I was on the same cruise and it was our first post Covid. For reference, my husband and I have sailed ~12 times on Regent and ~ 5 times on SS prior to this one, We stopped cruising on Regent after they were purchased when we saw too many disappointments ting changes. Post Covid, this was our first cruise and and sadly it was not what we anticipated.
Obviously like many others on this itinerary, we chose this cruise for the ports in Israel. When it was cancelled, we were sorely disappointed but left home with a good attitude for a fun cruise with new ports. Upon embarkation, we were not greeted with bubbly drinks as in the past, but instead told to immediately to go to the pool deck for lunch. We certainly did not feel the same warm welcome as in past voyages.
When we gained access to our cabin, everything was in good order and we settled in to unpack. At 45 minutes prior to the excursion desk opening, I went down to the reception area and saw that one couple was already going through the iPad at the excursion desk. I got in line behind them and by the time 3:30 came, at least 30 people were in line behind me. Many waited in excess of 2 hours to be helped, It was a nightmare and not a luxury experience. Most of all it was surprising that the excursions desk was so ill prepared for the onslaught of guests who needed to book excursions. The communication from SS prior to the cruise said we could book excursions for the new ports once on the ship. However, if you logged in to MySilversea a couple days ahead of the cruise, the new ports displayed excursions that could be booked online. This horrible communication lead to many waiting many hours to be helped.
The service in many of the restaurants was spotty and the outdoor dining at La Terrazza for breakfast was pretty awful. We made mid cruise comments to this affect (we could wait as long as 10 minutes to be greeted and several days my tea arrived long after I had ordered it). One day it came as we were leaving the restaurant so it was never touched. Breakfast was the only meal that was consistent in terms of food. Overall, the quality of the food was definitely inferior to prior cruises on SS: filets were lower quality beef, lobster already discussed, but tiny, most meats my husband order such as veal and lamp chops were tough. Also, the waiters had trouble using the iPads and many nights I got things on my dinner plate in Atlantide that I had specifically said I did not want. La Terrazza, which we enjoyed on prior trips for many evening meals was a one and done. The one bright spot was Seishin which we enjoyed 3 times thanks to massive shipboard credit and help from Laura the MD. Our last morning was the icing on the cake though. We went to breakfast on the deck at La Terrazzo and our waiter (who we think may have just boarded the ship) took our egg order. My husband got his two fried eggs about 15 minutes later while I waited for my omelet. I mentioned this to another waiter about 10 minutes later.Fairly quickly I was brought an omelet that was not mine. At this point, I took my plate up to the head of the outdoor area and told her I did not get the proper omelet. She proceeded to take it and then 5 minutes later (rush order) I received my eggs and another plate of fried eggs came for my husband. You can't make this stuff up! Since we were supposed to vacate our cabin and it was now after 8am, I ate my eggs as quickly as possible and we vacated the restaurant.
There were some bright spots on the cruise included the Arts Cafe that we enjoyed each evening after dinner for drinks and truffles ( those did not disappoint) and our weather was superb. With a Caribbean cruise booked and paid for in February on the Dawn, we will take it for what it is and hopefully have a better experience. However, we have cancelled a 19 day cruise next summer on the Dawn from Copenhagen because we are not confident that SS is on the right track. Many of our friends at home love Seabourn and we are looking at their itineraries now. Sorry this is long winded but I appreciate reviews and hopefully this will provide feedback for others.