This was our 1st cruise on Silversea and they nailed it! Top to bottom, the experience exceeded all of our expectations, and was superior to our recent Seabourn Encore cruise in NZ/Australia. The ship was stretched and fully refurbished last year, it looks brand new with top notch high end touches in every venue. We are very seasoned cruisers and have been on nearly all the mainstream cruiselines (Regent, Seabourn, Oceania, Celebrity, HAL, etc.) with over 60 cruises under our belt. We traveled as an adult couple in our late 40's along with our 22yr old daughter, sharing a cabin with her. We choose this cruise for two main reasons. 1. Experience a Silversea cruise 2. Itinerary to Norway where we haven't traveled before. The ship was fully refurbished and stretched last year (read about the changes on CC) and it shows with high quality touches in every venue. The ship sailed full, but we never encountered any crowded areas and the space to pax ratio is very high! This ship offers everything you could want in a smallish footprint luxury line. No sings of wear or tear anywhere. Beautiful fresh flowers are found throughout the ship, adding an upscale high end vibe to the ambience. SHIP 5 STARS The standard suite was very spacious, well laid out, included high end toiletries, stocked bar, shower & tub, balcony, and a butler. Many discussions about how to utilize a butler can be found on CC. Ours provided us with balloons/cake/decorations for our Anniversary, caviar, canapes, dining reservations, room service, a VIP dining experience on our balcony one evening with roses, and so much more. This is something Seabourn doesn't include that we truly feel sets Silversea apart from them. CABIN 5 STARS Dining options were excellent and well balance with most types of cuisine represented on the ship from Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Steakhouse, Italian, Continental, pizza, gastro pub special lunches, and so on. Some CC's threads complained about the lack of variety of choices on Silversea...I don't see how this is truly possible! With so many dining venues and new menus every 3-4 days we never felt like we repeated meals or bored of the food offered after 14 days onboard. The quality, variety, and presentation was superior to any other cruiseline we have traveled. Unlimited caviar is now included with Silversea, leveling the field with the competition. We loved Artist cafe's excellent lite bites and high quality coffee service. I could go on and on about the food, but won't bore you to tears other than to say it simply was the BEST we have experienced to date (Seabourn was well below Silversea). FOOD 5 STARS Entertainment was geared towards an older demographic, which was expected. The singers (no dancers) consisted of 2 opera performers and 4 others.The theater had excellent sight lines with no obstructed views like we experience on Seabourn. One show per evening, around 9:30pm was offered. The opera singers were excellent! A few other strong vocalists mixed with a few average. The jazz duo in Silver note delivered an authentic jazz club like atmosphere and were a hit! One knock was having no duet or soloist that sang and played an instrument. The guest entertainment consisted of a comedy magician that was excellent and another pianist (the ship already had a full time one on staff). Why repeat the same entertainment that already existed from the staff onboard? ENTERTAINMENT 4 STARS The service was absolutely without a doubt 5 star luxury level at its finest! We felt as guests and not pax for our 2 weeks onboard. They would bend over backwards for you; we felt the staff enjoyed their jobs and were happy to work onboard. A very high percentage of staff knew our names within a few days onboard, similar to what we experienced on Seabourn. Seabourn dining room service always felt chaotic and understaffed. We didn't run into this on Silversea. The vibe was much calmer, more chill, and less stressed we felt from the service staff compared to Seabourn. The cherry on top was having a butler catering to our needs no matter how big or small. He went the extra mile to give us top notch service that sets Silversea apart from the competition. SERVICE 5 STARS Ports and excursions were all excellent and have been discussed many of times on CC. We enjoyed all of our stops in Norway and loved the authenticity of Norway vs places like Alaska that felt touristy. We had a very early arrival in London and were greeted by staff taking our luggage from us and then directly to the ship. We were delighted they took us to a city center high end hotel to have breakfast and refresh before our transfer to the port. PORTS 5 STARS We rank Silversea Silver Spirit #1 out of our 60+ cruises. If you're looking for the best of the best, you have found your ship! Read Less

In reflecting on our 11 nights aboard the Silver Spirit, I can honestly say we couldn't think of a single thing we would have liked to change. This ship and crew are the epitome of why we sail with Silversea again and again. Every single crew member we encountered was friendly and professional with some being old friends that we were happy to see again. I personally like the decor of the Spirit as it has a bit of the darker wood and warmth that I thought was lacking in the newer Muse. Our suite was kept immaculate for the entire voyage and all the public areas were clean and well-maintained. My daughter even commented on how the crew was painting and repairing something every day to keep it all looking fresh. The ship never felt crowded and the crew always had something planned to try and keep us busy even if we were at sea. We love the daily trivia, golf putting, and the special events such as chef's cooking demonstrations, and galley tours. The singers were very good although we didn't attend all the shows. We are late diners so many nights we were still enjoying dessert at that time. We found the food in all restaurants to be very good. The menus in Atlantide and La Terrazza did have a few changes during our voyage. Service was excellent and the wines were generally very nice as well. My glass of pre-dinner champagne only had to be requested for the first few nights and then magically appeared for the rest of the cruise. My daughter enjoyed that caviar was offered as an appetizer choice--I'm not sure I remember seeing this on any of our other voyages. Compliments to the chefs and staff as each dining experience was very good to excellent. Not to be missed...there were some seriously talented bartenders on board as well. If I had to nitpick, Silver Note was our least favorite food-wise but the jazz duo was lovely so we counted it as a win as well. The spa was beautiful and we enjoyed some services there. They were giving tours on embarkation day and some giveaways so it was a fun introduction. The gym is a bit small for this size of ship and my only comment about the fitness classes is that the yoga classes and such were only offered at 7 am but tours went out around 8:30 each day so I didn't get to go to any classes. I was disappointed as I brought my yoga gear and was ready to practice. Most of the afternoon classes where paid classes such as booty boot camp, etc. In general the excursions were very good and I was impressed with how organized they were even on the days we had to tender. Everything went quite smoothly. Embarking in Barcelona was easy but there was an actual line to board which I've never experienced before. I think flights must have come in just before we went over to board so many arrived at the same time. Mallorca- Caves of Drach was very pretty and interesting. The added on Majolica pearl factory tour was really a store to purchase jewelry with one person demonstrating how the pearls are made... no commentary. We weren't there long so not a big deal but a little underwhelming. Cadiz--Andalusian Horse show was fantastic. What gorgeous creatures and the trainers have really worked magic with them. No photos or video allowed which was a bit of a bummer but actually made everyone stop and watch the horses. Not to be missed! Lisbon--We did a city drive and river cruise on the Tagus River. The city drive was ok but our guide was my least favorite and the river cruise was not too good. Not much to see and there weren't enough seats on the top deck so those of us that sat below had dirty and scratched windows to look out of and a very limited sound system so we didn't hear much of the commentary. Cascais and Sintra--both towns were very cute and the drive up the coast and through the mountains was lovely. Our guide was exceptional and we enjoyed walking around. Maybe a bit more time especially in Sintra would have been nice as it was very crowded and we didn't have time to see the palace and finish the shops. It was quite cool when we got up there as well. Porto--LOVED this town. Wish we had more time here as there was a lot we would have loved to have seen on foot. We had a great guide who was an architect and offered much educational commentary on the buildings including the stunning port terminal where we docked. We took a bus tour and a river cruise on the Douro with its many bridges and then went to a winery to taste the port wines that the area is famous for. The river cruise was much better than the one in Lisbon and the entire visit made us want to go back to Porto. St. Malo--Went to Mont St. Michel and had our exercise for the day--up 350 steps. The guide was very knowledgable and we enjoyed the tour. I think it was probably handled as well as it could have been given that it was a Sunday and every person in France and four other countries much have been there....crazy crowded. Our only complaint was that we were given several hours of free time to shop and eat afterwards and the crowds made it impossible to shop and the food was not very good in any restaurant. We would have preferred to have been taken back to St. Malo and allowed to dine there and see the town. We were very disappointed not to have seen it but very happy to have seen Mont St. Michel...it is stunning. Guernsey--What a charming little place. We did not get to see the whole island as we opted to take the powerboat ride and just walk around the town where we docked. We did get to see puffins and seals and has a fun ride so we are not complaining but hoping to go back again and see more. Portsmouth--Home of the Royal Navy...felt very safe. Interesting tour to the town of Winchester and the beautiful cathedral. Jane Austen is buried here and the remnants of the castle nearby have some ties to Henry VIII so that was interesting. Probably a little too long in town for us though as we had nothing to do after the guide dropped us off. I think there were some pubs open and some passed the time there. Disembarkation in London was very easy. Cruise Director Roy was delightful and a wonderful addition to the Silversea family. Overall, one of the best cruises we have taken and an itinerary that we would do again given the chance. Read Less

Just returned from an absolutely wonderful 11 night cruise on the Spirit. We had not sailed Siversea in 10 years and will definitely be returning. Our past experience with this line had not been very positive and we switched to Seabourn but decided to try again based on the itinerary and timing near our anniversary. We embarked in Barcelona, it was qiuick and efficient but not as wrm as Seabourn. Our first impression of the ship was “dated”- perhaps it was the color scheme but the furniture style reminded me of an assisted living facility. We then reviewed the buffet in La Terrazza but opted to have lunch in the Atlantide restaurant where we enjoyed a tasty Mahi and drank a french chardonnay. The room was less frenetic than La Terrazza and the service excellent.We finished lunch and went to our Deluxe veranda suite on the 8th floor and found our luggage had been delivered-always good to get the unpacking squared away. Once again we had the impression that the suite had a bit of a dated feel to it but the space was similar to the Seabourn line and felt familiar. The shower was larger and the tub deeper but there was only a single sink.the ame/nities were very similar and we were very happy to have a jewelry box in the safe for our items. Our butler showed up shortly after and took care of several requests including a mattress topper for the bed which was on the firm side. After unpacking and attending the muster drill we showered, dressed for dinner and went to the Panorama lounge for a predinner cocktail. The ambience is different than the Observation bar on Seabourn and both have positives. We always enjoyed a seat at the beautiful bar on Seabourn where we could enjoy the bartender’s company as well as conversation with other passengers. The bar area on Silversea is small and not a focal point of the room so we chose to sit in the comfy chairs.The Silversea lounge was just that- very comfortable chairs and a very nice dance floor. I loved having a cocktail list on the Spirit and the drinks were well crafted and presented. Our reservation the first evening was in La Dame because we could only waitlist this venue for the rest of the cruise when we tried to book our reservations back in Feb. The dinner was just perfect- excellent food with delicious options and very attentive service - the only negative was that many of the tables were set so closely together that we felt as if we were joining others rather than dining as a twosome. The other restaurants on the ship were similar with many of the tables for two placed very closely together which could be positive or negative depending upon one’s table-mates. A couple next to us was forced to engage in political banter with two people on their other side told us after the other couple departed that they did not enjoy the discussion. All of the dining rooms seem to fill up each evening and everyone seemed to make an effort to dress nicely which added a touch of elegance. On Seabourn there were fewer jackets and almost no ties. We dined in La Terrazza most mornings and the selections for breakfast were quite varied and the food delivered hot and very quickly which we appreciated when we had an early excursion. We also enjoyed room service a few mornings and one evening when we were too tired too move! and our butler brought the tray-the presentation was lovely, the orders correct, and the food hot. The food in Seishin and Indoshine were nice options and we enjoyed the ambience of each restaurant. The only dinner we did not enjoy was in La Terrazza- service was on point but the food just wasn’t appealing- we only tried it once. The Arts cafe was another plus-it offered all day snacking items and we loved the option of bringing some things to the room-particularly as it was right down the hall. Our suite was very accessible to the elevators, the lauderette (which I used once,) the Arts Cafe and the pool. The only negative was the sound of furniture scraping across the deck above us- not a gigantic nuisance but I would probably go for deck 7 instead of 8. The ship’s excursions were very interesting and not overly crowded- there was always space on the bus to move around. Overall I would say that Silversea had better food and service and we really enjoyed having the services of a butler. Seabourn has prettier and more up to date venues and better entertainment. We liked the glamour of dressing for dinner on Silversea but did not like the surcharges for some of the restaurants. The welcome on Seabourn is more vibrant while Silversea is more subdued. Many of the guests on Silversea have sailed numerous times with the line and we are pleased to say that we shall be repeatIng with another cruise in the future. Read Less

We just returned from a Silverseas sailing on Silver Spirit from Barcelona to Rome. It was our first time with Silversea. I would give this cruise a mixed review. Likes: I liked our specious suite and the service was quite good.  Dislikes: The dining options are rather limited. I did not like the fact that dinner started late- 7pm at the earliest.  And, I also thought the dress code on non formal nights was too formal. There was also no casual dining options in the evening except for room service. The shows were also on late - at 10pm. I would prefer the option to eat at 6 and go to a show at 8 or even 9. Also, I got ill- food poisoning. I am pretty sure it was from an oyster in the lunch buffet. I was sick all night, and then quarentined all the next day. After I recovered I was fine the rest of the trip. While I enjoyed luxury crusing, I don't think I would do Silversea again as I would prefer earlier dining options/earlier shows/less formal dining options. Read Less

The ship is in excellent condition. The cabins are very nice and very clean and the bed was comfortable. The food was excellent and high quality. Filippo Bulgarini the Maître D is very good at insuring everything is perfect. All staff members have a excellent attitude and really care about insuring you have all your needs and wants met. Lots of area's on the ship to relax and enjoy the beautiful views. The on board credit was very easy to use and the store on the ship had a great selection of watches and clothing. We have travelled on many cruises. This was our first cruise with Silversea and we will return very soon because the overall experience was better than advertised. The ports of call were excellent and the extended stay in some of the ports was great because you did not feel rushed. The ship arrived on time to the ports of call everyday. Read Less

My partner and I, both 60, joined a business group for the first 5 days of this 11-day sailing. This was my first time on Silversea but not my first cruise. I have been on 36 other cruises on 11 other lines so I feel I have a good base of comparison. We flew into Ft. Lauderdale the day before embarkation and enjoyed riding the Water Taxi past the celebrity homes and yachts. Embarkation on the Silver Spirit was quick and easy. The Silver Spirit is one of the most luxurious ships I have sailed on. Understated, yet upscale, elegance permeates throughout. There are many venues, outdoor seating spaces, and a lot of eager crew to serve you, It never feels crowded and you can always find a seat. The pool was large for a ship this size and there were three hot tubs. The day we utilized them, only one had working jets. There were a lot of loungers by the pool but few in the shade. Away from the pool were many more seats in the shade. You really have to explore all the open decks to find all the spots. Our Deluxe Veranda Suite was lovely: Marble bathroom with large shower, menu of toiletries, bath puffs, bathtub, and good lighting (once I located all the switches). Beautiful veranda with teak flooring and rails which do not obstruct the view. Sofa and chair in sitting area which could be cordoned off from bedroom with a curtain - a nice touch. Bed was very comfortable and our friendly butler brought us an egg crate mattress topper. He also filled our mini-fridge with our choice of beverages, The FOOD! Mostly superb. I love buffets and the breakfast and lunch buffets were outstanding with lots of fancy seafood, carved meats, cute jars of layered things, ice creams, fabulous desserts, you name it. Dinners were hit and miss. When we dined as a group (17 of us) service was painfully slow (3 Hours for dinner) and food was often cold. When my partner and I dined alone, the meals were normally paced. My favorite restaurant was Indochine, which I understand is the least popular on the ship, excepting the $60 upcharged La Dame (French). I love Asian food and this meal was excellent. Portions were small by American standards but we did not go hungry. Order something from all the courses and try something new! Dinner begins at 7 pm, which is late for us. I wish at least one of the restaurants started dinner service earlier. Don't hesitate to make special requests or tweak your meals to your liking. This is one of the hallmarks of Silverseas' personalized service. For example, my partner ordered the four (or was it five?) cheese pizza but requested meat be added. The pizza was great! I also loved the little treats offered in the Arts Cafe throughout the day. The All-Day Dining (AKA Room Service) menu was extensive. The only times we ordered room service was for morning coffee and service was prompt. Compared to other cruise lines, the Silver Spirit does not offer a huge amount of activities. There was, among other things, trivia, golf putting, the spa talks, a galley and bridge tour. The latter tours required same day morning signup as noted in the Daily Chronicle, the shipboard schedule, in tiny print which is easy to miss. Don't be like me - read the entire Chronicle! A small library is in the very top and front of the ship. An excellent lecturer offered a few talks on history and Caribbean topics. I would have attended more if I could! The nightly entertainment was the weakest part of this cruise, The 10 pm shows were boring, dated and not of the caliber expected from an upscale cruise line. I actually walked out -a first for me. Even though most of the passengers were older, everyone seemed bored by the shows. As for the ports, Grand Turk was a riot of beach activity, a swimming pool, Margaritaville, etc.right by the dock. We took a tour of the island, somewhat interesting, and a very fun boat excursion to Gibbs Cay where we swam with stingrays. In Virgin Gorda, the big attraction is the baths. We did not book a tour here because I had been to the Baths recently. Note: There is absolutely nothing to see or do here unless you are on an excursion. Hurricane damage is still evident. Next time, I would not even bother tendering in. We disembarked at St Martin and there is a shopping complex right by the pier. Again, I think an excursion by water may be the best option here. This is not a cruise for children, although there were a handful onboard who seemed to be enjoying the pool. The ship seems to be geared to those who want a relaxing, quieter cruise with fine dining, wine, and service. Would I go again? If the price is right and the itinerary compelling, maybe. If the entertainment was improved, that would be a big plus. Read Less

Beautiful ship with large cabins and plenty of public spaces to get away. Lots of restaurants, but food choices were somewhat limited. Like most cruises, there were minor issues along the way, but we really enjoyed this cruise. Embarkation seemed a bit disjointed with multiple stops. Staggered times based on suite category meant no big lines and cabins immediately ready. Our boarding opened at 2:00 pm. Don’t get too comfortable unpacking and miss lunch as the hours are limited. Welcome champagne glass and a full bottle waiting for you in the suite. We toured and photographed the ship after lunch. Disembarkation went as scheduled with full room service breakfast available (a rarity on most lines). Out of the cabin by 8:30 am, we waited until 9:15 for our group to be called right on time. Uber for two to FLL was less than $12 + tip. Why would anybody spend more for a bus transfer? Ship. So much room throughout the ship that we often asked ourselves, “Where is everybody?” Like many newer ships, this ship has the plethora of quiet places to “hide out.” Lots of elevators and stairs made it a snap to get around. Service and Amenities. Mostly what I would expect for a luxury cruise line. All-inclusive alcohol and wine flowed freely. Water, iced tea, and juice at the gangway with cold washcloths back on the ship. Friendly staff always greeted guests in passing, but don’t expect them to remember your name like they do on much smaller ships. Bulgari toiletries. All the toys in the cabin except binoculars. (I bring my own anyway.) No fresh flowers or fruit in our cabin. Clientele. Most people we met were very experienced cruisers. Some were avid Silversea clients, but quite a few were on their first Silversea cruise. A fair number of Brits. The clientele age was more varied than we expected. We quickly made friends with a lot of interesting people and enjoyed their company throughout the cruise. This is not a ship for kids, although the one 5-year old girl onboard got a lot of attention. Entertainment. Six singers and dancers did all the shows, including their solo acts. Other musicians also onboard for piano music, etc. Enrichment activities. Ira Feldman was our destination lecturer. He was very informative and approachable. We didn’t spend time doing most of the other cruise trivia, bingo, bridge, etc. We like doing puzzles and this ship could use a better location than the card room for that purpose. Restaurants. Very different arrangement than many other cruise lines and we were quite confused when trying to make pre-cruise online reservations. I’ll try to provide the information I wish I had before boarding. There is a cluster of four restaurants on Deck 4. Atlantide is the closest thing to a main dining room and doesn’t require reservations unless you have special requests. Menu only changed slightly once during the cruise. Indochine is similar with an Asian menu, but we never went there. Seishin (Asian) and LeDame (French) are the small, premium restaurants that are pricey and small. Hot Rocks (aka The Grill) is outside on Deck 9 by the pool. For lunch they serve burgers, but for dinner you cook your own food on a hot stone. Just upstairs overlooking the pool is the pizza restaurant Spaccanapoli. It’s not really a dinner restaurant, per se, but it does have a dinner menu if you want pizza. La Terrazza is the buffet converted to a sit-down Italian restaurant in the evening with both indoor and outdoor seating. Surprisingly, it had some of the best food on the ship, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Finally, Silver Note is a nice restaurant on Deck 8 that transitions into a piano bar with dancing at night. Menus vary by restaurant, not by day, so the idea is to try the different venues if you want variety. Finally, Arts Café is a gem of a place to get snacks next to Silver Note. That is where they serve afternoon tea with scones, cake, sandwiches, etc.. Unfortunately, the amazing cakes are replaced with only chocolate after dinner. It’s a good place to get an after dinner drink. The biggest critique I have is that afternoon post-shore excursion food was limited. Waiting an hour to get a burger from The Grill or room service just doesn’t cut it when you have been walking all morning and you are starving hungry! The simple fix would be to provide more substantial food (e.g. sandwiches, sushi, fruit, cookies, etc.) at the Arts Café during the entire lull period between lunch venues closing and dinner venues opening. Food Quality and Service. We were disappointed in the quality, variety, and availability. Although we had a few excellent meals, most were just average, which was disappointing for a luxury cruise line. Appetizers were typically the best part of the meal. Our lobster tails were overcooked. Steaks were not very tender and often undercooked. Lots of good fish choices, so we ate a lot of fish. Service was too often painfully slow, sometimes taking 2 ½ hours for a three course meal. What is it about some ships and the timing of the coffee? I like to drink my coffee with dessert, but the coffee usually came 15 minutes after dessert was served and long gone. Our last dinner onboard at La Terrazza was the best food and service of the cruise. Dress code. Two formal nights and five other nights requiring jackets for men. I would prefer more nights of “country club casual” or a dress code based on restaurant venue. Wearing formal clothes or even a jacket to an outdoor pizza restaurant didn’t make sense. Internet. Finally! Free, unlimited internet. Still ship-slow and sometimes difficult to get a good connection, but at least you are not being billed for every minute. Upgrades to higher speeds and more devices were available. Self Service Laundry. With machines on every floor, we were actually able to find open machines on a sea day, which made quick work of the laundry we needed washed. Free with a confusing soap dispenser. Machine instructions were practically non-existent and also perplexing. It didn’t help that the machine labels were German and the water temperatures were degrees Celsius. Cruise lines could really help out their guests by providing no-nonsense guides in English with recommendations about which of the 14 cycles (from 20 min to 3 hours) works best for most clothes. Spa & Fitness Center. Lots of treatment rooms. We enjoyed the Thermal Suite, which was an extra package price and limited access. Silversea could take a tip from Oceania and provide free Gatorade. Smoking. This was one of our main reasons for not sailing Silversea earlier. It is now reasonably restricted and the occasional whiffs of smoke from a designated smoking area did not bother us much. Ports. Santiago de Cuba, Grand Cayman, Cienfuegos, Havana, Bimini. Most people were on this cruise to see Cuba. Almost everybody went ashore to get a chance to see it firsthand. We invested heavily in shore excursions primarily because we didn’t know what to expect in terms of access and meeting the U.S. requirements to visit Cuba. All the Cuban tours were operated by Havanatur and transportation was provided on relatively new Chinese buses with toilets (an amenity you will appreciate in Cuba where every bathroom has an attendant with their hand out for a tip). Our shore excursion guides were all high quality. Everything was on time and the three sea days were a welcome respite from touring. An unexpected extension to our time in Havana allowed last-minute shore excursions to the nightclubs and shows. Friends we met through Cruise Critic were able to book their own independent tours, but we did not have the time to do all the advanced research and booking. Tenders. This was the first Silver Spirit itinerary to Cuba so there were many learning opportunities. Particularly problematic was the tendering service. Some of the tender rides were 35-45 minutes, but this was not entirely Silversea’s fault. Even this relatively small ship was not allowed to get close enough in some of the ports to have reasonable tendering times. This caused several of us to miss evening plans in Santiago because we could not get back to the ship in time to go back for the evening shows. Havana was the only port where we used a dock, which was a real luxury after all the tendering. The one big misstep was in Bimini, where bad management of tender rotations caused an hour wait that made several of us miss our afternoon shore excursion. The ship staff accepted full responsibility and refunded our ticket prices, but it was disappointing. In summary. We’ve never taken a perfect cruise, but expectations can be high for luxury cruise lines like Silversea. However, after 18 cruises on a variety of lines, this cruise makes our top 3, with Regent and Azamara. We loved the location and size of our cabin. Now that we understand the system, we will make better dining choices next cruise. Cuba is a must see and we will be back in the future to see the progress. Overall, we really enjoyed this cruise and will be back Read Less

We chose this cruise for several reasons. Rated 6.0 luxury. It was our first cruise so we wanted to keep the days down to a minimum, and this cruise lasted 7 nights. It was refurbished last year so it was practically new with beautiful soft colors and rich woods. I read many reviews and it was touted to have excellent food and service. It did not disappoint. We loved everything about this ship. Everything went smoothly and everything worked perfectly. Our cabin was perfect, enough space for all our things. Everything was put away and there was never any clutter due to lack or storage. Our butler was terrific and very accommodating. We tipped him when we were first introduced, although we knew it was not expected. We just wanted to be sure he was happy with us from the beginning. He was sure to bring us our snacks in our room every day at 4:30 when we got back to the cabin to relax before dinner. All the restaurants were terrific. We were on deck 7 so it was very convenient to go to La Terrazza for breakfast every morning for their buffet. We could sit in or out depending on the weather and the wind level. La Dame was elegant as was Seichin. We loved eating at Atlantide. Very elegant and great service and food. Although there were 555 passengers, we found everywhere we went it was never crowded. We even found lounge seating at the pool area along the side of the ship where we were completely alone just looking our at the Caribbean Sea. It was glorious. We loved the hot rocks dinner at the Grill at the pool in the evening. The massages in the Spa were excellent. The shows were lovely. This was not Broadway, and coming from New York we get Broadway whenever we want it, but it was wonderfully entertaining. If you wanted daily activities they were there for you. We went on shore excursions, and we chose to play Trivia which was headed every day by the cruise director Rico. He did an excellent job throughout the cruise keeping us all happy and laughing. All in all, I'm sad to say our cruise ended. We can't wait to have this experience again. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it was the only one available for 7 days in a warm climate in February. The agent with Silversea was amazing in assisting us with any of our questions or concerns. The embarkation and disembarkation were flawless. The ship is small which is very nice and the cabins (we had one for our grown son and one for us) were as or larger than we had on Regent and Oceania, all with verandas. The decor may be a bit subtle for my taste. We enjoyed our meals at the Silver Note and at Seishin. We thought the entertainment in the various areas was very nice, although we never went to any "shows" so I'm not sure about that. The service was very good and our butlers were very attentive and did extra things like polishing shoes without being asked. We were very happy with our shore excursions which included a helicopter ride, snorkeling (no fish, but a fun day on the boat), our favorite was The America's Cup trip, my son enjoyed the canyoning with rapelling and diving off of the waterfalls. Roseau - hmmm. Not worth getting off the ship as far as we could tell. The Baths were great fun but plan on getting wet. Overall, the food was not up to par with Regent or Oceania; but, was still very good and I overheard other people raving about it, so that's inconclusive I guess. There were not enough activities onboard. There is a bridge room but nothing organized so it may as well not be there, no mini-golf or mini-tennis which we've enjoyed before. Smaller ship size accounts for this I guess. Trivia was fun. We felt it was a good value. We noticed that the age range was younger than on our other cruises, so a more lively, visible and active group. Our other cruises were 24+ days so I'm guessing it was the quick, easy, 7-day trip to a warm clime would explain that. Read Less

First time in SilverSea very disappointed, definitely not was I expecting, Embarkation in San Juan went smoothly from there all went downhill, we book Cruise true American Express and got $ 1,500 dlls cruise credit on board the first order was to make reservations for dinner to our surprise ALL the Restaurant where book for the week we ended up having dinner at the same restaurant 3 times( The Grill ) and 2 times at la (Terraza), cabin was clean in perfect shape but above us was a restaurant " The Grill " so we had heavy noise until 11pm every night, next day we pick our tours and proceeded to reserve them to our surprise they where all book and all of them on waitlist, only one open up out of the five we selected. The port selection for this Itinerary was very poor except for St Barths & Tortola, I just don't understand how can a cruise line with this level make a stop in an Island like Rosseau, Dominica. Service on the ship was excellent but nobody went out of its way to assist or help beyond giving you the NO or you are on Waitlist.. Try to spend the on board credit on the Spa but with the same results it was book for the week and if an opening was available we will be notify, we where also unsuccessful, In General the ship felt very dull no activities at all, will not travel in SilverSea again. Read Less

Overall our cruise was delightful. The only downsides being: first, some of the ports on this cruise (Road town,Tortola and Rouseau, Dominca) were odd choices. They are both sadly still suffering from hurricane damage. My second issue was the awful wi-fi, even with the premium service we received for being in a Silver Suite. At times it simply did not work, and we were only doing emails and checking the weather and written (not streaming) news.. The explanation that it's tough to do wi-fi at sea is at odds with our very positive experience with wi-fi on Silver Muse about 18 months ago. Moving on to all the many positives: The Ship was in perfect, pristine condition. It was interesting to play "find the stretch spot". It was done so well that only with the help of a crew member could we figure out precisely where the work was done. And the additional room at the pool and Grill made for a better experience. I particularly like the new, Muse like, color scheme; others may disagree. Dining options are plentiful. We made reservations on MySilversea and all were honored. It was easy, however, to make some changes as the cruise went on. And, Atlantide and Indochine require no reservations. Even with a nearly full cruise (544 passengers) there were no problems making adjustments. The increased space in La Terraza was a mixed blessing. It was easy to get in there for dinner, but the relative intimate nature of the space is gone. And, I notice they no longer mention Slow Cooking in the description; sadly, the duck pappardelle was just OK. We tried Silver Note and enjoyed it. The duo (singer and pianist) were quote good, took requests andwere not at all too loud. The crew make the Silversea experience and this trip was no exception. They were uniformly charming and a delight to interact with. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the itinerary and the cruise line. We had sailed with Silver Sea's on the Spirit two years ago. Some things have greatly improved from our initial sailing. 1. Level of service was excellent from the pool waiters to our butler and cabin steward. The crew was very engaged in making sure you had whatever you needed to make the trip enjoyable. If you made a request for something, that person made sure you had it. 2. Food, unfortunately both quality and variety really fall short. We were on a 14 day cruise and the menu's in Atlantide (main dining room) and La Terazza hardly changed. By day 14 I did not even open the menu. The staff says the menu changes after a week, but what changes is maybe one appetizer selection or soup. The majority of the menu stays the same. The other problem is the quality of the food is varies. One night the entree may be delicious and a few nights latter the same choice not very good. This is especially true with the veal. There are several restaurants , which helps, but Silver Sea's still need to address this problem, because it is a problem. 3. Ship expansion. This really helped the flow of the ship. Restaurants are no longer crowded. Also, created more room around pool area which is nice. 4. Beds, the new mattress are very hard. They will put a foam topper on bed, if requested. Does help. 5. Dining time - Service is very very slow. It was not unusual for dinner to take 2 hours to complete. Long time between courses. 6. Entertainment - Shows now start at 10 pm (maybe because of the above). So we did not get to see any shows. They use to start at 9:30. Bottom line, if food is not your priority or you are on a short itinerary, the Silver Spirit is a good choice. The friendly staff and beautiful ship certainly was enjoyable. We also found that the afternoon buffet had a very good carving station and lots of variety. So we ate more at lunch and less at dinner and came home weighing the same. But for what you pay for this cruise, you should not have to make compromises. 7. Excursions - Gibbs Bay (Grand Turk) - swim with stingrays. Wonderful- swim with stingray is optional, but the beach is beautiful. Sailing St. Bart a little on long side and they do not serve lunch only snacks. Be careful, if you swim, current is strong. 4X4 Bridgetown - ride rough (yes I know its a 4X4), but also because the seats face into jeep - so you are having to turn to side to see front or back. Most sights not very interesting, don't need to see McDonalds or schools. Some beach stops beautiful. Rum Factory & Beach Tour (St. Georges) bring bug spray - mosquitoes are terrible. 8. Spa services are great had massage and manicure. Be aware tip is added to your bill though NOT STATED on spa menu. Would I sail again on Silver Spirit?- maybe Read Less

We choose this cruise line and ship because friends raved about it and we enjoy luxury cruising. Sadly, we did not think it lived up to the standard we are used to on Crystal. 1. There were things not working on the ship. The forward elevator was out the entire trip and it was out the cruise before ours. Our room was freezing for 2 days before my husband found the head of Hotel and she got engineering/maintenance to get it working after an assistant tried to fix it and said it was working, but still was not. 2. Many people got sick while aboard 3. Menus were never changed in the different restaurants with the exception being on Christmas and New Years. Only the La Dame ($60 per person charge) was cozy with an outstanding menu. We went twice. 4. We enjoyed the different all day snacks at The Arts Cafe in the back of the ship with lounge seating outside as well. At 3:00 five different cakes were served and different ones each day. Different salads in a small glass container, great coffees, cookies, sandwiches, etc. 5. We also enjoyed the Panorama Lounge before dinner with live music, dancing and cocktails. 6. We liked the ambiance in The Silver Note restaurant and the lovely live dinner music during dinner. The menu was not very much to our liking very though. We liked the menu at Indochine restaurant, but not the decor as it was very contemporary, open and not cozy. The outside restaurant at night was by the pool and called "Hot Rocks" where you cook your own steaks or fish or whatever on a very hot plate. I had the best filet mignon I've ever had there. 7. Most of the shows were so-so with the exception of two, which were excellent. The Silver Note Singers did their best. 8. No one remembered our name except our butler and his assistant. 9. Most all of the staff was very friendly, although a couple of the men in charge in the restaurants had “attitude”. Most everyone tries, but do not quite make the cut. 10. Not very many activities but they had bridge play and lessons, black jack and poker tournaments, occasional dance lesson, trivia, occasional bingo. Most of the activities were held at the same time or would overlap so we had to choose one. 11. We went on two excursions and one was barely acceptable. There were two enrichment speakers and one was quite interesting about Radio City Music Hall, Bob Fosse, etc. 12. This was a Holiday cruise, so there were a few families on board. Sometimes the kids got rambunctious, but generally it was a quiet seniors cruise, which we liked! We thought the cruise did not accept anyone under 18 years, but we were wrong! 13. Embarkation was a breeze and debarkation took forever. 14. We feel we got our money's worth, but we are not sure we would go again--would have to be the right destination for the right price! Read Less

I choose this ship for its 6 stars, and the itinerary. Our reservations included the airfare. Sivlersea had us booked on a overnight United flight. Arrived in Ft. Lauderdale right after 6 AM. We were picked up at the airport and taken to a hotel for breakfast. The check in table at the hotel did not have our information. They were eventually able to provide us with a $20/ person coupon for breakfast. Restaurant was mediocre. We had to wait at the hotel until 12:15 to be taken to the ship. The bus ride was not well planned, lots of confusion. The check in at the ship went smoothly. Waited about 30 minutes for our room and another 2 hours for our luggage. The suite was very nice. Divided into a bedroom and sitting area. Nice size balcony. Walk in closet, with a dresser. Bed was very comfortable. The bathroom had a soaking tub and a shower. The service in the room was excellent by both the butler and the cleaning staff. I ordered breakfast most morings, which was delivered in 5 minutes. The quality of the food and wine ran from average to very good. They did have great icecream. We have traveled often on Crystal and found their food to be much better. Silversea have two specialty restaurants which charge an additional fee. We found the food to be of less quality then the regular restaurants. There were two specialty acts which we thought were very good, but the regular entertainers and shows were of poor quality. Two guest speakers were good. We choose to make our own tour reservations, which were excellent. Did go on one of Silversea's tour. Too many people, too much shopping, and too slow. The embarkation was slow and confusing. Should I cruise on Silversea in the future I would make my own arrangements. Read Less

Silver Spirit at Christmas time is a beautifully decorated ship, as well as one of the most pleasant to cruise. The extension added new cabins as well as enlarging the main dining room. No reservations are needed there, and it was never filled. The menu has multiple choices, but does not vary from day to day during a ten day cruise. There is enough to choose from in the main dining room, and also several other venues that are available at no added charge but require a reservation. None of the areas were ever filled to capacity during my lunches and dinners there. Only two areas have surcharges - the Japanese and French specialty rooms charge $40 and $60 for dinners. There is really no reason to pay extra when there are so many other dining areas included. The new pizza area on Deck 10 is terrific, and Hot Rocks at The Grill on Deck 9 continues to be a favorite. LaTerrazza on Deck 7 is an Italian restaurant at dinner time, and has a six or seven page menu all in Italian with English subtitles. Wine is poured freely at each and every venue - no need to ask unless you prefer a certain type. A red and a white are offered, and you are free to request something else - no problem! Everything is done with a flair - all services are top notch. Entertainment is not their main feature, but the singers do a good job with various types of music each evening. One daily trivia is well attended, and the no-charge Bingo games get a good turn out of players. All of the staff from room butlers to waiters do their best to accommodate your every wish. The cabins are much larger than on other ships of this size, with a walk-in closet that has a six drawer dresser w/safe as well as large hanging area. The bathrooms feature a large glass-enclosed shower and full tub plus lots of storage area. Your room fridge is filled with your choice of beverage at no added charge. Who could ask for more? Read Less

I chose the newly revamped and stretched Silver Spirit, hoping I would enjoy the cruise to the Western Caribbean and Central America. After boarding the ship in Ft. Lauderdale, I had a wonderful lunch in the main dining room, and so my expections were very high. When I went to my stateroom, I was very impressed with its size, the champagne that was chilled and waiting for me. I met my butler, and I was very impressed with him and his assistant, and his efforts and kindness throughout the cruise were more than noteworthy. I can say on a positive note, that you will have access to all the senior officers throughout the cruise-more than I have ever had before on other cruise lines. The chief maitre’d, Antonio, was absolutely amazing, and was the linchpin keeping all the heads of the many restaurants inline. He was there to ensure everything was done correctly in all the 7 dining rooms. On the first day of the cruise, there was an opportunity to meet with all the dining maitre’ d’s and the executive chef to discuss any food allergy or other food requests. Now, here were some of the issues and problems I encountered: 1) The lifeboat drill was something I never experienced before. When I left my stateroom near the front of the ship, the crew monitors sent me toward the front of the ship, and then said our group, whose staterooms were in the front of the ship, had to go into the crew area door on deck 6, and down steep metal crew steps 2 complete flights into the bowels of the crew area down to deck 4. We then walked some distance on the crew deck 4, and went up another crew staircase to deck 5, which was where the lifeboat drill was to take place. My comment to the leader of our group was how would be know how and where to go, since the corridors were so confusing, if we were expected to take this same route during an emergency? Why should we be the only group that was sent down into the crew area, when all the other guests on deck 6, went down the center ship staircase to the meeting room on deck 5. This room is the only large space on the ship, and every passenger on the ship (around 500), was crammed into that room for a 40 minute drill. More than half of the guests had to stand throughout the whole drill, since there was no place for the rest of us to sit. Once they began showing the guests how to don the lifejackets, I was shocked they did not ask the guests to follow their instructions and put on the lifejacket. After they showed everyone how to put on the lifejacket, they announced we should all proceed in one big group toward the outside of the ship where the lifeboats were located. Those who had not put on their lifejackets had to put them on before we started moving out of the room. I felt very uncomfortable and like I was in grammar school, when they insisted that while we were in the big room, that all guests should put their hands on the person in front of them, and keep the hand there all the way to the lifeboat area. In my 40 years of cruising, I have never participated in such a screwed-up and long lifeboat drill. 2) If you are going on the Silver Spirit to enjoy wonderful meals in the main dining room and other restaurants, you need to know that all the ships’ dining rooms serve the same meals every day. That’s right, no specials, no nothing, but the same repetitive meals. I am glad I was not on this ship for more than 10 days-I was tired and bored of the same food choices. The only time you can get some variety is during lunch in the main dining room, where they have a new wonderful menu everyday, but that menu and meal is prepared by the Sous Chef. I complained and asked why they pay an “executive chef” if the food is the same in all of the venues every evening? But they insist that you have to go to the other meal venues for some variety, and to that I say, that is nonsense. No ship cruising today doesn’t have different menus and specials in the main dining room every evening. I looked in the sushi restaurant during dinner, and it was so dark at night, that I would not chance eating there. I spoke to a chef who was preparing different sushi rolls in the Sushi restaurant (they are only open for dinner) to be served for lunch in the Trattoria restaurant, and I decided to try one of his rolls that day while eating there, and I could not even swallow the first bite of a California roll-it was that bad. The Central American ports were not ones that will ever go back to again. When we arrived at Grand Cayman, we encountered strong winds and very rough water and waves. The ship decided to disembark the ship via the tenders, but the water was so extremely rough that the light light boats were going up and down and banging-up against the temporary dock on the side of the ship. It was so extremely dangerous, that the tenders should have been shut down, but the crew continued to take guests ashore, even though the tenders were banging against the cement docks at the island’s piers. Again, the tenders were going up and down, and getting off was very, very dangerous. Returning later in the afternoon for the ride back to the ship, the Hotel Director, the Assistant Captain of the ship, and one other officer was there directing the boarding of the tenders-it was just as dangerous and even more frightening in the afternoon as it was earlier in the day, and very diffiicult to get back onto the temporary dock at the ship. I was thankful to be back on the ship safely. My observations were that all the crew were amazing, so helpful, and good at their jobs. The front desk employees were so helpful, and kind. They were always there to help and provide the answers to any questions. My room was kept perfect, and as I said, my butler and his assistant were amazing. I had one hiccup with a very young maitre’d in the Silver Note restaurant, and I was assured by Antonio after I told him about it the next day, that he was going to take care of it, and make sure that this individual did not make the same error again that he had embarrassingly done with my group the night before. If you are into fitness and working out, the gym onboard had to be an afterthought, and was really a joke. Way too small, and had only a few pieces of equipment. Read Less

We have wanted to try a luxury cruise for sometime. We have cruised about 15x on various lines including Princess, Carnival, Celebrity, MSC and Royal Caribbean. Here are some things to consider if you are used to standard cruise lines and debating on higher cost of luxury. Pros for us are fewer people, no crowds, food is amazing! There are 4 different dining venues and 2 specialty ($40 & $60pp). Regular dining room, Asian style, tapas style and our favorite cooking on a hot lava stone. Food was so good we did not do specialty restaurants. Room service has an extensive menu, available any time and Butler sets up linen table setting. You can get “room service” any where on ship when other venues are not open, like between breakfast and lunch. All inclusive is a plus. We have added drink packages on to previous cruises but it is very nice not having to sign every time you get a drink. Room is stocked with what ever you want, wine, beer and liquor. We asked for vodka and they brought a full size bottle! When we drink our bottle of wine it was replaced with another one. There is a butler and he was great but besides making sure our fridge was stocked I am not sure this was a big difference than a cabin steward. Maybe we just did not ask for much. They will shine your shoes, make dinner reservations... The cabins are fantastic, major pro! We typically do balconies or mini suites. All cabins are suites. Bottom ones are window, then floor to ceiling window, next are balconies. We had a deluxe veranda, booked last minute so not much choice. Lots of room, bathrooms are the best we have had. Great shower with rain head and hand held. The cons (for us) are the ship is reallly quiet, very few activities or entertainment. We do not go to shows in the theater but if you do know you will not find that here. We do enjoy a band playing in a lounge and music pool side. There are limited bars and they are not really set up for socializing around the bar. The main lounge has a small bar off to the side and the couches and chairs. There was a solo guitar player, really not much in terms of lively entertaininment. We would have loved an upscale bar with views to relax at in the evening and chat with other guests, A nice martini bar with mixologists would fit well on this ship. There is not main/grand staircase or center bar/entertainment area like you find on other ships. MSC has very attractive boats and I am fond of the rich wood look in lounges on Princess. Celebrity has some attractive areas as well. I am not a fan of goudi look of Carnival. The decks and public areas are very nice on SilverSpirit but could use a bit more elegance in lounges. Rich woods or maybe crystal lights, just something. The carpeting in hallways needs to be replaced, many stains and dirty looking, the walls are tile and I found them unattractive for a luxury ship. This may seem picky but when paying a much higher price your expectations do go up. The gym is super small, so if you work out you may be disappointed. I did a yoga class that was on a small out door deck, 6 of us barely fit. One day it rained so another fitness class was done inside in weight room area. There were 7 of us and barely had space to move, not to mention how warm it got in that little room. The instructor mentioned the week prior no one showed for a single class so I think 7 was a mass crowd. We were in port until 10pm or later but most shops close early so not a lot of things to do after dark. The casino can only open when at sea so it was open very late and the size was like an arcade. We are not big gamblers so this did not matter to us. You just have to think about what matters to you most. Overall the service, cabin, food and small number of passengers were a major plus! We had a very good vacation but most likely will not book again with SilverSeas. It was too quiet for us and not sure the high price tag was worth it. We would love to find a higher end option with more areas of entertainment and mingling. Read Less

Silver Spirit, Montreal to NYC. Have sailed too many cruises to list but over the past 12 months have been on Crystal and Queens Grill in Cunard. This Silver Spirit cruise was a return to Silversea having sailed on Cloud, Wind, Shadow and Whisper in the past (and had all very nice cruise on those other Silversea ships) Ship: Looks brand new, loved the cabin and and cabin bathroom. I found the ceilings too low on some decks and the ship really chopped up (a bit claustrophobic here and there). Some public rooms were too small to handle the ships passengers (Panorama) and some too large (Dolci Vida - which looks like an airport business class lounge). I'm still unsure about the new decor direction, it was really repetitive and kinda boring/cheap looking in some areas. Lighting was awful, in the dining rooms and la Terrazza were all lit like shopping malls. Also on the smaller ships La Terrazza was a beautiful space, on the Spirit, it looked like a mass market ships buffet restaurant. Cabins: Great, they were nicely updated, loved the bathrooms and our butler and cabin steward were tops. No complaints! Food: This is where Spirit falls and falls hard vs her competition. The non changing menus coupled with the new ipad ordering is a mess and will prevent me from sailing Silversea again. You are asked prior to every meal for your room number and name; super mass market. The ipads are slow and not flexible resulting in missed courses, incorrect orders, etc. The first night I never got my entree, was told kitchen was now closed and to order from Room Service, really? Second morning never got my breakfast, only or it to show up on day 7. Want your steak medium, order it rare was the given direction. I also hated the new slate type dishes in Atlantide, it felt like those dishes were all preprepared just waiting for your meat and sauce selection. All veal chops on the ship were inedible (even our waited guided away from ordering them). So in 10 nights, I had the same soup 5 times, same salad and three different steaks that all tasted about the same. Sad for a luxury line. Lunch in Atlantide was great, great daily menus and diverse food selection. We tried LaTerrazza, it was ok, I had the veal - bad choice. Silver Note was fun, but a one and done place. We cancelled LeDame as we didn't want to risk paying $240 for four of us to have the same dreary dinner food we had been having all week. Ports: We missed two and weather was awful, but thats not the ships fault. Its still a beautiful part of the world Service: Overall fine, but really a sense that there are rules to be followed, want a dish from next door? No. Would a bar server ever remember my room number or drink, Nope. Other passengers would let others know alternative menus were available, but never from the staff. 45 minutes between courses, yup...The whole experience felt too mass market compared to Seabourn or Crystal. We had fun thanks to the DJ and other passengers we met, always great meeting others. Since this seems to be the new direction for Silversea, I hope that they get guidance from Royal Caribbean or at least the cash they need to bring their experience levels back up to prior cruises. 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 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

After an illness in the family, we needed some "away" time, but not too far away. So we selected a 10-day cruise up the east coast and down the St. Lawrence to Montreal. Our first cruise on SilverSea and we were not disappointed. Our cabin was larger than on many other cruise lines, the food and service were excellent, our butler and attendant were incredibly friendly, attentive and helpful -- Any request received an almost instant response -- we wanted to bring those two home with us! Staff on the ship were amazing in the way they seemed always to remember our name! Cruise Director, Jimmy Kovel was a real card and always entertaining as well as being on top of many many aspects of the cruise. We have sailed with seven companies; and SilverSea is right at the top of the list! One suggestion would be to engage some experts in various fields for informative lectures on board, especially on days with no port of call.. 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

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

Choose this cruise for the fall colors and Ports it was going to. The wait staff, Bar and room staff were absolutely wonderful. There were lots of restaurant choices and all the ones we went to were great. The Spa was also very good and the service was great. The transfer from the Hotel to the ship was anything but smooth and organized. The people in charge had no organizational skills what so ever. Very very disorganized. Going trough immigration in Bar Harbor was also a major cluster disaster. What was on the daily sheet was not the same as the people in the halls. Very confusing and totally dis organized. And then there was getting off the ship. If we though the other times were bad we had no idea that getting off the ship was going to be worse. The colored tags on the bags made no difference in how the hole process was going on. The excuse was the we were late on the account of wind. I can't see how you can blame stupidity and no organizational skills on the Wind. I was very disappointed in the way things were handled. Not at all up to the Silver Sea Standards we have Been accustom to. I sure hope you get your act together in the future. Not sure at this time if I will go back with Silver Sea may have to try some other's. Read Less