Trip Report: Silver Wind 2828, Copenhagen to Tower Bridge, September 8 2018

[Unibok]

Many of you will know what an overwhelming experience it is to be surrounded by the monumental collection of Rembrandt masterpieces. I can still feel the glow of his paintings’ streams of light and his use of gorgeous red. We had a guide who is a painter and she gave an impassioned, informative tour.

 

Oh, I so want to do this some day! Many thanks to those of you onboard for sharing your journeys with us. It is great fun to see it through several travelers' perspectives at once.

[jpalbny]

On the train now, coming back from Bruges. Another 40 minutes to go, then we'll have a slow wander through Antwerp on the way back to the ship. The old town is right between the train station and the ship, so very convenient!

 

The train ride to Bruges this morning was a bit annoying. Because we were late into port (yet again), and then the port workers had all sorts of trouble getting the gangway hooked up, we weren't off the ship until after 10:00. Not 9:00 as scheduled.

 

So we obviously couldn't make the 10:06 direct train. We took the next one, with a change in Ghent. Of course, the train we had to connect to was running late. As I tracked it on my SNCB app, it got later. And later... So I checked the prior train from Ghent to Bruges. It was late too. We might be able to catch that one if train #1 stayed on time...

 

It did. We changed platforms as fast as we could and rushed to the earlier train, only to be barred from entering by one obnoxious conductor. Then the doors closed and the train left. Oh well, despite our best efforts, we have a 25 minute wait. But we got to Bruges anyway, around 12:20, and had a fun day.

 

There is a nice park with a lake between the train station and the town. Lots of photo ops there. And sunshine! Then we found a café for lunch. We shared moules and frites and drinks. Soon the train annoyances were forgotten.

 

We wandered through the Old Town and were amazed by the views at every turn. Eventually we came to the belfry and decided to give it a try. We are feeling a little tired but we can't pass up a good tower climb.

 

Great views, and more sunshine is making an appearance. Glad we did that.

 

The rest of the afternoon was spent doing a semi-purposeful wander through the narrow streets, looking at canals, bridges, gate houses, and beautiful buildings - everywhere you look. When our feet started hurting we sat and had a waffle with ice cream, and that made it all better.

 

With the last of our energy, we dragged ourselves back to the train station to catch a direct train to Antwerp. No more changes! So far, we are right on time, but a few more stops to go!

 

Visuals. Minnewaterpark. Lunch with a view. Canal, with Brewery Bourgogne des Flandres on the left. Another typical canal shot at Huidenvettersplein. Burg Square from the belfry. And another canal shot with a funky modern statue, and the steeple of St. Anne's Church in the background.

 

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[mysty]

Gorgeous JP! Thank you!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Great that despite annoying obstacles you had a great day. Bruges is so special. Shame you cannot take it in a at night as it is magical. Perhaps worth a revisit. :)

 

I think you have a very leisurely sea day followed by two days of Rouen?

[SLSD]

Gorgeous photos. I've enjoyed your reporting on your travels.

[MissSophia]

Great reporting and pics JP.....love Bruges so glad you enjoyed it all 😊

[Stumblefoot]

JP, you're doing one heck of a job keeping up with your reporting. Maybe these ol' classic ships suit you just fine. ;)

 

Bruges is indeed such a special place. I'll never forget the day when a waitress served us a waffle at 8:30a and about flipped out that we would eat such a thing for breakfast. We then proceeded to educate her about French Toast as well. :D

 

You and Chris keep having fun!

[RachelG]

Love Brugges. We spent a wonderful long weekend there once. And yes, we did climb that tower.

[jpalbny]

Greetings from the Channel this morning. Last week we were under it, and now floating on top. Approaching the Strait of Dover. Why does Calais get no respect?

 

We got back to Antwerp last night at a few minutes to 7, right on time. The last hour of sunlight was gorgeous and we wandered slowly along enjoying the beautiful buildings. We made it to the terminal in time for sunset and joined the crowd admiring Silver Wind.

 

Back on board around 8 then a nice dinner for two in the restaurant. I had a delicious veal chop. So thick and tasty. It went well with the red wine of the day, a Spanish Garnacha-Syrah blend.

 

Early to bed after dinner for us. And we slept in this morning until nearly 9. Enjoying our usual breakfast in the Panorama while watching the scenery.

 

Today is a sea day (right Jeff) so we can rest some more. Formal night and we had a 7pm reservation at LT. But the Venetian Society reception is at 7pm also. Darn. What to do?

 

In an amazing coincidence, SS fixed this by inviting us to a table with an officer at 7:45. And the best part is that the table is in LT! So we are all set.

 

Tomorrow Rouen, then Sunday morning a cruise up the Seine to an afternoon stop in Honfleur. Time to forget the three words of Dutch that I know and go back to French.

 

A few pix. Bruges yesterday - lunch. Apologies if it's a duplicate but it's not showing up on my version of the post that I see on my phone. Waffle in Bruges. Antwerp Central Station. Grote Markt in Antwerp. Silver Wind at the dock at sunset. Breakfast view.

 

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[CruisinPashmina]

Silver Spectre, The Wind looks fine, although I think could use some renovating..some freshening up. I will be back on her in November disembarking on her last day before dry dock. Then I’m booked after the dry dock, but not until May. Can’t wait to see the changes. I posted earlier that I really like what has already been done to The Panorama Lounge. It’s a little Musey, but with added soft blue green accents. It’s both peaceful and pretty. Much, much nicer than all the grey and dark brown in the Muse. I found that very dreary.

Decorating issues aside, my biggest concern is the Wind’s future. She is so many peoples’ favorite, it would be immeasurably sad to lose her as a classic ship.

The HD is Arno Prem. His bio doesn’t mention any cruising experience. Mentioned were hotels, including The Four Seasons.

[Silver Spectre]

Silver Spectre, The Wind looks fine, although I think could use some renovating..some freshening up. I will be back on her in November disembarking on her last day before dry dock. Then I’m booked after the dry dock, but not until May. Can’t wait to see the changes. I posted earlier that I really like what has already been done to The Panorama Lounge. It’s a little Musey, but with added soft blue green accents. It’s both peaceful and pretty. Much, much nicer than all the grey and dark brown in the Muse. I found that very dreary.

Decorating issues aside, my biggest concern is the Wind’s future. She is so many peoples’ favorite, it would be immeasurably sad to lose her as a classic ship.

The HD is Arno Prem. His bio doesn’t mention any cruising experience. Mentioned were hotels, including The Four Seasons.

 

 

 

Thanks Pashmina, I agree with your view on the Panorama and I also liked the makeover of the Observation Lounge. Would be very sad to see her changed as per the Cloud. Enjoy the remainder of your trip, we will be on the Muse in 3 weeks time!

 

 

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[jpalbny]

As much as we love the Wind as she is, for us it might be a better fit if she does convert over to more expedition type journeys. Though we're having a great time on this itinerary, we usually look for different itineraries off the beaten path. I guess we shall see.

 

We wouldn't know the new HD if we tripped over him, so no comment there.

 

Enjoying the sea/nap day today. Have been in Panorama (our usual breakfast spot) every morning and we like the atmosphere there. The observation lounge on 9 is great too. Hard to get to, so usually quiet, but nice views.

 

But right now we prefer the view in our suite! Bubbles courtesy of AMEX Platinum.

 

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[UKCruiseJeff]

Happy Gluggs JP.

[Stumblefoot]

Bubbles courtesy of AMEX Platinum.

'09 is a year I hadn't seen yet in my favorite wine shop. I see where WS rates it 96-points, so I can only imagine how good it was!

[Unibok]

The HD is Arno Prem. His bio doesn’t mention any cruising experience. Mentioned were hotels, including The Four Seasons.

 

Maybe he's too seasick to get out and about like the other HDs :p

[brimary]

Maybe he's too seasick to get out and about like the other HDs :p

 

 

 

Sorry to hear you are blessed with the new HD Arno Prem.He joined SS 3 weeks prior to our JulyAugust cruise on the Wind from Royal Caribbean Cruise Line where he learnt his trade.He invited us along with two other stalwart SS cruisers for dinner on day two of the cruise.He arrived 20 minutes late and even worse when his guests had ordered their sweets and coffee he thanked us for joining him and left his guests to enjoy the remainder of the evening.During the following twenty days cruise he did not acknowledge us once and our fellow guests experienced the same rude and unacceptable behaviour of a senior officer.

Worse still on his daily visit to the Bridge via the swimming pool area we never saw him acknowledge any of his excellent staff or any fellow clients!! Having been brought up with the first class HD the late Gianni Dotti,rip my friend,we found this experience troubling especially in view of the recent merging of SS and RC lines.

Thankfully all other aspects of our Wind cruise were excellent and like other posters we hope this beautiful ship and crew can continue as a traditional cruise ship and perhaps transfer the HD to the Expedition fleet.

 

 

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[TLCOhio]

As much as we love the Wind as she is, for us it might be a better fit if she does convert over to more expedition type journeys. Though we're having a great time on this itinerary, we usually look for different itineraries off the beaten path. I guess we shall see. But right now we prefer the view in our suite! Bubbles courtesy of AMEX Platinum.

 

Appreciate this great Champagne bottle classic picture and this fun sharing by J.P. Any recent updates from your sailing on the Silver Wind, these interesting ports, etc.? Hint, hint!! Keep it coming. Good thoughts as to how it might be time to switch the role of the Silver Wind as was done, apparently successfully, for the Silver Cloud.

 

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 230,859 views.

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

[Stumblefoot]

JP,

 

If you have a chance, would you ask the onboard Cruise Consultant how SS distinguishes their email addresses between the Wind and Whisper? A friend needs the Whisper’s Cruise Consultant’s address.

 

Thanks,

 

Stumblefoot

 

 

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[jpalbny]

Ah, a mostly sea day today before London tonight and they cart us off the ship tomorrow. We need the rest. But where has the time gone?

 

Saturday was Rouen. Capital of Normandy and some amazingly preserved old half-timber buildings. SS had a shuttle service which was very handy as it would have been a 40 minute walk to the city from our dock.

 

We caught the first shuttle at 9:30 and were in town by 9:45. By amazing luck, this weekend is les journées de patrimoine in France so many extra things were open, and it was all free.

 

The Jeanne d'Arc church wasn't open yet but the cathedral was. Amazing facade, interesting ancient interior. And we got to tour the crypt, unfortunately in French so I missed a lot. I'm getting better with sentences but I couldn't understand most of what the guide was saying.

 

We then went to the plague cemetery and another church, but the cemetery was undergoing extensive renovations so nothing to see there.

 

Back to the Jeanne d'Arc church to go inside. It's built near where she was burned at the stake. The church is very modern, and has a unique shape. The adjacent square is all torn up (renovating again) so the setting wasn't as nice as it will be.

 

Lunch in town at a restaurant that claims to have been open since the 1300s. We sat outside and had their special menu. I had foie gras, a veal chop, and a fruit concoction for dessert. Chris had a duck appetizer and a fish entree. Really yummy and only about €50 per person with a half bottle of wine each.

 

Then we walked to the Flaubert museum of medicine. Son of a surgeon and author of Madame Bovary. A strange character! But a free visit. Some curious stuff there.

 

There was another museum to visit, with exhibits of ironwork, but the setting is inside an old church which is neat too.

 

And no visit could be complete without climbing the tower where Joan of Arc was imprisoned. That was open earlier than we expected, which somewhat made up for missing the climb up the Gros Horloge tower. The usual climb was replaced with a special event for the holiday and all spaces were filled.

 

So we had a nice day in Rouen. We caught the 4:30 shuttle home and enjoyed the hot tub for a bit before a relaxing evening. The ship was docked overnight but the shuttle stopped at 5. No museums were open after 6, so not much reason to go back in. They do a light show at the cathedral in the evening but we didn't want to walk back in just for that.

 

I didn't take many cell phone shots in Rouen for some reason. Here is a panorama shot of Rouen cathedral, very backlit and a little distorted, but the only way to capture the whole facade. My foie gras. A veal chop. Chris climbing the tower. A nice view of Rouen from our docking point.[ATTACH]428584[/ATTACH]

 

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[jpalbny]

Yesterday morning we shoved off from Rouen around 7AM and had a morning river cruise down the Seine to Honfleur.

 

We spent the time between the Panorama and Observatory Lounges, and trips out on the deck. We finished with lunch on the deck at LT while we docked.

 

A few river shots. Pretty fog and bridges. A lovely morning.

 

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[les37b]

Look out for low flying aircraft from the final bend before the Dartford Bridge this evening .... Port side.... If I know where to aim for, I'll try to capture a wave! (Subject to wind speed - I visited yesterday and it was far too windy - though the GeoFence ban at my usual vantage point is I'm please to say, no longer there and flying once OK, all good.)

 

Have just reserved Copenhagen to Tower Bridge 2020.... but completely different itinerary! Huge coincidence!... and last ever sailing for the Wind into the pool of London before the refit and expected colour change! We'll see! Just a shame I moved office 2 weeks ago and wont have the luxury of a wave to workmates from the window on its final few passenger carrying hours as the Wind we all love! ;-(

 

Super reporting as usual JP... many thanks. Will post the clip if it works out OK.

 

Hope you haven't eaten all the food and drunk all the booze..... Am on for lunch tomorrow! :D

[jpalbny]

Les! Haven't heard from you in forever, glad you're still here.

 

I marked the bridge on my map and we'll keep an eye out on the port side for your drone and hope for minimal wind.

 

Very calm today in the Channel. Hopefully that translates into a smooth evening for flying.

 

We did our best to put a dent in the bar supplies last night but there's only two of us. So there should be enough for you tomorrow.

 

See you soon!

 

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[jpalbny]

For some reason the CC Forums app is acting goofy today. A few of my pix didn't upload correctly. Here they are again.

 

Rouen Cathedral. Foie gras. Veal chop. Rouen from dock.

 

And early morning on the Seine from yesterday.

 

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[TLCOhio]

Super reporting as usual JP... many thanks. Will post the clip if it works out OK. Hope you haven't eaten all the food and drunk all the booze..... Am on for lunch tomorrow! :D

 

YES, YES!! Super pictures and reporting from J.P. for Rouen, etc. Glad you got my "hint, hint" and posted so much of your French fun. Keep up the great sharing. Love reading all of these details and seeing your sampling of these wonderful experiences.

 

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 230,859 views.

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

[les37b]

I marked the bridge on my map and we'll keep an eye out on the port side for your drone and hope for minimal wind.

 

Very calm today in the Channel. Hopefully that translates into a smooth evening for flying.

 

Just got in.... and you are currently still 30 mins from Tower Bridge. You were actually running later when you arrived at Dartford for the usual time frame. (Its usually 2 hours in either direction - even with the spin around.

 

Had a quick look..... Cant see anyone too many around,though there were on Terrazza and above. Will post later. Has come out ok. Would have been so much better,but the wind at altitude meant the active track wouldnt work... Annyoying as Ive never got it working for Silver Wind.... Im sure its gusts that prevent it working. Think you'll still enjoy.

 

We did our best to put a dent in the bar supplies last night but there's only two of us. So there should be enough for you tomorrow.

Good to hear.... We can polish it all off.... There are only 2 of us! ;p