terry&mike

Good point on Cambodia. We flew from Cat Bi in Vietnam into Siem Reap, Cambodia, so the eVisas worked on our itinerary. Several days later we boarded a ship in Cambodia, which sailed on to Vietnam.

The Vietnam eVisa is good for 30 days from your date of entry, not from your date of approval, so you can apply earlier than 30 days in advance if you would like to. If you are a US citizen, you can also obtain a Cambodian eVisa without mailing in your passport. It’s easy and inexpensive through the government website.

I can’t think of anything we would have done differently. My husband may have liked a bit more nap time, lol, but other than that we were super happy with the trip, excursions, etc.

In January, we did a river cruise in Cambodia and Vietnam. We started in Vietnam, then went to Cambodia, then went to Vietnam again towards the end. In our case, hubby and I each obtained 2 single entry e-Visas from Vietnam through the official government website, at $25 each (total $100). I don't know if a river cruise ports and restrictions are different from an ocean cruise ports and restrictions, but that was our scenario.

You may find some information on our time in Hanoi in this posting of our trip -

Hubby and I just spent several days in Hanoi in late December. We stayed at the lovely Sinfonia del Rey Hotel, with a view over the park. It is bookable on major hotel booking sites, but we found the best deal by booking direct and booking far in advance. For one of the nights we booked a stay with dinner included in their restaurant, and that was a wonderful experience. We loved Hanoi. I did a posting on cruisecritic of our trip, I'll try to find the link in case you are interested.

Hello, I’m happy you enjoyed my review of the trip. As isnowman said, the lower end rooms have sliders that drop down on the windows opening the top half. We only lowered them for taking a few photos. There may be proper balconies in the larger suites, but we didn’t check. Our room was just above the entry level category and was very spacious, with both a living area and bedroom area. The windows are very large, and there were 2. I never shut the bathroom door, and can’t remember what style it was. Hubby says that there was Diet Coke onboard. I’m sure you will love your trip - it was one of our favorites.

We are currently on a 12 day NCL Jewel sailing, disembarking today in San Diego. As you can see from my signature, we have sailed mass market, luxury light, and luxury ships. Usually, we are itinerary driven when selecting sailings. Although I’m not familiar with Explora, as it’s such a new product, I am familiar with many upmarket products such as Azamara, Oceania, Cunard, Ponant, Sea Dream (also Scenic and AMA in the river cruise market). In my opinion, you cannot beat the service, ambience and excellence of an upmarket line. No question. My husband and I have remarked many times on this sailing that “it’s been a great itinerary, and the staff are very kind” as a way of looking beyond the things that are of a lesser standard than we’d like. The more we sail on upmarket lines, the harder it is to sail on mass market lines, as the differences in service, ambience, fellow travelers, food, decor, and so on becoming glaringly obvious. While on this trip, we’ve decided to amp it up another notch and sail an Indian Ocean itinerary on Silversea.

I am aware of Regent, but have not sailed them. I’m interested in Indian Ocean, and cruises off the African coast (Madagascar, Seychelles, Mozambique), Regent doesn’t seem to focus much on this area.

New to Silversea, still learning about the product. I see dinner reservations mentioned in this thread - can someone break down dinner reservations for me? Are they needed, when do they open up for booking, any other details?

Disapointing.

I will read up on the recommended attire, thank you for that suggestion. We do appreciate a bit of elegance at dinner. We very much enjoyed this on the Queen Mary 2 transatlantic crossing last year, and booked her again for this year. We enjoyed it so much that hubby had some tuxedos made, and I some dresses, when we were in Vietnam in December.

Thank you all so much for these answers. They are what I was hoping to hear, and further support my leaning towards a booking. If there is anything that you think a newbie should know, feel free to share. I will try to read through some threads on this board.

Hello all, My husband and I are frequent travelers, and we very much enjoy cruising. We have sailed several different lines, as you can see in my signature, but not Silversea, as I've previously balked at the pricing. Lately, I've been looking at some of their interesting itineraries, and am thinking I may be ready to give them a try. As it does represent a step up in pricing, I have a few questions that I'm hoping you can assist me with. Based on things we've enjoyed on other lines, I am feeling that Silversea may be a good fit for us. We enjoy the elegance of Cunard ships (but find them too large), we enjoy the size (about 680 passengers) of Azamara ships, and we enjoy the all inclusive approach of Scenic River Cruises (haven't tried their ocean product yet) and the ability to have a cocktail delivered to our room while getting ready for dinner. Do you think this is good reasoning? Is their "class" set up onboard? If so, what is it? Likely we will booking an Oceanview cabin for our first sailing, and I know that some cruise lines have a "class" set up based on what cabin type you board. For example, on Cunard there are separate dining rooms for different cabin classes. Finally, I see that excursions are included on Silversea. What is the reality of being able to book into included excursions when reservations open up? I am aware that on some lines that include excursions (like Viking Ocean), it is difficult to book onto the included excursions as space is very limited and fills fast. Any thoughts or opinions are welcome.

Ahhh, okay. We are on Onward in September, but will be on Quest in November. We'll see how it goes. Either way, no bother, but a fun occasional perk if it happens.

Oh nice! I was not aware that we could have cocktails brought to our stateroom if we purchase the Ultimate Beverage Package. We upgraded to this package last time we sailed, but weren't aware of this benefit. We are back on in early September, and may give it a go. Usually, we prefer to have drinks out in the social areas, but on occasion it is nice to have a little something to sip on while getting ready for the evening.

We were in Petra in January 2022, and hubby's Apple watch had us at just over 12 miles walking for our day in Petra. You cover a lot of ground.

We visited both Petra and Wadi Rum in January 2022, but on separate days. We spent quite a few hours covering Petra, and when we were done were exhausted. The day was hot and sunny, and it's very dry there, plus there is a ton of walking if you want to see the main sites, which you definately do. We are big walkers in our everyday life, walking 5-6 miles per day - at Petra we walked 12 miles! All we felt up for was a return to the hotel for a shower and dinner. The next day we went to Wadi Rum, along with another site, and were able to walk to the top of a large sand hill, ride through the desert, and enjoy the experience. They are both wonderful, but Petra is the better option, and I think trying to do both in one day will short Petra.

Yes, that is what it is referring to.

You'll likely be porting in San Antonio, Chile, the airport in Santiago is about 1 hour and 15 minutes away from the port, if there is no traffic. For an international flight from Chile, the recommended arrival time at the airport is usually 2.5-3 hours, although I do think you could do it with 2 hours. So, in backing up your time, be at the airport no later than 9a for sure, depart the port no later than 7:30a. You'll need to allow some time to process through port Customs and Immigration, so maybe off ship by 7a, maybe even 6:30a? You'll need to do self disembark (carry your own luggage), and have private transfers ready and waiting. What time are you scheduled to arrive in port? You should be able to disembark approximately an hour after that time. And finally, South America generally runs at a slower pace, so some extra time and patience may be needed for the different lines of departing the pier, and checking in at the airport.

My husband and I spent 3 days in Hanoi at the end of December, staying at the lovely Sinfonia del Rey Hotel. We were traveling independently, and we walked for miles through different areas of town, went to a water puppet show, shopped, went to a holiday market, visited a park, and ate in several different restaurants. We felt very safe.

Generally, when a cruise line increases their Service Fees, if you have paid for them at time of booking, or before the rate increase, you will be grandfathered in to the lower rate. If you have not paid for them, you will pay the higher rate. For most lines, they will make an announcement that "service fees are increasing to $xx.xx on X date" and to avoid this increase in cost, you are able to pay your service fee at the lower rate before that announced date.

A person of excellent taste! My understanding of the difference between the Waterproof and GoreTex versions is that the waterproof version is coated with a waterproofing product that seals the shoe in a way that is not as breathable. Conversely, the GoreTex repels water (but may be slightly less waterproof), but allows your feet to breath, making them more comfortable for long walks, and so on.

Hello, we are big hikers/walkers when we travel, and have been to Antarctica (boots on the ground), the Artic region, and have hiked from icy Greenland, to damp Victoria Falls, to jungly Costa Rica, among others. For me, my favorite hikers are hands down the Merrell Women's Moab 3 (I currently have the Moab 2, but the 3 is out now), in the low version (not the higher ankle "mid" version), in Gore Tex (they also come in Regular with no coating, and in Waterproof versions). As you said you like trainers, you will possibly like the look of these, as they have a somewhat trainer appearance but with a hiking traction bottom. I will try to post a link or photo below. They are expensive but last forever and are comfortable right out of the box. They come in several colors, so you have options on what you like. My first pair I had for over 10 years, and had bought them in the dark brown. The next pair I bought, the ones I have now for a couple of years, I bought in a pale gray. I like the gray better, as I can wear it with leggings as well and have it look more like a trainer, or with travel material pants, or with shorts; I feel it coordinates with more things. I'm a light packer so I generally try to wear one pair of shoes and bring a second pair of shoes, but for certain itineraries I'll wear one pair of shoes and bring 2 other pairs of shoes. For what you mentioned, I'd probably have my Merrell Moabs with me, and then also a simple black (or natural color) flat like those made by Rothy's, and finally a comfortable walking sandal that is cute as well, like the Taos Trophy 2 sandal in pewter. I own all of those shoes and travel with them regularly, and can recommend them. https://www.merrell.com/US/en/moab-3-gore-tex/52985W.html?dwvar_52985W_color=J036318#cgid=women-footwear-hiking&start=1

The last time we flew in to BA, it was on a flight from Miami, and was before Covid. I remember the walk to Immigration was a bit of a hike, but more than that I remember the lines at Immigration to take a very long time. This is a difficult decision for you, but honestly, I think you are best to order the chair as this is a large and bustling airport. I know the bind you are in, because for many years I traveled with my Mom who also has Parkinson's (she is 83 now and no longer able to travel), and she would become hurt or angry if I suggested a device that may assist her. I still remember the first time, it was on a cruise, and we passed someone in a corridor with a walker device with 4 legs with wheels on them and I suggested that may be something that would help her get around better, and boy did that ever go over poorly. She was very insulted and hurt, and said she did not want to look old, and remained in a dark cloud for the rest of the evening. Wishing you the best of luck on this.