Elizabethbea

Addendum: after 9 am you can get some cake and a pot of yogurt in the main lounge area. 

I am on my first Ponant. Been on around 25 cruises all luxe ie less than 800 pax.   This is NOT luxery. Just two eateries both buffets - the restaurante gives you menus but it is go help yourself. After 9 am no breakfast. True. Wines average. No caviar. Rooms like a shoe box. 
 

many of the “ expedition excursions” consist of sitting in a zodiac for up to 2 hours. Expedition team Uni students- nice people but it gives the cruise the flavour of a school trip.
 

not allowed to order a  bottle to your cabin

NO guest laundry- not even an iron.  
 

apart from the zodiac trip nothi ng to do each day. No outside bars. The Observation  lounge has an empty bar with no bar tender. 
 

the “swiming pool” is a plunge pool. 
 

NO promenade deck- infact nowhere at all to walk outside. 
 

clueless re Trivia. 
 

Zero for solo passengers. 
 

staff very nice. 
 

For so called luxury this simply does not cut it. 
 

Don't get too excited--its just for the US and Canadian market.

 Yes , my TA, also very experienced dealing in Luxe market, informs me that on the weekends she now does not contact SS, as the call is rerouted to Phillipines /India where the accent is so strong it is impossible to understand , and the SS agent is not familiar with the SS product. 

 Yup, fed up of the TAs and Influencers on Explora. One called me an "angry and bitter woman" when I  suggested she might possibly get upgrades and superior service "cos she was a TA!!!!

( Well a gal is entitled to her opinion, but personal insults are a bit off piste..)

Regrettably they do seem to be  focused on $$ at the "expense" of being decent to clients. I was on  an included excursion ( Muse , Alaska)recently, it was a good excursion. But included for me , at lunch another pax told me she had paid  US $340 for it. SS are blind if they think this won't negatively impact them.

 Oh yes, my TA is in the US--she must be good for me to use a US TA when I live in Australia!

 It's not odd really. TAs get around 20% comission  on Explora sales.  Some very decent TAs ( I have one who is wonderful) in effect cut their commission and knock it off the price of your cruise. They get paid their commission  very close to sailing often, so you get the refund when you get back. ( I use mine towards the next cruise ) Some TAs will tell you there are no discounts. Just don't go with those. If you stick with a good TA she/he will look after you and always get you brilliant deals. I am NOT a TA! Just been cruising for 15 years and have an excellent one.

Correct. She was offered a Club Soda.

Of course . But I would not expect not to be able to get sparkling water on a ship that purports to be Luxury and when one is paying over AUD 1000 a night.

 Very interesting-I have a friend onboard who sais there is NO proper sparkling water and getting Pommery is a nightmare. Just shows it is very subjective.

This does not bode well for Silversea. At all. Brilliant woman. 

I agree the huge price increase in the last 6 months is mind blowing . Think I may be forced to blow to another line...

On 2/16/2024 at 12:31 AM, Wheelhouse said:

I am just finishing a 16 day cruise on Explora 1 and booked onboard back to back cruises for next January.  I received the current discount sale price (Total Luxury Offer) plus an additional 5% for booking onboard. In addition I received $200 US per person experience credit per cruise segment (total $800) from Explora. 

Well you were lucky when I was onboard in Jan I was told the 5% does ot apply to the Total Luxury offer. It does say that in the Ts and Cs.

 I am not surprised--they have a neat way of borrowing money for nothing--They cancelled a 36 day cruise I had in May 2025, booked April 2023, ( because they got a better offer and cvhartered it ) --cancelled months ago--and I am STILL waiting for my money back. Not impressed.Not the way to treat long standing 4 cruise a year guests.

On 8/5/2023 at 8:10 AM, uktog said:

100% agree- I also find it annoying that those people who were cancelled were sorted out immediately and people like us, “real cruisers” have never been contacted or sorted out. 
Id love the view of people who aren’t agents or influencers and paid for their cruises and who focus on real “value”. 

I was on Explora for the first 3 weeks of Jan. Beautiful ship. SwRmi g with Travel Agents whom I believe got a “ sell a cruise get one fir yourself” incentive

 Yes! Didn't we? Great cruise--and wonderful that the youngies enjoyed it  as much as we did!

 Yes , it was. 

 Maybe you will come on the Xmas cruise? Isabel and Oleg are on it ...

 Sam and I played Trivia every day that it was on. Im trying to remember what we called ourselves--too many cruises ago to remember !

 I am blond, played  in a  team  with a lady who was a real old time cruiser called Barbara, I recall Trivia was in Galaxy then?

 Sam is tall dark handsome ! ( Well he is my son!!)

 And you are in Sydney? Im in downsouth WA ( MG area)

 You've got to be joking! I was on that  cruise with my Son, Sam. My name is Dawn--and yours?? I'm sure we must have met!

 Oh that will be  a lovely cruise! 

I"m sure you'll be fine and it will not get cancelled. 

 But if you've booked through Isabel and Oleg you can't do better. They will fight for you if need be.

 Oh, sorry I didn't realise this  thank you! yes, Oleg and Isabel just worked tirelessly to get Crystal to do the right thing.

..although based in the US, and I am in Australia, Isabel Travel  knows all about Aussie Consumer Law--and persuaded Crystal to change its mind! It just shows how important a TA is. When the chips are down you need someone to tirelessly fight for you. 

 My BRILLIANT Travel Agency , Isabel Travel, has managed to get me a 100% refund, after weeks of Crystal refusing !

I was tearing my hair out at loosing $10,000. Now I can sleep at night!