Live from Silver Muse: Voyage #6815; Athens to Rome, Jun 15 – 24, 2018

Jolly Jones or Stumblefoot

 

 

 

Can I please ask about the menu in Atlantide?

 

 

You say it changes once a week, when it changes is it the complete menu or just a few items as when the menu in La Terrazza changes?

 

 

Thanks

When Kaiseki is open for lunch is it for a surcharge and if so how much? Thanks. Very much enjoying your posts/pics. Hope it continues to be a great voyage.

 

 

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So glad to hear that Mr. Duct Tape is still cruising! She was a remarkable lady of many accomplishments. I had the privilege of sitting next to her on a flight home from Barbados. She was a truly compassionate person.

When Kaiseki is open for lunch is it for a surcharge and if so how much?

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When I last sailed on Spirit there was no surcharge for lunch at Kaiseki. It was generally fairly empty and was a great place to have lunch.

Jolly Jones or Stumblefoot

 

 

 

Can I please ask about the menu in Atlantide?

 

 

You say it changes once a week, when it changes is it the complete menu or just a few items as when the menu in La Terrazza changes?

 

 

Thanks

 

Seems to be just a few items - enough to keep it interesting but not a completely new menu.

And I think it may be more often than weekly but I don't pay much attention, I don't fuss about these things, there's always plenty of food that I enjoy.

VALLETTA,MALTA

Wed., Jun 20 @ 7:30p - Thu., Jun 21 @ 5:00p

 

To: PSahoy - Glad you are enjoying the posts and pics. I echo Observer's reply to your question as it is the same on the Muse; when dining in Kaiseki for lunch, there is no surcharge.

To: Emtbsam - I agree 100% Such a lovely soul.

 

Senglea, Malta (Across Grand Harbor from Valletta)

 

Oh Malta, how you have stolen our hearts. This little country in the middle of the Mediterranean captivated us and we hope to return someday to spend more time basking in its charm. We took full advantage of being docked overnight and spent the entire day with Glorianne Mizzi, former Director of the Malta Tourism Authority and former board member of the European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations. She is exceptional.

 

St.Paul’s Shipwreck Church

Our day started off with a quick ride up the Barrakka Lift to reach the Upper Barrakka Gardens before heading to St. Paul’s. One of Valletta’s oldest churches (completed 1582), the church honors the saint who is considered the spiritual father of the Maltese ever since he arrived in 60 as described in the book of Acts 28:1. Three key highlights of this church was the gilded statue of St. Paul (created in 1650) that is paraded through the city during its feast day (and national holiday) on February 10, the column where the saint was beheaded, and his wrist bone.

 

St. John's Co-Cathedral

This church is quite the gem of baroque art and architecture. I would go so far as to say it is one of the most ornate churches I have ever seen, rivaling St. Mark's in Venice, Italy. Originally built between 1572 and 1577, the cathedral has been under renovation since the late 1980’s and was just completed in 2017. It is impossible to describe just how stunning it was!

Sanctuary

 

Casa Rocco Piccola

Next, we headed down Republic street to the Casa Rocca Piccola, stopping briefly in St. George Square to read the proclamation from Franklin D. Roosevelt written during WWII.

Built in the 16th century over 430 years ago and still privately owned, we had the opportunity to meet the owner of the villa; Baron and Marquis Nicholas de Piro. A highlight for us was a piece of furniture from the Order of the Knights of St John who had fled Rhodes, Greece to settle in Malta.

Chest

 

Tarxien Temples

From Valletta we headed into the countryside to visit the ancient temples at Tarxien. Built between 3600 and 2500 BC, the site consists of four megalithic temple structures and how they were constructed via stone rollers. The entire site was very impressive and well worth the visit if you enjoy ancient pre-history.

Entrance to the Primary Temple

 

Mdina

Next, we headed to Rabat to see the old city of Mdina which was the first capital of Malta during Roman times. With only 250 full time residents, Mdina is a mysterious Arabic walled city of golden stone that crowns a hilltop where modern Malta has yet to arrive.

Rabat Gate (Used in Season 1 of Game of Thrones)

 

Although the Cathedral that was founded in the 12th century and houses the ceiling frescoes by the Manno brothers, Preti’s altar mural, and the old vestry portal carved from Irish bog wood was closed, the stroll here was wonderful. We found a viewpoint where St. Paul's Bay (where the saint's boat supposedly wrecked) was bathed in sunlight while just a few miles away the city of Valletta was being drenched by a thunderstorm. The contrast was quite stunning.

Street that cars drive on (seek the red tail light at the far end)

 

In Closing...

While a thunderstorm brews off our stern and at the risk of jinxing our voyage, I just wanted to make a brief comment about the seas during this voyage. I have never sailed where the seas have been as calm as what we've experienced. It's as if we have been sailing on Lake Garda or Como rather than in the various bodies of water we have been sailing on in the Mediterranean.

Today, we are heading for Amalfi, Italy where we will spend approximately 4-hours ashore before sailing for Sorrento, Italy where we will anchor for the night.

Until tomorrow...

Wonderful post on Malta with beautiful photos Brian, Taylor and Amy. Thank you for taking us along on your Valletta tour. Look forward to touring Sorrento again through your eyes/digits.

Thank you again for taking all of us along! It's been a wonderful trip so far! I especially like the calm seas!

Carry on!!

Stumblefoot...your photos are spectacular! Next best thing to being there! Thank you for taking the time to schlep us along. :)

Stumble

Malta is a place of mystery and beauty.

Thanks again for taking the time to capture the spirit of the place in photographs.

 

 

 

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RHODES,GREECE

Sun., Jun 17 | 8:00a – 6:00p

Happy 46th Wedding Anniversary to TLCOhio

Rhodes: The fourth largest Greek island and historically the most important of the Dodecanese “Twelve” islands", Rhodes is full of beaches, pretty valleys and plenty of ancient history. The US state of Rhode Island takes its name from this island. Best wishes to you all on this Father's Day!

 

Sorry that I have been a little late in catching up to your excellent posts, pictures, etc. Especially appreciate your nice mention of our 46h wedding anniversary on June 17. YES, guilty as charged!! My wife has had to put up with much over the years from me.

 

Second, I loved the details you wonderfully shared on the Greek Island of Rhodes. November 16h with Oceania, we depart from Athens with our first two stops being Patmos and Rhodes as we eventually sailing down the Suez Canal to finish in Dubai. We will make our first visits to the Holy Lands, Egypt, Middle East, etc. Keep it coming with these very nice details and visuals from your sailing/adventure.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 204,770 views for this posting.

Stumblefoot and JollyJones, Thank you both for your guidance. I'll be starting to pack in a couple days. I hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise.

AMALFI, ITALY

Fri., Jun 22 | 12:30p - 5:00p

To: Wes - Thank you for the encouragement!

To: Mudhen - We're with you... loved the calm seas.

To: Msyty, Spins and Cruiserj12 - My pleasure!

To: TLCOhio - Glad that you have enjoyed this thread.

 

To: Beaujolais - According to Mirko, Maître D' of Atlantide, the menu change includes a complete a new selection of appetizers and several of the fish main course offerings are changed. The meat entrees remain the same. As Jolly Jones noted below, the menu is extensive and provides a wide range of choices to enjoy.

 

To: Mr. Silver - I spoke with Paulo directly and here is the low down on La Dame for lunch. Currently, it is a test to gauge guest demand. So, on full sea days only, Kaiseki will be closed for lunch and La Dame opened according to the $60 surcharge. On our voyage, I do not believe anyone dined in La Dame for lunch. We will see how the test progresses through the summer.

Amalfi, Italy

This stop was very short, but provided great contrasts nonetheless.

Steep Amalfi Stairway

 

Beauty abounds in this isolated and quaint town.

Stunning Amalfi

The Porcelain Quest

Ever since we visited Positano 5-years ago, my DW has been itching to return to the Amalfi coast and continue her quest for high quality Italian porcelain. Rather than return to Positano we stayed in town instead. Unfortunately, the shopping was a failure (a success for me!). :D

After the hunt, we returned to the Muse where our fun cruise directors re-enacted a scene from Game of Thrones while enjoyed the 3-hour cruise along the pretty coast and around the island of Capri on our way to Sorrento.

Jimmy and Luke

Thanks Stumblefoot, I appreciate your finding the time to speak to Paulo and sincerely hope that their ‘test’ fails miserably!

 

Enjoying your trip report.

 

 

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AMALFI, ITALY

 

Fri., Jun 22 | 12:30p - 5:00p

 

 

To: Wes - Thank you for the encouragement!

 

 

To: Mudhen - We're with you... loved the calm seas.

 

 

To: Msyty, Spins and Cruiserj12 - My pleasure!

 

 

To: TLCOhio - Glad that you have enjoyed this thread.

 

 

 

To: Beaujolais - According to Mirko, Maître D' of Atlantide, the menu change includes a complete a new selection of appetizers and several of the fish main course offerings are changed. The meat entrees remain the same. As Jolly Jones noted below, the menu is extensive and provides a wide range of choices to enjoy.

 

 

 

To: Mr. Silver - I spoke with Paulo directly and here is the low down on La Dame for lunch. Currently, it is a test to gauge guest demand. So, on full sea days only, Kaiseki will be closed for lunch and La Dame opened according to the $60 surcharge. On our voyage, I do not believe anyone dined in La Dame for lunch. We will see how the test progresses through the summer.

 

 

 

Amalfi, Italy

 

 

This stop was very short, but provided great contrasts nonetheless.

 

 

Steep Amalfi Stairway

 

 

 

Beauty abounds in this isolated and quaint town.

 

 

Stunning Amalfi

 

 

The Porcelain Quest

 

Ever since we visited Positano 5-years ago, my DW has been itching to return to the Amalfi coast and continue her quest for high quality Italian porcelain. Rather than return to Positano we stayed in town instead. Unfortunately, the shopping was a failure (a success for me!). :D

 

 

 

After the hunt, we returned to the Muse where our fun cruise directors re-enacted a scene from Game of Thrones while enjoyed the 3-hour cruise along the pretty coast and around the island of Capri on our way to Sorrento.

 

 

Jimmy and Luke

 

 

 

Lovely photos.

When we were in Peru, Jimmy and Luke bought these knitted baclavas, which they donned and they looked pretty scary! I often wondered what use they would be, now I think I have it figured out, to reenact a scene from Halloween.

 

 

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SORRENTO, ITALY

Fri., Jun 22 @ 8:30p - Sat., Jun 23 @ 8:00p

 

To: Silver Spectre - I tend to agree with you as sadly, the day we wanted to dine in Kaiseki for lunch, it was closed. We have yet to dine in it at night, because I have a really hard time justifying $180 for teppanyaki for a party of three.

 

 

Sailing into the Bay of Naples

Mount Vesuvius at Sunset

 

Arriving and anchoring mere minutes before the sun set, the fading light danced on the beautiful cliffs that welcome us into the harbor at Sorrento.

Sorrento Harbor

 

Since our last visit to Sorrento in 2009 took us to the ruins of Pompeii, we decided to take full advantage of our full Saturday and spent it touring Herculaneum and the city of Naples.

 

Herculaneum

Destroyed by the same eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 that be felled Pompeii, Herculaneum’s destruction preserved organic based materials such as food, bones, and items made from wood such as beds, doors, and roofs. As much as we loved Pompeii all those years ago, we were blown away by Herculaneum, especially by visiting it early in the morning when we saw only 6 other people during our entire time at the site.

The Ruins of Herculaneum

 

Naples

Filled with grime and graffiti, Italy’s third largest city contained grand artistry virtually everywhere we turned. Our four favorite sites were; (1) Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary, (2) Pious Mount of Mercy church, (3) the Chapel Museum, and (4) the National Archaeological Museum with its mosaics from 100 BC, as well as its secret cabinet from the Bourbon monarchy.

Typical Side Street in Naples

 

National Archaeological

The mosaics from the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum absolutely blew me away. I wonder if any modern day artist still practices this craft?

Portrait of a Woman

 

Cock Fight

 

Food

Naples and the Silver Muse

 

To: Spins - That is hilarious! We must have got on the day you disembarked in Santiago.

--------------------------

As much as we enjoy Spaccanapoli on board the Silver Muse, the most anticipated pie may have been this stop.

 

World Famous Di Matteo

 

We purposely went in the middle of the afternoon in order to avoid the crowd and the wait was still nearly 40-minutes long for a seat and another 15-minutes just to place an order. Needless to say, it was worth the wait. And the price for 2 pies, 1 fried pizza, sodas and beer? 24 Euros. A steal!

Margherita

 

Anne-Mari Cornelius

To enjoy her food is wonderful. To know her is priceless.

I may be Anne-Mari's biggest fan as I think she is the finest executive chef I have ever had the pleasure of sailing with on Silversea. I would literally book a voyage if I knew she was going to be on board.

In about 3-weeks Anne-Mari's contract will end. But, never fear, she will be back on the Muse later in September.

Silversea Executive Chef; Anne-Mari Cornelius

DISEMBARKATION DAY – Rome, Italy

Port of Civitavecchia

They say all good things must come to an end. Well, I wish we could continue onward as this voyage through Greece, Malta, and Italy has been great fun and a voyage we will never forget.

Silver Muse in Port

 

Rome, Italy

To me, Rome is like Texas. Go big, or go home. The churches, the sites, the food... it all seems so much bigger and grander here.

The Flavian Amphitheatre, better known as the Colosseum

My favorite Roman Restaurant is L'Isola della Pizza where they treat as family guests rather than mere diners.

Just a Small Sample of Our Appetizers

 

And, I'll never understand how I can buy the same ham at home, yet it always taste so much better here.

 

Final Comments

While some may be worried about the future of Silversea within the realm of Royal Caribbean, and maybe rightly so, I can say this voyage was just about as perfect as it can get. I therefore continue to plan future voyages as I trust the officers who have publicly said Silversea will remain independently operated.

 

For those who wonder what is in store for the future, I can say the company is paying attention to its passengers. We've already seen it in the Silver Spirit with its 70/30 allocation of space to Atlantide versus Indochine which is certainly a step in the right direction. And, with the success of the Arts Cafe on Silver Muse, it has been enlarged on the Silver Spirit. Therefore, as the design of the Silver Moon continues a pace, I have no doubt the company will incorporate the best of what they have learned from the Muse and Spirit.

 

Lastly, for those interested in their favorite crew members, Ogzur is now the F&B Mgr as Sergu heads off on vacation. Jimmy Kovel will head to the Spirit in September while Moss is off a couple of months for his vacation. Jimmy will return to the Muse this winter. Finally, several of the crew will also be moving to the Silver Spirit later this summer as they bring their experience to the redesigned ship.

In Closing

I hope everyone has enjoyed this live thread and I look forward to your future sailings. Hopefully, our paths will cross one day on board a Silversea voyage. Best wishes to all!

 

The Stumblefoot's

Thank you for your entertaining and informative updates. So good to hear it met your expectations.

 

 

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Safe journey Stumble.

We have enjoyed your cruise right along with you in spirit and through your terrific photographs and narrative!

See you at the Beav in the winter!

Absolutely loved reading about your trip. Great photos, too!

 

One question - We’re sailing on the Muse later this summer and the cruise also ends in Rome. I’ve booked a private transfer from the port to our hotel, but wondered what time you docked/left cabin/disembarked. I want to make sure I’ve arranged the pick-up time correctly.

Thanks!

Thanks to you and your family for the outstanding pictures and great commentary. Glad you all had an excellent trip. You have my wife and I super excited for our Aug 24 Spirit sailing. Safe travels.

 

Regards,

Neilio

Thank you for your entertaining and informative updates. So good to hear it met your expectations.

You’re very welcome!

 

See you at the Beav in the winter!

Spins, if you do make it out, we’d love to have dinner with you at one of our favorite restaurants during your visit. Enjoy the rest of your summer! Winter is sure to follow. [emoji4]

 

Absolutely loved reading about your trip. Great photos, too!

 

One question - We’re sailing on the Muse later this summer and the cruise also ends in Rome. I’ve booked a private transfer from the port to our hotel, but wondered what time you docked/left cabin/disembarked. I want to make sure I’ve arranged the pick-up time correctly.

Thank you very much!

 

To help, we were docked by 7:30a and the first disembarkations started shortly thereafter @ 7:45a.

 

Like you, we made our own arrangements. Even though one needs to be out of their suite by 8:30a, we enjoy our tradition of a last leisurely breakfast in Atlantide whereby we disembark @ 9:45a and meet our driver immediately thereafter. From gangway, to luggage, to out the door is less than 3-minutes and the drivers are all waiting right at the exit. Very, very easy port.

 

Thanks to you and your family for the outstanding pictures and great commentary. Glad you all had an excellent trip. You have my wife and I super excited for our Aug 24 Spirit sailing. Safe travels.

My pleasure Neilio. I envy your upcoming voyage on the Spirit. I hope to see her sooner rather than later.

 

 

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And if anyone is interested in a simple and cheap way to Rome, which I chose out of interest rather than parsimony, I strolled from the ship to Civi train station in about 20mins, got a train for 5euros, then strolled to my hotel in another 20mins. OK, I admit I only travel with carry on, would be different with luggage, but taxis were in good supply, could take you to the station.

Very interesting looking out of the train window at a small muddy stream/river - the Tiber! What a let down.

And, I dunno if the ghost of Mussolini is still around, but that train was on time to the second.

What a great cruise it was, and I so enjoyed meeting the Stumbles, hopefully our paths will cross again!

 

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Edited June 25, 2018 by jollyjones

Brian (Amy & Taylor); thanks for sharing your MoM (Med on Muse) in delightful words & photos.

Enjoyed seeing one of our fav areas of Italy (Amalfi Coast), even Naples (Ida lived their over a year while serving in the Army). We still have the Grappa she brought back from her tour in Naples. Also, thanks for sharing Sorrento and your personal/passionate view of Anne Marie's exec chef skill set.

 

Safe travels home.