Silversea Water Cooler: Part 3, Welcome!

[TLCOhio]

Good morning Coolers...........I am looking at cruises on 2 other lines........one is on Seabourn and the other on Windstar.........any thoughts about them would be appreciated:)

 

Lois Thinking good thoughts for you and positive energy. Agree with JPs sage advice. Drink that water! Watch the noles beat Bama!

 

Lots has been happening here at the Cooler!! Sorry that I have have been busy and distracted. Lots of meetings and a TV taping on Friday. Up to Akron for an Eastern Orthodox funeral Saturday for a long-time political friend who loved politics and history, plus fun college football Thursday night and Saturday, etc., etc.

 

Appreciate all of this great and interesting sharing. Yes, best wishes to Lois with your health challenges. Also for Lois, our first cruise in 2006 was with Seabourn in the Greek Isles and along the Turkish Coast. It was super wonderful!!! No experience with Windstar, but they are now operating the original Seabourn "triplet" ships. Both sound like excellent potential options. Our approach continues to be to focus first on itinerary/locations that fit for our interests and then see which cruise line offers the best options/value. Where are you planning your two upcoming cruises?

 

Yes, earlier J.P. had some sage advice. These political "discussions" these days can be challenging. People on both sides are never in doubt that their viewpoint is the ONLY one true and/or believable. Listening and understanding the other side is much harder these days. On political issues, there are many "shades of gray" to consider. There are many varied views as to what is "right" and/or "just". Not easy or simple. This is especially true as many countries run out of money to fund the various campaign and legal promises that have been made. Many of these "deals" cannot be afforded for the future. Sorry to be so blunt, but it is true. In just one very important area, healthcare, the advances of medicine and their uncontrolled rises in cost are vastly out-racing the abilities of our society and economy to figure out who pays and how much. There are no quick "fixes" for many of these areas.

 

Good clippings and links by Jeff. Appreciate this sharing. Keep it coming!!

 

Sorry to Spins that Florida State did not do better against Alabama, but your Michigan did whip Florida. Yes, many of us in the USA are loving the start of exciting college football. Next week, it will be major power Oklahoma visiting Ohio State with ESPN Gameday here and a national TV audience in the evening.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 219,224 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[Solo mi!]

I saw an interview with Jerry Brown on TV. There is a lot of news locally about Mexico and trade. Think about the western ports of Vancouver, Long Beach and Manzanillo. It will be interesting what the future holds.

[Lois R]

Hi Terry, we got whipped in the 2nd 1/2.........you cannot turn the ball over when playing Alabama:eek:...and our Special

Teams was horrid..........the first half was a pretty even game but then, well that is Alabama............

 

And now we have to see if our QB is out for the season...........

 

As for the cruises.........there is a Panama Canal/Cost Rica cruise on Windstar.....I have never been to either place.........and on

Seabourn, I was looking at the Caribbean........

[Lois R]

Good morning Lois! No thoughts on the cruise line options. Just wanted to wish you an enjoyable visit with your sister and hopes that you are feeling OK.

 

Hi Mysty, thanks........she only lives about 10 minutes away:)........we just don't always have the same schedules........

Actually I haven't seen her since before my cruise and so it has been over a month:eek:....but we do speak on the phone.

[spinnaker2]

Terry,

FSU belongs to Lois.

The Miami Hurricanes have my fealty. I have three degrees from that institution, so I figure I own a building.

 

Jeff,

I read all the articles.

Now reading the NYT. Food for thought.

 

And speaking of food....what's today's dish?

[UKCruiseJeff]

Jeff,

I read all the articles.

Now reading the NYT. Food for thought.

 

And speaking of food....what's today's dish?

 

Thanks Spins,

 

It was boeuf bourguignon with rice on a tray in the lounge because F1 from Italy today was worth keeping in the lounge for ....:)

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good morning Coolers...........I am looking at cruises on 2 other lines........one is on Seabourn and the other on Windstar.........any thoughts about them would be appreciated:)

 

Good Morning L,

 

Been thinking about youre question, which I cannot help with ... but I found myself wondering whether we could be more helpful if you gave a touch more detail. The cruise line itself is important but it shouldn't be the deciding criteria (I think ....) but be put against the ports of each cruise, whether you've been there before, whether some have caught your imagination etc.

 

Happy to help if you provide greater detail ..

[Lois R]

Hi Jeff:)......this might sound a little "out there"......but up until this SS cruise, I have never had the opportunity

(financially or otherwise) to sail "LUXURY".........so now, that I have the chance......well, I know I would probably love

all of them......just trying to think of what to do.......I know next summer Silver Sea has a cruise from Venice to Nice

and that one is REALLY appealing to me:D.........I am seriously considering that one.....but I want to do something

earlier in the year too. So, the 2 I mentioned earlier are in the running......cruising on Windstar and the sailing ships

sounds just lovely........and I know Seabourn gets kudos from many folks too.

 

So, I am kind of all over the place:rolleyes:

[TLCOhio]

Hi Terry, we got whipped in the 2nd 1/2.........you cannot turn the ball over when playing Alabama:eek:...and our Special Teams was horrid..........the first half was a pretty even game but then, well that is Alabama............And now we have to see if our QB is out for the season...........

As for the cruises.........there is a Panama Canal/Cost Rica cruise on Windstar.....I have never been to either place.........and on Seabourn, I was looking at the Caribbean........

 

Appreciate this great follow-up from Lois. Yes, very sad to see how the FSU QB got hurt on that play near the end of the game. Did not know till your post that he will be out for the rest of the season. Sad!

 

As to your upcoming potential cruise options, I can offer lots of insights, tips and ideas as you consider the Panama Canal and Costa Rica. My live/blog connected below has many, many details, visuals, etc. Below are just a few quick samples of the potential fun and experiences to be gained/enjoyed. On the Caribbean, my number one tip is to consider exactly which islands you would be visiting and how those fit with your personal interests. From our 2015 experiences in doing ten different Caribbean islands, some locations are over-run, too crowded and/or somewhat boring. Not fun for our interests. Other islands have some amazing history, nature, etc. No one Caribbean cruise is going to offer all perfect locations, but consider what exactly you seek and how certain cruises will fit your interests.

 

What are most seeking in the Caribbean? Just "floating on a boat" with sun? Or, more about the variety and depth of personal experiences at the islands you will visit? Tell us more! Reactions?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Panama Canal? Completed Feb. 28-Mar. 15, 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through the Panama Canal with our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Lots of fun, interesting pictures!! Those visuals start on the second page, post #26. See more at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

 

Our great day in Costa Rica started with a wonderful sunrise. Then, we started our private tour, seeing wild monkeys and birds, plus crocs on the river, etc. Much more in fun sightings to come in Costa Rica!!:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

 

 

If you love seeing lots of crocs, clearly we found the place in Costa Rica.:

 

Here is the view as we approached the Pedro Migeul Locks after sailing through the Culebra Cut of the Panama Canal. This location has just one chamber to drop us down about 30’ as we moved towards the Pacific Ocean. At the right is the Swedish ship with the cute name of “Migon” that was ahead of us when we first started entering the initial canal locks on the Caribbean Sea side.:

[UKCruiseJeff]

Hi L,

 

From my point of view .... depending on what extra time you might have ... but I've spent a fair amount of time in Venice ie I guess around a hundred nights or so, and lived in Nice, St Jean and Villefranche and had a few dozen visits to Cannes so I feel I know them well. This is counter-intuitive but with Venice I feel that if you are short of time you can see a good chunk of Venice in a day. It is more spectacle than immersion. So a vaporetti ride down the Grande Canal ( ...the wrong way .... I'll explain more if you decide to go ....) a walk around St Marks and perhaps a ride to one of the Islands and whilst there is bags more you could do it is a destination that can be ticked without feeling to much of a sense of bereavement at having not spent three days there. Nice however is a bit different because you have days out to Cannes, some hill towns (almost all American's go to Eze because they take their advice from other Americans ..... and there are much finer and better and dreamy villages and better lunches ... ..... ;) ) Monaco, and close by villages to Nice and of course Nice itself.

 

We've chatted about this before but I think soaking it up there pays more experience dividends than the Disneyesque tourist soaked place that Venice now is. So this cruise plus a few days in Nice is not a bad thing to do.

 

That is a very personal viewpoint. :)

 

Why not flesh out what WS and what SB you are looking at?

[TLCOhio]

Terry, FSU belongs to Lois. The Miami Hurricanes have my fealty. I have three degrees from that institution, so I figure I own a building.

 

Glad to know of the true and honest loyalty by Spins to the University of Miami. Understand they have a beautiful campus with a great history of being a fun, party-loving school. Plus, my memories with Miami go to the famous National Championship game in Arizona. I was fortunate to be one of the 77,502 fans in the stands of Sun Devil Stadium on January 3, 2003, to see No. 1 Miami lose 31–24 in two overtimes to Ohio State. Great memories!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 185,874 views for this posting.

[Lois R]

Terry, I don't know that he will be out for the season..........I just meant I hope he will be ok.....we are going to be in deep

s--- if that is the case:eek:

[TLCOhio]

It was boeuf bourguignon with rice on a tray in the lounge because F1 from Italy today was worth keeping in the lounge for ....:)

 

This is one of my personal favorites!! Any visual samples coming our way?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 227,126 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[TLCOhio]

Terry, I don't know that he will be out for the season..........I just meant I hope he will be ok.....we are going to be in deep s--- if that is the case:eek:

 

Appreciate this clarification and added information from Lois on the FSU QB. We will hope for the best on his recovery.

 

YES, Jeff offers some good and excellent added ideas/options for the Med. Many great potentials there, including for going south from Venice along the Croatian coast, etc., etc. Great urging by Jeff with "Why not flesh out what WS and what SB you are looking at?"

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean adventure that started in Barbados, here is the link for that live/blog. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.):

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 52,730 views for these postings.

[Camillus112]

Terry,

FSU belongs to Lois.

The Miami Hurricanes have my fealty. I have three degrees from that institution, so I figure I own a building.

 

/quote]

 

Great to know, Spins! My daughter may be owed a floor in one of your buildings. She has an Architecture degree from UM. She absolutely loved the University and made long lasting friends. I guess you tend to make friends with people you pull all nighters with... The label of a party university may be well deserved, but somehow these kids studied as hard as they partyed (made up word). The group has done very well in their careers. Cheers to UM!

[Lois R]

Hi again......Jeff,:) I have posted on both those forums and they get positive responses from the folks who sail them

 

I just returned from Target.........needed a bunch of items.........bathroom stuff, toilet paper, shampoo, etc.......

papertowels, napkins, ..........Sunday morning is a good time to shop there.....not so crowded:)

[UKCruiseJeff]

Just remember "the obvious" ie that on CC line specific forums you are generally tending to get opinions largely from loyal satisfied customers.

 

Good luck!

[jpalbny]

Made a Kaiserschmarrm before work this morning... Was worth getting up early for!

 

 

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[spinnaker2]

Terry,

FSU belongs to Lois.

The Miami Hurricanes have my fealty. I have three degrees from that institution, so I figure I own a building.

 

/quote]

 

Great to know, Spins! My daughter may be owed a floor in one of your buildings. She has an Architecture degree from UM. She absolutely loved the University and made long lasting friends. I guess you tend to make friends with people you pull all nighters with... The label of a party university may be well deserved, but somehow these kids studied as hard as they partyed (made up word). The group has done very well in their careers. Cheers to UM!

Cam

School of architecture has fabulous reputation. Good for your daughter, and so happy she loved the U.

Miami has a spectacularly interesting skyline with buildings designed by Arquitectonica and others.

Go Canes!

[Tothesunset]

On the silversea vs other lines I reckon that the lines differ by so little that a reasonable person would be hard pushed, or hyper-critical, to condemn any of them. The only real way to decide is to give each one a try. Saying that, we only have experience of SS, Seabourn and Cunard's QM2. Given that the QM2 is a whole different experience (and one that really didn't suit us) I think if someone were to offer us a few days on Seabourn again we would wouldn't be churlish enough to refuse.

 

The privilege we have (by that I mean those of us lucky enough to be able to consider these sort of cruises) is that we even get to make these choices. The minor issues some have on SS, SB or whatever are firmly in the category of first-world problems.

[TLCOhio]

Miami has a spectacularly interesting skyline with buildings designed by Arquitectonica and others. Go Canes!

 

YES, agree with Spins on the fun and very interesting skyline and architecture in the hip and international Miami.

 

Will be watching the Canes with interest. After another fairly easy warm-up opponent, Arkansas State, next weekend, Miami will travel on Sept. 16 at 8 pm to face the highly-ranking and maybe re-bounding Florida State. That will be a big, BIG battle!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Super loved Dubrovnik!!! See more details and lots of great visual samples/examples at this link. Have had over 38,190 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and dropped by.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

[mdpa]

Made a Kaiserschmarrm before work this morning... Was worth getting up early for!

 

 

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Looks like a great Austrian breakfast!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Snap JP!

 

We had some Nutella pancakes for supper ....

 

 

 

 

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[UKCruiseJeff]

 

 

 

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[TLCOhio]

Appreciate this nice fireplace picture by Jeff. BUT, here in Central Ohio, our weather is nearly perfect right now. Too excellent for a fire in one of our fireplaces. Sorry!! Right now it is 77° F with a RealFeel® 75°F. Low humidity!! And sunny. That 77F now equals 25C. Tonight, it will be a low of 57°F with tomorrow/Monday being a high of 84° F, mostly sunny and warmer.

 

HAPPY LABOR DAY!! That's a big holiday tomorrow that marks in the USA the unofficial end of the summer season.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 69,670 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226