If you Google “luxury cruise lines,” more than a dozen names will pop up, vying for your attention. I have cruised on many ships and believe that two of the standard-setters are Seabourn and Silversea. Who is better these days? We compare Seabourn to Silversea on 8 criteria and give you a numerical winner.

Note: This comparison is based on what we would call classic 10-day cruises: Vancouver to Alaska (round trip) for Seabourn and Copenhagen to Norway (round trip) for Silversea. We are not evaluating the expedition sector, which has its own ships and experience. So, let’s get started!

The ship itself

Seabourn:

Our ship is one of the smaller luxury offerings at sea. The ship may be older, but meticulously cared for. We see no real signs of age. The public spaces are elegant and understated. Everything is accessible, as it is easy to get from aft to stern and never a wait for elevators if you choose not to use stairs. We prefer some of the public spaces, such as the spacious Seabourn Square coffee lounge. Score: 10.

Silversea:

Our ship is the Silver Dawn, and she was built in 2021. Because of the pandemic years, she seems even newer than that. Every aspect of the ship is clean and new feeling. It is larger than Seabourn, but we don’t feel much difference in size, accessibility, or crowds. Score: 10.

Verdict: No clear winner here; they are both excellent ships.

Your typical suite

Seabourn:

We choose a typical veranda suite on deck 8. There are no inside suites on a luxury ship! The suite is large, including the veranda, and well-equipped. The bed is comfortable. There is a good-size table and chairs for room service or doing some work. The walk-in closet is functional, as is the bathroom, with tub, shower, and dual vanity. Our only suggestion is the lose the dark brown marble and curtains in favor of something more modern. Score: 9.

Silversea:

We choose a typical veranda suite on deck 7. It is very similar to Seabourn. The layout is a little different, with a long counter that serves as a desk, but no table for room service (they add a table top to your small table when you need it – somewhat clever, but a little clumsy). Above all, we like the light, muted color scheme; it just seems more inviting for spending time in the room. Score: 9.

Verdict: No clear winner. We like the configuration of Seabourn a little better. We like the bright feeling of Silversea’s room.

Service

Seabourn:

We have two cabin attendants available at all times. They quickly learn our specific needs – sparkling water, lots of ice, what time we prefer turn down service. The ship’s captain mentions a book on cruising Alaska, so they provide us with our own copy to keep. Score: 10.

Silversea:

They are known in the industry for their butler service. We meet ours and are told the hours he works. We have a private housekeeping attendant for other hours. In general, the service is impeccable; I might say to a fault. I notice that toiletries are rearranged on the bathroom shelf. A container of dental floss I leave open has been closed. The service can feel a little invasive for the 21st century. On the flip side, we are craving some hot chicken soup one evening (not on the menu), and the butler promptly produces two bowls. Score: 9.

Verdict: Most people would probably call this a tie, but we give a slight edge to Seabourn.

Dining

Seabourn:

The operative words here are “all included” and “no reservations.” There is an array of 4-star dining options, all with no surcharge. The famous Thomas Keller restaurant is the only one requiring a reservation. The food is diverse and excellent. Even the “buffet restaurant” – the Colonnade – features Thomas Keller-inspired nights, where we are delighted by some of the best southern fried chicken and BBQ, served with my favorite Guinness Extra Stout. One lunch in the main dining room is actually a fun buffet set up inside the ship’s kitchens! Score: 10.

Silversea:

We expect Silversea to win here, based on some eleven choices of dining venues. We are disappointed. The Japanese restaurant, Kaiseki, is mediocre for dinner, despite an $80 per couple surcharge! The SALT (Sea and Land Taste) restaurant is bland. Service everywhere is painfully slow (3+ hours for dinner?). The only interesting venue is the Grill, where you cook your own steaks and seafood on a hot rock placed on your table. The food is tasty (then again, we are the chefs). On top of that, most dinner options required reservations that need to be made months in advance! It provides little chance for spontaneity. Overall, we are underwhelmed. Score: 5.

Verdict: Surprisingly, Seabourn is the clear winner.

Entertainment

Seabourn:

I don’t know if we just get lucky here, but the singers/dancers for nightly entertainment are outstanding. See my short video above for a snippet. A Tim Rice tribute is a special treat. The venue is comfortable and the energy level is high. We even enjoy a nightly lounge piano/guitar player (not usually our thing), who is really talented, as well. Score: 10.

Silversea:

With Seabourn having set the bar high, we are seriously disappointed. The singers/dancers make Carnival Cruise shows look professional by comparison. We leave each show within minutes (as do several other guests). The venue, the Venetian Lounge, has some weird seating design, where every other row partially blocks the view of the row in front of it. On the plus side, we discover a jazz duo from South Africa, who are excellent; the only problem is they perform in a club that requires reservations (we are squeezed in for drinks a couple of nights). Score: 5.

Verdict: Seabourn does a superb job are finding talented performers who create shows fit for the small venue and an audience in their 50s-60s. Silversea is a big failure.

Cruise Director

Seabourn:

A highly energetic, friendly cruise director can make a surprising difference, improving the overall vibe of the cruise. We get that in Matt, who quickly learns our names, makes frequent ship-wide announcements about things to do, and seems to be everywhere. Coming back from a morning excursion? There’s Matt. On the dance floor late at night? There’s Matt. Score: 10.

Silversea:

What cruise director? We never see or hear ours, other than a morning announcement that we are at a port and can disembark now. She does run a daily trivia game. We eventually learn she is actually a pretty talented singer, who performs one night. That’s not enough to have her earn her keep, apparently, so she is also given the job of cruise director. I kind of feel sorry for the multiple hats they make her wear. Score: 3.

Verdict: I have been on enough cruise lines to see the difference a fun cruise director can make. Seabourn is the clear winner with this one.

Excursions

Seabourn:

Excursions on Seabourn are an extra charge, so we are careful in choosing 5 during our voyage. The cost for two of us is $1,500; on the other hand, we are given a $1,000 shipboard credit to apply. In general, the excursions are excellent. The ship carries its own zodiacs, each manned by a knowledgeable expedition team member (Ventures by Seabourn), for up-close views of everything from whales to glaciers. Score: 8.

Silversea:

One of the cruise line’s selling points is its free excursions. There is usually one offering per port. We find the free excursions to be hit and miss. Some are quite good, some we wind up leaving (such as a small-town walking tour led by a 16-year-old boy on his summer break, who got lost and couldn’t answer anyone’s questions). The worst experience is an excursion that cost us $320 to see a cheesy Viking village and a boat trip through the same fjords visited by our ship! Score: 5.

Verdict: Once again we are surprised that Seabourn is the winner here, given the way Silversea touts its included excursions.

The little extras

Seabourn:

When you sail on a luxury, all-inclusive voyage you don’t expect many “extras.” Still, we are delighted by being given some really high-quality rain jacket/windbreakers. They come in handy and look sharp, with only a small Seabourn logo. We don’t care much about the touted caviar and champagne, but the end-of-cruise pool party is a lot of fun. Score: 10.

Silversea:

There is a daily cooking class, which is a nice touch. And the guest lecturer is excellent. One day, her detailed preview of how to experience an upcoming city is so good we cancel our ship’s excursion and customize our own walking tour. Score: 8.

Verdict: Wait, we’re spending more than a thousand dollars per night, and we get excited about a free jacket? Well, yes. Those Seabourn jackets are so practical, we wear them often – even on the Silversea cruise!

The final verdict

Out of a possible 80 points: Seabourn scores 77. Silversea scores 54.

Seabourn is the clear winner in our books.

A few cruisers suggest we might try Regent or Oceana next or even Crystal, which is back. So many choices vying for best luxury cruise experience.

Do you have any Seabourn or Silversea stories to share or suggestions to help others? Feel free to comment at the bottom of this post.