Muse Alaska 5/27 - 6/6

[RetiredandTravel]

9 hours ago, Maggie 1008 said:

Looking at Alaska cruise for 2025. What are the differences between Muse and Nova ?

 

Our first cruise on the Nova is later this year so I can only tell you what I have read (in addition to Ports comments).  Nova replaces Indochine restaurant with SALT.  SALT serves local recipes.  There is also a SALT  bar & kitchen.  Nova charges $160/ea at La Dame and $80 at Kaiseki (Nova $60 & $40).  Some have written that the Nova is more of a warm weather design but I can't confirm that.

 

 

 

[dawntrdr]

We have been on both the Muse and Nova.  There are several differences which can make people prefer one over the other, although they are both good choices.  Nova will be more expensive on a per-diem basis for the same route, because it is newer (this is very easy to see on the Alaska routes, where they do almost exactly the same circuits).  In addition to the comments made above, Muse has a separate Arts Cafe with outdoor seating open all day; In Nova, it is part of the reception area and it closes at 6 pm.  In Nova, all of the suites are on four middle floors which are entirely residential, and the walk can be longer from the lifts to your cabin; on Muse, there are public spaces (restaurants, theatres) as part of every floor, which may be more convenient for your cabin.   On the Muse, all of the washrooms are in the middle of the ship, and can be a long walk from the restaurants and theatre.  On Muse, they more convenient.  I've also heard people say that the Nova seating is hard to get out of if you have back or balance issues.  

 

Nova's pool deck can't be beat for warm weather - you will never lack for a lounger and view.  There are three bars and two restaurants, including the Salt Kitchen for free classes and mixology classes.  Nova has combined the Grill and Spaccanapoli into the Marquis, a beautiful multi-purpose outdoor restaurant; Muse has the traditional tables-by-the-pool with bar.  I found Nova's indoor spaces to be, paradoxically, smaller than Muse's.

 

In Alaska, you are always surrounded by gorgeous scenery (the ship almost never leaves sight of land), so if the weather is good, Nova gets the nod because there is so much glass.  I can see why SS put it on the Alaska service. But, the weather can be fractious, especially In the early and late summer, and that will affect your outdoor use and views.  We chose the Muse and were perfectly happy.

 

If you do go to Alaska, we recommend the Sled Dog Summer Camp excursion in Juneau.  Here's a picture of a sled dog puppy having a yawn.

 

[RetiredandTravel]

26 minutes ago, dawntrdr said:

We have been on both the Muse and Nova.  There are several differences which can make people prefer one over the other, although they are both good choices.  Nova will be more expensive on a per-diem basis for the same route, because it is newer (this is very easy to see on the Alaska routes, where they do almost exactly the same circuits).  In addition to the comments made above, Muse has a separate Arts Cafe with outdoor seating open all day; In Nova, it is part of the reception area and it closes at 6 pm.  In Nova, all of the suites are on four middle floors which are entirely residential, and the walk can be longer from the lifts to your cabin; on Muse, there are public spaces (restaurants, theatres) as part of every floor, which may be more convenient for your cabin.   On the Muse, all of the washrooms are in the middle of the ship, and can be a long walk from the restaurants and theatre.  On Muse, they more convenient.  I've also heard people say that the Nova seating is hard to get out of if you have back or balance issues.  

 

Nova's pool deck can't be beat for warm weather - you will never lack for a lounger and view.  There are three bars and two restaurants, including the Salt Kitchen for free classes and mixology classes.  Nova has combined the Grill and Spaccanapoli into the Marquis, a beautiful multi-purpose outdoor restaurant; Muse has the traditional tables-by-the-pool with bar.  I found Nova's indoor spaces to be, paradoxically, smaller than Muse's.

 

In Alaska, you are always surrounded by gorgeous scenery (the ship almost never leaves sight of land), so if the weather is good, Nova gets the nod because there is so much glass.  I can see why SS put it on the Alaska service. But, the weather can be fractious, especially In the early and late summer, and that will affect your outdoor use and views.  We chose the Muse and were perfectly happy.

 

If you do go to Alaska, we recommend the Sled Dog Summer Camp excursion in Juneau.  Here's a picture of a sled dog puppy having a yawn.

 

 

Excellent comparison.  Thank you.

 

 

[Lois R]

I sailed Nova last year with Dawn and her hubby. I have also sailed on the Muse. I much, much prefer the Muse Class of ships. So much so, I had booked the Ray but decided to cancel that booking and will be going on the Moon instead. (Ray and Nova are sister ships)

 

I don't really like what they did to the Nova as compared to the other ships.......but if you have never sailed with SS, you would not know what is different. One of my personal gripes is how they changed the Arts Cafe......it is out in the open and not in its own space. Personally, I think that deck plan on Nova did a dis-service to the venue. 

 

Yes, Nova is newer but that does not necessarily mean better.

[maggie.1008]

Thank you for all the information. I have sailed with Silver Sea but it was a long time ago.

My last cruise was on Explora 1 and my new favorite line. I have been on all the luxury and Premium lines, and I thought Explora was the best of all. Cheers

[maggie.1008]

I see that in 2025 Alaska will have the Moon and Nova, not the Muse.

[alainciao]

We were on the Nova in Alaska in May, and I have to agree with Lois about the Arts Cafe.  Not only is it in a crowded area, but they also serve people individually and it is slow. I wanted to use it but often gave up.  Regent has the Coffee Connection which is largely self-serve although you can order special drinks and they have outdoor seating.  Perhaps like Muse which we have not been on.

[Lois R]

11 minutes ago, alainciao said:

We were on the Nova in Alaska in May, and I have to agree with Lois about the Arts Cafe.  Not only is it in a crowded area, but they also serve people individually and it is slow. I wanted to use it but often gave up.  Regent has the Coffee Connection which is largely self-serve although you can order special drinks and they have outdoor seating.  Perhaps like Muse which we have not been on.

The Arts Cafe on the Muse is its own entity...you are inside a lovely cafe. It is not self serve though. They also have outdoor seating which is really nice. But you do walk up tot the counter and let them know what you want and they will have a wait staff person bring it to you. But not self serve in the sense of making your own coffee. They do all of that for you.

[RetiredandTravel]

9 minutes ago, Lois R said:

The Arts Cafe on the Muse is its own entity...you are inside a lovely cafe. It is not self serve though. They also have outdoor seating which is really nice. But you do walk up tot the counter and let them know what you want and they will have a wait staff person bring it to you. But not self serve in the sense of making your own coffee. They do all of that for you.

 

The Arts Cafe was on our floor (8) which was nice.  The big issue was it was always full.  I'm very surprised that the Nova doesn't have a larger space given the popularity.  I agree alainciao the coffee connection on Regent is a better space.  I also agree on the self serve, thought the same thing when I was there. The coffee/drinks are better on SS IMO.

 

Edited June 22 by RetiredandTravel

[Lois R]

4 minutes ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

The Arts Cafe was on our floor (8) which was nice.  The big issue was it was always full.  I'm very surprised that the Nova doesn't have a larger space given the popularity.  I agree alainciao the coffee connection on Regent is a better space.  The coffee/drinks are better on SS IMO.

 

I was surprised (and not pleasantly) they really changed the entire venue on Nova.....right in the middle of the walkway and Guest Relations right there behind the cafe....there were quite a few guests on my particular sailing that voiced the same opinion as I did. It is just not a "welcoming space".......not to me anyway.  I do want to say I did use the venue though.......just not pleased with the set up.

[dawntrdr]

3 hours ago, dawntrdr said:

On the Muse, all of the washrooms are in the middle of the ship, and can be a long walk from the restaurants and theatre.  On Muse, they more convenient

I have to correct that -  It's on the Nova where the washrooms are in the middle of each deck.  Muse has them near the restaurants and theatre.  

[Will Work for Tiramisu]

Just off the Muse, I found some waiting needed at Arts Cafe, but not interminable.  I was there every morning between 6:30 to 7:30.  There you have a barista who can do all your wacko variations of coffee/tea beverages, plus the nice snacky things.  For those not wanting to wait, in Tors Observation Library (Deck 11, pointy end of ship), there is a self service coffee/tea station on starboard side, which I noted a fair amount of folks used.  I observed a staff fellow dumping gen-u-ine coffee beans (Illy) into the coffee machine, which grinds them for each go.  So, it isn't a glorified Tuerig-type pod machine.  I had an espresso or two, and it was quite decent. 

[caviargal]

Nova was my first Silversea cruise.  IMO the ship is beautiful!  The Arts Cafe was always busy and service was slow. 

It will be interesting to compare to the Muse in ten days, though reviews are concerning overall for this ship.

[RetiredandTravel]

46 minutes ago, caviargal said:

Nova was my first Silversea cruise.  IMO the ship is beautiful!  The Arts Cafe was always busy and service was slow. 

It will be interesting to compare to the Muse in ten days, though reviews are concerning overall for this ship.

 

Muse was our first Sliversea cruise.  IMO the cruise was excellent.  The Arts Cafe was always busy and we often couldn't get a table.

 

It will be interesting to compare to the Nova in 5 months, though reviews are a little concerning overall for this ship.  😀

 

 

[BBGrace273]

4 hours ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

Muse was our first Sliversea cruise.  IMO the cruise was excellent.  The Arts Cafe was always busy and we often couldn't get a table.

 

It will be interesting to compare to the Nova in 5 months, though reviews are a little concerning overall for this ship.  😀

 

 

I am so interested to hear what you think. So much is concerning. I'm on Nova in a few months.

[alainciao]

11 hours ago, BBGrace273 said:

I am so interested to hear what you think. So much is concerning. I'm on Nova in a few months.

If you tell us what concerns you about the Nova maybe the recent cruisers could shed some light😀

[EaseLiving]

I SilverSeas doesn't have a suggested packing list for Alaska trips. 
Any tips?
I understand the evening wear guidelines but am not sure what type of activewear to bring for during the day for kayaking/hiking/biking excursions. 

[RetiredandTravel]

1 hour ago, EaseLiving said:

I SilverSeas doesn't have a suggested packing list for Alaska trips. 
Any tips?
I understand the evening wear guidelines but am not sure what type of activewear to bring for during the day for kayaking/hiking/biking excursions. 

 

There are tons of youtubes if you google "what should I pack for a cruise to alaska".  Think "layering" because the weather and your location changes.  We were always prepared for it to rain.

 

Have fun!

 

Edited June 23 by RetiredandTravel

[Lois R]

1 hour ago, EaseLiving said:

I SilverSeas doesn't have a suggested packing list for Alaska trips. 
Any tips?
I understand the evening wear guidelines but am not sure what type of activewear to bring for during the day for kayaking/hiking/biking excursions. 

Hi, you might post this question about daytime attire to Alaska over on the Fashion forum. There is a lot of really good information over there. Many threads from folks who have been to Alaska.

[caviargal]

1 hour ago, EaseLiving said:

I SilverSeas doesn't have a suggested packing list for Alaska trips. 
Any tips?
I understand the evening wear guidelines but am not sure what type of activewear to bring for during the day for kayaking/hiking/biking excursions. 

This will be my 10th Alaska cruise.  Weather is a crap shoot.  For off the ship I pack layers, a hat and gloves for when we are out on glaciers or in small boats; waterproof thigh length jacket; puffer vest; waterproof hiking boots and waterproof sneakers.  We do the more active excursions and my husband brings medium hiking pants - they dry faster than jeans and shed water better - puffer vests, hiking boots and hat and gloves.

[RetiredandTravel]

2 hours ago, alainciao said:

If you tell us what concerns you about the Nova maybe the recent cruisers could shed some light😀

 

 

Thanks  .. Couple Questions on the Nova

 

SALT Restaurant - If we arrive when it opens is it likely we will get a seat?

 

SALT Bar - Overall impressions

 

Marquee for Dinner - Is it the "hot rocks" concept?  If so will they cook the food for us?

 

thanks again

 

 

[dawntrdr]

@RetiredandTravel, yes, you will almost certainly get a seat in SALT if you comes when it opens, and in fact, I've never had a problem getting a seat any time.  

 

The SALT Bar is great!  Good service, pleasant venue, imaginative drink menu and light entertainment in the evenings.

 

Marquee does use the Hot Rocks concept, but you can always ask them to do the cooking for you and just serve at the table.   They are happy to do that.

[tnm6217]

 

I've sailed on Nova previously and I just got off of Muse on Thursday. Two different experiences on two different ships. I preferred the traditional layout of Muse, but Nova was certainly beautiful. I cruise often, and I'm also a TA, so I will admit I have a more critical eye than most.

 

I found the staff on Muse to be incredible. For those of you sailing on her soon, look for Germaine, Yusa, and Racelle at Dolce Vita (1:30pm to midnight), Eric at Indochine, and Peter at La Terraza (dinner).

 

The food was adequate, but nothing amazing. The options at the buffet were far less than what was available on Nova. I found it surprising that there was never any blue cheese available, when Nova had a lovely Stilton every day (in South America). Kaiseki was a big disappointment and I'd recommend steering clear of it. The sound and smell from the hibachi were overwhelming, the menu was awkward, and dinner took over 2.5 hours for a table of 4. La Terraza was the best (and "quickest") dinner we had, though we liked the food in Indochine as well. Be sure to ask for the Naan in Indochine -- for some reason it's not on the printed menu in the restaurant, though it's on the menu on the TV/app.

 

The TVs behind the mirrors in the staterooms were honestly awful. I'm glad they're replacing them soon. The mirrors were inadequate at the vanity area and they obstructed the TVs unless you had the blackout curtains drawn. I found the bed on Muse to be the firmest I've experienced at sea and it was difficult to sleep soundly. Otherwise, I thought our Classic Veranda was absolutely perfect. 

 

One thing I learned on this sailing is that Silversea can't (or won't) divide onboard credit below the denominations it is gifted in. While your TV will show an overall balance for the stateroom, OBC will be divided between the two passengers, so you have to do some math to make sure you use it correctly. For example, if you have $500 per person in onboard credit, they won't break it down beyond that denomination. We had almost $1500 in varying denominations to work with, but it was odd to me that SS couldn't move over remaining OBC from one guest to the other guest.

 

Overall, it was a great trip, but it will be my last SS for the foreseeable future. At the current door-to-door price point, I don't want to feel nickel-and-dimed while onboard. There were over 1,000 bottles of the Duval Leroy Champagne onboard but they refused to allow me to try a bottle (apparently waiting for the Monopole and Pommery to run out). Perhaps a small thing, but it definitely didn't feel like luxury to me. I've cruised Ponant, Crystal, Celebrity Retreat, and NCL Haven and was hoping SS would fit in nicely in my future cruise schedule. However, I will look to Celebrity Retreat and Crystal before SS.

 

On 6/22/2024 at 10:52 AM, maggie.1008 said:

My last cruise was on Explora 1 and my new favorite line. I have been on all the luxury and Premium lines, and I thought Explora was the best of all. Cheers

I'm trying Explora next spring and I'm looking forward to it. No matter what, I always appreciate having more experiences to compare the relative value of cruise line offerings!

 

[alainciao]

3 hours ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

 

Thanks  .. Couple Questions on the Nova

 

SALT Restaurant - If we arrive when it opens is it likely we will get a seat?

 

SALT Bar - Overall impressions

 

Marquee for Dinner - Is it the "hot rocks" concept?  If so will they cook the food for us?

 

thanks again

 

 

R&T,  We had no trouble getting into Salt or Atlantide at 7.  Even without a reservation we got into La Terraza at 7.  I'm not a cocktail drinker so did not use the Salt Bar.  (wino here).  They had afternoon events where the bar was full.  I'm not sure if that is a pay/reserve thing.  Also, in Alaska the outdoor dining areas were too cold so we did not use.  They look great though.  We really did want to go there.

[BBGrace273]

13 hours ago, alainciao said:

If you tell us what concerns you about the Nova maybe the recent cruisers could shed some light😀

Nothing super specific... just all the people making complaints, and that they'll never go on SS again. It's concerning since this is kinda a trip of a lifetime cruise, and I feel more and more like I made a terrible mistake for the cost.