Possible Silversea convert

[Dolebludger]

Black pearls are a very difficult thing to value when you are on a cruise (unless you brought your jewler friend along.) When we cruised the Regent PG in French Polynesia (five times!) we were able to buy some black pearls with defects on one side for a very cheap price (like $20 USD for large ones.) We could bring them home and have them mounted into rings and drops with the defective side hidden in the mounting, and get some impressive looking jewelry for a very small price. No risk here.

 

But I personally lack the expertise to evaluate high quality pearls (that bear a high quality price), so we never bought any. But, for those who have that ability, good deals can be had.

[Leejnd4]

Petra was nice and I enjoyed it, but the Luxor overnight was the highlight of the trip for me. I would love to go back to Luxor and spend a few days there. The Silversea's overnight trip wasn't long enough. For any trip to Egypt, Luxor is a must.

 

Our guide in Cairo whose husband was a diver, told me Safaga had some of the best Red Sea diving. Sharm El-Sheikh was a big disappointment.

 

If I were you, I'd go to Luxor. There are other better and more unspoiled diving destinations in the world, such as Raja Ampat or Komodo in Indonesia, or Mergui in Andaman Sea, but there's only one Luxor.

 

Ack, I was afraid of that. I too have read that Safaga is some of the best Red Sea diving, which is why I was considering skipping Luxor. But you do have a point -- there's probably not that much under the sea that I can't see elsewhere (or haven't seen already - I spent three weeks diving in Bali in Sept, which was phenomenal). Whereas I may never get back to Egypt again. So now I'm thinking I'll have to look at little closer at that Luxor trip.

 

I've read that Sharm El-Sheikh is really crowded and over-dived. I'm glad we're stopping there, and I'll probably go diving that day, but I guess I have to put my biggest dive hopes in Aqaba, if I'm going to skip Safaga. I hope it's as good as I've heard!

 

Richard, I haven't had a bad Regent experience myself, but my last one was 15 mo. ago. I know my friends were extremely disappointed. I realize that "things happen" and every cruise is a different experience, but they had two bad ones in a row, which sounds like more than just an aberration. I hate to say that it sounds like you may be right -- that their success has led to a degradation in service. I do hope they get things back in order, because I really like their ships, and want to be able to cruise with them again!

[Jaffa]

Lee Anne,

 

Welcome to the Silversea board!

 

I am glad you did finally make it over here. I see the board is filling your inquiry questions very well and your getting heaps of feedback, which is great.

 

Something that others have not mentioned here yet is,

Silversea send a member of crew with "ALL" of their shore excursions. Each shore-Ex crew escort has direct contact with the ship and makes sure the whole thing runs to plan.

If there are any prob's they fix it up and its not left up to you to deal with.

 

It makes for a very pleasant experience.

 

Colin

[Leejnd4]

Colin, yes I finally made it here - and folks seem quite friendly and helpful in this neck of CC! Of course I haven't told my "nekkid in the shower" story yet, so they may still run me out on a rail... :D

 

Good to know that about the excursions.

[simonv]

LeeAnn,

 

This might make you feel better about skipping Safaga diving.

 

I met a German dive master on a liveaboard in Komodo. He used to own a dive shop in Germany and had run diving trips to Red Sea. He moved to Bali because Red Sea deteriorated, and stopped being the diver's paradise. It's too easy for Europeans to get to Red Sea as Americans to the Caribbean and Hawaii, and you know what that means. He and his diver-wife now run a liveaboard from Bali to Komodo and beyond.

 

Luxor is a better choice, especially after three weeks diving in Indonesia.

[Dolebludger]

Lee:

 

Our last Regent (Radisson) cruise was in September, 2005, so I have no current and relevant comments about that line either. But I can say that our last SS cruise ended only two days ago. In spite of unusually bad weather in the area, SS made the best of it, and it was a fine cruise. And I can say that the two SS ships we've been on have been very smooth riding (considering their small size) and free of any mechanical vibration in any part of the ships. In general, SS provides a nice, relaxing cruise vacation. The only difference between it and the RSSC I used to frequent is that all SS cruises have formal nights, and on them about 75% of the men wear tuxes. I didn't think I would enjoy wearing a tux when we went on our first SS cruise, but I did! It was actually rather fun.

 

If you have information you consider reliable that Regent is no longer an acceptable alternative, and if you have eliminated Seabourn from "your list" for similar reasons, I would suggest that Silversea is really all that is left that would meet your criteria. And, from VERY recent experience, I think SS would meet it well.

[Leejnd4]

Richard you hit the nail on the head. I'm sold. So...I'm going for! I just put my deposit down. :D

 

Simonv, thanks for that. I do like to mix in some diving if I'm traveling in an area that has good diving, but I also realize that when on a cruise, time off the ship is limited and I need to carefully choose how I'm going to spend it. I'm sure I'll have plenty more opportunities for scuba diving (we have some pretty great diving around here, plus I'm going back to Costa Rica this Sept.) but I doubt I'll ever get back to Egypt again. So, Luxor it is. I still have the second day in Aqaba to dive, plus I'll dive in Sharm El-Sheikh.

 

I still have questions...still hoping for an answer to the sofa question. Is it full-length sofa, or only the size of a love-seat? If I could get it, I would love to have one of the cabins that sleeps three - I believe that means the sofa converts to a bed. That way, when Mom starts sawing logs, she could move over to the sofa bed for a while, which would surely be more comfortable than a sofa. But my TA says they won't reserve one of those for two.

 

Also, anyone have an estimate of how much the overnight to Luxor costs?

[meow!]

We measured the sofa in standard cabins on Shadow/Whisper with tape, it was 62" long and 30" deep, outside dimensions. So you draw your own conclusion. Hope this helps!

[Leejnd4]

We measured the sofa in standard cabins on Shadow/Whisper with tape, it was 62" long and 30" deep, outside dimensions. So you draw your own conclusion. Hope this helps!

 

Absolutely! I'll get out my tape measure and compare that to my own sofa. Thanks!

[simonv]

LeeAnn,

 

I'm glad you are doing Luxor. I don't remember the cost, but it was not cheap. Maybe your TA can find out for you.

 

Standard suites have love seat sofas. I think they all can be converted to beds but I don't know for sure. Again have your TA call SS.

 

I just noticed that you live in the LA area. I'm from San Francisco. For us West Coast people, getting to Southeast Asia isn't too difficult. I assume you went to the Nusa Tenggara in your three weeks diving in Bali. From what I hear the Red Sea doesn't compare.

 

Next on my agenda is Irian Java, the Coral Triangle.

[Leejnd4]

Simonv - didn't do Nusa Tenggara while in Bali, but I did do Nusa Penida (Manta rays!!!) and Menjangan Island. Was supposed to do Pemuteran, but I ended up with a bad case of "Bali belly" and spent those three days in bed. :( Still, the diving in Bali was unbelievable - probably the best I've done, and I've been diving in some pretty amazing areas (Belize, French Polynesia, Costa Rica...). I was under the impression that the Red Sea was supposed to be a world-class diving region - I'll have to do some more research! I HOPE it's worthwhile - I don't want to haul my gear halfway around the world for nothing. (Especially since SS has formal nights, so I'll also have to be hauling the gowns and stuff.)

 

I'll tell ya, the flights for this cruise are definitely shudder-inducing. The shortest affordable flights into Cairo are a good 18 to 20 hours travel time there, and then back from Mombasa is about 28 hours! Ick.

 

Does anyone know if all the sofas can be converted to a bed? If so, that would be great!

[unfathomable]

Does anyone know if all the sofas can be converted to a bed? If so, that would be great!

Some can, some can't. Look on the deck plan (I think) for suites with third person occupancy. Those are the ones with the sofabeds.

[Leejnd4]

Some can, some can't. Look on the deck plan (I think) for suites with third person occupancy. Those are the ones with the sofabeds.

 

That's what I was afraid of. My TA says that Silversea won't reserve a three-occupancy cabin for 2 people. We were fortunate to get one of these on Regent's Paul Gaugin, which helped alot with the sleeping issue. Well, we'll make do. Thanks for the info!

[ERParadise]

Dear LeeAnne,

 

I noticed your msgs about Silversea and I was trying to decide whether to travel on Silversea this fall from Dubai to Singapore or on Regent Mariner from HK to singapore.

 

My wife and I are about the same age as you. We want to find a cruise with more active people than older retired people.

 

I'm not sure how these ships stack up in comparison. We like the all inclusive option so we are not troubled with constantly signing receipts.

 

We're also trying to determine the ports on these two trips to see if one stacks up better than the other.

 

You seem experienced and we would like your advice.

 

Thanks,

 

Steve

[ERParadise]

Dear LeeAnne,

 

I noticed your msgs about Silversea and I was trying to decide whether to travel on Silversea this fall from Dubai to Singapore or on Regent Mariner from HK to singapore.

 

My wife and I are about the same age as you. We want to find a cruise with more active people than older retired people.

 

I'm not sure how these ships stack up in comparison. We like the all inclusive option so we are not troubled with constantly signing receipts.

 

We're also trying to determine the ports on these two trips to see if one stacks up better than the other.

 

You seem experienced and we would like your advice.

 

Thanks,

 

Steve

[ERParadise]

Dear LeeAnne,

 

I noticed your msgs about Silversea and I was trying to decide whether to travel on Silversea this fall from Dubai to Singapore or on Regent Mariner from HK to singapore.

 

My wife and I are about the same age as you. We want to find a cruise with more active people than older retired people.

 

I'm not sure how these ships stack up in comparison. We like the all inclusive option so we are not troubled with constantly signing receipts.

 

We're also trying to determine the ports on these two trips to see if one stacks up better than the other.

 

You seem experienced and we would like your advice.

 

Thanks,

 

Steve

erparadise@gmail.com

[NJBelle]

Hi LeeAnn,

 

My family and I have sailed on both Regent and SS recently (Regent 4x, last one in July and SS twice, last one in January). Both are very similar - and I think you will be very happy with SS.

 

I can tell you about the sofa bed. We are a family of 3, so always get one of the sofabeds which can fold out into a bed. However, my daughter - who is 5 feet, 1 inch - noticed that she fit just fine on the sofa without it being pulled out. So, we just had the stewardess made it up as a sofa (not as a pulled out bed). She liked it, was comfortable, etc. Don't know how tall your mom is, but I can tell you that I had a might fine nap on it one afternoon and I am 5'10!

 

Best, NJBelle

[Leejnd4]

Steve, I don't know how much help I can be, because I'm in the same boat as you (so to speak) - I have many of the same questions. While I've been on Regent, I have yet to sail on Silversea, and posted this thread to try to get a better idea of whether or not a Silversea cruise would be as rewarding an experience.

 

From what I've read here, and many other places, I tend to think that the passenger demographics will be similar...with Regent possibly having a slightly younger, more active crowd then Silversea. But please know that this is just my impression based on lots of reading, not first-hand experience.

 

Plus, there are MANY factors that influence the demographics of a particular cruise, including location, time of year, and the length of the cruise. You will generally get a younger crowd on shorter itineraries. I believe that Middle East cruises typically tend to have an older crowd than tropical locales such as the Caribbean and French Polynesia.

 

I made the decision this time to go with Silversea instead of Regent, for several reasons. One is price - the Regent cruise was more than $1800 per person more than Silversea, for a very similar itinerary. And good friends of mine recently had a less-than-optimal experience on a Regent cruise, with some pretty significant service lapses. In truth, if it wasn't for those two factors, I'd probably go with Regent, because my Regent cruises have been among the best vacations of my life! But I'm taking a chance and trying Silversea this time.

 

Still, to your question, Regent has the advantage of larger ships...and with more passengers, you have a greater chance of having more folks your age. That's something to consider.

 

NJBelle, thanks for the info about the sofas! I think that's going to work fine for us. :)

[meow!]

... Regent has the advantage of larger ships...and with more passengers ...

Fellow passengers we talked to aboard the Shadow all said they didn't want any bigger ship, and definitely not more passengers!

[Leejnd4]

Fellow passengers we talked to aboard the Shadow all said they didn't want any bigger ship, and definitely not more passengers!

 

Meow, the only reason I suggested that the larger ships might be an advantage for Steve and his wife is that they are hoping to find people their age...and with more passengers you have a greater chance of having more people be the same age as you. Just a mathematical thing, that's all.

 

I've been on ships ranging from close to 3000 (Royal Caribbean) to less than 130 (Windstar). I found Windstar to be a bit too small, but I don't ever want to set foot on a mega-ship again! I thoroughly enjoyed my Regent cruises on both ships I've been on - Voyager, with about 700 pax, and Paul Gauguin, with about 300. I had no problems with the size of either of those ships.

[unfathomable]

My TA says that Silversea won't reserve a three-occupancy cabin for 2 people.

Your TA may be mistaken. There is a large number of cabins with sofa-beds. (The only difference seems to be whether the sofa is a sofa-bed.) We have occupied them as a couple frequently, though we avoid them if we have a choice, since we don't use the sofa-bed and think the standard sofa is marginally more comfortable as a sofa. It might be worth double-checking, perhaps direct with the SS office.

[Leejnd4]

Jgibbs, thanks for the suggestion. I just called Silversea and they confirmed that they won't book us into one of the triple-occupancy rooms this far in advance. He said that I can check back closer to sail date and if any of them are still available they can flip us.

 

But we may just stick with the cabin we have, because the triple-occupancy ones are closer to the bow, and will probably have more movement. And if the sofa is as comfortable as I'm reading here, that should be fine. She usually only needs to sleep on it for an hour or two a few times during the cruise.

 

By the way, I just found out another Silversea benefit over the Seabourn cruise - the overnight excursion to Luxor/Valley of the Kings is several hundred dollars less expensive, for an excursion that appears from the descriptions to be virtually identical! That made me happy. :)

[simonv]

For what it's worth, I've found it's easier to meet people on Silversea than Regent. Because of the smaller number of passengers, you tend to see the same people repeatedly, and that makes it easier to strike up conversation. Regent ships I've been on -Voyager and Navigator - had too many passengers for me. I was bothered by the vibration, too. I think you'll find the service on Silversea more polished, though I haven't been on Regent for a couple of years.

[lord of the seas]

For what it's worth, I've found it's easier to meet people on Silversea than Regent. Because of the smaller number of passengers, you tend to see the same people repeatedly, and that makes it easier to strike up conversation. Regent ships I've been on -Voyager and Navigator - had too many passengers for me. I was bothered by the vibration, too. I think you'll find the service on Silversea more polished, though I haven't been on Regent for a couple of years.

 

Totally agree,this is the same on Seabourn also,much nicer on a small vessel with like minded people.:)

[Dolebludger]

Of course, there are trade-offs in the smaller ship (SS) and larger ship (Regent) question, that we all have to decide for ourselves. Each offer advantages and disadvantages.

 

But the price issue Lee brings up has me wondering. Back in '03 I would cruise Regent for WAY less than SS. Now, I am discovering that I can't really afford Regent anymore -- but can occasionally afford SS, because less expensive cruises can be found on it. What happened here? Back in "03 I would never have considering paying what SS charged, and now they usually seem to have the best deals, so off I go.

 

We found cruising on the SS Wind and Cloud to be almost exactly like cruising a smaller version of the RSSC Mariner, each having its "ups and downs."

 

In any event, SS is definitely worth a look and a try for anybody who likes the SS?Regent type of cruise.