twangster

I didn’t use the 1.4 teleconverter very often. Most of the time a longer focal length was appreciated or desired. On bright days the light loss of the 2x teleconverter wasn’t an issue. With long summer days it was often daylight shooting conditions. Silversea does not recognize Royal Caribbean CAS. With Silversea being somewhat all inclusive in nature there is less focus on a loyalty program in comparison to Royal or Celebrity. The Silversea loyalty program is different in nature. It would be hard to map between the two but honestly I’ve never felt I needed loyalty perks on Silversea like you appreciate them on Royal. Basic WiFi is included. The equivalent of Celebrity’s premium drink package is included. I find the food in the included Silversea venues far superior to Royal’s included venues. A tenderloin in Silversea’s main restaurant can be pretty close to a Chop’s specialty dining steak on Royal. I don’t find myself thinking about the need to spend money on dining while on Silversea like I do on Royal but food is personal. With a couple of Silversea classic ships booked in my future that may change for a very special dining experience however I’m sure I’d be fine if I was to use only the included venues. I moved a 2024 Norway fjord cruise from Royal to Silversea because I just enjoy so much about Silversea compared to an increasingly mediocre experience on Royal. It’s going to cost me a little more but for my preferences it’s worth it. The itinerary on Jewel was appealing but the ship was not. In moving to Silversea I can stop telling myself I’ll endure the ship because of the itinerary. Now I’ll enjoy both. If you read through the main Silversea forum you’ll find comparisons to other premium or luxury lines. Some are not as inclusive as Silversea is.

If so I never got the email 🤣

Just received! Woohoo! Oh wait... I'm still not booked on Icon New ship. Same IT.

No Icon cruises booked right now. I've been busy on another RCG brand. Just had a phenomenal cruise to Antarctica on them and have booked a few more on that line. Turns out I'm more of small ship cruiser although I am sitting on Mariner right now and have two upcoming weekend getaways on Allure. Beyond that I find myself looking at other lines for the price of admission on Icon. I've said it before... if I'm paying luxury rates I'm going to sail a luxury line. Putting my wallet behind that statement.

They are kidnapping nuns. Stay inside the compound. You don’t need to give any more money to Royal to enjoy a beach day. It’s a beautiful area.

The days of specific CAS letters for each tier are gone. Now the letter in the cabins covers all levels and mirrors the online link above.

Typically 6 -7 days but if it isn't updated before you sail just visit the loyalty ambassador once on board. They will research and will usually upgrade your level for the next sailing. EDIT: Congrats on making Diamond. It's one of the most meaningful accomplishments that most will accomplish.

Dear Debra, (with Icon reservation starting with 3 and ending with a 5.) I'm not Debra and I'm not sailing on Icon on Jan. 27. Royal just sent me an email that was meant for you. Good to see some things never change, I guess.

With coming changes for some Norwegian Fjords in 2025 and beyond that might play into your decision as well. Spain and France will likely be available for many years to come but the emission regulations coming into effect over the next few years will make some Norwegian fjords unavailable for cruise ships looking into 2025 and beyond.

One aspect of on board pricing is the prorated pricing based on number of days remaining. Also consider many cell phone carriers include some or all foreign ports of call. If yours does then maybe you don't need internet access at sea between ports. If you can wait until there are only a few days left such as a sea day on the way home and you've been able to check up on things while in port then maybe waiting to buy a Voom plan on board makes sense. If you need or want internet for the whole cruise you will probably do better buying it in advance.

The Wonder inaugural had the same flair.

On a Radiance cruise a few months ago the HD was talking at top tier. He mentioned some of the challenges with getting things fixed in dry docks. He specifically mentioned the broken or water filled windows in the Solarium. They had requested funding to have them fixed during a dry dock but he seemed to suggest that corporate was denying some of these types of requests around the ship. I don't think it's safe to assume even basic guest area maintenance is a sure thing any more.

I recently had an opportunity to sail with another line in the RCG family on a ship that first sailed in 1995. With Grandeur being a year newer than the Silver Wind it's an interesting comparison. The Silver Wind has been refreshed over the years much like Grandeur has been refreshed. The contrast between the two ships is stunning. The Silversea ship has multiple electrical outlets in multiple places through the cabin including bedside. There are USB-A and USB-C charging ports in four different locations in the cabin including both sides of the bed. There is a wifi access point in each cabin and it's a new modern access point. Around the ship in bars, lounges and restaurants it doesn't feel dated. The decor is modern. You can still sense that it is an older ship but you might never guess just how old it is. Having sailed many more Royal cruises and often on the older ships I've long thought it must be impractical to do a meaningful update on an old ship. Yet RCG has accomplished exactly that on more than one ship in the Silversea fleet. Granted Silversea is a luxury line yet it goes to show it is possible to properly update an old ship. One could argue that luxury is different than mass cruising but then there should be more support for replacing old ships for proper luxury, yet they didn't take that approach. I've come to realize the state of Royal's older ships is a choice that Royal has made. The state of the older ships appears to be good enough for Royal's executive team. Clearly it is possible to better keep these ships but they have made the choice not to. People keep booking the old ships so why spend money to maintain them better? Grandeur was supposed to be gone by now but we all know why that didn't happen. It appears Royal wants to get rid of them but can't right now. It seems they must have decided to run them into the ground to the point they can sail them on to a beach in some far off country to scrap them. Until then they will squeak out a few more dollars while they pay off the loans that were secured using these ships as collateral. It's a shame really.

How many are in your party? When I used to fly into MCO and cruise from Port Canaveral I'd rent a car and return it to a location close to Port Canaveral. Rideshare such as Uber or Lyft is an option but costly for one person, better value for more sharing the ride. There are a number of shuttle companies. Some pick up at hotels or the airport but they can do milk runs stopping at a number of hotels to fill the bus. They can be economical with the trade off being slower.

Are you referring to guests with a drink package on that cruise line or the dog? 🤣

The original Norwegian regulations would have banned any ship other than purely electric. Not even an LNG ship would qualify. There has been a number of sessions on the regulations and I haven’t kept up to date on all of the changes over the years. I’ve heard of temporary compromises for ships that can connect to shore power while in port but I haven’t researched that claim. Fully aware of the proposed regulations I am booked to do some of the fjords in 2024 on a less ideal cruise line but the itinerary is appealing. If time wasn’t a factor I’d wait and do a preferred line but time isn’t on my side. There appears to be some awareness of the coming changes as itineraries on many lines are filling up.

By policy, no. You can always ask. Depending on load and demand they may make an exception.

Expedition cruising is more casual compared to classic cruising on Silversea. Most people were dressed smart casual, a few men had a sports coat but not many. I can't recall seeing anyone who was fully formal. There were a couple of nights where the dress suggestion was "informal" yet the smart casual remained the typical attire on those nights. A few individuals were not smart casual on these nights, they were casual.

Cruise Summary I've waited a few days to post a summary so I can properly contemplate the experience. In summary it was amazing. With my creative thoughts warmed tonight with a glass of Endurance Scotch I am ready to summarize this voyage. I've enjoyed some special bucket list cruises on various lines to great destinations. This experience on the Silver Wind to Antarctica has surpassed them all. We had some great weather on this voyage but I have the feeling that the experience would be pretty fantastic with or without the weather we had. I was pleasantly surprised by the condition of the Silver Wind. There is no disputing her age yet I was pleased with the ship and how it has been updated. The premium internet plan and the consistent internet experience throughout the voyage given the challenges of internet at sea well away from populated areas was a pleasant surprise for this tech geek. When I considered Antarctic itineraries I initially focused on Antarctica exclusively. Fortunately I realized if I was going all this way, investing in this vacation as required, I should explore the greater area. This was a great itinerary that included the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Elephant Island and Antarctica. All of them are special in their own way and all of them worthy of being included on this special voyage. Boots on the ground in the Falklands, South Georgia, Elephant Island and Antarctica with a surprise visit to iceberg A23a. Enough said. Christmas in South Georgia, New Years in Antarctica. Does it get any better than that? On the way home at the hotel in Santiago with new friends made on this voyage someone asked the best moment of this experience. In truth there wasn't one, there were many best moments. Being in a special place is all well and good but I learned the value of a great zodiac driver while in the Galapagos. That lesson holds true in the Antarctic. Great guides are equally important and our expedition team were all pretty great. They all have impressive resumes and their passion for their work is hard to miss. They were a large part of making this experience what it became. I am quickly becoming a fan of Silversea expedition cruising. The Captain along with his bridge and deck teams were also a significant factor in the making of this experience. They all did a phenomenal job. Food is subjective. I try to refrain from reviewing food because my tastes should mean little to anyone else. I can't recall a bad meal and there were some pretty great meals on board. How do they keep food fresh as long as they did? The only meals that I was not enthused about were the two lunches in The Restaurant that were basically buffets. Generally speaking the food in The Restaurant where I ate most of my meals was perfect for me. As far as my camera kit for this sailing I think I did pretty good. When you own a boat and pull into a marina there is always someone in the marina with a better boat. Photography is somewhat similar and I sometimes had some "PE" (photographer envy) seeing what other guests had in their hand. Despite that I think I did okay and I'm pleased with the results. I watched the ship provided video again before sitting down to write this summary. I am so glad they provide the video. Justin did a great job with it. Every time I watch it the memories come flooding back. This was an incredible experience and I enjoyed presenting it here. I hope you have found it informative and I thank you for viewing.

Royal often puts sorbet or sherbet on menus, and brings conventional ice cream to the table. Often a disappointment for me.

Prior to the shutdown there was a test on select ships with a limited late night WJ spread. It was sparsely attended whenever I checked it out. Burgers, fries, some salads, etc. It creates scheduling challenges for the crew that have to be on hand. More hours worked means more crew positions which means more labor expense. To everything there is a cost and if it means increasing cruise fares then I don't see the need.

Here is a lesson learned for the charter flight home from Puerto Williams to Santiago and the hotel. Pack a change of summer clothes in your carry on and maybe a swimsuit. After landing in Santiago at the FBO we boarded busses for the ride to the Mandarin Oriental. Upon arrival we joined the queue for Silversea guests to check in and get our room assigned. This was done in the conference room we had breakfast in way back on day one. Luggage from the plane was sent separately by truck. The check in process was slow and long. The queue was roughly an hour of standing, inching forward every three of four minutes. Once I finally received a room it took several more hours to receive my luggage. The problem is I had dressed for a Puerto Williams kind of day but now it was summer in Santiago weather. It was nearly 80°F or 27°C. In my long pants and long sleeve heavy shirt I was not dressed to go out and around Santiago. I really felt like a swim in the pool at the hotel but I didn't get my luggage until after 5pm so I didn't have my swimsuit. I should have packed shorts and a t-shirt plus my swimsuit in my carry on. This entire experience was pretty fantastic but ending it with a cluster of a hotel check in was a little disappointing. If I had a change of clothes I could have done something at the mall or around the area near the hotel while waiting for my luggage. A jump in the pool or lounging by the pool would have been perfect.

A quick word about the included parka. This worked quite well for me. It is a two part design with an inner bubble style jacket that zips into the red waterproof outer shell. I didn't keep mine zippered into the shell, I simply put on the shell over the jacket. Sizing for me was perfect. I am typically a large ski coat and this large fit well. I generally wore a long sleeve t-shirt and the Silversea parka on all excursions and I was never cold. The shell did a great job. Despite being splashed often on a zodiac ride I was never wet inside. Had I known how well it would work I could have left a jacket or two back home. Lesson learned. They are currently manufactured by 3M Thinsulate. Given the waterproof nature of the shell it was also a good windbreaker which was important for standing forward on deck 9 watching for marine life in the ship's wind.

This morning while waiting to debark I stopped at the photo studio to inquire if I could post the video from the ship's videographer Justin Duncan. They indicated it was okay to post the video but suggested I remove any segments that show a guest's face that would be easily recognizable. I have done that and also removed the sound track which would likely cause a copyright issue on Youtube. This video contains content that was all captured during this voyage. There was no stock footage used or content from another ship or sailing. No sound:

Thirty minute stop in Punta Arena to refual; and pickup some cargo. It's five o'clock somewhere. Meal service was decent all things considered.