Cape to Cape. . . without Capetown?

[FauxNom]

I'm booked on the Silver Cloud Cape to Cape expedition cruise in March 2024. Today I received this message: Due to operational considerations, we have changed the disembarkation port from Cape Town, South Africa to Walvis Bay, Namibia. They will fly us by charter to Capetown at the end of the cruise so we can fly home from there.

 

For those who've done the trip, does missing the arrival to Cape Town by ship seem like a big negative? Any upside to disembarking in Walvis Bay instead? I'm trying not to be too disappointed, but I was really looking forward to our 2 days on the ship in Cape Town. Maybe I need to console myself by adding on a 10-day Antarctica jaunt at the beginning. 🤔

Edited June 29, 2022 by FauxNom

[WesW]

Thanks for sharing FauxNom, hoping our 2023 C2C does not include the same change but hard to believe the change  a year later won't affect the 2023  C2C voyage disembark port.  If this is the case, will just do the Capetown to Mahe voyage in late March 2023.

[FauxNom]

12 minutes ago, WesW said:

Thanks for sharing FauxNom, hoping our 2023 C2C does not include the same change but hard to believe the change  a year later won't affect the 2023  C2C voyage disembark port.  If this is the case, will just do the Capetown to Mahe voyage in late March 2023.

Thanks Wes. I checked the 2023 trip and it's still listed as Cape Town disembarkation. It seems odd that "operational reasons" are expected in 2024 that don't also affect '23.

[bobolz]

Would be interested Wes if you receive similar notification about the Cape Town port change for your C2C 2023 cruise. We were planning on booking that same cruise, but would like to know b4 hand if they would eliminate Cape Town embark/disembark port. I agree that it seems odd that they would know operational issues in 2024 but that would not exist in 2023, unless the size of the ship is the issue being that the C2C in 2023 is on the spirit vs the smaller Cloud

Edited June 29, 2022 by bobolz

[PaulaJK]

Could you visit Cape Town before you board? It certainly is an interesting 

city that deserves several days. Then Namibia might be njcd to

visit forca few days.

[Fletcher]

Sailing into Cape Town (from Walvis Bay in our case) on the old Cloud was one of the great cruising experiences.  Early in the morning we had thick fog, couldn't see a thing, then suddenly it lifted like a theatre curtain and there it was, the city and the mountain in all their splendour.  I wonder why they are ending in the boring Walvis Bay?

Edited June 29, 2022 by Fletcher

[labrasett]

Does it sound like a big negative?    Yes and no.    It is probably disappointing but if you are going into Walvis Bay and flying down to Cape Town then it seems you may have some days (maybe 2) where SS will probably organise day trips for you in one or other place.  On our last Cape to Cape (March this year) it was foggy on our arrival at Cape Town and the cloud never really lifted to give the wonderful views of Table Mountain one might wish for, without the views then approach to Cape Town is no better than any other port without views!   We were also too late to go on our planned wine tram for that day so we had a whistle stop tour of Kirstenbosch which is somewhere we would like to go back with much much more time.  We were scheduled for our return flight the following night so had a day to explore the Waterfront and enjoy lunch there people watching, shopping and enjoying a nice glass of wine.   Personally I would say your change is not a big deal nor in fact a deal breaker, you will have seen and enjoyed some of the most amazing wild life and extraordinary island life in the world during your trip across the South Atlantic.

[WesW]

bobolz, the March 2023, Puerto Williams to Capetown (C2C) is on the Cloud not the Spirit.

 

Am monitoring this voyage for any changes, will post any update here.