Live on board Silhouette for a quick cruise to the Norwegian Fjords

[groryjm]

I have, on occasion, documented my cruise adventures on these boards but had decided not to this time in the light of @Jim_Iain ‘s fantastic writing’s… However in view of Jims sad news I will.

 

My Gastrognome and I had booked a CS on this little jaunt to the Fjords but having done three cruises last year in RSs and a PH I decided to bid on a move up. Not a big bid but a couple of weeks ago our number came up so we are back in an RS for this one. We have cruised in the Fjords before with our daughter and my amazing mother in law, “Dame Judy”. My daughter is now too tied up with her masters and sadly my mother in law passed away last year so this will be just the two of us.

 

We had 9 cruises cancelled in the pandemic and the three we managed last year were on nearly empty ships at 50% capacity. From what I hear this one is likely to be nearly full so we are a little wary.

 

The whole testing before we board process has been very tense and my Gastrognome will tell you I have not been the easiest to live with but all is now well as our negative test results were in yesterday and all is now go.

 

Packing is nearly done and just about to take the cats to pussy prison.

 

Hope to be on board in 23 hours 🍸🍹🍷🍺🥂🧉🥃🍾😎

[Jim_Iain]

Yahooo... I'm pulling up a chair and will enjoy our missed cruise through your eyes.  

 

If you see us being hauled off the ship in hazmat outfits wave.   LOL.   Actually they have told us the UK has NO Law requiring isolation, but will be in isolation until I can test myself negative to protect others.  They won't even test us again nor give us test kits.    Thankfully I have a bunch with me.

 

Do you know if you can buy them at any pharmacy?    I have plenty of the proctored ones but don't want to waste them.    I only have 2 of the non-proctored ones.

 

I got a nice AirBnB and have rented a car so we can enjoy Southampton and possibly Isle of Wight.

[jwlane]

6 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Do you know if you can buy them at any pharmacy?   

Sorry to hear of your misfortune!  Looks like tests are readily available at Boots.

[groryjm]

6 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

... Do you know if you can buy them at any pharmacy?   ...... 

 

Most pharmacys may have them but since our NHS stopped giving them away for free the available supplies have been a bit erratic 

[groryjm]

For those who remember some of my previous posts I do have a thing for cocktails and most certainly a few drinks pictures will appear here too. In fact over the last few days I have been posting a count down on our roll call. You now the sort of thing. A picture of thunderbird five 5 nights before sailing Thunderbird Four 4 nights before and so on . A few years ago I did my traditional countdown with posed Pillow chocolates. Well during the long lockdown of 2020 I made and posted a pic of a different cocktail every night. I got to over a 100 too.

 

So my count down this year was a different cocktail for each of 7 nights using spirits and liqueurs available on board. I won’t bore you all with the nights you’ve missed but tonight is the night before we cruise and as the cats are in now prison and it is 5 O’clock …….

 

For the Night before we board I will make me a Bijou

 

 

30ml gin, 30ml Sweet Vermouth, 30ml Green Chartreuse and a couple of dashes of orange bitters. Stir with ice and strain into a chilled Nick and Nora. Ideally if done properly the glass should be rimed with the expressed zest of a lemon and garnished with a Maraschino cherry

 

This drink recipe is adapted from Harry Johnson's 1900 Bartender's Manual 😎

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed my little count down but please don’t pester the bar staff too much the work very hard and do an amazing job.

The one bar I would recommend where they can make decent cocktails is the World Class bar and probably one of the few bars that will actually have fresh lemon or lime rather than the ubiquitous sours mix.

Most important I would recommend you try something you’ve not had before. If you don’t like it you can always order something else… Isn’t that what the premium Beverage package is for? 😎

[raudacruise]

Thanks so much for starting this live review. (I’ve been following Jim_Iain.) Looking forward to learning about Norway. And cocktails. I like World Class bar too.🍸

 

[groryjm]

….And finally I can relax. The Cases are all packed, all the paperwork and test certificates are in order and with a drink in hand thoughts turn to ordering a pizza. We have been isolating for the last 10 days and surviving out of the fridge and freezer. Don’t get me wrong my Gastrognome is an excellent cook but pizza is what we traditionally order the night before sailing. No washing up 😉  .

 

The whole pre cruises testing scenario has been a stressful time and I think with the way the UK is handling Covid now hasn’t helped. With no enforced isolation or mask wearing it makes travelling a bit more daunting as this is one of the few times we still need to test  

 

Our voluntary pre cruise isolation had taken those around us a bit by surprise. We are only going for 7 nights so are not too worried about going positive but will try to mask and distance as much as possible. The stairs will do me good. Our next cruise in 65 days on Reflection is 11 days so a little more of a worry.

[groryjm]

12 minutes ago, raudacruise said:

Thanks so much for starting this live review. (I’ve been following Jim_Iain.) Looking forward to learning about Norway. And cocktails. I like World Class bar too.🍸

 

I will try very hard to give a good and in depth study at the World Class Bar. It's going to be hard work but I will strugle through the menus and off book for the good of this comunity 🍸🍷🍾😎 

[Azulann]

So glad to follow along on your cruise. I am loving your cocktail and bar setup. 

During COVD initial lockdown back in March 2020, I decided to start making cocktails instead of drinking wine at happy hour. 

I am pretty good at a gin martini,  sidecar, and apppletini.

 Look forward to your study of the World Class bar .

Edited April 29, 2022 by Azulann

[pretty princess]

Thank you for doing this review in light of Jim’s misfortune.  I have followed your previous adventures and look forward to this one.  Hadn’t realized England had no isolation protocols!  Stay safe and be well.  Enjoy!

[NBliving]

53 minutes ago, groryjm said:

For those who remember some of my previous posts I do have a thing for cocktails and most certainly a few drinks pictures will appear here too. In fact over the last few days I have been posting a count down on our roll call. You now the sort of thing. A picture of thunderbird five 5 nights before sailing Thunderbird Four 4 nights before and so on . A few years ago I did my traditional countdown with posed Pillow chocolates. Well during the long lockdown of 2020 I made and posted a pic of a different cocktail every night. I got to over a 100 too.

 

So my count down this year was a different cocktail for each of 7 nights using spirits and liqueurs available on board. I won’t bore you all with the nights you’ve missed but tonight is the night before we cruise and as the cats are in now prison and it is 5 O’clock …….

 

For the Night before we board I will make me a Bijou

 

 

30ml gin, 30ml Sweet Vermouth, 30ml Green Chartreuse and a couple of dashes of orange bitters. Stir with ice and strain into a chilled Nick and Nora. Ideally if done properly the glass should be rimed with the expressed zest of a lemon and garnished with a Maraschino cherry

 

This drink recipe is adapted from Harry Johnson's 1900 Bartender's Manual 😎

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed my little count down but please don’t pester the bar staff too much the work very hard and do an amazing job.

The one bar I would recommend where they can make decent cocktails is the World Class bar and probably one of the few bars that will actually have fresh lemon or lime rather than the ubiquitous sours mix.

Most important I would recommend you try something you’ve not had before. If you don’t like it you can always order something else… Isn’t that what the premium Beverage package is for? 😎

This will be fun!  Thanks for picking up the baton from @Jim_Iain and live posting.  I want to do a baltic cruise for our 40th anniversary in a few years, so will enjoy a preview.  We agree with your philosophy to try something new since we have a drink package! And my husband loves the World Class Bar.  He likes Manhattens and on the Reflection in November the bartender used him as a guinea pig to try out new versions he was creating!!

Bon voyage!

 

[raudacruise]

29 minutes ago, groryjm said:

I will try very hard to give a good and in depth study at the World Class Bar. It's going to be hard work but I will strugle through the menus and off book for the good of this comunity 🍸🍷🍾😎 

Appreciate your willingness to take one for the cause!

[AidenL]

I’m planning to try some new and different drinks on this cruise myself too! 👍

[scrapcreator]

Thank you for taking up the mantle and carrying on. Looking forward to your reports.

 

We discovered the WCB on our February Silhouette cruise “The Last of the Masked Cruises” and would stop there after the show to enjoy a Zacapa Old Fashion.

 

After reading some of the updates today, we may need a Nick and Nora tonight.

Edited April 29, 2022 by scrapcreator

[Jim_Iain]

6 hours ago, jwlane said:

Sorry to hear of your misfortune!  Looks like tests are readily available at Boots.

Great -- thanks I'll grab some.

[groryjm]

Pizza eaten, Bags packed. Coffee and a Calvados then bed for tomorrow we sail. Alarms for 8.30 then a short drive to the port……

 

Edited April 29, 2022 by groryjm

[Provence55always]

Love your style…..is that for a 7 night cruise😂😂😉😉

[zap99]

29 minutes ago, groryjm said:

Pizza eaten, Bags packed. Coffee and a Calvados then bed for tomorrow we sail. Alarms for 8.30 then a short drive to the port……

 

We are on Silhouette to the Fjords in July and are also from Surrey. DW said ' how many bottles of wine are we allowed to take'. We have the drinks package, darling. Oh !. Do they do mudslides?. ..we will be watching your posts intently. Have a good trip.

[groryjm]

8 minutes ago, Provence55always said:

Love your style…..is that for a 7 night cruise😂😂😉😉

Just 7 nights.... 

Being only an hours drive from the port and parking next to the makes a cruise out of Southampton a wonderful luxury 😎

[chemmo]

1 hour ago, groryjm said:

Just 7 nights.... 

Being only an hours drive from the port and parking next to the makes a cruise out of Southampton a wonderful luxury 😎

Sincere best wishes for a fantastic cruise, we cruised Norway 2016 at a similar time of year and had fantastic weather, I hope you have the same!

We were on Silhouette in September and loved it! Our favourite S class ship. The Porch is an ideal spot for lunch, it seemed to be open most lunchtimes on our cruise. We also found Tuscan wonderful on evenings we were cruising out from a Fjord…sightseeing whilst dining! You might as well make the most of the included speciality dining!

 

[peanut head]

Thank you for taking us along!

[Lastdance]

It always amazes me how fast things change, but also that others pick up the slack...thanks!

 

 

[Redking]

12 hours ago, groryjm said:

For those who remember some of my previous posts I do have a thing for cocktails and most certainly a few drinks pictures will appear here too. In fact over the last few days I have been posting a count down on our roll call. You now the sort of thing. A picture of thunderbird five 5 nights before sailing Thunderbird Four 4 nights before and so on . A few years ago I did my traditional countdown with posed Pillow chocolates. Well during the long lockdown of 2020 I made and posted a pic of a different cocktail every night. I got to over a 100 too.

 

So my count down this year was a different cocktail for each of 7 nights using spirits and liqueurs available on board. I won’t bore you all with the nights you’ve missed but tonight is the night before we cruise and as the cats are in now prison and it is 5 O’clock …….

 

For the Night before we board I will make me a Bijou

 

 

30ml gin, 30ml Sweet Vermouth, 30ml Green Chartreuse and a couple of dashes of orange bitters. Stir with ice and strain into a chilled Nick and Nora. Ideally if done properly the glass should be rimed with the expressed zest of a lemon and garnished with a Maraschino cherry

 

This drink recipe is adapted from Harry Johnson's 1900 Bartender's Manual 😎

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed my little count down but please don’t pester the bar staff too much the work very hard and do an amazing job.

The one bar I would recommend where they can make decent cocktails is the World Class bar and probably one of the few bars that will actually have fresh lemon or lime rather than the ubiquitous sours mix.

Most important I would recommend you try something you’ve not had before. If you don’t like it you can always order something else… Isn’t that what the premium Beverage package is for? 😎

👌I think I might enjoy your posts. Been dabbling with mixology for about 12 months with varying levels of success. Happy cruising!

[h20cruzer]

Fred, excited to follow your review, always wanted to do this itinerary  but never seem to get around it.

so shocked Jim tested positive, he has been so careful. I couldn’t take it any more yesterday I booked a last minute Alaska cruise Vancouver BC to Seward and back to Vancouver BC.

I have such angst about the test now. Will not leave the house till I am ready to go to the airport next Thursday for my 2 hr flight.

I do love the World Class Bar!!!!! Not sure if I will,do a review this time, sailing Royal Caribbean Radiance of the seas.

Got a little off track hope your embarkation goes smoothly and you are at the bar in no time.

Norma H20cruzer

[groryjm]

1 hour ago, Redking said:

👌I think I might enjoy your posts. Been dabbling with mixology for about 12 months with varying levels of success. Happy cruising!

I used to play at making a few cocktails in the 80's but hadn't much again until after a cruise a few years ago when I tried to recreate a drink from the Molecular Bar.

 

The secret is to be repeatable. In the Martini Bar they put on a great show and free pour. This takes a lot of practice and for some recipies it is very difficult to be accurate and thus consistent. In the World Class Bar they jigger which is far easier to produce an identical drink time after time. If you keep notes, mental or otherwise, of any tweaks or changes you make then good drinks that are repeatable are not outside the realm of possibility for the home bartender... Oh and a good source book helps too😎

 

Sorry to go off but mixology is a passion for me.  🍸🍹🍷🥂

Edited April 30, 2022 by groryjm