Regent vs. Silver Seas

[Ste. Michelle]

Just finished our 4th Regent Cruise in March. There's always a lot of talk onboard about Silver Seas. Has anybody cruised on both lines? Is Silver Seas any better? We seem to have all that we want or need with Regent, but I wonder if I'm missing something?

[JDRMYS]

The only thing that we like better on Silversea is the decor of the public areas which is much simpler and less colorful than that on the RSSC ships. To our (very conservative) taste, the decor on RSSC (except on the Paul Gaughin) is just a bit too glitzy. On the other hand, we've spent 120 days+/- on RSSC and only 10 on Silversea and we have future bookings on RSSC but not on Silversea. Will we take Silversea in the future? Probably, but we'll still probably take more cruises on RSSC than on any other line.

 

Problems, for us, on Silversea?

 

1) An incompetent and overworked front desk during our cruise. The only way to get in touch with the stewardesses is to call the front desk and ask them to page your stewardess. The overworked people at the front desk let the phone ring and ring and ring and didn't answer it often on our cruise. The RSSC system is much more efficient. This also caused a real problem for me when I was ashore at St. Barts and discovered that I had left my ID and driver's liscense on board the ship. I tried for over an hour to reach the ship by telephone and no one picked up. Finally I called the Silversea main office in Miami. They told me that someone on the ship would call me back; no one ever called.

 

2) Food in the main dining room was not very good. As an example, they served what they called foie gras to us as a special order. It turned out to be a cheap, airy, whipped liver mouse that didn't taste very good.

 

The food in the Italian restaurant (no charge, but by reservation only) was quite good, but we got in only once. We did not realize that the Silversea system is not like the RSSC system of reservations for Signatures and Lattitudes so we made one reservation at the beginning of the cruise. When we asked about booking another night we discovered that we couldn't because they were fully booked with waitlists for the rest of the cruise. This was not for the RSSC reason that everyone has to have a chance to book at least once before repeat reservations are accepted, but because many repeat Silversea cruisers (who must have known about the food in the main dinig room) had already booked tables in the Italian restaurant for every night. There was no attempt at any sort of equity and no limits were imposed. We did have dinner once in Le Champagne, a splendid small restaurant with a set menu that changes nightly and that includes top quality wines with each course. The only problem is that it costs $150 per person per meal.

 

As I write this, I realize why taking another Silversea cruise has not been one of our highest priorities.

[neviboy]

Thank goodness we all have different tastes and opinions otherwise it would be a boring 'world!'

We just completed our 8th. Regent cruise. Four on Voyager and Mariner each.

We ventured into SS, via Shadow 2 years ago, sailed Wind last May and going on Wind May 16th.

I described our Shadow cruise but refrained from comparisons with Regent, mainly because we were satisfied with all aspects of food, service, suites, etc. etc. on both lines.

We tried the Italian restaurant on Wind, and was dissatisfied with the quality of food . This was our only 'complaint.' This would never justify a negative critique. (One swallow doth not a summer make)

The ability to socialize was enhanced by the open bar policy on S.S. but that has now changed with Regent adopting the same policy, as enjoying the camaraderie on Mariner last January in the popular Mariner lounge proved.

Of course, 350 v. 650 passengers tends towards closer relationships for those of us who enjoy meeting new people and sharing views on a variety of topics.

The main difference is in the ability of SS to cover smaller and less visited ports than Regent. Our forthcoming voyage includes Cassis, Sardinia and Corsica, for example.

So there you have it. One couple's opinion.

[Dolebludger]

In the not-too-distant past, we have cruised all the ships now in Regent's fleet at least once, plus the now-sold Diamond. Our most recent cruise was last September on the Silver Cloud, Stockholm to London. Both lines seem to have their good and not so good points. We too preferred the main dining room food on Regent, but liked the small size of the Cloud (290 guests). The entertainment was better on the Cloud, but the excursions were better on Regent -- at least as to our particular cruises. As Nevil suggests, The smaller ship size on Silversea can have itinerary advantages. In the case of our cruise, the little Cloud was able to cruise right up the Thames River under the Tower Bridge and into London. Any similar itinerary would have to dock at Dover -- a good distance from London.

 

For us, any future choice between Regent and Silversea would be based on price and itinerary.

 

Thanks,

Richard

[AWED23]

Just finished our 4th Regent Cruise in March. There's always a lot of talk onboard about Silver Seas. Has anybody cruised on both lines? Is Silver Seas any better? We seem to have all that we want or need with Regent, but I wonder if I'm missing something?

We have been on both....We were on Silver Shadow in January for 11 days and that is our last SS cruise...We are looking forward to 3 weeks on Navigator in the Med from 9/8 to 9/29....

[JPR]

DOLEBLUDGER writes: "In the case of our cruise, the little Cloud was able to cruise right up the Thames River under the Tower Bridge and into London. Any similar itinerary would have to dock at Dover -- a good distance from London."

 

Actually, we sailed on the Voyager last August, and it was able (as are all Regent ships and the larger two-syllable SS ships) to sail up the Thames and anchor off Greenwich.

[Dolebludger]

Good, because Greenwich is closer to London than Dover, by a long shot. If our ship (Cloud) couldn't have gone beyond Greenwich, we would still have missed much of the exciting sites from the river, so I've still got to give Silversea a "plus" on this one.

 

But I distinctly recall looking at some Regent cruises in the Baltic and North Atlantic area that listed the destination as "London (Dover)". Am I wrong?

[OrpingtonT]

In the case of our cruise, the little Cloud was able to cruise right up the Thames River under the Tower Bridge and into London.

Thanks,

Richard

 

Just for interest, where did the Silver Cloud dock in London?

 

I visited Voyager whilst it was in Greenwich last summer and was shown round and entertained by the staff there. We had to tender out to its moorings though.

 

Dover is 70 miles or so south of London and Greenwich is actually part of the Capital. Incidentally, for those of you who saw the Cutty Sark when you were in Greenwich it was taken away yesterday for repairs and refurbishment.

[Dolebludger]

On the Thames River in London, just a few hundred yards inland from the Tower Bridge, there is a WWII Brittish destroyer docked on what would be your "left side" of the river. The Cloud docked along side of this destroyer, and the guests could get to shore by walking through the destroyer to the dock. The only problem this posed was the destroyer is docked on the wrong side of the river as far as London's attractions are concerned. A shuttle boat was provided to take guests across the river.

 

This was our disembarkation port. However, the Cloud arrived there in the early afternoon of the day before disembarkation, and remained docked there overnight. This allowed guests who wished to do so to sample London's night life.

 

Thanks,

Richard

[Ste. Michelle]

We have been on both....We were on Silver Shadow in January for 11 days and that is our last SS cruise...We are looking forward to 3 weeks on Navigator in the Med from 9/8 to 9/29....

 

 

Which do you prefer?

[AWED23]

Which do you prefer?

Definately Regent. We went on a 21 day South American cruise on the Silver Cloud in 1999....Many, many cruises later I felt it was time to try Silver Seas again because now they had 2 larger vessels, Shadow and Whisper. The general management of the ship just was not up to my standards. We have always enjoyed Regent and also the longer "Grand Voyages" aboard HAL's Prinsendam.:cool:

[Ste. Michelle]

Guess we'll stick with Regent. ( We're already booked on the Voyager Oct. 6 and the Navigator March 14,2008.)

[JPR]

To DOLEBLUDGER:

 

1. Apparently RSSC is not going to dock at Greenwich this year.

 

2. Technically, the HMS Belfast is a WWII light cruiser, which is about two to three times heavier in tonnage than WWII-era destroyers. in 1944, it participated most famously in the Battle of the North Cape, helping to sink the Scharnhorst. The tour of the Belfast is well worthwhile (just behind Churchill's War Rooms and the Imperial War Museum on my list of recommended London tours with Second World War themes).

[Dolebludger]

You are right. I recall now, it was the Bellfast! And to think that I didn't even tour it! I certainly should have done so, as the Churchill War Rooms are my favorite London attraction.

 

But that was only one cruise, and my description of the "ups and downs" in taking Silversea for it, instead of RSSC. That does not mean that I will not chose RSSC for my next cruise, because I probably will.

 

Thanks,

Richard

[OrpingtonT]

Thank you, Dolebludger. The smaller Cloud, as you say, would get there whilst the Voyager could only get as far as Greenwich.

 

Quite apart from HMS Belfast, there are attractions on the South side of the Thames, but you are right, Theatreland, Houses of Parliament, etc, etc are all north of the river.

[AWED23]

Guess we'll stick with Regent. ( We're already booked on the Voyager Oct. 6 and the Navigator March 14,2008.)

:cool: I am sure you made the right choice...One other reason I prefer Regent over Silver Seas that I did not mention.....The passenger demographics are different !!!...More laid back and down to earth on Regent....Aboard Silver Seas...more "Class conscious"...Snooty???....Just my 75 year old opinion but I told someone once that I view Regent as an upscale Holland America and Silver Seas as a GOAL for Crystal cruisers....Oh well, MORE GIN !!!........Rob.:D

[Dolebludger]

I agree with what AWED says. We did not find the Silversea fellow guests to be "snobby" or anything like that. But we did feel that our fellow guests on SS preferred more formality than those on RSSC. I've often attended RSSC formal nights in dark suit and tie and felt not a bit out of place. On SS, I was advised to take my tux if I wanted to fit in on formal nights. Glad I did, because the vast majority of other men wore tuxes. SS's style of service was also more fomal than that of RSSC. Niether one better than the other -- just different in style.

 

One thing I may have forgotten to mention is that in our limited experience, RSSC's excursions have been far superior to SS's

 

Morover, just checked RSSC's website, and the closest port I could find to London is now Dover. It is the disembarkation port, and I assume air would be out of Heathrow or Gatwick, but don't know. But this may not be a bad thing for all prospective guests. for example, I've been to London a number of times, but have never been to Dover and would personally prefer to go there next time instead of another stop in London.

 

Thanks,

Richard

[thedog]

Been on both and think both have plusses and minuses. Frankly was not very happy with the bars on Rssc but now they may be better with the open drink policy. The guests tended to drink more at the tables where drinks then were free. Food on Regent is better in the main dining room, and I rather liked the food on SS. I thought the port info was a little better on Regent. Both are good compared to the other lines. My choice would be based on the trip and also the price.

[Ste. Michelle]

All good information. As far as I can tell, and looking at member reviews, the differences seem to be quite subtle.

 

We've never been unhappy with Regent. The "all inclusive" policy seems to level the field. We like the itineraries, the ships, etc. We have 2 booked cruises, and we're looking at a 3rd. For now, can't see any reason to switch.

 

Thanks for all the input.

[blackbird71]

If you want NCL quality food and service at a high price then try Silverseas. They have a very bad quality control problem. I did a short 4 day SS cruise and the crew made it known to the passengers that it was a "Carnival" cruise . But on a per day basis I paid more on SS than my following two cruises on Seabourn.

 

IMHO food and service goes 1 - Seabourn 2 - RSSC :)

[minxtabb]

We have sailed on Silversea, Seabourn and Regent and would have to conclude that Regent do not really offer the same quality of service that Seabourn in particular and Silversea do. Food and menus were much better on Seabourn and Silversea.

 

That being said, for the right itinerary, we would cruise with Regent again.

 

Roz

[Dolebludger]

A good point has been raised, in that we have experienced vibration or shaking problems on all current RSSC ships except the Mariner. We found the Silver Cloud to be the most vibration-free ship we have cruised compared to RSSC and a number of other lines. That's a good thing. Further, we also like smaller ships (on RSSC, we favor the Paul Gauguin and the Navigator). That's another good thing for Silverseas, as all it has is small ships. And our sole Silverseas cruise was in no way a "Carnival Cruise."

 

On the other hand, I hope the quality-price relationship concerning excursions on our one Silverseas cruise is not typical of the line as a whole, as these excursions were not a good value, IMO. Also, we are from Oklahoma and are not accustomed to the level of formality we found on the Cloud. Ah, yes, we were forwarned and we did comply, not only with he dress codes - but also with what we knew to be the ACTUAL practice on this line. For us, tuxes and such was fun -- once. But we don't want to make it a habit! And these thing, IMO, are bad things for Silverseas.

 

Regent has (thank heavens) adopted an open bar policy just like Silverseas. No difference there, anymore.

 

Positives and negatives all considered, our choice between these two lines in the future will depend on price, itinerary, and timing. In this regard, it must be remembered that Regent has a bit of a unique itinerary in the cruise industry on its Paul Gauguin, which cruises Polynesia year round. And we feel that this is the cruise to take if one can take only one cruise in a lifetime. Strangely, this cruise has been free from the degree of price inflation that has impacted luxury cruising in the past five years, so it is really a good deal at this time. I'm not on the Paul Gauguin right now, and really feel that I should be.

[dafne]

Blackbird I am so shocked by your response that Silversea is like Carnival.

The experience you had must have been very islolated.

We spoke with a couple with 300 days on Silvesea on this cruise who only spoke very highly of Silversea. They keep coming back they rebook Silversea everytime they are on a cruise.

This couple are very sophisticated travelers- and ONLY stay in the FINEST HOTELS- and travel 12 weeks out of the year.

 

On the Silver Whisper cruise we just went on - at end spoke with at least 50 passengers and all had the same conculsion- Trip of a lifetime! Fabulous!

 

Passengers were crying they didn't want to get off.

 

The cruise we were on was 6 star and a CLASS ACT. Carnival is not 6 star!

[LOGHL]

We have sailed MANY times on SS and have not as many on Regent. BUT

We have enjoyed SS , because we are well known & are treated VERY well.

We have enjoyed Regent & have a number of cruises booked. Having said that.. I will not compare the food, decor,or anything Else. The biggest difference in the 2 cruise lines is THE FRONT OFFICE. We have in the past written to the "powers that be" on SS & either received no answer or at best a delayed letter from some lackey, with an unsatisfactory reply. We have written to Regent, and have received a rapid response directly from the president. We will pick our cruises by the itinerary, but I will tend to seriously consider Regent as my cruise line of choice.

When Bill Smith was president of SS it was a perfect line.....and never heard any complaints, since he left, there have been many complaints from "the old timers", as well as the crew, entertainers,& staff. Interesting to note that the President of Regent has been with them a very long time, and the line has improved & prospered.

[blackbird71]

Blackbird I am so shocked by your response that Silversea is like Carnival.

The experience you had must have been very islolated.

We spoke with a couple with 300 days on Silvesea on this cruise who only spoke very highly of Silversea. They keep coming back they rebook Silversea everytime they are on a cruise.

 

LOL I said NCL, it was the CREW that said this short cruise was one of THEIR CARNIVAL CRUISES.

 

There was a number of cruises in the Caribbean on the Whisper in the fall of 2006 that all had problems and were written up on the SS forum here. That why I said they had a quality control issue.

 

On my Mariner Amazon cruise I meet two ladies from the Bailiwick of Guernsey :) with 14 cruises on Silverseas and they loved them. So I tried one and it was the pits.