Live From Silver Spirit - January 7, 2016 Sailing

[RachelG]

I have found the internet on Spirit to be among the fastest I have experienced at sea, both on a TA and in New zealand/ australia.

 

That said, the worst ever was on Oceania, and that was in the Caribbean, so location of the ship was not an excuse.

[Suite Travels]

I find selling custom sandals on SS and art work very tacky. Crystal got rid of the art work several years ago. The Gallery is located in South Florida and is displayed at many malls. It is a rip off on the ships that still do this as well as the designer jewelry and watches are waaaay overpriced. Google what you want and you will find far better price or go to your local jeweler. Tax Free is B.S. You still must declare the items over I think $800.

.

[Suite Travels]

Just to add, on the Serenity the internet is pretty fast.

[Mark_K]

I find selling custom sandals on SS and art work very tacky. Crystal got rid of the art work several years ago. The Gallery is located in South Florida and is displayed at many malls. It is a rip off on the ships that still do this as well as the designer jewelry and watches are waaaay overpriced. Google what you want and you will find far better price or go to your local jeweler. Tax Free is B.S. You still must declare the items over I think $800.

.

 

 

"Duty free" means no duty has been paid on the item not that the duty has already been paid. It's kind of like being "pre-approved" for a credit card which to the bank means not yet approved instead of already approved.

[Mark_K]

Good morning from Silver Spirit.

 

I wanted to just note that late yesterday I posted numerous photos of the luncheon buffet at La Terazza since this seemed to be a much discussed item.

 

We enjoyed another nice evening on the Silver Spirit.

 

Before dinner, we enjoyed a pre-dinner drink at The Bar lounge. Personally, I think this is one of the most beautiful lounges that I have ever been to on land and at sea. I imagine they refer to it as The Bar because it has a beautiful bar. The room is large but yet very cozy and never seems loud no matter how many people are there and there is also music, which begins at 6:15 PM when the trio plays pre-dinner music. It’s a great lounge for just the two of us or to visit with others.

 

Afterwards, we dined at The Restaurant. This is our third and final dinner here as on the final two nights we plan to dine at La Terrazza and then on the final night in our room.

 

We should arrive to Cozumel in the next couple of hours.

 

Keith

 

 

Is Mary Beth still tending bar at the Bar?

[Emtbsam]

I have no issue with the custom made sandals especially since they are done in a quiet corner aft of the pool area. If they were moved down to the boutique area, would anyone object?

 

The art is not now, nor has it ever been to my taste. I find the prices amusing and the "barf bags" that have been placed close to some of the sculptures equally amusing.

 

My real beef with the art is that the ship's owner has deemed the indoor space on deck 10 to be the "art gallery" and so the ping pong table has to be moved outside to deck 8 aft where it is impossibly windy or to deck 10 port side forward where we still manage to lose balls overboard. Several years ago, the ping pong table was inside on deck 10 and we had around 10 very competitive players enjoying themselves. During that tournament, someone (who will remain a secret) put a bikini bottom on the statue so that her modesty could be preserved!

[Suite Travels]

"Duty free" means no duty has been paid on the item not that the duty has already been paid. It's kind of like being "pre-approved" for a credit card which to the bank means not yet approved instead of already approved.

 

 

I know this very well but many people will not declare items because they are told it is duty free and the amount will vary from country to country. If you are caught over your limit and not declared customs can confiscate the item and be subject to a heavy fine if you want it back.

 

This can also jeopardize your Global Entry.

Edited January 13, 2016 by Suite Travels

[freddie]

I know this very well but many people will not declare items because they are told it is duty free and the amount will vary from country to country. If you are caught over your limit and not declared customs can confiscate the item and be subject to a heavy fine if you want it back.

 

This can also jeopardize your Global Entry.

 

All quite true. However, would you believe that some people will take those chances, such as a CC poster who declared that he simply dropped a $15,000 ring into his pocket and waltzed through Customs without declaring it? Seems like a rather high risk to take, does it not?

[floatplan]

From 1999:

 

"Gov. Jeb Bush said Monday that his wife misled U.S. Customs officials about $19,000 in new clothing and jewelry she brought into the country because she didn't want him to know how much she had spent on her five-day Paris shopping trip.

...

On Friday, the Bushes disclosed that Columba Bush had paid a $4,100 fine and was briefly detained by Customs agents for failing to declare merchandise when she arrived at Hartsfield International Airport. With that, the low profile enjoyed by the governor's quiet wife ended. "Shop 'til you drop," read a headline Saturday in the Bush's new hometown paper, the Tallahassee Democrat.

 

The U.S. Customs Service, meantime, disclosed that Mrs. Bush had been given two chances to truthfully identify the amount of federal duty she owed on her purchases.

 

On a mandatory declaration form handed out Thursday on her Delta flight from France to Atlanta, Mrs. Bush falsely stated she had purchased $500 worth of goods, according to the Bushes and a U.S. Customs service spokesman.

 

Customs agents then found some shopping receipts in her purse. But Mrs. Bush declined the opportunity to change her declaration, Customs spokesman Patrick Jones said.

 

After that, Customs agents searched her luggage and found the merchandise. At that point Mrs. Bush confessed to all of her purchases, telling agents she did not answer truthfully at first because she did not want her husband to know how much she had spent, according to Bush spokesman Cory Tilley.

 

Mrs. Bush's civil fine of $4,100 was three times the duty she owed. She returned home to Tallahassee Thursday evening -- with her purchases.

 

Customs agents could have fined Mrs. Bush up to the full dollar amount of her purchases or confiscated the merchandise. But Jones, the Customs spokesman, said that would be a highly unusual step. Thousands of people each year fail to properly declare their purchases, Jones said.

 

"The way it is typically done is to use the three-times-the-loss-of-revenue formula," Jones said. "Get the (duty) revenue, get the penalty and get these folks on their way."

[NJ Cruiserman]

Is Mary Beth still tending bar at the Bar?

She was on the LA to Ft. Lauderdale Cheistmas/New Year's cruise. Very pleasant!

[ijkh]

Thanks for posting this review Keith. As nice as it is to be at sea I am not intrigued by the Spirit. Are you trying any other cruise lines this year?

 

happy sails,

Ilene

[Keith1010]

Really enjoying your live reports Keith and good to know you are having an enjoyable voyage on the Spirit.

 

Sophia [emoji4]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Sophia, thank you so very much.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

I would like to get this thread back on track.

 

We had a great time in Cozumel today and on board Spirit.

 

We are now heading to Fort Lauderdale.

 

As we left Cozumel at 6:00 PM tonight the Captain noted that the winds would be strong all the way until we reach Fort Lauderdale the day after tomorrow.

 

He is right. It is windy.

 

At dinner tonight at La Terrazzo one couple left early and I could tell they were a bit sea sick. We are used to sailing at sea so no worries for us.

 

Dinner was absolutely wonderful. As I mentioned the other day, when we dined at La Tarrazzo on Shadow for dinner in 2009 we didn't care for it. Who knows why. Could have been the chef. Could have been the ship. Could have been what we ordered. My lovely wife is half Italian and a wonderful cook so we understand Italian Cuisine. All I can say is this is our second time having dinner at La Terrazzo on Spirit and both times we love it. It is a reminder that sometime first impressions are wrong.

 

All in all we have had a very nice time. I'll post more tomorrow and in about a week I will post a review.

 

Keith

[fizzy]

for this enjoyable and very fair travelogue. We enjoyed the Spirit the two times on board and would gladly return. Any cruise company should be delighted to have you as a reporter. My one complaint fleetwide was the charity "donation". Is this still ongoing? I hope things continue to go well.

[Keith1010]

fizzy, you are very welcome.

 

Yes it is still done.

 

Keith

[spinnaker2]

Keith

Thanks again for posting.

Dreary and chilly here.

Radar shows rain coming from south west, must be what you are experiencing.

Hope it doesn't dampen your spirit. :-)

[NJ Cruiserman]

I would like to get this thread back on track.

 

We had a great time in Cozumel today and on board Spirit.

 

We are now heading to Fort Lauderdale.

 

As we left Cozumel at 6:00 PM tonight the Captain noted that the winds would be strong all the way until we reach Fort Lauderdale the day after tomorrow.

 

He is right. It is windy.

 

At dinner tonight at La Terrazzo one couple left early and I could tell they were a bit sea sick. We are used to sailing at sea so no worries for us.

 

Dinner was absolutely wonderful. As I mentioned the other day, when we dined at La Tarrazzo on Shadow for dinner in 2009 we didn't care for it. Who knows why. Could have been the chef. Could have been the ship. Could have been what we ordered. My lovely wife is half Italian and a wonderful cook so we understand Italian Cuisine. All I can say is this is our second time having dinner at La Terrazzo on Spirit and both times we love it. It is a reminder that sometime first impressions are wrong.

 

All in all we have had a very nice time. I'll post more tomorrow and in about a week I will post a review.

 

Keith

Thanks for posting this wonderful travelogue. It makes me feel as if I am still on my cruise. Last week the weather on the way back to Ft. Lauderdale was very iffy and we had a freak storm, around 4 in the afternoon the day before we docked there, that had the ship listing a few degrees to port until the ship could be turned into the wind.

 

They do add the charitable donation to the bill but it is immediately removed when you call reception.

 

And if one makes purchases at the boutique that exceed the duty-free limit of $800/$1,600, the ship reports this to U.S. Customs if the ship docks at a U.S. port.

[spinnaker2]

I have no issue with the custom made sandals especially since they are done in a quiet corner aft of the pool area. If they were moved down to the boutique area, would anyone object?

 

The art is not now, nor has it ever been to my taste. I find the prices amusing and the "barf bags" that have been placed close to some of the sculptures equally amusing.

 

My real beef with the art is that the ship's owner has deemed the indoor space on deck 10 to be the "art gallery" and so the ping pong table has to be moved outside to deck 8 aft where it is impossibly windy or to deck 10 port side forward where we still manage to lose balls overboard. Several years ago, the ping pong table was inside on deck 10 and we had around 10 very competitive players enjoying themselves. During that tournament, someone (who will remain a secret) put a bikini bottom on the statue so that her modesty could be preserved!

 

wonder if that bikini bottom will reappear soon...

 

agree that the art is purely a subjective experience. completely admit that i am not an art critic, but some of the work hung aboard the walls of the Spirit, is, in my subjective experience, hideous. i do chuckle at some of it as it is so amateurish. i have never been a fan of art for sale aboard a cruise and much preferred the walls of the Spirit before the art for sale campaign, hawking experience was initiated.

 

also agree that the table tennis should be reinstated at its prior location on deck 10 even if the poor woman with her legs permanently in such an uncomfortable position remains en deshabille.

[Keith1010]

spinnaker2 and NJ Cruiserman thank you for your nice comments.

 

Yes, it is a bit windy and choppy today but Anne Marie and I have become good sailors these past few years so we are not bothered by this and a reminder that we are at sea.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

Today we are enjoying our last full day on board Spirit as we sail towards Fort Lauderdale, Florida where we first boarded Spirit. There are quite a few activities on today’s schedule with a few additional ones added recognizing that most guests are not going outside on the deck given the fairly strong winds. The seas are a bit choppy but this does not bother us and serves as a reminder that we are at sea.

 

We had our final lunch at La Terrazza where we have had each of our lunches during this cruise. La Terrazza was busier than the past few days since this is a sea day.

 

We plan to have dinner in our suite tonight and then finish our final packing. Speaking of packing when we returned from a workout at the Fitness Center at around 10:00 AM, someone whose room is right near ours, had already placed in the hallway two large pieces of luggage. You just don’t see this very often and I can remember only on one other cruise seeing this. Either they are very organized, or had a lot of luggage so didn’t want to clutter the room, or they can’t wait to leave the ship. LOL.

 

For those of you following our blog, it will be updated later tonight and then in a few days I will add one final blog post.

 

Sometime next week I will write and post a review. I expect it to be rather detailed and hopefully seen as a balanced review. One thing I believe in doing is to take a few days to reflect on the cruise. There is a lecturer on Crystal Cruises who used to work for the BBC and he talks about how the news has changed in that today people report on a news event right away with no time for reflection whereas in the old days (well old was maybe in the 1980’s and before that, there was not the instantaneous news of today and there was time to reflect. When one reflects, they sometimes see things differently.

 

So there will be more to come in the next few days.

 

Keith

[WesW]

Keith, thanks for your continued/robust and fun Spirit reports. Also, thanks for well written blog with excellent photos.

 

Safe travels home for Anne Marie and you.

Edited January 14, 2016 by WesW

[Tothesunset]

This has been such an interesting thread particularly as we left the Spirit just before Christmas.

 

We were curious to see Jose in the main bar because he was in the Panorama during our cruise. My b-i-l and I used to escape to Deck 9 port aft for a read and a smoke in the afternoon - Within seconds Jose would be there unbidden with our coffee and diet cokes.

 

We also recognised the other crew pictured in your blog and feel quite nostalgic!

 

The thread seems to have remained almost unhijacked by the anti-SS members - that's something of a coup in itself.

 

Great reports. Thanks for sharing.

[Suite Travels]

Keith please post your review here as well. The link does not work on my new IPAD. The Crystal peeps are anxious to hear your review as well.

 

Safe travels home.

[Keith1010]

This has been such an interesting thread particularly as we left the Spirit just before Christmas.

 

We were curious to see Jose in the main bar because he was in the Panorama during our cruise. My b-i-l and I used to escape to Deck 9 port aft for a read and a smoke in the afternoon - Within seconds Jose would be there unbidden with our coffee and diet cokes.

 

We also recognised the other crew pictured in your blog and feel quite nostalgic!

 

The thread seems to have remained almost unhijacked by the anti-SS members - that's something of a coup in itself.

 

Great reports. Thanks for sharing.

 

I am very glad you enjoyed the posts.

 

We would arrive to The Bar at around 5:15 PM and at 6:00 PM, Jose would leave while other staff arrived. So likely he would go to another lounge.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

Keith please post your review here as well. The link does not work on my new IPAD. The Crystal peeps are anxious to hear your review as well.

 

Safe travels home.

 

Miles, yes I will definitely do that.

 

Keith