Silver Spirit -v- Seabourn Odyssey

I know these "which is better" questions are entirely subjective and both lines have their rusted on fans but I'd appreciate some objective opinions please.

We are considering two almost identical 2-week Auckland to Melbourne/Sydney cruises next Feb on Seabourn Odyssey or Silver Spirit. We know that Seabourn is great but we've never sailed Silversea. So, which one to pick and why?

I'm leaning towards Silversea purely because we'd like to give it a try but maybe that's not a good enough reason!

Last edited by Grumpy Wombat; Today at 10:49 AM.

If you have not been on SS, try it and decide for yourself!

I have sailed on Silver Spirit twice and have not sailed on Odyssey but sailed on a triplet last year. If you love Seabourn, you will love Silversea, so it could be a tough decision if the itineraries are almost identical and pricing is similar (I don't know if you mentioned that). The exciting thing is you have a great trip to plan.

Hi Grumpy. We've done three Silversea Cruises (Whisper, Wind and most recently Spirit) and two on Seabourn (Legend and Spirit). Our next one is on Seabourn Sojourn.

We regard the Silversea Spirit cruise as the best of 12 or so cruises and I am expecting Sojourn to be of a similar standard. The SS Spirit cruise was similar to the Seabourn ones in service, facilities, standards but, contrary to what many would say, S/S won out narrowly in food quality for us. We were fortunate enough to have the South African female chef (her name escapes me - I'll write it down if someone reminds me) and she was superb. I guess the bottom line for us is that we have had very good cruises on both lines and it is hard to make a mistake.

Clearly, we are not rusted on to either but make our minds up based on timing, itinerary and price.

Thanks for the input everyone.

I'm leaning towards Silversea I think but still welcome the opinions of those who know both lines. Are the verandah staterooms of similar size to Seabourn? And I assume (hope!) there's no fixed dining?

As I say, the itinerary and dates are almost identical and I'm waiting to hear from my TA on prices so that might tip the balance.

I have booked this trip with Silversea (my first on SS). I've sailed many times with Seabourn on all of their ships however this itinerary appealed more. Silverseas has fewer sea days, crossing the Tasman sea in two days whereas SB takes three. From what I remember SB itinerary is 15 days with 5 sea days and SS is 11 with 2 sea days. However we requested to stay on for a further 4 days into the next voyage disembarking at Sydney at a pro rata daily rate and SS has agreed. These extra 4 days will allow us to visit Tasmania which SB doesn't offer. Plus SS has an overnight in Melbourne.

We live in Melbourne so the SS cruise ending with an "overnighter" there certainly makes logistical sense. One last dinner on board, a good nights sleep and then grab a cab home the next morning! The Seabourne cruise visits Melbourne on the penultimate day and then ends in Sydney so we were planning to jump ship in Melbourne anyway rather than fly home from Sydney the next day. We don't need to be "tourists" in Sydney.

I know these "which is better" questions are entirely subjective and both lines have their rusted on fans but I'd appreciate some objective opinions please.

 

We are considering two almost identical 2-week Auckland to Melbourne/Sydney cruises next Feb on Seabourn Odyssey or Silver Spirit. We know that Seabourn is great but we've never sailed Silversea. So, which one to pick and why?

 

I'm leaning towards Silversea purely because we'd like to give it a try but maybe that's not a good enough reason!

Last edited by Grumpy Wombat; Today at 10:49 AM.

Hi Grumpy,

We sailed with Seabourn Sojourn (Med) last year in May and spent the past two weeks on Silver Spirit (Venice to Istanbul) - still jet lagged. Both were amazing itineraries, both have wonderful restaraunts and food, but the room appointment is far more superior on Seabourn, and the disposition of the staff on Seabourn is friendlier and more welcoming. They truly take to heart "attention to detail". The Silver Spirit decor is somewhat drab and needs some refurbishing in my opinion. Seabourn is crisp and clean.

Thanks. I've read other comments about the difference in staff demeanour between the two so it's interesting you noticed it too. I thought that perhaps we just got lucky on our last SB cruise where the friendly, professional service was faultless. But that was the best cruise we've ever taken for all kinds of other reasons so maybe I'm recalling it through rose coloured specs. We find that a friendly Hello, Please and Thank You go a long way no matter which line you sail with.

Anyway, we've decided to go with SS partly as a "test run" and for the very convenient itinerary but also because there's a very significant price difference.

Thanks. I've read other comments about the difference in staff demeanour between the two so it's interesting you noticed it too. I thought that perhaps we just got lucky on our last SB cruise where the friendly, professional service was faultless. But that was the best cruise we've ever taken for all kinds of other reasons so maybe I'm recalling it through rose coloured specs. We find that a friendly Hello, Please and Thank You go a long way no matter which line you sail with.

 

Anyway, we've decided to go with SS partly as a "test run" and for the very convenient itinerary but also because there's a very significant price difference.

I am looking at the Venice to Istanbul itinerary on SS for next July vs a Western Med itinerary on Seabourn Sojourn. It's interesting that SS is a much lower price. So not sure what to do. We have a future cruise credit with Regent, but may not sail with them again because their pricing has escalated, even when you back out economy air and excursions (neither of which we want). Might wait until Jan/Feb timeframe and see what promos each cruise line has to offer for the summer.

Hi Grumpy,

We sailed with Seabourn Sojourn (Med) last year in May and spent the past two weeks on Silver Spirit (Venice to Istanbul) - still jet lagged. Both were amazing itineraries, both have wonderful restaraunts and food, but the room appointment is far more superior on Seabourn, and the disposition of the staff on Seabourn is friendlier and more welcoming. They truly take to heart "attention to detail". The Silver Spirit decor is somewhat drab and needs some refurbishing in my opinion. Seabourn is crisp and clean.

Sorry, couldn't edit my last post, but I did want to ask you cruisingfor4 for your thoughts on the Venice to Istanbul itinerary. Would love to hear the best and the worst (if any). Thanks

Hi Sunprince

I truly cant say anything negative about the SS itinerary. We started in Venice and stayed at a beautiful small hotel called the Hotel Moresco (located on the outskirts of St. Marks square, so not in a super busy area. We were greeted with a a wonderful anitpasto bar, wine, and pasta (freshly made). The accomodations were lovely - spacious and very clean. Breakfast in the am was plentiful. We boarded the ship late in the afternoon and our first port was Ravenna., It is a lovely town to wander in, and if you like historic churches, there are some lovely ones to see. The next day we stopped at Hvar Croatia which we liked very much - hiking to the old fort (hiking was a trend on our vacation). Beautiful town. We then went into Kotor Montengro which was among our favourites - beautiful sail in through the "fjord" and we hiked, again to the top of the old city where the views were spectacular. Even did a little shopping at some local artisan shops. We then had three stops in Greece and our favourite was Santorini where we hiked the caldera (about 14 km) from Fira (where the ship stops), to Oia (pronounced EEEYA). The locals thought we were crazy but there is a path that runs between the two towns. It truly is the most spectacular view and a lot of our time was taking pictures at almost every turn :). We then went to Kusadasi and spent a day tour in Ephesus and did the evening concert offered by SS. THis was the highlight of the trip (even my husband who falls asleep when I listen to classical music), was bright eyed and absorbed in the ambiance and beauty of it all. The next port (actually a Greek Island - Myetiline (spelling?) was the only port that was questionable. For those who like Sea days, this is the one port that may not have been a necessary stop, however, it did give us an opportunity to get off the ship and spend the day exploring a different town. It is a short stop, and we visited the old fort. Istanbul is an amazing place. A fabulous place to see all the sights but if you are able, spend a few days extra just walking around and getting to know the local area. We stayed in a small boutique hotel in a residential area (TOMTOM Suites Hotel), and it is right across the street from the Italian Consulate. There is hardly any car traffic as the street is closed to "regular traffic" and only those that see the guard can get through. Very safe :). They too had a wonderful breakfast, the rooms are massive, and the staff extremely helpful. We walked up the hill to the "Main Street" the is known as the European Shopping area, but also walked back to the old city to the Spice Market and Grand Bazaar (Spice Market is our favourite). Not to far from the hotel (about a 10 minute walk), is the best Baklava shop in Istanbul and all the locals go there. They will shrink wrap your selections so you can bring them home :). The shop is called Gulluoglu, and truly has the best Baklava ever! In terms of Itinerary, we liked the fact that it was port intensive. Even after 7 cruises, my husband still gets sea sick if there is some chop (we do try to nip it in the bud with meds), but he still loves cruising. We have sailed the large ships, in fact we are heading to the Baltics next spring on the Regal Princess , with our kids who are 21 and 20 and still like to travel with us.... yes, a very different holiday as compared to the SS and Seabourn (our very favourite), but for us, itinerary is very important. Of course, the larger ships tend to have more sea days, but then it is larger ship with things to do. I hope this helps you...if I had to pick favourites: Venice, Hvar Croatia, Kotor Montenegro, Santorini Greece, Kusadasi Turkey, Istanbul Turkey. If you look at cruises and there is a stop in Dubrovnik, that is definitely worth a stop (we went there on a previous occasion while visiting family in Croatia). Happy planning, and if there are any questions don't hesitate to ask :)

Grumpy - We have sailed on both the Spirit (verandah) and the Odyssey (penthouse). We love Silversea, but we agree with Cruisingfor4 that the Odyssey is beautiful and crisp! And we love the Seabourn Square on the new Seabourn ships. Here are some thoughts - the penthouse on the Odyssey had more rattles than an old jalopy...whereas the Spirit's cabins never have had that issue. Love the optional Hermes soap and bubble bath menu on Seabourn, but also adore the Ferragamo line on Silversea. We feel the food on both lines is excellent - we've asked for steak tartare on both and have always been pleased. The wine selection on Silversea seems a bit more upscale than Seabourn, and on the Odyssey we usually asked for a different wine most nights. On the Odyssey, all the specialty restaurants are included, on the Sprit, you paid an upcharge for LeChampagne. But on the Spirit there was the amazing Hot Rocks Grill! What it really boils down to for us is the staff. We had great staff on the Spirit, mediocre on the Odyssey. (On the flip side, the Seabourn Pride, which no longer exists, had exceptional staff!!!). Both lines have their good and bad points, but both are wonderful. Choose the itenerary that works for you - you will have a great time on either!! If you have not been on Silversea, perhaps it's time to give them a try!

Following cruisingfor4's post about itinerary we also went to Katakolon for the original Olympic site. We were last there 30 years ago when my son was doing Ancient History at school and we toured all the major sites in Greece with 4 children in a tiny car to bring it all to life for him. We were all (yes we had them with us on the cruise ) amazed at how much it has been developed. Much more had been excavated, the museum has been built and there were hordes of people where there had been none! We took a van out there and didn't go on an organised tour. There are loads of cars and small vans available at a much more reasonable price in the tiny town. It was only a half day stop so you need to be organised. One couple went on the train very cheaply but the timings were tight. We also called in to Corfu. It's very touristy in the town but plenty of other tours. It was good to get to Istanbul a full 24 hours before disembarkation. It gave everyone time to explore. A well worthwhile itinerary.

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