canderson

Where's Terry? Should we be taking short positions on Paroc??? 😏 Just kidding. It's huge, but it's privately held.

Has someone suggested otherwise?

It's a reflection of what has already occurred on other lines (e.g. Celebrity), even in their venue on par with La Dame. Remember my note that I'd be sad to see another line go "least common denominator". I'll grant there's a bit of sophistry employed with that 'slippery slope' argument, but we've watched it play out in exactly that way on a line we used to sail with often. I really believe that there's enough diversity in cruise 'style' preferences that every line doesn't have to try to be all things to all people. Cunard continues to do well, but it's nice to have a smaller ship alternative for other itineraries. A line with smaller ships that finds middle ground between Cunard and the mass market lines suits us well, and I would think suits enough others to continue to make a good business of it.

More like we get 'worked up' over the fact that some folks think their idea of a vacation is what matters, no matter the preferences of the line or customers who choose that line over others. It's not just a dress code issue, either, though that's one of the more visible ways that attitude is often reflected in practice on some lines, no matter the line's preferences. In this and other ways, I'd be sad if yet another cruise line goes the way of the "least common denominator", leaving yet less choices for the varied tastes of the cruising public. We find often people posting at CC who don't even believe a single venue aboard ship should ever be reserved for 'better attire' dining if it means their group has to give up their matching baseball hats and sweatshirts for one evening. I'd be interested to hear a more direct reply to my belief that the line has every right to attempt to differentiate their product by whatever means they choose to capture whatever part of the cruising market they choose, and that one ought to respect that choice when booking with them.

FWIW: They get about $300 one way from our house to the airport if booking direct.

Difficult to say. If you book direct with them, it would be no. From their web page... All-inclusive pricing Count on all-inclusive rates — that's all taxes, tips, and tolls — confirmed before booking.

It is certainly possible. The Muse class ships are each fairly recent builds from Fincantieri. What isn't clear is how ships already in service with these panels are going to be handled. It was a new build that was apparently put on hold until the problem could be rectified.

The article only directly identified Fincantieri as one example but if, as suggested above, Meyer Werft was also using these panels, that opens up a HUGE potential list, including Silver Nova for Silversea.

Yikes. This puts anything built recently by Fincantieri on the suspect list. That includes all of the Muse class, but no other RCG ships.

Evidently they thought it would be good to create a more casual atmosphere for those itineraries --- while at the same time, NOT creating such a casual atmosphere for others. You'd have to ask those responsible for these decisions at Silversea. Doesn't change the fact that they're still trying to differentiate their product on the vast majority of their itineraries, and that the distinction is spelled out clearly enough in the literature.

Yes, aesthetics are still relevant to some. Taken to the extreme: Imagine if La Dame's walls were decorated with Metallica cover art. No, it wouldn't change the food, but it might impact the ambiance a bit. To say that there's no visual component to the dining experience is being naive. Everyone has their own threshold of perception for such things.

Old, OLD argument. Let me try to put it to bed one last time. To answer your question, no, not much, but it does show your disrespect for the line's business model, and in some fashion, those who might have chosen the line because of it. Let's assume for just a moment that it is Silversea's intent to attempt to differentiate their product from others by, among other things, continuing to cater to those who still enjoy this style of dining, and hope to capture that segment of the cruising public by doing so. Who are you to object?

$45 (or $50) is ridiculously low. We're just within Blacklane service range here, and any decent car service is going to charge more on the order of $200 for private service. Even a shuttle bus costs more than that for 2 people.

Interesting. Hadn't noted the meaning of that expression. First time I've run across it. As to chemicals, our local outfit says "Our dry cleaning solution is also NON-TOXIC and environmentally friendly so you are safe from harsh chemicals and bad odors." I wonder if that's "wet cleaning" or ??? That certainly relieves the packing burden. I wonder what they have been doing for us on Celebrity all these years when we send the butler off with a load of "dry cleaning"? Seems to have been working acceptably.

Also new to SS with our first voyage with them this Fall. Looking into one of these extended voyages as well, and in my review of even the newer (except for Nova) ships, see no reference of onboard dry cleaning service at all, only laundry. Am I missing something? That could certainly impact how we would need to pack on a more formal line like SS.

I talked to our preferred service here, and they don't work with Blacklane. Anyone know who they use for Denver airport service?

21 days total and no dry cleaning service aboard ... we'll probably need our OWN bus given how "we're" likely to be packing. We've had issues with taxis at the FLL port with 4 suitcases. Sounds like we'd best arrange our own transport. We've done the bus thing and IIRC, the drop off isn't always very conveniently located to the UA ticket counter.

We will also be disembarking in FLL at the end of a TA this Fall. What sort of transfer does SS provide to the airport with D2D service?

Heck, that would be a major step down from Celebrity's little "Sushi on 5" cafes. All preped fresh there. If they try to serve that to me on Dawn in November, there will be a "conversation".

Unless you choose to go in 4 nights early instead of their maximum three. Then you're on your own to sort the booking for the 1st night at the hotel and they'll still hit you for the $150 deviation fee. We have no direct post-cruise experience, but I'd imagine there are similar limitations on that end as well.

Hope there's more to that decision than main dining room experience. We were on the first two cruises of the restart for Constellation (another M class ship) in a Royal Suite (~ comparable to a Silver Suite), and dining experience was the best we've had on Celebrity in years. Our most recent on an S class was almost as good.

Interesting business model, but doesn't explain why the agencies feel themselves entitled to the 'float' for some number of weeks or months. Sounds in part like a legacy from decades ago when credit card transactions weren't practically instantaneous.

Interesting. Here, my agent keeps my card on file, and my phone doesn't beep to indicate a charge has been made (a bank feature I love) except for the initial deposit with the line the day we book the reservation, and on the day final payment is due. My charges are shown as directly from the line, not the agency. Perhaps latency is a bigger issue elsewhere, but my bank usually beeps my phone within ~10 seconds, usually less, of processing any charge, such as at a restaurant or Home Depot, anywhere here.

Are you saying that it's typical in the UK for one to pay the agency, and have the agency hold the money for some period before paying the line? That's generally considered a huge red flag here.

Any honest agency doesn't act as a pass-through for the fare ... deposit and final are paid directly to the cruise line. I'm guessing that's the sort of situation you're describing.