Silversea, expecting too much?

[mogulman]

Went on our first Silversea cruise this week, Alaska inside passage on the Silver Muse.  Previously had done Carnival cruises when my son was younger.   Last time was about 6 years ago.  

 

Not sure if the cruise line has gotten worse or my expectations were too high?

 

I guess I was expecting the quality of food to be better.  Also expecting much better service in the restaurants/bars (we had to wait 2 hours for entrees on two different occasions).  Our butler was awesome and the rooms were great.  

 

Was hoping they would have crab legs and oysters on the menu.  Never saw them except in Indochine, where the crab legs were doused in a sweet sticky sauce one night.  There did seem to be plenty of Halibut and Salmon. 

 

Also, the variety of whisky , tequila and gin was limited compared to the alcohol available on the drink package we paid for on Carnival.   Again, figured since it was a more upscale cruiseline they would have some higher end alcohol.   Makers mark and Buffalo trace was about it for bourbon.  

 

In general, there were a lot of better things, but not everything was better.   Also, price wise not 2x/3x price better.  

 

Maybe cruising, in general, has gotten worse since 6 years ago and SS is just following the trend?

 

 

 

 

Edited June 11, 2023 by mogulman

[Host Jazzbeau]

596 passengers compared to multiple thousands requires 2-3x fare all by itself.  But worth paying for IMHO.

[mogulman]

 Wasn't thinking about the fare being based on number of passengers. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

3 minutes ago, mogulman said:

 Wasn't thinking about the fare being based on number of passengers. 

(Dis)economies of scale.  Carnival ships and Silversea ships each have 1 Captain, 1 Chief Engineer, etc.

[canderson]

37 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

(Dis)economies of scale.  Carnival ships and Silversea ships each have 1 Captain, 1 Chief Engineer, etc.

Not to mention passenger to crew ratio.  Something like 1.4:1 on Silversea vs. 2.5:1 on Carnival.  *Should* provide for much better service.

[bitob]

My friends are on the Silver Wind now.  They are raving about everything, especially the food.  There is a wonderful live from thread.

 

We love Silversea.  After Crystal went bust we were so disappointed.  Blessing in disguise.  We love Silversea.  Third cruise this July and 4 more booked.

[Lois R]

Hi, in my opinion you definitely had to wait way too long for those entrees. I can only speak for myself but I would have said something long before that amount of time went by. Did you speak with your wait staff? The Maitr'd? They need to know how smoothly (or not) things are going so they can be fixed.2 hours to get the entree? Not normal (in my opinion).

 

As for the drinks, I have always been happy with the offerings so that has not been an issue.  

 

I do agree with Jazz though.....for me, the amount of passengers is one of the many reasons I love Silversea.🙂 

[Mr Luxury]

9 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Hi, in my opinion you definitely had to wait way too long for those entrees. I can only speak for myself but I would have said something long before that amount of time went by. Did you speak with your wait staff? The Maitr'd? They need to know how smoothly (or not) things are going so they can be fixed.2 hours to get the entree? Not normal (in my opinion).

 

As for the drinks, I have always been happy with the offerings so that has not been an issue.  

 

I do agree with Jazz though.....for me, the amount of passengers is one of the many reasons I love Silversea.🙂 

I was just thinking the same thing and then scrolled down to your post.

Why on Earth would anyone wait that long without speaking out and getting it sorted.

All too often people come on CC and moan about something that they should have spoken up about and sorted within a few minutes on the ships.

I guess we are all different.🙄

[Lois R]

4 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

I was just thinking the same thing and then scrolled down to your post.

Why on Earth would anyone wait that long without speaking out and getting it sorted.

All too often people come on CC and moan about something that they should have spoken up about and sorted within a few minutes on the ships.

I guess we are all different.🙄

Once my appetizer comes (If I order one).......then they take those plates away, If my entree isn't there within another 30 minutes? They will hear from me. Maybe I just look at dinner differently than other folks. As much as enjoy dinner time, waiting 2 hours?.......Not something that would be acceptable. It has happened a couple of times to me over all my sailings and I ALWAYS say something. 

[mogulman]

Yeah.  We spoke to them about how long it was taking after like 30 minutes after the apps.    They apologized, but it still took longer.  Not sure if they were backed up or what the problem was.  

[QueSeraSera]

No, not expecting too much.  It is a luxury cruise line and normally executes as one (or they'd have gone out of business long ago).

We also have never had an experience like yours, but you did.

1 hour ago, mogulman said:

Yeah.  We spoke to them about how long it was taking after like 30 minutes after the apps.    They apologized, but it still took longer. 

Still can't imagine an hour and a half longer!

5 hours ago, mogulman said:

Was hoping they would have crab legs and oysters on the menu.  Never saw them except in Indochine, where the crab legs were doused in a sweet sticky sauce one night. 

Wouldn't expect oysters in Alaska, but I would expect crab.  Were there crabmeat options apart from crab legs?  I think you could have ordered the crab legs without sauce if that's how you wanted them.

[Gourmet Gal]

I have never in my life anywhere waited 2 jours for an entree.  I would have walked out long before.  Perhaps they could have delivered it to your cabin.

[texanaust]

49 minutes ago, Gourmet Gal said:

I have never in my life anywhere waited 2 jours for an entree.  I would have walked out long before.  Perhaps they could have delivered it to your cabin.

 

2 days is a very long time!!

[turtlemichael]

4 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

I was just thinking the same thing and then scrolled down to your post.

Why on Earth would anyone wait that long without speaking out and getting it sorted.

All too often people come on CC and moan about something that they should have spoken up about and sorted within a few minutes on the ships.

I guess we are all different.🙄

And you had to wait two hours for your main course on two separate occasions? That is extreme misfortune.

[Gourmet Gal]

1 hour ago, texanaust said:

 

2 days is a very long time!!

Yes, true but I meant 2 hours not jours. 🤪

[Rothko1]

Waiting two hours for entrees is clearly not acceptable.  There's just no excuse. 

 

With respect to the crab legs and other local delicacies you were hoping for, it's my understanding that a lot of the provisioning of fish, etc. is done at the main ports, like Vancouver, and so you won't get a lot of local stuff.  When we did Alaska a year ago on Silversea, my wife commented that the salmon on the menu was Atlantic, not one of the Pacific varietals, and that was the explanation that she got.

 

As far as the liquors, because Silversea is all inclusive, you won't see a lot of premium high end gins, whiskey, etc. that you might see on a larger cruise ship because they aren't going to have those available, except in the Connoisseurs Lounge. I think most people accept that "all inclusive alcohol" means you'll get average-to-good liquors, but you won't be getting top shelf stuff.  Most people should be fine with Buffalo Trace, because they don't expect the ship to offer Pappy Van Winkle to the passengers for free. 

[commodoredave]

I have been on 6 cruises with Silversea and loved every one of them. Having said that, there has been a troubling negative trend in the passenger reviews on Cruise Critic https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/silversea-cruises/cl/

that has pulled the overall rating down to 3.8 out of 5 -- which is not good. I don't know whether it's the rapid expansion, the lack of detail on some ships, or whatever, but too many people say they are not getting the luxury experience they expected. I'm hoping that Silversea management is paying attention and will take the necessary steps to bring their rating back to where it should be.

[bitob]

1 hour ago, commodoredave said:

I have been on 6 cruises with Silversea and loved every one of them. Having said that, there has been a troubling negative trend in the passenger reviews on Cruise Critic https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/silversea-cruises/cl/

that has pulled the overall rating down to 3.8 out of 5 -- which is not good. I don't know whether it's the rapid expansion, the lack of detail on some ships, or whatever, but too many people say they are not getting the luxury experience they expected. I'm hoping that Silversea management is paying attention and will take the necessary steps to bring their rating back to where it should be.

I don't understand those reviews.  They certainly don't comport with my experience.  Unfortunately unhappy cruisers are more likely to post than happy ones.  I have never posted a review.

[mogulman]

I have since talked to a few people from our cruise afterward.   They did say it didn't seem to be as good as other SS cruises they had been on.  So maybe it was just that crew/boat?  Maybe they are having trouble with staffing?

Edited June 12, 2023 by mogulman

[Gourmet Gal]

1 hour ago, commodoredave said:

I have been on 6 cruises with Silversea and loved every one of them. Having said that, there has been a troubling negative trend in the passenger reviews on Cruise Critic https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/silversea-cruises/cl/

that has pulled the overall rating down to 3.8 out of 5 -- which is not good. I don't know whether it's the rapid expansion, the lack of detail on some ships, or whatever, but too many people say they are not getting the luxury experience they expected. I'm hoping that Silversea management is paying attention and will take the necessary steps to bring their rating back to where it should be.

How does that compare to review trends in general.  I would think with Covid and other challenges the reviews may have become more negative everywhere?

[commodoredave]

1 hour ago, mogulman said:

I have since talked to a few people from our cruise afterward.   They did say it didn't seem to be as good as other SS cruises they had been on.  So maybe it was just that crew/boat?  Maybe they are having trouble with staffing?

That would jive with some of the reviews. Unfortunately, as bitob noted, since most happy people do not write reviews, a handful of poor experiences can skewer the overall rating.

[commodoredave]

1 hour ago, Gourmet Gal said:

How does that compare to review trends in general.  I would think with Covid and other challenges the reviews may have become more negative everywhere?

Yes, to some extent. For example, Regent is currently rated 3.7, but Seabourn is 4.1.

[bitob]

1 hour ago, commodoredave said:

Yes, to some extent. For example, Regent is currently rated 3.7, but Seabourn is 4.1.

I just don't think you can extrapolate relative ratings from the reviews.  And who knows who these reviewers are?  What is the framework for their opinions?  Are their tastes, likes, dislikes similar to mine.  If I get a review from friends I travel with (negative or positive) or someone on CC I respect, it carries weight.  Reviews from perfect strangers just don't move the needle for me.

[mogulman]

It is pretty hard to use the reviews.   Maybe one person out of 500 will leave a review.  

[commodoredave]

47 minutes ago, bitob said:

I just don't think you can extrapolate relative ratings from the reviews.  And who knows who these reviewers are?  What is the framework for their opinions?  Are their tastes, likes, dislikes similar to mine.  If I get a review from friends I travel with (negative or positive) or someone on CC I respect, it carries weight.  Reviews from perfect strangers just don't move the needle for me.

I agree that reviews are imperfect inputs and have to be read with a grain of salt. However, who out there hasn't looked at a Google Review, a Trip Advisor review, or a cruise review on some occasion as part of their research? They serve a purpose. But they are just one input.