Crystal V Silversea

[Scott1sh]

Yes it does ... thanks for taking trouble!

 

If you had exactly the same budget, and if the itineraries were identical, so that you could presumably upgrade the suite on Crystal and spend on other things ... which would you choose?

 

Thanks.

 

Jeff

 

Jeff - that would be a lovely problem to have. Right now I'd say Crystal.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Jeff - that would be a lovely problem to have. Right now I'd say Crystal.

 

Thanks again for posting.

 

:)

[Keith1010]

We primarily sail Crystal but have also sailed Silversea, Seabourn and even most recently Cunard in their Queens Grill which by the way had an absolutely outstanding dining experience.

 

In the end, only one person can decide what makes the most sense for them. There are similarities between Silversea and Crystal as they are both luxury products but there are also quite a bit of differences too which I think is good.

 

The biggest differences you will find in my opinion are:

 

Silversea has open seating and Silversea has larger rooms and the ships are smaller.

 

Crystal has a much more extensive enrichment and entertainment program and many more choices in terms of public space.

 

If it was me I would book it because I always think if you find an itinerary that works it is a great opportunity to try another cruise line. That is why we booked Silversea and that is why we also booked Cunard. I will continue to do that.

 

Good luck with your decision.

 

I am happy to help with any questions and even with comparisons.

 

Keith

Edited May 27, 2014 by Keith1010

[Seafairer]

Hello, Fudge. I can certainly sympathize with your plight. Since 2000, we sailed at least once a year on Silversea - and only on Silversea. It was the perfect fit. But after some recent disappointments (largely having to do with SS's need to attract so many passengers now - a total capacity of 2,000?), we made the difficult decision to take a hiatus and try Crystal. We were thrilled with our choice.

 

We first tested Crystal on a 5-day New England cruise segment last spring, followed by a 14-day cruise in November (both on the Symphony). I wrote a long Member Review in December, if you're interested in the details. We found it to be a little different from Silversea, and in some ways better.

 

We always loved the exceptional service on Silversea, but found that it was somehow a little better on Crystal. For example, when a dining venue didn't have a tea, wine, or jam that I requested, the waiter searched the ship and brought it to us (not our experience on our last SS cruise). Waiters learned our names and preferences from day one. Everyone did their utmost. Again, we always felt that Silversea's service was top notch, but Crystal manages to nudge it up a tad.

 

Yes, the Symphony's cabins are smaller than their Silversea counterparts, but they're very well designed, with plenty of storage. We don't spend much time there, so we were fine with it. The Serenity's cabins are larger. But if cabin size is a deal-breaker, look at the layouts carefully and think about your day-to-day needs. We're looking forward to Crystal's year-end announcement of their new ship, which apparently will offer open dining (like Silversea) and perhaps larger staterooms. Crystal is known for taking note of passenger comments (they send an extensive post-cruise questionnaire), so I'm sure the new build will provide exceptional features.

 

And yes, dining is assigned early/late seating, but it didn't bother us as much as we thought it would. As noted above, Crystal has a Dine by Reservation option for those who prefer to customize their dining times (these tables are limited and need to be booked before you board). We found the food to be exceptional, much better and more consistent than on SS. The Crystal Dining Room is happy to fulfill any off-menu request with 24 hours notice, so they can have the ingredients all ready for you. You can also dine in Prego (Italian) and Silk Road (Japanese) and, on the Serenity, Tastes. The Bistro cafe and bar is always open for light meals and snacks.

 

We really enjoyed the Lido Café's breakfast and lunch buffets, which changed daily. There were many more selections than on Silversea, more varied, and I have to say that they were more enticingly prepared.

 

Our November voyage had 840 passengers (out of 922 max.), but was considered 'full' because all cabins were filled, many with solo travelers. Crystal offers generous rates for singles. We feared feeling crowded on a larger ship, this wasn't the case at all. In fact, with many additional public venues, it didn't feel any more crowded than Silversea. And it was really nice to have a dedicated movie theater, plus more lectures and enrichment programs. We found the entertainment and production shows to be on a higher level of quality and more varied than on Silversea. This was also true in the intimate Avenue Saloon, where pianist, singer and raconteur Mark Farris supplied fabulous cabaret entertainment at night (and made it a point to welcome newcomers, a lovely touch).

 

If you haven't already done so, I'd encourage you to visit the Crystal board and chat with other CC members who've sailed on both lines. As I mentioned, we loved, loved, loved Silversea, and it was wrenching to break away. But, at least for now, our 4 upcoming voyages are all on Crystal. Please keep us posted and let us know what you decide!

[fudge]

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

Thank you once again for all your comments which we really appreciate. Without sounding patronising the wealth of information provided on this forum is indeed invaluable.

 

We are so novice when it comes to cruising, but we do enjoy the finer side of life, who doesn't?

 

This thread has taught me one lesson, SS really are one of the high end cruise lines however, if you read between the lines they don't quite steal the cruise market overall.

 

The information given in this thread really has set my mind racing. Thank you for taking the time to respond, we really do appreciate it.

[duct tape]

Please let us know what you decide and we look forward to your Crystal review! Enjoy.

[NCCruzQueen]

Thank you, you must let us know your experience please.

 

We are already booked for the Amazon cruise with SS in November, so thats us for this year. Can you have too much cruising? :):rolleyes:

 

fudge, I hope to write a short review on my return. You are so right, can't have too many cruises booked. Just need enough $$$ to pay for them all!! :D

[dafne]

Just returned from Our first Seabourn Cruise. If you want a small luxury cruise experience than Seabourn is the BEST!

 

After sailing on Silversea 3 times- there is no comparision between Silversea and Seabourn.

Seabourn is far Superior to Silversea in regards to FOOD and Service. Staff are more professional and polished on Seabourn.

 

 

We found on our last Silversea cruise a lot of the food was unedible.

 

We would never sail on Silversea again.

 

If you want a small ship luxury cruise experience than Seabourn is the Best Cruise Line!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Just returned from Our first Seabourn Cruise. If you want a small luxury cruise experience than Seabourn is the BEST!

 

After sailing on Silversea 3 times- there is no comparision between Silversea and Seabourn.

Seabourn is far Superior to Silversea in regards to FOOD and Service. Staff are more professional and polished on Seabourn.

 

 

We found on our last Silversea cruise a lot of the food was unedible.

 

We would never sail on Silversea again.

 

If you want a small ship luxury cruise experience than Seabourn is the Best Cruise Line!

 

Dafne,

 

Thanks so much for posting your comparison of SB compared with SS, and in particular with respect to food.

 

I've read you full review on the SB board amd it seems to me - and I have probably completely misunderstood - skewed towards quanity of the food ie super-sizing meals, and a fair amount about what us Brits consider fast food - or that is how it reads to me, rather than sort ofwhat most people think of as being SS or SB dining ie "fine dining" quality. To illustrate what I take from your review on the SB board, I quote your focus on double lamb chops for breakfast, huge bowls of quacomole in the afternoons, cheeseburgers with extra sides of mushrooms and onions, pizzas, icecreams and sorbets, double portion appetisers, a whole sea-bass for one, filet double-cut size, two lobster main course for one, triple desserts, etc etc.

 

Your experience of both lines is really helpful and I'm interested to hear more of the your comparison of the quality of other restaurant food and wondered whether you had any other comparions?

 

Thanks,

 

Jeff

[Keith1010]

One thing I would really be careful about is the best.

 

The best is what works for one person but that might not be what best is for the other.

 

For example what is the best food? Or what is the best car? How about the best vacation? What is the best place to go?

 

So, when someone says this cruise line is the best remember it is what was best for them and might not be best for someone else because if there was only one best luxury line I suspect that overtime they would be the only one around.

 

In the end each person needs to figure out what works "best" for them and the only way to do that is to try more than one line and then overtime figure out what works for you.

 

Keith

[UKCruiseJeff]

Oh exactly keith, never a truer word! :)

 

To many Daphne could have confirmed in her SB review two completely opposing and totally contradictory views for the reasons I mention. That is why Daphne's experience on both lines is helpful and why it is always good to ask questions. It helps position what is best for oneself.

 

:)

[dafne]

Yes you have misunderstood my review on Seabourn forum. The food had nothing to do with size of portions. I was saying the quality of food on Seabourn is far Superior to Silversea. I was just giving examples of some of the highlights of the food.

We had friends who just came back from a Silversea Cruise and they said the food was "FAIR".

 

Of course they still had a great time. But I will take an experience where the Food was great over food being "Fair".

 

When you are paying prices of Silversea- you should expect more than " FAIR"!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Thanks for clarifying.

 

:)

[Ravenscroft]

Dafne,

 

Thanks so much for posting your comparison of SB compared with SS, and in particular with respect to food.

 

I've read you full review on the SB board amd it seems to me - and I have probably completely misunderstood - skewed towards quanity of the food ie super-sizing meals, and a fair amount about what us Brits consider fast food - or that is how it reads to me, rather than sort ofwhat most people think of as being SS or SB dining ie "fine dining" quality. To illustrate what I take from your review on the SB board, I quote your focus on double lamb chops for breakfast, huge bowls of quacomole in the afternoons, cheeseburgers with extra sides of mushrooms and onions, pizzas, icecreams and sorbets, double portion appetisers, a whole sea-bass for one, filet double-cut size, two lobster main course for one, triple desserts, etc etc.

 

Your experience of both lines is really helpful and I'm interested to hear more of the your comparison of the quality of other restaurant food and wondered whether you had any other comparions?

 

Thanks,

 

Jeff

 

Jeff, I know your question is aimed at Dafne, but I have to chip in!

As a former Silversea cheerleader, now gone over to "the other side", I can say that the quality of the food on Seabourn, in our experience, is much better than on Silversea.

Yes, there is a fair amount of what we would consider to be fast food available on Seabourn, but it's decent quality and there are always other alternatives.

It sounds as if Dafne is referring mostly to the food at the Patio Grill, which is the most casual dining venue on board. It's actually not much different in the type of food on offer as the same venue on the SS ships during the daytime, I think it's called the Pool Grill on SS? It's just that the quality is better. It's perfect for those days when one's feeling too lazy to move away from the pool ;) But usually we prefer to have lunch in The Colonnade which offers either table service or self service food options, and the choices are completely different to the ones at the Patio Grill. Or there's the Restaurant which is another step up. But not always open every day :(

 

If Lux sees this thread I'm sure he'll comment too, but in his absence I'll speak for him (!) and say that he's a big SB fan and I can safely say he wouldn't continue to sail with them if the grub wasn't decent :D

 

The portion sizes are bigger on Seabourn, especially in the MDR. I can't eat more than two courses when we're dining in there, whereas on SS I used to eat four because of the smaller sizes. So, I'll concede that one!

 

I should add that our first SB cruise wasn't an immense success, for several reasons, but on reflection after we'd been home for a month or so, we agreed that even so, it had been better than SS. So we decided to take a short SB cruise to give them another chance, and I was completely won over. Hubby took a bit longer but now even he's over here on the dark side too.

[Ravenscroft]

I cross posted with Dafne.

[loujimbabe]

I wonder that too re: a world cruise!

 

Yes it is possible to do to much cruising. After our 5th World Cruise, we have decided 2 months is our new limit.

 

Seriously, if you have the time and the money, I strongly recommend you try it once. World Cruises are different in many ways. You do get into a routine of ship life. You have time to make friends that will last long after disembarkation.

 

As for the weight gain...If you cruise for 2 weeks, you may let yourself go and just indulge. When you are on for 4 months, you know you just can't do that.

[Mr Luxury]

I'll come in here and say that I have sailed over three hundred days on Silversea and always enjoyed myself but after a couple of hundred days on Seabourn I can report that the food and service have always been far superior to Silversea and the selection has always been bigger.

I have one pet hate and that is I much prefer to be served by European waiters rather than philippino waiters.

It is nothing personal but rather a professional issue.

European restaurant staff are much better.

I know why Silversea and some other cruise lines employ philippino restaurant staff and it has to do with how much they pay them,it's a shame but Silversea look at the bottom line rather than a more professional outlook for the guest.

[Mr Luxury]

Dafne,

 

Thanks so much for posting your comparison of SB compared with SS, and in particular with respect to food.

 

double lamb chops for breakfast, huge bowls of quacomole in the afternoons, cheeseburgers with extra sides of mushrooms and onions, pizzas, icecreams and sorbets, double portion appetisers, a whole sea-bass for one, filet double-cut size, two lobster main course for one, triple desserts, etc etc.

 

/QUOTE]

 

Nothing different to eating at your gaff Jeff?

[oregon50]

There is more to it than just the pay issue. Eight month, and very flexible contracts versus four month contracts. Imagine the cost savings in logistics and fewer office personnel to handle half the traffic.

[nfcu]

I'll come in here and say that I have sailed over three hundred days on Silversea and always enjoyed myself but after a couple of hundred days on Seabourn I can report that the food and service have always been far superior to Silversea and the selection has always been bigger.

I have one pet hate and that is I much prefer to be served by European waiters rather than philippino waiters.

It is nothing personal but rather a professional issue.

European restaurant staff are much better.

I know why Silversea and some other cruise lines employ philippino restaurant staff and it has to do with how much they pay them,it's a shame but Silversea look at the bottom line rather than a more professional outlook for the guest.

 

And I am the exact opposite. I much prefer "philippino" waiters than eastern Europeans - and that's what they are, eastern Europeans - who usually have zero personality and seem to rather be somewhere else than waiting tables.

[UKCruiseJeff]

And I am the exact opposite. I much prefer "philippino" waiters than eastern Europeans - and that's what they are, eastern Europeans - who usually have zero personality and seem to rather be somewhere else than waiting tables.

 

That is their charm.

 

Igor once told me not to leave the table to save him having to make it up for another passenger. He supplied me with grappa, and I saved him having to serve someone else. Seemed fair to me!

 

It was simply dry humour. Or in my case lubricated humour.

 

:)

[Ravenscroft]

And I am the exact opposite. I much prefer "philippino" waiters than eastern Europeans - and that's what they are, eastern Europeans - who usually have zero personality and seem to rather be somewhere else than waiting tables.

 

I'm confused. Are you saying that the Seabourn waiters are eastern Europeans? Or are you talking in a general way about eastern Europeans?

[Mr Luxury]

I'm confused. Are you saying that the Seabourn waiters are eastern Europeans? Or are you talking in a general way about eastern Europeans?

 

Perhaps we should ask if nfcu has been on Seabourn recently.

 

As you know there are some Eastern Europeans and some great South Africans also German,Austrians who usually make the best Hotel managers and some from Chile,UK and some lovely staff from Argentina.

Much more professional than what I have experienced on Silversea after three hundred and twenty one days aboard.

[Ravenscroft]

Perhaps we should ask if nfcu has been on Seabourn recently.

 

As you know there are some Eastern Europeans and some great South Africans also German,Austrians who usually make the best Hotel managers and some from Chile,UK and some lovely staff from Argentina.

Much more professional than what I have experienced on Silversea after three hundred and twenty one days aboard.

 

I was going to ask nfcu when his/her last Seabourn cruise was, but I wondered if I'd perhaps misunderstood the post!

 

Agreed. There are indeed some eastern Europeans, but if anything they're in the minority in my experience. We found the majority on Sojourn in March were South African, with a great mix of many countries represented, in particular from the south American countries. The crew from Europe were from all over the continent.

[Mr Luxury]

I was going to ask nfcu when his/her last Seabourn cruise was, but I wondered if I'd perhaps misunderstood the post!

 

Agreed. There are indeed some eastern Europeans, but if anything they're in the minority in my experience. We found the majority on Sojourn in March were South African, with a great mix of many countries represented, in particular from the south American countries. The crew from Europe were from all over the continent.

 

That's right.

I think the only Filippinos were a band on the smaller ships and deck maintenance crew on all of the ships.

None in the restaurant.

Edited May 30, 2014 by Mr Luxury