Service on Silver Cloud

[unfathomable]

I've been back a week from two weeks on the Silver Cloud crossing, Barbados to Tower Bridge, London. We embarked on this trip with trepidation: I broke my leg (in what the surgeon called "an interesting way"!) nine weeks before and it was touch-and-go whether we would make it. I got my crutches -- and some intensive instruction on how to use them -- two weeks before departure. By the time we left, I could "walk" 50 yards or so, but had not mastered steps and my therapist laughed when I suggested simulating a pitching deck!

 

Although we have a couple of hundred SS days behind us, including 10 crossings, we had no way of knowing what to expect and after nine weeks of being essentially immobilised, I was well rested but (a) I had not been out of the house except to visit the hospital and (b) my wife was pretty much exhausted.

 

So we arrived at the port for early embarkation and found a wheelchair with no problem: on arrival at the ship they were ready for me and I boarded with the vegetables through the "tradesman's entrance" on Deck 3.

 

From there, we were on Easy Street. The staff could not have been kinder or more helpful. I stayed on board the whole trip. My wife went walking ashore when she could. We had room service half a dozen times -- more than in our whole prior SS career -- but made it into the regular eating areas most of the time.

 

Everywhere we went, staff were at our elbows, repositioning chairs or whatever else was needed.

 

There were a couple of exciting moments. Southerly crossings tend to be calm, most of the time. We had a slightly rough day approaching the Azores, and a couple of moderately rough days afterwards. I stayed on my crutches for the first of these, and on one memorable occasion I was in the elevator: the doors opened, the ship lurched, and I came flying out! I soon learned to choose a seat facing forwards or aft: facing sideways, I risked either sitting down suddenly or head-butting the table.

 

Later, when the sea got worse, my wife insisted that I borrow a ship's wheelchair for those two days -- which was delivered with alacrity by the bell captain. That evening, on the way to the bar, we broke all speed records with the assistance of a sudden pitch by the ship, much to the amusement of our bartender.

 

But the greatest adventure was saved for disembarkation on the final day. Those of you who have done the Tower Bridge mooring (only Wind and Cloud can fit under Tower Bridge, right in the heart of London) will know that the ship moors against the retired Navy cruiser HMS Belfast, on the south side of the River Thames -- and the pier is on the north side. So the local boatmen do a roaring trade in transporting passengers from one side to the other. (No charge to you -- this is Silversea, after all.)

 

But there's a catch: you disembark, not directly onto the local boats, but high up (Deck 5) onto HMS Belfast itself, then walk aft along walkways, down a steep ramp and then down two flights of metal stairs onto a pontoon and only then onto the boat. Now I haven't had the course on ramps and stairs. So what did Silversea do? (I privately hoped that the task would prove impossible, and we'd have to stay aboard.)

 

But the troops were equal to the task. The "gurney chair" was fetched from the hospital and four waiters carried me down the ramp and stairs, then onto the boat and off it again. And I'm here to tell the tale! If you were one of the other guests held up while these heroes accomplished the almost-impossible, please accept my apologies for the inconvenience.

 

From the Captain down, every crew member we met was helpful and cheerful and most important, my wife got the vacation she needed. We can't thank them enough.

[WesW]

Jgibbs, thanks for sharing that the SS service went truly above & beyond, and compassion they showed towards your leg injury...hope you heal soonest...we still remember enjoying wine and a cold beer with you your wife at lunch on The Terrace (dining al fresco) when we were on the Whisper in the Spring 2006, just before one of your ten crossings..are u doing the Spirit's maiden crossing? best, Wes

[joe_90]

jgibbs

 

We too were on Cloud for this adventure and I have to say the service from all the crew was perfect. From Judie Abbot to Myra in the Panorama lounge we were treated like old friends from the moment we embarked in the lovely sunshine of Barbados to the final night on the river Thames we had a super time.

 

John & Joy

 

The sea had plenty of bumps in the road !!!!!!!

[DebbieH103]

JGibbs, I had missed this story. Thanks for sharing it. I hope you are doing alright and that you will have a speedy recovery.