LAexNY

What entertainment?  Are we on the same ship?  This is an expedition cruise and there is no entertainment that I know of other than a piano player.  Lots of lectures though.  Today was a sea day and there were at least 3 lectures during the day.  One on birds, one on the Spanish Armada in 1588 and one on rocks.

Tuesday morning, 
Vigo Spain, dreary and overcast

We boarded in Lisbon on Sunday and it was a treat to recognize many of the crew and naturalists we know from our B2B on Wind last year. Expedition leader is Lea from Australia who we were also with on Explorer in the Kimberley last year.  Other familiar naturalists are Alex Frel, the Renaissance Man, and Bernardo - the ornithologist.   Hotel Director is Dejan; many familiar wait staff and maitre d’s as well.

Zaid Barrera is entertainment director and trivia host, hilarious as ever.

So far we have not noticed any of the concerns with SS that we read about so often on this board.  It is true that there are fewer pasta choices in La Terrazza than I remember.  The ship is quite full and when we arrived at The Restaurant around 8:15, we were told there would be a 20 minute wait to be seated.  We asked if we could go to La Terrazza and it turned out there had been a cancellation there and we were seated right away.

Enjoy the Kimberley.  We did it last year on the Explorer swan song and it was spectacular. 

We will be joining you on Wind in Lisbon and staying on to Reykjavik.  Will be our second B2B on Wind.

Have never done SS Classic yet but will do our first this November on Nova, Cairns-Sydney-Auckland.

5 hours ago, BWBkt said:

Have had nothing but trouble booking directly with Silversea. Horrible.  Literally badger you until you book.  Promise you one cabin and switch it on you.  Then stops responding to you. Don't do it.  Take another cruise line.

Wow, sounds like you have a grudge.  The OP is asking whether to use a TA or book direct and you are saying that because you had a bad experience booking direct, one should take another cruise line?

Looking forward to hearing this as well.

We get on the Wind when you get off in Lisbon.  Sailing on a B2B to London Bridge then Reykjavik. 

It depends on the excursion.  If you read the description of a particular one, it will specify whether there is free time included.

On 3/8/2024 at 7:03 AM, Techno123 said:

We are yet to sail with Silversea but do have 2 cruises in the pipeline. If it's anything like Regent and Seabourn, mentioning individual staff by name either on questionnaires or directly to their managers regarding excellent service can mean that they are seriously considered when a promotion becomes available. Tip (if you must) but also let management know just how delighted you are.

 

Sadly that doesn't work with the back room staff as we don't know who they are so that is where a donation to the crew fund can come in 😁

Not sure why you say “tip if you must!”

United also has a nonstop to Lisbon from Dulles.

Messaging is not permitted on Cruise Critic.

I suggest you use the Search function within this Silversea board and search for each of your topics.

You will find many posts on each of your questions.

That has been the usual practice on every cruise line we have been on.

We are on Explorer now and Matt is on board.

We are on Explorer now and it is still there. Nearest cabin is 424.

We have been in aft cabins over a dozen times on Oceania and never were bothered by motion.  I suppose each person’s experience will vary.

I can’t answer your question but I am curious to see any answers.  We love aft cabins and have one booked on Nova for 2024 and another on Ray for 2025, both on deck 8.

We are on the Silver Explorer in the Kimberley now.  Passports were collected when we boarded in Fremantle and will be returned when we disembark in Darwin.  The entire cruise is in Australia, no other country or customs involved.  Go figure!

3 hours ago, pavementends said:

In my experience collecting passports is very typical.

 

In principle all passengers can be cleared in advance of debarking at the final port. This does not always work however (Iceland, stand up).

 

There seems to be a certain randomness about this. On a recent trip (UK to Iceland) there was no need for passports at any intermediate port. At some ports the cruise card seemed to substitute for a passport. At one small stop in Iceland, there was no check at all leaving or reboarding the ship (except for Silversea's check that I was a passenger).

 

And at the cruise end in Reykjavik, there was a massive cluster** when the Icelandic reps seemed to be slow-walking the checking and stamping of every single passenger's passport.

And don’t forget that the customs reps who come aboard in the morning always like to enjoy a nice breakfast on board before getting down to their work.

And no one is asking you to.

6 hours ago, twangster said:

FYI

 

Dear Esteemed Guest, 

We are thrilled to welcome you soon to the wondrous unspoiled beauty of the Galápagos and your ultra-luxury voyage aboard the aptly designed Silver Origin. Today, we have important information to share with you regarding your pre-cruise arrangements. 

Recently, we were notified of extensive preventative maintenance operations scheduled for the Quito Airport, affecting flight operations this Fall. As such, you will fly directly to Guayaquil, Ecuador avoiding Quito, and all pre-cruise arrangements, including the Machu Pichu and Cloud Forest land programs, will be conducted now from Guayaquil. 

All guests on a standard Galápagos voyage will now stay at the Oro Verde Hotel, Guayaquil, before their cruise for the same number of overnights previously planned. Silversea has likely already communicated this information via phone. Still, to clarify today, we will also reschedule all transfer arrangements from the airport to the hotel and hotel to the airport for the flight to San Cristóbal to embark on the ship. 

For guests with air travel arranged through Silversea, we will secure new flight arrangements for your arrival in Guayaquil and communicate the updated flight itinerary once the change is made. For guests with indep

We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this unexpected situation may bring and thank you for your understanding. If you have any additional questions, don't hesitate to contact your travel advisor or cruise consultant. 

We all look forward to sharing the authentic beauty of this unforgettable region with you. 

Best personal regards, 

Barbara Muckermann
President and CEO

We stated at the Oro Verde after our Silver Origin cruise last year.  Very nice hotel although not as nice as the Marriott we stayed at pre-cruise in Quito.  Nor was the neighborhood as nice.

Have we gone a bit off topic here?

3 hours ago, Dolcevita Diva said:

Perhaps, but I’ve never found this to be an issue on Silversea in the past. 
It seems that as more people are discovering Silversea, more of the “norms” from the mainstream lines are accompanying them…

Please protect us from the norms!

You would not have been too happy with a hotel near JFK.  There are no 4 or 5 star hotels, mostly Courtyard or similar.  The choice is convenience near the airport or a more luxurious stay in the city.

10 minutes ago, bitob said:

Well done

 

my friends were just on the silver wind. On an expedition. Jacket required. He did not bring one so they provided one 

 

what is clear is that you can survive indeed thrive on silversea without a tie. Jacket is a must. For us, that’s enough to know to be in compliance. 
 

maybe someone at silversea will read this and start drafting lol

Just to clarify - I am the friend bitob mentioned.  We were on a B2B expedition cruise.  On each leg (12 and 14 days) there were two informal nights where jackets were supposedly required.  This was clearly not enforced as at least one guy was wearing a Hawaiian shirt.

It had been my (apparently wrong) understanding that jackets were never required on expedition cruises. We have been on Silver Origin in Galapagos and jackets were never even suggested.

On 7/7/2023 at 9:44 PM, canderson said:

Old, OLD argument.  Let me try to put it to bed one last time.

 

To answer your question, no, not much, but it does show your disrespect for the line's business model, and in some fashion, those who might have chosen the line because of it.

 

Let's assume for just a moment that it is Silversea's intent to attempt to differentiate their product from others by, among other things, continuing to cater to those who still enjoy this style of dining, and hope to capture that segment of the cruising public by doing so.  Who are you to object? 

 

Wow!  Some people really get worked up over the dress code.  Funny, it seems to get more attention on CC than the ship, the cuisine, the service, the itineraries, the amenities, the entertainment.  Those are some of the things I care about and the things that influence my choice of a cruise line.

On 7/7/2023 at 3:37 PM, mysty said:

 

Why did you book Silversea?  Just a question.   

Believe it or not, dress code is not the primary criterion upon which many choose a cruise line.