Silver Moon Transatlantic Mar. 16 - 28, 2023 Travelogue

[Travelbird22]

Thank you so much for all this info! I booked an SS crossing for December- Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale on the Silver Ray. I love SS, but, I hate being cold, and I need/love, to swim every day. I was thinking I might at least paddle around the spa pool on windy, cold days, but I’ve read the Nova and Ray won’t have a pool in the Spa. I love sea days- that’s not a problem, but cold- boo, and if I can’t swim I’d be very sad indeed. I’m thinking of cancelling and going someplace warm, but I did P to P, so will lose my deposit.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[sea bright]

6 hours ago, JSR said:

We are taking our second QM2 TA this summer and am considering a TA this fall or next on SS and have a few questions. 

1) where did you do jigsaw puzzles. I’m an avid puzzler? Space seems limited in the cabin. Did you bring your own or were they available onboard?

 

2) The QM2 is an ocean liner and well designed for ocean crossings. How was the Moon at handling the seas? Though it does appear you had calm seas most of the way. My first (Hubby crossed multiple times on the SS United States) we encountered gale force winds. 
 

We prefer to sail home part way from Europe verses fly even though we still have to make our way west after arrival. 

Thank you for your travelogue. I have really enjoyed following along. 

Travelogue has been excellent. Thanks!

We have done TAs on the Cloud (pre-expedition), the Shadow/Whisper and the Muse class ships, as well as QM2 and Crystal Symohony. Worst motion so far was the Symphony (on a spring  Southern crossing starting in FL to Lisbon). 2nd worse was the Dawn this fall, Lisbon to FL, with an April crossing from NY to Southampton on QM2 almost as bad. Best by far were spring crossings from FL/ Caribbean on the Cloud and NY on the Shadow/Whisper. This has convinced me that weather, not ship size, is the most important factor.

[ggo85]

Long post!  Today’s reflections — things I’d like to see change on SS.  This is my personal view. But I’m the age demographic that SS wants / needs to attract and, while I don’t claim to represent everyone who’s my age, I do think some changes would help them attract younger cruisers while not alienating their loyal fans.  
 

1.  Limit early booking of dining reservations, especially at smaller venues.  2 cruises and we’ve yet to do SALT, Silver Note, or Hot Rocks because we can’t get reservations for the (early) time we want.  We got Kaiseki last cruise only after being WLed for a week and still not our preferred time. Some reportedly book one or more restaurants every night and then cancel once they get on board.  IMO that’s unfair and deprives fellow passengers, especially new cruisers who don’t know the “game” or those who book later. While you can WL once on board, it’s nice to be able to plan / look forward to something rather than getting a call (literally) 2 hours before dinner that thenWL cleared . Another option is to charge for any meals after the first one at the popular restaurants. 
 

2.  Offer early (6 or 6:30 pm) dinner at some venues.  We like to eat early and, currently, the only option is pizza.  Having some venues open at 6:00 would also increase the number of reservations available for those restaurants. While this limits “turn time” for the crew, they could close those restaurants an hour earlier at lunch.  
 

3.  Introduce music between 7 and 9:30 pm. We enjoy music after dinner. But, when we finish eating at 8:30 (or earlier), there’s nothing to do for the next hour+ other than Silver Note (bar has only 5-6 seats and you have to watch others eat). 
 

4.  Start more shows earlier than 9:45.  We only went to 2 in 10 nights, primarily because of the hour. This is exacerbated by the fact we were losing an hour some nights and there’s nothing to do after eating. So, once you’re back in your cabin, it’s a lot easier to put away your “informal” attire (more on that later) and just relax, rather than going out again for a show that won’t end until close to 11pm.  The two shows I attended had maybe 100-150 in the audience.  Sad, because the shows were good. 
 

Of note, they did have a “pre-dinner” show last night.  Didn’t go because it was “Queen.”   I’ve seen the SS show and the Crystal Queen show and the Celebrity Queen show . . .and I don’t even like the music. 
 

5.  (Realize this one is sacrilege to SS loyalists). Relax the dress code.  I’m not for a moment suggesting jeans or shorts at dinner.  But it’s VACATION.  For those of us who work, that means relaxed dress with a couple of nights to dress up.  Wearing a jacket almost every night gets old.  It’s also becoming a caricature with men wearing white T-shirts, golf shirts or Hawaiian shirts under their jacket and tennis shoes or walking shoes on their feet.  It’s really casual dress with a jacket, so why not just lose the jacket? And if you want to wear a jacket. — or a tux or a long gown — every night, go for it!

Other options are allowing collared shirts (no jacket) after dinner or making least one indoor restaurant casual dining nightly.  Cruising is all about options and the current dress codes will turn away younger passengers.  Loyalists may not care, but any business must attract new devotees.  SS has been helped by the Crystal situation (it’s why we came to SS). But Crystal is back, new luxury lines are coming (e.g., Explora), and other lines like X are expanding their “all-inclusive” options.  My personal view is that SS needs to evolve to compete.  But I could be wrong.
 

We’ve loved our cruise and are doing SS again this year. But next year, we’ve booked other lines, partly due to itinerary but also due to the items mentioned above. 
 

 

[Silver Spectre]

I appreciate that we come from a an older demographic than @ggo85and have been cruising for 30 years, however we graduated from Princess Cruises to Silversea to get away from most of the suggestions above. For us Silversea’s USP’s are what attract us and the long downward trend to becoming another American dominated mid market line are what give us nightmares.

[ggo85]

That’s why there are lots of choices in cruising.  Not saying “my way” is best, only that it would be preferable for us to have more options.  if SS can sell out with the status quo, then there will be no reason or impetus to change. And we’ll be back, but probably for more port-intensive itineraries, since we can then be more casual for dinner. 
 

BTW, I’ve cruised for nearly 40 years (started right out of college) so not a spring chicken but younger than almost everyone onboard. Cruised with SS, Cunard, NCL, Princess, Crystal, Celebrity, Viking River, and Norwegian Coastal.  Never counted number of cruises, but a lot. 😀

 

[ggo85]

To finish out this story, wanted to reflect on some of the things we love about SS.  
 

1.  They treat you like adults.  There aren’t endless reminders, notices, and announcements. They tell you what you need to know and then are available if you have questions. They trust you to read the “daily bugle.”
 

2.  No constant attempts to separate you from your money.  You could easily come on board, have a fabulous time, and spend not a penny extra.  If you don’t do spa and don’t want fine wines, it’s actually hard to spend money on board.  We love that. 
 

3.  No photographers hounding you as you get on and off the ship, at meals, on formal nights, etc.  

 

4. So many dining options.  We’ve always found many things we wanted to order and never had an other than excellent meal.  
 

5.  Beautifully designed ship that doesn’t feel remotely crowded even when sailing at or near capacity. Lots of nooks and crannies where you can relax on your own and venues where you can meet others. 
 

6. Included excursions that run on time and are as described. A nice touch that separates SS from most other lines.  
 

And most of all . . .

 

7.  Service.  We’ve had excellent service on many cruise lines and ships.  On SS, there’s a level of refinement that makes it special and keeps people coming back. You get the sense the crew really wants you to have a great vacation.  It’s sophisticated, terrific and memorable. 
 

It’s a great product and we’re looking forward to our next SS voyage later this year. 
 

i hope you’ve enjoyed taking this journey with me.  I thank those who’ve read and who’ve commented.  I appreciate your indulgence of my musings. And I respect those whose opinions differ from mine.  
 

May you all have fair winds, following seas, and a bon voyage on your next cruise!

 

 

 

 

[Stumblefoot]

6 hours ago, ggo85 said:

This is my personal view.

Thanks for sharing.  I don’t know your demographic, but as a Gen Xer myself, here is my personal view to a few points of yours.

 

1.  SS already limits dining requests submitted in advance of one’s voyage. So, I’d hate to see SS impose further limitations.  With that said, I would have no issue with the complete removal of the dining request system in order to return to the days of old where one could dine when and wherever they’d like, with whomever they liked.

 

2.  For those who enjoy morning and afternoon excursions, it can be a challenge to catch lunch.  By closing an indoor venue such as La Terrazza or The Restaurant even earlier than it already does would make it even more difficult to have lunch, let alone limiting the variety such action would cause.

 

5. I agree, it’s VACATION.  For those of us who work, it’s all casual, all the time.  At least it is in the vastness of corporate America these days.  We choose SS for the very reason you despise.  The dress code is already super relaxed as it’s only a night or two where people dress up and even on those nights there are options where people can dine who don’t want to dress up.  As a man, wearing a jacket to dinner for a hour or two never gets old. And as far as your claim that younger passengers are turned off by the dress code, I disagree.  Every Millennial or Gen Zer I’ve met on SS said they actually enjoy the dress code. Why? Because their professional lives are already steeped in casualness.  As such, SS is one of the few elegant vacations choices they have in a sea of sameness amongst luxury cruise lines.  I’d suggest men who tire of wearing a jacket to dinner on vacation more than a couple of nights have a plethora of vacation choices to select from, including many cruise lines, and as such, are not solely limited to SS.

 

In closing, thank you for sharing your personal view. I hope you will accept mine in the same vein you offered yours.

[Gourmet Gal]

8 hours ago, ggo85 said:

Long post!  Today’s reflections — things I’d like to see change on SS.  This is my personal view. But I’m the age demographic that SS wants / needs to attract and, while I don’t claim to represent everyone who’s my age, I do think some changes would help them attract younger cruisers while not alienating their loyal fans.  
 

1.  Limit early booking of dining reservations, especially at smaller venues.  2 cruises and we’ve yet to do SALT, Silver Note, or Hot Rocks because we can’t get reservations for the (early) time we want.  We got Kaiseki last cruise only after being WLed for a week and still not our preferred time. Some reportedly book one or more restaurants every night and then cancel once they get on board.  IMO that’s unfair and deprives fellow passengers, especially new cruisers who don’t know the “game” or those who book later. While you can WL once on board, it’s nice to be able to plan / look forward to something rather than getting a call (literally) 2 hours before dinner that thenWL cleared . Another option is to charge for any meals after the first one at the popular restaurants. 
 

2.  Offer early (6 or 6:30 pm) dinner at some venues.  We like to eat early and, currently, the only option is pizza.  Having some venues open at 6:00 would also increase the number of reservations available for those restaurants. While this limits “turn time” for the crew, they could close those restaurants an hour earlier at lunch.  
 

3.  Introduce music between 7 and 9:30 pm. We enjoy music after dinner. But, when we finish eating at 8:30 (or earlier), there’s nothing to do for the next hour+ other than Silver Note (bar has only 5-6 seats and you have to watch others eat). 
 

4.  Start more shows earlier than 9:45.  We only went to 2 in 10 nights, primarily because of the hour. This is exacerbated by the fact we were losing an hour some nights and there’s nothing to do after eating. So, once you’re back in your cabin, it’s a lot easier to put away your “informal” attire (more on that later) and just relax, rather than going out again for a show that won’t end until close to 11pm.  The two shows I attended had maybe 100-150 in the audience.  Sad, because the shows were good. 
 

Of note, they did have a “pre-dinner” show last night.  Didn’t go because it was “Queen.”   I’ve seen the SS show and the Crystal Queen show and the Celebrity Queen show . . .and I don’t even like the music. 
 

5.  (Realize this one is sacrilege to SS loyalists). Relax the dress code.  I’m not for a moment suggesting jeans or shorts at dinner.  But it’s VACATION.  For those of us who work, that means relaxed dress with a couple of nights to dress up.  Wearing a jacket almost every night gets old.  It’s also becoming a caricature with men wearing white T-shirts, golf shirts or Hawaiian shirts under their jacket and tennis shoes or walking shoes on their feet.  It’s really casual dress with a jacket, so why not just lose the jacket? And if you want to wear a jacket. — or a tux or a long gown — every night, go for it!

Other options are allowing collared shirts (no jacket) after dinner or making least one indoor restaurant casual dining nightly.  Cruising is all about options and the current dress codes will turn away younger passengers.  Loyalists may not care, but any business must attract new devotees.  SS has been helped by the Crystal situation (it’s why we came to SS). But Crystal is back, new luxury lines are coming (e.g., Explora), and other lines like X are expanding their “all-inclusive” options.  My personal view is that SS needs to evolve to compete.  But I could be wrong.
 

We’ve loved our cruise and are doing SS again this year. But next year, we’ve booked other lines, partly due to itinerary but also due to the items mentioned above. 
 

 

Thanks for posting your thoughtful suggestions.  I agree with most of your comments but I didn’t know one could book a reservation in multiple venues ahead of time.  Unless two couples who dine together are booking two tables for four and cancelling one later?  Is that what you mean?  Anyway, I would hope that not all venues are allowed to be booked 100% in advance and open slots are available to book upon boarding.

 

As for Stumblefoot’s observation that millennials crave dressing up….I beg to differ.  When we offered an all expense paid SS cruise to my son and his fiancé we had to almost beg them to go with us because they despised the idea that they had to dress up even as much as the informal nights required.  It wasn’t an issue of not having the wardrobe, it’s that they both work hard and prefer relaxed attire for a relaxing vacation.  In the end they accompanied us and had a good time but really hated lugging the dressier clothes.

[HappyCamper777]

26 minutes ago, Gourmet Gal said:

...I didn’t know one could book a reservation in multiple venues ahead of time.

One can't.  At least not on the same night.  

[HappyCamper777]

30 minutes ago, Gourmet Gal said:

As for Stumblefoot’s observation that millennials crave dressing up….I beg to differ.  When we offered an all expense paid SS cruise to my son and his fiancé we had to almost beg them to go with us because they despised the idea that they had to dress up even as much as the informal nights required.  It wasn’t an issue of not having the wardrobe, it’s that they both work hard and prefer relaxed attire for a relaxing vacation.  In the end they accompanied us and had a good time but really hated lugging the dressier clothes.

Too funny.  You had to beg your son to go and we didn't even invite ours!  Haha. 

 

When we told him of our plans about 6-months prior to our last voyage, he begged us to go.  Like your kid, our kid works hard too, but unlike yours must enjoy dressing up on a cruise for a relaxing vacation.  He and his fiancé bought some new clothes to wear on the ship.  They both were super sharp!  And, unlike you, I never heard a single negative peep out of them about lugging dressier clothes either.  So, I guess I'm in Stumblefoot's camp as he didn't say all Millennials like dressing up on vacation, just those he met on a Silversea cruise enjoyed it.

 

Oh, and one last point, our kid paid his own way. 😉 He's an adult.  He can afford to pay his own way if he wants to go.  No need to bribe him in my book to spend time with his parents.

[goofysmom99]

5 hours ago, ggo85 said:

i hope you’ve enjoyed taking this journey with me.  I thank those who’ve read and who’ve commented.  I appreciate your indulgence of my musings. And I respect those whose opinions differ from mine.  
 

May you all have fair winds, following seas, and a bon voyage on your next cruise!

 

 

 

 

I've been researching options for 2024 TAs and this thread and the many replies have been very helpful in making a decision.  Thank you for taking the time out of your vacation to write - very much appreciated.

[ggo85]

I’m a huge believer in people getting on the right cruise so they’ll love it and become another dedicated cruiser. I like to say:  there is no perfect cruise line— each has its pluses and minuses.  However, certain lines, ships and itineraries are better suited for some than others. It’s finding the best match. 

[drron29]

Welcome to Lisbon. Will be joining those staying on this afternoon.

[MBP&O2/O]

 

 

I can understand why people who have had a working life in suits now want a change. I too want a change for exactly the opposite reasons.

 

When at sea, we kept 4 hrs on, 8 hrs off watches. There was plenty of 'admin' to do in

your 'off' time.

 

Meals were NEVER a relaxed affair.

 

You had no choice about what to wear, and no choice about when to eat, or where to sit.

Taking as long as twenty minutes for a meal was frowned upon.

 

When in port, 6 hrs on, 6 hrs off. Same principle but no dining saloon as you were in working gear. Meals were frequently sat on a bollard eating off the plate on your knee, which was handy with Indian crews as you got a proper curry made by an Indian who was cooking what Indians wanted, as opposed to the Goanese cook who was cooking what he thought the Europeans wanted.

 

Meals were frequently missed altogether.

 

To be at sea, on a ship with a smart dress code and being allowed to have a relaxed meal at a time of my choosing and in pleasant surroundings is spot on. If the dining room has the courtesy to have decent tables ( cutlery, glasses, table cloth etc), with smart livered staff, then to me it is common courtesy to dress to those standards.

Many will disagree but those people can do what they want, and I will do what I want🙂

I'm on holiday too.

All hypothetical now as I have given up with SS, which is a shame as the onboard experience was usually quite good. Corporate management and policy's have turned me off.

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by MBP&O2/O

[ggo85]

For MBP above, as my DH and I both say: it’s great to be on a ship when you’re not driving. We get it. 
 

A couple of postscripts.  When we got our final bill, I realized they’d not applied $30 of onboard credit.  It’s complicated but they’d applied my DH’s credit to only one charge on “his” account leaving a credit balance, which they zeroed out.  All other charges and additional credit were on “my”account.  They claimed we’d not specified that we were on the same account, which simply isn’t true. We were specifically asked at embarkation and I remember a short discussion. DH said, “We’re married.”  Hostess said, “Well, some married people want different accounts.”  We said we wanted one account for both and signed something to that effect. Oddly, the one charge they attributed to DH, I’d signed for.  SS did sort it today, but it’s not great customer service to blame the customer (especially when not our fault).  And a reminder always to check your bill.  
 

We were off the ship earlier than projected.  My suitcase wasn’t there.  When I reported it, the FiRST thing the SS host said was, “You didn’t put your luggage outside your cabin this until morning, did you?”  I said we’d put both bags out at 8:30 pm (11 pm deadline).  The next thing someone said was, “Are you sure you put the colored tag on it?”  We’d put 2 on each bag. When another 6 people showed up missing bags. SS realized something was amiss and another hostess called the ship.  About 10 minutes later, more bags were brought out, including the missing ones.  Clearly, they let our group off before all bags were out, which can happen. However, again the first instinct was to blame the customer. 
 

One final point for dessert lovers out there.  The dessert menu in Atlantide NEVER changes.  There is a special each night but the other desserts stay the same.  That was a bit disappointing.  We’re not huge dessert people but would have loved to have had SOME variety.  
 

On the plus side, we’re staying at a lovely boutique hotel in Lisbon — the Memmo Principe Real (associated with Marriott).  Right in the heart of the city.  They couldn’t do enough for us when we arrived.  Flawless English. Breakfast was fantastic, room ready by 0930, taxi ordered for tomorrow morning, and they set us up for a private tour of Lisbon this afternoon.  Not the cheapest or yours”typical big American hotel,” but a real gem.  

[Silver Spectre]

Thanks for your excellent and thoughtful travelogue @ggo85. Enjoy your day in Lisbon and safe travels home.

[white oak]

ln Ponte Delgado it is easy to rent a car and explore on your own.  There is a car rental office almost right outside the port gates. We have been there multiple times and usually include at least one stop at "Fire Lake" or Lagoa do Fogo.  Unfortunately the view is frequently obscured by clouds or fog near the top, but the fog is frequently the smoke from the volcanic activity and has a very distinctive  oder.

Edited March 28, 2023 by white oak