Grand Duchess

Haven't come across those either, did some research now. Named after a Kentucky Derby winning racehorse, no less. The Swiss equivalent are probably Kägi fret. Not nearly as glamourous history behind it as Tim Tams. I like the really dark Kägi fret, and they need to come straight out of the fridge for extra crunch. Now I will have to order some Tim Tams to compare😊

Thanks for reminding me, need to play some Stevie Nicks right now😊

Now I'm salivating, can literally smell this. Looks delicious not ugly

Sailed with her on the Muse around Japan last year, she seemed like a sensible and very present HD then... I suspect there is a lot of pressure from corporate now. Still, totally unacceptable. 5 more cruises with them booked, one of them a WC. Looking at Ponant and Explora now.

Reminds me of the evening many years back when my husband grabbed a bottle from our winecellar to go with our casual Friday evening tapa style dinner, you know, just bread, cheese, salami etc. Red wine went down very well. Then I saw the label... He managed to lay his hands on the bottle of Cheval Blanc we had been presented with as a treat. Had planned to keep that for a special occasion to go with a special meal. Oh well... taught us that life is too short to drink mediocre wine🤣

Thank you very much for all the excellent pictures of Singapore, I'm officially envyous now. One if my favourite places in the world, have been there last year and the year before, after a 25 year gap. Amazing place, wonderful gardens, museums and food to die for. If you have time, try to book tea time in Raffles, they do it with style.

"We hope this letter finds you well. Today, we would like to provide you with an update and details regarding your accommodations upon the ship's arrival to Mahe on 26% February. Please be aware that after evaluating inventory in the area and to ensure convenience and ultra-luxury comfort in the lead-up to your departure from Mahe, Silversea has arranged for the ship to remain in port in Mahe until 29th February. As such, all guests awaiting flights over those days can extend their stay in their suite while enjoying stunning Mahe. You may also visit the shore excursion desk on board for tour opportunities to immerse in the discovery of this island paradise. All guests will have airport transfers provided in alignment with their specific flight arrangements. You can visit the Guest Relations Desk on board if you have any additional questions. We appreciate your understanding. It has indeed been an honour to host you for this unforgettable adventure, and on behalf of my entire team, we look forward to additional time together. Sincerely," Back from the GV that never was since yesterday night, had to wait two additional nights until I could fly out. It was pretty clear that the originally promised hotel accomodation would not happen at such short notice since it is the high season in the Seychelles. It would have been a refreshing change if management could have been upfront about this, but it seems a recurring pattern now that head office treats their dear esteemed guests like fools. The "ultra-luxury comfort" consisted in very reduced service (only Atlantide open for dinner with same old same old menu) and we were not docked but anchored, tender to shore took 30 minutes. Not the usual lovely island scent of vanilla and spices either, instead we got heavy whiffs of garbage bin mixed with dead fish, since we were parked right next to a fish factory. No entertainment apart from the band in the evening in Panorama. Excursions were so so, nothing to get excited about. I was just glad that I had been to the Seychelles before and have happy memories. The remaining crew went above and beyond, I do not blame them in the least. However, that corporate has still not uttered a single beep ever since it was decided to abort the GV, this I find very disappointing and highly unprofessional.

The man is a legend😍

Agree, so they must have made decisions by now, but still no information coming through. I'm on the GV right now, so far fabulous, still I would highly appreciate if they could let us know future plan so we could rearrange things.

Me too. I really would prefer it if they would give us enough time to make alternative arrangements when disembarking there. But like you said, they will probably let us guessing until the last minute.

Mine gave up on me...

Wishing you a happy New Year filled with exploration of our wonderful planet, cherished old and new friendships and lots of happiness.

Did you try out the staircase in Chambord? Fascinating, especially for people like me with hazy concept of 3 dimensions. My husband had a lot of fun explaining how it works, been there twice and this was his favourite Loire castle.

I always thought it was 42😊

Merry Christmas Mysty and Myster! I will copy some of your ideas in my upcoming Grand Voyage on the Spirit. Got the shoehanger and the jewelry hanger already, also the slim lightweight hangers. Magnets already bought. Now need a map of Africa/Arabia. If ever we make it through the red sea. Thanks again for all your fabulous tips!