Silver Whisper - Disappointment

[mistrtj]

letter to the boss is the way to go. everything else could be grandstanding

[blackbird71]

The purpose of my original posting was to inform and share my experience. I have learned a lot from many of you by reading your reviews and thought my comments would be of value.

 

For the record, I did not send an anonymous note but mailed a 3-page letter to the CEO and the head of guest relations of Silversea. While I'm not expecting much of a response, I will let you know the outcome.

 

LOL mine is only 1 1/2 pages and Peters will have by snail mail on Wed. :)

[jhp]

I got this from another board, but perhaps it would be helpful to those wanting to write to a company person. The further up the chain, the more the mail, and the less attention it gets. Sometimes better to direct mail to where it needs to be:

 

Frank Sansone, Manager, Guest Relations & Venetian Society. The address for Silversea is 110 East Broward Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33301.

 

The person who gave that address had a problem back in mid-2005, and was given a thoughtful response. That was such a thoughtless answer over the e-mail, probably coming from a 20-something person who is directed to give a canned reply to "internet" related mail complaints. Word of mouth advertising being the most important way to advertise (for free!) and value of internet today tells me that Silversea should take this seriously. Not a ten percent dissapointment factor here like mstrtj asserts. Have we had ONE good report about this cruise? I am a glass half-full sort of person, have enjoyed every cruse I ever took (all 17) and I'm not a SS basher, loved my one cruise on Shadow, and hate to see this happen. Same thing going on with RSSC for a recent cruise (I cruise mostly RSSC, but don't put one above the other...they are two peas in a pod to me). Corporate needs to read and look into these things.

[mdmourges]

Just curious, what do you want them to say or do? Do you want another cruise with them? Doesn't sound like it. Do you want your money back? Then ask for it back. Or is it something else? I think very short letter would get the point across. Why don't you try "I didn't get my money's worth and won't be using your company ever again". I have a feeling that pages of complaints will go unread.

 

Mark

[blackbird71]

Just curious, what do you want them to say or do? Do you want another cruise with them? Doesn't sound like it. Do you want your money back? Then ask for it back. Or is it something else? I think very short letter would get the point across. Why don't you try "I didn't get my money's worth and won't be using your company ever again". I have a feeling that pages of complaints will go unread.

 

Mark

 

Peters could make one call and the April 5 cruise would IMHO go back to their normal standards. And there is something worse in my letter that nobody has posted yet on this public forum :( We do have CCers on that April 5 cruise and they should get IMHO Silverseas best.

 

Myself, I cancelled my Dec 9 day cruise and I told Peters I never want any mail from Silverseas or Venetian Society. I had a cruise and enjoyed the islands but I will not pay Silverseas prices for bad service.

[MuseCruiser]

sorry, duplicate post

[marycang]

We were on the Whisper Mar 20 - 28, Costa Rica to Puerto Rico.. I inquired at the reception desk about SeaMobile and they said it was still in negotiations??? On Mar 29, the home page of Cruise Critic had an article that stated the Whisper had been running a trial of SeaMobile since February. As far as I could tell people on the ship seemed clueless. I would suggest your TA call SS and get the facts

 

Just got off the Whisper in San Juan on Mar 28. If you want to have dinner in La Terraza BOOK WHEN YOU GET ON THE SHIP. We booked 3 nites even before we went to our suite. After that they told us it was full. I don't quite get it. They don't want to seat you with other people at a table for 4-6. The room is not full. The staff is small and I think there might be a problem with kitchen. Not sure where that is. The first night we pressed them to seat us with more people. The maitre'd finally went to get a couple at a table for 2 and brought them to our table for 4. That couple told us that they didn't seat people because a table for 2 was more intimate. Hello!!!! I think that as an adult I can determine when I want intimate and when I want the company of other people. We really enjoyed meeting that couple and ended up having dinner with them every formal nite in La Terraza. The food in La Terraza is not any better than the Restaurant just different. Actually none of the food is that memorable.

 

Our experience on the Puerto Caldera to San Juan cruise , Mar. 18, 2006

 

In Greneda, 2 tours were leaving at 9:30. We went down to deck 3 to go on our tour at 9:20. There was no water for those leaving the ship to take with them. My husband went back up to our suite and took a bottle of water out of our fridge. It was over 15 min. before any water was delivered to the gangway area.

 

In Los Roques, where the only shore trip was to a beach, there were no towels in the gangway area when we arrived to catch the tender. Probably a wait of 5-10 min. for towels to be delivered.

 

In Dominica we planned to leave the ship as soon as it was docked to go to the Cathedral for services. I went down to deck 5 tour desk to get a map of Roseau, met my husband at the gangway and saw on the map that it was a couple of blocks from the cruise dock to the church. WRONG! We did stop to ask a taxi driver which direction to walk to get to the church and he told us we were not at the cruise ship dock, but that SS had free shuttles from where we were docked to the real cruise dock (the one on the map). In our opinion SS should put a map of ports in the Chronicle and should definitely tell passengers where the ship is docked. About 8:00 when the cruise director who announces that the ship is cleared and that passengers can depart the ship he should have said that SS had shuttles to take us to the real cruise dock.

 

One morning our wake-up call came in an hour early and when we turned on the TV. It had the wrong time on the ship info. I called down to room service just to ask what time it was and they did have the right time. So somewhere a clock was off but no one ever gave us an explanation.

 

Our room stewardess was very helpful when we reported the lack of a hairdryer, a broken alarm clock and a burned out light bulb in the bathroom ceiling. She also kept our fridge stocked with sparkling water as requested and bottles of white and red wine when we requested it.

 

Were these "little things"? Yes! For the money it cost, it was too many little things. It just seemed to us that there weren’t enough people working together or that they lacked coordination. I certainly doubted at times that “we were on one of the worlds best small ships”

 

This a combination of 3 different posts by myself. I thought it would be informative if CC posters knew this was not the 4 day cruise, rather a 10 day cruise, just prior to the 4 day cruise. We have sailed Radisson and Wind Star (where you have to pay for every drink) But the little niceities, the caretaking was much more apparent

[SonomaWine]

First of all, I must say the Mistrtj nailed what I feel to be the best response on this board. As a repeat guest on Silversea, we have found them to be credible in all of our customer dealings. We have personally met Albert Peters and he is sincere in caring for the guest needs. After repeat cruises we have had a few minor issues, but they were all resolved directly with the people who can make a difference and we did not feel it was appropriate to air them on this board. What I can tell you is deal with them directly and with facts, and they will treat you fairly in return.

 

I know I am just stating the obvious, but SS is the best cruise line. We are looking forward to our upcoming cruise at the end of this week. We know what to expect, we are return guests, and we go on board and focus on the enjoying ourselves.

[easy spirit]

Just returned from the March 28 4 day "Carnival" cruise onboard the Whisper & will like to share my "small stuff" experience that at the end of the 4th day added to a whole "big stuff".

My husband & I along with 10 friends, all experienced cruisers with more than 125 combined cruises in major cruise lines, decided to try this SS short cruise, as it departed from San Juan, our hometown.

Our expectations were high as SS "IS" considered one of the best of small cruise line, but it didn't took a lot of time to face the crude reality of a mediocre & erratic service, tasteless food, unattentive (few exceptions) & unsufficient staff, etc... etc... in one word it seemed like an "in training cruise" (including the chef). I think someone wrote that indeed it was. Not impressed at all

Yes, the accomodations are all suites, spacious with walking closet , an ample bathroom with double sinks, bathtub (with mole) & a separate shower, & toiletries from Acqua di Parma. Yes, all the beverages (wine, cocktails, cordials etc.) was included and yes, the mini bar was refilled upon request, and yes, gratuities were included on the fare (maybe that lack of incentive was the reason of the staff not going the extra mile). But those things were outnumbered by the negatives. Basic things like a refill of water & wine, supply of sugar & butter were always missing & you must constantly had to inquire for them. Is that" providing the finest service , conmesurate with their status as a 6* luxury cruise line" ?, as they praise to be.

To All of us SERVICE, Quality of the Food & Cleanliness are the most important things in a cruise & the lack of the first two was the major problem. The decor of the ship, specially the suites, was dated & in desperate need of a fresh refurbishment.

We as a group did enjoy ourselves as it is a very congenial group, enjoyed the weather & the islands specially St. Barts (not the tendering service which was chaotic) had fun, danced & laughed & "didn't sweat the small stuff".

The reason for writing this is to share our group experience & as the "word of mouth" advertising is free & the best, whoever read this will make an informed decision of what to expect from SS. We all will keep cruising, (I already have book a September cruise to the Greek Islands & the rest of the group will go to South America) but never more with SS.

As Warren Buffet says "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it". There are many negatives reviews & a very arrogant, canned response from the SS office that made many people unhappy. So watch out SS, because if you continue to ignore valid opinions from real (not anonymus) persons your 6* will be falling apart.

PD. Wish all the luck for the future cruisers with SS. Please share your experiences.

[cruiseluv]

I was about to post my comments but in reading Easy Spirit's post I find he/ she reflects EXACTLY my sentiments so no need to "mess with success".

 

So Easy Spirit I hope you don't mind I piggy back on your comments and "ditto" them!

 

Something else I would like to point out and about which I haven't read any comments. Throughout the cruise there was an awful sewage smell that permeated several areas of the ship. These areas were: between the Reception area and where the deck 5 cabins started (this one lasted for 2 days and then it seem to get better), at the right end of the bar counter at The Bar lounge, and on the right side of the show lounge. Everybody in my group commented about this and one couple said they could also smell it inside their cabin (I think they were on Deck 7). I hope they fix whatever is causing that!

 

We had a good time in spite of the many lapses in service . But this cruise was nothing close to the " 6 star "experience they purport to offer. Of course I would be curious to find out what made this cruise an aberration( hopefully that's what it is) but I doubt I ever will.

[uk1]

No product is perfect and any business that relies on people rather than machines has an inbuilt opportunity to be inconsistent. That means that occasionally, people as discerning as Silversea customers will experience a disappointment. What’s great about many of the posts in the thread is that although some people found some elements of this particular “taster cruise” unacceptable they also were able to balance this against the more positive aspects.

 

It's helpful and useful to other cruisers to feedback experiences, but it isn't in itself, or is simply bringing the information desk's attention to a thread on a newsgroup - a substitute for a polite and well-balanced letter to the CEO. The company is unlikely to start discussing or dealing with complaints from individual clients in the public arena of a newsgroup. But how the CEO and company then handles a well constructed and reasonable complaint is the true test of how much a company cares for it’s customers – and how well organised it is.

 

Id also make one other point. It’s perfectly acceptable to return to the board and say “I wrote, I heard back, I’m satisfied” or “dissatisfied”, but I’m personally really edgy about the ethics of those that take a high ground with their complaint but then publish in full the personal correspondence from others without seeking the other person’s agreement. I guess we wouldn’t like it if they published letters from guests without permission and they therefore deserve the same courtesy.

 

Write either to Frank Sansone or Albert Peters and let us know whether it was dealt with satisfactorily.

 

Jeff

[blackbird71]

The decor of the ship, specially the suites, was dated & in desperate need of a fresh refurbishment.

Because it is my understanding that the Whisper is due into dry-dock I have not posted about problems from wear in my suite but will now. But first :D

 

FIRECHIEF BLACKBIRD reporting, ( I have a friend that was on the Star Princess one month before it's fire) I counted 4 sprinkler heads and two smoke detectors in my suite... End of Report :p

 

The edge of the bed facing the veranda was sagging from too many ppl sitting on it. The rug was worn and pulling away from the edge of the desk/enterainment unit. The furnature on the veranda had seen too many days of salt water, plus in the pictures on the veranda they show foot stools for the chairs and they were missing from my veranda. The desk top had nicks in it.

 

Good news/Bad News - First the good news, they do have DVD players in the suites. Bad News is they have re-programmed the remote to work with the DVD and not the built in VHS in the TV. So from your bed you could up and down the volume, but you had to use the front panel buttons on the TV to start and stop the tape. The TV was pointed straight forward, but there was a device on the underside of the TV that you could use to point it to the bed, but that did not work in my suite. I also do not like the check with the front desk for DVD movies. While there was a good selection of VHS movies in the library, there were only 30 some DVDs and for the DVDs you had to take the box down to the front desk to get the movie.

 

One of my favorite places on the RSSC Mariner was the Library/Computer center with this 21th Century coffee machine.

 

During my planning for the cruise, (I was in suite 503) and to do email I had planned to go to the single elevator and take it up to the observation lounge to WiFi from. But WiFi did not work when I was on the Whisper and when I looked around the observation lounge I saw ye olde glass coffee pot sitting on ye olde hot plate with who knows how old of coffee in it.

 

ON FOOD: ( copied from my post on the RSSC forum)

 

In my twelve days on the Mariner, I had one "not good" entree, while on the Whisper I had only one good entree and that was a steak the rest were so-so.

 

While different people on the same cruise can come off the same cruise and one will love the food and the other hate the food, the thing that got me was the selection. Four nights and four chicken consomme with matzo balls soups. Some nights there were only one other choice of soup. OK the chef did try to spice up the names of the matzo ball soup. One night it was "Chicken Consomme with Matzo Balls" and the next " Consomme di Pollo con Matzo Balls" ( That should be Ball not Balls, the one night I had it, it had one dime size matzo ball in it)

 

Likewise with their restaurants. I did not do Signatures but in 12 days I did try the other two non-main restaurants on the Mariner. But on the Whisper, before all the people where onboard their buffet turned Italian restaurant at night was booked solid. Their Signaures type is $150 pp and I did not try it. So that leaves only the main restaurant.

On the last night both one of the guys from Ca and myself ordered the Crème Brûlée for desert. Soupy Crème Brûlée is different.

 

The wear and tear of my suite and the so-so food in the main restaurant was not a big deal for me, but the service issues are. To be served so-so food is one thing, but to have to wait and flag down the wine steward is not the mark of a 6 star restaurant. Likewise ordering a special entree and watching the asst. maitre d' lie to the maitre d' about ever talking to me and only when we were alone does he then remembers talking to me.

[lord of the seas]

Dear all,

The crew are used to a certain type/level of clientele as are staff at a five star Hotel.They gear themselves for this high level and are used to dealing with things that are associated with high net worth people.The problem is with the four day cruises.The company targets new clients,which is fine but as the cruises are somewhat cheaper than the normal week/two weeks cruises,it often attracts a different level of person who would normally travel with a lesser quality line.Now there is nothing wrong with wanting to aspire to a higher level and seek something better for ourselves,but the problem in the service industry is that the majority of staff cannot or do not want to cope with the different styles that they are faced with.They are accustomed to one level and can often look down their noses at people who should be given the same service as the familiar faces that they know. This results in the cruise line having a big problem as we have seen here on these boards.The solution is training but it can only happen if the cruise lines realise that they have a problem,so please fellow cruisers write in to the powers that be and voice your opinion

[blackbird71]

Dear all,

...

often attracts a different level of person who would normally travel with a lesser quality line.Now there is nothing wrong with wanting to aspire to a higher level and seek something better for ourselves,but the problem in the service industry is that the majority of staff cannot or do not want to cope with the different styles that they are faced with.

 

I meet two general types of ppl on this cruise. Ones on free tickets from drug/insurance companies and ppl like myself out to test the product. There are a number of ships that do the itineraries I want to do, but SS is higher in $$ than them but had it's own advantages or so I thought.

[uk1]

I meet two general types of ppl on this cruise. Ones on free tickets from drug/insurance companies and ppl like myself out to test the product. There are a number of ships that do the itineraries I want to do, but SS is higher in $$ than them but had it's own advantages or so I thought.

 

 

The real problem here then is that SS set this out to be a sampler to encourage people to spend more on the "full monty". It has however had the opposite effect and put some off.

 

Jeff

[lord of the seas]

Jeff,

Are you preparing lunch for Mrs UK1 ?

Might it be an Onuga Omelette ?

[mistrtj]

UK1, It might have put a dozen or so people "off" and they took to this Board, but who knows what the other 290 (who may not even know about CC) or so guests are doing?

 

I'm willing to wager that for every first timer on that cruise posting their displeasure here and waving the "I'll NEVER sail SS again" banner, SS has booked two longer, higher cost trips by people who had a wonderful time!

[uk1]

Hi Jack,

 

Just done, completed and consumed. A small corn-fed chicken with a Noily based provencale herb buttery sauce, olive oily roasted small potatoes with brocolli and sprouts - and sauvignon. Smothered because I know not better with parsley. People like it when I talk dirty. By the way - the french are currently revolting. It went wrong when they dismantled the guillotine.

 

If you are inclined to contact I'd like to pursue a topic you raised a few days ago offline but was deleted on the basis it was understandably nothing to do with cruising.

 

My address today is uk1forum-at-yahoo.co.uk if you like

 

Jeff

[LOGHL]

It would be ever so nice & good manners to boot...to refer to the president as

MR.PETERS & not just Peters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[uk1]

It would be ever so nice & good manners to boot...to refer to the president as

MR.PETERS & not just Peters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

There is no President I'm aware of called either Peters or Mr Peters.

 

In any event - it may be cultural. In the UK for example, I personally didn't go to Public School (ie us=private school) but it is normal for people to formally call each other "Peters" rather than "Albert Peters" or "Mr Peters" which I think is left over from "Public School". In other words you'd say "Come here Peters for your thrashing" rather than "come here Albert for your thrashing". It isn't considered disrespectful. Jack will tell you that Lords actuall ONLY use their last name on many documents. I wish I was a Lord. I could be just plain "1" rarther than common "UK1" - and everyone would still know who I was. Still at least I have my picture on every notice board outside every police station and I feel wanted.

 

It is strange - but in the UK at least when people know each other well enough they often affectionately only call each other by their second name. I'm not certain however the Peters issue currently falls into that category. My pet name for my wife is her surname with a "y" on the end. I've forgotten her first name.

 

Jeff

[blackbird71]

 

I'm willing to wager that for every first timer on that cruise posting their displeasure here and waving the "I'll NEVER sail SS again" banner, SS has booked two longer, higher cost trips by people who had a wonderful time!

 

So far no CCer that was on the Mar 28 cruise has said service was good or great. But we are running 100% that it had problems. And I am sure the 1st time cruisers on FREE tickets loved the FREE cruise.

 

As for the Magtag repairman sorry the Cruise Consulant, because I was on the same floor as he was and I passed his office going to the bank of four elevators, sad to say he was lonely most of the time. On my RSSC cruise there was always somebody in there talking to their CC.

[mistrtj]

So far no CCer that was on the Mar 28 cruise has said service was good or great. But we are running 100% that it had problems.

100% of the dozen or fewer posting here? No dispute there.

Please read my post again and carefully this time. I KNOW that the CCer's from that cruise posting here are 100% in harmony (though some pickier than others) that they did not like and will not again sail on SS. But how many CCer's from that cruise have posted here? Four? Five? A dozen? That leaves quite a number of people (perhaps greater than 300?) no one has heard from and it would be presumptuous of any of else to think that a dozen or fewer anonymous bulletin board fanatics speak for an entire passenger list.

And wouldn't it just bug the heck out of some IF someone who was on that ship as the result of a contest or reward (ie gratis) had a good time? And what if that "freeloader" had the audacity to actually BOOK ANOTHER CRUISE? If so,,,, good move SS! ;)

[DebbieH103]

Well, I am curious how they served the April 1 charter. That trip was originally available, and that is the one we wanted since our anniv was during those 4 nights. Exactly 60 days out, they took it off sale when it got chartered and presumably paid in full.

 

My husband and I are using it as a sampler, and he booked the silver links 365, and I booked the top facial, so we will also have golf and spa to report on. I can't imagine it will all be bad. We do like our wine glass filled and to have not a 45 min wait between courses. If we don't like it, we will look to Seabourn or stick to hotels. I hope it is great. We have to haul out to George Charles here from St. Lucia at 6 or 6:30 in the morning to make our flight, and I am sure we will be ready.

 

I would think that mgt. reads this board whether they admit it or not if anyone has pointed them to the number of page views.

 

I would not disrespect those that got a free trip, either. Sometimes we go on free trips and say that we would not come back free, and I always access it as if I had paid full rate. Some may not be able to be that objective, but I am paying full fare of $985 a night on this cruise (more per night than if we booked 12), and I am hoping for a good experience.

 

w

[zacho46]

It looks like this thread is getting too long and has also attracted the attention of a few who don't like objectivity. Since I started this posting, I will try to end it with the following comments...

 

First, it was never my intention to not enjoy my cruise or to trash a cruise line I have long admired and wanted to try. I provided my review for the benefit of others - as I have benefited from the comments and reviews posted elsewhere on this site.

 

Second, many of the observations and comments noted in my review were also expressed by many other passengers - including Venetian Society members with more than 100 nights of experience under their belts. I don't think many of them are familiar with this board and am fairly confident they would express similar views if they were.

 

Third, if my concerns and issues were properly addressed while aboard the Whisper, I would have been satisfied and this review would have been as positive as the comments I have shared from previous Radisson, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean voyages on this and other websites.

 

Finally, I provided my comments, in writing, to the CEO and Guest Relations manager at Silversea in order for them to take the necessary steps to make sure future customers (regardless of the length of their journey) get what they pay for and expect from a luxury service provider.

 

Happy sailings to all!

[DebbieH103]

I just wrote a novel here from St. Lucia and lost it. The joy of internet in the Caribbean. :(

 

Let me see what I can write and start fresh.

 

I would think tptb would be interested in this board even if they say they aren't if anyone has directed them to the number of page views. Also, if someone is anon, all they would have to do is replay to that email again w/ their original post and give their full name, category booked, price paid, etc.

 

My husband and I are hoping for a good experience tomorrow. I am wondering how it will be after they have done that April 1 charter. We tried to get on that since our anniversary is today, but they sold it out on that charter exactly 60 days out.

 

I would not try to discredit the people on there for free. You never know people's circumstances. We have been on a free trip before that went bad, and we wish we had paid full price and gone elsewhere. Vacation time is VERY precious, and someone paid for that trip, so those people should have been allowed to expect service as if they paid full rate.

 

We paid $985 a night (more than if we booked for 12 nights), and we do like our wine filled and don't like to wait 45 min between courses and do get really ticked if a room bar is not filled. Other small stuff is fine. We booked silver links 365 for Todd and the top facial for me, so we should be able to get a really good sample of stuff besides just the service to see if we want to try Seabourn next or go back to land based 5-star hotels or give SS another go. I hope to post from the panorama lounge or the computer room or my blackberry and let people know how it is going.

 

Thanks to all those trying to push for us on April 5 to have a good time. I am sure the 5 active CCers appreciate it, as do any lurkers. Carl and Andrea are at their hotel, and I imagine they might be glad they missed some of this.

 

Still with an open mind.

 

Debbie