This was our first cruise with Silversea. Our overall impression was that the vessel, service and other offerings justified the premium price paid. Silver Shadow is an older cruise ship but it was in superb condition and very clean. With a passenger capacity of 360, its smaller size did not diminish its ability to cope with those few days when the weather turned a little rough.

This was an unusual itinerary, sailing up the east coast of North America, and then crossing the North Atlantic from St. John, Newfoundland to Cork in Ireland. Sailing in and out of New York city was a highlight for us. The weather was warm to hot from Fort Lauderdale through to Boston, however a bitterly cold wind met us when we arrived at Bar Harbour, Maine. Thereafter we were dogged by fog for many of the remaining days, which ruined sight seeing in St. John and Cork, and detracted from the many sea days.

Our planned visit to Shelburne in Nova Scotia was deleted without substitute due to severe wild fires, which added another sea day to the journey. The cruise would have benefitted from a greater variety of activities. The lectures were of a good standard, the shows well presented, and the magician/comedian exceeded our expectations. However, some cooking classes/demonstrations and free-of-charge wine tastings would have added to the experience. Read more