Vagueness in the Silver Box Journal

Wish they could have been more specific about what port the Silver Explorer will be at. There are 5 docking areas in Lisbon and each has a name. All are a part of Lisbon Port but stretched along the Rio Tejo quite a ways.

Possibly at the time the journal was prepared, they didn't know where they would be. If you are in Lisbon pre-cruise, your hotel can certainly find out for you.

Enjoy Lisbon - a great city.

You can always find out from the Port of Lisbon website

http://www.portodelisboa.pt/portal/page/portal/PORTAL_PORTO_LISBOA_ING/SHIPS_PILOTAGE/ARRIVALS

However, on my last cruise that finished in Lisbon, the excursions team told me that the Port of Lisbon is notorious for changing dock locations at the last minute. As a result the ship will not confirm the location verbally, let alone go into print, until 24 hours before arrival.

Sent special services an email requesting the same question after opening up the Silver Box. We are arriving on our own after a land tour and have had trouble in the past looking for a ship.

I did copy the ships phone number down (listed in the itinerary) and last resort will be to call them if we hear nothing from special services and can't find it.....

Something more alarming was the removal of " L’école des Chefs" from this voyage. It was moved to the voyage before and its gone altogether. Also the picture of the chef was removed form the expedition crew. Although the itinerary still reads the same I will be asking a lot of questions once I get onboard.....

wow…. I thought that the cooking extravaganza was the highlight of this voyage…and now it is just… gone….

How can they sell a voyage as a .. and then deliver b .. or .. c .. or……

What? I haven't really had a chance to look at it carefully- certainly they cannot make a major change like that- I will review it all more carefully. This would make me very very grumpy.

Please tell me that they haven't turned it into a wellness cruise (Conrad???)

...

Something more alarming was the removal of " L’école des Chefs" from this voyage. It was moved to the voyage before and its gone altogether. Also the picture of the chef was removed form the expedition crew. Although the itinerary still reads the same I will be asking a lot of questions once I get onboard.....

Now having had time to look carefully at this- I also wonder what is going on. For those who have sailed frequently on SS- is it common for them to make big changes on a voyage shortly before sailing? This happened last fall on the S. Discoverer when suddenly our back to back sailing in the western Pacific became wellness cruises- I was not happy. Especially since it was a trial run with a lot of issues to be worked out- on us! And now this. Trying to get more information on what exactly this is supposed to mean because as TGH points out- this was supposed to be a cooking [and wine] extravaganza. That was my excuse for signing up.

Carefreecruise - I'm signed up for this cruise April 29th 2016 - exact same itinerary. I am SHOCKED that they would eliminate the Ecole des Chefs!!!! I thought that was HALF of the "Food & Wine" cruise! They were supposed to have "market with the Chef" trips and "shop for cheese with the cheese specialist" and "oyster exploration excursions" and all other kinds of wine/food related tours... What happened? I even received a this-cruise-specific brochure from Silversea touting the Chef and Wine specialists aboard. I'm really sorry... but I'd love to get an update or review during/after your cruise. (They sure better not turn it into a Tofu and Yoga cruise!!)

Jen

Carefreecruise - I'm signed up for this cruise April 29th 2016 - exact same itinerary. I am SHOCKED that they would eliminate the Ecole des Chefs!!!! I thought that was HALF of the "Food & Wine" cruise! They were supposed to have "market with the Chef" trips and "shop for cheese with the cheese specialist" and "oyster exploration excursions" and all other kinds of wine/food related tours... What happened? I even received a this-cruise-specific brochure from Silversea touting the Chef and Wine specialists aboard. I'm really sorry... but I'd love to get an update or review during/after your cruise. (They sure better not turn it into a Tofu and Yoga cruise!!)

Jen

I have already threatened to cancel if it turns into a Tofu and Yoga cruise! And also threatened to mutiny the first time anyone tries to substitute tofu or ricotta for butter and good cheese.

That being said- the cheese and wine experts are still onboard according to everything I have seen. What is missing is any reference to food or chefs. I have sent an email to Conrad Combrink asking what is going on (he is head of expedition ships) and also have my SS agent checking into all this. A month out is not time to be making big changes!!!

I'm on the next cruise and I am now seriously worried .. can just see the headlines..

ANGRY CRUISE PASSENGERS WRECK CRUISE LINER after cruise line unilaterally deletes most of their cruise benefits.

hmmm ...wonder if my insurance will cover it...

I'm on the next cruise and I am now seriously worried .. can just see the headlines..

 

ANGRY CRUISE PASSENGERS WRECK CRUISE LINER after cruise line unilaterally deletes most of their cruise benefits.

 

hmmm ...wonder if my insurance will cover it...

I don't care about cruise benefits- I care about butter and cheese and luscious food and wine! For that I will at least mutiny!

Wasting your time nagging Conrad , 5 waldo's … he has heard it all ad nauseum...

He has no influence at all on the hotel dept. (full stop)

Otoh…without his brilliant management of the expedition structure , who would book when the rest of the on board offerings are just average mainstream cruise line fare .. no better and no worse..

For that I will at least mutiny

Try not to wreck too much of the ship please...at least spare a thought for those poor supplicants who have to follow…….. :-)

For that I will at least mutiny

 

Try not to wreck too much of the ship please...at least spare a thought for those poor supplicants who have to follow…….. :-)

You should probably post your cabin number so we can leave that one unscathed.

How it had been sold- and now this entire part of the program appears to have been dropped???:

L'Ecole des Chefs by Relais and Châteaux

11 Days British Isles & Coastal

Silversea Cruises • Silver Explorer

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Program Highlights

On select exclusive voyages around the globe, Silversea guests can experience a unique cooking school at sea concept at the first L'Ecole des Chefs by Relais & Châteaux. A broad curriculum of tantalising culinary events has been designed exclusively for Silversea by Relais & Châteaux. Witness culinary vision and creativity up close with an exciting array of cooking classes hosted by Silversea's Culinary Trainer, Chef David Bilsland.

COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS — Watch the chef at work creating his favourite dishes, which are then paired with the perfect wine by the head sommelier.

LUNCH & LEARN — Join a small group of fellow epicureans at this intimate cooking and lunching event. The chef will demonstrate preparation of your appetizer, main course and dessert, serving each course while preparing the next.

MARKET TO PLATE — Embark on a market tour to shop for fresh ingredients that will later be skilfully transformed into masterpieces of regional specialities — either during a cooking class on board or at an actual Relais & Châteaux property. This unique shoreside event and Slow Food experience is offered in select ports only.

COOKING COMPETITIONS — Guests will be entertained and educated by inspiring cooking demonstrations that showcase the very best in culinary finesse.

SLVSEA-CulinaryCruise.

Our Fiji to LA portion of the Grand Voyage was supposed to be an Ecole des Chefs voyage, but unfortunately due to a serious illness in David B's family, he had to leave the ship and return home.

I do not know if he is the chef who was supposed to be on your cruise and can only speculate whether his family emergency continues.

Despite the loss of a most enjoyable part of the cruise activities, we had one of our best cruises ever. I hope you do as well.

I believe it was either Rudy S. or David B- they left it open. And this is still a month out so one wouldn't expect emergencies with both chefs.

Interestingly, on the Culinary Expeditions Calendar at Silversea it still lists this voyage with both L’Ecole des Chefs by Relais&Châteaux and Wine Series, although this has been changed elsewhere.

I am sure the cruise will be lovely but this particular one has (had?) as it's main focus food and wine- I would probably have done a land trip if it was primarily the sights.

Our Fiji to LA portion of the Grand Voyage was supposed to be an Ecole des Chefs voyage, but unfortunately due to a serious illness in David B's family, he had to leave the ship and return home.

I do not know if he is the chef who was supposed to be on your cruise and can only speculate whether his family emergency continues.

Despite the loss of a most enjoyable part of the cruise activities, we had one of our best cruises ever. I hope you do as well.

but unfortunately due to a serious illness in David B's family, he had to leave the ship and return home.

 

I do not know if he is the chef who was supposed to be on your cruise and can only speculate whether his family emergency continues..

This makes sense, all of a sudden there is a large gap in food cruises. I called SS and they are acting clueless and blame it on the IT people not figuring it out, on how to put the icon back on the voyage.

I suspect something is up and someone else will try to fill-in. Since they marketed this sold out voyage that way, they will just make the best of it....

Just FYI; now the icon appears back on the voyage prior with no mention of it being a food cruise on the west side of Africa. Things are just screwed-up....

Just FYI; now the icon appears back on the voyage prior with no mention of it being a food cruise on the west side of Africa. Things are just screwed-up....

On the Silversea Website- no, surely not.

But for the Lisbon to Portsmouth it is also in the journal.

Just to clarify- that was a sarcastic remark about the website. Sometimes it is great sometimes it seems like they put all the parts into a bag and shake them up, radomly rearranging the pages.

OK- apparently things are on course as planned for this trip. Have heard from Conrad and, to quote:

"nothing has changed- this is a culinary expedition and will remain just that ".

Apparently David B will be onboard despite him having been left out of the team description, and Nikki will be taking over for Stefan. Sounds like it may have been misinformation from the journal organizers that has been so concerning. Perhaps they don't think that anyone really reads them.

So now I will go back to packing elastic waists to accommodate lots of good food and wine.

They sure like to work harder than they have too.... The website still shows the food cruise "L’école des Chefs" on a voyage it does not belong. It shows on voyage 7508, when it belongs on 7509. Hopefully nobody is booking voyage 7508 expecting it to be the L'ecole des Chef cruise.....

Oh what a relief.. I had visions of rows of ambulance at portsmouth to carry away the beaten up kitchen crew and a team of carpenters to repair the galley.

Now all that may be required is perhaps strengthening the gangplank to carry the satiated indulgers back onto dry land.

enjoy...