Whisper: May 3 to June 2

[zqtchas]

From DCA on American to Boston to Tokyo on Japan Air.

All went well especially since wife damaged knee and we wheelchaired

thru terminals. Breezed thru Tokyo P/P control with some prep help from 

Les. Stayed overnight at the Conrad Hilton. Fortunately they accepted our

self test made from our room the night before.

 

First 2 days at sea were cold, rainy damp and cloudy. Locals have been very 

friendly. Bar waiter remembered our favorite drink. 

Big disappointment in food department. Desserts are being tampered with.

The famous pistachio ice cream is being reformulated , and not for the better,

(think cheaper) the chocolate syrup over the ice cream is thinner, chocolate treats 

after dinner are cheaper and even the cookies are changing. (Not for the better).

People new to SS won’t notice, but those of us who have been here awhile should.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2023 by zqtchas

[mysty]

53 minutes ago, zqtchas said:

From DCA on American to Boston to Tokyo on Japan Air.

All went well especially since wife damaged knee and we wheelchaired

thru terminals. Breezed thru Tokyo P/P control with some prep help from 

Les. Stayed overnight at the Conrad Hilton. Fortunately they accepted our

self test made from our room the night before.

 

First 2 days at sea were cold, rainy damp and cloudy. Locals have been very 

friendly. Bar waiter remembered our favorite drink. 

Big disappointment in food department. Desserts are being tampered with.

The famous pistachio ice cream is being reformulated , and not for the better,

(think cheaper) the chocolate syrup over the ice cream is thinner, chocolate treats 

after dinner are cheaper and even the cookies are changing. (Not for the better).

People new to SS won’t notice, but those of us who have been here awhile should.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope your weather improves Chas!  Happy to hear that the in transit worked well!  Have a glorious sail!  🥰

[Stumblefoot]

Glad to read that you made it to Japan and are back on SS.  Have you seen any cherry blossoms yet, or is it too late already?  Maybe in the far north?

[WesW]

Fair Winds and Following Seas Charles & Elaine. 

 

One of the first things I noticed about the Deserts, i.e., Chocolate Chip Cookies on board the Cloud in March/April was the recipe for CChip cookies they used March 7th  was not good to be polite.  At lunch on March 8th had a brief chat with the outstanding Cloud Restaurant Manager, Joe Rebello about these cardbpard Cchip cookies, by March 9th the Pastry Chef was using a different receipe that produced delicious Cchip treats.

[Host Jazzbeau]

53 minutes ago, WesW said:

Fair Winds and Following Seas Charles & Elaine. 

 

One of the first things I noticed about the Deserts, i.e., Chocolate Chip Cookies on board the Cloud in March/April was the recipe for CChip cookies they used March 7th  was not good to be polite.  At lunch on March 8th had a brief chat with the outstanding Cloud Restaurant Manager, Joe Rebello about these cardbpard Cchip cookies, by March 9th the Pastry Chef was using a different receipe that produced delicious Cchip treats.

It's good to know that the 'stripes' still have the power to fix things.  When we start hearing "because Miami says so" that will be the end of Silversea.

[zqtchas]

5 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

Glad to read that you made it to Japan and are back on SS.  Have you seen any cherry blossoms yet, or is it too late already?  Maybe in the far north?

Too late for the blossoms.

Edited May 7, 2023 by zqtchas

[zqtchas]

3 hours ago, WesW said:

Fair Winds and Following Seas Charles & Elaine. 

 

One of the first things I noticed about the Deserts, i.e., Chocolate Chip Cookies on board the Cloud in March/April was the recipe for CChip cookies they used March 7th  was not good to be polite.  At lunch on March 8th had a brief chat with the outstanding Cloud Restaurant Manager, Joe Rebello about these cardbpard Cchip cookies, by March 9th the Pastry Chef was using a different receipe that produced delicious Cchip treats.

Thanks for the tip. Saying something has worked in the past. Am hoping it works this time. The RM & FB improved things in the past on this ship last Xmas & NY. l noticed the cookie difference back then.

[zqtchas]

FYI for those who don’t know, the Conrad lobby starts on deck 28. Our room was on deck 31.

[zqtchas]

Signed up for another cruise over the holidays year end.

Had a quote last January and now the price for the same one 

is up $4,000.00 each.

[mysty]

13 minutes ago, zqtchas said:

Signed up for another cruise over the holidays year end.

Had a quote last January and now the price for the same one 

is up $4,000.00 each.

 

Prices are definitely higher!  Which ship Chas?  I'm selfishly hoping it's the one we're on! 🥰

[Stumblefoot]

4 hours ago, mysty said:

Which ship Chas?  I'm selfishly hoping it's the one we're on!

He took @Randyk47's suite.  SS made a cool extra $4K in the matter of day.

[zqtchas]

10 hours ago, mysty said:

 

Prices are definitely higher!  Which ship Chas?  I'm selfishly hoping it's the one we're on! 🥰

The Dawn. It’s was the same cabin. 

[tmichael28]

We just got off Whisper on May 5 in Tokyo after 16 days. Completely agree on your food comments. Worst it has ever been on Silversea for us. 

[zqtchas]

Another pretty bouquet on the ship.

[zqtchas]

Dinner tonight was very good. Special was prime rib and service has been also  very good. Left Japanese waters so the masks on staff have come off. Rough seas expected again tonight on the way to Dutch Harbor. Clocks ahead 2 hours tonight.

Edited May 10, 2023 by zqtchas

[RachelG]

At Dutch Harbor, check out the WWII museum if you have any interest in that sort of thing at all.  It is small but really interesting.

[spinnaker2]

The Orthodox Church is worth visiting, the building is stark against the landscape and you get to dodge the eagles as you walk up. Our guide related some of the recent poignant and painful history of WWII when many of the locals were relocated to “camps”, prompting me to buy the book “When the wind was a river”.

There are still bunkers around the town.  

The horizon is dotted with volcanic cones with blown out tops which surround the harbor. These speak to the highly volatile Ring of Fire. 

Edited May 10, 2023 by spinnaker2

[zqtchas]

5 hours ago, RachelG said:

At Dutch Harbor, check out the WWII museum if you have any interest in that sort of thing at all.  It is small but really interesting.

Thanks. Was reading about that. I see as a vet I get free entry.

[zqtchas]

Another first for me in over 650 days……

 

The other morning we are getting on the elevator heading for a tour.  I see a couple coming so I hold the door. He gets on and holds the elevator door open while chatting with his wife. He goes back and forth a few times. So l said to him make up your mind, on or off? He turns to me and threatens to pound me and says “ me wife don’t even talk to me like that” . I saw him leaving the restaurant last night upset for being refused entry for no jacket.

 

[mysty]

29 minutes ago, zqtchas said:

Another first for me in over 650 days……

 

The other morning we are getting on the elevator heading for a tour.  I see a couple coming so I hold the door. He gets on and holds the elevator door open while chatting with his wife. He goes back and forth a few times. So l said to him make up your mind, on or off? He turns to me and threatens to pound me and says “ me wife don’t even talk to me like that” . I saw him leaving the restaurant last night upset for being refused entry for no jacket.

 

 

WOW!  That was rude!  Seems some passengers are a tad twitchy!  Hope he's out of your range now!

 

[Lois R]

33 minutes ago, zqtchas said:

Another first for me in over 650 days……

 

The other morning we are getting on the elevator heading for a tour.  I see a couple coming so I hold the door. He gets on and holds the elevator door open while chatting with his wife. He goes back and forth a few times. So l said to him make up your mind, on or off? He turns to me and threatens to pound me and says “ me wife don’t even talk to me like that” . I saw him leaving the restaurant last night upset for being refused entry for no jacket.

 

WOW is right😮.........I agree with Mysty and I hope you don't run into him again!  He actually threatened you? OMG!

[A Tucson Guy]

35 minutes ago, zqtchas said:

Another first for me in over 650 days……

 

The other morning we are getting on the elevator heading for a tour.  I see a couple coming so I hold the door. He gets on and holds the elevator door open while chatting with his wife. He goes back and forth a few times. So l said to him make up your mind, on or off? He turns to me and threatens to pound me and says “ me wife don’t even talk to me like that” . I saw him leaving the restaurant last night upset for being refused entry for no jacket.

 

Another good reason for us not taking the elevator- we like/need the exercise!!

[jpalbny]

3 hours ago, zqtchas said:

Another first for me in over 650 days……

 

The other morning we are getting on the elevator heading for a tour.  I see a couple coming so I hold the door. He gets on and holds the elevator door open while chatting with his wife. He goes back and forth a few times. So l said to him make up your mind, on or off? He turns to me and threatens to pound me and says “ me wife don’t even talk to me like that” . I saw him leaving the restaurant last night upset for being refused entry for no jacket.

 

 

Wow! Quel Richard....

[Stumblefoot]

11 hours ago, zqtchas said:

Clocks ahead 2 hours tonight.

Yikes!  Stumble, the night owl, would not like that at all.
 

3 hours ago, zqtchas said:

I saw him leaving the restaurant last night upset for being refused entry for no jacket.

Probably the same guy I saw whip out a Franklin and slam it into the maître d's palm when told it would be a roughly 15-minute wait for a table in The Restaurant before storming out of the venue.  One of the ugliest Americans I’d ever seen.

[LDaQuirm]

Was a bit challenging on Whisper last night probably because our suite is right at the bow thankfully Oliver in the bar had set us up to sleep! 

 

Personally we're finding the food onboard way better than Muse over Christmas although they have run out of fresh strawberries already.. Despite Kushiro being a centre for fruit production..