Camillus112

If you are like me, and like dressing up either in cocktail or long gowns, by all means do what makes you happy!  You will probably find very few ladies with long gowns...that wouldn't matter to me at all...but I would bring a nice cocktail dress for the second night.

9 hours ago, jollyjones said:

How fascinating that despite being on the same ship for the same cruise and with superficial personal similarities (female solo sailors, not very interested in socialising), we are taking very different experiences from this sailing.

I am not interested in the spa or the beauticians or any of the shoppertunities - to me they're just a waste of money - and I only watch lectures if they're live and I'm there in the theatre. I have been to the scientific talks and enjoyed them - volcanoes, tsunamis, ground water movements, demographics - by Jim Jacobs and John Pennycate but have no interest in music so haven't been to anything of Libbey's.

I would prefer to never turn the TV on except to get our latitude and longitude to check against satellite weather pictures so am a bit infuriated that much of the information that used to be delivered on paper must now be read on screen, especially having to delete the endless emails. The interactive TV system appears to be offline this morning, I wonder how that will play out.

But I am conflicted even about that because I have commented in the past to the powers that be about the excessive use and waste of paper - can't have it both ways, I guess.

 

I've been to both the cooking demos - one with Executive Sous Chef Antonio Bocca and one with Chef de Cuisine Fernandini Bazan - both were adequate, not outstanding. Now cruising is gathering steam again, I do hope to be on a ship with David Bilsland sometime soon, he is of course unbeatable in a demo!!

 

I play trivia every day but the team I'm in isn't covering itself with glory so perhaps we should just gloss over that.

 

There are, as is usual on a crossing with a low solo supplement, loads of solos - I saw perhaps 20 or more when I wandered past to eyeball the solo get together on embarkation evening - that's too many in one group for me so I kept on going up to Panorama where I usually enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail. Unibok and I do at least share pleasure in the aft spaces. I never eat breakfast so can't comment on the Arts Cafe in the morning. I sometimes picked up a few cookies from there later in the day but my butler noticed and now leaves cookies in my cabin so I don't have a reason to go there any more.

Talking of aft spaces, I am booking a cruise on the Nova in 2024 despite the not very inspiring looking deckplans - there are no vista suites and the classic verandahs are few and far between and very much up at the bow or back at the stern. SS is so very blatantly pushing pax further up the suite categories to the more expensive ones - an understandable business model but not so good especially for solos. OTOH, I have been getting quotes for several cruises on other ships and, if they are not in the 'special offer 25% solo supplement' category, they are all at only 50% solo supplement so that is good news for us solos.

 

Aha! The interactive TV system has just rebooted but it is definitely starting from the beginning again - I am now obliged to watch the safety briefing before moving on to the other channels so that is playing, sound muted, beside me. 

 

It looks like we are continuing to have smooth seas with mostly sunny weather today so I'll be up on deck 10 again to walk the track and lie in the sun and read, then maybe go to John Pennycate's talk this afternoon on 'Norway, the North Pole, and the South Pole' - I wonder what his angle will be.

 

And the TV has finally got there ... now I can see that we are at 26 degrees north, 19 degrees west!

And 62  degrees (16C) outside, maybe not so much sunbathing today ...

 

PS Still just the one Covid case, all contacts were negative.

Dear Jolly, I met you around 2009 in an SS cruise out of San Juan through Duct Tape...who I met her...or she consciously met me... as we were sailing away and I was very emotional, since I am Puerto Rican, and it was my first sailing away from my Island.  She introduced me to you in a glowing manner, but, although I interacted with her several times, I did not see you again.  I always follow your posts and think fondly of her.

Gpilon, I would have paid dearly to go to your party!  I say this ...only because I won't be able to join you on March 17 😪 as was our plan.  Schedules didn't align and we are the worst for it.  Please post as much as you can.  Till a next time. Dinosaur Ribs and Chili.

When my DH and I go to the pool area, we do not need a lounge chair...we leave the towels, card keys and sun glasses at the edge of the pool in order to just get in the pool.  I wonder if we had a place to store our belongings in the pool deck, other passengers just wanting to enjoy the pool might not need a lounge chair to place their stuff...just wondering.

On 2/9/2022 at 5:40 PM, crickette said:

Any info on single supplements?  Dancing opportunities and dance hosts?  Bridge instruction and afternoon games on sea days?

As I remember prior to covid, and in the smaller fleet, there were no dancing ambassadors in Seabourn, like in the Crystal ships.  It is a pity that this Crystal feature is not followed in other luxury lines (please correct me if wrong).  Not only singles benefit from dancing partners, but also (as in my case) spouses whose better half does not like to dance.  I will surely miss this feature.

10 hours ago, Daveywavey70 said:

Ok so the pre-release of DaveyWavey in the Caribbean is out there. Please don’t think I’ve defected from SS, but I had the most amazing time on my Pirates of the Caribbean adventure on another line.I enjoyed amazing food, met beautiful new friends and relished in visiting places I never thought I’d be seen dead in.  I’m so glad to be out there exploring this beautiful world in which we live in again 

 

Thanks for this splendid video, DW.  I followed your very entertaining and informative thread in the Crystal Board.  I was only able to enjoy two Crystal cruises before the pandemic...and now maybe nevermore.  Silversea was my first cruise ever and I plan to return as Covid relents a bit more.  Hope to meet you someday!

21 hours ago, NSWP said:

Classic...Spanish Croc bait, lol.

Can you clarify your comment?

Lirio...Brazil (Or Brasiu, as I've heard it pronounced)!!  An unfortunate medical condition has always prevented me from visiting your lovely country.  I made research into Carmen Miranda and wonder if the new museum was actually opened.  If interested, here is a You Tube performance of my text in music.

https://cmu.app.box.com/s/loolot23hybracli9bcwraxyj0aq1146

I am sure you will get much better reply than mine from other Seabourn cruisers, since I have only cruised on the Odyssey and Sojourn (the older, smaller ships), and prior to 2019.  However, I did enjoy a Transatlantic and around 4 more SB Mediterranean cruises.  I have also enjoyed 2 Crystal cruises in 2019 and can add some PERSONAL input to your quest:

Passenger Vibe:  Much better at Seabourn

Entertainment:  Much better at Crystal

Enrichment:  Much better at Crystal

Food Venues and Offerings:  Much better at Crystal

Solo interaction with other passengers:  Much better at Seabourn

I highly recommend you try Seabourn under the circumstances.  I plan to go back after Covid relents.

Thank you, JP, for the Georgia O"Keefe colors vividly reflected in their natural state.  You may want to visit the GOK museum and various art galleries in Santa Fe.  Apart from the tourist oriented trinkets, there is fine art, for example in pottery, easy to find.  Will you be visiting Taos?

Hi Spins, I lurk in the shadows of my first favorite cruise line.  I miss the SS great people (crew, staff and passengers), but I will not be cruising again for a long time...I admire those of you who take the calculated risk and plunge.  I am too active to stay put, and I have mini-gym in my house.  I miss the pool, though!  Oh well, I so much enjoy reading about all your travels!  Happy New Year to all Coolers!!

16 hours ago, spinnaker2 said:

Hi Spins,  please don't diss algebra!  It is surely a stress reliever...I use it while doing hard Sudoku games.  Come to think of it, you may be using it without being aware of it.  I have to confess...I prefer words to numbers...

It was 2009 and we are going on a luxury line "on the cheap".  So we took the train from Rome to the Civitavecchia train station.  At the time...and better find out for now if considering the train...we needed to schlep suitcases up the stairs (real, not electric) from the bay to the train terminal.  We were recommended a taxi to the terminal...the taxi, for some reason, could not, or did not, want to enter the terminal grounds and dropped us where we could take a bus to the terminal.  The first bus flew past us, and the second one too.  The third stopped, and the driver sort of rudely took our luggage inside the bus bin.  We finally arrived at the pier, and from then on all was luxury as expected.  Lesson learned...budget your transportation well!!

Puerto Rico just recently required a 48 hour prior to debark test...Royal Caribbean informed that it would skip Puerto Rico, and Puerto Rico is its base Caribbean port!  Info from El Nuevo Día, PR's main newspaper.

Thank you so much for your honest assessment of your cruise!  Silversea is dear to my heart since it was my first ever cruise in 2009, and around five or more cruises after that one.  Since then I found Seabourn (happy passenger vibe), Crystal (professional butlers, great shows, including magic, and dancing ambassador pre -Covid) and Regent (also great butlers and great shows).   I certainly do not rule out Silversea in the future, but their butlers will need more effective training if Silversea wants to attract PH clientele from Crystal and Regent.  This is only a constructive statement...please do not take it as an outright criticism.

33 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Hi Cam🙂 you are not old!

Oh no, at my +75 I still dance with the best of you all!

Wow, I replied to Misty and Lois on their acknowledgement of my post...somehow it didn't post...weird.  Anyway, I try to be in the background supporting my Cooler friends.  One warm hug, and safe and lovely travels to all!

1 hour ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Yes, that’s what I meant, old school fine dining.

Yikes!  This is what I needed to finally accept that I am old!

Do you all remember Miss. W.?  She used to actually live in the ship ( Spirit or Cloud ?).  I remember meeting her around twelve years ago...she smoked where she pleased, but the staff gently veered her to a solitary deck.  I bet she had as many or more days.

I've done at least eight and maybe six cruises in SS and SB, respectively, and all before 2019.  I like the European flavor and formal dressing up of SS, but also enjoy the lively vibe of SB with lots of dancing and more exuberance than in SS.  I wouldn't mind dancing in my lovely formal clothes...

Thanks for your reply...we'll just have to wait for information.

On 9/21/2021 at 2:06 PM, wishIweretravelling said:

One thing I don't care for in the Grandeur deck plans is that a plunge pool, rather that a swimming pool, is planned for the pool deck. 

Are you sure there will be no swimming pool?  Odd.  If true, a deal breaker for me.  Although I, and most people I've met at the pool, don't swim much, it's very enjoyable to have the space to move and socialize.

16 minutes ago, Stumblefoot said:

After reading about the bath light issue, I wish DuctTape was still with us so we could hear her comments.  No light would get into her sleeping chamber.  God rest her soul.  She was a one of a kind and simply the best.  

 Duct Tape was the first person I met in my very first SS cruise in 2009.  She was delighted to learn I was a pool person and said..."you won't miss me inside the pool; just look for the hat and gloves".  Yes, one of a kind, and simply the best.

You are correct, and we would not abandon our dog in a kennel...but we would also want to enjoy the cruise.  Better leave our morkey in his doggie care.  Thanks!

Thanks, IB2.   Your insight is indeed very helpful.   We are seriously considering not taking our dog along.   For a while it was a happy thought...