Silversea or Seabourn- What is the absolute best?
Jun 7, 2014, 5:13 am
#31
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: New York, NY USA
Programs: AA 8MM Exec,Life Plat, Marriott Amb,Life Titanium, ,Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist.
Posts: 495
What about the ships?
Everyone is talking about food and service but nobody is talking about the ships. It really depends on what you are looking for. I probably have 125 cruises under my belt at this point.
I have sailed mostly with Silversea, we are approaching our 300 night and should be getting a free 7 night cruise for that. That said, we have experienced many cutbacks and the food has most definitely taken a hit. Also the Silver Shadow had a terrible time with the CDC in Alaska...google it. Really bad. Silversea Management seems a little backward. IMHO. Also the Oldest ships....The Wind and the Cloud are dumpers.....I am youngish and there is nothing to do on them but eat and drink and stare at old people.....they are like nursing homes.
Seabourn is under the carnival umbrella. Their larger ships are very nice....Odyssey and Soujourn and we like the food and consistency better than Silversea.
Crystal is for us lovely because it has the Sushi bars onboard.....REAL Sushi...none of this buffet all rice @#$%...ahem. Their food is exemplary however their standard cabins are small so you have to take a PH to have a cabin the size of Silversea or Seabourn.
Regent we used to love because they had lots of restaurant choices....However once they included tours, they lost us. We like planning our own private day trips. Good line though, Seabourn has better food.
IF you are going on Silversea I would suggest you go on their newest ship the Silver Spirit. If on Seabourn, the Soujourn or the Odyssey.
Enjoy!
I have sailed mostly with Silversea, we are approaching our 300 night and should be getting a free 7 night cruise for that. That said, we have experienced many cutbacks and the food has most definitely taken a hit. Also the Silver Shadow had a terrible time with the CDC in Alaska...google it. Really bad. Silversea Management seems a little backward. IMHO. Also the Oldest ships....The Wind and the Cloud are dumpers.....I am youngish and there is nothing to do on them but eat and drink and stare at old people.....they are like nursing homes.
Seabourn is under the carnival umbrella. Their larger ships are very nice....Odyssey and Soujourn and we like the food and consistency better than Silversea.
Crystal is for us lovely because it has the Sushi bars onboard.....REAL Sushi...none of this buffet all rice @#$%...ahem. Their food is exemplary however their standard cabins are small so you have to take a PH to have a cabin the size of Silversea or Seabourn.
Regent we used to love because they had lots of restaurant choices....However once they included tours, they lost us. We like planning our own private day trips. Good line though, Seabourn has better food.
IF you are going on Silversea I would suggest you go on their newest ship the Silver Spirit. If on Seabourn, the Soujourn or the Odyssey.
Enjoy!
Jun 7, 2014, 8:25 am
#32
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Manhattan NV
Programs: Hilton LTD, Hyatt Glob, Marriott LTTE, AA LTP, Avis PC, National EE, Seabourn DE
Posts: 3,030
It's a combination of both. I'm a total idiot and part time bigot. And I was referring to the hiring policy of Silversea. A once great cruise line that has turned drastically downward.
Jun 8, 2014, 12:59 am
#34
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 52
Just returned from Seabourn cruise- FAR Superior to Silversea
My husband and I were on the Seabourn Quest - April 29- May 13- Gems of Western Europe- 14 day cruise.
It was one of the most amazing trips we have ever taken! This was our first cruise with Seabourn. It exceeded our expectations!
By the 2nd day we were greeted by all the staff by our names.
We had previously sailed on Silversea three times. We were always told Seabourn is a little better than Silversea. Well, Seabourn is in a different class than Silversea. It doesn't even compare.
First of all the food was EXCELLENT! I am from New Orleans so I am use to great restaurants and the food was THE BEST!!
I see how sometimes people on these boards complain about the food. I was honestly concerned after reading some of the forums before we left for the cruise. Speaking to other passengers on our cruise-
90% of the passengers never heard of Cruise Critic. I was told 65% are so of the passengers on our cruise were repeat customers. Most of the passengers that were repeats that we met have sailed Seabourn 7 times or more. They also told us they think Silversea is an inferior product and would not sail on them.
Back to the food. We always ate breakfast in the Colonnade. Besides the Buffet they have special order items that you can add to your breakfast. I even had Lamb Chops for breakfast- always asked for double cut! They were delicious. My husband said the French Toast was great! We loved seating outside at the Colonnade. If it was cool a few days- they had cashmere blankets to wrap yourself around. When you asked for expresso or hot coffee in 1 minute hot coffee would come. Amazing service every time!
We had room service for breakfast only once- when we had a very early tour. It was prompt and perfect! Every afternoon I would order from room service some snacks and within 10 minutes it came. The guacamole was delicious and they give you a huge bowl! The Shrimp on Room Service Menu were huge!
We ate lunch frequently in the outdoor Patio Grill. The Cheeseburgers were the best I have ever tasted. I always added grilled mushrooms and grilled onions. Seabourn is famous for their French Fries. They were FANTASTIC! Everyday they had choice of 2 pizzas that were being made fresh right in front of you! Delicious!! Of course they had lots of great salads and other grilled items. They had great freshly made delicious ice creams and sorbets - changing flavors everyday. Loved the Pistachio Ice Cream.The Manager of the Patio Grill would come over and make sure everything was fine. What incredible Service! ( We felt the hamburgers and pizza on Silversea were inedible!)
At the pool -waiters brought around delicious frozen drinks!
We always ate Dinner in The Restaurant ( Main Dining Room). Wonderful food choices every night. So many choices. Our favorite waiter( which we requested every night) would make suggestions and if he thought there were 2 great appetizers- he would bring out both. My husband loves fish and thought the fish courses were OUTSTANDING!
The filet which we always ordered double cut -size - was as good as best steak houses we have eaten in. ( Also had delicious peppercorn sauce to put over it). The filet is available every night on the " Classic Menu".
(We also felt the Steak on our last Silversea cruise was inedible).
If you want two lobsters - you can order it. If you want to special order something- just tell the chef 24 hours before - My husband special ordered a whole sea bass. They will do anything to please you. Just ask!
My husband loves desserts. Our waiter would always bring out 3 desserts for him to try!
The waiters work in teams and do a fabulous job.
Just an example of the efforts they make to please you- On the last night we wanted a table for 10. We went to the manager the night before to request it. All the tables of 10 were taken. So she said she would have the ship's carpenter come and make a new table of 10 to accommodate us. Now that is called AMAZING!
We didn't go to Restaurant 2- the specialty restaurant- but some of our friends we met did- and they said it was EXCELLENT!
We loved Seabourn Square! They had staff there 24 hours a day to help you with tours, internet or general questions. It was also a great place to go to read newspapers. They had little mini-computers with all the newspapers on them. And of course they had coffee, tea, desserts, and ice cream all day long.
Now to the staff and service. Seabourn staff work 4 months on and 2 months off. The staff love that arrangement. On Silversea I think the staff works 8-9 months per contract. So I think they are worn out. Also all the staff is from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa etc.-On Silversea it is mostly Phillippino . We found with the Silversea Waiters- if they didn't understand what you were asking- they were too embarrassed to ask you to repeat. So there was always major communication problems- resulting in problems in restaurants with your requests. The waiters on Seabourn were more polished and professional in everyway.
We felt the service on Seabourn in all the restaurants was far SUPERIOR to Silversea. Honestly, there was no comparision.
We found on Seabourn every staff member had the BEST ATTITUDE!
We liked that you don't need to make reservations for the restaurants. ( except for Restaurant 2) After touring all day- we could just pop in to the restaurant without having to plan in advance. ( that is why I wouldn't like Oceania- need to make reservations in advance and you are limited to how many reservations you can make in a certain restaurant)
Also we loved the passenger size of the ship. You get to know so many passengers and staff members on a smaller ship. Oceania is too large for us! We would not have had that same personal experience with the Staff.
Every night before dinner we would meet all our new friends in the Observation Bar- where there was music and the most DELICIOUS snacks-( especially that great guacamole and chips!) (Again Silversea snacks at the bars on our last cruise were not good).
The chef onboard our Cruise was Chef Martin. We thanked him at the end for the FABULOUS job he did.
Someone told us they had a Michelin Chef onboard our cruise that was observing and making suggestions to make the food even better. He said they are always looking for ways to make the food even more FABULOUS!
We had a Market Galley Lunch one day at sea. It was the most amazing buffet in the Main Dining Room and then you went into the galley where there was more food.
We actually never made it to any shows. We always stayed in the dining room until
11:00 P.M. because we ate dinner very late. But people who made it to the shows said they enjoyed them.
We would never go on any other cruise line. We are hooked now! Everyday of the cruise my husband and I would say" This is the most WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE." We didn't want it to end. We met the most interesting people from all over the world. Every passenger we met was so friendly.
Everyone on the cruise we spoke with all felt like we did - saying the cruise was FABULOUS!
In conclusion- most of the Seabourn Passengers on our cruise- don't read Cruise Critic, they love Seabourn and they wouldn't sail on any other line.
If you are looking for a 5 star experience ( like a Four Seasons experience) then Seabourn is the most FABULOUS cruise line out there. This cruise was one of the highlights of our lives!
We travel all over the world for our business and have stayed in the finest hotels- and this Seabourn Cruise was PERFECT in every way- Service, Food and Attention to Details!
How would we describe our Seabourn Cruise! MAGNIFICENT!! FANTASTIC!!! INCREDIBLE!!!
We will never forget it and can't wait to take our next Seabourn cruise.
If you want the BEST SERVICE, GREAT FOOD, and a WONDERFUL cruise experience then Seabourn is for you!!
It was one of the most amazing trips we have ever taken! This was our first cruise with Seabourn. It exceeded our expectations!
By the 2nd day we were greeted by all the staff by our names.
We had previously sailed on Silversea three times. We were always told Seabourn is a little better than Silversea. Well, Seabourn is in a different class than Silversea. It doesn't even compare.
First of all the food was EXCELLENT! I am from New Orleans so I am use to great restaurants and the food was THE BEST!!
I see how sometimes people on these boards complain about the food. I was honestly concerned after reading some of the forums before we left for the cruise. Speaking to other passengers on our cruise-
90% of the passengers never heard of Cruise Critic. I was told 65% are so of the passengers on our cruise were repeat customers. Most of the passengers that were repeats that we met have sailed Seabourn 7 times or more. They also told us they think Silversea is an inferior product and would not sail on them.
Back to the food. We always ate breakfast in the Colonnade. Besides the Buffet they have special order items that you can add to your breakfast. I even had Lamb Chops for breakfast- always asked for double cut! They were delicious. My husband said the French Toast was great! We loved seating outside at the Colonnade. If it was cool a few days- they had cashmere blankets to wrap yourself around. When you asked for expresso or hot coffee in 1 minute hot coffee would come. Amazing service every time!
We had room service for breakfast only once- when we had a very early tour. It was prompt and perfect! Every afternoon I would order from room service some snacks and within 10 minutes it came. The guacamole was delicious and they give you a huge bowl! The Shrimp on Room Service Menu were huge!
We ate lunch frequently in the outdoor Patio Grill. The Cheeseburgers were the best I have ever tasted. I always added grilled mushrooms and grilled onions. Seabourn is famous for their French Fries. They were FANTASTIC! Everyday they had choice of 2 pizzas that were being made fresh right in front of you! Delicious!! Of course they had lots of great salads and other grilled items. They had great freshly made delicious ice creams and sorbets - changing flavors everyday. Loved the Pistachio Ice Cream.The Manager of the Patio Grill would come over and make sure everything was fine. What incredible Service! ( We felt the hamburgers and pizza on Silversea were inedible!)
At the pool -waiters brought around delicious frozen drinks!
We always ate Dinner in The Restaurant ( Main Dining Room). Wonderful food choices every night. So many choices. Our favorite waiter( which we requested every night) would make suggestions and if he thought there were 2 great appetizers- he would bring out both. My husband loves fish and thought the fish courses were OUTSTANDING!
The filet which we always ordered double cut -size - was as good as best steak houses we have eaten in. ( Also had delicious peppercorn sauce to put over it). The filet is available every night on the " Classic Menu".
(We also felt the Steak on our last Silversea cruise was inedible).
If you want two lobsters - you can order it. If you want to special order something- just tell the chef 24 hours before - My husband special ordered a whole sea bass. They will do anything to please you. Just ask!
My husband loves desserts. Our waiter would always bring out 3 desserts for him to try!
The waiters work in teams and do a fabulous job.
Just an example of the efforts they make to please you- On the last night we wanted a table for 10. We went to the manager the night before to request it. All the tables of 10 were taken. So she said she would have the ship's carpenter come and make a new table of 10 to accommodate us. Now that is called AMAZING!
We didn't go to Restaurant 2- the specialty restaurant- but some of our friends we met did- and they said it was EXCELLENT!
We loved Seabourn Square! They had staff there 24 hours a day to help you with tours, internet or general questions. It was also a great place to go to read newspapers. They had little mini-computers with all the newspapers on them. And of course they had coffee, tea, desserts, and ice cream all day long.
Now to the staff and service. Seabourn staff work 4 months on and 2 months off. The staff love that arrangement. On Silversea I think the staff works 8-9 months per contract. So I think they are worn out. Also all the staff is from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa etc.-On Silversea it is mostly Phillippino . We found with the Silversea Waiters- if they didn't understand what you were asking- they were too embarrassed to ask you to repeat. So there was always major communication problems- resulting in problems in restaurants with your requests. The waiters on Seabourn were more polished and professional in everyway.
We felt the service on Seabourn in all the restaurants was far SUPERIOR to Silversea. Honestly, there was no comparision.
We found on Seabourn every staff member had the BEST ATTITUDE!
We liked that you don't need to make reservations for the restaurants. ( except for Restaurant 2) After touring all day- we could just pop in to the restaurant without having to plan in advance. ( that is why I wouldn't like Oceania- need to make reservations in advance and you are limited to how many reservations you can make in a certain restaurant)
Also we loved the passenger size of the ship. You get to know so many passengers and staff members on a smaller ship. Oceania is too large for us! We would not have had that same personal experience with the Staff.
Every night before dinner we would meet all our new friends in the Observation Bar- where there was music and the most DELICIOUS snacks-( especially that great guacamole and chips!) (Again Silversea snacks at the bars on our last cruise were not good).
The chef onboard our Cruise was Chef Martin. We thanked him at the end for the FABULOUS job he did.
Someone told us they had a Michelin Chef onboard our cruise that was observing and making suggestions to make the food even better. He said they are always looking for ways to make the food even more FABULOUS!
We had a Market Galley Lunch one day at sea. It was the most amazing buffet in the Main Dining Room and then you went into the galley where there was more food.
We actually never made it to any shows. We always stayed in the dining room until
11:00 P.M. because we ate dinner very late. But people who made it to the shows said they enjoyed them.
We would never go on any other cruise line. We are hooked now! Everyday of the cruise my husband and I would say" This is the most WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE." We didn't want it to end. We met the most interesting people from all over the world. Every passenger we met was so friendly.
Everyone on the cruise we spoke with all felt like we did - saying the cruise was FABULOUS!
In conclusion- most of the Seabourn Passengers on our cruise- don't read Cruise Critic, they love Seabourn and they wouldn't sail on any other line.
If you are looking for a 5 star experience ( like a Four Seasons experience) then Seabourn is the most FABULOUS cruise line out there. This cruise was one of the highlights of our lives!
We travel all over the world for our business and have stayed in the finest hotels- and this Seabourn Cruise was PERFECT in every way- Service, Food and Attention to Details!
How would we describe our Seabourn Cruise! MAGNIFICENT!! FANTASTIC!!! INCREDIBLE!!!
We will never forget it and can't wait to take our next Seabourn cruise.
If you want the BEST SERVICE, GREAT FOOD, and a WONDERFUL cruise experience then Seabourn is for you!!
Jun 8, 2014, 6:47 am
#35
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Bainbridge Island, WA
Posts: 8,964
Wow Sally362....you certainly are enthusiastic about Seabourn and it makes me want to try them. ( It would be our FIRST cruise)
May I ask...how old are you and your husband.... or better yet...what was the average age of your fellow passengers?
May I ask...how old are you and your husband.... or better yet...what was the average age of your fellow passengers?
Jun 8, 2014, 10:28 am
#36
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 52
To david4455
We are early 60's. The time of year of our cruise you will get older passengers. In the summer months passengers will be younger- since their kids are at camp etc.
Made friends with guests on our cruise who were in their 50's but also made friends with people in their 70's. We feel age does not matter. Met such interesting people from all over the world. Half the ship was American.
Made friends with guests on our cruise who were in their 50's but also made friends with people in their 70's. We feel age does not matter. Met such interesting people from all over the world. Half the ship was American.
Jun 9, 2014, 7:53 am
#39
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Baltimore MD
Posts: 3,457
Service wise I felt that Seadream was closer to Aman. Small boat; very proactive. Any request was met. But, I felt that the food on Seabourn was better...
FDW
Jun 13, 2014, 11:10 am
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Fort Worth TX
Programs: Earned status with AA, DL, SPG, HH, Hyatt, Marriott, Seabourn, NCL, National, Hertz...I miss my bed!
Posts: 10,927
I love it when Cruise Critic threads bleed over to FlyerTalk threads. It's funny how many of us are on both forums with different handles on each one. 
Jun 13, 2014, 9:23 pm
#41
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Redondo Beach, CA USA
Programs: UA 1KMM, Bonvoy LTE+A, HH D, Nat'l EE, Hertz Plat, Avis PC
Posts: 3,713
Sally362, first of all I'm so pleased for you that you had such a truly memorable, wonderful vacation. Seabourn obviously knocked it out of the park for you, and has turned you into a brand evangelist, which is awesome!
That being said, and you may want to skip to the next post now, everything you gushed about (except for the ship's carpenter supposedly being poised to make a new 10-top table for you, which sounds simply unbelievable) is treatment I've gotten on every cruise I've ever taken. I've sailed Radisson (now Regent), HAL, and Disney. And I agree that the service you described is remarkable, but also standard for upscale lines.
I don't say that to take anything away from your incredible vacation. But I do want you to know that you could just as easily have sailed another line and posted the exact same experiences.
That being said, and you may want to skip to the next post now, everything you gushed about (except for the ship's carpenter supposedly being poised to make a new 10-top table for you, which sounds simply unbelievable) is treatment I've gotten on every cruise I've ever taken. I've sailed Radisson (now Regent), HAL, and Disney. And I agree that the service you described is remarkable, but also standard for upscale lines.
I don't say that to take anything away from your incredible vacation. But I do want you to know that you could just as easily have sailed another line and posted the exact same experiences.
Jun 14, 2014, 7:50 am
#42
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
this says more about radisson and HAL than it does about disney.
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Jul 16, 2014 at 10:16 am
Jun 14, 2014, 3:47 pm
#43
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 1,782
I have done 3 Silverseas cruises and we loved them all. The Spirit 2x and the Cloud last summer.
I would pick whatever cruise itinerary fits your schedule and where you'd like to go.
My experience is that you'll always find people to complain or rave about the cruise they're on and the competitors. Some people on our last cruise loved that Regent had the tours "included".
We picked SS for the first cruise we did because of the itinerary and never looked back. But we have looked at other lines and would really pick based on schedule/price/itinerary.
I would pick whatever cruise itinerary fits your schedule and where you'd like to go.
My experience is that you'll always find people to complain or rave about the cruise they're on and the competitors. Some people on our last cruise loved that Regent had the tours "included".
We picked SS for the first cruise we did because of the itinerary and never looked back. But we have looked at other lines and would really pick based on schedule/price/itinerary.
Jul 5, 2014, 9:01 pm
#45
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,558
Makes no sense at all. If you want a younger "crowd", why do you torture yourself?