LIVE FROM THE NOVA-Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver

[ak1004]

22 minutes ago, RetiredandTravel said:

We contacted our TA prior .  Seems very easy.  Its our first SS cruise so I'll tell you in 5 weeks if it worked. 😁

 

 

 

Just sent an email to our TA. We sail before you, so will tell you 😁

[agape01]

Going on my first SS cruise this coming fall and would like to ask whether is Butler service still allocated for one butler to one stateroom? 

[Observer]

Butlers service multiple state rooms.  I think the number is around a dozen. It may vary according to staffing levels and occupancy levels. It is important to recognize this reality and not to imagine that the butler is there to service you exclusively. 

[Gourmet Gal]

3 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

Just sent an email to our TA. We sail before you, so will tell you 😁

Are you on the F1 sailing?  If so I’ll look for the non-drinker swilling sparkling l’aqua minerale!

[ak1004]

1 hour ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Are you on the F1 sailing?  If so I’ll look for the non-drinker swilling sparkling l’aqua minerale!

Haha!! No, one prior (May 6th)

[BBGrace273]

5 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

Just sent an email to our TA. We sail before you, so will tell you 😁

Neither of your future cruises are on the Nova, correct? I'm interested in hearing about this "working" on the Nova, before I sail in Sept. I'm interested to see the likelihood of my request to my TA happening.

[ak1004]

1 hour ago, BBGrace273 said:

Neither of your future cruises are on the Nova, correct? I'm interested in hearing about this "working" on the Nova, before I sail in Sept. I'm interested to see the likelihood of my request to my TA happening.

 

No, not Nova. But the process should be the same for all ships.

[BBGrace273]

16 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

No, not Nova. But the process should be the same for all ships.

True... but "should" and "will be" are often not the same.  😊  A lot of the threads on here are how different ships seem to be having way different prorocols/standards. Just trying to be proactive, to see if I need to lug a case of soda water on board for myself.  😆

[Port Power]

8 hours ago, BBGrace273 said:

True... but "should" and "will be" are often not the same.  😊  A lot of the threads on here are how different ships seem to be having way different prorocols/standards. Just trying to be proactive, to see if I need to lug a case of soda water on board for myself.  😆

Ships will always have soda water. It is required for mixing with whiskey!  It might be post soda water, but still acceptable.  Soda water is quite different to sparkling water or sparkling mineral water, though.

 

Anyway, let’s stop hijacking @flyers trip report.

[flyers]

To carry on from where I left off. We finally were able to tryout Kaiseki and it did not disappoint. If you like Asian Fusion Cuisine you are going to love Kaiseki with hot Sake to enjoy. The $60 pp charge is the only downside to this restaurant but at least try it once. Have not tried the lunch at Kaiseki for which there is no charge but have been told that the Menu is not the same!

Lunch and dinner at La Terrazza continues to disappoint so will stay away from that venue when ever possible.

Wednesday night was dinner at Atlantide with new friends and again the food and selection was very good  especially with the always available Lobster Tail and Chilean seabass.

Thursday night was Birthday night for one of our party and we splashed out with dinner at La Dame for her. It was excellent, we started with Osetra Cavier (the real stuff) followed by a Seafood Salad with Dover Sole being our main dish and matching wines and Champaign were served with each course. Desert was a souffle followed by after dinner liquors. The interesting thing about this dinner is that we were the only table in the restaurant sad really when so much attention has been lavished on La Dame but I suspect that at $160.00 pp not many will come here. Hopefully Silversea will reconsider this excessive charge so that more guest can and will be able to enjoy such an outstanding meal and ambience with wonderful service to boot!

The weather continues to be fair with no rain but very hot conditions well into the 90`s in Costa Rica and the humidity feels like 100%. Sea Conditions are generally calm with a slight swell which does give us the odd gently rolling motion.

 We have had one Formal Optional night on the 17th with one more to follow on the 28th.   Everyone that we saw were either wearing a DJ or a suit and Tie and the women were all nicely dressed but few wore Formal Gowns.

 

 With regards to every day dress its generally Elegantly Casual and  most men have been wearing a jacket in the evening with an open necked shirt or a long sleeved dress shirt .I have not seen anyone in Jeans or similar casual attire on this cruise possibly because with the cost of a 23-day cruise most of the guests who can afford it and are more elderly prefer to dress to match the occasion. 

[Gourmet Gal]

Flyers, thanks so much for the details of this interesting itinerary.  Just a couple quick questions…my Japanese friends have taught me to steer clear of hot sake. Sake is usually served heated when it is of poor quality.  Are there any better or upgraded sakes available in Kaiseki, such as ginjo or daiginjo?  Also, is the meal an actual Kaiseki dinner with all the traditional courses and seasonal garnishes (6 courses or more)?

[flyers]

Hi Gourmet Gal, Here are the menus`s for Kaiseki.Unfortunately I have no information on the drinks available from Kaiseki however the Sake is very good whether hot or cold.

[Gourmet Gal]

16 minutes ago, flyers said:

Hi Gourmet Gal, Here are the menus`s for Kaiseki.Unfortunately I have no information on the drinks available from Kaiseki however the Sake is very good whether hot or cold.

Thanks for posting this.  The menu definitely has the elements of a Kaiseki meal with the difference being in the service.  Rice is a separate course in the traditional Kaiseki dinner.  Good to know about the sake.

[sea bright]

Gourmet Gal - we enjoyed Kaiseki on the Nova (went once in 20 days), but it is not a traditional Kaiseki dinner. If you think of it as a Japanese themed menu you will be less likely to be disappointed. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

16 minutes ago, sea bright said:

Gourmet Gal - we enjoyed Kaiseki on the Nova (went once in 20 days), but it is not a traditional Kaiseki dinner. If you think of it as a Japanese themed menu you will be less likely to be disappointed. 

Maybe they should call it 'Kaisekish' 😁

[drron29]

That Kaiseki menu on the Nova looks much better than the Moon and Dawn. We won’t pay the supplement for dinner on those ships 

The Muse is different being Teppanyaki for dinner so we do have dinner there occasionally.

[BBGrace273]

I keep meaning to ask a favor, @flyers and @jollyjones. The next time you are at any of the bars, could you check if they have Green Chartreuse on board anymore?  All the best, and hope you are both really enjoying yourselves.

[flyers]

"could you check if they have Green Chartreuse on board anymore?  All the best, and hope you are both really enjoying yourselves."

•  
• Quote
•  I will ask around for you I know that they have Green Creme de Menthe but don`t know about the Chartreuse!.
•  

[flyers]

As the days go by it all seems to blend into one. We are now at day 14 according to the Chronicles and last night was the Venetian Society Party with over 400 society members present in the Venetian Lounge with the usual recognition of those with many days including one couple with well over a thousand days and 31 years of sailing Silverseas.

I guess some people just don`t have a life outside of cruising!

We continue to avoid La Terrazza and find Salt and Atlantide are our normal choice with Silver Note thrown in twice for a change. The food in these restaurants have been consistently good and judging by how busy they have become most guests are recognizing this also.

The everyday wines have also been very good and we have been able to specify a wide choice with the best being from France,Australia,South Africa,California and even a very nice soft white from Austria.

The seas continue to be very calm and presently at 18,5 kts you hardly know that the ship is moving. Tomorrow is Puerto Vallarta and after two sea days a Port Day is a welcome change.

Unfortunately, on sea days certain areas of the ship such as the Gym and Spa facilities become overcrowded .....which is strange that the designers of a new ship did not recognize that these are areas that are more and more used as people have become more health conscious. Frankly a rabbit would be very at home in the Nov`s claustrophobic Spa area.....It definitely reminds me of a rabbit burrow! 700+ persons on a ship and there is only one shower in each of the male and female changing rooms and sauna/steam facilities. It is overcrowded when there is more than one person in either?.....It is the smallest of any Silversea ships that I have been on.

Another area that is going to be a major concern when the ship is in Alaska is deck 10 the Grill, the Pool area, the Pool Bar almost all open to the elements.

 Rain tends to shut everything down on this deck including the Marque/Grill area which is totally uncovered except for a small area on the stbd. side.

I know that Silversea is aware of these short comings so no doubt there is a plan afoot  to make some changes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Gourmet Gal]

I don’t understand the Marquee area either.  I’ll be on Nova circumnavigating Japan in late March, April and that area could be vastly under-utilized.  Some sort of retractable roof would have made more sense.  On rainy, cold evenings there will be more pressure on the other dining venues.

 

Spa and gym space should be a no-brainer now and for the past 20 years.

Edited April 29 by Gourmet Gal

[highplanesdrifters]

15 hours ago, flyers said:

guess some people just don`t have a life outside of cruising

 

Some people have second and third homes. Others dont want the hassle and choose the sea.  😃

 

Thanks for the report!

[flyers]

Well its Tuesday and we have just departed from Puerto Vallarta. It was a beautiful clear day with temperatures in the 70`s, a big improvement from the hot humid conditions that we experienced from our earlier ports. Unfortunately, it was interrupted mid morning by the arrival of the Carnival Panorama with 4,000+ guests who simply took over the facilities and forced many of us to withdraw back to the Nova. Maybe Carnival should rename the ship 'the paranormal' after the way her passengers behaved. Makes one appreciate how lucky we all are to be on a 'normal' Silversea Ship!  

[flyers]

 

Ok BBGrace273  found your Chartreuse. It seems to be available in only one Bar on the ship namely the Salt Bar forward on deck 10 which seems to have a wide assortment of different drinks. I even tried tasting it and my only comment is that it has to be an acquired taste. Reminds me of the very strong drink that the French like in Paris namely Absinthe which they mix with water. 

Today we are in Cabo San Lucas in gorgeous weather low humidity and temperatures right now in the 60`sF.

Last night was our second dinner in Kaiseki and it did not disappoint although it was almost empty with only two tables occupied.

Tonight, we are in Cabo until 11 pm so we will have our second dinner at the Marque/Grill  to enjoy the favorable temperatures and try hot rocks for the second time, taking advantage of the stationery ship.

There has been a young female saxophonist playing at the Dusk bar in the evenings and while she is very good, when the ship is moving the wind whipping around the Stern deck makes this venue pretty much unusable as a result there is seldom anyone there.

 Again, one has to question how the Nova will handle Alaska as she is definitely a ship designed for hot weather. I hope that those who are planning to be on board in that area will report on how Silversea`s will handle the short comings of the Nova in the coming months.

We are booked on the Nova again next year April, for a B2B Tokyo to Tokyo,Tokyo to Vancouver and frankly are in two minds as to whether to keep or cancel this booking as a result of these 23 days on board.

We are trying the 'New' Crystal Serinity in November from Barbados to Fort Lauderdale and maybe as a result of that will decide whether to retain the Nova booking.

 

 

[BBGrace273]

Oh, YAY!!! Thanks, @flyers. Don't go drinking it all now. ☺️I don't drink it plain often, but it is phenomenal in a Last Word (equal parts: lime juice, maraschino liquor, and green chartreuse) as well as a Love and Murder (ep: lime juice, Campari, and the G.C.) among others. Less black licorice than absinthe. If they have Yellow Chartreuse, it is sweeter and more mellow too. Both are also absolutely amazing on top of vanilla ice-cream. But I digress... My upcoming trip is Vancouver to Tokyo in Sept. So, I promise to remember to return this favor and let you know how the Nova does in Alaska and Japan. Temps should be similar, although more cherry blossoms and less rain for you. 

[Randyk47]

Wish we were on this cruise, would mean a whole different world and set of circumstances than what has transpired.  We were booked on the Nova along with our best friends and cruise partners.  Had to cancel, actually move to a cruise next year, as both of the other couple required surgery so the thought was to  kick the can down the road and cruise when they had recovered.  Unfortunately, as it turns out, the husband suddenly and unexpectedly passed after four weeks after his surgery most probably from a blood clot.  His widow still wants to take the upcoming cruise but we’ll discuss that more when she spends some time with us here in a few weeks.