Silver Whisper General Queries

[rjms74]

Hello,

 

I have held a suite on the Whisper for October this year for my first sailing with Silversea (usually sail with Cunard) and would be great to hear from regulars on Silversea of just how good the food & general service is on board? Does anyone know where I can see sample menus from the various restaurant / dining options on board? On Cunard you can order off menu and I wondered if this is possible on Silversea too?

 

Do they serve caviar without charge on Silverseas & what sort of 'brands' of house wines & champagne or spirits are served as part of the all inclusive package?

 

Are there many cocktail parties on board and do they have jazz playing in any of the bars? or caribbean bands for sailaway parties?

 

Any tips or comments for a newbie would be greatly appreciated.

 

kindest regards & many thanks,

 

 

RJMS74

[bobndee]

I suggest you search this forum for the answers to your questions. Most of those topics have been covered in the last few months. :)

[DebbieH103]

Hi, rjms74.

 

Your first Silversea sailing should be highly anticipated! Do a lot of research because it is going to be a different experience from Cunard due to the size and style. I've loved every cruise I have taken, though some have been different from others, and I try to do two Silversea sailings a year. We really enjoy Whisper a lot.

 

"House" wines are offered at each lunch and dinner. These are published in the daily menus and rotate. However, if there is something not to your liking, you can ask for something else and explain your taste to the sommolier.

 

Caviar is no longer regularly included as a freebie on Silversea. It is available as an upcharge on the room service selections. They will have little dollops on canapes and such.

 

They do have a captain's welcome and a farewell cocktail party. They have a returning guest party. There are also often sailaway parties. Since cocktails are included anyway, some do not attend. Others like the tradition.

[billphelps]

rjms74, be prepared for a wonderful time! We sailed on Whisper last month just after the Dry Dock and the upgrades were very nice. I have a video of a standard veranda suite that I will try to post at some point and link to it. Our Butler was Sunil and out housekeeper was Juliet, both did everything in their power to make us happy. I'm excited for you. Our next cruise is to be The Panama Canal and we plan to sail on the Whisper again.

[unfathomable]

Food and general service are generally excellent. No fixed seating means no dedicated waiter getting to know your preferences. But you may be surprised by how many of the staff get to know your preferences (and name) anyway. Yes, you can order off menu, but you need to give 24 hours' notice.

 

House wines are reasonable quality and some are better than that. As a benchmark, Santa Margarita Piunot Grigio has been the standard PG for the last year or two. Champagne varies, but recently Drappier, Pommery and Perrier-Jouet have been served.

 

You'll find entertainment more limited than Cunard. I'm sure that's no surprise on a smaller ship. Music on Whisper last month comprised a (very competent and flexible) four-piece band, a pianist-and-singer duo, and occasional guest entertainers.

[rjms74]

hi everyone,

 

Many thanks for all your help & info on my Silver Whisper queries - I've taken the plunge & booked for October & cannot wait!

 

Billphelps - it would be great to see your video footage of your veranda suite as I've booked the same grade on a guarantee basis. Does anyone have experience of booking a suite on this basis & do you usually get moved up to a higher grade? This is my experience on Cunard but just wondered how it worked on Silverseas?

 

I am also intrigued as to why the Silverseas website does not have any menu samples on it? I guess I could find these on this forum if I search. Just thought it strange that they are not on the website.

 

 

Kindest regards,

 

 

Richard

[wripro]

rjms74,

 

If you booked a verandah cabin you might get upgraded to a midship verandah but I wouldn't count on a silver suite. There just aren't enough of them and they sell out first on most voyages. It's not like Cunard where they have so many categories so it's easier to upgrade. The nice thing on SS is that with the exception of the few bigger suites all the rest are identical so you'll be fine wherever you are.

[rjms74]

many thanks wripro, would you say - as I know you've sailed a lot with Cunard & in Grills like myself - that Silversea is as good if not better than the Grills experience overall?

 

Also having never sailed on a smaller ship, how do they handle rough seas?

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

rjms74

[wripro]

rjms74,

 

IMO, Silversea as a whole will outshine the grill experience on cunard because you will feel like a grill passenger throughout the whole ship and not just in the dining room. If you had asked me the same question when Cunard was sailing the QE2 I might not have had the same answer because that ship was so special. On the QM2 however once you leave the QG or its lounge you are on a mass market ship with 2600 other people. On Silversea you are in an intimate environment with personal service and loads of space to do whatever you like. You will also love not having to sign for drinks.

 

As for rough seas I'm sure SS couldn't handle a rough North Atlantic like the QM2 but on its normal itineraries you should be fine.

[bobndee]

 

I am also intrigued as to why the Silverseas website does not have any menu samples on it? I guess I could find these on this forum if I search. Just thought it strange that they are not on the website.

 

 

Richard,

 

We were on the Silver Cloud for our first SS cruise in May. In talking to the Cloud's executive chef, Douglas Hope, we learned that the chefs have a lot of freedom in setting their menus in order to use locally-available ingredients. That may be why SilverSea doesn't post menus on their web site.

 

If you are interested in seeing the menus from our cruise, send an email to me at bobndeess@embarqmail.com and I can send them to you as PDF files.

 

Bob