Back from Galapagos-Spectacular!

This cruise was all I ever could ask for - and more. I really liked the various excursions were identified as to level of expertise required. Really helped me because I have trouble walking. Nearly every day was snorkeling, kayaking, walks, etc.

When we first boarded the ship yes, there was glasses of champagne and damp washclothes presented to each passenger. The staterooms are small but adequate as we weren't in them very often. There were 2 closets (1 with an extra drawer), 2 drawers under bed and 3 drawers in a cabinet. I took some photos of the cabin and will try to upload them Wednesday. I don't know how to do it but daughter will be here Wed or Thurs and she is tech savy.

We used just cheap plastic ponchos and that was just plenty. Very few passengers had pricey rain coverings. Most of the shoes worn were Keen's and a few crocs. These suffice very well in both wet and dry landings. Evening meals suggested no denim for men but I did see a few ignore this and also a few men that wore shorts to dinner. These were decidedly in the minority though - maybe 2 or 3 per evening. Ladies dressed for dinner in nice dresses or slacks and tops dressed up with pretty scarves or jewelry. By the way - no safe's in the staterooms although the drawers do Have keyed locks. Each meal had an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables served and I did see some folks ask for things not on menu and their wishes were accommodated. By day 2 most of the personnel either knew us by name or knew what we preferred for cocktails etc. Lobster was on the menu every day on the upper deck. There was always seafood, pizza, meats, hamburgers, hotdogs. I did think the pastas needed some work as this is sort of a signature dish for SS being Italian origin. Pastas weren't the best but certainly edible.

I will add more later, as I have an appt this AM

So glad it was everything you wanted it to be!

So glad to hear you had a great time-hope you left it in good shape as we board Saturday- lobster and champagne sounds good as we have had some primitive experiences up til now.

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Each day we were at a different port and even different in the PM from the AM. The islands abound with wildlife and our Naturalists were so dedicated to the islands, they explained thoroughly and carefully everything we saw or would see. We saw breeding places for the Galapagos tortoises, kayaked around islands, saw wildlife from the glass bottom boats, snokeled with the playful Sea Lions.

The 'Hot Rocks' on the 5th deck was great and so much fun to dine outside in the beautiful weather. I must say it was better than the 'hot rocks' on the SS Spirit last year!!!! Our choice of a filet was HUGE! I do think they could do with a bit smaller size say 6 oz vs. 8 oz. the beef was cooked to rare and then given to you on the hot tile to cook further if you like.

We had ceviche every day and I ate it and loved it! (despite the fact I am no fan of seafood!) Canapes were brought to our stateroom on a regular bases if we asked for it. ALso the replenishing of the fridge/bar was somewhat hit or miss, but this wasn't offputting, we just called and it was brought to us promptly. They did have laundry service (for a fee) and a laundry bag for your use. Clothing was neatly folded, some put on hangers, and returned the afternoon if we had given the dirty clothes before 10AM.

To me, one would have to really nitpick to find fault with this cruise. We met wonderful people, programs of different levels of athletic abilities were offered, all in all I hope everyone who goes has at least as good a time as we did.

You did northern and central-yes ? Did you see any penguins ? And how is the water , temperature wise and wave wise?

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Thank you so much for this review. It sounds absolutely perfect! April can't get here soon enough. :)

This sounds very encouraging. I am glad they are getting things together regarding food and service. We will probably book for late 2015.

try again to type without screwing up. hope i don't duplicate this. No we didn't see any penguins. ( was hoping but wasn't to be) apparently the one island that they frequent didn't have any around the day we were there (hiding i suppose!). Yes we were on the Northern /Central trip. Let's see now, oh yes, waves - really a non issue. Water was quite warm (think mid to upper 70's each day) waves were barely 5" or so. Even when we were on the ship I only recall one rock 'n roll from wave action late at nite and once that getting onto the zodiac was a bit of a challenge.

Re: wetsuits. They have them for you to borrow if you feel the need. I took one the first day and never afterwards. First of all they make you too buoyant and it makes getting into an upright position a bit difficult. Water temp was plenty warm so not needed.

One suggestion: the first day of snorkeling we had a great beach and the ocean was teaming with fish etc. I would suggest you be careful before standing on the bottom just past the small 'drop.' There are oodles of stingrays buried in the sand and hard to see. Just push off on the sand and u will be fine. Do not wear shiny jewelry as that is attractive to many fish - including sharks and yes, there are sharks. They really don't bother anyone and if they feel there is a threat the guides will get everyone out of the water. The sea lions are so incredibly playful it is a sight to see! In port, they were sleeping on benches, jumped into anchored ships in the harbor. Heck they owned the place I guess!

One of the naturalists was taking videos each day and one was available for purchase ($150 and was 2 hrs long) at the end of the trip. They also showed the video in 2 segments on 2 different nites so you could see what you were getting.

We love wines and those available were from Chile and Argentina. They were fine - not top shelf but certainly very drinkable. I loved the Argentinian Malbec, my son liked the Chilian Chardonnay. I did notice the Malbec selling at a hotel for $54 per bottle so take it from there I guess.

Hm-we do have different ideas about water temperatures-mid 70s are quite chilly for me. Brought a rash guard suit which may be enough though as wet suits can indeed be a bother. Too bad about the penguins-keeping fingers crossed.

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ppiew, Thanks so much for giving us your current take on your Silver Galapagos cruise. I am sure as my time to cruise comes closer, I will have questions. So glad you had a great time. Looking forward to seeing your photos.

Sounds great! But I agree with 5waldos, 70 degree water is way too cold for me! I had a horrid PE teacher in high school who made us swim in an us heated outdoor pool on October in NW arkansas. I turned me off forever from wanting to get in any water under about 85degrees

85degrees is about perfect temperature

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Sorry, guess I wasn't specific enough. We were told the water temperature ranged from 77 to 83 degrees Farenheit. I do live near Lake Superior so I am quite aware of cold water and believe me I am a coward! We used to live in a house with an indoor pool and I could hardly wait until Sundays when i would "sneak' the heat up to 87 ahhh that was heaven!!! But really, it wasn't uncomfortable at all in the Pacific Ocean. I didn't see anyone soaking their ankles to adjust to the temp at all-everyone (even me) just walked right in. The shorty wet suits they had were very nice ones but way too buoyant for me. I was bouncing all over when I tried to stand before coming out of water. I should say that I do have balance issues from an accident so I am sure it was more uncomfortable for me than for most. All and all it was great! The air temp was just above water temp and I am sure that aided it in being more comfortable.

I should add a bit about the food also. This is just in generalities because likes and dislikes of various foods is so subjective what one loves another hates. The two buffets, (breakfast and lunch) were pretty standard ie. omelets, sausages juices etc. At noon the deck always had a seafood catch, broiled lobster, a variety of salads and rolls and nice desserts, and the diningroom usually had one or 2 large casserole dishes of some seafood and another dish of chicken or meat of some sort. . Night in the dining room consisted of 5 entrees plus the usual sides. The food was nicely presented but not to the level of the SS cruise ships. I can't say it affected flavor in anyway though. This also helped in getting a taste of the Equadorian foods!!

Hi ppiew,

I was on the same cruise as you and both my husband and myself loved it. I was upset to hear a couple of grumpy fellow passengers complaining about the food - maybe they were expecting more fancy stuff, but we much enjoyed all of it. Fresh seafood and fish, excellent meat - the fillet mignon very tender. The hot rocks were very successful as I like almost raw steak and my better half likes his burnt to a cinder. We could each cook to our own preference. Lobsters every day (twice a day if you want) was such a treat. Wines were good - the ecuadorian Rioja a very happy surprise!

Staff a delight. Some had English language problems but nothing insurmountable and they did everything they could to make us happy. And succeeded! The excursions were brilliant. Choice of excursion varied and they did their best so that you could kayak, snorkel, have a swim or a walk all one after the other. Just one hiccup when the glass bottom boat was totally booked by a particularly large party of friends, but an extra trip was immediately laid on without a fuss.

The water was warm enough for me and I need it to be really warm to even venture a toe. I think it was in the mid 80s at one point. Snorkelling with a wet suit gave me more bouyancy but it was not necessary. We met some lovely people, with whom we would variously team up but no pressure if you want to be on your own.

The beds were comfortable, however the air con only JUST worked in our cabin. I do like it cold at night and I would say it was cool, rather than cold! Fine during the day when it's hot outside. One couple complained they had no cool air, another that it was too cold. Nobody seemed able to adjust the temps to suit (I know we couldn't ). I think this issue will be resolved later in the year.

We were very impressed with the overall experience and I think any future cruisers can look forward to having a wonderful time !

Hope this helps to reassure after the negative reviews from last year.

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Really really glad to hear the positive reports, esp that Silversea seems to have the food issue in hand. I don't need fancy, but I expect tasty and properly prepared. It sounds like they have found some better suppliers than Xpedition.

We are doing this cruise in two weeks and are wondering - when you go snorkeling is it during a hike, or do you snorkel from the ship or from a panga? Wondering if we will need to wear our swimsuits on the hikes because there will be no chance to change before getting in the water, or are the snorkeling excursions dedicated to just that? Hope it's the later because I wouldn't be really comfortable walking around for a couple of hours with my swimsuit on underneath shorts and a T shirt! Thx

You definitely don't snorkel from the ship. They will brief you ahead of time on what is included in each landing, and you are instructed to dress accordingly.

And to think we nearly cancelled! We board in a few hours and these reviews really have been helpful . One question about return to Guayaquil. Did I read that you have to collect all your baggage and check in again even if you are flying out directly?

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What I mean is that we transfer in Guayaquil to a flight to panama about 3 hours later.

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Can you tell me if there were binoculars in the suites? The web site says there are, but the Cruise Guide suggests you bring some. Thanks in advance.

The binocs in the suite are large and heavy. If you have lighter ones, I would bring them. Enjoy!

There are binocs in the suite but they are heavy to carry around. Your own good, portable optics will come in handy. Enjoy!

Apologies for the double post. Don't know where it went!

Does everyone dine at the same time for dinner? Are there issues with being able to eat where you want to, or will both the dining room and the grill accommodate everyone? Can you make reservations at one or the other? Thx!

And also meant to ask - what have the temperatures been lately, both during the day and in the evening. Warm enough at night to eat at the grill with just a T shirt on? Or will I probably need some sort of jacket or a sweater?