24-night Asia Cruise

My husband and I enjoyed a 14-night cruise on Silversea's Silver Muse, making our way from Auckland to Sydney. We stayed in a deluxe veranda suite mid-ship on deck 7, which provided a spacious delight with its marble bathroom and walk-in closet. Cooler weather limited our time on the veranda, but the inviting suite became our cherished retreat. Throughout the cruise, the staff displayed professionalism with a warm demeanor. Our butler and stateroom attendant truly excelled, enhancing our stay with thoughtful service. Dining aboard Silver Muse proved a mostly satisfying experience, despite one or two dishes arriving less than perfectly heated. The relaxed dress code, featuring optional formal nights and predominantly "Elegant Casual" attire, added to the comfortable onboard atmosphere. Culinary highlights were abundant: Indochine offered a unique blend of vibrant flavors exclusive to Silver Muse. Atlantide delivered a taste of tradition with its classic dining ambiance. La Terrazza became our morning staple, with both a buffet and à la carte breakfast service. Arts Café served as a delightful retreat for days at sea, offering tasty treats. Though compact, La Dame stood out for its quality cuisine and service. Kaiseki's lunchtime sushi and evening tasting menu provided an imaginative dining experience. The Silver Note jazz club captivatingly combined good food and smooth sounds. Embracing La Terrazza's Italian-themed dinners and the innovative "hot rocks" concept at The Grill, we found ourselves returning for more, though weather sometimes kept us indoors. A highlight of our activities was team trivia, energetically led by the cruise director—a fun and engaging way to connect with fellow guests. Weather did delay our arrival in Sydney, impacting our plans and necessitating last-minute arrangements. However, an impromptu hotel stay allowed us to explore the city, enriching our journey independently.

Great cruise. Very good ports and excursions

With a staff to guest ratio of nearly 1:1, the service level is outstanding. The butlers were very involved and handled every need as well as all of the 24 hr room service and food delivery. Room service includes everything from caviar to pizza! The butler stocks the refrigerator with all of your favorite beverages and water, leaving the stateroom attendant to concentrate on making your cabin perfect every day. Room service is also available on the day of disembarkation. The cabins are spacious and nicely appointed. Included are high quality robes and towels and Bvlgari toiletries. The ship is beautiful and offered several small dining options. The food in all of the restaurants were excellent with the exception of La Dame ($60/pp). Kaiseki, the Japanize restaurant, is free for lunch and $60/pp at dinner. There is no charge for any of the other restaurants. The Grill (Hot Rocks) restaurant is open air and set up around the pool. Here you select your steak or seafood main coarse and cook it yourself on the hot stone placed in the middle of the table. Two of our favorite restaurants were Indochine (Asian-fusion) and the Silver Note, which is small and has a jazz singer during dinner. A couple of the restaurants had newer staff members who were learning the job, which caused some delays and confusion. I was expecting La Dame to be the highlight and the best dining experience onboard, but unfortunately it was not. Other guests mentioned disappointment with the food quality at La Dame. Our cruise had several single travelers as Silversea had a nice promotion "no single supplements". The spa prices seemed a little steep at first, however, the price includes all taxes and gratuities. Shore excursions are included as well as premium beverages. There were three formal nights on our 14 night cruise. We had some very authentic shore excursion experiences and the winery tours were very good. What was unique about the bus drivers, they were also the tour guide, and provided great information along the way to our destinations. A couple of the excursion vendors were disorganized. Headphones were not provided on any of the tours and in some cases the group size was large which made it difficult to hear and follow along. While there were a couple of hiccups, this is an excellent cruise ship and one I will sail with again.

Embarkation was handled well. The suites were available at 4 p.m., but lunch was available as soon as boarding the ship at 2 pm. The food was excellent. The service, as always, was superior. The weather in Alaska in September was mild and sunny. The sea days were cooler than expected, but there were plenty of activities indoors. The cruise director, Jonathan, was energetic and a great showman. The staff were professional and polite.