WNcruiser

21 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

I did the status match when the announcement first came out.  Today I got a “Welcome to Silverseas” e mail.  Like you, I thought the number would be there.  It isn’t.  Oh well….no cruise planned yet.

Did you look all the way at the end of the email? My email had my new VS number on it at the end after all the benefits. 

I received a confirmation email this morning that my status match was complete. There IS a number at the bottom of the email after all of the benefits. Just hang in there and it will be arriving soon. 

2 hours ago, LoveBora said:

I am currently on the world cruise. Most men are wearing sport coats, with or without ties; a much lower number are wearing tuxes or white dinner jackets. Personally, I think someone not wearing a jacket would feel underdressed for formal night. However, I have seen one or two men on occasion wearing only a long sleeve shirt and they’ve never been refused entry any where on the ship. We’re all having too good of a time to care much. 

That’s very helpful, thank you. I will bring a jacket for the two formal nights we have. I hope you have a smooth crossing  😊

12 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

It is formal optional.  If you are on a cruise of 7 or less days there are no formal nights.  On occasion even an 8 day cruise that is all ports might not have a formal but most cruises 8 days or above have them.

 

I am pasting below how Crystal defines both casual and formal nights on the ship with respect to recommended evening attire.

 

Now you will see for a gent sports jackets not mentioned but you will find people wearing them particularly if there is only one formal night on the cruise. And even though they don't highlight this on a formal night you will find some who go to Tastes in casual attire but they do kindly ask if you go to other venues after dinner that you not be in casual attire.  There are no Police who will make you go back to your room but it is more festive when people follow the guidelines. If you go to other dining venues depending on who is at the door you could be turned away.  Not always but I have seen this done.

 

Following comes from the Crystal site and if you have questions I would also call the number listed below.

 

Keith

 

 

WHAT IS THE DRESS CODE ONBOARD?

 

At Crystal, we want guests to feel confident and relaxed throughout their stay, so we have compiled the following guide to the different dress codes on board. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us by calling 1.888.616.9615 or +1.786.464.4420. 

 

Day Casual

 

A less formal look allows guests to feel comfortable during the day; Day Casual attire may be worn everywhere, including our restaurants, until 18:00. 

Suggestions for a Day Casual look: 

 

Women 

 

Sundresses 

Elegant shorts 

Jeans 

T-shirts or blouses 

Linen clothing 

Swimsuits with cover-ups (when not poolside)

 

Men 

 

Shorts 

Jeans 

T-shirts or polo shirts 

Linen clothing 

Swim shorts with a T-shirt or polo (when not poolside)

 

NOTE: Swimwear on its own, wet swimwear, revealing clothing, bathrobes, bare feet, tank tops, baseball caps, and clothes bearing any offensive messaging are not permitted. Covered swimsuits may only be worn at Trident Grill, Tastes, and Marketplace.

 

Evening Resort

 

A step up from Day Casual, after 18:00, we ask that guests adopt the more refined Evening Resort dress code. 

 

Suggestions for an Evening Resort look: 

 

Women 

 

Dress 

Skirts

Pants 

Blouses or sweaters 

Dark-wash jeans with no rips 

Tailored dress shorts 

 

Men 

 

Shirts 

Collared polo shirt 

Sweaters or smart designer sweatshirts

Dark-wash jeans with no rips (only when accompanied with a jacket) 

Chinos 

Sports jacket or blazer (optional)

Tailored shorts (these may only be worn in the Tastes restaurant)

 

NOTE: Please avoid flip-flops/sliders, swimwear, and hats. 

 

Formal Evening

 

On sailings over seven days, there will be at least one optional ship-wide formal night (depending on the length of the segment), which will require more formal cocktail chic attire. These special events will be defined in your personal pre-sailing guide. 

 

Suggestions for a Formal Evening look: 

 

Women 

 

Cocktail dresses or gowns 

Suits Evening skirts or pants with an elegant top 

Evening shoes 

 

Men

 

Suits or tuxedos 

Shirts 

Dress shoes 

Ties (optional)

Under “formal evening” it is contradictory. First it says “optional shipwide formal night” and in the same sentence “which will REQUIRE” more formal attire. That’s what confused me. I wanted to make sure I could go to Waterside  without a jacket. 

2 hours ago, sea bright said:

We sailed old Crystal several times years ago, but have sailed Silversea almost exclusively for the past 10+ years. After 2 disappointing Silversea cruises this year we are considering new Crystal. Is the main dining room open for lunch on both port and sea days? If not, is there another option for a leisurely, indoor, non-buffet lunch on both port and sea days? 

I am hoping someone will respond to your question but would you mind expanding a little on your last two Silversea cruises? 
 

I have 30+ nights booked on a back to back next year and it’s my first time trying Silversea. Usually sail Regent, Oceania (I feel the same about them as you do Silversea), Seabourn and Viking. 
 

After so many mixed reviews I am seriously considering not trying them. Thank you 

We are boarding in Miami. Can someone kindly explain the “black tie optional” nights to a Crystal newbie? 
 

Is it formal optional? Or do you still need a jacket and tie on these two nights? I am used to Regent and Seabourn with smart casual so prefer not to bring a jacket but definitely will if required. Thank you 
 

On 5/26/2024 at 11:09 AM, History&Wine said:

Yes, Mike is leaving tomorrow. Captain is leaving and will be replaced by Captain of early world cruise segments.  Number I hear is a little over 200 passengers will be added for the transatlantic crossing.   Thinking very few will be disembarking.

Is it Captain Birger coming on by chance? 

On the bright side Cadiz has a large dry dock right near the port. Hopefully there are plenty of resources to fix whatever issue Voyager has. 

5 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

Thank you Hank for your continuous reports!

 

We always loved the bread on O!

 

Do they still have surf and turf in Waves?

 

Also, did you try the afternoon tea?

 

 

If you don’t mind me answering, yes they do. The only change is that it’s a burger patty instead of a filet. 
 

10 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

Maybe it's a matter of perspective and attitude?  

 

We didn't experience anything like this on any of our O sailings (Riviera and Regatta), and the new ships usually get the best staff available. or maybe we did and just didn't pay much attention?

 

If you are looking for faults hard enough, you will always find something..

It’s definitely not attitude. I am nothing but respectful and polite to the crew. I only answered your question and gave you some specifics as requested. 
 

it was merely a comparison and we are all entitled to our own opinions and reviews of our experience. 

10 hours ago, chloemonkey said:

So odd that we were on the two sailings just prior to yours and found no similar issues.  Our experience was the total opposite as we found the staff to be so overly concerned with our satisfaction that it bordered on being bothersome at times.

Our experience was that this was among (if not the best) service that we have had of all of our Oceania cruises.....funny how we all have varying degrees of satisfaction and opinions.....Guess that is what makes the world go around.  Hope your last day or two provide you with a better experience....

 

I just brought up some service issues as I was asked for specifics. I am not basing my entire cruise on these issues. We had a great dinner in Polo last night with excellent service. 
 

There was a large change in crew in Miami so maybe that has something to do with it? Thank you for your respectful response..and we still have a week! 😊

On 3/30/2024 at 9:46 AM, Techno123 said:

Some advice please. We have booked 9061 on Vista but it opens onto the 4 forward elevators. I have read reports on the older ships which state this is not a problem BUT I believe Vista has an 'overweight' alarm which rings quite loudly if too many people squash in.

 

There is an option to move further aft to 9085 which is between the two elevator banks, however, when we were on RSSC Explorer last year, midship deck 9 there was horrible vibration from that middle section between the port and starboard suites. I don't want to jump out of the frying pan into the fire so question is for anyone who has sailed on Vista - is it noisy by the elevators and is there any vibrating machinery or  crew work areas by 9085?

I’m not Hank but I am on Vista and am a helpful CC member 😊

I took a couple pictures of 9061 for you. It is right by the elevators. One picture from the hall and one from the elevator lobby. Personally I would choose something a little further away if you can. 

We had an Eater service on Vista and they also had several services on the TV, including from Rome Italy. 
 

There was also an amazing Easter brunch in The Grand Dining room! 
 

2 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

Do you mind sharing the service issues you had?

Of course not. Sitting at a table in Waves or Terrace and not having anyone come by with water asking if you would like coffee or tea in the AM. Dirty dishes sitting for extended periods with staff walking by ignoring them.
 

During lunch at Waves yesterday we had no silverware on the table. We asked three different staff members for silverware which never came. We finally took it from another table. Twice in Aquamar no one came to take our order, we had to flag someone down. 
 

In Ember our steaks came out completely overcooked. No one came to check to make sure they were cooked properly. Again we had to flag down our waiter to let him know. 
 

In my opinion the majority of the crew just do the bare minimum and are not overly friendly. We have found a couple that are better and try and stick with them. No where near Regent or Seabourn service. 

19 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Afternoon from the middle of the Atlantic,

 

This morning we were notified that the Vista has cancelled its visit to Horta (Azores) which is the 2nd port (in a row) cancelled.  This is due to bad weather forecasts for the Azores.  The Captain has changed our course to a more southerly course and we are, instead, heading to Funchal (Madeira).  This change has also put us into better weather and today was a gorgeous sea day with seas in the 1-2 meter range, blue skies, and temps in the 70s.  We also had a following wind so it was a near perfect day to be outside.  

 

This morning, we had the "Country Fair" which is a major activity (on the pool deck) where there are various games, prizes, etc.  It was well attended and kept the pool deck busy from around 10:30 until noon.  With all the constant banter (from Peter, our Cruise Director) it almost reminded me of a Carnival cruise.  As a rule, we find the higher-class lines have fewer announcements.  Peter usually has a longish daily update around 9:30, more to say around noon, and will usually have another schedule update around 4.  I prefer the attitude on Seabourn where there are very few announcements, and it is assumed that passengers are capable of reading the daily schedule.

 

A couple of nights ago we went to our first Production Show and thought it was generally awful!  Sorry to say it was more like a bad high school musical production than what we expect on ships. 

 

Hank

Hank I am on this sailing as well. I spoke with Peter at the “country fair” about his early and long announcements. In fact he woke me up that morning as we are moving one hour forward each night I told him it was really 7:25 AM. I told him it was too early and all the information we was giving could be found in the currents. He wasn’t very receptive unfortunately. 

I do agree about the shows but I knew Oceania is not known for their quality entertainment. Coming from Regent and Seabourn I find a big difference in service and crew on board. We have had many service issues that would never occur on those two lines. 
 

30 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

Unless there is a record that the pax requested the TA to cancel, it will be difficult to win a credit card challenge. While we speak to our TA by phone frequently, we always send any request, whether it's booking, payments, cancellations etc by email, and she confirms them.  She similarly requests us to respond by email when it comes to the financial details.  Every transaction is documented.

This is great advice. Also if the OP cancelled in December they would be expecting a refund of the deposit, when that didn’t show up it should raise suspicion, I would always ask for a cancellation confirmation. 
 

Travel agencies have insurance to cover mistakes like this. 

37 minutes ago, pmatawan said:

Crew says Miami tells ship what speed to cruise at  and other navigational issues and this information is only provided to them a day or 2 before segment of cruise starts. On board changes due to weather conditions are made by the captain

30 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

Is this normal for other cruise lines, as in standard operating procedures in the industry?  I sincerely do not know. 

I have been cruising over 35 years on over 100 cruises and have never, ever heard of this. It sounds to me more like a propulsion or engine issue slowing the ship. Of course that is a complete guess in my part but can’t imagine “Miami” making these decisions. 

On 1/19/2024 at 8:34 PM, mauibabes said:

How does the price compare with a Marina Antarctic cruise that does sail byes?  I am sure there is a huge difference in the number of guests aboard the two ships. We were on Marina last January and a friend on Seabourn and she felt the food and service was pretty comparable.   Expedition cruises are different so you definitely had a great trip. So glad you enjoyed it, we loved our sail by trip and were not up to an expedition sailing. 
 

Mauibabes

1200 on Marina vs. 264 on the Seabourn expedition ships. It’s a big difference sailing by and using zodiacs to actually step on the continent. Seabourn ships literally sail straight into ice and “dock”, letting passengers walk right off the ship onto land. 
 

All cruises leave from Ushuaia so you take their included charter from Buenos Aires. The price was actually less than a PH on Marina. 
 

On 1/20/2024 at 11:55 AM, talljules1 said:

Alas for several ports there is no option to waitlist - they're just sold out.

Did you call Regent? Many of my excursions for Mariner in June were sold out when I booked. Several wouldn’t let me waitlist on the website but when I called they were able to add me to the waitlist. 
 

Happy that most cleared in a couple weeks but still waiting on two. 

3 hours ago, Guerncruising said:

Looking at Crew Centre she was in dry dock in Genoa 10 - 26 September, so I’m not so sure. 

They are referring to the article Jlhalldc posted. The video is from the most recent dry dock this month. 

This a very Informative and interesting video about Navigators recent dry dock. I hope it does not violate any rules, the only link I can find is to FB. 
 

https://fb.watch/niLIHWHnq_/?mibextid=v7YzmG

A sport coat is not required and I rarely saw any in the Compass Rose (main restaurant). There were some men who wore one at the specialty restaurants but you will not be underdressed without one. 
 

Most men wear slacks or khakis and short or long sleeved collared shirts. Short sleeve buttoned down shirts would not be inappropriate. 

11 hours ago, MkeCruzn said:

Hey @WNcruiser, thanks for a great live report. We will be taking a similar itinerary on the Norwegian Star in about 10 days, hitting some of the same ports as you. A few more in Norway, no Belgium/Amsterdam, but it should be good. We have a forecast of clouds and rain for the first week in Reyjkavik and our Iceland part of the cruise.

I am sure our food and room will not be as nice as Regent.

I did notice the Star in your video of the ship horns talking to each other!

Yes I remember the Star in Isafjordur. I highly recommend Nice tours (nicetravel.is) in Reykjavik for any tours. They use nice 19 pax Mercedes mini buses. If your going to Bergen the fjord cruise to Mostraumen was fantastic. We booked direct with the operator (rodne.no). 
 

Have a great cruise! 

On 8/29/2023 at 11:43 AM, lprp said:

A Walk Around Reykjavik:- 7.5km in 2 hours - our poor aching legs and feet 😬

Well many of these look familiar 😀. The Grand is really far from town, that is why we just booked our own hotel in Reykjavik to be right downtown. There are almost no restaurants near the grand either. 
 

The weather looks great! 

22 hours ago, Linda VH said:

Kind of says it all.  What time can you actually get into the pool.  I have an aqua jogger (rubber thing around waist) and I do my exercise for 1/2 that way.  I, of course, would not want to take up space later in the day by being stationery in one spot so would like to get in before breakfast.  I’ve looked everywhere I could think of but haven’t found the answer.  Will be on Mariner.  Thanks in advance!

I checked the Passages and yes, it was 8-8 every day. I don’t think anyone would say anything if you were to go earlier. I never saw a net over the pool.