We disembarked the Silver Wind in early June and generally had a very good cruise. The main attraction, certainly so far as my OH was concerned, was the sail in and out under Tower Bridge (note to destination lecturer - not "The" Tower Bridge, just Tower Bridge). We had a quick and easy embarkation and our suite, a classic veranda, was fine and looked in good order. We did find an item on a shelf which belonged to a previous occupant and which indicated, perhaps, not the most thorough of inspections before we arrived. It was not a major deal for us but we received a fulsome apology from 2 senior members of housekeeping staff. I dislike the bathroom on the Wind, in particular the bath/shower combination with a fixed shower screen and I gather that most, if not all, of the baths are to be removed when she is refitted next year – can't come soon enough, though I know some will miss them. The interactive TV in the suite was excellent, with Chronicles, restaurant menus, tour information and the newspaper all on-line, and a good selection of films. The hard copy of the newspaper disappeared on the 1st June but appeared on screen, so I assume the decision has been made to provide it online only, which saves a few trees and is fine with us. Connectivity for the TV and the internet, however, was frustrating, channels were often unavailable – particularly trying where there is a huge football game and the channel showing it is as dead as a Norwegian Blue . Apart from late at night and very early in the morning, it could be a dispiriting experience to try to use the internet. We had the standard, included, package only. Food we found, generally, to be good, with plenty of variety in the Restaurant. This was in contrast to our experience on the stretched Spirit last year when we found the Restaurant menu to be limited and repetitive, though there are of course many more dining options on the Spirit. With curries, pasta and local dishes offered on the Wind on various days in the Restaurant, we did not miss the alternative venues as we feared we would, though an Arts Café style area would have been welcome. Three courses and coffee were the norm at dinner, with no separate salad course or sorbet on offer and no petits fours. I am sure you could have had them as a special request. We did not need them. We also ate in La Terrazza, which was very good on the first night but rather mediocre later in the cruise to my mind, although OH enjoyed his dishes. I had rather expected a lasagne in an Italian Restaurant on an Italian ship to be sensational. I was disappointed. Hot Rocks in the evening has consistently excellent meat and fish, if you don’t mind doing your own cooking, which we rather enjoy and the best bit is that, no matter how much mess we make, someone else does the clearing up. During the day this area is the Pool Grill, where the food was adequate but where the service, on this trip, was under par. Things took ages to arrive, service was bit slapdash, i.e. tables were not properly cleaned down between guests and food dropped on the deck lay there and provided fodder for the birds. This was a coldish weather cruise, where the Grill was probably not as well used and I got the impression that staffing levels had been curtailed accordingly. Elsewhere, service was very good and charming though perhaps not quite as intuitive as on other ships. As an example, I always have expresso at breakfast and even though we very often had the same server, I always had to ask for it, it was never remembered . I could cope with this but one of the selling points of Silversea has been how quickly crew get to know passengers' preferences. The included wine was, again, generally acceptable and there was no difficulty in obtaining something other than the daily pour. Pudding wine was provided on request but was not routinely offered. The one big, and completely avoidable, problem on this voyage was the tendering process, which was lamentable. Unusually for Silversea, only one tender was in operation at tender ports, and it ran out and back on the hour and half hour. If, therefore, you missed one tender you had to wait for an hour until the next one. The difficulty was particularly acute at Gerainger where several ship tours arrived back at the quay at the same time, filling the scheduled tender to full capacity. Guests left behind were told they had to wait until the next scheduled tender, which was over an hour later. Minor mutiny ensued –can you mutiny on a quayside?-and after a lot of hoo-ing and ha-ing, the tender came back sooner than scheduled. This should never have been an issue, the ship was close to the quay so the tender journey was only a few minutes. There was absolutely no need for any hassle, the tour concierge team know how many guests are on tour and when those tours will arrive back, and so tenders should cater accordingly In Vik, we arrived at 7 am but the first tender for non-tour group guests was at 10am, the last tender back was at 11am, which left a frustratingly short time to explore the village and to walk to the famous churches there. My only other negative comment on the arrangements was that there should have been a shuttle bus into the centre of Bergen. However, perhaps my view was jaundiced by the fact that it rained on the way back to the ship and I got very wet and very, very grumpy. Entertainment- Colin Barbiere Brown was the Cruise Director and a there was a complete change round of Voices of Silversea and of at least one of the lounge musicians in London who boarded with us. Thus, the cast were putting their shows in place on the ship and so were not visible throughout the ship to engage with passengers. I did feel that we suffered somewhat from this. Colin is a polished Cruise Director, he runs a tight trivia and he performed on several occasions, with or without other musicians. It was, however, a mistake not to have some guest entertainers on board for this cruise as the performances by the Voices were to be limited and a variety of entertainment was lacking. I am aware that one does not choose a Silversea cruise for the breadth of its entertainment but some alternatives to Colin and his piano might have been welcome, excellent musician though he is. This brings me to the demographic of guests. As it was a London to London cruise, it was hardly surprising that the majority of guests were British, some 170 out of 294, I believe. A good number were older and with a degree of frailty. This meant that, in our opinion, the ship was less lively than we have experienced hitherto, especially in the evening. A couple of lumpy nights did not help, but the bars seemed to close early and I got the impression that a fair number of people didn’t get off the ship at ports. Given the average age of the guests, I suspect that some must have been surprised to be assailed by versions of Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen classics from the Voices on the last night. When it got rough, the crew were excellent older guests or those with mobility issues, some of whom were helped all the way back to their suites by crew who would not let them risk walking back unaccompanied. And yes, we had a wonderful sail out of London at night but an even more spectacular sail in in the morning, accompanied in part by 50 or so hot air balloons, flying almost close enough to touch. We know that Silversea can't take the credit for that, but it was the perfect end to an enjoyable voyage. Read Less

Silver Wind is in for a full refit in twelve months time. This is probably twelve months too late. Looking tired, the ship is saved by its excellent crew. There was nothing intrinsically wrong with the cruise, probably still a good 4.5 star experience. But that is not how Silverseas is marketed. Fellow travellers were discussing looking elsewhere. Food was good but not exceptional. Furnishings slightly raggedy around the edges. Again, nothing disastorous but not the kind of attention to detail you would expect from say Four Seasons which is the type of place Silverseas clientele typically frequent. Casino crew were downright miserable, servicing a worn room with an unfathomable set of slots. Silverseas still check all the right boxes, but the fear is that the new owners are destroying the brand by their cutting of costs. Silver Wind needs sorting out and quickly. This overdue refit can only damage the brand. Read Less

I chose this cruise when it was first offered because I'd never been on Silver Seas, I liked the itinerary, and the single supplement was within reason. I was a little concerned given some of the negative reviews, but my on board experience bore no relation to what I'd read. It was wonderful in almost every respect. I loved it and will be back. I was in a veranda cabin and will say more about it below, but it was big enough for two people to be comfortable and lap of luxury for a single like me. The bed was wonderful. Dining was maybe a little disappointing as my expectations were pretty high, based on how the line is promoted. Over all, the food was good, occasionally outstanding, but now and then sub par. For example, I ordered venison on one occasion. The plate came with two generous pieces, one succulent and delicious, the other like shoe leather -- not supposed to happen. On another occasion, the wine steward told us the red was Carménère, which made me happy as I like that wine, but, in fact, he was pouring from a bottle of Cabernet. When I pointed this out, a bottle of the former quickly appeared, but it was surprising the steward didn't know what he was pouring. As to the wines, overall, I thought they were fine and, if neither of those offered appealed, a substitute was readily at hand. I ate lunch at the Terrazzo buffet several times and many items were dried out and tasteless, while others were perfect. So, food was a little uneven in quality. One thing I must note, though -- Silver Seas serves the best hot dog on the planet. I'm not kidding. It's big and comes with a slice of very crisp bacon, a house made cucumber based relish and is served on a bun that has just a hint of cinnamon flavor to it. The sides are a delicious slaw and a little pot of great fries and onion rings. Not to be missed. I must have had eight of them by the time I disembarked. I thought the entertainment was good over all, especially the three piece combo, but it was the speakers who were truly exceptional. I've done a number of expedition cruises where the speakers are tremendous and many normal type cruises where the speakers are often lamentable. The three on this cruise, though, were all interesting and well informed in their areas. I didn't miss one and was never disappointed. Service is absolutely first rate almost all the time on this ship. The butler and room attendant were terrific, bartenders friendly, skillful and responsive, wait staff very good over all. You definitely have the sense that the crew are happy to be where they are. Officers could have been a little more engaged with the passengers, but the Captain was a treat -- witty and forth coming with details. The ports were all interesting and the overnight in NYC a huge plus -- saw Hadestown and was walking distance from the ship to the theater. The sail up the Thames and under Tower Bridge to moor next the the HMS Belfast was jaw dropping. I won't ever forget it and were so lucky to have perfectly sunny skies. The overnight in London was a second big plus. I was able to host a friend for dinner on board and the food that night was superb. I did a few of the sponsored excursions and they were fine and the prices seemed reasonable enough to me. Would I sail on Silver Seas again, of course I would, if the single supplement is fair and the itinerary good. Read Less

We chose this cruise only for the sailing under London Bridge which was definitely the highlight . We haven’t sailed on Silversea for a few years (as Crystal is our cruise line of choice) and remember luxuries like Perrier Juneau being the house champagne and the crew knowing your name within a couple of days aboard, the soap menu on arrival and your mini bar being stocked with your choice of spirits or liqueurs, the flurry of napkins being placed in your lap whether in the dining room or out on deck dining , cocktails being made and offered while you lay in a deck chair outside well none of that happened this time around. Embarkation was very easy with no wait time and straight on to the ship where we were greeted with a glass of bubbly and then left to our own devices. We had lunch in the Terazzo which was a buffet which was tasty but all the food in the warmer was only tepid and we had to flag a waiter to get water or a drink and again to get coffee so not a great start. After this happening for the first two days we addressed that and a few other problems with the Hotel manager then the service was definitely improved for the rest of the cruise. The food In the dinning room and the Italian restaurant was very good and good service and a table was mostly available when we decided to go for dinner. The entertainment was very average with 3 guest entertainers a violinist,a singer and a pianist, then 2 other resident pianists plus the cruise director Colin who did piano recitals so it was all rather too much of the same and far too high brow for us.The singers and dancers were good but the sets were almost non existent and the shows were very hit and miss. We are a couple in our 50’s and felt the entertainment is aimed at a senior crowd which seems to be their market. The stateroom we had was a vista suite and was very comfortable and in good condition but still had the dated bathroom with a pathetic shower and the bath drained very slow so constantly showering in about 6 inches of water, the aircon was constantly too hot and even on the coldest setting was sweltering causing quite a few sleepless nights.The Butler and our steward were very good and breakfast was delivered on time with hot coffee and the stateroom always clean. The water in the cabins and the restaurants was desalinated and you had to ask for bottled water as it was never offered and the champagne was Monopole but Pommeroy was available but you had to request that also which was very annoying obviously another cost saving measure. The ship overall was well presented but was very dull decor throughout the lounges with mute colours and no feeling of comfort or luxury ,the pool area was brown on brown with no comfortable seating like outdoor couches or cushions or sculptures or art just a few pots with small fake plants in ,the grill area had no cushions on the seats and drinks served in plastic. Overall the ship didn’t have the wow factor we have come to expect from other luxury cruise lines we travel on like Crystal or Seabourn it was good but there are lots of good cruise lines out there Like Holland America or Oceania that you don’t have to pay the premium prices we paid for this cruise. We will not be back to Silverseas again and talking to a lot of guests onboard and on cruise critic a lot of them felt the same way. Shame as this was once a very good experience! Read Less

This was my 3rd cruise, my previous being on Silver Discoverer and Silver Shadow. When I booked the itinerary was to Central America but it got changed towards the end of 2019 to being Cuba and Cape Canaveral but Silversea hadn't done its research and so the itinerary changed swapping Cape Canaveral for the the Bahamas - Nassau and Bimini - ultimately we ended up overnighting in Nassau instead of even going to Bimini so it was all a bit disorganised from that respect. No compensation was offered for the fact that I ended up on a completely different voyage to the one I booked! Regardless of all that, Silversea was as usual a great way to travel although I believe the restaurant menu layout has been changed to encourage guests to eat less courses than my cruise the previous year (prior to the takeover). Silversea excursions are always informative and I saw some great places, I fell completely in love with Havana and plan on going back for a proper visit in the not too distant future. The one area Silversea could really work on is the show lounge entertainment. The cast are always amazingly talented but they're stuck with Luna Rossa choreography and badly fitting costumes when they do the full cast shows. The individual shows are much more fun as personalities shine and you get properly entertained. Also making opera singers join in with musical theatre style shows is just wrong! I was very lucky that we had Colin as our cruise director and as a classical pianist he was able to provide some real music to let the opera singers shine. Read Less

A friend told us of a "bargain" cruise on the Silver Wind sailing from San Juan. Therefore, we signed up for the cruise. The Silver Wind is an older ship which apparently is due for a makeover in 2020. Also, it is supposed to outfitted to sail to Norway and even the Arctic. In any event, I had read reviews online about how it is an older ship. Indeed it is. There are a number of pluses about the Silver Wind. It is a small ship with not too many decks. Thus, it is easy to get around without thousands of people being on board. The ship still has a nice design, and we were always able to find seating in the theater, unlike some larger ships on which we have traveled. There are basically 3 restaurants: the main restaurant, with open, anytime seating; La Dame, in which it is hard to get a reservation, and The Grill/Hot Rocks on deck 8 by the pool bar. For the most part, the food was good. The dinner at La Dame was excellent, as was the service. Dinner at Hot Rocks was also good; I like to choose the meat and cook it on the hot stone. Of course, others chose to have the chef cook their entrees. Lunch at The Grill, however, was hit or miss. My wife ordered a reuben. Anybody who knows what a real reuben sandwich is would be appalled. The sandwich had a few very thin slices of some processed meat, nothing like what a reuben is supposed to be. Even though my wife complained, the chef either didn't care or couldn't change it since the same lame sandwich was offered the whole cruise. Service in the dining rooms was usually quite good. The sommeliers are excellent, and the ship has a decent wine list, although some of the wines are a little overpriced. The serving staff was quite friendly as well. Generally, the bar drinks were good, though some were a little off. The pool had a number of lounges. Usually some were available, at least in the morning, since the cruise had no sea days. The pool was closed once for "sanitation". It is a small pool not conducive to swimming. The cruise director Colin is engaging and an extremely talented pianist. The singers were quite good; 2 of them had operatic voices. The shows were entertaining. The lecturer was John Pennycate, who gave several interesting historical lectures, although he was not allowed to talk about the controversial subject of the use of nuclear bombs during World War II. Our butler Ranni was hit or miss. For example, once we asked Ranni for a bottle of white wine, 2 diet Cokes and extra glasses. He didn't bring any of them. Other times, he brought ice as needed for me to ice my knee post surgery. Our room steward Karin was good, although she forgot to leave us wash clothes once. The ports of call were often lesser known Caribbean islands. The most well known was St. Barths. The only ship shore excursion we took was to Belle Mont Farms for lunch and an island tour of St. Kitts. The lunch was good with many ingredients grown on the site, and there was more than enough to eat. The tour was all right, but not outstanding. Also, the tour seemed a little pricey for what we got. On Antigua we had booked a tour through Costco which was much cheaper, although the lunch there could not hold a candle to the one on St. Kitts. For the most part the excursions were for snorkeling, sailing, etc. The one to the Baths apparently was somewhat risky since some people slipped going down around or through the rocks. The Silver Wind is not designed for children travelers, but several families brought children. There are not child activities on board. That having been said, this was our last Silversea cruise. The people on our deck were notified that the hot water would be turned off from 2:30 PM to approximately 3:30 PM for maintenance. Nothing else was said, and no warnings were given. When my wife took a shower later that afternoon, she noticed that her white wash cloth turned rust colored. When she dried off, rust-colored spots dotted her bath towel. Obviously, there was a lot of rust in the line, but the ship's personnel did not warn anyone of that possibility. My wife called the butler, who said that he was sorry. Then he ran the cold water. After he left, I turned the temperature to all hot water and let it run a long time. The bathtub floor was filled with dirt, sand, rocks and rust. I went to the reception desk and complained that they could have waited until the ship docked at the end of the cruise to do the work. The receptionist claimed that it was an "emergency". If it was an emergency, the work should have been done immediately, not hours later. I told the receptionist that at least the ship should have warned passengers about the possibility of dirt, rust, etc coming out of the shower and faucet and told them to run the hot water for a long time. The receptionist claimed that rust and dirt had never come out of any faucets or showers before. I told her that was extremely difficult to believe given how old the ship was, the maintenance problems and the likely result. After all, a hot water line broke earlier in the cruise, requiring the ship to move the occupants of two suites to other accommodations. Furthermore, outside of a perfunctory "I'm sorry" initially from the reception, there was never any apology from the hotel manager or anyone from the cruise line. Apparently, they felt that it was not a problem. We have sailed many cruises. While maintenance issues can pop up from time to time, we have never experienced anything close to what occurred on this cruise. The water coming out of the tub faucet at times looked like sewer water, and it left enough residue for us to start our own dirt lot. To cover my wife in rusty, dirty water was truly appalling. Not to apologize formally for such a horrible incident, however, is inexcusable for any cruise line, much less a so-called luxury cruise line. So I hope that Silversea enjoyed our dollars. They won't be getting any more from us ever again. Read Less

I have been cruising with Silversea since 2002, when it was one of the top luxury lines in the world. Since RCL bought Silversea last year, things have certainly declined (if my recent cruise on the Silver Wind is any indication). Cruising from San Juan to Barbados (3/3-3/10/2019), I was dismayed at the difference in quality. Staff caught in blatant lies regarding poor tender schedule, with no apology; inadequate staffing poolside; failure to inform me of a day pass I could have purchased at the end of the cruise at a local hotel to pass the day until my Silversea-arranged flights home; water bottles in our room filled with tap water and reused by the butler every day, instead of fresh bottled water; lack of on-board activities; very late- opening casino with only one black jack table and no players (due to the late hour); room service and concierge desk staff not fluent in English; I could go on. The main dining room had a decent menu, but the portions were miniscule. Terrazza food was good, but the Grill was not. The cabin bathroom was only big enough for one person to use at a time. There was no fan to vent odors. Shower was inside tub with very high side, making it inaccessible to those with disabilities. A fellow cruiser said Regent cruise lines has enormous bathrooms with separate stall shower and tub; perhaps when the Silver Wind is refitted AGAIN (2020) this will be done. Best part of the cruise: Our wonderful butler, Raj, and our very hard-working and always smiling cabin attendant, Neal (?). Although tips were included in the fare, I tipped both of them extra for extra-ordinary service. Sad to say, with 6 Silversea cruises under my belt, there will not be a 7th. I will be switching to Ponant and SeaDream. Read Less

Silversea was a new cruise line for us and reading some of the reports on here you would think it was a cross between old Fred Olsen and new Costa ships! Nonsense - it was quite simply one of the best cruise ship experiences we have ever had. Seven days of small islands in the Caribbean - 300 guests, super service and some of the best food and wine we have ever had on a cruise, and that was without sampling the delights of La Dame which was an $50 per head. Excellent entertainment, smaller scale and more personal excursions - what is there not to like? We got a great deal and interestingly 70% of our fellow cruise passengers were also new to the company. Would we sail with Silversea again? Like a shot, particularly if we got the price and on board credit that our travel agent negotiated. Read Less

I'll begin with what I liked about Silversea. 1) Very Nice room and pool deck area 2) Room service was very quick and food was hot I've sailed Seabourn and Celebrity previously and I'd rate the Silversea much closer to Celebrity regarding food, & service and wine below celebrity. The food/wine: fine - nothing to write home about nor was is bad except maybe for breakfast. The bacon was so salty it was basically inedible and the sausage was like nothing I've ever had before - I'm not sure what it was but very tough and dry. They couldn't poach an egg medium without me sending it back multiple times and feeling like a jerk. I asked for cream or half and half for my coffee in the mdr and it would take 10-15 every time to get it (3 different times eating there). The buffet breakfast was easier as long as you took the food off the buffet (no omelets or eggs Benedict) - waffles were like rocks and always forgot to serve syrup. If you want to eat at a specialty restaurant - good luck getting a reservation if you didn't book it weeks/months prior to the cruise. We sailed Oceania recently and they gave each passenger a set number of times they were able to eat at a specialty restaurant which guaranteed passengers a minimum opportunity to get into their specialty restaurants that were actually very good food. The wine - THE WORST RED SELECTION EVER! I don't have an expensive wine pallet however the red wine was yellowtail grade at best that I actually used $100 in credit to buy a bottle - I've never needed to buy a bottle of wine when I have a drink package or all inclusive - but they were serving Wente as a white wine option. I actually took a picture of the "rueben" sandwich they served, it was amusing - 1 slice of corned beef - there was more sauerkraut then meat. Portions were small but we like it that way as we hate waste - but I actally orded a 2nd lunch on day as the portion was so small - but again that is better than the reverse but I'm a small eater. Service - so different from Seabourn - I was actually embarrassed by the friends we convinced to join us. 1) this was mainly an asian population and though polite - they don't smile, ask how everything is and are robotic in fixing anything not right. The number of times I went to the pool bar and there was no one in sight that I had to go looking for someone. Our butler was good - he had appetizers in our room each day around 4 and even polished my shoes without me asking - though I just had them done and they didn't need it - it was very nice of him. However we had to ask 2 separate times for additional shampoo and body wash -no biggie however they pro-port to be luxury. Always Sir or Madam - Seabourn knew our names by the end of the first day - always a smile like they really wanted you there and were happy to assist you - unlike silversea where you felt like you were imposing. Excursions - so bad I don't have enough time to review them all except 2 cases. They cancelled one excursion I really wanted to do and I was told for safety reasons, another passenger was told because the company cancelled the excursion that week - we were in port with the sister ship who went on the excursion and supposed from a 3rd passenger the company was looking for us that morning. 2nd Case - a 7 hour excursion that the manager of the excursion department went on with us and took copious notes - and later sent a letter of apology for the excursion (after wasting our day and no refund). Of the 7 hours we were on a bus for 4 hours of it (this was not a tour excursion - I don't do those) and 1 hour at lunch. We did have 1 excellent excursion because of the people running it - beyond welcoming - We each gave them a $100 tip. The number of other passengers that we befriended that then asked, " so what do you think of this cruise?" - and then went on to say they weren't impressed was interesting - at least three that approach my friends an I - so you know it is much more since I was not vocal in the least - though finally spoke to the hotel director. Other notable points: my friend is a gambler - though not important to me, he was very frustrated by the lack of staff in the casino (2 people at max - a person had to come off a table to act as cashier. Again - this is NOT a luxury experience - food, Alcohol and entertainment are better on Celebrity - if you want luxury and a small ship go on Seabourn. Read Less

We like the cruise it was small ship i was shock about the jogging track it didn't look like the picture . Emergency drill was get but when the crew did there they barge in room 422 that where they keep the crew life jacket . . They block with rope between 429-431 & 433-435 other than that it was fine so you step over to get to the main dinner restaurant and elevator . For people confusion there was no 430 or 434 . The newspaper was a day behind unfortunately the sad part it was on the tv & in your itinerary . Free movie, free tv show episode , menu , live tv with 20 channel. The fitness centre was great so there were 2 separate and new machine call scale runner for kid to understand it like the the dog walker treadmill in Jetson . There no elevator to deck 9 . You can tour other sliver sea ship and eat for a day but be back on your original boat by 6pm. Not lot of kids around 6 with 2 babies what hear about the sliver spirt there was about 6-8 on that boat. Show room and card room was master so was the library and panorama lounge. Read Less

We found this trip at a great price on Vacations to go. We chose Silversea Silverwind because it was going to Cuba. We had never even heard of Silversea and were excited to enjoy this trip. We went with a group of 8 friends. We flew to San Juan and were familiar with their port and were curious as to which slip/dock we would be loading on to. We were in walking distance to the pier and grabbed our luggage and found them right away. Here we go. So excited. It was real simple getting on and off. We loved the ship. A little bit dated but I still loved it. Silverwind is the oldest in the fleet. It was easy to get around. With it only having just under 200 passengers it was very intimate. Our cabin was perfect for us. The only struggle I had was plugging in the hair dryer. The clock radio was plugged in to the only socket on the vanity. It was hard to plug in the dryer cause it was too close to the wall with only one way to plug it in I was concerned it wouldn't work. There are 2 other plugs on the desk for charging phones. No plugs hy the beds. There were however European plugs that if we had known would have brought conversions. The bath room has a small tub/shower. The bed was so comfy better than I had ever had on any of my other cruises. Our balcony was great. The price of the cruise included the drink package and our butler would bring any bottle of choice to our room The dining was spectacular. There were 4 restaurants to choose from. The Grill is up on the pool deck, for lunch you could order sandwiches, wraps, or burgers. For dinner you needed to reserve a table and their menu of many wonderful items to choose from. We got to cook our main meal on a hot lava stone right in front of us. The laDame was the French cuisine. This one is an extra fee but well worth it. Make sure you leave 2 to 3 hours for this one. The main dining has all the wonderful foods you could dream of. LaTassra for breakfast and lunch had a buffet. Nicly furnished with a variety of foods. Also need to make reservations for dinner. The main dining was also wonderful. Every evening, each restaurant served the featured red or white wine if you wanted. The activities are minimal. The ones we did participate in were great. Entertainment was spectacular. The Voices of Silverwind were awesome. The on board credit aloud us to do shore excursions and what a treat it was. We did the panorama tours of both Santiago and Havana which were very interesting. There were no children aboard this ship. There would be nothing for them to do accept swim. We had the shipwreck snorkeling in Bimini and were disappointed when it took us 45 minutes to tender in and 1 hour to tender back out. Not enough time to do any looking around really disappointed in that. We had some rough weather a couple of nights and with this ship being small we got tossed around some but I expected that. Read Less

Very nice cruise-line and lovely ship. Food, very good, and many options, coffee, delicious, wines complimentary and good. However many people were complaining that 7 PM was late for the earliest dining. I realize that in Europe, particularly the South, people eat late, but these days, many Americans prefer to not eat after 8 PM, and many older folks like eating early, as it’s hard to sleep on a full stomach, and too, many want to go to bed early, to be up early for excursions. Everything is included except excursions and Spa services, which is a big relief - not being charged every time you turn around. The cabins are lovely, the beds super comfortable, with one’s choice of types of pillows, very nice if one hates foam, (which I do). The bathrooms are lovely, marble, and superbly appointed. People seemed to enjoy the various excursions, and the entertainment. Embarkation was perfect, and disembarkation as well, with the bus to the airport, fast and pleasant. The staff are ultra attentive and kind. I only had one complaint - the swimming pool water was mostly too cold to swim. Everyone was complaining, but when I asked if they’d informed staff, they said no. I complained, as staff can’t possibly know if there’s a problem, if no one says anything. It took rather a long time, but eventually, this was rectified. Personally, along with elongating the deck mid ship, I would have put in a new, bigger swimming pool. Maybe they’ll do this eventually. And they close the pool quite early- just past 6:30 I believe. this was very dissappointing as I love night swimming - quiet and serene, under the stars- after a long day- nothing beats this! Also, the shower in the Spa Thermal Suite, the water was just barely warm, and could never get hot. Also, they have VERY bright lights all over the deck at night- I asked why, and was told it was for safety. But most ships have footlights everywhere, so people can see stairs and where they’re walking, but the atmosphere is generally romantic and low lit, so one can enjoy the moon and stars and the evening skies. I wish they would maintain soft lighting at night. One other thing- I wish all the doors opened automatically, so we don’t have to touch door handles, as everyone on a cruise is so conscious of germs. And, I wish they’d get “BritBox”, so that guests could watch British comedies, mysteries, dramas and movies. There are a lot of Brits on board, and also, they make the best entertainment in the world. I really missed these. The company offers a Solo get together, for Solo travelers, and they meet at 7 PM in the lounge, but they need to let people know WHERE in the lounge, as it’s big and crowded. This was very nice, and I noticed a lot of these folks made friends during the voyage. And they’re offering vastly diminished single supplements on some cruises, which is a great relief to Solo travelers, and very smart of them, as this is a huge market. One thing- there was a girl at the reception desk, who many felt was a bit rude and standoffish , maybe she was new and nervous, but when I first told her the pool was cold, she replied:” It’s because it’s cold outside.” (Fort Lauderdale was 71F), and pool thermostats are supposed to adjust, maintaining the same temperature despite weather changes, and 71, is hardly cold. Also, this same girl, told me that customs in San Juan, had Global Entry - they don’t- I wasted time getting out of line to rush over to someone to ask where it was, only to be told they didn’t have it. If she didn’t know- just say so. Misinformation is a pain in the behind. Oh, also, our last night was ruined due to ONE man, smoking a cigar, on the 9th floor deck outside the lounge. We were all waiting to leave the port, watch the sunset, have one last glass of Champagne, and this ONE guy, made the entire area a no breathe zone. And it went on forEVER. I think it’s great that some people love cigars, (even if they’re REALLY bad for you), but PLEASE, not in common areas. I don’t understand why some people feel their personal bad habits should be suffered by perfect strangers. But everything else was really nice. I don’t want to give the wrong impression, with my suggestions. A very nice line, and I really missed my comfy cabin and all the nice people, after I left. Read Less

The ship is not handicap friendly!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO walk in showers --have to CLIMB in a VERY TALL TUB.Ramps that are very difficult to move on a walker without - assistance. Service in the dining rooms were VERY SLOW most usaually the food was warm at best when served . When you want something HOT to eat you needed to go to the HOT ROCKS at night or during the day the buffet on deck 7 or snack area on 8. ROOM service always came with great food and served (here you could get hot tea-coffee ) all the time. Takes 2 1/2 to 3 hrs to eat evening meal -very poor service .Food not avaiable at all time like on lots of ships only during certain windows of time evening meals start at 7:00 PM make for very late night -SHOWS not worth seeing at 10PM Suites were great walk-in closet lots of storage great butler and maid--BATH leaves a lot to be desired. VERY expensive --have been on many other cruises far better for LOTs less. The experience of getting on and off were the best of the cruise very fast- Read Less

Originally chosen because of small size and all inclusive. SHIP - DEFINITELY NOT HANDICAPPED FRIENDLY. In almost all cases use of a rolling staircase of 20+ steps was needed for getting on/off ship. On board only 296 passengers was a definite plus - no lines or waiting. Smaller ship did not appear to handle rough weather as well as its larger brethren. There were 5-6 foot waves rolling end to end in the swimming pool one afternoon.... Casino has 1 Blackjack table. CABIN - Suite - disappointing - small (I do not believe the sq ft figures advertised). We were cramped with 2, would be impossible with 3. Also poor for the mobility challenged as the tub/shower requires getting over a 2 foot step in barrier (tub 2 feet deep). DINING - real mixed bag here ranging from fair at best for dinner in Restaurant (poor selection, very small portions, false advertising - prime rib was at most 1/4 inch thick and weighed about 3 ounces. Saving grace here is to ask for all day dining menu as well and get better choices (steak, fish. even pasta etc.) On the other end of the scale the dinner we had in La Dame ($60 pp extra) was the best meal we have ever had on a cruise! Buffet for lunch was the best alternative with quality and variety. The Grill was good for 1 dinner, Italian dinner got 1 like and 1 didn't like from us. CREW - the friendliest and most accommodating of any cruise line we have been on. SHORE EXCURSIONS - only took 1 (Grand Turk) as most were too long (3-4) hours. It was only fair - uncomfortable "bus" and ran over scheduled time. Majority of excursions were activity/water oriented. Read Less

Do not choose cabin 422. This backs onto where the crew work very noisy night and day, at night you get woken at 3am and it continues all day and night. This was our third Silversea's cruise and we enjoy their interesting itineraries, small ship size and all inclusive policy. They make it clear that even tipping is added to the cruise price so that you don't have to deal with that once on board. Almost all of the staff on board are very pleasant and well trained especially the service people to take care of the cabins. Also factored into the price was a ship board credit we received. We all know that these 'gifts' are not free and are instead factored into the price that we all pay, a way for the cruise line to support some of their on board amenities. Embarkation and disembarkation went smooth and easy. The included wines were good. The extra cost restaurant was excellent even though the menu did not vary, there were enough listings under the 6 courses that I ate 3 times and never exhausted the menu. Good ports of call Trip to Mustique could have done without the climb from the great Basil's bar to a small building where we were offered a make piece lunch and a drink, that most people declined, focusing on getting down again! Good food and drink Hot Rocks Le Dame La Terrazza Good entertainment The rest of the cruise was great, just that we were very tired. Read Less

We chose Silversea due to their reputation for service and chose Silver Wind in particular due to its small size and itinerary. We had a wonderful time and overall were very pleased with our cruise. Embarkation was AMAZING. We showed up 45 minutes prior to the published embarkation beginning time and within 25 minutes were in La Terazza eating lunch! We kept staring at each other wondering how that happened...but we were so very grateful it did! We were fortunate that two weeks prior the Wind had undergone renovations to their rooms, which we found to be wonderfully appointed. The bed was dreamy and our refrigerator never ran out of champagne...how could anything NOT be good? Onboard entertainment was spotty, but we didn't choose the Wind for that...if that's your thing, choose another ship! Our only disappointment was New Year's Eve; we expected an evening of dancing and instead had a DJ playing kiddie-bop music in the theater...it was a real letdown. Dining was good. Clearly, not great, but good. We ate at La Dame twice and it was...good. Hot Rocks/The Grill gets really old really fast, but the first time was interesting and the food was...good. La Terazza was...good. I was personally disappointed by two things that would have meant so much more if they were done right: 1) We never were contacted about our preferences for what would be in our minibar. My wife had specific interests in if they stocked things, but we never were contacted and instead had to learn about it on the ship. And the answer was no...they didn't stock what she hoped to have. 2) It was my wife's birthday during the cruise and I filled out the necessary form identifying such. Her birthday came and went without any acknowledgement. It certainly didn't ruin our cruise, but it was a disappointment. Excursions were...good. Not much creativity in what they were and only one was excellent (the hiking in Bequia...it was awesome!). We chalked it up to a learning experience and will be more discretionary and inquisitive on our next cruise with SS. Our butler was very good. Sometimes not available, but overall he was available and very good. When my wife and I filled out the on-board survey for Silversea, we summarized it by saying "the service is excellent and the product is slightly above average". One final note: A BIG Thank You to my cruise critic friends for educating me about what to wear on NYE...I clearly felt more comfortable in my tuxedo! Thank you, everyone! Read Less

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

We thought the ports seemed interesting however we were not able to go to 3 of them. The daily activities were lame. Since we had to spend so much time on the boat we were often bored. The food was about a B-,most of the time. Most of the crew was helpful. Overall, the cruise was disappointing. Because the weather was so bad, we feel this trip should not have been scheduled so late in the season. On a positive note, our butler was very helpful and attentive as were waiters in the dining room. The dinner in the gourmet dining room was not worth the $60 a piece price . Also, the food in the Italian dining room was not the quality we expected, so we ate there only once. The breakfast buffet was enjoyable as the selections were vast and well prepared. We will have to give great thought to returning to Silver Seas. Read Less

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

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

I have swum on every cruise I have taken, usually at 6 am. I swim in place with a band around my feet. However the Silver Wind was really open and heated on one full day. I frequently requested that it be filled and heated, so I could swim.I never received a reason why it was not filled or heated. BAD communication and service. Our ship was supposed to leave at 10pm to Quebec. They knew they had a problem and would not be leaving, yet they never told us. Consequently we had an early breakfast in the room, so we could take our tour in Q. Yet we never left Montreal. My wife could have slept in! We left THREE days late! POOR communication! Our cruise director, Colin, was GREAT on the cruise as director, pianist, trivia leader, etc. The cabin bathroom needs more storage space. The cabin was nice size. The food was EXCELLENT! Bar should be open for Trivia at 5. Why not all afternoon and much of the night? Read Less

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

We were celebrating a special birthday for my wife. We loved the itinerary and made plans with dear friends for the celebration. Before we reached to first evening at sea the captain announced that we were passing our first port because of stormy weather and proceeding to our second scheduled port. The weather was so severe that day and night that my wife became extremely seasick, was nauseous, vomiting for hours. I was able to get the doctor to our cabin, he gave her an injection, and so went the first full sea day. After we spent the day at Cork the captain again announced a change of destinations wherein we missed the next 3 ports, again severe weather, and instead went to ports we have previously visited on other trips. We then proceeded to Glasgow, again not a scheduled port, to spend the night and next day. Before dinner in Glasgow the captain again announced that because of a severe storm we wound not to to the next 3 ports, but set off to Reykjavik which would entail 36 hours through stormy seas, to which my wife said she could not take that again. We disembarked in Glasgow and I was able to arrange air travel home. How does Silversea Cruise Lines and the captain of the ship account for putting the guests through the danger and discomfort of taking us to sea knowing what lay ahead? Should we not have been advised before embarkation of rough seas and given a chance to cancel our plans? Is money the driving force and more important then the guests comfort and safety? Read Less

Because we loved the itinerary and to celebrate my 75th birthday. However, what we had planned for and looked forward to for a year, ended in a distressing and devastating experience, cut short by stormy seas and ports not on the itinerary we had chosen, but rather selected by the captain due to inability to go to any of the ports on the schedule. Of the seven selected and scheduled ports, the ship went to only one of those. Aside from the tremendous disappointment of not being able to visit the places we had hoped to see, the discomfort of being on a ship in such stormy and rocky waters made for a most unpleasant and frightening experience. Unhappily, the Captain never gave advance information, but chose to announce it the evening before. Shortly after leaving our embarkation port of Tower Bridge the Captain announced because of severe weather ahead we would not be going to our first port but directly to our second port, Cork. And we did not go to any other of the scheduled ports. On the second day at sea, after having to forego our first port of call, the Captain announced we would not be going to the original destination. The weather and sea was severely stormy and I became deathly seasick, requiring the services of the ship's doctor. He came to our suite as I was not able to get out of bed. I was given an injection and was unable to leave the suite for the rest of the afternoon and evening. On the fifth day of the cruise the Captain again announced we would not be able to go to any of the next several ports, but would have to be on stormy waters for 36 hours heading directly to the final destination of Reykjavik. It was at this point I knew I could not endure that kind of sickness and misery. My husband was able to arrange a flight home from Glasgow at an additional cost of $2000 and extreme stress and agitation that caused. While this ship and Silversea Cruise Lines touts themselves as a luxury line with the utmost in comfort, care and luxury, we found the ship to be in a very distressed state and in need of refurbishing and cleaning. The thermostat in our suite never worked correctly, causing great discomfort of either being too hot or too cold. The water temperature in the shower would go from comfortable to scalding without any change being initiated. The towels and bathmats were thin and frayed and in desperate need of replacing. The drapes on the windows did not close properly, allowing a bright slit of sun to enter the room long before one would necessarily want to be awakened. And one of the more annoying issues for us began the very first evening. We were on the 7th floor, and the pool area was on the floor above us. Starting at 10:30pm and ending at midnight, or as early as 5am, the crew would be putting tables and chairs or chaise lounges away and would scrape them on the floor. Though we reported this problem immediately at least 5 times, it never ceased. This experience has put me off of cruising entirely. My husband, in particular, loves to cruise. It should be a wonderful way to enjoy the company of new friends and seeing fun and exciting places. That is not what happened and I would greatly urge anyone considering sailing on this cruise line to be aware of the lack of attention to the safety and concern for the guests and lack of caring and thoughtfulness expressed to their disappointment and distress. Read Less

Let me begin by saying that I have cruised many times and with many different cruise lines. This is not the worst cruise line I have ever been on (that would be Costa Cruises) but it is close. We chose this trip for the destinations. However, we were able to only stop at one of our original destinations. The rest were canceled or changed because of weather. Since this was a small ship in the Northern Atlantic, we were really tossed about.....so much so that stomach distress bags were scattered through out the ship. We were expecting so much from this cruise line because of all the high reviews. But while the cabins were nice, the rest of the ship was just ordinary for a cruise ship. We found out later that the ship will be dry docked for a complete refurbishment in a few weeks, so that makes sense. We had gotten so sick during the first part of the cruise, then were told that we would be crossing the Northern Atlantic to our final destination in Iceland over very rough waters. They then canceled another 2 ports of call because of the rough waters and were going straight to Iceland with 2 days and nights nonstop at sea. At that point, we jumped ship and bought airline tickets to our final destination in Iceland. We missed the last 4 days on the ship.....but we have no regrets that we were able to disembark when we did. Iceland is beautiful and we enjoyed the extra days on shore rather than sick at sea. If you are thinking about this cruise line be aware that it does not do well in open waters and choose your destination accordingly. If you are looking for a smaller more intimate boutique type cruise experience, look at Azamara. Read Less