Master Echo’s first Moon Shot - July 28. - Aug 7

[cece50]

1 hour ago, sfvoyage said:

 

I hadn't planned on starting a new thread to point out my observations and the differences (that are important to me) because I wouldn't want to potentially hurt the feelings of posters on this board whom I have found very nice and helpful.

 

In any case, I will go ahead with some high level observations and hope I won't offend or upset anyone.  As noted, we all have our own likes and biases and points of references.  I will try to be more factual than emotional and fully understand if some of you will disagree.

 

I think my main source of disappointment concerns the entertainment and enrichment on board.  To start, on Seabourn, there are 4 singers and 2 dancers, and they are talented performers, even though the productions are more intimate and cannot compare to mega shows featured on mega ships.

 

Frankly I was shocked by the caliber of the 6 singers on Silversea.  While they were all very personable, engaging, and enthusiastic, unfortunately I wouldn't rate them as professional singers - their singing and especially harmonizing was below standard.  It didn't help that they had to perform to taped music in a show with low production value (i.e. costumes, scenic design and sets).

 

At first I thought maybe I was unluckily stuck with Cast "C", but a regular Silversea couple raved about those performers, so I assume they were of typical standard.

 

I think the lack of a live band was sorely missed.  Seabourn has a very talented 5-person band that accompanies all productions, including guest entertainers.  Speaking of which, there were no guest entertainers and no local entertainers brought onto the ship.  (Iceland is open to visitors who are fully vaccinated and tested negative, so I don't think this is covid-related.)

 

The live band and the Seabourn Singers and other singers plus the cruise director and assistant cruise director would lead a high energy and fun dance party on deck, which is very popular and enjoyed by all.   

 

On my cruise, there was no assistant cruise director.  "Big Bob" was the cruise director and was a very nice guy with a great voice and personality but apparently no performing background.

 

I was also surprised by the complete lack of enrichment lecturers.  All we had was one guy who gave destination talks once in a while.  On Seabourn, there would be experts in various fields such as history, culture, geography etc.  They are mostly professors, authors, politicians, business leaders, retired generals, etc.

 

The other major disappointment concerns trivia, which on Seabourn is a major affair with high attendance and popularity.  (On one cruise, almost half the passengers participated.)  Each time, there'd be 3 rounds of 5 questions per round, plus a bonus question at the end.  At the end of each round, there'd be an answer recap by each team, with lots of laughs, mockery and bonhomie.  There'd also be daily prizes for the winning team and a cumulative winning team with all sorts of prizes.  On Silversea, trivia was run with efficiency but little fun or flair:  one round straight through of 20 questions, with score tallying at the end by another team or by ourselves.

 

Other missing activities included (some of which could be covid-related):  no cooking demonstration, no bridge tour, no LGBTQ or Friends of Bill gatherings, no Shopping with the Chef (this is Iceland-related, as the towns are just too small), no Galley Market Lunch, few hosted activities/games with prizes, no Epicurean Event on deck, no Neighborhood Block Party (this is actually a plus for me, as I would hide and not participate in this most of the time).

 

Officers did not circulate and engage with guests.  In fact, I only saw the Hotel Director twice:  at the officers introduction on Day One in the show lounge and at the end when he was helping out with the rapid-antigen testing.  Same with the Captain - I only saw him twice on stage:  on Day One and at the farewell reception with crew parade.  The F&B manager was more present throughout the ship.  On Seabourn, officers and senior staff are ever-present and always engaging with guests.  In fact, they have a morning coffee social hour most days for guests to mingle with senior officers in Seabourn Square.

 

Seabourn solicits customer feedback proactively and takes them very seriously.  I'd always thoughtfully fill out the mid-cruise survey (not a thing on Silversea) with mostly praises for various staff plus a few constructive feedback.  All feedback is acknowledged promptly.  Any issue is dealt with quickly and in a meaningful way.  On my cruise, I encountered one major issue:  meat was accidentally put into my dish.  This was unexpected, as the executive chef and Restaurant Manager had met with me on Day One and had given me the impression that my vegetarian/vegan dietary requirements would be no problem whatsoever.  I didn't make a big deal with this issue; after all, we are all humans, and mistakes do happen despite our best intentions at times.

 

However, I was surprised at the lack of acknowledgement and attempt at service recovery.  On Seabourn, such an incident would have triggered, without any prompting on my part, a series of apologies, e.g. call from guest services manager, handwritten note from the executive chef and/or Hotel Director, and a service recovery gesture such as a bottle of revenue wine.  Again, I do not make a fuss or need to gain something, but it is reassuring that management cares about me.

 

Again, I hope I haven't upset anybody, and I welcome your feedback and questions. As mentioned, some of the issues may be related to covid or an older ship such as the Shadow.    

We have had the fortune to sail on both Seabourn & Silversea.  We sailed the newer ships, Encore, Ovation and the Muse and were scheduled for the Dawn this September but alas….Covid.   I have always said I would be hard pressed to say which one I prefer.  There are some differences, but they seem to be a wash for us as both have mostly positives.  I agree that the Seabourn entertainers are a bit more professional and maybe a bit more talented , but SS ensemble were just as entertaining on stage and mingling with guests.  We really don’t sail for the entertainment value, but just enjoy a night of music, dance, etc.  I love the color scheme of Seabourn with its dark blue and gleaming wood but SS is lovely in a different way, with soft colors.  What did stand out for us was Seabourn cruise directors.  Of course, Ross & Handre are two of the best in the business.  Our SS director was great, just different than Seabourn.   To us, Seabourn had a bit more energy on deck with live music and most guests were very engaged.  Silversea was a bit more subdued, but sometimes that’s all we needed.  Not sure there was really an age difference per se, but on both cruises on Seabourn, guests seemed a bit younger and more casual.  We loved that too.  Seabourn Square is the heart of the ship & we loved it,  Dolce Vita Lounge on SS did not appeal to us.  I do think they changed the layout, so when we eventually sail on the Dawn, we may be pleasantly surprised.  Same with the corresponding Observation Lounge….Seabourn was lively, SS a bit more subdued.  However, the Art’s Cafe on SS was one of my fav places, while my husband was over the moon about the Connoisseurs Lounge where he spend many a night chatting with fellow cigar aficionados.  Unfortunately, cigarette smoking is allowed and pretty much defeats the purpose of the lounge.  We truly love both lines for their food.  We liked Thomas Keller Grill, but loved the diversity of restaurants on SS.  Honestly, we love good food and were never disappointed on either line.  We count our blessings that  both lines are available to us as we are partial to each of them in a different way.  This may sound a bit “wishy washy” but it is exactly how we feel.  Maybe the difference in opinions lies in the cruiser and how much they cruise.  We are newbies with only 3 cruises under our belt, so we may see more positives because we are so thrilled to be doing this.  Seasoned cruisers have more experience and more cruises to see bigger differences and negatives.  Since we don’t cruise that often, we go all out with Penthouse Suites and Silver Suites,  so everything seems so special on both lines…..but that free laundry every day on SS is a beautiful thing!  Mark our butler on the Muse was our angel.  We were spoiled rotten.  

Edited August 14, 2021 by cece50

[Stumblefoot]

7 hours ago, sfvoyage said:

However, my just-finished Silversea cruise has greatly renewed my appreciation for Seabourn, which I now realize I had started taking for granted.  So much was missing on Silversea that is meaningful for me that I can't wait to get back on Seabourn in a couple of months.   

 

1 hour ago, sfvoyage said:

I hadn't planned on starting a new thread to point out my observations and the differences (that are important to me) because I wouldn't want to potentially hurt the feelings of posters on this board whom I have found very nice and helpful.

Thank you for taking the time to provide the context for your comment in your post cruise post.  It was very helpful.

[Lois R]

So basically, you really did not enjoy much of anything on SS......  We all have different likes and dislikes.....I have found the staff extremely friendly and have gotten to know them and interact with them on every sailing. 🙂

Your views don't upset me, just a bit surprised about how many negative things your cruise experience brought you. 

[sfvoyage]

9 minutes ago, Lois R said:

So basically, you really did not enjoy much of anything on SS?  We all have different likes and dislikes.....I have found the staff extremely friendly and have gotten to know them and interact with them on every sailing. 🙂

Your views don't upset me, just a bit surprised about how many negative things your cruise experience brought you.

No that's not the case at all.  As mentioned, I was pointing out the things that were missing on SS and that I have been accustomed to on Seabourn. It was not a comprehensive review by any means.

 

The service was outstanding on SS, but in very different way than Seabourn, whose staff is more international.  Both are equally good, just different style.

 

A standout was the Italian restaurant La Terrazza at night, with its authentic Italian chef and food.  The fresh pasta was veggie-friendly and delicious.

 

The house champagnes (Monopole and Pommery) were equally good as Seabourn's Montaudon.  The house white wines were equally cheap, but I managed to find a couple that I enjoyed.

 

The room service menu is more extensive and interesting.  There are granola bars in the gym.

 

If I think of anything else, I'll come back with additions.

 

I don't want to give anyone the impression that I didn't enjoy the cruise.  I immensely enjoyed the voyage and Iceland's many majestic wonders.  But at the same time, I was asked to point out what I found lacking, and hence my input.

Edited August 14, 2021 by sfvoyage

[Lois R]

Ok. Gotcha......but I was just pointing out that in my opinion, it sounds like you missed more things than you enjoyed. That's all.

[MHF]

Surprised to hear about no mid-cruise survey on Ss Iceland.  I know there was one when we did Alaska years ago because I remember commenting on the lack of crab legs and some showed up for us!  There was also one on the Carib 2019 where I commented on the DJ needing improvement and the CD said something to me the next day about working on it.

 

I am looking at Seabourn for 2023.  Have been on Regent and was not a true convert but would go back if itinerary was good.

 

Missy in MD who would get on a Ss cruise NOW with no survey required!

[Lois R]

Hi Missy, good to see you again🙂 I will be on Muse next week!

 

I have never sailed Seabourn or Regent so I cannot give a comparison........I did just hop over to the Seabourn forum and read some of the postings.......many critics of SS (or it seems so).😲

[Gourmet Gal]

Thanks for the generous response to my request for more info.  I did not find your observations overly negative at all.  I can’t help but think that perhaps the quality of entertainment, mingling from staff, bridge tour and energy level could possibly be Covid related. I know it sounds like a cliché, good help is hard to find, but especially now.  Have you also sailed Seabourn since Covid?  That might be a more relevant comparison.  Thanks again.

[saminina]

Many items SFO pointed out as missing on SS were, in fact, one time features.   Friends of Bill mentioned daily in the paper.   Not so Friends of Dorothy.    One night of drinking with some hotel side officers in The Bar I asked to have Friends of Dorothy put into the daily paper.   Staff meeting the next morning left fellow officers bewildered, but as promised, it was printed.   Once.   

 

Shadow is....or was home to one of the truly idiot hotel directors at sea.   Not sure  he is still on board.

Several good guys in that position have ended  up on SB.

[sfvoyage]

1 hour ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Thanks for the generous response to my request for more info.  I did not find your observations overly negative at all.  I can’t help but think that perhaps the quality of entertainment, mingling from staff, bridge tour and energy level could possibly be Covid related. I know it sounds like a cliché, good help is hard to find, but especially now.  Have you also sailed Seabourn since Covid?  That might be a more relevant comparison.  Thanks again.

 

I will sail Seabourn in October (fingers crossed!) and will be able to give a first hand account afterwards.  However, passengers currently and recently on Seabourn have reported that all is normal - with all the normal entertainment activities and options just like before.

 

BTW, the fact that I was pointing out what is missing on Silversea compared to Seabourn does not mean that I necessarily wanted or needed all those activities - some of which are not relevant or interesting to me.  In fact, for the port-intensive Icelandic voyage that I was just on, it was a blessing in disguise - I was not tempted to stay up late due to the lack of entertainment options and as a result got more sleep than usual.  So all was not lost! 🙂 

[lincslady]

These comparisons of cruise lines are a real poisoned chalice, as I have discovered.  You are almost bound to upset or annoy someone, even when you try to be tactful.  I certainly won't be doing any more.

 

Lola

[Master Echo]

Saminina,

 

There was the usual mid-cruise comment form on my recent Moon cruise, which i completed and received a reply from the HD.  this is normal on SS.

 

i have never sailed with, or heard of, a CD called 'big Bob'.  perhaps others have.

 

who was the HD on your cruise please?

 

kindest regards

 

Master Echo

[brimary]

Totally agree with Lincslady post.Our experience of SS annually since 1997 has been the total opposite to that described by SFV post and still enjoy personal friendships with many SS crew from the past as well as having so many happy memories of past and present SS cruises.Never been on Seabourn and have no intention of changing lines!

[lincslady]

brimary - I have cruised both these lines, on quit e a few occasions, so do feel qualified to comment on the differences.  However, I have decided not to do so again!

 

Lola

[Silver Spectre]

14 hours ago, ronrick1943 said:

Yes I agree, I’s like to hear what you think you are missing.  Because my understanding from people we know on Seabourn right know and just got off Silverseas thinks the major different s is the dress code.  They think Seabourn is much more casual.  

I appreciate that you come from a culture that like to modify our beautiful language, but could you please note it is Silversea and not Silverseas.

 

As far as the comparison goes between Seabourn and Silversea I am eternally grateful that Silversea has not gone down the American Party Boat route and doesn’t have a block party.

[frantic36]

25 minutes ago, Silver Spectre said:

As far as the comparison goes between Seabourn and Silversea I am eternally grateful that Silversea has not gone down the American Party Boat route and doesn’t have a block party.

 

Don't worry there are some of us regular Seabourn Sailors avoid the Block Party as well 😀. I am usually getting ready for dinner and so it is a good excuse to stay in my suite. 

 

I must admit I have only done one SS voyage on Shadow which didn't appeal but friends who have similar tastes who didn't enjoy Whisper but loved Muse and now Moon have convinced me to try the larger SS ships.

 

I will say I really appreciated the staff in the MDR on Shadow they truly were lovely. Because of them we cancelled our second booking of La Dame because we decided we would rather spend money on premium wines and have time with delightful staff there rather then another so-so experience in La Dame.

Edited August 14, 2021 by frantic36

[saminina]

49 minutes ago, Master Echo said:

Saminina,

 

There was the usual mid-cruise comment form on my recent Moon cruise, which i completed and received a reply from the HD.  this is normal on SS.

 

i have never sailed with, or heard of, a CD called 'big Bob'.  perhaps others have.

 

who was the HD on your cruise please?

 

kindest regards

 

Master Echo

ME, perhaps you meant to address this to sfvoyage.

 

Silver, maybe do a monthly reminder on here of the proper spelling.    I would do it, but  my sensitivity level would come across as being harsh. 

 

 

[M&PGermany]

Ahhh, what an entertaining thread this has become 🙃

 

To fuel the fire:
- I prefer the company of both Brits and Americans on any cruise.

- I would sail on both lines ANY TIME, depending on pricing and schedule.

(I'm a longtime Seabourn fan but after my first Silversea cruise just completed I can only say that I WILL BE BACK!)

- Still, Hapag Lloyd Cruises will always be the "most excellent" luxury product on the cruise market - from the moment you open their internet page to look at cruises ...to the moment after you come home and get a personal feedback on the comments in your cruise survey.

 

 

[Master Echo]

I should have said that the ACD role on SS commenced with the launch of Silver Muse and appears confined to Muse Class ships, such as the Moon.

 

Even Fernando, the SS President's Ambassador and previously the senior CD with over 20 years service, always says 'Silverseas'.  Even he cannot get the name right!  He was onboard the recent Moon cruise and so i was reminded of this foible.

 

kindest regards

 

Master Echo

[cece50]

3 hours ago, M&PGermany said:

Ahhh, what an entertaining thread this has become 🙃

 

To fuel the fire:
- I prefer the company of both Brits and Americans on any cruise.

- I would sail on both lines ANY TIME, depending on pricing and schedule.

(I'm a longtime Seabourn fan but after my first Silversea cruise just completed I can only say that I WILL BE BACK!)

- Still, Hapag Lloyd Cruises will always be the "most excellent" luxury product on the cruise market - from the moment you open their internet page to look at cruises ...to the moment after you come home and get a personal feedback on the comments in your cruise survey.

 

 

Well said.  I agree, I would be happy to sail on either line based on my experience on both.  There is room enough on the high seas for both of these luxurious cruise lines.  We enjoyed the differences & the similarities as neither was a deal breaker or maker. What a happy choice to have to make!  

[cruiseej]

4 hours ago, Silver Spectre said:

I appreciate that you come from a culture that like to modify our beautiful language, but could you please note it is Silversea and not Silverseas.

 

And on the Seabourn forum, there could be a periodic reminder that is is spelled Seabourn, not Seabourne nor Seaborne. 😉 

 

4 hours ago, Silver Spectre said:

As far as the comparison goes between Seabourn and Silversea I am eternally grateful that Silversea has not gone down the American Party Boat route and doesn’t have a block party.

 

I'm not a big fan of forced introductions, and I have both participated in and skipped the Block Party on Seabourn cruises. But honestly, it's such a trivially-small matter that I can't see why it's worth railing about. Standing outside your door to say hello to your neighbors and shake hands with the cruise director and whichever other officers participate takes five minutes, maximum -- an inconsequential fraction of time on the ship. And for those not inclined, you just don't come out of your suite during those few minutes. This brief event certainly doesn't make Seabourn into a "party boat". (I've never been on one, but I've seen pictures and videos, and know that life on a Seabourn ship s nothing like a "party boat".) It's fine if you prefer Silversea (singular 😉) to Seabourn for any number of reasons, but I can't imagine the Block Party being a tangible one. 

[WesW]

ME/Master Echo, Big Bob (6' 6") is Bob Leininger.  We have sailed with Bob as CD on Silversea and enjoyed his personality. In this photo you see his first book he authored, "Cruising though life."

 

And when he is not serving as a Cruise Director he works with  wife’s non-profit organization, Free 2 be me Dance, where Down’s Syndrome children get to learn to dance. “I am the drummer for the class and the jungle gym for the kids. It is the most rewarding thing I have ever done.”

 

Oh, and forgot to thank you for posting your Moon Shot experiences--Thanks for taking your cruise time to share with us in our living room deck chairs.

Edited August 14, 2021 by WesW

[sfvoyage]

2 hours ago, Master Echo said:

I should have said that the ACD role on SS commenced with the launch of Silver Muse and appears confined to Muse Class ships, such as the Moon.

 

Glad to hear there is an ACD in the Muse-class ships.  Do they have more entertainment and enrichment options and other activities?  In particular, do they have a live band?

[ronrick1943]

2 hours ago, cruiseej said:

 

And on the Seabourn forum, there could be a periodic reminder that is is spelled Seabourn, not Seabourne nor Seaborne. 😉 

 

 

I'm not a big fan of forced introductions, and I have both participated in and skipped the Block Party on Seabourn cruises. But honestly, it's such a trivially-small matter that I can't see why it's worth railing about. Standing outside your door to say hello to your neighbors and shake hands with the cruise director and whichever other officers participate takes five minutes, maximum -- an inconsequential fraction of time on the ship. And for those not inclined, you just don't come out of your suite during those few minutes. This brief event certainly doesn't make Seabourn into a "party boat". (I've never been on one, but I've seen pictures and videos, and know that life on a Seabourn ship s nothing like a "party boat".) It's fine if you prefer Silversea (singular 😉) to Seabourn for any number of reasons, but I can't imagine the Block Party being a tangible one. 

I agree, Regent has the block party—something we don’t participate in.  Happy to hear Silversea doesn’t have one.  But like you say, just don’t go out your door during that time period.

[sfvoyage]

2 hours ago, cruiseej said:

I'm not a big fan of forced introductions, and I have both participated in and skipped the Block Party on Seabourn cruises. But honestly, it's such a trivially-small matter that I can't see why it's worth railing about. Standing outside your door to say hello to your neighbors and shake hands with the cruise director and whichever other officers participate takes five minutes, maximum -- an inconsequential fraction of time on the ship. And for those not inclined, you just don't come out of your suite during those few minutes. This brief event certainly doesn't make Seabourn into a "party boat". (I've never been on one, but I've seen pictures and videos, and know that life on a Seabourn ship s nothing like a "party boat".) It's fine if you prefer Silversea (singular 😉) to Seabourn for any number of reasons, but I can't imagine the Block Party being a tangible one. 

 

I agree.  To call Seabourn a party boat is a decidedly uninformed and preposterous misstatement.  Carnival is a party boat, Seabourn is not. 

 

BTW, my apologies for having brought up the silly Block parties on Seabourn.  As mentioned, it's such a trivial matter - appreciated by some and abhorred by others - and I'm glad that Silversea doesn't have those.

  

But in general, the availability of higher quantity and quality of entertainment choices is a good thing.

Edited August 14, 2021 by sfvoyage