We were looking at doing a river cruise to Switzerland and thought it would be a slower pace and more intimate with the area. As I searched, the Silversea came up so I took a look and saw the size of the ships smaller and ports of entry to be "real" and not cruise line manufactured. It listed the guest numbers basically the same as the number of staff members and all rooms were a suite with a butler. We had done one cruise, our first, in 2010 on a very large Celebrity cruise with over 4,000 people and were not impressed in the least. We spent a fortune on the 2nd best room on the ship, thank goodness as that was the best part of the cruise. After, we decided that cruising would not be in our future ever. Then I met Silversea! There are no words to express this wonderful overall experience. The mediterranean was a dream but we would NOT cruise with the so-called "world" thousands on the ship. We will definitely cruise with Silversea again for sure. We made many new friends due to the intimacy of the ship environment. On a less than exemplary note, I have to admit that I am not a food connoisseur and not keen on many varieties of seafood; so in the ship's defense, I am sure those whose palettes are expanded way more than mine, it was probably wonderful. I went for the experience and not necessarily the food; however what I mostly had was good. The most memorable dinner was on the "hot stone", you will have to try this...amazing. And the Ship party that was called "die by Chocolate", well, do I need to say more. Wine, wine and more wine... may I say that is was flowing whenever, however, and where ever you wanted. Specialty drinks? hmmmm masters in disguise! The cabin... just delicious! Breakfast every morning in our room was just a delight! Celebrating our 38th anniversary, our butler surprised us on the last day with a decadent chocolate cake.... a sweet treat to end the cruise. Just special in my book. The excursions, some too fast to enjoy the area and not time to shop. Sometimes too much information gets lost in the desire to explore a bit on your own. I can't say enough about how Silversea handled everything from pre embarkation and post disembarkation was utterly amazing. They make one feel like royalty and truly cared for. The hotels chosen were lovely, and this is a big deal too! Too many wonderful things to report for the Silversea cruise line! We will book another for sure in the future Read Less

They need to supply tea making facilities in cabin. Butler service is about 30 mins for a cuppa. Had problems with water not being hot enough for cup of tea with room service and in restaurants. Complained and they did try, but some were a bit smart about it. Food not always hot. Room service breakfast was often just warm or cold. Toast was cold and like concrete. Pizzas dreadful. Pub lunch was bad food was cold and tasteless tried bits left most of it then went to the buffet. Need more menu choices in the Restaurants. Only seemed to be Seafood or Meat for mains and raw meats or seafoods for starters. Soups 2 seafood and tomatoe. I can't eat ,Ost seafood but my husband enjoyed. No duck or chicken. I didn't like the Italian restaurant. The lunch buffet was best for choices. scored 8 out of 10. My main problem is with their system in handling payments. paid $1914 on travel card 10/9 and then on 12/9 they put it thru again for $1914 which is pending but showing a date of 10/9. I now have no money to spend in England it is all frozen! They say this is normal and I have to wait for my bank to clear it 5 days. Their attitude, contact you bank, I did who cancelled and told by email they would send new ones in 7 days to Aust address. No help when you are travelling. This should never have happened why would a Company take full payment then 2 days after this put through a hold for the same amount but with different reference nos and think that this was the way to do business. Was told this is their system they just didn't have any empathy at all. Very very angry and disappointed. The Australian office finally got involved and she contacted my bank and got the 2nd charged cancelled but too late as cards cancelled. They are looking into this event so am waiting to hear what went wrong. Excursions were very good a bit pricey but they all are. We had an issue with 1st private car 4 hour tour they short changed us about 30 mins but I mentioned this and they gave us extra time on the 8 hour tour on the third day to make up. The concert was wonderful. The shuttles where provided were good. The other tours were good with no more than say 35 people eg they didn't fill the buses so numbers were smaller. I wouldn't change any of the tours that we did. Ports were good choice. 3 days in St Petersburg was needed. Loved the size and no of people on board and this was the best aspect of what they offered. Ship was very elegant and pleasing, no loud rap music etc. Entertainment was pretty good. A lot of wait staff and Butlers so can't understand why food and hot water can't be hot for room service & restaurants. Attention to detail could be improved in this regard. Read Less

Overall we had a lovely vacation and enjoyed the ports of call...We also met some wonderful people to spend time with...Suite upgrade we paid for was well worth it and were very happy with the room layout...Our butler and his assistant very helpful...Was expecting above and beyond when it came to quality of food but not the case...On 3 separate occasions I ordered filet mignon at various restaurants to be served medium rare and all 3 times it was overcooked...A filet mignon is supposed to be a THICK cut and they basically cut it in half lengthwise therefore it requires quicker cooking time and they couldn't achieve it, even at the difficult to get into La Dame restaurant...Thus in my opinion, (additional paid for restaurants) good, not great and certainly not worth paying for...Something should have been offered in consideration but was not even offered a glass of wine...Best restaurant on board by far was La Terrazza...Quality of food and service exceptional and maitre de and waiters/waitresses always on hand...Highly suggest breakfast there as well...We ate at all the restaurants and placed Atlantide in second but our group of friends seemed to always settle at La Terrazza due to the menu and again, quality of food...The Grill restaurant where you cook your own fish and steak is quite silly...They bring sides that get cold and you cook your main entree on a stone...Loved all the ports we visited...The Peterhof Estate in St. Petersburg was my favorite and enjoyed visiting Copenhagen and Skagen Denmark as well...Dining in both of these ports was fabulous...Local fresh fish available...The Russian ballet was a disappointment as it was NOT what was expected...Felt like we had attended a high school or slightly better show...I was hoping this was going to be one of the highlights for me as a dancer...And I had not even mentioned my disappointment to anyone who attended until others stated their feelings about it...Wine/alcohol is included but can certainly use some upgrades!...Fitness area a mess...Have to leave doors open to outside because there is no air in the rooms...They are well aware of the situation and don't seem to care...This is supposed to be a 5 star cruise!...Ship size is perfect with 600 appx. passengers...Would go again but hope my input provides additional food for thought for Silversea management to review. Read Less

I wanted to see Alaska and stay over night in Alaska. I now have slept overnight in all 50 states. The cruise over all was very good. Room was outstanding; food and service was very good. Outside of ship needs better maintenence i.e. rusting, flaking paint and corrosion Ports of call were great, once you got by the jewerly hucksters. The embarkation procedure both coming and going is poor. We had to be out of our room at 8:30 AM and we were not allowed off the ship untill 9:30 AM. When we got on the ship we had to stand in line for 30 minuets to check-in after a 1/4 mile walk to get to the ship. They should have triple the people for check-in and not make you leave your room until five minuets before you can exit ship. The airfare was set-up by Silverseas and they were really bad flights, going a 7 hr. on American with no food. Coming a 4hr. layover in Salt Lake City to clear customs which actually occured in Vancover BC. Unless Silverseas offered me a tremedous discount I would not use them again. Read Less

To visit castl Gandolfo and Carcassonne and to experience Muse. Restaurants. I always thought I would prefer separate individual restaurants as you have on Muse. But, now that I experienced that I was totally wrong. The restaurants were great. The food was wonderful. But, we never got to know anyone. It was like dining in a restaurant onshore. The main reception bar area was huge. We always went to the bar on our other cruises (2 world SS cruises, plus others). On Muse we never went once. Too impersonal. The arts restaurant is a great idea. We went there a few times. We prefer dining in our suite on longer cruises. After one exhausting excursion we decided to have dinner in our suite. But, you can only have the 24 hr menu in the suite. I was shocked. We had an owners cabin aboard Oceania once and the butler brought us food from all the restaurants. I could have Italian and my husband oriental. If they can do it, SS can do it. Read Less

We wanted a luxury experience that was all inclusive. That's exactly what we got. Our experience started with a very smooth and quick registration process. We were shown to an incredible suite that we couldn't imagaine was ours. The butler service was terrific especially the 4:00 PM canape service. What a treat to have such efficient laundry service! Dining was pleasurable with a wide selection to choose from, Imagine someone at poolside going around and cleaning glasses and sunglasses! Shore excursion we took was well organized and interesting. Last port was underwhelming (Sete) but all others perfect. The entertainment was good on 3 nights but a bit slow on the others. I'd like to see a bit more of a selection when it comes to wine with dinner. Disembarkation was incredibly organized and we were on our way to the airport within 25 minutes. Overall a fantastic experience which we would do again as soon as we can. I would highly reccomend Silversea for anyone considering a cruise. Read Less

I choose my cruise for the service and itinerary. We sailed from Monte Carlo, stopping at Livorno, Sorrento, Taormina, Malta, Croatia and ended in Venice. Embarking was very quick and flawless. Cabin was as expected..... clean, spacious, with the most comfortable bed and soft bed linens. I was on Deck 5, which made getting to anywhere on the ship easy. My butler was sweet (Demba) and efficient and kind. I never waited more than 5 mins for a response. He and the room attendant (Jennifer) made me feel well cared for the entire trip. My cruise was all inclusive, and the food was beyond delicious. Varied menus was great. Desserts were below the standard in my opinion. They should have sourced locally from all the ports we were stopping into to offer more authentic local delicacies. Clean and tidy is what I saw everywhere on this ship. With that said, it was an older ship, so the wear and tear and dated aspect was present. Pool towels were very poor and beat-up looking. Pool lounges were very, very comfortable. Spa was a crashing disappointment. Steam room was cracking and old. Massage therapist I had was more interested in talking about her self and avoided one of the two areas I had expressed I wanted her to work on during my 50 min session. I don't believe she had much experience in the massage arena. Pedicure was fine, but very over priced for what I received. Blow-out was typical, but the hard sell was annoying on adding all sorts of extra treatments I did not want. I had to keep repeating that I just wanted a basic blow-out. Gym was horrible and small. Under whelmed with the spa. Entertainment was " one note". They pandered to folks over 65. Not much variety. The boutique was also "one note". Very, very expensive, mostly jewelry with diamonds, and stones. Clothes were high-end clothes we could buy at home in USA at anySaks, Niemen Marcus or Nordstroms. Boring..... No variety. No local, unique productsor clothing with a variety of prices!!!! No sundries to choose from either. None. The few tours I did go on were great. Local tour operators were excellent, buses wereclean, air conditioned and in good shape. Silversea canceled two of my tours ( due to lack of interest) night before and did not extend any other offers to join other tours. Now, my biggest piss-off, was the stop in MALTA. My tour was cancelled to the gardens, so I read up on the internet on how to get there on my own, and also plotted out shops I wanted to stop into to see the local speciality, which was gold filigree and lace making, and found a museum I wanted to go to. With that said, I set off the ship onto MALTA to enjoy my day. After walking around for three hours, and asking many locals that mostdid not speak english, I discover ALL OF MALTA CLOSES DOWN ON SUNDAY due tothe fact they are mostly Catholic. So it was a complete waste of time. I was so disappointed, Silversea did not say one thing to anyone and did not make a big announcement that most, if not all businesses, were closed on sunday. WHY ARE YOU STOPPING AT A PORT ON SUNDAY IF MOST THINGS ARE CLOSED. Jipped on that stop.:( On a high note, getting on and off the ship was sooooooo easy and pleasant. So quick,10 minutes or less. I think they are very organized in that area and there were only300 people on the ship made the process efficient. All in all, great service, food, liquor choice. I would do another one in a heartbeat. But you have to "save - up", it's not cheap and check stops for religious closures. Thanks Silversea Read Less

We wanted to cruise the Baltic in August 2018 and looked for the most luxurious line. To start on a positive note, the suites were beautiful, clean and spacious. TV programming, including movies was excellent. Internet was fair, but only after purchasing the 'premium' version at some $ 150, the type of nickel-and-diming that we did not expect. Shore excursions were good, but very expensive. The cabins of most of our group members were very noisy and shaking, especially when the ship was moving. This is something we never experienced before (and we are seasoned cruise guests). This did impact our sleep negatively.. The handicapped facilities were so-so, no handrails on toilet. Food.. La Terrazza was fine, although the 'free' red wine was disappointing Spaccanapoli.. If we would come across pizza like that, we would walk away. Same for the burgers at the grill. Horrible. Indochine was fine, and so was Seishin ($ 40 per person additional) Also, frequently, restaurants were not able to seat us (we were a party of 12). At Seabourn, this never happened. Changes to menu items were usually not possible, let alone waiting staff remembering what guests liked (like, again, at Seabourn) Our cruise with Silversea was satisfactory, but not the best value for money. We will not return. Read Less

First time sailing Silver Seas. (Silver Spirit) It lived up to its billing. Almost everything was right, and when it wasn't it was appropriately addressed. Entertainment and Activities abord the ship were more (high quality talent) than anticipated. The cabins were spacious. Larger than expected. Attentive butler service and cleaning were almost "too much" but we got used to it. Felt there was way too much emphasis on premium alcohol (cruise wide) and a few fellow passengers got more "into the spirit(s)" than they might have if they were paying a la carte, but I suppose that is what you get when you are all inclusive. The "special" restaurants had such limited availability we were unable to book tables.A disappointment. Didn't realize how quickly you had to reserve (we waited two weeks after reservations opened) Food was excellent considering its such a large production The internet (and I upgraded to premium) was extremely cumbersome and slow. This was a surprising problem. I have had better service on airplanes! The Baltic itineraries/excursions (Copenhagen, Visby and Tallinn were uninspired). It seemed more like a "lead up" to St Petersburg. Guides were processional and logistics were smooth. Large complaint was on return flights. Took advantage of the Business Class upgrade. I should have been more insistint about direct flights home (Iceland Air stops in Reykjavik and doesn't have lie flat seats in business class.) Would have happily paid more and ended the cruise with more comfort. Read Less

We just returned from a very enjoyable Baltic cruise. We are not Cruise experts; this was only our second one (recently) after Alaska cruise with Crystal Serenity. We naturally compared the two lines/ships. Overall we loved both but do have a few nitpicks. Cabin: SS clearly more spacious than Crystal Serenity but the the CS balcony cabin was better organized and we preferred Crystal's less firm mattress. SS walk in closet is great. Public spaces: Advantage Silver Spirit. Beautiful pastel colors and rich style. Crystal Serenity is certainly excellent in its own right, but it has some garish or frumpy spots. Entertainment: Advantage Crystal. Entertainment on the SS was enthusiastic but basic. Service: Both excellent but more uneven on Silver Spirit, ranging from the superb to the chaotic breakfast buffet at Terrazza. Butler service tops, but so is regular room service. Food: Both excellent. Favorites on the SS were Indochine, Grill and Terrazza dinner, as well as Silver Note. Atlantide was fine. Our one serious disappointment was SS's Japanese restaurant (extra $) - much of the food was unauthentic and drowning in teryaki, much better in Crystal's Nobu. I also missed my main dining room on the Crystal Serenity. Wines: advantage Crystal. The offerings on SS were fine but on CS I had some excellent Loire, Burgundy and Cote de Rone wines. You can get this on Silversea but pay extra. Embarkation/Disembarkation: Advantage Silversea. Crystal is good, Silversea is better. Silversea's policy to provide shuttles to the center of each town where it docks is perfect. Bottom line: we would be very happy to sail again one either ship/ with either cruise line!! Read Less