ak1004

Good to know, but this is not part of the loyalty program that we discussed.

We are trying SB next year, it should be fun. The dress code on SS is really archaic, hopefully they will drop it at some point. I hear that even today it's enforced much less than previously. And I agree about the loyalty programs. Variety is good. Loyalty is never really appreciated, and compared to the overall cruise cost, the perks are relatively small. btw, Azamara was fun too. Azamazing night, white night, deck parties, officers dinners etc. And the atmosphere is much more lively than O. Less important on port intensive sailings, but still.

Agree, however, on a big scale of things, 1 free cruise is equal to 5% discount. With SS, you get 5% discount after 100 nights (10 shorter cruises or 5 longer ones). I would say that O programs benefits people who take shorter cruises, but if you cruise mostly 15-20 nights, SS is at least as good. But I do agree that O program is one of the best.

Can you give some examples why SB itineraries are better than SS or Azamara, specifically in Europe?

My understanding is that SB dress code is very casual (unlike SS). They even allow jeans now at dinner.

It does actually - 151 sailings with single supplement.

Here is SS loyalty program: https://www.silversea.com/other-resources/venetian-society.html Discounts for future sailings and free cruises as well. They go by days, which I think is more fair (on O your credit jumps to 2 only sailing longer than 25 days. So if your average cruise is for example 20 nights, you get to next level after 100 days, same as SS, but with SS you get an extra 5% discount after 100 days, in addition to all other promotions. Plus a free cruise after 350 days. So it really depends on your sailing habits. SS also includes air or air credit, and their business class air upgrades are very good (unlike O).

We sailed last September on Regatta, December on Silver Spirit and last month on the Riviera, so this is as close as it gets for comparing SS and O. Service: comparable, excellent on both lines. We travelled 5 couples on SS, so sometimes service on dinners was a bit slow. Based on our experience, both would accommodate special requests. Food: excellent on both, with very slight edge to O. SS has 8 restaurants, and you can have unlimited visits to both, based on availability. Two are extra charge ($40-60 per person). Cabins: SS is a clear winner. Entry level cabins are over 300 sqft, with a curtain separating the sleep area and living area. Very convenient. Cabins on O class are very good too in OV level and above. Entertainment and activities: mediocre on both, with slight edge to SS. Excursions: SS is a clear winner. Itineraries: SS is a winner, with longer stays in ports and more overnights. Also, SS has a better space/passenger and crew/passenger ratios. SS is much more formal (drawdown for us, but not a deal breaker). SS has unlimited black caviar anywhere anytime. Overall I found the experience excellent on both. While O is 20-30% less, O would be a better value for us. But if prices become closer, we would prefer SS. We actually replaced our May 2023 booking on the Vista with Silver Spirit - better itinerary and the price was only 15% more with excursions and tips included (for people who drink also alcohol).

Completely agree. Even with the better programs like O, the Loyalty is not worth more than 5-7% of the cruise fare. And what if after getting to 20 cruises and a free cruise prices are higher by 15-20% and the product is not the same? I just like variety and don't like to put all my eggs in one basket. Itinerary comes first, then price, then ship. I believe that all small ships deliver excellent experience, the difference is in details.

We enjoyed the old Crystal too. We found it a small step up compared to O, mainly in the entertainment and enrichment department (food was comparable in my opinion, service maybe slightly better). But the new Crystal prices are 50-70% higher than pre Covid. Yes, all prices went up, but not that much. Just cannot justify paying over $500 USD per night for a 205 sqft OV cabin on a 25 years old ship. SB have many sailings that are less, on a much bigger cabins and much newer ships.

Yes, found it, thanks!

So you know for sure that Quest is chartered for a “Lifestyles “ cruise at those dates? is it published anywhere? How do people know about those cruises?

First cruise ends on Dec.30, next one starts on Jan 7. Why there is a gap? P.S. Our friends mentioned that they sail from Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires at the end of December to first week of January. This matches the end port of the first cruise, but why nothing is shown for this week?

I looked at Viking as well, but their itineraries look very limited. For example, 9-11 nights in Mediterranean, there are only 2 itineraries. And the prices seem way too high, much higher than O. We enjoyed SS. Prices are higher, but many times there are promotions, especially p2p. And they have amazing itineraries, better than O, with longer stays in ports and more overnights. Azamara has some amazing itineraries if you are willing to ignore the older ships and tiny showers (this is why we prefer O class on Oceania). Also some good promotions. Next year we are trying SB. Like SS, prices are typically higher, but select itineraries have prices that are pretty close to O current prices (and might be even lower after O hikes their prices). To us, itinerary is number 1 factor, but we also need to have good food (as close as possible to O) and good service. I think all lines I mentioned fit the bill.

https://www.silversea.com/best-luxury-cruise-deals/single-occupancy-supplements.html 25% single supplement on over 10 sailings.

To me, Azamara, SB and SS. But of course it will depend on the new pricing.

Lost revenue from excursions is a fact. On board spending will never cover it. Not to mention that they added an overnight in Cadiz, so everything was closed for another day. Lets stop being so negative. Agree 100%. This horse was beaten enough.

We had only 4 cruises with O, but unfortunately I have to agree with every word. We were on the same cruise, took 3 ships tours and 2 private tours, and you can clearly see the difference. 14-18 people compared to 40 people, guides who didn't know when the ship departs etc. Till now O was our favorite line, but we will definitely re evaluate once the new pricing is published (and I'm not optimistic, my estimate is at least 10-15% increase).

Unfortunately, I have to agree with you based on our recent experience on the Riviera. Not to mention that they now squeeze 40 people into buses (previously we usually had around 25-30). And the tour guys asked the guests what time the ship is leaving.. But the new Simply More model will force you to take at least few tours from the ship, otherwise you just lose the credit.

This was our experience as well. 3 cruises after Covid, food was between very good and outstanding on all of them.

Not to mention the revenue they lose from shore excursions. Probably at least $50k per port.

We usually book 2 years in advance - my understanding is that Viking requires full payment even if it's 2 years in advance. To me this alone is a deal breaker. Why would I give a cruise line an interest free loan, especially in the current high interest rates environment? Some other lines give an option to pay in full as well, but in return they give a nice discount (15% for P2P SS, Uniworld 10% etc). To pay 2 years in advance and not get anything in return? Thank you, but no.

Keith, any idea when 2025 itineraries will be released?

For me the biggest attractiveness of O pricing model was the ability to pay for what I want. The pricing was a bit complicated for many newcomers, but it worked well for people who took some time to understand it. Now with the new model, people are forced to pay for things that don't necessarily use. Same as SB or SS. But if this the case, for many people SB or SS might represent a better value.

Yes, but people always had an option to take a more inclusive option (beverage package, oLife/excursions), but many people prefer not to use that option. But now this more inclusive option is not an option anymore, it's manadatory. If O wanted to make things simpler, they could combine the oLife into one option (simply more) but still leave the cruise only option.