Told this USED TO BE a great cruise line. Times have changed tremendously!! Definitely a 3rd rate ship in need of professional leadership at the corporate level. The ship is run as though they going broke!! You pay for two fares for you and your partner, then are told the so called free internet can only be used by one of you at a time??? Or you can pay an additional $270 for the other person. They allow one bar of shower soap for two people to last 2 weeks. The same with the small bottles of lotion and shampoo ! Of course, you can purchase more.... Food quality has definitely declined significantly!!!! And the portions are meager as you almost beg for more. Waiters have been ordered not to ask would you like another drink, unless it is one you are buying. We would never cruise with Oceania again. Caveat emptor.. Read Less

All the Viking cruises are of an excellent standard and all ships seems to be the same design so you feel at home very quickly. Staff are excellent, cabin spacious and well maintained. Wifi access good, food good. The only poor thing we have found on Viking recently is the quality of the musicians who play, usually as a duo or sometimes pianist. Do Viking not listen to them before they are engaged? The standard is so poor, the repertoire so limited and mostly more of a funeral type of music that we have found that we 'dodge' these 'musicians' who play in the open areas. Excursions are always excellent and well organised. Viking appear to be expensive, and their prices seem to be increasing considerably, but you do on the whole get good value for money. Viking do look after their customers well and pay attention to detail. Would recommend Read Less

Just returned from three week cruise on Riviera. Have cruised with them before but I think they have gone downhill. Many small problems. Late for several excursion because of management issues. Three tours was cut short because of problems but we were offered no compensation. Twice we had serious tender issues and once had to be towed back to ship. Crew was good but I think there are management issues. Most disappointing was the excursions.Descriptions did not match reality. They over-hype the excursions. leading to a disappointing experience. Management unresponsive to our issues.Disembarkation was an issue. We were told breakfast a 5:30 but when we got there they said it was a mistake and had to wait until 6:30, another in a series of management miscommunications. Leave the ship was 30 min.later than we were told. Special restaurants were all excellent. The manager of Red Ginger was very impressive and ran a top notch operation. Read Less

There were three stops on this cruise that were not worth one hour much less a day!Trois Rivieres,Quebec, Corner Brook,Newfoundland to name two. The food in the main dining room was mediocre at best and the service there was poor. I have cruised Oceania many times and felt this is no longer a first class experience. On sail aways, like from New York, all they had was a band and no wine or champagne like they used to. The food in the two special restaurants was excellent...Toscana and Polo. The service in these was excellent but you are limited to two nights at each on a 17 day cruise! The Concierge "Suites" in this ship, Insignia, are very small..especially for a 17 day or linger cruise. Note that if you take the 8 "free" excursions and you are a couple that means on four excursions each! Any additional and you pay extra. Read Less

Our opportunity to sail on the christening voyage of the Scenic Eclipse from New York came as a last-minute opportunity due in part to the cancellation of earlier trips when the yacht's completion was delayed through shipyard issues. While our earlier cancellations were disappointing, Scenic and our travel agent always looked after us, refunded our payments promptly and made every effort to provide alternate travel options for us to consider. It was with some trepidation that we booked on the Scenic Eclipse so early in its sailing schedule, particularly given some of the early feedback we had seen. We needn't have been concerned. The quality of the vessel, the service of the staff, the impressive excursions and a most amazing selection of dining options all contributed to a most wondrous and memorable experience. it all started with the Christening ceremony in New York, a classy and intimate experience, appropriately reflecting the grace and charm of the yacht's godmother Dame Helen Mirren. Sailing quietly out of New York harbour that afternoon, past the Statue of Liberty was the start of an amazing two weeks that will be forever etched in our memory. The 12 days we spent on board the Scenic Eclipse were simply not enough to enjoy every amenity this outstanding vessel had to offer. Each meal provided us an opportunity for a different experience, from the exciting theatre of the Chef's Table, the fine dining experience of the French inspired Lumiere restaurant, the incredible taste of Asian at Kokos and so much more. With menus changing every 4 nights, the choices were simply amazing and when all you wanted was something casual for breakfast or lunch there was always the beautifully appointed Yacht Club or Azure. Each venue was tastily decorated reflecting its own particular theme, the artwork was beautiful, and each dining experience was supported perfectly by its own unique cutlery and crockery, a presentation that showed how well the entire experience had been thought through. The common areas of the yacht are spacious and luxuriously appointed with fine art, modern styling and best of all designed so that noise is minimal. One can engage in conversation without shouting and competing with neighbouring guests. Finally, I can hear what is being said without the bang and clatter normally found in the surroundings of other vessels. The major observation areas on Decks 5 and 10 easily accommodate the compliment of guests found on this luxury yacht and together with the spacious balconies available with all suites are a great way to enjoy those remarkable views as you sail across the globe. With all onboard presentations available in cabin through an amazing array of technology ,the theatre may seem unnecessary for some, but the luxury and comfort of your own gold class recliner is well worth being there in person as well. It must be remembered that this is a discovery yacht, an expedition cruise and not a floating entertainment cinema, but there is still quality background music, singing and entertainment provided in the lounge area and theatre, again without it overpowering normal conversation. The expedition team is well educated, with varied experience in all manner of topics, entirely consistent with our expectations of what such a voyage should deliver. The shore excursions are what we expected and more, a great balance between planned and unplanned excursions. It is not a River Cruise, or classic Ocean Cruise, this is a new category of travel, and with it a new standard is being developed. The helicopters, the most spacious we've ever been in, the submarine, an outstanding unique visit to the water world, the kayaks, the Zodiacs, all of these are just the start of our adventure and they deliver in the most amazing and adventurous way. Our onshore visit to Rose Blanche in Newfoundland, we believe, is an example of the future of what discovery yachting will continue to provide. This small village with a stunning landscape and friendly people is off the cruise ship tourist route due to its remoteness and inaccessibility. The Scenic Eclipse is the first vessel in the course of its normal itinerary to visit and with it a truly remarkable set of experiences greet us, the new discovery traveller. We reach the small harbour on our Zodiac, after leaving the Scenic Eclipse offshore and are greeted by the enthusiastic local community who walk with us to the community hall where they provide us with tea, food and entertainment before escorting us around their town. For us this is the essence of what discovery cruising is all about and we know that our time here in Rose Blanche will be the first of many similar amazing and unique opportunities on this wonderful vessel. On returning to the yacht, we retire briefly to our luxurious spacious cabin and prepare for another tasty lunch, looked after so well by the wonderful staff, before sailing south to our next port. We want for nothing on this adventure, bar maybe extra time to fully enjoy the abundant opportunities and features of this amazing discovery yacht. We will return next year for a longer cruise, to enjoy the luxury, hospitality, stunning landscapes and discovery adventures that Scenic Eclipse we know will provide us. This our first voyage on the world’s first six-star discovery yacht is everything and more than we had hoped for and we must thank Scenic and its staff for providing us with so many memories in our travel adventures. Well done - an exceptional experience. Read Less

We chose this cruise, when on another, for an itinerary to places we hadn’t been to and to see the fall. We then realised that we were too early for the fall colours but decided to stick with it and then do a drive round New England after. Summit has been refurbished and although we had not sailed on her we had sailed all 3 of her sister ships and on tour last, on Connie! We thought she was looking very tired. So the refresh is looking good, much lighter in the public rooms and the staterooms. I do wonder how long it will last, in places it seems like just a coat of paint and some new furniture. But overall we liked it. Staff service is still good, at lunch times the main restaurant seemed a little slower than we’d like, but in Blu where we ate breakfast and dinner it’s still excellent. We liked the itinerary, although this it was unfortunate on our first day in Quebec there were 6 other ships in. Quebec can’t cope with that many! PEI was the least interesting port of call. We got the feeling the residents didn’t want ships whereas on all the other ports, people seemed very welcoming. Read Less

First off, I want to congratulate Oceania on the updated interior of the Insignia, The interior decorators did a fabulous job making the ship brighter and warmer. We had a Concierge verandah and the cabin, though on the small side, was extremely comfortable with a great bed, linens and towels. With the addition of shower doors, the small shower was a non-issue for us. This was our 3rd Oceania cruise(Nautica and Riviera previously) and we thought the food was the best of all 3! We ate 4 times in the speciality restaurants and for the 1st time I finally had a delicious steak in Polo(other several times on previous cruises the steaks in Polo were almost unedible). We ate the rest off our dinners in the GDR and thought the food and service was excellent. Yes,the waiters seemed somewhat overworked, but overall we enjoyed the GDR over The Terrace because it was less hectic. The menu is smaller, but if it didn’t appeal to us, we ordered the Jacques Pepiin salmon or chicken.(The chicken was perfect). The ship was incredibly clean and housekeeping did a great job keeping our cabin(7041) spotless. The cruise itself hit a lot of ports(Boston, Bar Harbor and Quebec were are favorites) It would be fantastic if the ship overnighted in Boston and Quebec City and missed some of the minor ports(we didn’t go to Sydney to outrun Dorian). The only entertainment we went to was the comedian who was very funny. Out of our approximately 35 cruises(about 20 on Celebrity) we thought this was one the very best! Again, Bravo Oceania! Read Less

We selected this cruise to celebrate my 60th birthday and our 40th Wedding Anniversary, so it was very special and important to us. The embarkation at Southampton, despite the queues, was very well organised and slick. Our stateroom was not to the standard we had been accustomed to aboard other cruise ships. The room was very small and the bathroom tiny. A refurb is very much needed. The carpet was badly stained and there was masking tape all around the interconnecting door. We mentioned this to our steward who promptly removed it. Then we found out why it had been placed there - when the people in the cabin next to us opened their balcony door half a hurricane come through and a high pitch whistling noise accompanied it. Drinks on board were exceptionally expensive and the whole tipping policy has to be looked at as it clearly does not work from a service users prospective. Food was very tasty in the main restaurant but often the portions were small. Trying to obtain drinks in the restaurant was so bad that we resorted to purchasing drinks in the bars first and taking them into the restaurant with us. Everything onboard ship was geared up for the over 70s, so much so that on this transatlantic crossing of 7days we were bored. Shopping was very poor and the entertainment was awful. We have always looked forward to the shows on other cruises but these were the worst ever. The worst issue was disembarkation. Everyone is aware that American immigration is very slow and we were quite prepared for it. Despite Cunard regularly disembarking service users in New York the staff were clearly not prepared for it. We were told to vacate our rooms by 8am and to go to our particular meeting point. There they left us without communication, food or water for hours. When we did go to the restaurant to try and obtain some refreshments the staff were putting it away and quite clearly did not want us there. To add insult to injury when we disembarked the ship and went to retrieve our luggage one of our group had a suitcase stolen - and you’ve guessed it, no one wanted to know. Overall we were very disappointed with the cruise and we will not travel with Cunard again. Read Less

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

Booked this cruise to see the fall leaves...weather was crappy...Not Crystal's fault. The ship and crew were great. The food and service were excellent. Smaller ship and passenger list meant not as much waiting for shore excursions..etc. The entertainment was very nice since it was a smaller ship. We enjoyed the bistro and the hamburgers. They were the best. The speciality restarunts are a plus with no extra charge. The shore excursion were arragned well. There was always a Crystal person on the tours. Service was always spot on. Every time you sat down, there was someone available to get you a drink. When the ship docs, the attrium becomes very cold..this was an October cruise and have the ship open all day made the attrium very uncomfortable. The embarkation and disembarktation process was very smooth. When we disembarked, it seemed as if we were the only ones on the ship. Imigration was smootn. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of it's itinerary from Montreal to New York. We chose Oceania because of it's food and luxury. The itinerary was great even though the weather has not been too good. The cabin was comfortable enough but too small compared to equivalent luxury small ships. It was also dated, main problem was the old, small plastic shower room, and the storage was about enough for 2 weeks, any longer and there's not enough storage. Other reviews say the same thing. We are in cabin 7088 which suffers a lot from engine noise, again a sign of poor design and age. The noise was very disappointing so keep away from 7088 if you can. Because the weather wasn't great and fairly cold the outside spaces and dining was not being used. This made the ship seem absolutely packed. I think this is because the cabins are small so there are too many passengers for the ship facilities if the outside spaces can't be used. Getting a seat for afternoon tea is impossible if you're late. We had a problem on the first night where we had to wait for 50 minutes for a table for the grand dining room, we were eventually the last in. We found that when we got in there were plenty of empty tables which hadn't been reset. We were told it was because people weren't using the other facilities. We did get a good outcome as we got extra bookings in the speciality restaurants as a result and everyone was apologetic. I just think there are not enough indoor facilities if people can't go outside. This is possibly caused by the small cabins allowing more passengers than the facilities can really support on a small ship. Having said all that we are enjoying ourselves, the food is generally very good and the staff and friendly and helpful. If you drink I would strongly suggest you get the drinks package.as drinks are expensive on board. Read Less

We were attracted by the itinerary as it visited some places to which we had not been before and we were swayed by the marketing that promised so much but as we discovered actually delivered well below our reasonable expectations. The food arrived invariably tepid or cold and was sent back. The tables were being cleared before all the table had finished eating. The drink prices can only be described as a rip off!!! A run of the mill wine we buy for £7 is marked up at $45 plus 18% service charge. The shower was cold for the early part of the cruise as was the cabin for the whole trip despite our represenations. The wind was lifting the curtains in our cabin and the noise of it could be heard by reception!!! Gaffa tape was provided as a short term measure but it was never fully weathertight. The entertainment was mostly disappointing apart from the pianist. We have enjoyed a number of other cruises but we would not sail with this Company again. Read Less

We wanted something smaller and more upscale than Royal Caribbean, and with few or no children. Okay, here's the good, the bad and the ugly about Seabourn. Good: Boarding is a BREEZE. We walked straight on after checking in. Debarkation likewise, a breeze. Staterooms: amazing. Best beds I've ever slept on on a cruise. Bathroom roomy. Pillows! Food is mostly good. The Keller Grill is over rated and limited. Caviar is available anywhere on the ship except there. You could stand just outside the door and have it though. Teatime was a blast. Loose tea in little silver pots. Scones. Num. Coffee bar on deck 7 makes killer Irish Coffee. Good selection of in room TV channels. No children were aboard! Just OK: The bars. They close them up as early as 11, and they don't open again until 5. The Patio bar is open all afternoon, but that's rough in 32 degree weather. Sure, you can drink in your room, but I can do that at home. Deck 7, again, makes boozy coffee. Age group: The median age was 75. If you're not ready to sail with folks who were teens in the 50's, this cruise is going to be a bore. Dress codes for dinner: Toward the end of the cruise the "no jeans" rule sort of vanished. I think nice jeans should always be acceptable. Bad: One of the bartenders was overbearing and rude. He closed the bar on a Friday night at 11pm while the show band was still playing, then argued about it when I asked him the next day and denied doing it. Told me that 6 people in the bar wasn't enough to keep it open; I reminded him that each of us paid more than the regular client just to be there. He said that didn't matter. 10 couples walked into the bar while we were arguing, saw the lights on, and walked out. Stability. We had 60 mph gale force winds for 3 days and nights, even the waiters couldn't stand up straight. I was violently seasick 3 days. For queasy travelers, this ship is not a good option. That's pretty much it in a nutshell. Several of us who debarked in Montreal ended up at the same hotel, close to port, and historic. Hotel St. Sulpice, right next to Notre Dame Basilica. Roomy suites, good rate. I recommend it. Read Less

We selected this cruise line because of its purported luxury features, the ports of call and the timing to see the fall colors. To start this is a very dated ship and the accommodations were anything but grand. The air conditioning did not work for the first two days, the live TV programming never worked, the door to our veranda was next to impossible to close and once the ship did get moving the door would pop open on its own (that got repaired), but we still had a whistling noise caused by the wind blowing past the door seals, the cabin floor got flooded one night during rough seas, our bathroom floor had to be repaired because of damaged (chipped) floor marble, we did had to climb into a bath tub to take a shower (kind of hard for old folks in bouncy seas), and a very indifferent customer relations desk. Our cabin was in forward part of the ship and ever time the side thrusters were employed our cabin vibrated and shook with a equal commensurate noise, kind of annoying when you are trying to sleep. But worse of all was a 4 day delay in our departure out of Montreal, which the captain insisted was because of the local port authorities, and kept promising false start times that never occurred and each day there were barges or maintenance devices attached to the ship. On the fourth day we were allowed to leave port with a tug boat shadowing us all the down the St. Lawrence River to Quebec. Due to all the mechanical problems/delays, that were never admitted to us, we lost three ports of call that we were really looking forward visiting plus some day time scenic viewing. Silver Seas did make an adjustment of 30% of our base cruse cost to make up for this loss but - - - -. We had two days of rough seas, that happens when you cruise, but in addition to the bouncing we had a loud metal on metal banging that seemed to come from the hull of the ship which kept us awake a couple of nights. The ship was late arriving in New York at the end of the cruise which was good and not so good. By arriving late we got to see the Port of New York in the early morning light, the bad news they then tried to rush to disembark us which resulted in un-necessary chaos. A verying disappointing cruise, but all of the servicee personnel were very attentive and friendly. Read Less

We chose this cruise specifically because of the itinerary. The best of Canadian Maritime. While the ship itself is in need of a facelift that is not the reason for the rating. Problems in Montreal made it necessary to stay extra days after alreadly arriving earlier than the cruise date. Four (2) key ports were cut from the itinerary. Saguenay, Baie, Gaspe and Prince Edward Island. We were aghast, when only a 30% refund was offered. Without those ports we would NOT reserved this cruise. To make things worse, the Captain was inaccessible to answer questions. He even announce that they had lost "revenue" on this cruise because of the Montreal difficulties. Why should passengers have to hear that? The rest of the staff tried hard to make up for his poor communication and general disregard for the terrible impact his words and action have. All of this leave a very bad taste... a stain on a good reputation...cannot recommend this cruise line to anyone. It as all handled SO badly. A few kind words and a full refund would have had everyone repeat clients....no such result. Read Less

We chose this cruise to enjoy the fall scenery of Canada, view the whales and other sea life of the St Laurence Seaway and visit Quebec City. When we embarked in Montreal on Tuesday we were not informed of a mechanical failure that occurred when the boat was arriving. Only after awakening Wednesday to the same view did we realize we were still in Montreal and then we were informed of a "small" "technical" "problem" and repairs would allow for a prompt departure. The staff did not go out of their way to develop more excursions. They just provided a $50 credit for us to buy "hop on, hop off" bus tickets. We awoke Thursday to the same view, but the ship had been relocated to a filthy industrial pier filled with containers, among other unattractive items and a splended view of large, rusting grain elevators. They then advised that the Canadian authorities now required an ocean tug to accompany the ship up the St Laurence. So, our departure was now further delayed by "forces beyond the control of the ship" in the ill chosen words of Silversea management, because we had to await the arrival of the tug. This generated concern among the passengers. What was the nature of the "technical problems" and had they been completely addressed and repaired? Why was a tug escort required? We received no answers, but Silversea gave a 30% cash refund. Then they altered the itinerary to canceling stops at the naturalists attractions ports of Saguenay, Baie Comeau , Gaspe, and Charlottetown. Instead, we will be hightailing it to the coal mining town of Sydney and then on to the large city of Halifax. Silversea does not care to try to make amends for their mistakes of not properly maintaining this older vessel. Instead they punish the customers on top of our 3 days in Montreal by canceling the most attractive portion of the cruise. I think they want to get the boat back to a large city for repairs. I will never set foot on a Silversea ship again. As an aside, on our previous Silversea cruise , our stateroom flooded and we were moved to an inferior room Read Less