Ozzibroad

Thankyou.

I  have cancelled  my cruise  in frustration.

I  needed to  know  what  London  airport and which  hotel  my  Greenland  package  included .I  was  informed  a week  ago.I wished to  arrange flights from  the same  airport  to Orkney and  do a  tour  there .Only  last week[after  months of  asking]  I  was  informed  it would be  Stanstead [of  course  no  flights to  Orkney from   there] and  the  hotel Radisson Blue  Stanstead. 

I  then  tried to  marry this with  a package  on Orkney and  found  nothing  available.

No wonder in  peak  season.

The  original  return  flight  Brisbane  to London   they informed me would be  Qatar at reasonable  departure  times  but after 3  months  they told me it was  a different airline departing  on  this  long flight at  0230  hours.

This is  meant to be a  relaxing  holiday so  I  refused.They then came  up with a  reasonable  schedule from  Singapore  Airlines which  they could have  given me in the first place.

Communication with  their flight department  must  be  through  the  agent. No direct contact allowed. Repeatedly  I  would  ask  more than  one  question  on flights etc  and  it would be  1-2  weeks to get an  answer then  only one question  answered. It would be  eg an  unsatisfactory  or  incomplete  piece of  information so I would  make a  furthur query and  again  have to wait  more than  a  week.Thus time  passed and  now  my  other tour options  have  disappeared and  I  am not  doing  gruelling air  flights for  only 9  days across the  world so have cancelled.

This  happened with my 3  cruises Guayaquil to Antarctica   last  year.I  ended up spending  13  1/2  hours in Santiago awaiting my connection. My frequent  flyer  number took  months and  multiple requests to be added and  I could not get into my flight schedule until this  happened, then I found  my  Business 2     internal flights had  been downgraded to Economy [no suggestion of  a refund]  and  there had been 6 schedule  changes including an  extra day  added

It took a  few more  weeks and   they came  up with LATAM  Premium Economy a flight which was  just economy seats  with an  empty  seat  between  three and  a bit more  leg  room. Awful food. [but could use the  Lounge- necessary with  11 /5 hour  scheduled  wait which  turned out to be 13 1/2  hours]

Unless they  can get  their  flight/hotel  bookings  more efficient  I will  not  be travelling with  them  again.I  cannot  understand  why  I am not able to speak  directly with  these people. Communication is  lik e Chinese  whispers.

Thankyou.

That was the itinerary  when I  booked  but it has all changed [for teh  better I  think.It is  easier to get to London fo r us.]

They now  charter to Greenland from London.  It seems  that  they  have  not done these flights  yet.

Thankyou That was the  itinerary Thanks  but the  have now  changed  their  charters  from London and  return. This  is fairly  new.

They seem to  be  changing a  lot of  things.I  have  just  been to Antarctica  where  instead  of  Ushuaia  they flew  their  charters to Port  Williams, Chile  instead of  Argentina. Closer to Antarctica  too.

Thanks  but the  have now  changed  their  charters  from London and  return. This  is fairly  new.

They seem to  be  changing a  lot of  things.I  have  just  been to Antarctica  where  instead  of  Ushuaia  they flew  their  charters to Port  Williams, Chile  instead of  Argentina. Closer to Antarctica  too.

I  am  doing a  Greenland   cruise  in July and  wish to fly   out of  the  same  airport the   air charters  use.

Does  anyone  know  which  they  use>

Can  anyone  tell me which  hotels  Silversea  uses in London.

At  this  stage all teh  information  I  can  get  is  ''Simply  Hotel''.

It  makes it  hard to  plan anything  when  only  there for  one  day and  you  need to do things that are  near , or have  friends come from a  distance to meet  up.I  know they will  let me  know  nearer the  date  but it is an  inconvenience.

If  I  knew  which ones they utilize  it would  help make things easier.

You  look fine there  Roma.  Full of energy! It was unbelievably fast.

Pneumonia  knocks you. The  lethargy seems to  last for  a month after. At least  you wont be  tempted to go  out and do too much. I suppose  Ireland  is in  lockdown too so it won't be your decision.  

It is getting  cooler  here now  Stumblefoot. We need a  bit of cold to sweeten the crop.

I would send  soem if  I could!

Hi Roma,

What an  epic  journey. You must be exhausted.  Everyone will be so  happy  to find you  made it. We  were beginning to expect the  worst  when you suddenly dropped out.

My, you came down  quickly. I recall seeing you beside the pool  a day before you went  to  hospital.

Now you  must look after yourself- no Covid, no flu.

Have  you anyone to do your  shopping? I  hope so.  You will need the most  nutritious food you can  get. Wish  I could send  you  some oranges. My trees are loaded this  year.

Did  Silverseas  pay  for your  return?  They did  ours,  all the  way. 24  passengers on  2  flights  Recife to Santiago, about 200  seats ,then  Santiago to Sydney, around 400  seats on    a  Boeing 787-8 , for 24 people. They are  refunding  the  whole cruise as I  outlined [same as  you] and have promised  incidentals. I don't  know how   or what  yet but was informed  that there  was a maximum of 2 nights  hotel accommodation, if that  helps.

All the other providers  are offering  credits- hotels, Amtrak, Southern Airlines Air  New  Zealand. These have to be  used within 12  months  so  I doubt  their  usefulness. United has offered  a refund. I did all my own bookings with  6 days  in US  I cannot use now as  we  never got there- and  who would want  to  go  now?

Yes, Guestrelations at  Silverseas contacted me  and offered me  either 100% cash  or 125%  credit  as a  refund, plus  some other  incidentals  which  I have not  yet claimed on.  I have to  submit forms  an d receipt s etc which  is rather  onerous. I accepted the  credit. I don't  know if this  was  wise. I think  a lot of cruise  lines  will be  in grave financial trouble after all  this.

How was the information released [and quickly] about the death of the Canadian passenger with Covid??

Was it in the press? It got  into Cruise Critic very quickly.

3 minutes ago, Lois R said:

I don't think SS would give out any information----security and privacy come into play.

You are probably  right  Lois.

The best we could hope is that they deliver a  message to  her, or maybe there is something in the media  that  we could find  on search.

Hi all,

The silence  is not good. I wonder if  Silverseas itself can give advice as to what  happened to Roma. 

I do not even know her  surnname,  although  I   socialised with  her on several occasions.

No word from her  may  be ominous, or she may be travelling.

Let's hope it is the  latter.

Yes, it has  been  a great help.

Still no word on Roma??

So  sorry to hear the news about the Canadian  guest.

All we heard until Sunday  was that he  was improving.

Also, we did not hear that his wife had the infection. We  were told he  had  some pre-existing condition.

Sad for  his  wife, alone,   away from  home .

No word from Roma. I wonder how you are  Roma?  Thinking of you.

• Typical  Trump, stealing all the credit for the  governments.
• We  know the  truth. 
• Silverseas  must have paid  out  millions on  this exercise. They would  have paid  the overtime for the  20+  police  motorcyclists , bus, police  car in front, airport  staff,  charter flights, then when we  got to Sydney  a SS  Rep  met us with  a package ''breakfast'' and  domestic  Business class  tickets to  our  home  cities  and  assisted  us to thecheckin , the    buses , then  rang a day  later to  see if  we arrived safely. 
• Not all other  travel  suppliers  have been so  ethical  or  caring,
• I  do hope  Roma  gets  home  OK and  am sure sh e will be looked after, as we were.

Hi all.Home in Australia for  a  day now. Seemingly safe  but have to  do another 14 day stint in  home  incarceration. Australia  is  panicking, closing state  borders, schools closed in Victoria, others  optional.

Silverseas did a  great   job  getting  us out -  24  on a  Boeing that appeared to have  about  400 seats, so we  were able to maintain  our  social  distance  throughout. Not so  Sydney airport where we  were  herded together with hundreds of passengers form across the globe. I was shocked,

Glad  to hear  the UK  contingent are all  home and  hope the US are  too,

Roma, thinking of  you. What is  happening? I  hope you are on the mend and soon will be travelling too?

Well , I am right

We are being flown out by charter, Australians NAD  new Zealanders first  5 pm  to Sydney via Santiago,

The airline is one that I consider the worst  I have been on, LATAM, but  beggars cannot be choosers. We are glad of  anything.

The staff will be  up front [ie Business], passengers economy ,with  food packs and water already  on  our  seats and we have been supplied with masks and  gloves we  must wear  throughout the journey, then  into 14  day  home quarantine

No food or  drink service and  I was on LATAM  4   months ago and  know what the packs will be  like .After  lobster and  champagne for  10  days  straight it will be a big  come down but we are  grateful to be  going  home.  I am prepared to starve as on  my last  trip.

After Sydney  we have  to  do domestic  flights We arrive Sydney  5,20 am so  home is   many  hours away.

We are  going  at last- yippee.

We now value our freedom  more than ever  before.We do not  know  what awaits us  at  home- maybe nothing  to  eat?? We cannot shop.

I  have  a feeling tomorrow is the day.

Cannot say why.

Very likely  unless they get  a spanner in teh works.

I am told we will be checked by  a doctor before we  go. That will be the sign!!!

Roma,

No  information yet. No  announcements today. Maybe we are  not going after all.

Thanks  a  million Lirio. You are  a great source of  information and I am sure we all on the Shadow  appreciate you.

I do hope  Roma is well enough to join  us.

I will sleep better tonight.

Roma,

I am so sad  that you have been left  out. Rest assured however  that our Captain has kept up to date with  your progress and  several  times  announced how you and the  positive gentleman  are going.

It is  a pity  you did not  know this.

I certainly agree. Our Captain  started ring each passenger  last  night. At  about 3  minutes per  passenger and  4-500 passemgers  this is  a formidable  task. He also has the ship too run. he woul d never get a sleep if he tried to do this  repeatedly, however,  a newsletter to  the  major   National  groups  outlining what has  been done   and what  we are waiting on  would be  very  helpfu

l  We have about 3  announcements per day from the Captain   and  a few from  Moss but  they are  not detailed.

Most people on  board are quite intelligent and  understanding of the problems so it would not  hurt to divulge  a little mor of what is going one.

I  believe Bobby's  comments are  probably  factual and  not related so much to the Silverseas  handling of this  matter since  the signal event on  board, but to the  lead -up.

  I too, and  others  I  know, had the same dilemma- to come, or do  our  considerable  financial outlay, not only cruise  but airfares and  incidental  costs .

I  do believe that   they could  have been more pro-active with  their cruise  management  before the cruise   and   am sure they now regret  this as it  must be  costing a  squillion  to  maintain  us  and  to arrange our repatriation.

I would   however  like to commend the  company, the  Captain and the crew for  how they have  managed the ship and  its  passengers to maintain our wellbeing and  a very  high standard of meals within our  cabins since our confinement .  I have  never eaten so  much lobster or  drunk so much French  champagne  in  my   life . In fact  I now crave  a bit of  bread and  butter and  an  apple. We  have an  extensive  menu, room service for snacks and  cappuccinos and  a same day  laundry service. 

They are doing  everything possible  to keep us comfortable.  I believe that if people had  tried to  keep further  apart  on deck we  might still be allowed  out, but we  did not  [ 2  metres is the usual  standard although we were told  one]. I saw  many closer than one metre.

The crew themselves are at considerable  risk  in doing this and  have always been cheerful, courteous and  attentive.   The  Captain et al  are working to get us out of   a difficult situation.They are all   making the  best of  a bad situation  and when we  are home I hope we will remember the good parts of our trip . 

Although disappointed we  will have to  make the  most of our  situation  and be positive about  an early  return  home.

Maybe some  costs are re-imbursable  and  my Silverseas  agent in Sydney has indicated that we  may  get some form of  compensation.