world cruise 2007

[avalon1025]

Was booked on a Dubai to Dubai cruise (last November on the cloud or wind, i forget) but cancelled after seeing restrictions if you had an Isreali stamp in your passport...I rebooked for the Whisper in Itlay where it does not matter where you had visited.

[meow!]

Since we have an extra day in Auckland before boarding & are staying centrally, does anyone have any suggestions on "must-sees"?

Try hiring a taxi for touring at NZ$50 per hour (in 2001, when we were there, that was only US$21 per hour). Take a walk on High Street, Queen Street and Princes Wharf at the harbour. Buy some souvenirs made of possum skin and sheep skin. Take a look at Galleria Duty Free (though the NZ$ is no longer so favourable).

 

Perhaps go to Devonport, New Market, and cross the Harbour Bridge. The taxi driver told us that the outer lanes of that bridge were literally glued on by Japanese engineers decades after the German engineers built the original inner lanes to far beyond specifications! New Zealanders are mostly soft spoken, their taxi drivers even wear suit and tie! It is one of those rare societies where if there is no exact change for your ride/meal, they would round it downwards instead of upwards!

[meow!]

Has anyone heard anything or from anyone on the WC?

Since the posting at the beginning of the world cruise by the daughter of one of the passengers, we haven't heard anything about it for weeks now. Perhaps some of you will be so kind as to share your experiences with the rest of us and keep us up to date! Thank you.

[carolcp]

Most of the trip reports I am receiving from my dad are more personal and I don't have his permission to copy that in here.

 

The last email I got from him was full of disappointment. He was really looking forward to Easter Island, sad to say, the seas were too rough to launch the tender. They did sail around parts of the island as close in as possible and were able to see some of the giant heads. There had been a guest speaker on board who gave 2 days of lectures about the islands past.

 

Carol

[DebbieH103]

Cechase, we are booked on the December 1 from Dubai to Mumbai. Hubby also says he will not go to Middle East. We are booked in a medallion suite. This one is on Whisper, the ship we went on last year in April. I am going to bring a girlfriend who can pay her own way if he won't go. I want to go!

 

I've found air more reasonable than I expected, about $1260 each from Houston, but I am not ready to book since I don't know if he will go and since I might want to stay longer in India.

 

Dubai is supposed to be fabulous, and I hear the UAE places SS goes are very safe. You can always stick to the tourist groups that SS sets up (they send a rep on every tour) or stay on the ship. I really want to go to India. We have so many associates here in Texas from all over India. I have a chance to go with a group in May all over the place in India, but it doesn't meet my schedule.

 

Have your wife read up on some of these places. You are not trying to get her to go to Kuwait or Saudi. I consider myself fortunate to contemplate such itineraries. My other high desires are Africa and Seychelles, both of which competed in my mind for the planned December trip.

[cechase]

Debbie, I have given her all kinds of stuff to read about Dubai as well as Oman, and the more I try to reassure her, the more her resolve not to go there! Frankly, we are running out of new places to see :D! So, we have looked long into the future, i.e., December 2008 to do our Singapore to Syndey cruise, primarily to snag a Silver Suite. When we booked, 6 of the 10 were gone, and with us only three remain. We find that remarkable!

 

I think part of it has to do how women are treated in those countries. While we treat women as equals, or in my case, superior, those countries treat women as second class citizens or lesser. I would love to stay at that grand hotel which is built on an island in Dubai, but alas, it will not be.

[meow!]

When we booked, 6 of the 10 were gone, and with us only three remain.

There are 13 silver suites on the Shadow/Whisper, not 10 ! That is shown on their deck 7 plan (and that does not include medallion suites).

[cechase]

Thanks meow, guess what confused me was that in email exchanges with our travel agent before booking, she informed me that half of the Silver Suites were already booked, and I just assumed that there were only 10.

 

Maybe I just got confused from our cruises on Celebrities C-class vessels, where Century has 8 Royal Suites, and Mercury and Galaxy each have 10 Royal Suites.

 

Will keep that information in mind when we book another Silver Seas cruise and not panic about snagging a Silver Suite. :D

[simonv]

 

Will keep that information in mind when we book another Silver Seas cruise and not panic about snagging a Silver Suite. :D

 

Silver suits are usually the first to sell out, because it's such a good deal for the space.

[lord of the seas]

What's clothing got to do with it?

[DebbieH103]

Charlie, I agree that women are not always treated so well, but it seems one's own countrymen and I mean men are not always treated well in countries with a cast system. Some countries are becoming more westernized, and this has good and bad aspects. As I spent the evening with 3 darling friends from India last night, we debated these issues. Nothing we can do. I choose to try to enjoy all cultures and people as much as my schedule allows, and I wish so wish I had more time (which would eventually lead to budget)

 

I think Medallion will be adequate for us. I just care about the bedroom door/sleeping capsule thing.

 

Running out of places to go is all the more reason to stick to your itinerary. I so wish your DW would go!

[cechase]

Debbie thank you for the comments.

 

We are excited about our 12/2008 Whisper cruise because we have never been to the South Pacific, and will get to see Singapore, several ports in Indonesia, as well as many ports in Australia. The only down side is that it is so far off :D.

[DebbieH103]

Singapore is nice. We went there for 5 nights as an offshoot of a Hong Kong/NW Territories trip.

 

I am wondering when the 2008 World Cruise segments will come open and when/if they will open any up. I so much would like to do the Guam one. I went to high school there in the late 70s and am very anxious to go back. We also lived in Midway Island, and there is a special bond between Midway Islanders. There is a cruise going there this summer. The island s currently closed to visitors, and I would have loved to have gone on this single opportunity, but the trip is like 21 days, and I can't get away like that this year.

 

I haven't booked anything for 2008 because I feel all the choices are not yet out there. If I don't like the new entertainment on Wind next month, I may look at Regent, also. It just seems a little more regimented over there from the reviews I read.

[meow!]

The world cruisers must be back by now, any reports from any of them? This is the longest and most premium of the Silversea itineraries. How is the food and the service? With half of the days being sea days (two of the four months), how is the entertainment? Any "production shows" for a world cruise, or just old movies? As all staff must know well all the passengers (even "segments" are long), is the service special throughout? It will be so nice to hear from some of the passengers on this voyage, even those on segments! Thank you.

[CanadianKate]

The world cruisers arrive in New York tomorrow morning. I'm looking forward to hearing from them too and compare their experience to mine (I'm on the Shadow leaving tomorrow evening.)

[dusababy]

My very good friends will be boarding with you tomorrow evening -- when you run into Malcolm and Jean -- he'll be in smoking section first seats right in the Panorama about 11:30 every day-- tell him Mary Ann told you all about them -- you'll knock him off his chair.

I'd booked this crossing but a family wedding precluded the trip -- I'd rather be with you !!

Enjoy --

[shipsmail]

The Silver Shadow arrived in NY this morning before 07.00 a.m. and was greeted by a fire fighter's boat. It was great to look at that from my hotel room (52nd fl.).

[CASHIPman]

The Silver Shadow arrived in NY this morning before 07.00 a.m. and was greeted by a fire fighter's boat. It was great to look at that from my hotel room (52nd fl.).

 

I was on the Shadow as she came into New York this morning. I can't comment on the entire world cruise as I only joined in Lisbon, but for those two weeks....amazing. Simply amazing. I'll post a review however a truly wonderful voyage. For example, (and for those who know him) Michael Feinstein performed in the Athenian Lounge the evening we left Bermuda.

 

We also had Ted Allen of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" fame as a guest lecturer among many others.

 

The passengers that I encountered seemed to thoroughly enjoy their experiences and service.

[duct tape]

We arrived home safely this afternoon. It was a terrific cruise...I expectd to be dissappointed and it didn't happen. All went extremely well, the only weak link was inconsistency in the food but that was to be expected. When it was good it was very very good and when it wasn't ...it wasn't. Everything else went so smoothly, the food was not a major problem. No one starved! Those who complained were looking for attention. There were 142 when we started and 120 pulled into NY harbor. Will report more later when I unpack!

[meow!]

There were 142 when we started and 120 pulled into NY harbor. Will report more later when I unpack!

What? The ship can carry 382 passengers and you are telling us it was only one-third full? Silversea must lose money on this one, but they have gone on to start selling another world cruise for 2008!

[swindy]

What? The ship can carry 382 passengers and you are telling us it was only one-third full? Silversea must lose money on this one, but they have gone on to start selling another world cruise for 2008!

 

I think DuctTape will just be referring to the full world cruise passengers, which doesn't include passengers on shorter segments.

[MuseCruiser]

I was on as well, since Lisbon, and it was great. Yes...the ship was full. I think the other poster is referring to the subgroup of World Cruisers....we were booked to capacity the time I was on the ship.

 

Must say, this was perhaps the most impressive cruise I've taken with Silversea or any line. Want proscuitto on your pizza? Its hand cut. Not happy with the complimentary wine they're pouring that night? "Which one would you like, sir?" I was asked repeatedly. Someone ran to get it. The daily standing order of caviar at 6pm to my suite didn't hurt either.

 

The lectures/entertainment were great. Bill Miller did a great job talking about liners and maritime history. Ted Allen was great. A highlight was Michael Fienstein. He performed for 1 hour 20 minutes and the Athenian Lounge was full. People loved it....it ranks as perhaps the second best entertainment I've witnessed on a ship (the top prize goes to Shirley Bassey on the QM2 Maiden Voyage).

 

And the people onboard were fascinating. We had a noted wine critic aboard as a passenger and we had endless conversations about wine and food. One night my partner and I went to the Humidor and another guest (a world cruiser) came in....we talked about his work--he's a producer with a major network news program....we were captivated. When I next looked at my watch, it was 2AM! Or the 81 year old repeat Silversea cruiser who danced the night away and kept us entertained about her stories of driving "shut ins" to their doctor appointments in her 4 wheel drive.

 

The experience is perhaps summed up in this example. One morning I was leaving my suite, and there was a room service waiter taking a tray to a room.

 

"What's for breakfast?" I asked, rhetorically.

 

"Anything you want" was the reply.

[duct tape]

Thanxs, Swindy. I was a little punchy last night! Yes, the ship was full most of the time and there did not appear to be an "us" and "them". As a matter of fact, most of the folks who got on knew most people anyway and it was a great crowd. Well, yea, there was the group of young travel agents but they didn't stay long. Back to unpacking.

[meow!]

From what I have read on this board, it seems that the longer a voyage, the more likely are the passengers going to be satisfied. Perhaps on the side of the cruise line, the crew gets to know the passengers better, and feels more relaxed not having to prepare for embarkation/disembarkation all the time. They are more likely to be friendly knowing that they have to get along with you on a "long run". The passengers themselves also feel more relaxed, not having to pack and unpack for a long time to come. They also get to know one another, and become friends rather than just "other folks on the street". If the voyage is close to full (and only a relatively small fraction are on discounts, the full world cruisers pay full fare), the cruise line has good profit margin and can afford to be more generous. The cruise line may also consider it a "show piece". Lucky are you who have the opportunity to participate, and we hope to hear more details from you folks!

[meow!]

Silversea is already offering Venetian Society members 30% discount on all the segments (in groups) of their 2008 world cruise. So presumably, it has not been selling that well !