Newbie Questions about Explorer

[Jazmyn49]

SO excited about our Arctic expedition on the Silver Explorer in August but have some questions: 

 

Is there a night light in the bathroom? 

Is there a launderette? 

Is there a coffee maker in the view suites? 

Does the parka come with a puff? 

Is dinner served earlier on expedition voyages or is it still 7:30?

Does the library include best sellers and how's the collection?

Are L'Occitane toiletries available?

 

These questions have conflicting answers so perhaps answers will come from someone who has been onboard, horses mouth and all that.  Have checked with my travel agent, Silversea and online and can't seem to get answers I trust.  Any other little tips and hints will be most appreciated!

[zigtraveller]

7 minutes ago, Jazmyn49 said:

SO excited about our Arctic expedition on the Silver Explorer in August but have some questions: 

 

Is there a night light in the bathroom?  No

Is there a launderette? Yes

Is there a coffee maker in the view suites? No

Does the parka come with a puff? Not sure what a puff is.

Is dinner served earlier on expedition voyages or is it still 7:30?  Served at 7.30 after the debrief.

Does the library include best sellers and how's the collection?  Didn't look.

Are L'Occitane toiletries available? Yes

 

These questions have conflicting answers so perhaps answers will come from someone who has been onboard, horses mouth and all that.  Have checked with my travel agent, Silversea and online and can't seem to get answers I trust.  Any other little tips and hints will be most appreciated!

 From my recollection I have put my answers next to your questions.

Hope you enjoy Explorer and the Arctic.

[Jazmyn49]

Thanks much for the quick reply.  A puff is just the puffy jacket worn under a parka.  We got one when on Crystal for the NW Passage and were hoping for another.  

[jpalbny]

Zigtraveler (Hi Judith!) is correct as I recall with her answers above. But I am impressed - where did you get the L'Occitane stuff? I thought it was only Bulgari. The L'Occitane products are much nicer!

 

The new parkas are supposed to be 2-piece, and of the design that you describe. The old ones are only one piece. We have a couple of the old ones each; our friends have some of the new ones, and they look nice. 

 

We will be on the August 5th Iceland voyage on Silver Cloud, so we're looking forward to collecting a pair of the new parkas. We have done four trips on Silver Explorer and we love that ship; hope that you enjoy your journey as much as we have!

[zigtraveller]

7 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Zigtraveler (Hi Judith!) is correct as I recall with her answers above. But I am impressed - where did you get the L'Occitane stuff? I thought it was only Bulgari. The L'Occitane products are much nicer!

 

The new parkas are supposed to be 2-piece, and of the design that you describe. The old ones are only one piece. We have a couple of the old ones each; our friends have some of the new ones, and they look nice. 

 

We will be on the August 5th Iceland voyage on Silver Cloud, so we're looking forward to collecting a pair of the new parkas. We have done four trips on Silver Explorer and we love that ship; hope that you enjoy your journey as much as we have!

Hi JP.  You are correct, it is Bulgari, not L'Occitane.  I responded quickly, and got confused with the products, thanks for the correction.  Looking forward to following your trip report to Iceland JP.

 

Jazmyn49, thanks for explaining the puff.  Yes, the jackets are now 2 piece as JP described, so you will get a puff and a gortex parka which can be worn together or separately.

Edited June 30, 2019 by zigtraveller

[57 varieties]

Ortigia an Italian toiletry range is also offered in ‘Fico d’India’ perfume.  My preference.

Edited June 30, 2019 by 57 varieties

[zigtraveller]

15 minutes ago, 57 varieties said:

Ortigia an Italian toiletry range is also offered in ‘Fico d’India’ perfume.  My preference.

I also enjoyed these products on my last cruise.  

[mygreyhound66]

Hello, we were on the Explorer this March, and no there was not a night light, however, I did request one for the bathroom and one was very promptly supplied!

[cflutist]

On 6/29/2019 at 3:33 PM, Jazmyn49 said:

Thanks much for the quick reply.  A puff is just the puffy jacket worn under a parka.  We got one when on Crystal for the NW Passage and were hoping for another.  

 

These were the jackets that we got on the Cloud to Antarctica in December 2018. The left sleeve has a zippered compartment for your cruise card. Crew knew to open and scan your cruise card on and off the ship if your hands were full carrying other gear.

 

The inner jacket is zipped to the outer jacket if desired.  

Edited July 7, 2019 by cflutist

[cyrreb]

The jackets we got for the Antarctic (2018) consisted of a puffy vest and an outer shell.  Made by Haglofs, they are much more attractive and practical than the old style. 

 

Sebamed soaps and shampoos are available if you don’t want the perfumed stuff. 

 

Library is small, and most books are about geography and nature.  There is a section of passenger-donated books, where you may find best sellers. 

 

I envy you your upcoming trip. We did the Arctic with Explorer in 2015. It was so wonderful I’d go again in a minute. If you embark or debarked from Tromso, make sure you eat here:  

https://fiskekompani.no/en/.

 

Silversea is the absolute best. Officers, staff and crew are superlative!  Our last two cruises were crystal and viking (gak, blah, yuck), and I kept thinking, “what a waste of time and money” when we could be on the Explorer. 

[GPS]

This will be my first expedition cruise on the explorer. So the parkas are provided and yours to keep? Or do you order and pay for them in addition to your cruise fare?  I was going to bring one of my ski jackets to the Greenland sailing but I may not need to pack one after all if they are provided and adequate.

[zigtraveller]

Parkas are included in the cruise fare. You order online prior to the cruise and they will be in your suite when you arrive.  They are yours to keep.  

[jpalbny]

We embark Cloud today so I will try to post a picture of the new parkas. We have some of the old ones and we've used them for the last 10 years here in upstate NY. They are plenty warm.