Gourmet Gal

Can you please elaborate regarding onboard experiences? I’ll be boarding in May.

Is that typical that the crossings are fully booked?

Same here. Most of our travel is still land-based but we enjoy a cruise now and then. I’ll be very curious about Four Seasons yacht…still waiting to see if Ritz Carlton works out the kinks. Beginning to look at Scenic Ocean.

I have an SS cruise booked for 2026 and am now concerned that by the time it rolls around the downward slide will be so steep and into the gutter that I may not recognize what used to be a nice line. It seems they are shifting their target audience to a less luxury-minded customer. But is a similar shift happening over at SB and Regent?

SS needs to update their website to reflect the lack of air credit. If you follow your links the landing page still makes it sound like there’s an option to cancel the air portion.

I received an email announcing just the new Essential fare and any links just go to the website which does not mention air other than to state that it’s included on D2D. Perhaps there’s another email coming. Anyway, I never fly economy so sometimes the included air plus the upgrade can be more economical - I always check the fares before deciding. But this hard line creates a problem for when you’re not happy with the routing or airline. You’ll no longer be able to drop the air after seeing the SS options. That makes D2D a risky choice.

Where is this page on the website? I still see on the site that airfare can be dropped for a refund.

Well, that’s interesting. Is that a quote from the AU site? I found this on the US site which implies the air portion can be dropped: INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS The air promotion is only available for the first and second full-fare paying guests. Guests could also choose to upgrade to roundtrip business class paying an additional cost. In case the booking includes more than two guests, they will need to purchase roundtrip economy class airfare. Airline baggage fees are not included. In the event neither Business Class nor Economy Class air is available (determined at Silversea’s sole discretion) or for guests not utilizing the promotional air offer, a non-use Air credit may be applied. Silversea reserves the right to modify the Silversea Air Programme procedures and fees at any time without notice.

Wow…true dat! Just checked the cruises I have in the pipeline and they have increased - the P2P that I just booked about 3 weeks ago went up 32%.

Same thing happened to me on a post-cruise hotel. We were allowed to delete that hotel and book one on our own. It happened as soon as we made final payment.

Odd that the page listing all the fares does not have gratuities listed under any category. Is that new?

Yes, hope you’re correct and that I jumped the gun on my critique.

Alserrod thanks for so much useful and practical info. We’ll be in Barcelona just 2 nights in late May and we want to make the most of our time. We have a 4:00 PM departure from BCN flying business on UA to the US. How much time should we allow in the airport prior to the flight, including checking bags and VAT refund? Is there any sort of fast track security lane for business class? Is the VAT office or Kiosk easily accessed?

Wow, that’s worth protesting. What a sneaky move.

With more high-end options becoming available it seems SS no longer wants to compete in the ultra-luxury category. By offering a “bargain” no-frills product it seems to cheapen the entire brand. It was always part of the attraction of SS that everyone had a butler, all dining venues were available, it was all-inclusive. That is no longer true.

No disrespect to DrRon but you sure have a lot of faith in one person’s opinion. You know, food and dining preferences are so subjective and if most of the people are happy then that’s a helpful data point. A sample of only 2 (drron, kiwi_dave) is a little light on data. Bon appetit!

Surprising that SS would be less expensive but a good plan would be to book a private transfer and then just check the SS rate once onboard. Not sure why SS would be any easier except perhaps you could pay with OBC?

Doesn’t P2P already exclude air, transport and hotel? And what does otherwise be the same mean? The price is the same? Or just the cancellation terms?

You should be able to use the ship’s WiFi for calls onboard.

As you say, layers and make sure one is waterproof!

You could check with Kensington Tours or Jacada to see if they can assist with booking a local guide for a day. They both specialize in full service private guided journeys and they are outstanding but I’m not sure about just day tours. Otherwise, check in Ports of Call here on CC or by location on Tripadvisor.

Yes, rafting could be exhausting just to get to shore.

There’s a walking tour almost everyday on river cruises and terrain can be tricky, usually cobblestones. It’s really not ideal for anyone with mobility issues but I’ve seen some really hardy souls give it a supreme effort and they somehow manage. I will say though, that the Rhône cruises may have a bit less walking than say a Rhine or Danube cruise. A cruise with more of a culinary focus may be somewhat easier as there may be numerous indoor market tours and meals onshore.

We enjoyed Hungarikum Bisztro but I’m not sure how far that is from the Intercontinental. We stayed at the Four Seasons and it was an easy walk. We also enjoyed the bistro at FS, Kollázs Bisztro. If you have time and are really interested in Hungarian cuisine we took a fascinating culinary tour with a private guide. Let me know if you want details.