For our first cruise we selected SilverSea based on reviews we'd seen on a lot of sites, but specifically Cruise Critic, plus recommendations from friends who had sailed with Silversea before. We selected this 7 night cruise because we were spending a few days in Tuscany prior to departure and Rome was a great embarkation point for us. In addition, we liked the idea of sailing north through the ports selected for this voyage, ending in Barcelona.

We found our itinerary to be a little daunting, as we visited numerous Tuscan towns over 4 - 5 days and then spent a full day with a guide in Rome. Yet, the Rome Cavalieri hotel that SilverSea used was fantastic, in every way. Comfortable room, excellent dining, and a great location, not to mention their fantastic service attitude.

Regarding the cruise itself, first we found SilverSea's organization to be incredible. Just the act of getting so many people organized and bused to and from the ship was a challenge that they've definitely figured out how to navigate. Onboarding was easy and even the initial muster drill was a bit of a lark. Onboard, the organization continued to be excellent with most questions a traveler would have being answered before you even asked. Read more