drron29

None were approached. However a probable extenuating circumstance was that all embarking guests had to do a face to face Immigration check in the Panorama lounge before the ship could be cleared for departure. Transitting guests didn't have to go. As we are on deck 9 we thought we would go to the Panorama lounge to have a pre dinner drink. However couldn't as 50 people were yet to attend. So down to Dolce Vita where the culprits were hanging out. At 7.45pm when we were in Atlantide there was an announcement from the Captain that 2 cabins were still to attend and sail away was 8.30pm. Today Barbara Muckermann embarked. She is attending the Welcome cocktail party tomorrow and it is a formal night. We will see how the dress code goes.

Probably going to get the new guests into line. 7pm and about 20 men in shorts and a couple of women. Now it’s a casual night but after 6pm it does suggest that shorts should not be worn.

Though when we flew to Tokyo for this cruise on a paid ticket that we paid for there was a change of PNR but our TA was on top of things and informed us of the change before we went through a "mysty" moment.

I have not sailed on the Nova but the other Silversea ships have a gangway with steps. However in Australia and NZ we don’t have a large tidal difference so very likely that the lower deck could be used. In December we do have higher high tides but the problem with the lower deck access is usually when a very low tide means that the lower deck entry is below the dock so can’t be used. Again on the other ships a high tide means a slightly sloped gangway with out stairs. However if you do book the cruise definitely let the crew know your needs and make sure they will allow the lower deck access.

Love your writing style Fletcher. And you do capture the feeling I am starting to feel on the Muse. I look down on the pool deck during my walking my laps. To me though it just looks like the perfect incubator for skin cancer. The food this time has had more misses than previous cruises such as yesterday’s crab cakes. Too much cake and very little crab plus being very dry. So last night filling it the end of segment survey I suggested an improvement would be getting rid of fleet wide menus and letting chefs do what they are trained to do. Still enjoying it though.

The people from next door have disembarked. A full ship for the next segment so hopefully the new occupants won’t watch TV.

When we visited the Falklands late in the season on the Explorer the young seals just wouldn't stop charging. But I had a protector that stopped them charging me. He looked me over first and then I just followed. Magic. . . And here he is in action. Not to mention albino seals.

So got back from my afternoon laps and had this large envelope with congratulations on it and this inside. I was coerced into entering the contest for guessing the number of nautical miles in the last 24 hours. I initially declined but I get on well with the entertainer who was collecting guess so he said you've got to be in it to win it. So I gave a guess of 158nm. Well blow me down the actual number was 158nm. 15 big bonus SS points ha ha. I guess they won't force me to enter again. besides stopping now means I can retire with a perfect record. Entered once,won once.

Sorry that I am not keeping up with this report but there are a few factors. One is the internet has been painful in the last 5 days and at times can not upload photos. Second is on my iPhone I keep getting logged out of CC and when I try to check in often an error message that CC can not be found. There is something wrong with the way my iPhone reacts with the SS wifi. For example I have never been able to access the App store when using the ships wifi. But there is a more important reason in that my activity levels have increased. Whereas before I aimed for 6 - 8000 steps on sea days and 10-12000 on long excursions it is now 10 - 12000 on se days and 15 -17000 on long excursions which means less time on the computer. On sea days my aim is to do 40 laps of the deck in a morning and afternoon session. I had the lurgi 2 days ago so today only 32 laps. Hopefully back with more later today

A sea day today on the Muse. Ready for breakfast at 1045 but then remembered that there was a cocktail party for transiting guests tomorrow so decided to make that breakfast. I really like a tomato juice for breakfast but today it tastes different. They keep wanting to call it a Bloody Mary. I feel much better now.

In our experience the SilverSea crew are excellent at the care of mobility impaired people. I take particular interest in this as my future eventually will be the same . On our Dawn and Moon cruises in the Mediterranean they often took wheelchairs off from deck 3 when they had the stairs from deck 5. Same on the Muse except one day when low tide meant deck 3 was below the level of the dock. Even on the Explorer in the past they could get wheelchair passengers into and out of zodiacs. Even to treks through the jungle where they accessed a Sedan chair so a 95 year old could see the Pygmy village. She was wheelchair bound. Determined to make another trip from her bucket list.

Hoping we will in Bali next year when we are there waiting for the Muse and you arrive on the Shadow 2 days before the Muse.

You will get to see wildlife but the downside you will not see the young animals. Penguins and the other birds of Antarctica who will be nesting at that time. So you will miss the scenes of Skuas taking advantage of a penguins momentary lapse of concentration and taking the chick. Some might find that depressing and a bonus if not having to see it but to me it would be a negative. As to ice the Peninsula sea ice has been getting less for some years whilst the sea ice over on the east coast is still more than it was 13 years ago when we ere able to land in front of Mawson's huts on their 99th anniversary in 2010/11. Similiar to this picture. A year later there was 10 nautical miles of sea ice between a cruise vessel and Mawson's hut but the passengers could see Mawson's huts but didn't get to visit them. https://www.auroraexpeditions.com.au/blog/aurora-expeditions-reaches-commonwealth-bay-100-years-after-sir-douglas-maw/ The only people to get inside Mawson's hut since are members of Scientific teams not tourists. Here is the report of one such expedition in December 2021 when they had to be flown in by helicopter. https://www.kidsnews.com.au/geography/chill-seeker-david-killick-showcases-his-amazing-antarctic-adventures/news-story/544db012ca1f30a0b6d21d0229794d23 Australia's Scenic Eclipse vessels are scheduled to visit Mawson's huts in 2024/25 so could be the first tourists since we were there. b So how come the sea ice is decreasing in West Antarctica but stable or increasing in East Antarctica? The probable reason is volcanoes. West Antarctica is close to being the most concentrated system of volcanoes in the world. So it is likely to be the West Antarctic ice is being melted from below not from above. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/12/scientists-discover-91-volcanos-antarctica So likely you will be able to land on the peninsula.

Sorry @mysty but Bumbu is not an original Barbados rum and as they add sugar and other things post distillation it is not recognised as rum by the surviving Barbados distilleries. Here is a review - not very positive. https://thefatrumpirate.com/bumbu-the-original And a list of Top Barbadian rums. https://distiller.com/lists/top-barbados-rums I did spend a few days visiting a few rum shacks in Barbados with a Barbadian legend Desmond Haynes in 2007.

Well mysty we know who the Maitre’D will be in the MDR. He will join the Shadow in mid December. Ann will send an email with his name and hopefully a picture she will take tonight.

It is certainly a possibility in the Vista and Veranda suites but fortunately most people don’t take a Silversea cruise to w a TV or movies all day. We did sail in a silver suite on the Muse and didn’t have the problem though it was at the start of 2019.

I really wouldn't worry. there are many options available for formal nights. There is a Spanish group of 6 on board who I have seen up in Spaccanapoli on deck 11 on the 2 Formal nights. They were eating from ` 3pm to 4.30pm. They were having lobster or salmon. Atlantide says you wouldn't be able to do that but order from room service using your butler and get him to deliver to deck 11. Basically you only need a tie on formal nights. informal is a jacket and collared shirt. now on this cruise Atlantide is enforcing the dress code but several come along with no jacket and they are loaned one. Which they then wear walking to the table and immediately hang it over the back of the chair and walk out leaving it there. ALso Silversea are good at looking after solo travellers. Basically drinks before dinner every day and often then several will eat together. Also just tell the Maitre'd that you are willing to share a table. some of us still like meeting others including solo travellers.

Dinner in Atlantide again. My red wine for the night. I had the Foie gras terrine then the lobster salad. Rojaan had the king crab salad to start. For mains she once again had the lamb and I the lasagna. certainly not the best I have had. For desserts she had the pavlova and I a pear and blueberry crumble. completely overwhelmed by the large pear.

Yes it is a known problem. It is down to be fixed when the Muse goes into dry dock. but looking at it's future voyages it is grayed out for November/December 2025. The whole TV system is to be replaced we have been told. To me that is too long a time. We are hoping they get off in Hong kong and the next occupants don't watch the TV very much.

And the Seven seas explorer leaves.

I was back in time for lunch at Atlantide. We both had the chicken wings again so no photo. We also had the pear and blackberry crumble. The Seven seas Explorer had joined us at the dock. Some scenes whilst walking around the ship. Hiroshima is the largest source of oysters for Japan.

The last of the Gardens. The provincial Art gallery adjoins the garden. plum trees. And pictures on the way back to the ship.

A really beautiful spot.

A dead koi being eaten by a turtle. The cycle of life.