Silversea Water Cooler: Part 3, Welcome!

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers! Firstly sorry to be out of touch. Only 1 hour of complimentary internet. So no pictures and limited future contact. The Captain said that the crossing looks to be very rough. Should be interesting! Safe travels to all on the move! Happy Belated birthday JP and happy anniversary J and Mrs J!

[ShotsnCruises]

Greetings Coolers! Firstly sorry to be out of touch. Only 1 hour of complimentary internet. So no pictures and limited future contact. The Captain said that the crossing looks to be very rough. Should be interesting! Safe travels to all on the move! Happy Belated birthday JP and happy anniversary J and Mrs J!

 

Are you sure you only get one hour of internet? I logged in on my phone and never logged out and used it a little bit every day. There was never any charge or "Tracking" and I was never billed for anything. I was warned about not getting more than an hour, but it was never an issue!

[Camillus112]

Since we did not participate in any of the Silversea trivia, you guys will have to inform me of how it works, and what prizes can be won. I kept hearing about the points, but have no idea what that means. We spent too much time enjoying the ports of call every day.

 

Shots, I am not the best person to answer your questions because I never really did play it, but I watched it being played. It looks to be like great fun, but you must commit to it on a daily basis or your teammates may suffer. That's exactly the reason I just enjoyed lurking the days I could attend; in my last cruise it was played at 4:45 every day, and that was a time my DH liked to walk the deck. Teams consist of no more than 5 or 6 members, and do they get competitive! Moss Hills was the person in charge and he was very energetic. The questions are mostly of a general nature (geography, movies, etc.) but many are very specific to US and Britain cultures, of course, the major participants. I enjoyed just being an observer, but I realized that it turns more intense than I would want being in vacation mode. I have to say that, even after some bantering, I saw all having great fun!!

[mysty]

Are you sure you only get one hour of internet? I logged in on my phone and never logged out and used it a little bit every day. There was never any charge or "Tracking" and I was never billed for anything. I was warned about not getting more than an hour, but it was never an issue!

 

Yes! I'm sure! They were testing a new internet company in the Caribbean and now the test is over and we are back to one free hour of internet per day per person. Not great for frequent access!

[jollyjones]

Yes! I'm sure! They were testing a new internet company in the Caribbean and now the test is over and we are back to one free hour of internet per day per person. Not great for frequent access!

 

This is distinctly annoying. I was on the Spirit in November and the Wind in January and enjoyed the unlimited internet - I knew it was a trial but I was told by the HD that it would become permanent. I feel a strongly worded complaint coming on if this retro step back to one hour a day is in force when I board the Spirit on Friday. Anyone with any marketing sense knows you can't get people used to a benefit and then take it away again.

 

It's not that I spend all my time on the internet during a cruise, but I really detest the rushed and hurried feeling as the minutes tick inexorably away. Quite antithetical to relaxing.

 

I hope plenty of other pax complain so they realize what a bad idea it is.

[les37b]

Yes! I'm sure! They were testing a new internet company in the Caribbean and now the test is over and we are back to one free hour of internet per day per person. Not great for frequent access!

 

Particularly on a TA and alike!

 

Sorry to hear they've pulled the plug. That unlimited internet was one of the reasons we rebooked for the Spirit as we left.

 

I think they need to be a bit more transparent and honest here!

[MissSophia]

What makes me think that this could be some SSBS...with the internet..😉

On both crossings last year on the Spirit it was unlimited so why the sudden change and then say the Caribbean was a trial run....doesn't make sense to me....but hey ho....it's not such a big deal for me so no point worrying.

 

Shots....re Trivia.....our lovely Spins is the one to advise you on this as she is a keen player.....I don't think the prizes are mind blowing but believe it can be great fun.

 

Safe travels and Bon Voyage to Spins for tomorrow....hope you have a wonderful time and the seas are kind.

 

S 😊

[spinnaker2]

Hello all

Working hard to be ready for tomorrow.

 

Re trivia, yes it's fun, but yes it's stressful and quite competitive. I don't always play because of the commitment to the team, once you "sign on" it's not really fair to not show up. I have also played name that tune, which I am sure some might remember can be hard, like the time Giancarlo gave us a few notes of national anthems from around the world. WOW. We all laughed at that!

 

Re the prize points, you could redeem them for tshirts, hats, pens and flashlights, I don't remember much else. Maybe someone else does.

 

The most fun is liars club with the crew becoming very adept at fooling the pax with their outrageous bull dust.

:-)

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good Evening Coolers, from us at Seaside!

 

Spins ..... so much looking forward to your daily chronicles and Myster and Myster! Hope they keep a few minutes of their daily allowance for us. Soapy ... not long now and you'll be sucking out those champer bottle corks and regaling the crowds with your party tricks!

 

We left sunny Hampshire and Helga behaved herself and she proudly tells me she managed to do it all on 20.7 mpg ..... which is a fine performace for her! Helga's sole task is the Seaside run and so she is a bit of a Homing Helga. We had fish and chips delivered tonight .... and I couldn't choose so I had haddock and cod and vin blanc au boite.

 

Here's Helga setting out Seaside bound ....... and the current view from the balcony.

 

Good evening to all ...

 

 

 

 

 

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[Camillus112]

Hi Jeff, Helga looks very simpática... is that snow on the ground, or sand?

[UKCruiseJeff]

Hi Camels,

 

Helga is lovely but highly strung. Far too much technology and each bit takes it in turn to go wrong. Today it was the turn of the boot (trunk) ... who told me proudly it wasn't going to allow me to drive because the boot was open when it was't. I used the manual opening key and gave it a slam, and Helga proclaimed herself happy and off we all went with Helga announcing periodically that I was going the wrong way. But it is a lovely car. I have only done 23k in her so she is still a virgin really.

 

It is a gravel drive.

 

 

 

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[Camillus112]

Jeff, from the name, I assume she's German, but doesn't look like Mercedes to me. I drive a Mercy C300, and she is very stubborn as well. I hate giving her navigation instructions; makes me work hard...she's not very intuitive. DH now has an E Class, equally upsetting. He used to have a Lexus, and that car's navigation system almost read your thoughts! However, our two krouts are great, reliable cars and we intend to keep them for a long time. BTW, I previously had a Cadillac that lasted me 12 years.....

[UKCruiseJeff]

Hi ,

 

Yes Helga is indeed a Merc. I've never really had a thing about cars, but I was in Grinzing in Austria some years back and I saw an SL sitting there all gleaming and saying "love me, love me" and it is the only time I ever wanted a car. I then saw a programme about it on TV where a British racing driver was racing one and he made his passenger, a British TV celeb, sick. At that time some models were premium priced ie no discount but a premium and I called some dealers and expressed interest, and our local one called us just as we were boarding Eurostar, to tell us that he had a cancelled order of exactly what we wanted and did I want it. I thought it was too much of a self indulgence but wifey said, "you want one, for gawd sake, buy it" So I did. It's only used to take us up and down to Seaside.

 

I still have a very soft spot for the car I got for wifey which is now very old (the car, not the wife) but it is an extraordinary car. It is the Volvo T5 they made for racing. It has a Porsche designed engine and unchipped will reach over 200 mph and has 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds. The back wheels turn into the corner when turning at speed. An oddity for Volvo.

 

 

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[jpalbny]

Camillus, I assumed it was one of the 2-door Mercedes coupes, from the picture. But I don't know them well enough to say that with confidence.

 

We love the German high-end sports cars, but we're Audi fans these days. We've managed to collect a "straight flush" over the past few years...S5, S6, S7.

 

Now we want to replace the S5 with an RS5 convertible. Waiting patiently to see if they have the new, redesigned model out in the second half of 2018, as a 2019 model... Hope so!

 

We used to like BMW but my last one was unreliable. Have never owned a Mercedes. Or a Porsche.

 

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[ShotsnCruises]

Thanks for the info on trivia. It sounds like fun, but I wouldn't want to commit. We often have excursions booked well into the afternoon and/or a nap scheduled after. I wouldn't want to let my teammates down.

 

Sad to hear about the Internet not being a reliable perk. While I doubt I was on for an hour each day, it was nice to not have to worry about keeping track and be able to check on things as my leisure.

 

 

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[Camillus112]

Shots, we also had free internet during our 16-day cruise in the Spirit last November. It was an important perk since DH was able to freely communicate for work related issues. I do hope Spins is not needing internet very badly and can accommodate to the restriction.

 

JP, our experience with a sports car:

Years ago, DH was asked to do a music residency for 3 years in Milwaukee and he would be paid very well. We decided I would commute, since it was not warranted to uproot our then high school kids for such a short time. Since he was alone and needed a toy, he bought himself an Alfa Romeu. I visited with him the winter he bought it and we decided to drive to Chicago... We were skidding like crazy, lane to lane, and there was no way to stabilize the car! Of course, he didn't investigate that Alfas are not meant for snow and ice!!. Thank goodness we did not have an accident, but we sure got nasty looks and raised fingers. The car did not last long.

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers! Quick update.....We are now over-nighting in Hamilton, Bermuda. The seas for tonight were to be 30 foot (10 meters). The Captain and Head Office have decided to wait until tomorrow morning for departure toward Funchal. We may be here for a while.

[Camillus112]

Mysty, as I've said before, March is a very windy month, with dangerous undercurrents, in that part of the world. However, Bermuda must be lovely (never been) and I understand you can rent a scooter to see the island. Enjoy your cruise and soft winds for Funchal.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Gosh ........ with this one hour business, Mysty is becoming all Mystyrius and has become a person of few words!

 

I bet she's looking forward to a glass of something sweet and a slice of cake when she hits Madeira!

 

Safe crossing to M and M!

 

 

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[UKCruiseJeff]

Camillus, I assumed it was one of the 2-door Mercedes coupes, from the picture. But I don't know them well enough to say that with confidence.

 

We love the German high-end sports cars, but we're Audi fans these days. We've managed to collect a "straight flush" over the past few years...S5, S6, S7.

 

Now we want to replace the S5 with an RS5 convertible. Waiting patiently to see if they have the new, redesigned model out in the second half of 2018, as a 2019 model... Hope so!

 

We used to like BMW but my last one was unreliable. Have never owned a Mercedes. Or a Porsche.

 

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Hi JP,

 

I know you really enjoy your cars, and buy them and change them regularly. On the basis that you lose most of the cash in depreciation in the first year or two, have you ever considered really splurging on an all time dream car and simply keeping it and maintaining it? If so, if the car was say limited to just double the price of the cars you currently budget for, what would you buy?

 

If you had the choice between that car and a change in a couple of years of your current car .... why wouldn't you take the dream car?

 

 

 

 

 

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[mysty]

Thanks Cam and J! Extremely frustrating with the one hour limit! Bermuda was wonderful! Delicious lunch! Pictures when we get home.

[jpalbny]

Hi JP,

 

I know you really enjoy your cars, and buy them and change them regularly. On the basis that you lose most of the cash in depreciation in the first year or two, have you ever considered really splurging on an all time dream car and simply keeping it and maintaining it? If so, if the car was say limited to just double the price of the cars you currently budget for, what would you buy?

 

If you had the choice between that car and a change in a couple of years of your current car .... why wouldn't you take the dream car?

 

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Interesting scenario. We do keep the cars that we buy outright for longer than it might seem. When we traded in our old convertibles (BMW M3 and Z4) for the current S5 (in 2012), we'd had them for 11 and 10 years. The S5 convertible is 5 years old now and we'll have that for at least another year, maybe 2, if the RS5 deal comes through.

 

Chris kept her last Audi for 8 years before we got her new S7 in 2014. My prior Audi was a leased vehicle, and the term expired right before I bought the S6 last year. Before that, I had kept my old BMW for 7 years. So, we don't buy them and trade them in every 2-3 years. I agree that this would get to be an expensive habit...and it might cut down on travel funds! :eek:

 

I haven't thought much about what I'd buy that's fancier or more expensive than these cars. Chris always wanted a Ferrari, but we both think that driving one around here would be ridiculously impractical. Plus we'd be buying new wheels and tires every month because the roads are terrible. Even our current cars have way more horsepower than we need to drive around here. And on the highway, it's so sad to have to drive at half of their top speed, knowing that when we drove them on the Autobahn, we could go so much faster...

 

I'm not ready for a more "luxurious" car like a BMW 7-series or a Mercedes S. I like the feel of the sportier suspension that the S6 and S7 have. So I wouldn't spend more for one of the higher end luxury models. Maybe the R8 Spyder convertible would be a fun one to take out for a drive...? But terribly impractical, even worse than our S-cars. So I'd feel silly spending twice what the S-cars cost, for something even more impractical.

 

Bed time. Too many calls in the middle of the night last night...time to hopefully sleep!

[tgh]

Of course there are diffrn't strokes for d..etc….

When my business supplied me with wheels, they were leased and the whole package was a substantial tax deduction.

Now I have to write out cheques, and it's not half as much fun...

[UKCruiseJeff]

Thanks JP,

 

I'd got the wrong impression that you changed every other year or so, and it sounds like you buy the perfect compromise between practical and cars of the heart. The terrible thing about buying an expensive new car is the pain of depreciation in the early years, but it makes way for that philosophical moment when you realise that you have lost all you are going to lose but the car is the same car you bought when new, but now their are no further losses to make so you may as well keep it and enjoy it. A rational calculation in our case would show that the cost per mile is much higher than if we'd used a chauffeur limo service, but it misses the point.

 

Hopefully you had a quieter night last night.

 

tgh, yes moving from provided cars to self provision is a pain. This particular car was yearned for at the same moment as a contract cancellation fee I collected from a client so wifey's rationale was that the car was free because the client cancelled a contract and the fee was almost exactly the cost of the car. So I get her point.

 

We've just returned from a short walk around the bay. Tonight is curry night with ham and cheese baguette for lunch.

 

 

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[jpalbny]

Jeff, I could see how you'd get that impression, with all the posts about going to Germany for another factory delivery... :D

 

Last night wasn't bad. They let me sleep until 5 which is pretty much normal. I was convinced that I'd be making an urgent trip back in yesterday evening but happily, that wasn't necessary. Because my plans were in flux we made a quick tortilla for dinner with potatoes, green pepper, and mushrooms. I grated a little manchego on top and finished with Hungarian hot paprika (from a small market in Budapest last year).

 

 

A little snow overnight. Looked pretty this morning on my way to pick up the newspaper. The drive in wasn't as pretty but oh well. Happy almost April!

 

 

Camillus112, the story of the Alfa Romeo in the snow...yikes. Snow tires. Glad I didn't take the summer car today!

 

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