Our tips for first-timers

[UKCruiseJeff]

Thanks ..... glad you enjoyed.

 

Silversea Teddy is quite famous and has met and been photgraphed with celebrities and others. In fact they ask to be papped with him.

 

He has at times had his own blog.

 

:)

[duct tape]

I would bring up our bears but then you would all think I was Dr Charlotte!

[ging466]

My question is: how does one get a Silversea bear?

 

Do u need 2000 days or is it something u can buy in the gift shop? :D

 

I think he's rather cute.

 

Cheers

Jennifer

[Rally]

My question is: how does one get a Silversea bear?

 

Do u need 2000 days or is it something u can buy in the gift shop? :D

 

I think he's rather cute.

 

Cheers

Jennifer

 

Too funny :)

[UKCruiseJeff]

My question is: how does one get a Silversea bear?

 

Do u need 2000 days or is it something u can buy in the gift shop? :D

 

I think he's rather cute.

 

Cheers

Jennifer

 

 

I have no idea!

 

One day I came back to the suite and found him esconced in my favourite seat - staring at me - and he seemed to stay with us from then on.

 

Jeff

[Mr Luxury]

You can buy them in the shop.

My wife has the Seabourn bear in her collection of dust gatherers.

[MrMojoRisin]

Thanks for your tips Colonel Wes. However, I wonder if one of your suggestions is now a thing of the past. I refer to the following tip:

 

7. Send a note to informationdesk@silverseacruises.com and ask them to pass a special beverage request you would like (that SS ordinarily does not carry, e.g Rangpur Tanqueray gin) a month or so before and ask them to have a bottle in your room.

 

Through the UK office I asked if there could be some pisco on board, for making Pisco Sours, on our Silver Wind cruise in February/March 2014. The response I got was a simple "No, it is not available on board". Although it is, perhaps, slightly unusual, it is easily available (at least in the UK) and no more expensive than a fairly ordinary bottle of whisky.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Thanks for your tips Colonel Wes. However, I wonder if one of your suggestions is now a thing of the past. I refer to the following tip:

 

7. Send a note to informationdesk@silverseacruises.com and ask them to pass a special beverage request you would like (that SS ordinarily does not carry, e.g Rangpur Tanqueray gin) a month or so before and ask them to have a bottle in your room.

 

Through the UK office I asked if there could be some pisco on board, for making Pisco Sours, on our Silver Wind cruise in February/March 2014. The response I got was a simple "No, it is not available on board". Although it is, perhaps, slightly unusual, it is easily available (at least in the UK) and no more expensive than a fairly ordinary bottle of whisky.

 

Outrageous! I love Pisco. The daft thing is that just like grappa, the less refined the better and cheaper. Armagnac v cognac. If you are desperate you could substitute a clear grappa for your Pisco Sour. They use to serve two grappas, one an expensive chardonnay (yuk) and another was clear and cheap and lovely. After four or five grappa sours they will taste the same as Pisco sours I suspect .... worth a bit of a try .......

 

Enjoy your Pisco-less cruise. :D

[Stumblefoot]

Thanks for your tips Colonel Wes. However, I wonder if one of your suggestions is now a thing of the past. I refer to the following tip:

 

7. Send a note to informationdesk@silverseacruises.com and ask them to pass a special beverage request you would like (that SS ordinarily does not carry, e.g Rangpur Tanqueray gin) a month or so before and ask them to have a bottle in your room.

 

Using the email address above, below is a response I received last week when I asked SS to bring onboard what is arguably the world's greatest beer, Westvleteren XII. The beer is typically only available from the Abbey in Vleteren Belgium and I was hoping SS would make a special effort to acquire the beer when we dock in Oostende which is about 45km away.

 

Dear Mr. Stumblefoot,

 

Thank you for your email.

 

As this is not one of our standard products onboard, we have sent the information to our purchasing department who will inquire with our local suppliers. Once we received the information, we will respond with availability and cost.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Special Services Department

[WesW]

Mr. Mojo, since when we request assist from the information desk at Silversea it is somewhat impersonal, another suggestion is first thing when you board seek out the Food & Bev mgr and request his/her assist. They may be able to special order your selection for the next port. Also, pre cruise, don't forget to you use the assistance of your TA and hopefully the scale/juice they bring to bear with your request will prompt Silversea to action. Good Luck.

[MrMojoRisin]

Thank you all for your replies. I have already tried going through the TA with the request, with the same outcome. I will try Stumblefoot's suggestion.

 

I think I may try the grappa sour!

 

I should add that I made a similar request for our Regent cruise this coming July and was quickly told that pisco would be made available. Hence why I found the Silversea response so disappointing.

[UKCruiseJeff]

...... just thinking about your Pisco challenge. As Pisco is made from a grape close to Muscatel, you'd closer to it with a Chardonnay grappa. I prefer clear for drinking straight but I suspect that would be a better sub for your sours. Hope it's a good steer.

[Wellseasoned]

 

Through the UK office I asked if there could be some pisco on board, for making Pisco Sours, on our Silver Wind cruise in February/March 2014. The response I got was a simple "No, it is not available on board". Although it is, perhaps, slightly unusual, it is easily available (at least in the UK) and no more expensive than a fairly ordinary bottle of whisky.

 

I, too, enjoy Pisco Sours. But I have never had a problem obtaining them aboard Silversea. Pisco has always been available without special request. Maybe the UK office is uninformed?

[Silver Spectre]

Maybe the UK office is uninformed?

 

Now there's an understatement if ever I saw one.

[Nigella]

Now there's an understatement if ever I saw one.

 

I concur.

[TEMBOY]

Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[TEMBOY]

This thread was supposed to relate to Silverseas bear position. made by cabin staff... Fantastic

[Seafairer]

This suggestion goes under the category of "get what you pay for." If your voyage doesn't have any of those wonderfully languid days at sea, it's easy to miss out on the ease and romance of a cruise, or not take full advantage of Silversea's all-inclusive features - the reasons many people book a luxury cruise in the first place.

 

It's tempting to think of the ship simply as a hotel that moves, but giving yourself more time onboard - a few hours after breakfast or lunch - provides more of the true cruise experience, a fuller enjoyment of all that Silversea offers.

 

After all, you're paying a high daily rate for an all-inclusive, 24/7 luxury environment. So take a moment to ask: am I fully using the services and amenities I've already paid handsomely for?

[Garybem]

 

After all, you're paying a high daily rate for an all-inclusive, 24/7 luxury environment. So take a moment to ask: am I fully using the services and amenities I've already paid handsomely for?

 

I agree with this tip - big time!!

 

I am a huge fan of having cruises with sea days, as this is the time you really get to chill, explore and really enjoy the ship for what it is! Whenever I give tips to newbies I always say look for a route with sea days and enjoy the ship and all is has to offer.....

[Seafairer]

It's always a good idea to pack whatever toiletries and pharmaceuticals you need, rather than rely on buying things on the ship or ashore. The Boutique on Silversea certainly has a small, limited selection; but if they run out, they might not re-stock until the cruise ends. The Boutique is open during posted hours when the ship is underway on sea days or at night, never while in port [by law].

 

And finding something you really need in port can be time-consuming and challenging, especially if the ship isn't in a central location. Your normal brand might not be available.. your over-the-counter medication might require a doctor's prescription in another country. And language differences can present problems; I still remember trying to converse with a Venetian pharmacist - in my rather substandard French!

 

So it's good to just bring what you need and not have to worry about spending time on the kind of shopping that's not fun!

[kmr0708]

If you don't have any qualms about someone touching your "stuff", have your butler unpack. He did a wonderful job and color coordinated our clothes and shoes. Made embark. day less stressful

and saved time for me.

Goldens4, our butler unpacked our luggage for us on our Jan, 2013 BGI - FLL sailing and I loved it! At home, I'm constantly handling laundry, etc...it was nice to have someone ELSE put my clothes away!!

 

My tip: it was worth the $$ to arrange transfers through SS. Easy. Efficient. No hassle.

[Seafairer]

Silversea's passengers tend to be interesting, well-traveled people, and you'll add a great deal to your experience by getting to know others onboard. At breakfast and lunch (in La Terrazza) and dinner (the Restaurant) you can tell the Maitre d' that you'd like to join one of the tables he's putting together, with other people. These are usually tables for 4 or 6, a nice size for easy conversation. And you'll be totally comfortable, knowing that your tablemates are as interested in meeting you as you are in getting to know them.

 

The Maitre d's have a special knack for bringing compatible people together, and it can create some very special memories. And, of course, on small ships, you frequently see the same people during your cruise and it can be very nice if they're not all total strangers.

[timetravelers]

Make reservations as soon as you get on the ship for La Terraza and La Champagna. There are a limited number of people that can dine in each venue. We just got off the Whisper and talked with three new quests who weren't able to get reservations in either dining area on our 7 day cruise. They weren't aware that they might not get reservations.

 

They also weren't aware that they could make excursion reservations before boarding the ship. Our first time cruising we didn't know about either type of reservations.

[kmr0708]

Book your sea day Spa services from home! 60 days prior to departure, go online, take a look at the Spa menu of services & book day/time desired. Once on board, you'll find a printed confirmation of your appointment in your stateroom. For good measure, call or visit the Spa to re-confirm your appointment. On our BGI -> FLL sailing, my pre-arranged appointment for an Ionthermie treatment simply "vanished" from the books and my printed stateroom confirmation wasn't honored.

[5waldos]

..... Duct tape comes in handy too.

 

Having now spent much more time on the Silversea board my first thought on rereading these posts was Yes! She would very certainly come in handy. She knows a lot about Silversea.

 

Only then did I realize you meant the silvery stuff.