Whispering Around The World 2019

[DCCruiser57]

Some Additional pictures from our first safari in Amboselli/Kilamanjaro.  

[mysty]

Beautiful DCC!  Looks like an amazing adventure!  Thanks for posting!

[mysty]

From our amble in Rangiroa.....

 

 

 

A beautiful place!

[jpalbny]

It sure is! Did you anchor within the atoll? We had a sailaway party in our suite when we left.

 

We went snorkeling in the lagoon during our stop years ago. Loved it.

[mysty]

31 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

It sure is! Did you anchor within the atoll? We had a sailaway party in our suite when we left.

 

Yes we did anchor within the atoll.  The sail in was beautiful!

[mysty]

More photos from Moorea.....

 

From the sail in.....

 

 

 

From the excursion.....

 

 

A marae (a marae (in New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian), malaʻe (in Tongan), meʻae (in Marquesan), and malae (in Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies).....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another beautiful place!

Edited May 29, 2019 by mysty

[Stumblefoot]

2 hours ago, mysty said:

More photos from Moorea.....

Absolutely gorgeous!  The dark green against the dark blue is just stunning.

[mysty]

Please be advised that the following post may be a tad controversial.  I mentioned in a couple previous posts that people sailing together for an extended time begin to feel like a family.  When the cruise begins new friendships are formed, old friendships are rekindled and a dynamic is created.  As the cruise progresses these ties are reinforced.

This is wonderful and Myster and I enjoyed the interaction and camaraderie.  For the folks who got on for one or a few segments as we sailed they may have encountered a situation where they felt like uninvited guests.  In conversations with some of these folks as the 2019 WC progressed it was subtlety brought up that the full cruise guests were cliquish.  It is relatively easy to understand why.  This post is not intended to berate anyone!  The folks on this cruise were a very congenial group!  It is simply an advisory that the social aspect may be very different from a regular Silversea cruise. 

[Silver Spectre]

49 minutes ago, mysty said:

Please be advised that the following post may be a tad controversial.  I mentioned in a couple previous posts that people sailing together for an extended time begin to feel like a family.  When the cruise begins new friendships are formed, old friendships are rekindled and a dynamic is created.  As the cruise progresses these ties are reinforced.

This is wonderful and Myster and I enjoyed the interaction and camaraderie.  For the folks who got on for one or a few segments as we sailed they may have encountered a situation where they felt like uninvited guests.  In conversations with some of these folks as the 2019 WC progressed it was subtlety brought up that the full cruise guests were cliquish.  It is relatively easy to understand why.  This post is not intended to berate anyone!  The folks on this cruise were a very congenial group!  It is simply an advisory that the social aspect may be very different from a regular Silversea cruise. 

Very nicely put Mysty.

[Emtbsam]

There was definitely a unique social aspect on this cruise.  We boarded in Singapore and noticed it although it did not spoil our enjoyment of the cruise.  Since we had done segments on the two previous world cruises, we knew many people on board and felt very welcomed.  For a newcomer to Silversea, boarding in Dar Es Salaam, Capetown or especially Lisbon where so many people were winding down it must have been quite different from our positive experience.

 

The only negative we experienced was a definite “second class” feeling in the MDR where the female maitre d’ would not assign us to a requested table even though it was not occupied.  Of course when our guest, who was a world cruiser, stepped forward and asked for it, we got what we had requested.  That was not a good feeling especially since we were paying a higher per diem than many and were in a Silver suite.  Either there are assigned tables in the MDR or there aren’t!  Silversea needs to have a policy and stick to it!

 

Generally we felt that all the passengers were congenial and the crew superb as usual.  We enjoyed meeting Mysty and Myster and the other cruisecritic.com people and hope our paths cross again.  Our next cruise is a circumnavigation of Iceland on the Cloud.   Although we know a number of people who will be on board, the passenger dynamic should be quite different.

[Bluebelle14]

For how long will some of you World Cruisers stay on and who is the female Maitre'd  please?

[jpalbny]

47 minutes ago, Emtbsam said:

Our next cruise is a circumnavigation of Iceland on the Cloud.   Although we know a number of people who will be on board, the passenger dynamic should be quite different.

 

Looking forward to it! Just a little over two months now...

 

Mysty, nicely written as always. You are unfailingly kind and polite. 🙂

 

We have a somewhat similar situation, albeit on a smaller scale. We have our group of six SS regulars who met up on a 2013 cruise. We all cruised together in 2017, and we're signed up again for 2020. I really like cruising with "our" group, but we end up having dinner together every night, and I bet it does appear "clique-y" to others. It will be interesting to see what happens on the 2020 cruise because there are a bunch of CC folks on board who I want to meet and hang out with, as well as spending time with "my" group.

 

I think we're going to need a bigger table!!

[DCCruiser57]

The female restaurant manager was named Mary Ann.  She was by far one of our all time least favorites.

[Stumblefoot]

6 hours ago, mysty said:

For the folks who got on for one or a few segments as we sailed they may have encountered a situation where they felt like uninvited guests.  In conversations with some of these folks as the 2019 WC progressed it was subtlety brought up that the full cruise guests were cliquish.  It is relatively easy to understand why.

 

Mysty, you bring up an interesting topic.  As we followed along your cruise each day, we wondered how we might fit in should we wish to do a single voyage in the middle of a vast world cruise.  Our only relatable experience was when we sailed on a singular voyage of 17-days in the midst of a 68-day Grand Tour of South America that was underway. Our voyage was the second segment of the five segment Grand Tour. 

 

We boarded on Halloween and felt a little bit out of place as a couple attending the big night time celebration as it seemed so many large groups were together having a great time.  But, in the end, we made several friendships on that voyage that endure to this day, albeit with people who were traveling like us on just the single segment.

 

So, in the end, what you describe is probably our biggest fear and how it might impact our enjoyment.  Collectively, we decided that we would probably prefer to avoid such a voyage even though we know many who we enjoy following here on CC had wonderful times on their voyages in the middle of your world cruise.

[mysty]

Thanks for your thoughtful response Stumble!  I dithered for a while about posting because I was concerned about scaring people off.  On the other hand, I thought it was important to provide a little perspective on how some people felt getting on for a segment or two.  I think the enjoyment of the experience could well depend on whether or not you knew (and liked) some people who were doing the full world.  I think if you get on at the beginning of the cruise you would find it easier to meet people because there is no obvious sign at that point who is doing the full world and who is doing segments. No shirts and skins per se.   🙂

 

On the other hand, we met a lovely couple who were doing one segment.  We had dinner with them and their comment was that a segment of the World was head and shoulders above a regular SS cruise.  Another perspective!  🙂

[Stumblefoot]

My pleasure Mysty.  I’m really glad you posted your comments, especially as it was a topic we were keenly discussing ourselves.

 

The points you make in your follow-up post make a ton of sense.  I certainly didn’t think of the many positives that a segment of the world cruise might bring.  Some of the excursions you were offered were absolutely incredible.

[turtlemichael]

9 hours ago, Emtbsam said:

There was definitely a unique social aspect on this cruise.  We boarded in Singapore and noticed it although it did not spoil our enjoyment of the cruise.  Since we had done segments on the two previous world cruises, we knew many people on board and felt very welcomed.  For a newcomer to Silversea, boarding in Dar Es Salaam, Capetown or especially Lisbon where so many people were winding down it must have been quite different from our positive experience.

 

The only negative we experienced was a definite “second class” feeling in the MDR where the female maitre d’ would not assign us to a requested table even though it was not occupied.  Of course when our guest, who was a world cruiser, stepped forward and asked for it, we got what we had requested.  That was not a good feeling especially since we were paying a higher per diem than many and were in a Silver suite.  Either there are assigned tables in the MDR or there aren’t!  Silversea needs to have a policy and stick to it!

 

Generally we felt that all the passengers were congenial and the crew superb as usual.  We enjoyed meeting Mysty and Myster and the other cruisecritic.com people and hope our paths cross again.  Our next cruise is a circumnavigation of Iceland on the Cloud.   Although we know a number of people who will be on board, the passenger dynamic should be quite different.

It's an interesting issue which crossed our minds too. In one sense it is almost inevitable that those who are together for a long time will form relationships and newcomers will have difficulties in breaking into the "circle". Maybe it comes down to the personalities of the old hands and the newcomers? 

 

On the question of "saved" tables in the MDR we were also aware. It was not only newcomers who were affected. I recall one night we got moved twice as we were about to sit down at the tables we were taken to when it was realised that these were fixed tables for other world cruisers. it was all very silly and we had a laugh.  I am not sure how you avoid this (or even whether it is an issue worth avoiding).

 

Of course, the plus for those not doing the full world cruise is that they'll get invited to such things as the Goree Island dinner which is not going to happen on a regular cruise. All up, I think the pluses outweigh the negatives for non-world cruisers and if I am in the position of booking segments on a future world cruise, I'd certainly not hesitate.

[mysty]

11 minutes ago, turtlemichael said:

It's an interesting issue which crossed our minds too. In one sense it is almost inevitable that those who are together for a long time will form relationships and newcomers will have difficulties in breaking into the "circle". Maybe it comes down to the personalities of the old hands and the newcomers? 

 

On the question of "saved" tables in the MDR we were also aware. It was not only newcomers who were affected. I recall one night we got moved twice as we were about to sit down at the tables we were taken to when it was realised that these were fixed tables for other world cruisers. it was all very silly and we had a laugh.  I am not sure how you avoid this (or even whether it is an issue worth avoiding).

 

Of course, the plus for those not doing the full world cruise is that they'll get invited to such things as the Goree Island dinner which is not going to happen on a regular cruise. All up, I think the pluses outweigh the negatives for non-world cruisers and if I am in the position of booking segments on a future world cruise, I'd certainly not hesitate.

Very nicely said Turtle!  And thanks for chiming in!  Hope you and Turtle2 are enjoying Paris!  🙂

[turtlemichael]

2 hours ago, mysty said:

Very nicely said Turtle!  And thanks for chiming in!  Hope you and Turtle2 are enjoying Paris!  🙂

Thanks Mysty.  We miss you and hubby!  We have moved on to London now (or rather back to London) and are loving it! xx

[mysty]

15 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

 Some of the excursions you were offered were absolutely incredible.

 

I think the awesomeness of the 2019 World Cruise Events and the Silversea Esperiences was due to the company that handled the planning and coordination of the events.  They were spectacular!  Amazing attention to detail and almost military precision execution.   I really hope SS continues their relationship with this company!

[Wellseasoned]

23 hours ago, mysty said:

.  I think if you get on at the beginning of the cruise you would find it easier to meet people because there is no obvious sign at that point who is doing the full world and who is doing segments. No shirts and skins per se.   🙂

Very good point, Mysty.  Two years ago we were on the first three segments of the world cruise and felt no strangeness.  But joining in Singapore did produce some sense of crashing the party.  And we are 22 year Silversea cruisers with many hundreds of days and knew most of the officers, many of the crew, and many other cruisers.  So, I suppose some of that feeling is inevitable when joining when we did.  Happily, it was a fine cruise and we had the pleasure of meeting more very nice people such as Mysty!

[mysty]

4 minutes ago, Wellseasoned said:

Very good point, Mysty.  Two years ago we were on the first three segments of the world cruise and felt no strangeness.  But joining in Singapore did produce some sense of crashing the party.  And we are 22 year Silversea cruisers with many hundreds of days and knew most of the officers, many of the crew, and many other cruisers.  So, I suppose some of that feeling is inevitable when joining when we did.  Happily, it was a fine cruise and we had the pleasure of meeting more very nice people such as Mysty!

Thanks so much Well for adding your perspective!  And it was an absolute pleasure to sail with you and Mrs. Well!  Take care and enjoy your summer!

[mysty]

On 5/30/2019 at 9:42 AM, Emtbsam said:

Generally we felt that all the passengers were congenial and the crew superb as usual.  We enjoyed meeting Mysty and Myster and the other cruisecritic.com people and hope our paths cross again.  Our next cruise is a circumnavigation of Iceland on the Cloud.   Although we know a number of people who will be on board, the passenger dynamic should be quite different.

Thanks EMT for sharing your perspective.  I think it is important that potential WC segment passengers know that the social aspect may well be different from what is the norm on SS.  And we are hoping that our paths cross again as well!  Hope you are managing to get your home place in order!  Enjoy your summer!

[mysty]

Myster and I did a walk about in Bora Bora.....

 

Our greeting......

 

 

 

 

[mysty]

Rarotonga, Cook Islands was another ambling about day.

 

Our greeting.....

 

 

From our ambling.....