vandrefalk

Ok, guys. Layout of this site is very different from what I’m used to, so not sure how this will post. With only 34 on board, it is a different experience from what we are used to. Guess the westbound crossings attract more guests, but I’m liking this smaller group. HH and Blondie continue to hokd the record, but we came in third! Won’t last long as we won’t be back on til fall 2020 — just the way things are. Food has been great — new chef is fabulous— lectures are really good — one is an earth, sea, sky guy and the other worked in the royal household for many years. Trivia has picked up — my team lost today but we are still 2-1. Afternoon and evening movies — dessert extravaganza and dance music tonight. Weather has been pretty good until today — whitecaps in am, swells in pm and rain (some heavy) off and on. Yes, Trapper, we made beautiful music — Bobby’s girl are holding down the fort! During tonight’s dance music, there was a fabulous male voice — asked why he hadn’t been at piano bar. Answer — on vacation— sung with English National Opera for 30 years — gulp! Hope this brings you up to date! Vandrefalk

Well, we are on our way — 34 on board! Some swells the first evening and yesterday but much better today. Capt Svein, chef Jorg, Hotman Jaime, MD Silvio, CD Matt, activities Anna. Also, Nic, Jerry, Severin, Fred (piano), Emmanuel, and others ! All good! Bobby’s girl and I are keeping the piano bar open. Not too much activity in terms of trivia and the like. lecturers are quite good. Hope this posts ok! Vandrefalk

Right on, Trapper!  You must have been at the hilton — SD was docked just across the way — our transport did show and the hotel wouldn’t come get us.  I was not about to schlep bags up and down bridges (there are no ramps) so we paid something like 40 € to go 40 yards across the canal.  Also did the vaparetto around town — crowded but a great tour.  We took the water taxi at 4 am to the Airport — it was outrageously expensive but a beautiful ride.  There is a great jewelry store (well, actually lots of them) on St Marks Sq — this one does jewelry out of tiny glass beads — necklaces with multi strands that you can twist.  Wish I could remember the name!

also remember when SD left — we were standing on the wharf and Capt Bjarne was on the outside bridge waving a norwegian flag at us — great memories!

Heading to Barbados Sunday for the crossing!

Vandrefalk

Thanks for the updates, CTBJR and Trapper!  We will be on the SD2 crossing, so hope some of the wonderful crew you mentioned will be on board.  Do not know the new captain.  We now have 200  nights on board and are adding another 15 with this trip (truncated crossing and follow-on cruise), but will never catch up to you-know-who!  will look forward to meeting you, Back1817!  You'll usually find me at the piano bar with Bobby's Girl 🙂

Will be difficult to be on board without Nicola -- we sailed with him last March -- last time we were on board 😞

Hope they get the elevator fixed (and hope that's not why we have to go into drydock!).  I usually take the stairs, but some 10 years ago, I broke my leg the day before embarking.  Was in a non-weight bearing cast, so would have been in a world of hurt without the elevator.  As it was, I got quite good at going down (and up) the gangway on my posterior!  Not something I want to do again.......

They better not run out of Baileys!!

Vandrefalk

Agree with ctbjr -- that's been the case in San Juan for many years.  In fact, I think only our first couple of cruises ending there allowed us to hang around.  STT varies -- have had to get off as soon as we were cleared and been allowed to stay a bit other times.  

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hi, Trapper!  The Colonel and I are hanging in there!  Way too busy, but looking forward to the crossing -- wish you guys were going to be there!

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I thought about Mystic but don’t think that’s it.  Terje is one of their new captains and don’t think James has good ties to Oslo.  So something else — still think it’s got to be a lease of some sort or buying an existing ship — possibilities are intriguing!

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Finally got more details.  Miami is saying it is a dry dock issue (which I sincerely hope isn't major).  Get into Lisbon on 2 May and we will stay in Lisbon for the 4 nights.  With the reduction in fare on both cruises, that won't be an extra cost to us.  The follow on now misses the Algarve, Seville and Tangiers.  But Gibraltar (which was on the original itinerary but later dropped off apparently) is back on and they've added Cadiz.  We can live with that and we don't have to deal with the air return.  Disappointed and not happy about the late notice, but...……. and jumping to I wouldn't work with the dates.  So guess we've done the best we can.

See you soon, Beignet Boy!

Vandrefalk

Which is?

Very interesting.  I just got an email from my TA saying the same thing, except that it is a drydock issue!  How can the ship go into drydock for 2 days?  Plus, we are on the follow-on voyage to Malaga, which now departs 6 May and is only 5 days.  They are dropping Funchal from the crossing, but I don't know what they are cutting from the follow on.  AND we are flying out of Madrid (on miles) on the 14th (planning to stay in Madrid for a couple of days).  The website has a 10 day crossing, but still shows follow-ons (they've added 3 cruises together to make a 25 day from BGI to Barcelona plus one from LIS to Barcelona (the 2 cruises after the crossing combined)).  HUH?

Trying to find out if we could do a hotel in Lisbon for the 2 days and get back on board but don't know.  What a goat rope.....

Like you, we really love SD (well, the crew anyway) so will wait for more info before making final decisions......

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Oh, Trapper, thank you!  Would love to sail with all of you again!

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Piaa

if you look at the cruise calendar, the first “extended break” for II is after the spring crossing in 2020 to Lisbon.  Suspect that will be the next drydock.

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Thanks, French Guy!  Agree with Beignet Boy -- there were lots and lots of problems on SD II coming out of drydock in Lisbon for the fall 2017 crossing.  Doesn't appear that Lisbon is the best place to go.

And, of course, many of us remember the lost engine on SD I a few years back......

Vandrefalk 

Don't count too much on the mid-Atlantic dip!  They've only done it a couple of times -- usually too much swell.

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Sadly, they don't do the blog anymore, so we have to depend on those on board to post here 😞  We know several on board and wish they would pipe up!

Hope SDI comes out of drydock better than II did last fall!!

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Ctbjr

We will be on II, so will be sorry to miss finally meeting you!

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We did fine, Trapper. We did go to Gainesville as the forecast was all over the place for several days! Annoying, but better safe than sorry!

Miss you guys and would love to sail with you again!

Vandrefalk

Barbados is really quite lovely! We spent our honeymoon there many years ago. There are some lovely gardens, Harrisons Cave, etc. The Atlantic side is very different than the Caribbean side with rough coastline and crashing waves. If you’ve not been before, check out Trip Advisor for things to do. Oistins fish fry on a Friday night is a hoot and St Lawrence Gap has entertainment (though we haven’t done that). Since we’ve seen most of it, we now tend to go in the day before and stay at the Hilton — remember meeting Zimmy there — immediately recognizable because we knew she had a broken wrist:) Brown Sugar was good.

We’ll be able to do Sav-Mia-Bgi and get in around 2:30 in the afternoon.

We are looking forward to sailing with you again and singing with Bobby’s Girl at the piano bar!

Enjoy the westbound crossing!

Vandrefalk

Trapper, so sorry you had so much trouble in Cinque Terre, but glad you got to see some of it! We had problems with weather/high water when we were there, but Jeff Fithian — in something like 12 hours — managed to change the arrangements, get us bused to the train station, give us all train tickets and off we went! All went well and kudos to Jeff for pulling it off. That’s the mark of a good CD.

Ragnar, want you to know we made it to Bovington (as well as the Museum of Army Flying in Wallop) last month. Quite an adventure getting there! Think D H took pictures of every tank there :D

Also just finished 2 weeks on Silver Wind cruising the British Isles. Great itinerary and nice ship. Service very good and some crew would work well on SD —. Food good, but not quite up to SD. All in all, would sail again but there’s no place like home (SD).

Vandrefalk

Norway on SD was fabulous! We had lovely warm blankets and jugs of gluwein when we returned to the ship. Since we were on the inaugural voyage, we also had lots of perks -- like lunch and a gift at the glassworks and a big bash at a small village. I wish SD would go back again!

And agree on the wines -- my only gripe is that they don't seem to be carrying pinot noir (my favorite) anymore (they used to). But the crew does their best to find a reasonable facsimile thereof!

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Happy to report that our wire transfer was initiated today — yes, it may take a couple of days and there was a $50 transfer fee. No mention of security issues.

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On our crossing last fall, there were a few singles. One guy was “adopted” by a bunch of lady needlepointers — they taught him! You won’t have a problem — lots of nice people on board!

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We plan to contribute as well. I hope there will be enough to start a scholarship fund or something for Roko’s future. I also hope all the tributes here, on FB, and ForeverMissed can be saved somehow so that Roko knows how much his father was loved and respected. It breaks my heart that he will never know him, but I am sure his mother will keep his memory alive.

Those of us who sail frequently develop such a wonderful relationship with crew — this as sorrowful as losing a member of our own family.

Vandrefalk

Profoundly sad. He had just gotten his certificate from Cornell and been promoted to HM — not to mention his land family. Heart goes out to all the SD family (past and present) as well. We had just seen him in March. Thanks for letting us know, Hum.

Jim,

Have truly enjoyed your postings! Glad you liked Petra -- it's fascinating. and hope you enjoy Malta. SD docked right below the town -- truly a bucket item event. Thoroughly enjoyed Valetta -- do go to the cathedral (it was under renovation when we were there) -- it is over the top!

I guess not much longer til you disembark? Will you really see the HHs? We are doing Silversea around British Isles in August and will be in London a couple of days, but don't think we will see the HHs :-(

Anyway, thanks for taking us along!

Vandrefalk