Silver Shadow review - Sept. 2013

[Mayflower1]

Good Morning Duct tape - glad to hear you are still enjoying life at Sea - so sad that we have not met up this year - maybe 2014 ?

 

We were fortunate enough to meet Sujith on his first Contract and were so impressed that we wrote a special letter to the HD ( Gianni I believe ). When we returned to the Cloud later in the year Sujith was then Bartender in the Main Bar - he was so happy and said all of the Guests kind remarks had earned him his Promotion.

 

It is so pleasing to hear that he is now a Hotel Director - he will be superb and we hope to meet up with him again soon. Its wonderful when the Company respond to Guests appreciation of an individual. Here is an example ( and there are others ) where feedback pays results.

[apuleius]

We were also with the legendary pat mark and Suzanne on the trivia team - the best fun! Agree with pat's comments about the food but would add that the silversea staff uniforms in dining areas occasionally left a lot to be desired as they were stained and torn. I think my overall criticism is that the ship really is not 6 star. But we had a great time and met some lovely folk. Now enjoying the pleasures of shanghai.

[oregon50]

I think my overall criticism is that the ship really is not 6 star.

 

You really cannot fault Silversea for that. People like Doug Ward that rate ships for a living but have not been on a SS ship for six years are responsible.

[wripro]

What does six stars mean anyway? It's a made up marketing gimmick which cruise lines or hotels assign themselves. Like the Burj al Arab which gives itself seven stars. Come to my house for dinner. I have twelve stars.

[Mr Luxury]

What does six stars mean anyway? . Come to my house for dinner. I have twelve stars.

 

You really should get that hole in the roof fixed Henry.

[wripro]

Or perhaps widened for an even better view!

[Paulchili]

Come to my house for dinner. I have twelve stars.

 

Before I agree, what are you serving Henry? ;)

TC2, thanks for the review - I am feeling better about our upcoming cruise in Feb.

[gdlamberth]

The four of us were on board with Jackie and Dennis on this cruise also. While I don't have a lot to add I will throw in my 2 cents worth.

 

BLUF: We all agreed that this was one of the top two of three cruises we've ever experienced.

 

I believe two major contributing factors to a wonderful cruise were, more or less, completely beyond the control of Silversea.

1. Passenger chemistry
   
2. Weather
   

 

I do not understand all the magic associated with "group chemistry" at parties or work groups or cruises; but, I am convinced chemistry has a major effect on our experience of any of these activities. That said, this group of passengers just seemed to blend pleasantly and instantly. Cheryl mentioned that she noticed the "feel" within the first hour or two. The conviviality was truly palpable on board.

 

A year previously this same itinerary had really bad weather (wind and cold and rain and high seas) for almost the whole trip. As Jackie mentioned we really had Chamber of Commerce weather everywhere but Skagway. Relatively warm (50F) temps even in the Gulf od Alaska and Bering Sea IMHO contributed to everyone's enjoyment of this trip.

 

We agree with everything Jackie already stated but I wanted to throw in a few of my own random pros and cons:

 

 

PROs:

• First we'll second the rave reviews of Sujith and Kirk.
  
• Fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice
  
• Mixed fresh berries until the last day or two
  
• La Terraza at dinner was one of the best run restaurants in which I've eaten. Soltan's calm, professional control here was evident every time we dined. They changed the menu here twice during the 16 day cruise. The Osso Buco was as good as I've ever had.
  
• Hot Rocks for us was a unequivocal success. Tafun's control here was superb.
  
• Buckwheat Pancakes for breakfast
  
• One night for dinner in the Restaurant, I didn't care for the red wine so I asked if they had a good Cote de Rhone. The sommelier offered two, one more full bodied than the other. The next night in Hot Rocks (I had the fillet) I was asked if I wanted the same Cote de Rhone I'd had the night before in the Restaurant.:eek: I thought that was pretty SH.
  
• Entertainment concept using 6 singers instead of a mix of singers and dancers. I heard SS changed to this some time ago but this was my first experience with this construct and I REALLY liked it. Smaller ships in SS and Regent's fleet don't really lend themselves to "production shows" as much as larger ships; so this idea came off very well IMHO.
  
• Some of the most attentive (by name) service from all depts (Reception, dining venues, Excursions, Butlers, and even the Boutiques), that we've been fortunate enough to experience.
  
• Because all of the above is under the supervision of the HD (and I apologize for not remembering his name); I stopped by and spent a few minutes sharing with him what a wonderful crew he working for him.
  
• Our experience with our Butler, Altamash, added considerably to our enjoyment of this cruise. He took time to get to know his customers (and we didn't have any problem with his afternoon replacement as TC2 did) and provide truly quality service. Cheryl was celebrating a birthday and he had a group of Butlers/Room Attendants come sing Happy Birthday. Linda had indicated she was celebrating her retirement on this cruise. Much to our surprise, he had decorated their room (including a light show) the night we left Ketchikan.
  

 

CONs:

• We were with Jackie in both of the La Champagne experiences and agree with her comments completely.
  
• SS has created a self serve "coffee connection" in the Observation Lounge (see my comments on our Norwegian cruise on Silver Cloud two years ago). While not as easy to use as those on Regent, I could get a cup of coffee or tea at 0530 without calling room service.:p
  
• We ate in the Restaurant several times for breakfast and lunch (due to the seas Jackie mentioned and DH's propensity toward Mal de Mer). While the food was quite good it took an incredibly long time to eat. While I don't mind "lingering" at dinner, I wish it had been a bit faster at lunch and breakfast.
  

 

After our South American cruise last year I was afraid I'd never get DH on a cruise again. Fortunately, we already had this one booked.:D And thanks to Silver Shadow's crew and our experience on this cruise; we are back to considering cruising as a vacation option:D.

 

 

Greg

[Rally]

Thank you so much for providing his name. He was absolutely wonderful to all guests. Very happy to hear that he has been promoted.

 

TC, since we have often spared I thought I would tell you how much I like your new avatar . . . FABULOUS! :)

[Travelcat2]

rally: although you are blocked, I peeked at your post. Thank you! I love animals -- of any species:-)

 

Greg: Really loved your review of our cruise. You were 100% right on - it was an amazing cruise -- so glad that we did it -- especially after cancelling it twice. There are so many things about Silversea that I wish Regent would adopt and visa versa. The food and service on Silversea was amazing! The passengers were the best:D