The New Moon - Adventures in Greece - June 18th through July 8th

[BerlinCruisers]

We are booked on the July 28 cruise on the Moon and really looking forward to it. It's already our 6th cruise during the pandemic (being German we were lucky to have some German cruise lines (e.g. Hapag Lloyd) available who restarted last year). So we are well familiar to the current restrictions (masks, temperature checks, testing, contact tracing, no individual shore excursions on some routes, etc.) but also some advantages (mainly abundance of space due to limited passenger numbers and even more individual service).

 

All in all we feel that the whole cruise experience is not significantly impaired and we are happy that more and more cruise lines are sailing again.

 

P.S.: Are the "cooking classes" in S.A.L.T Lab included or offered for an extra charge? And is Kaiseki open for (sushi) lunch?

[bobolz]

Spins- Thanks again for taking the time out of your cruise to respond to questions from all of us who are so eager to cruise again. As stated before, I’m most anxious about the testing requirements prior and mid cruise. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees that vaccinated people won’t test positive, since breakthrough cases do occur. I’m assuming this latest mid cruise testing event resulted in no positive tests? I’m ok with wearing masks especially since they are giving us the freedom to explore independently at each of the ports. I think that would help reduce the risks of potential spread, if somehow vaccinated passengers were unfortunate to be one of those breakthrough cases. Im hoping these testing protocols will be lifted by the time we sail, but seems like testing is not creating any concerns for your cruise, which is great to hear. 

Continue enjoying your safe and healthy travel experience ! 





 

[spinnaker2]

There are cooking classes offered 2x a day gratis. Very small so one must reserve.

 

There is lunch in Kaisecki.

 

I am unaware of any positive cases revealed from testing.

 

Tonight is formal night and crew parade.

 

 

 

 

 

[MBP&O2/O]

I thought for some reason they had stopped the crew parade?? Obviously wrong …. Again 🙄

 

Was the Formal Night shown on  My Silversea ? We have a 12 night one (with a sea day) booked for the Spirit in late September and no Formal Nights are shown?

[bobolz]

MBP- we are on the cruise right b4 yours and we also don’t show any formal nights posted. I’m trying to schedule other restaurants so that we have an alternative to formal nights since we are not planning on bringing formal wear. 

 

Spins- when did you receive the formal night schedule? When you boarded or prior to the cruise? How many have you had so far and how many nights  is this cruise you’re on? 

 

Im hoping on a 12 night sailing that they are scheduling 1 for  the 2nd or 3rd night and the last one 2 nights before disembarking, but it sounds like this one is more mid cruise? 

 

Can anyone confirm whether the “for fee” restaurants la dame and seishin are formal if it’s a formal night onboard? 

 

Thanks again

[Stumblefoot]

1 hour ago, bobolz said:

Can anyone confirm whether the “for fee” restaurants la dame and seishin are formal if it’s a formal night onboard? 

Seishin is always informal, like La Terrazza, on formal nights, whereas La Dame will be formal.

[Gourmet Gal]

So which venues are formal on formal nights on the Moon?  Just Atlantide and La Dame along with the show lounge?

[bobolz]

Ok I checked and looks like these Greek cruises are 10 days so this formal night is on line with my assumptions that 2 nights b4 you disembark, assuming the first one is 2 nights after you embark. If anyone can confirm my assumptions that would be great. Still curious when they notify you of the formal nights. 

 

Thanks stumblefoot for confirming la dame is the only other formal restaurant on formal nights

 

 

 

[Herman The Cat]

6 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

I thought for some reason they had stopped the crew parade?? Obviously wrong …. Again 🙄

 

Was the Formal Night shown on  My Silversea ? We have a 12 night one (with a sea day) booked for the Spirit in late September and no Formal Nights are shown?

Go to mysilversea and take a look at the cruise calendar of activities that shows 5 days. Next to the date that they will have a formal night you will see a little icon of a bow tie. That is how they designate the formal nights. It only shows up on the view with a couple of days, not on the daily view by port. If they are not showing up, perhaps they have not designated the dates of the formal nights yet.

[Herman The Cat]

On the 10 day Greek cruises, the formal nights seem to be the second night and the second to last night.

[Stumblefoot]

2 hours ago, bobolz said:

Thanks stumblefoot for confirming la dame is the only other formal restaurant on formal nights.

You’re welcome, but to avoid any confusion my answer was just for the two venues that charge a fee you inquired about; Seishen and La Dame.

[spinnaker2]

From the bridgecam. Mykonos.

Beautiful sunny day with a stiff breeze.

We are hoping to get off to see the lions of Delos.

Last time we were here it was too rough to make it to that island.

 

From the quay below us lots of yelling as we gently come aside.

I imagine its guidance in Greek!

 

Breakfast in our suite this morning. 

The first time we haven't indulged at La Terrazza.

 

As a point of interest, room service menus are now on your suite interactive TV.

You aren't able to order on the TV yet, but there are no printed menus.

 

 

 

[Stumblefoot]

5 minutes ago, spinnaker2 said:

You aren't able to order on the TV yet...

That would be too easy.

[boccenana]

Love the photos Spins.

October seems so far away.

If you go to the Silvernote please give Kim and Didier a hello from Kimmy's Arizona Mom.

We adopted her on our last cruise.

[boccenana]

Oops, meant Didier the pianist.

[boccenana]

Stupid spelling check.....DIDI.

[sea bright]

This is the letter we got regarding the in transit protocol. Thought it might be of interest to those doing back to backs. Will follow up on how long it all takes.

 

We have heard that the 2nd cruise will be about 200 paasrngers as well (61 of which are in transit). Per today's Chronicles the  2nd leg will also have 2 formal nights (we had been told to expect 1). They are on 6/29 and 7/3.

The first leg has been the cruise of a lifetime and I expect the second leg (and probably  at least several cruises after that) to be similarly uncrowded and utterly amazing!!

[Capri73]

WOW I personally think this is awful.You are losing a day of your trip. No pool, no resturants,no walking around.Tested again.

This is a deal breaker for me.

[fdnycruiser]

Sea Bright, that’s so nice to hear !  Happy that’s it’s been so enjoyable 

[Gourmet Gal]

2 hours ago, Capri73 said:

WOW I personally think this is awful.You are losing a day of your trip. No pool, no resturants,no walking around.Tested again.

This is a deal breaker for me.

Really? That’s not what the letter says at all.  Why would the stated procedure be a deal-breaker for a B2B?  Perhaps re-read the letter.

[Observer]

3 hours ago, Capri73 said:

WOW I personally think this is awful.You are losing a day of your trip. No pool, no resturants,no walking around.Tested again.

This is a deal breaker for me.

  

I do not see how you conclude it's a day lost.  One can go ashore.  And they expect the sanitation process to be completed by noon, so if one does not take a tour or explore on one's own ashore the worst possibility -- distinctly a first world problem -- would be four hours in Panorama.  Where is the evidence for "no pool, no restaurants."  True, for perhaps as long as four hours (and I infer that one could spend the first of those four hours in a restaurant.)  But hardly a lost day IMHO. 

[Gourmet Gal]

21 minutes ago, Observer said:

  

I do not see how you conclude it's a day lost.  One can go ashore.  And they expect the sanitation process to be completed by noon, so if one does not take a tour or explore on one's own ashore the worst possibility -- distinctly a first world problem -- would be four hours in Panorama.  Where is the evidence for "no pool, no restaurants."  True, for perhaps as long as four hours (and I infer that one could spend the first of those four hours in a restaurant.)  But hardly a lost day IMHO. 

It also sounds like you can have a leisurely breakfast after 8:00 and then go to Panorama if not ashore so not even 4 hours there.  I don’t know what the usual procedure is on the B2B turn-around day but in the time of Covid this procedure seems reasonable.

[Observer]

7 minutes ago, Gourmet Gal said:

  I don’t know what the usual procedure is on the B2B turn-around day but in the time of Covid this procedure seems reasonable.

 In normal times on turnaround day one has the run of the ship, though some facilities may be closed (spa and sauna/steam, some bars that might otherwise be open, the pool for thorough cleaning/painting, etc.) One can stay in one's suite throughout normal turnaround days.  The major difference here is that they want to sanitize every suite, even the suites of B2B guests.

[bobolz]

Thanks Sea bright for the information about the formal nights. I could not help but notice that those dates don’t align with what I thought are the standard nights for formal nights, the first one seems aligned 2nd night(and first at sea day), but the 2nd formal night is on 6th day of a 10 day cruise, if I’m reading those dates correctly. The July 3rd date also appears to be on a day you are in port until 11 pm. Seems an odd choice for a formal night when people may choose to continue exploring the port town. 

 

Just hope that they give us more a heads up of the formal nights b4 we board so that we can schedule our alternative options accordingly.

 

thanks again sea bright for sharing your experiences as well. Continue to enjoy!

Edited June 28, 2021 by bobolz

[spinnaker2]

Morning. Dawn.

So quietly we tiptoe into port.

No noise to alert those who must leave.