LIVE Spirit from Ft Lauderdale to Lisbon March 31 2017

[Emtbsam]

Enjoy your time in Bermuda. Who is the bartender in the Obs Bar. That has always been our favorite bar on board.

[spinnaker2]

Emtbsam,

The bartender is a new guy from Hungary. He gets off in Barcelona, I forget his name but will get it for you.

 

Terry, forgot to tell you your apple pie is desperately in need of a garnish, where did it go? Must have it!

 

As bspill posted, ship docks with starboard side in an amazing turn about in the harbor, aided by a tug. You gotta love that maneuver.

 

It's warmed up considerably.

 

Four chairs were reserved very early this am with books, sun worshippers didn't show up for hours but no one disturbed the reserved chairs.

 

Asked for binoculars and I was given a small pair with silversea logo. These obviously will not last either.

 

We do have a large pretty orchid in our room.

 

Bulgari green is now Bulgari white...at least in our suite.

 

I notice la Terrazza buffet has changed in scope and size. Less choices for lunch in the cold section.

 

Many of experienced crew went to Muse. Many new faces and ? less of them. Service has not suffered, at least in what we have experienced.

 

Boutique still not crowded, although some pretty jewelry there.

 

Bridge players are enjoying.

[Mudhen]

Aw phooey....I was kinda hoping for Bulgari green myself. I guess I'll just have to suffer with the white. I don't know that one. Do they still offer Feragamo? Maybe I should try that and be daring!

Since we're Regent "refugees", I know about the service thing when a new ship comes on line (Explorer). Since we've never been on SS before, we're hoping for the best! We also tend to gravitate to an Observation bar, if it's any good. That's always been our favorite spot on almost any ship (the Explorer was a sad disappointment). Will be looking to try some of SS's cocktail specialties!

[pf778c]

My suite was automatically stocked with Feragamo last month, which I had changed in a hurry once I found it boasted the overwhelming aroma of decomposing baby powder (to me at least!) My apologies to anyone who doesn't share my olfactory sensitivities.

 

Bechi

[Mudhen]

EEEWWW ! That doesn't sound good at all. Will give the Bulgari "white" a shot. Hopefully, we'll get a choice! Thanks for the info!

[TLCOhio]

Terry, forgot to tell you your apple pie is desperately in need of a garnish, where did it go? Must have it! As bspill posted, ship docks with starboard side in an amazing turn about in the harbor, aided by a tug. You gotta love that maneuver. It's warmed up considerably. Bulgari green is now Bulgari white...at least in our suite. I notice la Terrazza buffet has changed in scope and size. Less choices for lunch in the cold section. Many of experienced crew went to Muse. Many new faces and ? less of them. Service has not suffered, at least in what we have experienced.

 

Appreciate these great updates and follow-ups by Spins and others. In June, we should be able to "survive" with Bulgari white. Assume the smell and performance works the same as the "green", right? Will need to get a new picture of the apple pie in mid-June when we sail again with Silversea to verify the current offerings on top of this dessert treat.

 

Below are a couple of visuals from the Bermuda port cam site just minutes ago. It shows where the Silver Spirit is located with the starboard side facing the main part of town. The second picture is of the NCL Epic ship just arriving there in Bermuda. When will the Silver Spirit depart from Hamilton?

 

Any visuals to share? Love to see more on Bermuda and/or the Silver Spirit.

 

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:

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

Now at 49,431 views for these postings.

 

Here are two visuals captured a few minutes ago from the Bermuda port camera. The Silver Spirit is the dark blue ship symbol shown right below the map wording saying Front St. Very prime and handy location!! Second is the very large NCL Epic ship coming into this port.:

 

[spinnaker2]

Hi all,

 

Walked in town again today.

Much warmer and just gorgeous weather.

 

We leave here about 2, but not before a sail away with dark and stormy's at the pool deck.

Nice dinner at the Grill last night, chilly but certainly lovely for grilling.

An after dinner drink in the Obs, we were the only couple there for about an hour.

 

Terry,

Bulgari green is a very different scent than the white. I like both.

 

I heard the next cruise following this one is sold out!

Oughta be fun times.

 

Lots of singles aboard. DH says that he thinks the average age of pax is younger than previous crossings. Maybe it is because we are getting older?

 

Ralph the violinist is aboard, I told him he didn't have to play trivia with us this time, he looked relieved.

 

Photo upload is ridic. I don't have the patience even with unlimited wifi.

[jpalbny]

Spins, I reduce the picture size to 1024x768 or so before I upload. The file size is so much smaller that way. I keep the full resolution ones on my laptop.

 

Keep enjoying!

 

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[TLCOhio]

Spins, I reduce the picture size to 1024x768 or so before I upload. The file size is so much smaller that way. I keep the full resolution ones on my laptop. Keep enjoying!

 

YES, great tip/suggestion from J.P. for making picture uploading easier. OR, e-mail to me and I will be happy to post them. Great details and added sharing from Spins about your additional time in Bermuda and activities on the Silver Spirit. Keep it coming!!

 

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 223,378 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

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

[jollyjones]

We're off along the long sail out from Bermuda, I can finally feel that I'm cruising. I've spent the last two days pottering around, walking home and back, doing laundry, readjusting my cruise wardrobe, despite boarding in Florida - now I can't do anything more - time to relax and just trivia the days away.

After winning on day one, we did place on day two but not precisely what could be described as first. Then we won yesterday so the pressure is on to keep up with our reputation!

Lots of dark 'n stormys at lunch, Spins and DH didn't like them so I had to make sure nothing went to waste, today's quiz could be interesting ...

 

 

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[jollyjones]

PS Ralph Allin, the violinist, flew in from London and boarded last night - he has a show tonight, I'm really looking forward to it, I've seen him before and he's so good.

 

 

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[Camillus112]

Jollyjones, thank you for you postings. I will be following them, as well as Spinnaker's. Have a great cruise!!

[spinnaker2]

Seas are a bit rough this morning. Grey with whitecaps.

Breakfast en suite...lazy start.

 

Dinner last night in La Terrazza. There was a line to get in at 7 pm!

One couple braved the wind and ate outside. The gentleman pax had no jacket even though it was informal. Not a word was said to him or his companion who also was casually dressed in chinos and a tshirt. Not sure what message Silversea is sending.

 

Osso buco was wonderful, as was the signature dish we all know and love.

 

Every day around the pool four deck chairs have books strategically placed on them around 8 am. The pax who they are intended for don't show up for hours. Must be some new reservation system.

[WesW]

Thanks so much for your continued on board reports Candy. We can almost taste the wonderful "signature dish" we all enjoy so much. Don't like to hear about Chair Hogs (and lack of enforcement to prevent hogging) and to hear about the LT (La Terraza) knucklehead who did not follow the posted/well understood dress code for informal nights. And sad to hear the LT Maitre'd did not speak with this gentleman--or at least hand him a SS sports coat to temporarily wear.

 

 

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[TLCOhio]

Seas are a bit rough this morning. Grey with whitecaps. Breakfast en suite...lazy start. Dinner last night in La Terrazza. There was a line to get in at 7 pm!

Osso buco was wonderful, as was the signature dish we all know and love.

 

WOW!! Yes, I super love osso buco. One of my top favorites!! Appreciate these great details and follow-ups. BUT, since I love osso buco so much, that's why I would to see the visuals. Unfortunately in the hometown for Wendy's, we cannot get this dish done so well in our neighborhood. Hint!! Hint!! Let us know what we can do to help.

 

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 176,471 views for this posting.

[Camillus112]

Spinnaker, was Francisco in charge of La Terraza? He is from Portugal, seems grumpy, but is very sweet. He runs a tight ship and I wonder how this people passed through him. Now...considering that, in the new scheme of things - according to the Muse's new bible - La Terraza would be ALWAYS a casual restaurant, it may be that the testing will also be done in the rest of the fleet... Just let us know if this was only a fluke, or casually dressed people will always be welcomed.

[englishusa]

Francisco, or Franco to his friends, (from Italy) is not on board. If he had been he would not have allowed this.

[Silver Spectre]

Francisco, or Franco to his friends, (from Italy) is not on board. If he had been he would not have allowed this.

 

 

Missing your T-shirt photos David.

 

 

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[jollyjones]

Well, I'll go out on a limb here and say that I don't pay much attention to the dress code myself and I really don't care what anyone else wears so long as they are clean, preferably not stinking of perfume, and their body is adequately covered. I don't enjoy having to look at folks who are wearing clothes several sizes too small and obviously haven't looked in a rear view mirror.

 

And, despite whatever sartorial blunders may be happening in Terrazza, it seems to be the place to eat - it was totally full last night; most unusually they couldn't squeeze me in, even for a late meal. Possibly Hot Rocks was less full - it was a very grey day with quite rough seas yesterday - but I didn't check, I just meandered off to the MDR where my goose was cooked - literally! - slow roasted goose, very tasty.

 

Then I caught a bit of the show by Suzanne Godfrey, the flautist. She's clearly good at her flauting but she kept stopping and wittering on for too long between each short piece, and she was wearing an ill fitting long backless sequin gown more suited to Vegas than the mid-Atlantic which I found irritating so I gave up and went to my bed.

 

Today them wot knows are obviously expecting better weather because we have 'Fruhschoppen, a German buffet extravaganza' scheduled for lunch on the pool deck (it was pub lunch in Panorama yesterday) with water volleyball to follow. It's definitely calmer out there and currently 66 degrees but still very cloudy; the wind is following so it's almost calm on deck so it might be quite pleasant, I'll see when I get there.

 

Ha! I just stepped on to my verandah to check the wind situation and noticed we're about to go through a heavy squall - hey ho for the nautical life! I may have to go to a lecture instead but unfortunately, although I enjoy Laurel Corona, she's doing the same set of lectures as on previous crossings, I'm not sure I want to hear them again. May have to have another stab at the jigsaw or maybe start a new one - the current one seems to be exceedingly difficult .

 

Oh, and if anyone cares, team Spins/English USA/Jollyjones et al are having mixed trivia fortunes - thrice first and twice third.

[Silver Spectre]

Thanks so much for your continued on board reports Candy. We can almost taste the wonderful "signature dish" we all enjoy so much. Don't like to hear about Chair Hogs (and lack of enforcement to prevent hogging) and to hear about the LT (La Terraza) knucklehead who did not follow the posted/well understood dress code for informal nights. And sad to hear the LT Maitre'd did not speak with this gentleman--or at least hand him a SS sports coat to temporarily wear.

 

 

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Whisper Chair Hogs

 

 

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[spinnaker2]

We were lucky enough to eat in La Terrazza last night. Twas very good. We made the same choices as the night before, and the Osso buco was even better last night.

 

New maitre d' for LaT. Copernico is his name. He is learning, but not Donato by a mile. He is very receptive and does want to learn...

 

As mentioned, yesterday was pub lunch accompanied by the voices of Silversea, and many of the pax. DH actually sang, that's a first.

 

Today is squally and squirrelly. Grey, steely grey and more light grey. The ghost ships are there in the mist and on the horizon. Wind is whistling on our veranda. Not much to the swell, as JJ said. This weather is made for relaxing.

 

Stopped in to say hello to Vasile in the boutiques. Lovely interesting guy.

 

Pax looking for Silversea Souvenirs will have trouble, no more Silversea logo stuff because new line coming in. Perhaps it's on the Muse now.

 

Finished third book, and almost done with the next one.

[Stumblefoot]

Finished third book, and almost done with the next one.

Wow! That's impressive.

[jollyjones]

I gave the German buffet extravaganza a miss because another nasty squall came through just at lunchtime and now that the wind has veered north westerly it's much cooler on deck.

 

Lunching in the MDR, I couldn't help but notice a large noisy table nearby - many balloons and wine bottles - it is Mino's birthday today and he was thoroughly enjoying himself with all his senior officers ... I wonder who's driving the boat ...

 

 

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[spinnaker2]

We braved the rain and winds on the pool deck for the German buffet. Jose escorted me to a table holding a tray above our heads, mostly over his! Bundled in towels and blankets we sat outside, with many others.

 

Then off to trivia.

 

Tonight we will eat en suite. It's quite brisk outside where we were to enjoy the Grill. More clouds on the horizon, pink and grey.

[TLCOhio]

Appreciate these various posts and follow-ups. The e-mail picture "magic elf" came through with some visuals from this sailing. Here they are. Give Spins/Candy the credit for sending. Want more food shots!!

 

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 211,626 views.

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

 

Here are some views from in and around Bermuda, including some rain, sunnier times, sailing near the NCL Epic, etc.: