Great itinerary. I think you can see the changes now that Royal Caribbean is the new owner.The food was fair at best. For a cruise of this length there was not enough change. Menu seemed to change only after 7 days. Many sauces slopped on all entries. Breakfast and lunch were fair at best. Many lunch items were inedible. I think they were not buying quality meats. Salads were non existent. There were few if any vegetables. There was not much as an alternative to eating in the dining rooms. We cancelled our reservations at the specialty restaurants ($ 60 per person) after many people told us it was poor and a waste of money. If you did not go on an excursion there was not much to do on the ship. Sea days (and we had a few) were very boring. Disembarkation and travel to the airport was like a cattle car. There were many unhappy passengers This was not our first Silversea, but it will probably be our last. How Sad! Read Less

We have some 130 days cruising with Silversea. This is the first time we have taken a cruise for the sake of taking a cruise, that being spending Christmas and New Year on the ship and not because we wanted to see specific destinations. Everything about the cruise was perfect, it greatly exceeded our expectations. There was a fantastic mix of passengers, surprisingly there were a number of European families travelling together, it seemed a wonderful way to relax over Christmas. The only negative was that we were unable to visit Milford and Doubtful Sounds in New Zealand, however, this decision was totally out of the hands of Silversea as the local pilots would not allow the ship to enter the Sounds as it was too dangerous! The service was outstanding as was the food. The choice of restaurants on the Muse is fantastic and caters for many different tastes. We enjoyed the cruise so much we have booked a Christmas cruise for 2020. Read Less

We booked this cruise through travel consultant in Sydney office as we are based in Thailand and it has been one of the worse traveling experience we ever had and the friend who has joined us on that cruise has blamed me nonstop for being on an "elderly floating home". This is just so wrong especially after spending so much money. Do not get me wrong, we have nothing against old people, but being in our early 50"s, this is not the holidays we were looking forward to. The average age on that ship was 80 years old and it was the same during all excursions we have done. The agent should have mentioned the crowd was rather old prior to take our booking and we would have decided to join this cruise or not with all information in hands. I do realize it's not necessarily easy to know who will be on board, but Silversea should know more or less what age group is most likely traveling in order to be fair to new potential customers. I can't stop thinking, we have been somehow misguided, and someone has to take the blame. Such a shame and above all such a waste of money for us. We could have been reliable clients in the future, but this is just so wrong. We have nothing wring with older people and we will get also get older one day but this was not our crowd at all. I do hope Silversea will communicate better from now on to make sure other people our age don’t get so disappointed and depressed. Apart from that everything else was fine, the ship is very nice and the services and staff on board excellent. Though a few staff had some attitude. But we can’t wait to be back home and away from this environment which was not at all what we were expecting and what we paid for. Read Less

We have cruised on Silversea a number of times, this was a highlight of all our sailings. What was not to like?????? (see previous review) The ship was luxurious , deluxe verandah immaculate, dining in the main restaurant excellent as ever, with very attentive waiters who knew what your wine selection would be and got it, also organised items from other menus on the ship. Like the drop egg noodle soup! yummy. The Blues Bar menu didnt change and was unappealing, but the Indochine and the Bar grill at night were fabulous. Unfortunately the rain and wind dampened the night venues, but we had excellent meals in our room. We thought the entertainment was great, the 6 singers were all well above expectation, and the costuming superb. Having Mark Vincent flown down from Sydney for an unexpected concert on a Sunday night in Melbourne was a highlight, we loved it. Both embarkation and disembarkation was excellent, as we'd had to fly from Brisbane to Sydney were very relieved we could get onto the ship and in our room in very quick time. We are also members of Virtuoso, and our hosts, Willo and Michelle from the USA were a hoot and we enjoyed our day out in the wine country with them. Yes, this is a line for the more mature who love good cuisine, good service, excellent presentation and love a little dressing up. Should be more than 1 time on your bucket list. Carmel Sunshine Coast Read Less

This is our fifth time on Silversea...the first on their newest ship “Silver Muse”. We have been on over 45 cruises...so we feel we know what we like and what we don’t. We were fortunate enough to have purchased this cruise on our last Silversea cruise in October, 2018. We knew as soon as we stepped onto this beauty we were in for a special trip. Our suite number was 1008, the Silver Suite. It was perfect. It had a nice dining area and plenty of room with a sofa, two chairs and a built in desk... the bedroom had sliding doors separating the living room which made it nice so I could read the news without interrupting my wife’s sleeping each morning.The shower was very roomy and the water pressure the best ever. It also had a large tub. Our butler, Nolan was also excellent. The food was very good at all restaurants...the only downside was the four speciality restaurants never changed their limited menus which would have been a little better. The buffet restaurant for breakfast that turns into the Italian restaurant at night was excellent all the time. The service around the entire ship was exceptional. The entertainment was limited and truthfully not that great and it usually did not start till 9:45...too late for us after dinner and wine. I did enjoy the staff in the casino and met several other passengers just enjoying blackjack. Another easy to fix issue for me was the hot tubs were just luke warm like bath water...I complained but never got any hotter. The shore excursions were all very good... Our biggest concern when reviewing this cruise originally was crossing from Melbourne to New Zealand four days at sea BUT it was as smooth as we could have ever imagined...like a lake...not to say we had not so perfect weather after that...with rain, wind and cold. We had not anticipated bringing sweaters or jackets..would suggest to bring if you plan on this time of year. We loved this cruise...the itinerary, the ship, the crew and most of the people.... Go have some fun. Read Less

Having sailed on Viking, Holland America, Oceania, Celebrity, Windstar this was the ideal opportunity to test drive Silversea on a short cruise between Singapore & Bali. Embarkation was very slow as two ships leaving the same evening & queues for immigration were very long Superior Veranda was a great size & you could easily enjoy this size of cabin for a cruise of 2-3 weeks. Butler introduce himself - but we didnt really use his services - felt a little gimmicky, but i guess some people like the ideal of 'staff' always on call. Decor was a little too bland - throughout the entire ship - beige & green - felt that due to the subdued nature of the guests some colour may have lightened up the atmosphere. Crowd generally 70+ - as ship was heading to Australia, equal balance of Australians & Americans. Food was good but not great - 2 good meals & surprisingly the Asian restaurant delivered a superb meal. Gym great size with all the facilities you could require Spa - i had one of the best massages on a ship ever....Ana the therapist fix the knots in my back. Small design fault: in how weather its nice to have a through breeze on the pool deck but none of the windows opened & it got very hot to eat a meal outside Didnt get off the ship in Smerang as didnt want a 11hr round trip journey to the temples. was a lovely quite day on board. Would i sail again - maybe if the itinerary and price were right but i wouldnt go out of my way. Would certainly try an expedition cruise as they have some amazing itineraries. Read Less

We took the Silverseas Muse because the Cruise Professionals recommended the ship and the company. We have been a loyal Crystal customer, but they didn’t offer a cruise around Japan. First off the Muse is a beautiful ship and the food is good. My problem is the staff and crew are incredibly poorly trained and clueless on customer service. They advertise butler service, but forget it, they won’t lift a finger. The main management of the company are equally clueless. They changed routing because of a storm and the itinerary was terrible. Total waste of time and never once apologized during the cruise. Frankly they could care less. They wanted the money from that cruise regardless of the possibilities that we could have gone into the storm. I could go on for a long time at how poorly staff is trained, but my point is don’t bother. We wrote to the cruise line and got a very canned response and I don’t really care types of responses. They offered a token credit, but that wasn’t what I was looking for. I wanted someone to look like they cared. Frankly I wouldn’t take Silverseas if they offered me a cruise for free. Stick with Crystal, they are the best. Read Less

This was our third trip on Silversea in an Owner's Suite. We did Alaska--Anchorage to Vancouver on this cruise. Silver Muse was only about a year old. We found the decor to be comparable to Silversea standards, but modernized. We prefer the older, warmer decor, but recognize that Silversea must keep up with the times. Compare my pictures of Silver Muse with my pictures of Silver Shadow (we were on the final voyage of Silver Shadow before its makeover). As you probably know, Royal Caribbean bought Silversea a year ago. It may be starting to show. 1. There have always been binoculars in Owner's Suites in the past. Now eliminated. 2. Service in the restaurants on Silver Muse has deteriorated compared to our prior experience. There were inordinately long waits between courses. And it wasn't just us. We had recommended Silversea to an informal group of 15, and everybody had similar experiences. Our next to last night took the cake. We were in one of their specialty restaurants (Silver Note). Our reservation was for 8:00, and we arrived at that time. At 9:50, we had only been served an appetizer. We had waited an hour following our appetizer, and still had not been served our main course. That is when we walked out. Perhaps, they have reduced the wait staff to the point that service does not meet their prior standards. Or, perhaps, because of the expansion of the fleet, they have been forced to promote staff before they were ready. 3. They have installed Royal Caribbean's Cellular at Sea system on the Silversea cruise ships (I don’t recall that on my prior Silversea cruises). Having spent my career in the wireless industry, let me assure you that there is no bigger rip-off than Cellular at Sea. You can easily spend far more on Cellular at Sea, than the cost of your cruise. We worried that despite blocking our phones from connecting to Cellular at Sea, that we would unintentionally unblock it, and incur thousands of dollars in charges (thousands of dollars is not hyperbolic). 4. Restaurant reservations have been impossibly frustrating for me on Silversea. At the beginning of this cruise it occurred to me that I should probably make reservations for our next cruise, even though it was still 50 days away. Here is what I got: 11 not available, and 14 waitlisted. I was unable to make a single reservation--not one. I advised my cruise consultant that for future bookings he must set his alarm clock for midnight on the day reservations open and call me so that I don't miss the window of opportunity. (In fairness, our butler was able to make reservation for all the restaurants during our next cruise.) 5. Silversea is remodeling their owner's suites and eliminating the convenient U-shaped bars. They are putting in little cabinets that simply are not as nice or convenient for me. While there were some disappointments with restaurant service, I trust that management will focus on correcting those deficits. Read Less

This was our first cruise with Silversea (my first with any line) but will not be our last. We felt pampered and enjoyed our meals consistently throughout the 7 days. The ship and our cabin were bright and clean. The staff were cheerful and polite. We were fortunate to have sunny and fairly warm weather in Alaska throughout our cruise. Going in September we were concerned a bit about this, but it turned out great. Breakfast in LaTerrazza gets the day off to a great start. It is a buffet type arrangement with an incredible assortment of fresh fruit, breads (sweet rolls were irresistible to one of us, ok, I tried them all), eggs, cereals, cold cuts, cheeses, juices and more. Coffee is served at your table, and it is possible to order a custom breakfast from there as well. The lunch buffet is also excellent, but don't pass up the superb pizza at Spaccanapoli or the wide selection of lunch choices at the Grille. Dinner in Atlantide and Indochine were both superb, out of the many dinner orders between us, only one was disappointing. Not sure why DW decided to order vegetarian that night... Entertainment was fine, the performers are enthusiastic and talented. The musicians playing in various locations around the ship were very good. Vlad, a guitarist/vocalist, caught our attention while we were walking about. We sat down and enjoyed an excellent set of music while being served the fine included-in-fare sauvignon blanc. Our favorite excursion was whale watching out of Juneau. We were perhaps lucky in seeing about 10 whales, but the guides seemed confident we'd find them from the outset. Embarkation and disembarkation were a breeze. A vigorous hike and river float ride in Skagway also made for a great day. The ship had an unexpected technical issue after we boarded causing us to stay in Vancouver the first day, and so we missed our Ketchikan stop. Silversea provided free excursions to Vancouver and a cash credit on a future cruise, which we considered fair compensation. As the rest of the cruise went so well, the issue was evidently fully resolved. We are happy to give overall 5 stars for a truly memorable cruise! Read Less

We were sadly disappointed from the start when the Muse "broke" and we we didn't depart until a day later than scheduled. We had already spent two days in Vancouver exploring the city, so the offer of a "free excursion" to see the city was of no interest. We had already seen everything offered! We're still waiting to hear the details of the "15% credit of our cruise cost for a future cruise." After three phone calls and two emails there has been no response. We then missed our Ketchikan stop, and spent almost 2 days at sea. Given this was the last Alaska cruise of the season it was apparent most of the staff was burned out and "just going through the motions" required of their jobs. Food was good, but not great, and for the cost of the cruise our expectations were much higher. Decor was benign and boring, and the "artwork" of stacked hairdryers painted gold in the grand stairway was just weird! Our butler was nice, but forgetful. The room steward was great. The restaurant reservation system was odd, as the restaurants that were "booked" were often only half (or less) than full at peak hours. Were they just saving on costs? Entertainment and food was repetitive, and got boring even though it was only a 7 day cruise. On a high note, the cabin (deluxe veranda) was nice, bed comfortable, and balcony clean, but the wifi was TERRIBLE! I need to work while on vacation, and the lack of connectivity made this close to impossible. This is only my third cruise, but the last with SilverSea. Oceania was MUCH nicer, food better, and cost less. True, the alcohol wasn't included, but I couldn't drink the price difference if I tried. Read Less

Chose cruise to see Alaska in luxury with excellent food. We had booked the train from Anchorage to Seward but it was only running to a few miles short of Seward so Silversea decided to transfer everyone by bus whereas we were told other cruise ships were collecting people by bus from the train. We were reimbursed by Silversea but it just seemed easier for Silversea to move everyone the same way! Embarkation worked well and was very quick but cabins were not available when boarded ship for at least another hour Ship was luxurious but food was disappointing especially in premium La Dame restaurant where our main course was served cold and service was below par. Our 2nd visit to La Terrezza was poor - they had run out of bread, we struggled to be served with water and wine and then main course special which was tuna which was asked to be served rare was totally over cooked (even if asked for well done) and inedible!! By this time we didn’t want the replacement which was offered Silver Note was good and singer was impressive. Shows were adequate but nothing special Management of the Spa was not good and staff were clearly incentivised on a sales commission basis for additional products. Making appointments was a time consuming and a difficult activity, and even with a confirmed appointment in writing that morning when I went for my appointment it was not in the system!!!!!! Also my wife went for a hot stones massage (also confirmed in writing) and the masseur delivered a cheaper massage and when questioned said hot stones was not booked. On completion of massage my wife went to sign bill and was not given the discount for 3 premium treatments because her last treatment wasn’t premium even though it was their error. On complaining to management it was eventually resolved but left a sour taste !! Excursions were good although quite expensive. We enjoyed Mendenhall Hike but not as strenuous as led to believe. Bear watching was good and saw bears catching salmon although guide was iffy. Sea kayak was enjoyable. Based on price of cruise we felt that Silversea should have been better but would go back to Azamara as felt everyone enjoyed themselves more and food in the speciality restaurants much better than Silver Muse. On Azamara Quest the Cruise Director was very proactive and had a great rapport with both the captain and the guests whereas on Silver Muse it all seemed rather muted and staid Read Less

A group of 18 friends gathered for an Alaska interior trip followed by the 7 day southbound cruise. The interior part of the trip was an incredible opportunity to see animals up close in a carefully managed national park. As this is a cruise review, i will focus on the ship portion but highly recommend the pre-cruise adventure. Room: We were in veranda room 908, adjoining with 906. The room was incredible - appointed with luxury linens, toiletries, decor etc. as you might expect The size of the room was great considering 3 ladies were sharing the room. The bedding was firm (i prefer plush) and slightly more narrow than a normal twin. The sofa turned into a twin bed and was made each night by the butler. The walk in closet provided plenty of room for our overpacking and offered 6 drawers and a safe. The long counter in the living area had 3 more drawers so everyone had a place to store things, along with a nightstand with drawer and cubby. The bathroom featured a handheld shower as well as rainfall showerhead. We always had hot water and water pressure. The marble bathroom also included a full sized tub, which we did not use. There were shelves in the bathroom above and below the sink. Our butler kept our Bulgari products well supplied. As shower gel was provided, they also had the "scrubby puffs" for best lather. We were able to put 2 large pieces of luggage under each "twin bed" although luggage racks were also kept under the beds. Our room was quiet and we got our exercise since the activities were usually on the opposite end of the ship. When docking, we did feel and hear the engines but it was not something that bothered us. The butler kept us stocked with champagne and kept the refrigerator full. He kept us supplied with water and even distilled water. The clock in the room was marked as having wireless charging but i did not find that to work with the iphone. I brought a small extension cord with multiple outlets for charging our appliances, apple watches, etc. and would recommend the same if you like to charge everything at once Dining: While we did have grilled lobster and caviar, 3 times, in Atlantide, we really did not enjoy the food nor its timing. Dinner hours began at 7 pm. Breakfast was unavailable after 10 am and Lunch stopped at 2 pm or sooner. Since i have cruised major lines over the years, i noted the missing "all day buffet" from other ships. We had to plan around the hours that the food would be available. This was not a deal breaker but is worth noting if you are not a planner. Food taste was nothing noteworthy as i would have expected but i am a foodie. We enjoyed La Terrazza twice for dinner (and many times for buffet breakfast and buffet lunch which was great) , Indochine was one interesting but not to the taste of our large group. Our waiter suggested serving multiple items family style (and we ordered extra short ribs which were incredible) and this was a great way to try the unusual menu. the Arts Cafe served great capuccino and lattes with little snacks all day. Spanicapolo (sp) had delicious pizza and the Grill served hot lava rocks for you to cook your own steak. We tried that one night in the rain and were surprised by how nice it was but the side items were lacking and got cold while you cooked your steak. Service: The ship has mastered service. The ratio of staff to guest was amazing. My wine glass was never empty, cocktails were always offered and service was prompt. We really enjoyed being taken care up so well. Everyone seems to enjoy the job. Spa: i had two services reserved before boarding and learned about a 3 service package on board. I added acupuncture to my massage and facial and got 3 services for $495. The individual facial and massage were $229 each and included the gratuity although i left extra. They tried to sell me something in every service but i was able to resist. This is my least favorite part of the spa experience. There are no showers that i saw but lockers are provided in a small changing room. We had amazing weather until Sitka and actually did not do our excursion and it was too late to cancel. Lots of end of summer bargains in the shops in ports, especially Ketchikan. The group really enjoyed the excursions with lots of adventures in helicopters, with dog mushers and glacier hikes. There was always plenty to do in port. Onboard, we enjoyed the last show - a Queen tribute and played (free) bingo and trivia in Dolce Vita every day at 4pm. We had great service while playing. Overall: this was my 1st luxury cruise of 15 cruises. I would probably not do it again but will look at upgrading to a suite on the major lines for a similar price. The ship was small and never seemed crowded despite the large group we had. I loved the size of this ship and it is one reason to return to Silversea. I was spoiled by the service but the food just did not wow me. I am happy to answer any questions. Read Less

My lifelong motto has been that I hate the idea of cruising. The hoards of people, the mass quantity of low quality food, the tiny rooms, and silly excursions. I’ve been on two short cruises to appease family before, and just didn’t like it. Well, when my other half suggested taking a luxury cruise through Alaska, I was not a fan of the idea. But, after watching a few videos, reading a few reviews and realizing he wasn’t kidding, we booked the Silversea’s Silver Muse 7 day Alaska cruise that started right before Labor Day weekend. The thought of the Butler Service, the suite with a bathtub and a balcony of our own, I had high hopes, but was very worried that my distaste for cruising would taint my experience. Spoiler Alert - I loved Silversea and would cruise with them again. This doesn’t feel like cruising - its luxury living. We booked the train transfer from Anchorage to Seward, and when I learned about the timeline of this, I was not pleased. First, the train didn’t leave until noon or later, so you wouldn’t get on the boat until after 5pm. Luckily for me, there was flooding on the railway tracks so they shut down the train, and we were instead going by motor coach, which meant we’d get to the ship by 2pm. I was so glad, so in hindsight, I’d recommend the bus transfer (or getting to Seward on your own), just so you can have a light lunch after embarkation on board and spend time wandering around the boat, checking things out. The boat is exactly as everyone else has described - contemporary, modern and new. The suite exceeded our expectations - I mean, who has a full size bath on a boat? The bed was extremely comfortable. I read that people didn’t like the way the TV worked. We loved it, because we could look at the restaurant menus, read about the next destination, watch videos of different cruises, and occasionally watch a movie or documentary. Why would anyone actually watch TV on vacation?? The butler service was outstanding. We became accustomed to breakfast in our room daily, along with a bottle of champagne waiting for us each afternoon. We were well taken care of, but it wasn’t intrusive at all. We only used the gym twice during our cruise, I walked on a treadmill on the day at sea and did one of the exercise yoga classes. The gym was clean and the treadmill was new and worked great. I liked that you were watching out the back window of the boat, but the class was just okay. Don’t expect to come onboard and get fit. The yoga class I took was very basic and ended up being cut short due to the raffle that day. Also the room for group classes is tiny, maybe 8 people can attend each session. Thank goodness for us, the cruise was mostly adults, and the ages varied. We are in our late 40’s and did not feel out of place. There were people of all ages, but there were definitely a lot of people well past 60, and everyone seemed to be retired. There were only about 3 babies/toddlers on the cruise, they were part of big family groups, so I don’t think it was a “choice” to be on this cruise with a child, since Silversea is definitely not designed for families or young ones. We seek out trips where kids are not allowed, so this was a plus in my book. The enrichment sessions for the Alaska cruise were good. There were several sessions, one on Glaciers, one on Totem Poles, another on Bears, one on Alaskan Bush Pilots and I’m sure there were others, all by the same person. One thing we loved was that if you missed the session, they recorded it and put it on the TV! We only attended one of the evening “shows” and it was fine. (but this is the part of cruising I hate, cheesy shows that are just embarrassing to watch). However, I will admit, the way Silversea did the show was classier than most, really just simplistic singing of songs from multiple eras. Also, the ladies that were singing in Silver Note were also very good. We sat at the bar twice and listened to them. Others have mentioned that this boat did not feel crowded. They are absolutely correct. The way they manage the restaurants, the activities, and the fact that the boat is quite large, you never feel crowded. We ran into people here and there, but overall, it was so different from other cruises where you feel like herded cattle. The only time you really noticed large groups was during the safety briefing and the last day while you wait to exit the ship. Now, onto the food onboard. My favorite dinners were at Kaiseki and Indochine - do not skip these!! Indochine had the most flavorful, unique food on the boat. I did enjoy La Terrazza, they had great house-made pasta. La Dame was very nice, but the food isn’t all that much different or better than Atlantide, which was great for formal night and the food was very nice. We ate at the pizza restaurant twice for lunch, and loved it. The Grill was a complete miss for me. I didn’t like the cook on a rock thing, and being pescatarian, my choices were limited. I opted for the shrimp, and it was gross. I couldn’t even eat them. The texture was awful. However, someone immediately noticed I was not eating them and offered me everything and anything to make up for it. We never dined at Silvernote, since we didn’t make a reservation early on, so we never got to dine there. Many people said it was great. The excursions we took were overall outstanding, well organized and timed well. While we could have booked some of these things on our own, we liked the idea of being with the companies that the cruise ship hired, so we knew they’d get us back to the ship ontime. Here are reviews of the ones we did: In Juneau, we did the Mendenhall Glacier Dog Sledding Trip. This was the highlight of the trip for me. From the thrilling helicopter transfer to the high country dogsled camp where you could see and hear over 300 dogs barking and getting excited to run, to the actual dog sled ride we took, and then we got to pet all the dogs and even held some 8 week old puppies. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this excursion. In the afternoon in Juneau, we did the Whitewater Rafting trip, which was super fun. The “rapids” were very mild and easy to navigate, but it was a nice way to spend the afternoon. They give you rain boots and waders, so as long as you have a rain coat, you’ll stay dry. We did get a few fun splashes along the way, but there was never a fear of falling out. In Skagway, we did the Chilkoot Lake Wildlife Quest. This was just okay. We took the public ferry to Haines, got in a small coach with 5 other couples and drove around looking for wildlife. We saw several bald eagles, but no bears. The lunch they served was nice, but overall, I would not choose this excursion again. Being active people in our 40’s, we would have liked a more adventurous back country experience. This would be a great experience for someone with mobility issues, but wants to see wildlife. In Sitka, we opted to take the Indian Falls Waterfall Hike. This was a no joke, 10 mile hike. We walked 5 miles in, and 5 miles back and it took the full 6 hours to complete. It was gorgeous getting well into the rainforest and our guide was a fantastic 21 year old local who knew so much about the area, the flora and fauna, and just a very pleasant person to spend the day with. If you opt for this strenuous excursion, make sure you have a good raincoat, good sturdy shoes and water resistant pants. The last 30 minutes of the trail we got dumped on, and I learned that my older raincoat was no longer as effective against the elements...... In Ketchikan, we took the Alaska Bear Adventure, which meant we took a float plane to a remote part of the island, got on a bus drove a bit, and then walked down to the viewing platform over the river to see bears. This was an AMAZING experience. We saw several bears fishing for salmon in the quick hour we were on the viewing platform. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this excursion. Bring binoculars and a camera! Tips: 1. Book dinners for later than you think. We often opted for 6pm or 7pm reservations, and in hindsight, 8pm would have been much better. Time flies between returning from an excursion and going to dinner, so having an extra hour to take a bath, relax or use the steam room, and get dressed for dinner would have been nice. I feel like this was our ‘rookie’ mistake being less experienced cruisers. 2. Do all your research on excursions before the booking window opens up. Then, go online the day they open up and reserve the ones you want immediately. The smaller group and more exclusive excursions were full within 24 hours. We did this and got to do every excursion we wanted! 3. Make dinner reservations right away as well, La Dame and Kaiseki were both full immediately after the booking window opened. 4. Do dress up for Formal Night! We ate at Atlantide for the formal night and that appears to be where many people go for the formal night. How dressy should you go? Totally up to you, but I saw long gowns, short cocktail dresses, sparkly pant suits on women and the men were in dark suits or tuxedo’s. 5. Things to bring: bring bath bombs (or bubble bath) for your bathtub; Pack a outlet converter for the UK, (while they have both US and UK outlets in your suite, having the converter made my life easier) and make sure you have comfy lounge clothes for time in your suite. If I decided to cruise again, I would definitely go with Silversea. This is a classy, upscale experience that offered great excursions, which is the only reason I would cruise, to see something, do something, or experience new places. Read Less

I travelled with family and they recommended this cruise line having sailed with them before. The ship is smaller than what I have previously cruised on so I was concerned about motion - turned out to be a non-issue (not sure if it was just the ship or the calmer waters we sailed mostly in Alaska). We were traveling with my senior citizen mother so the smaller ship was a great size for her to easily navigate. Although the ship was at capacity we never felt crowded, never waited in any line, and service was impeccable. Cabin was spacious (Verandah Suite Deck 8) and we had 3 in the room with no issues. Bathroom was very spacious and the shower was wonderful with great water pressure. Loved the towels and bath amenities. Our butler was excellent, and it was a nice service. We booked tours in all our ports independent of the ship so I cannot comment on this aspect. Entertainment was basic and we did not do much during the day other than bingo while at sea, which was fun. The evening entertainment was just OK. The best show was the tribute to Queen. Casino is small but not overly crowded. One table each for blackjack, poker and roulette and there were some slot machines. The ship was beautiful and well kept, service outstanding as I mentioned. A few blips to be aware of: 1. Embarkation timing could be seriously improved. We arrived in Anchorage the day before the sailing and took the scenic railway to the ship with the cruise line the next day. Our bus to the train did not depart until 1230pm, so the morning was quiet and sort of boring with not much we could do. The train ride was pleasant, scenery was beautiful, but the ride was long and we arrived at the boat close to 6pm. We were on the last car of the train so last to exit and get on board. As soon as we got on board it was muster drill time, we did not even have time to walk around the ship and get acclimated. After muster we had to get ready for dinner and felt very rushed to unpack and get organized. Rather than keep us in Anchorage, it would have been better to have us depart and arrive at the ship an hour or so earlier to allow passengers to get their bearings. I know most passengers arrive on the train so it gives the crew max time to prepare the ship, but there should be a happier medium. 2. Remember to bring converters. The USB ports did not work and there were not enough USA outlets. There were no converters available to us when we asked our butler and we did not read that converters were recommended to bring- our fault for not asking I guess. 3. Restaurants were overall pretty good. Some blips in service and food quality during dinners in both Atlantide and La Terrazza. I thought the food was good but I think I expected better given the luxury level of the line- it was not much better than I have experienced on other 'less luxurious' ships. What was nice - service was outstanding all over the ship, maitre d's addressed you by name within 24 hours of being onboard, staff was friendly everywhere, and the available wine and any beverage you want anytime were certainly nice! So overall we had a wonderful cruise on the Muse and for our Alaska trip but I am not sure I would book again with them at this time. I reserve the right to reconsider my comment though if I cruise again and see significant advantages to Silver Sea. Read Less

Disclaimer - this was our first cruise and perhaps our expectations were unrealistic. The ship was beautiful. The food and service were spotty. We enjoyed the food and experience at Silver Note, Kaiseki and Indochine. Atlantide was the most disappointing. The service was inconsistent (i.e. at the empty Grill at lunch it was hard to get anyone's attention for a second glass of wine and when it finally came it was not with a smile!). We couldn't get a decent steak on board. Our son ate steak at practically every restaurant and a request for 'medium' came back either blue or brown - never pink! That was a real let-down. The Hot Rocks concept was gimmicky and not worth the effort. The over-sized dentist bibs they provide did not protect our clothing from getting spattered with grease. La Dame and Terrazza both had decent food and the service was outstanding - especially the maitre d' (Rodel) in La Dame - he was a real charmer! Service is where we feel Silversea really dropped the ball. We had a large suite with a separate dining area so we decided to have breakfast in the suite each morning. It arrived cold every day and on the second day I asked our butler how many suites he serviced. He responded 14, which surprised me. I asked him what happened if everyone wants breakfast at the same time and he said he tries to get his colleagues to help. He was hardworking but rushed off his feet. It wasn't unusual for him to be paged by another suite while he was with us and he would then use our phone to call and see what his other guests needed. While 1:1 service is impossible, one man servicing 14 suites will never equate to luxury service. We felt bad for him so tried to ask for as little as possible. He was also off-duty from 12-4 and during that period no one answered his phone. We never used his service after 6pm so I'm not sure if the timing of the break is the most sensible? Silversea offers a 'dedicated butler' which I think means only that you'll always see the same face? In our experience it put too much pressure on one person and it would be much better to have a team helping each other and ultimately the guests. Echoing other reviewers, the pool area, while pretty, was not restful. It was teeming with young kids. We traveled with our mid-teens and although they fancied going for a swim or in the hot-tub the atmosphere was always off-putting. We loved the afternoon trivia, ping-pong and the kids appreciated the large selection of streaming media. This was our first time in Alaska and we were impressed by the ports and the people. We didn't do any shipboard excursions but we thoroughly enjoyed the trips we privately arranged - whale watching in Juneau, Emerald Lake/Yukon tour in Skagway, Wildlife Boat Tour in Sitka and Anan Creek Bear Tour by float plane in Ketchikan (this is a must do if you don't mind the small plane). One of the on-board highlights was the afternoon at Hubbard Glacier. Having the forward deck was a huge plus. I thought that the Captain turned the whole ship 360 at the glacier, but all it did was pivot to port and starboard a few times. We saw plenty of spectacular calving. We had fully intended to re-book Silver Origin for the Galapagos while on board but our experience just wasn't compelling enough. On our return we were offered a sizable incentive to re-book but we decided to try Celebrity Flora instead - even though it was slightly more expensive. I waited a few weeks to write this review to see how the experience settled on us, and while I wouldn't say it dissuaded us from cruising again, I don't think we'd ever revisit Silversea. Read Less

Our first mistake was assuming that, like Viking, Silversea cruises would be adults only. In fact, out of 580 passengers, 76 were children, about two thirds of those under 5 years old, or even babies. There are virtually no facilities for young children on the ship, so they were mostly bored and amused themselves running up and down the stairs and corridors uunsupervised. The swimming pools and hot tubs were completely taken over by the kids, even though under 12's were not supposed to use the hot tub. They also made their presence felt in the dining rooms, crying and tipping over chairs, and rather spoilt some of the excursions. We were particularly shocked when, on the first day, young children were helping themselves from the buffet using their hands. Aside from the children, there were several other things that were disappointing. The restaurant menu only changed once and then only a few items were different. We had one instance of shockingly rude service in the grill restaurant. The alternative restaurants were fully booked months ahead. We found that there were few places to enjoy a quiet cup of coffee and that these were usually very crowded indeed. The room service meal we had one evening was supposed to be served course by course within 20 minutes. In fact, it took an hour to arrive and then it all came at once, except the wine, which took a further 15 minutes to arrive and the meal was only warm, not hot. The room was not always as clean as I would like and the bath supplies were not replaced except when I asked. We had been advised to have a low floor cabin for wildlife viewing, but we were over the lounge and had quite a bit of noise from the activities there, notably the bingo, quizzes and late night music. On the plus side, the cabin was amazing and the bathroom was superb. The bed linens were very luxurious, as were the toiletries and there was a choice of pillows. All the food and drink was included, and this was mostly of a very high standard. We also had a selection of fresh fruit in the cabin every day. The scenery and excursions were excellent and we were very lucky with the weather and wildlife sightings on the trips. However, overall the experience fell well below what we had expected from this luxury brand. Read Less

We were so excited to sail with Silversea through Alaska. I must say the excursions have been great, the rooms are nice and the food very good (although no healthy options available.) Where the boat really fails is it’s amenities. The gym is very poorly equipped and overcrowded (weights do not go over 20kg and it is cheap equipment.) Where it really fails is the pool. It is a very small pool that I’m sure it nice but we haven’t been able to get into it since we’ve been here. The pool is filled with kids every hour of the day. Parents are not watching, kids are sliding all over the wood and pushing each other into the pool. It’s a safety hazard and inconvenient for anyone who is looking to have a relaxing vacation, or a swim after a hot day. If you want a room and food Silversea is great. But I believe most people go on a cruise for the full experience. If so, you’re better off on a different boat. We will not be cruising with Silversea again. Read Less

This was our 9th Silversea cruise all previous being on Spirit and Shadow, so we were keen to sample the Muse. We stayed in Fairmont Waterfront pre cruise, and exceptional hotel, top tip, choose a harbour view Gold floor room. It was a mixed experience on the Muse. The new Musification decor and the ship did not disappoint, a stunning ship and much improved over the older ships. The crew as always were superb, always friendly professional and a delight. However, we for sure noticed a slipping of previous standards. The main points we noticed, all small, but it's the small detail that counts: This was an Alaskan cruise, with the spotlight on scenery and wildlife, previous Silversea cruises always had binoculars in every cabin, wow, not any more, when I asked the reply from the Cruise Consultant was, it cost to much as guests steal them, a lowering of standards. I was surprised to see on the open forward deck, Zodiacs and Kayaks tied down, very unsightly. It became clear during the cruise that this cruise was partially an Expedition cruise, unfortunately this was not made clear in any pre cruise matterial. One day of the cruise was modified, without any pre cruise notice, to facilitate the expedition element as the ship moored for 12 hrs in Rudyard Bay, yes lovely scenery but after 12 hrs looking it became tiresome, it was all for the Expedition and tours using Zodiacs and Kayaks. Dining in the La Terrazza restaurant was very disappointing, the changes have created a more open cafe concept, very noisey taking away its previous charm. Top tip, try it once but dine in Atlantide, Silver Note or La Dame, these are all very good. We noticed the service was not as before, standards from Silversea are dropping, these points are small but important, to me all drink measures are smaller, canape are meager, one other guest called it the "Meega Muse" Also lacking was the old Silversea luxury of a waiter taking ladys by the arm to escort to table. Sliding standards. And what happened to the luxury touch of your butler giving you a choice of toiletries for your cabin. Sliding standards. If you have this option, take the Juneau Silver King Lodge tour, amazing wildlife and lunch. To summarise; Yes Silversea are exceptional and I would certainly cruise with them again and recommend them. However, the new Musification is missing something, I'm not sure what but they seem to have just taken there eye off the ball, and are cutting back on small luxury items, but I would suggest that it's just those small luxury touches that have made Silversea. Read Less

Silversea markets itself as a high end luxury liner and for the most part it meets its hype. People joining Grand Voyages part way through, hoping on and off after a few days and discount cruisers tend to bring down the luxury experience. The Muse is a well-designed ship for intimate cruising with nicely designed suites, multiple restaurants, bars and open spaces to relax. The suites are spacious, nicely decorated and kept spotless by well-trained attendants. With eight restaurants, serving a variety of foods; Japanese, Indochine fusion, Italian, Grill, Atlantide seafood & steaks, pizzeria, Silver Note night club. Atlantide best for seafood, Grill for steaks there are always good dishes on the menu at whichever location you chose. La Dame has two sittings, neither time acceptable to us . Atlantide is compact and intimate conversation impossible. Overall food was good with attentive service. Arts cafe is a delightful coffee boutique offering coffees, alcohol and a varying selection of food offerings during the day. Late night chocolate was always good. Sommeliers offer good variety of global house wines to meet personal choice. Six bars, two main Dolce Vita and Panorama offer a good selection of premium liquor, wines and champagne. The Servers are friendly and know your drink choice without asking after a few days. The Pool bar is good during the day and evening for drinks and coffee. Other bars in Atlantide, Silver Note, and Indochine. The Pool area is the hub of daily activities on two decks. Shade is at a premium as sitting area for the Grill occupy much of the shade. Plenty of quiet spots away from the pool area. The Entertainment is not a strength of Silversea, except Trivia with Jimmy. Enrichment lecturers were variable but David Horner was excellent, Mark Elovitz and Bill Miller good. We had a great voyage and have booked for next year. Silversea continues to be our first choice for cruising. Read Less

First cruised onboard theSilver Cloud many, many years ago and we wanted to try another Silver Sea cruise. Silver Muse had the right itinerary and well, she did not disappoint. The entire experience was excellent, the accommodations spacious and understated elegance, the service was outstanding. We had multiple dining options and all were good in their own right. Most of the staff were personable and went out of their way to accommodate our needs- we were a large group, 14 adults and a baby. The entertainment was average, but we really wanted to do a relaxed cruise so we really did not mind that. embark/disembark- at Marina Bay Cruise Center (Singapore), from luggage drop off tot he welcome champagne in the lobby of the ship was 15 minutes at most. cabin- see below dining- we tried each of the restaurants at least twice and all were excellent. The service and attention was great. My favorites were Atlantide and the outdoor grilling were you prepare your own dish on hot rocks. The buffet area for breakfast and lunch was converted into an italian-themed restaurant at night. excursions- Silversea had several excursions that were complimentary, you get to reserve this in advance before the cruise. The more personalized options, you had to pay for. Would highly recommend this cruise. looking forward to the next SS cruise. Read Less

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

Superb from embarkation to disembarkation. My daughter took me on this cruise to celebrate a milestone birthday and I could not recommend it highly enough. She has sailed with Silversea before so I knew what to expect but it exceeded my expectations by a thousand percent. The service, the dining experiences, the amazing staff, the excursions, the suite, our butler and cabin attendant, the pool, the gym and all the extra little touches were beyond comparison. (I travelled on a Celebrity cruise last year and I would give that half a star (only for the excursions). Silversea would rate 10 stars if it was possible. From the room attendants, the wait staff, right up to the Captain, everyone went out of their way to be polite, friendly and helpful. Our suite was so comfortable, even including a bath! and a seperate dressing room. Our needs were met promptly and efficiently and we never felt that anything was too much trouble for the crew. Every day another new surprise greeted us. From exclusive chocolates on our beds at night to a waiter complimenting me on my jewellery and even remembering that my daughter was wearing something similar several nights before. The meals were like dining in a 5 star restaurant each time. It’s very easy to put on some weight. Silversea is expensive but it’s all inclusive, so you never feel as though someone is fawning over you just to earn a tip, which is what has happened on other cruises I’ve taken. Will definitely be sailing Silversea again. Read Less

This trip should b a no brainer for SS, but it's not. To many little issues turn into stupidity. Examples, a Milk shake in US is made with ice cream and milk, they use no milk but use ice. Very difficult to explain how to make since there order system doesn’t allow explanations. The restaurants have a set menu, which means no different meals. Oceania, Regent, Crystal all have new menus for dinner every day, they also post outside what that nights menu is. The food is good but trying to customize a meal is difficult as you must order at least 24 hrs in advance. All, except 2 restaurants, must have a reservation, even though they are not filled. With empty tables at 8PM, you cannot just walk in. When we boarded we were told we needed an Australian Visa...but why wasn’t that notification made prior to boarding? So, request was made by Muse, but they applied to agency other than govnmt. Which charged more than double, notification was made about the problem and I was told I had to solve it. Fortunately others had same problem, so Muse handled the problem. Read Less

This is our review of our recent trip from Sydney to Auckland on the Silver Muse. We were fortunate to have booked an Owner’s Suite in the ship and we were expecting to be blown away by the whole experience but, unfortunately, it did not really end up that way. Embarkation and disembarkation Very good and smooth. Food and Restaurants In our opinion, the food was excellent all round and although other reviewers complained of the lack of variety, the menu is changed every 7 days at the evening restaurants, except for “La Dame”. We felt this catered for enough variety as there are various dishes within one menu to guarantee no repetition of the same dish within two visits to that restaurant in a 7-day cycle. We loved the pizza at “Spaccanapoli”, the lamb at “La Dame” and the overall experience at “Indochine”. Perhaps the one restaurant that lagged was “La Terraza” (Italian) in the evening. We felt the food there could be improved. Service on board Outstanding, that is all we can say. Every single member of the crew made us feel welcome and always greeted us with a smile. We would like to point out the outstanding service provided by Shinuda (maître d’) who was always helpful and happy, Gabor at Indochine who went out of his way to make sure that our wishes were met, and Nuria at Indochine who was always happy and cheerful and made our dinners a joy. Butler For some reason our butler was not as good as it could have been. Not much attention to detail and seemed to be stressed most of the time. We have had better experience with butlers before. This was not one to remember. Entertainment and activities onboard We had a guest guitarist, Vincenzo, who gave two shows in the 15-day cruise. Very good. The Silversea singers were very good but on a 15-day cruise, their shows, we found them to be repetitive. Silversea should consider bringing in more guest entertainers on longer cruises. Our cruise director was good. Activities were average. Cabin That was our biggest disappointment. Having the Owner’s suite booked we had high expectations as regards services, overall experience and luxury. The reality is that other then the size of the room (basically 3 varanda suites -one with no balcony - put together into one suite) the overall experience is the same as any other suite in the ship. We expected to receive additional perks to the standard suites for the cost of the Owner’s suite but that was not the case, but the cost of the suite is over x2.5 times that of a standard Varanda suite. The sitting/dining room had two large TV sets opposite one another in a room that was no more that 5 meters in distance between opposing walls. We did not understand the reason for two TV sets in such a small space and it felt as though one of them was an afterthought to justify the suite category. Totally unnecessary. Our experience with the owner’s suite is that it simply is not worth the money and they do not represent value for money. We are not likely to ever book an Owner Suite or any of the other top suites until there is a clear value for money appreciation in the suite. Booking a Varanda suite will get you the same level or service and extras and if you are after more space, then a Silver suite is a more reasonable option. Just as a point in reference, we had an Owner’s suite quoted for a trip to Antarctica in 2021, the cost was quoted in excess of $110K whereas the Varanda for two costs $35K. Bear in mind you are getting exactly the same service on board. Just not worth the money in our opinion. Crew Never saw them. Did we have one?. Ports and excursions The destinations were what sold us the cruise. Outstanding experience, amazing journey. The excursions were good, and we particularly appreciated the Middle Earth (Littleton, NZ) excursion hosted by Hammond Peek, he made our day – excellent person and great host. Passengers We felt that the average of the cruisers was more in the late 60’s – over 70’s range. Perhaps the distance, time of the year and cost keeps away younger people. My wife and I are 55+ and would have preferred a merrier atmosphere and not so formal. The sea days were particularly tedious with almost no entertainment in the swimming pool which gave it an impression of a 5-star hotel with no entertainment. This area needs to be improved. Read Less

Lawrence was amazing in talking about wine, so much so, fasting and not eating would have been an option. But not one beef serving was edible. We laughed at lunch when the knife could not cut the beef and the kangaroo was more tender. Again, would go to drink wine, but fillet in Indochine tasted like liver and even cheeseburger had No beef taste. Appears Royal Caribbean’s purchase poses issues. Rueben sandwich at lunch had quarter inch non chewable pieces of corned beef. Corned beef hash was not edible at breakfast. Breakfast sausage was unchewable. Cheeseburger had less taste than fast food American Burger King. Ship is nice and new, under decorated. Line must have run out of money during process. Would return for wine lectures, but not to eat. We laughed at lunch when the kangaroo meat was easier to cut than the beef freshly cut across the Dias. But it is not funny. This is a new magnificent ship with a crew trying so hard, a great butler, and yet you chew a piece of waygu beef, on and on, and put it back on your fork, and hide it on your plate from the attentive trying staff who are trying to do their best. Lobster tail twice with so much cartilage to be inedible. Why, we wonder, when everything else seems great. Crew seems on edge. Butler was great but asked if we would rate him, as though things were in flux. He was great. Food was not. Read Less