highplanesdrifters

Have some big fun and tell us all about it!

M - I was just reading about The Viking Planet. Looks interesting....I think? Can't wait for your review. Will be back in Oslo in August for 4 days, and will follow your lead.

Love the lives. Where are you going? Ooops nevermind, saw your reply.

Thanks for all the photos, suite details and Wind info. We had the same bathroom and short closet issues on the Cloud. Except for those issues, we really liked the Cloud Silver suite. Although no tub, it had two full bathrooms. Now that was luxury! We are in the Wind Grand suite in Oct. Hope the ceiling is fixed so we don't fall through to the Royal. Maybe they can put in a connecting slide. 🤣

Great device! So convenient. We use something similar, but continually try to refine our cord baggage. This device is probably not a smart charger. Meaning each cable when plugged in is not communicating with the device its plugged into asking how much it can handle and delivering that amount. So it's not so much that there are 4 cables, it's the type of cable. I suspect you're not worried about whether its going to take 30 minutes vs 60 minutes to charge your phone when you're sleeping. 😉

No advantage booking directly. A good TA is worth their weight in gold. @Hlitnerhas it right

From our recent Cloud sailing. Bartenders were happy to create and comply with special requests. Lovie was especially fond of the Dark Chocolate Martini.😁

You are too kind!

My Sad attempts at Food Porn German day at the Pool Grill. Chef Pia is German.😉 Asian salad with spicy peanut sauce Canapés Cesar salad. I told you it was a patheric attempt!

FOOD Chef Pia I thought Chef Pia and her team deserved a separate post for the fantastic job they did. Everyone on board we encountered agreed with this assessment. One rarely noticed that staff was short handed. All were working tirelessly. The trip started out a little bland but then someone flipped a switch. We found our groove in the MDR and mostly ate there. The daily MDR "taste of" offerings were always interesting and well seasoned. The main menu also had regular changes with interesting offerings. We prefer things spicy and ethnic with a little comfort food thrown in. I often went for the vegetarian offerings which were superb. But when I dipped into steak and burger land they too were bang on. Daily soup offerings were another highlight. Lovie would often pop down to the 11a.m. soup station by the pool. We had no trouble swilling back the included wines which were varied and delicious. Who knew that the best pecan pie I have ever eaten would be on a ship in the middle of a Norwegian fjord. It was a special order by one our our dinner mates. Chef and team also bent over backwards with special orders and tweaks to meals. Sorry about the lack of food porn photos, perhaps next time. This may have been the best cruise food we have ever had.

IMHO currently it is not a difference between Seabourn and Silversea but difference between specific ships and itineraries. It is a luck of the draw depending on which ship has been supplied with enough staff, decent wine and food provisions. When will things equalize and return to what we used to know and love? Who knows. In the meantime, we're burning daylight. I'm going, warts and all.

@John117thank you for taking the time to report in detail. We have just returned from a Silversea Cloud trip. The ship, food, and staff were fantastic but the corporate overlords treated us so poorly that Silversea are on the never again list until all our FCCs are used up. Many onboard expressed the same sentiment with torches and pitchforks. With a few Seabourn trips coming up, I wonder if they too will be on the never again list. Then it will be off to Ponant or perhaps trying some of the other new luxury lines, eventually crawling back to Seabourn and Silverseas 🤣.

Stunning! Great pics. Weren't those waffles great!

Thanks M, wishing you calm seas (you deserve it) and plenty of sunshine for the rest of your voyage.

Tromso, Norway Gateway to the Arctic. Should you find yourself here make sure to check out The Polar Museum. Silversea provided us with a bus transfer to the airport and mini tour. The highlight was the northern most Botanical Gardens. Driving around the hospital, not so much. Flight was uneventful and we are now at the Raddison Blu Oslo Airport. Silversea on the ground here have been fantastic. Someone to help every step of the way. Check in a breeze. Hard to belive this color is real. Pop Up Passport control. Thanks for the great ride SS Cloud.

Thanks for taking us with you!

Sundsvollsundet, Norway Kittiwakes for days. Sound On! 20220613_150633.mp4 20220613_144500.mp4

Harstad, Norway One of the larger cities in Northern Norway. Grey with low clouds. We did a quick tour of a museum and historical church. An OK bus tour. The walls were 5 feet thick. We were told this is a spectacular view.🤣

Ahhh... Suffering through in the Observation bar, 😉 one of my favorite places! Glad you are enjoying.

Egads M meant to leave you Sun in Alesund not an avalanche! Wish our paths were closer!

The Lofoten Wall This massive wall rises steeply from the waters of Vestfjorden. It is the spine of Lofoten. 20220611_223029.mp4

Narvik, Norway Well.......the town is a tad tired. We did our best to enjoy. We booked too late to get a spot on the famous Ofto train to the Swedish border Famous for its iron ore, and the reason for the towns existence Strategic during WWll. Those that went loved it.

It truly is special. Sounds like you hit it with perfect timing. Last time on Seabourn we did it in zodiacs. They popped Champagne as we reached the end and the Quest joined us. Magical.

Trollfjorden The famous mini fjord. The cruise ship sails through so close you can almost touch the steep granite cliffs. We overslept and woke up halfway in.🤣 It was a bit cloudy and not all of her beauty was revealed, but sill amazing. Fortunately we had done a Zodiac cruise through on a precious visit so we didn't feel too bad . 20220612_080710.mp4

Reine to Leknes, Lofoton Islands, Norway Lofoton steals my heart every time.