Classic Crossing

[EdAway]

Would be interested in hearing from anyone booked on the "Classic Crossing" leaving Southhampton 29 August. Will be our first Silversea cruise. We are "graduating" from Crystal and Celebrity. Any comments from those who have sailed Silversea, Crystal, and Celebrity? Thanks.

[ltsally]

Afraid we're not "graduates," of any other ship - just complete and total newbies. But this is the first time any one else on that 29August crossing has surfaced, so I just wanted to say 'Ahoy!' :)

[EdAway]

Thanks for the reply...hope we're not the only ones braving the North Atlantic on a 25 ton ship!!

[kasurg]

My wife and I are also on this cruise. This will be our third North Atlantic

cruise with SS. The weather will be cool, and sometimes a bit rough--but

it has been a most enjoyable cruise. We love the sea days.

[ltsally]

KAsurg - Yes, the at-sea days look most appealing to us, whatever the weather. We had never been beguiled by any other 'cruise - as such,' but I've always wanted to do a 'crossing,' (spouse did a couple, as a mere tot). So we are really looking forward to it. And glad to find, at last, that we weren't be solo passengers!

[EdAway]

KAsurg:

 

Have your previous SS crossings been with a full capacity ship? What does SS do by way of activities etc. on the sea days??

 

Thanks in advance.

[PBfromDC]

Hi EdAway,

 

Haven't been on Celebrity, but have been on both Crystal and Silversea several times each. It's hard to compare as you're comparing a large ship experience to a small ship experience. Here's my 2-cents: Food - better on Silversea; service - better on Silversea; suites - better on Silversea; entertainment - better on Crystal; fitness facilities - better on Crystal; traditional cruise type activities - more on Crystal; value - depends on whether or not you like the bubbly and other spirits. We're not heavy drinkers, but the all-inclusive nature of Silversea turns out to be a better deal for us when we factored in what we were paying per diem on Crystal. I hope you enjoy your crossing.

[EdAway]

Thanks - good info. The larger suites will be nice because we thought cabins (not suites) on Crystal were small and really not substantially better than on Celebrity. Also we found food on Celebrity (Galaxy and Infinity) to be as good as Crystal (Crystal Harmony last year).

[Silver Pearl]

Thanks - good info. The larger suites will be nice because we thought cabins (not suites) on Crystal were small and really not substantially better than on Celebrity. Also we found food on Celebrity (Galaxy and Infinity) to be as good as Crystal (Crystal Harmony last year).

 

Interesting that you say that. A friend of mine who has cruised extensively for the past 20 years told me that he was disappointed by his Crystal cruise. He said that as far as he was concerned, the food was at least as good, if not better, on Celebrity.

 

--Rich

[meow!]

While we have not been on Crystal, we have been on Celebrity several times, in both the regular balconied cabin (category 2) and the "sky suite" (same interior as category 1 but with a much larger balcony) on the Mercury, for example. The basic vista/verandah suites interior on the Shadow/Whisper is better and larger than the minisuite (category 1 or sky suite) on the Mercury. It is very nice, and a full description has been given in our previous thread "Mexican Riviera December 14-21 Part II by meow!" earlier in this very Silversea column (end of December last year). Comments on the food and the service were given in other Parts under that same topic. Hope this helps.

[EdAway]

My wife and I are also on this cruise. This will be our third North Atlantic

cruise with SS. The weather will be cool, and sometimes a bit rough--but

it has been a most enjoyable cruise. We love the sea days.

 

Any hints you can give us regarding this cruise will be appreciated. We have booked the Silversea Fly/Hotel package. We have never done a "crossing." Our last cruise was Crystal last fall in Caribbean.

 

Thanks.

[cporter]

My husband I are also on the August 29th crossing. It will be our second SS but our first transatlantic crossing. I would love to have tips on what to pack?

[cporter]

We are also doing to pre-cruise in London. It will be my first time actually getting out of the airport?!? :)

[ltsally]

Well! Looks like there now are at least four of us (plus companions) who will be making the Crossing! We've been looking forward to this since last September; I can't believe it's now less than three months away. :eek:

 

We are getting into London the evening of 8/24; have made our arrangements independently. Will any of you doing the pre-cruise have more than the "day-before" in London?

 

EdAway and cporter: Whereabouts (in general terms) are you from?

[cporter]

We are meeting friends and spending four days before. Looks like we will meet on the "transportation" from the hotel!

 

My husband and I are from South Texas. I am very worried about the temperature. Cold is not our thing.

[kasurg]

We are arriving on the 26. We also did the hotel/air SS package. Will see

a few shows, relax, and get our bearings as we are flying from southern CA.

For us the cool weather will be a treat as we now have 100+ temp.

 

Edaway--our past cruises have ranged from 40 to 80 % capacity.

Activities--trivia, golf putting, afternoon lectures, martini/mix drinks "seminars"

(actually very good), cooking-meal classes, games--Liar, liar, coffee classes, wine classes, weather permitting, outside barbeque, bridge tours, movies, etc. All pretty laid back--and for us, we actually had a lot of fun. The weather and temp should be pretty reasonable--prob. high 50's to low

70's at the ports and 50's at sea. Last year the crossing was later (end sept-beginning oct). We had much cooler (colder) temps, sea was very rough--we got the tail end of the hurricanes from Fl. Some of the formal nights

were re scheduled. Activites and dining remained as usual. It was

rock and roll--an interesting and fun experience. Orkney Islands was

cancelled, we stayed an extra night in the Fahroe Islands. Atlantic was

rough at times--but by no means dangerous. It was beautiful to see

the power of the ocean and waves. We saw for the first time the NOrthern lights which were magnificent.

 

I believe that you will have a wonderful cruise on Silversea.

See you all on the bus!

[kasurg]

By the way, for those of you staying at the Silversea hotel- Mayfair Westbury,it is is a nice hotel. The location is great on Bond Street--good

shopping (albeit very expensive), tube not far away, and very very quiet.

[EdAway]

By the way, for those of you staying at the Silversea hotel- Mayfair Westbury,it is is a nice hotel. The location is great on Bond Street--good

shopping (albeit very expensive), tube not far away, and very very quiet.

 

Kasurg: Thanks for the "Crossing" details. Nice to know what to expect.

 

We arrive early morning on the 28th. Silversea must have more than one hotel - they have us in the Renaissance Chancery Court

 

In reply to a previous question - we are from Northern Virginia and flying out of Dulles on BA.

[meow!]

If you happen to stay at Bond Street, that is where the high-end boutique stores are at (other than Knightsbridge). Take a look at Lawrence Graff, they may not let you in without prior appointment (even for the majority of Silversea cruisers), but its window display is like a "mini museum of natural history" (in geological creation of the most expensive rocks). While one cannot own them, looking is free!

[ltsally]

My goodness, what a nice geographic spread we represent!

 

cporter: I like Texas. We've had some good family times at Padre Island and San Antonio. As for that weather range - just think "layers" and you should be fine. It does seem like a bit of a puzzle though since it's possible, I suppose, to still encounter some heat in London (and ever more likely in Boston). I've also decided to try to find space to squirrel in at least one turtleneck for chilly at-sea days.

 

kasurg: Enjoyed your description of past weather and activities - sounds like just about what I was hoping for!

[LHT28]

Kasurg:

We arrive early morning on the 28th. Silversea must have more than one hotel - they have us in the Renaissance Chancery Court

 

In reply to a previous question - we are from Northern Virginia and flying out of Dulles on BA.

 

We stayed at the Chancery Court last year ..it is a wonderful hotel you can walk to the British Museum and to the river. There is a nice Italien restarant across the road...good food and good prices.

 

Enjoy

[ltsally]

kasurg: In your previous SS crossings, did you make any of the stops that are scheduled on this one?

[kasurg]

Previous cruisees were more northernly, i.e. Fahroe Islands, Orkney, Iceland, etc. but they all stopped at St John"s, Halifax--which were of so-so interest

to us. Probablely of most interest would be Peggy's Cove and Cabot Hill.

First time cruise stop for us at Falmouth. Been to Cork and Waterford.

Of course--you must see waterford crystal factory if you have not been there before. Prepare to buy and they ship home for you.

Do not know if we will do that one again--we may do the countryside-pub

tour for a few hours only. Same for Cork. SS usually has a complimentary

tour on the boston stop--the jfk musuem which is very interesting and

brings back alot of memories. They also have a shuttle that brings about a

block from Faneuil Hall / Quincy Market.

[bldsld]

In St. John's, Newfoundland, my husband and I made an unplanned stop to the Supreme Court in St. John's, dressed in Jean's and tennis shoes. As I am an attorney in SF, I thought it would be interesting to visit the courts. The staff, and the judges, couldn't have been nicer---far more so than the folks at home! They spent hours with us, (despite our casual attire ;)) and then all waved farewell from the courthouse windows, as we were at sailaway. What an experience!

 

It's these little, unexpected adventures that make travel interesting, so our view of St. John's is of a fantastic experience with kind and interesting people whom we would never have had an opportunity to meet, particularly under such warm and welcoming circumstances, at home. Not a metal detector in sight anywhere! How refreshing and civilized, the concept of trust!!!

 

Denyse

[EdAway]

We stayed at the Chancery Court last year ..it is a wonderful hotel you can walk to the British Museum and to the river. There is a nice Italien restarant across the road...good food and good prices.

 

Enjoy

Great info - we'll check out that restaurant our first night in London!