Port Power

1 hour ago, NYU73 said:

Hi All

My wife and I are on the Silver Nova Toyko-Toyko in March 2025. At cruise end, we do not believe we can go on an offered Silversea 1/2 day tour that ends with a Narita drop-off at approx 14:30pm. Our flight departs Narita at 17:35pm. Do any past cruisers know if this is sufficient time to clear customs and get onboard?  Similarly, do any past or upcoming Toyko cruisers for this voyage have any recommendations for a reliable transportation/shared ride company to Narita from the cruise terminal? 

Your thoughts and comments would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Steve

Why don’t you think you can use the Silversea transfer?  If you have not booked door-to-door, you can still purchase the transfer from the Shore Excursions desk.

When I was on Silver Dawn last year, I went on the tour/transfer to Narita.  Three hours is plenty of time to check in and go through security.  It didn’t take long at all from memory.  Before I knew it, there I was in the JAL lounge with something bubbly in my hand!  Often airlines are not available for check in until 3 hours prior to the flight anyway.

1 hour ago, kschreib said:

I found a cruise critic comment from ca. 10 years ago

indicating that it was 300, not 350 days!

Again, does anyone agree with this?

 

Thanks

As several people with long histories with Silversea have stated above, the 7-day cruise is benefit after 350 nights. No one seems to agree it is 300 days, at least not since at least 201.

4 hours ago, Mica190 said:

I have a million questions. I have room 7082 on hold until tomorrow. I’ve never been on a cruise before. Is that a good room? Is it loud? How’s the motion sickness back there? Do you hear or feel the engines? What’s this panorama smoking issue? Can people look into balcony? Can you smell smoke?
 Please I need any and all info about this room, this boat and the cruise in general. Help a newbie out? Is it all worth it?? 
Thanks!! 

Did you read post #1 by @sea bright?  It seems your questions were answered there.

I never feel sea sick, so my answer might be very different to your personal equilibrium.  Aft is quite stable, with less sense of motion than forward cabins.

There are many threads about Silver Nova, with guest experiences quite different even on the same cruise.  Look up one of the recent threads for descriptions of the ship.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.  Please do look through the list of threads, and read a few that might be of interest to you.

There is something I must correct.  There was an accident a few years ago, but never any fatalities. No one died at Horizontal Falls.

The traditional caretakers have now stopped the boats going through, although with about two years’ notice IIRC.  (Totally unrelated to the previous accident.)  There was quite a business with float planes flying from Broome and landing on the water there, and passengers then boarding the boats. 
 

I’m glad you have been enjoying your Kimberley cruise.  The area is a wonderful part of my home state.

1 hour ago, lincslady said:

For my next birthday  I have been asked what I would like, and not needing any presents I am hoping to be taken to a top class restaurant for their tasting menu, with the wine flight to go with it.  I know they ask beforehand if you have any allergies, and do something different for you, so no problems there.  Nicer now for me to have experiences to remember, rather than jewellery, scarves, perfume etc. which I have more than enough of.  I bet many of you feel the same.

 

That’s what my son and I have done for the last few years (there’s only two of us in our immediate family now), and I thoroughly enjoy the experiences.  Sometimes a favourite restaurant to return to, sometimes experiences run by wineries.  For his birthday last week we went to a bourbon pairing dinner with Weller and Pappy Van Winkle bourbons. One happy son!

12 hours ago, Tothesunset said:

Yet SS book flights for arrival on departure day. I'm sure seasoned travellers are aware of the dangers so you would think the cruise line would factor this in to the itinerary. Or have contingencies in the event of part of the package failing. 

 

Surely it's not up to the customer to advise the cruise line. If the line chooses to book an itinerary which is disrupted by a late flight (they can't pretend it never happens) I would hope they would properly accommodate the customer when the plan fails. 

 

I don't understand how the line can just shrug and say "tough" in the OP's case. 

 

And I don't understand how it can be excused. 

It is most unfortunate that guests do have to advise the cruise line!  I agree with your statement, and the cruises Iines indeed should remedy the situation, including all costs and transfers, until the guest reaches the ship.  But it’s not happening in real life!  SS should book flights to arrive the day before and advise guests they will need to book a hotel at own cost.  If the customer then says “no, fly us in on boarding day”, Silversea is off the hook.  Newbies and the naive (perfect term) will probably go with the itinerary SS recommended. 

Here is Falcon. He is pretty gorgeous. His tail is so full and fluffy!  His mother was a rescued feral cat that took extremely well to domesticity. As did young Falcon, now 2 years old.

3 hours ago, JME415 said:

 

The expectation -- and what they claim to offer -- is "white glove" service from your home to the ship. This includes the flight. So if the flight is delayed and the connections missed, they re-route the flights. If those flights make it impossible to get you to the ship before it leaves, the expectation is they will get you to the next port and provide the needed transportation and arrangements. I don't think that's an unreasonable expectation given how they market it. 

I am so sorry for your friends.  I hope they have learned from this that they need to fly into the port city at least a day early.  Silversea will book earlier flights if requested.

There was no hotel included in the D2D booking, so no reason SS would pay for it.  Also the transfers from airport to port are group transfers, not an individual vehicle.  At least their new flights were supplied at no further cost.  Hopefully their travel insurance will compensate due to the missed connection, unless the cost is less than the excess.

14 minutes ago, MsCrystalina said:

The TA got the cancellation notice over a month ago for the Doha-Athens. I got nothing.

TA Sent me a copy that states your client will be sent this tomorrow. -  Glad I decided to check out the website.   Now to find something by 31 July with a 15 percent discount.   This was a replacement for a previous cancellation, and it came with a whopping 25 percent discount!

Won't see that again

I still believe you should be offered a similar length cruise at no extra charge. A 15% discount off fares that have increased since you booked is not a fair exchange.  That’s not going to happen either, along with 25%!

5 hours ago, taxatty said:

For the sake of comparison, here is a current review of a Seabourn Pursuit Kimberley cruise, including a photo showing snorkeling off a Zodiac at Ashmore Reef. Truly, Silversea "just didn't want to bother." https://thepointsguy.com/guide/kimberley-australia-cruise-seabourn/

Perhaps snorkeling was allowed because of Seabourn’s partnership with local traditional caretakers?

I do remember the wind and current picked up.  Before it became too strong and we were called back to the Xplorer, many less strong swimmers used noodles to help themselves float.

43 minutes ago, DavyWavey70 said:

Well it’s only taken 6 months but I’ve finally finished the video for my little mini break I took back in January. If anyone hasn’t got better things to do this weekend it’s a way to pass an hour. 
 

 

You have showcased the scenery of Australia and New Zealand beautifully. A lovely video. Thank you.  I watched it over breakfast and a cuppa rather than reading.

1 hour ago, DavyWavey70 said:

JP you’re a gem. Xxx

9 minutes ago, Port Power said:

What about @mysty?  I think she was the gem. 🤔

Don’t tell me after all these years that @mysty and @jpalbny are the same person?  Boy, they travel enough for two people, much less one! 🤣

1 hour ago, DavyWavey70 said:

JP you’re a gem. Xxx

What about @mysty?  I think she was the gem. 🤔

5 hours ago, BreakfastCruiser said:

We are considering to go on the May 20 - June 12, 2025 Silver Cloud cruise from Lautoka (Fiji) to Darwin through the South Pacific (Melanesia) on the below itinerary but would appreciate any feedback from any that have done similar such South Pacific Expedition cruises 🙂:

https://www.silversea.com/destinations/french-polynesia-pacific-cruise/lautoka-to-darwin-e4250520023.html

 

Namely:

1) The cruise is 23 days which would be the longest we've ever done... does it get 'boring' to just always be at different islands in the sun?

2) Any sense of the balance between nature (snorkeling, hiking, beaches) vs cultural (village tours, historic relics, tribal dances & customs) on this kind of expedition cruise?

3) Any other tips or advice?

 

Our alternative is doing Antarctica for 21-22 days later in 2025 or early 2026 on the Cloud or the Wind, so these are two completely different cruises...! 

@highplanesdrifters posted a trip report when she did it last year (April May) before I joined the ship in Cairns.  Well worth having a look. Lots of information about activities and experiences.

11 minutes ago, PaulaJK said:

 

15 minutes ago, PaulaJK said:

We are in a port intensive cruise which traveling from Rome to Barcelona visits Italian, French and Spanish ports. Will Salt change offerings in line w the ports/ countries? 

Since  pre booking was nit available fir Salt, hiw do we gi about booking and how far in advance…or is this a walk in option like Atlantide?
 

S.A.L.T. Restaurant is an alternative choice as a main dining. No bookings required.  Their main menu if local flavours changes daily or every second day, then there are regular menus that lasts about four days. Plus standard faves.  You can also request dishes with sufficient notice.   Just enjoy! 

1 hour ago, RachelG said:

Recap and briefing —tomorrow is Ashmore Reef.  JP and Chris snorkeled here a month ago.  George had brought his new snorkeling gear with him looking forward to this as a highlight of the trip, and nothing was mentioned at all about any snorkeling.  He is really upset.  No one at the expedition desk to give any explanation tonight.

 

Our dinner in La Dame was delicious.  The food is excellent though very rich.  But everything perfectly prepared.

I snorkelled at Ashmore Reef and Scot Reef earlier last year when on an Australian registered expedition ship.  When I was on a foreign registered vessel, it was not permitted. We could only zodiac to view bird breeding colonies, rays and turtles. Therefore I was surprised when JP said they snorkelled in that area.  Their good luck!  All those expedition ships, including Silversea, provided snorkels, masks and find for the duration of the expedition. (On Silversea we snorkelled off Queensland islands.)

1 hour ago, FauxNom said:

Great to hear! Do you recall when the last all-aboard time was when you boarded in Vancouver? Our shuttle arrives at 3 p.m., which I hope won't be a problem even though I believe the last boarding time advertised was 2 p.m.

Fingers crossed for you.  I just read about a couple denied boarding when they arrived after the all aboard time.  Evidently it has something to do with clearance paperwork the ship has to give to port authorities.

On the other hand, on another cruise I was on, a couple whose delayed flight was quite late arriving telephoned the ship as soon as they landed. Doing that meant they were registered as boarded on the paperwork, even though they turned up just before the tops were released.  It pays to let the ship know.

27 minutes ago, Jack I. Reacher said:

I started calling in late June after we booked a cruise on June 10 -  i got mine (match and VS number) but had to call Celebrity first and they confirmed we were Elite...they provided a Crown and Anchor number and loyalty match as well for Royal Carribean...but my husband has not received either and he is also Elite and should have 250 VS Days...i must have called them 6 or 8 times....each time it is the same thing "wait 72 hours" and of course that means business hours not calendar time. I've been thru about 3x 72 hours and still no fix. "It's a new program" they say but they wont say what the issue is...i suspect it is in the handshake info exchange between Celebrity /RC to Silversea. Today now I cannot even open the loyalty match page at all - looks like they are doing something to that page. We sail (first time on SS) in less than 60 days and it is a VS cruise and with our match we are supposed to get 15% off - i have no way to get that refund since we paid full price until this is sorted out. Very aggravating for sure.

You had to book a cruise after the status match announcement to receive the discount.  Discounts are not retrospective.  Your booking sounds borderline.

19 minutes ago, RachelG said:

The cruise to the falls

It’s amazing that there was any water falling at all at this time of year!  Lucky you.  Did you see Ospreys and an osprey nest?

I visited the Canary Islands last year on Silver Dawn, Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale.  The tours were very good to excellent. Unfortunately some those great tours are now select, or don’t exist.

I agree you should read @Fletcher’s trip report from earlier this year.

28 minutes ago, mysty said:

 

The wooden hangers provided on the ship are lovely and they take up a lot of space.   I bought thin hangers to use here at home and to take on the cruise.   They were somewhat felted so things did not slip off and they were sturdier than wire hangers.   

Where did you put your suitcases?  That’s a lot for under the bed, even with the spare bedding removed.  Did the ship store them somewhere?

5 hours ago, mysty said:

@Port Power...next question.....

 

"I remember your photos of suitcases laid out for packing.  A lady doing the Pole-to-Pole said to me that it is not that we need lots of clothes, it’s more for our vanity.  With laundry included, that is quite true.  How many suitcases did you take on board each?  Luggage forwarding isn’t available from Australia, but I can take four large suitcases if I fly business class.  What were your must haves?  Very useful items?  Should have left it at home items?"

 

We sent 4 pieces of luggage ahead.  We took 2 medium suitcases and 1 small suitcase as checked luggage on the flight to Bridgetown.  We had 4 carry-on bags.  The small checked bag had hangers, a 160 day supply of vitamins, the shoe hanger and odds and sods.  One of the large ship ahead bags had hiking boots, hats and scarves, fleeces, jackets, rain pants etc (cold weather garb).  We had to pack for a wide range of weather for that cruise.  Hence the reason for so many pieces of luggage.  On past world cruises we sent 4 pieces of luggage ahead and had 2 checked bags.

 

We intended to do a few Formal nights so I packed a few outfits for me and suits for Myster.  I tend to get bored with clothing so I probably packed more for myself than normal people would. 😁  The night lights were very helpful as were the folding fabric boxes.  One box held the medications and first aid supplies.  

 

I did discover that I had not packed enough cold weather clothing and maybe a few too many warm weather pieces.  I have made a list of average temperatures for each port for the month we would be visiting.  In some cases the averages weren't what we experienced.

 

It was great fun tracking our route on the world map.  Many times I had to use latitude and longitude because the port did not appear on the map.

 

There were no items this time that I should have left at home.  😁  If you have more questions on the packing, please ask.

 

Thank you, Mysty.  Like you, I look up the average temperatures along the itinerary and plan accordingly.  I won’t have really cold weather, so no need for boots and parkas.  Even the scenic “float past” of Antarctica will only need a puffer jacket.  I will need more hot weather clothing, so won’t scrimp there. It sounds like four large suitcases will certainly be enough for one person.
 

I still have the shoe hanger from our very early cruising days. That was an early Cruise Critic hint. It was used over the bathroom door to hold toiletries and sundries though, not shoes. I also have stronger magnetic hooks now, so another one inside the wardrobe actually for shoes is a good idea.  I’ll look for cheaper fabric boxes, Kmart rather than IKEA.

Why did you take cloth hangers?  Wouldn’t the ship be able to supply as many as you needed?  But you have made me think that connectors to hang one hanger on another will be very useful. I’ll collect pull rings from baked bean cans to take with me.

I appreciate your suggestions and taking the time to respond. 😀

Do you have a few days in Sydney?  How will George manage the winter weather?  I guess he was only thinking of the tropical north and not the cold and wet winter of Sydney.  Perhaps find a Salvo's charity shop for a temporary fix?  Or will he just tough it out? 💪

I can now confirm that Silversea has applied a straight 10% discount to the total fare, listed as 'Venetian Society savings'.   I am still very happy.  

1 hour ago, jpalbny said:

 

 

Sounds like a misunderstanding to me, or your TA's question was interpreted incorrectly. But, once they processed the booking and had your VS#, the discount came through as expected, because the status match had been processed and it was tied to your VS number.

 

My interpretation of that response is that they (SS) thought that you were asking about a status match which had given you a higher CELEBRITY status, rather than a status match based on your Celebrity status, which gave you a higher Venetian Society status. Thus their response basically says, "We don't care if she got a status match on Celebrity - it's her VS status that counts." That makes sense to me.

 

You may well be right that my TA worded the request unclearly.  Nevertheless, the printed quote from Silversea yesterday, which also had my VS number on it, has had a further almost $10,000 dollars VS discount applied today.  I agree that the status match information must have caught up when the actual booking was processed.  In the end, I am one happy cruiser! 🤩

I guess I am now an example that the status match system does actually work.