This is our second trip on Silversea. Our group does a lot of analysis before selecting a cruise line and Silversea seems to be in the sweet spot for us. We tend to book smaller private tours, use miles to travel and we like to stay in unique hotels pre and post cruise. In may respects, thhe fact that Silversea offers none of this, differentiates Silversea from the rest of the pack at the top. Everything else, including larger staterooms and butler service, premium drinks, gratuities and superior service levels makes Silversea stand out. The Silver Spirit was recently refurbished and it showed. Everything seemed new and contemporary with one exception, the bathrooms. It's not that the baths were unappealing, unattractive or small or lacked function, but the quality of the ship and the suites clearly outshone the quality of the stateroom baths. Other than that, the physical plant was the best we've experienced and we have cruised a lot. Meals and restaurant and bar service levels were exceptional and if you can't find a restaurant or type of food you like, then you are pickier that 99% of the people out there. Though the planned activities were well thought out, the evening entertainment options were lacking. No production shows on this ship and when you get to the sub-750 person ship size, I'm not sure if you can expect much in this department. Lounge singers were solid but stage productions needed a freshening. Many of us thought that play lists should be moved up a couple of decades. Because of this, we just left and went to another lounge, hit the cigar lounge or went to bed. Though we took no Silversea arranged tours, we heard mixed reviews of the shore excursions. We don't have enough information to make a judgement on this, however, the ports of call and pacing of the cruise was well thought out. Silversea is, in our opinion, the best line out there. They are not in the Regent or Seabourn category but that's okay because Silversea provides a premier experience at a slightly lower price point and doesn't fiddle around with add-on products that we don't really need. Being lucky enough to travel on the recently remodeled Silver Spirit was the added bonus. Great job Silversea...we are already planning our next Silversea experience. Read Less

I should start by saying that this is my first cruise experience. We booked using a travel agent. We had the following requirements: great food, not a lot of kids, and not a "party" boat. This cruise definitely checked all the boxes for us! Cabin:We upgraded to a concierge Suite on the 10th floor. It was so spacious. We had a king size bed, walk in closet and even a sitting area. We had a bathtub with wonderful Loccitane products as well and even a balcony with enough room to have two chairs and a small table. Dining: The food was fabulous! We ate at all the options that they had! The pool bar had burgers, etc. Prime 7 has steaks and seafood. Compass Rose is open Breakfast lunch and dinner and has a great variety. And Sierra Mar ( My favorite) is italian and Chartreuse is French. I HIGHLY recommend making dinner reservations at Prime 7 and Chartreuse. These did book up on our 7 day cruise and the others are first come first served. ALL THE FOOD AND DRINKS were included. Not just the beer and wine but everything! Service: This was unlike anything I have experienced. Everyone that works for this ship is very nice and so accommodating. Pretty much anything that I asked for, they would make happen. For instance, we had a steward named Gregory that we met on the first day. He asked if there was anything that we needed for our room or mini bar. I asked for wine for the mini bar and he even asked what kind that I preferred and made sure that the mini bar was stocked with my favorite wine the whole trip. This was a nice touch. Ship: Was very clean, and very well appointed. It had a luxurious feel without feeling stuffy. Shore excursions: We did the Bering Sea- Crab Fishermans Tour in Ketchikan. I would HIGHLY recommend this! It was one of my favorite excursions that we did!!! Very informative and it was interesting to see what the day and the life of a crab fisherman would be like. We also got to see A LOT of bald eagles! Mendenhall Glacier and whale Quest in Juneau. Very fun! We got some great pics of the glacier and it was a beautiful day so it was nice to be on the water. We didn't get to see a lot of whales though. Venture to Glacer Point was amazing but I wouldn't not recommend to someone who doesn't like to walk a lot. It is a pretty far walk to the Glacier after the canoe ride but for myself who likes this, it was great! It was really cool to be soo close to the glacier. The Sea otters, Raptors and Bears, in Sitka was a little disappointing. We thought it was a little more like seeing Bears and Eagles in the natural habitat but it was more like visiting a zoo. We did see Sea Otters but couldn't get close enough to get good pictures. I do have to make clear that ALL the excursions were NOT free. There are a lot that are but those ones didn't really appeal to us. We were given a discounted rate but still, that was a little misleading. Overall, this was a great experience! It was an expensive cruise, but we felt that it was worth every penny! We are already looking forward to booking another cruise with Regent! Read Less

This was our 4th river cruise with Scenic which we tried after having done a dozen ocean cruises with various cruise lines but mostly holland America. Previous cruises with Scenic were outstanding and we (1) wanted to see this part of France, and (2) were confident that Scenic would deliver a memorable experience. The meals in the Crystal Dining Room were excellent. Very high end with portions that were just the right size. Food did not go to waste with leftovers, due large portions, thrown away. The chef did a great job on a daily basis of restocking with local lproduce that made each meal memorable. The included excursions were well done. The guides were fluent both in their language and their assigned area of guiding. It was very informative. Perhaps the best tour was the walking tour of Paris. We had previously been to Paris and had taken the hop on - hop off bus tours and thought we knew our away around the highlights. The walking tour took us just a couple of blocks inward from the main roads and exposed a whole better understanding of the offerings and what else was there just off the beaten track. The liquor selection was high end and unlimited. As was the daily wines being offered. And they too came until one quit taking them. And the good news is that no one on the cruise over-imbibed. Everyone indulged responsibly. The only negative, and it is a very minor one, is the location of the smoking area. It is right at the top of the stairs leading to the upper deck. Non-smokers have to navigate their way through the few smokers and their cloud in order to get to the top deck. Do not let this comment sway you from taking a Scenic cruise - it's just a minor annoyance and life is full of minor annoyances. Lengthwise, the cruise is relatively short. But experience wise it is just as enriching as previous cruises with Scenic. For a retired military person, particularly meaningfull was the day long tour of the Somme battlefield and the day long tour of the D-Day landing sites with emphasis on Omaha Beach. Read Less

The itinerary and daily program offer a wide range of options, each five star. Staff were invariably courteous and good-humoured. Quality food and drinks were available 24 hours. The Scenic hype said you can put away your wallet when you board. It is absolutely correct. It is only when you shop privately ashore that you need to spend: everything else (except, perhaps, laundry above the freeby limit). My criticisms relate to the size and layout of the single balcony cabin. In its presented configuration it was impossible to open the wardrobe doors or use the desk. Perhaps the luck of the draw, but I had problems with both arrival and departure transfers. Nobody met me, as advertised, at Bordeaux Airport. After 40 minutes I worked out that nobody was coming and managed to get a taxi ( and a 50 Euro refund on arrival). Lucky I'd bought Euros. On departure I followed the detailed instructions and arrived at the service desk on time and waited....and waited. Enquired about transport and was told a phone call would be made. Next told a cab would be called. No results. Finally the next group (30 minutes or so later) was ready to depart for the airport. I asked if I could go with them and be dropped at station. Initially, no, but rationality prevailed in the end. Thankfully. I just made my train to Paris. Unnecessarily stressful. Read Less

We chose this because of the number of countries we would see and my Romanian heritage. Everything was run perfectly from meeting us at the airport to hotels pre and post cruise, excursions, dining cabin and the overall ship. The service level was fantastic. There was not a hitch in the entire 11 days and Scenic booked it all including our flights. While expensive the experience was worth it and we are looking at where do we go with Scenic next. We were able to experience the Table de la Rive which was a seven course meal with wine pairings as well at Portobellos Italian Restaurant which again was multi course but Italian themed. Both were excellent. The only challenge with the dining was the set time although 7 pm. is acceptable. We got the opportunity the meet many people from all over the world, Canadians were a minority on this sailing, and to hear about parts of the world that were not even part of the cruise. Read Less

My husband had been researching France for the past couple of years when we saw the Scenic information seminar. It took us going twice to make the decision to book - definitely one of the best decisions we have made! The Sapphire is a beautiful ship. The rooms are well appointed- over the top clean, the food is outstanding- the chefs are very accommodating and the staff - I can’t say enough about these amazing people! They made our trip! Our travel agent - whom we met at the seminar - was great! She was totally informed about every aspect of Scenic - what we should expect, all the ports we will be stopping at. The boat is the perfect size - small enough that you can socialize with almost everyone Would I recommend Scenic - with absolutely no hesitation! Only complaint I have - should have booked a two week cruise. THANK YOU SCENIC Read Less

My wife and I choose Silver Seas for their smaller ships and reputation for great customer service. We weren't disappointed. The staff was very attentive to our needs, we wanted for naught! Embarkation & disembarkation went smoothly, options for traveling independently or through Silver Seas are available. Passengers travelled by private train from Anchorage airport to Seward port. Our veranda cabin was spacious with a large walk in closet, comfortable bed and dining area with a private balcony. Butler service was special like the rest of the staff who truly cared about our comfort and experience on board. The food was always good and mostly excellent. We ate most dinners in the Restaurant, open seating with a variety of a-la-carte options to choose from - some dishes were better than others. We didn't try La Dame, the French restaurant with limited seating and an upcharge was fully booked prior to our departure. We did reserve Le Terrazza the Italian restaurant and enjoyed the meal but didn't think it was better than the Restaurant. We sampled the outdoor Grill for lunch and it was excellent. The weather may play a factor. Entertainment was centered on the ships 6 performers who sand and danced theme production which lasted 45 minutes. Most dancing and ship activities ended around 11pm. Nights were quite and peaceful. Days had limited announcements which was fine. Printed itineraires and world news summaries were delivered daily to the room. Silver Seas stopped at the usual inside passage ports. We choose some independent excursions and some booked through the ship. Overall the service was what most impressed us; the staff were real people and held real conversations, not corporate drones. Over time on ship they were the biggest assest. Would recommend Silver Seas for the reasons above and for anyone who doesn't want to cruise just to 'party'. Read Less

Been on 7 Cunard cruises now and enjoyed them greatly with a couple of minor exceptions. This was our first on QM2 and we were excited as she is Cunard's Flagship. However, we did not feel the on board experience was up to the usual Cunard standard. Good points, the cabin (12001) was lovely, seemed a little larger than same grade on the other ships. General ship interior is very nice, light and bright and clean everywhere. Ship layout is somewhat erratic, takes a while to get used to it, there are some quite long walks between venues. But then she is larger than the other two. The bad points, well, we did not like the Kings Court Buffet compared to the LIdo Buffet on QE and QV. This one is very very noisy, no sound proofing, ie carpet anywhere, horrible seating layout (straight rows with little separation - like a canteen) and the food was not up to the usual high standards we have had before. its a bunfight at best. We tried for Planetarium tickets - notice says they are available from 09:00 on first come first served. I arrived at 09:00 to find 6 other people waiting. No-one came with tickets. So one passenger called the front desk. A very curt female arrived to tell us the tickets had all gone. I asked how could that be since it was now only 09:05 and we had been there since 09:00 and some of the group before that - and no tickets had been handed out - whereupon she told me very rudely: " Well I don't know, ask your fellow passengers!" - I took exception to that and told her no - that does not answer my question as to why there are no tickets - and that I did not believe her. Clearly these had already been given to a group in advance. I returned some 20 minutes later to find another set of people eagerly waiting at the Connexions desk - and so I advised them all tickets had gone - as no-one from Cunard was anywhere to be seen to let them know. This was disgusting. At least be honest !! The staff do lack in many areas. Our cabin attendant never introduced himself on embarkation as is usual, nor did he advise us of the muster drill time, etc. In fact we only ever saw him once when he delivered a bowl of fruit. Bar staff, I ordered a diet coke, she opened a regular coke then gave me the evils when I told her I asked for a diet coke. As for the MDR - well once again Cunard assigned us a table in a dark corner by a service station - heaven knows how you get a good table - if anyone knows the secret please tell me - 7 cruises and not a decent table yet. And now we will be platinum! In general the mini-cruise itself was good and it's a great way to try out a different ship. We love it that Cunard has wrap-round promenade decks on all ships. Really like to walk around the decks both day and evening. The Cunard tour we took to Rouen was excellent, lovely town, even on a very foggy day. This was a taster of the QM2 for us as we have a 14 night one booked next year. This trip was the "decider" as to whether or not we would still go. We will. Read Less

Travelled several times with Seabourn, previously the smaller ships which have now gone and the last time on the Quest. The feeling amongst other Seabourners was that the larger the ship the less the service atmosphere and attention.There is occasionally evidence of lack of joined up thinking, the pre-cruise itinerary is very detailed but there is one in your suite, not pointed out specifically, that differs in both description and price and on the first one I took, the ground operator did not provide the full itinerary. Thomas Keller would be embarrassed to be served in "his" restaurant, irritating music, a diner drinking beer straight from the bottle and no finesse in either the food or the service, should go and watch Michel Roux at work in La Gavroche. The Restaurant and Sushi on the other hand were very good. Entertainment was generally good as was the guest speaker except that on two occasions his talk included ports we had already left !! What happened to the open air putting green ? As the school report would say Seabourn you need to try harder, you charge a premium price but not quite a premium service yet and by the way include wifi as Silversea and Regent do it is after all the 21st.century. Will almost certainly try Seabourn again but probably not the Encore. Read Less

We chose Silversea because we wanted to enjoy a luxury cruise and visit beautiful ports in Greece and Italy. We have traveled Silversea in the past and have been very pleased by the experience. However, this experience did not meet expectations. The Ship was old and was in need of refurbishment. She is still a beauty but needs some work to make her look more fresh and inviiting. Our cabin was as expected in terms of the space and layout of the room. However, the plumbing was an issue. We experienced toilets not flushing and an overflow of water on the floor. This was a common occurrence on our floor and in all the cabins. Our room had a nasty smell that made sitting on the balcony almost impossible. Who would want to smell raw sewage on a luxury cruise!! We were told that chemicals would be used to take care of the odor but apparently the chemicals did not work. The food was above average to exceptional. However, the buffet dishes were not hot and were greasy and dirty no matter how many dishes we put to the side. We sat on the outside veranda and the place mats were never changed or cleaned between sittings. There were always crumbs from everyone else's meal on the table stuck in the place mats. The ice cream scoop utensil was dipped in a tin of water to rinse off and the water was not running. This is unsanitary and disgusting. The TV entertainment was below standard. Carnival Cruise Lines has a greater variety. The Entertainers/Shows were very good but there needs to be more variety. The Ports and Shore Excursions were very good. However 48 hours in one port was not well thought out by the cruise director. The fact that we were in Greece and Sicily made this an event to remember. However, the level of cleanliness needs to be addressed and for this reason alone, we would probably not recommend Silversea or travel this cruise line again. This was not a luxury cruise on the Silversea we remembered. Read Less