Recent Cloud Voyage

[WesW]

JP and Chris, absolutely correct, you win a Silversea baseball cap, only collectible on the 2013 Spirit fall crossing (Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale :))

[radiogal880]

We also were on the Cloud, Barcelona to Monte Carlo. Our first SS experience was on the Shadow a couple of years ago. We were disappointed in the Cloud for a few non-important reasons, like running out of single malt, diet sprite and a few other things, but mostly our experience was lovely. Our butler, Rachel, was fabulous, and the staff was wonderful. In fact, the first night in the bar, a server, Jovi, welcomed us back, by name, and remembered our favorite drinks! She was on the Shadow when we did the Panama Canal cruise. I realize SS probably has the staff review the upcoming guests and if they've been guests before, but it made us feel very special. We will cruise with SS again, but we will NEVER book well in advance again because I think we paid far too much for the 2 weeks, after others telling us what a steal it was. That made me very angry and made us both feel like we were ripped off, HOWEVER, we did have a great stateroom on the 6th level and we never had the water problems that others had on the 4th level, or the noise problems that those on the 7th level lived with. We did notice that some of the "younger" guests were under dressed, and interestingly enough, my husband was told to go back to the room and get a sports coat when he forgot it, one night in the MDR. He was happy to do it, of course, but we thought it was interesting that they allowed a guy to be in Le Terraza room wearing a Hawaiian shirt, not even tucked in! My husband spoke with the maitre de and he said the gentleman was told to get a jacket and he just sat down and ignored him. So, consider the source, I suppose. Frankly, I was so relieved that he wasn't an "Ugly American" that I didn't care one way or the other.

All this to say, Silverseas is still our favorite and we look forward to our next adventure with them.

[billcrooz]

We also were on the Cloud, Barcelona to Monte Carlo. Our first SS experience was on the Shadow a couple of years ago. We were disappointed in the Cloud for a few non-important reasons, like running out of single malt, diet sprite and a few other things, but mostly our experience was lovely. Our butler, Rachel, was fabulous, and the staff was wonderful. In fact, the first night in the bar, a server, Jovi, welcomed us back, by name, and remembered our favorite drinks! She was on the Shadow when we did the Panama Canal cruise. I realize SS probably has the staff review the upcoming guests and if they've been guests before, but it made us feel very special. We will cruise with SS again, but we will NEVER book well in advance again because I think we paid far too much for the 2 weeks, after others telling us what a steal it was. That made me very angry and made us both feel like we were ripped off, HOWEVER, we did have a great stateroom on the 6th level and we never had the water problems that others had on the 4th level, or the noise problems that those on the 7th level lived with. We did notice that some of the "younger" guests were under dressed, and interestingly enough, my husband was told to go back to the room and get a sports coat when he forgot it, one night in the MDR. He was happy to do it, of course, but we thought it was interesting that they allowed a guy to be in Le Terraza room wearing a Hawaiian shirt, not even tucked in! My husband spoke with the maitre de and he said the gentleman was told to get a jacket and he just sat down and ignored him. So, consider the source, I suppose. Frankly, I was so relieved that he wasn't an "Ugly American" that I didn't care one way or the other.

All this to say, Silverseas is still our favorite and we look forward to our next adventure with them.

radiogal; get yourself a new T.A.. they should have let you know whenever there's a price reduction!

[Emtbsam]

Radiogal - we were also on deck 6 and had the same butler who did a great job. Before you get too upset about price reductions, keep in mind that frequently the price reductions don't include complimentary air or the same on board credit as you received with your reservation.

[Seafairer]

I think you probably did the smartest thing, Radiogal, in booking early because you had a wide choice of cabins. I've also seen Silversea's fares go up as time passes, sometimes quite a lot; these later offers may include new free air or onboard credits (which you may or may not need), but the fare itself was increased.

 

Similarly, if the price does go down, it mightalso reflect the elimination of free air or credits. Few cabins may be available, probably in less desirable locations (all the way forward, for example, and more affected by noise or motion). Either way, you'd want to do the math to see if the new offer really is better, and if it works for you.

 

You can always book early as you did, get the cabin of your choice, keep an eye on the pricing, and if see a better deal, ask your travel agent for an adjustment. You might even discuss this subject with your agent now, explain the "steal" that other passengers got, and ask your agent to review how Silversea handles its pricing, so you can plan your future trips most effectively.

[Herman The Cat]

Radiogal - we were also on deck 6 and had the same butler who did a great job. Before you get too upset about price reductions, keep in mind that frequently the price reductions don't include complimentary air or the same on board credit as you received with your reservation.

 

I agree with Emtbsam. Sometimes the deals that are offered are just enticements and can be misleading. We have had a few instances where we have seen deals offered on Silversea cruises that we had booked. The difference is that they don't include shipboard credits, airfare, Venetian Society discounts, etc. And once you look at the price stripped of all the reductions, the prices are typically the same--if not worse.

 

In all of these instances, the booking price we had was better than the supposed "deal." If you don't care about shipboard credits and can get a good deal on airfare or use miles, cruise-only can be a better deal.

 

A good TA will keep an eye out for promotions, call Silversea to find out about the offer, do the math comparing your fare and the special offer and advise as to what the better deal is...and ask Silversea for a price adjustment if need be.

 

When I first started cruising with Silversea, I was very curious about last minute deals. My cruise TA told me that Silversea is not in the habit of doing that like some of the mass market ships. The mass market ships will do crazy last minute deals because if they do not sail with full ships then their staff doesn’t get paid because their staff work for tips instead of a salary like they do on Silversea. If the mass market ships were empty then they would have trouble retaining staff.

 

She told me she's been selling Silversea for almost ten years, and she would have a lot of angry clients if Silversea made it a practice of having last minute deals all the time. She also said that if you wait until last minute then the availability will not be as good so you may end up paying even more because you will have to go to a higher category cabin.

[dusababy]

Agree with Herman. I'll never forget the first time my TA called just prior to final payment to advise fare had been reduced, and this without any loss of perks to me.

Some people have time and expertise to ferret out every possible deal - I salute them. I've always realized I'm paying top dollar for a very satisfactory return on investment -- when that changes, I may change too.

;)

[RachelG]

One of the reasons that I switched to my current excellent TA is that my previous one paid no attention to getting a better deal if one came on offer. My current TA has found a better deal for me after booking several times and been able to get it. She also has shown me how some that appear to be "better" are really not--may look better but total price is higher. If your current TA is not keeping on top of this stuff, you need to change. That is what their job is.

[Nigella]

On the subject of dress code we found that it was adhered to by guests and enforced by crew on our last SS cruise on Spirit.

One evening we watched a particularly beautiful sailaway at 6pm from on deck . My husband was wearing what we call dress shorts - smart and knee length I guess Bermuda shorts. Without giving the time a thought we went into the Panorama Lounge for a drink. The young lady serving at the bar came over to us immediately to gently remind us that it was after 6pm and shorts were not permitted. My husband thanked her for pointing it out, and went away to change into full length trousers.

 

We didn't see any dress code violations at all during dinner the whole two weeks.

[dusababy]

On the subject of dress code we found that it was adhered to by guests and enforced by crew on our last SS cruise on Spirit.

One evening we watched a particularly beautiful sailaway at 6pm from on deck . My husband was wearing what we call dress shorts - smart and knee length I guess Bermuda shorts. Without giving the time a thought we went into the Panorama Lounge for a drink. The young lady serving at the bar came over to us immediately to gently remind us that it was after 6pm and shorts were not permitted. My husband thanked her for pointing it out, and went away to change into full length trousers.

 

We didn't see any dress code violations at all during dinner the whole two weeks.

 

THAT IS VERY ENCOURAGING -- thanks for letting us know.

[Nigella]

THAT IS VERY ENCOURAGING -- thanks for letting us know.

 

My husband was mortified by his mistake even though the young lady was perfectly gracious in pointing it out. But we were both happy that the dress code was being implemented properly. In our opinion it makes for a more pleasant cruise experience all round when the guests are dressed appropriately.

[Emtbsam]

My husband was mortified by his mistake even though the young lady was perfectly gracious in pointing it out. But we were both happy that the dress code was being implemented properly. In our opinion it makes for a more pleasant cruise experience all round when the guests are dressed appropriately.

 

Don't feel bad. My DH was sitting, reading in a corner of the Panorama Lounge one afternoon in shorts after 6 pm, and the bartender came over and said "Sir, may I remind you that this evening's dress code is formal". He appreciated the very gentle reminder and has often joked about it.

[mortgagemaster]

Very well said. One of the reasons we choose Silversea is that we enjoy the opportunity to don our best - and we love seeing others do the same. It's a private fashion show in some cases :)