Spirited Across the Atlantic -- Live-ish Report

[Silver Spectre]

@jollyjonesDavid is here on the Whisper for a few days, looking good except for his wispy whiskers and cooking up a storm.

[Unibok]

14 hours ago, mancunian said:

We are joining the ship in Lisbon.

 

Could someone please tell me if the musicians in the Silver Note happen to be Esther and Chantel.  I do hope so.

 

Many thanks

 

Hi mancunian,

 

I dined at Silver Note last night. The jazz duo is Esther on vocals and Roelof on piano. Esther's voice seems effortless -- smooth and silky and clear and wonderfully expressive. They were taking requests, and her rendition of "My Funny Valentine" captured the complicated emotions of the song so beautifully that it gave me goosebumps. And the lamb was sublime as well 🙂

 

Enjoy!

[jollyjones]

3 hours ago, Unibok said:

 

Hi mancunian,

 

I dined at Silver Note last night. The jazz duo is Esther on vocals and Roelof on piano. Esther's voice seems effortless -- smooth and silky and clear and wonderfully expressive. They were taking requests, and her rendition of "My Funny Valentine" captured the complicated emotions of the song so beautifully that it gave me goosebumps. And the lamb was sublime as well 🙂

 

Enjoy!

Ah, Unibok, we really are very different - probably destined not to meet. 
What to you is music is to me annoying noise - I prefer to dine where I can have peace and quiet, well spaced from other people, and with enough illumination to easily read my book. 
I never even consider Silver Note for dinner, and passing by La Dame it looks so small, dark and claustrophobic that I wouldn’t go there either. 
Fortunately there are plenty of other venues! I particularly enjoy going for a pizza on formal nights when I’m all togged up - I usually get the place to myself. 

[mancunian]

Thank you Unibok.  That is great news.  I have actually only heard Esther on a visit with us video and thought she was really good.   This is our second cruise on Silversea, the first being on Shadow which of course does not have that venue.

 

Are you still on the ship Lisbon to Barcelona.   If so say Hi when you see me.   Unmissable as I walk with a bright red rollator

 

Glad our trip is so good.

 

Jolly Jones - a good job we all like different things.  Think how crowded some places would be if we all liked the same.  

 

[nowornever]

Esther as in "Esther & Chantal?"  I wonder what happened to Chantal - maybe just tired of cruising?  Esther has such a lovely effortless voice.  

[Unibok]

Land Ho!

 

We docked in Fuerteventura (Canary Islands, Spain) today for our first taste of land in a week. 

 

Me (yesterday): "I could happily stay at sea for another week! Who needs land?"

Me (this morning): "OOOOH, lookie! LAND! How exciting! When can I go ashore?"

 

We are approximately 60 miles west of mainland Africa, straight across from the Sahara Desert. Fuerteventura is barren landscape of scrub and succulents -- rather beautiful in a subtle way. Their Carnivale began today, so around the island people were preparing for it. By the end of the day, we were seeing wild costumes and hearing dance music. It was quite an introduction back to the land of ... well, land.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed my day: a bit of time ashore, a bit of time on my veranda, a fascinating talk on the history of PBS by Ted Libbey, and dinner outside La Terrazza while the festivities heated up across the harbor. 

 

Early bed for me tonight -- we lose YET ANOTHER HOUR, with an 8:00 am arrival at Gran Canaria.

 

Buona serra, tutti, (or buenos noches, whichever you prefer),

 

[Unibok]

10 hours ago, mancunian said:

Are you still on the ship Lisbon to Barcelona.   If so say Hi when you see me.   Unmissable as I walk with a bright red rollator

 

 

Hi mancunian -- yes, I am staying on for the Lisbon-to-Barcelona leg, and I will look for you and introduce myself. 

 

In the meantime, safe travels, and may all your tests be negative. (That's a new Covid-era blessing.)

[HPfoodie]

Is there any indication of how many are staying on for the next segment/or how many are due to board in Lisbon? Just wondering. 

[jollyjones]

It’s either 32 or 36 staying on (can’t remember which) and there’ll be about 400 pax. 

[HPfoodie]

44 minutes ago, jollyjones said:

It’s either 32 or 36 staying on (can’t remember which) and there’ll be about 400 pax.

Thank you for that info. Will it include yourself? 
We are so looking forward to this cruise, but it’s difficult to get excited when you know there’s still that barrier of ‘the test’ 😳

[jollyjones]

 

Yes, I'm staying on to Barcelona.

 

We finally got the benefit of all the time changes - the most recent one on Saturday/Sunday wasn't just to keep up with our longitude, it was the European change from winter to summer time.

So as I sat aft of Panorama for my pre-dinner cocktail yesterday evening, with the lighter evening it was truly beautiful - the setting sun was slanting across our wake in an otherwise calm sea and there was a distant rainbow in a small raincloud. 

That's what cruising is all about for me.

 

[Unibok]

As we near Lisbon, I thought I'd sum up a few personal thoughts on the crossing. 

 

Crossings are probably not for everyone, but I appreciate the patient pace, the lack of rush, the ability to spend loads of time doing something (actually many things!) I would never do otherwise. It allowed me to try on new parts of myself to see how they fit. Normally an early-to-bed/early-to-rise person, I became just the opposite. Normally self-disciplined in my daily rituals and routines, those little normalities fell away and I (as they say) went with the flow. 

 

The crossing at times disoriented in space and time and body, and I believe shook something loose in me that needed to go. It was a time of convalescence, of rejuvenation, of exploration, of introspection, of liminality. I'm often happiest in those "in between" spaces, and that was certainly true throughout this voyage.

 

For me, it has been a crossing from "life under Covid" to something approaching a post-Covid state. My dreams have been vivid and emotionally purging, crossing beyond past experiences and feelings that will no longer serve me henceforth. That -- I truly believe -- is exactly what I needed this experience to be.

 

Next time, I'll likely take the opportunity to learn something new. We had quite a menu to choose from: a different dance style every day, 3 different languages, bridge. I spent much of my time reflecting and writing and reading in solitude, but I suspect a year from now I'll be ready to venture forth and take advantage of the chance to immerse in something new.

 

Everything I experienced -- and hope to experience again -- was made possible by this incredible crew. There were unexpected moments of Silversea magic, such as the daily Sudoko showing up outside my suite even though I hadn't mentioned I wanted it (and I did want it!), or every butler and attendant on my deck saying hello to me by name every day. It's a quiet sense of belonging, of being recognized and seen and felt and heard. 

 

It has been a beautiful experience, and I am so very glad I did it.

[FauxNom]

@Unibok Your writing is uniformly delightful, but this recent entry is truly elegant and thought-provoking. Yesterday I booked my first solo cruise, in part inspired by your posts. I hope to use it as a way to break out of my pandemic cocoon, so today's message resonates!

[Unibok]

@FauxNom I wish all of this for you, and more 💙

[Unibok]

On 3/27/2022 at 1:47 PM, jollyjones said:

It’s either 32 or 36 staying on (can’t remember which) and there’ll be about 400 pax. 

 

Update: 35 are staying on -- 1 tested positive for Covid so unfortunately can't continue. My heart goes out to that person.

 

The projected pax count for the next leg is 480!!! That sure seems like a lot of people 😳

 

Other tidbits: the Silver Dawn is docked next to us, and she is gorgeous. Official naming ceremony is tomorrow, just about the time we sail away (6-7 in the early evening).

 

During the next leg, we will have daily temp checks from our butlers, per EU requirements. 

 

See some of you onboard very soon! And I hope to see the rest of you onboard before long.

[Lois R]

Unibok, I am so enjoying your thread 🙂as another solo cruiser, I would love to meet you on board one of these days. 

Thanks for taking us along on your adventure🙂

[HPfoodie]

8 hours ago, Unibok said:

During the next leg, we will have daily temp checks from our butlers, per EU requirements. 

So how does that huge P&O line cope having to temp check more than 5000 passengers daily? 
 

Joining you today, test results permitting 🤞

[zqtchas]

Last night there was a meet and greet for SS Facebook people. Nothing for CC though!

There is a large group of people on board wearing large name tags.

[zqtchas]

21 minutes ago, zqtchas said:

Last night there was a meet and greet for SS Facebook people. Nothing for CC though!

There is a large group of people on board wearing large name tags.

Correction, event was in the afternoon.

[Stumblefoot]

37 minutes ago, zqtchas said:

Last night there was a meet and greet for SS Facebook people. Nothing for CC though!

There is a large group of people on board wearing large name tags.

Yup!

Edited April 3, 2022 by Stumblefoot

[Unibok]

@zqtchas I keep hoping I'll find you in Atlantide, but I am also keeping to myself quite a bit.  I missed the Facebook gathering, as I'm not quite ready for large crowds, but would love to meet up for a chat or drink with you and your bride.

 

From everything I've heard (and seeing on your face that day), embarkation in Lisbon was even worse than embarkation in Barbados. Who knew that was even possible? I sincerely hope you have recovered and are enjoying yourself now.

 

Apparently the large group of people (85, I think?) is a whole lotta travel agents, mostly from the U.S. Their presence has raised the energy level and lowered the age demographic 🤣

 

Somewhat interesting note: the Dawn is following us to every port each day for the duration of this leg. I have to wonder if our shoreside experience is a shakedown of sorts so that they can get it right for those on the Dawn. There has certainly been more chaos on shore than I've ever experienced before on any SS voyage. Until I learn otherwise, I'm chalking that up to a steep re-learning curve, perhaps understaffing/inexperience both in the port and on the Spirit, perhaps deploying existing staff ineffectively, perhaps vendors acting in their own interests over what was advertised, perhaps fear of recrimination for upholding masking protocols, and certainly our paperless existence. Perhaps a bit of all those things and more factors I cannot imagine yet. I do hope it improves by my next sailing, as I'm opting out of all remaining excursions at this point.

 

It is windy and cold today in Malaga ... who knows what Cartagena will bring?

[zqtchas]

57 minutes ago, Unibok said:

@zqtchas I keep hoping I'll find you in Atlantide, but I am also keeping to myself quite a bit.  I missed the Facebook gathering, as I'm not quite ready for large crowds, but would love to meet up for a chat or drink with you and your bride.

 

From everything I've heard (and seeing on your face that day), embarkation in Lisbon was even worse than embarkation in Barbados. Who knew that was even possible? I sincerely hope you have recovered and are enjoying yourself now.

 

Apparently the large group of people (85, I think?) is a whole lotta travel agents, mostly from the U.S. Their presence has raised the energy level and lowered the age demographic 🤣

 

Somewhat interesting note: the Dawn is following us to every port each day for the duration of this leg. I have to wonder if our shoreside experience is a shakedown of sorts so that they can get it right for those on the Dawn. There has certainly been more chaos on shore than I've ever experienced before on any SS voyage. Until I learn otherwise, I'm chalking that up to a steep re-learning curve, perhaps understaffing/inexperience both in the port and on the Spirit, perhaps deploying existing staff ineffectively, perhaps vendors acting in their own interests over what was advertised, perhaps fear of recrimination for upholding masking protocols, and certainly our paperless existence. Perhaps a bit of all those things and more factors I cannot imagine yet. I do hope it improves by my next sailing, as I'm opting out of all remaining excursions at this point.

 

It is windy and cold today in Malaga ... who knows what Cartagena will bring?

Uni, must agree with your observations re tours. While the buses are not full the groups show up together and crowded into cattle corners for samples. I have never been on a

wine event tour off a ship that amounted to much. These have been pretty bad. -so far, 

but we’re not taking anymore. 
About getting to LIS ; flight from EWR was over 2 hours late leaving - someone had to get off and then find there luggage. Then there was a substance not allowed  so they had to search all the luggage to find out what. Arrived over an hour late. Entered p/p

control ; it was a mass of humanity with no directions, people were cutting in and out of

lines. It was about 3 hours to get through.  About 2 hours through wife got faint others in line began helping and calling officials who helps us to check through quicker. No

wheel chairs were available. So they took a chair from the booth for her to rest on.

Upon reaching the pier it was another hour or so to check through. Which was further slowed by them having the wrong passport number- for the 5th time of check-ins.
 

[zqtchas]

Rough ride tonight 

[Tothesunset]

1 minute ago, zqtchas said:

Rough ride tonight 

You've met my wife?

[lincslady]

I presume your wife does not look at  CC?

 

Lola