I would never have submitted this critique, but after writing a letter to Mark Conroy, Director of America's, and receiving no reply, I decided to write an online review. Let me begin by saying that my husband and I travel extensively both independently and with private guides. We have also enjoyed many cruises (Regency, Oceania, Holland, Princess) and have always returned home happy and looking forward to our next adventure. This trip to Southeast Asia was our first experience with Silversea, and we specifically chose the cruise for two reasons. First, the itinerary was appealing and fit our interests, and second, we wanted a luxury line with whom we could begin to establish a loyalty program. Based on our experience, it is highly unlikely that we will be doing so with Silversea.

The cruise was average and surpising for a luxury cruise line. The absolute plus was the service we received from our butler, Mark, our cabin steward, Jesus, and one of the waiters in The Restaurant, Jessie. They could not have been more pleasant, professional and helpful. However, for such a small ship, the service from the rest of the staff could only be described as dysfunctional at best. Pool side service was non-existent. There were plenty of wait staff around, but it was beyond difficult to receive any type of service from them. One afternoon my husband asked for a glass of water twice, and he never received it. On a few other occasions, I tried to get the waiter’s attention to place a simple drink order, and until I stood up and waived, or called out, I was ignored. I observed other guests in the same situation. Our one and only meal at the Grill was so frustrating that we never went back. The wine steward informed us that she was completely out of white wine. It took the persistence of our waiter, and forty plus minutes before I was able to enjoy a glass of wine. Our entire experience on the ship felt like there was a complete disconnect in the overall service quality.

Let me end by saying that the sites we visited along the way were incredible. The guests we met on board, and the people we met in the countries we visited were lovely. The food on the ship was good, the portions the perfect size. And again, we cannot say enough about the wonderful service and attention we received from Mark, Jesus, and Jessie. Other than that, there was a huge gap in service and attention to detail.