Review, Panama Canal cruise, Silver Moon, 1/3/22-1/19/22, Ft. Lauderdale to Guayaquil

[les37b]

Superb review Catliover. Not much to disagree and your summaries well structured and easy to follow....

 

We were on the hotel runs and it was a little chaotic. I too had my carry on broken but what was by the driver or porters at the port.... They weren't seeking a tip! Good reminder as I still need to got that fixed! That said. I've seen worse.

 

Just picking up on Manta. I too noticed them taking Photos of every guest getting off which was a little strange. Didn't see the disinfectant trays. I managed to find the local Mall but agree it was somewhere I'd not return to.

 

The scenes after you left with the insistence of inspections with dogs of luggage belonging to the new guests before allowing them on, were mildly amusing. It was along the lines of your police presence on your excursion.... Which incidentally happened the previous day with the Whisper.

 

Thanks again for your time in doing this.

[les37b]

12 minutes ago, Catlover54 said:

DH was very happy when he discovered the aft hidden hot tub on the pool deck:

 

 

 

Hehe .. I didn't discover this on the Muse until departure day. Agree it's a gem.

[alc13]

7 hours ago, Catlover54 said:

I could not get the somm to tell me if he thought the included white or red in Atlantide would go best with my designated entree of choice (he seemed annoyed at the question).

Yikes...

 

We are trying Silversea for the first time in May, on an itinerary in Norway.  Your excellent review leaves me sad that the service and food might be less polished than we hope for.  Hapag Lloyd set the standard for us on a memorable cruise several years ago.  We've stuck to Cunard Grills mostly since then.

 

Thanks for the tip about asking for champagne and caviar in the room on a port day.

Edited January 22, 2022 by alc13

[Catlover54]

46 minutes ago, alc13 said:

Yikes...

 

We are trying Silversea for the first time in May, on an itinerary in Norway.  Your excellent review leaves me sad that the service and food might be less polished than we hope for.  Hapag Lloyd set the standard for us on a memorable cruise several years ago.  We've stuck to Cunard Grills mostly since then.

 

Thanks for the tip about asking for champagne and caviar in the room on a port day.

 

We cruised multiple times on Hapag Lloyd, my favorite as far as F&B on luxury lines (though the Crystal Endeavor food and somm in Iceland came close, when they had their top guys there).  

HL  restarted cruising summer of *2020*, but only with Germans, Austrians, Swiss.  'Foreigners' were not welcome until January 1, 2022, even if triple vaxxed, but it is unclear for me, as an American, how to comply with their documentation requirements for my still scheduled May cruise, or how they will treat foreigners if something goes wrong. They may be prone to blaming "the others."  I have a lot of FCC with them too.

 

The somms in all other venues besides Atlantide were pleasant and tried to be helpful, so don't lose hope because of what I wrote about my experience, and it is just one opinion from one cruise.  The somm may just have been having a bad day, or week, or have been told he is being sent home after his contract. It can't all be perfect even on luxury lines (and note I am also not one to pre-tip quietly  on the side,  which some pax do to get more attention and it can work, plus I was in a 'cheaper' suite). Even on HL, on one cruise on Europa 2, I had an unusual bizarre experience where the young hostile waiter insisted I could only have a soup OR an appetizer, not both (both had been delivered, by mistake),  when I joked would eat both because they looked so good , and we even had a borderline tug of war with a plate!  

 

You can order 'free' caviar every day if you want, not just on port days (I didn't, as it was not my favorite brand, and I was stuffed most of the time anyway).  We had also asked for a bottle of our favorite cruise spirits for our fridge, which we slowly took care of with ice from the bucket the butler repleted daily over the 16 days.  But you can have the butler bring you cocktails one by one too. 

 

The room attendant also took initiative and decided to organize the mess of eye glasses I had brought, somehow more than I intended to bring, as I was afraid to not have enough (sun and reading):  🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Catlover54]

Lunch in Atlantide had an excellent black forest cake special with real cream, not cool whip or pudding)

 

And here is the suite  caviar set-up, plus a salmon appetizer from Atlantide that was delicious:

 

 

[rkacruiser]

Catlover54, thank you for a very interesting, informative, and comprehensive review.  I appreciate your efforts!  

[schnapperin]

On 1/22/2022 at 2:19 AM, Catlover54 said:

 

We cruised multiple times on Hapag Lloyd, my favorite as far as F&B on luxury lines (though the Crystal Endeavor food and somm in Iceland came close, when they had their top guys there).  

HL  restarted cruising summer of *2020*, but only with Germans, Austrians, Swiss.  'Foreigners' were not welcome until January 1, 2022, even if triple vaxxed, but it is unclear for me, as an American, how to comply with their documentation requirements for my still scheduled May cruise, or how they will treat foreigners if something goes wrong. They may be prone to blaming "the others."  I have a lot of FCC with them too.

 

 

About HL - it should be easy to match the requirements if you arrive a few days before your cruise in the EU - you can get a EU digital vaccine pass at most pharmacies in Germany at least,  depending on the testing requirements of your departure country those should also be easy possible as there are a lot of testing places all over the EU for rapid antigen or PCR tests

 

 

[Catlover54]

23 hours ago, schnapperin said:

About HL - it should be easy to match the requirements if you arrive a few days before your cruise in the EU - you can get a EU digital vaccine pass at most pharmacies in Germany at least,  depending on the testing requirements of your departure country those should also be easy possible as there are a lot of testing places all over the EU for rapid antigen or PCR tests

 

 

The cruise starts in the Canary Islands, then goes to Bilbao, mid-May.  I am independent, and have not booked airfare yet because of Covid uncertainties, plus HL has become hard to communicate with (they used to answer emails within a few days, and address the topic, now they can take weeks and then dodge the topic and/or don't answer the phone -- some  Germans have also complained about this on social media; they may have moved their call center to Rumania) .

 

But if I go at all if Omicron is still limiting what we can do (and I would put up with the restrictions only  because it is the Ocean Sun Festival -- if that even runs --)   , now that I am retired, it might be worth first flying to Germany, visiting friends,  and doing what you suggest (assuming I can still get flights from Germany to Teneriffe) to make sure I can get what they require (short of the WHO passport).  I am a bit afraid that if something goes wrong, because I am a foreigner and not a EU resident, who was already treated as an "other" and excluded from HL cruising even when I was vaxxed early 2021 and their pax were not, that I will also be treated differently and with less concern for customer satisfaction if I do not dot all i's and cross all t's). I do not want to get quarantined in the Canary Islands.

[schnapperin]

The issue with nationality was more because of travel restrictions for each nationality and less as general „no foreigners“ issue. For example travel restrictions for non EU nationality were only dropped in the summer in Germany for the US 

 

Quarantine requirements won‘t matter which nationality you are - there are lots of reports of US Passholder needing to quarantine- it’s more the issue of new travel restrictions in case of a new variant (which happend with Omicron) 

Edited January 24, 2022 by schnapperin

[Catlover54]

Back to the Panama Canal cruise.  I now have more pictures sorted.

 

Will start at the beginning for the photo sequence, 1/3, in Fort Lauderdale.

 

Below, you see the (revised) itinerary.  

 

We checked in around 2, and had no lines, good distancing.  

 

We had a bottle of champagne  (Laurent-Perrier) welcoming us in our veranda suite when it was ready at 4.  The usual day to day complimentary champagnes are Pommeroy and Monopol.  We had had some champagne, and some creative cocktails (Painkiller) while waiting in the Dolce Vita bar, so saved the champagne.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 24, 2022 by Catlover54
Typo

[Catlover54]

We went for a self-tour of the ship, which we had never been on before, and were impressed with the modern, beautiful design and abundance of open public seating areas outside and inside.

 

The second and third pictures show the library areas (chairs are not usually lined up like that), the last two the Arts Cafe, inside and outside.

 

 

Edited January 24, 2022 by Catlover54
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[Catlover54]

Muster was simple (we watched a video on the in-room TV, then went to our station to get checked off).

 

The first two are the Panorama Lounge (outside and inside -- pardon the challenging lighting inside), where late at night a small band or guitarist played, and there was a small dance floor.

 

The fourth shows the hot tub aft deck 6 outside the gym and Zagora spa area (hours officially 6am -8pm, but the tub was often still netted off after 7 am).  There are lounge chairs nearby looking at the sea.

 

The gym had a nice ocean view, and was usually not crowded, but you are officially required to wear a mask even if no one is there. 

 

Edited January 24, 2022 by Catlover54
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[Catlover54]

 

The first photo (again with challenging lighting), shows inside of La Terraza. 

 

The second is the evening table at La Dame ($80 upcharge French restaurant), with an interesting half exposed bottle of wine incorporated into the table, and an elaborate decanter.

 

The first sunset of sailaway is always special on a cruise.

 

 

Edited January 24, 2022 by Catlover54
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[A Tucson Guy]

1 hour ago, Catlover54 said:

 

The first photo (again with challenging lighting), shows inside of La Terraza. 

 

The second is the evening table at La Dame ($80 upcharge French restaurant), with an interesting half exposed bottle of wine incorporated into the table, and an elaborate decanter.

 

The first sunset of sailaway is always special on a cruise.

 

 

 

75A234ED-D0C0-40B9-9CF1-2E9D8634B21E.MOV 22.32 MB · 0 downloads

Unless they changed, the upcharge is $60 PP.

[Catlover54]

 

You are absolutely correct, Tucson Guy, only $60 upcharge for La Dame, (and $40 for Kaiseki), thank you.

 

1/4/22 DAY 2, was a SEA DAY.  We slept in, and I fetched my cappucino from the 2 flights up Arts Cafe, and small bites for DH. Lunch was in the beautiful and quiet Atlantide on deck 4 with a sea view.  Hours are limited, but we appreciate its availability even with few people.  We had 2 enrichment lectures relating to cocoa and chocolate in the area (about 1/4 of the pax attended), which inspired more reading and a trip back to the Arts Cafe for cookies and cake.

 

The "free" laundry we had (not free for all but reasonably priced, e.g., $2.50 for underwear, upcharge for express) which the butler collected before 9AM was back by evening, even though you should allow 2 work days for routine orders. During Covid, there is less need to pay for express laundry or ironing as you'll likely it back the same day anyway.

 

DH also checked out the gym (masked) and I sat near the aft deck 6 tub nearby, listening to the sea, with no pounding music, just the mesmerizing ocean.  It was good to be back on a luxury ship (my last cruise was in November in a Sky Suite on Celebrity, and it was too loud for me in outside public areas). As noted before, no manicure (she was in quarantine), no massage.

 

The fourth picture shows the problem the TV had with chopping off the first letter of text. 

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by Catlover54
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[taxatty]

8 hours ago, Catlover54 said:

 

SS certainly provides the nicest extra box of masks/sanitizer cases--we took ours home from the Cloud and now are trying to figure out what to do with them--maybe small tablet holders? 

 

 

 

 

[Catlover54]

 

Taxatty, those cases are indeed nice and fit an ipad.  Also work for misc toiletries, receipts, and a combination of duct tape and mini desk supplies one should never travel without :).  SS also provided a medium waterproof backpack (we kept that) and a tote for the beach (big zipper compartment, inside a smaller zipper, decent quality).  I left that to give to another there because I already have so many cruise totes (the nicest collection is from Hapag Lloyd -- the logo is so subtle anyone can use it, and it has great comparments).

 

 

First picture: I was surprised that the Connoisseurs lounge is so pretty (there is inside and outside smoking allowed in a designated section only):

 

Second picture:  interesting illumination in the entertainment venue (Venetians Lounge)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by Catlover54
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[Catlover54]

1/5 -- DAY 3 -- COZUMEL, MEXICO

 

We came in early, and then boarded an annoying ferry (loud repetitive pounding music and ads, and unsteady waters for almost an hour before landing, , and then headed out for a one hour drive to the Tulum Mayan ruins on the mainland. I would have preferred to fly to Chichenitza to see ruins of this culture, and where they sacrificed human beings, and avoid a long bus drive, but the excursion was canceled.

 

You could tell quite quickly we were not in the US anymore when we checked out the pharmacy signs up front and a variety of medications were for sale without prescriptions, everything from narcotics to *****

 

 

 

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by Catlover54
Norm

[Catlover54]

Iguanas were abundant at Tulum, posing, checking us out, climbing on roofs, showing off their pedicures. Apparently iguana meat is desirable by locals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by Catlover54
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[Catlover54]

We had another crowded van ride, then a non-distanced lunch, another van ride, and finally a loud ferry ride back to Cozumel, and were greeted by the beautiful ship welcoming us with its illuminations and reflections in the sea.  We rested well that night and enjoyed the sunset, , despite dreams about the primitive Mayan alphabet our guide had shown us, and contemplation of what it would be like to live in a world where your head would get artificially narrowed with boards when you were a baby, to show your noble birth.  They also sharpened their teeth into point and inserted jade pieces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by Catlover54
Four

[Catlover54]

DAY 4, BELIZE CITY

 

We took an excellent excursion to Altun Ha Mayan ruins (best guide of the cruise, good bus AC and distancing, interesting uncrowded site), within a one hour ride of port.

A vendor near the entrance had a python and was marketing pictures with it, for a price 😳

 

Fitter people could climb up to the top of the ruins, (the tiny dots on the third picture on top are from SS, or you could stay low.

 

I preferred this set of ruins to Tulum.  Belize has a variety of other Mayan ruins to explore.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 26, 2022 by Catlover54
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[Catlover54]

At Altun Ha, DH got a bit carried away photographing local flora, shells incorporated into the rocks (several miles from the sea), the ruggedness of the walking steps, and some typical local poverty.

 

Someone else was showing off his baby crocodile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 26, 2022 by Catlover54
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[Catlover54]

Belize City and environs have some interesting and strange sights other than ruins of ancient failed civilizations, sights of man and nature, ancient and new.

I didn't expect a Harley Davidson Dealer at the pier, or an old cemetery with a road going through it (Yarborough), or men in hazmat suits with a gurney with a Covid suspect or contact  (also hazmatted but not on the gurney being hauled off the pier by authorities, holding up a bunch of Carvnival cruisers (and us) who wanted to tender back to their ships.

 

We were glad to return to the calm of the Moon on a pleasant evening for a stroll on the looping exercise track (fourth picture), a nice view of Spaccanopolli pizzaa restaurant, and another gorgeous sunset.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 26, 2022 by Catlover54
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[labrasett]

Great pics Catlover

[faucet]

Generally a good review.

Disappointed with the slow and intermittent internet, tv message system that frequently freezes and lack of thermostatic valve to protect you in the shower from temperature fluctuations.

Ship also deposits soot over the walking tack.

Our experience with duck in La Dame was positive!