On Board Silver Spirit

[jtm1]

On board Silver Spirit, Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles - - Day 7:

 

An excellent cruise so far, with spectacular weather and calm seas. The highlight, of course, was the transit through the Panama Canal yesterday. Entered from the Atlantic at 7:30am and exited into the Bay of Panama at 3:30pm. Lunch at the Pool Grill while crossing the Continental Divide!

 

Roughly 500 passengers and 380 crew on board, so fairly full. The ship, having completed a “wet” dock a month ago, is in excellent condition and spotless.

Service is definitely up to Silversea standards, from one end of the ship to the other. Absolutely flawless.

 

Dining is a mixed experience. We just are not that fond of the MDR as the cuisine is uninspired in our view. We have eaten there twice; once not very good at all, but the Dover Sole the second time was quite good. Trying it again tonight, so we shall see.

 

La Terrazza is, as usual, pretty busy at breakfast and lunch, although the extra outdoor seating provided on the Spirit is a definite plus. Had dinner there one evening and it was excellent. Why some of this delightful Italian cooking is not available in the MDR is a mystery to me.

 

Neither Seishin nor Stars appeal to us, so nothing to report there.

 

The Pool Grill, always a fine spot for lunch, becomes Hot Rocks for dinner and is really wonderful. We have eaten there several times and (especially with such wonderful weather) it is a great spot for alfresco dining.

Le Champagne is coming up, and will report on that later. My observation is that it is too small a venue for a ship that holds over 500 and, as such, pretty hard to get into.

 

The Spa is quite good, but as noted in earlier posts by others, beware of the new policy that includes the gratuity in the charge (a higher price than advertised on line) and then presents a slip with a space for another gratuity. We complained and they promptly removed the extra charge, but my impression is that the operators of the Spa would be more than happy to double dip. Shameful for Silversea to not prevent this.

 

This last issue aside, we are enjoying ourselves immensely on this our fifth Silversea cruise.

[Tothesunset]

Interesting read, thanks for posting. We are joining SS on 1 Feb in LA so your comments are of particular interest.

[Silver Spectre]

Thanks for posting JTM1. How are the wines holding up on this cruise, and do you know who the Executive Chef is.

[jtm1]

Dinner tonight in MDR really quite good.

 

Wines are excellent.

 

Executive chef is Jerome Foussler.

 

Regards.

[Herman The Cat]

Thanks for taking us along on a little bit of your voyage.

We got off the Spirit the day you got on and thought the ship was in fine shape and the crew exceptional.

We thought the food was very good and consistent and that the desserts/sweets were the best we had in quite some time on Silversea. (Desserts other than the MDR.) The pastry chef was staying "under the radar" but we managed to find him at the pool BBQ and thank him...he seemed shocked that we had sought him out.

Hope you are able to take advantage of the various activities during the day. Don't miss the dance classes--they are fantastic. And if you haven't seen the "High C's"/Italian Opera show, don't miss that either. It's a fantastic show and you have a great group of singers on board. Dont miss the Pool BBQ either...

Just to give you an idea of how much we enjoyed ourselves, we were on for 14 days and wanted to stay on for your voyage!

Enjoy every moment! Life is good!

[WesW]

Thank you for your Spirit reports Jtm1.

[Silver Spectre]

Dinner tonight in MDR really quite good.

 

Wines are excellent.

 

Executive chef is Jerome Foussler.

 

Regards.

 

Many thanks for the update.

[rxralph]

On board Silver Spirit, Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles - - Day 7:

 

An excellent cruise so far, with spectacular weather and calm seas. The highlight, of course, was the transit through the Panama Canal yesterday. Entered from the Atlantic at 7:30am and exited into the Bay of Panama at 3:30pm. Lunch at the Pool Grill while crossing the Continental Divide!

 

Roughly 500 passengers and 380 crew on board, so fairly full. The ship, having completed a “wet” dock a month ago, is in excellent condition and spotless.

Service is definitely up to Silversea standards, from one end of the ship to the other. Absolutely flawless.

 

Dining is a mixed experience. We just are not that fond of the MDR as the cuisine is uninspired in our view. We have eaten there twice; once not very good at all, but the Dover Sole the second time was quite good. Trying it again tonight, so we shall see.

 

La Terrazza is, as usual, pretty busy at breakfast and lunch, although the extra outdoor seating provided on the Spirit is a definite plus. Had dinner there one evening and it was excellent. Why some of this delightful Italian cooking is not available in the MDR is a mystery to me.

 

Neither Seishin nor Stars appeal to us, so nothing to report there.

 

The Pool Grill, always a fine spot for lunch, becomes Hot Rocks for dinner and is really wonderful. We have eaten there several times and (especially with such wonderful weather) it is a great spot for alfresco dining.

Le Champagne is coming up, and will report on that later. My observation is that it is too small a venue for a ship that holds over 500 and, as such, pretty hard to get into.

 

The Spa is quite good, but as noted in earlier posts by others, beware of the new policy that includes the gratuity in the charge (a higher price than advertised on line) and then presents a slip with a space for another gratuity. We complained and they promptly removed the extra charge, but my impression is that the operators of the Spa would be more than happy to double dip. Shameful for Silversea to not prevent this.

 

This last issue aside, we are enjoying ourselves immensely on this our fifth Silversea cruise.

 

 

I can only second JTM's comments. We are on board now too. JTM, I am the old bearded guy in the MORRIS high t-shirt.

 

ralph

[cruiseryder]

Thanks for the posting jtm1. We join Spirit on 4 March for its return Panama Canal and your post has increased our anticipation. Great to hear the Spirit is in excellent shape.

Can you advise please when the formal nights are on your cruise? , as I guess they may be somewhat similar on ours. I am wanting to plan when to book Champagne (for a special celebration) but don't want to clash with any formal nights as we do enjoy those.

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise.

[jtm1]

Well, our initial not very satisfying experience in the MDR was apparently an aberration as our next two meals were quite good. And last night, they had several Italian inspired menu items! So, good news on that front.

 

Then my wife visited the spa today and was told, very firmly and clearly, that a 15% gratuity was included in the price. Another bit of good news.

 

Formal nights are day three, the Captains welcome; day 7, Venetian Society party; and day 14, Captain's farewell.

 

All is very good, indeed, on board the Silver Spirit.

[aruba jack]

Thank you so much for your helpful posts. We board the Spirit on Feb 1 for 47 days ending in Fort Lauderdale! So looking forward to our trip of a lifetime! Jack and Sharon Chrobak Millsboro Delaware.

[cruiseryder]

Thanks for your info jtm1, much appreciated and delighted the cruise is going so well.

Please keep up the reports if poss.

[jtm1]

Our wonderful journey continues. I thought I would post a little about the excursions we have taken.

 

Our first port was Santa Marta, where we embarked on a Highlights tour. I remember thinking when we last did the Panama Canal cruise that I did not understand why the ship stops in Santa Marta. I still don’t. There is really very little to see, the vehicles are rather uncomfortable and the streets are teaming with very persistent vendors. Frankly, this was just not an enjoyable excursion.

 

Cartagena is another matter. The Highlights (and I am told other) excursions are well worth the time and most informative.

 

After transiting the canal, made all the more meaningful due to a very good guide speaking from the Bridge, we had two sea days.

 

Then Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala. We took the excursion to La Antigua and enjoyed it very much. The bus was comfortable and we so were we. The trip to Antigua from the port is about 90 minutes on roads that are generally quite good. Once you reach Antigua things change and the traffic is interesting at best. But our driver negotiated his huge bus through the narrow streets and we were off with our very good guide. The tour included both the ancient (famous) church and the main square, followed by a tour of a jade factory that was little more than a chance to buy jade. We wandered off and visited some nearby shops and felt completely safe doing so.

 

Then we toured the grounds and museum of the Caso Santo Domingo Hotel, an elaborate and pretty place. This was followed by lunch at the hotel which was very good. Finally back to the ship 6.5 hours later. A nice time seemed to be had by everyone.

 

On to Huatulco tomorrow.

[CruisinPashmina]

Just love traveling along with you! We've visited most of the ports on your itinerary and are always interested in the excursions people choose. I've heard much the same bewilderment on stopping in Santa Marta. Wonder why SS goes there. Did you notice any reloading, refueling, getting water?

 

Thanks for your informative posts. Looking forward to lots more!

[jtm1]

No, there was no such activity at Santa Marta. We did take on fuel for several hours the following day in Cartagena.

[jtm1]

Huatulco was an interesting, albeit somewhat artificial, place. We were told that the government of Mexico created this spot by relocating it’s inhabitants and replacing their homes with condominiums, some of them rather spectacular, shops and restaurants. Nonetheless, the pier and shopping area nearby were nicely done and very popular. Many of our fellow passengers took excursions here, and there were many choices. We had originally planned to take a catamaran cruise of five bays, but the catamaran seemed oversold and very crowded so we opted out. A day in the lovely little port was quite enjoyable in and of itself.

 

Our departure had been scheduled for 7 pm but was pushed back to 10 pm. That meant that the pool barbecue under the stars was in the calm of a port. The food and entertainment were quite good, especially the Decades of Rock, and Roll by the entertainers.

 

An aside here: in spite of the daily reminder about where smoking is and is not permitted, the latter including verandahs, many still smoke on their verandah, much to the chagrin of those around them. The Captain indicated that this was a safety hazard, but apparently the folks ignoring this admonition are oblivious to that. I do not wish to start a big controversy about smoking rights or the health issues of smoking, etc., but compliance with safety requirements involves basic common sense.

 

Two sea days and then Cabo San Lucas.

[RachelG]

If anyone is smoking on their veranda, they should be told to stop, and if they don't, they should be out off at the next port. This is a huge safety issue.

Ash can fly off without the person smoking even being aware and land on another veranda nearby.

[farbster]

We were on the Spirit over the summer (BCN-VCE) and they pushed the sailing back on the night of the BBQ. I swear it is so the captain and officers can chow down at the BBQ with the rest of us. Believe me, they were in line. Not that they don't deserve it, but...

 

Huatulco was an interesting, albeit somewhat artificial, place. We were told that the government of Mexico created this spot by relocating it’s inhabitants and replacing their homes with condominiums, some of them rather spectacular, shops and restaurants. Nonetheless, the pier and shopping area nearby were nicely done and very popular. Many of our fellow passengers took excursions here, and there were many choices. We had originally planned to take a catamaran cruise of five bays, but the catamaran seemed oversold and very crowded so we opted out. A day in the lovely little port was quite enjoyable in and of itself.

 

Our departure had been scheduled for 7 pm but was pushed back to 10 pm. That meant that the pool barbecue under the stars was in the calm of a port. The food and entertainment were quite good, especially the Decades of Rock, and Roll by the entertainers.

 

An aside here: in spite of the daily reminder about where smoking is and is not permitted, the latter including verandahs, many still smoke on their verandah, much to the chagrin of those around them. The Captain indicated that this was a safety hazard, but apparently the folks ignoring this admonition are oblivious to that. I do not wish to start a big controversy about smoking rights or the health issues of smoking, etc., but compliance with safety requirements involves basic common sense.

 

Two sea days and then Cabo San Lucas.

[Herman The Cat]

We were on the Spirit over the summer (BCN-VCE) and they pushed the sailing back on the night of the BBQ. I swear it is so the captain and officers can chow down at the BBQ with the rest of us. Believe me, they were in line. Not that they don't deserve it, but...

 

We got off the Spirit on 1/17/2013. Our pool BBQ was scheduled the night we were leaving San Juan...rough sees were expected so Captain Pontillo pushed back the sailing that night as well. He seems to do this quite frequently, which is really nice because it makes the event much more pleasurable.

[jtm1]

All good things must end and our cruise was no exception. In reflecting on Silver Spirit and our time on board we realize that this was truly an excellent experience, the best of our five cruises on Silversea vessels. Even disembarkation in Los Angeles was smooth.

 

For all who wonder: YES, SILVERSEA IS WORTH EVERY PENNY.

 

Keep cruising.

 

Jim