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

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