Athens to Muscat - The Middle East with a Muse

[Silver Spectre]

I also like the lunch menu, although I miss the hot option from the Spirit.

 

[Silver Spectre]

As we passed Somalia the open decks were closed for a day, forcing the Italian cobbler inside

 

[Silver Spectre]

Our bridge directors had a Panorama suite on deck 9 and kindly let me pop in for a photo of the floor to ceiling window, they quite liked it.

 

[Tothesunset]

Mr Spectre, may I ask how much SS was charging for the trips you have catalogued on this thread? It'll help me decide which grandchild to sell. 

Edited December 17, 2018 by Tothesunset

[Unibok]

18 hours ago, Silver Spectre said:

Our bridge directors had a Panorama suite on deck 9 and kindly let me pop in for a photo of the floor to ceiling window, they quite liked it.

 

 

Nice! Thank you for posting a picture of a Panorama Suite. They are often available only as guarantees, and I've tried booking them twice. For Alaska, we got bumped/upgraded to a veranda (no complaints!), and I'm waiting to see whether I'll be in a Panorama for my Mumbai --> Athens cruise on the Spirit. Looks like a win/win, as I'd be quite happy with the Panorama, just as I'm also quite happy with an upgrade to a Veranda.

[Silver Spectre]

21 hours ago, Tothesunset said:

Mr Spectre, may I ask how much SS was charging for the trips you have catalogued on this thread? It'll help me decide which grandchild to sell. 

You may have to sell more than one!

 

St Catherine’s Monastery - $139

Shoubak Castle - $99

Luxor & Valley of the Kings - $299

[Silver Spectre]

3 hours ago, Unibok said:

 

Nice! Thank you for posting a picture of a Panorama Suite. They are often available only as guarantees, and I've tried booking them twice. For Alaska, we got bumped/upgraded to a veranda (no complaints!), and I'm waiting to see whether I'll be in a Panorama for my Mumbai --> Athens cruise on the Spirit. Looks like a win/win, as I'd be quite happy with the Panorama, just as I'm also quite happy with an upgrade to a Veranda.

We originally had one as a guarantee for this voyage and then about three weeks before departure it was changed to 602. I would have preferred the Panorama to 602 but our SS guy in London got us moved to mid ships anyway, and then they sold 602 as a last minute sale a week out.

[Tothesunset]

4 hours ago, Silver Spectre said:

You may have to sell more than one!

 

St Catherine’s Monastery - $139

Shoubak Castle - $99

Luxor & Valley of the Kings - $299

Could be worse.  But the OBC won't go far, will it?

[les37b]

12 hours ago, Silver Spectre said:

We originally had one as a guarantee for this voyage and then about three weeks before departure it was changed to 602. I would have preferred the Panorama to 602 but our SS guy in London got us moved to mid ships anyway, and then they sold 602 as a last minute sale a week out.

 

I remember you saying about 602. I had though that was one of the royal or grand suites, but seems its just a standard veranda. Sounds like he once again did you a good deed!

[Silver Spectre]

6 hours ago, les37b said:

 

I remember you saying about 602. I had though that was one of the royal or grand suites, but seems its just a standard veranda. Sounds like he once again did you a good deed!

Now that would have been an upgrade worth having 😎

[Silver Spectre]

Almost made it to safety

 

[Silver Spectre]

Sailing into Salalah just after sunrise

 

[Stumblefoot]

On 12/17/2018 at 1:22 PM, Silver Spectre said:

On balance, just, and obviously easier when spending some OBC. On a longer cruise it’s nice to have a couple of extra dining alternatives.

 

On 12/17/2018 at 1:25 PM, Silver Spectre said:

I also like the lunch menu, although I miss the hot option from the Spirit.

 

Good point on the OBC for dinner.  I find we (i.e., me) usually end up spending ours on wine and we haven't even had the good fortune to share with Colonel Wes and I before!  And, we're with you, we like Kaiseki for lunch too.

[Stumblefoot]

Mr. Silver,

 

Don't know if you saw my response earlier this month to your question over in the Shadow Exceeded Expectations topic, but wanted you to know that we'll be in Siem Reap /Angkor Wat Feb 16 - 17 and return to Bangkok on Feb 18.  Would be nice to meet you should your days overlap with ours.

[Silver Spectre]

1 hour ago, Stumblefoot said:

Mr. Silver,

 

Don't know if you saw my response earlier this month to your question over in the Shadow Exceeded Expectations topic, but wanted you to know that we'll be in Siem Reap /Angkor Wat Feb 16 - 17 and return to Bangkok on Feb 18.  Would be nice to meet you should your days overlap with ours.

We will be there the last day of January and Feb 1st, then it’s off to Hong Kong for a couple of days before coming home. It’s a shame we don’t coincide, maybe one day on a future SS cruise.

[Stumblefoot]

7 hours ago, Silver Spectre said:

It’s a shame we don’t coincide, maybe one day on a future SS cruise.

That would be lovely indeed.

[Silver Spectre]

Some of the desert that we collected on our way down the Red Sea

 

[Silver Spectre]

Some impressive manoeuvring to get us just into the corner of the dock

 

[Silver Spectre]

Tour buses ready to roll

 

[Silver Spectre]

Having been to Salalah before we spent a lazy day onboard, the only shuttle was to the port gate, and then who knows where. It was fascinating to watch the constant stream of tipper trucks arrive, disgorge their gravel contents, which then disappeared into the huge holds of the cargo ship behind us.

 

[Silver Spectre]

Early’ish morning swimmer, watched by the two sunbathers. Everyone else at breakfast (or asleep)

 

[Silver Spectre]

Salalah sunset

 

[Silver Spectre]

An almost empty Dolce Vita, and the three lovely ladies at Reception 

 

Edited December 24, 2018 by Silver Spectre

[Silver Spectre]

And something I found very strange. This lady operates out of the spa giving ‘botox’ and various other treatments. She claimed she was qualified, not quite sure as what. With an example of some weird marketing material that she had, that certaining did not have the permission of the subjects.

 

[jollyjones]

Obviously just qualified as a basic physician, no specialist qualifications.

Doesn't say she actually worked in Miami which implies a certain, but not necessarily reassuring, level of expertise.

One would hope SS did it's homework if only to cover it's ass.

 

And she can't spell.