looking at silversea

[Lonedaddy]

I'm looking at the silver dawn for a Southhampton to Copenhagen (norway ) cruise May 31, 23.  I am currently booked on the regent navigator from NYC to Montreal at the same time but the silversea fare seems very good in comparison.  I had a PH booked on navigator and looking at a superior veranda on the dawn rooms seem the same and both have butlers.  Seems like the dawn is overall a nicer ship at basically the same price.  I have sailed on the regent splendor and celebrity in the suite and enjoyed them both but never on SS.   

 

How does the silversea business air work - will the usually route DFW to LHR nonstop?  Will they let you arrive a day early and leave a couple days later?  

 

How does the excursion booking work when can you start booking and also make dining reservations.  

 

How does the food wine and drinks compare?  

 

on a 14 day cruise will there be formal nights and will a jacket and tie suffice.  

 

thank you

[Stumblefoot]

40 minutes ago, Lonedaddy said:

How does the silversea business air work - will the usually route DFW to LHR nonstop?  Will they let you arrive a day early and leave a couple days later?

Typically, yes, if the non-stop is available on BA or AA.  And, yes, they will let you arrive early and depart later for a deviation fee.

 

41 minutes ago, Lonedaddy said:

How does the excursion booking work when can you start booking and also make dining reservations.  

Both are booked online.  Excursions open 210 days prior to embarkation and dining opens 120 days.

 

43 minutes ago, Lonedaddy said:

How does the food wine and drinks compare?  

Have no interest in entering that snake pit, so I'll let others wade in. 😊

 

43 minutes ago, Lonedaddy said:

on a 14 day cruise will there be formal nights and will a jacket and tie suffice.  

Yes, multiple formal nights.  In addition to your suit jacket and tie, you'll want a pair of dress pants too. 😉

[Lonedaddy]

16 minutes ago, Stumblefoot said:

 

 

Have no interest in entering that snake pit, so I'll let others wade in. 😊

Fair enough I'm sure it is comparable to at least celebrity laminae suite restaurant 

16 minutes ago, Stumblefoot said:

 

Yes, multiple formal nights.  In addition to your suit jacket and tie, you'll want a pair of dress pants too. 😉

You men I can't wear a kilt?

[Observer]

57 minutes ago, Stumblefoot said:

Excursions open 210 days prior to embarkation and dining opens 120 days.

 

In a recent development, excursions are open on my.silversea immediately upon booking.

[Observer]

1 hour ago, Lonedaddy said:

 I am currently booked on the regent navigator from NYC to Montreal at the same time

 

The Navigator is a wonderful, smaller, older ship.  I would gladly sail it again if the itineraries were right.  Find yourself a good travel agent who specializes in cruiselines like SS and Regent.  They can answer your questions and provide nice perks for your business.  The Internet is your friend here in finding someone.

[Stumblefoot]

57 minutes ago, Lonedaddy said:

Fair enough I'm sure it is comparable to at least celebrity laminae suite restaurant 

You men I can't wear a kilt?

No, I didn't mean you couldn't wear a kilt.  Kilts are perfectly acceptable for formal nights.

 

16 minutes ago, Observer said:

 

In a recent development, excursions are open on my.silversea immediately upon booking.

I stand corrected.

Thank you for bringing it to my attention.  Literally, I just made a booking last week for 2025 and the booking confirmation page says 210-days and even gives me the date in 2024 when excursions open for booking.  Even my TA didn't tell me excursions are now available to book.

[Observer]

33 minutes ago, Stumblefoot said:

Thank you for bringing it to my attention.  Literally, I just made a booking last week for 2025 and the booking confirmation page says 210-days and even gives me the date in 2024 when excursions open for booking.  Even my TA didn't tell me excursions are now available to book.

 

You are most welcome. Did you happen to test my assertion by looking on my.silversea to see if any excursions were available for your 2025 booking?

[WesW]

Lonedaddy; we have over 200 days cruising on Regent and nearly 300 on Silversea.

 

For expedition cruises, there is not choice but Silversea since Regent does not offer expedition voyages

 

For Classic voyages; it would depend on the itinerary.  Generally, for daytime activities Regent wins for their entertainment (much more robust than Silversea offers).  However for dining; we much prefer Silversea (La Terraza is a step above La Veranda for Italian fare) and Le Dame's service and cuisne is a notch above Chartreuse.

 

I enjoyed 17 Days on the Dawn's maiden voyage in April, and have multiple cruises on the Navigator.  You will have much more variety in dining venues on the Dawn vs. Navigator. Plus, as you probably know do not book any suites aft of the Elevators on the Navigator because there will be excessive virbration in your suite.  

 

Nightime entertainment is a tie, imo, on both lines.

 

Good luck on your decision.

[ronrick1943]

3 hours ago, Observer said:

 

In a recent development, excursions are open on my.silversea immediately upon booking.

That’s odd, we also can book excursions on a cruise pretty far out.

[Lonedaddy]

1 hour ago, WesW said:

Lonedaddy; we have over 200 days cruising on Regent and nearly 300 on Silversea.

 

For expedition cruises, there is not choice but Silversea since Regent does not offer expedition voyages

 

For Classic voyages; it would depend on the itinerary.  Generally, for daytime activities Regent wins for their entertainment (much more robust than Silversea offers).  However for dining; we much prefer Silversea (La Terraza is a step above La Veranda for Italian fare) and Le Dame's service and cuisne is a notch above Chartreuse.

 

I enjoyed 17 Days on the Dawn's maiden voyage in April, and have multiple cruises on the Navigator.  You will have much more variety in dining venues on the Dawn vs. Navigator. Plus, as you probably know do not book any suites aft of the Elevators on the Navigator because there will be excessive virbration in your suite.  

 

Nightime entertainment is a tie, imo, on both lines.

 

Good luck on your decision.

Thanks I’m coming to the conclusion that the ship and itinerary along with a great price especially the non refundable deposit price is weighing in the dawns favor.  I’m able to use some miles for the business class air although AA has jacked up the milage requirement but with 2m miles I need to use them at some point.  So basically I can do 14 nights on the dawn for 17700 vs 11 nights on the nav form15980.  I’ll get 500 obc from Amex so that will buy a few nights at the specialty restaurants.   Dw really wants to go see Viking stuff so I think this is becoming a no brainer.  
 

thanks all for the input.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Thanks for the notice about Shore Excursions being bookable already.  Two questions re the Whisper cruise Jan. 29, 2024:

•  I was able to book shore excursions for all the ports but two – for those two the website shows no shore excursions at all (no button to click even) but the pdf still shows all the choices that I have been seeing (just without prices).  Any idea what's going on there?

•  I racked up over $1,000 in non-included shore excursions but it never asked me to pay.  They are listed as 'confirmed.'  When does Silversea want me to pay for these?

 

[Lonedaddy]

I noticed there weren’t any pre or post cruise land or hotel options and the cruise may 31,2023.  When do they offer those ?

[Stumblefoot]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

When does Silversea want me to pay for these?

Before you disembark. SS charges them to your onboard account.

[Stumblefoot]

4 hours ago, Observer said:

Did you happen to test my assertion by looking on my.silversea to see if any excursions were available for your 2025 booking?

I did tonight.  Only one port on the 20-day 2025 itinerary didn’t have any listings yet.  I find that remarkable.

[labrasett]

12 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

No, I didn't mean you couldn't wear a kilt.  Kilts are perfectly acceptable for formal nights.

 

I stand corrected.

Thank you for bringing it to my attention.  Literally, I just made a booking last week for 2025 and the booking confirmation page says 210-days and even gives me the date in 2024 when excursions open for booking.  Even my TA didn't tell me excursions are now available to book.

SS have only this week opened up the booking of excursions from date of booking.

 

[CruzinFeraBruzin]

18 minutes ago, labrasett said:

SS have only this week opened up the booking of excursions from date of booking.

 

The change in allowing you to book excursions immediately was actually rolled out with NO fanfare when they released the 2024/25 schedule of new cruises at the end of July.  Barbara Muckermann made mention of it very briefly in their live online event discussing the new itineraries.  If you blinked, you missed it.  Thanks to this forum as well as other social media sites, word has gradually trickled out.  As Host Jazzbeau indicated, I also noticed one day on our 2024 cruise where the excursions are listed on the itinerary but not on my.silversea for booking.  

[Lois R]

9 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Thanks for the notice about Shore Excursions being bookable already.  Two questions re the Whisper cruise Jan. 29, 2024:

•  I was able to book shore excursions for all the ports but two – for those two the website shows no shore excursions at all (no button to click even) but the pdf still shows all the choices that I have been seeing (just without prices).  Any idea what's going on there?

•  I racked up over $1,000 in non-included shore excursions but it never asked me to pay.  They are listed as 'confirmed.'  When does Silversea want me to pay for these?

 

Hi Jazz, they will put those charges on your "On board account". 

[A Tucson Guy]

57 minutes ago, labrasett said:

SS have only this week opened up the booking of excursions from date of booking.

 

Actually, you can book excursions once you have paid your deposit. My TA booked a cruise and I told him to hold it because I wanted to wait a week  to put up the deposit. In the interim week, no excursions. Once I put up the deposit, presto the excursions showed up.

[Herman The Cat]

I would stay way from the older Regent ships due to vibration issues with a few of them, which we experienced directly.

 

There is nothing like a new ship and the Dawn is beautiful (was on it earlier this year). 

 

Agreed, find yourself a great TA who specializes in Silversea, can answer all these questions for you and can work on an “end-to-end” trip. 

Edited August 19, 2022 by Herman The Cat

[Lonedaddy]

Looks like I found some decent flights DFW to LHR on AA business 180K ea and return from CPH to ORD  on BA (new club world suites seats 1-2-1 in business for just 57.5 K miles each.  I'll just book a flight from ORD to DFW.  So, I'm pulling the trigger! 

[Lonedaddy]

Now that I am booked I’ll be perusing the board.  If anyone can fill in that is fine otherwise I’ll try to get if from the board.  Frankly I get more information here and from YouTube than from my TA.  
 

Dining choice seems overwhelming do all the venues require reservations ?  Are there any menus posted? Any dining preferences for formal nights ?

 

How is the spa thought it was overpriced on regent and too much product selling.  Is there a spa menu avialable.

 

DW wants to know if there is a makeup mirror in the veranda suites and are there binoculars 

 

Glad I’m AA exec platinum (one world emerald) might need three bags for the fancy duds.  I live in Belize most of the year so don’t get to don them much.  I assume bow ties are ok.  I like most old folks have bad feet and like to wear Cole  Hahn shoes, I hope they are acceptable. Please comment if shoes like these are acceptable.

We just got off the regent splendor in June this past year and are going on explorer Auckland to Bali.  Then this one Southampton or Copenhagen on the dawn.  Will be nice to compare.

 

Thanks for any input.  

[drron29]

Those shoes are definitely better than many I have seen on the formal night onboard the Dawn.

I always wear a bow tie and never a problem. Will often wear one on the informal nights and the only comments I get are compliments especially from the staff.

[jollyjones]

6 hours ago, Lonedaddy said:

 

 

DW wants to know if there is a makeup mirror in the veranda suites and are there binoculars 

 

 

 

Yes mirror, no binoculars.

[Lonedaddy]

7 hours ago, drron29 said:

Those shoes are definitely better than many I have seen on the formal night onboard the Dawn.

I always wear a bow tie and never a problem. Will often wear one on the informal nights and the only comments I get are compliments especially from the staff.

The shoes are so comfortable I wear them (different color) on shore excursions many times.

[Lonedaddy]

So I figured out the "mysilvesea" and booked my shore excursions.  That is a nice interface, way better than regent, I like the graphics, and I got all that I wanted.   I hope dining goes as smoothly.  What time do the dining venues open 6, 6:30 ? and when are the shows in the theater, 930?  

 

any links to the a spa thread?