Silver Cloud trip comments - Dubai to Mumbai - Dec 2006

[Globehopper]

Posted by Duct Tape:

 

Globehopper, it would be really helpful if you would copy this to a new thread. Folks are always looking for specific ship info and this valuable review will be lost on a "Whisper" thread. Thank you.

 

Originally posted on http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=183

this version corrects some typos (a side effect of working 11 hours earlier in the day on a rush proposal)... I've also added a few more sentences as I can't help but to tinker...

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruzadict

Globehopper - I note that you sailed on the Cloud last year. We are booked on a B2B in November, Seychelles to Mauritius. Haven't seen many reviews about the Cloud, what condition was she in and was the service good. Have only sailed SS once and that was on the Shadow. Service and food were excellent.

Marilyn

 

Marilyn (Cruzadict),

 

We were thinking about the November cruise in those waters as well before deciding upon the cruise in a few days time from Venice to Athens.

 

Would you believe that the December Dubai to Mumbai cruise was our 4th choice SS cruise?

 

First choice to Lebanon, Libya and Syria vanished due to world events.

 

Second choice Black Sea was sold out.

 

Third choice was the Cloud a week earlier, and that voyage was also fully booked. But they got to see Kish Island which was cancelled for some reason from our trip.

 

Fourth choice was fine, and we were happy.

 

My comments...

 

The Good

 

Good service started at the nice, but compact Dubai terminal where ship staff escorted each passenger aboard. Check in was quick. On board photo/ID processing was quick with a mini party going on to pass the time.

 

Cabin cleaning staff were very good throughout the trip. I did hear one complaint from another pax regarding their inattentive cabin staff.

 

Room service was generally good, but took a bit of training to ask them to hold the mayo on the sandwiches, etc. But that is a very minor detail.

 

But the best for us was Jorge, one of the most pleasant maître d' that I've come across was far better than his assistant. Other dining room staff were very nice to excellent. We were well pampered by the staff, and we enjoyed the food, presentation and service. The freedom to eat when, where and with whom you wish to dine with is just as it should be in a fine restaurant--and I could never understand why other cruise lines are so set in making customers join others at large communal tables. Would one accept seating at a fine land based restaurant at a table with strangers? I think not!

 

Conditions in public spaces (dining room, theater, library, bar, etc.) were generally good and tastefully appointed, but now a tad dated. But the ship is showing signs of wear despite maintenance--just as a suit eventually does wear out from use.

 

We did enjoy the itinerary calling at Qatar, Bahrain, Muscat, Khasab, Muscat, Mormugoa and Mumbai. That pushed my country count up to 125 as I snared a couple of new countries. On board, there was a nice mix of international passengers where it did not appear that any one nationality was dominant; this made for a pleasant eclectic mix. Everyone we came across on board was friendly and not at all aloof or snobbish. This was a very well traveled bunch as these destinations are not the places a first or even fifth time international traveler would visit.

 

 

 

 

The bad

 

Our cabin featured clanging pipes in the ceiling and this was an intermittent problem. It was most noticeable during sleeping hours, when it would sometimes wake us from a sound sleep. Not good. It took several attempts before the problem was semi-corrected; muffled but the root cause of the problem never solved.

 

Cabin was well maintained, but looking a bit worn. Could use a larger TV as the TV screen size was small. May as well convert to a flat screen TV.

 

Some evening lounge entertainment was lackluster-- an English (or was she Scottish?) singer belting out Mary Poppins show tunes and on a later night a banjo player. Others were better. I heard that once upon a time there were flashier, more elaborate productions that involved more than one person on stage. While we were not sailing with SS for the flash or glitz, I do think that better on board entertainment would be nice-- perhaps a name brand jazz group or something a bit more than one person on stage.

 

On the other hand, the history professor was quite compelling and we all wonder why we didn't have such professors like that in school! (actually I did).

 

There was one poolside lunch which was a bit slow for some seated at the same table. But nothing is perfect so this was a minor detail.

 

 

The ugly

 

Along the window edge (seals) in both our cabin and in the dining room there was a crusty rim--think of salt on a Margarita glass rim. Minor detail, but SS should pay more attention to this detail as people do look out windows.

 

One note: the shore excursion in Goa managed to skip the most important cathedral in favor of an unscheduled shopping trip. This would be akin to visiting Rome for a church tour and skipping St Peters in favor for a nearby shopping stall.

 

My on the spot comment to the local tour guide quickly produced a mini taxi and a very rushed 30 second tour of the cathedral. Later that night, when we dined with the hotel director we mentioned this (after he asked us for comments) and later they adjusted the shore excursion charge. He also said that he would check into this issue whereby the primary UNESCO world heritage site was skipped in favor of a store visit. This was good service followup.

 

 

Summary

 

Good service on board, very much a pampering experience. We boarded the ship as strangers and when we disembarked, we felt as if we were leaving behind friends.

 

Silver Cloud could use a refit to freshen up the interiors, but is still quite passable--but not as pristine and immaculate as suggested in the brochures.

 

 

Would we sail with her again?

 

Absolutely!

[duct tape]

Thanx!

[wripro]

Anyone know if they've "freshened up" the Cloud since December 2006?

[DebbieH103]

Thanks for the review. I'd like to hear more about Dubai and Mumbai and anywhere else. We are doing Dubai to Mumbai THIS December on Whisper.