amusea

We have read conflicting rules about the Canada testing requirement for embarking a cruise ship at the port.  We will be boarding the Silver Muse at Canada Place in Vancouver on June 23.

Depending on which site you read, the requirement is to either have your Antigen or PCR test a certain number of hours before boarding  or before sailing.  We will be taking the Antigen test which has be taken within 48 hours.  Of course it would be much less confusing if the rule just stated the number of days but unfortunately this is not the case.  Since we are sailing at 6 PM it means that if the test has to be taken 48 hours before boarding it eliminates a full day from the time the test can be administered since the free test we take can only be administered between 11AM and 3PM each day.  

Thank you for your information from Silversea.  Unfortunately, it seems that each country has specific testing rules about boarding ships.  For instance, we are boarding in Vancouver on June 23 and while Canada has no rules about testing to enter the country, they have specific rules for testing when boarding a ship at a Canadian port.  And those seem to be different from what you have shown.  However, none of this makes much sense and I am also concerned about the port official at the embarkation site and what his rules may be.  In any case the regulations from Silversea include the following sentence:  

The test may be administered by a verified third party, either a laboratory or pharmacy OR a self-test at home, verified by a third party. The Certificate must contain the guest's name (as shown on the cruise ticket, as well as date of test, and result).

That seems to infer that the test must list the date but can be administered anytime during the prescribed day - not within 24 or 48 hours of boarding.  It seems we all have to use our best guess and just hope that we will be cleared for embarkation.

Thanks for your response.

The Silversea website seems to always quote hours rather than days for pre-cruise testing.  My travel agent asked Silversea for a clarification and their answer was that the test had to be administered 

72 hours prior to sailing (PCR) and 48 hours prior to sailing (Antigen).  Other sources say it is prior to  embarkation rather than sailing..

But embarkation is listed between 2 PM and 4 PM for our cruise and the sailing is at 6 PM.  Confusing.

That is why most cruise lines have gone to the 3 day/2 day formula.  Basically if I can't get an Antigen test until 4 PM or 6 PM two days before the cruise I will probably have to get it on the morning before my flight or at the port.  Not changing to days rather than hours is not only an inconvenience but it shows a lack

of understanding of the problem.  I wonder how specific the port officers will be about the time stamped on the test result.

Please believe me that the following are serious questions about the dress code since I have not sailed on Silversea since July 1997 - Silver Cloud from Barcelona to Genoa.  

1.  The first question is asked because several years ago on Oceania the Maitre D' pulled me aside and said that my shoes were not appropriate - and this was not a formal night.  They were all black but had thick rubber soles.  My 'go to' black shoes are now very understated black mesh with thin black rubber soles because of their light weight.  Would these shoes cause any problem on any night?

2.  On a Silversea Alaska cruise that I am considering I am not sure that only being able to choose between the chilly outdoor pool grill or my suite on formal night would be much of a choice.  Is La Terrazza not open for those who do not want to dress formally?

3.  On nights that require a dark suit is it proper to wear a blue or tan shirt with a checked design and tie or would I be feel more appropiate  in a white shirt for those informal nights?

After two times that my luggage was lost when I arrived at the destination airport  (thank you Delta and AA) I now only travel with a rollaboard and small backpack that can be carried onto the plane.  This does limit my clothing selection but at least it is one less worry which came home to roost last week.  My 20 day cruise was cancelled after the sixth day because of insufficient staff due to a rapid spread of positive Covid tests among the crew.  It made self-debarkation in Cabo San Lucas (a tender port)  much easier.  Yes, times are changing and some things may never go back to how they were before this pandemic.

I called Windstar and they have verified that the PCR test is no longer needed 72 hours before embarkation.  Unfortunately, the elimination of this requirement is not specified in the April 20 update so most folks will not realize about the change.

The new testing policy on the Windstar site dated April 20 does not mention the need for a PCR test three days before embarkation.  I wonder if that requirement has been eliminated.

My 73 day cruise starting in Istanbul in October offers hardly any protection if I test positive at the pier.  Basically I am denied boarding and I have to quarantine and return home without any compensation or any refund or FCC for this cruise.  Compare this to the current Silversea guarantee which covers everything.

Denial of Embarkation or Reboarding; Quarantine and/or Disembarkation

• If you, your family members, travelling companions or other close contacts are denied embarkation or reboarding, or quarantined or disembarked during the voyage, due to a positive COVID-19 test or being suspected of having COVID-19, you and they are entitled to a refund, or an optional FCC, for the cruise fare paid to Silversea in the event of denial at embarkation, or a pro-rated refund or pro-rated FCC for the unused portion of your cruise fare in all other cases.
   
• If you test positive for COVID-19 or get identified as Close Contact during the cruise, Silversea will:
  • cover the cost of necessary COVID-19 related medical treatment onboard the ship;
  • coordinate and cover the costs of any required land-based quarantine for you and members of your Travelling Party; and
  • coordinate and cover the costs of travel arrangements to get you and members of your Travelling Party back home.
     
• If a guest who purchased flights through Silversea is denied boarding at embarkation or reboarding, or is disembarked during the voyage due to a positive COVID-19 test or being suspected of having COVID-19, Silversea will coordinate the travel arrangements, and cover the airline change fees and any difference in the airfare for the same class of service, necessary to fly the guest back to the city of their original flight departure point. If such a guest did not purchase flights through Silversea, the cruise line will assist with coordinating travel arrangements necessary to get the guest back home but will not be responsible for any associated costs.

We are also on the full Spice Route cruise Istanbul to Auckland.  I was told by Regent Custom Air that we couldn't book our return air from Auckland until the middle of April - 270 days out.  You seem to have been able to book it earlier - true??   We our using FF miles to book our flight to Istanbul since we want to arrive about 3 days early and we have enough miles for two persons in business class.  

Jay in Tucson

A few times in the past we commented on the TK Grill music which is so inappropriate for the venue.  We were told emphatically each time that the music choices come directly from TK.

Perhaps itis a great steak house but we don't eat beef and our entrees the last three times have been disappointing.  The only thing we can always depend on is the Caesar Salad prepared at the table.

Madrick,

Will do. And I'll do a post on the March 13 roll call.

Jay

The chefs in SUSHI are really artists and respond to special requests.  On our Ovation cruise in July 2018 we made friends with a great couple who were very knowledgeable about Japanese cooking and the chefs made some very special dishes for us.

Your itinerary is almost identical to the one we took on January 2020 just before the pandemic. The day at Carambula Bay in St. Kitts is really over the top.  The great beach area is reserved for Seabourn guests, the food is amazing including caviar served on floating trays by the staff IN the sea.

We are elite plus on X but we love Seabourn and will be on the 32 day cruise on December 10 and also the 14 day cruise from Miami on March 13.

Jay in Tucson

Please go to the roll call for the December 10 Seabourn Ovation cruise.  There has been lots of discussion about where to obtain the antigen test.  There are several locations that administer the test for free.  I have opted for Terminal E at the port.  There are two mobile vans there every Wednesday and it is free.  Here is part of my post on the roll call.

Regarding cruise ships, evidently, the proposed bill only allows exemption from stopping in a foreign port to cruise ships with more than a 1,000 passenger capacity.  I can't understand why.  Would someone please comment about this.

Regent has closed all the launderettes on its ships and instead has given all passengers free laundry service during the pandemic.  I doubt that Seabourn would take the same action but I just wanted to know if the automatic laundry machines on Seabourn ships are in operation at this time.

I am sure that someone has already mentioned this but I could not find it in the advantages of Seabourn.  For anyone who is very fond of caviar,  you can order it anytime during your cruise.  Which means I sometimes order it during pre-dinner cocktails, sometimes as an appetizer at dinner or sometimes just as a special treat during the day.  I always request that they skip the 

accoutrements since I prefer to eat it without any distractions.  This photo is from the Sojourn in 2019 when they also served it on floating trays in the surf at the beach party.  I hope this special feature of Seabourn is not discontinued with Covid being the excuse.

Even though we are booked on the Explorer cruise leaving Istanbul on Oct. 31 next year which includes Safaga/Luxor in its itinerary, we felt that the overnight from Safaga with the long ride each way to Luxor was not the best way to experience the wonders of Luxor in depth.  So we have booked a flight to Cairo early next year and after a few days there we will proceed to Luxor for about four days. 

We also wanted to travel at the coolest time of year.  Even though the Explorer will dock in Safaga in mid-November it is still very hot and evidently the tombs can be quite stifling.  The coolest time of the year in the Middle East is January and we have booked our flight at the very beginning of February.  If the Dubai World Expo finally opens we will also stop in Dubai to see what that is all about.  And there is also the possibility that the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo will FINALLY open by the end of the year.  That would be another bonus.  But the main focus is still on Luxor.  Of course everything depends on the control of the Covid virus which caused the opening of the Dubai World Expo to  be delayed from its original opening date in October 2020 to (hopefully) October 2021 through March 2022.

My last cruise on Silversea was the Silver Cloud in 1997.  Back then it was very formal and most men wore tuxedos on formal nights.  Since that was a European itinerary and I was traveling to other locations before and after the cruise I found the extra baggage needed for formal clothes just was not practical.

My two favorite lines are Regent and Seabourn which both seem to have found a happy medium that works for me since I like longer itineraries but not the burden of lots of luggage.

Please note that except for the Millennium sailing of August 6th when it sails from Pier 91, the ship is docked at Pier 66 in Seattle for Alaska sailings..

I just discovered that excursions are not included on the 2021 Alaska Silversea sailings.  That amenity won't begin on Alaska sailings until 2022.  

I was considering the Muse for an Alaska sailing in August but in doing research I discovered that there will be no included excursions until the 2022 Alaska sailings.  That is a disappointment.

I just looked at current availability in all categories for our August 6 Millennium Alaska sailing .  Yes, there are a couple of internet cruise agencies that show the exact availability and it is updated every day.  I would estimate that the ship is less than 20% sold even realizing that guarantees are not included.  Strangely, when the ship was changed from the Summit to the Millennium all cabins were re-assigned and the cabin that we had chosen in A2 had been changed to a different cabin nearby.  At that point only about 10% of A2 cabins had been sold so it was hard to understand why it was not possible to just keep the same reserved cabin numbers.  I do wonder if the higher prices created by the inclusion of drinks, tips, etc. is the reason for some of the lower booking numbers. 

The Roll Calls for longer cruises on smaller ships seem to be more active.  Some passengers cruise frequently and there seem to be quite a few folks on the Roll Call who know others from former cruises that are contributing to that sailing .  On the much larger ships that is rarely the case. 

On the Millenium (former Summit) sailings in Alaska in July and August certain areas of the ship have been blocked so that you can't book the lowest and highest categories.  You will notice that the inside rooms on all sailings are "sold out" and the same is true of all suite categories and A1 Aqua Class except for the few aft staterooms.  I have been told that if the ship is full it would sail each week with about 70% occupancy but as of today all sailings have sold very few cabins. For instance, on my category of A2 Aqua there are still 50 cabins remaining and that is even though A1 can't be booked.  All other categories are equally wide open.  I think many people are reluctant to book until they are sure that all details are worked out and if you do book you must immediately pay the full cost of the cruise.

I have taken over 100 cruises and have sailed on over 20 cruise lines since 1969 and I have enjoyed the various qualities that each one brings.  But as I have reached the senior classification my scope has narrowed considerably.  Of the '"luxury lines" I have eliminated a few.  I admit I am a foodie and Viking does not serve anything close to haute cuisine.  Crystal serves really wonderful food but I found their older ships to be lacking in facilities and accommodations which is a very subjective statement.

Although I am E+ on Celebrity, the itineraries have never been geared to long cruises.  I find that the effort and possible problems involved in traveling to the ship and back home again makes me

prefer longer cruises.  The exception is my annual cruise to Alaska since it is my summer break from Arizona hot weather.  I find that cruisers that have traveled the world may have a different perspective and are often more interesting conversationalists.   The longer itineraries usually include lecturers that can give more pleasure and interest than the usual showroom spectacle.   The atmosphere on these longer itineraries create a low key atmosphere that is at odds with the atmosphere that a large ship creates.  The biggest thing that turns me off large ships is continual music that emanates from all public areas and it has become increasingly loud and less true "background" music.  

It is these intangible qualities rather than just the suite accommodation that determines a luxury cruise and makes a small ship voyage more enjoyable for me.  As others have stated, the smaller ships can sometimes access more interesting ports or they can dock closer to populated areas.  As you can see from the list of future cruises listed below,  I have narrowed my choices to a few luxury and premium lines and to at least one very long cruise each year.  In 2022 that will be a 73 day itinerary on Regent leaving Istanbul in October.

We love Aqua and Blu and it is usually very quiet.   Except for a few inside rooms with two upper berths towards midship on Deck 9 of the M ships,  the balcony rooms on the Aqua decks on the M and S ships accommodate no more than two people. 

I noticed that on our upcoming Alaska sailing in August this summer that all inside rooms and all suites as well as Aqua 1 staterooms have been blocked and cannot be booked so Aqua 2 is the highest category available.  It is estimated that if the ship, which is now the Millennium rather than Summit, sails "full'" it will be at about 70% occupancy but at the moment our sailing is very wide open.  I also think that they will be able to space the tables in Blu farther apart for the Alaska sailings as suggested by the CDC.

The only time I was able to enjoy them on a cruise ship it was completely by surprise.  It was on Viking and we decided to see what was being featured in the buffet before we went to the main dining room.

And there they were.  By the dozens in the seafood area.  They were beautifully cooked and needless to say we did not go to the dining room that evening.