Live silver wind vietnam - hong kong to singapore

We are in Hong Kong about to board the Silversea Silver Wind for a 9 day cruise. Our ports are Hong Kong, Halong City ( overnight) for Hanoi and Halong Bay, Danang, Nah Trang, Saigon (overnight) ending in Singapore. We have not visited Vietnam before, so are looking forward to new sites and culture.

We flew from Dulles to San Francisco and then on to Hong Kong the next day. We stayed at the Hyatt on points and luckily went on to Hong Kong Tuesday before the big storms hit San Francisco.

We love Hong Kong and stay at the Residence club Suites at the Langham Place Mongkok. The two room suites are spacious and the Club is open 24 hours for those of us who are jetlagged. Food and drinks are plentiful, free WIFI, and pressing services provided. The Club gives you a mobile hotspot device to carry around while out and about as well. If you stay in this suite, check the fridge, there are free ice cream cups in the freezer!

The demonstrations had been just a few blocks away, although they had not disrupted the hotel access or guests. but, the protestors had moved to the government area near Admiralty. Yesterday the police moved in to clear all the demonstrators from that area as well.

The ladies and night markets are still going strong near the hotel. Hong Kong is so much fun to explore every time we visit. We took the bus from exchange down the beautiful drive through Repulse Bay to Stanley Market and later enjoyed a drink at a waterside cafe.

The Silver Wind is docked at the Ocean Terminal, in the tip of the harbor, easily accessible to us. This is our fourth voyage on this lovely, smaller Silversea ship. We have cruised Scandinavia and the Gulf of Bothnia, Africa, and the Mediterranean on her. We are excited to board her again and are hoping some of our favorite crew are aboard. We will let you know in a few hours.....

thanks John for the robost starting post...sincere wishes for a terrific voyage..know Kathy and you will love Halong Bay (one of the top 3 ports out of 50 we have visited)...fair "silver" winds and following seas!

Sent from my iPad mini using Tapatalk

Agree with Wes. Thx for taking us along on your voyage. Have a wonderful time.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh I wish I was there! But, I will rely on you to take me along! Haven't been in that part of the world lately and am craving some pho! Enjoy!

Enjoy a wonderful cruise.

Keith

Thanks for the posting. As ever would like to know who the HD and CD are. If you bump into Lesley and Peter from Bristol and Spain please say hello.

I believe Stella and Robert are/will be aboard also. Trivia will be aggressive!

Boarding went easily yesterday at 1 pm. Walked through the shopping center at Ocean Terminal, up the stairs, filled in the health questionnaire and walked onto the Wind. Checked in at Reception then had to have a face to face documents inspection with Hong Kong authorities. That over, we had a quick lunch in La Terrazza and went to our cabin. We are midship veranda starboard. We had the most wonderful view of Hong Kong harbor late afternoon and, as we watched the ferries, other boats and the skyline, toasted with our Pommery champagne in our room.

The ship is in good condition. She is older and smaller but is showing her age well. Cabin was clean and ready for us. Our butler changed out our Bulgari for Ferragamo and took notes for a few items we needed.

After our drill at 5:15 pm, we sailed away at 6. This was one of the most memorable sail outs we ever have had. The skyline of Hong Kong was spectacular, and the buildings are lit up with Christmas decorations. Each building seems to be competing with the other for most beautiful lights. We stayed on the balcony a bit, then went down to the bar to see both sides of the sailaway. Lou was playing piano, and Nikki enthusiastically served us our drinks as we all commented on what a fantastic sailout it was.

Dinner was very good last night with Eduoardo and Mark serving us. The menu is completely different from our Shadow cruise in July. Waiters are taking orders on tablets and have our information in front of them with our photos, allergies, etc. Food was very tasty, portions were smaller, but there was enough to satisfy and it was more creatively prepared than recent times. We enjoyed a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and was glad to see it onboard!

At 8 pm the announcement of alpha code came across. About 9 pm the Captain said that unfortunately, we had experienced a life threatening emergency with one of the passengers. We therefore turned the ship around and headed back to Hong Kong for the helicopter to land and take the patient. Our prayers go out to that person and family and we wish for a good outcome for them.

This did put us behind schedule to reach Halong City. However, it is 5 am and we are doing 18 knots. We believe we are making up time and we will find out in a bit how our schedule has been affected. A small thing compared to a medical emergency. We are hoping to be able to keep plans for Hanoi and Halong Bay for the next two days. Will let you know.

Captain is Palmieri, CD is Colin who just came aboard and was very welcoming as we boarded yesterday. We are happy to see them both. HD is Helmut and Maitre'D is Sergio. We are a happy passenger load - ship is not full and dining room was half empty last evening. I will write more when we know more information.

wonderful first on board report thanks so much John & Kathy..look fwd to reading more!

Sent from my iPad mini using Tapatalk

I will be looking forward to your reports. Hope that all goes well after a bit of a rough start with the medical issue onboard.

Captain Palmieri tells us that our schedule will not change and that we will arrive at Halong City tomorrow on schedule. We are cruising at 18 knots and the seas are fine with small chop. It is cool outside but not as cold as the interior common rooms on the ship which are just plain freezing cold. Almost everyone is wearing jackets indoors or big sweaters, although many of us did not pack for cold weather. Hong Kong was cool and 58 when we left and it is about that now, a bit overcast with the sun trying to come out. But the ship's interior is truly chilling. Now that the ship store does not sell regular clothing such as sweatshirts or sweaters - just high end, that is no longer an alternative.

However, we are having a great cruise.The ship has about 230 aboard so it is not full and does not feel crowded. Had a wonderful speaker, Dr. John Friedman who gave us a really informative talk on Vietnam, its history and a big picture view which brought a lot of modern history into context. We look forward to his talks as the cruise continues.

Tonight is formal night and the Captain's reception. It is the only formal night in 9 days, most days being casual. Last night in the dining room, there were quite a few people in jeans and very informal shirts. It will be interesting to see what everyone is wearing tonight.

Lunch at the pool grill was great and the fresh air felt good.

We have a private guide for Hanoi tomorrow who will pick us up off of the first tender and drive us the 3 hours into the city. We will stay on our own at the Sofitel Metropole, and drive back with our guide early Monday morning for a junk cruise on Halong Bay before returning to the Silver Wind at noon. We are looking forward to the day in Hanoi. We got our own independent visas for Vietnam for this trip, and will use them again with private guides for Danang/Hoi An and Saigon.

Will report more about tonight, the new entertainment and the food when we next get a chance.

So far so good. Thanx!

December 14 and 15 Halong Bay and Hanoi

What a fantastic two days we have had in Hanoi and Halong Bay. Captain Palmieri guided the Silver Wind through a part of Halong Bay yesterday morning and anchored before 8 am. It was overcast and a bit foggy adding to the mystique of this beautiful UNESCO Heritage site.

Vietnamese custom and immigration officials boarded the ship and 30 minutes later we were cleared to land. The ship provided a printed landing card to everyone for use throughout the trip. We retrieved our passports and visas because we were off to meet our private guide Tony of Tony Tours and driver, who would take us on our overnight adventure to Hanoi. The ship also offered a 12 hour down and back trip to Hanoi, or an overnight land adventure. But we chose to do the trip on our own, with help from our CC friends and Trip Advisor reports.

Tony was smiling and ready to go and we quickly drove off on our 3 hour trip to Hanoi. Tony said that six months ago a new road to Hanoi was opened, making the trip more comfortable with smoother roads. The trip in was interesting, with views of rice fields, waterbuffalo, farmers tilling their crops and small towns busy with small shops, cafes And lots and lots of scooters. We had heard that driving in Vietnam was an exciting experience and that was really true! We were glad to leave it to our driver.

It was great to discuss Vietnamese history and culture with Tony who added details to the reading we had done to prepare for our trip. The conversation helped ease the time it took to get to the city.

When we arrived, we were first greeted by a 35 km long mosaic wall, created by students in Hanoi to celebrate the city's 1000 year as the capitol of Vietnam. It was colorful and creative, a lot like the city we visited. Hanoi is a mixture of old and new, frenetic activity and tranquil gardens. It was a city of contrasts like the stark Ho Chi Mihn Mausoleum next to the Temple of Literature with its beautiful gardens and smiling students taking graduation photos with baloons and flowers. The beautiful pagoda in the lake and swan boats there leave no visible memory of the downing of John McCain's plane in the same location. Tony showed us the Fine Arts Museum, the one pillar pagoda and the French Quarter. He taught us how to cross the street in Hanoi, despite the hundreds of scooters weaving, going through red lights and ignoring other traffic. "Just keep walking slowly, they will miss you. If you run, you will die." Really great advice, believe me. We even saw a flash mob of 50 Santa Clauses!

Tony also took us to a fantastic lunch of true Vietnamese food in the outdoor space at the original Quan An Ngon restaurant. The spring rolls, Pho and Banh Xeo were excellent and it was a huge amount of food. Lunch for the four of us with drinks and tip was $30.

We visited the market in Old Town and arrived at the Sofitel Metropole Hotel nearby where we had chosen to spend the night. It is a spectacular old hotel that is a tranquil place in the middle of busy and noisy Hanoi. Our room in the Opera Wing was lovely and the bed very comfortable for a quiet night's sleep. We had drinks in the Bamboo bar and small hors d'oevres. We went back to the room and slept well.

At 5 am Monday morning, Tony was prompt in arriving to pick us up to return to Halong City for a junk cruise on Halong Bay. First we stopped at the wholesale flower market to pick up flowers bouquets for our cabin on the ship. Then it was off on the 3 hour trip back to the port. Tony had arranged a private junk for us. We boarded the large comfortable boat and sailed through the mist and light fog off into Halong Bay. The bay offers sites of fragmented limestone outcroppings, cliffs rock arches and caves. Some of the formations rise to 900 feet. They resemble a huge dragon which has descended into the sea. The sun came out in about an hour and the little boat made its way past the stark and beautiful landscape. Our host on the boat set a table on deck with linen and silver for the two of us and served an early lunch of delicious crab and spring rolls. We sailed past the ship's tour of kayakers who seemed to be enjoying their outing as well. After 3 hours on the water in the bay, we returned to the ship before she sailed at noon. What a spectacular, never to be forgotten bucket list experience this was.

Everywhere we went in Vietnam for the last two days, we met smiling and friendly people who greeted us warmly and took time to talk. The war and the aftermath of war are an important part of the cultural fabric here, but also includes the many years of war with China, not only the US Vietnam war. People are very interested in the US, and it is important to note that 70% of the population in Vietnam was born after that war. For Americans it is understandably a somewhat difficult contrast to our memory. There is much growth in the economy and changes to the market economy as people are allowed to own homes and land now. They have full access to the internet and to many American tv channels. The country is communist with a small "c" and is growing fast. It will be interesting to see what the next 10 years bring.

Tony was an excellent guide and we would highly recommend him for anyone wanting to do a private tour in the Hanoi/Halong area.

Back on the ship, we joined our trivia team and took first place for the second time. Colin has been his usual affable and energetic self, involved everywhere and stopping to chat about the day's activities. His trivia is a fun competition.

It was Venetian Society night and the Captain's reception was held before dinner. Speaking of food, it has generally been good, the fish has been properly cooked and our server Eduardo has been friendly and attentive. The beef Wellington, lobster, foie gras and lemon sole were excellent on formal night. The raspberry charlotte was wonderful. We are noticing a cutback in items available for the breakfast buffet in La Terrazza - no berries, papaya or mango, just melon and pineapple for fruit. A smaller amount of choices of pastry and breads. Portions for lunch and dinner are smaller and people are commenting on this. While we enjoyed a NZ Sauvignon Blanc, we have been unable to find a decent red wine to drink. We tasted three different bottles Saturday night without success. We spoke with Frank the sommelier and asked for the proprieter's list. We found some Turley old vine Zinfandel we liked and tried to order a bottle last night. The assistant sommelier came back and said they were out, and out of the other Zinfandel on the list. Then another assistant came by with a bottle of white Zinfandel which we refused. We were surprised by the lack of knowledge but also the lack of depth in the cellar. We will keep trying.

DanNang and our visit to Hoi An are next on the list. I will write more when we return.

J.

sounds like an experience of a lifetime. Lovely report. I want to replicate your visit! :)

Thanks.

Jeff

trip and great reporting, thanks so much!

Thanx. Love it!

Thanks John & Kathy for sharing your wonderful Hanoi experience.

Harbormaster,

Thanks for the wonderful reports. I used Tony a few years ago and he was a superb guide. Glad to hear he's as good as ever.

Great writing! Looking forward to your Saigon-Hanoi comparison.

You might have a heart to heart talk with Sergio. The consummate company man, but very honest in my experience.

Just before 8 am the Silver Wind docked in DaNang after a calm night at sea. We had gone up to the Panorama Lounge to watch the sail in and have coffee before breakfast. There are pastries and fruit available there as well for those wishing them.

Danang is the port for Hue the Imperial city of Vietnam as well as Hoi An the ancient city. It is also the site of beautiful Danang (China) Beach and is a major tourist destination in Vienam for that reason.

It was here that the first US troops landed on March 8, 1965 and it fell to the Viet Cong in March 1975. Remnants of the old US helicopter base can be seen. That site now is being considered for a new airport to meet the booming economic and tourism needs.

We had booked a private tour to Hoi An with Ann Tours and our guide Ha was waiting for us as we walked off the ship. We drove a few minutes and got out on the beautiful beach to watch the waves and view the 200 foot tall lady buddha in the distant monkey mountains. Driving the 35 km to Hoi Ann, it was obvious that a lot of investment into resorts is ongoing. Greg Norman and Colin Montgomerie have built golf courses here as well.

Ha talked about the history of the area, the effects of the war and the history of Hoi An city itself. It is a really lovely city reflecting a laid back and artistic attitude on the side of the Thu Bon River. The beautiful Japanese covered bridge built in 1593 linked the Japanese quarter to the Chinese trading quarter of the Old Town. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and there is a strict conservation movement to preserve the existing buildings. In addition to its monuments, the town is full of shops offering a huge variety of silk, lacquer and other goods. There are a number of really good handicraft stores with one of a kind items, including beautiful works by disabled locals at Reaching Out Vietnam. There are lots of cafes in town and we enjoyed a great fresh Vietnamese lunch while overlooking the river and boats going up and down. Ha was a great guide with an indepth knowledge of the area that made it an enlightening walk through town. The emerging free market principle here makes it one of the most progressive cities in Vietnam. And, by the way, American dollars are taken anywhere with American change given. This was one of our favorite places in Southeast Asia.

We returned to the ship and once again joined our trivia team. This time we weren't as successful, coming in third, but it was enjoyable even so. Colin's phobia questions are really tough!

As we dressed for dinner, the captain announced that we would be experiencing heavy seas during the night. As we got to the bar to listen to Lou, the wind and waves already were up. Nikki was her usual energetic self, bringing drinks and snacks and passsing hot hor d'oevres. The seas really kicked up within the hour and the dining room was fairly empty. Those of us who ate held on tightly walking out and to our cabins. The TV information showed up to 80km/hr winds and seas 16 to approaching 20 feet. This continued all night and many items were tied down and doors to the outside closed off. We slept fine but there were not many people at breakfast or about as I write.

Just after 9:30 am Captain Palmieri announced that, due to the sea conditions and wind, the Silver Wind had not been able to attain the needed 12 knots per hour to reach Nha Trang, our port scheduled for 1 pm. He said for safety reasons and passenger comfort it was necessary to reduce speed and therefore, we will be missing the port of Nha Trang on this cruise. We will continue on and will make Saigon by 7 am tomorrow.

So, we are off to listen to Dr. John Friedman's lecture on "Interesting Vietnamese Customs," and relax this afternoon. A disappointment, but necessary under these conditions.

Mother Nature showing off!

Sorry you will miss a port, but glad you are safe.

The seas continued to show their ways yesterday and we had a quiet but enjoyable day at sea. Dr Friedman gave two lectures, we came in second in trivia and golf putting, read and watched a DVD in our room.

Toward evening it calmed down a bit and more cruisers emerged from their cabins. Before dinner we enjoyed Colin Classique, our Cruise Director's performance of classical music and talk. He was accompanied by some of the very talented new entertainers who sang to his piano performance. They are wonderful by the way. It was a lovely way to relax and enjoy a drink and beautiful music.

The dining room was about 2/3 full last night and we enjoyed the fish and filet we ordered. And, after speaking with Sergio and Frank, we found a good Malbec that we enjoy a lot.

As I write this, this morning, the seas are calmer and we are about to make our turn toward the Mekong River and Saigon. We will arrive at noon, overnight there and sail out at two tomorrow afternoon. We are so fortunate that the Silver Wind is small enough to be able to sail right in to the middle of Saigon and dock there, rather than 3 hours out as some of the larger ships must do. We also heard that one of the larger ships turned away from Danang and did not make port there. So we are fortunate.

We look forward to our first trip to Saigon. Now it's off to get coffee in the Panorama.

Hoi An is one of my favorite places as well. Glad you have sea legs. My greetings to Sergio.

Sailing up the Mekong brought a number of emotions. The Mother River who brings sustenance, commerce, social life and staples of rice and fish to the Vietnam people also brings haunting memories of past conflict and death. The river has nine dragon tails and we explored two of those on this cruise. As it runs from its source in Tibet, cascading though China and on to Laos and Vietnam, access to the Mekong is essential to the life of these countries. The river's future now is challenged by the number of dams planned in the next few years, including a controversial dam planned in Laos which may bring ecological effects to the aquatic life that make the Mekong their home.

As we glided up the river to Saigon, the Silver Wind passed mangroves, rice fields, floating villages and small fishing boats whose picturesque nature belied all the issues it holds.

We arrived at the Saigon dock about noon on Thursday, had an overnight and until 2 pm Friday to enjoy this beautiful city. We loved it! We really did not know what to expect from Saigon, but were very impressed at its cosmopolitan nature and "big city" feel. Saigon boasts a large number of skyscrapers, luxury hotels and restaurants, and just about every high end retailer you can name. The city was decorated for Christmas, and streets were packed with shoppers and, of course, scooters, scooters everywhere.

We had booked a private car and driver and Phong from Ann Tours was waiting as we disembarked. Because this was our first time in Saigon, we wanted to see the highlights of the city but did not want to dwell on the war memorials in depth. It was impossible not to see and discuss them though, as Saigon is fairly compact and the War Remnants Museum, Ho Chi Minh Museum, and the Reunification Palace stood in the middle of the city. Old Phantom fighter jets and helicopter remains were visible through fences. Some passengers opted to visit the Chu Chi Tunnels out of town which they said was an interesting if not claustrophobic experience. The US Consulate and French Consulate are nearby and Phong discussed the evacuation experience. He also said that he hoped Americans felt welcome in the city. He said that Americans tried to help South Vietnam and most people in the city felt friendly toward them. We had a great short lunch of Pho and it was back out to the busy streets.

The city sights are easily walkable and we enjoyed stretching our legs to visit the Notre Dame Church, Opera House, the Post Office with its beautiful architecture and now includes market like shops on its mezzanine. The City Hall is under construction with scaffolding surrounding it and the statue of Ho covered. There is huge construction going on to build a Saigon Subway system underground where one has never existed. It will stretch 15 km to suburban areas. The noise and dust are high in the area of the gorgeous Rex Hotel. Our guide said that business was down significantly due to the noise and hammering. Having a drink on the top of the Rex Hotel is not as calming and peaceful as it once was. The History Museum and Botanical Gardens do create an area of beauty in this bustling city.

We returned to the ship just before 5pm and won trivia. (If you do trivia with Colin, know your phobias!). We had drinks in the Bar with friends while listening to the talented Lou on the piano and served in a friendly manner by Nikki. Dinner entrees included Rack of Lamb (a bit tough) and salmon and we went back to the cabin to watch a video.

We were up early on Friday morning and had a wonderful breakfast with friends out on the back deck at La Terrazza. It was about 80 degrees and a bit humid, but it was so great to be sitting outside watching the boats come and go on the river. Breakfasts have been good there, with eggs prepared exactly to order and the waiters have been very attentive. There were some strawberries this day, but still lacking in other berries, mango and papaya which are plentiful in Saigon. Our only real issue was that smokers are allowed on the back terrace during meals.

We decided to spend the day in the city on our own and took the first shuttle into Saigon at 9 am. It dropped us at Union Square (a large high end shopping center across from the Opera House). Our goal though was the Ben Thanh market to do some power shopping for gifts and ourselves. The Ben Thanh is a very large market in the center of town under cover. The outer rim of the market is fixed price government controlled shops. The interior of the market has stalls at which you bargain for goods. Be aggressive – about 70% off the price quoted - and be prepared to walk away. You will find similar goods within yards of you. Everything from food, great Vietnamese coffee, silk goods, purses, watches, clothing, linens, pashminas and souvenir trinkets can be found at Ben Thanh. It is humid and warm but if you like the hunt, it is a fun rewarding experience and you get to really interact with local people. Bargaining was tough but the merchants have a sense of humor and really do want to sell to you. Bargain politely but firmly and you will get further. We came away with arms filled with packages to take home and money left in our pocket. We enjoyed a Vietnamese coffee (not weasel coffee) in a sidewalk café and watched the crowds and streets. Our lesson in how to cross the street in Vietnam came in handy once more, although it took a bit of stamina.

We took the noon shuttle back to the ship and read and relaxed in the afternoon. The television channels on the ship are two news channels, CNN and BBC which repeat over and over, ESPN showing highlights and three movies which repeat during the day. We would catch up on news and that was about it. The choices and equipment are much better on the Shadow. ,The DVD library has a lot of older movies and could use some updating as well. We did laundry a number of times and the machines were always being used with people waiting as well, so that feature is most popular. We played trivia and came in second. John did better at golf and actually got a hole in one!

We were sorry to sail out of this lovely city. We hope to be able to return and we know that in 5 years it will have grown so much more. The sailout down the river gave us another chance to admire the landscape and activities of everyday life. As we left the river and made the South China Sea, the waves once again picked up and the Captain said it would be choppy during the evening.

It was the Captain's farewell party and Crew Capers tonight before dinner. The crew has been really fantastic in its service and it was fun to see them show their stuff in the program. We had special ordered a dinner from Chef Olea and he was glad to oblige. John had hoped for some of Chef’s homemade tamales, but the ingredients were not aboard, so Chef made him some enchiladas for an appetizer and Kathy had foie gras terrine. We had a Caesar salad, Dover Sole and for dessert, an Eton Mess, in lieu of a Salzburger Knockerl. It was fabulous. We also enjoyed a great Pouilly Fume from France which went down very easily. Once again Eduardo did a superb job of serving us.

Tomorrow is a sea day, our last before Singapore.

The seas were a bit heavier last night but we slept well. We went up to the Panorama for our early morning espresso and cappuccino, juice and pastry. The pastry, in variety, has been out every day for those wanting a small snack before breakfast. We checked the internet, but it was running a bit slow. By the way, the packages have changed on the Wind as well. There is a 7 day package for $144, but we got a 9 day full cruise package for $140, $16 per day. We have not had problems, even with WIFI on our ipad in our cabin. However, we have heard a number of people saying they could not get a signal in their suites. The internet manager is on for an hour in the morning for assistance. We had breakfast with friends once again in La Terrazzza and went back to our cabin to begin packing. Dr. Freedman gave two lectures today, Buddhism part 2 History and Philosophy, and Singapore: The Great Island-City-Nation State. There was a Wiener Kaffee Tea this afternoon with Lou playing the piano in the background.

We had lunch out on the pool deck one more time. It was warm and humid but not raining so we enjoyed the fresh air and a chance to chat with friends we met onboard. The service on the pool deck is great and the setting appealed to more people than normal today. We always sit on the starboard side of the pool deck because smoking is allowed on the port side, and there have been people smoking cigars there all cruise. I know this is a touchy subject, but there has been more noticeable smoking on this cruise than on our past few years’ cruises. Cigars have been more present, not just in the Connoisseur’s Corner humidor area, and smoke has really been evident in the adjacent panorama lounge in the afternoon and evening.

With Trivia and Golf putting, we had accumulated enough points to trade in for prizes which we did before dinner. We had one last round of drinks in the Bar as we listened once again to the talented Lou. We had a chance to say good bye to many friends and crew. We went up to dinner and enjoyed baby chicken and haddock prepared properly and the French Pouilly Fume.

After a good night’s sleep, we awoke and got our coffee in the Panorama watching our sail in to Saingapore. We had breakfast, collected our bags and went to the gangway. Since we only take carry-on bags, we were the first off the ship. The Crystal Symphony had just docked as well and there was a bit of chaos at the bag screening checkpoint in the terminal. But we were out and on our way to the St. Regis for the night. We enjoyed a warm day in Singapore shopping among the crowds of Christmas shoppers and over the top Christmas decorations. Our suite was a quiet oasis and we went to bed early, woke at 3 am, had the included room service breakfast and much needed coffee at 3:30 and were on our way to the airport. Our flights to Tokyo and Dulles were on time and we arrived home 22 hours later.

Our overall impressions of the cruise and the Silver Wind:

PROS:

The itinerary was wonderful and, although we had to miss Nha Trang, we did get a good “first feel” for Vietnam. It is a place to which we would like to return.

The crew was friendly and willing to go the extra step. We were called by name on the second day and onward. The bar staff remembered our drink preferences and had them to us quickly along with hot hors d’ouvres and snacks. Service at the pool and in the dining room were great.

Colin is the ultimate Cruise Director. He took a lot of time speaking personally to passengers and ensuring all was well. His piano performance was great and we would love to see more.

Food for the most part was good. There was an occasional snag, but overall Chef Olea is doing a great job making creative and appealing meals. And he cooked fish properly!

The cabin was clean and well-kept with all our requests honored within hours by our butler, Saiful.

After speaking with Sergio and Frank, the sommelier, we found very drinkable wines on the complimentary list as well as the proprietor’s list. Wish they would add some good Zinfandel. But they really tried to find us some very pleasant choices. Sergio was also very attentive at meals and a charming host.

We did not do ship’s excursions so we cannot comment personally. However, friends we spoke with seemed to enjoy their experiences. We definitely would split the trip to Hanoi up as we did, and stay overnight there, doing the drive back to Halong Bay and the Bay cruise on the second day.

The Silver Wind is a compact cozy ship which rides the waves in a stable manner. We did not have noise in our cabins nor hear neighbors in theirs.

Our internet worked well and relatively swiftly for us. We were glad we had the unlimited package at $16 per day. We used a whole lot of minutes.

CONS:

While the ship is our favorite Silversea ship in terms of size, she is starting to show her age. We would consider her “classic.” There were many passengers who had not experienced Silversea and were commenting on how they found her “tired.” There are signs of wear in public areas and the bathrooms and entertainment systems definitely need updating .

Other than lectures and trivia, there were not many enrichments during the day. And, many activities were done by the spa or fitness areas to generate revenues. In the past, we have had cooking classes, dance lessons, language lessons and other activities on our Silversea cruises. None of these were available. Compared to Crystal and Seabourn, Silversea does not stack up in the enrichment area.

Smoking was very prevalent on this cruise, especially cigar smoking on the decks. This is an issue we care about, although others may not be as sensitive.

The shop on the ship has been redone. There are many high end products and no more local items or smaller items in the affordable range. This is not an improvement in our opinions.

The Foundation charge is still on the bill unless actively removed by the passenger. This took two attempts.

Our one major complaint about our cruise was the service at the Reception Desk. We found through discussions that we shared this feeling with many of the passengers who rated this area very low on their surveys. One of the biggest issues was the honoring of shipboard credit whether through AMEX Platinum/Centurion, Silversea direct bookings or travel agent credit. We personally were due a bottle of Dom Perignon and $300 shipboard credit for our use of AMEX Platinum card. This was listed right on our invoice from Silversea via our Travel Agent. In the past, we have always had a note waiting in our cabin and the bottle of Dom sitting on the desk at our arrival. It was not there on this cruise and when we asked at Reception we were told by Bruna , “We don’t know anything about it and can’t do anything about it.” We took the invoice to them and they said, “We will have to check when we get a chance.” We checked the next day and they said they had no record despite the evidence on our invoice. We contacted our Travel Agent who immediately gave them and Silversea headquarters the tracking number. Despite an email from Silversea headquarters to Reception, copying us, we still had nothing the next day. Bruna said she would have to speak directly to headquarters and since it was Saturday, they would not be available until the following Tuesday our time. This would be half the cruise. We contacted our TA again and got another reply, but no credit or champagne. We finally asked to speak to Helmut the HD. The bottle of Dom and the credit showed up immediately. Surprise! We thought we were an isolated case but in speaking with fellow passengers, found that more than 10 of them had to fight to get their sbc due them. One couple did not get their $500 shipboard credit which was part of a promotion directly by Silversea. They finally received it the final day of the voyage, and only after insisting Helmut come to their cabin.

There also were issues with passports for those with their own visas who were not on ship’s excursions. They at first refused to give the passports to the passengers. And, on the final day people asked their help because the printer for printing boarding passes for flights that day was not working in the computer room. They said everyone would have to wait until the internet manager came on at 9 – the time Silversea wanted all passengers off the ship. They refused to come down to help and would not call anyone else to help. Finally people asked for Helmut and the staff nervously said they would do it. It is not exaggerating to say that we and others found the desk staff rude and at times obstructive to guests needs. They were the only staff on the ship who consistently said no or I don’t know or that can’t be done routinely. As a first line of customer contact, added training is definitely needed.

There are small reductions in amenities that we have noticed throughout the past years. No fruit in the cabin, no flowers in the cabin, sparking wine rather than champagne – (we ask for the Pommery and do get it), a lack of berries and other fresh fruit at breakfast, no replaced toiletries, lesser wines. Each is a small cut, but when taken in total along with other issues, show an economic strain.

Also, we have a question. We missed a port. It is an understandable change and we know it can happen anytime we sail. In the past on other lines, there has been compensation – at least return of port charges – on all of our cruises when this happened. We were told there would not be any return of port charges or compensation. Is this normal for Silversea? Can someone tell us why? Not a major issue, just curious.

Overall, this cruise was a wonderful experience. We had great crew, very pleasant fellow travelers, including a few very well behaved children. The Captain did a great job updating passengers on conditions. The ship handled the seas well. Food was good and wonderful service in the restaurant and bar. We are happy to be home with great memories. Happy Holidays to all.

John and Kathy