Fantastic Wind!

[Hobar]

ok.i had to step in here. caviar, champagne etc. a wonderful experience but then again, we hear about the people who take Loehman's sized bags and pack stuff for the room, take free samples even if they don't like them and if it's free, they take it. this is NOT Carnival. we are supposed to be sophisticated, upscale, travel savvy people who should know how DAMN lucky we are to be able to take a cruise like this and our lives have been blessed that we are fortunate enough to travel.

 

it reminds me of the run on the Bailey Savings & Loan in "it's a Wonderful life."

 

some people take what they really need, others take what they feel they are owed.

 

caviar is a refined taste. we are successful, upscale.we don't like caviar.that's us.

 

take a breather and if you like the xtras, pay for it. i don't expect people to pay for my upgraded wine selections. that is a personal choice.

 

that said:

 

obama, hillary or mccain??

[MuseCruiser]

Offered with great respect---if people say they don't care what caviar costs, then just order the Petrossian off the connoisseur's list and forget the price. Much better than the paddlefish offered for free on Seabourn or what used to be offered on Silversea. No comparison.

[Jaffa]

Now that the complimentary caviar has gone from Silversea and is charged also on RSSC, it will now only be a matter of time before it disappears from Seabourn as well.

 

Lack of competition always changes the financial ground rules.

You just wait and see!

[meow!]

Searching on the web, I find "Icelandic caviars" that looked just like the others at a lot cheaper prices. I am not supposed to post links on this board which refers to sales of any kind (and not just travel agencies). Perhaps the purchasing department of Silversea can look into that subject, and find an "alternative supply" acceptable to most passengers at a price acceptable to the cruise line. That may be a temporary compromise!

[Wellseasoned]

I am currently aboard the Whisper in the Red Sea. The caviar served on the first formal night was a tiny portion and pretty tastless. It was also served without ice and without a caviar spoon. However, I took precautions before embarking in Dubai. With a search of the spice souk, I found some decent Sevruga at a comparatively good price. It's not the Oscetra I crave, but it is significantly better than the paddlefish. Room service is happy to bring me the fixings (and proper spoon), and my caviar resides comfortably in the suite fridge.

[wripro]

I know many people who had standing orders for caviar in their suite EVERY night at 6 while dressing for dinner, usually double portions (NOT ME!). They did not order Petrossian even though it is much better than the paddlefish. They ordered it because it was included in the price of the fare. I doubt those same people are ordering double portions of Petrossian in their cabins every night now. If the next step is the elimination of wine with meals and the same logic persists we should not object, merely order off the vintage collection menu which has much better wines and forget about what it costs.

 

My point is that SS's prices are extremely high now, we are subsidizing the fuel costs with surcharges, and they are eliminating perks they used to provide. I repeat that will not stop me from sailing with them if they have an itinerary I want, but I don't have to like their profiteering policies.

[meow!]

When they changed from the sevruga to the paddle fish caviar, hardly anyone complained. (Unless told, we ordinary cats do not have the expertise to tell the difference between what we ate in December 2004 and the same month in 2007 on the same ship).

 

Now if they can have free flowing Icelandic caviar (which looks like what they serve now at a small fraction of the price), and consider that just like "house wine", and leave the petrossian as "connoisseur" just like "premium wine", won't that be a good (albeit temporary) compromise?

[CASHIPman]

I'll post a full review under another thread when I return home, but...the Silver Wind is still, as this thread title states, "fantastic!"

 

I'm just off the Wind's crossing (San Juan - Las Palmas) and found the ship and her crew to exceed any and all expectations.

[cruiseerf]

Hello:

 

I am not a huge caviar eater but I would like to call to your attention that on some past cruises the hotel director has told us that on some days they had to divert many staff to deliver and prepare over 120 caviar orders to the rooms for lunch, afternoon and pre dinner caviar room service orders. Some travel agents had even taken to ordering caviar delivery every night for their clients as a "look what you paid for gift" and would make these standing orders when they traveled with their groups.

 

Not to mention it is an extra labor step when we used to order caviar in the dining room as we waited for someone to bring around the accoutraments. While I am sure this was a financial decision, it also frees up more staff to deliver the Silversea Service we all enjoy so.

 

Just an observation, sorry for your loss.

[DebbieH103]

Craig, I can't wait to read your report. We just love Wind, but with only 212 people here on Shadow, we are getting Wind service and Shadow amenities.

 

I did not post in my live report that even Shadow does not have the production shows back yet. They will come back in July and likely on all 4 ships.

[meow!]

While you are on board, can you suggest to them (perhaps the chef will understand) using Icelandic caviar (at a small fraction of the price of American paddle fish and yet look similar) for free flowing caviar (just like free flowing house wine), and keep those petrossian caviar as connoisseur caviar (just like premium wines) for sale. This may be the best temporary compromise worth considering!

[JPR]

American paddlefish caviar is superior in taste to Icelandic caviar (which isn't saying much). However, there is much better tasting American caviar which costs more than paddlefish but half the cost of Russian caviar. Do a little searching on the net.

[billcrooz]

as Shakespeare would say " Much ado about nothing ':D

[wripro]

Maybe it's nothing to you, but it isn't to others. Would you be so indifferent if they took away included alcohol and wine and started charging your account for tips? These things were all part of "all included." Caviar is gone now. what's next? And it's not like we're not paying more than ever including the highest fuel surcharges in the industry.

[MuseCruiser]

We're back from our wonderful cruise on the Wind. It was spectacular from start to finish. One highlight was having Chef Tobias make at our request something special from Germany (his country). He responded by making the best roast suckling pig leg (ham) I have ever tasted. There were four of us and he served us TWO whole suckling pig legs/shanks. He said he had marinated them for 3 days, then slow roasted them for 4 hours+. They were huge but we ate them up. I must say, we had the attention of the dining room that night. Melted in your mouth and so tasty! And oh, the accompaniments--the sauerkraut, etc; best I ever tasted. The pizzas were a bit "non-neopolitan" (too thick) so one night in the cigar lounge, the corporate chef was there. I mentioned this to him. The next day, at lunch by the pool, out he comes with two of the best pizzas I have ever had--he had made them himself. And the special order Indian dinner, made by one of the Indian chefs onboard--the lamb curry and the chicken korma were out of this world. I could go on and on. The cruise was so great that several passengers signed up to continue to Lisbon or London.

 

And you know what? I never heard anyone on the ship even mention the caviar issue. Interesting.

[billcrooz]

Hi Muse cruiser; coudn't have said it better,those nagging nabobs of negativism should stop and smell the roses! There are so much positive things going on during the cruise that to dwell on some fish eggs seems so trite!:rolleyes:

[DebbieH103]

Nobody mentioned caviar on Shadow, either. THey had caviar and blinis at the afternoon tea daily or at least on the menu of what was offered. I did not check it out.

 

Also, on our other 3 cruises, on the lobster night, they always had the huge service of goose liver, but this time, it was fois gras and was huge. Always before the fois gras was smallish. This was the size of my hand.

[johnnycruise]

Also, on our other 3 cruises, on the lobster night, they always had the huge service of goose liver, but this time, it was fois gras and was huge. Always before the fois gras was smallish. This was the size of my hand.

 

I'm not sure what you are talking about - foie gras is the liver of either a duck or a goose which has been fattened by force-feeding the fowl a special diet of mashed corn. What do you mean when you say "goose liver" as opposed to "fois (sic) gras"?

[DebbieH103]

Duck liver instead of goose. When I called the goose liver fois gras on CC before, people told me I was wrong. Anyway, this was duck liver from France. In the past, it has always been billed as goose liver and not fois gras, and when they had fois gras, it was different. There have been big debates about it here before. I did not mean to start anything. Maybe the goose liver before wasn't fattened, etc. I don't know.

[johnnycruise]

OK - thanks for clarifying. The goose foie gras (foie gras d'oie) can be up to 50% more expensive than duck foie gras (foie gras de canard). (A good analogy would be the different types of sturgeon caviar.) Whether from a duck or a goose, foie gras is a delicacy!;)

 

Speaking of caviar, it sounds like the caviar service at tea time was a compromise which worked for most passengers.