All things- Silver Spirit!

[WesW]

Hi back, Maria & Nick;

 

Maria very succinct Spirit comments...concur with your pool assessement too (crowds and length of pool vs. Shadow/Whisper (surpising considering the size of the Spirit))

 

Our wedding planner/Emmy just got back from her mini Spirit World Cruise two days ago

flying back to London from Buenos Aires (Capt Corsaro was on her flight for short vacation). Rcvd an email from her this a.m.

 

best, wes

[Kagehitokiri]

re LA TERRAZZA breakfast - what about hot / cooked to order ?

[ansjefitnes]

Hi Wes and Ida

 

Received a email form Emmy aswell, was wondering where she was but

know now she stayed on the ship untill last weekend.

 

See you are going on the Voyager this year and next, so back to Regent.

 

Bye for now

 

Maria and Nick

[chicagogal]

Wow ging, thought it was just me - I thought the same thing.

 

Thanks for the pics Wellseasoned, always enjoy seeing pictures from onboard.

 

You ladies obviously missed the MANY comments about the guys not being able to walk behind the women using the make-up table! :)

[ging466]

You ladies obviously missed the MANY comments about the guys not being able to walk behind the women using the make-up table! :)

 

Actually I didn't pay much attention to those comments as I travel solo so someone climbing over the bed doesn't resonate with me at all:D

 

When I saw Dieter's photo yesterday, I compared it with my pic of my Vista suite on the Whisper and my Vista suite definitely looks wider. Then I looked at the measurements quoted on the Spirit and the Whisper and the Spirit is supposed to be a lot bigger...I just wonder where because the bathroom on the Spirit also looks smaller...i don't get it:confused:

 

I think we need meow! to do a measurement comparison;)

 

Cheers

Jennifer (ging466)

[Wellseasoned]

Jennifer, I did no measurements, but the Veranda bathroom seemed roomy (my photos didn't include the tub area), and the shower is much, much better than the one on the Whisper/Shadow, and is also better than the shower in the Spirit Silver Suite. As others have noted, the raised basin sink is impractical and uses too much space.

 

Dieter

[Wellseasoned]

New topic: I guess no one currently on the Spirit has posted on CC. The Spirit will be heading up the coast of Chile with several ports and is to be in Valparaiso in a few days. While we were aboard, CD Fernando told me that a majority of the passengers will disembark in Valparaiso and the ship will be relatively empty on the following segments. Has anyone heard whether Silversea is making itinerary changes in Chile in view of the earthquake? I imagine that embarkation /disembarkation in Valparaiso and flights from and to Santiago for so many passengers would be nightmarish under the circumstances. And will Chile even allow the ship to dock?

[CASHIPman]

New topic: I guess no one currently on the Spirit has posted on CC. The Spirit will be heading up the coast of Chile with several ports and is to be in Valparaiso in a few days. While we were aboard, CD Fernando told me that a majority of the passengers will disembark in Valparaiso and the ship will be relatively empty on the following segments. Has anyone heard whether Silversea is making itinerary changes in Chile in view of the earthquake? I imagine that embarkation /disembarkation in Valparaiso and flights from and to Santiago for so many passengers would be nightmarish under the circumstances. And will Chile even allow the ship to dock?

 

Hi Dieter...

I've heard from the Spirit that many guests are planning on disembarking at the port before Valparaiso.

 

Wilfred and I are due to join the Spirit in Valparaiso but that's now up in the air. So far we haven't heard anything from Silversea but it's still early yet. The port of Valparaiso was closed...I don't know if it still is.

 

The airport is still closed for the most part so even if the ship makes it into Valparaiso I don't know if our flight will operate.

[WesW]

here is a copy of announcement SS has posted now on their homepage:

 

SPECIAL NOTE

 

For guests scheduled to join Silver Spirit (V.5006) in Santiago (Valparaiso) on March 8, 2010, the voyage is operating as planned with no embarkation port changes at this time.

 

Please check back frequently for updates.

[MuseCruiser]

Thanks, Colonel!

[Wellseasoned]

Craig and Wil, I had forgotten that you were going back aboard in Valparaiso. I certainly hope that it works out for you. At least there is still a week to make the port and airport and transportation between them functional. Keep us posted.

 

Dieter

[MuseCruiser]

Will do, Dieter. Thanks!

[WesW]

Wil & Craig...latest from CC here:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3720

[dusababy]

Craig & Wil -- best wishes for safe and uneventful embarkation at Valparaiso. Self- interest -- I'm anxious to hear how Spirit has changed since January. Will be reading your on-board posts.

Mary Ann

[CASHIPman]

Hi Wes..thanks! Please give our best to the lovely Ida.

Hi Mary Ann...thanks for your good wishes!

 

Our airline is allowing for changes/cancellations without penalty for travel to Santiago for anyone traveling on/before 08MAR. I don't know if they're expecting disruptions up to then or what. We shall see!

[conchyjoe]

Hi Dieter...

I've heard from the Spirit that many guests are planning on disembarking at the port before Valparaiso.

 

Wilfred and I are due to join the Spirit in Valparaiso but that's now up in the air. So far we haven't heard anything from Silversea but it's still early yet. The port of Valparaiso was closed...I don't know if it still is.

 

The airport is still closed for the most part so even if the ship makes it into Valparaiso I don't know if our flight will operate.

 

There was no significant damage to the port in Valparaiso and operations are now fairly normal. The major problem for cruise lines is SCL airport which remains closed to passengers, due to damage to the terminal building.

[ging466]

Jennifer, I did no measurements, but the Veranda bathroom seemed roomy (my photos didn't include the tub area), and the shower is much, much better than the one on the Whisper/Shadow, and is also better than the shower in the Spirit Silver Suite. As others have noted, the raised basin sink is impractical and uses too much space. Dieter

 

Hi Dieter

Thankx for letting me know...the shower looks great.

 

Cheers

Jennifer (ging466)

[cruzemaven]

Hi back, Maria & Nick;

 

Maria very succinct Spirit comments...concur with your pool assessement too (crowds and length of pool vs. Shadow/Whisper (surpising considering the size of the Spirit))

 

Our wedding planner/Emmy just got back from her mini Spirit World Cruise two days ago

flying back to London from Buenos Aires (Capt Corsaro was on her flight for short vacation). Rcvd an email from her this a.m.

 

best, wes

 

I don't get the logic in making the pool and pool deck smaller when the ship is larger and holds more passengers. What were they thinking when they designed this part of the ship? Did Silversea think that a crowded pool area adds to the luxury of a cruise? Could it be that their statistics indicate that the average Silversea guest doesn't spend too much time around the pool and, therefore, they could reduce the area and put the extra square footage to better use? Perhaps, someone with insight into Silversea's thinking could weigh in on this.

[dougburns]

I guess I'm in the minority again on the Silver Spirit pool issue. With the main pool deck, the upper deck lounge chair area above the pool and the areas down each side of the pool deck with lots of lounge chairs aft of the main pool area there is actually much more outdoor seating than aboard Whisper/Shadow. During the T/A cruise I never noticed the pool deck to be over crowded. You add to that the large veranda aft of the Panorama Lounge and there's plenty of outdoor seating for a full ship. Not everyone wants to sit in the direct sun.

[dusababy]

Hi Wes..thanks! Please give our best to the lovely Ida.

Hi Mary Ann...thanks for your good wishes!

 

Our airline is allowing for changes/cancellations without penalty for travel to Santiago for anyone traveling on/before 08MAR. I don't know if they're expecting disruptions up to then or what. We shall see!

 

Craig - I saw the post on the web site re Spirit still on schedule - wondering if you have any update in your flight? This is really last minute flexibility....!

 

Mary Ann

[NJBelle]

Agree with Doug. The deck area on the Spirit is much improved for those of us who like shade and like to to eat, drink, chat, read and do more than just lie in the sun. Also love the extra space outside the Panorama Lounge.

[WesW]

My "traditional use--lying in the sun/reading" view of the "crowded" Spirit pool deck is based on spending 2-3 hours a day directly beside the pool on deck 9 or directly above the pool on deck 10 for almost 15/16 days of our crossing. I consistently observed almost every lounger used by Spirit passengers, then overflow going down the lower and upper pool deck to just outside the panormara outside deck. In fact, Deck 8's aft deck went from zero loungers the first few days of the crossing (I knew this as I jogged at 5:30-6:45 am, daily up/down decks 7, 8,9 and there were no lounges on deck 8 aft deck during the first 3-4 days of our crossing but about two dozen loungers down there the last few days of the crossing) to over 20 loungers on the last week of the crossing because there was not more room on the pool deck. The second order effect of this crowded pool Spirit pool deck on our TA was late morning/afternoon joggers, jogged, not as if they were on a Silversea jogging track, but as if they were on a Silversea lounger obstacle course located on the jogging track.

 

So, if you enjoy time by the pool, and yes in the sun, the Spirit's pool deck, based on more than two weeks use, IMO is crowded.

[brimary]

We have close friends boarding the Spirit in Valparaiso 8th March. Can anyone on board confim that everything went to plan as we were still getting reports that Santiago airp[ort was closed which would be the gateway for most of the cruisers.

[dougburns]

SS still has things going as planned; at least that's what the note on the SS website says. Will&Craig are on this leg and I'm sure they'll post as soon as they're able.

[Paulchili]

The SCL web site (official web site for Santiago's airport) reports that that airport is in "partial" operation:

http://www.aeropuertosantiago.cl/english/

I would assume that many flights are coming in and leaving, albeit on an adjusted schedule.