Mayflower1

Thank you hamasgirl for your update on the Covid Tests being performed on your current Cruise. 

I am interested to note that Guests on The Moon Report that they are not being Temperature Checked each day - if this is the case there is no consistency of Protocol throughout the Line which is somewhat worrying.

I assume there are no Cases of Covid on your Cruise as there seems no way of knowing ??

Thank you mysty & zqtchas for your responses on the current Covid situation on board The Moon. Am I right in assuming that the only Testing now relates to Daily Temperature Checks ? - If this is the Case, surely one could be ' Isolated ' for any number of reasons if ones Temperature is up ?.

If I am correct in my assumption it makes for a complete Lottery that one could be forced to spend Days in ones Suite whilst others carry on as normal about the ship ( and maybe have Covid ? ). From our experience of Silversea over many years the Hot Bed of Contamination, for a number of Viruses, that was The Panorama Lounge on a Bad Weather Sea Day pales into insignificance !!!!

We are due to join The Moon in September but now remain very sceptical.

Can anyone provide details of what actual Testing is now happening onboard ? - It is interesting to hear the Reports of Numbers of Guests either in Quarantine ( and moving Suite ) or a ' Close Contact ' in their original Suite but how are these Folks being identified ?

I appreciate that it is still a moving situation but what is happening now would be useful to know - here in the UK its as if  Covid has disappeared with very little Mask Wearing and rapidly diminishing Test Centres.

Good Morning Bobolz - When it happened to us we received no prior warning. The worst instance is that  we ' Suffered ' a MoPar Incentive Group of say 100 ( about a third of the Guests ) and it was Hell on Earth. Drinking in excess around the Pool from early morning to late at night - Bread Rolls being chucked around the Main Dining Room etc !!!. The Officers seemed powerless to affect any meaningful change in behaviour for what I recall was 7 - 10 days.

We made suitable representations both on Ship and on Shore ( on our return ) and did receive some compensation.

To put it in context these are rare situations and the above is an extreme - Other times the Groups have been smaller but nevertheless any Group of say 50 or more does change the dynamics especially if Venues are closed off and those ' Guests ' are intent of getting every last drop out of their Freebie.

I personally believe that Partial Charters should be either abolished or Full Paying Guests should receive well advanced warning.

You are so right Stumblefoot - For the independent Guest such a Cruise is usually a disaster ( unfortunately in our long association with Silversea we have encountered more than one !!! ).

I believe you have confused Terminal 1at Heathrow with Terminal ! Arrival in Lisbon ? I believe all BA Lisbon Flights depart from Heathrow Terminal 5 at the moment. I hope this reduces a small amount of stress related to Heathrow which is usually a mess.

In our experience of a number of visits, The Arts Hotel ( Ritz Carlton ) on The Club Floor is a superb personalised choice. The Service is wonderful and Rooms also ( with magnificent views ) and its position on the Beach is excellent albeit a little away from the central area. As far as I know Silversea do not use this hotel.

Thank you for the information Silver Spectre - another sad loss of a Silversea stalwart.

I am afraid blacksmith, this is not the current situation as of 6 days ago.  SS confirm ( and is made plain on their Website ) that The Test must be no later than 24 Hours prior to Boarding to satisfy EU Regulations - it could well be different in other areas.

3 Days Prior is annoying but able to be achieved - 24 Hours is, in many Cases, very difficult to achieve, hence the concerns.

It would seem to me that the requirement of a PCR/Antigen Test by an accepted Tester only 24 Hours prior to Boarding is totally impractical for many Guests.

Am i missing something here or do others share the same view - this will be more of an Issue if SS stop Tests at the Port ( in any event I do not wish to spend more time than is necessary in a crowded area at the Port ).

I would welcome views from those it affects in the coming weeks.

We are so sad to learn of David's death - Our thoughts are with his Wife and young Family.

Those of us who have been Members of the Silversea Family for many years have been fortunate to meet and get to know a remarkable Quartet of Cruise Directors : Judy, Colin, David & Ray. Each had a wonderful Performing Talent but also the ability to make Guests so welcome from the minute we stepped On Board.

We hope that you will Sail in calm waters for ever David.

So sorry that ' The Freebie Mob ' are causing the usual havoc for Paying Guests. Those of us who have experienced similar Groups over the Years have often wondered why Silversea allow such behaviour in the name of ' Marketing ' ???. It surely puts off regular Guests. It would seem that due to the weather the usual Dawn to Dusk Partying by the Pool is so far being curtailed !!!

I regret to say that those of us who have been Silversea Regulars for many years have always known that the Senior Corporate ran the Company like a Private Plaything. This was just about sustainable with say 4 Ships and we were encouraged to return time and time again by the Excellence experienced on board. However, now with an ever expanding Fleet to manage, the lack of expertise and unprofessionalism by the same People is beginning to have serious repercussions on the Brand.

The time has come for a Root & Branch clear out and a more Professional approach, particularly in the field of Communication, which of late has been woeful.

You are so right PaulaJK - The Check In Desk for BA usually displays a Bus/Club Class Line but many People seem unable to appreciate that and Queue there even though not Business Passengers - this leads to utter confusion/tension when the desk opens !!!. Once one gets into the relative calm of the Business Lounge its only a respite as many Flights at Marco Polo require a Bus from Terminal to Plane. This is utter chaos, with no Priority Boarding, just a Scrum where those with the strongest Arms get on the Bus first. In Summer, the Heat is usually unbearable and arrival at the comparative calm of the Aircraft is blissful !!!

In my Opinion an Airport to avoid at all costs if possible.( Arrivals is relatively civilised but also usually involves the Bus Transfer from Plane to Terminal ).

You are welcome Bluetide40 - We have cruised with Silversea for many years and regrettably their willingness to replicate the wonderful Service on Board is often somewhat lacking upon disembarkation.

The movement of Ships away from the main Venice Terminal could unfortunately limit your Options and an attempt to elicit specific information from Silversea would be wise at an early stage - Good Luck and perhaps you will Post what success you have for the benefit of others.

From our experience Venice Airport is a dreadful place to have to wait prior to Check In. There is very limited Seating and masses of People. Whilst there is a good Lounge for Business Passengers, it is of course only achievable after Check In and Security !!!

As others have said it is likely that Silversea will provide a Transfer direct to the Airport in the morning but this will prove a daunting prospect if your Flight is not until the Evening - Far from a Luxury experience !!!

If there is any way to reduce the Airport wait I would give it serious consideration - the situation could now be more complicated now, given that the Ship is likely to Dock outside of the immediate Venice area.

Good Morning tbliss - Thank you for your Note. I too noticed the Reinstatement of that Segment but we have been so disappointed with the lack of communication from Silversea ( in spite of communicating with one of the VPs ?? ) that we have now moved from this Barcelona to Southampton Cruise to another , longer Cruise in June.

I feel that we have both been badly served in this situation but I sincerely hope that you will have a wonderful time and there are no other Issues. I am certain that once on the Ship everything will be fantastic. In our long experience with Silversea the Ships are great , The Onboard Staff magical but the Onshore Team is dire ( as can be evidenced by other recent Communication Issues ).

All the very best and have Fun.

As I understand it the excess Fee is £3 per mile per car for any journey over 52 miles - We are 125 miles from Southampton so will have to pay for 73 miles excess in each direction.

Hi Les37b & tiggertom.

I have investigated the add on cost as I am taking a Roundtrip Cruise from Southampton. I am advised that the added mileage will currently be £3 per Mile ( this is subject to change when the actual date arrives i.e. September ).

This Service is therefore not suitable for us in the above Scenario as the additional Cost is more than I can achieve with a trusted Local Supplier.

I hope this is useful.

'Seamless Luxury Travel ' is the constant Mantra of the Top Executives of Silversea - Perhaps it is for them and they have no ability to even question that for the majority of their Guests it is far from the reality.

Its about time that some permanent change of approach is effected or I am afraid Silversea will disappear beneath the waves of dissatisfaction currently being experienced by their loyal Customers on so many Issues, all surrounding Communication. The Corporate Team are doing such a huge ' Kick in the Teeth ' to all those hardworking and wonderful Staff on the Ships.

I cannot see any Quality Agent recommending Silversea to past or future Clients at the moment.

I fear that the current ineptitude of the Senior Executives at Silversea to communicate a coherent Policy bodes very badly for the future of this once great Line. Their ability to provide inconsistent Information on so many Issues is staggering.

In an attempt to get This Topic back to where it started, are you still intending to take this Cruise tbliss ? - The Barcelona to Lisbon Segment is still ' Waitlisted ' ???. Your thoughts would be welcome.

Good Morning tbliss - Have you heard any News from Silversea regarding the ' Possible ' Charter ?

I have been advised by the London Office that the Charter is now cancelled and the Cruise will go ahead as planned but the SS Website is still showing the Barcelona - Lisbon Cruise as ' Waitlisted ' ???

Is this another example of inaccurate information or merely sloppy Website updating ???

Any News you have will be appreciated.

You are so right Labrasett concerning the need for Patience & Resilience when travelling during these most unusual times. However both the Issues raised by tbliss & Others does not relate to Travel difficulties but merely to Poor? Wrong or No Information emanating from Silversea Corporate.

We all appreciate that Silversea Corporate are struggling to keep Cruises operating during Covid but this is no excuse for their failure to provide Booked Guests with Quality Information on Cruises not directly impacted by Covid - its all too easy to blame Covid for every Administrative Failure which is what seems to be happening at Silversea.

This Topic has been covered on these Boards before - however we have stayed in the ' Shower Only ' Suites and the Bathroom does APPEAR more spacious but this may be just an illusion ( I have more to do on a Cruise than measure the Suite dimensions !!!! ). The whole Suite is the same size as others so I would doubt that the Bathroom size is actually any different.

We found the Bathroom excellent but be aware that the Bathroom Floor will easily get very wet and slippery without care and the use of Towels !!!!.

We have stayed in 752 and it was excellent and well positioned,

I hope this will be of help and have a wonderful time on our favourite ship.