Enjoyable overall, but not up to our prior experience with Silversea

Item: Silver Whisper
Rating: 4
Author: InLA

Silver Whisper Cruise Review to Europe - Northern Europe

InLA

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 4

Helpful Votes: 61

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

Verified Review

14 Night Northern Europe & British Isles (Tromso To Reykjavik)

Sail date: August 10, 2022

Ship: Silver Whisper

Cabin number: 827

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

This was a very good itinerary, but unfortunately it was overcast with periods of light rain almost every day. Be sure to add extra days in Iceland—it’s quite amazing and more varied in scenery than the Norway Fjords. We thought our overall experience on Silversea was enjoyable, but below their standards and reputation, and we heard the same from many other guests.

Embarkation

2 out of 5

It was a cattle call in the rain. First we dropped our luggage off at a tent on the pier, then walked to a nearby hotel where the Silversea guests were all herded in long lines through two very crowded rooms to answer the health questionnaires, present our documentation, and get our key cards. Then back outside in the rain to return to the luggage tent on the pier and identify our luggage, then back into the rain to walk up the stairs and onto the ship. Many older people were having great difficulty. There is a nearby port terminal facility that was not utilized. Perhaps Silversea didn’t reserve it.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

Overall, the food and drink was very good, but then there were days when the main dining room food was quite bad (overcooked to mush) and the servers were mixing up everyone’s orders, not only at the tables but between the tables. Twice at the pool deck grill, we placed lunch orders with servers and the orders were never passed along to the kitchen, even though they were using digital tablets to manage the orders. The ship never had Pellegrino or Evian sparkling mineral waters the entire cruise. All you could get was the ship’s water with carbonation added, or on some days they got local supermarket house brand club soda in liter bottles. Room service was always excellent, as was La Dame and every dinner at La Tarraza.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

The typical: Trivia, lectures, etc.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

The house jazz trio was absolutely fantastic—5 stars!! Same for the Nordic Brothers strings musicians. The others were average

Children's Programs

There were no kids on our cruise.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

As far as professional performance, almost all were 5 stars with a few 2-3 stars here and there. They all had great personalities, and some we remembered from previous travel on Silversea. Our butler, Mart, was outstanding. It seemed that many others on the staff were recent hires, which may explain why some were missing skills that will come with more training and experience. I can’t say that the problem was due to staffing after covid because we sailed on Silversea in October of last year and the service was flawless to a person.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Typical design and everything was spotlessly clean.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

We had a typical veranda suite, which on Silversea means that they are generously sized when compared to most large cruise ships. The furnishings were in good shape and the bed was very comfortable. The housekeeping for our cabin was surprisingly below par for Silversea—or any other cruise line that we have traveled (@40 prior cruises). We had to ask for replacement bar and liquid soaps as well as facial tissues when they ran out. That is something the housekeeper should pay attention to every time they make up the room. The water glasses in our bathroom were only cleaned if we left them on the countertop instead of in the safety holders. We are very neat travelers, and we had to ask to have our room vacuumed when needed. Again, if we can see the carpet lint and misc debris piling up, why can’t the housekeeper?

Ship tip

Here are two tips we’ve learned for every cruise ship on every cruise line: (1) If you like good chocolate—dark in particular, buy it in local markets and bring it onboard. Those little square chocolates the ships leave on your bed at night have little taste and don’t melt in your mouth. I think they buy them from candle making factories. (2) Greet your servers by name (it’s on their badge) then introduce yourselves by name. They really appreciate being treated with respect as human beings and not just as your temporary servants.

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