Overall, I would give the trip 5 stars. The personalized service is wonderful. We loved the smaller ship, as it gave us an opportunity to meet many people from all over. Everyone was friendly. I would highly recommend the trip. It might be worth springing for the private tours to avoid a lot of downtime and less time just traveling to and from excursions. Nothing is close by where the ship docks for the most part.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Silverseas made the entire embarkation very smooth. From the time we cleared customs, until we were at the airport to head home, Silverseas representatives assisted us.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The food was of a higher quality than other cruise lines. The dining rooms were all good. They were very accommodating and will to handle special requests if you wanted.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We enjoyed the cruise director and his trivia games very much. The activities are basic, but enjoyable and age appropriate.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The entertainment by the Silversea performers was okay, but not over the top. The performers in the lounges were very good. Our only complaint was the entertainment didn't start until late. Given the average age of the passengers, they should start it earlier.
Children's Programs
No Children.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The service was over the top and very personalized. Every crew member, was friendly and extremely welcoming. We felt like we were visiting friends.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship was simple, but elegant. It was impeccably kept. Our only suggestion is to upgrade some of the art work. In particular, loose the blow dryer sculptures.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabin was extremely clean. It was larger than other cruise lines. The bed was extremely comfortable and the linens were 5 stars. We loved our walk in closet.
Ship tip
The laundry facilities are very convenient and free. They are on each deck. Don't overpack. (like I did :) ). Bring extra luggage space for all of the shopping you will do.
Tokyo was amazing. The people are extremely polite and disciplined. The city is immaculate. The shopping is expensive, but amazing. Only the highest of quality is sold there. Well worth the money. Allow yourself at least 2-3 days there before your cruise.
Our first day in Osaka we took the Kyota Arashiyamo Bamboo forest and Rickshaw Ride. It is a long day on a bus much of the time. Our rikshaw ride through the bamboo forest was awesome. The traditional Japanese lunch was extremely enjoyable. Our only complaint was there wasn't a lot of free time to shop. It was the best opportunity in Japan to shop for nice souvenirs. The trip to the Golden Palace could have been shorted up a bit.
The second day there we did Mt. Rokko and Sake Brewery Museum. Again, a lot of time was spent on the bus, but our tour guide was extremely informative. When we got to Mt. Rokko, visibility was almost zero, so we didn't go to the oberservatory. Our tour guide improvised and took us to the earthquake memorial in Kyoto. We couldn't go into the sake factory. It is just a museum, that our guide explained as we walked through.
Overall, I would say do one or the other and spend some time shopping in Osaka if you can.
There is very little shopping close to the pier. The Ferris wheel is worth taking at night.
We did the Takachiho Gorge & Takachiho Shrine. It was also a very long day on the bus. We had the same tour guide that we had to the sake museum so that was good. The trip to and from was a beautiful drive. We enjoyed the walk at the shrine, as it was very scenic. It was hard with a group though, because some members couldn't walk as well, so it slowed the whole group down. There is nothing close to the port to do on your own.
We did the 1 night mid voyage excursion to the wall and Beijing. Most of our time was spent traveling on the bus. We had ample time to see the wall. It is something you need to see once. No need to see it again though. The Four Seasons hotel was very nice. The food was not the best though. Also, be prepared that you can not search the internet in China. Google is illegal. Yahoo news is only selected news for you to see. The second day to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City are worth seeing, but it was a long slow walk from one end of the Forbidden City to the other. Again, the group has to go at the pace of the slowest person. We could have spent half as much time there.
We took the Garden City of Suzhou tour. It was a lot of time on the bus. The cruise along the Grand Canal was short, and uncomfortable. The seats were only big enough for 1 1/2 people. It is a great way to experience old, traditional, dirty China. The silk and embroidery institue was very enjoyable but we didn't have enough time to explore it on our own. I would have liked a tour that went to the silk factory and the research institute. We totally could have skipped the boat ride.
Allow a few days after your voyage to enjoy Hong Kong. Don't waste your time watching the laser light show. The lights in Shanghai are superior to Hong Kong. The show is very underwelmng. There is a ton of shopping to be done in Hong Kong. The night market is the place to go for knock offs.
Once the ship was finally cleared via customs, the disembarkation was slow, but smooth. We were called according to our groups to disembark. Those that had flights or tours to catch got off first. It took about 1 1/2 hours to clear the ship.
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