I chose this cruise when it was first offered because I'd never been on Silver Seas, I liked the itinerary, and the single supplement was within reason. I was a little concerned given some of the negative reviews, but my on board experience bore no relation to what I'd read. It was wonderful in almost every respect. I loved it and will be back. I was in a veranda cabin and will say more about it below, but it was big enough for two people to be comfortable and lap of luxury for a single like me. The bed was wonderful. Dining was maybe a little disappointing as my expectations were pretty high, based on how the line is promoted. Over all, the food was good, occasionally outstanding, but now and then sub par. For example, I ordered venison on one occasion. The plate came with two generous pieces, one succulent and delicious, the other like shoe leather -- not supposed to happen. On another occasion, the wine steward told us the red was Carménère, which made me happy as I like that wine, but, in fact, he was pouring from a bottle of Cabernet. When I pointed this out, a bottle of the former quickly appeared, but it was surprising the steward didn't know what he was pouring. As to the wines, overall, I thought they were fine and, if neither of those offered appealed, a substitute was readily at hand. I ate lunch at the Terrazzo buffet several times and many items were dried out and tasteless, while others were perfect. So, food was a little uneven in quality. One thing I must note, though -- Silver Seas serves the best hot dog on the planet. I'm not kidding. It's big and comes with a slice of very crisp bacon, a house made cucumber based relish and is served on a bun that has just a hint of cinnamon flavor to it. The sides are a delicious slaw and a little pot of great fries and onion rings. Not to be missed. I must have had eight of them by the time I disembarked. I thought the entertainment was good over all, especially the three piece combo, but it was the speakers who were truly exceptional. I've done a number of expedition cruises where the speakers are tremendous and many normal type cruises where the speakers are often lamentable. The three on this cruise, though, were all interesting and well informed in their areas. I didn't miss one and was never disappointed. Service is absolutely first rate almost all the time on this ship. The butler and room attendant were terrific, bartenders friendly, skillful and responsive, wait staff very good over all. You definitely have the sense that the crew are happy to be where they are. Officers could have been a little more engaged with the passengers, but the Captain was a treat -- witty and forth coming with details. The ports were all interesting and the overnight in NYC a huge plus -- saw Hadestown and was walking distance from the ship to the theater. The sail up the Thames and under Tower Bridge to moor next the the HMS Belfast was jaw dropping. I won't ever forget it and were so lucky to have perfectly sunny skies. The overnight in London was a second big plus. I was able to host a friend for dinner on board and the food that night was superb. I did a few of the sponsored excursions and they were fine and the prices seemed reasonable enough to me. Would I sail on Silver Seas again, of course I would, if the single supplement is fair and the itinerary good. Read Less

We chose this cruise only for the sailing under London Bridge which was definitely the highlight . We haven’t sailed on Silversea for a few years (as Crystal is our cruise line of choice) and remember luxuries like Perrier Juneau being the house champagne and the crew knowing your name within a couple of days aboard, the soap menu on arrival and your mini bar being stocked with your choice of spirits or liqueurs, the flurry of napkins being placed in your lap whether in the dining room or out on deck dining , cocktails being made and offered while you lay in a deck chair outside well none of that happened this time around. Embarkation was very easy with no wait time and straight on to the ship where we were greeted with a glass of bubbly and then left to our own devices. We had lunch in the Terazzo which was a buffet which was tasty but all the food in the warmer was only tepid and we had to flag a waiter to get water or a drink and again to get coffee so not a great start. After this happening for the first two days we addressed that and a few other problems with the Hotel manager then the service was definitely improved for the rest of the cruise. The food In the dinning room and the Italian restaurant was very good and good service and a table was mostly available when we decided to go for dinner. The entertainment was very average with 3 guest entertainers a violinist,a singer and a pianist, then 2 other resident pianists plus the cruise director Colin who did piano recitals so it was all rather too much of the same and far too high brow for us.The singers and dancers were good but the sets were almost non existent and the shows were very hit and miss. We are a couple in our 50’s and felt the entertainment is aimed at a senior crowd which seems to be their market. The stateroom we had was a vista suite and was very comfortable and in good condition but still had the dated bathroom with a pathetic shower and the bath drained very slow so constantly showering in about 6 inches of water, the aircon was constantly too hot and even on the coldest setting was sweltering causing quite a few sleepless nights.The Butler and our steward were very good and breakfast was delivered on time with hot coffee and the stateroom always clean. The water in the cabins and the restaurants was desalinated and you had to ask for bottled water as it was never offered and the champagne was Monopole but Pommeroy was available but you had to request that also which was very annoying obviously another cost saving measure. The ship overall was well presented but was very dull decor throughout the lounges with mute colours and no feeling of comfort or luxury ,the pool area was brown on brown with no comfortable seating like outdoor couches or cushions or sculptures or art just a few pots with small fake plants in ,the grill area had no cushions on the seats and drinks served in plastic. Overall the ship didn’t have the wow factor we have come to expect from other luxury cruise lines we travel on like Crystal or Seabourn it was good but there are lots of good cruise lines out there Like Holland America or Oceania that you don’t have to pay the premium prices we paid for this cruise. We will not be back to Silverseas again and talking to a lot of guests onboard and on cruise critic a lot of them felt the same way. Shame as this was once a very good experience! Read Less

My wife and I have done 20+ cruises on many different lines but latterly we have been mainly with Silversea. We joined Silver Wind in Fort Lauderdale and were onboard by 11.45 and drinking our first champagne of the trip in La Terazza when it opened for lunch at noon, Regulars on the Wind will know that is rather like a pair of old shoes - very comfortable but not in the first flush of youth. . Dining was variable. La Dame was probably overpriced at $60 pp. Both the MDR and La Terrazza produced some excellent meals but not consistently.. Hot Rocks was the most enjoyable for both quality and service. We had only one room service meal - an early breakfast when going on a tour. The guest speakers were all very good and the shows were OK. The Silversea singers were not in the same league as the ones on our last Silver Wind cruise last May. Cruise Director , Allan King was excellent - always very visible around the ship and he put on a show himself which we thoroughly enjoyed and was the best attended of the whole cruise. This was a trans Atlantic cruise so not too many ports. The weather during the crossing was sunny and the ocean was calm. The only ship's tour we took was to the Alhambra Palace at Grenada when the ship was docked in Motril. This was an excellent tour - about 40 passengers split in to 2 groups and was well worth doing. Read Less

My wife and I have just finished cruise #2813 Ft Lauderdale/Barcelona April 6-20 and it was very good overall. After many years of sailing with Silversea and seeing it decline in some luxury aspects, I decided to point out some differences from many years ago to today in hopes that their management might consider some changes. Boarding procedures for this cruise were excellent, as usual. They could not be improved. In past years, upon entering your suite, there would be a good champagne on ice and the various shipboard credits and memos to read. This trip, there was a second rate champagne on ice and no credit or memos. After e-mailing my wonderful travel agent-Michele at Riverside Travel in Dallas, these items appeared the following day around noontime..with no explanation! The butler introduced himself in a friendly manner, and tried to answer our questions about electrical connections, but had to have additional help. He was obviously less experienced than previous butlers we had had but he was trying to be helpful. Dinner first night was good as usual. Lunch next day on pool deck, I had a delicious hamburger with a slice of cheese inside along with a paper lining that separates the cheese!. Staff personnel very apologetic..minor detail. Some of the differences that I and others have experienced over the years reveal that Silversea has diminished from a Great Luxury Cruise Line to a very good one. Some of these differences would have no operating economic impact,on the company but they would have a positive impact on clients. They include 1. in almost every meal the butter was cold and hard as a brick 2. several times when I requested some soft cheese, it was delivered cold and hard 3. few choices of beer were available on the pool deck 4. diminished service on the pool deck while service personnel were standing around not paying attention 5. several times when "crispy, crispy bacon" was requested, it came limp 6. the galley tour and buffet are no longer offered None of these examples are major problems, but they did not occur in years past. They indicate lack of supervision, training and commitment that make a distinctive difference between a "good" or "very good" cruise and a Great Cruise. Some suggestions would incur additional expense to the company... 1. having on menus the availability of a complete variety of premium foods such as prime shrimp, lobster, lamb, beef and other premium fresh and saltwater products. 2. For the first time on Silversea, in my experience, there was no Epoisse cheese and other well known cheeses 3...only one eau-de-vie, Pear Williams, instead of a wide variety of digestifs that once were standard. 4. Very little foie gras and quality caviar were offered. 5. Some passengers commented that a good champagne was not in their suite upon arrival but was furnished upon request. In years past, the guests were always welcomed to their suites with a good champagne on ice. 6. No cheese cart is now offered in the dining room and that used to be a classy touch. 7. The afternoon tea service has been diminished from before. Obviously Silversea knows about these and other items not offered or available today. My guess is that this is for economic considerations. The phenomenal growth of Silversea attests to its success and I hope it continues. I believe there is a large enough segment of the luxury market that is willing to pay more for the very best in service and food.....there is now considerably more competition in the luxury class and I wish to continue cruising with Silversea, but with the class and style of the original Silversea. I recognize and applaud the positive changes in Silversea from the beginning years, such as the butler service, the Hot Rocks venue, improved t.v. service reception, and free wifi throughout the ship, among others. It is obvious that Silversea recognizes the need to make changes. I had requested the e-mail address of the owners in order that they may be aware of these comments but my request was denied. I did send a letter to the Manager of Guest Relations, expressing some of these thoughts. To my surprise, the day after I sent my letter I received a thoughtful and appreciative letter from him indicating that my experiences were not in keeping with the highest standards to which Silversea aspires. He said he has discussed my correspondence with the "fleet operations executive team as we are committed to total guest satisfaction." I am pleased to know that my comments are being taken seriously. I have already booked two suites and paid in full for a Caribbean cruise on the Silver Wind departing November 15th, 2018. Read Less

We chose this SilverSea crossing for the duplicate bridge program offered daily on sea days. The bridge program was well run, the intermediate lessons well-conceived, and the duplicate bridge enjoyable. We were quite satisfied with our voyage. SilverSea is efficient and competent in everything they do, from embarkation to disembarkation. We have been on around 25 cruises or so and we found the efficiency on the Silver Wind to be better than such lines as Cunard, Azamara, and even Crystal. Unlike every other line we have been on, there was never a wait (other than the clearing Spanish customs on the day of disembarkation): not for embarkation, not for dinner (no reservations were ever necessary), and not for leaving or reentering the ship at its ports of call. The food in the dining room on the Silver Wind was consistently and overall the best we have had. The lectures were interesting and all 4 speakers sociable and interesting. The entertainment was limited but the entertainers were talented and personable. Service was beyond reproach and our cruise director was a very competent and experienced. Would we go again? Of course, in October. Read Less

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I like re-positioning cruises, for the days at sea; having cruised so many times and places since the 1970s. Overall, my trip was good: and put me in mind of Royal Viking (though maybe not quite so good on some things, perhaps due to time moving on, and standards not so high now as they were many years ago). It was disappointing that a refurbishment was being done during the cruise, instead of in dry dock (as, in my view, it should have been). This meant inconvenience from such things as materials being stored in passenger deck space, paint smells being unavoidable at times, whilst painting - and stored paints not properly sealed - was going on. Also furniture, carpets, curtains and such, was being changed such that the decor was not at its best. Also, who thought of a wavy line carpet for a ship's passenger area?! (If you weren't feeling seasick before, well ... {though i do not suffer from this personally}) The bartenders were not up to the standard of Fritz, my old Swiss trained mixologist from Royal Viking days, and didn't work as fast as him either; nor able to hold a conversation at the same time, as he did! But, every member of the crew, ship and hotel side, was eager to help, friendly, and keen to be assured that they were doing what was wanted; even though at least one passenger gave them a hard time all the time. This included bar, restaurant and entertainment staff. Definitely six star cruising on that score. The ship itself wasn't the most modern (hence, maybe, the refurb), but facilities were acceptable, if not top notch. My stateroom was well looked after by both Lorenzo, the butler, and the maid (whose name, shamefully I have forgotten; perhaps because the wrong name was put on my card in my stateroom). Breakfast in my stateroom was always promptly brought, and enjoyable; and the cleaning first rate. Dining was not set, so one could eat wherever and with whoever one wanted; and there was 24 room and food service, if that was required. Given that it was all-inclusive, it took an effort not to overindulge in alcohol, and in making that effort, I discovered that the no-alcohol wines on board were very palatable, to me anyway. The food itself was good and varied, although the meats were not always cooked to the degree requested: but were always re-cooked/re-done when queried. The entertainment was alright: no big (fading) names, and no-one likely to become big, in my opinion; but enjoyable when one made the effort to attend a show. I only took one shore excursion, which was ok, and enjoyed more for the visit to Rick's Bar (yes: I know the film never got any nearer to Casablanca than a Los Angeles airport for the final scene), as Casablanca is my favourite film. Don't cruise Silversea if you've got children with you: there is nothing for them, and they would be bored. I travelled as a single, and the 25% supplement is less than other lines offer: which given the fares, was very helpful. However, I was disappointed at having to pay over $400 for 24/7 wifi and internet access. One hour a day free is not enough, and easily exceeded if one forgets to log off, which many do. At these cruise prices, free wifi all of the time should be standard. I'm in the process of trying to book my next Silversea cruise, so yes, I will cruise them again. Read Less

I went on Silversea's Silver Wind for only the 2nd time in November 2016. The first time was 20 years ago during her Inaugural season. Considering she is nigh on 20 years old the state of her upkeep was fantastic. My suite was of course in the style of 20 years ago, Spotless and kept so by a very keen maid aided by a butler.A large walk in wardrobe with lots of coat hangers and a easily accessed safe. A lovely comfortable bed and pillows. Alas the bathroom was a disaster without a walk in shower and being disabled it was a nightmare to have to climb in over a highsided bath to have a shower.There are apparently only 2 disabled suites on this ship .Yes there were plenty of handholds once you got in. But for anyone with limited ability to climb into a bath then avoid this ship. There is only one bank of lifts( elevators)at midships so if your suite is near the forward part then there is a long walk to get to another deck. The cruise was a designated bridge cruise and with a competition and a weeks cruise as 1st prize there were 40 avid determined people on board and the rest of us suffered accordingly as some expected activities never materialised. Now for the praise! The food,service,staff could not be surpassed. Nothing was too much trouble and I was met with the greatest of help and kindness. I will travel Silversea again but not this ship There were 3 lecturers on board, 2 were dreadful and one was brilliant Read Less

First solo cruise. Ship had 4 people assigned toi make us happy. THey did! The staff was great. The psgs friendly and kbid and outgoing. The CC gatherings were terrific. The food ranged from good to excellent. Now for the rest. Entertainment fair at best. Future cruise person-Pathetic. Ship itself in average condition and could be laid out better. Rooms were spacious and well kept. tips included. The highs of great crew and excellent service outweighed any shortcomings. The bonus was the wonderful passengers. Embarkation and disembarkation went smooth and easy. The included wines were good. The extra cost restaraunt was excellent even though the menu did not vary, there were enough listings under the 6 courses that I ate 3 times and never exhausted the menu. I heartily recommend it. Lastly, although I did not book on this account, it was a bridge cruise. The director and the instructor were both better than any I have had in over 50 cruises Read Less

I did a similar Silver Wind crossing last year. This one was much nicer. The enrichment program was good. The speakers were a former high court judge from UK and two university professors. The food this time was wonderful. The food and wine program was enjoyable and informative. The service onboard was excellent. The ports of call were interesting and varied. A good range of shore excursions were offered. There was shore transportation available in each port. Last year I stayed in a Veranda Suite. This year I opted for a Vista Suite. The public areas were such that I did not miss a veranda. In fact I met more folks because I was not sitting on my own veranda. There were quite a few other singles onboard and everyone mingled. It was possible to do as much or as little as we cared to do each day. It was not possible to become bored. I've already booked my transatlantic crossing on Silver Wind for next November! Read Less

Silver Wind 20.09. - 18.10.2007 Itinerary: 1 Part. London, Vigo, Lisbon, Funchal (Madeira), Las Palmas (Canary Island), Porto Grande (Capo Verde), Barbados, 2. Part Bequia (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), Georgetown (Grenada), Castries (St. Lucia), Gustavia (St. Barths), St. John's (Antigua), Virgin Gorda (British Virgin Islands), St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands), Grand Turk (Turks & Caicos Islands), Key West, Ft. Lauderdale Embarkation: My mother and a friend joined the ship in London/Tower Bridge on September 20. I "Replaced" the friend on September 27 in Las Palmas. Embarkation in London went very easy for the two of them. They had arranged for early embarkation, arrived at the Pier at around noon (Taxi Driver needed 2 hours to find the ship, it would have been a 10 minute walk from the hotel) and took the tender to the ship. While docked in London there is always a tender service since the ship is docked to a museum ship. Their suite was ready and right after having lunch in the restaurant they could start unpacking. The Ports: Since I haven't been on board I can't say much about Vigo. But to the other two places I've missed this time I've been before. Lisbon is a wonderful city and for sure there are a lot more things to see then you can do in one day. Same for Funchal on Madeira. Well I can't say the same thing about Porto Grande/Mindelo on Capo Verde. I was very disappointed. There was nothing to see. After the 4 day crossing we reached Barbados. Very British for me, very different to some of the other Caribbean Islands. Bequia - beautiful, small, great for divers and sailors. Georgetown - busy city. Spice market is worth seeing and buying. We brought lots of spices home. Castries - the city itself is not much. But the island is just beautiful. Don't go to the volcano. That is too touristy and just a rip-off. Gustavia - a mixture out of French and Swedish. You can still find Swedish street names. Very exclusive shopping. Some of the shops have still been closed due to pre-season time. Otherwise a very beautiful place. St. John's - city is in a big need of renovation. We did a tour of the island with a private taxi driver. He showed us lots of places you normally don't get to see. Virgin Gorda - Silversea offers a Silversea Experience there. At a beach called Prickly Pear the organized a Beach Barbecue. We loved it. They work very had to carry all the stuff ashore. They offer grilled food, salads, desserts and all the drinks you can also get on board. Artur, one of the waiters even served the drinks in the water. A local band played Caribbean music, people were dancing, playing beach volleyball or just relaxing at the beach. I am sure everybody (including the crew) had a wonderful time. St. Thomas - how disappointing. I was sure if I'd see one more jewelry store I would probably scream. One shopping street. And every single shop is at least partly a jewelry store. You are looking for a pharmacy? Go through the jewelry store and you'll find it in the back..... Grand Turk - The island belongs to Carnival Cruise Lines. They've build a little shopping village at the pier, including a restaurant, a pool and a beautiful beach area. That is about it. There is not much more to see on the island but it is nice to go swimming. Key West - With two other ships in port this place is just to touristy for me. Ship's Tours: Since we always did our own thing (by taking taxis) I can't say much about the tours. On the second part several tours had to be cancelled since they did not reach the mini-mum of participants. We've had 260 passengers on the crossing to Barbados and only a little less then 200 on the second part. Entertainment: I usually don't go to the shows to often but I have to say they had one or two really good Guest Entertainers on board this time. Especially to mention Rudi Macaggi (Variety) and David Howarth (Piano). I was never really into Piano concerts. But I have to say David Howarth is an exceptional talent. But I know anyway they will bring back the Production Shows as they used to have before. The Crew: The Crew was amazing. Working hard, always friendly and smiling and we've never heard "no". Our room was always taken care off by two girls from the Philippines. And they were almost flawless. In the restaurant Maitre D' Jorge and his Headwaiters and Waiters did an excellent job trying to make everyone happy (hey you can't please everyone, there is always someone trying to find something to complain about). When we entered the Main Bar in the evening Darwin the Bartender made sure that within an instant we received our usual drink. Colin (first part) and Judie (second part) have been excellent Cruise Directors. They did a great job and also their Staff Chris, Kinga and Deniz. The only exception on the sip was un-fortunately the International Hostess. Mona was rarely seen. If she behaved in an arrogant way. Sometimes more like a passenger then like someone working on board. Captain Arma did a great job in maneuvering. When we left Capo Verde to cross the ocean we had a tropical depression ahead of us. So he altered to course to provide a smooth and easy crossing. I've only heard some people complain that you never see any officers around. After dinner only the Hoteldirector, the Chef and once in a while the Captain. That's what the other people said. I know it is different then it used to be. But I am sure they are busy with other things, to run the ship smoothly. Food: Well all I can say - this was for sure the best we've had in a long time on Silversea. Executive Chef David and his crew are fantastic. Even in the busy time before coming to the United States (this is extremely busy because in the US Ports usually once the United States Personal Health comes on board and if they would check their own restaurants as they check the ships, you could close 70% of American restaurants) they prepared wonderful dishes. We loved most of the fish dishes but also the pasta and meat dishes have been wonderful. Passengers: We experienced two totally different cruises as far as the passengers concerned. On the first part let's say all passengers seemed to be well travelled and fit totally into the ambience we know from our previous more then 400 days. The clientele on the second part was totally different. Younger but also some of them not really adapted to what we think Silversea stands for. Especially concerning the dress code. We had for example somebody showing up in the bar in the evening at 7 in shorts and a shirt. Even after being told several times to take the drink to his room he refused to leave. It took two people telling him off at the end. But we still met very nice people and had a wonderful time. Disembarkation: Since we did US Immigration the day before in Key West the disembarkation went extremely well. It still took a while till the ship had been cleared due to the strict rules the US Customs have. All passengers had to get off the ship by 10 am, we collected our luggage and our private pick-up was waiting in front of the terminal. Read Less