Spirit LA - LA via Auckland

[Emtbsam]

Apparently the place you disembarked no longer resembles that which you saw when you arrived.

A poignant lesson in how very fragile our life and environment truly is.

Destruction from this storm appears massive. A direct hit on the port Vila.

Very well said.

[WesW]

Silversea Spirit Crew Member Profile: Laundry Master, Alif (Alif is in the Foreground as a Laundry team member checks

the contents of a crewmember uniform bag:

 

 

 

Alif and his team of nine laundry specialists compose the Silver Spirt Laundry Department. Alif expertly manages the laundry team that launders about 50 Silver Spirit Guest laundry bags per day equivalent to about 1500 items of clothing including such items shirts, pants, and socks. His team also does about 30 guest items per day for dry cleaning. In addition, the laundry team launders and presses all 300+ Silversea Spirit crew uniforms.

 

Alif pictured here with his smiling nine laundry team members:

 

 

When asked what he likes most about working for Silversea, Alif enthusiastically tells me, “Silversea takes good care of his crew ”. Alif, enjoys traveling the world and seeing different ports of call when not managing the laundry department.

Alif hails from Surabaya Indonesia, he has worked for Silversea for almost three years. He is single and presently lives with his parents on the Madura Island in Indonesia. In fact all nine members of the Spirit laundry team are from Indonesia.

 

Yesterday Ida participated in a Lunch & learn with Executive Chef Jerome with wine pairings by the Spirit head sommelier Kire. The menu a few fortunate Silversea guests learned how to cook and then enjoyed dining on course by course was: Skewer of Prawns & Scallops on Rosemary, Tournedos Rossini with crushed truffle potatoes, and Crepe Suzette. Wine pairings included (Sancerre w/Scallops, Chateau Beychevelle with the Rossini, and Anselmi/Capiteli with the Suzette.

 

Pls enjoy a few pix:

 

Chef Jerome with Silver Spirit Guest Scott as Scott learns fine points of making Sauce Flambe with Pernod

 

 

Ida enjoying the Lunch and Learn:

 

 

We enjoyed pre dinner cocktails in the Panorama Lounge about 7pm last night enjoyed this beautiful sunset. (Pls see pix below) Cruise Director Don and most officers were enjoying a drink too just prior to Don introducing these Spirit officers. We met the 2nd Officer Giacomo (Jack) who makes the 3,2, 1 announcement five minutes before Captain Zanello makes his noon time nautical and weather information announcement from the bridge. Captain Zanello then gives a short talk about the Spirit every noon announcement (at sea) discussing such subjects as Why the Spirit stays afloat, What is the big bulb for protruding from the Hull, and more--first time in a dozen+ cruises we have heard our ships Captain make these informative, teaching and training ship cliff note Spirit/Ship sessions--bravo Captain Zanello!

 

Edited March 15, 2015 by WesW

[WesW]

Sunrise today on board the Spirit as we neared Fanning Island in near the Center of the Pacific Ocean:

 

 

Ida was up on our veranda about 7:45 a.m watching the Tender attempt to test the sea conditions near the shore of Fanning Island. Ida thought she saw the Tender capsize near the shore--and our new cruise friend Diane saw this unusual tender action from her suite too. Alas, Captain Zanello came on the address system shortly thereafter and announced due to swell (7-10 feet) sea conditions made it unsafe for passengers and crew. Thus, for safety reasons, Captain Zanello canceled our stop at Fanning Island. We are continuing on (six sea days in a row) to Kauai expecting to arrive Wednesday Mar 18th. In the meantime we get to enjoy two March b2b Saint Patrick days (Mar 17th (a) and Mar 17th b).

 

 

Looking at this picture below, you can see the breakwater and white wash near

Fanning Island shore.

 

Edited March 15, 2015 by WesW

[WesW]

EnglishUSA/David pictured below in his daily t-shirt having lunch in La Terraza. Had to be quick as David was dining with Flavio (GM) and Nicholas (Food & Beverage Manager--David even shared his fav comp pour, Bili Bili (Australian medium bodied shiraz) with them.

 

Edited March 15, 2015 by WesW

[Herman The Cat]

Zanello is a terrific Captain. Any idea when he disembarks for his vacation?

[WesW]

We are now cruising (our fouth sea day (fifth if you do not count our nearly one hour anchor next to Fanning Island) in a row since leaving Samoa) in the Central Pacific Ocean towards Hawaii. We are scheduled to reach Nawiliwilli, Kauai, on Wednesday morning. This morning we saw this beautiful sunrise (pls see first pix below).

 

Second pix below is Ida and I enjoying lunch in La Terraza (Italian restaurant) on board the Silversea Silver Spirit. We invited the 2nd Officer of the Bridge to have lunch with us Giacomo (or Jack as he prefers) told us Sunday nite that he had never eaten in La Terraza since he came aboard the Spirit. We had a delightful lunch and learned more about Jack's family and his duties as 2nd Officer on board the Spirit.

 

Herman The Cat, Giacomo/Jack (Second Officer) came on board about the same time as Zanello and Jack told us at lunch, he disembarks the Spirit end of May--believe Capt. Zanello and his Second Officer Jack are on the same/similar spirit duty schedules--will double check with Capt. Zanello at tonight's Venetian Party for you.

 

 

Silver Spirit's Second Officer Giacomo having lunch with us at La Terraza today:

 

 

[WesW]

Herman, Capt. Zanello disembarks Mar 27th in LA, Capt. Pontillo will replace him.

 

We have 262 passengers now on board and 240 of them are Venetian members. Carl and Capt. Z did an outstanding co-hosting job, pls enjoy a few pix:

 

First picture L2R is Ana (International Hostess, Ida, entertainers (Silversea Artists) Melissa and Matt;

 

 

L2R; Carl Cruise Consultant, Ida (receiving her 100 day (117) letter announcing her

5% off future booked SS cruises and free laundry) and Capt. Zanello:

 

[Herman The Cat]

Great photos and congrats to Ida on 100 days and free laundry!

 

They had a big turnover in crew right before your grand voyage, so will probably have another turnover in LA. Sorry to hear Captain Zanello will move on, but Captain Pontillo is terrific as well.

 

Nice to see Karl onboard. Any idea how long he is on the ship for? I think he may have gotten on in LA, replacing Asta.

[Randyk47]

Loving this thread! We'll be on the Spirit for the first time in June so we're in that mode of sucking up all the information we can. :)

[lincslady]

I am enjoying the pictures from Spirit - but, being a bit rusty re Silversea, surely 262 passengers is way below her capacity? Any special reason for this - I guess there are quite a lot of sea days involved, which some do not care for.

[Randyk47]

I am enjoying the pictures from Spirit - but, being a bit rusty re Silversea, surely 262 passengers is way below her capacity? Any special reason for this - I guess there are quite a lot of sea days involved, which some do not care for.

 

I think the Spirit's capacity is something like 540 passengers so 262 is way below, a little less than 50%. Special reason? Long cruise, lots of sea days, general itinerary, expensive, etc., obviously or probably having an impact.

[WesW]

Thanks Herman, Randyk47, Lincslady for the kind words. Herman we briefly talked with Carl after breakfast and he tolds us (if I recall) he has been on for about 6-8 months. He gets off in May and looks forward to going home to Belgium and seeing his family. Randyk47, you will enjoy the Spirit (we now have over 60 days of our 100 on the Spirit--for us it was an acquired taste--(smallish show lounge, gym space reduced for pay as you go spa) but crew makes any Silversea ship--this crew is exceptional. If the scuttlebutt (from two officers on board, one longtime SS pax has seen the Spirit2 (most likely will have another name) plans, this newest SS ship (eta end of 2016, early 2017 from Fincantieri shipyard--guess--pls folks am just reporting tentative plans--contract has not been signed yet) as I understand the "tentative plans" they will correct some of the Spirit niggles. Also, Randyk47, think you analysis of why we have 50% less than capacity now on board is spot on. And recall 140 of the 262 are what has become affectionately called on board as LALA's Los Angeles to Los Angeles. We are called, "Seggies."

 

Please enjoy some pix from last nite.

 

Emthsam (Bob, Victoria, Ida, I) taking a group shot before entering the Restaurant to enjoy our specially ordered (via our Butler Lorenzo) Indian/Thai dinner. We paired this outstanding meal with Leffe (belgium beer).

 

 

 

Six courses--most shown after being plated here:

 

 

And Desert:

 

 

us

Edited March 18, 2015 by WesW

[Randyk47]

Since you're at it Wes......any idea who will be the officers and key staff in June? The only name you've mentioned so far is Asta who apparently no longer on the Spirit. We met and shared a couple of meals with Asta on the Wind last May and know she moves around from ship to ship plus her normal breaks.

 

Again, thanks for all the time I know you're taking to do this. I did that three years ago on our first Wind cruise and I vowed never again. :)

 

PS - Hooah! Army Strong!

[spinnaker2]

Wow, that food looks scrumptious. You all look very sophisticated and elegant AND RELAXED!

Thanks for sharing with us.

[Wellseasoned]

Nice photo of four favorite friends! Wish we could have enjoyed that special dinner with you. Enjoy Hawaii.

 

Dieter and Debbie

[WesW]

Randyk47/Spinnaker2/Wellseasoned; we enjoy sharing with fellow Silversea cruisers our shore experiences and on board experiences esp our interactions with the outstanding Sivlersea crew—Y’all are very Welcome.

 

And Randyk47, Army Stong, Soldiers for Life—Hooah!

 

Randyk47—best we could (Reception team on board Spirit) determine at this date is your Captain in June: Pontillo, Hotel Director: Paolo, Chief Engineer: Mazzola, Cruise Director: Moss Hills, Carl our Cruise Consultant now on board will leave the Spirit in early May.

 

 

Please enjoy some pictures from this morning's visit to our first port (Kauai, Hawaii) after six sea days. Today we're sharing two pictures of this morning's sunrise--just two hours from Kauai (about 6:45 am). Ida and I went ashore (our tubing excursion was canceled due to a lack of water at the old pineapple plantation we we're going to tube at).

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed this delish spinach, mushroom, artichoke souffle as our main course for breakfast this morning.

 

 

Here is the daily T-shirt shot of EnglishUSA/David taken today at lunch in La Terraza

 

 

 

 

During our (read Ida's) short shopping tour--we found some shell lei's that we decided to present to most of the outstanding female servers on board the Silver Spirit. Shown in the picture taken at La Terraza (outstanding Italian restaurant) on board the Silversea Silver Spirit are L2R, Wes, Nina, Nadia (back) Sharlet(front), truly exceptional La Terraza Maitre'd Donato, Jessica,Ida. We then went down to the Restaurant and Ida gave Eileen her shell lei. Shahani will get hers during tea time in La Terraza veranda at 4-5pm.

 

 

[mysty]

It is so much fun to follow your posts WesW! The pictures are fantastic and the "slice of life" anecdotes are a treat! Thanks so much for that! I'm not sure if calling you WesW is appropriate. I notice many refer to you as Colonel Wes. I mean no disrespect kind sir. Just very appreciative of your posts!

[Tothesunset]

Thanks for this blog, Wes. We join the Spirit on 13 Apr for the TA so we are finding these reports particularly interesting; it helps to maintain the excitement levels!

 

And can we have a quick ''hooah'' for the Royal Air Force, too?

[USAFSS4Ever]

Thanks for this blog, Wes. We join the Spirit on 13 Apr for the TA so we are finding these reports particularly interesting; it helps to maintain the excitement levels!

 

And can we have a quick ''hooah'' for the Royal Air Force, too?

And can we have a quick ''hooah'' for the Royal Air Force, too?

 

Hooah!

[Tothesunset]

And can we have a quick ''hooah'' for the Royal Air Force, too?

 

Hooah!

 

I thank you!

[Catlover54]

It is nice to see the pictures showing local scenery and events.

However, I am not sure that showing a passenger ( even if he is a lovely person and dear friend) wearing a "Poop Happens" T-shirt does much to enhance the idea that Silversea's daytime dress code is upscale "resort casual" or informally sophisticated and elegant. 😧. We have a few in-your-face T- shirts of our own but leave them at home when we cruise.

[Randyk47]

Wes - Thanks for the information on the potential officers/key staff for June. In a previous post on this thread you mentioned "niggles" that need to be taken care of in the next SS ship. What do you see as the issues or problems with the Spirit?

[WesW]

Mysty, Tothesunset,Randyk47; thanks all for the kind words. Mysty, please call me Wes. TotheSunset strongly echo USAFSS4ever’s Hooah, for the Royal Air Force—thank you for y’alls service.

 

Randyk47...will answer your niggles on the Spirit when we return home from our cruise when I can take some time to explain--as I explained in an earlier post we have learned to enjoy the spirit (acquired taste), really love cruising on the Spirit because of the outstanding crew--but the niggles remain (hardware/design that was part of the spirit's build back in 2009).

 

Please enjoy a pix, dinner last night was another home run in La Terraza (our fav—6th time in 20 days) we had Veal Saltimbocca Alla Romana—delish. We dined with new cruise friends Diane and Deed from Florida (forgot to get a pix of all of us..maybe today/tomorrow)

 

 

 

Sunrise as the Spirit prepares to enter the pier in Honolulu:

 

Edited March 19, 2015 by WesW

[CruisinPashmina]

Great photo of Donato and his group. Donato was one of our very first friends on SS. He's terrific at his job, and a lovely person.

[Randyk47]

We love La Terrazza and are excited to hear positive comments about it on the Spirit. Last Wind cruise La Terrazza a disappointment, certainly not as good as it had been our previous Wind cruise.