Silver Wind 2025: No. Europe and British Isles Expedition

[tulok]

Finally, I was able to book our first SS as we were booked this June but had to cancel earlier this year.

We picked this cruise because it seemed like something we would enjoy and I love the idea of a smaller ship. River cruises are our favorite vacations now and it seems to be somewhat close.

We have traveled on Regent a few time and enjoyed them. We did pick the p2p as we will use ffy for business class.

Looking at the itinerary, will we see a lot of wildlife? Anything we should know about the Wind? With this itinerary will we be able to use the veranda in June and not freeze. For those that have done an expedition cruise and regular SS cruise, which is your preference? We have not done an expedition on any line but have taken Zodiac tours in places and enjoyed them. 

I hope I didn’t sound too much like a newbie. 

 

[Woodrowst]

58 minutes ago, tulok said:

 

Looking at the itinerary, will we see a lot of wildlife? 

 

We just returned from a very nice Silver Endeavour expedition cruise to the British Isles (mostly Scottish Isles with a couple of British and independent Isles thrown in).  The wildlife was mostly birds.  All kinds of birds, both on land and in the water.  We also saw some sheep, Shetland ponies, red squirrels, and -ironically enough- a fox in Hyde Park when we disembarked in London.

[jpalbny]

7 hours ago, tulok said:

Finally, I was able to book our first SS as we were booked this June but had to cancel earlier this year.

We picked this cruise because it seemed like something we would enjoy and I love the idea of a smaller ship. River cruises are our favorite vacations now and it seems to be somewhat close.

We have traveled on Regent a few time and enjoyed them. We did pick the p2p as we will use ffy for business class.

Looking at the itinerary, will we see a lot of wildlife? Anything we should know about the Wind? With this itinerary will we be able to use the veranda in June and not freeze. For those that have done an expedition cruise and regular SS cruise, which is your preference? We have not done an expedition on any line but have taken Zodiac tours in places and enjoyed them. 

I hope I didn’t sound too much like a newbie. 

 

 

Expedition cruises in these regions will be more "Expedition Lite" but still an enjoyable experience. If your itinerary includes Iceland things may get a little more adventurous but still nothing too crazy. We've done15 Silversea cruises in total, about half expeditions, half classic cruises. We tend to prefer the smaller out of the way ports, and the more wild landscapes, that we visit with expedition cruises.

 

We have not done a dedicated BI itinerary but have visited Finland and Sweden just this past June on Silver Wind, so the latitude may be similar. I did a trip report here on CC which should give you a sampling of a typical expedition cruise in another region of Northern Europe.

 

It would be helpful if you listed your exact voyage and itinerary, so we could give you more detailed information about the stops and what you might see. I looked at the 2025 Silver Wind itineraries and they run the gamut, so your experience will vary depending on which one you booked. I can't tell whether you're on one of the itineraries which include Iceland or not, which might significantly alter your experience.

[tulok]

Edited May 8 by tulok

[jpalbny]

That looks like a very interesting itinerary - out of your stops we have only been to Copenhagen, Dublin, Orkney, and Lerwick.

 

Your itinerary looks to be more about landscapes and small villages rather than wildlife per se. I agree that you'll see lots of birds. The Neolithic sites on both Orkney and the Shetlands are interesting to visit as well. We did a DIY tour via rental car on Orkney which made for a very enjoyable day.

 

Weather is always unpredictable from year to year but I would not expect it to feel like a warm summer. You'll get lots of daylight but cloud cover, wind, and exposure to the North Atlantic may all combine in varying degrees to make it chilly at times. If I were packing for this itinerary I'd probably bring a pair of shorts, more long pants, and plenty of layers. I'd expect to need a light jacket more days than not.

 

I just looked at my photos from Orkney in August 2014, and despite relatively sunny skies we were both wearing long pants and a light jacket. June is not likely to be warmer than that.

 

Depending on the wind direction, though, your balcony could be very pleasant. The best combination would be a clear day when the sun is shining on your balcony, and the wind is hitting the other side of the ship so you're sheltered on the leeward side.

 

Have a great trip, and make sure you post some pictures!

[tulok]

9 hours ago, jpalbny said:

We did a DIY tour via rental car on Orkney which made for a very enjoyable day.

This sounds like a great idea. Wouldn’t have thought about renting a car. 

[taxatty]

Renting a car there was also very doable for us at Lerwick, but your stop there isn't very long. The best things we saw there were the wildlife and round tower on the nearby island of Mousa (a very quick boat ride, and an easy and interesting circle trail) and the puffins on the cliffs at Sumburgh Head.

[les37b]

Rather sadly (with the exception of 30 May to 1 June 2024), SS no longer appears to visit the crème de La crème port of Tower Bridge. From up to 8 visits per summer on the Wind or Cloud, down to zero. They still visit the UK, but using the probably cheaper alternatives! (Been counting no doubt) Annoyingly I missed the single voyage last year as we were in Japan. 2025 it seems we don’t need to worry about it! This year I shall video as usual from the Dartford Crossing as the Wind arrives and departs, which enjoying lunch on board in between.