Q/A about suites on Silversea Cloud

Hi Guys,

I'm interested in the

Cruise 1108 Bridgetown, Barbados to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA

on the Silversea Cloud. I have a choice between Vista midship and Veranda (Deck 5) forward.

Are the Vista suites noisy or afflicted by vibration?

afaik there is no noise or vibration in the vista suites. For your itinerary you might enjoy a verandah though.

Hi Guys, I'm interested in the Cruise 1108 Bridgetown, Barbados to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA on the Silversea Cloud. I have a choice between Vista midship and Veranda (Deck 5) forward. Are the Vista suites noisy or afflicted by vibration?

On our July 1-16 Norway Coast cruise on the Silver Cloud, we were originally in Vista Suite #427. Our friends were in Suite #423. We had a clanging noise problem as we started sailing and they upgraded us to a balcony room on five, middle, #532. It worked out great for us in having the balcony, even in going north of the Arctic Circle. Our friends in Vista #423 had no problems with any noise or vibrations. Neither did we on the fifth level. For you, the trade-off to consider might be in the walking distance to your room from the center of ship where the elevators are and how that best connects up with where many of the key dining, pool and other activities will be.

The good news is that the Silver Cloud is fairly small and well configured, making most any room location work well. The internal size of the Vista and Balcony suites are the same on the Cloud; same on bath, closet sizes, etc. The few larger suites, of course, are bigger.

Below are a few pictures for how the rooms are laid-out on the Silver Cloud. Check the below posting for many, many more details on the Silver Cloud, food, activities, etc.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 26,350 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Using my 10-20mm wide angle lens makes it easier to show these details. First, here is the outside balcony looking inside towards the cabin. No, I was not hanging outside or on the railing to get this picture.:

This view shows the balcony in the context of the living room area of the suite.:

Here is a wider shot of the living area and balcony. They use lots of large mirrored walls to give a roomier feel and look. There's lots of nice wood and finishings in this room. The interior spaces are laid out the same for whether a Vista suite or a balcony suite.:

This is a view of the sleeping area. With my CPAP machine and snoring, this two single bed arrangement worked for our needs. Or, they can have it set up with the two beds put together. It’s your choice that you tell them of in advance.:

Hi

Despite Terry's beautiful pictures, I can assure you the Vista suites ARE noisy. The Silver Cloud is a very noisy ship, there is heaps of vibration.

I was in Vista 445 - it was very noisy. After the first week, a noise developed that was like a can banging on the side of the ship, non stop. I was moved to a balcony on deck 7 forward...very little noise there.

Remember that if u r forward, u have the anchor noise. I think vibration noise is worse than anchor noise but each to their own.:)

Cheers

Jennifer

Hello: The Cloud is one of Silverseas older ships and therefore is suffering from many signs of age.

Vista Class cabins too far back near the elevators are directly across from the kitchen...and YES you smell the food and dish cleanings in your cabins. They know this and therefore they tend to upgrade the complainers and leave a few cabins open for this purpose. Having been in many of the Vistas on the Cloud we did not encounter any vibrations however noises from below, loud noises, early in the morning and late at night were heard throughout our cruises.

Friends in a veranda cabin on last cruise were on Deck 5 above the kitchen and also had terrible problems with smells from the kitchen so go for deck six higher if you choose this route.

There is a reason that the Cloud's per day rates are amongst the lowest on Silversea's ships....while staffing is GREAT....as a ship, she is a weak link.

Happy sails!

Thanks to cruiseerf, Terry and Jennifer for the inside dope. Terry did a very good job on the photos.

As I surmised, the older and smaller ships have the 'traditional' amount of clang and shudder.

The good news is that Silversea is willing to move people to other cabins, and the ships sail with spare cabins. Would have been even nicer if they had upgraded you at the start of the cruise! :D

Thanks to cruiseerf, Terry and Jennifer for the inside dope. Terry did a very good job on the photos. As I surmised, the older and smaller ships have the 'traditional' amount of clang and shudder.

The good news is that Silversea is willing to move people to other cabins, and the ships sail with spare cabins. Would have been even nicer if they had upgraded you at the start of the cruise! :D

cruiseerf: Cloud has many clunkers--little run down. Hello: The Cloud is one of Silverseas older ships and therefore is suffering from many signs of age.

THANKS for the nice comments on the pictures! Yes' date=' the Silver Cloud is a little older. [b']It didn't not seem "run down" to me, my eyes and as reflected in my many, many pictures. [/b] I was looking and checking because of some questions raised before our cruise.

There were a couple of retired Navy Captains on our July cruise. As one noted, any ship, as it ages, does have "issues" come up on its mechanical parts. You can paint and replace carpet, furnishing, etc. Re-doing, however, all of the mechanicals is much, much harder. For one of these former Captains, their room had a water leak, requiring their move. This can happen on any ship. Clearly on the lower Vista level, you are closer to those various mechanical levels. We were very pleased, but it is good that you are raising questions and thinking about where you'll be located. On other cruises, we have wanted to avoid being under the casino or loud music bar on the level over our room.

Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 26,450 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

We are also trying to decide between a vista or verandah suite. I love the sound of the waves outside when sleeping and wonder if the window opens in the vista suites? I think we will go for the verandah if it doesn't and we can keep the door open all night.

We are also trying to decide between a vista or verandah suite. I love the sound of the waves outside when sleeping and wonder if the window opens in the vista suites? I think we will go for the verandah if it doesn't and we can keep the door open all night.

U definitely would not want a window that opens in a Vista suite - u would be swamped.:D

If price isn't an issue, go for the verandah suite.

Cheers

Jennifer

LOL - that just goes to show you what I know!!! Thanks for your help - we will definitely go for the verandah. We are planning a Feb 2012 cruise and can't wait to try Silverseas. Our travel agent recommended a luxury cruise to us and we are looking forward to cruising in a relaxed atmosphere with no crowds or lineups. Thank you to everyone who has posted reviews - it has certainly helped us tons.

We are also trying to decide between a vista or verandah suite. I love the sound of the waves outside when sleeping and wonder if the window opens in the vista suites? I think we will go for the verandah if it doesn't and we can keep the door open all night.

Silversea management says you really foul up the air conditioning or heating if you leave the door open. And I've never tried to turn it off. FWIW

We had a vista suite on the Cloud in October, the price differenece more than covered dinner for 2 in Le Champagne

We had no issue with quailty of fixtures and fittings and found the location perfect for accesson and off in port

We are also trying to decide between a vista or verandah suite. I love the sound of the waves outside when sleeping and wonder if the window opens in the vista suites? I think we will go for the verandah if it doesn't and we can keep the door open all night.

We sailed through a dust storm when we were on the Silver Cloud. You couldn't see through the windows the following morning....imagine if we'd had left the windows open:eek:

We are also trying to decide between a vista or verandah suite. I love the sound of the waves outside when sleeping and wonder if the window opens in the vista suites? I think we will go for the verandah if it doesn't and we can keep the door open all night.

The Vista windows don't open. As noted, that's for good reason!! They are a sealed, large picture windows. As my pictures show, if you look closely, the balcony suites have full glass doors that swing or open out. Those doors have a spring-feature to cause that door to close after opening. They can't just be "left open". You could put a rolled towel to crack that door and get the sea sounds. That would, maybe, create some HVAC problems in the room. And, as noted, outside weather conditions could change during the night, potentially creating other "issues".

We hadn't booked and planned for the balcony, but loved having it, even going north above the Arctic Circle. Our weather worked super well on this cruise. BUT, we were in the Land of the Midnight sun, meaning you could not have had the balcony door cracked open. It was daylight . . . all night long. You needed to darken the room in order to sleep during the night. Would the balcony have been worth the added cost? That's a different question. With the cost difference or even a part of it, you can do lots of "extras", including with shore adventures, etc. If you can afford it, it's a nice plus, especially in many parts of the world, if you have interesting shore scenery.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 26,550 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Lots to think about there - thanks for the input but now I'm back to not knowing what to do :)

Lots to think about there - thanks for the input but now I'm back to not knowing what to do :)

YES, after your three cruises on Carnival, you will enjoy the Silver Cloud experience. The size, service, etc., make for a great difference. Here's one more sample visual for what this smaller, more personal experience can be so enjoyable. Either room option will work out well. Your choice!!!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 26,550 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

The weather was wonderfully upper 60’s for breakfast on our first sea day sailing to Norway on the Silver Cloud. Here was our dining view with another cruise ship sailing south from fjord country.:

The decision has been made! We are going to go for the Vista suite since opening the door at night is a no no. There are lots of places to sit outside to take in the beautiful scenery and since it isn't a crowded ship, it will be peaceful whether we are on our own private balcony or on a deck meeting some interesting new people - which is always a nice bonus when on vacation. AND we can spend the money we save on an extra week in Barbados at the end of the cruise!

The decision has been made! We are going to go for the Vista suite since opening the door at night is a no no. There are lots of places to sit outside to take in the beautiful scenery and since it isn't a crowded ship, it will be peaceful whether we are on our own private balcony or on a deck meeting some interesting new people - which is always a nice bonus when on vacation. AND we can spend the money we save on an extra week in Barbados at the end of the cruise!

Good and smart decision. Agree that there are many options to "hang out", walk around without needing a private balcony. The Panorama Lounge and its back deck were two of my favorite areas on the Silver Cloud. Had food and beverage handy. Lots of nice and interesting people in and around. Great 270 degree sights to experience, etc. Here are a couple of visual samples for this much enjoyed area on the ship.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 26,550 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Outside of the Silver Cloud’s Panorama Lounge is this wonderful, sheltered outdoor area with nicely-traditional deck chairs. Some needed blankets, but it worked well in great comfort for us being so far above the Arctic Circle. Some are napping, some enjoying a book and one gentleman has his Kindle electronic reader. Very tech savvy!:

In the Panorama Lounge late in the one of the afternoons, they had a chocolate special “event” with lots and lots of desserts and treats all from that magic item. Plus, there was nice piano music while you enjoyed.:

Hi Terry

Is that Mario playing the piano? I can't tell because he's side on. I enjoyed listening to Mario every night in the Panorama Lounge.

Cheers

Jennifer

Hi Terry. Is that Mario playing the piano? I can't tell because he's side on. I enjoyed listening to Mario every night in the Panorama Lounge. Cheers. Jennifer

Yes, that's Mario Aningat, the pianist on the Silver Cloud. Here's a picture of him doing a late night "gig" with two of the guests and nice people we met on this cruise. Great FUN!!!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 26,650 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Later in the evening, there is Mario’s piano playing and entertainment in the Panorama Lounge at the back of the Silver Cloud on the scenic 8th level. He has a computer screen, so that guests can sing along as Sharon from the Washington, DC, area and Sheila from near Oxford in the UK are doing here.:

Thanks to Terry for the photos.

I can see that the Cloud is comfortable without the glitter of Seabourn, Regent or Crystal. The breakfast and lunch fare is simple, with the fanfare reserved for dinner?

Does that mean that the fancy dinner is reserved only for Relais & Châteaux L’École des Chefs cruises?

Finally, does anyone have any comments on the butler service? Apparently, every suite has butler service. That's something that Regent doesn't do!

Thanks.

Thanks to Terry for the photos. I can see that the Cloud is comfortable without the glitter of Seabourn, Regent or Crystal. The breakfast and lunch fare is simple, with the fanfare reserved for dinner? Does that mean that the fancy dinner is reserved only for Relais & Châteaux L’École des Chefs cruises? Finally, does anyone have any comments on the butler service? Apparently, every suite has butler service. That's something that Regent doesn't do! Thanks.

From our previous experiences on Seabourn and Crystal, plus our friends on Regent, we would rate all of these cruise lines as "comfortable".

What were our dining preferences? It is so much of a “personal” choice and much depends on your exact interest, style and timing wishes. Some want lots of variety, while others seek more of the same, certain thing, over and over. We certainly did not go hungry. We loved the food on this cruise, both in quality and for the many options and settings available. For breakfast, our main plan was mostly the Terrace, hopefully outside. There was a nice buffet of items, plus custom egg preparation/orders. About five times, we did have breakfast in the room, which was super nicely served by our Butler, Parai. Your in-suite breakfast options are large and you could pick as many options as you desired to be included for what is served in your suite.

For lunch, we mostly did The Terrace, again aiming for outdoors on the back deck, if possible. Their lunch buffets here were varied and nice. There was a pasta station that would custom prepare an item, plus a hot dessert area, plus special breads, salads, fruits, desserts, etc. You could make the timing fit your schedule and the staff was great for responsiveness and help.

Except for the two great mid-day buffets, we did not eat in the main dining room for lunch. We did the pool grill a couple of times, which worked out well and added to the variety on this 15-day cruise. We also had a couple of box lunches (in a nice, ship-provided padded black fabric containers) that we used when doing our private rental car and independent shore “adventure”. This saved time from needing to order, wait, etc., for the food. It saved budget as things are costly on shore. In Norway, as an example, it is ultra pricy for things to eat, drink, etc. Our friends dropped $65 at Peppe’s Pizza in Tromso for two drinks with a hamburger and only a small pizza.

With our travel-dining style and desire to do much on the ship and off, the main dining room had an image, for breakfast and lunch, of being a little too slow and/or formal for our needs and interests. We did not try that venue for a normal breakfast or lunch, so maybe, we have been a little unfair. We were also so super happy with the Terrace and the other options that we had no need to “go there” for breakfast or lunch.

In the evening, our prime choice was the main dining room, with nice variety over the different nights. Fancy and special enough, but not too "over the top". We had two nights in La Terrazza. That was fine and very good, but the menu can be a little limited if you try to go there too often, based on our personal interests for variety.

We did do the Le Champagne dinner. It is a roomy setting for a small group of only sixteen people this evening. There are five different menu options, two from France, one from Italy, one from Spain and one from America with wines paired for each different course. For this evening, our theme was “Best of Burgundy”. It was very, very good with excellent service. Things were not too "stuffy" or uncomfortable in this room or with this set-up. We had great "chemistry" between the staff and passengers, making things very comfortable during our 15-day cruise.

BUTLER PROGRAM???: Before this cruise, we viewed the Butler idea as more of just a marketing gimmick. Both for us and the other couple/friends traveling with us, we were pleasantly surprised and pleased with the "reality". Initially, it was a she or Butleress. She was great and our friends there love her and how she operated and helped. Our Butler was Parai Dubhaski from India. He was also super, very, knowledgeable and helpful. He had worked previously with Silversea as a waiter in the dining room before doing his training for this position. Their service, spirit and style was super excellent!!! My wife liked coffee around 4 pm and it was there every day. We did a special World Cup Final party in our room and Parai handled the details and service for our group of six wonderfully. You could just dial the phone to page our Butler and then he or she would call right back. The Hotel Director told us the "secret" or idea with the Butler service is to have a "central point of contact" to coordinate and supervise things in order to improve satisfying customer needs and interests. Our Butler had 15 rooms under his responsibility. My verdict is that it was really a “value added”. With the Butler and most all of the staff, there was a great attitude. It was not just a fake smile and only a “HI!”. They work hard being helpful and knowledgeable. Impressive!!! Below are a couple of Butler-related pictures.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 26,750 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

For our World Cup Championship Game, Spain versus Holland, this was our “PARTY” set-up in our room. It worked well for size with six in that space. We ordered off of the regular room service menu. In place of dining in the main DR, we had our dinning in the suite. We started at 8 pm with egg rolls, shrimp, crab claws, chips, etc., as a warm-up, plus a tub of chilled Champagne, wine, beer, etc. Then around 9 pm, after the game started a half hour earlier, the five different pizza selections arrived along with hot dogs, cookies, etc. Eight people would have been too tight for such a party in a regular suite.:

Here is our Butler, Parqi (second from left), and four of his associates on the back of the Silver Cloud as we were sailing out from the spectacular fjords on Saturday.: :

Thanks Terry. That was terrific.

Now, I see why Silversea is different. :)

Does anyone have advice for the newbies on butlers. How do you speak to them? How do you work with them for the best results?

Thanks

Thanks Terry. That was terrific. Now, I see why Silversea is different. :) Does anyone have advice for the newbies on butlers. How do you speak to them? How do you work with them for the best results? Thanks

Communicating with them? Just think in advance for any needs, interests, etc. My wife's birthday was on July 1 at the start of our cruise. I made my own arrangements with the Maitre "D and Chef and had a super great and special dinner for my wife with friends, etc. Reading these boards can give you some ideas. You don't want to "abuse" such requests, but just chat with your Butler on any questions, ideas, etc. The Silversea staff speaking and communicating skills seemed very good. No problems in communicating that we encountered. The Bulters and staff like to make you happy and be creative. Does this help?

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 26,850 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

They are holding Vista Suite 441 on the Silver Cloud for us. Anyone stayed in this cabin? It is mid ship, hopefully far enough away from the restaurants and elevators but between two sets of stairs. Only fourteen more months!