Silver Spirit Spring Crossing April 3-April 16th (Ft. Lauderdale to Lisbon)

[Conte Di Savoia]

anything in particular that we should not miss while there?

 

Don't miss the Gulbenkian, a jewel of a museum with a small but outstanding collection which is magnificently displayed. There is also a pleasant cafeteria with garden for a lunch break. We will see you aboard Silver Cloud next week but you can also read about it here.

 

Wes, I've really enjoyed your travel blog for this TA, checking it out at least a couple of times a day. I feel as though I was on board with you guys and didn't miss out on the adventure. The wine yes, but the trip, no.

[duct tape]

Orange County, glad to hear you are enjoying the cruise. Sounds like a great crowd!

[AtMaui]

Wes - Thanks so much for the delightful travel blog and pix. I feel like I will already know you and Ida when we meet on the November TA. And you have brought back many fond memories of the TA I did on the Mariner three years ago. I'm looking forward to seeing your pix of Lisbon since it's one of my favorite cities.

 

Keep posting!!

 

Jaci

[RachelG]

Thanks to Wes for all the great photos. I am posting from an iPad so not possible to attach photos even if I knew how!

Bright sunny morning with calm seas and little wind. I had a great walk around work out. Perfect day for being outside.

Today was the galley lunch. Wes took lots of pics. I just ate! If a person could not find something that they liked to eat at this lunch, they are just too picky. Lobster claws, shrimp in several different dishes, fresh fish, salads, sushi, several different meats and chicken, a huge dessert selection. Really hard to decide given the variety of choice. But best part was getting to see the galley where food is prepared. It is huge, and you appreciate all the work that goes into the preparation of such a large quantity of quality food.

The captain has announced we will be arriving in lisbon at 8 am tomorrow rather than 2 pm. Great news!

[Paulchili]

We certainly enjoyed our crossing on Marina with you, and hope one day to reunite our trivia team. BTW, the Spirit's Panorama lounge is a very comfortable trivia venue.

 

Best to all,

 

Colleen

 

Colleen,

Glad to hear about the lounge being comfortable. I guess that means no more bruises on your arms? :D

Paul

[WesW]

Love@cruise/Mary, absolutely Ricardo remembers the Knife you gave him as a present on your Alaska voyage.

 

AtMaui/Jaci, Doug, Conte, all; thanks again for your kind words.

 

Doug, Karthik is on board, (your butler on all three Spirit voyages) he can't wait to see Lynn and you in November. He goes home for two months soon and then he will be back on for six.

 

Pls enjoy some pix from today’s galley lunch, we enjoyed the terrific company of George and Rachel. Now to go jog&swim the delish seafood, sugar free deserts off.

 

 

 

 

 

[aruba jack]

Hello Wes and Ida from Jack and Sharon Chrobak. We sailed on the fall 2010 crossing with both of you, Doug Burns and the lovely Miss Lynn and remember it well. We are enjoying all of the posts and pictures. We just left the Spirit on March 22 after a never to be forgotten retirement cruise that started on Feb 1st {42 wonderful days}!!! Please say Hello to all of our crew family-Marcelo,Chester,Zack,Myra,Danato,Melbert,Rommel,Jenny,Almario,Ishmel,Cevan and especially Karthik who was our outstanding Butler for all 42 days! He is indeed looking foward to seeing Doug and Lynn on the fall crossing! Keep posting and continue to have a wonderful cruise!

[txladycruiser]

The galley lunch looks fanstastic!! Sugar free desserts? One can wish, right?

 

 

 

 

Karen

[Orange County Murphy]

Duct Tape, good to hear from you. We hope to catch up with you again one day.

 

Paul, no bruises this trip despite the rough seas. Thank you for remembering the other Paul's birthday. Your memory is amazing.

 

Colleen

[RachelG]

And now......a huge announcement---the trivia team won today with a perfect score. We had won before, but the perfect score is the Holy Grail of trivia. All members contributed. Our team has jelled together very well.

[UKCruiseJeff]

I have thoroughly enjoyed the pictures .... particularly seeing pictures of the food being served on board.

 

I am interested.

 

I have already seen several positive comments. Accepting that they are photographs - do people generally feel that the photographs show impressive and appetising food?

 

A genuine question ....:)

[wripro]

Paul and Colleen,

 

We did have a great trivia team on that Marina crossing. Be great to reunite.

[Delilah21]

Wes and Rachel thank you so much for taking the time to post. I have enjoyed your cruise almost as much as you have! Enjoy Lisbon one of my favourite cities. Hope our TA from Barbados on 22nd is as enjoyable, I am sure it will be. Just about to start packing. Don't thinking can beat Ida on the shoe front!! Enjoy your last hours on board.

[duct tape]

RachelG, congrats to your Trivia team!!

[RachelG]

Thanks for the congrats on trivia, duct tape. And Delilah, truly hope you have a great cruise and uniformly wonderful weather.

 

Dinner with Karen and mark from North Carolina. Lots in common as they have 2 boys about the same ages as ours. Karen is an MD/DVM and Mark runs the clinic. We had a great time. Lamb curry was delish. The Motown show tonight was very good as well.

[WesW]

Tonight was another spectacular nite on board.

 

WE began with another Cruise Critic party (Canyonman’s/Greg & Jim) party in their owner’s suite. Pls see pix below:

 

For Dougburns:

 

 

Canyonman and Wes and Ida:

 

 

Ida and I then headed up to Panorama (yes John, I changed from post workout clothes to formal wear :) where Ida and I enjoyed wonderful pre dinner drinks and a beautiful sunset we could almost hold in our hands:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CASHIPman]

I think I recognize these people!

[WesW]

forgot to Identify the marvelous cruise friends in the photo above. LtoR, Jodi, Craig, Mary and Will. We all enjoyed an outstanding formal nite on board. Today's highlights include the dreaded four letter word of the next to last voyage day: Pack. Instead of taking a tour of Lisbon, we have invited our favorite tour guide in the world, Jorge Bras to visit the Spirit. We will give Jorge a tour of the Spirit and lunch on board. Tomorrow he gives OrangeCountyMurphy/Paul and Colleen an all day Lisboa tour, then in two+weeks Palamoh/Mitch and Sheila a two day tour of Lisbon. No tour guide knows Lisbon better than Jorge, thanks to Wripro and Dusababy he is the most coveted tour guide for any cruisers visit to Lisbon. Pls enjoy some food/wine pix from last nite:

 

Wine we enjoyed (French Sauvignon Blanc)

 

 

Dover sole (delish) and Tiger Prawns:

 

[mrset425]

Tonight was another spectacular nite on board.

 

WE began with another Cruise Critic party (Canyonman’s/Greg & Jim) party in their owner’s suite. Pls see pix below:

 

For Dougburns:

 

 

Canyonman and Wes and Ida:

 

 

Ida and I then headed up to Panorama (yes John, I changed from post workout clothes to formal wear :) where Ida and I enjoyed wonderful pre dinner drinks and a beautiful sunset we could almost hold in our hands:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Wes & Ida:

 

Great phot of U 2 out on deck!!!! C U in Nov.

Lucille & Gene :-)

[dougburns]

Wes; Great to see that Karthik is back aboard Silver Spirit. I thought he was now on the Shadow. Please tell him we'll be in 901 for the Fall crossing so that he can arrange his schedule to be our butler again. Have really enjoyed your travelog.

[Threechicks]

Lovely glamour shot of Wes, Ida, George and Rachel together at dinner. Back to the real world today?

[Ron&Sue]

Wes, Thank you for taking us along on your journey through the wonderful pictures and updates. Very generous of you to take time to post pictures and share your experiences. Very thoughtful to present crew members for everyone to see their lives and experiences. I hope everyone had a wonderful cruise and made friends for many years to come. It got me thinking that going West might be best for us for the time zone factor, I would not have considered that had I not read here about it. Bon Voyage

[WesW]

Mrset425/gene & lucille, dougburns, threechicks, ron & sue, all; again thank you but our pleasure to post and share our cruise and the Spirit crew members with you.

 

Gene/Lucille, already can't wait to board the Spirit in November--see you both again for our annual cruise :)

 

Doug, will surely let Karthik know--he was esp gracious today taking a good 20 min to show our friend Jorge three different Spirit suites.

 

Elsie, absolutely correct about Rachel and Ida thank you.

 

Ron/Sue we also prefer going West and the 25 hr days vs 23 hr days we experienced on this Spring crossing.

 

Time for evening jog/swim(jogging on land/lisbon pier--woo hoo) before our fourth and final meal in La Terraza (Veal Saltimbocca)

 

Recap of this afternoon.

 

Wonderful tour of the Spirit with Jorge Bras. Thanks to senior butler Karthik for showing Jorge a Veranda, Silver Suite and Royal Suite. Jorge sends his warm regards to his cruise critic friends, Dusababy/Mary Ann, Wripro/Henry, and Rally, Love@cruise/Mike and Mary. Pls see all of us enjoying lunch in La Terraza today in sunny Lisbon: LtoR, Paul, Colleen, Ida, Jorge, Wes.

 

 

Jorge after a wonderful lunch with OrangeCountyMurphy/Paul & Colleen in La Terraza, Jorge kindly took me to Placa dos Restauradores so I cold exchange dollars for euros (wish they offered this currency exchange on board the Spirit). Nice pix of the Placa dos Restauradores here:

 

[Wellseasoned]

Thanks again, Wes, for all the posts and photos. (And the rest of us won't have to do much camera work on the November Spirit crossing.) Have a fine time in Lisbon and a safe journey home!

 

Dieter

[Emtbsam]

Thanks Wes & Rachel for taking the time to share your trip with us.

 

Wes - we look forward to sailing with you in November.