Not a holiday

 

Normally this blog is just for holidays but Diva and TSH’s venture to their local Marks and Spencer is worth a mention. They went because of an enticing email about large discounts on fashion and beauty.

On arrival, they went to the Café and attempted to order 2 hot drinks and 2 bacon ciabattas, using the newly installed screens. On the first attempt, the screen said only one ciabatta was ordered, so Diva went back and changed the order to 2. Which showed correctly on the summary screen. When 4 bacon ciabattas arrived at their table, the waitress was kind and helpful in taking 2 of them back and arranging for a refund. Diva said that she had checked the screen very carefully and that this must be a frequent error which affected many people. She was assured that it had never happened before.

Whilst trying to drink her tea, Diva managed to spill much of it down her dress, which fortunately had a complex pattern which did not show the stain. But Diva was soaked to the skin.

When TSH and Diva arrived home, there was further communication from Silversea about a cruise they have booked for 2026. At different times they have been told it is cancelled, partially cancelled, chartered and re-routed. Further news is expected to arrive next week.

The discounts on beauty products were very limited and did not include anything Diva wanted to buy.

Sociable Start

At the start of the 4^th leg, for the first time that she can remember, Diva was greeted at the lunch buffet by a newly embarked guest with whom they had sailed before - on the Silver Moon. She and TSH were greeted as old friends by other In Transit guests and they also made a new friend in the queue outside La Terrazza. This experience is already more sociable than most of the previous 3 legs.

Also in Reykjavik was Saga Spirit of Discovery, which will be taking them to the Canaries in March 2025. Even in port, the wind was so strong that the original intention to do Tai Chi on an open deck was dropped.

Some of the crew do not remember TSH and Diva and are welcoming them aboard in Silversea style. Others are very familiar with them by now. When one waiter tried to explain how things worked, a more experienced one pointed out ‘these people have spent more time on the Silversea ships than we have’.

The head sommelier, with whom they have travelled many times, has left the ship but not before she introduced her replacement, also a Serb, to them.

Lennon Link

TSH and Diva did not go into Reykjavik, as the Silver Spirit was docked some way out and there was no shuttle bus. So they enjoyed a few relaxing hours onboard until the next set of guests embarked.

They spent some time looking at a point on the southern horizon where there appeared to be a plume of smoke. This is a possible sighting of the result of the currently active volcano. In the Arts Café, they chatted with the on-coming Food and Beverage Manager, who is from Birkdale, near Liverpool. He now knows about the missing grilled peaches.

TSH and Diva are now very familiar to the crew and seem to have achieved celebrity status with some. The restaurants manager delivered a sweeping curtsey as they arrived for breakfast in La Terrazza.

Guests on this new leg, like the last one, are younger than the usual Silversea guests and sometimes this feels more like an expedition cruise.

Also in port was Regent Seven Seas Splendour.

On the way out of Reykjavik, Captain Ivo, in his accented English, pointed out something connected with John Lennon. Diva heard ‘tavern’ but TSH correctly identified ‘tower’. The connection is explained here: Imagine Peace Tower - Wikipedia

In Patreksfjordur for the second time, it was sufficiently cold that, on an open deck, TSH and Diva practised Tai Chi wearing coats. Also, for the first time ever, TSH wore gloves throughout.

Magnificent Mariners

 On their second visit to Newhaven (for Edinburgh0, TSH and Diva decided to go ashore for a short walk. Making the journey to Edinburgh seemed too much effort – almost 30 minutes on the tender plus 30 minutes on the shuttle bus plus waiting and connection times. They much preferred the previous arrangement when Silversea ships docked in Leith next to Royal Yacht Britannia.

Going ashore, they were greeted by a man from the local tourist organisation. TSH, who can be tactless, has specific instructions not to talk to people from the USA about their presidents in general or Donald Trump in particular. Unfortunately, Diva had not thought of banning conversation about football at a time when Scotland is out of the Euro 2024 competition and England is, at least for the moment, still in the running.

The current captain of the Silver Spirit does not speak good English and struggles with the announcements, of which he makes as few as possible. At the start of each announcement, he seems to say ‘This is your silly captain speaking from the bridge’ but he probably means ‘Silversea captain’.

Today is the International Day of the Seafarer. At lunch-time, using the public address system, the Captain spoke to express his thanks to the whole crew for their efforts in making the customer experience excellent. TSH and Diva joined in the applause requested and as a result two of the Maitre D’s came over to chat to them. It was a strange time to make such an address –  La Terrazza was almost deserted because most guests were ashore in Newhaven.

5th

Dinner in Indochine was not looking good when the waiter handed TSH and Diva menu folders which turned out to be empty. No food? Fortunately it was a mistake and Diva was able to order sweet and sour prawns, and TSH a Thai curry.

Venetian night is when anybody who has travelled with Silversea before is invited to a cocktail party where achievements are lauded. Achievements take the form of ‘days spent on board’. On this occasion, TSH and Diva were 5^th in the league table with 685. The ‘winners’ had over 2000 days!! At a dinner table hosted by the Guest Relations Manager, TSH and Diva were able to join with two other British guests to take the opportunity to explain that there was a large market for UK-UK cruises, as many people no longer wish to fly at the beginning or end of a cruise.

The highlight of the short excursion in Kirkwall, Orkney, was the Italian Chapel, built by Italian Prisoners of War during the 2^nd World War. The weather was extremely cold and partly wet – difficult even for the hardy Northern British like TSH and Diva. They were also disappointed in having to tender ashore – on previous occasions they have docked in Kirkwall, which is far more convenient.

The waiter has never heard of it before

After a very scenic sail-in to Marseille with a beautiful sunrise, TSH and Diva took the excursion to Aix-en-Provence. The journey was enlivened by the man sitting behind them mansplaining everything to his wife, including paraphrasing the guide. He said that everything would be difficult, as all signage was likely to be in French but that this would be easier than in the forthcoming call to Lisbon, where he had no idea what language would be used. He then went on to explain at length that when the guide mentioned ‘dry dock’, she meant somewhere where a vessel was taken out of the water, which had to be done very carefully so as not to crush it.

Aix itself was an interesting and attractive town, so this turned out to be a very enjoyable morning. Before returning to the Silver Moon, the bus drove around part of the old port, which is TSH and Diva’s favourite part of Marseille. The cathedral near the harbour is very splendid and much photographed – and that is just by TSH.

The bread offering at dinner quite often includes flavoured bread – cheese, onion, olive etc. But the waiter announced that one of the breads was ‘lamb ragout’. Diva thought she had misheard and questioned him closely. He said that this idea was also novel to him and he joined in the hilarity. The flavour was actually so subtle that they would have had no idea what it was if they had not been warned.

Marseille is special for Silversea, as it is where 5 of their ships spent their Covid lockdown time.

Diva and the four doctors

 No excursion today, just an unescorted walk around Kotor, which is one of the best ports along this coast. Interesting old walled town, good walks along the water-front, colourful flower market and a magnificent sail-away through a fjord.

They were not all doctors but they were all wearing white coats, which was enough. Diva was having some problems with her ears and went to the Medical Centre for syringing. She does not really have a problem with that procedure, which she has had many times. But it all felt a bit panicky in a strange location. One doctor to syringe, one to hold the basin (which Diva can normally manage herself), one to stand in front and issue orders about not moving, shaking or flinching. And the last to watch in horror from across the room. Ears are much improved but might need a return visit. Good that basic medical care is included in the cruise package.

 TSH has tried ouzo (good) and retsina (bad). He has decided to stick with cognac or malt whisky.

Diva is wearing a pair of sparkly but very comfortable shoes during the day and is receiving many compliments.

Fedex Customer Services sent TSH a triumphant email to say that they had sorted his issues, fulfilled their contract and delivered his bag to Athens. Pity he has no immediate plans to go there. Silversea have (maybe) hired a truck to move the bags to Venice.

Albania

The scenery here is spectacular – mountains, deep fertile valleys, and views of the sea and the island of Corfu. The local people are welcoming – a folk performance at the pier when Silver Moon arrived and a gift of a shopping bag (Welcome to Albania) for everybody. The tour buses were delayed for a while because the port entrance gate was locked but the police eventually sorted that one out.

The drive to the castle viewpoint was a bit scary for Diva – steep roads, hairpin bends and only a narrow strip of tarmac. Fortunately the road was dry. The winery visit consisted of a buffet table with snacks and local wine, with no tasting guidance. The winery itself was so small that there was nothing to tour. The tour finished with a walk along the attractive new promenade area.

TSH and Diva ate at the SALT restaurant, which specialises in local food. Their lamb yiovetsi was so good that they are looking for the recipe.

 The Fedex tracking system says that TSH’s bag is now in Athens, where it should have been 2 weeks ago. Nobody on board ‘has any information’ about why it is not on the Silversea truck, which may or may not have left Germany for Venice.

 

The lamb:

Five rings to bind them

TSH and Diva visited the ruins at Olympia, the home of the Olympic Games and the site of the 3^rd Wonder of the Ancient World this voyage – the Temple of Zeus. Although not many of the buildings have yet been reconstructed, it is apparent that the scale was such that it would have induced shock and awe in the Greeks in BC times. Some visitors who were much much younger than the Silver Moon guests held races in the Olympic stadium.

There are always technical problems when guests try to operate the headsets which are used to ensure everyone can hear the commentary even when they are not close to the guide. This time, the headsets were handed out as people got on the bus at the pier. When alighting from the bus at Olympia, one guest asked for another set, as she had already lost hers. Diva’s ears are not designed for glasses, mask and earpiece, so she does not hear the commentary very often.

The accompanying museum was world class, with extremely interesting artefacts laid out in an extremely attractive and informative way.

The latest on the luggage is that Silversea have (at last) hired a truck to transport it – probably to Venice. Apparently the latest delay is ‘customs clearance from Germany to Italy’.

Dinner with the Silversea Ambassador to the Venetian Society- sounds like something out of the middle ages.

Two rabbits spotted by the roadside.

 

All change?

 

Silversea’s overlords at Royal Caribbean have decided to rebrand them. At the moment, this appears to be limited to the external appearance of the ships. The bottom section has been painted in what Diva assumed was undercoat, looks like battleship grey and is apparently meant to be silver. The logo on the funnel has changed so that it looks washed out – as if someone put white undercoat across it. There has been no official mention of this onboard – TSH and Diva asked the HR manager about it when they were chatting with her. They think it is a huge mistake.

The HR manager also described the logistics of the last 16 months. Getting as many crew as possible home - sometimes using the ships as ferries, preparing to help with evacuations from the Australian wild fires, assembling quarantined and vaccinated crew, dry runs to prepare the restaurant staff for the return of guests. The latter involved filling each restaurant in turn with non-restaurant crew such as cleaners and deck hands, who all enjoyed the new experience of being waited on.

The passengers are still trying to help out. During a lighting issue in the theatre when the lecturer could not read his notes, a passenger offered him her phone torch. It was politely refused. The lecturer – Peter Crimes – was a PhD student in the Geology department at Liverpool University when Diva, in her first job, worked on the Computer Helpdesk.

Weather misty but not too cold and the sea is very flat.

Wildlife sightings: 1 rabbit, 1 egret, 2 cormorants.

 

Information drips out

 The Silversea website is still down. There is no real official explanation but guests are told that the Tech Department are working on it. TSH has been told verbally that the system was taken down in response to a threat and that no data is compromised. An unofficial communication included the words 'It takes longer to get a system back up than to take it down'. Really? Over a week? Contingency planning should cover such an eventuality. Diva has seen an online comment that Silversea need a new Tech Department.

TSH and Diva have now been sent information about the second leg of their cruise, confirming that it is another round of Britain. Or, to quote Silversea 'an immersive experience'. Which is an unfortunate turn of phrase from a cruise company. An interesting quirk is that the itinerary down the east coast visits Edinburgh before Dundee. A mistake or a scheduling issue with the ports? Watch this space. 

TSH has had his hair cut.

The itinerary is just a wish list

 TSH and Diva have seen a communication from Silversea suggesting that their visits to Northern Europe and the Channel Isles have been cancelled. Instead, they are to circumnavigate the British Isles twice. Same ports twice. How the mighty are fallen. The original plan for January 2021 was to circumnavigate South America. Once.

This change was half-expected because of the Covid status of France in particular. As a precaution, this is OK with TSH and Diva. But they will need clothes for cooler climes such as Scotland in late September. And Diva has wasted money on Day 2 tests that will not now be needed. 

They look forward to a confirmation of where exactly they are going. And information about the dress codes. And luggage tags. But the Silversea website has been down for days with no real explanation. 

Silver Spirit is in the Bay of Biscay, still heading for Southampton.

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.

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.

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.

The handshake

Back at Monte Carlo again – this time for two days. The first day the ship was anchored in a very heavy swell. The sea conditions for going ashore by tender were much worse than other days when the captain decided against it and went to another port. Could this be because senior Silversea people based in Monte Carlo are getting on the ship for a 'special event' tonight?

This is not just a Venetian Society reunion cruise - it is also celebrating Silversea's 25th birthday. There have been special events and gifts. The haul so far is: box of toiletries (Diva's favourite), Silversea tie/scarf pins, Silversea 25th anniversary tie/scarf pins, passport holders, commemorative small plate with traditional Monaco emblem. 

Diva and TSH dined with the SVP Hotel Operations & OBR who sounds important and is based in Monte Carlo. His home town is Sutton Coldfield, which detracts from the glamour a bit. Before the dinner, Manfredi appeared and shook hands with everybody at the table. Diva vowed never to wash again. Manfredi is referred to as 'the owner' (of Silversea), although, since he sold the majority share to Royal Caribbean, this is not actually the case. 


Diva decided against going ashore on the first day – short legs and a bouncing tender make the transfer from ship to tender very difficult. TSH has longer legs and took the bumpy ride into Monte Carlo. He then walked around - past the casino but importantly not into it. The return tender was loaded with a number of boxes which rumour has it were treats for the senior Silversea staff.

On the second day, Silver Spirit was docked and TSH and Diva were able to take the local bus to the 'jardin exotique' - a very pleasant cactus garden with spectacular views across the city and harbour.

Cruising not the Beagle channel

The itinerary describes ‘cruising the beagle channel’ as it earlier described ‘cruising the Chilean fjords’, but both of these experiences occur at night in the dark. The theory is that, as the voyage is normally done in reverse (down the east coast and back up the west), it has been switched round because of late Easter, so as to be in Rio for Carnivale. At Silversea HO, they do not seem to have realised that the result is that some daytime experiences are now in the night. Silver Spirit is scheduled to pass ‘Glacier Alley’ between midnight and 2am. Even if passengers stay up for it, it will be dark. So that is disappointing.

But the day has been magnificent. After leaving the extreme tip of the mainland, which is relatively flat, Silver Spirit entered a fjord which is bordered by hills and mountains of all shapes and heights, some of which are snow-capped or have glaciers. Some have very jagged peaks. The weather is cold but the mist is intermittent and there are clear spells and shafts of sunlight. An experience to rival anything in Norway but, unlike there, there are few signs of any habitation or local boats.

TSH and Diva donned extra layers and ate their lunch on the pool deck, much to the bemusement of the frozen staff who have little choice in such matters.

TSH had a good sighting of some whales.

Three important pieces of news

1.      TSH is 70 today – thanks to all who sent cards and greetings. The butler produced a card and a number of balloons. Regular readers who do not know him will be surprised that he has reached such a distinguished age. Diva, of course, is much younger. In the restaurant, a special desert of crepes suzettes was served as requested by the birthday boy.

2.      TSH bought some new reading glasses from a pharmacy in Manta.

3.      TSH and Diva crossed the equator at 4am on 23^rd January. Their first real time in the Southern hemisphere – the last time, on the Amazon, was really just following the line of the equator itself.

Diva was disappointed that the excursion was rearranged to substitute a local culture museum for the promised archaeology museum. The latter was damaged in last year’s earthquake and has not yet been repaired.

Panama hats are made in Ecuador. During the hat-making demonstration, the guide explained that it takes 3 or 4 months to make a hat of the best quality. Diva was unsure that this was a good thing. It did not seem very viable as an industry. And it isn’t – young people are not interested in the work anymore.

In the centre of Manta, between the market and the childrens’ playground, was a small patch of garden, where there were iguanas in the trees and on the ground. Quite a shock in a busy place!

Tuna is a big industry in Manta and many boats were unloading their catch.

On the subsequent sea day, Silversea held a ‘lunch under the lifeboats’ event for those doing the whole circle voyage.  This was a literal description of where the food was served – in the normally quiet place where TSH and Diva do morning Tai Chi. It was so windy that the waiter announced that the garnish ‘had blown away’. A good lunch and good company in spite of that.

Birthday balloons

Dressed for dinner

At dinner

 Crepes

Tuna and iguana

Panama hats

Heading for the equator

The Panama day was rounded off nicely with a last minute booking for La Terrazza – the first on this voyage. Diva had her usual 9 starters (all tiny).

The butler and the butler manager part-rescued the reading situation by lending TSH some reading glasses from the staff store. He still needs to buy some soon but there is a plan for that.

Early morning Tai Chi on the lifeboat deck, which seems to be the only outside space which doesn’t form part of a thoroughfare or a public area such as the pool.

The first highlight of the day at sea was the sight of a school of dolphins swimming alongside the Silver Spirit, leaping in and out of the water.

The second highlight was another lecture from a Professor of Archaeology. One of the best speakers ever experienced on a Silversea ship. Diva wants to visit all the Peruvian sites and museums he is describing but it will be possible to visit only one.

Excellent sweet and sour pork for lunch made a change from TSH and Diva’s usual choice of lots of salad with fish or cheese.

Diva and TSH have been presented with small holdalls with the Silversea Circle Voyage logo.

Not many other cruise ships spotted so far. Only Celebrity Summit and Crystal Serenity.

This photoblog hopefully gives some impression of the spectacle which is the Panama Canal.

Continental divide

Early morning

Flight of pelicans

Going In

Leaving Panama

The lake

Photoblog

Modern architecture in Valencia

Diva’s Sea Dragon

Thanks from Silversea