Colgal

We also feel that SS has an overall product superior to Seabourn. 

Initially sailed with SS many years ago and found the dining to be less than what we expected- switched to Seabourn and sailed on one of the triplets, all three of the midsize ships and then on to Encore. We were increasingly dissatisfied with the dining and Encore was the most frustrating experience as the ship felt overcrowded and the food was subpar.

We decided to revisit SS five years ago and never looked back. We loved the Spirit, Muse, and most recently Dawn. It just seems to be a more polished product- from the butler to perfect cocktails and the dining options. We love to dress for dinner and it appeared that our fellow passengers did as well. There is an intangible “feel” to each line and we are now most comfortable with SS -that makes the extra cost worthwhile.

Both itineraries are wonderful but I would choose the first one in April -we sailed from Barcelona to Dover in late May and the temperatures dropped considerably as we went North.

‘Croatia and Malta will most likely offer warmer and sunnier days and will be less crowded than the summer months.

No the Silver Moon is not the new ship- the Silver Dawn is and I can’t wait to sail on her in July.

We just received our paperwork for the Dawn cruise out of Venice in July and I was surprised to see that a booster is required.

We’ve had 2 jabs of the Moderna vaccine and Covid to boot- really did not want to add more medication but unless the restrictions are modifies we will be getting another round.

Thank you- I am looking at a few cruises and wondered about  Venice and any issues with that port. 

I had heard that Venice was no longer allowing cruiselines to dock /disembark- the port was changed to other nearby cities. The Silver Dawn has Venice listed as its

departure port- can anyone clarify?

Also, the 14 night itinerary from Venice to Rome does not indicate which ports are serviced via tender vs being docked. Any help is greatly appreciated. 

Five cruises with Seabourn and four with Silversea-we prefer Silversea for its dining and suite butler service.

There is a more formal but still comfortable feeling  on the ships of Silversea which we found to be a real pleasure as day-to-day living as become so casual. My husband does not object to wearing a sport coat and looks forward to formal nights as do I.

I don’t believe you can go wrong with either line but if dining is a priority then I would certainly give the edge to Silversea as it offers more menu diversity and higher level of quality in Atlantide, its main dining venue.

Enjoy your dining experience Lois- LaDame was one of our favorite  venues on the Muse and the Spirit in 2019. It offered an excellent Dover Sole (tableside) but  you should go  with an appetite and pace yourself through the courses-lots of delicious food!

16 hours ago, saminina said:

OMG......have you ever been to a real restaurant?

Yes-all over the world and can certainly concur about the dining on Silversea-we find it to be far superior to the offerings on Seabourn.

Funny how opinions change- we started cruising with Silversea 15 years ago on 

the Shadow and the Whisper. We loved the small ship atmosphere but found the dining to be average. We then opted to try Seabourn and sailed on the Legend, Quest, Sojourn, Odyssey and finally Encore. We enjoyed all of our cruises with the exception of Encore as we found the ship’s space was too small for the larger passenger load- particularly poolside. The menu options on our cruise were fewer and less appetizing than we had previously experienced and the Keller restaurant didn’t live up to its hype. The crew were friendly but not as polished and we left the cruise feeling that the line was not meeting its previous standard.

We elected to give cruising a pass for two years and in 2019 decided to return to the Silversea Spirit in June to celebrate our anniversary. We were not thoroughly enthusiastic about revisiting Silversea but the itinerary was appealing.. We  were amazed and delighted to find that the dining and service were exceptional and immediately booked the Muse for November. That cruise also exceeded our expectations and we cannot wait to book another for 2022.

Silversea prices out at a higher tariff but we feel that the food, wine , (including the champagne) and level of service are well worth the additional $$.

Very surprising to hear about the informality and demographic of this cruise.

We sailed on Odyssey the first two weeks of January this past year and the average age was typical for Seabourn. The 

first week was primarily Germans and Americans ( we embarked from St. Martin) while the second week was populated with 

British citizens- The access of flights from LHR to Barbados is relatively reasonable. Many, if not most, were retired and looking for relaxation after the holidays.

I have noticed that the current on-line fares are quite inexpensive which may be a factor in attracting a younger group. The all -inclusive rate can be very attractive to those who plan to “indulge”.

Fortunately  we did not experience that “party atmosphere” - that is not why we sail the smaller lines. Lower fares can be a double-edged sword.

Mofrances- we just completed two weeks Hong Kong to Singapore on Silversea and it was a lovely cruise- its itinerary is very similar to Ovation’s in January.

Please be aware that the cruise ports are quite distant from the city center which may not be the best option for your family. Our stop in Saigon was one of the closest on the itinerary and it was 40 minutes, while Bangkok was two and a half hours each way 

(we opted for an overnight excursion).

In the past the smaller ships of both lines were able to navigate the rivers and dock closer to the city but the 600 passenger ships are just too large.

I am certain you will enjoy either itinerary but you should be aware of the complications of transport to the cities.

Markham- we just completed a 2 week cruise on the Muse and also cruised on the Spirit in June- we thoroughly enjoyed both ships! We love the size- not too big, not too small.

When we tried Seabourn’s Encore after experiences on its smaller ships we were very disappointed in the experience. It  seemed as if the additional demand of more passengers and less deck space was too much for the crew. Silversea seems to have managed the increased load without service issues and the ship’s design handles the additional passengers without feeling cramped.

The dining options are more varied and the menu and wine quality is high- you may pay more $$$$ for Silversea but we feel it is worth every penny- enjoy your cruise!

Currently sailing on the Muse and have enjoyed several breakfasts in Atlantide.

Much calmer Atmosphere than La Terrazza and the food a notch above. Would highly recommend it unless you have time constraints.

Just show up- it’s never been completely full and we are into our second week on the Muse.

We are just leaving Vietnam now and boarded the Muse in Hong Kong.

I was concerned about the unrest , particularly because we arrived on a Saturday evening. We had no encounters in Kowloon and traveled everywhere. Perhaps we were fortunate but it just wasn’t a problem during our 3 night stay. Our flight from LAX to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific was a full flight but comfortable.

Having a wonderful time on the Muse- the ports have been challenging as they are quite a distance from the city centers, but the food and service are still great! 
 

We will be going overnite to Bangkok as the 3 hr each way is just too much for two consecutive days- wish SS had their smaller ships on this itinerary.

have a great cruise!

We returned to Silversea last June after 10 years -we had been cruising with Seabourn following our first two cruises with SS.

I cannot express how much we enjoyed the excellent food and service- we felt it was superior to Seabourn and booked  another two week cruise - we leave tomorrow!

Book a journey and experience fabulous vacation!

4 hours ago, Isklaar said:

This has been an enlightening discussion to follow, thank you to all contributors.

 

But it begs the question from me which is why have my air fare quotes from Seabourn always been considerably higher than a fare I can find direct from the airline? 

I'm not sure, of course, that anyone here can answer that question but nevertheless I'm mystified!

 

 

We tried to book with both Seabourn and Silversea and found their business class fares to be higher with inconvenient itineraries.

When we inquired about the availability of routes we had identified as being more convenient or less expensive, the response was that the airlines had a certain allocation of seats at a specific fare and there was no flexibility.

i must add, however, that we were always booking within four months of our cruises which may have influenced the fares and as a result we usually found better prices on our own, even with perks of hotel transfers and accommodations. 

Always best to do your research before a booking and then make an inquiry.

8 hours ago, jollyjones said:

 

Yep, the brightest things outside are the whitecaps.

Probably a good 7 on the Beaufort scale.

Significant difficulty on the trying-to-type-accurately-as-we-bounce-around scale. 

We have sailed some interesting ocean swells but it appears that you are in the midst of angry ones!

A silver lining- no one knows whether it’s the turbulent sea or the cocktails that keeps one from walking a straight line!😉

May you find smooth sailing very soon.

46 minutes ago, commodoredave said:

So very true. The young people that we have enjoyed on cruises have been with attentive and responsible adults. But as others have commented, even with great parents/grand parents, a toddler is going to have some disruptive moments that may negatively impact other people's enjoyment. So why should I be paying full fare for the privilege of cruising with infants who sail for free or 75% off? Somehow that should be the other way around to compensate me for a less than satisfactory cruise!

AMEN!

1 hour ago, Tothesunset said:

It would seem that ageism's targets aren't only older people. 

It is not ageism or nastiness- it is a question of appropriateness.

Children are children- they can be  wonderful at one moment and have a meltdown shortly after. The SS brochures do not feature children, or teenagers and young adults partying around the pool………their market is an adult clientele who enjoy fine dining and services. 

Just as a passenger who enjoys the informality of dining in their shorts or swimwear would most likely choose another line, putting toddlers and even older children together with adults on a small ship with no activities is setting everyone up for a miserable time. When we experienced pool side cartwheels and 7 kids jammed into the hot tub it certainly didn’t feel as if we were on a luxury vessel. Unfortunately it seems that the very same parents who book a cruise with their young children also seem to abdicate their responsibilities on board.  If they looked after their kids we would not even be having this discussion.

54 minutes ago, MrsWaldo said:

I’m going to jump in here with a positive BUT it is also unfortunate that not everyone sees things this way.

 

We first took our 2 on cloud as kids.  Miss W certainly wasn’t yet a teen.  We picked a port intensive cruise which had activities other than museums.   We went cycling in Visby as an example.   They attended the lectures and Miss W even took notes.  The first few nights we dined as a family until one of the guest lecturers invited us to join him. They knew that sitting at the table and behaving in an adult manner was needed.  They excused themselves when it was time and then took themselves to bed. 

On sea days they enjoyed puzzles and trivia was a must for both of them (our team ended up winning a lot)   The pool was for laps or reading a book and doing school work.  The hot tub was for adults 

 

I had spent a lot a lot of time training them for these type of things because they needed to learn How dinner parties and society worked.

 

They continually begged us to do another SS cruise but life was in the way.  

 

When Miss W was 18  Waldo Junior 21. we did our first Seabourn. Again port intensive.  The kids on that cruise her age did my head in.  It was about sneaking free alcohol (Miss w was legal drinking age but not allowed due to the 21 rule). The younger ones screamed and yelled through the corridors.  We had trouble getting a washing machine because a person with a baby was washing cloth  diapers/nappies every day on the long load setting. The cruise was heavily discounted 

 

despite that we booked Antarctica and was told there were to be no kids on the voyage. There were and the same drinking attitude prevailed and there were little kids. 

 

i went back to SS for our festive cruise and knew full well it would have kids and young adults.  Guess what, they were all well behaved. There was none of the rowdy behaviour 

 

We followed that us with another Festive where we met crushing pashmina and her family.  Her grandchildren were fantastic to be honest.  

 

Miss W, now almost 25 and I are heading off on Muse in January.  Am I worried about kids on board.  Yes.  Because the cruise was heavily discounted for all (which seems to me to be a factor, not just kid friendly prices) .  She knows she will be one of the youngest on board, but she also needs to mix socially as part of her degree with a wide age range of people from a variety of backgrounds 

 

she often tells me, that early ss cruise taught her a lot 

 

 

 

Mrs. Waldo you did a fine job with your children- I had my daughter later in life and was always concerned about good manners and behavior as I had seen too many out- of -control kids with indifferent parents. My mother never allowed bad behavior( there were 8 of us ) and our daughter was raised with the same values.

Unfortunately there are many parents who have no concerns- and this is the dilemma. Cruising on the top three lines is not inexpensive and when unruly children/passengers ruin the experience it is time and money ill-spent. 

It is a shame that we all have to keep fingers crossed about who will be boarding with us!

Have a lovely cruise with your daughter-she sounds delightful!

Agreed!

The concept of attracting families  with the hope of increasing a future client base seems ludicrous. If these customers are turned away to Disney or Crystal it is highly likely they will jump to an adult- oriented experience when their kids are grown, particularly if they have been denied access. We certainly spent many vacations in child -oriented resorts but won’t go near them now!

It would seem that the most competitive market is the large ship experience- too many players with the same product.

SIlversea, Seabourn and Regent have smaller ships that seem to be full most of the time- so what is the urgency to fill cabins with families? If other lines decide to capture the adult - only segment then the top luxury cruise lines will have to deal with the potential loss of their past and future clients who prefer a more serene environment. Add a few more customers....then lose even more.

How many cruising families aboard are too many-where do you draw a line given that there are really no facilities to entertain children? How often does corporate expect their paying customers to shrug off a bad experience? Concede the family travel to the mega ships and continue to market to the adult community. Interesting that the brochures highlight older cruisers, fine food, champagne and butler service. No children in sight! Bait and switch??

10 hours ago, SLSD said:

I totally agree with you!

Great! I guess you will reconsider Silversea.

Bottom line is all the luxury lines will continue to be impacted by families if there are no policies set by corporate since the parents seem incapable of distinguishing “age appropriate” cruises for their children.

2 hours ago, SLSD said:

We have yet to encounter children on Seabourn other than sedate really dressed up teens who were quiet and stayed with their family groups.  Of course we have also avoided sailing in the summertime.  

You have been fortunate to have experienced “child-free or teenagers only”cruises and it is likely that you traveled in the spring and fall seasons. We have cruised with Seabourn and SS from late May through August, with the exception of two  Seabourn cruises in Jan. and Feb., because it was the most convenient time for my husband, who had not yet retired. Our five cruises on Seabourn certainly had more children aboard -and  at  younger ages than our four on Silversea. 

We will certainly shift to the shoulder seasons now that his time is flexible- but it does seem unfair that we should have to do that in order to avoid families with children. Crystal and Disney offer an excellent product and would certainly be more suitable for children than Regent, SS and Seabourn.