Silver Muse Review
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Disclaimer - this was our first cruise and perhaps our expectations were unrealistic. The ship was beautiful. The food and service were spotty.
We enjoyed the food and experience at Silver Note, Kaiseki and Indochine. Atlantide was the most disappointing. The service was inconsistent (i.e. at the empty Grill at lunch it was hard to get anyone's attention for a second glass of wine and when it finally came it was not with a smile!). We couldn't get a decent steak on board. Our son ate steak at practically every restaurant and a request for 'medium' came back either blue or brown - never pink! That was a real let-down. The Hot Rocks concept was gimmicky and not worth the effort. The over-sized dentist bibs they provide did not protect our clothing from getting spattered with grease. La Dame and Terrazza both had decent food and the service was outstanding - especially the maitre d' (Rodel) in La Dame - he was a real charmer!
Service is where we feel Silversea really dropped the ball. We had a large suite with a separate dining area so we decided to have breakfast in the suite each morning. It arrived cold every day and on the second day I asked our butler how many suites he serviced. He responded 14, which surprised me. I asked him what happened if everyone wants breakfast at the same time and he said he tries to get his colleagues to help. He was hardworking but rushed off his feet. It wasn't unusual for him to be paged by another suite while he was with us and he would then use our phone to call and see what his other guests needed. While 1:1 service is impossible, one man servicing 14 suites will never equate to luxury service. We felt bad for him so tried to ask for as little as possible. He was also off-duty from 12-4 and during that period no one answered his phone. We never used his service after 6pm so I'm not sure if the timing of the break is the most sensible? Silversea offers a 'dedicated butler' which I think means only that you'll always see the same face? In our experience it put too much pressure on one person and it would be much better to have a team helping each other and ultimately the guests.
Cabin Review
Grand Suite 2
We booked the two-bedroom Grand Suite, primarily for the deck. It was the highlight of the suite and the cruise, but be aware, if it has rained or the sea has been rough, water settles all over the deck and it is too slippery to go outside. You have to wait until your butler/steward is free to come and dry it off (which from the service review above was not always timely). The suite was plenty roomy but the decor was just ok. It felt more like an extended stay corporate apartment than a luxury hotel room. There are built in bookshelves beside the entertainment unit but nothing on them....that kind of thing! The bed was fantastic - we were so comfortable. We had read that being at the front of the ship would mean more noise and ship motion but that was not the case at all. I'm still not sure if the suite was worth the price, but it was the highlight of our trip...so maybe?
Port Reviews
Seward
We stayed at Harbor 360. It looks basic online but it is absolutely lovely and the staff were wonderful. This port is so lovely I wish we had stayed longer. We got a balcony view room and it was well worth it!