Silver cloud FLL to FLL cruise in January , 2015

[lenclan]

We just came off the Silver Spirit Cruise of Adriatic sea ( 7 day Athens to Venice) and loved it!

 

Considering doing 11 day Silver Cloud cruise in January FLL to FLL ( Caribbean)

How will if differ from Silver Spirit one? It has more at sea days…

 

How is the food? ship condition? Suites? clientele? pool deck at Silver Cloud compared to Spirit 7 day Adriatic sea cruise.

 

Considering 7 day on Cloud in Feb as well - San Juan to San Juan ..

Which one is better? More value for money?

 

Please advise. Any comments/recommendations appreciated.

 

Thanks!!

[duct tape]

The Cloud is smaller. The decor is different. The crew is just as outstanding as the Spirit crew. The pool is actually the same size or maybe a little larger. The suites have great storage. The public areas and dining venues are quieter. Some people complain about the bathrooms, shower in tub. Most of that problem has been resolved with the installation of walk-in showers. Give it a go. You will not regret it. If you were happy on the Spirit, you will love the Cloud!

[lenclan]

Thanks a lot for your reply! Looking forward to a great trip.

Some people ship the ships looks older and worn out? Does it show?

I know it got some refurbishment in 2012.

Cabins / balconies are smaller compared to Spirit?

What kind of crowd shall we expect in january on 11 days FLL to FLL cruise? Any kids?

[Emtbsam]

If you go to the website, you can check out the size of the suites on the deck plan. The Veranda suites on the Cloud are 280 square feet, I believe, while those on the Spirit are around 380 square feet. The cabins that have the new stall shower on the Cloud are very well done, but there is not a lot of storage area on the vanity. The bathrooms on the Spirit have a separate tub and stall shower, and the vanities are larger.

 

Overall, the suites on the Spirit are narrower and longer than those on the Cloud which leaves the feeling of much more space in the living area. Some people complain that there is not enough room at the foot of the bed for someone to walk past if the other person is seated at the vanity.

 

The Spirit verandas are deeper and less wide than those on the Cloud which feels roomier somehow.

 

The Cloud is now a grand old dame and at times mechanical systems show their age. None the less, the Cloud is a wonderful ship and has one of the best crews in the fleet. There is a much more intimate feel on the Cloud than on the Spirit, and in our opinion, the layout of the public rooms is far superior on the Cloud.

 

The Spirit does give you a greater choice of dining venues if that is important, and it has the wonderful observation lounge which the Cloud does not have. I prefer the gym on the Cloud since it faces forward, but if you are tall, the low ceiling can be claustrophobic.

 

Hope that is helpful.

[lenclan]

Thanks! That is very helpful.

Turns out the only cabins left are on deck 5 upfront.

How noisy is that? How to find out if our assigned cabin has a new walk in shower or all of them do by now?

If we waitlist for mid ship verandas- how high are the chances they become avalaible?

Thank you again for all your time and help!

[duct tape]

If you are in ports where anchoring is required, you will be awakened by the sound from the anchor. Or, maybe you are an early riser and it is not an issue. Your TA can get the bath/shower info or you can call Ft L. Since it is sailing from Ft. L. There may be lots of Floridians. Also at that time of the year the kids should be back in school. Enjoy!

[lenclan]

Thank you for your replies!

I think we will give it a try. Hope Shadow is as stable in the water as Spirit is. We barely felt any shakiness during 7 day Adriatic sea cruise.

Does the pool deck get really busy on the sea days or there is still enough space for everybody? We have 4 full at sea days.

[duct tape]

There will be space, although crowded on sea days. If there are no loungers available (chair hogs), just ask the pool guys to bring one out for you. Enjoy!

[TLCOhio]

The Cloud is smaller. The decor is different. The crew is just as outstanding as the Spirit crew. The pool is actually the same size or maybe a little larger. The suites have great storage. The public areas and dining venues are quieter. Some people complain about the bathrooms, shower in tub. Most of that problem has been resolved with the installation of walk-in showers. Give it a go. You will not regret it. If you were happy on the Spirit, you will love the Cloud!

 

Emtbsam: The Cloud is now a grand old dame and at times mechanical systems show their age. None the less' date=' the Cloud is a wonderful ship and has one of the best crews in the fleet. There is a much [b']more intimate feel on the Cloud[/b] than on the Spirit, and in our opinion, the layout of the public rooms is far superior on the Cloud.

 

Appreciate these great summary points and comparisons from Emtbsam and wonderful duct tape. We were fortunate to sail on the Silver Cloud in July 2010 along the Norway coast with her and other great people. We are planning a Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Silver Cloud Amazon River-Caribbean combo back-to-back sailing over 26 days. It will be fun to re-visit the Cloud, see the new bathrooms, etc.

 

Great to read the "Cloud is now a grand old dame", plus the nice comments on the great crew/staff, etc. Will do a live/blog with lots of pictures on the Silver Cloud, plus the eleven island ports and the Amazon River stops that we will visit.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 158,066 views. Nice to be hitting this high of a level for viewership. Appreciate the interest and follow-up questions/comments!!

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923