Silversea or Seabourn- What is the absolute best?
#61
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,093
Some of the best service we have had has come from service-culture Asian personnel, and some of the worst service has come from non-Asians. This is why most would rather fly SQ than SU. YMMV.
#62
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Manhattan NV
Programs: Hilton LTD, Hyatt Glob, Marriott LTTE, AA LTP, Avis PC, National EE, Seabourn DE
Posts: 3,025
What you say is totally true, and equally idiotic in relation to the subject of this thread.
#63
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Atlanta and the Big Island, Hawaii
Programs: DL Diamond, SPG Gold. I share these affiliations so that you can ask me questions about the programs
Posts: 812
Silversea or Seabourn, or Regent
We had a very good experience in a suite on the Regent Mariner, and my parents with whom I share similar taste, appreciate the elegance and formality of Silversea.
Currently, I think the new Seabourn ships give this line the advantage, and from those who have sailed with them both, it sounds like service is superior as well.
Currently, I think the new Seabourn ships give this line the advantage, and from those who have sailed with them both, it sounds like service is superior as well.
#64
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 8,764
Your final comment is also unnecessary, regardless to whomever it was directed. Let's try and be mature and considerate even for those whose opinions or priorities may differ from our own.
#66
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: AA EXP, DL Silver, Global Entry
Posts: 1,862
We've been cruising the Med annually on Silversea for the last four years, some 60 days total and love them. We haven't found a Seabourn itinerary yet that fits our calendar and destination wish list but we keep looking. Based on what we've read and heard from fellow cruisers we know and trust we'd have no qualms about giving them a try if we find the right cruise. After you wade through the supposed pluses and minuses the products are pretty similar. Will say that with the relatively recent downsizing of the Seabourn fleet finding a cruise we want has become more problematic.
#68
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: AA EXP, DL Silver, Global Entry
Posts: 1,862
We hadn't heard much about the Europa 2 until our last Med cruise but a couple of fellow passengers spoke highly of it. We've kind of run the board so to speak in the Med and are looking to other destinations like South America, Asia, or the South Pacific for our next cruise but we're not committed to any specific cruise line right now.
#71
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: AA EXP, DL Silver, Global Entry
Posts: 1,862
Regent and Crystal best meet your size requirements. The rest of your criteria is highly subjective so maybe some research on Cruise Critic would help. Personally we're more focused on the smaller ships of 600-700 or smaller like the Seabourn or Silversea fleets which have for us met your other criteria.
Last edited by Randyk47; Jan 30, 2016 at 6:53 pm
#72
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 1,642
You should start any research into a cruise by deciding where you want to go and what you want to see. For instance, if you want to explore remote islands in the South Pacific then a large ship (over 300 pax) is unsuitable. If you fancy cruising the Mediterranean then bigger ships are OK because each port of call will probably have port facilities. If you just want to cruise for cruising's sake and merely enjoy the facilities a large ship can offer then research individual lines.
I have done one cruise each with Seaboard and Silversea on ships with no more than 300 pax. Food on Seabourn was markedly superior in my view but otherwise standards were roughly the same. In both cases, pretension counts for more than genuine quality.
I have done one cruise each with Seaboard and Silversea on ships with no more than 300 pax. Food on Seabourn was markedly superior in my view but otherwise standards were roughly the same. In both cases, pretension counts for more than genuine quality.
#73
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 309
This is an ongoing question that I, too, have asked. We have sailed twice on Seabourn (1 on the (now sold) smaller Legend and one on the current Sojourn) and just returned from our first cruise on the Slversea Spirit. Overall, I give a slight edge to Seabourn. Silversea had much better food - simple, grilled steak, shrimp, salmon at the Grill, heavier (but really tasty) Italian fare at La Terrazza and nice choices of courses at the Restaurant. (There were two other restaurants onboard that we didn't try.) Service is much better on Seabourn and we found more staff learned our names (if that matters to you). Ceiling height seems higher on Seabourn and we preferred their suites. (We didn't like the in-mirror TVs on Silversea.) However, we preferred the veranda on Silversea as the furniture was a nice size - Seabourn's was too big and bulky. We loved the butler system of Silversea. Every suite is assigned a butler who takes room-service orders and is there for anything else one may need - laundry, snacks, tea etc. The pool area on the Spirit is also prettier than that of Seabourn's. Everyone is friendly, helpful and professional on both lines. Frankly, you cannot go wrong with either. In the future we will choose the destination and time we want to sail and see which line has a ship there.
#74
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 853
We have been on SB and SS three times each. All things being equal, we prefer Seabourn.
The experience just seems a bit fresher and we prefer the food. As well, we find the
Silversea butler system better in theory than in practice. That said, we go on cruises
for the destinations, not the perhaps stereotypical cruise experience of trivia games,
captain's parties, etc. The itinerary trumps all for us and we are happy to go on either line, as the differences are not that great.
Even cruises within the same line can differ markedly, depending on the length of the itinerary, time of year, and size of the ship. A 7 day summer cruise is going to be have a different tone than a 12 days cruise off season, the latter having a more mature crowd and some cruise "insiders" who have dozens of cruises under their belts.
The experience just seems a bit fresher and we prefer the food. As well, we find the
Silversea butler system better in theory than in practice. That said, we go on cruises
for the destinations, not the perhaps stereotypical cruise experience of trivia games,
captain's parties, etc. The itinerary trumps all for us and we are happy to go on either line, as the differences are not that great.
Even cruises within the same line can differ markedly, depending on the length of the itinerary, time of year, and size of the ship. A 7 day summer cruise is going to be have a different tone than a 12 days cruise off season, the latter having a more mature crowd and some cruise "insiders" who have dozens of cruises under their belts.
#75
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,805
silvesea having assigned primary butler is great idea, but not having secondary butlers on off hours / off days is odd
totally casual on 2006 seabourn crossing, no problem with food
pretty mediocre on 2011 silversea alaska, including fake formality
hope to see more yachts taking individual bookings in future
but presumably basically no owners really want to do that
pretty mediocre on 2011 silversea alaska, including fake formality
hope to see more yachts taking individual bookings in future
but presumably basically no owners really want to do that
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Feb 7, 2016 at 6:41 am