chrism23

I have noticed no real difference in the level of service after 10 cruises, the last 3 being back to back. I think I have about 200 days. (Don't underestimate free laundry after 100 days. Even my underwear came back folded separated by sheets of tissue paper). I don't like caviar which to me tastes like salt. Lobster I won't miss because I Ilve in New England and there is a lobster glut. The comments above about costs is pertinent. For us to go into New York City for a weekend (1 night), a show and dinner costs about $3000- $1000 for a hotel, last time we stayed at the Lagham, another $1000 for show tickets, dinner for near $1000 -we did eat at 11 Madison Park, which used to be the best restaurant in the world until they went to their vegan menu, but we had the wine pairings, (Replacing 11 Mad Park as the best restaurant in NYC and perhaps the world is also about is Le Bernadin-go before someone screws that up too) for its $1000 (for 2)-tasting menu with wine, tip and taxes, So $1600ish per night on SS doesn' really phase me. We looked at going South to an Island this winter and the prices were even more stratospheric. The Ritz Carlton Dorado Beach is $1895 per night with nothing, add food, a $350 round of golf, tips and taxes you are looking at $3000 a night. And add Business Class air to that. I won't even mention Paris which can make NYC look cheap. I know I will get push back on being entitled etc. but I am and don't apologize for it. I am guessing the average net worth of a Silversea passenger on a longish cruise is north of $5 million. (they do need to keep their market in mind) We can afford to pay high prices and there will be a mass exodus if they start getting cheap and cutting corners. I fear that Ms. Muckermann might have read the tea leaves and jumped ship tp Crystal before RCL manages to screw up SS. I have had the seamless service that I look for to Silversea for, transfers, hotels etc. for all of my voyages without them messing it up. So I am staying with SS until, or if, they stop getting it right, which I obviously hope does not happen. I don't want to go through am audition process of Regent, Seabourn, and the rest of the higher end cruise lines, especially since if go through all the trouble of taking a cruise I want to be at sea around 30 days, so I am always doing B to B's which I highly recommend.

sorry, I get carried away. It is a lot of fun.

Ms. Jones is spot on when she says it's a blood sport. One year I went so far as to try and recruit my team here in advance. I have found there are a few keys in putting together a team, you need an Aussie, a Brit, and an American. You also need someone that knows show tunes and someone young enough to know music post 2000. It also helps if someone knows opera. The most essential knowledge is Geography. They used always to ask questions about 'groups of" i.e a group of crows is a murder and phobias. Two members of my recruited team actually printed out pages of both to study in advance . I hope they have stopped those damn questions, they had noon on the last cruise. I think we won about 70% of the games. It also helps to find a polymath, I had one on my last cruise, the grand South American cruise. He got everything I didn't get, we went 20 for 20 4 or 5 times. We won 10 of 11 and only lost one game because there were 2 questions on cricket. For what it's worth, after 10 cruises, I have concluded that Ms. Jones is the best trivia player among SS regulars, except for the polymath, if I see him again, I didn't not get his name.I am going to handcuff him to our table.

The article below was prominently printed yesterday in the New York Post. It says that 31.people are ill with a virus that is causing diarrhea and have been quarantined on the Nova. Not being an MD I am reluctant to guess the cause. At first glance it looks like a classic Norovirus but the article does not mention vomiting which is usually part of a Norovirus-which is spread primarily by touch or contact with objects, these are called, fomites, There is no need to say that SS should be implementing strict had washing protocols which it had partly in place during early COVID, when you couldn't enter a restaurant without getting spritzed. (and wash your hands as much as possible). Good luck. https://nypost.com/2024/04/16/us-news/nearly-30-silverseas-cruise-passengers-fall-ill-with-diarrhea-at-sea/

An article appeared yesterday- https://crystalcruises.com/story/meet-the-crew:-introducing-vicki-van-tassel,-crystal's-new-cruise-director?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=CTA_image&utm_campaign=Vicki_15Apr24_PRUS a long interview, with Vikki saying she has become Cruise Director for Crystal-I think not for one particular ship but for the whole fleet-all the ships Crystal has left of which I have no idea, the only one I can name is the Symphony. For me, she was a great, the best Cruise Director in the SS fleet, I have no idea what the story is with Crystal. With Manfredi Lebebrvre now running Crystal it seems like some cherry picking has begun. Has anyone been on Crystal since the sale. What I had understood was that its ships are worn, its cabin's too small, and definitely not a 5* experience. I haven't looked at their web site, ships where they are sailing. Should I. I imagine Manfredi is spending some of the cash he got from the sale of SS to invest in Crystal. Oh PS. I haven't seen her in a couple of years, she is a blond now looking quite attractive .

Damn this does not bode well. Ms. Muckermann really cared and it showed, She is the only CEO I have encountered who personally returned an email and took action. She interacted with many clients. She understood us. I fear the worst. ( I am also of the opinion that the new ships are too large but that's off topic, sor,t of I am recently off the Moon which, for me is nearly perfect. It is a gorgeous ship) After our first SS cruise, which was near perfect we said from now on, " if it ain't broke don't fix it". Around 10 cruises and 200 days in, there have been a couple of minor bumps but no big deal, they have been near perfect. In 12 years we've had two cruise consultants who have been really helpful and the importance of which can't be underestimated, Yes, the food goes a little up or a little down, it's nothing to get exercised about. The logistics of embarkations and transfers etc were handled smoothly, We will be 30 days on the Whisper this summer, it is being retrofitted and about to be in dry dock, I wonder if its future is a larger expedition ship? Anyhow, I read somewhere awhile ago that Silversea had the highest return rate of any cruise line. I am sure, absolutely sure, that changes will be made that will anger a lot of people, probably me too, which has me angry already. On board posts are really going to be interesting the next few months. Cheers.

I too am a bourbon drinker with 10 cruises in. Sorry, their bourbon selection is weak. Think Jim Beam etc. And Jack Daniels is not a bourbon, it's a whisky,. You might mention this issue to your CC who might pass it up the line and you'll have a bottle of the Macallan waiting in your room. SS used to do stuff like that. Oh, if you are still filling out forms and come upon a "special request" section, mention it, You never know.

Thanks. I think I have a problem. There was also a print letter saying they had to switch one of the ports. So I am shut out for the excursion pages too. Guess I wait for a live human tomorrow to solve the problem. Glitches like this are is unlike them.

Hi, hopefully this is just a quickie. I have been working on an August booking on the My Bookings page (there are 7 previous. Just about done. And the page for the August trip has disappeared, gone poof!, Has this, or is, happening to anyone else.? I know this is stupid but I am stumped. TIA

Hi. I was. on the Cloud on an 15 day expedition cruise last year. They do not provide walking poles. We did about 10 excursions that required some hiking. There were two or three where I wished I had poles-wet rocks down hill. Their degree of difficulty icons aren't always accurate-depends on conditions. Ask the expedition staff what they think before taking a 3 mile hike So If you have any doubts or feel you need poles buy some, Carbon fiber walking poles weigh ounces and pack small. They are a good investment especially if you go the Galapagos.

My. I seemed to it a nerve here. A few retorts. The incident with the pool chairs was on the Muse. It was loud and lasted about 10 minutes at promptly 6:00 AM every morning. When I say loud think of a light plane hitting the ship. It got you up. Some neighbors complained, in passing I blamed myself for not looking at the deck plans more closely . I think this heads up is worth it to many pax. Being next to elevators is also a problem for me. I stand by that comment too. I think many people find elevators and resulting conversation sometimes bothersome outside their door at 2 in the morning. As to a cabin location where I don't think you have ever been caught on deck 9 in a North Atlantic Storm. Not even scopolmine patches helped me. We were nearly bouncing off the ceiling. The passengers on Deck 6 in the middle of the ship probably had a much better time and maybe even ate dinner, I could go on with my comments but I won't, I have got many but you get the drift. I may snob and really don't care. At home I have tried to construct an environment that is calm, quiet, and serene as possible. I don't see why I shouldn't try to do the same on board. BTW. One cruise I got bumped to an owner's suite because of A/C problems. It is waaaay too big, the person in the other one had a cocktail party for 64 the day we got switch. It was eerie having so much space.

I am not sure I understand this thread at all I fear I sound elitist. I have 10 cruises and have 159 days, so we are not any sort of VIPS. After our second cruise, I select the suite I want when I book the cruise, may up to a year in advance, and this for simple verandas not the real pricey stuff. I have learned a lot of obscure lessons, such as , 'don't book a cabin on the deck below the swimming pool. The dutiful crew starts moving deck chairs at 6:00 QM sharp an it is LOUD. And the obvious, stay away from elevators and other busy traffic areas.I have a great CC ( he owes me a phone call so the 'great" is in peril) and he knows my particulars-mid ship, medium deck-never the top decks which will rock and roll more. So when we talk, I am usually able to get the suite I want or within a door I don't know if is the difference maker here but I book about a year in advance. But I always book back to backs and sometimes it's tricky getting the same cabin twice in a row With all my advice I just got stuck with suite 826 on the Whisper for 30 days. Too high. If on board could you take a peek and see if there are any red flags. Thanks. Cheers

Hi. I am venturing far a field, I apologize but need some help. I am a regular poster here, a Silversea life , with 10 cruises and about 150 days in, I rely a lot on this forum for information. There are quite a few people here that really know what they are talking about. I have a River Cruise scheduled with Tauck-Budapest to Amsterdam on June 14th. I can't find a Tauck site on Cruise Critic I have had 2 trips with Tauck a cruise to Cuba on the Ponant-their original ship, a gorgeous art deco sailing ship, which you wouldn't get me on again if you paid me. And a land trip to the Canyons. Can any body tell me anything I need to know about doing a river cruise with them? If not could someone point me in the right direction. TiA chris

We got over the 100 day threshold on our last cruise hence Free Laundry. It is so worth it. My underwear even came back folded with tissue between pairs. I think every ship has a do it yourself washer/dryer. You can locate them by looking at the ships deck plan. A tip, we reached the 100 day level while on the South American Grand voyage. The gave us the 100 day perk, even though we didn't hit 100 days until a couple of a weeks into the cruise.

Now you have me worried I am on the Whisper for about 30 days in the summer. I was looking forward to a really buffed up ship. Sounds like they may go modest if it's on the block. On the other hand they may go higher end because this spring redo may have to last 7 years to 2030. We'll see. I am going to miss the smaller ships.