Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Four

[Solo mi!]

My in-laws lived in Dubai and loved the Emirates benefits.

Another thing that I like about Avios, is the One World option. Last year I flew Iberia direct to Spain and that was convenient. Also, booking off season flights use less points. I fly American between Mex and US, so if I have to pay, I collect more points.

[UKCruiseJeff]

My elder son got me onto the IHG thing. He has the top Ambassador status (the one above Spire and it's invite only). My goodness does he do well out of it! For example he got an upgrade to the Presidential suite (I think that's what it was called - the top one anyway) in Madrid a little while ago on a booking made with points for a normal suite. I think he said the difference if one had to pay it was about Euro2.5k. But he uses IHG group A LOT and knows just about every wrinkle in the scheme.

 

The only downside is that we are always tempted to book an IHG group hotel even where a more interesting, and sometimes cheaper, alternative might be more tempting. As for the Intercons, of course the problem is that they are few and far between. On our upcoming trip to Cape Town in Jan we have booked a Holiday Inn Express on points because a, there is no Intercon and b. a decent hotel is stupidly expensive. this is where we find the points thing so useful. In other places, Barcelona for example, we have abandoned IHG and gone for a nice hotel right at the port because the IHG properties just aren't that convenient. So we are having to pay real money!!!

 

The one mistake we made, in retrospect, was to get into the Virgin Atlantic scheme rather than Avios when we started to travel more frequently maybe 5 years ago. The routes are limited - so far that hasn't hurt us but we need to get to Australia in a couple of years and a fistful of Avios would have been much more useful. We've used up our meagre store of Avios for a Club flight to Barcelona next week (£30 cash paid) but have hardly even made a dent in our VA points for the flight back from Barbados where 2 ecos have been upgraded to Prem Eco. Sadly, no Upper available. And, anyway, something for nothing always seems so much more of a treat than something paid for. This may make me sound mean and parsimonious but that's only because I am.

 

As I said earlier, a bit of research and perusal of the small print can really pay off.

 

TTS, yes your son has what use to be called Royal Ambassador. In the old days each RA had a certificate in their renewal pack and could invite someone to join for a year. I managed over the years as my wife was also RA (we would invite each other) to invite 26 people to get RA for a year. The certificates ended up becoming so valuable they were sold on ebay for up to £1k or so. I always felt that as I got mine for free ..... as it happens from an RA I met in the IC at Istanbul who we were on the same SS cruise as - who gifted me his cert - so I'd never sell but give them away in the spirit I got mine. Sounds like an exageration but it is life changing. It got us on the first step and since then the main thing I do is to retain "friendship" with people in the properties we visit. So for example even during Palme D'Or night in Cannes, several times at The Carlton we have been upgraded to a top named suite when "stars" have had what they are given. I have also done several "private understandings" with properties that enable us to use the cheapest inflexible rates eg "Friends and Family" as though they were individual nightly flexible rates and then receive RA benefits. Like your son, our RA got us a top suite at Madrid as well on a few visits on points.

 

The whole reason why I bang on about people approaching retirement getting stuck into this is because when they retire they can be a touch more opportunistic and flexible with what they do and where they go and that means you can milk the system as opportunities arise. Our December trip for example is Avios for the two Business flights using an about to expire BA Prem Plus 241 voucher and 35k IHG points per night which is getting us an upgrade to a specified suite with lounge. I guess you would say we're getting what BA Holidays is today pricing as £2.4k for our 5 day visit in December for around £800 if you put some cash value against miles and points. I splashed out and reserved my seats on BA because I don't do suprises ......:)

 

TTS, you should look at being more opportunisitc with for example SPG credit cards and BA Prem Plus churns and also the odd purchase of miles when they are on offer. Everything is possible. And you need to come to VIE in December .....:D

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers! Rain continues and the Ark is almost finished. By the way, what is a cubit? :)

 

I'm turning very green here. Not from mold, although that may come soon if the rain doesn't stop. Not from the idea of flying, I don't suffer from motion sickness. I am green with envy! Canada has limited choice in terms of airlines. Air Canada, Westjet, Porter (which has limited destinations available). Porter has "loyalty" points and we had about 1,500 points. A flight to Windsor (about 500 miles away) required well over 50,000 points. Aeroplan is the "loyalty" program associated with Air Canada. The points are worth very little to nothing. Flights available to book through Aeroplan are mostly multiple stops even when direct flights are available for purchase. Myster and I have about 222,000 air miles in the program and we can't get a decent flight to Calgary with them. Very sad! And why I am turning green!

 

Have a great day all!

 

Have a great day

[Tothesunset]

TTS, yes your son has what use to be called Royal Ambassador. In the old days each RA had a certificate in their renewal pack and could invite someone to join for a year. I managed over the years as my wife was also RA (we would invite each other) to invite 26 people to get RA for a year. The certificates ended up becoming so valuable they were sold on ebay for up to £1k or so. I always felt that as I got mine for free ..... as it happens from an RA I met in the IC at Istanbul who we were on the same SS cruise as - who gifted me his cert - so I'd never sell but give them away in the spirit I got mine. Sounds like an exageration but it is life changing. It got us on the first step and since then the main thing I do is to retain "friendship" with people in the properties we visit. So for example even during Palme D'Or night in Cannes, several times at The Carlton we have been upgraded to a top named suite when "stars" have had what they are given. I have also done several "private understandings" with properties that enable us to use the cheapest inflexible rates eg "Friends and Family" as though they were individual nightly flexible rates and then receive RA benefits. Like your son, our RA got us a top suite at Madrid as well on a few visits on points.

I can't remember what they call this level now but it certainly gives our son tremendous advantages of which he makes full use. Amusingly, though, our first Ambassador stay was in Boston (Mass. not Lincs) when, for whatever reason, we got a three level upgrade but son only got a one-level upgrade (I think because he needed a room for 2 adults plus a child). He was well annoyed!

 

TTS, you should look at being more opportunisitc with for example SPG credit cards and BA Prem Plus churns and also the odd purchase of miles when they are on offer. Everything is possible. And you need to come to VIE in December .....:D

Don't forget, we lived in Germany for 11 years and are not, therefore, strangers to the way the Teutonic folk approach the Christmas period. The very best thing was the local konditorei where we could have the most amazing kaffee und kuchen before or after visiting the gluhwein and reibekuchen stalls in the Christmas market. Great times (although somewhat testing on the waistline). We have never, however, visited Vienna but if some kind stranger were to make us an offer we can't refuse...

[MLeh]

Mysty: We used Aeroplan points to fly direct in the pointy end to LHR. Just had to book 360 days in advance. ;). WestJet is a bit more flexible and we flew home direct from Montreal using their ‘dollars’. My major irritant is that we still had to pay taxes and surcharges that weren’t covered by points.

 

I’ve used both IHG points and hhonors points. My experience with both is such that the Hilton brands now get the bulk of my trade. We get upgraded almost every time when using hhonors points, whereas the IHG properties seem to delight in providing the worst possible room for us when using points. Hardly a way to reward past or build future loyalty.

 

 

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[UKCruiseJeff]

TTS, I think it is now simply called Spire Royal Ambassador.

 

Mleh, I think IHG has become very much a lottery for more casual visits to properties but less so if you build up "loyalty browny points". We use to get several hotel scheme premium memberships with the Amex Plat Card, and through the free Hilton membership we secured a really great deal at their Dubrovnik property which is essentially for us the only viable choice for that city. We agreed in advance that we book the most basic room with upgrade to the largest suite with club, breakfast and mini-bar all thrown in.

 

We tried a few visits to Vienna Hilton but it really didn't compare to the IC. On longer visits we use to use Sacher Appartments which overlook St Stephans - Claudia Sacher is related to The Sacher Family. Before that we used a now closed SAS Palais Hotel on the Ringstrasse. That was a great hotel in a grand palace. On one of those visits the suite next door to ours was occupied by Mikhail Gorbachev who had armed guards at the entrance of the hotel, guarding the lifts and two outwide his suite door and they would really get edgy with anyone on the corridor. He snored and the walls were thin.

 

The IC in Vienna is where the US Presidents tend to stay because it is easier to secure than many of the more upmarket Ringstrasse properties. They just close off the top floor. It's great fun when Opec is on because they close the lounge to the club public ( but so far thankfully never to wifey and I) and it is really odd to be watching the CNN news on the TVs in the lounge and when it's about OPEC all the people on TV are in the lounge. When the meetings are actually on then the lounge is full of their security guards.

 

With many of these schemes I think they should only be seen as opening up possibilities rather than certainties and as long as you lower your expectations and make advanced contact you basically improve your odds.

[mysty]

MLeh good work with the aeroplan points!!!! Congrats on that! We don't stay in hotels very often so we haven't accumulated very many Hilton points.

 

Very interesting to read the perks that others manage to enjoy! :) Something to aspire to!

[Camillus112]

Great reading! Although we travel quite frequently and have airline miles accumulated, we've never thought of hotel loyalty programs. Due to convenience, we tend to stay as close to the Performing Arts Center or whichever venue, but no excuse for not being aware of these perks. Will have to pay more attention.

[MLeh]

I never used any points when I was working - just accumulated them as part of my “when I retire” planning. Now that I have to pay for my own travel, it’s nice to be able to use them instead of spending my own money. It makes the fixed income go a bit further.

 

 

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[mysty]

Very savvy move on your part MLeh! :) Now wishing we had done the same!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Has anyone else noticed the uncanny resemblance between Michael Fabricant and Worzel Gummidge?

 

 

[Lois R]

Hi everyone, well, I am getting a new frig and range:D..........getting Whirlpool, which I have now. I like the brand. Both

items are being delivered next Saturday:D

[MissSophia]

Evening All.....quiet here today....

Always nice to get new stuff Lois.....

 

Uplifting morning with my Indian Visa arriving....all done via my TA at a cost but so worth it.

Second uplift came with booking 2019 on the Shadow.....will be my first time on her so looking forward!

 

Fireworks are cracking away at full force tonight...furry boy doesn't seem too bad this time as I've turned it round to be quite exciting following expert advice so far so good!

 

Great shopping day in Chester yesterday...river pub lunch tomorrow to kick off the birthday week.....

 

Happy Weekend :):)

[Camillus112]

MissS., I think you neglected to share it was YOUR birthday. Happy, Happy Happy!! The best is shopping and planning for the cruise. As I said earlier, we will be sailing Seabourn early January, and though I would have preferred Silversea, the dates and itinerary in Seabourn worked very well for us.

Lois, Whirpool is a proven reliable brand; now you have to look up all Jeff's recipe comments from his succulent pictures so you can put the range to good use.

[MissSophia]

Thanks Cam...it's actually on Tuesday but l can find so many reasons to celebrate for a week!

 

Re the shopping...love this time of year to cruise shop with all the bling about including make up....time to sparkle.....:)

[Camillus112]

Exactly! Love to shop for Holiday apparel. Our cruise, however, will be to the Caribbean and shopping not fun for casual summer clothes. We plan to help out a bit, especially in PR. We originally planned a hotel stay for several days, but the hotel cancelled on us due to lack of reliable power, and FEMA workers needing accommodation. We will only have a day in the Island, unfortunately. Anyway, we will also touch on Antigua and other distressed Islands.

[jpalbny]

MissS, have a great birthday when it comes. Enjoy the week. We will toast to you aboard Explorer, as Tuesday will be our last night on board... :(

 

Holding a cabin on a September 2018 booking on Silver Wind, Copenhagen to Tower Bridge. Also seriously considering an August 2019 circumnavigation of Iceland aboard Silver Cloud expedition. Lots to decide in the next few days!

 

On the bus home now, at 10PM, from a 16+ hour tour of the Atacama Desert. It was incredible, but a 6AM to 10PM day can get tiring. Sleep soon... Luckily tomorrow's excursion is not until afternoon!

 

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[UKCruiseJeff]

Good Afternoon All ..... looking forward to Soapy's birthday week! Enjoy the last of your current cruise JP, snd an open invitation to lunch of your ,s and Chris's choice if you fancy a trip down to La Cucina ....

 

Today was a simple lunch ... Persian Lamb Kofte and rice ...... nice to still BBQ in November ...

 

 

 

 

 

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[Lois R]

Good morning, I posted this on the "HELP FORUM" but maybe someone on here can answer this for me......my time on

here is an hour off:eek:........we "fell back" last night and my time on CC is still an hour ahead........how do I get this fixed?

[spinnaker2]

Hello all.

JP, hope you and Chris enjoy the last few days aboard. Peru and Chile are quite spectacular. One of our guides told me that the secrets of the past civilizations won't be unlocked in our lifetime, and perhaps not in our children's lifetime. There is much yet to learn and little money to explore.

One of the pax in one of our tours asked why the Moche did not have a language, I about fell over. Our guide was quite upset but maintained her cool as she pointed out the detailed portrait pots, the weaving, the metallurgy, the murals, the architecture, etc., all evidence of a sophisticated and developed culture. Also the quipu, a system of "talking knots". She said, there is so much that we don't yet know, but certainly these cultures knew how to communicate.

 

Ms S, happiest of birthdays, bling or no bling, you are always sparkling!

 

Jeff that food looks wonderful. I am going to spatchcock some chicken and grill it this afternoon. Think I will grill some veggies too.

 

Cam your cruise will be a mission of love!

 

We did book another cruise on the Muse, in April, ft lauderdale to Dublin. I am excited about sailing into NYC, something I have never done. We have two cruises in 2018, both crossings, and in the North Atlantic.

 

Enjoy the day all.

 

 

 

 

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[Lois R]

Had a friend help me with the time:D........it is now fixed:)

 

Happy Birthday Sophia:D

[UKCruiseJeff]

Lovely to see you back Spins, hope everything back home is normal with no stresses.

 

Long-term inmates of the cooler might remember I use to call the Tapatalk Tapawallah ..... some asked why. It was a name to remember the most interesting of features of Mumbai daily life the dabbawalas who are the walas who deliver the lunch dabbas to work places in the city. It is an extraordinary thing and `i've seen many films and programmes about it. It's described in a Times article today whihc I thought I'd share in case anyone is interested. It doesn't reall do it complete justice. .....

 

Hot in the city

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hot-in-the-city-rohit-ghais-recipes-inspired-by-the-lunchboxes-of-mumbai-6lptfxd00?shareToken=7b886d493de3a14d0a2a4201a082983e

 

........ other stuff ....

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?source=hp&ei=HS7_WfG2I-yegAabkbioAg&sjs=3&q=dabbawala&oq=daba+wala&gs_l=mobile-gws-hp.1.0.0i10l5.2666.8551..10266.......75.549.9............mobile-gws-wiz-hp.....3..0j5j41j0i131j0i10i46j46i10.%2BboJHD5aJn8%3D

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=dabbawala&tbm=isch&prmd=ivn&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj08reS4KfXAhWCfRoKHcv7A8oQ_AUIDygB&biw=991&bih=928&dpr=2

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=dabbawala&prmd=ivn&source=lnms&tbm=vid&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjftbLw36fXAhXEfRoKHeuGCMgQ_AUIEygC&biw=991&bih=928

[spinnaker2]

Thanks for that piece on the dabbawalas. Extraordinary.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Your most welcome Spins.

 

The article is interesting because it is in a way another example of how we are a product of where we happen to be born and how our life progresses and develops is more often destiny is shaped by that. Coincidentally, I had an interesting discussion this week with Wifey. It must have been a lean time on TV so conversation was the only alternative to outright boredom. I put forward the idea that all of us think of ourselves as being free-spirited free-thinkers who decide what to think and believe in and that we freely take ourselves on a rough journey of where I life will take us, but it has always seemed to me that pretty much the opposite is true. For a start, none of us decide what country we are born into, or what village and have no choice as to what level of poverty or wealth our parents enjoy at our birth. But country, class, wealth etc all play a part. All those dabbawalas are low caste. 99% of Americans will grow up being patriotic to the extent of being willing to fight and some even die for their country against people of a different nationality or very firmly held set of beliefs due largely to the accident of where they were born. But if through an accident of birth they had been born in the place of an American foe, they would feel equally patriotic about that country and probably hate their natural foes as all of us do. And it is of course the same as religion. We all believe we freely develop and choose our beliefs. But do we? Don't the vast majority of us believe simply in what we inherited from our parents and family. Born a Christian, you will believe in Christianity give or take. The same being a Muslim, Buddhist, Jew etc. Taking the place of where we are born and who to it seems that most of what we believe and a lot of what happens to us is to a very large extent pre-determined and whilst some of us buck the inheritance and develop our own beliefs and buck the trend and either make ourselves unexpectedly rich or poor, it seems more of it is probably pre-ordained by the lottery of where we were born and who to.

 

If it hadn't been for Henry V111 not being granted a divorce so he could remarry within the Catholic church, and him taking umbrage, then the British people would probably fervently believe that Mary was a Virgin, that contraception is unacceptable, that official of the church should be male and not marry, and that lot's of things they think are perfectly acceptable now they are all Christians they wouldn't have felt if the Pope had been a touch more conciliatory and Brits might then have stayed Catholics.

 

And tonight is Bonfire night when we celebrate I suggest another repercussion of of Henry's petulance with respect to not getting his own way. A collection of Catholic blokes decided to murder King James 1st because of his oppression of the Catholics. So tonight we celebrate in a way that Guy Fawks failed to blow up James 1st and The Church of England is therefore the true church that is the official set of beliefs for the UK. But I guess if Guy Fawks had succeeded, I bet we would be celebrating how he had blown up that nasty intolerant James 1st and that we are all free to follow the True Church of England which of course now would happen to be Catholic. Either way we would be happy to believe in whatever way it had turned out. None of this effects me because I don't belong to either.

 

I've bought us a new Thermos which I'm going to fill with hot reinforced punch and I'm going to fill a hip flask with rum and we're going to celebrate tonight at the village bonfire night. Celebrating that Guy Fawks failed to blow up James 1st.

Edited November 5, 2017 by UKCruiseJeff

[spinnaker2]

Here's to petulance and Petula Clark too