Port Power

This blog is to continue with the next leg on Silver Muse, a circumnavigation of Japan including Busan, South Korea. Please note that I tend not to photograph food, but I will try to remember when there are special events or dinners.

Thank you, @photosg for you pr travel blog. I have decided to try and fill in the gap until @drron29 takes over for their cruise to Honk Kong, Singapore and Cairns. Have a safe trip home.

Okay, I’m convinced! I will look up where I can purchase. For those experienced in Arctic travel, would you wear the same boots for Iceland-to-Greenland in June?

That’s quite a jump in boot hire! No, I don’t know anything about the photography academy. I am still working on the visa for Chile. That needs to be submitted prior to my next journey in October.

From everything I have heard and read regarding Silver Wind and Cloud, boots can be rented for US$50. They are included on Silver Endeavour. Passengers receive an email some weeks prior to boarding asking your shoe size.

I will be on the Silver Wind in late December and haven’t heard anything about the hotel. Are you on an earlier expedition? From previous experience in Santiago, a credit card took care of all incidentals, whether at the hotel, shopping centre or market. I did not obtain any local currency. Many places did accept USD but gave change in local currency. That is a handy way of obtaining small amounts without currency conversion fees. Also, hotels will often add a small amount to your room account and give you that amount in local cash to use for tipping.

I’m going to ask for this at Indochine next week (with a substitution of panko crumbs). The chef has offered to make us off-menu dishes, so this might be the perfect challenge. I hope so, as it sounds delicious.

The cruise director is Jonathan, an America with a musical theatre background. He performed his own show a couple of nights ago, and was wonderful. I will ask if he will still be on after the circumnavigation. With five consecutive sea days, trivia has been VERY full. Jonathan is even postponing it 45 minutes tomorrow so that afternoon excursion members will be able to attend. I am not liking the new theatre format with only two singers. Although the sets and themes change, each show sounds much the same. Dancers cannot change that. I gather head office is already thinking about the new format and we have been encouraged to give our opinions in the end of voyage survey.

I agree with @drron29. And as I said previously, dress code generally has no relationship to the country of a port or the time of departure from a port. Perhaps if the ship overnights, I can see casual dress code being more convenient.

The OP did have an included transfer. The question was about an included tour with that transfer. To which I replied there usually is an included tour with the transfer if the flight departs late in the day. I agree that free transfers (with or without tours) should not be included if the passenger has not booked Door to Door. In my experience they are not, but can be purchased.

I could see water right next to the hull from the Observation lounge. From La Terrazza there was nothing but fog after the rail. The pool has been refilled and evidently someone was actually swimming this morning.

No printed list here on Silver Muse. There are some excellent under cover wines that appear once you describe your tastes to the sommelier.

I am currently on Muse heading to Japan. There are only two sea days of the 14 day cruise. The dress code is still 50/50 between casual and informal. Having port excursions does not mean casual dress at night. Sometimes departure from ports is 2:30pm, which allows plenty of time for for dressing up even the formal nights. Expedition cruises are mainly casual, but I don’t think Asian port days are of any significance as far as the dress code goes.

I can confirm that as my flight is at 5:00pm, there is an included transfer to the airport with half day tour. No extra charge.

On Dawn last month, if you had booked and paid for door-to-door, transfers to the airport were included. If flights were after a certain time of the afternoon, that transfer included a half day tour on the way to the airport. No extra charge. (I was not door2door, so I paid for the transfer at the shore excursions desk.) I am going to visit shore excursions here on Muse to check the current arrangements.

Exactly. You are one of the “few” that I mentioned.

Reading this thread has been interesting, because people are mostly comparing a non existent cruise line with an existing cruise line. Crystal went bankrupt and no longer exists, so what is the point in comparisons? The new Crystal has kept the name, but the owners and operators are completely different. A few members are posting real comparisons, but they a very few.

Have you asked that question of Silversea or your TA? Perhaps you need to ask for a refund of transfers from home to airport? Definitely ask for an explanation, and if not happy with the response, just book port to port

On Kodiak Island a group of us was driven up to Fort Abercrombie and left to do self guided wilderness walks, an included tour. A few of us started along the walking track around Lake Gertrude through the temperate rainforest. It was so clear and fresh! There were lily pads on the lake, and moss covering everything not moving. I sample a few late raspberries, which were delicious. And then it was farewell as we sailed away. Fortunately we did not encounter any bears.

I actually did ask this question of my butler when on Silver Dawn recently. Most of my clothes I machine wash on a gentle cycle in cold water, and they cannot be tumble dried. He was advised that there is somewhere that clothing can be hung to dry.

There is so much to do and see at Changi: butterfly enclosure, sunflower garden, movie theatre and more. It is very easy to move between the three terminals on the monorail, and the signage is clear and prominent. Departure gates have secondary security, so you need to be at the gate 10-20 minutes before boarding, as well as allowing walking time from the lounge to the gate. It is better to use the Lounge at your departure terminal. There are SilverKris Lounges at both Terminals 2 and 3 that I think Etihad uses. They are very good. I was there last week.

Apart from bringing canapés, what you describe is exactly what occurred with my butler on boarding the Muse last week: mini bar, bathroom products, daily canapés or not, etc. I guess not all butlers are equal.

My butlers have always offered to open the champagne and pour me a glass. I sort of miss the glass on arrival, but often hands are full with the carry on and a shoulder bag, and perhaps a jacket. Within minutes of boarding you can be sitting comfortably and order a fresh, cold champers though.

We also had such an enthusiastic guide. She had only recently completed her marine biology degree and will do her PhD next year. She did say that the calfs were now about a year old, so they will have to fend for themselves soon. I had dinner at Silver Note with another lady. So good! Delicious food served very differently and a wonderful singer. We stayed until closing.