I see SILVERSEA is getting mixed reviews. SILVERSEA advertises and charges in the ultimate luxury category but after two cruises, my experience is it is clearly not. I described our experience in a previous local post as: "misrepresented in the advertisement, lack of planning very evident, mismanaged on the ship, disregard for passenger interests, and the withholding of critical information." I saw a Facebook post that asked the question if anyone else is noticing the decline in SILVERSEA after the purchase by Royal Caribbean. Yes!! We were on the SILVER SHADOW, leaving Tokyo on Sept. 28, 2018 and arriving in Hong Kong on Oct. 14. I see on your site that others on this same horrific boat ride posted very negative reviews. Trying to outrun two super typhoons was traumatic, but the way it was managed was much worse. We kept our local upscale West Lake Hills, TX Travel Agency apprised throughout the ordeal followed by a thorough debriefing upon return. Clients expect a travel agency to be very knowledgeable and truthful with them on recommendations. I found that our agent continued to promote SILVERSEA even knowing of serious problems. I would recommend doing your own research by reading actual customer reviews on places like Cruise Critic. 1) WITHHOLDING INFORMATION SILVERSEA HAD A DUTY TO REPORT - We purchased the SILVERSEA "REST ASSURED" Insurance plan that was advertised by the cruise line as “true peace of mind” to provide 100% cruise credit for air, hotels and cruise for cancellation up to only ONE DAY before the trip. SILVERSEA's Captain even admitted they were tracking the super typhoon headed straight for us THREE DAYS before scheduled sailing. SILVERSEA failed in its duty and their own policy to tell us or our travel agent therefore foreclosing on our opportunity to utilize the insurance and reschedule the cruise. The insurance plan they sell themselves seems to be a conflict of interest. 2) NO EVIDENCE OF REFURBISHMENT - SILVERSEA advertises that the SILVER SHADOW was refurbished in 2017, but we were on that same ship in 2016 and 2018. We saw no evidence of same. The old orange and gold colored upholstery had dirty spots that I sent a picture of to our travel agent. A chair in our cabin literally collapsed when I sat in it and I’m small. They were painting verandas during the cruise and piled the outside furniture in our cabins for painting and drying. They were cleaning hallway carpets and leaving loud fans on to dry it for hours. This maintenance work should not have been going on during a cruise passengers paid $30,000/cabin for. 3) POOR ITINERARY PLANNING - It seemed that SILVERSEA just threw the itinerary together without doing proper research. The ship arrived in Beijing on China’s ANNUAL national holiday and in Hong Kong when the port was closed to taxis because of an ANNUAL bike race. Any cruise company should know to schedule around major annual events like those. With only a one day sailing delay, those overwhelming crowds and confusion could have been avoided. 4) NO DISCLOSURE ON TYPHOON SEASON - SILVERSEA neglected to advise customers that the cruise was scheduled during the high season for typhoons in that part of the world. As soon as we got on the ship, in an all-passenger meeting, the captain told us we were responsible because we should have known. No one did and he immediately offended us all. Our supposed upscale West Lake Hills travel agent was apparently unaware or did not tell us they were recommending a cruise in an area experiencing typhoon season during the time of our cruise. As a result, passengers were subjected to two super typhoons with the Captain telling us to eat and drink as little as possible, including water. 5) APPARENT MISREPRESENTATION OF MAJOR FACTS - SILVERSEA told us there was A NEW CHINESE POLICY THAT PROHIBITED THEM FROM SAILING FROM SOUTH KOREA DIRECTLY TO CHINA which made SILVERSEA have to cancel many passengers’ top port in Seoul CAUSING THEM TO MISS THE DMZ. When I checked, both a US Senator and US Congressman reported finding NO POLICY OF THE KIND and other cruise companies confirmed there was no such policy. Other ship’s had in fact sailed from South Korea to China. Passengers speculated, and there was unverified evidence, that the excursion SILVERSEA sold us for the DMZ was not available on the day we were scheduled to be there and they were using the fabricated policy to hide that. 6) Cruise Critic has requested that I provide more on-ship experience information. Trying to outrun two super typhoons consumed most of the time, eliminated ports and excursions and impacted the on-ship experience. The positive was passengers bonded together in our fear and anger. We are aware of a number like us who have submitted claims for reimbursement. One person mentioned his claim on his Cruise Critic review. We liked the passengers from all over the world and we still keep in touch. I would rate food, entertainment and activities on board as average or below. Since the Captain told us to cut back significantly on our food and drink intake, obviously that normal experience was diminished. Seasick pills were distributed. A further disappointment on the food was, unlike the advertisement, it did not reflect the culture we were in except for one final buffet. The wellness director was just a snake oil saleslady trying to make an extra buck for herself. It was disgraceful and one passenger I met said she wrote on her evaluation that the person was inappropriate for the job. Communication was confusing or lacking, causing getting on and off the ship at ports very frustrating. We almost missed an excursion because of wrong information. The butlers were the positive point of the cruise always giving good service. Another positive was the thought-provoking and interesting political speaker and the port speaker. Many of our ports and therefore excursions were cancelled because of the weather. The one good excursion was the Terra Cotta warriors. It is an expensive excursion but we thought worthwhile seeing. We cannot recommend SILVERSEA because honestly, we cannot trust them. The information above is important for people to know. I plan to continue publicizing these facts until SILVERSEA decides to do the honorable thing for passengers they have wronged." Read Less

After waiting a year and a half for this cruise, we embarked in Tokyo, at 2:30 on Sept. 28th. At 4:00 we had the life jacket review, and immediately thereafter there was an announcement of an important meeting with the captain in the lounge. Upon entering the lounge, we found the captain on the stage with a huge map, showing the coming Tyohoon Trami, coming straight southbound into our voyage northbound. We were going to run right into it. The captain said, no less than 10 times, “it’s going to be very very bad.” Passengers began asking if we shouldn’t be getting off the ship and the only thing the captain would respond was “it’s up to you individually to decide what you want to do but it’s going to be very very bad.” Other passengers asked if we should get off and fly to another port and meet the ship, and the captain stated that wasn’t a good idea because he couldn’t guarantee being able to dock in any given port. Osaka, our first port, had already been canceled, and the typhoon was set to hit Hiroshima, our second port, in 2 days. We also couldn’t stay in Tokyo as the storm was due to hit there in about 4 days. We left the meeting, with about 25% of the passengers and went to call American Airlines. Luckily we got the last 2 seats to Los Angeles for the following night, The ship personnel could not give us any other guidance, other than to tell us they had enough sea sickness medicine for every passenger, and the captain said we were going to need it. We ate dinner, went to sleep, had breakfast and went to the airport for our flight home. We were on the ship for 24 hours! Upon our return home we called Silversea to trfind out about a refund and we were told they would get back to us. We’ve been home 19 days and haven’t heard from anyone!! Read Less

Friends suggested it would be a great vacation my first in over 20 years I saved up all year for this snd everything about it was a huge disappointment the captain snd staff did nothing to make me feel safe in the upcoming typhoon and I left the ship due to my great for my safety along with 8 other people in my group there was NOTHING remotely luxurious about this ship it looked old and in need of a makeover and the room was sad snd depressing and in need of an major update it was really shabby the crew and captain had. I plan for the impending storm and made all of us terrified instead of feeling safe I would never recommend this cruise line to anyone it isnot what is advertised and I lost a lot of hard earned money for nothing and had no vacation at all Read Less

I chose Silver Seas because of the great service, great food and wonderful staff. Getting on board is always easy and fast, and a nice welcome from our butler. Couldn't wait to have my first glass of champagne. The staff is helpful and friendly every day - not just the first day. We asked about a special meal for my husband (he loves escargot) , and of course - he got it! The singers are very talented, and had a nice variety of music. The Alaska ports were a bit cold for May, but the views are breathtaking. Eagles everywhere. The port of Homer had a sunny and warmer day, and the town looked like a postcard or a travel brochure. Had the best halibut fish and chips ever! Taking the train from Seward to the Anchorage airport was a highlight of the trip. That was a scenic ride thru the mountains with view of animals, glaciers and forest. It was all GREAT! Read Less

I choose this cruise because of the interesting itinerary but was disappointed with the change limiting the time spent in Shanghai and the terrible port in Japan which was added at the last minute Overall the ship was in desperate need of refitting,the food quality was poor the people handling the off shore excursions were not knowledgeable ,the entertainment was terrible ,the Captain was virtually invisible and the onboard activities while at sea were not interesting. The staff however were very attentive and did what they could to make the cruise more enjoyable i.e. Our butler was very attentive in bringing afternoon snacks but the quality was so poor we asked him to stop after a few days We did enjoy spending time in Tokyo before the trip and thought the Aman hotel was superb . At the end of the trip,we stayed in Hong Kong at the Peninsula Hotel and loved the experience. I have been in Hong Kong many times and have stayed mostly in the Intercontinental but would now recommend the Peninsula as hotel of choice in Kowloon We did meet at least four couples who were on the ship at the hotel and they all seemed to share the same experience regarding the Silver Shadow. Read Less

We chose this cruise based on the excellent Itinerary of Japan and China. It was our son's college graduation present. So it was us two oldsters and a 26 year old. We spent a few days in Tokyo prior to the cruise, which was more enjoyable than the cruise. Embarkation was fine. The room, Grand Suite, was fine, but a bit old-fashioned. Our butler was pleasant, but really had no recommendations as to what might be fun or interesting on the cruise. Generally, although staff were courteous, no one extended themselves in any way. Dining was disappointing. The hot food was never, ever, not once, hot. Nothing tasted fresh, and there was little that seemed inspired, or related to, China or Japan. The restaurant service was slow and the buffets were OK. The entertainment was usually at 10pm, which was just too late. Tours usually started around 8am. No planning for a great customer experience.Kind of " here it is, take it or leave it." The Cruise Director was not friendly, no senior staff extended themselves to us at all, even though were "concierge" level customers. We had previously been on this ship for an Alaska cruise. That was quite nice. But after this experience we will not be back. The cruise is expensive, especially for a Grand Suite. It wasn't worth it. I wish we had just flown in to the destinations and skipped the cruise. We would have had better food, service, and paid much less. Oh well, live and learn... Read Less

Embarkation and disembarkation went easily. Ship was smaller than what we sailed in the past but better since we got to know just about everyone working on the ship. Expected the cabin to be more elegant although the bathroom was big and the bed comfortable it was still a little tight and a bit dated. TV was terrible and barely visible from the bed. Food was great and service was mostly good except for breakfast in the restaurant which was inexcusably poor. Difficult to get a good strong cup of coffee. Loved the afternoon tea. Entertainment was great and the entertainers fabulous. Fun activities every day. Our butler and cabin assistant were fantastic. Overall, all of the crew were helpful and cheerful. Ports were also fabulous but excursions were very disappointing. Staff did not seem to care when we had issues with our excursions. Not sure I would do Silver Seas again without checking other lines first. Read Less

This was my first cruise and I loved it. My suite (all cabins are suites) was nicer - and at least as large - as most hotel rooms I stay in. I had a veranda, but other than the veranda itself, even the smallest cabin on the ship is the same size. No "inside" cabins. Very nice. This cruise had "Gentleman Hosts," who among other things, organized a cocktail party each evening for the solo cruisers, of which I was one. This was a very nice touch by Silversea. There were 8 or 10 of us "solos", and we had a cocktail party each evening and then the Gentleman Hosts would escort us down to The Restaurant for dinner. It wasn't mandatory, but we never had to eat alone. Silversea's social game is very strong. I reserved several evenings in Le Champagne, the hoity-toity extra-cost restaurant, but after my first night I canceled the rest of my nights. Why? Because the pace was very, very slow. i'm sure it took at least 3.5 hours for dinner, and if you're eating alone it is too slow. Perhaps if I'd brought a book. This is going to sound trite, but team trivia was a major event every single day at 4:45. It was so major an event that some folks would not go on certain excursions because they would return after 4:45. I give the cruise director Kirk Detweiler the credit for this event being so popular. Enrichment - we had Kathy freaking Alexander doing enrichment: Astronaut, Space Station resident, NOAA head, incredible. Service - the crew is there to make your voyage the best you can have. That's all there is to it. Any crewmember will do any thing you ask. The second time they see you they will know your name, and if you've given any preferences to any other crewmember, they'll know about that, too. Excursions - generally excellent, although we did find it amusing that they did send us to a French restaurant for lunch in Kushiro, Japan. Children - no, I saw two children and only saw them once on the entire trip. Would I go again? I've already booked the E->W version of this in September (my birthday and retirement day.) Read Less

Having done two prior cruises with Silversea it was an easy decision to book a suite (deck 7**) from Vancouver to Tokyo via Alaska and Russia, believing it would be a great adventure, and it really was (mostly), but the inability to disembark for a day at Petrapavlovsk (rough weather) meant we were at sea for seven and a half days - far too long, but no fault of Silversea. The suite was spacious and appropriately appointed, but was tired and dated, and much in need of refurbishment. The sea state from Dutch Harbour to Kushiro was mostly rough to very rough, only abating as were neared Japan, generally making it a difficult to move around the ship. This meant there were long periods confined to the suite, revealing just how uncomfortable the couch and chairs really were. Compounding the physical discomfort, the flat screen LCD TV had very poor picture and sound quality, even though the choice of satellite channels was mostly news channels such as MSNBC, FOX, SKY and BBC broadcasting world events ad nausem. Fortunately the library had a good selection of fact and fiction. The food and service in all restaurants was excellent. The menu selection was varied with smaller portions, giving one the opportunity to savour everything on offer without overeating. The wine selections were also varied and of good quality. The musical entertainment was rather ordinary, not a patch on previous cruises on Silver Wind in 2008. For those who might be Blues Brothers fans, I would liken the entertainment to "Merv and the Magic Tones". In a word, boring. Fortunately the day/s were saved by the enrichment lectures, brilliantly presented by by Rick Senat and Phillip Hurst. The staff and crew onboard all deserve a special mention, but I must heap praise on Albert our butler, always there when needed and nothing was too much, Jess our maid with a smile that brought sunshine into our day, and the young maitre'd at Champagne whose service was above and beyond, and in my estimation, will go far in the hospitality industry. The ports in Alaska all seemed to be far flung outposts of civilisation, but the experience was marred by the proliferation of jewelry outlets that detracted from the character, heritage and history of the destination. I was unimpressed by the overt display of art and artworks for sale on board, but my strongest criticism is the trashy sandlemaker's stall on Deck 8. This is the sort of stuff you'd see at a Sunday market or a Country fair, and is totally out of place on a so-called luxury cruise ship. I should also note the overt marketing of jewely through the on board shop, with ambush points (AKA buying opportunities?) strategically positioned near various social activities. Would I cruise Silversea again? No. I mark down the tired state of the cabin, the amateurish entertainment, and the upselling inappropriate for a luxury cruise. Read Less

Departed Tokyo on 7 May, ticket clearly marked Tokyo, but I am sure I was not the only person who went to Yokohama overnight pre-cruise. The fault of too much confidence due to too many cruises, I even went to the Yokohama Terminal, but it was about 1 1/2 hours by train and taxi to reach Harumi Terminal Tokyo. Yes, a smaller ship can berth in Tokyo but this terminal is less convenient than Yokohama. It is far away from what you want to see in Tokyo and there is lack of public transportation at the pier. Ship departs to brass band fanfares....almost 200 persons took part for our ship's farewell, this ship was quite full, but perhaps just 300 guests. Rough full sea day to reach Kushiro the third day. This port is perhaps conveniently en route but otherwise one of the worst ports to visit. The facilities include only two markets, interesting only if you are interested in seafood and raw fish. Gala Welcome Dinner on sea day was good with foie gras and lobster. The afternoon tea was great and classy. Two sea days before Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka. The sea was surprisingly calm in this northerly region and the ship's excellent cuisine and services helped make very comfortable restful days. Le Champagne now increases cover charge to $40 but still worth it. For this you can order multiple courses of caviar, foie gras, scallop, and lobster and it is a must for me whenever I cruise on Silversea. One excellent point on this ship is that they deliver menu of the next day each night, so you know in advance when to do the Le Champagne dinner, or the Italian dinner, or stone grill, as an alternative. Petropavlovsk turned out to be an excellent port of call. I took a morning excursion for local sights and saw interesting things of Russian cultural interest, and on return I opted to end at the town centre, where I caught the ship's free shuttle bus back to the ship. The city centre's supermarket was interesting though it is not convenient to make a desired purchase of a giant Kemchatka crab to take home. Two more sea days to cross the pacific but it actually is three whole days as we gain a day at the International Date Line, but it is a pity that on arrival at Dutch Harbor we were unable to visit as heavy fog rendered a zero-visibility situation and the pilot cannot join the ship. The ship reached the port areas before 6am and tried to call the pilot for hours in vain. There is no choice but to abandon this call as it appeared, but when we sailed another sea day till early afternoon the weather was sunny and clear. So it is four sea days, but sea days are to be enjoyed and are expected on a reposition cruise, on a 5-star ship. Though it was a pity missing Dutch Harbor. Add one more sea days to finally reach Kodiak Island in the USA. The centre of town is only a 20 minute walk but ship still provides free shuttle bus. We had a whole day at this 'nothing to see' small town, but there is something to see in the afternoon excursion of the Russian heritage tour. Next morning we were at Homer, Alaska, which is interesting. I took a morning excursion and see much of this interesting town connected by road to Anchorage with a 4-hour drive. On return I also explored the 'Spit' area which is a long strip of land along harbour offering interesting local shops and restaurants to explore, with a really beautiful scenic backdrop of yacht harbour and snowy mountains. To me this unspoilt town is the most interesting place to visit in Alaska, above all touristy inner-passage ports. This is a very relaxing trip on a truly first class cruise of impeccably service that you feel welcome almost every moment. The more traditional dining suits me best, even in comparison with other Silversea ships. Interesting that there is difference between this ship and Silver Spirit in cuisine. On arrival at Seward we were offered free scenic railway transportation either to airport or to a town hospitality centre in Anchorage Captain Cook Hotel. This is a great gesture of Silversea and a real treat. My last trip between Seward and Anchorage was by road, but the train ride in a special coach chartered by Silversea was a surprising highlight, much better than by road. It took longer because we went up a 1000-ft mountain range before descending, passing through snow clad landscape, with glaciers virtually hanging outside the window, It was a highlight 4 hours by any standard. All in all, a very satisfactory cruise despite the loss of Dutch Harbor, and for this region the sea condition was surprisingly smooth. I may even opt to return one day, probably also on Silversea, but this is not for port-incentive minded passengers. For me, the ship, a good one, is the destination. Read Less

Departed Tokyo on 7 May, ticket clearly marked Tokyo, but I am sure I was not the only person who went to Yokohama overnight pre-cruise. The fault of too much confidence due to too many cruises, I even went to the Yokohama Terminal, but it was about 1 1/2 hours by train and taxi to reach Harumi Terminal Tokyo. Yes, a smaller ship can berth in Tokyo but this terminal is less convenient than Yokohama. It is far away from what you want to see in Tokyo and there is lack of public transportation at the pier. Ship departs to brass band fanfares....almost 200 persons took part for our ship's farewell, this ship was quite full, but perhaps just 300 guests. Rough full sea day to reach Kushiro the third day. This port is perhaps conveniently en route but otherwise one of the worst ports to visit. The facilities include only two markets, interesting only if you are interested in seafood and raw fish. Gala Welcome Dinner on sea day was good with foie gras and lobster. The afternoon tea was great and classy. Two sea days before Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka. The sea was surprisingly calm in this northerly region and the ship's excellent cuisine and services helped make very comfortable restful days. Le Champagne now increases cover charge to $40 but still worth it. For this you can order multiple courses of caviar, foie gras, scallop, and lobster and it is a must for me whenever I cruise on Silversea. One excellent point on this ship is that they deliver menu of the next day each night, so you know in advance when to do the Le Champagne dinner, or the Italian dinner, or stone grill, as an alternative. Petropavlovsk turned out to be an excellent port of call. I took a morning excursion for local sights and saw interesting things of Russian cultural interest, and on return I opted to end at the town centre, where I caught the ship's free shuttle bus back to the ship. The city centre's supermarket was interesting though it is not convenient to make a desired purchase of a giant Kemchatka crab to take home. Two more sea days to cross the pacific but it actually is three whole days as we gain a day at the International Date Line, but it is a pity that on arrival at Dutch Harbor we were unable to visit as heavy fog rendered a zero-visibility situation and the pilot cannot join the ship. The ship reached the port areas before 6am and tried to call the pilot for hours in vain. There is no choice but to abandon this call as it appeared, but when we sailed another sea day till early afternoon the weather was sunny and clear. So it is four sea days, but sea days are to be enjoyed and are expected on a reposition cruise, on a 5-star ship. Though it was a pity missing Dutch Harbor. Add one more sea days to finally reach Kodiak Island in the USA. The centre of town is only a 20 minute walk but ship still provides free shuttle bus. We had a whole day at this 'nothing to see' small town, but there is something to see in the afternoon excursion of the Russian heritage tour. Next morning we were at Homer, Alaska, which is interesting. I took a morning excursion and see much of this interesting town connected by road to Anchorage with a 4-hour drive. On return I also explored the 'Spit' area which is a long strip of land along harbour offering interesting local shops and restaurants to explore, with a really beautiful scenic backdrop of yacht harbour and snowy mountains. To me this unspoilt town is the most interesting place to visit in Alaska, above all touristy inner-passage ports. This is a very relaxing trip on a truly first class cruise of impeccably service that you feel welcome almost every moment. The more traditional dining suits me best, even in comparison with other Silversea ships. Interesting that there is difference between this ship and Silver Spirit in cuisine. On arrival at Seward we were offered free scenic railway transportation either to airport or to a town hospitality centre in Anchorage Captain Cook Hotel. This is a great gesture of Silversea and a real treat. My last trip between Seward and Anchorage was by road, but the train ride in a special coach chartered by Silversea was a surprising highlight, much better than by road. It took longer because we went up a 1000-ft mountain range before descending, passing through snow clad landscape, with glaciers virtually hanging outside the window, It was a highlight 4 hours by any standard. All in all, a very satisfactory cruise despite the loss of Dutch Harbor, and for this region the sea condition was surprisingly smooth. I may even opt to return one day, probably also on Silversea, but this is not for port-incentive minded passengers. For me, the ship, a good one, is the destination. Read Less