A Silver Shadow Over The World - December 2023 to May 2024

[mysty]

6 minutes ago, lincslady said:

That is a lovely idea , Mysty, and I am sure appreciated by everyone who is on the complete cruise.  Though I suppose would not be as nice if there was someone there you had encountered and not liked!

 

Lola

 

Luckily, there were very few staff or crew that we did not particularly enjoy!  😁 I looked up the Executive Chef for this cruise, Franck Sollazzo.  He was an Executive Chef on Seabourn previously. 

[drron29]

And we love miss Vicki.

[mysty]

26 minutes ago, drron29 said:

And we love miss Vicki.

 

We've heard great things about Miss Vicki!  We're looking forward to the experience of sailing with her!

[mysty]

On Monday I registered Myster and myself with Registration of Canadians Abroad.  I have done this for both of our past big adventures.

 

https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration

From this website:

"Registration of Canadians Abroad is a free service that allows the Government of Canada to notify you in case of an emergency abroad or a personal emergency at home. The service also enables you to receive important information before or during a natural disaster or civil unrest.

We encourage you to register whether you are planning a vacation or living abroad."

 

I was able to register up to 11 of the ports before I hit the Maximum Country Locations.  As I have done in the past, I sent an email to registration-inscription@international.gc.ca attaching our itinerary and requesting that our registration be updated.  In prior years this was not a problem.

 

In addition, there is a webpage that gives access to a request for Emergency Assistance.

http:// https://travel.gc.ca/assistance/emergency-assistance

From this page:

"Request emergency assistance
This service is for Canadian citizens in need of emergency consular assistance. We do not have information about immigration, permanent residence, or visas."

 

 

[lincslady]

What an excellent idea.  Typically Canadian.

[mysty]

4 minutes ago, lincslady said:

What an excellent idea.  Typically Canadian.

 

We're just hoping this doesn't come into play.   So many hot spots in our beautiful world currently. 😔

[mysty]

Happy Birthday @Lifesgreat !  I attempted to send best wishes via another social media platform and failed miserably!  Hope we can catch up in Brisbane!  🥰

[mysty]

For anyone curious, here is a link to the current COVID restrictions and mask wearing by country.

 

https://www.ca.kayak.com/travel-restrictions?

 

It looks like there are no countries now requiring a COVID negative test for entry.  Some countries have mask requirements for public transportation. 

[mysty]

Excursions are now available for booking for Apia, Samoa.

[DCCruiser57]

52 minutes ago, mysty said:

Excursions are now available for booking for Apia, Samoa.

Mysty - Thanks, Harriet and I have been waiting for the tours to open up for Apia.

[mysty]

10 minutes ago, DCCruiser57 said:

Mysty - Thanks, Harriet and I have been waiting for the tours to open up for Apia.

 

I've been checking every day! 😅  I was surprised when the excursions actually showed up!

[mysty]

We had requested, through our travel agent, to have our ship ahead luggage sent from home to Bridgetown in time for boarding the holiday season cruise which departs December 18th.  We just heard from our travel agent that our ship ahead luggage will be picked up on December 4th.   Necessary paperwork will be sent the week of November 27th.  It's happening!

[JoGay]

13 minutes ago, mysty said:

We had requested, through our travel agent, to have our ship ahead luggage sent from home to Bridgetown in time for boarding the holiday season cruise which departs December 18th.  We just heard from our travel agent that our ship ahead luggage will be picked up on December 4th.   Necessary paperwork will be sent the week of November 27th.  It's happening!

Only 86 days until we leave from SFO!

[mysty]

44 minutes ago, JoGay said:

Only 86 days until we leave from SFO!

 

Excitement is building!  And time seems to be picking up speed.  😁  We're at 56 days to wheels up from home.

[lincslady]

That genuinely sounds like not very long!  Don't explode with excitement before it all starts, Mysty.

 

Lola

[mysty]

Just now, lincslady said:

That genuinely sounds like not very long!  Don't explode with excitement before it all starts, Mysty.

 

Lola

 

I'm struggling to keep it together Lola! 😅

[drron29]

Well mysty we know who the Maitre’D will be in the MDR. He will join the Shadow in mid December. 
Ann will send an email with his name and hopefully a picture she will take tonight.

[mysty]

3 hours ago, drron29 said:

Well mysty we know who the Maitre’D will be in the MDR. He will join the Shadow in mid December. 
Ann will send an email with his name and hopefully a picture she will take tonight.

 

Thank you @drron29 and @rojaan19 !  I'm very curious!  😁

[mysty]

Myster and I have recently discovered a very tasty rum.  It is distilled in Barbados where we will be embarking for the Holiday Season portion of our big adventure.  We have asked our travel agent to see if Guest Services could secure a bottle for our suite.

 

https://bumbu.sovereignbrands.com/the-original/

 

"BUMBU RUM CO.
In Barbados, where our Original Bumbu is made, rum isn’t just another spirit. It’s the original rum island, where rum was first created some 400 years ago. Bajans have spent the last few centuries perfecting the art of distilling and blending our country’s most famous export.

At Bumbu Rum Company, we craft our rums from a blend of the finest sugarcane we can find. Our rums are exceptionally balanced and smooth, without sacrificing the richness and complexity that makes our distilleries in Barbados and Panama the world’s best – even if we’re a little biased."

 

 

Since it is made in Barbados, we are hoping the price would be lower than the $59.40 from the LCBO.

 

[drron29]

Sorry @mysty but Bumbu is not an original Barbados rum and as they add sugar and other things post distillation it is not recognised as rum by the surviving Barbados distilleries.

Here is a review - not very positive.

https://thefatrumpirate.com/bumbu-the-original

 

And a list of Top Barbadian rums.

https://distiller.com/lists/top-barbados-rums

 

I did spend a few days visiting a few rum shacks in Barbados with a Barbadian legend Desmond Haynes in 2007.

 

[mysty]

8 minutes ago, drron29 said:

Sorry @mysty but Bumbu is not an original Barbados rum and as they add sugar and other things post distillation it is not recognised as rum by the surviving Barbados distilleries.

Here is a review - not very positive.

https://thefatrumpirate.com/bumbu-the-original

 

And a list of Top Barbadian rums.

https://distiller.com/lists/top-barbados-rums

 

I did spend a few days visiting a few rum shacks in Barbados with a Barbadian legend Desmond Haynes in 2007.

 

 

Thank you @drron29 !  Even though you are bursting my bubble!  😅  Seems I keep falling for frauds. 🤣  We did enjoy the flavour though.  Obviously uncultured taste buds in the world of rum.

[Stumblefoot]

11 minutes ago, mysty said:

Seems I keep falling for frauds.

😆😆😆

That statement tickled my funny bone.

 

On a brighter note, your doctored rum is just a mere $46.68 CAD here in the states.  So, surely you’ll find it even cheaper on the island.

[JSR]

On 10/21/2023 at 4:41 AM, mysty said:

 

I'm struggling to keep it together Lola! 😅

I am right there with you and our cruise on the Nova is not until January 4, 2024. 🙃

[lincslady]

jp - that name takes me back to some of the golden days of playing the Windies.  I don't imagine many Americans will have heard of him.

 

One of my favourite stories is of meeting a very chic and charming lady from LA on a cruise  and my DH and an Australian trying to explain cricket to her.  You can  imagine.  Her last remark was 'You mean sometimes they play for five days, and NOBODY WINS?'

[Grand Duchess]

4 hours ago, mysty said:

 

Thank you @drron29 !  Even though you are bursting my bubble!  😅  Seems I keep falling for frauds. 🤣  We did enjoy the flavour though.  Obviously uncultured taste buds in the world of rum.

Do try the Plantation 20th anniversary if you can. Bajan rum with a French finish, very good, but then those Cognac people know what they are doing. Came across the Plantation rums quite by accident at the yearly Single Malt Whiskies exhibition in Zurich a few years ago and spent the rest of the evening tasting their rums instead of Ardbeg's etc. finest as originally planned. Well me anyway, my husband liked the Speyside single malts much more than those from the isles, but then he had a refined taste. Interesting how it is often the ladies who go for the peaty Islay whiskies.

 Currently sitting in the Swiss lounge waiting to board the flight to Hongkong. One night there and then Silver Muse here I come😊