highplanesdrifters

I just received our "CRUISE CONFIRMATION" for the Aug. 7 date with all the pre departure details. Fingers crossed.

M, thinking you you. Left you some sunshine in Alesund.

We bought them for Antarctica because we had concerns about fit. We now rent them and the others take up space in our closet. I have now have this visual of someone stepping into icy water with keens and penguins nipping at their toes. 🤣 Please report on the Wind. We are on her in October.

Hi Jim, Many luxury expedition ships will provide boots for their polar explorations or at least offer to rent them on board. They will often provide a parka and some other swag like a backpack. You need to go into your "My Silversea" account to see what is provided for your specific voyage. They will also provide a list of recommended gear for you to bring with you. Must haves are waterproof pants. They can be had rather cheaply. I have ones that fit over my regular pants. On this trip I would take off the waterproof pants once the zodiacs dropped us on land. Easier to hike. In Antarctica and Greenland I just wore them over my thermals. Depends on your cold tolerance. You're going to have an amazing trip.

The Ship As mentioned earlier, things on the Cloud are Ship Shape. Some occasional maintenance here and there but nothing intrusive. Vibe on the ship Happy to extremely happy. Passengers are friendly but respectful. We have met many wonderful people. Due to the good weather fortune we have been experiencing folks are often giddy. Apex Expeditions has a contingency on board led by the Birding Legend Peter Harrison. Very lovely crowd. Peter is generous with his knowledge which often goes beyond birding. We are also fortunate to have Joe Cochran, Seabird expert on this sail. While most passengers are giddy, the birders are orgasmic. Many have mentioned they have been trying for years to get to St. Kilda. It feels like an Antarctica trip. I have seen none of the "obnoxious party types" mentioned on other threads. Expedition Staff Led by the always entertaining Oscar Dunn. Oscar is a true leader. His professionalism and calm but friendly nature shine through in all the staff. The expedition options are varied. There are usually a long and short hike option along with free roam. Oscar is continually offering pop up Expeditions as we get closer to ports. I am impressed. There have been a few tours along classic lines but we have not gone on them. Wait staff and Bartenders All are working tirelessly. Each preforming many duties with smile and grace. They are short staffed but you rarely notice it. Butler and housekeeping Rodney and Bernadette are wonderdul and thoughtful. Always nice little touches. ABs They hoist, stabilize, catch, and gently deliver us to and from the Zodics come rain or shine. All done with smiles, good nature and the efficiency of a Swiss train. Food OK, Good, Very Good, and Ecxellent The first few days we found the food to be uninspiring and so bland we joked that perhaps we had Covid and lost our sense of taste. We have found our groove in the MDR, where food has been good, really good and occasionally excellent. Each day for dinner in the MDR there is a "Taste Of (insert country)", China, India, Indonesia, etc. All very good to Excellent. Breakfast, both room service and Terraza very good. Terraza for lunch, just OK. Hot rocks, not a fan. We have given up trying to go to La Terazza. More later on that. I mention the following minor annoyances only to prepare/assist folks. TV All are ready to chuck them in the ocean, including staff. Message/dinner reservation system constantly crashes and the TV sometimes needs rebooting. Instead of calling it in you can reboot by reaching behind the TV on lefthand side and unplugging power. Then go to the righthand side and unplug the HDMI cable. Re plug and you should be good to go. Reception/cruise director/corporate overlords They do not deserve to be reviewed on the same page as the above mentioned stellar staff. Still some things to be resolved concerning flights. I'll recap later. TV Reservation System It has a mind of its own. It randomly made reservations and also randomly canceled reservations. At one point I had 27 messages. We became tired showing up at the MDR only to be told we had a reservation at La Terazza..or showing up at La Terazza to be told we didn't have a reservation. We canceled what reservations we had and have skipped La Terazza. And YES I know we can call reception or book directly at La Terazza. I've heard others complain that the same thing is happenng with spa reservations. Hobbyist grade software from the 90s. Shower The water from the showers pools up on the bathroom floor. Ask for extra towels.

@Lois RCheers. I bet you can guess what is in this glass.

Oh please do post se we can have trip envy!!

Ship photos Pool Library Swag Photo shop Silver suite More Silver suite Library Gym Panorama Lounge Explorer Lounge Zodiac outside observation lounge

We are cross cruisers, but have spent most of our time on Seabourn sister ships. We have found that in general Seabourn has a bit of an edge food wise. We were on Silversea Muse last fall. We don't usually travel on the larger ships but were excited to have more restaurant options. I was not impressed with the food at all. More options seemed to equal less flavor. Of course on both cruise lines you can always order something special with 24 hours notice. We are currently on Silversea Cloud, a smaller expedition ship. We have been eating in the MDR and the food has been quite good to excellent, even without ordering special meals.

Wowza, those are big swells. You're going to need sippy cups for your cocktails. Did you get some seatbelts for the bed?

Aisle of Runde. Norway Basalt Columns with a splash of anticline and other geological delights.

Aisle of Runde. Norway Last night we crossed into the North sea and picked up some swells. Not bad, but the old girl creaked and moaned through the night. In the morning as we sailed close to Norway the clouds gave way to the bright Scandinavian Sun. I'm not sure what I have done to deserve this weather gift but suspect the Karma God's have me confused with someone else. We sailed past Runde almost to Aeslund and I thought our Zodiac tour had been lost yo the swells. But No, we were just there to pick up the pilot. Back to Runde, a bit windy, but an otherwise glorious day for a Zodiac tour. There were a Sea full of Puffins as we approached doing all the usual Puffin things. Sea caves, Eagles galore, seven pairs and the always magical Ganet snow globe. 20220609_170419.mp4

Oh yes please

I got the Speedgoats also. I am hooked. Medium rare minds think alike.

So sorry you missed Heimaey. The coastline looks inviting. Have fun in Reykjavik! On our way to Norway and starting to pick up some big swells.

Aha! I just received and email that I was awarded a badge for posting live. I just looked and I am also rare. But certainly not as rare as Wes! I'm probably in the rarely camp.😄

Big Nance glad you're enjoying the trip and pictures. As for shoes, It really depends on what type of expedition voyage you are on. Where are you going? Luxury Expeditions in the polar regions generally provide knee high rubber boots. When you book there should be a page with what gear will be provided for you, and what you will need to purchase. On the polar landings you can be in 1 inch or 6 inches plus of icy water. On this trip we haven't had any wet landings...yet. Those that kayaked may have had a wet landing, but were provided dry suits and booties. I have been wearing waterproof Hoka trail shoes. They have been fantastic. Many are wearing hiking boots/shoes which I assume are waterproof. We have had some river crossings, marshy/boggy areas, and lots water splashing into the Zodiacs from rough seas. I've seen some people with modern galoshes over their shoes. In tropical regions I'll wear reef shoes if we are just going for a beach snorkel. Or if there us a hike involved I'll bring some footwear in a backpack and change once we have landed. I hope this helps.

Covid According to our Butler there is no Covid on board and the ship has been Covid free since he boarded in March We have a sea day coming up and internet willing I'll write more on that fabulous crew and lovely passengers. Any questions fire away.

Lerwick, Shetland It was difficult, but I managed to rustle up some energy, put clothes on and we went out in public. Lovie was getting antsy. We have been here before. Charming town, the great Shetland Museum, scenery, ponies, and Norse history. What's not to love. We did a quiet stroll around town. Found Jimmy Perez's house. Took some dorky selfies there. Got in some retail therapy. All in all a nice afternoon break from the intense pace we have been keeping.

Noss, Shetland This morning we called in tired and skipped the zodiac tour. It was cold, extremely windy, drizzling and we have been to Noss before. Crawling out from under the comforter and putting on 27 layers was just not an appealing option. I even took a nap after breakfast.

Foula, Shetland Yesterday afternoon following the morning zodiac tour of the sea caves we did a Coastal hike on Foula. Very windy but oh so majestic. Lovely War memorial. We were told not to touch any dead birds as the island has quite a bit of bird flu. A big article in The Shetland news today. Very Interesting because we were told that this is Pulse Year for birds in the areas we are covering. A weird bit, the island was littered with junk.

Rare, I was wondering the same thing.😃

Thank you all so very much for your help and suggestions. We finally have tickets. Between myself and my travel agent we had hit the highest level of SS. A few days ago I was told this had gone to the highest levels. My Goddess of a TA had us backed up with refundable flights from the onset of this issue almost a week ago for $275 each. It was really more the way we were treated, blaming us for their Muck Up. But I like Tromso. There is a great little museum there, The Polar museum. If we got stuck that was OK too. Didn't want the agrivation to get in the way of a otherwise fabulous trip. We are not the only ones who are done with Silversea. Storieds abound. Perhaps another day. Back to fun!

Thanks! You're pretty spectacular yourself Ms. M!

Papa Stour, Shetland. A few more shots of the stunning sea caves. VID_54380914_165609_961.mp4