Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Four

[spinnaker2]

OMG! Zimbabwe? really? Airport codes? phobias? Holy Moly Andy!

It also just occured to me that we're on a "foodie" cruise via the Relais and Chateau folks....I would think the food should be pretty good, as I don't think the R&C people want us to get off saying their food program was terrible! haha!

Not worried now....hey a cruise is what you make it, although I think that the Jeffys had serious troubles to deal with.

We're all going to have a wonderful time!

Look up moss hills...

If he's our CD...a great trivia master

[Daveywavey70]

OMG! Zimbabwe? really? Airport codes? phobias? Holy Moly Andy!

It also just occured to me that we're on a "foodie" cruise via the Relais and Chateau folks....I would think the food should be pretty good, as I don't think the R&C people want us to get off saying their food program was terrible! haha!

Not worried now....hey a cruise is what you make it, although I think that the Jeffys had serious troubles to deal with.

We're all going to have a wonderful time!

Well from my recent experience of la dame on the Spirit I endured the most disgusting main course that I have ever been presented with in my life. It could best be described as a lobster tail swishing around in a bowl of watery pea and mint soup. Avoid it at all costs. It was an abomination that words could never excuse, explain or justify. I am amazed that R&C are seemingly happy for their Good name and reputation to be bandied around whilst perfectly good ingredients are mutiltaed and proudly, yet very mistakenly, presented in their name.

I Went to bed that night with nothing on my mind other than that poor noble creature that had sacrificed its life for my meal only to have its body left bobbing around in a poorly prepared and completely overpowering green concoction was an abonimation.

 

I Sincerely hope that you all enjoy your cruise but if you do venture to la dame then please take. Note.

[Daveywavey70]

Jeff, I am so sorry that your experience has not improved. I Wish you well with what I suspect is the only route that you will be left with no option but to take., especially considering our recent experience.

 

I Have followed your experience with both empathy and a mistaken belief that SS surely cannot hide from this. For the last couple of days I have kept a low profile on here for reasons as follows. I Was offered a slightly manipulated offer of the original 25% credit against a future cruise that was made personally by Mr Peter Shanks provided that I did not disclose this information publicly. It was made extremely clear to me that if I disclosed this publicly then the offer would be withdrawn. I Am very happy to acknowledge that by submitting this post, I accept that their offer is withdrawn.

 

I Am very happy for Silversea to withdraw this offer which was frankly pitiful, if I feel that I can in any way bring to the attention of the public and prospective cruisers with Silversea exactly how you will be viewed and treated by this company. That it is well worth my own personal loss.

 

The specific wording of the email from Mr Shanks has been taken very badly by my partner who has not only endured the holiday from hell but is also now fearing that if l try and pursue a satisfactory response from Silversea, that it will reflect poorly upon him proffessionally after 25+ Years with his company. The wording in the email from Peter Shanks that he took as a personal threat to him is as follows

 

‘I have to say that I was surprised to read of the post on Cruise Critic, I note that your partner works in the Travel Industry and will know that we work in a very collaborative industry – we also enjoy a close partnership with .........” (employer name withheld)

I Personally at first hadn’t seen what my partner saw but when I consider the wording I am forced to agree. He is now very worried about his position.

Ultimately, We did not receive the ultra luxary cruise that we paid for.

We have been treated appallingly both during and since our cruise

Silversea insist that 25% future cruise credit is more than fair for the disruption endured

 

We have investigated fully the options available to us. In fairness to Silversea we would not enjoy the smaller ships as we found Silver Spirit itself rather sparse. Due to business commitments there are only 2 possible cruises that fit in with our diaries for all options currently listed until March 2020. One is the Muse on 28th September 2018 which has been waitlisted for months and one is (despite the size) the Seychelles on the discovery, but since “discovering” that we could be imprisoned in the Seychelles for being in a same sex relationship, I think we can be forgiven for ruling that one out. Needles to say, we will not be availing ourselves of their offer of a 25% future cruise credit and are left with nothing whatsoever in recompense for the trauma that we have endured.

Therefore Silverseas absolute refusal, despite my repeated requests (I shall publish copies of correspondence shortly) to deal with our case individually rather than considering it alongside every other passenger regardless of levels of inconvenience, has resulted in not only an entirely ruined holiday, but also a situation were not only are we extremely distressed by our entire experience but my partner is left feeling threatened ishould I try to pursue a remedy to this matter.

I reiterate, I am perfectly happy for Silversea to withdraw their offer in the interest of the general public knowing how poorly they respond when they get things wrong.

Following you advice, Mr Shanks, maybe we should just agree to disagree. We Shall see how the courts view your response.

[tgh]

‘I have to say that I was surprised to read of the post on Cruise Critic, I note that your partner works in the Travel Industry and will know that we work in a very collaborative industry – we also enjoy a close partnership with .........” (employer name withheld)

Breathtaking corporate thuggery … what kind of corporate ethos allows this kind of stuff to develop ?

[Daveywavey70]

‘I have to say that I was surprised to read of the post on Cruise Critic, I note that your partner works in the Travel Industry and will know that we work in a very collaborative industry – we also enjoy a close partnership with .........” (employer name withheld)

 

Breathtaking corporate thuggery … what kind of corporate ethos allows this kind of stuff to develop ?

The worst kind.

I gave him the benefit of the doubt as just being clumsy but my better half is really distressed by it. He’s too good for this world.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Dave, just a shortish note as we’re currently packing and heading home. I do not know what to say.

 

I feel firstly I must apologise to you because it was me that suggested to you that you contact Peter Shanks as I had read of his appointment to the UK and subsequently what I understood to be a promotion to cover a greater geographic area. I suggested him simply because it seemed the right thing to do in the mistaken belief that you’d be treated with a degree of integrity that I associate with people that lead by example their organisations. If it hadn’t been for my suggestion your partner wouldn’t be in the situation he now is and I am deeply sorry and would appreciate you conveying my sympathies and apolgies to him.

 

I warned you that you would likely be asked to agree to a NDA, something I understand and have mixed feelings about, but in all of my years I have never encountered what to me, and what I believe a judge would see as a very clear threat/blackmail because the observation could not have been made with any other rational purpose in mind. I cannot believe that SS’s legal department have agreed that the communication be sent.

 

If you proceed to court, the lack of any offer of any recompense with a clearly threatening and blackmailing communication as you described I feel has given your chances of losing extremely slim and would have likely had the perverse effect of increasing any award which you should include for “vexation, aggravation, and disappointment”. In my experience judges punish for this type of behaviour. I cannot begin to understand what was in a senior executive’s mind when making such a threat because I find it simply bewildering and out of my experience.

 

I am deeply sorry for what has happened to you and your partner when all you were seeking was a fair resolution to a perfectly justified complaint.

[turtlemichael]

‘I have to say that I was surprised to read of the post on Cruise Critic, I note that your partner works in the Travel Industry and will know that we work in a very collaborative industry – we also enjoy a close partnership with .........” (employer name withheld)

 

Breathtaking corporate thuggery … what kind of corporate ethos allows this kind of stuff to develop ?

 

Daveywavey70, as a matter of interest how did Silversea get that information in the first place? I am hoping that you included in a communication to them. I interpret it as a threat.

[Isklaar]

Just a quickie.

Jeff, I hope that you and Mrs Jeff have a good flight home. not long now till that bacon, chips and Sarson. Not to forget a decent cup of tea!

 

Dave, I can't remember whether or not I've commented on your situation although I have been reading along on your own thread too.

Interesting response from SS to say the least. I'll leave it at that for now!

[mjnvoyager]

Having checked with our TA, it’s seems SS is extremely aware of the correspondence going on in CC. Maybe I’m being naive but that should be a good thing. I think they may be hoping this will all die down and go away, but the overwhelming response from regular posters and the clear increase in readers of this forum should send a very big warning shot over their bow. Also I reckon with Jeff and Daveywavey they have bitten off more than they can chew. I don’t think either of you are going to back down until you have a satisfactory response. I also suspect that you aren’t the only ones who will be prepared to take all this lying down. The ensuing publicity for them will be very damaging.

 

Thank you Jeff, after what has clearly been a very trying time for you and wifey for providing us with such succinct and even at times entertaining accounts of what must have been a very unpleasant experience. I don’t think anyone reading your accounts could have anything but sympathy for you.

Jane

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Mudhen]

Look up moss hills...

If he's our CD...a great trivia master

 

YAY! I'm so pleased! Moss was our CD on our first SS cruise in the Med. He was wonderful!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Daveywavey70, as a matter of interest how did Silversea get that information in the first place? I am hoping that you included in a communication to them. I interpret it as a threat.

 

I suspect that the answer is simply that Dave’s partner made the booking and Peter was able tp track it throught hat.

[Mudhen]

Well from my recent experience of la dame on the Spirit I endured the most disgusting main course that I have ever been presented with in my life. It could best be described as a lobster tail swishing around in a bowl of watery pea and mint soup. Avoid it at all costs. It was an abomination that words could never excuse, explain or justify. I am amazed that R&C are seemingly happy for their Good name and reputation to be bandied around whilst perfectly good ingredients are mutiltaed and proudly, yet very mistakenly, presented in their name.

I Went to bed that night with nothing on my mind other than that poor noble creature that had sacrificed its life for my meal only to have its body left bobbing around in a poorly prepared and completely overpowering green concoction was an abonimation.

 

I Sincerely hope that you all enjoy your cruise but if you do venture to la dame then please take. Note.

 

Oh dear! Will avoid the lobster in pea soup at all costs. However, as a flip....I had one of my best main courses ever, in La Dame last year. It was a venison en croute sort of thing. I normally wouldn't be caught dead ordering any sort of "Wellington" as it never turns out correctly....soggy, leaden, raw, overcooked are terms that come to mind. I couldn't fault my venison in any way....perfection (for me anyway). John has been in the food service industry for years and we had our own restaurant (reservation only). We are familiar with good food, what it should look like and more so what it tastes like.

Sure hope we can find something delish in La Dame in Sept.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Thanks Jane for the kind words.

 

I try to extract and find humour in almost everything.

 

The journey from the Panarama Lounge to the Club Lounge at Athens has been extraordinary and when I get back and have some time after a stiff drink I will recount,the story and no one will believe me.

 

:)

[pf778c]

As glad as I am to hear that Silversea is paying close attention to what their loyal client base is saying here on Cruise Critic, I'm not overly optimistic that anything positive will come of it. I'm still disgruntled with the lack of response to my letter regarding my 2017 Whisper cruise that featured dawn to dusk pounding and grinding on the pool deck, where I was confident that I would receive an apology and be soothed with a "we'll take that into close consideration on future cruises". Now to hear the threatening rumor of my beloved Wind being possibly relegated to expedition cruising, the Spirit "stretch" debacle, not to mention Jeff's absolutely horrifying reports, I'm starting to consider mass market cruising in a new light; at least if I'm going to wind up with a mass market experience I'll only be paying mass market prices and won't be be expecting anything special, so no grounds for disappointment!

 

I'm actually hoping that some of these appalling accounts end up in litigation with the result that Silversea reverts to their original business model of providing a superlative luxury product worth returning to. I've been loyally sailing with Silversea for almost twenty years and there's really no reconciling the current product with what Silversea originally offered. Many changes are just a matter of changing with the times, which I have no issue with, but the is growing overt disinterest towards guests is inexcusable. I don't know if some "painful" litigation would be sufficient incentive to "turn the tide", but I'm very keen to see a return to the attention to details that made Silversea the luxury product they once were.

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Lots of interesting and disturbing reading this morning. Best wishes for all wading through muck!

 

J...glad to hear you are safely off the ship. Looking forward to another tale when you have been suitably primed with a stiff drink.

 

Today's funny.....

 

 

 

Have a great day all!

[Daveywavey70]

Thank you all for your kind words and messages of support.

 

Jeff there is no need to apologise, your support on here has been greatly appreciated. I Hope you have a great journey home and a wonderful meal when you get here!

[jpalbny]

Good one, M. I assumed (given that it's a Canada thing) that the picture would be a moose. But moose (like cows) don't have upper front incisors. So it must be a horse??

 

Wow, the situation for poor Dave just went from bad to worse. That is appalling!

 

Jeff, also looking forward to your story. No fair holding us in suspense!

 

Quick trip to the Finger Lakes this weekend for a wine tasting event at HJ Wiemer. Only one night away. We've been traveling 2 of the past 3 weekends and this will make it 3 of 4. Probably time to take a break and stay home a little bit, before summer disappears!

[mysty]

JP....I thought it was a moose because of the lower jowly bit. Not conversant with animal anatomy (let alone human anatomy) so I am prepared to stand corrected. Have a great weekend in the Finger Lakes!

[Isklaar]

Great funny for this morning Mysty. Unfortunately I can't find any news reports about horses/donkeys/moose climbing 23-storey buildings today! :D

[mysty]

Thanks for trying though Isklaar! :)

[jpalbny]

Mysty, I only know this from my farm days.

 

Cows have no upper front incisors, only lower ones. Horses have both. Thus you had to be very careful feeding horses from your hand lest they chomp off your finger. Cows, no biggie.

 

I assumed that moose would be related to cows, not horses, so I looked it up to confirm.

[mysty]

Ok..thanks JP! So it is either a mutant moose or a non-mutant horse. :) Most likely the horse though.

[TLCOhio]

Jeff, also looking forward to your story. No fair holding us in suspense!

 

Should we credit (or blame) Jeff with creating a "pressure system" to force Silversea to be sold this morning to the big and massive Royal Caribbean cruise giant?

 

Sorry during the past three weeks for being busy with my knee replacement surgery and the needed physical therapy, etc. All is going very well in my recovery. But have followed along about the sad and challenged saga of Jeff's cruise with SS. We have had friends just completing today a sailing on the Spirit. All was wonderful for them on that sailing. But, having a loud/crude group can totally disrupt the experience for others. Clearly making a mess for the staff and direly impacting the other passengers. Sad!!

 

Now with the new ownership, the "game" can change even more. Interesting times??!!

 

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 203,675 views for this posting.

[Fletcher]

I have just caught up with Jeff's tale of floating woe. I think - in fact, I know - we would have jumped ship rather than endure that sort of thing.

 

We have never had that sort of unfortunate experience and, like everyone else here, am now a little apprehensive about taking another cruise - and we have two booked at the moment. Last year I fancied a Far East trip on the Regent Seven Seas Mariner and was about to book it when they withdrew the cruise because of a large group booking. I understand everyone who had previously booked had their money refunded and received a big discount for their inconvenience. This will never happen but it would be good if cruise lines were obliged by law to inform passengers of any large group bookings.

 

I followed Jeff's log with interest and dismay. I will be interested to hear if his 'going public' has any impact on any outcome. My own experience is this - I was extremely unhappy with a cruise I took two years ago: the ship was terrible, the excursions lousy, ports of call dropped for no apparent reason. It was the cruise from hell. So I wrote about it on the internet. Now this was a company (Noble Caledonia) I had sailed with many times before. Maybe ten very expensive cruises. On one occasion they gave me a completely free trip because a previous cruise had gone pear-shaped. But on this last occasion I wrote it up and basically savaged their operation. Awaiting us on our return from a post-cruise hotel stay was a letter from the company saying they did not appreciate public criticism and they banned us from taking any more cruises with them. They said that if we had contacted them privately with our grievances things would have been different.

[UKCruiseJeff]