This is my first attempt at writing a review--hope it will convey how much we loved this trip! This was our first time on Silversea... had been on the Voyager last year LA to Sydney. So I can make comparisons here and there as I write.

Embarkation: This was not a high point of the trip! The water taxi dropped us off at the pier closest to the ship and there was no one there from Silversea to take our luggage. Apparently we were supposed to be dropped off at another place but this was not made clear to us. After a few minutes of just standing there wondering what to do, a nice young Silversea staffer showed up and encouraged us to go into the terminal to wait and she would watch our luggage. We put our trust in her and went in...we were early (embarkation was from 3:00 on and we showed up at 2:00). Well, 3:00 arrived and nothing was happening...passengers were all grumbling and milling around, no one seemed in charge. Silversea staff looked embarrassed. We were finally led to the embarkation area and stood around some more--apparently the Italian customs people were having problems with the xray machines. Finally at around 4 or later, we started to go through to board. People were not happy...past passengers said this is very untypical for Silversea, so not sure what happened. But as soon as we got on the ship and were handed champagne and smoked salmon canapes and had our pictures taken and were escorted by a smiling stewardess to our cabin, all the hassles were forgotten.

Cabin: We were in a deck 5 vista suite with a common veranda. I think this is a great compromise if you are not inclined to spend a good deal more for a verandah suite. We loved being able to just open the door and go out on deck even if you couldn't sit out there. The cabin is the same as on Voyager--double sinks though, which was nice. The Shadow had been in wet dock the day or two before we boarded and new DVD players were installed (however there were no DVDs yet in the library, just some very old VCR tapes--the DVDs will be arriving very soon, we were told).

Ship: Silver Shadow is so much like the Voyager that we felt very much at home right away. Deck 4 was closed for replacement of carpets so ship was not at capacity. Never seemed crowded anywhere or any lines at any time. Plenty of deck chairs, and not only around the pool. Also on jogging deck and outside of lounges on upper deck. Computer lounge on the Voyager is definitely superior...these computers were not equipped with any photo editing software and the IT person assigned to help was not always there.

Staff and service: This is where I think Silversea shines...did not experience one moment of less than gracious service...waitstaff in the Restaurant remembered your preferences even if you had been served by them just once or twice. Maitre d's in Restaurant and Terrace Cafe were outstanding in their desire to please.
Of course, there is no one like Captain Dag...we missed his daily poems and interaction with the passengers. This captain was not as fluent in English and tended to let the Cruise Director make the announcements. But the Captain was flexible enough to give us a ride all around the island of Capri as we passed by one day at lunchtime. Definitely a lunch to remember!

Entertainment and casino: can't comment on these areas but those who did go to the shows seemed very happy with them. We did get a taste of one show (mini Las Vegas review)during the deck bbq--lots of energy, pretty girls in skimpy costumes (my husband seemed very entertained by this:) The best entertainment though was the fabulous fireworks display that same night in Valletta (Malta) which went on for hours. The captain delayed our departure so we could watch most of it...unforgettable!

Dining: I would say that the Voyager did a better job at breakfast time in the Cafe in terms of the variety and presentation of their
buffet but at the other meals I think that the Shadow would be the winner. This might be matter of personal taste but as a sushi lover, just having that platter of sushi on the buffet at lunch everyday was a high point for me. Really a nice variety of offerings at lunch, not just salads recycled from what was served for dinner the night before. The Terrace Cafe had theme nights with a set 5 course dinner and we thought the food was outstanding there (almost like a private party and the chef was cooking for you and a few friends). We did not try the Champagne restaurant--menu didn't appeal to us. Since we are not big drinkers (boy,do we sound boring!), can't say that the all-inclusive was that big a deal, but it was nice not to have to think about extra costs for anything.

Passengers: This was definitely a younger crowd than those on the segment of the Voyager world cruise that we were on. Almost all the shore excursions involved extensive walking and this particular itinerary might not appeal to those less active. People were friendly, very well-dressed, and having a good time. Large group from Naples FL were clients of a private bank so they really were enjoying the perks of a free cruise.

Itinerary and shore excursions: Ports were Venice,Rovinj, Split, Dubrovnik, Siracusa, Valletta, Taormina, ending in Rome. We did not see another large passenger ship in any of these ports while we were there...I think RSSC has a more knowledgeable tour staff though. I missed the slide shows that we had on the Voyager which really prepared you as to what you were going to see. Not much help for independent sightseeing. Ship sponsored tours were good, depending on which guide you had, and groups were kept very small, sometimes only 15 people on a large bus. For me, the most outstanding ports were Dubrovnik and Taormina, just for the stunning beauty and history.

Disembarkation: Now this was handled beautifully...we relaxed by the pool until our group was called. Escorted by staff to find our bags and then onto the bus to the airport. The only negative here was the charge of $90 per person for a 45 minute trip to the airport. We might have done better pre-arranging a taxi.

This is just a basic review--I would be glad to answer any questions. For any one hesitating on whether or not to try Silversea, I say go for it...if you love RSSC, you will be very happy with Silversea as well.

Susan

Wonderful review, Susan - you did great! SS looks better and better!

Masaki

Susan, thanks so much for your review. I do want to try Silversea in the future and the shared veranda cabins might make it doable!

Thanks for the review Susan.
I've never been on Silversea so was really happy to read the experience of a first-timer.
Like Silversea, Oceania has sushi at the Terrace lunch everyday and it's something we look forward to as well.

Are tours included in the price of a SS cruise?

Thanks,
CJ

Good review for your first try I would have thought you had written a review many times before. I always find Silversea and RSSC to both be so similiar in many ways with only minor differences from trip to trip. Both great lines.

Susan, you did a wonderful job of passing along your experience! I too enjoyed my Shadow cruise in Asia, and am going to be on the lookout for late minute bargains so I can do it again.

CJ, no included tours in my one experience on the Shadow, unless you have a TA from a consortium like Virtuoso. We had a full-day tour with them in Kuala Lumpur, and lunch went on far too long and afternoon was only scheduled for shopping. I am very careful about joining in on these excursions, as they seem geared for less active people than me.

In my review of the Shadow, I said that I felt like I was on a Radisson ship, as the larger RSSC and SS ships were built at the same yard. They are so similar, except the full liquor inclusion, which is not a deal-breaker for me, given RSSC's better pricing if you like to book way in advance.

Susan,
Great review! Thanks for posting it.

Betty

Great review!!!! Thanks for the info - I think many of us interested in Silversea if price is right - Joanna

Thanks, Susan.

Great to hear more about Silversea. It's definitely on our "must try" list.

Kathy

Great review, Susan,

We enjoyed a similar cruise on the Song of Flower's final cruise in Oct. 03. I bet the fireworks in Malta were spectacular over water. As a teen, I took one of those 3 week bus tours of Europe with my family and stopped overnight in La Spezia, Italy. There was a festival going on and that night, we had a boat ride with fireworks going off. The reflection on the water was amazing. Even after all these years, I remember that sight. It's one of those visuals embedded in my brain.

On our last SOF cruise, Captain Dag took us around Stromboli at night. Though it was socked in with fog, we were still able to see the firy eruptions.

A friend told me, "Cruising is all about timing." Being at the right place at the right time is so important for the passengers. It's those special moments we remember.

Beth--I agree about those "special moments". Now that we have been back home for more than a month, I have been daydreaming about those moments! We tried to capture the fireworks with the digital camera and got some surprising results--strange and exotic colors, to say the least.

Susan