Seabourn Encore vs Silver Muse

[sail1658]

 

We were fortunate to sail on both Seabourn Encore and Silver Muse this year within nine weeks of each other, - more by accident than design.

 

We'd booked a cruise on Silver Spirit for April 2018 but it was cancelled due to the extended dry-dock so that it could be cut in half and lengthened. We then had what we felt was a derisory compensation offer of 20% off another cruise or our money back. However by that time all the prices had gone up by 20% to 30% which negated the discount. We initially thought that we'd just get our money back and so we booked a Barcelona roundtrip cruise on Seabourn Encore instead. This was visiting Spain, Portugal, and France at the end of June. In the meantime, we reconsidered the offer from Silversea and asked our travel agent to request a similar itinerary to our cancelled Silver Spirit cruise on Silver Muse in September. This was sailing from Rome to Venice but was twice the price of our original Silver Spirit cruise. We thought: “If you don't ask, you don't get. They can only say “No” ”. To our great surprise, we were offered this cruise at the same price as our cancelled Silver Spirit cruise. It was just a direct transfer, and we were even given the same veranda suite number. So we jumped at the chance and accepted it.

 

So we now had two luxury cruises to look forward to on the newest ships in rival fleets, both of which had somewhat negative reviews. It's quite a first-world issue, but would we like them and the contrast between them? With the cruises being so close would we be disappointed with the Muse after the Encore or vice versa?

 

Well, we enjoyed both, with some niggles on each, so bear with me, as this is my personal opinion. I've split the review into separate sections, - “Seabourn Encore or Silver Muse?”, “So to sum up” and photos so if you get bored please feel free to skip them.

 

Seabourn Encore or Silver Muse?

 

On our recent Barcelona round-trip cruise Seabourn Encore was gleaming, almost brand new. All the staff were very welcoming and wait staff and bar staff couldn't do enough for us, so we had no issues at all. There was a short line at the on-shore check-in and we were on board in 15 minutes, then we enjoyed lunch in the Colonnade. It was a bit crowded later but was fine while we were eating there.

 

On our Silver Muse cruise from Rome to Venice embarkation was the best ever, - no queues, just us, straight onto the ship. We checked in at the Dolce Vita Lounge, with a glass of champagne and then had lunch in Atlantide Restaurant within twenty minutes of boarding.

 

Our Seabourn Encore suite was very welcoming with dark woods and deep coloured soft furnishings as opposed to the light woods of the Odyssey class. There were also twin marble sinks, a nice shower and bath, and a walk-in wardrobe. My wife said that the Seabourn walk-in wardrobe was designed by a man. There were two clothes rails, - one high and one low. The rails were both too low so that jackets and dresses either dragged on the floor or on the lower rail. Our suite attendant was very pleasant and efficient.

 

Silver Muse was wonderful. We loved the muted contemporary colour scheme and thought she looked very stylish. Our veranda suite was beautiful, so comfortable. We unpacked by ourselves without any help from the butler. He asked if we wanted any drinks in the cabin as there were plenty of drinks available in the bars!! We'd pre-ordered our preferences, but these seemed to have been misplaced, but they did arrive during the cabin turn-down. The butler was very pleasant but seemed to explain that afternoon tea was available in other places when we ordered it in the cabin!

 

Both ships had champagne on ice waiting on embarkation, and we were offered a selection of high-end toiletries and had a well-stocked mini bar.

 

Main Dining Rooms

 

Seabourn Encore Restaurant was very good and we had an outstanding waitress and assistant who were so good that we went to the same table each night. I think that's what made the difference in our dining experience. As we always eat early, the Observation Bar was very quiet, with quick service for a pre-dinner drink, and the Restaurant was quite empty. In fact, sometimes we were among the first in. Our Wine stewardess was knowledgeable and brought any other wines we preferred to the daily offers and remembered our preferences. She even came back to offer Port when she saw I'd ordered Stilton cheese and she also suggested dessert wines. But I think this good experience boils down to dining at the same table with the same staff.

 

We noticed that later on there were queues at the door and staff were running around. Also, there were some long waits between courses on tables nearby. I think it's the galley that hasn't got the capacity at peak times with more passengers than on the Odyssey class of ships. I only had one complaint that a steak wasn't hot and it was immediately replaced. It seemed to cause great consternation, as the next night the section waiter brought my main course carrying the plate with a cloth on her hand as the plate was so hot.

 

Overall the food was good, - nothing mind-blowing but nothing underwhelming, except for the odd slightly under-done souffle. So we enjoyed every meal.

 

On Silver Muse, we had excellent dinners in the Atlantide, with the same table and waiter each evening. I asked the Maitre'd for this same table each night. There were obviously no guarantees, but we just came for dinner early each night, which is our preference anyway. I think this is what makes a difference to the service you receive as they get to know your preferences. There's a great little bar just inside Atlantide where you can wait for the restaurant to open and have a drink rather than sitting outside. Also, as on Seabourn Encore, the restaurant got very busy later on and then the service would suffer. On one night they were turning some guests away as the restaurant was so full and it was late, so they wouldn't be able to serve them. So overall the food was good despite the menu not changing much over ten nights, except for a few minor alterations. But you can order from the Always-Available menu and order off-menu if you give 24 hours notice. My wife ordered Dover Sole and we had souffles on a number of occasions.

 

Alternative Dining

 

On Seabourn Encore at the TK Grill, I had the best steak ever, fantastic. My wife had Dover sole which was just OK rather than outstanding. Service was very good, if slightly pretentious. We were asked: “Would Sir like to see the Premium Wine list to complement the menu?” Just order the complimentary wines, it's not an issue, But it was a good atmosphere and we'd definitely go again. We didn't go the Colonnade for TK home-style cooking. I went to have a look one evening but I didn't find the look of the food to be appetizing. It just wasn't my style, - ribs and big bowls of salad and a few lumps of cheese.

 

We ate breakfast and lunch in the Colonnade and it was always very good. The choice was good and we could order cooked items if we wished. We always had a nice table outside by the rail because we dined early.

 

On Silver Muse, we dined on two evenings in La Terrazza, once whilst anchored off Sorrento. I can honestly say it was one of the most magical evening meals we've ever had. No wind, warm, spectacular sunset, food, and wines were excellent. Service was the best ever, then there were fireworks over Sorrento after dinner. We felt like we were extras in an advertisement video by the Italian Tourist board and Silversea. It could have only been topped if Andrea Bocelli was serenading us at the table and George Clooney had brought the coffee!

 

We ate breakfast and lunch in La Terrazza which was always good. The service was excellent, though it could get quite busy when people were going on tours, we always found an acceptable table. La Terrazza on Silver Muse is far superior to Silver Spirit's version. It's bigger and open plan, and doesn't feel as crushed. We couldn't reach our table without someone offering to carry our plate for us.

 

Entertainment.

 

Seabourn shows in the lounge were good with the singers and two dancers. We noticed that there are only four singers now instead of six on previous Seabourn cruises. The Rock the Boat deck party and Farewell Epicurean party were very good, although a bit sparse in the food offerings compared to last time on Seabourn Sojourn. We had guest entertainers, - a comedian, a magician and a singer alternating with production shows. The dessert by the pool was just a cold dessert. Last time the chef was cooking Cherries Jubilee and blasting desserts with a blow torch, and there were tables with every kind of cognac and after-dinner drinks. The Epicurean party was pleasant but I noticed the caviar stall had now disappeared. Also, there was no Galley Lunch and the Caviar in the Pool was lacking in style and was really too crowded. It had a Nikki beach if not Spring Break vibe about it, - again with more passengers in the same area as the smaller ships.

 

The entertainment on Silver Muse wasn't as good as Seabourn, as the six singers only had a backing track, no live band, and there were no guest entertainers. Besides the production shows some of the singers had a solo evening show highlighting their special talents, such as swing or opera. One evening there was a Chocolate Extravaganza around the pool with entertainment by the singers and backing tracks. It was good, but it didn't have the vibe of live music with a good band. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable.

 

Pool deck

 

The issues we had with the Encore have been picked over in lots of reviews and we agree with them. The extra passenger numbers have caused some seating issues when the pool deck gets very busy particularly on sea days and in the afternoon when everyone comes back from excursions. There weren't enough sunbeds, particularly in the shade, as there are lots more tables for the grill taking up valuable deck space. The Retreat was under-used and was a waste of space. All those sunbeds in the shade should be for all passengers, not just those paying the extra charge. This could take away the pressures from the pool deck. The sunbeds are so uncomfortable and narrow, nothing like as comfortable as on Silversea, Oceania or Cunard Grills deck. They need some padded sun loungers. They also enforced a thirty minutes unattended sun lounger policy which, in principle, I agree with. It could possibly do with being a bit longer though so that you could have a relaxed lunch or even enjoy the pool without worrying about losing your seat. I think this was indicative of the extra passenger numbers with the same size pool deck, as they needed a turnover of unused sun loungers because there's just not enough space.

 

On Silver Muse, there was plenty of room around the pool deck compared to Seabourn Encore. The pool deck service was fabulous, and there were lovely padded sun loungers. The guys who worked the bar looked after us so well. They'd come and take three towels, put them out as if they were making a bed, all tucked in, and then they rolled up an extra towel for a pillow. They were so good with drink refills that we had to pretend to be asleep to avoid another drink magically appearing!

 

Gripes

 

Seabourn Encore had the issue with an increase in passenger numbers and same size venues as the Odyssey class ships. There were two sittings for the shows, and also a very bizarre Welcome Party which was held in three venues, - the Club, the Theatre, and the Observation Bar. It was strange. The cruise director introduced the Captain and some staff and then said: “We're off to the next venue”. There was no interaction. It was a bit of an embarrassing sort of party, more like no-one turned up to your New Years Eve party. Everyone looked embarrassed as there were more waiters than guests, then two minutes after the captain had gone, the waiters were tidying everything up.

 

If they got rid of the Retreat, ditched the cabanas and made it a beautiful quiet shaded area it would be perfect and take pressure off the pool deck, and they need luxurious padded sun beds. Also, they could put chairs and loungers on the deck outside the TK Grill on deck 8. At present this is used as an overspill from the Colonnade, but no-one seemed to be there throughout the cruise except for officers and one or two passengers. This would give an additional shaded area with great views over the ship's stern.

 

These negative points didn't really detract from our overall enjoyment, but Seabourn Encore wouldn't be our first choice of Seabourn ship. We prefer the Odyssey class. Of course, if there was an amazing deal, then it would become something we could put up with.

 

Silver Muse had an issue with oily soot on the rear decks. Occasionally there were big puffs of black smoke and then lots of small to large flakes of oily soot settled on the deck and furniture at the back of the ship. We had to make sure we wiped down chairs and didn't lean on the rail to avoid any clothing damage.

 

Entertainment needs to be expanded and modernised, with a live band for shows and guest entertainers.

 

Silver Muse had a ladder into the swimming pool and it was quite deep. We prefer graduated steps on different levels to be able to sit and cool off.

 

Overall this was the best Silversea cruise we've ever taken. We'd enjoyed three previous cruises on Silver Spirit, but felt they were a step down from Seabourn. We'd only taken these as they'd fit in with our schedule and were bargains. However, this Silver Muse cruise was on a par and surpassed Seabourn in a number of aspects. We also now prefer Silver Muse to Silver Spirit, as senior staff were more visible and seemed to be more guest oriented. On our first Silver Spirit cruise, we'd felt as if we were intruding on the officers' private yacht.

 

These were both excellent cruises. We'd been to the ports before, and we always choose a cruise on Silversea or Seabourn for the ship, rather than the itinerary. We like a port intensive cruise, where all the passengers who've travelled from the USA or Australia and Asia to see the cultural sites in the Mediterranean get off on tours and are gone all day. That way we go down for breakfast with no-one there, as they're all on tours and the pool deck is empty. It's like having your own private yacht. We have a quiet lunch at a lovely table overlooking the sea. When everyone drifts back on board around the pool, we go ashore in an empty tender, do a bit of shopping, have a gentle stroll, then get ready early for dinner as we've had a relaxing day. We're among the first in the bar and restaurant as we're not exhausted by all day tours, and it's nice and quiet and the service is excellent.

 

We do things conversely to the majority of passengers, as we've seen all the sights and have taken excursions on less expensive ships and the ones you'd be glad to get off. I always think: “If I've paid for a 5-star luxury ship, why would I want to leave my cosseted cocoon?”

 

So to sum up -

 

Both ships are still brand new and shiny. Most of the staff all seemed to be very efficient and willing, no complaints, all very professional and welcoming. They made us feel special and addressed us by name.

 

Food - breakfast was good on both, lunch - each had good choices. We liked the freshly made pasta every day on Silver Muse. Coffee and snacks were available all day in Arts Cafe on Silver Muse and at Seabourn Square on Encore.

 

Dinner in the restaurant on both Seabourn and Silversea was very good and the service was excellent, but that was helped by eating early and having the same table and waiters each evening. So it could be a different experience if dining later in the evening when things could be rushed. We did miss the changing menu each evening on Silversea, but there was enough choice for a ten-night cruise, especially with the Always-Available menu and ordering off-menu with 24 hours notice.

 

On the pool deck - sun loungers and deck space were far better on Silver Muse. Service was good on both ships. If Seabourn got rid of the Retreat it would take pressure off the pool deck. One of the things I preferred on Seabourn was the graduated steps into the pool. Silver Muse had a ladder into the swimming pool and it was quite deep. I would imagine it would create difficulties for the elderly and the very young. It's nice to sit on steps on different levels to cool off.

 

Suites were equally nice on both, fabulous bathrooms, with twin sinks on Seabourn. TVs in the mirrors on Silversea are difficult to see, and we could hear next doors TV. My wife said the Seabourn walk-in wardrobe was designed by a man, - two clothes rails one high and one low. Rails were too low so jackets and dresses dragged on the floor or on the top rail. Entertainment was better on Seabourn with live bands and guest entertainers.

 

So after experiencing Seabourn Encore and Silver Muse within nine weeks of each other which did we prefer? Well, we wouldn't turn down a cruise on either of them, but to our surprise, our first choice would be Silver Muse. We prefer Silver Muse to Silver Spirit, but prefer Seabourn Sojourn to Seabourn Encore. We'd have to toss a coin between Silver Muse and Seabourn Sojourn but hope it comes down on Silver Muse. But it's a paper-thin difference, swings, and roundabouts, and we'd go on any one of their ships Encore, Sojourn, Spirit and Muse if the timing fitted in with our schedule and the price was right. - So overall the verdict is that both were excellent. Silver Muse had the edge, but we'd still go on both without any hesitation.

 

 

 

[galeforce9]

Thank you for your thorough review and comparison. 

[Isklaar]

Very interesting to read.  I stopped cruising with Silversea around six years ago, so it's good to read a current review which compares SS and SB.

Thank you for taking the time to post this. 

[markham]

As a long time Seabourn sailor I have booked our first Muse cruise for 2020 due to its great itinerary.

 

And like you, Sail1658, I much prefer Seabourn's Odyssey class ships over the Encore/Ovation class. I mean, who needs 150 more people in the same size MDR,  Grand Salon and a smaller Club with so much less open deck space per passenger? And I won't mention the Retreat, except to say it is an insult to the 99% who are barred from that valuable deck space- unless they pay for this "enclave" of conspicuous consumption.

 

Anyway, I had read somewhere that Muse has more space per passenger than Encore/Ovation- so that's good.

 

It would make sense for Seabourn to swap on all their ships their narrow and non-padded sun loungers for what Silversea and other luxury lines offer! And maybe reduce the capacity of Encore/Muse to be more competitive in the luxury/space ratio game. It's all about the brand which to me shows 2 classes of ships as different products on offer at Seabourn.

 

I don't know about the other Silversea ships in terms of this brand matter. We went last year on Whisper and found it underwhelming- none of the Odyssey class verve and fewer/smaller facilities eg the Seabourn Observation Bar with those views and space. We will go on Cloud this summer for the itinerary. The reviews on cc of late have not been great and the exterior of the ship looks tired. But recent passengers have assured me that service and dining standards are very high. So it's off to see, hopefully, the polar bears with Cloud in August!

 

We are on Odyssey next week for nearly a month. It is great to be back at home there and we are looking forward to that spontaneous and confident crew's service, the fun and sunny weather.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[DavidTheWonderer]

4 hours ago, markham said:

... Anyway, I had read somewhere that Muse has more space per passenger than Encore/Ovation- so that's good. ...

A good way to approximate the space is to look at the gross tonnage divided by the number of passengers.

 

For Silver Muse: 40,791 GT / 596 passengers = 68.4 GT / pax

For Seabourn Encore: 40,350 GT / 604 passengers = 66.8 GT / pax

These numbers are almost identical.

 

Of course, this method is only a rough guide.  And different lines divvy up their space in different ways.  Seabourn, for example, "spends" a lot of space on Seabourn Square.

[DavidTheWonderer]

Above I wrote that 68.4 GT / pax (Muse) and 66.8 GT / pax (Encore) are "almost identical."  To give you some idea of the variations in this number, here are three more.

 

Regent Mariner: 48,075 GT / 700 passengers = 68.7 GT / pax

Oceania Riviera: 66,084 GT / 1250 passengers = 52.9 GT / pax

Celebrity Equinox: 121,878 GT / 2850 passengers = 42.7 GT / pax

[wripro]

The Muse looks like a lovely ship but I just can't get past the dining situation. The same menus night after night in all the venues, the need to prebook in advance, the inability to meet people and decide to join them for dinner at the last minute, the lack of ensuite course by course dining all are deal breakers. If SS ever reverted to the situation found on Shadow and Whisper I'd certainly give the Muse a try.

[travelingduo]

We absolutely agree. The Muse is lovely for all the reasons expressed, but the dining is a deal breaker. We enjoyed our cruise on the Muse, but won’t go back for that reason.  

[fdnycruiser]

Thank you for the comprehensive comparison. We've sailed both lines on the smaller ships. However,this past April we were on the Encore and enjoyed it very much. We'll be on the Ovation for 36 days starting in March, and have booked The Silver Moon ( sister ship of Muse) for its first Trans Atlantic in 2020.

[Mr Luxury]

Thank you for your review.

you would have been in trouble if George Clooney sang and Andrea Bocelli was serving the coffee.

[Tarwood3]

On 11/16/2018 at 12:50 PM, wripro said:

The Muse looks like a lovely ship but I just can't get past the dining situation. The same menus night after night in all the venues, the need to prebook in advance, the inability to meet people and decide to join them for dinner at the last minute, the lack of ensuite course by course dining all are deal breakers. If SS ever reverted to the situation found on Shadow and Whisper I'd certainly give the Muse a try.

 Honestly , I was worried about the same thing but after having been on her in NOvembver for a 10 day cruise (Vietnam) I was pleasantly surprised.  With so many restaurants on board, if you do give them all a try, you wont repeat that often or too close together, unless you intentionally do so.  And we were pleasantly surprised to see some new menu items when we repeated both Atlantide and Indochine, so I’m not sure who said their menu items dont change.  Also, I dont know why you couldn’t do last minute dinner with people you just met....you can just walk up to Indochine, Atlantide , Spaccanapoli if you its that important to eat with some new folks.  So I would say give it a try before you judge it so harshly...you truly are passing up a fantastic product.  We have sailed a lot on SS and it was our favorite ship and favorite cruise of any SS.  Food was also the best of any SS cruise we had been on.  

[Tarwood3]

So, I couldn’t have written a better comparison than what the OP just wrote.  Honestly, I agreed with absolutely everything that was mentioned.  Absolutely spot on!! We did the Encore in the Mediterranean last week of August this year and just did the Muse in November through Vietnam.  I dont think you could go wrong on either ship and any criticism really is nit picky.  I do feel that folks on Cruise Critic get really hung up on some small things and dwell on it. The only ship that is going to be perfect is the one you design yourself...no ship can be all things to all people.  Wish folks were a bit more glass half full than half empty.  I think the OP definitely gave a balanced review and is a glass half full person!

My suggestion to the OP, regarding breakfast and some lunches for the Muse....go to Atlantide!!! I dont like buffets really, and La Terrazza is pretty busy.  We decided to give Atlantide a try for breakfast and we were so pleasantly surprised.  It was so relaxing, calm, peaceful, quiet, service excellent. For some reason, not that many people ever ate in there.  We loved it !! 

We do agree about the pool on the Encore...once you have been on SS...it just doesn’t compare.  Having a deck that wraparounds down the side and aft on pool deck is awesome.  

Agree on entertainment....we have mostly given up on entertainment onmost all small ships....its just mediocre at best....very underwhelming after some of the larger ship productions.  We just got off the maiden voyage of the Celebrity Edge and wow! Those shows are fantastic! 20 performers , amazing sound, stage productions, lots of dancing and acrobatics...now thats a show! 

We love both the Encore and the Muse and cant wait to go back! Our only gripe is that Seabourn still doesnt have the majority of their 2020 schedules posted...

[sail1658]

Thanks to everyone for all the kind comments and feedback, especially Tarwood3.

 

I agree that no ship is perfect as everyone has their own personal preferences.

 

We've just returned from Cunard Queen Victoria in Princess Grill and enjoyed breakfast, lunch and dinner in the restaurant. It was nice to be served in a beautiful setting and in a civilised manner.

 

We had our breakfast and lunch outside on both Seabourn Encore and Silver Muse as we loved the pleasure of eating outdoors in beautiful weather. Eating alfresco is something of a novelty for someone like us from the North West coast of England, as we generally only know it's summer when the rain gets warmer!

 

We plan to try the restaurants for breakfast and lunch on our next Silversea cruise, which will be Silver Spirit  from Barcelona to London, so more likely we'll start off outside and move inside as we head north. We're also hoping for a late summer Encore cruise to the Mediterranean.

 

I find that I like to try different types of ships and lines, otherwise I find that I compare things - “Last time when we were on-board it was better in this way or that way, etc.” That way it can seem like a new experience when returning to a ship or line one has sailed on previously.

 

Also I think you have to be a glass half full person and relax as each ship, restaurant and staff gives a different experience, even on the same cruise and even at the same dinner. It can't be as perfect as in a up-scale restaurant ashore as everything is corporate and mostly loaded on in the embarkation port, but it's invariably fine.

 

I do find I have to work at getting the best out of our experience though, because I find now on all levels of ship that if you don't ask, you don't get. I make sure we ask for a table of our choice, instead of sitting there moaning to each other if we don't like it. We just say where we'd like to sit, and they'll usually put us there. We also appreciate that if we go to main restaurant at the same time as everyone else that the service and wait times will suffer. We ask for the wine we like not the daily pour if it's not to our taste. If we want a particular spirit and mixer we specify it, or otherwise we just get a generic one, whatever is easiest for the server. Also we sometimes order off-menu giving 24 hours notice and get what we want within reason. I find doing things like this enhances our cruise experience and prevents any regrets.

 

I've learned this as my wife is a calm easy-going person, and her reply to my past rants about the mint sauce being late for the rack of lamb was “Calm down dear. Look around where we are and we're so fortunate to be here” That's finally got through to me, So I just enjoy each cruise for what it is, - a fantastic experience.

 

 

[Chameleon]

Just read your review sail1658, very comprehensive and informative! We have been on many cruises recently mainly Celebrity ships, however, we are about to go on our very first Silver Muse cruise which we expect to be a very different experience! We love trying different things and are really looking forward to this new experience. Can't wait!

[sail1658]

Chameleon, I'm sure you'll enjoy Silver Muse. It's amazing compared to the bigger mainstream cruise ships and cruise lines.

 

But you need to go on board without any unrealistically high expectations. It's very good but you are not as pampered as suggested by the brochures and the website. It depends on your butler and you being proactive.

 

The first up-scale cruise I went on was Silversea Silver Spirit. I was initially quite disappointed in it, but on later reflection, it was because I'd had too high expectations and believed the hype that I'd be pampered and treated like a rock-star at Claridges.

 

It was very good on the whole, and it's the same for Silver Muse, but you do have to work at getting the best out of your experience, as I wrote previously, because if you don't ask, you don't get.

 

I didn't appreciate on our first up-scale cruise that if you go to the restaurant or buffet at the same time as everyone else that the service and wait times will suffer. Meals are cooked to order so it's the kitchen that can get overwhelmed. So you just have to relax and have another glass of wine. But make sure you get the the wine you like, - not the daily offering if it's not to your taste. Also if you want a particular spirit and mixer, ask for it, or otherwise you just get whatever is easiest for the server. You can order off-menu giving 24 hours notice and get what you want within reason. These things enhance your cruise experience and prevent any regrets.

 

So enjoy your cruise on the Silver Muse, and try Seabourn as well, as they are comparable. The only problem is you'll find it difficult to go back to mainstream cruises.

 

 

 

[Hanoverian]

We were on the Muse and Oceania's Marina last year.  We will return to Seabourn, most likely the Quest, either late this year or in 2020.  Although I do agree with the favorable comments about the Muse and would sail on her again, our 33 days on the Marina were superior.  Our concierge veranda suite on Marina was a bit difficult at times mostly because of the closet size and its location, but otherwise all was good.   Maybe we enjoyed it so much because we thoroughly enjoyed the officers and passengers on Marina, who were so much more open and friendly than on the Muse.  Perhaps we just happened to sail with the right mix of staff and passengers or perhaps it is generally like that on Marina, who knows.  Everyone seemed to stick to themselves on Muse and only had one brief chat with an officer who wanted to be elsewhere.  We became friends with a German lady who was on the last leg of a back-to-back (TA and 13 days) on the Muse, and she complained bitterly about facing the same menus each day and difficulties ordering something different.  No such problem on Marina or Seabourn.   I personally still rate Seabourn as #1 (because of service, food, people, and wonderful experiences over the years), Oceania as #2 (people, food, service), and Silversea as #3 (the ship, still better food than anything other than these 3).