CruzinFeraBruzin

4 hours ago, commodoredave said:

This is the 4th excursion for us that has been cancelled on this cruise in the last 3 months.

This happened to us last year on a Norwegian fjords Venetian Society Reunion voyage on the Dawn for late September 2023.  It seemed like every few days we were getting another email informing us that the more interesting, mostly full day excursions we signed up for were being cancelled, and this was well before the final payment was due.  We gave up, cancelled the voyage and took our FCC.  On our upcoming 30 day voyage aboard the Cloud next month in South Africa, there were next to no cancelled excursions and all the ones we signed up for are set to go.  

2 minutes ago, TakingFlight said:

we can’t hear any noise from the lounge in our cabin. 

Thank you for taking the time to respond back to my concern regarding potential noise.  We prefer deck 6 midship but after our time in suite 639 aboard the Dawn, we always look to see where the suite is located in relation to the entertainment area in Dolce Vita before booking on deck 6.  

13 hours ago, TakingFlight said:

I am currently in 6052 with a connecting door immediately next to the cabin door. No noise at all from next door

TakingFlight, your suite 6052 is directly above the stage area with the piano in the Dolce Vita lounge on deck 5.  Have you experienced any noise coming from this area?  We were on the Dawn last year and were on deck 6 directly above the stage area where there were audio speakers in the ceiling.  All of the suites on deck 6 above this area complained about the noise and vibration from the speakers, especially during afternoon trivia and in the evening during special events.  We enjoy being on deck 6, but wonder if there are certain areas that are affected by the music or other events in the Dolce Vita lounge on the Nova.

I noticed Seabourn is taking their time releasing the late 2025 and early 2026 sailings for Australia & New Zealand.  While Silversea and Regent have had theirs out for a few months, we are still waiting on what Seabourn has to offer.   

Does anyone on this forum know when Seabourn will be releasing the cruises for late 2025 early 2026 for Australia and New Zealand?  We sail with Silversea and their sailings for this timeframe have been out for some time now.  I noticed Seabourn's website finally has a teaser for the new sailings, but the "Find Your Voyage" button isn't working for me.

20 minutes ago, RetiredandTravel said:

my initial thought was to do a land based trip to both Australia and New Zealand.  Its just too many stops and geographical distance for our taste.

We too are considering Australia and New Zealand and are looking at doing the 2025 Grand Australia, then going back to to the New Zealand circumnavigation in Jan 2026, both aboard the Nova.  Most of the luxury land based trips we reviewed didn't include Tasmania and spend quite a bit of time flying from point A to point B.  We do have a concern about rough seas around New Zealand, not from a seasickness standpoint, but from a missed port standpoint.  It would be a shame to travel all that way only to see New Zealand's shoreline.  I think with the cancelled cruises in and around the middle east, it will put more of a demand on cruising in Asia and Oceania and these voyages are likely to sell out faster now.

1 hour ago, Gourmet Gal said:

How long ago did this happen to you?

Communication on the affected excursion was sent to us in Jan 2023 for an excursion in March 2024 

41 minutes ago, Gourmet Gal said:

perhaps this issue is happening so often that SS has a system in place to honor the no-cost bookings.

Sadly this wasn't the case for us.  I posted our experience so that others will be aware not to be surprised when they get the dreaded email from Shore Concierge...

Booking early does not guarantee that your included excursions will remain included, nor will you not get charged if they decide to change the pricing.  Silversea posts excursion offerings well in advance of negotiating contracts with the tour operators and I am no longer surprised when tours are cancelled, modified or the pricing is changed with an unfavorable outcome on my part. I had posted about this topic some time ago on another thread regarding an unfortunate experience we had.  We were booked on the Grand Africa/Arabia and one of the "included" excursions we reserved was a dinner event in Dubai.  Below is the an email communication from Shore Concierge we received on the "included excursion" several months after reserving it:

Dear Silversea Guest,

Thank you for your interest in the excursion DXB-E Al Sahara Dinner Experience, operating in Dubai, UAE on March 13th, 2024.

We regret to inform you that, due to operational reasons, this shore excursion is not included anymore but is sold as selected, at the price of $209 per person. The booking has already been modified to reflect this change.

In case you would like to cancel this booking we invite you to log-in into your MySilversea account and choose another shore excursion among our tour program.

Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to welcoming you onboard Silversea Cruises!

We received this communication in January 2023, 14 months before the actual date of the excursion. There was no offer to grandfather those such as ourselves who had signed up for the excursion when it was classified as included.  I voiced my concern to our then Silversea Cruise Consultant who's response was "we reserve the right to change or cancel for any reason"...

We subsequently cancelled this Grand Voyage which is now sailing with guests who are sadly wondering whether they will even see Dubai. 

We took the Lisbon to Southampton sailing aboard the Dawn in May 2023 and did not experience any unusual rough seas anywhere along the route.  We did miss the port at La Coruna due to political unrest (transportation protests).  This port was not substituted and we had an extra day at sea.  As david63 indicated, there is no way to predict what the conditions will be on any given day.

17 hours ago, MrsWaldo said:

I’m also wondering if the more interesting excursions have been reserved for Grand Voyage cruisers…..

We were initially booked on the 2024 Grand Africa/Arabia, then cancelled when the Grand Indian Ocean voyage came out aboard the Cloud.  We then scaled back to 30 days and will now sail with Wes for 30 days Port Elizabeth-Mahe and are waitlisted for several excursions which we hope will come available once onboard. Regarding the availability of excursions on the Spirit, while we were booked for the Grand Voyage, we experienced a few cancellations of very interesting excursions as far back as March 2023.  Most were on the Mahe-Dubai segment, and were given the generic "due to operational reasons" excuse for the cancellations.  One included excursion, a dinner experience in Dubai, was cancelled and then subsequently added again as a selected excursion.  We were not given special treatment for being Grand Voyage guests and were expected to pay for the selected excursion if we wished to sign up for it again.  On our previous Grand Voyage in 2022, all the excursions we attended were a mix of 1 or 2 segment guests with full Grand Voyage guests.  There were a handful of special events exclusive to Grand Voyage guests but they were not considered excursions.

3 hours ago, chrism23 said:

Fellow Travelers.   

 

I do not know if this topic has been previously addressed  I looked through the topic heading and didn't see one that would be relevant. So here goes.  Yesterday I got an email from my cruise consultant that said he-meaning all cruise consultants, will no longer be handling air reservations.  They have established a direct line into what must be an expanded air department, and you book your air directly through them.  Payment matters are still to be handled by your cruise consultant.  

We used a Silversea Consultant up until this past September, when we decided to switch to a TA who was recommended to us.  Just before we switched, our Consultant told us the air department was in the process of switching over to the RCL platform and he had just completed training to be able to use this new platform which he called the ACE system..  He indicated that once it was scheduled to go live (sometime in 2024) he would no longer have to go thru the air department to book flights for his guests but could do it himself.  It was still in the test phase, so there were still issues and anything outside the box such as upgrading to first class on the domestic portion of an international business class ticket was something he couldn't handle himself.  Now, three months later, the process has shifted again, taking Consultants out of booking flights entirely.  It will be interesting to see feedback from others who use this new process to hear if they have the same successful outcome by working with the air team directly.  

1 hour ago, chrism23 said:

Are there any plans for any sort of redo between now and August.

The Whisper is currently scheduled for a complete refurbishment in April 2024.  Its my understanding it will closely mirror the updates done to the Shadow when it went thru its refurbishment.  There will be no new restaurants but there will be a more dedicated area for the Arts Cafe.   There are no sailings from April 7 - May 9, so it will be completed then. 

8 hours ago, JSR said:

Not sure if this helps. We are on a SA GV , the overland options trickled in with most coming in October/November for a January 4 sailing. 

Thanks JSR, this is helpful as it appears the timing can vary.  Did you also receive an email communication from Silversea announcing the overland options or did you just happen to see them posted on my.silversea?  I assume the overland programs will also be listed somewhere on my.silversea with a description of the program and specific instructions to contact your travel professional in the same way their pre and post land programs are listed. 

23 minutes ago, mysty said:

 

Just did a check of the emails regarding this adventure.   First email regarding the overlands was August 17, 2023 and the second email on the topic came on October 30, 2023.  I'm not sure exactly when they showed up on mysilversea though.  I'll see if I can dig up more info tomorrow.  😁

Thanks mysty, I appreciate you checking this out so quickly.  Your trip is right around the corner, while we still have over a year.  We fully expect many changes will occur to both the itinerary and the offered excursions between now and then, but its still fun to plan ahead, isn't it?

On 10/31/2023 at 6:35 AM, mysty said:

So those interested, here are the brief descriptions of the 12 overland options for the World Cruise.

 

THE ULTIMATE NEW ZEALAND BUCKET LIST
Departing from Auckland, New Zealand | 11 February | 4 Nights
The pearl of the southwestern Pacific Ocean, New Zealand is geographically comprised of two main landmasses; the North and South islands, and approximately 600 smaller islands. The country’s varied topography and sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions. During this scenic journey to Rotorua, Queenstown and Milford Sound discover why the island’s lush, tropical beauty, verdant foliage, emerald green valleys, volcanoes, crater lakes, and stunning coastline are truly a joy to behold.

 

BALI: ‘ISLAND OF THE GODS’ DISCOVERY
Departing from Benoa (Bali), Indonesia | 16 March | 1 Night
With its varied landscape of verdant hills and mountains, exquisite beaches, lush rice terraces,
and stunning volcanic hillsides, it comes as little wonder why Bali is world-renowned as the ‘Island of the Gods’. The idyllic tropical beauty of Bali is the ideal setting in which to explore its vibrant, deeply spiritual, and unique cultural heritage during this bespoke, one-night overland excursion. Visit a Batik workshop to observe the traditional process by which this colourful fabric is made and browse the items available for sale. Enter the historic Kerta Gosa (Old Court of Justice), established several hundred years ago. Tour the Besakih Temple, Bali’s ‘Mother Temple’ and the biggest and holiest of its temples, along with Pura Gunung Kawi Sebatu, a beautiful, 15th-century Balinese Hindu temple. Rounding out your overnight journey is the spectacular panoramic splendour of the Tegalalang Rice Terraces, and Balinese cuisine accompanied by breath-taking views overlooking the Lake and Mount Batur.

 

BEST OF BORNEO
Departing from Singapore | 23 March | 4 Nights
Located in Southeast Asia’s Malay Archipelago, the island of Borneo is renowned for its idyllic
beaches, biodiverse rainforest, and an abundance of rare and endemic flora and fauna. Experience the exquisite beauty, flavours, and culture of Borneo during this immersive, four-night island getaway. After travelling from Singapore to Sandakan via Kuala Lumpur, explore the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation and Sun Bear Conservation centers, lush, verdant rainforest, and incredibly diverse wildlife and bird species during scenic and relaxing sunrise, day, and evening cruises along the Kinabatangan River. Continuing to Kota Kinabalu, discover the heart of city during visits to the revered City Mosque, Puh Toh Tze Temple, and a bustling handicrafts market. Elegant accommodations, breath-taking panoramic vistas, important historical venues, and sumptuous island cuisine at popular local venues round out your visit to Borneo in grand style. Your Mid-Voyage Land Adventure concludes at the port of Kota Kinabalu.

 

THE DRAGON KINGDOM OF BHUTAN
Departing from Singapore | 23 March | 6 Nights
Discover spectacular Bhutan, a world as beautiful and pristine as it is mysterious, during this
captivating, six-night overland excursion to the ‘Dragon Kingdom’. During your journey to this
storybook Buddhist kingdom on the eastern edge of the Himalayas, explore its most revered and iconic landmarks. Whilst in Thimphu, visit the Semtokha Dzong, Buddha Dordenma Statue, and Takin Preserve, tour the Folk Heritage and Textile museums, take an easy hike to Wangditse, produce your own stamp at the Bhutan Postal Museum, observe the ancient papermaking process at the Paper Factory, and visit the National Memorial Chorten. During your visit to Paro, experience highlights that include Dumtseg & Kyichung Lhakhang, National Museum of Paro, Paro Dzong Fortress, an exhilarating hike up to the Taktshang Goempa (Tiger’s Nest) with a private barbecue lunch at its base, the Old Town, a cultural dance performance, and wearing traditional Bhutanese costumes.

 

ANGKOR WAT AND HOI AN!
Departing from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | 29 March | 3 Nights
Cambodia and Vietnam are home to a vast array of age-old cultures and traditions, and offer a unique opportunity to explore the breath-taking vestiges of Angkor Wat and other ancient civilizations during this immersive, three-night overland excursion. At Siem Reap, visit the floating villages of Kompong Phluk at Tonle Sap Lake, and enjoy dinner with a traditional Apsara dance show. Next, explore the Angkor Wat Temple complex, Angkor National Museum, Angkor Thom complex, Terrace of Elephants, Leper King, Bayon, giant stone faces at the Bayon Temple, and Ta Prohm Temple. At Da Nang, marvel at the open-air Cham Museum, then take a guided stroll through the colourful streets of ancient Hoi An, an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the Hoi An Museum, a traditional merchant’s house, Phuoc Kien Temple, Japanese Covered Bridge, dragon-shaped Marble Mountain, and a marble workshop. Your ‘Angkor Adventure’ concludes with a scenic drive to your ship at the port of Chan May or Da Nang.

 

MACAU, WHERE EAST MEETS WEST
Departing from Hong Kong, China | 3 April | 1 Night
Originally leased to Portugal as a trading post by the Ming Dynasty in 1557, Macau was administered by the Portuguese under Chinese sovereignty until 1999, when it was transferred back to China. Due to its Portuguese and Chinese architectural influences, the city’s historic center is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, Macau is also a major resort city and a beacon for gambling tourism; its gambling industry is seven times that of Las Vegas’. This immersive, one-night overland adventure explores the vibrant blend of Portuguese and Chinese cultures, architecture, and daily life in bustling Macau, the ‘Las Vegas of the East’. Visit the Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral, the most renowned landmark and symbol of Macau. Senado Square, Macau’s urban center, is home to Neoclassical buildings and stalls offering local specialties. Tour the historic A-Ma Temple, Taipa Village, one of the best-preserved areas in the city with a rich history and the Baroque Chapel of St Francis Xavier built in 1928. The food stalls and local specialties of Rua Do Cunha, a special tasting menu and a typical Macanese lunch highlight the unique mix of Portuguese and Chinese flavours. A dim sum lunch at the Michelin-starred The 8 Restaurant in the Lisboa Hotel rounds-out your visit in grand style.

 

XIAN: FAMOUS TERRACOTTA WORRIORS, BEIJING AND THE GREAT WALL
Departing from Shanghai, China | 9 April | 3 Nights
Experience the highlights of fascinating Beijing, the legendary Great Wall, and the famous Terracotta Warriors of Xian during this four-days Mid-Voyage Land Adventure. Xian, capital of Shaanxi Province, is known the world over as the home to one of China’s supreme cultural treasures, the 2,200-year-old Terracotta Army. Xian was once the homeland of thirteen dynasties and the easternmost site on the fabled Silk Road, which has left a unique cultural heritage. After your visit to Xi’an, travel to Beijing to discover the major attractions of China’s bustling capital city. Take a guided tour of the Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the famous Tiananmen Square, the largest public square in the world and site of numerous historic event, the giant Wild Goose Pagoda, the Ming Tombs and much more. Immerse yourself in the culture and culinary traditions of China while you assist to a cultural Tang Dynasty dinner show and savor local authentic cuisine.

 

TIBET, ROOF OF THE WORLD & THE GREAT WALL
Departing from Shanghai, China | 9 April | 5 Nights
Discover this unique 5-night overland program exploring Tibet, the autonomous region of the
People’s Republic of China and the most famous treasures and wonders of China - the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Great Wall!

 

TIBET, ROOF OF THE WORLD
Departing from Shanghai, China | 9 April | 4 Nights
Tibet has long tantalized the imaginations of travelers with visions of its majestic scenery, colorful
and distinctive culture, glittering religious monuments, and the true devotion of its people to their
own brand of Buddhism. Despite the control asserted by Beijing and a spreading veneer of Chinese culture, a visit to the “Roof of the World” is still an inspiration. In fact the Dalai Lama encourages travelers to visit and learn as much as they can about the country and its people.

 

BEIJING PAST, PRESENT & THE GREAT WALL
Departing from Tianjin, China | 13 April | 1 Night
Discover the highlights of fascinating Beijing and the legendary Great Wall during this two-day
Mid-Voyage Land Adventure. Journey to Beijing and explore the major attractions of China’s capital.

 

KYOTO SOJOURN
Departing from Osaka, Japan | 18 April | 1 Night
Immerse yourself into Japanese history, architecture and customs in a unique way during this
memorable journey to legendary Kyoto. Explore Kyoto’s historic treasures during your visits to the impressive Kyomizu-dera Temple, Kinkakuji and Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrines. Experience trying on a Kimono in a ‘Machiya’, a Japanese old house, and a special tea ceremony. Savour typical Kyoto Kaiseki lunch and a traditional Geisha dinner. At the end of your two-day exploration of legendary Kyoto, enjoy the comfort of a Bullet train ride to make your way back to the ship.

 

TREASURES OF JAPAN
Departing from Osaka, Japan | 18 April | 3 Nights
Dive into traditional Japanese lifestyle and culture deeply with Shukubo temple stay at Mt. Koya,
Tea Ceremony and Kimono Wearing Experiences. Savor authentic Kiaseki cuisine while enjoying a traditional Geisha performance. Visit Legendary Kyoto with its iconic temples and shrines registered as World Heritage Sites. Top off your trip with a bullet train ride from Kyoto to Tokyo. In Tokyo visit the historical area Asakusa and try an exclusive Teppaniyaki cuisine before joining your ship. Terracotta warriors in Xi’an, China Bamboo forest in Kyoto, Japan
 

Mysty, when were you provided with this list of overland options and how were they communicated?  We just signed up for the Grand Asia Voyage, 70 days starting February 2025, and will visit a few of these ports in Vietnam, China and Japan and hope to have the opportunity to do the Angkor Wat and Xian Terracotta Warriors/Great Wall overland experiences.  I have no expectations the options will be posted now for a voyage that's over a year away, but wondered when they typically show up, either via email communication or on my.silversea.

1 hour ago, drron29 said:

the Osso Buco on this leg was inedible

It doesn't take a trained chef to know how to cook osso bucco.  A simple web search will produce countless recipes showing osso bucco needs to be seared, then slow braised for at least 2 hours in liquid (typically wine and stock) to tenderize it.  Based on the comments in this thread, the kitchen staff just seared it and topped it with sauce.  Even the best quality osso bucco needs to be slow cooked or it will be tough and inedible.  

21 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

how are the televisions arranged on the newer Silver Moon.  On the Moon, are the TV's a part of the mirror or not?

Terry, the TV's on both the Moon and Dawn are mounted directly to the wall above the bar area.  They are not incorporated into the mirror.  We did hear the TV from the suite next to us once while on the Moon, but it was in no way similar to the experience of those on the Muse.  

For those who are interested, I noticed this morning Silversea has released the remainder of their 2025 and early 2026 sailing schedule and has posted a new Grand Voyage to circumnavigate Australia on the Nova.  Its a shame this new GV doesn't include New Zealand with no opportunity to tack it on the front or back end of the GV.  

11 minutes ago, canderson said:

Will give those a try.

JSR's version of the address path for the Shore Concierge Dept is correct. Good luck getting your excursions sorted out.

4 minutes ago, canderson said:

Any address in particular?

 shoreconcierge AT silversea.com   

I have had some success with getting replies from this address, but not always.  The replies mostly come from the staff in Monaco.

1 hour ago, ak1004 said:

The flights they gave us were for arrival the same date. When I requested to fly to Venice 2 days early, they quoted $1,100 CAD ($800 USD) per person to change the date. Those are the same flights, just flying 2 days earlier. I thought the deviation fee is $150 USD per person??

To date, we have only had one instance where we scored contract flights with no deviation or upcharge to fly in 2 days early and that was the first time we sailed with them in 2022.

Since then, when requesting flights thru Silversea Air to arrive any time other than the scheduled sail date or disembark date, our experience was being told the following:

1.  We can book the flights, but there will be a deviation fee which can sometimes be a random amount.  Sometimes the deviation fee is waived if we stay at a Silversea hotel, sometimes not.

2.  We do not have contract flights for that day but you can purchase our non contract flights. Sometimes they are cheaper than booking yourself and sometimes not.

3.  We do not have contract flights on that day, nor can we provide non contract flights for you to purchase - you need to book flights yourself and take the air credit.

Currently, our persistent TA is trying to work on flights with SilverAir to arrive 2 days early and is facing option #3 above. 

1 minute ago, RLK33853 said:

Any idea what they are doing while in drydock?

We were told it would be a "complete refurbishment", but the Silversea Rep did not have details on what that would entail.  He did indicate there would be no new restaurants added, however others have speculated the refurb would mirror that of the Shadow from a few years ago which would add a dedicated space for the Arts Cafe.

The ability to independently choose seats after Silversea makes the air arrangements depends on the airline.  For our upcoming flight to Cape Town in 2024, Silversea has provided us with an itinerary using American Airlines as the domestic carrier up to Chicago and Qatar Airways for the international portion going thru Doha and on to Cape Town.  We were provided with the PNR record number to pull up our reservation, but the airline's website would not allow us to choose seats.  We have spent over a week going back and forth with Silversea regarding our seat assignments.  For our return itinerary however, we were able to use the PNR record number to pull up our reservation on Qantas Airlines and United Airlines to select our seats for each of the three segments coming home.

By not ticketing the reservation until 30-60 days before sailing, it also allows Silversea to change the itinerary, so the flights you think you have secured aren't really secured until the flight is ticketed, despite having a "confirmed reservation".  

If you are in port, talks/lectures are typically scheduled for late in the afternoon (4pm - 5pm) to allow those who are on excursions enough time to return back to the ship to attend.  They normally do not last for more than an hour.  If you are at sea, the lectures will take place either in the morning or afternoon.