mchell810

I was on Pursuit in November and we had 3 small bottles -- Bacardi, Smirnoff and Bombay Sapphire. We were able to switch out the items we didn't want for more of what we did (ex. gin for rum).

I was in Lisbon a few weeks ago and stayed at the Avenida Palace Hotel (it gets a lot of recommendations on this board). We arrived at 9:30am and our room was ready -- an unexpected treat. The hotel is lovely, and the location perfect for walking around, DIY exploration and restaurants. In my experience getting a taxi from the airport is very easy and same for the cruise port. We paid 20 euro to the airport and just 10 from the port (always rounding up from what the meter read to give a tip).

From the Silversea website https://www.silversea.com/travel-informations/general-information.html

I have seen the same reports; my personal experience with SS leaves me no worries. Can something happen? Yes, but there are few complaints about the actual onboard experience (except the Wind & I am not traveling on that ship.) I know I won't need to bring wine onboard and there is no pretense of a tote bag.

Azamara does advertise things as included which they are not providing, not just tote bags. They sell ultimate drink packages showing included items and then afterwards passengers find out many of the items are not actually onboard. I agree with you, Azamara is not providing the experience I expect based on what they have advertised as included; thus, I have 65 days of cruising booked for 2023 -- every single day is on Silversea.

As I read this, and different threads, where people mention bringing their own tote bag, tonic, and wine, I can't help but wonder at what point to you say Azamara is not providing what you've paid for? Sure a tote bag is easy to tuck into your suitcase; however, drinks not so much. I know some people believe l it's no be deal to bring these things for yourself. For me, I feel it undermines the feel of a vacation; I don't want to spend time in port looking for wine (and lugging it back to the ship). If I choose, and pay for, an all inclusive experience I expect to get it.

I have recommended SDT several times on these board and have had mostly positive experiences with them; nevertheless, I feel I need to post about the mixed service I received last month especially bc when I gave this feedback SDT offered me a discount on a future tour and asked me directly not to post my experience on social media. That act seemed like a red flag to me: I can't help but wonder how many other less-than-stellar reviews have been suppressed in this manner. Overall we were happy with our tours; however, there were some hiccups. For our Barcelona City tour the driver guide was knowledgeable and friendly. I was disappointed in that he didn't bring us directly to the entrance for Sagrada Familia -- as had been promised. As a result, we had to find the right line on our own through the crowds. We had planned another tour with SDT to Monserrat, but we never met the numbers for a small group. The SDT rep offered us a private tour (for twice the price) which we turned down. Then, just 2 days later he suddenly said he had another couple interested so the small group tour was back on, so I cancelled the booking I had made with the cruise line. Just one week later -- 2 days before our tour -- the rep emailed to say the other couple dropped out and he could only do the tour as a private tour at that higher price. Yes, it's possible the other couple dropped out, but it all felt too coincidental to me. I refused the private tour (again) and luckily was able to book the tour with the cruise line as soon as we boarded. Finally, we had a private tour from Seville to Cordoba. For this, we had excellent service from SDT. The driver waited patiently when our ship was late in docking; his car was immaculate and the ride to/from Cordoba was very smooth. Once in Cordoba the guide was very pleasant and knowledgeable. He made a point of ensuring we visited all the things I had mentioned when organizing the tour. This day was everything we wanted; SDT delivered beautifully. Bottom line: I still recommend SDT, but I would NOT say they are flawless. When setting up tours for this trip I only looked at SDT, next time I am in Spain I am likely to explore what other companies have to offer as well.

I got off the Pursuit 11/30; this is the Aqualina Menu

If you don’t mind I have a question about wine service in LaDame: is the included wine service the same as other venues where one is offered a red or white (and ofc can request something else); or, is there an attempt to pair included wines with each course? I see on the menu some items have wines paired for an additional charge, I’m not asking about that, just trying to get a sense of the process. TIA

You may want to read the thread below from 2019. I keep it bookmarked just in case I get to do this cruise— I lost the opportunity in the Covid cancellations. Do keep an eye on the prices as I was able to catch a sale and booked a reduced price for that 2020 trip.

I just finished reading @mahdnc review & was sad to know I wouldn’t have a review on this board to follow. And then BOOM. I saw your thread. 💃💃 I’m looking forward to following along. Enjoy your cruise !

I really enjoyed your trip report & the photos. Thank you. Safe journey home.

May I ask were you offered the 4 small bottles or was it one large? Were you offered a choice in the liquor? TIA

First, there is a roll call for this cruise; the link is below if you want to check it out. Second, if you are planning to go Sunday, 11/26 I think you'd be able to leave as early as you like since we dock on 11/25. I am on this cruise as well.

Great question about setting the phone. I am hoping @Jim_Iain will have an answer for you (He's my expert on ocean crossings and all things tech for cruising. 😀) I have a manually adjustable, basic digital watch that I toss into my travel backpack just for these situations, but I haven't had a need for it yet. I will next year 🤞🤞 so I am interested in this too.

I hope you do get good news. 🤞🤞

I will board Pursuit on November 19th and our evening is scheduled to be onboard.

I am not any kind of flight expert but I will always take non-stops over connecting flights. (Plus, that LHR time seems really tight.) I did the FCO to PHL on AA in June. Things ran smoothly and we actually landed over an hour early.

Not at all, you were looking for something positive; nothing wrong with that. I love that pic of the "sleeping buddies" They have definitely bonded! 😻

Glad to see your comment! After your report about brunch on Journey I was afraid I'd have to retract all the praises for brunch I've already given my travel buddy. At least now I can hope the brunch will be its usual lovely experience. @Jellifer -- really enjoying your travel report 😀

Agreed, it does look like a bit of a wrestle 😉

Well, once the scallops are digested they are waiting for the next effort to please. After all they are cats! 😻

No reason at all to apologize! I was just surprised bc the cat in your post looked like mine. I fully agree the happy memories outweigh the sadness. I had to hunt a little to find the picture of Maya in that I posted, that exercise was good bc I was looking at a lot of fun photos.

Thank you. I'm sorry I wasn't clear: Maya passed away in May. Yes, pets are very special.

Totally unrelated ... The image of that cat surprised me bc it looks so much like my Maya. She's been gone 5 months now, yet I still expect to see her catching the afternoon sun.