Skysurfr
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Posts posted by Skysurfr
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The Port of Phillipsburg St. Marteen to the Airport SXM. The Seabourn departure document listed the taxi fare for 2 people to be $45. In reality the published fare is $25 for 2 people with 2 shoulder bags and 2 large roller bags.
It's $8 for a ride to the airport from the end of the runway bars at SXM. A convenient place to kill a couple of hours before a late afternoon flight.
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About 7 days out.
Suite 433 on the Odyssey. Window room on deck 4. It's the very first room forward of The Restaurant and is surrounded by doors and stair wells. Also, the crew service area is very close by. HOWEVER.... It was absolutely quiet as can be and Im very noise sensitive. Never heard a door or anything else. No complaints. It was quite convenient actually.
:-)
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What you say about "support of the Cuban people" is true. However, the Seadream cruise for Americans is approved under the "People to People" category. Those visits need a published plan etc. If you don't want to join the 2 hour morning tours, you could sign a waiver and go off on your own. I'm not sure where you'd go or what you'd do.
With around 60 countries under my belt mostly as a back-packing independent traveler, I thought the tours were fine. There was plenty of free time to go do what ever you want. You could leave the tour group as long as you let the guide know and go off on your own and not return to the ship. Only once did I walk away, when we stopped at a pottery factory....which I just wasn't into at all. I told the guide I'd meet the group out front and had a walk in the neighborhood.
In Trinidad, we did a morning tour and had the rest of the day to enjoy. In the afternoon we took the mountain bikes and rode to the beach and transited some local neighborhoods.
Also, the tours are included in your fare like Regent SSC. They also offered some optional tours that you could buy. Some were approved under the people to people program, and some were not. Chartering a boat and going deep sea fishing was not. Going to a family run cigar factory / plantation was an approved alternative.
I think you'd have to somehow get crossways with the state department or US government to get in any real trouble by not taking tours. I stayed within Support of the Cuban People rules as much as possible when I was off the People to People plan, both pre-cruise and during the cruise.
Free excursions. Why not?
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...news to me too!
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We skipped the Isl. Juventud stop as well. The official reason was that the pier wasn't ready. However, I suspect there's more to that story.
When I told our guide in Havana about the Juventud stop, she frowned looked distressed and uneasy. Perhaps there's another issue on the island. government action? uprising? being used for something else? Then again maybe it was just hard hit by weather.
The Caviar Splash was done pool-side. Thus far the cuban authorities aren't allowing any food off the boat. So, no beach bbq or caviar in the surf. Also, no water toys brought to the beach. With the extra time we had available after skipping a port, we enjoyed a nice at sea marina day, dinner topside, and dessert buffet by the pool. We sat idle for about 7 hours just offshore of Trinidad. The weather was perfect and the sea was flat calm.
I don't recall any real issues with the tenders. In Cayo Largo we tendered into one spot to do the tour. Then we took the local shuttle boat to the beach which was paid for by SeaDream . From the beach, we were able to catch a SeaDream tender from a dock back to the boat. SeaDream also contracted with the beach bar for an open bar and also chairs and sun shades.
Snorkeling:
Maria la gorda- My self and a couple of others protested strongly and in fact refused to go on the snorkel / scuba excursion. The weather turned mean, the wind was upwards of 25 knots and rain was pouring down. The waves came up making for miserable and unsafe conditions. If I was diving I might have tried to go, but snorkeling is miserable in rough conditions. They finally cancelled it when the lightening started. I'm a water sports instructor and love to snorkel, paddle, and kitesurf. I'm usually the last person out of the water. In this case I was the first person to say.... NO WAY! We were not charged for the excursion.
I. Junentud - Skipped the stop.
Cayo Largo- the beach is all sand as is the bottom and not really ideal to see coral or fish. I didn't see any rocky point or other areas that I wanted to explore. I asked the local beach guards and they told me the coral was far away.
Trinidad- There is a snorkeling area on the ocean side of the bay. You can taxi around the bay in about 5 min or take the bikes and it's about a 20 min ride. I found it too late to try but it looked great and I talked to a few people exiting the water and they said it was nice. Snorkeling Snack La Batea is the little road side restaurant and beach operations name. If I went back I'd definitely give it a try. The owner charges 5 CUC for a chair and sun shade, will watch your bike, etc. 10 CUC and he will provide some snorkel gear. He told me that he's also wanting to trade beach time for hats clothing etc. It's marked on Google Maps.
Sorry for that big link.
Cienfuegos is a large port with industrial activity.
Things to buy.....
Not much is available. Art work was very nice and for sale. Nick-nacks like key chains and other "junk". There are no 7-11's etc. There are family operated shops, but you have to poke your head in the door to see what they have for sale. Bottled water is not used by the locals, so it's not so available outside the tourist areas.
The prices on Rum and Cigars was the same at the airport on the way out as it was on shops in Havana etc.
At the Santa Clara airport there are stores and a money exchange after security and passport control in the gate area. You can bring the rum you buy there onboard the airplane. You can't bring liquids through the security check point from outside. IF you are flying into the USA you won't be able to take your cabin bottles back in the cabin on the second flight. You will clear customs and have to go through security once again, so check the bottles in your luggage at that point.
The Elevator was still inoperative.
Finally on our taxi ride in an old russian car, we got a real taste of Cuba. We got into a horse drawn cart traffic jam. In one town along the way the horse carts easily outnumbered the cars. The taxi ride was as interesting as any tour. The driver graciously accepted our agreed price and was appreciative of a tip. I was so used to having Taxi arguments and scams in other countries, it was pleasure to ride with an honest driver.
:-)
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On the Cuba voyage, American cell phones were very expensive to use (Sprint). Thus, many were purchasing WiFi and using it on the ship. Throw in that the crew uses it too and all the bandwidth get eaten up and it's slow. It's faster during dinner when everyone is eating and the full crew is busy.
Also, WiFi in Cuba isn't free anywhere. It's cheap, $1 per hour but you need a cuban wifi access card to sign in anywhere including private wifi spots.
I stayed disconnected for a week.
Finally, those with Wifi tended to sit staring at their devices rather than striking up a conversation, enjoying a sunset, or just plain relaxing.
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Finished up in Cienfuegos this morning.....
About CUC's and CUP's....
The CUC is the connectable Cuban Peso....the "expensive money".
The CUP is the local Cuban currency that is paid out to the people from their government.
The CUC's are needed by tourists and cubans alike to purchase anything "nice", beyond basic necessities like flour, rice, bread, and food rations. For those basics the Cubans pay in CUP. You might think of the CUP's as food-stamps. If the Cubans want luxury items from outside Cuba they too pay in CUC or an equivalent rate of CUP's exchange at around 25 CUP to 1 CUC. Thus a 100 CUC item would also be priced at 2500 CUP and also out of reach for the average Cuban.
There are a few food stalls and small stores that take CUP, but they really don't have anything you want to buy.
The Cubans are taxed heavily on CUC transactions. Classic car drivers pay a 750 CUC tax each month for their tourist license.
Thus you're lucky to get a ride for 20CUC per hour if you bargain hard.
Havana Club Rum 7 Year.... 19 CUC. per larger bottle.
Monte Cristo #2 cigars (10) in a box 78 CUC.
1 Beer 3 CUC
A good meal in a nice restaurant 40 CUC per person starter, main, drink , dessert.
Mojito in a nice place... 6 CUC. (More in a famous tourist place where Hemingway got drunk)
Taxi bargained in advance from CienFuegos to Santa Clara airport 40CUC in an older taxi.
Port Mafia New taxi from Cienfuegos to Santa Clara airport 70-90CUC.
Havana Airport to Old Havana ...Taxi's are a flat rate 25 CUC.
Other stuff....
Make reservations for nice restaurants in Havana.
I felt very safe despite the poor living conditions the country.
Paid 150CUC for a 6 hour tour including 2 hours in a classic car, 3 hour walking tour, 1 hour lunch break for two of us
in Havana.
Bring some gifts for your guides....luxury soaps, cookies, nutella for their kids, ec. There simply isn't anything nice to buy with a $20 tip . A nice item is greatly appreciated. Clothing, ball caps etc.
Both JetBlue and American have flights from Santa Clara.... 1:15 from Cienfuegos. You don't need to drive back to Havana.
Santa Clara and Cienfuegos aren't all that nice. I'd stay in Havana rather than overnighting in those cities.
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As I understand it, there's 1 internet provider in Cuba. You can purchase cards to access the internet in 2 hour increments. don't forget to log out, just like the ship.
I don't think overseas phones will work in Cuba. you can buy a local sim card, but you can't do much more than make local calls as I understand it.
WhatsApp messenger works when you have wifi.
FecebookMessenger might also work via Cuban Wifi.
Thanks again for the updates!
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Thanks for keeping us updated on the Cuba voyages.
I'll be joining on 11th of Feb in Havana.
Any tips, don't miss etc are appreciated.
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I mentioned Hurtigruten to friends who are . 60 years old and live in Oslo.
They told my I was crazy to travel with you and asked if I wanted to ride the "bus at sea"
and eat re-heated box food.
I'm guessing this is a perception from the history of your company and doesn't reflect the current business model?
What are you doing to shed your old image and stereotypes?
Mike
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Wow...we did a pre-cruise stop at Lago Maggiore!
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The windows don't open as you are close to the water...waves do hit the windows at times.
I was just considering how much time I spent on our balconies over several cruises.... it's not much and certainly not enough to justify a huge cost increase. There are exceptions, however when in port I'd rather be in a lounge or at the pool. At night while sailing, I make a brief visit outside on the balcony before bed, but that's really it. while under way it's usually pretty windy out there.
Looking across at other ships in port, I hardly ever saw anyone on a balcony. A few here or there perhaps.
Looking at the Celebrity Edge on the main CC page, perhaps the designers are realizing this as well. I'd be quite happy with a giant picture window and more room in the cabin.
The one exception I can think of was having a double balcony on the HAL N. Amsterdam in a Neptune suite. We hosted a couple of balcony parties in the carib with the nice warm weather.
Balcony Suites.... will they become a thing of the past?
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On our Voyager cruise from Rome to Monaco our voyage was interrupted several times.
On Day 1 we were met with 80 knots of wind in the port. An Azamara ship broke free of the upwind dock and Capt Stan advised us to prepare to be
struck by the drifting ship. Luckily the tugs arrived to prevent a collision. With seas rolling with swells of 25 feet, we cancelled our departure for Livorno and remained another day in Rome.
Day 3 we went to Livorno rather the La Spezia, missing the Chinque Terra stop.
Finally got back on the itinerary but in Palma we had to delay departure several hours as the doctor had left the ship and we were waiting for another. That delayed our arrival in Barcelona.
We ended up disembarking in Marseille and not sailing to Monaco due to damage in the port.
That was quite a bit of deviation for a 7 day cruise. As unfortunate as it was, the crew handled it with true professionalism. I've never
seen the Destination Services / Tour desk so busy. They scheduled, re-scheduled, re-scheduled again and in the end bussed anyone who wanted to go to Nice or Monaco.
Kudos to the crew who handled it all as best they could and kudos to our fellow passengers who realize that sometime sh## happens. :-)
PS- Lucca by bike was cancelled so I walked around Livorno. It has a great little shopping district and a fantastic market area! Who knew? The people were very
friendly and I had a mini feast for a handful of euros. This city gets skipped all the time as we rush off to Florence, Pisa, and Lucca. Save time for Livorno! :-P
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See my just posted thread about what wines are onboard now. I came off the rather messed up cruise that ended in Marseille other than Monaco on the 5th of Nov. I"m thinking much of the wine will be the same. Perhaps they have an updated list they can provide you as well.
I found ear plugs to be a necessity in a level 9 concierge cabin. Everything squeeked and groaned while underway.
Food was very nice with the exception of the cooked beef in Compass Rose...it was just not very good quality. Other items were in fact fantastic.
I joked about staying onboard and hitching a ride to home in So Florida.
Enjoy the ride!
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I think there was some "Royal Club" in my fridge....I think it was soda water.
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Just came off the Voyager, and I have no clue what tonic I was drinking. It tasted fine. It was a green white and black can... and wasn't anything I recognized. I can report it mixed great with my in-suite bottle of Grey goose. :-)
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This same (similar) thread is in each of the Regent, Seabourn, Silversea, Viking, Windstar, and Crystal forums....lol
Throw in Seadream for a unique 50 cabin experience as well.
I think it would take me a while to guess which line I was on if all the logos were removed form a Silversea, Regent, or Seabourn ship. Some things are better some things are slightly not better on each of these lines. To each their own pleasures and pains.
When you are in this market of cruise lines, none are "bad".
My advice.... experience them all!
One caveat...all other things being equal, having the excursions included on Regent makes life quite easy.
Bon voyages.
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I was checking out of a hotel once and had a kiteboard, which is similar to a snowboard, in a flat bag that was made for the board.
The hotel desk people gave the bag an odd look and I replied.... "Everyone else is stealing the shampoo and toilet paper...I've got the ironing board!"
:-P
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We are going to take the train from Rome to Civitavecchia and then check-in for our cruise.
Does anyone recall if you can use the same corner gate thats used when disembarking at Rome or headed into Rome independently? It's a short walk to that corner of the port from the train station. However, if you have to walk to the far north end of the port for security etc, then maybe it's time for a taxi.
The gate or area I am talking about is next to the old fort at the farthest point a ship can go into the port, south end.
Google maps has a point marked "Cruise ship Shuttles" there as well.
Is check-in under a canopy next to the ship or in a building somewhere?
Thanks.
Mike
(Headed for the Oct 29th Rome-Monte Carlo)
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Lot's of variables here.
Are you arriving in a premium class cabin the will afford you a "Fast Pass", if so that may be quicker....then again, sometimes it's busy as the premium class cabins have gotten larger. It's not so fast if everyone gets a fast pass.
Are you registered in the UK's frequent visitor program, like the USA's global entry? If so, then you may be able to use the kiosks.
What passport do you hold?
I'd give it anywhere from 30 min to 2 hours. Your driver should be well used to this. I'd assume there is a dispatcher you would text the then sends a driver when you are clearing customs?
Have your landing card pre-filled out.
Mornings tend to be busier....then the crowds taper off from 11 am...
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My doc just told me to wait about another 10 days so it will last until the end of flu season as well.
M
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How about the deck 5 aft bar being closed all day during a sea day, when the pool just outside was full of people?
There were a few soft drinks and water provisioned in the refrigerators by the pool.
But, why?
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Those menus may help out as well. This ship was more oriented toward USA dinner times. We usually eat a bit later on ships as well. If we started at 7:30 on this ship, the mar was emptying out by the time we were finishing up. On some nights there were 2 shows. If you wanted to see the early show, you needed to eat earlier as well. Also of note, the Observation lounge was the busiest of any cruise we have been on during the pre-dinner hours. Then again it may have been the only bar on the ship to serve a proper hors d'oeuvre selection.
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Whisper: May 3 to June 2
in Silversea
Posted
Just came off the Whisper...Seward to Vancouver. 18 May - 25 May.
Service- There's lots of new staff that are new to SilverSea. They are trying hard, but it may not be the SilverSea service that you are expecting. Everyone was friendly and trying their absolute best. I noticed quite a bit of onboard training going on. We had a server who was with Cunard previously...he was amazing.
Food- B+ compared to our previous sailings (Pre-covid) we found the food to be a little below our expectations. Everything was good. The best meal I had was in the main restaurant on the last evening. Everything was perfectly prepared and presented. The breakfast buffet was excellent every morning. Least enjoyable: La Dame. We found the food to be the same as the food in the main restaurant. I suspect they had run out of "the good stuff" and substituted the food. A1/4 inch thick "fillet" ? I had the exact same fois gras in the main restaurant. My souffle was a collapsed mucky mess that tasted like raw flour. Comments from another guest: They need to pay more attention to the food and less to the silly presentation. Canapes in the lounge were served at your table on a little platter. The canape bar is gone. I suspect provisioning has a bit of an effect on the quality of the food. The ship had just come from a pacific crossing from Japan. The mushrooms were super flavorful and I suspect from Japan. Likewise on the sashimi. I noticed lots of the packaged goods were from Japan as well...yogurt...water bottles etc.
Ship- The ship isn't new but is in good shape. Our balcony suite was clean and comfortable. The public areas were warm and welcoming.
Ports / Excursions- All good. I did a few kayaking / rafting excursions. One was advertised as kayaking up to the glacier through the ice...In reality we were miles away and Im not even certain we were in the same body of water as the glacier. However it was still fun with seals, eagles, and other wildlife. The rafting was a real entry level float trip. The towns we visited were surprisingly small and the local people super friendly. Being one of the first visits of the season everyone was excited and energetic.
On / Off - Boarding at Seward was painless. We had to call SS and ask where we were supposed to meet for the bus ride from anchorage to Seward. The busses departed the Egan Center in the middle of downtown. Disembarking in Vancouver was very easy. You just turn in your customs form and walk out. There was no passport check. An Uber to the airport involved walking about a block from the port to a marked area. $33 Canadian dollars to the airport.
I'd go again tomorrow.