Mooning in the Med. Venice to Rome. 20/9-1/10

[Silver Spectre]

About to head off to Venice on Thursday, joining the Moon on Friday.

Here’s hoping the bean counters from Mother Royal haven’t been busy since we left the Shadow in May, although I hear that using WhatsApp to make calls on the standard WiFi has just been blocked on the ships! 😞 

[DavyWavey70]

1 hour ago, Silver Spectre said:

About to head off to Venice on Thursday, joining the Moon on Friday.

Here’s hoping the bean counters from Mother Royal haven’t been busy since we left the Shadow in May, although I hear that using WhatsApp to make calls on the standard WiFi has just been blocked on the ships! 😞 

Have an amazing time! That sounds like a really really unluxurious move. 

[Dolcevita Diva]

Have a wonderful time! Look forward to reading about your journey.  

[Fletcher]

Loads of chatter on the FB page about changes to the wifi - downgraded speed, stuff blocked, all intended to force people to buy the premium service at £29 per day.  Also, people are saying those included excursions you booked in advance turn out to be not included at all.   All reports from fhe front line welcome.

Edited Wednesday at 01:44 AM by Fletcher

[WesW]

Fair Winds and Following Seas Jim & Clair!

[les37b]

Have a good one Mr Spectre.

 

Have got a mini break in yacht club in a couple of weeks and snagged a good deal on RSS Splendor for next April, but sticking with the plans to land tour. China in November and Malaysia in Jan.

 

Once on the WiFi, try using a VPN to bypass for whatsapp - though I suspect the throttling Fletcher mentions will kill that off from working. They blocked a scrabble game I use - a VPN got it working again, so worth a try. Failing that, hopefully your mobile provider still has roaming. It'll all still work until several miles from the coast.

 

First cocktail at the pool on me. 😁

[jpalbny]

Have a great trip! I hope the bean counters have not made too many changes for the worse. We'll be in the Adriatic next June, on Ponant, but the cruise visits the Italian coast instead of the Croatian side.

 

Looking forward to your reports! We have our final payment due in 10 days, for our next Silversea voyage in January.

[Winemaker_1]

On 9/17/2024 at 6:05 AM, Silver Spectre said:

About to head off to Venice on Thursday, joining the Moon on Friday.

Here’s hoping the bean counters from Mother Royal haven’t been busy since we left the Shadow in May, although I hear that using WhatsApp to make calls on the standard WiFi has just been blocked on the ships! 😞 

I'll be on the same voyage.  I'll be using the obfuscated servers of my VPN service.  We'll see how that works

[Dolcevita Diva]

12 hours ago, Fletcher said:

Loads of chatter on the FB page about changes to the wifi - downgraded speed, stuff blocked, all intended to force people to buy the premium service at £29 per day.  Also, people are saying those included excursions you booked in advance turn out to be not included at all.   All reports from fhe front line welcome.

 

On my cruise aboard the Silver Dawn a few weeks ago, for the first time ever, I ended up having to upgrade to premium wifi a few days just to send some regular emails and a few photos.  Have never had to do this in the past. 

 

There have also been changes to included vs. select excursions. For this voyage, I had reserved the Flam Railway excursion as an included version, but it was later moved to the Select column, as were a number of other excursions that were initially included. I was not charged, but others who reserved the cruise later were.

 

 

[Fletcher]

4 hours ago, jpalbny said:

 We'll be in the Adriatic next June, on Ponant, but the cruise visits the Italian coast instead of the Croatian side.

 

That's a fab itinerary.  Nice tucker, too.

[DeedeeAU]

8 hours ago, Dolcevita Diva said:

 

On my cruise aboard the Silver Dawn a few weeks ago, for the first time ever, I ended up having to upgrade to premium wifi a few days just to send some regular emails and a few photos.  Have never had to do this in the past. 

 

There have also been changes to included vs. select excursions. For this voyage, I had reserved the Flam Railway excursion as an included version, but it was later moved to the Select column, as were a number of other excursions that were initially included. I was not charged, but others who reserved the cruise later were.

 

 

Good to hear you weren't charged for an included excursion that was later switched to select. We're seeing the same for a couple of excursions on our Alaska cruise next year - we were able to book them as included then a month later I noticed they were now paid options only. Our reservations are still showing as $0 so I'm hoping they won't just automatically charge us.

 

Keeping an eye on it is all we can do, I guess.

[Fletcher]

8 hours ago, DeedeeAU said:

Good to hear you weren't charged for an included excursion that was later switched to select. We're seeing the same for a couple of excursions on our Alaska cruise next year - we were able to book them as included then a month later I noticed they were now paid options only. Our reservations are still showing as $0 so I'm hoping they won't just automatically charge us.

 

Keeping an eye on it is all we can do, I guess.

I have taken screenshots of all the included excursions on my next cruise so can prove it was if there's a disagreement. I'm afraid I have lost all trust and faith in Silversea right now - the internet issue, excursions are all sore points with me.  

[lincslady]

If Venice is really trying to discourage cruise ships because of the huge numbers visiting the city, offering Fusina as an alternative port seems a bit silly - more difficult to get to from the airport and hotels, and much more difficult to spend a day in Venice from.  Or maybe that is what they planned for?  IMO it would be better all round now if the cruise lines gave it a complete miss, sadly, and used somewhere like Trieste as a start and finish point for Adriatic cruises.

[MBP&O2/O]

3 hours ago, Fletcher said:

I have taken screenshots of all the included excursions on my next cruise so can prove it was if there's a disagreement. I'm afraid I have lost all trust and faith in Silversea right now - the internet issue, excursions are all sore points with me.  

Agree 100% ! I have done exactly the same! At the mo, we have a cruise November and to my surprise they haven't tried to 'pull a fast one' on me.

Yet?

The level of customer services is going down rapidly ... IMHO.

[gnome12]

12 hours ago, DeedeeAU said:

Good to hear you weren't charged for an included excursion that was later switched to select. We're seeing the same for a couple of excursions on our Alaska cruise next year - we were able to book them as included then a month later I noticed they were now paid options only. Our reservations are still showing as $0 so I'm hoping they won't just automatically charge us.

 

Keeping an eye on it is all we can do, I guess.

I had the same issue on my June cruise on the Dawn. No, you won't be charged for an excursion that was included when you selected it. However, if they make some changes to the excursion (in my case the Naeroyfjord cruise was changed to a zero-emission ship) then you are likely to be charged. I also had an excursion that was changed from included to select, the unit cost still showed a $0 unit cost on mySilversea although it showed a total charge of $159. That was corrected on board, and I wasn't charged for it.

 

Just as an aside, the charge for the Flåm railway excursion was US$109. I had booked it on my own for less than CAD$95. I actually had 2 reservations which was helpful when the time of the Naeroyfjord cruise was changed. The one I cancelled had originally cost me CAD$92 and I was refunded CAD$95.

[spinnaker2]

Enjoy every moment!!!!

[Silver Spectre]

OMG, it’s a nightmare come true. Dining in Atlantide now opens at tea time! or at 6pm, last seating at 8:30! No main restaurant allows entry after 9pm!

The dress code have been reduced to Formal Optional (whatever that means) and Elegant Casual. Mr Google defines that as wearing something called a dress shirt (??) and slacks?

And, no Pouilly Fume anymore and we have already run out of the L’ostal Rose.

Maybe I need to jump ship now 😎

[spinnaker2]

Keep us posted on the developments. 

6 pm dining affectionately known as “early bird” in the USA. 

6 pm dining means less alcohol consumption in the bars, or maybe the alcohol consumption will be after dinner???

Or have the show times been moved to an earlier time? 

Disco starts earlier? 

Breakfast is earlier? 

Maybe a mandatory quiet time after lunch???

 

 

[Port Power]

2 minutes ago, spinnaker2 said:

Keep us posted on the developments. 

6 pm dining affectionately known as “early bird” in the USA. 

6 pm dining means less alcohol consumption in the bars, or maybe the alcohol consumption will be after dinner???

Or have the show times been moved to an earlier time? 

Disco starts earlier? 

Breakfast is earlier? 

Maybe a mandatory quiet time after lunch???

 

 

Several new-to-Silversea cruisers have said they want to dine early.  Even 5:00pm!  If enough cruisers have mentioned earlier dining in their mid-cruise and final surveys, this could be the result.  It puts a lot more strain on the kitchen and serving staff though. Or will they just be able to clock off earlier?  Staff would like that.  I wonder if it will only be Atlantide?

[dawntrdr]

Perhaps they found that too many people were lining up at 7.  And as a result,  a  mass of orders are coming in at the same time, which always means uneven service and even tepid food.  If some folks got used to the early bird senior specials at home, go for it.  That said, no way I'm dining at 6 - it would cramp my cocktail hour!

[spinnaker2]

3 hours ago, dawntrdr said:

Perhaps they found that too many people were lining up at 7.  And as a result,  a  mass of orders are coming in at the same time, which always means uneven service and even tepid food.  If some folks got used to the early bird senior specials at home, go for it.  That said, no way I'm dining at 6 - it would cramp my cocktail hour!

Agreed!!! 

[Winemaker_1]

We had a lovely meal tonight on the Moon in Atlantide with great service.  We arrived about 7:20pm or so.   Several of the included white wines we sampled were perfectly enjoyable with our meal.  We didn't have any reds tonight as our meal wasn't really suited for them.  The champagne on ice in our room (and poured around the ship) was Duval-Leroy brut reserve for anyone that keeps track of that - it has a nice bready, yeastiness to it, if that appeals to you.  We like it just fine.

 

Yes, we did find out that they now open at 6pm.  That doesn't bother us, though.  I do think the guest could have put a little more effort into their dress.  There were only 3 or 4 men in jackets.  Most guest were in very casual attire.  One women wore a sweatsuit to dinner. 

 

Internet is not lightening fast but seems ok even with a vpn.

Edited 11 hours ago by Winemaker_1

[les37b]

15 hours ago, Silver Spectre said:

OMG, it’s a nightmare come true. Dining in Atlantide now opens at tea time! or at 6pm, last seating at 8:30! No main restaurant allows entry after 9pm!

The dress code have been reduced to Formal Optional (whatever that means) and Elegant Casual. Mr Google defines that as wearing something called a dress shirt (??) and slacks?

And, no Pouilly Fume anymore and we have already run out of the L’ostal Rose.

Maybe I need to jump ship now 😎

The earliest we tend to eat on the ship would be 8, but more often 8.30 or just after. We’d usually aim to leave our room for 7.30 to 8 to go to the bar for a pre meal drink and see zero reason to want to change that. Going out to a restaurant in the evening at home, I doubt the restaurant would last very long if they turned people away at 8.30

 

If guests want to eat at 6 and SS happy to oblige, then fine - but not to the detriment of others.

 

Still, at least you’re not subjected to photo packages and being lined up for snaps…….. Yet……

 

 

Edited 4 hours ago by les37b