Silver Spirit

It is like the other Silver ships but it is also different. The same excellent food and service. Still generous supplies of Bulgari toiletries. Everything is slightly bigger and the distances to walk are slightly longer. More tables and chairs round the pool and a bigger buffet area in La Terrazza.

The suite is pretty much the same. Only one wash-basin and a smaller shower area but a bigger bath. There is no longer an additional lower level hanging rail in the walk-in wardrobe which is more convenient for longer items but reduces the amount of hanging space by a lot – not great for such a long voyage.

The Observation Lounge at the top at the front seems to have been changed into an evenings-only bar. So the best spot on the ship for looking out in all directions and being able to be easily indoors or outdoors has been made unavailable.

Reception are not great. On check-in, they took Diva’s and TSH’s passports and asked for the Brazil visas. They did not have them. It turns out that US citizens (and other nationalities) need them but EU citizens do not. TSH found this out from the internet but there was another conversation with reception where they seemed to have no appreciation that there were people on board other than from North America. (Extra note: will Brits need Brazil visas after Brexit?)

TSH and Diva skipped the Captain’s welcome and went to dinner with an Australian couple who are also doing the full circle. Rumour has it that 99 people are doing the full voyage, including a number who have done it up to 10 times before.

Still holding the line on few or no desserts but sticky toffee pudding is not in the column marked 'resistable'.

Stats: Silver Spirit has 540 guests, Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper 382 each. Silver Wind has 296. 

Honfleur

Silver Wind docked in Honfleur, which is much more convenient than using the tenders. This is a very attractive town with a photogenic port and an extensive old town. TSH and Diva had a pot of tea by the harbour – almost 10 euros, so similar to drinking in St Marks Square, Venice.

The sea remained flat calm in the channel, through the Dover Straits, across a few miles of North sea and into the Thames estuary. Phones are back on their home networks. Lunch on the sea-day was English-themed, so as well as fish and chips there was chicken tikka masala, the making of which was demonstrated in the morning by the executive chef and an assistant from India.

Packing was easier than usual. No flying, so no weighing of cases and no worry about liquids and sharps in the hand luggage. 

Portimao and Lisbon

Portimao is a small town with beach resort attached. Neither are particularly attractive but in both cases there was a good sea-side walk for TSH and Diva. Storks were nesting on the top of the tall chimneys of the sardine factories.

It was Captain’s Farewell night, so it was formal dress and there was an invitation to dine with the Silver Wind HR manager. She is a charming young woman from South Wales but unfortunately she had merged her table with that of the Cruise Consultant, Martin. Diva has not taken to Martin because he was very unsympathetic about the cancelled cruises due to charters. His line was that it did not happen, there was only one website and if it did happen most guests don’t mind and the cruise consultant loses commission. ‘Poor Martin’. So Diva had to sit next to Martin at dinner and she is not good at hiding dislike. It was not a great dinner. He is condescending and arrogant as well as not very bright.

The day in Lisbon was excellent. TSH and Diva were on deck early for the sail-in past the Belem tower and the Jeronimos monastery.  took the metro out to Parque das Nocoes, the site of Expo 1998. This is a very modern part of town with interesting architecture and artworks views and excellent river views. Small frogs in the water garden were making a tremendous racket.

The return journey was made by train, which was much more direct but much more complicated to navigate. Diva can organise Metros in most languages but the over-ground system defeated her. Fortunately, TSH has an instinct for rail travel and he was also able to take some pictures of the trains.

Lunch was the traditional and excellent burger on deck.

Regent Voyager disembarked today – Silver Wind disembarks tomorrow, as this tiny terminal can only cope with one tiny cruise ship at one time.

Valencia vindicated

The previous time TSH and Diva were in Valencia was not a happy time. Silversea had lost their luggage in transit and this situation lasted for about 4 days. So they had spent a lot of time hunting for mascara and contact lens care and had missed out on part of the planned sightseeing. This time more than made up for it. They took a taxi to the modern City of Arts and Sciences. This is a park area with water and trees and very futuristic buildings. They already had tickets for the aquarium, which claims to be Europe’s largest.  The aquarium itself is new and extremely well laid out, partly indoors and partly outdoors. There are southern sealions, walruses, beluga whales (like the ones seen in the wild in Greenland) and a very ugly octopus (which became very graceful and aerodynamic when it started to swim). Diva was much taken with the Sea Dragons, which were very graceful and looked as if they were made from twigs and seaweed.  TSH saw a wild lizard in the bushes.

Back at the port, a ferry for Algeria was moored next to the Silver Wind. Most of the cars waiting to board had many parcels strapped on top. One had a ladder and there were lots of bicycles. The guess was that Algerians working in Spain were taking goods not readily available in North Africa back to their families.

The day surpassed expectation.

Monte Carlo to St Tropez

Monte Carlo was covered in barriers and sound systems for the forthcoming F1, so perhaps not the best time to visit, as it was difficult to pick a way through them.

MC Novotel very comfortable and the Salade Nicoise is to be recommended.

Silver Wind is as splendid as ever and several crew remembered TSH and Diva. Especially the wine waiters and sommelier. TSH had his first Silversea Danish of the year, which did not disappoint. This was followed in the afternoon by his first beer.

St Tropez was less glamorous and more quaint than either expected but walking round its narrow streets and along the harbour was very pleasant. Many SUPERyachts.

TSH saw a quite large octopus moving along the harbour floor which he thought was a good sighting – Diva was less impressed as it had disappeared before she got a chance to see it.

Referendum notes: The Nice taxi driver thought we should stay in with our semi-detached advantages (Euro, Schengen etc). But he also wanted Nice to get independence from France. Two people from USA thought we were in the Euro, which made travel very convenient. 

Washing

The washing mound has now vanished and the last items are outside drying. The next job is to plan the wardrobes for the next holiday, which will be on the west coasts of Portugal, Spain and France. Where the weather looks as changeable as it is at home, so we don't know what to take.

But we'll need formal clothes because its a cruise. On the Silver Wind, which has been refurbished - not before time.