Port Power

No. If booked through a TA, the passenger cannot change flights, only the agency that made the booking. There is a banner across the screen advising this whenever I log into manage my booking. I can choose seats, but not alter the itinerary. Also, as S/S are arranging transport from the ship, they can coordinate everything. Anyway, that’s their job.

There is a snack bar in one carriage. I know some of my group bought Pringles and coffee. Whether they sell sandwiches, I don’t know. Perhaps bring some muesli bars with you from home.

But team trivia is at 4:45pm! As mentioned above, no guest speakers present their talks after mid afternoon. Usually 10am and 11am, and possibly 2pm and 3pm when at sea. Bingo is held at about 4pm.

That is exactly right. Don’t sit back and expect Silver Air to contact you. The airlines contact their passengers about changes, not the TA. So the passenger needs to let S/S know as soon as possible.

Good choice. Keep checking regularly until bookings open. Perhaps available to book in September/October? 😀

How sad you can’t get to Rottnest. You’ve missed another relaxing and unique opportunity. There aren’t any hotels near the East Perth station. I’m sure you have already explored Perth hotels. The Ritz-Carlton at Elizabeth Quay is probably your cup of tea. Or one of the Crowne hotels at Burswood, which are straight down the highway from the airport and equally close to East Perth.

Well, Silver Air has surpassed my expectations! They replied within half an hour to my TA's email with suggested new flights. The flight change by SQ was definitely too early. The new flight from Narita is at 7pm, so I presume I will be booked on an "airport transfer with sightseeing" excursion. The original connecting flight no longer works, so Silver Air has put me on a later flight. No fault of theirs, but I will have an 8 hour layover. Fortunately the Singapore Airline lounges at Changi Airport are open 24 hours and have showers and quiet zones. I will survive.

A question for @mysty if you don't mind. I leave for Vancouver in two weeks and will be there a few days prior to boarding Silver Muse. It's been four years since I visited Canada, and on those occasions there was a tour manager to take care of business. This time I'm on my own. I need some advice about tipping in Canada. Particularly the hotel porter when he takes my two suitcases up to the room? Having said two suitcases, I will take a taxi from the airport rather than the train. I will spend the days walking, walking, walking! Dinner probably at the Fairmont (Waterfront) one night and the pub across the road another. Oh, I'll remember to pack my Perth winter clothes for the visit. 🤣 Having just disembarked Silver Dawn, my first classic Silversea cruise, I am really looking forward to a full month on board Muse.

Well, that hardly gives me time to pick you up from the airport and deliver you to the East Perth Station! You have set yourself quite a schedule, but there is plenty of time to relax on the train and the cruise. Have a great time.

I have just had an email from Singapore Airlines with a change of flight time from Haneda (Tokyo) to Singapore on October 9th after disembarking Silver Muse. The flight has been changed from 5:05pm to 9:10am. I don't even know if Silversea can get me to the airport in time! I have informed my TA who has emailed Silver Air. The original flight now departs at 8:20pm. However, luggage probably cannot be checked in until 3-4 hours before the flight, hence no lounge access. My onward flight from Singapore has not changed, which leaves me an 8 hour layover in the very nice lounge. Silver Air's response to the flight change will show how customer friendly they are. If they keep me on the later flight (which I think is likely), will they provide a hotel day room? Or a day tour for late flights? I will let you know.

The fjord cruise and scenic drive took 4 hours in all. It was wonderful. I think we started at 8:30am. Allowing a bit of leeway, return would be by 1:00pm. I actually thought the fjord cruise tour was more scenic and interesting than the Flåm train alone. If you book the train trip yourself directly with Flåm Rail, it is not expensive at all. You can probably cancel within a reasonable time frame too. Be warned, book VERY soon if you want an afternoon departure. Like this week! They sell out extremely quickly. Remember it will be summer and school holidays. There were so many campervans in the caravan (trailer) parks! Going independently, the carriage is not crowded and you can move from side to side to look out the windows. You do not get off at the restaurant, but continue on with the train, then return to Flåm. The tender only takes 10 minutes at most. The walk to the train station takes only two minutes. @Lonedaddy gave the correct name to the Geiranger tour I also took: Panoramic Mt Dalsnibba and Eagle Road. It included a stop just after departure to look back down over the town to the ship.

If there are enough people on the waitlist, an extra tour will often be arranged. For instance, three buses instead of two. Each bus has staggered departures, or visit the sights in a different order. Then there are the cancellations once on board, as some passengers reserve multiple tours until later, or even cancel just a day or two beforehand.

If you don’t mind, I’ll add my excursion. The train is iconic if you have never done it before, but ship tours only do half the distance then get out at a restaurant. As I had done the train before (independent booking directly with Flåm Rail), this time I chose the 2-hour cruise and combined bus sightseeing. It was wonderful! The relaxing cruise (inside out of the rain) took us past literally hundreds of waterfalls, plus remote farms still only accessible by water. Commentary was good. At the end we transferred onto a bus, through a large town we had seen from the boat, and up a steep switchback road to a magnificent view point high above the water. “It’s like standing right over the water” we were told. A marvellous piece of engineering, and the drive was really interesting. However, we only had a view of the clouds below us! 😢 It was a really good excursion. The Geiranger morning bus excursion was really good too. We headed way up to the highest point, a long drive but superb views everywhere. An excellent guide too.

I was on the same cruise, @ladrona, and concur with everything you said. It was my first S/S classic cruise and ai thoroughly enjoyed it. There were very few people your age aboard, so I think I remember seeing you around the ship. I particularly liked the ease of stepping off the ship onto the tender. No stairs to navigate at all. After more than 40 cruises, Silver Dawn’s accessibility was a revelation. It is such a pity The Voices of Silversea are being disbanded. I enjoyed all their shows and performances. This group finish in two months’ time. Although I like watching dancers, I really cannot visualise how having just two singers with work out. What if one is sick? I suggested to Bruno that his assistant cruise directors might have to fill in! On your next cruise, think about joining the ship’s roll call. You had a self sufficient group already, but it is really nice having the occasional chat with people you have “met” on Cruise Critic. This was my second Norwegian fjords cruise, but I could gladly do it again as there is so much to see. I am really glad to hear your in-laws had a good time as well. What a wonderful last hurrah family trip for you all.

I think you missed the tongue in cheek/sarcasm/poking fun!

Yes, I agree. The standards have been discussed and confirmed, so time to move on. Everyone will not be pleased all the time, so make sure we make our own choices and enjoy them.

As promised, here is my feedback from Silver Dawn, sailing Norwegian Fjords. Formal night was last night. I ate in Atlantide but was out and about from 6:00pm, and went to the 9:45pm show after dinner. I did not see any inappropriate clothing anywhere. Many men were in a tux or dinner suit. There were also dark suits as well as blazers with slacks, shirt and tie. Definitely no jeans or sweatshirts anywhere, much less in the dining room. Women were in a variety of dresses and pants, from formal through cocktail dresses to smart blouses with slacks. In all cases, no one seemed out of place. At the show a couple sat next to me. They had eaten at La Terrazza. Although not formal, they looked very smart in white slacks and button through shirts. Overall impression is that the dress code is alive and well on this ship. The show last night in the Venetian Room involved all six singers: the Voices of Silversea. The show was opera based and absolutely fantastic. Good costumes and excellent singing. I thoroughly enjoyed the show.

Of course you wear them to breakfast if you are going hiking afterwards. “Resort casual” is the suggested attire for wearing around the ship on sea days or after hiking.

Several of us were discussing this over dinner tonight. We all brought at least one formal dress and several “restaurant” or cocktail dresses. So there were six women who choose Silversea because of the expected high dress standard. Only one English lady (not going on the cruise) still seemed to think S/S is casual. 🤷‍♀️

It was an “Around the World” Journey in a Boeing 747 chartered from Qantas. It was absolutely fantastic! The catering was made to order and Champagne and Baileys flowed. In a couple of remote airports our aircraft had crowds out to see it. Qantas does not fly to Easter Island, but there the Red Kangaroo tail sat for all to see when we visited. The retiring of 747s has caused some difficulties, but of course the mothballing of most large aircraft during COVID put a damper on all such wonderful travel. Hopefully, if the Constellations align next year, an annual ATW trip will be back on in 2026. 🤞

I know who you mean now! Oh, no, not them. The owner of my tour company did actually used to work for that one, but went out on his own. Well, along with his wife and supported by a few others who also left that company. Dan does tours really well and is not as expensive, but is really, really good. I did my first Around the World on a 747 with Dan in 2019, and here I am now in Stockholm with a group of 29. The guest doctor is here for land only and won’t be joining the ship.

No, not them. This company have never used Silver Explorer. This constellation is their first time on Dawn but they may have been to Antarctica earlier this year. I have also just booked their “Arctic” tour next June which includes Silver Wind.

Next week, August 6-16. This charter is neither a club, business event or sporting group. Just a variety of people from around Australia who often travel together because the travel company organises such fabulous itineraries.

I finished packing tonight and have included lots of dressy outfits plus a definitely formal dress. Part of the reason I booked Silversea is because I want to dress nicely both during the day as well as at night. My cruise on Silver Dawn is also a partial charter by an Australian company I’ve travelled with several times and I know most of the guests dress well, so I expect the dress standard will be high. Even on an expedition cruise in the Kimberley the casual dress standard was pretty smart.

This is where magnetic hooks are very useful. After clothes stop dripping over the bath/shower (especially after rolling in a towel), place on hangars on the hooks along the wall.