Muse vs Spirit

Hello! This is my first time posting here since my DH and I are considering a cruise next summer on either Spirit (9 days) or Muse (12 days) from Venice to Athens. Thoughts, insights, preferences?

Many thanks in advance...

Hello! This is my first time posting here since my DH and I are considering a cruise next summer on either Spirit (9 days) or Muse (12 days) from Venice to Athens. Thoughts, insights, preferences?

Many thanks in advance...

For me it would be a simple choice. If I was flying all the way from Seattle, I would opt for the Muse to get 33% more time on the ship and thus amortize over a longer time the transaction cost (and I'm not thinking only of money) of getting there. But that's me.....

For me it would be a simple choice. If I was flying all the way from Seattle, I would opt for the Muse to get 33% more time on the ship and thus amortize over a longer time the transaction cost (and I'm not thinking only of money) of getting there. But that's me.....

Exactly our analysis for our Med cruises and in fact pretty much any cruise. We consider airfare, pre and post cruise hotels, and transfers as fixed costs regardless of the actual length of the cruise. Bottom line is those costs don't change whether we're on a 7-day or 18-day cruise. With that in mind and basically set aside we then look at the variables like itineraries, cruise fares, available vacation time, etc. In the end we've taken three Med cruises of 14, 16, and 18 days which meant two back-to-back cruises to make the time, distance, and cost worth it to us.

Since the Muse isn't boarding yet and there are no opinions nor reviews, I might wait a bit. On the other hand, are you adventurous and up for the challenge of sailing on an unknown? I am all ready for the Muse!

We have booked it for the 12 day sailing on August 8 from Venice to Monte Carlo.

Since the Muse isn't boarding yet and there are no opinions nor reviews, I might wait a bit. On the other hand, are you adventurous and up for the challenge of sailing on an unknown? I am all ready for the Muse!

We're also ready to try the Muse. Might be misguided but we trust that Silversea will "salt" the staff and crew with at least a few seasoned Silversea veterans from other ships so hopefully service, etc., won't be too off. Of course with a new ship there always seem to be little issues but we're game. Been 12 years since we've been on a new ship in its first few months of service.

...are you adventurous and up for the challenge of sailing on an unknown? I am all ready for the Muse!

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We have booked it for the 12 day sailing on August 8 from Venice to Monte Carlo.

We have taken the plunge.. Nice to Athens 3rd of May....Here,s hoping all,s well??

I was told that seasoned crew members will be aboard the Muse to help the newbies learn.

In addition, you will have Paulo as HD, he's pretty amazing.

I also heard that Mino Pontillo will be the Captain.

I was also told that all itineraries are going to be switched around to other vessels in the fleet, so expect some big changes.

Of course the above is scuttlebutt learned aboard the Spirit from crew just last week. That's the disclaimer, :-).

I was also told that all itineraries are going to be switched around to other vessels in the fleet, so expect some big changes.

What does this mean??

Sight unseen I would pick the Muse over the Spirit. Although we have only sailed on Silversea three times (once each on the Spirit, Whisper and Shadow and have toured the Wind). Our first Silversea cruise was on the Spirit and if I had to base whether or not I would sail on Silversea again based on that ship, there would not have been a second cruise. However, we loved the service and gave the Whisper a try and would sail on the Whisper or Shadow without hesitation.

We have studied photos of the Muse and are impressed. While we are Regent cruisers, we return to Silversea for itineraries not offered on Regent (and choose not to sail on the other luxury cruise lines). While we are not booked on Silversea on the moment, when the itinerary is right, we'll book the Muse.

What does this mean??

It means that once Muse begins to sail, certain of the itineraries associated with vessels in the fleet are expected to shift around.

That's how it was explained.

OK, that makes sense. I was concerned that the itinerary I have booked on the Muse might change. That would be scary!

] Our first Silversea cruise was on the Spirit and if I had to base whether or not I would sail on Silversea again based on that ship, there would not have been a second cruise.

I am very interested in knowing what has put you off in the Spirit. I would understand that it would be your very personal opinion, but this is what makes Cruise Critic so special and valuable... Others may end up sharing your opinion...

Sight unseen I would pick the Muse over the Spirit. Although we have only sailed on Silversea three times (once each on the Spirit, Whisper and Shadow and have toured the Wind). Our first Silversea cruise was on the Spirit and if I had to base whether or not I would sail on Silversea again based on that ship, there would not have been a second cruise. However, we loved the service and gave the Whisper a try and would sail on the Whisper or Shadow without hesitation.

 

We have studied photos of the Muse and are impressed. While we are Regent cruisers, we return to Silversea for itineraries not offered on Regent (and choose not to sail on the other luxury cruise lines). While we are not booked on Silversea on the moment, when the itinerary is right, we'll book the Muse.

Meow ... fellow cats, nice to see your posts again. We have also been on Silversea three times before, once on the Spirit and twice on the Shadow. While both the Spirit and the Shadow are very nice, it is obvious that the Spirit is a shade below the Shadow. To start with, the Spirit's theatre is distinctly inferior, though that may not matter. The cabin on the Spirit, unlike the Shadow, is "carpenter straight", with no curves, easier and cheaper to construct. It is also a narrow, longitudinal shape, making food (e.g. dinner) trolleys difficult to get in and out, and course by course dinners cumbersome. The Spirit was built at the bottom of the economic cycle, unlike the Shadow on the top of the last cycle, and it shows. In fact, being poor cats, any of them would be above our usual means, but as ship design enthusiasts, we still notice the difference.

Now the Muse is built at the (perhaps top) of this new, coming economic cycle, and we are curious enough to see what it will be like to have booked (and paid 25% deposit) on the New England itinerary in September, 2017. The crew should have gained experience by then, and the ship should still be practically new. If we actually manage to go, we will write a detailed report as we used to in the past. Thank you all for bearing with us, while this time, we still hope to make tape measurements, they may not be as detailed as before. Getting less agile, we are gradually losing our mouse chasing skills and may not be able to crawl under the bed as much ... meow!

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Purrs to you meow! Good to see you back as well. As usually, I really enjoyed your "take" on the Spirit and the Shadow. I must admit that I did feel many corners were cut on the Spirit. The tables in La Terrazza were so tight that my tail could have easily been caught between the chairs. There is also no cat box (oops - meant to say restroom near the forward lounge). We stayed in a Silver Suite that had three doors into the closet and no drawers at the desk/make-up area.

At the moment we are very booked up with Regent's new Explorer but will look at the itineraries for the Muse for 2018. Although it is a little over a year away, I will enjoy your report. Stay well meow!

Thank you kindly for the quick reply. Wish you all the best ... meow!