spinnaker2

On 5/19/2024 at 5:36 PM, seawolf29 said:

Hello everyone, I have a question...which Paolo are you referring to?

Thanks

Paolo Percivale

It’s called RIF

or

reduction

in

force

eliminate the job basically

Paolo long gone

barbara too

6 hours ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

Good Afternoon Coolers ….. 🙂

 

Today was another log delivery day.  

 

So The Boss was in charge of the wheelbarrow and transportation duties and I was in charge of stacking elegantly. This is our fifth load so far this year and anyone would think these logs grown on trees.  Outrageous prices.

 

As she was knackered I invited her to choose what she had for lunch and she asked for one of her favourite comforting dishes - Grostl and Wurstel + eggs for dippng.  And “PEAS!” for Spins.

 

Anaesthetics were house white. 

 

Have a great day all!

 

Jeff

 

 

 

 

Please more peas!

6 hours ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

Good Afternoon `Coolers,

 

Today was a special request from The Boss.  Salmon and my cheats sauce.

 

And for Spins ….. PEAS!

 

 

A sprinkle of peas peak thru the spuds…i will have the peas and potatoes plzzzzzz

6 hours ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

Good afternoon Coolers,

 

Today was chicken in white wine sauce with mash and peas!  As an aside.  My memory just sparked up.  Did someone use to pop up in Cooler history and shout out “PEAS!” every time I posted a piccy of peas?  🤔

 

Anyway, in sympathy with Rojaan19 we have smaller portions for the dietary compromised.  😦

 

I’m proud of the parsley because a year or so back I was bored and we got heavily into hydroponics for fresh stuff and as a result we have been overtaken by stuff including parsley.  Hydroponics is a wonderful thing.

 

Today it was house wine.

 

Jeff

PEAS! I love peas.

59 minutes ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

 

Thanks Spins,

 

FWIW, as a result of some lines too aggressively “making hay whilst the sun shines” I have no doubt at all that the extraordinary surge in cruisers converging with the overly compromised quality issues will inevitably open up in time an enormously attractive and highly profitable opportunity for a cruise-line to fill the vacuum with a top-notch product roughly where SS was when it started. There is an enormously lucrative market for the taking,  This is inevitable,  When is the question.

 

Good luck with your plans. 

 

Jeff

I think that was the intent of Manfredi. But so far the hay hasn’t been spun into gold.

21 hours ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

 

Hello Spins.

 

Your question isn't directed at me but I wanted to be helpful because I've been thinking about this topic for a while and simply wanted to help by suggesting some opinion that I haven't seen fleshed out and which you might wish to factor into your decision making.  You have an extremely tough decision and actually I don't believe anyone can provide you with the degree of reassurance you seek in order to rationally decide.

 

FWIW, I don't think this issue is about WHETHER RCI or any line are listening.  I think they certainly listen but at the moment they might not be responsive in the way you hope.  I think your question might not be IF they are listening but WHEN (if ever) they might respond and change in the way you need to be confident about future bookings. I think your question might better be "Will RCI upgrade my experience to my level of aspiration within the time-frame I need".  I can't answer that but offer a summary of my take on what is going on and the factors you need to resolve for yourself.

 

The Covid issue has provided two converging factors that to me seem to be pertinent. 

 

Firstly there is a compelling need for all lines to make up for lost ground.  This isn't a "nice to have"  but existential for all players to manage extraordinary debt as well as financing future plans.  This issue is enormous.  This means making as much money as they can to refill their heavily depleted coffers as quickly as possible.  Secondly, at the same time there has been a post-Covid surge in bookings from the pent-up demand from existing cruisers who have had a couple of years plus of no cruising opportunity and "cruise bereavement" plus the unprecedented extraordinary demand from first time cruisers who are entering the pool for the first time.  This is a (probably) unrepeatable opportunity for the industry.

 

These factors mean that the lines currently do not consider the need for nurturing loyalty from their base because they can both fill the ships at premium rates and reduce costs at the same time.  I don't think that from their point of view there is a downside to this approach for a while.  What "a while" means is unknown. What you need to calibrate is at what point in the future do you believe that the quality of the product will be brought into high focus because that initial avalanche of loyal and new customers post-covid is reducing and makes delighting earlier customers and new customers who might not even have experience the quality that you have -  important for their future business.  It's my sense that this is not imminent. In summary I don't think at the moment any line needs to look after long-term loyal customers. In fact it is more profitable to let them go for the time being.  They can ride the wave of the inexperienced and gullible for some time yet.  Your question is for how long and might I have better value if I go down market for a while,  If you get my drift.

 

I have no idea whether what I've said is helpful or intelligible or founded on sound thinking. I just felt your pain and hoped I might offer some considerations for you to discard. 

 

Bestest wishes and good luck with your thoughts.

 

Jeff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for your good thoughts Jeff. We canceled our cruise before any further penalty. We will take some time out and reflect on the new approach/philosophy of Silversea. 

Enjoy Dutch Harbor. Lots of history there. Look up the book “when the wind was a River”.

6 hours ago, Silver Spectre said:

His is a big change instigated by RCI since we were on the Spirit in Feb.

Mr Silver, I am following your posts. We noticed many changes onboard our last several cruises. So many that we cancelled a long cruise. We did also write to Silversea corporate but have heard nothing. Are you of the opinion that RCI will listen to the pax who have voiced their dismay over the changes? 

Love the Rosemary garnish/swizzle stick/environmentally conscious/herbaceous add

WOW dr Ron!!!!!

Safe and enjoyable travels.

Looking forward to the foraging.

Perhaps leave a few bread crumbs for a trail back to your suite…

Have a wonderful time aboard.

When we were on the Dawn a few weeks back most pax ignored all of the sanitizers and the hand washing stations in La T. No effort from crew to direct pax to wash up. 

This is in sharp contrast to the cruises immediately post Covid when pax were directed to wash hands. 

1 hour ago, vistaman said:

I left in Civitavecchia as well and I decided not to come back to SS 

The Arts cafe was indeed very good by Iulia and her friendly team 

Poor presentation of the lunch and breakfast buffets  - poor cold cuts and cheeses cut in pieces the same every day 

poor breakfast pastries and croissants !!!

It was a full house and when several tables were ordering special wines  especially in La Terrazza  the sommeliers were drowning  1 for 120 guests   -  my 265 $ bottle was served

extremely bad  no special glasses " tulip style " for top rated Champagnes  - i informed the chief sommelier 

one cabin meal : 50 minutes waiting time  and cold ( not lukewarm ) 

a lot of alcohol but poaring measures were too small - i did ask for several  double GT   - glasses too small for a real long drink

 

SALT  : local cuisine but no local purchase  I went to food market in Sète , Monaco , St Tropez and Livorno - no sign of somebody from the ship to buy something 

poor fruits as well : white melon  yellow melon water melon   and caned fruits 

I went to buy strawberries , blood oranges  those french red apples French cheese  and a few slices of home made ham at a local butcher store

Duck liver terrine by Rougié removed from Atlantide menu obviously to deviate guests to La Dame 

poor flower garnishments   pots with green small plants ???

Invisible captain , lady hotel director not approachable ,  and very obnoxious cruise director  - SS deviate the very good one to the Muse 

Endured a few bad cocktails as well  - sent back 2 and took another 2 "to my cabin " otherwise said into the sink 

bed linnen was very ok but towels were overused thin and not soft anymore  - cutlery also overused full of scratches 

 Newly appointed CEO can continue with the economising ...😝

Back to "my "Europa 2  asap  😀

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vista I was waiting to hear about your experience on the Dawn. Thanks for posting. I am sorry that your experience seems to be consistent with ours, days earlier.

We too are looking elsewhere. After years of sailing with Silversea, the handwriting is on the wall. 

I think there are many crew and Silversea personnel who would go to Crystal right now. We are looking at Crystal. 

2 hours ago, DavyWavey70 said:

Let’s hope they don’t waste the cardboard ones. Could they use them as coasters for a while?

I think they already did

1 minute ago, Capt.F said:

You can expect that Barbara will be moving to a brand that needs love and care.

This has been in the works for a while.

Changes to the Silversea brand as many of us have been fortunate to enjoy was inevitable with Royal Caribbean calling the shots. 
Bottom line, onboard spending to increased revenue is the RCG corporate culture.

To those of us who have enjoyed Silversea for putting guests first always shouldn’t be surprised to be seeing changes. 
We wish Barbara well and fully understand why the difference in corporate culture and its incompatibility to that of the former Silversea team came to this.

 

Yes all the best to Barbara. 

Hair dryer by Bentley! Kid you not.

This was not an instant thing. Been in the works for awhile, announced today.

Very sad to see her go because she was responsive to the pax and had the brand in mind.

3 hours ago, Gourmet Gal said:

A people have been worried that any relaxing of the dress code would erode the luxury experience.  Lately, many posts would indicate that SS is doing a good job of eroding the experience in so many other ways.  Really disappointing.

The Silversea experience has been deliberately and systematically eroded by the management. By penny pinching, profit taking and metric splicing,  the Royal people have eliminated the little and big touches that made Silversea seem special, and a luxury line. The product has been dumbed down so much.

Relaxing the dress code may make the pax look less elegant, but the Silversea bears the brunt of the blame for what has happened. Frankly, I do not think the management cares. The older and wiser Silversea pax of old are not valued, after all they are expendable just by virtue of age.