Travelling alone for the first time I found the staff very helpful,friendly and accomodating. The choice of meals in the Main Dining Room was very limited and was very salty overall including the Terrace Grill.Overall I enjoyed it. The Ship was on it's last voyage before dry dock where it was getting a complete overall,so a lot of the other things will not apply. I loved the itinerary of this cruise because it was one of the few that included Bermuda, but because of the time of year we encountered some bad weather and could not get into one Port but nonetheless I still enjoyed the Cruise. The entertainment at night was varied,but wasn't of the caliber of some of the other cruise lines. The Dining Room staff were accomodating in trying to seat me with another couple most of the time. I met a lot of many wonderful people on the cruise which is why I love travelling on a smaller ship. Read Less

My wife and I are retired hoteliers/ restaurateurs from the UK so are not always the easiest to please as we tend to have too many opinions regarding hospitality! But having read some other very negative reviews from earlier recent cruisers on Silver Wind we were concerned that we could be embarking on a nightmare experience. However having cruised the same ship previously a few years ago in South Africa we couldn’t readily equate these to our own positive memories . So we feel obliged to try to convey our own feelings regarding our voyage which bore little resemblance to some of these previously negative rantings. Yes that previous cruise was a warm weather one four years ago, but in a notoriously rough Indian Ocean (even in Summer) and this was to be mainly in November in northern Canada and the North Atlantic so we always knew it was going to be a cold and potentially rough trip, but you know that before you book and we couldn’t really understand how others had clearly failed to factor that into their own planning and were then blaming Silversea and expressing surprise at rough seas and missing ports. Surely these were always situations likely to happen so please don’t moan about the elements and blame the cruise line as there is clearly nothing that Silversea or indeed any other cruise lines can do about the weather! On boarding in Montreal all went as smoothly and seamlessly as normal with Silversea, and of course, no queues. We were pleased to be greeted in reception by a number of familiar personnel including Bar Manager, Newton, who we had met on previous cruises. Also Cruise Director, Colin Brown, who as someone else stated should be cloned, as he really is one of the best that we have encountered and this was our third cruise with him in charge. He looks after all the entertainment and enrichment programmes. These included two enrichment lecturers and a superb group of Voices of Silversea who were basically six professional singers, two operatic and four more general but all with their own individual talents. Additionally there was an onboard pianist and a Silversea trio who provided background entertainment throughout the ship. Two guest entertainers, a magician and a guitarist also came on board for a few days at different times to bolster the offering as this was a 16 day cruise. We felt they were both a bit underwhelming but that is probably because the Voices on this voyage were so good. Additionally Colin, who is a classically trained concert pianist, arranged a number of piano concerts in conjunction with the two opera singers and also performed some amazing classical duets with the onboard pianist, Olga, who was also outstanding. The crew in general were of the usual high Silversea standards. As ever mostly smiling and welcoming. Though I have to say that some of the restaurant staff (only a few to be fair) were not quite as friendly as we have experienced on other Silversea Cruises where they normally get your name quickly and address you by it from very early on, which is always impressive. Ever since the introduction of their iPad booking system a few years ago this standard seems to have fallen away somewhat unless they remind themselves by looking at your picture and name which they now get by entering your suite number into the iPad system. Maybe they were a bit tired after some seven weeks of cruising since they left London, most of which had been under some pretty appalling weather conditions! Our Suite Butler, Parveen from India, however, did an excellent job of looking after us throughout the voyage and was always on hand to attend to our every need, and our suite attendant Christine, from the Philippines, kept our suite immaculate throughout the voyage. Reception and Shore concierge staff were also very friendly and helpful and a great improvement on some we have experienced on other voyages. The hotel manager however was rarely seen by us out and about the ship and maybe that reflected on some of the staff performance? Captain Arma and the navigation bridge officers did a great job. They were all frequently seen around the ship and also kept us extremely well informed about weather conditions etc and, most memorably, carefully plotted a safe way around a huge storm that brewed up over the Gulf of St Lawrence by hugging the coast of Prince Edward Island and going very slowly for a couple of days to avoid the worst of the weather and keeping the ship as stable as possible. He kept all the passengers and crew fully informed at all times and despite a bit of rocking and rolling one evening the ship remained amazingly smooth, despite the gale blowing outside, and we never noticed any passengers confining themselves to their cabins with all the restaurants operating as busily as ever! He only once had to come onto the tannoy at 11pm on one evening to suggest that it was not a good idea to still be walking around the ship anymore! But it was reassuring that he was still on the bridge so late in the evening and in fact most everyone had gone to bed anyway and we actually had probably our best nights sleep so far being gently (or not) rocked into slumber. By the morning everything had calmed down and in the end that was really the only properly bumpy bit of this cruise. The storm did indeed mean us missing two ports of call but the first only for safety reasons as we had arrived and anchored, but it was a tender port and the Captain wasn’t convinced he could get everyone safely back to the ship, and the second because the local coastguard had closed the fairly narrow access channel…so the Captain had no option anyway. Talking to some of the crew it appeared that the ship had endured some pretty appalling weather all the way from London across to Iceland and then over to Canada for approx 7 weeks on the previous four or five cruises so, despite us being the last cruise out of the north for the winter, we actually probably had the best weather....so who knows? Just guess anyone should bear this more in mind if you choose such an itinerary in any year! Yes apparently the ship had had some sort of mechanical issue in Montreal a couple of cruises before our one that delayed departure by two or three days but to be fair to Silversea everyone on that one was reimbursed a third of their fare for that incident. Yes the ship is twenty three years old now and showing a bit of age externally but that will be sorted out when it dry docks shortly. The interior however was as clean and smart as ever with the public areas having been spruced up last year. Apparently the staterooms will be getting a “Muse-ification” refurbishment update during the upcoming dry dock in December. The suite bedrooms (or at least our one) actually seemed in pretty decent shape decor wise despite previous critical comments made on other CC Silver Wind reviews, though the TV system could certainly do with an update which is apparently happening with a more modern system being installed. For some reason it appears the update will not include the bathrooms which doesn’t make a lot of sense as the bathrooms are probably the weakest thing on Wind being rather on the small side with a rather small in length bath (not great if you are reasonably tall). However it does have an excellent power shower in addition to a hand shower, but it is one that you have to climb into the bath to use so not the easiest perhaps for some less mobile guests. We have also travelled twice on Silver Spirit in the past couple of years and have always particularly enjoyed that ship but mainly due to its larger size and thus the greater choice of dining options. Having said that Wind is half the size of Spirit and you benefit from a very cosy clubby atmosphere on board. We were on Wind for 16 days this time and didn’t really get bored with the Menus as they changed pretty much daily (every few days for La Terrazza) and the pool deck hot rocks grill, which we also love, was pretty much out as an option (even though it was still available with rugs and heat lamps) given the very cold weather in Canada and the northeast US. We actually got the chance to do a shipboard visit to see the newly stretched version of Silver Spirit when it came into Montreal a few days prior to our cruise on Wind and we really liked the updated decor and new restaurants that have now brought Spirit very much up to Muse standards. Anyway all in all it was an enjoyable and interesting cruise on Silver Wind and I would suggest others should quite simply ignore some of the earlier terrible reviews posted on cruise critic which in our mind really seem to have stemmed from experiencing some dreadfully bad weather rather than the ship itself! We would certainly be very happy to cruise on this ship again and can reassure others to go for it if they might be having any doubts. Read Less

We just returned from a ten day trip on the Silver Spirit, Montreal to New York City. Out of 25+ cruises this was hands down the worst because of the weather. It was 29 degrees F in Montreal, we got stuck in Quebec City because of a blizzard, Saguenay port was closed because of the weather, Baie-Comeau was closed because the dock was wrecked by the storm and it was rain, snow, sleet and fog in all but Newport RI. So I must give this trip two marks, overall trip a 2 while just the Silver Spirit a 8. I blame the weather 50%, myself 25% for booking a trip to Canada this late in the season and Silver Sea 25% for selling a trip this late. The attitude aboard the ship from Captain on down was it was too late in the season. The Ship: The Spirit looks like a new ship and just like the Muse in many places. She was very clean and organized with no problems that I encounter. The crew was great, service top notch. The unlimited internet and the interactive TV worked great. We were in cabin 1117, a new Silver Suite added when she was stretched. Great cabin in a great location. Very quite and right by the elevator and midships enough motion wasn’t a issue. Food: The Spirit now has the same restaurant arraignment as the Muse and the same room service. I really do not like the fact that the menus do not change at all in the evening in any restaurant, it gets very boring. Some will say they do change however after 23 days on both ships I have never seen a change, I also find the room service menu boring, almost like a Diner. I tried to get a lobster dinner, which is a special order, and just got the run around. I am really not impressed by the food. I never got a bad meal however there is no wow factor in any of it. I can not recommend SS to a foodie. Accitivies: For a ship with a very small stage their group did a great job. There were six singers who put on various shows, all very good. There was a three piece band which was OK along with a male and female singer who worked the lounge, also OK. I was surprised they didn’t bring in any guest acts. There was a lecturer onboard also. Overall I like SS but after trying them twice I just can’t get excited about their restaurant concept. I would sail them again however at their price point there are better options I believe. Read Less

Awesome service, accommodations and great culinary options! My husband and I boarded this cruise too celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary and had a wonderful experience. Despite the bad weather, and missed ports, we enjoyed all the ports we did get to visit! The staff on board accommodated our every whim and the dinning options were fabulous. The rooms are very spacious and serviced twice a day which was very nice. We loved all the common areas and the numerous activities that were offered. We especially enjoyed trivia play each day at 4:45pm. Who doesn't like drinks, friends, and some trivia! We made some wonderful friends on board as well! The ports were beautiful and full of fun and exciting excursions suiting every level of activity. Because of our ship's size we could get into most ports without having to tender to shore. I would definitely recommend this cruise and especially Silversea cruise line. We can't wait to book our next cruise. Read Less

We have just returned from the worst cruise experience ever. The atmosphere on board when the ship docked at Halifax was close to a mutiny. The Captain was being asked to explain why we had endured four days out of ten on the sea instead of one. Why the ship had arrived at Halifax at 22-00 ? My wife had to spend the day in the cabin due to the ship circling for most of the day feeling sick and giddy. Then to add insult to injury a bill was received from the Doctor for $445 for my wife’s treatment for sea sickness---a more appropriate action would have been a note and some flowers to say sorry. It is outrageous to charge a single dime for her treatment caused by the ineptness of the ship . One of your ship staff admitted that out of the last seven scheduled stops at Sydney only once did the ship dock There were many guests calling for an explanation from the Captain and were given the lame excuse that he was asleep. There was not any explanation given for the delayed arrival at Halifax. The General Manager was given an extensive list of cabin numbers so that he could offer an explanation for the delays but he did not have the courtesy to reply. There were free drinks offered to say sorry but these are of no value if you are teetotal Additionally I had requested an anniversary cake and it took three reminders before the “surprise” arrived. The helpful waiter offered to deliver it to our cabin and we are still waiting for its arrival……. I complained about the portion size of the fish at the Toscana restaurant and did not get a proper explanation, only an ansafone message saying that the Restaurant manager will call back. I am still waiting….. The attraction to the cruise was New England in the Fall and the attractive eight places to visit. In the event there were only four Can’t help feeling that the Cruise was for the benefit of Oceania and not its passengers so that passengers could spend more while the ship sailed the Ocean. How wise was it for this voyage to have taken place given the weather conditions in the Atlantic at this time of the year I would like to say that the staff in the dining room and cabins went out of their way to be helpful. The ship was tastefully fitted out but I felt that the entertainment was under par Read Less

This was our 7 time with Oceania.. Anyone planning on taking a cruise with Oceania Cruise line please read this, what I affectionately call my CRUISE FROM HELL. I have never done this before but we have been treated so badly by this cruise line others should know what happened. Please, Please Share, People need to be warned. My husband and I took the Fall Splendor Cruise from New York to Montreal, leaving on Tuesday, October 23rd for 10 nights. It started in NYC and we immediately noticed a drop in temperature. Boarding the ship was easy and our cabin, Vista suite was ready early. Our first night on the ship and our cabin was very cold. By the time we reached Boston it was unbearable, so we called down and a repair person was sent up. The blowers weren't working right was the first of many diagnosis's. The one door to the outside was bleeding air very badly so someone else would come up to fix that. The blowers were adjusted and the doors were sealed better. Once we docked in Boston, our first port of call, we got off the ship for a little while and took the provided shuttle to Quincy Market. We were bundled but it still was very cold. We were notified that our intended stop in Sanguenney was cancelled because the authorities had closed the park there because of cold weather. It was too cold even for Canada. That night our room was again very cold. We called again and this time the thermostat wasn't working right so that was replaced but our door still kept whistling. They would work on that too. While in Newport, RI, we heard that there was a "Nort easter" coming. We became concerned but was told the ship wouldn't put us in danger. We skipped Bar Harbor, the highlight of the cruise for us, as it wasn't safe to dock.The second trip change On the way to Halifax the seas were so rough, too rough for any ship to be out and I spent the night in agony, throwing up all night and moaning. I couldn't pick my head off the pillow without throwing up. I prayed for daylight and hoping to be on Terra firma by 7 Am at the latest, but the announcements kept coming all day long that the port was closed Finally I called the infirmary and spoke to the Nurse. It was Sunday and they were not on duty, so I paid whatever I couldn't take it any more. I received two shots. I couldn't stay in 7005 as the nurse told me that is the worse place to be with the night we just had. There was no promise of the next night being any better. Finally at 8:30 PM we did dock at Halifax as the ship had to refuel. They stopped for 3 hours in Halifax, which was not much of a stop. We were then advised that we’d be skipping the intended stop in Sydney, change number 3. Would be leaving Halifax at 0200 and sail “forever” in whatever seas there were to Quebec City. We decided “enough was enough” and got off by 9:30 PM luggage and all. A taxi driver, Rex, a native of Halifax told us that no ships should have been out on a night like the one that just passed. My husband and I agreed with him. It felt so wonderful to be on solid ground. This was our 7th cruise with Oceania and we trusted the cruise line. You had many films on the TV about their plans to refurbish the Insignia. I think they waited too long. The ship was not in great shape and that door never stopped leaking. The cabin did warm up after they changed the thermostat, and we spent 3 of the 5 nights on the ship freezing. This cruise should either not been scheduled at all or have been cancelled as soon as they saw the temperature dropping and that a storm was coming in, that is why all those ports were cancelled. This was too late in the season for Oceania to have a cruise to Montreal. They did put us in danger so Please do not take a cruise on Oceania, because I care about your safety and comfort, Oceania does not. Read Less

We took advantage of an opportunity to board a Silversea cruise in our hometown of Portland, Maine. This was an eight day cruise to Montréal that actually started in New York. Overall, we give this cruise five stars out of five! When we cruise, food and service are very important to us, and both were excellent on the Spirit. Less important for us are entertainment and excursions, especially in North America. On this cruise, the entertainment was the weak link. We’d give it three stars out of five. We could have used help with our luggage at embarkation in Portland. I realize this was something of an experiment for Silversea but we all (about 30 of us getting on in Portland) had to bring our own bags on board. Debarkation was easy with two restaurants plus room service available that morning. We had a deluxe veranda suite and it was very spacious although the balcony was something of a waste on this cold-weather cruise. We did not dine in Hot Rocks or Seishin, but all the others were very good to excellent. We found the food and service to be equally good, and the included wines were up to the task. Our butler, Neil, was certainly very attentive and there were several crew who remembered us from a previous cruise on the Muse in April. That made us feel at home. The DJ in Panorama was good, and we really enjoyed the Art Cafe and The Bar in Dolce Vita (hello, Albert!) There was an unusual vibration, one night in particular, that was annoying. We heard several other passengers comment on it as well. I hope it goes fixed before a long trans-Atlantic voyage. The weather was cold but we really didn’t take this cruise for the ports. That said, we really enjoyed the trip up the Saguenay. The scenery was beautiful! All in all, we had an excellent cruise in Silversea! Read Less

We chose Silversea's Montreal to New York based on the itinerary and reputation of the cruise line. The Silver Spirit is definetly upscale with design and excellant, friendly service throughout the ship. The dining options were plentiful and good , not great , which was a bit disappointing . For a 10 day cruise , even though the dining options were varied, the menus stayed the same . It would have been nice to have a more varied menu. The one thing that was nice was the availability of the all around menu at every venue , which did give some additional variety. The Silversea Cafe on deck 8 was a daily staple , with snacks and lattes from 6:30am ... The itinerary lived up to the expectations, excursions we're well planned , and for the most part small. One negative would be the alloted time in some of the ports. The excursions were that good ,but we felt rushed because of time contraints on getting back to the ship. The tour guides were very good other than one on food tour Quebec City , disorganized and tour not as advertised. The major disappointment for those who like to workout was the small exercise area with limited machines and very small area for classes. This could certainly be an enhancement for SilverSea to consider. One suprise was the quality of the entertainment . A very talented troupe of singers and dances (Voices of Silverseas) were absolutely entertainng with the variety of song and dance that we didn't miss a show . Read Less

We chose this cruise because we love the service on Silversea and wanted a small ship experience in cruising the St. Lawrence Seaway to experience fall colors. The timing was perfect as we were able to see the fall colors throughout New England and Canada over the 10 day cruise. The excursions allowed options that customized our experience and we chose a variety including, but not limited to, a seaplane flight in Saguenay, bike ride in Quebec, and a mansion tour and walk along the cliffs in Newport, Rhode Island. There were many opportunities to enjoy local food through tour options. We loved the Lobster Lunch in Halifax and the Sugar Shack in Trois Rivieres! In Bar Harbor, we rented electric bikes on our own at the Pedego Store located right at the dock where we tendered and enjoyed our own ride through the Acadia National Park and town. The remodel of the ship has increased options for dining, however the cold weather limited the options as the Pizza Restaurant and the Grill are outside. That said, they do have outside heaters and blankets so we did choose our favorite dining place, The Grill, a couple of times. The Atlantide, Indochine and La Terrazza allowed a variety of types of culinary experiences. If you book on Silversea, be sure to make restaurant reservations online ahead of the cruise. Some restaurants do not need reservations, but specialty venues do and they fill up. There is always seating in Atlantide and Indochine. The Arts Cafe is fun any time of day, but limited seating with the cold weather. When it is warm outside, there is extended seating on the deck off the back of the ship, however, they did allow us to sit next door in the Silver Note during the day when the Silver note was not serving dinner. We also dined in our suite the first night and our butler delivered, wine, appetizers and main courses all elegantly served in our suite. As for entertainment, the shows were always fun, however we tend to choose only a few that spotlight our taste in music and songs. We loved listening to the piano and guitar music in Doce Vita Lounge on most nights either after the show, or instead of the show. The Silver Note includes a Jazz singer and pianist during dinner, but you can also go in for drinks after the last seating. The layout of the Silver Note in the Spirit is not as nice as the Muse however as the bar is not actually in the restaurant which we really liked in the Muse, so we could actually sit at the bar any time of the evening. We did not care for the destination lecturer on this trip, however he was knowledgeable, but we thought he was a bit boring. On other trips we have enjoyed the lectures, it just depends on personal preference. The lectures can be attended or watched on the TV in your suite later. The cruise director, Jimmy, was outstanding. He happened to be on our last cruise and we were glad to see he was again our director as he is outstanding. All service from the time you step on the ship, till the time you depart, is personal and excellent. We are repeat customers of Silversea due to their service and overall experience. Our next cruise with Silversea will be an expedition to the Galapagos and then bak on the Muse for 14 days in Australia and New Zealand. Read Less

I was interested in a cruise that either left from New York or came back to that port which meant I would be home in and hour or so. I flew to Montreal and spent the first night and second day onboard, unpacked and being pampered. Crystal met me at the airport and escorted me to a waiting bus. That was a lovely touch since it was raining and the hostess carried the umbrella. The line has buses waiting for all arriving customers throughout the day leaving every half hour for the ship. Your luggage is taken at the airport and to your room within hours while you can start eating and drinking on your ship. My room was quite nice with a more than comfortable bathroom. SInce I had twin sinks, I used one in the AM and one in the PM. There is a tub shower that I really enjoyed, bathing most of the time with the luxurious ETRO products supplied by Crystal. There was more than enough space for all my things and plenty of hangers. I toured the ship and found lots of nooks to hang out in, some of which served coffee and nibbles. There is a lovely library, well stocked and just 3 shops which are open when at sea. There are 4 specialty restaurants including Silk, a wonderful Chinese restaurant that served the best hot and sour soup I've ever tasted and I eat a LOT of Chinese food! You are able to eat in the specialty restaurants 3 times during the cruise and I found Prego, the Italian, to be my favorite. There is also Umi Uma Nobu's Japanese restaurant and a lovely main dining room which serves 2 different menus at each meal. Breakfast is also served in the Market as a buffet. Fun can be had in Churrascaria, a Brazilian style restaurant where you get your salad at the bar and then after sitting down, waiters come around with skewers of meat, chicken, shrimp, pork and the tenderest lamb chops you can find anywhere. Most of the trip was fine with 2 nights of rockin' and rollin' on rough seas but that's to be expected in the north Atlantic. I saved my real raves for the entertainment which was the BEST of any I've ever had on a cruise. From the singers and dancers to the special guest stars, it was First Rate and memorable. Too many to name but needless to say, every night was a joy! Another standout for me was the lectures by General Nick Halley. He was fascinating and informative. Kudos to Crystal on that aspect of the trip. About the leaves, not the greatest but not the fault of the cruise line either. Read Less