New Venetian Survey

We both got an e-mail from SS with a survey for Venetians. They wanted our opinion re: various ports of call in the Med (though some clearly aren't in the Med, most seem to be). I didn't look carefully but some seem new, and there are some old ones that they certainly call on currently.

Any comments on the potentially new offerings? I wasn't familiar with many of them... But, always interested in new places to visit in the Med!

We both got an e-mail from SS with a survey for Venetians. They wanted our opinion re: various ports of call in the Med (though some clearly aren't in the Med, most seem to be). I didn't look carefully but some seem new, and there are some old ones that they certainly call on currently. Any comments on the potentially new offerings? I wasn't familiar with many of them... But, always interested in new places to visit in the Med!

Derna - Libya

Tobruk - Libya

Appreciate, J.P., your interest in sharing this info on the CC board. Glad that Silversea is exploring new, varied and different ports in and around the Med. BUT, a couple of the locations in Libya, do run up a "red flag" for me.

Is Libya back to being stable and without any domestic safety worries?

Love the concept for more special, unique and not too crowded areas around Italy, along the Croatian Coast, etc.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 180,701 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Libya safe? Probably not yet...

The one place I'd love to see there is Leptis Magna, over near the Tunisian side of Libya. It's supposed to be among the best Roman ruins in the world. That doesn't look very close to either of these ports, both of which are on the other side of the country. Guess we won't get there any time soon...

I received the survey email, too. It was good to see an interest in new and different ports by Silversea. Something to keep us coming back!

Thanks for sharing this JP!

JP,

Quite a few of those smaller places are interesting.

Antibes is a lovely quieter alternative to both Cannes and Nice and St Tropez which is now sometimes visited .. and I think many will enjoy that more local alternative although I hope it simply isn't combined with either or indeed Monaco as they are too close and makes a too short a hop. We often eat in Antibes if we're staying in Cannes during any of the festivals when eating can get dire. Cannes is supposed to be chic and Nice more working place but Antibes is genuinely more sophisticated and quieter and if you like "authentic" French.

I hope they do not take anything larger than Wind or Cloud into Soller which is a small place with a distinctly French atmosphere. The main way in or out other than the ship is a small scenic train. AS large ship .. in fact almost any ship might make Soller quite grim. Wifey and I use to stay here regularly before Majorca became as busy as it is now. I do not recall ever seeing any ship stay here .. and there is a large Spainish military naval presence. There are a few nice places inland like Deya and Inca and other market towns and a nice drive up the coast for car hirers to Formenter and Pollensa. Palma is one of the few Spainish towns that have actually improved over generations with some lovely palace hotels in the town center in a now pedestrianised old center.

Paphos is a much lovelier alternative to Limasol or Larnaca and gives access to some of the hill villages and some lovely quieter bays to the west through the Akamas which is a gorgeous wild area. This is an area for 4 x 4 safaris etc. Small bays with fishing boats and tavernas to doze a hot day. There is also a direct road up to the north which is much wilder and has little bays with fishing boats where you point to a fish and they cook it for you in their own little tavernas. Without asking ... everything comes with salad, chips and a bottle of frozen Aphrodite followed by keo brandy for afters. Must have the five a day. :)

If there are any cruises during September and they stay late there are some really gorgeous highly local (ie unknown to tourists) wine festivals which are really genuinely memorable. Village squares are taken up with trestle tables and you basically buy a jug (just like the ones we use .... ) for a euro or two and the wine is either free or cheap and they make lots of awards and it is all in Greek. You join a table and the locals incorporate you into their family group. There is kleftiko and kebabs and sheftalia .. all lovely things to eat. Wifey and I and earlier with my kids have had some wonderful Septembers in the hills arond Paphos ... and if anyone goes the best wine festival is at Stroumbi ... of which I have many stories including one where I mistook the mayors front garden for a taverna (he had Keo umbrellas so what was I suppoosed to think) and spent all day in his front garden whilst inadvertently asking his mother for drinks and stuff ... which they found hugely funny and we became friends and would regularly visit.

I like some of the focus on smaller places left out by bigger ships ... this was of course the whole original rationale of Silversea and specifically of Cloud and Wind ... but I do so hope they do not take anything larger in some. Some of the bigger normal suspects on the list leave me disinterested.

Hope this is of interest.

Jeff

I got the survey too but with different ports and, interestingly, I inadvertently clicked on the survey again and that brought up yet another set of ports. There are some cross overs but not all the same by any means, i did not have Paphos on either list for instance.

RP

Interesting! I already submitted my responses, so I'm not able to access the survey again. Would be interesting to see what others they ask about.

Jeff, your description of Paphos sounds lovely! One of my cousins just finished a college semester on Cypress. Too bad I couldn't tell her about this!

Miss W and I opened ours at the same time and yes we had 2 different sets of ports.

We thought it may have had todo with cruise locations, but we had checked the same boxes

Never received the survey. I do wonder how they determine to whom they send such things!

Never received the survey. I do wonder how they determine to whom they send such things!

I'm thankfull to have not received one either....😉

The message says it was random. Computer odds, etc. I think they are phishing for new ports.

Miss W and I opened ours at the same time and yes we had 2 different sets of ports.

 

We thought it may have had to do with cruise locations, but we had checked the same boxes

Interesting - but I checked that we were interested in Asia and Australia, and it gave me the list I copied and pasted above, which is pretty much all Med ports. I didn't think to check Chris' list of ports to see if it was different.

The message says it was random. Computer odds, etc. I think they are phishing for new ports.

New ports would be exciting, I think. :D Always on the lookout for fun places to visit!

Not sure if they are allowed to visit Sevastopol, Ukraine.

But it is a great stop.

The rather random and odd way of surveying makes me question what on earth they think they are doing to provide themselves with any meaningful research data and from it information in order to make any rational decisions.

The rather random and odd way of surveying makes me question what on earth they think they are doing to provide themselves with any meaningful research data and from it information in order to make any rational decisions.

It would be a statistician's worst nightmare! Take it from me! The data are not going to give any meaningful insights. Choosing respondents randomly would work perfectly but changing the survey questions and options would play havoc with results!

"On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being extremely negative and 10 being extremely positive, please rate each of the following ports, regardless of your knowledge."

Particularly since they are asking your opinion of ports about which you have little or no knowledge; indeed, one may not even have heard of them or have a clue where they are.

no 5% discount .. no fill out form.. :-)

Bravo tgh

no 5% discount .. no fill out form.. :-)

What if it were up to 5% on selected cruises? ;)

What if it were up to 5% on selected cruises? ;)

I suppose we are lucky to even being asked.

Whole thing just sounds like a marketing campaign; to make past customers feel like the company has new and exciting ports of call just over the horizon. Any company employee could log on to” Trip advisor” and find out all the info they need to make a business decision. In house could collect better info than surveying all of Silversea past guests (who know very little about these ports)….

I like their angle; it gets you thinking and possibly checking their website for future cruises...

Got 5% for the last survey , so a precedent has been set.. :-)

Now that Seabourn has disposed of the small triplets that visited many small ports and with their larger ships they no longer have the ability. So it could be that Silversea has seen an opportunity to move in to this luxury area using the Cloud and/or Wind.

I am not taking into account any other cruise line as I am blinkered to Seabourn and Silversea.

Got asked as well.Some of the ports are already visited by SS and some are definitely not small ports.But all on my list were Mediterranean or Black Sea.