Silversea

[JES4845]

Anybody here ever been on Silversea?

 

As posted elsewhere on the engine and other problems, we have a deposit down for SD1 to see the fjords in August. However, we are increasingly concerned about SD's future. We don't want to risk the deposit and we are contemplating a switch now while we have time to rebook flights and do research. We have been on SD nine times and never on another ship. We love the SD staff and style but worry it is on shaky ground given other postings here.

 

All advice welcome.

[commodoredave]

Anybody here ever been on Silversea?

 

As posted elsewhere on the engine and other problems, we have a deposit down for SD1 to see the fjords in August. However, we are increasingly concerned about SD's future. We don't want to risk the deposit and we are contemplating a switch now while we have time to rebook flights and do research. We have been on SD nine times and never on another ship. We love the SD staff and style but worry it is on shaky ground given other postings here.

 

All advice welcome.

 

Did Silversea 10 years ago and while we enjoyed it, never returned. We did Norwegian fjords a few years ago with Seabourn, and loved it. I see they have an interesting fjord itinerary again in 2014.

[Zimmy]

We are also booked on SD's Norweigian fjords cruise in July. We have decided to take a wait and see attitude since our flights, hotels etc are all booked. And I don't know that we could easily find something between our two flights which are in two different cities, of course. The thought of redoing our flights is mind numbing, and I'm willing to give SD a chance to fix things so that I can avoid that. Only time will tell if we are making the right move.

 

Regarding Silversea, we have been on it probably three or four times. We like it, but it is night and day from SD. IMO it has a very formal atmosphere, and I'm not just talking about clothing (though there is that, too). And what appealed to us about seeing that part of the world on SD is that it is SD's home base and we would expect, therefore, that they would do a magnificent job of the itinerary, excursions, etc.

 

I suspect that if it turns out that we cannot do the July trip on SD as planned, that we will just cancel everything and plan for a totally differenct trip next summer.

[Zimmy]

One more thing. Maybe I'm being stupid, but I don't feel that my deposit is at risk (I'm not an attorney). We have trip insurance, but even if we didn't I believe that we could reverse that deposit on our American Express card in the event of cancellation of the voyage by the cruiseline. And SD does have two ships, not one, so I don't think they're going away anytime soon.

[sunswimsail]

We are suppose to sail in January and looking to switch right now to SS. We did Barcelona to Monte Carlo in the spring And it was wonderful.

[JES4845]

Thanks to all. Zimmy you raise a good question on the deposit. I forgot until rereading our booking this morning that while final payment is due 90 days out the deposit is only fully refundable until no more than 120 days out. There is a sliding scale of fees and forfeitures as the departure date gets closer. As to the trip insurance, I know from dealing with the Miami office on SD's trip insurance that it isn't effective until final payment is made. That suggests it does not cover the deposit prior to final payment but I don't know that for certain. We really don't want to give up on SD because it fits our style perfectly most of the time, but we also don't want to lose money or have our trip plans ruined by further troubles. We also remain concerned by the lack of communication even after Andreas, the owner's son, promised a follow up reply here on CC months ago. When I tried to get his email address I was directed to SD management in Miami.

[CKforensic]

My wife and I sailed on the Silver Whisper for a Caribbean cruise in Nov 2012 and were recently on SD1 in Costa Rica. We would choose SD any day over Silversea. Below is our comparison of the two lines (recognizing that we have only been on each line once):

 

Advantage Silversea:

- Nicer accommodations (all suites)

- A superior offering of spirits

 

Too close to call:

- Excellent food offered by both lines

 

Advantage SeaDream:

- SD's staff was superb, and SS's staff seemed more like robots trained to say the right things but didn't seem happy and it showed in their attitudes towards guests. This, combined with the formal atmosphere, often didn't make for a comfortable environment

- Fellow passengers generally much younger and more fun-loving

- Water toys

 

I'm not sure whether or not Azamara is on your radar since it is a bit larger (~6-700 passengers on a 30,000-ton ship) but they are our favorite line aside from SeaDream. Their staff is fantastic and offer great food, a reasonably full bar, and casual elegance (they call it country club casual) attire.

[JES4845]

Thanks CKforensic. We would never even think of going on another ship other than SD were it not for the kids issue, groups who think they own the ship, two CEOs leaving in recent years, and now the engine/other structural issues. If we knew there was a viable plan for the future with two aging ships we would have signed up for 2015 trips already. The crew and the guests are the best. Sadly, we can't just ignore these real issues, hence our checking other options. We are truly torn and haven't made a decision yet as to August but will soon. Thanks again for your input.

[Jim Avery]

Thanks to all. Zimmy you raise a good question on the deposit. I forgot until rereading our booking this morning that while final payment is due 90 days out the deposit is only fully refundable until no more than 120 days out. There is a sliding scale of fees and forfeitures as the departure date gets closer. As to the trip insurance, I know from dealing with the Miami office on SD's trip insurance that it isn't effective until final payment is made. That suggests it does not cover the deposit prior to final payment but I don't know that for certain. We really don't want to give up on SD because it fits our style perfectly most of the time, but we also don't want to lose money or have our trip plans ruined by further troubles. We also remain concerned by the lack of communication even after Andreas, the owner's son, promised a follow up reply here on CC months ago. When I tried to get his email address I was directed to SD management in Miami.

 

Several years ago, when Larry Pimentel was with SeaDream, SD had a cancel anytime policy and would apply what you had paid to a future cruise. Now they have the most punative cancellation charges in the business along with one of the highest priced deposits. For an upcoming Alaska cruise in a 963 sq ft suite, our deposit is $200! As far as Andreas getting back to us with any policy changes, he can only do what he is told. Atle does it his way no matter what.

Edited December 30, 2013 by Jim Avery

[Tall Lad]

Did Silversea (Whisper) in the Med about 5 years ago. Never again. The staff had absolutely no rapport with the passengers and the passengers had no rapport with each other. A hugely negative point from our view that part of the salon was a smoking area , totally unacceptable in this day and age. The disembarkation was a complete shambles with little or no communication from the crew and many passengers concerned about missing flights it was taking so long.

[Tall Lad]

My wife and I sailed on the Silver Whisper for a Caribbean cruise in Nov 2012 and were recently on SD1 in Costa Rica. We would choose SD any day over Silversea. Below is our comparison of the two lines (recognizing that we have only been on each line once):

 

Advantage Silversea:

- Nicer accommodations (all suites)

- A superior offering of spirits

 

Too close to call:

- Excellent food offered by both lines

 

Advantage SeaDream:

- SD's staff was superb, and SS's staff seemed more like robots trained to say the right things but didn't seem happy and it showed in their attitudes towards guests. This, combined with the formal atmosphere, often didn't make for a comfortable environment

- Fellow passengers generally much younger and more fun-loving

- Water toys

 

I'm not sure whether or not Azamara is on your radar since it is a bit larger (~6-700 passengers on a 30,000-ton ship) but they are our favorite line aside from SeaDream. Their staff is fantastic and offer great food, a reasonably full bar, and casual elegance (they call it country club casual) attire.

 

Agree 100%. Pound for pound , dollar for dollar , fantastic cruise line. Only sailed once with them but would happily go again. Preferred them to SB big ships but not quite to SB little ships.

[vandrefalk]

I'd offer a couple of comments --

If SD is forced to cancel cruises, I'm pretty sure they would refund the money. The cancellation information in your booking is if YOU cancel the reservation. SD's cancel anytime policy didn't really last very long and was, I think, largely in response to 9/11 worries in the ensuing years.

 

Andreas is, I'm sure, a very nice guy and sensitive to the comments made here -- actually, most of the SD people I've talked to are sensitive to the comments! However, most of them are not that high up in the management chain, therefore, you are not likely to get a policy announcement on these boards. Plus, I don't think they know what's going to happen with the engine situation either! They are not going to give out information that may turn out to be faulty -- I suspect the situation is complicated enough that they don't know the final answer.

 

Larry Pimental left SD some years ago (2009) -- he also took with him several SD crew (Robert, executive chef and Capt Tysse among them) and has deliberately tried to incorporate some of the SD ambience into Azamara. A lot of people like the line, but it's still too big for me. I know a lot of folks who love Oceania (Regent Lite) but 6-700 people is still too many! I know when I sailed Regent to Alaska, it was their smallest ship, but you still didn't have the same attention from the crew and it was all a bit anonymous.

 

Zimmy is right -- when we did Norway in 2011 and our friends did the Baltic that same summer, we all raved about it. SD did a fabulous job in the area!!

 

So, I will consider other lines for destinations SD doesn't offer -- and will wait to see how they manage this maintenance issue, but have hopes it will all work out. I can't imagine they would quit, but they may have to come up with some sort of transition plan sooner than later.

 

Vandrefalk

[cburger100]

Amen to the response above! couldn't have said it better!

[Jim Avery]

I'd offer a couple of comments --

If SD is forced to cancel cruises, I'm pretty sure they would refund the money. The cancellation information in your booking is if YOU cancel the reservation. SD's cancel anytime policy didn't really last very long and was, I think, largely in response to 9/11 worries in the ensuing years.

 

Andreas is, I'm sure, a very nice guy and sensitive to the comments made here -- actually, most of the SD people I've talked to are sensitive to the comments! However, most of them are not that high up in the management chain, therefore, you are not likely to get a policy announcement on these boards. Plus, I don't think they know what's going to happen with the engine situation either! They are not going to give out information that may turn out to be faulty -- I suspect the situation is complicated enough that they don't know the final answer.

 

Larry Pimental left SD some years ago (2009) -- he also took with him several SD crew (Robert, executive chef and Capt Tysse among them) and has deliberately tried to incorporate some of the SD ambience into Azamara. A lot of people like the line, but it's still too big for me. I know a lot of folks who love Oceania (Regent Lite) but 6-700 people is still too many! I know when I sailed Regent to Alaska, it was their smallest ship, but you still didn't have the same attention from the crew and it was all a bit anonymous.

 

Zimmy is right -- when we did Norway in 2011 and our friends did the Baltic that same summer, we all raved about it. SD did a fabulous job in the area!!

 

So, I will consider other lines for destinations SD doesn't offer -- and will wait to see how they manage this maintenance issue, but have hopes it will all work out. I can't imagine they would quit, but they may have to come up with some sort of transition plan sooner than later.

 

Vandrefalk

 

Hi Karen. And Happy New Year to you all. I think you have hit the nail on the head. Upper management seems to have no transition plan or any plan at all. On board recently, the crew, as usual, was wonderful. Fortunately for us, the engine problem was of no impact at all. Management (upper) seems to be ignoring the concerns of passengers as evidenced by all the posters here that are unhappy with "compensation" and/or are cancelling bookings. There seems to be two camps forming on this issue: the "all is well" camp and the "Sky is falling" camp. I am trying to be somewhere in between. While we had a great time on board, I do see some serious problems with management/finance forming. For this and the other non addressed issues previously discussed, we will not be booking SD in advance. Last minute bookings will be for us for the forseeable future. I really don't care where we go as most times we stay onboard anyway. So, again, Happy New Year. It will be interesting whatever happens.:D

[commodoredave]

Upper management seems to have no transition plan or any plan at all. While we had a great time on board, I do see some serious problems with management/finance forming. For this and the other non addressed issues previously discussed, we will not be booking SD in advance. Last minute bookings will be for us for the forseeable future.

 

Jim, I am in 100% agreement. While our group of 8 enjoyed our first SD cruise this month, none of us feel confident enough in SD's current situation and lack of plan to address it to rebook far out in advance. So if we do return, and I hope we do, it will be booked last minute.

[vandrefalk]

There seems to be two camps forming on this issue: the "all is well" camp and the "Sky is falling" camp.

 

Yes, Chicken Little is alive and well! :) I have three cruises booked in the next two years -- if something happens to the line, I'm confident I'll get my money back (through travel insurance if nothing else). I'm reasonably confident the engine problem will be fixed and drydock should take care of anything else.

 

I truly don't think management is ignoring the concerns expressed here -- even Ms. Conover was aware of the kids thread and I'm sure Bob Lepisto is kept abreast. However, while it may be good PR to find some way to "talk" to us, they are under no obligation to do so. I don't think any other cruise line does it?

 

Happy New Year to all!

Vandrefalk

[commodoredave]

Yes, Chicken Little is alive and well! :) I have three cruises booked in the next two years -- if something happens to the line, I'm confident I'll get my money back (through travel insurance if nothing else). I'm reasonably confident the engine problem will be fixed and drydock should take care of anything else.

 

I truly don't think management is ignoring the concerns expressed here -- even Ms. Conover was aware of the kids thread and I'm sure Bob Lepisto is kept abreast. However, while it may be good PR to find some way to "talk" to us, they are under no obligation to do so. I don't think any other cruise line does it?

 

Happy New Year to all!

Vandrefalk

 

Frank Del Rio, the head honcho at Regent/Oceania, has posted a number of times on those boards. It has helped keep people informed, confident and loyal. Perhaps SD should do one of the CC Q&A sessions that most of the major lines have been doing with their execs.

[Jim Avery]

Frank Del Rio, the head honcho at Regent/Oceania, has posted a number of times on those boards. It has helped keep people informed, confident and loyal. Perhaps SD should do one of the CC Q&A sessions that most of the major lines have been doing with their execs.

 

That might be a good idea but I don't really see it happening even though most of the "hard feelings", for lack of a better term, are due to lack of response/communications from SeaDream. In case they don't know it, the entire cruise industry is already aware of the problems on board. The engine topic is on numerous Cruise Critic boards as well.:eek: Happy New Year to all! And, Roll Tide!

Edited January 1, 2014 by Jim Avery

[commodoredave]

That might be a good idea but I don't really see it happening even though most of the "hard feelings", for lack of a better term, are due to lack of response/communications from SeaDream. In case they don't know it, the entire cruise industry is already aware of the problems on board. The engine topic is on numerous Cruise Critic boards as well.:eek: Happy New Year to all! And, Roll Tide!

 

Sadly, the lack of communication is costing SD bookings. Perhaps when it starts to hurt enough they will improve communication. Best wishes to all for a great 2014.

Edited January 1, 2014 by commodoredave

[commodoredave]

I have cut and pasted below a communication from management at Azamara that appeared recently on one of their CC threads responding to criticisms of their Azamazing events. It demonstrates how smart management should respond to issues on CC and is something that SeaDream needs to learn from.

 

"Hi everyone,

 

Thank you for your comments, and your patience. As you know, AzAmazing Events are new and unique, so we’re still learning.

 

We moved the St. Maarten event for a few reasons: The location did not have decent lighting, the surface was uneven, making it dangerous to walk for elderly guests, and the rainfall the past few days had made the ground soggy and not usable.

 

So, we were forced to find an alternative. In the short time we had (72 hours), we had to rearrange the event, and having it directly in front of the ship was the best we could do.

 

We managed to get some more dancers (3 groups in total), more musicians and more decorations, though. One thing that could definitely have been adjusted better was the seating arrangement. Our MC of the evening did not communicate on time their show agenda, therefore the chairs were not set up for all guests to enjoy it. Unfortunately, it took some time for us to make sure everyone was seated and no one was blocking the view.

 

Overall it was not our best event, but I can assure you that we all tried to make this as successful as possible. Our tour operations staff are looking into this event very closely, and we will make sure this sort of thing does not happen again.

 

 

Thank you,

Signe Bjorndal

Director of Global Marketing

Azamara Club Cruises "

[ho-hum]

........now you're completely crazy !!

[commodoredave]

........now you're completely crazy !!

 

Ho-hum, most of us on CC are crazy -- get over it!

[ho-hum]

Ho-hum, most of us on CC are crazy -- get over it!

 

Haha.......ssshhhhhhh...........dont let WIPER hear "most of us on CC are crazy" !