Silver Galapagos- any updates?

[Lauranne]

Thank you so much for your review. We sail in April and I am thankful that every month it seems to get better and better. My focus is the Islands and the amazing wildlife but we certainly appreciate nice accommodations and great food. We are feeling good about our cruise in four months.

[noscare]

Curious- how do you know that the SG cabins are not as nice as celebrity . They certainly are larger .

 

But otherwise agree- thanks so much for update . There are sooooo few out there .

 

 

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I can only judge using pictures of Celebrity staterooms so can't be sure of course, however they certainly don't appear as dark and dingy as our cabin on Silversea - you can google Galapagos Explorer II pictures and see the wood paneling - in our case, it wasn't just old/dated, but there was an actual hole in it. Ultimately the fact that Silversea hasn't put up pictures of the staterooms should tell you everything you need to know about them.

 

Again, I very much enjoyed my cruise, but there is just no way to excuse the state of the cabins.

 

Jpalbny - it was indeed Robin!

Edited January 4, 2014 by noscare

[RachelG]

Our cabin on celebrity xpedition was very dark. Not luxurious at all, but I actually like the darkness after being outside all day. It was relaxing. But definitely not luxurious.

[mrsm88]

It is odd- no pictures, very few reviews although a number of people have talked about going this past fall. Some have even posted as they sailed away. As if people take a vow of silence as they board.

Exactly!! This is a quiet topic yet if you look on the ships site, most of the rooms seem to be "waitlisted" which indicates that people have booked. When is your cruise again 5waldos?

[mrsm88]

Thank you for taking the time to update all of us anxious future sailors! Relieved to hear the trip was all that you imagined (minus the non-updated cabins & staff still learning).

[joek]

CruiseCritic has been good enough to set up a Silverseas Roll Call.

 

Silversea Cruise Line Roll Call Forum

 

We should start using it.

[5waldos]

Exactly!! This is a quiet topic yet if you look on the ships site, most of the rooms seem to be "waitlisted" which indicates that people have booked. When is your cruise again 5waldos?

 

15 Feb. 2014- and as the snow drifts down outside, really looking forward to it. We leave Denver on 1 Feb- less than a month now. I have a spare bedroom turned over to piles of clothes trying to figure out how to pack- we have two excursions before the cruise and each need somewhat different wardrobes and have limited space. Rather a challenge.

 

Holes in the walls? That really does seem to go beyond just dated. I have seen the pictures of the cabins from the Explorer- the dark wood and mirrors are quite something. But it does sound like they are getting cleaned and the linens are all new as are the mattresses (they are, aren't they?) so that is a start.

 

It does seem like SS might have done better to do the entire refurb at one go and roll out a really spiffy product but for unknown reasons have chosen not to. Only time will tell if that was a good business move or not.

[mrsm88]

Just went back to my brochure & on page 22 it states: all suites feature: butler service, refrigerator & bar set up with your preferences, pratesi fine bed lines & down duvets, premium mattresses, plush robes & slippers, binoculars, beach towels, RAIN COATS, & WiFi (fee applies)

So, since I am going in the rainy season, did they indeed provide rain coats or do we need to bring our own. Also curious as far as the robe/slipper amenity & the upgraded bedding -since they didn't upgrade the room itself. Another question I have is about the wetsuit/snorkel equipment. A previous cruiser said it wasn't adequate, did they have enough & newer available? I know some of this is trivial, but when you read things in the brochure & on the website & then they don't follow through, it is disappointing. (the lack of refurbishment really does upset me)

I have also read that it is best to wear neutral, non-colorful clothing. Did you find that to be the case?

Thanks again for being available to answer & guide:)

[5waldos]

I have been assured that the old snorkel equipment was tossed and replaced. By the man who did it. Unless I hear differently I will assume it has been.

 

As far as clothing- looking at pictures of people on various Galapagos expeditions, it doesn't seem like the neutral colors are prevelant. Although on a couple of islands there is the problem of wasps- was it yellow not to wear? I keep forgetting. But some color is not good as it is the same color as the traps. We have what we have and that is what we are bringing. Although it is true that a lot of it is left over from a safari last year where neutral colors are recommended.

[ppiew]

"CruiseCritic has been good enough to set up a Silverseas Roll Call."

 

Fine - tried to use it - couldn't or did something wrong.

 

And YES i most definitely feel SS should have taken out the whole ship out of commission for a total rehab, trained the staff, and THEN released to the public. Sure would have gotten some GREAT publicity instead of what we see and hear now. I feel somewhat 'used' to get a 30 yr old stateroom with holes in wall from SS and be charged the same as those smarter than I who booked the cruise NEXT year. This leaves a negative taste in a lot of mouths. I just hope our son and daughter love it as we have raved about SS for years, and they are at the age that this cruising line would be great for them. If they don't see the difference between this and mass media sailing, i would doubt they would follow up on it.

 

To 5Waldos: maybe u could pack up your other excursion stuff before the Galapagos trip and ship/send back to your home. I have done that in Europe a # of times and it has worked well.

 

I hope previous passengers are released from their 'captivity' soon to tell the world of their experiences!!

[5waldos]

To 5Waldos: maybe u could pack up your other excursion stuff before the Galapagos trip and ship/send back to your home. I have done that in Europe a # of times and it has worked well.

 

Great idea but we don't have enough turn around time to ship off the things. We get into Guayaquil late on a Friday afternoon and sail off Saturday. We'll work it out- it is just going to take some very careful thought and shifting things back and forth. We'll each have two suitcases- a horrible thought really as most times we aim for a single roll on. Oh well. Some nice crushable fleece and a down vest may ease things.

 

You know- as I write this I realize that another option might be to pack both of us mixed in two suitcases. Need to think that through. Sometimes it is very helpful to try to explain to others what you are doing- other solutions begin to take shape.

Edited January 5, 2014 by 5waldos

[billcrooz]

To 5Waldos: maybe u could pack up your other excursion stuff before the Galapagos trip and ship/send back to your home. I have done that in Europe a # of times and it has worked well.

 

Great idea but we don't have enough turn around time to ship off the things. We get into Guayaquil late on a Friday afternoon and sail off Saturday. We'll work it out- it is just going to take some very careful thought and shifting things back and forth. We'll each have two suitcases- a horrible thought really as most times we aim for a single roll on. Oh well. Some nice crushable fleece and a down vest may ease things.

 

You know- as I write this I realize that another option might be to pack both of us mixed in two suitcases. Need to think that through. Sometimes it is very helpful to try to explain to others what you are doing- other solutions begin to take shape.

 

was Jeff Bezos on this ship?

[5waldos]

I wondered myself but then figured he most likely had chartered a ship for himself and family/guests

 

 

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[noscare]

mrsm88 - Robe/slippers were there, and bedding/mattress appeared new. Binoculars were provided. Beach towels were always available (not at your cabin, but you pick them up before you go on excursion). There were no raincoats that we saw - we brought our own... If you are concerned with weight/space, there are some out there you can buy that pack into their own pocket and weigh just a few ounces - I have one and love it!

 

As for snorkel equipment - it appeared fairly new and clean.

 

Neutral coloured clothing - I wouldn't worry too much about that... I would say most people on the ship were wearing colour.

[mrsm88]

OMG ppiew, your comment about releasing previous cruisers from captivity soon had me hysterical!

Thankful for the couple we have:)

Thanks noscare for the raincoat update- I have a down jacket like the raincoat & I was planning on getting that same item if the promised raincoats were not in the cabins,

5waldos, your logistics sound more difficult than ours, we only have 2 days pre-cruise in Quito & 1 night in Quayaquil, so we can pack light.

Did you have any issues with the altitude in Quito?

[5waldos]

mrsm99- since our home is already at 5280 ft, we should have less trouble than many I would think. And usually don't have trouble when we go into the moutains here. So I am assuming that we will be fine. I shall try the tea that is suggested (wonder if our hotels will have it?) and take it a bit slowly.

 

And yes- we are putting 3 adventures into one trip- 5 days cruising in the Amazon basin, 4 days in Quito, the Tren Crucero, and then the Galapagos. I have the logistics worked out in my head- now if I can make it work in reality. But in the end- not like they aren't willing to sell us most anything we need there and the rest of it we could do without. Credit cards and medications- anything else can be replaced.

[RachelG]

5waldos, coca tea is available everywhere in Cusco and at Machu Picchu, but I don't remember it in Quito. I don't remember any issues with the altitude in Quito either, and we did not take any special precaution.

[drron29]

I was fine in Quito but Rojaan does have problems with altitude.She was tired in Quito but 1 day we took the cable car to the top of the mountain.As she was turning blue we came straight back down again-they do have oxygen at the top of the cable car.

[mrsm88]

mrsm99- since our home is already at 5280 ft, we should have less trouble than many I would think. And usually don't have trouble when we go into the moutains here. So I am assuming that we will be fine. I shall try the tea that is suggested (wonder if our hotels will have it?) and take it a bit slowly.

 

And yes- we are putting 3 adventures into one trip- 5 days cruising in the Amazon basin, 4 days in Quito, the Tren Crucero, and then the Galapagos. I have the logistics worked out in my head- now if I can make it work in reality. But in the end- not like they aren't willing to sell us most anything we need there and the rest of it we could do without. Credit cards and medications- anything else can be replaced.

I did ok when I was in Keystone, CO., so I am hoping to be ok in Quito especially since I am not a tea drinker. And yup, you have to go with the attitude that what is forgotten wasn't really needed or can be bought. Sounds like you have a great adventure planned!

FYI, my travel agent spoke to Silversea & they claim to have raincoats available on board. Still think I will bring a poncho of some sort.

[soxmom]

Just back from the December 27 sailing of the Silver Galapagos, and I wanted to post to put everyone's mind at rest about some of the less-than-glowing reviews that had been posted in this forum. We had an absolutely fantastic time, and really had nothing to complain about at all. I haven't sailed on Silverseas before, so I can't compare it to other Silverseas ships, but I have sailed several times on Windstar and found this trip superior in all respects to Windstar. Our cabins were much bigger than on Windstar cruises, and we had two cabins with a connecting internal door as we were travelling with our kids. It made for a lot of living space, plus both rooms had huge closets.

The staff were all very good -- several of the expedition staff were truly outstanding, and the guest lecturer (Robin Aiello) was great. Some of the wait staff didn't speak perfect English, but certainly good enough and they were trying very hard to get it all right. Our butler/room steward was very good about responding quickly to all of our requests, from restocking the mini fridge with sodas, to room service, to fixing a light bulb that was out and one of the mini fridges that stopped working. The food was pretty good overall -- some of the fresh seafood dishes quite excellent, and everything at least as good as you'd expect given that they're cooking for a group and have some restrictions on what they can get. But lots of fresh seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables. Also nice that although the head chef is Austrian, there were plenty of local Ecuadorian dishes as well, as I like to experience some of the local flavor when traveling.

To answer some of the specific questions above, the linens in the rooms were very nice (Frette, I think, not Pratesi). No down comforters, but you wouldn't have wanted them. There are robes and slippers in the rooms, as well as binoculars. No rain coats, but it didn't rain a single drop the whole time we were there. Also, althought they say that the WiFi costs extra, it was actually complimentary on our trip. The wetsuits and snorkel equipment appear brand new and are perfectly nice. My only comment is that they didn't have very many adult suits in small sizes, so if you are a very petite woman, you might want to bring your own. My daughter is 5'3" and about 120 pounds and the smallest adult wetsuit they had was big on her, though not so big she couldn't wear it. But someone smaller than that might have had a problem.

Happy to answer any other questions that people might have.

[mrsm88]

So appreciate hearing the better review & that you had a fantastic trip! Feeling encouraged.

Just curious, did you use/like the glass bottom boat?

[soxmom]

We didn't use the glass bottom boat, as we preferred to snorkel. But I spoke to an older couple who weren't comfortable snorkeling who used it and they enjoyed it. One time the water was apparently somewhat murky because there had been some high waves recently and stirred up the sand, but the other times apparently they saw lots of fish, turtles, etc. But if you're at all able to swim/snorkel, you'll want to do that instead of the glass bottom boat. If you get in the water, you'll be within touching distance of sea lions, sea turtles, penguins -- it's unbelievable!

[NCCruzQueen]

If you get in the water, you'll be within touching distance of sea lions, sea turtles, penguins -- it's unbelievable!

 

That sounds exciting. Can't wait!!

 

Do you have a photos of your trip to post?

[5waldos]

Soxmom- how warm was the water (or perhaps more accurately- how cold was the water?) I was looking at a marine forecast which seemed to suggest it was in the low 80's which seems warmer than what I had expected.

[mrsm88]

We didn't use the glass bottom boat, as we preferred to snorkel. But I spoke to an older couple who weren't comfortable snorkeling who used it and they enjoyed it. One time the water was apparently somewhat murky because there had been some high waves recently and stirred up the sand, but the other times apparently they saw lots of fish, turtles, etc. But if you're at all able to swim/snorkel, you'll want to do that instead of the glass bottom boat. If you get in the water, you'll be within touching distance of sea lions, sea turtles, penguins -- it's unbelievable!

I know, exciting! I just am not a huge fan of snorkling, so I was wondering if I snorkled for a bit if I could then do the glass bottom boat? Or maybe I won't get that feeling I used to get & will want to stay in due to the different things I will be experiencing....hope so!