We choose the the cruise because of the destination, Madagascar and it's lemurs. We had booked 2 previous cruises on the Discoverer. The first was for the inaugural cruise after purchase/refurbishing of the ship in 2014, to Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. It was cancelled shortly before sailing as the ship was not ready. Strike one. We rebooked a similar cruise for 3 months later. There were many problems with the ship and staff knowledge of the itinerary. Strike two. To their credit, SilverSea did give financial compensation in both situations. An expedition on the Explorer in the summer of 2016 was picture perfect.

The embarkation and disembarkation were smooth as silk. The ship looked the same with the exception of the old breakfast/lunch area had been nicely converted to a public lounge and the suite bathrooms had been remodeled. The expedition staff was outstanding and performed well. The cabin staff was excellent and the wait staff was above average. The food, however, was not up to SilverSea standards, despite having the same head chef that we had on the Explorer 7 months earlier. The wine selections were spot on.

Now for the other side of the coin. Just after our return from our excursion at our first port, we were informed the power was out for the whole ship. After a couple of hours, they announced that we would all be bused to hotels for the night. Fair enough, stuff happens.The next morning we were all bused for a hastily arranged excursion. Upon returning to the ship, we were informed that a second night in a hotel was necessary. We finally sailed the next day after lunch. We had missed 2 days of ports in Madagascar, our primary reason for selecting the cruise. Read more