First timer questions

[scseas]

We’ve never been on Silver Seas but are considering a European cruise on Silver Moon. I have some rather idiosyncratic questions I am hoping people might be able to answer:

 

1) We’re in our mid 40s and are worried we will be much younger than the typical guest. Any thoughts on the typical age range? I know this line skews old but is there usually at least a few younger people on board.
 

2) what type of included wines are there. On lines like Regent, it’s disappointing many of the included wines retail for about $10

 

3) what included scotch and tequila is on board?

 

4) are there venues open past 10 pm? I take it they are pretty empty but we can entertain ourselves in a bar or while listening to music.

 

5) can you order anything you want to eat and they’ll make it with a little notice if they have ingredients on board?

 

6) any menus for the two fee specialty restaurants? Is an elevated wine experience part of the up charge?

7) how is the gym? Do they have a squat bar and bench press?

 

Any other advice welcome!

 

Thank you!!!

[rojaan19]

I will  answer your questions  that I can,  others will too.

1:You wont be the youngest, but as long as you can  mingle you will be fine. I started cruising with Silverseas back in 2010.  Someone will always talk  to  you 🤩  We have made some great friends this way.

2 & 3:  I  only drink  white wine,  but have been  very happy with whats available. My husband is usually happy with the reds, but if you want to  try something else the sommelier will get you others you can  try.  I dont drink  spirits. You can  have a bottle of what ever in your suite -  just ask  your butler.

4: Yes

5: Yes,  it is best to  ask  24 hours in advance, see the maitre'd in the restaurant.

6: No -  for some strange reason I havent cruised for 2 years !!

7: I know there is a gym  somewhere on the ship.

[Stumblefoot]

Rojann, #6 and #7; 😆😂🤣

 

We were 42 on our first SS cruise in ‘08.  We were the youngest by far, and even today we’re still the youngest as long as we don’t go on a Christmas or New Year’s cruise or a summer voyage with lots of kids. Oh, and never with the Hafner’s. They are always the youngest. 😁

[Gourmet Gal]

I’ve never cruised on silver seas either but I have cruised Silversea.  
 

You will probably not be the youngest and I agree if you like to mingle you’ll meet some nice people, old as they might be.  
 

I don’t know how much Silversea wines cost but they are usually adequate and suitable.  I’ve learned over the years that cost does not always reflect the suitability of a wine.  My local wineshop is actually well-known for the incredible values they manage to find, usually non-domestic wines.

 

For #’s 3,4,5 the answer is yes.

 

Regarding specialty restaurants, if you cannot find the menus by doing a search of this forum then book those venues in advance anyway and check the menus when on-board.  You can always cancel.

 

As for the gym, I honestly don’t remember.  I usually just do free-weights and spin bike.

[Mudhen]

It's been a little while since we cruised SS, we usually use Regent. However the last time we were on SS, I thought the included wines were better on SS than what Regent has offered. I have no idea how that comparison relates now, but just my 2 cents!

[scseas]

7 hours ago, Mudhen said:

It's been a little while since we cruised SS, we usually use Regent. However the last time we were on SS, I thought the included wines were better on SS than what Regent has offered. I have no idea how that comparison relates now, but just my 2 cents!

How would you compare SS to Regent? We were scheduled on Regent (also first time) but we were very disappointed in the overnight stay in Helsinki instead of SPG. We liked the SS substitutions better and the fare was 40 percent less than Regent for a nicer room. I hope this was a good choice.

[Mudhen]

I don't think you can go too far wrong with either line. It's like comparing apples and oranges.

I'm not a fan of the extra charge for specialty restaurants on SS but that's a minor quibble. I love the Arts Cafe, if that's available on your SS ship....it isn't on the smaller ones. Everyone gets a butler on SS, not on Regent. Some are really good, some are just ok.  You don't get that on Regent unless you're penthouse or above. We usually cruise concierge level on Regent.

I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time no matter which line you're on!

[scseas]

31 minutes ago, Mudhen said:

I don't think you can go too far wrong with either line. It's like comparing apples and oranges.

I'm not a fan of the extra charge for specialty restaurants on SS but that's a minor quibble. I love the Arts Cafe, if that's available on your SS ship....it isn't on the smaller ones. Everyone gets a butler on SS, not on Regent. Some are really good, some are just ok.  You don't get that on Regent unless you're penthouse or above. We usually cruise concierge level on Regent.

I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time no matter which line you're on!

It’s the Silver Moon vs Splendor, so two brand new ships.

[Stumblefoot]

3 hours ago, scseas said:

We liked the SS substitutions better and the fare was 40 percent less than Regent for a nicer room. I hope this was a good choice.

With everything equal, when is 40% less ever not a good choice?

[ronrick1943]

We’ve cruised on 8 with Regent and liked them all—-but it’s time to move on to something new so we booked 2 on SS.  I think the biggest draw is SS dress code, a little to formal for me-but we can deal with that is the service is good.  For us the ship is part of the destination, photo’s and reports look good.

[Tudorcruisers]

I love SS though for question 4 I would have to say on the cruises we have been on the ship is pretty quiet after 10 pm.   We are early 60’s and would say again on the cruises we have done probably most are in their 50’s upwards.  We met a fantastic couple in their 80’s who would have been up for partying all night so I don’t let the age demographic put us off.  I realise though every cruise is completely different so I’m just going on the ones I have been on.  
 

we just drink wine and have always found it to be very good.  
 

 

[Lois R]

Lots of good answers to your questions, I will take some of them too.

 

Yes, there are venues open after 10pm...........Panorama Lounge, music in the evenings and also there are times when Music Trivia has been held in there at night too........I have been in there way past 10......but no, not into the wee hours......normally I think Panorama closes around midnight.  Depending on what is going on, this venue can have a good sized crowd. 

 

Dolce Vita has a pianist and sometimes a guitarist as well in the evenings. The bar is open and usually there are people in there beyond 10.   (In my experiences anyway).  

 

I have never had a problem finding a wine I enjoy🙂.......can't help you with the prices though.

 

Scotch and Tequila? Can't help you with those except to say you can talk to the bartenders and they will be happy to tell you all the brands on board.

 

Wishing you smooth sailing🙂

 

 

[Spotbattman]

Our first Silversea cruise was for my 40th birthday. We were the youngest passengers. Bar will stay open until last person leaves. Entertainment is generally low key. Food is excellent, ask and you shall be served with whatever you want. We haven’t eaten in La Dame. My OH is allergic to crustaceans and the menu seems skewed towards lobster! The MDR food is all we need. If I end up near the gym I am probably lost so can’t help with exercise equipment. 

[MBP&O2/O]

No priority booking of excursions and restaurants on SS as opposed to Regent which favours the rich .... or at least those who pay more money?

[Gourmet Gal]

Venetian Club members can book excursions 30 days earlier than new passengers.

[scseas]

Thanks for all of the wonderful advice. I have a couple more questions:

 

1) How do waitlists work for excursions? In one port, the time we want to go on the tour is waitlisted. We signed up for the waitlist as well as the same tour at a less desirable time to make sure we would be able to do the tour if we didn't clear the waitlist. We were informed of a charge for the second tour time slot since we are limited to one tour per day. However, there is a 48 hour cancellation policy for the tour and the website indicates the waitlist won't clear until the night before the tour. Is it possible the waitlist clears earlier and, if not, should we just go with the less desirable time available?

 

2) Has anyone been on the thermal area on the Silver Moon? What features are there? D Does it include wet and dry saunas? Do you know what the charge is to use it, or is it included?

 

3) Are jackets needed for S.A.L.T, Hot Rock/Grill for dinner, Silver Note, La Terrezza? I assume La Dame is jacket and tie, but I guess I should ask about that one too.

 

Thanks again!

[Lois R]

Hi, Hot Rocks is totally casual.........it is outside by the pool. No jacket needed. Terrazza and Salt, I have seen both, some men in jackets and some without. 

[Gourmet Gal]

It is my understanding that semi-formal means jackets for men.  The dress code isn’t totally by venue - it is also ship-wide,different nightly and then certain venues will be relaxed.  I think La Terrazza is never formal but there could be nights when jackets are required.

[RetiredandTravel]

1) I would guess the average age on a luxury cruise (except summer when the grandkids show up)  is at least in the mid to late 60's (like me), when I was in my 40's I wouldn't have gone on a luxury cruise expecting equal age camaraderie. 

 

2) I've done a decent amount of research on SS, Seabourn & Regent included wine lists.  They are all fairly similar in the $10-15 range, Regent maybe at the bottom.   The wines are fine with  lunch or a cocktail but if you consider yourself a bit of a wine connoisseur, you will prefer to pay extra for your dinner wine.

 

7) Looking at the videos of the gym available you won't be banging out any high weight squats or benches on the Moon.

 

 

[Unibok]

On 3/21/2022 at 3:02 PM, scseas said:

1) How do waitlists work for excursions? In one port, the time we want to go on the tour is waitlisted. We signed up for the waitlist as well as the same tour at a less desirable time to make sure we would be able to do the tour if we didn't clear the waitlist. We were informed of a charge for the second tour time slot since we are limited to one tour per day. However, there is a 48 hour cancellation policy for the tour and the website indicates the waitlist won't clear until the night before the tour. Is it possible the waitlist clears earlier and, if not, should we just go with the less desirable time available?

 

 

Waitlists do sometimes clear before the voyage, as with my upcoming Greece/Turkey itinerary. My mother and I put ourselves on the waitlist for everything we truly wanted, and all but one have cleared -- for a voyage that is still more than 6 weeks away. For the one that has not cleared, Silversea added 2 or 3 additional "included" options, and I actually prefer one of the new options over what I had waitlisted.

 

If I were in your position, I would stay on the waitlist for the time you really want, but then sign up for the other one. Eventually, you won't be charged for it unless you actually do them both. If all else fails, ask at the Shore Concierge desk once you embark.

[Shellback91]

Hello scseas,

     I will do my best to answer your questions based on our experience, as well as information passed on to me by friends who have cruised on SS.

 

1) We’re in our mid 40s and are worried we will be much younger than the typical guest........

     When we first sailed on SS, my DW and I were both 41y/o. On that cruise there were only three other couples our age, and quite a bit of "older" folks in their 50's, and many well beyond that. My other experiences have been the same. A friend that recently sailed said a good portion of the passengers on his cruise were in there 40's.

     Do not let the older demographics keep you away. So many of the folks in the "senior" set were extremely friendly, struck up conversations, complemented us and invited us to join them (one of my favorites was; " nice to see that 'young folks' like you enjoy real dancing"). Met some very interesting people, including a retired physicist, a former ambassador and even a very senior gentleman who was part of the OSS during WW2. Imagine some of the stories we heard.
 

2) what type of included wines are there. On lines like Regent, it’s disappointing many of the included wines retail for about $10

     Too hard to say exactly what wines are available, as this can vary from trip to trip. We enjoyed almost all the wines we tried, though we were not super adventurous. Quite a few of the wines we had (of those I could locate) retailed between $24 - $30. A lot may depend on your sommelier, and the style of wine/s you prefer.

 

3) what included scotch and tequila is on board?

     The scotch's I observed were the three Glens: Glenlivet 12 Year Old, Glenfiddich 12 Year Old, and Glenmorangie, Talisker and another whose name escapes me. My friend swears he saw someone get a Glenlivet 14, though, he said the man had to ask for it and it was produced from below the bar. I also saw a bartender pour Aberlour 12, but when I asked for one later, I was told that it was gone and it was their only bottle.

     I am not much of a tequila drinker, except when it's in cocktails, so I did not pay too much attention, but I did see Jose Cuervo and Don Julio. When my wife ordered a margarita, I am fairly certain they used Herradura.

 

4) are there venues open past 10 pm? I take it they are pretty empty but we can entertain ourselves in a bar or while listening to music.

     We were out every night until after midnight. Panorama was usually pretty popular, first with, as the old folks would say, "real dancing". Not all slow songs, some fast ones too (think wedding playlist skewed toward dancing). Then later it becomes more disco/club like music.

     There also was music in Dolce Vita. We stopped by there once or twice and I am sure it was after 10:00 P.M. Also, I believe the last set in Silver Note is at 11PM.

 

5) can you order anything you want to eat and they’ll make it with a little notice if they have ingredients on board?

     This I have only done once, and they were able to accommodate my request. However, I did give them three days notice.

 

6) any menus for the two fee specialty restaurants? Is an elevated wine experience part of the up charge?

     The wine options in La Dame are different than the other restaurants, and are of a higher price point. If they are better would be a personal point of view. As far as menus, try these YouTube links. They are posted by a cruiser and very well done. He shows the menus in all the restaurants, which you can pause to read easily. The La Dame menu showen is from the Spirit, but would think it would be similar. 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX1jIWdySRs

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuIpAQTJ3sA

7) how is the gym? Do they have a squat bar and bench press?

     There is no squat or bench press bar in the gym. This is for safety reasons, as they do not want someone injuring themselves while lifting alone. This could be solved by a Smith Machine, but that would take up quite a bit of space. The only free weights are dumbbells. So to bench, you will have to use the machine, or press dumbbells on the bench. For squats, leg press machine (no sled), or squats with dumbbells.

 

     I hope i have helped answer your questions. I think you will have a great time if you book a cruise with SS. Take care and happy cruising.

[scseas]

1 hour ago, Shellback91 said:

Hello scseas,

     I will do my best to answer your questions based on our experience, as well as information passed on to me by friends who have cruised on SS.

 

1) We’re in our mid 40s and are worried we will be much younger than the typical guest........

     When we first sailed on SS, my DW and I were both 41y/o. On that cruise there were only three other couples our age, and quite a bit of "older" folks in their 50's, and many well beyond that. My other experiences have been the same. A friend that recently sailed said a good portion of the passengers on his cruise were in there 40's.

     Do not let the older demographics keep you away. So many of the folks in the "senior" set were extremely friendly, struck up conversations, complemented us and invited us to join them (one of my favorites was; " nice to see that 'young folks' like you enjoy real dancing"). Met some very interesting people, including a retired physicist, a former ambassador and even a very senior gentleman who was part of the OSS during WW2. Imagine some of the stories we heard.
 

2) what type of included wines are there. On lines like Regent, it’s disappointing many of the included wines retail for about $10

     Too hard to say exactly what wines are available, as this can vary from trip to trip. We enjoyed almost all the wines we tried, though we were not super adventurous. Quite a few of the wines we had (of those I could locate) retailed between $24 - $30. A lot may depend on your sommelier, and the style of wine/s you prefer.

 

3) what included scotch and tequila is on board?

     The scotch's I observed were the three Glens: Glenlivet 12 Year Old, Glenfiddich 12 Year Old, and Glenmorangie, Talisker and another whose name escapes me. My friend swears he saw someone get a Glenlivet 14, though, he said the man had to ask for it and it was produced from below the bar. I also saw a bartender pour Aberlour 12, but when I asked for one later, I was told that it was gone and it was their only bottle.

     I am not much of a tequila drinker, except when it's in cocktails, so I did not pay too much attention, but I did see Jose Cuervo and Don Julio. When my wife ordered a margarita, I am fairly certain they used Herradura.

 

4) are there venues open past 10 pm? I take it they are pretty empty but we can entertain ourselves in a bar or while listening to music.

     We were out every night until after midnight. Panorama was usually pretty popular, first with, as the old folks would say, "real dancing". Not all slow songs, some fast ones too (think wedding playlist skewed toward dancing). Then later it becomes more disco/club like music.

     There also was music in Dolce Vita. We stopped by there once or twice and I am sure it was after 10:00 P.M. Also, I believe the last set in Silver Note is at 11PM.

 

5) can you order anything you want to eat and they’ll make it with a little notice if they have ingredients on board?

     This I have only done once, and they were able to accommodate my request. However, I did give them three days notice.

 

6) any menus for the two fee specialty restaurants? Is an elevated wine experience part of the up charge?

     The wine options in La Dame are different than the other restaurants, and are of a higher price point. If they are better would be a personal point of view. As far as menus, try these YouTube links. They are posted by a cruiser and very well done. He shows the menus in all the restaurants, which you can pause to read easily. The La Dame menu showen is from the Spirit, but would think it would be similar. 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX1jIWdySRs

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuIpAQTJ3sA

7) how is the gym? Do they have a squat bar and bench press?

     There is no squat or bench press bar in the gym. This is for safety reasons, as they do not want someone injuring themselves while lifting alone. This could be solved by a Smith Machine, but that would take up quite a bit of space. The only free weights are dumbbells. So to bench, you will have to use the machine, or press dumbbells on the bench. For squats, leg press machine (no sled), or squats with dumbbells.

 

     I hope i have helped answer your questions. I think you will have a great time if you book a cruise with SS. Take care and happy cruising.

Wow, you answered everything. Thank you so much! Don’t you know if there is a wet area in the spa, like a sauna, steam room, and plunge pool? I’m not sure if it would be even open in Covid, but if it is, do you know if it is open to all or just lost spa treatment? 

[Sucellos]

On 3/18/2022 at 3:01 AM, scseas said:

2) what type of included wines are there. On lines like Regent, it’s disappointing many of the included wines retail for about $10

 

The included wines are in general not bad, but if your interest in fine wines are average or above, most of them they are certainly not very memorable either. In 2019 I found many of them to be in the +/- $15 retail range, of course depending on what's your "home market". 

 

The additional wine list is however rather fairly priced where you can find some very good wines at or below retail market price, although several of them way too young to really show their full potential. Buying a bottle or two from the wine list and showing some interest for wine could also lead to a bit more attention from the sommelier and the possibility to being offered to sample something else than the "standard" wines of the evening. Might not always be the largest "upgrades", but maybe a glass of what's served in La Dame or something they have left in smaller quantitites and in my experience sometimes a bit more interesting.  

[TLCOhio]

3 hours ago, Shellback91 said:

There also was music in Dolce Vita. We stopped by there once or twice and I am sure it was after 10:00 P.M. Also, I believe the last set in Silver Note is at 11PM.

5) can you order anything you want to eat and they’ll make it with a little notice if they have ingredients on board?

     This I have only done once, and they were able to accommodate my request. However, I did give them three days notice.

 

Appreciate these super excellent details, comments and follow-ups from Shellback91 in Wisconsin.  Great summary points.  For us, the Silver Note is a nice music/entertainment site.  On wines served by Silversea, they are some what "average" compared to the more costly, high-end options.  But, they worked well for us.  Do not hesitate to ask for other options and types that they might have.  The staff is very good in coming up with better potentials for your personal interests when asked.  

 

On dining variety and options, YES, ask!!  Below are a couple of options we enjoyed during our summer 2019 Silver Muse sailing.  One was seared scallops.  Super excellent and so tasty!!  Second was a request a day ahead for Beef Wellington at our table for six.  Look good?  It was amazingly excellent!!  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio   

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 243,843 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

For us on six different Silversea cruises, we have found the staff loves to be highly responsive for special dining requests and creative ideas.  ASK!!!  Don't be shy.  Need evidence?  See below from our July 2019 sailing from Vancouver to Alaska on the Silversea Muse.  First, the seared scallops!  Second, the Beef Wellington special order for our table made a day ahead.  Was this dining excellent?:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

 

[gwesq]

MORE possible First Timer questions from a Crystal Refugee.   One could go on the Crystal website & see who the Entertainers, Enrichment speakers, senior staff, etc. were going to be on upcoming cruises.   I can't find anything like that on SS site. Is there a way to find that info?

 

How do the Muse & Moon differ? I believe they are generally the same (?), but there are some differences?  

 

On a Crossing, how many Enrichment lectures (NOT "lectures" that are asking you to buy this or pay for that) are they likely to have each day?  WOuld it be possible for someone to post a few ship daily schedules? 

 

Thanks