spinnaker2

1 hour ago, RetiredOnVacation said:

Hope that you are able to treasure your good memories from that TA cruise despite the small misforgivings. 

Just a thought about those fellow guests you saw on deck 5 - is it possible perhaps, that they had requested a 'day room' for a 'late check-out' and as deck 5 wasn't going to be used on charter, that SS allowed this? Just a thought! 

Not sure about the pax on deck 5.

After much thought, we have decided we cannot throw good money after bad and have cancelled our cruise on the Spirit for September - October.  We have 448 days on Silversea at the present time. We can accept change when it is for the good and the concept doesn’t change. The Silversea product has drastically changed in our opinion. 

Not on the Dawn crossing March 19- April 2.

15 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Trip Insurance is actually very complicated and the policies vary widely so there's no simple answer.  Some companies don't require you to insure the entire trip, others do.  Call Steve at tripinsurancestore and he will educate you on the best options for your particular trip [the two times I've called him, the best policy was different each time – and he explained exactly why].

Agree about Steve and his help. Invaluable.

22 minutes ago, drron29 said:

They don't accommodate people on B2B cruises if a charter is put into the system in our experience. We had a B2B booked next year which became 2 separate cruises with 6 days in between and we were told we had to make our own arrangements for those 6 days.

I know. That is why I am wondering how they pulled this off. 

3 minutes ago, Port Power said:

Perhaps they had booked back to back, or B2B2B, so still had to be accommodated?

I tried to book the following cruise and was told no, it was chartered. 

Perhaps they became insurance salespeople?

18 minutes ago, lincslady said:

Let's hope the charter group are not going to be too fussed about seeing someone in her curlers then!  That is something I have never seen, and wouldn't wish to.  Or is she with the group?  If she was a Brit, I would guess a star of one of our soap operas, set in the northwest of England.

 

Nope she’s not a Brit. From the colonies. If the pax on the crossing weren’t bothered then…

I would guess that the charter group, who are from an insurance company, will be too busy with imbibing and foraging (from what I have been told).

Today is their last day or maybe tomorrow. 

Hope we hear from Vistaman.

Home sweet home. Decompressing from the cruise and the return travel. 

We booked nothing onboard for the future. There was a time when we would always have a future cruise booked onboard.

Processing final thoughts. 

Some trivial information: We had been told while we were aboard that decks 5 and 6 would have no passengers on the charter following our cruise and all the silver suites and big suites were booked. Less than 400 pax for the charter. As we left the quay we looked back and saw several pax on their verandahs of deck 5, including a couple who had occupied a silver suite near ours on the crossing. We recognize the couple because they make themselves known at every venue, she frequently wears curlers in her hair to lunch in la T. I guess some pax who were not in the charter group were able to book the cruise. Not sure how one accomplishes that.

We have arrived in Lisbon. The Grimaldi's are here too.

The quality has been reduced. The food quality is mediocre to poor.

We never had any fruit bowl in our Silver Suite. We had but one soap when we arrived. 

So many cut backs, too numerous to list.

Running out of fresh food mid cruise. Running out of many wines mid cruise. There were ports we stopped at but no effort to restock anything.

And the attitude of yes has been replaced by nope.

Sunday afternoon became rough and squally, blowing wind and rain. In the midst of the rain there was a rainbow( apologies for taking the photo through the glass door, but the force of the wind and rain would not allow us to open the doors).

Many pax were seasick, according to our butler. 

As the decks were moving a lot, we chose to have room service for dinner, instead of trying to maneuver to la T.  We missed the crew parade and the Motown show as well.

The en-suite food was actually quite good. 

Thanks JP for the input.

Invited

We may have been snookered for the last time by Royal Caribbean. Fool me once…

Easter Sunday

The Dawn slipped out of the harbor at Tenerife long before we rolled ourselves out of our warm cocoon of soft, fluffy quilts and sumptuous sheets. The linens are still lovely.  

We lost another hour last night. Really tough on the crew who remain outstanding, smiling and attentive. 

Breakfast was waiting at the table in our suite. As we enjoyed the meal, we looked out to the grey blue sea with rolling waves from the SSE;  we meandered forward at 14 knots. I will miss the sound of the ocean, the gentle rocking, the vistas where water and sky have endless edges. 

Lisbon is but a few days away, and the end of the cruise.

The pool deck is rapidly filling with the worshippers of el sol.

Tonight is formal night # 3. 

The Venchi bunny is a nice touch. Restore faith? Not even close. 

1 hour ago, Pies4u said:

Just a word for Tenerife - it is a spectacular island, with the highest peak in Spain, Mount Teide. The national park is amazing, the entire north coast offers plenty of interesting and inspiring experiences and Santa Cruz is more than just a commercial cruise port and industrial capital city. There are dozens of quaint villages and fascinating places to see on Tenerife, it isn’t just “sun & sangria” in Playa de las Americas.

 

Whilst Madeira is certainly a great place to visit, and Funchal is easy to get around, I would rather spend a month on Tenerife tbh. There is plenty to see and do there too.

Wish we had more time here to explore the national park and other places. If we had known we were coming here ( we are here due to Funchal bad weather), I might have rented a car to see some of what you described. I thought the sail in was quite lovely with the dramatic craggy cliffs and the houses hugging the mountains.

I cannot in good conscience, book a 5 hour bus tour for my 6 foot three husband who uses a cane, and who's knees will suffer after 20 minutes in a tiny bus seat.

Sunset

And today we also got

Drron

its the same on the dawn. So many cutbacks

Heavenly bread!

Morning from Tenerife.

Thanks all for the thoughtful and insightful comments.

Frankly I am at a loss as to the state of Silversea.

They can do it because we, who are aboard, are a captive audience.

Perhaps most Venetians stay “loyal” because they get free laundry, they like formal nights (soon gone), they want the “ free” cruise at certain night levels, they want the 10% onboard booking, and they know the crew. They remember the old Silversea and hope it will come back. 

New pax haven’t a clue what is gone. And gone it is.

I think that if Crystal would offer a matching program many Venetians would leave Silversea. Manfredi are you listening?

I also think many of the old guard crew have gone elsewhere. 

This cruise is almost at an end. 

I wonder if Silversea will give us Easter baskets as they have in the past, with a large Venchi chocolate bunny and other goodies. We will see. 

Sunset leaving Arrecife.

Now to Tenerife. The substitute for Funchal.

Tonight asked for shrimp cocktail from room service. Was told that's a special order and must give 24 hours notice.

Silver Dawn has run out of many food and beverage items. How is this possible on a luxury cruise for which we pay dearly?

The crew still strives to please.

Last night we dined at Kaiseki.

It was not Seishin where we enjoyed terrific tempura vegetables!

The meal was not exceptional. Not worth the upcharge for this experience.

The tempura was weird. Some kind of fried something or other. Ugh.

The only thing that was very, very good was the chocolate dessert, and not remotely Japanese.

Most of the water in the Canary Islands is reclaimed or from desalinization plants. 

The landscape is starkly beautiful.

El molino in Puerto del Rosario. 

Our tour took us to cheese tasting, grain mill and a salt field. 4.5 hours. 

The island is very dry, brown and volcanic appearing.  Maybe 5 days of rainfall per year. 

Islanders who farmed agave and other drought resistant crops have moved to the coast. 

Golf courses and condos are springing up on the coastline for vacationers, many of whom come from the EU. The flight is 4 hours.

Tourism is booming.

Not sure about tiki.

13 degrees available.

Probably not for long.

38 minutes ago, machotspur said:

 

Hello spinnaker2

My wife and I were on the cruise preceding yours - Bridgetown to Bridgetown. We were in 1009 and were looked after by the same butler & suite attendant as yourselves. 

Please pass on our best regards to Mark, who is an oustanding suite attendant and a really lovely guy. (We are Mr & Mrs Mac..... from England).

 

We've been enjoying following you on your TA cruise and are pleased that our recollections of our cruise are not dissimilar to yours - good and not so good.

 

We'd be really interested to learn if the very controversial 'gratuities letter' lands on your bed one evening towards the end of your cruise !! 

 

Best wishes for the rest of your cruise.

 

 

 

Thanks so much. I will pass along your regards. The letter on our bed tonight was to cancel Funchal due to weather. 

I will let you know if the controversial letter arrives.

We are disappointed in the loss of the Silversea lustre. 

Earl:

The gentleman who is our butler has never been aboard Celebrity. Not the same Anu, sorry.

Another sea day today.

A bit chilly, but not enough to deter the sun worshippers.

Turns out the sun worshippers also revere Bacchus, as the “all-inclusive” ship has run out of many wine offerings. No rose, no Macon, no Italian white, no french white, no Cab, no California chard except Neilson, or Chilean Morande, no Pouilly Fume. And no restock until LIsbon, when we get off. Apparently the wine drinkers were also dipping strawberries in their wine, as those too are all gone. 

The sommelier we spoke with said this is a challenge. 

Of the pax aboard, only 100 plus are first timers with Silversea. 

The pool deck is empty. All must be polishing up and primping for formal night.