Please sign in and give your comments, and, your ratings versus Radisson.

Karen, my 300th post!

Way to go, Aaaaa!! 300!! :)

I can comment on Seabourn after I return from the Christmas/New Years cruise on Legend.....

Claudia

aaanthony, I am sure Claudia will give you a great review! I have visted the Seabourn boards many times and have never heard a bad review. Of course, you have to remember that the cabins are different from Raddisson.

I have not been on RSSC yet. We have the Diamond booked for July but understand that there is no comparison to the other RSSC ships.

I have been on Seabourn and on Silversea. In my opinion, both are very close to each other in the way of service and food. They were both truly fantastic and would sail on either any chance that I get. I do like the fact that neither charges for drinks anywhere onboard. That is the biggest difference as I can tell with what I have read about RSSC. Same great service and food, but you do have to do have to pay for drinks. So if you don't drink (I am sure there are some out there, but probably not any in this group. LOL) there is probably not a difference whatsoever.

If comparing them to the Voyager or Mariner then there is the size of the rooms and all balcony suites to consider as well. Seabourn has none (I don't consider those french balconies as real balconies) and when you go to the verandah suite on Silversea instead of a vista suite then you are quite a bit higher in price than RSSC.

Have not sailed Crystal and probably won't unless I find a deal too good to pass up, but then it would be down on my list of cruise lines.

If I had to choose these would be the top 4 for me.

Silversea
Seabourn
RSSC
Sea Dream Yacht Club

Sometimes SMALLER IS BETTER!!! LOL ;) ;)

Olivia, I am curious. Since you have been on the Silver Shadow, how would you say that it compares to say the Voyager or the Mariner???

To me, Radisson cannot be beat for size/qualiity of the lower category cabins. I've been warned that our suite on Seabourn-a lower category- will be an adjustment. I may well return from my Seabourn experience thinking that I prefer Radisson. Guess I'll have to wait and see!

Claudia

Don - have you tried Sea Dream yet? I am curious as to what your (and others') opinions are on this. From the literature I've read, I like the size of the ship...but seems to be very, very quiet at night (ie: very little nightlife/entertainment) Is this true?

Bobbi, I haven't yet, but it is on my list to do. From what I understand the ships (the former Cunard Sea Goddesses) are 4950 tons compared to the the 10,000 ton Seabourn triplets. The Silver Whisper was 25,000 tons.

The rooms are also quite small at 195 sq ft compared to 277 on Seabourn and 287 on the Silver Whisper, but I have been told that they are very well laid out.

SeaDream seems to have only 7 day cruises or less and are very port intensive only in the Caribbean in the winter and the Med in the summer. They include the same level of service and food, but have no formal nights. Dress is casual elegance.


They drop their rear marina when in quiet out of the way coves where you can kayak, jet ski, do the banana boats etc. They also have what they call the caviar splash, where they serve you in the water, caviar and champagne.

Wow, Don! That does sound interesting! Let us know when you go! I also volunteer to give up my caviar. (But not my champagne.)

I'll take your caviar! Wow, caviar and champagne...in the water? How do they do this? It sounds like a little slice of Carribbean heaven. I'd love to see pictures!

LeeAnne,

Click here then select "Caviar and Champagne with the Crew"

I'm really tempted by this line. I'm with Bobbi though, you can have my share of the caviar. :)

Kathy

We have been cruising every April and October. The past 5 have been with Voyager (3) and Mariner(2), and we have been delighted and entirely satisfied with every aspect of RSSC.
We have booked on Silver Shadow for a Med. cruise April 2nd. mainly because there are several ports that we have not visited, namely, Ajaccio, Corsica, Portovenere for the Cinque Terre villages and Portofino and its environs. Livorno comes into play and so we may be able to get to Florence. Last Oct. Voyager could not dock and we were shifted to Spezia. At least we visited Pisa.
(Marshall aid was not able to put it straight !!)
It appears as though the cabins equal Voyager and we booked a verandah. (I enjoy sleeping on deck)
So far, I am told, the ship is half full. So we will not run short of Dover sole, strawberries and racks of lamb. And there will be no signing for 11 a.m. Mary's and wine with lunch as well as ordering cocktails at the dining table which is too sneaky for me. We enjoy socialising.

I want a job like that. To hell with the caviar I want to do the serving.

Don, since you asked, I enjoyed my Silver Shadow experience and wrote quite a bit about it last March. In a nutshell, other than the absolute booze all-inclusiveness on Silversea, you could have fooled me that I wasn't on the same line as I have always cruised. Same shipyard built the Shadow, Mariner and Voyager, as Lawrence has pointed out. I thought Compass Rose ambience had a slight edge, cabins were almost identical in layout. I think I even posted pictures on the ofoto site. I had always wanted to try Silversea, and chose to do so when I did because the itinerary and pricing finally got in my comfort zone. It was deeply discounted. On this particular cruise, there were only 38% Americans aboard. I found that to be really fun, because we had a lot of Aussie's aboard, and they were a VERY friendly, jovial bunch.

At the risk of anyone thinking I am sabotoging (deliberately subverting) this thread (Crystal, Seabourn, Silversea), my former sister-in-law has cruised on Sea Dream which was mentioned in a post above. I have just e-mailed her to get her thoughts! Must have been good if she returned, because she has very good taste and is picky like most of us here!

Olivia: Yes, I thought to myself "There goes Olivia sabotaging another thread" = Joanna

We have cruised Crystal (2 times) Seabourn (3 times) and RSSC (4 times). I will be honest and say Seabourn would be at the top of my list due to many reasons. First, we love the size of the ship and the number of passengers. Second, I have never experienced such wonderful service anywhere. They truly know how to spoil one. They immediately learn your likes, just by observing and listening, and granting your wishes. Everynight for dinner, regardless of where we were, my husband was served his escargot, without asking. Caviar when you want. True, the cabins are a smidge smaller than RSSC, as there is no true balcony. We have always had a bacony (Navigator, Mariner, Voyager) but in the case of Seabourn you don't need one. Because of the inclusiveness, we found we would prefer to go to the club lounge or the sky bar for a drink, which they had for you before you sat down. We enjoyed the time to ourselves or visiting with other passengers, who by the way are congenial, well traveled and not stuffy! It is nice to go into a port (closer and with more ease) and enjoy the excursions. Seabourn offers on each sailing an exclusively Seabourn Experience which has always been interesting and unique. Entertainment is quiet and subdued compared to Crystal, however Seabourn's cruise director and assistants are talented. They spend time getting to know you too. It is nice to get off the ship not owing a penny except for excursions and spa treatments. I think I could go on and on.

Our next favorite is RSSC which we love but in no way can be compared to Seabourn (except in cabins). We will continue to go with Seabourn and RSSC, however we doubt our return to Crystal. On Crystal the food was good and the show entertainment great. We prefer eating with who and when we choose. The Crystal cabins were the least favorite of the three.

This is not to say that we have only been on these three lines, i.e. the mega ships which we have, and have since left, nor is it that we won't try some others. We have an Asia trip planned in 2006 on Oceania's Nautical as the ports are enticing. We also plan to return to the Sea Goddess - which is now Sea Dreams. We loved the Goddess and really look forward to SD, as the changes have only been for the better. Someday we will try Silverseas but for now we are Seabourners and RSSCers.

dd@sea, very interesting report from one who has "seen it all". I have spent a lot of time on all of those boards on cc, and honestly, I think it is just a matter of personal choice, you are not going to have a bad experience on either of them! Have to say that my general impression is kudos over others as to food on Seabourn, very marginal and a very subjective area of discussion. My need for a balcony is not your priority, eating with the same people at the same time every evening is to me restrictive. Like aaannnthony said, "horses for courses" (hope I remembered it right!)

Welcome dd@sea! I know there are others who love Seabourn for all the reasons you stated. Do you know MarthaB?? She's a huge fan of Seabourn and cruised often especially when her "Mother" was still alive. Glad you joined us here on LCT!

dd.....we're very similar, Crystal twice, Seabourn three times, but, Radisson only once.

Seabourn is easily #1....we still give #2 to Crystal since their service and food quality were superior to Radisson on both cruises, versus one!

As I understand it, Seabourn does something very similiar to Seadream's Caviar and Champagne Splash. Its called Caviar in the Surf.......Guess I'll find out soon!

Claudia

RSSC is into this too! We had caviar and champagne served by the staff from floating bars in the clear warm water off Isle des Pins (New Caledonia) when we were on Voyager last year (LA to Sydney)--this was at about 11 a.m.--a supremely decadent but memorable experience!

Susan

Okay, now I KNOW I did the right thing by leaving the mass-market lines and heading into the scarier (financially) waters of the luxury lines. I just LOVE that picture of the captain and pax having champagne and caviar in the ocean. And he's in his dress whites, too -- how funny! What a character he must be.

Unfortunately I don't think we'll be having any caviar and champagne in the surf on our upcoming RSSC cruise, given that it's in the Med in May. Oh well. That brings up a question tho...does anyone know what the charge is for caviar on Voyager? And what kind to they serve? I would love to indulge just once while we're on board.

This is a great thread -- I'm enjoying hearing all the different viewpoints, and learning some of the distinctions between the different lines.

LeeAnne - It's $25 for an ounce with all the trimmings but I am not sure of what kind - I think it Sevruga (sp). They do serve it at the Amex Party and the Seven Seas Society party on board. Used to be that you could serve yourself but now they actually serve it to you so the quantity is more limited. You can ask for seconds, but, you can't help yourself to it anymore.

According to the Gift Program listing on the B&K site it is Sevruga. Wish Gelsons sold it at $25 an oz., Kathy!

Great - thanks! I'll be sure to indulge at least once. I like Sevruga -- smaller eggs than Beluga or Ossetra, but it has a nice full flavor. Yeah, that's really a good price! Heck, the cheapest I can find it online is for $32, and you gotta pay shipping. And of course, no trimmings.

So, is RSSC the only line that charges for caviar amongst the luxury lines? (It looks like I won't be getting any for free, as I believe the Amex party is only for Platinum Card members, and this is my first RSSC cruise so I'm not yet a member of Seven Seas Society.)

Hi Leejnd--

Crystal also charges for caviar. If I remember correctly, I think it was $75 for Sevruga. Don't remember the size of the serving on Crystal (probably 1 oz.) but on RSSC it's for sure 1 oz.

Bill

It's been awhile since I've cruised but don't they also offer it as an appetizer on formal nite. Just about a half thimble full but...

aaanthony--

Signing in: NHcruisers

Opinion: Too much emphasis on many posters' part about "value" when posters have not experienced both.

What about the overall cruise experience? Can anyone ascribe value when they haven't experienced both?

Here then are my ratings, in no particular order:

Ambience: Crystal more formal

Service: RSSC more approachable, i.e., warm. Crystal at times borders on being obsequious (thank you, Lawrence!)

Entertainment: Without a doubt, Crystal

Dining: A toss up, maybe a tad in favor of Crystal

Enrichment (lecturers): Crystal, generally. But at rare times RSSC can come close and even excel

Variety of on board activities: Crystal

Bridge (as in the card game and a reason for divorce) instruction: Crystal, not even close.

Approachablity of crew and service staff: RSSC

Ships: RSSC

Cabins: RSSC

Boutiques: Crystal, by a wide margin

Spaciousness: RSSC

"Greener", as in environmentally better: RSSC

How good did the crew make you feel upon disembarking? RSSC, hands down

Butlers: Crystal, hands down

Cabin stewards: GENERALLY, Crystal, although there are excellent stewards on RSSC, we're talking on average here.

Making you feel that you are a patrician: Crystal

Making you feel (genuinely) welcome: RSSC

"Clucking" factor,when a pax or a group of pax does something out of the norm: Crystal

Sensitivity towards single pax "in the prime of their life": Crystal

Nightlife: This depends on age and attitude. But if you are looking for an active night life, RSSC gets the nod. (On some RSSC cruises, it might be a sleepy nod but still better than Crystal. Crystal, at times, reminds me of Monty Python's "Dead Parrot" skit. ( "It's not dead, its just asleep".)

Casino: Crystal, hands down. (Nothing to do with winning or losing).

Traditional two seating dinners vs dine with whom and when you want: Your choice.

Finally, how well would either line do with a MINT or DDD crowd? No question, RSSC.

Hope this highly subjective rating encourages potential cruisers to investigate further. They both offer an excellent cruise experience, they are just very different even before you consider their relative price (and value).

Bill

Rad. doles it out, sparingly....Seabourn, all you want at all times offered....Crystal, don't remember....not a biggee for us!

Bill, what a fantastic rundown! Actually, this is really quite helpful. In contemplating various cruises I might want to take, a lot depends on with whom I am traveling. My upcoming RSSC cruise is with my mother, and from everything I've read and heard, this is the right line (and ship) for the two of us. My mom is a highly social person, loves to meet new people, can talk the ear off anyone she has just met, and loves to do the kind of fun stuff that was evidently going on in the lounges during MINT. She also was born & raised barefoot on the farm in rural Tennessee, and wasn't in a position to enjoy the "finer things in life" until very recently, so she LOVES being pampered and feeling like she is experiencing all those things she couldn't when she was raising her family. So the overall luxury and warmth of RSSC is going to send her to absolute heaven. But she is a very down-to-earth person, and would probably be uncomfortable with any kind of "stuffiness", as she might experience in the more formal atmosphere of Crystal.

Meanwhile, I'm also considering future cruises with both my DH and my sister. With DH, the "nightlife" part is far less important, as frankly he crashes and burns by 10pm at the latest, so a quieter ship is fine for us, in fact, he's looking more to relax and veg out while being "taken care of". So Seabourne might be best for him. My sister, OTOH, is much more a night person, although she's not as outwardly social as my Mom. She would appreciate the better entertainment on Crystal. She also HAS spent the better part of her life living "the good life", so she might like the more formal aspects of Crystal, as well as the somewhat better cuisine.

Anyway, there are my ruminations of what I've gained from this thread. :)

Lots of good information here.

First lets talk caviar. I have only had Sevruga on both Seabourn and Silversea. I guess it is an acquired taste but it was way too salty for me. Loved the champagne though. Silversea serves Philliponat, about which there was much discussion on that other board in regards to them switching from Moet, but I found it much smoother and crisp. Our favorite by far though is Clicquot.

We have found the entertainment on both Seabourn and Silversea to be excellent, so no complaints there, while maybe not as elaborate or have headliners as what you may find on some of the larger mega ships, overall they are very well done and have a very talented cast. I also enjoy having more interaction with the cast and crew that you can only get on smaller vessels.

Generally speaking has been headliners aren't a big thrill for me anyways and I would much rather have better accomodations, better service, and better food.

I like being attended to, but not hovered over. I also prefer to eat when I chose and with whom I choose than to have set dining.

Don't care about being formal but have no objections to dressing up so I can go either way here.

Don - on a somewhat unrelated topic (sorry, aaannnthony!), I love Veuve as well. :)

Masaki

This is such an interesting thread! Sounds like Seadream would be perfect for me, if I could ever afford it!

But the Radisson night-life doesn't bother me. My husband also folds at 10 p.m. (or earlier). We like a good cocktail party, day-time entertainment on the deck, and good dinner conversation. But after that, don't care. And during the day there have always been plenty of quiet spots on the ship so far, and pleasant conversations with fellow passengers while on excursions.

I enjoy meeting people, but I am pretty laid-back and like my alone-time. Don't like crowds and noise or anything to formal or stuffy, so Crystal would be out for us.

Yes, I find the Veuve Clicquot makes that salty caviar go down a lot easier. LOL

Wish we were going to see you in Hawaii, but now looks like we are going on the Silver Whisper in May as well as the Diamond in July.

Congratulations on your new arrival.

NHCruisers:

Your qualitative analysis of Crystal vs. Radisson is excellent. While I've never cruised Crystal, I have been curious about it for some time, and have read much about it on this and other cruise boards. Yours is the best I've seen. And I have been even more interested in Silversea and Seabourn, and know I would like to cruise them in the future. BUT, I have yet to find prices like Radisson's "specials" at all on Seabourn, and have found them on Silversea only for an itinerary and time that did not personally appeal to me.

I'm sure we have all read magazines that rate products (cameras, audio systems, cars, and such). Many will include a qualitative analysis as you have done Crystal vs. Radisson, and then include a cost adjustment factor and include a second overall rating which adjusts for cost. I wish someone with multi-line experience here would do the same ---- just take your qualative analys and then give a cost-adjusted rating.

That's hard to do, as these four lines have greatly different levels of what's included and what's extra, but such a price adjusted rating would be very interesting, if it could be done.

Thanks,
Richard :) :) :)

Richard, I kept searching and searching for an itinerary on Silversea because I had heard so many great things about the line, and since that is the closest to Radisson for my priorities in terms of price, cabins and dining policies, and our cruise on the Shadow certainly fit the bill! As I said, it was one of their super-specials, and we enjoyed every moment of this cruise.

Maybe I will go on Crystal one of these days, but Ngaire's rather lukewarm endorsement so far from aboard one of the ships has not convinced me.

Bill, your analysis was great! Thank you for such a balanced review between RSSC and Crystal.

NHcruisers-

WOW...terrific to the point review. As cruisers on both Crystal and Radisson, I agree with almost all of your ratings.

I would add that the internet charges on Crystal are outrageous but the dining rooms service and food is superior on Crystal as well as the show entertainment and enrichment lectures.

Your analysis is right on!

We have cruised both cruise lines often and will continue to do so.