sail1658

In 1990 we sailed on Cunard Princess to the Black Sea, starting in Athens and finishing in Venice. We had calls at Odessa and Yalta, still then the Soviet Union, Istanbul, and the rustic Mykonos, as well as an uncrowded Santorini. We also visited Split, still then part of Yugoslavia, then we enjoyed a magical sail into Venice.  With flights included it was a great bargain even if we did only have bunk beds.

We paid £1800 for 2 for an inside cabin with bunk beds which equates to about $2800 at the 1989 conversion rate. But that included long haul flights on British Airways, airport and port transfers and a one night pre-cruise stay at the Blue Lagoon Hilton in Miami, as well as a day-room at the Omni, Miami before our return flight home. So you can imagine how excited we were to bag such a bargain.  Those were the days!

Hi AF-1 

Thanks for watching. It's not as good as the real thing, but it's all we can do at present until better times are here again.

Sorry the Queen Victoria didn't play. Not sure why because it works here in the UK.

Here is the link, try this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbKb6bS3XBU&t=9s

Or if that doesn't work here is the link to the You Tube site -

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbYW-Y1IjRSD9MECilTBG5A

It's beginning to look like there will be limited cruising opportunities until the Autumn, and withdrawal symptoms have already kicked in. After all you can only watch so many box sets and have so many walks around the park.

So I've been into the loft and dug out my boxes of old 8mm video tapes and started the mammoth task of digitising them.

We got our first video camera in 1989 and ever since then we've recorded our cruise experiences from 8mm to 4K. During this time period without cruises we love to have a glass of wine and revive our past cruise memories. I realised that my videos were too long and had random music, so I've re-edited them to focus on the ship and destinations and make them more watchable – hopefully!

I've posted a few videos on YouTube of our most recent cruise on Silver Spirit - Barcelona to London (Tilbury) 2019. I can't believe it's over 18 months since I've had to manage without a butler since our last Silversea cruise, as well as thinking about all those treats I turned down.  “Would you like another glass of wine?”  “Do you want your breakfast on the balcony?!!!!” “ No I'm fine, thank you”. Why would you do that !!

I've also included two of our first cruises' - in 1989 on Sovereign of the Seas to the Caribbean, and in 1990 on Cunard Princess to the Black Sea, as well as our most recent cruises on Queen Victoria to Spain and Portugal, and Queen Mary 2 to Norway 2019. 

Our Sovereign of the Seas cabin was inside with bunk beds. The cabin was almost the size of the walk-in wardrobe on Silver Spirit. Sovereign of the Seas in 1989 was the largest cruise ship in the world!  Everyone dressed up and even danced under the stars in tuxedos and long dresses in the Caribbean!!  How things have changed.

So I hope you enjoy or at least like some of them until we can get back on board again to make new memories.

Silver Spirit

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_awO06j_j-U&t=312s

Sovereign of the Seas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJsfUVLSCJ4&t=666s

Cunard Princess

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k_2QYJV8bg&t=18s

Queen Victoria

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbKb6bS3XBU&t=8s

Queen Mary 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpjSOgO5jkE&t=532s

It's beginning to look like there will be limited cruising opportunities until the Autumn and withdrawal symptoms have already kicked in. After all you can only watch so many box sets and have so many walks around the park.

So I've been into the loft and dug out my boxes of old 8mm video tapes and started the mammoth task of digitising them.

We got our first video camera in 1989 and ever since then we've recorded our cruise experiences from 8mm to 4K. During this time period without cruises we love to have a glass of wine and revisit our past cruise experiences. I realised that my videos were too long and had random music, so I've re-edited them to focus on the ship and destinations and make them more watchable – hopefully! 

I've posted a few videos on You Tube including one of our first cruises in 1990 on Cunard Princess to the Black Sea, and our most recent cruises on Queen Victoria to Spain and Portugal, and Queen Mary 2 to Norway. Our Cunard Princess cabin was bunk beds at the very front of the ship. I think the anchor was in the wardrobe, - well it sounded like it!  The cabin was the size of the walk-in wardrobe in our Queen Victoria Princess Grill cabin. 

So I hope you enjoy or at least like some of them until we can get back on board again to make new memories.

Cunard Princess

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k_2QYJV8bg&t=18s

Queen Victoria

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbKb6bS3XBU&t=8s

QM2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpjSOgO5jkE&t=532s

The previous link was 2021 voyages. 

These are 2022/23 voyages 

https://i.email.silversea.com/wpm/1035/ContentUploads/pdf/GBL/CONSUMER/20EBB_AIR_INCLUDED_2022_2023_Voyages.pdf?cid_email=em_UK_EM2011032932_VS_OTHER_CON_DEM_LINK&IndividualId=9233417&utm_campaign=UK_EM2011032932_VS&utm_source=UK&utm_medium=Email&cid=60052&mid=173342209

Here is the link to the list of 20% Early Booking Bonus cruises received on email yesterday.

https://i.email.silversea.com/wpm/1035/ContentUploads/pdf/GBL/CONSUMER/20EBB_AIR_INCLUDED_2021_Voyages.pdf?cid_email=em_UK_EM2011032932_VS_OTHER_CON_DEM_LINK&IndividualId=9233417&utm_campaign=UK_EM2011032932_VS&utm_source=UK&utm_medium=Email&cid=60052&mid=173342209

Here in the UK Silversea Standard Terms and Conditions allow you to cancel more than 120 days before sailing and receive a full refund except for an administrative fee of £130 per booking which can be converted to a Future Cruise Credit. I'm not sure if it's different in Switzerland.

So as I understand it you could cancel all three cruises now without losing anything. 

CRUISE CANCELLATIONS

If you find it necessary to cancel your reservation or any component thereof, you or your travel agent are required to contact the Silversea Reservations Department by telephone as well as submit your cancellation in writing. If your cancellation request is received more than 120 days prior to your initial sailing date, a £130 non-refundable administrative fee will be charged per booking. This administrative fee may be converted to a future cruise credit valid for travel within 12 months from the date of the cancelled voyage. Cruise cancellation requests received within 120 days of the initial sailing date will be subject to the following charges, regardless of suite resale:

120 – 91 days prior to the initial sailing date: 15% of the total cruise fare per person;

90 – 61 days prior to the initial sailing date: 50% of the total cruise fare per person;

60 – 31 days prior to the initial sailing date: 75% of the total cruise fare per person;

30 – 0 days prior to the initial sailing date or nonappearance at the time of sailing: 100% of the total cruise fare per person.

Guests who downgrade suite categories within 120 days of the initial sailing date will incur cancellation fees on the difference in cruise fare between the two suites.

I'm very much in agreement with post #626 from janny444

I too have been concerned about the current ongoing situation with Coronavirus as I have a number of future cruises booked for this year. I vary between feeling alarmed by the headlines and worst case scenarios, to feeling that everything will be OK with sensible precautions.

But to put things into context I looked at the previous epidemic of swine-flu in 2009 and found similar alarmist headlines. At that time online news was not as prolific, neither was social media, but these links make interesting reading from government sources and The Guardian of July 2009 as well as Wikipedia.

Put “swine flu outbreak 2009 uk” in google and see the information that's provided.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/61252/the2009influenzapandemic-review.pdf

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/jul/16/swine-flu-cases-rise-britain

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_flu_pandemic_in_the_United_Kingdom

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-10-697

This helps to document what actually happened, the details of which I personally was quite unaware at the time. There were 28,456 cases in UK and 392 deaths.

I realise that this is a different virus which we're continually learning about, but with exactly the same reaction. So at present I don't feel inclined to cancel anything, but will take adequate precautions which are already being advised.

That's only my personal feeling and I accept each one has to make their own decision depending on circumstances, particularly health and age.

When the Retreat was initially introduced I read many negative reviews about it which I tended to agree with, such as it being a waste of valuable space which could have been used more beneficially for all Seabourn passengers who were paying for an all inclusive experience. But we thought that the only way to be sure about this was to experience it for ourselves.

On our recent Seabourn Encore cruise we had some on board spend, a small amount from Carnival shares, $100, and there was a Retreat charge of $149 for a day in port. You can't get anything worth having from the shops on board for $100, and we'd previously visited all the ports on our cruise so we didn't need any excursions. So we thought we'd use it to experience the luxury of the Retreat. What was my opinion? “Well, that was a waste of $49!”

Don't get me wrong. The staff were very nice, the sunbeds were far superior and comfy with soft cushions, and the towels were fluffy. It's really everything that should be around the main pool, as we've already experienced on Oceania and Silversea cruises.

The service was good as we were the only guests. The staff didn't bother us as they said “You're here to relax, call us if you want anything.”  So we felt a bit self-conscious if we got up and moved about, because they were waiting for us to ask for something. I felt more like number 6 in the TV series, The Prisoner, rather than being in a luxury enclave.

The biggest let down was the food. We ordered lunch, and were told it would be 40 minutes from our initial order, but so what, we were in no hurry. They set up the table for lunch and poured Bollinger champagne. First course was prawn cocktail and my wife had prosciutto ham and melon. It was fine, though not sure why it took 40 minutes. Then they ordered our second course, which was a steak sandwich with fries and fish of the day, which would be 40 minutes, as the food comes from room service. The fish of the day was the size of the palm of your hand, with a salad for what appeared to be for 8 in a dish the size of a washing up bowl. My steak sandwich was so tough and gristly that I couldn't bite or even cut it with a knife.

So I ordered the grilled chicken breast club sandwich in its place. But when it eventually arrived it contained no grilled chicken, rather, just sliced cheese, ham and boiled egg, So they ordered another one, but that would be 40 minutes. By that time I was a little hungry so I went down to the pool deck and brought some slices of pizza to eat as we'd been sitting there for almost 2 hours. The second club sandwich arrived but it just had cold sliced chicken, no grilled chicken breast as stated on the Retreat menu. But by that time I'd given up, so I ordered dessert, - can't go wrong with cheesecake, and my wife had ice cream sundae, but that would be 40 minutes. They were very apologetic and said that room service must be very busy. But I was wrong. The cheesecake was in a bowl and bore no resemblance to any cheesecake I'd ever had. It appeared to be a bowl of lard with squirty cream and strawberries on top. So the exclusive lunch in the Retreat ended up being a few prawns, a slice of pizza, some strawberries and all the Bollinger you could drink.

The afternoon passed very quickly on the comfy sunbeds. Afternoon tea was served which was very pleasant, and that was it.

I did complain at Seabourn Square about the food issues, and the next day was offered a complimentary day in the Retreat. So that the F&B department could redeem themselves, they said, which I thought was fair. Perhaps it was just a one-off.

On our second visit to the Retreat, the staff were again very pleasant. This time on arrival we were offered a beautiful fruit plate with champagne. Again we were the only guests, but I didn't want to risk lunch there again, and the weather was a little chilly, if not windy, so we decided to go to the Restaurant for lunch, which seemed to cause a bit of consternation. I don't know if they had something planned so as to “redeem themselves” or maybe that just never happens. In the Restaurant when I gave my suite number to the head waiter she looked at her computer and said “You have a complimentary day in the Retreat”, and seemed confused and somewhat surprised that we were here in the Restaurant. We returned to the Retreat, had afternoon tea, and that ended our experience in the “luxury enclave” as the brochure describes it.

So did we enjoy the Retreat? Well, it was OK. I shouldn't really complain at two days there for $49. But I wouldn't use it again. I found it quite claustrophobic even with just the two of us there, with no sea views, just a large jacuzzi and other empty sun loungers . As for the cabanas, - why you would want to sit on a sofa watching TV wearing bluetooth headphones in what felt like a garden shed is just beyond me. I imagine it would be very hot and airless in the height of summer and in the Caribbean.

But as it was October and despite being sunny, there was a cool wind and on the second day a cold wind, and with the Retreat being at the front of the ship on deck 12 it seemed to channel the wind around the sun-deck forward like a wind tunnel as there are no wind breaks. So it was difficult to find a sheltered place.

When I looked in the Retreat on the sea day to ascertain if the lunch set up was different, it was blowing a gale and all the 28 guests were wrapped in their robes and towels and looked like they'd been rescued from some boating disaster rather than luxuriating in a tranquil setting. So if you book in advance you have to take whatever the weather throws at you.

As for the menu and food, it was the worst I'd had on the ship. I don't know if it would be different on a sea day when it was fully booked. Do they have a chef and dedicated kitchen for 28 guests? Because it would be a long wait for room service for everyone. But if it's better food and service on a sea day, then it's not fair on passengers on other days.

So after our two day experience, what was our verdict? Well, my initial views haven't changed but they've been more reinforced by the experience. But this was my just own experience, others might have more positive views and experiences.

So if you you have some on board spend you want to use, then try it, but I wouldn't waste any money on it. I didn't feel special or more pampered than on the pool deck. My food was dire and my wife's was unimaginative, and I felt very claustrophobic with no view. The best thing was the comfort of the sunbeds, but that just reminded us how uncomfortable the sun loungers were around the pool. But you do get to keep the complimentary Retreat logo flip flop sandals!

I was fortunate enough to travel on both Seabourn Encore and Silver Muse last year and posted a comparison on this board recently. I found them both equally enjoyable. You can get around the unchanging menu problem on Silversea because of the number of dining venues and the "Always Available" menu. It's also possible to order off-menu when giving 24 hours notice.

Here is my comparison thread  - 

Chameleon, I'm sure you'll enjoy Silver Muse. It's amazing compared to the bigger mainstream cruise ships and cruise lines.

But you need to go on board without any unrealistically high expectations. It's very good but you are not as pampered as suggested by the brochures and the website. It depends on your butler and you being proactive.

The first up-scale cruise I went on was Silversea Silver Spirit. I was initially quite disappointed in it, but on later reflection, it was because I'd had too high expectations and believed the hype that I'd be pampered and treated like a rock-star at Claridges.

It was very good on the whole, and it's the same for Silver Muse, but you do have to work at getting the best out of your experience, as I wrote previously, because if you don't ask, you don't get.

I didn't appreciate on our first up-scale cruise that if you go to the restaurant or buffet at the same time as everyone else that the service and wait times will suffer. Meals are cooked to order so it's the kitchen that can get overwhelmed. So you just have to relax and have another glass of wine. But make sure you get the the wine you like, - not the daily offering if it's not to your taste. Also if you want a particular spirit and mixer, ask for it, or otherwise you just get whatever is easiest for the server. You can order off-menu giving 24 hours notice and get what you want within reason. These things enhance your cruise experience and prevent any regrets.

So enjoy your cruise on the Silver Muse, and try Seabourn as well, as they are comparable. The only problem is you'll find it difficult to go back to mainstream cruises.

I spent some time checking yesterday and spotted a subtle change which will mean more revenue for SS without any work being involved.

Deck 6 suites which are at present Classic Verandas  -  620 to 633 - are being reclassified as Deluxe Verandas.

Money for nothing!

Thanks to everyone for all the kind comments and feedback, especially Tarwood3.

I agree that no ship is perfect as everyone has their own personal preferences.

We've just returned from Cunard Queen Victoria in Princess Grill and enjoyed breakfast, lunch and dinner in the restaurant. It was nice to be served in a beautiful setting and in a civilised manner.

We had our breakfast and lunch outside on both Seabourn Encore and Silver Muse as we loved the pleasure of eating outdoors in beautiful weather. Eating alfresco is something of a novelty for someone like us from the North West coast of England, as we generally only know it's summer when the rain gets warmer!

We plan to try the restaurants for breakfast and lunch on our next Silversea cruise, which will be Silver Spirit  from Barcelona to London, so more likely we'll start off outside and move inside as we head north. We're also hoping for a late summer Encore cruise to the Mediterranean.

I find that I like to try different types of ships and lines, otherwise I find that I compare things - “Last time when we were on-board it was better in this way or that way, etc.” That way it can seem like a new experience when returning to a ship or line one has sailed on previously.

Also I think you have to be a glass half full person and relax as each ship, restaurant and staff gives a different experience, even on the same cruise and even at the same dinner. It can't be as perfect as in a up-scale restaurant ashore as everything is corporate and mostly loaded on in the embarkation port, but it's invariably fine.

I do find I have to work at getting the best out of our experience though, because I find now on all levels of ship that if you don't ask, you don't get. I make sure we ask for a table of our choice, instead of sitting there moaning to each other if we don't like it. We just say where we'd like to sit, and they'll usually put us there. We also appreciate that if we go to main restaurant at the same time as everyone else that the service and wait times will suffer. We ask for the wine we like not the daily pour if it's not to our taste. If we want a particular spirit and mixer we specify it, or otherwise we just get a generic one, whatever is easiest for the server. Also we sometimes order off-menu giving 24 hours notice and get what we want within reason. I find doing things like this enhances our cruise experience and prevents any regrets.

I've learned this as my wife is a calm easy-going person, and her reply to my past rants about the mint sauce being late for the rack of lamb was “Calm down dear. Look around where we are and we're so fortunate to be here” That's finally got through to me, So I just enjoy each cruise for what it is, - a fantastic experience.

We were fortunate to sail on both Seabourn Encore and Silver Muse this year within nine weeks of each other, - more by accident than design.

We'd booked a cruise on Silver Spirit for April 2018 but it was cancelled due to the extended dry-dock so that it could be cut in half and lengthened. We then had what we felt was a derisory compensation offer of 20% off another cruise or our money back. However by that time all the prices had gone up by 20% to 30% which negated the discount. We initially thought that we'd just get our money back and so we booked a Barcelona roundtrip cruise on Seabourn Encore instead. This was visiting Spain, Portugal, and France at the end of June. In the meantime, we reconsidered the offer from Silversea and asked our travel agent to request a similar itinerary to our cancelled Silver Spirit cruise on Silver Muse in September. This was sailing from Rome to Venice but was twice the price of our original Silver Spirit cruise. We thought: “If you don't ask, you don't get. They can only say “No” ”. To our great surprise, we were offered this cruise at the same price as our cancelled Silver Spirit cruise. It was just a direct transfer, and we were even given the same veranda suite number. So we jumped at the chance and accepted it.

So we now had two luxury cruises to look forward to on the newest ships in rival fleets, both of which had somewhat negative reviews. It's quite a first-world issue, but would we like them and the contrast between them? With the cruises being so close would we be disappointed with the Muse after the Encore or vice versa?

Well, we enjoyed both, with some niggles on each, so bear with me, as this is my personal opinion. I've split the review into separate sections, - “Seabourn Encore or Silver Muse?”, “So to sum up” and photos so if you get bored please feel free to skip them.

Seabourn Encore or Silver Muse?

On our recent Barcelona round-trip cruise Seabourn Encore was gleaming, almost brand new. All the staff were very welcoming and wait staff and bar staff couldn't do enough for us, so we had no issues at all. There was a short line at the on-shore check-in and we were on board in 15 minutes, then we enjoyed lunch in the Colonnade. It was a bit crowded later but was fine while we were eating there.

On our Silver Muse cruise from Rome to Venice embarkation was the best ever, - no queues, just us, straight onto the ship. We checked in at the Dolce Vita Lounge, with a glass of champagne and then had lunch in Atlantide Restaurant within twenty minutes of boarding.

Our Seabourn Encore suite was very welcoming with dark woods and deep coloured soft furnishings as opposed to the light woods of the Odyssey class. There were also twin marble sinks, a nice shower and bath, and a walk-in wardrobe. My wife said that the Seabourn walk-in wardrobe was designed by a man. There were two clothes rails, - one high and one low. The rails were both too low so that jackets and dresses either dragged on the floor or on the lower rail. Our suite attendant was very pleasant and efficient.

Silver Muse was wonderful. We loved the muted contemporary colour scheme and thought she looked very stylish. Our veranda suite was beautiful, so comfortable. We unpacked by ourselves without any help from the butler. He asked if we wanted any drinks in the cabin as there were plenty of drinks available in the bars!! We'd pre-ordered our preferences, but these seemed to have been misplaced, but they did arrive during the cabin turn-down. The butler was very pleasant but seemed to explain that afternoon tea was available in other places when we ordered it in the cabin!

Both ships had champagne on ice waiting on embarkation, and we were offered a selection of high-end toiletries and had a well-stocked mini bar.

Main Dining Rooms

Seabourn Encore Restaurant was very good and we had an outstanding waitress and assistant who were so good that we went to the same table each night. I think that's what made the difference in our dining experience. As we always eat early, the Observation Bar was very quiet, with quick service for a pre-dinner drink, and the Restaurant was quite empty. In fact, sometimes we were among the first in. Our Wine stewardess was knowledgeable and brought any other wines we preferred to the daily offers and remembered our preferences. She even came back to offer Port when she saw I'd ordered Stilton cheese and she also suggested dessert wines. But I think this good experience boils down to dining at the same table with the same staff.

We noticed that later on there were queues at the door and staff were running around. Also, there were some long waits between courses on tables nearby. I think it's the galley that hasn't got the capacity at peak times with more passengers than on the Odyssey class of ships. I only had one complaint that a steak wasn't hot and it was immediately replaced. It seemed to cause great consternation, as the next night the section waiter brought my main course carrying the plate with a cloth on her hand as the plate was so hot.

Overall the food was good, - nothing mind-blowing but nothing underwhelming, except for the odd slightly under-done souffle. So we enjoyed every meal.

On Silver Muse, we had excellent dinners in the Atlantide, with the same table and waiter each evening. I asked the Maitre'd for this same table each night. There were obviously no guarantees, but we just came for dinner early each night, which is our preference anyway. I think this is what makes a difference to the service you receive as they get to know your preferences. There's a great little bar just inside Atlantide where you can wait for the restaurant to open and have a drink rather than sitting outside. Also, as on Seabourn Encore, the restaurant got very busy later on and then the service would suffer. On one night they were turning some guests away as the restaurant was so full and it was late, so they wouldn't be able to serve them. So overall the food was good despite the menu not changing much over ten nights, except for a few minor alterations. But you can order from the Always-Available menu and order off-menu if you give 24 hours notice. My wife ordered Dover Sole and we had souffles on a number of occasions.

Alternative Dining

On Seabourn Encore at the TK Grill, I had the best steak ever, fantastic. My wife had Dover sole which was just OK rather than outstanding. Service was very good, if slightly pretentious. We were asked: “Would Sir like to see the Premium Wine list to complement the menu?” Just order the complimentary wines, it's not an issue, But it was a good atmosphere and we'd definitely go again. We didn't go the Colonnade for TK home-style cooking. I went to have a look one evening but I didn't find the look of the food to be appetizing. It just wasn't my style, - ribs and big bowls of salad and a few lumps of cheese.

We ate breakfast and lunch in the Colonnade and it was always very good. The choice was good and we could order cooked items if we wished. We always had a nice table outside by the rail because we dined early.

On Silver Muse, we dined on two evenings in La Terrazza, once whilst anchored off Sorrento. I can honestly say it was one of the most magical evening meals we've ever had. No wind, warm, spectacular sunset, food, and wines were excellent. Service was the best ever, then there were fireworks over Sorrento after dinner. We felt like we were extras in an advertisement video by the Italian Tourist board and Silversea. It could have only been topped if Andrea Bocelli was serenading us at the table and George Clooney had brought the coffee!

We ate breakfast and lunch in La Terrazza which was always good. The service was excellent, though it could get quite busy when people were going on tours, we always found an acceptable table. La Terrazza on Silver Muse is far superior to Silver Spirit's version. It's bigger and open plan, and doesn't feel as crushed. We couldn't reach our table without someone offering to carry our plate for us.

Entertainment.

Seabourn shows in the lounge were good with the singers and two dancers. We noticed that there are only four singers now instead of six on previous Seabourn cruises. The Rock the Boat deck party and Farewell Epicurean party were very good, although a bit sparse in the food offerings compared to last time on Seabourn Sojourn. We had guest entertainers, - a comedian, a magician and a singer alternating with production shows. The dessert by the pool was just a cold dessert. Last time the chef was cooking Cherries Jubilee and blasting desserts with a blow torch, and there were tables with every kind of cognac and after-dinner drinks. The Epicurean party was pleasant but I noticed the caviar stall had now disappeared. Also, there was no Galley Lunch and the Caviar in the Pool was lacking in style and was really too crowded. It had a Nikki beach if not Spring Break vibe about it, - again with more passengers in the same area as the smaller ships.

The entertainment on Silver Muse wasn't as good as Seabourn, as the six singers only had a backing track, no live band, and there were no guest entertainers. Besides the production shows some of the singers had a solo evening show highlighting their special talents, such as swing or opera. One evening there was a Chocolate Extravaganza around the pool with entertainment by the singers and backing tracks. It was good, but it didn't have the vibe of live music with a good band. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable.

Pool deck

The issues we had with the Encore have been picked over in lots of reviews and we agree with them. The extra passenger numbers have caused some seating issues when the pool deck gets very busy particularly on sea days and in the afternoon when everyone comes back from excursions. There weren't enough sunbeds, particularly in the shade, as there are lots more tables for the grill taking up valuable deck space. The Retreat was under-used and was a waste of space. All those sunbeds in the shade should be for all passengers, not just those paying the extra charge. This could take away the pressures from the pool deck. The sunbeds are so uncomfortable and narrow, nothing like as comfortable as on Silversea, Oceania or Cunard Grills deck. They need some padded sun loungers. They also enforced a thirty minutes unattended sun lounger policy which, in principle, I agree with. It could possibly do with being a bit longer though so that you could have a relaxed lunch or even enjoy the pool without worrying about losing your seat. I think this was indicative of the extra passenger numbers with the same size pool deck, as they needed a turnover of unused sun loungers because there's just not enough space.

On Silver Muse, there was plenty of room around the pool deck compared to Seabourn Encore. The pool deck service was fabulous, and there were lovely padded sun loungers. The guys who worked the bar looked after us so well. They'd come and take three towels, put them out as if they were making a bed, all tucked in, and then they rolled up an extra towel for a pillow. They were so good with drink refills that we had to pretend to be asleep to avoid another drink magically appearing!

Gripes

Seabourn Encore had the issue with an increase in passenger numbers and same size venues as the Odyssey class ships. There were two sittings for the shows, and also a very bizarre Welcome Party which was held in three venues, - the Club, the Theatre, and the Observation Bar. It was strange. The cruise director introduced the Captain and some staff and then said: “We're off to the next venue”. There was no interaction. It was a bit of an embarrassing sort of party, more like no-one turned up to your New Years Eve party. Everyone looked embarrassed as there were more waiters than guests, then two minutes after the captain had gone, the waiters were tidying everything up.

If they got rid of the Retreat, ditched the cabanas and made it a beautiful quiet shaded area it would be perfect and take pressure off the pool deck, and they need luxurious padded sun beds. Also, they could put chairs and loungers on the deck outside the TK Grill on deck 8. At present this is used as an overspill from the Colonnade, but no-one seemed to be there throughout the cruise except for officers and one or two passengers. This would give an additional shaded area with great views over the ship's stern.

These negative points didn't really detract from our overall enjoyment, but Seabourn Encore wouldn't be our first choice of Seabourn ship. We prefer the Odyssey class. Of course, if there was an amazing deal, then it would become something we could put up with.

Silver Muse had an issue with oily soot on the rear decks. Occasionally there were big puffs of black smoke and then lots of small to large flakes of oily soot settled on the deck and furniture at the back of the ship. We had to make sure we wiped down chairs and didn't lean on the rail to avoid any clothing damage.

Entertainment needs to be expanded and modernised, with a live band for shows and guest entertainers.

Silver Muse had a ladder into the swimming pool and it was quite deep. We prefer graduated steps on different levels to be able to sit and cool off.

Overall this was the best Silversea cruise we've ever taken. We'd enjoyed three previous cruises on Silver Spirit, but felt they were a step down from Seabourn. We'd only taken these as they'd fit in with our schedule and were bargains. However, this Silver Muse cruise was on a par and surpassed Seabourn in a number of aspects. We also now prefer Silver Muse to Silver Spirit, as senior staff were more visible and seemed to be more guest oriented. On our first Silver Spirit cruise, we'd felt as if we were intruding on the officers' private yacht.

These were both excellent cruises. We'd been to the ports before, and we always choose a cruise on Silversea or Seabourn for the ship, rather than the itinerary. We like a port intensive cruise, where all the passengers who've travelled from the USA or Australia and Asia to see the cultural sites in the Mediterranean get off on tours and are gone all day. That way we go down for breakfast with no-one there, as they're all on tours and the pool deck is empty. It's like having your own private yacht. We have a quiet lunch at a lovely table overlooking the sea. When everyone drifts back on board around the pool, we go ashore in an empty tender, do a bit of shopping, have a gentle stroll, then get ready early for dinner as we've had a relaxing day. We're among the first in the bar and restaurant as we're not exhausted by all day tours, and it's nice and quiet and the service is excellent.

We do things conversely to the majority of passengers, as we've seen all the sights and have taken excursions on less expensive ships and the ones you'd be glad to get off. I always think: “If I've paid for a 5-star luxury ship, why would I want to leave my cosseted cocoon?”

So to sum up -

Both ships are still brand new and shiny. Most of the staff all seemed to be very efficient and willing, no complaints, all very professional and welcoming. They made us feel special and addressed us by name.

Food - breakfast was good on both, lunch - each had good choices. We liked the freshly made pasta every day on Silver Muse. Coffee and snacks were available all day in Arts Cafe on Silver Muse and at Seabourn Square on Encore.

Dinner in the restaurant on both Seabourn and Silversea was very good and the service was excellent, but that was helped by eating early and having the same table and waiters each evening. So it could be a different experience if dining later in the evening when things could be rushed. We did miss the changing menu each evening on Silversea, but there was enough choice for a ten-night cruise, especially with the Always-Available menu and ordering off-menu with 24 hours notice.

On the pool deck - sun loungers and deck space were far better on Silver Muse. Service was good on both ships. If Seabourn got rid of the Retreat it would take pressure off the pool deck. One of the things I preferred on Seabourn was the graduated steps into the pool. Silver Muse had a ladder into the swimming pool and it was quite deep. I would imagine it would create difficulties for the elderly and the very young. It's nice to sit on steps on different levels to cool off.

Suites were equally nice on both, fabulous bathrooms, with twin sinks on Seabourn. TVs in the mirrors on Silversea are difficult to see, and we could hear next doors TV. My wife said the Seabourn walk-in wardrobe was designed by a man, - two clothes rails one high and one low. Rails were too low so jackets and dresses dragged on the floor or on the top rail. Entertainment was better on Seabourn with live bands and guest entertainers.

So after experiencing Seabourn Encore and Silver Muse within nine weeks of each other which did we prefer? Well, we wouldn't turn down a cruise on either of them, but to our surprise, our first choice would be Silver Muse. We prefer Silver Muse to Silver Spirit, but prefer Seabourn Sojourn to Seabourn Encore. We'd have to toss a coin between Silver Muse and Seabourn Sojourn but hope it comes down on Silver Muse. But it's a paper-thin difference, swings, and roundabouts, and we'd go on any one of their ships Encore, Sojourn, Spirit and Muse if the timing fitted in with our schedule and the price was right. - So overall the verdict is that both were excellent. Silver Muse had the edge, but we'd still go on both without any hesitation.

We were fortunate to sail on both Seabourn Encore and Silver Muse this year within nine weeks of each other, - more by accident than design.

We'd booked a cruise on Silver Spirit for April 2018 but it was cancelled due to the extended dry-dock so that it could be cut in half and lengthened. We then had what we felt was a derisory compensation offer of 20% off another cruise or our money back. However by that time all the prices had gone up by 20% to 30% which negated the discount. We initially thought that we'd just get our money back and so we booked a Barcelona roundtrip cruise on Seabourn Encore instead. This was visiting Spain, Portugal, and France at the end of June. In the meantime, we reconsidered the offer from Silversea and asked our travel agent to request a similar itinerary to our cancelled Silver Spirit cruise on Silver Muse in September. This was sailing from Rome to Venice but was twice the price of our original Silver Spirit cruise. We thought: “If you don't ask, you don't get. They can only say “No” ”. To our great surprise, we were offered this cruise at the same price as our cancelled Silver Spirit cruise. It was just a direct transfer, and we were even given the same veranda suite number. So we jumped at the chance and accepted it.

So we now had two luxury cruises to look forward to on the newest ships in rival fleets, both of which had somewhat negative reviews. It's quite a first-world issue, but would we like them and the contrast between them? With the cruises being so close would we be disappointed with the Muse after the Encore or vice versa?

Well, we enjoyed both, with some niggles on each, so bear with me, as this is my personal opinion. 

Seabourn Encore or Silver Muse?

On our recent Barcelona round-trip cruise Seabourn Encore was gleaming, almost brand new. All the staff were very welcoming and wait staff and bar staff couldn't do enough for us, so we had no issues at all. There was a short line at the on-shore check-in and we were on board in 15 minutes, then we enjoyed lunch in the Colonnade. It was a bit crowded later but was fine while we were eating there.

On our Silver Muse cruise from Rome to Venice embarkation was the best ever, - no queues, just us, straight onto the ship. We checked in at the Dolce Vita Lounge, with a glass of champagne and then had lunch in Atlantide Restaurant within twenty minutes of boarding.

Our Seabourn Encore suite was very welcoming with dark woods and deep coloured soft furnishings as opposed to the light woods of the Odyssey class. There were also twin marble sinks, a nice shower and bath, and a walk-in wardrobe. My wife said that the Seabourn walk-in wardrobe was designed by a man. There were two clothes rails, - one high and one low. The rails were both too low so that jackets and dresses either dragged on the floor or on the lower rail. Our suite attendant was very pleasant and efficient.

Silver Muse was wonderful. We loved the muted contemporary colour scheme and thought she looked very stylish. Our veranda suite was beautiful, so comfortable. We unpacked by ourselves without any help from the butler. He asked if we wanted any drinks in the cabin as there were plenty of drinks available in the bars!! We'd pre-ordered our preferences, but these seemed to have been misplaced, but they did arrive during the cabin turn-down. The butler was very pleasant but seemed to explain that afternoon tea was available in other places when we ordered it in the cabin!

Both ships had champagne on ice waiting on embarkation, and we were offered a selection of high-end toiletries and had a well-stocked mini bar.

Main Dining Rooms

Seabourn Encore Restaurant was very good and we had an outstanding waitress and assistant who were so good that we went to the same table each night. I think that's what made the difference in our dining experience. As we always eat early, the Observation Bar was very quiet, with quick service for a pre-dinner drink, and the Restaurant was quite empty. In fact, sometimes we were among the first in. Our Wine stewardess was knowledgeable and brought any other wines we preferred to the daily offers and remembered our preferences. She even came back to offer Port when she saw I'd ordered Stilton cheese and she also suggested dessert wines. But I think this good experience boils down to dining at the same table with the same staff.

We noticed that later on there were queues at the door and staff were running around. Also, there were some long waits between courses on tables nearby. I think it's the galley that hasn't got the capacity at peak times with more passengers than on the Odyssey class of ships. I only had one complaint that a steak wasn't hot and it was immediately replaced. It seemed to cause great consternation, as the next night the section waiter brought my main course carrying the plate with a cloth on her hand as the plate was so hot.

Overall the food was good, - nothing mind-blowing but nothing underwhelming, except for the odd slightly under-done souffle. So we enjoyed every meal.

On Silver Muse, we had excellent dinners in the Atlantide, with the same table and waiter each evening. I asked the Maitre'd for this same table each night. There were obviously no guarantees, but we just came for dinner early each night, which is our preference anyway. I think this is what makes a difference to the service you receive as they get to know your preferences. There's a great little bar just inside Atlantide where you can wait for the restaurant to open and have a drink rather than sitting outside. Also, as on Seabourn Encore, the restaurant got very busy later on and then the service would suffer. On one night they were turning some guests away as the restaurant was so full and it was late, so they wouldn't be able to serve them. So overall the food was good despite the menu not changing much over ten nights, except for a few minor alterations. But you can order from the Always-Available menu and order off-menu if you give 24 hours notice. My wife ordered Dover Sole and we had souffles on a number of occasions.

Alternative Dining

On Seabourn Encore at the TK Grill, I had the best steak ever, fantastic. My wife had Dover sole which was just OK rather than outstanding. Service was very good, if slightly pretentious. We were asked: “Would Sir like to see the Premium Wine list to complement the menu?” Just order the complimentary wines, it's not an issue, But it was a good atmosphere and we'd definitely go again. We didn't go the Colonnade for TK home-style cooking. I went to have a look one evening but I didn't find the look of the food to be appetizing. It just wasn't my style, - ribs and big bowls of salad and a few lumps of cheese.

We ate breakfast and lunch in the Colonnade and it was always very good. The choice was good and we could order cooked items if we wished. We always had a nice table outside by the rail because we dined early.

On Silver Muse, we dined on two evenings in La Terrazza, once whilst anchored off Sorrento. I can honestly say it was one of the most magical evening meals we've ever had. No wind, warm, spectacular sunset, food, and the wines were excellent. Service was the best ever, then there were fireworks over Sorrento after dinner. We felt like we were extras in an advertisement video by the Italian Tourist board and Silversea. It could have only been topped if Andrea Bocelli was serenading us at the table and George Clooney had brought the coffee!

We ate breakfast and lunch in La Terrazza which was always good. The service was excellent, though it could get quite busy when people were going on tours, we always found an acceptable table. La Terrazza on Silver Muse is far superior to Silver Spirit's version. It's bigger and open plan and doesn't feel as crushed. We couldn't reach our table without someone offering to carry our plate for us.

Entertainment.

Seabourn shows in the lounge were good with the singers and two dancers. We noticed that there are only four singers now instead of six on previous Seabourn cruises. The Rock the Boat deck party and Farewell Epicurean party were very good, although a bit sparse in the food offerings compared to last time on Seabourn Sojourn. We had guest entertainers, - a comedian, a magician and a singer alternating with production shows. The dessert by the pool was just a cold dessert. Last time the chef was cooking Cherries Jubilee and blasting desserts with a blow torch, and there were tables with every kind of cognac and after-dinner drinks. The Epicurean party was pleasant but I noticed the caviar stall had now disappeared. Also, there was no Galley Lunch and the Caviar in the Pool was lacking in style and was really too crowded. It had a Nikki beach if not Spring Break vibe about it, - again with more passengers in the same area as the smaller ships.

The entertainment on Silver Muse wasn't as good as Seabourn, as the six singers only had a backing track, no live band, and there were no guest entertainers. Besides the production shows some of the singers had a solo evening show highlighting their special talents, such as swing or opera. One evening there was a Chocolate Extravaganza around the pool with entertainment by the singers and backing tracks. It was good, but it didn't have the vibe of live music with a good band. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable.

Pool deck

The issues we had with the Encore have been picked over in lots of reviews and we agree with them. The extra passenger numbers have caused some seating issues when the pool deck gets very busy particularly on sea days and in the afternoon when everyone comes back from excursions. There weren't enough sunbeds, particularly in the shade, as there are lots more tables for the grill taking up valuable deck space. The Retreat was under-used and was a waste of space. All those sunbeds in the shade should be for all passengers, not just those paying the extra charge. This could take away the pressures from the pool deck. The sunbeds are so uncomfortable and narrow, nothing like as comfortable as on Silversea, Oceania or Cunard Grills deck. They need some padded sun loungers. They also enforced a thirty minutes unattended sun lounger policy which, in principle, I agree with. It could possibly do with being a bit longer though so that you could have a relaxed lunch or even enjoy the pool without worrying about losing your seat. I think this was indicative of the extra passenger numbers with the same size pool deck, as they needed a turnover of unused sun loungers because there's just not enough space.

On Silver Muse, there was plenty of room around the pool deck compared to Seabourn Encore. The pool deck service was fabulous, and there were lovely padded sun loungers. The guys who worked the bar looked after us so well. They'd come and take three towels, put them out as if they were making a bed, all tucked in, and then they rolled up an extra towel for a pillow. They were so good with drink refills that we had to pretend to be asleep to avoid another drink magically appearing!

Gripes

Seabourn Encore had the issue with an increase in passenger numbers and same size venues as the Odyssey class ships. There were two sittings for the shows, and also a very bizarre Welcome Party which was held in three venues, - the Club, the Theatre, and the Observation Bar. It was strange. The cruise director introduced the Captain and some staff and then said: “We're off to the next venue”. There was no interaction. It was a bit of an embarrassing sort of party, more like no-one turned up to your New Years Eve party. Everyone looked embarrassed as there were more waiters than guests, then two minutes after the captain had gone, the waiters were tidying everything up.

If they got rid of the Retreat, ditched the cabanas and made it a beautiful quiet shaded area it would be perfect and take pressure off the pool deck, and they need luxurious padded sun beds. Also, they could put chairs and loungers on the deck outside the TK Grill on deck 8. At present this is used as an overspill from the Colonnade, but no-one seemed to be there throughout the cruise except for officers and one or two passengers. This would give an additional shaded area with great views over the ship's stern.

These negative points didn't really detract from our overall enjoyment, but Seabourn Encore wouldn't be our first choice of Seabourn ship. We prefer the Odyssey class. Of course, if there was an amazing deal, then it would become something we could put up with.

Silver Muse had an issue with oily soot on the rear decks. Occasionally there were big puffs of black smoke and then lots of small to large flakes of oily soot settled on the deck and furniture at the back of the ship. We had to make sure we wiped down chairs and didn't lean on the rail to avoid any clothing damage.

Entertainment needs to be expanded and modernised, with a live band for shows and guest entertainers.

Silver Muse had a ladder into the swimming pool and it was quite deep. We prefer graduated steps on different levels to be able to sit and cool off.

Overall this was the best Silversea cruise we've ever taken. We'd enjoyed three previous cruises on Silver Spirit, but felt they were a step down from Seabourn. We'd only taken these as they'd fitted in with our schedule and were bargains. However, this Silver Muse cruise was on a par and surpassed Seabourn in a number of aspects. We also now prefer Silver Muse to Silver Spirit, as senior staff were more visible and seemed to be more guest oriented. On our first Silver Spirit cruise, we'd felt as if we were intruding on the officers' private yacht.

These were both excellent cruises. We'd been to the ports before, and we always choose a cruise on Silversea or Seabourn for the ship, rather than the itinerary. We like a port intensive cruise, where all the passengers who've travelled from the USA or Australia and Asia to see the cultural sites in the Mediterranean get off on tours and are gone all day. That way we go down for breakfast with no-one there, as they're all on tours and the pool deck is empty. It's like having your own private yacht. We have a quiet lunch at a lovely table overlooking the sea. When everyone drifts back on board around the pool, we go ashore in an empty tender, do a bit of shopping, have a gentle stroll, then get ready early for dinner as we've had a relaxing day. We're among the first in the bar and restaurant as we're not exhausted by all day tours, and it's nice and quiet and the service is excellent.

We do things conversely to the majority of passengers, as we've seen all the sights and have taken excursions on less expensive ships and the ones you'd be glad to get off. I always think: “If I've paid for a 5-star luxury ship, why would I want to leave my cosseted cocoon?”

So to sum up -

Both ships are still brand new and shiny. Most of the staff all seemed to be very efficient and willing, no complaints, all very professional and welcoming. They made us feel special and addressed us by name.

Food - breakfast was good on both, lunch - each had good choices. We liked the freshly made pasta every day on Silver Muse. Coffee and snacks were available all day in Arts Cafe on Silver Muse and at Seabourn Square on Encore.

Dinner in the restaurant on both Seabourn and Silversea was very good and the service was excellent, but that was helped by eating early and having the same table and waiters each evening. So it could be a different experience if dining later in the evening when things could be rushed. We did miss the changing menu each evening on Silversea, but there was enough choice for a ten-night cruise, especially with the Always-Available menu and ordering off-menu with 24 hours notice.

On the pool deck - sun loungers and deck space were far better on Silver Muse. Service was good on both ships. If Seabourn got rid of the Retreat it would take pressure off the pool deck. One of the things I preferred on Seabourn was the graduated steps into the pool. Silver Muse had a ladder into the swimming pool and it was quite deep. I would imagine it would create difficulties for the elderly and the very young. It's nice to sit on steps on different levels to cool off.

Suites were equally nice on both, fabulous bathrooms, with twin sinks on Seabourn. TVs in the mirrors on Silversea are difficult to see, and we could hear next doors TV. My wife said the Seabourn walk-in wardrobe was designed by a man, - two clothes rails one high and one low. Rails were too low so jackets and dresses dragged on the floor or on the top rail. Entertainment was better on Seabourn with live bands and guest entertainers.

So after experiencing Seabourn Encore and Silver Muse within nine weeks of each other which did we prefer? Well, we wouldn't turn down a cruise on either of them, but to our surprise, our first choice would be Silver Muse. We prefer Silver Muse to Silver Spirit, but prefer Seabourn Sojourn to Seabourn Encore. We'd have to toss a coin between Silver Muse and Seabourn Sojourn but hope it comes down on Silver Muse. But it's a paper-thin difference, it's swings and roundabouts, and we'd go on any one of their ships Encore, Sojourn, Spirit and Muse if the timing fitted in with our schedule and the price was right. - So overall the verdict is that both were excellent. Silver Muse had the edge, but we'd still go on both without any hesitation.

Fincantieri Readies New Section for Silver Spirit Stretch - Work begins Monday 5th March.

Link to photographs of new section -

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/18637-fincantieri-readies-new-section-for-silver-spirit.html

Silver Spirit is in Souda, Crete at present.

I think Cunard will keep the Queen's name theme for the new ship, so that they can have four-Queen events in the future. The old names such as Caronia and Mauretania don't mean anything to younger cruisers, which is the future market they will have to capture.

Perhaps it could be Queen Elizabeth 3 (QE3) or even Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) if she had been scrapped by 2022. That way they get continuity and a stylish logo. After all Mein Schiff have ships named 1-6.

Announcement on Cruise Industry News - Sister ship for Silver Muse due in April 2020

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/17741-silversea-orders-new-ship-for-2020-delivery.html

My first thought was to take a refund, as the 20% offer would have meant paying considerably more for a like-for-like cruise to the one I had booked.

However, with help from my TA who escalated our request to a higher level, I am pleased that I now have had a very satisfactory outcome - a very similar cruise at no extra cost. So it proves that if you don't ask, you don't get. The worst they can do is say "No".

It involves inserting a new section into the hull of the ship.

Here is a video link of Fred Olsen's Braemar being lengthened

I've just received this email from Silversea regarding my booking :-

"The Silver Spirit is scheduled to undergo a robust and innovative dry dock early next year and return to service. The comprehensive makeover planned for the Silver Spirit will enrich the on-board experience and be appreciated by guests as part of our commitment of maintaining the highest quality and luxury standards of our brand.

Unfortunately, this improvement to the Silver Spirit will affect our mutual guests booking:

It is our absolute priority to do everything possible to find a suitable alternative for your guests and ensure that they will sail with us by offering a compensation savings toward the cost of a new cruise.

There are a few options available to guests:

· 20% saving on cruises sailing in the same area or on the same ship

· 30% saving on any 2017 cruises

· 10% on any other voyage (excluding World Cruise 2019)

Should an alternative not be feasible, we would of course be able to offer a full refund."

We will be taking the full refund as in no way does this offer compensate us adequately or at all, as we would need to spend considerably more for a comparable cruise to the original fare.

So we don't consider this to be any compensation for our cancelled cruise. As previously mentioned by others, prices have increased considerably which negates any of the offered discounts.

Just noticed that my Silver Spirit cruise 5808 on 8th April 2018 from Monte Carlo has disappeared from the Silversea website along with several others. The last cruise listed is 5804 which ends in Dubai on 22nd February and the next cruise listed is 5811 6th May from Civitavecchia. As this is just over 10 weeks, could this possibly be the rumoured stretch period for the ship? From previous articles about other refits I believe it takes over eight weeks to stretch a ship.