dawntrdr

These are all good things you will find on a Silversea ship. Or if you prefer to mix your own pre-dinner cocktail, your butler will make sure that you have the fixings in your suite fridge.

In May of this year, we are departing from Tower Bridge so Silversea is putting us up at the Conrad St. James - a block from Big Ben. Their hotel contracts do change from time to time so it may depend on the year and what port you are leaving from.

So now, when somebody says "OK Boomer", is is OK to respond "OK SVB"? How about "OK FTX"?

A change of one port could be understandable but all of them? I hope this does not indicate that they have some concerns about the Nova operating in open ocean waters.

I have noticed that, since the post-covid restart, a lot of the cruise directors are sharing the same trivia questions. So, if you have been on more than one cruise since July 2021, you may know a lot more answers than someone who has not been on a SS cruise for a while simply because you have heard the questions before. Example: brass is a combination of copper and which other metal?

I heard that it starts at 12:01 am Greenwich Mean Time.

I believe that MO230704010 means Moon (MO) 2023 (23) July 4 (0704) for ten days (010). That's a Reykjavik round trip.

If you qualify, Chase Sapphire Reserve will give you travel insurance for your trip so long as you pay any part of it with their card (you don't need to book through it). They also give you lost luggage insurance and travel delay insurance and a lot of other features more than just cash back. As to cash back, I believe it gives you one point earned per dollar spent, and the annual fee is about $600, which they give you back $300 credit toward travel a year. Otherwise, I would use Fidelity Visa, which pays 2 points per dollar spent into your Fidelity account. The thing about the world cruise is of course that the balance is so enormous, you have to pay it over time because your monthly credit limit won't cover it unless you spread it out.

And finally, smoking of cigarettes (and vapes, I guess) is allowed on one side of the pool deck. Cigars are allowed in the Connoisseur's Corner, which on the Moon has both an indoor Lounge and a dedicated outside smoking area.

Regarding this question, see a current SS discussion thread regarding La Dame and Silver Note. The short answer is, yes it is a common issue and that thread contains some explanations and suggestions. Welcome to Siversea; the Moon is a lovely ship.

I like to have the Chronicle on paper so that I can circle the times and events I need to mind and can affix it to the mirror - but I would be in favor of making it optional - just another detail to give to the Butler such as whether you want coffee or snacks delivered.

Yes, in the excitement I would probably forget that my phone has a flashlight on it ... if I could find my phone.

Customary, no. In fact, I'd venture that it's a rather small minority who give an extra tip to a particular crew member. Some people elect to make a donation to the crew welfare fund, which benefits all crew including those behind the scenes. This can be done at the guest services desk.

I wish they would change the title of this thread to make it less judgmental. There have definitely been some real problems for some customers that need to be addressed but it appears that just as many or more people are happy with Silversky.

We had the same experience as @Randyk47 on the Dawn last month (different night, though). We had reserved/requested Silver Note for the second to last night several months in advance and was informed by the restaurant department that they couldn't get us in that night and instead moved us to the last night. That was fine with us. We arrived a few minutes after 8, the place was empty and only a few couples drifted in during the next hour. It was more than half empty by 9:15. The food and service were very good, but the excellent singer and pianist performed to an almost empty house. It is much more fun when the venue works like it is supposed to, with a full house. The manager, Priya, came up to us later and asked if we had any suggestions for improvement. I now wonder if she was getting this kind of empty house every day!

I wish there was a way to rate personal cruise consultants. All of the ones I have had have been good or very good. I had one for a short while that seemed a little shaky but they disappeared soon after we completed the early booking process and I suddenly had a new one assigned.

This board is a good resource to answer your questions, too. So, if you are still looking for answers: 1. Even the best in-house cruise consultant may not know about boarding procedures at the many embarkation ports - what port are you leaving from? They vary a lot. 2. At the Silver Note, they do have a very nice bar with seats and you can sit there and enjoy the music. If there are open tables at that time, the Maitre 'D can move you to a table. On my last cruise, there were quite a few open tables around 9 pm. 3. Menu's and daily chronicles are not generally available (although you are not the first to ask). Sometimes a fellow poster will post a copy, but of course what will be there for you will be different. The fact that your consultant hasnt called back and even taken your payment is indeed a problem. The book-on-line process is new and yours is the first reservation I have seen on this board where it's actually been completed so I hope you will keep us informed on the progress and best of luck. I imagine you did not intend to be in the "guinea pig" cohort!

Same thing with our upcoming May cruise on the Wind - all excursions have suddenly been pushed forward to 6:00 am or the same minute as docking, whichever is earlier. On my last cruise, I received an email about a week before sailing listing all my reserved activities, dining, spa, etc., and showing the updated times. I also re-checked the times against the excursion tickets in the room when I get there - sometimes there is even another change. I get it, things can change - you just have to look out for yourself and be flexible.

I agree with those who say that Silversea is not likely to lose many regular customers to new Crystal. Where I think Crystal may be a concern is in regards to crew staffing. There is much discussion about whether pre-bankruptcy-Crystal's on-board crew - who readily got jobs at other lines during the Covid labor shortage - will be going back to the ships now operated by new Crystal. Some say it will be a significant number. We all know that lack of experienced crew has been an issue with the lines that are currently operating. (I was told last month while on the Dawn that they were short 20 crew, although the pax were at maximum) If crew coming off contract go to Crystal, that's going to negatively impact the customer experience on all other luxury lines.

Keep checking your Mysilversea account under the booking details. Sometimes it appears there first.

Grrrr, it makes me want to sit on that lounger right after my swim, sans towel.

Something similar to that. For a few months (ending about a week ago) Crystal allowed interested customers to make a $500 deposit for which they would get first exclusive access to book the voyages when they were released. This was open to anyone who made a deposit, and you would also get OBC if you booked within a certain period of the release of the schedule. About 10 days later, former Crystal Society members are also given access. Booking is open to the general public around March 1. That's my general understanding; there are more fine points and conditions that the Crystal superfans have delved. I'm mainly interested in observing how the old SS owners re-imagine the line.

News on the Crystal boards is that the New Crystal itineraries and new deck plans will be released on Monday. Preferred bookings open a few days later with all bookings open by March 1.

My pleasure. I believe he said he was also booked for the 2025 WC. He was very entertaining and informative.

Marine biologist and science educator Michael DiSpezio, the lecturer on the Dawn last week (and currently) told us that he is booked to lecture on the 2024 World Cruise. He has extensive broadcast experience and illustrated his lectures with his own video and slide productions.