Live Silver Spirit Maiden TA Crossing

I am starting this thread hoping those onboard will post here.

Well done for starting this thread. Those of us not lucky enough to be on board with you, but who have family members who are on board, but not internet savvy will be delighted to be able keep a eye on your TA adventure.

Wishing you all calm seas:)

I hope you all have calm waters.

I hope you all have calm waters.

And calm waiters.

Calm waters? No.

Calm waiters? Yes.

Funchal, Madeira port call cancelled due weather...next stop, Las Palmas!

Goodness! I would take rough seas compared to the night at EWR last night. Take some meds!

Goodness! I would take rough seas compared to the night at EWR last night. Take some meds!

I'm one of the lucky ones....I don't get seasick!

Geez, I guess that means you can still sing...

That's really too bad since Madeira is such a lovely place to visit.

Good luck at Las Palmas.

This is already January 4, and January 5 in Europe. We haven't seen any posting from the large group on board. Perhaps they hit a storm and are resting in bed, or perhaps the ship's internet service is down?

Maybe, just maybe, they have their priorities straight. I'll be boarding in Ft. Lauderdale soon, and reading CC will cease to be of interest. Well, maybe I'll check in just to make sure it is the same ship.

This is already January 4, and January 5 in Europe. We haven't seen any posting from the large group on board. Perhaps they hit a storm and are resting in bed, or perhaps the ship's internet service is down?

If you take a look at this website, you can see the wave heights that the Spirit will be experiencing.

http://www.oceanweather.com/data/

Cheers

Jennifer (ging466)

Or perhaps they're all tired of answering endless questions.

The group is on vacation. I'm sure we will get reports when they get back.

Some of them have still been posting on the other thread.

If you take a look at this website, you can see the wave heights that the Spirit will be experiencing.

 

http://www.oceanweather.com/data/

 

Cheers

Jennifer (ging466)

Interesting website, thanks for sharing with us. It looks like they are experiencing 20 ft waves, bad but not extraordinary.

We all have our pleasures. Mine is high seas with curling wave crests, spindrift, and beauitiful tourquoise blue-green only a ship's wake and following sea can produce. Having sailed San Pedro to Honolulu in a 34 foor ketch (two man crew) I see no reason to go to sea and hope for placid seas. Bring on the weather Shadow and I'll toast it with a single malt from Isle of Islay.

Hi, as Craig noted we had rough seas yesterday, Captain rerouted us away from

rough seas into following seas and the ride is much better, but we miss Funchal and

now will arrive Las Palmas about 7pm. Ida and Carol (of Gary and Carol) were seasick during day but after meclizine they were fine for dinner. Debbie(Wellseasoned's wife) also was not feeling 100%...Malcomb and Jean decided to forgo Seishin for room service as well. Ida and I ate in Seishin last night; food presentation, ambiance, service and taste 10/10, but at 8 pm only almost half of the tables were empty.

Although the ship is elegantly decorated, the suite funtionality is not passenger friendly. As Ida noted last night the designer must have never lived in a SS suite before. Huge single sink in bathroom takes much too much counter space. No real vanity makes moving in the suite cumbersome.

Believe dress code due to change in itinerary changed from Formal to Casual tonight..we are all looking forward to the Burn's Bash (Doug and Lynn are graciously hosting a meet and mingle for about 24-30 tonight) in their gigantic grand suite.

more to follow

Wes,was Seishin A La Carte or set menu ?

Thanks for your sitrep

I'm not Wes but will tell what I know about Seishin...I believe its a set tasting menu, not a la carte.

Yesterday, lots of pax and crew weren't feeling so great. I , too, took the meclazine and that cleared things up. I was fine to go to dinner and even the casino again last night, where I made yet again my regular (with no exceptions) contribution to the Captain's fund!

Smooth seas today; about to go have my morning tea by the pool.

Here is the Seishin menu http://www.luxurycruiseandland.com/blogs/index.php?blog=11&paged=2 but it does not show the sake or wine pairings.

I am sorry so many are seasick. We can certainly relate, and now after our 26 hr. trip home, we have come home to what I believe are record low temps - 28 here in The Woodlands, TX.

Thanks for the info on Seishin

Hi, CC! Debbie and I got to Lisbon without difficulty despite snow in Ohio. Lisbon was rainy. Had a fun meet and greet at the Marriott hotel and met a whole bunch of CC people at the bar. We did early embark, but it wasn't worth it. There was a delay, boarded about 11 A.M., but now everybody can board at noon, and many did. Our suite wasn't ready until noon, and you no longer had the ship to yourself by boarding early. The restaurant was packed for lunch, and they weren't really staffed for it, but they managed. The butler business will take some getting used to. Our butler, Joy, is a nice young Indian man, very pleasant and competent. He does what the stewardess used to do. Now the stewardess- whoops, they're now cabin attendants- does nothing but clean, and lots of suites, so you don't have much contact with her. We quickly met lots of people we know from previous cruises. Everybody is unsure of whether they like this ship as well as the older ones, but it's still very early.

The Spirit is bigger and much different in feel and layout. We are now in Silver suite 1010. Very roomy; fantastic big verandah with chaise, lounge chair, full height table with chairs, etc. There are improvements we would have made in the suite, but it sure is big, and the bedroom is very nice, with big bed and solid wooden doors that can be closed to the living room. The TV's are not in the mirrors in the silver suites. They are regular TV's. One bit of strong advice: Bring along a little multi-plug electrical outlet adapter. I did and am very glad. There are only two 110 outlets in this whole suite. I imagine that the verandah suites are the same. We'll find out when we move to a verandah for our Ft. Lauderdale to Barbados segment.

The crew has been great as always, and there are many familiar ones. The tour desk is now the "shore concierge", and they wear formal-looking three piece suits!

Had a great meal in the Restaurant first night. Debbie was under the weather yesterday because of the sea. It was really rough since we left Lisbon, yesterday 50 mph winds, Force 10, 25-30 foot seas, some broken glassware, forward elevators out of service. Our first port, Funchal, Madiera was cancelled. We're headed to Las Palmas, Canary Islands, so we've added part of a sea day.

I ate on the pool deck for lunch despite the weather, though I was briefly drenched by a spray that made it over the pool deck side walls. Last night we decided to have dinner in the suite because Debbie did not feel up to going out. Big mistake! Phoned room service at 7:00 P.M. After two subsequent calls to room service and butler, we finally received half of our order at 9:30, and part of the other half later. They were apparently swamped and hindered by poor communication and organization problems, as well as the inoperative elevators. Crew was very apologetic, but, really, 2 1/2 hours?

Today is much calmer, warmer, sunny. Everybody now seems happy, including us. It is the day of Doug and Lynn Burns' party for CC'ers. We hope that most will be feeling much better. The main enrichment lecturers missed the boat in Lisbon. Hope that they join us in Las Palmas. Cruise director Fernando gave one of his great talks on old ocean liners and their accommodations and promises more. Hope to continue one day winning streak at team trivia today.

Dieter