Having recently sailed on Regent Explorer and Seabourn Encore, we wanted to return to Silversea and try out the “new” Silver Spirit. We were not disappointed.
We had a lovely trip from Montreal to NYC on the Spirit. The weather didn't cooperate, thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Michael, but the fall colors were spectacular, even in the rain! The ship itself is lovely and comfortable, and the newly refurbished/created lounges and restaurants are beautifully done. The food was delicious and nicely presented. We prefer a “main dining room”, and took most dinners in Atlantide- beautiful room, super service. The menu never changed, which became quite repetitive by the end of the trip. We enjoyed our dinners at Silver Note with its striking presentations, and the Italian fare at La Terraza as well. Our newly redone cabin was spacious and comfortable as well (the huge sink in the bathroom was an odd and awkward choice). Service throughout our trip was top-notch: gracious, friendly and prompt yet not obsequious. The crew was extremely courteous and helpful to my mother, who used the wheelchair we had rented more than expected on this trip. The stretching and refurbishment of the Spirit are a big success! We had a great time aboard ship and in port.
The hiccups came at the beginning and the end of the trip. I'll start at the end. Disembarkation in NYC was a nightmare. For some reason, while we had been right on time up to our berth in Midtown, something happened which necessitated the ship to be turned around before docking, resulting in a 90 minute delay. Needless to say, the crowd gathered in Dolce Vita was restless, and the lack of information didn't help the situation. When we did make our way off the ship to claim our luggage, there was no personnel to assist as it was all hands on deck to just get the bags off the ship. With my mother in a wheelchair, I finally found a cart and we made our way to the buses to the airport, to find total chaos. It was the blind leading the blind, and the "Silversea" personnel directing traffic were, forgive the pun, at sea...not good when people are trying to make connections across town. We eventually made our way onto the bus, and did make our flight. I'm sure others weren't as lucky. I heard a lot of very negative comments about the way the disembarkation was handled, which put a damper on an otherwise great vacation.
Newly refurbished, felt clean and new. Spacious, bright and comfortable. The single huge sink was awkward, not leaving enough counter space. Nice balcony but too chilly to use on this trip. We loved the mid-ship location for easy access to everything. Also SUPER quiet, I never even heard a door close!
As a Chicagoan, I thought I knew a lot about Col. McCormick, but I’d never heard of Baie-Comeau and its historical importance to the Chicago Tribune. A true company town. Very interesting tour with informative guide. Beautiful church with frescoes.
Beautiful autumn Sunday in Boston. We took the shuttle into town, walked through Quincey Market and to Boston Common, then took the “T” to Harvard for a stroll around Harvard Yard. Could have used a few more hours in Boston.