Unibok

I think I’ll have my final answer if they change the name of the Venetian Society to the Newark Club.

And substitute Voce del’Opera with Jersey Boys.

Thanks for the fun,

AandA: on our recent Dawn cruise, someone had an Easter egg decoration on their door, hung with a magnet — so it appears to be allowed.

27 minutes ago, labrasett said:

Oh dear more moans and groans.   We have been sailing on Silversea since 2011 and they have always offered us champagne on boarding.  Baseball caps are never welcome in the dining room although some people try and push their luck.  Perhaps people in US have more money to spend on holidays than people in Europe.   Didnt hear Atlantide pronounced Alant - eyed  when we were on the Dawn last month.

I have never moaned or groaned on this forum, labrasett. 
 

I asked a real and earnest question, having just disembarked after 24 days on the Dawn. I assure you, the restaurant in question is now called Atlant- eyed, and even Barbara Muckerman pronounces it such in a recent video.

Silversea has put a BIG push into US sales, and it seems to be working. By big I mean full-page ads in major US newspapers. My recent sailing was majority US citizens and majority first-timers.

I am not whinging about a drop in standards — I am very specifically asking about the loss of Italian touches.

Forgive me if this has been brought up, but I wasn’t able to find it in a search.

Does anyone know WHY Silversea is becoming so Americanized and why its traces of Italian origin are being erased or replaced? Apart from the obvious “now they’re owned by RCCL” please. 
 

Examples:

* Atlantide is now pronounced “Atlant-EYEd” rather than Atlant-EEd” — yes I know most people pronounced it wrong but that’s not a good reason to make it policy

* no more gelato, only ice cream — truly a loss in my book

* no more welcome Prosecco upon boarding, only welcome champagne upon arrival — and a new brand at that

* more casual nights, and more baseball hats in the dining rooms 

* waaayyyy more pax from the US than ever before

Silversea’s Italian-ness was always part of the appeal for me. I’m really hesitating at spending this much money for an American experience on an American cruise line. Way too much like being at home.

Any chance they’ll bring Italy back to Silversea?

Please know that I’m from the US and am not picking on somebody else’s country; rather, I’m missing the old touches of Italy I used to enjoy onboard.

All thoughtful responses are welcome 🙏🏼 

They were very much available on the Dawn transatlantic, every morning around 11. On the final day, there was a champagne showing of their work in Dolce Vita. For people who went every day, the curriculum built on itself, but anyone could dip in at any time.

They were taught by a lovely artist from California. Although I didn’t take any classes, I very much enjoyed the exhibit and chatting with the instructor.

The Shadow also had a proper tea (clotted cream and all) in the Panorama Lounge when I last sailed her in 2019. Not sure if they still do that. It was so lovely 🥰 

7 hours ago, Daveywavey70 said:

Nice to see you Unibok. Hope you are well.

Aw thanks, Daveywavey70 😊

The Dawn is gorgeous, and I’m on board for 2 legs — 24 days in total. So yes, I’m very well indeed 💜. Wishing the same to you and yours.

12 minutes ago, canderson said:

Guess we'll be on a fish diet on a TA then, yes? 😄

Good one! Our TA from Barbados to Lisbon menu focused on New - to - Old World fusion. Lots of variations on tomatoes from South America to Africa to Western Europe, plus other staple foods and spices that travelled shore to shore. 
 

My favorite was the Madeira menu, which included black scabbard fish fresh from the island.

About SALT: there are 2 menus. One is for the entire voyage, localized to the region. For example, a Singapore to Hong Kong voyage would have dishes from Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and wherever else you might stop. That menu is available for the length of the journey.
 

The other menu is more hyper-local, and changes daily or every other day. For example, we were in Morocco yesterday, and the entire local menu was Tangier-specific. It was beyond delicious, too. It’s the first time I’ve seen the SALT Kitchen filled to near capacity, as so many of us wanted to try the Moroccan offerings. 
 

One other note: the SALT Kitchen (dining room) is much larger than I thought it would be, unlike the SALT Bar which is tiny.

In addition to what has already been listed, my Spirit crossing last March also included: 

* beginner language lessons in 3 different languages -- Spanish, German, and a 3rd I've since forgotten

* daily dance lessons, each day a different style and encouragement to practice with the G'Hosts at night

* multiple levels of bridge, multiple times a day

Thank you, all! She’s looking beautiful!!!

I'm here in Kusadasi, Turkey, on the Spirit ... and the Silver Wind docked next to us this morning, an unscheduled stop apparently. Anyone know why?

WOW. I'm intrigued. Thx for posting!

On 4/9/2022 at 12:02 AM, Cruise Critic Chris said:

My opus on the Otium spa program, in which I try it all! 

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=6888

 

Great article, Chris! Thank you for taking a hit for the team and researching so thoroughly 🤣

18 hours ago, zqtchas said:

Hour late leaving bc not everything loaded.

That sounds like a good sign, actually. Enjoy your family time!

2 hours ago, jollyjones said:

(the delivery person puts the food tray on the little table, knocks on the door and runs away) 

This made me laugh.

I'm so glad you enjoyed London, jj. Safe travels homeward.

Jolly, if you are reading this, how did you learn of the Covid #s on our crossing leg? My bigger question is: if the captain or CD or HD or someone official doesn't announce it, how do we find out? Your post is the only reason I knew about a covid case during the crossing. Later, the HD announced to the in-transit guests that 1 person (sadly, you -- but I'm so very glad it was such a mild case) tested positive.

zqtchas, I'm also wondering if new crew need to quarantine first, and that is why the level of service is down in your favorite venue. I can think of a number of folks whose contracts ended at Barcelona: the CD and several waiters among them.

In any case it would be nice to know if one is experiencing reduced numbers due to new Covid cases, because of new crew onboarding with quarantine, or a combination of the two.

17 hours ago, scseas said:

 

So it sounds like you get a more private experience (because there are general sauna/steam rooms without a fee) and the hot stone beds, as well as a less used whirlpool in a secluded area. Do I have this right?

 

And is it 109/119 per person or per cabin?

Yes! Excellent concise summary!

And I'm not sure of the price answer, as I was traveling solo. If I had to guess, I'd say per person. But, again, that's for a whole week -- which is worth it on a crossing, but maybe not when the ship is in port.

22 minutes ago, imcpa said:

This ship is the least favorite out of the whole SS fleet.

 

Can you say why?  I have not been on the Spirit since it was stretched.

From a #s stance, Spirit has the most pax (capacity 608), and yet she is the same size as the others ... so there's a slightly less beneficial space:pax ratio.

From an age stance, 2/3 of Spirit is older than the Muse and at the same time is an older/younger sister to her. There aren't many benefits to being older, and the one benefit of Spirit being "younger" than the Muse is a larger Arts Cafe.

From a dining stance, Kaisecki (available in the other Muse-class ships) is better than Seishin in my opinion. Yes, they are different (I wondered!).

From a strategic "I like to book GTYs stance," the capacity difference is all Vista Suites: Muse et al have very few Vistas and nearly all balconies, while Spirit retains a similar amount to her (previous) sisters Whisper and Shadow. A Vista GTY is too big a gamble for me on the Spirit, and one I'm not willing to make.

All of that said, an average day on the Spirit is still far far better than a good day at home 🙂  Although she is also my least favorite, I'll happily sail her again when the timing and itinerary are right.

Hi scseas,

I used the Spirit thermal suite a few weeks ago -- so, during(ish) Covid. On embarkation day, I asked for a tour, and they showed me their offerings. This will be specific to the Spirit (which is Muse-class), but I'm not sure if/how other Muse-ish ships vary. The woman who gave me the tour was very excited that all of the Thermal Suite's features were now available as of my sailing on 15 March 2022.

A 1-week pass was either $109 or $119, I can't remember which. I don't know the cost of a day pass. The "pass" was a sticker on my room card. On entering, I traded my room card for a locker key, and they will also give you a loofah and herbalized salts if you would like to use that in the steamroom -- lavender was widely available on my sailing, but I understand they also have other flavors such as mint and chocolate/mint.

The locker contains a robe and slippers for your use.

Once you enter the Thermal Suite, there are 4 or 5 of those heated stone/mosaic beds. Also in that space: a unisex sauna, a unisex steamroom, and a shower -- all with a Covid limit of 2 people. Obviously swimwear is required in this area. It's also worth pointing out that these are separate from the sauna/steamroom available for use by any passenger. If you prefer a more private experience (perhaps sans swimwear), there is a private area with a locking door that contains yet another steamroom, shower, and hot stone bed. If it is not in use, you are free to use it (and I did! several times!). It is also limited to 2 people.

Continuing aft, there is a separate whirlpool, sunning, sitting area outside with an unobstructed view from the aft balcony. The hot tub also has a limit of 2 people. 

Water bottles and towels are freely available, but this is very much a do-it-yourself experience. Nobody will come around with canapes and fruit skewers or will top off your drink, as they will do in the main pool area. [Note: I think the Dawn's Otium experience will have a higher level of service.] For me, DIY was just what I wanted, so the thermal suite was ideal for my needs. 

My needs also included being away from crowded places, which again made this perfect for me. I never saw more than 2 other people there during my week-long pass, and most of the time I had it to myself. So, the Thermal Suite became a key aspect of my Covid-avoidance strategy 🙂

I hope this helps, and I'm happy to answer any other questions.

They are ... certainly ... boisterous .... (!)

In related news: I now understand the stereotype about really loud Americans.

15 hours ago, gwesq said:

On a Crossing, how many Enrichment lectures (NOT "lectures" that are asking you to buy this or pay for that) are they likely to have each day?  WOuld it be possible for someone to post a few ship daily schedules? 

 

I've just completed a Crossing, and Stumblefoot is correct -- we had 3 speakers, and most days we would hear from 2 of them. One was an expert in European WW2 history, one was a geologist with broad expertise in areas relevant to our travels, and one was a specialist in classical music and film. I thought they made a great balance for one another, and I appreciated their range of topics.

As others have noted, SS enrichment lectures and demos will not try to sell or up-sell you on anything. It is a different story in the Spa and (I assume) the Boutique and maybe in the fitness center, but certainly not in the presentations or cooking classes.

@zqtchas I keep hoping I'll find you in Atlantide, but I am also keeping to myself quite a bit.  I missed the Facebook gathering, as I'm not quite ready for large crowds, but would love to meet up for a chat or drink with you and your bride.

From everything I've heard (and seeing on your face that day), embarkation in Lisbon was even worse than embarkation in Barbados. Who knew that was even possible? I sincerely hope you have recovered and are enjoying yourself now.

Apparently the large group of people (85, I think?) is a whole lotta travel agents, mostly from the U.S. Their presence has raised the energy level and lowered the age demographic 🤣

Somewhat interesting note: the Dawn is following us to every port each day for the duration of this leg. I have to wonder if our shoreside experience is a shakedown of sorts so that they can get it right for those on the Dawn. There has certainly been more chaos on shore than I've ever experienced before on any SS voyage. Until I learn otherwise, I'm chalking that up to a steep re-learning curve, perhaps understaffing/inexperience both in the port and on the Spirit, perhaps deploying existing staff ineffectively, perhaps vendors acting in their own interests over what was advertised, perhaps fear of recrimination for upholding masking protocols, and certainly our paperless existence. Perhaps a bit of all those things and more factors I cannot imagine yet. I do hope it improves by my next sailing, as I'm opting out of all remaining excursions at this point.

It is windy and cold today in Malaga ... who knows what Cartagena will bring?

On 3/27/2022 at 1:47 PM, jollyjones said:

It’s either 32 or 36 staying on (can’t remember which) and there’ll be about 400 pax. 

Update: 35 are staying on -- 1 tested positive for Covid so unfortunately can't continue. My heart goes out to that person.

The projected pax count for the next leg is 480!!! That sure seems like a lot of people 😳

Other tidbits: the Silver Dawn is docked next to us, and she is gorgeous. Official naming ceremony is tomorrow, just about the time we sail away (6-7 in the early evening).

During the next leg, we will have daily temp checks from our butlers, per EU requirements. 

See some of you onboard very soon! And I hope to see the rest of you onboard before long.

@FauxNom I wish all of this for you, and more 💙