Fantastic Wind!

[CASHIPman]

Here's an aerial view of the Silver Wind at St. Lucia taken today.

[DebbieH103]

Great pic, Craig. I hope you are having a wonderful time.

[Seas the Day]

Who are the officers/staff on board?

[CASHIPman]

Who are the officers/staff on board?

 

Capt Gennaro something... (sorry! Don't recall his name!)

CD: Colin Brown

Maitre 'd (The Restaurant): Jean-Marc Barbere

Head Sommelier: Juergen Hopfinger

Cruise Consultants: Iwona and Kinga

Entertainer: Donnie Rae Evins (so far, anyway)

 

So far, an excellent voyage! Only 162 passengers making the transatlantic portion of the trip...an eclectic group!

[Shipless in Seattle]

And about the Caviar......all the people complaining about the charge now..say thank you to all the people ordering up to 8 servings a day every day on the cruise. They ruined it for the others.

 

I'm so sorry everyone for ruining the free caviar service!

 

I take full responsibility! I couldn't resist ordering double and triple portions several times a day...they were so good and so... all-included!

 

And I take full responsibility for the crappy wine quality at dinner...I couldn't resist drinking extra glasses of the good stuff when I was on board. ...and I take full responsibility for the high internet charge now! I couldn't resist using it too much when it was included! And the loss of free cigarettes...it was my fault, even though I don't smoke them!

 

Please forgive me as none of this was Silversea's decision to increase profit, but rather my rudeness to take advantage of a poor all-inclusive luxury line's vulnerabilities!

 

I am humbly sorry!

 

;-) Kent

[CASHIPman]

Chef: Tobias Schreiber :)

[wripro]

Kent,

 

You should further apologize for using all those towels when you shower. From now on, there will only be paper because you used terry twice a day. And that Bulgari soap? Because you so recklessly washed your face with it so often, make way for Irish Spring! Didn't you know that abusing these items would eventually effect the rest of us? How do you expect poor Silversea to continue accommodating such wanton abandon?

[Seas the Day]

Thanks for the update Cash.

 

OK, this is a stupid question. Did they really provide free cigarettes?

[duct tape]

Yes, they really did! Just like the liquor, folks would put them in their suitcases to go home! I guess that is what happened to the caviar...leaky suitcases gave them away.

[Seas the Day]

Yes, they really did! Just like the liquor, folks would put them in their suitcases to go home! I guess that is what happened to the caviar...leaky suitcases gave them away.

Wow - that's shocking. I noticed many people smoking when I was on board, but never any "freebies." Did they give them away in the humidor? Not that it matters, but I'm curious how they would give away things like cigarettes.

 

I'm also surprised given the health issues. Regardless of the cost to procure the cigarettes, I would think giving them away might open Silversea up to liability issues... but, rethinking this statement, Silversea gives away alcohol too - another substance that occasionally produces unwanted results. So, little difference.

 

Silversea should bring back caviar, fewer negative consequences.

[dusababy]

Wow! I had forgotten about the cigarettes (non smoker for 20 years now) but you would just ask at the bar, as I recall.....and usually "your brand" would be produced.

[meow!]

Yes, they really did! Just like the liquor, folks would put them in their suitcases to go home! I guess that is what happened to the caviar...leaky suitcases gave them away.

They can prevent that by only serving it in the dining rooms, and not delivering multiple portions to the cabins?!

[wripro]

If you want to get even more nostalgic Silversea included travel insurance the first year. Not only that, the first time I sailed with the Cloud in June 1994 when we disembarked there was a long line of taxis waiting at disembarkation to take us wherever we wanted to go...free of charge. Caviar was not merely portioned out but at cocktail parties there was a kilo (2.2 pounds) container on a table from which you helped yourself to as much as you wanted and when it was gone, it was promptly replaced. Ah.....the good old days.

[simonv]

As I recall, the first night's hotel and transfer before embarkation was included in the fare, too. And they used Ritz, Four Seasons and such. But they didn't discount at all in those days, before the 9/11.

[duct tape]

Ah...The good old days...are now! That was a fun trip down memory lane.

[simonv]

They can prevent that by only serving it in the dining rooms, and not delivering multiple portions to the cabins?!

 

Even mass market lines do that. I have to say the quality of caviar on Princess was low. It was outright bad. Holland America had a big tin of it for a repeat cruiser's party. The grade wasn't too bad as I recall.

 

Serving in dining room just isn't the same.

[Shipless in Seattle]

Kent,

 

You should further apologize for using all those towels when you shower. From now on, there will only be paper because you used terry twice a day. And that Bulgari soap? Because you so recklessly washed your face with it so often, make way for Irish Spring! Didn't you know that abusing these items would eventually effect the rest of us? How do you expect poor Silversea to continue accommodating such wanton abandon?

 

I am in endless humble sorrow for my misdeeds that have lead to such a "Carnivalizing" of Silversea...

 

Actually no cutlbacks would surprise me anymore as every time I would get one of their ships over the last several years, something else was cut while the prices and single supplements were increased. I predict soon to have coin operated laundry, a gym fee and vending machines for the champagne...uh...more likely sparkling wine...given the value of the Dollar versus the Euro...

 

Kent

[MuseCruiser]

I am on the Wind right now, and service, food and experience are all impeccable.

 

The Head Sommelier took our wines, put them in proper cellar storage, and serves the wine each night that I request (I write him a request in the morning; he decants the wine before dinner and has it waiting for me). We put in a special order for an Indian banquet in 2 nights' time, tonight. The flying fish main course tonight was wonderful.

 

Years ago, on Sea Goddess (Cunard), there were huge tins of caviar. On the QE2, I recall touring the galley and seeing the huge tins of Beluga locked up. In Queens Grill, we could get Beluga anytime we wanted it.

 

No more.

 

If I want fine caviar on Silversea, I will order it and pay for it.

 

It is a great cruise. Things change; we must adapt.

[meow!]

There are 28 gms to an ounce. Suppose each serving is a bit less than an ounce, say 20 gms, so even a large tin of 1 kg is good for only 50 servings. So it takes half a dozen kg tins to just provide one serving per passenger, so the numbers add up. American caviar costs perhaps $750 per kg tin, so $4500 for one serving each! According to one TA site (cannot be named), Silversea charges on average $425 per diem, and if each passenger takes one serving per day, it will cost them $15 or nearly 4% of his/her payment. (We each took one serving every other day last December). So you can figure out the numbers!

[wripro]

Meow,

 

I respect your affinity for numbers and calculations, which I unfortunately, do not share. That said, I frankly don't care nor do I want to figure out how much it costs Silversea to serve me a portion of caviar. Nor do I care that some people ordered more than their share. Everybody uses something on the ship more than others. The fact is that the prices have gone up considerably and they are taking away things they have previously provided to bolster their bottom line. Will it stop me from sailing Silversea? No. Because imo they only have one competitor (which still does offer caviar gratis) and sometimes you have to choose by itinerary and SS does offer some great ones. But all things being equal I'll go where the caviar is!!!!!

[duct tape]

Thanx, wripro. It was starting to get stale...and not the caviar! We are SS regulars and have just booked our 1st Seabourn cruise for next summer on the Odyssey. They finally have verandas! I will enjoy the caviar immensely. Any tips for a Seabourn newbie??

[meow!]

We believe that it would be nice if Silversea could keep its free flowing caviar (we love that stuff) and in principle, free flowing caviar is one of the defining characters of a luxury line. It makes a cruise line stand above the others. Hopefully some years down the road, it will be re-introduced, just as in the case of production shows, by "popular demand".

[simonv]

Thanx, wripro. It was starting to get stale...and not the caviar! We are SS regulars and have just booked our 1st Seabourn cruise for next summer on the Odyssey. They finally have verandas! I will enjoy the caviar immensely. Any tips for a Seabourn newbie??

 

I'm waiting to see if the Odyssey can keep up the level of service, because it's big! If they provide the similar level of service on the Odyssey as their triplets, then SS got a very serious competition. Veranda was the deal breaker for me, but now ........

[wripro]

Whether Seabourn can keep up its level of service remains to be seen. Their new ships are not big, only 450 passengers, but still more than double the capacity of the triplets. But that is not the topic of this thread. I seriously doubt that SS will ever return to free caviar due to "popular demand." The demand for free caviar is very popular now. The bean counters are running the asylum and we better get used to it. Fortunately, there isn't much more they can take away without losing the "all inclusive" label. I only hope they don't figure out "champagne" comes from Spain in black bottles!!!!!

[meow!]

In 2000, few people would have predicted the sorry state of the US$ now against the euro (then the euro was worth 83 cents). IF (and I doubt that) several years down the road, the tide turns back to where it was, do you think that all the present cuts will be reinstated (afterall, fares are still in US$)? What are the chances that some day, fares may be denominated in euros?