Almost Live from the Shadow: 22 Feb - 8 Mar, Singapore to Hong Kong

[Stumblefoot]

Sounds exciting Unibok!  Such an incredible way to extend your journey.  And, yes, I think our “little” girl is a couple of years behind yours.  We’re looking forward to seeing her over Easter Break.  I imagine you are doing the same counting down the time until your next visit with your daughter.

 

The three of us will be on the Cloud in early January heading to South Georgia and Antarctica, if you’d both like to join us. 😊 It would be lovely to share a voyage together someday.

 

Enjoy the rest of your travels.  I imagine I speak for many here who look forward to following along.

[Unibok]

20 hours ago, rosepark said:

There must be easier ways of doing as SilverSea detox, Unibok...

Rp

 

True words, rosepark, true words.

[jpalbny]

Sri Lanka! I have looked at that place on a map and have wanted to go there ever since I was little and it was still called Ceylon. Not sure why but the thought fascinates me. Looking forward to pictures when you are able to share.

[Unibok]

On 3/16/2019 at 5:01 PM, jpalbny said:

Sri Lanka! I have looked at that place on a map and have wanted to go there ever since I was little and it was still called Ceylon. Not sure why but the thought fascinates me. Looking forward to pictures when you are able to share.

 

 

Hi JP, I took the liberty of doing some shopping for you, and if you hurry you might be able to get a suite on this voyage: https://www.silversea.com/destinations/africa-indian-ocean-cruise/singapore-to-mumbai-3908.html. 🤣

I've noticed that SS tends to do overnights in Colombo, which allows pax to get out of the city and explore the hinterlands (which I, personally, find more interesting than the city). The voyage referenced above also stops at Trincomalee, a predominantly Tamil community along the northeastern coast, offering a broader understanding of the island's diverse heritages. If I didn't have to return to the chilly northeast of the US, I would sign on for that voyage in a heartbeat.

 

Sri Lanka is a fascinating place, alternately called the "pearl" or the "teardrop" off of India's coast, depending on whether you are invoking its natural beauty and gemstones, or its violent history. It does sound like a trip to Asia is getting higher on your list!

 

As requested, here are a few piccies to further whet your interest. Fauna first: elephants, monkeys, and peacocks.

 

 

 

 

[Unibok]

And some flora: tea plucker in a high elevation field, a low-elevation tea field, orchids at the Botanical Garden near Kandy, and plantings at the Bawa-designed "Brief Garden" in the Western Province. 

[Unibok]

And lastly, images of Buddhism -- which permeate and dominate the majority of the island (this is both a good and a bad thing): detail on an ancient large reclining Buddha at Pollonaruwa, flower and food offerings at a shrine, a meditating monk at Mihintale near dusk, and laypeople readying the path on a full moon poya day celebration.

[jpalbny]

Thanks Unibok! Looks like a nice cruise, with the two stops in Kerala (which we want to visit) and Sri Lanka. And it would be a belated birthday celebration for me (mine is Tuesday).

 

But alas, we are both stuck at work until our Ukraine trip in May. At least we can enjoy your pictures and descriptions for the time being. It looked amazing.

 

May I bring up a painful subject, and ask when you're coming home? And what flight routing do you use to get back to the Northeast US?

[TLCOhio]

2 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Thanks Unibok! Looks like a nice cruise. At least we can enjoy your pictures and descriptions for the time being. It looked amazing.   when you're coming home? And what flight routing do you use to get back to the Northeast US?

 

YES!  YES!!  Agree with J.P. that the visuals and details look amazing and great.  Very much enjoy your sharing from these interesting locations.  Keep up the excellent postings. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

SE Asia/Mekong River, Etc.!  Live/blog from early 2018, first adventure through SE Asia, stops in Hong Kong and Bangkok, before exploring all over Vietnam and Cambodia, seven days sailing on the Mekong River. Now at 44,985 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2591474

Edited March 21, 2019 by TLCOhio

[Unibok]

2 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Thanks Unibok! Looks like a nice cruise, with the two stops in Kerala (which we want to visit) and Sri Lanka. And it would be a belated birthday celebration for me (mine is Tuesday).

 

But alas, we are both stuck at work until our Ukraine trip in May. At least we can enjoy your pictures and descriptions for the time being. It looked amazing.

 

May I bring up a painful subject, and ask when you're coming home? And what flight routing do you use to get back to the Northeast US?

 

Oooh, Ukraine should be fascinating. I'll be leaving my self-imposed jungle retreat on Tuesday, and as soon as I check into my next place, I'll hoist one in your honor.

 

And yes, that IS a painful question, as it is coming up way too soon. I return on April 3rd. Flight routing is also a bit painful, and I'm guessing that you and Chris face similar obstacles. We have a tiny local airport (hey, it's international!), but I'm only 30 minutes or so from the Canadian border and just beyond that is Montreal. Albany is probably next largest city relatively close by.

 

For this trip I chose Montreal --> Doha --> Colombo, with the opposite return trip. When I fly to Asia, I greatly prefer Qatar, which always means a stopover in Doha (an airport I love). From home, I can either drive to Montreal, or fly to Philly or JFK. There are no Boston flights from our small Vermont airport, which limits my options for airlines and connections. Returning, I do everything I can to avoid re-entry through JFK, usually opting for Philly instead. 

 

I don't know if that is useful for you at all, but those of us who live far from hub cities have to scramble that much more to make it work, don't we?

[iamdmedina]

Your narrative and photos are truly a delight to read and view. We'll be traveling there in December on Silver Spirit. Do you recollect what fee you were charged by Silversea to obtain the visa for your visit to Vietnam?

[Stumblefoot]

6 minutes ago, iamdmedina said:

Do you recollect what fee you were charged by Silversea to obtain the visa for your visit to Vietnam?

$50 per visa will be charged to your shipboard account.

[les37b]

7 minutes ago, Stumblefoot said:

$50 per visa will be charged to your shipboard account.

 

I'm guessing that was because of your nights away from the ship (and possibly nationality.)

 

We had no overnight stays - and there was no visa charge. Iamdmenina may be doing the same overland, but just in case its worth checking.

[Stumblefoot]

Les,

 

I believe UK citizens aren't required to have a Vietnamese visa as long as your visit doesn't last more than 15-days.  US citizens are required to have a Vietnamese visa regardless of the length of the stay.

Edited April 15, 2019 by Stumblefoot

[iamdmedina]

1 hour ago, Stumblefoot said:

Les,

 

I believe UK citizens aren't required to have a Vietnamese visa as long as your visit doesn't last more than 15-days.  US citizens are required to have a Vietnamese visa regardless of the length of the stay.

We are traveling from USA and per Vietnamese government require a visa. I will have one issued by their embassy. Thanks for your replies.

[Bill B]

26 minutes ago, iamdmedina said:

We are traveling from USA and per Vietnamese government require a visa. I will have one issued by their embassy. 

 

I live in Vietnam... and am pretty sure getting one issued by the embassy will cost you a lot more (approx. 2x) than letting SS take care of it for you for $50.

[iamdmedina]

16 minutes ago, Bill B said:

 

I live in Vietnam... and am pretty sure getting one issued by the embassy will cost you a lot more (approx. 2x) than letting SS take care of it for you for $50.

Unless I misunderstood the information provided on the Vietnam Embassy website. the E visa they issue is $25.00 and available on line.

[Bill B]

49 minutes ago, iamdmedina said:

Unless I misunderstood the information provided on the Vietnam Embassy website. the E visa they issue is $25.00 and available on line.

 

I misunderstood. When you said "issued by their embassy" I thought you meant you meant/wanted a 'full' visa in your passport.

Edited April 15, 2019 by Bill B

[iamdmedina]

28 minutes ago, Bill B said:

 

I misunderstood. When you said "issued by their embassy" I thought you meant you meant/wanted a 'full' visa in your passport.

I am not seeking entry and re entry from another country therefore I believe the E visa will suffice for the 2 or 3 ports of entry in Vietnam where we will be heading.

[Unibok]

Thank you for your kind words, iamdmedina. I received 2 visas on arrival from SS: Cambodia ($40) and Vietnam ($30).

 

Enjoy your voyage on the Spirit! It is such a fascinating and gorgeous region.

[hsheffield]

On 3/12/2019 at 4:13 AM, Unibok said:

Summary

 

Impressed by boblerm's useful and balanced trip summary from his family's time on the Spirit last month, I will attempt the same here to discuss some overarching themes and observations.

 

Communications and planning with Silversea: I had booked this voyage 11 months prior, while on the Wind. The transition from Onboard Booking to my SS guy was seamless. When the overland/overnight excursions were released, he priced them out for me and even reduced the cost of the one I chose. At 120 days, mysilversea worked exactly as it was supposed to, resulting in precisely the excursions and dining choices I wanted. As this voyage sold out quite some time in advance, and as most of the excursions were included in our fare, I wanted the reassurance of those reservations. Finally, in a happy surprise, a week prior to boarding, I was offered a nice upgraded suite. In talking with others onboard who also were moved up a category or three, it does seem that SS will upgrade suites when they are available, with a preference for repeat SS customers. I know there are those who say that SS needs to work on their communication (especially when there are problems), but in my case, it worked exactly as it should (given that there were no problems).

 

The one glitch was with our Meet & Mingle: although we had 10 registered, some members didn't receive their invitations (like ZQTChas). It was our first night onboard, and when we arrived at the Panorama Lounge, there was no indication where our gathering might be -- no little sign on a table, no indication from the bartenders, no nothing. Eventually, some of us found each other and made a make-shift table marker, but I have to wonder how many others walked into the room and didn't know where to find the M&M. SS clearly has some work to do on this.

 

Silver Shadow: At first, the Shadow seemed so much bigger than the Wind! By Day 2, however, I was enjoying the extra space. I wasn't expecting to like her as much as I did, given some of the negative "she's tired, desperately needs dry dock" reviews I've read. I didn't find that to be the case. Yes, there were a few frays here and there, but otherwise she was meticulously maintained, with an elegant ease. She is slated for a modified Musification process between now and the next time I sail her, and I will be interested in seeing the improvements.

 

There is much invisible labor that keeps her humming, and my early morning wanderings gave me a window into some of that work: swabbing, cleaning, touching up paint, polishing metallic surfaces, wiping down pretty much everything. The mechanics and maintenance guys were out and about, the pool guys carefully lifting each lounger into place rather than scraping them along the deck, witnessed by just a few passengers awake with the dawn. 

 

Embarkation/Debarkation: SS continues to do everything they can to facilitate a smooth process for the duration as soon as we are in their care. In Singapore, pax dropped bags on the lower level of the mall, and from that point on we were in Silversea territory. All hands were on deck for check-in, the butlers lined up to escort us to our rooms promptly at 2:00. Debarkation was similarly smooth, with time for a leisurely breakfast, easy access to Kirk's announcements, a team to bid us farewell on the gangplank, and even the Excursions Director down below on land to make sure passengers were matched with their luggage. The only stress was the reality check of having to leave at all.

 

The Solo Experience: Silversea does well with their solos, from nightly hosted and unhosted pre-dinner gatherings, to invitations to dine with the captain and crew. Finding and making new friends was particularly easy on this voyage; in fact, I became close with a couple I met during the muster! Camaraderie evolves through trivia as well, which I played for the first time on this voyage and enjoyed very much (wow, Kirk is really serious about his trivia, isn't he??). It also felt comfortable to simply join a table when I wanted company, or dine alone when I was in a solitary mood. There was a healthy contingent of solo women, and it seemed we all moved in and out of joining in or opting out. 

 

That said, there were a few hiccups early on, particularly around dining. For one breakfast, I was initially seated at a large table and fully expected others to join me. I did not, however, expect them to take my actual seat, and then make me feel like I had done something wrong. Duly noted: I now leave something behind, like my sunglasses, to show that an actual person is sitting there. Twice during the voyage (again, early on) my request for a table was greeted with "only one??" or something like that, until the staff recognized who was solo and who was part of a team. I would like to think they were incredulous that I would be alone (lol), rather than being insensitive.

 

The staff at La Dame deserves a special call-out for making my solo meal there so lovely. As I've noted before, La Dame can be an awkward place to dine alone. Abhay and his team made me feel comfortable from the moment I arrived, and chatted with me about the pairings and the preparations as much as I wanted. In one case, Abhay brought a second pairing for me to consider with my dessert, and I completely agreed with his initial recommendation. 

 

Butlers are attentive to solos, as well, lining the hall to escort us to the Captain's Welcome on the first formal night. All told, the Shadow is an easy and comfortable place to be alone, and it is an easy and comfortable place to join others. 

 

Meals: At this point, I have my favorites, and they did not disappoint. For breakfast, I avoid both in-suite dining (too busy!) and the Restaurant (too similar to in-suite, but without the benefit of staying in my robe!), which leaves La Terrazza. Most mornings, as an early riser, I was able to get a table outside. Within a few days, they knew my order for poached eggs, grilled tomato, and sautéed mushrooms with a cappuccino. The buffet contains the perfect choices for my other preferences: fresh fruit, smoked fish, oatmeal with berries and cinnamon, etc. I remain intrigued by the shot glasses of single malt whiskey -- one of the waiters told me that some folks use it on their porridge, while others just want a "hair of the dog."

 

Lunches in The Restaurant are generally more relaxed and timely than up in La Terrazza, where sometimes the staff struggle to handle the volume -- especially if pax are anxious about getting out in time for their excursions. I got into the habit of checking to see which pasta they were serving, and if it was also available downstairs, I would go to the MDR. I have never had a lunch I liked at the Grill, so I've stopped trying.

 

For dinner, I thoroughly enjoyed every venue on the ship multiple times (except La Dame, where I ate only once as a special treat). Service in the MDR can be slow, but I've grown to expect that and consider it part of the experience. I adore La Terrazza for dinner, and will continue to go even though one of my dishes (a soup) came out wrong, but I didn't bother to correct it as I was truly exhausted that evening and probably should have skipped dinner entirely. One of my companions at the Grill found her salmon wouldn't cook properly, but both of my meals there were terrific (filet with green peppercorn sauce both times, with veggie skewers on the side).

 

One overall criticism about soups: there is always the Anytime broth/consommé option, but otherwise, the soups are mostly cream-based. Most often, the two soup choices seemed to be 1) a cream soup, and 2) a double-cream soup. I would love to see more variation, with options that aren't cream-based.

 

In all things meal- and wine-related, the ease and familiarity level increased throughout the voyage as the staff get to see you regularly and get to know you and your preferences. Within three days, most of the waitstaff seemed to know that I like still water with no ice, and Moses the bartender always had my sparkling water and lime waiting for trivia. 

 

Suite Life: I've sung the praises of my butler and room attendant throughout this thread, but that is also a relationship that builds up over time as we all get to know each other. The first 24 hours had a few minor bumps (I had requested a bottle of Amaro, not Amaretto), but after that it was seamless. Oloto and Katherine had noticed that I tend to wake early and walk on the upper decks, so the morning that I stayed in he knew something was up. A bowl of consommé and a few ginger ales later, he made sure I was feeling better -- and I appreciated that he noticed and cared. 

 

Upon returning from the overnight in Cambodia, he left a chilled bottle of champagne and rose petals as a special welcome back. These little unexpected and thoughtful touches matter.

 

Enrichment and Entertainment: I've already sounded off on the lecturer, whom I found to be not only tedious (academics don't have to be boring, by the way) but also a bit offensive. I very much enjoyed Carla's "easy Vietnamese" lessons, even though I didn't prove to be a very good student. That's not her fault, haha.

 

We may have been particularly lucky with a critical mass of 3 Silversea ships in Asia (Whisper, Muse, and Shadow), which allowed for sharing some of the entertainment. There was a magician onboard for the first week, and the two high-energy cellists for the second week. Both gave pre-dinner and after-dinner performances. Kirk did a pre-dinner solo show (good fun), and the Voices did a new revue that I missed. None of the Voices did solo shows on this sailing, but I would have enjoyed that. DJ Anthony was literally everywhere, as was the Trio (including backing up the cellists and Kirk). For the lounge acts, my favorite was Vlad and his guitar. 

 

Excursions and support: This was a big part of the voyage for me, as most of the excursions were included in our fare, and I do tend to take ship-sponsored excursions if I am not already familiar with the country or the region. By and large, the selection was excellent, and nearly every one I joined had a staff member along -- either somebody from the excursion staff, or one of the hostesses or entertainers. The only excursion that didn't was the overnight to Phnom Penh; unfortunately, we could have used one on that trip. Given the traffic and the timing, our Cambodian guide was quite fixated on getting us to all of the places specified in the contract. Getting us there physically was not the same as allowing us time to really see and explore them, and at one point we passengers mutinied and told him to please cut one of the sites so that we could spend more time at the places that mattered most to us. This situation clearly would have been better if a staff member had intervened, rather than the passengers needing to rally and organize themselves into a mutinous state. When I mentioned this to Clive, he seemed aware of the issues already, so I didn't belabor the point. It sounds like they will address it in the future by flying, rather than driving.

 

They cannot, however, address the poor choices that passengers make when they sign up for excursions that are inappropriate. Although most passengers do read the notices, and talk with the excursion desk to see if a particular outing will be a good fit, I was shocked by the number of grown adults who signed on for excursions they could not handle. I've kept my mouth shut (mostly) through the thread on whether or not children should be allowed on SS, but after this voyage I would entertain the possibility of a "self-awareness" screening for mature adults. One of our small-group excursions (offered at a premium) included a couple who could barely get in and out of the shuttle bus, much less handle the "moderate" activity of walking around the uneven pedestrian streets of Hoi An for an hour in the heat. The wife (wearing pink sequined flip flops) can barely walk on a good day (looked like hip joint issues to me), and fell to the ground in dizziness and exhaustion early on in the excursion. Her husband helped the best he could, but he had his own mobility (and perhaps disconnected reality) issues. One of the entertainers was with us, thank goodness, as he pretty much became their personal escort for the remainder of the excursion. It affected everything: our timing, our stress level, our concentration, our enjoyment.

 

I realize that we need to trust grown adults to make good decisions on their own behalf, but this experience made me wish there was some safety net in place. Post-script to the story, the following day, the wife stayed on the ship (yay! good choice!), but the husband went on the 8-hour excursion to Hue (lots of walking, stairs, and even more heat). This time he is the one who took a header, bloodying himself quite badly, and then spent the rest of the cruise with a huge shiner on his eye. Hmmm, two bad choices, two falls, two days in a row. Know yourselves and make good choices, people. [End of rant.]

 

****

 

All in all, the energy onboard seemed very positive, and the Future Cruise Consultant (Slavko) seemed to be busy the entire voyage. For my part, I talked my mother into joining me on a 2020 Med sailing back on the Shadow with an overnight in Istanbul. Perhaps we will sail with some of you there!

 

Until the next time, fair winds,

 

see you there Unibok: we're booked on the same cruise