jollyjones

My first sentence referred to ‘Barbados as a cruise port’

Beg to differ also. I speak specifically about Barbados. I too have been to many industrial ports and know that one must use the shuttle. However, in Barbados, there is a marked walkway that I, along with many other pax, have used every time I’ve been there. In Barbados you can walk to and from your ship. On the marked walkway.

I'm sorry for your bad experience - I find Barbados as a cruise port just dreadful to the extent that I no longer book cruises that disembark there. Embarkation there isn't great but can occasionally be OK. It is almost impossible to get a hotel day room in Barbados and you can't even enter the airport until a few hours (three, I think) before your flight, not that there is any sort of decent lounge there in which to wait. The tours offered by cruise lines to fill in the time are fairly useless and often still get you to the airport far too early. It's a real problem, I've never found an acceptable solution. Also, no use to you but for information for others - you are not obliged to use the awful shuttle from cruise terminal to ship, they cannot force you, I always refuse and walk. They may yell at you but just ignore them. There is a marked walkway. It is quicker.

The only problem with a guarantee booking is that you might end up in a very forward cabin, possibly even on a high deck, where you will feel far more motion in rough seas than low and mid-ships which is where I always try and book. Since you haven’t done ocean cruising, you may not know how sensitive to ocean motion you are. I never book a guarantee and I’d suggest you avoid it until you know better how ocean cruising suits you. A deck 5 cabin well back from the ‘pointy end’ is ideal. And so convenient for the bar.

You’re welcome, hope you enjoy!

I have over 500 days as a solo woman on SS and love it! I'm actually boarding the Dawn on Monday, can't wait. I started in vista suites which are huge for a solo, but moved up to verandahs when the depredations of menopause meant I feel the need to be able to step out into fresh air every so often. Vistas are the same size that verandah suites are without the verandah, and the service - butlers etc. - is the same for both. SS has good deals for solos - look at https://www.silversea.com/best-luxury-cruise-deals/single-occupancy-supplements.html which you'll find on the website under 'fares and offers'. They also have a good deal at the moment, only till end of Feb tho', - https://www.silversea.com/best-luxury-cruise-deals/reasons-to-sail.html And, as icing on the cake, IMO SS has the best loyalty award scheme in which you will automatically be enrolled after your first voyage.

I cruise solo on SS frequently and would think about going in 416, back in the days before I moved up to verandah cabins. Maybe. You are very far forward and in a connecting cabin so you will get plenty of sea movement and maybe some noise, not from next door if you are lucky, but you will definitely hear the anchor chain go down when at a tender port. Sizewise, the cabin is plenty big enough. However, I am disturbed that you are considering a 70 day ocean cruise with only an 11 day river cruise as experience. River and ocean cruising are very different. When I was considering my first long ocean voyage, I took a shorter cruise first on the same ship to make sure I'd be OK. A thought for you, perhaps? However, that said, I have cruised most cruise lines and Silversea is IMO by far the best line for solos. Very easy to meet people, plenty to do.

Sorry about this, just seen it today: https://www.royalgazette.com/general/news/article/20240201/work-on-improvements-at-fort-hamilton/ Dunno when it'll reopen, maybe by May, you could ask the Corporation of Hamilton closer to the time: info@cityhall.bm 1 (441) 292 1234 Other places you could think about: Right there in Dockyard, if you haven't visited it, it is very well worth it, the National Museum https://nmb.bm BUEI, close to Hamilton https://buei.bm The Aquarium at Flatts Village https://bamz.org

The gardens are in a sad state, you can walk around but there's nothing much to see, IMO you'd be better off visiting Fort Hamilton, a short walk uphill from the east end of Front St in the City of Hamilton. The moat alone is worth it. https://www.cityofhamilton.bm/explore_the_city/fort_hamilton.php

Oh dear, please can we get this straight. The Horn of Africa is Somalia. No cruise ships anywhere near. The Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa near Cape Town. Cape Horn is the southern tip of South America.

The old cruise port where you will check in is called Marittima, it is the penultimate stop on the people mover. Then you’re bused to Fusina, you have no option, it’s the only way to get there. Don’t go to the final stop Tronchetto - some cruise lines gather their pax into buses there but SS uses Marittima. You can get a direct bus into Piazzale Roma from Venice airport, that’s the best way to get into Venice for a reasonable price, it’s about ten euros. I’d recommend getting a hotel near P’zale Roma so you can walk to it from the bus, also that means you’ll be near the people mover to get to Marittima. You’ll also be near the Grand Canal where the number one vaporetto runs frequently down to Piazza San Marco and beyond. I walk to Marittima but I travel with a carry on bag only so I can manage my luggage, if you have more luggage the people mover is the way to go.

Thank you mods! So much easier to use in this format. I had given up reading it in the new 'improved' format.

I have found the MyTSA app to be invaluable to avoid such a situation. Free to download, I use it every time before arriving to check in at an airport in the US.

Very simple LauraS - it wasn't broke so don't 'fix' it. Please return to the previous format.

Norwegian Star according to MarineTraffic.

Marinetraffic is showing Moon ETA Capetown at lunchtime Feb 2nd.

Each to their own. The Qatar seat may be wonderful, but if it's rear facing by definition it's miserable FOR ME. Could well be great for others but I think it's reasonable for others to be aware of potential issues with rear facing sets. Again, each to their own but I can feel the difference even in flight.

Maybe some can get used to rear facing seats, but I can’t. I have been stuck in one a few times, and find they make me air sick, not just at takeoff and landing, I can feel the difference in flight too. Absolutely miserable. So glad they are being phased out.

I quote the SS website: Cruise fares cover …… gratuities aboard ship (except spa) ….. Entirely up to you if you feel that is sufficient or if you wish to tip more or give to the crew fund.

Hmmm ... depends if it's your blue or your pink jacket ...

Truffles 9pm but alcohol anytime. My favourite hangout. Seasons greetings to you and Dr Spins!

The CD when I disembarked a couple of weeks ago was the gloooorious Roy Perez.

The SS norm is 120 days in advance. The date is clearly shown on the voyage confirmation you receive after you've paid the deposit. I have just made a final payment due by Dec 18th for a cruise beginning April 16th. This is the norm. Count the days!

Very minor things but nothing of actual significance. The Dawn has USB A and C charging ports in the cabins, the Moon just USB A.

I would like to point out that the SS upgrade to premium is $29 per day ONLY if you purchase it by the 24hr period. If you purchase it for whole voyage it's a tad over $20 per day. I always purchase the upgrade but I freely admit I'm an impatient person and prefer to have 10M. My choice. Plenty of pax cope quite happily with the basic.