Silver Wind

Our Silversea expedition cruise to Iceland was delayed for two days due to rough seas in the North Atlantic. The crew of Silversea did a fine job keeping us informed during the delay and took great care of us onboard as well as offering several interesting tours of Dublin while we waited. Once we embarked the seas were still a bit rough, but they eventually smoothed out, and the rest of the journey was on pleasant, calm water. The expedition cruise experience was fabulous. The purpose of the cruise was to explore and learn about Iceland, and in that regard Silversea delivered. We visited several small, remote villages on the coast and learned what life is and was like at the top of the world as well as the interesting history of the country. Each village brought a new and different perspective--we were offered a variety of tours at each stop---everything from touring ancient ruins to whale watching and hiking the wilderness. There was an offering for every taste and interest. Another area where Silversea delivered was their excellent food and service onboard. The subtle personal touches offered by each crew member from the captain to the waitstaff and cabin butler were unparalleled. For instance, one day I returned to my cabin after a long day of touring to find a small bowl of potato chips waiting for us in my cabin! The cabin itself was spacious, comfortable, and well appointed. There was adequate room for our belongings and we could easily separate the sleeping area from a pleasant sitting space by pulling a divider curtain. We departed Iceland on calm seas and enjoyed a couple interesting stops in the Orkney Islands and Isle of Iona in Scotland and great day in Belfast with a great tour guide. As this was an expedition cruise and a smaller ship, we didn't expect there would be entertainment but were surprised the lectures, game time and evening musicians in the various lounges.

A true 6 star luxury Expedition Cruise to a stunning grey, black and white color destination, with abundant wildlife of penguins, whales, seals, birds, along with snow capped mountains, moving glaciers, ice floes and ice formations abound! The stunning blue of the exposure of the million year "old" ice was in stark contrast but absolutely exquisite! Silversea offers 2 ways to reserve your cruise. Door to Door, which is all inclusive starting from your home, with private executive style airport transfers, airfare, pre and post night hotel stays, prepaid gratuities, wifi and premium beverages. They provide a Butler on every category! who cater to your every wish! You can also opt for the port to port option, if wanted, to do your own air, hotel and transfers - especially if you want to extend your travel to other area destinations. This was MY personal visit to the World's 7th Continent and one of the most once in a lifetime true expedition experiences! WoW! It won't be my last! The Expedition Crew with their specialist lectures and guided excursions were Outstanding!! These are experts in their perspective fields and they ONLY want you to experience "everything" to see and do in Antarctica with safety and comfort!! The staff onboard are great and enhance your cruise and destination experience and I can highy recommend Silversea! The food was delicious and they have 4 restaurant options, besides 24 hour room service! It is a real experience to travel the Drake Passage from South America to Antarctica. You can either have the Drake "lake" (calm) or the Drake "shake" (wavy) They also have an option to fly over the Drake Passage and cruise Antarctica but the majority of passengers traveled roundtrip by ship. The weather was cold! You can only visit during their "summer months" with temps around 32 degrees F I guess I'm a true Florida gal! Glad they provided warm weather clothing and accessories! We MUST protect our fragile world and help save our planet with responsible travel! By Air, Land, Sea and Space!

Not only did we experience 6 star luxury service throughout our cruise by our butler, cabin steward and other onboard staff, but also the expedition team went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time. Food and dining service was second to none. And we got to do so many activities as well as learn about this amazing destination!

As an avid Expedition, Nature, and Safari lover, I was not sure what to expect on Silversea Expedition, but I did very much enjoy it. On this itinerary we did not have the full Expedition experience, no zodiac landings or kayaking from the ship, but this was because the countries we were in did not allow it, but instead we had a selection of locally guided tours in each port, and the Naturalists from the ship came along on each departure. On my trip, there were a number of Silversea repeat guests, and some more Expedition travelers, and both seemed to enjoy themselves. For me, the lectures, and watching for wildlife with the Naturalists were the best feature, but sailing on a luxury all suite vessel with a balcony and a butler was certainly enjoyable as well! Silversea puts it together well and included both a pre and a post night hotel.

An excellent trip overall with a great staff and even better food. We loved the small ship atmosphere and the very quiet spaces. The ship never felt crowded and we loved the number and variety of public rooms. The tenders into ports was a bit of a turn off as I found the tenders to be crowded, hot and stuffy and not a great overall experience. The shore excursions were also a hit or miss. I don't enjoy riding in small vans with multiple people, et al. One of our shore excursions was cancelled and we were not notified until we were onboard the ship. The quality of food was excellent - a huge variety and they willingness of the staff to meet any need was very nice. Excellent wine list if you didn't like the included wines and i thought the pricing for some of the rare/high-end thing was very fair, if not inexpensive. The different restaurants and changing menu's were also a nice surprise. I don't think I ate the same thing twice in 10 days, except the large salads I made for lunch! The ship is being updated soon we're told and it is in need of a refresh. Everything was very clean but had the slight feel of a the early 90's to me. Our room was comfortable and had tons of storage space. The butler that attended to us was beyond accommodating and very helpful. The entertainment on board was very good and varied from lectures to broadway style reviews. We enjoyed the energy of the young performers. Overall it was an excellent trip and would do it again.