A sort of Silversea / Whisper Report ... but only just.

We’ve just returned from our first cruise which was on the Whisper in a Grand Suite from Villefranche to Rome. I’m writing it because I benefited from others’ accounts and simply want to return the service. Also our perspective seems to be slightly different from others and thought it might be useful to share the differences. These are our summary of our experience and will not necessarily of course reflect every customers experience of ever cruise.

Firstly I rate the experience as 11 out of 10. There were imperfections – but because the experience overall exceeded our expectations by such a large margin we feel the imperfections were both predictable and acceptable and unimportant to us.

We cannot afford or justify the private motor cruiser I’d like. It would probably be several million pounds sterling. We’re not gregarious and enjoy privacy. We don’t need entertainment and we didn’t go on a cruise to make new friends or to experience exceptional food. We go to restaurants and cook at home for exceptional food. So that is the background

Silversea make every effort to make the “experience†perfect and make absolutely no effort whatsoever to save money. I get the impression that every member of staff is immensely proud of what they do and the team of which they are a part. I also get the impression that they have been told the answer is never “noâ€. They could save money by not asking people if they’d like a drink – but they don’t.

We weren’t disappointed with the food – but some might be. The food is over-described, ornate and over complicated with sometimes very odd combinations. It seems to me to represent what Americans might feel fine European food is – but in fact isn’t . It’s foreplay food without sometimes the delivery. To me, a curry comes with rice – not with a chopped pancake. But it is a very high industrial quality food and I mean that in a nice and caring way. Satisfaction depends on expectations and I suggest if you want wonderful food either lower your expectations, learn to cook – or go to a fine restaurant on a good day.

We treated the Whisper as though it were a private motor cruiser. We took our own DVD’s, our own MP3’s and we ate in-suite a lot. Most of the food was cold when delivered to the suite – but that was because we had it delivered all in one go – but it didn’t matter to us. Lunches were wonderful.

That was a lot of words and will worry many. But to us the experience as a whole was better than perfect. Some examples of perfection at work.

We were in a swish suite. But our stewardess and assistant steward befriended us and they weren’t subservient – they became friends who basically said – “we can make you happy – tell us what we need to doâ€. So when I wanted “slim-line†tonics and there weren’t any – some was purchased next time we docked. My friends came aboard to visit. A wonderful tray of canapés and as much champagne as I wanted was provided. No charge was made. Silversea CAN offer you a private yacht experience at a cut down price. I feel with this set of expectations then the value is better than if you for example are trading up and are looking for the maximum kilos of food or booze per buck.

I love Silversea and will be returning often.

I’ll try and answer anything I can do that people ask.

Could it be possible that you were getting extra special treatment because you were in a grand suite? Also, please explain what did you mean by judging from the perspective of a private yacht. Thank you.

P.S. Does Silversea use different colour identity cards or whatever obvious means to distinguish the category of your cabin?

Meow!

I guess it's possible when ordering from the suite we might be identifiable - but I believe that Silversea and the staff do not differnetiate in the slightest and don't want to. As I said I genuinley believe they set out to offer perfection to everyone within the boundaries of reasonableness. The only time I showed ID was to get on and off of the boat and I can assure you that they were more interested in security than what suite I was in. Other passengers seem more interested in what suite you're in than the staff.

So far as your second question is concerned. People are "in their minds" or in actuality either trading up or trading down - or trading equal.

So far as Silversea are concerned - a high percentage are existing customers who are neither trading up or down, and the highest number are first timers or trading up. A small number might think of this as an alternative to using/owning/renting private yachts. The ships after all are very small and you can almost create that environment for yourself if you want to. This is where we're coming from (apologies"!)

This is a strange idea - and took me some time to work out why I felt this way about the experience. Many customers wanted to extract as much "per buck" as possible from the experieince. The food and drink is after all the same whatever suite you take. Some customers were at the bars when they opened in the morning, had several breakfasts, several lunches and everything they could in between. Good luck to them. I guess they got what they wanted from the cruise and in their minds they calculated that the cruise provided value compared too cheaper alternatives where they paid for everything.

Our approach was from the opposite end. In a way less is often more. Smaller ships with perhaps slightly less facilities gives a greater sense of intimacy and relaxation. Less shops, less bars and restaurants and entertainment and less noise can mean more. I can afford as much food and drink as I want - so why stuff myself on board just because the more I take the better "value(?) I've acheived? There are very few private yachts that will provide the owner with a suite with a bedroom, lounge with bar, dining, study and seating areas with two toilets (one for your guests) an entrance lobby, a dressing room, and a foreward window and large balcony. I hate to think of what ownership or rental would cost. Very few will supply food at short notice on demand 24/7 and not make an extra charge.

So from this point of view - where chartering instead of owning might cost £20,000 per day -the grand suite in Silversea offers some compromises and advantages but is in any event tremedous value even if the food at times isn't great.

I don't know whether this explanation makes any sense to anyone else other than us - but I hope it helps. Hence my other notes elsewhere before we went on re "formal" v casual which I think from the perspective I outlined above provides a potential new market for even more informal perhaps smaller craft.

Never having chartered a luxury yacht, it seems to me that one of the features is that you get to choose where the yacht goes and when, which is not an option on Silversea, even in a Grand Suite. Strangely, many luxury yacht charterers seem to want to tie up in a port where they can be seen, rather than go anyplace.

But I have mainatined for some time that taking Silversea cruises, ideally several a year, is a far better deal than owning a boat, at least one that you can sleep on: it costs less, you get at least as much time on the boat, it is more comfortable, it is far less hassle and the service is much better!

uk1:

Thank you for your reply. I think I understand what you are saying. I guess we are products of our stations in life and look at things from various different perspectives. We commoners who seldom have opportunities to enjoy the better things in life tend to grab on what we can when we can, while the gentry with the means can rise above the nitty-gritty and see things more clearly!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by jgibbs:

........it seems to me that one of the features is that you get to choose where the yacht goes and when, which is not an option on Silversea, even in a Grand Suite. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well - it's a small compromise - but you do get to choose the cruise you choose! So you go where you want .......

Anyway - many boat owners that I've known - can't make up there mind and can say to the Captain - "Where do you reckon for a three day hike?"!!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by meow!:

uk1:

We commoners who seldom have opportunities to enjoy the better things in life tend to grab on what we can when we can, while the gentry with the means can rise above the nitty-gritty and see things more clearly!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

It's a shame you've not quite grabbed my point. You "commoners" as you refer to yourself can (if you accept my perspective) enjoy exactly what I described - the only difference being a slightly smaller square footage. You should just enjoy what I'm describing as "super luxuxry" - with in your particular case extraordianry value.

Just offering a different perspective on the same product.

I genuinely believe it to be unique.

We were in a Veranda Suite on the Shadow last October,when,being ill,we had to order room service on several days.I can vouch that the speed,and quality,of service does not depend on the category of accommodation.

I must say that neither on Silversea,nor Seabourn,have we seen any manifistation of the "We have paid for it,so we are going to have it" mentality.

UK1,if you have not tried Seabourn,then I feel they will fulfil,even more than Silversea,the "private yacht" experience you are looking for.

Sometimes, it is not the "we paid for it, so we are going to have it" kind of mentality, but rather "let us make the most of this rare opportunity". I know, for example, for those of us who usually fly economy, if we use our frequent flier points to upgrade to business class, and some day, the business section is over booked, and somehow we are put into first class, many of us will gingerly preserve the luxury amenities kit as a souvenir, and savour the caviar and foie gras offered. On the other hand, for those corporate executives who fly first class ten times a year, they will just go to sleep and don't want to be bothered. To them, the semi-enclosed first class bed would be similar to an executive jet, only on a larger and steadier plane. So different situations create different perspectives.

On a higher scale, if you imagine hypothetically that due to some service to his family, your friend Lord X somehow lends you his private yacht complete with service crew for three days, wouldn't you also try to make the most of it (well without going overboard and looking bad of course)? Thank you.

The difference is attitude, and personality.

I'm not taking sides. Just pointing out that the same behavior -- with differing motivation -- is acceptable in one case, and not another.

Meaning... someone driven by gluttony is off-putting... while someone driven by curiosity, good will and adventure is not. Both emotional states might lead someone to "take advantage of everything offered."

Critically, they must not damage other people's experience, while seeking their own. That's where personality comes in. Some people are more likeable than others! They're the ones who care about others...

In fact, there is no conflict between the two perspectives. We all understand that the wealthy are entitled to their quiet elegance. As for the rest of us, we can still savour what we want as long as we do it subtly and discreetly, so as not to look awkward to the others. As the cruise line advertises deep discounts to broaden its customer base, the passenger mix is bound to become more heterogeneous. What is needed is common courtesy and a bit of mutual consideration, which I believe everyone will abide by! Thank you.

I am interested in the statement regarding having guests on board. This was not allowed in the cruise we took from April 19 to May 12. A sign was posted regarding no guests at the base of the gangway. Does this mean we could have arranged for guests while we were on board?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by rubyclk:

I am interested in the statement regarding having guests on board. This was not allowed in the cruise we took from April 19 to May 12. A sign was posted regarding no guests at the base of the gangway. Does this mean we could have arranged for guests while we were on board?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

No guests are allowed without prior arrangement for obvious security reasons. The sign was there to put people off from trying to wander on speculatively or board without prior arrangement which I think is a great idea.

If you fax the ship (the fax numbers are in your travel docs) or if you know the concierge's e-mail address, you send the following info:

- Names of friends (as they appear in their passports);

- Birthdates

- Nationality(ies)

- Passport numbers

- Issue dates for both passports

- Place of issue for both passports

- Expiration dates for both passports

Then they will reply with approaval once their checks have been made.

There appears to be no charge for drinks or anything other than full meals which are charged to your acccount as 50usd for lunch and/or 75usd for dinner which includes wine etc. A real bargain.

My friends came on board for some champagne and some canapes and no charge was made - but they will now join us for a future cruise so I guess this is good marketing for Silversea.

I'm not responding individually to the other points made in other notes where my posts have either been misinterpreted or excessively ascribed some meaning that I never made or in other ways excessively imbellished other than to say that (a) gluttony is gluttony - and 30 stone people eating and drinking full time for around 20 hours a day is in any book excessive and abnormal and (b) I posted my original post to help others with respect to considering a different perspective on these trips. I never once discussed affordability which is a personal consideration - just my view of value. I never said I was wealthy or that Lord x was my friend and some peoples jelousy and over-active fertive imagination appear to be running away with them. Thanks to the other poster who mentioned Seabourn I had a look at their site. Perhaps their site doesn't do justice to their product but the suites look much smaller and less luxurious and the service doesn't appear to be on-par though I fully accept that the site may not reflect customer's actual experience. Thanks just the same though.

Anyway I hope that my original post helps those like-minded people who hadn't concisdered this end of cruising compared to the alternatives as described in my note and that of jgibbs.

Hello UK1

Thanks for your posts, l appreciate the fact that you took the time.

We don't often get the chance here to talk about this cruiseline from the top suite perspective's, so i'm gratefull for your post.

If its no trouble l have a couple of questions.

You selected a grand and not the owners or the royal, why did you make that choice?? was there something in particular that made you go that way?

Why Silversea and not Seabourn or the World was there a reason to your choice??

Did your suite meet your expectations? and if you could improve it, what would you do?

Did you participate in any of the onboard activities or entertainment?? and what was your genuine opinion.

I am also a private person, and have been considering a Silversea experience for some time now. My problem is that l am a 39 year old single man who would be traveling solo and so l get a little concerned that it would all be just a bit ho-hum for me.

Do you have any feedback?

For me money is not a problem, but time is! so l need to pick breaks carefully. I am considering a 16 night Australia/Asia cruise for 2005 on the Cloud.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thankyou!

Colin........................

Colin,

Great to hear from you and I'll do my best - even though I've just had lunch and I may miss a bit here and there becasue I do enjoy my luch you know ........ So if I have done please repost the questions and I'll promise to answer anything you think I've missed.

I chose this cruise in this suite at very short notice without making any rational comparisons other than this seemed to be (from what I'd read) the very top end operator. If you're by yourself - and if you don't need a smaller suite or a larger deck (the owners has a larger deck) and Royal is lower. We liked looking out through the top floor forward and the bedroom in the then the grand at the top ie deck 8 (on whisper) is the best forward facing view. But this is to an extent - retro-analysis - I'm essentially saying we arrived in our view at the right conclusion by accident not because we were clever!

Our suite far exceeded our expectations. You may in your situation want to spend more time in the suite enjoying your own company rather than dressing up and joining the others in the restaurants which may be a fairly sombre affair. The suite is perfect for that. I found that I could connect my DVD to the Plasma and my MP3 to the Bose. A steward summed it up when he deilvered our food. "Dimmed lights, the sea, good music good food ....." I enjoyed the balcony and the suite and was able to enjoy my (our) own company. The suite couldn't have been improved. If MP3 and DVD are a part of your life (aren't I sad) make sure you have all your plugs and connectors and have your own space. Also our stewardess was perfect. So make friends.

I didn't want to participate in any on board activities. So I didn't. I enjoyed the informal restaurants at lunch. Being by yourself won't be an issue unless you want to meet others. This isn't a singles meet other singles experience.

Research on the net any port before hand. I don't do coach trips. So I remained independant. I happen to be very much by myslef - but with a wonderful wife - so I think I understand your question.

I don't know the cloud.

If you want to meet people and make friends I'm not certain this experience is right. All are "a deux".

The only reservation I have about your question is 16 days as a first shot. Your young. Try a much shorter experience first if you want - or if your very philosophical try the full shot but recognise the risk.

Happy to answer any further specifics if it helps.

(a) gluttony is gluttony - and 30 stone people eating and drinking full time for around 20 hours a day is in any book excessive and abnormal

**********************

Agree with the point - to eat nonstop is unhealthy in mind and body. But, I must ask why you mention this in relation to Silversea? Perhaps I wasn't looking for this, but I don't recall seeing anyone on the ship who would fit this description. This isn't the kind of ship with midnight chocolate buffets. Which, given the small size of the fitness area, is fortunate...

For the 39 year old considering Silversea. There won't be many (any?) single adults your age onboard. At least there haven't been on my two voyages. The typical age, when I was onboard from New Zealand to Hawaii, was 50-70 yrs. old. I'm closer to your age (though I still have a few years on you) and found I often had more in common with the officers - they were young, and still working for a living. I went on a Ft. Lauderdale to New Orleans voyage, and the passengers were younger, but again... most(all?)younger guests were married (as am I). In contrast, there are many single 60+ guests.

I was on the same voyage with UK1 in stateroom 535, an enlarged Vista suite with a shared balcony. My wife and I thouroughly enjoyed the service and the accommodations.

An example of the service was in Malta where a few of us not on any tour were gathered up by Andrea, the tour manager, who took us by taxi (her treat) downtown.

Our opinion of the food is somewhat different from yours. We enjoyed the food, especially the interesting juxtapositions of items that UK1 disparaged. My wife and I feel we are competent to judge these things as she is a Cordon Bleu trained caterer and I am a lifelong consumer of fine viands.

We also enjoyed meeting all kinds of interesting people at dinner. We made lots of new friends. We also met some very nice people while playing trivia daily.

BTW, in Palma my nephew and his new wife met us and were let aboard the Whisper without any notice. There were some problems at first, but Silversea once again showed their commitment to service and allowed them aboard. We chose the $50 luncheon option and we had a great time.

Just to give some more detail re food on Whisper for those that are interested in these things - as this has engendered some discussion.

To re-iterate - I wasn't dissapointed because we got roughly what I expected. I genuinely believe that there are different sets of expectations on either side of the channel. Without wishing to decry anyone's diploman my wife and I spend a week each month on the Cote D'azur and visit Paris every 6 or 7 weeks - and I think most people would say we eat pretty well.

For example when food was mentioned on the cruise, every single american praised it profusely whereas the few europeans who mentioned it said "it was ok - but wasn't particularly good".

The reasons are understandable. Silversea have some reasonable concerns over food sourcing particularly with an increasingly litigacious clientele. Therefore - and perhaps many of the american cousins hadn't appreciated this - whilst the salads, fruit and some of the veg was fresh - and the icecream made on board and the bread baked on board, most or all of the meat was frozen and much of the veg wasn't fresh. Much of the egg was pasteurised. All with good motives.

There isn't a single respectable european michelin restaurant - or other first-class / good restaurant - that would dream of cooking with frozen meats. But it's unavoidable on cruise liners that have to produce predicatble quantities of reasonable food when sourcing can be unpredicatble en-route. You cannot make frozen meat and veg taste like first class meat and veg except in stews.

Most people - but apparently not all - can tell the difference between the taste and texture of frozen meats compared with fresh and herein lies one of the challenges that face all cruise liners.

UK1: You may be correct in saying that fine restaurants wouldn't use frozen meats (as cruise ships must), but such restaurants aren't likely to have the kind of computer-controlled defrosting rooms that a ship like the SILVER WHISPER does, either. To put it another way, a steak that's been defrosted on the SILVER WHISPER is going to be in much better shape than one that was defrosted in a restaurant's refrigerator. (Granted, fresh might be better, and of course some ingredients *are* purchased fresh in local markets, just as some wines are bought locally.)

Also, you were attacking a straw man with your earlier statement that Silversea's food "seems to me to represent what Americans might feel fine European food is – but in fact isn’t." I doubt if many of Silversea's American passengers are naive enough to believe there's any such thing as "European food"--or that Silversea's menus are "European food" per se. Silversea's food might best be described as "international luxury-hotel cuisine," because it's similar to what you'd find at luxury hotels in the U.S., Britain, or the Continent. Furthermore, some dishes are unashamedly American: e.g., roast turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce or U.S.-style prime rib of beef. I don't think many American cruisers are under the impression that a meal inspired by the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving is European food, even if it is cooked under the direction of a European chef. :-)

--

Durant Imboden

Europeforvisitors.com

Forgive me, UK1, for thinking that "industrial quality food" was a disparaging reference.

I am particularly piqued by the coincidence of your remarks about eating in France and the quality of meat. As you know, there are those who feel that French cuisine grew out of the low quality meat available, thus the disguising sauces, the preserving aspics, etc. I'm sure you understand that in the benighted colonies we have some of the best bred Texas Black Angus steak you're ever likely to taste. In fact I would put a frozen rib eye cut of our Prime Angus steer against any fresh cut of meat you can find in France.

Hi Durant,

I've always enjoyed your posts and found them all useful and interesting.

I agree (almost) totally with your comparison with international luxury hotel cuisine. I do not remember being offered a "thanksgiving meal" on Whisper so the point you've made would be true if it had been offered but as it wasn't I think the point your making is somewhat lost on me. I was talking about the menue descriptions and what was often over -fuzed fusion food if you get my drift. For example what the dickens is - and I quote "Crostini of Grilled Marinated Portobello Mushroom on Roasted Bell Pepper Farmer Bread"!

Most europeans restauranters would not accept that frozen meat is in any way comparable to fesh meat or acceptable in the production of what is expected by Silversea customers in their naivitiy to be prepared from fresh produce. It is high quality industrial scale catering using mostly frozen core material. Saying the Silverseas is slightly better than ordinary restarurant defrosted steak might be factually correct - but certainly still doesn't make it meet the rather lavish promises some might have expected beforehand. That was the point I'm making. I have to say I'm equally naive as it hadn't occured to me that all the lobsters would be frozen - just like the meat. I cannot remember the last time I ate frozen lobster or frozen meat - on shore - hence the chuckle and the simple point I made about the food.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by bdmarine:

Forgive me, UK1, for thinking that "industrial quality food" was a disparaging reference.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Another yank who can't read. I said "But it is a very high industrial quality food "

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by bdmarine:

In fact I would put a frozen rib eye cut of our Prime Angus steer against any fresh cut of meat you can find in France.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ok...Ok....Ok.... I give in. American frozen meat is better than the best fresh meat europe can offer.

I'll happilly answer any constructive questions that might help other travllers who appreciate my effort in the original post - but I'm not going round any more decreasing circles.

???

bdmarine wrote:

>>I am particularly piqued by the coincidence of your remarks about eating in France and the quality of meat. As you know, there are those who feel that French cuisine grew out of the low quality meat available, thus the disguising sauces, the preserving aspics, etc.<<

Well, that's one hypothesis. But don't forget that American cooking was also much different in the 19th Century than it is now--as was British cooking, for that matter. A Victorian-era Big Mac probably would have been slathered in spices, baked in a pie, and served with a Super Size platter of oysters.

And with all due respect to American Black Angus beef, France's Charolais beef has been pleasing European palates for at least 500 years. So the implication that French chefs have been making do with gristly bits of senile dairy cows is just a bit unfair. :-)

Getting back to Silversea, it's worth noting that the percentage of fresh ingredients varies according to the the itinerary and what you order from the menu. In parts of the world where high-quality (or even safe) raw ingredients aren't readily available, the kitchen relies more heavily on foods that are shipped by air from the U.S. In other places, guests may be able to dine on fish obtained in local markets or even (as on the "Scotland's Tattoo" cruise last year) haggis that presumably came from Scotland and not from corporate headquarters in Florida. (I skipped the haggis, so I can't tell you if it was fresh or frozen!)

--

Durant Imboden

Europeforvisitors.com