Port Power

2 hours ago, Archipelago said:

Fellow posters : When you purchase Insurance for your voyages do you wait until the final payment is due ..or do you purchase in advance ? How far in advance do you purchase insurance if you purchase in advance ? Wondering how others do !

 

I always purchase travel insurance at the time of paying the deposit.  Well, I don’t actually purchase, because I use credit card insurance and pay the deposit with that platinum credit card.  And yes, I have needed to claim several times and there have never been problems.

However, up until the various penalty phases come into play, there is probably no point in buying travel insurance.  When you reach the penalty phases or pay for your flights, you definitely should purchase travel insurance.  Just my opinion.

8 hours ago, DavyWavey70 said:

What a beautiful tribute. 

 

I didn't think I would watch that all the way through, but I certainly did.  It was an excellent synopsis.  I am not a royalist, but I had very great respect for the Queen and her dedication to service.

What is with Princess Cruises?  Back in late April I booked Grand Princess for back-to-back cruises from Sydney to Brisbane, and the whole thing was  (it seemed) cancelled within days!  Just not happening.  And now this one.  Was Crown Princess the replacement for Grand Princess?  I don't really like Princess and only booked because I wanted to end up in Brisbane to stay with a friend.  I then booked Celebrity Edge instead.

1 hour ago, emckeeve said:

Which restaurants require or encourage reservations.  Which venue is the "main" dining room?"  Is that just a walk in?  And is it true that no restaurants open until 7?  That's a bit late for us.  What are the alternatives?  Room service?  A buffet?  We are new to Silversea and I'm totally confused.

There was a recent thread with the same questions and answers if you look back a bit.  Restaurants are all listed under the “dining” tab in your online booking. 

There is also the poolside restaurant, The Grill, which encourages dinner reservations.

Room service is available all day, but the extra dinner menu does not appear on your television until 7:00pm.  Dine anywhere is also an option, where you can order from the room service menu to be delivered to a lounge or deck area.

1 hour ago, MBP&O2/O said:

The head of the bed will most likely be forward. Ships are normally trimmed even keel or with a slight stern trim and this design keeps your head higher than your feet. It can be a pain when trimmed by the head,

I must respectfully disagree.  Bed direction alternates between each cabin.  On Silversea ships, one’s feet point towards the entry door wall, therefore alternating pointing fore and aft.  The bed never has one’s head on the pillow looking at the cabin entry door.

23 hours ago, jeffbenton561 said:

Many thanks Ashley.

 

Your first paragraph captured our feeling exactly. We are going on the 136 day Controtempo Japan to NYC cruise starting Jan 2025. We have never done a cruise of over 2 weeks and were questioning the wisdom of doing this after reading all the negative reviews. 

 

The detail of your review was fantastic and did help to allay some of our concerns. 

I really like Silver Dawn too.  I’ve been on her several times, the most recent in December.  I have also booked the complete 2027 world cruise on Silver Dawn, so you can see I do not have any major concerns with the ship.  Have a great time next year!

9 hours ago, nightime said:

Is there any way to tell which side the bed will be on when you walk into the room of the veranda suite? 

If you are meaning which side of the cabin in another sense, the sofa is always between the bed and the balcony.  There is also a curtain between the bed and the sofa, handy if the morning sun is too bright.   The bed itself is behind the bathroom, feet facing the long wall to the entry door.

Because my World Cruise next year is with Regent Seven Seas, I occasionally look on the thread over there.  Nowhere nearly as interesting or interactive as Silversea!  I was immensely surprised to find that Regent’s cooking classes are charged!  About $89 so I was told.  I could hardly believe it.  Or that plenty of people pay for them!  The cooking classes sound the same as the S.A.L.T. Lab classes, with ingredients already cut up and measured.  I love going to S.A.L.T. Lab, and I certainly hope the RCI bean counters don’t read the RSSC thread. Can you imagine…….

One poster evidently thought I meant cooking demonstrations and lectured about the venue being a proper, dedicated interactive kitchen.  I didn’t bother responding, not needing to ruffle feathers.  That person obviously did not know that S.A.L.T. Lab is the same thing.

Imagine how many classes I can do on the 2027 Silver Dawn world cruise! 🍳

53 minutes ago, Hambagahle said:

Here is what I did - I wanted to avoid a certain instructor whom I did not like and did not think was very good...so once on board I asked who was doing the cooking classes.  I was told.  (It was the one I don't like).   I went to Destination Services (I think it was anyway) and cancelled my classes.   Got a full refund and I was happy!

You have to pay for these classes?!!  I’m used to Silversea where they are included in the cruise.  Passengers can only sign up for two per cruise, but then go on a waitlist if wanting to do more.

2 hours ago, HoboBob said:

Since the ships have desalination plants or Reverse Osmosis systems on board, I am assuming all the potable water through the fresh water pipes is already "distilled".  Isn't distilled water nothing more than R/O water, since the final product is pure water with nothing else in it?  I am bringing my CPAP as well but was not all that concerned about using the "tap" water for it.

  

For example, I have an inexpensive R/O system in my kitchen with a separate tap and I have used this water in my CPAP for over 5 years.

 

Or do the ships take on fresh water at the various ports they call on?  Which could potentially be problematic based on the source, I would think.

While hanging over the balcony in port, I have seen a hose marked “drinking water” connected to the shiip on occasion.  You wouldn’t know where this might happen, so I would err on the side of caution.

2 minutes ago, mysty said:

Last night we had the pleasure of a Supper Club dinner at Black Tartan Kitchen.  The guest farmer was Dan McClure from Bath, Ontario.  It was an awesome experience!  Here is the menu...

 

 

The corn chowder.....

 

 

Salmon Confit.....

 

 

Bison.....

 

 

Carrot & Mascarpone.....

 

 

Flowers provided by Erin McClure that we got to take home.....

 

Everything looks wonderful!  Considering the our $ are very close, the wine pairing is very reasonable too.

6 hours ago, Tothesunset said:

And people are concerned that SS is going downmarket? Whyever would they think that? 

Azamara is hardly down market nor mass market.  Their “white night” is a hallmark.  It is great fun, held on the pool deck, and officers man the food tables.  Silversea also holds a deck party where officers man the food tables: it’s just called something else.

4 hours ago, motherchic said:

We are considering a Silverseas cruise. I noticed there are several included tours and many more tours that have a fee. 

I would need an accessible tour, and looking I realize that I will more times then not need a car or van tour. I cannot find pricing. Could someone give me just a ballpark cost on half day/full day tours?

Or where I could find pricing? I need to know if its going to cost just an arm or an arm and both legs

Thank you much

On various SS cruises, I have seen accessible tours.  Small vans that are wheelchair accessible or good for those with limited mobility.  However, they don’t show up on the shore excursions list.  I became friendly with a couple on board who frequently used these tours.  Always “included”.  Some of the regular tours were also all right if not in a wheelchair.  For example, at the end location, she could just enjoy the view or wander a bit while the rest of us did the walk, while also enjoying the scenery along the route.

I do not know if the SS call centre has further information or knowledge, but definitely on board.

There is a wheelchair bound CC member who did a trip report on Mardi Gras this year, possibly in March. Perhaps look up her thread and ask her experience?

18 hours ago, suzieq2cruise said:

DH cruises with CPAP.  We usually cruise NCL and they provide Distilled Water and extension cord.  

 

Taking our first MSC cruise next month.  Staying in MSC Yacht Club.  Two different Customer SErvice agents say we have to bring our own distilled water. So I wrote to customer service manager asking about it, since NCL and so many others provide it.  

 

If anyone has any experience with MSC and CPAP, would love to get your insight! 

As this is the Silversea thread, you are more likely to find answers over on the MSC thread.

6 minutes ago, mysty said:

 

I had to look up Ink gin.  It looks amazing!  Beautiful bottle!  And it sounds yummy! 😁

A different brand but the same butterfly pea flower for flavour and colour. Delicious!

I seem to remember we had discussions on this subject a couple of years ago.  It ended happily for me when @highplanesdrifters pick up an extra bottle of Turtle Gin in Fiji to pass along when we were on Silver Explorer. 😄

10 hours ago, lincslady said:

Back to the gins - as effectively a non-gin drinker (i.e. only with tonic, or better in a negroni), presumably you are drinking these spectacular gins neat, or on the rocks, or some other way,  in order to really appreciate the special flavours?

I drink “Ink” gin with tonic water.  I must dig it out from the cupboard as I’ve had it awhile and don’t want that beautiful colour to fade.

12 minutes ago, MBP&O2/O said:

Sounds more plausible than an Australian crayfish 😁

 

Oh, but I do love marron!  They are grown locally here in the West and are quite delicious.  But I agree, the reference was most likely to have meant the candied chestnuts version.

3 minutes ago, highplanesdrifters said:

 

On occasion our TA has scored better single supplements than those publicly available. 

I’d better get his name! 😆

On 8/12/2024 at 3:52 PM, Elizabethbea said:

 Silversea and Azamara are  different products. ( although the way SS is going it will soon be on par.)

 

There are currently 8 SS cruises with 25% supplement. All the rest are higher. Plus SSs prices have doubled ( if not more ) in the last 10 months.

 

Your TA, with respect ,will have no more access to single supplements than you or I. We just have to know how to find them. 

I was simply stating that it was via my TA’s website that I found the 2026 cruises when others had stated they could not find those dates on the SS website. I am quite aware of a TA’s scope.

I also know very well that Azamara is different to Silversea.  I have as many days on Azamara as Silversea (150+) and really enjoy the Azamara experience.  It is precisely because of the price hikes by SS that I am comparing prices!  (Allowing for upgraded beverages and shore excursions, very favourable for a solo traveller.)

9 hours ago, MarkWiltonM said:

We will take our first Silversea cruise on Silver Ray. On videos, I've seen butlers setting up tables for meals in the room. How is this arranged? Do you order room service through the butlers, or do the butlers get notified that a guest has ordered room service and take it from there? Or some other system? Also, is the butler always involved in room service, or only upon request, or only at dinner? Finally, is it true that you can order room service to be delivered to another location on the ship; for example, the Observation Lounge. I heard this was possible but only when meals are not being served in restaurants. If so, is this done through an app? 

Room service can be ordered through your butler or directly via the room service button on your phone.  Butlers always deliver room service.  The kitchen will notify them for delivery.  When outside your regular butler’s hours, there are “night” or roaming butlers who will deliver.  The menus are on the TV.  My butler would sometimes ring me when he was at the kitchen to check if, for instance, I wanted fruit juice as I usually ordered it.

Yes, meals can be delivered anywhere.  I have seen people eating in the Panorama Lounge and poolside.  I have ordered room service dinner to my cabin, but cannot answer your question about delivering elsewhere during evening meal times.

The point was the 25% solo supplement.  I was comparing prices between Silversea and Azamara using my cruise specialist premium TA’s website.  
 

My apologies, it wasn’t the Med, it was Asia (Singapore, Hong Kong, to Japan).  Both March and October were the same price on SS.  Maybe my TA is given early access.

24 minutes ago, Qld13 said:

Hi

 

Thank you for replies, just to expand my original question about the 3 blow out bundle, normally if buying in bulk one would expect the cost to be slightly cheaper for the goods/service but this appears to be $2 more so no advantage to taking the 3 pack!!

Absolutely!  This is marketing to trap the unwary.  Book them individually.  Once on the ship, there are usually deals anyway. Deals like buy two and 50% off the third, or buy three and fourth one free.

I was on Silver Dawn transatlantic last November/December.  I never book The Grill prior to a cruise because you just don’t know what is going to happen.  It might be fully booked, but rain puts some people off and the tables end up half empty on the night.  I ate out there a few times, sometimes wearing my puffer jacket.  I don’t remember any particular weather events though.  Really, any day should be okay.  It is usually warmer as the ship heads south, obviously.  I would just wing it!

10 hours ago, Elizabethbea said:

Many solo travellers have noticed this --and many jumping ship. It seems a tad shortsighted --at our age solos as a group are growing exponentially....I also was lucky and booked quite a few cruises into mid 2025. But with the current solo supplements will be going elsewhere--maybe the hay day of Silversea Solos is over, sadly....

You just need to book “last minute” or well in advance. As I mentioned earlier, I booked the 2027 world cruise with only a 25% solo supplement.  I also this afternoon started a dummy booking on Silver Whisperer in the Mediterranean in October 2026 as a comparison, and that was also only 25%.  
 

It seems timing is everything!

carolpart59 at gmail dot com

9 hours ago, Qld13 said:

Hi

Hopefully some experienced ladies might be able to answer this for me. I am booking hair appointments for my wife for our Nova cruise in Jan/Feb. Does the $49 charge for shampoo and blow-dry including taxes/charges etc, appreciate not including tip. Also don't understand that they do a "Blow out bundle of 3" for $149 which is $2 more than booking separately or am I missing something?

Thanks

I have had spa services such as facials and massages, and there were no extra taxes OR “service fees” (tips).  What was advertised is what I was charged.