Booked a Cruise. NOT Silversea. Agghhhh!

[Tothesunset]

Yes, you read it correctly. For July 22 we are booked on the Saga Spirit of Adventure voyage around Ireland. 

 

Why? Why not SS? 

 

I'm still of a mind to consider the virus as a major disruptor for at least a year. Many parts of the world will not be vaccinated and even in supposedly advanced countries there are enough anti-vaccination nutjobs to allow the virus to persist and further mutate. 

 

So we reckon that sticking close to home not only keeps us within the Common Travel Area it also means the minimum of admin shenanigans that cross-border travel may entail. 

 

Finally the per diem for SS British Isles cruises is just too high in comparison. 

 

The Saga cruise is on a larger ship (999 pax max) with a little over 500 crew. All inclusive like SS. We are expecting an experience maybe the next rung down. 

 

And I get to show off my homeland to Mrs TTS. 

 

We will sail SS again only when we are convinced that we can travel globally as before. If that doesn't happen?  Then we will stay close to home. 

 

I'm a little saddened but we are a privileged minority in this world to even have these options. 

Edited April 6, 2021 by Tothesunset

[Silver Spectre]

Hope you get to take the cruise TTS and we will look forward to your impressions.

[drron29]

You are not the only one.In 8 days we are off on a 5 day cruise with Eco-Abrolhos.A history and crayfish cruise from Geraldton,Western Australia.48 pax maximum.At present though 2 cyclones heading towards the WA coast

[Tothesunset]

10 hours ago, Tothesunset said:

Yes, you read it correctly. For July 22 we are booked on the Saga Spirit of Adventure voyage around Ireland. 

 

Why? Why not SS? 

 

I'm still of a mind to consider the virus as a major disruptor for at least a year. Many parts of the world will not be vaccinated and even in supposedly advanced countries there are enough anti-vaccination nutjobs to allow the virus to persist and further mutate. 

 

So we reckon that sticking close to home not only keeps us within the Common Travel Area it also means the minimum of admin shenanigans that cross-border travel may entail. 

 

Finally the per diem for SS British Isles cruises us just too high in comparison. 

 

The Saga cruise is on a larger ship (999 pax max) with a little over 500 crew. All inclusive like SS. We are expecting an experience maybe the next rung down. 

 

And I get to show off my homeland to Mrs TTS. 

 

We will sail SS again only when we are convinced that we can travel globally as before. If that doesn't happen?  Then we will stay close to home. 

 

I'm a little saddened but we are a privileged minority in this world to even have these options. 

I should have been clearer. The Saga cruise is July 2022.  I'm not sure many cruise will be going anywhere this year except in the antipodes. 

[jillyf]

Drron, our friends did this a few years ago and loved it. On our bucket list now. 

[jollyjones]

I see Manfredi's mate Torstein is joining in with the 'two fingers up' to the CDC and is bringing the Viking Orion to Bermuda:

 

https://bernews.com/2021/04/viking-continues-restart-limited-operations/

 

If it wasn't for the fact that I live here and am totally sick of the place having been unable to travel for sooooo long, I'd be on it in a heartbeat.

As it is, given that it'll break my heart seeing a cruise ship on Front St and me not able to cruise, I'm thinking about it ...

[Lois R]

6 hours ago, Tothesunset said:

I should have been clearer. The Saga cruise is July 2022.  I'm not sure many cruise will be going anywhere this year except in the antipodes. 

Ohhh...I thought you meant July 22, 2021......thanks for clarifying.  I would love to sail 

SOMEWHERE this summer!!!!!!!!!

[Stumblefoot]

8 hours ago, drron29 said:

At present though 2 cyclones heading towards the WA coast

😳😳😳

 

Would love to do the Kimberleys some day.  When is your cyclone season and does it tend to have a peak like ours here in the U.S.?

[brimary]

8 hours ago, Tothesunset said:

I should have been clearer. The Saga cruise is July 2022.  I'm not sure many cruise will be going anywhere this year except in the antipodes. 

With twenty successive years on Silversea we tried Saga November 2019.for a winter sunshine trip from UK to Canary Is round trip .It was very enjoyable ,excellent suite,food and service throughout the ship.So good we did not even notice the 800 fellow passengers after been used to the 292 on Wind and Cloud.A big plus for us was private taxi to and from Departure Port which was first class and super efficient.Enjoy your 2022 adventure and hope you enjoy as much as we did.

[lincslady]

tts - no doubt lots of things will be different by next summer, but things about Saga which will probably  remain the same include some which you may be interested in, and others probably not:  we have appreciated the door to door transport, meaning you do not need to touch your heavy luggage after  your driver takes it from your front door until it appears in your cabin.  You do have to share the transport with another one or two people, as you live a fair way from the port, like us.  Sea days do offer a lot of activities, like bridge, often painting classes, a choir, some good lecturers etc.  Obviously the atmosphere is very British, and the staff are pretty well all Brits or from the Phillipines (who tend to stay for many years with Saga, and are exceptionally good at their jobs).  One thing not as good as the likes of Silversea and Seabourn is the provision of high end drinks - no single malts or good cognacs included, but they are generous with the drinks and wines provided (usually in the £6 to £8 range in the UK).

 

I think overall you will be pleasantly surprised by your cruise, and particularly by the specialised dining, included in the cost and of high quality.

[Lois R]

I have actually been thinking (not booking it yet) but have been looking at sailing on Celebrity

again this summer (if nothing else opens up). They are sailing out of St Martin starting in June.

I have not gone back to the big ships since I found SS..........I would love to just be on a ship

again but the thought of all those people?..........😲 I never in my life thought

I would be become a "small ship snob"😮

[Randyk47]

44 minutes ago, Lois R said:

I have actually been thinking (not booking it yet) but have been looking at sailing on Celebrity

again this summer (if nothing else opens up). They are sailing out of St Martin starting in June.

I have not gone back to the big ships since I found SS..........I would love to just be on a ship

again but the thought of all those people?..........😲 I never in my life thought

I would be become a "small ship snob"😮

We have started looking at some non-cruising vacation options.  One of the destination we looked at was maybe a nice hotel/resort on St Maarten.   The ugly “you can’t get there from here” jumped up.   OK.....you can get there but it is not easy or inexpensive.   The biggest stumbling block for us out of San Antonio is the shortest flight, actually flights as there are no direct flights, is 8 hours and the majority of flights take 20+ hours.   As I remember we came across the same issue a couple of years ago when we saw a Silversea cruise with a great itinerary that started in Barbados and ended in Ft Lauderdale.   Turns out that is pretty true for much of the Caribbean outside of Puerto Rico or Saint Thomas.   

[Lois R]

Hi Randy,  that is a LONG flight😲......I would only have to fly from here to Miami and then

down to the Island........that Miami flight is only about 55 minutes.

[Fletcher]

Saga!  Went aboard just the once, from Southampton to Southampton for a month.  Did I mention that it called at the Canaries, Madeira, the Azores and maybe seven or eight Caribbean islands?  It was great, overall.  The ship (not one of the new ones) was surprisingly modern inside considering the longevity and staidness of the passengers.  It was also incredibly snobby regarding the strict dress codes.  Many people aboard were over 80 and several had mobility issues.  I will always remember docking at St John's, Antigua.  We were berthed next to an American ship and this youngish guy came up to me and asked, 'What sort of ship are you on?'  I said, 'A cruise ship,  just like yours.'  And he said, 'Oh, I thought you were some sort of hospital ship.'  That said, we had a great time and enjoyed socialising with an amazing variety of people.

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, Fletcher said:

We were berthed next to an American ship and this youngish guy came up to me and asked, 'What sort of ship are you on?'  I said, 'A cruise ship,  just like yours.'  And he said, 'Oh, I thought you were some sort of hospital ship.'  

 

As an American, I apologize for another of my country's citizens being an "ugly American".  

[Tothesunset]

27 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

As an American, I apologize for another of my country's citizens being an "ugly American".  

Don't worry, your country doesn't have a monopoly on morons. We've got our fair share, too. 

[drron29]

6 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

😳😳😳

 

Would love to do the Kimberleys some day.  When is your cyclone season and does it tend to have a peak like ours here in the U.S.?

Cyclone season is November to April.No particular high season.

Kimberley cruises though are in our winter so season is May to October.May risks a late cyclone and October is getting quite hot.

[Straughn]

6 hours ago, Lois R said:

I have actually been thinking (not booking it yet) but have been looking at sailing on Celebrity

again this summer (if nothing else opens up). They are sailing out of St Martin starting in June.

I have not gone back to the big ships since I found SS..........I would love to just be on a ship

again but the thought of all those people?..........😲 I never in my life thought

I would be become a "small ship snob"😮

Take a look at Crystal sailing out of Nassau. As a long time Celebrity cruiser (solo, sound familiar?), I seriously looked at the St.Marteen itinerary. Just too complicated to get there and deal with the requirements to enter the island. Nassau has slightly less onerous requirements. 

 

I am assuming your fly out of JAX, as I do. Nassau is a heck of a lot easier and there are return flights that get back earlier than 11 PM- Midnight.

[Lois R]

1 hour ago, Straughn said:

Take a look at Crystal sailing out of Nassau. As a long time Celebrity cruiser (solo, sound familiar?), I seriously looked at the St.Marteen itinerary. Just too complicated to get there and deal with the requirements to enter the island. Nassau has slightly less onerous requirements. 

 

I am assuming your fly out of JAX, as I do. Nassau is a heck of a lot easier and there are return flights that get back earlier than 11 PM- Midnight.

Hi Straughn....I had no idea you lived in Ponte Vedra!  We should meet for lunch😃.....I will

look at that Crystal cruise for sure. 

 

Thank you😃

[Straughn]

18 hours ago, Lois R said:

Hi Straughn....I had no idea you lived in Ponte Vedra!  We should meet for lunch😃.....I will

look at that Crystal cruise for sure. 

 

Thank you😃

Lois,

Please email me at straughn100 at gmail dot com. Lunch is a great idea.

Pat