Difference Seabourn vs Silversea?

[saminina]

As an outside observer with over one thousand days of reading cruise critic, it seems misinformation rules this thread.

[Mr Luxury]

1 hour ago, billdip said:

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.

Balconies are included in fact you can't get a suite without a balcony on Encore and Ovation.

[markham]

Seabourn Square is a coffee lounge, conversation lounge, and lounge with customer service staff to answer questions and deal with all sorts of issues. Silversea has a coffee and snack bar for informal chatting and small plates of food to accompany your beverage. It’s called Arts Cafe. Arguably Silversea simply does not need Seabourn Square style clerks since all cabins have butlers (and always have had them) who can do what these clerks do eg manage restaurant and tours reservations, help with internet access and laundry issues, setup in suite parties etc but in a one on one “assigned”, tine effective for getting results in a discrete way. This is what you would experience in the best of hotels. Suits me very well. We have always been happy with the Silversea arrangement.
 

That said, I look forward to seeing what, if anything, changes at Silversea with Nova’s launch this summer.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[commodoredave]

1 hour ago, saminina said:

As an outside observer with over one thousand days of reading cruise critic, it seems misinformation rules this thread.

Sounds like you have been reading the cruise version of "War and Peace".

[fdnycruiser]

Although Thomas Keller on SB has no upcharge, you’re only guaranteed one visit every 7 days. However, there’s ways to score extra. Other than that there are really no other “ specialty” restaurants on SB  I’ve got over 100 days on both SS and SB, and way better dining options on SS Moon, Dawn and Muse  I just did a crossing on the Ovation in April, and would’ve killed for a Spacanapoli pizza .  Of course that’s my opinion. We always select our cruise line by intinerary and pricing. Looking forward to being on SS Nova in October.BTW, we’ve enjoyed Regent, but their prices went through the roof.

Edited June 2, 2023 by fdnycruiser

[tv24]

Not sure if I quality for this comparison since we've sailed only once on SS, on the Moon.  Seabourn is our favorite line because of the conviviality, but we were extremely pleased with the Moon, especially the food and the number of different dining choices.  We prefer the entertainment on Seabourn, but did very much enjoy the jazz duo in the Silver Note lounge on the Moon.  We are booked on SB for 2023 and 24, and will happily return to one of SS's bigger ships for the right itinerary, such as a crossing.

 

BTW, I am a Yankee and I say "y'all."  Guess I should not stand near Mr. L.  He may throw his cocktail at me!

[markham]

Remember - for those who really know both lines and the free laundry routine: seabourn returns it next day or 2 days after it’s passed across. SS is same day. Big difference in capability and service.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[billdip]

The deck plans of the Sojourn show a Retreat area. Regardless, I use the balcony example as a way to show my perspective on the value of the Retreat. On the Ovation, we spent full days in the Retreat. Our balcony use could be measured in minutes.

[Isklaar]

49 minutes ago, billdip said:

The deck plans of the Sojourn show a Retreat area. Regardless, I use the balcony example as a way to show my perspective on the value of the Retreat. On the Ovation, we spent full days in the Retreat. Our balcony use could be measured in minutes.

 

Seabourn using the word Retreat on both O and E class ships is silly. On the O class ships the area is not at all the same as the Retreat on Emcore and Ovation, 

[PaulMCO]

No ax to grind here especially since Regent is our new favorite line.

 

SS has caviar and it is unlimited.  It is of better quality and comes in an individual sealed glass container.  Seabourn come from a tub and is dolloped out.  We like both but SS is better IMHO.

 

SS has butlers, Seabourn has none.  For those that use the service it is a plus and no need to be in a big suite.

 

SS includes excursions, Seabourn does not.

 

Seabourn has a very limited room service menu, SS has an extensive menu.

Silversea has more food venues on their big ships with more variety. 

 

Seabourn has Seabourn Square which is a great concept.

 

Friendliness of crew and staff, plus interaction with officers -- much better on Seabourn

 

Service -- hard to compare because the last two cruises have been mixed on Seabourn.  We have yet to cruise post COVID on SS (we have one in Nov)

 

Interesting itineraries -- both have some unique ones.  It really depends on where you are going.  Alaska is definitely Seabourn's niche.  I hope they continue with it once Odyssey leaves the fleet. We like Seabourn's port intensive cruises in Greece and East Med. 

 

Expedition cruises -- SS still leads here, would love to do the ex-Crystal Endeavour.  Done several SS Explorer cruises, they are among our favorites.  Yeah Yeah Seabourn has Venture and will soon add Pursuit.  But expedition cruises are about the staff.  I do not view Quest, Odyssey, Cloud and Wind as expedition ships as they are TOO big.

 

Flame suit is on. 🙂 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 2, 2023 by PaulMCO

[saminina]

7 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

SS has caviar and it is unlimited.  It is of better quality and comes in an individual sealed glass container.  Seabourn come from a tub and is dolloped out.  We like both but SS is better IMHO.

 

Flame suit is on. 🙂 

 

 

No need for a flame suit.   You are typing on SB board and you prefer it over SS.   We all have opinions, but people posting opinions as facts on this thread is the norm.

 

The comp caviar on SS is a sham.  That is my opinion.   Their caviar comes from a tub and is served in a small container with an unsealed lid disguised to give the impression you describe.   That is a fact.   Neither caviar product is worth a second tasting,  That is my opinion.   

 

One more fact.  A one hundred yard walk from hotel to board Endeavor today.

[markham]

Saminia,

 

Endeavour is in the new harbour today. What hotel is a one hundred yard walk away from it?

 

Venture is in the new harbor tomorrow and we will join. We hope we enjoy it for our 15 day cruise. 
 

I am interested to hear how you position Endeavour relative to its price per day. It appears to be at least  45% more than a similarly-sized Venture cabin.

 

Happy and healthy sailing!

[saminina]

Yes,  nothing like walking out and seeing no ship as expected.   Special event happening Sunday is reason.  Enjoy your trip.

 

[Mr Luxury]

18 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

No ax to grind here especially since Regent is our new favorite line.

 

SS has caviar and it is unlimited.  It is of better quality and comes in an individual sealed glass container.  Seabourn come from a tub and is dolloped out.  We like both but SS is better IMHO.

 

SS has butlers, Seabourn has none.  For those that use the service it is a plus and no need to be in a big suite.

 

SS includes excursions, Seabourn does not.

 

Seabourn has a very limited room service menu, SS has an extensive menu.

Silversea has more food venues on their big ships with more variety. 

 

Seabourn has Seabourn Square which is a great concept.

 

Friendliness of crew and staff, plus interaction with officers -- much better on Seabourn

 

Service -- hard to compare because the last two cruises have been mixed on Seabourn.  We have yet to cruise post COVID on SS (we have one in Nov)

 

Interesting itineraries -- both have some unique ones.  It really depends on where you are going.  Alaska is definitely Seabourn's niche.  I hope they continue with it once Odyssey leaves the fleet. We like Seabourn's port intensive cruises in Greece and East Med. 

 

Expedition cruises -- SS still leads here, would love to do the ex-Crystal Endeavour.  Done several SS Explorer cruises, they are among our favorites.  Yeah Yeah Seabourn has Venture and will soon add Pursuit.  But expedition cruises are about the staff.  I do not view Quest, Odyssey, Cloud and Wind as expedition ships as they are TOO big.

 

Flame suit is on. 🙂 

 

 

 

 

You pays your money you makes your choice.🙄

[Mr Luxury]

10 hours ago, saminina said:

 

No need for a flame suit.   You are typing on SB board and you prefer it over SS.   We all have opinions, but people posting opinions as facts on this thread is the norm.

 

The comp caviar on SS is a sham.  That is my opinion.   Their caviar comes from a tub and is served in a small container with an unsealed lid disguised to give the impression you describe.   That is a fact.   Neither caviar product is worth a second tasting,  That is my opinion.   

 

One more fact.  A one hundred yard walk from hotel to board Endeavor today.

How did you cope with that walk😁

[jjs217]

4 hours ago, saminina said:

Yes,  nothing like walking out and seeing no ship as expected.   Special event happening Sunday is reason.  Enjoy your trip.

 

You are seeing no ship because it is in the new harbor.  You should have read your paperwork.  Hahaha.

[saminina]

A comment about public transportation.....or chartered transport relative to so called luxury cruises.  Assuming almost all passengers are much brighter than me, why do they sit on a bus in front of the ship for over thirty minutes not knowing when it will leave?  When I boarded the bus it was 80% occupied, sat for two minutes and got up and went for a ten minute walk.  Same applies to boarding a plane thirty or more minutes prior to departure.  "First/business class boarding first is hardly a special privilege unless you are unlucky enough to have a bulkhead seat.

13 minutes ago, jjs217 said:

You are seeing no ship because it is in the new harbor.  You should have read your paperwork.  Hahaha.

What paperwork?  Nothing handed to us anywhere.  No greeting, no rep to be seen.   Not in a group situation, so no rep is fine.   But we're always handed a letter at hotel check-in.  Not this time.

Edited June 3, 2023 by saminina

[MBP&O2/O]

23 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

SS includes excursions, Seabourn does not.

But those included excursions are paid for by SS increasing the cruise price. If you cannot or are physically unable to take an excursion there is no recompense.

 

An example would be a Central American cruise. Two included excursions only, no additional fee excursions, both had a health warning ... kayaking or white water rafting,... really? Another port on the same cruise offered one excursion.... snorkeling.

 

Personal choice I suppose..

[sfvoyage]

25 minutes ago, MBP&O2/O said:

But those included excursions are paid for by SS increasing the cruise price. If you cannot or are physically unable to take an excursion there is no recompense.

 

An example would be a Central American cruise. Two included excursions only, no additional fee excursions, both had a health warning ... kayaking or white water rafting,... really? Another port on the same cruise offered one excursion.... snorkeling.

 

Personal choice I suppose..

 

The other thing about inclusive excursions is that, in case of missed ports, you do not get a refund for the corresponding missed excursions.  And we all know that missed ports happen occasionally due to weather and waves, etc.

 

Aside from real expedition cruises (i.e. polar regions, Galapagos, etc.) for which inclusive excursions make sense, I do not want base pricing bundled with excursions.

[highplanesdrifters]

Inclusive Excursion = Busride

(On traditional cruises)

[phillipahain]

Purely because of itinery ......Seabourn October 2022 69 days ..     far too many tours cancelled .....Entertainment good because John was CD and EVA was exceptional...dont like the theatre though or the Buffet 

..SilverSea March 2023.. 19 days     Tours were so so but it was Japan ....dont like the theatre and entertainment was poor ....food was better than Seabourn 

 

However unless things have changed drastically its still  Regent 1st 2nd 3rd and beyond 

Will find out soon

      Oceania does not match Regent and have done Celebrity long ago 

[ak1004]

On 5/30/2023 at 10:35 AM, Kilroyshere said:

 

• Cruise Critic Review Rating: SS 3.8 'Average.' SB 4.1 'Very Good'

 

That's how we see it...

 

Regent is 3.7 and Celebrity is 4.1. Does it make Celebrity better than Regent?

 

Viking is 4.6. Does it make it the best cruise line?

[2SailingNomads]

5 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

Regent is 3.7 and Celebrity is 4.1. Does it make Celebrity better than Regent?

 

Viking is 4.6. Does it make it the best cruise line?

As a long time Seabourn loyalist I have to say my 1 so far Regent cruise was so much superior to my last 3 Seabourn cruises. And on that Regent  cruise we ran into people we knew that also were formerly loyal to Seabourn and they will never go back.  That said we have 2 Seabourn cruises booked but also 2 Regent. Time will tell .. 

Edited June 10, 2023 by 2SailingNomads

[SLSD]

2 hours ago, 2SailingNomads said:

As a long time Seabourn loyalist I have to say my 1 so far Regent cruise was so much superior to my last 3 Seabourn cruises. And on that Regent  cruise we ran into people we knew that also were formerly loyal to Seabourn and they will never go back.  That said we have 2 Seabourn cruises booked but also 2 Regent. Time will tell .. 

Would you tell us how the Regent cruise was superior--very interested in the topic.  

[ak1004]

To me, Regent is not in the play at this point. Every time I looked, they were at least 20-30% more expensive than SS or SB (yes, even when accounting for all inclusions). Just cannot justify the cost.