Silver Whisper June 7-14 Civitavecchia-Piraeus: A Very, Very Weird Cruise

[Observer]

Don't be surprised if some of the listed included wines are "out of stock" and not on board the ship during your voyage.

 

Agreed. I don't think it is realistic to expect that all of these wines will be on each ship all of the time. Nor can one expect to have on-demand access to each of these many wines. Some bottles/varieties may be deep in the provisions store and cannot be instantly accessed. However, a request one day may well be honored the next day (or, in a worst case, the day after).

 

I became enamored of a white wine that was offered one day last year as a complimentary pour and is not on the list. I asked for it the next night, when there was a new white on offer. They said my newly favored bottle was not available, but it a bottle was brought up and set aside for me the following evening and every evening thereafter.

[Unibok]

Ah, I love Ortigia, and spent 3 days there last winter! Thank you for bringing back happy memories of the place. Good to know the port is so close by the bridges for future reference. Any chance you saw the Caravaggio in one of the churches?

 

Also, BeeMinor, I have to agree about the Grill’s burger. The one I had on the Wind last March was not very good, but I was in a burger mood so I ate it.

 

 

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[Emtbsam]

Thanks so much for the wine list. It will be very helpful.

[BeeMinor]

Unibok, I am jealous of your extended stay in Ortygia! I could happily spend a few days there as a home base to explore the region. I believe the Caravaggio is in the church of St. Lucia near the cathedral?

 

 

That was another one of the places closed because it was Monday. Next time!

 

This is all excellent information on ways to manage the wine service. On the sea day, we had a leisurely lunch at the MDR--we were the only people in the restaurant for about an hour, which was a first for me--and inquired whether there were any Greek beers or wines to go with the Greek menu on offer. We wound up with Cosmopolitans. It was a bit of a head scratcher.

[rpfarris]

As I mentioned on another thread I do find it incredibly frustrating to be offered a choice of two wines only and this before you have even seen a menu...

The menu should be delivered to your cabin the night previous, and will certainly be outside each restaurant every morning. There will also be a copy of each menu in the Panoramic Lounge each day around 10am.

 

I peruse each menu daily and know what I will be eating for dinner as well as which wine I plan on drinking long before I enter the restaurant.

 

BeeMinor: The room service menu is *always* available in the MDR. If there is nothing you like on the daily MDR menu you can always get a burger, steak or chicken off of the room service menu.

[Bill B]

I peruse each menu daily and know what I will be eating for dinner as well as which wine I plan on drinking long before I enter the restaurant.

 

That is certainly what I plan to do.

 

Questions:

- I'm sailing 'solo' and the likely hood of me finishing a whole bottle in one meal is (almost ;p) zero. Will they mark a partially consumed bottle and store it for future consumption?

- Are partially consumed bottles stored at each dining venue; or, is there a 'central' wine storage place? (Sailing on the Silver Cloud Expedition).

[Stumblefoot]

Questions:

- I'm sailing 'solo' and the likely hood of me finishing a whole bottle in one meal is (almost ;p) zero. Will they mark a partially consumed bottle and store it for future consumption?

Absolutely, yes. Just be sure to keep your cork on the table so that it can be reinserted when you are finished for the evening. Of course, this is only necessary for wines you purchase from the connoisseur list.

[Bill B]

Of course, this is only necessary for wines you purchase from the connoisseur list.

 

What happens to a partially consumed bottle from the 'Complementary List'?

[Emtbsam]

What happens to a partially consumed bottle from the 'Complementary List'?

Unless it is a wine that you particularly care for and want to drink from the same bottle the next night, there is no need to save that bottle. Just remember what it was and ask for it again.

[Stumblefoot]

What happens to a partially consumed bottle from the 'Complementary List'?

With wines on the complimentary list, they just pour you wine as needed. Therefore, there is no bottle on your table. And, I agree with Emtsbam’s post above.

 

 

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[rpfarris]

Will they mark a partially consumed bottle and store it for future consumption?

You could probably work out something with the sommelier, but unless you're a big fan of oxidized wine normally you get new bottles of wine with each meal.

 

Unless of course you're referring to the pay-wine. I will admit that the Chateau St Jean Chardonnay on the pay wine menu is pretty good stuff. I always manage to either finish the bottle at dinner, or take it with me to the show afterward.

 

Are partially consumed bottles stored at each dining venue; or, is there a 'central' wine storage place? (Sailing on the Silver Cloud Expedition).

There aren't that many places. :) But each venue has its own storage place. But they will be happy to retrieve an item from a different venue.

[drron29]

What happens to a partially consumed bottle from the 'Complementary List'?

 

I finish it off for you.:D;)

[brimary]

What happens to a partially consumed bottle from the 'Complementary List'?

 

 

 

Crew party...well deserved.

 

 

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[BeeMinor]

My husband asked for a pinot noir one night instead of the daily red, and he had the bottle at the table. I asked for a rose at one meal and that was kept with the other bottles in the chiller--so maybe it varies? I believe we took the rest of the bottle of pinot back to our room to save for a nightcap. A few times we got snacks and a bottle of Champagne in our suite while we had a break before dinner. We would then wind up with a partially-full flat bottle of Champagne taking up the limited space in our minifridge until someone cleared it the next day, so if we sailed Silversea again I would pack a Champagne stopper and make mimosas or something.

 

Gythio

 

After the cruise we mentioned to a tour guide in Athens that we had been in Gythio earlier in the week. "Gythio? You went to Gythio?" she asked in obvious confusion. So it's maybe not a hot destination. When we booked the cruise, this stop was instead Monemvasia, but it changed several months out.

 

Pretty little town though:

 

There's not much to see in Gythio. We usually prefer to sightsee independently, but given the limited options we booked a very fairly-priced ship's tour for the Diros Caves, a large network of caves about an hour from the port. Since we had become pretty committed to avoiding the huge group at all costs, we considered canceling, but when we showed up at the lounge at 8 a.m. we saw our tour only had about 15 people on it. Phew!

 

The caves are in a very scenic spot on the Mani peninsula. There was some kind of unexplained drama with the ticketing process, so we had some time to sit around and enjoy the scenery.

 

 

Once in the caves, we boarded some slightly rickety-looking boats, each captained by a guy with an oar.

 

 

The boat ride takes you through various parts of the caves, which are covered with filled with various rock formations. (I was strongly reminded of my grade school field trips to Ohio Caverns.) It's pretty impressive.

 

 

As an aside--when we were boarding the bus post-tour, we saw some of the BoozeCruizers disembarking from another bus. We later heard that the group's organizers had set them up on entirely independent tours.

 

Back in Gythio we had lunch at a harborside restaurant.

 

 

There wasn't much going on and it was blazing hot again, so we decided to head back to the ship after lunch. Our suitcases had been extracted from under the bed and set up for us in our suite. On one hand, thanks for digging them out, Silversea. On the other hand, this was the second time we'd felt like the crew couldn't wait for us all to get off the ship; I'd stopped by guest relations a few days earlier to check on our arrival time in Athens, and they were shocked that I hadn't returned my disembarkation questionnaire yet. (I, in turn, hadn't yet seen it in my room and was shocked that we should already have gotten and returned a disembarkation questionnaire barely halfway through the trip.)

 

In general, though, kudos to the crew, who became much chummier and a little more open about the obvious challenges of the situation as the week went on. It made dealing with the frustrations of the trip somewhat easier when everyone wasn't pretending like it was all just totally normal and fine.

 

We wrapped up the cruise with dinner on the terrace at La Terrazza and a visit to the casino, where my husband actually managed to break even. I've already mentioned that the ship somewhat forcibly closed down at about midnight. We were up and off the ship by 8:30 the following morning; our hotel had arranged for a car to collect us at about 9:30, but my husband informed me he'd rather get a coffee and sit around the port terminal than have to see the BoozeCruizers again.

 

And so goodbye, Silver Whisper, hello Athens!

 

[Stumblefoot]

Gythio

 

Pretty little town though:

 

Wow! That is absolutely beautiful. I'd love to swim in those waters someday.

[jpalbny]

Love those pictures where the water is so clear that it looks like the boats are floating on air!

 

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[BeeMinor]

Thanks for following along with what became a much longer recap than I expected of a much different trip than I expected! I am going to close with a few photos from Athens, but first, for other newbies, here are--

 

9 Things I Wish I Had Known Before I Sailed on Silversea

 

1. The Ever-Controversial Dress Code

I spent some time on these boards before we sailed trying to figure out how people actually interpreted the dress code. We were still unsure and it was stressful, mostly for my husband, who is in the "but my jeans cost more than that suit so why do I have to wear a suit" club.

 

So here's my crack at it. I imagine this varies from trip to trip and from person to person depending at least in part on how comfortable you are dressing up vs. possibly getting the side-eye for being a little underdressed compared to your fellow passengers.

 

Ladies:

Dress like you are going out to a nice dinner for casual night; a nice party for informal night; and a nighttime wedding for formal night. You can absolutely wear the same thing for informal nights and formal night if you are so inclined. You do not need to wear a dress ever. You can wear sandals or flats any night. The vanity area in the standard room is not spacious so don't get too ambitious for hair and makeup.

 

Gentlemen:

Casual: Yes: Khakis and collared shirts; No: shorts, t-shirts, blue jeans, sandals, athletic shoes; Bare minimum: black or dark-colored nice denim, polo shirt, nice slip-on shoes (loafers or discreet sneakers).

Informal: Yes: Khakis or dress slacks, button-down shirt, jacket or suit without a tie. No: shorts, t-shirts, blue jeans. Bare minimum: black or dark-colored nice denim worn with a collared shirt and a sports coat. Where the dress code is in effect, you will be sent home to change for not wearing a jacket.

Formal: Yes: Dress slacks, button-down shirt, jacket, tie or suit with tie or tux. No: any ensemble without a tie. Where the dress code is in effect, you will be sent home to change for not wearing a jacket and tie.

 

Prior to 6 p.m. anything (within reason) goes. Formal night is easy to avoid if you don't care to take part. People do dress up more for La Dame.

 

2. Don't Trust the Home Office

I outlined our struggles with getting things done in earlier posts. I have never used a travel agent, but if we sail with Silversea again, I will.

 

3. Places that Have Snacks

The buffet isn't open all the time, and it's not really set up in a way that you feel comfortable just swinging in and grabbing a handful of crackers and some olives to go. The pool bar had potato chips. The main bar and the Panorama Lounge had plates of canapes that appeared when you ordered drinks. Our butler materialized cheese and crackers at 5 p.m. one time. Room service has some nibbles and it's pretty fast. Afternoon tea comes with an assortment of tiny sandwiches and sweets.

 

4. You Can Order Coffee at Afternoon Tea

But you have to ask. (My fellow Americans, you're welcome.)

 

5. Dinner Menus are on Your Television

You can preview each restaurant's dinner menu through the info screen on your in-room television. We found this incredibly handy, although--

 

6. You Should Really Make Back-up Reservations at La Terrazza or the Grill Every Night

It was remarkably difficult to get into the secondary restaurants by asking on the morning of the same day. The MDR is fine, but if you like options, plan ahead and cancel.

 

7. Everything that Has Been Shared About Wine Service on this Thread

Enough said.

 

8. Forbidden/Non-Forbidden Items

We had two things that I half-expected to have confiscated when we boarded: a small power US-to-European voltage power strip with USB plugs and a travel steamer. Both arrived in our room no questions asked. We didn't actually use the steamer but the small power strip was immensely helpful.

 

9. The Premium Internet is Super Slow

We bought the Internet for two reasons: my husband wanted to be able to transfer photos from his camera to his laptop over Wifi, and we wanted to stream Spotify in our room. In those respects, I guess, it did work. But the connection speeds were truly abysmal. I could just barely get Instagram to load. I ran a speedtest one day and it pinged at a download speed of 1.86 mbps and an upload speed of 0.53 mbps. Don't buy it unless you really want one of its specific features.

[BeeMinor]

Thanks Stumblefoot and JP! Those boats were my crowning #nofilter achievement!

[rpfarris]

What happens to a partially consumed bottle from the 'Complementary List'?

That *is* a mystery, but I've always assumed it ended up in the crew mess.

[Tothesunset]

 

 

4. You Can Order Coffee at Afternoon Tea

But you have to ask. (My fellow Americans, you're welcome.)

 

As if having 200 boozecruisers on board wasn't bad enough...:p

 

Your reports have been great, BM. Not only informative but well-written and comprehensive. Thanks for taking the time and trouble.

[Catlover54]

Thank you for your interesting contribution, BeeMinor!

 

You forgot to add what you suggested above: bring a champagne stopper! It is always on our list, in case the suite does not already have one and it takes too long to call someone to find one on the ship ( if we drank the whole bottle in the afternoon, there would be no room for wine with dinner).

We also bring wine-evacs with stoppers for the suite for the special wines we want to sip in the suite the next day without it getting oxidized.

 

 

 

 

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[Cyber Kat]

After our first few cruise frustrations getting timely included wine information at meals (other than one at a time suggestions if you reject their daily proposal, with no printed list overview provided by waiters), when I get on an “all inclusive” cruise ship, I ask to see a list of included wines either at the first meal or soon after boarding and load iphone snaps of it. DH and I had typically experienced resistance by waiters to showing us included wine lists on SS, Regent, and SB but with persistent talk to sommelier or MDR manager would get it, three days in was the last, on SB last year ( Regent constructively refused, we never got one, though we got a lot of promises, or were left wineless at our table when the befuddled pourer would run off to “check” and never came back).

 

I also take a few pictures of wine styles I like from the extra pay list as sometimes there are delays going through the process if ordering at meals. I also like to check the degree of markups compared with internet pricing, if I do not know the wine.

I study MDR menus in advance from TV or provided in room paper menus to decide what kind of wine we will likely want, included or not. We like sampling different wines we are not familiar with and sometimes are pleasantly surprised, and make a note of what we like so early on so when we feel like a certain style can easily order it at lunch or in a bar without saying “just give me a white wine”, we just ask for one specifically we know they have that is included.

 

That way also when we sit at a group table, or on a busy understaffed MDR evening (which seemed to be the norm on my last three SS cruises and last two on SB) I was ready with my proposed selection for my meal without holding things up thinking when tired waiters would swoop in ready to pour the white of the day ( which was often a generic sauvignon blanc style wine which is inexpensive to them but I do not typically like) , or red of the day ( often the one offered was not “big” enough for DH).

You can ask at the table of course but for unclear reasons it was not routinely shown to us so as a newbie, you may have a long wait ( we often had long waits before I started doing this; included wine service is designed to move you along quickly and too many people even on luxury lines do not care what wine they drink as long as it is “free” so it works fine for most).

If everyone asked for a recitation and discussion of the many included wines every night or every meal ( there are many) , staffing would have to increase. But there is likely something you will like, statistically.

 

Experience may also be different for regulars ( I have no loyalty to one line and am not extra important to SS, we were just in a basic suite). At a busy dinner time in NZ on SS in 2015 we waited 30-45 minutes before we were able to get anything except the generic initial pours, and the waiters clearly resented giving us extra info. Another night we joined two seasoned SS couples doing over two months on-board and many waiters and the sommelier fawned over them, and therefore us, the whole dinner.

 

YMMV, but I like to prepare, to minimize the irritation of long waiting or drinking something I do not like just because it is easy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I’m loving BeeMinor’s descriptions of the ports as we are considering a Mediterranean cruise, and I realize the large group charter is probably an outlier, but the discussion of wine, food and service leaves me puzzled.

 

We are new to the upscale sector of cruising. We never really had a lot of time while working so we cruised from local ports, and we often cruised with family that couldn’t afford more than basic mainstream lines.

 

We are now retired and have the means to upgrade. I’ve been reading a lot of the luxury line boards to see what fits and what doesn’t. It seems there are two classes of upscale lines luxury and not so luxury - at least as determined by some experts and fans of certain lines.

 

We have done 1 river cruise and 1 ocean cruise with Viking, so that is the only line I have to use in comparison. Now I have heard, and been informed on several boards that Viking is NOT a luxury line. Quite frankly, I’m not sure why not, and I’ve been on a quest to find a definitive criteria for “luxury.”

 

Not having much success [emoji13]

 

Anyway the purpose of all this blather is to discuss wine and service. Viking offers beer and wine during the hours of dinner and lunch service. They generally ask, red or white and on the river cruise, I asked what the choices were for each. I think there were 2 or 3. I chose the Sauvignon Blanc because it’s one of my favorites. It was decent, so I stuck with it

 

On our ocean cruise, we got the Silver Spirits upgrade package. A reasonable (we thought) $20 pp per day. At lunch the first day, I asked if they had a Prosecco. They did. My husband was able to choose from a fairly wide variety of beers and ales.

 

At dinner, we asked for a wine list and were given with one no questions asked. It was brought promptly and the sommelier stopped by to see if we would like him to help us choose a wine. This was pretty much our experience at every meal, except the Chef’s Table where they do the food and wine pairing

 

I would expect this to be the norm on any “luxury” line, so I’m quite surprised to hear that it’s not on SS - a line I think is considered top tier.

 

Another thing I found on Viking both river and ocean, was that you never heard the word “no” unless it was part of the phrase, “no problem!” I would expect on any line that sets itself up as “luxury” this would be the norm.

 

We did like Viking and have 2 more cruises booked with them, but we aren’t loyalists. We’re looking around to check out other options, and I’m still searching for that “luxury” unicorn. [emoji12] So I’m still reading and we may try some other lines. I’m making a list for a Med cruise, though I think our next one will be the Viking Into the Midnight Sun itinerary. We find it intriguing. But I’m working on the Med!

[SeekingShelter]

Cyber Kat: first, I don’t think that BeeMinor experienced a ‘luxury’ trip.

 

On a typical SS voyage one doesn’t normally have to contend with the “gotta get my money’s worth” attitude of gluttony they obviously encountered with the large charter group.

 

Our experiences with SS have been quiet, refined, unobtrusive service. It’s not so much ‘unlimited booze’ as a freedom to not have to show a card every time you want something. If something is possible, it will be done.

 

There are no line ups, either to get on board, or while on the ship. The ships are (normally) quiet and calm. The crew is there to see to the passengers’ needs and wants.

 

There are some differences between the smaller SS ships and larger ones in dining venues. When the Muse was first introduced it had an all reservation system, which worked in the cruise line’s favour but removed some of the ability for spontaneity from the passengers. One of the hallmarks of luxury is the freedom of spontaneous dining with new friends. The price paid reflects the expectations. There were a lot of complaints about the new format and SS responded.

 

Luxury isn’t so much stuff as attitude, space, and service.

 

 

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[jpalbny]

I second what SeekingShelter says. The cruise that BeeMinor and a few others suffered through is definitely not the norm (not that this provides much comfort to them).

 

Cyber Kat, the definition of luxury is hard to explain. We cruised a lot with Princess and Celebrity in the 90s and early 2000s. Then we moved up to Oceania which had amazing food and smaller ships - quite luxurious in comparison. But you still have to show your card and sign a chit for every drink.

 

Our first SS cruise was in 2009 and we haven't jumped ship yet. We have experienced exactly what SeekingShelter expressed. It is so luxurious to never have to sign for something (well, if you buy an extra wine off the connoisseur's list you have to pay). We have never had an issue with wine service. The server asks red or white, and we ask which wine is being served. Often the choices are printed on the menu - but we ask if we're not familiar with the particular grape or region. If the server doesn't know they find the sommelier.

 

We almost always try the offered wine, even if it's something we aren't sure about, unless we've had it before and we know that we don't care for it. If we want something else, we ask for it by varietal - can you please get me a sauvignon blanc, Riesling, etc...never an issue. The chosen wines often complement the menu selections (at least I get the feeling that they are tailored to the chef's recommendations) so they may not go well with every item on the menu. For instance, the featured appetizer might be a light seafood dish, paired with a sauv blanc, but if I got something else like eggplant involtini with tomato sauce and cheese, I'd ask for a heavier white wine.

 

We very often ask for rosé with lunch. Never a problem. After a day or two they know to have a bottle (or two) ready for us. And we have never seen a wine list in 100+ days of cruising with SS, but we have never felt cheated because of that. If you are used to a list then it may well feel strange not to have one, but I just wanted to tell you that it is possible to do just fine without one.

 

PS - BeeMinor, we have always had a champagne stopper in our suite. It's handy because it is hard to knock off a whole bottle on your own.

[Catlover54]

Cyberkat, if you and your DH like sauvignon blanc style wines and prosecco you will have no problem on SS

 

If you do not, following suggestions outlined above will help a lot

 

If you will be in a higher suite, as a newbie, you will probably be even happier

 

I would have tried Viking ocean by now if it were not for the fact that the base rooms are small and only have showers and the furniture is austere ( likely to hurt my muscles). I do not care if I have to sign or not for a wine, just want a decent selection of wine we like with reasonable and not outrageous markups ( like Oceania has)at proper temperature, refilled without having to beg.

 

SS has spacious base rooms with usually both shower and bath, butler for each suite, lots of passenger space, and mostly quiet, polite pax, not like on this thread’s cruise, and no lines. So does SB and Regent. Crystal base suites are small, good for one, not for two who carry a lot of stuff like we do, would need to pay even more for a PH.

 

Try it and see! Try them all! Experiment! BTW if you got to the Med, go in spring or fall to avoid mobs and high heat.

 

 

 

 

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