connlach

Thank you :)

Apologies if this question is not permitted but previously have booked with American Express Platinum and received some benefits. I no longer have my platinum card. Is there any other way of getting some on board credit or discount in the UK for Silversea? Would other agents offer something? A google search finds lots of agents in the USA offering this but cant see anything for the UK.

Thanks

You continue to ascribe to me a disagreement with you that I do not have. I think that we should not base actions solely on what one reads in a single or indeed many threads,

 

What I disagree with you about is when you post implications or doubts about dishonesty of other posters based purely on presumptions or implications that you have made.

 

By all means make the first comment, it is only the second that I object to.

 

Jeff

Thanks for the feedback and object as much as you want as it is not relevant to me. I am very dubious of the op and the agent in this thread and will continue to be based on the information I have already stated

Apart from the snide and uncalled for final remark, which I feel damages an otherwise decent post, this post is entirely neutral and I agree with it, but it wasn't what you said in your earlier post.

 

You sought to rubbish both the OP and her agent. The agent made remarks that seemed entirely plausible to me because they were detailed with names and dates and had detail that could be incriminating if false. I believed it. Your sole reason for rubbbishing them seemed to be because they registered only to post in the OPs defence. That was unfair and certainly not neutral was it?

Thanks for the input. I did not set out to rubbish anyone. I based my opinion (which is what a forum is all about) based on the facts within it.

You are also entitled to your side of the story. Doesn't mean it is correct though. ....

How can I be anything but neutral as per my post? I am not really overly concerned about what they say as the issue does not directly affect me but I have spent time reading the thread and it is clear it is somewhat lacking in detail and facts.

It would be a shame for someone to see this thread and decide on something when there is very little information to go on.

Perhaps that neutrality is something you should consider?

This is the worst thing about these kind of forums. Someone can come on and state anything and then it is all of a sudden seen to be true by some other posters. Why does the "agent" refer to Silver Cloud and not Spirit? Why is there a huge assumption by some that Silver Sea are in the wrong here despite many reasonable questions being asked and not answered. Why is the "agent" spending time registering on here for the first time, posting twice but never stating anything else.

Reading this thread as a neutral person it is clear the OP has no facts to support their position and there are more holes than a swiss cheese in their story. I would take the whole thing with a pinch of salt.

Connlach.....SS has figured the average time span a customer will stick around.

You have arrived to replace Vistaman. They're counting on people like you.

 

Jeff has it right about the dog issue. But go ahead and believe whatever someone on the ship said to you. They're counting on people like you.

What an odd response to someone putting up a review and answering queries. You clearly have a motive. Perhaps do a bit more research on the subject before commenting. Funnily enough it was something Vistaman mentioned about these people being on Seabourne that highlights this is not only an SS issue.

There is a bit of a propensity for many nations believing that everybody with no exclusions must comply with what they believe their domestic laws to be. What may apply to their domestic shops and restaurants and offices and places of entertainment or worship .... may not apply to international ships. Or indeed in a blanket all encompassing way. The issue isn't made easier by ship staff fobbing off passengers who complaint or complain by offering a reason they will potentially accept without reason. The combined effect of all this is that I doubt they have to accept the dog, either legally but at least by prudent avoiding methods I previously outlined.

 

The overriding law for cruise ships is not to accept passengers that they cannot provide an adequate level of safety of medical care for. That does not imply every single citizen of the USA with every conceivable condition. That is why they seek certain declarations. It isn't discrimination, it is safety.

 

This particular passenger does not appear to have claimed to have a physical disability but a psychiatric one. I think that even if there was a legal obligation - which I doubt - there would be a let out for SS as they may be expected to provide adequate medically trained staff but they will not be trained to deal with psychiatric problems.

 

As the passenger seemed to be exploiting a loophole I doubt he'd try and take action against SS if they simply refused the booking or used one of the approaches I mentioned in the previous post. They could simply claim they do not have a "suitable suite" for example. This is something they could handle but I don't think they are that bothered to be honest. Just another one of those SS things .....:)

I agree with what you say but it is clearly not another SS thing as the same affects other liners, including Seabourn and also aircraft and hotels.

I'm not as certain as you that Silversea are under any legal obligation to accept any dogs at all and could I believe quite easily specify that they will not accept any dogs at all but are prepared to consider favourably applications positively from owners with vision disabilities with certified service dogs.

 

If there does prove to be some sort of legal imperative that I don't see - then they could simply fix a fee for dogs that is so high that no sensible person would pay it. They could then offer to waive the fee for accepted bookings by owners with vision disabilities.

 

There is another legal route by which they could legally refuse. They do not have to accept bookings from passengers with medical conditions that they are unable to provide adequate support for. They already specify that people with medical conditions must inform the line. They could specify that they do not have adequate facilities for passengers with anxiety disorders requiring being accompanied by pets. It is therefore not the pet being rejected but the owner with this type of disability because they (Silversea) have inadequate facilities. to support them safely

 

The reason or if you like is that IMHO, the dogs for vision impaired owners are obedience trained to such a high degree that ordinary pets are not. Dogs required for "anxiety" are just standard pets.

 

This is a perfectly manageable issue for SS and they really shouldn't need to be told but if enough people complain and suggest this approach then perhaps they will listen?

Coming from the UK also I was very surprised to see a dog on board. On speaking to passengers from the USA they advised us that it is common to see almost anywhere in the USA now due to the inability to challenge if the dog is a service dog or not. As mentioned elsewhere they had a certificate to say it was so Silversea or any other liner have to accept this. This does not seem to be an issue for Silversea but more about US law, something I do not feel in a position to comment about. I love dogs and it was better behaved than some rude people, but do not think it was appropriate by the owners to have it on board. Seabourn have clearly had the same issue with these people and it is a common site. We were told of a story in a plane in the USA where a pig was allowed to be in the cabin! This story shows how this could happen:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/animals-and-us/201406/service-animal-scams-growing-problem

I'm surprised more people do not mention the orange juice. The super orange squeezer in Teraza has been replaced with low grade industrial orange flavored drink. Nobody objects, and life goes on.

 

Silversea has figured the lifespan of the average customer is six years. You get a glimpse of it on this thread.

 

A dog? That would be a problem.

We are all different. For me being on a lovely luxurious ship sailing around some beautiful locations is a treat and the quality of the orange juice and whether it has just been freshly squeezed or not is fairly low on my list of priorities.

many thanks for your review - i was on the 10 days cruise as well

 

unfortunately i was not so impressed by the food at all - unless you were going to Le Champagne no sign of luxury products at all . This was just average catering.

 

The choice of complimentary drinks including Pommery Champagne was very good, the complimentary wines were not that good especially the red ones were poor.

 

Connoisseurs wine list was very good with very pleasant prices for some of the wines and the chief sommelier was very helpful.

 

I found the breakfast and lunch buffets not so good : extremely poor quality of orange juice ... leatherly breads - cheeses and cold cuts simply basic and cut far too thick .

only 4 cheeses on the lunch buffet and not replaced when nearly finished.

 

canapes and hors d'oevres were not appropriate on a said to be 5 starred ship.

 

My butler and the cabin steward were outstanding - nice bathroom amenities - also service in the bars was very good - however not that good on tables on open deck.

 

The cruise director was a very hard working man - always with shirt and tie- trying to make the entertainment decent with the possibilities the company was giving him.

 

I think the choice of the various shops was too expensive "upmarket" in general.

 

There was no gastronomical event on that cruise : BBQ or galley lunch.

 

last but not least : the dog ...:eek::mad:

 

a vast majority of the passengers heavily took nuissance on that poodle what was obviously not a guidance dog neither a service dog - simply a lap dog.

the owners were several times very arrogant to people not wanting that the animal was approaching them -

the poodle also had several times "unfresh marks" ...

and yes i noticed the facts in the restaurant as well - filthy!!!

 

i decided not to go back on silversea anymore.

Food and wine taste is very personal but it is laughable to suggest the catering was average and there were no luxury products. My only comment about the buffets for lunch and the one occasion we ate there for breakfast was the amount of food and choice was almost too much. The room in Terrazza is very large and was full of food, there must be a lot of waste. Again all about opinions but canapes etc were very good, can I ask what you would have expected?

They are no longer able to have a bbq due to health regulations unfortunately.

Agree about the dog although due to its size you would struggle to get it on your lap! Is your decision to not go with Silversea again due to the dog? If so you will find this could be the case on any cruise ship and as you mentioned later in the thread these people has previously been on Seabourn. Might be worth avoiding cruising all together if that is the reason.

We were also on this cruise (in fact we were on both the 8 day cruise before it and this 10 day for an 18 day back-to-back). Most of the OP's comments were spot on and I will add our observations here.

 

The 8 day segment had 471 guests while the 10 day in fact had 430 on board. The 8 day segment had ZERO children (heaven) while the 10 day had about a half dozen, of which four were teenagers who were hardly seen except when arriving/departing the ship in port. I agree with the OP concerning the 3 year old.

 

Since the OP mentioned the dog, I must also comment. This was not a service dog at all, but a "companion animal". He was large, unneutered, and fed by his owner at the table in the dining rooms from the SAME fork he was eating with. Cruise lines have no choice but to accommodate these scams without question under current US law.

 

Anyway, we enjoyed a wonderful cruise and met many fine and interesting people. The ship was clean and well maintained. The service was top-notch and many staff called us by name after just a few days on board. Antonio was great running the Restaurant and Donato was at his usual post in La Terrazzo. Cannot comment on the entertainment because we never attended a show - no interest in people singing along with recorded music.

 

Minor negatives were a butler who told us upfront that this was his first time on a ship and he was just starting training as a butler, so he said he would need our help to let him know what he should be doing. He would do anything we asked him to do, but he had no idea how to be proactive or intuitive - if we wanted anything done (which was very little), we had to ask him. Silversea should provide more training before letting him loose on his own.

 

The Restaurant menu was very limited, with only four or five choices nightly, not including the "always available" selections. The food was very good, but Beef Stroganoff and Spaghetti and Meatballs as the special "Chef's Cut" are not what is expected on a luxury cruise line.

 

Finally, the new on board shops look lovely, but carry merchandise that few people will be interested in. Everything is too high end in our opinion, so you better have a lot of ship credit if you want to buy something to remember the cruise by.

 

This was our third time on Silver Spirit and loved every minute of it. We hope to be back soon.

Agree with the comments about the shops. They were very high end and very quiet!

We recently returned from a Caribbean cruise on Silver Spirit and this is our thoughts:

The cruise was from Fort Lauderdale to Fort Lauderdale with stops at San Juan Puerto Rico, Gustavia St Barths, St Johns Antigua, Samana Dominan Republic, Road Town Tortola and Cockburn Town, Grand Turk.

This was our second full cruise on Silversea, previously been on Silver Whisper 2 years ago and Silver Cloud for 1 day 1 year ago. I will try and do comparisons based on our previous full cruise.

Other Passengers - The ship was full but due to a high number of single people on board (63) the ship had about 450 people in total. There were around 250 venetian society members and the person with most days had over 750. There was 1 baby and 1 child around the age of 3. Surprisingly there was also 1 dog. As we work with children we go on Silversea to have a child free break but alas this was not the case. To be fair however the baby was no trouble and was not heard. The 3 year old was also superbly behaved and looked after, although on one sea day took over the pool for a couple of hours and played with toys around the edge of it. It is amazing the affect 1 child can have on a whole pool deck. This is probably just me but I just don’t think it is the cruise to have children on and I wish Silversea would allocate some cruises adult only. I was shocked to see a poodle strolling around as well with a male couple. The dog was allegedly a service dog but according to some this was just being said to enable it to be on board. I do not know the true reason so will not comment further but it did not have anything showing it as a service dog and on the odd occasion it was in the restaurant it barked (as dogs will do!)

Embarkation and Cabin – Getting on seemed less polished than when we got on in Barbados 2 years ago with some porters throwing our cases onto trolleys with little regard then asking for tips and then no one guiding us in the right direction. This changed as soon as we were on the ship with the usual welcoming smiles and glass of champagne. Maybe the service outside was down to different regulations and staff. We boarded at 13:30 but our cabin was ready (balcony cabin 510) and was looking lovely. I understand now why some think the cabins are a bit narrow especially around the bed area but this is a minor inconvenience. There is also evidence of some chips in the wood where people have banged suitcases through the narrow gap, but again this should hardly affect your holiday. Other than 1 remote control for 2 TV’s which seemed to have a mind of its own the rooms were a delightful place to spend 10 nights. We caught up with our butler after lunch and he gave us a choice of toiletries and sorted out our drink requests. We spent a lot of time on our balcony and loved the relaxing time we spent there. We had breakfast every morning in our room and had lunch room service also which was great. Sometimes the lunch did not totally match the menu so if you want a specific side dish remember to ask for this.

Service – The first 2 days were sea days and the service was noticeably worse than our cruise 2 years previously. In the eating area on the upper pool deck we had to wait for 10 minutes before getting any service and the bar service was very slow. This just wasn’t the case 2 years ago. When the ship reached Puerto Rico more staff arrived and the service significantly improved back to the standards we were used to. The only area this was not the case continued to be on periods at sea in the upper pool deck and on one occasion we had to move to the lower pool deck area when a table came free to get any service. This was after 10 minutes. As soon as we moved we got instant service so it seems the upper area is understaffed, and we highlighted this issue on the guest form. The bar service was excellent with staff remembering your choices and bringing plentiful supplies of warm nuts, potato chips and pre dinner appetisers.

Food – The food was excellent. Only exception would be in Stars and the pool deck where on one occasion each when the food could have been hotter (but maybe this is a personal preference). The main restaurant food was a very high standard. The desert course has changed since our last cruise and there was only 2 main choices which were often nut based which is not for me, but there was always other choices available like ice cream and chocolates. Stars food was very high quality but will not be for everyone. It is more of a tapas style but there is plenty of dishes (15!) The flavours are different for example frogs legs or black pudding with foie gras or deep fried oysters, but the experience was really good if you are open minded. The cherry crumble was very memorable. If trying lots of different foods is not for you don’t go. A small tip – there are different menus on alternating days so check with the restaurant manager if you want to go twice to make sure you try both menus. The Italian restaurant was excellent and good rustic food which is needed sometimes. Hot Rocks – This was really good and much better than what we remembered from our previous cruise. As we like our meat rare it came out raw this time and gave us time to cook it rather than previously when it came out already part cooked. Another tip – If you like Lobster request this at least a day before then you can have this at hot rocks. We did not pay to go to the specialist restaurants as we felt there was no need to do this due to the high standard of the other foods. Afternoon tea – Please do this once even though it can be a struggle with all the other foods. We had a lovely afternoon in St Barths sitting on the terrace eating chocolate chip warm scones with Jasmin Tea. The sandwiches and cakes were lovely as well. I just didn’t have the space to go every day though.

Entertainment – The entertainers were a very high standard and had fantastic voices. The pianist in the bar (Florandy) was also amazing and later in the evenings on request would sign some songs from the Philippines which was a special moment due to the energy and passion he brought to them. This was due to a guest from the Philippines being on board, however if you go please ask him to do this, as it makes for a great atmosphere and the bar staff were really enjoying it. Otherwise entertainment is very low key and if you are after this kind of cruise Silversea is not for you. I was very surprised to hear people moaning about the lack of entertainment. It is made abundantly clear it is not the cruise for you if you are after lots of entertainment so hardly something to complain about when on board.

Pool deck – Probably Silver Spirits biggest downside compared to Silver Whisper, the pool deck got crowded on sea days and if you wanted sunshine it was a bit of a challenge to get a sunbed. Because of this the well positioned sunbeds were often taken all day with people not leaving the area or reserving them with towels. This area also suffered from poor food service at times as previously mentioned. Drinks service was very good however and on a number of occasions I was served cocktails whilst still being in the hot tub. What more could you want!

Ports and excursions – I wont go into great detail as this is a personal choice but happy to answer queries. We had 1300 dollars OBC to spend so decided to go on a number of excursions without having to consider value for money:

San Juan Puerto Rico – Mofongo and Mojito culinary tour – What a great place and fantastic tour. Please note there is a slow walk for 2 hours prior to the cooking element but this was a real highlight of our holiday and we felt after a short time we had managed to embrace some of the culture. Maybe not the tour to go on if you have walking issues however and then proceed to complain about the walk!

Gustavia, St Barths – From my perspective no need to go on a tour as I love walking round the harbour admiring the huge private yachts.

St Johns Antigua – ATV tour – Another lively town and a great tour taking you to the centre of the island. They did take us driving up proper roads at times at up to 60 kmh so not for the faint hearted.

Road Town, Tortola Snorkelling and sailing Sir Francis Drake channel - Straight onto a boat from the tender but due to the reconstruction works was happy this was the case. A great fun tour and amazing amount of fish (and Rum!)

Samana, Dominican Republic, Caves and Mangroves expedition– A very welcoming place but we went straight from the tender point onto another boat. We saw a pod of dolphins in the port and then went on a very memorable tour. Highly recommended, but a good 45 minutes each way by large speed boat.

Cockburn Town, Grand Turk, Power Snorkelling – Another amazing experience doing a James Bond around the ocean. As long as you can swim an easy mans snorkelling.

Other comments –

Some people were complaining about the noise of the anchor. Did I hear it on the odd occasion? Yes. Was I on a large ship? Yes. Should this be expected on a ship? Yes! If you don’t want ship noises go to a hotel.

The ship seemed to be much more stable than whisper which was a good thing. I can sometimes get a touch of sea sickness but managed to avoid it this time. The weather was not great so the sea was moving a bit.

The staff all seemed very happy and most had been with Silversea for a long time including some who had worked for over 10 years. They were very relaxed and laughing and joking. Although 80% were from the Philippines there were also a number of European staff including French, Portuguese, Spanish, German and Maltese serving staff all saying what a great time they were having and what a great employer they were with. This was really good to see and if the staff are happy then it helps make our holiday special. I was very disappointed with the attitude of some of my fellow passengers towards the staff. People demanding things, no please or thank yous and speaking down to people shows no class. Money clearly does not buy manners.

Conclusion – 2 years ago there was nothing I could fault with our cruise and it was 10 out of 10. It was perfect in every way. It is human nature however to compare like with like and there were a few things that were not as good this time as last time but other things that were better. In hindsight I could have marked things down last time but I wasn’t aware to look for it. As long as you go to enjoy yourself, if you want something you ask and you know what kind of ship you are going on you will have a great time. It may not be the same as 10 or 20 years ago but things change. This time I would probably give the cruise 9.5 out of 10. Perfect in most things, even better than that in most but let down slightly by the food service and pool deck area. If you have not cruised with them on a smaller ship before you probably would not even notice. If you ever get the chance try a cruise with Silversea go for it, a chance to be spoiled rotten and I am sure you will appreciate it.

I will try and get time to put one up tomorrow as we just came off on the 22nd. In the main it was excellent though

Fear that next logical step alongside introduction of cruises including excursions is no more complementary shuttle buses in most ports on economic grounds.Has anyone in UK received the survey or is it US only?Hope none of this happens which seems the general consensus from many long standing SS cruisers.

I got the survey in the UK and I also got the voucher today.

We are sailing on the spirit on the 12th December and this has also happened to one of our bookings in the supper club. This restaurant along with le champagne have gone from having full availability to none. I do not think the ship is very full as it is before Xmas. I wonder if they are closing these restaurants for some of the cruise?

Thanks for the updates again, sounds like everything will be looking good for us on the 12th December

Thanks for that info Wes. I am on the Spirit on the 12th December. Is this getting done just now do you know?

Do you feel that we as wealthy people have a moral responsibility to not "turn a blind eye" to those that look after us to ensure that that they are adequately paid and also ensure that they are not cheated out of cash that we have specifically entrusted to cruise lines to pass on to them?

Do you agree that by going on a cruise you are helping to support people who may otherwise be unemployed. Are you also suggesting cruise line are involved in holding people against their will? Do you ensure you provide gratuities to anyone you deem not wealthy. Perhaps someone on the tills at the shop? How do you define wealthy, where do you draw the line?

I conclude exactly the same. Why would I not do so?

Exactly

Absolutely. You believed this and it had the ring of truth about it and therefore so do I.

 

if Silversea charge for and include gratuities, but don't pass them on and if they control the crew fund and "steal" normal operating costs from their crew fund that people have thoughtfully contributed to then, what does one conclude about Silversea management?

 

:)

IF is the very important word in your statement as you have no idea. If Seabourn or Regent do the same what do you conclude about their management?

That was me and I'll have to say my initial reaction when I was told about the furniture that it struck me as not exactly what I thought the fund was for. I still feel that way, that basic crew comfort ought to be a matter of the ship and company. I can understand maybe buying something like a game console (ie, PlayStation, XBox) as a step beyond corporate responsibility but basic furniture? Seemed and still seems wrong to me.

I agree with you here if this is the case, but please remember there is absolutely nothing to suggest this is actually the case, it was just someone who posted that they had spoken to someone in the crew. We have no idea what was being discussed, what the furniture was, and even if this story has any fact attached to it or of there is an alternative motive for posting this. I could post on here a multitude of things like the crew all get a 50% Christmas bonus. Doesnt mean it is correct though as I have no evidence to prove it.

It is made out in these threads that this relates only to Silversea. Other lines say exactly the same thing. As per the previous thread there is no sources to suggest they are not passed on, but if some post things enough times it starts to become fact. I would suggest if this is such an emotive topic for some people Silversea is not for you and would suggest you go to a line where gratuities are not included so you can be happy that the money you are paying goes straight to that individual. I would recommend not paying gratuities up front however, who knows where they go...........

Thanks for the update, that is interesting to see. It sounds like a lovely area if you want a peaceful location but $40 seems a bit steep. I assume you can still get drinks and food there or do you need to leave to do that?

Hope you are having a great cruise, I am on the Spirit for the first time in December so look forward to seeing your updates.

Is it possible to still buy a day pass for the spa so you can use the Jacuzzis etc at the back. If so what is the cost?