Rath checks in: Expedition ship Silver Wind

But I don’t regret anything, that’s worth the adventure to me. I get on in Porto and get off in London. Everyone can get on and off as they please, because the ship sails once around the world and does not make a round trip as you are used to from cruise ships.

I am not yet an experienced shipping guest. I set sail four times with Tui Cruises. Once I suffered on the AIDA, discovered Alaska with an American ship and also tested the MS Europa.

But the voyage on the Silver Wind differs significantly from my previous sea voyages. First, there are the guests. 90 percent on the Silver Wind speak fantastic American, having traveled from the USA. This is probably also due to the fact that Silversea Cruises is an American provider.

On the other hand, the Silver Wind is a real expedition ship and heads for appropriate destinations. The guests are inquisitive and like me want to discover new places. Fortunately, the classic “all-inclusive” package that I booked is interpreted very differently than I know it from Germany.

Instead of casinos and permanent cocktail receptions, very professional butlers take care of all my needs during my trip. In addition, all shore excursions including meals and transfers are included. That’s what I call real all inclusive. No hidden costs or limitations – just travel, experience and enjoy.

The service is very American, in a good way. Everything works incredibly fast. I order a cappuccino. Three minutes later it is served to me hot. When I left my glasses in the room in the evening, I found them cleaned with a glasses cleaning cloth.

When an elderly lady gets up in a restaurant and wants to go to her cabin, a waiter always keeps an eye on the lady. Very old school. He offers his arm and accompanies her in support. He proactively leads her down the sometimes swaying corridor. When it comes to the products used on board, too, the provider has predominantly opted for the best in each case.

The menus are absolute classics. I enjoy great French wines. The restaurants are all just as classic and geared towards star level. The Caesar Salad is a real Caesar Salad. It comes with the right dressing and is lovingly garnished. Everything just fits together. Only at breakfast do I notice a bit of room for improvement.

The cabins are very neat. Everything is in the style of the 90s, in great quality. The butler service is “awesome”, as guests always say. Can’t say that often enough. I ate the truffled nuts upon arrival. Since then, as if by magic, these have been refilled again and again, as has the champagne. Housekeeping is just terrific. I get full service twice a day. The staff are super attentive.

On the first day I was occasionally asked for the cabin number, but from day two I was only asked my name. And that with over 250 passengers, a great service! In addition, the preferences are also remembered – I no longer have to explain how I drink my tea.

Hidden secrets on land: Grandiose breaks at sea with solid ground under your feet

The first, second and third very positive impression of the ship continues on land. We dock at various ports. Honfleur in Normandy is one of them. This picturesque place is not an area overrun with tourists, an AIDA or any other cruise ship will certainly not dock here. Honfleur turns out to be one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. Monet found inspiration in this magical setting. I really don’t want to leave either.

Le Mont St. Michel is another absolute highlight of our trip. This rocky island is located in the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, also in Normandy. The monastery once housed Benedictines and was later used as a prison. Today it is an absolute place of pilgrimage and a cultural flagship for the French.

I know I’m repeating myself. But one highlight follows the next. Is there an increase in highlight? Then I experience this on my last day on board. We enter London on the Thames and pass Tower Bridge. Incidentally, it is an absolute novelty that an expedition class ship is arriving in London. This is only possible due to the compact design of the Silver Wind. A once-in-a-lifetime experience. If you want to experience this spectacle, you can already strengthen yourself with hot coffee and bagels at 5 a.m. in the morning.

Travel warning return flight

My travel experience ends with a very negative experience, the way back is part of it. Even though we all suffer from the shortage of specialists and managers, I cannot understand why I have to wait two hours for my luggage at Düsseldorf Airport. I flew with the airline Eurowings from London to Dusseldorf. I won’t comment further on the one-hour delay, because the handling in Düsseldorf is unfortunately the lowest point in terms of service quality. Now that several passengers have waited two hours for their luggage, London disappears from the display board. Still no trace of the luggage. By the way, neither did Eurowings service staff.

After eleven days and several unanswered emails, including to the CEO, I came to the conclusion that Eurowings obviously understands service as self-service. For more than two hours I looked at over a thousand pieces of luggage at the Lost & Found at Düsseldorf Airport. Mine ended up being there too. On the wrong date, in the wrong room. Thanks to Irena, the very hard-working employee, who certainly still has to work a lot of overtime to this day.

Rath’s travel rating for Eurowings (current rating in bold):
1. Explicit Travel Warning

2. Better than under the bridge

3. So-la-la, not o-la-la
4. Complaining at a high level

5. If only it were always like this

6. Great cinema

Conclusion: luxury on the high seas

My experience on the Silver Wind will stay with me for a long time. I’m now back on solid ground, which I’m very happy about. But the sometimes bumpy journey was worth every nautical mile. The service and concept are exceptional. Every move is spot on, everything fits together, nothing is intentional, and certainly not an effort. Quality through and through. Now I understand the high number of regular guests. Right next to me lived a couple who have been living at sea for a year and have decorated their cabin with souvenirs from all over the world. And who knows, maybe we’ll meet again.

Rath`s Reise-Rating Silver Wind (current rating in bold):

1. Explicit Travel Warning

2. Better than under the bridge

3. So-la-la, not o-la-la

4. Complaining at a high level

5. If only it were always like this

6. Great (sea) cinema

About the author: As a former grand hotelier and operator of a travel platform, Carsten K. Rath is a professional globetrotter. He travels to all the hotels he writes about for the Handelsblatt on his own account. Rath is the brain behind the ranking “The 101 best hotels in Germany”, whose partners include the Handelsblatt.

Carsten K. Rath, Rolf Westermann: The 101 best hotels in Germany.
Institute for Service and Leadership Excellence AG
521 pages
34.90 euros
ISBN: 978-3033088719

Rath is also the author of the book on the ranking. The next edition of the book will be published with the cooperation of the Handelsblatt at the end of November as part of the publication of the next ranking of the 101 best hotels in Germany.

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