Addendum

At breakfast, Diva uttered words never before heard on a Silversea ship - 'Is there any butter?' There was but many other items are in very short supply.

In his farewell speech, the Captain said 'Welcome to Ithaca and the end of our Odyssey. Penelope is waiting'.

Arrivederci.

From the bottom of the world

Silver Spirit is docked in Darwen and entry procedures are starting. TSH and Diva have decent flights booked - Virgin to Perth, followed by Emirates Business to Dubai and Manchester. Still horrendous - 23 hours in the air plus layovers. Some guests have worse connections, economy all the way or no flights at all. Silversea put the top cruisers on this voyage - about 1500 days - on economy all the way. They are furious!!

Last night the crew put on a show - better than the usual entertainment! The guests were assured by the captain and the cruise director that they have had a great cruise!!

So TSH and Diva plod home wearily to empty supermarket shelves and probable isolation. But there is a turkey crown in the freezer, spare loo roll and an extra jar of olives. Wine stocks are low.

Without let or hindrance?

The Silver Spirit continues to sail into the Southern Hemisphere - the equator has now been crossed. Diva has worked out that the distance from Singapore to Darwen is almost the same as the distance from Singapore to London, where they would be obliged to take in British citizens eventually. The last lot of Britons taken to Australia against their will were left there forever.

It seems likely that there will be a quarantine period of at least a few days in Darwen. Hopefully on the Silver Spirit. Qatar airways have announced that some flights are cancelled - can the others be far behind? So it is unclear how TSH and Diva will be able to return to self-isolation in the UK.

The daily entertainment on the ship consists of a demonstration of towel folding, a Ceremony for Crossing the Equator which TSH and Diva did not want to cross and a demonstration of Australian cooking just to rub it in.

TSH and Diva attended a class on pizza making which is something that TSH is interested in. He learnt that he does not need to use strong flour, should use semolina flour when stretching the dough and it is best to prove the dough in the fridge.

Last night's meal in Indochine was excellent but there is no longer any salad and the display of fresh fruit at breakfast was tragic by Silversea standards. No-one is starving and levels of alcoholism are increasing steadily. Fortunately the 'Friends of Bill W' meet every day.

The crew on Silver Spirit are very uncertain about their future but are still being extremely professional in the way they are looking after the guests.

What next?

There are times in the day when the Captain makes routine announcements. Any announcement at another time is either bad news or grist for the mill of uncertainty. 14:50 is not a routine time.

14:50 - Captain announced that the Australian Government has just banned all cruise ships. There are, however 'special arrangements' for ships already en route there. This is the situation for the Silver Spirit. The guests are assured that the senior executive who failed to influence the Philippine authorities is currently abandoning the flesh-pots of Sydney and making his way to Darwen.

'Special arrangements' might mean quarantine. The hope is that this will be on the ship, that the 12 days for which there has been no contact with the outside world will count and that there will be a delivery of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Plenty of food, but nothing much fresh.

Activity on pool deck to keep guests happy - 'Building a Boat'. Could be useful for the breakout party. One guest has declared his favourite film to be 'Titanic'.

Pizza-making tuition later.

Day 15 on the Silver Spirit

Since Singapore, there has been one scheduled port, three unexpected ports and the rest of the time either at sea or docked with nowhere to go. The cruise director has scheduled bingo and a guest talent show. There were no berries at breakfast and grilled tomatoes were by special request only. Even if Australia will not let the Silver Spirit disembark, everyone is hoping that they will allow to refuel and restock. The shore concierge informed TSH and Diva that flights have been obtained for March 18th, the expected day of arrival in Darwin.

No flight details yet, but the best option Diva found online was 2 stops, 18 hours flying and 24 hours elapsed. Not a good prospect!!

Seas have been calm throughout but some days the wind has been so strong that Tai Chi has been done on deck 5 under the lifeboats, instead of on deck 10.

Flying fish and a juvenile gannet have been sighted but no whales, dolphins or sharks yet. The navigation is not straight because there are many wrecks and reefs to be avoided. A point of interest is that somewhere in this region is the Darwin line, which marks the evolutionary difference between the fauna of SE Asia and that of Australasia. The Silver Spirit must pass it at some point.

Minor panic in the suite when a contact lens slipped out of TSH's grasp but a torch and a finger-tip search eventually located it. He does have a spare set.

Kidnapped

The flights back from Manila were confirmed and TSH had chosen the seats. 17 hours flying instead of the planned 4 or 5 from Athens. Diva had written to the car service for the Manchester airport pick-up.

When the captain's voice was heard at 9:30, it was inevitably going to be more bad news. And indeed it was. Manila is closed and the Silver Spirit is heading for Darwin, Australia. Into the southern hemisphere and further away from Athens, Europe and home. This will involve another 4 days at sea.

There is more than enough fuel for the ship and champagne for the guests. But the Silver Spirit has exhausted its vegetable garden and fresh food will be in short supply. No strawberries, raspberries or blackberries at breakfast.

The Australians - and there are many on this cruise because they were offered cheap deals to fill the ship - are delighted. The European guests are not happy. Diva is in melt-down.

The upside is that this is a luxury ship and TSH and Diva have brought their work and their electronic entertainment. Many guests, with no resources of any kind, are very bored. And this might be the safest place in the world to avoid the virus. Everybody had their temperatures taken again and there is no suggestion that anybody is ill.

Return uncertain

Vietnam have closed their ports to cruise ships because they (Vietnam) have had a lot of new cases. The captain's voice when he announced this was as weary as the guests have so far heard. The Silver Spirit is now heading for Manila and a senior Silversea executive is flying out there - presumably to beg or bribe or threaten or charm.

So there is no information about the journey back and the flight back is likely to be way out of Diva's comfort zone for length.

In the meantime, there s still champagne and filet mignon and lemon meringue and excellent service.

Return booked

The return flights are booked. Ho Chi Minh to Manchester via Doha. Arrive Manchester Saturday morning. Assuming Vietnam, Qatar airlines and Manchester will accept cruise passengers. No known illnesses so far.

Ganging aft agley

The plan last night was to head for Sihanoukville in Cambodia (where Diva does absolutely not want to get off - nothing there, four hours by bus over bumpy roads to an international airport) to disembark two guests who are not acceptable to Vietnam (no idea). Then Silver Spirit will head to Ho Chi Minh City, where a berth is available on Friday 13th for everyone to disembark and go to the international airport, where flights will have been arranged. TSH and Diva think this is a good option under the circumstances - a few relaxing days on the ship and then the best possible journey home.

The morning announcement from the captain was that Cambodia have also closed their ports, even for just two guests. So the Silver Spirit will proceed very slowly towards HCMC, leaving the Malacca straits for the first time in days. No idea what will happen to the two guests. No flight details yet.

The crew are very concerned about the cancelled cruises and what will happen to their jobs. But they are working hard and being extra attentive.

TSH and Diva have had their lunch-time burger by the pool and TSH has had a filet mignon. Diva has had the lemon meringue 3 times and TSH has increased his consumption of the best Danish pastries in the world. They were pacing themselves for 6 weeks but there is now no need.

It is a Silversea convention that announcements start with  'This is the Captain speaking from the bridge'. Given the uncertain nature of the cruise, at the dinner table a few nights ago he accepted a dare to say 'This is the Captain speaking from the spa'. And indeed he did start one announcement that way.

It's all over

Silversea have informed TSH and Diva (and the other passengers) that this cruise will terminate in the next few days in a port in Cambodia or Vietnam, which are the only countries which will take the Silver Spirit. Compensation is generous but still not seen as enough by some. TSH and Diva are OK with it if a few details can be ironed out.

An enjoyable evening at the Captain's table. One of the other guests at the table has been a physicist at Cern and was there when they found the Higgs bosun. Diva was overwhelmed!! There was also discussion about International Women's Day and Diva combined the two by proposing a toast to Lise Meitner. A first on Silversea perhaps.

The mood on the ship is low but guests are trying hard and the crew are trying harder to provide exceptional service. It was perhaps not such a good idea to schedule a lecture 'Introduction to Myanmar', as this was to be a cruise highlight for many people.

As far as is known, everyone on the Silver Spirit is healthy (or at least, as healthy as the age group was when everyone embarked).

Many ports closed

Singapore, Thailand, India will not take Silver Spirit. Now heading to Cambodia or Vietnam - the Captain does not know yet. The cruise will then terminate but it is not clear what will happen to transit passengers who are booked on the next leg of the voyage. People like TSH and Diva.

No exit

On departure from Port Klang, the captain informed the guests that Malaysia had closed its ports to cruise ships and hence the call to Langkawi was cancelled. He was looking for other options, possibly including Singapore.

The next morning, TSH and Diva noticed on the TV that the Silver Spirit was heading north. Singapore is south. Turns out that the exit procedures from Malaysia are not complete and so the ship must proceed to Langkawi, anchor, receive Malaysian officials, spend around 2 hours on formalities and then leave without anyone going ashore. On the positive side, the anchorage is very picturesque and the morning Tai Chi session on deck 10 was very enjoyable.

The excursion in Malacca, whilst interesting, was very demanding because of a lot of walking and standing in the full heat of 34 degrees. TSH got a picture of a preserved steam train.

More and more countries appear to be closing for cruises so nobody - including the captain - knows where the Silver Spirit will be going next. But the food is good and the wine plentiful. Everybody healthy so far. And the sea is very calm.

Kuala Lumpur

On the first day at KL, TSH and Diva stayed on board the Silver Spirit but on the second day, they took an excursion. 1.5 hours to drive from the port to the city, followed by a tour round the Old Palace of the kings. The new one is supposedly much more palatial but this was a very attractive building inside and out, despite most of the contents having been removed. There were lots of photos of the kings with foreign rulers - Yasser Arafat in pride of place in the entry hall. Elizabeth and Philips (sic) in an upstairs corridor.

There were many glimpses of the famous twin towers, although these are now dwarfed by many more modern constructions. The US embassy is closely overlooked by a high rise block which has been rented by the US government to preserve the security of the embassy.

The guide related how rice (and other staple goods) is normally imported from China but because of the virus it is now coming from India. The price has quadrupled, which must have a large impact on the local people, many of whom appear to be quite poor.

The walking tour round the traditional houses did not involve a reconstructed tourist area - the group walked round the busy Muslim residential area, including an external view of the mosque - no entry for tourists on Fridays. Local people's lunch was interrupted as the guide explained the street food, with strict instructions not to eat any of it. Diva was not happy with the number of local animals prowling around. There were some local schoolboys eager to practise their English and the guide cruelly told them that we were there to buy their houses. In the Muslim area, even very small girls wore head scarves, although this is optional in other parts.

TSH saw two steam engines, probably British-made, outside the railway station but the coach was moving too fast for him to take photos.

TSH and Diva had their temperatures taken (again) on entry to a KL restaurant for a buffet lunch. 36.4 and 36.3, so still healthy.

In which Diva chooses the easy option.

In Penang, she rejected the one with the trishaw (fast and scary), the one with the snake temple (wild and scary) and the one with the lunch on shore (expensive and scary).

So they went to Penang Hill and Temple. The temple, which was on a scale they had never seen before was still in the process of being built, so it was difficult to perceive the temple complex as a whole. Getting around the site involved a return trip on two inclined elevators, which were crammed with people to Asian standards (scary). And a buggy ride between the two (fast and scary). There was a tortoise pool with many many tortoises (wild but not too scary).

The hill required a return funicular ride (scary but expected). At the top was a skywalk (scary) and lots of monkeys (wild). Diva misunderstood the instructions for the return ride. She thought that the guide meant that sitting in the lowest level of the funicular would be less dramatic on the fast and steep parts. What he actually meant was that this position was the most like a roller coaster and necessitated standing up with arms in air and screaming (fast and terrifying).

It was 34 degrees and humid.

On return, the butlers were lined up outside the Silver Spirit with their 'Welcome Home' banner. The butler manager greeted Diva by name and gave her a cheery wave. La Terrazza is booked for later.

TSH and Diva were thrilled one night to see stars and planets on a scale not possible in light-polluted Cheshire. They couldn't identify them all even with a sky map. One was moving in a very strange fashion so they have now both definitely seen a UFO.

New plan

The current plan is that Silver Spirit will call at Penang, spend two days in Port Klang for Kuala Lumpur and then proceed to Malacca and Langkawi in Malaysia. TSH and Diva have been to these places before but have booked some excursions.

The mood on the ship is cheerful and even defiant, although first time visitors to Myanmar are disappointed. The captain is still shaking hands without gloves but he announced that he would be washing his hands afterwards. All the crew are making special efforts to please - although that is difficult to distinguish from the normal high level of service.

Compensation has been offered - 50% refund for this leg of the cruise and a further 25% as a credit against a future cruise. Generous, considering that none of this is the fault of Silversea and everyone is being well fed and watered.

The hope is that Sri Lanka, although they will not allow anyone to disembark, will allow a 'technical stop' for supplies. On the previous cruise, when no ports would accept Silver Spirit because of recent calls to China and Hong Kong, both rose wine and shiraz ran out. TSH and Dive do not often drink rose but they hope that supplies of shiraz are now adequate,

No entry

A few minutes before the scheduled departure from Phuket, the captain announced that the Silver Spirit was not leaving because both Myanmar and Sri Lanka have banned cruise ships for the foreseeable future because of the coronavirus. They are far more afraid of us than we are of them!!

Silversea are working on a revised itinerary, which will probably involve Penang and Kuala Lumpur.

Phuket did its best to protect itself from travellers - medics to take temperatures , masks supplied (optional - nobody used them. But TSH has 2 masks safely stored in his drawer), antibac spray squirted onto everybody's hands after every stop.

The highlight of the excursion was a temple visit - lighter than most temples TSH and Diva have seen before - where they saw many golden buddhas.

Health notes

On arrival in Singapore, scanners were pointed at foreheads to measure temperature. Diva was so tired that she did not even notice this happening. Many people were wearing face-masks.


On arrival at the Mandarin Oriental in Singapore, TSH was greeted by a masked medic who pointed a device at his head to take his temperature. Diva, who obviously looks much healthier, was waved through. Note from TSH: they were only doing one of each couple and I was in front.


The embarkation took longer than usual because there were health questionnaires and everyone had their blood oxygen saturation measured. This was done by attaching clips to a finger and the results read off a dial. TSH scored 99% and Diva 98% - both perfectly healthy and they were allowed to board.


None of the crew on the Silver Spirit are wearing face masks. Two guests were seen with them on the first day but none since.


There are increased numbers of hand sanitisers around the ship and people are using them frequently. The buffet is not self-service – waiters serve all the food. TSH and Diva are not sure how that will work at busy times.


Some people are on the ship on a last-minute half-price deal because so many people have cancelled.