Comparing Crystal and Silversea

[tipsygirl]

We were avid Crystal cruisers for years. And we’re very sad when they went out of business.Now that they have been bought and are beginning to sail again we are waiting for reviews before we book with them again. In the meantime we have booked a cruise on Silversea fo 2024.I would appreciate comparisons of  Crystal and Silversea from those who have sailed on both.

 

Cindy

[TLCOhio]

2 hours ago, tipsygirl said:

We were avid Crystal cruisers for years. And we’re very sad when they went out of business.Now that they have been bought and are beginning to sail again we are waiting for reviews before we book with them again. In the meantime we have booked a cruise on Silversea fo 2024.I would appreciate comparisons of  Crystal and Silversea from those who have sailed on both.  Cindy

 

Some of the Crystal "cheerleaders", such as active CC board poster Keith, were very happy with the initial sailings on this "NEW" cruise line.  Supposedly many of the past crew members returned.  

 

From our one experience with Crystal in the Baltics to Russia, etc., in 2008, my biggest observation/comparison is that you are comparing apples versus oranges.  Crystal now has only two ships, both somewhat larger and older compared to most ships with Silversea.  Fewer ships, less options for where to go and explore with Crystal.  

 

Silversea has, generally, smaller and newer ships.  PLUS, many more of them with a much wider variety of ports and itineraries.  Are you seeking to just "Float on a Boat" or desiring to experience a certain part of the world?  Many factors and details to consider.  Food quality and other aspects are harder to judge and know.  Clearly, ALL cruise companies are facing financial pressures and the need to catch up, pay off major debts, etc.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

[Texas Tillie]

21 minutes ago, TLCOhio said:

 

Some of the Crystal "cheerleaders", such as active CC board poster Keith, were very happy with the initial sailings on this "NEW" cruise line.  Supposedly many of the past crew members returned.  

 

From our one experience with Crystal in the Baltics to Russia, etc., in 2008, my biggest observation/comparison is that you are comparing apples versus oranges.  Crystal now has only two ships, both somewhat larger and older compared to most ships with Silversea.  Fewer ships, less options for where to go and explore with Crystal.  

 

Silversea has, generally, smaller and newer ships.  PLUS, many more of them with a much wider variety of ports and itineraries.  Are you seeking to just "Float on a Boat" or desiring to experience a certain part of the world?  Many factors and details to consider.  Food quality and other aspects are harder to judge and know.  Clearly, ALL cruise companies are facing financial pressures and the need to catch up, pay off major debts, etc.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

With the remodeling of the Crystal ships, I don't think the comparison on size "works". The Symphony is now 606 passengers, basically the same as Muse, Dawn, Moon and Spirit. The Serenity is 740 passengers, basically the same as Nova.

 

I came back from the Serenity 2 weeks ago and the food, service, entertainment and enrichment was much better than my experience on the Muse last December. I'll be on the Nova at the end of this month to give Silversea another chance.

 

For anyone who sailed on the old Crystal, the new Crystal is as good as ever. 

 

Expecting to hear from the usual suspects telling me that my opinions are not valid but theirs always are.🤪

[alithecat]

The Crystal fans think the food. lectures and entertainment are better. The Silversea fans prefer the smaller ship and larger veranda suites, and are happy with the food. [as I was typing this @Texas Tillie posted with  exactly this about Crystal. Yes, Crystal expanded (and repriced) many of their suites and lowered the passenger capacity, but they couldn't shrink the old ships. The large size restricts where they can dock. I still remember being on a Crystal ship that docked in Laem Chabang, a very long (2+ hour) bus ride away from Bangkok, and then finally arriving and seeing a small Silversea ship docked right in the city.

[gaspari]

We have just returned from Serenity, and have done a CC review, but you have to scroll right to the bottom on the main CC review to find it! Was a good cruise, good food, entertainment and mostly good service. Found some supervisory staff/management aloof, not natural communicators. The ship is much the same as we remember it, with some significant enhancements/upgrades, but it is way off being fully refurbished. The long term regulars do still seem to love everything about it, and don’t see the dated, unchanged elements. They perhaps prioritise onboard activities and familiarity over destinations/experiences?
 

We had warmer more personal service, and equivalent quality on Seabourn recently, and think that the newer ships have moved things on apace, which perhaps suits us better. We like a more stylish interior. Pricing on Crystal is a bit steep for equivalent staterooms, which is not warranted in our opinion. Only experienced the older Silversea ships, so can’t directly compare. Looking forward to Nova in November.

[TLCOhio]

55 minutes ago, Texas Tillie said:

I came back from the Serenity 2 weeks ago and the food, service, entertainment and enrichment was much better than my experience on the Muse last December. I'll be on the Nova at the end of this month to give Silversea another chance.   For anyone who sailed on the old Crystal, the new Crystal is as good as ever. Expecting to hear from the usual suspects telling me that my opinions are not valid but theirs always are.🤪

 

Appreciate these great points, comments and follow-ups from Texas Tillie and gaspari.  Agree that different folks can have a variety of varied opinions, experiences, likes, dislikes, etc.  

 

Excellent mention by gaspari about pricing.  VALUE is always something to consider.  Unless you are a Rockefeller heir and/or just won a Mega-Millions Lottery??  All of the cruise lines are trying to guess as to demand and price things to gain a better, higher financial return.  Just have to "shop", hope you get lucky and find what is the best "FIT" in a number of different, desired categories.    

 

From our earlier Crystal experience, yes, the entertainment and enrichment was better than what we have mostly had with Silversea.  

 

It's all "broad generalizations" as to how things can vary from cruise to cruise.  In 2015 on the same Silver Cloud with the same crew, our longer, first 17-day Barbados RT segment going up the Amazon River and back was much "better" for various reasons than the following nine days when we did the Dutch ABC's, etc.  Different audiences and port mixes can affect the quality of the "experience".  The Hotel Director shared how it would ben "different" when the passenger mix changed.  Even with the same good crew and nice ship.  It just happens!!!

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.).  Now at 72,562 views:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2076101-live-amazon-river-caribbean-many-pix’s-terryohio/

[ClefsDor]

We were on the same Muse cruise as Texas Tillie and have to agree that particular cruise had some major issues which, kudos to Silversea, they were very transparent about.

 

It was our first cruise on Silversea, we had only cruised on Crystal pre Covid. However despite the issues we encountered on the Muse we enjoyed the ship size and all the outdoor areas for eating and dining - this is something that is lacking on Crystal.

 

We are "pool" people and we loved the size of the pool and having a pool bar. I found the service on par with Crystal throughout the ship. Entertainment wise Crystal was better but we still enjoyed the Voices of Silversea shows.

 

We appreciated having many choices of dining for both lunch and dinner. In terms of food Umi Uma on Crystal is better than Kaiseki and in general we would give the nod to Crystal on food but somethings were done much better on Silversea - primarily steaks and fish. I do think that particular cruise was struggling in the kitchen due to staff issues and I feel confident that it's not the norm for Silversea. Menu choices are much bigger in Atlantide than Waterside on Crystal so we were always able to find something that appealed to us but this was not often the case with the smaller menus on Crystal. Appreciate being able to dine in different venues but order from other  restaurants - something we did in Silver Note as the food was not to our liking. We felt the wine offerings on Silversea were superior to Crystal but the spirit choices were better on Crystal.

 

We are not inclined to book on Crystal for the time being but have two more cruises booked on Silversea - one on the Dawn and the other on the Ray. We would find it hard to go back to a standard room on Crystal with the even smaller closet they have installed, to get a walk in closet on Crystal on has to opt and pay for a penthouse, which at the moment is overpriced IMO.

 

I do think that the issues we experienced on the Muse were an anomaly and if our  next couple of Silversea cruises are as we expect then we will be happy to switch to Silversea.

[Emdee]

This is Emdee’s DD who just finished the silversea endeavour with her. It was the best of our three silversea trips(all taken post covid) and bc of the design there were familiar crystal touches like the under-light. Emdee will be going on crystal serenity in a couple of days so may provide a recent comparison.

 

If the Silversea endeavour had different itineraries than polar and few British isle cruises we would be tempted to book it right away due to the amazing ship design and amazing hotel staff. The service was as good as our best cruises in all lines and the hotel staff were so cheerful. I personally am not a fan of the food on silversea compared to crystal though their pastas are really good and the veal was amazing this trip. Also, I found that Silversea and the other luxury lines below have more premium liquor choices compared to crystal ie Patron tequila is included. The suites are larger on three of the lines though found bc of the amount of activities on crystal is doesn’t bother us.

 

Note post covid we have travelled on Seabourn and our previous favourite line Regent. 

[les37b]

On 9/4/2023 at 4:50 PM, Texas Tillie said:

Expecting to hear from the usual suspects telling me that my opinions are not valid but theirs always are.🤪

Given your comparison opinion is based on personal experiences of travelling recently on both, I’d suggest it’s more valid than from those that haven’t. (Which includes myself as I’ve never been on Crystal.)

 

 

[nancygp]

19 hours ago, ClefsDor said:

We would find it hard to go back to a standard room on Crystal with the even smaller closet they have installed, to get a walk in closet on Crystal on has to opt and pay for a penthouse, which at the moment is overpriced IMO.

Fully agree…won’t stay in a standard cabin and the penthouses are way overpriced.  We’ve been sailing SB and very happy.

 

hope all is well.

 

Nancy

[MsCrystalina]

I have been on Crystal 16 times and made a deposit for a lengthy one end of 2024.  As a solo I am unhappy with their prices. The solo rooms on 7 have no balcony which I have been in several times in the past.  but they took out the tub and decreased the storage by at least 50 percent from my interpretation of the new pics.  Casino is gone, tours not inclusive, caviar seldom served in the past. No solo get-togethers. Now it looks like the trip for 2024 is not such great deal and looks like can do better with Silversea for a longer trip with a balcony suite and all their inclusives  so not sure when I will go back.   

The C board is full of cheerleaders in the big suites who were accurately described as "cults".

soon will be on my 2nd SS and looking forward to it!!

[Travel2Learn]

As a frequent passenger on Crystal including the 2022 Grand Voyage, I'm trying Silversea for longer cruises.  Crystal prices for a veranda for a solo are ridiculous, and the closet space seems inadequate.  My last Silversea cruise was too long ago to compare with today's ships.  Looking forward to Nova next month and Moon for a couple of months this coming winter.  I hope to see other passengers from previous cruises.  

[gofish]

On 9/4/2023 at 5:58 AM, alithecat said:

The Crystal fans think the food. lectures and entertainment are better. The Silversea fans prefer the smaller ship and larger veranda suites, and are happy with the food. [as I was typing this @Texas Tillie posted with  exactly this about Crystal. Yes, Crystal expanded (and repriced) many of their suites and lowered the passenger capacity, but they couldn't shrink the old ships. The large size restricts where they can dock. I still remember being on a Crystal ship that docked in Laem Chabang, a very long (2+ hour) bus ride away from Bangkok, and then finally arriving and seeing a small Silversea ship docked right in the city.

Our only Silversea cruise started and ended in Laem Chabang. Silversea Spirit was cut in half and made longer. We were starting in Laem Chabang and supposed to end up in Hong Kong but covid hit during the cruise. We made it to Saigon but on our way to Manilla they closed the Philippines and Taiwan. so the cruise ended early and we were going to disembark in Viet Nam  then Saigon decided no cruise ships. We sailed in circles for a couple days till the captain could find us a port. It was back to Laem Chabang but we were happy to go anywhere. The bus ride from the port to the Bangkok airport at 4am was very long but not much traffic. 

Silversea did a great job in a really lousy situation, and we are now on Muse out of Yokohama in October also going to Taiwan and Hong Kong with luck.

We did make it up the river on a prior cruise to dock in Bangkok on Azamara and it was better than Laem Chabang.

We did like the old Crystal but not been on the new Crystal but everyone agreed the rooms were small but the food and service were very good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

See you in October @gofish.

[tinaincc]

On 9/5/2023 at 4:19 PM, MsCrystalina said:

I have been on Crystal 16 times and made a deposit for a lengthy one end of 2024.  As a solo I am unhappy with their prices. The solo rooms on 7 have no balcony which I have been in several times in the past.  but they took out the tub and decreased the storage by at least 50 percent from my interpretation of the new pics.  Casino is gone, tours not inclusive, caviar seldom served in the past. No solo get-togethers. Now it looks like the trip for 2024 is not such great deal and looks like can do better with Silversea for a longer trip with a balcony suite and all their inclusives  so not sure when I will go back.   

The C board is full of cheerleaders in the big suites who were accurately described as "cults".

soon will be on my 2nd SS and looking forward to it!!

Agree about the C cheerleaders. I sailed with C during covid and liked it so much we booked two more trips and then lost our money.  That aside, I still can acknowledge what they did well and where they could improve. Unfortunately the cheerleaders are myopically focused on the 'perfect ship, crew and family' which paints an unrealistic picture for those really trying to compare and contrast with other lines.

I am very excited to sail with Silversea in 2024, then I can weigh in with experience. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

4 hours ago, tinaincc said:

Agree about the C cheerleaders. I sailed with C during covid and liked it so much we booked two more trips and then lost our money.  That aside, I still can acknowledge what they did well and where they could improve. Unfortunately the cheerleaders are myopically focused on the 'perfect ship, crew and family' which paints an unrealistic picture for those really trying to compare and contrast with other lines.

I am very excited to sail with Silversea in 2024, then I can weigh in with experience. 

I sailed on Crystal once, back in 2014, and I know what you mean.  The Crystal forum here had my expectations set so high that the cruise couldn't possible live up to them.  Thankfully it actually did in most respects (especially the food, which hasn't been equaled on any ship since) but the dining room service was so bad that we never went back – this was at the point that Crystal had finally started filling their ships, so the staff had to cope with twice as many passengers as they were used to.  

 

Fast forward to today:  The renovations to the Crystal ships look really good, and I generally prefer older ships despite (or because of) their patina but mostly because of their traditional nautical design.  [When I look at pictures of the latest Oceania and Regent ships it's hard to tell if the picture is black&white because there is so little color onboard.]  I haven't really compared prices – Silversea's P2P pricing with excursions still included seems to offer really good value in the luxury cruise market – but Crystal's 'old' ships have a value advantage with Inside and Oceanview cabins [that most other luxury lines proudly announce they lack] so they can serve as a luxury gateway.  So I have been looking at Crystal's new offerings.  But by now we have sailed to so many places that it's impossible for me to find a Crystal itinerary that doesn't seem boring.

Edited September 8, 2023 by Host Jazzbeau
edited to correct error about Inside cabins

[Texas Tillie]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 but Crystal's 'old' ships have a value advantage with Inside and Oceanview cabins [that most other luxury lines proudly announce they lack] so they can serve as a luxury gateway.  So I have been looking at Crystal's new offerings.  But by now we have sailed to so many places that it's impossible for me to find a Crystal itinerary that doesn't seem boring.

 

Crystal doesn't have any Inside cabins. Their original ship, Harmony, had some but that ship left the Crystal fleet in something like 2005.

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 minute ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

Crystal doesn't have any Inside cabins. Their original ship, Harmony, had some but that ship left the Crystal fleet in something like 2005.

You're right.  I should have remembered better because if they had had Insides we would have booked one [that was before we started the inexorable upward march].  We had an Oceanview that looked out on the promenade deck, the cheapest category on Serenity.  And it was fine [then].  But now we would be looking for something more akin to the Verandas on Silversea, which puts Crystal at a disadvantage because you have to choose between the smaller Double Guest Room with Veranda and the larger but much more expensive Aquamarine Veranda Suite.  But my point was:  for a low-cost taste of luxury cruising, an Oceanview on Crystal is a selling point.

[riandei]

7 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 for a low-cost taste of luxury cruising, an Oceanview on Crystal is a selling point.

Agree.  We have our first SSea booked but we loved Crystal and would be happy to sail them again

[lincslady]

Serenity apparently only has  150 passengers on board at present.  If they want to keep 'afloat' it is to be hoped that situation will be remedied.  

[Joywrk]

I have sailed both and would do so again. I am not a cheerleader but Crystals food and entertainment was far superior. SS cabins were larger and service was about equal. For us it will depend on where we want to go as both are really good

[tinaincc]

6 hours ago, lincslady said:

Serenity apparently only has  150 passengers on board at present.  If they want to keep 'afloat' it is to be hoped that situation will be remedied.  

Interesting - that is why I would not trust them with a deposit again. 

[Texas Tillie]

48 minutes ago, tinaincc said:

Interesting - that is why I would not trust them with a deposit again. 

 

Just make sure the cruise is within 540 days of making the deposit and your credit card makes the deposit secure. The problem with the bankruptcy was many people had deposits on cruises canceled during covid and rolled them over and over. They had initially been made more than 540 days before the bankruptcy.

[CruiserFromMaine]

We’ve been on the Silver Whisper, Spirit and Muse and prefer the larger ships over the Whisper. We haven’t been on the newer SSea ships but have a cruise booked on the Dawn next June. 
 

We had one cruise on Crystal in January of 2020. We really liked it and booked an open booking on board, which fortunately was refunded. 
 

Our Crystal cruise was the first leg of the world cruise, so the enrichment may have been better than usual but it was excellent. Entertainment was too. Food was a tie with SSea. Service better on SSea (lots of tipping going on the get good seats in Waterside, but that’s not the only reason) and rooms much better on SSea. All in my opinion, of course. 

[tinaincc]

3 hours ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

Just make sure the cruise is within 540 days of making the deposit and your credit card makes the deposit secure. The problem with the bankruptcy was many people had deposits on cruises canceled during covid and rolled them over and over. They had initially been made more than 540 days before the bankruptcy.

As a former executive at a major Credit Card, I have a hard time booking a cruise with the thought that the cc would have to cover it. 
 

I’ll never trust Crystal again: they lied and said our money was in escrow when it was not. Yes, they have “new” ownership but old ships that don’t compare to some new offerings. Excited to try SSea and find out for myself.