marama

Silversea are to be congratulated on the different toiletries they offer, and all are very nice. Unlike Seabourn who give you Molton Brown - or Molton Brown, no choice. Some like it, but I don't and so have to cart my own toilertries with me when we travel.

Then do the very relaxing 1 hour foot massage for $3

Sounds like a deal - along with the coral island! :D

Go to Pattaya, it's just 40 minutes away from Laem Chabang, and a lot more fun than Bangkok.

Visit the nearby Sriracha Tiger zoo or Million years stone park or Pattaya floating market.

Check out Walking street, Pattaya jumping tower, Mini Siam, Nong Nooch village, etc.

Or take a speedboat to Coral island for a beautiful beach, jet skiing, banana boat ride, parasailing and undersea walk

(You will need 5 full days for all the above)

Try the 1 hour traditional Thai massage (full body, assisted stretching, no oil) or the 1 hour foot massage. Only 100 bahts ($3) for 1 hour.

Pattaya? Tiger zoo? No thanks!

I have to agree with Spyder...thats a very odd statement. We cant do long cruises, we have dogs at home and cant leave them with a sitter for more than 2 weeks total travel time. So our limit is about 10-12 days cruising. We are very social people and we dont travel in a group. And I dont think we are an anomaly. You’re painting that canvas with an exceptionally broad brush...

We in turn, would agree with you - we also have animals at home, so always lament the lack of 11/12 day cruises as we are so often stuck with only a 7 day option, which we do not like nearly as much. I would so like to be able to cruise for 14+ days as 7 days is far too short. If we ever do see an 11 day cruise however we snap it up - those extra few nights make such a difference. That said however, we are still in touch with a number of friends we have made on 7 day cruises so perhaps all is not lost.

You are most welcome. As you are an American, you may be interested to google The Ohio (ship) and the part that she played in WW2 to help Malta. Many Americans are unaware of this very important link that the USA has with Malta. Also, when in St John's Cathedral, do not miss the marble flooring which is exquisite. Outside the exit from the Cathedral you should also find a little train which takes you on a tour of Valletta. I am sure that you will have a wonderful cruise.

I think that the answer lies in just two letters - T - A. After our Silversea cruise earlier this year ( which we enjoyed) I sent our TA an email listing the good things and the less good things - observations rather than complaints. The next thing we knew was that we had received a very generous cruise credit from SS. They do seem to be alot more generous than many other lines when they receive complaints.

Valletta is very nice for wandering round on your own. Just get off the ship and walk 5/10 minutes to the Barrakka lift which takes you straight into town. However if Windstar are offering a tour of Mdina (the old capitol) its quite a spectacular walled city and well worth the trip. Its only about a 20=30 minute drive depending on traffic so you could even take a taxi yourselves. The white cabs are a bit expensive so try googling Wembley or Ecabs. There are a good selection of taxi services that can be booked online.

Both times we were in Sanary they had a fab street market going on in the port area. So unless you want to do something specific (I am told the Bandol tour is good) just get off the ship and wander around the market. Its a nice town for doing that.

We love the TK food. Starters are too large however. Lamb chops, sole, lobster - all fab. I will try the chicken next time which it seems is consistently a favourite with people.

Thank you for posting the 'complimentary' list, very useful. If I don't like what is on offer I usually describe what I would like and they normally come up with something suitable. Its disappointing that only one included champagne is offered, but then I suppose there is no incentive for Seabourn to encourage us to drink more. Silversea do at least offer a choice - Monopole or Pommery. Its a subjective thing I know, but I find both of those preferable to the NF, which usually has to be rendered drinkable by the addition of orange juice or cassis.

to be honest riding and using any animal for transportation is cruelty. with the exception possibly of well managed and kept horses in a good stable( personally not my thing but from horse friends who love horses i can see how they are well cared for).

 

the number of people who boast about riding elephants in asia on holidays disgusts me - and they don't seem to understand the elephants are disciplined and managed with a hook.... and when you look at the damage on the animals in real sanctuaries - you see how they are damaged by tourism ( note if you are visiting an animal sanctuary - really research they are a sanctuary as some are really animal shows with the animals being treated badly) no real sanctuary will offer rides on the animals.

 

how a 20stone tourist thinks it's acceptable to ride a small donkey up steps in 30plus degree heat really makes me angry.

 

there's a lot of talk about dress code on these boards - perhaps cruelty and ignorance should be banned in the dress code all the time.

Very well said by you and Cariad1000. I also feel the same way when I see one poor horse toiling up a hill in the sun in Valletta ( and there are many hills here) with a carriage full of tourists. Many of these horses travel miles just to get to Valletta in the morning before they even start work - and then home again later on. Of course there are responsible owners but there are also many who beat their animals and don't give them water during the daytime because they fear complaints if the horse urinates. Look at their mouths, many are foaming. Please don't use them - but when you see them, do ask them when their horse last had a drink.

I was told that it is the German custom to charge for bottled water at meals.

 

Apparently, iced tea is provided free of charge, and certainly bottled water is when disembarking for excursions.

Thank you, that makes a difference. Iced tea will do fine for us!

You didn’t ask, but here are tonight’s menus (The Grill by Thomas Keller never changes):

 

 

My mother and I tried In Suite dining one night from The Restaurant’s menu but the order was wrong and lukewarm at best. I wouldn’t suggest it.

Thank you - looks as fabulous as ever - we can't wait for our next Seabourn Cruise! We actually love in-suite dining, especially if it has been a busy day and always find it good - a nice lazy evening. Its what we almost always do on day one of our cruises. `Looking forward to the delicious Seabourn chocolate pot!

The explanation provided by HL for not including drinks, other than the beer, and soft drinks, in the stateroom, is that it permits them to offer a much wider selection--- over 450 varieties of wine, and over 250 varieties of spirits.

 

Prices are reasonable, and there is no service charge.

 

You may find the following video to be of interest:

 

English Voyager, I agree with you that the non-inclusive alcohol is not a big problem, but I was referring to the charges for soft drinks and water outside the room - even at mealtimes. It just looks cheap and as I said, downright cheeky when HL are charging so much. I am guessing that being a child-friendly line may have something to do with it.

Thank you for an interesting thread and some very helpful information from those who have contributed. We have also been put off by the high prices and reduced social interaction. Ditto the paying for drinks - but it is good to know that there is no signing each time. She sounds a beautiful ship and we may have to try her sometime if we can find the right itinerary/price, if only to satisfy our curiosity. For the moment however, we have a reluctance to pay quite a bit more for what appears to be less - in particular, having to pay for soft drinks and water with meals, which seems very cheeky of HL and also penny-pinching, given the very high per diem. It does not create a very good first impression - with us, at any rate.

Sad news - being a family owned line made Silversea special.

Just a note -- you mention that the lobby of the Bauer Palazzo is modern. That is actually not the lobby of the Palazzo part. The Il Palazzo lobby is small and not "modern" in that sense at all -- it is consistent with being in a palazzo. There is a modern lobby in the modern Bauer hotel that is next door -- the hotels are physically connected, but are essentially operated separately.

Good to know - we only walked through the lobby to get to and from the tender, so never noticed the other part.

We have done a similar itinerary twice with Windstar. On both occasions the BBQ/Lunch was held at Pigeon Island and this was also where the watersports platform was used. The beach is nice, but small and so the BBQ was held in the little park just behind. Pigeon Island is a tender and so is Bequia and Les Saintes. The remainder are docked.

You are not alone - the formal nights never did show up on 'My Silversea' so we just waited till we were onboard and took it day by day.

We took a few of the complimentary excursions arranged by Silversea on our cruise and were very happy with them. It depends on what you are interested in - but if you are just looking for a 2-hour overview, they are fine.

Traveling in late August and looking for info on the cruise and excursions.

Would you care to elaborate a little?

Thanks Silver Spectre I’ll give him a try. Do you by any chance have an email for him?

Take a look right at the top of this forum!

Three years ago, we stayed at the sister hotel to this, The Bauer Palladio and Spa on the Guidecca, right next door to The Cipriani. Would hightly recommend it. The hotel is a large, very atmospheric 16th Century former Convent, absolutely beautiful. It has a lovely garden and terrace at the back. No pool, but some loungers for sunbathing in the garden. No balconies to the rooms, that I am aware of, but we had a comfortable room overlooking the breakfast/dinner terrace, with a modern, very decent bathroom. There is a regular shuttle back and forth accross from this hotel to the Bauer Palazzo. We only saw the lobby of the Bauer Palazzo, which looks very nice, but be aware that the lobby is modern, so not very atmospheric, if that is important - can't speak for the rooms. Rates (ours was a great deal via Lastminute.com) at the Bauer Palladio are often better because it is a little further from the centre , but we didn't find it a problem and we really enjoyed our stay there - and Guidecca. In addition, there is a Vaporetto stop only about a 6/7 minute walk from the hotel. We have also stayed on Guidecca at the Hilton - also a good choice - and one of the best breakfasts I've ever seen!

We have been having a really poor spring here in the Med this year. Parts of mainland Greece north of Athens even had hail last Sunday/Monday. Its been very chilly, windy and rainy. The good news is that it is improving as of tomorrow - but do take some warm things, especially for evenings!

The Patio Grill on Encore a year ago was but a pale shadow of the same venue on Odyseey. Very little choice and poor service - and big disappointment - no lamb chops! So for that reason alone the change on Ovation may not be a bad thing - but I would hate to lose the Patio Grill on the 'O' ships, assuming it continues as well as it always has done. As previous posters have commented, in good weather its nice to be outside and stay casual if you wish to.