A business model gone awry

Silver Dawn Cruise Review to Caribbean

PerH

Contributor Level: Deck Hand

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 12

Overall rating:

3.3 out of 5

10 Night Eastern Caribbean (Bridgetown To Ft. Lauderdale)

Sail date: January 26, 2024

Ship: Silver Dawn

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 3 months ago

Review summary

My wife and I started cruising with Seabourn in 1999 a few years before Carnival aquired them. We achieved diamond status while watching Carnival slowly choking the life out of the brand with budget cuts. We left Seabourn at the doorstep to the hospice. We weren’t around for the funeral. Carnival recently tried sell the corpse but nobody wanted to buy it. They have resorted to selling off the ships one at a time. Apparently they are worth more without the brand. Royal Caribbean aquired Silversea in 2018 with the same business case in mind: To have Silversea piggybacking on RC’s supplier contracts - essentially pushing their 4* big-ship product through the 6* small-ship outlet. RC paid a billion US for Silversea. Then Covid came. Bad timing if there ever was one. Trying to offset the resulting losses is not a walk in the park. But they are adamant.

Embarkation

2 out of 5

Embarkation at Bridgetown is never smooth.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

1 out of 5

Silversea is being subjected to severe cost cuttings. Food and beverages is less than 10% of a cruise line’s total costs. Even cutting the F&B budget by 10% will result in a reduction of the total costs of less than 1%. They have already bled dry their suppliers. The only option left to them is skimping. Here are just a few examples: 1. They water down the freshly squeezed grape fruit juice. It would be more honest to serve proper juice every other day than serving a 50/50 mix every day. 2. The main course “Asparagus with poached eggs” now comes with 3 (three) asparagus. Instead of reducing the number of asparagus in the dish, a less ridiculous option would be to reduce by two thirds the number of days asparagus were on the menu. 3. Seemingly to conserve energy they have now turned down the pizza oven temperature from 500F (260C) to 350F (176C) slowly cooking the pizzas instead of baking them. You can’t even bake cookies at 350. If they can’t afford the energy consumed by the oven at the right temperature, they could serve proper pizza at reduced opening hours. 4. An order of steemed vegetables (plural) now contains only two sorts: Broccoli and Cauliflower. If the budget only allows for two sorts of vegetables, better put them on the menu each in their own right instead of disappointing the customer and rubbing in the sad state of the inventory. 5. When Cacciucco (Seafood Stew) is on the menu - instead of starting 3-4 batches at half hour intervals and throw away any unused stew along the way - the Chef starts one big pot for the duration of service hours. The late comers will be served a bowl of unrecognizable solids almost dissolved in the liquid after three hours on the stowe.

Onboard Activities

2 out of 5

Nice uncrowded gym.

Entertainment

1 out of 5

We find the entertainment on Silversea old fashioned. Most of the music performed at bars and other venues was composed before we were born. The shows are performed by an ensemble affordable for a 600-guest ship. We skip shows. Their “Pool Deck Party” is not a party in which you actually participate. It’s the usual ensemble doing their usual leg kicking to the usual old trotters on deck instead of at the theatre. However it is still meant to - and I quote: “Get your toes tapping and your heads bobbing”. If your idea of fun is to tap your toes and bob your head - Silversea is your thing….

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

The service is friendly, personalized and attentive. A lot of staff actually excel.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

The ship itself is fully satisfactory. Imacculate interior. Plenty of space indoors and outside.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

The standard cabins are large and well appointed. Lots of storage space. Large bathroom with tub and shower.