We chose this cruise primarily for the itinerary, but also because an acquaintance was actively recruiting people to join her and her husband on their sixth Silversea cruise. She was enthusiastic about the line and spoke highly of the travel agent she has used for many years. We ended up with a group of 18, some who had previously traveled together and others, like us, who were "newbies" to the group and Silversea. We met several times throughout the fall to discuss excursions, dining options and air travel (we flew out of different cities). Our friend coordinated everything with our travel agent and he assured her that all transfers and excursions would be booked and dining reservations made for the whole group (we agreed to meet up every night for dinner at three tables of six). Unfortunately, he died suddenly in mid November. Turns out he worked alone and had not finalized all our plans. She contacted Silversea to explain our situation and they found a travel agency willing to take over and finalize our trip.

We arrived in Santiago and found our bus with no problem. Embarkation was a breeze and I was impressed with how quickly the suites were ready. By 2:00 PM, we were in our suite on deck six. The Deluxe Veranda was very nice. We found plenty of hangers, drawer space and a lovely little jewelry box in the safe - very convenient. Bathroom small, but functional. Good water pressure, no issues with hot water. Other guests had trouble with no hot water.

We explored the ship and compared it favorably to our last cruise on Regent's Voyager. I thought the color scheme was pretty bland. I referred to it as "Fifty Shades of Taupe," and thought they could have used some pops of color. There is a forward observation lounge, with a smallish library and bar area. We ended up there often for cocktails (fabulous bartender there - Jiro). The main dining area on Deck 7 is La Terrazza and reminded us of La Veranda on Regent. We also scoped out the pool area, fitness center and large area called Dolce Vita, which we would end up visiting frequently, as it is where Team Trivia was played daily. There is only ONE computer available for guests to use. So, if you don't have a laptop or iPad you're stuck with queuing up for that one desktop next to the Concierge desk. Read more