Jim_Iain – Silhouette Live Post April 8, 21, 30 - B3B - TransAtlantic, Portugal Spain, France and the Norwegian Fjords

[jrmende63]

We will see everyone on the 30th. Can't wait to be onboard.

 

[Jim_Iain]

12 hours ago, hawkesbaynz said:

That's a great picture of the fort. Used to be Groupon deals on overnights on the fort.

 

Enjoy the cruise. We had that itinerary booked in May 2020 in a suite😒

 

I was hoping to see The Beyond but she is still moored. Winnie is sleeping and I am now drinking gin. Will have to wait until September when I board her. Am on holiday in Devon next week for her inaugural.

She really looks nice.    When we returned from our tour we drove right by where she is docked. 

 

You had me chuckling.    It is just 7:30AM  when i read your message and when you said Winnie was sleeping an you were now drinking Gin -   I looked quickly at the time stamp and signed with relief you weren't hitting the bottle this early.   I need to start sipping my Cappuccino we turned our clocks forward last night so only 6:00 UK

[Jim_Iain]

12 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

Obviously Ian who is aged to perfection!

LOL -- I didn't remember he had that T-Shirt on.       I noticed it when we were in the pub.

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

11 hours ago, upwarduk said:

Forward for Spain, they are one hour in front of UK.

Then back I hour for Portugal, as they are the same time as UK.

Yup... 4 time changes because of the Portugal stop.     

[Jim_Iain]

10 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

 

 

well have a great time to one of my favs on all of CC.

I sailed out of UK in 2019 on Silhouette to the Canaries.

have fun with the clock.    I was on Wonder OTS last week and end of next week doing Symphony OTS.  Putting my FCC to work.  

 

Silhouette is really looking good.   They touch up paint almost on a daily basis and she is looking and feeling good. 

[Jim_Iain]

9 hours ago, TFree said:

@Jim_Iain: I am guessing that you said this somewhere or other, but when you are in Europe or on the way, do you watch Netflix (for example) with a VPN, or does the X streaming WiFi not give you any issues about being in the wrong part of the world?

 

Tom & Judy

 

In the past i have always had to use a VPN.   On this cruise it is really weird.    I can get Netflix perfect without a VPN but YouTube TV is using some type of location control that I'm struggling to understand.

 

I can turn on VPN and watch YouTube TV but even if I create a hotspot on my PC and connect Roku to my hotspot I can't watch it on the TV.    I can however connect my laptop to TV using HDMI and watch it   I' ve tried Express VPN, Nord VPN and Tunnel Bear.  to no avail with every protocol they have. 

[Jim_Iain]

7 hours ago, h20skibum said:

What are your plans for Paris (Le Havre)?
 

Loved the pictures of Windsor.  We had a great visit there, and I also ended up with a couple pictures inside. 

So far no plans for La Havre.    Definitely would not go to Paris (too far away).

We heard that La Have port area and town has really changed from just a big commercial port that we last saw.    We may just go to La Havre on our own and possible grab a train somewhere (unknown as of yet:. 

 

I was tempted to sneak a picture or 2.   It was so dark in there I'm sure I could have gotten away with it. 

 

I did accidentally hit the shutter button in the Chapel.   Darn that button -- at least my phone didn't flash.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2022 by Jim_Iain

[Jim_Iain]

9 hours ago, SkystheLimit said:

Such a great itinerary! Love Vigo--make sure you arrive early at the seafood market.  Some stalls sell out.  Porto and La Rochelle are beautiful.  Somehow I missed this itinerary when searching for cruises.  Definitely would have been there to join the fun.  Thank you for sharing all of your beautiful photos and commentary.

 

 

 

We are back in planning phase.   We had The Chef's Market Tour planned which included a special meal prepared by the chef once back on board.  Expensive at $250 pp but they cancelled it.   Ugh.   Another $500 OBC to deal with. 

 

I'm trying to arrange a Private Journey Tour from Bilbao to a little town that was the first Continental Trip he took when he was about 12 Y.O.

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

5 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

He is a great bartender and took very good care of us.  I am sure he will be missed, if only briefly. 

 

He is truly one of our favorite Bartenders.     They moved the bartender from the Mast Bar down to replace him.    I don't recall his name but will check with Iain later as he knows him from the Mast Bar (Smoking Area).     He really seems good but only met him for a short time last night.

[Jim_Iain]

5 hours ago, jrmende63 said:

We will see everyone on the 30th. Can't wait to be onboard.

 

I haven't been on the roll call for awhile.   Any talk about the passenger load.   I still don't have a number for this cruise but defiantly feel the difference in passenger load.  Also the demographics have changed.

 

Age -  TA 80% 60+       This cruise about 80%  less than 60

Ta -  80% US   This Cruise at least 80% British

 

 

[Redking]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

She really looks nice.    When we returned from our tour we drove right by where she is docked. 

 

You had me chuckling.    It is just 7:30AM  when i read your message and when you said Winnie was sleeping an you were now drinking Gin -   I looked quickly at the time stamp and signed with relief you weren't hitting the bottle this early.   I need to start sipping my Cappuccino we turned our clocks forward last night so only 6:00 UK

It's always Gin O'clock somewhere 🙄 😜 

[Jim_Iain]

Worrying moment this morning..   My daughter sent me a text at 1:30 AM my time that she was in the Emergency Room with a large blood clot in her leg.   Quite a worry as her 35 y.o. cousin died from a clot last year.   I didn't see the message until when I got up.

 

Good news  -  I called her and she said they had her on blood thinners and released her after a long day in the ER and had just gotten home.

 

It' always a concern when you travel that something may happen back home. 

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

As we all know the first night can be a bit dodgy in all restaurants especially Luminae.   I guess it lived up to reputation as there were a number of guests in Retreat that were waiting for a table in Luminae at 7:00 as so many people came early.  

 

We chose Murano for the first evening.   Wasn't happy with the Retreat hosts as I tried to book for 8:30 or 9:00 but told they couldn't do it until the day before the end of the Cruise.     Zenith and Upper Suites are suppose to have priory booking.   Someone dropped the ball and when I asked after return from our tour that the could only get us at 8:00   and not able to get us in on the Second Chic Night. 

 

I wasn't a happy camper but decided to handle it on my own.    When I mentioned to Petre, Maitre' D at Murano that I was not pleased with the coordination of Retreat and Murano,  He was very professional and said for you I will always fit your in and was able to get us a table on the second Chic night.    My only complaint was that if you offer a priority service you should have systems in place to accommodate.    It has something to do with the reservation for the next cruise isn't activated until the day before the end of the first cruise. 

 

Don't want to seem privileged but wanted to post as a warning for other B2B's.   On this cruise Specialty dining is almost fully booked every night already.

[Redking]

20 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Worrying moment this morning..   My daughter sent me a text at 1:30 AM my time that she was in the Emergency Room with a large blood clot in her leg.   Quite a worry as her 35 y.o. cousin died from a clot last year.   I didn't see the message until when I got up.

 

Good news  -  I called her and she said they had her on blood thinners and released her after a long day in the ER and had just gotten home.

 

It' always a concern when you travel that something may happen back home. 

 

 

It is indeed Jim. Glad to hear you had a happy outcome. 

[the penguins]

52 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

We are back in planning phase.   We had The Chef's Market Tour planned which included a special meal prepared by the chef once back on board.  Expensive at $250 pp but they cancelled it.   Ugh.   Another $500 OBC to deal with. 

 

I'm trying to arrange a Private Journey Tour from Bilbao to a little town that was the first Continental Trip he took when he was about 12 Y.O.

 

 

Not a problem now you have discovered how to use the casino

[Jim_Iain]

Shot a pic of menu this time as the stock one was missing the lobster

 

 

Now to the Wonderful Evening.     We had Dudi again as our server and he was again one of the best.

 

The service began  with an Amuse Bouche,  Watermelon with Balsamic  and Cream Cheese

 

For Starters I had the Goat Cheese Souffle   and the Iain the Crab

 

 

For Mains I had the Sole again and Iain had the Turbot -  both cooked and seasoned to perfection.

 

 

 

Iain went for Cheese service which I declined.  

 

 

For Desert Iain had the Grand Marne Souffle   and I had a really nice desert which I forget what it was called but a Mocha Bar  with many layers of flavors

 

 

 

 

 

 

All I needed was a wheel chair or Wheel Barrow to pull me away from the table.

 

 

Not sure why CC is duplicating these but tried 3 times to delete and they keep coming back

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2022 by Jim_Iain

[upwarduk]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

We may just go to La Havre on our own and possible grab a train somewhere (unknown as of yet:. 

We liked Honfleur, which is about half an hour from Le Harve.

 

 

 

 

 

[the penguins]

21 minutes ago, the penguins said:

Not a problem now you have discovered how to use the casino

For  tours have you tried ToursbyLocals. We use them practically everywhere. Tours can be fully customised. Guides in most ports. Canadian owned company.

[Jim_Iain]

Been to Honfleur beforee and like you loved it .   The decision may come down to what the weather is like

 

Years ago we took one of the worst tours of our life to the Alabaster Coast.   The problem was the guide.    We stopped at the B&B factory and she read the pamphlet to us.

 

The good side that redeemed the day for us was our next stop  of Côte d'Albâtre where we were given 3 hours to explore the town and Alabaster Cliffs on our own.   We hike to to top and waled along the cliffs.   Inedible  days of just enjoying nature and the wonderful hikes and views.     That could also be an option. 

[Jim_Iain]

 

Awoke to a beautiful morning, but within hours turned to dreary skies and the seas are choppy 

 

Tomorrow we have a visit to an island for a hike and lunch.   I hope the weather cooperates.  

[Jim_Iain]

3 hours ago, the penguins said:

For  tours have you tried ToursbyLocals. We use them practically everywhere. Tours can be fully customised. Guides in most ports. Canadian owned company.

I've used them often.   Thanks for the message as I just sent them a request for Balboa.    Iain wants to visit Castro Urdiales and Guggenheim.  He visited Castro Urdiales as a child on his first visit to the Continent and wanted to re-visit it.

[chemmo]

Jim, so sorry to hear about your daughter but so pleased she is on the mend…such a worry. Sincere best wishes to her.

 

So pleased the English weather was cooperative for your visit to Windsor.

 

Re bookings for Murano. I think it is probably due to the excellent write ups on CC that it is increasingly busy from day one of the cruise! I would also think a lot of the UK contingency on board have substantial OBC to use up too owing to many of them having moved itineraries several times over the last few years and have as a consequence booked dining packages. We invariably book all our speciality dining pre cruise now through the shoreside concierge (even if we edit a bit once on board) to ensure we do get the exact dates and times we want.
 

It does amaze me at times that the retreat concierges can be less than proactive with dining requests. I remember on an Equinox cruise a few years ago asking if the concierge could contact Murano to request a table by the wall for us that evening (first) as we both are beginning to struggle with peripheral noise. The answer was no, seating was sorted on arrival.  A couple of hours later we noticed there was someone on the desk at Murano so stopped and repeated our request. ‘What table would be best for you?’ Was the response and it was available for us each visit. The following evening we were in Tuscan and the M’D said ‘I believe you do not like to be in the middle of the room so I have reserved a quiet table for you but if you prefer another…’. Obviously the speciality restaurants did share information. 
 

Our biggest dilemma in Murano is to cheese plate or to dessert!? Simply can’t do both! We did ask one evening last cruise if they could send some cheese back to our suite to enjoy later…Next cruise I am contemplating having two starters, a dessert and cheese so I avoid that needing a wheelbarrow feeling!

 

On our last pre covid cruise from the UK there was also a high % of Brits on board (us included!). We were surprised in Michael’s to find lots of Cunard customers giving Celebrity a try. It was quite amusing to see their attitudes/opinions change over the cruise. From….

 

’We will miss dressing up’ to ‘Smart casual is just so relaxing’.

 

’A drinks package is a waste really as we don’t drink much’ to ‘It is nice just to have what you want without thinking of the cost’.

 

My favourite being ‘Celebrity is OK as an occasional cruise but it isn’t Cunard’ to ‘We have just booked three more Celebrity cruises!’.

 

Hope you both continue to have a fantastic time!

 

Edited April 22, 2022 by chemmo

[the penguins]

24 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

I've used them often.   Thanks for the message as I just sent them a request for Balboa.    Iain wants to visit Castro Urdiales and Guggenheim.  He visited Castro Urdiales as a child on his first visit to the Continent and wanted to re-visit it.

Great minds think alike. Seeking out places you visited as a child is fun. I went to Wengen on a school holiday and 50 years later we not only revisited but I took my travelling companions straight to the hotel. Amazingly it was still run by the same family, the entrance was decorated with photos from the period and we were treated to coffee and cakes. Enjoy your cruise regrettably we won't get to meet as you disembark on the 7th which is the date we board. Geoff.

[the penguins]

9 minutes ago, chemmo said:

Jim, so sorry to hear about your daughter but so pleased she is on the mend…such a worry. Sincere best wishes to her.

 

So pleased the English weather was cooperative for your visit to Windsor.

 

Re bookings for Murano. I think it is probably due to the excellent write ups on CC that it is increasingly busy from day one of the cruise! I would also think a lot of the UK contingency on board have substantial OBC to use up too owing to many of them having moved itineraries several times over the last few years and have as a consequence booked dining packages. We invariably book all our speciality dining pre cruise now through the shoreside concierge (even if we edit a bit once on board) to ensure we do get the exact dates and times we want.
 

It does amaze me at times that the retreat concierges can be less than proactive with dining requests. I remember on an Equinox cruise a few years ago asking if the concierge could contact Murano to request a table by the wall for us that evening (first) as we both are beginning to struggle with peripheral noise. The answer was no, seating was sorted on arrival.  A couple of hours later we noticed there was someone on the desk at Murano so stopped and repeated our request. ‘What table would be best for you?’ Was the response and it was available for us each visit. The following evening we were in Tuscan and the M’D said ‘I believe you do not like to be in the middle of the room so I have reserved a quiet table for you but if you prefer another…’. Obviously the speciality restaurants did share information. 
 

Our biggest dilemma in Murano is to cheese plate or to dessert!? Simply can’t do both! We did ask one evening last cruise if they could send some cheese back to our suite to enjoy later…Next cruise I am contemplating having two starters, a dessert and cheese so I avoid that needing a wheelbarrow feeling!

 

On our last pre covid cruise from the UK there was also a high % of Brits on board (us included!). We were surprised in Michael’s to find lots of Cunard customers giving Celebrity a try. It was quite amusing to see their attitudes/opinions change over the cruise. From….

 

’We will miss dressing up’ to ‘Smart casual is just so relaxing’.

 

’A drinks package is a waste really as we don’t drink much’ to ‘It is nice just to have what you want without thinking of the cost’.

 

My favourite being ‘Celebrity is OK as an occasional cruise but it isn’t Cunard’ to ‘We have just booked three more Celebrity cruises!’.

 

Hope you both continue to have a fantastic time!

 

Cunard? Worst cruise of our life - never again. Yes we have friends who love it, yes we accept it was a one off but when 50% of the main restaurant stood up and booed the chef's I think that says all you need to know.

[chemmo]

35 minutes ago, the penguins said:

Cunard? Worst cruise of our life - never again. Yes we have friends who love it, yes we accept it was a one off but when 50% of the main restaurant stood up and booed the chef's I think that says all you need to know.

Gosh! That must have been interesting….We have never seriously considered Cunard. When we first cruised our son was about 8 so RC seemed an obvious fit, our first few cruises were Caribbean attached to Orlando theme park stays. We stayed with RC for many years until our son was in his teens when we decided to try Celebrity and found it the perfect fit for us. We love that fine balance they get between casual and formal…Classy, perhaps? Like you we have friends who are staunch Cunard fans but it just has never appealed to us…

 

25 years later (next spring) we are again combining Theme Parking with Caribbean cruising (on Celebrity) and our son (and girlfriend) are coming with us…Never too old for Disney! Only difference now is we will be hiring a scooter to get around in!

Edited April 22, 2022 by chemmo