Photoblog 6

Hotel near warriors, warriors, Shanghai skyline

Captain's Farewell

Somehow Silversea have transformed the mood of the cruise, which was very low for the first few days because of the appalling weather and the missed ports. At the Captain's Farewell party, he was thanked personally by many guests and applauded several times during his speech because of the way he kept everybody safe and relatively comfortable. The crew received a standing ovation - there is always a lot of cheering for their hard work but this was something special.

Actually, the transformation wasn't 'somehow'. It was at least partly achieved by a letter from the Captain giving everyone a future cruise credit of 20% of whatever they paid for this cruise. Generous considering that weather issues are not Silversea's fault but probably aimed at calming the US lawyers. TSH and Diva have taken advantage of the credit and the early booking deals to book Singapore to Athens for 2020.

Gala lunch on the last day and then TSH and Diva are looking forward to their few hours in Hong Kong.

In which TSH goes it alone in north west China

Somewhere between Pit 3 and the exhibition hall, Diva realised that not only could she not see TSH but that she had not seen him for a while. She looked ahead and behind and to each side but he was not there. The group moved on and he still did not appear. Into the exhibition hall, down the stairs and still nothing. She eventually found the tour guide and suggested that she should go to look for him. She was told in no uncertain terms that she was not to leave the group. The guide did not want to be searching for two lost British pensioners. The Silversea escort went off, as did one of the tour guides, complete with a card with his name on it.

TSH has a well-established habit of racing ahead, or dawdling or shooting off to one side. All in the interests of taking the perfect picture which is not cluttered up with the tour group. Diva long ago stopped following him and took the decision to do what she wanted to do and catch up later. Normally it worked out OK but not this time.

The whole Xian site is a mass of people, mostly in tour groups, mostly Asian people who do not speak English and would be unable to understand or help. And he had no mobile phone and the cards which the guides has handed out with their details were one per couple and Diva had theirs. 

When he eventually appeared with the Silversea escort, he had a broad grin on his face. Relief at being rescued. But Diva was not smiling and his smile enraged her even more. She had let her fertile imagination run riot and was really quite worried, as well as furious at missing the exhibition hall. So there was a major discussion in front of everybody, which shocked the  Chinese guide, who misguidedly tried to calm Diva down, Which just ramped it up.

He completed his disgrace by losing his ship card somewhere on the journey. Fortunately he was allowed back on and was able to enjoy dinner in the suite - salmon salad, spring rolls, club sandwich, cheesecake, champagne. Followed by drinks in a bar with a good view of the impressive Shanghai night-time skyline.

The TSH version (or defence) follows. Pit 3 was quite dark and crowded and yes TSH did wander a little to get the perfect photo. He was aware that the Silversea rep was about ten feet in front to his left and the main group were to his right further back in the Pit. When he turned round they had all gone but to where he did not know. Adopting a sensible survival strategy, TSH stayed where he was, in the belief that he would be missed at some time and a search made for him. After an anxious few minutes the Silversea rep appeared and an obviously relieved TSH broke out into a smile which was not welcomed on his reunion with Diva.

World Wonder

Thousands of terracotta warriors lined up in their original pits is a sight which no-one is fully prepared for. Each one with a different face and some complete with their horses, although the wooden chariots have rotted away. The tour also included a sight of a pit which has not yet been excavated because the warriors are thought to still bear their original colours and the authorities want to be sure they can preserve them properly before uncovering them.

The whole site is huge - the Silver Shadow contingent were provided with golf buggies to make the journey from the car park to the main area. Everything seems far distant from the mound where the emperor is buried and it is thought that the whole area contains parts of his vast mausoleum. The mound has not yet been excavated because it is thought to have many traps for grave robbers and to be contaminated with mercury because the emperor thought it would give him long life. Instead of poisoning him.

The journey was long and hard - 27 hours from ship to ship, including long bus rides and the return flight. Dinner was a box of sandwiches from Starbucks and the guidance was against eating the airline food. The hotel was excellent - ridiculously so for a 7 hour stay. It was vast like everything else in China and the rooms had so many lights that many guests could not work out how to switch everything off and just slept with the lights on. TSH and Diva were in control of the system within 15 minutes. The bathroom with circular bath and separate shower and twin basins was open plan with the bedroom (except for a curtain) but the toilet was nicely tucked away in its own separate room with basin.

There will be a separate blog about TSH's solo adventure.

Cruise ship note: TSH and Diva did not see another cruise ship between Alaska and Tianjin, where they encountered Royal Caribbean's 'Ovation of the Seas'

Photoblog 5 Tianjin

China

The Captain was delighted to announce that Silver Shadow is faster than Kung-Rey, so that it presents no further threat to the cruise. He was less delighted to announce that top speed had to be maintained owing to a medical emergency in the night. Silver Shadow reached the port at lunch time, far earlier than the original scheduled time of early the following morning. The sick guest was immediately taken to hospital.

The early arrival meant that all of the face to face immigration procedures could be conducted in the afternoon. This was helpful as tours to Beijing were departing at 6am the following morning. Silver Shadow provided food and drinks to local staff working in the cruise terminal. Diva and TSH witnessed a butler pushing a trolley loaded with food for immigration staff.

Diva and TSH did not travel into Beijing, as they had previously visited the sites there. Instead they chose to go on a trip to the city of Tianjin.

The port at Tianjin is very extensive and it takes half an hour just to drive out of the port area. Tianjin is a modern growing city with many interesting new buildings as well as a few older ones.

The first stop on the tour was at the later life residence of Pu-Yi, emperor of the Qing Dynasty. The dwellings (one could not call it a palace) were only built in 1921 and were quite modest but interesting. Perhaps time to re-watch 'The Last Emperor'.

The next stop took the travellers to walk along an old street which was populated by food stalls and craft shops. TSH found this very interesting but did not buy anything.

Diva and TSH were next treated to lunch - a traditional Chinese mix of foods, eaten with the aid of chopsticks. This was a challenge to some guests, who had no previous experience of using chopsticks.

The next stop was at the Yangliuqing New Year Painting Museum where the process of drawing, carving wooden blocks and then printing the pictures was explained. It has to be said that this was not the highlight of the tour for Diva and TSH. The brightly-coloured pictures would never be hung on their minimal walls. They did however make a small purchase of gifts for young people.

The last stop was for afternoon tea at the former Mansion of Prince Qing. Diva was surprised to be  served with Earl Grey tea.

After this it was back to the ship where the butler had left out some tea and sandwiches!

That evening Diva and TSH opened the pink champagne provided when they embarked the ship way back in Vancouver. The champagne was used to accompany pizza delivered to the suite. The butler questioned the order for two pizzas, pointing out that they were large. He emphasised his point later when he delivered them. He placed one pizza on the table and another at the other side of the room. 'Here is your extra pizza, sir'. He was no doubt even more surprised when he tidied the tray away later to discover that there was very little pizza left.

On the following day Diva and TSH took the shuttle bus to the local shopping centre. This involved the journey out of the port area again but they were determined not to sit on the ship all day. The walk round the shops and food outlets was interesting as most of them were aimed at providing for local people rather than tourists. Some names like MacDonalds, KFC and Starbucks were familiar, as was toysrus, but these were in the minority. They have soft play areas in China, just like in the UK. It was fascinating to note that young children in China - and in Japan and S Korea - often wear Spiderman hats and have dinosaur stickers on their backpacks.

Many guests were unable to buy anything in China because they had not read widespread travel advice that Chinese establishments take only their own currency and do not accept credit cards. The ATMs are not keen on western cards. TSH and Diva had cash but when making a purchase, Diva was embarrassed when the cashier shook his head and refused to take her offered note. Turned out TSH had issued her partly with Russian currency. Fortunately it was mixed in with some Chinese!! Accountants, eh? 

A member of crew told TSH and Diva all about the crew trip to the Great Wall. Silversea had taken 75 of them for an outing and it was clear that they had really enjoyed themselves. This particular crew member was on his first time at sea, first time seeing the world and he was thrilled by the experience.

Photoblog 4

                              Hiroshima A bomb dome with pic in front of how it was before

Peace Bell

Hiroshima cenotaph looking back towards A dome

Rice crop

Inside a temple - Busan

Sunset over Hiroshima

Busan

Earlier in the cruise, the rumour was that some of the 56 people who left the cruise to escape Trami might be re-boarding in Busan but TSH and Diva saw no sign of this. Would they re-board with Kong-Rey in the vicinity? Would they meet another group who might want to get off because of the new typhoon and the lack of good ports? TSH and Diva are still baffled about why anybody would risk leaving the ship in Japan, which was itself to be affected by the weather. And most guests do not speak the language or read the script and most Japanese do not speak English or accept credit cards. And all the luggage!! How would it all work?

There has been mush development in Busan since TSH and Diva last visited, mostly consisting of clusters of extremely high rise accommodation. There are impressive bridges, well lit at night, all around the extensive harbour area.

The tour went to an unusual and very interesting temple by the sea. It was mostly built into the cliff and involved a lot of steep steps. Several Buddhas and many statues. The second call was to a skywalk - a glass walkway built out from a cliff. Diva the coward passed on that one but TSH donned his overshoes and did the walk.

Clean Japanese toilets with soap and toilet paper have now been left behind.

Racing Kong-Rey

2 super-typhoons in one cruise? At weather briefing number 4, the captain says this is unprecedented. So Silversea have persuaded the Chinese to allow the Silver Shadow to go straight from S Korea to Tianjin. Therefore, there is no need to return to Japan to make the token call after Busan in S Korea. The suggestions from the guests are becoming more feeble but someone made an attempt to persuade the Captain to call at Incheon/Seoul instead of Busan. The latter call was probably cancelled weeks ago. The Captain lost a lot of credibility when he clearly did not know (as most of the guests did) exactly where Incheon is.

Cruise Director Kirk keeps a list of the top ten silly questions asked by guests. He has a whole new set after the weather briefings on this cruise.

The plan is to head out of Busan and cruise very quickly to Tianjin, out-running the approaching super-typhoon Kong-Rey. A rough night was expected but in the event it was not too rocky, although the weather is deteriorating into low cloud and rain. No chance of Tai Chi in the open air.

TSH and Diva have used up all their Stugeron - probably unnecessarily, as they have had no problems - and are now dependent on the ship's tablets from Reception. Food and wine still excellent.

Hiroshima

After the Silver Shadow eventually acquired a pilot for the exit from Nagoya bay, the cruise proceeded towards Hiroshima. The Captain decided to retain that port and drop Jeju to put the ship back on schedule.

The guests are not all pleased - some would have preferred different choices of ports and some wanted to leave the bay without a pilot (even though it is required by law and seemed sensible in relatively narrow waterways with a lot of other vessels also sheltering). One called the need for a pilot a 'restrictive practice'. No secrets about his politics.

The 8:45 tour started late. One pair of guests turned up after a phone call was made to their suite. They muttered that they were expecting the tour to start at 9:15. Other guests tutted and said that was never the start time. Just after the bus left the tour area, the latecomers discovered that they were indeed booked on a 9:15 tour and the bus had to return to drop them off. Their friend who had been saving their seats also belonged an a different tour.

The first part of the journey was a little rough as the sea was still what the Captain calls 'grumpy' in the wake of the typhoon. The final part, into the bay of Hiroshima, was flat calm and everyone was able to enjoy the impressive scenery. The mountains are not as high or dramatic as Norway or Alaska, but they are very attractive. No snow-covered peaks here - too far south.

The Hiroshima Peace Park was beautifully presented but sobering. The tour covered the A dome, the flame of peace, the Peace Bell, the cenotaph and a well-presented museum. The museum told the story of  August 6th 1945 and the subsequent rescue efforts, as well as initiatives to abolish nuclear weapons.

The tour ended with a visit to a garden, which had a central lake and several bridges, as well as attractive greenery. Diva did not walk the whole way round as some of the paths were rough and she was determined to avoid another fall.

Super typhoon Trami

The bay which was flat calm on arrival is now a mass of heaving grey waves, topped by frothy white foam. The winds have increased in strength and it has been necessary to raise the anchor, which cannot withstand the new forces. The officers and seamen on the bridge of the Silver Shadow are now controlling it manually, constantly altering position so that the winds hit the ship with the minimal amount of effect. This is a battle against the elements which, whilst familiar to those living in tropical and sub-tropical latitudes, is stunningly unfamiliar to the British.

Diva is taking a warm bath using the Silver Shadow Bulgari toiletries.

After night fall, the scene is less clear but the ship lights illuminate the white tops of the waves. Spray hurtles past the restaurant windows. The Captain has announced that the situation is likely to last for several more hours.

In the morning, the sea is much calmer, the wind has reduced greatly, the temperature is in the low 20s and Silver Shadow is still in Nagoya bay.

Tai Chi on Deck 9.

Weather update

During the night, the Silver Shadow left Tokyo port and took shelter in Nagoya Bay. There was some ship's movement but nothing too uncomfortable. If the typhoon crosses the area (likely in the next 12 hours), there will be movement but it will be less uncomfortable than it would be in the ocean. 

There has been no official statement on how many guests have left the ship but the guess is a few 10s - maybe as many as 50. Some have gone home, including some first-time cruisers, which is sad. Others are planning to rejoin the ship later, which seems unreliable when the itinerary is so fluid. 

At the Captain's briefing, he was asked about the level of risk of remaining on the ship. He said 'none', reiterated his commitment to safety and stated that he wished to finish the cruise without damage to his life or his licence. One passenger asked if there were stabilisers and if there were plans to use them. 

The news on the whole was less gloomy, most passengers were reassured, but a few left the ship immediately afterwards. The Captain is still promising Hiroshima on the scheduled day.

photoblog 3

Temple, arrival in Tokyo, temple, lunch, costumes

Tokyo

Tokyo

As expected, the city is full of high-rise buildings, but these are interspersed with a few older buildings, some oriental and some western style. There is a lot of building work on the site of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

It is very disconcerting to be in a country where the script is unreadable, the language unintelligible and credit cards are mostly not accepted. Obtaining currency using a Western card is difficult. TSH and Diva hope that those who have left the Silver Shadow (without any Silversea support) know what they are doing.

The excursion took TSH and Diva to the area of the Emperor’s Palace, which is attractively landscaped. They saw the closed gate and the two bridges which form part of the ceremonial entrance. The Palace itself is hidden from view by dense trees.

They also visited temples and shrines, which were very crowded, mostly with foreigners. These are the commercial temples – local religious people go to much quieter places. Some non-Japanese people had hired traditional Japanese dress. The guide explained that Buddhism had never driven out the older pagan Shinto religion - most shrine areas contain shrines of each kind and most people have allegiance to both religions.

Lunch was taken at the traditional restaurant of a sake brewery. It consisted of many small bowls of unfamiliar food, including raw salmon and tuna. Diva ate the salmon and TSH managed some of each.  A picture will be included in an upcoming photoblog. There were fine views of the city from the 21^st floor restaurant, including some of the city’s waterways and railways.

Shelter

During the night, the Silver Shadow left Tokyo port and took shelter in Nagoya Bay. There was some ship's movement but nothing too uncomfortable. If the typhoon crosses the area (likely in the next 12 hours), there will be movement but it will be less uncomfortable than it would be in the ocean.

There has been no official statement on how many guests have left the ship but the guess is a few 10s. Some have gone home, including some first-time cruisers, which is sad. Others are planning to rejoin the ship later, which seems unreliable when the itinerary is so fluid.

At the Captain's briefing, he was asked about the level of risk of remaining on the ship. He said 'none', reiterated his commitment to safety and stated that he wished to finish the cruise without damage to his life or his licence. One passenger asked if there were stabilisers and if there were plans to use them.

The news on the whole was less gloomy, most passengers were reassured, but a few left the ship immediately afterwards. The Captain is still promising Hiroshima on the scheduled day.

Super

So its a super typhoon. And if the authorities close the Port of Tokyo, the Silver Shadow will have to go sea. Into it. Some guests have already left the ship.

The captain's session in the theatre, whilst very sombre, was enlivened by the usual interventions. 'Will Silversea pay if I leave the ship now?' 'If we go to sea, where will we go?' 'I was a US naval officer and encountered 100 ft waves. I do not recommend them to the rest of you.' The Captain received applause for his reply to the last one. 'If any passenger feels they can help, I will welcome them onto the Bridge'.

One guest wandered into the theatre towards the end (straight from the bar?), grabbed the mic and said 'What's going on here. Could you start again?'

The captain says he has sailed the Silver Shadow into similar conditions before. He has plenty of ballast and will go very slowly.

TSH and Diva are very disappointed that, having already had Seoul cancelled, they have now certainly missed Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima whatever happens. But they will tough it out whatever happens.

Aomori

Aomori, at the northern end of the main Japanese island of Honshu, looks like a more prosperous city than the Japanese cities so far visited.

Along the roadside were many paddy fields, showing yellow as an indication that they were ripe. Some of them were being mechanically harvested as the bus passed by.

The first visit was to a giant bronze Buddha. It was in a woodland setting, surrounded by a variety of shrines and temples. These included a building with Buddhas and emblems for each of the Chinese astrology signs. TSH is a boar and Diva is a hare.

The second part of the visit was to a very modern water-front museum dedicated to a local festival called Nebuta. It contained a number of large floats from previous years, as well as models explaining the construction of the floats – everything is made of paper and wire, with electric light bulbs inside.

Wild animal spot: a white crane among the paddy fields.

The captain has described the weather at different times as ‘unsatisfactory’ and ‘miserable’. Although, for the location and the time of year, TSH and Diva are well satisfied and consider it has been much better than they expected. But there are rumours of a typhoon heading for the Silver Shadow.

Train Spotting

TSH set off on a walking tour in the Onuma National Park for a walk which was said to be about 4.5 miles long. He hoped that it would not prove to be as perilous as the two previous tours.  It turned out to be largely on flat ground. Somewhat rough but not a danger to life and limbs.

The tour started with a bus drive of less than an hour after which everyone was invited to get off the bus. It turned out this was to provide a toilet stop before setting out on the walk. It also served to pick up the naturalist who was to be the guide on the walk.

After re-boarding the bus TSH was driven for another five minutes before leaving the bus at Konuma or small lake. The group of walkers were then taken across a bridge to Onuma or large lake from where there were good views of Mount Komag.

Mount Komag is a dormant volcano which rises to a height of about 1,200 metres. The top of the mountain is interesting in that it was once a normal circular crater mouth but at some time in the past the volcano exploded and much of the top of the cone was scattered over the surrounding area.

The bridge that was crossed at the start of the walk also carried a railway over the river between the two lakes. TSH was soon presented with an opportunity to photograph his first Japanese train.

The walking tour continued over a number of bridges connecting small islands in the lake. Frequent stops were made to admire various trees and birds. The birds which attracted the most interest were black kites and herons.

On the way back, the bus drove past a paddy field with rice which was yellow and ready for harvesting. In Hakodate the bus drove along an elevated section of road which afforded TSH with views of the railway station.

TSH arrived back on the ship just in time to join Diva for a late lunch.

Hakodate

Japan as a whole has been very hospitable. A farewell dance performance on the pier as Silver Shadow drew away from Kushiro, and small boats jetting coloured water in the harbour for the arrival in Hakodate. Both places have many tourism people around to provide assistance.

Diva took the shuttle into town and took a look around the local market. Mostly fish and unrecognisable dried goods. Not as welcoming as some, as some stalls don't allow photography of the produce. She walked past a man in uniform with a large truncheon (traffic cop?). He bowed to her and said something in Japanese. She bowed back and said 'Good Morning', which made him laugh and repeat the words back to her.

She saw the labelled  'first concrete electricity pole in Japan'. The Japanese ports so far have been unglamorous working ports. The houses are a jumble of nice and not so nice mixed in with commercial buildings. Slightly strange to English eyes accustomed to most things being zoned as retail, commercial or residential. The scenery around the ports has been hilly but nothing as dramatic as on the first part of the cruise.

The weather is a little warmer.

Diva in the spotlight

Chocolates from the Captain, flowers from the Hotel Director, ice in a ziplock from the butler and concerned enquiries from many. Diva is wishing the attention is about something more positive.

She went to see the ship's doctor and it did not start well. She was asked to sign a full consent form which covered drugs, procedures and anaesthesia. Not to mention permission to transfer her personal data to pretty much anywhere around the world.  Absolutely no way!! So she crossed everything out and wrote 'Consultation Only' in large letters across the forms. In the event, the doctor was not too formidable. Diva managed to pass all the tests which indicated that life is still present. None of the places he pressed or the positions he asked her to assume caused any pain, so she is left with a dull ache in her upper back and a few general aches and pains which do not seem to be getting any worse and are controlled by her own ibuprofen gel. The ziplock ice is the doctor's suggestion. He also offered stronger pain killers, but so far no need.

Diva falls in the Land of the Rising Sun.

An exciting day as TSH and Diva visited Japan for the first time ever. They saw both 2018 Japanese Crane Reserve chicks, as well as a number of adult birds, some of whom were carrying out a noisy display. They named one of the chicks Travis.

It was at the next visit - the wetlands walk - that the problem occurred. The route was along a wooden boardwalk, with plenty of wet leaves and also a fine growth of slippery fungus. Diva's feet just went from under her and she landed flat on her back. A helpful guest retrieved the specs which flew into a nearby ditch but which were fortunately unscathed. As was Diva in any serious sense, although her soreness is increasing. Within a couple of minutes, another guest also fell, this time banging his head, although he too seems to have escaped without serious consequences. The guide and most of the walkers, including TSH, continued to the viewpoint (where they saw little of any interest), whilst Diva and the other walking wounded returned to the visitor centre.

The guide photographed the spot where the accidents occurred and the Silversea representative filled in a form. Both fallen guests accepted the offer of a complementary consultation with the ship's doctor, but refused treatment on shore. The Captain and Staff Captain are no doubt cursing at the extra paperwork.

The excursion continued to the City Museum of Kushiro and the local fish market.

The weather had started bright, with the temperature in the mid to high teens but by the middle of the day there was dense mist and it felt cooler.

On return to the Silver Shadow, TSH and Diva had burgers by the pool (her first, his second, of the holiday), Afterwards it was a hot bath and ibuprofen gel for Diva.

This is a picture of Travis the crane and his parents:

On the way to Japan

The sea is vey calm, although the temperature is still in the low teens as Silver Shadow sails south. TSH and Dive are thrilled that they have achieved the formidable North Pacific crossing but are very aware of how lucky they have been with the seas calm except for one day. The constant putting the clocks back - one hour every night for many nights running - is getting to everybody. People are getting up earlier and earlier and the restaurant is busy from breakfast opening time, which is very unusual for a sea day.

The ship have relaxed the antibac enforcement - apparently it was all about minimising the risk of illness during the three days at sea.

At Venetian night, TSH and Diva were third top cruisers. They have never been so high up the charts before but they have dropped from second on the previous leg. Dinner with Gabor, the Hungarian shore concierge they have met several times before.

photoblog 2

Juvenile bald eagle at Dutch harbour, Dutch harbour transport, Base camp for TSH, ATV, toilet block.

Active in Russia

In Petropavlovsk, TSH decided to take the adventurous trip to see the volcanoes. The journey to the base of the volcanoes took two hours by 6-wheel drive All Terrain Vehicle. After the road ran out, a short way into the journey, the rest of the time was spent driving up a river bed.

Needless to say, the ride was quite bumpy and the windows were dirty on the outside and steamed up on the inside. TSH had to use some of his supply of tissues to keep drying the window so he could see out. The effort was rewarded by the good views afforded.

TSH noticed that whilst vehicles drive on the right of the road, many of the cars had right hand drive. This is probably due to the number of imported cars on the road. He was told that Petropavlovsk is the second largest city without road access from the outside.

The tour took TSH to the Avachinsky Plateau where the 11,388 foot high snow clad Koryaksky volcano towered up from the plateau.  Also clearly visible was the Avachinsky volcano, which was also covered in snow. These volcanoes are considered to be active but have not erupted since 1896.

After climbing down from the 6-wheel vehicles, guests were invited to use the toilet facilities. These consisted of four small huts about four feet square with a hole in the wooden floor. Toilet paper was provided but because of the location there was no water etc. TSH used a lot of antibac. He later discovered a washing facility in the open air about 100 yards away, where a cold water wash could be achieved.

The 50 or so people who had taken the trip up to the volcanos were then taken on a two hour walk, which rather took TSH by surprise, as it was not included in the tour itinerary. He was further concerned when he discovered that the tour was to be led by a mountain guide. The foreboding increased when people were offered walking poles and then the guide picked up a shovel.

The intrepid (and aged) tourists then set off walking over the volcanic ash, which was relatively easy walking before the reason for the shovel became apparent. It was used to cut steps into the ice when the party crossed an ice filled stream bed. After crossing the small glacier the group then climbed up the bank on the other side and continued their journey up the slopes of a smaller volcano.

After walking up a steep section the guide declared that this was as far as the walk would go in order to be able to return to the base camp for lunch.

Lunch was Russian borsch (vegetable soup with a large bone in it) and vodka followed by a cup of tea and an odd drop more of vodka. TSH followed the instructions issued by Diva before he left and did not eat the salad. Her words were that she would rather he came back drunk from the vodka than ill from food poisoning. In the event TSH suffered neither.

It was then time to visit the wooden hut again before the return journey to the ship.

Russia visit

The port on the Kamchatka peninsula is a working port with a lot of not very beautiful fishing boats. But the surrounding area is stunning and the sail away scenery exceptional.

Immigration procedures were as tedious as possible, with many officials spending a long time clearing the ship and then examining each guest's passport in great detail as they left the ship. Diva decided to opt out of the whole thing and stayed on t he Silver Shadow with her laptop, killer sudoku book and Kindle.

TSH and Diva have attended a couple of shows. The first was a tango show, which did not seem like the tango shows they saw in Uruguay and Argentina. The second was advertised as an Irish pub session. Perhaps readers with Irish connections could indicate in which pub the performers change part-way through the evening into evening dresses and dinner suits to perform 'You raise me up'. Complete with the march towards the audience on the key change. 'Fairy tale in New York' had a change of words so that it was all positive and she never got to call him an arsehole. But they sang 'Whiskey in the Jar' and 'Wild Rover' and they were brave enough (on a cruise ship) to sing 'The wreck of the Irish Rover'.

Mind boggle

The Silver Chronicle includes the instruction: ‘Please turn your clocks ONE HOUR BACK during the night between 18 and 20 September and ONE DAY FORWARD’. ??

So TSH and Diva have crossed the International Date Line for the first time. They went to bed on Tuesday September 18th and awoke 7 hours later on Thursday September 20th. 

The sea was still rough in the night. Effect of the Date Line?

In the eye of the storm

It was not possible to take much avoiding action because a large portion of the Bering Sea is out of bounds due to a massive joint Russian Chinese military exercise. So the Silver Shadow is rolling with the massive waves. TSH and Diva took a rare lunch in the Deck 4 restaurant and spent the whole day on deck 4 or deck 5, as there is much more movement on the higher decks. Some guests and crew are unwell. But the waves and wind are not as high as on the famous Atlantic crossing of 2012.

Otherwise, ship life plods on as normal, even with the waves crashing against the windows. There are Yom Kippur readings and services.

The time has shifted back by an hour every night since leaving Kodiak Island.

Theatre drama

The captain announced that it will be at least another 36 hours before Internet service is restored.

He also told the assembled guests that a major storm is moving across the area from south west to north east but depending on the speed of the ship and the speed of the storm it mat be possible to miss the worst of it. But we are to be ready for 15 – 20 foot waves!!

As usual, the guests were ready with questions and advice. Would the captain be using the stabilisers? Issuing medication? Closing the restaurants? Confining the guests to their suites? Could we have a live map of the situation? One guest who had clearly had a disagreement with the shore concierge desk took possession of a mic and demanded an immediate meeting with the captain to discuss ‘arrogance, incompetence and mis-representation’. Other guests were appalled by this question and the captain wisely did not respond at all.

Advice included: seal veranda doors, eat on deck 4, avoid liquids, eat salty food.

On board

There has been no Internet – and hence no live blog – since Seaward. People are not happy!!

TSH and Diva have had a few Tal Chi sessions, some outdoors and, latterly, indoors. The fitness instructor observed one session and demanded to be taught the postures. Diva pointed out that it takes around 5 years to learn but was assured that the fitness instructor is a fast learner and would be OK after 30 minutes. She already does karate so perhaps best not to argue.

The Silver Shadow is crossing the south end of the Bering Sea and the sea is still calm but the fog horn is in constant use. There is a hint of drama to come. The Captain has asked all the guests to assemble in the theatre at 18:00. He is going to talk about the internet service (or lack of it!!) and the weather to come over the next two days and three nights before the arrival in Russia. The guess is that he is not going to announce that the winds will be gentle and the seas calm.

Silver Shadow

Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper have always been the favourite ships but after the last two voyages on Silver Spirit, there was a worry that Silver Shadow would seem shabby and old-fashioned. There was no need to worry – the ship has been fitted with new carpets and generally given a face-lift. The crew on board are excellent and include many familiar faces. It appears to be run much better than the Silver Spirit and there have been no cleanliness issues. The only downsides are that there are only two restaurants to choose from and there are limited places for a hot drink during the day when the weather is not suitable for the pool bar. There are often dance classes in the Panorama lounge and in the afternoon it is used for afternoon tea, which is a calorie trap that TSH and Diva are anxious to avoid.

Dutch Harbour

The island of Unalaska is scenic, with some high snow-covered peaks and many mountains and inlets. None of this could be seen at 8:30, when TSH and Diva took the shuttle bus (one of the two school buses on the island) to the Aleutian museum, because it was still almost dark. They visited a very interesting museum about the native Aleutian people before walking the 2 miles back to the Silver Shadow. En route they saw bald eagles, sea otters and whales.

On return to the ship, the whole crew was carrying out an emergency drill concerning a blast scenario. Staff Captain was lurking in a corridor and was heard to shout at a member of crew: ‘Where are you going? What are you doing? You should be walking that way’. Another crew member was told off by the maitre d’ over lunch for chatting with a fellow waiter instead of refilling Diva’s water.

TSH and Diva have noticed extra emphasis on hand sanitization and more buffet items are now served by crew members. They are concerned that there is a health problem on board and are anxious not to become part of it.

When sailing away, there were many whales around the ship, blowing and appearing briefly on the surface of the water.

The pace of the holiday got to Diva who fell asleep in the observation lounge – along with a number of other people – but not TSH. 

Still no internet,

Two sides of Kodiak Island

Diva visited the museums, which covered aspects of the lives of the native peoples, the period of Russian presence and the WW2 period when the Aleutian islands were on the front line of the war with Japan.

Intrepid TSH set off on a small boat to view the local wildlife at close quarters. The tour started off past the fish canning facilities where the smell of the activity was much in evidence. Sealions in search of an easy meal were also attracted to the location – a large group of sealions was encountered on returning to the harbour. They had gathered for the breeding season and noisy bulls were seeking to establish their superiority.

Along the way many sea otter and puffins were seen. It was said that the puffins were so full of fish that they could not fly and certainly none managed to lift themselves out of the water other than for a quick run on the surface as the boat approached them. 

At least one humpback whale was seen and was close enough to hear it blowing off.

A few bald eagles were seen but they were mostly interested in the easy pickings round the fish factory and the large fishing fleet.

Dinner with Captain Michele Macarone Palmieri, who also took them to the Norwegian fjords in June, involved a good table with other Brits and a couple of Australians. A special amuse bouche of caviar with trimmings was served, and the Captain ordered a bottle of wine from the connoisseur (ie paid for as an extra) list. TSH and Diva have never before had wine other than the included offer.

The sea is still calm but there is a lot of fog around. The captain apologised in advance in case he had to sound the horn during the night. He or the Staff Captain (his number 2) will be on the bridge in shifts throughout any period of fog.

The day at sea involved a cocktail party (at 11:30 in the morning!!) for the 30 transit guests. TSH and Diva stuck with the ginger ale. Whales appeared briefly beside the ship at dinner time.

The crew were aware that it was wedding anniversary day for TSH and Diva. They served a special dessert of excellent crepes suzettes. On return to the suite, the butler and the room attendant had decorated it with balloons, rose petals, swans made of towels and champagne on ice. A good surprise!

Scenery and wildlife spotting

Two days in excellent Alaskan scenery - much more snow on the tops now, and frequent sightings of glaciers. In some places, there were ice floes in the water around the ship. The second day was spent on a local tour boat, so they were much closer to the water, the beaches and the glaciers. One glacier was calving - large chunks dropped into the water, forming ice floes. Wildlife spotted: orca whales, humpback whales, puffins, kittiwakes, dolphins, sea otters, harbour seals, sea lions.

The sea continues to be calm. The temperature is dropping but still in the low to mid teens.

Seaward marked the end of the first leg of the cruise. Embarkation was a little strange. Most guests had flown into Anchorage and then took the 5 hour train journey to Seaward, so everyone arrived together just after 17:00. They must have had a real rush to get into dinner.

The really good news is that TSH has been in touch with the travel agent and the arrangements for the return journey are confirmed. The luggage will be checked through from Hong Kong to Manchester. BA were wrong on the way out - both legs of the journey had been booked under the same reference and should have been treated as a whole. So BA will have to produce a refund for the extra bag fee. If this had not been arranged, TSH and Diva would almost certainly have missed their connection at Heathrow on the way home.

Comment of the day from a bus driver who was also a farmer from Missouri - 'my daughters and I are tighter than tics on a hound dog'. You really need her accent to get the full effect.

Photoblog

Toby the bear, Oliver the golden eagle, the Hubbard glacier, the White Pass train, humpback whale and cruising into Skagway.

Whale soup

The excursion from Sitka started with stepping onto a catamaran at 8:30. It cruised around the sound and the guide pointed out sea otters and a few bald eagles. At one point, he said he had a glimpse of a brown coastal bear on a beach area. TSH saw a dark shape slink into the trees but Diva saw nothing. The best part of the catamaran excursion - the whale soup - came at the end. This is allegedly the technical term for a massive collection of whales all round the boat. The guide said it was very unusual to see so many together, although he was unclear as to exactly how many.12? 20? They were blowing, partly surfacing and then diving, sometimes showing the characteristic forked tail. There was at least one calf in the group. A very special experience, especially since once more the sea was flat calm and the sky was blue.

The next visit was to the Alaska Raptor Centre, which helps injured raptors with the aim of returning them to the wild if possible. There were many bald eagles, a snowy owl and a golden eagle called Oliver. The nearby Bear Fortress performed a similar function for bears - mostly brown bears with a few black ones. One of the brown bears was called  Toby (yes, really). The bears mostly went to zoos - getting them back into the wild is much more difficult.

TSH and Diva returned to Silver Shadow at around 14:15, so the only real option was to eat at the poolside. TSH had his first burger of the cruise.

After sail away, the Silver Shadow cruised through the massive pod of whale soup again.

On the cruise earlier in 2018, the 'top cruisers' had done over 2000 days, so TSH and Diva's 366 days seemed very trivial. Because this cruise is full of 'first timers', they found that this time they were number 2 in the cruise day hierarchy!!   They dined with the Staff Captain, the number 1 cruisers and another couple from England. A good table and another good dinner.

Blue white and gold

The morning excursion was on the White Pass train. This is an engineering feat which has been recognised as a Civil Engineering Landmark. The track follows the trail of the Klondyke gold rush in the late 19th century. It was originally used to transport ore to the port but is now a tourist train only. The scenery is impressive - jagged peaks and glaciers, with the occasional glimpse of the ocean. The summit is at the impressive height of 2885 feet - Diva did not like the sheer drops which were far too close to the train for her liking. As a trail to walk, carrying vast amounts of food and supplies, it is formidable and it is surprising that anyone at all made it to the gold fields.

TSH and Diva were not allowed off the train at the Summit, so they did not find any gold.

The weather is extremely clement - blue sky and quite warm (low 20s). The scenery is awesome - Skagway is one of the most scenic moorings ever. The whole cruise experience is exceeding expectations.

Other cruise ships at Skagway: Celebrity Millennium, Island Princess, Explorer of the Seas, Ruby Princess.

No Juneau

The captain announced that because of safety concerns connected with high winds, the call at Juneau was cancelled. So TSH and Diva missed the glacier there (again - in 2008, the visit to that glacier took place in such wet miserable weather that they did not appreciate it at all). However, there was a massive bonus. They cruised along an extremely scenic passage, surrounded by endless jagged and snowy peaks, with glimpses of several glaciers. If Silver Shadow had called at Juneau, this part of the journey would have happened in the dark. The scenery also made up  for the fjord cruising they missed due to bad weather in Norway earlier in the year. In 2008, TSH and Diva did not appreciate the scenery here at all - it was grey, cloudy and drizzly. Today it is bright, with minimal white cloud. Now they understand what Alaska scenery is  all about.

A minor kerfuffle in the bathroom when a clean bath towel dropped into the bath water. No-one is quite sure how it happened but only Diva was in the room at the time. Fortunately the suite is well equipped with extra towels. (NB this bit was written by Diva)

Humpback whales seen from the ship during dinner.

In the woods with the bears

The excursion from Ketchikan took TSH and Diva into woods populated by a few dozen bears. Much of the walk was along an elevated boardwalk which gave excellent views of black bears fishing for salmon. They saw plenty of gulls, harbour seals, a bald eagle and a blue heron. They also visited a raptor rescue centre and the workplace of a small team of people making totem poles.

The weather was mixed sun and drizzle but it is starting to feel colder than the official 13 degrees C.

Interesting question of the day: 'Why do you let the bears eat the salmon when you need the salmon for the cannerys?' The guide pointed out that taking a fish away from a hungry bear was not advisable.

Disney Wonder was also in port.

The bear has caught a fish:

A very polite butler

Vancouver is visually impressive, with many high rise buildings clustered round a long and indented water-front, with mountainous peaks behind. Many small sea-planes were seen taking off and landing - they use them like taxis and also for sight-seeing. The planes were lined up along the quayside like boats. The air quality in the city is poor and the planes mean that this also applies along the water front.

Taking a taxi for the very short distance to the cruise terminal was enlivened by a row between two drivers who both thought that they were first to the spot. En route, the winner reported the loser for bad behaviour, although it had seemed like a very debateable issue to TSH and Diva.

After lunch, TSH and Diva spent time in the suite, unpacking and reorganising. When it came to drill time (yes, Diva tested her torch as usual), the butler had not paid the usual welcome visit to explain the suite, ask about pillow and toiletry requirements and take special requests. So Diva wrote a note about it all. As they were about to leave for dinner, they heard a small sound outside the door and found it was the butler. He had been trying to call on them all afternoon but was doing this by knocking very quietly (so as not to disturb?) and had not been heard. Diva pointed out the door bell so hopefully the performance of this very inexperienced but very eager to please butler will improve. In fact, one improvement came very quickly. Diva's note had requested red wine - Shiraz, Merlot or Malbec. He appeared later with a bottle of each, so he is popular already.

On the sea day, the scenery was impressive from the first. The sail up the first passage was reminiscent of Norway. TSH spotted the first snow patch and a small glacier but both missed the whale which some people spotted from the dining room.

Diva in total melt-down

Diva and TSH had the wrong kind of air ticket and were told at Manchester that the only option was to pay for one of their bags for the flight to London, collect all three pieces of their luggage at Heathrow, transfer it personally between 2 terminals and re-check it in. A supervisor was called but insisted that this was how it was and it was not possible for any correction to be made at that stage.

Manchester airport was crowded, noisy, dirty (Diva cleaned their table with a wipe) and no decaff coffee could be found.

The situation was mentioned to various BA staff along the way but all said 'this happens a lot now' and took no action.

So two pensioners transferred 64 kg of luggage across Heathrow, travelling by foot and train. They encountered a member of Heathrow staff who should never be allowed to have a customer-facing role (and possibly no role involving contact with any human beings) and will be the subject of a complaint to the airport. Two and a quarter hours from landing to sitting down with the first food of the day.

 Diva has given up BA forever, in spite of the second leg of the journey being much better. BA  have a business model that involves everyone flying to hub airports like Heathrow but they have forgotten to manage the internal flights properly.

TSH is trying to get the position sorted so that this does not happen in reverse when there is a relatively short transfer time between flights.

The mood was not helped by TSH breaking a nail during the transfer and having fizzy water sprayed over him at Heathrow. OK, technically it was Diva who opened the bottle but it was Pret's bottle and Pret's water. But their meatballs in a wrap are still excellent.

Sight of the day: Young(ish) woman with a full head of rollers sitting at Manchester drinking a large glass of white wine. Not even a headscarf to hide the shame!!

Mostly packed

It's not quite like moving house but TSH and Diva think it is a mini version of that. What is 'needed on voyage' that the security rules will allow? Has Diva got enough entertainment for a 9 hour flight? What goes in the only bag that will be opened on the first night (Vancouver)? Do all the bags weigh correctly?

They are also sharing suitcases, which is always a difficult project. But most bags are now packed. TSH has reorganised the weights to fit the limits. Only the last minute things in the morning are to go in now.

Preparation

It takes a lot of effort to get this show on the road. TSH has made his final selection. Diva is still
optioneering.

Last day

TSH and Diva tucked into a hearty ship breakfast before they were ejected (politely) into the outside world. A minor scare in the Copenhagen cruise terminal (tent) when 2 of the three suitcases were not with the rest of the orange tags. Turned out the tags TSH had attached had come loose and the cases were stacked elsewhere.

Whilst waiting for the taxi, they encountered the captain, who was studying the outside of the Silver Spirit intently. Diva asked him if he was looking for the loose bit (see Good Vibrations) but he just laughed.

On arrival in Heathrow it was possible to do a spot of shopping. Nowhere in Scandinavia is cheap enough for TSH and Diva and very little money was used there. Excellent sandwiches from Pret concluded the day’s eating.

Almost back

The meals are now being counted down, each approved restaurant is being revisited for the last time and TSH and Diva are both ordering all their favourites. Dinner was taken in the Indochine - Asian soup for both, chicken curry for Diva, red snapper wrapped in banana leaves for TSH. With the day's special cocktail and Indonesian beer.

The next day, the cooking demonstration was British Pub Classics -  a good demo as ever. But the 'mushy peas' were crushed and he put cream in the Cornish pasty. Who knew?

Sitting in the lounge, TSH was presented with a signed portrait of himself by a fellow guest who had been studying him intently. He was so astonished that he did not ask whether the artist was famous and the portrait valuable.

The sea is now much calmer, the wind has largely abated, the sun put in a very brief appearance and all the elevators are back on. No word on the vibrations.

All tours for next cruise now booked.

Grey on grey

The weather is very gloomy out at sea, with low visibility. TSH is gloomy because he has now also missed his glacier visit at Olden. The luxury living and eating is still welcome and very relaxing but three days at (moderately) rough sea with no scenery is not how this cruise was meant to be.  For the first time ever experienced by TSH and Diva, the elevators have been switched off for safety reasons.

Lunch was taken in the restaurant on deck 4 rather than at the usual buffet on deck 7. A much more stable position!!

The promise is for a more stable ship and working elevators by 20:00.

Tuesday in Tromso

TSH and Diva walked to the University botanic gardens, which are a short walk from the quay. The gardens are beautifully laid out and there are many flowers even so early in the Arctic summer.  There is an emphasis on Alpines, which are of particular interest for TSH.

On return to Silver Spirit, a further announcement from the Captain explained that the departure was to be delayed for another 12 hours. The port of Olden was cancelled and the final three days of the cruise would be out at sea and direct to Copenhagen. Some of the journey might be uncomfortably rough. TSH and Diva are less concerned about losing the ports than they are about missing the scenic fjord journeys. TSH is worried whether he is left with suitable clothes for 3 more cold days at sea. His trekking trousers will not now be needed.

But the food is still good and they are enjoying being waited on.

Drama in the theatre

The captain took the stage alone, wearing his working uniform rather than the dress uniform he usually wears for theatre events.  He had two pieces of bad news.

All of the controls on the ship are indicating satisfactory measurements. The divers had examined the propellers and the hull. Nothing had been found, so the cause of the vibration was still undiagnosed. The captain thinks that software is probably to blame - he seems to include electrics and instrumentation in his definition. The vibration seems to be associated with particular speeds.

The weather is deteriorating and he, in conjunction with Silversea Head Office, has decided that it is unwise to leave the safety of Tromso harbour at present. So the departure will be delayed for about 24 hours and it will no longer be possible to call at the port of Alesund.

The questions from the guests leavened the drama with unintended humour. One person suggested that as the vibrations only occurred at certain speeds, perhaps this range could be avoided? As if the highly experienced captain had not thought of this!   People asked whether, if the Silver Spirit  arrived late in Copenhagen, Silversea would make necessary on-going travel re-arrangements. He assured everybody that Silver Spirit would not be late in Copenhagen. Obviously not, as the compensation bill would be horrendous.