Silver Galapagos review

I've seen people asking questions about the Silver Galapagos, so since we were on the Nov. 2nd sailing I thought I'd share our experiences.

If you are going on the Silver Galapagos, you are interested in one thing: Seeing the Galapagos.

You will. In great, wonderful depth. It's the visit of a lifetime, and I doubt you'll be disappointed in how much of the Galapagos you'll see.

Since you're visiting the Galapagos specifically on Silversea's Silver Galapagos, you are interested in one thing: Luxury.

Sadly, our sailing was severely lacking in the luxury department.

Our time on the islands themselves was everything we hoped for. Our naturalist guides, who all work for the Ecuadorian national park service, were terrific. Many kudos to Israel and his team. They are what made this trip for us. (If you have any particular questions about the Galapagos aspects, feel free to ask.)

The Silversea aspects of the trip, however, were simply dismal. They failed miserably in every aspect. How bad Silversea was performing was a typical topic of conversation among passengers. We all took things in stride (since there seemed no way to fix the problems), joking that at least we had hot water today, hurrah! or that we had toilet paper, or that the food arrived before we fell asleep for once. The list of problems is long. One woman on board, a veteran Silversea passenger, would update us each time we saw her with how long her complaint letter was. (20 pages at last report.)

I wrote a review that has extensive details of our experience and photos of the ship, which is at

http://is.gd/u0xmTT

It's quite long but if folks would prefer I can try to copy&paste it here. I'm happy to answer questions here.

For those with upcoming sailings, I truly hope for you they get all these problems ironed out. They have a lot of work ahead of them.

This makes me very sad.

We decided to upgrade for a touch of luxury since this is our first non-kids cruise. Sounds like we may have made a mistake. But- the Galapagos will be there.

Now that I have read your full review (:eek::eek::eek:) and have drawn a couple of deep breathes I do have a question for you. The Galapagos Explorer II generally got very good reviews and was considered an upscale experience. What you describe would have had me loudly complaining on a Carnival Cruise. Very loudly at that. How do these two things mesh? What has happened that the apparently good crew of several months ago, who have chosen to remain onboard, have become surly and useless? Yes Silversea promises very upscale service, but The GEII also offered pretty high end service. Any thoughts about this?

Now that I have read your full review (:eek::eek::eek:) and have drawn a couple of deep breathes I do have a question for you. The Galapagos Explorer II generally got very good reviews and was considered an upscale experience. What you describe would have had me loudly complaining on a Carnival Cruise. Very loudly at that. How do these two things mesh? What has happened that the apparently good crew of several months ago, who have chosen to remain onboard, have become surly and useless? Yes Silversea promises very upscale service, but The GEII also offered pretty high end service. Any thoughts about this?

Hi, 5waldos, I agree! And believe me, people were complaining. I spent 45 minutes talking with Christian Frey, the Hotel Director. He took a few notes, didn't say much. It felt a bit like talking to a Galapagos Tortoise. (You'll get it when you meet them. :) They crawl sloooowly ahead, chew some leaves, inch ahead...) I did ask how long he'd been on board, and he said it was his second week. There was someone else I asked how long they'd been with the ship, I can't remember who it was now, maybe one of the waiters, and they also said it was their second sailing. Maybe I'm old school, but I tend to ascribe systemic failures like that to, ultimately, a management failure. Not just on board--though Christian seemed really not to care one iota--but higher up, in Silversea corporate: whoever was the project manager for this, and up the food chain from them. Ramon was the only crew member who seemed to get it and really tried (other than the guides, that is), but he couldn't shoulder the duties of the rest of the crew. Maybe a lack of training? (Even Ramon didn't get it at first, until we had a talk with him about what the passengers were paying for, then it seemed like a light bulb went on for him.) But if it is lack of training, that would be Silversea management's fault, for launching prematurely; and, knowing it's a new ship that will certainly have some integration problems, they should have had an expert "ombudsman" on board to work with the passengers, someone highly visible and who knows what the Silversea experience is all about--the lack of which again points to a failure of Silversea management.

Oh my goodness! I am shocked and dismayed by your review. We have a few weeks before our final payment is due. I am rethinking this Silversea cruise. Thanks for taking time to write such an extensive review. :(

I am not surprised at this review.The problem is the Ecuadorian government are very strict on the rules that Galapagos cruise ships have to follow.The crew have to be mainly Ecuadorian and I believe cant be sacked easily.

Our experience and that of others we spoke to on other vessels was that the crews major concern was their tips.On Trip Advisor there are reports of passengers not being able to disembark until what the crew considered a reasonable tip was given.on our vessel the tip envelopes came with a different creature on each envelope so the crew could know how much tip each individual gave-we overcame this as I was aware of the practice and brought plain envelopes which several of us used instead.

So the crew are probably upset with the no tipping policy of Silverseas forgetting that they are getting paid more than other ships.Silverseas will have no control over this.

I did think that the Galapagos cruises had an experienced SS expedition staff member on board.Juan and Robin Aiello both said that they would be on board the SS Galapagos at times-not being Ecuadorian they could only stay a couple of months at a time.

At the end of the day it is the wildlife you go to the Galapagos for.I have said since our visit that the Galapagos is the one place where a David Attenborough documentary is not as good as the actual experience.

I would still go for a smaller ship however.We went on a 16 pax vessel which is now run by a division of A&K.The ship was fine and I would think now the service should be better-a lot less staff to teach!

I am not surprised at this review.The problem is the Ecuadorian government are very strict on the rules that Galapagos cruise ships have to follow.The crew have to be mainly Ecuadorian and I believe cant be sacked easily.

Our experience and that of others we spoke to on other vessels was that the crews major concern was their tips.On Trip Advisor there are reports of passengers not being able to disembark until what the crew considered a reasonable tip was given.on our vessel the tip envelopes came with a different creature on each envelope so the crew could know how much tip each individual gave-we overcame this as I was aware of the practice and brought plain envelopes which several of us used instead.

So the crew are probably upset with the no tipping policy of Silverseas forgetting that they are getting paid more than other ships.Silverseas will have no control over this.

 

I did think that the Galapagos cruises had an experienced SS expedition staff member on board.Juan and Robin Aiello both said that they would be on board the SS Galapagos at times-not being Ecuadorian they could only stay a couple of months at a time.

 

At the end of the day it is the wildlife you go to the Galapagos for.I have said since our visit that the Galapagos is the one place where a David Attenborough documentary is not as good as the actual experience.

 

I would still go for a smaller ship however.We went on a 16 pax vessel which is now run by a division of A&K.The ship was fine and I would think now the service should be better-a lot less staff to teach!

Thanks for your post drron.

I feel that a lot of guests, even Venetians with a lot of days, wouldn't be aware of how things work in the Galapagos. I did know that there would be some restrictions but your post has helped me to understand a lot more about how things work there.

It sounds as if it would be very difficult for SS to provide a 'normal' SS cruise experience in the Galapagos and of course, understandably, many are going to be disappointed by that.

For me, the lack of wine list would be the killer :D

Thanks for your post drron.

 

I feel that a lot of guests, even Venetians with a lot of days, wouldn't be aware of how things work in the Galapagos. I did know that there would be some restrictions but your post has helped me to understand a lot more about how things work there.

It sounds as if it would be very difficult for SS to provide a 'normal' SS cruise experience in the Galapagos and of course, understandably, many are going to be disappointed by that.

 

For me, the lack of wine list would be the killer :D

Thanks for the interesting insights, drron. And yes, Nigella, I agree, the lack of a wine list was a biggie. :)

Completely agree one goes to the Galapagos for the islands, and that part was excellent. (Also out of SS's domain, so they don't get credit for that.) But there are other ways to see the Galapagos than via SS at the premium price.

The disconnect for me is that SS promised the luxury experience in the Galapagos, and charged accordingly, but didn't deliver. Their sales literature should have accurately described what they would deliver (or make it clear it's highly experimental), and have it priced accordingly. It's their name on the product. SS still bears the responsibility for underdelivering / overpromising. It's still their responsibility to oversee that it meets their standards before they make the promises, so I can't exculpate SS that easily.

It's also unclear how many of these issues they'll be able to overcome, even with more time, given the Ecuadorian rules. If SS can't match what they promise and charge for, they'll have to adjust that. It'll be interesting to see.

I must say how sorry am hear to hear about your unpleasant experience. We were on the Celebrity Xpedition in 2008, and it was delightful. No I am not hijacking this thread, but must say that Silversea is a major disappointment. They are unpleasant to deal with.

Please do not find fault with the crew! They are just an example of poor management. The Ecuadorian people are pleasant, friendly, and as nice as you can expect. It certainly sounds like this is the Silversea attitude,, and not the fault of the employees.remember good service starts at the top. I commend you for contacting the company, but doubt if you will receive any satisfaction.

No ship should sail if it is not ready and is unable to provide what you paid for. We all work hard for our money, and expect in return satisfaction.

Just because Silversea has a 6 star rating...where that came from I do not know. Yes, the islands are amazing, but you could see the same thing and not have paid for a "luxury" cruise on many other ships.

Again, your review was on spot, and I would be furious to have spend my time and money for something that sounds like a 2 star ship! Yes, we were on the Shadow, and it was pathetic. Yes, I have a hard time understanding why this company is the way they are..so sorry your trip was totally unsatisfactory. It kind of reminds me of my meeting with the hotel manager on the Shadow...nothing accomplished, just lip service.

We look forward to our next Xpedition next year!

Other ships are able to provide a very nice experience, some described as luxury. Yes there are limitations on food and wines but there are some decent S American wines. And exceptions can be requested. What is being described doesn't seem like it can be attributed only to the regulations. And again I don't understand how pretty much the same crew could have provided such a pleasing experience before Silversea took over. I will assume that Silversea will read these posts (in fact I have sent links to several at Silversea and am expecting a response) and realize that something needs to be done NOW.

As far as the wines, it sounds like what is being served is the same as what was on celebrity xpedition. It was one Chilean brand. They had a couple of different reds and a white. It never changed through the entire cruise and got pretty old, ESP since they weren't that good. I wonder if that is all Ecuador will allow to be imported.

Thanks for the interesting insights, drron. And yes, Nigella, I agree, the lack of a wine list was a biggie. :)

 

Completely agree one goes to the Galapagos for the islands, and that part was excellent. (Also out of SS's domain, so they don't get credit for that.) But there are other ways to see the Galapagos than via SS at the premium price.

 

The disconnect for me is that SS promised the luxury experience in the Galapagos, and charged accordingly, but didn't deliver. Their sales literature should have accurately described what they would deliver (or make it clear it's highly experimental), and have it priced accordingly. It's their name on the product. SS still bears the responsibility for underdelivering / overpromising. It's still their responsibility to oversee that it meets their standards before they make the promises, so I can't exculpate SS that easily.

 

It's also unclear how many of these issues they'll be able to overcome, even with more time, given the Ecuadorian rules. If SS can't match what they promise and charge for, they'll have to adjust that. It'll be interesting to see.

I absolutely understand your views about it and agree that SS should have approached the launch of Galagapos differently.

They shouldn't even be hinting at delivering usual SS product and quality if it's not going to happen.

It remains to be seen whether they can make the huge improvements necessary to come closer to the normal product, and I'll be watching reviews over the next year or so to see how/if it develops.

Here's a question: The Silver Expedition calls in at Galapagos on occasion. Obviously that solves the crew problem, although the food issue remains. Does the wine list also get locked down or is that only for ships that are only at the Galapagos? (Not that this is an issue for me because I don't drink, although I'd miss ginger ale)

My dh wants to do Galapagos but all the reading I'm doing on this points to Celebrity or perhaps Tauck (who will be contracting ships that meet their standards.)

Kate, silver Explorer does not call at the Galapagos. Only ships that are exclusive to the Galapagos are allowed to call there as far as I can tell.

I knew about the Ecuadorian restrictions, but what this review describes is well beyond what I expected. I am starting to dread our Dec. 14 trip. This is not what I was hoping for when I booked Silversea...

By way of update, I did have a quick email from Frank Sansone, Director of Guest Relations, that he received the letter my wife and I had written them about our experiences on board. I was hoping to have something positive to report by now, since he said he would try to get back to me by last week. I imagine with the holidays it's taking longer for them to deal with all this, and they certainly have their hands full. I'll post an update when I know more.

By way of update, I did have a quick email from Frank Sansone, Director of Guest Relations, that he received the letter my wife and I had written them about our experiences on board. I was hoping to have something positive to report by now, since he said he would try to get back to me by last week. I imagine with the holidays it's taking longer for them to deal with all this, and they certainly have their hands full. I'll post an update when I know more.

I have dealt with Frank. Do not expect anything.

My wife and I are now on the Silver Galapagos from Dec 7 till the 14. We took the pre-cruise Machu Picchu excursion, which was first class. Only one other couple was with us for that trip. Excellent hotels, guides and care.

While there are what we consider some adjustments needed to come up to par with other Silversea cruises we have taken, we are having a great time visiting this unique place, meeting new friends, and being treated well by the crew and the National Park guides.

There have been definite improvements over experiences of previous reviewers, and it is my opinion that with continued work by Silversea management, this ship will provide ultimately the top rated way to experience the Galapagos.

More after we complete our voyage.

Have a wonderful adventure!

And thank you- some of us needed a bit of positive about this ship. Looking forward to your thoughts at the end of it. And pictures maybe even?

My wife and I are now on the Silver Galapagos from Dec 7 till the 14. We took the pre-cruise Machu Picchu excursion, which was first class. Only one other couple was with us for that trip. Excellent hotels, guides and care.

 

While there are what we consider some adjustments needed to come up to par with other Silversea cruises we have taken, we are having a great time visiting this unique place, meeting new friends, and being treated well by the crew and the National Park guides.

 

There have been definite improvements over experiences of previous reviewers, and it is my opinion that with continued work by Silversea management, this ship will provide ultimately the top rated way to experience the Galapagos.

 

More after we complete our voyage.

Thank you for checking in & sounding upbeat. Enjoy & looking forward to more info after your incredible experience:)

to Howardr: can u expand a bit on the precruise Machu Picchu tour as we are signed up for it also. as our flight doesn't arrive until 1PAM we added a day in Lima to relax a bit before the tour. is walking going to be difficult? i have ankle issues and it is difficult for me at times. do they provide a guide early AM to see the sunrise over the ruins?

I have just returned from a 7 day cruise on the Silver Galapagos and I'm happy to report many of the issues posted by DownByTheSea have been corrected or improved upon, which I will detail further down. The first thing though, is that those familiar with the Silversea cruise experience should keep in mind the following:

1. This is an EXPLORER cruise, so the expectation should be different from the regular cruise ships (Shadow, Cloud, Spirit, Wind, Whisper). For one, this ship is much older and it was not designed and built to the company's specifications, nor is the destination comparable in any way, shape, or form to those covered by the regular ships mentioned above. Furthermore, although quickly refurbished, it does need a much more comprehensive overhaul, which I heard will be done later this year (this information was received by a fellow passenger and not the company directly, so I have no confirmation of its validity).

2. Sailing through the Galapagos implies many restrictions, most of which are imposed by the Ecuadorian Government and the Galapagos National Park Administration, which drastically affect the Silversea luxury experience. This includes the following:

- Most ports of call are uninhabited islands where there is no possibility of stocking fresh items, such as fruit and vegetables, or restocking drinks and other items. This in turn presents a logistics nightmare and storage limitations. We were told for instance that on the first port they receive fruits and vegetables in 3 different stages of ripeness, in order to use them as the cruise progresses.

- There is very stringent regulation as to what food items can be introduced to the islands in order to protect the unique biodiversity. This results in a much limited variety of fresh produce and the subsequent variety of the menus offered onboard.

3. Even with all these facts and limitations, this ship is still among the top in luxury sailing the Galapagos at this time. If Siverseas goes through with a more comprehensive refurbishment I have no doubt it will be the best way to visit the Galapagos Islands.

With these facts in mind, here is my opinion on the different aspects previously mentioned by DownByTheSea:

This was their first sold out cruise, and they still managed to handle the complicated logistics. Most of us on board were seasoned cruisers of Silversea and other luxury cruise lines. I was part of a 31 family group, therefore occupying 1 third of the ship, and can say without a doubt we all enjoyed our experience very much so. That was the case of many other passengers I had the chance to interact with.

That being said, there's still room for improvement, but they have come a long way from what I read in previous reviews.

Here are some of the most important specifics about my experience:

Staterooms:

The good - They are comfortable and ample enough, with a refurbished bathroom, new and comfortable mattresses, pillows and luxury linens.

Needing improvement - The new fabrics used are too dreary and make the cabins look dark.

The bad - There is no space to store the luggage, so you have to be creative so that it doesn't get in your way as the space is not that large (we placed it in the closet floor and then placed our shoes on top of it).

Décor is outdated and in need of a total overhaul.

Air conditioning controls do not work and sometimes the room was warmer than we would have liked it.

Lighting is probably the biggest issue. Ceiling lights are not enough and poorly placed, likewise the electrical outlets are insufficient and/or in inoperable locations.

Stateroom Service:

The good - The Butler introduced herself within the first hour of boarding and gave us a briefing of the services offered in suite. We did get our choice of alcoholic beverages.

Needs improvement - Daily service was good, although the carpet does need to be vacuumed more often.

The bad - It was hard to get a hold of the stateroom crew when I happened to stay onboard instead of joining a tour.

Restaurants and Bars:

The good - Service was very attentive, with many crew members calling us by name. The food was good. New Year's eve menu was excellent. The grill on the 5th deck serves dinner consisting of limited cuts of meats and fish that you finish cooking on hot lava rocks. The quality of both was excellent.

Needs improvement - Although the limit of wine selection is understandable due to the specific conditions in the Galapagos, the choices could be better. It may be though that the remoteness of the area presents a greater challenge that what I'm aware of.

The bad - Desserts and many of the breads I did not like at all (except for the whole grain dark rolls that I enjoyed very much).

Bar service is limited to the outside grill during much of the day. I wish the inside bar offered service throughout the day, as it is the only other public area you can be at if you decide to stay on board and wish to remain in the air conditioning.

Other onboard services:

The good - The spa and gym have been fully refurbished and are very nice indeed. The gym is limited in space and therefore equipment, but I found it appropriate for the size of the ship. The sole massage therapist we had onboard was excellent (Alicia).

The bad - They need to add at least one more person in the salon/spa, since there is only one person available to offer both massage and salon services. Therefore, she was always booked with massages and no other services were offered.

Management Crew:

During our cruise we had a new Hotel Director from Chile - by the name of Marcos. He was delightful, efficient, and totally concerned with our enjoyment and comfort. I could see him constantly working on improving services on board as much as possible.

Exploration Team and shore excursions:

As previously mentioned, The Galapagos National Park Administration is the only one authorized to conduct tours on the islands; therefore, we had a team of about 10 certified members that sailed with us and were in charge of all land excursions.

The good - All were excellent, knowledgeable, and charming. They made sure we enjoyed every visit, answered any questions, and accommodated special requests as much as allowed by park regulations.

Needs improvement - I found some excursions were very similar and would suggest some are either eliminated or more information is provided to passengers, so that we may make a better decision on which ones to participate in. This is particularly important because the schedule is very intense and choosing which visits to skip may provide much needed down time.

The bad:

Snorkeling equipment is distributed by deck number, so some of us did not get our size in wetsuit and even in flippers. I would suggest doing it on a first come, first served basis. Also, advise passengers to bring their own wetsuits if they have them.

There were some excursions where they offered two start times based on deck number. Again, I would offer them on a first come, first served basis, so that most people can sign up for their preferred time.

Bottom line:

This was a very enjoyable experience overall, and although there are some issues to improve upon, the overall trip was very good and as luxurious as I could expect considering the type of voyage and the restrictions of the area.

I have sailed over one hundred nights in the following cruise lines:

Royal Viking

Norwegian American Cruises

Silversea Shadow, Whisper, Spirit

Paul Gaugin

What a pleasure to read such a well written, balanced review. Thank you very much !!

Good to hear that they are making an effort and improving things steadily. We plan for fall 2015, so everything should be good by then.

Thank you so much for your review- very helpful in anticiipating what to expect. Curious as to what deck you were on although with 31 of you I would guess you covered most of them.

Everyone talks about how intensive the schedule is- could you give me some idea of how many hours a day we should expect to be off the ship, and how much time is devoted to lectures, etc? We were in AFrica earlier this year and there were days when we took off from camp at 8am and didn't return til very late in the afternoon- it was wonderful but all rather exhausting. Should we prepare ourselves for this degree of activity?