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Silver Wind re-fit (conversion)


philipb
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14 hours ago, RJ2002 said:

We have not received an email yet, perhaps because there is apparently no alternative to our cancelled CPT-ACC sailing on the Wind. At any rate, we hope our refund doesn’t take 90 days - but we are prepared to wait. 

 

Since you had your TA notify Silversea that you wanted a refund, I'm not sure what email you expect to see at this point? They (and all the cruise lines) haven't been sending emails to confirm that a refund request is in the queue for processing.

 

For our cancelled Wind trip to Antarctica, we received the cancellation email the same day as many others, but the friends we are traveling with don't think they ever got it. 

 

It is curious that the Cloud's listed itineraries skip getting from Cape Town to Accra from April 8 to April 17. The ship is obviously going to travel from Cape Town to Accra, so either they have pulled that trip because they are adjusting the itinerary, or perhaps it's been chartered? 

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1 hour ago, cruiseej said:

 

Since you had your TA notify Silversea that you wanted a refund, I'm not sure what email you expect to see at this point? They (and all the cruise lines) haven't been sending emails to confirm that a refund request is in the queue for processing.

 

For our cancelled Wind trip to Antarctica, we received the cancellation email the same day as many others, but the friends we are traveling with don't think they ever got it. 

 

It is curious that the Cloud's listed itineraries skip getting from Cape Town to Accra from April 8 to April 17. The ship is obviously going to travel from Cape Town to Accra, so either they have pulled that trip because they are adjusting the itinerary, or perhaps it's been chartered? 

 

Like your friends, we've never received a cancellation notice.  I discovered it myself when checking the Silversea site.  Not expecting any other communication from Silversea since we've now requested a refund, and that request was confirmed via our TA.  We had no interest in a Future Cruise Credit,  so we wanted to let Silversea know ASAP that we desired the cash back.

 

Our original sailing on the Wind was to embark on 30 March in Cape Town and disembark 18 days later in Accra on 17 April.  However, now the Cloud does not arrive in Cape Town until 9 April.  So, only 8 days available for the ship to reach Accra.  I'm presuming Silversea has simply scrapped that segment as a marketed cruise, and will perhaps proceed direct to Accra.

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3 hours ago, RJ2002 said:

 

Our original sailing on the Wind was to embark on 30 March in Cape Town and disembark 18 days later in Accra on 17 April.  However, now the Cloud does not arrive in Cape Town until 9 April.  So, only 8 days available for the ship to reach Accra.  I'm presuming Silversea has simply scrapped that segment as a marketed cruise, and will perhaps proceed direct to Accra.

 

It seems odd that they'd give up a revenue opportunity for an 8- night cruise between Cape Town and Accra.

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14 hours ago, RJ2002 said:

Our original sailing on the Wind was to embark on 30 March in Cape Town and disembark 18 days later in Accra on 17 April.  However, now the Cloud does not arrive in Cape Town until 9 April.  So, only 8 days available for the ship to reach Accra.  I'm presuming Silversea has simply scrapped that segment as a marketed cruise, and will perhaps proceed direct to Accra.

 

10 hours ago, cruiseej said:

 

It seems odd that they'd give up a revenue opportunity for an 8- night cruise between Cape Town and Accra.

 

The planning team seem to have done a cut-and-paste job between the original and now-published schedules for the Wind and the Cloud. It's probably academic as I suspect none of these cruises will actually happen.

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55 minutes ago, philipb said:

It's probably academic as I suspect none of these cruises will actually happen.

 

Hmmm, I don't know about that. When SS cancelled the Wind cruises in Antarctica, they made an effort to get people to switch to Cloud cruises during this same season. If they know, or think it's likely, that they're not going to send the Cloud to Antarctica this winter, I would think they would have encouraged people to re-book for next winter's cruises. Why push people to cruises you're going to cancel shortly if you could push them to cruises that have a much higher chance of running next winter? 

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At this point, the Antarctica sailings might actually have a better chance of occurring than the Africa sailings.

 

With regard to that eliminated CPT-ACC segment, according to this time/distance website, it will take the Cloud 7.8 days at 16 knots to make the journey without any stops.  I still think there would be limited interest in that revised itinerary - if it were to exist.  At present, it does not.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Silver Wind was scheduled to begin its two-month dry dock in Valetta, Malta to turn her into an ice-class expedition ship on August 21, 2020, with a strengthened hull and updates to all suites, restaurants, and other public spaces. But today, she is still anchored in Marseille, where she has been for the past two months.

 

Hopefully the dry-dock will commence in March of April 2021 in order to allow her to resume cruising as now re-scheduled for June 2021. Only time and progress dealing with the pandemic will determine whether Silversea will allocate the millions of dollars necessary for the planned conversion.

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The ship locators I just looked at, have the Cloud still moored at Marseille. 

 

This was in SeaTrade Cruise news today:

Silver Spirit achieved classification society DNV GL's certification in infection prevention for maritime (CIP-M). 

The Spirit has been selected to do chartered to do short Saudi cruises :

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/silver-spirit-chartered-red-sea-cruises-saudi-summer-campaign

 

I hope they find good success in their operations and procedures. MSC had success in their first week Italian cruise. Important steps in beginning the return to sea.

 

 

LADY MEER  -- Have you made any progress on being informed of cancellation and options open to you?

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I see that the  MarineTraffic website still shows the Wind moored in Marseilles.   What is interesting is the the website shows the Wind arriving in Barcelona 2 September.  Notionally it should only take a day to sail from Marseilles to Barcelona so the Wind will sail in the next two or three days.  Strange route to get to Malta.   

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On 8/24/2020 at 7:35 PM, cruiseej said:

Only time and progress dealing with the pandemic will determine whether Silversea will allocate the millions of dollars necessary for the planned conversion.

 

My guess is not.  In fact, I wonder whether it will remain in the fleet.  

 

I have many warm memories of sailing on Wind and Cloud.  At the turn of the century, these ships were the cat's meow.  But the years have passed, and luxury sailing has evolved.

 

Wind one of the oldest SS ships (I don't recall which came first, Cloud or Wind).  It doesn't enjoy some of the efficiencies of newer, somewhat larger ships.  And there is lots of competition currently and anticipated in the excursion market.

 

Especially at this time, I wonder if it makes financial sense to move forward with the renovation of Wind planned in palmier days. 

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34 minutes ago, Observer said:

 

My guess is not.  In fact, I wonder whether it will remain in the fleet.  

 

I have many warm memories of sailing on Wind and Cloud.  At the turn of the century, these ships were the cat's meow.  But the years have passed, and luxury sailing has evolved.

 

Wind one of the oldest SS ships (I don't recall which came first, Cloud or Wind).  It doesn't enjoy some of the efficiencies of newer, somewhat larger ships.  And there is lots of competition currently and anticipated in the excursion market.

 

Especially at this time, I wonder if it makes financial sense to move forward with the renovation of Wind planned in palmier days. 


A couple of months I would have vehemently disagreed with you but I’m not so certain now.   My gut reaction and hope is that the Wind will stay a part of the fleet.  However, I’m not at all certain about the conversion in the next few months though.  I can easily see it put off a year or more depending on the pandemic situation and what I think will be a slow return to anything resembling of a year ago.  

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On 8/26/2020 at 5:46 PM, mspjerry said:

 

LADY MEER  -- Have you made any progress on being informed of cancellation and options open to you?

 

No, we’ve still not heard anything from Silversea or our TA. Having said that, it’s very difficult to get any info from businesses in the UK as their staff all seem to be ‘working from home’ which seems like a good excuse not to communicate with their customers. We were really looking forward to our first Silversea trip.

 

We are also waiting for refunds from Princess (July 2020 cruise) and Celebrity (October 2020).   

 

We live in hope!

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According to Mark Conroy, they delayed the Wind conversion due to the cost - $60 million.  They are trying to conserve cash since there is no cruising.  Cash is king right now.  Cruising should resume around the 1st of 2021 and therefore they hope to start the 90 day, $60 million refit next March/April.

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On 8/28/2020 at 4:31 PM, Lady Meer said:

 

No, we’ve still not heard anything from Silversea or our TA. Having said that, it’s very difficult to get any info from businesses in the UK as their staff all seem to be ‘working from home’ which seems like a good excuse not to communicate with their customers. We were really looking forward to our first Silversea trip.

 

We are also waiting for refunds from Princess (July 2020 cruise) and Celebrity (October 2020).   

 

We live in hope!

 

I believe the UK staff for SS go to the office at least one day a week. If they owed me I would call each day, and the next week call at a different time in the hope of finding a phone that is answered. In my isolation I would have the schedule to permit me to do it. Good Luck.

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On 8/28/2020 at 6:34 PM, DCCruiser57 said:

According to Mark Conroy, they delayed the Wind conversion due to the cost - $60 million.  They are trying to conserve cash since there is no cruising.  Cash is king right now.  Cruising should resume around the 1st of 2021 and therefore they hope to start the 90 day, $60 million refit next March/April.


As of this morning the Marine Traffic website shows the Silver Wind on its way to Barcelona arriving tomorrow.   Only making 9 knots so just slowly cruising along.   

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7 minutes ago, brimary said:

Heard from SS today that cruising on our favourite Silver Wind will recommence on 14 June 2021.Presumably after refit etc..Personally don’t see that happening.


Obviously nobody knows for sure.   At least one or two corporate level cruise line CEOs have said they expect that even after cruising starts to return it won’t be their full fleets initially.   I don’t know if or how that translates to Silversea.  Between the traditional and expedition ships Silversea will have eight ships, not including the Wind, available by the end of 2020.   Even hoping and praying for a dramatic resolution to this pandemic will there be enough demand to put all eight immediately back to sea in early 2021?   Personally I don’t think so.

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6 hours ago, brimary said:

Randyk47....agree entirely hope we are wrong but cannot see a way out with all the different rules applying in different countries!


That was a major issue raised by the cruise line CEOs.   The Caribbean islands are a case in point.  I’ve not paid all that much attention but what little I’ve seen and heard it’s a mixed bag of totally closed islands, islands requiring quarantine, islands requiring testing prior to arrival, etc., etc., and all seem to be subject to change as the virus ebbs and flows through the region.   Not sure the CEOs used the exact term but seems to me a nightmare for cruise line planners as they try to build reasonable and attractive itineraries.

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I just check the Silver Wind location and after 11 hours in Barcelona, she is sailing at 11 knots to a reported destination of Marseilles. I don't think Marine Traffic deceived me, but it does add more to the mystery. 

 

I would not expect it to be converted to Ice Class until 2021, if capacity is needed then, saving the $60  DCCRUISER mentioned for operating capital. 

 

They could still do cosmetic upgrades up until June 2021, then if the industry is strong enough strengthen the hull 1 year after original schedule.

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24 minutes ago, mspjerry said:

I just check the Silver Wind location and after 11 hours in Barcelona, she is sailing at 11 knots to a reported destination of Marseilles. I don't think Marine Traffic deceived me, but it does add more to the mystery. 

 

I would not expect it to be converted to Ice Class until 2021, if capacity is needed then, saving the $60  DCCRUISER mentioned for operating capital. 

 

They could still do cosmetic upgrades up until June 2021, then if the industry is strong enough strengthen the hull 1 year after original schedule.


I too saw the Wind was supposedly on its way back to Marseilles.   Interesting and confusing but I guess they had a reason.   At this point I’d agree that the Wind conversion, unless conditions of the contract make them move forward sooner, might be delayed even later into 2021.   I have no crystal ball but with lines like NCL possibly putting the majority of their fleet in cool or cold layup tells me that some cruise line executives aren’t so sure about the state of cruising for in the near term and actually for several months.   

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Aside from the planned summer 2021 season, the real question is whether Silversea will be willing to cancel the entire winter 2021-22 Wind season in Antarctica (on which we are booked, after being canceled for this upcoming winter!) And it depends on the schedule at the Malta shipyard which was scheduled to do the two-month retrofit, postponed from this month to early 2021. I don't think we'll have any answers for awhile, until the cruise lines see how the state of the world develops over the months ahead.

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On 8/31/2020 at 12:32 AM, mspjerry said:

 

I believe the UK staff for SS go to the office at least one day a week. If they owed me I would call each day, and the next week call at a different time in the hope of finding a phone that is answered. In my isolation I would have the schedule to permit me to do it. Good Luck.

 

We have now heard officially from  Silversea and have opted to have a refund. The wait begins.........!!

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On 7/31/2020 at 2:56 PM, scottjeanne said:

We opted for a February 2021 Antarctica cruise on Seabourn.  Per diem it is $608 per day versus over $1300 on Silver seas.  It is on the Quest, not the Venture.  It is 24 days and includes South Georgia.  It is a verandah for $14,998.  They have  a $500 air credit and OBC of $500.  And they do have a pay in full discount of 10%. With business class air and a 7 day extension to Iquazu falls and Rio, and a pre night hotel it is $48908 for two for 32 days.

 

Not that I have any reason to promote another line, it is just an option.

Unfortunately, I saw this today on the Seabourn site:

 

SEATTLE, August 31, 2020  Seabourn, the ultra-luxury resort at sea, announced today that it will cancel additional voyages for three cruise ships in its fleet as a part of its pause in global ship operations.

The announcement applies to Seabourn Ovation, Seabourn Encore, and Seabourn Quest with each ship having a different “effective through” date. Specific details are as follows:

  • Seabourn Ovation: with its operations pause effective through January 3, 2021
  • Seabourn Encore: with its operations pause effective through January 6, 2021
  • Seabourn Quest: with its operations pause effective through May 10, 2021.

 

Guests who are currently confirmed on one of the affected voyages on Seabourn Quest’s Antarctica, Amazon, Panama Canal, South America and Transatlantic cruises scheduled between November 7, 2020 and April 25, 2021, will automatically be re-accommodated in the same suite on the same voyage during Seabourn Quest’s 2021-2022 season, at rate paid, within 30 days, as well as receive a shipboard credit that is calculated based upon voyage length. The shipboard credit is $300 per suite for voyages up to 20 days in length and $500 per suite for voyages of 21 days or more.

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