ROLL CALL: LISBON - BARBADOS 21st OCTOBER 2011

[philipb]

I have just booked this Transatlantic, having done it last October. I was travelling alone for the first time in many years, but had the most enormous fun. The best cruise in ages! Thanks to Jennifer from Sydney ('Gingiepoo') who got us all together, there was a great group from Cruise Critic. We really 'gelled' and had lots of meals together as well as gathering for Team Trivia (a daily ritual!), and going on shore excursions and doing independent sightseeing together. The ship was great, with good food and excellent service. We were blessed with gorgeous weather for the crossing. Don't worry about the Atlantic in November if you are crossing this far south. I have done it many times and always encountered blissfully calm seas. Anyhow, I so much enjoyed it that I have booked the same cruise this year, but it's good that several of the ports of call are different. If anyone else is booked please tag onto this thread and let's see if we can manage a repeat of last year's great cruise. It will be difficult, I know, but at least we can try!

[Emtbsam]

We are booked on the crossing but do not know for sure if we will be able to make the trip.

 

It was a wonderful group of CC people last year. Let's see if we can get Jennifer to come with us!

 

Victoria & Bob

[WesW]

Our good friends; Dougburns and Lynn Burns who were with us on the Spirit's maiden crossing (another unique/exceptional voyage of wonderful SS folks) are booked from Lisbon all the way to Ft. Lauderdale...am sure Doug will post/chime in soon. Not to be missed are Doug & Lynn's wonderful CC meet & mingles in their suite. Hi Victoria/Bob!

[badgerdee]

We seriously considered this cruise but in the end it was just too difficult to get from Sydney to Lisbon and then from Bridgetown back to Sydney. The expense of the airfares dwarfed the cost of the cruise.

 

So envious of you all who have booked, however!

[dougburns]

The "Lovely Miss Lynn" and I are booked from LIS-FLL along with Emmy Webb, but we're not sure we'll actually go. My lovely bride has her feet dug in pretty hard right now. In any case we will not be in a Grand suite this time, so no in suite parties. I keep hoping my bride will relent.

[philipb]

Just a tip for Badgerdee - if you book with a UK Agent then (economy) flights are included, so all you would need to add is the return fare from Australia to England. I imagine it would be low season as not many people want to come to England in November:eek:!

Bob & Victoria - hope you can make it. I saw Jennifer several times when I was in Sydney for Christmas and New Year (in fact I was there for 10 weeks) and she said you had booked. Sorry it's in doubt for you. Jennifer says she can't make it this year, but I am in regular touch with her and will try and persuade her!

[Emtbsam]

We seriously considered this cruise but in the end it was just too difficult to get from Sydney to Lisbon and then from Bridgetown back to Sydney. The expense of the airfares dwarfed the cost of the cruise.

 

So envious of you all who have booked, however!

 

We had a great crossing last year with lots of CC friends on board. We hope to be able to make it this year. To avoid having to fly back to Sydney from Barbados last year, a CC friend of ours stayed on the Spirit for another cruise and then transferred to the Cloud for a cruise through the canal to Los Angeles from where she flew back to Sydney. I'm sure she'd be glad to tell you all about it!

[Focused1]

Add me to the roll call, Philip!

[philipb]

Great news that you have booked, Joy. Look forward to seeing you again. Lets hope we can persuade the others to come again!

[MaryB1]

Great news that you have booked, Joy. Look forward to seeing you again. Lets hope we can persuade the others to come again!

 

Philip - as much as we would love to see all the fab ccers again, we opted to try the SB Sojourn in October for their Inca Coast cruise. Hopefully next time. Ken and Mary.

[philipb]

Philip - as much as we would love to see all the fab ccers again, we opted to try the SB Sojourn in October for their Inca Coast cruise. Hopefully next time. Ken and Mary.

 

Pity you won't be with us this time Ken & Mary. I will be interested to hear your feedback from Seabourn Sojourn in due course as she is much the same size as Silver Spirit.

[philipb]

Just back from a super cruise on Oceania's Marina to the Eastern Med. So time to think ahead to the autumn. Anyone else booked on this transatlantic?

[aruba jack]

Would like to join this thread. October 21-transatlantic on the Spirit. My name is Sharon and will be traveling with my husband Jack. This is our third Silversea cruise-last October on the Whisper and previously on the Shadow. A little concerned about rough seas crossing the Atlantic but we are looking foward to a great trip!

[Emtbsam]

We did end up having to cancel the TA but have booked B2B FLL to FLL on the Spirit in early December. The timing just didn't work out for us in October. Sorry we will miss you. Why don't you stay on until December, then we can get together!

[ging466]

Would like to join this thread. October 21-transatlantic on the Spirit. My name is Sharon and will be traveling with my husband Jack. This is our third Silversea cruise-last October on the Whisper and previously on the Shadow. A little concerned about rough seas crossing the Atlantic but we are looking foward to a great trip!

 

Hi Sharon

 

I did this TA with PhilipB in October last year and we had the most fabulous weather. 6 glorious sea days, sun shining and seas calm. Whilst u cannot guarantee the weather, I hope that u will have as great a crossing as I did last year.

 

Cheers

Jennifer

[aruba jack]

Thanks Jennifer for the response. Crossing our fingers the weather is good!

[christraveller]

Kelley and I are looking forward to this cruise. See you there!

[philipb]

Hi Sharon & Jack; Kelley & Chris - welcome to our group. Sharon & Jack - do not worry about the crossing. Jennifer is absolutely right. We had glorious weather and flat calm seas last year. If you look at the latitudes in which we are sailing we are in the tropics. Prevailing winds tend to follow the ship and make for calm conditions. I have done this crossing several times (at this time of year) and have always had kind seas. Last year we had a CC get-together on the first morning of the cruise and we really gelled as a group. Those of us travelling solo (which included me, Jennifer and Joy(who is coming again this year)) were never without good company. We had so much fun. The sea days help. Every day we fought (and won!) a competitive game of team trivia! Jennifer and I stayed on for the next cruise too (7 days around the Caribbean) but this year I am just doing the crossing as 3 days after I get back home I am off around Arabia on Swan Hellenic's Minerva. Just enough time to get my socks washed!!! Last year Jennifer was our leader but this year she has handed the baton to me! I will do my best to uphold her standards:).

[dougburns]

The "Lovely Miss Lynn" and I will be going. We're in 811. We'll be doing a 2 night pre-cruise at Lapa Palace in Lisbon.

[dougburns]

The "Lovely Miss Lynn" and I will be going. We're in 811. We'll be doing a 2 night pre-cruise at Lapa Palace in Lisbon. No Grand suite this time, so no in suite parties.

[aruba jack]

Thanks Philip-good to know about the weather. Hope to meet you and other friends on board.

[bsrkent]

PhilipB,

Add two more to your roll call... We are Barb & Steve from Fort Worth, Tx. Have sailed Silversea before and are looking forward to meeting you all (ya'all)!

[philipb]

Welcome to our little group Barb & Steve. I'm sure we will expand as the time approaches. Hope all of you from 'across the pond' are planning a couple of nights in Lisbon before the cruise. It is an interesting city and will enable you to shake off the effects jet-lag before you come on board. Your President is with us at the moment with his ENORMOUS entourage. I don't suppose he is able to pop out to the shops in London!!!

[keltic]

I might join, if the Silversea reservation team decides to answer to the quotes. When the reservation agents were in Monaco, they gave quick replies but it seems the Ft Lauderdale ones are a bit more "slow" in terms of handling with it.

[philipb]

Hi Keltic. Have you tried using a British travel agent? I use one in London who specialises in cruises. If this would help, e-mail me and I will let you have details.