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Lauranne

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Everything posted by Lauranne

  1. For those interested, we arrived at Fraser Suites in Hamburg (this is the hotel that Silversea is using) last night. It’s a lovely hotel built in 1907, I believe. We were shown to a decent sized room and after a quick fresh up we went to the dining room. This menu is expansive and we had trouble making a choice. We started with Oysters Rockefeller, followed by a shared prawn salad and finally we shared the schnitzel. Food was fantastic and the wine, a crisp, dry Riesling paired perfectly. The hotel is a less than 10 min walk to the promenade and pier area and about a 20 min walk to the Binnenalster Lake area. Harbour Tours are plentiful but you can really save if you buy tickets in advance. We plan on going to the Lake area in a bit and have a beer and sausage at Hofbraü Hamburg. Cheers, Laurie
  2. Finally had time to read this thread. Fantastic commentary and pictures. Made me add our Silversea inner jackets for extra warmth. We are finishing our packing and will be pickup by Blacklane this afternoon. Flight to Hamburg tonight to join Silver Wind on Friday. Looking forward to a few days to explore Hamburg. Keep the ship, “ship shape” for us and enjoy your remaining days onboard. Laurie
  3. This will be my last post until we get home. February 15 had was wake to a wonderful sail in to Whaler’s Bay. When we got to our intended destination of Telefon Bay seas were very rough. An announcement came that the decision whether or not we were landing will be made at 8:30. No landing this morning was the verdict. An enrichment lecture was added to the morning in place of the missed landing. Everyone was hopeful that the afternoon landing at the old whale station would happen as this is the last off ship activity until we disembark. Thankfully the winds settled and the sun broke through the clouds. This was a wonderful landing. Many old artifacts to see and a short hike to the top of a ridge for incredible views. We were encouraged to meet on the pool deck for a toast to Antarctica at 6:30. Everyone bid a fond farewell to this majestic continent as well as to old and new friends. Dinner tonight was in The Restaurant followed by a quiet evening in our suite. We will be crossing the Drake Passage for the next couple of days and while not The Drake Lake, the conditions are forecasted to be quite good.
  4. February 14 is of course Valentine’s Day. The Restaurant had a few nice decorations to commemorate the day. A zodiac cruise of Maxwell Bay was offered this morning. It is stunningly beautiful here with the research station on one side of the ship, including an Orthodox Church and a gentoo penguin colony on the other. This Bay has volcanic rock hillsides of green lichen and moss, making the area so much different than the peninsula. Back to the ship to relax, eat lunch, relax some more and so on. During lunch the ship moved to Admirality Bay about a 2 hour sail away. Another zodiac cruise was offered which I declined as it was cool and rainy. The evening briefing was at 6:15. Tomorrow we are going to Deception Island. We will sail through Neptune’s Bellows into Whaler’s Bay at 6:30. Our first Landing is Telefon Bay. This will be a hike up to the ridge. This hike will not be on snow so should happen. In the afternoon we will sail further into the bay to the old whaling station. There are many old buildings and artifacts to see and maybe a short hike. Following the briefing we were invited to stay for a wedding. A lovely couple were married by the Captain in a short but touching ceremony. Dinner was in the Restaurant and early to bed as we are out early tomorrow.
  5. Men are wearing a variety of things jeans and a button down shirt, dress pants and a button down shirt. A sweater or jacket added sometimes. Even long sleeve t-shirts and jeans. No one seems to care what anyone wears it seems.
  6. February 13 brought a foggy start to the day. We were unsure if we would land. Thankfully we had an announcement a while later that landing was a go but unfortunately as the trail up to the ridge was treacherous, we would only land for five minutes on the shoreline to take pictures. It was amazing to land on the continent and take a picture of this milestone. Prior to the landing we did a zodiac cruise of chinstrap penguins, fur seals and numerous Antarctica birds. We arrived back to the ship for a rest and then lunch. Shortly after lunch there was an announcement that all afternoon activities were to be suspended and all passengers were to attend a 2:00 briefing. The briefing informed us of a crew member needing immediate critical care and that we would be going full speed to King George’s Island where a medivac aircraft will be waiting to transport the patient to a hospital. Everyone was extremely concerned about this crew member and wish him our best. We were feeling a bit down tonight so decided to order food in and have an early night.
  7. February 12 started with a quick flat white coffee and a mini bran muffin. Looking out the window, we were concerned that this activity would be aborted as the sea was very rough. But as we tucked into Cierva Cove we found shelter from the 40 mile an hour winds so it was a go. We were the second zodiac group to depart at just after 7:30 and we were in expedition leader Michael’s zodiac. These zodiacs are military grade so going through brash ice isn’t a problem. Today was all about icebergs. We did see various Antarctic birds and a colony of Gentoo penguins but the icebergs were huge and truly magnificent. We cruised around for an hour experiencing some wind, rain and freezing rain but with our waterproof outer clothing, we were perfectly warm. Back on board we made our way to La Terrezza for the breakfast buffet, then up to the panorama lounge for the beautiful views of this cove. We are now repositioning to Mikkelsen Harbor. Fingers crossed for a landing. We arrived early to the Harbour but were unable to start the landing early due to a Chilean Military Ship conducting some sort of an exercise where they used a helicopter and later arrived at the same island that we were on with all sorts of equipment in their zodiac. Once again we were group two. The order of groups changes daily so you are not always having to get up early! The landing was spectacular. Gentoo penguins everywhere. Many had started to molt and were a bit stressed. We were reminded to follow protocol and stay 5 metres away and stay on the flagged route. It was a bit of a mucky, stinky mess, soft snow covered with guano but who cares when you are surrounded by penguins and a few seals. We had 45 mins to stay onsite or you could return on the next available zodiac if you wish. Back to the ship, through the boot and waterproof pant cleaning process and scanned back in. Of course you must have the offered hot chocolate with Baileys, Frangelico or Disarrono that a smiling member of crew hands to you! This is the life! The briefing by the expedition team was great fun tonight. Passengers were excited as the Superbowl will be streamed live in the Show Lounge. The plan for tomorrow is to land on the continent at Orne Harbour and hike to the top of a ridge in the morning and reposition to Cuverville Island for a landing this afternoon. We had pre dinner drinks in Dolce Vita with new friends and then went to The Restaurant for dinner. There was great excitement in the restaurant when whales graced us with their presence. Quickly finishing dinner, we proceeded to the Panorama Lounge where we were informed that the captain was turning around to get back to the area where whales were spotted. What a great show! We are the second last group out tomorrow so we stayed up later than usual visiting with new found friends.
  8. February 11 was the day we arrived on the Antarctica Continent. The day started foggy and a bit windy. We were soon informed that we couldn’t land at Brown Bluff as the current and wind has brought a huge amount of ice to the landing site. The Captain, Giovanni Mazzella and Expedition Leader Michael made the decision to reposition to Action Sound for better conditions. Instead of a landing, this will be a Zodiac cruise. Arriving in the sound, it was announced that the Zodiac cruise was a go. We were the fourth group out and our guides were fantastic. We saw numerous birds including the Southern Giant Petrel, Snow Petrels, Wilson’s Storm Petrel, Snowy Shethbill, Brown Skua as well as hundred’s of Adele penguins. We were fortunate to see Antarctic Fur Seal, the Wendell Seal and a Leopard Seal. Just as we were about to go back to the ship, a Humpback whale swam by the Zodiac. Amazing! The day continued like most days on this ship, so it was downtime in our suite followed by lunch. While at lunch it was announced that further up active sound was surprisingly ice free. So a decision was made to continue up the sound. Apparently only seven other Silversea ships had done this in the history of Silversea. We were in for a treat. Numerous Leopard Seals were lounging on icebergs while groups of penguins perched on others. Large icebergs of brilliant whites and blues were floating off in the distance. Everyone agreed that it was a special afternoon. The briefing tonight informed us that we would be going to Cierva Cove for a Zodiac cruise in the morning and off to a nearby island for a landing in the afternoon. Hopefully the plan will be a go. Dinner tonight was in La Dame. It was a lovely meal and we very much enjoyed the intimate room and the attentive waitstaff. We both enjoyed all courses with fish as our main. Dan had the Chilean Sea Bass and I had Dover Sole. Off to bed as we are one of the first groups out at 7:30 in the morning.
  9. February 10 was a bit of a sleep in morning. Breakfast at 9:30 then up to the Panorama Lounge for wildlife viewing. We saw a number of birds that we were able to identify using the guidebook provided at the expedition desk. Natalie Long gave an enrichment talk about penguins of Antarctica and the adaptations that took place over time. Lunch was great, it was an American Buffet or you could order off the menu. Laundry and a Bio-security check of our outerwear took up much of the afternoon. Our briefing was held at six. The plan for tomorrow is to do an landing on Brown Bluff in the morning and reposition to Hope Bay in the afternoon. We will see how that works out. The Expedition team always reminds us to be prepared for changes. Dinner was in The Restaurant followed by visiting and music in the Pamoramic Lounge. Off to bed anticipating a great day tomorrow.
  10. February 9 was an early wake up for Dan and a bit of a sleep in for me. Dan spent time in the Panorama Lounge enjoying coffee. We went to breakfast just after 8 as we had a mandatory briefing at 9 followed by the lifeboat drill. We attended the Kayak briefing but decided that we were a bit too inexperienced and didn’t want to chance an accident or injury. Lunch was in The Restaurant. A nap was needed and then off to exchange out jackets for a correct size. It seemed as if half the ship needed to do the same thing. There was an expedition briefing and Captain’s Welcome prior to dinner. Most people dressed up a bit but some people commented to me that they only brought casual clothes and that was just fine. Dinner tonight was in La Terrazza, the Italian restaurant. Once again the dinner was amazing. I particularly enjoyed the Pear Gorgonzola salad. I’ve been impressed with the wine pairings. Nice wines and of course you could always ask for something different if you prefer. A nightcap in Dolce Vita and off to bed. We started seasick meds this morning and we are both a bit drowsy but they work very well.
  11. February 8th was the day that we looked forward to for the past ten months. Breakfast was in the mezzanine 1 area for Silversea passengers only. Back to the room to finish packing our carry-on bags and then back to mezzanine 1 to await the announcement that we were to board the bus. They were running about 30 mins late and we left the hotel at 12:50. The ride to the airport was 30 mins. When we arrived, we were informed that due to late arrivals of the planes from Puerto Williams, we needed to remain on the buses. The waiting room at this airport was very small and those on the first plane had it more than full. We waited on the bus for approximately 1.5 hours before entering the waiting room but it was only 15 mins later that we boarded the plane. After an uneventful flight we landed in Puerto Williams and were whisked off to the ship by shuttle bus. The food and drink on board were both good and bad. The wine was quite good but unfortunately I didn’t care for the traditional Chilean stew. We were on the ship by 8pm. We were directed through Dolce Vita, where we were handed a glass of Champagne and then into the show lounge. Check- in was quick and efficient. Our first meal onboard was in The Restaurant and it was excellent. A night cap in Dolce Vita rounded out the night. BTW Tiki really is a wonderful Sauvignon Blanc. The captain decided to spend the night anchored in the Beagle Channel, just off Puerto Williams as “The Drake” was raging. We will set sail tomorrow morning.
  12. February 7th was another beautiful day. We woke early as we wanted to check into Silversea before our city tour started. We went down to breakfast just before seven and once again enjoyed the breakfast buffet. At the Silversea office just after eight, we had to fill out a health questionnaire and have our temperature taken. Information was given as to when luggage needs to go out (tonight prior to midnight) and the bus that we will depart on. Group eight, last bus, last plane. Oh well, we are all going to the same place and they won’t leave without us. Our tour guide, Edison, arrived just after 8:30 and we went to pick up another couple. We went to Santa Clara hill and then into the old, historic part of town. We walked through this beautiful area for over an hour, learning the history of this country. Continuing on to the central market where the smell of the fish stalls almost did me in. Our driver met us there and took us to the funicular but only to see where it was. We will come back later. Our final step was to the Bicentennial park and we enjoyed seeing the swans and fish in the many ponds. Back towards the funicular where we stopped at Galindo for lunch on our own. Edison provided a very good tour and left us here. We booked Viator and would certainly recommend this tour. After a traditional lunch of Pastel de choclo dish (not my favourite) and salmon ceviche we walked the short distance to the funicular. Edison had purchased our tickets which included the cable car. Be sure to purchase online as the lines at the ticket booth would be 45 mins to 1 hour to clear. We explored on our own and we were very happy with this experience. Excellent views and a cool way to see the city. We used Uber to get back to the hotel. A cold drink on the terrace and up to our rooms for a rest before dinner. Dinner tonight was a return to Matsuri. We were greeted warmly by the wait staff at Matsuri. Taking time to make connections on our last visit here ensured a smile and greeting from many. The restaurant was extremely busy tonight as Silversea provided passengers with a $50.00 per person dining voucher. Many were turned away as they neglected to make advance reservations. I had contacted the hotel early last month to make reservations. We ordered much the same as our last visit here. Instead of nine pieces of sashimi we ordered eighteen. It’s really that good. After dinner we went back to the room to set out our luggage. It was emphasized by the Silversea staff that luggage must be out by midnight. I checked early in the morning and it was still in the hallway. We are excited that the next time we see our luggage will be in our suite on Silverwind!
  13. I am enjoying reading about your adventures. Every morning I look to see if there are new posts. Thank you for taking the time to share your sabbatical with us! Laurie
  14. February 6th was our tour with Kylie of Chile Wine Trails. She was recommended by someone on the Facebook group. Kylie was a wonderful guide. She was engaging and informative. Off to the Maipo valley for our first tour. Santa Rita is a large winery. It is a former private estate with lots of history. We toured the fermentation building as well as the bottling facility. We then went into a cellar area where we were told of how the mistress of the house allowed Chilean soldiers to stay after a defeat in battle. They were given food, drink and medical care. A few months later Chile won the battle. The son of the mistress of the house later, then a young boy, later became president of Chile. We watched a short video and had a tasting. Off to our second winery. Haras Pirque, a small boutique winery. We arrived in time for another tasting. This is a beautiful winery up on a hill. The building are formed in a horseshoe shape as the first owner loved racehorses and in fact had a stable of winning horses further down in the valley. Lunch was next at el Manson Toro, a traditional grill restaurant. We all had steak for our main with sides of avocado, tomato salad and a mashed potato. Excellent food. Kylie offered a third winery but we were ready to return to the hotel. A quiet afternoon of rest was appreciated. We decided to walk away from the hotel to find dinner. We started at Lolita Jones, a Mexican Restaurant. We had a cocktail with guacamole. They make the guacamole in front of you. We had the recommended guacamole of the day. In addition to the usual ingredients, they add pineapple. It was excellent. We debated staying here but it was decided to find a place with grilled fish. What a mistake! We ended up at the Kennedy Hotel. We shared a plate of fish, rice and vegetables. It was truly inedible. I had one bite and was done. Dan had a few more and gave up. Kindly they removed the food from the bill without us even asking. Back to the hotel for bed. We have a city tour tomorrow.
  15. February 5th started with breakfast in Sorso. The breakfast buffet was included in our room rate and we found the buffet to be very good. Off to the pool for some sun and planning a tour for Tuesday. Up to the room to prepare for a visit to Museo Historico Nacional. We took an Uber and both the concierge and the valet attendants warned us to be careful of where we walked in this area. It is known for pickpockets. We enjoyed the museum, thanks to google translate, as all information is written in Spanish only. The museum takes you through the Spanish arriving until the country becomes a democracy and the common people have a voice. Another Uber took us back to Parque Arauco for lunch and a bit more shopping. Lunch was at la Sanguchera, a typical Chilean sandwich shop. We both had salads (who does that!). Mine was lightly battered fish over a bowl of assorted green. Dan’s was much the same only with shrimp. Off to Ripley’s where Dan purchased a new swimsuit. We walked back to the room for a quiet time of resting and napping. We didn’t have dinner plans and decided to eat in the atrium in the hotel. We were offered the Senso menu. We each had a salad and a pizza. While the food was good, I now understand the poor dining reviews that I have read. We had to flag down a person for everything, ordering, wine service, billing. It happens sometime, too bad it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Our much anticipated winery tour is tomorrow.
  16. We arrived in Santiago on Saturday, February 4th. Great flights and arrived somewhat rested as those lay down seats are a treat. The transfer driver, Sergio, was waiting outside of immigration. Although he spoke only Spanish, we cobbled together a conversation during the drive. Checked into the hotel. We had to wait about 30 minutes for our room to be ready so we went off to the pool area for water, beer and wine. Our room was lovely with a nice garden view. After a shower and change of clothes, it was off to see if we could find some items at the mall. Parque Arauco is about a five minute walk from the hotel. We found what was needed and we stopped at a small restaurant, La Perla del Pacifico, for a few appetizers and cold drinks. We walked the mall finding a few more items before returning to the hotel for a rest before dinner. We were fortunate to get a reservation at Matsuri, the Japanese fusion restaurant in the hotel. We were seated at the railing in the outdoor area and we were promptly greeted by an English speaking waiter. Drinks were ordered and Nicalas guided us through the menu. The service was fabulous, with a number of staff popping over to make sure that we were taken care of. We ordered a spicy maki roll, nine piece sashimi, a vegetable dish, a dumpling dish as well as rice. The food was everything we had hoped for and more. My favourite was the Gyosan dumpling. It was sublime. Off to bed, hopefully for a big sleep, to get us on Chilean time.
  17. While the first part of this post isn’t on the ship, the flights were booked through Silversea so I will start there. I hope that this is of interest to you. We have four days in Santiago prior to our Antarctic Expedition on Silverwind. Thursday February 2nd was a day of packing, adding and taking away what we really need. After a good night sleep, we left for the airport just before seven. February 3rd was a beautiful, clear day and roads were good. Forecasted high of 6C today at home (Calgary) but -20 in Toronto. Easy check in at the AC counter. They were able to link our flights so that the bags will go directly through Toronto and on to Santiago. The first leg was mostly on time and we arrived in Toronto around 3:45 pm. Off to the international terminal. We were able to walk in the security area thus eliminating having to go back through security. Toronto Pearson Airport now has a Signature Suite as well as the Maple Leaf Lounge. We went directly to The Signature Suite for a cold beverage. The Signature Suite is a high end restaurant and Lounge. It is included in your business class ticket. They have both a buffet for those in a hurry and an al a carte restaurant with three course dinners. I started with a lovely champagne and moved on to a French white wine. We had starters of a winter salad, duck confit salad and the daily crudo which was Ahi tuna. I had the Fogo Island cod as my main dish and Dan had a roasted mushroom dish. Shared dessert was Bourbon infused sorbet. The food was exquisite. Many consider this lounge as one of the best and we certainly agree. We decided to check out the Maple Leaf Lounge. We spent about thirty minutes there but decided it was too busy and noisy so went back to the Signature Suite. Our flight to Santiago was delayed by an hour and the lounge was a great place to wait. Finally boarded the Dreamliner at 11:45 and we were happy to finally be in our business class pods.
  18. Might I suggest an email to Ms. Muckermann. She made any issues we had go away although not sure how responsive she will be with her new responsibilities. barbaram@silversea.com Laurie
  19. This is fantastic reading. We are on the Wind next month and your excellent description writing has me even more excited. Thank you!
  20. @Cruiseswithfamilyornot”For a major city like Santiago and a hotel like mandarin oriental I was very surprised to see that many hotel staff with language issues.” When we travel, we try to be very respectful of the official language of the country that we are in. Therefore any “language issues” are ours and not the citizens of that country. Translator apps are a great resource when traveling to a country where English is not commonly spoken.
  21. I completely agree with @cruiseej I thought Oh no when I read the comment about taking three suitcases. If many choose to take more than the luggage allowance, whose suitcase could potentially be left behind. I certainly hope NOT the ones who abided by the limit. Laurie
  22. @highplanesdrifters Did you receive any Fans of MO benefits. It seems that you have to book directly to get most benefits but hoping that at least wifi is complementary.
  23. I bought these gloves from Costco. They are waterproof and have touch technology. We are in Antarctica in February but will test here in Alberta when we get our next cold streak.
  24. I was thinking the same thing. It’s 1.7 km from the cruise terminal. Walk, Uber or taxi. It’s sounds like a great location. In addition to the funicular, there is a museum, gardens etc. I understand that sometimes touring by oneself can be daunting so I certainly understand why a ships tour is preferable. I hope it works out for you.@Florida_gal_50
  25. Just reread the article. Looks like this pertains to ships in Australia and regions close by.
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