twangster

As predicted the winds were up and today's kayaking has been cancelled. Our arrival to New Island:

Day Three - New Island Position report:

Sunset didn't disappoint. Many birds out looking for an evening snack. This last photo was taken at 9:35pm.

Wonderful dinner tonight with Filet Mignon as my main cooked exactly as I like it. There is a pianist on board as well as a guitarist/vocalist. Name that Tune later tonight as well. I see a sunset in the making, heading to my suite to grab my camera.

They make money there and while they have small ships they will put them in ports that make money, but strategically I don't see them going out of their way to design a new class of ship with Tampa in mind. Will west coast FL residents switch cruise lines to Carnival or Celebrity if Royal stopped sailing from Tampa in 5 to 10 years? Or will that market do the drive to another FL port? Switching to X is a win for RCG so will Royal really go out their way just to stop Royal cruisers from sailing Carnival from Tampa?

First daily briefing at 5pm. We were introduced to the department heads. As they say in expedition cruising, they replace the singers and dancers of an entertainment cast you would find on a classic cruise with expedition staff. We have a good sized expedition team on board and we met them as well. Then on to our briefing for our visit to New Island tomorrow. Two shore visits tomorrow. The first one will start with a 5-7 minute zodiac ride and a wet landing. We are expecting some wind in the morning. Something that is noteworthy is the requirement to wear bog boots or rubber boots. This is due to the Avian Flu protocols. If you are thinking about bringing your own boots, make sure they don't have laces and are rubber boots or the type they rent. Second stop of the day will be a dry zodiac landing at a pier. A tea house is a popular venue to visit at this stop.

The last and final orientation step was a mandatory biosecurity check and putting my boots in the "mud room" on deck 3. They inspect any previously worn outerwear for possible contaminants. Down on deck 3 is a mud room where our boots are stored in between tours off the ship. This keeps mud out of the guest areas and the excursion team can make sure everything is sanitized and clean between ports of call. With this step done, next up is the 5pm daily briefing that will discuss tomorrow's activities.

It's such a beautiful day... So I decided to have lunch at The Grill. It is kind of chilly outside so they found me a table under a heater. Petrels on patrol, Giant Southern Petrels. I noticed something else while I was up here. I spotted a Starlink internet antenna. I've not seen them mounted on a pole like this. Perhaps snow mitigation?

New information posted outside the theater. https://www.ecosystem-guides.com/Antarctic-ocean-and-seashore.html Mandatory IAATO and Zodiac briefing in the theater this morning. If you don't attend you are stuck on the ship until the end of the cruise. Basically they played the same videos that were available on the plane coming to Puerto Williams.

Some menus for today. I won't post these very often but it will give you an idea of what is offered on board. Wind Day 2 MDR Lunch Menu.pdf Wind Day 2 MDR Dinner Menu.pdf Wind Day 2 Grill Lunch Menu.pdf Wind Day 2 Grill Dinner Menu.pdf.pdf Wind Day 2 La Terrazza Menu.pdf Wind Day 2 La Dame Menu.pdf Wind Day 2 Room Service Breakfast Menu.pdf Wind Day 2 Room Service Dinner Menu.pdf

If they open more stations maybe, but driving to MCO airport and paying MCO parking rates to take a train makes Brightline kinda pointless for anyone outside of Orlando or the immediate vicinity.

Day two Chronicle: 20 DEC - At Sea.pdf

Zodiac groupings posted outside the theater along with some guidelines for the excursions. The theater where our daily briefings will take place. Several orientations will take place today as noted in the Chronicle.

Day Two - Sea Day Pleasant day with calm seas. Bunch of these guys looking for a quick meal. Position report: Starlink speed test

The Silver Wind has been retrofitted with wifi access points in each suite. I found this one behind the TV. We use these where I work and they are a very capable device. Impressive. More outlets bedside. USB-A and USB-C on each side of the bed with an power port on one side.

Day one Chronicle: 19 DEC - EMBARK - Puerto Williams.pdf

After muster it was time for sail away. Remember how I mentioned the long days? These photos were taken at 10:18pm. The airport and runway we landed on. Looking back towards the town as we sail away.

Luggage arrived as I was being led to my suite. Perfect timing. Quick unpack and then to the MDR for dinner. Quick dinner with the 10pm muster closely approaching. With our late arriving flight it was all a blur and there was little time to stop and take a break. Muster drill the old standard way, long and tedious after being so rushed up to this point. I was scolded for not watching the safety video in my cabin before arriving to muster. Oops. Forgot (didn't know).

Compulsory balcony selfie.

Cabin Tour - Deluxe Balcony Suite The red bag contained a complimentary parka. A form for sizing was submitted several weeks ago online. Also complimentary is a water bottle and a waterproof backpack. Desk outlets with USB-A and USB-C charging ports. The balcony. The view forward. The view aft. As a point of reference the timestamp on this photo was 8:21pm. Long days here in the summer months.

A short bus ride later and there was the Silver Wind. I'm pretty sure someone was in trouble for staying out late with the boys. Upon boarding we surrendered our passports and collected out key cards.

Eventually we began a deep descent into the clouds. We popped through the clouds to see water and mountains. I spotted a ship! Unfortunately I was taking pictures through the jet engine exhaust stream and couldn't get a clear picture of the Silver Wind. After we passed the town we did a sharp bank to come at it from the other direction. Moments later we were in Puerto Williams. No terminal, just a short walk off the tarmac to a sidewalk and waiting busses.

The complimentary lunch was a salad with a mousse. Wine and beer were offered.

We passed through areas that were cloudy and areas completely clear. Roughly halfway there were some beautiful snow capped mountains below us. I spotted a hanging glacier.

A quick check of the radar before we depart. We may have some rain in Puerto Williams. Temps of 52°F so dress appropriately and don't pack all your jackets in the luggage as you won't see them until on board the ship. Once in the air there was a "Silversea003" SSID on the planes wifi system. It appears they have a media platform on the plane just for Silversea. Several videos that talk to the expedition nature of the cruise and safety. Movies and TV shows. There is also a moving map showing the planes location.