highplanesdrifters

Excellent and interesting recap. Thanks for taking the time. They not going to get this: If they opt for this:

I have to wear a bib while reading.😂

Ouch is right. That's going to leave a mark.

M - You're killing me with all the scrumptious food posts.😁

You dont want a night tour of Guyaquil. On our visit last November they canceled all tours and highly discouraged anyone from leaving the ship. You might google what's going on.

What a fun exercise. Thanks. But I agree with JPH. I think at a minimum you need to double the room charge. In the U.S if you're in a city, you might get a Holiday Inn if you're lucky. Ritz, MO, FS, start at $800ish for a closet.

I don't think I'll ever consider myself retired until I'm six feer under. Or cremated, or eaten by Sharks, or until somebody takes my toys away.🤣

Perfecto!

Turns out we are also going to Simi. Any tips?

Every day we are not on a ship is a land based vacation.🤣

Yes, we've all been there. About day 15 everything is starting to look a little samey samey, especially on the smaller ships. Many request special meals in advance from the chef. Indian is our go to. We will sometimes buy local condiments, especially spicy ones before we board. The restaurant kindly brings them out at dinner. Our last trip on the Explorer challenged our paletes after Chef Pia left. I started making my own soup at the lunch buffet. I asked for a larger bowl of soup part way filled. It was usually some brothy or cream based thing, added veges and protein from the buffet. Tada! Let's hear yours, I need some new ideas!

Yes. It was as mediocre as one would expect it to be.

I think this may be true for the mass market sales. For the higher maintenance SS sales I believe they still prefer that customers go through TA's. They simply do not have enough staff to handle the calls. Certainly not enough staff that has enough knowledge to answer questions accurately.

Thanks for sharing, really appreciate.

When you least expect it. I'm looking for a black/grey swan event in October. So guaranteed it won't happen then. 😁

So in town the pollution generated by the ship will be replaced by pollution from the busses to take people to the town. But the pollution from the ship will still be generated, just in a different town. So now, twice the pollution. Brilliant!

Especially now. Would love to know if you find any favorites on Encore.

CC should not be a problem. BUT, getting a taxi might be. Book in advance. We were told by our driver last year (who happened to be the owner of the company) that there is a 30% increase in cruise ship numbers this year, and not enough taxis and drivers to handle the biz. Last year, after an hour plus wait and no taxi in sight our friends hauled their luggage from ship to hotel. We had a 20 minute wait for a taxi out to the Blue Lagoon from our Reykjavik hotel. Perhaps it's better this year.

Now that that Wall Street is no longer collectively looking for a recession, you know it's coming.

As mentioned in another thread - On a similar trip, Seabourn top suites are less than half of Silversea. Something's gotta give.

SS pricing for the top suites has gone insane. Recently priced up 14 day Japan itineraries on similar ships and suites. SS more than double Seabourn.

🤣🤣🤣 We have packed formal wear. Bit given the choice between decent coffee and formal wear, coffee wins. Seriously though, it's only 12x8x4. Just for domestic travel, mostly road trips where the hotel coffee makers are awful, or the 5* places that don't have coffee makers. We all know what room service coffee is like. I am not a morning person.

We often travel with one of these when concerned about coffee availability. 😁

CC Intelligentsia you are the cream of the crop. I place high value on your input. Thank you! We are on a 21 day port intensive Venice, Turkey, Greece trip in November. We are not the type that needs to see everything and enjoy a quiet day on the ship. It is our first traditional ocean cruise in ages having taken only expeditions of late. I forgot how much research is needed and how many decisions need to be made in advance to optimize the experience while still being able to relax and enjoy. We are traveling with friends and I grabbed private guides for numerous ports early on. It's time to fillin the blanks, or perhaps just leave them blank to take that evening stroll in Santorini. I just checked and we are there till 11pm.

Thanks bitbob. I just checked and it appears it is Sami. Perhaps there is an alternate spelling I am unaware of. Sami is a town and a municipality on the island of Cephalonia, Ionian Islands, Greece. Since the 2019 local government reform it is one of the three municipalities on the island. It is located on the central east coast of the island