canderson

Another data point: We will be on Dawn in November and will be arriving 4 days ahead, not the usual max 3 that SS allows. We paid the $150 for the deviation, and booked our 1st night at the same hotel that SS booked for us for the 3 ahead ... and they have agreed to have is picked up at the airport for hotel transfer.

https://www.silversea.com/my-silversea.html ???

Same here. We had to show passports right after disembarkation at St. Petersburg, so we absolutely needed them in hand for that.

If you're the only person that can explain (and remedy) a particular glitch in the GEODSS system, it's necessary to at least be available for a consult. Hasn't happened during a cruise yet, but there's always that chance. So the best possible connectivity is preferred. Ironic ... needing satellites to talk about a system designed to track satellites. https://www.spaceforce.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Article/2197760/ground-based-electro-optical-deep-space-surveillance/

It's only a requirement for certain ports of call. So if SS does thus as a regular 'thing', it's by their own choice, and largely unnecessary in the Western hemisphere.

I still think we would benefit by seeing the content of your message header.

Are you familiar with how to display the full header of that email? Might tell a lot about the actual source, if not SS. Could also be that someone just fat fingered the phone number, though one would think they'd have it right on a cut-and-paste response like that.

The reviews are all over the map. IF they don't cancel your service for lack of a driver/car right before it's due to arrive, the service you get tends to be quite good. I know I'll have a plan B in my pocket for our November cruise. https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.blacklane.com

Perhaps not, but we've been zinged a couple of times when we were on an extended cruise with a lot of luggage, and it was a hassle getting something big enough to hold it. Yes, I know you can specifically ask for a larger vehicle in some cases - though even then, that doesn't mean that's what is going to show up. Then delay until they can find a bigger vehicle. You might be surprised how many vehicles won't hold 3 large suitcases and 2 carry-ons, especially when they refuse to put any of it in cabin space. So when not traveling light ... With Blacklane, you do get direct contact reasonably far in advance so that they are definitely forewarned about what to expect.

Excellent news! Do they prepare them differently from time to time (e.g. herb crusted or en croute, etc) or is it the same each night?

They haven't seen my penchant for lamb chops yet! 😁

Yes. SS seems to be able to manage up to 3 days ahead without issues. More than that and you'll need to book additional hotel nights ahead yourself.

Much depends upon the air fare. Sometimes it works in $ terms, sometimes it doesn't. As an example, we're one way DEN > LIS in a couple of months, and at that time, I couldn't beat SS's business class upgrade pricing anywhere. While they're charging a bit more for the pre-cruise hotel (and not much, at that), the air difference far more than pays for it. Then again, we booked a while back, and the add-on for the business air for the same cruise is higher now, but so are market prices, so it would still be a good bit less than buying tickets from any of the airlines. You need to look at their price for D-D or P-P, consider the flexibility offered by handling your own reservations if that's important to you, and then do the math to see if it makes sense for you to go with SS or roll your own. Also consider how you prefer to get to/from home. If you normally hire a car service for your transportation, you can incorporate that into your calculations as well. We're right at the edge of Blacklane's mileage limit, and our usual car service would run us about another $150 each way, so I can subtract another $300 in my calculations.

Yes, I definitely preferred to work directly with the Flights by Celebrity people vs. how it's managed with SS where a middleman of some sort is always involved. Discussion of alternate itineraries was SO much easier, not to mention MUCH faster.

True, but only a portion of the flights available are shown online. A phone call directly to their air folks (something you can't do at SS) often turned up a better itinerary.

It's called a bidet. Sorry, mental picture just wouldn't go away! 😅

Trying to wrap my mind around this: NINE wines? Does the extra $160pp include the tip for my waiter carrying me back to my cabin on a luggage cart, or @Tucson Guy, are these small pours???

Not sure why. While tasty, neither of the ones you mentioned are expensive.

@A Tucson Guy Can you identify for us any of those "way above" wines that they served?

Would those also be the "rabid complainers" and "pearl clutchers"? Must we now add "insufferable people" to the collection of adjectives? I find those who resort to name calling to be ... well, not insufferable ... but let's just say less than cordial in conversation. That's two (ref post #147).

We are far more comfortable being at the embarkation city at LEAST the night before any cruise. Too many unexpected travel issues to arrive "day of". I think you'll find a lot of support for that approach.

That ... right there. Excellent point, and it goes to the heart of what I believe @Codecow was getting at with the use of the expression "social contract", too. Ambience, or what that restaurant in Palm Springs called "the dining experience" is indeed very often a subconscious thing. Apart from those who consciously judge every aspect, I think most of us unconsciously take in all of the aspects of our surroundings, each element playing its own part, and they are summed to define what each of us senses as the ambience of any particular venue. This is much of what differentiates cruise experiences in general. Each of us also may have certain aspects of ambience come to the fore and become very conscious elements of 'ambience'. I'll never forget realizing just how different it felt to cruise on a line that was yapping on the PA all day to tell me what a great time I was having and where that next 'can't miss' event was being held ... vs. a line that never did this sort of thing. It changes the whole 'vibe' of the cruise experience.

Am always surprised at how many believe that the concept of 'the experience' extends no further than their immediate table, and should not for others, even though it does. Kudos to this restaurant that appreciates that difference and makes their intentions clear.

There's a rather good new book called 'Generations' that explains the genesis of this in some detail.

Of those, the '01 was, to my taste, absolutely 101% spot on. This one has the requisite acidity to balance the sugar, and allow to cellar for the REALLY LONG haul too. It'll still be drinking perfectly when we're long gone!