This was sold to us as a top of the range 5 star luxury cruise...it's not, it barley scrapes into 4 stars. Food :- Lacked continuity, sometimes OK, Breakfast in the Terraza was pretty poor and this ship gets my vote for serving the worst breakfast coffee I have ever had in the world. The food we paid for in La Dame was very good, is there a reason this does not happen in all the other eating areas. Also apart from one area you book in advance for other venues, unaware of this to begin with when we tried to book we were put on a waiting list and rarley got in. So disappointing food all round really. Cabins:- very nice but dated, I do believe this ship is going in for a refurb. Excursions ;- Who would pay a whopping $799 dollars yes $799 for a private car for 4 hours, your havin a laugh. All shore excursions were hugley overpriced. The staff were all very good and helpful, we didnt really need a butler so didn't bother ours very much if at all. Drink selection was excellent, the champagne flowed freely and was good quality. Entertainment was fine..better when they kept it simple and just had a bit of a disco on the deck....what you would expect really. Our problem with this cruise was that it was oversold and overpriced, Had I paid a couple of thousand less then I would have said it was OK but this is not 5 star and shouldn't be sold as such. Dressing people up in tailcoats and white gloves doesn't make it 5 star. Send your management to an Oberio or Four Seasons hotel to find out what luxury is, and send your head chefs along as well. So approach with caution and would I go again, clearly not. Read Less

Just returned from an absolutely wonderful 11 night cruise on the Spirit. We had not sailed Siversea in 10 years and will definitely be returning. Our past experience with this line had not been very positive and we switched to Seabourn but decided to try again based on the itinerary and timing near our anniversary. We embarked in Barcelona, it was qiuick and efficient but not as wrm as Seabourn. Our first impression of the ship was “dated”- perhaps it was the color scheme but the furniture style reminded me of an assisted living facility. We then reviewed the buffet in La Terrazza but opted to have lunch in the Atlantide restaurant where we enjoyed a tasty Mahi and drank a french chardonnay. The room was less frenetic than La Terrazza and the service excellent.We finished lunch and went to our Deluxe veranda suite on the 8th floor and found our luggage had been delivered-always good to get the unpacking squared away. Once again we had the impression that the suite had a bit of a dated feel to it but the space was similar to the Seabourn line and felt familiar. The shower was larger and the tub deeper but there was only a single sink.the ame/nities were very similar and we were very happy to have a jewelry box in the safe for our items. Our butler showed up shortly after and took care of several requests including a mattress topper for the bed which was on the firm side. After unpacking and attending the muster drill we showered, dressed for dinner and went to the Panorama lounge for a predinner cocktail. The ambience is different than the Observation bar on Seabourn and both have positives. We always enjoyed a seat at the beautiful bar on Seabourn where we could enjoy the bartender’s company as well as conversation with other passengers. The bar area on Silversea is small and not a focal point of the room so we chose to sit in the comfy chairs.The Silversea lounge was just that- very comfortable chairs and a very nice dance floor. I loved having a cocktail list on the Spirit and the drinks were well crafted and presented. Our reservation the first evening was in La Dame because we could only waitlist this venue for the rest of the cruise when we tried to book our reservations back in Feb. The dinner was just perfect- excellent food with delicious options and very attentive service - the only negative was that many of the tables were set so closely together that we felt as if we were joining others rather than dining as a twosome. The other restaurants on the ship were similar with many of the tables for two placed very closely together which could be positive or negative depending upon one’s table-mates. A couple next to us was forced to engage in political banter with two people on their other side told us after the other couple departed that they did not enjoy the discussion. All of the dining rooms seem to fill up each evening and everyone seemed to make an effort to dress nicely which added a touch of elegance. On Seabourn there were fewer jackets and almost no ties. We dined in La Terrazza most mornings and the selections for breakfast were quite varied and the food delivered hot and very quickly which we appreciated when we had an early excursion. We also enjoyed room service a few mornings and one evening when we were too tired too move! and our butler brought the tray-the presentation was lovely, the orders correct, and the food hot. The food in Seishin and Indoshine were nice options and we enjoyed the ambience of each restaurant. The only dinner we did not enjoy was in La Terrazza- service was on point but the food just wasn’t appealing- we only tried it once. The Arts cafe was another plus-it offered all day snacking items and we loved the option of bringing some things to the room-particularly as it was right down the hall. Our suite was very accessible to the elevators, the lauderette (which I used once,) the Arts Cafe and the pool. The only negative was the sound of furniture scraping across the deck above us- not a gigantic nuisance but I would probably go for deck 7 instead of 8. The ship’s excursions were very interesting and not overly crowded- there was always space on the bus to move around. Overall I would say that Silversea had better food and service and we really enjoyed having the services of a butler. Seabourn has prettier and more up to date venues and better entertainment. We liked the glamour of dressing for dinner on Silversea but did not like the surcharges for some of the restaurants. The welcome on Seabourn is more vibrant while Silversea is more subdued. Many of the guests on Silversea have sailed numerous times with the line and we are pleased to say that we shall be repeatIng with another cruise in the future. Read Less

In reflecting on our 11 nights aboard the Silver Spirit, I can honestly say we couldn't think of a single thing we would have liked to change. This ship and crew are the epitome of why we sail with Silversea again and again. Every single crew member we encountered was friendly and professional with some being old friends that we were happy to see again. I personally like the decor of the Spirit as it has a bit of the darker wood and warmth that I thought was lacking in the newer Muse. Our suite was kept immaculate for the entire voyage and all the public areas were clean and well-maintained. My daughter even commented on how the crew was painting and repairing something every day to keep it all looking fresh. The ship never felt crowded and the crew always had something planned to try and keep us busy even if we were at sea. We love the daily trivia, golf putting, and the special events such as chef's cooking demonstrations, and galley tours. The singers were very good although we didn't attend all the shows. We are late diners so many nights we were still enjoying dessert at that time. We found the food in all restaurants to be very good. The menus in Atlantide and La Terrazza did have a few changes during our voyage. Service was excellent and the wines were generally very nice as well. My glass of pre-dinner champagne only had to be requested for the first few nights and then magically appeared for the rest of the cruise. My daughter enjoyed that caviar was offered as an appetizer choice--I'm not sure I remember seeing this on any of our other voyages. Compliments to the chefs and staff as each dining experience was very good to excellent. Not to be missed...there were some seriously talented bartenders on board as well. If I had to nitpick, Silver Note was our least favorite food-wise but the jazz duo was lovely so we counted it as a win as well. The spa was beautiful and we enjoyed some services there. They were giving tours on embarkation day and some giveaways so it was a fun introduction. The gym is a bit small for this size of ship and my only comment about the fitness classes is that the yoga classes and such were only offered at 7 am but tours went out around 8:30 each day so I didn't get to go to any classes. I was disappointed as I brought my yoga gear and was ready to practice. Most of the afternoon classes where paid classes such as booty boot camp, etc. In general the excursions were very good and I was impressed with how organized they were even on the days we had to tender. Everything went quite smoothly. Embarking in Barcelona was easy but there was an actual line to board which I've never experienced before. I think flights must have come in just before we went over to board so many arrived at the same time. Mallorca- Caves of Drach was very pretty and interesting. The added on Majolica pearl factory tour was really a store to purchase jewelry with one person demonstrating how the pearls are made... no commentary. We weren't there long so not a big deal but a little underwhelming. Cadiz--Andalusian Horse show was fantastic. What gorgeous creatures and the trainers have really worked magic with them. No photos or video allowed which was a bit of a bummer but actually made everyone stop and watch the horses. Not to be missed! Lisbon--We did a city drive and river cruise on the Tagus River. The city drive was ok but our guide was my least favorite and the river cruise was not too good. Not much to see and there weren't enough seats on the top deck so those of us that sat below had dirty and scratched windows to look out of and a very limited sound system so we didn't hear much of the commentary. Cascais and Sintra--both towns were very cute and the drive up the coast and through the mountains was lovely. Our guide was exceptional and we enjoyed walking around. Maybe a bit more time especially in Sintra would have been nice as it was very crowded and we didn't have time to see the palace and finish the shops. It was quite cool when we got up there as well. Porto--LOVED this town. Wish we had more time here as there was a lot we would have loved to have seen on foot. We had a great guide who was an architect and offered much educational commentary on the buildings including the stunning port terminal where we docked. We took a bus tour and a river cruise on the Douro with its many bridges and then went to a winery to taste the port wines that the area is famous for. The river cruise was much better than the one in Lisbon and the entire visit made us want to go back to Porto. St. Malo--Went to Mont St. Michel and had our exercise for the day--up 350 steps. The guide was very knowledgable and we enjoyed the tour. I think it was probably handled as well as it could have been given that it was a Sunday and every person in France and four other countries much have been there....crazy crowded. Our only complaint was that we were given several hours of free time to shop and eat afterwards and the crowds made it impossible to shop and the food was not very good in any restaurant. We would have preferred to have been taken back to St. Malo and allowed to dine there and see the town. We were very disappointed not to have seen it but very happy to have seen Mont St. Michel...it is stunning. Guernsey--What a charming little place. We did not get to see the whole island as we opted to take the powerboat ride and just walk around the town where we docked. We did get to see puffins and seals and has a fun ride so we are not complaining but hoping to go back again and see more. Portsmouth--Home of the Royal Navy...felt very safe. Interesting tour to the town of Winchester and the beautiful cathedral. Jane Austen is buried here and the remnants of the castle nearby have some ties to Henry VIII so that was interesting. Probably a little too long in town for us though as we had nothing to do after the guide dropped us off. I think there were some pubs open and some passed the time there. Disembarkation in London was very easy. Cruise Director Roy was delightful and a wonderful addition to the Silversea family. Overall, one of the best cruises we have taken and an itinerary that we would do again given the chance. Read Less

We just returned from a Silverseas sailing on Silver Spirit from Barcelona to Rome. It was our first time with Silversea. I would give this cruise a mixed review. Likes: I liked our specious suite and the service was quite good.  Dislikes: The dining options are rather limited. I did not like the fact that dinner started late- 7pm at the earliest.  And, I also thought the dress code on non formal nights was too formal. There was also no casual dining options in the evening except for room service. The shows were also on late - at 10pm. I would prefer the option to eat at 6 and go to a show at 8 or even 9. Also, I got ill- food poisoning. I am pretty sure it was from an oyster in the lunch buffet. I was sick all night, and then quarentined all the next day. After I recovered I was fine the rest of the trip. While I enjoyed luxury crusing, I don't think I would do Silversea again as I would prefer earlier dining options/earlier shows/less formal dining options. Read Less

We traveled with friends on the Muse and enjoyed our trip. The ship is beautiful and the crew and service were excellent. The ship is spotless and extremely well organized. If you don't go for "glitzy" and like quiet elegance this is the ship for you. One of our friends had a "big birthday" and the crew really outdid themselves making her day so special. From decorating her room, helping organize an amazing dinner at Atlantide and a beautiful cake too. The public spaces are all very attractive. The Arts Cafe is lovely, especially for early morning coffee. The Observatory and the Panoramic Lounge were also great. Dining: The restaurants were overseen by a very fine gentleman, Antonio. He is a GEM! The dining staff could not be more gracious and accommodating. Our favorite restaurants were Atlantide and Indochine. We dined in Atlantide on 3 evenings and each dinner was exceptional. We also enjoyed a dinner at La Terrazza, lunch by the pool and the pizzas from Spaccanapoli. We did dine at Kaiseki and were not impressed, it just doesn't work as a "special" restaurant. The menu was tiny and the room very dark and smokey, seemed like a not very good version of Benihana. We LOVE Japanese food - Silversea, please rethink this concept. Also, were not crazy about Silver Note- very odd menu. Silver Note would be a better late night jazz/dessert venue. Wine - well, the wine selection did not match the quality of the food and service. Yes, there is an "upgraded" wine list which we often used, but the included wines were just not good. One evening the SS Singers performed 70's and 80's tunes on the pool deck, followed by a dance party and dessert buffet. It was a beautiful evening in Portofino and lots of fun. The pool is very nice and there are plenty of sun loungers and the pool staff is excellent. Spa - the onboard spa, fitness center and facilities are beautiful. The products used are very good as are the treatments and therapists. My husband and I each had a couple of spa treatments. Spas are "outsourced" on cruises and somehow the luxury cruise lines need to curtail the "hard sell" and "upselling" by cruise spa staff - it just isn't relaxing. It doesn't match the Silversea experience. Concierge - the concierge staff were so kind and gracious, but the staff needs to have more information available to them regarding local transport and beaches etc. Local contacts do come onboard but at that time it is too late. Aside from organizing the "tours", the concierge staff should have much better local data on avail of taxis and uber and where the best beaches and other facilities are located in each port, for those guests planning their own day. FYI- Antibes has the best Uber service! We cruised from Barcelona to Rome Our pre/post and excursions were organized by our travel advisor. Our favorite days were in Monte Carlo - where we spent the day in Eze with a lunch at Les Remparts, Portofino where we toured the town on our own and then had an amazing lunch at the Hotel Splendido and in Livorno we had a driver take us to Pisa and Lucca. Embarkation and disembarkation were incredibly well organized and easy. Silversea really has great service and we especially found the upgraded air offer a very good value. Read Less

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

This was our third cruise with Silversea. The Muse, as a new ship, was the best ship ever. This is a very ‘happy’ ship. The entire ship sparkled. She is being beautifully maintained by a very dedicated crew. Our cabin was light and roomy, great shower. Butler servic was exemplary...thanks Naia. She met our every need...always with a smile. Dining in three of the many restaurants never disappointed. We especially liked La Dame and the Silvernote. We even arranged a private dinner at the Panorama Lounge as the sun went down off our stern. Wonderful service, especially from Egbert who knew our wants before we even asked. Entertainment was spot on...very professional from singing to choreography. Rico was a great host. The only port that didn’t excite was Livorno. Nothing there. Two days in any other port would have been better. We look forward to our next cruise aboard Muse. Read Less

Cabin was fine but not luxurious. Average compared to other cruise lines with a balcony. Entertainment was poor and boring. No music at the pool and servers did not come up to us and ask us if we wanted a drink. I had bought an excursion for a total of $258.00 and messed up my day so we missed it. I couldn’t get a credit for another excursion and for the price I paid for the actual cruise I was disappointed they would not work with me. I didn’t like having to pay to dine at two of the restaurants. Food was good but I’ve had great food on Norwegian, Holland America, princess and holland. Was disappointed there was not an omelet station and that I would have to order one which took a long time to get. Breakfast was mediocre. The ship wasn’t gorogeous like I expected for a luxury cruise. I did like the size of the ship. The excursions were very pricey. The wait staff was nice and our room Butler was exceptional. Our stay in the ports were pretty short and didn’t like how we ended in Rome but there wasn’t any time to visit the area unless we booked a hotel. Read Less

I wanted an ultra luxury one week cruise for my first cruise. I travel a lot. Always stay at five star hotels and resorts. Examples include Peninsula, Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton. My Silver Muse experience was five star in every way. I had very high expectations and they were exceeded. I highly recomend Silversea. The suite I had was superb. As good as any suite at the hotels I mentioned above. The restaurants were also superb. I have been in the restaurant business for almost 50 years. I have owned five star restaurants. So I am a very tough judge. But all of the restaurants had excellent food and simply superb service. My butler service was also superb. Mark was my butler and he could give a course on how to be a great butler. And now for the spa. Wonderful. I was shocked at the quality of services which actually included Jaciara who did chinese acupuncture. She really helped my aching knee. Aching from dancing too much each night. In all a great experience. Read Less

The Silver Muse is a gorgeous ship - if you are looking for 'new' and modern then this is it. The cabins and decks and corridors have a very modern feel which I really liked. The cabins are very spacious and the bathrooms are large (with separate bath no less). Good sized balconies too. We had a night in Barcelona beforehand which was great (can recommend the Ohla hotel ... and try their Sangria in the restaurant, a knockout) - then embarking the ship was a breeze and absolutely seamless. Pluses of the ship are: - spacious and modern cabins (we were deck 8 and it was great) - great choice of restaurants and top quality food (I particularly recommend Indochine for beautiful Asian flavours and Spaccanapoli for fabulously good pizza) - plenty of space on decks and in restaurants, with only 600 passengers - have a coffee in the Arts café in the morning, it is a little hidden gem which is fairly empty but does the best coffee on the ship! - have a pre- and post-prandial in the Observatory on deck 11 - another hidden gem - butler service was great, we didn't use our butler a lot, but we had a birthday celebration onboard and our butler Edmondo brought champagne and birthday cake and, yes, sang happy birthday! - self service laundry facilities on each level - very handy - and, of course, drinks any time of day or night, freely flowing, no need to order and pay (we now realise we do not want to cruise any other way). - TIP for Cannes - absolutely MUST do the 'Cannes by Segway' tour - it was unbelievably easy to learn how to use a Segway and we segwayed our way through the town and even an indoor food market. Best excursion I have ever done. Other tips and info: - there was NO problem getting into any of the included restaurants even without a reservation (we did not try the pay extra ones, but did not need to as the included restaurants were so good) - the age of people on board was much younger than I had expected, quite a few children as well, possibly because it was a summer cruise - dress code was very casual during the day, and only really got to a level of neat informal in the evening (while a few men wore suits, many wore jacket and tie and still others were dressed more informally than that which took me by surprise). So no need to bother with your dinner suit gents...although my man did and he looked gorgeous! - pool area was the most populated area during the day due to warm weather - grab a deck chair away from the pool area if you want to read, waiters will come by and see if you need a drink - entertainment was possibly the only disappointment on the ship, there isn't much of it ... if you are used to cruising on a larger ship with high level entertainment in the evenings and lots of options during the day, you will be a tad disappointed, so be warned. Overall, in my opinion, a 5 star ship and we look forward to cruising on the Silver Muse again. Read Less

The itinerary, dates and length of cruise was the reason we chose Silversea. We also wanted a higher end cruise line, which we understood that Silversea was. The embarkation and disembarkation was the smoothest I've ever experienced. It was well organized, had little/no queues, and plenty of staff to assist. The ship and cabins, in general, are a bit tired and dated and in much need of a refresh. The cruise was also more formal, particularly as it relates to the dress code, than I would have preferred. No shorts after 6PM and jackets required every evening was too stuffy, especially when you are supposed to be on vacation and relaxing. The food was excellent, particularly La Dame, and the service was top notch. We traveled with a large group (celebrating a 35th wedding anniversary) so 3 small children were in tow, all under the age of 4. I would definitely not recommend Silversea if traveling with children. There were 4 high chairs on the entire ship, which meant the majority of the time, there wasn't any high chairs for our children when we were dining. Also, there was no childcare/babysitting services which would have been nice for the family to enjoy a quiet evening or to go on excursions that required more activity. The pool was small and we were afraid our children would make too much noise and disrupt the other guests, so we really didn't use it much. Not much in general for kids to do. Silversea is definitely an older demographic without kids... The ports were excellent and there was enough time to really enjoy them. I particularly liked the fact that a local person from each port was at the Excursion desk on the ship to provide truly local expertise/recommendations. Our butler, Rooben, was fantastic. He was prompt, courteous, eager to please and anticipated our needs. Definitely one of the best butlers I have had. Our housekeeper, Joanna, likewise was fantastic. Overall, the cruise was nice but I would wait to go on recently refurbished ship and definitely without kids. Read Less

We chose this cruise by the ports of call. We arrived early morning in Barcelona and the cruise line representatives arranged for transportation and breakfast at a nearby hotel. Embarkation was quick and easy. Our top deck suite was lovely, spacious and immaculate. The huge walk in closet is a bonus.The food overall was quite good - I highly recommend dining at La Dame - with good selections of wine. But the best part of the cruise is the service. It is simply outstanding. Our butler, Marlon, could not have been more helpful and gracious. The wait staff are friendly and courteous. Just superb. We visited interesting ports of call and took advantage of shore excursions at each stop. Some of the tour guides are better than others but in the main we thoroughly enjoyed every experience. I travel internationally quite a bit on business and have pretty high standards, and would recommend the Silver Whisper with no reservations whatsoever. Read Less

• Background information Our previous experience with Silversea was on the Silver Galapagos—that was an expedition cruise, quite different than this classic cruise. We chose this cruise because it included stops on three islands—and because it stopped in Monaco for the Grand Prix. • Hotel information We selected Silversea’s pre and post cruise Simply Hotels: Condes de Barcelona, and Bernini Bristol in Rome. Both were very nice, modern hotels in excellent locations. We did need a power adapter in both. Breakfast was included with both hotels. We liked breakfast at the Condes better, but the Bernini’s was also very good. We would not hesitate to stay in either of these hotels again. • Ship information The Silver Muse is a very new ship and beautifully maintained. While some other reviewers did not like the interior design, we liked the simplicity of the design--and the quality of the building components. Most of the other passengers we met had cruised before, many on Silversea. It seemed to us that we were about the median age—mid-60s. Free laundry rooms are located on each passenger deck. They each have a stacked washer and dryer and laundry soap. Ours on Deck 6 had an ironing board and iron—I’m not sure if every deck had those or not. The laundry room was very clean and the iron was kept full of water by the staff. The laundry room on Deck 11 is not as busy. • Activities We did play table tennis one evening—kind of fun to play Ping-Pong in evening clothes. • Service Our butler and cleaning staff were outstanding. Silversea’s reputation for quality service is well deserved. • Port & shore excursions We selected this cruise because of the itinerary and were not disappointed. All of the ports were interesting and had something to recommend them--the highlight was being in Monaco for the Grand Prix. Ibiza, docked at pier: After taking a ferry to Formentera, we walked to a nearby bike rental place and picked out bikes. I am tall so they gave me a 21-speed mountain style bike. Everyone else had 5-speed step through bikes. All had baskets. The guides were excellent, but the group was a little too large (32, I think) and several of the bikes broke down. Still, it was worth doing. We are experienced bike riders in our mid-60s and did not find the ride difficult. Palma de Mallorca, docked at pier: Vintage Train to Soller Village was actually from Soller Village—but it was as nice as advertised. My wife bought some nice Majorica pearl earrings in Soller. Calvi, tendered from deck 3: Illustrious Men was a good tour of the island with a lot of information on the famous men associated with Corsica. We were especially intrigued with Pasquale Paoli. Marseille, docked at pier adjacent to a large Ferris wheel: Aix-en-Provence was a nice excursion—we bought some nice dish towels and place mats in the market—very nice. Saint Tropez, tendered from Deck 3: Villages of Gassin & Ramatuelle was a nice way to learn more about the history of Provence. One of the highlights was eating Tarte tropézienne that was made famous by Brigitte Bardot. After the tour we watched the boats and people while enjoying a wonderful Rosé wine across from the boats in the marina. Monte Carlo, tendered from Deck 3: The tender ride on Saturday was easy, but on Sunday getting in and out of the tenders was pretty rocky. This was the Grand Prix race weekend. Many people bought the Silversea race package and had a nice time. We chose to buy grandstand seats before we left the USA and thoroughly enjoyed the race atmosphere. Walking around the town during the race weekend is confusing because many of the streets are (obviously) blocked off. Our seats on Saturday were in Grandstand L. On Sunday we were in Grandstand K. Both were good and enabled us to see nice sections of the track and many of the boats in the harbor. Most people would probably prefer K over L, but being able to see some of the pit action from L was nice—and we also saw several wrecks while sitting in L. The bathrooms serving L are better than the ones serving K. Livorno, docked at the pier: Super Classe Tuscan Wines was a very good excursion. The winery was very modern and well equipped, and the staff were very knowledgeable and helpful. This was an excellent excursion. Livorno itself was not too interesting. • Travel to embarkation port We took the Silversea transfer from the Condes de Barcelona hotel to the ship. The bus left promptly and the transfer was smooth. Traffic was very heavy—probably because there were several huge cruise ships also in port. • Dining We ate in every restaurant—all were excellent. Ironically, my wife, who is a tremendous cook of Italian descent, said the Italian themed restaurant, La Terrazza, was the weakest of the restaurants. Our favorite was probably La Dame (the extra fee was well worth it), but the Silver Note was close behind. We had made our restaurant reservations before we left and had no complaints. Most of the other passengers we talked with understood the dining reservation system, and most were pleased with the food—many passengers had very high standards. Service was uniformly excellent. We had breakfast in the room several mornings—it was always on time and good. On formal nights some men wore tuxedoes, but most seemed to be in a dark suit. We liked the idea of dressing up like successful grown-ups—kind of refreshing. • Entertainment The jazz singer, Helene, in the Silver Note was outstanding. Unfortunately it was a little hard to hear her because some of the other guests were a little loud. We saw one show with the Voices of Silversea—they were fine, high energy and fun. • Disembarkation Silversea was extremely organized, but unfortunately the port of Rome requires all bags to be off the ship before the passengers are allowed to disembark the ship. Some people were irritated, but Silversea certainly did they best they could and was able to get those with tight connecting flights off the ship in good order. • Summary Simply an outstanding cruise. We liked it so much we booked two more Silversea cruises while onboard. As a traveler who had just completed a cruise on a different cruise line told us, “Once you’ve sailed Silversea, it is hard to sail with anyone else.” Read Less

Chose the cruise for its itinerary to Gibraltar, Morocco, and Lisbon as well as ports in Spain. This was the ships second cruise after lengthening and refit which had a few punch item issues none of which impacted us. The food and wines were top notch and the staff competent and responsive. The ports and excursions were well planned and very good. The only niggle was the self-service laundry which didn't work well and left clothes wet to air dry in the room. I should have listened to myself and sent out the laundry. Otherwise a marvelous experience. The embarkation & disembarkation was the smoothest we have experienced with over 17 cruises. The cabin was large and the bathroom spacious. We never used the tub and the shower was fine. Balcony set up with teak furniture. We never really participated in the entertainment as we were traveling with friends and ended up chatting. The casino was cozy and the staff friendly and helpful. Boarded in Barcelona (a great city to visit) and left in Lisbon (another interesting place). Read Less

I chose this cruise considering the size of the ship, ports of call and the reasonable single supplement. Silversea was amazing I would highly recommend them to anyone. I loved the size of the Silver Wind. Its amenities and quality of staff. As to the ports of call, I'm getting a little old for the crowds at most of the stops, but that is just part of the modern world. The best stop was Ephesus, Turkey, much smaller crowds. All the excursions had excellent guides and the onboard shore concierge, Agata, was an outstanding resource. The food was excellent. I ate at all four of the restaurants and found each one to be very enjoyable. The premium you pay to eat at "La Dame" is $60.00 a head which is a little high, but only because the other restaurant quality is so high. The wines were uniformly very good. Of the four on-board restaurants I would rate "The Restaurant" the highest. If other cruise line would offer a reasonable single supplement I might consider them, until then I will stick to Silversea. I have booked three additional cruses over the next 16 months. 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

From past experience with Silversea and this was a new itinerary for us. Positives were the usual Silversea attention and courtesy. Food not quite as good as in previous cruises. On shore excursions disappointing excessively lengthy. Morning excursions sometimes returned to ship too late for lunch except on the pool deck where it was sometimes too cold to ne outside. However deck service was excellent as was service at other restaurants. Transfer from disembarkation to airport in Fiumicino left us with over four hours to wait for flight. Bus dropped us up at far end of terminal three and we had a long walk with luggage back to terminal one, when the driver could have dropped us off at terminal one which we drove right by. We had very long walk to the gate. Airport staff refused to help us. Silversea should tell passengers that there could be a long walk to gate and offer to provide transportation. Breakfast was always prepared too early with the result it was either cold or the butler had to wake us up too early. Read Less

Service was beyond expectation and the food in all venues superb. I liked the variety and ability to choose at no extra cost the different varieties of foods. Open dining was always a good choice. My favorite was La Dame even tho there was a small charge where the food was comparable to the highest restaurant you would pay 4 times for. Rooms large and bathroom larger than expected loved the sitting area. Our butler and room service provided us with constant attention to our every whim. I am a great fan of smaller ships and silver spirit did not disappoint. The amenities in our room were great. I prefer the all inclusive venue. It makes the trip very enjoyable. The tours were very interesting and easy to pick from the descriptions. My favorite was valdemosa and la granja. I enjoyed all of our ports and even explored a couple on my own. Read Less

We chose this cruise because is was rated so well and was a smaller cruise ship. With that we expected more individualized service. We did not find the service or the food to be remarkable in any way. The better meals were at the restaurants that you had to pay extra to dine at. I am a vegetarian and basically survived on French Fries, Salad, and pizza for two weeks. They were not able to meet my vegetarian requirements. For dinner I was actually offered an omelet on several occasions. They didn't even have an omelet station for breakfast in the morning so I ended up with scrambled eggs (they were doused in butter). Nothing was made to order. I could do better in a diner or a fast food restaurant. It was so upsetting. The staff would apologize and vow to make changes but every meal was so stressful and no matter what I ordered they seemed unable or unwilling to prepare it. One night I asked for eggplant parmigiana without the cheese and they would not accommodate me saying it was already prepared. The vegetarian soups were often made with beef or chicken stock so I was not able to eat the soup. Every meal was an ordeal and it was so stressful. We would eat as many meals as we could off ship where we could easily find vegetarian options. We discussed the problem several times with the managers and they would apologize profusely but the same problem would exist at the next meal to the point that I was having anxiety attacks at the thought of going to a meal on the ship. I have been on Disney, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Carnival cruise and all of these cruise lines were able to accommodate me sufficiently. Why, with 5 star chefs, were they not able to come up with decent vegetarian options is beyond me. I will admit there were several decent meals but it was always stressful and nothing that ever rated 5 star in my mind. My husband who is not a vegetarian thought that the food was good but not outstanding. I was just surprised that they were so unable to meet my dietary restrictions. We did meet wonderful people on the cruise but I did hear other people make statements that the food was not as good as it should have been. We were also disappointment in the excursions. We went on one and then cancelled the others because we were so disappointed. Several of our fellow cruisers walks out of the excursion tour because the tour guide did not speak English well and did not seem to have any real knowledge of the sights he was showing us. Read Less

My last voyage in Silver Winds was eccelent. But in this y had a desilution. Too much difference in all the services. Very good the cabin but a great difference in food specialist in the Terrace my favorite restaurant. A few change of dishes always the same. In the grill is imposible take lunch. Horrible. The higienic paper very low quality. The bread low quality and humedity, so always y must required to be toast, the only way for eat it. Very good all the bars. Very good yours hostess. The thatre was a low perfomance. Always the same. Y hope found a better erxpereance in another trip.Sorry of my poor englesh. Y hope to do another voyage with your company perhaps in a small ship an reverse this no agradable experience. Very good atención of Roca tours an Mr. Decimo. My best regards for all of you. Raul Rosental Read Less

We had a fabulous experience in virtually every way two years ago on the Silver Wind so we were really looking forward to another cruise with Silversea. We chose this trip because of it's itinerary, but little did we expect that the excursions would be led by such poor guides and leaving us with a very unsatisfied feeling about the cost vs value received . Realistically, the rest of the cruise could have been perfect but with excursions being so poor and also VERY expensive, it is hard to come away with a good feeling about the TOTAL experience. In fairness: the food was excellent, the ship offered an outstanding sommelier program which was truly a highlight (and FREE), excellent guest speaker from Columbia University, our butlers were fantastic and totally on the ball, the wines served on the cruise were very interesting, often regional according to port and well thought out, dinner at La Dame was amazing and even for a non-sushi lover-the food at Senshei was excellent, entertainment was very good most nights but not as frequent as it could have been in my view, bar service and restaurant was top notch and very accomodating. One last item-the ship is very dated decor wise but we were told it is going to be retrofitted next year. Read Less

This was a much better experience than I anticipated. I loved the educational lectures and could have attended more - especially the history ones (vs. the art lectures). The rooms were great as was the service. Our butler was very attentive and made the experience extra special. The restaurants were ok, although service was always exceptional. We had a couple of outstanding meals, but for the most part, the food seemed slightly better than average. Our best meals were at the port stops. The tours were also just ok. It would have helped to have individual headsets so you didn't feel like you were fighting to be in the front so you could hear the guide. We took one, but felt we could learn just as much exploring on our own, and using google to better understand a particular site. All in all it was a very good experience; the ship was lovely and we were fortunate to also have calm seas. I would definitely seek other cruises. Read Less

went on one last year to Alaska and loved it My husband spoiled us by getting the owner's suite which was really luxurious. However, we were extremely disappointed in how few shows the crew of six performed - why were there two movie nights and two done by Mr. Moss - one of his would have been more than enough. There must be a better system in getting reservations for La Dame - people should be charged the per person fee if they don't cancel by noon that day - it was a shame that there were empty tables both times that we were there but the food was outstanding. Food was only mediocre in the dining room; far better in La Traviata. The excursion for La Hambre needs to be addressed in order to not have so many people on the waiting list. I also don't understand how a biking tour done thru you could be so much more money than going thru Viator. Read Less

This was our first cruise and we were amazed right from the beginning. The staff is extraordinary and our butler was professional and always there to make our time extra special. She even offered to serve us coffee in bed! We enjoyed the pool with the fun and vibrant staff. The food exceeded our expectations and was presented in such creative and beautiful ways. We traveled with experienced cruisers and made all of our dinner reservations when they opened up well in advance. We ate at all of the dining options available. The Restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch and these meals are the hidden gems on the boat. Most guests enjoy a buffet for these meals but we loved the leisurely experience offered at The Restaurant. At night we liked to hit the disco and dance. We enjoyed hearing the lectures about the upcoming ports we were going to visit. The special flamingo dancers and fado music was very special when we were in Lisbon overnight. We went on 2 excursions. The bus accommodations were perfect. The bus host on our longer excursion made the trip incredible. He was Spanish culture historian with an awesome sense of humor. He explained the culture, history, people and agriculture of the area on the way to our destination. Silver Spirit was off the chain! We would highly recommend this cruise line. Read Less