New to silver seas

[Raycruise2010]

Hello all. My wife and I have cruised Celebrity and Proncess many times and have decided to try the next level up. From everything I've read, silver seas has exceptional service. I'm looking for answers to other questions, and hope you can help:

 

What's the average age range of a silver sea cruiser (I'm 53, my wife 48)

What are the daily activities like? (lecture, enrichment, trivia?)

What are the evening shows like? (broadway, comedy, classical, mixed?)

What is the dress code like7 from reading, it appears that even the most casual is not quite (jeans, capri pants for ladies would not be acceptable)

 

Thank you very much in advance (and we're sailing on the silver whisper)

[ggibbs]

Welcome to Silversea! Most of your questions are covered somewhere on this board, but I'll give it a go anyway.

Age range varies but you are probably at or just below the average.

Activities: remember these are small ships, so not as much organised stuff as you are used to. On a sea day, there will be a lecture, perhaps a cookery demonstration, that sort of thing. On a port day, there will be very little organised - bridge, shuffleboard, that sort of thing. Regardless of port or sea day, the bloodbath known as trivia starts about 4.45.

Evening show - maybe one person such as a violinist or comedian during the trip. No production shows, but a group of 5-6 singers who do a variety of shows in different musical style.

Dress code. More or less anything goes during the day, though not that many ladies wear jeans. I take a couple of pairs each of trousers and smartish shorts for day wear. Evening is definitely not jeans - there are numerous threads about evening wear - my husband does take a tux, and a dark suit to cover formal and informal nights, and I take at least one long dress and some cocktail dresses. Casual nights are OK for trousers or skirt for your wife, long sleeve shirt and casual trousers for you. But do look elsewhere for more thoughts on this.

 

And finally, have fun! That's why we all keep coming bask to Silversea.

 

Gwyneth

[CanadianKate]

The big difference with Silversea is the dining. We don't dine at home, we eat.

 

I won't go into the food (tastes vary and since we like McDonalds and Pizza Hut we are not one to judge quality and we don't drink so the quality of the wines doesn't affect us), but the dining experience with our fellow guests.

 

We almost always choose to make up a table with fellow guests, so you will be seated with 2 - 3 other couples. The dining part of the experience is relaxed and not rushed so allow almost 2 hours for dinner.

 

The life experiences of Silversea guests are amazing. We've sat with hoteliers, army chaplains, people who have made their fortune in assorted manufacturing businesses, lawyers, judges, and the gentleman who owns all the Subway franchises in a large geographic area of his country.

 

In general these are well-traveled people so have very interesting travel stories, as well. The conversation seldom lags at the table. And as the trip proceeds, you hear of their adventures on shore excursions as well and learn more about the port since you are hearing what other tours have done.

 

We've made many friends at these dinners, meeting up with them in our other travels around the world, even staying with one couple when visiting in Australia.

 

While we made friends on our Tauck river cruise, it took a while and an adjustment to our expectations since the caliber of the conversation was so different. And we have never had a similar experience meeting people on Norwegian or Holland America (although we only had one cruise with each before discovering Silversea.)

 

I could not name the one thing I love most about Silversea but when I think of the Silversea, the dining experience is one of the first things that pops into my mind.

[spotlottydog]

On our first Silversea cruise I was 40 and my husband 47. We were the youngest on board. Our most recent SS cruise we were 50 and 57, still two of the youngest on board. Certainly the average is older than us, but the best trips we have had have been where we have met great people and age has never been an issue.

 

We love to dress up, although my husband would prefer not to have to pack a DJ. You can NEVER be over dressed on SS. Day time you can be as casual as you like.

 

If you choose to book the ships tours you will meet lots of new people, but they can be pricey compared with DIY - personal choice. Daily activities are limited, we relax on deck or our veranda, reading and sunbathing.

 

Entertainment - generally very low key compared with large ships, we generally dont bother and prefer to chat to new friends in the bar. By the end of your cruise, provided you like to 'mingle' you will have met most of the other passengers, and know them by name. ENJOY!

[Raycruise2010]

Than you all.i can't wait

[Older Party]

If you like opera, do see the opera show. Standing ovation and not a dry eye in the house the night I saw it on Spirit.

[MCCooch]

We sailed our first SS cruise in South Africa this past February. As others have said we met some really great friends on board and I agree that age makes no difference. My wife and I are both 54 and never once felt out of place. We had fun meeting others on the excursion and sharing the experiences once back on board.

The highlight of our cruise was celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary and renewing our vows. This was all set up and attended by a fellow cruise critic and long time SS cruiser known on these boards as Duct Tape :). What a sweetheart! Just goes to show how friendly everyone is.

As others have mentioned, fairly casual during the day, resort casual to full formal is the range depending on the evening. Again, regardless of what your preference is, you won't feel out of place. Go and enjoy your cruise, feast on the wonderful food, engage in fascinating travel dialogs, drink fine wines and most of all have fun.

We also have cruised other lines princess, royal Caribbean, but Silversea and their intimate ships is by far the best around. Enjoy

[Seafairer]

Everything said above is right on target. Please don't worry about the age factor - from your concern in posting your query, I sense that you'll feel very much at home with the other passengers. Those who sail on Silversea tend to value meeting others and feel very much at ease with starting up a conversation at the pool or elsewhere. You'll find yourselves enjoying this aspect of your cruise tremendously. As noted above, many have traveled extensively, and it's a real education to hear about their favorite experiences and recommendations - you'll be thinking about your next cruise in no time!

 

One big reason many continue to choose Silversea is its quiet environment. There are other, better, choices out there for people who prefer a real on-the-go experience. The pool is a natural gathering place on these small ships, where most passengers read, nap, or chat with those sitting next to them. There is no ship photographer [to record your every waking moment]; no in-your-face CD bullying you to participate in activities; no auctions. Most Silversea passengers are delighted with the quiet onboard atmosphere, where food, service, and other interesting travelers provide the ideal experience.

 

As to dress code, you'll see many opinions on that elsewhere on these boards. My husband and I like to follow the written codes, since this is clearly what Silversea hopes for, and it's a factor in creating the Silversea experience. I'd just add that, when ashore, your clothing choice has to fit your needs, and might be more relaxed than what you'd wear when lounging on deck.

 

And, finally, I second CanadianKate's motion that you occasionally sit with others at meals. It's a great way to get to know the other passengers. You can always dine alone, but you also have the option (at any meal) to tell the Maitre d' that you'd like to join a table he's assembling. He'll seat you with 2 or 4 other people who also requested to meet others. It's always been a great experience for us - and we've missed more than one evening show due to great conversation that just wouldn't stop!

 

Welcome to Silversea. Enjoy your cruise - it will probably be the first of many.

[CanadianKate]

As noted above, many have traveled extensively, and it's a real education to hear about their favorite experiences and recommendations - you'll be thinking about your next cruise in no time!.

 

I would say this has to be the biggest downside to Silversea! Our first cruise was taken with a specific set of goals (Meet John Cleese; sail into Halifax; visit Cork; get to Europe since we had business there.)

 

Our second cruise was satisfied the goal to get on Silversea again and try a longer cruise (4 weeks.)

 

Our third cruise was booked during the economic downturn and had only one goal - get back on Silversea. We learned we should never book short cruises again! But we met a number of wonderful people on that cruise including a delightful couple who prided themselves in being travelers, not tourists so got us thinking about travel in a whole new way.

 

Since then, all our cruises are to achieve our (semi-) retirement goal of cruising around the world in segments. Unfortunately, being on Silversea we've now added more goals - sailing the Black Sea, the Norwegian Fjords, Arctic and Antarctic (and to do so while physically fit which may mean interrupting our RTW goal), cruising around Australia, cruising around South America. Goodness knows where the list will end!

 

Money is an issue for us so every expense we have is measured against days on Silversea. We just got a quote on redoing our driveway and quickly opted for 5 more days on-board since the driveway is still very usable. My wedding ring broke on the last cruise (while applauding the crew!) and each replacement I looked at wasn't worth giving up memories on Silvesea.

 

So I suppose, Raycruise, you deserve to be warned about just how addictive Silversea is!

[Seafairer]

One more tip: if you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to let the staff know. They're trained to respond to your wishes and want to please you. The biggest mistake a passenger can make is to be unhappy with something, not mention it, and allow it to color their impressions later on. Whether you need more hangers, non-alcoholic champagne (it's not sparkly apple juice), your Terrace Cafe lunch brought up to the pool deck, a different entree or an extra dessert, please let them know. That's also part of the Silversea experience.

[newlondon]

Canadian Kate, We even sat with the daughter of Control of MI6. Obviously after his passing and therefore she was able to tell us SOME stories. Wow:)

[Older Party]

When I was on the Shadow, I was sat one night with a couple from Australia, ranchers, named Muff and George. I will go to my grave remembering these wonderful people. They were the highlight of my voyage.

[dusababy]

When I was on the Shadow, I was sat one night with a couple from Australia, ranchers, named Muff and George. I will go to my grave remembering these wonderful people. They were the highlight of my voyage.

 

 

I wonder if they know that? Wouldn't it be nice if they did.....

And how nice of you to share with us. Thank you Older Party.

[Emtbsam]

I would say this has to be the biggest downside to Silversea! Our first cruise was taken with a specific set of goals (Meet John Cleese; sail into Halifax; visit Cork; get to Europe since we had business there.)

 

Our second cruise was satisfied the goal to get on Silversea again and try a longer cruise (4 weeks.)

 

Our third cruise was booked during the economic downturn and had only one goal - get back on Silversea. We learned we should never book short cruises again! But we met a number of wonderful people on that cruise including a delightful couple who prided themselves in being travelers, not tourists so got us thinking about travel in a whole new way.

 

Since then, all our cruises are to achieve our (semi-) retirement goal of cruising around the world in segments. Unfortunately, being on Silversea we've now added more goals - sailing the Black Sea, the Norwegian Fjords, Arctic and Antarctic (and to do so while physically fit which may mean interrupting our RTW goal), cruising around Australia, cruising around South America. Goodness knows where the list will end!

 

Money is an issue for us so every expense we have is measured against days on Silversea. We just got a quote on redoing our driveway and quickly opted for 5 more days on-board since the driveway is still very usable. My wedding ring broke on the last cruise (while applauding the crew!) and each replacement I looked at wasn't worth giving up memories on Silvesea.

 

So I suppose, Raycruise, you deserve to be warned about just how addictive Silversea is!

I applaud your sense of relative value. I find myself thinking the same way although a new HVAC system did trump another cruise on SS.

 

Hope we meet again some day.

[CanadianKate]

I applaud your sense of relative value. I find myself thinking the same way although a new HVAC system did trump another cruise on SS.

 

Hope we meet again some day.

 

I hope so too! You can admire my rebuilt ring. A local jeweler melted down my childhood signet ring, my 16th birthday ring and the wedding band from my first marriage, reused the stones I had and I ended up with something I shouldn't break applauding the crew. All for only $650.

 

(Before anyone gasps at my melting down childhood rings... when our parents died we were left with a number of rings that meant nothing to us but we kept owing to a sense of responsibility to maintain some memory. Since I haven't been wearing any of the rings I melted down, they are not part of my children's memories of me. Sure I have no rings to pass along to (currently hypothetical) granddaughters but now I have a wedding ring that contains elements of my past, represents my present, and holds the promise of my future.)

 

I now return you to the current topic - all the wonders that make up the Silversea experience!

[RachelG]

OT, Kate, but your ring sounds fab!

[rkaratsu]

I last sailed on SS about two years ago but from what I can tell, the butler service has been implemented since then.

 

Beyond what our cabin steward does, what should one reasonably expect from our butler?...

 

Thanks!

 

RK

[Stumblefoot]

Beyond what our cabin steward does, what should one reasonably expect from our butler?

RK, I'm in the same position as you, so can't answer question. You may want to consider posting your question in a new topic for broader exposure, as well as doing a search in this forum. Best wishes!

[gdlamberth]

I last sailed on SS about two years ago but from what I can tell, the butler service has been implemented since then.

 

Beyond what our cabin steward does, what should one reasonably expect from our butler?...

 

Thanks!

 

RK

 

When we were on Cloud on our Norway trip, our butler came out to aft deck where the three of us were having lunch (we had boarded in CPH about 1230 or so) and announced that if we would like a tour of the ship after we finished he'd be glad to provide one. We said we'd be done in 15-20 minutes so he came back then and took us on a quick tour of the ship's facilities. Then took us to our suite, which by then was ready. The two nights we had dinner in the suite he served dinner course by course. We seldom saw our room steward though she did an excellent job cleaning the suite every day. We also had our butler's pager 24/7 so we could call and ask about nearly anything.

[Seafairer]

I think the establishment of "butler service" was probably a marketing decision more than anything else, because cabin service has always been top-notch and equal for all, from Vista cabins on upward.

 

I say this because, in the old system, our stewardesses did pretty much whatever we needed, or saw to it that it was taken care of by someone else. Dinners taken in our cabin were always served (by a waiter) course-by-course, a Silversea trademark.

 

Having a "butler" has a very marketable cachet these days, and probably now makes a certain statement to those unfamiliar with Silversea's previous high level of service. A lot of old-timers have agreed with this point and some kind of miss the nice stewardesses. But other lines now tout butler service at certain levels, so Silversea probably needed to define themselves in this way as a means of telling the public that this high level of service is available to all.

 

Silversea's "butler service for all" certainly provides stellar service. But I honestly can't really say the level of service has changed. It's always been exemplary.

[CanadianKate]

Silversea's "butler service for all" certainly provides stellar service. But I honestly can't really say the level of service has changed. It's always been exemplary.

 

+1 Well said.

[wripro]

I agree completely, seafairer.