Silver Spirit Review

Not a 6 Star Experience

Review for the Caribbean Cruise on Silver Spirit
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Dancer-Too
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Dec 2018
Cabin: Classic Veranda Suite

I chose the newly revamped and stretched Silver Spirit, hoping I would enjoy the cruise to the Western Caribbean and Central America. After boarding the ship in Ft. Lauderdale, I had a wonderful lunch in the main dining room, and so my expections were very high. When I went to my stateroom, I was very impressed with its size, the champagne that was chilled and waiting for me. I met my butler, and I was very impressed with him and his assistant, and his efforts and kindness throughout the cruise were more than noteworthy.

I can say on a positive note, that you will have access to all the senior officers throughout the cruise-more than I have ever had before on other cruise lines. The chief maitre’d, Antonio, was absolutely amazing, and was the linchpin keeping all the heads of the many restaurants inline. He was there to ensure everything was done correctly in all the 7 dining rooms. On the first day of the cruise, there was an opportunity to meet with all the dining maitre’ d’s and the executive chef to discuss any food allergy or other food requests.

Now, here were some of the issues and problems I encountered: 1) The lifeboat drill was something I never experienced before. When I left my stateroom near the front of the ship, the crew monitors sent me toward the front of the ship, and then said our group, whose staterooms were in the front of the ship, had to go into the crew area door on deck 6, and down steep metal crew steps 2 complete flights into the bowels of the crew area down to deck 4. We then walked some distance on the crew deck 4, and went up another crew staircase to deck 5, which was where the lifeboat drill was to take place. My comment to the leader of our group was how would be know how and where to go, since the corridors were so confusing, if we were expected to take this same route during an emergency? Why should we be the only group that was sent down into the crew area, when all the other guests on deck 6, went down the center ship staircase to the meeting room on deck 5. This room is the only large space on the ship, and every passenger on the ship (around 500), was crammed into that room for a 40 minute drill. More than half of the guests had to stand throughout the whole drill, since there was no place for the rest of us to sit. Once they began showing the guests how to don the lifejackets, I was shocked they did not ask the guests to follow their instructions and put on the lifejacket. After they showed everyone how to put on the lifejacket, they announced we should all proceed in one big group toward the outside of the ship where the lifeboats were located. Those who had not put on their lifejackets had to put them on before we started moving out of the room. I felt very uncomfortable and like I was in grammar school, when they insisted that while we were in the big room, that all guests should put their hands on the person in front of them, and keep the hand there all the way to the lifeboat area. In my 40 years of cruising, I have never participated in such a screwed-up and long lifeboat drill.

Cabin Review

Classic Veranda Suite

Cabin CV

Great cabin, great butler and his assistant. Could not ask for better service!! The room was quiet and just perfect. My shoes were even polished by my butler without me even having to ask.

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