We chose Silver Seas because my husband and I wanted to visit Alaska on a small high end ship. We are not big cruisers and love high end hotels, but we knew this was the best way to see Alaska. The service and staff were excellent. The mix of passengers was varied and we met many people in our age group (50-60) but there were families with mostly older children and seniors as well and it felt very comfortable. The ship was very nice but we were just little underwhelmed with the accommodations. We had just spent 3 days in Vancouver, prior to our departure, at the Fairmont Pacific Rim and were spoiled by the contemporary elegance of the hotel and the fabulous food in Vancouver. The food on the ship was very good in the two main restaurants (The Restaurant and La Terrazza) and we also dined in La Champagne one night, which was wonderful. I loved that the portions were small (but you could have as much as you wanted) and my wine glass was never empty. There was an upcharge for certain bottles iof wine if you wanted to but what they served was very drinkable. All the liquor was top shelf at no additional charge. We did not like the lunch buffet at all and never went to the breakfast buffet. It felt like totally different chef or kitchen. The poolside restaurant was fine, nothing special but not bad .
That being said we give very high marks to the shore excursions and the staff that managed them. It was a little overwhelming to chose among so many activities. We wanted outdoor adventures and we got it. All were handled by enthusiastic young tour guides. The beauty of the glacial landscape, animal life and activities were why we went and they did not disappoint. The onboard entertainment was disappointing. Because it was a small ship, there were limited activities even though the cruise director was upbeat. The shows were cast with very talented young singers who gave it their all but the acts felt old. The one lecture a day, about Alaska, was boring. We did enjoyed the casino after dinner, both winning ( which brought us back each night )and losing. Could have used more to do on at sea days but there were only two so we were fine and enjoyed the spa and the gym. It was also nice to have a run around the deck weather permitting, as the views could be gorgeous. Any more than that at sea and the lack of exciting on ship activities would have been a problem. I would do it again to travel to places where it made sense to cruise and use this experience to guide me as to the what I would look for going forward.
The cabin was exactly as I expected but just hoped for more since this was a Silver Seas ship. That being said the space wasn't bad. The sitting area furnishings could use a bit of an update along with the Veranda furniture. They did paint the outside veranda while we were docked somewhere but we never saw anyone. The staff was very accommodating and helpful. Good closet space. The linens could be updated as well. Sheets were high end and towels were fresh everyday but you could tell they had been thru many washings. The towels could be fluffier but the Etro robe was very luxurious and the bath products were fairly high end.
Stayed in a hotel 3 days prior in Vancouver. Fabulous city. Did everything and ate everywhere!!!! Highly recommend it!!!