Thoughts after a visit aboard Muse but not sailing

[eastwoodboy]

We were fortunate enough to have the chance to visit Silver Muse when in Naples the other day when her visit coincided with Silver Spirit also being in port. Just as background we have done 25 Silversea cruises with the majority being 13 on Spirit so yes we like Silversea and we prefer Spirit. That does not mean there is anything wrong with the other ships but just that for us the Spirit works best.

First impressions were very good and having been on Spirit 5 minutes earlier it made the difference in decor all the more striking. We liked the light wood and the whole ship appeared much lighter bordering on too glitsy in places. Compared to the dull decor of The other ships this is a big improvement.

 

We started from the bottom and worked our way up the decks. Indochine and Atlantide are 2 of the restaurants that are of interest to us. The decor of Atlantide looked very good and probably the best on the ship. Both venues had plenty of tables for 2 which we like but why have tables for 2 that are so close to other tables that they should not be considered as such.

 

It is only the decor that is difference between the ships when it comes to passageways and staircases and the lighting on the aft staircase is a big improvement. The bar is vast and we recalled evenings when we had been the only people in the bars so one could feel very lonely in here at times.

 

La Dame is Champagne elsewhere and just like Spirit we shall not be using it as the seating is all wrong. A top restaraunt should not provide a padded bench to perch on. The same goes for some of the seating in Indochine and Atlantide.

 

La Terrazza is our favourite venue on all ships and the inside appears to be a good improvement and the layout should help with traffic flow once you learn what is displayed where. There being no carpet on the floor we do wonder about the ambience in the evening as we feel Terrazza is usually a comfortable restaurant and the MDR on other ships exactly that, a functional place to eat. Certainly the lack of carpet helps with hygiene but we do wonder about the atmosphere in the evenings. The big dissappointment was the outside area which is smaller than that on Spirit and again the table layout is a case of pack in as many as we can. The double row of tables along the rail were all 2s but could clearly be made 4 very easily. If left as 2s and you are sitting on the rail just hope the people on the inside are slimline otherwise your waiter could well be a stranger or you could catch the food as it is thrown over the other table. The outside of Spirit is ideal as tables are well apart and there is plenty of space.

 

The Art Cafe is a very welcome addition but at the time we passed through (about 11.00) music was playing far too loudly. Was this usual?

 

The pool area is clearly different and much bigger although the total space for lunch appears smaller than Spirit as the upstairs area has the Pizza restaraunt rather than pool dining tables. The Pizza restaurant is idealy situated for any joggers to grab a slice as they pass on the gaudy red track which spoils the look of the whole of the top deck. Fortunatly very few people ever use the track on other ships so it should not impinge too much on those enjoying Pizza. Further round this top deck there are numerous loungers which looks like a good idea. However their layout is such that they must stay in their position of 45 degrees to the rail and their feet just off the running track. Talking of feet this means that your face is a couple of feet away from the feet of the person to your right. This may lead to people changing the angle of the chairs (and some need no second invitation) which will impinge on the jogging track/walkway.

 

Overall the whole ship is very impressive and we very much look forward to properly roadtesting everything in December. It looks like we have a thing about seating and as far as we are concerned comfortable dining is a big thing for our cruises. Even the best food falls down if one does not feel comfortable in the surroundings. Everyone has different priorities but it would be interesting to have the views of others who have sailed as to how things work in reality.

[Silver Spectre]

Thanks for posting, that made interesting reading.

 

 

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[Stumblefoot]

Thanks for sharing your perspective EastWoodBoy!

[imcpa]

I too was on that Spirit cruise and visited the Muse while in Taormina. That was my second Spirit cruise and third Silversea overall (Cloud, 2010).

 

I agree with most your observations, especially the outdoor area of La Terrazza. I was very disappointed with that. I agree the colors were much better than Spirit and the halls felt bigger/wider.

 

The gym is bigger and better than the Spirit (and has bottled water instead of plastic cups), but does not have the outdoor workout area, which my wife and I used a lot. The running path did not bother me at all; I hope to use it one day in the future.

 

There is a separate sauna and steam room for males and females on the Muse, unlike the Spirit where there is only one co-ed area.

 

We ate lunch at the pool grill and loved the salmon wrap (with whole wheat wrap). I hope they add that to the Spirit in the future.

[WesW]

Thanks very much EastWoodBoy for sharing your Muse observations--very helpful. Appreciate your seating observations--we concur bench seating is not comfortable for dining. We disembarked the Wind Monday and found eating in two tops on L or R side (since during latest refurb the benches were not reupholstered) led to one sinking too deeply into the bench.

 

Moreover, when dining in the evening (@ La Terraza) couples to the left and right of us engaged us in conversation throughout our meal--most topics welcome--some not. So, (we had another eight La Terraza rsvns) from then on we asked the theMaitre'd/Restuarant Mgr (Rares/Antonio) to please not seat us on the L or R side of L/T.

 

Also, imcpa thank you to for sharing your Muse views too--also helpful. Can almost taste that Salmon wrap now :)