Live: Amazon River, Caribbean, Many Pix’s, Terry/Ohio

Appreciate, Jeff, your dropping by, saying HI! and making these kind, smart, wise and knowing comments. YES, there are "sensitivies" about the serious time it takes to snap ALL of the pictures, check/edit these many visuals, do these postings, etc. That is part of the challenge! It's OUR trip/vacation, not just my adventure. Keeping that "right balance" is not easy. On a trip like ours, there has been so many wonderful sights that there are many, many pictures to review and edit. Picking the "best of the best" can be difficult. It keeps, however, the great memories alive and well.

 

Good eye for noticing the Jasper Johns sign in St. Barts. Sorry, didn't go in there, nor buy anything there in charming and wonderful St. Barts. "Retail" is not my thing and/or priority. I like seeing the architecture, sights, taking pictures, nature, etc. Much cheaper that way.

 

Now am mentally preparing for the cold, COLD weather of Central Ohio. Now at 10°F with mostly sunny and a "RealFeel" of 7°F in Columbus. For tonight, it will be a LOW of -7°F and a RealFeel of -11°F. Tomorrow: snow showers in the afternoon, a high ofi 22°F. More cold later this week. BUT, by the end of next week, it will get up in the 50'sF. I will take credit for bringing back some warm weather during the coming weeks.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

I'm sure it wasn't a gallery in St Barts! To my great regret, he gave me a small stars and stripes original when he visited and exhibited at Whitechapel Gallery in 1964 when I was a rather annoying and untalented schoolboy aspiring artist! I wish I had kept it as I presume it would be worth enough to buy a few bits of travel. I found his pictures a touch confusing ... particularly all his grey paintings with the words "grey" printed on them!

Are you just passing through Atlanta pr spending a day there? Keep out of the "bad areas" (where all the good southern food is ....) my favourite US city.

Safe travels.

Jeff

Thanks for reawakening many personal memories with your excellent reports and pics from your Amazon adventure.We look forward to your Capetown round trip next winter which we did 6 years ago,more memories to resurect! from this beautiful part of the world.

I'm sure it wasn't a gallery in St Barts! To my great regret, he gave me a small stars and stripes original when he visited and exhibited at Whitechapel Gallery in 1964 when I was a rather annoying and untalented schoolboy aspiring artist! I wish I had kept it as I presume it would be worth enough to buy a few bits of travel. I found his pictures a touch confusing ... particularly all his grey paintings with the words "grey" printed on them! Are you just passing through Atlanta or spending a day there? Keep out of the "bad areas" (where all the good southern food is ....) my favourite US city. Safe travels. Jeff

brimary: Thanks for reawakening many personal memories with your excellent reports and pics from your Amazon adventure. We look forward to your Capetown round trip next winter which we did 6 years ago' date=' more memories to resurect! from this beautiful part of the world. [/quote']

 

It's a little after 6 am as my body clock woke me up early. Based on the clocks for San Juan and most of the Caribbean, it is actually a little after 7 am there. Below is more on the weather back here in Ohio with the local schools closed again. So super COLD!! But, the sun will be shining, again, here today!

 

All worked super well on our flights and timings yesterday. We just passed through Atlanta's airport. No overnight or serious time in that town. We arrived at Terminal A from San Juan and our flight to Columbus was only about seven gates away . . . in that same terminal. Only about 90 minutes between our flights. Did not have to move to another one of their many, large terminal buildings. Our flight arrived ahead of schedule to Columbus, luggage was ALL there!! YES, our driveway was covered in about 7" of snow. Lots of deer tracks all over our front yard. Had to walk up the steep driveway, get my Honda SUV with 4WD, go down, get my luggage from our friend's car, etc. Then, picked up our two dogs from where they were staying out in the country, dinner with our long-time friends at the favorite Iron Grill BBQ neighborhood dining place, go downtown to my office, etc.

 

Have a busy work-day ahead today with an all-day conference, then a Board meeting tomorrow, etc. PLUS, lots of work to get all unpacked, organized stuff from the trip, etc. On the flights home, I did make some progress in doing more to organize in a better manner ALL of the pictures taken, etc. Still more to do in sorting out the duplicate pictures, narrowing down the files, etc.

 

Will post more later on some "final thoughts" from our wonderful trip/adventure, suggestions for the cruise line, etc. That, however, will take a few days to complete. Back to battling the weather, doing work to pay for that next trip, commence research on these parts of southern Africa, etc.

 

THANKS for all who have made comments, asked questions, etc.! Keep it coming. Happy to share more, respond to any comments, info needs. Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 172,387 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

Here is the screen shot view of what AccuWeather is showing for Columbus, Ohio, this morning. This is quite a change from San Juan, the Caribbean and the Amazon River during the past months. BUT, yesterday and today it will be . . . SUNNY!! That helps psychologically to not feel as dull, grey and depressing.:

 

Below is a fun picture from yesterday afternoon just to "prove" that snow was really there on the ground in Central Ohio as we were returning home. Yes, for those in warm climates, this is how this "white stuff" looks.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 99,605 views for this posting.

As our Delta jet plane was approaching Columbus' airport, here is the view out our window showing the snow covering the ground, how most of the roads had been cleared from the heavy Saturday storms, etc.:

Well done, Terry, enjoyed all your posts. Thank you for sharing such a great trip.

Below is a fun picture...

 

I liked all of your previous posts but I have to object to you calling this fun! ;)

I liked all of your previous posts but I have to object to you calling this fun! ;)

patnlcc: Well done' date=' Terry, enjoyed all your posts. Thank you for sharing such a great trip. [/quote']

 

YES, JP, I am somewhat "guilty" as charged, kind of, etc., for not being totally clear about what was "fun" for me and my personal purposes. Reminding suffering people of the snow, cold and brutal winter is not "fun". On the opening of the NBC Today show, they just noted that Boston is now over 100" of snow so far this winter and that more Canada cold is coming down to many parts of the USA during the next week or so. Sorry, Canada, to blame you folks!! Facts are facts!!

 

In my mind, however, it was the "excitement" and enjoyment from capturing unique and interesting visual images on an airplane while getting ready to land that got me so fired up. That was "fun" for me and the reason for my comment in that direction.

 

Below is another picture that my iPhone camera grabbed, somewhat by chance/luck. Getting in the plane's engine, wing-tip and the snowy ground got me excited. Then, I got this special view of the airplane's shadow being included, too!! That was the "fun" for me. It's not often that I am sitting in this first class airplane position and get the alignment of the various photo angles and plane aspects. Good eye and point by JP. BUT, now you have the "rest of the story" on that one picture and the other camera view. By the way, those iPhone cameras can do a very good photo job, too!! Right? Visual "evidence" to prove this photography point. I don't always need my Nikon D7100 and better lenses to gain good, exciting results.

 

Appreciate the kind comment from patnlcc and all of the others who have been so nice to have posted such nice follow-ups. Keep the good questions and reactions rolling along. Happy to share more.

 

Now over 16,000 views on this live/blog.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 194,958 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

Here was another "fun" (in my mind) visual image that I captured from from seat window as our Delta A330 was in final approach for our Port Columbus airport. Here you can see the shadow of the plane on the ground. Proof that the sun was shining very brightly on Monday afternoon!:

 

terry for all of your hard work in posting and capturing the cruise in visuals for us.

I for one, was not ready for it to end, and I am sure many other readers felt the same way. You just have such an exuberant attitude that it is pervasive and uplifting.

Enjoy your time home with the doggers, I am sure they were ecstatic to see you and your wife.

Thanks much again.

terry for all of your hard work in posting and capturing the cruise in visuals for us. I for one, was not ready for it to end, and I am sure many other readers felt the same way. You just have such an exuberant attitude that it is pervasive and uplifting. Enjoy your time home with the doggers, I am sure they were ecstatic to see you and your wife. Thanks much again.

Appreciate these nice comments and the follow-up from our south Florida poster. Do hate to have things come to an "end" from our cruise/adventure, but fortunately, we have other things to do and with which to "move on". Been busy with work the past three days, getting ready for a TV show Friday afternoon, setting appointments for next week, legal cases being reviewed, etc.

AND for South Africa, in early 2016, I got completed yesterday the basic Travelex insurance sign-up completed. You need to do those things within 21 days of your initial cruise booking in order to not have any "pre-existing conditions" problems/limitations happen for the future.

PLUS, weather???? The news today was much about the super bad weather hitting Atlanta and how flight schedule got messed up at the world's largest airport that we used on Monday. Fortunately, all went super smoothly with our flights through Atlanta. Below is the latest weather for Central Ohio. Still, cold and bad here and in many of the USA and world.

Make one appreciate and love the great weather we enjoyed during our entire trip.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 99,850 views for this posting.

Here is the late morning today update from AccuWeather about Central Ohio. Am I ready to be back in the 80'sF weather of the Caribbean? Yes, would like that much!!:

Terry if you need any info on SA for your next cruise here in 2016, my partner and I are based here and are ardent SS cruisers, let us know our email is rdmcc@webmail.co.za

Terry if you need any info on SA for your next cruise here in 2016, my partner and I are based here and are ardent SS cruisers, let us know our email is rdmcc@webmail.co.za

Very much appreciate your kind offer. YES, will follow-up as I get better focused for our next "adventure". Yesterday, we just finalized an upgrade from our on-board booking. On the Silver Cloud, we had booked a Vista suite. BUT, my wife and I did more "discussions" about the pro/con factors for the costs and benefits of a balcony versus a window-only room. My wife really likes that early morning "coffee-reading" time out on a balcony. Plus, the balcony does give you more room and privacy to enjoy the trip.

We are now upgraded and booked for Silver Cloud #537 on this ten-day, voyage #1603. It departs February 2, 2016 from Cape Town, South Africa at 11 pm. This cruise will have three sea days, plus stops at Port Elizabeth, Maputo/Mozambique, an over-night, two-day stop at Richards Bay, plus Durban and East London before returning to Cape Town on February 12.

For us, the "My Silversea" feature on the SS website now shows 339 days till this sailing and allows us to start thinking about certain other details/bookings for this trip. In February 2016, there are three three of these ten-day sailings available on the Silver Cloud and things are selling very well and fast for our cruise. All of the bigger suites are gone and only one mid-ship balcony is available right now. For being nearly a year away, the other balcony and Vista suites have sold very well, also. Space available, but going fairly quickly.

Encourage all to join with us and others to do this sailing. The Silver Cloud will have all new teak decks and other upgrades from its 18-day dry dock in October 2015. Allen King will be the Cruise Director and there should be other familiar, friendly faces on this sailing. During the coming weeks, I will need to be looking at airline options, probably including a stop-over in Amsterdam in getting down to South Africa. We will do three or four days in Cape Town before or after our Feb. 2-12 cruise, plus time for visiting Botswana, Victoria Falls, etc.

More research, planning, etc., to be accomplished. BUT, we had planned to do the Silver Whisper, Mombasa to Cape Town in March-April 2015. Due to ebola worries, we scrubbed that trip and switched to the Amazon/Caribbean. Last year, I had done much prep work for Africa, including meeting with the former Columbus Zoo Director, etc. Since lots of those "basics" have been done, it will be easier. Now we are focused with our early 2016 "Escape the Ohio Winter" plan. Keep rolling with any other such good tips, sharing, etc.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at over 100,000 views for these postings.

It speaks volumes that an HD would tell a customer that they ignore feedback on places like CC and don't even bother reading it.

On another thread, Jeff mades a reference that nobody with Silversea pays attention to Cruise Critic postings. Thought that it might be helpful to post here, too, what I said in reply based on my experiences.

My reaction? Now sure that this is totally and always true. From our just-completed, 26-day Silver Cloud sailing, I was doing a live/blog and got much, very detailed feed-back from the Hotel Director and other top officers during our cruise. This included that people back at the SS Headquarters had been following closely what I was posting, etc. I will not now go into all of the details shared with me, but there is a strong awareness about what is being post on social media about their ships, the service quality, etc. Clearly, they feel a "frustration" as these various OPINIONS expressed are just that. Opinions!!

Not everyone agrees with ALL of these varied views. If I had followed and believed all of the various comments on Silversea and the Silver Cloud, we might not have taken these two cruise segments. Then, we would have missed some tremendously positive and enjoyable experiences. My sense/guess is that Silversea does follow many of these Cruise Critic posts. But, they are focused first and foremost on the detailed questionnaire forms completed by customers at the end of each sailing. That feed-back is really important to them and what they do and adjust for the future. Also on small ships such as Silversea has, the top staff can get closer to their customers, hear and evaluate comments in a better manner than is done by the top staff on larger ships.

With successful businesses, you must listen to customers, but you need to keep it "ALL" in proper perspective regarding certain "squeaky wheels". Some complainers bring up solid, legitimate points, but others just like to be sour and negative.

The challenge? Sort out what is important and needing attention versus the "noise" that always happens out there.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 172,810 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Still have a number of visuals and other items to post from our Amazon-Caribbean adventure. Since getting back eleven days ago from the Caribbean and Amazon, things have been busy, busy for both me and my wife. We've been on the run, catching up, etc.

Thursday is a good example. Had challenging traffic/weather that morning, needed to be at a 9:15 am meeting downtown, needed to review a number of cases and others things in my office overlooking the Statehouse. Plus a variety of catch-up phone calls in the afternoon, appointments to schedule for later in the month, etc. Then, there was a 7 pm TV taping and grabbing dinner with our food friends at "City Barbeque" after doing that program. Love their beef brisket, etc.

WEATHER WE MISSED?: While at the local NBC station Thursday evening, their two top TV weather experts were there and we chatted much before our show taping. Their Chief Meteorologist has been there at this station for 36 years and is a super, top-rated weather expert/junkie. Their number two meteorologist has been at their station nearly that long and has an amazing weather, science, nature, academic, etc., background. BOTH were very, very interested in the details on the Amazon River, what we did there, etc. BUT, the shocking part was about how bad, BAD was the weather that we missed while our sailing on the Silver Cloud. There were fourteen different record lows set during this period when we were gone. WOW!! Neither of these weather experts had seen anything in recent history this bad for low, LOW temperatures. Actually, early 2014 produced more snow, but nothing like the early 2015 cold conditions. One town in Central Ohio dipped down to MINUS 39F during this recent period. That was not a wind-chill reading, but an actual temperature. It was fun talking with both of them and learning more about what we missed. Plus, their interest in the Amazon.

Also, have been busy getting lined up through American Airlines Frequent Flyer miles for how to use OneWorld airline partner Qatar and their base in Doha to make our flights getting down to Cape Town work for late January 2016 trip and Silver Cloud sailing. AND, doing it with Business Class on nice, new Boeing 777 and 787 aircrafts with 78-80" lay-flat seating, etc.!! Plus, in high gear with other research and planning efforts in connections with this Africa adventure next year.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, look at this earlier posting for many options and visual samples this city that is so great for "walking around", personally seeing its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 48,871 views.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

From AccuWeather, here is the outlook for the next two weeks in Columbus and Central Ohio. Relief is coming. Spring will be here soon!! Fortunately!! We like getting those temperatures up in the 50'sF.:

Sounds like a fabulous trip! How lucky you are to be able to take such a long one; I'm quite jealous!

You really got some great shots--love the one of the beach in Barbados at night. And the excursions in Granada. Really nice job! - musingaboutcruising.blogspot.com.

Your trip and photos Sounds like a fabulous trip! How lucky you are to be able to take such a long one; I'm quite jealous!

You really got some great shots--love the one of the beach in Barbados at night. And the excursions in Granada. Really nice job! - musingaboutcruising.blogspot.com.

Appreciate these nice comments and the sharing for some of the highlights that you liked the most. Great photo link that you shared.

Getting ready for doing South Africa on the Silver Cloud early in 2016, I just finalized last night my Qatar flights to Doha and Cape Town for late January. Now, I need to wait until later this month when I can use my remaining American Airlines Frequent Flyer miles to get back from Botswana, etc., to Ohio's winter cold next year.

From yesterday's National Geographic Traveler photo seminar in Columbus, Ohio, titled: "The Travel Assignment", here are a few of my highlights and summary points:

This is the fifth of their programs that I have attended. First was in Philadelphia, March 2012,, then previously three such presentations in Columbus (October 2012 plus May and November 2013). Each of these programs has two of their expert photographers sharing tips, insights and many photo examples. Very interesting and inspiring!! Lots of opportunities to ask questions of these experts who are so experienced and very well-traveled. Some might assume that doing such programs would get "old" or repetitive. BUT, yesterday's was one of the best, thanks to the upsetting sharing by these two photographers.

Jim Richardson has become a super expert for National Geographic on Scotland, especially for their scenic and unique islands. Jim lives in a small town (Lindsborg) in central Kansas near to where my wife's brother lives in Junction City. Jim's sense of humor was wonderful and both of them do not get too "technical" in suggesting their secrets for getting good pictures from your travels.

Dan Westergren is the Senior Photo Editor for National Geographic Traveler magazine and opened with some of the top, top visual highlights during the first thirty years with this magazine.

From Jim: Be interesting, don’t be boring. Do photo views from a higher location. For areas such as the Amazon or Africa, getting some from a higher angle, such an aircraft, can be helpful in putting the locations in perspective. Try for something more than just at water or ground level. Things have changed. Just taking a picture of a “place” is not your real or best experience. Make it about your “unique experience” to be more "personal"!! With a wide angle lens, you can change the scale, get more “involved” in the scene. A wide angle allows you to show more in the background. Doing festivals with its outpouring of local pride and character is always colorful. He summarized: “If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of more interesting stuff.”

From Dan: Their magazines like photos that have a “sense of place”. Likes to put their readers in the destinations where we travel. The NG approach is liking to have people in their pictures. Not just a sterile or post-card image. On defining light, photographs speak through light. The light defines the mood and the feeling of the place. Shooting at dusk is the best time of the day to shoot. They want "meaningful" pictures, not just pretty pictures that have been seen many times previously. Window light is our best fried for getting great lighting effects. Getting down low helps to separate the subject from the background. NG Traveler does much on cities and food/dining places, bars, etc., as locations where there is “action”.

On photographing people, Jim strongly suggests getting "below the surface". Get them in their environment, their setting. Let those things come out in the pictures. On tips for reflecting the character of the people you are shooting, he gave an example of photos with Mounties in Canada. Get to know them first. Make that personal “connection”. Look for "telling gestures". Let them be themselves.

For "capturing moments", it can be more difficult to get. You need to shoot lots of frames. Festivals are great and it could be good to get to the starting point or later at the end of the parade or program. Anticipate what is coming. Prepare and anticipate, watching for repeating moments. Set-up and wait!!?? Try lots of different things, angles, looks, ready for the moment.

From Dan on using light, we can see with our eyes in both shadow and bright light. But, the camera cannot do that wide of a range of lighting. Go when the light is good. Take the picture from a variety of angles. See what works best. Backlighting will often give it more depth.

These are only a few of my notes, but hopefully they inspire some encouragement to get better, more interesting visuals that will creative better memories from our life experiences and travels. Happy to share more, if needed or of benefit. Any others who have attend these NG programs or done any of their longer, on-location "adventures" at locations around the world?

From the March 2012 National Geographic Traveler photo seminar in Philadelphia, here is what I had posted earlier on that program, their photo tips, ideas, etc.:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1590698

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 101,547 views for this posting.

Here are a few of my visual samples from the National Geographic photo seminar in Columbus yesterday. It shows photo editor Dan (the younger one) and experience field photographer Jim in action, sharing so much with the audience. Plus, a few of their photo examples were shown during this all-day program. These photo samples do not do full or even part justice to the quality of what they have produced. These visuals help give, however, a little "tasting" for the many exciting and interesting locations they have visited and documented over the years for the NG magazines.:

Thanks all for the info. Did you enjoy the Silver cloud? Was the food good? Were the table linens changed and kept clean? Many Thanks

On another thread, the above question was asked. Below is part of what I shared from our recent 26-days on the Silver Cloud. The quick answer is . . . YES, things were fine!! We did a booking for an early 2016, ten-day, South Africa cruise on the Silver Cloud. If we had been reasonably happy, we would not have made such an advanced booking.

Were things "perfect" on the Silver Cloud? No. Never happens on a ship, with a hotel, etc. That has been our comparison experiences from being on Seabourn, Crystal, Silversea and Celebrity. There are always "little things" that could be made better, improved or changed. Not every crew member is at the peak, highest level to match the "best of the best" staff. Some of the "wear-and-being-old" aspects such as the teak decking will get fixed in late October during the Cloud's 18-day dry dock process in Italy.

There were a few "service inconsistencies" that happened . . . maybe 5% of the time. This includes an order mix-up, not getting butter or small items done for our table after asking the first time, etc. BUT, there was nothing terrible or dire to cause us to "suffer".

My to-do list? For the top management, I would like more cashews and better snack mixes in the Panorama Lounge. Too many of the plain and cheaper peanuts and chips. More electrical outlets in the rooms, etc. That one is hard to fix for the Silver Cloud and many other, even newer ships. A few of the wines at dinner could have been a little better, but all you needed to do was ask for something a little better or different. Then, they would be happy to provide alternatives and/or added options. The new showers are a nice improvement over the old tubs on the Silver Cloud. BUT, those shower doors would sometimes not stay shut, starting to roll at times as sea conditions "rocked". I can add a few more items to my list, but, overall, we had a great, fun, interesting experience over our 26-days on the ship. Many, many top, highly-responsive staffers and wonderful fellow passengers.

Very pleased with the overall food quality. As good as or maybe even a little better than what we enjoyed four and a half years ago on the Silver Cloud in Norway. Yes, table linens were clean and very nice, etc.

Clearly the list for what was right and very good to excellent is a much longer grouping than a few of the things that would be needing improved. The staff, starting with the Hotel Manager, was very attentive and responsive when you asked questions. That was the response I got from the HD on a day-one air conditioning question, long before he or anyone else knew that I was writing a blog.

Happy to share more and/or answer any added, more specific information needs.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 174,596 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Hello again Terry, hope I'm on the right thread! What a shame that you had to postpone your trip to Africa, but I will be reading the thread of all your adventures along the Amazon and around the Caribbean (which we absolutely love) as soon as I am well enough, but I jump the gun.

As you know I believe, we planned another visit to Australia early this year and thought we would be there when you were enjoying Africa. However, on 15th January we flew to Dubai and stopped over there for 5 days; its an interesting place but not really for us we decided. We then flew on to Singapore where we have been many times before and, as always, loved it yet again. Then we flew on to Brisbane where our relatives met us the following day and we spent a few days exploring this vibrant city which we have visited a couple of times before but always enjoy it. Brisbane had changed quite a lot since our last visit with a magnificent road system but we managed just fine and visited the GABBA cricket ground and a few other tourist spots, caught up with yet more relatives and then after a few days we headed about 200 miles north to Maryborough where our niece and her family live. We had two wonderful weeks there and whilst based there we got to visit Hervey Bay which was lovely and also Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world, magic. After our first week staying in Maryborough, I was unwell :eek: but got over it and carried on regardless, but it came back to haunt me every 3-4 days but I was still determined to carry on with our plans and enjoy this trip. On 7th February, we travelled back down to Brisbane to take a flight across the width of Australia (5.5 hours) to Perth in Western Australia where we planned to base ourselves for another two weeks. We absolutely fell in love with this super lovely city, its amazingly beautiful and we wished we could live there as we loved it so much. We hired a car and spent one week in and around Perth (including the WACA, did you guess my husband is a cricket fan?) with a few day trips out of the city, so much to see and do, so little time and again I was feeling very unwell every few days. After a week, we left most of our luggage at our hotel and headed south to tour the beautiful south-west region of WA which, again, we absolutely loved. There had been very bad forest fires south of the Margaret River region so we had to change our original plans somewhat, but eventually ended up in Albany. All the scenery and places we had visited were so interesting and so beautiful and we really enjoyed it, albeit I was still experiencing bouts of being 'crook' every few days. Time and tide wait for no man, of course, so we eventually had to head back up to Perth for the final few days and came back to UK along the same route we'd travelled out, via Singapore and Dubai for a couple of quick stopovers and some decent sleep as its a long, long flight otherwise.

When we finally arrived back home, unfortunately my health did not improve at all, to the contrary, but nobody seemed to be able to diagnose exactly what was wrong :confused: until mid April when I was rushed into hospital by ambulance and had to have major intestinal surgery without delay. I have now been out of hospital for:) two weeks and am doing well, but it will be a long haul back to full recovery and fitness again. I am so pleased that my determination meant that this unfortunate health issue didn't really interfere with our trip too much. We have returned to UK with many happy memories and some nice photos too, but I don't know how to post any of them here on CC.

So I need to rest and recuperate for some time yet and will spend some of that time travelling with you and Penny around the Caribbean and the Amazon. My husband and I send you and your lovely wife our kind regards and look forward to reading more of your most interesting posting here. No holidays for a while for us just yet, but I think it will be back to cruising before too long :D

Hello again Terry, hope I'm on the right thread! So I need to rest and recuperate for some time yet and will spend some of that time travelling with you and Penny around the Caribbean and the Amazon. My husband and I send you and your lovely wife our kind regards and look forward to reading more of your most interesting posting here. No holidays for a while for us just yet, but I think it will be back to cruising before too long :D

Appreciate this nice follow-up from our UK friend. Best of luck for your speedy health recovery. And, getting back in the cruise and/or travel activities!!! Let me know any reactions, comments and/or questions from this live/blog. Will share your kind wishes with my wife.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 198,953 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

We're off up the Amazon Feb 2016, I have so enjoyed reading your "blog" this morning...it took quite a while :-). It was lovely seeing all the photos. It's all been a great help. Was there any special insect repellent you could recommend, or just anyone which contained Deet? It was also interesting to see what sort of clothing and shoes everyone wore while on their jungle trips....was the jungle floor just damp or quite wet and muddy? Did you take a waterproof with you when you went out at all...a just in case type? Did ou need local currency at all or did US$ work out just as well? We've made quite a few trips to Brazil and South America in the past few years, but this will be our first to Manaus, I'm sure it will be quite an adventure

Sandy in Spain

We're off up the Amazon Feb 2016, I have so enjoyed reading your "blog" this morning...it took quite a while :-). It was lovely seeing all the photos. It's all been a great help. Was there any special insect repellent you could recommend, or just anyone which contained Deet? It was also interesting to see what sort of clothing and shoes everyone wore while on their jungle trips....was the jungle floor just damp or quite wet and muddy? Did you take a waterproof with you when you went out at all...a just in case type? Did ou need local currency at all or did US$ work out just as well? We've made quite a few trips to Brazil and South America in the past few years, but this will be our first to Manaus, I'm sure it will be quite an adventure. Sandy in Spain

Appreciate, Sandy, these good questions and your nice follow-up. YES, happy to share more. Glad you are aiming for this interesting area of the world in Feb. 2016. Here are some responses and added information for your interests:

1. Insect/Repellent? We brought along a couple of different types of repellent, including those with Deet at a higher than average level. BUT, fortunately, the insect challenges were not that major. Some had predicted/shared before our trip that bug issues are not as terrible as some expect. It seems that as you are mainly close to the Amazon River, then things are not as bad for the insects. Even in the Amazon jungle area about 60 miles north of Manaus, we did not seem to have serious challenges in that way. Take the repellent, but supposed things only get really bad when you are much deeper in the jungle areas.

2. Jungle Floor/Wet?: During our day exploring the jungle, there was a little rain that day, but the high tree cover captured/shielded much of it and there were not too many challenges in that manner. There were a few little small muddy stretches during our walking on the trails, but nothing too bad or significant. For getting our feet wet, that did happen when going inside the one cave with its water stream, plus in hiking along/near a waterway as a part of our route returning. No major problems. Our Butler got my shoes cleaned up well after returning to the ship.

3. Currency Needs?: In some cases, you will need a certain amount of Brazil currency. Local tours might be that biggest potential need. If you are doing ship tours, then there is no need for that local currency. On a couple of our tours, we were to be paying with the Brazil money. We did a quick stop at an ATM and that worked well for those needs. Much depends if you are planning to do that much via local public transit and/or dining/shopping by/with the smaller street vendors, etc. For many better eating/shops, they will take credit cards. Overall, we need to have some Brazil currency, but it was easy to get and worked out fine.

Keep the good questions coming. All of that research and planning are important and helpful to make your adventure work better.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 108,313 views for this posting.

Silversea Cruises-free alcohol on board? interested in which brands of free alcohol are on board on Silversea Cruises; particularly which single malt scotch (if any) and what brands/types wine and champagne???

Appreciate this above good question and thought that I would share some of the information here. Below is some "photo evidence" from our Silver Cloud sailing. I did these photos from the main bar near the theater on the ship. Hope this answers some questions and gives ideas for certain of your options. PLUS, also ask if you have a specific need/interest. Just because a brand and/or type is not shown does not mean that the bar people do not have "it" hidden and/or available from another area of the ship.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 180,259 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

From the Silver Cloud in February 2015, here is a sampling for what was shown and available at the main bar near the theater. The fifth picture was posted earlier but fits here to show two of the "best" associated with these beverage options. The bar staff was totally wonderful. Plus, super friendly!! Monteza is so spectacular in being everywhere, flowing well with her super personality and being totally helpful, etc. And Russel is behind the bar doing his magic to prepare great drinks.:

Hi Terry, we are trying our first Vista this fall on the Whisper…that's what I get for waiting to book so late! You mentioned you switched from Vista to Verandah for 2016…have you sailed in a Vista before? I am going to try this one out and then see what I think before booking the Cloud for Fall 2016 (Southhampton to Lisbon). Thoughts? I very much enjoyed my Verandahs but…

Thanks!

Melissa

We were on the Cloud for 28 nights Copenhagen to London in 2013 and were in a Visa Suite.

We were very happy with it as there is a big picture window so the cabin was light. The view from the window was good and if we wanted a wider view we went up on deck or into one of the lounges.

We were lucky and had calm seas, but if they had been rough I would have been happy to be on deck 4.

You will have a wonderful trip in a Visa or balcony suite.

Hi Terry, we are trying our first Vista this fall on the Whisper…that's what I get for waiting to book so late! You mentioned you switched from Vista to Verandah for 2016…have you sailed in a Vista before? I am going to try this one out and then see what I think before booking the Cloud for Fall 2016 (Southhampton to Lisbon). Thoughts? I very much enjoyed my Verandahs but… Thanks! Melissa

jillyf: We were on the Cloud for 28 nights Copenhagen to London in 2013 and were in a Visa Suite. We were very happy with it as there is a big picture window so the cabin was light. The view from the window was good and if we wanted a wider view we went up on deck or into one of the lounges. We were lucky and had calm seas' date=' but if they had been rough I would have been happy to be on deck 4. You will have a wonderful trip in a Visa or balcony suite. [/quote']

 

Sorry, Melissa, for my delay in responding. Agree with jillyf that a Vista suite can work just fine. On the Whisper, the interior size of space and lay-out, whether a Vista or Balcony is the same overall size. That's a very nicely-sized 287 sq ft / 27m2. The veranda adds 60 sq ft / 6m2. For the Cloud and Wind, it is a slightly smaller main room area size of 240 sq ft / 22m2. We did very well with that 240 sq ft of space during our recent 26-day Silver Cloud trip. In July 2010, we were booked in a Vista for our Norway cruise, but got upgraded to a balcony early due to some "mechanical issues" during that cruise. Our friends were in that Vista during that cruise and found "things" to be fine. The windows are nice and large. On our first cruise in 2006 for the Greek Isles with Seabourn, we had a large window room and it worked very well.

 

TRADE-OFFS??: The balcony is very nice and adds more options/dimensions for where to "hang-out" and enjoy your "space". BUT, is it worth the added cost? For the Amazon river-Caribbean trip, we got the balcony for the Vista price, which made things wonderful!!! For our South Africa early 2016, ten-day cruise, we are booked in a balcony but are debating if it is worth the added $2,000 more this trip. Maybe. Maybe not.

 

WHAT'S DIFFERENT??: On smaller ships such as the Cloud and Whisper, it is fairly easy to shoot up to the higher levels and find a variety of nice places to hang out, see the sights, etc. On larger ships, things are not as easy and/or quick to move to such alternate locations.

 

My bottom line is that either way can work just fine. For us, it is more about where we are visiting, plus being on a first-class ship with wonderful staff and nice people. Whether in a Vista or balcony, you get it "all"!

 

Added questions, info needs, reactions??

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio[/color

 

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, look at this earlier posting for many options and visual samples this city that is so great for "walking around", personally seeing its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 52,769 views.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

Thanks Terry and Jilly! We are going to try Canada in a Vista and then make the decision about the Med suite. I think Med in late Aug/Sept may lend itself more to a balcony than Canada in Sept/Oct but I will do a cost compare. We did get some use out of the balcony in Alaska and the Baltics (both Sept) but then again we had phenomenally good weather so we shall see what happens this fall. I fear we are due for rain and cold :eek:

Terry, I truly enjoy all of your photos and descriptions of your various cruises…have followed each with delight. Am looking forward to seeing your African Adventure next year.

Melissa