Silversea online dining reservations

Hello all. It is quite some time since I have cruised with Silversea (before online dining reservations), and I would appreciate advice from fellow cruisers who have used the online reservations system.

Reading through other threads it appears that online bookings open around 120 days prior to sailing and the process is similar to that of booking a shore excursion. We haven't actually booked yet so I can't go online to discover for myself yet. My main question - what is the situation if you are travelling with say friends - is one member of the party able to make bookings on behalf of the entire group, quoting all diners' suite numbers etc. so that you can secure a booking for your entire group at the same table etc. Would be very interested in your comments on how the online bookings work.

Many thanks in advance.

That is a great question. I believe you can only reserve for the entire group online if you are sharing the same booking code.

 

Best call Silversea for more info.

 

 

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You can book a table on line for four or six without providing cabin numbers for the other guests. We do this, especially for hot rocks, and find friends to join us when on board.

 

 

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Hello all. It is quite some time since I have cruised with Silversea (before online dining reservations), and I would appreciate advice from fellow cruisers who have used the online reservations system.

Reading through other threads it appears that online bookings open around 120 days prior to sailing and the process is similar to that of booking a shore excursion. We haven't actually booked yet so I can't go online to discover for myself yet. My main question - what is the situation if you are travelling with say friends - is one member of the party able to make bookings on behalf of the entire group, quoting all diners' suite numbers etc. so that you can secure a booking for your entire group at the same table etc. Would be very interested in your comments on how the online bookings work.

Many thanks in advance.

 

As 57 Varieties has said, there is an option to be able to book for up to 10 people without giving any group or names in the booking.. I've added guests for June in my.silversea. (10 does seem a lot!!) Surprisingly, none of the restaurants (which only allow 60% capacity to be prebooked) are wait listed yet apart from La Dame on 2 occasions.) Even in Monaco on the 16th when Atlantide and Terrazza have been hijacked by Manfredi (Im assuming) and 2 restaurants down for the night! This night could be interesting! I might raffle my booked places! lol

You can book a table on line for four or six without providing cabin numbers for the other guests. We do this, especially for hot rocks, and find friends to join us when on board.

 

 

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We cruise with another couple and usually one of us, usually me using just our cabin number, makes all the reservations . We're cruising this coming November on the Spirit and our friends are coming over from Atlanta to spend the Memorial Day weekend with us. While they're here we'll sit down with a laptop and go through the itinerary and pick out which nights we want to make reservations. Typically we've found if we meet other passengers on a cruise and want them to join us we can get the reservation bumped up to a larger table. We once went from a 4-top to a table for 10 in LaTerrazza.

Or TA booked us for a group of 12 each night..

Thank you for all your comments. It is now much clearer for me how the Silversea dining online system works. We actually like the idea of booking ahead - the more we can do before we leave home the better for us. I take it then that the 40% capacity that can't be booked online is for walk ins on the night etc. Not sure how this is working though, going by a very very negative review just posted on Cruise Critic by a cruiser just off the Muse. Will be interesting to see if anything changes down the track.

I take it then that the 40% capacity that can't be booked online is for walk ins on the night etc.

From what I understand, the 40% can be booked once on the ship with the Maître D', not necessarily just held open for walk-ins.

 

 

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From what I understand, the 40% can be booked once on the ship with the Maître D', not necessarily just held open for walk-ins.

 

 

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Consistently the most popular venues on our cruises have been LaTerrazza and the Hot Rocks Grill. I can say from experience getting a walk-in table can be an issue. Been there tried that and ended eating in The Restuarant.

Thank you for all your comments. It is now much clearer for me how the Silversea dining online system works. We actually like the idea of booking ahead - the more we can do before we leave home the better for us. I take it then that the 40% capacity that can't be booked online is for walk ins on the night etc. Not sure how this is working though, going by a very very negative review just posted on Cruise Critic by a cruiser just off the Muse. Will be interesting to see if anything changes down the track.

 

 

 

Wow, that was pretty scathing. A couple of observations, describing the Muse as a 3* ship goes some way to suggest the review wasn't being subjective entirely IMHO. But fair play for reviewing. If people don't share experiences good or bad, no one will be the wiser.

 

They certainly are correct in saying that SS have handled the reservation system, need to book and dress code situation like a closely guarded secret and it's not acceptable for the lack of communication on this. There certainly are question marks over seating capacity if someone was wait listed 5 out of the 8 nights, but I do wonder if that remark tells the whole story. Had I not pre booked for La Champagne, I could have said I was weight listed 10/10 nights on my cruise last month. It also doesn't say where they ate, so even if number one choice wasn't available, was number 2? No mention of sitting in the pizza place for 5 nights.

 

I do wonder if the booking situation soured the experience to suggest the food served was poor. I certainly don't believe the suggestion they were black listed by the MD because they complained about the food. My experience in seeing complaints, the MD has always remained very professional and sought to resolve any problems.

 

One thing is sure though, SS need to get the message across about the changes made. I only personally know about the need for booking and dress code situation because I'm an active member here. If they don't address this, they will find an awful lot of negative reviews about this extremely important factor to guest enjoyment on taking a cruise.

 

Given Manfredi has removed 2 restaurants from choice of booking (La Terrazza and Atlantide) on June 16 and the one remaining large restaurant remains bookable. I think it's safe to say given that fact, it's pretty obvious that guests are still blissfully unaware.

 

 

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The whole system creates unnecessary stress in advance of the cruise. Will I get the reservations I want? On the night I want? At what time I want? With whom I want? If I wanted to worry about all that I'd sail on a mass market line and worry about early or late seating. Luxury should remove all these concerns from the equation. SS has not only enhanced these concerns but added to them with a different dress code for each restaurant. So you can't even get dressed for the evening and hope you'll get in someplace since you may not be attired correctly. Of course, you could wear a tuxedo every night even if you wind up wind up on the pizza parlor.

The whole system creates unnecessary stress in advance of the cruise. Will I get the reservations I want? On the night I want? At what time I want? With whom I want? If I wanted to worry about all that I'd sail on a mass market line and worry about early or late seating. Luxury should remove all these concerns from the equation. SS has not only enhanced these concerns but added to them with a different dress code for each restaurant. So you can't even get dressed for the evening and hope you'll get in someplace since you may not be attired correctly. Of course, you could wear a tuxedo every night even if you wind up wind up on the pizza parlor.

 

The Muse unusual different dress code business notwithstanding the online reservation request system actually works well. It certainly is not something to get stressed about. Three easy avenues available. One, don't make online reservations and simply handle it when you get on the ship. Two, use it and check when you get on board. Three, cruise another line.

We are booked on our first SS cruise, but having cruised a number of times on Oceania I made reservations for the SS 'specialty' restaurants online as soon as they became available to us. I immediately booked La Terrazza for both formal nights on our cruise, then booked a few nights in The Grill as well. Cruises are leisurely travel for us, and after years of packing suits etc for business trips we have no interest in dragging them along on vacation. We usually dress up a bit for dinner, so a jacket and dressy pants/tops are fine. And we were happy to be able to make online reservations for the formal nights we choose to miss.

 

I'm not I understand why making restaurant reservations is inconsistent with a 'luxury' cruise....We've lived in many places, and reservations were usually necessary for fine dining restaurants. But not tuxes and formal dresses...

Living in the corporate world of suits and ties I initially disliked the formal nights but really don't mind the suit and tie on Silversea as it adds to the experience. The whole Silver Muse confusion baffles me. I'm booked in October 2018 so hopefully it will be all resolved by then. I like making reservations in advance as well.

 

 

 

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The Muse unusual different dress code business notwithstanding the online reservation request system actually works well. It certainly is not something to get stressed about. Three easy avenues available. One, don't make online reservations and simply handle it when you get on the ship. Two, use it and check when you get on board. Three, cruise another line.

1.I have already read about people who didn't make online reservations and would up walking around trying to find a place to eat and ended up in the pizza parlor. No thanks.

 

2. My point is I don't want to haver to decide months on advance where I will be eating on any given night.

 

3. Yes, there are other cruise lines. Like Seabourn. But also other SS ships with a better policy and I will certainly book those instead of the Muse.

There are lots of negative comments about the need to make dining arrangements ahead of time. They mostly come from people who have not actually sailed on the Muse. Whey not make bookings for every night of your cruise and then when you board try to make any changes you deem necessary. What we need is factual feedback from a number of passengers who have actually been on the Muse rather than the moans we are getting at the moment.

As for the solo passenger who had no option but to have a pizza on an open deck in the cold. I don't believe it! She could have had a full dinner in her suite and I'm sure SS crew would have accommodated her in any restaurant. We need factual information and not second-hand complaining.

I sail on the Muse later this month. All my dining reservations are made and I am confident that SS will do all they can to ensure my trip is a memorable one.

1.I have already read about people who didn't make online reservations and would up walking around trying to find a place to eat and ended up in the pizza parlor. No thanks.

 

I would agree, I wouldnt eat there either, though I have pre-booked everywhere.

 

2. My point is I don't want to haver to decide months on advance where I will be eating on any given night.

And I sympathise with your plight. Can I ask if you eat in the MDR every night? Asking purely because from experience, you've always been able to book the specialty restaurants in advance and they will often not be bookable on board and can be full. From what you and many others have said, having numerous eating places at the expense of a larger MDR is an issue. I dont actually recognise it in the same way as you, but understand fully where you are coming from.

 

3. Yes, there are other cruise lines. Like Seabourn. But also other SS ships with a better policy and I will certainly book those instead of the Muse.

I agree completely. They have changed things and time will tell if its a success or failure. If it doesnt work, its safe to say amendments will be made because if it hits their bookings because of negative reviews, something has to be done.

 

From a personal perspective, with the exception of the single cruiser must be catered for and something better than a pizza on offer should 1st choices be full, I'm pretty much OK with whats on offer. That said, I'm equally at home with the MDR too.I do understand "what you are used too"..... and as you've said, you do have other SS ships unaffected by this or other lines. (Please take that in the way intended.... it was agreeing with the choice you have if the Muse is a step too far to compromise on what you enjoy when cruising.)

 

OTOH. Close the Japanese as I dont like Sushi! :p

 

Tongue in cheek of course... and whilst its not for me, I have no problem with this "wasted" restaurant being available for other cruisers.

Les37b,

I would say I eat at least 60% of the time in the MDR. What that offers me is the ability to meet some one in the bar, ask them to join me for dinner and have no problems. That is what I like about a luxury line. It's the reason I have always stayed away from Crystal. I didn't want to have to dine at the same time at the same table with the same people every night. And I never made advance reservations at Le Champagne as there always seemed to be an evening they could fit me in. In the interest of complete honesty I have made advance reservations at La Terrazza but that was only for one or two evening, not an entire cruise.

" Dine when and with whom you choose"; this has always been a consistent, appreciated policy. It's luxurious, it's spontaneous, it has worked since the beginning of the line. It's an enhancement for groups, couples and definitely needed for solo sailors.

A chat in the bar, by the pool, a conversation at Trivia, all can lead to making a dinner date that evening. Over all the many years my late husband and I have traveled, we have made so very many long time, treasured SS friends. We keep in touch. We make plans to sail again together.....all because we have been able to meet casually and dine together.

The new policy is terrible and will change the SS vibe. I'm not alone in being unhappy and concerned.

Les37b,

 

I would say I eat at least 60% of the time in the MDR. What that offers me is the ability to meet some one in the bar, ask them to join me for dinner and have no problems. That is what I like about a luxury line. It's the reason I have always stayed away from Crystal. I didn't want to have to dine at the same time at the same table with the same people every night. And I never made advance reservations at Le Champagne as there always seemed to be an evening they could fit me in. In the interest of complete honesty I have made advance reservations at La Terrazza but that was only for one or two evening, not an entire cruise.

 

 

Well said, we eat later than the majority of the other guests and rarely wish to book anywhere other than the occasional night in La Terrazza. We will often join an open table in the MDR or start one and see who turns up. At present the system in operation on the Muse sounds like my idea of a dining nightmare.

 

 

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As for the solo passenger who had no option but to have a pizza on an open deck in the cold. I don't believe it! She could have had a full dinner in her suite and I'm sure SS crew would have accommodated her in any restaurant. We need factual information and not second-hand complaining.

 

 

If you read the SS boards you will find the individual concerned has posted about this, but further to that situation, being forced to eat in your suite (when not unwell or in purdah) is more like being in jail rather than on a 'luxury' cruise liner.

 

 

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There are lots of negative comments about the need to make dining arrangements ahead of time. They mostly come from people who have not actually sailed on the Muse. Whey not make bookings for every night of your cruise and then when you board try to make any changes you deem necessary. What we need is factual feedback from a number of passengers who have actually been on the Muse rather than the moans we are getting at the moment.

As for the solo passenger who had no option but to have a pizza on an open deck in the cold. I don't believe it! She could have had a full dinner in her suite and I'm sure SS crew would have accommodated her in any restaurant. We need factual information and not second-hand complaining.

I sail on the Muse later this month. All my dining reservations are made and I am confident that SS will do all they can to ensure my trip is a memorable one.

 

It's a shame that you are asking for actual feedback, but when the feedback isn't to your liking you choose to discredit the poster.

 

Sophia is a well respected poster who emailed me pictures of her and her elderly friend sitting in the cold eating pizza something Sophia would not have chosen to eat. She has posted about this herself. As I understand it you currently cannot order "a full dinner" if by that you mean from the restaurant menu but only from an in-suite menu.

 

You clearly only want factual information that is positive.

There are lots of negative comments about the need to make dining arrangements ahead of time. They mostly come from people who have not actually sailed on the Muse. Whey not make bookings for every night of your cruise and then when you board try to make any changes you deem necessary. What we need is factual feedback from a number of passengers who have actually been on the Muse rather than the moans we are getting at the moment.

As for the solo passenger who had no option but to have a pizza on an open deck in the cold. I don't believe it! She could have had a full dinner in her suite and I'm sure SS crew would have accommodated her in any restaurant. We need factual information and not second-hand complaining.

I sail on the Muse later this month. All my dining reservations are made and I am confident that SS will do all they can to ensure my trip is a memorable one.

 

 

I can assure you that l did indeed sail on the Muse for the inaugural voyage.

I am also the solo guest who reported truthfully regarding my dining experience in the" Pizza Parlour" having failed to secure a table elsewhere.

 

Dining in suite is an ongoing experiment and whilst one wouldn't go hungry all that is or was available is the actual in suite room service menu and as l have already stated Rudi is working on this so as to offer choices from the various restaurants on board.

 

I'm also quite sure that SS crew would have accommodated myself and my elderly friend in 'any' restaurant had they been able to but the fact is they couldn't.....believe it or not.

 

I am not a moaner or a complainer but on this occasion found the dining arrangements unacceptable.

 

I'm sure you will have a wonderful voyage on the Muse, she is a beautiful vessel but not one l would be rushing back to at this present moment in time.

 

Sophia 😊

If you read the SS boards you will find the individual concerned has posted about this, but further to that situation, being forced to eat in your suite (when not unwell or in purdah) is more like being in jail rather than on a 'luxury' cruise liner.

 

 

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Thank you kindly Silver for your input.......😊

It seems to me this new arrangement is cost cutting exercise.

It must help to know 6 months in advance how many people will be eating at each restaurant on any given night.