Just Booked my First SILVERSEAS CRUISE

Wish the boards were were working correctly so I could get some responses:D.....Just booked my first cruise

on Silverseas...........The Spirit from Barcelona to Rome in August:D........this is so awesome:)

Now if they would just fix the boards!

Congrats! I just answered your previous post on the SS boards. The reply will be there if you check the thread, even though it doesn't show any recent posts.

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Wish the boards were were working correctly so I could get some responses:D.....Just booked my first cruise

on Silverseas...........The Spirit from Barcelona to Rome in August:D........this is so awesome:)

 

Now if they would just fix the boards!

Love the Spirit and what's not to love about Barcelona and Rome. We've done that itinerary on the Wind, in fact it was our first Silversea cruise, and loved it. Have a great cruise.

Hi Chris:)...looks like the boards are working again...........

Yes, i am very excited:)...actually this is something I would never have thought possible.......but it is so I am going to enjoy myself:D

Thanks Randy, looking forward to it. I have been to Europe twice in the past 5 years but never to these places

so it is all new AND SS offers a flight upgrade to Business Class for a grand....I booked it that way.....first time

in Business Class too....omg...the pictures of the seats? I can sleep overnight:)

Hi Lois,

So happy to see your post today as I also just booked the August Barcelona to Rome voyage it will be not only my first Silversea cruise but my first cruise ever..why not start at the top...;) .

I also wanted to thank you for your thoughtful and informative posts on solo cruising after reading many of them I decided to take the plunge and with the package Silversea is offering the time seems right.

Anne

Hi Lois,So happy to see your post today as I also just booked the August Barcelona to Rome voyage it will be not only my first Silversea cruise but my first cruise ever..why not start at the top...;) .

I also wanted to thank you for your thoughtful and informative posts on solo cruising after reading many of them I decided to take the plunge and with the package Silversea is offering the time seems right.

 

Anne

Hi Anne, wow, your very first cruise? Hope you love it:D....are we on the same cruise? August 9th? I already started a roll call so please come over there and say hello:)....and glad I could help with the solo stuff.

Hi Chris:)

 

in Business Class too....omg...the pictures of the seats? I can sleep overnight:)

If you're like me you won't get any sleep the night before joining the ship as you'll be too excited about the cruise.

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If you're like me you won't get any sleep the night before joining the ship as you'll be too excited about the cruise.

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After 22 years of cruising I still get excited about boarding and usually don't sleep all that well the night before. :D We always fly to the embarkation port city at least the day before and often, especially with Europe based cruises, two days before so my excitement/anticipation level rises and falls over two to three days pre-cruise. Silly I guess but I hope I never reached the point where cruising becomes unexciting. :)

After 22 years of cruising I still get excited about boarding and usually don't sleep all that well the night before. :D We always fly to the embarkation port city at least the day before and often, especially with Europe based cruises, two days before so my excitement/anticipation level rises and falls over two to three days pre-cruise. Silly I guess but I hope I never reached the point where cruising becomes unexciting. :)

Not silly at all! I love the anticipation pre-trip, whether it's a cruise, or something else. If I can't get excited about it, why go?

That said, we're often able to sleep on the plane despite our excitement. That's because we've usually worked a full day on Friday before leaving Friday night, so we've been up since 5AM.

Now, the one time that I wish we could sleep is the last night before we go home. No matter if we have an early flight, or a late one...we always wake up many times overnight to check the clock. Drives me crazy!

Lois, if this is your first time in international business class, watch out. You may be like us, and never want to go back... Enjoy!

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Not silly at all! I love the anticipation pre-trip, whether it's a cruise, or something else. If I can't get excited about it, why go?

 

That said, we're often able to sleep on the plane despite our excitement. That's because we've usually worked a full day on Friday before leaving Friday night, so we've been up since 5AM.

 

Now, the one time that I wish we could sleep is the last night before we go home. No matter if we have an early flight, or a late one...we always wake up many times overnight to check the clock. Drives me crazy!

 

Lois, if this is your first time in international business class, watch out. You may be like us, and never want to go back... Enjoy!

 

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For sure.....once you travel business or better, particularly for long haul overseas flights, it's very hard to go back. Same for cruising. Took my then bride....well, she's still my bride :hearteyes::D....on her first cruise for our honeymoon 19 years ago. Sure it wasn't Silversea but we did have a deluxe suite, now known as a Neptune Suite, on Holland America's old Ryndam. Next cruise I cut back a bit to a standard verandah suite....big mistake and we were back to a Neptune for the next and subsequent cruises. Now we've gravitated to Silversea she is willing to "sacrifice" and stay in a verandah suite, though she prefers Medallions or Silvers, but I know we'll probably never go back to a mass market cruise line again. :D

I was going to start another thread but figured I would use this one.....I have a question about excursions...since the ships

are so much smaller than mass market lines, do any of you use Silverseas excursions or do you still book independently?

Being that I sail solo, unless the roll call becomes active I may decide to go through the cruiseline for a few places.....

just wanting some thoughts from you experienced cruisers:)

Not silly at all! I love the anticipation pre-trip, whether it's a cruise, or something else. If I can't get excited about it, why go?

 

That said, we're often able to sleep on the plane despite our excitement. That's because we've usually worked a full day on Friday before leaving Friday night, so we've been up since 5AM.

 

Now, the one time that I wish we could sleep is the last night before we go home. No matter if we have an early flight, or a late one...we always wake up many times overnight to check the clock. Drives me crazy!

 

Lois, if this is your first time in international business class, watch out. You may be like us, and never want to go back... Enjoy!

 

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Hi Chris, yes, it will be my first time in Business Class:D

After 22 years of cruising I still get excited about boarding and usually don't sleep all that well the night before. :D We always fly to the embarkation port city at least the day before and often, especially with Europe based cruises, two days before so my excitement/anticipation level rises and falls over two to three days pre-cruise. Silly I guess but I hope I never reached the point where cruising becomes unexciting. :)

Hi Randy, I am flying in 2 days early......since we sail on a Wednesday, I am flying over on Sunday (arriving in

Barcelona on Monday morning) and will stay Monday night and Tuesday night. I am in the process of researching

hotels:)

We use the occasional SS excursion but in Europe, we find that it's so easy to go off on our own that we usually do our own thing.

Lucky you, flying into Barcelona early. So much to see and do there. We went over Christmas weekend in 2015 for our second visit and loved it. Plenty of nice hotels to choose from.

We've stayed in the Hotel Pulitzer once, and last time we stayed at the Hotel Casa Camper. Liked both, and they are both an easy walk from Plaça Catalunya. Why is that important? Because the express airport bus drops you off there. It's a fast and cheap way into town...costs about €5.

BTW. It's JP, not Chris. Not like it matters much, but...

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Yes, it matters........hi JP, sorry about that!:)

I have been looking on Trip Advisor for hotels (and here),,,,,,,,there are so many to choose from:eek:

Have to jump in.. after more than 20 years of traveling on Silversea with my husband, I am, sadly, now traveling solo. One of the things which keeps me going is how well they take care of single cruisers. I suggest that you take SS excursions. They are generally very good, always escorted by ship's personnel, and you won't feel either lonely or unsafe. Do register for both the Cruise Critic Mix and Mingle and go to at least one of the solo travelers gatherings.

I think you have made a wonderful decision to trust Silversea and to take the plunge. Have a terrific time, and please, keep all of us in this adventurous loop. We all love to be taken along!

Hi Lois, Long time no speak! I most often sail SS and Seabourn these days and, indeed, am sailing SS in August too. However, I'll be on Whisper from Stockholm to Montreal. Enjoy your cruise - that is a certainty.

Good morning:)...... I have a long time friend who works for Silverseas so I booked this directly with her:) They are

offering flights with cruise.......anyway, I hope this is not "usual" but I was checking AA (I was given the locater number)

and I checked last night and they ALREADY CHANGED MY FLIGHT:eek:......not just the time but the DEPARTURE

CITY:(.......OMG......I emailed my gf about this..... and they better change it back........is this normal? For such a high

end line? I live in Jacksonville and that is where I am flying from......looks like the "AIR PEOPLE" changed it to Savannah....

I am not driving 2 hours to fly out.......:mad:

Good morning:)...... I have a long time friend who works for Silverseas so I booked this directly with her:) They are

offering flights with cruise.......anyway, I hope this is not "usual" but I was checking AA (I was given the locater number)

and I checked last night and they ALREADY CHANGED MY FLIGHT:eek:......not just the time but the DEPARTURE

CITY:(.......OMG......I emailed my gf about this..... and they better change it back........is this normal? For such a high

end line? I live in Jacksonville and that is where I am flying from......looks like the "AIR PEOPLE" changed it to Savannah....

I am not driving 2 hours to fly out.......:mad:

Looks like they defaulted your flights to one of their "gateway" cities. Savanah is a gateway for Silversea air but Jacksonville is not. I honestly don't know how Silversea will handle that but other cruise lines will often add a upcharge to fly you out of a non-gateway city.

Hi Randy, I am flying in 2 days early......since we sail on a Wednesday, I am flying over on Sunday (arriving in

Barcelona on Monday morning) and will stay Monday night and Tuesday night. I am in the process of researching

hotels:)

The range and selection of hotels in Barcelona is almost mind boggling from traditional European to ultra modern, from expensive to reasonable. We stayed at the El Palace and really liked it but it certainly wasn't the cheapest. We liked the central location and the facility, basically a remodeled tradition European, was I think once one of the Ritz Carlton hotels in Barcelona. It's the only place we've stayed so I don't have a list of recommendations. You might look at the ports section here on Cruise Critic and see what the recommendations are there. I've found it to be a good source as the majority here are looking for and sharing their pre and post cruise experience. They often cover things like access to local points of interest, nearby restaurants, and distance to or from the cruise terminal.

Lois, we have been several times in Barcelona, and two times pre-cruise. We have stayed at the Hotel Colón, in the Barrio Gotic (Old Quarter). The hotel is in front of the Cathedral (not the Basílica, which is a must see) and it is a very safe but fun location. Prices are very reasonable and you should ask for a room with a view to the church. There are rooms with a terrace (not a balcony, but a real terrace) with sun loungers and a table for four. The esplanade between the hotel and the church is filled with music, artisans, etc. You can find both touristy and non-touristy restaurants and quaint shops in Barrio Gotic and El Born. I recommend this hotel, and also that you research on Trip Advisor, which I find generally trustworthy.

I second the recommendation of Hotel Colon

Looks like they defaulted your flights to one of their "gateway" cities. Savanah is a gateway for Silversea air but Jacksonville is not. I honestly don't know how Silversea will handle that but other cruise lines will often add a upcharge to fly you out of a non-gateway city.

Hi Randy:) they fixed it this morning:)...there is an upcharge but my longtime friend is picking up that part for me. :)

She knows I am not driving to Savannah to take my flight........it is all fixed.......Jax to Miami to Barcelona......and coming

home....Rome to Charlotte to JAX.

Hotel Colon and The Jazz both get very good reviews:)..........I will look at each one again.........

Oh Randy, the change on that flight was a mistake on Silverseas part......I was told it was an error and the original

information was correct...but it is all good now:D

Hotel Colon and The Jazz both get very good reviews:)..........I will look at each one again.........

 

Oh Randy, the change on that flight was a mistake on Silverseas part......I was told it was an error and the original

information was correct...but it is all good now:D

Fantastic! We've taken the American Airlines Rome to Charlotte flight and it was great.