We are regular cruisers and have sailed on many different lines like Celebrity, RCCL, Princess, P&O, NCL and Carnival, however, this was our first cruise on a smaller ship. The combination of a good price for the cruise and an interesting itinerary made it attractive to book this holiday. We were certainly not disappointed with our first Silversea experience! The ship was immaculate and had generous public areas. The cabin (a Classic Veranda Suite) was luxuriously appointed with plenty of space. The walk in wardrobe was an excellent size and there was more than enough storage space for luggage. The bathroom was lovely with a full size bath and separate shower. The bed was comfy and the seating area spacious. The only minor criticism was there were no non smoked glass mirrors in the cabin. It would have been useful to have a normal mirror near the balcony door. The food in the restaurants was excellent quality as were the drinks.There were several very good restaurants to choose from and we enjoyed the ability to dine in different venues during the cruise. We particualry liked the Italian themed 'La Terrazza' which served delicious food and you could enjoy this al fresco on the deck. One thing we particularly liked was that because there were less passengers than on the larger ships, we were able to go to the buffets and not feel crowded, there was always a waiter to help you find a free table and offer to take your food for you. It was really lovely to always find a table outside to dine. The entertainment on the ship was not as 'full on' as on the larger ships we had been on but we were never bored. The shows in the Venetian Lounge involved the Silversea Singers, instrumentalists and when we were in Kota Kinabalu a local dance troupe and instrumentalists came on board and performed an excellent show. We also enjoyed dancing the night away in the Panorama Lounge and had fun at a karaoke night! The deck party was good fun and also during the day there was great food served at tables by the pool. In the evening the area around the pool became the 'Hot Rocks' restaurant where you could cook your own meat/fish on hot volcanic rocks. The staff were really friendly and helpful. We also met many friendly passengers, on several evenings we would arrange to meet up and go to dinner with new friends. We were so impressed with the Silversea brand that we decided to book a future cruise on the Silver Shadow. Read Less

The evening shows have always been the weakest of the Silversea's offering followed by the tours which tend to be lame and very overpriced. On the Silver Muse just about everything else is sub standard as well. It would seem Silversea has had problems finding enough extra staff for this relatively new larger ship and as a result many of the barmen are incompetent and waiting staff untrained. The chef's too have some weird interpretations of well known dishes albeit this is not the weakest area. 8 restaurants is too many though, better fewer and less strange.Our cruise from Bali to Sydney was not full (it would have been even worse on many fronts if it had been) but even so they ran out of things. What was even more unacceptable was that people left and joined the cruise at nearly every port making it seem like an upmarket ferry. Some were on for just 2 days! Needless to say we were not given or told about this option having booked and paid long ago. Due to Silversea not doing well currently they are now offering all manner of incentives such as this, included tours and cabin credits to try and get bodies in beds. They are very keen during the cruise to sell future cruises to their captive audience but based on the above one must seriously question the wisdom of falling for this. The price may rise as time passes but so very well may the incentives! As for celebrating Christmas I would simply say that in my opinion Jingle bells and Rudolph the red nosed Reindeer are not carols. New Year was a little better being harder to get wrong. All in all this felt like a shakedown cruise which is not what we paid for. The private owners of Silversea sold 67% of it last year. They made a mistake - they should have sold 100% as the once very good Silversea is slipping down the rankings fast. Read Less

Fantastic cruise with every segment connected to the ship Fantastic. Like heaven. Ship pristine and staff excellent and friendly. Everything perfect on the ship. The hotel before and after and the excursions were not the same level. The ship is stunningly beautiful and is filled with staff who have the goal to please every guest. Food is great. You can order anything if you give the chef 24 hours notice. You can order from the 24 hour menu anywhere on the ship. Don’t miss the galley or bridge tour. The chef is a character. Reception can help. The butlers Are professional and not just wearing a uniform. If you have a special occasion, they’ll decorate your cabin. Grab pool seats early as they can get taken on sea days. Excursions- not the same level as Silversea. Excursions were disappointing. Over crowded and too much driving with less fun than expected. Read Less

From the moment we boarded The Silver Muse we were treated like royalty. Our suite was off the charts! Our butler catered to all our needs. The tours were great, the shows awesome and the food scrumptious. If an employee saw you standing and you looked like you needed something they were right there to cater to all your needs. For us, our Cruise Director Vicki VanTassel made us laugh several times a day. A previous singer and( I think comedian). Or she missed her calling. She joined the show for some impromptu entertain. She actually made the show on a least one occasion. We celebrated Christmas and New Years on the ship which was totally incredible. The ship was decorated elegantly for the holidays.Our tours were well planned out and enjoyable as well as educational. We would definitely do another Silver Seas cruise. This was our second. We're hooked!! Read Less

The expedition team on this cruise apparently did not do a site visit or any planning. The itinerary changed once before the trip and four times during the trip - always because of 'the Indonesian government'. As someone who planned humanitarian service travel for groups of 40+ for almost two decades, these issues can almost always be sorted before departure. One itinerary change was because they did not know when it would be high tide in Kumai - something ultimately knowable, and not in control of the Indonesian government. Besides the inconvenience of constant itinerary changes, the team did not plan for participant safety. A group of seniors was asked to high straight up a mountain (6.6 miles round trip) in 95 degree heat and 99% humidity. No alternative travel up the mountain was planned except that provided by locals trying to make a buck, transporting folks in rickety iron 'carts' pulled by three guys with ropes. But the most serious offense was transported guests in open river houseboats across open sea with no lifevests - and no way to disembark to the dock. There were no expedition team members on board, just locals. We were asked first to jump six feet off the railing to the dock & when we refused that option, we were asked to climb up 5-6 feet of a slick rock outcropping in the dark - being pulled by the arms by locals. All while the ship's crew looked on. It is a miracle no one was hurt. In addition to the danger, our stateroom was filthy upon our arrival - sheets had not even been changed - but we didn't discover that till we got in them to go to sleep. Food was marginal. Itinerary changes resulted in three days on rocky seas with nothing to do - No TV, no internet, no entertainment to speak of except slapped together power points from the 'expedition team'. Though seeing the orangutans was fun, the rest of the experience was just not acceptable. We've been on four other Silversea cruises without complaint, only praise. So the cruise line really needs to fix the multiple fails on this journey to salvage reputation. Read Less

WOW! There is no other way to start this review. We booked the 11 day expedition from Bali to Broome with some concerns having read the limited number of reviews available on Silver Discoverer. We checked in with Silversea and staff reassured us that the vessel had recently undergone further work to address the issues raised (in late 2016 and early 2017). Should we have been worried? It’s Silversea? Our simple answer is a resounding “No”! As soon as we embarked on an overcast day in Bali we were greeted by a crew of enthusiastic and professional staff who worked very hard to make sure that this was trip that none of the 94 passengers would forget in a hurry. (The amazing scenery worked hard too and more on that later). The two restaurants were excellent. The main restaurant provided eleven days of high quality and varied menus, some days starting the breakfast service at 5am to enable an early get away by the Zodiacs. The four course dinners were always accompanied by excellent wines many of which were new those of us Australia. The pool grill provided excellent energy food and a great evening hot rock experience. The fresh past prepared by Daniela everyday was excellent. The high quality service continued into the bar either by the pool during the heat of the day or in the lounge into the late evening. The expedition itself was from start to finish superb. Led brilliantly by Brad Siviour and the expedition team of experienced and well qualified experts we explored the Lower Sundas islands, survived the 1.5 hour coach drive to Kivu, came face to face with Komodo dragons, snorkeled at Pink Beach, danced on Savu, sailed through a storm as we approached Australia, sailed the mighty Ord River, flew over the Purnululu National Park home to the Bungle Bungles and Argyle Diamond mine, marveled at the amazing and very full King George falls, saw ancient and recent rock art, sat in the cockpit of a WW2 DC53, explored the Hunter River mangroves, cruised over and into Montgomery Reef and went through half of the horizontal waterfalls. Every day was carefully planned by the Captain Taillard and Brad, taking into account tides, weather and other variables. Each evening we were all briefed about the next day, what we would do and when over cocktails. On our return the next day we all shared tales of our adventures over champagne and cocktails around the pool. Good friendships have been made as a result which made the whole voyage even more enjoyable. Nothing that good happens without serious planning and the input of people who know their destination very, very well. The combined experience of the Captain, senior crew and expedition team made sure that we all saw the best of what the Indonesian archipelago and the remote Kimberley coast had to offer. Coupled with the big wet season, the Kimberley delivered an adventure that few of the 94 passengers will forget for many years. Nothing is ever perfect and if it was there would be no room for improvement. However the few points that we could raise have been passed onto Silversea and we would expect them to respond positively. When asked for constructive feedback mid cruise they worked hard to address the issues be they in the restaurant, rooms or during the expedition trips. For example a point that there was no way to refresh the stainless steel water bottles they provide during one long shore visit (they do not provide water in plastic bottles which is a huge plus). The next shore visit a large water cooler was provided for everybody to keep hydrated, a clear demonstration that Silversea listens and acts. We all disembarked in Broome and felt privileged to have visited both the Indonesian islands and the amazing and remote Kimberley coast. The thankyous and good byes were heartfelt and sincere from both sides. Read Less