drron29

Though on last years flight in JAL first class I was served Rare Millesime 2013. No one else was drinking it except for Rojaan who had one glass. I may or may not of had the rest of the bottle.

Now that is what luxury means.

The old DC3 doesn't look too different from 15 years ago when we were there.

If you really want spicier food they will do it for you in Indochine. We were on in March/April and I would ask the waiter to make certain dishes spicier. They obliged and would also bring a small bowl of chilli if i thought it wasn't enough.

Thanks for reminding me of The Eagles @UKCruiseJeff. This is another that is easy to listen too. They came to Australia after the band had reunited. When they broke up in 1980 Don Felder was asked when the band would get together again. His reply -"When Hell freezes over." So their album in 1994 and tour was hell freezes over.

Back in the early days of SS cruising they did sell artworks. here is one of the discussions on CC.

6 hours ago, Port Power said:

I boarded Silver Wind today.  There was a bottle of Monopole blue top in the ice bucket.  I queried the butler, who checked but came back advising no change was possible. The head butler said “no”.

 

I went to reception.  They did know about the status match and did have me showing 250 nights.  She also looked up the VS benefits and acknowledged I should be receiving an upgraded champagne (Laurent). However, the butler list from head office had written Monopole against my name, and they couldn’t change it.  However, she has emailed HO and will let me know their answer.

 

I shall wait and see.

We reached 250 days on SS in August 2015. We have had 18 more SS cruises since then. Only on 1 occasion did we get the so called "premium" champagne on boarding. We ususally don't drink the stuff any way.

What worries me in the article by the RCCL CEO linked on the first page of this thread is this statement.

"This is kind of step one. We want to tie these [programs] together," he said, calling the new status match program "basically kind of the beginning of a common loyalty platform."

When that happens we are not setting a foot aboard another SS ship nor the others in the RCL stable.

And a Wow from me as well. Your photos of the reflections Were magnificent.

Only one was the HD. One was the overall restaurant manager. I messaged the HD amongst others and 2 days later the Restaurant manager had left the ship so I would say the HD was excellent.

The third occasion it was Barbara M boarding. Things then worked exactly how they should. The lapses before and some after were not major problems.

I think the issue is more likely to be a ship's management problem. We certainly seen this on 2 occasions with a third incident when the cruise was joined by Barbara Muckermann.

The first incident was when the restaurant manager berated a staff the Maitre.D of Kaiseki in front of all the diners. i immediately reported this to those above his level. Two days later and that Manager had left the ship and the problems of service issues in restaurants immediately disappeared.

Second was when the then Ceo boarded along with other senior management. Fo some strange reason food quality improved.

The third was recently when on our second leg of a cruise there had been a changeover of HDs. The improvement was easily noticed. Again I did put that fact in the mid cruse survey.

Not that much on the menu that I thought were flavours of Australia. And that poor undersized Northern hemisphere lobster they served when you should be able to get good Western Australian rock lobster.

This is when we went on a local cruise around the Abrolhos Islands. fresh lobsters every day.

Plus excellent snorkelling.

This was a trip during covid. And if that wasn't enough we got hit by 2 cyclones before we got onboard.

But a thoroughly recommended adventure. Here is the outfit. Old fashioned Aussies.

https://www.ecoabrolhos.com.au/

SS provides a shuttle bus to the Old Terminal and you pick up your luggage there. Then get a private transfer to the Gritti. It would be cheaper than SS could offer. We had our private driver pick us up there.

10 minutes ago, DavyWavey70 said:

Hope it’s sorted soon QSS. It’s like winter here right now. I’ve lit the fire the last 2 nights.

Should come back to Queensland where it is winter. Colder than usual with our minimum temperature only in single digits. Today also colder than usual with maximum 20C. Next few days it gets back to a more usual winter's day of 22C.

It is a small world. I have had lunch with Sir Zelman. We were both on stage at a public debate.

Of course in Australia our sense of humour is often lost on visitors from elsewhere.

The Covid instructions for a pharmacy in Kalgoorlie Western Australia.

Ah the USA. Amazing how we speak the same language yet sometimes can't communicate.

I vividly remember our first time in New Orleans. We went to a diner for breakfast and I ordered my eggs over easy. The waitress replied Can you run that by me again? I repeated my order and this time it was one more time honey.

At this stage Rojaan spoke up and said he wants his eggs over easy. Gotcha honey she said and then - Is your husband Eyetaalian?

Rojaan can do the southern drawl very well/ Basically I am understood in Oklahoma as they speak slowly and in Washington State where some have thought me a local.

1 hour ago, Joc123 said:

As an Australian I’m so sorry for the experience. 

We have so much to offer and this is unacceptable, not sure who is to blame.

Possibly because there are no SS office staff now on weekends in Australia. Phone calls diverted to the Phillipines.

7 minutes ago, lincslady said:

Lucky you, Jeff, it is cold and windy and sometimes raining here.  And I think for quite a lot of the country, the usual four seasons in one day stuff.

 

I see jp posting at present, I feel sure he should be in bed asleep.  The stamina those two have is amazing, wish I had half of it.  But then I am in the age group of the dame in the wheelchair, of course.

 

Lola

Well where I am it is only coming up to 9pm. where JP is on the other side of the Continent it is just before dinner time at 7pm.

We arrive in Darwin in 2 weeks time and spending 3 nights there. I know in that time we won't see as much as you have just done.

And when we go from the seafront up to the CBD it won't be stairs for us.

Don't worry Lola I was the subject of quite a few Dick Emery jokes. Served me right sitting in the front row and getting a call from the hospital.

Two hillbillies walk into a restaurant. While having a bite to eat, they talk about their moonshine operation.

Suddenly, a woman at a nearby table, who is eating a sandwich, begins to cough.

After a minute or so, it becomes apparent that she is in real distress. One of the hillbillies looks at her and says, Kin ya swallar?'

The woman shakes her head no. Then he asks, 'Kin ya breathe?'

The woman ...begins to turn blue, and shakes her head no.

The hillbilly walks over to the woman, lifts up her dress, yanks down her drawers, and quickly gives her right butt cheek a lick with his tongue.

The woman is so shocked that she has a violent spasm, and the obstruction flies out of her mouth. As she begins to breathe again, the Hillbilly walks slowly back to his table. His partner says, 'Ya know, I'd heerd of that there 'Hind Lick Maneuver' but I ain't niver seed nobody do it!'

We had a May 2025 back to back cruise Singapore to Doha then Doha to Athens. SS shortened the first sector and delayed the second sector leaving us 6 days in Doha. They offered us 15% off the first sector. I said I would accept it on the condition they paid for the accommodation in Doha. They refused so we asked for a reduction in the fare for being 2 days shorter plus the 15%. It took nearly 3 month of arguing but they eventually agreed. then we cancelled the Doha to Athens cruise.

Very sad @turtlemichael

I am getting much more certain in my belief that our remaining bookings on SS will be our last.

7 hours ago, LAexNY said:

Actually, each day’s menus are distributed the night before - both lunch and dinner.

Indeed they are on the TV under restaurants.

As to those who cough there was one spectacular failure on our last cruise on an excursion. A couple were wearing masks but took them off to cough!