Africa & Silversea: Upcoming Cloud, Other Sailings??

[TLCOhio]

Terry!! I knew that this guy sounded familiar from your description! Had to go way back on the Cooler for this previous story...Robert Prentis was our tour guide that day in East London! Super nice fellow, so excited to share his city and his country with us that day. I think he will be a great guest lecturer - lucky you! You can tell him how much we enjoyed our impromptu tour with him that day. So cool that he's still doing things with SS! I hope you enjoy him as much as we did!

 

Appreciate so much earlier that JP posted the wonderful information and pictures regarding your connections and wonderful experience with guide/speaker Rob Prentis. As I mentioned, I was going to contact him. I did and as an example for his super responsiveness, he replied back in just three and a half hours. PLUS, with great info, tips and insights.

 

Part of the good news is his wife will be traveling with him as he and they are doing these Silver Cloud sailing with us and others. Among some of his key highlights/notes he shared were: "Southern Africa is a very big place and through my lectures I will be able to provide you with a general overview of the history and the people. My wife grew up in Cape Town and we lived there for some 14 years, so when you are there, ensure that you do all the tourist activities like Table Mountain, Cape Point, Chapmans Peak Drive, Robben Island, Kirstenbosch Gardens and all the others that you have no doubt researched." YES, we do have all five of these suggestions on our to-do list.

 

He also noted: "The problem with a cruise is that you are often unable to experience the huge interior of the country which is actually the heart. We have massive mountain ranges rising to over 3000m above sea level, huge temperate forests, rivers waiting to be explored and many fine game reserves in the Eastern Cape that are all malaria free. The greatest asset that the country has are its people and they are almost as diverse as the country itself."

 

Will share more information as I gain it from him and/or others.

 

As of today, the Silver Cloud has arrived in Cape Town and is getting ready to start its 14-day Cape Town to Mombasa, Kenya sailing. This includes stops in South Africa at Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban and Richards Bay. Then it will be stops at Maputo/Mozambique, Mahajanga/Madagascar, Komba/Madagascar, Mamoudzou/Mayotte and Zanzibar/Tanzania.

 

Hope those on these upcoming sailings will drop by and share some added info and highlights for what they liked and enjoyed most. Only 59 days till our Feb. 2, 2016, sailing on the Silver Cloud.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean Silver Cloud combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 32,937 views for these postings.

[carefreecruise]

Very droll !!!!!!!

 

Personally I think the personality of the Captain makes a big difference to the "feel" of a cruise.

I am hoping it is Captain Palmieri as he is often the Captain for the South Africa cruises.

 

I’m not naive, realize the whole glamor thing about the ships captain but perceptions could change when a disaster happens at sea and captain is down sitting with passengers, drinking and talking about superfluous stuff. The Captain in responsible for the safety of the passengers, ship and crew. When the ship is moving, he needs to be at his station, when not at his station, he should be attending to ships business. By checking with other departments and accessing if things are being completed to his standards. Of course if he runs into passengers while he is traversing to another station, he should be cordial. But NO chit-chatting. When he is eating, it should be with the staff and close to the bridge. Off duty times, he should be sleeping and or resting to keep himself sharp. When resting or sleeping, it should be done within 20 feet of the bridge. So he can respond to emergencies and avert disasters. All of my voyages, I have never attended a “Captains Welcome”. Instead, I go to the front of the ship and stand guard for him, constantly thinking he should be doing this job, not drinking and being distracted.

 

Sorry, but in my world. The worst things seem to happen when you are not prepared… I guess in cruise worlds, he is just a pretend captain, a figure head...

[dusababy]

Instead, I go to the front of the ship and stand guard for him, constantly thinking he should be doing this job, not drinking and being distracted.

 

Surely you jest!? If not, and danger strikes, what will you do? :confused:

[carefreecruise]

Surely you jest!? :

 

Not really, the welcome diner should be for the Cruise Director. The CD should also host all cocktail and diner parties. CD gets paid to talk and drink with the guests. If the ship is overnighted and tied up. Then by all means the Capitan should enjoy a leisurely diner with the guests. Other than that the captain should be working on his ship duties.

[drron29]

Not really, the welcome diner should be for the Cruise Director. The CD should also host all cocktail and diner parties. CD gets paid to talk and drink with the guests. If the ship is overnighted and tied up. Then by all means the Capitan should enjoy a leisurely diner with the guests. Other than that the captain should be working on his ship duties.

Actually that is why there is also a staff Captain who are pretty experienced.The Captain's Welcome and Farewell diners are the first and last night when the ship is at sea therefore the Staff Captain can confidently be left in charge-after all they are in charge if the Captain is asleep.

On our last cruise the Captain's Welcome was the night of our transit through the Panama canal.We were delayed so the Captain stayed on the Bridge and the Staff Captain took over the ceremonial duties.

On another occasion we were having dinner with the ship's Engineer.He heard a noise and excused himself saying I have to go and check that out.

I certainly feel comfortable that the SS senior crew are true professionals.

[Critically Cruising]

As of today, the Silver Cloud has arrived in Cape Town and is getting ready to start its 14-day Cape Town to Mombasa, Kenya sailing. This includes stops in South Africa at Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban and Richards Bay. Then it will be stops at Maputo/Mozambique, Mahajanga/Madagascar, Komba/Madagascar, Mamoudzou/Mayotte and Zanzibar/Tanzania.

Terry...the Cloud wasn't in when you posted. In fact, it only arrived about 9:45am on the 6th. (I think that's a late arrival, but SS has pulled that itinerary page) Saw it pull in from our hotel room. Buses still parked in front of terminal. Don't expect suites to be ready until late so not rushing to board.

 

Will start a new thread for this cruise. Off to finish repacking.

[TLCOhio]

Terry...the Cloud wasn't in when you posted. In fact, it only arrived about 9:45am on the 6th. (I think that's a late arrival, but SS has pulled that itinerary page) Saw it pull in from our hotel room. Buses still parked in front of terminal. Don't expect suites to be ready until late so not rushing to board. Will start a new thread for this cruise. Off to finish repacking.

 

Appreciate your sharp eye and close attention to details. Yes, it sounds like the Silver Cloud did arrive a little late. It was due to arrive at 7 am in Cape Town. A little late, but not too bad given that it was coming from from Lüderitz/Namibia.

 

YES, super look forward to your new thread, plus any and all interesting details, updates on the Silver Cloud, staffing, food, look of the new teak on the ship, etc., etc.

 

On the Silversea ships, the Staff Captain is in a very important and key position. It's like the COO/Chief Operating Officer or Deputy Captain. Yes, safety is the top, number one responsibility for both of them, but they also need to and have time to focus on other issues on the ship, its operations, technical questions, etc., etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, look at this earlier posting for many options and visual samples this city that is so great for "walking around", personally seeing its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 55,471 views.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

[TLCOhio]

From the Fairfax newspapers in New Zealand and Australia tomorrow, they have this headline: "Expat Tales: A South African sojourn" about a "down under" native who moved to Cape Town in 1997 and is now an expert on tourism in South Africa.

 

On the question of "What are the greatest advantages to living there?", she said about Cape Town: "The weather, it's glorious. I love living here because it's got a really cosmopolitan vibe and the food and wine are fantastic. You can live very well here for less than in New Zealand. Cape Town is pretty special and we are lucky to have beaches, mountains, and beautiful countryside all in one area"

 

Among her other key tips, comments, ideas: "South Africans really do love their meat, so boerewors (a type of sausage) is pretty popular. The shopping is very international. The Waterfront is a great place for that and it has good restaurants and atmosphere. If you are looking for more boutique South African designers then Kloof Street, Long Street, Bree Street, and Loop Street are good places to look. There are also a lot of weekend markets where smaller designers sell their goods. If you are coming to Cape Town for the first time then you have to go up Table Mountain. Driving around the Cape Peninsula is a fantastic day trip and there are some great restaurants along the way."

 

Full story at:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/kiwi-traveller/74821522/expat-tales-a-south-african-sojourn

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 128,603 views for this posting.

[TLCOhio]

From the London/UK Telegraph newspaper yesterday, they have this headline: "20 destinations you must visit in 2016". This includes tips, ideas and details for Cape Town.

 

Here are a few of the highlights about this much loved South African town: "This is a city that has always had a lot to offer – clinging to the slopes of a mountainous peninsula that curves like a crooked finger into the bracing Atlantic, nature is ever present. Everywhere you go, the food is good, the service friendly and the bill always cheap. The rand depreciated by around 30 per cent in 2015, which means regular visitors to Cape Town have seen their holiday costs slashed by a third. You can eat Michelin-star standard meals for the price of your average gastropub grub".

 

Looking forward to arriving in Cape Town on Jan. 28. Lots of exciting options there and nearby.

 

Full story at:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/12063983/20-destinations-you-must-visit-in-2016.html

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 207,539 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[TLCOhio]

For those planning Silver Cloud sailings in and around South Africa during the next two months, below are some graphics regarding the long-range forecast by AccuWeather for Cape Town. Looks decent based this weather postings. Let's hope for the best!! Sunshine and not being too hot would be super.

 

This chart also gives a comparison to the historic averages for each of these days in Cape Town.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 191,560 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

From yesterday, here is what AccuWeather projects as the weather for Cape Town, South Africa, during the month of January, early February. It is shown twice below, first for Ferinheight temps and the other for Celsius. Trying to make both sides happy by showing both. Such long-range forecasts are not perfect, it does seem to reflect temperatures that are not too hot, but with a decent amount of sunshine, etc. Let's hope for the best with those visiting this part of the world during January and February.:

 

 

 

 

[rumba2015]

We have moved our comments from Cloud XMAS thread to this thread.

 

Terry, your Google Maps photo of where Cloud is docked is correct. We will try to post a photo today.

 

Last night, we started our evening at Den Anker at the waterfront for oysters, mussels and sparkling wine. Very good!

 

We then headed to Harbour House for our next course. We booked reservation three weeks in advance and requested a window/patio table that provide a great view of the Cloud. Upon arrival, we were told that no window/patio was available. Showed our email confirmation and a window table appeared! Dinner was good but not great. No kingklip on the menu.

 

Will post today on embarkation process and sailing out of harbor.

[TLCOhio]

We have moved our comments from Cloud XMAS thread to this thread. Terry, your Google Maps photo of where Cloud is docked is correct. We will try to post a photo today. Last night, we started our evening at Den Anker at the waterfront for oysters, mussels and sparkling wine. Very good! Will post today on embarkation process and sailing out of harbor.

 

Appreciate this helpful information and look forward to reading any additional background you can share. Den Anker sounds good!! Had that dining location on our potential list and I will add a "star" next to their name based your success there.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 131,038 views for this posting.

[jpalbny]

We walked by that place [Den Anker] a few times...looked but didn't stop in. Maybe when we're back (hopefully) in October?

Edited January 5, 2016 by jpalbny

[drron29]

We ate at Den Anker twice.The second time because we loved the first meal.The choice of Belgian beers was also a consideration by me..

Definitely a good choice.

[TLCOhio]

We ate at Den Anker twice. The second time because we loved the first meal. The choice of Belgian beers was also a consideration by me. Definitely a good choice.

 

Appreciate these encouragements from Dr. Ron and JP for doing Den Anker. Have it on our priority list. Might work well for a lunch there. Love Belgian beers!!

 

It's snowing now in Columbus. Our first snow of the season here. Looks great!! Nice big flakes. BUT, it is good that we escape the cold Midwest before things get too challenging during this winter.

 

We had a wonderful dinner last night at home with the former Columbus Zoo Director and his wife. Lots of good insights and tips from both of them. He really likes our schedule/plan. Of special interest was his super strong love for Botswana's Okavango Delta. He calls that specific location his all-time favorite spot in all of Africa from his 25 different visits there. This morning he followed-up saying "Your trip will be fantastic." He really likes all of Silversea Silver Cloud cruising stops along the South Africa coast. Lots of opportunities to see and do more. His wife especially loved the waters, sights and coastline of Indian Ocean that bumps up against this part of Africa. She said we would be surprised for how amazing is that part of the world.

 

Among their special insights are that for the Okavango Delta at the time we are there in February that the birds will be so many, varied and special. They both super love Cape Town. They, like others, have mixed views for whether or not Robben Island is worth it. Near Cape Town, they rate Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens as the best for all of the world that they have ever seen or visited for these types of gardens. He said for late January when we are there that their unique and colorful flowers and plants there will be at the peak, best of season stage.

 

Having dinner tonight with another seasoned travel couple who have been to Africa fives times. More good, fun research and prep work to get ready for our first visit to Africa. It's a hard "job", but somebody has got to do it!! Any others here on this CC Board have good tips, insights and ideas for our Africa/Botswana travels? Don't be shy!! Please share here.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Super loved Dubrovnik!!! See more details and lots of great visual samples/examples at this link. Have had over 30,588 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and dropped by.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

[rumba2015]

We have returned from our trip to Africa and our cruise from Cape Town to Mombassa on the Silver Cloud. This was our first trip on Silversea in many years. We sailed with 205 guests on board. Here are our comments.

 

Overall Impression

 

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip on the Cloud. The recent drydock has "spiffed-up" the ship with new decking, carpets and upholstery. The condition of the ship was very good for a 20+ year old lady. Yes, we noticed a few signs of its age, but overall we enjoyed the facilities. AC and plumbing worked fine. We noticed no deficiencies with the AC throughout the ship. What a joy to sail with a small number of guests! We had many opportunities to enjoy the ship with quiet and empty spaces.

 

Crew

 

We have very positive comments regarding the crew. It is obvious that Silversea has mastered the process of recruiting, training and retaining great staff. The folks were friendly, efficient and hard working. The crew quality and performance was the highlight of the cruise.

 

Food

 

We were pleased with the restaurant quality and service. La Terrazza was the star for us. The MDR had a few hits and misses, but we enjoyed the variety of dishes offered throughout the cruise. We did notice that some cost reduction had taken place since our last cruise. We enjoyed the BBQ-outdoor lunch service on day two of the cruise that served a variety of South African specialties including Bunny Chow, Biltong and game sausages. The Grill hot rocks experience was fun, and provided a nice change-of-pace for dinner. Most certainly, we gained a few pounds over the 14 day cruise!

 

Wine

 

Overall, wine service was good. The South African wines offered the first several days were very good. We did not enjoy the Chilean wines especially the reds. We recommend substituting for these selections. The Champagne, Sparkling Wines, Prosecco and Spumante offerings were average. The wines were selected to be good pairings with food. On this evaluation, we thought the selections were more than acceptable.

 

Tours

 

We participated in many excursions offered by Silversea. We would skip the Thousand Hills tour in Durban. In addition, the Madagascar Natural Treasures is a 7 hour tour that includes 5 hours of time on a bus without air conditioning. The breezes created while moving did provide good cooling. On the other hand, the destination of the Ampijoroa National Park was disappointing with very few lemurs viewed on our walking tour. This tour provided good sight seeing of the countryside, local villages and small towns, which made the long drive worth the effort for us. On Mayotte, we took the glass bottom boat ride and felt that this was not a good use of our time. IMHO, Mayotte is a beautiful island that deserves a tour.

 

In conclusion, we are sorry that the Cloud is being converted to an expedition ship. Small ship cruising is very enjoyable for us. The Cloud delivered a great experience that was relaxing, enjoyable and very memorable.

 

Without hesitation, we would cruise again with Silversea.

 

Happy and Safe Travels to All

[TLCOhio]

We have returned from our trip to Africa and our cruise from Cape Town to Mombassa on the Silver Cloud. This was our first trip on Silversea in many years. We sailed with 205 guests on board. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip on the Cloud. The recent drydock has "spiffed-up" the ship with new decking, carpets and upholstery. The condition of the ship was very good for a 20+ year old lady. We have very positive comments regarding the crew. It is obvious that Silversea has mastered the process of recruiting, training and retaining great staff. We were pleased with the restaurant quality and service. La Terrazza was the star for us. Without hesitation, we would cruise again with Silversea.

 

Super appreciate your excellent summary, tips and experiences from your Africa sailing on the Silver Cloud. We are now at Chicago's airport on our way to Qatar and Cape Town. Looking forward to seeing the "new" aspects for the Silver Cloud on Tuesday, Feb. 2. Glad, based on your comments, that we have three reservations for dinner at La Terrazza. My wife would love for us to only have 205 guest on the Silver Cloud. Those "lower numbers" makes things even more "special"!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 35,363 views for these postings.