John117

I have been hassling my TA to try to find out what is going on with the Nov Dawn cruises as i would like to know before the final payment is due. She doesn't seem to be able to get a reply from Silversea. Anyone else had better luck?

We have booked the Athens to Athens on 17th Nov on Dawn but yesterday we received an email requesting us to complete a survey about the ports on our upcoming cruise. We received a similar survey request last year for our September cruise on Nova. Shortly afterwards the itinerary changed totally except for the start and finish port of Lisbon. I guess we expect the same this time or a cancellation.

You will identify us easily as we will have 2 sleeping bags for our night sleeping on the beach!

Thank you very much for your reply. Very helpful. I understand we may have a different hotel but probably unlikely.

Our TA has not had any luck getting this info nor did I when I emailed Guest Relations direct. We both were quoted around 14 days which of course has passed.

I have been checking the app and final documents but as of 2 minutes ago neither show this information. Perhaps they are updating this in alphabetical order and our surname begins with a W so could be another week yet!!

Hopefully see you in the Santa Catalina hotel!! if not on BA or the ship.

We join Quest on 4th April 2024 and booked our flights via Seabourn. There were apparently no suitable flights available on the 4th so we fly out the day before and Seabourn were supposed to put us in a hotel in Gran Canaria. We are now just over 12 days before departure and still cant get Seabourn to tell us which hotel we are using. Our TA has also tried repeatedly to find out but to no avail.

Is there some reason Seabourn need to keep this a secret? Guest Relations have told us it will be "Seabourn Quality!" but what does that mean?

We would like to plan an activity for the morning of the 4th before boarding but not knowing where we will be located makes that impossible.

Has anyone else had this problem or been advised of the hotel in Gran Canaria

Thanks for the replies. We have cruised with Regent since 2005 (then Radisson) with the majority of our cruises on Mariner and we have enjoyed all of them. Never had a cruise with any line over Xmas however so that will be a new experience.

The reason for my question about children is we prefer our holidays/cruises to be relatively child free (yes I know "Bah Humbug" - no Christmas Spirit etc ). To that end we normally cruise during school term time. I reckon that I have spent enough time with my children and grandchildren and now I deserve some "me time" when we cruise. 

Thanks for all the posts and photos. We are looking to book a Christmas cruise on Mariner next year but have been put off slightly by all the comments about it needing refurbished and ongoing toilet issues. I have to say Mariner is my favourite ship layout and having been on Splendor and Silver Nova recently this has confirmed my view.

One question if I may...as it is the holiday period are there many children/teenagers on board? The December 2024 cruise is round the Caribbean which may be more popular with families but I would still be interested to hear how many are on the current cruise.

Thank you for submitting such a detailed review of your cruise. I find this type of review much more useful than the "everything was wonderful" reviews many submit.

I am sorry you had so many issues which of course detract from your enjoyment. Sad to say i had many of the same problems ( and possibly a few more?) when i cruised on Nova in Sept/Oct.

It is interesting that you felt strongly enough to comment and post a photo of the useless bathroom sink which i did too in my review. A fellow reviewer seems to think that the views of anyone who comments on the sink should be ignored but maybe we can let the readers decide which type of review is more helpful?

13 hours ago, spinnaker2 said:

I think a cruise designer should try out that closet too. And that tabletop storage space in the closet. It invites snags of delicate fabrics.

I think the designer needs to look at quite a few things on Nova. Whether they can justify the cost of remedial action on Nova or Ray remains to be seen!! I have highlighted a few of the main issues I identified in my review in the CC review section

5 minutes ago, dawntrdr said:

Yes, the butler brought us the small bottles of Bvlgari.   They also have SebaMed antiallergenic but no more Otigia Sciliana.

We asked our butler for different toiletries as my wife developed a rash using the Otium soap and after 36 hours he manage to procure us one bar of Bulgari soap and nothing else. 

10 hours ago, FengShui@Sea said:

I want to thank you all so much for your information and comments.  We have only been on the Shadow.  I booked a B2B on the Ray totalling 23 days.  Based on some comparisons and observations here I just switched our first leg to the Moon.  I thought the Ray (sister to the Nova) would be the ‘be all to end all’ but now realize it’s a good idea to check out all the ships.  Happy sailing and thanks again!

IMHO you have made the correct choice. If you need anymore info on the new ships check out my review of 17 days spent on Silver Nova in the review section of the CC site. They may make some changes to Ray based on passenger feedback but for most design issues it will be too late.

We will definitely not cruise on Nova again 

19 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Hi Lola, I was thinking the same thing. After 1 time, I would be telling them to please stop doing it.

Trouble is we didnt know that it was being done. The linen didn't feel wet as it seemed to be permeating into the topper, duvet and pillows

36 minutes ago, lincslady said:

Hard to imagine why anyone would spray your bed with water!!

I believe top class hotels use a water mist to smooth the bed linen. Our steward obviously used a bit too much water and we keep our cabin cool so it probably didnt evaporate. I don't blame him as he obviously was instructed to do this. Who else had this problem. There were lots of coughs and sneezes on the ship.

Yes.....and no! 

 Our major problems arose because of a poor butler and a badly trained cabin steward who sprayed our bed every day with water eventually impacting on our health. I hope the latter issue has been resolved on Nova and that you have a good butler as some on our cruise did.

If my review is not published by Friday (I have 3 days babysitting grandson now) i will copy it onto the boards

We sailed on Nova on this cruise and had a different experience to some of the other posters. I have just submitted my review of the cruise in the reviews section if you fancy a read (should be published soon I hope). Note the CC heading will show us on only part of the 17 day cruise but there wasn't an option for the full 17days.

1 hour ago, wren2 said:

Unfortunately Silversea can change ports whenever they want. I love anywhere in France but I found the port of Sete uninspiring. There are, however, some interesting excursions. I would recommend Pezenas if you have already visited Carcassonne.

 

agree with you on the office service level being poor but it is still excellent on board. I have sailed with Silversea for over twenty years but I have booked a Crystal cruise for next year. The two Crystal ships are co-owned by the former owner of Silversea. The turning point for me came when they switched from business class flights to economy. Meanwhile, from newspaper ads, I could see they were selling to discounters at least £2300 less than regular passengers on a nine day cruise.

 

I surmise that the various changes are being made to recoup some of the losses during Covid.

 

good luck.

 

If they are trying to recoup their losses, and I suspect that may be part of it, making their loyal customers unhappy is not a very good way to go about it. There is even more competition out there now so I for one am happy to abandon Silversea.

7 hours ago, carefreecruise said:

A lot of cruisers are worn out on the same old port stops. Silversea is trying to find new places to visit. It's not an easy job, due to lots of moving parts. So if the itinerary is not right for you, then don't go. Wait till you find an itinerary you like. Also if you don't like the airline they contract with, then use your own airline. So it doesn't sound like it's all the vendors falt... 

I think you are missing the point. These changes are being made after final payment has been made so "not going" is expensive. We found an itinerary we liked but it has been changed dramatically since booking and paying. Are you happy to pay Silversea and let them tell you later where they are taking you? That is in effect what is happening.

10 hours ago, DC69 said:

This cruise was originally scheduled to travel from Lisbon to the Azores and Cape Verde with several other stops.it was suddenly changed on 17 March 2023 to go from Lisbon and then around the Spanish coast, Balearic Islands and North Africa. Today have been told by Silversea that one of the destinations, Port Mahon. Menorca is cancelled and now going to the ‘highly rated’ destination of Sete. Yet another mess. What is happening to Silversea. They don’t seem to be able to get anything right. Not looking forward to this cruise at all. It is beset with problems and the ship has not yet been proven. Think Silversea needs to do a lot of inward thinking and really research their destinations and vastly improve customer relations. It is enormously difficult to be able to connect or contact one’s‘special consultant’. Also they must begin to be a lot more helpful with flight arrangements. Unfortunately they use BA and they being one of the worst airlines make it hugely difficult for the passenger to secure any seating arrangements and if needed special dietary needs. Silversea will not help the passenger in any shape or form with flights. Maybe it’s time to say ‘goodbye’ to Silversea. They used to be spot on, but recent experience is so very different. Once the customer has made a booking they do not give the impression that they want to communicate with you any further. Very poor customer service. Think they have a real problem.

 

We are on this cruise too and I put a post on here on Friday alerting fellow cruisers to the change. You are "lucky" that you have been notified of the change. I have received no notification from Silversea of any of the changes. I found all of them by accident when logging in. This latest change not only impacts on Mahon/Sete but also on the following port of Palma where we do not arrive until 14.00. All the current excursions depart before 09.30 and many are 5,6 or 8 hours so for many this could become a "Sea Day"

I put a post on yesterday about our 29th September cruise on Nova. Three changes of itinerary so far and little or no communication. First change involved only the start and finish port being the same. Changed again yesterday with a completely new port and a later arrival at the next port (14.00). The planner now show us having a morning tour whilst at sea?? I have emailed a complaint and suggested they thought about their customers/bill payers occasionally!!

Like many others on this cruise who are regulars on CC, we have been subjected to itinerary changes with no notification from Silversea.

I logged in to my account today and discovered that yet another change is in progress. The cruise is no longer calling at Mahon Menorca but now calling at Sete France. I say in progress because no excursions have been set up as yet for Sete. There are also implications for the next port (Palma) as we are now scheduled to arrive later

I have sent off my usual complaining email to Guest Relations and BM but whether I even get a reply remains to be seen.

1 hour ago, sanne said:

I had this same problem with an extension  cord when Embarking in Sydney this year on a Seabourn ship. First bag arrived promptly but by 5 pm the second had not. DH found it himself at security. This same extension cord has been used on every cruise we’ve taken and never have we had a problem before. Next time it’s going in my hand luggage. 

Security will of course pick it up as they scan your hand luggage on boarding but at least your bag will not be delayed. On newer ships with USB points beside the bed the need is not so great but it is still useful to charge all your devises in one area of the suite.

2 hours ago, cruiseej said:

 

A simple extension cord or strip with multiple outlets should be fine. But a strip which includes a surge protector is not.

This was a simple unit with no protection other that a fused plug. I am a Chartered Electrical Engineer with 50 years experience.

13 hours ago, CruisetheCs said:

Did Regent tell you not to use this or was it actually confiscated?  I'm curious because I usually bring an extension cord with me when I travel anywhere.  Too often hotel rooms or other locations don't have enough outlets or the outlets are inconveniently located.

Well that was their intention. The security officer asked me to open my case and give it to him but unfortunately I didn't have the key for the lock. So after a discussion about the increased risk of this charging block vs 4 separate adapters in 4 different sockets he told me to take my bag and return the extension to him later. I pointed out that I was on holiday and an expensive one at that and if he wanted the extension he could collect it from my suite. This never happened of course and I heard no more.

One adaptor gives 4 UK sockets for low current devices such as phones, tablets, toothbrush

Not quite live from the ship but here is how I found the cruise as far as Southampton. We cruised on Seabourn Ovation in June and join Silversea Nova in September so it will be interesting to compare the 3 cruises.

It was a fair walk to the transfer bus with luggage for less mobile guests. Some help was on hand for those in wheelchairs. What happened to the days when they collected all your bags at the luggage belt and put them in a luggage trolly and took them the bus for you. The bus was too small for all the luggage so some had to be stacked inside. The bus aircon was poor and consequently the bus was too hot. We arrived at the port around 12.00 and there was confusion as to what to do with the luggage. Eventually it was loaded onto trolleys and moved to the ship. The Terminal building was fairly busy but the line moved quickly. There was no need to print your boarding pass.

There was a fairly limited choice at the pool and la veranda for lunch but ok for a turnaround day.

The Suites were not ready until almost 15.00. 1 bag of our luggage appeared quickly but the other had not arrived by 17.00. A crew member suggested it may have been blocked by security so go to reception who sent me to security another deck down. They then took me to another deck where there was a collection of bags rejected. I found ours and after a discussion i was allowed to take my own bag too our suite to finish our unpacking. We never received a call to say our bag was held. The culprit was our extension lead which apparently is a prohibited heating item? I don’t remember this being on the list of prohibited items so beware.

Room service was also slow on day 1. It took almost an hour for a few snacks before dinner. It was not so good other days as our order was only partially complete and the hot food wasn’t. Breakfast in la veranda was ok but most of the hot items were cold apart from the eggs which were cooked to order. Even the pancakes are pre cooked. Coffee was like sludge so had a french press which was just ok. Most days we resorted to the machines at the pool grill and carried it into la veranda. There was never any smoked salmon at lunchtime but sometimes mackerel or trout. Budget cuts?

The steaks in compass rose and prime 7 on the first 2 occasions were fatty and tasteless. We got another booking in prime 7 and the fillet mignon was excellent. Obviously they had some poorer quality meat to use up first?

They seem to be using breakfast in the MDR as a training session for new staff. It was difficult to get several courses in the correct order. They often bring all the courses simultaneously and can't fit them on the table.

The food overall I would class as average with some good meals and others verging on poor. There is a huge choice on Regents menus but consequently if you do not choose wisely you may be disappointed with the resulting microwave meal!

Our biggest disappointment was probably the shore excursions. We spent a lot of time waiting in the theatre ranging from 30 mins to over an hour one day. Virtually all the times given when we booked the excursions had been changed but they still couldn't run them on time. We seemed to be slightly late docking most days which no doubt added to the delays.

 We had 2 sea days on this cruise as prior to departure our stop in Stavanger was cancelled and we couldn't dock at Ringaskiddy for Cork due to bad weather.

 I enjoyed our first time on this ship. I did miss the bar at the stern with a wake view and the outside area at the observation bar. This bar gets taken over by the trivia teams soon after it opens at 16.00 so if you want a quiet drink you have to visit the pool bar (weather permitting) or wait till 17.00 when the Splendor bar opens. Didn't really like the Splendor or Meridian bars as they felt dark and stuffy. Afternoon tea in the Meridian is crowded every day so get your seat before 16.00 or forget it (especially on seadays⁹. The bars at Prime 7 and Chartreuse are way too small (like 6 seats?) so never used them either. You do need to spell out precisely how you like your drink served otherwise it is pot luck. Getting a cold mixer was almost impossible unless you have it with ice. The entertainment in the bars was poor in my opinion. Pianist seemed to be intent on doing his own thing with every tune making most of them almost unrecognisable.

Our F2 suite was nice and quite spacious and was only noisy when we had high winds as the door didn't seal properly. Stewardess and partner did a good job of keeping the suite fresh.

Quite a few of the experienced staff are going home shortly and joining Grandeur when they return.

A few of the crew need some training on how to maneuver the tender boats preferably when they are not full of passengers. There are plenty of scuff marks down the side of Spendor from this last cruise to support this view.