Does Silversea Have These Features?

[toolworker]

Do Silversea ships have these features?

 

1. 1. Booking and changing tours at reception 24/7

2. Booking and changing things on the app - tours, dining reservations, ... ?

3. Quietvox or equivalent for tours (phone app doesn't count)

4. Starlink internet

5. Play enrichment talks on TV with pause, resume, save your place.

6. 800 number to call Reception from shore for international phone charges only.

 

I'm asking because we've been cruising Regent lately, and it doesn't have any of them (except phasing in Starlink).  I've seen these on other lines but can't remember which lines have which ones.

[Gourmet Gal]

I see not much response so I’ll share what I know.

1.  The excursion desk has set hours, not 24/7 for sure and I don’t know why that would even be necessary.  I will say that if you don’t want to go on a tour it’s a simple matter of turning in your tickets.  We’ve never been charged for cancelling any last minute included tours.
2.  The App and the Interactive TV seemed flukey on my last cruise so didn’t use them much.

3.  Yes, unfortunately the tour groups are so large that the Quiet Vox system is necessary.

4.  Yes to Starlink but you’ll still want to purchase the upgraded plan.

5.  Don’t know how interactive those recordings are.  They aren’t very long anyway.

6.  You’re given a number to call for each port in the event you have a problem.  That’s all I know about that because luckily I’ve never had to call!

[mahasamatman]

1 hour ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Yes to Starlink but you’ll still want to purchase the upgraded plan.

 

I second this. The standard Internet is useless.

[toolworker]

12 hours ago, Gourmet Gal said:

I see not much response so I’ll share what I know.

1.  The excursion desk has set hours, not 24/7 for sure and I don’t know why that would even be necessary.  I will say that if you don’t want to go on a tour it’s a simple matter of turning in your tickets.  We’ve never been charged for cancelling any last minute included tours.
2.  The App and the Interactive TV seemed flukey on my last cruise so didn’t use them much.

3.  Yes, unfortunately the tour groups are so large that the Quiet Vox system is necessary.

4.  Yes to Starlink but you’ll still want to purchase the upgraded plan.

5.  Don’t know how interactive those recordings are.  They aren’t very long anyway.

6.  You’re given a number to call for each port in the event you have a problem.  That’s all I know about that because luckily I’ve never had to call!

Thanks, @Gourmet Gal!

 

1. On Regent, it's not so much cancelling - people just don't show up for free tours, which is most of them. But since they're free, people are also prone to change plans - and that can be inconvenient. Destination Services has limited hours outside of which nothing can be done. During scheduled morning hours, they're usually dispatching tours so not at the counter. When they are open, there can be a wait.

 

3. I love Quietvox. I can be 100' away taking photos and not miss a word, and I don't care how large the group is.

 

5. Enrichment lectures are generally 45 or 50 minutes. If they just loop on TV, as on Regent, you always come in somewhere in the middle.

 

6. Sounds like you're talking about the port agent's phone number, which would probably be just as good in an emergency. I think most cruise lines, or at least high end lines, have a number (and email address) direct to the ship, but some lines have a surcharge for the phone call.

[Gourmet Gal]

9 hours ago, toolworker said:

6. Sounds like you're talking about the port agent's phone number, which would probably be just as good in an emergency. I think most cruise lines, or at least high end lines, have a number (and email address) direct to the ship, but some lines have a surcharge for the phone call.

Really, how often in your cruising life will you ever need to use that number and I would think if you had to use it the last thing on your mind would be who’s paying for the call.

[toolworker]

4 hours ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Really, how often in your cruising life will you ever need to use that number and I would think if you had to use it the last thing on your mind would be who’s paying for the call.

I would think that if a cruise line's passenger needed to use that number, the last thing on the cruise line's mind would be making them haul out their credit card and read in the number so the cruise line didn't have to pay for the call.

 

Some companies put themselves in the customers' shoes. Some don't.

 

(Regent doesn't. See the list in my original post.)

 

[whystayhome]

Is there a bridge program [teacher and organized competitive games].

 

Thanks for letting me know.

 

Linda

[FauxNom]

1 hour ago, whystayhome said:

Is there a bridge program

Yes, on certain cruises. The cruise description has a little clover sign to indicate this.

 

@toolworker You can use the TV or app to book restaurants and maybe things like spa services, but I don't recall being able to confirm excursions that way. Maybe you can request them and get a response; I don't recall and haven't tried it.

 

I think the internet is fine.

 

The lecture videos are set up so it's like playing a movie, or you can watch it on livestream. 

[highplanesdrifters]

16 hours ago, FauxNom said:

You can use the TV

 

If the TV works.🤣

[jpalbny]

I used the TV a little bit on our Cloud cruise last month, but I used the web-based platform (not an app; I have to keep reminding myself) on my phone pretty much every day. It worked very well, in fact, better than it ever has for me in the past.

 

I checked dinner reservations and could see availability for additional reservations. I could preview the day's menus in all of the restaurants, and I could actually take screenshots to post in my trip log (which I think works better than taking pictures of the paper menu in dim light).

 

I've never seen the inside of a Silversea spa so I have no idea whether you can make appointments using the interactive system. I am pretty sure that excursions are NOT available for reservation on that system - I tried looking and couldn't find any way to access that. And once you're on board you can't access it through the my.silversea site any more either. 

 

Anyway, I was happy that it worked so well. Either they've improved it, or I've finally learned how to use it effectively. 

[TLCOhio]

20 hours ago, whystayhome said:

Is there a bridge program [teacher and organized competitive games].  Thanks for letting me know.  Linda

 

On our India to Singapore Silver Moon in February, YES, we had two bridge experts on board and doing programs.  We had dinner with them during the cruise.  Nice folks.   But, as noted, such staffing is not on all Silversea cruises.  My sense is that it is more likely on longer cruise with more sea days.   

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

India to Singapore 2024: Live/Blog approaching 20,000 views with many visuals, including “Golden Triangle”, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2992045-live-terryohio-india-to-signapore-silver-moon-rising-pix’s/

[gnome12]

2 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Anyway, I was happy that it worked so well. Either they've improved it, or I've finally learned how to use it effectively. 

I think you learned how to use it effectively. I never got it working on my recent cruise on the Dawn. I’m sure it is just me. 

[Mark_K]

On 7/10/2024 at 2:01 PM, whystayhome said:

Is there a bridge program [teacher and organized competitive games].

 

Thanks for letting me know.

 

Linda

Currently scheduled bridge sailings

[bubbulz]

I’m really surprised to hear the criticisms of the standard internet. I didn’t have any issues, although my experience at this point is limited to Endeavour in Antarctica. I was able to upload photos and videos and do pretty much everything I do on a daily basis on my iPhone and iPad. I never had any inclination to upgrade. (This was in November of 2023 with Starlink active.)

[MisterBubba]

We also generally travel on Regent as well but are looking at the Nova for Alaska. It doesn't look like there is a card room or a conference room to play games.  Anyone know where we can play a board game on the Nova?

[jollyjones]

12 hours ago, MisterBubba said:

We also generally travel on Regent as well but are looking at the Nova for Alaska. It doesn't look like there is a card room or a conference room to play games.  Anyone know where we can play a board game on the Nova?

 

When I was on the Nova in April, it was on the Starboard side of the Observation lounge on deck 10.

The bridge players were on the Port side, by the coffee machine.

 

[commodoredave]

On 7/14/2024 at 9:47 AM, bubbulz said:

I’m really surprised to hear the criticisms of the standard internet. I didn’t have any issues, although my experience at this point is limited to Endeavour in Antarctica. I was able to upload photos and videos and do pretty much everything I do on a daily basis on my iPhone and iPad. I never had any inclination to upgrade. (This was in November of 2023 with Starlink active.)

Our experience as well.However, we use the wi-fi for basic things such as email, and basic website surfing. Never stream movies, but music streaming has been fine. Never do Zoom calls either.

[bubbulz]

3 hours ago, commodoredave said:

Our experience as well.However, we use the wi-fi for basic things such as email, and basic website surfing. Never stream movies, but music streaming has been fine. Never do Zoom calls either.

Based on recent experience I think it also depends on the location. It was up and down constantly in the Arctic and much less reliable than Antarctica (same ship).