Difference Seabourn vs Silversea?

[nast]

Several times already sailed with Seabourn, as well as Crystal, Ponant and Oceania. Most of our cruises have been with Celebrity Cruises. 

Now thinking of joining the new ship (Silver Ray) in July 2024, but still in doubt.

 

How is it different from Seabourn? 
Service (staff), food, fellow passengers, entertainment (shows, dance party), ... ?

Edited May 23, 2023 by nast

[Mr Luxury]

3 hours ago, nast said:

Several times already sailed with Seabourn, as well as Crystal, Ponant and Oceania. Most of our cruises have been with Celebrity Cruises. 

Now thinking of joining the new ship (Silver Ray) in July 2024, but still in doubt.

 

How is it different from Seabourn? 
Service (staff), food, fellow passengers, entertainment (shows, dance party), ... ?

Every cruise on every ship is different to some extent. 

Seabourn and Silversea are both good and would be considered better than the other lines that you have sailed but the only opinion that matters is your own.

Try them all and see what suits you.

[lincslady]

I agree with Mr. L says - for once - but no doubt Regent cruisers would not.  I said elsewhere, and think there is truth in it, that Seabourn is more American in atmosphere, and Silversea more European, in part due to the  nationalities of passengers on board.  

[Mr Luxury]

46 minutes ago, lincslady said:

I agree with Mr. L says - for once - but no doubt Regent cruisers would not.  I said elsewhere, and think there is truth in it, that Seabourn is more American in atmosphere, and Silversea more European, in part due to the  nationalities of passengers on board.  

Oceania not Regent.

It's all the same anyway 😀

[nancygp]

46 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

Oceania not Regent.

It's all the same anyway 😀

On my recent ovation crossing, the atmosphere was very British! 😄

 

Nancy

[Mr Luxury]

6 minutes ago, nancygp said:

On my recent ovation crossing, the atmosphere was very British! 😄

 

Nancy

Was Andrew Pedder the Captain 

[nancygp]

19 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

Was Andrew Pedder the Captain 

Yes…and john was CD…LOTS  of british guests…😄

 

nancy

Edited May 23, 2023 by nancygp

[Mr Luxury]

4 minutes ago, nancygp said:

Yes…and john was CD…LOTS  of british guests…😄

 

nancy

That's the answer then.

 Not too many guests turning up at your dining table and asking where y'all from.😀

[nancygp]

9 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

That's the answer then.

 Not too many guests turning up at your dining table and asking where y'all from.😀

😄😄

I’m a friendly transplanted southerner… I asked my new Brit friends and Aussies ‘were y’all from”.   LOL…kidding 

 

I’m originally from the Big Apple area, no trace of that accent and hubby is a native Houstonian, no Texas accent and neither one of us typically says Y’all..😄😄

Edited May 23, 2023 by nancygp

[Mr Luxury]

3 minutes ago, nancygp said:

😄😄

I’m a friendly transplanted southerner… I asked my new Brit friends and Aussies ‘were y’all from”.   LOL…kidding 

How funny.

I do hate it when people stand with glasses in hand at tables while others are eating.

[SLSD]

6 hours ago, nancygp said:

😄😄

I’m a friendly transplanted southerner… I asked my new Brit friends and Aussies ‘were y’all from”.   LOL…kidding 

 

I’m originally from the Big Apple area, no trace of that accent and hubby is a native Houstonian, no Texas accent and neither one of us typically says Y’all..😄😄

We are fifth generation Texans and also don't use the word ya'll outside of the state. 

[nancygp]

You beat my husband by one generation! 😁

 

nancy

[cruisinsince75]

On 5/23/2023 at 3:16 AM, nast said:

Several times already sailed with Seabourn, as well as Crystal, Ponant and Oceania. Most of our cruises have been with Celebrity Cruises. 

Now thinking of joining the new ship (Silver Ray) in July 2024, but still in doubt.

 

How is it different from Seabourn? 
Service (staff), food, fellow passengers, entertainment (shows, dance party), ... ?

We like both. I agree the only opinion that really matters is your own, and that can change from cruise to cruise.  We found the service, the food, and the passengers to comparable on both.  Overall we found the entertainment on Seabourn to be a little better than Silversea.  That too is subjective to taste.  We also found Silversea to be more formal than Seabourn.

[Kilroyshere]

SB v. SS?

 

SB is more akin to Regent sailing. There's no comparison in our experience between SB & SS. Seabourn is far superior to Silversea:

 

• Same buffet breakfast and lunch on SS every day. SB changes every day.
• Few to no floral arrangements on SS. SB had floral arrangements including in the cabin,
• 10 days on SS and no outside entertainment. SB had 2 outside musicians and one lecturer average per week sailing.
• No comp caviar on SS. SB is known for generous no up-charge caviar service.
• SS up-charges for specialty restaurant. SB includes specialty restaurant dining privileges.
• Cruise Critic Review Rating: SS 3.8 'Average.' SB 4.1 'Very Good'

 

That's how we see it...

Edited May 30, 2023 by Kilroyshere

[markham]

Not sure one Spirit cruise is modern day definitive since some of your observations are incorrect or misleading. Eg Silversea offers complimentary caviar. The La Terrazza breakfast and lunch do change daily. They do charge for 2/8 restaurants on our favorite ships Muse, Moon and Dawn but that is still more choice in cuisines than any Seabourn ship. And we have had non-staff entertainers. 
 

I can also point to the pools and top deck track on these 3 ships and what shows on publicity re the Nova and Ray due out this summer and fall. Seabourn’s 5 classic ships were designed with small pools; the Silversea ships have pools roughly 50% larger. They have circular top deck long tracks that Seabourn just doesn’t; the U shaped shorter walks on deck 5 don’t rate. Seabourn simply must design and deliver more modern and clever ships to compete with these 5 and the 2 new Regent ships. 
 

Best then to check the websites as a starter on  profiling and then see for yourselves by trying this new generation of 5 Silversea (and 2 Regent) ships.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[commodoredave]

23 minutes ago, markham said:

Not sure one Spirit cruise is modern day definitive since some of your observations are incorrect or misleading. Eg Silversea offers complimentary caviar. The La Terrazza breakfast and lunch do change daily. They do charge for 2/8 restaurants on our favorite ships Muse, Moon and Dawn but that is still more choice in cuisines than any Seabourn ship. And we have had non-staff entertainers. 
 

I can also point to the pools and top deck track on these 3 ships and what shows on publicity re the Nova and Ray due out this summer and fall. Seabourn’s 5 classic ships were designed with small pools; the Silversea ships have pools roughly 50% larger. They have circular top deck long tracks that Seabourn just doesn’t; the U shaped shorter walks on deck 5 don’t rate. Seabourn simply must design and deliver more modern and clever ships to compete with these 5 and the 2 new Regent ships. 
 

Best then to check the websites as a starter on  profiling and then see for yourselves by trying this new generation of 5 Silversea (and 2 Regent) ships.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

Based upon my experience on 7 Seabourn and 6 Silversea cruises (6 of them over the past 2 years), you are correct. I would also point out the TK Grill is an upcharge on SB, and that we had daily entertainment outdoors by the pool with SS on every decent day. Having said that, I love both SB and SS, and have more cruises planned for both over the next year.

[johng75370]

5 minutes ago, commodoredave said:

I would also point out the TK Grill is an upcharge on SB

TK Grill does not have any upcharge, just limited availability.  Only "upcharge" area related to F&B on Seabourn is "The Retreat" on Ovation and Encore; the other three ships have no upcharge F&B experience.  

[commodoredave]

2 minutes ago, johng75370 said:

TK Grill does not have any upcharge, just limited availability.  Only "upcharge" area related to F&B on Seabourn is "The Retreat" on Ovation and Encore; the other three ships have no upcharge F&B experience.  

I stand corrected. Thanks. 

[SLSD]

1 hour ago, commodoredave said:

Based upon my experience on 7 Seabourn and 6 Silversea cruises (6 of them over the past 2 years), you are correct. I would also point out the TK Grill is an upcharge on SB, and that we had daily entertainment outdoors by the pool with SS on every decent day. Having said that, I love both SB and SS, and have more cruises planned for both over the next year.

The TK Grill is not an upcharge.  If you buy revenue wine THAT would be an upcharge, but not the TK Grill meal.  

[Kilroyshere]

3 hours ago, markham said:

Not sure one Spirit cruise is modern day definitive since some of your observations are incorrect or misleading. 

Your first rebuttal claimed SB has Up-charges for specialty restaurants. Others have refuted and shown you to be "incorrect or misleading."

 

One SS catastrophe was enough to convince us that in our opinion, SS does not come close to SB quality. 

 

I'd add to my above:

• SB served every night, pre-dinner cocktail hour hors d'ouevres and canapes in the lounges, I never saw hot hors d' ouerves on SS.
• SB had a very impressive high tea service, SS did not. 
• We were denied comp caviar on SS and it was only offered from an up-charge menu. SB is generous with caviar without any up-charge.

 

Don't listen to me with one terrible SS experience. Here on Cruise Critic, the cruise line ratings are based on thousands of respondents and find SS at just 3.8 points "average" and SB at 4.1 points "very good."

 

Enjoy...

 

 

 

Edited May 30, 2023 by Kilroyshere

[commodoredave]

16 hours ago, Kilroyshere said:

Your first rebuttal claimed SB has Up-charges for specialty restaurants. Others have refuted and shown you to be "incorrect or misleading."

 

One SS catastrophe was enough to convince us that in our opinion, SS does not come close to SB quality. 

 

I'd add to my above:

• SB served every night, pre-dinner cocktail hour hors d'ouevres and canapes in the lounges, I never saw hot hors d' ouerves on SS.
• SB had a very impressive high tea service, SS did not. 
• We were denied comp caviar on SS and it was only offered from an up-charge menu. SB is generous with caviar without any up-charge.

 

Don't listen to me with one terrible SS experience. Here on Cruise Critic, the cruise line ratings are based on thousands of respondents and find SS at just 3.8 points "average" and SB at 4.1 points "very good."

 

Enjoy...

 

 

 

While your one and only SS cruise was a disappointment, I would recommend you give it another try. If I stopped sailing with every cruise line with which I have had one disappointing experience, I would have stopped sailing with Seabourn in 2013, Regent in 2012, Celebrity in 2009, and Cunard in 2006. Fortunately I gave all of them more opportunities and have never regretted it.

[commodoredave]

And when it comes to Cruise Critic passenger ratings of Seabourn, you might find this recent 1 star rating review of interest:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=699654

As they say, you can't believe everything you read!

[Mr Luxury]

2 hours ago, commodoredave said:

And when it comes to Cruise Critic passenger ratings of Seabourn, you might find this recent 1 star rating review of interest:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=699654

As they say, you can't believe everything you read!

Definitely not on these boards 😀

[billdip]

As one who qualifies for free laundry on both Silversea and Seabourn, I would give the edge to Seabourn. But it is just an edge. When ready to book a cruise, we look to Seabourn first for many of the reasons already mentioned. IMHO, they make you feel a little more special. Also, love the Retreat. For warm weather cruises, would rather book the Retreat for the whole voyage than pay extra for a balcony. Nothing like the Retreat or Seabourn Square on Silversea, though it looks like the new Silver Nova will offer something close to Seabourn Square.

[sfvoyage]

36 minutes ago, billdip said:

For warm weather cruises, would rather book the Retreat for the whole voyage than pay extra for a balcony.

Interesting point, but one I don't quite understand:  The Retreat is only available on the Encore and Ovation, both of which feature only cabins with a balcony.