Review From Our Recent Silversea Voyage - Silver Spirit - January 7 2016

[Mark_K]

Diet drinks are not good for you. We don't drink soda but it is funny when someone orders a Diet Coke or Coke Zero with Rum which is all sugar. Read this.

 

http://authoritynutrition.com/why-is-diet-soda-bad-for-you/

 

 

A rum & Coke has close to 40 grams of carbs, a rum & Diet Coke has zero grams of carbs, maybe the people ordering them are on low carb diets.

[Keith1010]

Diet drinks are not good for you. We don't drink soda but it is funny when someone orders a Diet Coke or Coke Zero with Rum which is all sugar. Read this.

 

http://authoritynutrition.com/why-is-diet-soda-bad-for-you/

 

That's correct.

 

And most doctors have told me that.

 

We just have it in moderation.

 

Keith

[Suite Travels]

A rum & Coke has close to 40 grams of carbs, a rum & Diet Coke has zero grams of carbs, maybe the people ordering them are on low carb diets.

 

Well if you read the statistics it does not help people on a low carb diet it actually backfires. The artificial sweeteners are the killer. Thankfully I have a doctor in my family and he is big on nutrition. You do need some sugar in your diet but not copious amounts.

 

Back to topic.

[wripro]

Henry thank you so very much for your comments. I hope that one day we will be on the same voyage with you. I hope that you have a nice experience on the Shadow and I hope you are pleased with the itinerary.

 

Again, for us we enjoyed the Spirit more than the Shadow so in terms of expectations not sure if that is more reflective of the ship or even the staff on board and that we sailed the Shadow in 2009. If La Champagne is like Spirit I would recommend dining there. Not sure why we enjoyed the Italian Specialty Restaurant so much and so much that we dined twice whereas we didn't care for it in 2009. But again for me another reminder why sometimes a first experience anywhere is not always indicative of what the next experience will be like and for us I have seen that play out on land and at sea and on land at restaurants and even hotels.

 

Henry, best to you.

 

Keith

 

I would love nothing better than to be on the same ship with you and Anne-Marie.

 

I've already made reservations for Le Champagne so will let you know how it goes.

 

Henry

[Silver Spectre]

Keith, thanks for an excellent, well balanced review. Glad that you enjoyed your voyage.

 

The Spirit hasn't always been our first choice for an SS voyage (ports or voyage depending), but when we have been onboard, Stars, Seishen and the wonderful open area at the back of the Panorama make up for its other deficiencies.

[apuleius]

Keith

I do have one other criticism concerning the food - I thought the breakfast buffet selection in la Terazza was poor - particularly the quality of items offered. This hadn't changed from our Shadow experience of 2013. Only low fat yoghurt cartons available, no greek yogurt, no berries (other than strawberries) and a very boring and unchanging selection of fresh fruit. There were also bowls of TINNED fruit - really! The walnuts ran out on day 3 .... No granola either although I noticed it could be ordered off the room service menu. The variety of bread offered was limited and it was all pre cut. I'm very fussy about my breakfast choices! We never ate breakfast in the MDR as it looked empty and sad ...

SB definitely wins out here.

Joanna

[Kilroyshere]

Keith

I do have one other criticism concerning the food - I thought the breakfast buffet selection in la Terazza was poor - particularly the quality of items offered. This hadn't changed from our Shadow experience of 2013. Only low fat yoghurt cartons available, no greek yogurt, no berries (other than strawberries) and a very boring and unchanging selection of fresh fruit. There were also bowls of TINNED fruit - really! The walnuts ran out on day 3 .... No granola either although I noticed it could be ordered off the room service menu. The variety of bread offered was limited and it was all pre cut. I'm very fussy about my breakfast choices! We never ate breakfast in the MDR as it looked empty and sad ...

SB definitely wins out here.

Joanna

 

Agreed on every point you made.

[spinnaker2]

Joanna,

Did you ask the waitstaff for any of the breakfast items you wanted?

If we don't see it out at buffet, we ask.

The only times berries were unavailable were after a long number of consecutive sea days.

Silversea generally has lots of yogurt choices, including Greek and no fat.

Also whenever we wanted an omelet or other egg items, it's prepared to our specifications and brought by the waitstaff.

We also order Americano coffees and espresso, which is brought by the server.

They usually will bend over backwards to please you.

[Kilroyshere]

Joanna,

Did you ask the waitstaff for any of the breakfast items you wanted?

If we don't see it out at buffet, we ask. The only times berries were unavailable were after a long number of consecutive sea days.Silversea generally has lots of yogurt choices, including Greek and no fat...They usually will bend over backwards to please you.

 

This was an 8 day cruise out of Port Everglades to Port Everglades. There's no excuse for not having a variety of berries other than strawberries and serving canned fruit instead.

 

There was no Greek yogurt and we did request it.

[apuleius]

I agree with Kilroyshere. I requested and there was no greek yoghurt on board. When I requested berries it took 20 minutes and I got strawberries plus 2 blackberries! I can't understand why the fruit was so poor it was a round trip FLL-FLL. On a positive note the coffee (Illy) was good throughout the ship at breakfast or otherwise. I always popped along to the bar lounge to get my first 'coffee hit' of the day and Jose always knew to make my verveine tea to take back to the cabin (I hate the intrusion of early morning room service).

[Suite Travels]

Keith, you will be coming HOME to Crystal soon and you and Anne Marie are missed by many.

 

We tried SS twice on the Shadow and the two cruises were not good as far as food quality and entertainment almost nonexistent. I cannot see how SS can call themselves luxury.

[Kilroyshere]

...as far as food quality and entertainment almost nonexistent. I cannot see how SS can call themselves luxury.

 

Agreed.

[Keith1010]

Joanna, my experience on other cruise lines is that often the fruit is the same but from time to time availability is an issue. I have sailed on cruises of 100+ days for each cruise on another line and sometimes something is unavailable. And on some other lines I've sailed sometime Greek Yogurt is not available.

 

For us we went to the buffet each time when we sailed Shadow in 2009 and enjoyed it but we really have a simple breakfast. Oatmeal or Cereal and a banana.

 

Coffee was about the best I've had on any cruise lines

 

Funny you mentioned about the dining room being empty. On our first Seaburn cruise we went to the dining room and we were the only one there. So after that we went to their buffet area.

 

Miles, thanks for the nice comments. I am so glad that each cruise line and even ship within a line has different focuses. This way each of us can figure out which works best for them. We are just thankful that there is a lot of choice out there and that we have the means to decide which ones work for us.

 

I hope that the choice continues.

 

Keith

[apuleius]

To redress some of the criticisms on this thread and Kilroyshere's data thread I would add:

 

There is a nice cream station at the lunch buffet.

 

There was a deck bbq and buffet on the first sea day of our sailing. I was looking forward to another but the weather on the second sea day was atrocious.

 

I agree with Keith: the speciality coffee (americano, cappuccino, macchiato etc) was the best I've had at sea and could be ordered in all bars and restaurants. Fresh mint tea was also available.

 

Re lack of fresh fruit and fresh squeezed juice we used to stay in a 5* hotel on the Italian riviera when our children were little. The restaurant had a Michelin star but at breakfast there was tinned fruit and frozen OJ! Go figure - maybe it's an Italian thing!

 

Joanna

[Keith1010]

Joanna, great information as usual.

 

You can see what I don't pay attention to (ice cream and the barbecue) but glad you caught that.

 

Joanna interesting perspective about the fruit. When we were in Italy we saw the same thing in terms of some fruit being canned.

 

So, between what you have posted and what I posted it sounds like there was a good amount of misinformation in the review. Again, not opinion but fact.

 

To the original poster and anyone else who cares, I would add the following:

 

I would also add that in the perfect world there would have been one more lecturer but that really would be it on only an eight day cruise with only two sea days.

 

But this is something I spoke with in my review.

 

Each cruise line has x dollars that they will spend based on the revenue they take in and based on the profit they are trying to realize.

 

Someone on a Crystal Cruise in 2015 went on and on to complain to us at dinner one night how terrible it was that they had to do their own laundry and that Crystal didn't provide it complimentary like Regent. Knowing how much more he liked the lecturers on Crystal I asked him would you prefer to have less lecturers as they do on Regent? His answer was no. Well, I said that if Crystal cut back on lecturers the would free up rooms and take in more revenue and then offset that and not charge for laundry.

 

Even how they use space varies by cruise line and even ship. For a ship the size of Spirit I was surprised at how many restaurants they had. And I will tell you even with a fee the Japanese and Le Champagne were very special.

 

In short, they each have their style. If they were the same that would be ridiculous. What would they compete on; price.

 

I don't think it is realistic to cherry pick and say I want this and this and this from cruise line a and this and this and this from b and so forth.

 

Each line has a different emphasis even though they are all providing a luxury product.

 

Seabourn has Caviar and all you can eat, but it doesn't have something else that Crystal or Silversea or Regent (not sure how Regent treats caviar) has.

 

And each line has evolved their products overtime. Some have enhanced them while also cutting certain things back.

 

Even Ritz Carlton who used to have Caviar on the Club Floor no longer does this and Ritz Carlton who used to have massive flowers in the lobby areas cut back own that. Four Seasons cut back on slippers (now they are thongs), bathroom products and the size of the water they provide in the evening.

 

Happy Friday.

 

Keith

[Pennoir]

I have so enjoyed these comments and Keith, your balanced and thoughtful review and responses to people's comments. I have only cruised once, last year on the Shadow SF to Vancouver. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience but was conscious of being a newbie with no reference points other than what I read here. I enjoyed it so much I booked my next cruise and I am off to the Baltic in May on the Whisper. As my late husband used to say it is all about managing expectations- if they are realistic you are likely to be pleasantly surprised on many an occasion [emoji3] To high and you are bound to disappointed most of the time.

 

Thank you again for your thoughtful and balanced approach.

[Keith1010]

Penner, thank you so very much for your very kind and very thoughtful comments.

 

Your husband had the right approach.

 

I wish you a wonderful cruise when you sail the Baltics.

 

Best to you.

 

Keith

[Suite Travels]

Keith as I have known you for many years and always give great advice and after over a total of 100 cruises and not just Crystal I still learn from you. You could write a book as good as Douglas Ward.

 

I also enjoy reading TravelCat2 on her adventures on Regent. You really learn so much from people on CC so you can be a bit guided as to what to do in your travels. I for one appreciate it.

 

Cruise Critic has been a wonderful resource of information for all cruise lines.

[Rotterdam]

Keith as I have known you for many years and always give great advice and after over a total of 100 cruises and not just Crystal I still learn from you. You could write a book as good as Douglas Ward.

 

I also enjoy reading TravelCat2 on her adventures on Regent. You really learn so much from people on CC so you can be a bit guided as to what to do in your travels. I for one appreciate it.

 

Cruise Critic has been a wonderful resource of information for all cruise lines.

 

anyone can voice their opinion on these boards....facts are few and far in between the opinions..anyone that did not sail on the true luxury lines pre Carnival Corp days has no comparison to make. The business has changed greatly & what one cares to pay for their "luxury" is up to that individual.

 

But certainly the lines today do not hold a candle to what luxury was pre carnival corp days. As long as people buy into the marketing of these lines they will sell,,,but certainly Crystal and Seabourn leave a great deal to be desired. Silversea may be a bit more exclusive but buying into any of it is up to the individual.

[Keith1010]

Miles, thank you so much for your very nice comments. Best to you and Dan.

 

Rotterdam, I was fortunate to have begun cruising well before the Carnival Days sailing on my first cruise at the age of 12.

 

Yes, Cruise Lines do things differently than many years ago; but while there have been cutbacks (true for airline, hotels, and many other services provided even at supermarkets), they also have enhanced their products in many ways including the size of suites, diversity of dining, amenities offered and a range of other items.

 

Some changes were driven by cutting costs. Others by changes in technology and still others based on what the public wants.

 

Something I learned from lecturer Bill Miller who lectures on certain lines such as Crystal and Cunard is the importance of Carnival to the Cruise Line Industry. Carnival brought many first time cruisers to the fold because of their pricing, many of them who over the years as their wealth increased moved up to other lines including the luxury lines. Carnival also saved many cruise lines from going bankrupt (Cunard, Seabourn, Holland, etc.). Yes, they had to make changes to the business plan because for many lines the business plan was not working.

 

Luxury might have been nice in the "old" days but nice is not good if the cruise lines went out of business.

 

And that is what a cruise line is. It's a business. They want to make money. If it was so easy to make everything as it was and make money they would do that. It's about balance.

 

And as we get older some of us think how great the "old" days were forgetting that things were not as good as we might remember but we were younger and some were new to us. This includes stepping on a cruise ship for the first few times and being wowed not having experienced this before or being wowed with cuisine because we had never had that before. Even our own taste buds change as we age so food today might not be as tasty as it was in the old days.

 

Yes, the old days have gone by but there is certainly a lot of good in todays' environment. We can't bring back the old days but rather than comparing today to back then we just need to enjoy today. Remember life is short.

 

Keith

[apuleius]

Actually the only thing that really disappointed us big time on this cruise was the weather and unfortunately there's nothing one can do about that! It was the worst weather we have ever experienced on a holiday!

[TLCOhio]

the truth of the matter is.... anyone can voice their opinion on these boards....facts are few and far in between the opinions..anyone that did not sail on the true luxury lines pre Carnival Corp days has no comparison to make. The business has changed greatly & what one cares to pay for their "luxury" is up to that individual. But certainly the lines today do not hold a candle to what luxury was pre carnival corp days. As long as people buy into the marketing of these lines they will sell,,,but certainly Crystal and Seabourn leave a great deal to be desired. Silversea may be a bit more exclusive but buying into any of it is up to the individual.

 

As always, excellent reporting, details and perspective from Keith. Appreciate his wonderful sharing, time and patience.

 

On the debates about "luxury" versus "ultra luxury", the sailing "good old days", our cruising experiences did not start until 2006 in doing our first cruise with Seabourn in the Greek Islands, etc. Then Crystal for the Baltics/Russia in 2008. Have done three cruises with Silversea and two with Celebrity since those first two cruises with Seabourn and Crystal. We are focused most on our priority destinations, reaching key ports and getting good "value". Silversea worked very well early last year for the Amazon River and expect good results starting early next month for us in doing South Africa on the Silver Cloud again. Overall, our experiences with these upscale cruises have been very good. Each cruise, even with the luxury lines, has had a few little items that could have been better and/or closer to being "perfect". BUT, like Keith and others, we do not worry on the "small" items and focus instead on the overall very good benefits and experiences we have enjoyed.

 

I do not focus and/or worry too much on the "marketing hype" by any of the cruise lines. For us, it is about where we want to go, getting good service, food and value, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 134,304 views for this posting.

[Keith1010]

Actually the only thing that really disappointed us big time on this cruise was the weather and unfortunately there's nothing one can do about that! It was the worst weather we have ever experienced on a holiday!

 

Yes, weather was not the highlight of the cruise. Thank goodness we were not sailing from New York City today. Now that is weather. :D

 

Best to you.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

As always, excellent reporting, details and perspective from Keith. Appreciate his wonderful sharing, time and patience.

 

On the debates about "luxury" versus "ultra luxury", the sailing "good old days", our cruising experiences did not start until 2006 in doing our first cruise with Seabourn in the Greek Islands, etc. Then Crystal for the Baltics/Russia in 2008. Have done three cruises with Silversea and two with Celebrity since those first two cruises with Seabourn and Crystal. We are focused most on our priority destinations, reaching key ports and getting good "value". Silversea worked very well early last year for the Amazon River and expect good results starting early next month for us in doing South Africa on the Silver Cloud again. Overall, our experiences with these upscale cruises have been very good. Each cruise, even with the luxury lines, has had a few little items that could have been better and/or closer to being "perfect". BUT, like Keith and others, we do not worry on the "small" items and focus instead on the overall very good benefits and experiences we have enjoyed.

 

I do not focus and/or worry too much on the "marketing hype" by any of the cruise lines. For us, it is about where we want to go, getting good service, food and value, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 134,304 views for this posting.

 

Terry, as usual very well said.

 

Looking forward to following your upcoming travels.

 

Keith

[KirkNC]

Outstanding review Keith!