We paid $3,600/pp for a land pre-cruise option which was largely just being on a bus/train because the state is so vast. We didn't appreciate that when we booked the trip. The activities were not interactive and strung out to pass the time to get back on the bus. The reindeer farm was mostly a 2 hour lecture about how the farm came to be vs interacting with the reindeer. The same holds true for the Husky Homestead. It was mostly a hour long lecture on how to prepare for and successfully complete an Iditarod race which most of us don't plan to do. We were exhausted by the early departure times and long travel days before we even got on the cruise! We hardly saw any wildlife at Denali or on the bus/train. All the animals were too far away. We didn't have any opportunity to schedule a flight seeing excursion at Denali. The available shore excursions did not allow for an immersive experience. We thought Silverseas would have their own separate excursions and that we would have been able to sign up for more immersive, active experiences. They can't have 90% of the better activities sold out when the site opens up. Not all of us want to stay on a bus/train for our excursions.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The restaurants were very good except for Atlantide and The Marquee/Grille. Service was slow everywhere, but it was particularly slow at Atlantide. The food was also very bland. It was freezing at The Marquee for dinner, and the hot oil from cooking on the stone got all over my husband's jacket sleeves (the bib they give you only covers the front) and the table. The menu wasn't very special. The brewed coffee at breakfast is awful - very diluted. Order specialty coffees instead.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
We didn't participate in the onboard activities which were mostly catered to older, less mobile people. The fitness center was very hot, and there was no TV on the treadmills.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
We only went to one show with the Silversea singers/dancers. It was ok.
Children's Programs
We were not traveling with children.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Our room steward was very good and actually took over for the butler in offering us a snack after our excursion one day. Our butler was very friendly but didn't offer to to anything for us. We found out from another guest toward the end of our cruise that we could order caviar from him, so we were only able to get it for our last night on the ship. Service is slow at all the restaurants. It took them 15-20 minutes just to get a diet coke for my husband no matter where we ate.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship is new and beautiful. It was very well thought-out. The elevators are on the outside which lends to amazing views.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The basic suites are very spacious and comfortable. The balconies are nice too. The cabin can get a bit warm/stuffy so don't put the heat on very high at night. It's nice to get a breeze from the balcony during the day too.
Ship tip
Book your restaurants and excursions as soon as they open up. Even then, I think they had computer issues as things were sold out before they should have been unless they open them up to frequent Silverseas guests first.
We signed up for a hovercraft ECO adventure. It was cancelled due to a mechanical problem. Apparently, this has happened frequently with this operator yet Silversea made no contingency plans. Communication about the cancellation was nonexistent until we went to the dock. We were offered a cheesy lumberjack show or a bear tour which involved a bus and basically standing on a smelly boardwalk. We were not charged, and it definitely wasn't worth the normal $259/pp for it.
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