This was an EXPEDITION cruise, different than those we had engaged in previously. This was fun, made more so by the exceptional expedition staff. They were friendly and interactive with the passengers during the evening hours after excursions were completed. They were extremely helpful to passengers during boarding and exiting the zodiacs (these were used in place of the tenders to ferry passengers between the ship and the port locations.), always pleasant. Their lectures on the upcoming excursion locales - history, geography and wildlife sightings were helpful in preparing you for what was coming.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Even though this was a smaller ship, SilverSea still provided plenty of dining options. The Grill was where the buffet was set up, and offered a good variety daily. The Terrizzino and The Restaurant were the main dining areas; La Dame was also included on this ship and The Arts Cafe offered snacking selections when the main restaurants were closed. Of course, there is also a 24 hour availability of room service.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The expedition staff offered Enrichment lectures, and recap summations of daily excursions. Ship's fitness instructor offered daily routines and also participated by giving lectures helpful and informative on interesting topics. There was a well stocked library onboard, along with some board games. If you wanted, there was availability to card players. Spa and salon services are available. The cruise director organized different events each night to keep passengers entertained. No evening 'shows' and no casino onboard - however, since many excursions began early in the morning, calling it an early night was almost a necessity.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
There was no casino, and no nightly shows on this cruise. However, there was an excellent pianist, and there was an acoustical guitar player, serenading us during lunches and in the evening.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our room steward was excellent, checking the room probably 3 times daily. By the end of this journey, we knew most of the waiters and Maître D's by name, and they knew us by name, too. As mentioned earlier, all the staff was very friendly and helpful. Smaller passenger list made this easier on them, but overall, very pleased with their service.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
For anyone who doesn't look forward to putting miles on your tracker just walking around the ship, this smaller one was a charm. Never noticed any area of the ship that was not pristine, except maybe the outdoor areas after a rain - clean but seating was still too wet to sit on.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The rooms in most of the ships are all the same, so we were not surprised by the room layout. The shower was large and roomy - both handheld and overhead rain showers. Thankful that this bathroom only had a short step up - some of the larger ships had a large step into the bathroom (possibly to accommodate a bathtub, which we never used anyway). We prefer the balcony suites, because we like to leave the slider open at night to cool the room while sleeping.
Ship tip
Only ~200 passengers, so easier to communicate with fellow passengers, and develop camaraderie.
We walked around town during the morning hours. We were scheduled to visit Cornet Castle in the afternoon, but decided to return to the ship instead. We did, however, take the time to walk out to the castle and lighthouse first.
Culzean Castle - didn't spend much time in the port town, as we were bussed to the castle location, then bussed back. The Castle grounds were beautifully maintained. Bus route to the Castle takes you passed Trump's Turnberry Golf Course.
Our next stop was Portrush, Northern Ireland. Here we visited Downhill House and Temple. Very informative, but a bit too much walking over uneven grassy surface - for those with ambulatory issues. Seating along the tour path would have been helpful. Also included on this stop was a visit to the Giant's Causeway - very impressive!
This stop we anchored at Tobermory. Wish we had taken the time to visit the town before we took our excursion to Duart Castle. You could follow the tour guide through the castle or explore at your own speed. The owner of the castle still resides there, and may pop in to chat with the tourists.
Required to walk from pier to the Abbey grounds, ~ 1/2 mile or so. Cradle of Christianity for the Isles, so this is a heavily visited area. Some ruins, but the church is still standing, and guests were gifted with a choral presentation.
We boarded 'super' jeeps for an excursion inland to the Valley of Waterfalls. Although we only stopped at three, small cascades can be spotted elsewhere as you drive through the area. Roads are rocky and bumpy, not paved, but hard packed dirt and rock. We had sunny skies so photo shots were stunning!
Although the day was sunny, it was still quite cool. At this stop we boarded a boat for a ride around the island. Half of our party braved the wind and cold and sat outside atop on the boat while the other half opted for the warmth of the lower cabin. Best viewing and photos were from the outside viewing (obviously). Only disappointment - no puffins!
This was our final stop and disembarkation point. Spent an extra day in the town. Pricing was expensive for food and commodities, if you are a shopper. Available Hop-on, Hop-off made seeing the sights easy and memorable.
We were called off in small groups, because passengers were shuttled to city hotels. Previous to disembarkation, we were called off ship to get customs approval. All in all, everything went smoothly.
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