😀

Never great when a much anticipated  vacation is disappointing. 

 Hope you are able to get back onboard  Europa2  very soon and enjoy your next cruise 

[PaulaJK]

We are in the boat w Vistaman again. Envious that you rec’d towelS…Our cabin had 1@ bath,hand,face..thin and gray..like nothing ever rec’d in a good hotel! 

Ovener may be boarding our boat…Advice here is to be careful about choosing port-port 

for w the change of itinerary ( to get Spirit to Athens for Med season), they just dumped us in Mahe to provide own hotel and over 6 k in new air tickets.

 

we are in the never again group.

 

I do wish that cruise critic would add Hapag L so that I could learn people's’ experiences.

[Gourmet Gal]

3 hours ago, Ovener said:

Looking back that's exactly what I should have done had I known that they wouldn't provide a tour or staging post. But I don't know either how flexible they are with the Door-to-Door included flights. We're doing our own flights next time! 

You very likely could have asked for an earlier flight once SSAir sent a flight itinerary. There is usually some flexibility but there may have been an extra air deviation charge.  But you might not have minded in this case.  

[Gourmet Gal]

28 minutes ago, PaulaJK said:

 

 

I do wish that cruise critic would add Hapag L so that I could learn people's’ experiences.

 

There are a few places on CC where you might find Hapag Lloyd comments.  Other Cruise Lines,  Luxury and Small Ship both under Specialty Cruising.  Or just use the search function.

[Ovener]

2 hours ago, Woodrowst said:

We were on the Seabourn Venture to Antarctica in January.  If it makes you feel any better (i.e. misery loves company) the Seabourn charter flight got us to Buenos Aires in the early afternoon and our connecting flight was not until nine hours later at 11:15pm.  Seabourn took us out to a local restaurant for a very nice early dinner and returned us to the BA airport at 5:30pm.  I believe the dinner was only provided to those who booked air through Seabourn.  Some who were told they could not join us were upset. 

Misery loves company. I love that! 

[Ovener]

3 hours ago, vistaman said:

I left in Civitavecchia as well and I decided not to come back to SS 

The Arts cafe was indeed very good by Iulia and her friendly team 

Poor presentation of the lunch and breakfast buffets  - poor cold cuts and cheeses cut in pieces the same every day 

poor breakfast pastries and croissants !!!

It was a full house and when several tables were ordering special wines  especially in La Terrazza  the sommeliers were drowning  1 for 120 guests   -  my 265 $ bottle was served

extremely bad  no special glasses " tulip style " for top rated Champagnes  - i informed the chief sommelier 

one cabin meal : 50 minutes waiting time  and cold ( not lukewarm ) 

a lot of alcohol but poaring measures were too small - i did ask for several  double GT   - glasses too small for a real long drink

 

SALT  : local cuisine but no local purchase  I went to food market in Sète , Monaco , St Tropez and Livorno - no sign of somebody from the ship to buy something 

poor fruits as well : white melon  yellow melon water melon   and caned fruits 

I went to buy strawberries , blood oranges  those french red apples French cheese  and a few slices of home made ham at a local butcher store

Duck liver terrine by Rougié removed from Atlantide menu obviously to deviate guests to La Dame 

poor flower garnishments   pots with green small plants ???

Invisible captain , lady hotel director not approachable ,  and very obnoxious cruise director  - SS deviate the very good one to the Muse 

Endured a few bad cocktails as well  - sent back 2 and took another 2 "to my cabin " otherwise said into the sink 

bed linnen was very ok but towels were overused thin and not soft anymore  - cutlery also overused full of scratches 

 Newly appointed CEO can continue with the economising ...😝

Back to "my "Europa 2  asap  😀

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry you had a bad experience Vistaman. Agree that towels weren't good, buffet presentation was dire, captain invisible and it was strange there were no local purchases of provisions.

 

We thought it was a lovely bed / great linens and an immaculate cabin. No complaints at all about the suite and servicing of it. 

 

We didn't even see the cruise director. Not even once.

 

Just hoping Europa 2 isn't cutting back too; it's our favourite ship. I remember when on board, and cruising round Italy, chefs went on shore to buy some wonderful fresh black truffles for a sublime impromptu pasta lunch at the buffet. Surprises like that are what a great cruise is made of. 

[vistaman]

like you leaving the cabin and the ship so early was not a gift

you are nearly whipped out the cabins and suites 

i was forced to take door to door to receive the upgrades and the 500 $ OBC

SS did put me on a noon flight to Barcelona to reach the ship  on Brussels Airlines a bad company especially in business - ( one must pay for second drink - yes in busi!!)   some of the staff hired by SS at the airport did not speak English at all  -  so I had to eat some cakes  in the Arts as lunch 

for the return flight at 5,40 pm a   4,30 bus excursion   -  so i did book my own transfer and a day room 

there were other and better and earlier possibilities over Munich or Zurich however those were  somewhat more expensive  

another nuissance was the repeaters party  - captain was busy ok but hotel manager did not show up neither - for all those "special guests" 😁

no Pommery Champagne available and poor canapes  -had to use magnifying glass to see the caviar grains 🤑

[PaulaJK]

SSpirit held this party in its Venetian Lounge w its fixed seats. No drinks, so no champagne. No canapes. Captain and CD present, no other brass.

 

will now avoid Brussels aur like the plague!

[MBP&O2/O]

Post cruise:  Our last one was Seabourn. Kicked off at 0830 for a flight at 1800, which  was the only flight of the day. 

The only available excursion was $250pp for three hours.

As it was DIY flights we had no options. As an aside the flight was $1000pp cheaper than SB offered.

[Invited On-board]

4 hours ago, PaulaJK said:

I do wish that cruise critic would add Hapag L so that I could learn people's’ experiences.

There are Cruise Reviews on CC for Hapag Lloyd  Cruises, not a huge amount but hopefully enough  to give you a flavour 

[PaulaJK]

Thanks for tips re: info on HL.

[vistaman]

1 hour ago, PaulaJK said:

Thanks for tips re: info on HL.

I wrote several items about  Hapag Lloyd

[PaulaJK]

Will check

[Host Jazzbeau]

4 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

Post cruise:  Our last one was Seabourn. Kicked off at 0830 for a flight at 1800, which  was the only flight of the day. 

The only available excursion was $250pp for three hours.

As it was DIY flights we had no options. As an aside the flight was $1000pp cheaper than SB offered.

You don't mention what port this was in.  For $500 you should be able to hire a private guide to take you somewhere for the day and drop off at airport.  

 

We use daytrip.com for this for of thing.  For example, from Civitavecchia to FCO they suggest possible stopovers at Santa Severa Castle (60 minutes, adds 50 Euros to trip cost); Necropolis de la Banditaccia (120 minutes, 92 Euros), and/or Ancient Ostia (90 min, 88 Euros).  Basic trip cost would be 309 Euros.  So you could do all the stops for a little over 500.

[Gourmet Gal]

4 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

You don't mention what port this was in.  For $500 you should be able to hire a private guide to take you somewhere for the day and drop off at airport.  

 

We use daytrip.com for this for of thing.  For example, from Civitavecchia to FCO they suggest possible stopovers at Santa Severa Castle (60 minutes, adds 50 Euros to trip cost); Necropolis de la Banditaccia (120 minutes, 92 Euros), and/or Ancient Ostia (90 min, 88 Euros).  Basic trip cost would be 309 Euros.  So you could do all the stops for a little over 500.

We did a similar thing after a Residensea sailing using Rome in Limo.  Visited a cute village -   Ceri, had an awesome lunch there and a visit to Ostia.  Our driver was amazing and so informative.  He was a retired military jet pilot.  Can’t remember what we paid.