ppiew

what is the Pirate Night Buffet?  what time is it and what does it consist of?  we are on 7 day Fantasy

HOw do you get the release program to print and take with?

We were in the Royal on the Dream and though very nice for us not worth the $$$. First of all the two pull down beds are in the dining area and have only pull around drapes separating them from the rest of the room. (they also had super hard mattresses) Also there was a kitchen which we seldom used. I think it took me 3 days to figure out the Espresso machine - much easier to go to the lounge and get a Latte!!! The dining area table seated either 8 or 10 - it was huge!! really took too much space. The sofa in the living area was not very comfortable - it was quite hard and had a 'short' seat. Now the veranda was spectacular! Granted there are large panels of plexiglass to ward off the winds on the bow of the ship, but the hot tub was a super feature and we loved it. Also the lounge chairs were a real treat. The deck was large enough for a party of 30-50 easily.

WE dined at Cabanas and the one thing I do remember is that they do NOT take reservations! It was strictly 'first come first serve'. One night the wait was 1 1/2 hrs and the other night wait time was about 30 min. Yes we enjoyed the quiet atmosphere and would do it again, just be prepared to stand and wait for a long time or go early when they first open. There didn't seem to be a wait then.

hmm, we are Platinum and got the bag on the right (Silver) no biggy. Liked the bag anyway!!

we were on it 2 weeks ago and the rocks were not cleared at that time. however progress was being made and there was a stairway we climbed to bypass the rockslide and then another van was waiting to take us up the rest of the way. no problem at all. good luck!

Exactly! In fact i didn't even KNOW Akorn was doing the land portion via Abercrombie via SS. My whole reason of dealing with SS was the" one stop shopping". anyway, hopefully will have it soon. Just was less than satisfied with the SS response.

follow up: SS cld 3 days ago, suggested I call AKORN direct! HMM I PAID SS big bucks to SS and now their Lost & Found doesn't want to do anything? Oh well, googled Akorn and found an email address and emailed them. Got a cl yesterday and they HAD the Kindle and promised to send it to me!!! fingers crossed! that was great service. Don't know why I should be dealing with SS sub-contractors though - thought they should. Oh well, news is good anyway.

I booked with an independent (Red October) when in St Pete last year. no Visa was necessary for me however, the coverage the independents carry does NOT allow you to go roaming the city on your own. You must be with the tour operator at every location.

It bothers me that SS has a Lost and Found dept yet can't do the courtesy of responding to a customers repeated inquiries!

I had left my KINDLE in a hotel on a pre-cruise Peruvian excursion. I contacted AKORN immediately as they had a guide with us at every stop. They called me back to say they had the KINDLE and had forwarded it to SS. As our next cruise was on the SS Galapagos, I contacted GS several times on the Galapagos but no Kindle. When I got back to the states I contacted SS Lost & FOund twice - and had my TA contact them once. No response from emails or oral message. The most recent call was (again) to SS and voice mail says the lost and found people are our of the office for a week! This has been over 2 weeks now and no response. Any suggestions??

yes, we did have a ladder of sorts to get back into the zodiacs. The stops in the AM and PM were usually about 2-3 hours. Also the zodiacs returned you to the ship for lunch each day. Never felt there was too much or too little time. some of the beach time the zodiacs ran steadily so you could spend as much or as little time as you wished. The hikes of course were a bit more rigid.

For dinner we ate when we wanted except at the outdoor GRILL (Hot Rocks type) we had to have reservations as seating space up there is somewhat limited. Not so in MDR - no ressie necessary. The AC problem mentioned here is partially covered if you keep the door to the verandah closed. It seems the cooled air escapes thru there hence the stateroom is too warm. Not sure about the non-verandah suites. We never wore swimsuits under hiking clothing. Snorkeling was usually a half day occurence and some wore wetsuits over swim suits some didn't, and most had a shirt or a coverup over suit. A few carried their backpacks with stuff in them and in most cases SS brought towels on shore.

We never needed a sweater or jacket on the deck in the evenings. The weather couldn't have been better

Sorry, guess I wasn't specific enough. We were told the water temperature ranged from 77 to 83 degrees Farenheit. I do live near Lake Superior so I am quite aware of cold water and believe me I am a coward! We used to live in a house with an indoor pool and I could hardly wait until Sundays when i would "sneak' the heat up to 87 ahhh that was heaven!!! But really, it wasn't uncomfortable at all in the Pacific Ocean. I didn't see anyone soaking their ankles to adjust to the temp at all-everyone (even me) just walked right in. The shorty wet suits they had were very nice ones but way too buoyant for me. I was bouncing all over when I tried to stand before coming out of water. I should say that I do have balance issues from an accident so I am sure it was more uncomfortable for me than for most. All and all it was great! The air temp was just above water temp and I am sure that aided it in being more comfortable.

I should add a bit about the food also. This is just in generalities because likes and dislikes of various foods is so subjective what one loves another hates. The two buffets, (breakfast and lunch) were pretty standard ie. omelets, sausages juices etc. At noon the deck always had a seafood catch, broiled lobster, a variety of salads and rolls and nice desserts, and the diningroom usually had one or 2 large casserole dishes of some seafood and another dish of chicken or meat of some sort. . Night in the dining room consisted of 5 entrees plus the usual sides. The food was nicely presented but not to the level of the SS cruise ships. I can't say it affected flavor in anyway though. This also helped in getting a taste of the Equadorian foods!!

try again to type without screwing up. hope i don't duplicate this. No we didn't see any penguins. ( was hoping but wasn't to be) apparently the one island that they frequent didn't have any around the day we were there (hiding i suppose!). Yes we were on the Northern /Central trip. Let's see now, oh yes, waves - really a non issue. Water was quite warm (think mid to upper 70's each day) waves were barely 5" or so. Even when we were on the ship I only recall one rock 'n roll from wave action late at nite and once that getting onto the zodiac was a bit of a challenge.

Re: wetsuits. They have them for you to borrow if you feel the need. I took one the first day and never afterwards. First of all they make you too buoyant and it makes getting into an upright position a bit difficult. Water temp was plenty warm so not needed.

One suggestion: the first day of snorkeling we had a great beach and the ocean was teaming with fish etc. I would suggest you be careful before standing on the bottom just past the small 'drop.' There are oodles of stingrays buried in the sand and hard to see. Just push off on the sand and u will be fine. Do not wear shiny jewelry as that is attractive to many fish - including sharks and yes, there are sharks. They really don't bother anyone and if they feel there is a threat the guides will get everyone out of the water. The sea lions are so incredibly playful it is a sight to see! In port, they were sleeping on benches, jumped into anchored ships in the harbor. Heck they owned the place I guess!

One of the naturalists was taking videos each day and one was available for purchase ($150 and was 2 hrs long) at the end of the trip. They also showed the video in 2 segments on 2 different nites so you could see what you were getting.

We love wines and those available were from Chile and Argentina. They were fine - not top shelf but certainly very drinkable. I loved the Argentinian Malbec, my son liked the Chilian Chardonnay. I did notice the Malbec selling at a hotel for $54 per bottle so take it from there I guess.

Each day we were at a different port and even different in the PM from the AM. The islands abound with wildlife and our Naturalists were so dedicated to the islands, they explained thoroughly and carefully everything we saw or would see. We saw breeding places for the Galapagos tortoises, kayaked around islands, saw wildlife from the glass bottom boats, snokeled with the playful Sea Lions.

The 'Hot Rocks' on the 5th deck was great and so much fun to dine outside in the beautiful weather. I must say it was better than the 'hot rocks' on the SS Spirit last year!!!! Our choice of a filet was HUGE! I do think they could do with a bit smaller size say 6 oz vs. 8 oz. the beef was cooked to rare and then given to you on the hot tile to cook further if you like.

We had ceviche every day and I ate it and loved it! (despite the fact I am no fan of seafood!) Canapes were brought to our stateroom on a regular bases if we asked for it. ALso the replenishing of the fridge/bar was somewhat hit or miss, but this wasn't offputting, we just called and it was brought to us promptly. They did have laundry service (for a fee) and a laundry bag for your use. Clothing was neatly folded, some put on hangers, and returned the afternoon if we had given the dirty clothes before 10AM.

To me, one would have to really nitpick to find fault with this cruise. We met wonderful people, programs of different levels of athletic abilities were offered, all in all I hope everyone who goes has at least as good a time as we did.

This cruise was all I ever could ask for - and more. I really liked the various excursions were identified as to level of expertise required. Really helped me because I have trouble walking. Nearly every day was snorkeling, kayaking, walks, etc.

When we first boarded the ship yes, there was glasses of champagne and damp washclothes presented to each passenger. The staterooms are small but adequate as we weren't in them very often. There were 2 closets (1 with an extra drawer), 2 drawers under bed and 3 drawers in a cabinet. I took some photos of the cabin and will try to upload them Wednesday. I don't know how to do it but daughter will be here Wed or Thurs and she is tech savy.

We used just cheap plastic ponchos and that was just plenty. Very few passengers had pricey rain coverings. Most of the shoes worn were Keen's and a few crocs. These suffice very well in both wet and dry landings. Evening meals suggested no denim for men but I did see a few ignore this and also a few men that wore shorts to dinner. These were decidedly in the minority though - maybe 2 or 3 per evening. Ladies dressed for dinner in nice dresses or slacks and tops dressed up with pretty scarves or jewelry. By the way - no safe's in the staterooms although the drawers do Have keyed locks. Each meal had an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables served and I did see some folks ask for things not on menu and their wishes were accommodated. By day 2 most of the personnel either knew us by name or knew what we preferred for cocktails etc. Lobster was on the menu every day on the upper deck. There was always seafood, pizza, meats, hamburgers, hotdogs. I did think the pastas needed some work as this is sort of a signature dish for SS being Italian origin. Pastas weren't the best but certainly edible.

I will add more later, as I have an appt this AM

To be sure I couldn't have done any of that without my son and daughter. I will be grateful forever. After we left Machu Picchu we headed towards Cuzco again this time to stay a night. We were. Staying. At the Hotel Monastario. WOW wow wOW!!!! Between the cathedrals and this stunner it was incredible. There really has to be a reworking of the schedule to accommodate this. Cuzco really requires at least a half a day best full-day.

Akorn had given us a bag with a welcome letter and a small gift and before boarding the train Orient Express gave us duffle bags!! the hotel accommodations on this trip were stellar as were the eating arrangements. Food everwhere we went was over the top. It would be pretty hard to criticize any of the tour operators. They truly could not have been better or done more.

This is kind of a sore spot with many but somehow should be addressed. Several couples had tipped the guide and the leader from Akorn. So others didn't because they felt that SS was all inclusive. There really is confusion with this issue. Nobody tries to offend but thus situation is uncomfortable.

I am in Quito right now!! Headed for th SS ship tomorrow. Our meet and greet guy from Akorn was excellent behind belief!! He pushed us yo every flight on time found luggage and personal items left behind etc. they are fortunate to have him. Also had an excellent lady guide at MP she was great and told us about the various rooms etc. we were lucky it rained, it sure reduced the crowds!! forget about buy expensive rain gear-I saw a multitude of the plastic knee length variety being sold for a buck or more and many with logos on them too. The second day some went for a guided tour thru the lower parts of the ruins and so e of us got up at the crack of dawn and saw the clouds and mists rising and falling. From the Sun Gate to light up the site. No words can describe the immensity of this place or the beauty.

First I don't want to offend anyone by posting this but wasn't real sure where to post! We have completed the Machu Picchu part Didn't know if we would for a while. Got to Miami And plane had mechanical problems waited four hours before they canceled flight. Lucky we got rebooked on midnight flight arriving at 6 AM so we called hotel in Lima but they had no reservation for us then called Silver seas 24 hours service found out our name was spelled wrong. The service was excellent they gave us the meet and greet man's name and a mobile phone number and we got to Lima in the morning and to the hotel about seven or 8 o'clock. We had breakfast son and daughter decided to go to the driving range at the golf club across the street. Found out there was a dress code even for the driving range so she had to buy Bermuda shorts and a collared polo. Next am came many of the early wake up calls. I think this one was around 3 o'clock. We had to go to the airport and fly to Cuzcos ( about 1 1/4 hrs). We then took the van for about two hours to the train, climbed on the Hiram Bingham for a great 3 hr ride with entertainment and a nice luncheon. Then we changed to a small bus at Aqua. Calientes road up the mountain about 1/2 hr or so, got out walked upstairs around the rock washout and Reboard the bus. In a short time we went to the turnstiles at Machu Picchu and after I went around the corner and saw the ruins my jaw dropped. This is truly worth a trip for anyone will write some more in a bit.

no skirt, no dress, 2 pr slacks, 2 pr capris, 2 pr shorts, multiple tops. it is the shoes that take the space! sneakers for MP, Keen's (not comfortable) for Galapagos?, and of course my ugly disgusting but I love them and they are comfy crocs, plus the shoes i am wearing. . bulky son of a guns!. All will be packed into a carry on because I am afraid of the airlines losing something and we go on 2 different airlines and 3 separate flights!. Now i read that Peru is considering closing the MP rails altogether and closing MP to tourists, all because of the excessive rain and the rising water in the river. Please NOOOOOO! I have waited YEARS to do this and I know there will be no other opportunity. Cross fingers PLEASE. Want the rain to STOP.

we booked an expedition thru SS and they have hired Abercrombie to be the tour guides. My info from SS states that we will have a guided tour of the ruins.

trust me, i will 'crawl' if i have to! i see where we now have to disembark the buses to walk around the rocks and reboard on the other side. don't know how many times we have to do this. saw a pix of the rockslide and it was quite extensive!

After the cruise we fly to Guayaquil and a day room at a hotel is provided by SS if you have the 'package' that provides for the flights etc. our flight leaves about 11PM

Gee tell me how you REALLY feel about them! Sorry but I love crocs and have several pair. I find them easy to put on and take off which for me is a good thing. Sitting on the ground and getting up to put on shoes is really not an option., I have great difficulty doing that so crocs suit me just fine. i will try to keep my crocs and my feet clean as I can. Tevas aren't for me as they never fit right. I have Keens too and they are also uncomfortable and difficult to put on. I know in Machu Picchu I will have to wear sneakers because of the terrain. Crocs will be so much easier for me and if we are in difficult areas for walking I will just stay behind.