Australia/NZ - Whisper or Muse

[RetiredandTravel]

My search continues !!

 

Which do people prefer (a tie is ok) & why

 

Whisper - Smaller (++) - Older - Recently Refurbished - More days ends in Sydney(++)

 

Muse - Newer - Bigger - Like the restaurant selection (++) - Somewhat bigger rooms

 

examples

 

https://www.silversea.com/destinations/australia-new-zealand-cruise/auckland-to-sydney-wh240129016.html

 

https://www.silversea.com/destinations/australia-new-zealand-cruise/auckland-to-melbourne-sm240201014.html

 

ty

 

 

[Stumblefoot]

Muse

- Arts Cafe

- Quieter engines

- More varied dining choices

- No rattling ceiling or vibrating seats in Venetian Lounge

[Lois R]

I booked Whisper but that is really because I wanted to visit Melbourne AND Sydney🙂. If I am going all the way to Australia I definitely want to see both places.

[RetiredandTravel]

29 minutes ago, Stumblefoot said:

Muse

- Arts Cafe

- Quieter engines

- More varied dining choices

- No rattling ceiling or vibrating seats in Venetian Lounge

 

22 minutes ago, Lois R said:

I booked Whisper but that is really because I wanted to visit Melbourne AND Sydney🙂. If I am going all the way to Australia I definitely want to see both places.

 

 

Thanks Guys. Very Helpful.

 

We plan on a few days in Sydney before the cruise, then fly to Auckland.   Its a little surprising the Muse ends in Melbourne.  We like the small ship concept but also like the food diversity at Muse.  Seabourn hasn't listed the '24 Aus/NZ cruises yet.   Haven't cruised on either (read many comparisons) but tend to like Silversea given our preferences.

 

 

[rojaan19]

We like the smaller ships,  so  we tried the Muse  - Sydney to  Auckland in February 2019, LOVED it !!

Our next 3 cruises have been  cancelled due to  Covid,  but we have everything crossed for 2022.

And as Stumblefoot said  the Arts cafe was always our first stop  after an  excursion  !

 

[Lois R]

The larger ship does have more restaurant choices but flying so far away......I have to put itinerary first in this case and go for more days🙂

[Host Jazzbeau]

Great timing on this thread, as I am in the midst of the exact same decision.  Would really prefer to be on Muse, but the Whisper itineraries are better for my wants.  For some reason Muse no longer sails in Milford Sound [it used to], but Whisper still does – that was the fatal flaw for me.

 

One other question for the Silversea cognoscenti:  when a Silversea ship cruises into Milford Sound and is heading for Dunedin (or vice versa), do they have an overnight land excursion to Queenstown and then rejoin the ship on the other side?  [Celebrity does this, and we would skip the port stop in Bluff to get it on the Jan. 13 sailing.]

[rojaan19]

11 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 

One other question for the Silversea cognoscenti:  when a Silversea ship cruises into Milford Sound and is heading for Dunedin (or vice versa), do they have an overnight land excursion to Queensland and then rejoin the ship on the other side?  [Celebrity does this, and we would skip the port stop in Bluff to get it on the Jan. 13 sailing.]

 I think  you mean  Queenstown  NOT Queensland (  state in Australia) 

"Queenstown is home to a huge choice of adrenaline activities including jet boating, bungy jumping, white water rafting, skydiving" - ( all  very popular with a younger demographic than  Silverseas  !!)

 

[Fixed.  Thanks for spotting my late-night nod off] – Host Jazzbeau

[RetiredandTravel]

There are a couple Muse itineraries that go from Auckland <=> Sydney.

 

https://www.silversea.com/destinations/australia-new-zealand-cruise/sydney-to-auckland-sm240118014.html

 

 

[mchell810]

11 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Great timing on this thread, as I am in the midst of the exact same decision.  Would really prefer to be on Muse, but the Whisper itineraries are better for my wants.  For some reason Muse no longer sails in Milford Sound [it used to], but Whisper still does – that was the fatal flaw for me.

 

One other question for the Silversea cognoscenti:  when a Silversea ship cruises into Milford Sound and is heading for Dunedin (or vice versa), do they have an overnight land excursion to Queenstown and then rejoin the ship on the other side?  [Celebrity does this, and we would skip the port stop in Bluff to get it on the Jan. 13 sailing.]

 

Get out of my head 😜   I had these exact thoughts when looking at the 2024 itineraries.  I had a Celebrity cruise cancelled in 2020 where I had planned to do the Queenstown overnight from Milford Sound so now I just can't imagine doing the trip without that; and certainly wouldn't want a trip that skips Milford altogether.  So for now I am just holding off.

[Fletcher]

Remember that the Tasman Sea is a close relative of The Drake Passage.  Having been to Oz and NZ many times, I always regard them as land-based, hotel and road trips, apart from two expedition cruises we did from Auckland which both stopped at wonderful Norfolk Island.

[Whaleofatime]

Muse no contest, we were on her last voyage prelockdown 2020 in Aus and NZ... So fab it's imprinted in my memory forever xx

Edited July 29, 2021 by Whaleofatime
***** up

[labrasett]

We have booked Auckland to Sydney for February 2023 on Whisper.  Having been to N. Island NZ a couple of years back we are keen to see South Island but no longer have a big appetite to drive about so a cruise seemed a good way to fulfill this ambition plus a follow up stay in Oz catching first the Indian Pacific train from Sydney to Perth, stay a few days then back track to Adelaide to pick up the Ghan (yes we love trains) to Darwin.   En route back to UK we intend to stop off in Singapore for tea at Raffles (they were closed for refurbishment the last time we went).   Watching Michael Portillo's great train journeys TV programmes this week has more than stirred our excitement for the trip.   

[Lois R]

16 hours ago, Whaleofatime said:

Muse no contest, we were on her last voyage prelockdown 2020 in Aus and NZ... So fab it's imprinted in my memory forever xx

Good morning......(afternoon for you right now🙂).  It may be no contest for you but I cannot imagine traveling  to another hemisphere and seeing Melbourne but not Sydney, or vice versa.  If Muse had been doing the same itinerary as Whisper, I am quite sure I would have booked Muse. And I have a feeling this cruise will be imprinted in my memory forever too😃

[RetiredandTravel]

4 hours ago, labrasett said:

We have booked Auckland to Sydney for February 2023 on Whisper.  Having been to N. Island NZ a couple of years back we are keen to see South Island but no longer have a big appetite to drive about so a cruise seemed a good way to fulfill this ambition plus a follow up stay in Oz catching first the Indian Pacific train from Sydney to Perth, stay a few days then back track to Adelaide to pick up the Ghan (yes we love trains) to Darwin.   En route back to UK we intend to stop off in Singapore for tea at Raffles (they were closed for refurbishment the last time we went).   Watching Michael Portillo's great train journeys TV programmes this week has more than stirred our excitement for the trip.   

 

 

Thank you for mentioning the Indian Pacific, we were considering that pre-Covid and I lost track of it.

 

I like the stop in Singapore for Tea.  Whenever we (USA) are in Europe I try to convince my wife, usually unsuccessfully,  to do a stop in London so we can get the Club Sandwich at The Stafford London American Bar.  Fantastic!!

 

Enjoy your travels.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Booked Whisper Jan. 29, 2024!  This will be our first Silversea cruise, so I'll be hanging out a lot here soaking up all the good tips.  TIA.

[Stickman1990]

22 hours ago, labrasett said:

catching first the Indian Pacific train from Sydney to Perth, stay a few days then back track to Adelaide to pick up the Ghan (yes we love trains) to Darwin

Great plan - we’ve done the Indian Pacific from Perth to Sydney following a cruise and loved it. Good food and scenery and a very social experience in the lounge far

 

One suggestion is that you consider whether to do the Ghan from Adelaide to Darwin or the other way - we’ve been advised by several people that the Darwin to Adelaide option has better off train excursions so you might want to check the options out  

[labrasett]

1 hour ago, Stickman1990 said:

Great plan - we’ve done the Indian Pacific from Perth to Sydney following a cruise and loved it. Good food and scenery and a very social experience in the lounge far

 

One suggestion is that you consider whether to do the Ghan from Adelaide to Darwin or the other way - we’ve been advised by several people that the Darwin to Adelaide option has better off train excursions so you might want to check the options out  

I understand what you are saying but Darwin down to Adelaide seems too counter intuitive as we are flying back to UK via Singapore which is a relatively short flight from Adelaide!  But, it was someone's comment on this website which encouraged me to do the whole of the Indian Pacific rather than just getting off in Adelaide to join the Ghan so until a bit nearer the time it is a case of never say never!

[Lois R]

7 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Booked Whisper Jan. 29, 2024!  This will be our first Silversea cruise, so I'll be hanging out a lot here soaking up all the good tips.  TIA.

Congratulations😃

[sanne]

I have been on the Ghan and can second that Darwin to Adelaide has the best off train experiences. So good in fact we’re doing it again next year with 3 other couples.