Rookies ready to book have questions about cabin position

[pamfj]

We are brand new to cruising and I am on my way over to see the TA to book a 7 day Alaskan cruise on the Silver Shadow (starting June 7). The agent is holding cabin 416 (a verandah). What do you veterans think of that cabin location? I do get motion sickness.

 

I have been lurking for the last week and want to thank all of you who post regularly for the great information. You have educated me enough about cruising and Silversea that I feel comfortable with this purchase. I also get a much better "vibe" (okay, we are boomers--57 and 63 by the time of sail) from the folks on this board than I do the posters on other lines. Very articluate analysis. If the passengers on our voyage are the same calibre, I am sure we will be very pleased.

 

I started out looking at HAL, decided that was not for us--too big, maybe too old (both the ships and the passengers), and too mass market. I then researched Regent and the cruise we wanted was booked. The agent suggested Silversea--a line I knew nothing about, so the info on this board has been most helpful. (Particularly the information about Regent offering specials for kids!! I am so glad I did not book with them and then find 85 kids on board!)

 

I am sure I will have lots more questions in the coming months.

[Emtbsam]

We are brand new to cruising and I am on my way over to see the TA to book a 7 day Alaskan cruise on the Silver Shadow (starting June 7). The agent is holding cabin 416 (a verandah). What do you veterans think of that cabin location? I do get motion sickness.

 

I have been lurking for the last week and want to thank all of you who post regularly for the great information. You have educated me enough about cruising and Silversea that I feel comfortable with this purchase. I also get a much better "vibe" (okay, we are boomers--57 and 63 by the time of sail) from the folks on this board than I do the posters on other lines. Very articluate analysis. If the passengers on our voyage are the same calibre, I am sure we will be very pleased.

 

I started out looking at HAL, decided that was not for us--too big, maybe too old (both the ships and the passengers), and too mass market. I then researched Regent and the cruise we wanted was booked. The agent suggested Silversea--a line I knew nothing about, so the info on this board has been most helpful. (Particularly the information about Regent offering specials for kids!! I am so glad I did not book with them and then find 85 kids on board!)

 

I am sure I will have lots more questions in the coming months.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Silversea and the Silver Shadow. I suggest you go to the website and look at the deck plans. If I am not mistaken, cabin #416 is a Vista cabin with no veranda. Also, it appears to be across from the service area, and might have a bit of noise. If you want to have access to the outside but do not want to pay the price for a Veranda suite, I suggest you consider a Terrace suite on Deck 5. Those cabins have a shared Veranda, but are in the highly touted "midship" location. While they do not have the large sliding glass doors of the Veranda suites, they do have a large glass window in the single door. Regardless of what cabin you choose, I believe you will find the size of the cabins, bathrooms and closets to be more than adequate.

 

Another CC'er ("Wellseasoned") always gets a cabin on the Starboard side of Deck 6 (righthand side when facing forward), and if he wants to see something on the other side of the ship goes to the "hidden" veranda near the staircase.

 

I'm sure many others will chime in. I hope you have a wonderful trip.

[Keith1010]

As background I have only taken one Silversea cruise when we were on the Shadow this past summer in Alaska as well. However, I am a frequent cruiser.

 

In terms of minimizing motion sickness you did right to get a room on a low deck and in this case the lowest passenger deck.

 

Ideally though the more center you are on the ship the better and if you can't get center then being further back would be better than being too forward.

 

The room you have selected is towards the front. I would see if you can get something more middle of that location.

 

We thoroughly enjoyed our Silversea cruise and you have made a wise decision selecting Silversea over HAL.

 

Also, consider bringing with you a remedy for motion sickness. Each person is different so whereas one person might not be bothered by a certain swaying of the seas someone else might.

 

Keith

[ltsally]

We've now done five cruises (2 Silversea; 2 Seabourn and 1 HAL) and the cruise we just left (two weeks ago today - sob!) was the first time my spouse did not suffer any effects from the rough seas. That was thanks to the SeaBands he put on his wrist straightaway. They may not work for everyone, but they sure did the trick for him.

 

I think you will love Silversea. And all the planning/anticipation is part of the fun. Good luck!

[pamfj]

Thanks all. I goofed--it's 614, not 416, so is a verandah. Also, it is a June 10 sail, not the 7th. (can you tell I am a bit ADD?) I had the TA check for something closer to center, but no luck.

 

Another question: Have any of you ever done the Silversea land adventure to Denali? What hotel at the park do they use? I am not a fan of tours in general and had thought we would do this portion on our own. Thoughts? We are doing a southbound cruise so would be doing Denali at the start of the trip.

[wripro]

It appears that the Alaska cruises are selling very well. I think the fact that they are shorter this year is helping attract more people.

[Keith1010]

Thanks all. I goofed--it's 614, not 416, so is a verandah. Also, it is a June 10 sail, not the 7th. (can you tell I am a bit ADD?) I had the TA check for something closer to center, but no luck.

 

Another question: Have any of you ever done the Silversea land adventure to Denali? What hotel at the park do they use? I am not a fan of tours in general and had thought we would do this portion on our own. Thoughts? We are doing a southbound cruise so would be doing Denali at the start of the trip.

 

Now are you sure it is Silversea and not another cruise line. :p Just kidding.

 

I am sure the location will be fine. If you do have concerns with nausea I would just come prepared with something to take just in case. There are all sorts of remedies for this.

 

Our cruise this summar was San Francisco to Vancouver so we didn't take any land adventure. If this was me I would look at doing this on my own.

 

Keith

[chicagogal]

We are brand new to cruising and I am on my way over to see the TA to book a 7 day Alaskan cruise on the Silver Shadow (starting June 7). The agent is holding cabin 416 (a verandah). What do you veterans think of that cabin location? I do get motion sickness.

 

I have been lurking for the last week and want to thank all of you who post regularly for the great information. You have educated me enough about cruising and Silversea that I feel comfortable with this purchase. I also get a much better "vibe" (okay, we are boomers--57 and 63 by the time of sail) from the folks on this board than I do the posters on other lines. Very articluate analysis. If the passengers on our voyage are the same calibre, I am sure we will be very pleased.

 

I started out looking at HAL, decided that was not for us--too big, maybe too old (both the ships and the passengers), and too mass market. I then researched Regent and the cruise we wanted was booked. The agent suggested Silversea--a line I knew nothing about, so the info on this board has been most helpful. (Particularly the information about Regent offering specials for kids!! I am so glad I did not book with them and then find 85 kids on board!)

 

I am sure I will have lots more questions in the coming months.

 

Congrats on selecting Silversea for your summer cruise! We took the Shadow in Alaska this past September and loved it. So much so, we have 2 more Silversea cruises booked in 2010. I think cabin 614 will be fine. They do sell seabands (which work for some people) for motion sickness on the ship in the gift shop)

 

Can't offer any help with Denali - we didn't go there.

[TheFerret]

Get a prescription for Meclizine. When Dad and I chartered a catamaran, Mom popped a bottle of Meclizine in his bag just in case.

 

Oh, ha ha, I laughed, what a worrywart. But then -- heavy seas. Heavy nausea. Too late? Nope, the medicine worked even though I was already nauseated. And no side effects for me either.

 

I'm a fan for life.

 

Don't leave shore without it.

[harcin]

Get a prescription for Meclizine. When Dad and I chartered a catamaran, Mom popped a bottle of Meclizine in his bag just in case.

 

Oh, ha ha, I laughed, what a worrywart. But then -- heavy seas. Heavy nausea. Too late? Nope, the medicine worked even though I was already nauseated. And no side effects for me either.

 

I'm a fan for life.

 

Don't leave shore without it.

 

 

Meclizine can make some people sleepy and one should not drink alcohol while taking it. I have seen Sea Bands work well for people without the drowsy effect. Also ginger is supposed to work as a "natural" anti-nausea remedy. It is available in most drugstores in pill form.

[dwelsh]

Meclizine can make some people sleepy and one should not drink alcohol while taking it. I have seen Sea Bands work well for people without the drowsy effect. Also ginger is supposed to work as a "natural" anti-nausea remedy. It is available in most drugstores in pill form.

 

Ground ginger in capsules is a great "old worlde" help for mal de mer. I always kept a supply on my sailboat for my passengers who were not happy with sea conditions!! Bands do work very well also.

[Dreps]

One comment about your question regarding Denali. When we took our Regent Alaskan cruise, I planned our pre-cruise to Denali using information I learned on the CC Alaskan board, particularly posts by Budget Queen, the resident expert on Alaska. It's simple to do on your own. We rented a car at the Anchorage airport, stayed overnight there because our flight arrived fairly late. Then the next day we headed for Denali. The roads are easy and it's a straight shot. It is true that the distances are significant. The weather was so beautiful, we stopped in Talkeetna and took a flight around McKinley because we didn't want to chance missing it when we had scheduled it for a couple of days later. In the Denali area, we chose to stay at a recommended B&B, and the next day we spent most of it on the bus in the Park, going as far as Eielson Visitor Center. (I had pre-purchased the bus tickets online.) After the Park, we drove back to Talkeetna where we spent two nights at the Alaskan Lodge. Then we drove back to Anchorage, dropped the car off, got on the train (at the airport), which took us to Seward and our ship. The train ride was incredible.

 

I know that Silversea and Regent usually do great pre- and post-cruises, having taken one in Egypt before a Silversea cruise in the Mideast last year. However, they usually cost much more than doing it on your own. And Alaska is easy, and you have complete flexibility.