Silver Muse/Silver Shadow, Live (almost) from Mar 15 - Apr 2

[TLCOhio]

11 hours ago, WesW said:

Terry; you’re very welcome too. Any additional attention you can put on the Silversea crew is welcome and appreciated not only by cruise critics here but by the crew too...and if you active on Facebook you can extend the reach of your posts so the crew’s friends and families can enjoy your words (if the crew friend requests you—I always ask them if they would like to be friends to send me a friend request). Have about a dozen Silversea and dozen Regent crew FB friends.

 

Great to hear that you have successfully transitioned to the Silver Shadow.  When handy, share any additional items, tips and tid-bits from the Silver Muse.  Any word as to future staffing for the Muse in later July, who will be the CD, etc.?  The recognitions for the staff are important and very much appreciated by them.  On Facebook, I don't "play" there.  Glad to have made a decision to avoid that venue given their recent exposure for how Facebook exploits and profits by ignoring privacy standards.  That's another "discussion" for a different day and location.  Keep up the great sharing here on the CC Boards!!  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.).  Now at 63,209 views:

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

[dougburns]

Just about to Port Klang( Kuala Lumpur ). Wes and I had dinner last night in La Terrazza and the food was good. Thunderstorms started as we were leaving Singapore and continued most of the evening. This morning it's clear and humid, so it should be a good day in Kuala Lumpur. More later; I'm off to breakfast.

[RachelG]

On 3/20/2019 at 9:59 AM, rich48100 said:

Hey Wes,  Rich here.  Glad you are having an enjoyable cruise, and as usual doing a great job posting.  Just curious, are you needing to get up at 5 am to get good internet for posting and pictures or is internet pretty good all day.

 

also never been on a Silversea that is not an expedition ship, so curious if coat and tie are a must for dinner or if it is more like Regent and smart casual applies for dinner.

 

thanks, and keep on enjoying cruising and life.  You and Ida are doing a good job at both.

As instructed per Wes, I am popping in.  Smart casual is fine.  George does not take a dinner jacket or tie on the expedition ships.  He wears a nice button down shirt and slacks to dinner.  As Barbara knows me, she can attest that I like to dress up.  I don’t bring any evening gowns, but I do bring some sparkly shoes and cocktail dresses.  But that is not at all required.  Most people don’t dress up much at all.

[alithecat]

I think RachelG misunderstood your question, Rich, and gave you the dress code for the expedition ships. Are you asking about dress code on the non-expedition ships, like Muse and Shadow? If so, then yes, Silversea is dressier than Regent. You need to wear a jacket for dinner on the informal nights. You do not need a tie on those nights, just a jacket. But you do need a jacket and tie for formal nights in the main dining rooms. If you don't want to dress up for the formal nights, then you can dine in one of the other venues.

[WesW]

As Doug said our La Terraza dinner was terrific. enjoyed with this liquid refreshment






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[rich48100]

Wes, RachelG, and alithecat:

 

Thank you all for your very helpful posts.  Rachel, we are currently packing for our fist Silver Cloud expedition along the west coast of Africa.  Geoarge and I definitely think alike.  No coat and tie for me, but smart casual for Barbara and I will do.  By the way, we hope you are still signed up for the circumnavigation of Iceland in August.  Really looking forward to that one.

 

Alithecat, thanks also for chiming in as I haven’t travelled on the non expedition ships, but may sign up for one while on the upcoming cruise so that info will help me out as to what one might expect for our packing.

 

Wes, hope you are enjoying your second cruise.  The tour to the island from Man with the Golden Gun is worth it, did one from Regent.  Also lots of stuff to do in Yangon.  Some folks to an extended trip to the Temples of Bagan and really enjoyed it.  

 

Safe and healthy travels to all.

[jpalbny]

38 minutes ago, rich48100 said:

 By the way, we hope you are still signed up for the circumnavigation of Iceland in August.  Really looking forward to that one.

 

We will also see you there! Getting really excited for that trip. The non-expedition voyages are a different kettle of fish regarding the dress code but nothing to worry about.

 

We can almost always make do with just a rollaboard suitcase each even if formal wear is required. Will be happy to share our packing tips with you over a glass of wine or twelve, on board in August. 

[spinnaker2]

Doug is looking as dapper as ever!

 

Thanks again Wes, for shining the spotlight on the crew of Silversea. This is a special feature of your travel posts and one I reallly look forward to! The crew behind the scenes certainly deserve kudos and more for their hard work!

[RachelG]

Definitely still on for the circumnavigation of Iceland in August, but first we are going to do Dublin to London on Cloud in May (was able to sneak it in between 2 important graduations and 2 important weddings).

[Silver Spectre]

13 hours ago, WesW said:

As Doug said our La Terraza dinner was terrific. enjoyed with this liquid refreshment






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I see you are still having to put up with SS serving cheap wine!

[rich48100]

Rachel, have a wonderful cruise from London to Dublin.  Have a pint for me.  I am sure we will have stories to tell about our cruises when we meet up on the Cloud in Reykjavik.  

 

Jpalbany, looking forward to meeting you.  Always willing to share in some liquid refreshment when combined with learning about packing tips, travel, and a myriad of other subjects.  Looks like a memorable cruise coming up in August.

[jpalbny]

47 minutes ago, Silver Spectre said:

I see you are still having to put up with SS serving cheap wine!

 

A shame about the d'Yquem. It went so young...

[dougburns]

Wonderful day in Port Klang/Kuala Lumpur yesterday. What an amazing city Kuala Lumpur( the capital of Malaysia ) is. To think that in the mid 20th century it was a tin mining town and now it's a thriving metropolis and growing every day. There is construction everywhere. The area around Kuala Lumpur is heavily involved in electronic manufacturing and even car manufacturing. They're building the Chinese X70 Proton intelligent car. You almost need a masters degree to drive it. If it's electronic, they manufacture it here. The ethnic and religious mix is much like Singapore and they all seem to get along just fine. Right now there are @ 30 million people in Malaysia, but they're growing every day. Each of the 11 states making up Malaysia has it's own sultan. The head of state, selected by and from the 11 sultans, changes every 5 years. The government has moved it's operations to the suburbs of Kual Lumpur due to the congestion in the city itself. The economy is very good; they have there own oil and all seems well. Port Klang is a major shipping port; not as large as Singapore, but very large indeed. Had a wonderful guide for our tour and he gave us a lot of the history of the country, from the Dutch and Portugese with the spice trade, through the British and the tin mining, to independence in 1965, to the present. Yesterday was basically clear and @ 33 degrees C with fairly high humidity. Today we've had a light shower on our way to Yangon, but the seas are calm, as usual for this area. Tonight is formal night and Wes and I are having Dover sole and the caviar appetizer. As usual, Wes has been doing his wine selections and Kiri, the wine guy, has been very attentive to his needs. I was a bit miffed in that we have to pay $35 for a VISA for Myanmar, whereas I thought the ship was covering that. Good cruise so far! More later.

[WesW]

Good morning as we cruise to our next destination, Yangon, Myanmar.

Yesterday, was another outstanding nine hour excursion in Kuala Lampur titled
Kuala Lampur in depth and twin towers. Our major attractions we visited during this excursion, were Independence Square, Kuala Lampur’s Central Market, the Petrona twin towers (highest twin towers in the world), lunch at Kuala Lampur (KL Tower), and ending with a visit to the KL’s National (NIgura) Museum.

In the photos below, our first stop was Independence square (Merdeka), situated in front of the Sultan Abdul Salad building. It was formerly (during British rule) known as Selangor Club Padang and was used as the cricket green for the Selanger club.





Next few photos were taken at the Kuala Lampur central market built in 1888 as a wet market. Over the years it has transformed into a charming lanes that resemble traditional shop houses. Visitors to the market enjoy shopping, dining On Malaysian dishes, and viewing a wide variety of arts and crafts.





We then headed to the iconic Petronas (built to house the national petroleum c company of Malaysia) twin towers. These massive towers are (at 452 meters_ are the tallest twin towers in the world. The cost to build the Petronas twin towers was $1.6 billion (24th most expensive building in the world. We first visited the 41st floor or sky bridge of the towers. Each tower has 88 floors. Please enjoy a few Petronas Tower photos.








Our lunch stop was another Kuala Lampur landmark, the KL Tower—the 7th tallest communication tower in the world at 420m. WE had a delicious buffet lunch in the tower’s revolving restaurant—Atmosphere 360.




Our final KL excursion stop was the national museum of Malaysia. We walked through the musuem’s four sections and were providing a fascinating overview of Malaysian history and culture. A few museum photos show the golden throne, typical Malaysian dress.





Doug and I met for before dinner cocktails in the Panorama lounge and then heading for our first (and delicious) dinner in the main restaurant.






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[drron29]

Wes are you sure you haven't played cricket?

.

All you need is a bat in your hands and you are perfectly poised for whatever the bowler does!

[Wellseasoned]

Greetings from the Silver Whisper in Sri Lanka!  Glad you are having a great time, Doug and Wes!  Deb and I enjoyed the same tour of Kuala Lumpur from the  Whisper just a few days before yours.  (Did your guide tell you that "Kuala Lumpur " means "muddy river mouth"?)   Stay well and keep drinking the good wine!

[Master Echo]

Wes, Doug

 

Your reports on KL bring back many happy memories of my visit here and the scrumptious lunch enjoyed in the Central Market food court, a real taste of Asia.  Sir now uses a T shirt bought in the market for his gym activities at home.

 

One of the notable landmarks that you perhaps did not have the opportunity to see is the beautiful railway station building, the rail entrance to the train shed is in oriental style.  Sorry no pictures, but you will probably find something on the Internet.

 

Madame says she can taste the Dover Sole, her favourite, and hopes it lives up to expectations!

 

Sadly, the Shadow is too big to dock downtown in Yangon, ( unlike the Wind), and you will be docking in Thilawa.  This is some sixteen miles from the centre of the city, but unfortunately the traffic is chaotic, so it might take longer than the mileage would suggest.  I spent three days, two nights here in this lovely city whilst on the Wind, and it is a fascinating and interesting port, so I do hope you both have a super time, it.is though quite a contrast to KL.  Be aware of burnt feet in the Buddhist temples where footwear is not allowed, Madame burnt her feet badly in Bago as well as in the Schwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, so try and walk in the shade if possible.

 

Kindest regards

 

Master Echo  

[WesW]

 

 

 

Wellseasoned/Dieter and Debbie; Thank your for your warm Whisper greetings to Doug and I on board the Shadow. Hope y’all enjoyed Sri Lanka. Doug tells me the Shadow’s next segment includes Sri Lanka enroute to multiple port stops in India. Also, thanks for revealing the meaning of Kuala Lampur. And we are continuing to enjoy some delish fine wine; Ridge Zinfandel yesterday. The Shadow’s head Sommelier Kire recommended a nice French Pinot Noir for tonight.

 

Master Echo/ME; Please let Madame know the Dover Sole was outstanding, we will definitely special order it again. I did see the KL Railway Station with its interesting mix of eastern and western architecture including the many horseshoe arches. And most importantly, thanks for Burnt feet tip when visiting Yangon—may try to find tape to put on the soles of my feet :)

 

 

Good Morning as we are enroute to Yangon, Myanmar.

 

Yesterday we enjoyed our first of two relaxing sea days. The ocean is nearly flat with just a very slight swell.

 

Last night was the first of two formal dress nights on board. Doug and I were fortunate to have been invited by Ana, the social hostess on board, for dinner in the main restaurant. Please see photo of all of us below.

 

Today, there are two more provocative enrichment lectures focusing on Myanmar. The first, titled, “Colonial Burma,” is being presented by Robert Gordon. The second, “Monkeys, Mangroves and Myanmar,” is being delivered by Dr. Jannie Mackey. Tonight, our entertainment presented by the Voices of Silversea is “Broadway! My Way!

 

 

 

[dougburns]

Just a lazy Sunday at sea on the way to Yangon with arrival @ 0630 tomorrow. Dieter is correct about our berth in Yangon at 16 miles from the city, according to the Captain, but they will have a shuttle service. Sea is like glass with hazy sun and high humidity. Many beached walruses out by the pool. Wes was not quite correct about Ana Contes' job; she is the international hostess, but also handles the solo cruisers. Wes and I haven't joined and won't join that group. Doing my usual thing and trying to meet as many fellow passengers as possible; even got some non dancers dancing last night. Not looking forward to 4 days in Yangon, but I will certainly continue to enjoy the ship. Good crew and good food! I have made Wes promise that no pics will be posted from the Panorama Lounge at night. Lots of good clean fun though! I brought my camera along, but I, unfortunately, brought the wrong charger, so Wes is the pic guru for the cruise. Have a great day all! 

[Master Echo]

Wes, Doug

 

Please say Hi to Ana from Sir & Madame.  We last saw her in August 2018 when we had dinner on the Wind at Tower Bridge.

 

Concerning the beached walruses on Pool Deck, you need to understand that someone has to soak up the sun's rays to avoid inconvenience to others.  You don't want unabsorbed rays on the loose!!   Hopefully Duct tape might work for your feet, don't forget both toes and heels!! 

 

Madame's mouth was watering regarding the Dover Sole and she was so glad that you enjoyed it.  She will have to wait until June for hers!! 

 

Hope you enjoy Yangon - you can sit in Scotts Market and get fast Wi-Fi!  Looking forward to your news about your exploits.

 

Kindest regards

 

Master Echo

[dougburns]

Just pulled into Yangon. Really weird conditions with clear skies, but pretty heavy fog for a while on the way in and very humid. I have a slight correction to make about Ana. Her full name is Ana Menor Contes, but she goes by Ana Menor. Great gal and fabulous dancer; she about wore me out on the dance floor. With both artificial hips and a bad back I can only go for about 8-10 minutes and then I have to sit and rest for a while. Enjoyed the evening of 50s music to dance to; it was old time rock and roll. They do have shuttle service to take folks to town, but they say it's a 90 minute ride. Hope that's not true else I'll spend most of my time aboard ship. Wes is off on 1 of his 4 tour here this morning. Smooth ride and fun time so far! Capt. Palmeri has been very friendly and he's great to sit and talk to. He smokes, so we have chatted in the smoking lounge a couple of times.

[WesW]

will just add a few photos to hopefully complement Doug’s post. Forecast for today is 101.

am heading out on Yangon’s village life excursion in a half hour

we’re giving Ida, Lynn and y’all a hearty Cheers [emoji1635]!



and Fred Astaire aka Doug





and about 20 locals greeting us at Pier




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[Silver Spectre]

1 hour ago, dougburns said:

Just pulled into Yangon. Really weird conditions with clear skies, but pretty heavy fog for a while on the way in and very humid. I have a slight correction to make about Ana. Her full name is Ana Menor Contes, but she goes by Ana Menor. Great gal and fabulous dancer; she about wore me out on the dance floor. With both artificial hips and a bad back I can only go for about 8-10 minutes and then I have to sit and rest for a while. Enjoyed the evening of 50s music to dance to; it was old time rock and roll. They do have shuttle service to take folks to town, but they say it's a 90 minute ride. Hope that's not true else I'll spend most of my time aboard ship. Wes is off on 1 of his 4 tour here this morning. Smooth ride and fun time so far! Capt. Palmeri has been very friendly and he's great to sit and talk to. He smokes, so we have chatted in the smoking lounge a couple of times.

Hi Doug, you should take the shuttle and go and have a drink in the main bar of the Strand Hotel, when we were there a couple of years ago Krysia could still smoke at the bar! It’s a lovely old colonial hotel and worth a visit.

[Unibok]

About those burning feet, if I'm not too late: it is okay to take a pair of short socks with you in case the ground it too hot.

[WesW]

Mr Sikver. Doug went to the Shrangala for a beer and snacks yesterday and enjoyed tho he had to go outside to smoke

Unibok thanks for the short sock [emoji3453] tip for preventing burnt feet at the Shwedagon temple (today’s excursion)


Yesterday, in The Golden Land (Myanmar) enjoyed a robust half day excursion into the city of Yangon.

Yangon also known as Rangoon is Myanmar’s largest city and its commercial hub. It is developing as marked by the new road construction from on the principal highway from the port to the city. And as Master Echo said in an earlier post the result is chaotic traffic that made an 18 mile trip take about 90 minutes to get to our first stop, the Bone Pine Monastery.







Next we went to the bustling Thanlyin Market with its curious smells with hundreds of local residents buying their fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat and fish. This visit was a true feast for our senses.









Our third major Yangon excursion activity was a thrilling trishaw ride amidst the frenetic traffic.







Yangon is characterized as a city of juxtapositions; new high rise buildings are adjacent traditional Southeast Asia shophouses, that might include a frozen yogurt bar, small restaurant and next door is a dentist’s office. We departed Yangon to our last stop, a local Yangon Village enjoying the principal worship center (and giant Buddha) the village’s central meeting place, and visits to some of the village’s homes meeting the owners (family).











we enjoyed drinks with Ana (international hostess) before dinner at the pool grill








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