Woodrowst

On 4/27/2024 at 5:36 PM, ak1004 said:

 

This is fantastic!

 

Did the tour description indicate that the activities will be exclusive to SS guests? We will be on Silver Spirit next month, and I didn't see any excursions that indicated some exclusive activities.

The exclusive activities were not listed online or in print.  They were announced at the evening briefing for the next day’s activity.  It is possible that SS limits the exclusive activities to expedition voyages since those tend to be more inclusive in terms of activities (zodiac rides, kayaking, and landings/tours).  Perhaps someone who has been on both a SS traditional and expedition ship can chime in as to whether this happens on a SS traditional ship.

Has anyone heard how many ships Crystal plans to build?  I may have missed it, but that info did not appear in any of the articles.

Thanks!
 

David

58 minutes ago, tulok said:

 

Looking at the itinerary, will we see a lot of wildlife? 

 

We just returned from a very nice Silver Endeavour expedition cruise to the British Isles (mostly Scottish Isles with a couple of British and independent Isles thrown in).  The wildlife was mostly birds.  All kinds of birds, both on land and in the water.  We also saw some sheep, Shetland ponies, red squirrels, and -ironically enough- a fox in Hyde Park when we disembarked in London.

1 hour ago, Catlover54 said:

 

Thank you for clarifying the rule and it does help inform me what is mandated.

However, if all your gear is "checked" (at least macroscopically) before a landing, including pants and jacket and pack, it would be interesting for me to see the data and scientific analysis  (if there is any) indicating that setting the same "checked" pants, jacket, and pack on the ground for a few minutes actually spreads bird flu, and that banning such activities helps preserve "one of the most unique places on our planet".  Alternatively, maybe dousing everyone's exterior in a disinfectant spray (like is used on the boots) would be even better?

If it is just theory, i.e.,  that there is potential harmful microscopic spread which *might* infect wildlife if one sits down (despite having been "checked") then arguably there could also be spread of disease just from the jiggling and shaking of a human's body while moving, mouth (while talking -- maybe better to remain silent?) and nose secretions (while sniffing or breathing),  and hairs and skin cells shaking off that occurs while walking across the landscape, and frankly maybe people simply shouldn't be there at all, no matter how much Antarctica travel  contributes to Argentina's and Chili's economies.  Or perhaps wearing a "clean suit" (like in some science labs) is the way to go, to protect the continent  even more?

 

Also, if there is documented microscopic risk of disease created by sitting or resting packs, then  definitely people should not be "camping" overnight there, as some expedition trips offer to potential customers, as it is impossible  to camp without putting things on the ground (such as your body). 

 

In any event, I think the cruise companies right now, with this season's new rules, should make *very clear*, *in advance* of booking and putting down often irreversible down payments, that one is not allowed to put anything on the ground, or sit down, if on land when walking around as long as 2-2.5 hours. This is especially important, in my view,   since these trips are mostly marketed to older people (not all of them fit and vigorous), and sitting down and putting packs down when tired or dizzy from exertion used to be allowed, and/or a reasonable person not informed otherwise will assume it is allowed). I've been to Antarctica marketing presentations on luxury cruise lines where they did the opposite (as late as fall 2023) i.e., push how *easy* it is to go to Antarctica, e.g., that seniors don't really need to worry about getting in and out of the zodiaks, and also no mention of the "no rest" rule.

 

 

 

A few reflective thoughts as someone who did an Antarctica cruise in January.  If you are going to enjoy a trip to Anarctica you have to be ultra flexible. The ability to be flexible and roll with the ups and downs is, of course, important for any international travel but especially so for Antarctica due to the unpredictable environment.  Due to weather and other factors, sites get changed/cancelled/modified as the cruise progresses.  Zodiac excursions get added/subtracted on a daily basis.  Some days end up with two excursions, some days end up with none.  Rules get modified as needed.

We Americans are not particularly good with flexibility and taking things as they come.  We demand to know exactly what will happen (preferably in writing) and require that any rules or adjustments meet our particular level of justification.  I would not recommend an Antarctica cruise for those who take this approach as they are bound to be frustrated.  If you are going to enjoy an Antarctic cruise, just go, be willing to adjust to each day as it comes, don’t overthink, and don’t over demand.  

Deleted

On 4/17/2024 at 2:50 AM, Fletcher said:

4 - Amazon Immersive

I thought you might like to know that we have 148 passengers on board the aging river scull Silver Wind.  This makes the ship seem quite empty, a bit like a private yacht when you can sit for an hour outside the panorama lounge and not see a soul.  But it always makes you wonder - why did we choose this cruise when the majority didn’t?  What do they know that which what we don’t?  Are we stupid or a member of an elite?

I do not know why so few are on your cruise.  But I do know that the stretch from the Atlantic Ocean to Manaus - the trip most cruise lines take - is considered the most boring part of the Amazon.  It gets much more interesting as the river narrows and splits into the Amazon and Rio Negro - where the meeting of waters occurs.  You generally need a much smaller boat to go up the rio negro.  I took a 12 passenger boat for a week from Manaus up the rio negro and we got very up close and personal with birds, insects, trees, plants, flowers, fish (piranha fishing), and the indigenous population.  We bought fish from local fisherman who made their catch within hours of using their canoes to come alongside the boat.  We swam in the Rio negro (the piranha get a bad rap and will only attack if they smell blood).  We went out in canoes after dark to see Caiman, snakes, spiders, sleeping birds, the amazing night stars, and other things you can only see at night.

I guess what I am saying is that maybe there were few passengers because word gets around that a cruise ship that goes from the Atlantic to Manaus is not the best way to see the Amazon; there are better options.

Please understand I am not trying to be mean or belittle your choice of cruise.  I just want those researching Amazon cruises to have this perspective as part of their research.

8 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

This is fantastic!

 

Did the tour description indicate that the activities will be exclusive to SS guests? We will be on Silver Spirit next month, and I didn't see any excursions that indicated some exclusive activities.

 

Maybe one of the reasons is that Silversea Endeavour has only 200 guests? Endeavour sailings are also much more expensive even compared to other SS ships, so might be not so fair comparison.. I'm not sure if this "above and beyond" happens on Dawn or Spirit.

Neither the choir nor exclusive use of the Giant’s Causeway was listed in the tour descriptions.  They have been trying to delight us and exceed our expectations on a regular basis and usually announce any “above and beyond” a day or two in advance.

i have not been on the Dawn or Spirit so do not know if this occurs on both the Silversea expedition and traditional cruises.  I am sure there are cruisers on this thread who have and can provide an informed comment.

So with great trepidation I thought I would post another couple of examples of luxury vs premium cruising.  Today, our cruise on the Silversea Endeavour stopped in Iona, UK and provided a complementary tour of the Iona Abbey.  The above and beyond was that they arranged for a Gaelic choir to provide a concert for us.  Just beautiful.  Tomorrow we are stopping in Portrush, UK and the ship is providing a tour to the UNESCO heritage site of the Giant’s Causeway.  The above and beyond is that they arranged for us to have the site exclusively for the cruise ship; we won’t have to compete with the thousands of daily visitors at the Giant’s causeway.  Premium lines such as Oceania do not provide these kind of above and beyonds - at least not on any of the six O cruises I have taken.

I am fully prepared for the first response to be: This does not apply to me because I don’t like Gaelic choir music or hexagonal basalt columns ☺️

9 hours ago, clo said:

It doesn't appeal in the least to me. I guess some is I'm giving up a small amount of privacy. And I don't plan everything in advance and I might want to change my mind at the last minute. I don't want to think that I'm 'bothering' the butler with my last minute changes. And, hey, to be honest, it doesn't sound like there are any female butlers. Are there? And if not, why not?

We are currently on the Silversea Silver Endeavor and have a female butler.  Her name is Khai.

3 hours ago, jonthomas said:

O offers us all that we need.

Getting back to the core of the thread (Luxury vs premium lines), I’m not sure the issue is need.  It really is more about appreciation.  The question is whether you appreciate the incrementally elevated level of service provided on a luxury line.  I don’t mean to be rude, but unless you have sailed on both levels you really don’t know your answer.
 

As an example, some who have sailed on a luxury line say they feel their butler added substantially to their experience.  Some others have said that they did not find that a butler enhanced their experience.  And a third group said they did not think a butler would enhance their experience but found after having one that it did.  
 

If you have never sailed on Crystal, Seabourn, Silversea, or other luxury line how do you know that you are not in the third group above; those that did not think that they would appreciate the elevated service but after trying it found that they did?

31 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

 

I guess I can repeat that, talk about YOU missing my point.

IF a luxury line is about how much you can drink, the variety, quality,  and how you are served those drinks, since we dont consume any alcohol,  then we are getting all the luxury we need by sailing a premium line , without the cost. For us it has to be about something other than liquor to pay more.

Hope you get my point. I really cant explain it better than that.

Tell me what is important to you on a cruise and I will be happy to see if I can come up with an example or two of the incremental difference of a luxury vs premium line in the area(s) that matter to you.

2 hours ago, jonthomas said:

doesnt mean anything to those of us that do not consume alcoholic beverages.

My point wasn’t about alcohol.  It was about a level of service above and beyond a premium line.  

People are always asking for examples of the difference between luxury and premium cruising.  We have been on - and enjoyed- many Oceania cruises but are currently on the Silversea Silver Endeavor tootling around Scotland.  Silversea is, of course, a luxury line where Oceania is a premium line.  That is not to denigrate Oceania in any way - as mentioned we have enjoyed Oceania cruises and will continue to do so.

Anyway, at dinner last night the sommelier offered us the complimentary wine of the evening.  I asked if he had a Spanish Rioja. On a luxury line they always say yes when they can so he went to hunt down a bottle of rioja and returned with one shortly.  Then he left the bottle on the table with me so that I could have as much as desired.  That would not happen on Oceania.  When I told him I appreciated having the entire bottle he said,”We want to spoil you on your vacation”.  I can’t say I have ever heard an Oceania staff member say that.

Again, this was not a post against Oceania.  It was to give an example of an experience that shows the incremental difference between a luxury and premium cruise line.

We used the old city Dubai self-guided tour available online through GPSmyCity and enjoyed it.  GPSmyCity is our go to site for self-guided tours.  They have a number of tours Dubai and most other major cities. 

59 minutes ago, Ovener said:

 I honestly don't know what Viking and Seabourn are doing to deal with passengers with later-in-the-day flights in 2024.  They were, however, very good to us in arranging pre-flight tours or a staging post in 2022 and 2023. However, I think someone may have mentioned in another post that Seabourn isn't providing them or may be charging. Perhaps someone on Seabourn in 2024 could kindly comment, it would be good to know. 

 

 

We were on the Seabourn Venture to Antarctica in January.  If it makes you feel any better (i.e. misery loves company) the Seabourn charter flight got us to Buenos Aires in the early afternoon and our connecting flight was not until nine hours later at 11:15pm.  Seabourn took us out to a local restaurant for a very nice early dinner and returned us to the BA airport at 5:30pm.  I believe the dinner was only provided to those who booked air through Seabourn.  Some who were told they could not join us were upset. 

2 hours ago, caviarforme said:

 

6 Not sure where you saw that excursions are included - they are normally at an additional charge and are listed on your online booking

In this day and age one has to differentiate between traditional and expedition cruises.  The expedition trips are mostly on the Venture and Pursuit.  Expedition voyages are very different animals than the traditional voyages in terms of dress, activities and ambiance. In fact, most of the criticism of expedition cruises I have seen posted on CC revolves around passengers who were not aware of the difference and expected a traditional voyage.

 Seabourn includes excursions on the Venture and Pursuit, mostly because the out of the way destinations that define an expedition cruise do not have the infrastructure to provide excursions on their own.  The classic example is Antarctica.  
 

My comments also apply to traditional vs expedition cruises on Silversea.

On 4/6/2024 at 6:06 PM, commodoredave said:

But if one of our primary reasons for taking a cruise was to visit a specific destination or two (e.g. Easter Island, Casablanca for Marrakech, Sete for Carcasonne, etc), I would be disappointed enough to ask why it was canceled.

One of the long standing rules of conventional wisdom has been that if there is a place that you must absolutely visit then a cruise is not the way to do it.  Go by land, not by sea.

I haven’t heard “trunk” used for luggage since my sailing on the Titanic. Luckily I had travel insurance, but that is for another discussion.

We were on the Venture this summer to Antarctica.  Landings and zodiac rides were fairly brief - 75 minutes at a time.  As such, I did not feel the need to take the backpack.  The trips were too short to need water or to change layers.  I don’t remember seeing many other passengers take backpacks and I suspect those that did used them mostly for photo gear. 

With all the posts confirming short distances you now know why they call them landings instead of walks or hikes ☺️

On 3/26/2024 at 4:45 PM, mwike said:

Gotcha.  We certainly weren't looking for these landing hikes/walks to provide any exercise value.  But am shocked they are so short.  Simply because we're thinking we'd like to see a bit more than the landing spot, but I guess that's what the RIB's and kayak's are for.

 

We're sort of looking at this trip as a gateway to the adventurous trips you mention.  Decided to go more luxury for the first trip and see if we enjoy it as much as others have told us.  Then maybe take the adventure focused cruise, albeit more spartan, for the next trip.

Sounds like a great plan.

On 3/23/2024 at 12:58 PM, Club Eleven said:

 

 

I understand that boots are required for wet landings, and that Seabourn provides them. I am considering buying my own. 

Keep in mind that there are substantial luggage limitations for the charter flight from Buenos Aires to/from Ushuaia.  Boots are big and take up a lot of that precious space.  Most of the people I have heard about who bring their own boots do so for orthopedic reasons.  My wife has wide calves and consulted Seabourn about whether to bring her own boots.  They told her not to and they were right.  When she could not get her calves into the boots they made a small slit at the top that took care of the issue.  I was impressed, since they essentially had to throw the boots out after the cruise since they had been cut into and were willing to do so.   I found the supplied boots quite comfortable.  Are you concerned about an orthopedic issue?

On 3/23/2024 at 4:07 PM, mwike said:

Seriously just a few hundred yards???  We're going in December and were certainly hoping for a bit more of a hiking aspect to the landings.

It depends on your definition of hiking but you will at most walk a mile or so at most landings.  It can be less. The things to see tend to cluster at and within a short walk of the water.  And the boots, while comfortable, aren’t really made for long walks.  You land on the Antarctic peninsular for the sensory experience (sight, sound, smell), not for aerobics.  Standing next to a penguin and watching it is a lot more fun than walking by it.  If what you want is to truly stretch your legs I believe there are boutique lines that will better serve you than Seabourn will.

45 minutes ago, MarciAnn said:

We are booked on the Venture for an Antarctic cruise in January 2025.  Do I need to make dinner reservations and book shore excursions (which I guess is just kayaking since I have no interest in the submarine) ahead of time?  As of now the site says dining reservations are not yet available and it shows no shore excursions except in Ushuaia.  When do these appear on the site?  Thanks in advance.

If you are interested in the kayaking I would book it in advance.  I waited until I boarded the Venture and was lucky to get one of the last remaining slots.  I thoroughly enjoyed the kayaking and felt it was worth every penny.

33 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

 That's part of the joy of cruising, get off the ship, walk around, and meet the locals where they shop.

 

 

I fully agree with MEFlowa. If shopping is your thing, check out authentic shops on land and get a bit of the culture with your shopping experience. Some pre-cruise googling can help locate authentic shops that are often within walking distance of the pier.