Silversea Dining

[Mountainduo]

We are considering a cruise on the Silver Wind next winter. We have previously cruised, multiple times, on both the Windstar and Regency (Radisson) lines. No question Silverseas comes highly recommended.

 

One question, however--dining alone. We enjoy dining as a couple, and we prefer a table for two or at most a table for four (with the other two place settings removed!). Larger tables, even if we are the only people eating there, just don't work.

 

Is it difficult (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) to get a smaller table and eat alone? What hours are typical for the three meals??

 

Thanks

[DebbieH103]

We prefer to dine alone, also and maybe join someone else one night of a trip.

 

I posted about this in my long Wind report (long-winded, lol) on another thread. Dinner in the main dining room starts at 7:30. If you want to dine alone, be there then or no later than 7:40. By 7:50, you wll be begging the maitre'd.

 

We always dine en suite for breakfast unless we have a tour. I think one venue is 7 and the other is 7:30. Not sure about the ending. For lunches, one venue is 12, and one is 12:30. Each goes for 2 hours, I think. The pool deck goes longer, and you can get food 24 hours in your room, and there are good choices.

[Mountainduo]

Very helpful, and I now have read your lengthy (and very informative) report.

 

Dinner--you mention "still a line at 8:30"; do you know how late dinner actually was served? We usually eat late and have found that we often have more table options (and less wait) by coming towards the end of the arrival time range, after the early arrivals are starting to leave.

 

Thanks again

[simonv]

We usually come into the dining room around 8 or a little later, and had never had problem getting a table for two. I haven't been on the Wind, but on the Shadow and Whisper, they have plenty of table for two. Around eight or so when everyone comes in, there might be a line at the maitre'd's stand, four or five groups at most, but it goes very fast. You'll be seated in no time. I think people come in till 9 or even later, if there's a lot of European passengers. I'd think in Caribbean where the majority is Americans, people dine earlier.

[meow!]

I agree with simonv. On our week aboard the Shadow at the end of 2004, we always could have a table for two, or occasionally a table for four but with only the two of us! For breakfast/lunch at the Terrace Cafe, we might have to look around for a little while for a table for two, but usually the attendants would help us.

 

One more thing, the tables in the Restaurant are quite well spaced (reasonably apart), you don't usually talk with the folks at the next table unless you make a special effort to. Unless you are already acquainted, people usually leave you alone. People guard their privacy gingerly, it is a polite but "individual" type of atmosphere. On the other hand, on some other lines like Oceania, tables for two are often a row of little tables separated by six-inch gaps, and usually people at tables on both sides will chit chat with you as if you are sitting together, in a folksy manner.

 

The Cloud/Wind may be different from the Shadow/Whisper. We have not been on the former, and don't know. People who have been on the smaller ships like its itimacy, while others like the larger ships' better facilities, larger cabins with double sinks and separate tub and shower. Hope this helps.

[DebbieH103]

Yes, there was more of a line on Wind than we had on Whisper, and all the public areas have things closer together on Wind than Whisper.

 

We did beg at 7:50, and the maitre'd told us we should have been there at 7:30. Anyway, a waitress walked by and said one of her regulars was dining at LT and asked him to put us at her section. I think on Whisper we just walked in every night, but we tend to come at 7:30 or 7:40.

 

Most people came in by 8:45.

 

The longest line was after the Venetian Society party. After that, the line was backed up all the way down the hall, but it still only took only maybe 10 minutes.

 

On this cruise, 191 of 262 were Americans.

 

Both of our cruises have been in the Caribbean. I'm anxious to see how things go when we are in Dubai. I am sure we will not be the majority, so it might be a little different.

[DebbieH103]

We've seen both of the chit chat at nearby tables on SS particularly at the early embarkation lunches. We really didn't like it either time, as we were looking for the indivual experience after traveling so far to San Juan. We have to either othernight on the way or get to San Juan a day early to make cruises in San Juan from Houston.

[simonv]

On this cruise, 191 of 262 were Americans.

 

Both of our cruises have been in the Caribbean. I'm anxious to see how things go when we are in Dubai. I am sure we will not be the majority, so it might be a little different.

 

The one I was on through Middle East had less than 25% Americans. The largest contingent was English, and German, Swiss, Spanish and other Europeans and Australian making up the rest. Our other cruises on SS in Southeast Asia naturally had many Australians and again Americans a minority.

 

A waiter told me when there were lots of English passengers, waiters had to fight over the two cheese carts. Almost all English passengers have cheese course, according to him. Don't be surprised if the cheese course is slow. A waiter who knew we always had cheese hijacked the cart long before we were ready for it and hid in a corner. We thought it's funny, but I'm sure he made many others mad.

[MuseCruiser]

We have dinner usually around 8 or 8:30 and have never had a problem having a table for 2 (what we ask for probably 80%+ of the time) on any of our 6 or 7 Silversea cruises. Simply no problem.

[DebbieH103]

We did get a seat that night. We were just made to feel uncomfortable like we were putting them out. It was about 3 minutes of discomfort. I'd have rather not had the conversation.

 

Has anybody addressed w/ any staff why they cut the palatte cleanser? We really like the palatte cleanser and miss it. It was a nice little boost.

[piri]

On our 20 night cruise last year from Dubai to Singapore on the Cloud, we never had trouble or a wait to get a table for 2.

We dined by ourselves 90% of the time and never before 8pm.

We loved the elegant, peaceful and long lunches in The Restaurant. Only tried the buffet lunch once but had a couple of lunches pool side but the small number of tables there was a dissapointment.

We enjoyed our lunches so much that breakfast was always just room service fruit and coffee .

You should not have any trouble with getting tables for 2. Enjoy as we did !