Dolcevita Diva

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Correct. this is definitely a problem that should be addressed. On my last voyage which was on the Nova, both my butler and the reception team were asked to change or cancel reservations but that never happened. It's quite odd that there isn't an easier option to cancel a reservation, particularly on the Nova with its emphasis on technology.

That makes sense and I've also heard that passengers who don't cancel dining reservations in the restaurants that require a reservation amplify the problem by taking reserved but unused tables "out of commission" resulting in more passengers being funneled to the open seating restaurants. I also wonder whether the shift away from "social" tables has exacerbated the problem. For many years, when you entered the dining room, the Maitre 'D would ask if your party wished their own table or to join a social table. We'd often join/form a table of 6 or 8 and always really enjoyed that aspect of Silversea - met so many interesting people that way. That option went away during the pandemic and I was chagrined to find on my last two voyages on Silversea that it really hasn't returned. When I asked to join a social/shared table on the Spirit and the Nova, the Maitres' D each said they don't really do this anymore. Pragmatically, this shift also has the effect of reducing the number of parties that can be served in the dining room at a given time if 2 or 3 couples who might previously have dined at a shared table now dine as parties of two or joining one other couple.

I'm delighted to see that after a long spell with very limited offerings at lower levels (had to pay 75% single supplement for my cruise this August -ouch), the revenue management/promotions team is starting to use or test these as another avenue to drive bookings. Just booked a voyage for next May and am scanning the rest of the list for other itineraries that appeal.

For some reason when I did a normal search for the Lower Solo Supplement offer using the drop-down on the website, only 54 voyages show up. Here's the link that brings up the larger list of 0% solo supplement voyages: Enjoy our Exclusive Solo Travellers Offer | Silversea

Yum! Note to self - do not ever log into the Cooler when it's almost time for dinner and you didn't eat lunch! 🙂 Separate note to @LoisRJax @Daveywavey70 and @jollyjones Silversea released a list today of 78 voyages with 0% single supplement. I just learned of this from a friend (neither Silversea nor my TA notified me) so wanted to let you know in case you had not received this info either.

Thanks. I would be worried that since their website states that the travel insurance is Available exclusively for trips booked through Costco Travel that could potentially be used as a reason to deny a claim.

Curious how you were able to obtain this coverage without booking through Costco? The Application form requires a Costco travel booking number.

Send out your laundry! You can pack less - and it's always nicer to arrive home with your suitcase full of freshly laundered clothes. @mklions - Even if you're not spa people, I always spend some of my onboard credit to purchase the Elemis Aching Muscle products (bath soak and/or leg gel) they carry in the spa. Very helpful for recovery on a port-intensive or in your case an expedition cruise.

Have a marvelous cruise - look forward to hearing your thoughts! I enjoyed this ship but know that some others do not care for it. In light of the norovirus issues on the last voyage, it would seem that in addition to enforcement of use of the hand-washing stations, there will need to be greater care taken with the refillable water bottles issued to each passenger (e.g. not allowing passengers to refill their own at the refill stations). Will be curious to hear if they're taking this into consideration.

Now that you mention it...perhaps they're also seeking to increase on-board revenue by boosting visits to the infirmary, sales of sea bands, etc.? 😁

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It was reported elsewhere by several passengers that Barbara M and her husband were vacationing aboard the March 23rd Silver Cloud 12-day expedition voyage in Africa, so the leadership change may have been decided some time ago but the announcement held until after her return. The tidbit of information that @Lonedaddy shared above about Silversea's new brand President, coupled with a new VP of Transformation who used to be in charge on on-board revenue at RCL certainly indicate that a new leadership team that is highly focused on driving revenue and cutting costs is being assembled. Not unusual following an acquisition; I think we had all just hoped otherwise when their earlier moves post-acquisition were significant investments in new ships plus Barbara's promotion. From the press release: Notably, he was chief operating officer for the Group’s former luxury cruise line, Azamara, delivering the line’s most profitable year while it was part of the Royal Caribbean family of brands

And Silversea's recent approach of changing some included excursions to select excursions provides additional impetus to book your excursions as soon as you put a deposit on a cruise.

Arts Cafe will also be open. But- last year I found boarding (Nova) in Lisbon at the early part of the boarding window to be the most crowded, hectic scenario in more than 20 years of sailing with Silversea. There were 5 buses of passengers from the Silversea hotels. The queues for security were long and people were crowding against each other unnecessarily while in line. I prefer to ask for a late checkout at the hotel and enjoy a late breakfast or leisurely lunch ashore before heading to the ship around 3 pm.